Chapter 21

"Bang bang bang"

"SHOOT! SHOOT!"

"MOVE!!"

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, at the Target Center.

On the court, the game was in progress. The Phoenix Suns had traveled a long distance from the West Coast, enduring a long flight to reach this commercial and financial city in the northern Midwest of the United States.

"Thud thud... Clap!"

The Suns' offensive attempt missed, and a tall, lean figure leaped high. The classic Timberwolves jersey he wore fluttered slightly, looking both graceful and explosive.

"Thud!"

Kevin Garnett, like a fierce beast, used his incredibly long arms to secure the rebound, then landed steadily, his elbows slightly extended outward. He carefully observed the surroundings, ensuring no opponents were nearby, before passing the basketball.

"Thud thud thud thud"

This summer, the Timberwolves had undergone a moderate reshuffle. In a trade with the Clippers, Garnett's friend and mentor, Sam Cassell, who was a life winner, went to Los Angeles, in exchange for the younger shooting guard, Marko Jaric.

This trade also meant that the three wolves, who had represented the greatest glory of Minneapolis over the past few decades, were ultimately scattered.

Sam Cassell, with his most incredible appearance and bizarre mid-range shooting, Latrell Sprewell, the "madman" who was sometimes superhuman and sometimes super-ghost, and Kevin Garnett, the cornerstone of the Timberwolves and a superstar.

These three players, who were skilled both inside and out, led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals in the 2003-2004 season, ultimately losing to the Los Angeles Lakers at the end of their dynasty.

In that season, high school player Garnett also won his MVP trophy.

Just as everyone thought the Timberwolves were about to usher in a golden age, the madman left due to contract issues, and Cassell was traded, causing the Timberwolves to fall into a slump.

"Ah, if he knew that his best friend in the team, Wally Szczerbiak, would also be traded soon, I wonder how frustrated the Wolf King would be...!"

Watching Garnett's all-around performance on the court, Chen Mu couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. If it weren't for the trade that was about to happen this season, the Wolf King might not have decided to leave Minnesota.

If Garnett hadn't left the Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics' Big Three wouldn't have formed, LeBron might have "ascended" earlier, and the Miami Heat wouldn't have had the opportunity to reach the Finals for four years. In the original timeline, those heroic stories might not have happened.

Sometimes, what we call fate is slowly shaped by some very subtle details.

"Beep~~~"

While lost in thought, the first quarter came to an official timeout. Both teams' players walked off the court to rest, and the two coaches took out their playbooks to explain the next tactical arrangements to their players.

"Chen!"

Unlike previous games, D'Antoni called out Chen Mu's name much earlier, causing Chen Mu to be taken aback. He quickly responded, "Here!"

"After the timeout, you're going in...!"

In D'Antoni's hand, a real-time technical statistics sheet was tightly clutched. Without looking, it was clear that he was very dissatisfied with the performance of the starting frontcourt.

"In just half a quarter, they've already grabbed 6 offensive rebounds, 6!"

The coach, who rarely lost his temper, roared, "I said offense is the best defense, but that doesn't mean you can completely neglect defense and positioning!"

"Our fast breaks are built on good backcourt rebounding. If we can't secure the backcourt rebounds, how can we talk about counterattacks??"

"Rustle rustle rustle"

D'Antoni angrily waved the technical statistics sheet in his hand and shouted, "Kevin has already grabbed 5 rebounds in half a quarter, 3 of them offensive! Diaw, Tim, what are you two doing?!"

"..."

Being scolded by the coach, the two frontcourt players were embarrassed and lowered their heads without speaking.

"That's right, Kevin is a rebounding expert, but their center is a pile of crap! Olowokandi, the biggest joke in NBA draft history, and Mark Blount, who can only shoot mid-range and is soft, these two guys are actually wreaking havoc in our paint!"

"For the next lineup adjustment, the backcourt remains unchanged. Steve, Raja, Shawn, you three stay on the court. Both frontcourt players, come down and cool off. Chen, Kurt, you two are in!"

After the adjustment, the Suns' lineup on the court became very unusual. Apart from Nash and Bell, who were pure backcourt players, the other three players were more frontcourt-oriented.

Chen Mu had no shooting ability and might even miss layups. Kurt Thomas had decent mid-range shooting, but at his age, he wouldn't have an easy time against a versatile superstar like Garnett. Marion, with his small forward height and a playing style focused on shooting and fast breaks, would have limited opportunities in this game.

From the start of the game, the Timberwolves' coach, Dwane Casey, had given a strict order: regardless of how sharp the Suns' backcourt was, the Timberwolves had to suppress the game's pace, reduce the number of possessions and points, and play a methodical half-court game.

This kind of grinding game was exactly what the Suns were least adept at. In just half a quarter, the Suns were clearly dragged down by the Timberwolves' slow half-court offensive style, resulting in an unusually low score.

In fact, this season, under the leadership of the still-peak Garnett, the Timberwolves had put up impressive defensive performances. With an average PACE of 88.8, ranking 22nd in the league, their game pace was very low.

Combined with their 10th-ranked defensive efficiency, the Timberwolves could be considered a decent defensive team. Unfortunately, due to a severe lack of offensive firepower, their record was poor, and they were not remembered.

Next to Garnett, Olowokandi, though not a good offensive player, had above-average defense. Szczerbiak was a pure shooter, but among white players, his defense was still decent. Hassell, the shooting guard, was known for his defense. Jaric, though soft, was 6'7" tall, making him a significant advantage at the point guard position and a solid defender.

"9 to 12, the Suns are trailing..."

Looking at the score on the court, Chen Mu shook his head slightly. To reverse this trend, there was only one way.

"Secure the rebounds, push the pace, and let Nash and the others score...!"

"Beep..."

The timeout ended, and the Suns regrouped, marching onto the court with their heads held high.

"Bang bang bang", "Whoosh"

The Timberwolves attacked, and after a series of passes, Szczerbiak found an opportunity from the outside and took a three-point shot.

"Beep beep beep"

"Rebound...!"

Since Chen Mu entered the league and dominated the boards, many teams had carefully studied his playing style. They were already familiar with his "rebound commander" routine. Therefore, Chen Mu couldn't shout out the rebound's landing spot to his teammates as he did against the Nets. He had to grab the rebound himself!

"Thud thud!"

Chen Mu took a few steps, executed a standard positioning move, and positioned a Timberwolves player behind him. Then, he extended his long arms toward the hoop.

"Whoosh!"

Just as Chen Mu was about to secure the rebound, a black figure leaped high from behind him, like a missile rushing forward.

"Whoosh...!"

A black arm, much longer than Chen Mu's, rose high, grabbed the basketball with one hand, and then fiercely pulled it back, snatching the rebound from above Chen Mu's head with a "slap."

"Oh no... It's Garnett!"

Chen Mu realized the danger and quickly turned to defend. By the time he turned around, Garnett had already taken a step back and released a fadeaway jump shot. The basketball arced beautifully over Chen Mu's head and swished through the net.

"9 to 14!"

The home crowd roared, constantly chanting Garnett's name, while Chen Mu was filled with regret, cursing himself for not being careful enough.

"Garnett has rare mobility and superior jumping ability for an interior player. There was even a rumor that he could touch the top of the backboard ten times in a row. Although it was later proven to be a rumor, it shows the extent of KG's jumping ability!"

While throwing the ball in from the baseline, Chen Mu ran forward, pondering in his mind how to secure the rebounds.

"I can't use the old approach. Garnett is like an ultimate evolution of Odom, with physical attributes far superior to mine. If I just try to position and grab the rebounds, he will dominate me...!"

Chen Mu knew that most teams were already aware of his uncanny sense of where rebounds would land. For teams with weak frontcourts, they could only follow Chen Mu's movements, guess the landing spot, and hope for a lucky break, such as Chen Mu making a mistake.

However, for teams with a strong frontcourt like Garnett, as long as Garnett followed Chen Mu, positioning and jumping with him, he could grab the rebounds over Chen Mu's head.

"Clank"

While lost in thought, Kurt Thomas of the Suns missed a mid-range shot, and Chen Mu saw the green ring appear before his eyes again.

"Rebound...!"

Chen Mu leaped, reaching for the rebound, but the sound of someone jumping from behind him echoed again. Garnett, with much faster jumping speed, reached the ball first, extending his long arms and securing the rebound once more.

"Slap!"

"Oh oh oh!!!"

Garnett's rebounding skills were so impressive that the entire crowd screamed in excitement. Faced with such a monster, Chen Mu felt helpless, and the disappointed looks from his teammates and coach made him anxious. He desperately tried to figure out how to secure the rebounds.

"Hmm...?!"

Suddenly, an idea popped into Chen Mu's head. Watching the Timberwolves continuously pass the ball to seek offensive opportunities, a bold plan slowly formed in his mind...

(Note: The last part of the original text includes a website link and some additional content that is not part of the story. It has been omitted in the translation.)