Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 64: Comeback

He drove the ball straight to the baseline, stopped on a dime, and spun back like a dancer on stage, drawing Spree to instinctively raise his hands for a block. Suddenly, Hill dropped low, hit the court with the ball in a lightning-fast crossover, and scraped past him along the baseline to drive to the basket.

Facing Camby, who rotated over to help, Hill didn’t hesitate in the slightest, rising up for the dunk.

’I’ve dunked on Moning and Uncle Mu. Who the hell do you think you are, Camby?’

With a heavy THUD, Camby staggered as he landed, a look of utter helplessness on his face.

The Nicks fans in the stands were in agony. It was such an incredible play, yet they couldn’t just let loose and applaud. The feeling was unbearable.

Meanwhile, the Magic bench had completely erupted. Brown was waving a water bottle, howling with excitement.

Pleasance, on the other hand, was trembling uncontrollably.

’A vicious poster dunk! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Have you forgotten you just came back from an injury?!’

Hill didn’t celebrate. He just yelled at McGrady and the others for everyone to get back on defense.

There was only one quarter left. He had to catch up, and he had to win.

His ankle?

Hill couldn’t even spare it a thought.

Besides, Hill didn’t feel the slightest discomfort in his ankle, just like the uninjured self of his past.

Now on defense, Hill was just as aggressive. He tangled with Spree like a tireless warrior, but out of the corner of his eye, he was constantly scanning, searching for an opportunity like a master assassin.

He suddenly made a half-turn and darted forward, his outstretched fingers poking the ball away.

He got the steal.

Following his momentum, he secured the ball.

"Tracy!" Hill roared.

He looked up to see McGrady already streaking downcourt like a bolt of lightning.

"A brilliant steal by Hill! He makes the pass! There’s no one in front of Tracy... a tomahawk slam! It was Hill with the incredible long pass! Shit, he’s just too damn good!"

Fraser’s excited voice echoed from the NBC broadcast booth; toward the end, he even let a few curses slip.

Kevin Johnson was also fired up, slapping the table as he spoke in disbelief. "This is all just insane! Can you believe it? Just one day ago, he was at home recovering, and now, he’s four-for-four from the field with eight straight points! He’s unstoppable! He’s dominating this game! Michael, you’re sitting right there on the sideline, watching your own successor. What’s going through your mind right now?"

Jordan didn’t sit back down. He stood beside Chen Yu and frowned. "Chen, are you sure it’s okay for him to be playing this hard?"

’He just came back from an injury, and he’s already going this hard. It’s a bit over the top.’

As for Hill being perfect from the field, Jordan couldn’t even be bothered to count the shots.

’So what? Is that supposed to be impressive?’

Chen Yu silently activated his Eye of All-Seeing, focusing on Hill’s ankle as he replied, "Like I said, he’s completely healed."

Jordan didn’t ask any more questions. A performance like this immediately after returning from injury could only mean one thing: Chen Yu’s treatment was just that good.

The whistle blew. Timeout.

Little Van Gundy wiped his shiny bald head, which was already covered in a cold sweat.

His eyes fixed on Hill walking off the court. ’Am I really going to lose this one today?’ he thought.

「Back from the timeout.」

The Magic had completely seized the momentum.

Standing on the sidelines, Pleasance saw what he had been hoping for most: the returned Hill could not only score through tough defense but could also orchestrate the entire offense.

After the formation of the Orlando Gemini, Hill and Tracy McGrady had only played a single full game together.

In that game, McGrady, who had averaged a mere 15.4 points per game last season, efficiently scored 32.

And Hill, though he didn’t take many shots, dished out a team-high 10 assists.

As a great playmaker, an all-around talent, and a selfless player, Hill was perfectly compatible with McGrady.

If the supremely talented McGrady determined the Magic’s ceiling, then Hill—even more versatile than Pippen—determined their floor.

And now, Hill had quickly re-established his chemistry with McGrady.

He seemed to know McGrady had been working on his jump shot. When he drove to the basket and drew a crowd of defenders, he didn’t force a shot. Instead, he made an inspired pass to McGrady on the weak side.

Before Houston could turn, McGrady had already risen up and fired.

He sank it cleanly.

McGrady excitedly gave Hill a thumbs-up. With Hill’s return, he could finally feel a sense of ease on the court again.

During the days Hill was out and he was forced to carry the team’s offense, he had scored a lot, but he himself knew how much effort it took to get every single one of those points.

It was like battling through an entire army for every basket.

But now that Hill was back, the defensive pressure on him had lightened by several orders of magnitude.

On the sideline, Chen Yu let out a long breath, turned toward the bench, and pulled the trainer, Houston, aside.

Chen Yu wasn’t actually that concerned about the outcome of the game.

Chen Yu only cared about whether he had truly healed Hill, both physically and mentally.

"After the game, when you’re taking off the bandages and athletic tape from Hill’s ankle, pay attention to how I wrapped it. I did it that way based on the specific way his ankle exerts force. In future games, I want you to wrap it just like that."

"Also, for the post-game massage, I’ll email you the details and precautions later. I’ll give you some materials, too. You can learn about acupressure massage; it’s great for relaxing the muscles."

"I’ll give you my phone number too. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can call me anytime."

Chen Yu handed him a business card.

Houston took it, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Chen, does this mean you’re leaving?"

’This sounds like he’s settling his affairs before leaving for good.’

Chen Yu nodded.

’Hill is completely recovered, so there’s no longer any reason for me to stay in Orlando.’

Next, the focus should be on Hardaway.

Chen Yu planned to follow Hardaway to Phoenix.

The climate in Phoenix was more conducive to post-surgery recovery.

Houston murmured an "oh," his feelings a complex mix. He had gone from initially resisting Chen Yu, to fearing him, and now, watching Hill make such a healthy return to the court, he felt nothing but admiration deep down. He hoped that one day, he too could become a top-tier doctor like him.

So if Chen Yu were to stay, it would be the perfect opportunity for him to learn.

「On the court.」

In the final moments, Hill sank a turnaround jumper, extending the lead to four points and leaving the Nicks with only 6.2 seconds on the clock. The game was effectively over.

"Five for six from the field in a single quarter, plus free throws, for a total of 12 points! On top of that, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 0 turnovers to lead the Magic in a 13-point comeback victory over the Nicks! This is an absolute miracle—not just for Hill, but for the entire Magic team! They’ve actually defeated the Nicks, the second-best team in the East!"

Kevin Johnson shouted with excitement. Besides Jordan, he’d never seen another player return from injury and immediately have a performance like this.

On the court, the Magic players were celebrating wildly.

Hill turned and scanned the bench, looking for Chen Yu. He wanted to tell him, ’See? I told you I could win.’

But Hill didn’t see Chen Yu.

’He probably went back to the locker room already.’

Before he could think more about it, Hill was swarmed by a crowd of reporters.

Although McGrady had once again scored 31 points in this game,

Hill, with his 12 points in a single quarter to lead the comeback, was the true player of the game, having truly staged the return of a king.

After hugging Jordan goodbye and signing some autographs for a few Nicks fans, Hill, accompanied by the trainer, finally headed into the players’ tunnel.

Turning into the hallway, Hill looked up and saw Chen Yu.

Dressed in a trench coat, he was standing quietly in the corridor outside the locker room. For a moment, Hill felt a disorienting sense of déjà vu. It was in this same tunnel outside the locker room that he had met Chen Yu over two months ago.

"Congratulations, you won," Chen Yu said with a smile.

’That comment earlier really had a bit of Larry Bird’s flair.’

The joy on Hill’s face vanished, replaced by a furrowed brow. Being a smart man, he had already guessed what this meant.

"What’s with that look? Just focus on the game and don’t overthink it. Call me if you need anything. Right, and take care of yourself. I really don’t want to get a call from you one day and hear that you’re injured again."

Hill opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the words were caught in his throat, unable to come out.

Chen Yu didn’t give him a chance to say more. He turned and gave a casual wave.

"I’m off!"

In just a few steps, he disappeared down the end of the hallway.