Chapter Summaries

With 0.2 seconds left, Wang Yi and Hield kept the Kings’ final possession alive through desperate saves, but Hield was injured and the clock left them only one chance to tie the game. The Lakers prepared to defend an alley-oop as Walton drew up a play, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Wang Yi lunged for the loose ball and poked it toward the sideline, where Hield dived out of bounds and redirected it off Anthony to secure Kings possession.
• Hield crashed into the stands and cut the corner of his eye, but kept asking whose ball it was until Danny told him the Kings had possession with only 0.2 seconds left.
• The team doctor treated Hield’s bleeding wound while the broadcasters and former players praised the Kings’ effort and hoped they could still win.
• Vogel told the Lakers to crowd the paint, then added that they also had to guard against Wang Yi’s mid-range alley-oop after James reminded him of Wang Yi’s past play.
• Walton planned for Hield to screen for Wang Yi at mid-range while Holmes went for the alley-oop, but bad news arrived before the play could unfold.

With 0.2 seconds left, Hield had to leave for treatment, forcing the Kings to replace him and improvise their final play. Wang Yi launched an alley-oop three-pointer that went through the hoop, leaving the Staples Center silent.

• The team doctor told Hield he needed treatment in the locker room, and Wang Yi persuaded him to leave the game.
• Walton sent Mitchell in for Hield, but Mitchell had only a rough understanding of the play.
• Wang Yi told Mitchell to screen for him as the Kings prepared to inbound with 0.2 seconds remaining.
• James and Thick Eyebrows defended the play, while Holmes cut toward the basket and Bagley looked for a lob.
• Wang Yi leaped to catch Bagley's pass and released an alley-oop three-pointer in midair.
• The ball passed through the hoop as the Staples Center fell silent.

Wang Yi led the Kings to a stunning comeback over the Lakers, sealing the win with an alley-oop three-pointer with 0.2 seconds left. After celebrating his victory over the crowd and Jenny Bass, he credited his teammates for the win and left the locker room deeply moved.

• Wang Yi hit an alley-oop three-pointer with 0.2 seconds remaining, giving the Kings the win, then roared at the Staples Center crowd and tore his jersey.
• Jenny Bass sat in silence as Vanessa watched Wang Yi with tears in her eyes, while Pelinka realized that trading Wang Yi had been his biggest mistake.
• Chinese fans erupted in celebration, and at Sacramento Central Hospital, Chris watched the game-winning moment with a tear in his eye as a spark returned to his expression.
• The Kings celebrated Wang Yi briefly on the court before Michelle Bedell interviewed him about his 61 points, 14 rebounds, 14 assists, 19 steals, and eight blocks.
• Wang Yi credited the team's Mamba Mentality for their comeback, then named the sacrifices of Hield, Mitchell, Danny, Bagley, and Holmes as reasons they had won.
• In the locker room, Hield and the other Kings players were moved when Wang Yi made clear that he remembered their efforts.

After the Kings beat the Lakers to take a 3–2 series lead, Wang Yi reminded his teammates that they still needed one more win to advance. The team returned to Sacramento energized for Game 6, while Nicole prepared to visit Wang Yi and the victory dominated Chinese social media.

• Michelle Bedell asked Wang Yi to dinner during the interview, but he joked that she was lusting after his body and turned her down.
• Wang Yi let his teammates use his Cryo Chamber, then reminded them that the Kings still needed one win to eliminate the Lakers and create the Black Eight Miracle.
• Gallo abandoned his plan to block the Kings' locker room and privately acknowledged that Wang Yi and the Kings had earned respect.
• The Kings traveled back to Sacramento, where the players rallied around their home-court crowd and their chance to win Game 6.
• Nicole messaged Wang Yi that she missed him, then practiced cooking Chinese food while her grandfather wondered what had captivated her.
• Wang Yi's comeback victory and near-quintuple-double flooded trending lists and media platforms across China.

Wang Yi’s game-winning shot made him a nationwide social phenomenon, while fans and celebrities celebrated his performance and debated his impact on the playoffs. As American commentator Yang Yi Smith attacked Wang Yi for his ball-dominant style, Michael Jordan shut him down with a blunt rebuke.

• Wang Yi’s game-winning three-pointer went viral, and Xu Jingyu praised his performance while doubting he could sustain it through the playoffs.
• Scarlett Johansson, Nicolas Cage, and Jennifer Lawrence praised Wang Yi, while Jenny Bass posted that the series was not over and then disabled comments amid the backlash.
• Yang Yi Smith called Wang Yi the Kings’ cancer, arguing that his style made his teammates worse, and Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, and Duncan condemned Smith’s remarks.
• Smith celebrated the attention his attacks brought him until Michael Jordan posted, “Shut your stinking mouth,” leaving Smith afraid to respond.

Michael Jordan silenced Stephen A. Smith’s attacks on Wang Yi, who continued his routine training and rejected Anjiali’s advances. In Game 6 against the Lakers, Wang Yi and the Kings struggled in the second quarter and went into halftime down 15 points.

• Michael Jordan told Stephen A. Smith to shut his mouth, ending Smith’s attacks on Wang Yi and discouraging Pippen and Pierce from speaking up.
• Wang Yi trained early the morning after playing all 48 minutes, and Anjiali brought him breakfast.
• Wang Yi reminded Anjiali that he was with Nicole, but Anjiali joked that she still had a chance and kept pursuing him.
• The Lakers and Kings began Game 6 at Golden 1 Center, where the Kings learned Hield would miss the game with a fractured brow bone, though Barnes was available.
• The Kings went cold in the second quarter as Wang Yi struggled, and they trailed the Lakers by 15 points at halftime.

The Lakers crushed the Kings in Game Six, tying the series at 3–3 and leaving the Kings heavy underdogs for Game Seven. As the Kings returned to hostile Los Angeles, Wang Yi and his teammates prepared for the decisive game with their survival and the Black Eight Miracle at stake.

• James, Westbrook, and Thick Eyebrows led the Lakers to a 24-point win over the Kings, with Wang Yi scoring only 21 points.
• The series became tied at 3–3, and media, former players, and bookmakers overwhelmingly predicted a Lakers victory in Game Seven.
• Wang Yi and the Kings flew back to Los Angeles, where hostile fans lined the streets with taunting signs.
• Mitchell joked that the Lakers fans had been beaten into submission, and Hield praised his comment despite disliking his suck-up routine.
• Seeing the fired-up crowd, Wang Yi felt his fighting spirit rise ahead of the decisive Game Seven.

Wang Yi traveled to Los Angeles ahead of Game 7 and went to a training facility despite Walton urging him to rest after four straight 48-minute games. He began an unusual long-distance shooting drill that surprised his assistant coach and personal trainer.

• After Wang Yi's performance in Game 5, James asked Los Angeles fans to stop calling him a traitor.
• The Kings stayed at the two-diamond Los Angeles Center Hotel after their usual hotel became unavailable and rooms elsewhere sold out.
• Walton told Wang Yi to rest, but Wang Yi headed to a training facility with an assistant coach.
• James Wells questioned Wang Yi's decision to do the training, but agreed to pass him the ball.
• Wang Yi stood beyond the three-point line, turned toward the hoop at the far end of the court, and launched the ball into the backboard.

Wang Yi practiced backcourt three-pointers before Game 7, completing a system task that raised his accuracy to 35% despite exhausting his arms. After Nicole arrived at the gym, Wang Yi offered her something.

• Wang Yi repeatedly attempted backcourt three-pointers while the assistant coach and James Wells worried that the practice would tire him before Game 7.
• Wang Yi promised to stop after making 13 more shots, then took 183 additional attempts before completing the system task.
• The system increased Wang Yi's backcourt three-point accuracy to 35%, though he realized the defined range did not include the entire backcourt.
• Wang Yi sat courtside too exhausted to lift his arm for water, and James Wells refused to feed it to him.
• Nicole arrived after an interview, and Wang Yi greeted her affectionately before offering her something.

Wang Yi prepared for the Kings’ Game 7 against the Lakers while the hostile atmosphere in Los Angeles weighed on his teammates. The Clippers watched the showdown to scout their potential next opponent, with Coach Tyronn Lue identifying Wang Yi as their biggest obstacle.

• Nicole gave Wang Yi water as he rested his exhausted arm after practicing deep threes.
• Wang Yi learned his backcourt three-point percentage had reached 35%, and he considered how difficult that would make him to defend.
• On Game 7 morning, the Kings saw hostile banners and a staged hanging outside their hotel, while Coach Walton encouraged the players one by one.
• Coach Walton found Wang Yi eager and Danny nervous, then had the team do light strength training to settle their nerves.
• The Kings ate, boarded a bus, and headed to Staples Center for the deciding game against the Lakers.
• Coach Tyronn Lue gathered the Clippers to scout the Kings and Lakers, warning that Wang Yi would be the biggest obstacle if the Clippers faced the Kings.

The Kings faced the Lakers in a winner-take-all Game 7 as the Clippers dismissed their chances of pulling off the Black Eight Miracle. Wang Yi checked in and received an Advanced Aerial Combat Experience Card, but the Lakers blocked Mitchell’s opening drive.

• Reggie Jackson and Paul George joked that the Kings would not upset the Lakers, while Tyronn Lue warned the Clippers to stay cautious.
• The Lakers and Kings tipped off Game 7 at Staples Center, where the nervous Kings prepared to face the defending stars.
• Walton told the Kings to test their three-point shooting and avoid driving into AD’s protected paint.
• Wang Yi checked in and received an Advanced Aerial Combat Experience Card that boosted his aerial ability for 48 minutes.
• Holmes won the opening tip, and Mitchell drove into the lane before AD blocked his shot.

The Kings struggled against Thick Eyebrows’ paint defense early in the game, and Wang Yi repeatedly challenged him before Walton called a timeout to correct the team’s approach. The chapter left the Lakers crowd confident while O’Neal remained unsure that the Lakers would win.

• Thick Eyebrows blocked Mitchell’s shot and Holmes’s dunk attempt, then Westbrook took the ball for a fast-break dunk.
• Wang Yi drove into the paint and was blocked by Thick Eyebrows, then tried again and was called for an offensive foul.
• Walton called a timeout and scolded Mitchell and Holmes for driving inside, then reminded the team to avoid the paint.
• Smith criticized the Kings’ offense on the broadcast, while O’Neal said Wang Yi might have another reason for forcing the plays and declined to guarantee a Lakers victory.

Wang Yi repeatedly attacked Thick Eyebrows in the paint, scoring an and-one before getting blocked on a later drive. He kept challenging the Lakers' defense as the game continued.

• Anthony sank a three-pointer to give the Lakers a 5–0 start.
• Wang Yi drove past Tucker, scored through contact from Thick Eyebrows, and made the free throw for an and-one.
• James encouraged Thick Eyebrows to block Wang Yi on his next drive.
• Wang Yi drove past Westbrook and Horton Tucker, but Thick Eyebrows blocked him and sent the ball downcourt for James to dunk.
• Smith and the Tencent broadcast commentators wondered why Wang Yi kept challenging Thick Eyebrows.

Wang Yi repeatedly attacked Thick Eyebrows to draw fouls and weaken the Lakers' defense, despite the Kings falling behind. He finally scored through contact and earned Thick Eyebrows' second foul, leaving the Kings down seven points.

• Wang Yi lost the ball while attacking Thick Eyebrows again, and the Kings fell behind 5–14 as fans and coaches questioned his strategy.
• After a timeout, Wang Yi ignored the coach's warning and drove past the Lakers toward Thick Eyebrows once more.
• Wang Yi changed hands several times in midair and made a contested layup as Thick Eyebrows hit his arm.
• The referee called a shooting foul on Thick Eyebrows, giving him his second personal foul.
• Commentators and fans realized Wang Yi had been trying to draw fouls, though the Kings still trailed by seven points.

Wang Yi repeatedly attacked the Lakers’ big men to draw fouls, helping the Kings take a brief lead before Anthony’s hot shooting tied the game at halftime. The Lakers’ frustrated big men vowed to take Wang Yi on in the second half, while Shaquille O’Neal disagreed with criticism of Wang Yi’s turnovers.

• Wang Yi drew a 2+1 foul on Thick Eyebrows, and Vogel took him out after he picked up his second foul.
• The Kings exploited Little Jordan’s tendency to jump at fakes and moved ahead by two points at the end of the first quarter.
• Wang Yi drew a third foul on Thick Eyebrows early in the second quarter, forcing him back to the bench.
• Wang Yi drew fouls on Howard, but Anthony’s five three-pointers in the second quarter brought the teams level at halftime.
• Howard raged about Wang Yi’s foul-baiting, while Thick Eyebrows seethed over his limited playing time.
• Stephen A. Smith criticized Wang Yi’s six turnovers, but Shaquille O’Neal disagreed.

Wang Yi repeatedly attacked and provoked Thick Eyebrows after halftime, dunking over him and drawing his fourth foul. Thick Eyebrows was benched again and received a technical foul after smashing an advertising board, leaving Wang Yi with a major advantage.

• Shaquille O'Neal explained that Wang Yi's first-half turnovers had drawn fouls on Thick Eyebrows and Howard, helping the Kings attack the paint.
• Wang Yi drove past the Lakers' defense and dunked over Thick Eyebrows, then taunted him.
• Wang Yi kept scoring against Thick Eyebrows and taunting him after each play, despite Thick Eyebrows trying to defend without fouling.
• Thick Eyebrows grabbed Holmes during a rebound, picked up his fourth personal foul, and was taken out by Vogel.
• Thick Eyebrows kicked and shattered an LED advertising board, earning a technical foul after the referees reviewed the incident.

Wang Yi and the Kings battled the Lakers through a bruising game after Gallo Anthony tore his ACL, leaving both teams exhausted and the lead changing hands repeatedly. With 25.1 seconds remaining, the Lakers led by one point, and Wang Yi had just lost the ball to a triple-team.

• Wang Yi hit six of seven midrange shots to help the Kings build a seven-point lead, but Gallo Anthony answered with four three-pointers in just over a minute.
• Gallo Anthony injured his left knee while fighting for a rebound and left the game; the Lakers later learned that he had torn his ACL and would miss the rest of the season.
• The Kings and Lakers packed their defenses into the paint, making baskets difficult, and Bagley made two free throws after Howard fouled him on a dunk attempt, leaving the Kings up by two at the end of the third quarter.
• Brow returned in the fourth quarter, picked up his fifth foul against Holmes, and had to sit back down.
• With three minutes remaining, the Kings led by five, but Brow and James hit turnaround jumpers to give the Lakers a one-point lead with forty seconds left.
• Wang Yi lost the ball to a triple-team with 25.1 seconds left and the Lakers ahead by one.

With the Lakers leading by three and only 1.3 seconds left, Wang Yi took a desperate backcourt shot instead of calling a timeout. The ball flew toward the far basket, leaving the game’s outcome unresolved.

• After Wang Yi turned the ball over, the Lakers drew up a play, but the Kings chose not to foul on their final possession.
• James hit a fadeaway jumper as the Lakers' shot clock expired, giving them a three-point lead with 1.3 seconds remaining.
• Walton prepared to call a timeout, but Wang Yi called for the ball in the backcourt and Mitchell inbounded it to him.
• Wang Yi dribbled twice and launched a long shot from near the backcourt free-throw line as James celebrated at center court.

Wang Yi hit a backcourt three at the buzzer to tie the game at 93–93 and send the Kings and Lakers into overtime. In overtime, the teams struggled to score, and Wang Yi drew Thick Eyebrows’ sixth foul, leaving both sides short-handed as the final minute began.

• With regulation ending, Wang Yi’s backcourt three beat the buzzer and tied the game at 93–93.
• Walton, James, Shaquille O'Neal, Stephen A. Smith, and the Chinese commentators reacted to Wang Yi’s shot, while the Warriors watched Curry discuss its difficulty.
• Wang Yi missed a three early in overtime as both teams struggled to score, with the Kings getting two points and the Lakers three in the first two minutes.
• Wang Yi kept attacking Thick Eyebrows and drew a foul that fouled him out with six.
• With one minute left in overtime, Wang Yi and James each had five and four fouls respectively, while Bagley and Holmes had five apiece and Danny had four.

Wang Yi’s logo three and free throw put the Kings ahead by three, but James answered with a buzzer-beating three to tie the game at 106 and force a second overtime. Both stars rested briefly, exhausted but eager to continue their duel.

• Wang Yi scored a logo three while drawing James’s fifth foul, then made the free throw to give the Kings a 106–103 lead with 1.7 seconds left.
• Wang Yi pressured Huo-shifu’s inbound, but Huo-shifu threw a long pass to James in the Lakers’ frontcourt.
• James held off Bagley, caught the ball, and banked in a three at the buzzer to tie the score at 106 and send the game into a second overtime.
• Wang Yi, who had played 53 minutes without resting, panted in the Kings’ resting area but felt energized by the contest.
• James rested in the Lakers’ resting area, exhausted and wishing he could have faced Wang Yi in his prime.