Chapter 546: Sincerity is the ultimate killer technique

Stephenson is not a humble person, but he is especially reverent before Fan Xi; this reverence appears in that he even uses honorifics toward Fan Xi: "May I ask, are you ready to be defeated by me? I've sat on the bench thinking for a long time, and a clear way to defeat you is forming more and more in my mind."

Fan Xi was somewhat speechless.

He found Stephenson's talk boring.

The game continued.

Paul George used a clever turn to fool the newly substituted JR Smith, and then he tossed the basketball into the basket.

Paul George is a very good shooter; his touch is very soft, and his physical condition is also excellent. The only thing preventing him from becoming a superstar is his player-ball coordination, which is now improving rapidly.

Fan Xi used to be very optimistic about Paul George, believing that Paul George had the same bright future as Leonard and Butler.

But this Stephenson right in front of him is bothering him.

Fan Xi saw his son yawn on the sidelines; it was almost Troy's bedtime.

He didn't want his son to miss his wonderful performance.

So, when he dribbled past half-court and Stephenson came up to him again, Stephenson began his flashy performance, while Fan Xi started to create dazzling ball-handling skills, lowering his center of gravity and making quick direction changes, using ever-increasing speed to cut Stephenson's center of gravity.

Stephenson couldn't control his subconscious, swaying to Fan Xi's rhythm.

Like a marionette.

Such moves drew cheers from the whole crowd; Troy was also watching, but he didn't look excited, he furrowed his brow.

He had no excitement about his father's skills.

Fan Xi couldn't see Troy's expression. After several cuts, he suddenly stepped forward; Stephenson could no longer control his balance and reflexively followed. Fan Xi then made a sudden stop, his body unable to brake… His bodily control is rather mediocre, which also reflects from the side that his mind isn't sharp enough.

Fan Xi used a beautiful turn to completely shake off his defense.

He also stammered as he followed forward.

Fan Xi swiftly drove into the paint, leapt up, and Hibbert followed closely, jumping to attempt a front block, but after Fan Xi grabbed the ball with his right hand and made a dunk motion, he suddenly pulled the ball in midair, switching it to his left hand, and slipped past Hibbert's side.

Hibbert's body kept falling, and he could no longer stop Fan Xi's further action.

The basketball was lightly flicked by Fan Xi's left hand, swoosh!

It softly entered the basket.

This shot by Fan Xi displayed his perfect ball-handling, breakthrough ability, jumping talent, hang-time feel, body coordination, and wonderful soft touch.

Madison Square Garden was filled with screams. The TNT broadcast featured Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley shouting like pigs being slaughtered, and the viewers in front of their TVs were even more excited, waving their arms and legs.

Undoubtedly, this was a historic-level goal.

Fan Xi should have been proud of such a perfect basket, but when he turned around, his son Troy was calmly watching him, not waving his arms, not shouting loudly, even yawning, a bit sleepy.

This left Fan Xi feeling helpless and depressed.

He began to realize… perhaps Troy really doesn't like basketball; even such a move can't excite him.

Fan Xi raised his gaze; he and Jennifer locked eyes, Jennifer smiled at him happily. She finally had the joy of defeating Fan Xi. As it turned out, Jieke Fan's helpless expression was like this; Jieke Fan also has someone he cannot conquer, haha, that person is still my son.

Jennifer lowered her head and proudly kissed Troy.

Troy also turned his head and kissed his mother.

The sight of maternal kindness and filial piety made Fan Xi wryly smile.

He shook his head and walked toward the front court.

Although he didn't take Stephenson seriously, Stephenson still said as he passed Fan Xi: "Jie Ke, I admit I have no talent for defense, but can you guard me? I can also get past you like this!"

Fan Xi granted Stephenson's request.

Although his son's 'lack of appreciation' made him depressed, he didn't mind letting this foolish guy get a taste of a lesson.

Stephenson got the ball from George Hill, which was probably a favor he had advanced on.

He probably only had this last chance; Indiana is a team-oriented team, and Stephenson's shot quota on the team is below Paul George and David West, on par with George Hill.

After several failures today, Stephenson launched another attack on Fan Xi.

He didn't use high-frequency change-of-direction dribbling like Fan Xi to cut Fan Xi's center of gravity; he went straight for an interior drive, wanting to give Fan Xi some physicality.

Fan Xi's height, weight, and tonnage are inferior to Stephenson's, but that doesn't mean Fan Xi fears him.

Fan Xi withstood his first step.

But when he took his second step, Fan Xi deliberately held back half a step.

This gave Stephenson a chance to go deep alone.

He accelerated his steps, swiftly entering the paint; after making a move similar to a Euro Step, he went to the left side of the basket and wisely launched a reverse layup… He was sure Hibbert had blocked Tyson Chandler for him, and this reverse layup with his body twisted was enough to stop Fan Xi from chasing from behind.

But just as he released the ball with his reverse hand, a figure sprang up from behind him, both hands slamming the ball hard against the backboard.

The basketball was directly grabbed by Fan Xi.

Cold, brutal!

Madison Square Garden boiled over again.

Stephenson tonight is the excitement booster for Knicks fans; as long as he stands before Fan Xi, new surprises will immediately arise, worthy of being called the NBA's Haolan House.

Vogel on the sidelines had already started shouting angrily.

Fan Xi lofted a long pass to the cutting JR Smith; Smith drove with the ball into the paint, drawing Paul George's defense before tossing the ball up, and Josh Smith leapt violently, slamming the ball hard into the basket.

This was the first alley-oop between the two Smiths on the court.

They both entered the league as players in the 2005 draft, and at the time they were both high schoolers… The 2005 draft was the last NBA draft that allowed high schoolers to enter.

They were also known for having poor brains and physical prowess.

After the basket, Josh Smith ran over and jumped chest-to-chest with JR Smith; they both jumped nearly a meter high, a rarity in NBA chest-bumping.

At that moment, Fan Xi saw Troy on the sidelines clapping excitedly; he pulled Jennifer with one hand and pointed at the two Smiths with the other, babbling.

Fan Xi was utterly speechless.

This guy actually likes watching celebration moves.

What a complete reversal of priorities.

Fan Xi was already 'desperate'.

He was certain Troy wasn't cut out for basketball—basketball games hardly have any celebratory actions because the tempo is quick. Only on a soccer field do you see all sorts of flashy celebrations, since scoring a goal in soccer is extremely difficult.

Alright, let's go to Europe and play there—just in case we someday hang out in Hollywood and accidentally bump into half‑siblings.

Fan Xi consoled himself like that.

He felt resentful inside; Kobe was training his son to play basketball, while my eldest son was going to play soccer.

Then let the Pacers bear the wrath.

Fan Xi turned his head and said to Garnett, 'I'm suddenly unhappy tonight.'

Garnett said, 'I also really want to play seriously and see how much fuel I have left in my tank.'

The two hit it off immediately.

The game continued.

Stephenson, under Vogel coach's angry scolding, no longer sought a one‑on‑one with Fan Xi; he obediently stayed on the side to provide support. David West took over the ball, facing Garnett's defense he made a beautiful step‑back, but Garnett got his hand in his face; Garnett's defensive judgment remained excellent, and his height and arm length are a talent that will never betray him.

Bang!

The ball hit the rim.

Fan Xi grabbed the rebound and initiated a fast break.

He drove to the frontcourt, set a high screen with Josh Smith, then quickly cut to the basket, drawing a double‑team; he tossed the ball toward the backboard, it bounced out, and JR Smith followed up, grabbing the ball with both hands, even spinning half a turn in the air before slamming it through the hoop.

Boom!

A dunk occurred.

JR Smith was especially excited, pounding his chest and roaring.

The fans all over the arena were cheering for him.

Tonight, the whole arena was highly excited.

The fans never expected the game to be this exciting; they had originally come just to go through the motions, to see how the Knicks would lose this game.

But now, are we going to slaughter them?

Fan Xi handled Stephenson as easily as backing into a kindergarten for a one‑on‑one.

The other Knicks players also swept aside their usual lackadaisical attitude, moving from defense to counterattack in one fluid motion.

"I can guarantee everyone, the Knicks have hidden their strength in the past. Indiana is a team with great ambition, vying for the Eastern Conference title, but now they're in Madison Square Garden like a lump of clay being casually kneaded."

Barkley spoke earnestly and convincingly.

But nothing he said was surprising; everyone understood. As long as you watched the game, you'd know the Knicks tonight were the real Knicks.

The game continued.

Angry Fan Xi continued to drive the defense, he and Garnett, Tyson Chandler formed a solid defensive triangle; the two wing Smiths had excellent athleticism, actively roaming and making life difficult for the opponent.

Paul George's touch was no longer hot, Stephenson's 'Wizard' title was stripped, David West's jump shots were repeatedly disrupted by Garnett, and Hibbert… though he often could show hook shots, jump shots, and playmaking, tonight against Tyson Chandler all his offensive skills were nullified.

This made Coach Vogel worried.

He didn't expect the Knicks to restrain them so effectively.

This shook Vogel's plan; he originally wanted to surge to second in the East and pinch the Knicks' soft persimmon.

Now he realized he might be that soft persimmon himself.

He began to worry that if Fan Xi accidentally ended up sixth, and he himself made third, wouldn't they have to meet the Knicks in the first round?

Vogel decided before halftime: not to play.

It wasn't necessary.

Only a fool would want to meet this nightmare opponent in the first round, even if the Eastern Conference fourth round would pit them against the Heat.

Vogel made a substitution, taking out the starters.

The Knicks had built a 22‑point lead, and the half wasn't over yet.

At that moment, Troy had already drifted off to sleep, dozing in his mother's arms.

Fan Xi's 'resentment' also began to fade gradually, especially after seeing how feeble the Pacers were.

He decided to continue keeping a low profile, since there was no need to keep performing at this level.

Being too high‑profile is not good.

So he also left the court to rest, and decided not to play in the second half.

He, Jennifer, and Troy left the arena early.

He originally thought this would be a needle‑point‑on‑wheat‑awn kind of game, but the Pacers were easier to handle than he imagined. This gave Fan Xi a clearer sense of the Eastern Conference competition: Is this really the third‑best team in the East?

After Fan Xi, Troy, and Jennifer went home, the game continued.

Nash and Stoudemire took center stage in the second half, unleashing a run‑and‑gun. Having rested at halftime, they were full of energy—old men showing youthful vigor.

Smith and Monta Ellis also ran very actively.

Because the Pacers had conceded early, the lead didn't shrink—it kept growing.

Fortunately, in the fourth quarter Stephenson stepped up, hitting shot after shot and beginning to facilitate his passes, leading the bench to recoup many points.

The final score was 133–115.

The Pacers lost by 18 points.

This result, if predicted before the game, would be unbelievable.

And if you watched the game, it would be even more unbelievable. The Knicks, thought to be only the seventh‑best team in the East, shattered the Pacers in the first half; Fan Xi didn't play in the second half, and Garnett was adjusting. The Knicks used completely different tactical systems in the two halves, yet either system left the Pacers unable to respond. Had the Knicks not benched Nash in the fourth quarter to let Hamilton play point guard, and had Stephenson not hit consecutive shots to ease the pressure, the Knicks would have won by 48 points instead of 18.

"Thank you, Jie Ke. No matter what, I must thank him. He is my great mentor; he gave me the most valuable basketball lesson, worth a fortune."

"I learned a lot from matching up against him. He shut me out, and also gave me pointers."

"I'm grateful for the chance to match up against the greatest player in basketball history worldwide and receive his guidance."

"That's why my analysis of the game in the fourth quarter underwent a qualitative leap."

Shi Di Fen Sen's sincere remarks after the game.

His remarks left the media somewhat at a loss. Originally, the media had already planned how to humiliate him.

But he first slapped himself twice, frankly admitted he was shut out, and then openly said this was Fan Xi giving him a lesson.

The reporters were stunned for a long time. They were sure Shi Di Fen Sen wasn't speaking sarcastically.

But they weren't sure what Shi Di Fen Sen's train of thought was.

Not to mention them being unsure, even Fan Xi couldn't figure it out.

After thinking for a while, they could only come up with one sentence: Sincerity is the ultimate killer move.

"Jie Ke is very strong; he's in another realm. No player can compare to him, not even Jordan should be able to. Because Jordan can't shut me out, even at his peak."

"As for LeBron, there's no need to say more; LeBron and I have no obvious difference in ability. If he hadn't received the league's strong support, he'd just be a small forward with a bit more strength, speed, and explosiveness than me."

Shi Di Fen Sen isn't afraid of offending Jordan and James.

Because that's just how his brain works.

…