Chapter 82: Game 1 vs. the Raptors
After repaying Popovich’s favor, Chen Yilun immediately threw himself back into the team’s daily operations.
“The increase is too small! We’re losing money here!”
The team’s CFO approached Chen Yilun, holding this week’s financial report.
“The first three games of the new season were completely sold out! Ticket sales are 10% faster than last season!” the CFO said bitterly.
“It’s fine. We can afford to earn a little less. Fan enthusiasm is high right now at the start of the season, but it’ll probably dip around midseason. Our pricing strategy is solid.”
Seeing the CFO’s strained expression, Chen Yilun tried to reassure him.
“Take today’s game against the Raptors—tickets sold out the moment they went on sale. Honestly, I think we could’ve raised prices by 5% without a problem.”
“It doesn’t matter. Raising prices too quickly may bring in more money, but it hurts fan loyalty. With so many new fans, we need to make sure they stick around.”
As he spoke, Chen Yilun glanced at the desk calendar.
Right—today was the home game against the Raptors.
He thought for a moment. This year, barring surprises, Lowry and DeRozan were set for a breakout season. They’d finish with 56 wins, good enough for second in the East.
It was also from this year onward that the Raptors’ duo would earn that awkward nickname: “Regular-season Raptors, Playoff Chokers.”
The thought made Chen Yilun look forward to the game even more.
“Set it up tonight. I need to go to the arena for an inspection.”
Every time he wanted to watch a game for free, he’d say he was going to the arena to “inspect the market.” That way, he not only got to see the game but even collected overtime pay.
I really am a genius!
That night, at the Kings’ home court, countless fans streamed into the arena. From above, the scene looked like a spectacular migration of ants.
“When did Sacramento’s basketball market get this big? With this kind of energy, I thought it was the playoffs!”
Lowry glanced at the roaring crowd as he warmed up.
“Their GM runs things well, and California’s population is huge. Can’t be helped,” DeRozan replied while dribbling.
Sacramento, as California’s capital, had never been a small city—just a small basketball market. But with Chen Yilun’s team working behind the scenes, more and more Sacramento residents had joined the fanbase.
It showed just how important a team’s home city really was.
Take Toronto, home of the Raptors. It’s one of Canada’s biggest cities, sure, but the population base is still too small. No matter how hard Ujiri worked, there was always a ceiling.
Tonight, the Raptors rolled out their usual starters: Lowry, DeRozan, Valančiūnas, Scola, and Carroll, whom they’d signed from the Hawks.
The Kings, however, didn’t start their strongest lineup: CJ McCollum, Ben, Crowder, Young, and Jokić.
LaVine and Gay, normally starters, sat courtside in suits.
LaVine had landed on the injury list after spraining his ankle in practice with Chip two days earlier. As for Gay, who was grinning ear to ear on the bench, he had told the coaches that morning he had food poisoning and needed a day off.
But looking at Gay’s healthy face, Chen Yilun didn’t buy it.
He’d have to knock some sense into him later—old Gay was slacking more and more these days. Calling in sick with diarrhea? Seriously?
At tip-off, Jokić outjumped the massive Valančiūnas. The ball went to CJ, who began advancing it.
“Here we go—let’s see what new play the Kings are running today.”
In the TNT booth, Charles Barkley rubbed his hands with excitement.
Before he knew it, Barkley was a die-hard Kings fan. After all, who wouldn’t love a team that constantly surprised you?
CJ crossed half-court and suddenly stopped.
On the right wing, Ben had been bodying DeRozan on the inside. As CJ approached, Ben spun out sharply, moving so fast DeRozan couldn’t react.
Ben darted to the right elbow, while CJ dribbled toward the same spot.
As they nearly overlapped, CJ handed him the ball.
But Ben wasted no time—he immediately gave it back in a handoff, then accelerated toward the top of the key.
The whole point of that exchange was to drag both Raptors stars, Lowry and DeRozan, to the elbow.
Then Ben broke away, creating a timing gap.
DeRozan fell for it—he’d been glued to Ben a second ago, but now he was a step behind.
As Ben cut to the top of the key, Crowder set a flare screen.
That screen bought Ben just enough time to pull away from DeRozan. Carroll, trailing behind Crowder, had no choice—he had to abandon Crowder and scramble to help on Ben.
Seeing the play click, CJ lobbed the ball inside without hesitation.
Ben caught it, glancing quickly at DeRozan, now a full step behind, and Carroll, who had already dropped into the paint.
He immediately spun and kicked the ball out.
With Carroll covering him, the top of the key was wide open for Crowder.
Crowder rose for a clean jumper. Swish.
“Nice!”
Chen Yilun sat courtside, hugging a bucket of freshly popped popcorn. “The Horns set flowing into a flare screen… this playbook is dazzling now.”
As he admired the tactics, a large hand crept toward his popcorn.
“Whack!”
Gay yelped, pulling his hand back with a pout. “Boss, don’t be so stingy. Just a few kernels!”
“You’ve got the nerve to eat?” Chen Yilun glared at him. “Didn’t you say you had food poisoning? You need to watch your diet! No eating!”
As the two bickered, Chen Yilun noticed out of the corner of his eye that Crowder’s right hand had two fingers wrapped in white tape.
“What’s that? Crowder’s injured too?”
He pointed toward the court.
“No, that was my idea,” Chip said from the row behind.
“When I was training him, I noticed a bad habit in his shooting form.”
Chip demonstrated the motion with his hands.
“When he releases the ball, his middle and ring fingers twitch unconsciously. That small movement interferes with the shot and throws off the arc.”
“Correcting it takes time, so for now I had him tape those two fingers to keep them still. Once he adjusts, I’ll use corrective support to fix it long-term.”
“Ohhh!”
Chen Yilun nodded, even if he barely understood a word.
Uncle Chip—now that’s professionalism!
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