VS Garnett

When the fans at Target Center saw Li Chen get past Garnett, they were stunned.

Then, once they came to their senses, a wave of boos rang out.

In the domestic TNT broadcast room, Zhang Weiping shouted, "Chen got past him beautifully!"

The fans back home watched with shining eyes. They were eager to see Li Chen crush Garnett, the NBA star.

Li Chen drove all the way toward the basket, but then saw Nester and Joe Smith closing in to double-team him.

And Garnett was still lurking behind him.

Li Chen knew that getting past Garnett alone was already impressive.

Scoring against all three defenders would be too difficult for him right now.

Thinking it over, he decided to pass. After all, he had drawn three Timberwolves defenders, and his open teammate had better than a fifty percent chance of making the shot. It was the best option.

Besides, even if the shot missed, it wouldn't be a big deal. After all, he was now blessed with the S-rank Rebounding Monster ability.

At that thought, Li Chen paused for a moment. As his mind raced, he made a decision: he would abandon the pass after all.

Li Chen suddenly took three steps toward the basket, going up for a layup with Nester and Joe Smith in front of him, then tossed the ball off the backboard.

In the broadcast room.

Sun Zhengping sighed. "Li Chen's a little too confident here. He should've passed it out. Andre Miller and Brand are both wide open."

Sure enough, just as Sun Zhengping had said, Nester and Joe Smith didn't block the shot, but it still missed the rim and struck the backboard.

Then Li Chen leaped high. As Nester, Joe Smith, and Garnett stared in disbelief, he slammed the ball through the hoop.

Li Chen had thrown the ball off the backboard and put it in himself.

6–7. The Clippers had retaken the lead.

After landing, Li Chen held up two fingers toward Garnett.

When Garnett came to his senses, fury surged through him. He was about to talk trash, to say, "Next time, I'll defend you so well you'll question your whole life."

But, unusually, he lost his nerve and swallowed the words.

The Timberwolves went on offense.

Garnett dribbled across half court. This time, he didn't rush to attack. Instead, he looked at Li Chen, who was guarding him intently.

It was as if he were saying, Come on, Eastern Kid. Let's go one-on-one.

Garnett wanted to restore his pride after what had just happened.

But Li Chen didn't respond. He wasn't confident he could defend a star and MVP-caliber player like Garnett.

Li Chen knew his own limits. He wouldn't overreach, but he would remember Garnett's taunt today. When his swordsmanship reached its peak, that would be the day he got even.

But things rarely went as planned.

Li Chen wanted to play it safe, but Garnett wasn't having it. He charged straight at him.

Li Chen's face immediately darkened. Damn it, why are you picking a fight with me? You're about to become an All-Star MVP this year!

Li Chen knew he was outmatched, but his pride wouldn't let him back down. He had no choice but to step up.

The ball pounded against the floor faster and faster.

Then Garnett tried to reclaim his pride by getting past Li Chen the same way Li Chen had just gotten past him.

But Li Chen wouldn't let Garnett have his way. He decided to go for the steal.

And if he failed, so what? He was just a rookie. He had nothing to lose, so what was there to fear?

If the steal failed, Garnett wouldn't gain any more fame, and Li Chen wouldn't lose anything. After all, failing to steal the ball from Wolf King Garnett was perfectly normal.

But if Li Chen did manage to steal it, Garnett would be humiliated—badly.

In a flash, Li Chen thrust out his right hand and reached for the ball.

Garnett smirked. What a naive little rookie.

Garnett pulled the ball toward his chest, then began to turn to get past him.

Li Chen knew the steal had failed, but his reaction time had a long delay. His left arm instinctively reached for the ball tucked against Garnett's chest.

The unexpected move completely caught Garnett off guard. Before he could react, the ball was knocked loose.

Garnett tried to grab it again but failed.

When he saw the ball about to go out of bounds, he didn't chase after it. Even if it went out, it would still be the Timberwolves' ball.

On the other side, Li Chen was just as surprised, but he reacted quickly. He immediately dove after the bouncing ball as it neared the sideline.

Just before it went out, Li Chen leaped and pulled it back in. With no time to look for a teammate, he threw the ball downcourt.

Then he crashed heavily to the floor.

Garnett was surprised by how hard Li Chen had played. A fall like that could easily lead to an injury.

Elton Brand reacted just as quickly. He sprinted after the ball like a wild horse, caught it, and slammed it down for a dunk.

6–9. The Clippers extended their lead to three.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"Oh, my God! Chen's reactions are unbelievably fast. The only person I've ever seen react that quickly is Michael."

"Hey, right! Kenny, who was this kid's draft comparison?"

Kenny Smith thought for a moment, then smiled. "Didn't you just say?"

"Huh?" Barkley paused, then suddenly got it. "No, no, no! Kenny, you can't say that. If you do, that old rascal Michael will start riding the kid."

"Hahaha!" The two of them burst out laughing.

On the court.

Garnett felt conflicted. After being embarrassed again and again, he was starting to feel lost. Could he really not defend even an Eastern rookie? Was he really that bad?

Distracted, Garnett missed two shots in a row.

Li Chen grabbed every rebound. Before long, the Timberwolves had given up eight points.

The Timberwolves, playing at home, were now trailing the Clippers 6–17 by eleven points.

Coach Flip Saunders realized that something was wrong with Garnett's mindset and quickly called a timeout.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"This game has been a real blow to Garnett," Kenny Smith said with a sigh.

Barkley nodded. "That Eastern Kid really is a one-of-a-kind player. He feels unfathomable to me."

"Yeah! Like today, the Clippers have actually been ice-cold from the field. So far, Li Chen has already pulled down nine rebounds. If things keep going like this and he plays all four quarters, he could easily finish with thirty-plus rebounds."

Kenny Smith nodded, then added, "That's right! And Garnett, who's also a great rebounder, is getting completely outplayed on the boards."

"Let's take a look at their stats.

"Timberwolves' Garnett: 6 points, 0 assists, 1 rebound.

"Clippers' Li Chen: 4 points, 6 assists, 9 rebounds, 1 steal."

"Chen's on track for a triple-double today."

"Comparing the two, I get the feeling..." Barkley said.

"What?" Kenny Smith asked, playing along.

"That Garnett's a fake."

Kenny Smith: "..."

"Kenny, do you think there's any chance?"

"Huh? Any chance of what?" Kenny Smith asked, playing along again.

"That we mixed up their stats?"

Kenny Smith clearly paused, then the two of them burst out laughing in unison.

After they finished laughing, Barkley said, "Kenny, do you think this kid can break Chamberlain's rebounding record again?"

"Well..." Smith thought it over, then shook his head. "That'll be tough."

"Hey! Not necessarily, Kenny. You have to remember, it's only five minutes into the first quarter, and the Clippers have been absolutely dreadful from the field today!"

Kenny Smith thought about it some more, but still shook his head. "Even so, breaking Chamberlain's record of 56 rebounds would be incredibly difficult."

Kenny Smith's repeated objections gave Barkley a chance to get even.