Chapter 42 - 30: Decisive Moment (New Book Seeking Collection, Monthly Tickets, Recommendation Tickets!)_2

The fact proved that Kahong’s decision had a positive effect. Because after the sideline inbound pass, the Devil’s Deacon Team’s fast attack strategy was successfully cracked by the Huskies. "Wake Forest must pay attention to the game time!" Mike Breen reminded from the commentary booth. On the court, seeing his teammates’ offense stagnating... Qin Yue decisively abandoned the thought of continuing to pass to the same side teammate and actively moved to the outside. At the top of the arc, Paul, who was responsible for holding the ball, noticed Qin Yue’s movement. On the other side, knowing that his side only had one player inside, Gordon quickly rushed from the corner towards Qin Yue. From a rational perspective, Gordon made what he considered a very correct decision. But in the moment he rushed towards Qin Yue, he also left Evans, who was ambushing there, wide open. On the court, Qin Yue, who received Paul’s pass, made no adjustments and immediately threw the basketball to Evans. And Evans extended the hot hand he had from the last shot, hitting that damn three-pointer for Wake Forest with 35 seconds left in the game! to 91. As long as they defend the next possession, Wake Forest still has a chance to tie the score before the end. At this point, looking at Qin Yue’s exhausted face, Jim Calhoun made a very bold decision. He didn’t want Qin Yue to rest through a timeout anymore. Even if this decision might cause Connecticut to be dragged into overtime, Calhoun didn’t care. Because, given Wake Forest’s personnel reserve, Calhoun was convinced that this Devil’s Deacon Team was already at the end of its rope. At Meixi Arena, Brown dribbled past half-court amidst the boos from the crowd. As a veteran, Brown faithfully followed the instructions given by the coach on the sideline: Waste the time of this offensive possession, even if it results in a 30-second violation, it doesn’t matter. Since Wake Forest no longer had extra timeouts to set up strategies. So Calhoun didn’t mind leaving them with 5 seconds of attacking time. This is Kang University’s future legendary coach. Jim Calhoun, a head coach who can maintain a clear mind even in such times. But... Calhoun didn’t foresee that... The always steady Brown would encounter a live steal from Chris Paul in the upcoming time-wasting process! On the court, accompanied by the sudden cheers echoing through the stadium, Chris Paul snatched hope for Wake Forest and grabbed the only ray of light in the darkness! Almost simultaneously with Paul’s steal, Gray hurriedly crossed half-court. Behind him were the Connecticut players in full-speed pursuit. But no matter how fast the Connecticut players were at defense, how could they possibly be faster than Paul’s passing speed? Gray stopped outside the three-point line in the frontcourt to receive Paul’s pass and slightly adjusted his pace before shooting. This three-pointer, would it help Wake Forest tie the score? Carrying countless people’s expectations, everyone held their breath as the basketball flew towards the hoop. Clang—! "Protect the rebound!" On the sidelines, Calhoun, whose heart was almost scared to a halt when Gray’s three-pointer bounced off the rim, hurriedly shouted at the players on the court. Upon hearing this, Okafor, who had sprinted all the way back under the basket, immediately sealed off the entire three-second area. However, Gray’s three-pointer turned into a long rebound after bouncing off the rim. Seeing this, Okafor quickly turned around, praying in his heart that there would be his teammate near the spot where this long rebound landed. But in the instant Okafor turned around, he couldn’t believe it... It was Qin Yue who appeared in that damn position again! Still instinct and intuition. Tonight’s unlucky Qin Yue did not trigger his ability to foresee in the process of grabbing these two crucial offensive rebounds. But he just repeatedly retrieved the possibility of defeating Connecticut for Wake Forest in the game! Throughout the second half, he was like a pillar standing in the restricted area of the Devil’s Deacon Team. On the court, having grabbed another critical rebound for Wake Forest, Qin Yue noticed with a glance that Ronnie Evans was in an open position. The guy who had prepared to take a three-point shot and had consecutively hit two damned three-pointers. At this moment, Qin Yue had no time to hesitate. And on the right side of the court at a 45-degree angle, Evans, who was waiting for Qin Yue’s pass, had countless images flashing like a slideshow in his mind at that instant. From a young age, Evans had an indescribable love for basketball. Although many people around him always said he lacked ambition. But in Evans’ view, those people didn’t know what he was pursuing at all. Perhaps, his whole life, he might never be able to make it to the NBA like those geniuses. But isn’t basketball a sport that you can play as long as you love it? Unlike many peers, Evans never liked Michael Jordan from an early age. Because, in his view, the so-called God of Basketball was too far from him. All along, Evans’ favorite player was Kenny Smith. The little figure who repeatedly acted as the key man with the Houston Rockets in the stories of "Never underestimate the heart of a champion." Now, gently supporting the basketball with his left hand. Evans, this little figure from Wake Forest... In the midst of everyone’s attention, shot the three-pointer that could potentially rewrite history. Unfortunately... Clang—! In the next moment, with the sound of the basketball bouncing off the rim, Evans fell from his dream back into reality. Even though Qin Yue once again dragged his exhausted body to grab this offensive rebound for Wake Forest. Even though the Wake Forest fans in the stands, who had begun to clutch their heads and cry in pain, deeply felt the cruelty of heaven towards them. Despite... Reality doesn’t have that many despite. At Meixi Arena, as Evans’ tying three-pointer bounced off the rim and the final timer counted down to zero, the Connecticut Huskies advanced to the next round as hoped. Meanwhile, Wake Forest’s journey of madness in March came to an abrupt end. This night, the fairy tale did not unfold. But for the big shots who witnessed the game firsthand, they began to stir. For a long time, these behind-the-scenes big shots couldn’t restrain their hearts longing for talent to emerge after this madness in March. Pulitzer Prize winner, The New York Times columnist Ira Berkow wrote in the piece he was about to publish the next day: "This night, Connecticut conquered Wake Forest. But Qin, with his repeated defense and rebounds in the second half, conquered the world." Through this year’s madness in March, Ira Berkow confirmed a fact: A promising star sharing the same nationality as Yao Ming was currently rising at an unimaginable speed in American college basketball. Some say he is like Andrei Kirilenko. Some say he is like Larry Bird. Some say he is like Charles Barkley. Some say he carries the legacy of Tim Duncan. But in Ira Berkow’s view, Qin Yue is like no one, "He is the most unique in American college basketball in recent years." And Nike executive Lynn Merritt, who was responsible for recruiting LeBron James, keenly identified the infinite business opportunities hidden in Qin Yue. In 2004, due to misjudging the Chinese market behind Yao Ming, Nike, which had successfully collaborated with Yao a year before his entry into the NBA, could only watch as Yao switched to Reebok. For Nike’s top executives, this decision-making mistake became a thorn in their side. "Now, we have the perfect opportunity to remove this thorn." Gripping his fist, Merritt thought. This world has never lacked geniuses. What is lacking is the vision to discover geniuses and the wisdom to market and showcase them to the world. Perhaps this statement sounds cruel. But in the NBA, it’s a fact. ... PS: New book pleading for collection, monthly votes, and recommendations.