score maniac

Chapter 41: The Mega Comeback!

(Part 2) “…Whoosh—!!!” The entire stadium erupted! “Unbelievable… absolutely unbelievable!” The reporters, who had previously mocked Gu Yu’s fighting spirit as baseless and completely dismissed any possibility of a comeback, began to waver. “That guy with the slicked-back hair is just too accurate—he’s hitting every shot, not just from the sweet spot!” “Once or twice could be a fluke, but counting the last game against the Timberwolves, how many times has this happened now? To maintain this level of accuracy, it definitely can’t be explained by luck alone!” “Yeah, who knew this draft class was hiding such a gem? The Kings really hit the jackpot! If I were Kings GM Petri, I’d definitely present Kahn with a banner inscribed with four big characters: ‘The Reincarnation of Lei Feng’! Hahaha!” The reporters chimed in one after another, utterly awestruck by Gu Yu’s accuracy, while also taking every opportunity to take a dig at Kahn. A 13-point deficit! Xiao Yu, standing nearby, hadn’t said a word. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on the court, locked onto that menacing-looking man. Her delicate fists were clenched lightly, and for some reason, a surge of fiery passion welled up inside her. Could it be… that they really could stage a comeback?? “Stay calm, stay calm! Damn it, what the hell are you guys playing?!!” Skiles simply couldn’t sit still anymore; he’d already made his way to the sidelines, where he kept clapping and roaring in anger while berating the dazed players on the court. One more basket, and he’d have to call a timeout. A 13-point lead, and the fourth quarter had barely been underway for four minutes. If the Kings scored again, the deficit could very well be erased! Winning or losing in the Summer League isn’t a big deal, but after a game like this—where they’d blown a lead of over twenty points—it would leave a psychological scar that no player could shake off anytime soon. “Boom!” “Great shot!!!” Finally, the Bucks pulled off a decent play: Sun Yue set a high screen, took a step sideways, and sent the ball into the paint with one hand. Delon Washington used his physical advantage to easily overpower Gu Yu, spun around, and slammed it home with both hands. “Roar—!!!” Washington was ecstatic after the play, and the entire Bucks team seemed to have been injected with a shot of adrenaline—their eyes were shining. “That play really boosted morale!” The reporters nodded in agreement. After the Bucks had been on a scoring run, Washington was able to end it with a dunk—a much-needed stop for the Bucks. And… “In-your-face! Back to China!” Washington was fired up and unleashed a tirade at Gu Yu, whose defense had been lacking. His trash talk carried a hint of regional discrimination, causing fans on the sidelines to turn their heads in surprise. Gu Yu, who was preparing to take the inbounds pass at the baseline, heard every word clearly, and a sudden flash of anger flared in his dark eyes. If he could put up with that, our protagonist wouldn’t be Gu Yu. “Huff… Bang!” “Holy shit…!!” No sooner had Washington turned away than he felt as if he’d been struck in the back by a rock, a wave of excruciating pain washing over him. He spun around, eyes wide, about to appeal to the referee—but before he could, a figure with yellow skin flashed past him. “Thud, thud, thud!” Gu Yu, dribbling past the defense! “Holy crap…!” Everyone was stunned. Any observer could tell that Gu Yu’s inbounds pass had clearly been intended as retaliation, smashing straight into Washington’s back. But what happened next unfolded so quickly—the moment the ball hit, Gu Yu seemed to snap out of it, taking a quick step forward, taking control of the ball, and immediately pushing the offense forward, leaving the referee no time to blow the whistle. This, this, this… The referees exchanged glances, suddenly at a loss as to how to call the play. Should it be called a technical foul? Based on Gu Yu’s intent, it absolutely should be—this was a particularly malicious act of retaliation. But what if it wasn’t a foul? If interpreted as Gu Yu intentionally using his opponent’s back to set up a pass for himself, that would make perfect sense too! What on earth was that slick-haired guy thinking… “Swish!” Before anyone could react, up front, a well-coordinated Whiteside set a screen. Gu Yu took a lateral dribble at the top of the key, rose up immediately, and with one step inside the three-point line, sank another mid-range jumper! “…Great shot!” Jeter’s eyes lit up. Watching Gu Yu storm back on defense, he held up a hand in praise: “That was a cool play—you didn’t get into a scuffle with him right away. Gu, you’ve really matured…” “If you wanted to smash my head in, you missed, damn it! Shit!” As soon as Gu Yu finished his curse, he charged straight at Washington, leaving Jeter standing on the court, completely flustered. “Ref, that was a technical foul…” “Beep-beep—! The Bucks have called a timeout!” Over here, Washington was completely oblivious to the vengeful spirit charging toward him, still complaining to the referee. Over there, Skiles finally couldn’t take it anymore and called a timeout. “Great play! Gu!!!” The Kings players immediately rushed onto the court, forming a human wall that completely surrounded Gu Yu. Cousins even reached out to give Gu Yu a hard rub on the head, then hauled him—pulling and tugging—to the sideline. “Ref, ref…!” “Stop yelling!” Washington still wasn’t having it and kept nagging at the referee. Sun Yue couldn’t stand it anymore, so he stepped forward to block Washington, but his eyes remained fixed on Gu Yu, who was still trying to find a way through the crowd. He said, “That timeout the coach called just now might have saved your life…!” “…Huh?” Washington looked completely bewildered. “Did something happen??” During the timeout, everyone in the Global Arena heard Skiles’ furious roar. But none of it did a damn thing. “Play on!” After play resumed, the Milwaukee Bucks were utterly crushed over the next five minutes or so. On the Bucks’ possession, Larry Sanders’ shot under the basket was swatted away by a massive block from Cousins. Jeter grabbed the ball immediately to lead the fast break, dribbling deftly as he weaved through defenders before suddenly dishing off a bounce pass from mid-range. “Swish!” Gu Yu sank the mid-range jumper, extending the lead to 11 points. The Bucks inbounded the ball quickly from the baseline, but Sun Yue’s driving layup was disrupted by Whiteside, and the ball bounced off the rim and out. As Cousins grabbed the rebound and prepared to pass, Gu Yu had already cut around Kasbi’s screen to the sweet spot. “Swish!” Gu Yu hit another mid-range jumper, narrowing the gap to 9 points. The Bucks looked for a play on the weak side: Sun Yue and Washington ran a crossover to stretch the defense. The ball circled inside before coming back out, but Sun Yue’s open mid-range jumper missed. Whiteside leaped to grab the rebound, shouting all the way, “I want an assist too!” He dribbled twice and sent a long pass up the court. “Swish!” Gu Yu came to a sudden stop on the right side of the top of the key and sank another shot, narrowing the gap to 7 points. The Bucks finally converted a possession: Washington’s shot missed, but Larry Sanders powered his way through two defenders to score on a putback. “Whoosh—!!!” Before Sanders had even hit the floor, the Kings had already inbounded the ball from the baseline. Jeter dribbled like the wind up the court and handed it off to Gu Yu. Just as Gu Yu raised his hand, Sun Yue and Washington in front of him had already leaped into the air. Gu Yu dished the ball. “…Thud!!!” Alley-oop!! “Yes! Yeeeeeeeeees—!!!” Cousins, having scored the basket, was as happy as a giant baby weighing well over 300 jin. He bounced his way toward Gu Yu, just as he was about to bump chests with him in celebration, but Gu Yu dodged him. “Damn, damn, damn—I turned the ball over!” …Huh? Watching Gu Yu run toward the opponent’s baseline with a sour look on his face, Cousins froze in place, looking completely bewildered. A turnover? Didn’t he just pass it to me? How could that be a turnover?? Cousins glanced at the basket, completely baffled. Gu Yu’s alley-oop pass had been absolutely stunning—both the power and the angle were perfect. He’d just been about to give Gu Yu a big compliment—someone with such a great passing hand who never actually passes? That’s a total waste of talent… Wait a minute! “No… it can’t be…!” In an instant, everything clicked for Cousins. It wasn’t a pass. That alley-oop Gu Yu had just sent him wasn’t a pass at all—it was a fake move followed by a dribble and a jump, and the ball slipped out of his hands, resulting in a turnover…! “This guy really is…” Watching Gu Yu’s back as he darted toward Deron Washington, Cousins wasn’t sure what expression to make. That slick-haired guy really is a weirdo…! “Damn it, a fast break… Huh?!” With a “snap,” Washington—eager to launch a fast break—completely failed to notice the defender’s position. As he caught the ball and turned, Gu Yu, who had already charged forward, was right there waiting for him, swiping the ball away with a quick hand check to regain possession. Cut to the perimeter! After getting the ball, Gu Yu turned and headed straight for his sweet spot. Washington was so furious his nose was practically about to explode; he spread his arms wide, cursing as he chased after him relentlessly. So what if it’s just a shot? So what if he’s just trying to find your sweet spot to shoot?? I’ll block the hell out of you! Burning with rage, he chased Gu Yu from behind. When he saw Gu Yu turn back toward him, Washington didn’t even hesitate—he leaped straight up to block the shot. Gu Yu crouched low. “That’s called a fake, you dumb dog!” “…Swish!” He shook off Washington and sank the layup. Amid the silence that filled the arena, the basketball hit the floor and bounced repeatedly. Gu Yu turned around, panting, and glanced at Washington, who was staring at the floor in disbelief. He reached out and patted the other man on the shoulder, saying, “Don’t look down—you’ll lose your green hat.” My man Westbrook—he’s practically Xiang Yu!