章節 128: Chapter 128: A Shocking Twist! Cousins Exits Injured, Warriors on the Edge

The game resumed with Draymond Green preparing to inbound the ball from the sideline. Kevin Durant raised his hand, demanding the ball, his expression tinged with irritation. Despite Patrick Beverley's relentless, dogged defense, Green hesitated only briefly before making the pass.

Durant caught the ball but immediately felt Beverley's presence—like a shadow, the defender pressed hard against him, using his body to apply pressure while his hands darted around, swiping at the ball. Beverley seemed to have mastered the officials' leniency, operating right at the edge of acceptable contact. Frustrated, Durant attempted to draw a foul, leaping to shoot as Beverley reached in.

The whistle never came. Instead, the ball slipped from Durant's grasp, falling loose onto the court. Beverley lunged like a predator, snatching it up before quickly passing to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The young guard wasted no time, racing to the hoop and finishing with a thunderous dunk.

The scoreboard shifted: 13–20, Clippers in command with a 7-point lead.

Durant glared at the referee, raising his arms in protest. Beverley, spotting his chance, began mockingly clapping his hands, his smirk a deliberate provocation. Durant responded with his trademark worker's grin, a mix of disbelief and defiance.

Back on offense, the Warriors needed a response. Taking the ball past half-court, Tang Lei took matters into his own hands. He squared up against Gilgeous-Alexander, executed a sharp pull-up jumper, and drained a clean three-pointer.

16–20. A glimmer of hope for Golden State.

But the Clippers were not about to lose momentum. On the next possession, Beverley found himself open on the wing. Without hesitation, he launched a three-pointer that swished through the net.

16–23. The lead extended back to seven.

The Clippers' energy was palpable, a stark contrast to their Game 1 performance. They attacked every possession with ferocity, determined to claw their way back into the series.

Tang Lei continued to orchestrate the offense. After driving past his defender, he delivered a brilliant behind-the-back pass to DeMarcus Cousins under the basket. Cousins seized the opportunity, slamming the ball through the hoop with authority.

18–23.

Moments later, the Clippers missed a contested jumper, and Tang Lei grabbed the rebound, igniting a fast break. He whipped another precision pass to Cousins, who hesitated briefly before being stripped by Montrezl Harrell. The ball ricocheted toward the baseline, seemingly destined to go out of bounds.

Cousins dove for it.

With an impressive display of hustle, he managed to save the ball, flipping it back to Shaun Livingston. Livingston coolly stepped into a mid-range shot and knocked it down.

20–23. The Warriors were within a single possession.

But something was wrong.

As Cousins lay sprawled on the hardwood, he clutched his knee, his face contorted in pain. The arena fell eerily silent. Teammates rushed to his side, their concern evident. Warriors team doctors hurried onto the court to assess the injury.

The crowd watched in stunned disbelief. Cousins, one of the night's bright spots with 8 points already, was helped to his feet, unable to put weight on his leg. The sight of him limping off, assisted by medical staff, was a heavy blow to the Warriors' spirits.

Applause erupted across the Oracle Arena, a gesture of support for Cousins as he disappeared into the tunnel. Meanwhile, Steve Kerr had no choice but to adjust. Kevon Looney was subbed in to fill the center position, and both Durant and Green were given a rest. Curry and Thompson reentered alongside Tang Lei, who now shared the floor with Livingston and Looney.

The Clippers seized the moment to press their advantage. Lou Williams and Landry Shamet replaced Beverley and Gilgeous-Alexander, adding firepower to the lineup.

Williams wasted no time, slicing through the Warriors' defense for a crafty layup.

20–25.

A few possessions later, Danilo Gallinari drilled a trailing three-pointer in transition, pushing the lead further.

20–28. The gap widened to 8 points.

But then, Stephen Curry found his rhythm. Thanks to two well-timed assists from Tang Lei, Curry nailed a deep three, then followed it up with a silky floater on the next possession. The Warriors clawed back.

25–28.

The first quarter ended with the Warriors trailing by just three. Despite the setback with Cousins' injury, they had managed to stay within striking distance.

During the break, Warriors officials released an update on Cousins' condition: a knee sprain, no structural damage detected. He would not return for the game, with further evaluation pending. The news provided some relief to fans, but concern lingered. This injury could not have come at a worse time for a team already plagued by physical setbacks.

Golden State's journey to another championship suddenly looked more precarious than ever.