Chapter 12: The Decisive Shot

As Nash prepared to shoot, two Lakers players rushed towards him.

The reason was that Nash had an open shot, and everyone thought he would take it himself. Therefore, no one paid attention to Wade Dong in the corner.

Bynum lunged towards Wade Dong!

But it was too late. Wade Dong was already prepared to shoot, and the ball comfortably reached his hands.

He jumped and shot a three-pointer!

"Swish!!!"

The sound of the ball going through the net was so beautiful!

105:103!

With 13 seconds left, the Suns took the lead again!

The arena erupted.

"MVP!"

"MVP!"

"MVP!"

The chant echoed throughout the arena.

Coach Brown called another timeout.

As the players came off the court, the arena's big screen suddenly displayed a number, and the arena fell silent for a moment before erupting in cheers.

34!!!

The big screen showed this number.

What did this number mean? It wasn't a jersey number, but the number of points Wade Dong had scored in the fourth quarter—34 points! He had broken the NBA record for most points scored in a single quarter!

Kobe also looked up at the number, deep in thought.

As a scoring machine himself, who had once scored 30 points in a single quarter, encountering a scoring machine like Wade Dong, he couldn't help but be moved.

...

After the timeout, Kobe quickly brought the ball to the frontcourt.

The defender on Kobe had been switched to Hill.

The Lakers were down by two points, and the entire arena fell silent. Even the fans watching the live broadcast held their breath, everyone wondering what kind of offensive choice Kobe would make.

If he chose a two-pointer, the game would go into overtime.

If he shot a three-pointer, Kobe might complete the game-winning shot.

10!

9!

8!

7!

6!

5!

4!

With 4 seconds left, Kobe accelerated and shook off Hill. His toes were just inches away from the three-point line when he shot a three-pointer!

Everyone's eyes followed the trajectory of the ball.

"Swish!!!"

The ball went straight through the net!

105:106!

The Lakers took a one-point lead.

Coach Gentry immediately called a timeout.

Chinese fans held their breath, quietly waiting for the timeout to end.

With 3 seconds left, no one knew what kind of tactical arrangement Coach Gentry would make. This was Wade Dong's record-breaking night, a night of glory. If they lost the game, this glory would be tainted.

Even Lakers fans in China hoped the Suns would win this game.

"Coach."

Wade Dong stood on the sidelines and said solemnly, "Please give me the last shot!"

"!!!"

The teammates looked at Wade Dong in surprise.

This last shot carried too much pressure. This was a moment for superstars, and ordinary players would try to avoid it. Wade Dong actually requested the ball for himself.

Coach Gentry looked at Wade Dong, "Do you know what it means if you take the last shot?"

"I know."

Wade Dong nodded affirmatively.

Coach Gentry continued, "Your performance today has been outstanding. In your first NBA game, you broke the single-quarter scoring record. You have the potential to become a superstar. But if you miss the last shot, all your glory tonight will be for nothing."

Wade Dong calmly replied, "I don't care about glory. I only care about winning the game."

"Good!"

Coach Gentry nodded, "I believe in Wade Dong. Do you all believe in him?"

"We believe in Wade Dong!"

All the teammates nodded, and then the Suns players stacked their hands together and shouted, "Let's go!!!"

...

Yu Jia, "Who will the Suns give the last shot to?"

Coach Zhang, "I see Frye and Hill on the court. Dudley and Lopez have been substituted out. The Suns are not planning to defend."

Yu Jia, "..."

Yu Jia, "Nash is on the sidelines. Coach Gentry is having Nash inbound the ball??"

Before Wade Dong joined, Nash was the strongest offensive player on the Suns. Yu Jia didn't understand why Nash was inbounding the ball at this moment.

Coach Zhang, "The Suns are only down by one point. The best choice is a layup. Even if the layup misses, there's a chance to draw a foul from the Lakers."

...

Nash stood on the sidelines.

The Suns players started moving towards the inside, but the Lakers' defense was like glue, not allowing any player to receive the ball comfortably.

Nash and Wade Dong exchanged a glance.

Wade Dong understood Nash's intention and ran around the baseline. Kobe followed closely, but Frye had already positioned himself to block Kobe.

Seizing the opportunity, Nash swung his arm, and Wade Dong securely caught the ball. However, Bynum had already come to defend.

Coach Zhang said, "One-on-one is Wade Dong's weakest area. Facing the tall and strong Bynum, his three-pointer will be difficult to shoot!"

However, before Coach Zhang could finish, Wade Dong made a big crossover move!

"Iverson's crossover!!!"

This move was too familiar—it was Allen Iverson's signature move.

Bynum lost his balance and fell to the ground!

With only a fraction of a second left, Wade Dong didn't even look at Bynum, who had fallen. He shot a three-pointer!

Time seemed to stand still.

The ball drew a perfect arc in the air!

"Swish!!!"

The beautiful sound echoed as the ball slid through the center of the net.

108:106!

The referee blew the final whistle!

The Suns defeated the Lakers!

Wade Dong played for 12 minutes in the fourth quarter, scoring 37 points, breaking the NBA single-quarter scoring record and completing the game-winning shot!

"This game-winning shot will go down in history!"

Yu Jia said, "Wade Dong has proven that Chinese players can still stand on the NBA court!"

"MVP!"

"MVP!"

"MVP!"

The game was over, but the fans continued to chant "MVP," unwilling to leave.

The players began to exchange greetings. On the court, they were opponents, but off the court, many of them were good friends.

Kobe took the initiative to hug Wade Dong and said, "Brother, you will definitely shine in the NBA."

"Thank you."

Wade Dong thanked him and said to Kobe, "You are my idol."

"Idol? I can't accept that!"

Kobe waved his hand half-jokingly and half-seriously, "But I won't let you surpass me."

Wade Dong smiled, "You will be surpassed by me eventually."

"Good luck!"

Kobe patted Wade Dong's back firmly and then asked, "I heard you only signed a ten-day short contract. Are you interested in joining the Lakers and winning the championship with me?"

Nash, who was nearby, heard this and immediately walked over to refute, "Kobe, the Lakers already have so many All-Stars. It's not appropriate for you to come poaching from us, is it?"

"Hahaha..."

Kobe laughed, "I was just saying it casually. Besides, Wade Dong's ten-day short contract is about to expire."