Los Angeles on Christmas Eve

Next, the Lakers attacked, and Kobe's turnaround jump shot went in.

90 to 77.

The countdown has 67 seconds left.

After Kobe scored, he glanced triumphantly at Li Chen, as if to say, "See? That's real skill." Then, he turned and ran towards the team's frontcourt with a smug look on his face.

Li Chen curled his lip, thinking to himself, "The Little Blacksmith got cocky after scoring a few goals."

Li Chen quickly passed the ball to Korver.

Korver's explosive burst of energy lasted only a minute—time is precious!

Then, Li Chen sprinted towards the front of the field.

At this point, the petty Kobe was still holding a grudge about the shot Korver had just given him in the face.

He was determined to teach this rookie a lesson this time.

But at that moment, Kobe's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

Korver took a decisive shot from two steps out of midcourt.

Swish! The basketball goes through the net cleanly.

90 to 80.

A cheer erupted from the Staples Center.

This scene left Kobe speechless.

At this moment, Li Chen patted Kobe on the shoulder smugly and said, "How about it? This little brother of yours is pretty good, isn't he?"

At this moment, Kobe finally came to his senses, pursed his lips, and said stubbornly, "It's not bad, but it's just that I was a little lucky." As he spoke, he ran towards his team's frontcourt.

Li Chen walked alongside him, then teased, "Tch, haven't you heard the saying?"

Kobe turned to look at Li Chen beside him.

At this moment, Li Chen said jokingly, "Luck is also part of strength. Unlike someone who keeps running into problems all year. The most interesting thing is that he wanted to be a good guy, but ended up getting framed. Tsk tsk! Nobody else can compare."

At that moment, Kobe's heart was struck by a devastating blow, and he felt an urge to fight Li Chen to the death.

Kobe said expressionlessly, "I've already thought of my birthday wish for next year?"

Li Chen was taken aback by Kobe's sudden words, and he looked at Kobe with a puzzled expression.

At that moment, Kobe gritted his teeth and said, "I pray to God to shut your damn mouth."

Li Chen: "..."

Meanwhile, Phil Jackson substituted Payton and Fisher, giving them a few more minutes of rest. Then, in the fourth quarter, he continued to double-team Li Chen.

Phil Jackson substituted Madsen and Rush.

Although the two seemed to have Li Chen under control, they also paid a heavy price.

Payton down in a chair as soon as he came off the field, panting heavily.

After all, Payton is already 35 years old, and his physical strength can't compare to that of Li Chen, a 21-year-old young man. Besides, Li Chen is a cheat code.

On the field.

Kobe raises his hand to ask for the ball.

The Point Guard, Sh, obediently passed the basketball to Kobe.

Kobe continued with his pull-up fadeaway jumper; although this was the only move Kobe ever used, it was truly unstoppable.

But...

Thump! The basketball slammed against the rim and bounced high into the air; O'Neal couldn't catch the rebound.

Corey Maggette, positioned on the perimeter, managed to grab the precious rebound.

At the same time, Li Chen looked at Kobe and sincerely said, "Congratulations, Kobe, you've finally found yourself." After saying that, Li Chen ran away.

Kobe "..."

Kobe was furious and growled, "Kid, don't run away, I'll teach you a lesson!" Kobe was absolutely livid.

A moment later, Li Chen received the ball.

After Payton went to the bench to rest, the task of guarding Li Chen fell to Kobe again.

Kobe was truly disregarding the physical exertion, giving his all to defend Li Chen.

While engaging Kobe, Li Chen kept an eye on his teammates' positions.

At this moment, seeing that Li Chen couldn't shake off Kobe's entanglement for a while, Wang Zhizhi took the initiative to come over and set a screen for Li Chen.

Li Chen caught the screen and shook off Kobe, but Kobe is Kobe. In the next moment, he quickly bypassed Wang Zhizhi and caught up with Li Chen in the blink of an eye.

Just as Kobe caught up, he decisively passed the ball back to Wang Zhizhi.

Wang Zhizhi also acted decisively.

Swish! A three-pointer sank in.

The Clippers narrowed the gap to single digits, now trailing 90-83.

There are 40 seconds left.

Lakers on offense.

Rush handed the ball to O'Neal before Kobe could ask for it, which displeased Kobe.

Despite his massive size, O'Neal was surprisingly agile. He skillfully managed to throw the ball out even when double-teamed by Elton Brand and Wang Zhizhi.

But at that moment, Wang Zhizhi leaped high, and although he didn't block O'Neal's shot, Wang Zhizhi fingertips grazed the basketball.

O'Neal was somewhat surprised to see this.

The basketball bounced off the rim and went out of bounds.

Meanwhile, O'Neal, Elton Wang Zhizhi, and Elton Brand all jumped up to fight for the rebound, with Wang Zhizhi ultimately securing it.

This scene surprised O'Neal once again. How could this Asian man suddenly be so assertive? This really surprised him.

Seeing this, Li Chen's eyes lit up; the stimulant buff had been triggered.

Li Chen certainly wouldn't miss such a good opportunity to counterattack.

At this moment, Wang Zhizhi passed the ball to Li Chen.

After receiving the pass, Li Chen sprinted quickly towards his team's attacking third.

But how could Kobe let Li Chen succeed?

He caught up with Li Chen in the blink of an eye, like a bolt of lightning.

As the two approached the free-throw line, Li Chen suddenly stopped, the screeching sound of his shoes rubbing against the floor ringing out.

Li Chen's actions truly caught Kobe off guard.

Although Li Chen's actions were completely unexpected, he reacted quickly and immediately stopped and assumed a defensive stance.

At this moment, Li Chen twisted his body, shoulders, and arms, his eyes and movements working in perfect unison to deceive Kobe's center of gravity.

As Kobe followed Li Chen's movements, he kept moving his feet and tried to predict Li Chen's next move.

At that moment, Kobe's expression changed. His center of gravity had been tricked; he knew he was in trouble. However, how could Kobe willingly let Li Chen get past him?

He reached for Li Chen's jersey, attempting to foul and stop Li Chen's attack.

However, Li Chen was too fast, and he missed.

He watched helplessly as Li Chen broke through his defense like a gust of wind.

Kobe could only watch as the basketball was slammed into the hoop with a thud.

90 to 85.

There were 35 seconds left in the third quarter.

Clippers fans erupted in thunderous applause, cheering for Li Chen's outstanding performance.

But the cheers were quickly replaced by even louder boos.

After landing, Li Chen winked at Kobe and said, "How was it? Not bad, right?"

"Barely! But if I fouled, you wouldn't have been able to score at all."

Li Chen pursed his lips, thinking to himself, "You're so stubborn. You fouled, but I might still manage a 2+1."

Lakers on offense.

Kobe, being a fiercely competitive individual, would certainly retaliate.

Kobe still opted for his signature pull-up fadeaway jumper.

Swish! The basketball goes through the net cleanly.

The Clippers were still down by seven points, 92 to 85.

There are 20 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Clippers are on offense.

Wang Zhizhi was very excited at this moment. Li Chen knew that the doping effect was still active, but he estimated that there weren't many seconds left.

After thinking about it, he decided not to press the time limit and let Wang Zhizhi have a chance to perform.

So he passed the ball to Wang Zhizhi under the basket.

At this moment, O'Neal was in front of Wang Zhizhi, now under the influence of doping, was extremely aggressive and not afraid of the league's top center at all.

Wang Zhizhi held the ball with his back to O'Neal, his body glued to O'Neal, constantly shifting his footwork to deceive O'Neal's center of gravity.

Just then, Wang Zhizhi suddenly turned around and then executed Duncan's signature 45-degree backboard shot.

Thud! Swish! The basketball goes through the net.

92 to 87.

There are 11 seconds left in the third quarter.

O'Neal was truly surprised this time.

"Brother Zhizhi, that was beautiful."

Wang Zhizhi smiled shyly.

The third quarter ended with Kobe missing a shot on the final possession.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"I have to admit, the Clippers' ability to close the gap is really strong. In the last 90 seconds, they went from being down by 17 points to being down by 5 points," Kenny Smith exclaimed.

"Haha! But my idol didn't have a good time in the third quarter, he barely got any shot attempts," Barkley chuckled.

Kenny Smith nodded and said, "However, Li Chen is still a formidable threat even without shooting, and that's with Malone not on the court. If Malone were on the court, the Clippers would likely be even stronger."

"Also, the Clippers still have a chance to win this game. After all, they often play very well in the fourth quarter. If the Lakers can't withstand the Clippers' onslaught, they might really lose this game."

Barkley nodded, then said, "Kenny, how about we make a bet?"

Kenny Smith smiled slightly and said, "I'm very sorry, Charles, my old friend, I've quit gambling."

Barkley "..."

The fourth quarter then began.

Li Chen said to his teammates, "It's the fourth quarter now, we can win the game."

"Haha! Of course." Elton Brand said confidently.

Li Chen replenished his energy once again in order to defeat the Lakers, so he was full of confidence.

Li Chen opened the game with a three-pointer over Payton, drawing Payton's fifth foul in the process.

Payton felt dominated again; he simply couldn't handle this unreasonable jump shot.

92 to 90.

Kobe's pull-up jumper missed.

O'Neal grabbed the rebound and scored with a powerful drive past Wang Zhizhi.

94 to 90.

Although O'Neal's dominance is not what it used to be, he is still All-Star Player and not Wang Zhizhi can stop.

Li Chen used Wang Zhizhi's screen to break through Payton and Fisher's double-team and drive to the basket.

However, he fell to the ground during a collision with O'Neal under the basket, drawing O'Neal's fifth foul, and at the same time, his [Miracle Shot] skill was triggered, resulting in a 2+1 play.

O'Neal slapped his forehead, once again feeling the helplessness of being dominated by Li Chen's luck.

"Fuck you, I don't like this feeling," O'Neal complained.

Li Chen was pulled up by Elton Brand, and then he rubbed his chest. That fat bastard hadn't held back at all, and had made him wince.

"Are you alright?" Elton Brand asked with concern.

Li Chen shook his head to indicate that he was fine.

Li Chen stretched his arms and then caught the basketball that the referee had tossed to him.

Thump! The basketball hit the rim, but reluctantly, it still fell into the Nets.

94 to 93.

Seeing Li Chen dominate, Kobe, who had watched Li Chen grow up, certainly couldn't fall behind.

He continued with a sudden stop and fadeaway jump shot.

Thump! The basketball bounced off the rim and was ultimately rebounded by Elton Brand.

Before Li Chen could speak, Kobe coldly said, "Shut your damn mouth."

Before Li Chen could speak, he ran towards the Clippers' frontcourt.

Li Chen rubbed his nose, thinking that he hadn't meant to say anything!

A moment later, Li Chen broke free of Payton's defense. At this moment, Payton was truly old; the Glove that once made Jordan uncomfortable could no longer restrain the tiger-like Li Chen.

Li Chen Pull-up Jumper.

Payton could only silently pray that Li Chen's shot would miss.

Swish! The basketball goes through the net cleanly.

Payton's prayers were unsuccessful.

The Clippers rallied to take a 94-96 lead, showcasing their powerful fourth-quarter offense.

Next, the OK Combination took turns scoring, showcasing their excellent skills and their resilience as a three-time champion team.

They kept the score close, making the game a stalemate.

Both teams' players were giving their all to seize every scoring opportunity.

The atmosphere of the match was tense and exciting, and the fans were all captivated by this thrilling duel.

Without a doubt, this match will be a challenging and suspenseful contest.

The Clippers have shown the strength of last season's Western Conference champions.

Both teams are hoping to win this closely contested match.

However, at this crucial moment, O'Neal fouled out, tilting the scales of victory in the Clippers' favor.

Seeing this, Phil Jackson knew they were going to lose.

Without O'Neal establishing dominance in the paint, the Lakers are essentially half-dead.

He cursed Li Chen inwardly, thinking, "What a cunning little fox!"

It turned out that Li Chen kept attacking the basket and was battling against O'Neal already had five fouls.

After several attempts, Li Chen finally succeeded in getting O'Neal off the court.

With no one to clean up Kobe's mess, the Clippers quickly pulled away in the score.

By the time Kobe regained his touch, time was running out.

The Clippers ultimately won the Christmas Day game 110-103.

After the game, Li Chen said goodbye to Michael Jackson and then began the handshake ceremony with the Lakers.

When Li Chen shook hands with Kobe, he grinned mischievously and said, "Kobe, don't forget our bet."

Kobe replied expressionlessly, "Don't worry, I won't go back on my word."

But his heart was bleeding, wondering if he had sold his own son.

Meanwhile, the fans in the arena applauded both teams. Although the Lakers lost, they thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas Day game.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"What a fantastic Christmas Day game! If Chen hadn't taken O'Neal off the court, the outcome probably wouldn't have been decided until the very last second," Barkley remarked.

"Yes, Charles, it was a great Christmas battle."

At this point, he suddenly changed the subject, saying, "The Christmas Day game between the Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic was equally intense; they've already gone into overtime."

"Oh? How many points did LeBron score?" Barkley asked.

With 30 seconds left in the game, LeBron's stats are: 34 points on 13-of-28 shooting, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4-of-10 from three-point range.

"LeBron went into overtime but failed to score a single point."

"Tsk tsk tsk! Good heavens, this is pure score-farming!" Barkley said disdainfully.

He then urged, "Kenny, quickly check how many points my idol scored in this game!"

Kenny Smith smiled slightly and said, "Guess?"

Barkley shrugged and said, "I guess...100."

Kenny Smith "..."

Kobe played 45 minutes, shooting 12-for-26, scoring 30 points, 6 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 1-for-2 from three-point range, and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.

O'Neal played 41 minutes, shooting 7-for-15 for 6 points, 2 assists, 12 rebounds, and 12-for-18 from the free-throw line.

Payton played 40 minutes, shooting 5-for-12 from the field, scoring 7 points and dishing out 7 assists, including 0-for-1 from three-point range and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.

"I have to say the Lakers played pretty well today, but unfortunately they still lost in the end."

"Hey, hey, hey! Kenny, tell me my idol's stats!" Barkley asked impatiently.

"Haha! Charles, don't rush, you have to eat pizza one bite at a time, or you'll choke."

After making a sarcastic remark about Barkley, Smith said, "Let's take a look at the stats of the other Clippers players."

"Kenny, are you doing this on purpose?" Barkley asked, feigning anger.

Kenny Smith shrugged and continued on his own.

Elton Brand shot 6-for-12, scoring 18 points and grabbing 6 rebounds, while shooting 6-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Wang Zhizhi, 7 of 14 field goals, 18 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 of 3 three-pointers, 2 of 2 free throws.

Korver scored 13 points, shooting 4-for-9 from three-point range and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line.

Li Chen played 46 minutes, shooting 11-for-20, scoring 35 points and dishing out 15 assists, including 6-for-7 from three-point range and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.

"Haha! No wonder he's Barkley's idol. His stats completely crushed LeBron again. I wonder how LeBron will feel if he knew he lost to Chen again?"

Kenny Smith was somewhat helpless.

After attending the post-race press conference, Li Chen drove his Land Rover Range Rover home.

Meanwhile, Little Emperor James was very happy tonight because he scored a season-high 34 points. Although he missed by one point in the final overtime, it was still enough, as Li Chen has rarely scored more than 34 points this season.

After the game ended, his first question was about the conclusion of the Lakers vs. Clippers game.

When he heard that the Clippers had defeated the Lakers 110-103, he had a bad feeling, but he still held onto a sliver of hope, telling himself that winning the game didn't mean Li Chen's stats could surpass his own.

However, when James learned about Li Chen's data, he had a question he didn't know whether he should say or not.

That's outrageous! He actually scored a point more than him. For a moment, he even wondered if Li Chen was deliberately humiliating him.

But the next moment, he felt that this wasn't bad either. Although he scored one point less than Li Chen, he was only a first-year student, and he was sure his stats would be better than Li Chen's when he was a second-year student. He comforted himself with this thought.

But when you see Li Chen's stats: 11 of 20 shots made, 35 points, 15 assists, 6 of 7 three-pointers, and 7 of 8 free throws...

As he reflected on his stats, a bitter feeling welled up inside him. At that moment, Emperor Zhan felt a sense of tragic indignation, like the proverb "Why did Heaven create both Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang?" Of course, this would require Emperor Zhan to know about these two famous figures from the East.

On the streets of Los Angeles at midnight on Christmas Day, Li Chen felt a mysterious yet warm atmosphere.

The entire city was bathed in magnificent Christmas lights.

He drove along the busy streets, the buildings on both sides were decorated in a dazzling array of colors, and bright lights adorned every building and shop.

The towering Christmas tree stands tall and magnificent, adorned with dazzling decorations and twinkling lights.

People dressed in beautiful Christmas costumes, smiling, strolled through the streets.

Some people dressed up as Santa Claus, carrying bags of gifts, and handed out Christmas presents to passing children.

Some people walked hand in hand, enjoying the romantic holiday atmosphere.

Beautiful Christmas music played softly from the loudspeakers on the street corner, soothing people's souls.

The cheerful rhythm brought laughter and lively steps to people's faces.

Through the stars dotting the night sky, you can see vendors setting up stalls on the street, selling various Christmas ornaments and handicrafts.

Their stalls were filled with colorful Christmas hats, stockings, snowflake-themed toys, and exquisite souvenirs.

Li Chen unconsciously slowed down the car, appreciating the beautiful scenery presented by this special night in a foreign land.

Li Chen looked at the bustling street scene, which resembled a series of shimmering paintings.

At midnight on Christmas Day, the streets of Los Angeles were filled with joy and warmth.

People gather together to celebrate this special season, sharing love and blessings with one another.

This heartwarming scene saddened Li Chen, because he thought about the Spring Festival in his own country in the future, but there was no warmth at all, only comparison and boasting.

At the same time, he felt lonely in a foreign land. At that moment, he really wanted to call his parents back home, but he didn't know what to say.

Li Chen shook his head helplessly, shaking off his complicated thoughts.

A moment later, he accelerated and stopped lingering. In the blink of an eye, the last red light of the taillights disappeared into the darkness.

Half an hour later, Li Chen parked the car.

"Chen, Merry Christmas."

"Uncle Tom, Merry Christmas!" Li Chen replied with a smile.

"Hahaha! Chen, you did a fantastic job today! We're all so proud of you!"

Li Chen scratched his head and said, "Thank you!"

A short while later, I said goodbye to Uncle Tom.

Uncle Tom was also a tenant, and he said he was Mexican.

"Oh! My dear basketball superstar, welcome back."

At this moment, a meticulously groomed, blond middle-aged man exaggeratedly said...

This person was none other than Li Chen's landlord. He was a sports fan, but he was Lakers fan.

However, this guy is a bit stingy. Although he claims to be a Lakers fan, he has never been to a Lakers game at the Staples Center.

But he always brags to his neighbors that he just came back from watching a game at Staples Center.

Li Chen joked, "Mr. Claes, did you just come back from the Staples Center?"

Klass nodded and said, "Not bad." Then, changing the subject, he winked at Li Chen and said, "Chen, you'd better do your best!"

Li Chen was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Mr. Claas, what do you mean by that?"

"Hehe! It's a secret!" Klass said mysteriously.

A moment later, Li Chen went upstairs, completely bewildered.

But the moment he opened the door, he was dumbfounded.

The entire living room was filled with the Christmas atmosphere.

The Christmas tree was beautifully decorated, with golden lights illuminating the entire room and glittering ornaments hanging from its green leaves.

On the dining table, there was an exquisite Christmas-themed tableware set, with adorable snowmen painted on the plates and glasses filled with blood-red wine.

A burning scented candle in the center of the table emits a warm fragrance, filling the room with festive joy and romance.

"Merry Christmas!" Just then, a nasty voice rang out.

When Li Chen looked at the pretty blonde woman, he felt a warm feeling in his heart. In this foreign land, he felt the warmth of home.