Chapter 70: Demands Befitting the Main Force

“Twenty points, eight rebounds, and seven assists—this is Russell Westbrook’s halftime report card. When the team was staring at a twenty-point deficit, Russell stepped up!”
“He’s nearly omnipotent, single-handedly taking on the entire Orlando Magic squad!”
On the commentary platform, Charles Barkley’s words flew with fervor: “That’s what an MVP-caliber player does. Russell is carrying the whole team on his shoulders!”
Just as Barkley said, although the Thunder were still trailing, Westbrook’s performance in the second quarter stunned everyone. He was virtually the entirety of their offense.

“Michael, well done.”
In the Amway Center, inside the Magic’s locker room, head coach Frank Vogel nodded at Wu Rui during his halftime summary. “I need you to keep your energy up in the second half.”
Vogel’s intent was clear: Wu Rui would see playing time after the break. In the limited minutes he’d been given in the first half, Wu Rui had contributed significantly.
For instance, he had electrified the arena with back-to-back alley-oop dunks as soon as he entered the game. Often, when two evenly matched teams face off, momentum can sway the outcome—and nothing lifts the atmosphere more than a dunk.
And for Wu Rui, his signature scoring method happened to be the dunk.

“Yes, Coach!”
Wiping sweat from his brow, Wu Rui replied, knowing well that his explosive presence was what Vogel valued most.
“Not only on offense—you need to keep working hard on defense as well,” Vogel continued. “I need your energy on both ends.”
“Michael, let me ask you—was Russell unstoppable in the second quarter?” Seeing Wu Rui’s confusion, Vogel clarified, “He scored, orchestrated, tore apart our defense—he was a nightmare for us.”
“That Russell—wasn’t he unstoppable?”
Vogel looked at Wu Rui, his gaze carrying an unspoken meaning.
“Coach, although I hate to admit it, Russell Westbrook in the second quarter looked every bit a true team leader—an MVP. He really was unstoppable,” Wu Rui replied.

“No, no, no, Michael—someone stopped him,” Vogel suddenly smiled at Wu Rui’s answer. “That someone was you, Michael Wu. At Russell’s fiercest moment, you kept him from running wild.”
Vogel referred to the chase-down block Wu Rui had delivered from the wing, halting Westbrook’s scoring spree in the second quarter.
“If you hadn’t stepped up then, Russell would have grown even more ‘arrogant.’” Vogel pointed to the stat sheet, his smile fading. “Remember what you said in front of the cameras—I need you to fulfill your promise!”
The words from before the game…
Vogel’s barrage left Wu Rui overwhelmed, his mind suddenly flooded with thoughts.

“Michael, isn’t Coach Frank asking too much of you?”
As Vogel turned to address other players, DJ Augustin, who got along well with Wu Rui, came over. “He’s holding you to starter standards!”
“Maybe…” Wu Rui reviewed everything Vogel had said in his limited time, patting his forehead. “But I don’t think it’s enough.”
“These are things I should have done anyway—not extra tasks assigned by the coach,” Wu Rui said, taking a deep breath. “If I haven’t even handled what’s expected, I need to work harder in the second half!”
Augustin was stunned; Wu Rui wasn’t joking at all. Yet his second-quarter performance had been the best among all the bench players!
If even that wasn’t enough for Wu Rui…
Augustin felt a chill down his spine. To him, it seemed Vogel really was treating Wu Rui like a core player.

Of course, halftime passed quickly. Many Magic fans hadn’t even collected their popcorn before the players were back on the court.
Wu Rui pulled on his warm-up jacket and settled on the bench, his eyes locked onto the court, fixed on the other number-zero guard—Russell Westbrook!
Westbrook paid no mind to Wu Rui’s gaze from the sideline; he knew he already commanded countless eyes.
On the other end, Ibaka inbounded the ball, Payton pushed it upcourt, and the second half between Magic and Thunder officially began. The Magic’s first possession, for safety’s sake, was rotated several times before landing with Vucevic in the low post.

Vucevic isolated Sabonis, relying on experience and skill, and scoring seemed inevitable—Magic drew first blood in the second half!
Back came the Thunder. Whatever Billy Donovan had told Westbrook during halftime, it worked. On the first possession, Westbrook shifted into fifth gear, striding past Payton and charging into the paint!
Vucevic, deeply affected by Westbrook’s second-quarter display, wasn’t about to let him score at will. He rushed over, arms wide, blocking Westbrook’s shooting lane—but Russell’s main target wasn’t the rim.
He lifted his shoulder, glanced at his teammate’s position, and pushed the ball forward to Adams, who was unguarded inside. Adams rose up and hammered it home with both hands!
“Steven Adams with the two-handed slam, off a Russell Westbrook assist!” Barkley exclaimed from the commentary booth, delighted. “Twenty, eight, and eight—Russell is just a step from a triple-double!”
Wu Rui glanced at the scoreboard’s stat sheet, then refocused on the action.

Both teams came out guns blazing in the third. The Magic, running a pick-and-roll with Fournier and Ibaka, nailed a three. The Thunder responded immediately—Westbrook assisted Andre Roberson for his first three-pointer of the game!
From the sideline, Barkley kept tallying for Russell—this was his ninth assist!
Next, the Magic committed a turnover. Westbrook grabbed the ball after a teammate’s steal, surged forward, and with a behind-the-back pass, notched his tenth assist with ease!
“Twenty points, ten assists—Russell has a double-double less than five minutes into the third quarter!” Barkley stood up from the commentary booth. “I remember someone saying Russell would only get a double-double tonight—now he’s just two rebounds away from a triple-double!”

A whistle blew.
After Russell assisted on a fast-break score, Frank Vogel signaled for a substitution from the sideline.