NBA: The Basketball Miracle

Mississippi State University's tactics were very simple. After point guard Marcus Blatt dribbled across half court, he passed the ball to big man Russell Walters at the free throw line.

Then, Dampier stuck his butt out in the low post on the right side to get into position. As long as he succeeded in getting into position, he would immediately play high-low position cooperation.

Knight was still a little thin, and was successfully blocked by Dampier this time.

Fortunately, Rudy Johnson was fast enough in double-teaming him, so Dampier had no choice but to pass the ball back.

Without too many pick-and-rolls, the team's first tactical choice is Dampier's low-post attack.

On the court, Lee watched his opponent score in and out, and could only run back and forth following the short Darryl Wilson.

The future "No. 1 center in the Western Conference" still had rough hands. He made a push to the basket with nearly 35 seconds left, but missed the layup. This time, Knight was the first to protect the backcourt rebound.

"Shit!"

Dampier, who was having a great time during this period, cursed under his breath because he failed to grab the rebound.

He turned around and found that Lee, who had received the ball, was rushing forward and had already passed the half court.

The big players of both teams were still in the backcourt, but Lee did not wait for his teammates to get into position.

He noticed that Darryl Wilson, who was retreating quickly, did not choose to defend closely, and immediately bent his hips to slow down when he approached the three-point line.

Under the surprised eyes of his opponent, Lee was still a small step away from the three-point line. He suddenly stopped, then quickly gathered the ball and threw it!

"Swish!"

Another three-pointer goes in!

18:15, the score difference was narrowed to three points in the blink of an eye.

Dampier, who was still trying to return to defense, was stunned. This was just a blind shot!

After scoring the goal, Lee patted his chest, raised his right hand and put up three fingers. The fans of the University of Connecticut shouted again. They were going to tie the score!

[Sharpshooter] This was a talent that Lee had activated automatically after strengthening his three-point shooting training for two and a half years.

Although there was no explanation, it gave Lee endless confidence, which was also the reason for his sudden change in playing style in high school.

Coach Calhoun also cheered, and then stood on the sidelines and shouted:

"Hold on for one round! Do a good job of defense!"

Ray Allen, who was not in good form, was also on the court and kept reminding the big men in the interior to pay attention to rebounds.

Mississippi State University still mainly uses the Flex tactic, with everyone participating in the screen and finally passing the ball to the low post.

Dampier was double-teamed as he was asking for the ball in the left low post, but the 35-second offensive time allowed the opponent to adjust calmly.

Lee continued to follow Darryl Wilson, and the little guy in front of him kept trying to find a suitable opportunity to make a move.

The tactics came to a complete standstill, and with 6 seconds left on the offensive time, Daryl Wilson received the ball on the left wing.

After receiving the ball, Daryl Wilson immediately broke through with the ball in his left hand, trying to get rid of Lee with his speed, but the lack of explosive power in his first step caused him to crash completely into Lee's arms.

The attack time was about to come. Daryl Wilson leaned against Lee in the left blocking area and threw the ball into the basket with his left hand!

As soon as the basketball left his hand, Lee jumped up and blocked it!

"Oh!"

Daryl Wilson was knocked to the ground by a block, and the fans at the scene exclaimed.

Lee, who completed the block, scooped up the ball and then threw it directly to the front court.

It was almost halftime when Ray Allen rushed forward after receiving the pass.

Facing the defense of the opponent's guard Marcus Bullard, he took three steps into the paint area, grabbed the ball with his right hand, pushed his opponent away and completed a layup!

"Squeak! Bang!"

The referee blew the whistle, the basketball hit the backboard and went into the basket.

Ray Allen lost his balance and rolled on the floor. He sat up and punched wildly, then beat his chest and roared.

Rupp Arena was in an uproar as the fans of the University of Connecticut jumped and cheered.

Commentator Billy Parker didn't expect that the score difference would be tied less than three minutes after Lee came on the court:

"Lee changed the situation on the court and had impressive performances on both offense and defense!"

"We should be less prejudiced. After all, basketball games are about the ball speaking."

Lee ran to the front court, pulled up the fallen Ray Allen, and encouraged him with a smile:

"Nice finish, it's time to find your form!"

Suddenly, it felt like Lee had become the boss of the team. Ray Allen stood up and quickly responded confidently:

"I will beat the opponent here!"

Teammates also came over to celebrate, as they would tie the score if they made the free throws.

Head coach Richard Williams heard the cheers from the crowd again and had no choice but to request a timeout.

Ray Allen made the free throw and the University of Connecticut made a 9:0 run. In terms of the players' personal strength, Ray Allen absolutely crushed the opponent's outside players at this time.

After Lee helped the team overcome difficulties, Ray Allen returned to his normal state and scored points continuously with inside and outside shots.

At the end of the first half, Ray Allen made a three-pointer from the left wing outside the three-point line against the defense!

At 35:43, the University of Connecticut completely turned the game around.

Lee, who had already sat back on the bench, waved his towel. He knew that the game was basically won.

As the game started, the fans of Mississippi State University gradually became desperate, and the loud shouting of head coach Richard Williams was of no avail.

Under the double-team defense in the interior, Dampier had difficulty scoring, and his outside shooting suddenly lost its accuracy in the unfavorable situation.

He accelerated the offensive rhythm several times, but was counterattacked by Connecticut.

After the score difference reached 12 points, coach Calhoun was completely relieved, and the University of Connecticut also resumed its slow pace of the game.

Lee, who came back in the second half, played the tactics step by step, and even if there was an opportunity for transition offense, he would deliberately slow down.

Dampier could only be anxious, but there was nothing he could do. Not every player could play against the odds.

As the game was coming to an end, the Rupp Arena was filled with cheers from the fans of the University of Connecticut. They would advance to the quarterfinals for two consecutive years!

In the end, Mississippi State University failed to win the game 65:77 and was eliminated in the sweet 16.

On the bench, Ray Allen cheered loudly with his teammates. Lee also smiled as he walked to the bench.

This year, they have a chance to reach the semi-finals!

Lee left a deep impression on commentator Jim Nantz. At this time, the veteran sports reporter couldn't help but praise him a few words:

"I believe Lee will succeed if he steps up when the team is in trouble."

"We should look at his talent instead of focusing on his shortcomings. There is no perfect player in the world."

When Billy Parker heard his partner's words, he immediately laughed and joked:

"Isn't Michael Jordan perfect enough?"

"God, Lee is only an 18-year-old boy, he's only 6-foot-3, don't expect too much from him!"

"."

In 19 minutes of playing time, Clay Lee made 5 of 8 shots, 2 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, 12 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block.

The statistics were mediocre, but many scouts at the scene changed some of their preconceived impressions.

Dave Wall pondered for a moment and made another note in his notebook:

"Big-game player?"

In reality, Connecticut collectively missed shots in this game, dug a hole at the beginning, and then fell.