"You're really not easy to deal with."
Every word Frye said made Yu Fei suspect that a sneak attack was imminent.
Yu Fei glanced at him coldly. Even though he hadn't resorted to any dirty tricks yet, the feeling of being elbowed and bumped still lingered unpleasantly.
"You're actually easier to handle than I thought," Yu Fei responded.
On the sidelines, Popovich was no longer angry about Frye sticking to Yu Fei, even at the cost of committing a foul.
He realized that Yu Fei, despite his youth, was indeed difficult to handle.
That kind of height, combined with ball-handling skills comparable to a point guard, was simply unbelievable.
Normally, even big men with good ball skills lose their center of gravity and the ball when facing intense defense, but Yu Fei maintained his poise under the pressure of Frye's close defense and even drew a foul.
Popovich believed that Frye was guarding Yu Fei as if he were on the level of Kobe, Carter, or McGrady, but basketball had evolved over a hundred years. At its inception, the defense had the advantage. Yet, because of commercial demands, professional basketball has always favored the offense, and today, a hundred years after its birth, the offense has become the dominant force in the game.
Although the League felt it was still not enough, the offense truly was very strong.
It was strong enough to prevent top defenders like Frye from legally stopping an attacker who was already up close within the allowed rules.
When that attacker withstands the defensive pressure, he really can do as he pleases with defenders on his back.
The problem is, few attackers can withstand that pressure.
But Yu Fei could.
Although the Spurs' coaching staff hadn't studied Yu Fei in detail yet, the fact that a rookie could perform to such an extent in a leading role already proved his strong immediate combat ability, and his age meant he had unlimited potential for development.
Then, Duncan posted up Ratner and called for the ball.
Popovich's heart eased.
The future of the NBA lies with the likes of Yu Fei, but the current NBA is dominated by people like Duncan.
Duncan exerted his strength.
In the fourth quarter, Yu Fei tried hard, but ended up committing another foul on Duncan.
107 to 95
Tonight, with the Duncan problem unsolved, the Wizards fell to the Spurs on the road by a 12-point margin.
Postgame Interview
"This is a very personal question. I'll know the answer, but I don't know it now. Michael is in the hospital getting an examination, please stay tuned for our official updates." — Doug Collins's response about Jordan's injury.
"I know Michael can play, Michael knows it too, and if he couldn't play, he wouldn't." — Doug Collins's second response about Jordan's injury.
"I don't know, sometimes Michael misses practice, but he's Michael, we all know he's not ordinary, injuries can't keep him down." — Doug Collins's third response about Jordan's injury.
"I don't want to answer that question." — Richard Hamilton when asked how to help Jordan on the court.
"I'm not happy, this was an ugly game, we played poorly, especially on defense. When I see No. 44's stats, I get the impulse to trade Bruce." — Gregg Popovich discussing tonight's game.
"It was just an ordinary game." — Tim Duncan sharing his thoughts on the game.
"No. 44 is a tough player, he gave me a tough night. We won, but I didn't win. Next time I'll do better." — Bruce Bowen on his matchup with Yu Fei.
"Frye, do you know about Michael's tendinitis?"
"Oh, I think I might know."
"But you said before that you didn't know, and you called anyone who suspected Michael had tendinitis a malicious bastard."
"Do you want me to be responsible for everything I say? Sorry, can't do that."
"...How do you think Michael is doing?"
"Can you stop harping on about Michael? The rest of us played the last three quarters. We tried hard even though we didn't win, but we gave it everything we had. Don't you have any questions related to the game? Can I hear some questions not related to Michael's tendinitis?"
"When Michael comes back, what will you do on the court to help him?"
"[Expletive]!!!!!"
— Yu Fei's postgame interview.