章 116: Chapter 116: The Elbow Pass! A Staggering Display, Irving Left Dazed

As the replay played on the big screen, gasps erupted from the home crowd at TD Garden. Meanwhile, Tencent's live-stream chat was exploding with excited comments.

"OMG! Isn't this...isn't this 'his' signature move?"

"Elbow pass! That's White Chocolate's, Jason Williams's, famous pass!"

"Seriously, where did King Lei even pick this up? It's like there's nothing he can't do!"

"He's our pride, people! That's why he's King Lei, no ordinary player from China!"

"LOL, did you see that pass? Even Uncle Drew's stunned."

"Iguodala says: Lei's the real deal. He just makes these passes like it's nothing."

"Guys, today's Top Ten—any objections?"

"Nope, not at all!"

"He's just too slick, that King Lei."

As the applause and buzz continued, Iguodala made the free throw to complete the three-point play.

9:10

The Warriors took the lead once again.

Celtics' ball. Having picked up the ball, Irving gave Tang Lei an extra, almost curious glance. That elbow pass had clearly shaken him. It wasn't that he couldn't do it—he just wouldn't. A pass like that was almost too famous and far from a standard play. If he were to make it, he'd be inviting a label, a tag that didn't feel uniquely his.

Irving wasn't one to be pegged as just anyone's successor. He's Irving, and he doesn't need to be anyone else's "version two."

Now, more serious than ever, Irving took on Tang Lei.

This time, he managed to shake Tang Lei and pulled up for a long two-point shot. But this one wasn't quite on target—the ball spun around the rim three and a half times before bouncing out. Luckily, Horford was there to grab the rebound. He faked Cousins off balance and calmly went up to slam it home.

11:10. The Celtics regained the lead.

Back on offense, Tang Lei showed no stiffness against Irving's pressure. In fact, with each possession, he only seemed to get more comfortable, controlling the ball with ease. This time, he decided to exploit his speed and vertical to drive past Irving.

11:12!

Two-thirds through the first quarter, the game was dead even, with both teams refusing to give an inch and mistakes few and far between.

Neither the Warriors nor the Celtics had called for a timeout, so ultimately, it was the officials who couldn't hold off any longer and called for a mandatory break. There was simply no way they'd let the quarter run out entirely without stopping. After all, the NBA is a business; ad space is money, and ad space needs breaks. No commercials, no profits, no premium broadcast rights. In terms of commercial breaks, you have to hand it to the NBA—they know exactly how to maximize them.

During the timeout, Kerr and Stevens made their moves, pulling their main players off the floor. For Golden State, Tang Lei and Durant took a seat, while Irving and Tatum exited for Boston.

With about three minutes left in the quarter, the Warriors' second unit entered what was expected to be an evenly matched battle.

But to everyone's surprise, the Warriors collapsed without Tang Lei and Durant. The team just wasn't the same, falling behind by 11 points in the final three minutes, ending the quarter down 39:28 to Boston.

Thinking it over, it wasn't all that surprising. After all, Curry, Green, and Thompson were out, leaving three starters on the bench. Tang Lei and Durant keeping them within reach was already impressive; expecting the bench to hold up beyond that was probably unrealistic.

As the second quarter began, both Tang Lei and Durant re-entered the game, with Irving and Tatum doing the same for Boston.

The starting lineups for both teams were back, and the battle resumed as fiercely as ever, each team trading baskets and guarding tightly.

Tang Lei and Irving continued to go head-to-head, both players scoring and responding to each other's plays. Meanwhile, Durant and Tatum were locked in their own scoring duel. Neither side managed to pull away decisively.

Halfway through the second quarter, the teams remained close, with the Warriors struggling to cut the deficit.

Then came the usual rotation. In a bid to keep the bench from getting blown out, Kerr adjusted his plan, resting Tang Lei while keeping Durant as the primary scoring option.

This strategy paid off, as the deficit only widened slightly by two points. Then Tang Lei returned, giving Durant a breather to wrap up the last three minutes of the half.

On offense, Golden State kept pace, with Tang Lei orchestrating a fluid attack. But on defense, they were still porous, letting Boston score with ease.

Defense had never been the Warriors' strongest suit, and without Green and Thompson, it felt like anyone could take advantage.

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