Chapter 230: Bleacher Report Crashed
The moment he released the shot, it was as if all the air in the huge arena had been sucked out with that single motion.
Everyone held their breath, eyes locked on the ball's arc.
“Swish!”
The ball traced a perfect curve and dropped clean through the net, the rim sending the net rolling like a wave of white foam.
“Roar!”
Like a drop falling into boiling oil, Golden One Arena exploded into a thunderous cheer.
Durant stood beyond the 45-degree mark, watching the rim with a relieved smile. He stayed rooted there as his ecstatic teammates rushed over, yanking at his jersey and shouting in his ear, finally piling on top of him in layers.
James walked toward the players’ tunnel with a blank expression. Having been through the league’s ups and downs, he understood what this meant. This wasn’t just being up 2–0. Durant’s buzzer-beater had crushed the Cavaliers’ morale. This wasn’t last year’s Cavaliers team roaring for a title. Their spirit had been held up only by a fragile will to defend, and Durant’s shot had basically erased whatever resistance remained.
“I already have a ring. If the opponent’s this strong… maybe we should just let it go.”
That was the honest thought floating in many Cavaliers’ minds.
...
In the Cavaliers’ locker room, Coach Lue stared at the puzzle on the table, silent for a long time. It was a team ritual: after making the playoffs, they placed a puzzle of the O’Brien Trophy on the table before every game. The puzzle had 16 pieces—representing the 16 wins needed for the title—and after each victory they set one piece in place.
Right now only the four central pieces were missing. Looking at that empty square in the middle, Coach Lue shook his head with a bitter smile. How can we possibly finish it? No way.
This game had been a marquee showdown—virtually every basketball fan in the world who could watch, did. When Butler was hit with a technical, almost everyone thought the Cavaliers would pull one back. But the Kings showed enormous toughness, and Durant’s final shot made it feel like something a movie wouldn’t dare script.
...
“Boss! Boss!”
Inside a building overseas, an employee burst into an office, breathless.
“We can’t handle it! We really can’t—traffic is several times our previous peak! The servers just crashed!”
“What?!”
Over the past three years, thanks to Chen Yilun’s tireless efforts, the Kings’ fanbase in his home country had exploded. His growing popularity and countless promotional events had built a massive following.
When Durant hit that game-winner, fans completely lost it.
“Ref, keep blowing the whistle! Who do you think you are messing with our Kings?”
“I declare this Kings team unbeatable this year—bring anyone and it’s the same result!”
Fans swarmed the biggest basketball forum in the country, Bleacher Report, venting without restraint. One person venting is fine; but when everyone does it at once, that’s another story. The servers lasted barely half an hour before crashing—anyone who tried to open the site saw only a blank page.
Soon, headlines flooded social media’s trending searches:
“Durant’s Game-Winner Over James”
“Bleacher Report Crashed”
“Kings Lead 2–0”
“Insane.”
Back in the studio, although the game was over, Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy still wore looks of lingering awe, not quite recovered from that last shot.
“This is exactly what we’ve been saying—a championship-caliber squad. Even in dire moments someone steps up and seals it. Incredible. I don’t see any weaknesses in this Kings team,” Mike Breen murmured, savoring the moment.
Seeing Mike Breen about to launch into another round of praise, Jeff Van Gundy—professional as ever—shifted the topic.
“Mike Breen, what do you think about the rest of the series? The Kings lead 2–0 now, but last year the Cavaliers came back from 3–1 down…”
“That’s different.” Before Jeff could finish, Mike Breen shook his head. “This year’s Cavaliers are a different team from last year’s.” He picked up a data sheet and continued.
“Last year’s Warriors got 73 wins largely because the league couldn’t handle their offense—we called it a technical barrier. The Cavaliers beat the Warriors partly due to unity, and partly because in the West Finals the Kings had already broken the Warriors’ tactics—only to be overpowered by the Warriors’ sheer strength. But the current Kings’ tactics are still within the era’s frameworks; nothing revolutionary. They’ve gotten this far on absolute strength. That gap isn’t closed in one or two games.”
Listening to Mike Breen’s analysis, Jeff Van Gundy asked, “So you’re saying—?”
“I think…” Mike Breen paused to consider, then said, “…the Sacramento team should be able to close this out in four or five games!”
...
“Two more games!”
In the Kings’ locker room, Malone sat towering before everyone. The tactical board had been wrecked during the game, so Malone held a water jug and shouted his orders.
“Don’t give them any chances! Don’t think about anything else. I have one demand for you—go to Cleveland and finish them off! Let’s get that damn championship!”
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