Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 88 The Judgment Knot (310) (Thanks to Bamboo Path for the generous donation)
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Lakers had possession of the ball.

Fisher dribbled steadily across half-court and, without hesitation, passed the ball directly to Kobe in the low post.

Kobe leaned against Xu Ling with his back to him. This time, he didn't choose fancy footwork, but rather pure power to crush him.

He was like a steamroller running at full speed, relentlessly and aggressively pushing towards the inside. Xu Ling gritted his teeth, using all his strength to defend, the floor beneath his feet creaking and scraping.

Kobe pushed deep into position, instantly feinted to the left, then flipped over to the right and leaned back! Xu Ling's reaction was already at its limit; he jumped up with all his might to block the shot, his fingertips almost touching the bottom of the basketball.

But Kobe's release point was too high, and his fadeaway was too extreme.

"Shh!"

The Lakers scored first.

"I'm waiting for your fucking response!"

As Kobe returned to defense, he growled at Xu Ling, looking incredibly eager to fight.

After switching sides, Xu Ling faced Kobe and dribbled between his legs repeatedly, his rhythm unpredictable.

Kobe lowered his center of gravity, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, unmoved.

Suddenly, Xu Ling made a quick crossover, driving hard from Kobe's right side. Kobe quickly moved sideways and used his chest to block the position.

The two bodies collided violently again, and the huge impact caused Xu Ling to stagger, his control of the ball became slightly unstable, and he was about to make a mistake.

But in that split second, Xu Ling stopped himself with his amazing core strength. At the same time, he pulled the ball back sharply with his right hand. He completed a back dribble while staggering and almost lost his balance. The basketball bounced off the floor and, as if it had come to life, was transferred from behind him to his left hand!

That was it! Xu Ling, like an eel, squeezed through the narrow, almost non-existent gap between Kobe and the sideline!
"Wooow!"

The entire audience erupted in incredulous gasps!

Xu Ling charged into the free-throw line, and Lamar Odom had already come to help defend, his massive body blotting out the sky.

He didn't slow down at all; instead, he accelerated again and jumped with all his might to meet Odom! Odom also jumped up to block, his long arms completely covering all of Xu Ling's layup angles.

In mid-air, Xu Ling made a very small but crucial pull-up, his body taut like a bowstring, barely avoiding Odom's fingertips, and with his powerful wrist, he gently flicked the stick with his right hand.

The basketball bounced off the high backboard and into the basket.

"And one!!"

After landing, Xu Ling pointed at Odom and yelled at the referee. The referee blew his whistle at that moment, calling a defensive foul on Odom!

Xu Ling steadied himself, looked at Kobe who had just returned to his defensive position, and asked in a sharp, piercing voice, "How's that response?"

Kobe's face was so dark it could drip water. He didn't respond, but just clapped his hands hard.

Xu Ling made the free throw. 89-88. The Grizzlies took the lead!
In the next possession, Kobe used Bynum's screen to get rid of Xu Ling, forcing Lowry to switch on defense. Facing the shorter Lowry, Kobe didn't hesitate and immediately pulled up for a three-pointer!

91:89.

"Damn bastard!"

Lowry shook her head in frustration.

Xu Ling ran over and patted his butt: "It's okay! We'll get back at him on the next ball!"

The Grizzlies were on offense, and Xu Ling regained possession of the ball. He didn't rush into a one-on-one attack, but instead directed the movement of the defense.

Gasol set a screen, and Xu Ling used the screen to break through, drawing a double team before passing the ball to Gasol who was cutting to the basket.

Gasol receives the ball and is facing Fisher, who has switched onto him. It's a perfect mismatch!

The Spaniard feinted, sending Fisher flying, then took a step into the penalty area, leaping to prepare for a powerful two-handed dunk!

But a huge shadow flew in from the wing—Andrew Bynum! He abandoned his defense on his own man and chased back with all his might. His long arms covered the sky and slammed Gasol's sure-fire dunk out of bounds!

Subsequently, the Grizzlies inbounded the ball, and Gasol facilitated Mike Miller's shot from the high post, resulting in a jump shot for the latter.

The score is tied again.

The game entered a nail-biting phase, with time ticking away and the score remaining close. Both sides intensified their defense, making every possession incredibly difficult. Stamina was rapidly waning, shooting was off, and turnovers were increasing.

93 square meters, 95 square meters, 97 square meters.
With four minutes remaining, the score was tied at 102.

It felt as if all the oxygen in the air had been sucked out, and every breath was accompanied by a scorching, burning sensation.

Official suspension time
"Andrew!" Phil Jackson, holding the whiteboard, emphasized the inside game first. "Defend your territory! Don't let that number 1 get in so easily again! If necessary, foul him to stop him!"

Bynum nodded emphatically, determined to defend the Lakers' paint.

On the other side, Marc Jaffaroni's playboard was covered with lines, but his core instructions were very simple: "Get the ball to Eli! Everyone, create space for him! Paul, your screens need to be as solid as a wall! Kyle, be ready to receive the attack!"

The pause ends.

The decisive moment is about to begin.

The Lakers are on offense, and Kobe is calling for the ball in the low post again.

However, Xu Ling, who had been using the same trick on Kobe all night, anticipated his turning direction and blocked him in advance, causing Kobe to commit a traveling violation!

Transition of possession.

"Defense!"

"Defense!!"

"Defense!!!"

The home crowd erupted in a huge cheer.

Xu Ling dribbled the ball up the court, knowing this possession was crucial. He called for a screen from Gasol again, and Bynum and Kobe, who had switched onto him, immediately double-teamed him! Seeing no opportunity, Xu Ling passed the ball to Mike Miller on the perimeter.

A vast expanse lay before Miller!
He took a deep breath, jumped, and launched his attack.

105 is better than 102!

Miller hit his first three-pointer of the game! Invaluable!
The Lakers quickly inbounded the ball, Kobe sprinted up the court, and before the Grizzlies could settle their defense, he pulled up for a three-pointer! The basketball arced high through the air.
"boom!"

The basketball slammed heavily against the back of the rim!

Long rebound!
Xu Ling and Odom rushed towards the basketball at the same time, and the two jumped almost simultaneously. With his stronger explosiveness, Xu Ling flicked the ball in mid-air and passed it to Lowry who was following up.

Lowry immediately launched a counter-attack after receiving the ball, creating a two-on-one situation in the attacking third, with only Fisher retreating to defend.

Lowry passed the ball to Xu Ling, who was following up on the wing, forcing Fisher to lunge at him. Xu Ling used a convincing fake to blow Fisher away, took a step to adjust, and then launched a mid-range jump shot.

107 is better than 102!

The point difference has widened to 5 points!
Only 2 minute and 30 seconds remain.

The Lakers didn't panic. Kobe calmed the team down and once again used his individual skills to draw double teams before passing to Luke Walton in the corner, who hit an open three-pointer.

107 is better than 105!

On the other end, Xu Ling drove and passed to Gasol, whose hook shot missed under Bynum's interference. The Lakers secured the rebound, and Kobe initiated a fast break, drawing a foul from Lowry on the comeback attempt, and made both free throws.

107 is better than 107!

The score is tied again!

Only 1 minute and 15 seconds remain.

In the next possession, Xu Ling slowed down the clock, initiating his attack when there were 8 seconds left on the shot clock. He forcefully broke past Kobe and drove into the paint, where Bynum's massive frame loomed over him once again.

Xu Ling pulled back on the stick at the last second in mid-air, trying to dodge, but Bynum's long arms still interfered with his shot.

The ball swished past the rim! Odom grabbed the crucial rebound! Only 45 seconds remained.

The Lakers requested a timeout.

Phil Jackson sets up the final shot. Without a doubt, the ball will be in Kobe's hands.

The FedEx Forum arena was silent; everyone held their breath.

After the timeout, Kobe inbounded the ball from the sideline, and Fisher immediately passed it back to Kobe. Kobe controlled the clock at the top of the key, his eyes fixed on the basket.

The attack timer ticked away second by second. 1098
Kobe started his run, executing a series of crossover steps, and suddenly drove hard to the right.

Xu Ling stuck to him tightly, giving him no space whatsoever. Kobe squeezed to the vicinity of the free-throw line, stopped abruptly, and forcefully turned around, raising his arm.

Xu Ling shifted his weight, making a move to jump up and block the shot.

At that critical moment, he keenly caught Odom's movement on the weak side out of the corner of his eye, and as Kobe raised his hand, his wrist made a subtle rotation, different from that of a shot – it was a pass!

Xu Ling immediately stopped his jump, almost without touching the ground, and with amazing core strength and explosive power, he pushed off the ground to the side and rushed towards Odom's receiving route like an arrow!

He arrived late but quickly caught up, reaching the highest point almost simultaneously with Odom. With a long swing of his long arm, he barely managed to flick the alley-oop pass that was about to arrive!

The ball was deflected and flew out of bounds! A devastating blow!

Ohhhh!!!!!!

The entire audience erupted in gasps of relief and thunderous screams!

The Lakers still had possession, but only 1.4 seconds remained on the shot clock! They had to inbound the ball, and Kobe's rushed catch and shot went horribly off target. Gasol grabbed the rebound! Only 28 seconds left!
The Grizzlies are calling a timeout!
With the score tied, the Grizzlies can choose to score quickly for two points or run down the clock for a final possession!
"Stay calm! Run the time! Launch one last attack!" Jaffaroni's voice trembled. "Eli! You get the ball! I believe you can make the right choice!"

The pause ended, and the entire audience spontaneously stood up.

Xu Ling received the ball in the backcourt, but Kobe Bryant led the defense from the full court, denying him an easy chance to advance. Xu Ling steadily protected the ball past half-court and controlled the clock at the top of the key. Time ticked away. 201918
The air in the FedEx Forum arena froze. All eyes were on Xu Ling.

Kobe spread his arms wide, like a Black Mamba ready to hunt, his eyes fixed on Xu Ling's every subtle movement.

Time: 109
Xu Ling started it!
He called for Gasol to set a screen again! Gasol's screen was exceptionally solid, effectively blocking Kobe!

Xu Ling instantly broke free and charged towards the restricted area!
Andrew Bynum! He abandoned Gasol, took a step to the side, and his massive body stood like a mountain guarding the paint! His eyes gleamed with determination, resolved to protect the Lakers' basket and make amends.

Odom, who had switched onto the defense, also came over from the wing to help defend!

There is a tall tower in front and auxiliary defenses on the sides.

Time: 65
In that instant, countless images flashed through Xu Ling's mind: the moment he dominated Gay on the first day of training camp, the ecstasy after the game-winning shot against the Spurs, the locker room conflict, the endless questioning from the media, Bynum's dominance in the paint throughout the game, and Kobe's words in the first half:
"Do you only bully short people?"

Open your eyes wide and see if I'm just bullying short people!

No hesitation, no retreat.

An incredible power surged from the soles of my feet and flowed through my entire body.

Facing Bynum, Xu Ling used all the strength he had in his life to jump with all his might! He jumped so high, so resolutely, as if trying to break free from the shackles of gravity.

Bynum roared and leaped up, raising his arms high like a gate, trying to slam down the attack along with Xu Ling!

The two bodies collided violently in mid-air! The sound of muscles colliding was chilling.

But Xu Ling's impact and jump height exceeded Bynum's expectations! With his stronger core strength and his unwavering determination, he gained a clear advantage in the air.

Just as Xu Ling raised the basketball high with his right hand, his body like a fully drawn bow, ready to smash the ball hard into the basket, the outside of his thigh inevitably and heavily collided with the side of Bynum's left knee, which was slightly outstretched as he tried to adjust his balance in the air!
"Boom!!!!!!!!!"

A loud bang shook the entire stadium!

The basketball was slammed into the net with tremendous force! At the same time, the referee's whistle blew sharply—Bynum was called for a defensive foul!

Goal! Penalty kick-off!
Immediately following the loud bang was a muffled groan of pain.

Andrew Bynum landed after being dunked on, but the violent impact on his left knee clearly affected his landing posture. His knee seemed to lose its support instantly, bending at an extremely unnatural angle, and he fell heavily to the ground like a felled tree.

"ah--!!!!!"

Bynum then let out a piercing scream, clutching his left knee tightly with both hands, and rolled around on the field in agony.

The picture seems to freeze at this moment.

Xu Ling landed, staggered a step before regaining his balance, glanced at Bynum who was writhing on the ground without any pity, but was immediately overwhelmed by a huge roar.

The entire FedEx Forum stadium erupted in a nuclear-level frenzy of cheers and screams, the sound almost lifting the roof off!
"Bynum is down! Bynum is down! Eli Xu has swung the hammer of God! He not only beat the defense, no, he destroyed it! He destroyed Andrew! The team doctor is on the field. This looks catastrophic! Absolutely horrible! We have just witnessed one of the most brutal, spectacular, and heart-stopping goals in the history of the sport!"

The Lakers players all rushed over, and the team doctor frantically ran onto the court.

Kobe's face was filled with shock, anger, and disbelief. He looked at Bynum rolling on the ground, then suddenly looked up at Xu Ling standing to the side, his eyes burning with a flame that could incinerate everything.

Xu Ling took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil within him, and walked to the free-throw line. All eyes in the arena, whether filled with anger, admiration, shock, or fear, were focused on him alone.

But Xu Ling's world seemed to consist only of Kobe. He stared at the Lakers' number 24 and asked without any emotion, "Is this big enough?"

After saying that, Xu Ling walked to the free throw line, took the ball from the referee, dribbled it twice, and focused his gaze on the basket.

Additional penalty.

hit.

110:107.

Only 1.2 seconds remain.

The Lakers used their last timeout, but Bynum had already been carried off the court on a stretcher by his teammates and the team doctor.

His season, and even his career, have been shrouded in a thick shadow by Xu Ling's earth-shattering and inevitably controversial judgment.

After the timeout, the Lakers inbounded the ball, and Kobe's long-range three-pointer missed miserably.

The red light is on, the game is over.

The Memphis Grizzlies, after a tense and fierce game, ultimately defeated the Los Angeles Lakers thanks to Xu Ling's historic and controversial dunk.

Xu Ling stood rooted to the spot, his jersey soaked with sweat. For a moment, the clamor of reality receded like a tide, but soon, the deafening roar of FedExCare was like a sonic boom, piercing his eardrums. His gaze involuntarily drifted towards the players' tunnel—Bynum had been carried away on a stretcher, and the empty space stood out starkly.

It was just a momentary lapse in concentration.

The next second, Miller, Lowry, Warrick, Gasol, Milicic—all his comrades who had fought alongside him tonight—surged in like a tidal wave, completely engulfing him in a wave of ecstasy.

The Lord of Memphis was thus surrounded, pushed, and embraced, submerged in a deep blue ocean of joy.

Even now, he still doesn't fully realize what he has done.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"The latest news is that he collapsed, was carried out, and looks terrible. We'll know the specifics after he gets back to Los Angeles for an MRI tomorrow. It's too early to say anything now; we can only pray. It was a devastating moment," Phil Jackson replied when discussing Andrew Bynum's injury.

"That was a brilliant and powerful shot. Anything can happen in the air. Eli jumped really high and had tremendous impact. Andrew was doing his job protecting the rim. As for whether it was 'dangerous'? The referee watched the replay and called a defensive foul, that's just how the game is. But you know, sometimes great performances come at a huge price. Tonight, we paid the price." Phil Jackson commented on Xu Ling's dunk.

Then came the on-site interview with Kobe by reporters.

"Kobe, this was a tough loss. What are your thoughts on Eli's performance tonight, especially in the final moments?"

"He made some shots. That's it."

"You and he had a lot of conversations and confrontations throughout the night. How would you rate your confrontations?"

"He played a good game. I played a bad game (58 points). We lost. Next question."

Was Andrew Bynum's injury and departure from the field the decisive moment of the game?

Kobe gradually became agitated: "Andrew's injury isn't some fucking 'decisive moment,' it's a fucking disaster! We lost an important brother, that's the point! The game? We'll study the film, we'll get better. But right now, nobody cares about any fucking games! What we care about is whether Andrew is healthy, he's important to this team, that's all!"

"What do you have to say about Eli's celebration after the dunk? It was a very chaotic scene."

"Celebrate? Of course we celebrate when we win. We all celebrate victories. As for anything else? I don't care what others do, I only care about my team and my teammates. That's all!"

After saying that, Kobe ignored all questions, stood up, and left the scene without looking back.

Lamar Odom suggested that Bynum's injury might be related to Xu Ling's landing.

“It was an aggressive move. Eli was attacking the paint all night, and he played great, I have to admit.” Odom then changed the subject, “But in that situation, when you’re completely out of balance in the air, a player’s first priority should be protecting themselves and not hurting others. I can only say that some moves have predictable consequences. That wasn’t just a basketball move; it was a devastating impact. We lost more than just a win.”

Marc Jafaroni vehemently refuted this claim.

"Absurd! Utterly absurd! I watched the replay over and over again. Eli's movement was a straight jump, charging towards the basket, with no downward or unnecessary arm movements! That's the purest and most extreme expression of competition in basketball! Are we supposed to accuse a player of jumping too high or charging too hard?"

"Andrew Bynum is a tall, strong rim protector who jumped to try and block. Eli jumped to try and finish at his highest point. That's what a battle in the paint is all about! When two giants collide in mid-air, one of them will always take more force, and unfortunate injuries may follow, but that should never be attributed to the offensive player's fighting spirit! To accuse Eli of being 'too aggressive' is absurd and weak; it's a stain on the courage and determination he displayed tonight that our sport values ​​most! We are incredibly proud of him!"

Then came the Grizzlies players' compliments to the Lord.

“Some people are born for the big stage, and tonight, Eli proved to us that he is one of them,” Pau Gasol told reporters.

“My God! Did you see what he did?! Did you see it?!” Lowry shouted into the camera, as if still savoring the final dunk. “I knew Eli was different! Completely different! When he passed me the ball for that open three, I knew this guy was smart. But that last shot... wow! He just flew right over there! I was right behind him, watching Andrew standing there, and I was thinking, ‘Oh no!’ But Eli didn’t even think about that! He just charged in! That’s our team attitude! He’s our pillar, our head dog!”

"He's fearless. Many people say that, but few can do it. You can feel his hunger for victory in practice. Tonight, he showed it to the world. That dunk... was incredibly powerful." Milicic concluded mysteriously, "And my prayers worked."

Xu Ling sat in the interview area, the wound on his elbow clearly visible, the sweat not yet completely dry, and a tired yet satisfied smile on his face.

What he needs most right now is probably a late-night snack to replenish his energy and a comfortable bed, but unfortunately, he still has a bunch of reporters to deal with.

“Eli, first of all, everyone wants to know how you feel about that last dunk and Andrew Bynum’s injury?”

This is clearly a reporter from California.

After a moment's thought, Xu Ling replied, "I feel sorry for him; nobody wants to see that happen. But at that moment, all I could see was the basket. His job was to stop me, and my job was to put the ball in. We were both doing our jobs, but unfortunately, the result was bad. Sometimes victory and injury come on the same flight."

Elizabeth Weinberg, a reporter from the Memphis Commercial, asked: "Kobe Bryant said he played a bad game tonight, while you played a good game. What are your thoughts on this matchup between you and him?"

Xu Ling smiled and replied, "(Shrugs) Maybe, anyway I didn't pay much attention to what he did tonight (reiterating: 58 points in total), I was just focused on winning."

Then a reporter, possibly from Los Angeles, asked very bluntly: "This dunk is bound to generate a lot of discussion, even controversy. Some people will say it was a dirty or reckless move. How do you respond?"

"Sir, may I dunk?" Xu Ling said. "Next time I'll try asking my opponent that before I go inside to dunk."

Laughter erupted from the audience, while Xu Ling merely glanced wearily at the reporters behind him.

Why should I sit here and answer these stupid questions?
Even if it's just a game, as long as you have any connection with a team like the Lakers, you're destined to be in the center of public attention.

Moreover, Kobe is the king of traffic in the NBA, while Xu Ling is the newly crowned king of traffic this season.

And then there was the astonishing hype before the match.

The intense competition and the fierce battle during the match.

And that dramatic game-ending dunk.

Tonight, tomorrow, and for some time to come, there are bound to be many arguments, many debates, much resentment and doubt. All these emotions are mixed together. Let's conclude tonight with Kevin Harlan's post-game summary:

"If Eli is the one Memphis has been waiting for all these years, then many years from now, audiences will still be debating everything that happened that night. They will debate that dunk, its cost, its significance. But above all those debates, one fact will stand firm like a rock: on this night, facing the strongest opponent and carrying the heaviest expectations, Eli Xu did not run away, he did not back down, he chose greatness. And greatness, just like the moment we just witnessed!"

"Memphis won this battle, but the world of basketball lost something and gained something at this moment. Ladies and gentlemen, what you just witnessed is the ultimate beauty of this sport, and its most brutal reality. Believe me, nothing can compare to this."

It really doesn't.

(End of this chapter)