SOD | Chapter 96

Nie Chuan swiftly caught the ball and sprinted forward.

Jonathan, Cook, and Manning all gave chase.

But Nie Chuan was like a comet, while the ones behind him were nothing more than the dust kicked up in his wake.

Suddenly, he came to a sharp stop and launched a lightning-quick pass across the midcourt line—sending chills down UJT’s spine.

Because the one he passed to wasn’t Carlo.

It was Ewin.

UJT’s point guard was glued to Ewin, and Carlo had already rushed over to help. But Ewin’s expression remained icy cold.

With a swift behind-the-back dribble, he smoothly transitioned into a same-side dribble, then faked with his shoulder and explosively changed direction, breaking past the defender. Carlo arrived just in time, blocking off the point guard who had tried to recover.

Ewin stood beyond the three-point line.

He rose up—completely unfazed— and drained another three.

Nie Chuan exhaled deeply. A minute and a half left on the clock, and they were leading UJT by seven points!

“Reese got injured, but it’s made DK more united than ever!” Robert exclaimed.

“That’s because they have Nie Chuan,” Engel commented. “Without a two-way point guard like him, DK wouldn’t be able to play this sharp and fluidly.”

As Nie Chuan took control of the offense, DK’s fans began clapping in perfect rhythm.

He faced a double-team—Jonathan and Manning.

These two were already formidable players on their own. No matter which way Nie Chuan tried to cut, there was no opening.

“Nie Chuan—pass it!” Carlo sprinted toward him.

Nie Chuan feigned a pass toward Carlo, baiting Jonathan into shifting his position.

And in that precise instant, Nie Chuan pulled the ball back and burst toward Manning’s right side.

Manning’s knee twitched as he adjusted—but Nie Chuan immediately shifted his center of gravity back, sliding cleanly through the gap between Jonathan and Manning.

His control over timing was flawless.

“Oh!” Robert clapped his hands. “Good kid!”

Nie Chuan charged into the paint and jumped straight up.

Cook came flying in to block him.

Having already witnessed Nie Chuan’s fadeaway jumper, Cook jumped with everything he had—his towering frame completely overshadowing Nie Chuan.

A lesser player would have crumbled under that pressure.

But Nie Chuan?

He calmly pulled the ball back, never even reaching his peak jump height. Because he had never intended to shoot.

Instead, he pushed the ball outward.

Heishan caught it.

Jonathan and Manning rushed over, but it was already too late.

Heishan exploded upward and slammed the ball through the hoop—

BOOM!

The dunk shook the entire arena.

Nie Chuan exhaled sharply. Nine-point lead.

One minute left.

No letting up. No mercy.

Nie Chuan’s eyes flickered toward the bench. Reese was watching him, calm and steady.

And for the first time—Nie Chuan felt like Reese was the one chasing after him.

UJT threw everything they had into a final struggle.

Their passes became more frequent, their tempo skyrocketed, desperately trying to break into DK’s defense.

Jonathan took control of the ball.

He shook off Peter.

Then slipped past Ewin and Carlo.

Nie Chuan saw it. Saw his hunger for victory.

But too bad. This one’s mine.

Nie Chuan met Jonathan head-on inside the free-throw line.

Heishan was already prepared for Jonathan’s drive, forcing him to hesitate.

Jonathan switched to a behind-the-back dribble, trying to change direction and escape Nie Chuan.

But Nie Chuan spun instantly—using his left foot as a pivot, mirroring Jonathan’s movement exactly.

And then—his hand shot out.

He stole the ball cleanly.

“OH MY GOD! BEAUTIFUL!” Robert shouted, slamming his hand on the commentary desk.

Nie Chuan pushed forward, facing UJT’s point guard and shooting guard head-on.

Without hesitation, he fired the ball to Peter.

Jonathan lunged at Peter, but Peter immediately swung the ball to Carlo.

Carlo charged into the paint.

Cook rushed up to stop him—but Carlo suddenly pulled back, creating space.

Then, at the last moment, he whipped the ball back to Peter.

Heishan and Carlo tightly guarded Cook, while Peter leaped into the air and scored!

With just 35 seconds left in the game, the 11-point gap made it impossible for UJT to turn the tide.

The audience began their countdown, but UJT was still putting up their last desperate struggle. As the final second ticked away, the score was frozen with an 11-point difference.

Nie Chuan placed his hands on his hips, closed his eyes, and let out a deep breath.

“Congratulations to DK for advancing smoothly into the Top 16! What an amazing game!” Robert clapped enthusiastically.

“Now, I’m more worried about Reese Reddington’s ankle. DK’s next match will be against another seeded team—KSU.”

“Yeah, I was really looking forward to the matchup between Reese Reddington and Raven Harvey. Both of them are players who combine speed and explosiveness. But Reese Reddington’s situation doesn’t look good. Without this outstanding small forward and scoring powerhouse, I’m afraid DK won’t be able to defeat KSU,” Espenson frowned.

“Let’s not be too pessimistic just yet. The match between DK and KSU is in three days. Maybe by then, Reese’s swelling will subside, and we’ll see him back on the court.”

“Alright, may God bless DK.”

Nie Chuan walked over to the bench and hugged Reese tightly.

Reese buried his head into Nie Chuan’s chest, his breathing heavy and forceful.

“You did great. Seriously, you were amazing.”

Nie Chuan’s nose tingled with emotion. Right now, all he wanted to know was what the doctor would say about Reese’s ankle.

Ewin, Carlo, and the others also stepped forward, and everyone embraced.

This victory did not come easily.

At that moment, “Old Sparrow” led his teammates over to DK.

With guilt written all over his face, Cook reached out his hand toward Reese. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to step on you. If this affects your next game, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”

Reese calmly shook hands with Cook. “Then as long as we win against KSU, you won’t have to feel guilty.”

Nie Chuan stood to the side, watching Reese. This was the first time he truly saw the sportsmanship that belonged to Reese on the court. He never harbored resentment toward any serious opponent. On the contrary, he respected every player who gave their all, whether they were strong or weak.

“Then you guys better beat KSU!” Cook nodded firmly.

Under the watchful eyes of the audience, DK’s team left the arena.

As Reese got up, Nie Chuan lowered his gaze to look at his ankle. The swelling was already very obvious.

No matter what, Nie Chuan didn’t believe the swelling would go down in just three days.

“I don’t want to be carried out by others. Can you carry me on your back?” Reese asked.

“Of course.”

Nie Chuan crouched down in front of Reese, and Reese wrapped his arms around Nie Chuan’s shoulders.

To be honest, carrying a man over 190 cm tall and built with muscle was really heavy. But Nie Chuan only adjusted slightly before securing Reese on his back and walking toward the exit.

The audience burst into applause.

Nie Chuan lifted his head, taking steady steps forward.

In the stands, Owen, Wright, and Thomas had all stood up to watch them leave.

Nie Chuan exchanged glances with them before stepping into the tunnel.

Inside the short tunnel, the noise and chatter from outside faded away. It was as if the whole world had quieted down, leaving only him and Reese.

The weight of Reese’s arms draped over his shoulders, the warmth of his body, and the feeling of Reese’s face resting against his cheek—Nie Chuan felt that at this moment, they were the closest two people in the world.

The moment they stepped out of the gym, countless fans and media surged toward them. Fortunately, security personnel quickly intervened to create a path, allowing DK’s players to board the bus smoothly.

Nie Chuan helped Reese settle into his seat. The bus started moving, but the atmosphere inside remained heavy. No one was celebrating the victory.

The bus drove straight to a nearby hospital, where the doctor conducted a thorough examination on Reese.

Over an hour later, Coach Gordon finally appeared in the hallway where the team had been waiting.

“I have one good news and one bad news. I hope you all stay calm when you hear it. This is a hospital, so keep quiet,” he said.

The players all turned toward Coach Gordon, while Nie Chuan’s heart pounded wildly.

He could already guess what Coach Gordon was about to say.

“Reese’s bones and joints are not damaged, so his athletic career won’t be affected.”

The moment those words fell, the sound of collective sighs of relief filled the hallway.

“But,” Coach Gordon continued, “the swelling in his ankle will need at least a week to heal. If he forces himself to play, it could harm his muscles and even cause a secondary injury during the game, which could lead to serious damage to his ankle joint… So, in three days, during our match against KSU, Reese won’t be able to play.”

Nie Chuan clenched his fists, and many of the players opened their mouths but ultimately said nothing.

Their thoughts were painfully clear—without Reese, who else could go up against KSU’s Raven Harvey? Their ability to break through the defense would take a huge hit, and they might not even be able to keep up in terms of speed. Their chances of winning were slim to none.

“As for the lineup for the game in three days, I will discuss it with the assistant coaches before making a decision. For now, we’re heading back to school. Other than our usual training adjustments, there won’t be any extra practices in the next three days. I hope all of you get some rest and recover your energy.”

As they walked down the hospital corridor, sighs could be heard everywhere.

DK’s morale had hit rock bottom. Reese’s injury wasn’t something they could keep a secret. Coach Gordon could only hope that in the next three days, everyone would adjust their mindset.

Nie Chuan was still carrying Reese on his back as they moved forward.

“You look really down. Are you afraid of KSU?” Reese asked.

His voice was soft, his breath warm against Nie Chuan’s neck.

“No,” Nie Chuan replied.

“It’s okay to be afraid,” Reese said. “Just remember my weight… and finish what I wanted to do.”

Nie Chuan’s heart trembled slightly.

Did he really have that kind of ability?

This wasn’t just anyone—it was Raven Harvey!