Training Maniac

But while Strickland was caught off guard, Li Chen shook him off, caught Elton Brand's pass, and scored again.

Strickland was pretty fast, and Li Chen would have to spend a long time maneuvering to lose him, so he had no choice but to use a little trick.

The score was now tied at 88.

Flip Saunders was so furious his nose nearly twisted out of shape. He cursed the idiot under his breath. How could he lose focus at such a crucial moment? He was completely unreliable.

But now he had to think about what the Timberwolves should do with the score tied.

As time passed, the score changed from 88-all to 92–90.

Watching this unfold, Flip Saunders clenched his teeth. There was no other choice. Now he could only have Garnett defend that Eastern Kid.

When Flip Saunders sent Wolf King Garnett to guard a short-term NBA player, Barkley, Kenny Smith, and the fans were all dumbfounded.

Li Chen himself was taken aback. He hadn't expected Garnett, an All-Star and NBA All-Defensive First Team member, to guard him.

But Li Chen was young and fearless. So what if he had to run? Who was he afraid of?

But then Li Chen finally understood the skill level of an NBA All-Defensive First Team player.

No matter how he ran, he couldn't shake Wolf King Garnett.

Although Li Chen couldn't score, he was also draining a great deal of Garnett's energy.

Garnett was at his wits' end. He'd realized that this Eastern Kid was just running around like a madman, without any pattern at all. That forced him to stay completely focused on defense.

Garnett was already the team's main scorer, and he was using up plenty of energy as it was.

Now that he was defending Li Chen, this "running man," his offense promptly went cold.

The game ended with the Clippers taking the win, 99–96.

Li Chen played a total of 12 minutes, shooting 6-for-8 and putting up 18 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds. With those numbers, he could at least earn a minimum contract.

Li Chen was also named the Clippers' player of the game. His three consecutive three-pointers in the fourth quarter had been crucial.

That composed three-pointer from near midcourt showed off his killer instinct and became one of the day's top five plays.

That shot had also forced the Timberwolves to call a timeout. Their subsequent adjustments not only failed to produce the results they wanted, but also left them struggling offensively everywhere except for Garnett.

Li Chen wasn't particularly disappointed about not being named player of the game. After all, Garnett was an All-Star and had played well.

His mind was full of training. Right now, he wished the system would give him a training space.

In the locker room,

"Chen, you were amazing today. You should have no trouble making the team. Shouldn't you be buying us a drink?"

Elton Brand walked over, patted Li Chen on the shoulder, and gave him a suggestive wink.

"Yeah! Chen, you have to treat us tonight." The other teammates joined in, egging him on.

Li Chen glanced at them and nodded. "Sure. Go ahead, put it on my tab. I'll reimburse you tomorrow."

As he spoke, he stood up and headed for the locker-room door.

Everyone was confused by this. "Hey, hey, hey! Aren't you in a bit of a hurry? You played so well today—the coach should be taking you to the postgame press conference." Elton Brand called after him.

Li Chen waved a hand. "Tell Coach Alvin Gentry I'm going back to train."

With that, he opened the door and hurried out.

Everyone was speechless. Seriously, was he not tired? And what was the point of training every single day?

None of them understood Li Chen's choices.

Since Li Chen wasn't going, they didn't feel right heading out to party at a nightclub either.

Actually, Li Chen didn't think he was a training maniac. At least, that was what he told himself.

He was in such a hurry to train because he didn't want to forget the rhythm of the S-rank Skill: Open Three-Pointer.

He wanted to start turning that rhythm into muscle memory, so he had to keep practicing his three-point shots without a break.

On the way, Li Chen bought some food and walked toward Paravilla Sports Training Hall, eating as he went.

Back in the locker room at Staples Center, everyone looked at one another in confusion.

Just then, Alvin Gentry pushed open the locker-room door and called out, "Chen, come with me to the postgame press conference."

"Coach, Chen's gone. He went to train," Elton Brand said helplessly.

Alvin Gentry paused in surprise, then shook his head helplessly. "Elton Brand, you're coming with me."

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves' postgame press conference began as scheduled.

"Mr. Flip Saunders, what are your thoughts on this loss?"

Flip Saunders didn't answer. He was clearly in a bad mood.

Garnett answered instead. "Ma'am, I can answer that. I have to admit that Eastern player caught us completely off guard. But next time we face them, we'll win."

"Oh! That's certainly something to look forward to!" The female reporter's eyes lit up, like a cat that had caught the scent of fish.

"Mr. Garnett, what do you think of that young player from the East?" asked a bespectacled reporter.

"Him? He doesn't have the mental toughness. He can only shoot open threes. A player with that kind of mental toughness won't amount to much. As long as we make the right adjustments, he won't be a problem."

Meanwhile, the Clippers' postgame press conference was also underway.

"Coach Alvin Gentry, what are the Clippers' goals for this year?" asked a pretty blonde reporter.

Their goal this year? Of course, it was to hold on to his job.

Though that was what Alvin Gentry thought, he wasn't about to say it aloud.

After giving it some thought, he decided that making the Playoffs was a decent goal.

But before he could speak, Elton Brand beside him chimed in:

"Our goal is to make the Playoffs, reach the Western Conference Finals, make the NBA Finals, and lift the Larry O'Brien Cup."

Alvin Gentry was stunned. He already regretted bringing that idiot to the postgame press conference.

The beautiful reporter looked surprised. Her sky-blue eyes turned toward Alvin Gentry.

"Coach Alvin Gentry, is that really the Clippers' goal?"

Alvin Gentry lamented inwardly, Can I even say no now?

He nodded. "Yes. You saw Chen's performance tonight. As long as he stays consistent, it's not impossible for us to win a championship."

What Alvin Gentry meant was that if Li Chen played well, they could win the championship; if he didn't, they had no chance. He was clearly trying to shift the blame.

The reporter was also surprised by how much Alvin Gentry valued Li Chen, a man from the East. What kind of magic did this Eastern man have to make a coach trust him so much?

She found herself intensely interested in this Eastern man.