noffsinger 382 A stunning reversal?
382 A stunning reversal?
Countdown, 3, 2...
When the countdown timer showed the last second, Su Hao made his move.
If it were any later, it would undoubtedly have exceeded the time limit.
The countdown ended the instant the basketball was in the air.
Clearly, Su Hao had no intention of giving his opponent even 0.1 seconds.
The basketball traced a perfect arc in the air, flying straight towards the basket.
The ball went in, and it swished through the net.
The home fans' enthusiasm was reignited, with cheers and shouts rising and falling.
"Su Hao, MVP! Clippers champions!" The familiar voice and slogan echoed once again throughout the Staples Center. "How come Su Hao's three-point shooting is so accurate today? He hasn't missed a single three-pointer so far, has he?" Barkley asked from the stands.
"Let me see!" Miller said after checking the stats. "It's true! So far, Su Hao has made all three of his three-point attempts, a staggering 100% success rate! That's terrifying!"
After three quarters, Su Hao had already scored 40 points.
This helped the Clippers extend their lead to twenty-five points.
"I didn't expect the Clippers to be even stronger this season!" Tony Parker couldn't help but say, watching the situation on the court.
"It's not that they're that strong, it's just that our shooting was terrible today. If our three-pointers had been more accurate, we definitely wouldn't have fallen behind by so many points!" Danny Green looked somewhat unwilling to accept the situation.
"I don't know how good the other Clippers players are, but Su Hao is really strong. I couldn't even handle him!" Duncan said helplessly.
This game can be described as one of the most frustrating in Duncan's career. Whether inside or outside, he was completely outmatched by Su Hao on both offense and defense.
The teammates nodded in agreement.
"Now you know how good Su Hao is? Who was it that boasted before the game that beating the Clippers would be an easy thing?" Popovich didn't seem angry at the moment; on the contrary, he seemed quite happy.
The Spurs players looked at their smiling head coach, their faces full of questions.
During the match, he still looked displeased.
How come you're actually happy now that you're so far behind and the game is almost over?
The players were puzzled by Popovich's strange behavior.
With only one quarter remaining in the game and the Clippers already leading by 25 points, the Clippers had a significant advantage.
They want to go back to their old habit of lenient treatment.
Head coach Mike Dunleavy decided to keep Su Hao off the field for the time being.
He continued to rest on the bench, and Aldridge replaced him to play the rest of the fourth quarter.
He believed that since the Spurs were already down by so many points, they shouldn't continue playing their starters.
Just as he predicted, the Spurs finally decided to forfeit the game.
The final quarter was handed over to the substitutes.
“If we don’t use any of our starters, what if the Spurs bring their starters back in to catch up? There’s still a whole quarter left!” Gordon looked at the head coach with a puzzled expression.
"What's the big deal if we catch up? At worst, you can just go up there and fight them back!"
Upon hearing the head coach's response, the players almost burst out laughing.
"Since the coach has made this arrangement, then we'll rest here! Looks like that's all the points I can score today!" Su Hao said helplessly.
"Don't tell me you're a player who cares about scoring? We don't believe it!" Curry said with a laugh.
Su Hao frowned slightly and said, "I really do care, so what! I'm even hoping to reach the all-time high score by the time I retire!"
Su Hao's teammates were also shocked by his words.
To their surprise, Su Hao's goal was set so far ahead.
He actually wants to break his all-time record for total regular season points by the time he retires.
The referee blew his whistle again.
The fourth quarter has officially begun.
Both sides substituted their players with only substitutes.
The Spurs breathed a sigh of relief when the Clippers didn't field their starters again.
"Thank goodness they knew to substitute all their starters! If they had kept Su Hao on the court, we would have lost by thirty points or more!" Ginobili said.
"You can argue with that! Hopefully, our teammates can step up and bring the score back!" Duncan said.
The substitutes from both sides continued the game in the fourth quarter.
However, the situation on the field changed.
Despite the Spurs' key players leaving the court, their bench players performed exceptionally well, steadily narrowing the score gap.
The Clippers, on the other hand, seemed somewhat relaxed, with problems on both offense and defense.
Su Hao observed the situation from the sidelines, secretly wondering, "Could this be the legendary comeback during garbage time?"
He knew this situation was rare, but when it did happen, it often brought unexpected surprises to the team.
But there's no need to worry now. It's not too late to step up when the opponent is really catching up.
As the game progressed, the Spurs' bench players became increasingly impressive, gradually closing the gap to just ten points.
At this point, Mike Dunleavy began to regret his decision, realizing that he should have sent Su Hao earlier.
But at this moment, he can only hope that the substitutes can maintain their form and try to create a miracle in the final moments.
However, the Spurs' momentum did not stop.
With two minutes remaining in the game, they successfully tied the score.
At this moment, the Spurs players on the sidelines erupted in cheers, applauding their teammates' tenacious fight.
The Clippers' coaching staff called an emergency timeout to rearrange their tactics.
Meanwhile, on the Spurs' side, Popovich is also considering whether to bring in his starters.
Ultimately, he decided to trust the substitutes and keep them on the field to try and win the game.
In the final crucial moments, a Spurs substitute player hit a key three-pointer to give his team the lead.
Subsequently, the Clippers committed an offensive error, and the Spurs seized the opportunity to score on the fast break, extending their lead to five points.
There was one minute left in the game.
The Clippers promptly called a timeout.
"Coach, I thought you weren't going to call a timeout and let the game be lost like this!" Su Hao looked at Mike Dunleavy curiously.
"You rascal, now's your moment to shine on the crucial plays! You'd better perform well! You can't lose! If you win, I'll treat you to Chinese food!" Mike Dunleavy laughed.
"Don't worry, Coach! Su Hao is more than enough for one minute!" Curry said confidently.
Su Hao was somewhat speechless.
After all, this result was entirely due to the head coach's decision.