Chapter 13: First win

"Nice response! No complicated tactics there—just a simple pick-and-roll and shot. The Warriors paid the price for underestimating the opponent this time," Kenny remarked, impressed.

"I didn't see this coming. I thought the game was going to be one-sided, but it's been full of twists and turns!"

On the court, CJ glanced at his shooter, feeling a bit puzzled. When he took that last shot, a magical sensation had washed over him. It wasn't unfamiliar—quite the opposite. He'd felt this way during his NCAA days when he was the core of his team, dominating opponents. Every shot he took then had this feeling, like it was destined to go in. But since entering the NBA and seeing the heights of competition, that feeling had faded.

"CJ McCollum hits the three, and the Kings are back on top!" The stadium DJ seized the opportunity to hype up the home crowd again as the arena roared.

Curry looked up at the scoreboard. CJ's three-pointer had put the Kings back in the lead, 97 to 95. The Warriors tried to respond by running their "elevator door" tactic once more. Curry got the ball, and although CJ attempted to contest the shot, Curry let it fly.

"Bang!" The shot bounced off the rim. Curry shook his head slightly, disappointed. The opportunity was there, but he couldn't convert. Despite his seven-for-ten shooting from deep, not every shot was going to fall. Curry had been remarkable all game, and without him, the Warriors would have been out of it long ago, overwhelmed by the Kings' explosive offense.

The Kings took advantage of their next possession with a series of brilliant passes that stretched the Warriors' defense. The ball ended up in Ben's hands in the corner, just as Klay Thompson flew over to contest. But Ben, whose playing style mirrored Ray Allen, confidently rose up and fired. His form was flawless, and the ball sailed straight into the net.

"Good shot!" Mike Malone shouted from the sidelines, pumping his fist in the air. Those back-to-back three-pointers were just what the Kings needed, giving them breathing room again with a five-point lead.

On the other sideline, Steve Kerr frowned. Those last two shots—CJ's pull-up jumper and Ben's contested three—weren't exactly high-percentage looks, but they had both gone in. It was frustrating, but that's basketball. Sometimes, even the best defense couldn't stop a hot hand.

Curry responded by driving to the basket, blowing past Cousins and finishing an easy layup for two points. But that would be the Warriors' last real surge. The Kings seemed to come alive in the final quarter, moving the ball effortlessly and hitting three after three from the perimeter.

The tipping point came when Bogut, exhausted from nearly playing the entire game, could no longer keep up. The Kings' big men, Cousins and Jokic, took turns attacking him, wearing him down. With no rest and little help, Bogut struggled. Cousins, who had been strategically rested earlier by Malone, was now fresh and flying through the paint. Meanwhile, Bogut could only watch as the game slipped away.

With two minutes left and the Kings up by double digits, Kerr reluctantly pulled his starters, conceding defeat. Malone followed suit, bringing in the reserves to close out the final minutes. When the final buzzer sounded, the crowd erupted into a frenzy. It was as if they had won the championship. After years of being a bottom-feeder, controlled and beaten down by stronger teams, the Kings had finally seen the light of a new dawn.

The final score was 122 to 116, and the Kings had secured an six-point victory in their first home game. CJ finished with 17 points and 6 assists, Gay contributed 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Cousins recorded a monstrous double-double with 26 points and 18 rebounds. But the most pleasant surprise was LaVine, who also chipped in 16 points. Jokic, who played nearly half the game to give Cousins more rest, came close to a triple-double with 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 14 assists—arguably the biggest surprise of the night.

After the game, Kerr walked over to Malone for a friendly handshake. Then, he spotted Jake standing near the stands and smiled, making his way over.

"Jake!" Kerr greeted warmly, shaking Jake's hand and giving him a friendly pat on the arm. "I remember Popovich telling me to look after you in the future. Looks like you were the one taking care of us this time."

Jake smiled modestly. "Steve, this was all Mike and the players' doing. I didn't do much."

Kerr laughed and quickly changed the subject. "You know, little brother, have you ever considered joining the Warriors' management? I believe after tonight, a lot of people will be talking about you. Jerry may not be here today, but I'm sure he'd love to have you on board."

The "Jerry" Kerr referred to was none other than Jerry West, the legendary logo man and current director of operations for the Warriors.

Jake shook his head with a wry smile. "Thanks for the offer, but I just joined the Kings. I'm not ready to jump ship just yet. Besides," Jake grinned, "Your Warriors are already a well-oiled machine. I doubt there's much for me to improve."

Kerr laughed heartily at Jake's response. "Alright, fair enough. How about we grab dinner tonight? It'll be a good way to catch up and strengthen the bond between old friends."

As expected, at the post-match press conference, Jake immediately drew the attention of reporters. It was inevitable. Five players on the team scored in double digits, and three of them were newcomers acquired during the offseason. As the man behind the scenes, it was hard for him not to take the spotlight. Moreover, at the Warriors' press conference that had just ended, Kerr had lavished praise on him, calling him the key contributor to the team's revival, making it sound like Jake was a magician capable of turning stones into gold.

"Jake, as the general manager of the team, how do you respond to Coach Kerr's comment that you were the primary force behind the team's turnaround?" a reporter asked.

Jake took a deep breath and replied, "First of all, I appreciate Coach Kerr's kind words about our management. But I'm definitely not the main contributor. The coaching staff's dedication to player development and the hard work the players put in during the summer are what really made this team strong. Plus, this is only the first game of the season. We still have a long road ahead before we can claim we're back to where we want to be."

Jake smiled and continued, "Take Jokic as an example. When I first met him, the guy was as fat as a ball." The room filled with laughter, and Jokic bowed his head, smiling sheepishly.

"But after he came to the U.S., our staff, especially Vlade Divac, worked with him all summer, and that's why you saw the performance Jokic delivered today," Jake explained. "So, it's not about any one person. There's no single hero here. It's about everyone coming together, working toward a common goal. I'm just happy to see that we're on the right path, and I believe we'll meet again with even better results soon."

After earning some goodwill at the press conference, Jake was feeling upbeat as he hummed a little tune and prepared to leave the stadium. But as he walked to the parking lot, he bumped into Divac.

Divac appeared a bit awkward and said, "Jake, I owe you an apology."

Divac had watched the game, and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed. His once-promising pick, Nik Stauskas, had struggled mightily in another game that night, while Jake's trades had paid off in a big way. It only highlighted how wrong some of his earlier decisions had been.

"Hey, Vlade, no need for that," Jake replied, looking up at Divac. He couldn't help but think that if they had these conversations often enough, his neck problems would be cured from all the looking up.

"We're all working hard for the team, and sometimes we have different ideas. But since we're all striving toward the same goal, we're never going to be enemies," Jake added with a smile. He tried to pat Divac on the shoulder but quickly realized he couldn't reach that high, so he settled for a pat on the arm instead. "Don't take it to heart. We all make mistakes. We won today, so let's just enjoy the moment."

As predicted, the headlines the next day were all about the Kings' victory over the Warriors.

"The Purple Whirlwind Blows Again? Kings Defeat Warriors" "The Kings Rebuild with a Bang, Princeton Offense Back in Action" "Jake Allen, Rookie GM, Leads Kings' Renaissance"

One article after another captured the attention of the entire league, but no one was more uncomfortable than the management of the Portland Trail Blazers.

"Can someone tell me why we traded CJ McLemore for Fredette and a first-round pick?" the Blazers' owner fumed, slamming a newspaper down on the general manager's desk.

The GM, just as frustrated, could only respond with helplessness. "I didn't want to make that trade either. Who knew CJ would explode after joining the Kings? He was just okay last season. I thought getting a first-rounder and Fredette was a win. But now? I didn't know I was the clown here. We really lost big time."