Chapter 479: Saying It and Doing It: The Basketball Way

Deng Taiqiongsi, Jimmy Butler, Huaiti Seda, and Mili Xiqi's brand-new lineup steps onto the court!

The whistle sounds.

The Pivotal Game, which concerns the most important stage of the finals, officially begins, and the camera shifts onto the star players of both sides; except for Fan Xi, who looks relaxed, everyone else's expression is very solemn.

Everyone knows the importance of this match.

Sha Ke'er Aoni'er sits at the TNT commentary desk and says very solemnly: "This game will not only irreversibly affect the direction of this year's finals, but also impact the historical standing of Jieke Fan and James. If Jieke Fan wins the championship again this year, he will automatically receive a ticket to formally challenge Jordan's historical position."

"Before this, whether it was Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady… Dwyane Wade, Le Bu Lang Zhang Si, none of them have obtained it. Kobe once came close to getting a ticket, but… he never escaped Jordan's shadow; he is like another copy of Jordan."

Sha Ke'er Aoni'er maintains his line, hoping to see the day Fan Xi surpasses Jordan.

Kenni Shimisi is no longer alone; Aoni'er's addition gave him a new ally.

Cha Er Si Ba Ke Li is very confident, saying: "I see no chance for Kuaisuan to win; they have lost two games in a row, Nowitzki is injured again, and this is still the Miami Heat's home court. Jieke Fan is just pulling a smoke screen, trying to create some tension for Miami, then casually field a new starting lineup to loot the chaos; this is his usual tactic."

Ba Ke Li looks as if he knows Fan Xi very well.

Snap!

Tonight's tip-off, Huaiti Seda easily defeats Ken Yang Ma Ding.

Fan Xi gains possession.

He dribbles forward, neither fast nor sluggish; when he reaches the top of the Three-Point Shot arc, Qian Mo Si's defense penetrates… the Heat clearly wants to observe.

But Fan Xi is not courteous to him.

Fan Xi takes a big step inward, Qian Mo Si quickly retreats, Fan Xi instantly changes direction; the two thrusts make Qian Mo Si's balance unable to keep up, and Fan Xi suddenly backpedals, his defender unable to chase.

Fan Xi quickly jumps and shoots, using his One-stage jump shot.

Wade rushes from one side to fly in defense, but it's too late.

Fan Xi's release is swift… whoosh!

Three-Point Shot scores.

The basketball is like a missile equipped with a precision device, hitting the target without doubt.

Meihangzhongxin qiuguan feels a bit dull; they didn't expect that as soon as the game started, Fan Xi would give them such a resounding slap.

Fan Xi's Three-Point Shot makes Spoelstra quickly stand at the sideline to make a substitution; he assigns James to guard Fan Xi next. He pays the price for his probing; he has deeply realized that his doubt is clear‑cut stupidity.

Fan Xi is so adept at a one‑hit kill that any relaxed behavior is fatal.

While Miami reflects on their defensive mistakes, on offense Le Bu Lang Zhang Si is tangled by Deng Taiqiongsi, who is a natural defender; his defensive style differs from Leonard and Butler, who have a bit of regular‑army influence. Deng Taiqiongsi, however, is the type who can only stay in the NBA by defending desperately; he belongs to the Bruce Bowen‑type faction.

James's dribbling rhythm is slightly disrupted.

He has improved his ball‑handling this season, but when faced with crazy taffy‑like entanglements, his rhythm still gets thrown off.

James quickly dribbles past Deng Taiqiongsi, breaking through the defense into the paint, and Huaiti Seda comes in with a double‑team.

He quickly passes… Ke Li Si Bo Shen is about to receive… Snap!

Fan Xi bursts out from a diagonal cut, seizing the lead, slaps the basketball down, then sprints toward the frontcourt. Wade pursues relentlessly; Fan Xi abruptly stops at the Three-Point Shot line, makes a shooting motion, and Wade leaps quickly to block.

But Fan Xi feints, passes the ball to the trailing Butler, then runs to the opposite side of the Three-Point Shot line; when Wade instinctively defends Butler, Fan Xi has already received the ball in the corner, quickly shoots, still using a One-stage jump shot.

James's block flying in from behind is now meaningless.

Whoosh!

Three-Point Shot scores.

Another Three-Point Shot.

Opening 6–0.

Meihangzhongxin qiuguan opens with a thunderclap.

Heat fans are stunned like wooden chickens.

They didn't expect Fan Xi to act so fast, scoring two Three-Point Shots right at the start, and it's still under 32 seconds.

While Heat fans are stunned and the home court is dull, Los Angeles and Zhongguo erupt like a boiling pot.

The fans are enthusiastic and excited.

This is Fan Xi fulfilling his promise.

"You can always trust Fan Xi! Saying it and doing it is his basketball way!"

A CCTV commentator exclaims on TV: "History has proven countless times that as long as Fan Xi finds his Three-Point Shot rhythm, he is unstoppable. The Miami Heat have run into a big problem."

What's consistent is that Sha Ke'er Aoni'er, speaking to a nationwide TNT audience, expresses the same view: "Why do I say Jieke Fan has a chance to surpass Michael Jordan? Because they share the same trait; they are the type who say in advance they'll take you down and then actually do it. He isn't like some stars who always claim they're in perfect shape before the season, only to decline once the games start."

Kenni Shimisi affirms Aoni'er's statement.

This makes Ba Ke Li feel somewhat isolated; he, Kenni Shimisi, and Sha Ke'er Aoni'er have never had common topics… those two both have championship rings, he does not. Those two support Fan Xi, he does not.

So, he opens another battlefield on his own. "Kuaisuan's defense this time isn't much different from before, but why does it yield such a starkly different result? Let's analyze."

He is about to ask and answer himself.

Kenni Shimisi tells him: "The answer is simple; Deng Taiqiongsi delayed James by only a second or two, but he unleashed Jieke Fan's creativity on defense, and Huaiti Seda again secured a favorable position, making Fan Xi's steal inevitable. Hakim once told me that defense is like cooking; even with similar ingredients, each chef's proportion and order make the dishes vastly different."

"So, I can now declare that Kuaisuan will win this game; tonight's Miami will be very passive. They are a step slow, every step slow."

Kenni Shimisi's bold prediction.

But immediately James answered with color, James barreled through the defense like a tank into the paint, slamming a dunk. Read the book.

In the process, he knocked aside Deng Taiqiongsi and Huaiti Seda.

"How can a superstar be so easily contained?"

Ba Ke Li shouts loudly, raising his eyebrows in triumph.

At this moment, the entire Meihangzhongxin qiuguan is a boiling atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Fan Xi drives the ball across half‑court.

…