บท 393: Chapter 393: The Biased Referee, Varick
Everyone placed the billiard balls back into the box, and Gentry shook it vigorously to ensure they were well-mixed before allowing the players to draw again.
This time, the teams were more evenly matched:
Group A: Durant, Whiteside, Carter, McGrady, and Iverson.
Group B: Wade Dong, Yao Ming, Yi Nan, Nash, and Tucker.
Group C: Curry, Thompson, Green, McCollum, and Barton.
Rookie Nor had an injury and hadn't joined the team yet. Since Yao Ming, Nash, and Iverson were all participating in the competition, Varick graciously gave up his spot and took on the role of referee instead.
Following the rules, the middle group, Group B, would rest first while Groups A and C competed.
Wade Dong's team took a seat on the sidelines.
Yao Ming surveyed the court and asked Wade Dong, "Which team do you think will win?"
"Group C," Wade Dong replied.
"21 points is too quick. They can end the game with just seven three-pointers," he added.
There was no need for a jump ball. Durant and Curry decided who would start with a game of rock-paper-scissors. Curry chose rock, and Durant chose scissors.
"BEEP!!!"
Referee Varick blew his whistle.
Curry dribbled to the frontcourt and, two steps away from the three-point line, took a three-point shot.
"SWISH!!!"
The ball went straight through the net.
On the next possession, Durant easily dribbled past Thompson and slammed a powerful dunk.
Wade Dong, sitting on the sidelines, instructed Yao Ming and the others, "In a game of 21 points, it'll be over in just a few minutes. If we face Group A next, Yao, stay in the backcourt for defense and disrupt their shots when they drive to the basket."
"What about against Group C?" Yao Ming asked.
Wade Dong continued, "When facing Group C, stay in the frontcourt. I'll keep passing the ball to you. Against these smaller players, you're almost unstoppable under the basket. Even if they foul you, they can't stop you."
"So, I don't have to run back and forth?" Yao Ming was delighted, as Wade Dong's strategy would save him a lot of energy.
Yi Nan chimed in, "But Yao, be careful not to commit a three-second violation."
"That's true," Yao Ming agreed.
"I should be mindful of that. If I stand in the half-court for too long, I might accidentally commit a three-second violation," he acknowledged.
Wade Dong gestured towards Varick and said, "Don't worry about that. As long as it's not too obvious, Varick won't call it."
While Wade Dong and Yao Ming chatted on the sidelines, the score on the court had already reached 17-14.
Group C was leading by three points. They only needed to score two more baskets to win.
Wade Dong, sitting on the sidelines, shouted, "Come on, Curry!"
"Hey..."
Hearing Wade Dong's encouragement, Curry turned and smiled at him. As he smiled, he passed the ball to Thompson, who was positioned at the bottom corner of the three-point line.
"Clap!"
Suddenly, Iverson appeared in Curry's passing lane and intercepted the ball, quickly scoring on a fast break.
The score was now 17-16!!!
Although Iverson's stamina had declined, his court sense remained sharp. As Curry looked towards Wade Dong, Iverson anticipated that Curry would pass to Thompson.
Not to be outdone after Iverson's steal, Curry responded with a three-pointer of his own.
The score was now 20-16!!!
It seemed that Group C was about to reach 21 points first.
On the next possession, Iverson dribbled to the frontcourt and passed to Durant, who was in the mid-range area. Durant posted up against Green and used two quick spin moves to create space.
Driving to the basket, Durant didn't go for a layup but instead made a behind-the-back pass to McGrady, who was waiting beyond the three-point line.
"SWISH!!!"
McGrady caught the pass and immediately took a three-pointer, the ball finding nothing but net.
The score was now 20-19!!!
Both Groups A and C were now at match point, and either team could win the game by scoring just one more basket.
"Defense! Defense!"
Iverson quickly got into position and encouraged his teammates, and Group A became more focused.
Curry dribbled to the frontcourt, and Iverson immediately applied pressure, nearly causing Curry to lose the ball. However, Curry managed to pass to Thompson, who now had to face McGrady's defense.
Although McGrady was older, it was still challenging for Thompson to score against his defense in a one-on-one situation.
After several dribbles, Thompson couldn't find any space or opportunity to shoot, so he passed the ball back to Green. Green then passed it out to Curry on the perimeter. As Curry received the pass, Iverson continued to apply pressure.
Group A's defense on the last possession was intense!
Curry and Thompson passed the ball back and forth but couldn't find a good shot.
"BEEP!!!"
Suddenly, Varick blew his whistle and, pretending to check the timer, announced, "24-second violation. Group A's ball!"
"24 seconds?!??"
Curry furrowed his brows, as the court timer wasn't even on, and he hadn't been paying close attention to the shot clock. Since it was a 24-second violation, he passed the ball to Varick and returned to the backcourt to prepare for defense.
"What a biased referee!" Wade Dong exclaimed with a smile.
Top players are extremely sensitive to the 24-second rule and can accurately time 24 seconds without looking at a timer.
Curry's team had possessed the ball for no more than 23 seconds, yet Varick called a 24-second violation, clearly favoring Group A.
Bullying the newcomers!!!
Group A had veterans like Carter, McGrady, and Iverson, while Group C was made up of younger players. However, if Varick were to referee, he might get beaten up by the players or drowned in the fans' spit.
With the ball in Group A's possession, the game became easier.
Iverson dribbled to the frontcourt and passed to Durant, and the other four players spread out to give Durant a one-on-one opportunity.
Green stepped up to defend Durant.
However, given his height, it was nearly impossible for him to guard Durant without resorting to fouls.
Durant made a large front-body crossover, creating space for a jump shot, and then took a mid-range jumper.
"SWISH!!!"
The ball went straight through the net.
The score was now 20-21!!!
Group A ultimately won the game with Durant's mid-range jumper, defeating Group C.
Curry and his teammates were still dazed after the game, feeling that something was off but unable to pinpoint what it was.
"You're something else~"
Before taking the court, Wade Dong intentionally walked up to Varick, patted him on the shoulder, and raised his eyebrows at him.
"Hehe..."
Varick also raised his eyebrows, giving a knowing look.
Curry witnessed this exchange and suddenly realized what had been amiss. He cursed, "Varick, there's no way that was a 24-second violation. You're a biased referee!"
"Hahaha..."
Varick immediately bowed to Curry and forcefully explained, "I was timing it with the timer. There's no way I was biased."
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