Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 162 - 114: No Answer Today

The locker room door was pushed open.

Outlaw strode in. "Chen, how’s Grant?"

His face was dark, his expression grim.

He’d just heard Chen Yu say it seemed to be a dislocation.

For an athlete with a strong physique, dislocations are rare. It was hard to imagine just how much force Mutombo had used in that swing of his arm.

Of course, a dislocation wasn’t a huge deal—at least, it was much easier to handle than a fracture or a pulled muscle. But he definitely couldn’t play for the rest of this game.

Outlaw even suspected that Mutombo had done it on purpose.

Did Mutombo not know he had Hill’s arm pinned? If he knew and still swung it like that, then he was intentionally trying to injure him.

It was highly likely the Digital People were afraid of losing and had resorted to dirty tricks.

"You got ejected?" Chen Yu frowned.

It seemed Outlaw had thrown the first punch.

Outlaw nodded nonchalantly, looked at Hill, and asked again how he was doing.

Hill moved his shoulder a bit. "I’m fine now. Chen popped it back in for me. I’ll rest a bit and play in the second half."

Outlaw was stunned. Hill had barely entered the locker room before the referee reviewed the replay and ejected him. How could his arm already be reset in such a short time?

"Chen, you’re amazing." Outlaw immediately gave Chen Yu a thumbs-up.

Chen Yu waved his hand dismissively and continued the massage.

A sudden dislocation still causes some damage to the muscles around the shoulder joint.

However, the Silver Level recovery effect was already kicking in. Playing for a short time shouldn’t be a major problem.

After the massage, Chen Yu had Houston bring a bandage and wrapped Hill’s shoulder to increase its stability.

By the time he finished, Armstrong and the others had returned to the locker room, cursing and grumbling.

They immediately swarmed around him.

Pleasance looked as if his world had ended. A historic eighth-seed upset was within his grasp, arguably the highlight of his coaching career, and it was all gone because of that one arm swing. He was about to go crazy with anger.

"Don’t worry, I’m fine now. But you guys..." Hill sighed softly.

There was a TV in the locker room showing the live broadcast.

Just because he had left the court, the Magic had fallen into disarray. In just a few short minutes, not only had they lost their 7-point lead, but the Digital People had pulled ahead by 4.

Pleasance was so emotional he was on the verge of tears. He walked up and hugged Chen Yu. "Chen, next season, can you come to the Magic?"

This man wasn’t just a team doctor; he was a miracle worker, the kind who could save a career.

The other players all looked toward Chen Yu as well.

Hill, in particular, had eyes full of hope.

"Sorry, I’ve already signed my contract." The first thing Brian had done after the season ended was to finalize a contract with Chen Yu for the next season. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Seeing everyone’s disappointment, Chen Yu added, "Don’t worry. If any of you have a problem, I can still handle it."

「In the NBC broadcast booth.」

The footage of Hill’s injury was being replayed over and over.

Kevin Johnson’s face was dark. If this weren’t a national broadcast, he would have already started cursing his head off.

Mutombo’s arm swing was completely unnecessary. No one could say for sure that he wasn’t intentionally trying to hurt him.

"Hill’s exit is having a huge impact on the Magic."

With Hill off the court, it was as if the Magic had forgotten how to play basketball.

Kevin Johnson said with a serious expression, "But this is when Tracy needs to step up and help the team win this game."

Originally, Kevin Johnson hadn’t been explicitly rooting for either team. An upset would be great, but if it didn’t happen, he wouldn’t have been too disappointed.

But now? If they didn’t pull off the upset, how could they do justice to Hill, who had forced his return?

Late in the season, with Tracy McGrady out due to injury, Hill had forced his return, paying such a high price. If they couldn’t successfully pull off the upset, the loss would be too great.

「Halftime ended.」

The two teams returned to the court.

The camera focused on the Magic’s player tunnel.

"Maybe Hill is okay. Maybe there will be a miracle. After all, Chen Yu is right there at the game," Kevin Johnson murmured.

Just as he said that, the camera panned to a familiar figure.

"It’s Hill!" Kevin Johnson was so excited he was about to shout. "Hill looks fine! Is he going to play again? Oh my God, a miracle has happened!"

In the arena, a smattering of applause broke out from the stands.

The reporters on the sidelines, the commentators, and the league officials were all applauding.

They didn’t know what had happened, but Hill’s return said it all.

The bandage wrapped around Hill’s shoulder, in particular, moved everyone who saw it.

"Win this game."

Hill’s gaze was firm. He glanced at Tracy McGrady and the others, then walked onto the court.

Amid the applause, Chen Yu had silently returned to his seat. The big guy next to him was also clapping. After sitting down, he suddenly turned and threw his arms around Chen Yu.

For an instant, Chen Yu froze, not daring to move. His first instinct was to call for security.

Thankfully, no punch was thrown.

The big man was just excitedly thanking him over and over.

Chen Yu awkwardly patted his back, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ’Whose side are you on, anyway?’

The game continued.

A 4-point lead was no lead at all.

Hill dribbled the ball. His shoulder was only a little uncomfortable, probably due to the bandage.

But at least it didn’t affect his game.

Looking up at the hoop, Hill suddenly made his move, blowing past George Lynch in a single step.

’After all this, there’s even less reason to lose.’

’If we lose, it would be a disservice to Chen Yu.’

Outlaw had been ejected, and so, naturally, had Mutombo.

His replacement, Matt Geiger—the man who once broke O’Neal’s thumb with a single slap and was said to make O’Neal tremble at the mere mention of his name—was now long past his prime. Plagued by injuries, he was slow, and his defensive skills had severely declined.

Mutombo’s presence was a huge boost to the Digital People’s interior defense.

Especially against a team like the Magic, which relied mainly on drives to draw fouls and score.

Most importantly, the Magic were now playing with the righteous fury of a team that had been wronged.

Tracy McGrady, his face a cold mask, seemed ready to shoulder the entire offensive load. He relentlessly drove to the paint, forcing his way through, drawing fouls. The entire third quarter turned into the Tracy McGrady show.

In that single quarter, Tracy McGrady exploded for 14 points.

With a 27-21 run, the Magic powerfully retook the lead.

Hill’s shoulder was clearly bothering him somewhat, but he could still pass.

Besides, at a time like this, his mere presence on the court was a massive inspiration to everyone on the Magic.

In the fourth quarter, the Magic’s offense grew even more ferocious.

Hill was no longer content to just pass the ball. He started attacking with layups and mid-range jumpers.

Tracy McGrady was also firing on all cylinders. The Magic had transformed into an omnipotent War God, beginning to dominate the court.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Chen Yu couldn’t help but fix his gaze on the lone hero with the ball, charging the basket again and again.

His nickname was "The Answer," but today, he clearly couldn’t answer why his team was losing.

But watching that figure, Chen Yu felt an inexplicable pang of sympathy.

He was like Don Quixote charging at the windmills, refusing to give up even when he knew the outcome was already decided.

WHACK!

Andrew DeClerk swung his arm in a huge motion, knocking Iverson and the ball out of the air.

In the moment before he landed, Iverson still managed to control his off-balance body and push the ball out.

Then, he crashed hard out of bounds.

The basketball rolled around the rim and dropped in.

And one!

Iverson lay on the ground for a full ten seconds before he shakily got to his feet and walked to the free-throw line.

Chen Yu sighed.

Chen Yu despised Mutombo’s actions.

But Iverson... it was impossible to hate the guy.

But it was no use.

Time ticked by, and it felt as if the only person left on the court was that lone figure, endlessly charging the basket.

The moment the final buzzer sounded, the entire arena fell silent as a tomb.

Hill raised his right arm high and roared at the heavens.

This gentle, refined, and modest man had lost his composure for the first time.

Last year, around this same time, it was the first round, Pistons versus Heat.

Just before that first round of the playoffs, in a game against the Digital People, he had sprained his ankle.

Just seven days later, to silence the doubters, he decided to play through the injury.

But all his effort only resulted in another injury—a broken ankle—and his team being swept out of the playoffs.

He left the Pistons dejectedly, ready to start over with the Magic.

But injuries, like a recurring nightmare, found him once again.

Cartilage damage, another sprained ankle, having a steel plate removed... throughout the entire season, injuries were his constant companion. The long recovery period had left him burning with impatience.

Fortunately, it had all paid off.

Around him, his teammates were all shouting in excitement.

Tracy McGrady was hugging him tightly, roaring without end.

Hill turned his head, looking over the surging crowd of heads, trying hard to find that figure in the stands.

Around Chen Yu, not a single person was standing.

Everyone had their faces buried in their hands in misery. Only Chen Yu stood alone, clapping without restraint.

Hill waved his arms in response, his eyes having grown moist at some point.

History had been made. The eighth-seed upset had happened after all.

Watching Hill and the others embrace in excitement, Chen Yu felt an unexpected sting in his nose.

This season had been so, so hard.

However, out of the corner of his eye, Chen Yu noticed a lonely number 3 jersey from behind. Head down, not speaking to anyone, the figure disappeared step by step into the player tunnel.

Chen Yu sighed. For the first time, he truly felt the cruelty of competitive sports.

Where there is a winner, there must be a loser.

But at least today, Iverson hadn’t lost.

At the arena exit, the Digital People fans filed out, some cursing, others with faces full of regret.

Chen Yu walked among the crowd, carrying his briefcase.

He had planned on getting a photo together, but on second thought, he decided against it.

Chen Yu actually preferred the photo they had taken before.

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly heard someone call his name from behind.

He turned his head and saw a tall figure standing out from the surging crowd like a crane among chickens.

It was Hill.

He kept saying, "Excuse me, please let me through," as he squeezed with difficulty through the crowd and came straight to Chen Yu.

Their eyes met. Chen Yu was a little stunned.

’Shouldn’t this guy be taking a shower or attending the post-game press conference? What’s he doing here?’

"Trying to leave?"

Hill snorted, grabbed Chen Yu’s arm, and turned to leave.

"In your dreams."