Adelman was on edge, his body practically lunging onto the court. He kept shouting tactical instructions, reminding his players of their positioning.

He no longer had the arrogant, nonchalant demeanor he’d worn before the game. Su Xi had forced him against the pillar of shame and was already tightening the noose around his neck.

If the Kings couldn’t win this game tonight, both his and Weber’s reputations would become stepping stones for Su Xi, forever tied to the pillar of shame.

Chris Webber felt the pressure even more acutely, as he was the one primarily matched up against Su Xi. He had already lost their individual battle; losing the game on top of that would be a historic joke. He didn’t want to see his legacy tarnished.

So, when Mike Bibby brought the ball up the court, Weber first set an off-ball screen for Peja Stojakovic, helping the very player he usually disdained get open. He then pulled out to the top of the arc to set a screen for Mike Bibby. Bibby dribbled quickly past half-court with Su Xi in hot pursuit... but Carlos Boozer was a beat slow on the switch, failing to lock Bibby down. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Bibby jumped into a pump fake... Su Xi fell for it, leaping for the block, but Bibby dished the ball out from behind his head... sending it flying back to the top of the arc.

Chris Webber caught the ball, rose up, and shot.

SWISH!

The ball sailed through in a perfect arc... and found the bottom of the net.

It was a two-pointer.

114-116.

The Kings retook the lead.

Chris Webber finally stepped up in the clutch, scoring five straight points.

The cheers in Akco Arena were deafening, like a decaying temple finally set ablaze by the fiery clouds of dusk just before sunset.

If Weber could ultimately lead his team to victory, the night wouldn’t be a total humiliation. He could at least save some face.

So he, too, was ecstatic, pumping his fist with vigor.

Just then, Su Xi quickly ran to the sideline and told Paul Silas, "Coach, don’t call a timeout! Don’t call a timeout! Sacramento doesn’t have any left."

Su Xi waved his hands emphatically.

Paul Silas quickly stopped himself from signaling and chose to follow Su Xi’s advice. Still, he was worried about how Su Xi would handle the next play. After all, the responsibility for both offense and defense now rested entirely on Su Xi’s shoulders.

There were 33.8 seconds left in the game.

If the Cavaliers went for a quick shot, they could theoretically get two possessions. But they were already down by two points, and most importantly, the Kings were out of timeouts.

This was why Adelman was on the sideline, frantically shouting out tactical details.

The shot of Su Xi waving off Paul Silas’s timeout was broadcast on TNT, astonishing the television audience. Very few players would ever do that.

"Little Sheep Su Xi is incredibly calm in the clutch. He’s at least more composed than Chris Webber was at the same age. Back in the day, Weber famously called a timeout when his team didn’t have any left, resulting in a technical foul that cost the University of Michigan the NCAA championship."

Charles Barkley remarked on TV, "And that’s why Little Sheep Su Xi won an MOP in college, while Weber came away empty-handed."

"Don’t you think Little Sheep Su Xi is being too overbearing? Why is he making decisions for the head coach? Does he really think he knows better?" Kenny Smith shot back, leveling a heavy accusation: "If the Cavaliers lose tonight, the biggest culprit will be Little Sheep Su Xi!"

Huh?

Barkley was stunned. ’Man, did Chris Webber pay you off or something?’ he thought. ’How can you even say something that absurd?’

’After James went to the bench, wasn’t it Little Sheep Su Xi who led that furious comeback to tie the game? Without him, this would have been over ages ago! The guy’s a rookie, on the verge of a quadruple-double, who’s been locking down Weber all night, and you’re calling him the potential culprit? You’ve got to be kidding me! What kind of twisted logic is that?’

In front of the television, Larry Bird looked over at Rick Carlisle and slowly raised his left hand. Carlisle flinched instinctively and quickly said, "Little Sheep Su Xi made the right call. If it were me, I wouldn’t call a timeout either and give the Kings a chance to set their defense. The Kings are experienced, while the Cavaliers lack tactical chemistry. They’re a young team; they should absolutely capitalize on the chaos and make a play."

"Besides," Carlisle continued, "on that last possession, Carlos Boozer’s defensive awareness was terrible. Any other big man with a shred of defensive sense would have had Mike Bibby completely locked down. Even so, Bibby was still forced into making a Jason Williams-esque pass."

Carlisle was full of praise.

Larry Bird finally lowered his hand, patting Carlisle on the thigh. "You know your basketball. The Pistons are going to regret letting you go."

On the television screen, Su Xi had already brought the ball past half-court. Positioned at the top of the arc, he was letting the clock run down while directing his teammates’ movements.

Ilgauskas, Carlos Boozer, Ricky Davis, and Jason Kapono—all of them were capable shooters.

Adelman’s brow was furrowed. He had no idea what play the Cavaliers were going to run. All he could do was scream from the sideline, reminding his players to stay focused and stick to their men.

He had been certain the Cavaliers would call a timeout, as they still had one full timeout remaining.

But the conservative Paul Silas hadn’t done so. That damned rookie had stopped him.

This left Adelman powerless and on the defensive. He didn’t even know how to make an adjustment.

’Who is this kid going to pass to?’

His eyes were fixed intently on the movements of the Cavaliers players.

He was trying to pick up on the slightest clue.

But there was nothing to find.

Su Xi remained perfectly composed, casually dribbling a few feet behind the three-point line, letting the clock tick down.