Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 128 All That's Needed is a Sliver of Light

Before the start of the fourth quarter, both coaches were making tense preparations.

But in fact, by now, both sides have a clear understanding of what the other can and cannot do. Just like the films starring Nao Jinguji and Toru Ozawa, because they have faced each other so many times, and these are all dramas that require some acting skills, they have developed an unspoken understanding when they look at each other in the movies.

The situation is even more dangerous for the Grizzlies. The only reason they have managed to hold on until now is because Xu Ling has been finding opportunities whenever they can, and his shooting touch has kept them going. Even so, without Trevor Ariza's outburst, the game might have been over long ago.

Therefore, in the final twelve minutes, tactics will be simplified to the extreme, and it will be more of a contest of will and on-the-spot adaptability.

The fourth quarter begins.

In the first possession, Garnett called for the ball inside, faced Warrick, and used his footwork and height advantage to turn and hook the ball in.

“！#￥！@#￥%”

Garnett roared, as if he had inexhaustible energy.

Garnett's performance prompted the Celtics to adopt an even more resilient defense.

Kidd tried to run a pick-and-roll with Xu Ling, but the Celtics switched very quickly. Garnett appeared in front of Xu Ling in an instant, looming over him like a shadow and giving him no space to shoot.

Xu Ling didn't force a shot, but passed the ball back to Kidd and quickly cut inside, but Pierce's pursuit and Rondo's help defense almost blocked all passing lanes.

With the 24-second shot clock expiring, Kidd was forced to attempt a three-pointer under pressure, but the ball bounced off the rim.

This was suffocating defense, and also the Celtics' comfort zone.

However, even the Celtics cannot guarantee a stable offense under such defensive pressure. After Garnett's hook shot, they also failed to find their rhythm, and the Grizzlies could not find a way to break the deadlock.

Missing shots once again became the main theme of the game. Neither side scored a single point in the next three minutes. Every attack was extremely difficult, and the intensity of the confrontation increased.

“This is playoff-level intensity!” Mike Breen said. “The Grizzlies and Celtics were fighting for every inch of space, and every shot was accompanied by intense physical contact! It’s really hard to score under these conditions!”

The people who broke the deadlock were Xu Ling and Josh Howard.

When the scoring drought entered the fourth minute, Xu Ling broke through on the perimeter with the ball, diverting Ray Allen's attention.

Allen decided to tighten up the defense because Howard's performance tonight was unremarkable, and his offensive touch was even worse, so he didn't deserve special attention.

This decision allowed Xu Ling to pass the ball before the double team could form.

Josh Howard didn't make a single three-pointer tonight, but he knew the opportunity was rare, so he decisively took the shot.

With a "swish," Howard sank his first three-pointer of the night, breaking the Grizzlies' scoring drought and awakening a possibility: it seems the Grizzlies have a third scorer to step up, in addition to Xu Ling and Ariza.

Josh Howard yelled out, as if to release all the pressure.

63 is better than 62
The Grizzlies took the lead.

Ray Allen used Garnett's screen to get around and receive the ball. Before Kidd could close in, he quickly launched a three-pointer, which also went in.

Ray Allen! He never hesitates when it counts!

The Celtics regained the lead.

The atmosphere at TD Garden remained electric, but Kidd keenly sensed a subtle shift in the game's dynamics. After Howard hit a three-pointer, the Celtics no longer dared to leave him completely open.

This means that the space for attack has been slightly expanded.

Xu Ling made a handoff pass to Kidd at the top of the arc.

Pierce and Rondo immediately attempted to form a pincer attack.

This time, however, Xu Ling received the ball without hesitation, immediately breaking through and using his shoulder to push Pierce aside half a body length before charging into the penalty area.

"KG!!!"

Pierce roared as if it were his last hope.

Although Xu Ling cannot yet coordinate the overall situation like Kidd, as a scorer, he is very sensitive to changes in the defensive situation when he has the ball. He is the kind of person who can find open teammates in such situations.

This is why he averages 5 assists per game.

As soon as Garnett started moving, Xu Ling tossed the ball high into the air. Milicic gritted his teeth, jumped up with all his might to catch it, and then dunked the ball into the basket.

65 is better than 65
The Serbians roared with excitement, as if they had scored the winning goal, but Xu Ling made no comment, ignoring the emotional Garnett and the disgruntled Pierce.

His mind was solely focused on the belief in victory; everything else was irrelevant.

This is perhaps the highest form of arrogance.

Simply focusing on the goal is more offensive than any amount of trash talk. Even though he's stopped trash-talking, Pierce inexplicably misses the arrogant rookie from the first half.

This thought made Pierce feel inexplicably inferior. Wow, PP, you're so despicable!

"Damn it, we can't let a rookie lead us by the nose!" Garnett said as he served.

However, Pierce completely lacked the arrogance he had at the beginning, the kind that seemed ready to devour Xu Ling: "KG, that bastard is not easy to deal with!"

Garnett didn't care about any of that. Dealing with that bastard was Pierce's job; all he had to do was say, "We're going to deal with him."

Pierce failed to be inspired by Garnett and didn't get good positioning.

The Celtics' defense is undoubtedly a model in the league and the reason for their competitiveness, but their offense has some weaknesses.

Rivers is not the kind of coach who brings his own system. If Popovich in the 2010s was a hexagonal coach, then Rivers is definitely an exaggerated inverted triangle coach. His only fully developed coaching abilities are his eloquence and personal charisma.

This ultimate motivational coaching style is both suitable and unsuitable for managing a super team like the Celtics. It works because he can balance the individualism and pride among the stars; it doesn't work because while he can unite the team, he can't foster teamwork.

The Celtics' defense is so formidable, partly because of Garnett and partly because the coaching staff has a defensive mastermind like Thibodeau. However, on the offensive end, it's difficult to find a suitable system for the team to operate.

Normally, they have young player Rondo to organize things, but when they encounter trouble, they always like to let the Big Three take turns solving the problem.

But this round
Pierce had no position, Ray Allen didn't get open, and Rondo wasn't confident in making his shots, so the only option was to look to Garnett.

Garnett backing down Warrick appears to be the highest-scoring matchup.

However, Garnett has a deep-seated problem, much like those dog directors who encourage male actors to take off their stockings in certain types of shows—they could make the film perfect, but they just don't.

Garnett could overpower Hakeem Warrick with his physique and strength, at any time, especially in crucial moments of the game. However, he often didn't do what fans expected. He would simply stick to post-up moves, gracefully swaying his shoulders left and right before turning around and shooting a fadeaway jumper.

That might be the most elegant jump shot you've ever seen from an inside player.

You can't help but wonder, does the word "elegance" really fit when it comes to inside players, especially in crucial moments?
"boom!"

Something's wrong.

It might never work out, so Garnett needs Pierce and Ray Allen; he really needs two guys with bigger hearts than him to take on this responsibility.

But probably not tonight.

Kidd grabbed the rebound while Milicic was boxing out, and immediately spotted Memphis number 1 who was already speeding down the court.

The man who carried the team tonight, like a blue lightning bolt, has already crossed the midfield.

Kidd delivered a precise long pass that spanned half the field!

Xu Ling received the ball and faced only Ray Allen, who was retreating on defense. He took a long stride, jumped forcefully, and scored again after a mid-air collision. The intense collision was so intense that even the referee tonight had to call a defensive foul.

Boos rang out again.

The fans' resentment was a byproduct of this moment.

Xu Ling didn't look at Ray Allen, who he had knocked to the ground. He simply turned around and paid his respects to Kidd, who had delivered the pass. It was a really good pass; he couldn't think of anyone who could have made a better one.

Old things are just reliable.

Those active thoughts in his mind were never expressed on his face.

All of this aligns with Mike Brin's assessment of Xu Ling at the start of the match.

Humans are inherently cold-blooded? That's probably it.

As Xu Ling stepped to the free-throw line, Mike Breen seized the opportunity to praise him: "Ever since the game-winning shot against the Spurs in the opening game, Eli Xu has become a basketball hero in Memphis, and tonight, he delivered another heroic performance!"

Then, Xu Ling did what a hero should do and scored the penalty.

68 is better than 65
The Grizzlies regained the lead as the game entered the final half of the quarter.

A subtle anxiety gradually emerged in the arena. Bostonians couldn't believe that the Celtics, the team with the greatest championship potential since 1987, had been pushed to this point by the ninth-ranked team in the West.

Pierce was finally in a good position, and he was sure of himself. Ironically, when he bared his teeth and claws, ready to devour Xu Ling, he was completely defeated.

Now that he acknowledged his opponent's strength, he put his own skills to good use, hitting a difficult-to-block turnaround jump shot off the backboard.

67 is better than 68
After succeeding, Pierce glared at Xu Ling. He began to miss the other man's trash talk; he didn't want to be ignored.

That look in his eyes is like saying, "If you've got the guts, fight back!"
Xu Ling doesn't like making people wait.

Kidd controlled the ball at a steady pace.

Every offensive play at this moment is crucial. Xu Ling, after a series of screens, finally received the ball on the left side of the three-point line, where Ray Allen switched onto him. Xu Ling adopted a triple-threat stance, and Allen kept his center of gravity extremely low, refusing to give him any space to drive.

However, Xu Ling suddenly made a wide-ranging shooting fake. Allen, being experienced, didn't jump fully, but his center of gravity was slightly shifted. In that split second, Xu Ling put down the ball and used an extremely fast crossover step to get past Allen on his right.

Before the other Celtics players could react, Xu Ling had already rushed to the basket and scored a layup.

70 is better than 67
Xu Ling turned and retreated to defend, while Ray Allen slapped his hand hard, frustrated with his own defense.

The Celtics quickly advanced the ball, and Ray Allen received the ball at the right 45-degree angle. Facing Josh Howard's defense, he dribbled between his legs repeatedly to find his rhythm, and then suddenly pulled up for a jump shot.

Howard jumped to contest the shot, and the basketball hit the back of the rim and bounced out.

But Garnett, like a god descending to earth, leaped between Milicic and Warrick, flicking the ball into the basket with one hand, while the referee blew the whistle – Warrick fouled!

"AND ONE! Kevin Garnett! Incredible offensive rebounds! He has absolute dominance in the paint tonight!"

Garnett excitedly rushed to the sidelines and roared at the stands, causing the sea of ​​green to erupt in cheers.

Garnett made the shot and was awarded a free throw.

70 is better than 70!

The score is tied again!

The match became intense, with both sides trading blows and the score fluctuating.

The score remained close, and whoever scored would surely retaliate in the next round. The two teams went from 70-70 to 76-76, with only two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The air seemed to freeze; if the arrogant Bostonians had been a little quieter, perhaps one could have heard their breathing and heartbeats.

With the Grizzlies in possession, Kidd patiently controlled the game. With 10 seconds remaining on the shot clock, he initiated another pick-and-roll with Xu Ling. The Celtics decisively switched defense, with Rondo guarding Xu Ling.

This is a mismatch, and Kidd makes a quick pass.

Xu Ling received the ball and was about to go one-on-one when Garnett suddenly double-teamed him. It was a surprise attack, but the Celtics had been treating Xu Ling like this for most of the game, so it wasn't anything unexpected.

Xu Ling passed the ball the instant the double team was formed, but little did he know, it was a trap.

Ray Allen suddenly appeared on his passing lane, which meant that the Celtics did not abandon the cage just because Xu Ling broke through it. The cage was still there and caused Xu Ling to make a mistake at this crucial moment.

Allen passed the ball to Rondo, who was making a quick run down the court, and the Celtics immediately launched a counter-attack.

Rondo shone like a beam of light onto the frontcourt, leaving only Xu Ling and Kidd for the Grizzlies to get back on defense.

Two-on-two in the frontcourt!
Rondo passed the ball to Pierce, who was following up. Pierce received the ball and drove straight to the basket. Facing Kidd's defense, he jumped up, ready to finish with a dunk.

At this critical moment, Xu Ling abandoned Rondo on the outside and returned to the paint at full speed.

Xu Ling jumped with all his might, his long arms like outstretched wings, and just as Pierce was about to dunk the ball, he precisely slammed it onto the basketball.

*Smack!*

"BLOCKED BY XU!"

A huge gasp and incredulous hiss erupted from North Shore Gardens. Pierce landed, staring dumbfounded at Xu Ling, as if he had seen some monster.

Xu Ling landed without celebrating, quickly getting into his defensive position and yelling to his teammates, "Let's hold this ball!"

This block greatly boosted the Grizzlies' morale and dealt a heavy blow to the Celtics' confidence.

The Celtics inbound the ball with only 1 minute and 10 seconds remaining.

After several passes, the ball was returned to Pierce with little time remaining.

Pierce faced Xu Ling, attempting a series of jab steps before forcing his way through, but Xu Ling's defense was impenetrable, leaving no openings. Pierce was forced into a difficult fadeaway jumper due to a lack of space.

Missed the mark!

Milicic fought hard to secure the crucial rebound, leaving Celtics fans dejected and heartbroken.

The Grizzlies called a timeout with 48.7 seconds remaining. The score was tied at 76-76.

Mark Jaffaroni made a bold personnel change, replacing Hakim Warrick with Ariza and having Josh Howard temporarily play the power forward position, which greatly increased the team's offensive firepower.

Xu Ling covered her head with a towel and listened quietly to Jaffaroni's instructions.

"In this final attack, we must try to score and not give the opponent too many opportunities!" Jaffaroni emphasized. "Jason, try to play the tactics according to our plan. If there are no opportunities, pass the ball to Eli!"

The Celtics also made an adjustment, replacing Ray Allen with Tony Allen, bringing their strongest defensive lineup to the table.

The timeout ends, and the Grizzlies inbound the ball from the frontcourt sideline.

Every fan in the stadium wearing a green jersey was making noise at the top of their lungs.

The ball was successfully served to Kidd, who dribbled it with his own rhythm, calmly scanning the frontcourt.

Even with a smaller roster and Josh Howard playing inside, the Celtics can still have Garnett come out to guard the rim, and with Perkins protecting the rim, their defense remains solid.

Time is running out for the attack.

Xu Ling was closely guarded by Tony Allen, and in the end, Trevor Ariza ran out of the crowd to receive a pass from Kidd. Pierce was slightly delayed, and Ariza did not hesitate at all and immediately shot a three-pointer.

However, Ariza did not become the hero who decided the course of the game. He sat on the bench for too long in the final quarter, and his hot streak from the third quarter had faded.

The ball slammed against the back of the rim and bounced high!

Garnett had already positioned himself and was about to secure the crucial defensive rebound.

But Darko Milicic leaped up from the side and, just as the basketball was falling, used all his strength to flick it outwards.

This priceless offensive rebound wasn't grabbed; instead, it was precisely slapped towards the top of the key!
The ball flew right towards Xu Ling's location!

Xu Ling jumped up and grabbed the invaluable rebound. With 24 seconds left, the crowd groaned. This was probably the worst possible situation for the Celtics, as the game was tied and the opponent could easily push the clock to the very end.

Since the score was tied, Xu Ling could handle the ball with almost no pressure.

Considering this person's behavior tonight, what could be more terrifying than this?
The final offensive possession of the night began with Mike Breen's melodious commentary: "Eli is dribbling on the perimeter! The Grizzlies have one last chance to score!"

Xu Ling controlled the ball steadily at the top of the arc. He did not launch an attack immediately, but instead held up one finger to signal to hold on and keep the time until the very end.

Tony Allen clung to Xu Ling like glue, using every physical contact to prevent him from getting going. Garnett hovered near the free-throw line, the green defense like a noose, slowly tightening.

Time flows by in the resonance of numbers and heartbeats.

10 seconds left

Xu Ling lowered his center of gravity, using his back to sense every bit of pressure Allen exerted, like a beast scrutinizing its prey.

7 seconds left

Xu Ling suddenly made a half-turn feint, and Allen's center of gravity shifted to the right in an instant. In that split second, Xu Ling pulled the ball back sharply, and his body swayed and turned to the left like a dancer, smoothly creating half a body length gap!
"Eli has broken through Tony Allen's defense!"

But the Celtics' defensive rotations were suffocatingly fast!

Pierce arrived like a ghost to help defend, blocking the way; Garnett was already guarding the basket, his arms covering the sky—a perfect help defense trap had been formed.

Only 3 seconds left!
Pass the ball? The field of vision is blocked. Force a shot? There are two insurmountable obstacles in front of you.

At this critical moment, Xu Ling made a choice that defied common sense in basketball—instead of backing down, he took a strong step forward against Pierce's physical contact and used the momentum to jump into the air!

Garnett and Pierce's four long arms instantly formed a net that completely covered the basket.

In the air, time seemed to stand still.

In the instant before he was about to lose his balance, Xu Ling displayed his core strength to its fullest extent. It was as if he had performed an impossible double exertion in mid-air, switching the ball from his right hand to his left hand at the extreme limit, his whole body almost twisted into a bow, barely managing to glimpse a sliver of light through the gap between his four palms!
All he needs is this glimmer of hope!
Last second!
Under the horrified gaze of nearly 20,000 people in the arena, Xu Ling flicked his left wrist as gently as if playing a musical instrument. The basketball, with an incredible spin, barely passed Garnett's fingertips, drawing a strange arc before gently brushing the backboard.

At the same time, the red light on the top edge of the backboard suddenly lit up.

"Uh-huh!!!"

That crisp friction sound was like an assassin's dagger piercing the heart of North Shore Gardens.

The ball went in!!!
A buzzer-beater!

"He did it!!!" Mike Breen shouted with all his might, "Eli Xu!!! A buzzer-beater!!! He did it! He tore apart Boston's ironclad defense! Over the heads of Pierce and Garnett! The Memphis Grizzlies won the game! They defeated the league-leading Boston Celtics!!!"

North Shore Gardens erupted in defiant screams and howls.

The Celtics players stood frozen in place, their faces filled with shock, bewilderment, and disbelief.

Xu Ling landed and turned to look at them calmly. He wanted to say something, but the next second, Kidd, Howard, Milicic... all the Grizzlies players swarmed around him like a tide, knocking him to the ground.

All the unspoken words were incorporated into this frenzied human pyramid.

At this moment, there is no need to say anything more; the result itself is the most resounding declaration.

(End of this chapter)