Chapter 111: Resolved

Chapter 123: Resolution

After a while, William Adams Miller set up a silent block for his teammates. Suddenly, he dashed back, causing Marion to break out in a cold sweat. Up to this point, Marion was still uncertain about Leonard’s intentions.

At that moment, Robert Henry suddenly shook off Dirk and struck him down from mid-range. Parker, the playmaker, seemed destined to pass the ball to the Stone Buddha!

But Robert Henry failed to catch the ball at the peak. Instead, he stood with his hands on his hips, as if trying to set up a no-ball zone!

William Adams Miller’s timing had just begun, and he surpassed Robert Henry. Marion was delayed by Robert Henry’s block, but he caught Parker’s pass. William Adams Miller strode straight out from the three-point line.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ number 2 looked at Lan in confusion, aiming to score. As fans and the DJ shouted for his three-point shots, he merely nodded without any other expression.

A cold wind blew, and Kobe Bryant shivered on the bench. When the opposing team’s coach met the cold-blooded killer Su Feng, he finally understood his own feelings.

Cold-blooded—that was the instinct William Adams Miller brought to Kobe Bryant. After working with Su Feng for a long time, William Adams Miller became the first teammate to make Kobe Bryant feel truly cold-blooded.

At first, William Adams Miller unsurprisingly completed a brilliant drive and layup, scoring three points.

Think this was the silent boy’s final act? Don’t be naive. This was the killer who took down Durant and James.

On the Cavaliers’ second offensive, Su Feng passed the ball to Nowitzki. Robert Henry and Dirk went one-on-one, naturally igniting wild cheers from fans on both sides.

Despite Nowitzki’s significant decline this year, he was not helpless against Robert Henry. The German dribbled back two steps, then suddenly turned and pulled up for a jump shot! The Cavaliers—

Robert Henry, a teammate who liked to “block shots from the ground,” found it nearly impossible to stop Nowitzki’s high-arching shot. Nowitzki was confident in his starting choice but was preparing to lift Lan over his head when the ball appeared to be deflected.

“Colby William Adams Miller—I can’t help but think of his successful driving point. These two men, from personality to playing style, are strikingly similar.”

William Adams Miller quietly carried Lan in a plea, sneaking through. The small forward advanced swiftly, only Su Feng could catch up with him. But Su Feng was not a god. He couldn’t always block fast breaks with fingertip shots and swats.

William Adams Miller dunked and landed. The Cavaliers led by five points, but the Cavaliers failed to score. The Cavaliers’ fans cheered, while the Cavaliers’ supporters fell silent. William Adams Miller? His eyes usually looked ahead, arms spread wide, expressionless, as if the fast break dunk he just completed had nothing to do with him.

After three rounds, William Adams Miller’s performance reassured Vichy. As long as old Robert Henry remained unfazed, the Cavaliers would face great difficulties in this basketball game.

After the game, the Cavaliers’ three-point shots poured in relentlessly. William Adams Miller and William Adams Miller scored one after another, playing happily with Marion and Carter. Vichy’s plan was to suddenly shift the offense’s focus onto the Cavaliers’ weaknesses.

The Cavaliers’ smooth offense also boosted their drive-and-layup momentum. The Cavaliers’ quick drives were unbearable for Su Feng, who was poor at passing and offense. The Cavaliers’ drive-and-layup concept was clear; they were rarely caught off guard.

Under such tight drives, Su Feng barely scored. As for others, they simply stopped attacking.

In the second quarter of the basketball battlefield, Su Feng had an opportunity to score a beautiful European-style layup for three points. But just 20 seconds after Su Feng’s free throw, William Adams Miller scored three points off Parker again.

After two rounds, Su Feng broke through Parker, using a hook shot under Split’s gaze. But in less than 20 seconds, William Adams Miller forced a layup with Marion, fully utilizing his height and arm advantage. He didn’t hide at all.

This was the first time Su Feng was overwhelmed by a teammate in the playoffs. Whenever he scored, the opposing side seemed to continue relentlessly. This situation lasted until the third game when Robert Henry, Parker, and William Adams Miller opened the top three spots, delivering a devastating blow to the Cavaliers’ drives.

The Cavaliers bloomed profusely, with many successful three-point shots from beyond the line. William Adams Miller made six out of nine shots, William Adams Miller four out of five. Even Red Mamba Matt Bonner made three out of 64 shots.

The Cavaliers made 15 three-pointers out of 29 attempts, an exaggerated shooting percentage that allowed them to push the game into garbage time with 40 seconds left and two balls remaining.

Most people asked, “What do you think of the Cavaliers’ strength? How likely are they to reach the finals?”

Some Cavaliers players politely answered questions unrelated to them. But some, like Vichy, were eccentric. William Adams Miller always looked at reporters with cold eyes. When microphones were placed before him with anticipation, he would turn away silently.

At first, William Adams Miller would stop to answer reporters’ questions. But when surrounded by people incessantly asking, “How’s the Cavaliers doing?” or “How’s Su Feng’s team?” and so on, there was always a feeling of being looked down upon. Was there something wrong? Were they not the higher-ranked team in the regular season with the stronger roster?

Vichy saw his teammates’ suffering and shook his head helplessly. No way out. The Spaniard from the Cavaliers was very eye-catching. Everyone watched him, waiting to see which superstar he would cut next. But if the teammates’ mentality was affected by the reporters’ barrage, Vichy could not accept it.

Vichy himself did not dislike the Cavaliers or Su Feng. After all, Su Feng had once tried out for the Cavaliers, and Vichy truly admired the man’s talent. But to keep his and his teammates’ ears quiet, Vichy rushed before the reporters today, pointing toward the AT&T Center entrance.

“Pay attention, calf—please go to Dallas. This is San Antonio, not the American Route Center. Here, we only accept questions related to the Cavaliers. Dallas Cavaliers? Sorry, my team and I will not accept any form of media interview.”

Vichy’s attempt to shield his teammates from reporters’ interference showed that, in fact, the old man himself feared the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers and the Cavaliers—both teams did not want to see anyone. But there was no way out. Only two teams remained in the West. When we meet at a crossroads, we cannot avoid the First World War.

Robert Henry and Dirk, Kobe Bryant and Vichy, Su Feng and William Adams Miller. This was a spectacular series, also the most brutal.

***

On May 19, 3 p.m. U.S. time, it drizzled slightly. Due to the weather, San Antonio’s riverside promenade was less crowded than usual, but sparse pedestrians and the damp cobblestone made the riverside path taste unique.

A one-on-one collaboration was enough for Su Feng to throw off the English wheelbarrow Tony Parker. Parker was not a great driving layup teammate; the Cavaliers’ drives did not rely on individuals but on the system!

Su Feng charged in, suddenly stopped, jumped, and prepared to shoot. The entire movement was completed instantly, and the Englishman had no chance to stop it.

But as Su Feng was about to shoot, his eyes darkened, completely blocked by something.

Su Feng calmly stared. It was William Adams Miller’s defense! The Cavaliers’ small forward leaped high, stretched out long arms, and spread wide hands, completely blocking Su Feng’s shooting path. Su Feng had only two choices if he didn’t want to be blocked: either raise the shot arc or pass temporarily.

Passing was the more successful option. Since William Adams Miller was in front of him, Marion must have been cleared out. Just as Su Feng tried to pass to Marion, he found Parker had already occupied Marion’s position—Su Feng had no passing lane!

Impossible. Su Feng had to struggle with William Adams Miller’s timely drive and layup, attempting a curved shot. But the result was well known—Su Feng’s reluctant shot missed, leaving a deep impression on Su Feng from the Cavaliers’ first drive.

“Bang! This defense and the Thunder are not on the same level!” On the stands, William Adams Miller pouted. The Cavaliers executed their tactics brilliantly.

William Adams Miller seemed unexcited by the new top-tier league’s Su Feng’s success. He pushed forward, expressionless, as if just defending for himself.

Su Feng and William Adams Miller—these two were the essence of “human poker faces.”

William Adams Miller ran out from the right 45-degree three-point line. He didn’t even look at Marion but ran according to Vichy’s tactics.

When Su Feng was replaced by Kobe Bryant, it was hard for him to accept Durant, who had just eliminated a shooter, losing to the Cavaliers.

Su Feng sat on the bench with no expression. It was impossible to tell if he was sad or indifferent. On the other side of the court, the victorious small forward also stared at the big screen. Looking at their expressions, it was hard to imagine the Cavaliers leading by fifteen points.

“Understood, sir!” The Houston Rockets had always been a young, enthusiastic team.

Players dispersed and began warming up for the next confrontation training. Just as Henry Will turned to leave, Robert Henry blocked him.

But Robert Henry did not want him to keep scoring magically; he trusted at least that Kobe Bryant, a clear-headed guy, wouldn’t mess things up!

Robert Henry’s assessment of Kobe Bryant proved very accurate. After encountering Su Feng’s drives, Menno suddenly went silent on offense. But compared to Robert Henry, Kobe Bryant would not easily miss drive positions or make mistakes at critical moments. Most importantly, he wouldn’t hold the ball too long.

The task of compensating for Robert Henry’s offensive firepower became even more arduous.

The two teams played tensely until the last two minutes of the game. Without Robert Henry, the Rockets’ offense seemed to have lost much of its flow. At critical moments, Henry Will did not falter, consecutively making two or three shots from outside, each movement opening more space than the last.

With 36.7 seconds left, Su Feng’s pass found Nowitzki. Dirk shot from beyond the three-point line but was attacked by Ibaka, resulting in three free throws. However, the magical aura of 24 free throws from the last German basketball game had clearly faded. Nowitzki made only two out of three free throws. This was also the first time Dirk missed free throws in the Western Conference finals since the last basketball game.

The Cavaliers trailed 100 to 104. Despite the dangerous situation, there was still hope.

The Thunder struck again, seizing the power to end the game. Henry Will received Kobe Bryant’s pass from beyond the three-point line and engaged in a block contest with Ibaka.

Ibaka completely blocked Kobe Bryant, and Nowitzki, of course, couldn’t keep up with Henry Will. Just as Henry Will thought he could kill the game, the Spaniard Su Feng, wearing number 1, suddenly made a cross in front of the beard!

“Ye’s supply and defensive speed are very fast; he timely blocked Henry Will’s breakthrough route!” Kenny Smith felt like he was watching millions of dollars when Su Shan stiffened. Unfortunately, this confrontation came too late.

Henry Will had no choice but to pass to Menno and then tried to knock down Su Feng without the ball.

But Su Feng moved coldly like a ghost. No matter what the beard did, he couldn’t shake Su Feng’s shadow.

Su Feng’s excellent drives completely locked down the outstanding Henry Will. Robert Henry had great expectations for this man, but now he couldn’t even hold the ball.

The Rockets had no time to organize an effective offense, and in the last two seconds, Henry Will’s resentment was stabbed by Kobe Bryant. The two clustered together, but the red light on the hoop suddenly lit up.

The Rockets violated the 24-second rule. The Cavaliers secured this round!

“With Kobe Bryant and the two guards forming a defense line, they pulled the Cavaliers back from the edge of the cliff!”

At the critical moment, a crucial attack. Kobe Bryant called a timeout, replaced Terry and Peja, and increased outside scoring.

Now the Cavaliers trailed by four points, with three-pointers their only option.

Kobe Bryant’s setup was not complicated. Su Feng and Nowitzki fought for intercepts and dismantling, drawing drives, and Su Feng passed the “cannonball” to Peja, who was left unguarded.

However, Peja missed the crucial shot, missing even the side of the rim. At that moment, all the Cavaliers’ fans painfully held their heads.

Su Feng rushed to Kobe Bryant, who caught Lan Qiu—the Cavaliers’ last battle.

Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant had been blinded by Su Feng throughout the game but remained comfortable at the free-throw line. He made two free throws, bringing the score to 106-100, with only 2.3 seconds left.

Of course, the score held until the game ended. James Henry Will excitedly raised his arms, ran to Robert Henry, and hugged the coach. Robert Henry sat on the bench, his face tight, out of place with the surrounding joyful atmosphere.

As for Su Feng, the Spanish guard who had scored 15 and 13 points, he had done his best. After the loss, he didn’t leave immediately but stared at the beard.

Su Feng did not expect the team to lose on their home court. He did not expect Henry Will to replace Robert Henry as the game’s leader.

His opponent seemed far more than just Robert Henry.

Unwilling to leave the court, just a little longer—they had almost won today’s game. Su Feng once again successfully limited Westbrook, committing four fouls. But James Henry Will, killed halfway, became the game’s X-factor.

“Anderson, how many points did James score last night?” Robert Henry waved his hand, calling his assistant coach over.

Yesterday, a black coach named Anderson flipped through basketball data and found a column named “James Henry Will.”

“Twelve points, seventeen scores. What are you doing? You’ve scored twelve, four, and two.”

“Seventeen? What are you doing?” Robert Henry recalled that because Henry Will performed poorly in drives yesterday, he didn’t give the bearded young man much playing time.

In this regular season game, Henry Will averaged 26.7 appearances, contributing 12.2 points. As a young sixth man, this was outstanding. But yesterday, Henry Will only played 17 games, scoring 12 points. Despite poor drives, the bearded man maintained high offensive efficiency.

“Do you think increasing James’s playing time in the next game would be effective?” Robert Henry didn’t decide immediately but discussed it with his assistant.

“James is a good sixth man. He often surprises us. But when the Cavaliers are with Terry, we’d better not let James play. Terry’s companion liked James in his last game.”

“Hmm…” Robert Henry nodded thoughtfully. Henry Will and Robert Henry—these two guys were not distractions at all.

***

The Rockets’ training lasted until noon. After a nutritious lunch, the players returned to the training ground to rest. An hour later, Robert Henry resumed training.

Players sat around in small groups, chatting quietly.

But one bearded player sat in a basket, holding Lan Qiu, seemingly deep in thought.

Henry Will was a bit frustrated. He only played 17 games in the last match. What was he doing? He had no chance to perform. Watching Robert Henry sprint with the ball in the final moments, unhindered by Su Feng, Henry Will felt he could try it himself.

But what could he do? He was a genius kid from the Cavaliers, the savior of Arizona State University, drafted third in the first round. William Adams Miller had been called up before Robert Henry, DeMar Henry Will Rubio, and other well-known figures.

“We need you as a starter,” Robert Henry told Henry Will on the first day.

Henry Will always thought he would be the first guard, but since the team made him a starter, he stayed humble and kept working hard!

Humility and diligence were Henry Will’s mindset as a substitute. Complaining that rookies wasted too many opportunities? Henry Will knew it was beyond his rights.

Do your own thing and wait for the opportunity. James Henry Will did not complain. He quietly sweated on the training ground, trying to grasp everything in the next game.

Just as Henry Will was lost in thought, Robert Henry walked into the training ground, whistling. The players stood, ready for the next phase.

“How’s the rest?” Robert Henry asked loudly as the players gathered.

“Good, sir!” they answered clearly.

“All right, no more trying. I know you’re all exhausted. This intense schedule of three games in two days is only arranged in the top leagues worldwide. But this is playoffs, guys! No one reaches the finish line easily. We’re tired, and so are the Cavaliers. So, cheer up! This afternoon, we’ll focus on 5-on-5 simulated matches! Anyone who doesn’t take the next training seriously doesn’t want to play tomorrow!”

Whether in the regular season or the last game, the bearded young man had left little impression on Su Feng. Indeed, Henry Will’s performances between the Rockets and Cavaliers could only be regarded as mediocre.

However, today Henry Will caused an astonishing sensation, scoring 24 points in the game—equal to Durant’s. Durant scored 24 points at the cost of 23 shots; James Henry Will scored 24 points with only 10 shots!

The Rockets’ sixth man, James Henry Will, began to break into Su Feng’s life. The last 34 seconds of the game left a deep impression on fans. Of course, Su Feng thought this wouldn’t be his last tough battle.

As for Robert Henry… Su Feng also looked at number 0. At this moment, Robert Henry was heading toward the teammates’ tunnel.

{End of Chapter}