After a stationary between-the-legs crossover, he took another hesitation step to the left, then smoothly changed direction and drove right.
He did not put much force into his first step this time, so it was not particularly fast.
Chen Xi simply pressed steadily against White as he worked his way inside.
His aim was not to beat his man outright, but to draw Brown's help defense from the side into a double-team in the mid-range area.
Just before Brown and White could close the trap, Chen Xi seized his chance and exploded into a Spin Move. As he circled around White's right side, he used White's body to screen off Brown.
With room to shoot, Chen Xi gathered the ball without hesitation and pump-faked.
Once again, he successfully got White, who was desperate to contest, off his feet.
Then Chen jumped again, brushing against White's body as he sent the ball toward the basket.
The [Mid-Range Deadeye] badge activated reliably.
The ball swished through the net.
At the same time, the referee promptly blew his whistle.
"And one!!"
"Chris's signature three-point play!"
"Four straight points to open the game! Not only did he score with ease, he also drew a shooting foul on Derrick White!!"
"Chris!! His scoring ability is as terrifying as ever! He put the ball in the basket like it was nothing. To him, the Celtics' defense might as well not exist. Even their traps are full of holes!!"
The courtside commentators were just as excited.
After all, they had not seen Chen play seriously in several months.
They had not expected Chen Xi to give them such a pleasant surprise the moment he returned to regular-season action.
Four straight points in less than a minute!
Or, more accurately, given his terrifying free-throw efficiency, it should have