Chapter 21: Clash of Titans

Chapter 27: Clash of Titans

He knew that if the Chicago Bulls lost the game, he would surely become the laughingstock of the media. A rookie just starting out had taken down a guard. So William Adams now only wanted to win; he had already forgotten about his own score.

Seeing the Prince score three points, Carlisle could only shake his head. Marion was exhausted today, making no progress, let alone at the end of the fourth quarter. He just wanted Tony Struy and Su Feng to hang on. If either one fell, the whole Houston Rockets would collapse!

Time was running out, and the Houston Rockets were leading by just one point. This time, Nowitzki and Chandler moved up to high positions and set a double screen for Su Feng.

Once the double screen appeared, everyone thought Su Feng would be the key ball handler.

But Su Feng slipped past the screen and delivered a direct pass, the basketball bouncing toward the baseline. Terry suddenly darted out, grabbed the ball, and charged to the basket in three strides.

Everyone’s attention was focused on Su Feng, so he crafted another brilliant assist. Su Feng scored 20 points and made 10 assists, breaking his own double record yet again.

Immediately after, the Bulls’ rookie Monroe forced Nowitzki to score within three seconds. Nowitzki tried desperately to defend himself, but he was nearly spent, and he lacked Monroe’s youthful energy.

The gap was back to one point; the score was so tight the audience could barely breathe. Even Mulan, reporting for the press, felt her heart pounding, but Dallas’s Number One, the master of victory and defeat on the court, easily took control again.

At the halfway point of the game, William Adams followed the coach’s instructions to defend Su Feng closely at half court. John Kuest wanted to pressure Su Feng at critical moments, hoping to force mistakes from an inexperienced rookie.

Yet Su Feng’s inner calm might have surpassed Kuest’s. Facing Adams’s press, the Number One guard deftly avoided a steal attempt. The basketball seemed alive in Su Feng’s hands, darting and leaping flexibly.

As Su Feng approached the three-point line, Dallas players suddenly retreated. Stuckey had been instructed to protect Su Feng at all times, and he stepped forward without hesitation.

Su Feng suddenly accelerated as Adams’s center of gravity shifted forward. Adams instinctively moved to block, but Su Feng placed the Bulls’ Number 3 on his shoulder and slid right in!

Audrey Hepburn was at a loss. If Terry Struy was released, Su Feng could certainly pass; if not defended, Su Feng would have another chance to score.

Finally, Monroe decided to stay close to Nowitzki, and Su Feng handed it off to Big Ben.

How could Big Ben dare to jump too aggressively? Not to mention that Su Feng could easily pass; even if he didn’t, if he tossed the ball skyward, Chandler would leap up and finish an alley-oop.

This former best guard now faced serious difficulties. While the two interior defenders struggled with how to guard, Su Feng, having entered the paint, suddenly jumped and scored.

The score was pulled back again, dashing the Bulls’ hopes of tying the game. Audrey Hepburn and Ben exchanged glances. “I’ll watch you. How can a Chinese and a German be so hard to deal with?”

Seconds later, Su Feng, who had forced Detach into a failed layup, made a comeback. This time, Su Feng first handed the ball to Chandler, who reached the peak. Then, Su Feng circled behind and initiated a hand-off with Chandler.

Taking the ball from Chandler, Su Feng immediately broke through! Adams was astonished at Su Feng’s previous speed, but this wasn’t even Su Feng’s top gear.

This hand-off not only delayed Chandler’s pursuit of Adams but also successfully drew Ben out of the paint.

At this moment, Audrey Hepburn wouldn’t be entangled. The rookie at Su Feng’s level had to leave Nowitzki behind, arms stretched toward the rim.

Su Feng jumped directly in front of the strong Audrey Hepburn. The reason he always took such hits from these powerful defenders wasn’t to act cool, but to deceive the big men defending the basket. Then, when he passed again, the opponents had no chance to recover.

Su Feng was struck hard in mid-air by Audrey Hepburn, gritted his teeth, and suddenly switched to his right hand, which was accustomed to layups. The basketball didn’t fly toward the rim but sailed over Monroe’s head.

Above Monroe, Nowitzki leapt straight to the ball. In the Palace of Auburn Hills, a powerful two-handed dunk silenced the defensive shouts.

“85 points! Terry Struy scored 85 points in the game! Oh my, Terry Struy always makes beautiful passes so effortlessly!” Mike Breen’s voice rang out.

Could Terry Struy and Su Feng become the next great duo? Perhaps no one considered it before this game. After all, the age gap was too large. When Su Feng first played, Terry Struy might have already retired. These two were never destined to share their peak years.

But what Su Feng and Nowitzki just showed, Kenny Smith saw something different. These two couldn’t give each other their peak, but even outside their prime, they could create miracles!

When the Celtics’ three giants were together, did they not reach their peak? And weren’t the Spurs’ three veterans still highly competitive?

As Kenny Smith pondered, a loud electronic buzz pulled his attention back to the court. Led by Nowitzki and Su Feng, the ailing Houston Rockets finished the half with a six-point lead.

An enraged John Kuest refused interviews with reporters and marched straight into the players’ corridor. He probably never expected that the seemingly fragile Houston Rockets would bring him so much trouble, thanks to the presence of these two players.

“If you want to pass, give me a hint. I’m afraid I might not catch your intent and waste your brilliant playmaking. By the way, if I can’t catch the ball, feel free to break through boldly. I’ll do my best to open space for you. If they collapse to defend the rim, pass the ball to me. I’ll shoot.” Nowitzki, head bowed, whispered to Su Feng, patting him on the shoulder. They walked side by side down the athletes’ corridor. It looked nothing like a team’s star and rookie, but more like long-time partners.

Nowitzki would treat Su Feng as an equal, as long as he could help the team win, regardless of rookie status. The German cared little for stardom or captaincy. Victory and championship were all Terry Struy, now in his late thirties, cared about.

Of course, after returning to the locker room, Rick Carlisle gave Nowitzki and Su Feng plenty of tactical advice. He knew it was hard for exhausted players to recover miraculously after a break. Barring surprises, the Houston Rockets would continue to rely on Nowitzki and Su Feng in the second half.

But this time, Carlisle was filled with confidence. These two, Number 1 and Number 41, were enough to give the Chicago Bulls a run for their money!

“Trap him! Bag him before he receives the ball!” John Kuest drew a big red X over Nowitzki’s name on the tactical whiteboard. Terry Struy only scored 18 points in the half. Undoubtedly, if Nowitzki hadn’t played so effortlessly, the Bulls wouldn’t be so passive now.

Kuest also knew the Bulls’ interior height was a big issue, so for the second half, he planned to put rookie Monroe on the floor and form a powerful defensive circle with Ben to contain the German.

Su Feng? Su Feng’s passing was beautiful, but if Terry Struy couldn’t score, his passes would be meaningless.

He seemed to have forgotten the last foul in the second quarter. The Rockets’ scoring wasn’t only about Nowitzki.

Mulan was still nervously considering how the Rockets should respond to the Bulls’ likely second-half counterattack. He watched as Su Feng was the first to walk out of the players’ tunnel and onto the court.

The rookie practiced free shooting to keep his hands warm, then did some stretching. It seemed Su Feng understood well that he wouldn’t feel better in the second half. He needed to be fully prepared!

The boos only stopped once all the Bulls players were on the court at the Palace of Auburn Hills. It seemed the battle-weary Rockets were down to their last breath. Everyone hoped the Bulls could defeat the exhausted Dallas team in the next twenty-four minutes.

William Adams started the half by breaking through for a layup, scoring two points. His goal undoubtedly boosted Bulls fans’ confidence. Adams’s layup was just the first step in the Bulls’ counterattack plan. After that, their offense would surely intensify!

As a rookie, Greg Monroe’s enthusiasm for defending the Rockets was naturally high. Standing at 2.11 meters with a strong build, he could truly pressure Nowitzki. At the end of the second quarter, the Bulls used this lineup to limit Terry Struy’s consecutive shots.

Audrey Hepburn was everywhere, Big Ben trailing behind. As for Chandler? Besides dunking, did he pose any other offensive threat?

Seeing Nowitzki unable to find space for a pass, Su Feng looked toward Marion standing in the left corner. Then, he directly passed the ball to the third spot in his hand, feeling off.

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