Capítulo 44: Gambling
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Chance!
Donovan, who had been waiting next to the referee, immediately signaled.
"Beep——"
The referee blew the whistle, and Florida University used its last timeout!
On the Florida University bench, Donovan picked up the tactical board and drew up a plan, speaking rapidly:
"Corey, you'll run a pick-and-roll with Al. Al, you'll stay outside, and the others will move around to draw the defense's attention. Corey, after the pick-and-roll, try to attack the basket. If they collapse inside, pass the ball to Al. Joakim, screen for Taurean, who will cut to the basket and try to disrupt their formation. Al, you decide the final play. Pass if you have the chance; otherwise, take the shot yourself. Got it?"
Horford nodded solemnly, and the others acknowledged. Donovan took a deep breath:
"Guys, give it everything you've got and trust your teammates!"
The timeout ended quickly, and both sides returned to the court.
On the other side of the technical desk, Stevens asked gravely:
"Liam, do we really have to let them defend like this?"
Liam took a deep breath:
"We have to gamble."
They watched as all the players moved into the Bulldogs' half, and Horford took the basketball from the referee.
The Florida University players started to move. Brewer used Noah's screen to get open and received the pass from Horford.
After Horford passed the ball, he immediately set a screen for Brewer. Florida University was still down by 2 points and needed to find a way to score first.
With Horford's screen, Brewer got a little space and tried to drive inside, but Mike Green and Drew blocked his path.
Unable to break through, Brewer quickly passed the ball back to Horford, as Donovan had instructed.
Horford held the ball high above his head at the top of the arc and observed his teammates' movements, but the Bulldogs' defense, under Liam's direction, was very tight and didn't give the Florida players any open shots.
Seeing no opportunities for his teammates, Horford lowered his center of gravity and dribbled towards the inside.
Julian Beko tried his best to defend but couldn't stop Horford and was pushed aside.
Just as Horford was about to enter the paint, AJ Graves left Humphrey to assist on defense and pressed from the side.
Horford quickly protected the ball and noticed Humphrey waiting outside the three-point line with his arms outstretched.
Humphrey had been silent throughout the game.
He paused for a moment, and Donovan's words echoed in his mind—"Trust your teammates!"
Without hesitation, Horford passed the ball to Humphrey.
In an instant, everyone in the St. Louis Arena focused on him.
Humphrey received the pass from Horford and, without hesitation, shot a three-pointer!
His expression was relaxed, as if he were practicing his daily shots, not taking a game-winning shot in the NCAA round of 16, and he seemed unaffected by the pressure of thousands of fans.
The basketball arced smoothly, reflecting Humphrey's straightforward role on the team—simple and unpretentious.
Swish!
The ball went through the net like all the beautiful shots in history!
75:76, Florida University took the lead with 6 seconds remaining!
Boom!
After the shot, a massive wave of sky-blue surged through the stadium, and the cheers from the Florida fans roared through the St. Louis Arena like a tsunami.
Teammates rushed over, hugging Humphrey and lifting him up, but Humphrey seemed unaffected, grinning as if he had just made a routine play.
Liam quickly called the last timeout.
He clenched his right fist, pounded it on his left hand, and smiled bitterly:
"Brad, unfortunately, we made a wrong bet."
During the previous timeout, he had instructed his players to leave Taurean Green and Humphrey open while double-teaming Brewer and Horford, betting that the two wouldn't be able to respond.
But he didn't expect Humphrey to have such composure. Despite the immense pressure, he made a game-winning three-pointer.
"Liam, we still have a chance!" said Stevens.
"That's right, there's one last play!" Liam nodded firmly.
He walked over and patted the shoulders of the retreating team members to offer encouragement.
Once everyone was back on the bench, Liam picked up the tactical board and said,
"Don't be discouraged. We still have a chance. Stephen, can you hold on?"
Curry, sitting in a chair, breathing heavily, sipping energy drinks, and wiping sweat from his brow, nodded firmly.
Liam paused for a moment. Seeing Curry was nearly at his limit, he had no choice but to rely on him:
"Good. You'll handle the ball. Drew, set a screen for Stephen, and Stephen, you'll decide whether to drive or shoot. We have only 6 seconds, so act quickly. Do you understand?"
Amid the cheers from the Florida University fans, Liam shouted as loud as he could, his voice nearly drowned by the surrounding noise.
"Boss, I understand!" Curry responded loudly.
The timeout ended quickly, and both sides returned to the court for the final play.
Stevens said:
"Liam, do we really want to play pick-and-roll? It will give them a chance to double-team Stephen."
"Did you notice Stephen's energy?" Liam said solemnly. "If it's one-on-one, he might not shake off Brewer's defense. The screen will create a gap, and that's our last chance."
While the two discussed, Mike Green had already passed the ball.
Curry received the ball at midfield and rushed forward.
But something unexpected happened. Drew got entangled with Horford in the paint and couldn't cover for Curry!
"Julian!" Liam shouted.
Julian Beko hurried to the top of the arc to cover Curry.
Curry understood and dribbled towards Julian, but Brewer was blocked by Julian.
Humphrey, who was guarding Julian, rushed forward with his hands raised, leaving Curry with no chance to shoot directly. Fortunately, he was still a bit far, allowing Curry to create a little space.
He was about to shoot a three-pointer as soon as he received the ball, but Julian's physique was less broad than Drew's, and Brewer quickly squeezed through the screen and rushed towards Curry.
Florida University opted for a double team at the last moment!
Donovan, after seeing Curry's shooting performance throughout the game, wavered.
He realized that this baby-faced guy could indeed be accurate throughout the game.
At this crucial moment, Donovan made the same choice as Liam.
He decided it was better to let the role players beat him rather than give Curry an open shot.
Basketball, after all, is a sport of individual heroism.
Even though Donovan had seen Humphrey make a crucial three-pointer, he still chose to gamble, the same gamble as Liam.
End of this chapter
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