Logo Shot

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When Barkley questioned the tactics of Liam Gonzalez, the Warriors launched their offense.

After Curry reached the corner, he immediately turned and entered the paint. Richardson, who was guarding him, naturally followed. Once Curry entered the paint, he had no chance. The top of the key. Richardson continued to follow him.

At the free-throw line, Varejao and Chandler stood in the corner, one on the left and the other on the right. As Curry ran across the free-throw line, everyone stepped toward the center, as if the elevator doors were closing. Richardson was firmly behind him, while Stoudemire and Channing Frye, who were in front of the two men, still followed them unaware, not realizing they had to switch defense.

Curry seized the opportunity and reached the top of the arc, with no one defending him. He had an open look. Lowry quickly passed the ball at a 45-degree angle, and Curry caught it and shot. Richardson tried to break through the screen to save him, but it was already too late. He could only watch as the ball traced a beautiful arc and swished through the net.

64:67, the score difference was only 3 points. This was the power of the three-pointer. Against super shooters, a lead that seemed unbreakable moments ago was as fragile as paper. In this round of the series, no lead over 20 points could be considered safe.

"This is the Warriors' 'elevator door' tactic. They've used it many times before, but they've used it less frequently in the second half of the season. The Suns clearly had no defense against this tactic, which allowed Curry to score so easily. That open three-pointer," said Mike Breen.

Jeff Van Gundy smiled and said:

"Charles, do you still think it's a waste to let Curry play off the ball?"

Barkley shrugged:

"Okay, he hit a three-pointer, but I still think it's a waste. Moving without the ball is a role that players must fulfill. Curry is the point guard of the Warriors. He should play pick-and-roll..."

"Charles! Say that again? What do you mean by running off the ball and the role players should play?" Before Barkley could finish, Mike Breen shot him a stern look.

"Oh, sorry, Mike, please let me explain, I didn't mean it like that…"

As the trio joked, the Suns had already completed an offensive play. It was still the pick-and-roll between Nash and Stoudemire in the middle. The other three spread out beyond the three-point line, but Varejao was not Anthony Tolliver. He took a step back to help defend and returned just in time to interfere with Channing Frye's shot after he received a pass. The rebound was grabbed by Chandler.

Chandler immediately passed the ball to Curry, and the Warriors launched a fast break without hesitation, but the Suns quickly retreated, not losing position.

This was a scenario that had appeared frequently in the first half. Both teams were good at fast breaks and also excellent at defending them. They wouldn't easily give the opponent an opportunity to break into the open.

But this time, Curry didn't slow down. Instead, he advanced to the top of the arc, two steps behind the three-point line. He adjusted his steps slightly, raised his hand, and launched a three-pointer, completely ignoring Richardson in front of him.

His shot was released without warning and was so fast that Richardson didn't have time to react, but he didn't pay much attention. He simply raised his hand and turned to watch the basket.

How could a three-pointer from such a long distance, with no rhythm, possibly go in?

Swish!Richardson's expression froze. The orange ball spun quickly and dropped directly into the basket right in front of his eyes. No, it didn't even touch the rim, except for the slight tremor of the net, and to the many spectators sitting far away, they might not have known whether it was a swish or a miss, thanks to the sound of the net scraping from the microphone.

With 67:67, the score was instantly tied.

"Curry's shot... a super long three-pointer! This is his fourth three-pointer of the game and his first ultra-long one!" said Mike Breen.

"Wow, has Curry woken up? This is how he should play. His shots in the first half were very reasonable. I thought he was going to be a good guy," laughed Jeff Van Gundy.

Since Curry was selected as an All-Star, Barkley had changed his previous negative attitude toward the Warriors and often expressed his admiration for Liam Gonzalez and Curry on programs and during games.

On the sideline, Gentry squinted and stood up. He looked at the score difference between the two teams on the big screen, a trace of hesitation on his face.

Curry had scored two consecutive three-pointers to tie the score. He wanted to call a timeout to interrupt Curry's momentum, but when he glanced at the clock and saw that only 1 minute and 12 seconds had passed in the third quarter, he wondered, if he called a timeout now, when the critical moment arrives, how could he still call one?

Gentry hesitated for a moment and then sat down.

If the current momentum continued, it was likely that the score would remain close. By then, he might have to call a timeout on every possession.

Just as Gentry hesitated, the Suns finally completed an offensive play. After Nash and Stoudemire ran the pick-and-roll, Nash hurried into the paint but found his teammates had no good opportunities. He turned around and stepped back out, shaking off Curry. After breaking Curry's defense, he managed a mid-range jumper.

At 67:69, the Suns regained the lead. Nash's shot helped stabilize the situation and completely made Gentry abandon the idea of calling a timeout.

Gentry smiled slightly and looked at Liam Gonzalez across the technical area. Liam was pacing back and forth on the sideline, shouting at the court occasionally, dancing and moving, a sharp contrast to the composed Gentry.

Youngsters just can't keep calm, but it's understandable—since Nash is essentially like a coach on the court.

After the Suns scored, the Warriors didn't waste any time and quickly inbounded the ball, trying to beat the Suns but retreating.

This time, Richardson learned his lesson and followed Curry every step of the way, giving him no room to make a three-pointer. The super long three-pointer had left him deeply psychologically scarred.

Curry reached the attacking area and realized there was no good opportunity. He slowed down and stopped outside the three-point line at a 45-degree angle to the left. He turned, passed the ball to Lowry, and pointed his right hand at Butler.

Richardson instinctively followed Curry's right hand, but the moment his attention shifted, Curry exerted force with his feet and sprinted toward the left corner. Richardson quickly followed but was half a step behind Curry.

As Curry ran off the ball, Lowry threw the ball with force. Curry caught it and immediately shot as Richardson reflexively jumped to block the shot. But Curry just faked him out, bringing the ball back down and even had time to caress it, adjusting the rhythm as he waited for Richardson to move aside before calmly shooting the three-pointer.

As soon as the ball left his hand, Curry turned, grinned, and raised his arms toward the crowd with a confident smile on his face.

The fans watched in awe at Curry's flair, observing the ball spinning rapidly in the air behind him and seeing it fall directly into the net.

"Good shot!"

"Good job, Stephen, you're the best!"

"Yes~~~"

The audience in front of Curry fell silent for a moment. Only a few fans wearing Warriors jerseys stood up, clapped loudly, and cheered, their faces flushed with excitement.

When Curry knew the ball had gone in, he patted his chest, pointed his finger to the sky in thanks to God, and returned to his own side of the court.

At 70:69, the Warriors regained the lead.

Gentry could no longer stay calm in his seat. He suddenly stood up, anxiously pacing back and forth on the sideline, unsure whether to call a timeout.

Should I not call a timeout? Curry is gaining momentum. Will he hit more three-pointers?

Should I call one now? It's only been 2 minutes into the third quarter. Is it too early?

Just as Gentry was contemplating, Richardson missed a three-pointer after receiving a pass. The Warriors countered, and the Suns retreated confused. The two met Curry, and Curry passed the ball to Shun in time. The latter rushed into the paint and made an easy two-handed dunk.

72:69.

Looking back, the Suns quickly inbounded the ball, also trying to catch the Warriors off guard. Nash found Channing Frye open in the chaos and delivered the ball with precision to his hands. Frye didn't hesitate and shot directly. Three points.

Boom!

The basketball hit the edge of the rim and bounced long. It was collected by Hill, who had followed from the defensive zone and ran to it, launching a shot without stopping before Butler could get to his spot. A quick three-pointer.

Boom!

This ball was also a miss, and the rebound was grabbed by Chandler under the basket. Hill clapped angrily, but didn't dare to linger and immediately retreated to his own half of the defense.

"The Suns continue their bad shooting from the first half, missing two open three-pointers in a row. They gave the Warriors the chance to open the lead!" said Jeff Van Gundy.

Before he finished speaking, the five Warriors were already charging into the attacking zone like a tide. Richardson followed Curry closely, but Chandler didn't move forward through the middle. Instead, he frantically passed the ball close to the midline.

Richardson was blocked by Chandler's wide body. Curry dribbled the ball with his off-hand and passed Chandler toward the right. He suddenly stopped, leaned forward slightly, and stepped on the Suns' logo.

Richardson, who was struggling to pass Chandler, stopped and nervously watched the basketball flying through the air. The players on the court had forgotten to run and compete for position with the opponents around them. All the fans in the arena had forgotten what they were doing and anxiously watched the flying basketball.

The basketball that touched the hearts of thousands of people traced a high and elegant arc in the air, flew the longest distance it had in this game, and finally reached the top of the basket, falling into the net.

At 75:69, the Warriors had gone from 6 points behind to leading by 6 points in just 3 minutes!

The entire arena fell silent, with only a few Warriors fans clapping and shouting, which was so obvious that it seemed as if the arena had been muted.

"Warriors—Warriors!"

"Logo shot!!! Curry just made his fourth consecutive three-pointer. He completely destroyed the Suns' defense in just 3 minutes!!" shouted Jeff Van Gundy.

"It's incredible. Curry hit a super long three-pointer right in front of me, a logo three-pointer!" exclaimed Mike Breen.

Barkley laughed heartily:

"Guys, enjoy this magnificent performance. I take back what I said earlier. Curry's jersey is no worse than mine back then. Those who want to buy Curry's jersey should start early. After this game, you won't be able to get one even if you want!"

"Beep—"

Gentry finally stopped hesitating. He was the first to recover from Curry's shot and found the referee to call a timeout.

He understood that if he didn't call a timeout, there wouldn't be a critical moment in this game.

After the referee gestured for a timeout, the Warriors' bench erupted in celebration, surrounding Curry in the middle, pushing him, patting him on the head, patting his backside... They celebrated this stunning logo shot in every way possible. And the poor Curry was repeatedly smothered by the enthusiasm of everyone.

Liam approached Curry at the edge of the crowd, and Curry broke away from the group. Liam gave him a hug and smiled happily, despite his elegant suit being soaked in sweat.

"Stephen, well done, just shoot like that. Remember, you're the best shooter, no exception!"

Curry nodded:

"Coach, I'll never doubt it, and I'll prove it to everyone!"

He remembered when he went to Butler University for a tryout, and Liam told him he would definitely become a super shooter. At that moment, Curry just took that as encouragement and recognition from Liam toward him.

But after going through many challenges, winning the NCAA championship, entering the NBA, becoming an All-Star starter, reaching the playoffs, and hitting a half-court three-pointer against the Suns, Curry realized that Liam's words were as accurate as a prophecy—he had become a player who could make those types of shots on any court.

And this is just the beginning. Since Liam Gonzalez said he is the best shooter, then he is the best shooter. He will use facts to prove to everyone that those who underestimated him were wrong and Liam Gonzalez was right.

…

After the timeout, both teams returned to the court. The Suns no longer played fast blindly, but instead stabilized their pace, slowing down and focusing on shooting efficiency, trying to stabilize the situation first.

But the Warriors, energized by Curry's four consecutive three-pointers, were full of enthusiasm on the defensive end, rotating well, and although they reduced their defense, they didn't give the Suns any open opportunities.

The ball passed through the Suns players' hands, but no good shot was available. Finally, Nash saw the 24-second shot clock winding down, so he had to hurriedly take a three-pointer.

Boom!

This time the shot missed under Curry's tight defense. We couldn't do much about it. A powerful shot was never Nash's strength. His high efficiency was based on very reasonable and cautious shot selection.

The rebound was secured by Varejao, and the Warriors quickly pressed for a fast break, but the Suns retreated in time, not leaving any space. The Warriors' offense was forced into a positional battle.

Curry gestured to Chandler to move closer as Gentry on the bench exhaled a sigh of relief. As long as the Warriors returned to their known pick-and-roll offense, he would feel confident.

Nash was blocked by Chandler as usual, but Curry didn't take the opportunity to pass, instead retreating to the three-point line.

At the same time, Chandler moved his feet, intentionally or not blocking Nash and forcing him to the basket. Seeing this, Gentry shouted from the sideline, "Amar'e, protect him. Go. Stay outside and don't give him a chance to shoot a three!"

In fact, there was no need for him to say anything. Stoudemire followed Nash as Chandler blocked him, stepping out to the three-point line, raising his arms, and not giving Curry any space to shoot a three-pointer.

During the earlier timeout, Gentry had emphasized in every way possible that Curry should not be given an opportunity to shoot a three-pointer, but in his anxiety, he had forgotten.

Chandler took Nash with him, leaving a big space at the top of the arc for Curry, and Stoudemire gestured for his teammates to step away.

"Curry is going to isolate Stoudemire! The power of his small attack and great unbalanced offense has been fully demonstrated in the 10-game winning streak at the end of the season. Now let's see if Stoudemire can limit Curry!" said Reggie Miller.

The facts proved that Stoudemire was also powerless against Curry's small attack.

In front of the small powerhouse, Curry didn't make any extra moves. He first changed direction in front of Stoudemire, forcing him to take a step back to avoid Curry's advance.

Then Curry faked with his left shoulder, trying to move past Stoudemire's right side, which made Stoudemire turn slightly. Curry then picked up the ball, raised his hand, and shot a three-pointer.

Stoudemire's attention was always on Curry. When he saw this, he immediately extended his hand to block the shot, but the ball flew with full force and only hit Curry's wrist.

"Bip-Swish!"

The referee raised his left hand high and blew the whistle, followed immediately by the sharp sound of the basketball going through the net.

The shot was good, and there was an additional free throw! It's a 3+1!

Stoudemire knocked Curry to the floor, but his eyes didn't move. He kept watching the basketball until it went in. Then he jumped up, stretched out his hands, and mimicked an airplane in flight, celebrating in a small circle with a passionate chest bump from Butler, who was running toward him, and then he stood at the free-throw line.

Under the interference of the fans behind the basket, Curry adjusted his breathing, shot the ball, and made a solid free throw to complete the 3+1 play.

Liam Gonzalez clapped on the sideline and looked at the big screen. The score was 79:69. With only 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the Warriors had already gained a 10-point lead.

The next part of the game was a bit lackluster. The Suns tried their best to launch a fast break, but Curry's touch was completely off, and he missed. However, he scored another 6 points in the remaining third quarter and attracted a lot of defensive attention from the Suns, which helped the Warriors' overall offense.

Liam Gonzalez also substituted in the shooter at the right moment, further expanding the Warriors' offensive space, allowing Curry's offensive threat to be fully utilized, and the point difference grew. By the end of the third quarter, the Warriors had a 16-point lead.

In the final quarter, Gentry tried. Under his instructions, the Suns accelerated the pace of the game. On the offensive side, whoever had the chance would shoot three-pointers. However, the Suns players didn't feel great in this game, and their three-point shooting percentage wasn't high. On the other hand, the Warriors' fast break defense was vigorous before the middle of the final quarter. Through it, the point difference expanded to more than 20 points.

Had this been the regular season, the Suns would have definitely conceded. But these are the playoffs, and every game is crucial. The Suns still fought for 3 minutes after falling behind by 20 points, but they couldn't reduce the point difference. Gentry simply substituted the starters and admitted defeat.

Liam Gonzalez also took the opportunity to be substituted in, and the game completely entered garbage time.

End of this chapter

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