The Best Point Guard

Stephon Marbury was experiencing an unprecedented crisis of trust.

This crisis of trust was a thousand times worse than when they had lost to the Knicks in the regular season.

Because the Pacers had dropped two home games.

As the two-time defending champions, losing to James in the first round was an unacceptable humiliation.

After all, back when Su Xi was still in Indiana, who the hell was James? They could crush him whenever they pleased. The title "The Chosen One" was nothing but a punchline in Indiana.

Now, however, the Pacers had become the joke.

With the rest of the roster completely unchanged, the only variable, Stephon Marbury, naturally became the target of public criticism.

Stephon Marbury had arrived full of ambition, hoping to stand on the shoulders of giants and build his own legacy. But now, Indiana fans were saying, "We would’ve been better off trading for a can of Coke. At least that can quench your thirst. Trading for Stephon Marbury just leaves you fuming."

How could Marbury accept this?

His mentality was already prone to extremes.

Especially after realizing that even his teammates didn’t fully trust him, he retreated further and further into a dead-end mentality.

It just goes to show that character is destiny.

Was Marbury a weak player?

Of course not. His skill level was no worse than Su Xi’s during his first season with the Pacers. The huge difference was that Marbury was too hot-headed.

A basketball game seems long, like you have all the time in the world. But in reality, one mistake can take ten or even twenty possessions to atone for. And a single mistake can trigger all sorts of negative chemical reactions.

Su Xi was always an additive force on the court; he always sparked positive team chemistry.

That’s why the Pacers of old got stronger the more they played, winning two championships.

Now, they had Stephon Marbury, a subtractive force.

The results... were tragic.

The Pacers managed to win one back in Cleveland, because they moved Marbury to the sixth-man position.

Marbury himself played well and didn’t cause any trouble.

But in Game 4, the Pacers lost again.

The reason was simple: Marbury got impulsive again, insisting on doing things his own way.

Of course, one couldn’t discount LeBron James’s impact on the game. His improvement this season was plain to see, but so was the league’s favoritism toward him.

There were many plays where he was involved that would have been an automatic whistle on any other player.

But for him, the whistle rarely blew.

And on 50/50 calls where both players were potentially at fault, the referees always sided with him.

In truth, this was understandable.

If the league wants to create superstars, there’s bound to be some preferential treatment. It’s an unwritten rule of the league.

It was just that the favoritism shown to James was a bit excessive.

If you could say the league’s favoritism gave Jordan a five-point boost on his way to godhood, then you’d have to multiply that by five, or even ten, for James.

While the Cavaliers took a 3-1 lead, the Knicks eliminated the Bulls with little suspense.

The media barely covered it. All their energy was currently focused on hyping up the "Chosen One’s" miracle seventh-seed upset.

Su Xi watched Game 5 between the Cavaliers and the Pacers on TV.

The Pacers played with incredible heart in this game. Every single player, including Stephon Marbury, gave it their all.

But they still lost, falling in double overtime.

James scored 57 points in the game. His superhuman physique was on full display in the double-overtime marathon; even in the final moments, he could still drive for a layup with a defender hanging off him.

A testament to his incredible strength.

"After losing Little Sheep Su Xi, the Pacers lost their very soul. We can’t be too hard on Stephon Marbury; he gave it his all tonight, even chipping a tooth in the process. But he and the Pacers are just not a good fit. He doesn’t have that killer instinct in the clutch. And neither do the other Pacers players."

As Reggie Miller delivered this commentary, his voice was choked with emotion.

Su Xi could tell how heartbroken he was.

The dynasty they had built together was now turning to dust, collapsing before their very eyes.

It was a tough blow for everyone involved.

"I’m not going to talk about LeBron’s traveling violations, and I’m not going to talk about how he’s averaging 18 free throws a game. I just want to say, the times have truly changed. The league no longer encourages defense. As long as a perimeter player is willing to drive to the basket, they’re guaranteed to draw a foul. They’ve already stopped perimeter defenders from using their hands. What’s next? Are they going to change the rules for how interior players can use their hands or jump to contest a shot?"

"Finally, I just want to say this. If Jack were still in Indiana, we’d be popping champagne right now. LeBron James is very good; he pulled off a miracle seventh-seed upset. I wish him the best of luck. I hope he runs into the Knicks, because our Goat Su Xi will get revenge for us."

Reggie Miller’s words voiced the feelings of every Pacers fan watching on TV.

They were heartbroken, but they still had hope.

Their hope was Goat Su Xi.

Though Su Xi had left the Pacers, in a way, he had never truly gone.

At some point, Su Xi had become the patron saint of Pacers fans. Whenever they were in trouble or felt they were being bullied, they would always think of Su Xi.

In a post-game interview, Artest expressed the same sentiment.

Stephen Jackson even said, "I want to go to the Knicks next season."

Who the hell wouldn’t want to?

Which of the old Pacers players wouldn’t want to keep rolling with Su Xi?