Chapter Seventy-Six: In Need of a Microphone

“Michael, you really have no filter!” Inside the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, as Bismack Biyombo warmed up with some shots, he turned to Wu Rui beside him and said, “We’re playing on the road, and if you talk like that, you’ll make the home fans really hostile toward you!”

Biyombo couldn’t help but admire Wu Rui’s boldness—granting a pre-game interview at an away court and then talking big about the host team. This kid was just too direct.

“Isn’t that to be expected?” Unlike Biyombo, Wu Rui didn’t care in the least. He stretched his arms and continued, “If I don’t talk like that, do you think the fans here won’t already have it in for us?”

“Bismack, we’re the away team—home fans are never going to like us,” Wu Rui said with his signature smile. “A little more hostility isn’t going to make a difference.”

Just as Wu Rui said, the Indiana Pacers’ fans had never harbored any goodwill for visiting teams; their devotion belonged solely to their own squad.

After last season’s bitter first-round playoff exit, the Pacers were determined to change. Starting with the firing of head coach Frank Vogel and the promotion of last season’s assistant Nate McMillan, their general manager—the legendary Larry Bird—made sweeping changes to the roster over the summer.

In a three-way trade with the Hawks and Jazz, the Pacers sent out point guard George Hill and brought in Jeff Teague, another point guard who had begun to shine in Atlanta—a clear sign of their preference for a more aggressive backcourt.

The Pacers didn’t stop there. Over the summer, they also upgraded their frontcourt, packaging the twentieth overall pick and a future draft pick to acquire the Nets’ powerful forward Thaddeus Young. Add to that the free-agent signing of Al Jefferson, and their frontcourt lineup was suddenly imposing.

Moreover, after a year of experience, last season’s promising rookie Myles Turner underwent a transformation during the summer and was now entrusted with a key role by Coach McMillan.

All these offseason moves had the fans buzzing with excitement. Even though the Pacers’ record so far wasn’t stellar, their diehard supporters still brimmed with hope—for their leader, Paul George, would never let them down.

So when Wu Rui gave his pre-game interview, the Pacers’ home crowd scoffed at his words.

“We’re on the path to greatness—rookies from Orlando will never understand what it’s like to rise up!”

“Exactly, that kid’s just riding the hype train, and he dares to run his mouth?”

“I bet Paul George will lock him down tonight and send him back to Orlando with nothing but regret!”

“Hey, are you kidding? Paul doesn’t need to bother—he won’t even get off the bench!”

Pacers fans were hostile to every opponent, but their animosity toward Wu Rui was particularly intense.

“Michael, there’s really no need to say those things.” As the game was about to begin, Frank Vogel turned to Wu Rui on the bench and said, “Mr. Larry Bird made those moves for the good of the team—they needed change. I was just the first step. I have no complaints about it.”

Vogel didn’t want Wu Rui to bear the brunt of the crowd’s hostility just because of him—it simply wasn’t fair to a rookie.

“Coach Vogel, I meant every word I said,” Wu Rui replied, moved by the coach’s good intentions. “And honestly, it’s not just how I feel—it’s how we all feel.”

“You were my first coach, and I still want to say—you’re the best coach. Everyone here thinks so!” Wu Rui said, waving one by one at his teammates. “I’m not the only one who wants to win this game—Serge, Nikola, everyone wants to win!”

“Of course, Bismack’s an exception,” he added, poking fun at his big brother figure.

“Hey, Michael!” Wu Rui’s joke immediately lightened the mood on the Magic’s bench, drawing laughter all around.

“Coach Vogel, Michael’s right—you’re a great coach, and you deserve this win.”

Despite the laughter, Serge Ibaka, the team’s most seasoned starter, stood up and took the lead, declaring, “Just as Michael said, we have to win this game.”

As soon as Ibaka spoke, Nikola Vucevic, Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon, and the rest of the Magic squad all gathered around Vogel, promising to give their all and bring home a victory to Orlando.

With the team’s fighting spirit ignited, Vogel found himself at a loss for words. All he’d wanted was to spare Wu Rui from carrying such a heavy burden, but Wu Rui had turned the tables and fired up the entire squad.

Sighing inwardly, Vogel mused that he’d have to hand Wu Rui a microphone before every game from now on.

With the Magic’s morale now sky-high, the game against the Pacers was about to begin. Both teams’ starters took the floor, and just as everyone expected, the Pacers fielded their new summer arrivals, Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young, in the starting lineup. Second-year player Myles Turner partnered in the frontcourt, while Monta Ellis—who’d made a name for himself with the Golden State Warriors—started at shooting guard. Small forward, of course, was none other than the team’s undisputed leader, Paul George.

On the Magic’s side, there was a slight lineup adjustment—Aaron Gordon was replaced in the starting five by Jeff Green, while the other four spots went to Elfrid Payton, Evan Fournier, Serge Ibaka, and Nikola Vucevic.

Amid the roar of the home crowd, the referee stood at center court and tossed the ball high into the air. The game was underway. Thanks to the promises made on the bench, Vucevic’s jump ball was particularly forceful this time, and the ball landed in Fournier’s hands—the Magic had the first possession.

Wasting no time, Fournier passed the ball back to Payton and sprinted up the court. As Payton advanced with the ball, his teammates quickly set up the play.

“The Orlando Magic players are showing a different energy tonight—their movement is relentless!” the commentator noted at courtside, watching the Magic execute their plays with unusual vigor. “It’s clear the Orlando boys are determined to win this one!”

With such active movement, high-quality screens were inevitable. Payton and Ibaka ran a flawless pick and roll, and as Ibaka rolled to the basket, the timing was perfect—catching the ball in stride, he soared above the rim and delivered a thunderous two-handed slam!