Chapter 504: Gentry, Where's My Dad?
As the players warmed up on the court, Wade Dong was nowhere to be seen.
The reporters started speculating...
When facing the Hawks, Gentry didn't start Durant or Curry, and now against the Knicks, he's not letting Wade Dong play at all?
Gentry is either too bold or there's some internal conflict within the Suns, and he's disciplining players one by one.
This summer, with the 'Wade Dong Clause', whoever has the money will get to sign Wade Dong. Back in the day, Jordan had a salary of over 30 million when the salary cap was only around 2000. By next summer, Wade Dong's salary will definitely exceed 100 million, so the Knicks are one of the top contenders for his services.
At Madison Square Garden, fans had already prepared posters and banners to welcome Wade Dong.
Some extreme fans even shouted, "Wade Dong, I'm your son!" trying to catch his attention.
But when the players entered, Wade Dong was nowhere to be seen.
As the game was about to start and the players were warming up, Wade Dong was still absent.
"Gentry, where's my dad?"
Some fans were already shouting at Gentry.
"???"
Gentry was puzzled. Why was this fan asking him about his missing dad instead of reporting it to the police?
"Where's Dongge?"
Gentry was also worried about Wade Dong and asked Warrick.
Warrick replied, "I just called Dongge. He just got off the plane and is driving to the arena."
"Tell Dongge not to rush. Safety is the most important!"
Gentry reminded him.
...
With only ten minutes until the start of the game, Wade Dong still hadn't arrived. The arena's big screen displayed the starting lineups for both teams:
Suns: Durant, Curry, Thompson, Green, Whiteside
Knicks: Hardaway, Shumpert, Anthony, Wiggins, Stoudemire
The Knicks were performing well this season, temporarily ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference. The number one draft pick, Wiggins, played a significant role in their success. Before the draft, scouts reported that Wiggins' talent was comparable to Jordan's.
After a quarter of the regular season, Wiggins was averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game, living up to his potential. Every night, Wiggins played with passion, and fans had never seen him sitting on the sidelines with a thermos during timeouts.
"Dongge isn't starting???"
The entire arena was in an uproar after the starting lineups were announced.
Since joining the league, Wade Dong had only missed games due to suspensions for fighting. There was no news before the game that he would be absent tonight.
"Gentry, where's my dad?"
"Gentry, where's my dad?"
"Gentry, where's my dad?"
The commotion in Madison Square Garden grew louder.
Gentry finally understood that the fans were looking for Wade Dong. He covered his ears and told Warrick, "Call Dongge again."
"Okay."
Warrick nodded, and after the call, he said, "Dongge said he'll be here in at most 30 minutes."
"Tell Dongge to take his time. No rush. If he makes it, great; if not, it's fine."
Gentry didn't care how much the New York fans wanted to see their dad; Wade Dong's safety was the top priority.
...
The referee's whistle signaled the start of the game.
Whiteside and Stoudemire jumped for the tip-off. Whiteside tapped the ball to Curry, who dribbled to the frontcourt, dribbled past Shumpert, and passed to Thompson in the corner for a three-pointer.
"Swish!"
Thompson's three-pointer went straight through the net.
Suns 3, Knicks 0!
Even without Wade Dong, the fully healthy Suns were confident they could beat any team.
Hardaway dribbled to the frontcourt, and Wiggins cut into the lane. Hardaway passed the ball to Wiggins with a bounce pass, and Wiggins took a step forward, soaring like a helicopter.
"Bang!"
Over Whiteside, Wiggins dunked the ball with one arm.
"Wow, this kid has great talent!"
Gentry opened his thermos. After three consecutive away games, he had run out of tea leaves, so he was drinking goji berries tonight.
No wonder his talent was compared to Jordan's; his jumping ability and core strength were top-notch.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The crowd at Madison Square Garden chanted 'MVP'.
Wiggins became New York's darling, but the fans hoped to see him team up with Wade Dong in New York next year.
Then...
The Suns' pass was intercepted by Wiggins, who went on a fast break. He reached the three-point line and, with a slight touch, flew past the chasing Durant.
"Swish!"
Wiggins' three-pointer went straight through the net.
Suns 3, Knicks 5!
The Knicks took the lead.
"This kid is really good. He has the potential to become a superstar."
Gentry seemed to appreciate Wiggins.
Interestingly, the Knicks' current head coach was the recently retired Fisher, and this was his first time coaching against the Suns.
"With Wade Dong absent, this is our best chance to beat the Suns," Fisher thought.
This season, many teams were tanking to get Wade Dong next summer. Despite having Anthony back, Stoudemire returning from injury, and Wiggins playing well, the Knicks were only ranked fifth in the East. They had lost several games due to Fisher's poor tactical decisions.
Several players had already publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with him.
If he could beat the Suns, would Fisher prove his coaching ability?
"Defense! Watch Thompson's position!"
Fisher shouted from the sidelines.
The Suns attacked, with Curry passing to Durant. Durant dribbled and tried to shoot, but Wiggins had excellent defensive awareness, not giving Durant any space. Durant passed the ball back to Curry.
Curry quickly passed the ball to Thompson.
"G~~~"
As Durant shot a three-pointer, Anthony rushed to interfere with Thompson's shot, and the ball slid off the rim.
"Bang!"
Stoudemire grabbed the defensive rebound and passed to Hardaway, who dribbled to the frontcourt and passed to Wiggins. Wiggins received the ball and, facing Durant, jumped and shot!
"Swish!"
The ball went straight through the net.
Suns 3, Knicks 7!
Wiggins scored 7 points in three consecutive shots.
(This is a basketball novel, and many fans want to see Brother Wei play without goji berries and live up to his potential, and here it is...)