score maniac

Chapter 50: A Momentary Lull!

(Part 1) “Time’s running out for ‘Hairstyle Guy’!” During the timeout, the two commentators back at the booth started bickering again. Smith looked at Barkley with a smirk, as if he were looking at a defeated rooster, and said, “Gu hasn’t scored a single point so far, and there’s only about a quarter and a half left in the game—18 or 19 minutes at most. Sir Charles, do you still believe he can score 67 points??” “If a person has no dreams, what’s the difference between them and a piece of dried fish??” Barkley refused to admit defeat with his words, but the shifty look in his eyes betrayed his true feelings. One and a half quarters—let’s say 19 minutes! What does scoring 67 points in 19 minutes mean? A simple calculation shows he’d have to score more than 3. 5 points per minute! So far, Gu Yu hasn’t shown any three-point ability; his scoring has come almost entirely from mid-range jumpers. To score 3. 5 points per minute means he has to make two mid-range jumpers in a single minute—what does that even mean? Under the normal pace of an NBA game, each team gets about 80 to 90 shot attempts over the course of a game. The Summer League moves at a faster pace, but even at the high end, there are at most 100 shot attempts. That works out to about two shot attempts per minute per team. If Gu Yu really wants to score 67 points, both of those team shots would have to go to him, and he couldn’t afford a single mistake—he’d have to make every single shot. That’s no joke—even if it were Jordan at his peak… ahem, if the “Old Rogue” were ruthless enough, he might still pull it off… But Gu Yu is clearly no Jordan—his highest single-quarter score in history is just over 30 points. Scoring 67 points in a single and a half quarters? Impossible! “Let me tell you, with the Mavericks leading by this much, they’re definitely going to put the fringes of the fringes on the court—and their defense is already terrible to begin with.” Barkley was still trying to justify his claim: “Plus, with such a big lead, the Mavericks’ defensive intensity will drop even further—it’ll basically be nonexistent. If I were out there, I could do it too!” “I’d believe you could’ve done that twenty years ago, but ‘Hair Guy’…?” Smith shook his head with a smile. “Absolutely impossible!” “You… you should never underestimate the heart of a scoring champion!” Barkley retorted, sounding utterly helpless. “You talk as if you’ve ever won the scoring title yourself,” Smith retorted nonchalantly, landing a devastating blow, then continued along his train of thought: “Anyway, pulling all this off would be utterly absurd—I absolutely don’t believe it! If you’re so confident, let’s make a bet!” “I @#￥%*&…” The moment the word “bet” came up, Barkley immediately backed down, deflating like a punctured balloon as he slumped into his chair. There was a time when bets like this were a constant source of pain for Barkley. Remember Yao Ming by the shores of Daming Lake, who made Sir Charles kiss a donkey? Remember Chen Mu on the other side of Daming Lake, who made Sir Charles eat a pair of sneakers…? If they were to make a bet today, given Barkley’s personality, he’d surely come up with some bizarre condition—and the TV station would have another chance to hype it up. Just as Barkley was about to brush the matter off with some vague excuse, Smith—who knew him inside and out—curled the corner of his mouth. Hearing the TV director’s urging through his earpiece, he immediately pulled out the “game-winning shot”: “Hahaha, chickening out?” “…Damn it! Let’s bet!” Barkley took the bait immediately, his chubby cheeks puffing out as he said, “Damn it, I just don’t believe my luck in betting could be this bad…” Over here, the two clowns were discussing what kind of wager would be appropriate, while over there, the players from both teams were returning to the court. “…Gu, are you serious??” As they walked toward the court, Jeter, Whiteside, Cousins, and the others kept staring at Gu Yu in astonishment. “Of course!” Gu Yu nodded firmly, clenching his jaw and saying, “I want to give it a try!” “Well then…” The group exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for what to do. Just as the timeout was ending, Gu Yu seized the last moment to propose an idea. In any ordinary game, if an idea like this had been proposed by a player of Gu Yu’s caliber, the team would have been lucky not to lose their tempers—let alone cooperate. But in today’s game—to put it bluntly—the outcome wasn’t a matter of life and death, and with the team already trailing by so much, it wasn’t out of the question to actually go through with it. Most importantly, Gu Yu had a straightforward personality, and the young players on the team all liked him. If they could give their teammate a hand in the final moments of the Summer League, why not? “Let’s go with what he says.” As the group hesitated, Kasbi—who had been quiet the whole time—spoke up: “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any player. Since Gu has brought this up, then we… should give it our best shot.” “Kasbi…!” Gu Yu turned around, his gaze filled with surprise as he looked at Kasbi. “…Since you put it that way, let’s do it!” Jeter and the others also overcame their mental barriers. They exchanged glances and nodded firmly: “Gu, we’re putting everything on the line to support you—you… better not let us down!” “I promise!” With his teammates’ support, Gu Yu immediately perked up. He rubbed his hands together eagerly as he stepped onto the court, his heart brimming with gratitude. Let the game continue! “All right, the game resumes—the Kings have the ball!” Whiteside inbounds the ball, and Jeter drives it up the court. As soon as the Mavericks see Gu Yu start to cut, everyone on their team shares a knowing smile. “Back and forth—still the same old tricks!” Though he didn’t say it out loud, Jeremy Lin was overjoyed inside. The defense against Gu Yu early in the first quarter had been a resounding success, and he took full credit for it. With a string of steals and fast breaks, the “Linsanity” spirit began to shine through. Boosted by his confidence, Lin found his rhythm and continued to deliver top-notch performances for the rest of the game. During halftime, a Mavericks assistant coach specifically sought out Jeremy Lin to say a few words. The gist was that team management was watching the game and was very satisfied with his performance; as long as he kept playing at this pace, there was a very good chance he’d be kept on the regular-season roster! This was a huge boost for Jeremy Lin, and he played better and better, getting more and more on fire. By the time Gu Yu returned to the court, Lin had already racked up 14 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals—a truly well-rounded performance. Now that Gu Yu was back, they started right away with the same old play. Jeremy Lin was overjoyed; he exchanged a glance with his teammate and immediately began cutting off the passing lanes again. “It’s that play again—‘Hairstyle Guy’ cuts to the weak-side baseline, two screens!” As Smith called the play, Gu Yu rolled out from behind the screen. Just as Jeter was about to pass, he caught sight of an excited Jeremy Lin charging toward him and immediately halted his motion. “Damn!” Just as Jeter was at a loss, Gu Yu’s loud shout caught his attention. “Huh…?” Looking up, Gu Yu wasn’t heading toward the sweet spot on the left; instead, he cut back toward the baseline. Before reaching his spot, he turned around and gave Jeter a meaningful look. …Got it! “Whoosh—!” Jeter’s pass arrived in an instant. Jeremy Lin never imagined that Gu Yu could take any other route; in a split second of distraction, the ball slipped past his head as Gu Yu cut in from the right. It’s changed! Everyone’s eyes lit up, but before they could react, Jeter had already sent the pass flying. “Swish!” A mid-range jumper from just outside the right three-second zone found the net. “Nice shot!” High-fiving Gu Yu hard, Jett exclaimed with delight, “Finally got the hang of it? Not sticking to the old routine anymore?” “You’ve got to forge ahead against the current!” Gu Yu winked. “It’s okay, it’s okay—let’s get the ball back on offense!” After Gu Yu hit two consecutive shots, Jeremy Lin looked a bit discouraged, but he still brought the ball up the court steadily. Unfortunately, the Mavericks weren’t so lucky this time—Bubowa’s three-point attempt missed, and Whiteside grabbed the rebound. Fast break! “Big White” dished the ball immediately; Jeter caught it, spun around, and took off. Boubwa was out of position on defense and was left in the dust as Jeter accelerated with a quick burst of speed. Open layup! With a clear path ahead, Jeter dribbled at full speed toward the basket. The Mavericks had already given up on defense, simply waiting for Jeter to sink the layup. However “Whoosh—!” As he approached the three-second zone, Jeter—cutting in from the left side—chose to pass the ball. “That’s my brother for you…!” Like a ghost, Gu Yu had slipped into the right wing at some point; after catching the pass, he didn’t hesitate to launch another mid-range jumper. “Swish!” Another one! “…He’s on a roll—Hairstyle Guy is on a roll!” In the press box, the reporters perked up; Gu Yu, who had hit three straight shots, seemed to be on a tear. “Lin! Focus on your defense!!” The Mavericks’ assistant coach was highly dissatisfied with Jeremy Lin’s performance; he shouted at him while clapping his hands forcefully. Jeremy Lin was also frustrated. He nodded, just as he was about to catch the ball and launch an attack, when a dark shadow flashed past him. “Smack!” Jeter, who had just made the pass, hadn’t left the frontcourt at all; he suddenly spun around, reached out, and snatched the ball out of the air. Oh no! The Mavericks players sensed trouble and immediately rushed forward to close down Jeter’s shooting lane, but Jeter didn’t even glance at the basket; as soon as he got the ball, he executed an incredibly slick between-the-legs pass. “Thud!” The ball bounced off the floor and flew precisely toward the right side of the court. There, a man hadn’t moved a muscle. “Dude, do you know why I love playing with you?” As he caught the ball, the spin, power, and bounce were all flawless—smooth and effortless, like a piece of fine jade. “Because you always know where I am. A pass like that…” “Whew—!” “…is just perfect for me!” “Swish!” Another one! I thought Harden was a sure thing, but Westbrook has really been on fire lately!