Chapter 219: Chapter 35: [A Bitter Pill for Garnett]

Cassell wasn’t an extraordinarily skilled player. He was a seasoned veteran with a good mid-range game, a savvy passer adept at orchestrating the offense, and a diligent defender. He was also known for being clutch.

But when he brought the ball upcourt and Su Xi latched onto him, he stalled.

He had no choice but to call for help, getting Nowitzki to set a screen. But Nowitzki’s screen was nowhere near solid enough to slow Su Xi down. Su Xi just powered right through it, without any finesse.

Cassell was still being smothered.

He was a cautious player. He hesitated, waiting for his former teammate Ray Allen to get to the right spot, then expertly made the pass... But the instant he exposed the ball, Su Xi pounced like a hungry wolf and ripped it straight from his hands.

Utterly dominant.

Absolutely overpowering.

The fans in the arena were stunned.

Many long-time fans rubbed their eyes in disbelief. ’Is this the kind of vicious defense you’re supposed to see in an All-Star Game?’

Before the referee could even react, Su Xi was already sprinting downcourt with the ball.

He turned on the jets, and as he drove to the hoop, everyone expected a thunderous dunk. Instead, Su Xi opted for a layup.

He gently laid the ball into the basket.

’Not enough of a vertical, and I came in a little too hot. No room for a proper takeoff... It’d be humiliating if I missed the dunk. Better to just secure the points with a layup.’

When the Jumbotron replayed Su Xi forcefully ripping the ball from Cassell—a move that actually lifted Cassell off his feet—the arena erupted in cheers.

Who says hard-nosed defense can’t fire up a crowd?

American fans love physical play, and Su Xi’s steal perfectly catered to their appreciation for brutal beauty.

Even the young women in the stands found it thrilling. Who wouldn’t love a pretty boy who was also strong, explosive, and devastatingly handsome?

Especially when the guy he stole from was monstrously ugly.

This wasn’t basketball. This was a Hollywood superhero beating up an ugly monster.

No one sympathized with Sam Cassell. Everyone was cheering.

"Whoa ho ho! Is Jack here to shake up the calm, friendly atmosphere of the All-Star Game?"

Charles Barkley exclaimed on the broadcast, "Honestly, I’m sick and tired of the buddy-buddy, stat-padding atmosphere of the All-Star Game. If you guys can’t pull off any new tricks, then just play some hard-nosed defense and go at it for real. The fans love to see top-tier stars get together and play physical, hard-hitting basketball."

"That’s why the fans voted for them! They need to understand they’re not here on vacation. Jack! Show ’em some more of that physical play!"

Barkley was on TV, just trying to stir the pot.

But his words strongly resonated with the fans watching at home.

Compared to a flashy exhibition, the fans definitely preferred to see a physical, suffocating battle on both ends of the court.

It’s not easy to get so many superstars in one place; how could they be allowed to just phone it in?

In past All-Star Games, the players would only start playing for real in the final minutes if the score was close.

This year, with Su Xi as the top vote-getter, this electric eel thrown into a tank of sardines was about to usher in a new era and a new style.

Any All-Star who isn’t willing to play for real should get off the court.

That’s what the fans were thinking.

The next time Sam Cassell brought the ball upcourt, his eyes were filled with venom.

"You dare to get the jump on me like that."

He snarled at Su Xi.

"Hmph, you’re just not good enough," Su Xi replied dismissively. "Weren’t you the one who started this?"

Su Xi found Cassell pathetic—all that age and he’d learned nothing. The mockery in his tone and expression was undisguised.

Most people couldn’t handle Su Xi’s level of contempt. Having spent so much time with Mike O’Connor, Su Xi had probably absorbed a tenth of O’Connor’s arrogance. If O’Connor himself were here, a simple, slight lift of his chin would have been enough to make Cassell completely lose his composure.

Drawing aggro, a smug face, an air of arrogance—O’Connor was in a league of his own. He possessed the rare quality of making people want to punch him the moment they met him.

As much as Cassell hated Su Xi’s guts, he didn’t have the ability to break down Su Xi’s defense and punish him. Su Xi’s suffocating pressure had him completely locked down.

He could only use a screen to quickly pass the ball to Ray Allen. Allen put up a jumper over Reid... CLANG!

It was no good.

Reid used to be Ray Allen’s backup, before head coach George Karl shipped Allen out and made Reid the starter. The results were just as outstanding.

In contrast, Ray Allen didn’t shine as brightly with the SuperSonics.

Both men were shooters.

In terms of pure shooting, Ray Allen was more refined.

In terms of moving without the ball, Allen was stronger.

However, in Milwaukee, Reid had a greater tactical impact. Because he was bigger and stronger, he could drive, score in the paint, and his low-post offense was a whole level above Allen’s.

That was why George Karl was willing to let Ray Allen go in order to develop Reid.

On the other end, Su Xi forced his way through the defense. As the Western Conference All-Stars’ defense collapsed on him, he kicked the ball out to the corner. Reid caught it and shot immediately... SWISH!

It went in.

Reid had an incredibly fast release. His shot was like a quick-draw.

Moreover, he was similar to Su Xi in one respect: though he shot left-handed, he could perform all other basketball moves with his right hand. He wasn’t a true lefty.

This made him incredibly difficult to guard.

If he played in a bigger market, his name would undoubtedly be much more well-known.

However, with his defensive limitations, it would be difficult for him to reach superstar status.

On the next possession, Cassell was still completely unable to shake Su Xi’s intense defense. Su Xi stuck to him like super glue.

"This just proves it! If Cassell can be a Western Conference All-Star reserve, then why can’t Jack be an Eastern Conference starter?" Barkley championed Su Xi on the broadcast.

Nowitzki hit a jumper, saving some face for the Western Conference Team.

Then, Su Xi drove hard and, at the free-throw line, bowled over Cassell, who was struggling to keep up. The arena went into a frenzy. After knocking Cassell down, Su Xi came to a dead stop, glanced down at him, and calmly put up a shot as if he were at the charity stripe... SWISH!

It went in.

The atmosphere in the Staples Center was electric.

They loved to see that kind of in-your-face humiliation. Su Xi’s play was just so outrageously cocky.

TWEET!

Western Conference Team head coach Sanders immediately called a timeout. He was furious. Kevin Garnett was even more livid, practically jumping with rage. He couldn’t stand seeing his partner get humiliated by Su Xi like that on the court—first the steal, and now this.

’Why are you using my teammate as a stepping stone to make a name for yourself?’

Garnett went straight to Sanders. He wanted in the game. He was going to deal with Su Xi, to give him a taste of his own medicine and reclaim Minnesota’s honor.

This was about loyalty to his brother-in-arms.

He even rallied the players on the Western Conference bench, "We have to teach this arrogant kid a lesson! He has absolutely no respect for us."

Garnett wanted to teach Su Xi a lesson, and he had a good reputation in the NBA. A lot of players were willing to back him up.

Sanders quickly made a substitution, putting in a lineup of Sam Cassell, Kobe Bryant, Kirilenko, Garnett, and Brad Miller.

This lineup was maxed out on toughness and defensive intensity.

Sanders had never coached a lineup with this much defensive talent. He laid out a defense-first game plan.

He added, "Since the fans want to see hard-nosed defense, let’s show Little Sheep Su Xi what real defense looks like."

TWEET!

The whistle blew, and the game resumed.

When the Western Conference Team returned to the court, the entire atmosphere had shifted.

Cassell’s expression was smug. Now that he had backup and felt emboldened, he carried himself with an arrogant, domineering air.

He looked like he was ready to take all his frustration out on Su Xi.

However, Su Xi wasn’t about to indulge him.

Su Xi immediately went back to his smothering defense. Cassell couldn’t change two facts: he had the ball, and he couldn’t get away from Su Xi.

Garnett quickly came over to set a screen for him; they had great chemistry.

With Garnett’s help, he finally shook his defender.

But a second later, Su Xi was right back on him.

He had no choice but to quickly pass to Garnett.

Garnett caught the ball and made a move toward the paint. Su Xi reached in trying for a steal, but couldn’t get it. Garnett protected the ball like Thierry Henry.

He got into the lane and passed to a trailing Kobe Bryant. Bryant caught the ball, gave a pump fake to shake Reid, and drained the jumper.

Back on offense.

Su Xi blew past Cassell’s defense, but as soon as he was inside the three-point line and before he reached the foul line, Garnett’s defense radiated over to him.

Garnett was the most formidable help defender in the league... bar none. His defensive range was also the largest in the league.

As Su Xi hesitated for a split second, Cassell recovered his position.

They formed a pincer, trapping him.

Su Xi took a quick step in, stopped on a dime, and went into a shooting motion. Cassell’s center of gravity immediately shot upward, and Garnett also took a step forward to contest. At that moment, Su Xi decisively made his pass... but in the exact instant the ball hit the floor for the bounce pass.

Garnett abruptly changed direction. His athleticism was simply off the charts. As he turned, he took a huge slide step... SMACK!

His ridiculously long arm shot out and intercepted the pass.

He came away with the ball.

The crowd erupted in a mixture of gasps and cheers.

Garnett’s terrifying and expansive defensive range... he was truly worthy of the name Wolf King.

Garnett stole the ball and casually handed it off to Cassell.

Then, he turned around, his eyes wide as he stared down Su Xi. "Kid, you think you can be king with that little bag of tricks? You’re just a little pup who isn’t even fully grown."

Garnett’s trash talk was notoriously filthy. He crossed every line, mixing obscene language with personal attacks on players’ families.

"I should’ve gotten a taste of those Hollywood girlfriends of yours first. Your soft little dick doesn’t know what a real hard pounding is... I’ll let ’em taste the sweet black truffle that flows out of my hard steel rebar..."

Garnett followed Su Xi down the court, relentlessly spewing his filth.

Until... SMACK!

Su Xi turned slightly and backhanded Garnett across the face.

The slap landed squarely on Garnett’s cheek.

It looked like an unconscious motion.

Because right after the slap, Su Xi continued running forward, making it look like part of a natural running motion.

But Garnett’s cheek stung with a fiery pain.

He clutched his face, his eyes wide with fury.

He wanted to go after Su Xi to settle the score, but Su Xi had already locked his focus back onto Cassell.

The referees made no call.

He had no choice but to swallow his anger and eat the bitterness. He couldn’t just start a full-on brawl with Su Xi, could he? He had just taken that slap for nothing.

...