As Pruitt lowered his center of gravity again, Bruce—just as expected—charged forward.
He showed no fear.
Jamie Lin, watching from the sidelines, shook her head in frustration: “That idiot!” She couldn’t bear to watch Bruce fight a battle akin to an egg smashing against a rock.
Meanwhile, the home crowd, seeing the slender Bruce aggressively closing in once more, felt a strange shift in emotion.
Twice before, they had laughed, deeming the Stanford number 10 overconfident and utterly ridiculous.
But now, for some reason…
there was a sense of respect and pity.
This was especially true for the female fans drawn to Bruce’s handsome looks.
Human nature is like that; as Haruki Murakami put it, “Between a high, solid wall and an egg that breaks against it, I will always stand on the side of the egg.” That sentiment embodies sympathy for the underdog.
But Bruce needed neither sympathy nor pity.
When Pruitt attacked again, he boldly met him head-on…
*Thud!* The violent impact sent him staggering back two steps.
Just as the referee hesitated over whether to call an offensive foul and a female spectator gasped, Bruce—having regained his balance—charged forward again, roaring, “Again!!!” He stood tall before Pruitt, his face stern and full of determination!
Pruitt was momentarily taken aback.
At that moment, Bruce aggressively pressed forward.
His defensive stance was so intense that it forced Pruitt to rush and quickly pass the ball away.
“Weak!” Kevin George scoffed from the sidelines.
The home crowd also jeered at Pruitt’s decision to pass: that skinny defender had managed to put up a fierce fight even after being shoved aside, yet Pruitt—who was far stronger—had panicked and deliberately passed the ball away?
The contrast was stark.
Mental weakness is far more daunting than physical weakness.
While Kevin George jotted down praise in his notebook—”tough playing style, tenacious defense, unwavering fighting spirit…”—Magic Johnson was singing his praises on television: “Pruitt looked timid, showing he lacks the qualities of a superstar entirely.
In contrast, this skinny Stanford player possesses the fighting spirit of a superstar!
I admire him just as much as I admire Kobe Bryant.” That was high praise indeed.
Jonny Wallson pursed his lips; he still believed that a single possession wasn’t enough to prove it.
Bang!
Nick Young’s jump shot clanged off the rim.
Frank Benson grabbed the rebound and fired a long pass to Bruce, who was sprinting down the court.
Bruce received the ball and immediately sprinted down the court; Pruitt was in hot pursuit, just a step behind.
As Bruce leaped for a left-handed lay-up, Pruitt—realizing he had missed the chance for a clean block—forced a jump anyway, attempting to disrupt the shot.
Just as Bruce released the ball…
*thud!* Pruitt collided with him from behind.
Bruce instantly felt a force throwing him off balance.
Had this happened prior to this game, he surely would have lost control and crashed to the floor.
But now, he was able to use his strength to make a slight mid-air adjustment.
*Swish!* As the ball hit the net, Bruce landed smoothly.
Although his footing was a bit unsteady, he took two steps forward to absorb the momentum and then grabbed the backboard support, dissipating the remaining force.
Pruitt, however, could not recover from that sudden burst of exertion.
Upon landing, he slightly twisted his left ankle.
As he collapsed to the court, a cry of pain escaped his lips.
The referee immediately halted play and summoned the USC team doctor.
Pruitt was quickly assisted to the sideline.
The outcome stunned everyone.
Bruce was fine, yet Pruitt was injured?
Was this a miracle?
Jamie Lin held her hand; he was completely shocked.
Fortunately…
nothing serious happened.
He immediately called Bruce to the sideline and warned him again: “No physical contact—absolutely no physical contact!
Understood?
With your build, you’re a fragile artifact out there.
If you keep playing such brutal defense, I’m definitely benching you!” Jamie Lin looked serious.
However, Bruce smiled and joked, “Don’t bench me; I still need to help you get your first win as a coach.” Bruce had now gained 10 Strength points from Pruitt.
He was up to 22 Strength points; while still lower than physically imposing players, his speed advantage and innate ball-handling talent allowed him to compete with average-level players.
Moreover, even if Pruitt hadn’t been injured, Bruce was confident he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage against him.
This was because the “Talent Baby”—before completing the talent acquisition and entering a dormant phase—had told him that although Pruitt still possessed 36 points of Strength talent, his wild partying the night before meant he could only utilize a maximum of 30 points today.
Meanwhile, the USC head coach angrily questioned Pruitt: “What is wrong with you?
How could you not handle that skinny Chinese player?
And you even managed to get yourself injured.” Pruitt looked frustrated and annoyed, muttering, “I don’t know either.
Every time I collided with him, I felt my strength draining away—like I was being hollowed out.” Hearing this, the head coach became even angrier: “Who told you to go out partying last night?” Hearing his coach expose his secret, Pruitt’s heart pounded.
He knew he was in trouble.
If they lost this game, Lanny would undoubtedly place the blame squarely on him.
Then…
not only would he face criticism from the school, but if this information went public, it would deal a massive blow to his draft prospects.
Right now, he was merely a second-round NBA draft prospect; if such negative news came to light, he might go undrafted altogether.
What’s more…
he raised his arm and felt that his strength had genuinely diminished.
It wasn’t the temporary depletion that follows a bout of heavy partying, but an irreversible weakening…
Damn it, what was happening?
He furrowed his brows, feeling deeply frustrated.
…
USC replaced Pruitt with a white point guard named Courtney.
This point guard—whose name sounded feminine—was also incredibly skinny, though he looked slightly better than Bruce.
However, the moment he first got his hands on the ball…
*smack!* Bruce stepped in and stole the ball straight from him.
Then, he drove straight to the basket and scored again with a layup.
At this moment, it wasn’t just Kevin George taking notes.
Other scouts scattered throughout the arena were also making observations, because the game was revealing something crucial: Bruce wasn’t as frail as he looked.
He might be slightly weaker than Pruitt, but he was stronger than the other defenders!
That was enough.
After all, his speed and passing ability were truly impressive.
“Every year in March, many unknown players emerge in the NCAA.
Bruce will be the next one,” said Magic Johnson during the live broadcast.