The Game Begins

At 8 PM, the Salt Lake City Delta Center arena was packed and buzzing with excitement.

"F*** you, I hate this place."

In the player tunnel, Elton Brand whispered his complaints into Li Chen's ear.

Li Chen ignored him.

In the domestic broadcast studio.

"Good morning to our viewers watching at home! Today, we'll be bringing you a live broadcast of an NBA game between the Clippers and the Utah Jazz. I'm Sun Zhengping."

At this moment, Sun Zhengping continued with a smile, "Coach Zhang, what are your thoughts on this game?"

Zhang Weiping pondered for a moment and said, "This game is a test for Little Chen. The Utah Jazz's home court is known as a 'devil's home court.' Firstly, the fans there are fierce, and secondly, it's Little Chen's first time playing at an altitude of 1300 meters, which will surely have an impact."

"However..." Zhang Weiping's tone shifted abruptly. "However, Little Chen is a child who can create miracles. I believe he can turn the tide once again in this game."

Sun Zhengping nodded in agreement and continued, "Let's take a look at the starting lineups for both teams today."

Clippers starting lineup:

* Andre Miller (Point Guard) * Li Chen (Shooting Guard) * Corey Maggette (Small Forward) * Elton Brand (Power Forward) * Michael Olowokandi (Center)

Utah Jazz starting lineup:

* Karl Malone (Power Forward) * Matt Harpring (Small Forward) * Stockton (Point Guard) * Greg (Center) * Kirilenko (Forward)

"Today, the Jazz are fielding a three-forward lineup."

"Coach Zhang, the game has started. Let's see if Li Chen can turn the tide today and continue the Clippers' undefeated streak."

As Zhang Weiping had predicted, Li Chen was significantly affected today and didn't play well in the first quarter.

It wasn't just him; other players were also somewhat impacted.

Li Chen's randomly assigned S-rank Skill for this game was "Foul Baiting." When facing an opponent's offensive player, there's a 50% chance of being fouled if he's fouled. When holding the ball on offense, if his body is fouled, there's a 50% chance of a foul being called.

At the end of the first quarter, the Clippers were temporarily trailing 25 to 18, a 7-point deficit.

Alvin Gentry asked, "Chen, do you want to make some adjustments?"

Hearing Alvin Gentry's words, Odom's heart ached. Alvin Gentry, you old fool, why the preferential treatment? Damn it. No, I absolutely cannot stay with the Clippers next season. I must request a trade.

Meanwhile.

Li Chen understood Coach Alvin Gentry's intention. He thought for a moment and said, "Coach, I'm fine now."

Hmph! Yellow Monkey, keep being stubborn! Let's see how I mock you later.

At the same time, Coach Alvin Gentry said, "In the second quarter, once you're on the court, play steadily. Don't rush your offense. Focus on adjusting to your physical discomfort first."

All the players nodded in unison.

In the second quarter, Alvin Gentry did not substitute the starting lineup, wanting the main players to adjust their condition.

The whistle blew to start the second quarter.

Andre Miller calmly brought the ball up the court and passed it to Elton Brand.

Elton Brand drove towards the paint with the ball.

At this moment, a chorus of boos erupted from the crowd.

Damn it, Elton Brand cursed inwardly. At this moment, the Jazz's Kirilenko stepped in front of Elton Brand.

Brand drove hard against Kirilenko and forced up a layup.

Kirilenko's defense was strong, and Elton Brand's shot was directly swatted away.

Li Chen, quick as lightning, retrieved the ball before it went out of bounds. After a quick adjustment, he pulled up and shot a three-pointer.

The ball soared high.

Swish! The ball went in cleanly.

"Little Chen, that was a very smart play," Zhang Weiping commented with praise.

Sun Zhengping nodded repeatedly. Although his old partner's commentary was often criticized, he agreed with him this time.

Li Chen had an accurate three-point shot, and such a wide-open look was practically a freebie.

The score became 25 to 21, with the Clippers temporarily trailing by 4 points.

As Li Chen scored, a deafening roar of boos erupted, but it had no effect on him.

Simultaneously, the Jazz quickly inbounded the ball and sped up the court.

Clearly, they wanted to increase the pace, bringing their advantages to full play.

Stockton brought the ball up.

Andre Miller didn't press too tightly, giving Stockton a body's length of space.

Stockton's gaze was sharp as he watched his teammates constantly moving in an organized fashion.

Meanwhile, Li Chen, while defending Kirilenko, narrowed his eyes slightly, contemplating how he could disrupt the Jazz's attack.

Just then, Kirilenko, whom Li Chen was guarding, suddenly made a back cut.

Li Chen, caught off guard, was left behind.

In the broadcast booth.

Seeing this, Zhang Weiping said urgently and rapidly, "Oh no, Xiao Chen has lost his position, but it's understandable. After all, Xiao Chen isn't good at defense; offense is his strength."

Sun Zhengping: "..."

"Beautiful! Xiao Chen, that steal was too beautiful."

"My God! I can't believe it. Xiao Chen's basketball IQ is unbelievably high. He pretended to lose his defensive position just now and then took the opportunity to steal the ball. My God, how did this kid do it?"

"This kid is a genius. He's actually using the 36 Stratagems on the basketball court."

At this point, Zhang Weiping was so excited he was speechless, his mouth flapping like a machine gun, talking non-stop.

Sun Zhengping tried to speak several times but couldn't.

Meanwhile, domestic fans watching on TV were initially confused.

But when they heard their Coach Zhang analyzing with spittle flying, they suddenly understood, and then they were dumbfounded, unable to believe it.

"Holy crap, Li Chen is awesome! He can even use our national treasure, the 36 Stratagems, to play basketball. Amazing! I'm f***ing impressed. I'm switching from a casual viewer to a die-hard fan from now on."

Such voices echoed among countless domestic fans.

At the same time, in the TNT broadcast booth, Barkley watched the replay on the half-screen. After Li Chen let his man go, instead of chasing Kirilenko, he made a strange gesture with his hand.

Simultaneously, Stockton's pass went towards Li Chen's outstretched hand. The ball was then stolen.

He clasped his large bald head with both hands, his face full of disbelief.

"God! You can play basketball like this? This Eastern Kid is too cunning."

Smith was also dumbfounded. He hadn't expected that the missed assignment just now was a bait, luring Stockton into a pass.

Actually, that wasn't the main point. The main point was Li Chen's perceptiveness.

He could accurately predict Stockton's passing lane and intercept it in a fleeting instant.

This was not something ordinary players could do. He knew Stockton was in trouble this time.

"God! Chen, if you can read passing lanes, how are other teams supposed to play?" Barkley asked, questioning his own reality.

Kenny Smith, however, shook his head. "No, you're mistaken. There are countless ways of thinking. He can't read all of them. Perhaps he just read the mind of Stockton, an excellent point guard, or maybe it was just a coincidence."

Although Barkley wasn't a point guard, as one of the 50 Greatest Players, he naturally understood Kenny Smith's words.

However, there's one thing you're right about: the Jazz are in trouble this time. Stockton is the bridge connecting the Jazz to the rest of the world. If this bridge has problems, the Jazz are half defeated."

"So, isn't Stockton's luck a bit too unlucky?" Barkley asked gleefully.

Then Barkley and Kenny Smith burst into laughter.