Chapter 25 The Weight Is Off? (Please vote for recommendations!)

"Michael, you must be joking. With such perfect form, missing the shot is impossible!" Wu Rui’s words made Bismack laugh. "All it takes is enough conviction!"

"Haha, thank you, Bismarck. If not for your rebound, I wouldn’t have been able to make that damned basket!" Wu Rui said, glancing sideways as he quietly asked Bismack, "Is it just me, or does the game ball seem much heavier than the one we use in practice?"

"That’s impossible." Bismack immediately dismissed the notion, thinking Wu Rui was joking with him. But when he saw the genuine confusion on Wu Rui’s face, he could only sigh in resignation. "Alright, Michael, I get what your problem is."

"You’re still too nervous. Once you become numb to shooting, you’ll realize that the game ball actually feels much lighter than you imagine."

With that, Bismack patted Wu Rui’s shoulder and retreated to defend his own half.

Lighter than I imagined?

Wu Rui mulled over Bismack’s words, only half understanding. He truly was bewildered. After all, he’d played in games before and even grabbed a couple of rebounds; back then, the weight of the ball hadn’t felt much different from practice. Today, however, from the moment he stepped onto the court and first touched the ball, it felt distinctly heavier. Maybe it wasn’t the game ball itself—perhaps it was just this particular one tonight?

With these doubts swirling in his mind, Wu Rui threw himself into defense. Despite his confusion, his long strides made Andrew Nicholson uncomfortable, preventing him from finding space to receive the ball, effectively taking him out of the Wizards’ offensive rotation.

The rest of the Wizards weren’t faring much better. Backup point guard Trey Burke attempted a pull-up jumper from midrange, but the ball hit the back rim dead center and bounced high into the air!

As the ball clanged off the rim, the battle for the rebound intensified!

"Jason Smith is an outstanding rebounder. After Bismack took that last defensive board from him, he’ll definitely want to respond this time!" From the commentary booth, Wilson Petto was eager to see the clash beneath the basket. He’d always believed that the duel for rebounds was every bit as thrilling as the superstar battles on offense.

Under the hoop, Bismack and Jason Smith were locked in struggle. Having just lost an offensive board to Bismack, Smith was determined to restore his pride and used every ounce of his strength to box Bismack out. As the ball bounced off the rim, Smith launched himself upward, aiming for the rebound in mid-air!

"That’s right, Jason is going to answer back right over Bismack’s head!"

Seeing the situation unfold, Jerry Meeks, who had been embarrassed by Wu Rui’s earlier basket, hurried to chime in. But in the very next instant, the Magic’s number zero made him eat his words once again!

Boom!

Just as Jason Smith soared above Bismack, reaching for the ball, a Magic forward leapt into the air, beating Smith to the punch and snatching the ball out of mid-air!

And that forward, wearing number zero, was none other than Wu Rui!

"This doesn’t feel any heavier than the ball we use in practice..."

Having secured the rebound, Wu Rui didn’t immediately launch a fast break. Instead, he held the ball close, turning it over in his hands and muttering to himself.

Earlier, Wu Rui had suspected something was wrong with the game ball tonight; he’d been so focused on securing it that he paid no attention to the fierce battle for position beneath the basket. Now that he finally had it in hand, he felt even more confused.

The ball felt exactly the same as during practice!

What was going on?

"Michael, pass the ball!"

As Wu Rui wrestled with his doubts, Coach Frank Vogel shouted at him from the sideline.

Moments ago, Vogel had been pleased to see Wu Rui sink the first shot of his professional career, feeling that the days of hard training were finally paying off. Then, witnessing Wu Rui’s explosive leap to secure the rebound ahead of Jason Smith, Vogel even considered giving him more minutes in future games.

But Wu Rui had a knack for taking Vogel’s optimism and dashing it in an instant.

After protecting the rebound, the Magic should have had a prime opportunity for a fast break—even with the team’s significant lead, you don’t pass up a chance for an easy bucket! And yet Wu Rui, clutching the ball, stood there muttering nonsense, wasting a golden opportunity.

"Oh—yes!"

Shouted at by Coach Vogel, Wu Rui snapped back to reality. In his fluster, he quickly scanned the court and passed the ball to the nearest teammate, Bismack Biyombo.

"Michael actually passed the ball to Bismack Biyombo?" On the sidelines, Wilson Petto nearly dropped his microphone. "DJ Augustin had been waiting under the basket forever, and he passed it to Biyombo!"

"Oh my god, is this kid a genius or a fool?"

The same doubt flashed through Bismack’s mind as he caught Wu Rui’s pass, but questions aside, he wasn’t about to waste a transition opportunity. Grabbing the ball, he immediately hurled a long pass down the court, finding CJ Wilcox in stride. Wilcox, with a quick give-and-go, finished easily for two points.

"Michael, what’s going on with you?" After his teammate’s steady layup, Bismack turned to Wu Rui. "Didn’t I tell you not to daydream on the court?"

"No, I swear, I wasn’t daydreaming!" Wu Rui protested, feeling aggrieved. "I just thought there was an issue with the game ball, so I wanted to check its weight after getting it."

"And? What did you find?"

"It’s exactly the same weight!" Wu Rui replied, indignant. "Bismack, how is that possible? When I took that shot just now, the ball definitely felt heavier!"

"Enough, Michael. Leave this question for Coach Frank to answer."

Hearing Wu Rui’s response, Bismack was thoroughly exasperated. He had no interest in explaining any further. All he wanted now was to finish the game and hand Wu Rui’s nonsense over to the coach.

After Bismack’s rebuke, Wu Rui was left feeling bewildered. For the remaining six-plus minutes, he stayed on the court, grabbed three more rebounds, and held his matchup to just two points—but he didn’t take a single shot.

The final buzzer sounded.

With a 106–89 victory over the John Wall-less Washington Wizards, the Orlando Magic celebrated their third straight win on home court!

And yet, after the game, one member of the Magic was summoned by Coach Vogel to remain behind in the locker room.