jdhmnovel Chapter 592 Overtime!
Chapter 592 Overtime!
The short halftime break ended quickly.
The second half of the game started as scheduled.
It could be that his physical strength had decreased, or it could be that he had overexerted himself during halftime.
Both teams' shooting percentages dropped in the third quarter.
But the Hawks saw a more significant decline.
Trae Young, in particular, didn't make a single three-pointer in the entire third quarter.
Left with no other option, Trae Young could only repeatedly attack the basket, hoping to draw a foul.
It has some effect, but the referee won't call it every time.
On the Nets' side, although their shooting percentage also dropped, they were still slightly higher than the Hawks in the third quarter.
So when Wang Xiucheng hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, the Nets had 28 points in the third quarter.
The Hawks only scored 23 points.
The score difference between the two sides narrowed to only 5 points, with two players having possession of the ball.
This gap can basically be considered as both sides returning to the same starting line.
In this modern era of small-ball football, the gap between two possessions is indeed very small, so small that a single run can bring them back or even overtake them.
After a short break, the fourth quarter began.
Just like in the second quarter, Wang Xiucheng and Trey Young sat down to rest again.
The two sides became tense again.
Perhaps knowing that the decisive battle was not yet over, neither Schneider nor Udoka rushed to bring in Trae Young and Wang Xiucheng this time.
The referee forced a timeout in the sixth minute, giving the broadcasters time to start playing commercials.
The two players returned to the field when the game resumed.
This is the decisive moment!
Trae Young and Wang Xiucheng each explained why they are the star players of their respective teams.
Upon his return, Trae Young led the Hawks on a 9-0 run, combining drives and free throws.
However, after a two-minute scoring drought, Wang Xiucheng erupted, scoring and passing in quick succession, leading the Nets to tie the score.
With one minute remaining in the game, both sides were back on the same starting line.
In the final minute, not a single fan in the entire stadium could remain seated.
Everyone was standing to watch the game.
Even teenagers put down their potato chips and focused intently on the ball.
When Wang Xiucheng had the ball, the Hawks double-teamed him.
Instead of passing, Wang Xiucheng took a three-pointer, seemingly with great difficulty, despite facing Dejongtai and Hunter.
But the ball went in.
Possession changed hands, Trae Young passed the ball to Capela, but Capela missed the shot, and Trae Young surprisingly grabbed the rebound.
Westbrook tried to stop Trae Young, but Young still managed to shoot the ball.
The ball went in.
And the penalty was hit.
It was also a three-pointer.
With little time remaining, Wang Xiucheng's last-second shot missed.
The score was tied at 131-131, requiring overtime.
Wang Xiucheng plopped down on the bench, took the drink, and took a big gulp.
This is not the first time he has played in overtime.
But it was the most tiring match I've ever played.
It's not physical exhaustion, but mental exhaustion.
Trae Young was too tough to handle tonight.
He scored 19 points in the first quarter, making 6 of 7 three-pointers – a truly phenomenal performance.
Then Trae Young's next three-pointer seemed to suddenly lose its aim, and he just couldn't make it no matter how hard he tried.
But he started soloing again.
Wang Xiucheng now understands what it feels like to compete against others.
Udoka quickly finished discussing tactics with the assistant coach and then returned to give the players instructions.
The tactics are also very simple.
That means giving the ball to Wang Xiucheng!
At this time, there is no player more reliable than Wang Xiucheng.
Soon, overtime began.
Capela continued to play despite having five fouls.
With a snap, Towns was tipped into position during the scramble for the ball.
Dillon, who also had five fouls, grabbed the ball and passed it to Durant next to him.
Durant then handed the ball to Wang Xiucheng behind him.
Wang Xiucheng dribbled the ball past half-court, waited a moment, and when Towns came out to set a screen, Wang Xiucheng entered the paint.
With a thud, Wang Xiucheng slammed the ball to the ground and passed it to Towns.
Towns pulled up the ball and shot!
Swish!
The basketball went into the net!
The Nets opened the scoring in overtime.
Then, the Hawks had Capela score a two-pointer after receiving a pass from Trae Young.
The two teams traded baskets, and with one minute left in overtime, the Nets and Hawks were tied 10-10.
The bad news for the Hawks is that Trae Young's buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the first half was his last three-pointer so far.
The good news is that Trae Young's drives to the basket remained sharp, and he maintained possession of the ball with one minute remaining.
Murray dribbled the ball past half-court and, with Capela's screen, made a three-pointer.
He made 3 of 7 three-pointers tonight, which is not bad, but his output is insufficient.
If this ball goes in, then the accuracy rate will reach 50%.
But then, with a thud, the basketball hit the rim.
Durant grabbed the ball and passed it to Wang Xiucheng.
Wang Xiucheng, with one hand supporting Murray and the other catching the basketball, began to advance.
Just past the center line, Murray seemed to sense something and tried to pull his hand back.
However, after running alongside Wang Xiucheng for so long, how could Wang Xiucheng possibly let him run now!
With a quick tuck of his arm, Wang Xiucheng jumped up and threw the ball.
Wang Xiucheng then screamed loudly.
"what……"
With a whistle, the referee blew the whistle and raised three fingers, watching the trajectory of the basketball.
Swish!
The basketball goes into the net!
Three-pointer, in!
"Guaranteed Three-Point Shot Card" activated!
In overtime, the "guaranteed three-pointer card" will still be active in the final minute.
This is an incredibly impressive skill for a game with only 5 minutes of overtime.
"Hey, he's the one who's holding my arm, I can't pull it off, he's doing it on purpose..."
Murray loudly complained to the referee.
But it was to no avail; the referee didn't even look at him.
Wang Xiucheng straightened his clothes and stood at the free throw line again.
Swish!
Penalty added!
A score of 4 was achieved.
145:141.
The Nets are leading by 4 points!
There are 33 seconds left.
Capela picked up the ball, went to the baseline, and passed it to Trae Young.
At this point, the Hawks would obviously place their bets on Trae Young.
Even though his three-point shooting percentage has improved from 6 out of 7 in the first quarter to 7 out of 15.
This is similar to how the Nets unconditionally trust Wang Xiucheng.
When Trae Young got to the frontcourt, he circled around Capela twice as he came to set a screen. After switching onto Towns, Trae Young used his speed and footwork to shake off Towns and then took a step-back three-pointer.
Even if he makes 1 out of 8 shots later on, he will still take the shot without hesitation.
Towns jumped up and went for Trae Young's block.
However, Trae Young's release point was too far away after his step-back, and the ball only touched Trae Young's wrist without actually touching the ball.
Swish!
beep!
The sound of the basketball going through the net and the referee's whistle rang out almost simultaneously.
The referee immediately signaled that the three-pointer was valid and Trae Young needed to make one free throw.
Trae Young yelled at Towns, then immediately shut up to avoid being caught by the referee.
There are 5 seconds left!
Swish!
Trae Young made his 11th free throw of the night.
A score of four points was achieved.
The Hawks have also closed the gap.
The score is tied again at 145-145!
With a beep, Uduka called a pause.