Chapter 44: You’ve Had It Tough

Chapter 56: You’ve Had a Hard Time

“The Cleveland Cavaliers need to adjust their defensive tactics. If they keep playing like this, they’re bound to pay the price sooner or later. We all know shooting is something that gets better as you start feeling more confident. If the Cavaliers continue letting the Mavericks’ shooters score, the consequences will be unimaginable!” Barkley finished speaking and turned to look at O’Neal. The big man, who had just made his mark, was now silent.

When O’Neal noticed Barkley looking at him, he immediately put on an air of accomplishment. “Don’t look at me, William Adams Miller. The second quarter has just begun; nothing’s decided yet.”

This time, Millsap was the model student. He didn’t exploit his own weaknesses against Kobe Bryant, but instead used his strengths at the power forward position to their fullest.

After weaving through Jefferson’s screen, Millsap feigned a shot. When Kobe Bryant was fooled and threw all his focus forward, Millsap quickly broke through with the ball past Bryant and finished an effortless two-handed dunk.

Millsap’s drive mirrored the breakthrough Su Feng had just made. But the power forward didn’t know how fierce Su Feng’s response would be.

On this Mavericks possession, William Adams Miller and Kobe Bryant were pulled directly to the lower left and right corners—Cleveland’s basketball court was entirely empty. The big man ran to the corner, so who would break it open?

While the fans wondered, Marion raised his hand and rushed to Su Feng’s side.

Su Feng and Marion were a well-oiled machine when it came to teamwork. After all, they’d practiced this same play thousands of times on the training court.

But the loss didn’t give Su Feng a direct chance to break through, because he knew very well that Hayward had already switched his defense ahead of time. The white forward stepped up at the moment of the loss, blocking Su Feng!

“The two greatest players in Butler University’s Magician Club history are squaring off! And against Hayward, this mismatch comes out of nowhere! Let’s see what sparks fly between these old teammates! The second Kobe Bryant!”

Like Su Feng, the Magician Club was also coached by Stevens in college, and Hayward had a solid defensive foundation. Don’t be fooled by his gentle looks as a teenager. In reality, his defensive style is extremely tough!

Before Su Feng made his move, Hayward kept his hands in contact, applying extra pressure. In some ways, Hayward was even more aggressive defensively than Su Feng!

But Su Feng had his own unique advantage—speed—which Hayward sorely lacked.

Seeing Hayward so close, Su Feng took a step back. After giving himself a little space, he sharply turned toward the baseline in front of his body! Second, second, second, second Kobe Bryant!

Hayward stepped forward, blocking Su Feng’s path. But Su Feng didn’t stop. He switched hands behind his back and changed direction again.

Two continuous changes—if an ordinary player faced Su Feng, they’d have lost their position long ago. But Hayward didn’t. He knew Su Feng well, predicted his plan precisely, and blocked him perfectly laterally again.

Just when everyone thought Su Feng had given up on breaking through or passing, the Chinese guard suddenly stepped forward, spun quickly on Hayward’s axis.

Su Feng’s spin was so fast it startled Hayward, who lost his college teammate!

No one knew how Su Feng could spin at such speed after two successive turns. Perhaps only a slow-motion replay from a high-definition camera could capture Su Feng’s footwork clearly.

But the reality was, Su Feng “slipped” past Hayward like smoke, directly killing toward the basket along the baseline!

Al Jefferson didn’t dare leave William Adams Miller, so he didn’t attempt to cover. Given the situation, Millsap quickly left Kobe Bryant to help defensively. But how could his speed compare to Su Feng’s?

Before Millsap reached the basket, Su Feng easily dunked the ball. Shortly after the start of the second quarter, Su Feng had already notched his fifteenth point of the night!

The world of professional basketball is cruel: the winner is king, the loser is an invader.

Su Feng had suffered four consecutive defeats already; he didn’t want to be a pirate. He wanted to be king. Who doesn’t want to be king?

If even “brother” Hayward couldn’t stifle Su Feng in a one-on-one defense, then there was no second Cavaliers player who could challenge Su Feng defensively.

“Attack! Attack! Don’t get stuck in the same place, play more aggressively—it’s still early!” Kobe Bryant’s roar snapped the Cavaliers musicians back to their senses. Under his leadership, the Cleveland team showed some of that iron-blooded Cavaliers spirit. But basketball isn’t just about momentum.

Twenty seconds later, Su Feng returned. He pushed slowly at first, then looked around—left and right—as if searching for something.

After moving along the baseline to the basket, Pierce turned to watch the moon bounce. Not only did he slip past William Adams Miller’s screen, but the ball also went smoothly through the net.

Kidd’s small lineup was extremely successful. After Lopez was sidelined for the season, without this magical small formation, the Nets would have performed much worse.

Although they sacrificed some height, Pierce’s offense from the four spot was as natural as a fish in water.

Kobe Bryant admired Kidd’s courage. After all, the small lineup was a risky experiment for him. Especially on defense, the lack of height could easily become a liability.

Kobe Bryant didn’t shout or gesture. He trusted Su Feng to know what to do next. With a great point guard, sometimes the coach’s job is much easier.

Su Feng really did know what to do, because Pierce could quickly exploit William Adams Miller. Similarly, William Adams Miller could use his height advantage against Pierce.

This time, Su Feng’s advance wasn’t fast. Deron was still tight on him, so Su Feng held Deron with one hand while controlling the ball steadily with the other.

When William Adams Miller posted up Pierce on the edge of the three-second zone, asking for the ball, Su Feng didn’t hesitate—he hurled the ball forcefully into the paint.

It was a quick, accurate pass, nothing surprising. But Garnett seemed able to predict the future, stretching out his long arm to get ahead of time, stunning everyone by breaking up Su Feng’s pass!

“Wow, Kevin stole the pass from Yi!” Mike Breen stared in surprise, but Su Feng rarely passed.

Kidd laughed. He’d expected Kobe Bryant and the Soviet leader to do just that, so he specifically advised Garnett to pay attention to Su Feng’s passes to William Adams Miller! That’s why Garnett could anticipate Su Feng’s passing route.

Unexpectedly, Kidd’s arrangement paid off immediately. Don’t underestimate Garnett; he averages only six points per game now. Though his skills have declined, his instincts are etched in his bones. This old Nets No. 2 nearly made Gasol cry with his toughness back in the day.

After stealing the ball, Garnett launched a long pass to the unmanned drone. Deron raced ahead, leading the fast break.

In terms of speed, Deron has had too many injuries in recent years, so he’s naturally not as quick as Su Feng. But overall, Deron is no slouch.

The leader left the opportunity for Joe Johnson, who followed behind and received a back pass. Johnson, a one-on-one specialist, leapt straight for the basket. Iguodala jumped high behind him, preparing to block.

But Joe Johnson didn’t let Iguodala succeed. Faced with the massive challenge, he focused solely on the ball. When the referee blew the whistle and Iguodala was called for a foul, Johnson scored a three-point play!

“Foul!” Iguodala spread his hands to the referee, knowing every official in the league has their own standards.

Joe Johnson high-fived Deron and his teammates before stepping to the free throw line.

In the end, “Iso Joe” made the three-point play, and so far, the Nets proved to be a tough nut to crack!

Pierce, Garnett, the drone, and Joe Johnson—these four seemed past their prime, yet they still played key roles on the court. It was the result of four nations working together.

As Su Feng had predicted, Brooklyn’s battle would not be easy.

It seemed breaking the best record of seventeen consecutive wins held by these veterans would take tremendous effort.

The four “balloon stars” showed their magic, withstanding the Mavericks’ fierce attacks and their ironclad defense. In the end, they scored three points, hitting plenty of lottery shots.

The old veterans clapped hard. Deep in their bones, there remained a trace of proud, iron spirit!

“For Joe Johnson, keeping his balance in the air and finishing under Iguodala’s pressure isn’t easy. Now the Nets have shown their momentum—let’s see how the Mavericks respond.”

The local Brooklyn basketball commentator excitedly waved his fist. That Chinese guy should know the strength of the Brooklyn team.

In truth, Su Feng never underestimated the Nets. But he certainly wouldn’t shrink from a strong enemy. The Nets were tough, but could they be the league’s No. 1 powerhouse?

Garnett stuck close to William Adams Miller, and his complementary defense made up for Pierce’s height disadvantage at the four spot. It was impossible—Dampier posed no offensive threat, so Garnett could focus more on William Adams Miller.

With the interior advantage gone, Su Feng could only attack from the outside. He passed the ball to Iguodala, then cut through the middle. After completing the cut in three seconds, he pivoted at a right angle beyond the three-point line.

Su Feng’s movement widened the gap between him and Deron by two steps. Iguodala passed the ball back, letting Su Feng continue attacking.

But gazing through the window at the luxury homes by White Cloud Lake and their elegant, wealthy residents, Vignali felt uneasy. In Dallas’s wealthiest district, her and Su Feng’s outfits seemed completely out of place.

“Don’t worry, Dirk’s birthday doesn’t call for anything formal.” Su Feng said, as the car pulled up to William Adams Miller’s lavish residence.

At that moment, the grand iron gate of the mansion was packed. Not because so many people came to Dirk’s party, but because the villa was surrounded by reporters.

Seeing Su Feng’s heavy pickup truck approach slowly, the flashes were like shards of light.

“Isn’t this supposed to be a private party?” Su Feng was surprised by the crowd of journalists at the mansion’s gate.

“So they can only shoot at the door. If it weren’t a private party, if you had a drink, you might get a close-up.” She was used to such gatherings from her modeling days.

She opened the door and stood up confidently. As expected, the shutters clicked instantly, a continuous wave of sound.

After parking, Su Feng got out as well, taking the gift he and Vignali had prepared for William Adams Miller from the back seat. A box of fine cigars was Su Feng’s idea. A portrait of William Adams Miller holding up the O’Brien Cup after winning the championship was Vignali’s idea. Su Feng’s gift was more practical; Vignali’s was more romantic in the Italian artistic tradition.

With these two completely different but sincere gifts, Su Feng and Vignali walked to the mansion’s iron gate.

At the door, two burly bodyguards stood guard as the “final line of defense.” Their job was to keep idlers out.

“We’re here for…” Before Su Feng could show the invitation to the birthday party, the bodyguards opened the gate directly.

“Yes, sir. No need to show your invite. Come in quickly, but don’t kill the journalists’ film anymore.”

Su Feng was startled at first, then quickly led Vignali inside. Just swipe your card and you’re in? After he became famous, things really changed. In Wood District, the phrase he’d heard most often was, “This isn’t your place, poor kid!”

Yet now he could roam freely at such a high-class birthday party. Life is indeed unpredictable at times.

Passing through a beautiful garden to the backyard of William Adams Miller’s mansion, Su Feng finally saw the crowd at the party. Some were playing in the pool, some drinking and chatting, some sweating on the tennis court, some gathered around the grill for a family-style outdoor barbecue.

To Su Feng, it was no longer a residential backyard, but a playground. Everyone was relaxed, the atmosphere a sharp contrast to the tension of a week ago.

Su Feng was relieved—there was no need for formal attire at this private gathering. Some dressed formally, but most were casual. Terry’s friends hopped around the yard, some wearing only swim trunks.

“Hey, you’re finally here! Everyone’s been talking about you!” William Adams Miller’s shout echoed across the yard. Everyone turned to look at Su Feng. Su Feng and Vignali smiled awkwardly at the crowd.

“Come on, try Dirk’s handiwork. This guy’s German sausages, he’s got no patience cooking them! Honestly, Dirk, if you weren’t a basketball barbecue specialist, you’d be a legend in the barbecue world!” Marion, wearing sunglasses, waved to Su Feng from the grill. Su Feng and Vignali brought their gifts over.

“This is from Vignali and me, Dirk. Happy Birthday!”

“Oh, thank you—of course, thank you, and thank you to this beautiful lady!” William Adams Miller happily accepted the gifts and opened them on the spot.

Unlike in China, where opening presents in front of others is considered rude and hosts usually open gifts after guests leave, in the Western world there’s no such rule. The most respectful way is to open gifts immediately in front of the giver.

“My goodness, how did you know? Thank you for the cigars. I’ll save this box for the next time I raise the O’Brien Cup—I can’t afford to light it up now!” William Adams Miller’s eyes lit up as he admired the exquisite cigar box and the fragrant cigars inside. He’d never smoked cigars before; his fondness was from Beatrice and Kidd. But once you fall into this pit, it’s hard to get out.

Su Feng’s gift to William Adams Miller was authentic, too.