The Cleveland Cavaliers' bench:
"Guys, this is our home court! And it's our season opener.
"Defense is the foundation of winning. Your defense was way too loose in the first quarter.
"From here on out, tighten things up, especially when it comes to shutting down the Three Swordsmen!"
Mike Brown was deeply dissatisfied with their performance in the first quarter.
They had gotten off to a good start, only for the Washington Wizards to fight back and take the lead.
Sitting on the bench, Su Yi thought to himself, Was defense really the problem?
In Su Yi's view, LeBron James had hogged the spotlight!
Larry Hughes and Eric Snow had combined for five shots in the first quarter after teaming up to open with a 6–0 run.
Five shots!
And who had taken the most? LeBron James, with a full eight attempts.
He was 4-for-8, 1-for-2 from three, with nine points, two rebounds, two assists, and two turnovers!
Those stats looked pretty good, but he had completely disrupted the team's rhythm.
Su Yi couldn't understand the guy. The offense had been flowing perfectly, yet he just had to come out and mess it up.
There was only so much cake to go around, but he wanted to eat the whole thing and leave his teammates with nothing but soup.
Teammates who only got soup didn't have the energy to play. Given enough time, they'd end up malnourished.
That was why any star who came to the Cleveland Cavaliers saw his stats plummet.
If it were up to Su Yi, he'd let Larry Hughes and Eric Snow keep running their own offense.
As for himself, he'd focus more on defense.
"Su, get ready!"
Coach Mike Brown began rotating players, and Su Yi was among those going in.
But Su Yi seemed not to hear him. He sat perfectly still.
"Su, what are you thinking about? Coach is calling you!"
Backup guard Damon Jones hurriedly reminded him.
Su Yi snapped out of it and looked toward Coach Mike Brown. "Sorry, Coach!"
"Stay focused. If I catch you zoning out on the court, I'll pull you right back out. Got it?"
Coach Mike Brown reminded him sternly.
"Yes!"
Su Yi could barely keep the grin off his face. He'd thought he might not get to play after his fight, and had no idea when he'd get his chance.
But here it was!
The brief break ended, and the substitutes from both teams took the court.
"Su Yi, go get 'em!"
When Xu Rui saw Su Yi take the court in his No. 24 Jersey, he couldn't help shouting.
Xu Rui remembered asking Su Yi why he'd chosen No. 24.
This year, the number had become a hot topic because the Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe had decided to change jerseys.
He'd switched from his No. 8 Jersey to No. 24.
The change had sparked plenty of speculation among reporters and fans.
Some said it symbolized his desire to surpass Michael Jordan.
Jordan wore No. 23, and Kobe's choice of No. 24 might have been a way to show his respect for Jordan—and his determination to surpass him.
Others thought it was a birthday coincidence.
Kobe's birthday was August 24, so choosing No. 24 might also have been a way to commemorate it.
As for Su Yi, his reason for choosing No. 24 was simple: 24 was greater than 23!
As a LeBron Hater, how could he let LeBron James get one over on him?
Of course he'd choose a number higher than LeBron's!
What was even funnier was that he'd picked No. 24 long before Kobe changed to it, so nobody thought Su Yi had done it on purpose. They all just assumed it was a coincidence.
"Su!" "Su!" "Su!" ...
Su Yi's classmates and alumni cheered him on enthusiastically.
Compared with the fans of his teammates, his own following was tiny.
But it was more than enough for him.
Thank you, A Rui, and everyone else!
"Su, nervous? It's your first time out there." Damon Jones patted Su Yi on the shoulder reassuringly. "Just play like you usually do! Get open, and I'll get you the ball."
As a point guard, Damon Jones loved shooters like Su Yi.
All he had to do was pass the ball, and it was practically an assist.
In team practices, Damon Jones averaged as many as ten assists per game.
At least six or seven of them came from passing to Su Yi.
That made Su Yi Damon Jones's best teammate.
Even the team's star, LeBron James, didn't rank as high in Damon's heart.
(LeBron James: ???)
(LeBron James: You're fired! You're fired! Both of you!)
"Thanks, Damon. I'll do my best," Su Yi replied with a smile.
"Tweet!"
The whistle blew, and the second quarter got underway.
The Cleveland Cavaliers inbounded from the backcourt. The ball went to Damon Jones, who dribbled over half court.
As soon as he crossed the line, Su Yi began moving without the ball on one side.
He cut along the baseline into the paint, where Anderson Varejao quickly set a screen for him.
Using Varejao's screen, Su Yi made a sharp right-angle turn and cut out to the wing from the middle.
The defender assigned to Su Yi was completely blocked by Varejao. None of the other Washington Wizards players rotated over in time, and they could only watch as Su Yi got open beyond the three-point line.
The ball arrived just as he did.
Damon Jones had a sharp eye and sent it over at once.
Damon Jones: Assist! Assist!
Su Yi caught the ball cleanly, made a slight adjustment, then sprang up, hung in the air, extended his legs, and let the three-pointer fly!
The ball traced a graceful arc through the air.
"Swish."
It dropped straight through the hoop.
Su Yi hit the three.
It was also Su Yi's first point since making it to the NBA.
The score was tied at 30–30.
Su Yi had tied the game for his team as soon as he stepped onto the court.
"Su!" "Su!" "Su!" ... In the stands, Xu Rui and the alumni cheered wildly for Su Yi's three-pointer.
Scattered cheers also rose throughout Quicken Loans Arena.
Quite a few fans in the arena thought the handsome rookie looked pretty good.
That three-pointer had been half their doing!
In their subconscious minds, fans knew better than the players on the court. If they were out there, they could do just as well!
(Su Yi: Is that what you're saying?)
"Su, nice shot."
Damon Jones ran over at once to celebrate with Su Yi and slap his hand.
Getting an assist so easily made Damon Jones like Su Yi more and more. He looked so clean-cut and tempting!
Damon Jones was an NBA journeyman. In just eight seasons, he'd already played for nine NBA teams.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were his tenth.
He'd played with plenty of players, but none had ever given him "help" like Su Yi did!
With Su Yi's "help," Damon Jones believed his assist numbers would look fantastic—maybe even surpassing the career-high 5.8 assists per game he'd averaged with the Milwaukee Bucks two years earlier!
"Damon, that was a perfect pass!"
Su Yi returned the compliment, and they traded a little mutual praise.
Then they hurried back on defense, ready for the next possession.
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