After Zhao Feiyang slapped away Damian Lillard's dribble, the basketball fell directly. Before Lillard could react, Zhao Feiyang accelerated and sprinted up to seize the ball.
"Fast attack."
He shouted and ran with the ball.
Teammates followed behind.
Players from both sides were mobilized by Zhao Feiyang at this moment.
Seeing Zhao Feiyang successfully cross the half court and enter the basket, at such a critical moment, Lillard suddenly flew towards him.
Zhao Feiyang did not dodge or give in. He raised the basketball and jumped high towards the basket in front of Lillard.
The two met each other in mid-air.
Lillard not only failed to stop Zhao Feiyang's shot, but was also knocked out by Zhao Feiyang's dunk.
call out.
The referee's whistle sounded and the scene was in an uproar.
Fans thought it was Zhao Feiyang who fouled someone with the ball, but then the referee's gesture pointed at Lillard.
"Defensive foul committed by Trail Blazers player No. 0."
"Additional penalty!"
After seeing the referee give the result, the fans at the scene screamed in surprise. Of course they are happy to see their players win free throws, but many fans are also surprised by Zhao Feiyang's physical fitness.
"Why does this guy feel so much stronger?"
"Is he recuperating from his injuries? Or is he exercising secretly?"
"Lillard's physical fitness is quite good, but he has no advantage at all against Zhao in the air... Has Zhao improved so much?"
Not only the fans, but also Lillard, who was knocked out, looked confused.
When Zhao Feiyang pulled him up from the ground, he was still in a state of confusion.
"Damien, are you okay?"
Zhao Feiyang went up and asked with concern.
He didn't expect that such a confrontation would knock the opponent away, and he felt a little apologetic.
"I..." Lillard was stunned for a moment, and was about to answer slowly when he suddenly woke up and said, "Zhao, was it you who hit me just now?"
"Man, what did you eat during this time? How can your body be so strong? There is nothing right about this..."
Of course Zhao Feiyang would not admit it.
"No, Damien, I just didn't control my speed well... If we exchanged, I definitely wouldn't be able to stop your attack... It doesn't make any difference... "
"Ah? Really?"
Lillard was dubious.
Fortunately, Lillard was fine, and the Trail Blazers were somewhat relieved after checking. The game continued. Zhao Feiyang walked to the free throw line under the watchful eyes of all the fans. After everyone held their breath, Zhao Feiyang easily threw in a free throw.
Uh-huh.
The ball went in.
Two plus one makes it.
It was just a goal, and the Portland Trail Blazers didn't dwell on it. Even Lillard was a little skeptical, but he didn't think too much about it and just regarded it as an ordinary collision.
Soon, the Trail Blazers fought back.
Lillard organized the team's offense after halftime, and the ball continued to shift, eventually falling into the hands of center Mason Plumlee under the basket.
Plumlee held the ball in singles, turned around and took a fadeaway shot. Bang, the basketball hit the backboard.
Another player of the Trail Blazers, Al Farooq, picked up the rebound.
The ball returned to Lillard's hands, and he stood at the top of the key to organize the team's offense again.
Perhaps it was because of the poor positioning of others on the court. This time Lillard chose to play alone. When he dribbled the basketball and assumed a breakthrough posture, Zhao Feiyang made a quick decision and pounced directly on the defense.
"Damien, don't ever think about getting rid of me, I won't give you a chance!"
Zhao Feiyang deliberately spoke to disturb Lillard, intending to steal his dribble when he was distracted.
Lillard was very cautious and deliberately did not answer Zhao Feiyang's question. He just stared at his body and shook it while dribbling.
The two met each other, and Lillard dribbled the ball and suddenly changed direction from the right to the left. He was very fast, but he could not get rid of Zhao Feiyang.
Lillard was not in a hurry and quickly pulled the basketball back. The next second he pretended to take a shot, but in fact he suddenly rushed out from the left after making a fake ball.
His steps were quite decisive, and he really shook Zhao Feiyang away with his first step. However, the ensuing problem soon appeared, and he failed to distance himself from Zhao Feiyang.
Therefore, Zhao Feiyang adjusted his body's center of gravity to defend, once again blocking his offensive route.
"Farke!"
"Why does this guy react so much faster than before?"
"Why is his physical confrontation obviously much stronger?"
The more Lillard fought, the more he discovered that Zhao Feiyang was like a thick wall, blocking his shooting space and making it difficult for him to hit with his body.
Seeing that the attack time was about to end, Lillard had no choice but to dribble the ball and take a step back.
boom.
The three-pointers that were so magical in the past failed to score this time.
Lillard shook his head helplessly.
After playing in the NBA for so long, it was the first time that he felt like he was being targeted.
The rebound was grabbed by the Timberwolves.
Teammate Gorgui Diang handed the ball to Zhao Feiyang.
Zhao Feiyang advanced with the ball and was double-teamed after halftime. He passed the ball to the ground and transferred the ball to Andrew Wiggins.
Andrew Wiggins seized the opportunity and rushed to the basket. When he was defending Al Farooq in a single, Wiggins forced his way into the basket and made a throw.
The other party slapped his hand.
Originally this was a foul, but the referee's line of sight was blocked and he did not notice the slap.
The basketball bounced out of the basket.
Wiggins also tried to compete with the opponent's forward Farooq for rebounds. Although he was blocked by the opponent, he had no intention of giving up.
It's just that there are people faster than him, and faster than Farooq of the Trail Blazers.
The moment the basketball popped out, Farooq jumped up and planned to take off the backboard with his left hand. Unexpectedly, the next second, a figure suddenly rushed from the outside.
The man jumped up high, grabbed the basketball that was about to fall into his hands, and then dunked the ball into the basket with a two-handed dunk.
boom.
The ball went in.
The whole crowd cheered.
The person who stole the rebound and made up the dunk was Zhao Feiyang.
This time his performance not only surprised his teammates, but also made everyone in the Blazers think.
Players from both sides also played against each other last season. Even though the number of times was not many, and there was not that much understanding and involvement, the level of each other was still relatively clear.
There are only thirty teams in the league, there are only so many main players, and there are only so many people who can be selected for the All-Star Game, not to mention that Zhao Feiyang has won many honors!
Both McCollum and Lillard know something about him.
However, Zhao Feiyang's performance clearly exceeded their expectations!
The game goes on.
As Zhao Feiyang frequently attacked the Trail Blazers' basket and Lillard repeatedly succeeded in singles, the point difference between the two sides gradually widened.
With less than 3 minutes left in the last quarter of the game, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers had already tied 116 to 106.
The difference of 10 points is not much, but it is also quite a lot.
But what is really surprising is that among these 116 points, Zhao Feiyang scored 40 points alone.
Compared with Lillard and McCollum, who only played about 25 minutes on average, Zhao Feiyang has not left the game since the second quarter. By this time, his playing time has reached the level of 30+.
Even so, he didn't look tired.
There were less than 3 minutes left, and there was not much time left. Both sides were trying their best to attack and defend.
Timberwolves offense.
When Zhao Feiyang dribbled the ball through the midfield, he was blocked by Lillard. He dribbled away from the opponent quickly.
When he came outside the three-point line, he was interfered by McCollum again. Seeing that the opponent might double-team again, Zhao Feiyang decisively swung his shot outside the three-point line.
He faced McCollum's defense and threw a three-pointer.
Uh-huh.
The basketball entered the basket cleanly.
McCollum was dumbfounded after landing, and Lillard, who had just come up to double-team, also shook his head and sighed.
When the Trail Blazers counterattacked again, McCollum, who was being marked, made a mistake. He was a little slow in passing the ball, and was directly intercepted by Zhao Feiyang who came out halfway.
After grabbing the ball, Zhao Feiyang accelerated directly towards the half court.
The powerful explosive force caused him to speed up instantly, and Lillard, who was chasing after him, was also frightened by this scene.
After reaching the penalty area, Zhao Feiyang slowed down slightly and jumped directly for a dunk.
boom.
The ball went in again.
This time, it was almost impossible for the Portland Trail Blazers to have a chance to come back and win.
The Trail Blazers also chose to give up the rest of the game.
Lillard and McCollum were both replaced, and Zhao Feiyang, who had played for so long, was put on the bench to rest by head coach Norman Thomas.
"Have a good rest!"
"You performed very well today..."
Coach Norman's praise undoubtedly flattered Zhao Feiyang.
The other party rarely praises the team members so directly.
Beep.
Not long after, the sound of the timer stopping sounded, and the game on the field officially ended.
The two sides finally tied 124 to 113.
An 11-point deficit allowed the Trail Blazers to leave with defeat.
After the game, the Timberwolves players gathered together to celebrate. When they walked to both sides of the tunnel, the fans in the stands were ecstatic, and everyone stretched out their hands to give them high-fives.
Compared with the previous performance of ridicule and booing, this scene can be described as a 180-degree change.
"Zhao, you are our MVP!"
"Man, you scored 45 points by yourself, you are so awesome... I will be your follower forever..."
"Our trip to the Western Conference Finals finally has hope..."
The fans kept shouting at Zhao Feiyang.
Zhao Feiyang also extended his hand to give them high fives and responded enthusiastically.
At the same time, Dwight Howard, who was suspended and punished at home, also watched the live broadcast of the game.
After seeing the Timberwolves defeat the Trail Blazers, Dwight Howard's mood was extremely complicated. Especially Zhao Feiyang's performance of scoring 45 points by himself made him fall into deep silence.
"Maybe my time has really passed..."
"Why are every opponent I play with so strong? Before it was James Harden, now it's Zhao..."
"I just want to be the team boss for once, isn't this also allowed?"
