Catching Up and Taking Over

On November 1, the Cleveland Cavaliers opened their season against the Washington Wizards, a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference.

The two teams were old rivals.

Last season, the Washington Wizards finished fifth in the Eastern Conference, while the Cleveland Cavaliers finished fourth.

They met in the first round of the playoffs, where the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Washington Wizards 4–2 and advanced to the second round.

The Washington Wizards were also Larry Hughes's former team.

Larry Hughes had played for the Washington Wizards for three years, improving with each season.

That was what caught GM LeBron's eye. He invited Hughes to the Cleveland Cavaliers to be bled dry, and his stats plummeted. He also became a CBA-level teammate for LeBron stans.

Larry Hughes: ┭┮﹏┭┮

After Larry Hughes left, the Washington Wizards quickly found a replacement: Caron Butler.

Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, and Gilbert Arenas formed a new Trident.

Caron Butler fit into the team quickly in his first season, putting up an excellent performance.

He averaged 17.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.7 steals.

He became the best support for Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas.

So whether the Cleveland Cavaliers could win their season opener depended on whether they could somewhat contain the Washington Wizards' Trident.

Before the game, in the Cleveland Cavaliers' locker room, Coach Mike Brown repeatedly reminded his players that they had to shut down the Trident's offense.

The Cleveland Cavaliers players nodded along.

As for Su Yi, he sat quietly in a corner, staring into space. After all, he wasn't even sure how much playing time he'd get.

As soon as Coach Mike Brown finished speaking, the Cleveland Cavaliers all headed for the players' tunnel to get ready for the introductions.

Su Yi wasn't expecting much from the introductions. The Cleveland fans still didn't know him.

During the few preseason games at home, all he'd gotten when he came out was scattered applause.

"Su!" "Su!" "Su!"... But when the announcer called his name on opening night and he stepped out of the tunnel, he was greeted by a deafening roar unlike anything he'd heard before.

Su Yi froze for a moment, then jogged out, looking around in confusion. What was going on?

Then he spotted familiar faces in a corner of the first few rows, wearing his No. 24 jerseys. Weren't they his college friends? What were they doing here?

There must have been several hundred of them!

"A Yi, give it your all! I got our alumni to come watch you play!"

The person at the very front of the group was Xu Rui. He'd called them all here to cheer Su Yi on.

Hearing Xu Rui's voice, Su Yi couldn't stop smiling.

It wasn't about having lots of brothers, but having the right ones. Thanks, Rui!

Su Yi couldn't help murmuring to himself.

One Cleveland Cavaliers player after another ran out of the tunnel. When LeBron James, the last one, emerged, the entire Quicken Loans Arena erupted, roaring, "LeBron!" "LeBron!" "LeBron!"...

There was no denying it: LeBron James in his first Cleveland stint really was a hero to Cavaliers fans.

Too bad he'd broken their hearts.

Amid the fans' cheers, LeBron James ran toward center court.

The grand introductions came to an end.

Both teams hurried to warm up.

After warmups, the starters from both teams took off their warm-up gear and stepped onto the court.

Su Yi quietly returned to his seat on the bench, waiting for Mike Brown to call him in.

"Beep! Beep!"

The whistle blew, and the game was underway.

Right from the start, perhaps because he was facing his former team, the Washington Wizards, Larry Hughes played aggressively.

He drove inside, drew the Wizards' defense, then kicked the ball out to Eric Snow, who was wide open.

Eric Snow caught the ball, made a slight adjustment, then sprang up, hung in the air, and took a midrange shot.

The whole motion was smooth and effortless, and the ball was gone in a flash.

Swish.

The ball dropped cleanly through the net.

A midrange jumper.

He opened the scoring for his team.

Then Eric Snow returned the favor, assisting Larry Hughes on a cut to the basket.

The two worked together seamlessly, leading the team on a 4–0 run.

And they weren't done yet.

Smack!

On defense, Larry Hughes anticipated Gilbert Arenas's pass and picked it off.

After the steal, Larry Hughes raced down the court and finished the fast break with a layup.

Just over a minute into the game, Larry Hughes and Eric Snow had teamed up for a 6–0 run.

Perhaps LeBron James couldn't stand being left out. He immediately inserted himself into the action and took control of the ball.

That turned point guard Eric Snow into an off-ball guard. Meanwhile, Larry Hughes struggled to find his rhythm, getting stuck with the ball several times.

Luckily, LeBron James had made all three of his first shots, and the Cleveland Cavaliers held onto their lead.

That guy loved playing when things were going his way.

But as time passed, the Washington Wizards recovered and started to explode under the leadership of their Trident.

First, Gilbert Arenas assisted Caron Butler on a score. Then Antawn Jamison came up with a steal on defense and took it all the way for a fast-break basket.

And they weren't finished!

As the Washington Wizards' offense picked up, their defense began putting pressure on the Cleveland Cavaliers, too.

During one drive, LeBron James was swarmed by defenders, so he passed the ball toward the corner.

But no one was there, and the ball sailed out of bounds.

LeBron James: Turnover +1!

Gilbert Arenas seized the opportunity. He used a screen to dribble one step to the left, then quickly rose, hung in the air, and launched a three.

The shot was smooth and effortless, and the ball was gone in a flash!

Swish!

The three-pointer went in.

The Washington Wizards went on a 7–0 run.

With the first quarter nearly over, they had managed to take a one-point lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers got the ball back. LeBron James directed the offense from the top of the arc, used a screen, and drove into the paint.

Brendan Haywood quickly slid over, leaped high, and raised both hands, putting LeBron James under heavy defensive pressure.

LeBron James powered through Brendan Haywood and went up for a layup.

Clang!

The ball bounced off the rim.

"Foul! Foul!"

LeBron James landed, spread his arms, and yelled at the referee.

But the referee shook his head, ruling that Brendan Haywood hadn't fouled him.

The Washington Wizards didn't care about any of that. With no whistle, they quickly pushed the fast break.

Gilbert Arenas dribbled quickly upcourt, flicked his wrist, and passed to Antawn Jamison on his left.

Antawn Jamison didn't hesitate. He sprang up and released the ball just before the end of the first quarter.

The moment the ball left Antawn Jamison's hand, time expired.

It traced a graceful arc through the air.

Swish!

Antawn Jamison hit the buzzer-beating two.

The Washington Wizards had caught up and taken over, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers 30–27 at the end of the first quarter.