Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 104 The King Killer (510) (Thanks to the top reader 2019 for the generous donation)
The timeout ends. The Cavaliers inbound the ball from the sideline. James receives the ball with difficulty after a back-cut following a screen, and Jason Kidd immediately switches to defend him.

1 minutes 49 seconds

James did not call for a pick-and-roll; he waved to signal everyone to clear one side.

Suddenly, with a sharp crossover, James used his first step to forcefully push aside Kidd by half a body length, like a heavy tank sprinting at full speed, heading straight for the paint!

Josh Howard and Darko Milicic had already collapsed under the basket, forming a triple team instantly! James was surrounded by a jungle of muscles, but he didn't back down at all. He forcefully jumped in mid-air, twisting his body to try and shoot!

At that critical moment, just before he collected the ball, he caught a fleeting glimpse of an open space in the left corner of his eye—Delonte West had shaken off the defense through a screen in the paint and gotten an open shot.

Without hesitation, James, in mid-air, with an almost clumsy and awkward motion, flung the ball through the gaps in the crowd, delivering it precisely to West!

West catches the ball, jumps and shoots.

Swish! ! !
"Amazing Delonte West! A corner three-pointer! The deficit is back to 6 points! 1 minute and 45 seconds left! The Cavaliers haven't given up yet!"

The Grizzlies had nothing to say. If they chose to leave the Cavaliers' interior defense open and shut down the paint, they had to be prepared for their interior players to create open shots for their teammates on the perimeter.

For the people of Cleveland, this was a ray of hope ignited amidst despair.

The greater the madness, the more intense the roar.

"Kill those damn Memphis bastards!!!"

Quicken Loans Arena erupted in utter frenzy! The roar nearly shattered the arena's roof. From despair to hope, all it took was a successful defensive play and possession of the ball!
The Grizzlies inbound the ball from the baseline. Facing elimination, the Cavaliers, like gamblers who have lost everything, immediately implemented a desperate full-court press.

Delonte West used an almost slam-like move to tightly entangle Kidd, who was about to receive the ball. James also immediately moved closer, ready to surround Kidd if he received the ball.

The home referees chose to remain silent about this obvious physical contact, condoning the Cavaliers' rough defense.

Kidd received the ball with difficulty amidst intense physical contact, but James' long arms and West's constantly waving arms completely blocked his passing space and vision.

"boom!"

Under the fierce double-team of the two players, the ball in Kidd's hands was stolen and rolled towards the sideline!

Xu Ling leaped from the other side like an arrow, almost parallel to the ground—but just as his fingertips were about to touch the ball, it slammed onto the sideline floor first!
Out of bounds!

The referee blew his whistle and awarded possession of the ball to the Cavaliers without hesitation.

"A fatal mistake! LeBron and Delonte's tenacious defense forced Jason to lose the ball! A miracle is truly beckoning to Cleveland!"

With 1 minute and 36 seconds remaining, the Cavaliers had possession of the ball.

The ball was inbounded from the sideline, and James received it without hesitation. With two big steps to the three-point line, he pulled up for a three-pointer! The basketball had a very flat arc and bounced off the back of the rim.

But Lady Luck seemed to be on Cleveland's side once again. Taking advantage of his height, Zydrunas Ilgauskas swatted the backboard over Darko Milicic's head, sending it flying beyond the three-point line, where it landed perfectly in Pavlovic's hands.

The Cavaliers reorganized their offense, and after several passes, they chose to trust Big Z.

With his back to Milicic, Big Z used his massive size and strength to attack the basket. Milicic defended fiercely, maintaining a firm footing and not losing his position. Big Z forced a turn towards the baseline and launched the ball with an extremely awkward hook shot—the ball clearly went wide!

"Beep!!!"

The referee's whistle blew sharply, calling a defensive foul on Milicic.

This time, it wasn't just Milicic who was furious; Grizzlies head coach Mark Jaffaroni was also enraged on the sidelines: "What kind of foul is that? Are you just going to let the game get out of control like this?"

Milicic was furious, his face flushed red, and he lunged at the referee to argue—but Xu Ling grabbed his jersey and forcefully stopped him.

"Enough, Dako!" Xu Ling's voice left no room for argument. "The referees have been 'favoring' them all night. Aren't you used to it yet? Look at the scoreboard. We're still in the lead."

Milicic was both shocked and furious, almost blurting out, "How can you get used to this?!"

Xu Ling did not answer, but simply pulled the person away.

Habit? Why not?
Xu Ling suddenly remembered his college mentor, Bob Knight. The most meaningful thing his mentor said about referees was to treat them as an unavoidable rape. If you can't resist, then enjoy it. If you're lucky, you might even get a huge settlement like the heroine in "Eagle County".

He certainly felt the refereeing tonight was absolutely terrible, and he was just as furious. But he also knew that this was the treatment the chosen team received at home. Although he was somewhat famous now, he was far from being at the level to warrant the referees' special attention.

At times like these, emotionally charged protests are pointless and only result in extra free throws and technical fouls for the opponent.

If you really want to vent your anger, then what you should really do is be patient.

"Be patient," Xu Ling told himself. "Be patient and calm."

Then, wait.

Waiting for an opportunity. One is enough.

Then, Zydrunas Ilgauskas made both free throws, narrowing the gap to 5 points.

Mike Brown clapped enthusiastically on the sidelines, giving his players a thumbs-up. The Cavaliers seemed to have turned the tide of the game, high-fiving each other, while the Grizzlies called a timeout.

"Control the time, guys, time is still on our side!" Marc Jaffaroni yelled. "Jason, you take the ball, but don't rush. Try play number 2 first. If there's no opportunity, find Eli!"

This is Jaffaroni's arrangement.

But when the timeout ended, Xu Ling said to Kidd as he walked onto the court, "Don't use play number 2. If you have the chance, just pass the ball to me!"

The Grizzlies overcame their inbound pass problem, with Xu Ling inbounding the ball and Kidd successfully receiving it over Milicic's solid screen.

Kidd controlled the ball like a rock, letting time tick by, 1 minute, 55 seconds. Then, he didn't call any plays, but left 8 seconds for Xu Ling to cut out and receive the ball.

Mark Jaffaroni was deep in thought on the sidelines.

Did he not know what Kidd was thinking, or did he not have a chance to call out tactics? Or did he trust Eli too much?

He won't blame Kidd.

Moreover, having Xu Ling receive the ball at this moment is the best thing that could happen to the Grizzlies.

Xu Ling received the ball on the weak side, facing LeBron James. He was the chosen one, the king, and the undisputed most promising young superstar in the entire league. Just like Tim Duncan's eternal message after sweeping him in the Finals: The future is yours.

This league will be his, because the future will be his, he will easily dominate the East and completely surpass the great Michael Jordan at his peak, everyone thinks so.

But why would someone like this suddenly appear?

What does the number 1 on his body signify?
The Cleveland crowd began counting down the last eight seconds of the Grizzlies' shot, hoping to put extra pressure on Xu Ling.

Xu Ling lowered his center of gravity, dribbled the ball with his right hand, and calmly read James' defense with sharp eyes. At that moment, the noise in Quicken Loans Arena had reached a crazy peak, making it extremely unbearable.

With five seconds left on the offensive clock, Xu Ling instantly started his attack. It was an extremely realistic hesitant step, with his entire body slightly raised and his toes pointed upwards. James felt as if Xu Ling was about to take off and jump, but then he remembered the opponent's terrifying retreat step. His body was about to rise but hadn't yet, which instead made that great body stiffen.

As Xu Ling swiftly changed direction to the left, dribbled away, and took another step back, attempting to get his body moving to catch up with James, he was frozen in place due to his poor flexibility. Under the force of the movement, the center of gravity supporting his body collapsed instantly, and King James fell towards Xu Ling in an ungraceful manner.

A dull bang.

LeBron James, the King of Cleveland, the chosen one watched by all, was knocked to the ground by Xu Ling's perfect combination move under the gaze of fans all over the world.

"My God! Change of direction! Eli drives to the left! Step back! LeBron—he lost his balance! He fell!! LeBron James was faked out!!!" Mike Breen's exclamation echoed throughout the arena.

All the cheers, all the shouts, all the hopes were shattered at this moment, leaving only boundless shock and wailing!
Countless Cleveland fans screamed in agony.

Xu Ling had already reached the execution point, at a 45-degree angle to the left, beyond the three-point line. He didn't hesitate at all, and didn't even look at the fallen James. He was as calm as an assassin on an icy plain.

Xu Ling bent his knees, jumped, and shot a three-pointer.

At this moment, a small basketball can shatter human hearts and reach the very soul.

That shot drew the most beautiful arc of the night, like a divine bird from outer space kissing the Cavaliers' basket.

"Whoosh!!!!!"

"UNBELIEVABLE!!! Eli Xu! He destroyed the King's Castle! Before the hearts of 18,000 at Quicken Loans Center! He delivered the final, fatal blow!" Mike Breen's voice burned on the verge of cracking, proclaiming the glory and cruelty of this moment to the world.

However, Brin, this is not the final blow for Number 1.

No. Xu Ling looked at James.

This wasn't the end for them; it was just their first encounter in their careers. But this game awakened the demons within them. Xu Ling knew, and James knew, that every great NBA player fought in their own palace. There were twenty-nine NBA arenas, each a small castle controlled by a different king. Every king had a reason to defend his castle, and once the castle fell, the king's very existence would be questioned.

Facing James, who had not yet gotten up, Xu Ling did not add any trash talk to his fatal blow, but instead made a move that left the whole world speechless.

"Wait! What is he doing?! Eli Xu isn't celebrating! He's turned to LeBron!"

Xu Ling slowly and contemptuously raised his right hand towards LeBron James, who was supporting himself on the ground with one hand, looking shocked, humiliated, and bewildered as he tried to get up. He made the signature move that the league had explicitly banned, a move that belonged only to Dikembe Mutombo—wagging his finger.

Under the world's watchful eyes, he shook his right index finger at LeBron James once, twice, three times, many times.

Silence is more insulting than any roar.

“Eli, my God! He’s wagging his finger! He’s wagging his finger at LeBron James!”

“No! No! Eli! Don’t do this! You can’t do this! This is Cleveland! This is against LeBron!” Mark Jackson’s voice suddenly rose, sounding terrified. “My God! This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen on the court!”

This humiliating final blow ignited Cleveland's last remaining fury!

Immediately, the entire stadium erupted as if a bomb had been dropped on it, unleashing a torrent of furious, almost tangible rage!

The anger of 18,000 fans coalesced into a destructive wave of sound, no longer just boos, but a terrifying chorus of painful roars, frantic curses, and the beastly howls of utter humiliation.

“That’s a technical foul! A move that’s strictly prohibited by the league!” Jeff Van Gundy analyzed calmly but quickly. “But the call is irrelevant now! Look at this arena! This is the most malicious arena I’ve ever seen!”

Beep!!!

The referee's whistle blew sharply, pointing directly at Xu Ling without hesitation, and he was given a technical foul!
Xu Ling remained expressionless, as if he had already anticipated this price. The commotion at the quick loan center rose again because of this ruling, but it was now mixed with uneasy restlessness.

With only 47 seconds remaining, the Grizzlies lead by 8 points.

James took the technical foul free throw, but perhaps influenced by the earlier conflict, or perhaps under too much pressure, his shot hit the front of the rim.

Missed free throw!

The Cavaliers got the inbound pass. James received the ball and drove hard, but under the double-team of Xu Ling and Howard, his turnaround jump shot was noticeably off-target, and the ball bounced off the backboard.

The attack timer has only lasted 8 seconds. 39 seconds remain.

Milicic secured the rebound and immediately passed to Kidd to control the tempo. The Cavaliers were forced to foul, sending Kidd to the free-throw line.

The veteran calmly made both free throws. 110-100, with 37 seconds remaining.

The Cavaliers quickly inbounded the ball, and Delonte West received it and hastily took a three-pointer. The basketball went through an absurd trajectory and landed directly in the stands.

Another 24-second offensive possession ended abruptly. Only 13 seconds remained.

The Grizzlies inbounded the ball, and the Cavaliers had no chance to turn the tide. When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard showed 110-100.

The Memphis Grizzlies snatched victory from this infernal arena of boiling pain and anger.

However, there were no cheers, no salutes, not even a moment's pause.

They were met only with a torrential downpour of drinks and debris from the stands, and the most vicious curses hurled from thousands. The out-of-control fans stormed the security lines, attempting to pounce on their kingslayer.

Normal post-game etiquette was out of the question. A large number of security personnel quickly formed a human wall, tightly surrounding the entire Grizzlies team, practically pushing them through the chaos and disarray towards the entrance to the players' tunnel.

Surrounded by his teammates and security guards, Xu Ling walked briskly with his head down, expressionless. An unidentified liquid slid down his jersey from his shoulder; it was unclear whether it was a spilled drink or spittle from the stands.

He didn't look back at the sea of ​​anger he had ignited with his own hands, nor did he heed the most vile personal insults that exploded in his ears.

Like a killer completing a mission, coldly wading across this raging sea.

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Post-match reactions

LeBron James declined to be interviewed. He is currently on his way to the hospital for treatment of a tight hip caused by intense play during the game and is deeply disappointed with what happened tonight.

“Oh, that’s absolutely unacceptable,” Mike Brown said of Xu Ling’s final finger wag. “That was disrespectful to the game, to LeBron, to our entire team, and to all the fans. The league has clear rules against that kind of action, and I’m sure they will take action. We lost a game tonight, but we will learn from it.”

As a staunch supporter of LeBron James, Alexander Pavlovic angrily stated, "That's despicable. In Cleveland, on our turf, no one should be treated like that. He crossed the line."

Coach Marc Jaffaroni attempted to downplay the controversy and refocus on the game itself: "It was an emotional moment. Eli was under immense pressure all night, and he played a phenomenal game, leading the team to victory against all odds. As for that move, the referee has already made his call, and that's the end of it. I'd rather talk about the resilience the team showed in crucial moments and how Jason stabilized the situation."

“I saw it, I heard it. But you know, when a game gets really heated, anything can happen. Eli is a competitor, he craves victory. Sometimes, young people’s emotions just come out in some way. The important thing is that we won the game and everyone left the court healthy,” Kidd said shrewdly. “As for LeBron, he’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen, and he’ll respond strongly, I have no doubt about that. That’s the beauty of competition.”

"I've seen many hostile moments in my career as a commentator, but tonight's scene is definitely among the most hostile," Mike Breen said on the post-match SportsCenter program.

"Let me say something that might not be popular: everyone's talking about how 'disrespectful' that finger-wagging gesture was. But I want to ask, is the chorus of racist insults respectful? Is the rain of trash thrown from the stands respectful? Does the home-court advantage that LeBron James and his team enjoyed throughout the second half respect the pure competition itself? We always demand that players, especially young players, endure everything like saints, and then use 'sportsmanship' to bind them. Eli Xu's behavior may have gone too far, but it was an uncontrolled reaction to all the previous injustices and excessive behavior. He took back control in his own way. I think if you can accept the almost 'riotous' hostile atmosphere in Cleveland, you have to accept a young man responding in his own way. It's fair, and it's even very much basketball." Jeff Van Gundy also commented on the finger-wagging after the game.

Ultimately, we need to come back to reality, just like Mark Jackson said: "My God! My reaction back then is the same as now—I almost jumped out of my chair on the spot!"

Yes, that's how most people react when they see that scene.

Post-match interview
Marc Stein, ESPN

"Eli, you wagged your finger at LeBron James in the final moments of the game, which is a provocative gesture strictly prohibited by the league. What were you thinking at that moment? Were you worried about the impact this would have on your image or future games?"

Xu Ling replied:

“I guess fans wouldn’t mind buying ‘villain’ shoes.”

Rachel Nichols, TNT

"This game was hyped by the media as a direct matchup between you and LeBron James, and you responded to his offense head-on on several occasions. Do you think your performance tonight proved that you are capable of competing with the league's top stars?"

Xu Ling gave a cold laugh:

"Confrontation? I don't really like that word. It sounds like you're trying to catch up with someone. Tonight, I just did what I was supposed to do. As for who the other person is, I don't really care."

Tom Haberstroh, Yahoo Sports

"In tonight's game, the referee's calls seemed to favor the Cavaliers, especially in some crucial moments. What are your thoughts on those calls? Did they affect your game strategy?"

Xu Ling replied:

"Referees? They're really trying. By the way, my strategy is to make the shots they can't call."

Howard Baker, The Washington Post

"Jason Kidd delivered several accurate passes tonight, making your offense flow more smoothly. How do you think his arrival has changed the Grizzlies' style of play? How is it like playing alongside him?"

Xu Ling showed a genuine smile for the first time:

“Playing with Jason is like having a full-map view in a game. You just need to move around, and the ball will magically appear in your hands. As for the change in style, you guys used to say I liked to take on five opponents in a game (laughs even more), but now sometimes it becomes me and Jason taking on five opponents, which is mathematically an improvement.”

Jack Randy, Associated Press

"Cleveland fans showed strong hostility towards you tonight, and some even racist you. How do you deal with this off-court pressure? Will these comments affect your performance?"

Xu Ling replied:

"I suggest they update their dictionary."

Chris Sheridan seemed to feel he deserved to ask a question in such a historic match, even though he was the famous "enemy Eli".

But before he could speak, Xu Ling recognized him and interrupted him, saying, "Shut up. I won't answer any of your questions. You're not welcome here. Please leave."

Well, Eli is destined to become a national, no, global sensation tomorrow because of his series of remarks here, and that seemingly exciting but terrifying "finger wag." Considering he has already caused so much controversy, is it worth mentioning to expel a veteran journalist on the spot?

Obviously, it's not worth it.

(End of this chapter)