24 Points in a Single Quarter! (This Chapter is as Long as I Am)

# Chapter 17: 24 Points in a Single Quarter! (This chapter is as long as me)

After the pre-game warm-up ended, the starting lineups from both teams took the court one after another.

The Student Team won the jump ball and secured the first offensive opportunity.

They seized the chance on their very first possession, with an outside player quickly launching and sinking a three-pointer.

Just as Raul had warned before the game, this team played fast and attacked relentlessly.

When Real Madrid advanced to the frontcourt, the ball went to Sun Hao right from the start.

Sun Hao had already established himself as the team's leader, and with Raul's special instructions before today's game—

Unlike the past few matches, he was the primary offensive focal point from the opening tip.

He observed the Student Team's defensive positioning; their communication was lacking, and even their stances weren't ideal.

He signaled for the center to pull up to the arc and set a pick-and-roll.

The opposing center stayed inside the Three-Second Zone and didn't come out.

Sun Hao seized the opportunity and launched a three-pointer directly before the defender could navigate around the screen.

It was an uncontested shot.

The ball spun through the air, tracing a high parabolic arc.

"Swish!"

A crisp sound, and the basketball Swished Through the Net.

Sun Hao answered back with an immediate answer ball!

The Student Team tried to push the pace again, but Real Madrid was prepared this time, and their offense failed to convert.

Coming back the other way, Sun Hao continued using screens to fire off threes.

The opposing center still didn't come out!

It wasn't because the Student Team looked down on Sun Hao—it was that three-pointers weren't valued in this era.

Moreover, Europe had no defensive three-second rule, so centers basically camped in the paint!

So as long as the center set a decent screen and the opposing guard's perimeter defense was mediocre, this simple guard-center pick-and-roll tactic was practically unstoppable.

Sun Hao shot again.

The ball was still on target.

The fans in the stands already had their mouths hanging open in anticipation.

"Swish!"

Another swished three-pointer!

Cheers erupted from the stands.

Sun Hao had brought the scorching hot feel from pre-game practice into the game!

He'd already knocked down two straight threes!

This style of play was a bit different from the previous games, but it was far more exciting to watch!

After sinking the three, Sun Hao Turned His Head toward the stands, where Jocelyn was waving enthusiastically, cheering him on.

Seeing that, he felt his adrenaline levels spike even higher.

The Student Team's offense—they still pushed the pace.

The guard called for a screen and launched the shot early before the pick was fully set.

This style of play was somewhat reminiscent of the NBA's run-and-gun offense.

"Smack!"

But before he could release the ball, he felt his hands go light—the ball was gone from his grip!

Sun Hao's steal!

With adrenaline continuing to surge, he was now in an absolutely amped state.

It wasn't just his shooting touch—his entire being was operating at a superhuman level.

No one else had expected Sun Hao to pull off a steal like that.

By the time the guard reacted and tried to chase, Sun Hao was already on a Fast Break past midcourt.

He was unbelievably fast.

With the "Fast Break Finisher" badge backing him up, everyone else could only watch as he breezed in for a layup.

The cheers from the stands rose again, especially from the fans holding up Sun Hao's KT boards, waving them with great enthusiasm.

Counting that fast break, Sun Hao had already scored 8 points in less than two minutes of play!

This touch, this state—it was simply godlike!

The Student Team's fast-paced offense still wasn't working.

Sun Hao's red-hot form fired up his teammates' enthusiasm.

Even if they couldn't contribute much on offense, they could still defend!

Real Madrid pushed another fast break, and it was still Sun Hao—he was even faster cutting without the ball than with it!

The center fired a pass that spanned the entire court.

The pass quality was average, but Sun Hao still sprinted over to catch it, then galloped to the basket and scored before the defender could block it!

10 to 3!

All of Real Madrid's points since tip-off had come from Sun Hao!

Sun Hao had scored 10 straight points by himself to open the game!

Student Team head coach Decavo couldn't sit still anymore; he got up and walked to the sideline.

Student Team's frontcourt shot missed again—Real Madrid's defensive intensity was through the roof!

"Fall back! Fall back!"

Decavo shouted from the sideline.

He'd already seen Sun Hao convert two straight fast breaks and didn't want to see a third.

The shouting worked; this time Student Team's retreat was timely enough.

When Sun Hao brought the ball up on the break, two Student Team players had already rotated back into position.

Seeing that, Sun Hao didn't accelerate toward the rim. Instead, he suddenly stopped beyond the three-point line.

The stop came out of nowhere; Student Team's players were all sprinting back on defense and couldn't brake in time.

By the time they slowed down and stopped, Sun Hao had already released his shot from beyond the arc.

A glint of excitement flashed in the eyes of the live crowd.

Sun Hao had pulled up for a transition three!

Without a certain level of body control, an ordinary player couldn't even attempt that kind of shot!

In the history of Chinese men's basketball, back before the 2019 World Championships, the Chinese team played a warm-up against Brazil. Trailing by 3 in the final moments, China had possession. Zhao Rui drove to the frontcourt on a fast break but didn't take the transition three—instead, he missed a layup, drawing heavy criticism afterward.

That was a textbook case of lacking the ability to hit a transition three.

Sun Hao had trained hard in the system for years, building physical conditioning and ball-handling skills far beyond his peers. He now possessed that ability.

Of course, whether it went in was another matter.

The ball looked a bit strong as it left his hand.

A pull-up transition three is significantly harder than a regular three-pointer.

But at least the trajectory seemed straight.

"Clang!"

The ball hit the backboard, then ricocheted into the net.

Sun Hao's transition three—it went in too!

He was 5-for-5 to start the game, his hand on fire!

The cheers in the arena hit a fever pitch, and quite a few fans were losing their minds on the spot.

Sun Hao had scored 13 straight points!

And that was with less than half a quarter gone!

He was about to break his own league scoring record again tonight!

After the shot went in, Sun Hao glanced at his hand and smiled.

This hot streak was even hard for him to believe.

But the feeling? Awesome!

He turned his head and looked at Jocelyn in the stands.

For the first time, he realized just how powerful love could be.

Sun Hao's playing style in the youth team was pretty much the same as it had been back in China—three-pointers and fast breaks.

That kind of game was basically unstoppable in a lower-tier league.

Fast breaks set Sun Hao's scoring floor; his ceiling depended on his outside shooting.

In the previous few games, even though he'd scored plenty, he hadn't taken many threes.

Take the first game against Barcelona, for example—most of his points came from fast breaks.

But tonight, with his outside shot burning this hot, his scoring might reach a territory he'd never touched before.

Just then, Jocelyn in the stands, seeing Sun Hao looking her way, put her hands to her chest and made a heart gesture.

It was as if a Cupid's Arrow flew over and struck Sun Hao straight through the heart.

His entire mental state surged sharply, his face flushing red.

The hot blood inside him was already churning uncontrollably!

The Student Team finally broke through and scored a basket, ending a scoring drought that had lasted nearly half a quarter.

But when they came back, it was Sun Hao again, blood boiling, launching a three-pointer right in front of the defender on the perimeter!

"Swish!"

He hit it again!

16 to 5!

Sun Hao's sixth shot of the opening, and he made it!

He had accounted for all 16 of the team's points!

He alone was a whole team!

Up in the stands, Jocelyn's emotions were also stirred.

Even when she'd watched games live in the NBA before, she'd never felt this way.

Back then, watching a game was entertainment, but now watching Sun Hao play was a kind of focus.

The better Sun Hao played, the happier she became.

It was a strange feeling, but it was exactly how she felt right now.

The Student Team called a timeout.

Decavo knew he had to curb Sun Hao's scoring momentum.

And more importantly, the Student Team's offense was also having problems.

Defense was never their strong suit, but if their offense couldn't get going either, they were doomed to lose tonight.

They might even fold by halftime.

When the timeout ended, there was a clear change on the court.

The Student Team started slowing down the game's pace, no longer chasing fast breaks, and began playing half-court sets.

This shift caught the Real Madrid team off guard.

It's hard for any team to master two completely different styles at once.

Take the NBA for example: Don Nelson's Mavericks and Warriors, D'Antoni's Suns—their run-and-gun was unstoppable, but their half-court game was a mess.

Or Popovich's Spurs—half-court play was their strength, but they weren't known for fast breaks.

Yet now, the Student Team was suddenly showing two entirely different styles, which was incredible.

But it wasn't entirely impossible.

European basketball's style itself is built on half-court play. Even though the Student Team had broken from that norm to play fast and shoot from deep, it wasn't strange that they could fall back on their old habits.

The Student Team exploited a gap in Real Madrid's half-court defense, with a forward cutting in to catch a pass and score two points.

Real Madrid's defensive effectiveness early on relied more on aggressive steals or pressing.

That worked well against fast breaks, but it was far less effective in half-court defense.

In half-court play, what mattered more was the team's overall defensive capability.

Real Madrid wasn't bad in that regard, but the Student Team excelled at offense, making it hard for them to fully lock down.

That was also why Raul had planned an offensive battle before the game.

As Real Madrid pushed the ball up the court again, the Student Team immediately double-teamed Sun Hao as soon as he got the ball.

Decavo might have been a youth league coach, but he wasn't low-level.

Sun Hao didn't force a shot; instead, he chose to pass early.

His teammate caught the pass and scored an easy layup.

The Student Team's defense was already mediocre, and the double-team left them full of holes.

Sun Hao's passing was average, but he had the advantage of the Basketball IQ Badge's assistance.

After sensing the double-team, he got the ball out ahead of time.

Decavo shook his head from the sidelines.

If Real Madrid struggled to defend the Student Team in half-court, the Student Team couldn't stop Real Madrid either.

The Student Team scored again in their half-court set, but when they came back, Sun Hao delivered another assist on the perimeter.

Sun Hao or someone else on Real Madrid—the Student Team was now facing a tough multiple-choice question!

The one making that choice was naturally head coach Decavo.

He finally signaled for the team to abandon the double-team and stick to man-to-man defense.

Compared to Sun Hao's three-point shooting from outside, that kind of defensive breakdown hurt morale more, and the scores came easier.

Sun Hao had indeed been on fire since the opening, forcing Decavo to adjust his defensive strategy.

But a player's hot streak can't last forever.

When Sun Hao's touch starts to fade, that's when the Student Team will strike back!

The Student Team's frontcourt coordination was still there, and after a mid-range shot found the net, the score on the court became 11 to 20!

During this stretch, both sides traded blows in half-court offense, and the Student Team managed to hold their ground against Real Madrid!

Real Madrid's offense. Sun Hao saw the opponent abandon the double team, so he called for another pick-and-roll. After the screen, he stepped into another three-point attempt.

This shot was a little off, clanking off the right rim.

But tonight, Sun Hao wasn't just blessed with Good Feel—he had luck on his side too.

The ball bounced up a second time and dropped right back into the basket!

Sun Hao's seventh shot, and it still went in!

He had already scored 19 points in this quarter!

Ruthless!

But Decavo's expression was noticeably more relaxed at this point.

Although Sun Hao's shot went in, it was clearly different from his previous makes.

Those earlier shots were all clean swishes, proof that Sun Hao's touch was scorching hot.

But this one? It had a lot more luck involved.

In other words, Sun Hao's feel was starting to cool off.

His earlier judgment and choice had been correct.

Sun Hao himself could feel it too.

On the basketball court, when a player's hand is hot, his teammates keep feeding him the ball.

Partly because his high accuracy made it a safe bet, and partly to keep that hot streak alive.

That was common knowledge.

After going two straight possessions without a shot, Sun Hao's touch inevitably began to fade.

At this point, he Turned His Head to look at the audience again.

The fans courtside were still cheering for him, and his own supporters were still energetically waving his oversized head KT board.

And Jocelyn.

The first person he spotted in the crowd was Jocelyn.

When Jocelyn noticed Sun Hao's gaze, she brought her hand to her lips this time and blew him a flying kiss!

Jocelyn, just like at the Bernabéu before, was hyped again!

Sun Hao felt like another Cupid's Arrow was shooting straight at him.

And while the first Cupid's Arrow had only hit him, this one pierced right through!

He felt his heart skip a beat, then start pounding wildly, like it was about to leap out of his chest.

He felt not just his blood boiling, but even the hairs on his arms standing on end.

He was excited now. Really excited!

"Slap!"

The result was that while the Student Team was running their play, Sun Hao suddenly burst out, just like in his youth team debut when he stole the ball from Rodriguez, and ripped the ball straight from the opposing guard's hands.

Then, before the other team could react, he was already on a Fast Break from the backcourt to the frontcourt, finishing with another layup!

Sun Hao's 21st point of the first quarter!

Decavo's brow was now so furrowed you could stick a pen in it.

Sun Hao was this good at steals and fast breaks too, on top of his threes?!

He shouted at his players on the court, warning them to protect the ball.

When the Student Team advanced to the frontcourt again, their offensive focus clearly shifted to the side opposite Sun Hao's position.

But this approach weakened their half-court game, and they couldn't string together points.

When they came back, Sun Hao got the ball on the perimeter, called for another screen, and let it fly again.

This shot had a high arc, and after coming down, it barely even touched the net before dropping straight through!

24 points in a single quarter!

Decavo was completely stunned.

He stared at Sun Hao like he was looking at a monster.

Was Sun Hao's touch the stock market? It dipped a little, then shot straight back up to the limit?!

Anyone would struggle to understand it.

Maybe only Sun Hao himself knew it was because of Jocelyn.

Jocelyn was the strongest support tonight!

"You motherfuckers, what the hell are you doing?! Throw the damn ball in the basket, you sons of bitches!"

After snapping back to reality, Decavo finally lost control of his emotions and unleashed his Spanish profanity.

That phrase "sons of bitches" was relatively popular in the football world.

During El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, no matter which side won, thousands of fans would gather on the streets to chant curses together.

Decavo had nothing to do with football, but his cursing was very Spanish.

The players on the court were still students after all, and students have an innate fear of adults, especially when that adult is the head coach who holds the power of life and death over them.

It was like a whip lashing their asses; the Student Team players charged forward with a ferocity in their expressions that hadn't been there before.

Pushing into the frontcourt, it was clear that the Student Team had greatly improved in screen quality and tactical execution.

A perimeter player seized the opportunity and sank a three-pointer.

That three-pointer came at a crucial time.

Earlier, the Student Team had narrowed the score to 11-20, a 9-point gap that kept the situation tense.

But after Sun Hao knocked down two more threes and added a fast-break steal, personally unleashing an 8-0 Scoring Run, the situation shifted instantly.

A 9-point gap and a 17-point gap were two completely different concepts.

One was close to double digits, the other was close to 20 points!

However, with that three-pointer, the 17-point gap shrank to 14, easing their psychological pressure considerably.

And after being "whipped," their defensive intensity also increased.

Sun Hao missed a three-pointer, and a teammate's layup also went wide.

On the Student Team's side, although they missed two consecutive shots, they drew fouls both times and scored 4 points.

After Decavo unleashed his Spanish profanity, the Student Team countered the Real Madrid Youth Team with a 7-0 run.

With that Scoring Run concluded, the first quarter also came to an end.

The score on the board was frozen at 28-18.

But at this point, the fans' focus wasn't on the score; it was on Sun Hao's personal scoring!

Sun Hao had dropped 24 points in the first quarter!

This score not only broke his own single-quarter scoring record in the youth team but also shattered the Real Madrid Youth Team's all-time record!

This was a quarter worthy of being etched into the history of youth team basketball.

And the key was Sun Hao's scoring method—he didn't take a single free throw in that quarter, but he hit 6 three-pointers!

That was unbelievable not just in European leagues, but across the entire world of basketball!

A very, very long chapter, long long long. No one should be calling it short today!

Since it's so long, shouldn't there be some recommendation tickets as a reward? Drop some chapter comments too, I love you all!