Chapter 313: Suns vs. Hornets
"Beep!!!"
As the referee blew the whistle, the entire game came to an end.
The final score was 119:83!
The Suns defeated the Thunder by 36 points on the road.
In the garbage time, the Thunder managed to score 4 points, but that was because the Suns were taking it easy. Wade Dong was strolling on the court, not defending seriously, just scoring points and grabbing rebounds. ✿❄
...
The stats for this game:
Wade Dong: 46 points, 17 rebounds, 16 assists, 5 steals, and 4 blocks.
Durant: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
Curry: 20 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 0 blocks.
Westbrook: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
...
Even before the game ended, M Country netizens started criticizing Gentry online.
Although most netizens understood that even the Suns' coach couldn't control Wade Dong, the fact that the team's star player stayed on the court during garbage time meant that the head coach had to take the blame.
In the fourth quarter, half of the home fans had left, but the remaining fans booed loudly whenever Wade Dong had the ball.
The Suns showed no mercy to the Thunder!
...
Post-game press conference.
The reporters also focused on this issue, asking Gentry, "Coach Gentry, why did you keep Wade Dong on the court during garbage time tonight?"
"It was my decision!"
Gentry took full responsibility, "Few coaches would keep their star player on the court during garbage time, but I made that decision. When I made it, Wade Dong didn't understand, but he respected me and agreed to stay in the game."
A reporter asked, "Since even Wade Dong didn't understand, why did you do it?"
Gentry explained, "Our team has many young players, like Norris Cole, Green, and Whiteside, who are still new to the league. The team needs them to grow."
"What does their growth have to do with Wade Dong staying on the court during garbage time?"
The reporter was still confused and asked again.
Gentry spoke seriously, "There's no such thing as garbage time in basketball. As long as you're on the court, you have to give it your all. I let the team's leader play with them so that these young players won't become complacent."
"I see..."
The reporter believed Gentry and said, "You're a great coach."
Gentry's post-game interview was also turned into a news article, and the netizens' reactions were mixed.
Netizen 1: "Gentry is a good man, thinking of all the players."
Netizen 2: "Don't believe him. Norris Cole is a rookie, and Whiteside is a bench player, but Green has already proven his worth. Does he still need to be pushed?"
Netizen 3: "My friend, I disagree with your view. Look at the Suns' lineup; Green and Thompson still need to be pushed!"
Netizen 4: "I'm curious, is Brother Dong really just padding his stats?"
Netizen 5: "Damn... Damn... Damn..."
Netizen 6: "Is Brother Dong going for the scoring title?"
...
The game between the Suns and the Thunder marked a turning point.
The next day, the Suns flew to Charlotte to face the Hornets in an away game.
The Hornets had a decent record this season, currently ranking 7th in the Eastern Conference. Their star player was Al Jefferson, but the most famous person on the team was their owner: Michael Jordan!
The day before the game, Jordan specifically flew over to invite Wade Dong to dinner after learning that the Suns had arrived in Charlotte.
However, Wade Dong declined, citing the upcoming game as his reason.
Then...
Jordan invited Wade Dong to meet up after the game, and this time, Wade Dong had no choice but to agree.
Perhaps fearing that Wade Dong would leave after the game, Jordan also came to the arena that evening.
"Hey, Wade Dong, don't forget our appointment!"
Jordan reminded Wade Dong before the game began.
Durant curiously asked, "What did you agree to with the old man? Are you going to throw the game?"
"No."
Wade Dong shook his head and then sighed, "Old man Jordan wants to treat me to dinner, and he's here to make sure I don't run off after the game."
Durant put his arm around Wade Dong's shoulder and said enviously, "I'm so jealous of you. Can you bring me along to these big shots' gatherings?"
"Okay, okay, okay!"
Wade Dong pushed Durant away, a bit annoyed by the overly intimate gesture.
"Wade Dong!"
"Wade Dong!"
"Wade Dong!"
Even before the game started, the away fans began chanting Wade Dong's name. Wade Dong looked up and saw that a third of the fans were wearing his number 7 Suns jersey.
The starting lineups for both teams:
Suns: Wade Dong, Curry, Durant, Green, and Thompson.
Hornets: Jefferson, Walker, Henderson, Sessions, and Neal.
"Beep!!!"
As the referee's whistle sounded, the game began.
Durant and Jefferson jumped for the tip-off, and Jefferson tapped the ball to Sessions.
Sessions dribbled straight to the frontcourt and, at the three-point line, took a three-pointer!
"Swish!!"
The ball swished through the net.
The Hornets took the lead, 3:0!
"Go... Go... Go..."
However, the cheers from the home fans were weak and sporadic.
Sessions: (▼ヘ▼#)
The Suns inbounded the ball, and Durant passed to Wade Dong.
As soon as Wade Dong got the ball, the cheers from the home fans intensified. This made Sessions even more frustrated.
Although it was the Hornets' home court, why did Sessions feel like he was playing an away game? When he scored, there were no cheers, but when Wade Dong had the ball, the fans went wild.
"Dunk it!"
"Dunk it!"
"Dunk it!"
As soon as Wade Dong dribbled past midcourt, the fans started chanting for him to dunk.
"Heh..."
Facing such enthusiastic fans, Wade Dong couldn't let them down.
At the three-point line, Wade Dong dribbled past Sessions and drove to the basket.
At the free-throw line, Wade Dong took off!
"You won't score on me!"
Jefferson, Walker, and Henderson all jumped up simultaneously, trying to disrupt Wade Dong's shot.
Layup!
Layup!
Another layup!
Wade Dong performed three consecutive layup moves in the air, dodging the defense of Jefferson and the others.
"Swish!!"
Wade Dong hooked the ball with his left hand and dropped it into the basket.
"Damn~~~"
Everyone's attention turned to Jordan, sitting in the audience!
Although Wade Dong didn't dunk, this layup was a classic move reminiscent of Jordan.
"Haha... Wade Dong, you're hilarious!"
Jordan sat on the sidelines with a wide grin, feeling like a body double as Wade Dong copied his signature move.
The score was now 3:2!
After scoring, Wade Dong walked over to Jordan and pointed at the basket, asking, "Can you still do that move?"
Jordan smiled and said, "If the basket height is adjusted to 2.5 meters, it shouldn't be a problem!"
"Why did you have to learn to travel like him..."
Wade Dong shrugged and retreated to the backcourt to prepare for defense.
The Hornets had the ball.
Sessions passed the ball to Jefferson in the low post, and Jefferson made a turnaround jumper.
The score was now 5:2!
Although the home court felt like an away court, the Hornets played with composure.
The Hornets had a unique phenomenon: their win rate was exceptionally high when their owner was present. This season, Jordan had attended six games, and the Hornets won all six, including victories over strong teams like the Spurs and Bulls.
The Hornets were known as the 'strong team killer' this season. They had almost won against all teams with a winning percentage above 50%.
They just hadn't faced the Lakers or the Heat yet, and the Suns were the first 'universe-level' strong team they encountered.
If they could beat the Suns tonight, the Hornets would be on a roll...
The Suns had the ball.
Wade Dong dribbled to the frontcourt and set a screen with Durant. He broke through Jefferson's defense and, instead of shooting, made a behind-the-back pass.
The ball reached Durant.
"Swish!!"
Durant lifted off for a three-pointer, and the ball swished through the net.
The score was tied at 5:5!
For the next few minutes, the Hornets and the Suns went back and forth... The score kept alternating.
In the 5th minute of the first quarter, Gentry called a timeout.
Gentry said, "The Hornets' defense is very targeted, so when you have the ball, Brother Dong, your first choice should be to attack yourself. Unless other players are wide open, don't pass the ball recklessly."
"Hmm~"
Wade Dong nodded slightly.
Gentry asked again, "Did Jordan invite you to meet up after the game?"
"Why are you guys so concerned about this?"
Wade Dong smiled and said, "Coach Spoelstra asked me the same question."
Gentry screwed the bottle cap back on and said seriously, "Jordan is not a good person... Brother Dong, don't let him corrupt you!"
"Hehehe..."
Wade Dong waved his hand dismissively.
After the timeout, Carter replaced Thompson, and the players returned to the court.
Wade Dong dribbled past the center circle and passed to Curry, who waited for Wade Dong to position himself in the low post before passing the ball back.
Jefferson came to defend Wade Dong.
Wade Dong held the ball and pushed Jefferson to the basket, then jumped up for a dunk!
"Bang!!!"
With a powerful dunk, Wade Dong bent the rim.
The score was now 17:13!
The Suns led by 4 points.
"Did Shaq have this much strength?"
Jefferson rubbed his chest, feeling a bit frustrated, and ran to the frontcourt.
Then...
Sessions passed the ball to Walker, who took a mid-range jumper!
"Slap!!!"
Wade Dong suddenly rushed out from behind Walker and swatted the ball to the ground.
Durant dove for the loose ball, grabbed it, and passed it to Curry, who dribbled to the frontcourt. As he approached the basket, Curry noticed Wade Dong following him, so he lobbed the ball towards the basket.
"Bang!!!"
Wade Dong jumped behind Curry, grabbed the ball in mid-air, and performed a windmill dunk, slamming the ball through the hoop!
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
The away fans erupted in cheers.
"Dunks are best left to Brother Dong!"
"A breathtaking fast break..."
"Sigh... When even Durant is diving for loose balls, it's hard for the Hornets to beat the Suns."
"Go, Suns!"
"Go, Brother Dong!"
Wade Dong's impressive performance thrilled the fans.
...
The second quarter began, with Curry, Carter, McGrady, Tucker, and Gortat staying on the court.
Wade Dong and Durant took a rest.
The Hornets also substituted in Taylor, Gordon, and their other bench players. The Hornets' bench was no match for the Suns'.
"Swish!!"
As soon as McGrady came in, he received an assist from Curry and made a mid-range jumper.
Then, Curry also drove to the basket and scored.
The score was now 37:25!
The lead had increased to over 10 points.
Jordan sat on the sidelines with his legs crossed, his expression unchanged. If the Hornets wanted to win this game, there was only one way: for peak-condition Jordan to play.
"Brother Dong, go out there and finish the game."
Gentry looked at the technical statistics and said to Wade Dong, "You scored 17 points in 9 minutes in the first quarter. Jordan's career-high is 69 points."
"Oh..."
Wade Dong nodded and replaced Carter, returning to the court.
Usually, when Gentry mentioned a particular record, it was to remind Wade Dong that he could break it.
Durant also came back in.
The Hornets' defensive strategy was clear: let Wade Dong score but prevent him from passing easily, especially to Durant and Curry, who were tightly marked by the Hornets' players.
"Your defense isn't working..."
After Wade Dong made three consecutive three-pointers, he stood on the sidelines and reminded Jordan, "If you let me attack like this, you could score 70 points. Do you believe it?"
Jordan shook his head, "I don't believe it. 70 points isn't that hard to achieve. I've never scored that many."
"That's you, not me."
While talking to Jordan, Wade Dong noticed that Sessions was about to pass the ball to Walker in the corner. Wade Dong rushed out and stole the ball from the middle.
"Bang!!!"
Wade Dong stole the ball and finished with a dunk, scoring another two points.
The Hornets' defensive rhythm was completely disrupted. In the second quarter, Wade Dong played for 7 minutes, and the Hornets allowed him to score but prevented him from passing. However, Wade Dong made 9 out of 11 shots, including 6 out of 7 three-pointers, scoring 24 points in this quarter alone. This brought his total points to 41 in the first half.
...
In the Suns' locker room.
Gentry said, "I bet Brother Dong will score at least 70 points tonight."
"Is that so?"
Wade Dong lay back in the corner with a smile and asked, "What do you want to bet?"
Gentry said, "I'll bet my most expensive box of Da Hong Pao tea."
Wade Dong clicked his tongue, "Tsk tsk~ Didn't you say that box of tea cost you over ten thousand? Are you really willing to bet it?"
"Hehehe..."
Gentry scratched his head and looked at the players, "Who else wants to bet with me?"
Everyone shook their heads!
Wade Dong was on fire tonight, and everyone knew that with his performance, he could easily score 70 points, even during garbage time.
"No one wants to bet?"
Gentry asked again, a bit disappointed.
"How about this..."
Seeing that the other players were speechless, Wade Dong said to Gentry, "How about I bet against you?"