Chapter 85: The Cowboy Arrives

Earlier at the Amway Arena, the Orlando Magic had just defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, who were missing Anthony “The Brow” Davis, successfully pulling their record back to an even six wins and six losses. So today, still in this arena, they would be striving to surpass the .500 mark.

“The weather in Orlando is quite pleasant today, but sadly, their opponents won’t let the people of Orlando keep their good mood for long.”

On the sidelines, the commentator flipped through the technical stats: “Today, the visitors to this court are the wild cowboys from Dallas!”

The Dallas Mavericks, a Western Conference team boasting the German Tank, Dirk Nowitzki, won their franchise’s first O’Brien Trophy in the 2010–11 finals thanks to Nowitzki’s near-superhuman performance.

Unfortunately, in recent seasons, the Mavericks have slowly declined, getting worse year by year. This summer, with Durant leaving for Golden State, Dallas seized the opportunity and threw a four-year, $94 million contract at the North Carolina Black Hawk, Harrison Barnes.

For a time, Dallas considered Barnes—the player whose performance in the finals had disappointed—as the future leader of their resurgence.

Barnes has not let Mavericks fans down this season, averaging 22.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game—a qualitative leap from last season’s mere 11 points per game with the Warriors. Many fans have already nominated him for Most Improved Player.

Yet Barnes’s outstanding play hasn’t translated into victories. In the first eleven games, Dallas has won only twice, sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference. The reason lies in the absence of their greatest player, Dirk Nowitzki, who has missed all games so far due to injury.

“Dirk’s absence has left the cowboys lost, but after four straight losses, they’ve run out of options. Tonight in Orlando, they will fight with everything they have!”

The commentator dutifully reported all the latest news, then the broadcast cut to the sideline reporter.

As a seeker of newsworthy topics, the sideline reporter took advantage of the players warming up to interview Magic head coach Frank Vogel: “Coach Vogel, hello. I’ve learned that your team held an intra-squad scrimmage yesterday, and Michael Wu participated as well?”

“Oh, your sources are truly impressive—I thought only my players knew about that.” Vogel expressed surprise at the media’s intel, then nodded, “Yes, yesterday’s scrimmage was Michael’s first time joining us, and the whole process went very smoothly.”

“We held a very effective scrimmage.”

“According to some sources, Michael Wu was invisible in the first half, but he showed some brilliant moments in the second. I’d like to ask, will Michael get more playing time tonight?” The reporter pressed, “Or perhaps, will Michael even get on the court?”

After all, in the previous game against the Pelicans, Wu Rui hadn’t played a single second, so the reporter doubted he would see any action tonight either.

“That’s a great question, because I honestly don’t know how to answer it.” Vogel smiled at the camera. “Michael’s performance yesterday was indeed eye-opening, but whether he plays tonight depends entirely on the flow of the game and his own condition. I can’t give you a definite answer.”

The reporter was satisfied with Vogel’s reply. Just as in the win over the Pelicans, the Magic hadn’t used Wu Rui, yet won handily. Wu Rui is just a fringe rotation player; whether he plays or not is hardly essential.

The reporter then asked a few inconsequential questions, which Vogel answered with a smile. Time quickly passed, and the game between the Magic and the Mavericks was about to commence.

Both teams’ starters removed their warmups and straightened their jerseys.

For Orlando, the lineup remained unchanged. Wu Rui stayed on the bench, and the starters—Vucevic, Ibaka, Fournier, Elfrid Payton, and Jeff Green—took the court, since this lineup had just secured a victory in the last game.

For Dallas, there was a significant change. With the ever-reliable starting power forward Nowitzki unavailable, Dorian Finney-Smith, an undrafted rookie signed this year to shore up the roster, was placed in the starting power forward slot.

At center, the Mavericks started Andrew Bogut, the top pick from 2006. The starting point guard was Seth Curry, younger brother of Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, possessing a similar shooting touch.

Wesley Matthews took his place as starting shooting guard, justified by the $17 million per year contract he signed after switching from Portland last season. Matthews hadn’t played up to expectations then, but this season, he must prove himself.

Finally, as the Mavericks’ biggest offseason acquisition, Harrison Barnes lingered by Coach Rick Carlisle’s side, listening to tactical instructions before returning to the court.

With Nowitzki absent, Barnes is the unquestioned offensive core for Dallas. Carlisle had to explain every detail of the game plan to the North Carolina Black Hawk.

As all players took their positions, the referee wasted no time, stepping to center court and tossing the ball skyward. The game officially began!

Vucevic, much to Wu Rui’s disappointment on the bench, failed to win the tip—even against an aging Bogut. The ball went to the visitors.

Seth Curry brought the ball up, ran a simple pick-and-roll with Bogut, then pulled up for a two-pointer just inside the three-point line.

He rushed the shot; the ball failed to find the net. Jeff Green secured the rebound and handed it to Elfrid Payton. As the team’s brain, Payton didn’t hurry the fast break, instead leisurely crossing half court, then suddenly bounced the ball out to Fournier curling around the three-point line.

Fournier caught and launched a three-pointer, but likewise elicited the resounding clang of a missed shot.

Both teams opened the game sluggishly, missing shot after shot. The first quarter dragged on until the nine-and-a-half-minute mark before Vucevic, receiving a crisp pass from Jeff Green, powered through the paint for two points.

“The rim in Orlando seems sealed tight—neither side can get the ball to fall!”

The commentator grew anxious at the stagnant pace. “Perhaps Coach Rick Carlisle and Coach Frank Vogel need to make some moves!”