Chapter 307: Chapter 81: Two Super Physical Talents

Su Xi’s steps grew increasingly slow and heavy, but he kept on running.

He drew Kobe’s defense with him, acting like a lighthouse guiding his teammates’ offensive path.

Kobe Bryant stuck to him like glue. He wasn’t showing any mercy, but inwardly, he deeply respected Su Xi. ’Su Xi is a true warrior.’

He did something incredibly professional: as Su Xi cut to the inside, Kobe saw Carl Malone stick out an iron elbow. Following right behind, Kobe reached out and gave Malone a little shove.

It looked like an unintentional move.

But Malone thought Kobe had done it on purpose.

He even shot Kobe a look of displeasure.

The second quarter quickly came to an end.

53-56.

The Lakers were up by 3.

It didn’t seem like much.

But everyone knew the Lakers had the win in the bag.

The Pacers without Su Xi were like a warrior stripped of his armor. Su Xi wasn’t just the Pacers’ sharpest spear; he was also their toughest armor.

With Su Xi, the Pacers were top championship contenders. Without him, they were still a powerhouse team, but their chances of defeating the Lakers weren’t very high.

When the halftime buzzer sounded, Reggie Miller let out a sigh.

He felt utterly dejected. Though he still held out hope, he had to admit... he could see his dream of a championship slipping away.

Reflected in his eyes, not far away, Carl Malone and Gary Payton were enthusiastically high-fiving.

They were both casualties of the Jordan era, both relentlessly pursuing the ultimate prize of their careers.

The difference was, Reggie Miller had always remained loyal.

Carl Malone and Gary Payton, however, had chosen a different path. They joined the powerhouse Lakers to team up with the OK Combination.

’Is loyalty a mistake?’

Reggie Miller couldn’t help but wonder.

Just then, he saw Su Xi approaching, his steps heavy but firm, his eyes still just as resolute.

Reggie Miller’s spirit suddenly lifted, and a sense of pride washed over him. ’As long as Jack is here, even if we can’t win the championship this year, there’s always next year.’

Just then, Su Xi reached the sideline. Big Wei and Xiaowei both held out their fists for a bump.

"Jack, I am proud of your sportsmanship."

Big Wei said.

"Your tenacity and fighting spirit are a huge inspiration to us," Xiaowei added, clearly moved.

Su Xi smiled and bumped fists with them. "You’re both role models for me, too."

"Jack, if only you had our stamina," Xiaowei said suddenly.

Su Xi’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected that. He asked, "What?"

"We were just saying, if you had our endurance, the Lakers wouldn’t dare try to wear you down like this. You know, we tennis players have the highest demands for stamina and endurance. A single match can sometimes last three or four hours," Big Williams explained.

As they spoke, both of them inexplicably shuddered, feeling a tremor run through their bodies, even their very souls.

At the same time, two streams of energy surged into Su Xi’s body. Rushing from his mind through his every limb, it was a gentle, nourishing ’force’. Su Xi could feel the exhaustion in his body being rapidly repaired.

This was an unprecedented experience for him.

Super Physical Talent.

Two of them!

"Thank you. I think I can keep fighting in the second half," Su Xi told them resolutely. He patted them both on the shoulder and repeated, "Thank you."

Big Wei and Xiaowei smiled. "Get some rest, Jack. We have a feeling you’re definitely going to win this game."

Su Xi nodded emphatically and strode purposefully toward the locker room.

In that instant, his stamina stat shot up from 78 to 93, crossing the threshold for Super Physical Talent. Moreover, he still had vast room for growth. As long as he played against others with super-level physicality, he could quickly reach the max level.

After all, this was the effect of two Super Physical Talents stacked together.

And they came from female athletes, who possessed superior endurance.

Previously, Su Xi’s greatest weakness had been his stamina.

Now, stamina had become his greatest talent.

Because he also possessed a super-recovery ability.

The buffs were stacked.

Who would have dared to imagine this before the game?

This was truly a moment of finding hope when all seemed lost.

...

"Jack’s current stats are 17 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block. I don’t think he has much of a chance for a triple-double tonight. He burned through too much energy in the first half. He might not even be able to return to the court for the second half."

Charles Barkley said regretfully, "After all, you could see how exhausted he was with your own eyes."

Magic Johnson nodded in agreement. "In fact, we can objectively conclude that the only thing holding Jack back from becoming a superstar is his stamina. While he might have a few technical shortcomings, as long as he’s on the right team, he plays like a superstar."

Both men genuinely felt for Su Xi.

But just then, Kenny Smith suddenly declared, "I believe Jack is definitely going to make a kingly return in the second half! He’s always been the embodiment of miracles. I don’t think his stamina is a major issue. Don’t forget, he’s Chinese—they’re masters of hiding their true strength. The Chinese have the best endurance in the world! I think he’s about to use his tenacious will and unyielding fighting spirit to deal a devastating blow to the Lakers!"

"A 3-1 lead is within sight!"

Kenny Smith chanted.

Barkley couldn’t help but ask, "Kenny, are you being sarcastic?"

’Isn’t it obvious?’

In front of the TV, LeBron James scoffed. He’d already figured it out. Kenny Smith wasn’t some sycophant trying to flatter Su Xi. Far from it. He was just pretending to praise Su Xi. In reality, he was dying to see Jack get destroyed.