Chapter 404: The Eve of the Final Showdown
The night was already deep, yet the city of Sacramento showed no sign of falling asleep.
On the contrary, beneath the cover of darkness, the entire city seemed to tremble with excitement.
“Which one should I drink?”
Wearing a luxurious robe, Chen Yilun stood in front of his liquor cabinet, talking to himself.
Everyone in the circle knew that Chen Yilun loved whiskey, so over time, people began gifting him bottles to curry favor.
As a result, his liquor cabinet was now packed tightly with fine spirits.
“This one, then.”
After looking around, Chen Yilun reached out and took down a bottle.
It was the bottle he had won years ago in a bet with Malone when he first arrived in Sacramento. Compared to the aged, limited-edition bottles in the cabinet, this one looked rather ordinary.
Still, Chen Yilun opened it.
“Mm! Not bad!”
He leaned in to take a sniff and said with a hint of pleasant surprise, “Totally drinkable.”
He lifted the bottle and poured himself a glass.
The amber liquid quickly filled the crystal-cut glass.
“In the blink of an eye, so much time has passed.”
Chen Yilun wandered over to the floor-to-ceiling windows in his living room, gazing at Sacramento’s night view as he muttered to himself.
On the television nearby, the host was enthusiastically breaking down tomorrow’s game.
The result in the Eastern Conference had caught Chen Yilun slightly off guard, but after thinking it through, it made perfect sense.
Because of Chen Yilun’s actions, the Raptors’ original championship core—Siakam, Anunoby, and VanVleet—had all been taken away.
So even though, following the original course of history, Ujiri successfully brought Leonard over from San Antonio, the current Raptors were nowhere near the level of the Raptors from the original timeline.
As a result, even though Leonard played like a god this year, cutting down powerhouse opponents one after another, he still fell in the Eastern Conference Finals to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was also at his peak.
“Simpler than I expected.”
Chen Yilun swirled the wine in his glass and took a light sip.
This year’s Bucks looked fierce on the surface, but Chen Yilun knew very well that they were still far from true championship contenders.
Aside from Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks were left with players like Middleton, Bledsoe, and Brogdon.
“Just a team that can’t really make it onto the big stage.”
Scrolling through various news articles on his phone, Chen Yilun was in a good mood.
Oh, there was one more thing worth mentioning.
Mike Budenholzer, who should have lost an internal power struggle and resigned, instead regained control of the Hawks thanks to Chen Yilun’s interference and Luka Dončić’s miraculous performances.
One move affects the whole board. Since Budenholzer never left Atlanta, he naturally wouldn’t go to Milwaukee to replace Jason Kidd.
So who was coaching the Bucks now?
That’s right—an old acquaintance of theirs: Coach Rivers.
A big reason Chen Yilun felt so confident about the upcoming Finals was precisely because of that highly accomplished Coach Rivers on the other side.
Rivers had his own way of using players, but it usually only worked on teams with elite, high–basketball-IQ point guards.
Whether it was Rondo with the Celtics or Paul with the Clippers.
Rivers’ system absolutely required an on-court commander to function.
And who were the Bucks’ primary ball-handlers now?
Bledsoe and Brogdon.
What good were those two?
“Just one last step. Just one last step.”
After admiring the night view for a while, Chen Yilun returned to the sofa and sat down.
Even though his roster looked like it completely outmatched the Bucks in every aspect, Chen Yilun still didn’t dare relax.
Was there really something ominous about 2019? In the original timeline, the Warriors—poised to build a dynasty—collapsed this very year, undone by wave after wave of injuries.
And the current Kings looked eerily similar to those Warriors.
The injuries to Butler and DeMarcus Cousins had completely disrupted the Kings’ plans. Even now, on the eve of the game, Malone still didn’t have a truly complete solution.
“Please, don’t let anything else go wrong.”
...
...
“You came all the way here in the middle of the night just to mock me?”
Butler was still lying in his hospital bed, glaring irritably at Durant, who was sitting beside him.
“Do I really look like that kind of person? Can’t I just come check on you?”
Durant said lightly from the side, deliberately sounding relaxed.
“Don’t think I don’t know why you’re here.”
Butler stared at Durant, took a deep breath, and said, “It’s a shame this leg can’t even walk right now. Otherwise, I’d play through injections if I had to, just to get out there and help you.”
“It’s not that serious.”
Durant waved his hand.
“The team’s fine with me here. Just focus on recovering.”
After Durant finished speaking, Butler looked straight at him.
“Thanks. I really mean it.”
That simple sentence left Durant momentarily stunned.
“Carrying the team forward by yourself must be exhausting. I’m putting you through a lot.”
Butler murmured as he lay there, staring at the ceiling.
“I really thought we’d walk up to that throne together. Guess fate had other plans.”
“But then again…”
Butler suddenly shifted his tone.
“Isn’t that just how life is? The road to the throne is destined to be lonely. If you truly want that crown, the only one who can help you is yourself.”
“Isn’t that the truth?”
Durant rubbed his knees with both hands.
“After these two games, I’ve mostly adjusted to the situation. It felt strange at first without you guys, but it’s much better now.”
“I got too comfortable in Sacramento—so comfortable I thought a dynasty was something I could just reach out and grab. I’ve just woken up, that’s all.”
There was one thing Durant didn’t say.
Back in Oklahoma City, he often had to carry the team forward on his own. Compared to those days, even the Kings’ current depleted lineup was still far better off.
“Chat a bit more, then go back and get some sleep.”
Butler pulled his blanket tighter and spoke casually.
“I’m a patient, you know. The doctor told me to rest properly. Don’t mess with my recovery.”
Hearing that, Durant couldn’t help but laugh. But once the laughter faded, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes disappeared.
“Get some good rest.”
Durant patted Butler on the shoulder and stood up.
“Just wait. I’ll bring us that championship.”
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