score maniac

Chapter 3: Spot On!

“Swish!” Most fans see a basketball going through the net as nothing out of the ordinary, but the boos directed at Gu Yu earlier had certainly died down a bit. But the players on both teams, as well as the insiders watching from the sidelines, were all taken aback. “Little Gu’s movement is impressive…!” Coach Chen Mu nodded slightly, a hint of anticipation now visible in his gaze as he watched Gu Yu. Before that play, the game had reached the middle of the fourth quarter, and the score was neck-and-neck, with the International Team trailing 78–83 by five points. The main reason the International Team had managed to stay in the game was the outstanding performance of Turkish center Enes Kanter. Facing the American high school stars, Kanter was dominating the paint, having already racked up 29 points and 11 rebounds—not far off the Nike Basketball Summit’s all-time single-game scoring record of 33 points, set by Dirk Nowitzki in 1998. The U. S. team is actually quite strong, with players like Harrison Barnes, Terrence Jones, and Jared Sullinger all being top-tier talents. Held annually in April, the Nike Basketball Summit—though a commercial event organized by Nike—serves as a stage for fans worldwide to evaluate the potential of the next generation of American high school stars and U19 players from around the globe. Kevin Garnett once recorded 9 blocks in a single game here; Tony Parker spun and weaved his way to 17 points; Josh Smith soared through the air to score 27 points; Tyler Hansbrough once poured in 31 points in a game; Kevin Durant scored 20 points; and O. J. Mayo also scored 20 points… Countless rising stars have made their debuts here and gone on to astonish the world, one step at a time. Chinese players Wang Zhizhi, Yi Jianlian, and Chen Jianghua have all made their mark on this court; it’s no exaggeration to say this is a major stepping stone for young players entering the NBA. This year, due to scheduling conflicts, the summit was postponed from April all the way to June. As the newly crowned double-P, Chen Mu was invited to serve as head coach of the International Team. The news that he had selected two Chinese players—Sui Ran and Gu Yu—in succession briefly put Chen Mu in the hot seat. “Nepotism,” “using his status as a Nike star to influence player selection,” “compromising fairness”… A mountain of negative comments came crashing down, turning Chen Mu—who had just conquered the world—into the target of public criticism overnight. This was especially true at the venue of the Basketball Summit, located in Oregon—home to Nike’s headquarters. The Portland Trail Blazers, the state’s NBA team, had once been hailed alongside the Philadelphia 76ers as the “Young Legion” rising simultaneously in the East and West, only to be ruthlessly crushed by Chen Mu’s relentless string of victories. The fans here were anything but friendly toward Chen Mu, this “superhero.” So when the game began, Chen Mu was actually met with boos as he entered the arena, and Sui Ran was even ostracized by his International Team teammates. Some people even began attacking the character of the Chinese people—a clear demonstration of the fervor that basketball can inspire. Fortunately, for most of the game, only Sui Ran had the opportunity to play. In terms of skill, Gu Yu—who had just begun to make a name for himself in domestic youth competitions—was still a far cry from Sui Ran’s level; had there not been a severe shortage of shooting guards, he wouldn’t have made the roster in the first place. Now that an unexpected turn of events had left Sui Ran unable to play, Chen Mu decisively sent Gu Yu into the game—a move that undoubtedly gave critics another excuse to attack the team. “Great shot, great shot!” As they retreated on defense, Kanter passed by Gu Yu. Before Kanter could even speak, Gu Yu, full of excitement, blurted out, “Great play, great play!” and held out his hand to Kanter: “Let’s high-five. I don’t want anyone to think I’m giving you the cold shoulder—otherwise, they’ll accuse us Chinese of being petty again!” “I…” Kanté was at a loss for words. This player named Gu sure has a blunt way of speaking… After the high-five, the U. S. team went on the offensive. Star forward Barnes cut to the ball, took a single screen at the top of the key, and drove straight to the basket. He jumped from mid-range, used his incredible athleticism to twist and turn in midair, and sank a one-handed layup. “Yes!!! Great play, Barnes—!!” The Oregon fans erupted in cheers. The deficit was still five points, with only about three minutes left on the clock. As long as their defense held up, Team USA could… “Run, run, run, run, run!!” The International Team had barely inbounded the ball when Gu Yu—still seething from the earlier boos—took off running without a care in the world. He’s like a wind-up rabbit! The International Team’s point guard was speechless. With not a single teammate in the frontcourt—just defenders everywhere—what on earth was he running so hard for? “Hahaha, he’s completely out of sync with his teammates!” The fans also laughed derisively. Gu Yu’s performance was like that of a clown—his movement made no sense at all. What good is it to run around aimlessly all by yourself in the middle of five opponents? “Over here!” Gu Yu made his way to the U. S. team’s half of the court, stood at the top of the key, and set a screen. Just as the point guard behind him reached the top of the key to take a shot, Gu Yu ran off. …Are you out of your mind?! The point guard felt like cursing under his breath. Gu Yu’s screen had actually been a surprise, giving him a chance for a direct shot. But now that Gu Yu had run off, his defender immediately closed in for tight coverage, and the scoring opportunity vanished in an instant… “Come on, come on, pass it!!!” …Huh?? Just as the point guard was agonizing over the situation, Gu Yu’s voice rang out from behind him. When did he get behind me……?!! Startled, the point guard reflexively dished the ball. Gu Yu took a mid-range shot. “…Swish!” Another one! “…He’s got some accuracy there!” Among the fans, some were finally beginning to take Gu Yu’s skills seriously. Two shots in a row—both nothing-but-s—and the baskets were incredibly crisp. At the very least, as a shooting guard, Gu Yu’s playing style and skills were solid. And… “Were both shots taken from the exact same spot? Am I seeing things??” one fan asked. “Looks like the same spot! One step inside the three-point line, slightly to the left of the top of the key!” another fan replied. “That spot is really tricky…! It’s not quite a three-pointer, but it’s too far out to be a mid-range shot. It overlaps a bit with the point guard’s positioning, which easily throws the defense off. Since Ennes is drawing attention in the paint, the U. S. team doesn’t dare to step out too far…” A basketball expert frowned and nodded: “That’s a carefully chosen spot!” Is it really that ingenious? Many fans were still a bit skeptical. After all, it was just a cut—nothing particularly difficult, either tactically or technically. Could such a simple move really stump Team USA? It must have been luck! However, on the very next possession, every fan who had doubted Gu Yu fell completely silent. “Boom!” “ROAR—!!!” It was Harrison Barnes again—a drive to the basket, a mid-air spin, and a reverse dunk that sailed past Kanter’s block. After scoring, Barnes let out a roar, leading the U. S. team to maintain their lead. “Over here! Turning back, before Barnes had even finished his roar, Gu Yu had already sprinted back to that specific spot, his arms outstretched and desperate for the ball. “Whoosh—!!” The International Team’s point guard saw that Gu Yu was on a roll and dished him the ball, but the moment Gu Yu caught it, the point guard regretted it. He’d been read! Brandon Knight, the lightning-fast guard from the U. S. team, sprinted back on defense and was the first to get in front of Gu Yu. With a quick flick of his hand, he completely blocked off Gu Yu’s shooting lane. “Pass it back! Reset the play! Don’t act on impulse… Damn it!!!” The point guard hurriedly shouted a warning, but before he could finish, Gu Yu jumped right where he stood, leaned back, and—without warning or reason—launched a fadeaway jumper. …What the hell kind of shot selection is that, for fuck’s sake!! The International Team players were going crazy. With just the two of you in a one-on-one situation up front, you should either hold onto the ball and wait for a teammate to come up and set up the play, or if you really want to attack, you should at least fake a drive or something. There’s no one under the basket, and your defender is glued to you like a leech—what the hell are you even shooting for?! “He’s definitely got a screw loose!” The fans who’d looked down on Gu Yu all along breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed this Chinese player had no clever cutting moves at all—he just came onto the court, caught the ball, and shot it, acting like a total black hole on the court! “Whew—!” The basketball soared into the air, tracing an incredibly high arc. No matter how you looked at it, the shot seemed weak and lacked any real power. Everyone shook their heads, thinking Gu Yu’s style of play was far too selfish. “Oh…?” Only Chen Mu, standing on the sidelines, saw his eyes light up. No rebound location提示. Chen Mu, who normally had a hint for the rebound’s landing spot, didn’t see it this time. That meant… “... Swish!” As the basketball went through the net, the entire arena fell silent. “Hahahaha, isn’t that awesome? Isn’t that awesome??” Gu Yu, excited as a child, shook his head back and forth at the dumbfounded Knight, a smug look on his face. One second later. “…Holy crap, spot-on, spot-on, spot-on, spot-on, spot-on, spot-on—!!!” The arena erupted!