After the second half began, Clark changed his playing style and started avoiding Li Feng.
The audience in the arena found it amusing. Was he admitting defeat?
He had been so arrogant in the pre-game interview, and after just half a game, he was now avoiding his opponent.
How could he possibly become a superstar at this rate? Clark had no choice; it was the coach's order, and he himself was thoroughly convinced.
After avoiding Li Feng, Clark's shooting percentage improved, and the point difference between the two teams slowly narrowed.
However, Li Feng and Curry suddenly unleashed a barrage of three-pointers, raining down from beyond the arc once again.
The Red Birds were in agony.
Their previous comeback had been built on chipping away two points at a time.
They had finally managed to narrow the deficit to eleven points, only for the gap to widen to over twenty points in less than four minutes.
The Red Birds' players were completely demoralized. With over six minutes left on the clock, they gave up.
In the end, the score was fixed at 100:62, with the Wildcats securing another dominant victory!
Li Feng played 27 minutes and scored 31 points, while Curry scored 30. The Splash Brothers, working in unison, once again dominated the game!
After the game, the media's tone completely shifted.
The Splash Brothers became trending topics, with almost every forum discussing their performance.
Many basketball legends were left speechless. Li Feng and Curry were proving step by step that a three-point-centric playstyle could completely overcome opponents and win games.
Although this was an NCAA game, the NCAA was the feeder league for the NBA, and their playstyle was becoming a formidable force.
Not only that, but their draft rankings were also quietly rising, indicating that NBA teams also recognized their abilities.
Under the threat of their unstoppable three-point shooting, the old basketball systems were gradually collapsing and disintegrating.
The basketball court seemed to have become wider than before.
In fact, those who understood the game could see from the matches that the three-point shot was merely a threat; the truly terrifying aspect was the offensive tactical changes brought about by three-point shooting.
That is, the tactics became richer.
For instance, previously, tight defense was only necessary at the three-point line, and the interior help defense range was not large.
But now, outside players had to defend Li Feng or Curry from more than a meter beyond the three-point line.
This put immense pressure on the interior defense, making help defense virtually impossible.
The space expanded, and open shots became abundant.
Therefore, role players could get many easy shooting opportunities.
How could they possibly play like this?
It was akin to changing the game's mechanics.
...
After two consecutive wins, the Wildcats advanced to the Final Four, and their next games would be the semifinals and finals.
Both the semifinals and finals were to be held in New York.
The New York Knicks had long been coveting Li Feng and Curry, and now that they had the opportunity, they naturally rushed to get close.
Li Feng and Curry had previously been gifted season tickets by the team for sightseeing.
Upon their arrival, the club immediately sent someone to pick them up and arranged their stay in a luxurious hotel.
Li Feng and Curry accepted the hotel's arrangements but did not go sightseeing; they were diligently preparing for the game against Duke.
The two previous dominant victories had not made them underestimate their opponents.
On the contrary, in the second half of the last game, they had been suppressed for a few minutes, which the coaching staff took very seriously.
This was because Duke University was a more formidable opponent, and Duke might play oppressive defense in the first half.
The Wildcats players watched game footage of Duke University in the morning and then conducted targeted training in the afternoon.
Li Feng trained diligently and meticulously.
With the help of the system, Li Feng's mid-range shooting ability and overall shooting ability continued to improve.
Just as Li Feng made his 1000th mid-range shot, the system's voice chimed.
[Ding, host has triggered the unlock function, the "Offensive Kaleidoscope" badge has been unlocked!]
Amazing, Offensive Kaleidoscope!
This was a skill every basketball player dreamed of possessing!
In the current NBA, players who could be called offensive kaleidoscopes included Durant and Anthony.
Durant's four scoring titles further represented him as the foremost "Offensive Kaleidoscope."
Li Feng had been unable to unlock the Offensive Kaleidoscope previously because he still had some weaknesses that needed to be strengthened.
Now that Li Feng had reached high attribute values in all his physical skills through training, he was able to trigger the "Offensive Kaleidoscope" skill.
Li Feng was excited. He scored using various offensive methods.
For example, a mid-range shot after a pump fake, a layup driving to the basket, a post-up play, or a quick three-point attempt.
Although he could do these before, they weren't refined, and he relied more on his physical prowess.
...
Curry, of course, was unaware that Li Feng had the system's assistance. He merely saw Li Feng perform a variety of offensive moves and was filled with admiration.
"Hey, Li Feng, is it just me, or have you gotten even stronger? Honestly, three-pointers aren't your primary scoring method; your other scoring techniques are like taking candy from a baby!"
Facing Curry's praise, Li Feng did not deny it and said, "Actually, neither of us is a player who relies solely on three-pointers. They misunderstand us."
Curry pondered Li Feng's words.
He felt that he also needed to strengthen his training in other skills.
In his previous life, Curry had taken years of exploration after entering the league to gradually improve his skills to a top level.
Later, by the age of 34, Curry finally achieved mastery, exuding the aura of a grandmaster.
If Curry could awaken earlier, it would be even more beneficial to his career.
...
The semifinal finally began.
The Wildcats, who were once universally criticized by the media, had now become a favored team.
The fans in the arena were cheering for the Wildcats, which annoyed the players of the Duke Blue Devils.
Duke University was a traditional powerhouse with a rugged, even somewhat rough, playstyle.
According to the coach's plan, Li Feng was primarily responsible for organizing and defending in the first half, with Curry taking on the offensive duties first.
This was a tactical change by Coach Krzyzewski.
The reason for this arrangement was that Coach K wanted Curry to have more opportunities to shine, as Li Feng had garnered significant attention in the previous few games, causing his draft projection to soar.
Coach K wanted Curry's draft ranking to rise as well, so he discussed it with Li Feng beforehand, and Li Feng readily agreed.
Curry was Li Feng's best friend and his idol in his past life, so he naturally wanted to help him out.
...
The Wildcats' starting lineup remained Li Feng, Curry, Gerald Green, Lovedale, and Allison.
The Blue Devils' starting five consisted of Nolan Smith, Gerald Henderson, Kyle Singler, Olek Czyz, and Brian Zoubek.
The player assigned to defend Li Feng was the Blue Devils' defensive stalwart, Gerald Henderson.
Gerald was somewhat frustrated in the first half because his team had entrusted him with the crucial task of locking down Li Feng, wanting him to shut Li Feng down.
However, Li Feng had no offensive intent in the first half and was solely focused on organizing plays.