Chapter 275: Chapter 65: [The Unbelievable Game-Winner]

The greater the success Su Xi and the Pacers had achieved in the regular season and the first two playoff rounds, the happier the Pistons were now, because it felt like the Pacers were just setting the table for them.

The air in the Pistons’ locker room was filled with glee as wonderful possibilities played out in their minds.

...

"Little Sheep Su Xi was helped off the court. It’s very likely he won’t be back for the second half. He’s extremely important to the Pacers; he’s the only player who can truly hurt the Pistons."

Kenny Smith said during halftime, "The Pistons didn’t play at one hundred percent of their ability in the first half, while the Pacers have already pushed themselves to one hundred and twenty percent. It’s impossible for them to play better than they did in the first half. So, I’ll make a bold prediction here."

"The tables have completely turned."

"The Pistons will win four straight games to beat the Pacers with a final series score of 4-2!"

Kenny Smith made his bold and confident prediction during halftime.

Charles Barkley chuckled and said, "Kenny, I don’t agree with you. Wanna make another bet? That donkey misses you."

"Screw you, Charles! What nonsense are you spouting? You’ve never even won a championship!" Smith raged. "You can’t possibly think the Pacers still have a chance to win, do you?"

"Of course I do. You got the guts to bet?" Barkley deliberately goaded Kenny Smith.

But Smith had learned his lesson. He said sanctimoniously, "There are a lot of kids watching on TV. I don’t want them to think that being a basketball commentator is a vulgar job."

He wasn’t betting.

The kids and grown-ups watching on TV were all very disappointed.

...

The second half started soon. Su Xi didn’t go to the bench; he stayed in the locker room to rest. He even lay down on a massage table, with a trainer keeping him company and helping him relax.

Su Xi ate two hamburgers and three steaks. Many athletes have to load up on food during halftime. As Wade would say, it’s perfectly normal to drop two or three pounds over the course of an intense game. If you don’t refuel at halftime, many players just can’t last.

But this time, Su Xi was indeed eating much more than usual.

Su Xi watched TV while lying on the massage table. The whistle blew, and the game began.

Coach Carlisle used Fraser Jones, Artest, Bender, Little O’Neal, and Tony Battie as the starting lineup for the second half.

Bender, Little O’Neal, and Tony Battie were all frontcourt players.

The Pacers still had a very tall lineup on the floor.

Right at the start of the game, Bender made an outstanding contribution.

The Pistons tried to open things up from the perimeter. After Billups drove, he passed to Prince. Prince took the shot with confidence, but who could have known that Bender would spread his arms and descend like a flying bat... SMACK!

He slapped the basketball out of bounds.

’Garnett the Second’ showed a glimpse of the Wolf King’s style. Their body types were also very similar. If Bender had pounded his chest and roared at the sky right then, it would have been the best impersonation in the NBA.

The game continued.

The defensive tenacity the Pacers displayed didn’t stop just because Su Xi was resting. The smile on Larry Brown’s lips grew a little stiff.

Although he was still very confident, he had to admit that the Pacers were causing huge problems for the Pistons.

The Pacers played with great spirit, and Carlisle went against convention by constantly rotating his players. Foster, Pollard, Krohseil, Williams, Anderson, Miller... all of them were subbed in and out.

Carlisle had turned the crucial East Conference Finals into a war of attrition by committee.

According to conventional basketball wisdom, the more crucial the game, the tighter your rotation should be.

A smaller rotation means more stability and fewer mistakes.

But now, Carlisle had no choice. This was all he could do.

Fortunately, the Pacers’ players rose to the occasion. Every one of them played with great aggression and high energy. The frequent substitutions kept the Pistons’ defensive rhythm in a constant state of adjustment, giving the Pacers plenty of opportunities to exploit.

Although the Pistons were eager to finish off the Pacers, when the third quarter ended, the Pacers still led by 1 point.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Pistons tried to pick up the pace, worried that Su Xi would be well-rested and return to the court.

But, as the saying goes, haste makes waste.

Their offense was sputtering, and their defense struggled against the sheer number of bodies the Pacers threw at them. They especially had trouble securing defensive rebounds, frequently giving up second-chance points.

Screened by players like Pollard and Tony Battie, Little O’Neal played with increasing confidence and aggression.

Artest also improved his offensive efficiency on the perimeter.

Miller’s three-pointers were still deadly.

And so, with only three minutes left in the game, the Pacers still held the lead.

At this moment, Billups broke through by hitting two consecutive three-pointers.

By now, Su Xi had mostly recovered. He was well enough to return to the game. He quickly got up, ready to go back to the court.

But just then, the trainer told him his shoes were in the physical therapy room next door.

Earlier, Su Xi had been wheeled over on the massage table, and his shoes had been taken off and left there.

Su Xi quickly told him to go get them as he himself ran out of the locker room.

When the trainer brought the shoes over, Su Xi put them on and raced toward the court.

But then, something Su Xi never expected happened.

The Pistons’ staff had deliberately blocked the players’ tunnel.

’Son of a... Larry Brown will really stop at nothing.’

This was a contingency plan he had prepared in advance. He didn’t want Su Xi returning to the court to stage some kind of king’s return.

Su Xi argued with them, trying to reason.

The security guards’ explanation was very plausible: "A piece of the ceiling fell down up ahead. It’s a safety hazard. We have to wait until it’s fixed before we can let anyone through. Those are the arena’s rules."

They had put up a security cordon, making it look quite official, and there were even workers up ahead pretending to do repairs.

Su Xi said he’d take responsibility for his own safety, but it was no use.

No matter what, they just wouldn’t let Su Xi pass.

Su Xi threatened to call the police, but the guards said even calling the police would be useless.

He had no choice but to look for another tunnel, trying to find a way around.

But as Su Xi was searching for a path, a huge roar erupted from The Palace of Auburn Hills.

It sounded like a crucial shot had been made.

’This is bad.’

Su Xi cursed inwardly.

He was filled with regret. He should have never rested in the locker room.

About a minute later, another cheer erupted from the arena.

A moment later, Su Xi saw an excited Artest running toward him, his mouth full of blood.

"We won! We won! We won!"

He opened his bloody mouth and shouted with excitement.

Seeing Artest, Su Xi was first startled, then overjoyed.

"Did we win? Did we win?" Su Xi asked impatiently.

Artest hugged Su Xi and said, "Yes, we won! Reggie Miller had a Miller Time moment! He hit the game-winner against the Pistons."

"It was my steal! My steal! I traded a front tooth for that game-winning opportunity," Artest said, his voice trembling with excitement.

His blood dripped onto Su Xi’s shoulder, but Su Xi didn’t care at all.

He quickly ran back to the locker room. He had to see the TV, to watch the final, amazing moments.

This was completely beyond his imagination.

When he got to the TV, the screen showed the Pacers celebrating wildly... Because of the broadcast delay, the image on screen was of a blood-soaked Artest running back into the player tunnel.

"3-0! 3-0!! Unbelievable! The Pacers have worked a miracle in The Palace of Auburn Hills! They’ve stolen a victory! Even with Jack out for the second half, they still walked away with the win! The number one team in the league lives up to its name! A 71-win team is the real deal!"

Charles Barkley was shouting excitedly on TV.

He was cheering for Indiana.

Sitting next to him, Kenny Smith was dejected and crestfallen.

This loss was a huge blow to him. He couldn’t believe the Pacers had actually managed a comeback in the final moments.

Reggie Miller had somehow turned back the clock, hitting the game-winner from two meters behind the three-point line.

Most importantly, Artest had actually managed to steal the ball from under the iron elbows of the Wallace Brothers, then bounced it off Rashid Wallace’s foot and out of bounds...

"They’ve used up all their good luck."