010: Isn't this what you call magnificent? (Please keep reading!)

“Hey! Hey! The two little bastards are about to cry! About to cry! Hey! Hey!…”

The fans at the scene sang as they wildly pounded the iron railings in front of them and stomped their feet with force.

The security personnel stood in a line, backs turned to the court, sweating profusely.

Although they had no physical contact with anyone, the overwhelming roar threatened to knock them over.

And they knew this was only the beginning. Such shouts would fill every minute of the game until it was over.

The live broadcast focused on the young Lynch and Teodosic, two youngsters facing the biggest stage of their lives so far.

Although their previous match against the Guerrillas was intense, it was still played in a small arena used by the youth team.

Today, they truly experienced the fervent passion of this sport.

In the stands, the chief scout from Olympiacos momentarily forgot his duties, caught up in the thick atmosphere of battle, almost shouting along.

Fortunately, he pulled his thoughts back just before losing control.

The man picked up his notebook, ready to record every move of Teodosic today.

Ignoring the deafening noise, Teodosic dribbled the ball across half court.

Red Star gave Teodosic no chance to calmly control the tempo, applying full-court pressure defense directly against him.

Under the close marking, Teodosic found it difficult to advance smoothly; after all, his defender was no weakling.

As Serbia’s most successful basketball club, Red Star boasts the largest scouting network, the most comprehensive youth training facilities, and the nation’s best coaches.

This means they have the right to select the country’s top talents and provide them with the finest training.

Therefore, Red Star’s youth team is exceptionally strong overall. Although the core is Luka Bogdanovic, the others cannot be overlooked.

You could say every position on their team is a strength.

The point guard position is no exception. Wilk Tomvic, tasked with defending Teodosic, was once a member of the 2001 U16 national team that swept Europe, serving as a backup to Teodosic back then.

It’s easy to imagine how desperate he was to take down the man who once towered over him mentally.

Wilk pressed Teodosic with all his might, seemingly unwilling to save any energy for offense.

Teodosic’s dribble was fragmented by the tough defense; Wilk’s breath blew against his face. This former U16 backup point guard now tore at every inch of Teodosic’s space like a vengeful hyena.

But suddenly—

“Bang!”

A powerful body shoved Wilk backward, his shoes screeching against the floor.

Lynch’s perfectly timed screen helped Teodosic escape this relentless pursuer’s clutches.

Teodosic thought he had a clear shot, but it wasn’t over yet.

Red Star’s strategy for handling pick-and-rolls was aggressive; against screens, they chose to double-team Teodosic, leaving Lynch open for cuts.

Teodosic caught a glimpse of Lynch’s cutting silhouette into the paint and pushed the ball forward with his fingertips.

The ball spun through the air but was intercepted at the last moment by a shadow darting in from the side.

“Lu—ka—!”

The roar swept through the arena again, fans cheering Luka Bogdanovic for the steal. Like a machine, he appeared precisely on the passing lane, disrupting the FMP duo’s coordination.

Red Star’s strategy was clear: fully pressure Teodosic, then rely on help defense to stop Lynch.

Teodosic lacked the aggressive driving ability typical of American guards, so sealing off his space effectively limited his shooting.

As for Lynch, he was a slashing wing who depended heavily on teammates’ passes. Cutting off his passing lanes meant restricting his output.

Yes, Lynch possessed unparalleled finishing and athletic ability around the basket, but a player who cannot initiate offense with the ball is doomed to struggle in set plays.

So when Lynch cut in, Luka’s peripheral vision had already locked onto the passing lane.

Pressure on Teodosic; cut off Lynch’s receiving routes.

This was Red Star’s tailor-made strangling trap for the FMP pair!

Under this defensive scheme, Lynch might score some points, but he could never carry the team’s offense alone.

European basketball is like this—discipline, tactics, and calculation far outweigh aesthetics, speed, and one-on-one play.

In the NCAA, this game might have turned into a duel between Teodosic and Luka Bogdanovic.

But in Europe, things are far more complex.

Of course, Red Star’s decision to clamp down on Teodosic also had another key reason—they were betting on whether Teodosic would attempt forced shots under pressure and double teams.

Tonight, the Olympiacos scout sat in the stands, wondering if Teodosic’s desire to perform would outweigh his rationality.

Would he patiently keep feeding Lynch again and again under pressure instead of rushing to showcase himself?

Teodosic had always been a selfless player, but the saying goes: never test human nature.

How could anyone guarantee that tonight he wouldn’t break instinct and shatter the double team with a heroic play, trying to etch a golden mark on the Greek team’s ledger?

If he did, Red Star’s victory would be much easier.

The media always called Lynch and Teodosic Serbia’s OK duo—well, let them play the part a little more convincingly.

After the steal, Luka immediately transformed into a point guard, delivering a precise long pass to a teammate. Red Star counterattacked successfully, leading 4-0.

“Hey! Hey! Two fake geniuses exposed! Hey! Hey!”

The Red Star fans’ singing grew louder, and their cheers further energized the Red Star players.

Wilk could not stand such soul-stirring chants; he wished he could put all his strength into Teodosic.

Pressure, confrontation, entanglement… Wilk’s eyes were bloodshot; Teodosic faced the toughest defense of the season.

“Milos, without the Chinese guy screening for you, you can’t even score ten points!”

“Is that so? I heard from your fans it’s five points,” Teodosic responded with presidential composure to the trash talk.

Wilk’s verbal assault failed, but the pressure remained relentless. After finally shaking off Wilk near the three-point line, a towering Red Star power forward immediately became a moving roadblock, forming an iron wall with Wilk.

Lynch was temporarily left open. Seeing Luka preparing to help steal, he didn’t cut inside but instead posted up on the edge of the paint, backing into Luka.

Posting up? The Red Star prodigy looked surprised.

They had studied Lynch’s game footage; this jumper rarely posted up on offense.

What was he trying to do?

On the sidelines, first-team coach Vlad Durovic watched eagerly.

He wanted to see what this “master of elegant post moves” Lynch, as Boško claimed, really looked like.

He was already imagining Olajuwon schooling the admiral.

If Lynch truly developed a beautiful low-post game, he might become an interior anchor—a whole new level of player.

After all, a frontcourt player with a low-post threat and one who only cuts without the ball are worlds apart in impact.

Lynch firmly held his position, legs rooted to the floor. Luka tried to push him away but exerted no effect; Lynch’s post-up was like an anchor sunk to the seabed.

Teodosic passed the ball to Lynch, who arched his back and pushed backward twice.

Against the increasingly powerful and well-trained Lynch, even strong Luka Bogdanovic was forced to retreat step by step.

Near the basket, Lynch quickly spun around, his explosive power allowing him to breeze past Luka and head straight to the rim.

Luka only felt the breeze ruffle his forehead hair as Red Star’s 212 cm center rushed to help defense. He reacted fast enough but still couldn’t outpace Lynch’s spin move.

“Bang!”

A two-handed dunk—Lynch’s beautiful post move shattered Red Star’s so-called perfect defensive plan.

Vlad Durovic nodded approvingly; Lynch’s spin was indeed very impressive.

But he yearned to see more.

After all, Boško had kept emphasizing Lynch’s “elegant” post moves.

Yet after watching several more possessions, Durovic sensed something was off.

When Lynch once again spun past Bogdanovic and scored, Durovic couldn’t hold back.

He turned to Boško: “Didn’t you say he mastered elegant post moves?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why have I only seen crude spins from start to finish?”

Durovic was speechless—what elegance?

Lynch’s post game was simply using a strong, unadorned torso and legs to push inward, then a quick spin to attack the basket.

Every post-up possession was this move, as monotonous as a married couple’s routine at 35.

The only technically noteworthy aspect was Lynch’s positioning skills and the brief, discreet hug of the non-ball hand during the spin.

But that hardly qualified as elegance—just fundamentals.

Back on the court, FMP’s offense restarted.

This possession was a replay of countless previous ones: Lynch didn’t set a screen but posted up directly and firmly received the ball from Teodosic.

To Red Star’s coach’s surprise, Teodosic had not attempted a single shot so far, consistently feeding Lynch ammunition.

The scout from Greece sat in the stands; yet Teodosic still played the smartest way, even if it meant stepping out of the spotlight.

Did this man truly not care about personal stats and glory?

Lynch did not waste Teodosic’s sacrifice. Pressing his broad back against Luka Bogdanovic, he immediately spun and attacked the rim.

Luka was utterly outpaced; Lynch’s speed in that spin was like a guard’s.

The Serbian prodigy’s shout of “Help defense!” was the last alarm before Red Star’s defense collapsed. Under Lynch’s post, the genius became a fragile vase.

This time, Red Star’s center positioned himself early in the paint, wary of Lynch’s speed.

But did that stop Lynch from scoring in the paint?

The answer was a resounding no.

Strong Lynch almost bulldozed through the interior defender midair, easily finishing at the rim.

Seven post-ups, sixteen points (including two and-ones), a perfect shooting percentage.

For the seventh consecutive possession, Lynch used post moves to shatter Red Star’s defense, utterly dominating Luka Bogdanovic on defense.

Moreover, the repeated drives didn’t sap Lynch’s efficiency, proving his excellent conditioning.

Lynch raised his arms, displaying improbably muscular limbs for his age.

In the stands, Red Star fans fell silent, ceasing their insults toward Teodosic and Lynch.

They all realized one thing—no one on the court could stop number 10, not even Luka!

He was no longer just a slashing wing but a star capable of breaking down defenses!

Lynch brutally shoved Luka into the coffin, while Teodosic’s calm assists hammered in the coffin’s rivets.

Durovic saw through it all: Lynch had indeed improved his post moves but had not suddenly become a post master.

Post play is a complex art, and Lynch had only scratched the surface.

His progress was less about post technique and more about a surge in strength, conditioning, and speed.

His incredible speed made his spins nearly unstoppable; his powerful body allowed him to hold position firmly and score easily in contact. His conditioning let him repeat this over and over without faltering.

This was the essence of his ability to torment opponents with post play now.

These improvements were well-deserved; day after day of diligent training was rapidly fulfilling the talent he inherited from Moses Malone.

Watching Lynch single-handedly dismantle Red Star’s defense left Boško proudly raising his head and smiling at Durovic.

“See? It’s the seventh straight possession Luka Bogdanovic has no answer for him. Vlad, isn’t that elegant?”

Vlad Durovic wanted to punch Boško in the face.

But he had no rebuttal for the question.

(Please continue reading and vote, many thanks!)