You Think You're Worthy of Competing with Me?

Inside the Tencent NBA Live Broadcast Room.

Duan Ran asked Zhu Fangyu beside him:

"Mr. Zhu, this is a crucial moment, and the Lakers are still down by four. How do you think they should play from here?"

Zhu Fangyu thought for a moment before answering:

"If the Lakers still want to win, it's simple: give the ball to James. After all, none of the other Lakers players are capable of handling the pressure in a crucial moment."

"But that would take a heavy toll on James physically. Is it worth it?"

Duan Ran nodded in agreement.

"That's true. James can't afford to wear himself out too much during the regular season. So is there a chance they could give the ball to Wang Yi? He's played very well in his last three games."

"Hahahaha..."

Zhu Fangyu burst out laughing and shook his head repeatedly.

He clearly thought Duan Ran's suggestion was a little absurd.

"Wang Yi has indeed played well over the last three games. The coach even rewarded him by giving him plenty of playing time in this game. He's been on the court for the entire fourth quarter."

"But he still hasn't proven himself in clutch situations. And he hasn't earned the trust needed for the team to give him the ball in those moments."

"So in these final five minutes, if he's lucky enough to get a pass from a teammate and score two or three baskets, that would already be very good."

"Becoming a go-to player in clutch moments takes years of consistently outstanding play. The team won't hand you the ball just because you've played well in three games."

At the arena.

After the timeout, the Lakers had possession.

James dribbled the ball up the court.

Although Wang Yi had said, "Give me the ball," he was a shooting guard.

And his right wrist still hadn't fully recovered.

So James had to bring the ball up before passing it to him.

James no longer had the explosive drives he'd possessed when he was younger.

Teams around the league had stopped double-teaming him.

But after James's dominant play just now, two Wizards players stepped up and began to double-team him.

James was a seasoned veteran. As soon as he saw the double-team coming, he passed the ball early.

He quickly sent it to Wang Yi on the left wing, near the 45-degree angle.

Since Wang Yi hadn't been especially accurate from three-point range today, Westbrook wasn't guarding him too tightly.

For a split second, Wang Yi had a chance to shoot a three.

That was all the time he needed.

Wang Yi didn't hesitate for even an instant.

He rose and shot.

His three-point practice hadn't just improved his Three-point Percentage.

It had also made his release much quicker.

He seized that split-second opening and got the shot off.

Westbrook didn't have time to block it.

The shot had a low arc.

Bang!

Like a cannonball, it blasted through the hoop.

The net billowed up like white flames.

Swish!

The lead was down to one!

As Hachimura Rui passed Wang Yi, he said:

"Then let's begin our final showdown!"

With that, he sprinted upcourt.

But just then, Wang Yi's calm reply came from behind him:

"You think you're worthy?"

Those words instantly set Hachimura Rui's temper ablaze.

He turned around and glared at Wang Yi.

"I'll show you whether I'm worthy!"

The Wizards went on the attack.

Westbrook dribbled and feinted, then passed the ball to Beal.

Beal and Hachimura Rui ran a Pick and Roll. Beal dribbled a couple of steps toward the paint, then passed it back to Hachimura Rui, who had the hot hand.

Hachimura Rui had just made several shots in a row, and his confidence was soaring.

Although Drummond was guarding him, he simply spun around and jumped to shoot.

But at that moment, a purple figure suddenly flew in from behind.

Smack—

A sharp crack rang out.

The ball was swatted right out of his hands.

All Hachimura Rui saw was a big "1" on the back of the purple jersey.

"Kuso!"

Hachimura Rui cursed under his breath and glared at the player wearing number 1.

Then he hurried back on defense.

But when he turned around, the Lakers were already on a fast break.

Wang Yi sprinted upcourt with all his might.

He'd started farther behind Hachimura Rui.

But he was a little faster.

Just as he reached the frontcourt, Caruso's pass came right back to him.

Wang Yi caught the ball and went for a Chasing Three-Pointer.

But Hachimura Rui had already caught up behind him.

He roared, "Shine—!"

Then he reached out to block Wang Yi's shot.

Wang Yi had already expected Hachimura Rui to come flying at him.

He pulled the ball back in.

Only after Hachimura Rui flew past him from the side did Wang Yi calmly rise and shoot the three.

The arc was still low.

Bang!

It crashed through the hoop like a cannonball once again!

The Lakers took a two-point lead!

Wang Yi clenched his left fist.

His three-pointer was back!

Now that his three-pointer was back, there was no need to use the Unsolvable Mid-Range Shot Experience Card.

The Wizards' head coach was cautious.

He quickly called a short timeout.

He called his players over and pointed at the Lakers' number 1.

Then he shouted at them:

"Beal, stay glued to him! Don't let him shoot another three! Got it?"

Beal nodded. "Got it."

The coach continued:

"Hachimura, don't lose confidence. Keep shooting whenever you get the chance!"

Hachimura Rui nodded. "Yes, Coach!"

Meanwhile, on the Lakers' side, the coach and players all slapped hands with Wang Yi.

When Wang Yi had told them to give him the ball, they'd still had their doubts.

But now, two consecutive three-pointers and a block had instantly put them ahead.

Most importantly, the fighting spirit and confidence radiating from him, from the inside out—

It always made people feel their blood rush.

Even James, a veteran who'd been through countless battles, couldn't help feeling a stir in his heart.

He shook his head slightly and sighed:

"Being young is fucking great."

Inside the Tencent NBA Live Broadcast Room, Duan Ran turned to Zhu Fangyu:

"Mr. Zhu, what do you say now?"

Zhu Fangyu knew what Duan Ran meant. He couldn't help laughing again and replied half-jokingly:

"Well... I said earlier that if Wang Yi scored two or three baskets in this crucial stretch, that would already be very good. And just as I said, he's scored two. But the deeper we get into crunch time, the fewer touches he'll get. Besides, the Wizards won't give him another chance to shoot a three. So those two shots may well be his limit."

The twenty-second timeout was over in a flash.

The Wizards went back on offense.

This time, Westbrook and Beal ran a Pick and Roll, getting Wang Yi off him.

Then Westbrook hit a Zombie Jump Shot, scoring two points to tie the game.

The Lakers came back down the court and tried to find Wang Yi again.

But this time, Beal stuck to him like glue.

Wang Yi tried to run around a screen.

But the Wizards kept switching, and they still managed to stay on him.

Wang Yi ran around the court several times before finally finding a chance to catch the ball.

But as soon as he got it, Westbrook and Beal both rushed at him at nearly the same time.

They gave Wang Yi no chance to shoot a three.

Wang Yi simply decided not to shoot.

Since the two of them had closed in so aggressively, he dribbled with his left hand and blew right past them.

Seeing this, Hachimura Rui, guarding the paint, immediately stepped up.

He shouted, "Not a chance!"

Wang Yi saw Hachimura Rui charging at him too.

He stayed calm and said in his mind:

"Use the Unsolvable Mid-Range Shot Experience Card."