Stanford's Little Lightning

Courtney's entry into the game marked a turning point.

Although he was a decent shooter, he couldn't contain Li Zhen's movements. He found himself passively trailing behind him. The fierce offensive led by Bruce was like a raging fire that instantly engulfed the University of Southern California.

USC had to pay for their arrogance.

From the start, they didn't take Stanford seriously.

The coaching staff hadn't done any pre-game research, and their tactical adjustments were non-existent. When they heard that two key players from Stanford were injured and their head coach had already left, their minds immediately relaxed to an extreme degree.

This was also why Pruitt had gone to the party with two teammates and indulged in drinking the night before.

From top to bottom, nobody considered Stanford a threat.

But once on the court, the slender number 10 point guard asserted his dominance. He led the team in a relentless fast-paced style, much like the Phoenix Suns, and though Pruitt knocked him down twice, he eventually left the game due to a twisted ankle from defending against him.

Following that, though Nick Young continued to play valiantly, with 12 successful shots out of 25 attempts and scoring a whopping 29 points, he failed to bring victory to his team.

His efficiency was too low.

While Stanford didn't have star players, they worked together as a team. Their shooters, their forwards, all flourished under Li Zhen's lead. Each player executed their tasks intelligently and accurately. Scott and Thompson, Bruce's good friends, got the most opportunities.

Thompson shot 5 out of 9 from beyond the three-point line, scoring 24 points in the entire game.

Scott, though lacking shooting ability, relied on pick-and-roll plays with Li Zhen, grabbing 17 points and 9 rebounds by directly driving to the basket.

If he had a stable mid-range shot, he could have easily scored over 30 points. Many times, due to opponents blocking the paint area in advance, he had to pass the ball again after receiving it, leading to missed opportunities.

Of course, the most dazzling star of the game was Li Zhen.

Despite playing only 28 minutes due to stamina limitations, everyone knew he was the lead actor and director of this 'underdog' comeback performance. If it weren't for his rapid pacing, pushing USC's half-court defense to a passive state, the outcome of this game could have still favored USC.

His speed, passing ability, and organizational talent were the key details that sealed the victory.

The comprehensive stats of 10 points, 15 assists, 2 steals, and 2 rebounds couldn't fully illustrate his influence.

In this game, Li Zhen finally earned his first nickname.

When he grabbed a rebound under the basket in the second half, initiated an extremely fierce counterattack, and, near the midline, swiftly bypassed Courtney with a rapid change of direction, rushing all the way into the three-point line, then took the shot and accelerated past the Pacific Division's top scorer with Nick Young shadowing him, Magic Johnson couldn't contain his excitement. He exclaimed, "This isn't just Bruce Li, this is Stanford's Little Lightning!"

When the sideline reporter from Time Warner asked Li Zhen about this nickname, Li Zhen smiled and said, "Thank you, Magic Johnson. I really like this nickname. He's also my idol, and many of my passing moves are inspired by his tapes. He ignited my passion for basketball and made me fall in love with the point guard position."

As Li Zhen's words were transmitted through the TV signal to the studio, Magic Johnson appeared very pleased.

"I've said it before, Johnny. His passing moves look very familiar; turns out he learned them from my tapes. I really like this guy. If I have the time, I wouldn't mind going to Stanford's training facility to personally teach him some moves. He's an extremely talented point guard, and I hope he continues to improve."

Magic Johnson spoke excitedly.

No one could resist such sincere compliments and genuine respect, and of course, Magic Johnson was no exception.

If... Time Warner's signal could support a live call, Johnson would have eagerly discussed "Self-Cultivation of Point Guards in the New Era" with Li Zhen.

In fact, reporters asked similar questions.

They inquired about why Li Zhen's tactics tonight were so different from Stanford's previous style, and how he viewed his role in the new strategy.

"You know, we unfortunately lost two key players before this game. We had to make changes. Coach Jamie Lin did extensive homework based on our existing roster, and with his exceptional tactical layout ability, we finally found this fast-paced playstyle."

"And my role in this tactic is as the playmaker, responsible for elevating our tempo, then swiftly passing the ball to an open teammate when the opportunity arises."

Li Zhen emphasized Jamie Lin's role, downplaying his own abilities.

He hoped that through this victory, Jamie Lin's talent would be recognized, paving the way for him to become Stanford's head assistant coach.

Later, the reporter did indeed ask about Head Coach McHaney leaving the team.

However, his question was slightly pointed, with a hint of instigation: "Even in the absence of the head coach, you still managed to achieve this comeback victory. Do you think the previous tactical system wasn't suitable for Stanford?"

"No. Your understanding is not comprehensive. What I mean is, Coach Jamie Lin made the best plan based on our existing lineup. And when we have everyone back, Coach McHaney's coaching philosophy is the best."

Bruce spoke without revealing anything, "Moreover, the head coach is handling more important work. He's working hard for our team to have a brighter future. We're all proud to have a coach like him."

Li Zhen clearly didn't want the matter to turn into a controversy over the coach, which wouldn't be good for Jamie Lin. After all, Coach McHaney held significant influence in the California basketball circle, while Jamie Lin was just a budding Chinese assistant coach. Even if he won a splendid victory, it wouldn't be enough to pose any threat to McHaney.

Instead, if he angered McHaney, he might be directly fired by the athletic commission.

In reality, Jamie Lin immediately called McHaney to report after the game.

McHaney was somewhat incredulous about winning this comeback victory. So after encouraging Jamie Lin, he turned on the TV.

Then, he was completely dumbfounded as Time Warner began replaying the highlights of the game.

What the heck is happening?

Was this still Bruce?