Nie Chuan glanced at Reese; his expression seemed alright, as if he wasn’t too bothered about the girls wearing white T-shirts. But who knows? There could be a reckoning come autumn… after all, what those girls do isn’t something Nie Chuan can control!
At this moment, the commentators Espenson, Engel, and Robert had started their pre-game analysis.
“Though I’m definitely rooting for DK’s abilities, I’m not entirely confident that DK will win today’s match,” the retired star Robert said seriously, arms crossed.
“Yes, UJT’s head coach ‘Old Sparrow’ is highly regarded in the basketball community. His ability to turn a weak team into a giant-slayer is well-known. We all know that DK is aiming for the throne, but the fear is that on their way to the throne, they might be toppled by UJT!” Engel expressed his concerns about DK’s situation.
“Hahaha, but when it comes to offensive and defensive speed, I personally believe DK is still superior to UJT. In terms of finals experience, DK also has the edge,” Espenson chuckled as he looked towards DK’s side. “Plus, I’m really looking forward to seeing Reese Reddington pull off a clutch play and that much-talked-about dark-haired point guard. I’m eager to see if he can control the game against an opponent like UJT as he has in previous matches.”
Coach Gordon looked across the basketball court where ‘Old Sparrow’ was nothing like what Nie Chuan had imagined. He was a middle-aged man, bald and with a large belly, looking quite amiable—hard to believe he was about the same age as Coach Gordon.
‘Old Sparrow’ gave a slight wave to Coach Gordon.
Coach Gordon nodded back.
Nie Chuan surveyed the UJT players. Besides the point guard and shooting guard, their power forward, small forward, and center were all taller than those DK had faced before. If it was just one person, it would be manageable, but with two in a combined defense, Nie Chuan’s chances of breaking through were much more challenging than before.
At that moment, Reese came over to Nie Chuan, leaned in, and whispered in a voice only Nie Chuan could hear, “The next game after this one is in three days.”
“Hmm?” Nie Chuan turned to meet Reese’s beautiful blue eyes.
He didn’t know why Reese was suddenly telling him the schedule for the next game.
“We can spend the whole day together.”
Reese’s voice was cool, but it instantly brought Nie Chuan to a boil.
That composed expression still on his face, Nie Chuan really wanted to strip away that mask.
Well, for the sake of “spending the whole day together,” Nie Chuan felt he absolutely had to win!
As Nie Chuan turned around, he was surprised to see the CBU team had come to watch the game.
Owen Whitshaw’s gaze met Nie Chuan’s; he waved at him.
His teammates Thomas and Wright were also there.
It seemed CBU was taking this game against DK very seriously. Nie Chuan remembered the schedule; CBU had a game the next morning. They hadn’t adjusted their practice or taken a rest; instead, the whole team had come to the gym. Being watched like this by their rivals, Nie Chuan suddenly felt a surge of excitement, as if his blood was bursting from his fingertips.
The players entered the court, and the game began with a jump ball between center Cook and Heishan, a direct contest of explosive power.
Nie Chuan tensed up; he saw Heishan and Cook jump almost simultaneously, their fingertips nearly touching the basketball at the same height, both letting out a roar. Cook’s arm swung through the air, as if pushing Heishan away.
A gasp went through the crowd—Heishan had lost the jump ball to Cook!
UJT’s point guard caught the ball and started running.
Nie Chuan clenched his teeth, dodging between the opposing small forward and shooting guard. Before the opposing point guard could react, Nie Chuan had already stolen the ball.
His movement to shift his weight was too quick; not only did the spectators not catch it, but the point guard from whom Nie Chuan had stolen the ball hadn’t realized what happened until the ball was already out of his control.
In less than a second, Nie Chuan had reversed the negative impact of Heishan’s lost jump ball on DK’s momentum.
But just as the game started, the pace had already picked up.
“My God, Allen’s speed seems even more terrifying than during the practice matches…” CBU’s point guard Wright frowned.
“That goes without saying. From his build, you can tell his muscle ratio is more perfect than before. We have to keep a close eye on how much his jumping ability and speed have evolved. Unlike that arrogant Sethston Lind, we’re well aware that DK has been growing,” center Thomas said.
And Owen Whitshaw just watched Nie Chuan’s back, without comment.
As Nie Chuan sped up with the ball towards UJT’s defense, just as Reese had predicted, their power forward Manning kept up with Nie Chuan, blocking his angle for cutting inside.
Nie Chuan tried to shake him off three times but couldn’t break his defense. This guy’s ability to stick close was strong; Nie Chuan had to carefully maintain a safe distance, or he’d risk being stolen from.
In that moment, Reese made a quick turn, shaking off the opposing small forward Jonathan, and dashed towards Nie Chuan.
And as Nie Chuan suddenly accelerated and changed direction, Manning quickly moved to cover him. Just when everyone thought Nie Chuan couldn’t possibly get past Manning, Nie Chuan suddenly lowered his center of gravity, knocked the ball towards the opposite direction of Manning’s movement with a bounce pass, and, at that moment, with a probing step, retrieved the ball and broke through!
“My heavens! Isn’t that the Sethston crossover?” Engel’s eyes widened in shock.
Robert let out a breath. “Don’t be fooled by the fact that these guys playing here are just college students. Some of these advanced moves are so difficult that even NBA superstars wouldn’t be able to master them in a short time. Take Sethston’s crossover, for example—it requires an insanely high level of speed, inertia control, balance, and body coordination!”
Nie Chuan had no idea that he had just successfully executed the directional change he had been studying and mimicking for so long without success. His focus was entirely on threading the ball through the cracks in the defense and quickly passing it to Reese.
Reese dribbled to the basket, leaped into the air, and was immediately met by the towering center, Cook, who jumped up aggressively to contest him.
Nie Chuan’s heart was pounding. That was Cook—he was the guy who had beaten Heishan in a jump ball!
But Reese used his powerful shoulder and back strength, along with his mid-air balance, to slam the ball into the hoop with authority!
The crowd erupted with cheers, the intensity exceeding all expectations.
The referee’s whistle blew—Cook was called for a charging foul! Reese would get a free throw!
Reese stepped to the free-throw line, his face devoid of expression. With ease, he sank the extra point.
“We need to break up this duo.” Owen narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning ice-cold.
Nie Chuan really wanted to give Reese a bear hug, but he had to hold himself back.
However, as soon as DK launched their next offensive play, UJT’s small forward, Jonathan, intercepted the ball from Carlo and charged toward DK’s basket.
Nie Chuan sprinted back on defense, sticking to Jonathan’s side. But before he could make a move, Manning had already positioned himself between them, completely cutting off Nie Chuan’s chance for a steal.
Just as Jonathan was about to face off against Reese, he passed the ball to Cook before Reese could pick up speed. Cook jumped up for a dunk.
The moment that big guy took off, he immediately caught the crowd’s attention.
But even though Heishan had jumped later than Cook, his explosive leap was incredible—it looked like he was about to serve Cook a brutal rejection.
Block it!
Nie Chuan was screaming in his heart.
But at the last moment, Cook forcibly pulled the ball back, landed swiftly, and passed it to the charging Jonathan.
Jonathan caught the ball and was about to go up for the shot when Reese appeared right in front of him.
Jonathan tried to break through, but Reese’s defense was airtight. Just as Jonathan lifted his hand and the ball bounced up from the floor, Reese struck like lightning.
Jonathan’s heart nearly stopped—he had no choice but to slap the ball toward the opposite side.
UJT’s shooting guard caught the ball, and Ewin rushed forward, gritting his teeth as he jumped with all his might.
Don’t underestimate me!
Ewin displayed his best vertical leap yet. His opponent had already taken the shot, but Ewin’s fingertips managed to make contact with the ball!
Heishan and Cook battled fiercely for rebounding position under the basket.
In just a split second, Heishan locked Cook behind him, securing the best position for the rebound.
The ball bounced off the rim and flew back out.
Heishan leaped up—he had complete control over the rebound—but Jonathan had also rushed in to contest him under the basket.
Jonathan in front, Cook behind—Heishan let out a roar, yanking the ball into his chest. The moment he landed, he immediately passed it to the incoming Nie Chuan.
Nie Chuan saw that Manning was defending right beside him. Without hesitation, he used a Euro step, his movement so exaggerated that it stunned the players around him.
“Normally, a Euro step is followed by a layup, but his position clearly doesn’t allow for that,” Robert commented.
Sure enough, just as Nie Chuan slipped past Manning, he passed the ball to Reese.
Reese didn’t insist on a one-on-one with Jonathan. Instead, after a large shoulder fake and a slick slide-step, he passed the ball to Carlo.
UJT’s point guard and shooting guard rushed in to double-team Carlo, but Carlo lifted the ball as if to shoot.
Heishan had already returned to the basket, once again wrestling with Cook for rebounding position.
Nie Chuan tensed up—this wasn’t the time for Carlo to take a random shot!
But just as Carlo jumped, he suddenly pulled the ball back and flicked it behind him.
Beyond the three-point line, Ewin caught the pass—completely unguarded.
He took his time, rose up gracefully, and drained the three-pointer with perfect form.
The crowd burst into cheers, and Nie Chuan let out a deep breath.
Ewin and Carlo bumped fists. Carlo grinned. “Told you I’d make sure you hit fifteen points.”
Ewin shrugged. “Then remember to lick my shoes clean.”
Carlo snorted and ran off.
UJT’s coach, “Old Sparrow,” stood up, squinting at the court. Then, he clapped his hands and shouted, “Kids, is this really your speed? Where’s your off-the-ball movement?”
As the next round started, UJT’s point guard dribbled up the court, scanning the floor. Nie Chuan was already prepared to steal the ball at any moment.
But just as he moved into position, Manning blocked his path.
UJT’s point guard took off running. Nie Chuan faked left to try and slip past Manning, but by the time he finally shook off Manning’s defense, the point guard had already passed to the shooting guard.
The shooting guard was ready. Reese and Carlo rushed to intercept, but Jonathan and Cook stepped in, blocking them off.
Seizing the chance, the shooting guard sank a three-pointer for UJT.
Nie Chuan exhaled sharply. He could see that UJT’s defensive formation was connecting seamlessly, and Manning felt like a heavyweight anchor dragging down Nie Chuan’s movements.
It wasn’t that Nie Chuan couldn’t shake off Manning—it was that every time he did, he lost his window of opportunity.
UJT’s off-ball movements had become even more intricate. They were constantly taking the most advantageous positions on the court, seizing control of the tempo, and slowly chipping away at DK’s lead.
“DK’s pace has been completely slowed down by UJT. It’s like a leopard locked in a cage—it wants to run, but it can’t even stretch its limbs,” Engel expressed his concern for DK.
“If they don’t break out of this rhythm in the first quarter, then in the next quarter, DK will still be at a disadvantage,” Robert, with his game experience, furrowed his brows. “UJT’s second half of the first quarter has been absolutely phenomenal.”
Nie Chuan had gone nearly six minutes without an assist. Manning wasn’t outright shutting him down—just slowing him down.
To neutralize Ewin’s three-point shooting, “Old Sparrow” assigned the point guard to disrupt Ewin while Cook was tasked with containing Carlo, forcing them apart.
Even though Heishan was grabbing rebounds like crazy, it wasn’t enough to change the fact that DK had only managed four points in six minutes.
“Goddamn… Even though UJT’s overall strength doesn’t seem to match DK’s at first glance, they’re like a net, slowly trapping DK,” said Wright, the point guard from CBU, looking worriedly at Nie Chuan’s struggling figure.
“Honestly? I’d rather play against DK than a team like UJT. At least that wouldn’t be as frustrating. If I were Allen or Ewin, I probably would’ve lost my cool and fouled out already,” Thomas sighed.
Owen smirked and said nonchalantly, “The Reese Reddington I know won’t let this situation continue. Besides, his little wildcat is struggling in that cage—if this goes on any longer, that little wildcat will scratch itself bloody. He won’t let that happen.”
“Huh?” Wright turned to look at him. “Little wildcat… who’s that?”
Owen simply smiled and said nothing.
