Dominant First Half Display

"Vucevic, you go up, contain the opponent's center, and protect the rebound," Tim instructed. "Ty, you go back to the 4, limit Earl Clark. You are the same height, and your weight is an advantage."

Then he turned to Lian Dao, "Sickle, you go back to the third position and pay attention to Terrence Williams' breakthrough."

"DeMar, when Sickle is double-teamed, you need to step up and score! Concentrate!"

DeMar nodded. His shooting hadn't been as sharp, and his drives to the basket were often thwarted by the opponent's forward. He knew he had to improve.

"I've got you!" Lian Dao patted DeMar on the shoulder, reassuring him.

After the timeout, Lian Dao called for the ball beyond the three-point line. He received the pass and immediately executed a dragging step with his right hand, accelerating into a breakthrough. Terrence Williams, anticipating the drive, backed up to defend.

But Lian Dao made an emergency stop, dribbling the ball back between his legs. He reset his feet and performed a double feint, throwing Terrence Williams off balance and shifting his focus to Lian Dao's left side.

Lian Dao then spun around, bypassing Terrence Williams effortlessly. He took a long stride, avoiding Earl Clark's help defense with a slick pull-up move, and scored a layup.

After the basket, Lian Dao grabbed his jersey and roared at Terrence Williams. He didn't want DeMar to shoulder all the offensive pressure. He needed to step up and contribute.

The score now stood at 38-28, and USC had re-established a 10-point lead.

In the Louisville Cardinals frontcourt, Terrence Williams stood at the 3-point line with his back to Lian Dao. Lian Dao chose to defend sideways, hoping to limit Williams' reception and maybe steal the ball. But Williams, even at 198 cm tall, was very nimble. He leaned against Lian Dao and turned to the other side to ask for the ball.

Lian Dao quickly followed Williams' turn. Whenever Williams moved, Lian Dao was right there. Meanwhile, Earl Clark was tightly guarded by Gibson in the paint, making it hard for him to get the ball.

Seeing that neither the forward nor the paint could score, Preston Knowles passed the ball to shooting guard Jerry Smith. Jerry Smith drove to the basket with impressive speed, easily turning past DeMar. Lian Dao quickly moved to help defend against the drive.

Seeing Lian Dao coming to help, Jerry Smith tried to pass the ball back outside. But Lian Dao stretched out his hand and intercepted the pass. Lian Dao realized that Jerry Smith lacked the strength to make a successful layup through the inside defense and knew that Smith was trying to draw a double team to create a scoring chance for his teammates.

If Gibson had been the one to cover the defense, Smith would have passed to Earl Clark for an easy layup. But with Lian Dao defending, the ball was meant to go back to Terrence Williams outside. Lian Dao, predicting this, cut off the pass and threw a long ball to DeMar.

DeMar, sprinting from the perimeter, grabbed the pass and took off, assuming the role of the second scoring option. His speed was unmatched, leaving defenders behind. DeMar's explosive drive down the court showed his athleticism.

In a flash, DeMar reached the frontcourt, jumped from the free-throw line, and finished with a powerful tomahawk dunk. The sound of the dunk echoed through the arena, reigniting the USC fans' excitement.

"Boom!"

DeMar's physical strength allowed him to dominate with ease. The scoreboard now read 40:28, with USC reestablishing a big lead.

As they returned to the defensive end, DeMar found Lian Dao and gave him a high five, acknowledging Lian Dao's crucial defensive play and assist in that sequence.

When defending, Terrence Williams no longer called for the ball. Instead, he held his position firmly, preventing Lian Dao from having the opportunity to help defend. His goal was to create chances for Jerry Smith to either score or pass after a cut.

This time, DeMar stayed right on Jerry Smith as he moved around the perimeter. Preston Knowles, meanwhile, drove for a layup after receiving a pass.

As the ball went up and touched the backboard, a large hand suddenly covered it. The owner of that hand was Lian Dao. Preston Knowles was stunned! Wasn't Lian Dao supposed to be near the three-point line? Hadn't Terrence Williams blocked him? How was he now near the rim?

Terrence Williams did block Lian Dao earlier, but it was part of Lian Dao's plan. He let Williams get stuck on purpose, tricking the Louisville Cardinals into thinking they had an open layup. As soon as Preston Knowles was fooled, Lian Dao slipped past Terrence Williams.

Lian Dao's speed and agility matched Williams', but his strength gave him the edge. It wasn't easy for Williams to keep him in check.

"Smack!"

With a powerful slap, Lian Dao pinned the basketball against the backboard. If you looked closely, you could see the ball deform sharply at the moment of impact. After landing, Lian Dao quickly jumped again, grabbing the ball before Samardo Samuels could react.

After the timeout, the Louisville Cardinals failed to score on two consecutive possessions. With just 10 seconds left in the first half, Lian Dao passed the ball to Daniel Hackett and sprinted towards the frontcourt.

Lian Dao received the ball outside the three-point line with 5 seconds left on the clock. He performed a quick back dribble to get past Terrence Williams with 4 seconds remaining. Then, he took a sudden cross step, halted, and made a tentative step with his right foot forward. Williams, caught off guard, stepped back.

With 2 seconds left, Lian Dao pulled the ball back, took a sidestep, and launched a three-pointer. As the clock hit 1 second, the ball sailed through the hoop just as the buzzer sounded.

"Swish!"

Lian Dao's shot was perfect, ending the first half with a three-pointer. The scoreboard now read 43:28, giving USC a 15-point lead.

Kenny looked at Barkley with a smile. Barkley avoided eye contact, trying to look serious as he analyzed the game. Kenny, however, didn't buy it and continued to smile at Barkley.

Barkley finally relented under Kenny's gaze.

"Okay, I admit it. I was wrong. You can't limit someone who's truly exceptional!" Barkley laughed, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"He's smart and always plays to his strengths!"