Volume 5: Unrivaled

When Antetokounmpo launched his attack, Ariza immediately collapsed to help, but Antetokounmpo finished a step ahead of him, rendering the help defense useless. It was a very slim lead, one that could vanish in an instant in a game of this level. "Defense! Don't let him get into the paint and score again! Protect the rim!" "Fuck!" Curry nodded heavily, rose to his feet, and walked to the scorer's table to await his chance to check in. His eyes held only the basket. He wanted to answer Paul's three-pointer with a thunderous dunk and tell Paul that this was Chase Center, Warriors territory! Seeing Curry preparing to enter, D'Antoni hurriedly turned and called for Harden, telling him to get ready as well. Then he shouted twice more at the Rockets players on the court, telling them to tighten up on defense and score more points, trying to erase the deficit as much as possible before the final battle arrived. The league had strict rules: without a referee's permission, players on the bench could not step onto the court, or they would receive a technical foul. In serious cases, they could be ejected outright. Paul's mid-range shot was deadly accurate, Capela finished with tremendous force inside, Tucker and Ariza were sharp from three, and Luc Mbah a Moute turned into a tireless warrior, hounding opponents relentlessly on defense and causing the Warriors plenty of trouble. But his strength still paled in comparison to Antetokounmpo's. He could create some resistance, but he could not stop Antetokounmpo's advance. Zhang Yu stepped forward, intending to comfort Antetokounmpo, but Antetokounmpo gave a bitter smile first: Tucker knew he was in the wrong. After Wiggins shoved him aside, he showed no reaction, only stared blankly at Antetokounmpo while repeatedly muttering, "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to