Chapter 31: It’s Passed, It’s Passed
Chapter 43: It’s Over
Su Feng was dying of impatience. He swung his long arms, trying to keep Billups in check. Facing Su Feng’s aggressive defense, the experienced Billups expertly dribbled the ball in one hand, holding the Cavaliers’ playbook in the other. The ball bounced obediently under Billups’ control, his top-tier ball handling unwavering.
Aside from Su Feng’s defense, the 33-year-old Shawn Marion tightly guarded Magic Henry. For the uneven Nuggets, Billups and Magic Henry were practically George Karl’s sharpest spears.
Everything seemed perfect; it appeared the Nuggets were out of options.
Yet under such pressure, Billups made a pass. Marion anticipated the ball would go to Magic Henry, so he spread his arms wide while chasing him, hoping to disrupt the pass or even force a turnover!
In the end, the ball didn’t go to Magic Henry. But it wasn’t because Billups made an error or Marion managed a steal. Billups had never intended to pass to Magic Henry at all!
The Nuggets’ shooting guard, Arron Afflalo, had cut to an open spot without the ball, caught the pass, and shot immediately! The flawless shooting rhythm sent the orange ball straight through the net!
“Afflalo’s three is deadly. The Cavaliers did lock down Magic Henry and Billups this possession, but Afflalo is also an element Coach Carlisle can't overlook. With Billups and the young star, it’s easy to forget the rest of the Nuggets’ roster can score too—George Karl has more than one weapon.”
Frustrated after Afflalo scored, Su Feng turned to look at the bench; the lead was lost by a single point. Yet Rick Carlisle sat calmly, as if nothing had happened.
On the next play, Billups switched to a defensive tactic Su Feng found familiar. He didn’t press up, instead giving the rookie two steps of space, clearly hoping to contain Su Feng’s best skill, the drive.
Su Feng wasn’t foolish—Billups was clearly waiting for him to crash into a wall. Unlike other rookies eager to prove themselves at the first sign of daylight, Su Feng didn’t take a reckless long-range shot when he saw the gap. Instead, he drove and dished the ball to Nowitzki.
With a perfect pass, Nowitzki needed no adjustment for Forbes’ defense. He turned, jumped, and scored easily again.
The Cavaliers reclaimed a one-point lead; the teams continued trading baskets. From the opening tip, the Western Conference clash had been fierce.
Later, Billups found Afflalo again, who capitalized, swinging the lead back to the Nuggets. The Cavaliers’ backup shooting guard position had been problematic. To maintain depth, Carlisle had used Barea as the backup in several games.
Offensively, Barea’s quickness and accurate three-point shooting helped, but defensively, his short stature made him a target.
Afflalo had just scored five straight over Barea—clear evidence. Carlisle, ever the defensive coach, made an immediate change.
“Jet, don’t give Afflalo any more chances after this.” Carlisle never minced words. With one sentence, Magic Henry fully understood his primary mission.
“Don’t worry, that kid’s even more likable than me!” Magic Henry flashed his trademark grin, quickly stripped off his warm-up, and began bouncing on his toes.
He stepped onto the floor, giving Su Feng’s shoulder a friendly slap—here’s to a good partnership, kid!
After Afflalo’s five-point burst, Coach Rick Carlisle reconfigured his backcourt. The Cavaliers now fielded a mix of youth and experience with Magic Henry. In earlier games, when Henry and Magic Henry shared the court, they were highly effective. Let’s see if the “jade and jade” can stay hot tonight!
As Kenny Smith’s commentary faded, Su Feng took the ball past midcourt. At the same time, Magic Henry mirrored Su Feng’s movement, sprinting with surprising energy—anyone who didn’t know better would have thought the Cavaliers’ number 31 was a rookie.
Magic Henry’s off-ball movement wasn’t just fast, it was exceptional. Afflalo tried to chase him through a crowd, but a sudden screen by Tyson Chandler forced Afflalo and the “champion” to collide. Tyson’s brilliant off-ball pick freed Magic Henry for the play!
Perhaps this was only the start—two top point guards squaring off, the beginning of a classic duel.
Thanks to the soaring speed of internet communication, Su Feng’s contest with Wall at home, their three-point shootout, and his game-winning shot quickly became a national sensation.
No, not just national—media in distant China covered the game extensively as well.
Su Feng had shined, and so had William Miller, who notched 14 points and 5 rebounds in 29 minutes. For American fans, these might be ordinary numbers, but for Chinese fans, it had been ages since Miller last scored in double digits.
Miller’s “resurrection” and Su Feng’s breakout performance made the last day of January 2011 a hot topic among Chinese fans.
Su Feng’s step-back three over Wall became a highlight replayed endlessly on television. The shot also ranked second in the NBA’s Top 5 Plays for the day.
That night, in a Rockets-Jazz game, Kevin Martin hit a game-winner for the Rockets with 5.5 seconds left.
Only that shot kept Su Feng’s three-pointer from taking the top spot—otherwise, all five highlights might have been his.
Su Feng’s recent excellence, the All-Star buzz, and his classic shot over Wall had made him a league-wide sensation. He appeared in the news nearly as often as superstars like LeBron and Kobe.
Yet, Su Feng himself cared little for the media frenzy. He focused solely on his work. This attitude was shared not just by Su Feng, but by the entire Cavaliers team.
It was now February, just two and a half weeks from the All-Star break. By this point, injuries were beginning to plague the league. Over half the season had passed, and players were entering the fatigue zone—hence the NBA’s All-Star break in February, and, in recent years, the extended mid-season holiday.
But unlike other teams, the Cavaliers had not only been hit by injuries but had just welcomed back key players Nowitzki and Barea. Though the break was near, Carlisle didn’t allow anyone to relax. Midseason was the fiercest time for playoff positioning and seeding. Dallas’ Cavaliers, only just getting back on track, could afford no mistakes.
The whole team was fully prepared for the NBA’s relentless schedule. Relax, and you’d soon be the next team to lose.
Thus, just two days after beating the Wizards, a roar echoed through Madison Square Garden.
“…And with that assist, the game is out of reach! Nowitzki’s three with three minutes left has put the Cavaliers up by 20!” Miller’s voice rang out in the living rooms of Cavaliers fans.
“We want Magic Henry! We want Magic Henry!” As garbage time began, Knicks fans started chanting in the arena.
Lately, rumors linking Denver and New York had been rampant—Magic Henry’s desire to leave the Nuggets was no secret. Of all possible destinations, the Knicks seemed closest to landing him.
Clearly, New York fans were desperate to see Magic Henry leap into Madison Square Garden. If this offensive magician joined the “bully” on the court, the Knicks would instantly become highly competitive.
The Cavaliers’ rout of the Knicks only fueled the crowd’s fervor.
Yet Su Feng couldn’t care less about Magic Henry’s sensational transfer saga. Tonight, the All-Star rookie logged 33 minutes off the bench, tallying 22 points and 10 assists for another double-double. The Cavaliers won their sixth straight on the road, 113–97.
“Fantastic! The pressure of the All-Star Game seems to make him even better!”
“The Cavaliers have become an indispensable part of the Dallas team—they’re winning again!”
Negative media coverage of Su Feng was now rare. Few still doubted him—too many journalists had paid the price for doing so.
On February 4, after their win over the Knicks, the Cavaliers headed to Boston to face the Celtics and their Big Three.
So far, the Celtics stood at 37–11, only one game behind the Cavaliers. By all accounts, the two teams were evenly matched.
Although the Cavaliers had won six straight, their opponents—beyond the Knicks—hadn’t been particularly strong. Even the Knicks weren’t a true powerhouse.