Chapter 395: The Blue vs. Purple Showdown (4)
“Not good news!”
The moment the team doctor spoke, Chen Yilun’s expression darkened.
He had already braced himself when he saw Butler’s badly deformed ankle on the court, but actually hearing the verdict still made his head spin.
“Do we have a confirmed diagnosis yet?”
Chen Yilun asked urgently.
“The detailed report isn’t out yet,” the team doctor said, shaking his head. “But one thing is certain—Butler has suffered a severe sprain to his left ankle. Unless a miracle happens, there’s no way he’ll be back this season.”
Season-ending.
Those four words flashed through Chen Yilun’s mind.
This was serious.
He rubbed his forehead, looking momentarily overwhelmed.
Butler’s value to the Kings went far beyond being the second scoring option. He was the cornerstone of the entire defensive system.
With Butler down, the Kings’ defensive strategy would have to be rebuilt from the ground up.
As Chen Yilun’s thoughts spiraled, his phone rang.
“How is it?”
Malone’s anxious voice came through the moment the call connected.
“Season-ending.”
After those words, the other end of the line fell into a long silence.
Only after a while did Malone speak again.
“I understand.”
“At a time like this, we absolutely can’t lose our composure,” Chen Yilun said, doing his best to steady him.
“I know,” Malone replied after collecting himself. “Leave the hospital side to you. I won’t come over—I need to start working on the tactics for the upcoming games.”
“Don’t worry,” Chen Yilun said after taking a deep breath. “I’ve got things covered here.”
“You’re saying… I can’t play anymore?”
Butler lay on the hospital bed, staring straight at Chen Yilun.
“So I’m supposed to wear this ridiculous hospital gown and watch my teammates play on TV for the rest of the season?”
Faced with Butler’s blunt question, Chen Yilun glanced around awkwardly.
“That’s how it is, Jimmy.”
“This is bullshit.”
There was no explosive rage. Butler just pursed his lips in frustration, then slumped back onto the bed.
“If you think about it another way, it’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Chen Yilun said, looking around the room.
Butler had only just been admitted, and no one had come to visit yet. There wasn’t even the habit of bringing fruit baskets here—Chen Yilun couldn’t even find an apple to peel for him.
“Focus on recovering. We’ll take care of everything on the team side.”
Chen Yilun patted Butler on the shoulder.
“Don’t dwell on it too much.”
“How could I not dwell on it?”
Butler stared blankly at the ceiling.
“We were so close. Just a little more, and we could’ve built something immortal together. One last step—and now you’re telling me to lie here and watch the games. How am I supposed to accept that?”
“What kind of talk is that?”
Chen Yilun stood up immediately.
“Everyone can see how much you’ve given to this team. How could missing a few games erase everything you’ve done this year? If anyone dared say something like that, I’d be the first to shut them down!”
Looking at Chen Yilun’s slightly over-the-top seriousness, Butler finally laughed.
“Well… it is what it is.”
He shifted a bit, settling into a more comfortable position.
“I’m leaving the rest to you guys.”
“Don’t worry.”
...
...
“Today’s game was easily the most brutal one I’ve watched in this year’s playoffs.”
In the studio, Charles Barkley took a sip of water before speaking.
“We originally thought Butler’s season-ending injury would be a huge blow to the Kings—whether in terms of tactics or late-game execution. But who would’ve thought the Warriors would end up pushing this beast of a team completely over the edge?”
In the just-finished semifinals Game 2, the Kings dominated the Warriors from the opening tip.
They built a double-digit lead in the first quarter alone, and as the team’s leader, Durant was completely unleashed—going 8-for-12 in the first quarter for 20 points.
The Kings kept the pressure on for the rest of the game.
On the perimeter, the unexpectedly promoted Alex Caruso and Dejounte Murray Jr. built a defensive wall the Warriors simply couldn’t get past.
Both were guards who made their names on defense, and with the looser whistle typical of the playoffs, the two of them completely severed the connection between Golden State’s perimeter and interior.
On the wings, Durant shifted more of his focus to offense, easing up slightly on defense.
But Anunoby and Siakam, who filled in, taught the Warriors a harsh lesson with their lateral movement and sweeping coverage.
Meanwhile, Booker and Jokić played the role of pure glue—always ready to strike the moment the Warriors’ defense showed the slightest lapse.
“What a luxury.”
Watching from the sidelines, Chen Yilun couldn’t help muttering to himself.
What kind of team uses Booker and Jokić as gap-fillers?
It sounded like something straight out of science fiction.
And yet, it was happening right there on the court.
Today, Malone wasn’t joking around with Kerr at all. He scrapped all subtlety, surrounding Durant with four players who could defend and space the floor, fully committing to letting Durant take over.
Durant delivered.
Eyes closed, he chased the Warriors down possession after possession.
“This is what a fully unleashed Durant looks like, huh?”
Prince, watching the scoring display from the side, couldn’t help clicking his tongue.
“How many points is that now? Damn—58 already!”
Across two games, Durant had poured in 103 points, completely blowing the Warriors apart.
With that performance, he also shut the critics up for good.
Before this series, plenty of detractors on social media had mocked Durant for his reduced scoring after coming to Sacramento, claiming his back-to-back titles were nothing more than the product of the Kings’ stacked roster.
After this game, those voices vanished without a trace.
“Beautifully done!”
As the final buzzer sounded, the Kings once again defended their home court, pushing the series lead to 2–1.
Watching Durant head off the floor, Malone shouted loudly,
“Keep playing like this! Don’t give them a second to breathe.”
“Don’t let them live!”
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