From sparring to superstar

Chapter 276 274. Halfway crazy, four all-stars! (1.3 words)

After four consecutive games, Li Ao left Los Angeles with the team the next day, followed by two consecutive guest games. After returning from the game, it was the final game of the half-season.

Arriving at the hotel in Portland at noon, he saw the news that Jordan won the Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career thanks to his four-game victory last week and his crazy personal performance.

When a teammate won the Best of the Week, he felt both happy and subtle.

恰逢NFL总决赛在前两天结束，北美体育迷的注意力集中到NBA，上周4场比赛，分别拿到三双、10中6砍下15分4板2助攻、20+5+5、25+5+5，乔丹成为了全明星周末前最受关注的球员。

Some media analyzed Jordan's performance this season overnight, including the adaptation stage at the beginning of the season, continuous adjustments to the details of his playing style as the season progressed, and major changes in his playing style to alleviate the physical crisis after entering the middle of the season... Until now, the adaptation is over, The adjustment of playing style is completed, the physical crisis has been overcome, and the state has entered the proper state.

He felt that the columnist's analysis was comprehensive, but his evaluation was wrong.

Rather than saying that Jordan is 'returning to form' or 'recovering', he thinks it is progress.

Jordan's recent style of play has changed a lot from the beginning of the season, not to mention the Bulls days.

This made Li Ao even more impressed. In less than two weeks, the basketball god will be 39 years old and still making progress... Anyway, he was inspired by the veteran.

Li Ao was not the only one who was inspired. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the Clippers came to the Rose Garden Arena for preparation training. Gentry felt that the whole team was very excited now.

He also felt inspired.

Unlike Spider-Man who likes to use words and hard work to motivate his teammates.

The God of Basketball doesn't show how hard he works in front of his teammates. He always uses harsh words to criticize his teammates for what they didn't do well. He doesn't even pretend to be an 'excellent veteran', but with his performance on the court, He has become the most solid backing in the minds of his teammates.

Recently, whenever they see Jordan playing in a game, his teammates will feel extra confident.

Gentry feels that Jordan will never be what people call an 'excellent veteran', but he will always be one of the best leaders!

...

At 2 pm on February 8th, the Clippers' away game against the Trail Blazers started at the Rose Garden Arena.

Tonight's game will be broadcast live across the United States. The last three games of the Clippers' half-season finale will be broadcast live. Tonight is the first game. Players from both teams are very excited.

The bosses of the two teams are both Microsoft bosses, but they can't deal with each other. The players of the two teams are naturally hostile.

Therefore, both teams played very violently in the first quarter!
The established game strategies of Gentry and Morris-Cheeks were all focused on defense, but neither could guard the other at the beginning.

Pippen faced his big brother and hit hard, scoring 4 points and 4 assists in the first quarter. The flying squirrel was at his peak, scoring 13 points and 2 assists in a single quarter. The two worked together to lead the Trail Blazers to 29 points in a single quarter!
快船队这边，乔丹首节6分半钟时间5投3中，加上2中2的罚球狂飙8分！
Driven by Jordan, Li Ao played 10 minutes in the first quarter and made 4 of 2 shots. His mid-range shot was blocked by the opponent. Both goals he scored were three-pointers. In addition, Tianzun suffered a technical foul. He had the highest free throw percentage on the team. Steady hit, 7 points in a single quarter.

加上小奥尼尔的4分、奥多姆的5分2助攻、毕比的6分、马特-哈普林的2分……

In the first quarter, the Clippers' offensive firepower was even stronger than that of the Trail Blazers, leading the Trail Blazers by 32 points 29 to 3!
The Trail Blazers players were about to burst into tears. The opponent actually defended very well. They relied solely on Pippen's support and good ball distribution and the flying squirrel's rampage to score 3 three-pointers in a single quarter. They were able to score 29 points under the opponent's defense. point.

Their defense is also very good, but Jordan, Li Ao, Bibby, and Odom can make shots!
A scoring point broke out on their side, while the four major stars on the opposite side were in full bloom...

In the second quarter, what the Trail Blazers were worried about happened.

As the confrontation increased, their wing shooting performance began to decline.

Li Ao switched defense to Little Flying Squirrel, which greatly restricted Little Flying Squirrel's outside shooting. Although Little Flying Squirrel caught Li Ao and extended it to the outside, he was unable to shrink to help the center protect the frame. He continued to break through and score the ball. He played 9 minutes in a single quarter and scored 5 points. 5 assists, but the Trail Blazers' scoring performance still declined significantly compared with the first quarter, scoring 24 points in the second quarter.

Judging from the first two games between the two teams, 24 points in a single quarter is not bad, but better than any quarter in the previous two games.

But the opposing Clippers continued their offensive firepower in the first quarter!

In the first half of the quarter, the two teams were tied 13-14, with the Trail Blazers scoring [-] points and the Clippers scoring [-] points.

After Jordan came on the field in the second half of the quarter, he played a triangle offense with Odom. Li Ao, as a corner catcher and shooter, relied on Jordan to contain and Odom to support, and scored 8 points in half a quarter!11 points in a single quarter!
Led by Li Ao, Jordan, and Odom, the Clippers scored 18-11 in the second half!
The Clippers once again scored 32 points in a single quarter, leading the Trail Blazers by 64 points 53 to 11 at halftime!
In the third quarter, the Trail Blazers worked hard to chase points and took a small advantage in one quarter, leading 26-24.

Entering the final quarter, the Clippers still only scored 24 points. The offensive firepower in the second half was not as fierce as the first half, and the Trail Blazers' defense became more effective.

However, the Clippers' defense also had an effect in the final quarter. The Trail Blazers continued to miss on the outside and were blocked by the Clippers on the inside. The Trail Blazers only scored 18 points in a single quarter!
乔丹今晚得分方面‘高开低走’，首节6分半钟拿到8分，后面三节打了21分钟只拿到13分，但还有6板6助攻1抢断！

Odom had a strong performance with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists.

Bibby did what he was supposed to do tonight, put the ball in the hands of the right people, and took very few shots. He made 9 of 4 shots, including 5 of 2 three-pointers, plus 4 of 3 free throws, and scored 13 points. 2 rebounds, 4 steal.

O'Neal Jr. had 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block, which was quite satisfactory.

李敖今晚出场37分钟，22投13中，其中三分球7中4，加上5中4的罚球，拿到34分4板2助攻5盖帽！

112 to 97, the Clippers defeated the Trail Blazers and won 10 consecutive victories for the second time this season!

Maurice Cheeks was beaten to the point of losing his temper tonight.

皮蓬12分9助攻、小飞鼠25分10助攻、天尊21分8板、糖人12分16板2盖帽、邦奇-威尔斯15分4板2助攻，五大球星表现都非常好，是两队本赛季三次交手以来表现最好的一次。

But he was still pressed and beaten!
The last time they met, they were steadily suppressed by the Clippers for the whole game. That time, Li Ao went crazy against Pippen's defense.

This time, Maurice Cheeks did not use veterans to defend Li Ao. Although he thought that statement was outrageous, he would rather believe it than believe it.

He used young forwards and defenders such as Reuben Patterson, Derek Anderson, and Bunchy Wells to defend Li Ao tonight, and even the 30-year-old Mitchell Butler was not used.

But Li Ao scored his highest score of 3 points in three games!
Maurice Cheeks lamented in the post-match press conference: "Spider-Man's response shot is an art. He is so good at utilizing the abilities of his teammates. Michael is the biggest beneficiary of his recovery. He knows very well that he should appear. Wherever he gets the ball, he takes advantage of those opportunities and kills us."

Li Ao attended the post-game press conference today. Jordan was a little tired of attending several press conferences in a row. He scored 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal tonight. He did not come.

Maurice Cheeks' words were obviously to make up for his team's loss. There is nothing wrong with this. Everyone thinks that the Trail Blazers played very well tonight, but the Clippers played better.

But these words also mean to sow discord. Anyone who has watched the game can see that gods and heroes achieve each other. Jordan relies on Li Ao's support and containment to achieve high efficiency, and Li Ao relies on Jordan's threats to get more opportunities. This is not Simply who relies on whom.

The reporter immediately asked Li Ao what he thought of the opponent's head coach's evaluation.

Li Ao said modestly: "Cheeks is right, I am good at this. Thanks to his recognition, I am indeed the one who has benefited the most since Michael found himself. Thanks to Michael, I have become even better. "

Morris Cheeks: (￣(∞)￣)
Spider-Man still has his usual style. If he plays well, he will be like "the second best in the world is dead", but he does not forget to praise the God of Basketball and easily resolves his provocation.

...

On the 9th, Li Ao returned to California with the team and came to the state capital, Sacramento.

Every time he comes here, he can understand why the owners and players of the Kings are clamoring to move out every year.

If you put Sacramento in Tennessee, Minnesota, Indiana, it wouldn't look too bad.

But when it comes to California... this state capital is really difficult to rank among the California cities he has been to. There is absolutely no state capital in the top five, and it can barely make it into the top ten?He has visited less than 10 California cities.

He went to the hotel to rest for a while and had lunch. In the afternoon, he went to the Arco Arena with the team.

This arena is also very poor. Compared with the $3 million Staples Center, the Arco Arena, which cost a total of $4000 million, looks like a G League arena. It is the largest in the league. A cheap arena that is not only worse than the Staples Center, but worse than the other 27 arenas in the league.

But this season, this arena is one of the arenas visited most frequently by reporters in North America!

Because the only gorgeous team in the league today-the Kings was born here.

Today, this arena is extremely lively, with tens of thousands of fans pouring into the city, and it will be even more lively tomorrow.

The Kings just returned from a 6-game winning streak in Dallas last night, with a record of 40 wins and 10 losses.

The Clippers have won 10 consecutive games and their record has reached 41 wins and 9 losses.

The holder of the longest winning streak this season is the Kings, with 11 consecutive wins entering the middle of the season.

The battle for the league’s No. 10 ranking, the longest winning streak, the grievances of last season’s playoffs... The All-Star weekend is coming, and North America has entered the basketball season. The Kings, who have been in hot form throughout the season, are even stronger after the resurgence of the basketball god. The Clippers further won [-] consecutive victories, and the match between these two teams aroused the fans' enthusiasm for watching the game.

Not only were the tickets sold out quickly and became very popular in the secondary market, but all the bars and fan clubs in Sacramento were fully booked.

Such a hot atmosphere made the Clippers players very enthusiastic in preparing for the game.

After afternoon practice, the Clippers' bad-tempered, bad-tempered trio descended on the arena's small bar for cocktails...and juice.

Li Ao took a sip of juice and said: "The visiting team's merchant is not at all humane. He actually refuses to secretly sell me wine. I want to file a complaint against him!"

Bibby complained: "The vendors at Staples Center and Memorial Stadium will not sell you alcohol."

It hurts my heart, brother!

Li Ao said angrily: "When August comes, I will buy 8 bottles of wine and blow on my lips, and the video will be posted online!"

Bibby: (ˇˇ)
Junior brother's brain circuit is really difficult to understand.

Seeing the crowds in the small commercial area of ​​​​Arco Arena, Bibby said: "That difficult time has finally passed. Last month, the fans were not enthusiastic. Except on the day of the game, there was no one in the arena. Preparing for the game There was no atmosphere at all during this stage, but it feels better now.”

Li Ao said curiously: "I didn't expect you, Mike, to like the excitement."

Bibi rolled his eyes, and in his junior brother's eyes, he was just a lonely man who liked to stay in the dark.

Jordan said: "The fans are not enthusiastic, so let's use better performance to excite them. It's because we did too poorly this year. It really can't work without me."

Li Ao said: "People wearing suits speak louder."

Jordan responded: "You will have 1 win and 3 losses without me. Isn't that true?"

Bibby silently took a sip of wine, and the two of them started arguing after another disagreement, but it was good. It was so happy to be paired with these two teammates. The games won in more than half a season were almost catching up with him. The first three years of my career.

Doubling his career wins in one season, he never dreamed of being so bold when he was with the Grizzlies.

Compared with his junior brother who only focused on exchanging blows with Jordan, he was full of longing for Jordan's words of "exciting the fans in the middle of the season with better performance."

After the Christmas Day game this season, the spotlight belonged to the Kings. As for the Clippers, they only began to become the focus in the second half or even late January after Jordan eased his physical crisis and improved his condition.

Be sure to do better next time!
...

After a night's rest, the Clippers' game day against the Kings arrived.

Gentry only arranged one non-confrontational running training session in the morning. Although the middle of the season was coming to an end and all the players were very motivated, the more this happened, the stricter he controlled the amount of training. A veteran with more than 20 years in the industry He has seen many teams fail at critical moments.

Now is the most critical moment in the middle of the season.

Every player knows that they need to pay attention to injuries in the middle of the season and will be extra cautious in games and training. However, when the season is about to end, they will always unconsciously relax their vigilance.

Before and after the All-Star Weekend, the probability of injuries for each team is the highest throughout the season, and is higher than in January when players' physical and mental fatigue reaches its peak.

The training time in the morning was short, and the Clippers players all returned to the hotel for lunch.

After Li Ao finished the nutritious meal prepared by Jack, he came to Jordan's room and saw that it was already full of people. His teammates were all here, and several coaches were also waiting in front of the TV to speculate on who would be the substitutes for this year's All-Stars.

Looking at Jordan's smelly expression, Li Ao couldn't be happier.

"Michael, who asked you to have the privilege of cutting cigars in a suite with a large living room, so you won't be disturbed during your lunch break."

Jordan snorted and replied: "You are jealous."

"Yeah, I'm just jealous, that's why I said that on purpose."

"..."

Jordan's fists tightened again, and Cole turned around and snickered again.

It’s great to play in Los Angeles!In addition to occasionally working part-time as a trainer, which is equivalent to getting a free salary, there are always good shows to watch.

Soon, the US Cable Sports and NBA cooperation program began.

Li Ao also came up to watch.

In addition to the All-Star substitutes, the rosters for other games will also be announced today.

Today's appearance is Stu Jackson, the vice president in charge of NBA event business operations, who is currently recognized as the 'successor of Stern'.

The first thing to be announced is the Rookie Challenge roster.

First-year team: Arenas, Jamal Tinsley, Jason Richardson, Joe Johnson, Battier, Kirilenko, Gasol, Brandon Haywood, Kwame- Brown.

After Stu Jackson announced the first-grade team roster, Li Ao wanted to withdraw from the game.

Form these 9 people into a team and give them the championship in two years!

Li Ao remembers very clearly that in the first 10 games since the Rookie Competition became the Rookie Challenge, only in the 02 Rookie Game did the rookie team defeat the second-year team. In the other 9 years, the second-year team won.

The class of 00 was nailed to the pillar of shame.

It wasn't until the 2010 rookie game that another rookie team defeated the second-year team, but that time it was not the 08 rookie, but the 09 rookie Tyreke Evans who was too fierce and beat Rose, Mayo, and Westbrook. .

But after Stu Jackson announced the roster of the second-grade team, Li Ao raised his eyebrows.

Players in the same class have made great progress in their second year!

Eddie House averaged 9.2 points and 2.8 assists per game.

Jamal Crawford averages 10.3 points and 3.8 assists per game.

Big Q who averaged 7.2 points, 3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Reed averaged 11.8 points per game.

Desmond Mason, who averaged 12.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Turkoglu averaged 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

场均15分5.3板2.6助攻1.2抢断1.6盖帽的肯扬-马丁。

Jamal Magloire averaged 9.8 points, 9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

In terms of talent, their overall comparison this time is definitely not as good as that of the rookies on the opposite side.

But the current strength gap is not that big!
The strong points on the opposite side, including Arenas, Tinsley, Jason Richardson, Gasol, and Kwame Brown, are better than the back line and center on his side.

But they have Spider-Man on their side...it's not like they haven't done anything!

...

In addition to being selected for the rookie game, Big Q was also selected for the three-point contest.

Other players participating in this year's Three-Point Contest: Ray Allen, Wesley Persson, Mike Miller, Nash, Pierce, Steve Smith, Peja.

Cole accepted the invitation to participate in this year's new 3V3 competition.

This competition is a team of an active veteran, a retired celebrity, and a basketball enthusiast in the entertainment industry. There are 8 teams in total. Starting from the afternoon of the Rookie Challenge, the first round will be drawn, the semi-finals will be played in the afternoon of the comprehensive event, and the finals will be played in the evening.

Li Ao didn't remember this game at all. He estimated that it was an experimental event before the launch of the Skills Challenge or the Shooting Star Challenge. NBA officials have been trying to make the All-Star Weekend events richer.

Gerald Wallace was selected for the slam dunk contest.

The other three participating players are Francis, Jason Richardson, and defending champion Desmond Mason.

Teammates expressed congratulations to the three, but their attention was not on that. They were more concerned about the next All-Star substitute list.

Li Ao was invited to both the three-point contest and the slam dunk contest, but he refused because he didn't want to embarrass that person.

Let’s wait and see in a few years. Then he might want to compete every year...

After Stu Jackson introduced the contestants on the comprehensive event day, the main event is here!
The answer was quickly revealed. The first thing Stu Jackson announced was the Western Conference substitute list for the away game.

Seven people including Payton, Nash, Peja, Nowitzki, Webber, Malone, and Odom were selected to the All-Star substitute list.

Teammates cheered when they heard Odom's name.

But then the teammates were stunned. Odom was selected, but O'Neal was not selected?
However, they were not given time to react. Stu Jackson continued: "All-Star starting center Shaquille O'Neal withdrew from the All-Star Game due to injury. After discussion at the league headquarters, we recommended Jermaine O'Neal to replace Shaquille O'Neal. Participate in this All-Star Weekend.”

The teammates cheered again.

It's not that they are dissatisfied with Odom being selected as an All-Star. They are all teammates and they are happy whoever is selected.

It's just that Odom is not that enthusiastic about the All-Stars, unlike O'Neal who has it written on his face that he wants to be selected for the All-Stars.

Odom, who didn't fight for it, was selected, and O'Neal, who fought for it, was not selected. The latter will definitely be unhappy...Thanks to the neighbor for withdrawing!
O'Neal's expression also changed from a dry laugh to a genuine laugh. He took the initiative to congratulate Odom on being selected as an All-Star.

Odom was surprised. After he chose to take the maximum salary and lead the second and third lineups, he gave up hope for awards and other awards. His personality is not the type to compete for these things.

But of course he was happy to be selected!

The sneaker endorsement fee alone will increase by US$100 million. It is written in the contract that all-star and best lineups have incentive clauses that can be triggered...Thank you Spider-Man!

He averaged 12.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1 steal and 1.2 blocks per game this year. The data is not bad, but it is not good either. Spider-Man supported him last year, which must have played an important role.

...

Seeing little O'Neal's happy look, Li Ao breathed a sigh of relief. Being the boss is so tiring!

I also have to take care of the mood of high school students.

If Odom is selected and O'Neal Jr. is not selected, there may be a gap between the two, and the latter will definitely feel resentful. The emotions of high school students are always written on their faces.

His teammates didn't care at all about the players in the Eastern Conference who were selected as All-Star substitutes. Even Jordan joined in the fun and coaxed Odom, who had already received the promise of a maximum salary, and O'Neal, who now has the second highest salary in the team, to treat him.

Philadelphia is a big city, and the experienced Jordan knows where the fun is.

Li Ao took a look at the Eastern team's substitute list before joining in the fun.

Seven people including Baron Davis, Ray Allen, Pierce, Raheem, Anthony Walker, Ben Wallace, and Brand were selected.

Even with Duncan helping the poor, the Eastern Conference is still weak inside.

He began to look forward to partnering with Snake and the Predator again. Although there were no Shaq and Kidd this time, there were also Shaq and Payton. In fact, there were three of them. The center was Nowitzki and the point guard was Nash. …

After playing around with his teammates for a while, Li Ao came to the Arco Arena in advance to continue practicing.

He practiced the three-threat stance and behind-the-back dribbling. These two moves had no effect. After practicing a few sets of three-threat shots, behind-the-back dribbling, and turning for three-pointers, his three-pointers improved!

"Congratulations to the host for raising the three-point evaluation from 80 to 81."

After reaching an excellent level, the three-pointer has been stuck for a long time.

There are daily training and additional training for three-pointers, but it is not the key training content. Expanding his skills around mid-range shots and breakthroughs is his current focus. Improving three-pointers is the same as improving ball control to 78. It depends more on each game. Five three-point shots were made in the game.

With the small progress, Li Ao was very happy and added two sets of three-point shooting training to consolidate.

...

4 people were selected to the All-Stars, and the Clippers stole the show today!

In the ancient times, there were few teams, but in the mid-term, there were many leagues. North American basketball was severely divided. Not counting the situation before 1976, since the NBA merged with the ABA, as of this year, there have only been two occasions when four players from a single team were selected to the All-Stars at the same time.

In the 82-83 season, Maurice Cheeks, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Andrew Toney of the 76ers were selected as All-Stars.

In the 97-98 season, Van Exel, Kobe Bryant, Eddie Jones, and O'Neal of the Lakers were selected to the All-Stars.

This is the third time in the modern basketball era for the Clippers!
The views of the media and fans - Odom and O'Neal were selected based on their league-leading record.

If we go to the Eastern Conference, Odom, who averages 12+6+5+1+1 per game, and O'Neal, who averages 14+11 per game, will have no problem being selected for the All-Stars. The East is weak in the paint, and there are only three serious insiders selected in the All-Stars this year. , Duncan, Brand, Ben Wallace.But put it in the West...The media in Portland, Oakland, Phoenix and other places bombarded the coaches of each team and the league's choices.

The list in the Eastern Conference is also controversial. Alan Houston, Big Dog, Cassell, Andre Miller, Stackhouse, Richard Hamilton, Thunderbolt Miller... and others were not selected as All-Stars. , Baron Davis was selected, and was also bombarded by the local media of many teams.

This reflects the difference in the star structure between the East and the West. There are only two backup guards in the West, and the others are all frontcourt players. Wideouts who were eligible for selection were left behind.

At 7:40 p.m., the Clippers took the lead in entering the Arco Arena and were met with violent boos from the fans.

Kings fans also want to be No. [-] in the league!

In addition to this, Kings fans also had new dissatisfaction today-Divac and White Chocolate were not selected for the All-Stars, and Odom was selected.

The data and performance of these two people this season are slightly inferior to O'Neal.

But compared to Odom, who led the second team, the performance of these two people was even worse.

But the louder the Kings fans booed, the more excited the Clippers became.

In the words of Spider-Man - look, they're jealous!

Now the morale of the Clippers players is at its highest. Half of the goal at the end of the half-season has been achieved, and now there is still the other half - to win the half-season championship and help the head coach become an All-Star!

Moreover, in early December, they played against the Kings and lost by 12 points. In addition, they were beaten in the playoffs last season... They have long wanted revenge!

After the Kings players entered the court, the Clippers also felt a strong fighting spirit from the opponent. Tonight, there is no 'Fans Meeting of the God of Basketball'. Jordan is no longer interested in this. He has done so dozens of times. He is tired of laughing. All over.

At 8 o'clock in the evening, the two teams started playing!
The Clippers sent out Bibby, Li Ao, Jordan, Matt Halprin, and O'Neal in the starting lineup tonight. After Gentry and Odom discussed it, they put him on the bench so that he could directly increase the intensity at the start.

The Kings' starting lineup remains the same, with the combination of White Chocolate, Doug Christie, Peja, Weber, and Divac on the field.

The Clippers started a defensive battle in the first quarter!

The last time they played against each other, they lost by soaring points. Gentry discussed it many times with the coaching staff and core members, including Jordan himself. They all felt that even if Jordan was in his current state, he would not be able to win against the Kings by soaring points. It's hard.

Unlike the Mavericks and the Timberwolves in the early season, the Kings' defense is also top-notch. Without pressing the rhythm, the Kings can limit their opponents' shooting percentage to 43.7%, their three-point shooting percentage to 32%, and they maintain 47%. Field goal percentage and 36% three-point shooting percentage.

The Clippers defended very hard, but the result...the score was 21-25 in the first quarter, and the Clippers lost by 4 points and failed to defend!
Gentry's defensive strategy is actually quite effective against the Kings' regular play, and was tried in the playoffs last season.

However, the Kings and Clippers also have rich experience in playing against each other. With the experience of last season's playoffs, Adelman predicted that the opponent would play defense and expanded the offense outwards.

Divac pulled up to the high post and distributed the ball to both wings. The passes from both wings were only passed to the top arc and teammates cutting under the basket, without challenging the middle barrier created by Li Ao, Jordan, Jr. O'Neal and others to reduce mistakes.

The Kings played 8 people in the first quarter, and everyone scored. Doug Christie had 4 points, Divac had 4 points, Weber had 6 points, Peja had 3 points, Teg Kru, White Chocolate, Bobby Jackson, Scott Ted Pollard both scored two points.

Full bloom!
After playing against each other in person, Li Ao finally understood how terrifying the Kings team was in the middle of the season. Each of the eight main players was excellent, everyone was online, and they cooperated tacitly!

The defense was unfavorable in the first quarter, but Gentry chose to persevere.

In the first quarter, 8 of the 7 Kings players made long-range shots, and only Pollard and Webber combined to score 6 points in the paint.

If the other party can continue this performance, he admits it!
In the second quarter, the Kings really continued this feeling...

It was still an 8-man rotation, and Adelman's timing and choice of substitutions were just right.

Except for White Chocolate, who didn't score in this quarter, the other 7 people all scored, and it happened to be their first quarter score minus White Chocolate's score, which was 23 points in a single quarter!
While the Clippers were stuck on defense, the Kings stabilized their offensive firepower!
Fortunately, Li Ao and Jordan stepped forward and helped Gentry maintain his confidence in playing defense.

When Jordan was resting in the first half of the quarter, Li Ao played Doug Christie on his back and scored 4 points on 2 of 4 shots in the singles period. In addition, Odom scored a three-pointer with an assist after receiving a pass from O'Neal Jr. and scored 7 points in the half quarter. points; in the second half of the quarter, Jordan came on the court and beat Doug Christie from behind, scoring 5 points on 3 of 6 shots, and also provided Li Ao with a top-five assist.

Li Ao cut in to catch the ball and met Weber who came back to make a dunk to score 2+1.
Led by Li Ao and Jordan who combined for 16 points in a single quarter, the Clippers also scored 23 points in the second quarter and did not allow the Kings to continue to open up the score!

In the third quarter, the Clippers' defensive strategy finally worked.

Under the physical exhaustion of the Clippers, the Kings' wing shots were inaccurate.

Weber continuously cut in to catch the ball and attack the frame, scoring 9 points in a single quarter. Doug Christie was also tough and scored 5 points in a single quarter. But other than the two of them, only Bobby Jackson scored a three-pointer in this quarter. Only 17 points were scored in the quarter!
The Clippers continue to rely on their stars, and this quarter is their turn to fully blossom.

李敖拿到4分、乔丹4分、小奥尼尔5分、毕比3分，大Q、博伊金斯、马特-哈普林各拿到两分，快船队7人上场全部有得分。

单节22比17，三节打完，快船队66比65反超国王队1分进入节间休息！
...

Gentry thanks his beloved disciple!
Peja made only 12 of 3 shots in the first three quarters, especially in the third quarter, when he made 4 of 0 in a single quarter and was zero-blocked by Spider-Man!
There is also an element of luck. Two of Turkoglu's three-pointers circled around the basket and slipped out. Of course, the main reason was that they defended well and consumed the opponent's touch. Only then did Turkoglu's open three-pointers become so good. A little bit off.

No matter what, they finally accomplished what they wanted to achieve the last time they played against each other - dragging the opponent into the stage where the star player plays the key ball!

Gentry sent a combination of Steve Smith, Li Ao, Jordan, Odom, and Campbell.

The Kings fielded a combination of Bobby Jackson, Doug Christie, Turkoglu, Webb, and Scott Pollard.

So far, the first half of the season is almost over, and the Kings' ninth man's playing time is only 9 minutes per game.

For extreme comparison, Danny Manning, the Mavericks' 12th player in playing time, averages 13.5 minutes per game.

But Kings players are already familiar with the current playing schedule and enjoy a rotation that maintains strong strength from the beginning to the end of the game.

After the start of the fourth quarter, the Kings launched a fierce attack... but the effect was not much different from the third quarter.

The wing shooter took the shot and really couldn't make it!

In the end, they could only rely on singles to score, and the pressure fell on Webber and Bobby Jackson.

这时候韦伯拉了，单节只出手3次，3投1中，加上2中1的罚球拿到3分。

Peja, who came on the field after playing 4 minutes, only made 4 of 1 three-pointers in a single quarter. Facing the wheel-to-wheel defense of Li Ao and Gerald Wallace, he continued to slump.

Bobby Jackson was the most daring of the Kings on the offensive end at this time. He scored 9 points in 9 minutes, but he also took 9 shots, including 6 of 2 three-pointers, plus O'Neal who was too excited. He made a technical foul and scored 1 points.

Apart from the three of them, only White Chocolate made a three-pointer against Bibby, and Scott Pollard grabbed an offensive rebound and caused a foul and made two free throws.

The Kings only scored 20 points in the final quarter!
The offense was not good, but the Kings defended very well. Gerald Wallace's response to attack the frame, O'Neal's close range scoring, Big Q and Matt Halprin's wing scoring performance were all miserable, 4 The players took turns and only scored 4 points in total.

Li Ao devoted himself to defense in the final quarter, keeping an eye on Peja and Weber. These two did not shoot well, and he played a big role. He only scored 3 points in the final quarter.

Odom only scored a three-pointer at the buzzer in the final quarter, and no other points.

But they still have Bibby and Jordan!

毕比打了5分钟进了俩三分球拿到6分，乔丹6投3中外加3中2的罚球拿到8分！
24 to 20 in a single quarter!

首节5分、第二节10分、第三节4分、末节3分，李敖全场打了42分钟，18投8中，其中三分球8中3，加上3中3的罚球，拿到22分7板2助攻4抢断2盖帽！

Jordan also scored 22 points, plus 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

毕比15分6助攻、小奥尼尔10分14板、奥多姆9分9板3助攻2盖帽……

90 to 85, the Clippers defeated the Kings with a 5-point advantage!

...

After the final whistle sounded, the fans at the scene booed the Clippers again.

Li Ao looked at the mission prompt. This season, they tied with the Kings 1-1, and there are two more games to play. If they win one more time, they can get a level 1 skill upgrade card for the 'Gorgeous King' mission, and there are two remaining games. Win every game and get 1 attribute point.

But let alone two games, Li Ao felt that he had to fight to the end even if he won one game.

The Kings are so powerful. Their Clippers played so successfully in the second half. Looking at the score, they only won by 5 points in the end!
If Peja, who is 16 of 4 and 11 of 2 from [-]-point range, scores two more goals tonight, they will be finished.

If he, Bibby, and Jordan score less than two goals in the competition for stardom, it will be over.

This opponent, whether attacking or defending, is amazingly strong!

However, the regular-stage strength of the Kings and the key ball strength of the Clippers are their respective advantages.

It was because of this difference that he played this game with such enthusiasm.

Every attack and defense must be done to the best of your ability, otherwise you may miss out on victory.

Seeing the other party's unwilling expression, Li Ao was in a good mood.

It's finally their turn to enjoy the joy of victory!

The next day, the Clippers returned to Los Angeles after two consecutive away games.

Li Ao saw the news' evaluation of their game last night and actually said that they fought a gorgeous defensive battle.

Can the defensive battle still be gorgeous?The two teams combined for only 175 points, how gorgeous should they be?

After lunch, he watched the TNT sports replay.

Well, it was a pretty good game, as expected of you, Kings.

Even though the Kings' offensive firepower dropped in the third and fourth quarters, their offensive tactics were very good, but they just couldn't make any shots.

And it is precisely because of insisting on executing tactical moves that the Kings' offensive performance was able to pick up slightly in the fourth quarter.

Fortunately, I got the white devil!
White Chocolate's performance in regular time is no worse than that of White Devil, or even better. White Chocolate's physical condition is better, and his defensive ability, counterattack ability and consciousness are better than Bibby.

But at the critical moment, White Chocolate couldn't even see the White Devil taillights.

After watching the video, Li Ao continued to practice more.

After two consecutive away games, the Clippers got two days of rest.

On the second day, Li Ao came to the Memorial Stadium to prepare for the game with the team.

The last battle at the halfway point is another focus battle, and the opponent is the next door neighbor.

Although O'Neal was injured a few days ago and will be sidelined for two weeks, the attention on this game remains unabated.

Jordan VS Kobe!

On the 7th, Kobe beat Carter in the absence of O'Neal.

其实卡特打得很好，率领猛龙队与湖人队打到了加时赛，他出战47分钟，24投10中，其中三分球12中5，加上7中6的罚球拿到31分10板3助攻2抢断4盖帽。

但科比那边53分钟打满，29投14中，其中三分球5中1，加上11罚全中，拿到40分8板8助攻3抢断3盖帽，率领湖人队以105比99干掉猛龙队。

With neither side having a super insider, the two faced off head-on. Kobe won a lot of fans in this game.

This game even directly shaken Carter's status as 'Jordan's No. [-] successor' in people's minds.

When Li Ao saw this change in public opinion, he felt that it was not easy for Snake. The league did not favor him and his teammates did not love him, so he had no choice but to counterattack.

O'Neal was injured, but Gentry was still strict in preparing for the game and did not slack off.

Defeating the Kings head-on gave the Kings their 11th loss of the season. They had already secured the half-season championship in advance.

But, the winning streak continues!
They have tied the Kings' 11-game winning streak, and Gentry certainly wants to monopolize the longest winning streak.

This goal is consistent with the team members!
The amount of training is not large, but there are many details. It is still very hard, and it is hard for the coach and the players.

After a day of training, at night, Li Ao saw the news.

The Jazz announced that Malone sprained his shoulder and will be out for 1-2 weeks, and said that they have applied to the league to withdraw from the All-Star Weekend.

Last night, the Jazz played against the 76ers. Malone made 23 of 11 shots, plus 14 of 12 free throws. He scored 34 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. He played 41 minutes and completed two consecutive possessions at the last moment. He stole the ball and led the team to a 92-87 victory. Sprained his shoulder?

After playing against the 76ers, the team abducted an underage girl in Philadelphia to celebrate the victory but the opponent broke away and twisted her shoulder?

It's clear that he is making excuses for not playing in the All-Star Game.

Li Ao looked at the Jazz's opponents tomorrow and their first opponent in the second half of the season, and determined that they were looking for excuses not to play in the All-Star Game.

The Jazz's opponent tomorrow is the Nuggets. This was originally a popular game, Malone VS McDyess, but the latter was reimbursed, so no one cared about this game.

The Nuggets' current competitive state shows that even if Malone doesn't play, the Jazz will most likely win the game.

The Jazz's opponent in the first half of the second half was different - the old rival Lakers.

According to league regulations, there must be a reason for not playing in the All-Star Game. If the reason is injury, then there will be at least one game "injury" before and after the All-Star Weekend.

Li Ao thought of a saying - A well-fed man does not know how hungry a hungry man is.

Malone, who has played in more than a dozen All-Star games, probably has little interest in this game anymore.

Jordan also said that he would only participate in this year's All-Star Game and would not compete for MVP, allowing the fans to give applause and cheers to the young stars.

He, Spider-Man, has not yet reached that level, and he is looking forward to the All-Star Game stage.

...

On February 2002, 2, the last match day of the first half of the regular season arrived.

Today is a happy day for basketball fans. The league has arranged a number of popular games today to warm up to the All-Star Weekend.

The Magic played the Timberwolves, a double-21 showdown; the 76ers played the Raptors, two Jordan successors faced off; the Kings played the Mavericks, an offensive battle; the Rockets played the Hornets, an epoch-making point guard battle; the Bucks played the SuperSonics Team, pitcher duel; the Nets play the Suns, the grudges between the two exchange owners; the Lakers play the Clippers...

Before the start of the regular season, the media made predictions about some important points of the game.

By now, there must have been some changes.

Today, there are only three games that fans are paying attention to, the duel between Iverson and Carter, the battle between the Kings and the Mavericks, and the highlight of the Los Angeles Derby.

Staples Center was very busy today. After a day of hustle and bustle, the Lakers were the first to enter the court at 8:40 pm.

In the second year, Kobe is still not used to the feeling of being booed in this arena. They used to play the Clippers four home games a season, but now sometimes they can hear boos at their own home court.

Clippers fans are fiercely grabbing tickets!
Although the Lakers set the ticket price very high when they play the Clippers at home, there are only two games a year, and the Clippers' mainly working-class fans can still afford it.

And they want to play the Lakers more than twice a year...

After the Clippers players entered the stadium, Li Ao took the initiative to walk to the opposite side. Since moving back to his home, he hasn't seen Snake for a long time. I miss him so much. There is no Shark tonight, and the other side also came over. It's really...屮艸芔茻!
Kobe walked in front of and behind Li Ao, moved flexibly to avoid Li Ao, and walked straight towards Jordan.

Jordan is in a good mood. This Jordan successor has admitted it!
Glancing at Spider-Man, Jordan felt better when looking at Spider-Man (￣^￣)'s expression.

Kobe didn't say a word to the big spider before the game because he was afraid of getting in trouble.

With the big shark around, he can go up as much as he wants, and there are people dragging him down, but there is no big shark tonight. Playing against Jordan has already made him very restless. If he is stimulated by the big spider again... ignore him, ignore him.

Li Aoqiang pretended not to care for a while, then put the matter aside and devoted himself to the pre-match preparations. As a professional, it is common for him to be hot-faced and cold-butt, so this matter did not affect his mood.

The time came to 8:58, and the two teams started playing.

Odom returned to the starting lineup, and the other four players remained unchanged.

The Lakers sent out a starting lineup of Fisher, Kobe, Rick Fox, Samakhi Walker, and Medvedenko.

Li Ao came to the center line and the mission came.

"Jordan successor?:
Task object: Kobe Bryant.

Goal 1: No three points from the opponent.

Goal 2: Score higher than the opponent.

Goal 3: Win the game.

Reward: 3000 achievement points for each goal. Complete all goals and receive an additional reward of a designated skill pumper level 3 skill upgrade card. "

"keep going:
Goal: Refresh the longest winning streak of the season.

Reward: The winning streak is multiplied by 1000 achievement points. "

The second task is the goal that the Clippers are currently working towards, and it comes at just the right time.

The first mission, the first two goals are a bit difficult!

The last match had a similar goal. As a result, Snake, who often failed to make a three-pointer in several games this season, scored two three-pointers in a row.

If he remembers correctly, Snake would have a crazy three-point show in the past two years, scoring 12 three-pointers...

As for Kobe's score, it's hard to say.

This year, Kobe met Raheem against the Hawks and scored another 56 points. However, he only scored more than a dozen points in as many as 1 games in January.

After entering the middle of the season, O'Neal's condition is getting better and better, and Kobe's scoring gradually declines. For a long time, as long as O'Neal can play, Kobe's scoring will plummet. However, he has 7 assists in double figures this season, 5 of which are here. within the time period.

O'Neal was injured, and Kobe was rushing to 30+ per game.

Li Ao was very curious about the relationship between the two. It felt very complicated. The two were definitely difficult to deal with, but they cooperated so well on the court, and both sides were willing to make some sacrifices when the other needed to feel good. O'Neal was At the end of the game, the scoring average soared to 25+, and Kobe provided a lot of help.

If the relationship between the two can continue...it will probably be difficult!
...

At 8 o'clock in the evening, the half-season finale between the Clippers and the Lakers begins!
O'Neal beat Medvedenko to win the jump ball, and the Clippers attacked first.

Li Ao led Rick Fox to move and consume the opponent.

When Rick Fox goes down and Brian Shaw or Richmond comes on to guard him, you can start the 'bullying mode'!
Jordan played Kobe in the high post to execute the first attack.

When Kobe met his idol, he defended extremely hard, and the rough confrontation made even Jordan feel difficult.

Fortunately, now he has become a static power monster. After taking a step, he continuously shakes his shoulders...when the opportunity comes, he turns right, jumps, steps on the free throw line and shoots...hit!
Kobe is not surprised, this is Michael Jordan.

He looked at Li Ao who was retreating. He was really good at attacking from behind.

But now he has no intention of focusing on back-up attacks. With his current physical condition, his face-to-frame attacks are much more lethal than behind-the-frame attacks.

When developing technology, decisions must be made based on physical conditions and technical reserves.

For example, if a player who doesn't have mid-range and short-range jump shots runs to develop a post-up shot, he is just messing around, and the opponent will ignore you even if he turns over.

Besides, it's not like Black Mamba doesn't know how to hit from behind, but it's just that it's not time to strengthen yet.

In transition between offense and defense, point guard Fisher advanced to the frontcourt and passed the ball to Kobe to open up.

Facing Li Ao's defense, Kobe took a feint from a three-point threat position. Li Ao had to focus on interfering with the shot. Kobe took the opportunity to rush inside to the right, avoid Jordan's defense, jump into the inside, and face O'Neal Jr. Defensive pull-up layup!

He missed a lot of games in the past, so last season he didn't play well when O'Neal was occasionally absent. He wanted to cooperate with his teammates to play the triangle offense, but he couldn't open it at all.

This year he has experience, and the fat man is not here, so he can directly fight and cooperate!

When the Clippers attacked, Li Ao continued to run with Rick Fox. He did not run as fast as possible to find a response opportunity, but controlled it to the extent that Rick Fox could catch up with him by running hard.

Firstly, it is to wear down the opponent, and secondly, Jordan is currently in high spirits, allowing the veteran to enjoy the duel with his successor at the stage when he has the most physical strength, and to carry Snake, who is very irritable at the beginning...

……

……

The two-day patchwork for the computer problem has been completed. I will start patching up the last month later~
(End of this chapter)