Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 366 The Most Difficult Battle in History Begins in the First Section

University of Southern California.

In the conference room of the men's basketball training facility, all team members watched Game 6 of the Finals together at the request of Coach Andy.

Andy and Buson sat at the front, talking in hushed tones.

"I have a feeling that Chen Fang was late because he was meditating."

"I guess so. Meditation is a necessary part of such an important competition."

"Then let's wait and see Chen Fang's amazing performance." Andy was beaming with confidence. He had great faith in his disciple. At the same time, he stood up and instructed the team members behind him: "Kids, the reason I brought you here today is not just to watch the game."

"This will be a memorable match, and I don't want anyone to miss it."

"At the same time, I hope you can learn something from this and that it will help you in your future basketball journey."

"Trust me, you will learn something."

In a detached villa in New York, Zhang Hui and Li Qing were busy entertaining their friends. After obtaining their doctoral degrees, they came to New York together. Here, through Chen Wang, they met many fellow countrymen who loved basketball.

Today is a big day. People have been arriving since the afternoon. They held a tea party at their residence, preparing to witness this historic moment together.

"Who says Chinese people aren't united?" Li Qing looked at the room full of people and couldn't help but sigh.

Zhang Hui had just finished his work and went to the balcony for some fresh air when he heard the sound and burst into laughter: "We Chinese people need a bond, an opportunity, otherwise it always feels awkward to get together for no reason."

“That makes sense.” Li Qingyi thought about it and agreed.

"It's starting, it's starting!" someone shouted from inside the house.

"Come on, let's watch Prince Chen's horseback archery, it's so cute!" Zhang Hui grabbed his friend Li Qing's arm and hurried into the house.

"Wrong, it should be slaying the terminator!" Li Qing emphasized.

"Hahaha, it's all the same. Today is a good day to win the championship. I've calculated it, we're sure to win!"

Gatherings similar to those of Zhang Hui and Li Qing are taking place in many parts of North America. Today is undoubtedly a Chinese holiday, and everyone is full of confidence in Chen Wang, not to mention anything else.

Domestically, students are skipping classes on a large scale, and employees are skipping work in various ways. Every live-streaming room is packed with people.

Today is a festival for Chinese football fans. With the media's hype, countless Chinese people believe that today is the day of victory, and no one wants to miss this historic moment.

Tang Jun and Lin Hu set up a live streaming room to broadcast the game live while providing commentary and analysis.

Since Chen Wang's arrival last time, which sealed the relationship between Tang Jun and Chen Fang, he has become the number one basketball self-media personality in China. After all, no matter how mysterious or insider you talk about rain or Da Jin, can anyone be more powerful than Tang Jun, who has connections to the heavens?

In addition, Tang Jun was already a very popular basketball blogger on Hupu, and now he has more than 100,000 fans, making him a top streamer.

"Everyone hurry up and go to the bathroom or something. If you have time, you can grab a bite to eat first. Today's match will definitely be tough, so everyone should prepare well," Tang Jun shouted to the fans in the live broadcast room.

He had prepared food and drinks in advance, as well as information on both teams' players and coaches. Although he rarely did commentary, he had to bite the bullet and go for it today.

He had a premonition that this would be a turning point in his life.

Some people sarcastically said that Tang Jun was good at self-promotion and currying favor with powerful figures, but Tang Jun didn't care. That's just his fate. He's upright and honest. Besides, isn't it his duty to speak up for Prince Chen?
For every hater, there's a fan.

What Tang Jun needs to do is to be a clear-headed basketball blogger and guide more people to watch basketball rationally.

On television, the referee had already taken the field, the players were in position, and Tang Jun took a deep breath: "The match is about to begin, let's wait and see how Chen Wang performs."

He was also thinking to himself, at this moment, how many people in the world are waiting for this moment?

There should be a lot!

Yes, it wasn't just the Chinese who were waiting; in Los Angeles, large numbers of fans flocked to bars, eagerly awaiting the start of the game.

For Clippers fans, this is a day they've waited far too long.

Leaving aside other regions, the viewership for Game 6 of the Finals for the entire California team almost caught up with the Lakers' back-to-back championships in 09-10, and it is foreseeable that it will be surpassed sooner or later in the future.

Not only ordinary fans, but also a large number of people in the NBA circle are paying attention to this game, including coaches, media people, authorities, and star players.

Curry made a rare visit to the rehabilitation center and saw Durant lying in bed.

"Are you here to see me or to watch the game?" Durant couldn't help but ask when he saw Curry come in, change the channel, find the TNT live stream, and not turn around.

"Can't we watch together?" Curry still didn't turn around.

"You didn't even ask how my recovery is going?" Durant said, clearly dissatisfied.

"Didn't we say it would take a year and a half?" Curry finally turned around and smiled. "What, has the plan changed?"

"Of course not, I'm just curious, why are you looking for me when I'm about to leave?" Durant asked with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Don't overthink it. I'm not here to keep you here. The management can't just sit around with such a large salary. Wait, unless you sign a three-year extension!" Curry sighed bitterly, then rallied: "But I'm confident that this won't be my last time in the Finals, nor will it be my last championship."

Durant stared at Curry for a long time without saying a word.

"I also believe that you will have another ring," Curry said, softening his tone to comfort Durant when he saw Durant looking somewhat melancholy.

"Thank you!" Durant had been feeling really bad lately. He knew there was a game today, and it was match point, but he just didn't want to watch it.

Watching Chen Wang win the championship is more painful than breaking another Achilles tendon.

"I really admire you, that you actually want to see the opponent win the championship," Durant said quietly.

"I didn't dare watch it at home, so I made an excuse to come see you, haha, didn't expect that, did you?" Curry laughed heartily. He pushed the sofa back until he was right next to the bed, so that the two of them were finally at eye level.

"Oh, so you knew people would laugh at you." Durant felt relieved.

At that moment, O'Neal's voice rang out: "The game is about to begin. The Game 6 that I've been looking forward to is coming."

"The game is about to begin...!" Durant muttered to himself.

"If it were us, could we win?" Curry suddenly asked.

Durant lowered his head and thought seriously for a while before answering: "Actually, the attending physician said that if I play games during this period, there is a high probability that my Achilles tendon will rupture."

One sentence left Curry in a state of indescribable emotion.

"sorry!"

“It’s none of your business, but honestly, I won’t forgive them!” Durant shook his head.

"Clay was also implicated. Did you go to see him?"

"When I went there, he was very optimistic. He hugged Rocco and said to me, 'In 21, we'll continue to win championships.'" Curry almost cried while laughing.

"Brother, believe in yourself. We're professionals, injuries are inevitable." It was Durant's turn to comfort Curry, and he could tell that Curry was actually in a lot of pain.

Of the team's three leading scorers, only he was unharmed. How could Curry not feel bad and blame himself?

"The game has started, let's watch!" Curry suppressed his inner pain and rallied.

"I hope King Chen won't let us down, and even more so, he won't bring shame to the West. He eliminated us, so he has to shoulder this responsibility."

"You're right. If it goes to a Game 7, I'll give him a good dressing down." Durant laughed heartily.

※※※

The moment the ball was tossed into the air, Chen Fang's heart leaped into his throat, and then his blood began to boil.

This is the effect of meditation: the mind and spirit become one.

Zubac leaped high and reached for the basketball before Gasol could get there.

The ball flew towards the Clippers' half of the court, and point guard Jrue Holiday immediately caught and held it. Then, seeing the Raptors retreat, he handed the ball to Chen Fang.

Chen Fang relayed the message back and made a gesture.

Once past half-court, Leonard was waiting at the center line. Chen Fang didn't choose to entangle with him, but instead moved laterally.

Zubac, who grabbed the rebound, didn't go down but waited in the center circle.

Chen Fang suddenly accelerated, and Zubac set a screen to delay Leonard. At this moment, Jrue Holiday had already crossed half-court and immediately passed the ball over.

As soon as Chen Fang received the ball, the entire arena erupted in boos. This sudden change was astonishing. The Raptors commentator explained the reason: "We need the fans to act as the best sixth man, to create as much pressure as possible and limit Chen Wang."

Chen Fang ignored him, knowing that Leonard would be back in position in no time, and today's game would be a race against time.

At this moment, Danny Green was on the defensive. Chen Fang quickly stepped forward and made a strong drive, bumping his shoulder against Green's chest, which not only provided resistance but also dissipated the momentum from his acceleration.

He pulls the ball back with a dribble, spreads his legs as if to switch hands and change direction, but then suddenly pulls his legs back to bring the ball back together. This is a typical McGrady-style feint and pull-up jumper.

There was no chance for Danny Green to interfere; the moment he reached out, Chen Fang had already made his move.

The ball rolled rapidly with a low arc, accurately piercing the Raptors' basket.

The boos from the crowd stopped abruptly.

"Shot! Three-pointer! Beautiful!"

"The first point comes from King Chen!"

"This is a huge positive. The data shows that if Chen Wang scores the first point with a three-pointer, it means that his shooting touch is excellent today!"

The commentators offered their own interpretations and judgments, especially Yu Jia and Duan Ran from CCTV and TX Sports.

"The first point signifies Chen Fang's determination to win the game; this three-pointer was very decisive."

"This is a good sign. Chen Fang should choose an easier opponent. It's not a good choice to keep playing against Leonard. It shows that the Clippers coaching staff has a new tactical strategy after reviewing the game."

Just as the commentators were talking non-stop, the Raptors had already crossed half-court and were in position to attack.

Leonard sought direct confrontation, and he changed his strategy today, aggressively driving straight to the paint. After suppressing Dillon, Lowry passed the ball to him.

He received the ball, turned around, and quickly launched an attack. Dillon was clearly suppressed in terms of strength, and Leonard was thrown off balance as soon as he turned around.

Jump up, throw it high, and it goes in cleanly.

The audience burst into applause.

"Leonard's signature inside scoring method, both teams' core players scored their team's first points, alright, the game begins!"

In a rehabilitation ward at the New York Special Surgery Hospital, Curry and Durant shook their heads in unison.

"To be honest, I'm wondering if Andre can guard Kawhi," Curry said.

"Of course not, but he's much better than that stinky-mouthed king," Durant replied with disgust. If you had to pick the Clippers' most hated player, it would definitely be Dillon.

There are too many underhanded tactics involved; it's disgusting.

"The Raptors have started guarding the half-court line," Curry suddenly said.

Both of them are superstars, and their vision is extraordinary; they even discover things faster than the commentators.

On the field, Chen Fang was forced to move towards the sideline because there were too many people in the middle lane, and if he went there again, he would be walking into a trap.

Leonard kept giving him strength, so Chen Fang simply went outside. He stopped and stood outside the court, hands on his hips, looking at Leonard.

This childish act of sulking didn't embarrass Leonard. He quietly stayed a little ahead of Chen Fang, seemingly waiting for Chen Fang to return to the line.

So Chen Fang continued walking, his pace quickened, and suddenly he braked and swayed his shoulder. This kind of anti-run swaying can usually deceive the defender, but Leonard directly grabbed Chen Fang's jersey with his hand.

In those milliseconds of delay, he regained control of Chen Fang.

The game couldn't stop because of the two players' confrontation. Holiday, who had the ball, passed it to Dillon, who immediately chose to attack Danny Green.

A simple change of direction and a strong, pressure-based layup were blocked by Siakam, who had a wide range of movement.

In mid-air, Dillon passed the ball back to the outside, but this pass was not accurate, and Jrue Holiday almost missed it. So when he regained control of the ball, Lowry was already pouncing on his face.

The ball is moving, and so are the people.

Both of the Clippers' big men responded.

Jaren had already run out to support Jrue Holiday. When the ball came in, he pretended to look for a passer, but when Danny Green, who had switched to defend, interfered with his hand and his center of gravity was too high, he bent down to place the ball and chose to take a strong shot himself.

Green became the Clippers' target, and this time, Jaren's choice was correct.

With just the first dribble, he pushed him aside, and then before Siakam could come over to help, Jaren combined the ball and jumped for a shot.

Inside jump shots are generally executed using a flick shot, where the ball is released almost simultaneously with the force of the foot.

So even though inside players may seem to release their shots slowly, their release point is very high, making them difficult to block.

Siakam had already raised his hand, but the ball still flew over him. He turned his head and saw the ball go into the basket.

"Great shot! 3J's shot was absolutely right. That's right, the Clippers need you to create danger on offense." David was very happy. He was frustrated that Chen Wang didn't have any good helpers, but he had high hopes for Jaren. He was a promising player who could play both offense and defense. In his imagination, 3J would definitely become the Clippers' core star, or even their second option.

However, Curry and Durant had a different perspective in their conversation. "3J might have a future, but in this Clippers team, he can only be a role player." Curry's words left Durant somewhat bewildered.

They used to watch games together as teammates, and they wouldn't chat like this.

"He has too little space, the Clippers didn't give him enough opportunities to perform. He needs the ball and a role in the offense."

Curry shook his head: "First of all, he has excellent potential, really. This young man has the makings of a superstar, but his offensive ability is not enough. He needs more time to hone his skills."

"However, he doesn't seem to have the aura of a star player."

temperament?

Durant, being somewhat sensitive, retorted, "What the hell is that?"

Curry laughed and pointed to the TV: "Keep watching the game."

The match has now reached its seventh round.

The Clippers attacked 4 times, while the Raptors attacked 3 times.

The Clippers scored 5 points in the first two attempts, but failed in the next two.

The Raptors, however, made all three of their shots, taking the lead.

5: 7.

Danny Green delivered on his value on the court, hitting a three-pointer that forced the Clippers' defense to extend their reach even further.

Both mid-range shots came from Leonard.

The first one is a ball toss, the second one is a pull-up jump shot.

Both times, Dillon scored in the face. In contrast, apart from the opening shot, Chen Fang's other three shots were all scored by his teammates.

That's the problem. Leonard's defensive pressure is historic, and even Chen Wang has a hard time getting rid of him every time.

But in the world of basketball tactics, nothing is absolute.

Mazura's grand trial tactics began to take effect.

After the official timeout, Chen Fang went to the free-throw line, and the entire Raptors team became alert and quickly responded.

Marc Gasol was substituted, and the more agile Serge Ibaka came on.

Danny Green was substituted by Anunoby, which intensified the double-teaming.

Seeing the Raptors make a substitution, Curry said to Durant, "Look, the Raptors reacted quickly."

"Can't we be slow? We've been traumatized by Chen Wang's elbow strikes in the paint." Durant actually envied Chen Wang's technique.

Despite their slender builds, they prefer to choose the most difficult scoring options.

Durant doesn't care about his big jump shot or three-pointer; he doesn't think he's bad. On the contrary, Chen Wang's post-up game made him feel a sense of disappointment.

This is why Durant's attitude towards Chen Wang gradually changed from indifference to respect in the later stages of the game.

The moment Chen Fang touched the ball in the elbow area, he was immediately double-teamed by the Raptors. Almost as soon as Chen Fang received the ball, two hands appeared behind his back and to his left side.

One is Leonard, and the other is Anunoby, who just came on.

Anunoby, who was drafted in the same year as Chen Wang, was selected 23rd overall by the Raptors. His NBA comparison in his scouting report was Kawhi Leonard.

This is enough to show that he has amazing strengths in terms of physical fitness.

He is 201cm tall, has a wingspan of 219cm, a standing reach of 272cm, and weighs 232 pounds. He entered the draft as a defensive anchor at Indiana University.

In the first five games, as Leonard's rotation player, Anunoby did not get much playing time and spent most of the time watching the game from the bench.

But after Game 5, head coach Nurse had a new idea after reviewing the game.

He realized that instead of increasing offensive firepower, it would be better to fundamentally contain Prince Chen through defense.

So he set his sights on Anunoby, replacing Danny Green to form a double-team between Leonard and Anunoby, which he believed would be surprisingly effective.

Especially when King Chen started to attack from behind.

Leonard and Leonard, let's see how you, Chen Wang, handle this!

Nass stared intently at the court, and when he saw Chen Wang protect the ball immediately and then quickly pass it out to the outside, he nodded in satisfaction.

On the court, Chen Fang was somewhat annoyed, but he remained calm. He glanced at Anunoby and read high fighting spirit in the opponent's fierce, calf-like eyes.

Okay, that's the Raptors' response.

Chen Fang began to retreat on defense. He looked up at the score and saw that after three minutes of the first quarter, the score was still tied at 5:7.

Losing Danny Green has increased defensive intensity but reduced offensive threat.

Of the five Raptors players on the court, only Leonard and Lowry pose a threat. The other three lack independent offensive capabilities and require more tactical support.

The Clippers' defense suddenly became more flexible.

Jrue Holiday followed Lowry at a leisurely pace, always keeping a distance of about 1.5 meters in front of him, allowing Lowry to receive the ball but not letting him stray out of a controllable distance where he could easily reach it.

Dillon led the defense against Leonard in the second half, constantly using small tricks to wear him down and deliberately forcing Leonard to the sideline, just like the Raptors did with Chen Fang.

Jaren and Zubac, positioned one above the other, form a diagonal line to protect the restricted area.

Chen Fang plays in the center, always on the strong side of the opponent's possession. He is a free agent and plays full-court help defense.

His opponent, Anunoby, doesn't have a strong offensive ability. In 19, Anunoby had a 32% three-point shooting percentage, and in this season's playoffs, he attempted 34 three-pointers, so he's definitely not a high-risk player.

Leonard began to push towards the paint, and he suddenly exerted force, causing Dillon to retreat. Then Anunoby set a screen for Lowry, and Chen Fang quickly switched to defend him, facing Lowry.

Ibaka retreated to the outside, seemingly to set a second screen for Lowry, but halfway there, he turned and ran to the right.

Leonard began to move laterally. Ibaka's arrival freed him from Dillon's entanglement, while Lowry changed direction and accelerated to the right.

Chen Fang was blocked by Anunoby, and Jrue Holiday returned to his original position. During this switch, Lowry seized the opportunity when the Clippers switched defenses and flicked a pass to the ground.

This is the basic skill of an excellent defender. To judge whether a defender is qualified, look at how he passes the ball in and creates assists in positional attacks.

A good guard should have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2:1 to be considered acceptable. If it is lower, the coach will consider it a lack of trust.

If there's still trust, the only explanation for staying on the field is giving gifts.

Lowry's assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.18:1 is better than 92% of active point guards in the league.

Compared to passing while standing still, defenders need to master the skill of passing while moving; knowing how to pass the ball to teammates is a science.

Jeremy Lin came to the Raptors but failed to gain their trust because he was far less composed than Kyle Lowry in this regard.

Whether in defense, scoring, or playmaking, Jeremy Lin was completely suppressed. He couldn't even compete with Fred VanVleet. The core issue is that Jeremy Lin is, strictly speaking, an offensive guard, not a playmaker.

The Raptors have too many guards like that; they don't need them at all.

He was just a trump card that Nass would only use in the most extreme and unexpected circumstances.

Especially for championship contenders, their rotation can be as many as nine players, or as few as seven. The remaining seven or eight players are just small patches for various extreme problems.

Leonard caught the ball and sat down, pushing aside Dillon. Under the live ball, he made a small turn to avoid Jaren on the side and launched another floater.

"5-9, Leonard has already scored 6 points!"

Their gazes were fixed on Prince Chen; now was the time to look at him.

Chen Fang made a run down the baseline early, and Leonard accelerated back to defend. Dillon showed his shrewdness beneath his rough exterior. He accelerated forward and passed the ball to Chen Fang before Leonard could get into position.

Upon landing after catching the ball, Anunoby was already there to cover it.

Chen Fang raised his hand for a triple threat shot, not caring whether Anunoby would be faked out. He then took another low step and dragged the ball laterally. Right on the wing line, he suddenly blew the ball and took a step back.

From jumping to catch the ball to landing and making a move, then breaking the ball and jumping again, it all happened in the blink of an eye. Anunoby didn't even have time to react before he saw Chen Wang already at least two meters away from him.

"Wow!" the commentator exclaimed as he watched the ball go through the net.

"Second shot, second three-pointer, okay, now it's a tie, both with 6 points!"

Chen Fang glanced at Anunoby, his eyes seemingly saying, "Hey, you're not qualified."

But upon his return, Lowry, as the team's spiritual leader, began to counsel Anunoby.

"This is not your problem. Remember, when facing Prince Chen, you need to be 200% focused."

“I’m sorry, I was daydreaming.” Anunoby looked dejected and kept nodding.

“I’ll cause him trouble; he’ll start trash-talking me sooner or later.”

Lowry smiled and said, "Go serve, it's our turn to attack."

Anunoby nodded as he looked at his captain.

Throughout this playoff run, Lowry has played through a right wrist injury, and his resilience has inspired everyone at all times.

Chen Fang's second three-pointer also ignited the passion of Clippers fans and Chen-Wang fans watching on TV. Even Durant was amazed by the shot.

"Okay, he seems to have gotten even better."

"Yes, because Leonard brought out an even stronger version of himself, which was lucky." Curry's answer was intriguing, but Durant understood immediately.

"That sidestep was your move."

Curry scratched his head and sighed: "That's what I hate about him; he's always stealing our stuff."

“Yes, a formidable opponent.” Durant recalled what Chen Fang had told him.

You should be grateful that the league has me; you're no longer alone.

Damn it, I'm not lonely at all. I'm even happier without you in the league!
The game continued, and Chen Fang faced tighter defense, while Leonard also encountered more severe double-teams due to Dani Green's departure from the court.

Lowry attempted two power shots, but were thwarted by Jrue Holiday. The two essentially canceled each other out, and with Holiday's skill, suppressing Lowry was no problem at all.

The score remained unchanged for the next few rounds, prompting the commentators to sigh with emotion.

"This game reminded me of the 09 NBA Finals, the Lakers and Celtics' fierce battle."

"Both sides are fighting on the defensive, using sharp spears to pierce the iron wall."

"I think the score will be surprisingly low in this match."

Rivers stood there with his hands on his hips, still in a suit, but his rugged appearance didn't do him any favors. His hoarse voice kept ringing out, and more often than not, he was the one who had to remind the team members.

After the second timeout, Rivers made his first substitution.

Bridges replaced Dillon, Chen Fang was replaced by Beverley, and Jaren Jr. was replaced by Richon.

This is also the Clippers' logic for substitutions: to create an effective offensive and defensive system with the experienced Jrue Holiday and the steady Zubac, and play until the last 3 minutes.

After leaving the court, Chen Fang started drinking water to cool down. He had only made two shots today, and behind the 100% accuracy rate were more than a dozen cuts and high-intensity, repeated hand-to-hand combat.

Similarly, Leonard didn't fare much better, scoring only 6 points on 3 shots.

Both players displayed superstar-level skills, scoring more points with limited opportunities to handle the ball.

The rest of the time was spent being double-teamed and fouled.

"Chen Wang and Leonard are both under the most demanding defense. The Clippers are using three players to contain Leonard, and the Raptors are doing the same." Yu Jia sighed. After commentating for a while, many illusions have been shattered, and all that's left is reality.

This match may be tougher than expected.

As players, Durant and Curry felt it much earlier.

"Is this a fight to the death for both sides?" Durant couldn't lie down any longer, so he struggled to sit up. The game wasn't exciting, but it was very intense, and he was infected by the passion.

"Yes, whoever loses today will find it very difficult to regain their momentum." Curry also sensed this, his expression grave.

On the Raptors' bench, whenever the players see head coach Nick Nurse, they remember the last words he said in the locker room.

"If the Clippers win four straight games and we lose the championship, I won't accept it! I'd rather die on the court today than accept this shameful result!"

The resounding words stirred the sense of honor and shame in all the Raptors players; they were determined to win this game, even at the cost of their lives.

During the timeout, Rivers addressed everyone, saying, "Guys, can you feel the Raptors' determination? Yes, we're on a tightrope right now. If we back down, even by one step, we'll fall into the abyss."

"Summon your courage and show Toronto how brave we are!"

(End of this chapter)