Fatigue caused both sides to start clanking shots frequently.
This was inevitable.
But it was precisely this high-intensity basketball that proved a player's true worth.
Mosely and his teammates' shooting had completely abandoned them.
Both teams naturally fed the ball to their most reliable scorers.
Yuuto and Lillard.
Yuuto's defense was nearly perfect, but tonight Lillard's shooting touch was frighteningly good.
One moment Yuuto attacked the paint for a bucket; the next, Lillard answered with a pull-up three.
The Bruins held the lead but couldn't extend it—nor did it shrink.
This was March Madness in the clutch.
Every bit of contact felt like wrestling, the dull thud of colliding muscles mixing with the sound of tearing jerseys.
Post positioning became pure combat, elbows flaring as bodies became weapons fighting for space.
Both Yuuto and Lillard had broken 30.
Yuuto: 35 points. Lillard: 31.
The final 120 seconds began. Two minutes left.
The Wildcats ran their offense. The ball moved through several hands but couldn't find a clean look.
With under 10 seconds on the shot clock, the ball found Lillard.
At the critical moment, Lillard executed a convincing fake, but it didn't fool Yuuto.
He stuck to Lillard like a shadow, forcing a nearly impossible shot.
But so what?
Lillard simply stepped back beyond the arc and rose to shoot. Yuuto flew at him.
Only to watch Lillard's body fade backward in mid-air, throwing the ball up with everything he had.
Swish~
89-85!
The Wildcats had cut it to four.
"Damian Lillard, from three!"
"It's good!"
"The Wildcats are still alive! They haven't given up! The deficit is only four!"
The pressure instantly shifted to UCLA.
With over a minute remaining, Steve called timeout to draw up a safe play.
If they could score, the game was virtually locked up. If they missed, they'd be in trouble.
Play resumed.
The ball came to Yuuto.
He controlled it steadily, slowing the pace while scanning every player on the court—teammates and opponents alike.
With 10 seconds on the shot clock, Yuuto finally made his move.
For efficiency, he even called for a screen.
Yuuto easily blew past the screened Lillard.
But the Wildcats did something no one expected.
They swarmed Yuuto with reckless abandon.
Yuuto noticed immediately and spotted Reeves Nelson open on the inside.
He fired a hard bounce pass.
Smack~
The ball reached Norman Powell, who caught it and drove into the paint—
Only to get stripped by Lillard.
Smack~
Norman instinctively slapped his hands together, signaling that Lillard had fouled him. The refs didn't bite.
"Steal!"
"A crucial defensive play!"
Lillard grabbed the steal and sprinted toward the other end.
Yuuto felt the fatigue, and Lillard was surely exhausted too.
He gave chase like a streak of light, but Lillard wasn't alone. He spotted a teammate cutting from the opposite side and didn't hesitate—he passed it off, and the backup guard finished with a layup.
A two-point game!
The Wildcats had all the momentum.
And the clock had entered its final minute. This game could go either way.
Mosely and the Bruins were extremely tense.
Memories of last year's early elimination flooded back.
Invisible pressure weighed on UCLA. Steve felt it too.
But he only had one timeout left—he needed to save it for the most critical moment.
The Bruins continued their possession.
Yuuto brought the ball up.
Fans rose to their feet. This possession was absolutely crucial.
If they scored, they might kill the game.
If they missed, it could go to overtime—or they might get flipped.
Yuuto remained ice-cold in these moments, completely at odds with the deafening arena.
Lillard was locked in, looking like a different person.
With seven seconds left on the clock, Yuuto finally moved.
The Wildcats charged at him the instant he crossed the three-point line.
This time—
Yuuto didn't pass. He beat one defender, then immediately spun and used his back to create contact, gathering the ball and rising in one motion, completing a half-turn in mid-air.
There was no time to think—the Wildcats' trap was closing in...
With one second left, Yuuto's eyes locked onto the rim. He made his decision and launched.
In that moment—
The world went quiet.
Bruins bench. Wildcats bench. Everyone on their feet, watching the ball with bated breath.
Like Jordan's famous "Last Shot," this would decide both teams' fates.
Then—
Swish~
The ball ripped through the net. Lillard felt like someone had stabbed him in the heart.
"Seven seconds left!"
"Yu, attacking! Explosive first step—he blows past Damian Lillard!"
"The other Wildcats are collapsing on him! Yu—"
"His signature turnaround fadeaway!"
"IT'S GOOD!"
"My God, Yu has essentially killed this game!"
"This was an absolutely clutch shot—it should seal the outcome!"
The commentators went wild. The fans went wild.
The entire arena became a blazing furnace.
Yuuto landed, spun around, and pumped his fist. His teammates instantly mobbed him, surrounding him in the center while screaming words even they couldn't comprehend.
The Wildcats immediately called timeout for one last stand.
There was still time for one possession.
But that four-point deficit hung over them like a guillotine.
Their options were limited: they had to hit a desperate three and then foul without giving up free throws.
In the end, all they could do was pray.
"Nice work, Yu! Right now you're ten times better than Jordan in my book!"
"But don't relax—game's not over. Stick to him. Their final shot is definitely going to Damian. Hound him like a mad dog!"
Steve's read was correct.
The Wildcats' final shot did go to Lillard.
Yuuto abandoned everyone else and focused solely on him.
They tried to set screens, run plays, create shooting space for Lillard.
The result?
Yuuto moved like a ghost, denying any opportunity.
With no other choice, Lillard forced up a shot—only to see a palm appear at the last moment, fingertips just grazing the leather.
It's over!
...
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