Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 116 - 85: More Exciting Than the Finals (Part 3)

Chapter 116: Chapter 85: More Exciting Than the Finals (Part 3)

’We can’t lose this game!’

The timeout ended.

Larry Brown’s expression shifted the moment he saw O’Neal take the court.

He didn’t know what had happened—why Adelman had only played O’Neal for half a quarter before benching him.

But with O’Neal off the court, the East had its only real chance to win.

’With the West’s current lineup, who can possibly stop O’Neal?’

’In a moment like this, where a single basket could decide the outcome, who’s more unstoppable than O’Neal?’

But it was too late for him to make any adjustments.

The cheers from the twenty thousand-plus fans in the arena died down as many held their breath.

It was crunch time.

Courtside, Jordan patted Ronaldo on the shoulder. "See? Here comes the best part."

He squinted, his gaze shifting between Hill and Iverson. At this moment, even he couldn’t be sure which side would claim the final victory.

O’Neal rolled his neck, then grinned at Mutombo, flashing a mouthful of white teeth.

The imposing Mutombo had clearly gotten fired up as well, returning a cold smile.

But he immediately witnessed O’Neal’s dominance firsthand.

Receiving the ball in the low post, O’Neal was like a dragon churning the river. He backed Mutombo down, then spun. His massive frame was like a bulldozer. Veins bulged on Mutombo’s forehead, but it was no use. He was brutally shoved aside.

A thunderous SLAM.

The rim sagged, groaning as if it were about to break.

O’Neal roared at the stands and pounded his chest, as if to say, ’Who else?’

But in the next instant, a flash of lightning streaked past him.

Before the West’s defense could set up, Iverson took off. His footwork was fluid, like a butterfly flitting through leaves. He spun in mid-air, his body nearly out of bounds, yet he still managed to flick the ball up through a gap between Duncan’s arms.

It went in!

The East held onto their 3-point lead.

Duncan looked completely helpless. ’I defended him that well, and he still scored? There’s nothing more I can do.’

"Ball!"

O’Neal roared for the ball. Before Davis could double-team him, he lowered his center of gravity and used his thick shoulders to clear a path, simply bullying his way past Mutombo and throwing down a dunk right over him.

"Shit."

Mutombo caught the falling basketball and angrily slammed it onto the floor.

Then, without a word, he sprinted back on defense.

The seconds ticked away. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Chen Yu found himself on his feet, his eyes anxiously glued to the court.

At this moment, no one could be sure who would win.

The game hung in the balance.

"Great shot!"

Chen Yu couldn’t help but yell.

Hill took the ball along the baseline. He seemed to dance, weaving back and forth before slipping past Finley and hitting a floater under the basket.

With O’Neal being an unstoppable force in the paint, the entire East team was relying on Hill and Iverson’s constant scoring to maintain their meager 3-point lead.

Mutombo roared as he leaped up with O’Neal. His face contorted with effort as he stretched out his arm and blocked O’Neal’s shot.

The ball came loose. With his quick reflexes, O’Neal snatched it and went up again!

Mutombo had just landed and wasn’t even steady on his feet, but he leaped up again without hesitation.

A deafening CLANG.

Harassed by Mutombo, O’Neal actually missed the dunk.

The ball ricocheted toward the West’s bench.

Kobe and Tracy McGrady both dove for it. Kobe launched himself into the air, snagging the ball first and flinging it back into play.

His momentum sent him tumbling uncontrollably into the players on the bench.

But a second later, he was back on his feet. He sprinted onto the court, caught a pass from J Kidd, and forced up a three-pointer.

The ball bounced high off the rim... and dropped in.

"ROAR!"

Only then did Kobe pull at his jersey, roaring excitedly at the sky.

Chen Yu was pulled up by Garnett, clutching his ribs and grimacing in pain.

He’d been caught in Kobe’s dive.

’That guy... I wonder if he’s getting me back for all the times I’ve jabbed at him.’

The whistle blew.

The East called a timeout.

With 1:09 left on the clock, the score was tied, 92-92.

The players came off the court, every one of them panting heavily.

Adelman didn’t waste any words. He grabbed his clipboard and said, "Shaq, I have a feeling they’re going to double-team you. When they do, you have to get the ball to Tim."

’You might not be able to pass it out to the perimeter, but you can definitely get it to Duncan next to you.’

"Tim, you have to be decisive when you attack. This is the last minute."

He looked at everyone.

With only a minute left, every possession was crucial.

On the other side, Larry Brown watched Iverson gasping for air and felt a wave of emotion.

He’d never been a huge fan of Iverson, disliking his freewheeling, undisciplined style.

But today, he saw Iverson’s never-say-die fighting spirit.

"Last minute. Go out there and enjoy it," Brown said, his face full of admiration.

These were the best basketball players in the world. At this point in the game, he’d done everything he could as a coach. Now, it all came down to who could dig deeper, whose will was stronger.

Play resumed.

It was Hill with the ball.

Dressed in blue, he dribbled like the wind. Even in such a tense moment, he was still effortlessly graceful, like a legendary warrior charging through enemy lines.

He drove, stopped on a dime, and fired a brilliant cross-court bounce pass straight into Iverson’s hands.

With Kobe switching onto him and rushing to close out, Iverson hit him with a crossover, pulled up, and shot.

It wasn’t about technique; it was pure, unshakeable will.

Kobe overcommitted on his closeout and stumbled to the floor. Even as he fell, he twisted his head to watch the basket.

The ball dropped through the net anyway.

Iverson, who had also fallen on his rear, scrambled back to his feet as if he’d felt nothing and sprinted back on defense.

The East was back in the lead!

With 52 seconds left, Kobe went into attack mode. He squeezed through a seam in the defense and drove to the hoop. Facing Mutombo, who rose up like an overwhelming wave, Kobe didn’t hesitate to go right at him.

He drew the foul!

The two of them crashed to the floor in a heap. When he heard the whistle, Kobe pumped his fist in excitement.

At the free-throw line.

The entire arena fell silent.

At this moment, even the fans didn’t know who to cheer for. They just wanted to know how this game would end.

Chen Yu also stood up and walked to the sideline, his eyes fixed on Kobe.

At that moment, countless fans around the world had their eyes glued to Kobe.

He rubbed the shoulder he’d landed on, took the ball, drew a deep breath, and released his shot.

CLANG. The ball traced a perfect arc through the air... and clanked off the rim.

Still holding his follow-through, Kobe’s eyes flew open, his expression frozen in disbelief.

Missing that free throw was absolutely devastating.