Clang!
The crisp sound of iron rang out.
Kobe's shot clanged off the front rim, bouncing high into the air.
"Rebound!"
Gasol shouted, stepping back half a step to shake off Garnett's hold, trying to slip in front for position.
With his wingspan, Gasol had a slight advantage. But physically? Explosiveness? Garnett outclassed him completely.
And the ball's trajectory betrayed him — it was dropping on the other side.
Right into the battleground between Zhou Yuan and Kendrick Perkins.
Zhou Yuan's strength was no less than Perkins'.
At 2 centimeters taller, with much longer arms and terrifying explosiveness, Zhou Yuan should've had the edge.
But Perkins' experience was undeniable. He'd already seized prime position, sticking his massive backside out to block Zhou Yuan like a stone wall.
For the moment, Zhou Yuan couldn't dislodge him.
At the critical instant, Zhou Yuan made the same decision as Gasol — he stepped back, retreating to advance.
The ball descended. Perkins grinned wide, ready to secure the rebound that would seal the championship.
But Zhou Yuan launched himself upward at the same time.
Boom!
Armed with the bounce of peak Giannis and the reach advantage, he rose above Perkins like a bomber taking off.
Snatching the ball with both hands, Zhou Yuan ripped it clean — a slam-dunk rebound straight off Perkins' head!
"God! The Chinese player just grabbed the rebound over Kendrick Perkins! His explosiveness is unreal!"
Kenny Smith's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"Yeah, the Lakers are still alive. Lucky break for the rookie — now let's see if he knows what to do with it," Charles Barkley said.
"Lucky? Please. My grandma could out-jump Perkins for that board," he added, brushing it off.
But the Celtics reacted instantly.
Perkins and Garnett collapsed on Zhou Yuan, cutting off both his vision and passing lanes, even reaching to strip the ball.
Pierce and Ray Allen still had Kobe locked tight.
The Celtics' strategy was clear: deny Kobe the ball, force the rookie into a mistake.
"Find Kobe!"
Phil Jackson — normally the picture of Zen composure — was on his feet, roaring like never before.
But with no timeouts left, all he could do was shout.
On the court, Zhou Yuan glanced around. Nothing but giant black arms swiping at him. His sightline was blocked.
Kobe, wrapped up in two defenders, couldn't break free either.
Seconds ticked away. Pass? To where?
Zhou Yuan inhaled sharply. Then, without warning, he exploded forward, splitting through the narrow gap between Perkins and Garnett with sheer force.
Their defensive scheme had been aimed at cutting off the pass and forcing him to the baseline. They hadn't expected him to attack outright.
Now he had space — enough to push out to the corner, behind the three-point line.
Thud! Thud!
The ball pounded hard against the hardwood as he drove.
Perkins was too slow to react, but Garnett spun and chased him down.
When Zhou Yuan's feet touched just outside the arc, the clock showed 1.9 seconds left.
He turned. He jumped. He faded.
A drifting three-pointer.
Garnett froze for half a heartbeat.
A no-name benchwarmer? A center? Shooting a three here?
Any other time, fine. But this was the last possession of Game 7 in the Finals!
Even if you can't pass to Kobe, why not bully your way inside for a quick two? At worst, it forces overtime. At least it would make sense.
But this? A three-pointer? From him?
Garnett still recovered fast, leaping to contest — but Zhou Yuan's body carried the explosiveness of Giannis and the shooting form of Kevin Durant.
Even the Wolf King's desperate reach was irrelevant.
Whether it went in or not depended only on Zhou Yuan's touch.
"Oh, shit!"
"What the hell is he thinking? Does he think he's Kobe?"
"Take the two, you idiot! …Wait… it's… it's not… going in, is it?!"
The entire arena of twenty thousand erupted, emotions flooding the air — rage, disbelief, hope, despair.
At the eye of the storm, Zhou Yuan was calm as stone.
He released.
The ball arced high, the buzzer blared, and the red light flashed.
Time expired.
Let the bullet fly a little longer…
Swish!
The net snapped crisp and clear.
A missile straight into the heart of Boston's defense.
The Celtics, who had already claimed 99.99% of the victory, were obliterated in the last 0.01%.
Zhou Yuan's three-pointer — a Finals Game 7 deathblow!