Possession changed hands, and it was the Knicks' turn to attack.
Rose quickly dribbled across half court and passed to Chen Xi at the top of the key.
Chen Xi caught the ball with Alexander guarding him one-on-one and immediately went into a face-up isolation.
He dribbled through a between-the-legs crossover in place, took a step left, then linked a hop step into a front crossover before accelerating into the paint down the right side.
Inside the three-point line, he stopped abruptly and initiated contact, firmly knocking Alexander back before gathering the ball and rising for his signature long two.
The shot dropped with effortless smoothness.
It was almost identical to the move SGA frequently used these days. If there was any difference, it was that Chen Xi stopped farther from the basket, making things even tougher for the help defender.
At the same time, thanks to his greater weight and superior physical gifts, Chen Xi actually made cleaner contact.
There was no obvious elbow extension or lowered shoulder. Instead, he naturally let his shoulder, upper arm, and torso make contact with the defender as he drove, combining momentum, kinetic energy, and sheer physical strength to knock his man back.
Even in this era of stricter officiating, a move like that still qualified as perfectly clean basketball.
There was no helping it. The Thunder Team's youngsters had things far too easy these days.
Back when Chen led the team, the referees had given him plenty of grief over details like these~~
Chen Xi's jumper tied the score at 2–2.
It was an opening that fit the fans' expectations perfectly.
Both sides started by leaning on their stars' signature skills to finish possessions.
And those two stars were remarkably similar.
Or rather, since SGA was a rising superstar personally groomed