D'Antoni was stunned.
He had made meticulous arrangements, had laid out a powerful tactical plan.
But Su Xi shattered it all in the simplest, most direct way. He stole the ball from Nash. He charged down the court. He stopped on a dime. He hit the three-pointer and then spread his arms wide in the opponent's arena.
The sight of him with his arms outstretched was devastatingly cool.
It was as if the Phoenix fans had baguettes stuck in their throats; no sound could escape. The shock Su Xi delivered had paralyzed their nerves.
Down by 4.
39 seconds left.
Could they still win?
Of course, there was a chance.
But the home-court momentum was in an irreversible decline.
D'Antoni called their final timeout.
On television, Larry Brown claimed Su Xi had committed a foul on the play.
