Capítulo 74: Success Because of You, Failure Because of You
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When Curry finished speaking, the room fell into a deep silence. Everyone looked around and saw the same thing in each other's eyes: the desire to win.
Liam glanced at Curry, and a smile crept onto his face, slowly growing into a bright grin.
"Yeah," Liam said, "just like I never thought I'd become your head coach and make it to March Madness... If the quarterfinals are our end, then aren't we too incompetent to be a real dark horse? Our journey isn't over yet."
"Keep winning!" Butler suddenly shouted, his breathing heavy, caught in a wave of excitement.
Butler had been through a lot growing up, often cast aside by teammates in high school. It was with the Bulldogs that he first understood the meaning of teamwork.
It was his coach, Liam, who took him in, pulling him out of difficult circumstances, giving him a full scholarship, and even letting him live in his own apartment while providing living expenses.
Butler knew Liam never intended to give up, so for him, Butler had to win this game no matter what.
Drew, who was usually quiet, spoke up slowly: "I'm already a senior, no NBA team will pick me, and I'll probably have to go overseas to play. This is my last year in the NCAA... I know I can't stop Hansbrough, and I can't score inside. All I can do is set screens for Stephen, Jimmy, and AJ, and grab rebounds. I'm sorry that I'm a burden to the team."
He paused, then continued:
"But ever since I was a kid, I've had a dream of winning the NCAA championship. I grew up in Indiana, and this is my home. I've fantasized about parading through the streets with the championship trophy in front of my family..."
"After joining the Bulldogs, though, the team never even made it to March Madness. I accepted that, and I stopped dreaming about championships, until Coach Liam showed up."
"Coach brought in Stephen and Jimmy, and led us to March Madness. This year, we even made it to the Elite Eight. For the first time, I realized how close we were to a championship! I don't know if we'll win it this year, but if you ask me when the best moment of my life has been, I'd say it's right now."
"What I'm saying is we have to win this. We can't let Coach's hard work go to waste! Sure, North Carolina's stronger, but does that mean our fighting spirit is weaker too? If that's true, how can we win?"
Drew finished with a hoarse shout, his emotions clear to everyone. His teammates looked at him, and it was as if his eyes were burning with determination.
No one expected that this usually quiet, simple guy would have such passion inside.
Butler was the first to stand up. "Keep winning!"
"Keep winning!" Julian Beko echoed.
"Keep winning!"
"Win..."
One by one, the rest stood up, forming a circle.
Curry picked up the basketball and watched it spin. Suddenly, he felt the stiffness that had plagued him in the first half start to disappear.
He could feel his rhythm coming back.
Gently, he put the basketball down, joined the circle, and put his hand in.
"Keep winning!" he declared.
The coaching staff followed, and finally, Liam placed his hand on top of everyone else's.
He looked around at his team and shouted: "1, 2, 3, keep winning!"
Their roar was loud, almost thunderous.
Liam checked his watch and noticed the break was almost over. He kept it simple: "Stick to the game plan. Stephen, shoot confidently. Don't worry about the outcome. You must trust your teammates. Whether we win or lose, we do it together. Now let's go, it's our time to shine!"
The players, fired up, responded with energy and exited the locker room one by one.
Curry walked at the back, clutching the basketball, while Liam strolled beside him.
"Coach, am I being selfish?" Curry asked suddenly.
"Selfish?" Liam was puzzled.
"I made everyone believe I'd get my shooting back, but what if I keep missing? We could switch up our tactics—let Ben run point and I'll play off the ball," Curry explained.
"Stephen, you haven't figured out one thing yet," Liam smiled gently.
"What's that?" Curry asked, confused.
Liam said slowly:
"The Bulldogs aren't just my team; they're your team too. You're the star player. Do you know why the Hokies lost? Because they didn't have a star who could break through our defense. And why is North Carolina up by 13 points at halftime? It's not just because you're struggling; the main reason is that we can't stop Hansbrough and Ty Lawson."
Curry listened intently as Liam continued.
"Doesn't Selinborg know how to break our defense? Of course, he does. But no matter how well he explains his tactics, his players can't execute them. Roy Williams, on the other hand, could give any plan, or no plan at all, and Hansbrough and Lawson would still dominate."
"Stars and coaches complement each other. Both are vital. I didn't bring this team to March Madness by myself—you're just as important. To beat North Carolina, it all comes down to your performance. I don't have any other magical tactics. This team was built around you. So, if we win, it's because of you. And if we lose, that's because of you too."
Liam patted Curry on the shoulder and walked ahead, leaving the locker room.
"Success because of me, failure because of me..." Curry muttered under his breath.
His eyes shone brighter, filled with renewed confidence, and he followed with large strides.
"Dear audience, halftime is over. Let's get back to the action. Both teams are returning to the court, and it looks like no substitutions have been made. This is expected in a life-or-death March Madness game... Dell, what do you think the Bulldogs need to do to turn this around?" Jim Nantz said as the teams came onto the court.
Dell paused, thinking before responding:
"Stephen has to find his touch again, or someone else needs to step up to fill the gap. Otherwise, it's going to be tough for the Bulldogs to make up the deficit. North Carolina is too consistent offensively, and their depth makes them hard to contain. Butler's only hope is to score more efficiently, but in the first half, they relied too heavily on fast breaks. Hopefully, halftime gave them a chance to reset."
Butler University fans watching the game were on edge.
What difference can halftime really make? It seemed like the Bulldogs' magical run would end here...
But still, something didn't feel right. After all, this was the Bulldogs' first-ever trip to the NCAA Elite Eight, and they had the chance to hang a new banner in Hinkle Fieldhouse.
But was this really the end?
We've come so far. Could it be over already?
End of this chapter
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