The Best Point Guard
Chapter 389 - 123: [I Wanted to Get Along with You as a Gentle Elder]
Indiana Pacers 4, New Jersey Nets 0.
Miami Heat 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1.
Detroit Pistons 4, Washington Wizards 1.
Chicago Bulls 4, Boston Celtics 2.
There were no upsets in the first round of the East, with all four top-seeded teams advancing. The same was true in the West: the Phoenix Suns eliminated the Memphis Grizzlies 4–1, the San Antonio Spurs eliminated the Denver Nuggets 4–0, the Seattle SuperSonics eliminated the Sacramento Kings 4–2, and the Dallas Mavericks eliminated the Houston Rockets 4–2.
There was little suspense, for the most part. The only result that caused a public uproar was the Rockets losing four straight games to the Mavericks after winning the first two on the road.
The Rockets furiously complained about biased officiating, causing a huge stir.
The Pacers now faced their second-round opponent: the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls were a young team whose rebuild had proven remarkably effective, as they not only made it to the playoffs this season but had now advanced to the second round.
Before the series began, Su Xi spoke highly of the Bulls.
No one found this strange.
Even though most of the Bulls’ "youngsters" were older than him, who could argue? Su Xi was now a bona fide double-MVP, with all the makings of an all-time great.
In a recent promotion, Nike had directly called Su Xi ’one of the future rulers of the NBA’. The ’one of’, of course, was to save face for LeBron James, since he was also a Nike-sponsored athlete.
Su Xi’s comments did not sit well with Hinrich. Hinrich was also a member of the 2003 draft class and had been selected with a higher pick than Su Xi. Although Su Xi had beaten him in the championship game in college, he had never accepted the loss. Even now, with Su Xi boasting two MVP awards, he still believed he could get his revenge.
After all, this Bulls team was no pushover.
...
In the locker room, Su Xi finished his phone call with Scarlett Johansson. Johansson and Jessica had reached a tacit understanding: they would call a truce and stop bickering for the duration of the playoffs.
They both understood perfectly well. It was impossible to make the other disappear from Jack Su’s life. Besides, Jack was a career-focused man. If they caused a major scandal during the critical playoff period and things backfired, he might actually dump them.
They both knew there was a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
The Bulls’ starting lineup for the night was: Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Nocioni, Antonio Davis, and Tyson Chandler.
The Pacers’ starting lineup was: Su Xi, Artest, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O’Neal, and Jeff Foster.
The game started with Chandler winning the tip-off against Foster.
Hinrich brought the ball past half-court, where Su Xi blocked his path at the top of the arc. Antonio Davis quickly came up to set a screen, allowing Hinrich to shake Su Xi’s defense. He took a lateral step, jumped, and shot... SWISH!
Right at the start, Hinrich drained a three-pointer.
Putting the Bulls in the lead.
After the shot, he directed some trash talk at Su Xi. "Jack, how’s my shooting now?"
Su Xi didn’t catch his sarcastic tone and replied, "Not bad."
’In Su Xi’s mind, he had long since stopped considering Hinrich a rival. He didn’t feel Hinrich posed any threat to him, nor did he believe Hinrich thought of them as players on the same level.’
So, Su Xi brought the ball past half-court. Instead of seeking immediate, tit-for-tat revenge, he saw Jermaine O’Neal had sealed his man in the post and immediately fed him the ball.
Jermaine O’Neal went to work on Antonio Davis with his back to the basket.
Davis was a crafty veteran. A former second-round pick and one-time Pacer, he had steadily played his way into a multi-million dollar contract and had even been named an All-Star during his time with the Raptors.
He was very experienced in guarding O’Neal, who couldn’t shake him despite a series of spin moves.
Just as he was about to force a fadeaway... SLAP!
Davis swatted the ball out of his hands.
He quickly secured the loose ball and passed it to Hinrich.
The Bulls started a fast break.
Su Xi gave chase, but Hinrich threw a long pass to Nocioni. The Argentinian caught the ball and immediately pulled up from a meter behind the three-point line... Stephen Jackson didn’t even have time to react.
’Are all Argentinian players this crazy?’
SWISH!
It sank through the net.
Nocioni hit the three.
They started the game on a 6–0 run.
"These guys came to play," Artest said in Su Xi’s ear.
Su Xi clapped his hands. "Focus up."
Su Xi took the ball from Jackson and pushed the pace, quickly advancing to the frontcourt. He blew past Hinrich with a sharp crossover and then drove aggressively into the paint. While on the move, he used a perfect spin to get past Nocioni’s help defense. As he charged into the lane and leaped explosively, Tyson Chandler and Davis both jumped up to double-team him.
Both men were expert rim protectors, and together they blotted out the sky.
Su Xi passed the ball out from between the two defenders.
Foster caught the ball and quickly shot... SWISH!
The ball went in.
But Tyson Chandler was so mobile that he nearly blocked the shot.
’As expected of the number two pick in 2001, a superstar high school prospect whose talent was considered second only to Kwame Brown.’
’Tyson Chandler’s defensive talent is off the charts, and he’s tall with a long wingspan.’
Su Xi looked at him, practically drooling over his physical tools.
’He loved this type of help-side center. It didn’t even matter if their offense was a bit lacking, as long as they could finish at the rim.’
’They don’t need to be able to create their own shot.’
"You’re playing pretty well."
Su Xi complimented Tyson Chandler, "If you get the chance in the future, you should come play with me."
Tyson Chandler rolled his eyes. ’I was the number two pick in 2001,’ he thought. ’I’ve been in the league longer than you, so why the hell would I "play with" you? Besides, I’m the absolute cornerstone of the Bulls’ frontcourt. Me, play with you? I’m an untouchable asset, in case you hadn’t heard.’