Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 414 The Battle for the Imperial City (End)

"James is a bit tired."

"After being chased by Chen Wang, he transformed from the main attacker to the organizer."

"He didn't participate in the three consecutive possessions. Paul controlled the pace with the ball, Sabonis was on offense, and Leonard seemed to be exhausted."

"Things seem to be heading in the direction of the Western tribes' defeat."

"Sabonis' free throws gave the West one of their few chances to score."

"122 to 128."

"What?! Paul steals the ball, dribbles up the court, Leonard is wide open, three-pointer! Wow!"

"125 to 128."

"LeBron James' teammate, Leonard, stepped up. Paul used his great experience and ability to tell Chen Wang, 'Sorry, it's not your time to laugh yet.'"

The West's offensive momentum surged, and Paul's presence on the court made the team more like a cohesive unit.

Sabonis's advantages have been amplified. As a "2.11-meter point guard," he can combine the roles of a traditional center and point guard with rebounding and high-post playmaking.

When Jokic is off the court, he becomes the range extender for the West.

When Paul and Sabonis are on the court together, fans are surprised to find that this inside-outside combination can completely break down the defenses of the Eastern Conference.

Adebayo and Middleton lacked defensive prowess and were outmaneuvered in both rounds.

Tatum and Chen Fang became busy, Paul's orchestration, and Sabonis's strong attacks on the inside forced the East to tighten their defense.

Leonard's three-pointer was a perfect example of that.

Chen Fang switched to defend two players, and his final lunge at Leonard was to no avail.

"That's interesting." Chen Fang noticed the look in Paul's eyes and suddenly understood.

"Since you all want to help James, then come on."

This kind of psychological understanding does not mean that one can accept it.

In the next possession, Chen Fang accelerated with the ball, and Paul, unable to delay him, immediately reached out to grab him.

"Toot!" A sharp whistle rang out.

Upon seeing the referee blow the whistle, Paul expressionlessly released his grip, turned around, and walked away.

Standing at the free-throw line, Chen Fang fell silent. He took a few deep breaths to calm his heartbeat.

"Oh, how rare!"

"Chen Wang's first penalty missed!"

Chen Fang frowned slightly. This was a bad sign. He had been very focused, but the weakness in his arm made him less powerful when he made his move.

I'm almost at my limit!
Often, you can tell a lot about a player's physical condition just by watching their free throws. If a player with a high free throw percentage misses a free throw, it indicates a lot of problems.

Many people's eyes lit up, and Chen Fang saw all of this.

Repeatedly bounce the ball, then focus on shooting.

"One of the two free throws was made."

“Chen Fang played for a very long time today, the longest I can remember.” Yu Jia also began to worry.

When you show weakness, your opponent will relentlessly attack your weak points.

In the next three possessions, Chen Fang was forced to be double-teamed. Leonard and Paul surrounded him, preventing him from getting the ball and constantly draining his energy.

Fortunately, Tatum's relentless defense against James was equally effective.

Chen Fang remained silent, insisting on staying on the wing. If Paul were to double-team him, the top of the key would be open.

As soon as Chen Fang got the ball, he would relentlessly attack Leonard.

He missed twice in a row, and his legs went weak.

Nurse watched silently for a while, then gestured for Giannis to get up.

Meanwhile, Vogel on the other side also started calling for Davis.

Adebayo was substituted out, and Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the game.

Simmons was substituted off, and Davis came on.

With the two players on the court, the intensity increased again, and the focus of both sides shifted completely from the perimeter to the inside.

Chen Fang and James both became spectators, mostly observing from the sidelines as players without the ball.

In the All-Star Game, there are very few moments where the inside players are the main protagonists.

Yu Jia's words revealed the essence of the matter.

"The evolution of basketball tactics has always been about getting closer to the basket."

"When the game is exhausted, only attacks under the basket are more effective."

"The combination of Sabonis and Davis is better. Nurse is calling out Embiid. Are they going to have a shootout?"

Middleton has been substituted.

"Great shot, Davis' mid-range jumper was deadly."

"Oh dear, Giannis' layup didn't even touch the rim."

………….

Yu Jia was providing commentary on the game. He watched as the Western Conference caught up and even took the lead, while the Eastern Conference seemed powerless to resist.

Giannis needs to step up his game, but there's no room for him to do so now.

Embiid is still too soft; he actually made two three-pointers.

When Domantas Sabonis received a brilliant pass from Chris Paul and dunked it alley-oop, the entire arena erupted in cheers; these were clearly Western Conference fans.

Because there are still people sighing and wailing in the United Center.

137:130.

The situation was like a rollercoaster ride; in the blink of an eye, less than five minutes later, the West had taken a 7-point lead.

This was the most unexpected result. When both head coaches started to take on more responsibility and began to play their part, the entire situation reversed once again.

Furthermore, Vogel made a surprising decision: he voluntarily replaced James with Harden and replaced Leonard with Westbrook.

Nass also realized what was happening and substituted Butler for Chen Wang.

Butler immediately backed down the ball and scored, then yelled at Chen Fang on the bench, "Watch closely."

Chen Fang rolled his eyes; he didn't even have the strength to speak.

Like him, Leonard remained silent; he was truly too tired to speak today.

As for James, he remained seated and didn't move.

Kobe was shaking his head when he saw this.

"This is a mistake; the timing of the substitution was problematic."

Jordan countered, "Hey, I thought they were going to fight to the end. Now that they're out, there's no point in continuing."

"Of course, that's true." Seeing that Kobe was about to object, Jordan suddenly changed his tune.

"There's no point in persisting on the court like this. Although it may seem like you're fighting for the league's prestige, in the end, it's all about who's more united."

"Once the outcome is decided, the media will then guide public opinion, and praise or criticism can be decided in the blink of an eye."

"Perhaps, this was actually orchestrated by our former team behind the scenes," Kobe nodded.

There are always unseen forces operating within the league, and both of them are well aware of this.

In the following possessions, the Eastern Conference relied entirely on Butler to catch up, and even A. Smith exclaimed, "With Butler, the Clippers' only weakness is truly gone."

"The current situation is very similar to the Clippers' times of crisis. When Chen Wang is not there or is blocked, Butler becomes the most reliable person."

"But the problem now is that as both sides recover their physical condition, the scoring is close again. If this continues, it will be difficult for the East to turn the tide."

"141 to 137."

The camera panned across Chen Fang lying there multiple times, fairly, once at him, and once at James.

Both players barely moved, as the team doctor frantically rubbed their legs to relieve muscle tension.

On the court, both sides played a hard-hitting defense, making it difficult for outside shooters to make accurate shots, while inside shooters relied entirely on free throws.

As the number of fouls increased, both head coaches were forced to make substitutions, with players who hadn't committed fouls before coming on as fresh reinforcements.

But physical fitness doesn't guarantee scoring; at this moment, the basket seems to be rejecting any shots.

"This is a good thing," Duan Ran whispered to Jia Dao.

The longer the delay, the more fully Chen Fang recovers, and he won't be forced to play.

But the good times didn't last long. Paul hit a three-pointer and assisted Harden for another three-pointer, bringing the game into the most terrifying final ten minutes.

Nas called the penultimate timeout; he had to make adjustments, and at the same time, he looked at Chen Fang.

Chen Fang had already thrown the towel on the floor and looked at him.

He understands everything without me having to say a word.

In the commentary booth, Yu Jia lamented, "Paul, it's like fate."

Without Paul today, the West would have been under constant pressure, especially in the fourth quarter.

But Paul just exploded, and whatever his reasons, everyone would assume it was revenge against King Chen.

147:137.

"The East is in danger, a 10-point deficit, how can they catch up?"

Countless eyes were focused on Chen Fang, while over there, James was already standing near the scorer's table, with Leonard behind him.

Chen Fang walked over, watched the two of them, and then leaned against the technical table.

And so, the three of them stood side by side, leaving the center position to James.

"I will win the game in five minutes!"

"Please remember this time." Chen Fang seemed to be speaking to the people at the technical desk, but everyone knew who he was actually talking to.

James didn't turn around, he just kept rubbing his hands together.

The West committed a foul, and Butler stepped up to the free-throw line, while the scorer's table pressed the buzzer to signal a substitution.

"This should be the last substitution. Let's announce the players who are still on the field."

"The West consists of Domantas Sabonis, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Chris Paul."

"The East is Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, and Chen Fang."

"Saving an All-Star Game to the end is always the best approach."

"Now the West is only 10 points behind the 157-point mark, while the East is 20 points behind."

"This isn't about catching up, it's about how far we are from the finish line."

“The east can only rely on King Chen, while the west has more people.”

"Paul, Davis, Leonard, James, none of them want to see Chen Wang win the game."

"Prince Chen, are you ready to face the whole world?"

"We'll see."

Unable to hear the commentator's incessant chatter, Chen Fang recovered and felt his steps become lighter.

He looked at Butler, Tatum, and Giannis.

Trust them; they won't let you down.

Butler calmly made the free throw, bringing the score to 147-139.

The eastern defenses retreated, while the western defenses surged in.

Now, there is no targeting of anyone; no one can be left out.

Switching, covering, assisting, double-teaming, and rotating – everyone is doing their job well.

Time was flying by, and finally, with 21 seconds left, Paul passed the ball to an open player, Leonard, who took a three-pointer from the corner.

The ball bounced off the rim, eliciting screams from the crowd.

Giannis Antetokounmpo grabbed the rebound and passed it to Chen Fang at midcourt.

After waiting a moment, Chen Fang dribbled forward two steps and passed the ball to Butler just as Leonard came up.

He walked inwards, and Leonard tried to entangle him, so he accelerated away, then suddenly turned around and ran back to the outside of the arc.

Butler passed the ball to Chen Fang, who immediately launched a jump shot.

Very bold, and equally unexpected.

With no one around to interfere, this is the moment to rely on your own feel for the game.

Upon seeing this incredibly long-range shot, many people in the audience stood up and raised their arms.

The United Center erupted in chaos when the ball went in.

"Chen Wang, a true killer! He shows no mercy and scores right away. This is the first goal from open play in the East in five minutes."

"That's amazing! King of Kings!"

"147 to 142!" Yu Jia shouted excitedly. He had passion to express, so he continued, "The so-called 20 points are ultimately just a matter of Chen Wang waving his hand."

Seeing the shot go in, the Western Conference bench players were holding their heads in disbelief, while the Eastern Conference bench players were waving towels.

Similarly, the impact on both sides on the court was enormous. Leonard had given his all, but his lack of stamina prevented him from returning to his best form.

Paul dribbled forward, yelling at everyone to cheer up; as a legend on the court, he had to do something.

Paul was facing Chen Fang with the ball, but the latter seemed unwilling to waste his energy on defense and simply followed. Paul executed a series of crossovers, then suddenly switched to a crossover dribble, maneuvering Chen Fang around before pulling back, dribbling the ball, and stepping back – a series of actions completed in one fluid motion.

Paul was waiting for Chen Fang to come up and teach him a lesson.

But Chen Fang was luring the enemy from the beginning. How could he not know Paul's desire for revenge? So he put on a show of being unable to defend.

When he saw Paul pull the ball back, Chen Fang pounced on him like a tiger and pressed it down with his big hand.

Paul never expected his shot to be blocked because his release point was really high, but Chen Fang didn't wait for him to jump. Instead, he jumped ahead of him as if he had foreseen it, without any concern that he would be faked out.

The ball was pushed away from Paul's hands, and Chen Fang picked it up and rushed to the frontcourt. The wind in his ears spurred him on, and he jumped up and shot before he even reached the three-point line.

Treat every shot as a potential game-winner!

The entire arena was shocked by Chen Fang's choice. Even Kobe Bryant instinctively covered his head, especially when he saw the basketball go through the net, he stood up in horror.

What 20 points? What bullshit point difference!
I'm here to take you down today, and no one can help you!

When Chen Fang saw the shot go in, he didn't celebrate at all, but turned around to look for James.

Then stare intently at the other person without blinking!

"147 to 145."

"Both sides are back to the same starting line!" Yu Jia's emotions were beyond words. He couldn't sit still any longer and shouted loudly while holding the microphone.

"At this moment, I truly felt Chen Wangshou's momentum in the competition, his unstoppable determination and will."

"Look, even Jordan is amazed. It's insane! Chen Wang has redefined what scoring means with two three-pointers in 30 seconds!"

"It's even more exaggerated than Durant's Grim Reaper's Scythe; I'd call it 'God's Harvest'!"

Paul tried to stabilize the team's morale. He controlled the pace and made several pick-and-roll passes. He saw James wide open and made the pass decisively.

The moment James received the ball, he seemed unprepared, hesitated for a moment, and Butler pounced on him.

He started dribbling backwards, repeatedly crossing his legs on one side. When the clock struck 20, he suddenly accelerated, squeezing Butler and driving inside.

ESPN's commentators excitedly shouted, "James drives to the basket, oh my... he passed it to Davis!"

Davis was clearly unprepared; knowing there was no time left, he immediately made his move.

The shot was off target; the ball hit the backboard and was caught by Embiid.

The director quickly cut to Kobe and Jordan, and just then they saw both of them shaking their heads. This scene was seen by fans all over the world.

A. Smith's tone was full of frustration: "LeBron's last-second pass has happened again!"

"Compared to Chen Wang's overconfidence, which bordered on madness, James's passing was a huge disappointment."

"As the pressure increases, LeBron's true nature will eventually be revealed," Kobe commented.

"He was on the verge of collapse, and only Chen Wang's final blow was needed."

"When the score reaches 150, especially in the last few points, he might not even dare to receive the ball."

"He always expects others to help him catch up in the score; he's never changed!"

Jordan remained silent, only smiling.

After Kobe finished summarizing, he said, "You understand very well."

Kobe, however, ignored Jordan's implied meaning and said, "Chen Wang understands better."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the sports field.

At this moment, Chen Fang dribbled the ball across half-court. James was reminding Leonard, who focused on following Chen Fang and began to try to interfere.

Chen Fang used his ball-protecting hand to shake off Leonard, and he began to take a step forward, seemingly about to burst into acceleration. Suddenly, he leaned down, and Leonard immediately retreated, but saw Chen Fang pause. So he immediately stepped forward, but at that moment, Chen Fang accelerated with a push-off and swept past him.

"Chen Wang is going one-on-one with Leonard, accelerate, and he's past him."

"Ah ah ah ah ah!"

"Chen Wang's divine harvest!"

When they witnessed Chen Fang's crazy pull-up jump shot again, all the commentators instantly went wild.

"when!"

"The ball didn't go in!"

"Butler grabbed the rebound, but he didn't shoot; he dribbled it out."

"Butler passed the ball to Chen Wang!"

"what!"

"Prince Chen has made his move again!"

"Goal! My God, what kind of heart is that? Didn't King Chen feel any fear?"

Not only the commentators, but also the fans, players, coaches, and even the legendary figures watching from the sidelines were all deeply moved.

What kind of structure allows it to confidently shoot again after missing, and then make the shot?

Leonard stood with his hands on his hips, and at that moment, he looked up to the sky and sighed.

"With that three-pointer, Chen Wang has 48 points, surpassing James' 43 points. Now it's Chen Wang's turn to look down on LeBron!"

"In just two minutes on the court, Chen Wang hit three three-pointers in a row, all in one-on-one situations. Leonard, who is known as the league's strongest defender, was brought to the brink of collapse."

"Look at this, the Chen Dynasty has come too quickly!"

"147 to 148."

"The scales of victory have tipped once again in favor of the Eastern All-Stars."

Next, Paul passed the ball to James and then waved for everyone to separate.

This was a mismatch; Paul set a screen for James and then drew Butler away.

Chen Fang stood in front of James, a rare face-to-face encounter in this game.

Boos, cheers, and jeers erupted.

James was right on the three-point line, posing a triple threat, but Chen Fang remained unmoved.

He dribbled the ball, and Chen Fang maintained his defensive distance.

When he made his move, Chen Fang didn't even have to raise his hand.

Because he could tell that James had lost the will to fight and was only persisting out of pride.

"LeBron takes the shot, oh no, the ball misses, Giannis gets the rebound."

"He handed it over to King Chen, and now the moment of bloodshed has finally arrived. Will King Chen fight back?"

Chen Fang dribbled the ball, passed it to Tatum, and then set a screen for him. Tatum dribbled inside and then passed the ball to Butler, who was coming around.

At the same time, he set a screen for James, blocking him from following.

Butler dribbled past the top of the arc and handed the ball to Chen Fang with another handoff.

Chen Fang's passing choice surprised everyone; he actually bounced the ball off the ground and passed it to Tatum.

Tatum may not have been prepared beforehand, but the moment he caught the ball, he understood.

The simplest breakthrough: receive the ball, lower your center of gravity, feint a three-threat move, and immediately release the ball to cut to the left.

James was beaten in one step, and Tatum rushed in, only to be pulled down by Davis.

"Six fouls, Davis is going to be taken off the court."

Davis seemed to know what was going on before the foul, and when he heard the whistle, he turned and headed to the bench without even glancing at James.

Perhaps he's tired of the game; as a teammate, he's already helped too much.

Harden, who was on the bench, stood up and gave him a silent high five. The two sat down again and looked at each other.

Davis sighed deeply, covered his face with a towel, and leaned back like a corpse, motionless.

Jokic was substituted in, and on the court, Tatum and Chen Fang high-fived. At that moment, they looked at each other, but with different feelings.

“I said we’d see him off together!” Chen Fang said.

Tatum grinned and calmly made both free throws.

The scoreboard changed.

147: 150.

It seems that the West lost its fighting spirit when Davis left the court. Paul gave up his obsession the moment he saw James pass the ball instead of shoot.

Ultimately, Jokic took a shot from the top of the key, but Embiid grabbed the rebound.

As a spectator, Embiid didn't care who won; in short, he didn't want to get into trouble.

Chen Fang waited at the mid-court line. Butler dribbled the ball across half-court and passed it to him. Chen Fang faced Leonard again, and this time, he also read that Leonard had no will to resist him.

With a crossover dribble and a quick step, Chen Fang accelerated past Leonard, took a step forward, saw James, and pushed the ball closer.

James was retreating, seemingly giving up the space for a three-point shot, but Chen Fang pounced on him like a demon, dribbling the ball inside and outside with one hand in succession, moving like a snake like the Mamba, and suddenly took a step inside, forcefully breaking past James.

With the basket empty, Chen Fang leaped into the air, holding the ball behind his head with both hands, and with a feeling of soaring through the clouds, slammed the ball into the hoop.

The immense inertia twisted his body. Chen Fang released his left hand and hung on the rim with only his right. He turned around on the rim and waved to James with his left hand.

At that moment, it was as if he was saying: Goodbye!

Upon landing, the entire western region fell silent as Chen Fang walked out of the restricted area with his head held high.

"It's over, it's all over!"

"Even though there are still 5 points left, it's clear to everyone that the West has lost its fighting spirit, and so has James."

"In this battle for the throne, Prince Chen's momentum was unstoppable, and his bravery surpassed that of the entire army!" Yu Jia was moved to tears. When he saw Prince Chen break through James and dunk on the rim, he knew that the outcome was already decided and James was going to lose.

A. Smith lamented, "James, who played for fifty minutes, went down at the last moment."

"Perhaps he still has the strength, but his heart is about to stop beating."

"Admit it, this world no longer belongs to you."

"Perhaps it never belonged to you, LeBron James!"

The defeat was swift and decisive. When Butler hit a three-pointer to bring the score to 155, the West had completely given up.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, as captain, ended the game, which lasted 80 minutes.

"50 points! Chen Wang defeated James' 43 points with 50 points. In the last five minutes, James did not score a single point, while Chen Wang proved with 11 points that he is the strongest person in the league."

"The throne has changed hands; Prince Chen has ascended the throne!"

"Let us kowtow three times and bow nine times, and rejoice as we enter the era of Emperor Chen!" No matter how cheesy Yu Jia's words were, Chen Fang didn't care at all.

He started hugging, high-fiving, and bumping shoulders with his teammates, and everyone congratulated him.

Finally, he came up to James.

"To be honest, you are beyond my expectations today."

"I take back my boast. Brother, your performance today is worthy of the title of emperor."

Chen Fang wouldn't be too harsh on the loser; after all, this world doesn't belong to him alone.

Leave a way out for others, so you can meet again in the future.

This can be considered a final act of respect for James.

The two high-fived, bumped shoulders, and hugged. Chen Fang patted James on the shoulder and then let go of him.

Countless cameras surrounded them, and this moment was etched into history.

Back on the court, Chen Fang walked towards Kobe and Jordan this time.

The camera followed the scene the whole time, and the fans saw it too.

Chen Fang approached them, first Kobe, then Jordan, and both of them stood up.

This was the first time Chen Fang had seen Jordan so closely. All he noticed was that Jordan's eyes were very yellow, but he didn't feel anything else.

“Sir, I have finally met the true god.” Chen Fang respectfully extended his hands.

Jordan appreciated Chen Fang's attitude. He brushed away the outstretched hand and then put his arm around Chen Fang.

"I heard you know how to play poker."

"Yes, it's pretty good!"

"There's a card game later, let's play together."

"Yes, sir."

Chen Fang also saw the smile in Kobe's eyes, and the two hugged each other tightly.

"Buddy, you did it."

"Yes, I did it."

Seeing this, Duan Ran was thrilled: "Is there anything more beautiful than this scene?"

"No, that's all. The two most powerful rulers are talking to the most likely future ruler."

"This is an equal dialogue that belongs to this level. I have never seen Jordan put his arm around anyone."

"The future, it seems, has already revealed a glimpse of its face to us with God's tacit approval."

And seemingly confirming Duan Ran's words, Jordan personally handed the MVP trophy to Chen Fang.

Under the gazes of thousands, Chen Fang took a deep breath. He did not go to accept it first, but scanned each face one by one.

Then he turned around, took it with both hands, and raised it high.

"Let's congratulate Chen Fang on winning the 2019-20 Chicago All-Star Game MVP!"

"The era of Emperor Chen has arrived!"

(End of this chapter)