Chapter 76: The Score Is Too Low

Chapter 88: The Score Is Too Low

After crossing half court, Su Feng swung the ball to his left, as if signaling a drive in that direction. Just as Chalmers shifted his attention, Su Feng suddenly switched hands behind his back, pressed hard on his sneakers, and burst forward with a sudden acceleration.

"Hey!" Like a bullet grazing his scalp, Chalmers felt a numb tingle on his head, and in that instant, Su Feng had broken through his defense!

"And his first step is even faster than Wade's! Without any screen, he broke through Chalmers's defense with ease!"

The Houston Rockets players didn’t expect Chalmers to be beaten so quickly. So when Su Feng drove into the paint, most of them were unprepared. Not every team can rotate and recover as perfectly as the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Su Feng drove in, Bosh stretched out an arm to swat the ball, but Su Feng leaped with both hands, avoiding Bosh’s reach while also fooling LeBron James, who had come over to help, causing him to leap in vain.

Now, the only one left to protect the rim was Kobe Bryant! As Su Feng soared beneath the basket, he had to go up for the shot, and Kobe Bryant had no choice but to follow.

In midair, Su Feng used Kobe Bryant’s body to shield the basketball. For Kobe on the other side, there was simply no chance to block the shot. In such a tight space, even standing shoulder to shoulder with another center is no easy feat.

Just as the crowd wondered how Su Feng would finish, he lobbed the ball into the air, grazing Kobe Bryant’s shoulder!

What happened next needs little explanation. Drawn away by Su Feng, Kobe Bryant left William Adams Miller wide open. After catching the ball, Miller leapt on the spot and dunked with both hands. He slammed the ball with such force, it was as if he wanted to vent all his frustrations from the last failed attempt.

"He shattered the rim! William Adams Miller and the Cleveland Cavaliers have seized the momentum on the court! My goodness, if you didn’t know, you’d think the Miami Houston Rockets were trailing 1-0! The momentum on both sides has completely reversed."

The Cavaliers’ fierce start sounded the alarm for the Houston Rockets. Their opponent wasn’t as weak as the media had claimed. The Dallas Cowboys never stop fighting until the final minute!

"Chalmers!" At this moment, Wade came over to Chalmers, clearly discussing defensive adjustments.

Seeing this scene, Kobe Bryant immediately understood.

Su Feng, oh Su Feng, it seems that tonight, here in Miami, you will be marked by someone who won’t take his eyes off you!

"Next time, I’ll take him!" That was what Wade said to Chalmers.

The Cavaliers had scored four consecutive times, all from Su Feng’s drives. Clearly, Chalmers’s defense had no deterrent effect on Su Feng. He could break through whenever and wherever he wanted. Defense? Chalmers’s pressure looked stifling, but in reality, it was ineffective.

In the next possession, James’s mid-range jumper was heavily contested by Marion, and the ball went out of bounds. The Cavaliers had another chance to extend their lead, and Wade was eager to try his hand. Facing Su Feng in the finals would surely be exciting.

Su Feng slowly brought the ball up, signaling to his teammates to move. As he walked past midcourt, he focused his attention on the defense, only to be surprised.

Chalmers, who had been chasing him, was now guarding Stevenson. In his path now stood Miami’s third key player—Dwyane Wade!

"Wade has switched onto Su Feng directly! Folks, this is a treat for Cairo!"

Su Feng’s surprise faded quickly, and he regained his composure. Wade was not invincible; Su Feng had beaten “The Flash” in the regular season. As long as he kept his cool, not even Wade could stop him from scoring.

Wade spread his arms, not rushing to swipe or press Su Feng. Only when Su Feng got closer would Wade use his hands roughly, preventing any easy movement.

Su Feng gradually adapted to this physical resistance. Rather than backing down, the contact only made him more exhilarated.

As Wade continued to harass Su Feng, Stevenson’s screen was exposed. The two guards began a handoff, and with a sudden burst, Su Feng accelerated, slipping past the defense, and Stevenson circled around to fill in.

During the break, Su Feng moved the ball behind his back, as if he would pass it to Stevenson, who was sprinting from half court after the screen. But Su Feng kept the ball, his feint only serving to confuse the defense. His true target was Nowitzki!

Standing face to face with Wade, their eyes met. Wade’s indifferent expression showed no recognition of their friendship. Perhaps this was how superstars approached the game. Wade and Su Feng were close off the court, but in the finals, Wade truly treated everyone as an enemy—including Su Feng.

Su Feng glanced at James, who looked eager to test himself, fists clenched and feet ready. But today, Kobe Bryant had a “big present” waiting for him. Hopefully, the team’s defensive strength would truly show.

The restless fans sent the temperature in the American Airlines Arena soaring. At last, the referee tossed the ball, drawing everyone’s attention. William Adams Miller easily tapped the ball over Kobe Bryant’s head, and the Cavaliers controlled the first possession of Game 2!

Chalmers was still trying to keep Su Feng in check. After all, Chalmers had been an NCAA four-time champion, and both sides had high expectations of their respective point guards. This match-up drew considerable attention.

Feeling Chalmers pressing close, Su Feng wanted to drive, but instead, he quickly passed the ball to Stevenson.

"Is Chalmers putting so much pressure on him that he’s forcing Su Feng to give up the ball early?" Barkley raised a question, which led many to believe Chalmers’s defense was overwhelming. They assumed Su Feng’s pass was a last resort.

As Stevenson handled the ball, the Cavaliers began to move. It looked as though they would sit back and grind down the Rockets in the heat.

There was no doubt: Nowitzki posted up Bosh, got into position, and reached for the ball. Stevenson carefully lobbed it over Wade’s head, dropping it into Nowitzki’s hands.

Most thought the Cavaliers would let the injured-fingered Nowitzki go one-on-one. Nowitzki backed down, working his way to the basket. But the German chose… to pass!

Nowitzki bounced the ball behind his back, and Su Feng slashed in like lightning, catching the pass under the hoop and finishing immediately!

The Cavaliers’ offense shifted suddenly from slow to fast, catching the Rockets off guard. Chalmers lost Su Feng with ease—his earlier confidence now replaced by shock and silence. Bosh was tied up with Nowitzki far from the rim, so only Kobe Bryant could provide any rim protection.

At just 2.06 meters, Kobe was a short center by NBA standards. While he made up for his height with decent leaping ability, he didn’t have elite bounce or speed. If not for Ilgauskas’s injury, Kobe would never have started at the five for the Rockets.

In 21 minutes of play, Kobe had just 2 points and 3 rebounds. Even as a blue-collar worker, he struggled.

Joel Anthony rotated to help, but he wasn’t afraid. He charged straight for the rim, colliding with the basket. Despite contact with Kobe Bryant in the air, Su Feng held his balance and banked the ball gently off the glass.

The ball bounced in off the backboard. Joel Anthony’s help and defense were in vain. Against Su Feng’s attack, his defensive ability was practically negligible!

"And he’s leading the scoring for the Cavaliers! We can see the Cavaliers working together beautifully. At first, the pace was slow, as if they were trying to set their stance. Then, the tempo abruptly shifted, and the Rockets lost control. The Cavaliers can’t afford to lose, so they’re playing with great determination from the start! Let’s see how the Heat respond."

After Su Feng’s basket, the Rockets’ fans didn’t quiet down. They believed their Big Three would answer right back.

After the break, Chalmers quickly brought the ball up. It wasn’t wise to let Su Feng pressure him; even Westbrook had been shut down by Su Feng, let alone Chalmers, whose scoring was limited.

Not LeBron, but Miami’s true leader—Dwyane Wade—took over.

Facing Stevenson, Wade didn’t have a physical edge, but his speed gave him the advantage. Without wasting time, Wade shifted his hips repeatedly, confusing his defender, then shot forward, driving hard to Stevenson’s left!

Though Wade was no longer young, his first step remained terrifying. He blew by Stevenson almost immediately and had a clear path to the basket.

Dallas was a big market, close to the Finals. But everyone knew the real star of the Cavaliers was Su Feng.

But right now, Su Feng didn’t care who his next teammate would be. He trusted Kobe Bryant to handle things; there was nothing to worry about.

Under these circumstances, on July 4th, Su Feng and his mother left Dallas. Everyone assumed they had returned to China together, since the Asian Games were less than a month away.

But in fact, China was just a smokescreen Su Feng and Tomulan used to conceal their real destination. Su Feng and Kobe Bryant were headed to Cleveland.

Sitting in a taxi, watching the streets of Cleveland roll by, Su Feng recalled his first time coming to the city.

Back then, he was lost, uncertain of his future. All he could do was trust a scout named Hapi, head for an unknown elementary school, and try to change his life with basketball.

In the blink of an eye, four years had passed. Cleveland was still the same, but his life had changed dramatically. This city was where Su Feng’s life took a new turn.

"Do you think we should buy a few more gifts for Mr. Brad’s son?" As Su Feng stared out the window, his mother’s question brought him back to reality.

"Hmm? No, we already brought too many gifts. It’s alright, Mom, everyone just wants to get together. You don’t have to be so formal." Su Feng thought of the gifts packed into the trunk and felt his head ache.

This time, Su Feng and Kobe Bryant had come to Cleveland at Henry Will’s invitation to attend his son’s birthday party.

Henry Will was truly important to Su Feng, so Wen Xue was especially attentive when choosing gifts for the occasion.

Even though Su Feng could now earn plenty of money, Wen Xue still considered every purchase carefully and never wasted anything. Only for Henry Will’s son did Kobe Bryant spare no expense. He knew that no matter how much he spent, he could never repay Henry Will’s guidance to Su Feng.

Thus, the gifts they brought filled the taxi’s trunk. Even then, Kobe Bryant seemed to think it wasn’t enough.

Soon, the taxi turned off Cleveland’s main streets into a quiet residential neighborhood. After paying the fare, Su Feng and his mother got out, and Henry Will and his wife Tracy came out to greet them, their home festooned with balloons.

"You’re finally here! William Adams Miller arrived this morning. What took you so long?" Henry Will greeted them like long-lost family, embracing Su Feng warmly.

"The flight was delayed. Cubans said we could borrow his private jet, but that seemed too extravagant," Su Feng joked, handing over a pile of gifts to Henry Will’s younger son.

"Thank you, brother!" Henry Will’s son, Brady, was overjoyed at the mountain of gifts. Everyone headed inside, chatting and laughing in a room decorated with balloons and banners.

Su Feng couldn’t help but envy Brady. At seven, he hadn’t dared to wish for a birthday party like this.

Inside, a group of old friends had already gathered: Kobe Bryant, William Adams Miller (now playing in the developmental league), and many of Henry Will’s college colleagues.

For a while, this family gathering let Su Feng forget the troubles of the professional court. The warmth of home was what Su Feng missed most in his heart.