Chapter 160
"Dear viewers, today we will be bringing you a game from the first round of the Playoffs, where the Clippers will host the Rockets."
As he spoke, he pointed to Zhang Weiping beside him and introduced him, "This is your old friend, Zhang Weiping, Coach Zhang."
Zhang Weiping nodded calmly.
Immediately afterwards, Sun Zhengping said with a smile, "This match can be called a domestic derby."
"Now it all depends on whether Da Yao's Rockets can secure a victory against the Clippers," Zhang Weiping added.
"Coach Zhang is right; the gap between the two teams is simply too large."
"Alright, let's take a look at the starting lineups for both teams."
First, let's take a look at the Rockets' starting lineup.
Steve Francis (Point Guard)
Jim Jackson (Shooting Guard)
Cuttino Mobley (Small Forward)
Kelvin Cato (Power Forward)
Wow! I didn't expect the Rockets to field a lineup with two centers and three guards in this game!
"Is Coach Van Gundy trying to suppress Malone, control the rebounds, and then have Li Chen score from the outside? I have to say, Van Gundy does have some skills."
"It's no use, the Clippers' shooters are too strong, especially that rookie Korver. Once he gets going, his three-pointers are really accurate. Also, Da Zhi can shoot threes. Brand and Corey Maggette can both shoot, and they're pretty good at it too."
Sun Zhengping was speechless. Coach Zhang, haven't you just killed the conversation?
Sun Zhengping then suppressed his complaints and continued, "Next, let's take a look at the Clippers' starting lineup."
Li Chen (Point Guard)
Korver (Shooting Guard)
Corey Maggette (Small Forward)
Karl Malone (Power Forward)
Wang Zhizhi (Center)
"Huh! I didn't expect Da Zhi to start."
It seems Alvin Gentry has his eye on Da Zhi's three-point shooting.
Meanwhile, Li Chen's random S-rank Skill in this match is [Steal Master]. Upon seeing this skill Li Chen's lips curled up slightly.
He'd already missed out on this skill twice; he couldn't afford to miss it this time.
He then began equipping the skills [Unrestrained], [Pull-up Jumper], [Assist Master], [Fancy], and [Divine Shooter].
In the first Clippers, to counter the Rockets' twin-tower strategy, the Clippers' Alvin Gentry increased the pace of their offense in an attempt to wear down Yao Ming and Cato.
The Clippers displayed their offensive prowess from the start of the game.
They used their rapid advance, and Li Chen quickly sent the ball into the opponent's penalty area.
Led by Li Chen and Karl Malone, the Clippers displayed unparalleled teamwork and chemistry on the offensive end.
They looked for opportunities beyond the three-point line, constantly threatening the Rockets with quick passes and high-quality shots.
Malone, in particular, put immense pressure on the Rockets' defense with his strong performance in the paint after he started using performance-enhancing drugs.
Even Yao Ming and Cato combined couldn't stop them.
Although the Rockets couldn't handle the Clippers' defense, but...
They are by no means weak in terms of offense.
They centered their offense around Steve Francis, who displayed formidable offensive prowess.
Francis's quick drives and Yao Ming's pick-and-rolls repeatedly launched powerful attacks on the Clippers' interior.
Despite facing the Clippers' tight 2-3 Zone Defense, the Rockets were still able to find openings and scoring opportunities through precise teamwork and flexible positional transitions.
Both sides displayed extremely high offensive efficiency in the first quarter.
Both the Clippers and the Rockets were able to find weaknesses in each other's defense.
At the end of the first quarter, the Clippers led the Rockets 30-27.
Although the Clippers were leading by 3 points, Li Chen wasn't very happy.
He saw that Da Yao, the National Team's go-to pick-and-roll player, was being treated unfairly.
During the first quarter, Francis repeatedly called for Yao Ming to set screens, but this guy was really awful. He didn't understand the concept of reciprocity at all. No matter how good Yao Ming's position was, he ignored it and didn't pass the ball to Yao Ming once in the first quarter.
Seeing this, Li Chen got angry, thinking, "What are you doing, you stupid kid? You went through all that trouble to run out from the paint to set a screen for me, and then you ran back to grab the rebound for me, and all you get in return is your indifference?"
Chad? Are they taking advantage of our country's lack of talent? Li Chen decided to shut down Steve Francis in this series, preventing him from scoring more than double digits.
Li Chen never expected that Francis would be such a person.
Back then, when Francis stood up for Yao Ming, he thought Francis was a good guy. But now it seems that Francis's support for Yao Ming was just a way to show off his position as the leader of the Rockets.
When the second quarter began, Li Chen demonstrated what it means to have 360-degree defense with no blind spots.
Li Chen stopped scoring; he became Steve Francis's bodyguard, stealing and blocking shots. His steals, in particular, made Francis question his existence.
Meanwhile, every time Li Chen dribbled the basketball into the stands, it would elicit screams from the Clippers fans.
On the other side, Francis wanted to get back at Li Chen, but Li Chen just passed the ball. Okay! Even if Li Chen Pull-up Jumper, he couldn't stop him.
After that, Francis's shots became increasingly inaccurate. Even when Li Chen didn't guard him, he still couldn't make the shots. With that kind of shooting touch, it was as if he was wearing two layers of Kobe's brick-hitting vests.
So Steve Francis tried his best to be a competent background character.
By the end of the second quarter, Francis had made only 1 of 12 field goals and missed both free throws, scoring just 2 points. It was a truly dismal performance.
Of course, Li Chen's teammates also contributed a lot to this.
The Clippers' other teammates proactively double-teamed Francis with Li Chen, because they also realized that Li Chen was targeting Francis, and they naturally supported Li Chen.
In the live stream room.
"Well done, Chen! That Francis basically never passes the ball to Da Yao, which is why Da Yao's stats haven't been able to improve," Zhang Weiping said angrily.
Sun Zhengping could understand Brown's thoughts. After all, if Yao Ming Da Yao performed too well, his position as the leader of the Rockets would be in jeopardy.
In the third quarter, Francis continued to perform poorly. He was being defended so badly by Li Chen that he was questioning his existence, and his shooting touch was shockingly cold.
That wasn't all; Francis's passes were also frequently misplaced, and Li Chen made eight steals from him.
This made Van Gundy, who was standing on the sidelines, grind his Delia in exasperation.
At that moment, Van Gundy felt that he had lost several more strands of hair! He thought to himself, "Francis, you'd better get down here already! Otherwise, you'll become an iron king."
Li Chen was a little disappointed when Francis was substituted; his stats were just too easy to rack up.
At the same time, Yao Ming was very grateful to Li Chen, knowing that this might be related to him.
After all, Wang Zhizhi had winked at him several times, and he wasn't stupid; he immediately guessed what was going on.
This left him somewhat amused and exasperated. He knew why Francis wasn't passing the ball to him, and he didn't blame him. After all, Francis had been the first to stand up for him when he was bullied, and he had always remembered that moment. How could he possibly compete with him for the leader's position?
In the domestic live broadcast room.
"Chen the Rockets what true all-around offense and defense looks like today. His defense is among the best in the entire team."
"Also, Chen has 9 rebounds and 5 blocks so far. With Chen's ability, a five-double today is no problem at all," Zhang Weiping said excitedly.
He couldn't help but be excited! That's a quintuplet! Very few people in NBA history have ever done that! But now his compatriots are about to do it.
Sun Zhengping smiled wryly and said, "Coach Zhang, but Chen is no longer the greenhorn he was when he first entered the NBA. Is he really going to rack up a five-double in garbage time?"
Sun Zhengping's words left Zhang Weiping speechless. After a moment, Zhang Weiping sighed softly and said, "Chen, this kid is just too honest. We must try to win him over now!"
Sun Zhengping rolled his eyes. "Chen That's called having a good sense of style, isn't it?" he muttered to himself.
In the end, the Clippers crushed the Rockets 100-71.
In this game, Rockets' Francis played 30 minutes, shooting 4-for-25, scoring 8 points and dishing out 8 assists, including 0-for-5 from three-point range and 0-for-2 from the free-throw line.
Good data, two 8s, go for it!
Yao Ming played for 37 minutes, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
For the Clippers, all of their key players scored in double figures.
Li Chen played 36 minutes, shooting 8-for-11, scoring 20 points, 16 assists, 10 rebounds, 10 steals, 6 blocks, and shooting 4-for-5 from three-point range.
In the end, Li Chen did not achieve a five-double.
In the following games of the series, the Clippers gave the Rockets no chance, sweeping them 4-0 with scores of 98-80, 102-91, and 98-88.
It's worth mentioning Steve Francis, who averaged 8.7 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in four Playoffs games, which is probably his worst performance in the All-Star Playoffs.
Meanwhile, with Francis no longer an obstacle, Yao Ming gained Van Gundy's trust and was given more playing time, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the last two games.
Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers were swept by the Pacers.
However, James performed quite well, averaging 19 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
Marbury is good too, but he's more like Point Guard than Shooting Guard.
The Celtics were also swept 4-0 by the New Jersey Nets.
In addition, the Pistons and Bucks are tied 2-2.
The Miami Heat and the Pelicans (Hornets) are now tied 2-2.
In the Western Conference, the Timberwolves lead the Grizzlies 3-1.
The Lakers are having a tough time against the Spurs, who are looking to avenge their Clippers, and are currently trailing the Spurs 3-1.
This made Li Chen sigh with emotion; Kobe really had a lot of misfortunes!
This is actually largely due to Li Chen. Firstly, because of Li Chen and the Clippers, the Spurs did not win the championship in the 2002-03 season.
Secondly, it was also because of Li Chen that Malone did not join the Lakers, which affected their strength.
It's worth noting that the Spurs were eager for revenge, while the Lakers hadn't been performing well to begin with, so it's understandable that they struggled.
In short, Li Chen cannot escape the blame.
After the first round of the Playoffs, Li Chen was able to relax a bit.
Meanwhile, at the post-game press conference, Li Chen bluntly stated that the Clippers are determined to win this year's championship.
In late April, the Los Angeles night was adorned with starlight, like a magnificent painting.
The hustle and bustle of the city gradually fades away at this moment, as if bringing a sense of tranquility to the world.
A gentle breeze brings a touch of coolness, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.
Although it was nearly midnight, the streets were still brightly lit, with neon lights flashing.
The lights of skyscrapers spilled across the land, illuminating the footsteps of everyone who passed by.
Pedestrians hurried along their way that night, as if each had their own destination and dream.
Li Chen really likes Los Angeles' mild winters and cool summers.
Back at the villa, Li Chen took a shower, but just as he came out of the bathroom, the lights suddenly went out.
Li Chen was slightly taken aback. What was going on? A... power outage?
Li Chen could hardly believe it; a city as big as Los Angeles was experiencing a power outage?
Just then, his ears twitched slightly, and his eyes narrowed, because he vaguely saw a stealthy figure walking towards him.
This is...
Li Chen was taken aback at first, somewhat surprised, then a slight smile appeared on his lips.
A moment later, the dark figure pounced on him like a Hupu.
Li Chen grabbed the other person and pinned them to the ground.
A scream was heard, followed by pleas for mercy.
"Waaaaah! Chen, it's me!" Avril's aggrieved voice rang out.
"I don't believe it, I want to check it out."
Why did you suddenly come back two hours later without even calling me?
Avril lay lazily on Li Chen, mumbling, "This is a surprise inspection. My mother said you athletes are very restless."
Li Chen: "..."
"Hey, hey, hey! All the men in our country are good men," Li Chen retorted, his voice lacking confidence.
"Look, look, you're feeling guilty, aren't you? I'm going to rip your heart out and see if it's genuine."
"You vixen, how dare you harm me! Watch as my Ruyi Jingu Bang (Monkey King's Staff) shatters your soul into nothingness!"
The next morning.
Li Chen smiled and said, "Avril, we have a son."
Hearing this, Avril was stunned. She stared blankly at Li Chen, her eyes filled with disbelief and a hint of grievance.
Seeing Avril's pitiful look, Li Chen burst into laughter.
Seeing Li Chen laugh, Avril knew Li Chen was joking. She angrily retorted, "Fuck, you bastard, you joke about something like this!"
Avril's sorrow turned to joy, and she glared at Li Chen with resentment.
Afterwards, Li Chen recounted the whole story to Avril.
Avril was also a little surprised. Of course she knew Kobe; it was because of Kobe that she had become acquainted with Li Chen.
But she was also curious about the close relationship between Kobe's son and Li Chen.
After breakfast, Li Chen called Kobe and told him that he and Avril would be visiting him that afternoon.
Kobe hung up the phone, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Although he was very dissatisfied with the Lakers' performance, he felt content when he thought about how his son had smiled at him today.
The child finally smiled at him. Thinking of this, his face suddenly stiffened. Fuck, why did he suddenly feel inexplicably annoyed? Damn Li Chen.
The thought of Li Chen Kobe makes me feel exhausted. He's my own son! Why do I have to cultivate a relationship with him? I'm so frustrated...
In the afternoon, when Li Chen and Avril were teasing Little Kobe laughed heartily.
Avril hadn't expected that this little guy would be so close to her.
At that moment, Kobe really wanted to squat in a corner and draw circles.
Two hours later, before leaving, Li Chen made Kobe feel bad for a bit.
Li Chen leaned out of the car window and said with a smile, "Don't lose."
"Fuck, are you trying to annoy me on purpose?"
At this moment, Kobe finally erupted.
"Hey! We're friends, I'm just trying to encourage you!"
"Please don't! Just shut your mouth, that would be the biggest encouragement for me."
Li Chen: "..."