Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 147 Dedicated to Those Who Hate Me (Updated)
The point difference has reached 10 points.

The Grizzlies failed to score in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter.

The competition seemed to have begun at that moment.

The Smoothie King Center erupted in celebration, with fans waving towels, singing, and dancing as if victory was already in their pockets.

Byron Scott pumped his fist on the sidelines, a relieved smile on his face.

"Now you know how powerful Chris is, huh? You damned Chinese clown!"

"You'll never be a match for Chris!"

"Go home, you bastard!"

The fears of hell, the resentments of hell, and the malice that only exists in hell erupted without reservation at the moment when the evil spirits visiting here were about to be defeated.

Marc Jafaroni stood on the sidelines, his face pale.

Inside the VIP box, Jerry West felt completely stiff, just like a player on the court. Having experienced countless defeats during his playing career, he knew what it felt like for a team to be crushed.

The Grizzlies have given it their all, and the coaching staff has pushed the roster to its limits, but they may not be able to close the gap with the Hornets this time.

Even the most die-hard Grizzlies fans couldn't help but feel a sense of "maybe this is the end" at this moment.

Xu Ling stood at the baseline, ready to serve.

His face remained expressionless, showing neither anger nor panic; he merely glanced at the scoreboard after serving.

74 is better than 64
With eight minutes left and a 10-point difference between the two teams, is it all over?

Kidd dribbled past half-court, his steps looking somewhat heavy, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. He continued to pass the ball to Xu Ling, but Xu Ling didn't run around frantically for the ball like before. He simply landed silently on the weak side, as if accepting defeat.

The shot clock was ticking away. The ball was passed around on the perimeter, but a good opportunity remained elusive. Howard's forced drive was disrupted by West, and the ball bounced off the rim.

Under the Hornets' basket, Tyson Chandler had Milicic firmly shut down and was poised to secure the rebound that was practically in his grasp.

Everything seemed to be a microcosm of the Grizzlies' fourth-quarter slump.

However, just as the basketball was about to bounce off the rim, Xu Ling, like a long-dormant ghost, suddenly launched himself from beyond the three-point line.

He channeled all his strength into his legs, and like a cannonball, he charged straight for the basket!
His start was too fast, too sudden!

Peterson was left completely behind, and all the Hornets players' attention was focused on the rebound that was about to be theirs.

Xu Ling stepped inside the free-throw line and leaped into the air with all his might! His speed was astonishing. Just as Chandler's fingers were about to touch the basketball, he arrived first and grabbed the backboard that the Hornets were about to take away with one hand in mid-air. With his brute strength, he slammed the ball into the basket, even though Chandler was half a body length away!

"Boom!!!!!!"

It wasn't a putback, it was a putback dunk!

A stunning putback dunk over a defender that shocked the entire arena!

"Ugh!!!!!!"

The cheers from the entire stadium seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, instantly turning into huge gasps and gasps!
"beep!!!"

The referee's whistle blew almost simultaneously—Chandler committed a defensive foul!

Xu Ling landed heavily, the momentum propelling him forward a few steps to regain his balance. He glanced at Chandler, who looked incredulous after being dunked on, and then walked silently to the free-throw line.

“Oh my God!!” Kevin Harlan’s voice trembled with utter shock. “Eli Xu! What did he do?! A putback dunk over Tyson Chandler for a 2+1! He broke the deadlock in the team’s most desperate moment!”

Byron Scott was furious on the sidelines, yelling at the referee and believing it was an offensive foul.

However, referee Dan Crawford coldly stated, "No, I don't think so."

In his view, Scott's actions were utterly unreasonable. The refereeing team had already given the Hornets a huge advantage; otherwise, how could they have held the Grizzlies scoreless for four whole minutes? There was a reason for all of this. However, the same reason might lead the Hornets to suffer the same fate.

All pressure and confrontation are based on the standards of judgment.

The Hornets benefited from this stretch of play, making it difficult for the Grizzlies to find their outside shooting touch. Now, they are naturally subject to their opponents using this stretch of play to attack the basket.

Xu Ling stepped to the free-throw line, and the boos tried to return, but they had no effect on him at all, and he made the free throw with ease.

74 is better than 67
"It's our turn to counterattack!" Xu Ling roared at his dazed teammates as they scrambled back on defense. "Let them see what real defense is!"

Unfounded worries, self-destructive thoughts, fear of failure, and dread of powerful enemies—all these distracting thoughts arise in an instant.

They might devour you in four minutes, or they might vanish in a single round.

This is the current situation of the Memphis Grizzlies.

This is the only thing that has survived after countless failures and upheavals.

This is hell, purgatory, the birthplace of disaster and suffering.

Paul tried to stabilize the pace, but Xu Ling immediately closed in, increasing the defensive intensity to its peak.

Paul called for a pick-and-roll from West, but after the switch, Howard's tight defense made it extremely difficult for West to receive the ball.

Paul was forced to pass the ball to Peterson, whose three-pointer missed under Kidd's interference.

Kidd dribbled the ball forward and passed it directly to Xu Ling, who had dropped to the low post.

Xu Ling leaned against Peterson, sensing the man's slightly disordered breathing caused by the dunk.

Xu Ling dribbled and backed up, then suddenly turned right. Peterson desperately retreated, but Xu Ling used his right foot as a pivot to smoothly turn left, completely penetrating the basket.

Before West could react, Xu Ling had already taken to the air and easily put the ball into the basket with one hand!
74 is better than 69
"It's Eli Xu again!" Harlan shouted excitedly. "The Hornets can drag the Grizzlies into danger time and time again, but Eli is like a phoenix, leading them out of danger time and time again! Memphis is still alive! The Grizzlies are still fighting!"

Scott had to request another pause in an attempt to break Xu Ling's momentum.

But at this moment, the Grizzlies' morale was completely high. Xu Ling walked back to the bench, and his teammates rushed up to give him high-fives. Jaffaroni also excitedly patted him on the back.

What happened after the pause did not go as Scott had hoped.

Moreover, the Hornets may be more affected.

David West received the ball at the high post, clearly shook off Howard, but his jump shot missed.

On the defensive end, the Hornets suddenly double-teamed Xu Ling when he received the ball.

Paul left Kidd open, and Xu Ling's job was to quickly pass the ball back to Kidd.

Kidd's three-point shooting percentage in the playoffs was less than 30%, which is definitely a very low number, but it is not zero. After adjusting, Kidd resolutely took three-point shots.

"Shh!"

Kidd's long-awaited three-pointer was like the arrival of a curse, prompting the New Orleans crowd to erupt in a cacophony of "NoNoNoNo!"

The score is now 74-72, with the Hornets leading by only 2 points.

That seemingly promising outlook that the game was about to end, that comforting 10-point lead, vanished in just two minutes.

Fate's jokes are so cruel, they truly send chills down one's spine.

Paul attempted to solve the problem with his individual skills, forcefully breaking through Xu Ling and attempting a difficult reverse layup. However, Xu Ling's defense interfered with his shot, and the ball bounced a few times on the rim before finally slipping out.

Xu Ling grabbed the rebound and spearheaded a fast break, penetrating deep into the Hornets' territory.

Paul and Peterson retreated to defend, and Xu Ling, surrounded by two defenders, miraculously slipped through the gaps in the defense with a behind-the-back crossover and laid the ball off with a low shot.

The ball goes in!

They've tied it!
"It's Eli again! The unstoppable Eli!"

"Eli scored 7 consecutive points, bringing his total to 36!"

The balance of power tipped rapidly to the other side at that moment.

In the next possession, facing Xu Ling's relentless defense, Paul called for a screen from Chandler, broke through, and assisted Chandler on a dunk.

"Shh!"

The Hornets regained the lead.

The roles were reversed, and Xu Ling tried to replicate the strategy, but the Hornets' double-teams came faster and more aggressively.

Xu Ling was forced to pass the ball, which was passed around several times before reaching Howard. His mid-range shot missed due to West's interference.

Paul grabbed the defensive rebound and quickly launched a fast break, with Peterson scoring a layup in the frontcourt.

78 is better than 74
The Hornets regained a 4-point lead.

Xu Ling took a deep breath. This was really tough to deal with. Whenever they caught up, Paul could always quickly regain his firepower before the situation got out of hand.

However, if he wasn't this good, how could he have become this season's MVP?

In the next two minutes, the Hornets found their offensive rhythm. West scored with a high-post jump shot, while Paul drove straight to the basket for a layup after a pick-and-roll.

Xu Ling also drew a foul and made both free throws, and assisted Ariza to score a layup, but the point difference remained around 4 points.

With the game entering its final three minutes, the air seemed to freeze.

The Hornets are now entirely reliant on Paul to carry the team. West's offensive output has significantly decreased; he has reduced his offensive efforts and is focusing solely on pick-and-rolls and screens. Chandler is a huge rebounding threat, and his presence makes Paul and others feel more confident in their shots. Peja and Peterson are now more of a supporting role, both needing Paul's playmaking.

The Grizzlies appeared to be a more cohesive team.

While Xu Ling may not have Paul's level of game control, he is probably the strongest individual offensive and defensive player in this series, and the Hornets have poured a huge amount of defensive resources into him.

Therefore, even if Xu Ling doesn't score, his teammates can respond at this time.

The best times are over, and the most difficult times are coming. Every second will be harder to endure than the last.

Paul missed his jump shot.

Xu Ling leaped and grabbed the rebound, bringing the game to its final three minutes.

Xu Ling didn't pass the ball to Kidd, but instead dribbled to the frontcourt himself, wanting to know if the Hornets would double-team him as soon as they got into position.

If they make any move, he will quickly pass the ball to an open teammate.

The Hornets weren't so aggressive that they would immediately double-team Xu Ling whenever he brought the ball over.

No, they made a small adjustment: they assigned their top perimeter defender, Paul, to guard Xu Ling at the top of the key.

Xu Ling did not choose to act recklessly. He gestured for Howard to step forward and set a screen. Using the screen, he shook off Paul by half a step. Facing West, who was switching on defense, he quickly changed direction and drove hard from West's left side.

West's lateral movement was noticeably slow; his back injury severely hampered his defensive agility.

Xu Ling blew past him in one step and rushed towards the penalty area at full speed.

Chandler came over to defend like a mountain, but Xu Ling was not afraid. He took off and fought fiercely with him in the air, but switched hands and made a layup before making contact.

"Beep!!!"

The referee blew his whistle and called a foul on Chandler for hitting his hand!

Meanwhile, the basketball bounced a few times on the rim, and finally fell in!
"Damn it, what incredible luck!" Chandler yelled, pulling his braces out of his mouth.

Xu Ling walked towards the free throw line.

The entire arena erupted in deafening boos, attempting to distract him.

"Shh!"

"Eli's 39th point," Kevin Harlan exclaimed. "He's scored 39 points now. This could be the most important game for the Grizzlies this season. He delivered the best performance of his career on this crucial night that will decide the season's outcome!"

"That's right, he's holding his own against Chris Paul, and we're witnessing the rise of the next superstar!" Doug Collins exclaimed.

The game has entered its final two and a half minutes.

Paul continued to try one-on-one, but missed.

Xu Ling attempted a three-pointer again half a quarter later, but missed again.

However, Josh Howard grabbed the offensive rebound and went straight up under the basket, using his brute strength to draw Chandler's fifth foul of the night.

The Grizzlies are back at the free-throw line.

The Hornets fans at the stadium went wild.

They hurled insults at Howard with every word they could think of, cursed the referees, and then the arena erupted in boos—a deafening chorus that rose to an unprecedented level in those final moments.

This commotion, this noise, and the expectations and visions behind this moment reminded Josh Howard of his biggest nightmare.

Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals was Howard's best playoff game ever; it was his best performance for Dallas until the very last minute of overtime.

Then he stepped to the free-throw line and missed both shots when the Mavericks needed points the most.

Those moments overlap with this moment.

Perhaps tonight isn't Howard's best night in Memphis, and perhaps Xu Ling is still the hero, but the free throws in front of us are equally crucial.

He missed a free throw.

The moment the penalty was missed, a devilish howl echoed through the stadium.

Those viewers who were unaware that he was the devil harassed Josh Howard with even more aggressive words.

Inside the VIP box, Jerry West immediately stood up and yelled, "Make that damn free throw!"

No, Jerry, it's not up to you.

Howard's second free throw followed almost the same trajectory as his first. His muscle memory seemed to be frozen, and he made no adjustments whatsoever. The second free throw bounced off the same trajectory.

“！@#￥@！￥”

Tyson Chandler grabbed his 18th rebound of the night.

The Smoothie King Center was in a frenzy, as if the New Orleans team was destined to win this series.

"Damn Josh Howard! Damn the game! How could you!" West roared hysterically, "How the hell could you!!!"

But Jerry, the game isn't over yet.

The Hornets are only leading by one point, and Howard's two missed free throws have not yet had a decisive impact.

Chris Paul still controlled the ball in the frontcourt. With a minute and a half left, the Grizzlies trailed by one point, 84-83. Paul dribbled slowly at the top of the key, like a predator observing its prey.

He needs this ball, New Orleans needs this ball.

Xu Ling's defense stood like a wall in front of Paul.

David West ran towards the top of the arc with all his might, gesturing to a spot to let Paul know, "Come from here, I'll hold him off for you!"
“Watch out, Eli!” Josh Howard shouted a warning.

Paul glanced at West, and in a shared look, they both knew what to do.

West plays as a wall, a move they've repeated countless times this season.

But this time, when West tried to establish a firm footing and build a solid barrier for his MVP partner, he chose a less-than-ideal stance at that critical moment, and the position that should have been firmly held was thus slightly off.

For Xu Ling, who was highly focused and relentlessly pursuing Paul at that moment, this brief opening was enough.

Without any hesitation, Xu Ling, like a streak of blue light, channeled all his strength into his legs and squeezed through the fleeting gap beside West! His shoulder inevitably collided violently with West's torso.

West, who was already unsteady on his feet, completely lost his balance under the impact. He let out a low growl that suppressed pain and frustration, and his huge body staggered forward and fell heavily to the floor.

Xu Ling, amidst the intense physical confrontation, forcefully maintained his balance using his powerful core strength. His gaze pierced through the momentary chaos, locking onto the basketball in Paul's hands, exposed due to the failed screen.

It's now!

Xu Ling, like the Grim Reaper lurking in the shadows, extended his scythe—from behind Paul, his long arm, like a venomous snake biting its prey, swiftly and decisively ripped out!
"Snapped!"

"Steal! Eli stole the ball from Chris Paul!!"

The Hornets players didn't have time to help West up, nor did they have time to care whether the referee blew the whistle—and referee Dan Crawford, with his hands hanging down and expressionless, let the game continue.

Every cell in Xu Ling's body was roaring for the same command.

Fast break! Run! Run!
Xu Ling bent down, grabbed the basketball that would decide his fate, instantly lowered his body to its lowest point, slammed on the gas, and charged towards the front court like a blue lightning bolt that cleaved through the chaos.

"Stop him!!! Chris! Stop him!!!" Byron Scott screamed desperately from the sidelines.

Paul reacted extremely quickly; he turned around and chased after him, pushing his speed to the limit.

But Xu Ling's first step was too fast and his explosive power was too strong! He was like a rocket that had broken free from Earth's gravity, and every step he took widened the gap.

Paul tried his best, but could only watch helplessly as that blue figure sped away, leaving everyone else in the dust, heading towards the empty frontcourt!

"He's charging! Eli Xu! There's open space ahead!!"

The entire Smoothie King Center is completely out of control!
All the hostility, fear, and anger that had been building up over the past hour transformed into a devastating roar at this moment!

Boos, curses, and screams swept towards the lone blue figure on the field from all directions like a tsunami, trying to tear him apart and annihilate him with sonic waves!
However, at this moment when the world's clamor reached its peak, Xu Ling seemed to step into an invisible and absolutely silent realm.

The wind whistled in his ears, the footsteps of his pursuers behind him, the howls of the crowd, and the referee's possible or impossible whistle—all the noise was shut out by an invisible barrier. In his world, there was only the open court in front of him, the lonely basketball hoop, and the basketball in his hand that seemed to beat in sync with his heartbeat.

He sprinted past the three-point line and stepped into the free-throw line.
Without slowing down or hesitating, he leaped into the air with full force, like a spacecraft on a calculated trajectory, just inside the free-throw line.

Xu Ling's body stretched out extremely in the air, raising the ball high with one hand, as if he were entrusting all his strength, all his will, all his emotions and beliefs to it.

"Boom!!!!!!!!"

The power of that dunk was so great that the entire basketball hoop trembled!

The basketball was slammed into the net, like the death knell tolling in the hearts of every Hornets fan!

85 is better than 84
Xu Ling hung on the basketball hoop with one hand, swaying slightly, looking down at the void below.

Then, Xu Ling landed lightly, turned around and retreated to defense without any celebration. When he returned to the backcourt, he didn't even glance at West, who was still standing.

“God… God…” Kevin Harlan’s voice trembled. “Eli Xu… He may have destroyed the Hornets! He planted the Memphis flag in the heart of New Orleans with a steal and a fast break dunk!”

The big screen showed a replay of the collision between Xu Ling and West, at an extremely tricky angle. It allowed fans to see how Xu Ling ruthlessly knocked West down, but it didn't show how West's textbook positioning error led to the subsequent series of setbacks. If this had happened at the Grizzlies' home court, Xu Ling wouldn't have been called for a foul; instead, West might have been called for a screen foul.

But why should the fans care about that? They only need to see what they want to see.

Although Xu Ling was unaffected, the fans still uttered the most vicious words in the world at this moment. Their merciless curses were like a never-ending downpour, cursing the game, cursing that Chinese man, cursing the fourth quarter, cursing that dunk, cursing all misfortunes, cursing the world, cursing everything that happened tonight as bullshit!
They were completely unaware that they themselves were the ones who created this hell.

The Hornets called a timeout.

The players from both sides came off the field.

On the Hornets' side, Byron Scott was completely at a loss, and finally grabbed Paul's shoulders, shouting, "Chris, it's all up to you!"

On the other side, on the Grizzlies' bench, Marc Jafaroni's heart was pounding in his chest. After finishing his instructions, he looked at Xu Ling, only to find the young man rubbing the floor with the soles of his shoes, as if the scene of the collapsing mountain had nothing to do with him.

Jason Kidd clapped his hands loudly: "Hold this ball! Hold it and we win!"

Paul received the serve from the baseline, and Xu Ling immediately closed in.

The entire audience stood up and cheered wildly for their MVP.

Paul called for West to set another screen, but the Grizzlies' switching defense delayed the offensive opportunity.

Time was running out, and Paul didn't have much time left.

Suddenly, Paul made a very quick crossover and charged forward from the right.

Howard, who switched onto Paul, firmly held his position, forcing Paul to stop the ball, turn around, protect it with his body, then forcefully step back to create space before using a Nash-style layup to shoot the ball.

This is too difficult!

"boom!"

The basketball hit the back of the rim!

A chaotic scramble erupted under the basket! Chandler roared as he jumped, but Ariza burst out from the side, using all his strength to flick the ball to the outside—which landed right in Kidd's hands!
"Jason Kidd gets the rebound! The Grizzlies have their chance!"

Kidd immediately passed the ball to Xu Ling, who had already started his run. Paul rushed forward and committed a tactical foul.

"Beep!"

The referee whistle blows.

Xu Ling has reached the foul limit and is heading to the free-throw line.

Time freezes: the last 35.7 seconds.

The entire arena erupted in deafening boos as Hornets fans did everything they could to disrupt the game.

It was truly touching; they had worked so hard throughout the entire game, but apart from that rude "boo" in the first half, the Grizzlies' number 1 player didn't even glance at them again.

Moreover, Xu Ling is not Josh Howard.

He made both free throws.

The score is now 87-84, with the Grizzlies leading by 3 points.

Paul received the ball and, facing Xu Ling's close defense, forced his way to the frontcourt, but there were only 16 seconds left on the shot clock.

Paul wanted to go one-on-one, but at this point, he couldn't get rid of Xu Ling. They were exhausted, everyone was exhausted. There were no high-quality pick-and-rolls, no second scorer, and the praise of the world's strongest 183cm player would become the biggest curse.

Paul couldn't help but call for a screen from Chandler, but Xu Ling still chose to squeeze through the screen, confident that Paul wouldn't dare to stop and shoot from the three-point line. He wanted to pass the ball to Chandler who was cutting to the basket, but Chandler's cutting space was blocked by Milicic.

No time!
Paul forced a shot from a step beyond the three-point line.

"boom!"

Long rebound!
The ball landed far from the basket, flying towards the free-throw line!

At this moment, Xu Ling and Paul, the two absolute protagonists of the night, simultaneously judged the landing point of the rebound.

But Xu Ling was in a better position! He got off to a faster start and sprinted more aggressively!

The two jumped up almost simultaneously and engaged in a fierce battle in the air. With his superior height and wingspan, Xu Ling managed to grab the crucial long rebound with one hand in mid-air.

"Xu Ling grabbed the rebound! The Grizzlies are going to win!"

Paul, who failed to grab the rebound, was prepared to commit a tactical foul as soon as he landed—this was the Hornets' only option.

However, Xu Ling, still in the air, seemed to know nothing of fear. With an extremely concealed yet daring move, he slammed the ball onto the floor from behind!
The basketball struck the ground, precisely passing between Xu Ling's legs, and bounced forward!
Xu Ling landed on both feet without pausing, and with a light and swift step, caught the bouncing basketball perfectly, while also flawlessly shaking off Paul who was rushing to foul him.

Paul missed his target and could only watch helplessly as Xu Ling transformed into a streak of blue lightning, sweeping past him and charging forward with all his might.

"OMG! Eli skillfully dodged the foul! He's charging!"

This is Kevin Harlan's final roar.

Only 9 seconds left!
If Xu Ling were to charge forward at this moment, it would mean that everything was over.

The entire Smoothie King Center was plunged into despair.

Byron Scott dejectedly covered his forehead on the sidelines.

Xu Ling rode ahead of everyone else, with a vast battlefield stretching out before him.

He didn't give the Hornets any chance to foul again, and under the deathly silence of the entire arena, he launched a three-pointer that suffocated the New Orleans crowd.

With a "whoosh," the Grizzlies reached 90 points, giving them a 6-point lead over the Hornets with less than 5 seconds left in the game.

This means there will be no miracles.

Even after the Hornets called a timeout, they desperately attempted a three-pointer after the timeout ended.

They gave the opportunity to Peja.

They pinned their last hope on sharpshooter Peja, but Ariza's defense prevented them from hitting the shot. Kidd grabbed the long rebound and tossed the ball into the air.

The game ended with less than a second remaining before the basketball hit the ground.

"90-84! The Grizzlies defeated the Hornets on the road, winning this crucial game and returning home with a 3-2 series lead!" Kevin Harlan commented. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you just missed what happened at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, then you missed a playoff performance destined to go down in history. Eli Xu showed no mercy and completely dominated the game!"

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Post-match reactions

“I need to watch the replay, I need to watch it many times. I can’t determine whether Eli Xu did it intentionally until then,” Byron Scott said when asked whether Xu Ling’s controversial last-second collision over the screen was intended to injure David West. “But that move was absolutely reckless. That kind of situation could easily lead to an injury. I think it was a foul, in any game, it would be a foul. But I don’t want to talk much about the referees’ standards tonight. Some of the contact was clearly beyond the bounds of basketball.”

“We fought to the very last moment, but sometimes victory isn’t on your side.” Chris Paul said into the microphone, his eyes filled with exhaustion and frustration. “Eli played a great game, you have to admit that. But this isn’t the end, the series isn’t over.”

“That’s not a basketball move!” Tyson Chandler practically roared at the reporter. “That was a man-on-man play! Eli Xu was crossing the line all night, and what were the referees doing? They let him get away with it! Look at how he treated Chris, how he treated David! It’s a crime! If the league doesn’t investigate this, they’re encouraging violence!”

“Jason and I? That’s just part of the game. I’m on the court to bring energy and ignite the team. As for the second half? That’s the coach’s decision, and I respect it. But if I had been on the court, the result might have been different,” Giannilo Pargo said when asked about his conflict with Kidd and being benched in the second half.

Peja Stojakovic's expression was serious and resolute, and he did not shirk responsibility: "Their defense was very good, but I did miss some opportunities that I could normally capitalize on. This is not the result any of us wanted to see. But the series is not over yet, and when we return home, I will be ready to give the team everything it needs."

“Eli is a player born for big occasions!” Marc Jaffaroni’s face beamed with pride. “He can do everything – scoring, defense, rebounding. He steps up time and time again when the team needs him most. He is our ace, and tonight he proved why he deserves all the praise.”

"He carried us forward, it's that simple. When you have a guy like Eli, your job becomes simple—give him the damn ball and watch him perform. He played MVP-caliber tonight, and it's an honor to play alongside a guy like that," Josh Howard commented on Xu Ling's performance tonight.

“I need to reread those reports about his inefficiency, I need to look at those articles again, I want to confirm if the person they’re talking about is Eli, maybe not.” Darko Milicic was mocking the media’s condemnation of Xu Ling before the crucial match.

"Under such high pressure, Elie demonstrated not only talent, but also an extraordinary mentality and leadership. He did everything a great player should do."

Kidd praised Xu Ling's performance in this way.

Then, when asked by reporters about his relationship with Giannilo Pargo, he brushed it off with official words: "As for the little incident in the first half? That's in the past. The playoffs are full of emotional battles, and the important thing is how to adjust quickly and help the team win. My focus has always been on how to win the series."

※※※

The buzzer signaling the end of the match seemed to suck away the last bit of life from the scene.

The deafening noise and curses of the past have now transformed into a suffocating, deathly silence. The scattered confetti and popcorn on the ground resemble the remains of a carnival, only this carnival was forcibly extinguished at its climax.

The sparse, scattered hisses were weak and feeble, more like the final howls of the defeated.

The spotlight shone on the center of the field, illuminating the blue figure of number 1, separating him from the overwhelming sense of loss and disbelief that surrounded him.

Xu Ling was soaked to the bone, his chest still heaving violently, but the coldness in his eyes from the earlier battle was gone, replaced by a deep, unfathomable peace.

It was as if the demon who had just cleaved through hell and scored 46 points was just an illusion for everyone.

Craig Seger, the TNT sideline reporter who always greets rookies in a flashy suit, interviewed Xu Ling on draft night last year. Now, he is a TNT sideline reporter responsible for interviewing the best player of the night after the game.

Under countless piercing gazes, Seg reluctantly handed the microphone to Xu Ling.

"Eli! An incredible victory! 46 points, winning Game 5 on the road. How would you rate your performance tonight?"

Xu Ling glanced at SEG, "I just did what was necessary."

Seg asked again, "Midway through the fourth quarter, you were down by 10 points. What happened then? What enabled the team to pull off such an amazing comeback?"

Xu Ling slightly raised her chin, as if recalling that moment.

“I don’t know, Craig,” Xu Ling smiled. “I don’t remember what happened.”

All he remembers is that it was very noisy.

And he enjoyed it.

Finally, Seg asked, "Throughout the series, especially tonight, you've endured unprecedented hostility from this city and these fans. In that environment, to deliver the best performance of your career, what's your biggest feeling right now?"

This question seemed to silence the entire arena, silencing even the last breath. All the hateful, pained, and curious gazes were focused on the big screen and on Xu Ling's lips, which were about to part.

But it's not just New Orleans that hates Xu Ling.

On this very court, just a few months ago at All-Star Weekend, Xu Ling hit consecutive three-pointers in the final five minutes to help the Western All-Stars win.

That night, the Smoothie King Center gave him a cheer that was rarely seen at any away game.

Now, in the same venue, with the same people, those cheers have turned into the most vicious curses.

Los Angeles, Cleveland—countless places, countless media figures, countless people Xu Ling had met or hadn't met—all hated him as if he were a mortal enemy. People disliked his directness, his frankness, and his constant feigned indifference. These prejudices shaped his public image—an anomaly who did things most NBA players wouldn't do, yet still became one of the most influential stars of our time.

His greatest "evil" was perhaps revealing his true self to others. Countless people subconsciously wished to live like him, uninhibited and true to their hearts. But when they opened their eyes, they still lived their original lives, conforming to the rules and wearing masks. Eli Xu, this starkly real figure, became a mirror image of the kind of person they could never be, and this sense of powerlessness ultimately transformed into the most intense hatred.

Now, Xu Ling leans close to the microphone at SEG Plaza, and in this away game where even the air is thick with hostility, he delivers his victory speech: "I dedicate this game to all those who hate me."

PS: I have a day off tomorrow

(End of this chapter)