Chapter 132: Chapter 132: The Return of the Comeback God

In the Tencent livestream, commentators Huang Meng and Su Yi were analyzing the game's dramatic finish. Huang Meng opened the discussion with a direct question:

"Mr. Su, with the Warriors trailing by 9 points and only 50 seconds left, do you think going for two-point shots still makes sense?"

Su Yi, ever the voice of reason, shook his head slightly. "Unless they can score very quickly, it doesn't make much sense. Their best chance is to prioritize three-pointers. Without any timeouts left, even a foul strategy will force them to inbound from the backcourt, making it tricky."

A flood of comments filled the chat. Huang Meng picked one out loud: "Fans are asking, Mr. Su, do the Warriors still have any chance?"

"There's always a chance," Su Yi replied. "But it's slim. Tang Lei has shown his ability to orchestrate miracles, like in his 20-point spree capped with a clutch assist. But replicating such heroics in the playoffs is a monumental challenge."

The discussion paused as the broadcast returned to the Oracle Arena, where fans were on the edge of their seats. Huang Meng refocused on the action.

"Let's see what kind of play Coach Kerr has drawn up for this crucial possession."

---

Out of the timeout, Draymond Green stood at the sideline, ball in hand. Curry, Klay Thompson, and Tang Lei lined up near the free-throw line, poised to execute a carefully crafted play.

The whistle blew, and Green quickly passed the ball to Tang Lei, triggering a whirlwind of motion. Curry darted toward the basket, drawing defenders, only to loop around an off-ball screen from Andre Iguodala and sprint toward the corner.

As Curry reached his spot, Green lobbed the ball to him. Despite Gallinari's speedy closeout, Curry needed only a sliver of daylight. He rose and released a quick three-pointer.

The ball sailed cleanly through the net.

122–128. The Warriors trimmed the deficit to six with just 1.8 seconds off the clock. The play was executed flawlessly, reigniting hope among the home crowd.

The Clippers inbounded the ball, tightly guarded by the Warriors' man-to-man defense. Tang Lei denied Lou Williams the ball, forcing Harrell to pass to Landry Shamet instead. Klay Thompson made a risky swipe at Shamet, drawing a foul.

The refs ruled it a take foul, not yet in the penalty, resetting the possession.

Kerr's strategy was clear: apply constant pressure to disrupt the Clippers' rhythm and force mistakes.

The Clippers inbounded again, with Shamet controlling the tempo. Despite Thompson's aggressive defense, Shamet maintained his composure. As the shot clock wound down, Shamet passed to Harrell, who quickly handed it off to Gallinari on the perimeter.

Gallinari, with Iguodala chasing him, pulled up for a contested three-point attempt. The ball arced high but hit the rim, bouncing out.

Green seized the rebound and pushed the ball upcourt. Curry, Thompson, and Tang Lei sprinted ahead, searching for open space.

Green spotted Thompson cutting toward the wing and delivered a pinpoint pass. Thompson caught the ball in rhythm and launched a three-pointer.

The crowd fell silent as the ball sailed through the air.

The ball ricocheted off the rim, and disappointment rippled through the arena. Faces in the crowd turned somber, some fans even shaking their heads in disbelief.

But before the Clippers could secure the rebound, Tang Lei soared into the paint, leaping over Harrell to snatch the ball mid-air.

Harrell, in a desperate attempt to block the shot, smacked Tang Lei's arm. The whistle blew as Tang completed the shot, the ball kissing the glass before dropping through the hoop.

And one!

The Oracle Arena erupted. Tang Lei's hustle had turned despair into hope, cutting the lead to four points with a free throw pending. Harrell, realizing his error, clutched his head in frustration.

Tang calmly stepped to the line, taking a deep breath. With a flick of his wrist, the ball sank through the net.

125–128. The Warriors were now within three.

Doc Rivers called his final timeout, rallying his team with fiery words. "We're still ahead! No mistakes, no turnovers. Keep the ball in Lou, Shamet, or Gallo's hands. We control our destiny!"

The Clippers returned to the court brimming with determination.

Out of the timeout, Lou Williams received the inbound pass. Curry quickly fouled him to stop the clock with 18.8 seconds remaining.

Williams, already sitting at 37 points for the game, strode to the free-throw line. The Oracle crowd erupted into deafening boos, their energy palpable.

Williams sank the first free throw effortlessly, quieting the crowd.

But the second attempt clanged off the rim, sending Green racing for the rebound.

127–129.

Green immediately passed the ball to Tang Lei, who sprinted upcourt. With less than 10 seconds remaining, Beverley met him near the half-court line, determined to deny the three-pointer.

Tang faked a pull-up, driving hard to the rim instead. Harrell stepped up to contest, but Tang adjusted mid-air, finishing with a thunderous dunk.

129–127.

The clock read 6.6 seconds.

---

Harrell wasted no time inbounding the ball, finding Shamet in the backcourt. Shamet milked precious seconds before Iguodala fouled him with 3.2 seconds left.

Shamet's first free throw missed, igniting the crowd once more. But he steadied himself and drained the second.

127–130.

The Warriors had no timeouts left. With just 3.2 seconds on the clock, they needed a miracle to force overtime. Tang Lei took the inbound pass, darting upcourt for a desperate heave as time expired.

Would the Warriors rewrite destiny, or would this be another chapter in their season's tale of struggles? All eyes followed the ball as it soared through the air...