The Fourth Quarter That Sealed the Win

The good news is that Li Chen didn't attack much in the third quarter; he mostly just served to contain the enemy.

From this perspective, their tactics were still effective. This proves he was tired, and what he was exhibiting now was merely a tactic to confuse them.

This made Coach Adelman even more determined to stick to his tactics.

As the third quarter ticked away, the Clippers' score slowly climbed, 50-56.

56 to 64...

The Kings' rapid rise in points made Li Chen realize that he was the only one who could handle the situation.

While holding the ball, Li Chen signaled to his designated screener, Michael Olowokandi, to set a screen for him.

Li Chen knew that his three-point and mid-range shooting percentages were currently too low.

Therefore, he can only force his way to the basket, since the closer he is to the basket, the higher his shooting percentage will be.

A moment later, Li Chen used Michael Olowokandi to break through the basket.

However, the Kings will not allow Li Chen to easily break through to the basket.

Li Chen used a Euro step to force his way past two defenders for a layup.

The sounds of muscles colliding were heard, and Bibby and Doug Christie were forcibly pushed apart by Li Chen.

Then, despite Divac's block, he executed a reverse layup in mid-air and successfully scored.

This brilliant goal was met with a chorus of boos from the Golden 1 Stadium.

58 to 64.

At the same time, Bibby and Doug Christie exchanged a glance, utterly shocked. At that moment, they deeply questioned Coach Adelman's tactics.

Coach Adelman was also surprised. He had clearly seen the replay of the play; Bibby and Doug Christie had been forcibly pushed apart by Li Chen. He found it hard to believe.

"Chen, that was a beautiful play. Chen should have taken the shot himself a long time ago, otherwise the Clippers' offense wouldn't be so disappointing."

"Coach Zhang, Chen did this to help his teammates regain their touch. After all, basketball is a team sport; you can't do it alone."

Zhang Weiping, of course, understood this principle. He sighed slightly and said, "Actually, Chen shouldn't have gone to the Clippers..."

Sun Zhengping understood Zhang Weiping's unspoken meaning: the Clippers' owner was simply too stingy; he wouldn't bolster the team with All-Star Player just to win a championship.

The Kings on offense.

Bibby the ball to Stojakovic.

Odom's defensive pressure put him under pressure.

Stojakovic didn't force a shot; instead, he passed the ball to Chris Webber was raising his hand to ask for it.

After receiving the ball, Webber turned and attempted a layup, but Wang Zhizhi interfered, causing the ball to bounce back and forth on the rim.

But in the end, Webber's luck prevailed, and the basketball went in.

The Clippers' chances of catching up with the Kings, trailing 58-66, are not as easy as they might think.

The Clippers are on offense.

Li Chen continued his drive to the basket, but this time he missed. However, Li Chen seemed to have a premonition that the shot wouldn't go in.

The instant he landed, he jumped again and successfully dunked with one hand.

60 to 66.

"Fuck, Boss, that was a beautiful dunk!" Harden shouted excitedly.

Sitting next to him, DeRozan also stood with his right hand clenched tightly, his eyes filled with admiration.

"James, stop yelling. You're disturbing your brothers' rest. They have to work tomorrow," Monja Willis warned.

Harden stuck out his tongue and replied, "Okay, Mom."

Monja Willis's face was full of affection when he heard Harden's reply.

Then he thought of the smiling, gentle Eastern man he had met.

Thank you so much, kind Easterner, she thought to herself.

Yes, she was genuinely grateful because he not only helped train her son James Harden but also gave her $100 a day.

It might not seem like much to him, but it was incredibly important to his family. He would forever remember this kindness.

Stojakovic missed Bibby, and Divac grabbed the valuable offensive rebound.

Michael Olowokandi was also in a frenzy, grabbing at Divac before he could get a firm grip on the ball.

The two then began to scramble for the item, their movements becoming very forceful, and a strong sense of tension filled the air.

The referee blew his whistle, then jogged over to separate the two players, gave each of them a warning, and finally ruled that they should contest the ball.

The two players jumped for the ball. Michael Olowokandi, as the number one draft pick, although a bust, had explosive physical talent and won the jump ball.

Li Chen intercepted the ball and then dribbled it forward into the attacking third.

Li Chen continued his breakthrough, and he could feel his touch had cooled off a bit after his last attack, but he still gritted his teeth and drove to the basket for a layup.

At that moment, he seemed to understand why Kobe always took on the isolation plays when leading the team. He was forced into it!

Li Chen continued to dribble and drive towards the basket.

Just then, Odom shouted, "Chen, over here!"

Li Chen glanced around and saw Odom waving his hand in the corner.

In a flash, Li Chen passed the ball to Odom, choosing to trust his teammate.

Odom, left wide open, received the pass and, with a swift motion, swished a three-pointer into the net.

After being silent for two and a half quarters, Dao Ge finally came online.

63 to 66.

A moment later, Li Chen gave Odom a big high five in celebration.

"You've finally been reliable for once," Li Chen said with a laugh.

Odom chuckled mischievously, then winked and said, "Chen, you can go off the field and rest. Having Odom on the team is enough for this game."

Hearing this, his teammates booed in unison. Then, including Li Chen, they all ran towards their own backcourt.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't you believe me?!"

In the following period, Odom's hot streak returned like a contagious disease, and other Clippers players also found their rhythm.

At the end of the third quarter, the Clippers led the Kings 82-80.

The Clippers started to exert their strength at the beginning of the fourth quarter, taking a 12-point lead over the Kings in just half a quarter.

This greatly relieved Li Chen.

At the same time, Li Chen also discovered a problem with the Clippers.

That is, the Clippers players are too slow to get into the game, and they only start to exert themselves in the fourth quarter.

This is really frustrating. Not only other players, but even he himself could feel that his shooting touch was much better in the fourth quarter than in other periods.

However, the Clippers' resurgence in shooting doesn't mean they've won.

The Kings won't give up easily.

After Coach Adelman called a timeout and returned...

The Kings' Stujakovic showed the Clippers what it means to be a three-point contest champion.

His four consecutive three-pointers threw the Clippers players into a panic.

But Li Chen showed his teammates not to panic by hitting two three-pointers of his own.

Given the Clippers' previous huge lead, who can help the Sacramento Kings take the lead?

At the same time, Li Chen used his [Iron Wall and Bronze Barrier] skill to actively defend against Stojakovic, putting this restless guy back.

Don't forget that Stojakovic is just Small Forward; he could defend even a center with an S-level "Iron Wall and Bronze Barrier" skill. Of course, exceptions include players like O'Neal.

Finally, the referee blew the whistle, and the Clippers narrowly secured a 118-112 victory.