Chapter 54: “Crossing You is Like Walking an Empty Street in the Morning“

Across the ocean, in the Tencent livestream chatroom, fans erupted in excitement at Tang Lei's impressive series of plays.

"Thunder King is incredible! The real King is back!!"

"Clearly, Durant is limiting Lei King's potential. Warriors' management should consider trading Durant, haha."

"Rumor has it that Cousins is set to return soon. The Five-Star Warriors will reach new heights! What should we call this unbeatable team?"

"Let's go with 'The Super Galaxy Warriors'!"

"Please, that's too basic! It has to be 'The Ultra-Ultimate World-Destroying Warriors!'"

While fans joked about names, the live audience buzzed with anticipation. The timeout concluded, and Curry and Durant re-entered the game. Tang Lei, Thompson, and Green took a well-earned break, while Leonard and Lowry returned for Toronto.

With the game back on, the Warriors had possession. Durant attempted a high-arching shot over Leonard's relentless defense, but the ball bounced off the rim. Leonard seized the opportunity, driving straight to the basket and throwing down a thunderous one-handed dunk that sent the Toronto crowd into a frenzy.

34-44.

That dunk marked the Raptors' official rallying cry. Leonard, Lowry, Gasol, and Powell all made key plays, igniting a five-minute, 18-9 run. Toronto closed in, with the score at 52-53, only a one-point gap.

Beep!

Kerr quickly called a timeout. The Raptors' momentum was undeniable; any slip could dig the Warriors into a hole they might struggle to escape. Kerr emphasized tighter defense and coordinated offense, then made a decisive move: bringing the red-hot Tang Lei back in.

Toronto, in turn, kept Anunoby on Tang Lei. Though Anunoby had trouble containing Tang Lei, he fared better than Siakam. The possession was critical. Scoring would widen the gap, but if they missed, the Raptors had a chance to take the lead—a dangerous prospect on Toronto's home court.

Toronto's defense was laser-focused, pressing hard to deny any open looks. Curry found himself locked down by Lowry, who deftly stripped the ball momentarily, narrowly avoiding a turnover. With the shot clock ticking down, Curry had no choice but to attempt a tough three-pointer under pressure.

Clank!

The ball bounced off the front rim, rebounding high. In the struggle beneath the basket, neither Looney nor Gasol could secure it, tipping it out toward Tang Lei. Wasting no time, Tang Lei sprang up and grabbed the rebound, resetting the Warriors' shot clock to 14 seconds.

Once again, Anunoby closed in tightly, determined. "This time, you're not getting past me," he declared.

"Oh? We'll see about that." Tang Lei smirked, eyes flashing with renewed focus. He held the ball behind him, spinning on his pivot foot to square up against Anunoby.

Recognizing the one-on-one setup, Curry, Durant, and the rest of the team cleared out, giving Tang Lei the space he needed.

Anunoby positioned himself to block Tang Lei's left drive, recalling his earlier move in that direction and assuming he was left-handed. But in a quick burst, Tang Lei darted to the right, slipping past Anunoby, who was a step too late to recover. By the time he reacted, Tang Lei was already at the rim, where he gathered and leaped for a powerful slam. Gasol, tangled with Looney in the post, couldn't recover in time, watching helplessly as Tang Lei threw down a vicious dunk.

Boom!

52-55.

The Warriors extended their lead to three, silencing the Raptors' rally. Anunoby stood stunned. He couldn't believe the speed of Tang Lei's first step—it rivaled that of the league's best.

"Crossing you is like strolling down an empty street in the morning," Tang Lei quipped as he passed Anunoby on his way back on defense.

" You caught me off guard with your right-side drive, but I'll literally shut you down next time," Anunoby shot back.

"Alright then, I'm waiting" Tang Lei's grin widened.

Trash-talking was part of the game, a ritual in a league where the best players had to prove they could handle both words and plays. It often made the game more intense, adding an edge that fans loved. In fact, for some, the drama between players was as much of a draw as the game itself.

Toronto's possession followed. Lowry brought the ball up, passing to Leonard at the free-throw line, where he found himself matched against Iguodala. Durant, now focused on offense, left the defensive duties to Iguodala.

With surgical precision, Leonard worked Iguodala with measured dribbles, taking advantage of a brief opening to pull up and sink a smooth mid-range jumper.

54-55.

Leonard's mechanical, unstoppable style made it clear that even a top defender like Iguodala could only slow him down, not stop him entirely.

Warriors took over, and Tang Lei exchanged a knowing glance with Curry, who then passed him the ball. It was obvious by now that Tang Lei had Anunoby's number, so the Warriors had no issue letting him take the reins.

"I'll shut you down this time!" Anunoby vowed, lowering his stance and tightening his defense.

Tang Lei feinted left, drawing Anunoby in, then pivoted back to the right. Anunoby stayed glued to him, however, leaving no room to penetrate. Calmly, Tang Lei gathered the ball and rose for a shot. Anunoby convinced he had him covered, jumped to contest—but found himself reaching for air as Tang Lei leaned back, releasing a high-arching fadeaway jumper at nearly a 40-degree angle.