Losing their lead also meant losing the capital they had to keep eating away at the clock.
And now, time had indeed stopped being on their side.
Both sides were back at the same starting line.
At this point, all they could do was give everything they had to score on this possession.
The classic Lillard-Giannis pick-and-roll!
This time, Giannis used a solid screen to successfully block Chen Xi.
After running around the screen, Lillard found himself facing Toppin's defense.
After hesitating for a moment, he still chose to loft the ball into the paint, finding Giannis cutting toward the basket.
Giannis caught the ball to the left of the free-throw line, then leaned his side into Chen Xi and began a post-up.
He dribbled once, then suddenly drove his weight inward.
Unexpectedly, Chen Xi didn't lose much ground in their first collision. He was only pushed back half a step by Giannis.
Considering the enormous difference in their size and weight, this was clearly an unbelievable result.
But Giannis immediately used a post-up spin with the ball to carry out his next attacking move.
Relying on his broad shoulders and long stride, he stepped past Chen Xi's body and came around the side to the basket, then gathered the ball and made a shot fake.
He successfully lifted Harten's defense, then quickly jumped and laid the ball in.
Beep!!
The baseline referee blew the whistle!
It was Chen Xi!
Even after being beaten by the spin, he still hadn't given up on the play. Seizing the moment Giannis shook off Hartenstein, he quickly chased after him, then leaped up and attempted rim protection.
Although he failed to block the shot, at least his swat struck both hand and ball, forcibly stopping the opponent's finishing move.
The Basketball slipped free