score maniac

Chapter 20: Let the Game Begin!

“Hey! Yu! Over here, over here!!” As Yu Chenyi stepped onto the court, a familiar reporter in the press box not far away called out loudly to greet her. “Mm-hmm, coming right up~!” Yu Chenyi smiled and nodded, making her way through the crowd. She had barely sat down—and hadn’t even taken out her signature reporter’s notebook yet—when she started watching the court. Both teams had already taken the court. In the Summer League, the so-called entrance ceremony was nothing more than a formality. After all, this was a showdown between rookies and benchwarmers—what everyone really cared about was how each player performed and whether there were any worth keeping on the roster. All that other ceremonial stuff didn’t matter at all. With only five minutes left before tip-off, Yu Chenyi wrapped up her off-court live broadcast. The first person she wanted to find once she got to the court was, of course, Gu Yu. But… “Where’s Gu Yu??” After looking around, she saw that the starting players from both teams were already in position, stretching or greeting one another, just waiting for the game to begin. But Yu Chenyi couldn’t see Gu Yu anywhere. “Gu Yu? Which Gu Yu??” Her friend beside her asked in confusion, “What kind of weird name is that? Gu? Is he African?” “No, he’s Chinese.” Yu Chenyi furrowed her brow slightly. The starting lineups for both teams were plain to see, but there was no sign of Gu Yu’s distinctive slicked-back hair. On the bench? Given Gu Yu’s skill level, even in the summer league, making the starting lineup wouldn’t be easy, Yu Chenyi thought to herself as she glanced toward the bench. “He’s not on the bench either?!” Yu Chenyi was stunned. Even though Gu Yu was just a shooter, surely he couldn’t have been left off the Summer League roster entirely?! Moreover, both teams had already announced their rosters before the game, and Yu Chenyi had clearly seen Gu Yu’s name on the Kings’ roster. So where on earth had Gu Yu gone?? “Oh, right, the Chinese guy! I remember now—that guy with the slicked-back hair, right?” Her friend slapped her forehead, recalling the gossip about Gu Yu, and laughed, “I remember, I remember—that guy’s got some attitude! He actually punched Kahn right in front of everyone. The Timberwolves fans should thank him!” “That’s not a slicked-back hairstyle—it’s a pompadour.” Yu Chenyi didn’t know why she felt the need to defend such a trivial matter. After brushing it off with a single remark, she asked in confusion, “Why haven’t I seen him on the bench either?” “You were out there doing the live stream—you didn’t see what was happening on the court!” Her friend grinned mischievously and said, “That slicked-back guy, along with the Kings’ high draft pick, Cousins, went up to Westphal and got into a fight after the players entered the court. Apparently, he wanted to start or something. You know Westphal’s temperament—there’s no way he’d let a rookie act so recklessly! Haha, those two greenhorns really don’t know their place!” “Hmm…” Yu Chenyi really wanted to argue, but upon closer reflection, she couldn’t find the words to do so. Gu Yu, a natural hothead, paired with Cousins, that troublemaker—when those two clash, it’s bound to be a collision of titans. Either they’ll come to blows and both get suspended, or they’ll hit it off and join forces—either way, trouble is guaranteed. After her friend’s brief explanation, Yu Chenyi could already picture what had happened. Although Westphal was known for his flexible coaching style and for giving newcomers opportunities, his “academic” approach meant that this veteran coach was usually unwavering in his decisions. Gu Yu and Cousins going up against that brick wall—it was inevitable they’d get crushed. “If you ask me, that slick-haired guy is really dumb.” Hearing the two discuss this, the other reporters chimed in with great interest: “Cousins doesn’t really care—so what if he doesn’t play in the Summer League? A big man with such exceptional talent, drafted by the Kings with such a high pick—he’s bound to get playing time and be groomed for the future. But what about that slick-haired guy? The Summer League might just be his last chance!” “You’re absolutely right!” someone nodded in agreement. “That slick-haired guy probably thought he’d found the right big brother and wanted to ride on his coattails. But he never expected to hit a brick wall—he’s brought this on himself! Hahaha…” “I’ll say it again…” Yu Chenyi felt a sudden surge of irritation for no apparent reason. She turned to the reporters and said, “That’s not a slicked-back hairstyle—it’s a pompadour!” The reporters instantly fell silent, exchanged glances, and shrugged. What’s going on today? Little Yu, who’s always so smiley, has she swallowed gunpowder or something?? It was just a bit of banter about a fringe rookie—is it really worth getting so worked up over? Besides, what’s the difference between a slicked-back hairstyle and a pompadour anyway! “Both teams, take your positions!” On the court, the players from both teams took their positions. The referee raised the ball, and the whistle blew. “Beep—!” The game begins! “Eugene Jeter, Jermaine Taylor, Kasbi, Jason Thompson, Whiteside…” A reporter frowned as he announced the Kings’ starting lineup, then shook his head and said, “With this lineup, the Kings lack outside shooting, and they have absolutely no ability to create their own shots in the paint!” “The Timberwolves’ lineup looks great! Johnny Flynn, Wesley Johnson, Lazar Hayward, Kevin Love, Peković—they’ve got both inside and outside players, and they’re strong on both ends of the court. This lineup has been practically unstoppable in the Summer League!” Turning to the Timberwolves, the perimeter players—Johnny Flynn and Wesley Johnson—were both high draft picks. Although Love was already in his third pro season, he started because he was the only true power forward on the Timberwolves’ roster at the time. Last season, Love averaged a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 33% from beyond the three-point line. Had he played in more games, he would have been a strong contender for Sixth Man of the Year. Add to that rookie Peković, who was already a force in the paint in Europe, and the Timberwolves’ balanced inside-outside lineup makes them a formidable team in the Summer League. “The Kings are probably going to get crushed.” With that one remark, everyone fell silent, watching the game unfold. And the course of the game didn’t surprise anyone. “Swish!” Johnny Flynn drove to the basket with the ball, then suddenly passed behind his back to Johnson on the perimeter, who sank a three-pointer. “Thud!” After grabbing the defensive rebound, Kevin Love—whose “intercontinental missile” long passes had already made him famous across the NCAA—sent a stunning long pass that set the crowd abuzz, setting up Hayward for a dunk. “Crack!” Jermaine Taylor drove to the basket for a layup, but Peković was right there to meet him, swatting the ball away with a massive block that sent the crowd into a frenzy. “Whoosh!” A daring drive through the defense: Johnny Flynn’s bounce pass sliced through the Kings’ defense, and Love, with a quick cut to the basket, drove in for a layup. Less than half a quarter into the game, the Timberwolves had already taken a 12-point lead at 19–7, off to a dream start. “Thud!” “Damn, another rebound!” On the court, the Kings—growing increasingly frantic—missed another mid-range jumper, and Love snatched the rebound with a thud, drawing gasps from the crowd. Love’s rebounding skills are truly something else! “This guy is going to have a breakout year.” A veteran reporter nodded confidently and said, “A new-age stretch four who’s this dominant on the boards—Love is probably in for the best season of his career!” “Beep beep!” After the Timberwolves scored another easy basket, the Kings’ deficit had grown to 14 points. Westphal was so furious he was stomping his feet and hurriedly called a timeout. “Terrible… just terrible!” As soon as the players returned to the bench, Westphal flew into a rage, slamming the playboard to the floor so hard his hair stood on end. “Where on earth is Gu Yu…?” Meanwhile, Yu Chenyi was already reaching for her phone to call Gu Yu. Meanwhile, in the Kings’ locker room. “…Finally done with these push-ups, holy crap!!” After finishing his last push-up, Cousins collapsed onto the floor and let out a loud howl to the heavens. “Phew… phew… phew… I… I’m gonna die… phew…” Gu Yu was still fifty push-ups away from fulfilling one of the two bets he’d made with the head coach on the spot—“You can’t take the court until you’ve done 200 consecutive push-ups”…