Chapter Summaries

Before Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, Wang Yi rallied the team and left everyone puzzled by TT’s sudden obedience. The chapter revealed that Wang Yi had won their private fight by terrifying TT with a weapon and psychological suggestion, while the Lakers prepared to face the Warriors’ hostile arena.

• Wang Yi told his teammates to prepare for Game 7, and Nicole accepted his reassurance that everything was fine.
• With ten minutes left, Wang Yi gathered the players, led them in the new chant “One word—Fight!”, and TT joined the team circle enthusiastically.
• TT left the locker room last and slapped Walton’s hand hard, leaving the coach wondering why TT seemed afraid of Wang Yi.
• The chapter revealed that Wang Yi had thrown TT down during their private fight and stopped a fork just short of his eye, using the threat and his focused demeanor to trigger TT’s fear of death.
• Wang Yi and the team reached the court, where the sea of yellow-clad fans and towering stands created another psychological challenge for the visitors.

The Kings faced the Warriors in a hostile Chase Center as Wang Yi received a 48-minute peak Dennis Rodman experience card focused on rebounding. The game began as both teams cautiously tested each other, with the score repeatedly changing hands during the opening five minutes.

• Wang Yi remained energized by the hostile crowd while the Warriors' opening show depicted Curry and his teammates defeating a frail King and raising a championship trophy.
• Walton encouraged the Kings before the game, and Wang Yi replied that the Warriors could not take what he did not give.
• Wang Yi checked in with the system and received an Advanced Peak Worm Experience Card that granted Rodman's abilities for 48 minutes.
• Looney won the opening jump ball, then scored a bank shot after receiving the Warriors' first possession; Bagley answered with a three-pointer for the Kings.
• During the first five minutes, Wang Yi and the other stars held back as the lead changed six times, and Yao Ming said both teams were testing each other.

The Kings stayed close to the Warriors despite their stars scoring modestly, and Wang Yi began the second quarter with a spectacular free-throw-line windmill dunk. His teammates’ unexpected help on the rebound and screen signaled that he was about to turn it on.

• Curry and Klay scored only eight points combined in the first quarter, while Wang Yi had five points, two assists, five rebounds, and two blocks as the Kings trailed 20–22.
• Yao Ming and Yang Yi explained that the stars appeared to be saving energy and that the Kings’ 18 rebounds had kept them in the game.
• The Warriors rested Curry and Green to start the second quarter, while Wang Yi stayed on the floor and the Kings brought in TT.
• TT boxed out Looney so Wang Yi could grab a rebound, then screened Looney to clear Wang Yi’s path up the court.
• Wang Yi charged forward and threw down a windmill dunk after taking off near the free-throw line, thrilling the crowd and commentators.

Wang Yi erupted for 11 points in three minutes to give the Kings a seven-point lead, forcing Steve Kerr to adjust the Warriors’ lineup. Curry and Wang Yi traded baskets, but Klay Thompson’s three straight threes erased the gap after Curry returned to draw defenders.

• Jia Yi watched Wang Yi take over and became captivated by his performance.
• Wang Yi scored 11 points in three minutes with a fast break, a contested three, a 2+1 layup, and a logo three, putting the Warriors in an 11–2 hole.
• Steve Kerr called timeout, pulled Klay Thompson and Mouth Brother, and sent Curry and Green back onto the floor.
• Curry made a deep three, and he and Wang Yi traded baskets while Wang Yi conserved energy by not defending Curry at full intensity on every possession.
• Curry drew the defense and passed to Klay, who made three consecutive three-pointers to erase the Kings’ lead.

Wang Yi urged Coach Walton to abandon the Kings’ run-and-gun approach and have all five players crash the boards against the Warriors. Walton agreed to test Wang Yi’s plan, including a three-big lineup, for three possessions in the third quarter.

• The Warriors’ hot shooting erased the Kings’ lead, leaving them down by five at halftime as Wang Yi collected five rebounds and his teammates managed five combined.
• Wang Yi told Coach Walton that the Kings needed everyone crashing the boards to control the game against Curry and Klay.
• Walton worried that crashing the offensive glass would leave the Kings exposed to fast breaks, but Wang Yi asked to try the tactic for three possessions.
• Wang Yi also proposed playing TT and Holmes alongside Bagley, and Mitchell, Danny, and the rest of the team backed his plan.
• Walton asked who would run the fast break and get back on defense, and Wang Yi said he would handle both jobs himself.
• Walton agreed to try Wang Yi’s approach for three possessions before returning to run-and-gun if it failed.

The Kings used a five-man rebounding strategy to counter the Warriors, with Wang Yi turning the resulting fast breaks into points. After three minutes, the Kings erased their deficit and took a two-point lead.

• The Kings opened the third quarter with TT, Holmes, and Danny in a tall lineup, leaving commentators and Warriors coach Kerr puzzled.
• After Barnes missed, all five Kings crashed the boards, secured the rebound, and Wang Yi lofted an alley-oop for TT to dunk.
• When Green missed a three, Wang Yi collected the rebound, raced past Curry, and dunked over Klay after recovering his own missed layup.
• Walton recognized that Wang Yi had carried out his plan for all five Kings to chase rebounds while he led the break alone.
• The Kings kept using the strategy, with teammates boxing out and clearing space for Wang Yi to score against the Warriors’ retreating defenders.
• Within three minutes, the Kings erased the deficit and moved two points ahead.

The Kings’ three-big lineup and Wang Yi’s rebounding helped them build an 88–82 lead over the Warriors by the end of the third quarter. Klay left for the Player Tunnel with the team doctor, leaving his condition uncertain as the fourth quarter began.

• Kerr deployed the Warriors’ Death Lineup, but the Kings’ rebounding and Wang Yi’s pick-and-roll assists to TT kept the Warriors from gaining momentum.
• Walton told the Kings to crash the boards and box out for Wang Yi, who grabbed two rebounds over Mouth Brother after play resumed.
• The Kings finished the third quarter ahead 88–82, while Mouth Brother stopped scoring after reaching 18 points.
• Klay did not return to start the fourth quarter and headed for the Player Tunnel with the team doctor.
• The broadcast commentators discussed the possibility that Klay was injured, while Brother Xiang accused Green of repeatedly trying to step under Wang Yi.

Wang Yi answered Green’s dangerous defense with three-pointers and a spectacular three-point play, then suffered a painful ankle injury while grabbing a rebound. A replay showed Green had planted his foot beneath Wang Yi, prompting the Kings players to confront him.

• Wang Yi hit two three-pointers after Green repeatedly tried to undercut him.
• Green taunted Wang Yi and attempted to poke his eyes during a fast break, but Wang Yi dodged him in midair, scored, and drew a foul.
• Wang Yi warned Green that he would make him pay, while Green pretended to praise the basket.
• Wang Yi grabbed a rebound and collapsed with severe pain in his left ankle.
• A replay showed Green had planted his foot beneath Wang Yi, and the Kings players charged at him before security and coaches intervened.

Wang Yi recovered enough from his ankle injury to return to the court, while the referees assessed Green a Flagrant 1 for stepping under him. Wang Yi then isolated against the Warriors and drove into the paint, where Green shoved him in midair.

• Nicole, Wang Yi's parents, and fans feared his ankle injury as teammates helped him stand.
• Wang Yi walked on his injured ankle, tightened his shoe, and convinced the team doctor he could continue playing.
• The referees reviewed the footage and gave Green a Flagrant 1 for stepping under Wang Yi.
• Wang Yi taunted Green before the Kings inbounded the ball and he called for his teammates to clear out.
• Wang Yi beat Iguodala and entered the paint, where Green reached out and shoved him in midair.

Wang Yi dunked through Green's foul and broke Green's nose, then used Green's fear of another injury to help the Kings mount a comeback. With 24 seconds left in Game 7, the score was tied and the Warriors had possession.

• Green shoved Wang Yi in midair, but Wang Yi's raised elbow struck Green in the face as he dunked, and the referee called a foul on Green before Wang Yi's contact.
• The team doctor diagnosed Green with a fractured nasal bone, and after returning to the court, Green heard Wang Yi whisper that he had done it on purpose.
• Green hesitated to defend Wang Yi and fight for rebounds, allowing the Kings to take control of the boards and go on a 10–3 run.
• The Kings tied the score at 116–116 with 24 seconds remaining, and Kerr instructed the Warriors to get the ball to Curry while the Kings prepared to stop him.

With 24 seconds left in Game 7, Wang Yi overruled the Kings’ planned double-team and guarded Curry one-on-one. Curry missed a three, but Green secured the rebound and passed back to him, leaving Curry with 4.1 seconds to attempt a floater.

• Wang Yi told his teammates to let him guard Curry one-on-one, and the Kings agreed despite Walton’s defensive instructions.
• Curry brought the ball up the court and faced Wang Yi as the final seconds ticked away.
• With seven seconds left, Curry drove, pulled back beyond the three-point line, and launched a quick shot over Wang Yi’s contest.
• Curry’s shot hit the rim, and Green grabbed the rebound amid a scramble involving all ten players.
• Green passed to Curry on the right wing, and Curry caught the ball with 4.1 seconds left as Holmes rushed to contest his floater.

With 2.8 seconds left, Wang Yi missed a three-pointer but grabbed the rebound over four Warriors big men and dunked to tie the game at the buzzer. The chapter ended as the lights came on and the whistle blew, leaving the final result unresolved.

• Curry scored a floater to put the Warriors ahead 118–116 with 2.8 seconds remaining.
• Curry warned his celebrating teammates that Wang Yi still had a chance, and Kerr ordered the Warriors to stop Wang Yi from driving or shooting a three.
• The Kings inbounded to Wang Yi, who caught the ball at the sideline and launched a three that bounced off the rim.
• Wang Yi charged into the paint, leaped above Holmes, Bagley, Green, and Looney, grabbed the rebound, and dunked to tie the score as the buzzer sounded.

Wang Yi forced overtime with a putback dunk, then secretly revealed to the team doctor that he had fractured his right middle finger on the play. Despite the doctor urging him to leave for treatment, Wang Yi insisted on playing overtime and finishing the game.

• Wang Yi grabbed his own rebound and dunked to tie the game, stunning the Warriors and sending the Kings’ bench and fans into celebration.
• The commentators and Jia Yi erupted over Wang Yi’s putback, while Wang Yi remained unusually calm as his teammates celebrated around him.
• As the coach explained the overtime plan, Wang Yi slipped away to the water cooler and showed the team doctor his badly swollen, bent right middle finger.
• The doctor recognized that Wang Yi had fractured the finger and urged him to go for treatment, but Wang Yi asked him to keep the injury secret.
• Wang Yi told the doctor he had to play for his team and finish the game, despite sweating from the pain.

Wang Yi hid his fractured finger from his teammates and the Warriors, insisting on returning to play in overtime. He urged the Kings to switch to a fast-paced approach and began the extra period by racing past Green and Curry.

• Wang Yi refused to leave the game, and the team doctor reset and splinted his fractured finger while warning him about lasting damage.
• Wang Yi asked the team doctor and Dr. Love to keep the fracture secret, and Dr. Love taped it so it looked like a minor scrape.
• Wang Yi told Hield and Mitchell that his finger was only scraped, then advised the coach to make the Kings play fast in overtime.
• Kerr told the Warriors to focus on rebounding, expecting the Kings to continue sending everyone to the boards.
• Holmes tipped the overtime jump ball to Wang Yi, who dribbled with his injured right hand and burst past Green and Curry.

Wang Yi carried the Kings through overtime with a one-man scoring barrage while playing through a fractured finger, as Curry and Mouth Brother kept the Warriors close. Exhausted and in worsening pain, Wang Yi took a timeout to rest, while Green noticed his injured finger trembling.

• Wang Yi raced past the Warriors' defense for a one-against-five dunk, then scored repeatedly in overtime by attacking Green and Looney.
• Mouth Brother hit a three-pointer, dunked, and made a turnaround jumper, scoring 10 points in three minutes as Curry also produced for the Warriors.
• Wang Yi scored all 14 of the Kings' overtime points, reaching 49 points, 26 rebounds, 13 assists, and six blocks while his teammates went cold.
• The Kings' coach called a timeout after seeing Wang Yi bent over and gasping for breath, and Green noticed Wang Yi's fractured middle finger trembling.

With the Kings down one and one final possession remaining, the Warriors targeted Wang Yi’s injured finger while Green volunteered to guard him. Wang Yi drew a foul on Green after their collision left Green with a bloody, crooked nose, and the chapter ended with Wang Yi glaring down at him.

• During a timeout, Walton planned a final play to get Wang Yi the ball, while Kerr ordered the Warriors to deny him possession and double-team him if necessary.
• Green told Kerr he had noticed Wang Yi’s right middle finger trembling and offered to guard him one-on-one to exploit the injury.
• The Kings had Wang Yi inbound, and Green repeatedly bumped Wang Yi’s injured right hand as they ran upcourt, worsening the pain without drawing a foul.
• Wang Yi stopped abruptly as Green chased him, causing Green to crash into him and fall after striking Wang Yi’s head.
• The referee called a foul on Green, whose nose was bent and bleeding, while the crowd shouted at the referee and Wang Yi stared coldly at Green.

Wang Yi faced Green again in the final seconds of overtime in Game 7 and launched an acrobatic 360-degree jumper from midcourt as the shot clock expired. The ball was still descending toward the hoop as Wang Yi fell to the floor, leaving the game's outcome unresolved.

• The team doctor treated Green's broken nose, and both teams returned to the court with 20 seconds left.
• Wang Yi drove past Green after Holmes set a screen, but the Warriors' defense forced him to pass to Hield.
• Green tugged Wang Yi's left arm as he ran around the perimeter, disrupting his rhythm with 1.4 seconds left on the shot clock.
• Hield passed to Wang Yi, who caught the ball with less than 0.8 seconds left and spun into a left-handed midcourt jumper to evade Mouth Brother's block.
• Wang Yi landed off balance and fell as the ball traveled toward the hoop, stunning both teams and a viewer in China.

Wang Yi hit a spectacular midcourt three-pointer to put the Kings ahead, but Curry answered with a buzzer-beating game-winner to send the Warriors to the Finals. As the Kings faced elimination, Wang Yi approached the referee and pointed above the backboard, suggesting something was wrong.

• Wang Yi made a midcourt 360-degree three-pointer with 2.3 seconds left in overtime, giving the Kings a 135–133 lead.
• During the Warriors’ timeout, Curry focused himself and prepared for the team’s final play while Wang Yi’s teammates celebrated his shot.
• Curry worked free of Wang Yi with successive screens, then dribbled past him and made a buzzer-beating three after drawing Wang Yi into the air.
• Warriors fans celebrated Curry’s game-winner as the commentators and fans in China reacted in stunned disappointment to the Kings’ apparent elimination.
• Jia Yi noticed Wang Yi speaking repeatedly to the referee and pointing above the backboard, and Yao Ming began to identify the direction he indicated.

Wang Yi noticed that the game clock had failed to run during the Warriors' final possession, giving them another 2.3 seconds under NBA rules. He stole Green's inbound pass as time expired, sealing a 4–3 series win for the Kings and sending them to the Finals.

• Wang Yi pointed out the shot clock and asked the referees to review the final play, and the Kings' coaching staff joined him at the scorer's table.
• The referees confirmed that the game clock had not started during part of Curry's possession and awarded the Warriors a replay with 2.3 seconds.
• Green inbounded the ball, and Wang Yi dove across the court to steal his pass intended for Curry.
• Wang Yi pushed the ball toward the frontcourt as Curry tried to foul him, and Green recovered it after Hield briefly touched it.
• The buzzer sounded while Green held the ball, and the Kings eliminated the Warriors 4–3 to advance to the Finals.

Wang Yi led the Kings past the Warriors to reach the NBA Finals, completing their historic run from the West’s eighth seed. After celebrating with Curry and receiving the Western Conference Championship trophy, Wang Yi left Xiao Hua waiting by gesturing for Hield to accept it instead.

• The Kings celebrated as Wang Yi led them to a Game 7 victory over the Warriors and a place in the Finals.
• Nicole, Anjiali, and the Tencent commentators praised Wang Yi’s achievement, while Yao Ming said the Heat looked stronger on paper but the Kings could still win.
• Curry and Wang Yi hugged, traded jerseys, and posed for a photo after the Warriors players congratulated him.
• The Kings celebrated beneath streamers that had been prepared for the Warriors’ championship, then gathered at center court.
• Xiao Hua offered the Western Conference Championship trophy to Wang Yi, but Wang Yi gestured for Hield to take it.