38 Ending an Exciting Start

After our game, we have free time all afternoon left. I checked my phone to see if anyone messaged me and there was Gigi and Anne as always and also my mom trying to check on me.

I already texted them before my match about what's going on and since I don't have anything much going on now, might as well text them while watching some games.

On fantastic match is about to start in court A as Harrison Barnes and Avery Bradley battle it out with their teams. Both players and the top recruits of their respective classes. Avery Bradley is ranked 1 in 2009 and Harrison Barnes is most probably ranked 1 in 2010.

A lot of people gathered because of these two high profiled players. Avery definitely has the experience but Harrison is a tall and athletic guy that can make high-percentage midrange shots. I think the matchup is even so it all comes down to who can make more impact than the other.

The game started with Harrison's team getting the first possession and right off the bat, Harrison quickly pulled up a midrange jumpshot on the right-wing.

2-0

That was a good quick shot but Avery responded just as quickly as he passed a very long one to his running shooting guard from the opponent's baseline and they actually pulled it off.

2-2

Avery is smart to see that weakness in the opponent's ability to get back on defense quickly. If I teamed up with Avery, I'm pretty sure our opponents would lose composure most of the time because of our fast-paced style of play.

Harrison's team advanced the ball next possession but made a blunder instantly. As their SG made a pass to Harrison on the post, it was quickly stolen by the opponent's SG, and made a quick run to their side of the court.

Everybody thought that this will be an easy basket for Avery's team but Harrison who was chasing for the block executed it perfectly. A chase-down block is not something you see every day and everybody watching was cheering for that terrific play.

It showed perfectly how athletic Harrison can be with that play and the defense they showed after Avery's team got ball possession again was solid and they stopped them on that.

As the game went by, I regularly checked my phone to reply to Gigi as Anne is a bit busy with some family stuff.

Gigi talked about how a lot of boys were hitting on her and some of them are cute from what she said.

I had mixed feelings hearing that and I know exactly what she wanted me to tell her. She wanted me jealous maybe because she's a little frustrated with this long-distance thing and I feel the same.

I also wanted nothing more but to meet with her every single day but I can see the bigger picture and I'm certain this is only her immature side talking and I don't blame her for that. It's something we all have to go through as a learning phase to develop a better personality.

Whether it turns out good or bad, we all have to experience it firsthand and as someone who has already done that, I can help her get at least some ideas or inspiration to follow the right path.

I wouldn't actually mind if she's dating other guys because I know for certain that it will not end well at this early stage of her life. All I wanted is for her to know that I'll always be the guy to go to if she needs someone to be with either if it's for business or simply just for sex.

With her future working environment, it's gonna take a long while for her to finally settle down.

So I told her she can meet with any guy she likes if she wanted and I'll always be there to support her. And just as I anticipated, she got angry at me for saying that so I quickly told her I was just joking and that we can meet after my basketball camp.

Although I did say I was joking but at least it got into her head that I'm okay with her meeting other guys to not give her too much pressure.

Back to the game.

The first half just ended and the score was 23-25 with Avery's team leading the scoreboard.

Avery showed his experience by taking advantage of small weaknesses that Harrison's team sometimes shows. Even with Harrison's shooting abilities, he still had a hard time because of the pressure of the defense.

And even if Avery doesn't make the shots, he makes the better decision to pass it to the right guy who has an open shot.

But the game is still really close and it could be anyone's game.

The game resumed with Avery's team on the offense. Avery requested to switch his defender with a smaller guy which is the opponent's point guard and signaled for an isolation play.

This was Avery's first one-on-one play in this game so he slowly dribbled left and right and is looking for the defender's weakness. But all of a sudden, Avery made an in and out dribble which made his defender back up a little bit, and he then faked driver to the left slowly and quickly changed direction by driving fiercely to the right.

The defender was a little out of balance from the sudden change of pace but still recovered quickly to catch up on defense.

But Avery is already ahead of him to the basket and is now being approached by their center to contest Avery's layup opportunity. Avery was smarter than that so he dropped a pass to his center and made an easy open dunk.

23-27

Harrison felt a little pressured because they don't have any momentum so he needs to create one.

Harrison rushed to drive to the right and paused at the midrange spot and pulled up a jumper, but it missed and Avery's team got the rebound.

And again, Harrison's team didn't get back on defense fast enough which Avery punished them for it by passing it to his running SF to the basket and making an easy uncontested layup.

23-29

After that play, it was not that exciting anymore. Harrison's team lost their will to fight back because Avery didn't give them a chance to make a comeback.

Avery made the right plays again and again and widen the margin. And soon after, the buzzer sounded indicating the end of the game with a score of 35-46.

Meanwhile, the match in court B is about to end also and Anthony was playing against a team with this year's rank 4 in the ESPNU 100, DeMarcus Cousins.

AD lost that game because he had not many answers to DeMarcus who just bulldozed his way beneath the basket. He dominated the rebounds and AD couldn't stop him.

DeMarcus was stronger and bigger, and even though AD was assigned as a PF instead of a center, he did a much better job than his team's center. Maybe if given another 1 or 2 years then AD can be developed as a multi-skilled center, but for now, he doesn't have the right capabilities to go against DeMarcus and thus he lost.

All the games are done for today and we were dismissed so we headed back to our dorms and took a quick shower. So many games today showed that there are a lot more players who are better right now than future NBA stars. There is even one that dominated against a future NBA star and is looking like one of the frontrunners in this training camp.

Tomorrow's gonna be another amazing day, I can feel it.