Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 157 - 109: 47 Points in Vain

Chen Yu walked out of the operating room, stretching his shoulders as he went.

Beside him, Lexi was also quietly rubbing her neck. She then complained, "Why do I feel like I’m back in my residency? Endless medical records to write, endless pre-op preparations, and long, never-ending shifts."

It was even more tiring than residency. They had to perform several surgeries a day.

"Come on, just think of it this way," Chen Yu consoled her. "For every surgery we do, we make ten thousand US dollars. One day’s work, and you can buy a whole closet of designer clothes. Doesn’t that make you feel better?"

Lexi thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No. I don’t even have time to spend the money."

Just earning money with no time to spend it is even worse than not earning money at all.

Chen Yu had actually sensed the problem too.

In his original vision, the clinic was supposed to be a high-end facility for VIP clients, something akin to a private health resort.

But now, in his quest to "grind for experience," the clinic was getting overcrowded.

It couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t like patients could be discharged immediately after surgery.

Even though Chen Yu had tried transferring patients to other hospitals, it was no use. The demand for experience was just too great.

With so many people, Hardaway didn’t even dare to leave his room, which also affected his recovery to some extent.

Fortunately, the necessary surgeries were mostly done. The next step was rehabilitation, and the rehabilitation experience could still be "farmed" from Carl and the others.

Outside the operating room, Chen Yu told Lexi to go talk to the family. Just as he was about to leave, he saw Jennifer.

"What are you doing here?" Chen Yu walked over to her.

Jennifer grabbed Chen Yu’s wrist.

Chen Yu subconsciously turned his head. Lexi was still chatting with the family.

"Chen, you have to come with me to see Carl," Jennifer said urgently.

Chen Yu’s expression changed slightly. ’Did something happen to Carl?’

’That can’t be right. He was fine during his massage this morning.’

He followed Jennifer to Carl’s room.

Jennifer pointed at Carl’s left hand and swore, "Chen, I can swear on it, I really saw Carl’s finger move."

"Sarah, you saw it too, right?" She then looked over at Sarah in the next bed.

Seeing Chen Yu look at her, Sarah hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Chen Yu gestured for Jennifer to calm down, then stepped forward and pulled up the data from Carl’s monitor.

There were indeed cases of people in vegetative states waking up.

But the odds were about the same as being struck by lightning.

If there were truly signs of waking, it should be visible in the monitoring data, like brainwaves or heart rate.

But after checking, he saw there were no changes at all.

’As for Sarah saying she saw it...’

’That girl can’t even sit up, she can only move her head. How could she have coincidentally seen it?’

’She was most likely just trying to comfort Jennifer.’

’As for Jennifer herself, it was probably just her imagination.’

After a moment of thought, Chen Yu said, "Jennifer, perhaps Carl really is getting better."

"I knew it! I kept saying he was getting better! Chen, this is all because of you! Thank you!" Jennifer excitedly threw her arms around Chen Yu and sobbed into his chest.

Chen Yu sighed inwardly.

’This woman has really had it rough. In fact, it’s cruel to think, but it might have been better for Jennifer if Carl had actually died in that accident.’

’She might have grieved for a long time, but eventually, time would have healed all wounds, and she would have had the chance to start a new life.’

’But now, it was like a quagmire, trapping her and making it impossible for her to escape.’

After a good while, Jennifer finally wiped away her tears and apologized to Chen Yu.

"It’s alright. Just keep taking good care of Carl," Chen Yu said with a smile before turning to leave.

He exchanged a glance with Sarah, and the young woman gave him a knowing look. It seemed she really was just comforting Jennifer.

That evening was the Magic versus the Digital People. It was very likely going to be the Magic’s last game of the season, so Chen Yu didn’t schedule any surgeries. He stayed at the clinic to watch TV with Hardaway.

On TV, Kevin Johnson was already speculating about how far the Digital People could go in the playoffs.

This year, thanks to a positional adjustment by Larry Brown, Iverson’s stats had exploded. He averaged 31.1 points per game, directly earning him the scoring title.

"I just knew he was a superstar." Even though he had made Iverson cry during his playing days, Kevin Johnson didn’t hold back his praise for him.

Hardaway curled his lip, looking dismissive. He’d heard that kind of compliment countless times.

On the court, both teams were doing their final warm-ups.

The camera panned to Hill.

Chen Yu couldn’t help but sigh. He knew very well how much effort and sacrifice the Magic had put in just to make it to the playoffs.

Hill could have been declared out for the season and rested for much longer.

And Tracy McGrady, who had played through an injury for a time, very likely risking long-term health problems.

And what was the result? A first-round exit, swept out of the playoffs.

Weisbrod couldn’t even sell tickets for two more home games like he’d hoped.

It was a loss no matter how you looked at it.

The game began.

Although they were at the Magic’s home court, judging by the Magic’s performance in the first two games, the match should have been a one-sided affair.

But as he watched, Chen Yu was surprised to find that the Magic had actually taken the lead.

And they stubbornly held that lead all the way to the end of the first half.

Was Iverson having an off night?

Not really.

Chen Yu thought back on the first half. Iverson was still in his "god mode" from the previous games, dropping 19 points in the first half alone.

That was definitely not a bad performance.

But the Digital People were still trailing because on the Magic’s side, Hill had also exploded. He went 9 for 15, and with free throws, racked up 22 points.

"Did you call Grant?" Chen Yu turned and asked Hardaway.

Even a layman like Chen Yu could see it. For the entire first half, Hill was no longer focused on passing and defense; he just took the ball and went on an all-out offensive assault.

Looking back on the first half, Chen Yu tried hard but couldn’t recall any standout plays from Tracy McGrady.

He had basically been invisible.

Hill’s spotlight completely overshadowed Tracy McGrady’s.

Hardaway froze for a second, then quickly shook his head.

Seeing Chen Yu staring at him suspiciously, not believing him, Hardaway denied it, annoyed and embarrassed. "Of course not! I don’t have time for that."

Chen Yu smiled.

’Still pretending. He definitely called him.’

Chen Yu knew that because of the bond they formed while recovering from injuries in Orlando, the two actually had a mutual respect and had stayed in touch.

"Alright, if you say so," Chen Yu shrugged. ’Such a proud guy.’

But after a pause, Chen Yu added, "Actually, it wouldn’t be a big deal to lose this one."

Looking at their overall strength, the Magic were still inferior to the Digital People.

No one would say anything if they lost.

And so what if they won? This was just the first round. The second round, the Eastern Conference Finals, and the NBA Finals were still waiting for them.

Take Olajuwon for example. The sooner the season ends, the sooner you can recover from injuries. Get healthy, and come back next season.

Hardaway clearly understood what Chen Yu meant. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Chen, you don’t understand basketball. If you only look at media reports, you might think the Magic are weaker than the Digital People, but the Magic aren’t actually weak."

A healthy Hill, and a Tracy McGrady with limitless potential.

Maybe the other positions aren’t as well-equipped, like their inside presence isn’t strong enough.

But in the entire league, how many teams have an inside presence that can surpass the Lakers?

For the Magic’s current roster, it’s actually already very good.

"And Grant, he’s actually really amazing," Hardaway added.

Chen Yu turned to look at him.

Hardaway thought for a moment and explained, "Let me put it this way. If you say I’ve already reached my peak, and it’s just injuries that are holding back my performance, then Grant hasn’t even reached his peak yet. As long as he can stay healthy, he still has room to improve."

"People always say his offense isn’t explosive enough, that he doesn’t score enough, but that has to do with his playstyle. He’s a forward, not a guard. If he focused solely on scoring, averaging close to 30 points a game wouldn’t be impossible."

Iverson averages 31 points a game, but how many rebounds and assists does he average?

When Hill was averaging 20 points, he was also averaging close to 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

If he put the energy he spends on rebounding and assisting into scoring, he would average far more than 20 points per game.

Chen Yu nodded silently, then suddenly said, "So you did call him."

Hardaway nodded instinctively before he realized what he’d done. His face flushed slightly as he said awkwardly, "No, I called Tracy."

Chen Yu chuckled and decided not to tease him anymore. After a moment of silence, he said seriously, "Don’t worry. Next season, I guarantee you’ll be on the court, healthy."

’When this guy mentioned being held back by injuries, he was clearly hinting at me.’

Hardaway glanced at his knee and nodded firmly.

The second half began.

Larry Brown sensed the threat and clearly strengthened the defense on Hill, starting to double-team him.

Obviously, Brown didn’t want to waste too much time on the Magic.

If they were going to win, they should win cleanly and get a few extra days of rest.

But with this double-team, the Digital People actually started losing by more.

Because Hill could pass.

With his back to the basket, he controlled the ball. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Hill made a brilliant flick backward.

Tracy McGrady galloped in, caught the ball, and threw down a ferocious dunk.

After cheering for the play, Hardaway suddenly furrowed his brow and said, "They’re getting rid of the illegal defense rule next season. Even though they’re adding a defensive 3-second violation, it’s going to be harder for a player like Tracy to score. He should really work on his jump shot."

Chen Yu knew about the illegal defense rule being abolished.

After all, he had connections in the league. Chen Yu heard about internal league news even before Brian did.

Just on the 12th of this month, Stern had officially announced it. Starting next season, the long-standing illegal defense rule would be eliminated, but to prevent widespread zone defenses, a defensive 3-second violation was being added.

According to what Tatum told Chen Yu, the league was doing this specifically to limit O’Neal.

Who could blame them? O’Neal was just ridiculously dominant.

For a while now, a lot of media outlets had been discussing it. Even Nelson and Skiles were talking about it internally. There was no way Chen Yu wouldn’t know.

"You say that like it has nothing to do with you. Don’t forget, you’re a guard too," Chen Yu teased.

Hardaway shook his head, a proud look on his face. "I’m different. A small rule change like this won’t affect me."

Chen Yu didn’t play along with his banter and just went back to watching the game.

On the Digital People’s side, Iverson was clearly getting anxious, constantly driving into the Magic’s paint.

The Magic couldn’t stop him.

But the Digital People couldn’t stop Hill and Tracy McGrady either.

Hill was like a seasoned hunter; no matter how the prey tried to evade him, he always found a way to make the kill.

If driving didn’t work, he’d post up. He was also hitting all sorts of mid-range jumpers.

Last season, he had truly developed his mid-range game. Forget everything else, just look at the stats.

This season’s stats weren’t representative. Looking at last season, in terms of both player efficiency rating and true shooting percentage, if you excluded the monster centers, Hill was among the very top, much better than even Iverson.

"They might actually win this," Chen Yu said, sitting up straight, a little incredulous.

The Digital People’s offense was fierce, and they kept trying to catch up, but they just lacked that final push and could never close the gap.

In the final moments, the game completely turned into a personal showdown between Hill and Iverson.

You make a shot, I make a shot.

The five- or six-point gap was stubbornly maintained right up to the final buzzer.

With a regretful gasp from Kevin Johnson, Iverson’s three-pointer missed, and the clock ran out.

"That was a fluke, right?" Chen Yu turned to look at Hardaway.

Everyone has their lucky day.

Iverson dropped 47 points, and they still lost. It was just unbelievable.