Battling wits with the air?
Uh... that's outrageous.
But if the subject is McGee, it's somehow reasonable.
Confirmed by a glance, that's something the Big Idiot would do!
Fortunately... in the next possession, McGee returned to normal, showcasing his incredibly strong physical talent.
He secured the defensive rebound right over Tyson, over the head of the "rebound monster."
That's tough.
In the subsequent possession, he swatted Wilson Chandler's drive to the basket so hard it flew past five layers of seats.
That's dominant.
This was the situation Flip Saunders wanted to see.
However... good times didn't last; barely a minute later, Su Yan drove to the basket for a high glass shot.
"Clap!"
McGee was clearly a beat slow in reacting, and even though he couldn't keep up, he still forced himself to chase after the Blocking.
And swatted the ball away.
Exceptionally gifted?
No.
"Beep beep!"
The whistle blew.
This was a clear Goaltending violation.
It was so obvious... that a normal player would never touch the ball, but he was McGee, and he didn't care about that.
Just block it and be done with it.
Well, Su Yan scoring is all that matters.
The last possession of the first quarter.
Arenas held the ball at the top of the arc, not rushing the offense, compressing the 18.4 seconds of shot clock down to only 9 seconds.
Players spread out on both sides.
Arenas faced Wilson Chandler one-on-one, executing consecutive crossover Dribbling quickly.
It was very misleading.
Suddenly... Arenas, holding the ball in his right hand, pushed off the ground and accelerated forward.
"It's a drive!"
Wilson Chandler's gaze sharpened, and he quickly turned sideways to chase, pursuing with all his energy.
In an instant.
He caught up to Arenas.
He was fast.
But Arenas followed up with a sudden stop, pulling the ball back with a crossover, leaving Wilson Chandler shaken off and rushing toward the basket on his own.
"Whoosh~"
The arena was in an uproar.
After Arenas pulled back, he took another step back, positioning himself far outside the Three-point Shot line, with wide open space in front of him.
He was unhurried.
He first glanced at the flying Wilson Chandler, then glanced at the hoop, and Dribbled one more time.
Then took the Three-point Shot.
This f*cking... elegant offense, just like Su Yan's.
Arenas, known as the "king of pretending," still had the heart to Show-off, even if he was past his prime.
Was he the "king of pretending"?
Yes.
Truly the "king of pretending."
Maybe not as showy as "Big Bird" Larry Bird, but Arenas had one time where his showing off was extremely successful.
The time was two years ago.
During the 2007 Regular Season, in a game between the Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz.
In the final moments of life and death, Arenas shook off his opponent and took a pull-up Three-point Shot.
While the ball was still spinning in the air, the supremely confident Arenas had already turned around and spread his arms in celebration.
As if he knew he had hit the Game-Winner.
Celebrating early.
The result... the ball actually went in, completing the Game-Winner.
This is seriously cool!
Later, this Game-Winner where Arenas turned around early to celebrate was hailed by fans as: The Most Arrogant Game-Winner in History!!!
Truly arrogant.
Truly impressive.
However... tonight, Arenas, although showing off a bit, did not turn around early after releasing the shot.
The desire to Show-off was still there.
But injuries prevented him from being absolutely confident anymore.
So, a little showing off is enough.
However... "Big Idiot" McGee, or perhaps "Show-off" McGee, started causing trouble again.
Arenas took the Three-point Shot, but didn't turn around.
McGee, however, rushed toward the frontcourt like a madman, spreading his arms with his back to the hoop, mimicking Arenas's celebration.
He was really something.
If that had gone in, he really would have gotten to Show-off alongside Arenas.
The key thing is.
"Clang!"
A harsh clang of the ball hitting the rim sounded.
Only McGee was left feeling awkward!
"Hahaha~ It missed! What is McGee doing?"
"So funny."
"McGee is truly a Big Idiot!"
"Running toward the frontcourt so senselessly and celebrating with his arms spread out early, won't people really think he's an idiot?"
"Uh uh... is there a possibility that McGee is the idiot?"
"I'm dying of laughter!"
"..."
The fans roared with laughter.
Seeing the miss, McGee scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed, but only for a second, then he started grinning foolishly too.
It was as if... he wasn't the subject of the ridicule.
The first quarter concluded.
The New York Knicks won the quarter by 7 points.
At halftime, the New York Knicks extended their lead to 10 points.
Eleven minutes into the third quarter, the lead had reached 15 points, not due to a sudden surge, but simply the gap in raw strength.
Allowing the margin to increase little by little.
Throughout the first three quarters, Arenas repeatedly praised Su Yan's growth while matching up against him.
Saying he saw a reflection of himself in Su Yan.
Expressing his fondness for Su Yan.
Which left Su Yan feeling somewhat overwhelmed.
It was understandable, though.
Arenas, a second-round pick, went from "Agent Zero" to "The General."
Undrafted Player Su Yan, went from "vase" to "Top-tier 3&D Player."
Arenas, as a veteran, could truly see a reflection of his past self in Su Yan.
What's more.
Now that Arenas was largely ruined by injuries, his empathy for Su Yan was even stronger.
Compliment after compliment.
It made Su Yan feel a bit embarrassed!
Maybe he should return the favor.
Therefore.
On the last possession of the third quarter.
Su Yan faced Arenas, similarly running the clock down until only 6 seconds remained on the shot clock.
A crossover step... followed by a retreat.
Su Yan arrived at a spot two meters beyond the Three-point Shot line at the top of the arc.
The time was clearly running out, yet Su Yan still retreated, leaving Arenas completely bewildered.
"Whoosh~"
Su Yan raised his hand and took a Three-point Shot. It wasn't a buzzer-beater, but from that distance, the ball would consume all the remaining time in the air.
This was the buzzer-beating Three-point Shot for the third quarter.
Facing Arenas's ultra-long Three-point Shot.
After Su Yan released the shot, while the ball was still spinning in the air, he mimicked the awe-inspiring General Gilbert.
He turned and walked away.
While walking, he spread his arms, beginning his premature celebration.
The entire motion was identical, and the fans immediately recognized it, raising their hands in surprise, ready to cheer.
Could it be?!
If I acquire a Three-foot Azure Edge Sword, I shall strike the sky and bring down the long rainbow after getting drunk!
"Swish!"
A crisp sound of the ball passing through the net rang out.
The ball went straight through the net, causing ripples!!!
It hit.
"Boom!"
The entire arena suddenly erupted in earth-shattering cheers.
Su Yan replicated what was once hailed as The Most Arrogant Game-Winner Moment in History, right over the head of "The General" Arenas.
Did it look like he was humiliating him?
It certainly did.
However... after Su Yan hit this prematurely celebrated buzzer-beating Three-point Shot, he turned back to look at Arenas.
As everyone focused their attention on the two players.
Su Yan smiled and gave Arenas two thumbs up.
The meaning was obvious.
This was not meant to humiliate Arenas, but rather... to Pay Tribute to the great and inspiring General!!!
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