LeBron James running away? He's going all in on Curry.

It was late January 2012.

As the shortened season progresses rapidly, basketball experts across the United States, who were originally waiting for the Cleveland Cavaliers to "reveal their true colors," have fallen into a collective silence.

If the Cavaliers' amazing start in the first ten games could be forcibly explained by "good luck" and "a novice defeating a veteran," then with nearly a third of the season completed, the Cavaliers' continued presence among the top teams in the Eastern Conference can only prove one thing—

Su Yang's three-point system is truly effective!

January 24, Miami, American Airlines Arena.

Tonight, this will be the focus of attention for the entire United States.

The Miami Heat, currently second in the Eastern Conference with an 18-6 record, will host the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are third in the East with a 17-7 record.

This is not only a battle for Eastern Conference standings, but also the most talked-about and fateful showdown of the season.

Before the game, what pushed the hype to its peak was the NBA's newly released regular season MVP rankings.

LeBron James ranks second on the list with impressive averages of 28.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists per game.

And at the top of the list, surpassing "King James", is none other than Stephen Curry, the skinny guard who was still struggling with ankle injuries last season and was ridiculed by many for leading his team to last place!

Although Curry's average of 27.2 points per game is slightly less than James' scoring average, he currently boasts a terrifying shooting percentage of over 43% and averages 4.5 three-pointers per game, completely overturning the league's understanding of shooting.

What's even more alarming is that "improvement in team performance" carries significant weight in the MVP selection criteria.

They transformed a bottom-ranked team with a record of 19 wins and 63 losses last season into a top-three team in the Eastern Conference without acquiring any superstars!

This "lone hero" storyline, which turns the impossible into the possible, drove the media and judges across the United States into a frenzy, propelling Curry to the top of the MVP list!

……

The atmosphere in the Heat's home locker room was so oppressive it felt like water could drip from it.

LeBron James sat in front of his locker, staring intently at the MVP rankings on his phone screen, his back teeth grinding together.

"A spineless coward who can only float around and shoot hoops deserves to be ranked ahead of me?"

James slammed the towel to the floor, his chest heaving violently.

During the offseason, he went to great lengths, even at the cost of losing a championship, to force Wade to relinquish power, in order to earn his current core position on the Heat team.

He thought the MVP and championship this season would be his for the taking.

Then Stephen Curry suddenly appeared out of nowhere, along with Su Yang, who was always against him and seemed to have mind-reading abilities!

Listen up, guys!

James stood up, surveying his teammates in the locker room, his eyes burning with fury. "Tonight isn't just a battle for position, it's a war to defend our honor! Those idiots outside actually think a shooting guard deserves MVP more than me? Tonight, I'll personally tear apart their ridiculous three-point strategy! I'll show Cleveland what a true superstar is!"

……

At 8 p.m., the competition officially kicked off amidst deafening cheers!

Su Yang did not sit in a private box tonight, but instead spent a lot of money to buy a front-row seat in the home team's family area next to the Heat's bench.

He crossed his legs and watched the menacing number 6 on the field with great interest.

The match turned into a fierce hand-to-hand combat from the very first second!

James had a very strong offensive drive tonight.

Facing Shane Battier, the Cavaliers' defensive stalwart, he attacked the Cavaliers' interior like a bulldozer.

"Bang!"

Less than two minutes into the first quarter, James, despite being guarded by Battier and Marc Gasol, not only slammed the ball into the basket but also drew a foul from Gasol!

2+1 completed! After landing, James pounded his chest and roared towards the Cavaliers' half of the court.

However, the Cavaliers remained unusually calm in the face of James's volcanic-like individual offensive onslaught.

Stephen Curry dribbled the ball across half-court while chewing on his mouthguard.

Facing close defense from Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, Curry suddenly changed direction and, with the help of Millsap's screen, quickly created some space.

The Heat's help defense was extremely quick, and Dwyane Wade immediately rushed in.

But Curry didn't try to take credit for the ball. With a flick of his wrist, the basketball accurately flew over Wade's head and landed in the hands of Klay Thompson, who was open in the right corner.

Klay catches the ball, jumps, and moves with mechanical precision.

"Whoosh!"

A three-pointer pierces the net!

This is the main theme of tonight's match—the clash of ice and fire!

The Heat, relying on the unparalleled talent and explosiveness of James and Wade, constantly created scoring opportunities in the paint; while the Cavaliers moved the ball like mercury, responding with Curry's extreme gravity and raining down three-pointers from the outside.

In the second quarter, Su Yang's "35-minute time limit" took effect once again.

Even though the score was very close, Coach Scott strictly followed orders and substituted Curry to rest.

Seeing this, James immediately seized the opportunity, wanting to lead his team on a run to widen the score gap.

But what he didn't expect was that he would suffer a hidden loss when facing Kawhi Leonard, the expressionless rookie whom Su Yang had snatched from the draft during the offseason!

In one defensive possession, James attempted to turn and get past Leonard.

But the instant he turned and exposed possession of the ball, Leonard's exaggeratedly large hands, like iron clamps, swiftly and ruthlessly slashed down!

"Snapped!"

A clean steal!

Leonard dribbled forward expressionlessly, assisting Danny Green who was cutting inside for a layup.

"Shit! Where did this damn expressionless rookie come from?!" James cursed under his breath, his frustration growing. The tenacity of this group of minimum-salary laborers in Cleveland was simply beyond his expectations!

The game remained close throughout, reaching the decisive fourth quarter.

There are only two minutes left in the game!

The score is 104-104! A draw!

The atmosphere in the American Airlines Arena was incredibly tense. Players from both teams were breathing heavily, their energy levels reaching their limit.

James held the ball beyond the three-point line, sweat streaming down his face. He glanced at the stats; he had already racked up a dominant 38 points and 11 rebounds.

But on the other side, that damn Stephen Curry, with his playing time strictly limited to 33 minutes, actually hit 7 three-pointers, effortlessly scoring 33 points and 8 assists!

"I am the MVP! I am the best player in the league!"

James roared inwardly, waved for a screen, and used the mismatch to match up against Stephen Curry!

A targeted tactic! He intends to use the most brutal physical domination to crush this so-called MVP leader head-on!

It accelerated suddenly, like a heavy truck crashing into Curry.

Curry gritted his teeth and tried his best to withstand the first wave of impact, but his huge size disadvantage still made him take two steps back.

Just as James was about to jump and finish, Paul Millsap and Marc Gasol suddenly appeared from the side like two high walls, instantly surrounding him!

"Don't even think about it!"

Three players double-teamed him! James lost his shooting angle in mid-air and could only barely toss the ball toward the basket before landing.

"Clang!" The shot missed!

Marc Gasol grabbed the rebound and, without hesitation, launched a long pass that spanned the entire court!

Curry, who had just been staggered by a collision on the defensive end, was now like a white lightning bolt, sprinting wildly towards the Heat's half of the court!

"Stop him!!" Heat coach Erik Spoelstra shouted desperately from the sidelines.

Wade chased back with all his might, trying to block the shot.

But two steps beyond the three-point line, Curry suddenly stopped while running at high speed, pulled up and shot!

An exaggerated parabola streaked across the sky above the American Airlines Center.

"Whoosh!!!"

Thread the needle! Swish through the net! 107 to 104! The Cavaliers take the lead!

"My God! That's an outrageous three-pointer! Stephen Curry has once again poured ice water over Miami's head!" The commentator went completely crazy.

But the Heat didn't give up. Wade then used his drive to break through the defense and pulled off a tough and-one play, tying the game again!

In the next round, both sides missed opportunities to score the winning goal.

As Curry's long-range three-pointer with two seconds left bounced high off the back of the rim, the red light for regulation time suddenly went off!

"drop--!"

The piercing final buzzer blared throughout the stadium!

The score on the big screen remained fixed at 109 to 109!

End of fourth quarter! Draw!