Chapter 58: Perhaps I Should Reach Out to You

Chapter 70: Contact This Person

On the battlefield of the court, the athletes stood divided at opposite ends. Kobe Bryant was surrounded by Mavericks players in white home jerseys, anxious that he might try to escape again. On the other side, the Cleveland Cavaliers, dressed in deep green away uniforms, each held onto Su Feng, not out of concern for his injury, but rather afraid that Kobe might suffer another beating.

Several referees huddled at the scorer’s table, intently studying the replay. Through the footage, they would determine the verdict and penalty for the altercation between Kobe Bryant and Su Feng. Kobe was anxious—no matter who had instigated it, Su Feng’s fist had just landed squarely on his face. Even if Su Feng was ejected, Kobe would have no grounds to protest. But in this match, they couldn’t afford to lose Su Feng.

The referees paused the game for several minutes, watching the replay seven or eight times, scrutinizing every detail. At last, they nodded to each other; the players realized a consensus had been reached.

Kobe watched the referees approach Su Feng, praying silently to God not to let the kid be sent off.

The referee gestured for a “technical foul” to Su Feng. And that was all. He turned and jogged away. Su Feng’s sentence was over.

“Just a technical foul—Dallas-Cleveland Cavaliers fans can rest easy now. At least for now, he’s not in danger of being ejected,” Barkley breathed a sigh of relief. Without Su Feng, the excitement of this game would be greatly diminished.

When Kobe complained that the penalty was too light, the referee walked over and hit Kobe with a technical foul as well.

Kobe was utterly confused. How could the person who got punched also receive a technical?

Instantly, the entire Toyota Center erupted in boos, the fans voicing their support for Kobe. Yet the referees ignored the uproar. On the surface, Kobe seemed the victim, but the referees, after watching the replay eight times, had not forgotten his trash talk and what happened before he hit Su Feng in the face with the ball. In truth, Su Feng had provided ample reason for the referees to eject him, but considering the cause and context, they were reluctant to do so.

The officials knew well that Kobe was not as innocent as he appeared.

Now Kobe was thoroughly disheartened. He had been beaten, yet still failed to escape a technical foul. With two personal fouls now, he could only wait for the start of the second quarter to return to play.

Grousing all the way, Kobe left the court and sat on the bench. Su Feng looked over at him with a deliberate smile.

Remember, Dwight, this is how I fight.

With Kobe off the floor, the Cavaliers were relieved of a major threat. McHale had no choice but to return to a five-man rotation and then put the 2.06-meter Israeli forward Casspi at power forward.

From a height perspective, these two white players seemed to present no issues inside. But everyone knew their presence meant the Mavericks’ interior defense was as fragile as paper! William Adams Miller was tall and agile, but his rim protection was virtually nonexistent. And Casspi? He was essentially a small forward, ill-suited to post defense.

“Pound the paint, get me inside looks!” Kobe, ever the competitor, would not miss such a chance. He waved his hand, signaling his teammates to attack the Mavericks’ interior.

Despite Kobe’s mediocre season with the Lakers last year, his impact on the floor was undeniable. When he was present, the Cavaliers at least respected the paint. Without Kobe, the Mavericks’ restricted area became the Cavaliers’ private playground.

Su Feng easily executed a Euro step, drawing cheers as he finished at the rim. The defender, as relaxed as if practicing in the gym, felt no pressure. Omer Asik, the 2.13-meter Turkish center, stood as a mere decorative statue in Su Feng’s backyard.

Moments later, Nowitzki scored in the paint. Casspi stood no chance against Dirk’s offense, far outmatched in both weight and height.

Tony Allen’s defense on Harden forced the Mavericks’ offense into a shooting struggle. If not for Harden’s clutch shots, the Mavericks would have trailed by double digits.

Even with Harden’s efforts, the Mavericks’ disadvantage was irreparable. Was the gap closing?

Through three quarters, Su Feng tallied 12 points, 9 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, and 9 rebounds, with zero turnovers. Remarkable numbers, and it was only the third quarter with five minutes to go. Who knew what his stats would look like by game’s end?

The Blazers, unwilling to fall behind, fought to narrow the deficit. On offense, Parker handed the ball to Diaw, who caught it and tried to break through from mid-range. But midway through, Diaw stopped and took a step-back jumper.

Last game, Diaw had used that signature “golden rooster” move in front of Dirk, and Dirk hadn’t forgotten. Sorry, Boris. Today you’re out of luck!

Nowitzki was unafraid of Diaw’s slightly raised knee. He stretched out his long arm and swatted the shot with authority.

“That’s how it’s done!”

Diaw, just as he started, was ruthlessly blocked by Dirk! As he sent the shot flying, Dirk couldn’t help but shout in triumph—this was the best way to dispel all those doubts! For those who said he was too old and washed up: take a good look!

Diaw had hoped to make headlines again by scoring on Dirk’s head, but Dirk sent a clear message: from now on, don’t challenge my authority!

As the ball soared, Su Feng leapt high, out-jumping Parker for the rebound.

Before he even landed, Su Feng twisted mid-air and fired a pass ahead. Iguodala was already sprinting, instantly creating a fast break!

No one expected Su Feng to pass so quickly. Henry Earth tried to chase down Iguodala. But as Iguodala leapt toward the basket, Henry Earth caught up just in time.

Yet the fierce physical clash didn’t shake Iguodala’s focus; he maintained his balance and finished easily. Henry Earth did his best to contest, but it was just a touch too late.

“Another unbelievable assist! He reads the game like he sees the future, delivering pinpoint passes before even touching down! Iguodala’s finish was beautiful—few can survive Henry Earth’s pursuit.”

With 12 minutes and 3:45 left in the third quarter, Popovich called timeout, surprised at how tough the game had become. Dirk and Su Feng were in unstoppable form.

Popovich pulled out the tactics board, sketching out defensive schemes to counter Su Feng and Dirk. Yet, he’d been doing this all night, and sometimes, strategy simply failed! Even the best-designed tactics aren’t guaranteed to work in practice.

If every defensive plan worked, there wouldn’t be so many superstars in the league. Stars are stars because they transcend tactical limitations.

By the end of the third quarter, the Blazers had made no breakthrough. Henry Earth’s isolation attempts were stymied by Gobert, and Ginobili’s drives yielded only a single and-one. The usually silent Henry Earth became the Spurs’ primary scorer, racking up points in the paint. But ultimately, Henry Earth was no super scorer. His layups couldn’t compare with the Cavaliers’ firepower.

After three quarters, the Cavaliers maintained a 15-point lead. They had suffocated the Blazers throughout the game, vindicating Su Feng’s actions in the locker room two days earlier.

Every Cavalier played with focus and intensity, not daring to be careless. That was why they could suppress the Blazers so effectively tonight.

As the fourth quarter began, Su Feng and Dirk continued to pour in points, their complementary styles utterly dismantling the Blazers’ defense.

The Blazers’ “strongest star,” Bonner, and the Italian guard Belinelli found their stroke from three, giving Portland brief hope.

But once the Cavaliers locked in on them, their offense dried up. In the series’ first game, the Cavaliers had kept the Blazers scoreless for seven minutes.

Three minutes into the fourth, Kobe boldly substituted Su Feng and Dirk out. The Blazers seized the opportunity, with Bonner and Ginobili hitting from beyond the arc. But in the final six minutes, as the Blazers closed the gap, Kobe waved his hand and sent Su Feng and Dirk back in.

Every time the Blazers threatened to tie, Kobe deployed Su Feng and Dirk. Popovich began to suspect that bald-headed coach was doing it just to spite him!

But Su Feng didn’t even glance at the reporters as he answered directly. If the Oklahoma City Thunder win, perhaps they’re just too dominant to be stopped. What can we do? We are, after all, the Dallas-Cleveland Cavaliers.

Afterwards, Su Feng left the crowd without a word, heading straight down the players’ tunnel, leaving a group of stunned reporters watching the figure in the number 1 jersey.

Today, Su Feng was lethal not only on the court, but also before the microphones and cameras—he “killed” his opponents with words as well.

The Thunder wanted only to settle scores with the Cavaliers, but Su Feng and Cleveland aimed to take on the entire league!

Because of Su Feng’s postgame comments, despite his 28 points and 11 assists, he remained the media’s main target the next day.

“Carter’s three-pointer was the key to winning or losing! That kid just picked the fruit of victory from the giants’ shoulders!” The reporters seemed to forget who helped Carter score those three crucial threes.

Dirk Nowitzki finished with 29 points and 7 rebounds. Without Dirk’s support, the Cavaliers wouldn’t have won. But looking at the stats, Su Feng was no less impressive, perhaps even better.

And the victory owed much to Brian Cardinal, who played just 16 minutes off the bench. The news delighted Cardinal, who laughed aloud.

“If it weren’t for the old Red Cardinal, the Cavaliers would’ve been out ages ago. Su Feng shouldn’t be so arrogant; he’s not as great as he thinks! Hahaha, after so many years, this is the first time I’ve ever been called a key player.” In the locker room, Cardinal read the news aloud, mocking the media’s treatment of Su Feng. The Cavaliers’ training sessions became a bit of a joke.

A Chinese player daring to speak his mind in the NBA naturally offended many. But Su Feng didn’t care. Journalists wouldn’t be swayed by words; only strength could win them over.

Savagely criticized one day, the next Su Feng was dismissed as worthless by the press. On December 30th, the Cavaliers notched another win at the American Airlines Center.

Facing the “Kings of the North,” the Toronto Raptors, Su Feng put on a dazzling display.

The Chinese player unleashed a series of acrobatic shots that left the Raptors’ Spanish point guard Calderón battered.

Though Calderón was experienced and renowned, an enraged Su Feng stopped him cold with a quick drive and three precise baskets.

Calderón played 33 minutes, yet Su Feng limited him to just 4 points. Perhaps people would claim Adams Miller was a pass-first guard, not eager to score.

But in truth, Calderón took 11 shots. His low output wasn’t due to a lack of aggression—it was because Su Feng locked him down completely!

In contrast, Su Feng led all scorers with 33 points. More impressively, while scoring at will, he also handed out 12 assists. Even ESPN’s veteran commentator Mike Breen admitted at the end that the kid’s performance was nothing short of astonishing. The media’s attacks on Su Feng were utterly unfounded.

With Su Feng’s orchestrating, the Cavaliers ran a 6-2 stretch. Even Maximi, the backup center known for his rough around-the-basket play, feasted under the rim for an easy 19 points.

When your blue-collar players are dropping nearly 20, you know the Raptors’ defense is porous. Yet it was Su Feng’s passing that shredded the “Kings of the North.”

109-86, the Cavaliers ruthlessly dismantled the Raptors at home, making it clear that even without Peja, Chandler, Barea, and Stevenson, the Dallas-Cleveland Cavaliers remained a force to be reckoned with.

Sure enough, after the game, nearly every media outlet fell silent.

Now, if anyone dared claim Su Feng wasn’t the real deal, it would be pure self-mockery.

The supposedly soft Dallas-Cleveland Cavaliers and the seemingly gentle Su Feng were not to be trifled with!

The compressed 66-game season made every team’s schedule incredibly tight. After beating the Thunder in Oklahoma, the Cavaliers returned to Dallas and toppled the Raptors. But that wasn’t the end. On the night they defeated Toronto, Su Feng did not go home.

Don’t misunderstand—Vignali was away, and Su Feng didn’t go to the club. That night, the entire Cavaliers team was flying to their next destination—Minnesota.

Back-to-back games at the very start of the new season.