Chapter 36: Who Dares Stand in His Way?

"What's happening? Only five points in five minutes? Is this even the Warriors we're watching?" Tina asked, glancing over at Caroline in confusion.

"The Warriors are running into problems," Caroline explained. "Green's afraid to shoot, and it's putting extra pressure on everyone else." She knew her basketball. Green's struggles with shooting were a common topic, but he'd usually sink a couple to keep defenses honest. Tonight, though, he'd missed three in a row.

"So, why not just pull him out? Are they planning to let this ruin Christmas?" Tina shot back.

"They probably will sub him soon, but Green's at the core of their small-ball lineup. He's vital to their play," Caroline replied with a sigh.

"Important? How's a player too scared to shoot crucial to their lineup?" Tina asked, baffled.

"You don't understand."

...

After a short timeout, the Warriors made their move. Green was subbed out, replaced by Looney to contain Embiid, who had been tearing up the paint. Without a true center, the Warriors were at a disadvantage, but with Looney, at least they had a shot at slowing Embiid down.

Warriors possession.

With Curry directing the offense, Tang Lei managed to break free from the double-team, though the Sixers quickly rotated to close any open space around him. Facing Saric, a less adept defender, Tang Lei saw an opening and burst forward, leaving him a step behind. Ahead of him, Embiid stood in position, ready to contest. Tang Lei didn't hesitate, gathering and going airborne.

Embiid scoffed as he leaped up, intending to swat the shot. Tang Lei's first-quarter block was still on his mind, and he'd been itching for payback.

But as Tang Lei soared, his superior leap carried him above Embiid. Seeing Embiid's hand coming down to swat his right hand, Tang Lei made a slick mid-air switch to his left and slammed the ball past Embiid's ear, straight into the hoop.

BOOM!

The arena erupted, and Tang Lei clenched his fist, letting out a powerful roar. After fighting hard to shake the Sixers' relentless traps, he finally had his shot and made it count.

"OH MY GOD!!!" The crowd rose to its feet as the dunk replayed on the jumbotron. Embiid, now visibly frustrated, threw up his arms in protest, pleading with the referee for a foul, clearly trying to save his face.

But the ref ignored him, signaling the game to continue.

Back on defense, Embiid called for the ball down low, looking for redemption. Wrestling Looney for position, he finally got it, only for Tang Lei to slide over to double-team him. Coach Kerr, counting on Tang Lei's quickness and leaping ability, had sent him to apply extra pressure, hoping to force a pass.

Embiid's presence in the paint was overwhelming, and the Warriors knew they couldn't afford to let him score easily. Seeing Tang Lei approach, Embiid grinned. Here was his chance to impose his size and power on the rookie. He made a quick spin on Looney, ramming his body toward Tang Lei to knock him back. But Tang Lei anticipated it perfectly, moving back just enough to avoid contact.

With no resistance, Embiid stumbled forward, losing his grip on the ball. Looney grabbed the loose ball and tossed it up to Curry, who sped up the court and found Thompson wide open in transition for a three-pointer.

Score: 72–79. The Warriors closed the gap to just seven points.

The crowd burst into laughter, thoroughly entertained by Embiid's misstep. As the Sixers' big man returned to his spot, the fans' laughter only intensified. His attempt to respond with a three-pointer on the following possession missed completely.

Tang Lei sprinted down the court and, catching Curry's pass, glided into the air from just inside the free-throw line to hammer down another dunk, reigniting the arena.

Score: 74–79. The Warriors had pulled off a 7–0 run, cutting the Sixers' lead to just five.

"Timeout, Sixers!" Coach Brett Brown signaled from the bench. Up on the jumbotron, the replay looped repeatedly, Tang Lei's vicious dunk on Embiid shown from every possible angle.

…

Meanwhile, back in the Tencent live stream chat, the fans exploded with excitement:

"YES! Tang Lei's unstoppable!"

"Tang Lei: 'You call yourself the King of the East?'"

"Tang Lei: 'I only dunk on players worth my time!'"

"He's incredible! Tang Lei never disappoints. He's the real deal!"

"This reverse dunk has 'Play of the Day' written all over it!"

"No one else could do it! Who dares to challenge Tang Lei, the true KING!"

...