Chapter 530: Trash Talk is Also Part of the Game

The first quarter ended.

29:21!!!

The Timberwolves trailed by 8 points, with Garnett playing the entire first quarter, hitting 5 of 7 shots for a total of 11 points.

In his retirement game!

Garnett didn't want to rest; he intended to leave every last ounce of energy on the court.

....

In the second quarter, the Suns substituted most of their bench players.

Yinan, Carter, Tucker, Whiteside, and Curry took the floor!

Curry remained on the court; Gentry didn't let Warwick play because he was the Suns' secret weapon. There was no need for Warwick to enter unless it was a critical moment.

On the Timberwolves' side,

LaVine, Garnett, and Martin stayed on while Bennett and Budinger replaced Rubio and Love.

Garnett held the ball at mid-range, noticing Martin was left open beyond the three-point line. He passed the ball to Martin.

"Swish!!!"

Martin raised his hand for a three-pointer; the basketball went through cleanly.

29:24!!!

The Timberwolves were only down by 5 points now.

Wade Dong sat on the bench, not worried about the Suns losing this game.

He had been pondering what excuse to use to take leave... after all, the playoffs were just around the corner.

Wade Dong's return home wasn't just for a day or two; in fact, Jiajia's due date was still two weeks away. However, she was already full term, and it was common for babies to be born a week or two early. Qi Juan was also worried about any unexpected complications, which is why she insisted Wade return home early.

Given this situation, Wade Dong would definitely miss the first round of playoffs and possibly even affect his participation in the second round.

Simply asking for leave from the team was easy...

From top to bottom, no one in the Suns dared go against Wade Dong's wishes; however, Wade Dong needed to explain himself to millions of fans worldwide.

Wade Dong was a basketball player but also a public figure who needed to set a good example for fans. If he skipped out on work during playoffs... it wouldn't reflect well!

After all, many NBA players continued playing while their wives were in labor.

Wade Dong couldn't do that because his wife and child were more important than anything else. But he also couldn't say those players were wrong... Moreover, with Wade Dong Group behind him, its success was closely tied to Wade's reputation and influence.

"Brother Dong, what are you thinking about?"

Gentry noticed Wade Dong seemed distracted and asked with concern.

Wade Dong looked up and casually said, "I was wondering why you started soaking goji berries again; did you run out of tea?"

"No."

Gentry shook his head. "I just feel a bit weak lately..."

"Then I'll bring you some maca when I go back home; it works better when soaked with goji berries."

"Sounds good; thanks, Brother Dong."

Wade Dong: "...."

.....

On the court, the Timberwolves had already tied up the score.

As Saunders said, this was Garnett's retirement game; if they couldn't win, they should at least lose gracefully.

"Brother Dong and Thompson, you two go in for Yinan and Tucker."

The Suns had struggled offensively during this stretch so Gentry decided to bring in Wade Dong and Thompson to replace Yinan and Tucker who had weaker offensive capabilities.

Wade Dong returned to the game.

Curry passed to Wade Dong who orchestrated from low post while Thompson made off-ball movements.

"Whew~~~"

Wade Dong sent a pass into Thompson's hands.

"Swish!!!"

Thompson raised his hand for a three-pointer; it went through cleanly.

41:38!!!

The Suns led by three points.

The Timberwolves had already put their starters back in; Love received a pass under the basket from a teammate and attempted a soft floater!

"Watch your back!"

Garnett wanted to shout a warning but it was too late.

"Bang!"

A powerful block! Wade Dong swatted Love's shot against the backboard.

After securing possession of the ball, Wade Dong dribbled straight up court with fancy moves, weaving past three defenders until he found himself wide open under the basket.

"Bang!!!"

With an explosive jump from a standstill position, Wade Dong dunked with both hands!

43:38!!!

"Sigh..."

Saunders sighed heavily. "The gap in skill is just too great."

After this season ended, Saunders planned to step down as head coach. He felt he bore an undeniable responsibility for leading a team like this to such disappointing results under his tenure.

Shortly after,

Garnett received a pass at mid-range facing Thompson and took his shot—basketball hit off the backboard and went in!

43:40!!!

On the Suns' side, Wade Dong missed a mid-range shot as Garnett grabbed another defensive rebound. The Timberwolves seized their chance to launch a fast break but as Rubio passed by Wade Dong unexpectedly found himself with possession of the ball!

"Brother Dong's hands seem magnetic."

Rubio paused in confusion.

While everyone else rushed back on defense, only Wade Dong stole away dribbling back up court while stepping just beyond three-point range before launching another shot!

"Swish!!!"

The basketball went through cleanly again.

46:40!!!

"A three-pointer is more reliable than mid-range."

Wade Dong muttered as he casually retreated back on defense preparing for another stop.

He didn't want to ruin Garnett's retirement game but knew that Suns needed a solid lead because they couldn't afford to lose this match.

Two minutes later with four minutes left until halftime,

Durant and Green returned to action as well.

The pace of play gradually fell under control by the Suns...

57:46!!!

Halftime concluded with the Suns leading by 11 points.

....

During halftime break, the Timberwolves prepared a special ceremony for Garnett's retirement game that lasted about five minutes.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Suns players remained on court until after the ceremony concluded before returning to their visitors' locker room amidst applause for Garnett's achievements.

As soon as that ceremony ended Rubio approached Wade Dong and quietly said: "Brother Dong, tonight hold back a little; don't let us lose too embarrassingly."

"Huh?"

Wade Dong hesitated briefly before nodding. "Alright! But you guys need to bring some intensity in the second half! At least make me look good out there..."

"This is natural!"

Rubio felt pleased having reached an agreement with Wade Dong as he ran toward player tunnel excitedly.

....

In the visitors' locker room,

Suns players were relaxed chatting about Garnett.

Green said: "When I was young I loved watching Garnett play; I felt his style was so tough!"

"It seems like you've been greatly influenced by Garnett."

A teammate joked: "At least when it comes to trash talk—I feel like you could give Garnett a run for his money!"

"Trash talk is part of the game; many superstars enjoy talking smack—like Jordan or Kobe or..."

Green paused carefully glancing at Wade Dong.