Inside the locker room, Chen Yu was wrapping tape for Hill.
Houston stood silently to the side, watching.
"Sorry," Hill said suddenly.
Chen Yu sighed and waved his hand. "Forget it. If you’re coming back, you’re coming back. You’re basically healed anyway."
The original plan was for him to return before the first round of the playoffs.
And Chen Yu had delivered. All that treatment he’d poured into him wasn’t for nothing.
A week early was a week early, he supposed.
"But there’s no guarantee you’ll get to play," Chen Yu said with a smile.
There was still Tracy McGrady, after all.
That kid was a real beast. He’d rested for a week, and in his first game back, Chen Yu had worried his performance would be off. But who would have thought? He showed no signs of rust at all, efficiently dropping 29 points and hitting consecutive shots at the rim in the final moments to fend off the Heat’s comeback.
Unfortunately, on the same day, the Celtics also defeated the Brooklyn Nets.
The Celtics were also fighting hard for that final playoff spot.
That meant the Magic had even less room for error. They couldn’t afford to lose either of their next two games.
That was why Hill was put on the active roster.
If the team could win without him, he’d stay on the bench and continue to rest.
If things went south, he’d be sent in to save the day.
This was actually an incredibly risky move, different from Hill’s previous return. That time, Chen Yu had him go through training beforehand so he’d be ready to play right away.
But now, after resting for over a month without any proper team practice, rushing him onto the court was a huge risk.
After finishing taping up Hill and checking on Tracy McGrady’s condition, Chen Yu left the locker room and headed for the stands.
He had just left the locker room and hadn’t taken more than a few steps when he heard someone call his name.
Turning his head, he saw a young man with black-rimmed glasses and a noticeably receding hairline.
He had to be a reporter.
The man hurried over and showed Chen Yu his press pass.
It was from a newspaper called The Record.
Chen Yu had never heard of it. It must be a small publication.
"Chen, hello, my name is Adrian Wojnarowski. I’m a sports columnist. Oh, and I’ve also written multiple reports for ESPN." Wojnarowski eagerly introduced himself, even dropping ESPN’s name to prove his credentials.
"Sorry, I don’t do interviews," Chen Yu said, shaking his head.
Countless people contributed articles to ESPN every year. Besides, even if an official ESPN staff reporter showed up, Chen Yu still wouldn’t agree to an interview.
Chen Yu turned to leave, but unexpectedly, the guy followed him.
"Here’s the thing, I want to write a feature column about you to raise your profile. Look, you’re not just the Phoenix Suns’ team doctor now; you’re also handling the Magic’s problems. Tracy McGrady’s quick return must also be thanks to your treatment," Wojnarowski said, eagerly explaining his idea.
"Sorry, I don’t need that."
Chen Yu refused again.
’My reputation doesn’t need you to improve it.’
Chen Yu waved over a security guard, had him block Wojnarowski, and with a final "sorry," quickly walked away.
At 7:30 PM, the game officially began.
The entire Waterhouse Center was packed to the rafters. The Orlando fans had erupted with incredible passion in the push for the playoffs.
Every time a Magic player touched the ball, the arena erupted in deafening cheers.
But as soon as a Bucks player got the ball, they were met with a tidal wave of boos.
This was especially true during free throws. Behind the backboard, fans had organized themselves to make all sorts of strange and funny gestures to distract the Bucks players.
This game was also being broadcast nationally.
In the NBC studio, the camera kept panning to Hill on the sidelines.
During a timeout, Kevin Johnson was on a live feed with the on-site commentator, Matt Guokas. "Matt, so you’re saying if the Magic can’t pull ahead, Pleasance will put Hill in the game."
Guoqias replied, "That’s right. That’s what Pleasance said before the game."
"And would Chen agree to that? I’ve noticed he’s right there on the sidelines." The camera had already panned to Chen Yu more than once.
Guoqias sighed. "I don’t know. I tried to interview Chen before the game, but he declined. The information I have is that the Magic originally planned for Hill to return for the playoffs, provided they could make it there. But now, with their playoff chances still uncertain, they have no choice but to have Hill return early, just like before."
Kevin Johnson said, "The Magic are in a tough spot then."
What he really wanted to say was, given the circumstances, even if they forced Hill to return and made it to the playoffs, so what?
They’d be up against the Digital People in the first round and would most likely be eliminated in the first round.
To bring Hill back early just to sell tickets for those two home games... if he got injured again, wouldn’t the loss be even greater?
The camera then cut to Chen Yu at just the right moment.
"Chen does not look happy," Kevin Johnson said with a laugh.
On screen, Chen Yu’s face was taut and he was silent. He was probably in a bad mood.
"Stop looking at me. It’s only a four-point deficit, not an impossible comeback," Chen Yu couldn’t help but lecture when Hill glanced at him again.
Hill sighed and looked away.
He was just afraid that by the time things went south, it would be too late for him to enter the game.
A single loss would basically mean kissing the playoffs goodbye.
Nearby, Pleasance was explaining tactics to the players, but he was actually more concerned about Tracy McGrady’s condition than the strategy.
"Tracy, how’s your back?" Pleasance asked, looking nervously at Tracy McGrady.
After all, he had just returned and was now playing the second game of a back-to-back.
If his performance was poor, Pleasance couldn’t really blame him.
But in this situation, they had no choice but to rely on him.
Tracy McGrady didn’t speak. He could already feel the strain of the back-to-back. Even though Chen Yu had given him a massage to loosen up his muscles before the game, his back still felt faintly sore and weak.
Seeing Tracy McGrady’s silence, Pleasance’s brow furrowed. He gritted his teeth and said, "If you can’t go, I’m putting Grant in."
Hearing this, Tracy McGrady quickly shook his head.
"Coach, that’s not necessary. We’ll win this game."
Tracy McGrady turned his head to glance at Hill, who stood outside the huddle, then looked at the teammates around him.
He had personally promised Hill he would lead the team to the playoffs. He couldn’t go back on his word now.
"That’s right, we’re going to win," Amsterdam said with a smile.
Hill had taken such a huge risk to come back early and was sitting right there on the bench, all for the sake of making the playoffs. What reason did they have not to give it their all?
Outlaw clapped Mike Miller on the shoulder. "Kid, with Grant out, you need to step up. We can’t let Big Dog score on us at will anymore."
Mike Miller gritted his teeth and nodded firmly, not saying a word.
Their morale was high.
But Pleasance still felt uneasy.
No matter how strong their morale, talent was what ultimately mattered. Without Hill, the Bucks were a far more talented team than the Magic.
The timeout ended.
Tracy McGrady immediately called for the ball and drove hard to the basket.
The Bucks’ interior defense wasn’t the strongest, but with the Heat nipping at their heels in the final few games of the regular season, they were playing with intensity too.
Tracy McGrady switched hands in mid-air for a layup, forcing it in over Mark Pope, and then went tumbling out of bounds with a CRASH.
On the sidelines, Chen Yu watched with a deep frown.
’McGrady’s style of play is just incredibly hard on his back.’
’He should practice his jumper more and attack the basket less.’
Fortunately, it wasn’t just Tracy McGrady fighting hard; the entire Magic team was giving it their all.
Every single player was running and defending as if their lives depended on it.
At the end of the half, the Magic had actually retaken the lead, heading into the second half with a three-point advantage.
During the halftime break, Chen Yu hurried back to the locker room to massage Tracy McGrady’s back and help him relax.
He could see that after two games, the latissimus dorsi muscles that had supposedly healed were showing signs of tension again.
"Keep it up."
Chen Yu didn’t know what else to say, so he just patted Tracy McGrady’s shoulder.
Hill was there too, arms crossed, looking like he wanted to say something but was holding back.
As the players were getting ready to head back out, Hill finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and started to speak.
But before the words could leave his mouth, Tracy McGrady cut him off.
"Grant, trust me. We can win." For the first time, an astonishing light shone from Tracy McGrady’s sleepy eyes.
With that, he strode quickly out of the locker room.
Hill was moved. He let out a long, low sigh and followed Chen Yu out of the locker room.
In the second half, the entire Magic team played with a kind of tragic ferocity, fighting for every loose ball, battling for every rebound, and tearing at their opponents like sworn enemies.
Even the Bucks struggled to withstand such a defensive onslaught.
On the sidelines, even George Karl, a famous coach known for using high-pressure defense to suffocate opponents, turned to look at the Magic’s bench in disbelief.
They were playing too damn hard!
Especially Tracy McGrady. Tonight, he was simply unbeatable.
Ray Allen was incredibly athletic and a great defender, but he just couldn’t stop him.
Tracy McGrady played the entire second half without a minute of rest, dropping 19 points.
to 96. With a five-point advantage, the Magic scraped by with a hard-fought win.
After the game, even George Karl couldn’t help but praise his opponents, saying Tracy McGrady had the potential to become a superstar and that the Magic deserved the victory.
"We won."
Back in the locker room, Tracy McGrady grinned at Hill.
But Hill couldn’t bring himself to smile.
Chen Yu sighed as well and told Tracy McGrady to go hit the showers.
The guy had played too hard. He’d only rested for maybe two minutes the entire game and looked like he’d been fished out of a pool of sweat.
And in the previous game against the Heat, he had played 44 minutes as well.
Just back from injury, playing a back-to-back with such heavy minutes—it was practically suicidal.
Hill stood beside Chen Yu, his expression complicated. After a long moment, he said suddenly, "Chen, I want to play in the next game."
"I mean, I *have* to play," Hill added.
Chen Yu sighed silently, patted his back, and nodded. "Alright."
’If he plays, he plays. A couple more days won’t make a huge difference at this point.’
With that, Chen Yu walked over to Armstrong. The 33-year-old was also exhausted.
「April 18th.」
The last day of the NBA regular season.
The Magic hosted the Heat at home.
This game started at 8:00 PM, while meanwhile, the game between the Celtics and the Wasp had already tipped off an hour earlier at 7:00.
"Grant, maybe you shouldn’t play. Let’s wait and see," Pleasance said before the game, still undecided.
In the other game, the first half was over, and the Celtics were trailing the Wasp by seven points.
Maybe the Celtics would lose.
If they lost, the Magic would be in control of their own destiny. Even if they lost tonight’s game, they could still clinch a playoff spot based on the tiebreaker advantage.
Besides, Tracy McGrady had already led the team to a win against the Heat the other day. In Pleasance’s view, their chances of winning this one were pretty high.
"Yeah, Grant, you should have faith in us," Tracy McGrady chimed in.
"No."
Hill smiled and shook his head. "We can’t pin our hopes on someone else."
Don’t the Celtics know that if they lose this game, they’ll definitely be eliminated?
Counting on the Celtics to lose would be truly foolish.
"Tracy, I know what you’re trying to say. And in my eyes, you’ve already fulfilled your promise." Hill looked at Tracy McGrady, his heart filled with emotion.
To carry the team this far all by himself, playing through injury in the final stretch... It was safe to say Tracy McGrady had given it everything he had.
"Most importantly, we’re teammates. Winning isn’t just on you; it’s on all of us."
Hill took a step forward and looked at the team.
"Everyone, follow me onto the court. Let’s go win this game."
His eyes shone with unprecedented confidence.

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