Heavenly King Nuo and I Learn the Golden Rooster Independence
Having made up his mind, Li Chen once again drove towards the basket, making himself the target of everyone's attacks.
When the Mavericks players saw Li Chen about to drive to the basket, LaFrentz and Nowitzki double-teamed Li Chen.
Although they knew this was Li Chen's usual tactic, they couldn't do anything about it. In their view, Li Chen's offense was often more dangerous than that of other Clippers players.
Because Li Chen has a more than 60% success rate in making layups, while his chances of making a pass are less than 50%, or even lower, they would naturally choose the former.
After Li Chen realized he had achieved his target, he decisively passed the ball to Odom, who had performed well that day.
Odom swiftly and decisively sank the ball into the basket.
Odom was once again blocked by the rim of the greatest defender in NBA history.
Immediately following was a fierce battle for the rebound under the basket, the intensity of which was astonishing.
Wang Zhizhi and Andre Miller both fell to the ground, Mavericks also lost two players.
In the end, the Mavericks' LaFrentz proved to be the better player and won possession of the ball.
The Clippers' weakness in the paint has become apparent once again.
At this point, Don Nelson called a timeout; he was preparing to devise a fouling strategy.
Meanwhile, in the Clippers' rest area, Alvin Gentry was also reminding his players not to foul.
After the timeout, the Dallas Mavericks went on offense.
Nash passed the ball to Nowitzki.
Nowitzki shoots over Odom, swish! The ball goes in cleanly.
The score is 113-111, with a difference of three points and 16 seconds remaining.
Li Chen once again demonstrated his consistent free throw shooting.
Swish! Both free throws made.
115 to 111.
The Mavericks continued their offensive.
Nash passed the ball to Nowitzki.
However, as soon as Nowitzki received the ball, he was double-teamed by Odom and Li Chen, so Nowitzki chose to pass the ball back to Nash.
Nash scored using a screen from LaFrentz.
The score is 115 to 113. There are 10 seconds left.
The Mavericks (Mavericks) theoretically still have two more possessions and a chance to win.
At this moment, Li Chen seemed to be thinking about something, and then a smile appeared on his lips.
A moment later, Li Chen stepped up to the free-throw line again.
First penalty, swish! Swish through the net.
116 to 113.
For the second free throw, Li Chen slammed the basketball against the backboard, then leaped high and caught it.
After that, he led the way towards the outer perimeter.
This scene completely baffled the Mavericks players.
They were initially in high spirits and ready to turn the tide, but unexpectedly, Li Chen suddenly pulled some unexpected tricks.
Nash was the first to react, and he immediately hugged Li Chen.
However, Li Chen still threw the ball out, but this time the Miracle Shot skill didn't trigger, but...
The referee blew his whistle and gestured for three free throws.
The Mavericks players couldn't help but look at Li Chen's location, only to see that his feet were still behind the three-point line.
Swish, swish, swish! Li Chen made all three free throws.
119 to 113.
At this moment, they were filled with despair; there were only 7 seconds left.
They no longer have a chance.
The match ended with a score of 119-116.
The Dallas Mavericks, who had climbed to the top of the regular season standings after the Clippers defeated the Spurs, were also pulled down from first place because of the Clippers.
A moment later, during their handshake, Nowitzki sincerely said, "Chen, you did a fantastic job today."
Li Chen was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Dirk, you too."
Then he said mysteriously, "Dirk, I'll tell you a secret."
"What?" Dirk Nowitzki asked instinctively.
"Hehe! Actually, I'm a fan of yours. Want me an autograph?"
Nowitzki was taken aback by these words, then gave a wry smile, clearly not believing Li Chen's words.
At this moment, Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson walked up to Li Chen, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Good job, kid. Ever thought about switching teams?"
Li Chen looked at the legendary coaches, who were known as mad scientists, with surprise.
He quickly came to his senses and apologized, "Sorry, Coach Nelson, I'm a rookie."
Don Nelson waved his hand, "Don't worry about that, I'll handle it."
Li Chen was speechless, thinking, "Why would I give up being the boss to become the second-in-command in Dallas? How stupid would I be to do something like that?"
Besides, even if he wanted to leave the Clippers, wouldn't it be better for him to hang out with the Little Blacksmith next door?
Lost in thought, Li Chen said again tactfully, "I'm sorry, Coach Nelson, I will always remember Coach Alvin Gentry for giving me the opportunity to play when I was at my lowest point."
Hearing this, Don Nelson nodded. "You are a player of high moral character."
He then added, "However, we won't lose next time."
"We won't give up next time either," Li Chen said, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Haha! I hope we don't meet again next season."
"Of course, I believe we will meet soon," Li Chen said confidently.
Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks played 40 minutes, scoring 29 points, 4 assists, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals on 7-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three-point range and 11-of-11 from the free-throw line.
Nash played 39 minutes, scoring 21 points, 12 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal, shooting 3-for-4 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
Nash both achieved Nowitzki -doubles.
Van Exel, who had a standout performance in the first half, scored two points after being defended by Li Chen, totaling 19 points in 31 minutes of play.
For the Clippers, Corey Maggette played 35 minutes, shooting 7-for-11, scoring 23 points, 1 assist, and grabbing 11 rebounds, including 2-for-2 from three-point range and 7-for-9 from the free-throw line. A respectable double-double.
Odom played 40 minutes, shooting 7-for-18, scoring 18 points, 6 assists, 8 rebounds, and 3-for-4 from three-point range.
Wang Zhizhi played 30 minutes, making 9 of 16 field goals for 24 points, including 5 of 6 free throws and 1 of 1 three-pointers.
This can also be seen as a way of putting down their former employer.
Li Chen played 47 minutes, shooting 11-for-21, scoring 35 points, 20 assists, 10 rebounds, and 2 steals, including 1-for-1 from three-point range and 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.
Li Chen achieved a triple-double, making him a well-deserved MVP of the match.
After this game, the Clippers achieved a record of 43 wins and 25 losses.
It's important to know that in the original timeline, the Clippers' final record for the 2002-2003 season was 27 wins and 55 losses, ranking second to last in the Western Conference.
The two are worlds apart, but no one knows this, not even Li Chen himself.
Because people are usually concerned about who is first, who cares about second? Especially second to last, so Li Chen only heard that the Clippers were bad, but he didn't know exactly how bad they were.
An hour later, after returning from the post-match press conference, Li Chen took a shower, then turned off the lights and went to sleep.
The next morning, he was awakened by the doorbell. He opened the door and saw a tall, white figure extending his hand and saying, "Hello, Mr. Li Chen."
Li Chen was also a little surprised. He subconsciously reached out and shook hands with him, saying, "Hello Dirk, what brings you here? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Dirk Nowitzki was a little embarrassed and hesitated for a while before getting straight to the point. "Chen, after watching your game against the Spurs that day, I knew that your fadeaway jump shot was exactly what I wanted. Could you teach me the technique and principles behind it?"
Li Chen's mouth dropped open. He was feeling embarrassed, as if he had been caught plagiarizing someone else's copyright.
Seeing that Li Chen remained silent, Dirk Nowitzki asked somewhat nervously, "Is it not okay?"
Coming to his senses, Li Chen quickly replied, "Yes, of course."