Chapter 27: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered! - The Warrior Godfather

Volume 1: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered! Chapter 27: Crushing Defeat

The next evening, Hinkle Fieldhouse.

"Ronan, should we make a substitution? Stephen doesn't look like he's in good form."

47:28, the score was about to break 20 points.

"Shooters need to shoot to find their rhythm. I believe Stephen will regain his accuracy in the end, but unfortunately, the hole we dug is too deep," Zhang Yu replied.

"He's our core point guard, the NCAA's leading scorer, a super shooter. Shouldn't I give him time to find his touch?" Zhang Yu suppressed his anger with difficulty and explained.

Zhang Yu could only substitute the entire starting lineup, admitting defeat.

It was still Zhang Yu answering for Curry: The players looked up at Zhang Yu in surprise. They had expected a storm of criticism.

"Coach Z, why did you make this arrangement?" another reporter stood up.

The game between the Bulldogs and Purdue University had reached the 16th minute of the first half, but Hinkle Fieldhouse, which had been buzzing for the past five games, was now silent.

"But we're already down by 21 points. Where's the time for him to find his touch?" Stevens frowned slightly.

"Mhm!" Curry nodded heavily.

The Butler fans watched the big screen in disappointment. No one cheered, no one shouted. He hadn't expected that Stevens, who had always supported him, would also start questioning him. This made him feel wronged.

"Coach Z, why did you make this arrangement?" another reporter stood up.

From time to time, people raised their hands, ready to celebrate a score, but immediately lowered them with the sound of a missed shot.

"Shooters need to shoot to find their rhythm. I believe Stephen will regain his accuracy in the end, but unfortunately, the hole we dug is too deep," Zhang Yu replied.

Zhang Yu's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Stevens. This wasn't Staples Center; he didn't believe Curry would shoot 0 for 10 from three-point range.

The game between the Bulldogs and Purdue University had reached the 16th minute of the first half, but Hinkle Fieldhouse, which had been buzzing for the past five games, was now silent.

It was already 10 PM. The Bulldogs had lost this game badly. The fans had no mood for post-game celebrations and had gone home after the game. The area outside Hinkle Fieldhouse was deserted.

And on the sidelines, Zhang Yu's expression was also grim.

Zhang Yu hesitated, then shook his head.

Zhang Yu froze, lost in thought.

"Stephen, keep shooting, believe in yourself!" He hadn't expected that Stevens, who had always supported him, would also start questioning him. This made him feel wronged.

Stevens walked over to him and whispered, "I think what they're saying makes sense."

Stevens said calmly.

At this point, there were only 3 minutes left until the end of the game. The Bulldogs were down 48:69, trailing Purdue University by 21 points. The tide had turned.

"What do you think about what you said to those reporters?" Stevens suddenly asked.

He frowned deeply, pacing back and forth on the sidelines with his arms crossed, exuding an aura of coldness that kept people at bay.

Seeing that he couldn't get anything out of Zhang Yu, the reporter turned to Curry.

Zhang Yu's frown deepened, but he couldn't say anything because these were all tactics he had arranged, and Curry had executed them perfectly.

The reason for all this was the real-time score displayed on the big screen—45:28, visitors first, home team second. The Bulldogs, who had won five consecutive games, were trailing Purdue University by a staggering 17 points!

During the post-game interview, a reporter asked Zhang Yu:

Zhang Yu froze, lost in thought.

After all, in the past five games, the Bulldogs had never trailed by more than 5 points.

The players looked up at Zhang Yu in surprise. They had expected a storm of criticism.

"Did you hear that? Those guys are all fair-weather fans. Stephen just happened to be having an off day, and they're already making a fuss. Just you wait, they'll be tearing me apart tomorrow," Zhang Yu scoffed dismissively.

Stevens burst into laughter. Since Zhang Yu took office as head coach, he had always acted very maturely. Now, he finally looked like a young man.

Stevens could only shrug helplessly and return to his seat.

Clang!

"I don't think giving the ball to the NCAA's leading scorer is blind trust," Zhang Yu said slowly.

"Heh, this is just a regular season game. If we lose, we lose. We'll win the next one," Zhang Yu said nonchalantly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Zhang Yu smiled. "You all executed the tactics perfectly. There were just some minor issues in the final step. Stephen, don't hesitate, shoot boldly. I believe you can find your touch again."

"But he didn't find his form the entire game, and we lost this game," Stevens' expression was very serious.

"Can I interpret that as you blindly trusting Stephen Curry?" the reporter posed a sharp question.

Curry drove to the basket and missed another open three-pointer. Purdue University seized the opportunity for a fast break and scored a layup.

The 15-minute halftime break passed quickly, and the second half began.

"No one can win forever. Losing is normal. All we need to do is adjust our state and win the next game," Zhang Yu's answer was very seasoned.

"I understand, Coach." Curry nodded hesitantly. He was starting to doubt himself with all the missed shots.

"He's just not feeling it. A few more tries and he'll be fine." He hadn't expected that Stevens, who had always supported him, would also start questioning him. This made him feel wronged.

Stevens could only shrug helplessly and return to his seat.

Curry shook his head in frustration, feeling very self-reproachful, and signaled that the ball was his responsibility.

Zhang Yu could only substitute the entire starting lineup, admitting defeat.

47:28, the score was about to break 20 points.

"You took 26 shots in this game but only made 7, including 3 three-pointers out of 15 attempts, scoring only 17 points. This is your worst performance in 6 games. Do you have anything to say about that?"

"I arranged for him to keep shooting. He was just playing according to my tactics."

In the home team's locker room, Zhang Yu stood at the front, watching the players come in and sit down. Apart from the sound of tired breaths and the occasional sip of energy drinks, there was silence. The atmosphere was very somber.

Reality proved to be very different from imagination. In the subsequent play of the second half, Zhang Yu's expression grew increasingly grim.

"What did you say? Do you also think my tactics are unreasonable?"

During practice, Zhang Yu had demonstrated several times the NCAA version of the "Ferguson" hairdryer treatment.

The Butler fans let out huge sighs, while the few Purdue University fans who had come to support their team cheered ecstatically.

"Mhm!" Curry nodded heavily.

But strangely, Curry had been fine during practice yesterday. Today, for some reason, he just couldn't make any shots.

"Stephen, you were 2 for 10 in the first half, but your shot attempts decreased in the second half. Why didn't you pass the ball to your teammates?" the reporter pressed on.

Purdue University had initially defended Curry tightly at the start of the second half, not wanting to give him any shooting opportunities. However, as Curry continued to miss shots, Purdue University relaxed their defense on him.

"Stephen, keep shooting, believe in yourself!"

"This is your first loss since taking office. Do you have anything to say?"

Their deep black t-shirts stood out starkly against the vast sea of light blue in the arena. These were the away team's colors for Purdue University.

During practice, Zhang Yu had demonstrated several times the NCAA version of the "Ferguson" hairdryer treatment.

The Bulldogs were on offense. Curry used a pick-and-roll to get a brief shooting opportunity. He remembered Zhang Yu's instructions, looked up at the rim, and prepared to shoot.

He frowned deeply, pacing back and forth on the sidelines with his arms crossed, exuding an aura of coldness that kept people at bay.

Stevens burst into laughter. Since Zhang Yu took office as head coach, he had always acted very maturely. Now, he finally looked like a young man.

Stevens walked over to him and whispered, "Let's wait a bit longer. I believe in him."

Zhang Yu insisted on his own view.

During practice, Zhang Yu had demonstrated several times the NCAA version of the "Ferguson" hairdryer treatment.

Zhang Yu's frown deepened, but he couldn't say anything because these were all tactics he had arranged, and Curry had executed them perfectly.

The 15-minute halftime break passed quickly, and the second half began.

Curry just couldn't find his touch!

"Heh, this is just a regular season game. If we lose, we lose. We'll win the next one," Zhang Yu said nonchalantly.

Purdue University's defense wasn't strong enough to completely shut down Curry. Whether he had the ball or was off-ball, he could find good offensive opportunities.

"What do you think about what you said to those reporters?" Stevens suddenly asked.

"Stephen, you were 2 for 10 in the first half, but your shot attempts decreased in the second half. Why didn't you pass the ball to your teammates?" the reporter pressed on.

"It's just one loss. Those guys are like sharks smelling blood, starting to question my tactics and setting traps for Stephen. I don't want to see them again," Zhang Yu said indignantly.

"Can I interpret that as you blindly trusting Stephen Curry?" the reporter posed a sharp question.

The players looked up at Zhang Yu in surprise. They had expected a storm of criticism.

Curry drove to the basket and missed another open three-pointer. Purdue University seized the opportunity for a fast break and scored a layup.

Zhang Yu froze, lost in thought.

But strangely, Curry had been fine during practice yesterday. Today, for some reason, he just couldn't make any shots.

Curry drove to the basket on a pick-and-roll, breaking past the opponent's center. However, someone came to help defend. He shot from the free-throw line, and the ball once again bounced off the rim.

And Purdue University's head coach was beaming as he hugged his players one by one. The bench was filled with laughter and chatter as they walked towards the locker room.

From time to time, people raised their hands, ready to celebrate a score, but immediately lowered them with the sound of a missed shot.

The rim seemed to have a lid on it. Even wide-open three-pointers with no one within three meters would ridiculously hit the front of the rim.

"It's about the questions they asked Stephen."

"Stephen, you were 2 for 10 in the first half, but your shot attempts decreased in the second half. Why didn't you pass the ball to your teammates?" the reporter pressed on.

Curry drove to the basket on a pick-and-roll, breaking past the opponent's center. However, someone came to help defend. He shot from the free-throw line, and the ball once again bounced off the rim.

With the momentum from the previous five games, the fans had confidence in the team and Curry. Otherwise, given the fiery temperament of Indiana fans, there would have been boos all around at this point.

Reality proved to be very different from imagination. In the subsequent play of the second half, Zhang Yu's expression grew increasingly grim.

"Coach Z..." The players looked up at Zhang Yu in surprise. They had expected a storm of criticism.

Bang!

"Coach Z..."

"He's just not feeling it. That's all. Next question."

"That's right, this is just a minor regular season game. Winning or losing isn't important," Stevens first nodded in agreement, then changed his tone. "But what if we make it to March Madness, and Stephen suddenly has an off-day? Are you going to give him a whole game to find his touch, and then try again next year?"

Curry drove to the basket on a pick-and-roll, breaking past the opponent's center. However, someone came to help defend. He shot from the free-throw line, and the ball once again bounced off the rim.

After all, in the past five games, the Bulldogs had never trailed by more than 5 points.

The game between the Bulldogs and Purdue University had reached the 16th minute of the first half, but Hinkle Fieldhouse, which had been buzzing for the past five games, was now silent.

Drew and Campbell fought hard under the basket, but the rebound was secured by Purdue University.

The Butler fans let out huge sighs, while the few Purdue University fans who had come to support their team cheered ecstatically.

Zhang Yu's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Stevens.

Curry shook his head in frustration, feeling very self-reproachful, and signaled that the ball was his responsibility.

Zhang Yu walked into the player tunnel and found Stevens waiting for him at the corner.

During the post-game interview, a reporter asked Zhang Yu:

But the missed shots in the first half had left him with a deep psychological shadow. He hesitated before raising his hand, giving the opponent time to close in. He was interfered with while shooting a three-pointer, and the ball bounced off the rim.

The Butler fans' faces showed even more disappointment, but they didn't boo. Instead, scattered cheers of encouragement could be heard.

"It's just one loss. Those guys are like sharks smelling blood, starting to question my tactics and setting traps for Stephen. I don't want to see them again," Zhang Yu said indignantly.

"This is just an accident. You need to shoot boldly next time. Remember, you are a shooter, you must never doubt your shot." Zhang Yu patted his shoulder and comforted him.

The 15-minute halftime break passed quickly, and the second half began.

But the fans' encouragement couldn't change the situation on the court. By the end of the first half, the Bulldogs were trailing Purdue University by 18 points, 34:52. Fortunately, the deficit hadn't reached 20 points, barely maintaining a shred of dignity.

"I think what they're saying makes sense," Stevens said calmly.