Chapter Forty-One: Wu Rui's Decision

"Michael, just look at the expressions of these fans. They didn't pay to see us!"

Behind Wu Rui, Damjan Rudez, who couldn't even be bothered to warm up, complained irritably. He had no expectation of playing at this point in the second quarter, given his average of only 3.3 points per game in his NBA career.

"That's right. They're here for Nikola and Aaron. We're just a bunch of clowns out there." Stephen Zimmerman, another young big man picked by the Magic in the second round this year, wore a grim expression. "This really sucks!"

"Oh, come on, Stephen, everyone knows you've been preparing hard just to get on the court." The spirits of his teammates were low, but it didn't affect Wu Rui in the least. After adjusting his jersey, he walked over to Zimmerman, a fellow rookie, and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. "Come on, man. Everyone's waiting to see how your training paid off!"

"Michael, coach is only putting us in to motivate the starters." Zimmerman said, clearly dejected. He thought about the sweat he'd poured out in the practice facility, all for this moment, only to make his debut under such circumstances. His heart sank. "Honestly, I don't even want to touch the ball!"

"You might fool everyone else, but not me."

Zimmerman's words mirrored the Magic's mood—ready to give up on the game. But Wu Rui wasn't about to let that happen. As the referee urged players onto the court, he quickly pulled Zimmerman along and whispered in his ear, "Everyone knows how hard you've worked. You're the last one who should give up!"

After saying this, Wu Rui shot Zimmerman a look—simple and clear: Go for it!

In truth, Wu Rui didn't know much about the teammates coming onto the floor. Aside from Hezonja, most of them were fringe players, barely part of the rotation. But he understood Stephen Zimmerman best.

Zimmerman arrived at the Magic's training facility earlier than anyone but Wu Rui. Maybe he didn't sweat quite as much, but his earnest dedication was something Wu Rui could feel.

People who work hard never fall short—that's the truth Wu Rui always believed.

After encouraging his teammate, Wu Rui headed to the frontcourt, lining up opposite the standout dunk king of the first quarter, Zach LaVine.

Standing next to LaVine, Wu Rui's heart thumped wildly, but his mouth kept busy: "Hey, Zach, you really jump high!"

"Your legs must hold some kind of mysterious power!" As he spoke, Wu Rui couldn't help but glance at LaVine's lower body, his gaze fixed on the new dunk king's legs.

"Whoa, kid, what are you doing?" Startled by Wu Rui's actions, LaVine instinctively stepped back. "Unbelievable—Coach Frank Vogel actually put someone like you in the game?"

As an NBA player, LaVine knew a fair bit about every team's head coach. The Magic's coach, Vogel, who once led teams to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals, intrigued LaVine with his strategies.

So, when Wu Rui entered the game, LaVine stayed alert. He just hadn't expected Vogel to substitute in a player with such quirky behavior!

"Hey, so you think having good legs is all that matters?" Wu Rui's face darkened at LaVine's words. He pointed at the backboard's rectangle and asked, "See that square behind the rim?"

"What's the point?" LaVine was bewildered by Wu Rui's strange remark, having no idea what he was getting at.

Wu Rui didn't answer. Instead, he flashed a cryptic smile, leaving LaVine even more confused.

As they spoke, CJ Watson controlled the ball, advancing past half court. Like Rudez, Watson hadn't expected to play at this stage; he even thought he might not play at all tonight.

Now, forced into action, Watson set himself a simple goal: dribble across half court, then pass.

That's exactly what he did. As soon as he crossed half court, Watson quickly passed the ball to Mario Hezonja, the fifth overall pick from 2015 and the Magic's most reliable scorer in this lineup.

But Hezonja was guarded by no pushover. Several feints failed to shake his defender, and he was forced into a tough shot. The ball's trajectory was clearly off.

"Mario Hezonja still needs a bit more polish. His timing is all off—there's no way that shot goes in."

No sooner had the commentator finished speaking than the ball clanged off the back rim, looking ready to bounce away. "The Orlando Magic are completely disorganized. The Timberwolves will grab this rebound and break... Wait!"

Just as the commentator was about to declare the Magic dead, Wu Rui, wearing the number 0 jersey, darted toward the rim as the ball veered off course. He arrived under the basket just as the ball bounced off the rim!

"Bang!"

In that instant, as the shot turned into a rebound, Wu Rui bent his knees and leapt before Timberwolves center Cole Aldrich could react, reaching high and gathering the ball in midair!

"Michael, over here!"

Seeing Wu Rui snag another offensive board, Hezonja, still hanging outside, quickly called out to him.

He’d seen enough games to understand Wu Rui’s style. Wu Rui had a natural gift for rebounding, but his offensive skills were almost nonexistent; after grabbing an offensive rebound, he usually passed it back out. As the only reliable scorer in this lineup, Hezonja knew he had to be proactive and call for the ball.

Hezonja’s thinking was shared by everyone—even the commentator said almost exactly the same thing.

But just as Wu Rui landed with the rebound, he made a choice no one expected.

The Magic's number 0, ball in hand, sank his knees again and, as if propelled by springs, soared upward—higher than Cole Aldrich, the Timberwolves' backup center—hammering the ball through the rim with a single hand!

"Vrrrr—"

For a moment, the entire Amway Center in Orlando fell silent. The commentators were caught off guard, only reacting when the referee blew his whistle.

"Michael Wu... posterizes Cole Aldrich—and draws the foul!"