Chapter Fourteen: The Sacramento Kings

DeMarcus Cousins—a powerhouse center with explosive skills and an even more explosive temper, a polarizing All-Star who commands both love and frustration from Sacramento Kings fans—stood inside the Amway Center, his face void of the slightest smile.

In the previous game, Cousins and his Kings teammate Rudy Gay each poured in over 30 points, combining for 19 rebounds as well. Ordinarily, with two players delivering such dominant performances, victory should have been all but assured. Yet, in their clash against the Miami Heat, Sacramento fell on the road, 96 to 108—a bitter defeat.

“That last loss left DeMarcus Cousins—an All-Star caliber center—deeply dissatisfied. I’ve even heard he criticized the front office in private,” said the ESPN commentator from his booth in Amway Center. “He believes the team ought to bring in reinforcements for him, but it seems the Kings’ management has no such plans.”

“Oh, man, DeMarcus has every right to call out the front office. Just look at what Sacramento did this summer!” the other commentator chimed in, continuing, “They let Rajon Rondo walk, and their only signing in free agency was Arron Afflalo?”

“It’s not that Arron Afflalo isn’t a solid player, but if they hope to take the next step, that’s clearly not enough.” The commentator shifted his tone. “In contrast, look at today’s home team, the Orlando Magic. Over the summer, they brought in Serge Ibaka, Jeff Green, and Bismack Biyombo. Add in Frank Vogel, a coach renowned for his defensive schemes, and you can tell Orlando is intent on making some noise this season!”

“They’ve even shown savvy in international recruitment. Take a look at that young man with the yellow skin courtside.” As the commentator spoke, the broadcast camera panned to the sideline, where Michael Wu was stretching and warming up.

“He’s from China, picked seventeenth in the second round by the Orlando Magic—a rookie named Michael Wu!”

“Michael, make sure you warm up thoroughly!” The camera lingered on Wu, with the commentators praising the Magic’s international vision. Meanwhile, Magic head coach Frank Vogel clapped Wu firmly on the left shoulder. “Your muscles are too tense—relax a little.”

“Yes, Coach.” Wu quickly loosened his shoulders at Vogel’s instruction, though his face shone with an irrepressible excitement. After all, tonight he might actually see some time on the court.

The thought alone made it impossible for Wu to remain calm; his legs trembled with anticipation.

“You’re excited too, right? You want to get out there and show what you can do!”

Wu looked down at his legs, muttering quietly. It had been far too long since he last ran and jumped freely in a game. Both he and his legs were raring to go.

And it wasn’t only Wu itching for the action to begin. The fans inside the arena could hardly wait for the game to start. Time flew by; both teams’ starters shed their warmups at the sideline, tucking jerseys into shorts, readying themselves for battle.

The matchup between the Sacramento Kings and the Orlando Magic was about to begin.

Orlando’s lineup saw little change: Elfrid Payton and Evan Fournier formed the backcourt, Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic anchored the paint, and Aaron Gordon started at small forward.

Perhaps the only shift for the Magic was that Wu hadn’t been called over by Vogel to sit beside him and watch from the bench—this time, he was preparing with the team.

On the other side, the Kings’ starters took the floor one by one. First came the backcourt duo of Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo—a pairing considered among the weakest in the league. Next were Rudy Gay, hot off a 30-point, 12-rebound performance, and Kosta Koufos. Last to emerge, naturally, was the Kings’ franchise centerpiece—DeMarcus Cousins.

“DeMarcus! DeMarcus! DeMarcus!” The moment Cousins set foot on the court, a thunderous cheer erupted through the Amway Center. Many fans, even those clad in Kings jerseys, rose to their feet, calling his name.

“Is this really our home court?” Wu, seated on the bench, was surprised by the overwhelming applause. So this was the treatment an All-Star received—a hero’s welcome, even on the road.

When, Wu wondered, would he hear an arena erupt with cheers for his own name?

On the court, Vucevic and Cousins took their places at center circle. The referee tossed the ball high, and the game officially began with the jump ball.

As expected, Cousins tipped the ball to Arron Afflalo. Possession: Kings.

Watching from the bench, Wu could only sigh at Vucevic’s lack of reliability in the jump ball. He’d lost the tip to Embiid in the last game, and now to Cousins.

Wu’s eyes locked on Cousins. After witnessing Joel Embiid’s dominance in the previous match, he was eager to see how this All-Star center would assert himself on offense.

The Kings’ opening attack was orchestrated by Cousins himself. Circling beyond the three-point arc, he set a textbook screen for Afflalo. After perfectly blocking the Magic defender, Cousins rolled smoothly toward the paint. It should have been a flawless pick-and-roll, but Afflalo, freed by the screen, opted for a long two instead. The shot clanged off the rim and bounced high.

Ibaka easily secured the rebound. With Cousins drawn out and Koufos boxed out by Vucevic, it was no contest.

Ibaka handed the ball to Payton, who brought it up slowly, showing no rush. Only after his teammates settled into their positions did he make his move—a quick change of direction and a burst toward the lane. Ty Lawson, unable to keep up, was left behind, forcing the Kings to send help defense. This left Fournier, lurking in the corner, wide open. Payton spotted him instantly and delivered a perfect pass; Fournier caught, rose, and drained the shot.

The Magic drew first blood at home!

“The Magic’s offense is deliberate—they’re always searching for the best scoring opportunity. The Kings, by contrast, are playing selfishly. DeMarcus set a perfect screen and didn’t even touch the ball!” one commentator remarked.

“If they’re going to play isolation basketball, only DeMarcus and Rudy Gay deserve to go one-on-one. The rest should just pass the ball!” the other added.

As the two commentators critiqued the Kings’ offensive choices, DeMarcus Cousins finally lost his patience. Taking a pass from Ty Lawson at midrange, he gave a subtle head fake, then rose up for the jumper—with no thought for his teammates, only the rim in his sights.