Chapter 387: Varick's Breakout

"Nice!!!"

"Awesome~~~"

"Idol!!!"

As the third quarter came to a close, Carter and his teammates excitedly rushed onto the court, bumping chests with Yao and Iverson.

Yao asked, "How's your energy level?"

"Almost there. "

Carter replied, "If we could get another three minutes of rest, that would be even better."

Iverson laughed, "Then take some time to recover, we'll hold on for three more minutes, it shouldn't be a problem."

When Yao and his two teammates returned to the court, they did catch the Pacers off guard.

However, they couldn't maintain this style of play in the fourth quarter. This strategy had too many flaws, as Yao was too slow to keep up, essentially leaving them a man down on defense. The only reason they hadn't been exposed yet was due to Wade Dong's incredible one-on-four defense and Iverson's two steals.

...

The fourth quarter began.

Nan Yi replaced Yao, but Nash and Iverson remained on the court.

Yao had only played for two minutes and wasn't even winded when he was subbed out. If he had to play in the fourth quarter, he would be a huge liability, so it was better to have Nan Yi replace him.

The Trail Blazers had the ball.

Stephenson dribbled up the court and passed to West, who then dished it to Granger for a mid-range shot.

Swish!!!

Granger hit the mid-range jumper over Iverson's defense!

Nash then brought the ball up the court and crossed over Stephenson with a quick change of direction. 

He pulled up for a jumper!

Swish!!!

Nash's jumper was good!

84:84!!!

In the end, the Pacers' defensive focus was still on Wade Dong and Thompson, neglecting the two veteran players, Nash and Iverson.

With three minutes left in the fourth quarter, the score was 87:92!!!

The veterans' weaknesses were eventually exposed. After all, they hadn't played in a while, and while Iverson could pull off a couple of godly steals, that was about the extent of his contributions.

The Pacers started to pull away.

Gentry subbed in Carter and Varick for Iverson and Nash.

As Iverson and Nash left the court, the away fans gave them a standing ovation.

Yao, Iverson, and Nash had all signed 10-day contracts with the Suns. Logically, with Curry and Durant both suspended for two games, the Suns would still need these three veterans in the next game. However, Whiteside's ankle injury was only minor, and he could be included in the rotation for the next game.

Yao played for 2 minutes and 37 seconds, going 3 for 3 and scoring 6 points.

Nash played for 5 minutes and 13 seconds, going 2 for 2 and scoring 5 points, along with 2 assists.

Iverson played for 5 minutes and 13 seconds, contributing 3 steals and 2 assists.

When these three players were on the court together, they had the best plus-minus on the team. If any other team had such capable bench players, they would be thrilled.

...

There were less than 9 minutes left in the game.

Wade Dong clapped his hands, encouraging his teammates, "Come on, guys, it's up to us now."

"The Suns are really resilient."

Vogel also started to feel the pressure, "What kind of energy allows players like Yao and Iverson, who've been out of the league for years, to come in and lead the team in a comeback?"

The Suns had the ball.

Wade Dong received the inbounds pass at the baseline and drove straight to the frontcourt. As the Pacers' defense settled into position, he blew past George and pulled up for a mid-range jumper!

Swish!!!

The ball swished through the net!

89:92!!!

The Pacers responded with a layup of their own.

The game became a back-and-forth affair, with the Pacers' offense easily breaking down the Suns' defense. However, even with two defenders on him, Wade Dong was unstoppable.

103:106!!!

With 3 minutes and 27 seconds left in the game, the Pacers led by 3.

Vogel shouted, "Triple-team Wade Dong! Don't let him score again!"

When Wade Dong got the ball again, George, West, and Hill started to trap him in the frontcourt.

If it were any other player, they would have struggled to even bring the ball up the court.

Wade Dong jumped for a three-pointer from two steps beyond the arc. Before he jumped, he noticed that Varick was wide open with no defender near him. So, Wade Dong's jump was merely an opportunity to pass the ball to Varick.

Whoosh~~~

The ball reached Varick.

After receiving the pass, Varick hesitated for a moment before shooting the three-pointer!

The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air. It wasn't a long shot, but in that moment, countless images flashed through Varick's mind—his childhood dreams, his hard work in practice, and his growth over the past few years playing alongside Wade Dong (a reference to Mumore Koyanagi's three-pointer).

Swish!!!

The ball swished through the net.

106:106!!!

The Suns tied the game.

"Ah!!!"

After the basket, Varick bent over, clenched his fists, and let out a loud roar, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Then, George missed a shot under Wade Dong's defense, and Nan Yi grabbed the defensive rebound, passing the ball to Wade Dong, who dribbled up the court.

The triple-team was still on!

Varick was still left open!

Wade Dong jumped again, passing the ball to Varick in mid-air... Although George and the others had jumped to try and disrupt Wade Dong's pass, he had jumped too high.

Swish!!!

Varick hit another three-pointer.

109:106!!!

With 2 minutes and 19 seconds left in the game, the Suns took a 3-point lead.

Vogel couldn't afford to take it easy and quickly called a timeout to set up a play!

As the Pacers players came off the court, Vogel asked loudly, "Can we afford to lose this game???"

"No!!!"

The Pacers players answered Vogel's question loudly.

Vogel said, "This is a depleted Suns team. They're missing so many key players. If we lose to this Suns team, we don't deserve to compete for the championship."

"But Wade Dong is just too strong!"

Stephenson spoke up quietly, "We've already assigned three players to defend him."

Vogel said, "Let's abandon the triple-team on Wade Dong. We need to focus on our shooting percentage. Remember, even with this Suns lineup, they can't stop us!"

"Let's go, beat the Suns!"

Vogel set up a new play, and the Pacers players returned to the court.

After Varick was subbed out, his teammates were all pushing and shoving him, not out of malice, but as a way to congratulate him. Varick's two three-pointers had helped the Suns take the lead, and he was the hero of the night.

...

After the timeout, the game was almost over.

Hibbert inbounded the ball to Stephenson, who dribbled up the court and patiently set up the offense.

After a few passes, West got an opportunity, receiving a pass from George and slamming home the dunk!

109:108!!!

The Pacers were now down by just one point.