Chapter 83: Guy

Chapter 95: Guy

As the crowd’s attention followed Pichu’s flight, they noticed that Henleyville had completely shaken off Dampot. A beautiful airborne relay slam was about to happen once again.

Yet as Henleyville took off, Su Feng and Robert Henry both frowned. Indeed, Henleyville failed to secure Pichu solidly, and his reluctant slam attempt, of course, missed outright.

“What a pity! How did I miss that?”

“Your pass was too high. Tyson couldn’t get all of it.”

“It seems to me this was the first miscue between Chandler and me.”

The commentators exclaimed, but only Su Feng, Robert Henry, and Henleyville knew the truth. Su Feng’s pass wasn’t too high—Henleyville’s stamina had been thoroughly tested, and he simply couldn’t leap as high as before.

By now, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ physical reserves were nearly depleted, and the ongoing battles with Cousins in the paint had worn the “Boxer” down rapidly. Not long after the game resumed, Henleyville was gasping for breath. Physical issues finally began to surface for the Cavaliers in this game.

Henleyville missed the slam, and Dampot just “snatched” the defensive rebound. He passed to Kobe Bryant, who pushed the ball up as a 6’6” dual guard.

Su Feng cut off Bryant, leaving no room for No. 13 to drive.

Cavaliers fans stood up again, hoping to see Bryant beat Su Feng one-on-one for a second time. But this time, Bryant kept his composure. With a quick flick of his wrist, he sent Pichu to the left wing, beyond the arc.

There, the Israeli forward Casspi arrived right on time, caught the ball, and fired. Bryant’s pass was perfectly placed. Despite his 6’6” frame, he delivered it with the skill of a point guard.

Usually, “combo guard” refers to players who can play both the one and two but aren’t masters of either spot. But Bryant and Su Feng, two dual power guards, clearly didn’t fit that description.

This seamless pass helped the Israeli score. Though the referee ruled Casspi stepped on the line, turning the three-pointer into a two, the Cavaliers were still able to regain a four-point lead after Cousins’ exit—well beyond anyone’s expectations.

“Go! Play more aggressively!” Robert Henry shouted to his All-Star rookie as Su Feng crossed half court.

Su Feng understood what Henry wanted. The tactical manager knew the Cavaliers’ offense was sputtering in the first quarter, so he wanted Su Feng to switch from distributing to scoring.

This time, Su Feng took Henleyville’s pass earlier. The Cavaliers’ movement was, in reality, paving a path for him.

Su Feng signaled for William Adams Miller to set a pick and roll, but as Miller set up, he was suddenly knocked to the floor, stretching out towards the invisible side.

Bryant thought Su Feng had broken through off the pick and roll, so he failed to react in time and followed Miller instead.

Jason Thompson had no choice but to rotate over!

With Thompson in front and Bryant behind, Su Feng’s drive drew both defenders, collapsing the Kings’ defense under the basket.

Though Robert Henry had encouraged him to look for his own shot, it would have been foolish to force it. Su Feng twisted his waist and arm, flinging Pichu behind him. The orange ball spun rapidly, landing in the big German’s hands beyond the arc.

“Now Dirk! A classic pick and pop!” Geoff Robert Henry nearly celebrated the Cavaliers’ bucket as he saw Dirk with a clean look.

“Hold on, that’s a damn quick closeout!” Cousins sneered from the bench. If it were him, he might have forced through the double team.

Whatever people thought of the tactic, William Adams Miller had a great opportunity. Robert Henry silently prayed that Dirk’s fatigue wouldn’t affect his shot.

Miller stayed calm. After the release, the German held his shooting form, hoping to see the orange ball drop straight through the net.

But the Cavaliers didn’t get the three they wanted. Miller’s shot clanged off the neck of the rim and bounced away. Durham Port got tangled up on the defensive board, and the Cavaliers’ defense held once again.

“Damn this brutal schedule!” Robert Henry could only complain from the sidelines. The league wouldn’t shorten the slate to maximize its own interests, so the players had to tough it out.

Miller shook his head in regret as Bryant pushed the ball past half court.

With Cousins out, Bryant was the only offensive weapon left for the Cavaliers. Su Feng’s performance at the free throw line also helped the Cavaliers draw even.

Without Miller as the “messenger,” the next two subdued stretches became a battle between Miller and the Cavaliers...

The 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year was awarded. That year, even though the top pick Griffin sat out the season, the rest of the class—Jennings included, who once scored 55 in a rookie game—produced no other standouts. Unfortunately, none could claim the honor. The best rookie that year was the man standing before Su Feng—Kobe Bryant.

Averaging 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game, not even the 2009 class’s brightest could match Bryant, or even come close. By comparison, another player’s rookie numbers were stellar: 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists—those belonged to LeBron James.

Bryant was clearly a phenom. After a brilliant debut season, Evans was poised to become a superstar like LeBron. Though his numbers dipped a bit this season, he remained a lethal threat.

Thus, Cousins’ absence didn’t make Su Feng lower his guard. He knew that the No. 13 Cavaliers in front of him were his greatest challenge tonight.

The Cavaliers still played with a dual-guard lineup, so Su Feng was once again matched up with Bryant. Unlike Cousins, Bryant wasn’t desperate to prove himself—he moved quietly, doing nothing out of the ordinary.

As Bryant slid from the baseline to the left corner, the cool young man raised his slender arm. Udrih stepped up without hesitation. To prevent Bryant from using the opportunity to drive, Su Feng didn’t contest the shot fully.

The Cavaliers didn’t pressure Bryant, instead giving him a step. His shooting was notoriously inconsistent throughout the league, and Su Feng didn’t want to be the backdrop for another highlight drive.

Bryant dribbled through three threatening moves, but Su Feng didn’t budge. In the stands, the Cavaliers’ fans were on their feet, hoping last season’s top rookie would show up this year’s best with some flair.

Bryant suddenly exploded, driving hard! In Su Feng’s eyes, his first step wasn’t quick, but his excellent ball control and strength got him to the rim.

Su Feng tried his old trick, swiping as Bryant went up, but if it were that easy to stop him, Bryant wouldn’t have posted LeBron-like numbers as a rookie.

Bryant used a Euro step to evade Su Feng’s quick hands and finished the layup. Instantly, the arena’s dome seemed to lift off. The crowd, stunned by Su Feng’s earlier tomahawk dunk, now erupted for Bryant’s timely score.

Bryant wasn’t as demonstrative as Cousins after a basket; he quickly got back, ready for Su Feng’s response.

“The duel between last year’s top rookie and this year’s best—honestly, Mike, I never thought it would be this thrilling,” said Geoff Robert Henry, straightening in his seat. Though Cousins, still wet behind the ears, was forced to watch from the bench, the bald commentator believed the game was more exciting with Bryant handling the ball.

“Rookie of the Year? Geoff, let me remind you—this year’s award isn’t settled yet.”

“No, he’s certainly the best this season!” Robert Henry replied confidently.

As the commentators spoke, the Cavaliers had already brought the ball up. Without Miller, the “Boxer” Tyson felt more comfortable moving around. He quickly set up a screen for Su Feng off the ball.

Su Feng used the screen to separate from Bryant and received a pass from Henleyville, who was already cutting toward the basket. Old Dampot couldn’t keep up with Henleyville’s speed.

Only Su Feng noticed the finer details. Everyone’s eyes were on him, wondering how he’d attack. But the Cavaliers’ point guard had everything planned.

As soon as Henleyville’s foot touched the free-throw line, Su Feng didn’t take off but lobbed Pichu into the air.

Bryant instinctively raised his arms, but the pass was too high—a perfect alley-oop!

This time, Su Feng didn’t let Bryant score.

Miller once again played a key role. While Su Feng stayed passive, Cousins had no intention of doing the same. His powerful frame and core strength made him a nightmare for even the best defenders.

Udrih’s pass wasn’t high enough, so he gave it to Bryant to let the rising star attack.

Evans, at 6’6”, could easily lob the ball to a comfortable spot. Tyson Henleyville stretched out, hiding behind Cousins, trying to disrupt the big man’s catch.

But with a well-placed hip, the “Boxer” Tyson was forced out of position, and Cousins caught Pichu with ease, cradling it for a post move.

Henleyville quickly squared up again, but Cousins backed him down, finding Henleyville leaning forward to prevent a baseline spin.

A sly smile curled at his lips, and with a swift pivot, Cousins easily bypassed the Cavaliers’ last line of defense.

His spin was not just quick but powerful, forcing Henleyville out of position.

With the rim in reach, Cousins gripped the ball with both hands, ready to dunk. But as he was about to elevate, his hands slipped and he lost control of Pichu!

“What!” The Cavaliers’ big man looked down and saw Su Feng picking up Pichu off the floor, starting a fast break.

“That’s textbook help defense! He swiped it so quickly and cleanly—DeMarcus made a mistake, and the Cavaliers have a chance to turn defense into offense!” Even Mike Breen, observing from a neutral perspective, found it unbelievable.

One moment, Su Feng was in front of Bryant; the next, he had already checked Cousins twice and stolen the ball.

Bryant tried to recover but found the point guard blazing fast! Though strong, he couldn’t catch Su Feng. It was all in vain!

Quickly, Su Feng left all the defenders behind, entering the paint first. With one stride past the free-throw line, he leaped!

In the air, Su Feng gripped the ball in his right hand, his body fully extended. After gliding a long distance, he raised his right arm high and hammered Pichu through the hoop!

“Boom!” Pichu crashed through the rim, and the roaring arena fell silent.

Everyone stared in disbelief—Su Feng had nearly completed a tomahawk dunk from the free-throw line! Was this a play a 6’4” Spanish guard could pull off? Even witnessing it, many still found the scene incredible.

Wow! No matter what—my god! A monster dunk!” Robert Henry, usually so reserved, suddenly screamed. He even wondered if Su Feng had springs in his sneakers.

After the slam, Su Feng didn’t celebrate. He simply glanced at the sideline, his expression unchanged.