I, Zhou Ze, Don't Block Unknowns. If I Block, I Block UFO!!!

The next day, Jason Kidd led the New Jersey Nets into Los Angeles to face the Lakers.

Although the team's starting power forward had been sent to the Denver Nuggets in the West, Jason Kidd, with his elite playmaking from the backcourt, still kept the Nets in third place in the East.

Meanwhile, the backcourt duo of Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson also gave the team plenty of offensive firepower.

The Lakers went with the same starting lineup as last game tonight: Smush Parker, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Zhou Ze, and Kwame Brown.

Phil Jackson noticed that whenever the 211-centimeter Kwame Brown shared the floor with Zhou Ze, he played especially hard on defense. On offense, limited by his skills and his hands, he could not be called good, but at least he was willing to battle.

With [Aerial Operations] promoted to Silver, Zhou Ze was eager to throw down some alley-oops with his teammates. However, under the defensive pressure of the bulky Jason Kidd, Parker struggled immensely whether driving with the ball or running the offense.

Jason Kidd stood 193 centimeters tall and weighed 93 kilograms. He had a powerful frame, elite basketball IQ, vision, and passing ability.

Smush Parker stood 193 centimeters tall and weighed 86 kilograms.

Third-year Parker looked like a child in front of Kidd. It was as though Kidd could see through every thought he had; every pass Parker tried to make was either disrupted and sent off target, knocked out of bounds, or stolen outright.

Zhou Ze found several openings under the basket, but every one of them ended in an "empty jump."

The Lakers' other capable passer, Lamar Odom, was tightly hounded by Richard Jefferson, who possessed both size and athleticism. Odom was an extremely emotional player.

Already struggling on offense, he was then picked apart defensively by the Kidd-Jefferson connection, turning directly into a player who was "good at nothing, capable of nothing."

Seeing the team's offensive sets fail again and again, nearly grinding to a halt, Kobe stepped up.

Not only did he spare no effort in pressuring Carter on defense, but he also displayed his all-around skill set on offense.

At halftime, the Lakers trailed the Nets 49-61, down by 12 points.

Kobe had scored 24 points in the first half alone, while Vince Carter, who was matched up against him, had only 5.

As for Zhou Ze, it was difficult for him to get the ball, and even when he did, the defense had already recovered. Relying on spot-up threes, he went 1-for-5 from beyond the arc. He also drew free throws on two fast breaks.

He had managed only 5 points and 2 rebounds.

With Jason Kidd threading the needle and bringing the team offense to life, the Nets' attack was simply too much for the Lakers' current defense to withstand. On top of that, Jason Kidd, known as someone who "couldn't score," had a hot hand tonight—bullying Smush Parker with all kinds of drives and knocking down outside threes. The Nets' offense was blooming everywhere.

When the second half began, Jason Kidd, who had played nearly the entire first half, did not immediately return to the floor.

Against the Nets' backup guard, Jeff McInnis, Smush Parker finally caught his breath. Over the next three minutes, he assisted Zhou Ze on two Corner Threes. Then, in one half-court possession, Zhou Ze suddenly cut in from the corner. Parker lofted a high pass, and Zhou Ze stretched out in the air before dunking over the 213-centimeter Jason Collins.

Kobe also knocked down a string of difficult shots.

A 14-5 run cut the deficit to just 9 points.

But once Jason Kidd and Jefferson returned, the Lakers' offensive system fell apart again, leaving Kobe to carry the team forward by himself.

For the first time, Zhou Ze, who lacked self-created offense, felt so helpless.

Once his teammates could not deliver the ball in time, no matter how smart his off-ball movement was, it was useless.

Throughout the entire second half, Zhou Ze made only two three-pointers. However, he delivered one highlight-reel play on defense.

During a Nets half-court possession, Kidd drove down the right wing off a teammate's screen. With a flashy no-look pass, he found Carter, who had shaken Kobe off a screen and suddenly curled toward the basket. After catching the ball and taking two dribbles, Carter faced Zhou Ze, who was stationed under the rim, and exploded upward from a standstill.

Zhou Ze jumped straight up, intercepting him in midair. His huge hand firmly pinned the basketball, but the impact from that UFO was truly terrifying—the sheer force nearly knocked Zhou Ze over.

After landing, Zhou Ze's body involuntarily tilted backward, and he fell flat on his backside.

Thunderous applause immediately erupted throughout the Lakers' home arena.

After getting blocked, Carter looked at Zhou Ze in disbelief and wondered, His wingspan doesn't seem as exaggerated as the media claimed... It's not long, but it doesn't seem short either.

At the same time, Zhou Ze showed little excitement after the block. He was more shaken than anything else. If he had not been prepared and jumped early, Vince Carter would most likely have dunked right over him.

Tomato, I almost ended up on a poster, Zhou Ze thought.

When the outside playmaker was shut down, players who relied on off-ball offense practically lost more than half their game. Although Zhou Ze had his highlight moment with the huge block on UFO, he was more often spun around by Kidd's scalpel-precise passes.

Players cutting into the Lakers' paint always managed to get their shots off before Zhou Ze could rotate over to help. Even worse, some players could finish with finger rolls right over Zhou Ze's outstretched arm.

In the end, the New Jersey Nets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-104, winning by 9 points.

Kobe finished with a game-high 49 points, along with 3 steals, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. He also held fellow elite shooting guard Vince Carter to just 8 points.

Aside from that, Zhou Ze had 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, and 1 assist.

[Post-Game Reward: 47 Peak Points]

[Peak Points: 112/4366]

If you enjoy this book and want to avoid losing it next time, please remember to add it to your bookshelf.

For Zhou Ze, who wanted to win Western Conference Rookie of the Month, losing at this crucial stage would definitely have an impact.

But the good news was that the Charlotte Hornets led by Chris Paul and the Utah Jazz led by Deron Williams had both lost as well.

Additionally, Zhou Ze's huge block on UFO Vince Carter's dunk was selected as the number one play on the day's Top Ten.

<Zhou had finally recorded the first block of his professional career!>

<He didn't block nobodies—if he blocked someone, it had to be UFO!>

Zhou's defensive talent was gradually awakening!

Zhou Ze swatted Vince Carter's shot, and the outside world was abuzz over it, but Zhou Ze, having lost the game, did not feel the slightest bit of joy.

What surprised him, however, was that the system had given him a special reward for the first block of his career.

[Special Reward (First Block): 200 Peak Points]

[Peak Points: 312/4566]

Spending 200 Peak Points, Zhou Ze drew 1 random attribute point and applied it to [Release Speed], raising it to 82 (115).

The next game was against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs' greatest strength was Tim Duncan. He anchored their defensive system and could even serve as the offensive hub in the paint, organizing the team's offense.

Parker, Manu Ginobili, and the rest of the Spurs players simply knew how to "play basketball" too well.

So-called knowing how to play meant that the ball moved quickly through their hands. They were willing to make one extra pass to create a better scoring opportunity.

The Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers with ease, handing the Lakers their second straight loss.

With an 11-3 record, the Spurs sat firmly atop the Western Conference.

The Phoenix Suns were 10-3, ranked second in the West.

The Lakers were 10-4, ranked third in the West.

In the loss to the Spurs, Kobe performed modestly, scoring only 25 points.

As for Zhou Ze, after going 3-for-4 from three in the first half, he finished 3-for-8 from beyond the arc. Though he put up 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal, his shooting percentage was under 40%. Combined with 4 turnovers, he was completely destroyed on the defensive end.

Whether guarding Tim Duncan one-on-one or providing help defense at the rim, he had done terribly.

[Post-Game Reward: 47 Peak Points]

[Peak Points: 159/4413]

Tomorrow, they would head to New Orleans for a back-to-back game against the Charlotte Hornets led by Chris Paul.

After losing the game, Zhou Ze stayed behind to train with Kobe.

Kobe's expression was cold and stern, and he trained with exceptional focus and seriousness.

That was the difference between Kobe and many superstars. Even in a practice gym without flashing cameras or cheering fans, Kobe could still immerse himself completely.

Zhou Ze was the same way.

Just 58 more corner threes, and [Corner Three-Point Shooter (Bronze)] can be promoted to Silver.

Just 19 more contested makes, and [Sharpshooter (Bronze)] can also be promoted to Silver.

"CP3!"

"Are you ready?"

"I'm coming in!"

Zhou Ze's eyes brimmed with excitement and anticipation.

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