The deficit was down to one.

minutes and 45 seconds remaining.

The Chinese fans in the arena were ecstatic. Across the ocean, throughout the Divine Land, everyone was roaring with passion for Su Xi’s three-pointer.

Anticipation for the impending Olympic gold medal grew, and with it, their confidence.

With the deficit cut to one, Yao Ming returned to the court.

The Chinese Team was shining brilliantly.

Su Xi high-fived his teammates and strode back to his side of the court. When he saw Yao Ming running from beyond the three-point line toward the paint, his brow furrowed instantly. Su Xi was a keen observer.

He immediately sensed something was off with Yao Ming.

Just then, Ginobili brought the ball up the court. Su Xi quickly moved to intercept, blocking Ginobili’s path.

Ginobili’s style of play was unorthodox; he was famous for taking the road less traveled. Seeing Su Xi stick to him like glue, he didn’t try to evade. Instead, he charged right at him.

But just before impact, he twisted his body sharply and, with his left hand, flung the ball in a wide arc. Su Xi reached out to stop it but was a beat too slow. Many of Ginobili’s passing ideas were wildly imaginative and couldn’t be predicted by conventional logic.

No coach would permit a player to make a full cross-court pass, yet for him, it was routine. Even the notoriously strict Coach Popovich let him be, because his success rate was so high.

He slung the ball in a wide arc from the center of the court to just inside the free-throw line—the riskiest possible passing lane, ripe for a steal.

The risk was huge, but the reward was equally stunning.

The instant Nocioni caught the ball, he was facing the basket. Without a moment’s hesitation, he drove straight to the hoop, leaping violently to punish the rim! 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

However, just as he reached the apex of his jump, about to complete a thunderous slam dunk...

Yao Ming slid over from the side, gritted his teeth, and leaped. SWAT!

He swatted the ball straight down with one hand.

As Yao Ming landed, Scola, who was beside him, gave him another surreptitious shove. Yao Ming went down with the push, falling to the floor.

But the loose ball was snatched up by Su Xi, who put on a burst of speed to muscle past Ginobili and scoop it up.

Su Xi charged forward with the ball, Ginobili in hot pursuit.

But after driving past the free-throw line, Su Xi quickly passed to Li Nan on the wing.

Ginobili scrambled to cover Li Nan.

Su Xi relocated to the three-point line. Li Nan passed it back, and Su Xi caught it and shot... SWISH!

He sank another one! Two consecutive three-pointers in a clutch moment.

The Chinese Team retook the lead by two.

The Chinese Team’s momentum was now fully ablaze. Red flags waved frantically through the stands, and the wave of noise from the Chinese fans threatened to boil the very air in the arena.

BZZZT!

Argentina called a timeout.

They had to find a way to stop Su Xi’s insane hot streak.

Su Xi was a Finals MVP. He had a history of legendary performances, and countless formidable NBA teams had fallen at his hands. Argentina didn’t dare underestimate him.

Wang Zhizhi and Zhu Fangyu helped Yao Ming to his feet. Scola shot Yao a deep glance as he headed to the bench.

Then, he returned to the bench and told Coach Ruben Magnano with utter confidence, "Coach, this game is ours!"

"What do you mean?" Coach Ruben frowned. ’We’re getting absolutely torched by Su Xi’s shooting, and you’re over here spouting nonsense?’

He stared at Scola, his eyes cold. They carried a clear message: ’You’d better not be trying to act clever. Say something useful.’

"Yao Ming’s injured."

Scola dropped a piece of news that sent a wave of delight through the entire Argentinian bench.

"Are you sure?" Coach Ruben asked him. "How do you know?"

"Because I’m the one who injured him," Scola stated matter-of-factly. "When we were going for the rebound, I shoved him. I think he twisted his ankle; he wasn’t running naturally after that. Then just now, when he blocked Nocioni, I pushed him again, and he went down with it."

"That’s not normal. If he weren’t hurt, he would have landed squarely on his feet. Plus, when his teammates helped him up, even though he tried his best to hide it, I could see he couldn’t put any weight on that injured ankle. He was limping."

Scola said confidently, "Next time down, give me the ball. I’m confident I can play right through him."

The news Scola brought was a bombshell. If he was right, Argentina could completely turn the tables.

Ruben immediately gathered his three assistant coaches to confer. Scola also called over Ginobili, Delphino, and the others to discuss their plan.

To them, Yao Ming’s injury was a godsend.

A powerful confidence and a hunger for victory swelled in everyone’s heart. No one asked Scola why he had injured Yao Ming, or why he’d kept pushing him to test the injury.

Soon, Argentina made its decision: attack the paint and go right at Yao Ming. If they could break him, the Chinese Team would collapse on its own, and the Olympic gold medal would be within their grasp.

This reinvigorated the Argentinian team.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side.

The first thing Su Xi did upon returning to the bench was ask Yao Ming, "Are you injured?"

Su Xi’s gaze was intense as he stared at Yao Ming.

Yao Ming hesitated for a moment before replying, "I tweaked it a little, but it’s fine. It’s basketball; everyone gets minor injuries. It won’t affect my performance."

"No, you need to rest," Su Xi told Yao Ming. It wasn’t a discussion; it was a clear and direct statement.

And with that, Su Xi turned and informed Yonas of the situation.

Yonas was stunned. This was a heavy blow to him personally, and a huge loss for the Chinese Team.

Yao Ming quickly grabbed Su Xi. "I have to play," he said. "Even if I die on this court, I have to finish these last two minutes. This is the most glorious moment of my life..."