Su Xi’s game was quite fundamental. He ran the pick-and-roll with Boozer, using his explosiveness and strength to power his way into the paint. If he had an opening, he took it himself. If not, he passed to Davis or Abu Akar and let them shoot.

On the defensive end, Su Xi and Diop had developed excellent chemistry. Su Xi would funnel his man toward Diop, who would use his strong frame to block the path. Then, Su Xi would quickly close in to pester the ball-handler, forcing a turnover or getting a steal.

It worked like a charm every time.

With three minutes left in the second quarter, the Cavaliers took the lead. Orlando Magic head coach Doug Rivers quickly subbed Tracy McGrady back in. On the other side, Paul Silas also brought James in for Davis.

James immediately took control of the ball when he came on, and he wasn’t the one guarding Tracy McGrady.

James’s ability to attack the rim was even stronger than Su Xi’s, but so was his desire to put on a show. The team’s game became more exciting, but its fluidity declined.

Su Xi, on the other hand, was more focused on his matchup with Tracy McGrady. He was thoroughly enjoying it.

Because his Super Coordination Talent was rising rapidly.

At the end of the first half, the score was tied 51-51.

The second half was a near-replica of the first. Whenever Su Xi, James, and Davis were on the court at the same time, the Cavaliers struggled. James and Davis were constantly at odds with each other, while Su Xi, serenely detached from the drama, just focused on milking the matchup with Tracy McGrady.

Tracy McGrady was playing well tonight. Even though Su Xi’s defense on him was getting tougher and tougher, his shot was falling... As everyone knows, when a superstar gets in the zone, it’s almost impossible to stop them with single coverage. What’s more, the 24-year-old Tracy McGrady was the number one perimeter player in the league; in fact, he’d already reached that summit at the age of 23.

Now, the media was just waiting to see when Tracy McGrady would hit his absolute peak.

Some media outlets even hyped him up, claiming Tracy McGrady had a chance to touch the base of Michael Jordan’s throne—if he joined a superteam, or if the Orlando Magic got him a superstar big man.

And whenever the Cavaliers fell behind, Paul Silas would have Su Xi play a stretch at Point Guard, subbing out James. The team would quickly close the gap and tie the score.

「Time quickly wound down to the final moments.」

The final moments brought a dramatic twist. On the Cavaliers’ second-to-last possession, Su Xi was inbounding the ball to James, but Ricky Davis darted out and intercepted the pass. He then forced up a three-pointer himself.

CLANG!

He missed.

The Magic Team grabbed the rebound.

The ball was then passed to Tracy McGrady. At this point, the Magic Team was ahead by one point.

On this possession, Su Xi pulled out all the stops. He used his strength to body up Tracy McGrady, who executed a quick spin move and managed to create some space. But with his Coordination Talent index now at 84, Su Xi forced his way back to him. In the instant Tracy McGrady released his shot, Su Xi accurately predicted the timing, jumped early, and extended his arm to contest it... If this were ten years later, it would have been an automatic foul call.

But in 2003, in the final two minutes, the referees almost never blew the whistle.

Especially not for this level of kid-gloves contact.

CLANG!

Tracy McGrady clanked it.

Carlos Boozer got the rebound and passed it to Su Xi.

Su Xi brought the ball past half-court and quickly called a timeout.

On the bench, Paul Silas hadn’t even opened his mouth.

Ricky Davis spoke first. "The ball should be in my hands. I’m 11 for 19 tonight, while some other people are only 10 for 22. Besides, I averaged 20-5-5 last season, and I hit a game-winner against the Jazz on November 21, 2002. I have plenty of experience."

"But you already blew one chance," James shot back. "If you had just let me have the ball, we would’ve already sealed the win."

They went back and forth, refusing to yield. Paul Silas slapped the tactical whiteboard to quiet them down.

Just then, Ah Bu said, "Jack was the one who got that defensive stop. Why not give the ball to Jack?"

Boozer voiced the suggestion.

Paul Silas quickly turned to Su Xi, who was off to the side enjoying the show with a smile on his face... That last defensive play had raised his Coordination Talent value again, and it was now at 85.

He was busy being happy about it.

’Up 10 points in one night. The Super Coordination Talent is no joke!’

’Tracy McGrady really is the best perimeter player in the league today.’

"Me?"

Su Xi hadn’t fully processed what was happening.

"I agree, let Jack take the shot," James immediately declared. He didn’t actually want the responsibility of the final, game-winning shot, and his touch had been cold in the fourth quarter.

’It would be fine if the shot went in, but what if it missed?’

’But he didn’t want Davis to take the shot either. What if he made it?’

Therefore, Su Xi was the best choice. If it went in, he was still his little bro. If they lost, it had nothing to do with him.

"I have no objection either. Jack is this year’s best rookie, after all," Davis suddenly said, surprising everyone.

No one expected him to hate James this much, that he would deliberately praise Jack just to put down LeBron.

’Sowing discord! This is definitely an attempt to sow discord!’

James was trembling with anger. He kept telling himself, ’Don’t fall for it, don’t fall for it.’

"Jack, we’ve decided. You’re going to take the final shot," Paul Silas said, holding his whiteboard and looking at Su Xi with an expectant expression.

Su Xi didn’t refuse. He said, "Alright."

Silas quickly drew up the play.

BZZT!

The whistle blew.

Carlos Boozer stood out of bounds to inbound the ball.

Su Xi and James started running at the same time. Tracy McGrady hesitated for half a second, but then followed head coach Rivers’s instructions and went after James. Rivers had confidently slapped his whiteboard and sworn, "It’s definitely James taking the last shot. If it’s Jack, then why don’t they just call Jack ’The Chosen One’?"