Chapter 14： The Unbelievable Game-Winner

The timeout ends, and the players return to the court. The atmosphere inside the arena was thick with tension. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath—players, fans, everyone. Even some of the younger, less experienced players on the bench clasped their hands tightly, silently praying for the outcome they wanted.

On the Warriors' side, the prayer was simple: score. On the Bucks' side, just one hope: defend.

" You nervous?" Curry asked as he sidled up next to Tang Lei.

"Just a little," Tang Lei admitted, being honest. Even though he had the mindset of someone who had lived two lives, this was his first time in such a high-pressure moment on an NBA court. The nerves were real.

But there was one thing about Tang Lei—he always thrived under pressure. Whether it was exams in school or big moments in life, he'd always been the type to perform when it counted the most.

"Good," Curry smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. "A little bit of nerves is normal. Just be ready for it."

Tang Lei nodded as Curry jogged to his spot at the top of the key. Tang Lei set up near the free-throw line, ready to execute the play Steve Kerr had drawn up. His job was simple: set a screen to free Curry, let Steph get the ball, and let him do what he does best—win games.

The referee handed the ball to Draymond, the Warriors' inbounder. Draymond wasn't much of a shooter, but his vision was elite. It made sense for him to orchestrate this last, crucial possession.

At the whistle, Curry immediately sprinted toward Klay Thompson's side, only to suddenly cut back the other way in a classic misdirection. He shook off his first defender and darted toward Tang Lei, who set the perfect screen, blocking Middleton from staying on Curry's hip.

Just as planned, Green faked out the defense with a pass feint and then zipped the ball to Curry, who caught it in stride. But instead of attacking the paint, where Giannis was waiting, Curry dribbled toward the three-point line, seeking space.

By now, 1.7 seconds had ticked off the clock. With his back to the basket and the defense closing in, everyone in the arena expected Curry to turn and fire. But he didn't. Instead, Curry whipped a pass to the corner.

The pass found Tang Lei.

Middleton, realizing too late, spun around and lunged toward him. But Tang Lei already had too much room. He was three steps clear.

Without hesitation, Tang Lei caught the ball, rose up, and let it fly.

Under the bright lights, the ball arced high into the air, hanging like a moment frozen in time. Every set of eyes in the arena was locked onto the flight of the ball.

Clang!

The ball hit the front of the rim, and a collective exhale rippled through the arena. Bucks fans, players, and coaches all felt a brief moment of relief. They had dodged the bullet.

But just as they began to exhale, the ball, after bouncing high off the front of the rim, started to fall again.

Clang!

It hit the back iron this time, and again, it bounced into the air—not nearly as high as before, but still high enough to leave everyone in the arena holding their breath.

Clang!

The ball bounced off the rim a third time, and after what felt like an eternity, it finally rolled… straight through the net.

TNT's Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley both gasped at the same time: "NOOOOOO!"

Swish!

After three bounces on the rim, the ball finally dropped in. At the same time, the final buzzer sounded.

The scoreboard flashed the final score: 128-127. The Warriors had won by a single point.

The entire arena fell silent. No one could believe what had just happened. They never expected that shot to fall—especially not like that.

"YES! YES!!" Curry shouted, sprinting toward Tang Lei.

Draymond, Klay, and the rest of the Warriors mobbed Tang Lei in a chaotic celebration. He was lifted into the air, engulfed in the excitement of his teammates.

On the other side, the Bucks were left stunned. Giannis stood there, mouth agape, shaking his head in disbelief. Middleton, too, looked devastated. He knew he had lost track of Tang Lei at the worst possible moment.

…

Back in the Tencent Livestream, the commentators couldn't contain their excitement:

"Oh my god! A game-winner! Tang Lei with the game-winner!!" Yang Qun screamed into the mic, his voice filled with shock and delight.

"Unbelievable!" his co-commentator added. "Curry passed up the shot and trusted Tang Lei with the moment, and Tang Lei delivered with ice in his veins! That ball bounced three times on the rim! I've never seen anything like it!"

"This is the first time a Chinese player has ever hit a game-winner in the NBA!" Yang Qun shouted. "This shot is going to go down in history!"

The chat on the live stream was exploding:

"Holy crap!!!!"

"666, 666, Thunder King is LEGEND!"

"Thunder King, baby!!"

"Big-time shot! That's clutch!!"

"I'm naming my kid after Lei!!"

…

Game-winner! If you liked the chapter, please leave a five-star review, and maybe binge a few more chapters! I guarantee you'll be hooked!