thefictionvixens Chapter 44 Elimination of Weak Teams
Chapter 44 Elimination of Weak Teams
The two sides traded blows, keeping the score very close. The older police officers relied on experience and height, while the "Big Three" relied on speed and teamwork. Cheers and gasps of excitement echoed from the sidelines.
Old Chen received the ball in the low post, backed down, squeezed twice, and then turned and hooked the ball—it bounced twice on the rim but didn't go in. The center of the "Big Three" grabbed the rebound and delivered a long pass; their guard on the other side of the court had already fast-break and easily scored a layup.
The point difference has widened to 4 points. Less than two minutes remain.
"The older men are starting to run out of stamina," Wu Yun said softly.
Indeed, Old Chen was panting, supporting himself on his knees, while the other two uncles were also covered in sweat, their defensive movements a beat slower than at the start of the game.
The "Big Three" seized the opportunity and attacked the paint repeatedly, scoring again and extending the lead to 6 points.
The police officers called for a halt. The three men huddled together, whispering and talking rapidly, with Old Chen gesturing as he spoke.
After the timeout, the police officer inbounded the ball, which, after several passes, ended up in Old Chen's hands again. This time, instead of forcing a shot, he drew a double team before suddenly passing the ball to Old Liu, who was open on the perimeter.
Old Liu caught the ball, glanced at the basket, and swiftly brought it down.
Three point hit!
A cheer erupted from the stands. The point difference was back to 3.
The "Big Three" slowed down their offense, seemingly trying to run down the clock. With ten seconds left, their point guard initiated a drive, pulled up for a jump shot—the ball bounced off the back of the rim. Old Chen fought hard to grab the rebound, with only five seconds remaining.
He threw the ball directly to the frontcourt, where another man (the one surnamed Wang) had already started his run, caught the ball, dribbled for a step, and hastily took a shot from a point a step away from the three-point line.
The ball traced a high arc in the air.
Everyone in the audience held their breath.
The basketball bounced off the backboard and into the net.
A buzzer-beater!
"Wow--!!"
"It's in! It's in! They've tied it!"
"Overtime! Overtime!"
The sidelines erupted instantly. The police officers hugged each other, pounding each other's backs and shouting, their faces filled with unbelievable elation. The "Big Three," on the other hand, were a little bewildered, looking at each other and shaking their heads.
The overtime was incredibly intense. Both teams were at their physical limits, their offensive efficiency dropped, and it became more of a physical battle and free throws. In the end, the police officers, thanks to their more consistent free throws, narrowly won by two points.
When Lao Chen and his two companions came off the field, they were soaked to the bone and staggered as they walked, but their eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. As they passed Qin Yu and the others, Lao Chen gave Wu Yun a thumbs-up, pointed to the field, grinned, and sweat streamed down his face.
"Well played," Wu Yun said sincerely.
"That was awesome!" Old Chen replied in a hoarse voice, and with the help of his teammates, he walked to a nearby bench and almost collapsed down.
The "Big Three" walked off the field in silence, their expressions not good.
Losing their first home game was a blow to their pride. Their gaze swept over the audience, over the other teams, and finally lingered for a moment on Qin Yu and his team—mainly on Wu Yun—with scrutiny and a hint of resentment.
"The hatred has been firmly established," Du Dewu chuckled softly.
Wu Yun swallowed hard and remained silent.
The next few matches were uneventful; the weaker teams were crushed, while the stronger teams generally advanced smoothly, barely breaking a sweat.
The audience's interest seemed to dwindle as the competition progressed and more teams appeared.