"Infinite Range (Silver)"

After the handshake ceremony, the starters from both sides took the court one after another.

For Real Madrid Team, the Trident of Sun Hao, Prigioni, and Gabajosa stepped onto the floor together.

For Virtus Bologna, Danilovic started, while Ginobili sat on the bench.

Everything was confirming Sun Hao's earlier guess.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Virtus Bologna won the tip, officially opening the game.

Virtus Bologna immediately ran a high pick-and-roll. Danilovic cut without the ball, then came back out off a screen from the center.

The play was executed beautifully, but Danilovic's shot failed to go in.

Gabajosa secured the defensive rebound, and Real Madrid Team pushed into the frontcourt to run a similar play.

This time, Sun Hao caught the ball. His shooting space was even tighter than Danilovic's had been, and after the ball traced an arc through the air—

"Clang!"

—it bounced off the rim as well.

Neither team scored on its first possession.

Perhaps because it was their first time playing in the UEFA Champions League, everyone's touch was still back on the practice court.

Virtus Bologna tried the same old trick again, but Danilovic's three-pointer was disrupted by Gabajosa.

"Clang!"

Still no good!

And that was not the end of it. After a frontcourt pick-and-roll for Real Madrid Team, Gabajosa's mid-range jumper from the free throw line also bounced off the rim!

The basket in Sicily was rejecting every shot tonight!

Virtus Bologna attacked again. After receiving the ball, Danilovic did not shoot this time. He gave a pump fake, then drove inside.

But even with Gabajosa contesting him, his driving layup still missed!

He had taken three shots to start the game and hadn't scored!

A ripple of unrest spread through the arena.

Danilovic was Virtus Bologna's star player. This form was worrying!

But that was also the drawback of a pure shooter.

Although his driving ability was not bad by European standards for an established star, once his outside shot was not falling, his overall performance would decline noticeably.

And once opponents knew he could not hit from outside, containing his less-than-elite drives was enough to limit him.

Gabajosa was probably the happiest man on the court. He collected another rebound, giving him three in just a few possessions.

Real Madrid Team came back down the floor, and this time Prigioni passed directly to Sun Hao.

Since the start of the new season, Sun Hao had proven one thing: after his Offseason training, he had become Real Madrid Team's most reliable scorer.

So without anyone really noticing, whenever the team could not open things up, the ball naturally found its way into Sun Hao's hands.

After getting the ball, Sun Hao called for a screen from Gabajosa at the top of the key.

Virtus Bologna's center stayed near the free throw line and did not move.

Sun Hao rose and fired from beyond the three-point line.

By the time the opposing center tried to close out, it was already too late.

"Swish!"

Sun Hao struck cleanly and gave Real Madrid Team the first points of the game!

That was the difference between a scorer and a shooter.

The opening possessions showed that neither side had found its shooting touch.

The more Danilovic missed, the greater the defensive pressure on him became.

If Sun Hao had also just run around, caught passes, and shot, his scoring efficiency would probably have been about the same.

But he could attack off the dribble!

As long as the opposing center did not come out, he could fire away from outside to his heart's content!

Shooting touch had never existed independently. It was directly affected by defensive pressure.

Danilovic was somewhat unhappy. This was Sicily, his turf.

He came free, caught the ball, and shot again, but under Gabajosa's contest, his attempt still clanged off the rim!

Virtus Bologna's coach was already rubbing his face.

Five shots, zero makes to start the game. Tonight, Danilovic had become Iron Danilovic!

After hesitating for a while, he turned around and called Ginobili over.

Sun Hao was bringing the ball up and directing the offense when he saw Ginobili stand up and take off his warm-up shirt.

He knew it. What was coming had finally arrived.

Sun Hao took another three-pointer after a pick-and-roll on the right wing.

This time, the opposing big man came all the way out.

His shot bounced off the rim.

His overall shooting touch tonight really was not great either.

But Gabajosa had already cut inside after setting the screen, grabbed the Long Rebound, and scored on the putback.

5–0!

Real Madrid Team seized the early momentum.

Just then, a short whistle sounded from the sideline.

Ginobili checked in for Danilovic.

The substitution came early, and it was quite unexpected.

Even Danilovic ignored Ginobili's outstretched hand for a high-five as he headed to the bench.

The Bosnian's shooting touch was poor tonight, and after being pulled so early by the coach, he looked extremely unhappy.

Ginobili, on the other hand, had a good mentality. When the high-five missed, he smoothly turned it into applause for himself, rubbed his hands hard, and ran onto the court.

Virtus Bologna's interior attack was disrupted by Gabajosa and still failed to score!

Nearly three minutes into the game, they remained scoreless!

The crowd was growing increasingly restless.

Real Madrid Team was a European powerhouse, but the gap could not possibly be this large, could it?

Sun Hao brought the ball into the frontcourt and called for another pick-and-roll.

But Gabajosa, who had been getting open no matter how he screened before, could not make it work even after setting two screens this time.

It was not that his screening ability had suddenly fallen off a cliff. It was that Ginobili, newly on the floor, slipped around screens like an eel.

And unlike the small, agile guards Sun Hao had encountered at Plata, Ginobili relied on anticipation.

The Demon Blade's basketball IQ was very high!

Unable to get the pick-and-roll going, Sun Hao tried driving down the right side.

He had started practicing his First Step as early as last season, and his driving ability had improved significantly.

But he still could not beat Ginobili in one step.

And though Ginobili looked thin, he was not much weaker than Sun Hao physically.

After driving to the free throw line, help defense came over from the weak side, leaving him no choice but to kick the ball back to Prigioni.

The ball moved around, but Gabajosa's attempt under the basket ultimately failed to fall.

Virtus Bologna secured the rebound.

At that very moment, Ginobili had already crossed the three-point line.

His Fast Break Awareness was first-rate.

Virtus Bologna threw a long outlet pass from the backcourt. After catching it, Ginobili pushed the break against Prigioni's defense.

The two raced from midcourt to the free throw line.

Ginobili was not especially fast, but once he reached the free throw line, he gave a fake as if driving right with the ball, then gathered it and took a huge step left.

Euro Step!

Prigioni bit on the fake while moving, and Ginobili was already past him.

After getting by Prigioni, Ginobili took another step, leapt with all his strength, and smashed the ball directly toward the basket with his right hand.

"Boom!"

Ginobili finished the fast break with a dunk!

The instant the ball went in, Virtus Bologna's bench erupted, and the arena became a boiling sea of noise.

Earlier, Danilovic had turned into the Milan blacksmith, and Virtus Bologna had been unable to score for ages.

This fast break was worth only two points, but the way those points came was unbelievably uplifting!

Sun Hao spat out tomatoes at the sight. Ginobili played this explosively in Europe?

That dunk greatly boosted Virtus Bologna's morale, along with the fans' cheers and the suddenly intensified defense.

Real Madrid Team came up empty on offense!

When play returned to the half court, the ball went directly to Ginobili.

Danilovic was the core of this Virtus Bologna team, but he was currently sitting on the sideline with a towel wrapped around his head.

With Gabajosa guarding Real Madrid's interior, it was not easy to attack inside. Giving the ball to Ginobili, who had just broken the scoring drought, was only natural.

After signaling for everyone to clear out, Ginobili attacked Prigioni directly.

Prigioni was at a disadvantage physically. Ginobili drove to the free-throw line, and Gabajosa came out with Interior Help Defense Came Out.

At that moment, Ginobili faked a pass inside. After fooling both defenders into turning their heads, he gathered the ball and took a huge step right.

Another Euro Step!

By the time Prigioni and Gabajosa turned back, it was too late.

Ginobili took another step to completely shake both men off, then floated in a layup off the glass.

He had scored four straight points!

The key was that his Euro Step worked every single time!

The whistles and cheers in the arena were already impossible to stop.

Their emotions had been ignited by this young man who had just joined the team!

"I know him, Manu Ginobili!"

In a seat near the middle of the stands, a middle-aged man wore an excited expression.

Because of where he was sitting, the players on the court would generally not notice him.

But if Sun Hao had walked over and taken a closer look, he definitely would have been shocked.

Because the man speaking was Lartigue, the same man who had "hosted" him at the police station a few months ago!

"We all know him now! We all know him now! We're so lucky this season!"

Lartigue's friend was just as excited, loudly echoing him from beside him.

"Swish!"

Just then, a crisp sound came from the court.

The cheers abruptly stopped.

After the pick-and-roll, Sun Hao drifted outward and directly launched a three-pointer from a meter beyond the three-point line.

Ultra-long Three-pointer—once he shot it, it went in!

Ginobili could anticipate and fight around screens, but this time Sun Hao did not give him the time.

To Sun Hao, Ultra-long Three-pointers and regular Three-pointers were now just a matter of distance!

"I know him!"

That three-pointer had been incredibly domineering, and Lartigue noticed Sun Hao as well.

His friend came to his senses and looked at Lartigue in confusion.

Had he gotten too carried away?

Lartigue did not notice his friend's gaze. He was already delighted beyond measure.

More accurately, he was even happier than Sun Hao was at that moment.

One had thought he was getting lucky with a woman, only to be robbed clean. The other had gone looking for a prostitute, failed to agree on the price, and ended up in the police station.

Both men were professional basketball players, and both were now core players for their respective teams.

And most importantly, the two of them were actually matched up against each other in the UEFA Champions League!

He could imagine how Sun Hao and Ginobili would feel if they saw each other. Their feelings would probably be indescribably complicated.

But as the third party, he was genuinely having a blast!

He had lived so long, and this was the happiest thing he had ever seen!

Happiness was built on other people's suffering!

Ginobili's next Euro Step in the frontcourt did not go in, but he drew a foul from Real Madrid Team and went to the free throw line.

With Danilovic struggling, he had stepped up and carried the team on his shoulders.

By then, the fans had fallen in love with this newly signed 22-year-old youngster.

Ginobili stepped up, and Virtus Bologna's offense got back on track.

On Real Madrid Team's side, Sun Hao continued leading the attack.

Although his overall touch was poor tonight, his occasional Three-pointers and fast-break scoring were still eye-catching.

Watching the battle between the two on the court, Lartigue slapped his forehead as if he had remembered something.

Right, it seemed Sun Hao's case had already been solved, and there was something quite interesting about it too.

So much time had passed that he had nearly forgotten. Since he remembered it today, he could find Sun Hao after the game and have a good chat.

The stalemate on the court continued all the way to halftime.

With twenty seconds left in the half, the two teams were tied at 39–40.

Real Madrid Team trailed, but they had the final possession.

Virtus Bologna's defense was extremely fierce, and Real Madrid Team could not create an opening despite running several plays.

After a hard-fought half, whoever entered the second half with the lead would have a huge psychological advantage.

Seeing the shot clock about to expire, Prigioni habitually tossed the ball to Sun Hao.

Sun Hao caught it two meters beyond the three-point line.

A familiar spot, a familiar hot potato.

At that moment, he was LeBron's favorite teammate.

Seeing that Ginobili was some distance away, he did not wait for the clock to run out and directly launched an ultra-long three-pointer.

This spot was even farther than the previous ultra-long range.

"No one would shoot from that spot unless he was Sun!"

Even the commentator could not help crying out in amazement.

The three-pointer spun through the air in an exceptionally high arc, like a meteor falling from beyond the sky.

Everyone in the arena followed it with their eyes.

"BEEP!"

"SWISH!"

With a crisp, pleasing sound, Sun Hao's buzzer-beating ultra-long three-pointer dropped heavily through the net!

42–40!

Real Madrid Team ended the first half in the lead!

The crowd erupted in uproar.

From that spot, at that difficulty—and it still went in. There was really no fucking words for it.

After the ball went in, Sun Hao beamed.

Not only because he had given his team both a score advantage and a psychological advantage, but also because Infinite Range, which had been stuck at a bottleneck, had broken through!

It had advanced from Bronze to Silver!

Infinite Range (Silver): Effectively increases the accuracy and stability of three-point set shots from greater distances!

Shui Qie has already apologized. Big shots, please vote recommendation tickets for him, seeing how sincere and pitiful he is!

Today's Cheesy Love Lines

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