Chapter 17

"Whoo... Bang!"

Under the stunned gaze of the entire audience, Chen Mufei leaped up. Before Jim Jackson's ball hit the rim, he had already jumped.

The ball hit the rim and bounced right into Chen Mu's hands. Without hesitation, he slammed it down with both hands, forcefully dunking the basketball into the hoop.

"Beep...!"

The ball went in, and the buzzer sounded. Chen Mu completed the buzzer-beater dunk. The red lights around the backboard, indicating the end of the time, lit up. The ball went in just before the time limit, and it counted for two points!

"Beep beep!"

At the same moment, the referee's whistle blew. When Chen Mu leaped to dunk, the Lakers' substitute center, Turiaf, instinctively reached out to pull Chen Mu's jersey.

It was unclear whether it was a form of compensation for the technical foul called on Chen Mu earlier, but the head referee, who usually wouldn't call such a foul, was unusually strict this time. He signaled a foul on Turiaf, giving Chen Mu a free throw opportunity.

"......Aaaaaah!!!"

Back on the ground, Chen Mu roared to the sky, releasing all the pent-up frustration in his heart.

This was his first score in the NBA without an alley-oop, and it was his first AND ONE in professional basketball!

"Chen...!!!"

Chen Mu roared, and the Suns' players behind him were also ecstatic, jumping up and down.

Jim Jackson, who had taken the three-point shot, and Barbosa, who had made the pass, were especially excited. They ran forward quickly, leaping onto Chen Mu as if they had just won the championship, extremely excited.

"YES...!"

On the bench, D'Antoni knew that his gamble had won the first round. He clenched his fist and swung it, his tie fluttering, equally excited.

Next to D'Antoni, the team captain Steve Nash also cheered, waving a towel in the air with both hands.

In fact, Chen Mu's dunk had completely electrified the Suns' bench. All the players stood up, waving towels wildly and shouting. The joker Diaw even pretended to block his teammates from rushing onto the court, spreading his arms to hold them back.

This dramatic scene was captured by the cameras on the sidelines and broadcast across the United States. Rookie Chen Mu's buzzer-beater AND ONE had instantly ignited the previously subdued Suns' bench, unleashing a surprising burst of energy.

"Tap tap"

"Whoo..."

After the celebration, Chen Mu stood at the free-throw line, took a deep breath, and received the ball from the referee. He dribbled a few times on the floor and then raised his hand to shoot.

"Damn...!"

As soon as the ball left his hand, Chen Mu knew it wouldn't go in. Not only did his body feel stiff, but the green circle that appeared in front of his eyes also told him that he would miss this free throw.

"Clank~"

The ball hit the rim, and the first quarter ended. In the stands, the audience sighed in relief.

If Chen Mu had made this free throw, such a rare buzzer-beater AND ONE would have been a heavy blow to the Lakers. Although they were still leading in the score, the momentum of the game could have been reversed by the Suns.

"Tap tap... Bang"

Back on the bench, Chen Mu drank water in large gulps. In fact, he had only played for less than a minute in the first quarter, so his stamina was not an issue.

It was just unknown whether D'Antoni would keep Chen Mu on the court at the start of the second quarter.

"Everyone, pay attention."

As if reading Chen Mu's mind, D'Antoni spoke up at the right moment: "In the first half of the second quarter, we will maintain the current lineup!"

"Although the three-pointer didn't go in, our strategy is correct. The next part of the game is crucial. Their Kobe is not on the court, and their starters are mostly resting. If we can take advantage of this opportunity to catch up, the situation will be very favorable!"

In NBA games, the end of the first quarter to the beginning of the second quarter, the second half of the third quarter, and the beginning of the fourth quarter are often referred to as the "transition periods." During these times, the starters are usually tired and need rest, so the teams' substitutes take turns playing.

To put it in a less appropriate analogy, it's like in ancient battles, where if the main generals are facing off at other times, the transition periods are when the foot soldiers engage in close combat.

If you can control the transition periods, it will have a significant impact on the game's outcome. Many super sixth men have emerged in the NBA, precisely to play during these periods and use their skills to turn the tide of the game. The importance of the transition periods is self-evident.

D'Antoni took out the tactical board and, with the help of assistant coach Gentry, began to draw complex tactical instructions.

"The basic strategy is simple, Chen. You will be the lighthouse in the middle, setting screens for the shooters. Barbosa will handle the ball. If the middle is open, he should quickly break to the basket. Jim, James, and Eddie, you three need to keep moving, setting screens for each other without the ball. When you get an opportunity, don't hesitate and shoot the three-pointer!"

After saying all this, D'Antoni looked at Chen Mu and said seriously, "Chen, you are the only rebounding point in this lineup. You know what you need to do, right...?"

"I understand, Coach..."

Chen Mu clenched his right fist, his eyes shining with a fierce light, and said with a slight smile, "I'll grab every damn rebound...!"

"1, 2, 3... SUNS!"

With Chen Mu's buzzer-beater as the catalyst, the Suns' players' fighting spirit was ignited. They gathered in a circle, shouted loudly, and then walked onto the court with their heads held high.

In the first quarter, D'Antoni's gamble had achieved unprecedented success.

"Clap"

The Lakers missed their shot, and Chen Mu grabbed the rebound. Looking up, he saw Eddie House, Jim Jackson, and James Jones, the three sharpshooters, already advancing quickly to the front court.

"Tap tap tap" "Chen!"

Barbosa was asking for the ball next to Chen Mu. Chen Mu passed it to him, and the Brazilian, known for his speed, instantly turned into a bolt of lightning, dashing to the mid-court line.

"Whoo"

At this moment, the three shooters were already in position at the two corners and the left 45-degree angle. The Lakers' defenders hadn't set up their defense and were distracted by the two shooters on the left. Barbosa saw that Jim Jackson was open at the right corner and immediately passed the ball.

"Clap" "Whoo!"

Jim Jackson caught the ball and shot immediately. Although he was no longer in his prime, his instincts as a shooter remained. The three-pointer he shot was as smooth as silk, and any shooter could tell that it would definitely go in.

"Swish!"

Sure enough, the ball went through the hoop, and the score was 27-32, with the Suns trailing by only 5 points!

"Bang bang bang"

The Lakers' bench players were clearly still in shock. As they were about to throw the ball in from the baseline, a black shadow flashed by, and Barbosa directly stole the ball in the front court. Without looking, he threw it to the 45-degree angle.

"Clap" "Whoo!"

Eddie House caught the ball and shot immediately. The ball drew a beautiful arc in the air. Chen Mu, who had just arrived in the front court, looked up and saw no rebound point indicator, so he smiled and returned to the backcourt for defense.

"Swish!"

Another perfect shot, and the deficit was reduced to just 2 points!

"......!!"

The audience was dead silent, all of them stunned. Under their watchful eyes, the Lakers' offense failed again.

"Clank!"

"The rebound is mine...!!!"

"Step!"

Chen Mu leaped up, hands raised high. Before Turiaf could determine the rebound point, Chen Mu snatched the ball from right in front of him and immediately threw a long pass without looking.

"Clap"

Chen Mu's pass was a bit long, but Barbosa, with his incredible speed, caught up to the ball, grabbed it, and spun to shake off the Lakers' defender. He then made a wide lateral pass.

"Whoo... Clap"

On the left corner, James Jones was already in position. He hadn't touched the ball since he came on the court and was eager to shoot. Seeing an open shot, he immediately took a three-pointer.

"......!"

Everyone held their breath, especially the Suns' players, who were all eagerly waiting.

If this shot also went in, the game's momentum would be completely reversed!

"......Pop!"

Jones' three-pointer had a high arc and went smoothly into the hoop, making the net bounce and producing a crisp sound.

"......Oh oh oh!!!"

With this shot, the Suns' bench erupted with thunderous cheers. Everyone was shouting loudly, praising this storm of offense.

"......"

In contrast, the Staples Center was deathly silent. The Lakers' players, fans, and coaches all had looks of shock, seemingly unable to believe what they had just seen.

In just one minute of the second quarter, the Suns had completed a 9-0 run. If you include Chen Mu's buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter, the Suns' bench had put together an 11-0 run!

"Too... too shocking!"

In the commentary booth, Kenny Smith was surprised, speaking in a dramatic tone: "The super small-ball lineup set up by the Suns' coach D'Antoni has completely stunned the Lakers at the start of the second quarter. A visually stunning offensive wave forced Lakers' coach Phil Jackson to call a timeout!"

On the court, the Lakers' players were all sweating profusely, especially those who had just been on the court, who were so angry they were throwing towels.

On the other hand, the Suns were in high spirits. The strong performance of the substitutes allowed the starters more rest time, which would be a significant advantage in the final stages of the game.

And Chen Mu was the key person who made all this happen!

"Chen, well done!"

D'Antoni smiled and praised him: "After the timeout, the Lakers will definitely try to stop our outside shooting. But as long as you can grab the offensive rebounds, our one-big-four-small lineup will still work!"

"Don't worry, Coach." Chen Mu nodded. "I'll take care of the rebounds...!"

"Beep"

The 20-second timeout quickly ended. As the Suns' players shouted and prepared to go on the court, their team captain Nash frowned.

He saw that the Lakers had made a substitution, taking out Turiaf, who had been dominated by Chen Mu on both offense and defense, and bringing in a tall, bald player.

"Lamar... Why did Phil Jackson put you in...?"