Chen Xi moved up to the right wing at a forty-five-degree angle to receive the ball, facing a mismatch against Middleton.
He palmed the ball one-handed, turned sideways to seal his defender, then straightened up and surveyed the defense.
Only after settling on his approach for the possession did he slowly put the ball on the floor. After a brief pocket dribble, he stepped back and spread into his offensive stance.
This season, the Bucks were short on perimeter defensive resources, so they no longer dared to trap Chen Xi aggressively on the perimeter like they used to.
That should be an excellent opening to exploit.
He dribbled into a Between-the-Legs Crossover, pulled the ball to his left hand, then took a small hop left with a same-foot step. He immediately followed with another Between-the-Legs Crossover and shifted right.
As he moved, he drew Middleton's feet with him. He then made a Crossover Step forward-right, turned sideways and floated the ball for a brief hesitation, then violently exploded off the dribble. In one step, he blew past Middleton's back and easily completed the drive.
Accelerating into the mid-range, he easily drew Giannis's help defense and calmly passed to Joe in the corner.
Paul Joe caught the ball and tried another three-pointer.
[Ten Dimes] badge activated.
This time, Basketball Swished Through the Net.
3-7.
Chen racked up another assist!
The Knicks ended their brief opening scoring drought and steadied the situation.
He turned, lightly high-fived Joe, then quickly retreated to his own half.
Chen Xi's expression remained incomparably calm.
It was precisely that unhurried, rock-steady demeanor that gave his teammates greater confidence and a more relaxed mindset.
So what if they had missed a few shots to start the game?!
And what if their shooting efficiency was bad all game?
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