to 78.

The Pacers were just warming up that night, successfully holding the Knicks under 80 points while also breaking 100 themselves—a praiseworthy feat. This was only the third time all season the Pacers had scored over 100 in a single game.

Su Xi put up 28 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals tonight.

He was highly efficient and reaped handsome rewards. Besides the victory, he gained two other things.

First, the super-low center of gravity rhythm talent he had acquired from Isaiah Thomas was now 80% fused, making him a level more lethal than when he faced Marbury at the start of the game.

Second, under the watchful eyes of basketball fans from the two largest nations on either side of the Pacific Ocean, the beautiful and sexy Scarlett Johansson had kissed him on his lower lip.

Of course, there was one other small gain. After the game, Anfernee Hardaway offered to give Su Xi a signed jersey. He took off his Knicks jersey right there, signed it, and gave it to Su Xi.

Although he told reporters in an interview, "I really like Little Sheep Su Xi’s style of play. He played very well."

But Su Xi knew the real reason Hardaway was willing to sign for him was because he’d stripped Marbury. In the third quarter, Marbury had gone into one-on-one mode, and Hardaway had called for the ball several times, only to be ignored. On the last occasion, Hardaway was visibly angry. And on that very play, Su Xi stole the ball directly from Marbury, knocking him to the ground with his brute strength.

Marbury was left in a sorry state.

After that play, Hardaway made a point of finding Su Xi and saying, "Nice one."

’Wherever there are people, there are rivalries.’

’Mr. Gu Long was right all along.’

’I can’t believe Hardaway, at his age and in his physical condition, is still holding a grudge against Marbury. Truly the man who pushed out Shaquille O’Neal back in the day.’

After the game, the New York Media described Su Xi as having ’fled the reporters’ interview at the speed of a 100-meter sprint.’

Su Xi’s tight-lipped silence was interpreted as ’guilt’ by the gossip-hungry media. After all, Scarlett Johansson had kissed him in front of everyone.

While Su Xi refused to be interviewed, Scarlett Johansson was very open with the media.

"That’s right, I do like him."

Scarlett Johansson wasn’t shy about it at all.

"But I heard he’s close with Jessica Alba, who’s also a Hollywood actress. Aren’t you worried that Little Sheep Su Xi might actually be a hunter of Hollywood starlets? A lot of men take pride in bagging a Hollywood actress," an ABC sideline reporter advised her kindly, with a hint of ’women supporting women’ in her tone.

Scarlett Johansson raised an eyebrow, her face full of confidence. She smiled and said, "Oh, I know Jessica Alba. She’s a very pretty girl."

"But I’m not worried about being ’hunted’ by Jack at all. He’s the man who saved my life. If it weren’t for him, I might already be dead."

"I know what a kind person he is. He has so many qualities that move me. That’s why I’m so curious about him and fond of him." Scarlett openly declared her affection in front of the cameras.

Jennifer quickly dragged her away. She didn’t want the free-spirited girl to keep spouting any more ’love-addled nonsense.’

But her words were already being broadcast.

And they were causing a huge stir.

The media absolutely adores this kind of ’girl chases boy’ gossip.

They used to have to manufacture this kind of news when there wasn’t any. Now, it had just landed in their laps.

*Scarlett Boldly Declares Her Love for Little Sheep Su Xi*

*Sexy Hollywood Actress Falls for Basketball Rookie*

*Two New-Gen Sex Symbols on a Collision Course, Both in Love with the Same Man*

*Scarlett Bravely Pursues Love on the Court, Kisses Handsome Basketball Player*

...

The next day, the entertainment media across America erupted.

Britney hadn’t been up to any antics lately, and Madonna was idly dating her personal trainer. The entertainment world had suddenly become calm, which made everyone feel a bit strange.

But now, with two new-gen sex symbols suddenly chasing a handsome NBA player, wasn’t the web traffic just bound to skyrocket?

The North American entertainment scene hadn’t been this lively in a long time. In an instant, all the previous news about Su Xi was dug up again.

Su Xi’s looks, background, and legendary upbringing immediately captivated entertainment fans.

This guy was basically an idol-level heartthrob.

And he could actually play basketball, too.

Perfect!

The entertainment industry couldn’t help but engage in a kind of ’collective, unconscious’ repackaging of Su Xi. He appeared repeatedly on major entertainment channels, his popularity soaring!

But at the same time, the sports media was kicking him while he was down.

They don’t like it when players get involved in too many romantic scandals, especially with Hollywood women. They see it as the beginning of trouble, the start of a player’s downfall.

Suddenly, the sports pages were filled with criticism, accusing Su Xi of neglecting his real job to focus on women. He had just started to show signs of being an elite player, and now he was on the verge of a swift decline.

*When a Rookie Starts Chasing Clout on the Sidelines, It’s the Beginning of Him Busting.*

*Little Sheep Su Xi Reminds Us of Those Regrettable Geniuses; He Needs Proper Career Planning.*

*Getting Close to Actresses Will Only Hurt Him; the Pacers Must Be Regretting Their Trade.*

*Su Xi’s All-Star Journey Ends Here; He Should Head to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.*

...

Public opinion was in an uproar.

It got to the point that Nike called Su Xi in Detroit the next morning. They were rushing to release his signature shoe and didn’t want him to be distracted by off-court matters. They were worried he’d be led astray by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and end up fading into obscurity.