Chapter 488: Fan Xi Must Make a Decision

Wade's tone exuded the youthful bravado of fresh clothes and a galloping horse.

It was a boldness he hadn't displayed in a long time.

For this game, whether it was him, James, or the Miami players, everyone had already mentally prepared for a do-or-die, back‑against‑the‑wall battle.

Fan Xi drove the ball into the frontcourt, launching the first attack; James still kept a tight eye on him, and James's towering stature and wide defensive range would to some extent affect Fan Xi's passing sight.

Nevertheless, Fan Xi quickly employed his breakthrough skill, cutting into the free‑throw line and drawing a double‑team. He made a leftward pass, drawing Wade to the wing, but the ball was sent the opposite way to the right, where Lashad Liu Yi Si caught it.

He released quickly... Boom!

Miss.

Fan Xi surged into the paint faster than the eye could catch, leaping a split‑second before James; both keenly read the ball's landing spot.

But Fan Xi brushed the ball first with his middle finger and made a deft upward flick.

The ball's arc changed.

James's attempted second grab never materialized; the ball went straight into the hoop.

Fan Xi scored a two‑point basket.

The Staples Center erupted in cheers; to Kuaisuan fans, this was another instance of Fan Xi taking down James on the front lines.

In fact, a group of big‑wigs on the sidelines also lavished praise on Fan Xi. Especially as the overhead screen highlighted that Fan Xi completed the attack with a single fingertip in a flash of lightning, fully showcasing his crisis‑handling skill and finger flexibility.

One fingertip isn't exactly easy to control a basketball… the ball is round.

"Jie Ke was the only correct choice just now; if he hesitated half a second, James would have surged ahead and taken the ball. Their physiques aren't on the same level," Larry Bird said.

"Indeed." Magic Johnson nodded, saying, "Jie Ke's crisis‑handling ability is number one in the world, number one in history."

His voice reached Jordan's ears, and Jordan offered no dissent.

But he knew that Fan Xi's dire situation was essentially a tactical failure on their part.

Lashad Liu Yi Si did not achieve tactical success.

Back in the half‑court, Ke Li Si Bo Shen opened a one‑on‑one, directly attacking Liu Yi Si, who couldn't defend him; Bo Shen executed a series of face‑to‑face moves and finished with a successful floater.

Liu Yi Si wasn't a defensive stalwart; back in the Supersonics he was the number‑two shooter beside Ray Allen. He secured a super‑billion‑dollar contract with the Magic because the team's strategy required it—under head coach Van Gundy, with superstar Howard anchoring the paint, they needed a tall shooter beyond the three‑point line to stretch the floor for a smoother half‑court rotation.

Back in the half‑court, Kuaisuan continued to spread its offensive formation.

Fan Xi faced a one‑on‑one at the top of the arc, pierced the defense, and passed to Arenas, whose jump shot still missed.

Fortunately, the ball rebounded high and fell back into Fan Xi's hands; he feigned a shot to fake James's balance, surged into the paint, and, amid heavy defense, swished the ball with a reverse layup.

Fan Xi added another two points.

Arenas apologetically patted his own chest to Fan Xi, indicating the miss was his fault.

Fan Xi gave him a smile.

"Kuaisuan's chemistry fell apart tonight. How did their touch become so icy after returning home?" Kenny Smith said on TV, clearly puzzled.

"Every team enjoys smooth sailing at times and faces headwinds at others. But Kuaisuan's headwind came at an inopportune moment. If Miami's Heat win by a large margin tonight, the outcome of a seventh game would still be uncertain. After all, superstars build confidence and chemistry, yet true invincibility is another matter." Charles Barkley's stance consistently favored the Heat.

His words weren't without merit.

If the series stretched to a seventh game, even with Kuaisuan at home, the Heat would still pose a huge threat, given they have more superstars. Team chemistry matters, but superstars are the real ballast.

Wade swiftly broke down Arenas's defense, using a Stop‑and‑Go Jump Shot to halt Kuaisuan.

Kuaisuan had to call a timeout.

If earlier games had Kuaisuan moving like a fish in water, each lineup running flawlessly with Fan Xi's boost and leaving the Heat scrambling, then tonight Kuaisuan seemed shackled—each formation moving awkwardly, constrained, and cramped.

A collective icy touch reflected extremely poor luck.

It's also a fatal flaw in team basketball. Against a super‑star‑filled lineup, even a cold touch leaves other deterrents. If Nowitzki were still on the court, even with a poor feel, his mere presence would keep defenders from easing up; his movement forces the defense to follow.

However, with Arenas and Liu Yi Si struggling, defenders might even step back two paces to provoke them, letting them shoot.

Add to that their defensive lapses; once proven non‑threatening shooters, Kuaisuan must adjust.

"We can't get the ball in, and they can't even think of tossing it in," Butler growled from the bench.

Mike Brown switched lineups, shifting from one extreme to another.

Fan Xi, Butler, Leonard, Huaiti Seda, and Xiao Qiao Dan took the floor.

It was a pure defensive lineup; wherever placed in history, it would be a nightmare for any offense.

Each individual defender possessed extremely high defensive skill, and the defensive chemistry was excellent.

Mike Brown is a head coach adept at crafting defense.

Back then he led the Cavaliers to the Finals, relying on defense and James's explosive power.

Beep!

The whistle blew, and the game continued.

When Kuaisuan took the court with its pure defensive lineup.

On Kuaisuan's bench, Spoelstra and Pat Riley exchanged a smile; they had finally seized strategic initiative for the first time in this series. The Kuaisuan they could control called a timeout early, while the Kuaisuan they couldn't control had to reverse course within a few possessions, a full 180‑degree turn. (Read the book.)

"The key to victory arrived so quickly," they both felt as if clouds cleared to reveal the moon.

Meanwhile, Jordan raised an eyebrow and asked Kobe, "Do you think Jie Ke can drop 60 points tonight?"

"Given the situation, even 60 points might not win the game if his teammates keep missing their touch."

Kobe replied.

"Then go for 70."

Jordan blurted out, for him scoring 60 or 70 seemed casual, yet in all the records he set during his career, he never posted a super‑high score in a Finals.