Chapter 54 Passion

"Sunny Gan, the center for the Water Clock team, blocks Reggie Miller's layup from behind! He sprinted all the way from the backcourt!"

The television broadcast replayed Gan Guoyang's massive block in slow motion, and the commentator's previously calm voice instantly rose and fell with dramatic excitement.

It wasn't just the CBS broadcaster who was astounded; the Los Angeles fans at the Great Western Forum were equally shocked.

Miller had stolen the ball near the three-point line, leaving the frontcourt completely empty, while Gan Guoyang had been all the way back in the paint.

Yet by the time Miller brought the ball to the rim, Gan Guoyang had already sprinted across like a panther, swatting the ball down from behind.

The previously subdued and sluggish arena instantly came alive because of that single play.

For Los Angeles fans accustomed to high-level college basketball and NBA games, the caliber of this high school matchup was decidedly mediocre.

The pace was slow, the players were short, the zone defenses made both offenses look disjointed, and one team was composed almost entirely of Chinese players—altogether, the entertainment value was not particularly high.

The only reasons so many people had turned out to the Forum were, first, the immense significance of the game, representing the showdown between Northern and Southern California, and second, the cheap ticket prices, many of which had been distributed as complimentary passes by the tournament committee to various schools and organizations.

When sports fans watch athletic events, they crave speed, power, and explosive force, relishing the sudden rush of adrenaline and heartbeat acceleration brought on by direct confrontation.

While highly technical and tactical basketball games are certainly pleasing to the eye, they ultimately fall short of the visceral thrill delivered by raw physical power.

This precisely explained why the NBA broadcasting contract was only worth 88 million, baseball was in gradual decline, and the NFL could command a 2.1 billion deal.

Yet Gan Guoyang's coast-to-coast chase-down block was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, sending ripples spreading outward.

From fans to players, everyone grew increasingly excited.

The ball was knocked out of bounds, but possession remained with Riverside Polytechnic High School.

They ran a clever sideline out-of-bounds play, and Reggie Miller caught the ball in the corner, draining a long-range jumper.

He still got the two points, and after scoring, he pointed at Gan Guoyang, barking, "I still got it! Your block was useless!"

Miller actually dared to proactively provoke Gan Guoyang, an act that instantly ignited Gan's competitive fire.

In the previous game, Gan Guoyang had been driven nearly to distraction by Quentin Stephenson, so he had kept his mouth relatively tame in this one.

Since Miller had now opened this gate of death, the battle would not cease until a winner was decided.

Gan Guoyang caught Jason's eye, and the two executed a high pick-and-roll.

Gan rolled to the basket, Jason lofted the ball into the air, and Gan leaped to catch it, landed, took a power dribble to muscle his way inside, easily brushing past Riverside's center before exploding upward for a two-handed slam!

The entire sequence flowed seamlessly; Riverside High's white interior defenders simply had no answer for Gan Guoyang's sheer impact.

The panther began to bare its fangs and claws.

"That's a dunk. I heard your sister can even dunk, but you can't, is that right?"

Gan Guoyang knew a thing or two about Reggie Miller and his legendary sister.

This would be one of the themes for their "cordial exchange" tonight.

Miller loathed nothing more than people bringing up his sister, as if he were doomed to live in her shadow for the rest of his life.

He still remembered the time he scored 39 points in a single game and returned home excitedly to ask his sister, "How many points did you score in your game?", preparing to show off.

When Cheryl replied, "I scored 105 points," Miller completely broke down.

Right now, Cheryl was sitting right on the sidelines; in the recently concluded CIF California State Championship girls' division, she had led Riverside Poly to the title without a single suspenseful moment.

She would graduate from high school this year, having led her team to an astounding 132 wins and 2 losses over four seasons. Countless colleges had extended scholarship offers; she could study and play at any institution she desired if she so chose.

Even the national team was calling out to her. This female powerhouse who could dunk in games was widely considered a potential candidate for the greatest women's basketball player in American history.

And her poor younger brother was currently being humiliated by a Chinese center with yellow skin and black hair who hailed from Northern California.

Miller tried to drive into the paint during an offensive possession, directly challenging Gan Guoyang.

Yet with his slender frame, how could he possibly gain any advantage? He swallowed another massive block!

On this block, Gan Guoyang directly batted the ball into Franklin's hands.

Franklin launched a fast break, but Riverside Poly's transition defense was swift.

Both teams dug in defensively, accelerating their pace.

After suffering the block, Miller immediately sprinted back on defense and, utilizing his long, slender arms, swatted Franklin's fast-break layup out of thin air!

However, Gan Guoyang surged up from behind, gathered the loose ball, and went straight back up for a dunk.

Miller had no time to recover to defend another player, so he simply reached out and shoved Gan Guoyang.

Despite the foul, Gan Guoyang still managed to force the ball through the hoop, and Miller was whistled for a defensive foul.

An old-fashioned three-point play. Gan Guoyang stepped up to the free-throw line.

"Damn it, you can't even budge him."

Miller had thought a light nudge would break his balance and prevent Gan from converting.

Little did he know that Gan Guoyang would maintain his equilibrium mid-air; his strength and explosiveness left Miller chilled.

No wonder this Chinese team had made it to the finals, and no wonder so many people had been buzzing about this Ah-Gan before the game.

A fierce fighting spirit ignited within Miller's chest. He was no Quentin Stephenson; faced with a formidable opponent, he only wanted to challenge him and would never back down.

After sinking the bonus free throw, Gan Guoyang taunted Miller again, telling him his arm strength was as weak as a girl's—though not, of course, the kind of girl his sister was.

Realizing the futility of stubbornly attacking the rim, Miller shifted tactics, seeking perimeter shooting opportunities through coordination with his teammates.

Jason had done a decent job defending Kevin Johnson because they were of similar height, allowing Jason to wear him down with sheer stamina.

However, that approach fared poorly against Miller, whose height approached two meters and whose game relied heavily on long-range shooting, making it difficult for Jason to contest him effectively.

The Water Clock team was still employing a zone defense, which afforded Miller even more perimeter looks, and he converted three consecutive mid-range jump shots.

With his shooting hand catching fire, Miller pointed at Gan Guoyang after sinking another shot and yelled, "You can't hit an outside shot to save your life, you idiot!"

Gan Guoyang immediately retaliated on the next possession by draining a long-range shot of his own, firing back at Miller: "Your shooting form looks as ugly as a cockroach. Didn't your sister teach you how to shoot properly?"

The tempers of both players flared higher and higher, and their verbal sparring grew increasingly intense.

Players who had previously trash-talked Gan Guoyang were usually brought to heel within a few possessions.

Miller, however, was different. Even when falling behind in the flow of the game and statistical output, his resilience only grew; he dared to shoot and dared to talk back.

Of course, it was also Miller's first time encountering an opponent with such a razor-sharp style of play and tongue. On several occasions, he nearly lost his composure and wanted to throw punches.

Yet looking at Gan Guoyang's imposing physique, feeling the brute strength he exhibited during their collisions, Miller thought better of it. A gentleman uses words, not fists.

The score for both sides skyrocketed in the second quarter, climbing from a 16-16 tie all the way to 41-43, with the Water Clock team leading by 2 points at the end of the first half.

Near the conclusion of the half, on Riverside Poly's final possession, Miller faced Gan Guoyang's help defense on the perimeter and drained an ultra-deep jump shot.

He had fired from well beyond the three-point arc; had it not been a high school game, it would have counted as a deep three.

"You missed by a hair! You were this close to blocking me! Is your arms too short, or are your feet too slow? Are you pitying me? Why didn't you block me? Why?!"

After scoring, Miller unleashed a torrent of words at Gan Guoyang. Gan wanted to retaliate with a score of his own, but the first-half clock was on the verge of expiring.

He hurled the ball toward the frontcourt with one hand—a full-court heave that struck the back of the rim and failed to drop.

The entire arena groaned in disappointment; it would have been an incredible shot.

Even Miller stared in disbelief. Gan Guoyang had flicked the ball with one hand, yet it traveled the entire length of the court and nearly went in.

This guy's strength and touch were terrifying.

Unable to pull off the miraculous buzzer-beater, Gan Guoyang redirected all his frustration toward Miller.

As the other players and referees prepared to head toward the sidelines, the two players engaged in a passionate verbal duel right at midcourt.

Ultimately, the referees and their teammates had to pull the two apart, sending them off to their respective locker rooms.

Clearly, Gan Guoyang's competitive fire was burning at its peak, and the on-site fans were thoroughly thrilled.

They eagerly anticipated the second half even more.

At the same time, unexpected developments were quietly unfolding both on and off the court.