Chapter 35: Pew, pew, pew

Once broken down, the task didn't seem so difficult after all.

The game had only just begun, and he had already scored 5 points in this quarter. What he needed now was more consistent playing time. As long as he had the minutes, he could put points on the board.

Passing the bench, Li Rui cast a glance at Smush Parker and Jordan Farmar. To secure steady minutes, he had to perform well enough to overshadow both of them. Smush Parker and Jordan Farmar met his gaze, both looking slightly uneasy.

However, Li Rui found that completing his single-quarter scoring goal was harder than he had anticipated. Stephon Marbury stayed focused and didn't let Li Rui shake him off so easily again. Meanwhile, the Lakers' offense was heavily concentrated around Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. Li Rui managed to get one opportunity, but he couldn't convert against the defensive pressure. The Knicks didn't seem to have much of a system; it was mostly chaotic scramble-ball, and the Lakers held a slim lead.

The clock ticked down to 5:22 remaining in the first quarter.

Kobe found himself in a one-on-one situation against Jamal Crawford outside the right three-point line. He held the ball in his left hand and signaled for his teammates to clear out.

"Kobe’s isolation play."
"Bynum, Odom, and Li Rui have all cleared the space."
"This is a prime opportunity."

Seeing his teammates spread out, Kobe decisively began a series of crossover dribbles.

*Thump!*
*Thump!*

With two simple crossovers and a shift in his footwork, Kobe exploded with acceleration, driving to the right. Crawford tried his best to keep up, but he lost his defensive position and couldn't stay with him.

As Kobe drove into the paint, the Knicks' defense collapsed, with Marbury, Channing Frye, and Eddy Curry all converging to double-team him. Kobe demonstrated his ability to dismantle the opponent's defense. In the past, he might have forced a shot against three defenders because the rest of the Lakers' perimeter players were essentially dead weight. But now, Kobe decisively looked back to find Li Rui, leaping high into the air to deliver a bullet pass.

Li Rui had been waiting patiently in the left corner. Seeing the ball fly toward him, he didn't hesitate for a second.

Catch.
Plant.
Release.

A textbook jump shot. The ball left his hands with a soft touch, tracing a beautiful arc through the air toward the Knicks' hoop. His aim was precise, his form impeccable.

Snap of the wrist.

*Swish!*

The ball pierced through the net. 18-12.

*Biu-biu-biu.*

"Li!! Li!! Li!!"

Accompanied by the shouts of the Madison Square Garden DJ, the home crowd erupted in screams. The away crowd was in a frenzy. Kobe rarely saw such celebrations for an opposing player; after all, this wasn't their territory. Kobe felt a vague realization that the influence Li Rui brought was not limited to the United States.

"Crazy" Li? Just how crazy would he get?

"God, he hit another one."
"Kobe draws the defense, Li Rui catches and shoots—what a perfect sequence. He’s Kobe’s favorite partner."
"A perfect fit. My god, Li is the steadiest shooting point guard I’ve ever seen."

The Chinese fans in the stands were celebrating wildly. Although Li Rui hadn't reached double digits yet, it was still only the first quarter. This was the world's premier league, and seeing a Chinese guard scoring with such high efficiency was deeply resonant.

After the basket, Li Rui cupped his hands over his eyebrows like binoculars, scanning the stands. He spotted a young Asian child holding a poster of him and wearing his jersey. He aimed a three-finger gesture at the kid, then pointed at the hoop, signaling: "This one was for you!"

The fans in the arena understood the meaning of Li Rui’s celebration. It was an interaction with them, and they roared even louder. Fans are easily satisfied; once they know the star they follow cares about them, they instantly become die-hard supporters.

On the sidelines, Daniel threw a heavy punch into the air: "Haha, Phil, did you see that? That’s the power of this kid. When he’s in the starting lineup, he can liberate Kobe to the greatest extent."
"His shooting is simply fantastic."
"He is the best gift God has given us."

The Zen Master nodded with a smile.

Later in the first quarter, Li Rui also received a long pass from Odom during a fast break to score another 2 points. He was subbed out at the 2:28 mark. By the end of the first quarter, the score was 31-23, with the Lakers leading by 8 points on the road. Li Rui had scored 10 points in the quarter, successfully hitting his target of 8.

Perhaps feeling the pressure from Li Rui's sustained performance, Smush Parker felt the crisis; he played well after checking in, and the Zen Master gave him some time. Li Rui didn't return to the floor until 6:12 left in the second quarter. At this point, Sasha Vujačić came in, Kobe shifted to small forward, and Odom was replaced by Vladimir Radmanović. Vladimir was a Serbian, 6'10", averaging 6.5 points and 3 rebounds this season, with a career three-point shooting percentage of 37.5%—a decent shooter. The Zen Master sent him in to join Li Rui in supporting Kobe. However, Vladimir couldn't handle the ball and facilitate like Odom, which meant Li Rui would have to bear more pressure in bringing the ball up the floor.

...

The Knicks' offense lacked structure, and soon, they committed a turnover while passing. Vladimir secured the ball and handed it to Li Rui. Li Rui pushed the ball up the floor, continuing to face tight, physical pressure from Marbury. Li Rui used his body to shield Marbury, then performed a spin and accelerated across mid-court. Marbury scrambled to recover, rushing in too hard and colliding with Li Rui as he decelerated.

*Thump!*
*Beep!*

Li Rui drew a foul on Marbury.

This successful transition across mid-court earned Li Rui a thumbs-up from the Zen Master. For any other point guard, crossing mid-court in a one-on-one situation wouldn't be anything to brag about, but this was Li Rui—the man dubbed the worst ball-handling point guard in the NBA. Such a display was certainly worth encouraging.

Vladimir inbounded the ball to Kobe. Marbury was practically wrapping his arms around Li Rui, using all sorts of little tugs and pulls; he no longer dared to show even the slightest bit of relaxation or contempt toward Li Rui.

*This guy! He really is a tough player.*

Still, it made things more interesting. Li Rui looked at Marbury and gave him an elbow in return.

*Thump!*

Marbury let out a muffled grunt, refusing to complain. Basketball in this era was much more physical than in the small-ball era, and Li Rui had already gotten a feel for the referees' officiating standards.

After receiving the ball, Kobe saw Li Rui and Marbury entangled, so he passed the ball to Vujačić on the right wing, then dove deep into the paint, establishing position and demanding the ball for an isolation play...

With 4:24 left in the second quarter, Kobe drew a double-team in the low post. He decisively whipped the ball out to Vladimir, who jumped high to release a three-pointer from the left side. The ball flew straight toward the rim, but with a bit too much force.

*Clang!*

David Lee grabbed the rebound and immediately fired it to Crawford for a fast break. Fortunately, Kobe chased down Crawford, putting immense pressure on him. Crawford missed the pull-up three, and Kobe grabbed the long rebound, immediately passing to Vujačić on the right side of the frontcourt.

Vujačić caught the ball and took two steps toward the left; Richardson came up to defend, and at that moment, Marbury also tried to reach for a steal. He was too eager and lost what should have been his defensive position.