Third Quarter: Smoldering Fire
To start the 3rd, France switched to a zone defense, Gobert a mountain in the paint. Lin Mo held the ball at the arc, suddenly pointing to the corner – as his teammate moved, he pulled the ball back with a behind-the-back pass to the opposite forward!
The three-pointer swished. Gobert cursed over his shoulder. Lin Mo shrugged, the system panel flickering: [Rhythm Shift +1, Pass Deception +15%.] But this time, he didn't rush to check stats, instead watching Gobert's breathing – His gasps are heavier; he can't last three quarters at this intensity.
When Gobert posted up again, Lin Mo dropped back half a step. Spin, hook shot – the ball circled the rim three times before bouncing out! Lin Mo snagged the rebound, pushing the fast break. Glancing back, he saw Gobert bent over, gasping in the paint. His heart raced: So this is the real breakthrough – the system and my own observations merging.
After the 3rd quarter, China led by 7. Lin Mo's stats: 6 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds. Compatibility quietly rose to 13.5%. Touching the gold medal around his neck, he felt, for the first time, that victory wasn't a gift from the system – but a battle fought by humans.
Fourth Quarter: Suffocation Before Dawn
In the final 12 minutes, Gobert defended like a madman. Lin Mo's drives were blocked three times, his old elbow injury splitting open with agony. [System Notification: Host injured; activating "Pain Endurance" – ignore pain, reaction speed +10%.] But this time, he didn't wait for instructions, gritting his teeth to adjust: Lower the crossover's center of gravity, pass half a beat earlier…
With 2 minutes left, the score was 85-85. Lin Mo dribbled, Gobert pressing close. He faked right, then exploded left with his left foot – the system's newly unlocked "LeBron's Half-Step Fake", but now infused with his own rhythm.
Gobert's weight shifted; Lin Mo drove left, but at the last moment, passed to a corner shooter! The three-pointer fell: 88-85!
France's final possession: the ball found Gobert again. Lin Mo lunged, driving his shoulder into Gobert's back with all his might – as the ball left his hands, Lin Mo leaped, fingertips grazing its edge!
"Bang!" The ball clanged off the rim. Lin Mo's knees buckled on impact, teammates catching him. The buzzer sounded; the scoreboard froze at 88-85 – China was champion!
Amid the roar, Lin Mo stared at the gold medal, a hollow feeling creeping in – We won, but how much of this victory belongs to the system, and how much to me?