Defeat

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Curry held his breath and wanted to shoot, but a feeling of soreness and weakness came from his arms. He hesitated for a moment, and the slight opening for a shot disappeared instantly.

Humphrey and Brewer rushed over, and Curry, facing a double-team, could only pass the ball to Julian Beko.

With only 2 seconds left, Julian Beko did not hesitate after receiving the ball and took a direct shot for 3 points.

As soon as the basketball was in the air, Liam's heart skipped a beat; the trajectory of the ball was slightly off!

In the end, the basketball took a slightly awkward arc, hit the backboard, and bounced away without even touching the rim.

The red light came on at the right time, signaling the end of the game.

The basketball landed in Noah's hands. He was stunned for a moment, then threw it high, and roared, drawing his teammates to gather around with their hands raised high, cheering loudly for advancing to the next round.

The St. Louis Arena buzzed with excitement. After narrowly escaping defeat, the Florida University fans jumped and shouted, causing the decibel level of the entire arena to rise, fully expressing their relief and joy.

A few Butler fans sat silently in their seats, like dark reefs amidst the huge waves of the ocean, silent and lonely.

On the court, the Bulldogs players looked up at the big screen in dismay, where Julian Beko's final missed shot was replayed over and over. They contrasted sharply with the ecstatic Florida University players on the other side.

After Julian Beko missed the shot, Liam fell into his seat, closed his eyes slightly, rubbed his cheeks hard, took a deep breath, adjusted his mood, stood up, walked to the technical table, and shook hands with Donovan.

He smiled bitterly and said, "Coach Donovan, congratulations, Florida University is the better team."

"Thank you, Butler is also very strong; we were just luckier. I believe Butler will achieve better results under your leadership," Donovan said sincerely.

He meant what he said.

Before the game started, he never imagined being pushed into such a tight spot by Butler.

After defeating the opponent, Donovan reviewed the entire game and was still sweating from Curry's relentless shots.

Liam's tactical arrangements had also made him feel inferior.

It could be said that Florida University's overall strength far exceeded that of Butler, but with Liam's targeted tactics and Curry's extraordinary performance over a full 40 minutes, the strength gap between the two teams was almost eliminated.

"Thank you." Liam forced a smile and turned back to the court.

Mike Green and AJ Graves were comforting Julian Beko, whose eyes were red as he blamed himself for missing the last shot.

Liam comforted him softly, "Julian, you did a great job. It's normal to miss the shot. No one can always hit the target, but you bravely took that shot. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, coach." Julian Beko's voice trembled, but his guilty expression was much relieved.

Liam comforted him a few more times and came to the center line.

Curry stood there, his hands on his knees, like a statue, watching the Florida University players celebrating wildly without moving.

"Coach, I'm sorry." Seeing Liam approaching, Curry stood up, his voice full of apology.

"Why are you apologizing?" Liam asked.

Curry explained, "I didn't do what you said, and the team lost the game..."

"If you had taken the shot yourself, would you have definitely scored?" Liam interrupted.

Curry opened his mouth and said dejectedly, "I can't guarantee that."

Liam smiled and said, "Stephen, I am indeed a bit dissatisfied with you, but it's not because you missed that three-pointer."

"Why is that?" Curry looked at him, puzzled.

Liam looked him straight in the eye and said slowly, "No one can guarantee that the next shot will go in. Jordan can't, Kobe can't, and neither can you. Whether it goes in or not is never the most important thing... What's important is whether you dare to take that shot."

Curry's pupils widened and his heart trembled, as if an electric current had passed through it.

Liam paused for a moment and continued, "You are the core of the team, you have the highest tactical position, and you have unlimited shooting rights... If the Bulldogs had won the game, you would have been the one praised the most by the media. Correspondingly, you should bear the most important responsibility."

"The last attack is your exclusive right and also your exclusive obligation. You had the chance to shoot, but you chose to pass the ball. I know that your physical strength was waning and Julian Beko was open. You were afraid that you would miss the shot and the team would lose the game... But you finally had the chance to take that three-pointer." Liam stared at Curry, his voice growing softer.

"You are the NCAA scoring champion, you are the Bulldogs' superstar! Stephen, do you remember the Christmas game we watched together? Kobe only made 4 of 17 shots, but he never hesitated to shoot because of the fear of missing. Remember, this is your team, the glory belongs to you, and the responsibility also belongs to you."

After he finished speaking, he patted Curry's shoulder gently and turned to comfort the other players.

Curry remained where he was, staring at Liam's back. After a long while, he murmured, "Glory... and responsibility?"

After the game, Liam took Curry to the press conference.

Although the Bulldogs lost, Curry was the standout performer.

He made 13 of 25 shots, 8 of 16 three-pointers, and 5 of 5 free throws, scoring 39 points, with 5 assists and 4 rebounds. It was the most impressive individual performance since the start of the tournament, and he can be said to have earned honor in defeat.

Florida University relied more on team play, with Horford, who performed best, scoring 21 points and 7 rebounds. Brewer scored 14 points, Taurean Green added 11 points, and Noah scored 10 points. The "Four Youngsters" all scored in double digits, which was key to Florida University's victory.

As per convention, the losing side is interviewed first, and Liam and Curry were the first to arrive in the press room.

The reporters pointed their microphones at Curry: "Hi Stephen, I'm from ESPN. You chose to pass the last ball to your teammates. Why didn't you take the shot yourself?"

"I was being double-teamed, so I passed the ball," Curry replied calmly.

"I saw that you had the space to shoot, but you hesitated. Were you afraid you wouldn't make the shot?" the reporter pressed.

Curry hesitated: "I was indeed timid at the time..."

"I arranged it."

Liam suddenly interrupted, drawing everyone's attention, and Curry looked at him in surprise.

Liam said slowly:

"Have you forgotten? The last goal scored by Florida University was an open three-pointer made by Humphrey. I borrowed some tactics from Coach Donovan, but unfortunately, I misjudged the situation."

"Stephen's pass was very smart, and Julian Beko's shot was also very timely. I didn't consider the psychological pressure that a buzzer-beater would cause the players, which is different from a shot with 10 seconds left in the game."

I rushed to finish this chapter, but it was still too late... I'm so frustrated! I broke the 30-day, 3,000-word limit. I feel ashamed in front of my supporters. I want to thank the world in my own way. Don't stop me...

I know that losing this game might disappoint some readers—writing such a long piece about a game, only to write about losing? Can you write basketball articles?

But Curry did miss a buzzer-beater opportunity in college, and in March Madness in 2007, Butler lost to Florida University and was eliminated.

I'm not writing this just for realism, of course. If that were the case, why would I write a novel? Everyone should just watch the game.

But winning a championship is never smooth sailing. Curry wasn't born a superstar. Both Liam and Curry must go through growth to become stronger. Failure is inevitable. I hope everyone understands.

End of this chapter

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