Y13 [EN]: Chapter 274

00274 2011-2012 Semi-Conference Final

There were some questionable calls, but Oklahoma City managed to wind down the clock and set up their final play. Westbrook dribbled the ball until about eight seconds remained on the shot clock before driving to the basket. When that lane closed, he passed it to Harden on the wing. Harden, being fresher, had a more reliable jump shot.

[James Harden drives!]

Harden caught the ball and immediately used Ibaka’s screen to get into the low post. Tyson Chandler, with Marion and Youngjae flanking him, converged to stop Harden, but he acted as if they were no obstacle. He subtly faked a shot, lowering the ball before lunging forward.

Thwack!

[Head-on collision! No foul called!]

Chandler jumped and reached out, but even in that precarious situation, Harden kept his eye on the rim and lofted the ball high with his right hand.

Thud- thud-

Swish!

[BAAAANG!!]

[They refuse to let the game end like this! James Harden answers back! A game-tying floater with just four seconds left!!!]

Fortunately, they had been leading by two points, so it only tied the game. Oklahoma City’s starters had been playing almost the entire game and were feeling the effects of fatigue. That’s why Westbrook passed the ball to Harden sooner than expected at the end. However, Dallas, too, had played their starters more than usual, and Game 7 was a significant burden on the key veterans.

“This is the final possession. With four seconds left, shooting immediately after receiving the ball could give them a chance for a lucky bounce. Fortunately, they don’t have a timeout left, so don’t feel pressured to use all the time. If you get a good look as soon as you receive the ball, don’t hesitate.”

Coach Carlisle meticulously adjusted the positioning and movement for the final set play.

“Kidd, you’ll be the inbound passer. You’re perfect for this role because you’re good at judging distance and power. Be careful of the five-second violation, and if our play breaks down, pass according to your own judgment. That’s why I’m putting you in as the passer.”

Kidd nodded.

“Yoon, you’re the key to this play. You need to handle the pressure of this moment. The key is for you to receive Kidd’s pass and drive to the basket. Whether you shoot or pass is your decision. But you must never stop your dribble or lose the ball. It will be a lot of pressure, but I believe you can do it.”

Youngjae, feeling Carlisle’s trust, nodded with a determined expression and assured him he wouldn’t worry.

“Chandler and Nowitzki will set screens at the top of the key. Yoon will start on the left wing, Chandler at the top, and Nowitzki slightly to the right behind him. Yoon will break through between them. Don’t allow any room for an illegal screen foul. If you have to move out of the way, let it go. Illegal screen fouls are rare in clutch time, but if it’s too obvious, it could be called.”

Chandler and Nowitzki studied their positions and movements on the whiteboard and nodded. Then, Coach Carlisle turned his gaze back to Youngjae one last time.

“Yoon, use those screens to shake off your defender as much as possible. Then, drive to the basket on a curved path. Barea will be waiting on the weak side [the side of the court opposite the ball]. In other words, if you break through the screen properly, there will be no one in the paint [the area close to the basket]. A floater in the paint after receiving the screen and driving is the most reliable weapon in your arsenal. But Barea’s defender might abandon him and stick to you. That’s when I’ll leave it up to your judgment. You know what I mean. We’ve run several clutch set plays this season, so I trust you’ll do well. Just because it’s the final game of the playoffs doesn’t make it any different.”

After Coach Carlisle’s final instructions, the players went out onto the court. They exchanged brief words and began to move into their respective formations. Kidd stood as the inbound passer, and the other four were clustered between the free-throw line and the three-point line.

Beeep!

Nowitzki moved first, Barea moved in the opposite direction, and Chandler firmly established his position. As soon as the setup was complete, Youngjae began to move.

Swish-

[Youngjae Yoon! Russell Westbrook is following him!]

[As expected, they’re entrusting the final play to Youngjae Yoon!! Although Nowitzki is the best clutch shooter, a swingman [a versatile player who can play multiple positions] with speed is better at shaking off his matchup.]

Westbrook followed quickly, but Youngjae weaved through the screens, creating some separation. He didn’t completely shake him off, but he was far enough ahead that Westbrook couldn’t block him.

[Ah, it’s not perfect, but it looks like Dallas’s plan is working out.]

With Westbrook getting through, Harden had to make a decision. It was a gamble for Westbrook to keep following, but if Harden went to block, Barea would be left open. He quickly changed his mind and turned towards Youngjae.

[Youngjae Yoon’s lightning-fast drive! James Harden is rushing to stop him! Youngjae Yoon’s basket shot has a high success rate, and Westbrook couldn’t block him head-on.]

It would have been ideal for Oklahoma City if Westbrook had blocked Youngjae, but since that failed, Harden had no choice but to try and block. Considering Barea’s unreliable jumper, it was better to gamble on that side. Moreover, Youngjae was driving near the baseline without fully controlling his speed, so his attack route was predictable.

[Youngjae Yoon is riding the baseline dangerously close!!! He’s almost at the goal!!]

[Youngjae Yoon, a direct layup or dunk is difficult. Is he going to attempt a floater??!!]

Swish-

When Youngjae saw Harden coming to block him faster than expected, he abandoned his plan to attempt a floater and twisted his body slightly towards the baseline before throwing a strong bounce pass. Harden reached out to block Youngjae’s shot, but it wasn’t enough to intercept the pass, which was thrown slightly outside the line.

※ It’s not out if your foot doesn’t cross the line. In other words, it describes a scene where he jumped from inside the line to the outside, bounced the pass inside the line, and then stepped outside the line.

[A pass from Youngjae Yoon to Barea!! Barea receives the pass without rushing and rises for the shot!!]

[He rises!!!]

Barea didn’t have much clutch experience, but he was a veteran. He wasn’t intimidated by the pressure. There was still plenty of time, and he took a moment before shooting.

‘In the end, if I succeed, I’m a hero, and if I fail, I’m a traitor. Getting stressed only increases the chances of failure. There’s plenty of time to receive the ball and take my time.’

Swish!

Wooaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!

[BAAAAAANG!!! BAAANG!!!! BIG, HUGE BIG SHOT!!!!!]

Mike Breen, the commentator, lost his mind at Youngjae’s fantastic play and pass and screamed. Reggie Miller was also shouting something, but his voice was drowned out by the thunderous cheers of the 20,000 spectators at the American Airlines Center.

In the end, the clock hit zero the moment Barea’s final shot went through the net. The referee signaled the end of the game, and the Oklahoma City Thunder players slumped to the ground, their tension released. They were defeated by the same team again this year, just like last year. They thought they could overcome it this season.

On the other hand, the Dallas players were hugging each other and celebrating. It was a complete party atmosphere because it was their home court. Everyone on the bench and the coaching staff came out onto the court, throwing drinks and towels, hugging each other, bumping into each other, and making a mess.

[It’s over! A memorable game that will be remembered for a long time has finally come to an end! The score is 118 to 116! The home team, Dallas Mavericks, miraculously takes a 4-3 victory!]

[I think this is the best playoff game of the season. In the end, the Oklahoma City Thunder fail to overcome the Dallas Mavericks for the second year in a row. But these players are still young, mainly in their early to mid-20s. On the other hand, the Dallas Mavericks show good offensive and defensive harmony and a good combination of veterans and young players, succeeding in advancing to the Conference Finals.]

Youngjae finally began to realize that this desperate fight was over amid the tremendous applause and cheers. In a fight where he poured everything out to the point where he had no energy left, Youngjae and Dallas won, and Oklahoma City eventually lost. The sense of deprivation of losing in a fight that went back and forth until the end was beyond imagination, and the pleasure of winning such a fight was also beyond imagination.

“Hoo…”

Youngjae unknowingly let out a sigh of relief. In the end, they won. It was a sigh of relief that the fear and dread of the Oklahoma City Thunder team was over, rather than the fact that they had won. But there are still two more big challenges ahead.

“Wow~ Nice place you got here?”

The people who came in making a noisy sound were none other than D.J. Gay, the captain who led the golden generation of the San Diego Aztecs, Kelvin Davis, Malcolm Thomas, and Brian Carwell, who graduated this time and is preparing for a new life as a physical trainer, Alex Williams and Chase Tapley, who are the only juniors remaining from the Aztecs’ golden age, came in all at once.

“Welcome. Did you all take off your shoes before coming in? And did you wash your feet clean?”

Youngjae came out to the entrance and greeted the players. The players seemed to have followed Youngjae’s strict instructions well, neatly wearing socks and spraying perfume on their feet as Davis handed it to them.

“Of course. Whose house do you think this is?”

Watching his college classmates joking around and making a fuss, Youngjae wondered if he should tell them to go back now, but Emily had said she wanted to meet them, so he just hoped that these noisy people wouldn’t act inappropriately in front of Emily.

“You brought plenty of gifts, right? Everyone?”

“You’re already asking for gifts from your guests as soon as they arrive…”

“It suddenly reminds me of the wedding money and gifts I sent because of someone who got married even during the season?”

D.J. Gay, feeling a little guilty at Youngjae’s words, laughed heartily, handed Youngjae a bundle in both hands, and quickly went inside.

Seeing the table set with a feast of food and Emily standing in front of the table with a smiling face, the players unknowingly let out exclamations of “Ooh-“.

“Hello?”

“Oh… You’re really as beautiful as I’ve heard. Haha! Nice to meet you, I’m D.J. Gay, who went to the same university as Yoon.”

The rest of the players also briefly introduced themselves and sat down. Emily placed side dishes, forks, knives, and spoons in front of the players with a pleasant smile, and Youngjae also went to help Emily with her work.

“Ahem, ahem!”

At Youngjae’s prompting, the players also went “Ah, ah!” and slowly got up to find something to do, and the meal preparation was quickly finished. Before eating, Youngjae praised Emily for making all this food ‘herself’, and the players ate the food and exclaimed, asking if it was true.

“Wow!! The reason why Yoon is good at cooking is because he learned it from Emily?!!”

It was a case where Youngjae’s skills had improved by learning from Emily, but before Emily could say anything, Youngjae answered ‘Of course!’, so Emily could only smile with an embarrassed expression.

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

★ Thank you to those who gave me advance reservations, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!

★ Thank you to Baekje Warrior and ㅎ난ㅎ for the sponsored coupons ^^.

@The motif for this scene is the recent game-winning shot by DeRozan-Joseph of Toronto. DeRozan was about to finish, but the defender in front of him fell and passed it to him. It must have been November 28th or 29th.

미얄마님, Han512님, 사라질영혼님, 파이넨시아님, -DarkANGEL-님, 오마리온님/// Thank you always for your comments^^ It’s a week with the end of the year and the New Year, so I hope you have a good start to the week…

흑월화야님/// Haha, my wish is to leisurely read a novel with a cup of coffee or tea on the weekend, but I don’t know if it will be possible next year ㅠ.ㅠ. I’m glad if you enjoyed it. Youngjae’s clutch pass!!

스톰divider님, anguqwhdk님/// Ah… I was writing while watching the Chicago vs. Dallas broadcast, so I wrote it wrong. I’m sorry.

ㅎ0ㅎ님/// Eaten and clutch again!!

Lazze님/// Revenge for Terry!!