NBA: Warrior godfather.

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Facing James, who was waiting for him, Curry dribbled the ball twice, suddenly lifted it, and launched a three-pointer without warning.

James reacted quickly, raising his hands to contest Curry's shot, but it was still a fraction too late. The basketball flew past his fingertips, traced Curry's signature high arc, and swished cleanly through the net.

115:109.

Curry took a deep breath and jogged back on defense, his face emotionless.

Even with his stamina nearly depleted and against a superstar, he had to shoulder the team's responsibility. After missing a game-winning shot against Florida State, he had vowed never to shy away from taking critical shots again.

He always remembered the words written on his shoes, especially after personally leading the comeback against North Carolina.

Mike Breen exclaimed on TNT:

"What a shot! That was an absolutely crucial bucket. With 3:30 left in the game, Curry has given the Warriors a six-point lead. It's a relatively safe margin, and the Warriors are firmly back in control!"

From the sidelines, Mike Brown yelled:

"Stay composed, play with high efficiency—no rush!"

His words were a pointed reminder to James and proved effective.

James advanced to the offensive zone, slowed the pace, and studied his teammates' movements. However, the Warriors' defenders stuck to them like glue, leaving no openings.

With the shot clock down to 14 seconds, James realized his teammates couldn't break free, so he decided to act alone.

Once again, he powered forward like a tank, barreling past Butler and charging into the paint. Matthews came over from the weak side to help defend, slowing James down slightly, but Biedrins was strategically positioned under the basket, blocking Hickson's path.

At that moment, Biedrins decided it was better to let James attack the rim than to leave space under the basket.

Despite being flanked by two defenders, Butler and Matthews, neither could match James' size and strength. He forced his way through, jumped near the free-throw line, and powered the ball into the basket with his right hand.

"Beep—"

The referee's whistle blew: 2+1!

Matthews, frustrated, complained to the referee:

"He moved on that play—this shouldn't count!"

The referee shot him a cold glance and ignored his protests. Matthews opened his mouth to say more, but Butler quickly pulled him away.

Liam Gonzalez looked at the slow-motion replay on the big screen. After James jumped, he took two additional steps to find a gap between the double-team and finish the shot.

Silas, watching from the bench, snapped angrily:

"That's a blatant travel! Is the referee blind?"

Liam felt a surge of anger but took a deep breath to calm himself. Slowly, he said:

"Obvious or not, James is a superstar. Jimmy and Wesley are rookies... This is the classic superstar call, coupled with the home-court whistle. Cavaliers, hold on. We'll be ready!"

James glanced up at the replay but walked emotionlessly to the free-throw line, sinking the additional free throw. However, the cheers in the Quicken Loans Center were slightly more subdued than before.

115:112.

With just three minutes remaining, the game was up for grabs.

Taking advantage of the dead ball, Liam made a substitution. He brought in Big Z to replace Biedrins.

If James wanted to dominate the paint, Liam planned to build an iron wall in the restricted area. Big Z might lack mobility, but he was reliable at protecting the rim. Liam hadn't used him earlier to avoid forcing the Cavaliers to abandon their paint-heavy offense.

But now, in the game's critical moments, Liam trusted his setup. He knew James would likely try to take over instead of relying on his teammates—unless the Warriors sent an overwhelming double-team.

With Big Z now on the court, Liam ensured there was no easy passing lane.

On the Warriors' possession, Curry slowly dribbled the ball up the court, conserving every ounce of energy. James gave him a step of space.

Curry crossed half-court with a calm expression, subtly shifting into shorter strides. James noticed the change in pace, looked at Curry's feet, and immediately lunged forward to contest.

But it was too late. Curry adjusted his rhythm in just two steps. As soon as he reached the Cavaliers' logo, he stopped abruptly and launched an impossibly long three-pointer.

"If I can't shake you off, I'll shoot from where you can't touch me."

Swish!

The basketball spun through the air, covering an extraordinary distance before falling cleanly through the net.

118:112.

James stared at the ball, stunned and disbelieving.

Not only James, but also his teammates, Mike Brown, and every fan in the Quicken Loans Center froze in astonishment as Curry raced back to the defensive end, his baby-faced grin lighting up the court.

"Why would he take such a reckless three-pointer at such a crucial moment?!"

"How does he dare?!"

Mike Breen's voice rang out again on TNT:

"Bang! Curry with a long three—it's completely unreasonable, but he makes it, so it's a great shot! That might be the dagger for the Cavaliers."

Mark Jackson added:

"With less than three minutes left, it'll be tough for Cleveland to close this six-point gap."

Curry felt every breath burn his throat like fire. His legs trembled slightly, a warning sign of cramps, but with so little time left, he clenched his teeth and pushed on.

Liam, ever observant, noticed Curry's condition. Seeing the strain on his face, he hesitated briefly before shaking his head at Silas, who suggested calling a timeout.

"No, not yet," Liam replied.

The Cavaliers regained possession. James signaled for his teammates to clear out, attacking the Warriors' defense again.

This time, the Warriors didn't double-team. Butler guarded him, with Big Z waiting in the paint.

James easily broke past Butler, but Big Z's years as James' teammate gave him the insight to anticipate the drive. He positioned himself perfectly, forcing James to stop and attempt a tough shot.

Desperate, James passed the ball out to Monta Ellis, who fired a rushed three-pointer just before the shot clock expired.

The ball hit the rim and bounced out.

Liam exhaled in relief, his clenched fists finally relaxing. He had gambled correctly. James insisted on taking control, and his teammates had cooled off.

But Liam knew his strategy had worked only because Monta Ellis missed the shot. If that three had gone in, the entire game could have flipped.

On the Warriors' next possession, Curry slowed the game, missing a buzzer-beating three-pointer as the shot clock expired. With two minutes remaining, Mike Brown called an emergency timeout.

"LeBron, it's your ball. You have full control… but I need you to balance driving with passing," Brown urged.

James nodded, acknowledging he'd been too focused on scoring himself.

"Got it. Don't worry."

Satisfied, Brown trusted James' high basketball IQ to regain composure for the final moments.

When the timeout ended, the Warriors immediately called another one.

Mike Breen remarked:

"Liam Gonzalez calls a second timeout, mirroring his strategy from March Madness against North Carolina. It's all about giving Curry the rest he needs for the final stretch."

Amid boos from the crowd, the Warriors' medical staff worked furiously to massage Curry and keep him in the game. Liam, unfazed, turned to Silas and said:

"Now was the right moment for a timeout, thanks to the Cavaliers."

"Did you hear those boos? They're afraid, Silas. Stephen, we've got this!"

Once the game resumed, Curry's short burst of rest proved effective. James attracted a double-team and passed to Monta Ellis, but his shot clanked off the rim again.

The Warriors slowly built an insurmountable lead, and when the final buzzer sounded, Curry threw the ball skyward, sprinting back to the bench in triumph.

"Coach, we won!" he shouted into Liam's ear.

Liam smiled and replied:

"Yes, we did. And we also clinched first place in the East… Stephen, you've truly made a name for yourself tonight."

Curry looked back at the scoreboard, seeing his stat line: 34 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds.

James had scored 41 points, 6 assists, and 9 rebounds. Individually, it was close—but the Warriors had won!

Liam watched his players celebrate with a calm smile, knowing their youth and effort had paid off. But deep down, he also recognized the flaws they still needed to overcome.

For now, though, the future looked bright. The Warriors had time—plenty of it.

End of this chapter

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