Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 117 The Lover of 1 Million People

"The game isn't over yet!" Kidd said to his teammates. "We still have a second half to play!"

The old guy who hit the buzzer-beating mid-range jumper over Iverson showed no emotion whatsoever.

Xu Ling has always had a counterintuitive judgment: Kidd himself is not a person who likes to communicate with people, but the point guard position is the one that needs the most communication on the court.

Just like you can't imagine a jungler in a League of Legends match being completely silent, you can't expect a shot-caller in an FPS team to have good teamwork if they don't speak.

Therefore, Kidd had to force himself to communicate, just like how the stern-faced Stephen Chow in real life makes it impossible to imagine his private side in comedies.

“But we have a significant advantage,” Xu Ling said.

Kidd responded, "This is a crazy team. They have the entire second half to come back. Don't let your guard down."

"You're older, so you get to decide."

Xu Ling's words made Kidd raise an eyebrow. Why did this rookie keep reminding him of his age?
Josh Howard, on the other hand, remained somewhat silent. As Xu Ling and Kidd sparked a connection, their chemistry rapidly improved. Howard, a forward who specialized in defense and wing isolation plays in Dallas, found himself unable to find a comfortable position with the Grizzlies.

In terms of functionality, he is irreplaceable on the defensive end, but that's not enough.

For the Grizzlies, upgrading Gay to Howard in a four-team trade meant they no longer had to deal with the choice between Xu Ling and Gay, making it a huge win no matter how you look at it. But for Howard, he has to adapt to a team that treats him as a replacement for Gay.

They still haven't found a good solution.

The atmosphere at the Pepsi Center became heavy and tense. A 15-point deficit seemed like a deep chasm, separating the Nuggets from victory. The home fans didn't give up; they tried to inject energy into their team with even more fervent shouts.

The fifteen minutes in the locker room seemed to have cooled Anthony down. The towel covering his head was removed, and the burn marks of anger on his face faded, replaced by an almost numb calm.

George Karl abandoned complex tactical arrangements, speaking simply and directly: "Give the ball to AI, everyone else run, find open spaces! Defense! Show some toughness! I don't want to see anyone get blown past again!"

At the start of the second half, the Nuggets' offensive style changed abruptly.

Iverson was still the sharpest weapon, but his drives were no longer solely for scoring. He attacked the basket more often, drawing help defense and then passing to open teammates on the perimeter.

JR Smith, the unpredictable sharpshooter, stepped up first. He received a pass from Iverson and hit two consecutive three-pointers from the wing, reigniting the fire at Pepsi Center.
"JR Smith! He's found his touch! The Nuggets haven't given up!" Commentator Kevin Harlan's voice was filled with renewed passion.

“This is the kind of basketball they should be playing,” Doug Collins analyzed. “Using AI’s presence to create opportunities for other shooters. They need more players to step up.”

On the defensive end, the Nuggets also intensified their attack. Anthony seemed to channel all his negative emotions into defensive energy, focusing more intently on guarding Xu Ling and using more aggressive physical contact to disrupt his every pass and shot. Camby also came alive in the paint, repeatedly blocking Milicic and Warrick's drives to the basket.

The Grizzlies' offensive efficiency began to decline, and the point difference was gradually eroded.

Midway through the third quarter, Iverson hit a mid-range pull-up jumper with a screen from Camby, bringing the deficit back to single digits.

The Pepsi Center erupted in cheers, the sound almost lifting the roof off.

The hope for a turnaround is like the oxygen in the thin air of the plateau—thin, yet real.

Mark Jaffaroni immediately called a timeout. He needed to break the Nuggets' momentum.

During the timeout, Jaffaroni emphasized defense and tactics, hoping the team would play more systematically.

However, the loss of touch sensitivity cannot be restored simply by pausing.

When the team created a shooting opportunity for Xu Ling through tactics, the superstar who completely dominated Anthony in the first half also failed to make the shot.

Fortunately, Milicic grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on the second-chance opportunity.

Xu Ling is not the kind of person who insists on solving problems by shooting. Once he feels that he has no touch, he will attack the basket more.

The game became a tug-of-war.

The Nuggets kept the score close thanks to Iverson's individual ability and occasional flashes of brilliance from role players, while the Grizzlies maintained a slight lead thanks to a more cohesive offense and solid defense.

During this stalemate, a subtle change is taking place.

Perhaps it was the calm during halftime that had an effect, or perhaps it was the positive feedback from the team's smooth overall offense, but Anthony's shooting touch, which had been dormant for most of the game, began to slowly recover.

Carmelo Anthony received a pass from Allen Iverson in the right corner and drained a pull-up three-pointer. The moment the ball went in, he swung his arm violently, as if to release all the pent-up frustration in his chest.

Xu Ling then dribbled straight to the basket and forcefully scored a three-point play against Camby!

Anthony quickly called for the ball in the post and backed down the defender. Facing Xu Ling's defense, this time he didn't opt ​​for a difficult fadeaway, but instead used solid contact to turn and finish with a delicate hook shot. The ball bounced twice on the rim before finally falling into the net.

After scoring two goals in a row, he couldn't hold back any longer and started trash-talking Xu Ling: "You can't stop me, rookie! Never!"

"Oh?" Xu Ling raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "So you were warming up in the first half? That was quite a thorough preparation."

Then Anthony had nothing to say; the truth was indeed as hurtful as a sharp knife.

That was near the end of the third quarter, and the Nuggets' momentum looked set to turn around with Anthony's resurgence.

Coincidentally, it was at this very moment that Xu Ling and Anthony faced off again.

Anthony wanted to regain the momentum from the first half, and Xu Ling also wanted to break the Nuggets' momentum.

After exchanging trash talk in the backcourt, Xu Ling came to clean up the frontcourt, and Anthony was like a tiger coiled up in front of him.

Xu Ling didn't call for the ball on the perimeter, but instead cut directly to the basket. Kidd understood perfectly and delivered a precise bounce pass. Xu Ling received the ball and started his run. Facing Camby's help defense, he fearlessly took to the air, executed a dramatic mid-air layup to avoid the block, and then slammed the ball in with a reverse layup.

Anthony received the ball again and tried to back down the defender, but he was no longer as free as before. He couldn't create any good opportunities under Xu Ling's tenacious defense and had to force a turnaround fadeaway jumper.

"Bang!" In the last ten seconds of the third quarter, the Grizzlies seized another opportunity.

Kidd grabbed the rebound and, before even landing, tossed the ball forward, where Josh Howard sprinted to the frontcourt and dunked it for the win.

The difference has returned to double digits.

Xu Ling stopped and nodded very seriously to Anthony, saying, "Thank you for your efforts, which have made our fast break training very effective."

Anthony remained silent, no longer wanting to deal with this rookie until he regained the advantage.

The Nuggets adjusted quickly, preventing Anthony from falling back into a cycle of isolation plays due to his own selfish desires.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Iverson drove to the basket and scored a 2+1 play, then assisted JR Smith to hit a three-pointer. The Grizzlies responded with an assist after Xu Ling drew the defense, and Kidd also hit an open three-pointer.

Despite falling behind in every aspect, the Nuggets showed no signs of collapse. They are a tenacious team that should not be underestimated, even if no one believes they can win the championship.

Iverson seemed completely unconcerned about the feud between Xu Ling and Anthony, and delivered his best performance in a high-profile game.

In a daze, one is transported to the beginning of the century.

That was in 2001. Iverson accomplished what LeBron James did in 2018. Leading a seemingly mediocre roster, he fought his way through the competition to the Finals. Unlike the widely circulated Thanos legend, Iverson actually won a game with the then-dominant Lakers, the Lakers' only playoff loss that year.

However, seven years later, the hero of the early 20th century had vanished. He was traded, rejected, and forced to team up with Anthony, but this was destined to be a half-married couple who could not find chemistry.

Only on nights when Anthony was powerless could Iverson be himself; when he was in top form, you could catch a glimpse of that hero.

It was thanks to Iverson that the game went down to the last three minutes.

The Nuggets narrowed the gap to 7 points again.

105 is better than 98
Kidd just missed a three-pointer, giving the Nuggets possession and a golden opportunity to close the gap again.

The ball naturally fell into the hands of the red-hot Iverson. Facing Kidd, he dribbled between his legs repeatedly, searching for his rhythm.

Amid chants of "AI! AI!" from the crowd, Iverson faked a ball-handling move, causing Kidd to shift his weight slightly. In that split second, Iverson suddenly accelerated and drove hard past Kidd on his right side.

Iverson drove into the paint, and facing Milicic who was covering, he leaped up with all his might, preparing to finish the attack with a layup.

However, just as he jumped to the highest point and was about to smash the ball into the basket, a blue figure flew in from the side and behind—the one who came could only be Xu Ling!

Xu Ling leaped high behind Iverson, his long arms like outstretched wings, precisely catching Iverson just as he held the ball with both hands!
"Snapped!"

A clean, crisp, and almost brutal chase-down block!

The basketball was swatted away by Xu Ling, bounced heavily to the ground, and was picked up by Kidd who had chased back in.

"Eli's block!!! He blocked AI's layup!!" Kevin Harlan exclaimed in surprise, "Incredible defense!"

Kidd immediately launched a counterattack. The ball was quickly passed to Xu Ling, who was following up.

Iverson chased after Xu Ling with all his might and stood alone in front of him.

The veteran used his last bit of strength, spread his arms, and clung tightly to Xu Ling.

With just one pass, the Grizzlies will have an open shot.

But Xu Ling didn't do that. He ignored Josh Howard on the weak side and also ignored Kidd's gesture for him to pass the ball back.

Time seemed to slow down at that moment. Everyone in the audience held their breath.

Facing Iverson, Xu Ling made no unnecessary feints, but simply used an extremely concise yet explosive crossover, keeping his center of gravity very low, with his shoulders almost parallel to the ground.

Iverson tried his best to move laterally, but his physical condition and age were exposed at this moment - his feet couldn't keep up!

Moreover, this moment brought to mind the play where Iverson faced off against Jordan during his rookie years. In the same position, in the same old-timer showdown, Xu Ling moved from left to right and back to left, creating a clear gap in Iverson's defense with two feints. The beautiful rhythm was breathtaking. Before the former hero could even react, the young number 1 had already taken off.

Xu Ling leaned back slightly in mid-air and made his move!

Iverson jumped up to contest the shot, but the basketball seemed worlds apart from his fingertips.

The arc of the basketball as it rolls through the air is like the passing of a scepter across generations, transcending time.

"Shh!"

The great Allen Iverson remains great today, but he has been overtaken and will eventually be left far behind, just like the summer of 2001.

Do you miss him?
Or are you just nostalgic for the past?

The screams weren't for you—"Unbelievable!!! Eli! Just like AI did against MJ! He shook off AI! He hit the jump shot! This could seal the victory for that Memphis guy!"—Kevin Harlan's screams seemed to carry the weight of history over the game.

After the ball went in, Xu Ling looked at Iverson, who had just regained his balance, was panting heavily, and whose eyes were filled with exhaustion, resentment, and a hint of dazedness.

"You're such a damn nuisance!"

Iverson concluded with a disgruntled remark.

Upon hearing this, Xu Ling showed no contempt or arrogance, stopped in his tracks and said, "Answer, I am honored to be your trouble."

This offensive and defensive play felt like a final blow to the Nuggets. Denver was demoralized and failed to mount an effective offensive until the end of the game. The Grizzlies won an important victory on the road, defeating a major playoff contender and narrowing their gap with the eighth seed in the West to just 0.5 games.

(End of this chapter)