Chapter 146: Not Given Up

Chapter 157 Never Giving Up

"This goal proves that the tabloid media is just talking nonsense. I believe someone coming out of Kardashian's bed wouldn't have this kind of energy!" On this matter, Henry Hill also spoke up for Su Feng. Those entertainment reporters had better take care of our sports circles.

"Your Excellency!" Robert Henry Karl impatiently tossed the basketball to the ground, looking extremely displeased. Thornton was also a bit afraid of Cousins's temper. If he made another mistake when returning to the locker room today, there would definitely be no good fruit to eat. For the next offense, he would just pass the ball to the center.

In fact, Robert Henry Karl was not complaining about Thornton's mistake; he was simply upset that Su Feng had performed right under his nose.

Similarly, hatred will make you lose your judgment. On the other hand, Robert Henry Karl was the player most susceptible to emotional fluctuations.

After being scored on by Su Feng, the Kings reorganized their offense. The Kings didn't even have a serious point guard in their starting lineup, so their play was disjointed.

The ball was passed blindly several times and eventually ended up in Cousins's hands. Robert Henry Karl had long wanted to prove that his rivalry with Su Feng was far from over.

Branden Heywood relied heavily on positioning and backed off Robert Henry Karl by a large step. Cousins had great talent, but his biggest problem was being overly emotional.

When playing with too much emotion, his execution of detailed movements naturally suffered. Robert Henry Karl was about to pull up for a jump shot, but the ball was poked away by the quick-eyed Heywood. Failing to secure the ball, Robert Henry Karl fumbled it, and it was stripped.

The basketball flew out of bounds and was about to go out of play. At that moment, Su Feng suddenly dived out like a flying fish, parallel to the floor, extending his arm to grab the basketball!

Now, Su Feng was in a crowd, and even with his superb passing skills, it was difficult to pass the ball directly to a teammate. So Su Feng batted the ball off Cousins's leg.

Robert Henry Karl also reacted to what was happening, but the basketball kicked his shoe out of bounds. The ball deflected off him, and through sheer hustle, Su Feng successfully turned it into possession for the Cleveland Cavaliers!

Things were looking slightly better, but they were immediately beaten right back to their original form. Henry Hill Bryant felt a huge headache; the team's rotation schedule had to be rearranged.

Two days later, on January 10th, the Cleveland Cavaliers flew to Detroit, the "Motor City," to face the Pistons, who had entered a rebuilding phase.

So far, the Pistons' record was only slightly better than seven wins, and analysts predicted they would be one of the most likely teams to secure the top draft pick this year. This showed how low expectations were for the Pistons' performance.

This basketball game lacked suspense. The disparity in strength between the Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers was vast. Although the Pistons' eighth overall rookie, Brandon Knight, had performed well in previous games, when he squared off against Su Feng today, Knight truly experienced the gap between the top league and the NCAA.

The Kentucky point guard was considered the NCAA equivalent of Su Feng during his college days. He had high basketball IQ, played hard, practiced diligently, and possessed strong finishing ability. This positive evaluation was the very reason the Pistons selected him eighth overall.

However, ideals and reality are often separated by a massive chasm. In this basketball battle, the rookie was completely outplayed by Su Feng. On the defensive end, although Knight tried hard, he was still beaten by Su Feng twice.

Knight truly earned everyone's respect. At least until the very last moment, the rookie stayed close to Su Feng. But on the court, respect can only be earned by oneself.

Henry Hill stood in silence, his body trembling slightly with excitement, his eyes red. His dream—he could finally continue it!

"Thank you, Mr. Washington Miller. Thank you!"

"Alright, thank you for finishing the basketball game tomorrow. Go to the airport and get a good rest in Boston. Tomorrow morning, you will practice with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Grab this opportunity, Henry Hill!"

"I will, Mr. Washington Miller!"

Hanging up the phone, Henry Hill waved his arms in excitement. Then, like a child on summer vacation, he dashed out of the gym like a madman.

Odom's poor performance ultimately led the coach to recall Henry Hill. This also represented two Chinese players potentially playing for the same top-tier team simultaneously for the first time in history.

It wasn't that people hated him, but rather that this Chinese big man just couldn't seem to mesh with others.

But this time, under Su Feng's guidance, Henry Hill didn't seem so isolated anymore. Having a compatriot playing on the same team was a wonderful thing.

"Alright, guys, cheer up. The Boston Celtics are a tough team. Although the Green Celtics' Big Three are now past their prime, they are still among the best competitors here. Defensively, just like we usually practice..."

Before the start of the basketball battle, Cleveland Cavaliers veteran Brandon Heywood was warmly greeted by the fans. Su Feng also gradually felt that the league was getting smaller. The longer you stayed here, the higher the probability of running into acquaintances. He considered dropping by to see Louis Williams next time he went to Boston.

Unfortunately, the Cleveland Cavaliers did not let the Bobcats catch up to Heywood's crew. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist made only four shots today and converted just one. Kemba Walker managed to sink only ten shots under Su Feng's lockdown defense.

The Cleveland Cavaliers treated the fans to a brilliant "cat-hunting" show in their first home game of the stretch.

Su Feng scored 24 points, Carter added 18, Collison contributed 16, and Henry Hill also put up 10 points—notable considering he hadn't scored in double digits for a long time.

The most exaggerated performance came from Louis Williams. Fed by passes from Su Feng and Collison, Williams feasted, exploding for 30 points and earning the title of best athlete of the game.

He was emerging as the Cleveland Cavaliers' primary scoring option off the bench. If he could keep this up, signing a lucrative contract in the upcoming free agency wouldn't be difficult.

People once thought he had minimal potential and could only serve as an ordinary, situational bench spark, which was why he fell to the sixth pick. But I believe Damian still has plenty of room to grow. He is tough, so treat him well. I know Stotts very well; he will definitely assign more offensive responsibilities to Lillard. Just like we look up to you.

Su Feng nodded. He didn't care whether his opponent was a rookie or not. He didn't care how many years the opponent had played in college. As long as they were opponents, they would be knocked down!

Forty minutes before the start of the basketball battle, what were you doing? After warming up, Su Feng returned to the locker room to change into a clean jersey. In addition to heavy sweat from the warm-up, his previous clothes were completely soaked.

Su Feng turned a couple of corners, about to head to the locker room. Just as predicted, in the narrow, bright hallway, he ran into the number 0 guard, Lillard.

They were still far apart, but neither took the initiative to speak. Just as they were about to wave and pass each other, Lillard suddenly stopped. Seeing this, Su Feng stopped as well. It was their first time meeting, but there was a strange, palpable tension.

The quiet hallway contained only Su Feng and Lillard. The distance between the two guards was less than a meter. There were eight things you had to do before a basketball battle started. It was logical that they shouldn't be meeting right now, yet fate arranged this encounter.

"Hello, I often watched you play in college." Lillard, much like Su Feng, was cold yet straightforward.

Lillard turned and walked away immediately after passing, but it was hard for him to match Su Feng's lightning-fast presence.

When Su Feng took a step back beyond the free-throw line, Aldridge didn't have time to contest, and Su Feng pulled up for a jump shot.

With Louis Williams scoring over 30 points, the Cleveland Cavaliers' offense was completely unlocked. Once their offense clicked like this, they rarely lost.

Playing at home, the Cleveland Cavaliers easily dispatched the Trail Blazers led by old friend Stotts, securing their fourth consecutive win to start the season with a 114-91 victory.

After the basketball battle, Louis Williams wanted to hug Su Feng on the bench, but noticed Su Feng walking alone toward the Trail Blazers' bench.

However, the Dallas number 1 rarely took the initiative to shake hands with opponents—unless his opponent had earned his respect.

"You played very aggressively tonight, rookie." After the basketball battle concluded, Su Feng took the initiative to speak with his opponent, something that hadn't been common in his first two seasons.

Lillard would hug Su Feng after a game, and Henry Hill would chat with Su Feng post-game. Steve Nash, the friendly Canadian, was also very close to Su Feng on the court.

Most of the time, others approached Su Feng rather than the other way around. Yet today, the "cold" Su Feng walked right up to a rookie who had been restricted to just a few successful shots.

"Mock me all you want, you won!" Lillard lowered his head. When he met Su Feng in the player tunnel before the game, he had threatened to do his absolute best and not show any weakness. The result was a humbling experience.

"Hey, don't make that face. You'll lose many more times in the future."

"Pfft!" Lillard nearly choked with rage upon hearing this. If Su Feng tried to comfort an opponent, it would be a miracle. This blunt remark completely matched Su Feng's personality.

"Hahaha, just kidding. If you want to beat me someday, step up your game."

The San Antonio Spurs didn't seem weighed down by a major defeat. For the freshly victorious Cleveland Cavaliers, the situation was becoming increasingly dangerous.

Troy Hudson probably never imagined that his most prominent moment in the playoffs would come as a result of an injury. If not for this concussion, Hudson would not have made headlines in Dallas. Although Hudson wasn't a superstar, losing him meant the Cleveland Cavaliers had only one reliable point guard left available.

All these factors thrust Hudson into the playoff spotlight for the first time in his career. Even so, Hudson would rather have gone without this unwanted attention and wished he had never gotten hurt. His playoff journey had ended prematurely, and all he could do now was pray that the Cleveland Cavaliers' playoff run would continue.

When the series returned to Dallas, things didn't get any easier. Although the Cleveland Cavaliers won the previous game, a 1-1 series tie meant both teams were back at square one, denying the Cavaliers any substantial advantage.

Henry Hill Bryant knew that Gregg Popovich wouldn't remain indifferent to Hudson's injury news. In the first two games, the Spurs had struggled on the perimeter. In the next game, Popovich would likely place the key to victory squarely in the interior.

Now, Henry Hill Bryant felt helpless after scoring 10 points in the rotation. Although he could guess what Popovich would do, he was powerless to stop it. With only four frontcourt players at his disposal, there was truly a limit to what he could do.

How to guard Tim Duncan? That was a question that countless coaches had racked their brains over for the past fifteen seasons.

Chris Webber, Shaquille O'Neal, the Pistons' twin towers, Kevin Garnett, and even the Rockets' frontcourt... all these illustrious names were, without exception, victims of Duncan's dominance. Now, for Henry Hill Bryant and company to try and contain Duncan with their current roster was as absurd as trying to buy a mansion with a hundred dollars.

Despite the adjustments, the league office granted the two teams a three-day rest. But not a single day of those three days was relaxing for Henry Hill Bryant. He studied the Spurs' game tape and Duncan's scoring habits day and night. The ultimate conclusion was that, given the current roster, there was simply no way to completely shut down Duncan's production; the absolute best they could do was prevent him from going on a massive scoring rampage.

Henry Hill Bryant spent three more sleepless nights realizing that knowing what card the opponent was going to play didn't mean you could counter it.

What about Su Feng? On the first day back in Dallas, he invited his trainers and teammates to dinner, then spent the rest of the day in the practice facility.

Su Feng's defining trait was that the better he played, the more he wanted to intensify his training, fearing that his excellent form would vanish if he neglected his craft.

If someone like Lou Williams scored 30 points in a playoff game, he would likely spend the next three nights celebrating at a club. After all, he was already playing great—did he really need to practice?

Su Feng was different. Instead of basking in the glory of his previous performance, he focused entirely on how to sustain it. Perhaps that was the biggest difference between him and ordinary players.

According to Henry Hill Bryant, the Cleveland Cavaliers' chief medical doctor, Fleming, conducted a comprehensive evaluation of Su Feng's physical condition upon returning to Dallas. Surprisingly, despite carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers almost single-handedly through nearly every playoff game so far, his body remained remarkably sound.

This news finally allowed Henry Hill Bryant to breathe a sigh of relief. At least for the upcoming games, he wouldn't have to worry about Su Feng's health.

As game day approached, it wasn't just Henry Hill Bryant and Su Feng who felt anxious; Charles Barkley, who had lost a wager to Kenny Smith, looked particularly gloomy these days.

On television, he had to endure Smith's relentless teasing with no room for retaliation. In the third game of the series, he would have to strip off his suit and tie a Chinese national flag around himself to analyze the entire basketball broadcast!

Even the usually jovial Barkley felt this was too crazy. If he really analyzed the game wearing a Chinese national flag, it would surely go viral worldwide.

"What's wrong, Shaq? Why so gloomy? Did your cat mess with you outside again?" "Kenny, anyone who mentions trash talk better not lose. Because once you lose, he can mock you for a lifetime."

Barkley moved his lips as if to retort, but ultimately said nothing. Yes, the Spurs' advantages were glaring. Su Feng was exceptionally strong, but as a point guard, he couldn't single-handedly defend the paint.

It was already difficult enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers to get this far; expecting them to reach the finals and fight Miami for the Larry O'Brien Trophy? That was asking a bit too much of a team facing such adversity.

How long could Su Feng's divine form last? Barkley shook his head. Management needed to bring in some reinforcements this summer to truly help the team.

The three-day truce flashed by, and on May 5th, the playoff fire reignited at the American Airlines Center. This was the first time fans were watching the Cleveland Cavaliers play at home since their first-round sweep.

Before the game, a reporter bluntly asked Gregg Popovich: "Coach, is exploiting the Cleveland Cavaliers' interior your primary objective tonight?"

Popovich looked seriously into the camera, then leaned close to the microphone: "Before the game starts, surely you didn't expect me to reveal my strategy."

Although Popovich didn't spell it out, everyone knew. Unless the veteran coach liked playing games with reporters and had suddenly lost his mind, he couldn't possibly turn a blind eye to such an obvious interior advantage.

Henry Hill Bryant and his players were mentally prepared for the storm headed their way tonight.

In fact, Popovich had no intention of hiding it. From the very first second of the game, he planned to establish dominance inside.

Today, Popovich made a temporary adjustment. Instead of continuing with the traditional backcourt split, he deployed Duncan at the 5 and Diaw at the 4.

This created a fiercely physical interior matchup, as both Duncan and Diaw possessed elite scoring abilities. Diaw's passing vision and shooting range stretching beyond the three-point line helped create vast offensive spaces for Duncan.

The effectiveness of this formation was highlighted early on. Parker passed the ball to Duncan, who initiated a low-post mismatch against his defender. The "Big Stone Buddha" calmly scored, while Diaw relocated to the high post to drain a mid-range jumper.

The Spurs' strategy was simple and unadorned, yet remarkably efficient. This was the hallmark of the Spurs—harnessing Popovich's interior advantage.

Just fifteen seconds later, utilizing his explosive first step, Su Feng tore a hole in the aging Spurs defense. He squeezed through the gap between Duncan and Diaw to score and drew a foul. But Popovich wasn't overly concerned. The previous game was the ultimate display of Su Feng's individual brilliance; today, the Spurs held too many advantages, and no matter how talented Su Feng was, he couldn't single-handedly rewrite the outcome.

As the game progressed, the Spurs reaped rewards repeatedly in the paint. Not only Duncan and Diaw, but Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard all found scoring opportunities inside against the Cleveland defense.

The Cavaliers' frontcourt rotation players grew exhausted trying to cope with the Spurs' versatile big men, forcing the coach to deploy deeper bench options. Consequently, Cleveland's interior defense became a gaping sieve.

It wasn't that the players weren't trying hard enough, but in this league of the jungle, some things were beyond sheer effort. Due to inherent limitations, the Cavaliers simply couldn't withstand the Spurs' concentrated firepower.

Duncan remained as stable as a machine making zero interior errors, reminding everyone why he was historically regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time.

Su Feng kept attacking relentlessly. He knew that if he wanted to keep his team in the game, he had to rely on driving to the basket. If he settled for perimeter jumpers, the efficiency couldn't match the Spurs' steady interior assault.

Through three quarters, fueled by Su Feng's relentless effort, the Cleveland Cavaliers managed to stay within striking distance, preventing the Spurs from pulling away to a double-digit lead. But as Su Feng's physical stamina dwindled, his drives lost their razor-sharp edge, and his jump shots began clanking off the iron.

Just as Su Feng appeared on the verge of exhaustion, veteran coach Henry Hill Bryant stepped in, calling timeouts to regroup and trying desperately to find a spark.

Yet, these efforts only delayed the inevitable. Manu Ginobili, the Argentine "Magic Dagger," delivered the finishing blow to the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter with a flurry of unguardable plays and crafty shots.