Chapter 276: Chapter 66: [Agility Talent 90%]

The Palace of Auburn Hills was in chaos. They couldn’t accept this ending: didn’t Reggie Miller just push off? Wasn’t Ron Artest’s steal a foul?

They couldn’t accept that the game’s outcome was set in stone. The 91-90 score sent their emotions into a frenzy. They screamed and cursed, showing their true colors as ill-tempered basketball hooligans.

Larry Brown was also pounding on the scorer’s table at the end of the game, demanding an explanation.

For them, this was a game they couldn’t afford to lose.

Historically, teams have often come back from a 0-2 deficit, but no team had ever overcome a 0-3 deficit.

After Reggie Miller hit what might be the greatest game-winner of his career, the Pistons were pushed to the edge of a cliff with nothing to hold onto.

No one had expected the Pistons to lose tonight. It was their home court, they had already shown a strong, dominant performance, and Su Xi hadn’t played a single minute in the second half.

TNT repeatedly replayed the final two plays.

Was Ron Artest’s steal a potential foul?

No! 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

At the time, the Double Wallaces didn’t have good control of the ball. Artest’s steal was clean, withstanding the repeated scrutiny of slow-motion replays.

But what about Reggie Miller’s push-off before the game-winner? Was that a potential foul?

Yes!

But that’s a call that’s almost never made in that situation.

It’s an unwritten rule.

The Pistons’ loss wasn’t an injustice. What they were displaying now was impotent rage, a stark contrast to their calm and composed demeanor before the game.

On television, Kenny Smith was passionately pleading the Pistons’ case. He stood firmly on Detroit’s side, arguing the final play was an unfair non-call.

Reggie Miller’s three-pointer should have been waived off.

The win should have been awarded to the Pistons.

But the head referee withstood the pressure from the entire arena and stood by the original call.

In fact, the Pacers had already begun their wild celebration, and many players had already headed back to the locker room.

"We were robbed of a victory," a furious Larry Brown said in an interview. "Reggie Miller is a professional thief; he fouls on every shot he takes. We’ve been treated unfairly."

"But it doesn’t matter. The greater the difficulty, the greater the hardship, the more unfair the treatment—the more it will showcase our greatness."

"At this very moment, the Pistons’ battle horn has officially sounded."

"Since no one has ever come back from being down 0-3 to win a series, then let the Pistons be the first."

Larry Brown delivered the line with resounding force.

In fact, before he’d even said it, Kenny Smith had already expressed the same sentiment on television: "A 3-0 lead isn’t necessarily a good thing for the Pacers. This game was a total fluke, or rather, a win they only got because of a missed call."

"When their victory isn’t earned on merit, disaster is sure to follow."

"Just imagine, if the hard-nosed Pistons manage a reverse sweep after being down 3-0... and remember, the Pacers were a 71-win team in the regular season. All their previous accolades would be nullified, becoming nothing but a footnote in a humiliating Chapter of history."

"I bet that after tonight, the Pistons’ players will be very interested and passionate about the prospect of making the Pacers a historical embarrassment."

Kenny Smith was championing the Pistons’ cause.

When the Pistons lost the first game, he called it a fluke.

When they lost the second, he said it was a continuation of that fluke.

Now that they’ve lost the third, he’s saying the Pacers’ win was dishonorable and that a Pistons counterattack is imminent.

He always sounded so self-assured.

Just like the Pistons’ hard-nosed identity.

In reality, Kenny Smith’s opinion represented the thoughts of many people. Within the circle of basketball experts, many genuinely believed the Pistons had a chance to win four straight and eliminate the Pacers.

This was also why Larry Brown still seemed so defiant.

At the post-game press conference, he even publicly declared, "This 0-3 deficit wasn’t because we were outfought. From now on, we won’t allow any flukes."

His words were powerful and resonant.

"We are fully prepared to make history."

Rashid Wallace’s statement was even bolder.

That quote even made the headlines of some newspapers the next day.

Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought the Pistons had won the game.

Throughout this series, they always managed to grab the headlines on the basketball channels. It felt as if the Pistons were the team up 3-0.

In contrast, Carlisle was much more low-key. He didn’t talk much about the victory itself, instead praising his players’ courage and unity time and again. He said Su Xi had set a great example, that Su Xi was the team’s spiritual leader who had guided the players into an unprecedented state of combat readiness, ultimately leading to a miraculous victory.

He also added, "This game has taken our unity, chemistry, and fighting spirit to a whole new level."

"We will evolve into an even stronger team."

But not many in the basketball world believed him.

Most people believed that the Pistons, with their backs against the wall and nothing to lose, had a better chance of winning.

It was a strange phenomenon.

Perhaps it was because the Pistons looked so formidable, and the legendary Larry Brown seemed far more professional than the unconventional Rick Carlisle.

Or perhaps... the Pacers had simply exposed too many weaknesses?

Especially Little Sheep Su Xi, who surprisingly couldn’t even last a full half.

With that kind of physical conditioning... how could he possibly be their savior?

And he was juggling so many girlfriends on top of everything.

...

"Congratulations, Jack."

Scarlett raised her wine glass, clinking it against Su Xi’s. "You’re about to become the Eastern Conference Champion. I’m so proud of you."

It was a romantic French restaurant.

They had arrived here an hour and a half after the game ended.

Su Xi had changed into casual clothes, but Scarlett was dressed to the nines. She wore a long, black, backless dress made of an incredibly soft material. As Su Xi guided her into the restaurant with a hand on her back, his fingers couldn’t help but slide from the silky fabric onto her smooth skin.