Chapter Twenty: Watch Closely!

"Coach, I know I didn't do well." But before Coach Vogel could say anything, Michael Wu admitted his mistake first: "When facing the pick-and-roll, I was a step too slow. I’ve encountered pick-and-roll tactics before, back when I was in Cleveland, and I handled it much better than this time."

"It's my own fault." With that, Wu shook his head in resignation.

Indeed, during his first appearance in a game, Wu had already faced the Cleveland Cavaliers’ pick-and-roll strategy. Back then, he was blocked by Birdman Andersen, yet with quick little steps, he easily managed to chase down Iman Shumpert.

"No, it's not your fault. You’ve done very well. Your energy more than makes up for everything." Yet, Coach Vogel did not criticize Wu for this defensive lapse, but instead pointed to Cousins on the court: "Look at what DeMarcus is doing."

Following Vogel’s direction, Wu shifted his gaze to the court. It was now the Sacramento Kings’ possession. Ty Lawson was back on the floor, orchestrating the team’s offense.

After being hit by a 10–0 run that put the Kings behind, Head Coach Dave Joerger was thoroughly displeased. He kept shouting from the sidelines, urging his players to move the ball and find the best shot possible.

But unfortunately for them, the Magic were no longer the soft team they’d been in the first quarter. Whether it was Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, or any other player on the court, everyone was fired up—they had come to play!

Ty Lawson couldn’t shake DJ Augustin no matter what, so he reluctantly passed the ball to Ben McLemore, who ran over to receive it. Holding the ball, McLemore glanced at his teammates’ positions, checked the clock, steeled himself, and went for an isolation play!

"Watch closely!"

At that moment, Vogel’s voice grew sharper from the Magic bench, reminding Wu at his side.

Wu followed Vogel’s cue. Instead of watching McLemore’s solo drive, he focused intently on DeMarcus Cousins, who was stationed under the basket in the paint, boxing out Vucevic!

Although the focus of the offense was McLemore’s isolation, the battle below the rim was far more intense. Vucevic reached out first, hoping to drag the burly Cousins behind him, but Cousins, who had already secured his spot, gave his opponent no chance to resist.

With a powerful push from his legs, Cousins unleashed all his lower body strength and firmly defended his position under the basket!

“Duang!”

On the other side, McLemore’s isolation yielded nothing, his shot clanking off the rim. But Cousins, perfectly positioned, leapt up at just the right moment, snatched the offensive rebound, and scored with a put-back—two more points!

The Kings finally broke their scoring drought and tied the game at 47–47!

"What did you see?"

This possession ended with Cousins’ second-chance points. Vogel, privately dissatisfied with Vucevic’s rebounding effort, maintained a blank expression as he questioned Wu.

“DeMarcus’s rebounding ability is truly incredible!” Wu answered, unable to resist a wishful thought: “If I could rebound as well as him, I’d definitely get more playing time!”

Of course, Wu kept this wish to himself.

"Do you know why DeMarcus was able to grab that rebound?" Vogel was clearly not satisfied with Wu’s answer and pressed on: "He uses his exceptional strength to box out under the basket, securing the best position to rebound."

"Michael, your leaping ability is unquestionable—both of your rebounds this game were thanks to your extraordinary vertical." Vogel paused and glanced at Wu’s face. "But you must realize, you only managed those rebounds by relying entirely on your jumping advantage."

"If there’s a center as dominant as DeMarcus in position, you wouldn’t be able to grab even a single rebound."

If there were a center like DeMarcus, would he really not get a single rebound? Vogel’s words echoed in Wu’s mind. Looking onto the court at the unstoppable Cousins under the rim, Wu swallowed hard.

At this point, rebounding was his only advantage. Was the coach keeping him off the floor because Cousins was present and his sole strength couldn’t be utilized?

"Michael, I believe you absolutely could finish a put-back over DeMarcus, but that’s just my hope." Seeing the usually talkative Wu fall silent, Vogel felt a flicker of amusement in his heart. "Let’s hope you don’t let me down someday."

With those words, Vogel strode away, his expression suddenly thunderous. He marched to the sideline and roared at the players who had nearly turned the ball over, emphasizing the need to control the tempo on offense.

After Vogel’s scolding, the Magic players instantly remembered his furious demeanor at the end of the first quarter. They snapped back into focus, playing with renewed intensity and returning their offense to an average efficiency.

On the Kings’ side, relying on Cousins alone was simply not enough. Even though the All-Star center posted a 20+6 statline in the first half, he was hard-pressed to stand against the Magic’s all-out team effort.

At halftime, the Magic led 56–50 on their home court, up by six points!

Returning to the locker room amid the cheers of their home fans, Vogel focused his analysis on Cousins and the Kings’ offensive system, drawing up several tactical plays on the board and instructing his players to execute them precisely on the court as planned.

"Guys, today is the day the streamers will fly in our home arena!"

After giving the team a final pep talk, Vogel’s gaze lingered on the pensive Wu, nodding in approval.

Of course, Vogel’s halftime adjustments proved highly effective. As soon as the second half began, Cousins remained the focal point of the Kings’ strategy, but the Magic managed to defend most of the attacks centered around him, their energy even surpassing that of the second quarter!

Though Cousins' individual offense was still unstoppable, once the Kings fell into an isolation-heavy rhythm, it meant the Magic’s tactics had succeeded—the opponent was playing into their hands!

Finally, with strict adherence to Vogel’s halftime instructions and occasional standout performances, the Magic secured a 108–97 home victory, earning their second consecutive win of the season!

After the game, reporters flocked to Magic star Serge Ibaka with questions: "Where was the turning point in tonight’s game?"