Free Web NovelChapter 405: Chapter 131: Go Take Off, Jack
"But regardless, the leak is terrible news for the Pacers, who are in the middle of the Finals. Will the players keep fighting as hard as they have been? It seems their captain is about to jump ship."
The Indiana media was doing its best to deny the story.
However, they also avoided any public discussion about their contract renewal talks with Su Xi.
They hoped to downplay the incident’s impact.
However, the San Antonio media wasn’t about to let such a big story go.
They staked out the Pacers’ hotel, asking the players what they thought about the news that Su Xi was selling his Indiana property and planning to transfer this summer.
"Fuck you!"
Artest cursed at the reporter.
The other players didn’t hold back either, responding with their own torrents of abuse.
Clearly, nobody wanted the news to be true. No one wanted Su Xi to go to another team. They had long since become a cohesive unit, and everyone had grown accustomed to having Su Xi by their side.
But despite the media frenzy outside and reporters swarming the players, back in the Pacers’ locker room, no one approached Su Xi to discuss the matter.
Everyone remained silent on the subject.
Su Xi hadn’t found the right opportunity to talk to everyone about it either, because he really had tasked his agent with selling his house.
He was already certain he wouldn’t be continuing his career with the Pacers.
’I have to create my own story.’
Even though he could keep racking up accolades with the Pacers, he wanted a more spectacular career.
BEEP!
The whistle blew.
The game, held in San Antonio’s arena, had an unusual air about it from the very start.
The atmosphere was exceptionally grim.
On the very first possession, the Pacers made a clumsy error.
Su Xi drove to the basket and drew a double-team, then passed the ball out. But Artest fumbled the catch, and the ball flew out of bounds.
Artest quickly took responsibility for the turnover; his mind had wandered.
Su Xi didn’t criticize him, simply putting more energy into his defense.
He hounded the French TGV, locking Tony Parker down on the left side of the free-throw line and forcing a quick pass. Ginobili got the ball and used a pump fake to get past Artest. As he drove to the hoop, Su Xi threw himself into the help defense. Just as Ginobili was about to gather the ball... SLAP!
He stripped Ginobili.
He fell hard to the floor in the process.
The ball flew into Stephen Jackson’s hands.
Jackson secured it as Su Xi got back to his feet, acting as if nothing had happened. He took the pass from Jackson and calmly advanced the ball up the court, completely unfazed. He smiled at Artest. "A little mistake is no big deal. See? We just stole it right back."
Artest froze, deeply moved.
But an infinite sadness also welled up inside him.
He remembered that Su Xi might not be his teammate next season. When Su Xi had first arrived, Artest had worried he would steal his spot as the team’s core perimeter player. Now, he was the vice-captain of the "Little Sheep Su Defense Squad." The only reason he wasn’t captain was because he couldn’t win a fight against the "Hu Su Bao."
Su Xi ran a pick-and-roll with Little O’Neal. He got into the paint, used a slick shot fake to shake his defender, and passed to the trailing Little O’Neal for an easy layup.
A subtle air of melancholy now permeated the Pacers.
After scoring, Little O’Neal didn’t celebrate. Instead, he just pursed his lips.
The atmosphere was strange.
And yet, the game was still incredibly tense.
Back on their home court, the San Antonio Spurs were getting some favorable calls, but their outside shooting was cold tonight, so they could never manage to pull away.
And a gloomy mood hung over the Pacers.
The on-court atmosphere was strange.
In the first two games, the Pacers had been full of passion, roaring and beating their chests after every basket.
Now, even when they scored, their eyes were tinged with sorrow.
Influenced by Duncan, the San Antonio Spurs were never a talkative team on the court.
Now, the Pacers had suddenly gone quiet too.
It was like two teams of mutes playing silent basketball.
At the end of the first half, the score was 45-42.
The visiting Pacers were up by 3.
The San Antonio Spurs’ coaching staff couldn’t sit still any longer. They demanded their team play with more passion.
Sure enough, a conflict broke out right at the start of the second half, and a fight nearly ensued.
It happened while Bruce Bowen was defending Stephen Jackson. For whatever reason, something in his brain snapped, and he said to Stephen Jackson, "Your Little Sheep Su Xi is about to abandon you. Playing this hard is pointless..."
The moment the words left his mouth, Stephen Jackson pointed a finger right in Bowen’s face. "You shut your fucking mouth."
Seeing the two of them start to argue,
The Pacers’ resident ’good old boy,’ Foster, hurried over to break it up, urging Stephen Jackson to stay calm.
"Calm down, Stephen."
"He said Jack is going to abandon us..."
Before Stephen Jackson could even finish his sentence, Foster was pointing a finger in Bowen’s face. "Fuck you..."
All three of them were hit with technical fouls.
After the scuffle, the Pacers’ fighting spirit visibly surged.
Everyone started playing harder, not falling apart.
This took the San Antonio Spurs by surprise, and it surprised all the basketball commentators as well.
Everyone had assumed the news about Su Xi selling his house would crush the Pacers’ morale.
Their morale had indeed taken a hit.
But their will to fight had only grown stronger.
Because none of them wanted to end things with any regrets.
Starting in the third quarter, the Pacers played with more intensity on both ends of the floor, and their lead began to grow.
This was despite the San Antonio Spurs gradually finding their rhythm, and despite the head referee’s calls in the fourth quarter being completely skewed in the Spurs’ favor.
Despite the San Antonio Spurs leading by 3 with 35 seconds left and possession of the ball.
But then, Little O’Neal—known for bullying the weak and fearing the strong—stole the ball from Tim Duncan.
As Duncan made his turn, Little O’Neal darted in, poking the ball out from under Duncan’s elbow and passing it to Su Xi. "Go take flight, Jack!"
Watching Su Xi charge down the court, he let out his only shout of the entire game.
Su Xi took the ball and sprinted downcourt. At the free-throw line, he dodged an attempted steal from Ginobili, then drove all the way to the rim for a thunderous dunk.
seconds remained on the clock.
The San Antonio Spurs chose to play it safe, running 23 seconds off the clock. But when Ginobili drove to the free-throw line, Stephen Jackson lunged over to double-team him. Ginobili desperately passed the ball to Robert Horry on the wing, but Artest, rotating over on defense, immediately stripped him.
Artest clutched the ball and called a timeout.
Carlisle drew up a play.
BEEP!
Su Xi got the ball off a screen from Tony Battie. Bowen was all over him, not giving an inch, but Su Xi drove straight ahead. He charged right to the basket, leaping into the air and colliding with Bowen as he tossed the ball up. Duncan was right behind for the chase-down block but was a split-second too late... The light on the backboard flashed red. The ball dropped through the net.
93-92!
The Pacers win it at the buzzer!
3-0.
They were on championship point.
The Pacers were now just one step away from the title.
After hitting the game-winner, Su Xi didn’t celebrate. He just opened his arms and embraced each of his teammates, pulling them all into a tight group hug.
There were no grand declarations, no triumphant shouts. They just held each other.
Every single Pacers player trusted Su Xi unconditionally, just as he trusted every one of them.
They had won victory after victory together, building a friendship that went far beyond being mere colleagues.
All the little moments from the past two seasons flashed through Su Xi’s mind like a slideshow.
’Just one more game.’
"One, two, three!"
"Pacers!"
Su Xi led the cheer, and then they all headed to the locker room together.
...
...
[Author’s Note: This season will wrap up quickly. Then... a new story arc will begin. The protagonist has hit his ceiling with the Pacers—while he still has plenty of personal room to grow, the team itself is already a powerhouse, a title contender even without him. Therefore, I won’t drag out the plot with a Game 7 just for drama. This season is, strictly speaking, a transition. Please get ready for the legend’s tale to truly unfold. Updates will also become more frequent.]
