NBA: I am a master dealer

Chapter 345 Kobe announces his retirement!
  The result of the game was no surprise in the end.

The Knicks defeated the powerful Miami Heat 115:108 and gained a wave of [-] consecutive victories.

The Heat struggled during this period, with Wade scoring consecutive points and using foul tactics, but all to no avail.

Xue Liancheng's two consecutive hits have completely killed the Heat's spirit.

Xue Liancheng's performance in this game was also good enough. He made 14 shots, hit 9 goals, and scored 32 points with super high efficiency.

In addition, there are 17 assists and 8 rebounds.

Especially in the fourth quarter when chasing points, almost all the scores were related to him. He either scored by himself or assisted his teammates to score. He launched a super wave of attacks and completed the go-ahead.

And in the end, he scored 10 points in a row to seal the victory.

The absolute number one contributor to victory.

Oladipo also performed well. From 7 of 1 at the beginning, to 11 of 4 in the third quarter, to 15 of 7 at the end, he scored 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Overall, his performance was outstanding. Very good. He suppressed first and then advanced, and assisted Xue Liancheng at the critical moment. That three-pointer was worth a lot of money and was another contributor to the victory.

Lopez made 16 of 8 shots and scored 18 points and 8 rebounds. Although he failed to play at the critical moment, he also made a very important contribution as a substitute. He can be regarded as the person who laid the foundation for the comeback.

Feng Lai made 10 of 4 shots and scored 10 points. He felt relatively average in this game, but in the end he got redemption with the assist of Xue Liancheng. The most important thing is that he played an obvious role on the defensive end and was the only frame protector of the five small lineups. .

PJ Tucker, the offensive bastard, finally stopped being slow in this game and scored 9 points on 4 of 10 shots.

Crowder had 11 points, Tyler Johnson had 9 points, David West had 7 points, Rooney had 4 points, and Galloway had 3 points.

The strength of the Knicks' bench is still good.

But it always felt like it was missing a bit of flavor.

Ok……

There is no gangster who is the mainstay and can score ten or twenty points like crazy.

But it's okay, at least I can get a few dozen points and it won't stall.

And Claude seemed to accept his fate.

After all, Feng Lai did play well and outstandingly next to Xue Liancheng.

The most important thing is to adapt to the starting lineup, especially the five small lineups, and become an indispensable inside player.

Heat here.

Anthony shot 18-for-9 and scored 24 points and 8 rebounds. His performance seemed okay, but you must know that Anthony was 9-for-7 before and had a very good efficiency. As a result, after the game, his shooting percentage was only over [-]%.

This illustrates a problem.

Anthony's subsequent performance was very poor.

It can no longer be described as bad, it is extremely bad.

Especially when the Knicks were chasing points, they continued to be obsessed with singles with the ball, which caused the team to be reversed. They were the main person responsible for the defeat in this game.

韦德22投10中，拿到了28分6篮板6助攻，各方面看起来都可以。

But without the three-point threat, overall he still feels like something is missing.

Fortunately, he made up for it in organizing the offense, and the overall performance was pretty good.

Gasol had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. This game was considered his best game.

Ibaka had 13 points, Porguijins had 12 points, Hardaway Jr. had 6 points, Richardson had 5 points, Winslow and Hinrich each had 3 points.

The Heat have been suppressing the Knicks from the beginning of the game, which shows that their foundation is indeed here.

Especially on the defensive end, they did a very good job and guarded the penalty area tightly. Oladipo and Vonlei felt distorted. After the two of them reached the basket, they were met by Gasol + Ibaka + Porgyzin. Sri Lanka's joint blockade.

It stands to reason that the Heat's offensive end will be fine. After all, Anthony is the league's top scorer with the most comprehensive scoring methods, and Wade is still one of the league's top breakthrough experts.

The existence of the two of them is enough to ensure the Heat's fundamentals.

But Anthony has never been able to integrate into Spoelstra's offensive system, resulting in their overall offense being incomplete and not sustainable.

This is one of the reasons why they lost the good game.

And if the Heat solve this problem, their combat effectiveness must not be underestimated.

The media has been promoting them as the most competitive team this season, which is absolutely justified.

The Big Three of Wade + Anthony + Gasol are the main framework, as well as Ibaka, Porgyzins, Hardaway Jr., Gerald Green, Hinrich, Winslow, Richardson, etc. People help make them extremely competitive.

As an opponent, Xue Liancheng is still very afraid of the Heat.

If Anthony hadn't suddenly lost his way in this game, the outcome would have been uncertain.

If they meet in the best-of-seven playoffs, the Heat's strong defense will really give them a headache.

Coupled with the fact that Spoelstra knows him so well, this is also a deadly sniping point.

and so……

The Heat are definitely one of their strongest opponents on the road to the championship.

He felt it needed extra attention.

Ok……

The importance of regular season record is reflected at this time.

As long as they remain at the top of the Eastern Conference, they can avoid challenges first and become the most advantageous team among the top three in the Eastern Conference.

After all, there's no telling who will win in a battle between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Heat...

And they just have to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between tigers and tigers, and wait for the two powers to fight for a winner before they duel with the winner.

The so-called two tigers fight, one must be injured.

In this way, they take advantage.

In other words, of the three strong teams in the Eastern Conference, two teams need to decide the outcome before playing against the other.

And there is a team that can reduce a fight.

And that team will most likely be number one in the Eastern Conference.

What the Knicks have to do now is to secure the No. [-] spot in the Eastern Conference.

of course.

There is also a possibility that if the Heat or Cavaliers fall to fourth place, the Knicks will become the victim.

but.

This possibility is extremely small.

After all, the overall strength of the top three in the Eastern Conference is obviously a level higher than other teams.

It is basically unlikely that they will fall to the fourth position.

The only one that can pose a threat may be the Toronto Raptors, because he remembers that in the historical trajectory, the Raptors ranked second in the Eastern Conference this season and reached the Eastern Conference finals. They are still quite strong.

But for now, the top three in the Eastern Conference are still stable.

After the game is over.

Xue Liancheng went to the Heat locker room to greet his old teammates, and most importantly to say hello to Spoelstra.

After all, he is his old mentor.

Even if there was a gap between them, it was during the Heat. After leaving the Heat, the relationship between them was unknowingly re-stitched.

This is why there are no interests, making their relationship more pure.

Looking at the familiar objects, he felt a little dazed for a moment.

Things are right and wrong!
  but……

It was just a moment of trance.

It was his choice to leave, and he has never regretted it.

Where he once was, Hinrich was sitting.

He just smiled and nodded, and started chatting with Wade, Gasol, Ibaka, old captain Haslem and others.

And Richardson on the side was so embarrassed...

When Si Bo came in, Xue Liancheng nodded to Richardson with a friendly smile, turned around and walked over to hug Si Bo.

Spoelstra smiled and said: "Xue, you are getting better and better, especially the three-pointers, you are really stable."

Xue Liancheng also smiled and replied: "Thanks to your usual supervision, I can make significant progress."

Spoelstra: "Haha...I'm kind of looking forward to meeting you in the playoffs now."

Xue Liancheng: "I'm looking forward to it too, but... the test in Cleveland is not that easy."

Spoelstra: "This is indeed a problem, but don't worry, we will definitely encounter it."

Upon hearing this.

Xue Liancheng's heart skipped a beat.

Wouldn't the old mentor just pick him up to repair?
  Ok……

It is possible.

After all, the Big Three of the Cleveland Cavaliers are not vegetarians, and the Heat may not be able to take advantage of them.

If he were to replace Spoelstra from his perspective, it would really be possible to pick the Knicks to play.

First, Spoelstra knows him so well, which is a huge advantage.

Second, the Heat's inside advantage can perfectly suppress the Knicks.

Third, the Knicks are a team undergoing major changes, and the problem of running-in will always exist. Especially in the playoffs, this problem will be infinitely magnified.

Fourth, it's ugly to say that except for him who has proven himself, everyone else in the Knicks is a mess and doesn't have much playoff experience.

On the contrary, the Cavaliers, James, Love, and Irving are all team bosses and have proven their strength.

And they already worked together last season, and there is no doubt about their maturity this season.

So you must choose.

Maybe the Knicks are the soft persimmon.

But having said that, no matter what the choice is, with the Heat's current ranking, they will have to play two games, so there is no way to avoid it.

Therefore, if they want to break out of the Eastern Conference, they must step on the corpses of the Knicks and Cavaliers.

Whether you encounter them early or late, it seems to be the same. There is no need to specifically select your opponents.

Thinking of this, Xue Liancheng felt more at ease, "That will be a very interesting series."

After saying a few more words, Xue Liancheng left the Heat locker room, took a shower, and rushed to the press conference.

After doing this, the Knicks all set off and flew to San Antonio.

That's right.

They have to challenge a super powerful team, the San Antonio Spurs.

The schedule during this period is really devilish.

Along the way, we have all been strong teams at the playoff level, and we have met the top teams all over the place, including the Cavaliers, Warriors, Heat, and now the Spurs. Xiao Hua really loves him...

but……

Even so, the Knicks still achieved a wave of twelve consecutive victories. This gold content is not ordinary high.

It can be seen that the Knicks' current combat effectiveness is indeed one of the best in the league.

But the Spurs are also very strong.

So far, the record is 31 wins and 6 losses, ranking second in the league. Apart from the Warriors, they have the best record.

Moreover, they also achieved a wave of ten consecutive victories and were in the limelight.

This encounter can be described as Mars hitting the Earth.

The attention is not small either.

After all, they are all top teams and they all want to see who can be the finisher.

The entire Knicks team is also looking forward to this game.

Xue Liancheng was looking forward to it anyway.

They all defeated the three strongest teams in the league, and only the Spurs were left.

If they also defeat the Spurs, it will prove that their strength is indeed in the clouds.

And at the beginning of the season, they met once.

but……

At that time, the Knicks were really at the beginning of the running-in period, with too many problems and not much combat effectiveness, so that encounter didn't explain much of the problem at all.

In addition, Oladipo has not yet arrived, and the Knicks with that lineup are not the strongest Knicks.

This encounter is when the strengths of both sides are fully demonstrated.

……

……

Arrive at your hotel.

Xue Liancheng was bored and looked online.

The first round of All-Star voting has been announced.

He still ranked first without any suspense, and he was still far ahead.

Oladipo and Lopez also received high votes.

But based on the reality, Oladipo is unlikely to replace Wade, because Wade has a natural advantage in the guard position.

In addition, Wade is also very popular in the country.

After all, he is his old teammate, and as a superstar, his popularity is unquestionable.

As for Lopez, there is still some hope.

After all, in this All-Star restructuring, the center has been merged into the forward line, and there are three spots. In addition to James and Anthony, George and Gasol are Lopez's biggest competitors.

In terms of voting, Lopez still has a chance.

After all, the good character of the Chinese people who love their homes and their families can give Lopez a lot of votes.

And just when Xue Liancheng was watching it with gusto.

He suddenly caught a glimpse of a message floating above his phone. The words were extremely dazzling: Kobe Bryant announced his retirement.

He quickly clicked in and saw that it was indeed true.

In fact, he wasn't too surprised.

After all, in the historical trajectory, Kobe also announced his retirement in the middle of this season.

But what he didn't expect was that Kobe would announce it so late.

Because in the historical trajectory, Kobe released "Dear Basketball" on November 11, officially announced his retirement, and then began a sensational tour.

And now, the time has come to January, a difference of more than a month.

Ok……

Which link did the problem occur?

Just as my mind was filled with questions, my cell phone rang.

Take a closer look.

Ah……

Really speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao is here.

The caller was none other than Kobe.

Xue Liancheng answered with a smile, "My old man, what's wrong with you?"

Kobe: "As you said, my era is over. It's time to give myself some dignity and an explanation for my basketball career."

Xue Liancheng was silent for a moment, "Can I take back this sentence?"

Kobe: "Haha! Everyone will grow old. This is reality. We have to accept the reality."

Xue Liancheng: "Decided?"

Kobe: "It was decided a long time ago. I decided it during the offseason, but... everyone on the team asked me to play for one more year. They assigned me a task and asked me to bring you to Los Angeles. Very soon. It’s a shame, I’ve figured it out now, I didn’t need to do that.”

Xue Liancheng was stunned for a moment, and then he understood why Kobe delayed announcing his retirement.

It turns out that it took me a long time because of myself!
  The Lakers want to use Kobe's influence to bring him to Los Angeles when his contract expires next year.

What a loud calculation!
  The Lakers didn't respond during the trade, so they wanted to grab someone during the offseason?
  Ah……

How dare you think about it!
  but……

Kobe seems to have figured it out now.

In fact, you don't need to think about it to know that he can't run over just because Kobe is in the Lakers.

This is completely the Lakers' whim.

Xue Liancheng smiled and replied, "It means you still don't understand me well enough, otherwise you should have figured it out long ago."

Kobe smiled bitterly: "Indeed..."

Xue Liancheng: "But having said that, a twenty-year career is indeed not easy. When I retire, I still have to make plans for the team."

Kobe's wry smile grew thicker, "I love basketball and I love Los Angeles."

Xue Liancheng: "Haha! This is what I admire about you."

Being able to selflessly teach all the low-post skills shows that Kobe really loves basketball. Even if he has to retire, he hopes that someone will pass on this skill.

Isn't this what love is?
  Kobe: "Well...it's an honor to be admired by a superstar."

Xue Liancheng suppressed his smile and said seriously, "Old man, you are already a legend."

Kobe: "Thank you! I called just because I wanted to hear this. Thank you for your recognition. See you then."

Xue Liancheng: "Okay! I will entertain you well."

The entertainment here is not about eating and having fun, but using all your strength on the basketball court to teach Iron Shell a lesson.

This……

It is the greatest respect for the iron shell.

Kobe: "I'm looking forward to it."

hang up the phone.

Xue Liancheng was in a daze again for a while.

Everything came as promised.

So……

It seems that Kobe's flight will also happen.

But the problem now is that everything has changed. His butterfly wings are flapping too much.

Not sure what day it happened.

How could he stop it?
  Tell Kobe not to fly in a helicopter?
  Isn't that crazy?

In the country of rice, how could a rich man with a private jet not fly?

After all, this is one of the main means of transportation in the country of rice. Top rich people like them are very accustomed to flying.

Therefore, he told Kobe not to fly. Kobe must have thought there was something seriously wrong with his brain.

Should I tell Kobe directly about that?

Then Kobe is more likely to think that his brain was caught in the door.

Ok……

What should I do?
  Xue Liancheng was a little distracted for a moment.

Sudden.

His eyes suddenly lit up.

bet.

I don't know if it's feasible?
  Based on his understanding of Kobe, Kobe would be willing to admit defeat.

In this way, it is really possible to prevent it in advance.

Ok……

Let’s see how we gamble next time we meet.

In this way, that matter can be prevented in advance.

Thinking of this, Xue Liancheng finally smiled.

Checked Twitter again.

Oh open!

Sure enough, it exploded.

When Kobe Bryant announced his retirement, it immediately topped the list of trending searches, and there were countless derivative topics.

The impact is truly extraordinary.

The major media took turns to bombard it, and all the fans also exploded at this time.

Although everyone had expected Kobe Bryant's retirement, when the day came, it still caused an uproar.

To sum it up in one sentence from countless fans: This is their youth!

Youth is over, is this a big deal for you?
  (End of this chapter)