Chapter 637

The second half of the game continued.

Both sides put on their starting lineups.

If anyone still harbors hope in such a game, it's absolutely like lifting a stone to smash their own foot.

Both sides were extremely cautious; even someone as bold as Fan Xi would not lightly make large-scale lineup adjustments to counter Miami.

Qian Mos brought the ball to the frontcourt, quickly passed to Wade. Wade had Howard step up to set a screen, he quickly drove, and when Fan Xi was about to catch up, he passed to the cutting James on the other side; James muscled through Leonard's defense and scored.

Looking back, Fan Xi made a shooting fake at the three-point line, drawing Wade to rush in; he moved in intending to draw a foul, but the head referee didn't blow the whistle, and Fan Xi's passed ball went straight to Jokic in the paint, who turned and scored.

The game's intensity did not decrease compared to the first half; it was increasing.

Halftime break gave both sides energy.

They quickly released that energy.

In the next three minutes, neither team scored; this was a very rare situation.

Breaking the scoring drought was Jokic; Jokic received the ball in the paint, he quickly turned, used his bulky body to pin Howard, and lofted the ball up… swish!

The ball swished through the net.

Jokic's movements always look awkward, yet he always scores.

He is the second Serb to make Howard uncomfortable.

The previous one was Mili Xiqi.

If Mili Xiqi's success was due to Eva's blessing, then Jokic is pure power output.

After Jokic scored, Ke Li Si Bo Shen scored under Capela's defense.

Then both sides went into an offensive surge.

Fan Xi made a three-pointer.

James responded with a stop-and-go jump shot.

Leonard blew past James on the wing, drove to the basket and dunked.

Wade finished with a layup.

Rubio made a three-pointer from the corner.

Howard grabbed the offensive rebound and finished the putback…

After the scoring drought, both sides entered a scoring surge.

They both seemed to have installed aiming devices, with incredibly high shooting percentages.

The viewers in front of the TV watched with great enjoyment.

Whether they supported Miami or the Kuaisuan, they enjoyed top-tier basketball, and it was basketball without whistles.

Everyone played on the same level.

And they all played by the book.

"This is a feast for basketball fans," Kenny Smith said on TV.

Barkley also put aside his invincible 80s-90s basketball theory, and he sincerely said: "No matter which of these two teams goes back to the 90s, it would give the four big men and Jordan a headache."

"Headache" is a descriptive term.

For the vast majority of fans, they even feel that either of these two teams going back could establish a dynasty—talent, skill, teamwork—all are top of the top.

Jordan also sat in front of the TV. He didn't speak; although he had confidence to take on either of these two teams individually, if it came to team play, he would have some worries.

The third quarter ended quickly.

The Clippers erased the deficit.

67–65, they took a 2-point lead.

But everyone knows this lead is not safe.

After the fourth quarter began, both sides made personnel adjustments.

The Heat let Howard and Wade rest off the court simultaneously, and the Kuaisuan also let Jokic, Rubio, and Capela rest.

The physical toll of this game is astonishing.

It's basically treating people like livestock.

It's like a donkey pulling two millstones at once.

Many NBA players watching in front of the TV felt terrified deep down; normally NBA players are very proud, and even if they don't win an NBA championship they don't think their ability is lacking, only that their luck is bad.

But now, each of them is inwardly amazed: if it were them, they might not be able to endure it.

Even before this game is over, many pretender teams have already sensed a huge gap.

And those genuine powerhouses are also thinking… how exactly they need to bolster themselves to reach this level.

Bulls, Thunder, Warriors, Rockets, Spurs… they are the ones thinking later.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Fan Xi drove the ball into the paint; Marcus Camby couldn't replace Howard's role, although his peak defensive ability was decent, but he's now basically an old man.

Boom!

Fan Xi's dunk reminded everyone: my energy bar is still maxed out; I can fight till the ends of the earth.

This dunk ignited the crowd.

It also left many outside the arena stunned.

Is this really the strongest Jieke Fan?

Looking back, Le Bu Lang Zhang Si also broke through Yannis's defense, but when he drove to the basket, Mili Xiqi and Yannis flanked him from front and back, forcing him down.

The head referee awarded two free throws.

He stepped to the free-throw line and made both.

James is also a physical freak; he's naturally durable. Over the years, to contend with Fan Xi, he has intensified his training, and his endurance has risen another level.

Although he's a bit tired now, he can still fight and compete at a high level.

Wade, who was in the same class as him, had to return to the bench to rest; Wade's stamina was not as abundant as his, and his body was not as healthy as his.

The game continued.

Fan Xi again attacked the paint, then passed the ball out; Leonard cleared Allen's defense on the wing and hit a jumper.

Afterward, Allen stepped up and hit a three-pointer.

The two sides exchanged blows.

Even with the bench lineup, they displayed strong offense and defense.

Joakim Noah exclaimed in front of the TV, unable to help saying, 'Even if we played against this lineup, we might not be opponents.'

"We were swept, and it is indeed deserved."

Noah's words struck Rosa's heart.

Rosa stood up, shook his body a bit, then took out his phone and sent a text to Kevin Durant: 'Come join our team next season; together we can overturn these two monster teams.'

Kevin Durant received the text at his home in Los Angeles; it was the second recruitment message he had received that evening.

He thought: 'Why would you think I'd go to your team? Can't you come to Oklahoma to find me?'

Durant still had some arrogance.

He is Nike's second-most promoted superstar, and he is also the first player of the new generation to enter the superstar realm. However, since Fan Xi rose later, the impact he has faced in the NBA has been increasing. Rosa, Curry… these are all challenging his status.

Furthermore, another fact he had to accept was that Oklahoma is indeed a small city compared to Chicago or San Francisco.

He finds it hard to recruit superstars to come here and play with him.

Moreover, there is already another superstar, Westbrook, here.

Compared to Kevin Durant, who is ready-to-use and highly sought after, becoming teammates with Westbrook makes many people frown and hesitate. Although he is very strong, in the media he is not seen as someone good at cooperating with teammates on the court.

The game continued.

The two sides remained evenly matched.

After entering the fifth minute, they also successively substituted in their starting lineups.

After substituting in the starters, both sides had an adjustment period, and they went another two minutes without scoring.

Then Wade was the first to hit a three-pointer.

Jokić responded with a three-pointer from beyond the arc.

James scored with a layup, and Fan Xi hit a mid-range jumper after a sudden stop.

Ke Li Si Bo Shen caused Huaiti Seda to lose his defensive assignment, creating a foul on Jokić.

Rubio hit a spot-up shot against Moses.

The two sides exchanged blows.

Even until the last minute, the score remained tied.

88:88.

The Heat possessed the ball.

The basketball was passed directly into James's hands.

At this moment, everyone's breathing on the court was somewhat heavy, including James.

Then Fan Xi stepped forward, he substituted for Leonard, and he personally guarded James.

This meant the final showdown had arrived.

Two NBA superstars who shook ancient and modern times stood together.

Although James's historical status certainly cannot be compared to Fan Xi's.

But with Kobe aging, he has become the only person universally recognized in the basketball world capable of stopping Fan Xi.

Fan Xi locked his eyes on James.

James steadily controlled the basketball, knowing this moment was extremely important.

He had lost countless times in such final showdowns to Fan Xi, which had immersed him in nightmares for many years; each time he woke at midnight dreaming of Fan Xi, he would break out in a sweat.

Over the past year, he had practiced for this day too many times.

He did not want to repeat last season's mistake; he wanted to save himself from suffering.

He did not want to live in obsession any longer.

So he stepped forward, he was very proactive… his impact was extremely lethal.

Fan Xi stepped back.

Then he made a sudden stop, stepped back again, and facing Fan Xi's flying leap, he launched the ball with a decisive lean-back unlike anything he had ever done in his life… he had practiced it countless times.

After releasing the shot, he laughed.

He felt a sense of relief.

Swish!

When the ball fell into the net.

The entire arena was filled with astonishment.

He looked at Fan Xi, and in his heart he told himself: I have conquered my inner demons.

91:88.

The Heat established a three-point lead.

At this moment, Fan Xi smiled and said to him, 'There are 47 seconds left, LeBron. You are still bothered by last season's events; he released the shot early.'

Beep!

The Clippers requested a timeout.

Fan Xi walked toward the bench, but his words lingered in James's ears.

"Here comes this trash talk again."

James muttered coldly, he didn't take it seriously.

Maikelbang and Fan Xi discussed the final tactics on the bench.

Although they had disagreements, Maikelbang chose to listen to Fan Xi. This has always been his basketball philosophy; he is a gentle‑tempered fat man, lacking the forceful demeanor of other head coaches.

So, his cooperation with Fan Xi was the most pleasant.

This was far more successful than his cooperation with Le Bu Lang Zhang Si.

After all, he and young James had only reached the finals before; with Fan Xi, however, he had already won two championships and now made it to the finals for the third time.

Moreover, Fan Xi would never say to him: "Before you came, even without your help, I had already won the championship."

Beep!

The whistle blew.

The game continued.

The basketball was passed to Fan Xi, Fan Xi dribbled to the top of the arc, and James came to defend.

This had become an inescapable duty for both of them.

The whole world looked forward to their performance in the crucial moment, and they themselves felt the same anticipation.

James had a greater height advantage over Fan Xi.

So, Fan Xi adopted a quick‑attack approach.

He sliced in like lightning from James's left side; James hurried to give chase, but he was only half a step behind, still maintaining his defensive presence.

But at the instant Fan Xi entered the paint, he suddenly stopped; James also hurried to stop, though his balance was a little off.

Fan Xi leapt up quickly… Huòhuádé came out from the side… this is called clearing the side.

But what Fan Xi was waiting for was his reckless advance.

He jumped up and passed the basketball out; Jokic didn't know when he had gotten to the top of the three-point arc, and this fat guy caught the ball and shot directly… swish!

It went in.

After Jokic scored, his face didn't flush and his heart didn't race; he patted his chest, imitating King Kong.

It was a bit clumsy, but it ignited the home crowd's full enthusiasm.

There were 32 seconds left in the game, and the Clippers tied the score.

Now, the ball was tossed to the Heat's side.

They had to make a choice: go for a quick shot, or play for a higher percentage.

Spoelstra requested a timeout.

As soon as that timeout was called, everyone knew their intention.

Because this was the Heat's last timeout.

"LeBron, I told you earlier, your three-pointer is too rushed. You didn't give yourself time." Fan Xi kept talking to James, following his steps a few paces just to tell him: "Look, I just knew how to control the offensive time."

James ignored Fan Xi.

Fan Xi's trash talk seemed to have lost its effect on him.

Fan Xi also didn't feel disappointed about this; he walked toward the bench.

Maikelbang began deploying defensive tactics.

Maikelbang's defensive acumen is extremely high; his ability to understand tactics is extremely strong; he is truly a formally trained professional, and his tactical acumen is high.

Fan Xi was very satisfied with the defensive approach he designed.

At this moment, ESPN on TV was wildly suggesting: the Heat will definitely win, the Heat will definitely take this away game.

Kenny and Barkley were arguing on TNT.

Barkley said: "It's about time the Heat won a game. Now worldwide opinion says they should let Miami win once; they've lost four in a row. Don't they deserve a championship? They've played so well."

"No, Charles. This isn't a matter of should or shouldn't; do you mean that if you pursued ten girls and all failed, the eleventh must agree to you?"

"The championship should be based on both sides' performance; if Miami doesn't make its shot and Los Angeles does, then the Clippers should win the game."

Kenny Smith always can speak sense: "I think the Clippers played very well tonight; I believe they will control Miami's this attack and then seal the win."

"How could Miami not have played well?" Barkley said: "Tonight, Miami and LeBron deserve the victory!"

They argued without end.

Both have valid points.

Errol Johnson opened the data of Fan Xi and James.

He discovered an astonishing thing.

Their two people's data were completely identical.

Both were 27 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks.

This is the most peculiar scene in NBA history.

Just like their record before the last regular-season game.

Whoever gets one more stat will win the ultimate victory.

"Even a script wouldn't dare to play this out." Errol Johnson remarked on TV.

…