The Kings' Last Dance

On the way back, Avril chattered on and on.

"Oh! Chen, it's really unbelievable, Mr. Bryant's son is so adorable, and you see, he laughs whenever I tease him, and he looks so happy."

"Oh! It's really hard to imagine. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was our child."

Li Chen listened with a smile as Avril spoke cheerfully.

Just then, Li Chen suddenly said, "How about we have a child too?"

Li Chen's words made Avril pause for a moment, and she was somewhat tempted.

But the next moment she realized, "Hey, hey, hey! You're still on probation! Think about how to get a permanent position first!" Avril said discontentedly.

Even so, she knew that she probably, maybe, possibly couldn't live without this bastard.

Li Chen smiled, thinking about the stubborn little girl.

In Kobe's mansion.

"I really didn't expect that Chen and Avril would be so popular with Junior. They really are destined for each other!" Vanessa exclaimed.

Kobe didn't answer, but he was clearly exhausted!

While other teams were still undecided, Li Chen went to a Bajiquan martial arts school to learn Bajiquan.

Of course, he only learned some basic techniques, so that he wouldn't be at a disadvantage if a fight broke out on the court.

Afterwards, Li Chen was persuaded by Avril to watch an ice hockey game with her.

Watching this ice hockey game was truly an eye-opener for him; he never imagined that one-on-one fights could take place on the ice hockey rink.

The two players on the field dropped their clubs and the Glove and started attacking each other, throwing left hooks and right hooks back at each other, having a great time. He was certainly learning something new.

Seeing Li Chen's surprised look, Avril grabbed Li Chen arm and said, "Honey, why don't you quit basketball and play ice hockey instead!"

"Hey! This competition is too brutal! Aren't you afraid of becoming a widow?" Li Chen complained.

Avril giggled, then clenched her little fist and said confidently, "You're so strong, you can definitely beat them."

"If you give me five sons and five daughters, I'll play ice hockey," Li Chen chuckled mischievously.

Avril "..."

Meanwhile, the Lakers and Spurs played an incredibly intense game, going to seven games and then three overtime periods. Shaquille O'Neal was exhausted, and Kobe got injured. In the final stages, Kobe hit a game-winning shot against the Spurs.

But just when fans thought the game was over, the Argentine maestro Manu Ginobili stepped up and sealed the Lakers with a game-winning shot.

The first round of the Playoffs ended on May 3.

The second round Playoffs matchups have also been determined.

Western Conference:

Clippers vs. Kings.

Spurs vs. Timberwolves

Eastern Conference:

Pacers vs. Miami Heat.

Pistons vs. New Jersey Nets.

At the same time, upon learning that the Lakers had lost, Li Chen was somewhat surprised, thinking, "The Lakers lost just because they were missing Karl Malone? It's hard to believe."

It's not hard to understand why the Lakers lost. After all, the Lakers already had internal discord, and Payton is no pushover either.

After all, Payton and O'Neal were both team leaders and had pride; they couldn't possibly submit to Kobe.

Therefore, the Lakers are now like a Frankenstein's monster, forcibly stitching three players together. This combination is fine when the team is winning, but when the team is losing, its drawbacks become glaringly obvious.

Furthermore, the Spurs' perseverance was truly remarkable. Whether it was the end of the fourth quarter or the end of overtime, someone always stepped up and made the Clutch Shot, showcasing their team basketball to an almost unparalleled degree. Therefore, the Lakers' loss was not unjustified.

Lee didn't watch the Lakers game because he was captivated by the little imp.

After watching the video of the seventh game Lakers and the Spurs, Li Chen's expression turned serious.

He knew that teams capable of creating miracles possessed incredibly strong mental attributes, and he saw remarkable resilience in the Spurs. Such opponents were extremely difficult to deal with. However, Li Chen was not afraid of any challenge.

At this moment, he thought to himself, "What? You didn't win the championship in the 2003 season, and you still want to win it in the 2004 season? Humph! Dream on."

But should I comfort Little Kobe?

After thinking about it, Li Chen decided it was best to forget it. He figured if he called to comfort Kobe, Kobe would feel even worse.

Yes, Kobe was worried all day, afraid that Li Chen would call and mock him; he even turned off his phone.

But he was still worried that Li Chen would come looking for him, but in fact, Li Chen did not come.

But this made Kobe even more uneasy. Something was definitely amiss, and he felt that Li Chen was bound to deliver a fatal blow.

Goodness, even Kobe has developed paranoia from Li Chen.

On the other hand, the Kings weren't so afraid of the Clippers, because they had a 2-2 record against the Kings in their four regular-season meetings. So, they thought the Clippers were nothing special and they could definitely beat them.

As they had imagined, the Kings defeated the Clippers 94-92 in Game 1 of the second round of the Playoffs.

However, in the second game, the Clippers taught them a lesson, ultimately defeating the Kings Clippers.

Then, the Clippers defeated the Kings again, 100-93 and 105-88.

The Clippers lead the Kings 3-1 in the series.

If the Clippers can defeat the Kings in the upcoming Game 5, they can advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive year.

Meanwhile, LeBron James had been watching the Clippers' games closely, and during that time he found Li Chen's playing style to be very much to his liking.

In every game, Li Chen starts by scoring repeatedly in the first quarter to make the opponents feel that he is in excellent form. Then, he uses his dominance to calmly allow his teammates to score.

Most importantly, this way of playing conserves energy, allowing you to unleash your full potential when the team is in crisis, resolve the crisis, and become the team's hero.

Thinking of this, James trembled with excitement; yes, this was exactly what he wanted.

In fact, before playing basketball, James did a thorough understanding of the sport.

He learned a valuable lesson from Basketball God Jordan: basketball is a team sport, and no matter how strong one person is, it's useless.

Just like Jordan at his peak, no matter how strong he was, he still lost to the Celtics led by Larry Bird.

Therefore, Little Emperor James believes that Li Chen's playing style is the path he will take in the future.

Li Chen never expected that he would end up playing the role of James in life. You see, he had always wanted to follow in James' footsteps and leave him with nowhere to go!

Furthermore, he did this because Pull-up Jumper are too physically demanding, so he resorted to this tactic.

On May 15th, the Clippers will face the Kings on the road. The importance of this pivotal Game 5 cannot be overstated.

Of course, this game is crucial for the Kings, but not so important for the Clippers, who already have three wins in hand.

However, they still want to end the series as soon as possible.

In this match, Li Chen's random S-rank Skill is a new skill called [Co-defense Master].

[Co-defense Master: Increases the host's assist defense speed by 20%. Upon success, reduces the opponent's hit rate by 15% and has a certain chance to increase the block success rate by 10%.]

Seeing this skill made Li Chen's eyes light up; in a certain respect, it was better than [Iron Wall and Bronze Barrier].

In his view, [Iron Wall and Bronze Barrier] is just a skill for bullying noobs, but this [Co-defense Master] is different. As long as he provides timely assistance, the opponent's hit rate will be reduced by 15%.

As for the 10% block success rate, Li Chen didn't have much hope that it would be triggered.

Li Chen then began to consider equipping the skill, and after a moment, he made a decision.

[Unrestrained], [Miracle Shot], [Assist Master], [Iron Wall and Bronze Barrier], [Pull-up Jumper].

Iron Wall and Bronze Barrier, coupled with Co-defense Master, would have been a nightmare even for peak Jordan.

Karl Malone won the jump ball, and the Clippers gained possession.

As the team's playmaker, Li Chen is responsible for controlling the offensive rhythm and also has unlimited shooting rights.

Alvin Gentry could be said to have unconditionally trusted Li Chen.

In the past two seasons, Li Chen has lived up to Coach Alvin Gentry's trust. Whether it's passing or his powerful ability to penetrate the paint, he can effectively deliver the ball to his teammates or personally attack the opponent's basket.

His passes and attacks pose a significant threat to the opponent.

At the start of the game, Li Chen opted for Pull-up Jumper, hitting Michael Bibby right in the face.

Bibby somewhat helpless; being relegated to the background at the start of every game wasn't pleasant for him either! But there was nothing he could do; he simply couldn't stop Li Chen's Pull-up Jumper.

Swish! The basketball goes through the net cleanly.

The Clippers took an early 3-0 lead over the Kings.

When the Kings started their offense, Li Chen displayed excellent court vision, taking in the movements of all the players on the court.

Just then, Korver's defense faltered.

This is actually a persistent headache for the Clippers; their defense is just too poor.

However, Alvin Gentry was quite tolerant. In the past, with his fiery temper, he would never have tolerated a defensive black hole like Korver on the court.

Yes, that's a minor but significant flaw in Larry Brown's system; they all place a great emphasis on defense.

However, out of respect for Li Chen, Alvin Gentry turned a blind eye.

The most crucial thing is that Li Chen is very helpful, always cleaning up Korver's messes.

To be honest, Korver was really touched; he decided to stick with this kind of leader for life.

Korver missed a player, Li Chen reacted quickly. He was already very fast, and now with the 20% bonus from "Co-defense Master," his speed was unimaginable.

He quickly moved to a suitable position, raising his hands high to limit the opposing player's shooting space.

Stojakovic didn't care about this perfunctory defense and simply took a jump shot.

Thud! The basketball bounced out of the socket.

Just then, Karl Malone leaped high and grabbed the rebound.

But just then, the referee's whistle blew.

He then made a move reminiscent of Karl Malone's foul by pushing someone while trying to grab a rebound.

Malone frowned. He hadn't pushed anyone; it was just a reasonable collision.

So he went up to argue with the referee, but was given an additional technical foul by the referee.

This scene made Li Chen uneasy, and he then grabbed Karl Malone, who was still trying to argue.

"Carl, don't be impulsive," Li Chen shouted a reminder.

Li Chen's loud shout displeased Malone, who was already somewhat consumed by anger.

"This is Sacramento, not Los Angeles. Anything can happen here. A veteran player like you should know better than me," Li Chen reminded him loudly again.

Li Chen's words calmed Malone Long down. He let out a long sigh and said in a muffled voice, "I'm sorry, I acted impulsively."

Yes, he really acted impulsively, after all, it was his last year playing in the professional league.

Li Chen patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Carl, don't worry, we can win, I guarantee it."

Karl Malone paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously.

Li Chen's firm words gave him a sense of trust.

In the following game, Li Chen focused intently on the ball, meticulously observing the Kings players' movements and passing routes to predict their next move.

When a Kings player attempted to pass the ball, Li Chen reacted quickly.

Li Chen's height and wingspan allow him to effectively disrupt opponents' shots and passes, putting immense pressure on them.

Whether on the perimeter or inside, he can flexibly switch defensive targets and make crucial blocks or disruptions at critical moments.

His ability to provide defensive support brought a sense of security and confidence to the entire team.

Li Chen's strong help defense ability caused the Kings a lot of trouble.

Kings head coach Adelman frowned; Li Chen's help defense was much stronger than in the previous games.

It seems this Eastern Kid is going all out on defense, hoping to take down the Kings in this crucial game!

But we won't give up, Adelman thought.

He then decided to observe the situation first before seeking a solution.

In the following game, Li Chen's passing and attacking play were impressive.

He demonstrated exceptional skill and keen observation on the field, accurately identifying his teammates' positions and gaps, and delivering timely and precise passes.

His Passing Ability not only helps his teammates create good scoring opportunities, but also effectively disrupts the opponent's defensive strategy.

On the offensive end, Li Chen demonstrated outstanding individual ability and excellent awareness.

He can flexibly use various skills and changes of direction to break through the opponent's defense and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Whether it's a quick layup or a long-range shot, Li Chen demonstrates composure and decisiveness in crucial moments, consistently putting the ball into the opponent's basket.

Li Chen's offensive prowess gave the Clippers a significant advantage, enabling them to win the first quarter.

The Clippers ultimately won the first quarter 25-18.

After the start of the second quarter, the Kings seemed to have found the key to victory. They abandoned their preferred outside shooting and switched to driving to the basket.

This forced Coach Alvin Gentry to switch from man-to-man defense to 2-3 Zone Defense.

However, the Kings displayed amazing teamwork and accurate shooting skills.

Their scorers made every opportunity accurately, whether it was a layup or a mid-range shot, causing the Clippers a great deal of trouble.

On the defensive end, the Sacramento Kings employed a tight press, making it difficult for Clippers players to find easy shooting opportunities.

Their high-pressure defense caused the Clippers a lot of trouble, preventing them from launching a strong counterattack.

As the Sacramento Kings continued to score and maintained tight defense, the Clippers players gradually felt the pressure.

A tense atmosphere filled the court Clippers players constantly tried to find opportunities to break through, but Sacramento Kings players clung to them like shadows, preventing them from easily creating shooting space.

This completely erased the Clippers' advantage gained in the first quarter.

This made the Clippers players a bit impatient, and when people get impatient, they are prone to doing some irrational things, such as making overly aggressive moves on defense.

As a result, the Clippers ran into foul trouble. Just nine minutes into the second quarter, each of the Clippers' starters had three fouls.

Karl Malone, as the starting center today, had already committed four fouls, including a technical foul.

Of course, apart from Li Chen, he only committed one foul.

It wasn't that the referees were biased towards him, but rather that Li Chen played very intelligently. He didn't make any physical contact with the Kings players and didn't make any excessive defensive moves, so it didn't matter how much the referees favored the Kings.

Yes, as long as Li Chen stands in front of the Kings players, their shooting percentage will be reduced by 20-25%.

This caused the Kings players to become somewhat demoralized.

Although Li Chen's defense is a liability, it still can't change the Clippers' downward trend.

At this point, Alvin Gentry finally couldn't sit still any longer and called a technical timeout.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"Oh God, this is the most boring game I've ever seen," Barkley complained.

"Indeed, it seems so. Let's take a look at the number of free throws each team attempted in the first two quarters: the Clippers had 8, and the Kings had 18."

"Oh! That's really bad," Kenny Smith said, shaking his head.

On the other side.

James watched Li Chen on TV and silently asked himself, "As the team leader, the regular season MVP, and the youngest MVP, what will you do next? Can you really turn the tide?"

After the timeout ended, Alvin Corey Maggette, Corrie Maggette, Elton Brand, Korver were all substituted.

Only Li Chen remained as a key player on the field.

The Clippers' current roster consists of Li Chen, Wang Zhizhi, Richardson, Bobby Simmons, Kenyon Doolin.

Apart from Wang Zhizhi and Richardson, who can shoot a few three-pointers, the rest of the players here are really disappointing.

Alvin Gentry's task for Li Chen was to prevent the score difference from exceeding 15 points in the next three minutes.

Alvin Gentry knew the referees couldn't always favor the Kings, and if they could weather the tough second quarter, the third quarter would be their chance to fight back.

Of course, the premise is that the score cannot fall too far behind.

On the field.

Li Chen glanced at the current score: 51 to 41.

Actually, Alvin Gentry's request wasn't too difficult for Li Chen.

The challenge now is how to tie the score.

Yes, Li Chen's goal was to tie the score; passively taking a beating was not in his nature.

On the other side, when Kings Coach Adelman saw the Clippers substitute all their starters, leaving only Li Chen on the court, he knew Alvin Gentry's intentions.

Alvin Gentry does have some brains.

The whistle blew for the match.

The Clippers begin inbounding the ball.

Kenyon Doolin inbounds the ball.

After shaking off Bibby's defense, Li Chen raised his hand to signal Kenyon Doolin to pass the ball.

Upon receiving the ball, Li Chen immediately Pull-up Jumper, Bibby jumped high in an attempt to disrupt Li Chen's shot.

Thud! The basketball slammed against the rim, bounced up, and then fell into the net.

51 to 44

Li Chen knew that the [Miracle Shot] skill had been triggered. This scene made his heart sink. He never expected that at this crucial moment, his touch would be a bit cold. This was not good news.

Meanwhile, Bibby this scene, and he became even more vigilant in guarding against Li Chen.

The Kings on offense.

The Kings have now figured it out; they know Li Chen Defensive Ability, so whenever Li Chen helps on defense, they pass the ball to him.

This left Li Chen with no better options, since he was human and couldn't teleport.

The Kings made wide-ranging passes, and no matter how fast he was, he couldn't catch up.

Stojavic received the ball, faked out Kenyon Doolin, and then hit a three-pointer.

However, Stojakovic's touch didn't seem to be very good either.

Wang Zhizhi outmaneuvered Divac to grab the rebound.

After seeing Wang Zhizhi grab the rebound, Li Chen immediately launched a fast break.

However, the Kings cannot allow Li Chen to launch a successful fast break so easily.

Bibby and Doug Christie quickly caught up.

At this moment, Li Chen was like a sports car speeding along with its accelerator floored.

However, the Kings' Bibby and his partner were also quite fast.

But just then, Li Chen suddenly stopped. The friction between the star player and the ground produced a piercing shriek, and even left two deep marks on the floor.

It's worth mentioning that the staff had to put in a lot of effort to remove these two marks during halftime, which shows just how terrifying the impact of Li Chen's sudden stop was.

Li Chen's sudden stop was so abrupt that Bibby and the other man had no time to react.

This is actually quite normal, since a sudden stop without any signs of slowing down requires a very strong reaction ability, Bibby and his companion clearly lack.

Unable to stop, they could only helplessly watch Li Chen pull up and shoot.

At the same time, Li Chen was also unsettled, hoping that his touch would pick up.

Swish! The basketball swished through the net.

Li Chen's touch did not disappoint him.

The Clippers 51-47, down by only four points.

Li Chen scored six consecutive points, making Coach Adelman's eyelids twitch.

That three-pointer was terrifying—no, it should be said that this Eastern Kid's three-pointer was terrifying. The Kings' hard-earned 10-point lead vanished in the blink of an eye.

Should he call a timeout? Adelman hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to trust his players.

The Kings players did not disappoint their head coach's trust. Although Li Chen kept scoring, the Kings were not to be outdone.

After the second quarter ended, Li Chen still hadn't taken the lead, but he did manage to narrow the gap to 2 points.

"Haha! I love Chen's ability to turn the tide in crucial moments; that's the kind of responsibility a superstar should have."

"That's right, Charles. Although Li Chen is still missing a championship, his performance is worthy of the word 'superstar'," Kenny Smith affirmed Barkley's words.

He added, "Once the Clippers' key players return in the third quarter, they should be able to beat the Kings."

"No, no, no, Kenny." Barkley shook his head; he had a different opinion.

"What? Aren't you happy that your idol won?" Kenny Smith joked.

"No, Kenny, that's not what I meant."

"Oh? So you are...?"

"Kenny, have you forgotten about the Kings' sixth man who had a phenomenal second quarter?"

Kenny Smith paused for a moment, then laughed and scolded, "Charles, your mouth is still as sharp as ever!"