Volume 4: Golden State Prosperity

Volume 4: The Golden State Dynasty — Chapter 721: Winning Was Hard, Losing Was Decisive. James's free throws had mainly come in the first half; he scored 9 points from the line in the second quarter alone. In the second half, Zhang Yu adjusted his tactics. The Warriors' rim protection declined sharply, and their foul count dropped significantly. James could score whenever he drove inside and no longer needed free throws. But he no longer cared. There was no difference between being swept and suffering a gentleman's sweep; even losing 3–4 was meaningless. The Splash Brothers were both elite shooters who could space the floor, while Antetokounmpo was an elite finisher inside. Even his weakness of clogging the floor was tolerable. Best of all, Curry could usually play off the ball, yet handle the ball in crucial moments. He was practically a guard tailor-made for James. The game was over, but life had to go on. Of course, if he could put aside his pride and serve as a supporting player for another superstar, his odds of winning a championship would increase greatly. But James's mind was no longer on the game. Down 0–3, the Cavaliers were finished. Any effort now would seem exceptionally foolish. But this time, perhaps he could no longer do that. All of his points had come in the paint, without a single mid-range shot. As long as he drove inside, he either scored or went to the free-throw line. The Warriors maintained a lead of around 10 points throughout, unable to pull further away but never allowing the Cavaliers to catch up either, all the way until the final buzzer. At the same time, he wanted his reputation, which was why he wrapped himself in labels like "brotherhood basketball" and "hometown basketball," while actually going