The Best Point Guard

Chapter 364: Chapter 110: The Auburn Hills Palace Brawl 2

Artest lifted his jersey, revealing the red scratch marks underneath as he sneered at the Pistons.

In truth, no one came out of tonight’s game without a few "scars."

Artest was no exception, and Su Xi had even more—bruises were just the start.

The Pistons weren’t much better off. The Pacers had been just as ruthless.

It was practically a boxing match between the two teams.

According to the schedule, they were due for a rematch soon.

The Pistons and Pacers were scheduled to face off four times in the regular season this year.

"We’ll see you at Auburn Hills."

Rashid Wallace spat out the words viciously after the game.

They refused to accept the loss.

They felt the Pacers got more foul calls at critical moments. But the real problem was... the Pistons didn’t have a guard who could create a threat by driving to the basket. How else were they going to draw fouls?

"Beating the Pistons doesn’t mean anything to us. We already took them out in the East Finals before this," Su Xi said in a post-game interview. "We have nothing left to prove. Now it’s on them to prove they can still hang with us on the biggest stage."

"And judging by tonight, they’re going to have to try a lot harder."

Su Xi’s tone was a sharp blade, piercing the pride of the Pistons’ fanbase.

’Su Xi looks down on us that much? He really thinks we’re not worthy of being his rival?’

And yes, that was exactly what Su Xi thought.

Because the Pistons had already hit their ceiling; this was their final form. If the current Pistons played a series against the Pacers, they might win a game or two if they got hot, but overall, they would absolutely lose. There was no question about it.

"I won’t be traveling to Detroit for the back-to-back," Su Xi told the reporters. "I have some personal matters to attend to."

"I trust my teammates. Even without me, they can still get the win," Su Xi added.

Su Xi had already decided to stay behind to go with Scarlett to her prenatal check-up.

Before the interview, he had asked Rick Carlisle for time off. Carlisle didn’t ask for a reason and immediately approved it.

For Rick Carlisle, there was no pressure to maintain a perfect record this season. It was fine for Su Xi to take a game off to rest.

...

Scarlett Johansson arrived in Indiana at 10 AM the next day. When she saw Su Xi, her emotions were a tangled mess—just as his had been when he got her call.

On one hand, she was thrilled about the prospect of having a child with Su Xi. On the other, she worried if she was ready to be a mother.

She hadn’t even discussed it with her agent. If she was really pregnant, her upcoming work would definitely be affected. It could even limit the types of roles she could take.

Su Xi pulled her into a tight hug, and then they headed home together.

On the way, they talked excitedly about the baby.

"Do you want a girl or a boy?"

"If it’s a girl, you won’t love her more and ignore me, will you? I hope it’s a boy. Then I’ll have two men to protect me."

"He’d better be as tall and handsome as you."

"If it’s a boy, what name will you give him? A Chinese name, I mean."

"Su Xin."

"And if it’s a girl?"

"I haven’t thought of one yet."

"I can’t believe it. I’m going to be a mother. Jack, did you ever think you’d become a father this soon?"

"Never. This is all so sudden for me..."

"..."

They talked all the way home.

On the sofa at home, Scarlett suddenly leaned over and began kissing him, starting from his jawline.

’What a little seductress.’

Su Xi was completely aroused by her teasing.

"Can we... do this now?"

"I think so..."

"I’ll be gentle?"

"Mmm-hmm."

...

That evening, Su Xi and Scarlett lay in bed watching TV. The game between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers was about to start, and the TNT Channel was already running through all sorts of statistical analyses.

They were also discussing Su Xi’s absence from the game.

For Su Xi, it was a strange feeling. He had never sat in front of a TV to watch the Pacers play before.

After the game started, he muted the volume.

He had no interest in the commentary; he preferred to analyze the game himself.

The rivalry was as fierce as ever, and the physical contact was brutal.

Even without Su Xi, the Pacers showed no signs of weakness. They were playing fearlessly, even on the Pistons’ home court at the Auburn Hills Palace.

Right from the tip-off, Artest charged into the paint, collided with Rashid Wallace, and forced up a shot. It missed, but he drew a foul and earned two free throws.

Rashid Wallace was pissed. The camera showed him cursing out Artest, while Stephen Jackson shouted right back at him from the side.

’That’s just part of the game.’

Su Xi smiled.

CLANG!

SWISH!

Artest made one of two.

The game continued.

Though Scarlett had no interest in watching a silent basketball game, she lay quietly in Su Xi’s arms, tracing circles on his chest with her finger.

The game was just as much of a slugfest as the last one.

The only difference was that back on their home court, the Pistons were definitely getting more favorable calls from the referees.

Su Xi could see the frustration building on Artest’s face through the screen, and the impatience of the other Pacers players.

In the NBA, officiating is a huge factor. A team could be building momentum, and a couple of quick fouls could stop it dead in its tracks.

Without Su Xi, the Pacers’ offensive aggression was a notch weaker, and their defense had slipped as well. But there still wasn’t a significant gap between them and the Pistons.

’The power balance is probably 5.5 to 4.5.’

"Jack, when we go for the check-up tomorrow, you have to wear a mask. I really don’t want anyone to know," Scarlett said.

"Okay. I made an appointment at a high-end private hospital. They’re very discreet," Su Xi said.

As they talked, Little O’Neal and Stephen Jackson executed a beautiful hand-off on the court, and Stephen Jackson sank a three-pointer.

He triumphantly held up three fingers. He already had a face that could curdle milk, and with that smug gesture, he looked downright menacing.

A tide of boos washed over the Auburn Hills Palace.

He and Artest slapped a passionate high-five.

Su Xi smiled.

’I love Stephen Jackson’s attitude,’ Su Xi thought. ’Never back down, always fight. To hell with the consequences.’

Just then, Scarlett, still lying in his arms, suddenly frowned. Then, she said, "Oh no. It’s here."

She scrambled up and ran to the bathroom.

Startled by her sudden movement, Su Xi quickly got out of bed and went to the bathroom door. "Scarlett, what’s wrong?" he asked.

"Uh... Jack. I got my period. I mean... I’m not going to be a mom yet." Scarlett’s voice was dejected, laced with frustration.

Su Xi felt a pang of disappointment, but also, for some reason, a sense of relief.

To be honest, at 20 years old, Su Xi wasn’t truly ready to be a father, even though many NBA players had kids at eighteen or nineteen.

"Jack, can you get a pad for me from my bag?"

"Sure."

Su Xi nodded.

He turned around, and his eyes shot wide. He froze.

He was watching an unbelievable scene unfold—what was possibly the ugliest brawl in NBA history.

Artest threw a punch, catching Rashid Wallace on the bridge of the nose. Ben Wallace retaliated with a massive shove that sent Artest flying four or five meters. Stephen Jackson jumped in from the side and landed a punch on Ben Wallace. Shaking off the referee who was trying to restrain him, Ben Wallace tackled Stephen Jackson to the ground, and the two started wrestling.

At the same time, Little O’Neal and Prince were also throwing punches at each other.

The entire Auburn Hills Palace had erupted into chaos.

"Jack, did you find it?"

Scarlett’s voice called out from the bathroom.

But Su Xi didn’t hear her. He only had two thoughts. ’Holy shit, how long are the suspensions going to be for this?’

’And why the hell wasn’t I there?’