Fast Ship Takes the Lead

Meanwhile, the Clippers' last-minute positional adjustment left Kenny Smith and Barkley in the TNT broadcast room somewhat puzzled.

"Old buddy, what do you make of Coach Alvin Gentry's decision here?"

Barkley thought for a moment, then said, "Kenny, well, based on last game's performance, Chen is a perfect candidate for off-ball play at the two-guard spot. Just like in that game against the Timberwolves, his performance proved it. If they beat the Timberwolves last time, it's no exaggeration to say it was all because of Chen's off-ball movement disrupting their formation."

Kenny Smith nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Alvin Gentry's choice here is a bit unwise."

A short while later, the Clippers Arena game against the Kings officially began.

Today, Li Chen wore the Clippers' number 16 jersey. As for the reason, it was a sort of tribute.

Center Michael Olowokandi and Kings center Divac jumped for the ball.

Michael Olowokandi got lucky and won the tip, and Li Chen, quick-handed, snatched it up.

The Kings set up a zone defense, and Li Chen dribbled to the frontcourt.

But at that moment, he felt a strange surprise—his vision seemed different from before.

He could clearly see the positions of his teammates on the court.

Was this the effect of the S-rank Skill? But the skill description didn't mention this!

Or did he have the potential to play the point guard position?

Just then, Elton Brand stepped up to set a screen for Li Chen.

Li Chen quickly shook off the chaotic thoughts in his mind and used Brand's screen to drive with the ball.

At that moment, Bibby, who had been blocked by Elton Brand, caught up and reached out to strip the ball from Li Chen.

Seeing this, Li Chen didn't hold onto the ball—he knew his dribbling wasn't great.

He flicked his wrist and lobbed the ball into the paint.

Right then, Michael Olowokandi leaped high, grabbed the ball with one hand, and slammed it viciously through the hoop.

After landing, he let out a roar to vent his excitement.

Excitement, indeed—because that pass from Li Chen was so smooth it gave him an exhilarating feeling.

Meanwhile, the fans in the stands erupted in cheers.

An alley-oop right at the start—how could they not be thrilled?

Michael Olowokandi walked over to Li Chen, extended his hand for a high-five, and said excitedly, "Chen, give me more passes like that one later. I really love that feeling."

Li Chen smiled and nodded, making an OK gesture.

Kings coach Adelman frowned slightly at the sight.

He had watched Li Chen's footage from yesterday—just a scorer. But today, his performance was like a completely different person, leaving him puzzled.

He wasn't the only one confused. Alvin Gentry could hardly believe it either. Li Chen's play just now was exactly what a top-tier point guard should show, both in execution and court vision.

On the way back on defense, Elton Brand trotted over and asked in surprise, "Damn, Chen, since when did your passing get so good?"

In Brand's mind, Li Chen was just a hardworking Eastern kid, but today that notion was shattered—this guy might be an outright genius.

Wait, could he really be worth that 4 million annual salary? Brand's thoughts wandered back to what Li Chen had said the day before.

Li Chen ignored Elton Brand because Bibby was already dribbling up the court.

Li Chen knew his defense was shaky and he had zero experience.

So, he could only play tight defense.

Seeing Li Chen try to stick close, Bibby leaned his body into Li Chen, then suddenly executed a half-turn and accelerated, blowing right past him.

Li Chen's mouth twitched. That move was way too smooth—you're making me look completely useless, he grumbled internally.

In desperation, he reached out to grab Bibby's jersey, but stopped himself just as his hand extended.

Then he could only watch helplessly as Bibby hit a jump shot.

Li Chen had a feeling—getting past him was as easy as boarding a bus. He realized he was trending toward becoming a defensive black hole.

In truth, when Bibby turned, Li Chen had a hunch, but his limited explosiveness meant he simply couldn't keep up with Bibby's speed.

At that moment, he silently resolved that after this game, he would definitely work on his sprinting.

On the transition, Michael Olowokandi grabbed the ball and, during the inbound, said to Li Chen, "Chen, do that again."

Li Chen was a bit speechless—alley-oops depended on the opportunity. But seeing Michael Olowokandi's eager little eyes, he could only force a smile and nod. "I'll try."

A short while later, Li Chen dribbled past half-court, and Bibby closed in again.

"Eastern kid, nice passing, but your defense really sucks," Bibby said as he defended.

As a foreigner with some Eastern blood, Bibby was naturally more amicable toward Easterners than others.

"No problem. As long as I score every possession, what's the point of defense?" Li Chen forced a boast.

Bibby was speechless. Then Li Chen suddenly made a shooting motion.

Bibby knew all about Li Chen's three-point ability, so he jumped straight up.

A faint smile played at the corners of Li Chen's lips as the basketball bounced straight through Bibby's legs, landing perfectly in the hands of Andre Miller, who was lurking in the corner.

When Andre Miller received Li Chen's pass, he was stunned—the feel of the ball was simply too good.

He had a feeling this shot was sure to go in. As his thoughts turned, he leaped high, and the old basketball arced gracefully through the air, dropping toward the center of the rim.

Swish! Nothing but net.

The shot went in, but Andre Miller showed no excitement—instead, a hint of melancholy crept in.

Truth be told, when Li Chen said he wanted to play point guard, Miller had kept silent, but inwardly he was dismissive.

Now, though, he was convinced. Li Chen's passing was more than twice as good as his own.

With Li Chen excelling so brilliantly at the point, where did that leave him, the original best candidate for the position?

And so, the two teams traded blows, launching into a scoring frenzy.

By the end of the first quarter, the score was 32 to 28, with the Clippers leading the Kings by four points—a result that Kings coach Adelman found hard to swallow.

Meanwhile, Alvin Gentry was somewhat astonished.

After all, in recent seasons, under Coach Adelman, the Kings had averaged over 100 points per game—this team was a textbook offensive powerhouse.

For such a team to lose to his Clippers in a first-quarter shootout—how could that not be surprising?

In the broadcast booth.

"The stats are out. My god, old friend, guess what unbelievable thing I'm seeing?"

Barkley feigned ignorance. "What?"

"Eighty percent of the Clippers' first-quarter baskets were connected to Li Chen from the East, and he already has ten assists in the first quarter. If the Clippers keep up their offensive efficiency over the next three quarters, Li Chen might break Skiles' single-game record of thirty assists tonight."

"Oh! No, no, no! Impossible, Kenny." Barkley shook his head, refusing to believe Li Chen could do it.

"Hahaha! Charles, how about we make a bet? I haven't been able to sleep since you didn't get to kiss that cow's ass last time."

Barkley: "..."