He quickly sold an in-and-out dribble, then immediately pounded the ball and exploded to his right, driving into Chen Xi.
Using his outstanding first-step speed, Irving briefly got past Chen Xi and accelerated into the paint. He dared not pause for even a moment, continuing to charge inside with long strides.
The Knicks showed both players plenty of respect, offering no help defense at all. The other eight players on the court watched their "one-on-one" duel with unspoken agreement.
Chen Xi stayed firmly on Irving's rear left flank. His longer strides gradually closed the gap, while keeping him within range to contest at all times.
By then, Irving, charging headlong and committed to his path, had soon reached the area near the baseline.
Without a good opportunity to finish with a layup, he actually had very few options left.
He decisively pounded the ball, stopped sharply, and spun, then immediately gathered and rose into an extreme fadeaway to get his jumper off.
In midair, Irving quickly leaned backward, using his abdominal strength to steady his core and arms before flicking the ball away on as high an arc as he could manage.
But right at that moment, Chen Xi's visibly fast-approaching body stood in front of him, along with a huge palm that seemed to blot out the sky.
In the end, he successfully released the ball.
But it did not continue along the trajectory Irving had intended.
With his precise defensive judgment, superior vertical leap, and explosive lift, Chen Xi still managed to graze Irving's shot with his fingertips.
And so, a shot that should have been a miraculous bucket instantly became an unfortunate air ball.
Under the basket, Adams casually caught the falling ball, then hugged it tightly to secure possession.
Only after Gobert and Kleber turned to