Chapter 85: The Battle Is Not Fierce

Chapter 97: The Battle Is Not So Intense

They were like a group of students, transported back to their high school days, reveling in the pure joy that basketball brought them. Witnessing this, Carter and Kobe Bryant were deeply moved. When they first joined the league, they too were filled with boundless dreams about their future.

Veteran players might appreciate such warm-hearted scenes, but fans hungry for excitement were not so easily appeased. Just before the game, officials from the English Football Association announced the matchup between Su Feng and William Adams Miller. Moments earlier, O’Neal and Barkley had nearly collided on the court.

But after that, what did the top league have to offer its fans? Just a group of players smiling and entertaining one another on the court?

It was a blatant farce, and the fans immediately voiced their disapproval. They stood up, hissing and booing in dissatisfaction.

“It seems the fans aren’t interested in such painless displays,” Mike Breen commented, noting the crowd’s impatience, though he himself was curious to see what the next matchup would bring.

“Versus Henry Weir! Henry Weir! Against Henry Weir!” Gradually, the crowd erupted into chants, calling for Su Feng and William Adams Miller to face off—not just for show, but with real intensity.

“A 333-degree dribble dunk! A 333-degree dribble dunk! It’s over! There’s no need for any more dunks tonight!”

“Haha, this is insane! Call him Mr. 333 in the top league from now on!”

Surrounded by countless stars—Paul, Wade, Kobe, Garnett, and other superstars—Su Feng’s dribble dunk drove the entire world wild. Even William Adams Miller couldn’t help but rise to his feet, waving his arms. What he had never done was finally witnessed today.

And beside William Adams Miller, what about Nowitzki? The German’s mind had momentarily short-circuited. He wondered: was Su Feng really performing this feat so calmly, without any tricks or props?

Su Feng spun twice in midair before completing the 333-degree dribble dunk—purer than anything seen on the streetball courts. The so-called 333-degree dunks on the street were more about visual effect than about a genuine full spin. Su Feng, however, spun twice in the air with the ball, a true original—certainly the real deal!

As Su Feng executed the dunk, jaws dropped. People had long said that all the good ideas and moves had been exhausted by their predecessors, and that it was rare to see truly novel dunks in today’s contests. Yet the truth was that many innovative moves remained untried, simply because no one dared attempt them.

After every dunk contest, the league’s official account would release a historic photo for comparison. But after Su Feng’s dunk, they couldn’t find any photo in history to match it.

Minutes later, as Su’s star-studded entourage dispersed, the wild dunk contest finally began in earnest. Without doubt, Su Feng had already become the champion of the day: a 360-degree behind-the-back dribble dunk, and an unprecedented 333-degree spinning dunk. These two moves alone elevated Su Feng’s performance to a historic level.

After his second dunk, William Adams Miller stood up from the stands and strode straight onto the court. Before leaving, he winked at Nowitzki. “Watch closely, and don’t blink!”

At this point, no one was interested in mere spectacle anymore. Su Feng’s dribble dunk was not just stunning, but also technically demanding.

For the third round, Budinger’s blindfolded dunk was a full homage to Cedric Ceballos’s famous blindfolded dunk from 1992, but added a twist with a reverse finish and a shorter running start, making Budinger’s attempt even more challenging.

Williams’s dunk paid tribute to an older player—not one known for flair, but to Karl Malone. A postman handed him Malone’s jersey, Williams donned it, placed his left hand behind his head, soared past the postman, and executed Malone’s iconic dunk.

As for George, his third dunk honored Indiana’s own legends Larry Bird and Dwight Henry Weir. He bounced the ball off the backboard for a “bird-head” dunk, but it wasn’t as difficult as Henry Weir’s feat in the 2007 contest, and George missed three times.

Coincidentally, Su Feng’s third dunk was also a tribute. Before his attempt, he invited William Adams Miller—dressed in a suit and tie—to take part from the sidelines. When the man who had once saved the dunk contest, William Adams Miller, stepped onto the court, no one could sit still. Everyone knew these two were about to deliver something spectacular. The first two rounds were just appetizers.

William Adams Miller took the stage without grand speeches or unnecessary theatrics. He simply handed Su Feng a purple jersey, then took his place by the rim.

Su Feng removed his Viganelli jersey and put on William Adams Miller’s Cleveland Cavaliers uniform. The man who had once saved the dunk contest was back.

“Vince William Adams Miller! We’re finally getting some action from him! Let’s hold our breath and see what happens!”

Su Feng donned William Adams Miller’s Cavaliers jersey and retreated to midcourt, but this time he started from scratch.

No words were wasted. Su Feng charged straight at William Adams Miller, filled with confidence.

Maybe that guy really wanted to warm up with the Lakers now.

It felt like a brazen provocation! William Adams Miller

There was no escape. Seeing William Adams Miller trapped by the Houston Rockets, Caesar had to temporarily substitute the rookie William Adams Miller for him. Though Crowder was young, energetic, and strong, he was sorely lacking in experience.

Kobe Bryant took two steps forward as soon as he entered the court. Su Feng, seeing this, immediately passed the ball to Crowder. But when Crowder, holding the ball, saw Kobe charging at him viciously, he panicked at once.

As the ball slipped between Henry Weir’s legs, suddenly Vince Henry Weir dashed into the paint!

“When did he get there!” William Adams Miller’s eyes widened—a question on everyone’s mind.

Henry Weir hadn’t even bent down; the ball landed directly in his hands. For a pass that traveled the length of half the court, the accuracy was unbelievable.

Henry Weir caught the ball, with no defenders nearby. The former “half-man, half-amazing” threw himself into the air, once again savoring the thrill of flight. Henry Weir channeled all his strength into his right arm and hammered the ball into the basket. In that instant, the entire court came alive. Henry Weir’s dunks were as spectacular as ever.

“Haha, the old high-flyer is back! What could be better than a Henry Weir alley-oop?”

After scoring, Henry Weir didn’t celebrate with his classic motorcycle gesture.

Su Feng’s steely gaze sent a jolt through Cousins’s nerves. He knew this was Su Feng’s response to the showtime dunks during warmups. Otherwise, the guy wouldn’t have pulled off such a brilliant play. Su Feng slid down from the free-throw line—like a slap across the face.

Su Feng jogged back to half court, where Peja, delighted, patted him lightly on the shoulder. He hadn’t forgotten what Su Feng had said during warmups: “I dunk better than he does!” This guy really meant it!

At this point, Cleveland Cavaliers fans were incensed by Su Feng, and the home crowd continued to boo, shout, and laugh, their passion igniting the arena.

Young Cousins, too, was affected by the raucous chants. Cleveland attacked again, and this time he drove hard to the rim. But as he turned, his elbow swung too wide, and the referees couldn’t ignore it.

Cousins was called for an offensive foul and immediately roared at the referee. Fortunately, today’s official was mild-tempered, or Cousins might have received his first technical of the game. At another time, it would have been unavoidable.

With Cousins’s offensive foul, possession changed hands, and Cleveland was on the attack.

This time, after receiving a pass from Henry Weir, William Adams Miller immediately set a screen for Su Feng.

“Forget those high screens! Do you really think we’re as easy to bully as those Cleveland guys?” Cousins muttered, shoving Chandler aside to protect the rim.

The seamless cooperation between Su Feng and William Adams Miller allowed Cleveland’s point guard to break through the defense. But William Adams Miller was already “waiting” under the basket. Seeing this, Kobe Henry Weir’s anticipation soared.

The MVP trophy ceremony had been brief but touching. Now, could you really demolish it all by yourself?

William Adams Miller Henry Weir, you are a cold-blooded man.

“Does anyone know what this game really means?” As all the players returned to the bench, William Adams Miller didn’t draw up any tactics. Instead, he asked everyone a question.

The players looked at him, and he looked at them. What was the meaning of this game? Moments ago, they had collected the MVP trophy on stage. Surely the match was significant.

“The MVP trophy—let’s take it today so we don’t lose the game,” Terry said, glancing at the trophy still in his hands, answering without hesitation.

“Wrong! There’s nothing special about today’s game!” William Adams Miller shook his head. “It’s just another regular season match. The MVP trophy belongs to last season’s honor. What does last season have to do with us now? Guys, keep your heads clear. The game is about to begin. Keep the MVP trophy in your hearts!” William Adams Miller glanced at the Lakers. “They’re eager to bring us down for eight bucks! We can’t let them succeed unless we’re ready for battle—unless we give it our all!” William Adams Miller

Su Feng advanced the ball, stopping beyond the three-point arc. No one knew how the number one shadow forward would lead the offense. All the Cavaliers could do was focus entirely, knowing that if they lost focus for a moment, Su Feng would seize the opportunity.

Su Feng didn’t seem hurried. The hardest part of the game was already over. Now, he was taking the initiative.

“Will he once again become the key factor that changes the outcome? He seems to be studying the Cavaliers’ defense, trying to find a weakness!” William Adams Miller

As soon as Kobe Bryant finished speaking, Su Feng angled his calf toward Conley’s right hand.

This time, Conley correctly anticipated Su Feng’s drive, and young Henry Weir also stepped inadvertently in his direction. But Su Feng darted out, starting a pass instead of a drive. His goal wasn’t to break through, but to draw the defense!

William Adams Miller was the best defender, and he quickly turned, only to find Kaman had slipped away, having set an off-ball screen for William Adams Miller.

Together, Su Feng and William Adams Miller combined for 53 points, helping the Dallas Rockets weather the first-round crisis.

Once again, the Western Conference powers watched the Rockets advance and wondered, “Does the Soviet Summit really pose a threat to us?” That was the question.

Because this year, Su Feng had become a threat to everyone.

“An average of 28.9 points per game in this series, 10.3 blocks, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 0.8 blocks, 0.5 turnovers, and a 60.3% rebounding opportunity. If the Cavaliers can survive facing a player like this, then the championship is not far away!”

“Ah! How dominant! Kobe Bryant was sent straight to the baseline, thinking he could block that dunk. Clearly, William Adams Miller still doesn’t know Su Feng well enough! Even though Kobe Bryant isn’t known for his defense, Su Feng’s direct isolation left William Adams Miller utterly stunned.

“The dunk contest, the dunk contest! If this year’s top league dunk contest doesn’t invite Su Feng, it will be a loss for both the league and the fans!”

After landing his dunk, Su Feng tapped his chest lightly and quickly retreated. The Celtics were eager to regain their second-quarter form, having been beaten in the first quarter.

That dunk not only brought the Cavaliers’ lead into double digits but also slightly sapped the confidence of the Celtics’ players.

After that, the game became completely one-sided. The Cavaliers dominated from start to finish. The Celtics fought valiantly and managed to close the gap several times, but no matter what, they couldn’t mount a comeback.

The performance of the Big Three fell short of expectations. You could clearly see the traces of time left on them over the years. Rondo’s passing was still lethal.

Carter smiled from the stands. This was just the tip of the iceberg…

The game continued, and the crowd’s emotions were clearly stirred. On this possession, Su Feng raised his hand, signaling for a screen, but Henry Weir ignored him. Not everyone disliked Su Feng, though. The Pistons’ young forward Monroe, seeing Henry Weir’s indifference, proactively volunteered to set a high pick for Su Feng.

PS: cough, cough, cough… Thank you all…