"Everybody, focus! Don't let him get a head start, collapse to the paint."
"Coach, he can shoot from the outside too."
"Then double-team him! I want you to double-team him. Don't let him score or dish out easy passes."
"If he passes, let his teammates take the shot. Don't overcommit on defense, push them to pass it back to Arjun."
During the timeout, Coach Pete Smith was furiously yelling at the USC players.
Having the ball in Arjun's hands was a major problem.
USC was facing their toughest game of the season, and their fans were as silent as the grave.
Back from the timeout.
It was Nick Young who broke the deadlock for USC.
For a while, Nick Young had been playing along, passing the ball as instructed, and look where that got them—trailing behind.
Nick Young now felt it wasn't worth the effort.
Outside the right three-point line, after some sloppy dribbling, he stepped back against UCLA's small forward and boldly shot a three!
What a daring shot!
And it actually went in!
7 to 20.
"Nick Young steps up on offense, but their problems aren't just on the offensive end,their defense is struggling too."
"Ah! They're double-teaming Arjun now."
The commentator shouted as Arjun faced a double-team just past half-court.
Two on Arjun, while the other three set up a zone defense against UCLA's four players.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Arjun dribbled, dodging steals.
The fans were all eyes, eager to see how Arjun would handle this intense defense.
First, Arjun passed to the center coming up to help.
UCLA's center, lacking the ability to attack on his own, just caught the ball high and waited for a guard to come help.
Afflalo came to receive the pass, dribbled a couple of times, and then passed it back to Arjun.
As soon as Arjun got the ball, the double-team was on him again.
This time, Arjun didn't pass but instead took a quick step to the left, creating a slight gap in the double-team.
Then quickly, he changed direction to the right, turning around as the second defender lunged at him, and smoothly slipped past!
With a burst of speed, Arjun completely shook off the double-team.
"Whoa!!!"
UCLA's fans all stood up, amazed at Arjun's height yet possessing the agility of a guard around 5'10".
Every step of Arjun's dribble was precise, with no wasted motion.
Arjun, ball in hand, sped towards the paint, and just when everyone thought he'd keep driving to the basket...
Arjun, without looking, passed the ball to Afflalo cutting inside.
Afflalo's easy layup went in!
7 to 22.
"You can see, even with the double-team, USC can't contain Arjun."
"After breaking the double-team, Arjun put their defense in a reactive state."
"Arjun's dribbling isn't inversely proportional to his height,he doesn't just maintain speed during direction changes, he accelerates."
"The suspense in this game is fading,UCLA's strength is clearly overpowering USC."
USC's offense.
Once again, it was Nick Young actively calling for the ball, wanting to attack.
This time, Arjun was defending Nick Young.
Arjun's height allowed him to defend from the point guard to the power forward position.
His defensive skills had earned him greater trust from Coach Ben Howland.
Arjun half-fronted Nick Young, who pushed off Arjun to find space and receive the ball.
Arjun was too close, and as soon as Nick got the ball, he blew past Arjun with a quick step.
"Nick Young's offense isn't bad either, Arjun was just caught off guard," the commentator yelled.
Nick Young saw an opening on his drive, thinking USC might score again.
Nick himself thought that step past Arjun was pretty slick.
After crossing the free-throw line, Nick gathered the ball for a step-through.
Nick easily went for a layup off the backboard.
Nick was ready to taunt Arjun's defense after scoring...
But just as the ball was about to hit the backboard!!
"Bang!"
"Oh yeah!!!"
Nick Young saw a large hand cover the ball, pinning it directly to the backboard.
Before Nick Young could even see who blocked him, the crowd was already erupting in cheers!
Arjun quickly threw a long pass upcourt to Afflalo.
Afflalo's inclusion in the NCAA starting lineup was no fluke,his offensive instincts were top-notch. Among the UCLA players on the court, only he could keep up with Arjun's quick thinking.
Whether cutting inside or fast-breaking, he was fiercely effective!
Afflalo easily scored on the layup!
7 to 24.
Arjun turned back to Nick Young with a grin, "Nice drive, definitely highlight-reel material for today."
Arjun had that cheeky grin,he relished talking trash.
It'll make the highlight reel, alright, but just as a backdrop!
Nick Young, baffled, looked up at the replay.
The big screen replayed the recent basket.
Though Nick had gotten past Arjun, Arjun hadn't given up on defense. Like a tiger pouncing on its prey, he chased down fiercely.
Despite his height, Arjun was fast, and his long arms...
As Nick went up for the layup, Arjun also took off, completely overshadowing the unsuspecting Nick!
He delivered a chase-down block that slammed the ball against the backboard!
Nick's face was a picture of embarrassment...
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he'd been posterized by Arjun.
Turns out, I was the clown all along.
Just when Nick was thinking of taunting Arjun.
"Arjun's defense is underrated,his wingspan and physicality ensure his defensive prowess."
"Arjun's steals and blocks stats are also impressive."
"That counterattack pass was beautiful too,Arjun precisely found Afflalo, making the score look easy."
The fans at Staples Center were going wild, shouting Arjun's name.
Scarlett also stood up and shouted along, easily swept up in the excitement of the live game.
"Arjun, you're just too cool." Scarlett Johansson, 22 this year, was also quite taken with the young and handsome Arjun.
Arjun happened to pass by and high-fived her in celebration...
He really was in great shape...
Arjun's block and the subsequent long pass electrified the entire arena.
Coach Howland on the sidelines clapped enthusiastically.
Howland felt Arjun was one step closer to the NBA.
This play was a microcosm of the game.
USC kept double-teaming Arjun, but he just kept breaking through in various ways.
No matter how USC changed their defense, Arjun was the brightest star tonight.
On the other hand, for USC.
Nick Young and Gabe were stuck in isolation plays,their offensive skills were indeed great, but they failed to connect the team.
Beyond those two, USC couldn't find a third reliable scoring option.
In the end.
Coach Pete Smith tried everything, but couldn't turn the game around.
51 to 81.
UCLA handed USC a massacre.
The gap between the teams wasn't that big initially, but in the last 7 minutes, after Arjun was replaced by Westbrook.
A hungry Westbrook exploded onto the scene.
This third-string point guard for UCLA made consecutive steals and fast breaks.
Then he converted two consecutive and-ones!
Westbrook's powerful drives kept the UCLA fans cheering for him.
Westbrook wanted to prove to everyone that he wasn't just a garbage-time player.