The Best Point Guard

Chapter 404: Chapter 131: [Take Off, Jack]

Kenny Smith’s performance in the world of jinxes had been spectacular.

When it came to predicting Su Xi’s outcomes, he had become a notorious jinx.

Not only was Charles Barkley feeling secure, but Pacers fans watching on TV also breathed a sigh of relief.

The San Antonio Spurs fans, on the other hand, grew anxious.

In the calculations of the Spurs fans, if their team could win just one of the two road games, their path to the championship would be unstoppable.

This was because, under the current NBA Finals schedule, the home-court format actually favored the team with the poorer regular-season record.

The 2-3-2 format gave the team without home-court advantage three consecutive home games.

Many people had already criticized the format as illogical, suggesting it be changed to 2-2-1-1-1.

But for this season, at least, there was no chance of it changing.

BEEP!

The whistle blew, signaling the start of the fourth quarter.

As expected, both sides mutually agreed to slow things down, switching back to their half-court offenses.

The pace of the offense instantly went from fluid and smooth to a sluggish grind.

Both teams were experts at grinding down the tempo and embracing physicality.

The two teams were evenly matched in terms of overall strength.

The Pacers maintained their lead. Initially, the San Antonio Spurs weren’t trying to rush a comeback; they planned to use their vast experience to wear the Pacers down.

But the Pacers’ resilience was far greater than they had imagined.

With one minute left in the game, the Pacers still held a four-point lead.

Just then, Ginobili attempted a quick, forced three-pointer.

But Su Xi came flying in from behind for the block. Su Xi grabbed the ball and raced downcourt, burning 21 seconds off the clock before passing to Reggie Miller.

Miller drained a three from the corner.

That three-pointer was the dagger.

The San Antonio Spurs called a timeout. After the break, they scrambled for a quick score and made the basket, then immediately fouled Su Xi.

Su Xi sank both free throws.

It was all over for the Spurs. On their final rushed possession, Tony Parker passed to Ginobili, who missed the shot once more.

When masters clash, victory is decided in an instant.

If Ginobili had hit that three, the outcome would have been completely different.

But Su Xi made the clutch block.

The San Antonio Spurs had to swallow the bitter pill of defeat.

After the game, Su Xi—who finished with 23 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks—spoke about that block. He stated bluntly, "By the end of the game, Ginobili can’t jump anymore. Blocking him isn’t that hard."

Su Xi pointed out Ginobili’s biggest weakness: his stamina.

Su Xi used to have the same problem, but now he has no issue playing the entire second half after halftime.

San Antonio didn’t have much to say after the game, nor did they offer an extensive analysis. In the post-game press conference, Popovich simply emphasized their issues with fouls and offensive rebounds.

He believed the team needed to be more aggressive.

However, he had nothing more to say on a tactical or technical level.

Because both teams were an open book to each other.

Their strengths were comparable. The San Antonio Spurs had a slightly better team defense, while the Pacers’ individual defenders were stronger. The Spurs’ inside-out game gave them an advantage, but Su Xi’s destructive force was greater, and the offensive system around him had developed into a healthy ecosystem.

Either team could have plausibly won.

Things like in-game adjustments, the officiating, a player’s shooting touch, and willpower... these were the factors more likely to decide the game.

If the Pacers won the first game because of Su Xi’s precise judgment in a clutch moment...

...then they won the second game on the sheer willpower of the entire team.

In the final two minutes, the San Antonio Spurs only scored two points.

The Pacers, meanwhile, scored five.

It was a pure defensive battle. Artest broke a front tooth. Reggie Miller, who had substituted in, played to the point of collapse; he was trembling all over when he left the court, both legs cramping.

At a crucial moment, Su Xi came up with a massive block on Duncan, leaping up to pin the ball against the backboard right over Duncan’s head.

The force of the block sent Su Xi tumbling to the floor.

Everyone watching on television thought Su Xi might not get up. But then, the entire audience saw him climb back to his feet, a cold smile on his face.

"He’s like a demon."

Kenny Smith remarked on the broadcast.

The San Antonio Spurs lost to a demon.

85-88.

They lost by three points—the exact margin scored in the final two minutes.

"We are not going to lose this series."

Su Xi declared forcefully to the camera.

His words were a huge encouragement for Indiana. They now held a 2-0 series lead, just two wins away from the second championship in franchise history. Every commentator was saying the same thing: if the Pacers could just win one of their three upcoming road games in San Antonio, the championship trophy would be staying in Indiana.

...

Just as the Pacers were setting off for San Antonio, the media suddenly broke a story.

Little Sheep Su Xi is Selling His Indiana Mansion.

The news was initially treated as a mere rumor, but at such a critical time, it quickly blew up the basketball world’s news cycle.

Selling a house is easily linked to moving away. And moving away happened to align perfectly with the fact that Su Xi’s contract was expiring. The entire league was already wondering about Su Xi’s next move. Now, with rumors that he was selling his house... was Su Xi really going to leave Indiana after this year’s Finals? Where would he go?

Why wouldn’t he stay in Indiana?

Didn’t he want to continue dominating the league with the Pacers? He was still far from his prime, and this Pacers roster was strong enough to remain at a championship level for at least another three to five years.

The buzz around this story quickly surpassed the Finals itself.

In the words of Charles Barkley, "The Finals only decide this year’s champion. If Su Xi really sells his 1.5 million USD house and leaves Indiana, the entire landscape of the league will be shaken."