Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 44 A Moment That Will Be Eternally Recorded in History

Georgia Dome, like a giant silver ship, rests steadily amidst the hustle and bustle of the city center. From early morning, fans dressed in red and black and blue and orange flock to this behemoth that can hold 70,000 people.

Outside, in the plaza, broadcast vans from major television stations lined up, cameras already set up. Famous commentators Jim Nantz and Bill Raftery sat in a makeshift glass studio, behind them a long line of spectators—some holding up signs that read "GO ELI!", others pounding their chests with crocodile tattoos and shouting.

The lights inside the arena were dimmed, except for the wooden floor in the center of the court, which was illuminated in a golden glow. Highlights from the season of Texas Tech and the University of Florida were scrolling across the big screen.

The VIP seats were filled with familiar faces: executives from the NCAA athletic league sat side by side, and a few rows away were legendary stars "The Glove" Gary Payton and "The Mailman" Karl Malone, who were there to watch the game; further away, Hawks' Joe Johnson and rookie Sheldon Williams were taking photos with fans.

In the VIP area, a figure standing out from the crowd was particularly eye-catching—Yao Ming.

Wearing a simple gray suit jacket and holding a camera, he took photos of Xu Ling warming up on the sidelines like any other spectator. Chinese media swarmed around him, microphones shoved up everywhere, but Yao Ming simply smiled and said, "I'm here to cheer on Xu Ling. Besides, TTU is a university in Texas, isn't that a coincidence? I have to support them, both professionally and personally!"

As the DJ counted down, the pre-game performance began. The renowned Morehouse College Choir of Atlanta stood in the center of the arena and sang the national anthem in pure harmony. The entire 70,000 spectators roared in unison, and the stadium instantly erupted in cheers.

A striking subtitle flashed on the big screen:

“NCAA Championship Game—Texas Tech vs. Florida”

(NCAA Championship Game – Texas Tech vs. Florida)

Jim Nantz's deep voice resonated across the nation via the live broadcast: "Good evening, dear basketball fans! We are now in the electrifying arena of Georgia Dome in Atlanta, bringing you the pinnacle of the 2007 NCAA National Championship! Under the spotlight, on one side are the Florida Goliaths, aiming to defend their title—this reigning champions have retained their starting five from last year's championship run; and on the other side are the red whirlwinds that have created miracles all the way from Lubbock, Texas—the Texas Tech Red Raiders!"

Bill Ralphite chimed in, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Jim, let's take a closer look at this Florida team! Noah and Horford's no-fly zone is arguably the most terrifying defensive fortress in college basketball, Brewer is the most mature small forward in college basketball, and then there's Green's pinpoint outside shooting—this near-perfect team is chasing its first back-to-back national championship since the Duke dynasty of 1992!"

"On the other hand, Texas Tech's story is nothing short of a fairy tale. A few months ago, no one thought they would get this far—until this super freshman from China appeared." Jim Nanci continued, describing Texas Tech's situation: "Eli Xu, six months ago, his name was unknown, but today he is the focus of the nation. In the past month, he led the team to consecutive victories against Duke, North Carolina, and Ohio State, averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. We can say with certainty that without Eli, there would be no dream journey for TTU this year. Now, they only have one final hurdle to overcome? Can they deliver a fairy tale ending to the basketball world?"

After all the pre-match ceremonies were over, the starting players from both sides stood on the field to listen to the head coach's instructions.

"The most important phrase in English is 'God bless America,'" Knight told the players. "If this is our last game, I believe God has made the best arrangements. Go out there, and I want all the Florida supporters in the stadium to shut up!"

The two head coaches then shook hands at halftime.

If Bobby Knight's coaching style is like a stern father in an old black-and-white film—authoritative, iron-fisted, occasionally showing warmth but unsure how to express it properly—then Billy Donovan is more like a brightly colored modern drama. He is committed to being a mentor and confidant to his players, understanding how to guide rather than force young players to grow.

This difference in philosophy is not just empty talk. Donovan has publicly questioned Knight's coaching style, telling reporters, "I want to be the kind of coach my kids would want to play for. I've seen too many people on the sidelines, red-faced and rude, disregarding the dignity of the players—I don't think that's the role of a coach."

Now, the Florida Alligator dynasty he built is just one win away from being crowned champions. Facing Knight, an opponent who embodies the spirit of the old era, Donovan's ambitions go far beyond a simple victory. He yearns to prove a completely new basketball philosophy. He doesn't just want to win; he wants to win the future.

"Coach Knight, I think this is the end of it for today."

Donovan said this as he shook hands.

"Whatever the outcome, this year will end here."

Knight took his words and returned them verbatim, and then the match began.

When the Florida Fab Five took to the court, their presence was indeed quite different: Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, and Lee Humphrey, three future lottery picks, possessed unparalleled talent in the college league. Yet, even such a team failed to achieve an undefeated season.

Therefore, nothing is impossible for Texas Tech.

From the very beginning, TTU demonstrated its exceptional abilities.

Noah won the jump ball, but Martin Zeno reacted quickly, snatched possession, and rushed to the frontcourt to assist Jarius Jackson in hitting a three-pointer.

Subsequently, Corey Brewer, unable to suppress his competitive spirit, chose to take on Xu Ling one-on-one. As the nation's undisputed number one small forward, he found it hard to accept that Xu Ling—a freshman without even a championship title—had become the hottest college player in the country. Why?
However, under Xu Ling's impenetrable defensive pressure, Brewer's forced shot ultimately missed. TTU seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack, and the Red Raiders took a perfect 5-0 lead thanks to this defensive counterattack.

The University of Florida quickly regained their composure, with Taurean Green calmly calling for Joakim Noah to set a screen. Noah used the screen to create an open shot and decisively hit a three-pointer, quickly stopping the bleeding.

Immediately afterwards, Al Horford made a precise block on the Texas Tech guard's layup, and Brewer scored on a fast break, tying the score in one fell swoop.

This back-and-forth, neither side giving an inch, essentially set the tone for the entire first half of the game.

Florida relied on the dominance of its twin towers in the paint to steadily advance – Noah and Horford wreaked havoc in the paint, grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring on second-chance opportunities; Green was on fire on the perimeter, scoring from all directions. The University of Florida played a very traditional and balanced style of basketball.

But Texas Tech was not to be outdone, unleashing their full offensive firepower from beyond the arc.

Xu Ling, Jackson, and Zeno took turns firing, raining down three-pointers! Jackson pulled up for a shot after a screen, and Xu Ling hit a difficult three-pointer from the corner against Brewer's defense. Zeno and Jackson unleashed their fiery energy. Although they couldn't do anything to the opponent on the defensive end, they were equally troublesome for the defending champions on the offensive end.

The score went back and forth, with the difference never exceeding 5 points. For every strong inside attack by Florida, TTU responded with a three-pointer from the outside. And when Taurean Green's three-pointer attempted to initiate a backcourt offense for the Giallorossi, Xu Ling effectively shut down Brewer's offensive flow, preventing any real coordination between the inside and outside players.

In the final possession before halftime, Green dribbled the ball up the court and attempted a buzzer-beater, but was suddenly double-teamed and had the ball stolen by Xu Ling. TTU launched a fast break, and Xu Ling stopped abruptly a step beyond the three-point line, facing Brewer's chasing defense, and launched a buzzer-beater three-pointer, which went in.

"Eli hit the buzzer-beater of the first half, making it 42-40, Texas Tech leads by 2 points!"

The roar of the Georgia Dome nearly lifted the dome off its surface.

This was undoubtedly a super high-level match.

Unlike before, TTU clearly has someone who can help Xu Ling tonight.

Xu Ling didn't need to score 38 points like he did against Ohio State to suppress Oden's dominance in the paint.

However, the University of Florida was limited by Xu Ling's defense in Brewer's half-court offense and was also hampered by TTU's high field goal percentage in open play. They were unable to fully utilize their inside advantage to dominate the boards and launch numerous counterattacks.

The much-anticipated twin towers of the University of Florida certainly have the upper hand, and Horford's performance is impeccable, but Noah is seen as a significant drop in points by some scouts.

At this time last year, if Noah had entered the draft, he would likely have edged out the Italian to become the number one pick. But now, his draft prospects are not even guaranteed to be in the top five, let alone the top three. He has plenty of passion but lacks skill; his excess energy makes him prone to impulsive decisions.

He didn't become the more mature player the scouts hoped for, but that didn't stop him and Horford from teaming up to dominate TTU's interior.

Even so, the Red Raiders still lead by 2 points.

"With no advantage in the paint, TTU must maintain its outside shooting touch, otherwise the situation will immediately turn in Florida's favor."

"But is it really possible for a team to maintain a hot shooting touch all night without a rebounding advantage?"

In the second half, Bill Laflett's prediction unfortunately came true.

TTU's outside shooting percentage began to decline, and Brewer finally had a chance to counterattack. Meanwhile, the University of Florida, with its solid inside game, found its outside shooting to be increasingly effective, with Taurean Green continuing his hot streak from the first half.

Within six minutes, Florida went on an 11-4 run, turning a two-point deficit into a five-point lead.

Knight called a timeout and called up sophomore forward Michael Prince from the bench. "Mike, you're replacing JJ. From now on, you're guarding Brewer! Eli, keep an eye on Taurean Green! Tonight, everything is in your hands!"

There is no way to alleviate TTU's interior disadvantage.

All they can do is completely block the University of Florida's external communications. Is this a desperate measure or a last-ditch effort? Time will tell.

After the timeout, TTU's adjustments were immediately effective. Xu Ling put far more pressure on Green than Zeno. Although Prince could not match Brewer's talent, Brewer was in a cold state in the first half due to Xu Ling's targeting and could not find his rhythm for most of the time. As a result, when facing Prince, he chose to force a shot, which was the worst option.

"boom!"

After missing the shot, Xu Ling grabbed the long rebound and launched a counterattack, hitting a three-pointer in the frontcourt.

The score difference narrowed to 2 points, and the game entered a new phase.

Some scouts, feigning expertise, said, "The next step is to see which team wants to win more."

Florida reorganized their offense, with Taurean Green attempting to find shooting space using Al Horford's high screen, but Xu Ling was a constant presence, sticking to his opponent and leaving almost no opening for him to turn or break through.

Green was forced to pass the ball to Corey Brewer on the wing. Brewer received the ball and faced Prince, who was guarding him. He made a feint and then pulled up for a pull-up jump shot.

However, Prince's long arms had already blocked his view. Brewer's shot appeared rushed and strained under heavy interference, and the basketball ultimately bounced off the front of the rim and went out.

TTU quickly grabbed the rebound and launched another counterattack.

The rebounds, of course, still belong to Florida.

Horford leaped high, towering over Dora to claim possession in the frontcourt, and then drove hard. Dora used almost all his strength to hold on, but the difference in skill was too obvious. Horford faked out an opening and made a floater.

TTU was not discouraged. They knew that this was the norm in the game—French twin towers could have an impact in the paint almost every possession, and their task was to use their outside firepower to desperately counter the opponent's inside dominance.

In the next possession, Xu Ling received the ball at the top of the arc. Facing a double-team from Green and Noah, he first faked a step with his right foot to trick Noah into taking a half-step back. Then, he quickly retreated to a step outside the three-point line and raised his hand to shoot almost without looking at the basket.

"Shh!"

This play made Yao Ming, who was in the VIP section, jump up.

"This little bastard is ruthless beyond belief!"

Florida's offense continued to revolve around the paint. Noah received a brilliant pass from Green under the basket and was about to dunk when Plefka blocked him from behind at the last moment—this was not a victory of strength, but purely a matter of anticipation and timing.

Zeno got the loose ball and advanced to the frontcourt. He stopped abruptly and passed the ball to Xu Ling at the left corner. Brewer lunged at him, but Xu Ling got there first and swished the ball into the net again.

"It's Eli again! He hit two consecutive three-pointers!"

In Florida, Brewer finally used his physical advantage to drive to the basket, forcing Prince to take a step back. Although Prince tried his best to contest, Brewer still managed to score. However, this score only resulted in a tie on the scoreboard, because TTU immediately responded with a three-pointer, this time taken by Michael Prince, who had been left wide open by Brewer.

For nearly 38 minutes, Texas Tech and the University of Florida staged a fast-paced, classic game where every possession was crucial. The lead changed hands 15 times and the score remained tied 7 times, with the lead never exceeding 5 points.

The game has entered its final two minutes.

Xu Ling charged hard from the top arc to the left, then down to the right side of the basket, but was blocked by the crude and reckless Noah. The two collided, but the referee did not call a foul on either of them. The ball bounced to the corner and was picked up by Taurean Green. The ensuing counterattack broke the hearts of TTU supporters.

Green did what Xu Ling always does, hitting a three-pointer from the outside, which was the most important change tonight, extending the University of Florida's lead from 3 points to 6 points.

80 is better than 74
"For the first time in 38 minutes, a team has taken a six-point lead! The University of Florida knows they are on their way to the promised land!"

TTU requests a suspension.

Knight devised a play in which Xu Ling would receive a screen, catch the ball, and shoot a three-pointer.

However, the University of Florida had anticipated this. Brewer abandoned his dignity as a future lottery pick and stuck to Xu Ling like a mad dog. Plevka's poor screen quality also failed to be executed properly. Zeno, who was inbounding the ball, could only force a lob to the inside, but it was still disrupted by Noah's long arms. His despairing talent almost overwhelmed Texas Tech University.

Just when everyone thought the attack would end in a turnover, Xu Ling suddenly swooped down like a cheetah! He dove to save the ball just before it went out of bounds, flicking it to Prince, who had quietly cut into the corner, with an almost acrobatic move. The substitute forward let out a beastly roar and, over Noah's help defense, completed a brutally powerful two-handed dunk—lacking in grace but invaluable!

"To hell with it!" Prince roared, pounding his chest as he landed. "We have to win!"

“！#￥@！￥%”

At this moment, none of the spectators thought that Xu Ling would appear in the NBA a few months later, that Noah and Horford would become lottery picks, and that others would become professional players. Pure competitiveness, pure basketball games, that pure passion ignited the Georgia Dome.

Those fans who were initially neutral began cheering for Texas Tech.

It was an unusually terrifying atmosphere, as if the defending champions, the University of Florida, were the main villain in a movie.

Billy Donovan sensed the atmosphere; he knew the tide was turning in Cinderella's favor. This stirred a powerful urge within him—he wanted to do something, but what should he do now?
比赛时间剩下1分19秒，80比76，佛罗里达大学领先4分。

After the University of Florida players moved to the frontcourt, they opted to pass the ball to Horford in the paint.

Horford has already scored 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He is definitely the best performing center tonight. But at this moment, tens of thousands of fans are speaking up together, and Daryl Dorra seems to want to put all his weight on him.

Under immense pressure, Horford opted for the safest offensive move: a turnaround jump shot.

"boom!"

Xu Lingfei leaped out to help the inside players secure the defensive rebound.

TTU's offense was bogged down. Zeno's pass was anticipated, almost resulting in a turnover; Prince desperately tried to move but couldn't shake Brewer's relentless defense; Daryl Dorra's screens were easily bypassed by Noah. Every carefully crafted option on the whiteboard was crushed by Florida's talent.

With five seconds left on the shot clock, the ball went through several hands before finally landing in Xu Ling's hands. A meter beyond the three-point line, Green was glued to him like a shadow, while Noah was also lurking menacingly at the edge of the paint.

There was no space. There was no time. There were no tactics to speak of.

Xu Ling suddenly faked a shot, and Green instinctively lunged forward. In that split second, Xu Ling took two big steps back and took off from a distance of 9 meters from the basket.

"BANG!!!"

The basketball swished through the net!

The score is 80 to 79, with 38.8 seconds remaining.

“Do you believe in miracles?”

Jim Nantz shouted.

The cheers, the screams, the roars of "TTU" made the Georgia Dome feel like it was experiencing an earthquake.

The University of Florida has called a pause.

Billy Donovan was drawing on the tactics board; he knew that every step was crucial now.

"Noah, Horford, you two need to hold the paint tight and absolutely prevent TTU from getting the offensive rebound. Green, you inbound the ball from the baseline, then run up the court as quickly as possible. If there's no opportunity, pass the ball inside. Joakim and Al are capable of closing out the game."

"Coach, we should launch a fast break and get the tempo going!" Noah waved his arms excitedly.

"We need to slow down and use up all the time, understand?"

The players responded in unison and returned to the field.

The noise at the Georgia Dome did not decrease; in fact, it became even louder.

Donovan took a deep breath.

"Let this damn Cinderella story end here!"

Taurean Green steadily dribbled the ball across half-court, knowing that TTU's defense would pounce like mad dogs. Sure enough, Xu Ling stuck to him tightly, and Prince was ready to help. But Green didn't linger; he precisely lobbed the ball to Noah in the paint.

Noah received the ball with his back to goal, Dora held him off tightly, and Plevka also came forward to double-team him.

The Frenchman showed no fear, even when double-teamed, because he knew that even if he missed, Al Horford would do the same – leap up, grab the offensive rebound, and dunk it in.

82 is better than 79
There are 25.4 seconds left in the game.

Knight also called a timeout, which was TTU's final timeout.

"Eli, go up the court and run a pick-and-roll with Jon, then act as needed!" After saying that, Knight seemed completely unconcerned about the offensive success rate and began to arrange the final defense. "After the offense ends, apply a full-court press! If you can't get the ball, foul as soon as possible! Manage the time well, remember, time is not on our side, be quick!"

The University of Florida is not afraid of TTU's 1-5 pick-and-roll.

Because they have two top-class inside players.

When Plevka came out to set a screen, Horford followed. After the switch, Horford thought Xu Ling was going to drive to the basket, but unexpectedly, Xu Ling took a jab step and then pulled back for a jump shot.

Too fast, too decisive!

Horford looked at the ball in surprise.

"Whoosh!!!"

"82-81! Eli quickly scores 2 points for Texas Tech with 14 seconds left in the game, TTU presses full court!"

"Martin Zeno touched the ball! Oh, it's out of bounds! 11 seconds left!"

"University of Florida serves!"

"Tauren Green got the ball! Eli! TTU is trying to steal it!"

"time!"

"time!"

With eight seconds left in the game, Xu Ling decided to foul, but before he could do so, Green somehow managed to knock the ball out of bounds at his feet.

The University of Florida has once again stalled for time.

With only 6 seconds left in the game, the University of Florida served again.

This time, they passed the ball to Corey Brewer. This top-tier small forward in the nation, with his extensive experience, held the ball tightly in front of him, using his body to block Xu Ling, trying to exhaust the last few seconds.

Michael Prince had to foul him, sending him to the free-throw line with 4.8 seconds left in the game.

Inside the Georgia Dome, the screams and boos of 70,000 spectators nearly lifted the ceiling. All eyes were fixed on the free-throw line. Brewer stood there, feeling not on a wooden floor, but on the edge of a collapsing abyss. Every gaze was like a searchlight, piercing his skin, his muscles, and reaching the very depths of his soul.

"We cannot allow the penalty to be lost."

He repeated the words to himself, but the voice was so faint that he couldn't even hear it.

On his first free throw attempt, the basketball traced a tense arc, but slammed heavily against the front edge of the rim with a "bang" and bounced out.

"Whoa!!!!"

A huge gasp erupted from the audience, and an incredulous look of astonishment flashed across Brewer's face.

Corey Brewer missed his first free throw!

"My God, he looks like he's under a lot of pressure!"

"Yes, he didn't perform well against Eli tonight, which definitely put more pressure on him!"

Donovan stood calmly on the sidelines, but countless thoughts raced through his mind. He knew that too many unusual things had happened on this court tonight. He had an instinctive premonition that regardless of whether Brewer made his next free throw, they needed to defend TTU's final possession. Texas Tech had no timeouts left, and they had to inbound the ball from the backcourt. Why give them an inbound opportunity that might have a commanding space?

In that instant, countless images flashed through Donovan's mind, and he decided to create chaos.

"Corey!" Donovan exclaimed to the shocked looks of his assistant coaches, "He missed that penalty! Guys, get ready to defend, don't let them cross halfway!"

No, punish it.
Donovan's assistant coaches were inwardly groaning, but at this point in the game, nothing was absolutely possible or impossible anymore.

Donovan's tactics were very clear: intentionally miss the second free throw, then use the offensive rebounding power of Horford and Noah, the two big men, to fight for the offensive rebound. Even if they couldn't get the rebound, they could create chaos, run down the clock, and prevent TTU from having enough time to organize a final attack.

Ironically, when the team needed Brewer to make the free throw, he missed; but when the coach explicitly asked him to intentionally miss, his aim was astonishingly precise—the basketball hit the back of the rim perfectly, bouncing high and far.

The problem is that it's easy to intentionally miss a free throw, but controlling the trajectory of a free throw is extremely difficult, and no one specifically trains for that. Brewer intended for the ball to land in a position where Noah could more easily grab it, but he misjudged it, and the rebound landed right on Daryl Dora's head. Dora simply needed to firmly hold off Noah behind him and jump to grab the rebound.

At that moment, under the close entanglement of Taurean Green, Xu Ling suddenly made a reverse run, using Prince's screen to instantly shake off the defender and rush straight to the frontcourt!
"Eli!!!!!!!!!!"

Dora's roar pierced through the noise of the entire stadium as he threw a long, cannonball-like pass across half the field with all his might.

As Xu Ling sprinted at full speed, he turned around, his eyes fixed on the basketball flying through the air. Behind him was Taurean Green, who was desperately chasing after him—the Florida guard, with his excellent defensive speed, had already caught up to within a step of Xu Ling.

The final 1.1 seconds.

Xu Ling leaped up and caught the powerful pass in mid-air. He had no time to move forward, nor any chance to adjust his posture.

In that split second, Xu Ling's body defied the laws of physics. Instead of trying to regain his balance, he used the momentum to drift backward with an extremely uncoordinated yet incredibly fluid motion, drifting to the side and rear with all his might.

He was like a chess piece repelled by a magnet, bouncing away from Green's interference range, his feet barely landing a few steps in front of the huge championship logo.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The myriad noises of the Georgia Dome suddenly faded, replaced by a buzzing background sound. Xu Ling's eyes were now fixed on the incredibly clear basketball hoop under the spotlight overhead; it had never seemed so distant, yet so close.

0.7 seconds.

His body was still drifting, almost at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Completely out of balance, he relied on the memory etched into his bones from thousands of practice sessions, and on an almost instinctive belief, to flick his wrist and strike.

The basketball left his fingertips, spinning in a seemingly impossible, gentle arc as it flew towards the other end of the arena.

When the red light comes on, the timer resets to zero.

In that split second, the noisy world vanished. Time, as if stretched and extended by an invisible hand, seemed to come to a standstill.

The breaths, heartbeats, and unfinished shouts of 70,000 people were all frozen beneath this enormous dome.

After countless subtle swings throughout the night, the scales of fate finally came to a stop. On one side lay Florida's meticulously constructed, nearly realized dynasty, a legacy of talent, system, and the glory of defending its title; on the other side, only this final throw remained: a strange figure from the East, and an almost obsessive, boundless expectation of possibility.

Time seemed to stand still in the entire stadium as the eyes of 70,000 people followed the orange ball with its excessively high trajectory.

It traced a long parabola that tested everyone's heart, as if it had flown across a century.

then
"Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!!"

That crisp, exquisite, and piercing sound of the web being swiped was like heavenly music, resounding throughout the sky!
Immediately following was an explosive cheer that could shake the earth!
"Goal!!! Goal!!! Eli hit an incredible three-pointer! Helping Texas Tech win the 2007 NCAA National Championship! This is a shot that will go down in history! From being ignored by Lubbock to the pinnacle of glory at the Georgia Dome, the Red Raiders have created a miracle in college basketball! Eli Xu, this superstar from China, ended Florida's dynasty with an impossible shot! Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a dream, this is history! Texas Tech is this year's national champion!!"

Commentator Jim Nantz's voice was hoarse, excited, and almost cracked, blending with the overwhelming jubilation of the audience.

Bob Knight stood there, covering his face with his hands, then suddenly lashing them towards the sky. The words that had been swirling in his mind all night finally erupted into a roar:
Hallelujah! God bless America!

(End of this chapter)