Chapter 274: Chapter 65: The Unbelievable Buzzer-Beater

’Here we go again!’

Su Xi, weakened, could only manage a half-hearted eye roll. Reggie Miller had said things like this far too many times, but it was always just for show. Su Xi couldn’t help but feel like the boy who cried wolf.

However, something unexpected happened.

Five seconds after Reggie Miller spoke, a sudden throbbing pulsed through Su Xi’s mind. A wave of energy, packed with immense experience and technique, flooded into his brain.

*Super Off-Ball Movement and Catch-and-Shoot Talent*

A vast amount of information flooded into Su Xi’s brain and muscle memory. He instantly developed a profound understanding of off-ball movement and catch-and-shoot, forging a near-instinctive feel for them. It was as if decades of painstaking practice had been poured directly into him, granting instant enlightenment.

It was just like in *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, when Xuzhu suddenly received decades of Master Wu Ya’s power.

The super talent value Su Xi’s body could currently handle was 92%, a starting point higher than his other talents. After all, this was a purely technical talent. Reggie Miller’s physical gifts weren’t even as good as Su Xi’s; he was just taller and had a higher release point.

Given the evolutionary nature of his talents, Su Xi could one day completely surpass the master.

Su Xi’s current fusion level hadn’t reached the full 92% yet; it was at about 85%.

This was already a quantum leap for Su Xi’s offensive prowess.

Su Xi was ecstatic. His eyes, as he looked at Reggie Miller, were filled with joy and gratitude. At the same time, he couldn’t help but sigh. ’That Reggie Miller... he really won’t give up until he’s at the end of his rope. Why wait until the team is in such a crisis to get serious? Couldn’t you have done this sooner?’

There was another thing Su Xi hadn’t expected. He originally thought Reggie Miller’s super talent would just be shooting or catch-and-shoot. He never imagined it would come with off-ball movement as a bonus.

The off-ball movement talent was no less important than the catch-and-shoot; in fact, the two were complementary.

A shot is the finish; off-ball movement is the process. It doesn’t matter if the shot misses. During that process, you can still stretch the opponent’s defense and achieve a tactical advantage. After all, not every cut results in a pass and a finish.

Su Xi returned to the locker room with a relaxed and content smile. The boost in his abilities had completely revitalized his spirits, even though his body was exhausted from overexertion.

When his teammates saw him, so obviously exhausted yet still smiling from ear to ear, they were all incredibly moved.

’Jack is already at his limit, but he’s still trying to lift our spirits with a smile. He’s keeping all the pain to himself and sharing only his good cheer. I can’t let this continue. I have to play even harder in the second half. Winning is a team effort; we can’t just rely on Jack.’

"Jack, you get some rest. Just watch me in the second half. I’ll smash right through their entire defense." Artest was a straight shooter, always speaking his mind. "You don’t have to hide your exhaustion with a smile. We can all see you gave it everything you had. I won’t let you down, my leader!"

At that moment, Artest’s feelings toward Su Xi could only be described as wholehearted admiration.

He worshipped strength, and in his mind, Su Xi was the ultimate powerhouse.

Artest’s words spoke for everyone. People aren’t made of stone; they have hearts and feelings.

Su Xi’s do-or-die effort in the final moments of the first half had moved everyone. This was true leadership: unknowingly inspiring your teammates, making them unable to resist fighting bravely alongside you.

’...’

Su Xi’s mind went a little blank. ’Artest is really reading too much into this,’ he thought. ’All my teammates have weird looks on their faces.’

’I’m just smiling. Am I not allowed to be happy?’

’How is this any different from asking, "Why did the author write that the curtains were blue?"’

’The curtains are just blue!’

Carlisle walked over and patted Su Xi on the shoulder. "Get some rest for now," he said.

Su Xi decided to just keep his mouth shut. Since a happy accident had fired up the team’s morale, and he genuinely couldn’t play right now anyway, he figured it was best to say nothing at all.

He leaned back in his chair. Just then, the team doctor thoughtfully brought over another chair for him to rest his legs on and began to massage his muscles.

Carlisle started laying out the tactics for the second half. The atmosphere in the locker room was more serious, more focused, and more united than ever before.

Su Xi had burned through every last bit of his energy in the first half, and his fighting spirit had moved and inspired them. Even a benchwarmer like Scott Polat was indignantly thumping his chest, begging to get in the game. The others, like Bender, Williams, and Krohseil, were also ready to fight the Pistons to the death.

After all, they were already up 2-0 in the series. They didn’t want to let this opportunity slip away.

A professional athlete’s career might seem long, but how many real shots at the Finals do they ever get?

Lying on the side, Su Xi just wanted his stamina to recover quickly. Once it did, he was more confident than ever that he could crush the Pistons.

...

Meanwhile, in the Pistons’ locker room, Larry Brown could barely contain his excitement. The veteran head coach could feel the scales of victory tipping decisively in his favor.

"Little Sheep Su Xi is a spent force. His tank is completely empty."

"He’s the heart and soul of the Pacers. Once he’s off the court, the only one they have is Artest, who can bully his way to a couple of baskets on the perimeter. Little Ao is a softie, and Reggie Miller’s three-pointers are nothing to worry about. We’ll destroy them, and not just tonight."

The Pistons’ assistant coach spoke excitedly in the locker room, and everyone’s spirits were high. They were already savoring the thrill of crushing the league’s top-ranked, 71-win team.