Chapter 13: 4.7 Seconds! The Final Possession

The basketball arced over Brown's outstretched hand, flying directly toward the hoop.

Swish!

Nothing but Net. Another three-pointer!

99-100. The Warriors were now just one point behind.

The entire arena fell into a stunned silence, and the Bucks immediately called a timeout. The Warriors were on the verge of taking the lead, and that changed everything. They had all the momentum now, and Milwaukee had to find a way to slow them down.

Tang Lei had scored seven consecutive points, lighting up the scoreboard and energizing his team. After Durant had been taken out by injury, the whole team had been simmering with frustration. But now, with Tang Lei stepping up, they had found their release.

In the huddle, Steve Kerr began drawing up plays specifically for Tang Lei. It was the kind of trust reserved for a core player, and Tang Lei could hardly contain his excitement. He watched Kerr intently, absorbing every detail of the plays he was drawing up.

The game resumed.

The Bucks had possession, with Giannis driving hard to the basket. He was double-teamed, but even as he went up, his incredible core strength allowed him to kick the ball out to Middleton on the wing. Middleton rose for the mid-range jumper—swish—nothing but net.

99-102.

That timeout worked. Milwaukee had responded and held on to their lead.

On the next possession, Draymond Green brought the ball up for the Warriors. Tang Lei didn't get the ball right away—he was being shadowed relentlessly after hitting three straight shots.

"You're not touching this ball again, you hear me?" Brown taunted, sticking so close to Tang Lei that he practically draped himself over him. His long arms cut off every passing lane.

"I'll shoot in your face " Tang Lei shot back, never losing his focus. He wasn't going to wait around; he started moving without the ball, darting around the court.

Tang Lei wasn't known for his off-ball movement, but the plays Kerr had drawn up were working to free him up. His teammates set multiple screens to help him shake his defender. After coming off two picks, Tang Lei used his "NBA Quick First Step," a gift from McGrady, to create separation from Brown, finding his way to the corner.

The pass came in, and without hesitation, Tang Lei caught it and immediately rose up for the shot. Even though Brown had lost him, he lunged desperately to contest.

The ball flew through the air…

Swish!

As the ball sailed perfectly through the hoop, Brown collided into Tang Lei, knocking him to the floor.

The referee's whistle blew.

It was a four-point play.

The Warriors had tied the game, and Tang Lei had earned the chance to give them the lead with a free throw.

Curry, Green, and the rest of the team rushed over to pull Tang Lei to his feet, celebrating with high-fives. On the bench, the rest of the Warriors erupted in cheers, while Brown looked utterly dejected. He'd given up 10 points in just a few possessions, and now he was forced to watch Tang Lei go to the line for a free throw.

Tang Lei sank the free throw effortlessly, putting the Warriors ahead by one. After that, he was subbed out.

What followed was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading buckets. The lead kept changing, but it never extended beyond one possession.

No one on the Warriors could fully contain Giannis. He was putting on a show, dominating the paint and overwhelming the defense with his raw athleticism. But the Bucks couldn't figure out how to stop Tang Lei either. He was everywhere—drilling threes, slashing to the rim, pulling up for fadeaways, and throwing down dunks. He had transformed into an all-around scoring machine.

In the fourth quarter, it felt like the game had turned into a duel between Tang Lei and Giannis. They weren't directly matched up, but their one-on-one dominance drove the narrative of the game.

After Durant's injury, everyone assumed the Warriors would fall apart. But Tang Lei's breakout performance had given them new life, keeping them in the fight against one of the best teams in the league.

Fans in the arena and at home were in disbelief. Since when had a Chinese player been this versatile and dominant in the NBA? In their memories, Chinese players were usually limited to being tall inside presences, but Tang Lei was rewriting that script in real time.

The game remained tight right until the very end.

With just 29 seconds left, the score was tied at 125-125.

The Bucks had the ball, and Brogdon brought it up, calling a timeout as he crossed half-court. He knew just how crucial this next possession was—they needed to execute.

During the timeout, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer furiously drew up a play while Kerr hammered home the importance of defense. He subbed in Kevon Looney for Andre Iguodala to add more size inside, anticipating another push from Giannis.

When play resumed, the tension in the arena was palpable. The crowd was on its feet, many fans clasping their hands in silent prayers. The camera panned across the faces of Giannis and Mirotic, both locked in and ready.

Giannis had already dropped over 30 points, and Mirotic had been on fire from deep, hitting five of his nine attempts from beyond the arc. This possession could decide the game.

Lopez inbounded the ball with his height advantage, making it easy for him to find Brogdon. Brogdon held the ball near midcourt, letting the clock run down, determined to leave as little time as possible for the Warriors.

With five seconds left on the shot clock, Brogdon finally dished the ball to Mirotic, who had come off a screen.

Klay Thompson hadn't completely lost him and closed out hard. But just when it looked like Mirotic was about to launch a three, he passed the ball to the middle of the floor.

In that moment, a blur shot in from beyond the arc—Giannis.

With a full head of steam, he blew past his defender, grabbed the ball, and took two long strides towards the rim. Looney scrambled over to help, but Giannis was too fast, too strong. He bulldozed through Looney, finishing the play with a thunderous dunk.

Giannis flexed his muscles and roared in celebration as Looney lay on the floor, having just been posterized.

The crowd erupted, shaking the arena to its core.

Kerr immediately called a timeout.

There were 4.7 seconds left on the clock. The Warriors trailed 125-127.

…

In the Tencent live stream chat, the commentators were going wild:

"That was incredible! Giannis just powered through, and no one expected Mirotic to pass up that shot for a two-pointer!"

"Yeah, now the pressure is all on the Warriors. They've got 4.7 seconds—plenty of time for one play, but they won't have a second chance. They've got to decide: go for two and force overtime, or shoot a three for the win."

"This game is huge for both teams. Whoever wins this will gain a serious boost in momentum. A lot of people see this as a preview of the Finals," the second commentator added. "So who do you think gets the final shot for the Warriors?"

"It has to be Curry. Even though Tang Lei has already dropped 33 points, leading the team, and he's gone toe-to-toe with Giannis, he's never taken a shot this big before. The pressure is enormous—taking and making a game-winning shot isn't just about skill, it's about mental toughness," the other commentator replied.

"Absolutely. The weight of the moment is huge. Let's see how this unfolds."