Chapter 103: The Cavaliers In Desperate Straits
The Cavaliers have no way out.
LeBron James took the ball himself and drove strongly, pushing Warrick away before laying up for points, with the crowd roaring thunderously.
However, the Grizzlies immediately responded.
Kidd long pass, Lowry fast break, drew a foul and made both free throws.
The score remained in double digits, like an uncrossable chasm looming before the Cavaliers.
Entering the mid-fourth quarter, the Cavaliers tried to close the gap by constantly speeding up the pace.
LeBron James even pulled to the power forward position, using speed to attack Radmanovic.
This approach worked; he scored consecutively and assisted teammates to hit three-pointers, narrowing the gap to 8 points.
The on-site crowd’s emotions surged again, with deafening roars.
However, the Grizzlies did not panic.
Xu Ling and Kidd teamed up to orchestrate, a classic pick and roll followed by a pass, Radmanovic hit an open three-pointer steadily.
The gap returned to 11 points.
Time was no longer on the Cavaliers’ side.
Every time LeBron James fought desperately for two points, the Grizzlies quickly countered with team coordination.
The Cavaliers’ offense looked like pounding a stone wall with flesh and blood, extremely laborious; while the Grizzlies’ scoring seemed clean and efficient, without any sloppiness.
This contrast gradually wore down LeBron James’s will and made the home fans increasingly anxious.
The game entered the final six minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Cavaliers trailed by 9 points, LeBron James backed down against Xu Ling.
This time, he finally powered through successfully, making it a 2+1.
He roared and pounded his chest in celebration, trying to ignite his teammates’ fighting spirit.
But in the next possession, Xu Ling immediately answered with a three-pointer from outside.
The Cavaliers narrowed the gap time and again, but could never truly pull the game back to even.
Every time a spark of hope ignited in the stands, it was snuffed out by Xu Ling’s cold and ruthless response.
Mike Breen couldn’t help but exclaim: “Maybe it’s a bit untimely to say this, but Eli reminds me of rookie-year Michael Jordan. Besides MJ, I can’t think of anyone else who showed such offensive talent in their rookie season!”
“Yes, Michael Jordan.” Jeff Van Gundy agreed with this viewpoint as well.
Moreover, Van Gundy might be even more authoritative, because after Pat Riley left, he took over that year’s Knicks and told Patrick Ewing not to get too close to Jordan, since Jordan used that familiarity to strike ruthlessly.
As everyone knows, Big Dan is the second-most petty super giant in NBA history; if you’re in the industry and dare speak ill of him, he will retaliate. The famous feud between Van Gundy and Jordan peaked in the 1996-97 season.
At that time, Big Dan’s legendary career was heading toward the pinnacle of his second three-peat, while the Knicks were no longer the powerful Eastern Conference roadblock from the early 90s. However, in what seemed like an ordinary regular season game, Big Dan completely erupted. He scored 51 points on over 60% shooting, bloodwashing Madison with a personal performance.
“Tonight, I see the same qualities in Eli,” Van Gundy continued, “not that their playing styles are identical, but that cold competitiveness deeply embedded in their genes. He enjoys confrontation, he remembers every provocation, and—most importantly—he always responds on the court in the most direct, most uncomfortable way for you. Every effort from LeBron tonight is met with an even more determined response from Eli. This mentality, this determination to crush the opponent’s will—it’s on another level.”
In a sense, Van Gundy predicted the outcome of this game.
LeBron James, of course, was unwilling to concede tonight’s failure; he used pure physical talent to bulldoze everything. Two consecutive forced drives to the basket: one for 2+1, one drawing a foul for two made free throws, scoring 5 points straight!
With his individual effort, he forcibly narrowed the gap to 6 points.
The Kings are still fighting!
The home fans’ cheers rose wave after wave.
However, the Grizzlies’ response was very simple: Kidd brought the ball over half court and directly passed it to Xu Ling.
Facing LeBron James, Xu Ling didn’t choose isolation play but called Milicic for a solid screen.
Using the screen, Xu Ling instantly shook off LeBron James; the Cavaliers were forced to switch, with Big Z pulled out to the three-point line.
Facing the slow-moving Big Z, Xu Ling gained ample shooting space with a simple crossover dribble, pull-up jump shot!
Hit again!
In the next possession, LeBron James wanted to answer back, but his forced fadeaway jumper was disrupted by Xu Ling and Howard, clanging off the rim.
Kidd secured the rebound, pushed forward unhurriedly. The shot clock was run down to the final moments again; after several passes, the ball reached Xu Ling once more, with only 5 seconds left.
Xu Ling in triple threat stance against LeBron James, suddenly accelerated for a drive.
LeBron James followed with all his might, but after one step into the drive, Xu Ling abruptly pulled up and stepped back beyond the three-point line.
LeBron James, with his astonishing physique, forcibly twisted back his center of gravity and lunged forward!
Xu Ling made a tiny mid-air dodge, then released!
“Bang!”
The ball hit the back of the rim and bounced high.
Just as all Cavaliers fans were about to cheer for the successful defense, a blue figure cut to the basket like a ghost—it was the Grizzlies’ often underestimated spring man Hakim Warrick!
With astonishing leap speed and precise anticipation, he tipped the rebounding basketball over everyone’s heads, and it obediently rolled into the basket!
“Warrick! Putback points! The Grizzlies pull the lead back to 10 points again!”
Mike Breen’s voice was filled with incredulous amazement.
The Cavaliers struggled like drowning men; every time they desperately surfaced for air, they were immediately slammed back under by a bigger wave. Whenever they teetered on the edge of suffocation, LeBron James would go full throttle, using his individual ability to yank the team back from the abyss.
But having only offense is far from enough.
Because Xu Ling’s response shots followed like a shadow, like cold tides, completely submerging the hope just glimpsed.
This suppression was suffocating, maddening, and bred a sense of powerlessness and despair from the bottom of the heart.
Time flew by in offense and defense. The game intensity kept rising, physical confrontation grew fiercer, and every score became incredibly difficult.
When the clock hit the final two minutes, the score froze at 98-89, with the Grizzlies still leading by 9. The Cavaliers had possession but only one timeout left. The air in the entire arena seemed to solidify; everyone knew the next possessions would decide the game’s final outcome.
LeBron James held the ball at the top of the arc, waving for everyone to clear out. Sweat dripped continuously from his forehead, but his eyes remained sharp, revealing an unyielding determination.
The entire crowd stood, holding their breath.
LeBron James lowered his center of gravity, continuous crossover dribbles disrupting the defense rhythm; suddenly, he used an extremely quick crossover dribble to drive hard from the right side! But Xu Ling’s lateral speed was faster, firmly holding position.
Shot clock ticking away second by second. LeBron James didn’t pass; with 6 seconds left, he backed into Xu Ling, spun, and faded back, trying a high-difficulty jump shot to end the possession!
However, at the instant he gathered and jumped, Xu Ling’s long arm cut down with precise anticipation!
“Snap!”
A crisp sound! The basketball was tipped by Xu Ling’s fingertips, slipping from LeBron James’s hands, bouncing off James’s knee, and out of bounds!
“Out of bounds! Grizzlies ball!” The referee decisively pointed to the backcourt.
“@#￥@#￥”
LeBron James immediately protested to the referee about the hand check, but no matter how agitated the Kings were or how the fans cursed, the referee wouldn’t change the call.
“Eli with a key steal!”
The Grizzlies gained possession.
They weren’t in a hurry to fast break.
Kidd brought the ball to the frontcourt, facing tight defense, simply raised his hand for a high pick and roll.
Using the momentary gap from the screen, Kidd didn’t shoot himself or look for Xu Ling outside, but flicked his wrist for a bounce pass to Hakim Warrick cutting baseline.
Warrick caught and jumped; though help defense arrived behind him, his motion had already drawn the foul!
Whistle blew, shooting foul!
Warrick to the free throw line, first free throw good, second rimmed out.
Not perfect, but sufficient.
1:58 left in the game.
The teams’ gap reached 10 points again.
Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown had to use their final timeout.
Brown was nominally head coach, really the Kings’ nanny; he’d seen the world and knew that at this point, if you didn’t catch your breath, the opponent could run away with it.
If it were just an ordinary regular season game, fine, but look at LeBron—this an ordinary regular season game?
So, Brown had to call timeout.
After the players came off, Brown immediately went to the Kings’ side to check on them.
Inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, hope was rapidly draining from the KING’s kingdom.
On the Cavaliers’ bench, Brown’s tactics were simplified to the extreme: “From now on, give the ball to LeBron, everyone else clear out, believe LeBron can handle everything for us!”
So, this timeout arranged nothing, just to let LeBron catch his breath and disrupt the Grizzlies’ rhythm.
This was understandable; under two minutes left, trailing by 10, if the deficit grew even a bit, the game was over—or if the next offense failed, it was probably over anyway.
On the other side, Marc Iavaroni clapped forcefully: “Buckle down! Two minutes left! Secure rebounds! Don’t give them easy shots! Control the pace!”
No deep schemes, no surprising subs; neither coach was a renowned coach who could improvise or conjure something from nothing—in moments like this, they could only do the things that never fail.
Soothe the star’s emotions, encourage defense, give the star freedom, then yell from the sidelines, pretending to fight to the end just like them.
