The second quarter began with UFR in possession. The point guard had the ball for less than three seconds before a figure flashed by, taking the ball away.
The crowd gasped, and Nie Chuan was stunned—it was Sethston! He had moved from his position to the opponent’s point guard in an instant. The game’s pace was immediately driven to a climax by Sethston.
Larvin chased frantically, but Sethston was like a zigzagging beam of light. Every defender seemed like a mirror, unable to stop him and only adding to his speed!
Nie Chuan’s heart felt gripped. Sethston’s reputation as the fastest point guard in the league was well-deserved. At such speed, his jumping height exceeded Nie Chuan’s imagination, soaring over UFR’s center with the momentum of a mounted layup.
But when Larvin leaped from the side to intercept, he reached Sethston’s height, and Nie Chuan was filled with admiration for such jumping ability.
Just as Larvin was about to swat the ball away, Sethston switched it from his right hand to his left, not dunking but reversing it into the basket as he descended. Larvin had no chance to stop him.
The crowd went wild!
Larvin’s reaction and speed were beyond ordinary, yet he couldn’t stop Sethston, leaving Nie Chuan feeling heavy. UFR’s morale took a hit as well.
Ben ran past Sethston, his face scrunched up, “Hey! Do you know you haven’t passed to me since the game started? I’ve been scoring on my own!”
“Then keep up that high-level scoring,” Sethston said indifferently.
“Hmph!” Ben glared at Sethston’s back in anger.
Larvin took a deep breath, organizing a fast break after receiving a pass, facing Sethston’s defense at midcourt.
Sethston’s reactions were swift, mirroring Larvin like a reflection. Larvin dared not pass rashly, knowing Sethston could easily intercept.
UFR’s point guard and shooting guard rushed over, not to pass with Larvin but to disrupt Sethston’s defense. In a flash, Sethston shook off the two opponents with his varied rhythm, continuing to chase Larvin.
Larvin sped up like a burning meteor, breaking through AZU’s small forward Bracey and shooting guard Ben. Nie Chuan couldn’t help but cheer internally: Go, Larvin! Score!
Larvin jumped, with AZU’s center, The Rock, like a black wall beneath the basket, but Larvin leaped into the dawn!
“Watch out!” Nie Chuan shouted.
Sethston was already at Larvin’s side, ready to knock the ball away.
With Larvin’s skills, he could have adjusted for a layup, but in that split second, he twisted his body, blocking Sethston, and forcefully dunked with a contorted posture!
Nie Chuan clenched his fist. The power in that shot was palpable, and the crowd’s gasps echoed as Larvin landed, breathing heavily.
“That was amazing! How did Larvin do it?”
“He didn’t give Sethston any chance to block him!”
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
Sethston looked at Larvin’s heaving back, lowering his gaze, unclear if it was recognition or mockery in his eyes, “Are you sure you can last until the end?”
Larvin shot him a cold glance, suddenly charging forward to face AZU’s small forward Bracey. After a nimble shoulder feint, he pulled back sharply, nearly stealing Bracey’s ball. But Bracey’s quick reaction was unexpected, passing the ball despite losing balance, only for UFR’s point guard to intercept and spark another attack.
Sethston quickly repositioned, blocking UFR’s point guard. The opponent retreated and passed to their shooting guard, but as soon as he shot, Ben Robbins successfully stole the ball.
Nie Chuan was stunned. Everything happened in seconds, the reversal too swift to react.
Ben sprinted with the ball, UFR’s defense the fastest Nie Chuan had seen. But Ben didn’t approach the three-point line, instead jumping for a shot just past midcourt!
Owen Whishaw had performed such long-range shots before, but Ben’s release was faster, the ball’s arc more graceful.
No matter how quick UFR’s defense, they couldn’t stop such a long shot. AZU instantly pulled Larvin’s hard-earned points back to double digits.
The shot also struck Nie Chuan’s nerves. Ben was almost a one-man army in this game, his stealing ability top-notch in the league. Though not as fast as Sethston, his timing was equally impeccable.
Ben’s shooting had a unique charm, basking in the awe-filled gazes of everyone.
Nie Chuan instinctively looked towards Ewin, who was frowning. Ben Robbins and Owen Whishaw were two completely different shooting guards. If Owen was sharp, Ben was like flowing water—silent yet capable of overwhelming when gathered.
Larvin exhaled, his heavy breathing showing his exhaustion. Lasting this long relied on sheer will and endurance.
Nie Chuan grew tense: Don’t give up, Larvin! You’ve come so far!
Larvin didn’t give up, continually leading his team in counterattacks. He single-handedly blocked Ben Robbins’ three-pointers three times. With three minutes left, AZU maintained an eleven-point lead over UFR.
“I’ve never admired anyone, but Larvin’s really showing leadership today,” Carlo said.
Sethston performed another hat trick, passing three players to face Larvin under the basket.
The audience was on edge. Ben rushed to the basket, immediately marked by UFR’s small forward. At such a critical moment, UFR couldn’t afford any mistakes.
Sethston’s dribbling was a puzzle Nie Chuan couldn’t solve. As Sethston cut to Larvin’s right, he brought the ball back to the left, dropping it by Larvin’s left foot. Realizing it was a feint, Larvin quickly regained his balance, but Sethston spun, taking the ball and turning past him!
Nie Chuan craned his neck, seeing Sethston’s dribbling steps clearly for the first time.
Larvin steadied his momentum, turning sharply to chase, but was a step too late. Sethston faced UFR’s power forward and center’s double block, executing a double-clutch layup for another point!
The visual impact was intense, and Nie Chuan felt his eyes might burst.
At that moment, Larvin grabbed the falling ball, turning to charge towards the opponent’s basket. Sethston accelerated to chase, but Larvin seemed unfazed, weaving through two opponents. Just as Sethston was about to catch up, Larvin suddenly stopped, jumping for a shot!
In such a critical situation, Larvin still made a three-pointer, cutting the lead to ten points.
With less than three minutes left, Larvin’s speed didn’t wane, keeping pace with Sethston. Nie Chuan could see the effort and practice Larvin put into defending Sethston. Sethston’s rhythm constantly changed, but Larvin still managed to steal a ball from him. It was a thrilling moment; failure would have let Sethston through!
Larvin, with a do-or-die spirit, launched another fast break. UFR was united like never before, shielding Larvin from Ben Robbins and Bracey. As Larvin dribbled to the basket, he nearly faced a steal from Sethston but spun to avoid him. Unable to jump for a shot, he passed to a teammate, whose jump shot missed. Larvin and AZU’s center, The Rock, fought for the rebound.
The Rock’s jump was powerful, and Nie Chuan feared Larvin might get knocked over!
But Larvin forcefully edged out The Rock, grabbing the rebound and slamming it into the basket.
The score gap shrank to eight points!
Nie Chuan wanted to cheer for Larvin, so cool!
Just then, Reese pressed Nie Chuan’s knee, stopping him from bouncing his leg, leaving him to cheer for Larvin internally.
UFR pressed on, Larvin seemingly aided by divine intervention, stealing from Ben again and launching an attack.
Ben chased in frustration, Sethston closing in on Larvin. Though Larvin seemed unfazed, Nie Chuan knew he was cautious with every step.
Sethston feinted, appearing to stumble, but regained balance in a flash. Nie Chuan seriously doubted if he was even human.
Larvin couldn’t dodge in time, and the ball was taken.
UFR’s point guard and power forward rushed to intercept, but Sethston made a long pass to Ben!
“Not good—” Nie Chuan shouted.
Larvin chased desperately but couldn’t match Ben’s shooting speed.
Once again, Nie Chuan witnessed Ben’s rapid shot, his face no longer childlike but solemn as ice.
The basketball sliced through the air, crossing a long yet brief moment, landing in the basket.
Nie Chuan’s mouth hung open, knowing this shot essentially sealed AZU’s victory.
Larvin’s expression faltered briefly but quickly revived, “Counterattack!”
UFR fought tenaciously, their do-or-die determination inspiring all the spectators.
When the final moment came, Larvin still hadn’t given up, making a zero-second shot that went in.
In the end, UFR lost to AZU by nine points.
As Larvin landed, the gym erupted in thunderous applause.
