Chapter 22: A Dazzling Duel – The Master of Rhythm Takes the Stage

With 8 minutes and 36 seconds left in the fourth quarter, both teams' main lineups returned to the floor.

Harden's shooting touch hadn't cooled during his rest. The moment he stepped back on the court, he nailed a step-back three, stretching the lead back to eight.

For the Warriors, the return of Curry and Thompson forced the Rockets to loosen their grip on Tang Lei. In the very next possession, Tang Lei, using a sweeping fadeaway, managed to score against Tucker.

With that, the stage was set for a thrilling showdown between Tang and Harden.

Harden answered with another step-back three, only for Tang to set up Curry for a quick three of his own in response. Harden earned two points at the free-throw line; Tang responded with a picture-perfect fadeaway. Harden assisted on a dunk; Tang answered with a high-difficulty reverse layup.

They went back and forth, each play thrilling, as fans in the arena and viewers in the live stream couldn't get enough of the exchange.

But soon, a problem became clear for the Warriors. With each tit-for-tat, the score gap remained unclosed, locked between 7 and 9 points—a spread not easily overcome with just a single possession or two.

Realizing this, Coach Kerr called a timeout with three minutes left. They couldn't simply trade buckets with Harden. They'd have to break his rhythm to get the W.

During the timeout, Kerr stressed the need to keep up the offensive pace, take open shots, keep moving off the ball, and contest every rebound. "We can't afford to lose a single possession," he urged.

Finally, Kerr turned to Tang and said, "Tang, when Harden has the ball, I want you to double him."

The plan caught everyone by surprise. Curry and Thompson looked on in mild shock. Doubling Harden meant leaving Tucker open. Tucker, like Thompson, was a 3D player—strong on both three-pointers and defense. And while Tucker wasn't quite on Thompson's level with his shot range, his corner threes clocked in at over 35%—a top-tier percentage.

But the gamble wasn't without reason. With Tucker focused heavily on defending Tang all night, he'd barely taken any shots. Kerr was betting on that: leaving an ice-cold shooter open was far less risky than letting a red-hot Harden run rampant.

Tang nodded, determined. "Got it, Coach. I'll double him hard!"

When play resumed, the game was set for its final stretch. The scoreboard read 98-105. The Warriors trailed by seven.

Tension rippled through the arena. Three minutes could be an eternity, or it could vanish in the blink of an eye. For the fans, it was unclear whether their team could close the gap—or even take the lead.

The Warriors had possession, and following a series of crisp passes, scored quickly. 100-105.

On the Rockets' end, Paul brought the ball up, quickly finding Harden, who was ready to continue his onslaught. But as soon as Harden received the ball, Tang Lei jumped in to double him. A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.

Momentarily caught off guard, Harden froze—but only for a split second. A skilled passer, he immediately found Tucker, who was left wide open on the wing. It wasn't Tucker's favored spot, but with no one contesting the shot, he took the shot confidently.

The ball clanged off the rim.

Tang scooped up the rebound, quickly spotting Curry on the break. With a one-armed pass, he launched the ball down the court to Curry, who caught it near the free-throw line and smoothly finished the layup.

102-105.

The double-team strategy had worked, and Tang's excitement was visible as he hustled back. His stats now stood at 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. He was just a couple of plays away from securing his first career triple-double.

The Rockets had possession. Paul brought the ball up, knowing he needed to regain control of the game. A pure point guard, Paul typically preferred to facilitate, but with the Warriors closing in, he knew it was time to attack.

With a quick signal, he called for Capela to set a screen. The Warriors switched, leaving Paul with a mismatch against Green. As Green slid to cut off his path, Paul turned left, only to fake and dart right again, leaving Green a half-step behind.

With a final move, Paul drove in, then pulled up for a jump shot, and Green took the bait, jumping too early. As Green drifted past, Paul calmly released the ball, sinking the shot.

102-107.

The Rockets were up by five again.

Back on the Warriors' end, Thompson responded with a contested three, narrowing the deficit back to two possessions.

Harden came down with the ball, and as soon as he crossed half-court, Tang met him with the double-team once more. This time, Tucker, lurking in the corner, didn't waste the opportunity. With an inch of space, he sank a clutch three-pointer from his favorite spot.

105-110.

The lead remained at five, and with only a minute left on the clock, the game had reached its final, decisive moment.

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