Volume 5: Unrivaled

In the end, Durant's more experienced team came out on top, defeating Curry's team 157-145. Moreover, the Warriors' first opponent after the All-Star break was the Thunder, who had beaten them twice already, making Lopez's performance even more crucial. Westbrook fell to the floor somewhat awkwardly, but instead of waiting for his teammates to help him up, he pushed himself off the ground and got back to his feet. Since the Big Four took up most of the Thunder's salary cap, their final starting spot could only be filled by rookies or minimum-salary players, and it changed frequently. Their rotation was also made up of minimum-salary players, with the Big Four taking turns leading the bench. February 18th, 7:30 p.m., Chase Center. James posted a triple-double of 29 points, 10 assists, and 12 rebounds, winning his second All-Star MVP trophy. In the past, after All-Star Weekend ended, there were only two days of vacation, and Zhang Yu always gave the team both days off. But this time, the Warriors had made a rare midseason trade. Lopez had just joined the team and needed more time to build chemistry with his teammates and integrate into the squad as quickly as possible. After Hughes caught the ball, he was also left wide open. He took aim and launched a three-pointer, but missed. The cheers in the arena quieted slightly. Westbrook shook his hand, snorted coldly, and retreated to the backcourt... Zhang Yu clapped his hands and shouted, "Antetokounmpo set a short screen, immediately turned and rolled to the basket. Hughes turned to recover, but it was already too late. Antetokounmpo took huge strides toward the rim." When he received the award, James's smile was dazzling. But when he saw Curry chatting and laughing with Rose and Butler at the sideline, casually clapping,