After activating the Radiant Burst, Tang Lei's arms glowed faintly, like an aura of power radiating from within.
Green prepared to inbound from half-court with possession in the Warriors' hands. Only three minutes remained, and the Warriors trailed by fifteen points. At this point, most fans had little hope of a comeback. All they wanted was proof that Tang Lei was truly back to full health.
Players moved into position as the referee's whistle blew, signaling the inbound. Tang Lei cut inside, faked, and then darted back outside. Noticing his defender falling behind, Green passed to Tang without hesitation.
Tang caught the ball just inside the three-point line at a 45-degree angle, taking one dribble to step beyond the arc. Then, in one fluid movement, he turned his back to the basket, leaped, and twisted mid-air, releasing the ball just before landing.
The crowd watched, wide-eyed. The shot had barely any arc, slicing through the air like a laser.
Thud! The ball banked in with a satisfying thump, sinking into the net.
Three points! 115–127. In less than three seconds, Tang had shaved the lead to twelve points.
"Three-pointer by Tang!!" The arena DJ's booming announcement charged the crowd with fresh energy. The incredible shot reignited hope among fans; Tang was evidently back, without a trace of injury.
"Great shot, Tang." Curry approached during the backpedal, giving him a proud, encouraging smile.
"Thanks. You can always count on me," Tang replied, smiling back.
"I know I can," Curry nodded.
On the Sixers' possession, they went straight to Embiid in the paint. Tang Lei immediately doubled, maintaining the defensive strategy that had previously stymied him. Embiid, seeing the pressure, smirked and quickly dished to an open teammate on the perimeter. But Tang, anticipating this, shifted course and lunged forward to intercept.
After the steal, Tang handed the ball off to Curry, who pushed up the court while Tang sprinted ahead. As Curry drew defenders, he kicked the ball to Tang, who caught it and instantly faked a shot. Harris leapt to contest, but Tang waited until Harris flew past, then squared up and released the shot.
In one smooth motion—lift, flick, release—the ball traced a perfect arc.
Swish! Another three-pointer.
118–127. The Warriors had clawed their way back to within single digits, with two and a half minutes remaining.
The crowd exploded in cheers. "Oh my god! Another three!!" The arena buzzed with the energy of a potential comeback.
"Stay calm! Control the pace!" Coach Brown yelled from the Sixers' sideline, visibly rattled. Within thirty seconds, Tang's two threes had cut the lead by six. If they kept up this pace, the Sixers' victory would soon be slipping away.
Butler, following the coach's orders, slowed down the tempo, aiming to drain time off the clock. With a nine-point lead, the Sixers only needed to exhaust the clock rather than score on every possession.
The Warriors, nearing the foul limit, couldn't risk fouling. Allowing any free points would slow down their rally, so they opted to apply light pressure instead.
With the shot clock down to five seconds, Butler drove hard, absorbing contact and sinking a layup.
118–129. The lead widened to eleven, with two minutes and five seconds left.
Though the Warriors had put up a strong defense, Butler's resilience was undeniable. Known for his clutch performances, he thrived under pressure, showing why the Sixers had signed him to complement Embiid.
The Warriors inbounded quickly, pushing the pace. The ball zipped from player to player, looking for Tang, their go-to shooter in this crunch. Running off Thompson's screen, Tang broke free at the corner.
Green delivered the pass, and in one motion, Tang caught and launched, his body tilting for balance. The ball hit nothing but net.
121–129. The lead was down to eight.
The fans erupted, sensing a miracle comeback. Caroline was on her feet, cheering for Tang with all her might, her voice joining thousands. Tang's stunning return had everyone in awe—three consecutive threes, each more impressive than the last. For someone who had just taken a heavy fall, his performance seemed almost otherworldly.
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