Chris Chen stood there, already set to shoot!
He caught the pass, rose, and released the ball in one fluid motion. As a figure came charging toward him, Chen Xi completed a textbook shot, as routine as a training drill.
"The game-winner!!!! Chris Chen!!! He's won it for the Golden State Warriors!!!!!" The commentator sprang up from the scorer's table, shouting at the top of his lungs.
The young man on the court held his follow-through, his right hand raised high, wrist bent gently downward. Before him stood the Warriors, all wearing looks of disbelief.
"F**k!!! You ****ing **beast!!!!!" Butler, the closest to Chen Xi, charged over and wrapped him in a tight hug. Then a wave of teammates piled on, and for a moment, it was a whole lot of men on top of one another.
After finally managing to wriggle free from his teammates' embrace, Chen Xi stood at center court, raised his right fist high, and announced to the world that a new star was rising.
"You were amazing. You're really good. I'm looking forward to our next matchup." Curry came over and gave Chen Xi a gentle hug.
"Thanks. I'm looking forward to it too. Come visit us in Oklahoma City next time."
Things were harmonious on this side of the court. The same couldn't be said for the other.
Not one member of the Thunder went over to speak with or greet Durant. They simply celebrated their win before slowly making their way toward the players' tunnel.
No one knew what Durant was thinking at that moment. He simply glanced silently in the Thunder's direction, then turned and headed for the Warriors' locker room.
From the moment he'd made that decision, he'd known that his time with the Thunder was over. He'd also known that he might be vilified for it. But none of that mattered. Time would prove to the world whether his decision had been right.
The O'Brien Trophy would relight his career. Durant believed that with all his heart.
After the game, Chen Xi got his first taste of star treatment: he was swarmed by reporters.
"Chris, you shot 13-for-21 and scored 39 points in this game. You also hit two consecutive threes in the clutch, including the game-winner. How are you feeling right now?"
"Uh, I'm really excited. Really happy."
"Did you expect Westbrook to pass you the ball in the closing moments?"
"Yes. It wasn't just me; everyone was ready to take the shot. It just happened to be me this time."
"You're too modest. You have the highest three-point percentage on the team. I'm sure you're the team's first option."
"No, Russell will always be the first option. But you saw it yourself—Kevin Durant defended him well, so he decided to pass."
"Speaking of Kevin Durant, what do you think of the veteran who was still with the Thunder last season?"
"Um... I respect him, I guess. He's an MVP. What am I supposed to think of him?" Chen Xi looked at the reporter, speechless. You think I'm an idiot? You really think you can get me to say something with a question like that?
"Okay, then do you consider yourself the team's second star now?"
"My salary this year is $550,000, brother. JB makes $18 million, and Russell makes $26 million. Who do you think the team's star is?"
Damn it, these Oracle Arena reporters were all up to no good. Better get out of here!
After fobbing off a few more questions, Chen Xi turned and headed for the players' tunnel.
The moment he stepped into the locker room, a splash of ice water drenched him.
"Shit!!!!!"
Chen Xi yelped and hopped around, hunching up in discomfort. Damn this tradition! Who came up with cooling you down after a hot shooting night? What a lunatic!!!!
The atmosphere in the Thunder locker room was still great. Everyone was lost in the rush of victory, celebrating with abandon.
Besides Chen Xi's 39 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, Westbrook had put up 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 15 assists, while Butler had added 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Thunder's new "Big Three" had combined for 90 points to lead the team to victory.
For the Warriors, Durant had scored 40 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Curry had recorded 22 points and 8 assists, and Green had contributed 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Klay, however, had struggled, finishing with just 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists—a major reason the team lost.
The next game was an away matchup against the Jazz on the 23rd.
To help the players adjust to the high altitude, the team flew to Utah five days early. The players would have plenty of time to rest during their stay, a small perk amid their six-game road trip.
In his Salt Lake City hotel, Chen Xi had taken a rare day off. He lay on his bed, watching fans online go wild.
The Warriors had been giving it their all and still lost on a buzzer-beater. It was huge news, and a shot in the arm for everyone else. It might have been the first time this season that the Warriors, with their full roster on the floor, had been beaten outright.
After last season's failure, the Golden State Warriors had relied on their deep roster and talent to keep the team healthy with occasional rest days. Even so, they sat comfortably atop the Western Conference, unshakable. So many teams had been toyed with for two quarters and blown out by the third. They were strong enough to make you despair.
The Thunder's win had undoubtedly given those people confidence.
"So the Tsunami Brothers aren't that hard to beat after all? Look, they just got hit with a game-winner by a rookie from the team next door..."
"Damn it, I beat the Warriors on merit, all right? These damned clickbait accounts!!!" Chen, watching a few articles deliberately downplay his performance, grew furious. He wanted to switch to his main account and argue with them, but worried he'd just make them happy by driving traffic to their posts. That would be worse than killing him.
He switched over to a few Chinese short-video apps.
"Ahhh!!! I want barbecue so bad! I want hot pot!!!"
He regretted it as soon as he finished watching.
He couldn't usually get those foods anyway, but now his entire feed was full of them. And he was trying to put on a little weight, so his diet was strictly controlled. Damn it, he couldn't even have a whole fried chicken to satisfy his craving.
"Damn it!!!!"
Whatever. He'd go practice with JB!
He tossed and turned on the bed, bored out of his mind. In the end, with nothing else to do, he decided to drag himself back to the court.
This was Chen Xi's second time in Salt Lake City, and he'd finally gotten somewhat used to strenuous exercise at high altitude. But it still affected him, especially with his physical stats still so low.
Against the Jazz, he went 7-for-16, scoring 19 points with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. That was a relatively quiet night compared with his usual level. Fortunately, Westbrook and Butler came through with 55 points between them, helping the team win again.
The advantages of having those two veterans were gradually becoming clear as the games went on.
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