Who the Hell Doesn’t Want to Win!

After the timeout, the players from Barry University were filled with frustration.

Going from leading to trailing, while feeling powerless, was a bitter pill to swallow.

Theus held the tactics board in silence for a long time.

The overall strength gap between the two teams made him feel like a "skilled cook with no ingredients to work with"— all his strategies had proven futile.

Moreover, during Michigan State's comeback, he had hesitated to put in the starters, whose stamina was nearing its limit.

In a 40-minute game, they had been evenly matched for 35 minutes. From outsider's perspective, Barry University had done well enough tonight.

But with just 5 minutes left, could he really give up now? How could he possibly accept that!

He glanced at Han Sen.

Han saw the undying desire in Theus' eyes and nodded.

No words were exchanged, but they understood each other perfectly.

When the game resumed, Michigan State's defense remained intense. Half of the shot clock had passed, and Barry University still hadn't found a good offensive opportunity.

At that moment, Han signaled for the ball and made a new tactical gesture.

O'Neal quickly moved up for a high pick-and-roll, and after the screen, he immediately rolled to the basket.

Before this, O'Neal's screens had been static, but this sudden change caught Summers off guard, leaving Sutton to face Han.

With the mismatch, Han swiftly attacked, stepping back for a three-pointer on the right side.

Sutton had the advantage of size and strength, dominating both ends of the paint, but his weakness was his slow foot speed.

When O'Neal set static screens earlier, Sutton struggled to switch on defense. This time, even though he rushed out, it was still too late.

Han's shot soared through the air. Although his stamina was fading, muscle memory remained.

Swish!

The ball sank through the net!

Hansen had hit his fifth three-pointer of the night!

47 to 49.

The gap was down to one possession!

The Barry University bench erupted, and Theus on the sideline was trembling with excitement.

If tactics couldn't score, then give the damn ball to the best player on the team.

This was the last resort of every NBA coach.

"I shouldn't even mention O'Neal, because your legs are slower than my grandmother's," Han said to Sutton after the three-pointer.

Sutton immediately tried to grab him, furious after being targeted again and again.

Fortunately, Lucas was nearby and pulled him back: "He's just trying to rile you up!"

"He's right though, because I can tell— you're a coward," Han added with a shrug toward Sutton.

Had Lucas not held him back, Sutton would have charged at him for a fight.

The referee blew a warning whistle toward Han.

He patted his chest with a grin, signaling he understood, but couldn't resist throwing another glance at Sutton.

The veins on Sutton's forehead bulged.

As play continued, Barry University abandoned their zone defense.

This wasn't Theus' strategic decision; his players simply didn't have the stamina left to maintain it.

Seeing this, Sutton quickly posted up and demanded the ball.

Once he had it, Han immediately double-teamed him.

Summers was wide open on the perimeter, signaling for the ball.

But Sutton didn't pass!

Han Sen's trash talk had infuriated the big man. He forced a shot inside against the double-team, determined to prove he wasn't the coward Han had called him.

But under the pressure of two defenders, his shot clanged off the backboard, and O'Neal grabbed the rebound.

Sutton had the strength advantage, but he wasn't the real O'Neal.

Barry University's bench was on their feet now, sensing their chance.

Not just the bench— the players on the court had regained their morale too.

Rondo barreled into the paint, drawing a foul from Sutton.

At that moment, the whistle blew again, and Green subbed in for Sutton.

It was a swift decision, and the camera immediately cut to Michigan State's bench, zooming in on Izzo.

Once he shed his look of underestimation, his coaching ability was no less than Theus'.

Green tugged his jersey into his shorts with determination and gave Han a provocative glance.

Green had played earlier in the first half, but Han had been on the bench at the time. Now, in the second half, with both teams' starters playing extended minutes, this was their first direct matchup.

Hansen wasn't surprised by Green's look.

What is a rival?

It's someone you clash with, maybe even an enemy.

In Barry University's next offensive possession, Han again sought out a mismatch, this time targeting Moore.

Moore left O'Neal open to help, and Hansen bounced a pass to O'Neal.

O'Neal went up for the layup, but Green, coming out of nowhere, swatted it away.

Despite being an undersized big man, Green had a monstrous 7'1" wingspan.

After the block, Green flexed his arms and roared, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Barry University came up empty on that possession, and Moore secured the rebound.

In Michigan State's next offense, after several passes, Lucas received a pass from Moore and lofted a floater.

O'Neal flew out to contest, forcing Lucas to miss.

But there was Green again, snatching the offensive rebound and immediately passing back to Lucas, setting a pick in the process.

Lucas turned and scored the floater.

47 to 51.

With a minute and a half left, Michigan State had stretched the lead back to two possessions.

Green, even more excited than Lucas after the basket, shouted at the Barry University players: "You dogs, you can't win. You're not winning tonight!"

Han frowned.

It's hard to change someone's nature. Green had always been loathsome, even back in his NCAA days.

But you couldn't deny the impact his passion had on his team's morale.

"Defense! Defense!"

The crowd erupted in a unified chant.

The deafening roar surged like adrenaline through Michigan State's players.

Their defense was tighter than ever, making it even harder for Barry University to find a shot.

With the shot clock winding down, Han and O'Neal ran a pindown screen.

Under pressure, Rondo's pass came in a bit slow, and Han didn't have a great look at a shot.

Still, Hansen went through the motions of a three-point attempt.

Moore lunged to block it.

Han's greatest threat was his three-point shooting.

But Moore didn't expect Hansen to fake, then drive past him with a quick move.

He was known for his threes, but that wasn't all he could do!

Neither Moore nor the other Michigan State players anticipated Han's decision to drive.

By the time they realized, he had already reached the paint.

With Sutton out of the game, Michigan State's defense in the paint was wide open.

He leaped into the air with all his strength.

The cheers of the crowd suddenly turned into gasps.

But then, a long arm flew in to contest Han's shot.

It was Green again!

Though a freshman, his rebounding, defense, and court vision were already standing out, even if his offense was still raw.

Bang!

Smack!

Han slammed the ball into the hoop with both hands, while Green's hand hit his arm.

Green's defense had been solid, but Han wasn't O'Neal- he was much quicker off the ground.

The referee blew the whistle- an and one [1]!

As Han landed, he glared at Green: "We're winning this game tonight. Not even God can stop it, I'm telling you!"

Did he want to win?

When Theus first told him their opponent was Michigan State, Han hadn't even thought about winning, given the enormous gap in skill between the teams.

It was like the Tokyo University team facing off against the U.S. Dream Team- no one would think the former had a chance.

But Michigan State's overconfidence, Theus' savvy coaching, and the relentless effort of the players had allowed Barry University to break through the barriers of the league. For 35 of the 40 minutes, they had gone toe-to-toe with Michigan State.

Now, if you asked Han Sen if he wanted to win?

Yes, he wanted to win.

Who the hell doesn't want to win!

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[1] and one: A term used to refer to a situation in which a player makes a shot despite being fouled, in which case they get the points from the shot and one free throw. Making the free throw results in a three-point play (or a four-point play, if the shot made during the foul was a three-pointer).