socalfunplaces Chapter 3: Steal and assist to close the gap again, a three-pointer from the center circle dominates
Chapter 3: Steal and assist to close the gap again, a three-pointer from the center circle dominates
Right now, on the field.
Three players were positioned close to Curry outside the three-point line on the right side of the arc. Another player, who was guarding Wiggins, the Warriors' only remaining three-point threat, was not out of position, but was also pulled to the left corner by Wiggins.
Rooney was left wide open in the paint, and every time he received a pass, he could easily score two points, but it didn't make any sense.
Green tried to set a screen for Curry, but it was too late.
Li Xingchen was positioned slightly to the left of the three-point line, and Melton was still watching him closely, not letting his guard down.
But he wasn't afraid. In his current state, he was fearless in the face of any one-on-one defense—he had already seen the outcome in his mind!
Upon receiving Curry's pass, Li Xingchen didn't even dribble or try to shake off the defender; instead, he jumped directly from the spot.
Melton reacted quickly, blocking the shot and seemingly about to make a perfect block.
However, Li Xingchen's body leaned back at the limit in the air, infinitely increasing the arc of his shot. The ball barely brushed past Melton's fingertips and flew to a height far exceeding that of a normal shot.
With a loud "thump," like a falling meteor, it slammed into the basket with great force!
As Li Xingchen, who had lost his balance and fallen to the ground, watched this scene, a smile appeared on his lips.
Melton, who turned around to watch the basketball go into the basket, held his head in his hands, his face full of disbelief.
On the other side, Dillon kept muttering, "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Morant looked at Li Xingchen with an equally incredulous expression: "Bro, are you cheating?"
The entire stadium was already on its feet, cheering wildly for Li Xingchen.
Even many fans who had left in disappointment returned.
"Wooooo——"
"Worries! Worries!!"
Even if they lose this game, Li Xingchen deserves to be remembered by all Warriors fans for those three crucial three-pointers.
With 12.3 seconds remaining on the clock, the score was 103-108.
In just half a minute, Li Xingchen single-handedly brought the game back into a crucial moment, turning a twelve-point deficit into a five-point deficit!
"Beep—"
Grizzlies head coach Jenkins couldn't resist and used the team's last timeout.
Despite having set up defensive tactics, the opponent still managed to score three points quickly – it's simply outrageous!
We must pay more attention to this young man from the East who only played for half a minute.
Judging from today's game alone, his performance seems even more terrifying than Curry's!
On the Warriors' side, Kerr gave his instructions: "Guys, there are only about ten seconds left. We can't force a steal, or the clock will run out before we know it! As long as they get the ball in play, we'll foul them as quickly as possible. If they miss the free throws, we still have a chance!"
"There's no time to pass the ball around. Whoever has a chance to shoot a three-pointer must do so decisively! If they miss, immediately fight for the offensive rebound! We still have one timeout. As long as we have the ball, we still have a chance to set up our plays!"
The players listened attentively and nodded silently.
Although the cheers from the fans grew louder and louder, as professional athletes, they knew that turning the tide was still a pipe dream—but they had to do their best no matter what.
Since Li Xingchen used three incredible three-pointers to keep the team alive, they must fight until the last second!
Back on the field, the lineup remained the same as before.
The Grizzlies opted to inbound the ball from midcourt to their backcourt as usual, because they needed to run down the clock. As long as they managed to keep the clock ticking down safely, they wouldn't need to score any points to secure the victory.
The Warriors were certainly aware of this, so even on defensive possessions, they didn't fully settle into half-court, but instead pressed the defense as tightly as possible. This was partly to prevent the Grizzlies from getting the ball in the first place, and partly to make it easier to foul in the shortest amount of time.
Although there isn't enough time to force a steal, the clock doesn't start until the ball is in the hands of a player on the field at the start of the game. At this point, you can still try to steal the ball directly.
Looking at the Grizzlies' initial positioning for the inbounds pass, Li Xingchen suddenly had some ideas in his mind; the opponent would probably move like this...
At the sound of the whistle, Morant quickly ran towards the backfield along the planned route, ready to receive the ball.
But Li Xingchen seemed to have completely predicted his running route and the ball's trajectory. He appeared between the two like a ghost and instantly intercepted the basketball in mid-air!
Both teams were stunned for a moment, but unfortunately Li Xingchen intercepted the ball in the back half of the field, giving the opponent plenty of time to react.
As he raised his hand to prepare for another three-pointer, three people rushed towards him from different directions, blocking all his possible shots.
This allowed him to experience firsthand the treatment Curry received.
Of course, it's not entirely accurate to say that the other side reacted completely. After all, no one expected to be suddenly dispossessed, otherwise three people wouldn't have rushed at him.
In the chaos, the Grizzlies made a fatal mistake. Because of Li Xingchen's consecutive points and the coach's emphasis during the timeout, everyone was extremely sensitive to him. In addition, he had just completed a steal, which attracted all attention. As a result, three players chased after Li Xingchen, which left Curry, who was on the other side, completely open!
Seeing that it was impossible for Li Xingchen to score again, he returned the favor by quickly bouncing the ball to Curry.
Curry, of course, did not hesitate at all, pulled up and shot, another three-pointer fell cleanly into the net without any hesitation, truly worthy of being the three-point god who led the entire small-ball era!
The score is 106-108, with only two points separating the two teams!
There are 8.2 seconds left in the game.
The Grizzlies have no timeouts left.
Before the Warriors could get into position on defense, the Grizzlies quickly and smoothly inbounded the ball from their own half. Unable to steal the ball again, the Warriors had no choice but to foul.
With 6.6 seconds left on the clock, Morant of the Grizzlies took two more free throws.
Two free throws, two made.
The home fans booed incessantly, trying to distract Morant from his free throws, but to no avail.
When Morant made his second free throw, a series of sighs clearly rang out from the crowd.
The score is 106-110.
With only 6.6 seconds left, whether it's a difference of three or four points makes a big difference.
A three-point deficit could tie the game, but a four-point deficit in six seconds would require a miracle to turn the tide.
Li Xingchen, however, was even more confident. He had been worried that his 15 points wouldn't be enough for the team to turn the game around, but he had unexpectedly assisted Curry to score three points. Now he still had six points left to use, so wouldn't that be a sure thing?
Kerr called the final timeout.
He wanted to devise a forward play strategy for the team, but after much thought, he still couldn't come up with a good one.
Even with a perfect three-point shot strategy and successful execution, a four-point deficit will still result in a loss.
Because the team was out of time and had no more timeouts, they could only inbound the ball from the backcourt if they had possession.
Seeing that Cole was still pondering, Li Xingchen pointed to the tactics board and took the initiative to speak.
Do you believe me?
"If you trust me, just play your usual positions. I'll run to an unexpected spot. All you have to do is spread your players out as much as possible and pass the ball to me."
In the past, Li Xingchen would never have dared to say such things. He didn't even have the right to speak on this team.
Even during the previous timeouts, he remained silent, partly because it was unnecessary, and partly because he wasn't qualified.
But now, three crucial three-pointers, two crucial steals, and a crucial assist have pulled the team back from the brink of elimination to the brink of elimination.
In just half a minute, he delivered a highlight moment that others might never achieve in their entire careers.
He felt he was qualified.
At least for this moment, he is the main character here.
Ultimately, Kerr agreed to his proposal, and Curry had no objections.
It's not that Li Xingchen's tactical ability is better than Kerr's, nor that his three-point shooting is more threatening than Curry's.
It's because the Warriors' various tactics, Curry himself, and other starting players have all been thoroughly analyzed and figured out by their opponents.
In such situations, only by using unexpected and risky moves can one possibly achieve a surprising victory.
Li Xingchen is the Warriors' last resort!
Back on the field, no one knew how Li Xingchen was going to move. Not to mention his opponents, even his teammates didn't know. They could only keep a close eye on him.
It's not that you don't communicate with your teammates beforehand, but maintaining this state makes it less likely for the other side to see through your intentions.
The Grizzlies were also keeping a close eye on those dangerous positions—the bottom corners on both sides, the top of the key, and the 45-degree angles on both sides…
No matter where Li Xingchen wanted to shoot a three-pointer, someone would immediately rush over to help defend!
At the sound of a whistle, Li Xingchen ran straight towards the center circle.
Dillon, who was guarding him, was dumbfounded. The Warriors' priority was to shoot a three-pointer in the shortest possible time. Why was he running backcourt?
This is a positioning tactic usually used by the side that wants to stall for time!
Even Dillon, who was guarding the Grizzlies, was stunned, let alone the rest of the team.
Fortunately, Curry himself inbounded the ball for the Warriors. Firstly, his passing and ball-handling skills are excellent, and secondly, he has taken quite a few three-pointers from the logo area...
Without hesitation, before the other party could react, he threw the ball to Li Xingchen!
The latter lived up to expectations, receiving the ball in the center circle and jumping up without hesitation. With only six seconds left in the game and tens of millions of people around the world watching, he unhesitatingly unleashed a logo three-pointer!