Chapter 306: Breaking the Stubborn Darkness, Setting a New Record

Luo En A Taise Te came to Jimmy Butler's side, resuming his unruly, unbridled demeanor. "Rookies, you're doomed. You have not a single ounce of lucky chance; the tiger has already awakened."

Butler looked at A Taise Te with contempt, disdainfully looking down on him from a lofty moral height.

He recalled Fan Xi's assessment of A Taise Te: "He bullies the weak and fears the strong."

It really is so.

After being faked out and kneeling, he looked like a frost‑bitten eggplant. Now the Lakers are on the rise, immediately assuming a tiger's might by proxy.

Fan Xi has already advanced the ball into the frontcourt, with Chris Paul guarding Fan Xi. Compared with Artest, Chris Paul is undoubtedly tougher. He is a resilient player; under normal circumstances he can fight to the very end. In abnormal circumstances—perhaps after a playoff series blows out—he would sit on the bench, watching helplessly as the opponent rips the team apart by 58 points.

Fan Xi does not spar with Paul.

Nowitzki steps up, executing a pick‑and‑roll with Nowitzki, quickly breaking the Three‑Point Shot line and driving inside.

The Lakers swiftly contract their defense.

However, before Fan Xi even steps onto the free‑throw line, he quickly passes the basketball outward.

Jimmy Butler makes a cut that slips past A Taise Te just as the ball arrives; when he receives it, it feels unbelievably smooth, sitting right at his chest—a sensation unprecedented.

And it is extremely fluid.

He strides two steps in one breath, leaps, and slams the basketball into the hoop.

It is as natural as water finding its channel.

Fan Xi's passes are like water—seemingly unremarkable, yet they capture the flow and guide the play through the entire sequence.

They help him soar, making his effort twice as effective.

That is what a good assist looks like.

Butler is astonished; this is something he has never seen before.

Clearly this pass looks ordinary, yet it contains such seamless energy.

He looks toward Fan Xi.

Luo En A Taise Te steps forward to flaunt his toughness, but before he can speak, Butler shoves him back: "Get lost, you dog‑like thing."

Butler gives A Taise Te no regard at all.

Since Fan Xi humiliated Artest, Butler now treats him as a spineless loser.

A Taise Te is furious.

Yet in reality, he can do nothing. His body has severely regressed; in some situations he remains a borderline‑acceptable defender with some Three‑Point Shot ability. However, he no longer can stop most fast‑break players. Poor lateral movement is his fatal flaw.

The humiliation stems from the fact that, even though he is at the brink of retirement, he still pretends to be a rebellious big brother out of place.

The elder brother isn't the pretender; the grandson is.

Fan Xi now has a crew of villains under his command; who could be fooled by him? A kneeling New‑Year's greeter.

The game continues.

Clippers set their defensive positions, stretching a sturdy front.

Leonard fulfills his promise, exerting all effort to block Kobe's shot; he and Kobe lock positions in a near‑combat struggle, taking physical contact to the extreme.

Amid Leonard's tangled battle, Chris Paul drives the basketball elsewhere, delivering a piercing pass to Pau Gasol. Yet when Gasol attempts the shot, Nowitzki contests it, creating a strong interference… Boom!

The ball misses.

Kua Mei grabs the rebound.

He passes to Fan Xi.

Fan Xi has not yet launched a fast break, yet the Kuaisuan players sprint down quickly, like a disciplined iron army.

Fan Xi reaches the frontcourt, about to execute his own pick‑and‑roll.

Nowitzki suddenly pulls to one side, reaching for the ball.

Fan Xi does not hesitate, swiftly passing the ball perfectly.

When Nowitzki receives the ball, he is somewhat surprised.

Passing, in fact, tests innate talent—an unseen gift. Only the receiver truly knows: some passes require you to adjust, even make large body movements, while others feel so comfortable you can shoot immediately, even guiding you toward the basket.

This is the difference between those who can pass and those who cannot.

Fan Xi used to sit between being a good passer and a poor one; occasionally he could deliver excellent passes, but most of the time they were ordinary. Hence many previously criticized him for not being a true point guard.

Nowitzki receives the ball without any adjustment. He pivots smoothly, giving his slide step a favorable edge, then presses downward, seizing the instant when Paul and Gasol step forward to drive inside.

Gasol quickly spreads his arms to guide the defense.

But Nuo Tian Wang halts after two steps, assuming a one‑legged stance like a golden rooster, and releases the ball.

Swish!

Very precise.

When points are needed, Nuo Tian Wang has always been reliable.

Tonight it is so, and every night the same.

One defense, one offense.

Nuo Tian Wang overpowers Gasol.

The Staples Center erupts with cheers.

The Kuaisuan reestablishes the advantage, and not just in score but also in psychological edge.

The Kuaisuan, far from being crushed by the Lakers' overwhelming aura, instead forge an even tougher spirit.

This is the soul of a strong team.

After scoring, Nuo Tian Wang immediately retreats, constructing a defensive fortification with his teammates.

The Lakers find it difficult, as Fan Xi initiates a full‑court press; his height and wingspan nearly envelop Paul.

Leonard also maintains a steadfast defense on Kobe.

His tangled defense makes Kobe's catches difficult.

The Lakers' backcourt faced unprecedented sniping; in today's league, only the Kuaisuan can match the Lakers in defense. Fan Xi together with Leonard, their disruption of the league's top backcourt duo Kobe and Chris Paul is visible to the naked eye.

But Chris Paul still made it past halftime, taking two or three seconds longer than usual; Kobe also received the ball and, under tough defense, completed the attack.

Kobe has never shied away from hard battles.

Looking back, it's still Nowitzki opening a one‑on‑one.

However, Nowitzki this time didn't attack himself; when he drove into the paint and was double‑teamed, he passed the ball out, Fan Xi caught it, handed it directly to Kuameibulang, who finished with a slam dunk.

Nowitzki changed the course of the game; as he said, he showed fans worldwide with his actions the level to which he can help the Kuaisuan.

An ultra‑strong penetrator.

An outstanding offensive master.

The Lakers feel terrible.

The game continues.

But the trend has already exceeded Fan Xi's expectations; Fan Xi originally thought he should reveal his trump card and dominate. Yet now, Nowitzki is on a killing spree, his touch as smooth as velvet.

Leonard and Butler unleash their offensive‑defensive energy to the limit, and Kuameibulang, who gets thrilled whenever he faces Howard, automatically gains a 120% buff.

Everyone is performing at a super‑high level.

Fan Xi then took on the job of ferrying cannonballs.

As the play went on, the Kuaisuan built a double‑digit lead.

Their subtle aid is silent.

The Lakers are caught off guard by the subtle aid.

When A Tesite lowered his head again, looking listless, everyone understood the Lakers' fate was sealed.

This game, most expected the Lakers to win, even though Fan Xi would launch a fierce counter‑attack. Yet the result was unsurprising.

However, the current situation is that Fan Xi barely countered, and the Lakers are about to collapse.

Nowitzki, a water‑grade top pick, and two rookies, the four of them went on a chaotic killing spree.

Fan Xi's assist numbers are soaring.

With three minutes left, De An Dongni called a timeout, and they made a final tactical adjustment.

They're already down 13 points; if this wave doesn't work, it'll be garbage time.

Jean Bas slumped with a sullen face beside them, a stark contrast to earlier excitement. She now wishes everyone could not see her.

She never dreamed this outcome—losing the Christmas showdown—yet it's understandable, there's still a reason to find.

Tonight, how to find it?

The Lakers have reached this level; you could say any team that comes, whoever comes dies.

But when they face the Kuaisuan, why can't they extinguish their swagger?

Magic Johnson had a terrifying thought: Is the Kuaisuan's style inherently counter to us?

He pondered carefully.

Leonard may be one of the league's best defenders against Kobe, that's his first year.

Fan Xi also thrives against Paul's style, though his defense isn't top‑tier.

Also Jimmy Butler, Grant Hill, Hamilton, Vince Carter, Stephen Nash, Bilupusi—each with distinct, dazzling forward‑guard styles—the Lakers' No. 3 spot is the weakest.

In the paint, Gasol is good, but Nowitzki is definitely superior. Gasol's only edge over Nowitzki is his playmaking, which became idle after Chris Paul arrived. Nowitzki's penetration works everywhere.

Dwight Howard, the league's top center, is a strong defensive presence. Yet the Kuaisuan can't field a center of Howard's caliber. Little Jordan's style is similar, about seventy‑five percent of Howard's. Kuameibulang gets fired up against Howard, making Howard especially uncomfortable. There's also Yao Ming, who, when healthy, was famed for eating, sleeping, and beating Howard. He didn't play tonight, but as long as he's on the court, Howard would be easily displaced.

Looking at it… Sss!

Magic Johnson inhaled sharply; in the playoffs, never tangle with the Kuaisuan. Was the Kuaisuan's roster built from the start to counter us?

The Kuaisuan's ambition is huge.

They could feign blindness in the playoffs, eliminate two slightly weaker opponents, then meet us in the Western Finals…

The more Magic Johnson thought, the more panicked he became.

He now has a strong notion: the Lakers must reinforce their roster, otherwise the playoffs will be mercilessly targeted by them…

Bang!

A deafening crash shattered Magic Johnson's train of thought; he looked up to see a basketball racing toward the bench, quickly raised his hand to block it, while Jean Bas beside him panicked like a startled sparrow.

The arena's big screen recorded the scene faithfully, and Kuaisuan fans at the Staples Center burst into laughter, the atmosphere was cheerful.

They love watching Jean Bas's endless blunders.

They even suspect Fan Xi did it on purpose.

Earlier, Paul and Gasol executed a wall‑bounce combo: Paul passed to Gasol, looped half‑court to the three‑point line, Gasol returned the ball; the play was excellent, but as he shot, Fan Xi lunged and smashed his dream with a slap.

The basketball was volleyed out of bounds by Fan Xi, heading straight for Jean Bas.

Jean Bas was terrified, her complexion paling, the powder on her face falling off.

Fortunately, Magic Johnson's experience let him reach out and knock the ball down.

But that scene was enough to put Jean Bas on the headlines.

Her frantic state mirrored the Lakers tonight; she is the microcosm of this game.

But Kenny Smith saw farther: "At this moment Jean Bas should realize Los Angeles has changed. The Angel City's master has become the Duke Jie Ke, who swept him out."

Charles Barkley raised an eyebrow, wanting to say something, but realized he could only tacitly accept the fact.

The Kuaisuan grows stronger day by day, while the Lakers, though at their peak, inevitably decline. It is the convergence of dusk and sunrise.

The sun rises in the east, sets in the western hills.

After Chris Paul's three‑pointer was volleyed out, their hurried second‑chance attack ended in failure.

De An Dongni's tactical shortcomings were highlighted.

His in‑game reaction is also his flaw.

If Phil Jackson were still here, the Lakers wouldn't be in this situation; Phil Jackson is best at coaching such superstar‑allied strong teams.

But Jean Bas, in order to secure her power and the Lakers' lasting dominance, traded away both Phil Jackson and Fan Xi, these two unstable factors.

Now, the backlash begins.

The three‑pointer Paul missed was made by Fan Xi; Fan Xi finally ran a pick‑and‑roll with Nowitzki, and after the screen Nowitzki drew away the defense of Gasol and Paul.

His strong inside‑scoring ability caused the Lakers' defense to misjudge.

Fan Xi easily got an open look, stepped back beyond the three‑point line, shot lightly, and made it.

Fan Xi's score reached 25 points, and his assist total in the previous round reached 22.

Everything happened so quietly.

But it was a fruitful night.

Chinese fans began a wild celebration; the host shouted excitedly: "What did I say? What did I say? Let the bullet fly awhile, Fan Xi said he would take the victory—who dares to block him?"

"Even God can't help—today is Chinese New Year, the first day of the lunar year, God can't control this. Moreover, how many crossover moves does God have?"

The host was quite excited, even got carried away. After commenting, he will definitely have to go to finance to pay a fine.

But he was happy.

The fans were also very happy; in fact, the leaders were happy too.

On such a day of universal celebration, Fan Xi won a beautiful victory to offer New Year greetings to everyone.

What a wonderful blessing.

The Lakers have begun to pull back; after the host said God would make several crossover moves, their best crossover player, Chris Paul, was taken off the court.

Then came Dwight Howard, followed by Kobe and Pau Gasol, who also stopped persisting.

Yet Fan Xi's stats kept soaring.

Tonight, he will again break through the stubbornness and set a new record.

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