Wang Yi sat on the bench for a while.
His teammates suggested he head back to the locker room for a quick checkup.
But Wang Yi just shrugged and said, "Thanks, but there's no need. I feel a lot better. I'm in great shape!"
The team doctor: "..."
He'd been in such agony just a moment ago, and now he felt great?
The teammates around him all understood what was going on.
James in particular had flopped before, so he knew all the ins and outs.
A knowing smile appeared on his face as he patted Wang Yi on the shoulder.
"Way to go, brother!"
That was competitive sports for you: the result was all that mattered. As long as you didn't cross the line, you could do anything to win.
Everyone knew Miller had pushed Jordan when he hit that game-winner, but did it change the result?
The other teammates all breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as he wasn't hurt, that was what mattered.
After he had "shaken it off," Wang Yi went to the free-throw line.
He took four free throws.
His free-throw percentage was 88%.
He sank all four without a hitch.
Then the Lakers inbounded the ball again.
Wang Yi came off a screen and got the ball once more.
Crowder, who had recovered, chased after him too.
Wang Yi held the ball in both hands and looked Crowder in the eye.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Seeing Wang Yi's gaze and smile, Crowder could tell he was up to no good.
His heart tightened.
A chill rose from his lower body.
The sharp pain from a moment ago seemed to surge through him all over again.
He still tried to block Wang Yi, but he clearly didn't rush in as close.
It was more like he was just putting on a show of defense.
Wang Yi wasn't under the slightest pressure.
Swish!
The ball sailed over Crowder's head and dropped cleanly through the net.
Wang Yi's four free throws, plus that three-pointer.
He scored seven points in a single possession.
The lead ballooned to 33 points.
The Suns had no choice but to call another timeout.
There were only two minutes left in the third quarter.
During the timeout, Paul kept clapping his hands to fire up the Suns players.
He kept urging Booker on. "Devin, you have to step up! You're going to be the only leader of this team someday, so you have to step up!"
But the Suns had already lost their momentum.
Crowder especially had none of his earlier ferocity when he came back onto the court.
He seemed hesitant on defense.
And when defending Wang Yi, he didn't dare get too close.
It seemed that kick had left him with a psychological scar.
The Suns' fate was sealed.
The Lakers went on to win the game.
James finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Another near triple-double that would drive anyone with obsessive-compulsive disorder crazy.
He was the foundation of the team.
Whether the team won or lost, the Lakers needed his stats to give them a solid base.
But the Lakers' biggest hero that night was undoubtedly Wang Yi.
He came off the bench and played 26 minutes.
He racked up a double-double with 28 points and 10 blocks.
He went 7-for-10 from three, 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, and 1-for-1 on two-pointers.
His efficiency was downright terrifying.
His shooting from beyond the arc was especially impressive.
He was still proving that he was a reliable Three-point Shooter.
After the game, Paul didn't come over to shake hands with the Lakers players.
He turned and headed straight for the Player Tunnel.
He didn't even say goodbye to his good friend James.
It was understandable.
He was a fiercely competitive player.
After losing by 30 points, he naturally wasn't in the mood to shake hands.
I lost to you by 30. You were simply better than me today.
But you expect me to put on a show of shaking your hand and congratulating you?
I can't do it!
As usual, Wang Yi was the one interviewed after the game.
He answered the reporters' questions without leaving a single opening.
Back in the locker room, Wang Yi was about to take a shower.
But James called out to him.
"Wang, come try this."
Wang Yi asked, "What is it?"
"You'll see when we get there," James said.
Then he led Wang Yi to a door at the back of the locker room and opened it.
The other players watched them go, envy in their eyes.
Wang Yi followed James into the room behind the locker room.
Inside was a large, cylindrical tank, taller than a person.
Looking down into it, Wang Yi saw swirling mist and felt a biting chill.
He understood. "A Cryo Chamber!"
James smiled and nodded. "Give it a try."
A Cryo Chamber was what people usually meant when they talked about taking a liquid nitrogen bath.
After strenuous exercise, athletes could enter a Cryo Chamber and bathe in liquid nitrogen to ease fatigue and maintain muscle strength.
The extremely low temperature could also reduce inflammation in the body.
And the cold could even help keep viruses from taking hold in an athlete's body.
But because it cost a fortune—several million dollars a year—liquid nitrogen baths weren't common among NBA players.
Only a Superstar like James could afford his own Cryo Chamber.
Wang Yi stepped into the Cryo Chamber.
The temperature display beside it showed the numbers steadily dropping.
He felt a chill seep into his body.
But it wouldn't hurt him.
Liquid nitrogen could reach temperatures as low as minus 196 degrees Celsius, but the liquid nitrogen in the Cryo Chamber was professionally treated.
And it never came into direct contact with the athletes' skin.
After two minutes, Wang Yi stepped out of the Cryo Chamber and felt refreshed all over.
It was as if he hadn't just gone through more than twenty minutes of high-intensity play.
Of course, that was just how it felt.
After leaving the Cryo Chamber, Wang Yi took a bath.
As he soaked, James said, "Wang, come to the postgame press conference later."
Wang Yi didn't object.
"Got it," he said.
Not many players would turn down the chance to attend a postgame press conference.
Meanwhile, the Suns' postgame press conference was already underway.
Paul, Booker, and Crowder were there representing the Suns.
After they answered a few routine questions, a reporter asked Crowder:
"Crowder, during the game, you and Wang from the Lakers both fell to the floor. You hit him in the face, and he kicked you in the groin. The refs called a Flagrant 1 Foul on you. What do you have to say about that?"
Crowder shook his head. "No question, I was going for the ball and accidentally hit him in the face. But his move was obviously intentional. He plays dirty. He should've been ejected!"
He had gradually recovered by then, so he was back to running his mouth and spouting nonsense.
The reporter followed up:
"But in the footage, the ball was clearly well above your head. Your first reaction with both hands wasn't to reach up and block the ball. You swung straight at his face. A lot of people think you did it on purpose. How do you explain that?"
Crowder got angry and glared at the reporter.
"You're not me. How do you know what I was thinking?"
"That guy from the East clearly did it on purpose. Why don't you ask him?"
The reporter shook his head. "By your logic, you're not him either. How do you know he definitely did it on purpose?"
Crowder was at a loss for words. He snorted.
"I refuse to answer your question!"
With that, he stood up and stormed out.
Walking out of a press conference partway through was considered disrespectful to reporters in the NBA.
He could be fined.
But Crowder didn't care anymore.
Not long after they left, James and Wang Yi of the Lakers entered the room.
Before you continue