Chapter 341: Two Scenes

Chris Paul made a gamble‑style steal, and when Fan Xi stopped at the top of the three‑point arc to control the tempo, Paul lost his composure.

But the steal failed; Fan Xi easily dribbled the ball to the other side, then cut toward the free‑throw line and passed to Nowitzki, who was not soft‑handed; he used a one‑legged jump shot to push the lead to 13 points.

Kobe Bryant took over the ball, but his shot clanged off the rim.

The Lakers lost any hope of winning the game.

Although they worked hard throughout, the story's ending was not as they wished.

It's like ice melting in water.

At the Staples Center, nearly twenty thousand Lakers fans fell silent; they couldn't believe the game ended this way. It had always been evenly matched, but in the final two or three minutes, everything turned upside down.

Fan Xi controlled the tempo, Paul committed a foul, Fan Xi walked to the free‑throw line and made both shots.

Chris Paul's three‑point attempt missed.

Paul kept fouling; after accumulating six fouls, he was ejected.

Fan Xi hit two free throws.

De'Anthony announced that garbage time had arrived.

The first Western Conference Finals game was ultimately locked in with a Kuaisuan victory.

Kuaisuan built an away‑court advantage, even though the games were all played at the Staples Center.

When the final buzzer sounded, the two‑to‑three thousand Kuaisuan fans in the Staples Center, outnumbered several‑fold by Lakers fans, let out a deafening roar after being suppressed throughout the game.

They shouted in unison: MVP! MVP! MVP!

Fan Xi raised both hands amid the roar.

He rightfully waved to the surrounding crowd.

"We are always the victors."

Arenas took reporters' questions as the spokesperson: "We are already considering the Finals opponent."

Arenas spoke these arrogant words with ease, and the reporters were accustomed to his remarks.

ESPN even set a trap for him: "Do you think you can sweep the Lakers to advance?"

"That's irrelevant."

Arenas wasn't fooled; he still retained a hint of calm reasoning.

Not far from him, in the players' tunnel, Fan Xi and Yao Ming were being interviewed by We need to output lines: English media.

They conversed in We need to output lines: English, making foreign reporters envious.

Yao Ming talked about his feelings in his first career Western Conference Finals: "I was thrilled; I played a few minutes at the start and had a lot on my mind. Before this season began, I never thought I'd return to the court, let alone face the Lakers in the Western Finals."

"My performance was decent; I give myself a 9. Whether tactically or strategically, I contributed greatly to the team."

"I'm not here to eat free lunch, Boss Fan."

Yao Ming said jokingly.

Fan Xi gave a thumbs‑up beside him, praising Yao Ming: "He remains All‑Star level. Having him in the paint is like possessing a nuclear bomb; we may not need to use it, but opponents must stay on edge."

"Boss Yao gave us a good start tonight; as they say, the first step is the hardest. The opening triple‑pronged attack disrupted the Lakers' plan, leading to this victory."

"Securing the first win is the first step of a long march. It's worth celebrating, yet we must stay cautiously optimistic. The Lakers were a bit unfocused in the final moments, and we seized the chance. We can't expect them to play like this every game."

"The Eastern side is hard to predict. They all have a chance to win."

"Olympic matters can be discussed after the game. I hope Boss Yao will play another Olympics, but his body now needs more rest; he's already given too much to the national team."

Fan Xi spoke at length, saying many things.

When the Olympic national team came up, Yao Ming added: "If the national team needs me, I am willing to go to London."

For Yao Ming, he has fought for the national team his whole life.

He knows Fan Xi considers his health, but Yao Ming harbors a bigger ambition: he wants to reach the final four and win an Olympic medal.

This is one of the two biggest goals of his basketball career, a level even higher than an NBA championship.

Before, both goals seemed far off.

Now, the NBA championship feels increasingly within reach.

The Olympic medal now no longer seems like trying to scoop the moon out of water.

With Fan Xi's backing, plus his own, even if this FIBA top center has only a peak three‑point shooting ability, he is confident to lead the national team further.

The breakthrough missed at home in '08 may find a chance this time in London.

Seeing Yao Ming so resolute, Fan Xi felt only admiration.

After the interview, as they walked toward the locker room together, Yao Ming said to Fan Xi: "I've already retired once; now, any extra game is profit for me. Don't treat me like an artwork locked away."

Fan Xi gave Yao Ming a deep look.

He realized the 'little giant' was more than just tall.

…

Kuaisuan wildly celebrated the first Western Finals win; the locker room was splattered with champagne, brought in by Ge Lan Te Xi Er.

Xi Er is one of the league's oldest qualified players; he debuted at his peak, a Jordan successor, and for a time his popularity even surpassed Jordan's. Yet this is his first Western Finals appearance.

He has also transformed from a youthful rookie into the locker room's most steady and elegant leader; his style shifted from violent drives to now selfless 3D play.

This season his playing time was limited, but he passed more experience to Butler and Leonard. Butler and Leonard's huge success in the Rookie Game stems from many factors.

"Hey, dear Uncle Ge Lan Te, if you pull out a 10‑year‑old champagne tonight, then in the Finals you'll have to open a few bottles of Romanee‑Conti from your cellar."

Fan Xi teased Ge Lan Te Xi Er.

Xi Er is a red‑wine collector; he once showed the cellar in his mansion, filled with a myriad of reds, and even owns a dedicated vineyard in France.

In life, he is a highly romantic successful gentleman.

"Of course no problem, Jie Ke. I guarantee that after the championship, every drop of champagne we spray from the parade float will be priceless."

Ge Lan Te Xi Er raised an eyebrow, speaking with confidence.

Fan Xi smiled and nodded: "That's what you said, Uncle."

"One word is settled." Uncle Xi was very magnanimous.

…

In stark contrast to the jubilant atmosphere in the Kuaisuan locker room.

The air in the Lakers' locker room seemed to have frozen, even though late May in Los Angeles already had some scorching heat.

Ke Bi's face was dark; he had walked into the locker room ten minutes earlier, then he said: "We need to review this game."

Then… the assistant coach began quietly playing game footage in the locker room.

This was a habit Phil Jackson had kept.

Everyone sat there silently, following Ke Bi, quietly watching every detail on the screen.

…