SOD | Chapter 90

“That’s because every time Reese asks you to pass the ball, you always do. It’s because Reese uses your Chinese name,” Ewin replied. “You’re so insensitive to your English name, ‘Allen’!”

Nie Chuan’s face lit up in realization as he nodded. “Oh, so that’s it!”

Ewin pointed his thumb toward Carlo. “So this guy asked a Chinese exchange student to record the pronunciation of your Chinese name on his phone, and every night before bed, he listens to it over and over! Just so you’ll pass him the ball more and give him a chance to show off!”

Carlo nudged Ewin with his elbow. “Hey! Don’t spread rumors!”

“Spread rumors? Then how about you take out your phone, and we check?” Ewin teased.

“Why would I let you check my phone!” Carlo’s face turned suspiciously red.

Ewin leaned closer to Nie Chuan’s ear and whispered, “Although it’s recorded in Chinese, it still couldn’t save his hopeless pronunciation. If I hadn’t caught it and corrected him in time, he would’ve been calling you ‘Nie Jun’ instead of ‘Nie Chuan’.”

Nie Chuan immediately burst into laughter, feeling his nerves ease by ninety percent.

“Nie Chuan, being nervous is actually a good thing,” Black Mountain patted his shoulder. “It’ll help you focus more on the court. A person who doesn’t feel nervous about a game can never win.”

“I understand. Thanks, Black Mountain!” Nie Chuan fist-bumped him.

At this moment, the three commentators began their conversation.

Professional commentator Engri, dressed in a suit, clasped his chest and said, “Oh my God, it’s another crazy March! Every year when this time comes, I feel younger myself! Today’s two teams are UDK and USN. Let’s start with USN. They performed well in the regular season, with five key players making it to last year’s finals. Unfortunately, USN met KSU, where Raven Harvey plays, in the first match of last year’s tournament and failed to make the top 32. But overall, the five key players have finals experience.”

Commentator Espenson nodded. “That’s right. And the five main players of USN are pretty well balanced, with strong defense on the perimeter, and they’re good at guarding. Robert, what do you think of UDK?”

Retired NBA star Robert smiled, touching his ear. “When I was on my college team, we often faced UDK in the Final Four. That was UDK’s golden era. Their black uniforms earned them the nickname ‘King of Black’. Thanks to them, I never got a championship in my college days.”

The other two commentators chuckled.

Robert continued, “Looking at their lineup, UDK is indeed very strong, and USN is going to have a tough time. They’ve got center Blake, nicknamed ‘Black Mountain’, patrolling the paint. His jumping ability, explosiveness, and positioning are top-notch. If I were the owner of an NBA team, I’d definitely keep an eye on this center. I’m really looking forward to seeing how Black Mountain performs with his rebounding ability in the finals. Also, their power forward, Carlo Brandon, is solid both offensively and defensively. Don’t let his size fool you; he’s more agile than most centers. UDK also has a high-level shooter in Ewin on the outside. If you want to reduce UDK’s scoring, you need to focus on Ewin. At critical moments in the game, a three-pointer can be deadly.”

Espenson and Engri nodded in agreement.

Engri spoke again, “What about UDK’s scoring ace, Reese Reddington? He was one of last year’s top five freshmen and should shine again this year.”

Robert covered his eyes and laughed helplessly. “From a technical standpoint, I can’t think of any word other than ‘perfect’ to describe Reese Reddington. That’s why I avoid commenting on him. He’s special—whether it’s his dribbling intensity, his timing for scoring, or his incredible hang-time, he’s a beast even in mid-air. If you compare a basketball team to an aircraft carrier, Reese Reddington is definitely a missile onboard. Last year, countless NBA teams extended offers to him, but he responded calmly. This year, I’m really curious to see if he can bring a surprise even greater than last year.”

Commentator Espenson snapped his fingers. “I think it’s really when college basketball can no longer satisfy Reese Reddington’s rhythm that he’ll move on to the NBA. But if Reese is a missile, don’t forget about the aircraft carrier, the radar, and the attack capability.”

“Ah!” Engri shook his finger, a meaningful smile on his lips. “That’s true. I still remember Connor’s performance at UDK last year. He was very agile and had great court awareness. Thanks to him, UDK made it to the Elite Eight. It’s unfortunate he left UDK. I’m curious if the new face replacing Connor this year will adapt to the finals pace.”

Engri’s gaze shifted toward the black-haired youth on the court, wearing a black UDK jersey, puffing out his cheeks as he adjusted his breathing.

Espenson and Robert exchanged surprised glances with Engri. “Oh, bro, you don’t know him? He and Reese Reddington are the most anticipated scoring duo chosen by this year’s college sports weekly!”

“Really? That kid? He must be playing in his first NCAA game, looks really nervous!” Engri said.

“Don’t underestimate that kid! His highlights are pretty impressive. Right now, his name appears the most in Chinese in the college sports weekly!” Espenson replied.

Engri scratched his chin. “Alright, let me see what kind of surprise this kid can bring! By the way, do you think the audience might think our lines are scripted?”

Robert joined in the joke, pretending to search through his pockets. “Oops, I forgot my script!”

Espenson added to the fun. “Did you give your script to Engri? He seems to have said all your lines already!”

The three of them laughed together.

As the game began, the atmosphere in the stadium swirled into another intense vortex.

Both teams had taken their positions, and Nie Chuan tilted his head up, feeling the pressure in his throat.

Black Mountain and the opposing center were ready for the jump ball. Nie Chuan slightly lowered his stance, preparing to receive the ball and sprint.

Indeed, when he focused, all the noise seemed to fade away, and his thoughts became clear.

As the ball reached its highest point and began to fall, Black Mountain suddenly leaped up, his jump at least half a palm higher than the opponent’s!

“Oh—” The crowd’s breath was pulled upwards.

Black Mountain slammed the ball down, and Nie Chuan caught it, quickly dribbling down the court.

The international students in the stands waved banners with Nie Chuan’s name on them, shaking them madly.

He gave no time for the opponents to react. In an instant, he had passed by two defenders and reached the three-point line. Just as he was about to jump, the opponent’s power forward leaped to block him, but Nie Chuan calmly pulled the ball back and sent it to the other side. Ewin, standing outside the three-point line, was ready to shoot.

The opponent’s small forward charged at him, but Ewin faked him out with a quick move, sending the ball back to Nie Chuan.

Nie Chuan received the ball, charging into the paint. With the opposing center’s defense closing in, he was about to score.

Everyone was expecting the first point of the game to be scored this way, but instead, Nie Chuan pulled the ball back, accelerated again, and smoothly maneuvered around the defender for a side layup, sending the ball into the basket.

“Nie Chuan! Nie Chuan! Nie Chuan!” The cheers rang out.

“Oh…” Engri, who had previously claimed not to know Nie Chuan, showed a surprised expression. “This kid is fast! His balance in the air isn’t bad either!”

“You can search it up online. There’s even a video of him and Reese teaming up against Owen and Larvin, though the quality isn’t great, but this kid’s level is definitely beyond what you just saw,” Espenson said, raising his chin. “I have a colleague who has very high expectations for this kid from the East.”

At this moment, Nie Chuan quickly returned to defense. USN’s players pressed forward. The opposing point guard, facing Nie Chuan’s one-on-one defense, was about to pass the ball to a teammate. No one saw Nie Chuan’s quick footwork, only that he quickly caught up to the ball, stealing it just before the opponent could act.

Nie Chuan dashed forward at top speed, his teammates quickly following suit. The entire UDK fast break clicked into place.

This round’s offensive play was smoother and more efficient than the last. Reese quickly cut into the paint, and facing double-team defense, Nie Chuan used his signature long pass, threading it between the two defenders’ waists. Normally, such a pass could easily go wrong, but Reese seemed to have anticipated the pass perfectly, catching it with ease and dunking without a hitch.

The crowd erupted again.

After high-fiving Reese, Nie Chuan quickly returned to his position, and the game continued.

But USN had made it to the finals for a reason. They wouldn’t let UDK dominate like this.

Their defense grew tighter, and it was clear they wanted to control the score difference before the first quarter ended.

USN even sent two players to defend Nie Chuan.

Once again, Nie Chuan received the ball, his mind processing all the movements of the players on the court. Alright, if we’re going to win, let’s win even more confidently!

Nie Chuan made a sharp shoulder fake, but didn’t get past his defender. He followed up with two more quick direction changes, then suddenly stopped and accelerated again, weaving between the two defenders with control that made the three commentators fall silent.

Nie Chuan cut into the paint, where he faced a double-team from the opponent’s power forward and center. Without hesitation, he made a ground pass to Reese.

The crowd went wild as the opponent’s power forward tried to defend Reese but was a step too late. Reese had already jumped and scored.

The gap between UDK and SN widened to double digits.

As the first quarter ended, everyone returned to their seats to hydrate.

“Well done. Especially you, Nie Chuan, I was worried you’d be all stiff and awkward on your first game!” Coach Gordon commented.

Nie Chuan smiled.

“If anyone’s stiff, it would be Carlo!” Ewin teased.

Carlo, unhappy, reached to smack the back of Ewin’s head, but Ewin glared at him, causing Carlo’s hand to freeze mid-air before pulling it back and rubbing the back of his own head.

“Alright, kids, next quarter, USN’s defense is going to tighten up. It’s going to be different from before. Nie Chuan’s speed and ball control are new to them, but they’ve made it to the top 64 for a reason—they’re adaptable. So, Nie Chuan, listen up. I need you to draw their defensive focus. We’ll pull the scoring line back, focusing near the three-second area, not under the basket. Also, I know you and Reese have great chemistry, as well as with Ewin, but don’t forget to show off Black Mountain and Carlo’s scoring abilities too.”

“Of course!” Nie Chuan nodded.

As the second half began, just as Coach Gordon had predicted, USN’s defense became a fortress.

For Nie Chuan, handling two defenders wasn’t a problem as long as he used the right timing to switch directions. But the closer he got to the basket, the less space he had to maneuver, so the best option was still to attack from long distance!

As Nie Chuan entered the three-second zone, Black Mountain and Carlo made synchronized cuts into the paint, taking up advantageous positions. As Reese and Ewin closed in on Nie Chuan, USN felt the pressure. They had to prevent Reese’s drives and Ewin’s three-pointers, and the best way to do that was to shut down Nie Chuan.

When they neared him, Nie Chuan smirked, effortlessly sending the ball to the basket. Black Mountain caught it, pivoted, and jumped. The opponent’s center assumed he was going for the score, but it was just a fake. Black Mountain passed the ball back to Nie Chuan.

Now closer to the basket, USN tightened their defense, but Nie Chuan still went up for the shot.

Was it a shot or a pass?

It was a question that left USN in disarray.

The ball flew out, but the shot clearly wasn’t going in. Yet, with Nie Chuan’s skill, such a mistake was impossible.

At that moment, Carlo soared through the air, catching the ball and dunking it in.

The force was tremendous.

This dunk shook USN’s confidence.

“I have to say, UDK’s overall strength and team chemistry have reached a whole new level compared to last year,” Espenson openly praised.