One Year Left to Play

But with Lynch Hunt holding the ball at the arc top, it’s impossible to double-team him; he’s the least likely target for a double team in the Pistons. Even Kenny Anderson can cause some trouble on single defense, given his speed.

The rules prevent off-ball double-teaming on Joe Dumars...

In such moments, those with strong individual abilities are simply unstoppable!

For those two plays, Joe Dumars didn’t even adjust; he shot right over Kenny Anderson’s defense purely relying on his individual skill. He knew that as soon as he dribbled after receiving the ball, Doug Christie would let go of Lynch Hunt to come double-team him.

In critical moments, Joe Dumars displayed the prowess that once earned him the Finals MVP!

Back on the bench, Zhang Hao felt a bit dizzy, his head swelling, but all other negative feelings were gone!

"Slaying (Gold) triggered, player Zhang Hao enters the last offensive play of the game, body condition temporarily restored to pre-game state, entering hot-hand state."

All eyes on this last offense!

If it drags into overtime, then use the injury card; it’s not like he can’t draw it again in the future. He didn’t use it earlier because he was sure of a win.

But the game changes so rapidly. Compared to the injury card that can be acquired again, it’s more crucial to win the game and get the "Strongest First Step" medal.

Del Harris first made a personnel substitution: Kenny Anderson, James Robinson, Byron Scott, Zhang Hao, and O’Neal took the court.

One star and four shooters!

There’s no suspense about who would take the shot. Although Del Harris wasn’t willing to admit he was worried about Zhang Hao, he was equally frustrated by Joe Dumars hitting two consecutive threes, much like how Popovich would feel seeing Tracy McGrady score 13 points in 35 seconds in the future.

Yet, in those final moments, when he was setting up plays, he still called out Zhang Hao’s name.

...

With 3.3 seconds left, Zhang Hao wiped the sweat away and returned to the court.

The crowd’s boos erupted!

This game felt like a rollercoaster for the fans, their hearts almost bursting from the thrill.

Finally, the score was tied again,

It seemed everyone anticipated Del Harris’s arrangement, confident that the Lakers’ final shot would be taken by Zhang Hao.

Last season, Zhang Hao had six game-winning shots!

After the timeout ended, amid the chorus of boos, Zhang Hao began his run.

The Pistons, despite being sure that the Lakers planned for Zhang Hao to take the last shot, dared not leave James Robinson or Byron Scott open!

O’Neal stood like a pillar at the basket, also left unchecked!

The referee’s whistle blew to continue play, Kenny Anderson inbounded the ball from the sideline, and Zhang Hao had already slipped to the baseline and emerged, receiving Anderson’s timely pass.

Zhang Hao caught the inbounds pass near the baseline, then made a horizontal move upwards, evading Grant Hill, and faced a double-team from Ratliff and Jerome Williams, who anticipated his direction.

Jerome Williams and Ratliff raised their arms, ready to jump and interfere with Zhang Hao’s chance for an alley-oop. If Zhang Hao made a ground pass, he could have passed it inside within the remaining two seconds, but the alley-oop path was blocked, and a ground pass would not allow O’Neal to react in time...

However, Zhang Hao didn’t think about all that, with his mind muddled, he maneuvered around Grant Hill and directly jumped in face of Jerome Williams and Ratliff’s defense!

Jerome Williams and Ratliff jumped immediately too, but neither jumped higher than Zhang Hao!

It hardly seemed like Zhang Hao had played nearly 40 minutes!

Future shot-blocking king Ratliff extended his long arms over Zhang Hao’s shooting line, but having jumped a beat late, he began descending while Zhang Hao hung in the air!

As Ratliff fell, Zhang Hao released the shot and followed him down.

The time difference was only 0.2 seconds, but Zhang Hao focused solely on shooting, concentrating on how to release the ball, seizing the opportunity!

As the ball left Zhang Hao’s hand, it was still ascending when the final buzzer sounded!

With the long whistle marking the end of regulation, the ball ascended to its peak and fell in about a second, but at that moment, the stadium fell silent, only to erupt into groans as the ball crashed into the basket...

It’s in!

This time, Zhang Hao didn’t miss, not letting the game go into overtime!

The Lakers players all rushed excitedly towards Zhang Hao, with even the players on the bench charging over.

The Pistons players, hearing the fans’ sighs, looked at the ecstatic Lakers, let out a helpless sigh.

They fought the whole game, from nearly hopeless to leading, then facing Remy Martin’s twin towers’ unstoppable control for over a minute, to the hope brought by two crucial threes pushing into overtime...

Grant Hill, the foundation of the Pistons’ strength, scored 21 points, 11 rebounds, 15 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block tonight; Joe Dumars, the clutch player, consistently performed, scoring 36 points, his season-high tonight.

Yet, in face of Zhang Hao’s 50 points in a game, 23 points in the last quarter, and final game-winning shot, they all paled in comparison!

Looking at that insanely gifted and powerful sophomore gentleman... huh? What happened to him?

Having made the game-winner, Zhang Hao was naturally the focus of everyone’s eyes, with his Lakers teammates rushing towards him... but Kenny Anderson, who reached him first, was shoved aside.

Zhang Hao held his head, heading towards the player tunnel, with no severe injury indicated by the system’s injury prompt, it was likely the negative effects of strenuous exercise post-concussion, a headache driving him to want nothing more than sleep.

At this point, the Lakers’ medical team arrived, arranging a stretcher ready at Gary Vitti’s insistence to avoid the worst-case scenario.

Seeing Zhang Hao clutching his head, heading towards the tunnel, Del Harris directly intervened, calling over Ben Wallace, forcibly laying Zhang Hao on the stretcher, carrying him away...

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