Hu Mingxuan used Raymond’s screen to cut toward the left 45° three-point line. Liao Sanning, inbounding from the sideline, delivered a precise pass to his hands. Australia’s star forward Cox tried desperately to contest, but Hu Mingxuan faked a step-back shot, deceiving him completely. In that instant, Hu had the perfect opportunity to release the shot. The game clock was ticking down toward under one second, and the score was 89-90—China trailing by just one point. Hu Mingxuan, a guard who had hit 5 of 6 three-pointers in the game, was attempting his seventh three-point shot. Time seemed to freeze on the court. Fans in the King Abdullah Sports City arena in Saudi Arabia held their breath, eyes fixed on the flying ball. Had it followed the most thrilling script, the ball would have swished through the hoop—or at least clanged off the rim in dramatic fashion, like Leonard’s Game 7 series-winning shot against the 76ers in 2019, or Haliburton’s clutch equalizer against the Knicks i...