Chapter 273

Before this game, Dwight Howard had thought of a domineering line to introduce himself to the Lakers fans. He wanted to request a timeout after a thunderous dunk, then rush to the scorer's table and roar loudly at the fans on-site: "Now, standing before you is the five-time NBA All-Star, three-time Rebounding Champion, two-time Block Champion, the first-ever three-time Defensive Player of the Year, four-time All-Defensive Team member, five-time All-NBA Team member, and the NBA's number one center, Dwight Howard!!!"

But now, when he opened his eyes, he found himself under Fan Xi's crotch.

When a black shadow loomed over him, he only felt darkness before his eyes, as if someone had turned off the lights for him in the middle of the night.

The massive impact made him stagger, and when he opened his eyes again, everything had returned to calm.

But Fan Xi was already hovering above the rim. Howard crawled out from under Fan Xi's crotch, while Fan Xi, towering above the rim, looked majestic, like a god descended to earth.

The chaotic Staples Center instantly gave the most intuitive feedback: half of the Clippers fans let out excited, passionate roars that flooded the arena, while the other half, the Lakers fans, seemed to have their throats gripped by fate.

They couldn't believe this scene had arrived so fiercely.

The super center and paint protector they had pinned their hopes on had been dunked over by Fan Xi on the very first possession of the game, and furthermore, he had crawled out from under Fan Xi's crotch.

A sense of pessimism surged uncontrollably from the bottom of the Lakers fans' hearts.

Fan Xi landed gracefully from above the rim.

His eyes swept coldly toward Howard on the side: "Welcome to the City of Angels, number one center."

Fan Xi's words were calm, without any emotional ripples.

Yet it was like a judgment from above. Fan Xi was like a God who controlled everything. Was he welcoming Howard?

No, he was setting the rules.

No matter if you are the number one center or some Defensive Player of the Year. Here, at Staples, this is my turf. If you're a dragon, you coil for me; if you're a tiger, you lie down for me.

Howard felt this overwhelming domineering aura. Although Fan Xi looked refined and spoke civilly, when his gaze locked onto Howard, Howard had only one feeling: this is a person you cannot afford to provoke.

The number one center coughed dryly. He subconsciously straightened his strong chest, showing his tough side to confront Fan Xi.

But Fan Xi couldn't be bothered to look at him and walked toward the frontcourt.

This was a warning.

And also a show of force.

Stop acting so damn arrogant all day, talking about taking this guy down, taking that guy down.

What kind of trash.

"Dwight was blocked by Kwame Brown just now, he didn't have room to jump... So that's how it was!!"

After a series of uncontrollable "Oh! Oh! Oh!" screams, the ESPN commentators switched from 'hormone mode' to 'sober mode' and began to make excuses for Dwight Howard.

Because since before the game started, they had been saying Howard would bring an iron-clad change to the Lakers' paint. But now, on the very first play, Fan Xi drove straight into the paint and dunked over the number one center they had pinned their hopes on with a domineering axe dunk.

Jeanie Bas, sitting courtside, lost her composure the moment she saw Fan Xi violently posterize Howard. She couldn't help but be shocked; her entire expression lost control, and fear and panic filled her heart.

However, she quickly adjusted her expression.

But the NBC cameras captured her "quick face-changing stunt."

"Does anyone know what Jeanie Bas is thinking right now?"

The NBC commentator said mockingly on TV: "Will she miss the way Jack Fan looked in a Lakers jersey?"

American commentators are usually very good at rubbing salt in wounds.

Without a doubt, Jeanie Bas's brilliant face-change would circulate along with the earth-shattering dunk.

If the Lakers end up losing this game, Jeanie Bas's GIF might even become an emoji.

This is probably the Western version of "regretting not acting sooner."

Chris Paul brought the ball to the frontcourt. Fan Xi blocked his path, spreading his arms to form a terrifying defensive presence.

Fan Xi's individual defense isn't top-tier, and to this day, no one has acknowledged him as a superstar who is elite on both ends of the floor.

However, anyone who wants to get past him will have a splitting headache.

Fan Xi might not be good at defending superstars who play stationary isolation, but he has some experience against fast, driving-oriented guards.

Paul changed his rhythm repeatedly between his legs, trying to deceive Fan Xi's center of gravity.

But Fan Xi didn't let him have his way, using small, quick steps to maintain his defensive deterrence.

Just as Paul intended to force an isolation to show off his personal ability, Kobe Bryant posted up Hamilton on the weak side.

Paul had to quickly pass the ball over.

On this team, the leader is always Kobe.

Although Paul felt he should have taken an isolation shot at that moment.

Kobe received the ball, made a simple pump fake, shook Hamilton off, and then hit a fadeaway jumper... Swish!

A very easy bucket.

"That's also two points, Jack. There's no essential difference." Kobe Bryant said to Fan Xi after scoring.

Fan Xi smiled faintly and said dismissively: "Maybe you should ask your new teammate and see if he thinks there's a difference."

Upon hearing this, Howard's expression froze, as if he had taken an arrow to the knee. This was touching a sore spot.

Immediately, Fan Xi walked into the paint to receive the inbound pass from Leonard.

He said to Leonard: "Next, you go defend Kobe and learn all his techniques."

Leonard nodded silently and walked quietly toward Kobe Bryant.

Fan Xi brought the ball to the frontcourt.

Lakers' new head coach D'Antoni shouted from the sidelines: "Defense! Defense! Defense!"

This sounded absurd. This offensive master known for 'run-and-gun' seemed like a different person; his mouth was now full of emphasizing defense! Defense! Defense!

The Lakers' defensive conditions were excellent. Although the head coach was unreliable, the assistant coaching staff was all from defensive backgrounds.

Chris Paul, Kobe, Artest, and Howard were all regulars on the All-Defensive teams. Although Pau Gasol was teased for being soft, his physical conditions still had some deterrence in help defense.

Kobe shook off Leonard and took the initiative to stand in front of Fan Xi, spreading his arms. The Black Mamba, Fan Xi's former boss, and the king of Staples Center for the past decade, took the initiative to match up against Fan Xi at the start of the game.

This situation quickly made the scene restless. Lakers fans cheered loudly for Kobe, while Clippers fans roared for Fan Xi.

No matter how Chris Paul claimed before the game that he wanted to settle things with Fan Xi.

No matter how Dwight Howard emphasized how fragile the Clippers would become because of his arrival.

When it came to the game, the fans' biggest focus was still Fan Xi vs. Kobe. These were the true old and new kings standing on opposite ends of the battlefield.

Seeing Kobe come over, Fan Xi bent down. He began to change his rhythm, the ball wandering lightly between his legs, and he slowly pressured Kobe... This was a typical 'Shark Step' drive.

Probing for defensive flaws while in motion.

However, Kobe's defense was impeccable.

The moment Fan Xi stepped to the three-point line, Kobe and Fan Xi exploded simultaneously... Kobe reached out to swipe at the ball in Fan Xi's hands as fiercely and sharply as a Black Mamba striking.

At the same time, Fan Xi took his explosive step like lightning, releasing all his explosive power, speed, and center of gravity at this moment.

Under the triple superposition.

Whoosh!

Kobe's steal turned into a bubble.

Fan Xi pierced through Kobe's defensive line sharply, invading the paint like lightning.

On this play, Fan Xi was like a seasoned angler, luring Kobe into the trap. And he keenly and precisely seized the opportunity, using his own powerful explosive drive to get past Kobe.

On this play, Kobe saw the shadow of peak Iverson in Fan Xi.

Although Fan Xi wasn't as agile as "The Answer," his instantaneous burst was already able to touch the shoulders of peak Iverson.

Kobe was beaten.

Fan Xi drove into the paint, Dwight Howard quickly came over to double-team, Fan Xi passed the ball, Kwame Brown jumped high and slammed the ball into the rim.

He ignored the pain in his index and middle fingers, and after the thunderous dunk, he pounded his chest frantically.

Eight years!

Eight years!

He had been holding in a breath for eight years.

His gaze looked toward Chen Ye on the sidelines, and he remembered a sentence Chen Ye had said to him: "Kwame, you must make us proud in the Christmas game. You don't need to prove you are better than others; you need to prove to everyone: what you have lost, you can definitely take back."

Kwame Brown was ambitious.

"Did Kwame Brown suffer great grievances while at the Lakers before? He looks very manic." The ESPN commentator said on TV.

"Who knows? Maybe it's because his stats this season are not bad. People always inevitably get arrogant, even if they are a bust." The special guest commentator, famous basketball critic Bill Simmons, said viciously from the side.

The game on the court continued.

The Lakers still used Kobe as the main offensive body. Kobe isolated on the strong side. Leonard defended rigorously and focusedly, but due to lack of experience, he was tricked by Kobe. Fan Xi subconsciously rotated to help, and Kobe passed the ball to Paul on the weak side.

Paul drove into the paint, attracted a double-team, and then threw the ball into the sky. Dwight Howard finally found an opportunity to soar.

But just as he was about to dunk, Kwame Brown flew over. Under high-intensity resistance, he had to turn his sure-fire dunk into a layup.

Swish!

The ball fell into the rim.

This is the logic of the triangle offense.

And it's a top-tier triangle offense.

Now the Lakers have at least three and a half positions that can actively initiate offense: Kobe, Paul, Gasol, and Howard counts as half.

In fact, Ron Artest also has the ability to initiate attacks. He is not just a defensive player; he has also served as an perimeter core in Sacramento and Houston.

Therefore, no matter from which angle you look at it, the Lakers have a huge advantage on both ends of the floor.

This is why the vast majority of commentators and experts believe the Lakers will win big in the Christmas game.

The game continued.

Fan Xi tangled with Kobe Bryant, then passed the ball to Leonard. Leonard held the ball in the low post to isolate Artest, used a frame-skipping version of a step-back to shake Artest off, and hit a fadeaway jumper.

Leonard is a very talented player. He looks unremarkable, but he can always create surprises on both ends of the floor.

In fact, Fan Xi genuinely believes Leonard has a chance to become the best perimeter one-on-one defender in league history.

He possesses all the prerequisites.

At the same time, Fan Xi also believes Leonard has a chance to become an offensive guard with no dead ends on the offensive end. Moreover, his current offensive direction is already trending in this direction.

This is also why Fan Xi let Leonard defend Kobe.

Kobe is Leonard's role model.

The game moved forward.

The Lakers played more and more easily. Although the Clippers fought with all their might and tried their best on the defensive end, the Lakers had too many offensive points: three superstars, one All-Star, and one former Defensive Player of the Year.

Too many to defend.

However, the Clippers did not collapse.

The Clippers kept biting the score. Under Fan Xi's leadership, the Clippers achieved a true sense of fighting with all their might. DeAndre Jordan, Kwame Brown, Leonard, Hamilton, and the later-subbed Butler and Dunleavy all tried their best to commit to the game.

The first quarter ended.

32:30.

The Lakers only led by 2 points.

Although from the surface, they played very easily and smoothly, while the Clippers played relatively sluggishly, relying more on the players' extraordinary performance, feeling a bit like forced output.

"The Clippers' style of play cannot last. Jack Fan cannot drive into the cracks and hit high-difficulty shots every time, and the two rookies Leonard and Butler cannot maintain high-efficiency performance under Artest's defense. What's even more ridiculous is Kwame Brown; I don't believe he can continue to be so strong. He got 7 points and 7 rebounds in a single quarter. If converted to four quarters, wouldn't he get 28 points and 28 rebounds? If he can really do that, then he's not a bust No. 1 pick; he's the number one center."

Bill Simmons commented like this during the first-quarter timeout.

He always has unique viewpoints and a sharp, poisonous tongue, which is why he stands out among a crowd of commentators.

When Bill Simmons thought the Clippers were on an unsustainable path, Fan Xi was applauding on the bench, encouraging his teammates: Our strategic goal has been achieved. We held on in the first quarter, even better than I expected.

"Their advantage is the starting lineup, while we have a continuous supply of reserve strength."

Fan Xi said extremely seriously.

Mike Brown stood up at the right time. He changed to a brand new lineup, letting Steve Nash be the starting point guard, moving Fan Xi to the 2-guard spot, the 3-spot was Jimmy Butler, changed to Dunleavy, the 5-spot was originally DeAndre Jordan, but Kwame Brown strongly requested to play.

This is a pure run-and-gun lineup.

The Clippers can still put out several such lineups.

When Mike Brown made such a deployment, Blake Griffin, sitting at the end of the bench, couldn't sit still. He stood up several times, approached this side, trying to apply to Mike Brown to play, but Mike Brown ignored him.

Mike Brown lost patience with Griffin.

The conflict between them became public.

Griffin himself knew this well.

So, while Fan Xi sat back on the bench to drink water, he leaned over and said to Fan Xi: "Jack, look, Khloe and Kendall are chatting so happily. Their sister relationship is really good."

Griffin played an emotional card with Fan Xi.

Fan Xi followed his finger and looked to the sidelines. The Kardashian sisters were sitting in the third row, chatting together, laughing and talking.

But they were definitely not the focus of media attention.

The focus of media attention was in the first row courtside. Taylor Swift and Scarlett Johansson were sitting on the same line, and the five seats between them were Liu Yifei, the great director Nicholson, Justin Bieber, Usher, and Selena.

This was simply a gathering of Duke's girls.

Many cameras courtside were aimed specifically at them, and any slight movement would immediately make headlines.

When Fan Xi withdrew his gaze from that side, he subconsciously observed the movement there. He never dreamed that they would all be sitting together. He warned himself in his heart: must pay attention to these details in the future.

What surprised Fan Xi slightly was that when he withdrew his gaze, he saw out of the corner of his eye that Liu Yifei was chatting with Taylor Swift. They seemed to be chatting very happily, leaning back and forth.

Probably told some joke.

Fan Xi rubbed his temples.

At this time, Griffin next to him said again: "Jack, since they have such a good relationship, our relationship should also be closer. Later, if I get on the court, we must play a wonderful coordination."

"Because, I really, really love Khloe, I want her to see my wildest side."

Griffin requested to Fan Xi.

Fan Xi frowned slightly. Griffin's words were inconsistent; he spoke of true love, but in fact, it was mixed with some court interests.

Fan Xi really dislikes this. He has always disliked mixing interests in relationships. Even though he has had so many romances, they were all pure love, even though they were all willing to spend money on him.

However, Fan Xi didn't point it out. He nodded and said: "Okay. After you get on the court later, we can play more pick-and-rolls."