score maniac

Chapter 30: Got It!

“…What?!!” When everyone on the court realized what Gu Yu had done, they went wild. T-that slick-haired guy… “He actually stole the ball from a teammate?!!” Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief at what had just happened. Although they knew full well that this slick-haired guy had a fiery temper and tended to act without thinking of the consequences. But… “Stealing the ball from a teammate? That’s going way too far!” “You…?!!” Evans went berserk. His hands went empty as Gu Yu snatched the ball right out of his grasp. Before he even had a chance to get angry, Gu Yu had already dribbled away. “Elliott! What are you doing?!!” Lambis was frantic—Gu Yu was heading straight for his sweet spot, and Ellington clearly hadn’t expected him to pull off such a daring move. On top of that, since Gu Yu had been inactive for several consecutive possessions, Ellington had let his guard down for a moment, allowing Gu Yu to shake him off. “I’m here!” Fortunately, the other Timberwolves players were alert enough. With a quick rotation, someone immediately closed in on Gu Yu’s sweet spot, planting both feet firmly on the floor and raising both hands high, completely denying him any room to shoot. Pass! With a “whoosh,” Gu Yu sent off a pass—simple and direct, the kind most NBA players could easily intercept. But since no one expected Gu Yu’s “pass” button to actually work, that simple pass actually made it through. “…Nice play!” Cousins, in the paint, finally got the ball. He leaned back slightly with the ball, ready to go one-on-one. “…Double team!!!” The Timberwolves immediately closed in for a double team. “It’s over! De Marcus still doesn’t know how to break a double-team!” Someone let out a cry of alarm, just as it looked like Cousins was about to lose the ball— “Snap!” Gu Yu stepped in and “stole the ball” once again. “…What? This is crazy. Everyone’s fucking crazy!! What the hell is going on in that slick-haired guy’s head? Is it filled with the ocean or something? How else could he be so out of his mind as to make such a ridiculous decision?!! “You’re done for!” Gu Yu got the ball, weaved past the defender guarding Cousins, and sprinted straight to the basket, only to face the Timberwolves’ impenetrable defense under the basket. A shooter with absolutely no ability to drive to the basket actually dares to take the ball straight to the rim? Is he out of his mind?! Press him hard! We’ve got to shut him down no matter what!! “He’s cornered! Greasy Hair’s been cornered!” As a Timberwolves player closed in, Gu Yu’s pathetic dribbling immediately gave him away. He was pinned behind the backboard, unable to move—the scene was nothing short of “pitiful.” “Cover his passes! Watch out for cuts to the basket!!” A sharp-eyed Timberwolves player spotted the Kings’ perimeter player, Evans, cutting in with fury and hurriedly shouted a warning. “Got it!” The player guarding Gu Yu spun around and firmly blocked Evans’s cutting path, refusing to let Gu Yu’s pass get through at any cost. What a perfect defensive play! The fans cheered in admiration. The Timberwolves were indeed a cut above the Kings—this defensive play had covered every angle, leaving the Kings absolutely no openings. Under such intense defensive pressure, there was no way the Kings’ players could… “Phew…!” …Huh?? When the sound of the basketball cutting through the air rang out from behind them, the Timberwolves players hadn’t yet realized what had happened. Did that slick-haired guy just pass the ball? To whom? Evans was right in front of me, and Cousins was being tightly boxed out—there was no way the ball could get through! Could he have passed it out to the perimeter?? Thinking this, the player reflexively glanced toward the perimeter. Nope. Not only did the Kings’ perimeter players not catch the ball, but they were all standing there with their mouths agape, looking up at the sky, seemingly lost in thought. Looking up at the sky? What’s there to see on the arena ceiling? Are there any pretty girls up there? “Hmm…?” Following the Kings players’ line of sight, the player slowly looked up at the ceiling above him. “…Whoa!” An orange-yellow object was flying out from above the backboard, made a sharp turn, and plummeted downward at breakneck speed. What was that thing… “Whoosh!” “Thud!” The basketball went through the net!! “F@#$%&*……!!!” The ball, having gone through the net, slammed hard into the defender’s face, nearly knocking the wind out of him. Before he could even utter a curse, the arena had already erupted. “…Holy shit, how can you even score from a spot like that?! T-that’s just not fucking possible!!!” A high-arcing shot from behind the backboard—and it went in! “Hmph…!” As Gu Yu walked past with a smug pout, Ellington was completely dumbfounded. Is this guy… serious? Was he really shooting from behind the backboard—not just because he was backed into a corner and had no choice but to throw it up, but because he genuinely intended to take the shot?? That… that can’t be possible, right?!! “I get it, I finally get it…!” As he retreated on defense, Gu Yu high-fived his teammates—who looked both astonished and wildly excited—while his mind raced. “The so-called ‘100% Free-Movement Shooting Spot’ doesn’t mean you can move whenever you want—it only takes effect if you determine your next shooting spot before the current possession begins!” Just now, at the start of the offensive possession, Gu Yu was racking his brain trying to figure out how to shift his shooting spot. As he watched the path indicator on the court move forward, about to trace the same running route as before and reach the area behind the backboard, Gu Yu instinctively thought of something. “Boykins seems to have scored from that spot before!” “Ding—!” In that split second, the shooting spot was locked into that incredibly awkward position. …Damn it! Gu Yu was on the verge of a breakdown. He’d merely thought for a split second that scoring from that spot would be pretty cool—and now the shooting spot was locked in? So this is what “free movement” is all about? He didn’t know what the future held, but for now, with only this single running path indicated, it seemed he could choose any spot along that line for his shot? The limitations were significant—without figuring out how to create new running paths, the possible locations for his shooting spot were very limited. But for this game, it’s enough. “Being able to score from any spot along this path is enough…!” “Clang!” The Timberwolves players clearly hadn’t yet recovered from Gu Yu’s magical performance; a dazed, off-target shot missed, and the rebound was violently snatched by Cousins. “Gu—!!!” , “Whoosh!!!” Up front, Gu Yu had already started cutting to the basket. Cousins sent a long pass his way, but only as the ball left his hands did he sense something was off. “Huh? Gu… didn’t go to his sweet spot?” “Get back on defense—!!!” Ellington, no longer taking any chances, hurried to catch up, sticking closely to Gu Yu’s heels as he habitually drifted toward the left side from the top of the key. Gu Yu, however, made a sudden cut to the right. With a “snap,” he caught the ball mid-run, changed direction, and—taking advantage of the split second before Ellington could turn—planted his foot on the right side of the free-throw line. A mid-range jump shot! “Swish” Another one in!!!