Chapter 265: Chapter 61: Beating You Is No Big Deal

As the game clock wound down, every possession became incredibly valuable.

Billups carefully managed the possession, quickly using a screen from Rashid Wallace.

But just as he came off the screen, drove inside, and dished the ball to Rashid Wallace, Su Xi pounced. Rashid Wallace had just caught the ball and was about to attempt a fake when Su Xi clamped down on it. With a fierce yank, Su Xi ripped the ball away.

Rashid Wallace was furious. He clapped at the head referee, gesturing as if to ask, "Why wasn’t that a foul?"

The head referee considered it a reasonable level of defensive intensity.

Moreover, Rashid Wallace didn’t have full control of the ball. This could only be considered a steal, not a foul.

Su Xi’s anticipation was spot-on.

Su Xi rushed the ball up the court, his path blocked by Billups. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Little O’Neal quickly came over to set a screen, and Su Xi used it to charge straight into the paint. He drove to the basket and was about to leap for a layup when a fuming Rashid Wallace dove at him from behind, pulling Su Xi down, ball and all.

Su Xi crashed to the floor, landing hard.

The entire arena erupted in boos.

The head referee blew his whistle without hesitation, giving Rashid Wallace his second technical foul and ejecting him from the game.

After making the call, he quickly began ushering Rashid Wallace off the court.

Little O’Neal and Foster had already rushed over menacingly. No one wanted this dangerous play to turn into an all-out brawl.

The history between the Pacers and Pistons was too heated; any small incident could light the powder keg.

Larry Brown also quickly urged Rashid Wallace to leave the court from the sidelines.

He didn’t want a fight to break out. Besides, he worried that if another one started, the Wallace Brothers would end up back in the hospital for a few days. In that case, the Pacers would get a completely free win.

Su Xi was once again awarded two free throws and possession.

The commotion died down once Rashid Wallace quickly left the court. As Rashid headed into the player tunnel, Pacers fans showered him with popcorn, beer, drinks, peanuts, and sunflower seeds.

He was a mess.

TNT broadcast the whole thing.

Kenny Smith criticized the behavior as barbaric.

Charles Barkley cut him no slack, saying bluntly, "Rashid Wallace is the real barbarian. A move like that could have been a career-ender for Jack. You were an NBA player, Kenny. You played in the pros. If someone had done that to you, would you still be saying the same thing?"

Kenny Smith was left speechless.

SWISH!

SWISH!

Su Xi made both free throws.

Indiana got the ball back.

With Rashid Wallace ejected, the Pistons were now on the back foot.

To make matters worse, Su Xi attacked the paint and drew another foul, this time on the Turk, Oko.

Oko’s defense was clearly no match for Rashid Wallace’s.

"Isn’t Little Sheep Su Xi getting too many free throws?"

Kenny Smith remarked sourly.

SWISH!

Su Xi made the first free throw.

CLANG!

He missed the second.

But the rebound was tipped out by Foster. Su Xi got the ball and immediately flicked it to the corner. Reggie Miller caught it... SWISH!

The three-pointer went in.

Suddenly, the Pistons were trailing by 6.

They were completely on their heels.

The tide of the game turned in an instant. Since coming on the court, Su Xi had completely changed its course. He had rescued his team when they were on the brink, and now Indiana had all the momentum.

Everyone was reveling in the feeling of being on the verge of crushing the Pistons.

Larry Brown called a timeout.

He was a conservative coach, but with the clock ticking down, he had no choice but to call for an aggressive play—despite being known as the coach in the league who hated shooting threes the most.

Back from the timeout.

Oko took a shot from beyond the three-point line... In 2004, this was an absolute gamble. A center pulling up to shoot from three-point range was practically breaking a sacred rule.

CLANG!

The ball clanked off the iron.

Little O’Neal boxed out Ben Wallace, and Su Xi charged in to grab the rebound.

Then, Su Xi controlled the pace, no longer looking for a quick basket.

He dribbled the ball, running down the clock under pressure from Billups, who was unable to truly disrupt him. Billups could only watch as Su Xi squeezed his way inside as the shot clock wound down. When Oko came over to provide help defense, Su Xi passed the ball to Foster.

Foster finished with a powerful dunk.

With Rashid Wallace gone, their defensive pressure dropped precipitously.

Next, Billups forced up a three-pointer while smothered by Su Xi’s defense, but it was no good.

Mr. Big Shot had missed their last chance.

Even though they sent Su Xi to the free-throw line on the next possession, it was futile.

Su Xi sank them both.

The Pistons missed a rushed shot. Ben Wallace fought with all his might to tip the rebound out to Hamilton. Hamilton ran beyond the arc and took another shot, but it also missed.

Su Xi got the rebound.

It was meaningless now.

They didn’t foul anymore.

Su Xi dribbled the ball past half-court, placed it on the ground, and put his foot on it.

He raised both hands high, and the crowd at Conseco Fieldhouse erupted in a thunderous chant: MVP! MVP! MVP!

Su Xi had created another miracle tonight, putting up 23 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block.

Most importantly, he led his team to victory over the Pistons.

He had stepped up when his team was in the most danger. When they were down by seven and everyone thought the Pacers were doomed to lose, he was the one who answered the call. He scored seven straight points, then another three... he had single-handedly orchestrated the Pacers’ last 15 points.

He played so well that the Pistons had no answer for him.

BUZZ!

The final buzzer sounded.

Su Xi kicked the ball away, as if he were kicking away the arrogant Detroit Pistons themselves.