Chapter 127: The Cultured Man, Coach Gentry

"You played well!"

During the first quarter break, Wade Dong encouraged Middleton, "Keep it up!"

"Brother Dong, I..."

Middleton lowered his head, unsure if Wade Dong was mocking him.

Bynum snorted, "I scored 7 points in the first quarter, but someone went 0 for 4."

"Damn it, if you don't talk, no one will think you're mute!"

Wade Dong glared at Bynum and then comforted Middleton, "It's your first time on the court. Having the courage to shoot is already half the battle. When I first entered the league... never mind, just focus on playing well. Don't compare yourself to me."

Middleton: T_T

Look at that, Brother Dong is so good at comforting people!

Middleton felt a little encouraged, but then Brother Dong made a big turn, reminding him of the monster who scored 37 points in his first game in the league.

"Hmph~!"

After being scolded by Wade Dong repeatedly, Bynum's temper flared up.

Seeing Bynum sitting on the bench, sullen, Wade Dong gave Coach Gentry a look.

He would handle scolding the teammates, while the task of comforting the players would be left to the cultured Coach Gentry. Wade Dong believed that Coach Gentry could definitely soothe Bynum.

McGrady and Nash also encouraged Middleton a bit.

...

When Wade Dong was substituted out, the Suns were leading by 12 points. However, by the end of the first quarter, the lead had shrunk to 7 points.

At the start of the second quarter, Wade Dong still had no intention of returning to the court, and Middleton continued to play.

This made Middleton very touched. It seemed that the team's encouragement was not just empty words. So, when he returned to the court, Middleton scored a strong layup for a 2+1!

"Great shot!!!"

Middleton finally scored, and the Suns' bench erupted. Wade Dong led the cheers, waving his towel.

With eight minutes left in the second quarter, Wade Dong and Nash returned to the court.

Wade Dong was ready to dominate the game!

The 76ers also brought back their starting lineup, with Holiday still defending Wade Dong one-on-one.

One-on-one defense?

This was practically giving Wade Dong points. Moreover, after returning to the court, Wade Dong showed an extremely strong desire to score.

First, he drove to the baseline for a layup!

Then, he made a turnaround jumper!

As the 76ers lamented how hard it was to defend Wade Dong, he hit two more three-pointers in a row.

The first half ended.

57:43!

The Suns led the 76ers by 14 points going into the second half.

Wade Dong scored 30 points in the first half, shooting 11 for 15 from the field and 8 for 11 from three-point range.

...

Yu Jia, "Wade Dong is going for the scoring title this season."

Coach Zhang, "He has the strongest offensive ability in the league. Last season, he was the playoff scoring champion, with a higher regular-season scoring average than Durant by 7 points. It's just that he didn't play enough games; otherwise, he would have been the scoring champion last season."

Yu Jia, "Once he crosses the half-court line, it's within his shooting range."

Coach Zhang, "Too strong!"

...

In the locker room, the veteran Suns players were still showing off their championship rings.

The ring itself wasn't worth much, but its symbolic meaning was different. McGrady felt a bit melancholic, wishing he had a championship ring of his own.

"Alright, alright!"

Coach Gentry saw that the players were still reveling in the joy of receiving their championship rings and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. Then he said, "Everyone, put away your rings. We need to have an empty cup mentality."

"Coach, what is an empty cup mentality?"

Dudley looked at Coach Gentry in confusion. Not only him, but many other players also didn't understand what Coach Gentry meant by the empty cup mentality.

Coach Gentry explained, "We need to forget the past, forget success, see the gaps in the flowers and applause, and only then can we mature and improve. Many defending champions fail in the second year because they lack the empty cup mentality."

"Coach Gentry, you... you're so cultured!"

Wade Dong looked shocked and clicked his tongue, "Truly cultured!"

"Hehehe..."

Coach Gentry chuckled, stroking his chin, and then brought out the tactical board!

...

In the second half, the players with the "empty cup mentality" did not relax against the weaker 76ers.

In the third quarter, they extended the lead to 20 points.

Wade Dong did not play in the fourth quarter. The Suns' lineup on the court was Dragic, Tucker, Green, Middleton, and Bynum.

Coach Gentry would not let McGrady play during garbage time, as it would be disrespectful to the veteran.

"Beep!!!"

As the referee's whistle blew, the game ended.

113:96!

The Suns easily defeated the 76ers at home.

Rookies Green and Middleton both played for more than ten minutes.

Middleton scored 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. Green had 1 point, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Game statistics:

Wade Dong: 37 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks.

Nash: 9 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks.

Holiday: 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 1 block.

Nash played only 27 minutes, but his 9 points and 7 assists were still a bit underwhelming. Wade Dong noticed this keenly.

Thinking that Nash was already 36 years old, Wade Dong felt a bit sad.

It was no wonder the media ranked the Suns only fifth in the championship favorites. Nash's competitive state had declined, and he had injury concerns. Bynum had a childish temper and was very unstable. Currently, the most reliable player on the Suns was Wade Dong.

...

Post-game press conference.

Reporter, "What are the Suns' plans for the new season?"

Wade Dong, "To win the championship. That's our only plan."

Reporter, "Tonight you scored 37 points. Are you aiming for the scoring title this season?"

Wade Dong, "I don't care about that."

Reporter, "???"

Wade Dong, "I just want to lead the team to victory. If the team needs me, even if I don't play and just sit on the bench, I'm willing to do that."

Coach Gentry, "???"

Reporter, "The next game is a home match against the Heat. Do you have confidence in winning that game?"

Wade Dong, "Yes!"

After the boring press conference, Wade Dong drove home.

Li Jiajia was still in China.

However, Wade Dong wasn't bored. He first had a video chat with Li Jiajia, then had a simple video conference with the management of Wade Dong Sports. The day passed quickly.

Shower, sleep!

...

A day later, the Suns hosted the Heat at home.

The Heat had strengthened during the offseason, signing Allen, the player with the most three-pointers in history.

So, the current Heat starting lineup was: James, Wade, Bosh, Allen, and Chalmers.

This was no longer a Big Three; it was a Big Four!