The Crucial Moment (Two-in-One)

During this time, Odom complained to Li Chen quite a bit about why Nowitzki had such good shooting skills.

Of course, Li Chen wouldn't tell Odom that he was the one who coached him.

Odom was suffering terribly at Nowitzki's hands.

With one minute left in the second quarter, the Clippers trailed by 10 points, 57-67.

"Sigh! The Clippers are in for a tough time this time. If they can't keep the score in single digits in the first half, Clippers second half will be even more difficult for them."

"I never expected that Dirk Nowitzki would learn Chen's moves in such a short time."

Zhang Weiping's words are filled with dissatisfaction towards Nowitzki.

During this period, Li Chen's accuracy was not good, with an efficiency of around 35%.

Li Chen glanced around at his teammates' current positions.

Li Chen noticed that Corey Maggette was making a run to get past the defense, and he could foresee that it wouldn't be long before he broke free of Van Exel's hold.

As his thoughts raced, Li Chen immediately decided to use his speed and dribbling skills to draw the Mavericks' defense.

With this thought in mind, Li Chen suddenly exerted force with both legs, and he broke through towards the basket like an arrow released from a bow.

Li Chen changed direction without slowing down, directly passing through Nash's defense.

Seeing Li Chen's aggressive demeanor, the Mavericks players had no doubts, and the defenders involuntarily moved closer to Li Chen.

Li Chen successfully attracted the other party's attention.

At that moment, his superior vision allowed him to see Corey Maggette dart to an open spot under the basket.

Without hesitation, Li Chen delivered an accurate bounce pass to Corey Maggette.

After receiving the ball, his eyes locked onto the basket; for a fleeting moment, it was as if the basket was the only thing in his sight.

He jumped up quickly and slammed the basketball into the hoop.

The Clippers narrowed the gap to single digits, 59-67.

There are 45 seconds left.

"Beautiful! Chen used his intimidating presence to draw most of the Mavericks' defense, creating an excellent shooting opportunity for Corey Maggette. This play was flawless," Zhang Weiping praised enthusiastically.

Sun Zhengping nodded and added, "Actually, it's not just that. Chen made two preparations. If the Mavericks' defense isn't drawn in, he can force a layup. Even though his shooting percentage has dropped, he still has a certain level of confidence when shooting towards the basket. That's what makes Chen so clever."

Li Chen knew that a successful defense would greatly boost his teammates' confidence, so he was determined to succeed.

Li Chen stared intently at Nash, dribbling the ball alternately with his left and right hands, occasionally using a crossover dribble. But Li Chen's eyes remained fixed on the basketball.

Suddenly, Nash accelerated, pushing his speed to the limit. Just like his nickname, he charged towards Li Chen like a gust of wind.

Li Chen reacted immediately, blocking Nash's path to break through.

Li Chen could feel the distance between the two getting closer and closer. He could feel Nash's exceptional breathing. Li Chen knew this was a crucial defensive play.

Li Chen adopted a sideways defensive stance, maintaining physical contact with his opponent in an attempt to limit Nash's space to move.

Li Chen closely watched Nash's footwork and dribbling movements, like a high-speed engine constantly predicting his next move.

Li Chen's prediction caused Nash a great deal of trouble, but Nash still wanted to make one last attempt to break through.

Nash then suddenly changed direction, trying to shake off Li Chen's defense.

Li Chen quickly adjusted his footwork, moving his feet rapidly to stay close to him, giving him no chance whatsoever.

At that moment, Nash made a shooting motion.

Li Chen stayed close to him, raising his hands to try and obstruct his vision and shooting angle.

Li Chen is 200cm tall with a wingspan of 210cm.

Nash is 191cm tall with a wingspan of 189cm.

Defending Nash couldn't be easier.

Nash looked at Li Chen's raised hand with a hint of helplessness.

He felt that if he forced a shot, it would definitely be blocked.

At that moment, Nash had already made his decision: if his next feint failed to fool the Asian man, he would pass the ball.

But just then, a large hand reached for the basketball in his hand.

Nash realized something was wrong. In a flash, he used his left foot as a pivot and his right foot to step back, trying to avoid Li Chen's steal.

However, Li Chen's wingspan made all the difference, and his fingers barely touched the basketball.

Li Chen flicked the ball outwards, and it slipped out of Nash's control.

Immediately afterward, Li Chen pounced on the basketball like a cheetah laying out its prey.

From stealing the ball to chasing it, his movements were seamless, as if it were a pre-written script—so smooth and fluid.

Unwilling to let Li Chen steal the ball, Nash instinctively chased after Li Chen.

But by then, Li Chen had already dribbled the basketball to the center line, Nash could only watch helplessly as Li Chen launched his counterattack.

After stealing the ball, Li Chen sprinted towards the frontcourt and arrived there in the blink of an eye.

At that moment, Li Chen jumped up. He could feel the air whistling past him, and he could feel the sweat dripping down his cheeks before crashing to the ground. Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

When Li Chen felt the passage of time, he was already standing close to the basketball hoop.

He slammed the basketball into the hoop with a deafening thud.

Li Chen landed on one foot, and the basketball bounced in front of him as if cheering for him.

Immediately afterwards, a series of boos erupted from the stadium. Li Chen closed his eyes, as if enjoying the chorus of boos.

Your boos are a form of recognition; they will only make me stronger, Li Chen thought to himself.

The Clippers narrowed the gap again, bringing the score to 61-67.

There are 30 seconds left.

Mavericks on offense.

Knowing Li Chen's Defensive Ability, Nash learned from his previous mistake and didn't hold onto the ball. He passed it to Finley near the baseline.

After receiving the ball, Finley drove towards the basket, drawing a foul from Corey Maggette.

Finley was awarded two free throw opportunities.

Finley took the free throw and then received the basketball from the referee.

Bang!

The first free throw bounced off the rim.

On his second free throw, Finley adjusted his mindset and made the shot smoothly.

61 to 68

Meanwhile, there are 20 seconds left on the clock.

The Clippers have one more possession on the court.

Li Chen also breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn't expected their attack to be so effective in the last minute.

If this ball goes in, the difference will be only five points.

Li Chen dribbled the ball forward, constantly observing the situation on the field.

At this moment, Maggetti made a run and successfully shook off Van Exel, raising his right hand high.

Seeing that Corey Maggette was in open space, Li Chen passed the ball to him without hesitation.

Just as he raised his hand, Li Chen passed the basketball. Now Li Chen is becoming more and more like a point guard.

After receiving the ball, Maggetti displayed his speed and power.

However, the Mavericks are no pushovers either; LaFrentz is a skilled shot blocker.

He leaped high into the air, and although he failed to block Maggetti's shot, he greatly disrupted Maggette's offensive rhythm.

The basketball bounced off the rim and went out of bounds.

At that moment, the physically gifted Michael Olowokandi seized the opportunity, leaping high to grab the crucial rebound.

At that moment, Odom roared, "Here!"

Michael Olowokandi didn't hesitate and quickly passed the ball to Odom, creating a new opportunity for the Clippers' offense.

After receiving the ball, Odom focused intently on adjusting his posture before releasing the basketball.

But just then, Nowitzki caught up with Odom at a crucial moment.

He leaped into the air, his large hand, like the five fingers of Buddha, slamming firmly onto the basketball.

Thwack! After a crisp sound, the basketball flew out of bounds and landed in the crowd; he had blocked Odom's shot.

At the same time, thunderous cheers erupted from the aerospace center gymnasium.

They cheered for Nowitzki.

Hearing the thunderous cheers, Odom was somewhat annoyed, muttering something no one could understand.

The referee blew his whistle as the basketball flew out of bounds.

The Clippers have 5 seconds left on their shot clock.

At the same time, Alvin Gentry called a timeout, clearly indicating that he also wanted to make the play.

Alvin Gentry set up a pick-and-roll three-point play.

Meanwhile, Nelson looked towards the Clippers. This Clippers had grown through seven hard-fought Playoffs games and was much stronger than when they first met. Li Chen, in particular, had gained more respect from his teammates and was playing smarter and smarter.

Oh! I really want to coach this Eastern Kid; it would be so interesting, and maybe he could even make my ideas a reality.

Li Chen was unaware that he had already caught the eye of a mad scientist.

After the pause ended and I returned...

The Mavericks' defense was very aggressive, and it was clear that Nelson had made adjustments during the timeout; he didn't want the Clippers to continue scoring.

However, the Clippers will not give up on this offensive opportunity.

Because the Clippers, every point in every game is crucial for them. Therefore, they will not give up on any game or every offensive play, as long as there is even the slightest chance.

Li Chen stood outside the sideline, watching his teammates make repeated runs, and held the basketball high with both hands, waiting for the best opportunity to pass it.

Just then, Li Chen's eyes lit up. After tireless efforts, Wang Zhizhi finally succeeded in making a successful run back.

He dashed out of the three-point line in the blink of an eye.

Li Chen quickly passed the ball to Wang Zhizhi, and then ran towards the center of the court himself.

At this moment, Wang Zhizhi passed the basketball back to Li Chen, while Van Exel, who was defending Li Chen, was blocked by Wang Zhizhi.

Li Chen used Wang Zhizhi as a barrier, and he leaped high into the air.

However, both Li Chen and Wang Zhizhi underestimated Van Exel's flexibility.

He dodged Wang Zhizhi's screen and leaped high into the air.

However, he is only 185cm tall, so it's almost impossible for him to block Li Chen's shot.

The height difference between him and Li Chen was too great, so his efforts were in vain.

However, Li Chen had a flash of inspiration. In a split second, he withdrew his hands, his waist and abdomen suddenly tensed, and then he made a reverse lever motion.

Then, as expected, Van Exel hit Li Chen's arm.

Although the ball hit his arm hard, Li Chen's hands remained steady as he forcefully threw the basketball.

At the same time, the whistle signaling the end of the match time blew as scheduled.

Li Chen ignored the whistle and watched the basketball's trajectory with anticipation. At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

The basketball spun continuously, drawing a beautiful arc in the air.

As it hovered above the basket, it flew precisely into the basket, making a crisp sound as it hit the net.

3+1.

Li Chen hit a buzzer-beating 3+1 in the final moments.

His sudden inspiration had succeeded, which made him excitedly clench his right hand.

The Clippers erupted in cheers; this basket seemed to give the Clippers players a shot of adrenaline.

His teammates rushed excitedly towards Li Chen, embracing and celebrating this crucial score.

"Chen, that was a beautiful shot!"

"Yeah yeah!"

Li Chen could sense that the Clippers' momentum was rising.

A moment later, Li Chen stood in front of the free throw line.

Swish! The basketball went smoothly into the basket.

The score was 65-68, with only a 3-point difference between the two teams.

"The Clippers showed incredible resilience by coming back from a 10-point deficit to score 7 points in a minute. Even if they lose this series to the Mavericks, they deserve respect."

Sun Zhengping said with emotion.

Zhang Weiping nodded first, then retorted, "With the Clippers' current momentum, winning this series is absolutely no problem."

Hearing Zhang Weiping's words, Sun Zhengping could only smile bitterly.

At the start of the third quarter, Nowitzki continued his steady performance, opening with a one-legged Golden Rooster Independence jumper.

65 to 70.

Li Chen dribbled the ball up the court.

Li Chen passed the ball to Corey Maggette, who then quickly cut inside.

Corey Maggette understood immediately, and the moment Li Chen drove in, he had already passed the ball out.

After Li Chen received the basketball, Finley was there to help defend, blocked his path.

Li Chen swayed his upper body from side to side, deceiving Finley's center of gravity, and he passed by him like a bolt of lightning.

Even if Finley wanted to foul, he wouldn't have had the chance.

After breaking through Finley's help defense, Li Chen had just jumped up when LaFrentz, a shot-blocking expert, leaped high into the air.

His eyes were full of confidence; he was confident he could block Li Chen's layup attempt.

Just then, Li Chen tensed his waist and abdomen, and then used the same technique again to make a reverse layup.

It's important to know that a reverse layup is extremely likely to draw a foul from the defender.

Just as Li Chen had predicted, he was knocked down by LaFrentz, and the basketball swished through the net thanks to the Layup Master.

Li Chen successfully completed a 2+1 play.

At the same time, the referee's whistle blew.

Li Chen to the free-throw line, let out a long breath, and then decisively released the shot.

Bang! Li Chen's shot went short, but just then, the A-rank [Miracle Shot] skill was triggered.

68 to 70.

Just then, the Clippers players gathered together to celebrate.

Nash saw Nelson make a gesture. He nodded to indicate that he understood.

At this moment, Li Chen's expression suddenly turned grim, because the Mavericks' Nash had already passed the ball out.

"Replay it, quick!" Li Chen shouted to his teammates.

With that, he sprinted towards his own backcourt.

The Mavericks are trying to increase their offensive pace.

Although the Clippers didn't concede any points as a result, their defense was significantly impacted.

Finley easily scored two points with a layup.

68 to 72.

Li Chen picked up the ball, stood on the baseline, and after stabilizing his rhythm, he passed the basketball to Corey Maggette.

Corey Maggette dribbled the ball up the court and then passed it to Li Chen.

Li Chen leaned forward, holding the ball at his waist, assuming a triple threat stance.

Seeing this, Van Exel felt a little uneasy, wondering what Li Chen would do next.