Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 319 It's time to shout that slogan!

The rise of the Clippers and the emergence of Chen Fang disrupted everything.

In fact, Chen Fang himself is well aware that the information advantage can no longer bring him much benefit, especially in the NBA.

DeMarcus Cousins, a star player with no other options, was accepted and well cared for by Kerr, perhaps because the Clippers exerted too much pressure on him.

The Warriors are invincible, but they still have weaknesses.

The lack of low-post offense, strong rim protection, and high-post playmaking by a center are all major weaknesses.

Although they can use Green to coordinate with Curry, Durant, and Klay to create fluid offense, this tactic also prevents them from stopping to engage in head-to-head, low-margin positional battles.

After analyzing their losses against the Clippers and Chen Fang over the past two years, the Warriors coaching staff concluded that once the Clippers close the gap to the final score, they only have one or two ways to score.

Curry and Durant.

Okay, that's already pretty good, but Kerr isn't satisfied. He needs more tactical and strategic approaches to improve his winning percentage.

The initial plan was to have Cousins ​​play more in the G League to get used to the game, but after looking at the schedule, Kerr still wants Cousins ​​to play in this key game.

Kerr's idea for using Cousins ​​in the game was simple: have Cousins ​​play center, move him to the high post, force the Clippers' Zubac and Jaren to follow up, thus creating more space for other players to drive.

At the same time, they used Cousins' low-post ability to create open spaces on both the strong and weak sides, resulting in scoring opportunities.

As for whether it will happen, we'll always test it out so we can make improvements as soon as possible and strive to shine in the playoffs.

So he had Ron bring Cousins ​​over.

"This is your first appearance with the Warriors, and it's against the Clippers. I'm a little worried," Kerr said, feigning concern.

“I’ve played in the league for so long, I know my abilities,” Cousins ​​replied in a low voice.

At this moment, he is still that stubborn cousin. In terms of personality, his flaws and strengths are a double-edged sword. When his body is not in good condition, his personality will greatly damage his career and foreshadow his global wandering and his downfall to the point of playing 3v3.

But at this moment, he is still ambitious. He chose to come to the Warriors to take revenge on the league and make those who mocked him, despised him, and kicked him when he was down retaliate.

Money is important, but revenge is more important.

Cousins ​​was pleased with Kerr's plan, assuring him, "Don't worry, I'll destroy the Clippers' interior defense."

"Great, go practice. I'll give you plenty of playing time, but you need to take care of your physical condition. You can't afford to get injured again."

Cousins ​​pounded his chest and said nonchalantly, "I'm all recovered, no problem."

Although Cole was uncertain, he had no choice but to try anything now that things had come to this.

At that very moment, the Los Angeles Clippers' plane landed in San Francisco.

Instead of going to the hotel, Rivers split his team into two groups: the support staff took the players' luggage to the hotel, while he led the players straight to Chase Center.

The away team has half a day to familiarize themselves with the stadium environment, and they can choose the time as long as they don't clash with the home team.

Tactically speaking, there's not much to say. After playing the Warriors so many times, we know each other's moves very well.

Chen Fang was training exceptionally hard today, practicing shooting for a whopping three hours, which was astonishing. As a result, the whole team realized that Chen Wang was serious.

At 3 p.m., the team returned to the hotel, and after a quick shower, they held a pre-match tactics meeting.

"Adding Cousins ​​won't pose a greater threat; instead, it will create weaknesses for the Warriors." Mazura became the person in charge of this tactical meeting.

“After his major injury, Cousins ​​has issues such as slow movement, sluggish switching on defense, and hesitation in shooting, all of which will slow down the Warriors’ rhythm.”

"We have reason to believe that once the Warriors put Cousins ​​on the court, they will no longer be the super team they once were; they will be as slow as a snail."

Subsequently, Mazura announced the tactics and the starting lineup for the match.

"A reminder to everyone: the test in this game is whether each person can fulfill their inherent value to the best of their ability on the field."

"Our main strategy for this game is to go toe-to-toe with the Warriors at Chase Center."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Rivers, who took a few steps forward and came to the front of the projector.

"Alright, guys, this is just the beginning. We consider the Warriors our most important opponent in the playoffs. Today, let's test their true strength."

"Give it your all!" he said, clapping to encourage the players, who all stood up and clapped in response.

After everyone left, Chen Fang was left alone.

"How is it?" Rivers asked.

Chen Fang knew the question was about his condition, so he replied, "Great, I have a feeling I'll get a lot of points today."

"Then come on, make a masterpiece," Rivers encouraged.

"Okay." Chen Fang nodded without any pressure.

After watching him leave, only the coaching staff remained in the room.

“I love this confidence, this strong belief that tonight will be amazing,” Brian exclaimed.

“Of course, he has all the potential and personality traits to become a superstar.” Rivers’ eyes were full of admiration.

The two suddenly realized that Mazura wasn't speaking. They turned to look and found him still writing something with his head down.

Mazura's tactical obsession had taken root in people's hearts, so Rivers wanted to relieve the pressure on his young colleague, so he went over and tapped the table.

“What?” Mazura looked up.

How many points do you predict Chen Wang will get?

Mazura shook her head: "I'd rather know how many points Curry is going to score."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces froze.

Yes, Curry is not someone to be trifled with.

"We'll see then." Someone muttered, but it represented the sentiments of the entire uniformed staff.

Ultimately, this is a war between King Chen and the God of the Treasury.

※※※

The hours leading up to the match are a frenzy of preparation for the media, with countless flashes going off as soon as the players appear.

When Chen Fang got off the bus, not only were there flashes of light forming a screen, but also deafening shouts.

His various nicknames rang out almost simultaneously. Chen Fang remained calm, raised his hand and waved to the reporters and fans outside the fence. His steps were steady, even a little slow. When he was about to reach the gate, a sign held up by a small fan caught his attention.

It reads in both Chinese and English: I am your fan, I am five years old!

Okay, Chen Fang immediately stopped and went up.

The child was wearing a Clippers home white jersey and thick glasses. He had an Asian face and was being held by an Asian man. When he saw Chen Fang approaching, the man seemed excited and stammered in broken Chinese, "Chen, Chen."

At the same time, he kept turning his head to look at his partner next to him, who also had an Asian appearance and spoke fluent Mandarin.

"King Chen, King Chen."

"Thank you." Chen Fang smiled politely, but his expression changed after hearing the next sentence.

“I’m Jason’s translator. He’s a third-generation Chinese American. His son really likes you, so he came all the way here.”

"What can I do?" Chen Fang reached out and hugged the boy, asking his father.

"He's not feeling well and will be hospitalized soon. He wants to watch one of your games before he's admitted!" The translator, seeing that the father was still stammering and that the security guards had already arrived, quickly summarized the situation.

Chen Fang's expression froze. He looked down at the boy, whose lips were sickly pale.

"I'm sorry, this is my phone number. Please contact me after the match, okay?" Chen Fang took the pen with one hand and wrote his phone number on the card.

"What's your name?" After finishing, Chen Fang asked the boy in his arms with a smile.

“Jasons,” the boy replied, his big eyes sparkling, clearly delighted to be in such close proximity to his idol.

“Jasons, you’re a brave boy who believes nothing can defeat you, right?”

"Yes, I'm not afraid." The boy nodded firmly.

"Then let's make a deal: you win the battle against the illness, and I'll win the competition, okay?"

"Okay!" the boy said happily.

"What do you like?" Chen Fang asked.

"Spider-Man!"

"really not bad!"

Indeed, time was limited, and lingering here was already attracting more people to this side. Chen Fang hated putting on a show, so he couldn't stay any longer. He said to the boy's father, "Sorry, I have to go in now. Please contact me as soon as possible after the match."

"Sorry, I have to go now. See you later," Chen Fang said apologetically to the boy.

"We must win!" The boy raised his little arm tremblingly.

"Definitely!" Chen Fang kissed the little guy, then took the child back to his father, smiled and waved before leaving.

This little incident quickly attracted a lot of media attention, but none of the three revealed anything. Instead, they left the venue and headed to the audience entrance.

Chen Fang didn't mention it to his teammates, but his gaze became even more determined.

After entering the stadium, Chen Fang searched everywhere, but unfortunately, perhaps because he had bought a ticket for a distant place, he couldn't find the father and son he had just seen after searching for a while.

Soon, Chen Fang focused his attention on the upcoming match. Surprisingly, when the Warriors entered the field, almost no one came over to exchange pleasantries. The two teams stood back to back, as if they were on opposite sides of the Chu River.

Curry finally came over, and Chen Fang went to greet him.

"Let's play a clean game," Curry said, revealing his intention.

“Agreed,” Chen Fangyi said succinctly.

Neither of them shook hands. Curry turned and left, while Chen Fang watched him go expressionlessly.

This scene was witnessed by hundreds of reporters at the scene, and one reporter couldn't help but say to his colleague, "War is coming!"

※※※

When the reporters saw the Warriors' starting lineup, they were all excited and shouted: "A super team, an unprecedented super team!"

Chen Fang, with his hands on his hips, said to Ti Lung, "Looks good but is useless."

Both teams started.

Warriors: Green, Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson, Cousins.

Clippers: Chen Fang, Jrue Holiday, Dillon, Jaren, Zubac.

This is roughly what is meant by "a clash of titans".

When Zubac won the jump ball, possession immediately went to Chen Fang.

He didn't move, but waited for his teammates to get into position before crossing the center line.

Klay was on the defensive end, with Green not far away.

Old recipe, familiar taste.

Chen Fang suddenly changed speed, performing a crossover dribble and a change of direction. Klay was pulled behind him by Chen Fang's paddling hand. Chen Fang dribbled forward, dodging Klay's desperate back-swipe, and took a big step forward. Facing the help defense Green, he performed another crossover dribble and a spin move, arriving at Green's right side. As he received the ball, he slammed into Green, interrupting the next move.

Having reached a meter outside the arc, Chen Fang did not choose to pass to Dillon, who was in an open position, but instead pulled up for a jump shot.

"So high!"

The photographers outside the venue were frantically snapping photos while inwardly marveling at what they were seeing.

This kind of shot selection is no different from KD's; any interference is futile, and one can only hope it misses.

How could that be?

The ball pierced the net, splashing up a high spray.

"Clippers' first point, Chen Wang!" the commentator roared. David raised his arms and continued shouting, "This is Chen Wang's attitude. Against the Warriors, Chen Wang will definitely show his sharpest fangs."

"He beat two players, pulled up for a three-pointer, and confidently turned around. Come on, Curry, this is a greeting from Los Angeles."

Chen Fang, of course, did not celebrate. He retreated and kept reminding his teammates who were retreating to defend.

"Secure half, watch your own man!" he yelled.

The Warriors arrived quickly. Curry accelerated with the ball in the backcourt. Green and Cousins ​​were both in the middle, so he ran along the middle, using his teammates to get past them one after another. Dillon and Jrue Holiday couldn't catch up.

He drives to the basket, and often, Curry's three-pointers make people overlook his layups.

In terms of layup percentage, Curry is the best in the league. Even when facing tall rim protectors, he can still bank the ball in.

Zubac was in position, but the basketball still bounced over his fingertips, grazed the backboard, and veered towards the rim.

The Chase Center erupted in cheers. Curry was running back, but Chen Fang was faster. He started accelerating before receiving the ball on the baseline, running along the baseline and then accelerating to full speed as soon as he received the ball. The Warriors were shouting and yelling, Klay was chasing frantically, Green was already intercepting at the mid-court line, and KD was running towards his own paint.

All three made the correct judgment, but Chen Wang's murderous intent was so burning that he was filled with courage from the very first second.

He hadn't been outrageous in a long time, and he'd been waiting for this day.

There was no dodging; the only word along the edge line was: Charge!

Green had completely blocked the way. Seeing Chen Fang rushing towards him at high speed, he tensed up, ready to meet the impact.

So-called geniuses are those who can do things that ordinary people cannot, and whose brilliance shines brightest in times of crisis.

Chen Fang tossed the ball to the outside, bent his body, and came to the baseline, barely dodging Green. He continued running, then took a step back onto the court, surrounded by exclamations, but his attention was focused on the bouncing basketball.

Feeling his hind legs leave the ground, he reached out and grabbed the basketball, looking at the three-point line that was so close, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that KD was already in the paint.

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Fang dribbled the basketball forward and closed in on KD.

KD held his breath, feeling the increasing pressure as Chen Fang showed no intention of dodging.

Is he going to take off?

"Is death separating me from others?"

"Can I withstand it?"

A series of thoughts flashed through his mind, and when he saw Chen Fang take off, Durant instinctively turned to the side and made a dodge move.

Chen Fang jumped up. He wasn't thinking at all; he just wanted to jump and dunk the ball.

As for who might stop him, he didn't consider it.

"Just do it!"

This is his mindset, so when his hand slammed into the rim, the huge, cold feedback and the shockwaves that reverberated through his muscles allowed his emotions to be released to the fullest extent.

He landed, turned around, strode with domineering steps, and roared to the sky.

The settlement screen is absolutely perfect.

The camera flashes went off, accompanied by gasps of surprise. In the corner of the frame, KD stood with his hands slightly outstretched, a look of helplessness on his face.

"A ghostly advance, a brilliant dodge, a stunning dunk, a blood-pumping roar—I'm completely mesmerized. This play alone was worth every penny. Golden State fans, even though you're the opponents, you should still cheer willingly!" the Golden State Warriors' commentator exclaimed passionately.

"A tiger descends the mountain, a dragon emerges from the sea, covering the sky and the earth—this description is not an exaggeration at all! Only when facing the strongest opponent can we see the wildness of King Chen!" Duan Ran roared.

His teammates were also very excited, chasing after Chen Fang to give him a high-five, and the team's morale soared instantly.

But this is Curry's world. He is the only one who does not change his expression. He dribbles the ball across half-court and, facing Jrue Holiday's interference, moves laterally and changes direction repeatedly. Suddenly, he accelerates and sprints to the left. Just as Jrue Holiday catches up, he suddenly stops the ball and pulls back, causing the latter to stumble and lose his position again.

Curry, having created space to shoot, took the shot and watched the basketball arc high before falling into the net.

"Both teams are fielding their strongest lineups! 5-5, this highly anticipated match has been incredibly close from the start, just as expected." The commentators expressed their excitement, saying that this kind of match is thrilling to watch, let alone commentate on.

Both teams immediately focused their defense on their star players. The Warriors used Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant to double-team Chen Fang, while the Clippers had Jrue Holiday and Dillon Chase Curry.

A wise leader is good at making adjustments.

Chen Fang's job is to let his teammates have the ball while he goes to the wing.

Curry dribbled the ball across half-court and handed it to Green to execute the play.

The Warriors' pick-and-roll offense, with cuts from the top of the key and attacks from both wings, resulted in a barrage of three-pointers.

The Clippers' cuts to the top of the key and double-barreled shots were equally deadly.

Throughout the first quarter, both sides displayed high-quality teamwork. Chen Fang and Curry primarily drew the opponent's attention and seized every opportunity when the opponent relaxed to score.

31: 30.

The Clippers are leading by one point.

12 points vs. 11 points.

Chen Fang also leads Curry by 1 point.

The second quarter came quickly, almost imperceptibly, thanks to the three referees' excellent control of the officiating standards. There were no whistles or balance calls, and both teams were fully focused on the competition.

The only one frustrated was Cousins. The pace of the game was too fast, and he kept running back and forth, only getting the ball a few times and not gaining any advantage.

It was embarrassing; he was substituted by Kerr in the third minute of the game.

I'd rather have Rooney play.

Rivers brought on Brunson, DiVincenzo, Bridges, Richon, and Harrell.

This is a bold five-in-five-out strategy. After so many games of adaptation, this lineup should be able to hold its own for four or five minutes.

As for the Warriors, the usually bold Kerr seemed somewhat hesitant.

He simply replaced Klay with Iguodala and Livingston with Curry, switching to KD's primary playing style.

To the surprise of many reporters and commentators, Brunson performed exceptionally well. While KD scored with his shooting, Brunson perfectly demonstrated the value of a combo guard.

Whether it was a one-on-one game or a drive-and-kick, he completely overwhelmed Livingston, who was a head taller than him.

Because of his performance, Rivers immediately adjusted his playing plan.

Chen Fang replaced Bridges, Beverley replaced DiVincenzo, Dillon replaced Richon, and Jaren Jr. replaced Harrell.

When Chen Fang came on, Brunson's role was further expanded. He handled the ball, took three-pointers, and orchestrated the offense. With the ball in his hands, the Clippers' offensive efficiency doubled.

Kerr was taken aback. He hadn't overlooked Brunson, the Clippers' rising star, but he hadn't expected him to be able to create chemistry with the starting lineup.

Curry and Klay Thompson came on early; Golden State needed them at that moment.

With his first touch of the ball, Curry hit a three-pointer to bring the score back to single digits.

KD and Klay started frequently cutting to the wing, stimulating the Clippers' high post, which is the free-throw line area.

This region has always been a weak point because it has always been a matter of choosing one of two options.

Either protect the flanks or protect the top of the arc.

When wing players are forced to retreat to the paint, the opportunities in the corners increase significantly.

The Warriors' "Death Lineup" has evolved to version 2.0. KD and Klay Thompson will both cut to the free-throw line on the wing and then drive to the basket.

Frequent cuts after real and fake pick-and-rolls at the top of the key and on the wings are the ultimate way to maximize their combat effectiveness.

When KD scored again, Rivers called a timeout.

At the same time, he glanced admiringly at Cole not far away. Goodness, he found the solution so quickly.

Brunson is about to be substituted. At 185cm tall, he poses almost no defensive threat on the perimeter. When the Warriors use pick-and-roll plays, Brunson's inability to defend is magnified to the extreme.

Similarly, Beverley also suffered from this.

The starting lineup was brought back in, and this lineup is the most reliable in the Clippers' offense and defense.

Chen Fang received the ball again. Facing a double team, he chose to cut instead of passing. This move caught the opponent off guard. Iguodala tried to use his body to squeeze him, but Chen Fang's strength was no longer what it used to be. His speed was unstoppable, and he moved to the wing like a fish.

Dillon moved closer, and the two passed the ball to each other. After receiving the ball, Dillon continued towards the top of the arc, while Chen Fang, who was not in possession of the ball, darted into the penalty area.

He held off Green, who had switched onto him, and the two engaged in a violent shoving and physical struggle for a second or two. In the past, Green would have had the upper hand, but now, he was surprised to find that he couldn't do anything to his opponent.

When Dillon reached the top of the arc, he jumped up and passed the ball without hesitation.

Chen Fang, who had already reached the corner of the free throw line, which is the elbow area, took a small step forward, received the ball, and turned to face the basket.

The ball was already in shooting position, and Green immediately reached out to interfere. It was an instinctive reaction, an action that didn't require thinking.

That's exactly what Chen Fang wanted. He lowered his body to place the ball, bent over and accelerated, and with just one dribble, he swept past Green and entered the deeper penalty area.

In front of him stood Cousins, 6 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 270 pounds, with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and the bulky physique of Shaq. But in Chen Fang's eyes, he was just a nobody. Without even blinking, he sprang up.

Cousins ​​was genuinely surprised. He had been injured for so long and hadn't had any dealings with Chen Fang. As for the so-called praise, the arrogant Cousins ​​simply didn't believe it.

But in that instant, he experienced what a big bird truly meant.

It blotted out the sky and covered the earth; everywhere you looked was darkness.

"Death dunk!" The commentator jumped up from his seat as if he'd been electrocuted.

"One of Chen Wang's three signature dunks!"

"His leap from the free-throw line, his one-handed dunk, his speed, height, hang time, and the acceleration of his arm swing made him unstoppable. Once Chen Wang found space to leap, his opponents were destined for endless humiliation."

Compared to foreign commentators, Duan Ran appears to be more sarcastic.

"When Prince Chen takes a stance, what you should do is give way, not resist!"

"Like KD, dodge wisely!" "Trapped, Cousins ​​hasn't realized it yet."

Cousins ​​staggered back a few steps, and Chen Fang landed just as he walked past him.

Chen Fang did not provoke them. He bypassed the crowd, hurriedly high-fived his teammates who came to celebrate, and then told them to retreat quickly.

This was another turning point. The Clippers quickly rebounded from their slump, and with Dillon's three-pointer from the wing, the score was back in double digits.

"Beep beep!"

The buzzer sounded as the second quarter ended.

"Unfortunately, the 20,000 Warriors fans at Chase Center must accept the reality that, in terms of firepower, the Clippers are no worse than them now."

The brief halftime break was not enough for the commentators and studio guests, who argued and analyzed why the Clippers were leading and discussed a topic in depth.

Who can stop King Chen?

"He's already scored 21 points, and judging by the momentum, the second half will only be more terrifying," Barkley said, frowning.

"The Warriors can't find anyone to completely contain him. Iguodala is getting old and can't keep up with Chen's changes of pace, and KD isn't a great help defender. The Warriors as a whole can't suppress him."

"I think what Kerr needs to address is unleashing the Warriors' offensive potential and figuring out how to distribute the ball possession between Klay and KD properly," O'Neal agreed.

As they said, in the Warriors' locker room, Kerr focused on distributing offensive ball possession, and he asked KD and Klay to actively run pick-and-rolls and demand the ball.

Finally, when the other players left the locker room, Kerr called out to Curry.

"I need you to swing freely!"

“I understand, sir!” Curry nodded.

"If we drag this out to the end, our chances of winning will be greatly reduced."

Curry immediately recalled those game-winning shots. Well, you have to admit, Chen Wang is blessed with divine intervention when it comes to game-winning shots.

The third quarter arrived as expected, but after only three rounds, Rivers sensed something was wrong.

The Warriors continued to use double teams to control Chen Fang on defense, maintaining a half-court defensive presence whether Chen Fang was playing off the ball or with the ball.

In terms of offense, the Warriors' passing is more concise; they usually launch an attack after the setter.

Klay and KD were doing the same thing on both wings, Green was constantly distributing cards from the top of the key, and Curry was making off-ball runs, which increased the difficulty of the defense.

In an instant, the Warriors unleashed a furious offensive onslaught, with Curry hitting three consecutive three-pointers in three possessions, narrowing the gap to five points, and the atmosphere at Chase Center immediately soared.

"The unreasonable Curry is here!"

"Curry has started, the Warriors' third quarter is here, we can't mess with them!"

Warriors fans started cheering, but the atmosphere didn't last, not even ten seconds.

Chen Fang made off-ball movement, received a handoff pass at the top of the arc, and shot.

After seeing the shot go in, Chen Fang looked at Curry. Once he was sure Curry was looking at him, Chen Fang pursed his lips, shrugged, and spread his hands to show his helplessness.

Curry understood the move; if you're aggressive, I'll be aggressive too.

Come on then!

Curry found his rhythm. He brought the ball up to half-court again, and Green set a screen for him. He quickly moved to the left, made a simple lateral fake, and then made a very quick ball-handling move, shaking off Dillon who was helping on defense, and accelerated into the three-point line.

The Clippers' entire defense was mobilized, with players quickly switching on defense.

But Curry faked a shot, dribbled to the wing, passed the ball to KD, and walked around KD. Jrue Holiday, who had been chasing, was blocked by KD. Even though he squeezed the screen to continue chasing, that half-second delay was enough for Curry to finish everything.

With the three-point line at his feet, Curry even looked down to make sure he wasn't stepping on the line before looking up to shoot.

"Oh yeah!"

"Stephen hit another three-pointer, his seventh of the game. My God, Curry has already scored 36 points. His scoring ability is terrifying."

Upon seeing the hit, Curry went to find Chen Fang, and immediately ran to him after finding him.

He keeps shaking his head. Don't let Curry's usual mild demeanor fool you; when he's on fire, he can be incredibly provocative.

Chen Fang didn't get angry. Instead, he shouted to Curry, who had run away, "Don't rush."

This "don't rush" statement will be fulfilled in the next round.

Chen Fang got the ball on the wing again, but he didn't move, and neither did KD, who had switched positions.

The two remained still for a few seconds. Chen Fang slowly raised the basketball from the side and positioned it facing the basket. He slightly hunched his back, his eyes fixed on KD. Suddenly, he looked up at the basket and simultaneously made a shooting motion.

KD was clearly caught off guard, and he immediately reached out to interfere, but he quickly caught Chen Fang's movement. In a panic, he immediately retreated. But just as he finished doing all this, he finally realized that it was just a three-threat move by Chen Fang, with his central foot not moving.

"It's over!" KD tried to rush back, but he saw Chen Fang had already raised the ball and taken a pull-up jumper, so he turned his head to check the result.

An arm was draped over his shoulder, and Chen Fang whispered in KD's ear, "I'm here, aren't you going to ask me to come back?"

"Damn it!" KD cursed as he saw the ball go in, but he immediately explained, "Okay, we'll talk about it later."

Chen Fang has feelings for KD. Compared to KD, he prefers to be friends with someone with a pure and innocent personality like KD.

"I've remembered what you said."

Seeing Chen Fang's smiling face, not only KD found it strange, but many reporters on the sidelines were also surprised.

If Chen Fang was full of killing intent in the previous fast-paced battles, now he seems to be handling things with ease.

This smile indicates that, in King Chen's heart, the pressure from the warriors was not great.

He doesn't need to be nervous; he's enjoying the thrill of the game.

"Curry is catching up, and Chen Wang is also going on a scoring spree."

"This is really exciting. The score is now 96 to 88, and the Clippers are still leading by 8 points."

When the third quarter ended, the commentators didn't dare to comment anymore: "It's hard to predict. The key to winning now lies in who has more explosive moments."

The brief minute passed quickly, and Rivers didn't cause any trouble; the starters continued to play.

Kerr felt the same way; at this point, he could only trust the starting lineup.

In crucial games, the head coach would rather see the key players miss the shot than gamble on role players scoring like crazy. This strange way of thinking can perhaps only be understood when you are the coach.

The pace was too fast, which increased the strain, and in the fourth quarter, they suddenly found themselves in an awkward situation where they couldn't make any shots.

Chen Fang missed all three of his shots, as did Curry.

The reason why a superstar is a superstar is that even if he misses ten or more times in the first round, he will still take the shot decisively in the next round.

Every time Chen Fang missed a shot, he remained expressionless, while Curry would clap his hands in frustration.

Curry then started passing the ball to Klay and KD to continue the offensive firepower, while Chen Fang moved to the elbow area and started playing with his back to the basket.

This is my advantage!

Upon receiving the ball, turn without hesitation, feint a shot, shift Green's center of gravity, dribble laterally, sway your shoulders, and use your peripheral vision and back to sense whether the opponent's stance is up or down.

Chen Fang's turnaround jump was a large step, which lowered his jump height but also made it harder for his opponent to block.

Jump up, look at the frame, flick your wrist, press your fingers.

Chen Fang took a few steps back to counteract the loss of balance from leaning back, and as the ball went in, he turned and left without mocking Green's frustrated expression after the failed defense.

When Chen Fang scored again with a back-to-the-basket move, Kerr immediately made an adjustment, with KD switching to the power forward position. At this point, only KD's wingspan could disrupt Chen Fang.

During the offensive play, KD also started backing down his opponent, and at this point, Chen Fang took over.

Because apart from that, no one can control KD, even Chen Fang would find it difficult.

"Good news, Chen Wang still has ways to score."

"Bad news, KD and Curry are beating up Chen Wang together."

Mazura kept looking up at the score. He went over to Rivers and suggested, "I think we need to get more scorers on the board."

Rivers hesitated, which is typical of him—too cautious and unwilling to take risks.

"Bring Brunson in, and let Lou Williams play too. Now we need to focus on scoring; defense is meaningless."

"Take the starters off?" Rivers asked.

"Yes, we have to change the starting lineup. If we continue playing like this, once the Warriors take the lead, it will be very difficult for us to catch up." Mazura said very seriously.

"Come on then." Rivers struggled with his decision, but finally gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

Half a minute later, after a dead ball situation, the Clippers made a substitution.

Brunson, Lou Williams, Bridges, and Zubac were substituted in.

Chen Fang glanced at the bench and saw Mazura gesturing to him; the gesture looked familiar.

Score!

So he made a blowing motion on the muzzle of a gun, which was his response.

Kerr noticed this and immediately substituted Cousins, bringing Iguodala back into the game and moving Green to the center position.

Before he could figure out the Clippers' intentions, he saw Brunson accelerate across half-court, then, facing Curry's defense, pass the ball laterally to Lou Williams, who had just reached the top of the key.

Lou Williams caught the ball and changed direction immediately. Despite not playing, he had unlimited energy and quickly shook off Green. Before KD could even help defend, he scored his first point with a smooth floater.

Turning around, Lou Williams, brimming with energy, quickly caught up with the running Curry. Compared to Brunson, Lou Williams was faster. Although he wasn't as strong as Curry, simply disrupting him was enough.

Curry passed the ball to Klay, who received it and moved laterally to get open, but he was still too slow against Bridges.

Dribbling has always been Klay's Achilles' heel. He can only dribble two or three times in a short period of time. Even if he creates a shooting opportunity, it is difficult for him to make the shot.

Ultimately, his dribbling and shooting skills have always been a limitation preventing him from becoming a better scorer.

Klay passed the ball to KD, but this time, Chen Fang quickly moved up to intercept, forcing KD to give up the position he had just squeezed out and move to a place further away beyond the three-point line.

With 24 seconds left, KD couldn't pass the buck to anyone else. He wouldn't pass the buck; his strong confidence drove him to take on the task of hard-solving the problem.

A simple triple threat: dribble to the side, pull back sharply, and then jump up for a powerful shot.

This is KD's signature hard-hitting move. Chen Fang couldn't fake it out, but he couldn't stop KD from taking the shot either. This is why KD is a historically great scorer.

KD was ecstatic when he saw the ball go in.

"See this? This is me!" he shouted, pressing his face close to Chen Fang's.

"You won't be so lucky next time," Chen Fang spat.

KD's happiness didn't last long, as Lou Williams used an extremely unreasonable wing dribble and tap-in to bring the score difference back to 8 points.

"Damn it!" Not only the fans groaned, but Kerr stomped his feet on the sidelines.

Rivers looked at Mazura: "You'd be a great head coach."

“No, I’m not qualified!” Mazura replied modestly.

Chen Fang was delighted to catch up with Lou Williams and gave him a high-five. He needed that score and genuinely appreciated what Rivers had said earlier.

Lou Williams' strength lies in the fact that his shots always come from movement. If he had KD's height, he would definitely be better than KD.

To some extent, Lou Williams' offensive power is sharper.

With Lou Williams starting to dominate, the Warriors faced a very difficult choice.

Who exactly should we guard against?

Chen Fang? Brunson? Or Lou Williams?
Three players, as long as they have the ball, they will launch an attack. Once double-teamed, they will pass the ball to the next player. This kind of feeling has always been given to other teams by the Warriors. I didn't expect that today they would be punished.

Just as Kerr was racking his brains, Curry was solving the problem for him.

Pick and roll, then take the shot.

Run in the opposite direction, receive the ball, and shoot.

Cut to the basket, receive the ball, actively seek contact with the ball, draw a foul, and complete a 2+1 play.

Three rounds, nine points, not only bringing the point difference to three points, but also raising his own score to 45 points.

In comparison, Chen Fang's 31 points today seem inferior.

But Chen Fang didn't pay attention to that. He was accumulating energy. He knew very well that in the end, neither Lou Williams nor Brunson could withstand the pressure.

In the end, it still had to be me.

Time is ticking away, and we've reached the final two minutes.

The point difference was still fluctuating between 3 and 5 points. Lou Williams was simply amazing. He only played 7 minutes but scored 13 points. He was the king of efficiency.

Chen Fang, who should have been the leader, fell silent. He gave the ball to Brunson and let Brunson deal the ball, while he stayed in the corner and on the wing, drawing most of KD and Klay's attention.

Curry drove to the basket and scored again, drawing gasps from the commentators that could be heard even by those on the court.

"50 points, OMG, God, Curry is terrifying today."

Chen Fang looked up at the score; a 2-point difference.

122:120.

Today was crazy enough, my total score is close to 250.

KD didn't let his guard down around Chen Fang. As a scorer, he had a keen sense of smell and knew that Chen Fang was waiting for an opportunity.

Lou Williams tried to respond with a shot, but this time, he missed.

The Warriors took the opportunity to launch a fast break, but Green's layup was amateurish and missed the rim.

Brunson pushed back quickly and also chose to go for a layup, but Green redeemed himself by blocking it.

The Clippers made a baseline inbounds pass, and the entire arena felt like they were about to suffocate. The score difference was only two points, but when would they catch up?
“King Chen has been silent for too long. At this time, we need him!” David was anxious and uneasy.

During the baseline inbounds play, Duan Ran, whose voice was hoarse from commentating, exclaimed, "At this moment, the Clippers need someone to step up."

Chen Fang stood quietly in the far corner, while his teammates were organizing baseline ball tactics, and KD stood next to him.

Dillon first pretended to receive the ball, then made a reverse run. Zubac stepped up and set an off-ball screen to block Iguodala who was chasing him. Dillon continued running and quickly came behind KD. Chen Fang moved and went around from the side of the screen.

KD then seemed to wake up from his daze, while Brunson, who was serving, had already tossed the ball high.

The ball headed straight for the top of the arc, and perhaps only Chen Fang's jumping ability could catch it. Chen Fang gently grabbed the ball and caught it.

He dribbled as soon as he landed, and KD, who was rushing over, was almost in front of him, but Chen Fang easily brushed past him with a turn.

Taking a step forward, Chen Fang did not choose to make a move, but instead headed straight for the restricted area.

Despite Green's best efforts to protect the rim with his arms raised high, Chen Fang showed off his hang time, and although Chen Fang jumped first, Green landed first.

Watching Chen Fang put the ball into the basket, his sheer talent almost broke through Green's defense.

"124 to 120."

"With 54 seconds left, the game has entered the final minute, and the Clippers are still in the lead!"

"Is the Warriors about to face another defeat?"

"Why is this happening?" the Warriors' commentator said in anguish.

"We still have Curry, KD, and Klay. We can do a lot in these 54 seconds," the commentator said with anticipation.

Kerr called a timeout; he needed to score on this possession.

Rivers replaced Lou Williams, bringing Jrue Holiday back into the game.

The Warriors set a double screen at the top of the key. Curry first set an off-ball screen, letting KD receive the ball, and then suddenly made a reverse cut, circling around a huge arc path. Brunson was repeatedly delayed, but Chen Fang came to help defend.

Green, as expected, chose Curry over KD.

He caught the ball, shot it, and almost didn't think twice.

Chen Fang slowly withdrew his hand.

One tall and one short, they stood side by side, turning back to watch the tumbling basketball.

If it goes in, the outcome is unpredictable.

This thought flashed through Chen's mind.

"Clang!" The crisp sound of metal striking metal made Curry's face twitch. He clapped his hands in frustration and quickly retreated to his defensive post, not forgetting his duty.

Chen Fang went up to him, took the ball from Zubac who had grabbed the rebound, and looked up at the time.

48 seconds.

A 4-point gap.

If this gets in, then even a god couldn't help it.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind and a firm belief in his resolve, Chen Fang dribbled the ball towards the frontcourt.

"If this ball goes in, the game is decided," Duan Ran commented.

KD went up to defend Chen Wang, and Duan Ran continued his commentary: "In the second half of the game, Durant was guarding Chen Wang the whole time. The two top scorers had a very classic clash today, with many scoring opportunities between them."

Chen Fang did not choose to accelerate, but instead took the initiative to approach the three-point line by dribbling.

KD used his wingspan to disrupt Chen Fang's dribbling route, and the two of them drifted from the middle to the wing.

The entire half became a contested game, with KD and Chen Fang having almost the entire court to themselves.

He turned halfway to the side, holding the countdown clock; he wanted to kill time.

When the countdown reached seven seconds, Chen Fang suddenly pulled the ball and turned around, while stepping back to create space.

KD's hands barely left Chen Fang's body, switching between touching and interfering with his movements. In response, Chen Fang readjusted his posture, then suddenly executed a quick one-sided crossover dribble, exerted force, pushed aside the arm that was close to his chest, and drove hard to the right.

KD was forced to rotate his hips and switch to a back slide step. Chen Fang did not pull back with a reverse step, but instead accelerated to break through. This caused Durant, who had been saving his strength, to immediately retreat at full speed and switch to running mode.

The next second, Chen Fang suddenly stopped and jumped up.

Without warning, KD was completely thrown off balance, but the downside was that Chen Fang drifted in the air due to inertia.

"Drift jump shot!" David exclaimed.

But in Chen Fang's eyes, this was no big deal.

All he could see was the basketball hoop.

With his upper body as steady as a rock, Chen Fang's hand protected the ball without making it wobble. With a firm flick of his wrist, the ball was released from Chen Fang's hand and rolled toward the basket.

This was a shot from close to the free-throw line, with a high arc and slow speed, so both the two sides battling for position in the paint and the 20,000 fans watching in the stadium craned their necks and stared wide-eyed.

"The ball is in!"

"A near-game-winning goal, the decisive strike!"

"Durant had no answer; it was an unstoppable floater."

"King Chen, the killer himself has reappeared. He has killed warriors time and time again, and his hands are stained with the blood of those warriors!"

The commentators went crazy, especially the Warriors' commentator, who was even more frantic than David, angrily accusing, "Chen Wang, the most hated person in Warriors history, without exception."

Chen Fang didn't celebrate after landing. He called his teammates to retreat on defense and slowly stepped back. He looked at KD and Curry.

To win, the Warriors need to score quickly, but facing the Clippers' rapid defensive retreat, the Warriors can only try to save themselves by taking the most irrational shots.

As Curry dribbled across half-court and immediately shot, the ball went wide and was caught by Zubac. Kerr then closed his eyes.

They lost, again to the Clippers.

The expected Big Five proved ineffective, with Cousins ​​demonstrating his inability to compete at such a high level.

The Clippers have grown into an even more formidable opponent.

It's hard to imagine that Chen Wang could refrain from taking a shot for most of the fourth quarter?
When Cole opened his eyes again, he heard the final buzzer.

He looked at the Clippers players celebrating, his heart heavy.

He quickly rallied, went back onto the field, and comforted his players.

“This is not the end, it’s just the beginning!” Kerr said to a dejected Curry.

"Our competition with the Clippers has only just begun."

Surrounded by his teammates, Chen Fang shouted to them, "Guys, this is the first step to victory. There are still many more challenges ahead!"

Duan Ran, who was on high up, witnessed all of this and gave a heartfelt summary of the match.

"Now, no one dares to question the Clippers' strength. They even defeated the Warriors, which is incredibly impressive."

"In this game, Chen Wang's 36 points and Curry's 50 points both represent the league's top-level strength. In the past, the Clippers needed Chen Wang to unleash his fury. Now, Chen Wang has Brunson, Lou Williams, Dillon, Jrue Holiday, and others around him."

"Although we still find it hard to believe, like a dream, it's true."

"The Los Angeles Clippers are already one of the top teams in the league."

“Remember the goal that Prince Chen shouted back then? Now it’s our turn to shout it.”

"It's time to shout that slogan!" Duan Ran took a deep breath and roared, "Los Angeles Clippers, champions!"

(End of this chapter)