214: Chapter 214 Deadly Prediction and God-Level Defense

A black figure, like a ghost, lunged toward him desperately from an impossible angle!

James was in mid-air. His strong body had lost its balance, but his wrist still gave a gentle flick. The basketball threaded through the gap between players, flying accurately toward that empty corner. There, Ray Allen had been waiting for a long time.

But the moment James started his drive, Lin Feng's consciousness was already operating at high speed.

That wasn't an ordinary speed.

That was the 【Eye of the Heavenly Emperor】!

In Lin Feng's pupils, countless lines of light intertwined. Those lines wove into pictures that played at high speed in his mind.

Countless possibilities of the future were instantly analyzed by the system.

The future he saw wasn't just James forcing a layup.

That was just the conventional play. James could indeed do that. He would use his body to shoulder past Gasol and Howard. He would use his terrifying core strength to release the ball after an incredible mid-air collision. Then, perhaps, the ball would go in. Perhaps not.

But Lin Feng's 【Eye of the Heavenly Emperor】 wouldn't stop at such an obvious future.

Its calculations were deeper and more precise.

It saw the Los Angeles Lakers' defense collapsing. It saw the double-team from Gasol and Howard. It saw the positioning of every Los Angeles Lakers player around James.

Then, it depicted a future image that made Lin Feng's heart tremble—

Ray Allen in the corner.

An absolute wide-open look for 0.5 seconds!

In the image, James didn't choose to force a shot after the mid-air body contact. His eyes looked past the chaotic paint and swept toward that corner.

A pass.

A precise pass.

That was James's most logical and correct choice.

At that moment, Lin Feng's body shuddered almost instinctively.

He didn't just see a pass. He saw that once James made that choice, Ray Allen would catch the ball, raise his hands, jump, and shoot. Then, the basketball would swish through the net.

The score would be overturned.

A Miami Heat game-winner.

The Los Angeles Lakers would lose the game at their home court, the Staples Center, in this high-profile matchup.

In Lin Feng's mind, this game-winning scene played on loop. Every detail was so clear it made him feel suffocated.

He saw the ecstasy of the Miami Heat players rushing onto the court after Ray Allen made the shot. He saw the deathly silence of the Staples Center. He even saw Kobe sitting on the bench with a dim look in his eyes.

No!

Lin Feng roared internally.

He would never allow that future to happen.

He absolutely would not allow it.

But this required a gamble.

A massive stake.

He was betting that James would make that "most correct" choice!

Betting that James, at such a critical moment, would set aside heroism, choose to trust his teammates, and opt for the victory of team basketball.

This thought was like the brightest light in his mind. He had to gamble.

There was no other choice.

Lin Feng watched James's wrist as he passed the ball in mid-air.

Now!

He didn't hesitate for a second.

He abandoned his defense on James. He gave up on immediately returning to defend the rim.

His body erupted with one last surge of power. That power was almost depleted, but Lin Feng squeezed out every last drop.

He lunged toward the corner with everything he had!

It was a frantic sprint.

A close-out where he threw his entire body forward.

The basketball traced an orange arc. It flew rapidly toward Ray Allen.

Ray Allen caught the ball.

He didn't make any adjustments.

His form was textbook-perfect.

Bend the knees.

Jump.

Release.

The entire motion was smooth and seamless.

He was like a robot. A cold, emotionless robot that only knew how to make shots.

The ball flew from his fingertips. It traced a perfect arc in the air.

Everyone's eyes followed that orange ball.

The Lakers players' faces had turned pale.

On the Miami Heat bench, people were already standing up in excitement. They were ready to celebrate.

The whole world thought the game was over.

Ray Allen's release was lightning fast.

He was completely wide open. It was the perfect opportunity.

But just a split second before he released the shot—

A black afterimage.

It charged in from the side and rear.

Lin Feng's body was like an arrow shot from a bow. He used all his strength. He practically flew through the air.

His arms and fingers stretched desperately toward the basketball.

The distance.

Just a little bit more.

Lin Feng's muscles were screaming. His chest heaved violently. His body was reaching its limit.

But his eyes were more focused than ever before.

He could touch it.

He had to touch it!

When everyone thought that three-pointer was destined to swish through the net.

Just a moment before Ray Allen's fingertips were about to send the ball off.

Lin Feng's long fingertips, carrying an imperceptible force, touched the basketball.

It wasn't a block.

It was just a slight touch.

Extremely slight.

Even Ray Allen himself didn't notice it.

This slight touch changed the rotation of the basketball. It changed the ball's arc in the air.

Just a tiny bit.

An insignificant amount.

But it was this tiny bit that caused this game-winning three-pointer, which should have been a swish, to deviate from its original trajectory.

Time seemed to stretch infinitely at this moment.

The eyes of the world converged on this flying basketball.

It carried unwillingness.

It carried everyone's expectations and despair.

It flew toward the hoop.

Clang!

The basketball hit the front of the rim.

It bounced high.

It hit the backboard hard.

It bounced again.

Beep—!

The final buzzer sounded sharply!

That sound was like a death sentence.

And like a declaration of new life.

The ball didn't go in.

No good!

Time expired!

The Miami Heat failed their game-winner!

After a deathly silence, the Staples Center erupted into a mountain-shaking roar of cheers.

It was the relief of surviving a disaster.

It was the fanatical pursuit of a miracle.

And even more, it was the worship of a name.

After a few seconds of silence, the entire arena was completely overturned by the massive sound waves.

"Lin Feng!"

"Lin Feng!"

"Lin Feng!"

All the fans stood up. They waved their arms and shouted the same name at the top of their lungs.

They were going crazy.

They had witnessed a god-level defensive prediction that transcended the scope of basketball.

They had witnessed a young man single-handedly pull the Los Angeles Lakers back from the edge of the abyss!

Ray Allen stood where he was.

His face was blank.

His eyes were fixed on the rim. He couldn't believe it.

How could his shot miss?

That was his game-winning opportunity. That was the most comfortable shot he had taken after receiving James's pass.

He hadn't even seen Lin Feng.

He hadn't felt the ball being touched.

But the fact was, the ball didn't go in.

James stood where he was. He didn't look at Ray Allen. His gaze fell on Lin Feng.

That Eastern boy was currently panting heavily. His body's strength had been completely drained. He stumbled.

But he didn't fall.

On his face was a confidence that bordered on arrogance.

An indescribable feeling rose in James's heart.

He had lost.

That pass of his was the best choice. To be able to make that judgment in such a short time, he believed that few people in the world could have predicted it.

But Lin Feng had done it.

Not only did he predict it, but within those tenths of a second, he had also lunged from his defensive position to the corner to complete this inconceivable interference.

The game was going into overtime!

With a god-level defensive prediction that transcended the scope of basketball, Lin Feng had single-handedly pulled the Lakers back from the edge of the abyss!