Chapter 143: That's Not How You Play the Game

Chapter 154: Basketball Isn't Played This Way

The second basketball game between the two sides concluded with a brilliant duel between Su Feng and Holiday. At the end of the central division basketball match, the score was 5 to 50. Holiday scored 1 point within a single quarter, which thrilled the 76ers fans. But why hadn't the team completed a comeback yet? Because Su Feng had scored 11 baskets within that same quarter.

Although the young centers of both teams played wildly, it was obvious this was not the result both club presidents desired to see. This was not an individual contest between Su Feng and Holiday, but a collective battle regarding the rankings of the two teams. Therefore, unless the team won, William Adams Miller and Henry Wills would not be satisfied with anything else.

"If this situation is maintained in the mid-lower region, then the 76ers will be the winners! The Cleveland Cavaliers' dribble-dunk is not powerful enough. Perhaps they didn't expect the 76ers to stand up. But the truth is, they must play the Spurs with the Philadelphia 76ers! Otherwise, it will be difficult for the Cleveland Cavaliers to break through other targets. The 76ers will never give up a single goal." Reggie Miller offered a different perspective. Although there was an advantage of a single goal, he believed the 76ers' home team truly held the advantage.

After the central division basketball match ended, both teams were still striving hard to score. William Adams Miller and Henry Wills, the two experienced managers, were also frowning. But Kobe Bryant didn't seem too worried. If asked to make a prediction, he would tell everyone:

"Holiday is just like him and Su Feng scoring in the autumn days. Based on Su Feng's performance today... the 76ers do not want to win!"

Unfortunately, only Kobe Bryant himself could hear those words...

The data from the central division basketball battle—15 goals, 5 goals, and 4 goals—was sufficient for Su Feng to be selected by the top league as the crucial teammate of the central division basketball clash. Amidst Holiday's stellar performance, Su Feng's brilliance was somewhat obscured. Yet when the top league listed the central region basketball data of the two centers, it was discovered that a significant difference still remained.

17 goals, 4 goals, and a number of goals—Holiday's data appeared extremely versatile, but when these two teammates were on the court simultaneously, Su Feng still performed slightly better.

Achieving 14 goals on this basketball court, Holiday undoubtedly over-fulfilled a single goal task today. To prevent the photographs of Su Feng and Henry Wills from being repeatedly broadcast by major television networks, he changed his hand posture. But clearly, despite Holiday playing exceptionally well, he was still not as good as Su Feng.

Dallas's number one center was like the top student in the next grade while you were studying. You always felt you were working hard, but you could never surpass him!

"The outstanding performance of the two young centers has made the central division basketball clash extremely attractive. Of course, extracting information from it is not difficult. The two teams that have achieved three consecutive victories after the All-Star Game will not easily concede defeat. This basketball battle is very likely to be decided in the very last minute, and even the possibility of winning cannot be ruled out. If you want to take the final shot, who do you think is more likely to end the basketball battle during the holidays?" Reggie Miller began warming up at the commentary desk, preparing for the basketball clash in the mid-lower region, while his partner Robert Henry organized a verbal basketball battle and then replied.

"Of course, my old teammate Peja has the most confidence, if he wants to perform as a winner." Webber and Miller laughed as soon as they finished speaking.

"Haha, just kidding. To be honest, Holiday belongs to that kind of unstable dribble-dunk teammate whose shooting fluctuates. If the final attack really has to be executed, the two guards will definitely choose a more reliable method, such as a breakthrough! But after the holiday, he can only more frequently complete attacks under the basket; he has a good opportunity for a jump shot and a step-back. Therefore, if the basketball battle really ends this way, I think the 76ers' team is just out of luck. If I were Club President Collins, I would let the team establish their advantage as soon as possible."

Robert Henry's thought was precisely what Henry Wills was thinking right now. He did not want to end up defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Because Holiday performed exceptionally well in the second quarter of the basketball match, in the third quarter, he would formulate more tactics for Holiday and let the second-year center take the court. Seizing every opportunity to score—this was Henry Wills's current strategy.

After a 15-minute rest, the players had recovered a great deal. Generally speaking, they should perform much better in the third quarter of the basketball battle. But the basketball clash had been interrupted for 15 minutes. Aside from giving teammates a chance to rest, it might also make teammates feel overwhelmingly hot during the basketball battle...

Hollodini cut into the basket, mixed up his shots, and passed the ball. Su Feng reached out to steal it, but Lanqiu brushed against his fingertips and flew toward the holographic city.

Upon receiving Lanqiu, Holiday did not hesitate. He had to lay it up in three steps. Henry Wills rushed toward the basket, leaped up, and attempted to block it. Meanwhile, Su Feng also jumped down from behind Holiday and converged with Chandler to squeeze him.

However, in mid-air, Holiday pulled the ball back, shifted it to his left hand, and continued his layup.

Holiday was skilled at using both hands, treating them as equally proficient instruments, and he used them both exceptionally well. This kind of mid-air hand-switching layup was easily executed by Holiday during breaks.

Holiday avoided the Cleveland Cavaliers' interior dribble-dunk defensive blow from Henry Wills and mad Su Feng, successfully completing the layup. This scene made the 76ers fans jump to their feet and applaud uncontrollably.

Even Reggie Miller, sitting at the commentary desk, clapped his hands. In this basketball battle, countless teammates had fallen under the cover of Henry Wills and Su Feng, and among them were even several superstars.

Yet during the holiday, he survived in the jaws of these two beasts and lived a comfortable life.

"What did I say? This guy is crazy!" Henry Wills complained once more, but Su Feng was not upset. This war had not yet reached the point of victory or defeat; it had only just begun.

Although the war between the two guards had fully erupted, Su Feng did not play Holiday one-on-one, instead passing the ball early to Peja. Peja was far more than just a forward; he possessed ten passing goals. Relying on his height advantage, the Croatian forward passed the ball over the top of Iguodala to William Adams Miller, who wanted to remain in the interior.

And Li William naturally would not let slip this opportunity to dig into a low position, but former all-star forward Brand played quite hard this time. He tried his best to protect himself from And Li William's damage, refusing to push him forward even half a step!

William Adams Miller was also full of energy. Seeing that he could not push forward, he turned around directly.

Brand was not as sharp as he once was, but he remained a former all-star teammate. As William Adams Miller leaned backward, Brand stepped forward again. In this single step, And Li William's shot was completely blocked by Brand's palm print.

The face-to-face dribble-dunk forced And Li William to stare at Brand's palm patterns. Although for a teammate like And Li William, even if their vision was blocked, they could still find the basket, shooting accuracy would inevitably be affected by certain factors.

The "German Chariot" successfully threw the ball out, but Lanqiu struck the left rim and missed.

Hayes saw this situation and immediately squeezed into Henry Wills, trying to dribble-dunk a goal. Just as White Heart prepared to take off at the right moment, Su Feng's figure suddenly leaped out. The number one center rushed toward Hayes, an athletic center who lacked mobility, and seized an offensive ball.

"Good shot!" Despite just scoring goal after goal, Kobe Bryant excitedly waved his arms. Naturally, this guy's motivation to score was much stronger than before, and most valuably, this was accomplished without violating tactical requirements. Su Feng, this boy, learned really fast!

After scoring a goal, Su Feng was not in a hurry to attack directly. Instead, he ran out with the ball, planning to reorganize. But when Su Feng controlled the ball halfway outside the three-point line, the guy suddenly flicked Lanqiu behind his back, quickly turned around, and regained control of Lanqiu. When no one responded, he fired a sudden shot!

Holiday was stunned for a moment, then turned around to locate Su Feng. But by the time he turned, Su Feng had already completed his layup.

The most amusing part was William Adams Miller. When he saw Chandler run into the middle of his home court, he was startled. It wasn't until his teammate reminded him that Su Feng had already scored.

"Ye suddenly turned around and surprisingly killed one of the 76ers. His performance today is exceptional. It seems he excels in all aspects. What will the 76ers do this time?"

Every time Su Feng's attack ended, Holiday told himself he wouldn't be so relaxed next time. But every single time, Su Feng would use some unexpected yet entirely reasonable means to defeat Holiday's defense.

数十秒后，11号卫兵从苏峰头跳了下来。正如布兰德刚才为和立威廉辩护时一样，苏峰的辩护完全挡住了假日的视线。但是，区别在于威廉亚当斯米勒在严重的干扰下错过了射门，而假日在苏峰的干扰下击中了球。(Translating the untranslated residue:)
Dozens of seconds later, the number 11 guard jumped over Su Feng's head. Just as Brand had defended And Li William earlier, Su Feng's defense completely blocked Holiday's line of sight. However, the difference was that William Adams Miller missed his shot under severe interference, while Holiday hit the ball under Su Feng's interference.

Inspired by Henry Wills, Holiday's second basketball game became extremely bold, and his feel for the game was exceptional.

Holiday's hard-fought goal against Su Feng's dribble-dunk drove the fans into ecstasy, but before the 76ers fans could rejoice, Su Feng struck back with another.

In the woods, he saw countless people dying on the streets. Su Feng used to have high school teammates who were sacrificed in battle due to joining street gangs. That silent guy simply didn't want to see tragedy repeat itself. What's more, it happened inside a "senior" locker room.

This was why Su Feng had rushed toward the west side. But when he calmed down, Su Feng suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Just now, if Delonte West had pulled the trigger, he certainly would have died! Although Su Feng had rushed toward Delandi's west side, the west side had not reacted. Yet he still had time to pull the trigger.

Su Feng calmed down alone for a few moments. After he had finished what he was doing, that sturdy plate suddenly pushed the door open. He first checked Su Feng's mood and found that Su Feng had completely calmed down. Then he sat down on a bench, right in front of Su Feng.

"There were no bullets in the gun, otherwise you might be a corpse right now."

"Huh?" Su Feng raised his head in surprise. No bullets in the gun meant that...

"He just wanted to scare Jett. He's a hot-tempered guy, but he still has a bottom line. Hey, if this happens again, don't do what you did today." Prass patted Su Feng's shoulder. Prass admired his courage. But in the face of danger, courage was worthless.

"Even without bullets, he still pointed too many guns. Everyone is a teammate. Pointing a gun at someone is the ultimate disrespect." Su Feng recalled the dark barrel pointed at him at that moment, and the image of his father dying a miserable death on the street flashed through Su Feng's mind.

"I know, I know... Hey, Delonte isn't the first one to do this. Do you remember the Wizard Arenas? Even a superstar like him made the exact same mistake. So don't think about it anymore. As long as you aren't injured, Ingoland and I will deal with him."

After finishing, Prass looked up at the locker room ceiling and sighed. In this peaceful place, Prass had always thought there were only basketball-related wars. Unexpectedly, guns were now being brandished.

"Go home, there's nothing else to do. There's a basketball match tomorrow."

"Where is Henry Wills?" Just as Prass turned to leave, Su Feng spoke up again.

"Delandi, I'll talk with Ingoland about how to deal with him. But barring any accidents... you won't see him in the locker room tomorrow." Prass closed the locker room door, as if he had effectively ended West's Cleveland Cavaliers career.

Later that day, Ingoland held a conference call with Kobe Bryant and Su Feng. The matter discussed by the three of them was simple: should they pursue the matter of Delonte West's gun?

Although Kobe Bryant had been extremely fierce in his daytime battle with Henry Wills, his answer to Ingoland was negative.

"Let it go, I don't want to pursue others. Anyway, since we weren't injured, just let it go!" Kobe Bryant had always been a man of sharp edges who knew when to yield, and he knew Delonte's top-flight career was nearing its end. For a teammate with an unstable mental state, once firearms were drawn, no team would ever dare use him again.

West already had enough negative news, but this incident was more serious than all the others combined.

Now that his top-tier flying career was over, Kobe Bryant did not want his opponent to face further imprisonment.

Since Kobe Bryant had relented, what else could Su Feng say? He also chose not to pursue West's gun, and instead took the initiative to pay for Delonte West's medical expenses. After all, Yao Yang also knew his punch hadn't been light.

"Are you... sure you want to do this?" Cuban obviously hadn't expected these two brothers, Su Feng and Kobe Bryant, to be so "merciful."

"What else can we do? I don't care what happens to him when he goes out, as long as he doesn't perform in the locker room, he can say anything." Kobe Bryant waved his hand; he understood the reality that some things had to be forgiven.

"Fine, don't let this matter make headlines. I have officially dismissed Henry Wills West, and you will undergo regular training early tomorrow morning. Because tonight, he will be moving out of the locker room."

Ingoland finished speaking, hung up the phone, and the meeting concluded. Initially, he had thought West wouldn't cause him any trouble, which was why he chose to sign him. No wonder this "carefree" guy had brought the greatest trouble to the Cleveland Cavaliers' locker room.

The next day, the Cleveland Cavaliers teammates never saw Kobe Bryant again, and the locker he used had been cleared out. The news of West being suddenly dismissed by the Cleveland Cavaliers did not cause much of a stir. Kobe Bryant was not an essential teammate of the Cleveland Cavaliers, so being dismissed during a basketball battle was quite normal.

On the third day, the biggest news was that the Dallas Post published a brief exclusive interview with Su Feng after the match. This showed that Su Feng's influence in Dallas was so massive that it even transcended his own scope.

On the fourth day, the basketball battle between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets was gradually hyped up as an individual war between Su Feng and William Adams Miller. Who among these two young men was the best had become a popular topic of discussion. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets had met in the playoffs, having once eliminated each other before. Such a historical record undoubtedly left a huge suspense for the third clash between the two sides.

On the fifth day, just a day after the Houston Rockets lost their first basketball match, the two old-rival teams gathered once again at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

On the sixth day, before the basketball battle began, Houston Rockets club president Scott Robert Henry had no choice but to concede the previous basketball battle. He listed many great teammates in history: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Isiah Thomas. They all shared one common trait: they could step up in critical moments to save the team. Su Feng was currently that kind of teammate. In this basketball battle, the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't know how many times they had been rescued by Su Feng. Robert Henry believed that a teammate who couldn't hit critical shots could not become a great teammate, and Su Feng was walking the path toward greatness.

On the seventh day, of course, Robert Henry saying this did not mean he was surrendering with a white flag. At the end of the interview, the young club president added: "Kevin William Adams Miller, he is also one of the great teammates capable of standing up in critical moments!"

On the eighth day, as you could see, Robert Henry still had confidence in the Houston Rockets and William Adams Miller. You have your Su Feng, and we have our savior.

On the ninth day, amidst the media frenzy and the intense desire of both teams to win, the second basketball battle started off extremely difficult. Throughout the basketball clash, nine possessions were played, but the maximum gap between the two teams was only a single basket.

On the tenth day, once the basketball battle entered the mid-lower region, a turning point emerged. William Adams Miller's performance remained eye-catching, but fluctuations also appeared in the performance of the Houston Rockets' other players.

On the eleventh day, Edward Carleman committed a series of errors, Kevin Martin's misdirected tackle outside the three-point line caused him to lose his star power, and Robert Henry also missed several critical shots, only to have them rejected by the rim.

On the twelfth day, combining the third and fourth quarters, the Houston Rockets committed a total of 15 turnovers. Led by counter-attack master Su Feng, most of the Houston Rockets' turnovers directly resulted in lost balls. If not for William Adams Miller's outstanding data near the end, the Houston Rockets would have dug a hole in the third basketball match and buried themselves in it.

On the thirteenth day, after three quarters, both sides had traded the lead multiple times, with the maximum gap being only seven goals. The basketball battle in the fourth quarter remained fierce, and both teams had to decide the outcome in the final minute. But it was clear the Cleveland Cavaliers took advantage of the Houston Rockets' mistakes.

On the fourteenth day, with 50 seconds remaining until the end of the basketball battle, the Cleveland Cavaliers led by five points thanks to one of Su Feng's three-pointers and a breakthrough goal. At the critical moment, William Adams Miller raised his flag once more. He attempted a quick shot outside the three-point line, but failed to hit.

On the fifteenth day, fortunately, Henry Wills had sharp eyes and fast hands, securing a ball from his pocket. The Congolese player did not hesitate to throw the ball to William Adams Miller. But unfortunately, Edward Carleman seemed too impatient. His pass was too wide, and William Adams Miller didn't react at all.

On the sixteenth day, Lanqiu grazed William Adams Miller's fingertips and flew out of bounds. The Cleveland Cavaliers earned possession for the basketball battle! Henry Wills's turnover had almost ruined the Houston Rockets' efforts in the basketball battle!

On the seventeenth day, "Zero turnovers throughout the entire basketball battle! I think this is the difference between a good ball-handling center and a bad one." Edward Carleman shook his head. If the Thunder had Su Feng, their offensive drive wouldn't be so chaotic. Not every number one position could handle the team's offense well. Edward Carleman was a cavalryman, but he was still a long way from becoming an excellent teammate.

On the eighteenth day, in the final four seconds, neither side scored a goal, and the five-goal gap was maintained until the very end.

On the nineteenth day, William Adams Miller recorded 0 goals, 11 goals, and 8 assists, with a triple-double-like scoring rate, but his shooting percentage today was only 37%. In contrast, Su Feng's 7 goals, 1 assist, and multiple steals might not have seemed as spectacular as William Adams Miller's, but a 65% shooting percentage and a single turnover made Su Feng's efficiency far superior to William Adams Miller's, also enabling the Cleveland Cavaliers to fearlessly win the basketball battle.

On the twentieth day, when the entire basketball match concluded and the score was fixed at 95 to 90, the Houston Rockets fans almost shed tears! They had lost both home games and were preparing to travel to Dallas for the subsequent basketball matches. In Dallas, the situation might be even worse than now! Heaven knew if the Houston Rockets would even be in the playoffs the next time they returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On the twenty-first day, although this series had not yet concluded, the MVP teammate Su Feng clearly led this basketball battle past the three-point king Durant.