G6 Begins (Two-in-One)

Li Chen shook his head with a wry smile.

Seeing this, Wang Zhizhi's heart sank. He never expected that Li Chen would be unwilling to help him with this favor.

"Brother Zhizhi, I think you know them better than I do. Do you really think my words carry any weight?"

Upon hearing Li Chen's question, Wang Zhizhi was startled. Indeed, did Li Chen's words really carry weight? The Answer was no.

You know, he just wanted to play in the Summer League to continue his NBA experience and hone his skills; he wasn't refusing to participate. But they fired him without explanation. Sigh!

Thinking of this, he said somewhat dejectedly, "I was just being presumptuous."

Seeing Wang Zhizhi's dejected look, Li Chen didn't know how to comfort him.

May 30, evening, Staples Center.

As the last rays of the sun sank below the horizon.

The Staples Center, bathed in dazzling neon lights, attracts the attention of countless basketball fans.

Under the bright lights, the entire venue was illuminated.

The seats were filled with excited fans, holding signs and team flags, cheering for the Clippers.

The flashing lights illuminated the entire stadium, making the orange court lines clearly visible.

The Clippers and Spurs players are warming up on the court, their movements agile and coordinated, like a group of cheetahs dancing.

Clippers fans cheered and encouraged their team.

Because today is a good day, as it marks the first time in Clippers history that they have entered the championship race.

And they were the witnesses, witnessing the Clippers' glorious beginning.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"Oh my God! The atmosphere at Staples Center is absolutely electric today," Barkley exclaimed.

"Yes, Charles, I understand. As a Clippers fan, nobody can understand how they feel right now."

"No, no, no! I understand, because I've been completely captivated by that Eastern Kid's skills. I've become his fan."

"Yes, his performance was truly outstanding. His unstoppable Pull-up Jumper captivated the media, and even the betting companies were won over."

"Hahaha! Last time, Li Chen caused the gambling companies quite a loss, but this time they've learned their lesson."

"Yes!" Smith then changed the subject, adding, "However, many fans still have faith in the Spurs, believing that Champion Godfather Popovich can turn the tide."

"Oh? So the Clippers lost, and they're going to lose a lot of money again?" Barkley said with a sly grin.

Kenny Smith nodded and said, "Nothing is absolute. Since Popovich of the Spurs confidently told the media that they are confident of defeating the Clippers, they must have a way to contain Li Chen's performance."

"Based on the results of the first two games, if the Spurs can keep Li Chen's score below 30 points, they have an 80% chance of winning this game," Kenny Smith added.

Barkley nodded, then said, "Now that you mention it, I'm actually looking forward to the Spurs' performance."

"Oh! Charles, you're a fan of Li Chen! How could you think that?"

"Kenny, I did say I'm a fan of Chen, but I'm not a Clippers fan, so in a sense, there's no betrayal, hahaha!"

Kenny Smith "..."

A moment later, "Let's take a look at the starting lineups for both sides."

First up is the Spurs, whose starting lineup remains almost unchanged.

Parker (Point Guard)

Bowen (Shooting Guard)

Stephen Jackson (Small Forward)

Duncan (Power Forward)

Robinson (center)

However, the Clippers' starting lineup has undergone significant changes.

Andre Miller (Point Guard)

Li Chen (Shooting Guard)

Corey Maggette (Small Forward)

Elton Brand (Power Forward)

Wang Zhizhi (Center)

"The Clippers surprisingly fielded an offensive-oriented lineup for this game. Alvin Gentry's starting lineup is quite unpredictable. Let's see what's so clever about this lineup."

"That's not important!" Barkley chuckled slyly.

Kenny Smith was surprised, wondering what profound insights his old friend had to offer this time.

So he asked, "Charles, what's your opinion?"

"Kenny, look, Chen's girlfriend Avril is here to support him, how can he lose? Oh, and look, Britney Spears is here too, wow!"

Kenny Smith smiled helplessly.

"Hey! Kenny, don't you believe me? How about we make a bet?" Barkley said with a sly grin.

Kenny Smith was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected Barkley to be waiting for him there.

"Charles, please don't compare my IQ to that of a donkey whose IQ plummeted after you kissed me, thank you."

Barkley "..."

At the same time, Li Chen also saw Avril waving at him.

Today, Avril wore Li Chen's number 16 jersey. She had jet-black hair, as black and shiny as black pearls.

Her bright eyes, like two stars, were outlined with thick black eyeliner, creating a deep and captivating look.

Her thick eyelashes fluttered gently like feathers, as if telling endless stories.

Avril's face is full of bright energy; her smile can light up the entire arena.

Her lips had a natural rosy color, as if they had been gently caressed by pink roses.

Li Chen walked over to greet her, at which point Avril suddenly hugged Li Chen.

This hug left Li Chen's mouth dry and his heart racing; the words he was about to utter simply wouldn't come out.

Avril's initiative left him somewhat bewildered.

Just then, Li Chen saw Britney Spears smiling and waving at him from the seat next to Avril.

Seeing this, Li Chen suddenly realized that he had benefited from the jealousy and rivalry.

At this moment, Avril teased in a low voice, "Hey, hey, hey! That's very impolite!"

Li Chen blushed deeply and complained in a low voice, "Don't try to frame me first. You were the one who seduced me."

"Tch, even if we go to court, the judge will believe me, not you."

Li Chen: "..."

A moment later, Li Chen fled in panic.

Just then, Avril's distinctive voice came from behind him, "Honey, keep going, you're the best."

Li Chen waved his hand without turning his head to indicate that he had heard.

The competition officially began shortly afterward.

Duncan won the jump ball with a significant advantage.

At the same time, the random S-rank Skill of this match was once again presented to Li Chen.

When Li Chen saw this S-skill, his lips twitched.

He really wanted to ask the system if he could skip this random S-skill.

This S-rank Skill is called [Causality].

[Causality: The host has an 85% chance of making the basket with each shot, but it requires more stamina.]

This is clearly similar to Pull-up Jumper, but it consumes significantly more energy.

Li Chen roughly understood why this skill was called [Causality].

This is similar to him entering a space and continuously repeating the same shooting motion, with the amount of energy consumed determined by the number of repetitions.

Although it seems that this S-rank Skill has a higher hit rate Pull-up Jumper shot.

However, Li Chen knew that this S-rank Skill was definitely not comparable to an S+ skill.

He doesn't yet know exactly what the differences are between the two.

With this skill, he chose to equip more defensive skills for this game, so he selected [Assist Master], [Iron Wall and Bronze Barrier], [Prohibit Flight], [Rebounding Monster], and [Pick and Roll King].

He chose five support and defensive skills. Although these skills were of low level, combined with his physical attributes, they could still achieve good results even at low levels.

Thinking of this, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Li Chen's lips.

Parker drove to the basket and scored a layup, giving his team a winning start.

0 to 2.

A short while later, Li Chen received the ball and was once again double-teamed by Stephen Jackson and Bowen.

The two defenders were very aggressive, and they were practically glued to Li Chen, with their hands raised high, preventing him from having any space to shoot.

This kind of defense made things difficult for Li Chen.

"Popovich, is this your strategy?" Li Chen thought to himself.

But...

Li Chen suddenly passed the ball to Elton Brand, then used his speed to shake off the two players and appeared at a near-zero angle.

At that moment, Elton Brand made a perfectly timed pass back to Li Chen.

Li Chen leaped high into the air, holding a basketball in his hands.

Swish! The basketball, as if equipped with a tracking device, fell into the Nets with perfect accuracy.

3 to 2.

Popovich frowned, feeling somewhat exhausted. His plan had been half successful, and his tactics had indeed caused Li Chen a great deal of trouble, but Li Chen's Defensive Ability was too strong.

He then fell into deep thought.

Parker dribbled the ball while observing his teammates' positions.

At that moment, Andre Miller kept a close eye on Parker's movements.

Although the game had only been going on for less than a minute, a tense atmosphere filled the court, because the Spurs had no way out. They had been pushed to the brink by the Clippers and had no choice but to give it their all.

At that moment, the Spurs' French Pocket Rocket, Parker, suddenly unleashed his fangs, accelerating like a cheetah charging towards the basket.

Andre Miller's task today was to limit Parker's offensive ability, and he did not hesitate to accept Parker's challenge.

Parker swiftly cut in from beyond the three-point line, passing through the defense like lightning.

He dribbled the ball skillfully, each step full of power and speed.

Andre Miller watched Parker's every move closely, trying to find a weakness in his attack.

However, Parker, nicknamed the French Pocket Rocket, possesses agile movements and excellent ball-handling skills, making him difficult to stop.

His momentum as he drove towards the basket grew stronger and stronger, as if he were a sports car speeding along at breakneck speed.

Despite Andre Miller's best efforts to keep up, he was never able to completely stop Parker's drives.

Parker skillfully evaded Andre Miller's defense by maneuvering his body.

In the blink of an eye, Andre Miller was left a body length behind by Parker, and then he calmly went for a layup.

It was too fast, that was all Andre Miller could feel. It was too late for him to block Parker's layup.

Just as Andre Miller watched Parker calmly score, a figure came into view.

In that instant, Li Chen dashed to the basket like lightning. He exerted force with his feet, his powerful legs suddenly bursting into the air, propelling his entire body into the air.

The camera freezes, and time seems to stand still for a moment. Parker and Li Chen's eyes meet.

The moment their eyes met, Parker felt as if he were being looked down upon by a king. He had a feeling that this shot might be blocked, a feeling that was both ethereal and so real.

At the same time, the entire stadium seemed to fall silent. The spectators held their breath, as if they could hear each other's heartbeats.

Just then, the basketball in Parker's hands finally flew out of his grasp.

Li Chen was like an experienced and patient hunter, waiting for his prey to arrive.

Thud! The basketball was slapped out of bounds.

The next moment, deafening applause and cheers erupted in the Staples Center.

"Oh my God! Parker is so pitiful," Barkley said sympathetically.

"Yes! Look at the slow motion, Li Chen is like a seasoned old hunter, waiting for Parker to come to him. That's the difference in physical talent."

At that moment, a unified shout of a single word echoed throughout the Staples Center.

Captain... Captain... Captain...

Yes, that's the nickname they gave Li Chen.

Although Li Chen appeared calm on the surface, he was inwardly very excited.

"Hahaha! That voice is truly mesmerizing!" Barkley exclaimed.

"Yes! Li Chen has gained the fans' recognition, which is truly remarkable for an Asian. However, he did it, and I sincerely hope he can go even further."

And so, the first half ended.

The Clippers lead the Spurs 56-50.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"Haha! That old fox Popovich miscalculated," Barkley laughed gleefully.

Kenny Smith nodded and said, "Although the Spurs suppressed Li Chen's offensive ability to some extent, his passing was phenomenal. Every pass he made turned into a scoring opportunity, which was ultimately the main reason the Spurs lost the first half."

"Kenny, I have to admire Li Chen. Despite facing the Spurs' tight defense on offense, he displayed exceptional court vision, passing skills, and judgment. He was able to accurately find open teammates, pass the ball to them, and help them score easily."

"That's right. Whether it's a through ball or a lateral pass, Li Chen can get the ball to his teammates. Most importantly, this kid's passing seems to have magic; 70% of his passes are accurate."

"Haha! Kenny, are you trying to say he's a modern-day Magic?"

Kenny Smith nodded, then countered, "Charles, doesn't Chen's performance today deserve that title?"

"Hey! You know I'm a fan of Li Chen!"

Kenny Smith chuckled and shook his head, jokingly saying, "Perhaps the saddest thing for Li Chen is having a big-mouthed fan like you."

Then, ignoring Barkley's complaints, he continued, "If the Spurs can't solve Li Chen's passing threat in the second half, I'm certain the Spurs will be upset by the Clippers, this dark horse."

At this point, Barkley asked again, "Kenny, have you noticed?"

"What?" Kenny Smith asked, feigning ignorance.

"Besides passing, Li Chen also played a crucial role in rebounding and defense. His incredible physical gifts put immense pressure on the Spurs in rebounding and defense. Whether protecting the rim or not, Li Chen demonstrated outstanding Defensive Ability. He's practically a Hexagonal Warrior."

"Kenny, I don't know how the Spurs contain those hot-blooded lads who get excited just because their girlfriends are around."

Kenny Smith "..."