Chapter Summaries

Wang Yi returned to the Kings’ playoff game against the Lakers, checked in with an Advanced Peak LeBron Experience Card, and made an emphatic two-way opening play. The Kings’ spirits rose after his block and logo three, as the game continued with the Lakers’ formidable lineup still standing in their way.

• Wang Yi checked in as he entered the game and received an Advanced Peak LeBron Experience Card that granted Peak LeBron’s abilities for 48 minutes.
• Wang Yi chose to guard Westbrook, chased him into the paint, and blocked his shot against the backboard.
• Hield collected the rebound and passed to Wang Yi, who raced upcourt and hit a logo three over the Lakers’ pursuit.
• O'Neal, Magic Johnson, Yang Yi, and Wang Meng reacted to Wang Yi’s spectacular opening, while Yang Yi predicted the Kings’ chances had improved and Wang Yi could score at least 40 points.
• Wang Yi’s defensive stop and offensive strike immediately lifted the Kings’ spirits.

Wang Yi recognized that Holmes and Barnes had lost confidence against the Lakers and asked Walton to replace them with Mitchell and Danny. The new lineup returned to the court with renewed defensive intensity after Wang Yi sank a three-pointer.

• Wang Yi scored all of the Kings' points as Holmes and Barnes made mistakes, leaving the Kings behind 10–15.
• Walton called timeout and questioned Holmes and Barnes, while Wang Yi realized they had lost confidence against the Lakers.
• Wang Yi asked Walton to replace Holmes and Barnes with Mitchell and Danny, and Walton agreed.
• Wang Yi encouraged the anxious Danny by telling him he needed his help, and Danny promised to give his all on defense.
• Mitchell passed to Wang Yi, who made a pull-up three-pointer before the Kings showed a much stronger defense against the Lakers.

Wang Yi led the Kings into an aggressive, full-court defense that forced a Lakers shot-clock violation and shut them out from the field for three minutes. He also carried the Kings’ offense, reaching 26 points in the first quarter as the team fought to resist the Lakers’ Big Four.

• Wang Yi told the Kings to play defense like Mad Dog Beverley and picked up Russell Westbrook full court.
• The Kings rotated and swarmed the Lakers, forcing them into rushed passes and a 24-second shot-clock violation.
• For the next three minutes, the Kings disrupted the Lakers’ offense, holding them without a field goal while they scored only two free throws.
• Wang Yi scored 26 points in the first quarter, making all five of his three-pointers, all four of his two-pointers, and all three of his free throws.

Wang Yi fueled the Kings’ comeback with relentless defense, helping them take a three-point lead over the Lakers as Vogel struggled to counter their intensity. After play resumed, Wang Yi stayed on Westbrook and blocked Thick Eyebrows’ layup, then slipped the ball between his legs to start a fast break.

• The Kings’ aggressive defense erased the Lakers’ lead and put Sacramento ahead by three with four minutes left in the first quarter.
• Vogel told the Lakers to trap Wang Yi, while Walton praised the Kings’ defensive effort and worried about how long they could sustain it.
• Wang Yi refused to rest and continued guarding Westbrook, who failed to get past him and passed the ball to Howard.
• Thick Eyebrows received the ball in the low post and attempted an up-and-under layup against Bagley and Hield’s double-team.
• Wang Yi rushed over and blocked Thick Eyebrows’ shot against the backboard, then grabbed the ball and slipped it between Thick Eyebrows’ legs to launch a fast break.

Wang Yi led the Kings past the Lakers’ defense and helped build a nine-point first-quarter lead. As the teams rested, the Kings celebrated while Lakers coach Vogel urged his players to keep double-teaming Wang Yi.

• Wang Yi drove coast to coast, evaded Howard’s block in midair, and scored to put the Kings four points ahead.
• Wang Yi passed out of the Lakers’ double-teams, and Hield, Mitchell, Bagley, and Danny made three-pointers as the Kings’ defense disrupted the Lakers.
• The Kings ended the first quarter with a nine-point lead, and the arena cheered Wang Yi as the players left the court.
• Hield joked with Wang Yi about the arena singing his song, and Mitchell joined in the banter.
• Vogel told the Lakers to stay patient on offense and continue double-teaming Wang Yi, predicting the Kings’ defense and three-point shooting would cool off.

Wang Yi noticed Barnes was distraught during the break and promised to carry the Kings while Barnes pulled himself together. With Wang Yi staying on the court, the Kings continued their aggressive defense and built momentum against the Lakers, ending with Wang Yi tricking James and throwing down a long-distance tomahawk dunk.

• During the break, Wang Yi saw that Barnes was crying, comforted him, and heard him promise to return in the second half.
• Wang Yi chose to play in the second quarter, while Walton warned him to report any fatigue.
• The Kings' relentless defense disrupted James and Anthony, and Holmes grabbed a rebound before driving the length of the court for a dunk.
• After the Lakers scored, Wang Yi pushed the ball upcourt and made James think he was attempting a Logo three-pointer.
• Wang Yi evaded James and leaped from the free-throw line for a tomahawk dunk.

Wang Yi led the Kings to an 18-point halftime lead over the Lakers with explosive scoring and fast-break play. In the locker room, James rallied the Lakers and vowed to guard Wang Yi in the second half.

• Wang Yi shook James with a fake and completed a gliding free-throw-line tomahawk dunk, then fired up the crowd and his teammates.
• Holmes blocked a Lakers layup, and Wang Yi pushed the fast break before passing to Mitchell for an open three-pointer.
• Wang Yi and the Kings kept up their rapid offense, extending their lead to 15 points and scoring effectively despite tighter perimeter defense.
• Wang Yi added 15 points in the second quarter, reaching 41 points, six rebounds, and seven assists as the Kings went into halftime up 18.
• Wang Yi rallied the Kings in the locker room, and owner Ranadave praised the team and joked about ticket sales and salaries.
• James encouraged the discouraged Lakers and declared that he would guard Wang Yi in the second half.

Wang Yi claimed a Peak Jordan Experience Card at halftime and led the Kings into the second half against the Lakers. After scoring over James and Davis, he accepted James’s challenge to a one-on-one matchup, despite coach Walton warning him not to.

• Wang Yi claimed the reward for completing a hidden mission and received a 48-minute Peak Jordan Experience Card.
• The Kings started the second half with their main lineup, and James guarded Wang Yi one-on-one.
• Wang Yi used a behind-the-back change of direction to get past James, then dodged Davis and dunked.
• James cleared out the Lakers and challenged Wang Yi to a one-on-one matchup.
• Walton shouted for Wang Yi not to guard James alone, but Wang Yi took a defensive stance and invited James to attack.

Wang Yi and James traded matching pull-up jumpers before James fooled Wang Yi with a self-toss dunk. Wang Yi answered by throwing the ball over James and Brow and through the hoop from midair, leaving Golden 1 Center stunned.

• James powered past Wang Yi, created space with a spin, and made a leaning jumper.
• Wang Yi copied James’s move and sank the same shot, prompting O’Neal and Magic Johnson to praise the matchup.
• James faked his jumper, tossed the ball off the backboard, and dunked it himself as Wang Yi fell for the play.
• Wang Yi tried the self-toss dunk, but James and Brow anticipated it and jumped to intercept the ball.
• Wang Yi leaped over James and Brow, grabbed the ball, and hurled it through the hoop from well short of the rim.
• The Kings, the crowd, and the commentators erupted in amazement at Wang Yi’s spectacular play.

Wang Yi repeatedly outplayed James and the Lakers’ other stars, delivering spectacular dunks and helping the Kings build a commanding lead. The third quarter ended with the Kings ahead by 16 points, and owner Ranadave began to believe they could win.

• Wang Yi answered James’s three-pointers with shots of his own, then scored on a fast break with a long leap and dunk.
• James stopped challenging Wang Yi one-on-one and passed to Thick Eyebrows for a low-post basket.
• Wang Yi soared over Westbrook for a tomahawk dunk, prompting the Kings’ bench to shout in unison and inspiring a viral meme among Chinese fans.
• Wang Yi blocked Westbrook’s attempted dunk, then posterized Anthony to complete dunks on the Lakers’ Big Four.
• Vogel sent two defenders at Wang Yi, but Wang Yi passed to confident Kings teammates, and the Kings finished the third quarter leading by 16 points.
• Ranadave watched from the VIP suite and saw the Kings’ strong lead as a chance to win.

Wang Yi vowed to carry the exhausted Kings through the fourth quarter as they tried to protect a 16-point lead. The Lakers began their comeback when James opened the quarter with a long three-pointer.

• James ended his one-on-one duel with Wang Yi, and the Lakers regrouped during the break while Vogel urged them to exploit the Kings' fatigue.
• Walton worried that the Kings' exhausted players would lose their shooting touch, but Wang Yi said he was still physically fine and promised not to let the team lose.
• Wang Yi rallied himself and reassured his teammates that he would carry them to victory.
• Wang Yi stayed on the floor to start the fourth quarter as O'Neal and Magic Johnson discussed the burden he was carrying.
• The Lakers kept James and their other starters on the court, and James opened the quarter with a long-range three-pointer.

The Lakers' Big Three erased much of the Kings' lead, forcing Wang Yi to reassure his teammates during a timeout. He then answered the Lakers' double-team by sinking a deep bank three over Westbrook and Rivers, leaving the Kings with renewed hope.

• James, Anthony, and Thick Eyebrows combined for 15 points in four minutes as the Lakers cut the Kings' lead to five.
• The Kings missed six consecutive three-pointers, and Wang Yi told his worried teammates he had planted a mole inside the Lakers.
• Wang Yi warned Westbrook that he would trash-talk him, then invited Westbrook and Rivers to double-team him at the center-court logo.
• Wang Yi jumped over the double-team and banked in a deep three-pointer.
• Wang Yi landed and taunted Westbrook, asking whether two defenders still weren't enough.

Wang Yi baited Westbrook into challenging him one-on-one, then blocked Westbrook’s layup and helped spark a fast break. Hield’s lob set up Wang Yi for a spectacular alley-oop dunk from beyond the free-throw line.

• Wang Yi taunted Westbrook until Westbrook waved off Thick Eyebrows’s screen and demanded a one-on-one matchup.
• Westbrook drove past Wang Yi and attempted a finger roll, but Wang Yi blocked the ball against the backboard.
• Hield collected the rebound and sprinted downcourt as James chased him and Wang Yi raced ahead.
• Hield faked a finger roll to fool James and lofted a pass behind him for Wang Yi.
• Wang Yi caught the lob after jumping from beyond the free-throw line and slammed it into the rim.

Wang Yi stunned the Golden 1 Center and viewers around the world with an alley-oop dunk after taking off from the free throw line. As commentators and former players marveled at the play, O'Neal joked about how it compared with his own dunks and sparred with Barkley.

• Wang Yi took off from the free throw line and completed an alley-oop slam, leaving the arena, commentators, and fans around the world stunned.
• Fans in homes, schools, cafeterias, and offices celebrated Wang Yi's dunk as the Golden 1 Center erupted.
• Yang Yi and Wang Meng praised the dunk's form and called it one of the most iconic plays in basketball history.
• White Jordan watched the replay and reconsidered his former desire to challenge Wang Yi to a dunk contest.
• Magic Johnson asked O'Neal how Wang Yi's dunk compared with his, and O'Neal joked that Wang Yi's was in the stratosphere.
• Barkley joined the broadcast and challenged O'Neal's claim that his dunks belonged on the first floor, prompting O'Neal to call him the Flying Pig.

Wang Yi baited Westbrook into abandoning the Lakers’ team game for a one-on-one duel, keeping the Kings ahead as the fourth quarter wound down. The Lakers called another timeout with three minutes left and still trailing by ten.

• During a timeout, Vogel warned Westbrook not to challenge Wang Yi alone, and James calmed him by reminding him the Lakers were pursuing a championship.
• Wang Yi provoked Westbrook into clearing out for a one-on-one, and Westbrook scored with a Zombie Jump Shot.
• After Wang Yi missed a contested three, Westbrook scored another pull-up jumper, and the two traded baskets for five possessions.
• Westbrook and Wang Yi each went four for five, leaving the Kings ahead by ten with three minutes remaining.
• The Lakers called timeout, and Wang Yi challenged Westbrook to continue their duel afterward.

With three minutes left, Wang Yi’s teammates prepared to help against the Lakers’ planned triple-teams. Wang Yi escaped a corner trap by throwing the ball off Gallo to preserve possession, then passed out of another triple-team to Bagley, whose three missed.

• Wang Yi warned his teammates that the Lakers might triple-team him, and Walton told the Kings to use screens and let Mitchell and Hield handle the ball.
• Vogel instructed the Lakers to swarm Wang Yi while Westbrook chased him around the court, and James opened the final stretch with a deep three.
• After the Lakers trapped Wang Yi in the corner, he leaped out of bounds and hit Gallo’s leg with the ball to win the Kings possession.
• Wang Yi caught the inbound after moving around screens and passed out of a second triple-team to Bagley, who missed a three.
• James missed a three at the other end.

With the Lakers trapping Wang Yi in the final minutes, he powered the Kings through a lob dunk and a rebound assist that led to a crucial three-pointer. The Kings carried a seven-point lead with 45 seconds left, and Barnes promised not to waste Wang Yi’s effort.

• After the Lakers cut the Kings’ lead to four, Wang Yi called for an alley-oop and dunked Mitchell’s high pass over Thick Eyebrows.
• James recognized the Kings’ Human Wall plan and helped Westbrook shut it down, forcing Wang Yi to pass out of a three-man trap.
• Hield missed a three, but Wang Yi tipped the rebound to Barnes, who made a corner three to put the Kings ahead by seven with 45 seconds remaining.
• Wang Yi thanked Barnes, and Barnes vowed not to let Wang Yi’s hard work go to waste.

The Kings’ lead vanished when Anthony hit a fast-break three, leaving them down one with eight seconds remaining. Wang Yi was expected to take the decisive shot, but the chapter ended before the Kings’ final play began.

• James scored through contact against Holmes, made the free throw, and cut the Kings’ lead to four.
• Bagley missed a three, and Westbrook raced downcourt for a dunk that narrowed the Kings’ lead to two with 15 seconds left.
• Bagley missed both free throws after Westbrook fouled him, and the Lakers grabbed the rebound to start a fast break.
• James found the unguarded Anthony, who made a three to give the Lakers a one-point lead with eight seconds remaining.
• The Kings called their final timeout as the players prepared for the last possession, with Wang Yi expected to get the ball.

The Kings beat the Lakers 120–118 to earn their first Playoffs win in 17 years after Harrison Barnes hit a late three and Wang Yi chased down James for a game-saving block. The chapter ended with the Kings celebrating their hard-fought victory.

• Bagley passed to Barnes, who made a three-pointer to put the Kings ahead by two with about seven seconds left.
• Thick Eyebrows quickly inbounded to James, who drove downcourt as the Kings celebrated and Barnes retreated to defend him.
• Wang Yi sprinted after James while Barnes tried to stop him alone, and James spun past Barnes to attempt a tying layup.
• Wang Yi leaped from behind and blocked James's shot against the backboard, and Thick Eyebrows's follow-up three came after the buzzer and did not count.
• The Kings won 120–118, and fans, players, and owner Ranadave celebrated their first Playoffs win in 17 years.

Wang Yi led the Kings to a hard-fought playoff win over the Lakers, sealing it by blocking LeBron James in the final moments. Afterward, Wang Yi credited his teammates and Barnes at the press conference, while the Kings prepared for the next game.

• Wang Yi blocked LeBron James's shot near the end of the game, and James left for the Player Tunnel as the Kings celebrated their victory.
• Wang Yi and the Kings embraced on the court after Barnes hit two crucial threes in the final minute.
• Wang Yi soaked in liquid nitrogen and let Barnes use his Cryo Chamber before they attended the postgame press conference with Bass.
• Wang Yi praised Barnes for slowing James and credited the team's defense and shooting for the win.
• Wang Yi declined to reveal how the Kings would counter the Lakers' triple-teams and urged reporters to ask Barnes questions.