score maniac

Chapter 37: The Tactical Core!

“Hey, hey, hey, am I seeing this right…?!?” A substitution by the Kings that was as ordinary as could be caused a huge stir on the court. From fans to reporters, from players to coaches—everyone except Gu Yu and Westphal couldn’t believe their eyes. Gu Yu, the “powder keg,” had actually stepped in to prevent a potential brawl! “Xiao Yu, this…” “I don’t know what happened either.” Before her colleague could even finish the question, Yu Chenyi shook her head in bewilderment: “Don’t ask me—I’m just as clueless as you guys!” What the heck…! Several reporters were even getting a little frustrated. Finally, this game had a bit of a twist—if Gu Yu and Evans had come to blows on the court, the reporters had already thought up their headlines. “Another brawl! ‘Asian Hairstyle Guy’ Beats Up the Kings’ New Star on the Court!” Just look at that headline—how explosive, how thrilling, and how clickbait-worthy! What a shame…!! One by one, they lowered their raised cameras, and the lenses trained on Gu Yu all swiveled away. The reporters shook their heads and sighed repeatedly, feeling as though they’d missed what might have been today’s most explosive news story. Gu Yu, what on earth are you up to…? Yu Chenyi was just as baffled. As she looked at Gu Yu, her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, filled with confusion. “Not bad! I thought you wouldn’t be able to control yourself!” The game continued on the court, while on the bench, Westphal sat next to Gu Yu and said with a smile, “Looks like you can control your temper after all!” “Nonsense.” Gu Yu shook his head, still wearing that proud and aloof expression, his lips curled high in a smirk: “I was just doing you a favor. Otherwise, since you were the one who proposed the bet, if I hadn’t taken it, wouldn’t that have been a huge loss of face for you?” “…Hahaha, whatever you say.” Westphal nodded with a smile. “Anyway, the bet stands. When Tarek was playing recklessly, you didn’t jump in right away—you saved face for me and for the boss. So I’ll keep my word, too. At the start of the fourth quarter, I’ll give you those six minutes you wanted!” “…That’s more like it.” Gu Yu nodded; his anger had finally subsided somewhat. After a moment’s thought, he spoke again: “Coach, have you talked to Terik about this too?” “Hm?” Westphal looked puzzled. “Did you also tell him that after I come off the court, we’ll run the offense around him for six minutes, and then let me be the tactical focal point for another six minutes?” Gu Yu asked. “Oh, him,” Westphal shook his head. “He doesn’t need me to tell him that. Just look at him—when has he ever not considered himself the focal point?” “That’s true,” Gu Yu nodded, watching as Evans on the court completely ignored Jeter’s calls for the ball and started showing off his one-on-one moves again. He shrugged helplessly. “Anyway, just sit back and wait!” Westphal said. “I can’t convince the owner directly, but as long as situations like this keep happening, the owner and management will eventually catch on. I was planning to use you as leverage, but it seems… I still underestimated your determination!” As he spoke, Westphal couldn’t help but recall the late-night heart-to-heart he’d had with Gu Yu two days earlier. “Evans and Cousins—though right now they’re still nowhere near the level of Kevin Johnson and Barkley—sooner or later, I’ll still have to face that choice.” At the time, Westphal himself didn’t know why he’d confided his deepest concerns to this obscure Asian shooter sitting before him. “So, I hope you can become the lever between them—just like Dan Marley was between Charles and Kevin, or Hornacek was between Malone and Stockton. Behind every great duo, there’s always a third player who acts as a glue, bringing two dominant stars together and serving as a lubricant to keep the team moving forward.” This was the hope Westphal had expressed to Gu Yu: Evans and Cousins, two rising stars who both craved the ball, would inevitably need a “trusted ally” to bridge the gap between the inside and the outside. Otherwise, given the tempers of these two strong-willed players, they were bound to fall out sooner or later. However, Gu Yu’s response took the veteran coach by surprise. “Screw that—I’m not going to be the ‘lever’! If you want, you can trade both of them away—I don’t care. I’ll rule the roost single-handedly and prove to you that I can carry Sacramento on my own!” With that, Gu Yu turned and walked out, leaving the veteran coach alone in the room, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. It was that very night that the old coach came to realize something. A day later, after practice, the old coach sought out Gu Yu once more and struck a gentleman’s agreement with him. “The next time Terik plays recklessly, if you can just hold back from intervening—even just once—it doesn’t matter how you do it.” Westphal looked at Gu Yu, his eyes sparkling, and said, “I’ll give you six minutes to prove yourself as the team’s undisputed leader…!” “It’s about time! It’s a deal!” Gu Yu agreed cheerfully. To be honest, Westphal hadn’t held out much hope that Gu Yu would be able to control his temper; he’d simply been kind enough not to want to shatter a passionate young man’s basketball dream. But what he hadn’t expected was that this day would come so soon. “Bang, bang, bang!” “Tyrick, pass…” “Phew—!” A “beep” sounded as the whistle blew to end the third quarter. Completely ignoring Jeter’s desperate shouts—who was wide open—Evans launched yet another reckless fadeaway jumper. As the electronic chime rang out across the arena, the basketball traced an awkward arc and slammed heavily against the rim. “…fxxk!” Even the usually composed Jett couldn’t help but curse under his breath. Glancing at Evans, who looked as if nothing had happened, Jett was seething inside. If only he’d known, he should’ve egged Gu on to give Terik a good beating! Jeter felt a twinge of regret. Why did he always go out of his way to have heart-to-heart talks with Gu Yu, telling him to rein in his temper? Some people just need a good beating when they deserve it! Glancing at the score again—84 to 63—the Kings were already down by 21 points. More crucially, ever since Evans had entered the game, they—the bench players who should be stepping up the most—had barely touched the ball! Damn it…! As they returned to the bench, Jeter and Cousins kept shaking their heads. Whiteside, sitting on the bench, shrugged in exasperation, pointed at the haughty Evans, and shrugged again. “We’re down by 21 points.” Once everyone had settled back into their seats, Westphal glanced at the scoreboard and listened to the players gasping for breath. Suddenly, he turned to Evans and said, “This game’s a foregone conclusion. You don’t need to play anymore. Get some rest and conserve your energy—you’ll need your stamina for the regular season.” “Hmph, well, I’m heading back to the locker room then.” Evans didn’t stand on ceremony; he got up and headed straight for the players’ tunnel. “Mm-hmm. Alright, for the fourth quarter, let’s switch up our tactics a bit.” Westphal didn’t try to stop him. Turning to the rest of the players, he said, “Jeter, Kasbi, Whiteside, De Marcus—all four of you get on the court, and then…” As he spoke, the veteran coach reached out and gently placed his hand on the shoulder of Gu Yu, who was still sitting there sulking, and smiled, “Do your best to set him up…!” …What?!! Evans, who was already on his way off the court, stopped in his tracks immediately.