Chapter 109: Swinging the Elbow

“Michael Wu sinks a pull-up jumper over Giannis’ defense!”

“Oh wow, he’s so confident! I’ve never seen him take that kind of shot before!”

At Milwaukee’s Bradley Center, the two commentators were equally astonished.

According to their scouting reports, Wu Rui’s most notable attribute was his extraordinary vertical leap.

He frequently used his exceptional jumping ability to snatch the majority of rebounds unexpectedly.

Whether securing defensive rebounds or battling for offensive boards, his leap was a formidable weapon.

Beyond that, Wu Rui’s physical prowess was not to be underestimated.

Remember, beneath that frame lay the strength capable of dunking over Rudy Gobert!

Aside from his remarkable physical traits, there was one other aspect that caught the commentators’ attention: his mid-range shot following pick-and-roll plays.

The spot one or two steps in front of the free-throw line was the Magic’s go-to tactical point—and also Wu Rui’s favored shooting location.

His accuracy from there was impressive.

Having reviewed all this, the commentators knew nothing else about Wu Rui’s offensive repertoire.

So when he pulled off a pull-up jumper against Giannis in the opening possession—and made it—it truly surprised them both.

Even Giannis felt a jolt. In his mind, Wu Rui was exactly as the commentators described.

So when Wu Rui faced him one-on-one with the ball, Giannis felt no threat whatsoever.

Yet Wu Rui pulled up for a jumper?

And even dared to taunt him?

“Kid, you’ve officially pissed me off.”

With those words, Giannis turned on offense and immediately called for the ball from Delly.

Delly, enjoying the unfolding drama, dribbled past half court and handed it right to Giannis!

Adetokunbo caught it, spun, and faced up!

Standing firmly in his way, lowering his center of gravity to guard him, was none other than Wu Rui!

“Michael Wu stands up to defend Giannis himself!”

“My goodness, this game is heating up from the very first possession—this is incredible!”

The commentators were ecstatic; nothing beats diving straight into the heart of the battle as the game begins!

“Take him down, Giannis!”

“Show this Chinese rookie what you’re made of!”

“This is your turf, man—make him pay!”

The Bucks fans along the sidelines rose to their feet, fists pumping toward the court.

In their eyes, Giannis would absolutely crush Wu Rui like a bug!

Giannis thought the same. He was about to taunt Wu Rui when the young man beat him to it.

“Come on, Giannis, try to bring me down.”

Wu Rui spread his arms wide as he spoke. “Your fans have been waiting for this moment!”

“You’re taunting me?” Giannis laughed. He hadn’t started it, and now Wu Rui was provoking him first?

“You can take it as a taunt, buddy.”

Wu Rui flashed his signature smile. “Just don’t get mad and elbow me, and we’ll be fine.”

“What?”

Giannis froze, then his expression stiffened. “You mean that flop?”

“Your dirty acting got you a win last time!”

With that, Giannis lowered his stance. He’d planned to respond with a pull-up jumper of his own.

But now, facing a trash-talking master like Wu Rui, raw power was the better weapon.

Only, he seemed to have forgotten their last encounter: this Chinese kid was brimming with energy!

Giannis tried to power through Wu Rui’s defense, but Wu Rui blocked his path and pushed back relentlessly—Giannis simply couldn’t move him!

“Don’t swing your elbows, buddy.”

Wu Rui held his ground, a smirk creeping over his lips. “Or don’t blame me if I flop again.”

“Shit!”

Giannis wasn’t sure if Wu Rui was bluffing, but cautious, he abandoned the elbow jab and passed the ball to Jabari Parker on the right.

Parker hadn’t been ready to receive the pass; he was focused on rebounding.

Under Giannis’ watchful eye, the ball hit Parker’s arm and was immediately stolen by Orlando’s guard, Evan Fournier!

“Giannis made a turnover?”

“I have no idea what just happened! That was supposed to be his drive to the rim, but he passed instead?”

“And that pass turned into a turnover!”

“What on earth did Michael Wu do? How is this even related to him?”

The commentators saw it clearly: Giannis had given it his all trying to overpower Wu Rui.

Yet despite no signs of letting up, he still made a mistake!

“Evan, pass me the ball!”

On court, the Magic seized the opportunity created by the opponent’s error.

Payton sprinted forward, calling for the ball as Fournier launched it across half court.

With the ball in his hands, Payton saw an open lane ahead.

But safety was far from guaranteed—Giannis was already charging after him, clearly aiming for a thunderous chase-down block!

Unfazed, Payton leapt high without hesitation.

Giannis, unwilling to be outdone, rose almost simultaneously, his long arms reaching out toward Payton.

At the crucial moment, Payton flicked his wrist subtly—the ball didn’t head for the basket but veered outward.

“Whoosh!”

Surprised, Giannis turned just in time to see a figure soaring behind him, snatching the ball single-handedly and slamming it home with a powerful dunk!

“A fast-break alley-oop! The Orlando Magic complete a lightning-quick alley-oop!”

“Unbelievable! How did Michael Wu sprint the entire length of the court to finish that alley-oop?”

“I always thought only Giannis could pull off something like that—but Michael is matching him stride for stride on his home turf!”

Indeed, the player who connected with Payton on that fast-break alley-oop was none other than Wu Rui!

As Giannis raced back on defense, Wu Rui matched him step for step, charging down the court.

As the Magic’s star point guard, Payton eyes all angles, luring Giannis forward before tossing the ball perfectly for the alley-oop—executed flawlessly!

“If you don’t use those elbows, you’ll never shake off my defense.”

After the dunk, Wu Rui’s mouth was far from silent. Facing the glaring Greek warrior, he grinned.

“By the way, in Orlando last game, if you hadn’t swung your elbows, your team would’ve lost by an even bigger margin.”

“Because I’d have destroyed you just like I’m doing today!”