Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 369 The Most Difficult Force in History to Turn the Tide
"Box-1!"

"This is the most important tactic we can learn from this game," Andy said to the team from the other side, drawing on a tactical blackboard.

"As the name suggests, it's a one-stop shop for four connections!"

"It is more effective than front defense plus early double-teaming in protecting the rim and preventing cuts."

“And Nass further refined the Box-1.”

"He combined several scenario modes, such as how nearby players would double-team a player when they are being marked at the edge of the penalty area, and how players would react when they are on a short corner."

"What we need to learn is how to deploy similar tactics and how to counter them."

Buson, Sun Lexian, and Wu Zhen, who was sitting in the crowd, all listened attentively to Andy's explanation.

During breaks from watching the games, Andy would turn off the live stream and use a few minutes to brainstorm, as he put it.

"We're not just here to watch the game; we're players, and what we crave most is an understanding of tactics and techniques."

There's another phrase he often says.

"The most important thing when you come to the NCAA is to learn tactics and techniques."

"Remember, the difference between you and the streetball players who hang out on the amateur courts is your level of technical and tactical awareness."

"They can only go to bullfights and fight in street games, earning a few dozen dollars for appearance fees."

"And you, you have the opportunity to enter the professional league, no matter what level, that's a potential income of tens of thousands."

"Streetball players dream of coming to your side to learn skills and tactics, so please cherish this opportunity and absorb basketball knowledge like a newborn baby absorbing its mother's milk."

Discussions about BOX-1 were also taking place in the TNT studio.

“This is rare, and I don’t know why Nurse thought of this, but it does seem like a way to contain the Clippers,” Barkley said, glancing at O’Neal.

O'Neal scratched his head, knowing what Barkley meant by looking at him: "Yes, we used this against McGrady, Kobe, Iverson, and Carter before."

"All four shooting guards have experienced this tactic."

"With the improvement of the NBA's overall three-point shooting ability and the emergence of a large number of stretch big men, the box-1 has been almost completely eliminated from the NBA coaches' playbook."

"The BOX-1 is easy to break. As long as there are three-point shooters and penetrators on the wings and at the top of the key, the defending side can be easily punished."

"But let's see who the Clippers' three-point shooter and penetrator are?"

"Bridges, Dillon, and who else? Holiday?"

"Neither of them are pure; to break this tactic, you need someone who can shoot three-pointers and also drive to the basket and draw fouls."

"Clearly, Nurse saw through the Clippers; he knew they didn't have the resources to completely break them down."

"But in fact, the Raptors didn't use a simple BOX-1, but an extremely complex hybrid defensive strategy," Barkley emphasized.

"With a superb perimeter player → BOX-1, with a superb penetrator → 3-2 zone defense; with an all-around ball-handling superstar → switch-everything defense + one-on-one shut-down."

"Utilize Leonard's all-around defensive characteristics, and coordinate with Siakam and Anunoby to double-team him early, using a fierce defensive approach to target Chen Wang."

"But it can't go on like this forever. Chen Wang's ability means he can't be suppressed forever. There will be big changes in the fourth quarter!" Barkley summarized, seeing that the game had already begun.

Chen Fang did not play on the bench. Usually, the second unit would be brought in at the start of the fourth quarter.

He was listening to Rivers's instructions.

Strictly speaking, it's the first lineup of five players listening.

It was obvious to everyone that this was the final tactical arrangement before the decisive battle.

"Hey, guys."

"No matter what the opponent does, there will always be an open space!"

“Zhu, I need you to find this location immediately.” Rivers instructed Holiday before turning to Zubac.

"Protect the rim, use 51 pick-and-rolls, use more movement to draw the defense, when you're under the basket and the ball is in your hands, you have to score."

“Dillon, I need your impact and defense, but remember your fouls. You have four fouls. Be careful with your moves. Mark’s officiating focuses more on small fouls.”

“Yes, sir!” Dillon replied honestly.

Rivers then looked at Jaren Jr.

"We have Chen Wang on the outside, so we need you to fill in the gaps in the paint. I need your defense; even a single block could change the game."

“Leave it to me, sir!” Little Jaren nodded repeatedly, patting his chest as he assured him.

Now, not only the coach, but everyone else is looking at one person.

Prince Chen!

Chen Fang's expression was calm, and although he was breathing heavily, his eyes conveyed a sense of tranquility.

"We will win the game!"

Chen Fang's words, like his eyes, possess the power to calm people.

Rivers patted Chen Fang on the shoulder, knowing that there was no need to say anything more now; he could just wait quietly.

In the eighth minute of the game, the Clippers made their first substitution, and the Raptors responded accordingly.

"Both starting lineups have returned to the field, and the score is now 81-80."

"The Clippers are leading by one point, and the outcome is still uncertain until the very last moment. It's still unclear when Larry O'Brien will be brought onto the court."

The Raptors inbounded the ball, and Lowry received it but did not make any move. Instead, he moved towards the middle and made a tactical gesture.

Then, Marc Gasol moved to the free-throw line, and Danny Green stood in the left corner.

Leonard received a pass from Lowry in the right elbow area, only to be double-teamed by Dillon and Jaren.

Gasol suddenly set a back cross screen to the left corner, blocking Chen Fang, while Green quickly cut across the elbow area, forcing Dillon to switch and follow up.

Leonard immediately found himself in a one-on-one situation against Jaren, and even though the opportunity was fleeting, Leonard decisively pulled up for a jump shot and made a long two-pointer.

David provided the fastest on-the-spot analysis: "Raptors elbow cross screen → Danny Green cuts to the basket → Clippers' weak-side help defense gets pulled away → Leonard successfully isolates 3J."

"A very fast tactical combination, which was not seen in the first three quarters. It can only be said that Nurse saved his trump card for last."

Rivers, hands on his hips, began to ponder deeply, realizing that Nurse was about to bare his fangs.

The Clippers had possession of the ball. Chen received the ball in the middle, moved it to the left wing, and then made a gesture.

At this moment, the Clippers' positioning is as follows: Chen holds the ball at a 45-degree angle on the left wing, Dillon crouches in the right corner, and Zubac positions himself in the right elbow area.

Dillon first faked a cross screen for Zubac, causing Zubac to cut towards the basket, forcing Gasol to drop back to protect the rim. Dillon then ran to the top of the arc, and Chen Fang immediately passed the ball back to Dillon, who took a three-pointer from the open top of the arc.

"Goal! Beautiful! The Clippers have taken the lead again. Both sides are starting to use their real skills. This is also a cross screen."

Yu Jia immediately offered his interpretation: "The most powerful aspect of cross screens is that under a double screen, one player pops out and the other cuts in, forcing the defender to make a choice between two options, while the passer can read the play and deliver a deadly assist."

"Like this play, a cross screen in the corner → the inside player cuts to draw the defense of the rim → the screener bounces out → the shooter gets an open three-pointer."

"Dillon's shot was decisive. Although his three-point shooting percentage is not high, only 35%, he showed no mercy at this moment!"

"84-82, the Clippers' lead has increased by one point!"

Chen Fang high-fived Dillon while retreating, praising loudly, "If you do one more, I'll give you two big kisses."

"Get away, I don't want you!" Dillon waved his hand dismissively, but a wild laugh was on his face.

When it was Nass's turn, his brows furrowed and a bitter expression appeared on his face.

It seems the old guy next door also had a few tricks up his sleeve, and they were surprisingly similar.

"This is really hard to break!" he sighed inwardly.

As planned, both sides began to frequently use pick-and-roll tactics such as cross screens to find open shooting opportunities, while also trying to defend with faster switching.

But the Raptors made even bigger changes, and their hybrid tactics became deadly.

Marc Gasol's high post Spain P&R (screen-cut-screen) forces Zubac to switch to the high post, while Siakam moves up at the same time to set a back screen for Gasol, completely trapping Zubac behind him.

Then Marc Gasol faked a cut and took Jaren who had switched onto him.

Meanwhile, Lowry passed the ball to Leonard on the top lane, creating a high pick-and-roll.

This series of high screens and positioning threw the Clippers' switching defense into chaos, ultimately leading to Siakam cutting to the basket, receiving a high lob pass from Leonard, and scoring.

"Spain's double-door tactic of pick-and-roll + back screen, Nurse is starting to pull out all the stops!" David reacted the fastest, his tactical acumen has been recognized by the commentary community.

Chen Fang waved to his teammates to calm down. He took the initiative to receive the ball in the high post in the middle, forcing Leonard and Anunoby to move up.

Just as they were about to double-team, the ball was passed to Dillon on the right flank.

Dillon moved towards the middle, Holiday dropped to the bottom corner, pulling away Lowry, who was excellent at help defense, so Siakam was forced to move up.

At this moment, Chen Fang began to accelerate to break free off the ball. Zubac, who had been waiting for a long time on the left wing, set a lateral screen, which allowed Chen Fang to rush in from the elbow area.

The Raptors quickly tightened their defense, and Lowry came from the baseline to cover the short corner.

At this moment, Holiday moved up, and Dillon, under the second screen from Zubac, also drove into the Raptors' three-point line and suddenly passed the ball out to the outside.

Holiday caught the ball and immediately shot, sinking a three-pointer.

The crowd groaned, and Nurse's expression became quite interesting.

"87-84, two consecutive three-pointers, are the Clippers about to gain momentum?"

Just as Clippers fans and reporters began to have high hopes, Leonard used a three-pointer to bring the Raptors back to their core.

Siakam set a screen on the right wing and made another cut, taking away Jaren and forcing Dillon's defense to retreat half a step.

With just that half step, Leonard, holding the ball, suddenly pulled up for a shot, and Dillon was unable to interfere, watching helplessly as the ball fell into the basket.

"Oh no! It's a tie again!"

The Raptors have not only diversified their offense, but also made changes to their defense.

When the Clippers crossed half-court, the Raptors first used a 32 zone defense, making the Clippers think they were going to defend a zone. Chen Fang immediately reacted accordingly and started making off-ball runs. When he entered the Raptors' three-point line, the Raptors suddenly turned into a BOX-1, with Anunoby first and then Leonard quickly double-teaming him.

Lowry closely marked Holiday, who had the ball, while Siakam positioned himself in the middle to cut off passing lanes.

The 24-second shot clock was eroded by 20 seconds. Finally, Dillon, who received the ball, was closely guarded by Siakam, who was covering for him, and could only pass to the wide-open Jaren.

The latter was forced to take a long two-pointer from near the free-throw line at the top of the key.

The shot missed, the rebound was grabbed by Gasol, who initiated a long pass, and the Raptors quickly transitioned between the three lines, ultimately allowing Leonard to dunk the ball with one hand.

Leonard scored 5 consecutive points, immediately pushing the Raptors' momentum to a climax.

Many people can't help but look at the scoreboard.

"87 to 89."

"Leonard has already scored 36 points! He has surpassed Chen Wang's 35 points!"

"What an incredibly exciting match! In the final half of the quarter, both sides played their cards to try and turn the tide and win the game in one fell swoop!" exclaimed the neutral commentator.

This wasn't the end of it. On the Clippers' offensive possession, just past half-court, the Raptors deployed a half-court man-to-man defense, but it was another feint, designed to trap the Clippers in a defensive trap. Three seconds later, Leonard and Anunoby double-teamed Chen Wang again.

Meanwhile, Lowry and Siakam double-teamed Holler, who had the ball, leaving only Gasol in the paint to guard the rim alone.

This extremely risky tactic yielded amazing results.

Holiday made a mistake, Lowry launched a fast break, and before Dillon could stop him, he passed the ball to Siakam, who followed up. Siakam then took a rare three-pointer, which pierced the Clippers' basket.

"Yeah!" The entire arena roared, and all the Raptors fans stood up and jumped for joy.

"The Raptors have finally gained momentum!" After nearly three and a half quarters of attack, in the last four minutes, the Raptors bared their fangs and claws menacingly.

"87 to 92. The Clippers are down by 5 points, they need to call a timeout!" Tang Jun in the live broadcast room shouted in alarm.

Rivers's in-game mistakes proved fatal. Faced with the Raptors' sudden outburst, Rivers hesitated and was still seeking Chen Wang's advice.

However, the Raptors did not change their formation again, pretending to retreat on defense. After the Clippers inbounded the ball from the baseline, they suddenly turned around and rushed into the Clippers' half of the court to defend with a full-court press.

Holiday, who had the ball, was double-teamed again, this time on the sideline.

Holiday reacted quickly, jumping up and making a cross pass. Leonard's stealing talent was on full display. Even though Zubac had already caught the ball in the middle, Leonard, with a second-strike mentality, snatched it away.

Leonard, after receiving the ball, did not choose to have his teammates position themselves, but instead accelerated towards the inside.

Dillon chased after Leonard relentlessly, and when he realized Leonard was about to make a layup, he tried his best to interfere.

Leonard saw right through his intentions and dodged with a slow Euro step, using his body to create a time difference.

"Beep beep!" Referee Mark blew the whistle for a foul, and the basketball just fell out of the hoop.

The cheers from the entire stadium were deafening, almost lifting the roof off.

"It's over!" Ke Fan was dumbfounded.

Three dark minutes!
87 is better than 94!

Not only him, but the players were also dumbfounded. Everyone on the Clippers' bench was holding their heads, looking completely bewildered.

On the court, Chen Fang looked up and sighed. It all happened too fast. The Raptors' tactical changes were swift and sharp, and they quickly took the lead.

Time was now down to the last two minutes.

Rivers' timeout came long overdue!
"Incredible tactical command, Nurse is on fire right now!" The neutral commentator said, while the Raptors' team was praising him wildly.

"It's a pity the Clippers reacted too slowly." That's all Yu Jia could say, but what he really wanted to say was spoken by Duan Ran.

"Rivers has made a habit of failing again, and the amnesia has happened once more."

"I should have called a timeout a long time ago! How could I drag it out for three rounds? An unforgivable mistake!" Duan Ran broke down completely, his emotions were like a rollercoaster, leaving him unable to control himself.

On the Clippers' bench, Rivers tried to calm the players with a hoarse voice.

"Take a deep breath. There are still two minutes left. Seven points is nothing. Chen Fang, you take the ball. Zubac, come and receive the pass. Dillon, be the second passer."

"Zhu, this is not your fault. Cheer up, you will accompany him to cover for Prince Chen."

"3J, you're holding back, you could commit a foul at any moment."

Finally, he looked at Chen Wang, and Chen Fang could also sense Rivers' panic. Clearly, what had just happened had brought back bad memories for him.

"I feel great!" Chen Fang's words soothed Rivers' anxiety and also made the other teammates less confused.

"Guys, you have to believe me!"

Chen Fang used countless proofs to stabilize everyone's morale. He was the first to walk onto the court, surrounded by the joyful voices of Raptors fans. He then glanced at the three empty seats behind the bench.

That's where the bosses, Lawrence and Wenger are, but they won't come down from the VIP room until the very end, which is also Ballmer's judgment.

As the boss, he didn't want to put pressure on everyone; he preferred to watch the game and wait in his room.

At this moment, it will not appear.

However, none of this mattered to Chen Fang. The blow he had just suffered only fueled his pride.

I will suppress it!

Leonard made the free throw and slowly retreated back to his own half.

"Eight points already, less than two minutes left. The entire situation has completely turned in the Raptors' favor, and the Clippers are in dire straits!"

“But I still believe in King Chen!” David said passionately, without a trace of discouragement.

The Clippers inbounded the ball from the baseline, and the Raptors' changes once again demonstrated Nurse's control of the game.

Instead of continuing to defend the entire field, he had everyone retreat to their own half, leaving only Lowry in the high position in the middle.

The five players formed a 32-man zone defense with three in the front and two in the back, but will it really work this time?

The Clippers, who had suffered consecutive losses, dared not be careless. Chen Fang almost crossed the halfway line surrounded by his teammates.

After crossing half-court, Chen Fang waved for his teammates to take their positions. One of them held the ball and stood high up, while Leonard slowly moved laterally, maintaining a parallel defensive stance against him.

"With two minutes left in the game, the long-awaited scene finally arrived."

"If Chen Fang's attack fails, the situation will completely turn in the hands of the Raptors."

"Once it's scored, no matter how many points it's worth, the suspense will remain."

The commentary further heightened the viewers' excitement; even the Trojans' head coach, Andy, was glued to the big screen with his hands on his hips.

Sun Lexian's breathing slowed down; how could he not know the importance of this ball?

Below, Wu Zhen stared intently at the live stream, waiting for that moment to arrive.

Chen Fang moved sideways, step by step, slowly advancing from the center towards the right wing. Leonard slowly retreated, his gaze fixed intently on Chen Fang.

How could we not know the importance of this round? The outcome of an entire match might hinge on this one goal.

It's unclear who made the sound first, but within seconds, the entire room fell silent, everyone quieted down, and held their breath in anticipation.

As the shot clock ticked down from 24 seconds to 14 seconds, Chen Fang still didn't make a move; he seemed to be waiting.

Immense pressure weighed on everyone present, including Raptors fans, reporters, players, and hundreds of millions of viewers watching the live stream.

Duan Ran and Yu Jia dared not speak anymore; they were counting down the seconds.

The countdown has finally reached ten seconds!
The final ten seconds are up!
The greatest pressure, however, did not fall on Leonard. He was focused on Chen Wang's upcoming change of tactics, and he had enough confidence in himself. Chen Fang began to crouch down, a prelude to an attack, and his undulating posture resembled a cheetah lying in ambush, gathering its strength.

The storm is coming!
Leonard suddenly stepped forward, intending to break this preconceived notion and disrupt Chen Wang's rhythm with proactive defense.

But Chen Fang had been reading his footsteps all along.

The moment Leonard raised his leg, Chen Fang stood up and took a step to the side, causing Leonard's approach to miss completely.

In a battle between masters, one wrong step can lead to a series of mistakes.

He cut inside, lowered his body, and used his arm to press down on the ball, creating a moment of shock. Chen Fang seemed to anticipate that Leonard on the side would use a hip rotation and slide step to close the distance to him.

He pulled the ball back and turned, thwarting Leonard's attempt to use his body to create physical contact.

This is an Irving-style turn, with a large range and a fast turn, but the ball rises straight up from the bottom, maintaining control at all times.

Leonard used his powerful core to help him regain his balance, but Chen Fang turned around to seek physical confrontation, subtly and precisely hitting the key torso node where Leonard lost his balance.

Even Leonard, staggering, instinctively reached out to brace himself against the floor for balance.

Taking a step forward to make adjustments, Chen Fang even had time to glance left and right before exhaling and striking from the top of the arc.

"Horizontal pull, breakthrough, turn around, ouch...!" David screamed like a pig being slaughtered.

"Leonard got faked out, OMG, my God! Chen Wang jumps up and shoots!"

"Hit! Hit!"

David took a deep breath and then unleashed a torrent of emotion: "38 points! A crucial score, the sixth three-pointer, Chen Wang's sixth three-pointer! He is the Clippers' hero, the hero who saved Los Angeles. At this moment, he shines brightly, like a god descending!"

A huge sigh and groan erupted from the crowd. Amid the chorus of gasps and wails, Leonard tried to get up, but when he turned around and saw the ending, he slumped back down on the floor. Then, he saw a hand.

It's Prince Chen!
"It's not over yet, get up and cheer up!" Chen Fang smiled at Leonard.

Leonard didn't know what his emotions were at that moment; they were always complicated.

He grabbed Chen Wang's hand and leaped up.

“One minute left, come on, beat me!” Chen Fang said to Leonard.

"This is not a psychological battle. Let's make this game a legendary and memorable one in NBA history."

Chen Fang didn't know why he said that, but the pride in his heart made him say it naturally.

After a short rest, the Raptors began their turn.

As the game progresses, tactics become simpler, because complex tactics often cannot afford even the slightest mistake.

Both players and coaches tend to use the simplest methods to play each round well.

Nurse did the same; he waved his hand, telling the players on the court to let Leonard and Lowry decide the offensive strategy.

Lowry dribbled past half-court, and Jrue Holiday didn't go to defend him, but instead stayed at the top of the arc. To his left and right, Chen Wang and Dillon maintained a distance of 4 meters, ready to provide protection at any time.

Dillon was driven away by Chen Fang, and he faced Leonard alone.

At this moment, you can only believe in yourself.

Leonard stood firmly outside the three-point line on the left wing, his feet spread apart, one hand supporting Chen Fang, the other hanging down.

Lowry lacked the confidence to finish the game in seconds. He moved to the left after coming over, bounced the ball to Leonard, and then directly blocked Chen Fang.

Leonard gets the ball, and Jrue Holiday switches to defend him.

At this moment, Marc Gasol moved up to the top of the key to set a second screen for Leonard.

Now, it should be Zubac facing Leonard, creating a mismatch between the smaller and the bigger.

But Chen Fang had already read the situation. He and Holiday quickly switched on defense, and then he switched on defense with Zubac again.

So when Leonard dribbled the ball past the three-point line, he was facing Chen Fang.

Keep your hands raised high; this is the best defensive stance against shots. As long as you raise the ball, press your hands down to interfere.

This process is the shortest.

Leonard read the ball, so he accelerated to the side, changed direction, and as he leaned against Chen Fang, he shoved him forward hard.

But this time, he miscalculated.

Chen Fang wasn't bumped. The moment the two touched, Chen Fang immediately slid down, so when Leonard collected the ball, he quickly moved back to his original defensive position.

A dead ball means the ball is locked in; the only options are passing or shooting.

Leonard did not hesitate. Even though Chen Fang had already pounced on him, he still jumped up with the ball and used his straight-arm jump shot technique to forcefully flick his wrist to release the shot.

Chen Fang's hand barely grazed the basketball. He felt that he must have made a slight contact, so he turned around to look and quickly made a prediction.

So Chen Fang began to accelerate. Unlike the others who stood there and watched, he moved forward at a faster pace.

As he expected, the ball bounced off the rim, Zubac grabbed the rebound, and immediately spotted a figure sprinting in the distance.

Without hesitation, he tossed the ball forward like a long rugby pass.

The audience erupted in screams as everyone witnessed Chen Fang appear in the front of the stage as if by some ghostly teleportation.

He catches the ball, dribbles it once, takes a step, jumps, and slams the ball into the basket in mid-air.

The entire place was as silent as a graveyard.

Reporters all looked up at the scoreboard.

48 seconds!
92:95.

Just three points away!

"Prince Chen, it's Prince Chen again!"

"The Clippers' pillar of victory! The King of Los Angeles, the most crucial player in basketball, the most ruthless killer in history!" David went completely mad, spewing out words like crazy.

"I'm speechless. An 8-point deficit, and they closed it down by 5 points in just one minute. Now, Raptors, are you scared?"

In contrast, the Chinese commentators appeared more reserved.

"He shows his skills in times of crisis. Chen Wang has proven himself more than once in critical moments how to save the team. That's what makes Chen Wang so terrifying. There's only one minute left. There's only one minute left until the game starts!" Duan Ran exclaimed joyfully, his fear gone.

"See that? That's Prince Chen!" Andy proudly pointed to the big screen and said to his disciples.

“King Chen!” Curry sighed and turned to look at Durant.

"This guy gets more terrifying, especially in crucial moments."

Durant was speechless, his eyes looking rather dim.

"Three points behind. If the Raptors score just one more basket, the game will be over." Barkley, however, didn't hold back, pouring cold water on the hopes of everyone else in the studio.

As he said, that's the current state of the competition.

Nas blew his whistle hard and made a strong arm gesture, a psychological suggestion that would awaken the players' cherished memories.

Before the game, Nurse repeatedly envisioned a game scenario, confidently telling the players that they would definitely lead for a long time and maintain it until the end.

"Being ahead is being ahead; as long as you stay calm, you won't make mistakes!"

Lowry calmed down, Siakam calmed down, everyone on the court calmed down.

Taking a deep breath and adjusting his breathing, Leonard signaled for the ball.

"We can't foul now; any foul will result in a free throw line," Yu Jia began to worry.

Tang Jun dared not speak. He watched the game with his fists clenched. When he saw Leonard bring the ball across half-court and find Chen Fang, he couldn't help but shout, "This shot is crucial. We can't let the Raptors score. Even one point would be terrifying."

Leonard started looking for contact, controlling the ball steadily and constantly putting pressure on Chen Fang.

Chen Fang was as clear-headed as a mirror, and while resisting, he retreated. When the two reached the three-point line, Dillon and Jaren began to slowly double-team them through their blind spots.

Preventing both shots and breakthroughs is an extremely difficult task.

In the final moments of a game, at the most crucial time, no one can completely suppress a superstar unless that person is a pseudo-superstar.

Leonard, is it?
Of course not. His vision and his thinking worked in tandem to guide his decision.

Leonard suddenly took a step forward and gave Chen Fang a quick, short shoulder lean. The immense force clearly slowed Chen Fang's movement to cover, and he quickly fell behind Leonard by half a body length.

Dillon in the middle lane immediately feigned a retreat, putting psychological pressure on them.

But Leonard swerved even faster to cut inside, and the situation became clear: this was a strong drive to the basket, either go in or draw a foul.

Chen Fang began to slow down on his own initiative. Instead of getting too close, he adjusted his pace by taking small steps.

Little Jalun immediately circled around to intercept and block, positioning himself in advance.

Leonard arrived in front of Jaren almost the instant he finished moving, just as Jaren caught the ball and took a step forward.

The two collided violently. Leonard was prepared, got up, raised the ball, and provoked Jaren to jump. Then he half-turned and withdrew, raising the ball again.

This time, he really jumped up.

From mid-air, he saw the basketball hoop and the raised hand.

Without a second thought, with only the basket in his eyes, Leonard tossed the ball out with his proud right hand.

The ball began to rise, and Leonard's eager gaze followed it. The next second, his eyes suddenly widened in horror.

A hand appeared horizontally and made a firm touch to the rolling basketball.

The most astonishing thing is that this wasn't a block, but a scoop of the ball.

He gently intercepted the ball mid-air, and Chen Fang, who had just landed, immediately began to move. But the next second, he felt his left leg go weak, and he staggered and fell to the floor.

Chen quickly grabbed the ball, yelled a timeout, and made a hand gesture.

Almost simultaneously, Leonard rushed in, determined to snatch it away.

Dillon reacted the fastest; he practically leaped over, using an even more savage move to force Leonard away from Chen Fang, creating a small gap and making him the third party in the relationship.

Within a second or two, the players from both sides joined in, and the referee, Mark, was blowing his whistle wildly.

He experiencedly ordered the Raptors players to leave immediately, then called out to Leonard.

"This is not your time. I have already stopped the game. Please leave."

A dejected Leonard stood up, while Chen Fang lay on the ground still clutching the basketball, guarded by Dillon.

"I called a timeout, let's watch the replay, Mr. Referee!" Chen Fang repeatedly shouted to Mark, fearing a misjudgment.

"I will, give me the ball now!" Mark reached out for the ball.

Meanwhile, outside the stadium, in the stands, the audience tried to put pressure on the referee with boos, while the commentators continued to frantically describe everything that had just happened.

"My God, Chen Fang's block is historic!"

"Leonard's game-winning shot was suppressed. It was such an amazing scene. I can hardly believe my eyes."

Yu Jia took a quick, deep breath: "Ladies and gentlemen, Chen Wang just seized fate by the throat! He intercepted that sure-fire shot!"

"I really don't know how to commentate on this, it's too dreamlike, I've never seen such a wonderful final!"

"The Raptors are still leading by 3 points with exactly 24 seconds left. Anything is possible."

"Now, the most crucial thing is the referee's ruling. Chen Fang fell, was he tripped?" Duan Ran questioned.

This was also the most important thing on set, and the director kept switching between different camera angles to respond, making the video very clear.

The moment Chen Fang's left foot landed, his leg immediately bent, and his body instantly lost its balance.

This discovery was surprising, and Duan Ran immediately understood.

"His left foot! Chen Wang's injury, after fighting so hard until now, it can't bear any weight at all," he said with sorrow.

Chen Fang, sitting on the bench, was rubbing his legs. This action almost made the hearts of his fans, teammates, and everyone who cared about him stop beating.

"Please don't...!" Tang Jun knelt down on the ground, clasped his hands in prayer to heaven.

At the scene, Rivers squatted down and asked Chen Fang, "Don't lie to me, are you alright?"

"No, I know perfectly well." Chen Fang shook his head.

He kept kneading, and the team doctor had already taken off his shoes and was frantically spraying freezing mist on his ankle and calf tendon.

Almost the entire camera focused on Chen Fang, but soon they saw Chen Wang put on his shoes and stand up.

"Chen Wang is back on the field. It seems it was a false alarm. God, I don't want to see anyone else get injured."

On the court, Chen Fang nodded to Dillon and went to the sideline to serve the ball.

The ball was quickly passed out, and Chen Fang, who had entered the court through Dillon's screen, received the ball and began dribbling it outwards.

Leonard followed up, and the Raptors switched to man-to-man defense.

Chen Fang kept pressing down his palm, making a pulling gesture, his back half to Leonard, and he didn't move.

"Chen Fang has started counting down!" This statement was uttered with astonishing unanimity by the commentators, reporters, and fans.

Inside a special hospital in New York, Durant suddenly asked Curry, "Stephen, what will you do?"

"Shoot a three-pointer, hit the game-tying shot, and we're in overtime!"

"This is the optimal solution, and we need to take the equalizer in the final seconds."

Durant's head was Chen Wang's best choice, but also the most difficult.

If you score two points, come back to draw a foul, and then gamble on a game-winning shot, that becomes very extreme.

"But if we don't make it, then it's all over!" Durant sighed.

"That's what a superstar does!" Curry replied expressionlessly.

"He'll make that shot, I know him," Andy, far away at USC in Los Angeles, confidently told everyone.

"Chen Wang will make the shot, he definitely can!" Tang Jun assured the hundreds of thousands of viewers in the live stream.

Duan Ran didn't dare to speak. He looked at Ke Fan, who had the same expression. They both understood each other's gaze.

Chen Fang will definitely use this method!

Time flies, and soon we're down to the last ten seconds.

A tremendous noise suddenly erupted as all the Raptors fans screamed wildly, shouting at the top of their lungs, hoping to influence that hateful and terrifying blue number 21.

9, 8, 7...!
Chen Fang, who had been standing still, suddenly used his ball-protecting hand to shake off Leonard. He accelerated laterally, but forcibly corrected the half-finished move.

Pull the ball back and dribble, then slide to reset.

Leonard was left a full body length behind, and Chen Fang broke through with a crossover, heading towards the top of the key.

6, 5, 4...!
Leonard finally hooked his hand onto Chen Fang's jersey, then immediately let go and slid to get close.

Chen Fang's speed visibly slowed down. In that very second, when the countdown had reached 3:42, Chen Fang suddenly stopped, straightened up from his diving position, and his change of speed once again caused Leonard to lose his defensive position.

Even though it was only half a body length.

But for Chen Fang, that was enough. He shifted his weight between his hips and legs, bringing the ball to his left hand. He then cut inside with his right foot, squeezing past Leonard on the right side, who was half a body length away.

The moment his right foot touched the ground, Chen Fang lifted the ball.

Seeing the basket, the blurred backboard, and the indistinct countdown, it seemed to be 2:1X seconds.

See you in overtime!

As he uttered that sentence, Chen Fang took off, not even considering what Leonard might do behind him. He delivered the ball with a flick of his wrist and a quick flick of his fingers, all in one smooth motion.

The ball rolled out, and as Chen Fang landed, he heard the final buzzer.

Leonard, who had arrived, was already standing beside him.

Surprisingly, Chen Fang didn't look at the basket, but instead said to Leonard, "See you in overtime!"

After saying that, Chen Fang walked towards the substitute bench.

As soon as he finished speaking, the gasps of surprise turned into a huge wail of agony.

The entire Clippers bench jumped onto the court, and his teammates on the court rushed towards him.

Witnessing all of this, Yu Jia said in an extremely hoarse voice, "This is the most difficult finals I have ever commentated on or seen, bar none."

"It can be called the most difficult in the past decade!"

"Game 6, the night that will decide whether it's a Game 7 or the championship, is about to go into overtime!"

"Congratulations to Chen Wang! His first game-tying goal in his NBA career is incredibly impressive!"

"History will make the fairest judgment; this will be a shot that will be remembered for generations to come!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, the 14th overtime game in NBA Finals history has been played. The closest one was the 103-100 overtime game between the Heat and the Spurs in 2013, where Ray Allen's game-winning three-pointer forced a Game 1."

"I don't know what the result will be today, but I believe that the excitement of the overtime game will exceed our expectations."

"Take a short rest and come back soon!"

(End of this chapter)