European Single-Game Scoring Record!

Chapter 41: European Single-Game Scoring Record! (5K Chapter, Please Vote)

Cheers erupted from the stands.

Real Madrid Team's recent poor performance had a lot to do with Sun Hao's poor form.

But tonight, Sun Hao scored right from the opening tip!

A blazing start!

Sun Hao drew first blood, but Barcelona Team's Navarro drove in and hit a floater to answer right back.

After more than a season of starting experience, Navarro was already showing signs of "The Bomb" potential.

Both teams scored early, hinting at a shootout trend, and the fans in the stands were thrilled.

Just like when Sun Hao had dropped 81 points in the EBA and won over the fans, rarity made it precious!

Sun Hao advanced the ball upcourt and called for Gabajosa to set a screen again.

Barcelona Team chose to switch again.

Gasol still lunged forward after Sun Hao made his shooting motion, and Sun Hao still drove right.

A copycat play!

But this time, Gasol was wary and stepped back early.

Still, he couldn't stop Sun Hao!

The speed gap between the two was a bit too big!

Because of his slower speed, Gasol had historically been a weakness in perimeter defense after entering the NBA.

He'd already predicted Sun Hao would drive right, but he still couldn't stop him!

Sun Hao's second drive had the flavor of Iverson!

You know I'm going right, but you just can't stop me!

The guard who switched onto Gabajosa under the basket saw Sun Hao driving in again and quickly rotated over.

Sun Hao saw it and didn't hesitate—he took one more step forward and lobbed the ball toward the rim.

With the guard rotating over, Gabajosa was wide open under the basket!

The pass was a bit off; Sun Hao's Basketball IQ was high, and he made the right read, but his passing (skill) was still lacking.

But Gabajosa showed his talent, Leapt Up, pulled the ball back with his right hand, and slammed it hard with both hands into the hoop.

"Boom!"

The heavy thud echoed through the speakers into the audience's ears, and the arena exploded.

An alley-oop!

Sun Hao and Gabajosa had pulled off an alley-oop!

European basketball emphasized tactics and physical play, and most players were ground-bound; dunks were rare, let alone alley-oops.

This kind of play was explosive.

Gabajosa was pumped after the dunk, swinging hard on the rim before landing.

And after landing, he turned to look for Sun Hao, wanting a passionate hug.

But unfortunately, Sun Hao had already retreated on defense.

Ever since that game-winner hug, he'd been scarred by Gabajosa's body scent.

"Defense! Defense!"

The fans were already cheering for Real Madrid Team.

Only two possessions had been played, but both were so exciting that they'd fully ignited the crowd's emotions.

The roar was deafening, and Real Madrid Team's players were fully fired up. Gasol's low-post backdown and turn was swatted back by Gabajosa!

Real Madrid Team controlled the ball, and Sun Hao took it on a Fast Break, shaking off the defender and gliding in for a bank shot.

6 to 2!

Real Madrid Team had thrown down the gauntlet to Barcelona Team right from the start!

Sun Hao had shaken off his slump from the past few games, contributing 4 points and 1 assist in the opening!

In other words, he'd been involved in every single point Real Madrid Team scored!

In the stands, the female fans holding up the big Sun Hao KT boards swayed with even more fervor.

The worry on Laso's face finally faded.

Sun Hao's form had been average, but he'd still chosen to trust him, and now Sun Hao was repaying that trust!

With the offense flowing smoothly from the start, the defense followed suit, and they successfully stopped Barcelona Team's next attack.

When Sun Hao brought the ball upcourt again and called for Gabajosa's screen, Barcelona Team looked unsure how to defend.

Gasol had failed to stop Sun Hao for two straight possessions, and stopping him on the third would be no small challenge.

Enrique said nothing from the sidelines, and the defenders on the court didn't switch their approach either—Barcelona kept switching on screens.

This time, though, Gasol's defensive stance had changed from before.

His hands weren't raised; instead, he spread his arms wide and dropped his center of gravity back.

He was guarding against Sun Hao driving!

After getting blown by twice in a row, guarding the drive was a normal reaction for anyone.

Even without the First Step Master's help, Sun Hao could see Gasol's defensive adjustment.

He didn't hesitate with the ball—he pulled up and shot directly.

Gasol saw it and tried to close out, but with a frame that big, after sinking his weight, he needed time to spring back out.

By the time he lunged forward, Sun Hao had already released the shot.

The ball sailed over Gasol's head, spinning in a high arc through the air.

The crowd's eyes followed the basketball.

As it neared the basket, excitement lit up their faces.

This shot—

Dead on!

It was going in!

"Swish!"

The next second, a crisp sound echoed through the arena.

Sun Hao's three-pointer—nailed it!

"Sun!!"

With the announcer's shout, the entire Barclaycard Center erupted into chaos.

Sun Hao had hit all three of his opening shots, already racking up 7 points!

And under his lead, Real Madrid was up 9-2 over Barcelona to start the game!

An unbelievable start!

The last time these two teams met this season, Real Madrid had been crushed from the opening tip and dominated all night long!

But tonight, everything had changed!

Without Prigioni, Real Madrid looked weaker on paper, yet they'd seized control of the game!

And the man behind that shift was Sun Hao!

"He's unbelievable tonight! Who was the last player to dominate La Liga like this—Petrovic, Sabonis, or Bodiroga?"

Sun Hao's opening performance had even the announcer going wild with praise!

But given his showing, the hype was completely justified!

In La Liga, where averaging double digits made you a superstar, Sun Hao had already dropped 7 points!

Enrique reached up and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He hadn't expected Sun Hao, who'd been struggling the past few games, to suddenly explode like this.

After hesitating, he turned to the bench and called up the team's second center, sending him in to replace Gasol.

Gasol came off the court with a sour look on his face.

He felt like he might as well have chatted literature with Sun Hao at the start.

Sun Hao tonight—he was going for the kill!

Barcelona's second center was named Daniel, an Englishman standing just 2.06 meters—a shorter center with rough offensive skills but solid defense.

This was a sacrifice on offense in exchange for containing Sun Hao.

Barcelona's offense hadn't been flowing from the start anyway, and with Gasol off the floor, they struggled even more—another possession came up empty.

That meant nearly half a quarter in, they'd only scored 2 points!

On the other end, Sun Hao mismatched against Daniel and missed a three from outside.

As a shorter center, Daniel had good mobility, and his ability to defend on the perimeter was far better than Gasol's.

But the ball hit the Back Rim of the Basket, a short rebound.

With no center under the basket for Barcelona, Gabajosa leaped high to snag the offensive board, powered up, and drew a foul from the opposing power forward on the contest, earning two free throws.

Gabajosa took a breath and sank both—Real Madrid was now up 11-2!

Barcelona was forced to call a timeout.

During a timeout, Enrique's rapid-fire speech and rising volume laid bare Barcelona's predicament.

A one-sided start—if no one stepped up, they might get blown out in one wave!

Coming out of the timeout, the man who stepped up was Navarro.

He took a screen on the perimeter and pulled up for a quick three-pointer.

The arc of the ball was very high.

"Swish!"

The ball slammed heavily into the net, just like a bomb!

Real Madrid adjusted their offense at this point, trying to force-feed Daniel inside.

Unfortunately, Gabajosa's forceful attack didn't go in, and the rebound was collected by Daniel.

Moreover, after securing the rebound, Barcelona pushed a fast break directly. Navarro led the charge, caught the ball, dodged Trinidad's defense in mid-air, and scored with a floater!

Barcelona closed the gap to 7 to 11!

Although Gasol was forced off the court, Barcelona's strength this season was greater than last season's, and beating them wasn't as easy as before.

What's more, with Daniel on the court, Sun Hao's mismatch advantage wasn't as pronounced.

Real Madrid shifted their offensive focus to the inside, but consecutive attacks failed.

On the other end, Navarro drove and dished, assisting a teammate for a score.

9 to 11!

Barcelona had answered Real Madrid with a 7-0 run, cutting the deficit to just 2 points!

Navarro showcased his improvement, contributing 5 points and 1 assist in this stretch!

You have Napoleon; I have The Bomb!

This time, it was Laso's turn to sense something wrong. He raised his hand and called a timeout.

"Sun, keep running the pick-and-roll with Yorg."

During the timeout, he chose to switch the tactics back, as the team's offense had completely lost its way.

Sun Hao nodded.

After the timeout, Sun Hao dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and signaled Gabajosa to come up to the arc for another pick-and-roll. Barcelona continued to switch.

Enrique's expression had regained its composure. With Navarro on offense and Daniel on defense, Barcelona seemed to have stabilized.

Sun Hao glanced at Daniel and drove straight to the right.

Daniel retreated in advance, and Sun Hao couldn't get past him.

But Sun Hao didn't seem intent on blowing by him in one step. He pulled the ball back with a dribble to the left, then changed direction and drove from the left.

A crossover!

Thanks to the early ball-handling training in the system, Sun Hao's dribbling was very steady. This crossover was executed quite beautifully.

Daniel hadn't expected Sun Hao to pull this move. When he turned to defend, Sun Hao had already driven into the paint from the left.

Sun Hao rose up against the opposing guard's help defense and released the shot. The ball spun around the rim before dropping through the net!

When it mattered most, the one stepping up to score was still Sun Hao!

The female fans in the crowd screamed with excitement.

Tonight, Sun Hao charged straight in, stormed the fortress, and was unstoppable!

Sun Hao's wild performance thrilled the fans but gave Barcelona's head coach Enrique a massive headache.

He had thought that putting Daniel in earlier had limited Sun Hao's mismatch isolation, but he never expected Sun Hao to have so many offensive moves!

Although the crossover wasn't executed with full finesse, he at least had the ability!

This Asian Player was only a little over 1.7 meters tall, but his talent was terrifyingly high.

And to think he was only 17 years old!

Not just in La Liga, but in all of European history, nothing like this had ever happened.

Sun Hao was truly God's creation, the first of his kind!

Navarro was double-teamed in the frontcourt, and Barcelona's offensive possession came up empty.

On the other end, Sun Hao missed a three-pointer, but Gabajosa tipped in the rebound.

Barcelona's offense still failed. Real Madrid pushed the fast break, and Sun Hao assisted a teammate for another score.

17 to 9!

Barcelona had finally narrowed the gap, but after Real Madrid's 7-0 run, the lead was stretched once again!

The fact was, once they couldn't limit Real Madrid's offense, Daniel's weakness on offense was magnified to the extreme!

Enrique reached up and wiped the sweat from the corner of his eye.

Like Laso, neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona could afford to lose this match. The loser would face immense pressure after the game.

That pressure came not only from the fans but also from the management.

After all, in basketball leagues, the average career span of a head coach was very short.

Bad team record? Change the coach. Star player in a bad mood? Change the coach. Owner in a bad mood? Change the coach.

Coaches had always been the first choice to take the fall.

After the first quarter ended, Real Madrid led Barcelona 25 to 13.

Sun Hao had already dropped 12 points in a single quarter!

The momentum was completely one-sided.

During the substitution stretch at the start of the second quarter, Barcelona, led by Gasol, cut the deficit back to 6 points.

But once the starters returned, Real Madrid pulled away again.

At halftime, 43 to 28, Real Madrid had extended their lead to 15 points!

Sun Hao scored another 6 points in the second quarter, putting up 18 points by halftime—nearly half the team's total!

With a 15-point lead and Barcelona still unable to solve the problem of defending Sun Hao, this game was the complete opposite of their first meeting of the season. Barcelona was in deep trouble!

When the second half began, all eyes turned to Barcelona's bench.

Everyone was curious about Barcelona's starting lineup for the third quarter.

Based on the first half, continuing with Gasol meant they couldn't contain Sun Hao; but going with Daniel created major offensive problems.

A tough choice, and Enrique's head was spinning.

The second half started, and both teams' starters took the court one by one.

Just then, the fans saw Barcelona's decision.

Gasol was still starting!

Enrique was sticking with his guns!

Barcelona had the first possession of the second half. Navarro and Gasol ran a high pick-and-roll, and Gasol caught Navarro's return pass for a high-post jumper.

"Swish!"

The ball settled cleanly into the net.

Although his playing time had been limited in the first half due to defensive concerns, Gasol's offensive rhythm still looked excellent.

On Real Madrid's possession, Sun Hao ran a pick-and-roll with Gabajosa, switched, and went at Gasol again.

Gasol played way off, giving Sun Hao space for a three.

Sun Hao's three clanked off the rim, and Barcelona secured the long rebound.

Enrique let out a long breath.

His choice to keep Gasol starting in the second half was to trade baskets with Real Madrid, betting that Sun Hao's three-point touch would cool off—that his gun had run out of bullets.

From that one defensive stand and the ensuing offense, it looked like he'd guessed right.

On Barcelona's next possession, Gasol backed down in the post, turned, and missed his shot, but his long arms let him tip the rebound and draw a foul on Gabajosa, earning two free throws.

His defense might have obvious flaws, but his offensive talent was overflowing.

He sank both free throws despite the crowd's noise, scoring 4 straight points to start the half and cutting the deficit to 11.

Enrique couldn't help clenching his fist in celebration. His halftime decision was brilliant!

But just as that thought crossed his mind—

"Swish!"

Sun Hao, facing the same defensive approach from Gasol, fired up another three without hesitation.

This time, the ball swished through the net. Sun Hao had scored his 21st point of the game!

Enrique had bet wrong!

The crowd's cheers erupted again. At this rate, Sun Hao breaking his own single-game scoring record was a foregone conclusion.

In other words, they were about to witness another career night from Sun Hao!

Gasol glanced back at Enrique on the sideline, silently asking if they should change their defensive strategy.

Enrique signaled to keep going.

On Barcelona's next possession, Gasol's forceful attack was stopped by Gabajosa.

Coming back, Sun Hao's three missed, and Barcelona secured the rebound.

Both teams traded empty possessions, and then Navarro drew a foul on his shot, making one of two free throws.

But on the next play, Sun Hao launched another three from outside. The ball bounced twice on the rim before dropping in!

His fifth three-pointer of the game! His 24th point!

Insane!

He wasn't hitting every shot, but Sun Hao was now 5-of-8 from beyond the arc—a terrifying percentage!

And the lead on the scoreboard had stretched to 16 points!

Barcelona had spent most of the quarter clawing back, only for Sun Hao to bury two threes and erase all their progress!

Enrique stood frozen for a long moment.

Sun Hao's shooting touch had actually cooled compared to the first half. In the first half, he was 3-of-4 from beyond the three-point line; in the second half, he started 2-of-4.

But even that shooting percentage was enough to dominate the game!

This damned Napoleon of China, why was he so accurate despite being so short!

Enrique, you lost the bet!

But he didn't lose unfairly.

Afraid of Sun Hao's drive, Gasol's defense didn't dare step too far out.

That gave Sun Hao plenty of space to shoot from outside.

The first-half shooting percentage had already shown his rhythm. Faced with this kind of defense, Sun Hao had only one thing to do—keep shooting!

Gasol's putback on the offensive end kept adding points for Barcelona. On the other end, Sun Hao was ready to shoot from beyond the arc again.

Gasol was frantic—this was endless!

He lunged forward, disrupting Sun Hao's shot.

But the foul was too obvious. The referee's whistle sounded, and Sun Hao got three free throws!

Not a three-pointer, but a chance to score three points!

Sun Hao stepped to the free-throw line, adjusted his breathing.

First free throw, good.

Second free throw, also good.

All three free throws went in!

He had already scored 29 points!

And the third quarter wasn't over yet!

On Barcelona's bench, players were either holding their heads or wrapping themselves in towels, utterly despairing at the scene before them.

Sun Hao had scored 81 points in the EBA League before—sorry, the EBA was full of kids.

Sun Hao had dropped 32 points in Plata before—no big deal, that was just a third-tier league.

But this was La Liga, Spain's top league, one of the Eight Major European Basketball Leagues!

Less than three quarters, 29 points!

Sorry... excuse us!

In the midst of desperation, it was Navarro who stepped up for Barcelona.

He first hit a clutch three-pointer, then suddenly intercepted a pass on defense, sprinted for a fast break, and drew a foul on the defensive end.

After making both free throws, he had scored 5 consecutive points, cutting the deficit to 12!

Sun Hao was on fire tonight, but Navarro was also putting on a show!

Sun Hao had 29 points, but Navarro had 16 points to his name!

The two teams traded blows in the latter part of the quarter. By the end of the third, the gap remained at 12 points.

Barcelona had tied Real Madrid in that quarter!

Enrique might have been overwhelmed, but his strategy was correct.

If you can't stop Sun Hao, then go all out on offense.

Even in the fourth quarter, Barcelona outscored Real Madrid by 2 points.

But the problem lies in this: they could keep pace, but they couldn't close the gap!

They never found a way to limit Real Madrid, or more specifically, to stop Sun Hao from scoring!

The final score was 83 to 73.

Real Madrid scored 83 points, and Sun Hao alone had 40!

He alone accounted for half the points!

Gasol had been shredded like a sieve tonight, shot through like a hornet's nest!

The feeling was like being pinned against a wall and pounded all night long.

When the final buzzer sounded, his expression was arguably the most helpless ever.

He truly couldn't defend Sun Hao tonight, but Enrique stubbornly kept him on the switch all game.

Gasol was frustrated, but the entire crowd was ecstatic.

Not for any other reason—because of Sun Hao's scoring.

40 points. Not only did it break the La Liga single-game scoring record, but it also shattered the European League single-game scoring record!

"Napoleon! Napoleon!"

The cheers sounded in unison from the stands, the fans' excitement overflowing.

At this moment, Sun Hao was the most prolific scorer on this continent!

ps: Regarding the protagonist's training issues, you can go back and look at Chapter Two. Just like with the Shooting Training Machine earlier, new training content will be added as it appears.

ps2: The protagonist is currently over 1.7 meters tall. The Five-Year Pact has him growing to 1.85 meters—this was written from the start.

ps3: Can the protagonist get a tryout opportunity now? Yes. It's simple—just look at the Summer League. There are plenty of short guys, because a tryout doesn't mean they'll pick you. I've also written that many people try out every year.

ps4: Don't stir up drama between me and Shui Duanqiao. Can't you see the PY?

ps5: Recommendation tickets! Recommendation tickets! I know you all love Shui Duanqiao, but if you say you love him with your mouth, leave the tickets for Shui Qie!