Chapter 350: Saint Paul Is Angry Again

Hehe!

Chris Paul clenched his teeth, and the fierce grinding noise from the people beside him was clearly audible.

"Damn you, Jieke Fan, you will pay a heavy price for underestimating me."

Chris Paul tightened his fist; his inner universe was about to explode.

He could not recall at all how much he had once looked down on Fan Xi; Fan Xi merely gave him ten percent of the lofty side he once held over him, and that was too much for him to bear.

Sheng Baoluo really is a lofty, sensitive one.

Ding!

The whistle sounded, and the game officially began.

The Lakers fans in the arena shouted loudly to support the home team; this was their life-or-death battle. They chanted the names 'Chris' and 'Dwight', and twenty thousand Lakers fans fervently hoped these two superstars could take up Kobe Bryant's banner and lift the Lakers to greater heights.

On paper, even without Kobe Bryant, the Lakers' strength still surpasses that of the Clippers.

But the listed strength is often meant to be broken. Moreover, Fan Xi is the current basketball world's super star best at shattering the numbers.

In the past two years, hasn't Fan Xi personally created countless upsets where the weak defeat the strong?

Bang!

Xiao Qiaodan again beat Howard in the jump ball... Xiao Qiaodan's height gave him an advantage.

Fan Xi took the basketball and slowly advanced forward.

Tonight's Clippers starting lineup is: Fan Xi, Butler, Leonard, Nowitzki, Deandre Jordan.

Butler's growth in this series has been astonishing; he dares to fight and gradually secured his spot in the Clippers' starting lineup. This development was natural; the former starter Hamilton had no objections, knowing this would happen sooner or later. When he joined the Clippers, he knew he was there to assist, to pass, help, and lead.

The atmosphere inside the Clippers is excellent.

Tonight's Lakers starting lineup is: Chris Paul, Webster, Matt Barnes, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard.

"Tonight, Paul finally has a platform to realize his ambitions. He can freely unleash his talent, and he should display his dominance now."

Reggie Miller on the ESPN channel said on TV, "His current teammates are far stronger than those in New Orleans."

Paul blocked in front of Fan Xi, spreading his arms, his eyes blazing, ready to clash with Fan Xi.

Fan Xi, as he said before the game, did not make a peak showdown with Paul his primary goal; he had no interest in defeating Paul.

He played according to the plan.

Leonard and Butler set a cross screen; Fan Xi passed the ball to Leonard, who easily used his back to shake off Webster's defense and hit a jump shot.

Both Leonard and Butler made huge strides in the playoffs. If Butler found a perfect outlet for his own energy, Leonard's improvement is even more 'internalized'; during his defense of Kobe, his offensive energy was greatly honed. In his ball-handling attacks, his mid-range back-to-the-basket one‑on‑ones have rapidly reached near‑elite league level.

Thus, taking down Webster is trivial for him.

After all, Webster has always been a defensive leak.

On the other side, Chris Paul surged forward with the ball. He and Gasol completed a high‑post pick‑and‑roll; he drove fiercely into the free‑throw line and finished the play with a decisive lob.

After scoring, he clenched his teeth and let out a low growl.

It was like an enraged beast.

"Without Kobe restraining him, Chris Paul is playing with unparalleled decisiveness tonight; I have a feeling this will be the defining work of Chris Paul's career," McBlin couldn't wait to brag about Paul.

He is always like that.

After scoring, Paul stared coldly at Fan Xi, waiting for his retaliation.

But Fan Xi still ignored him.

Fan Xi drove the ball to the frontcourt, then handed it to the high‑post Nowitzki.

Nowitzki executed a triple‑threat fake to shift Gasol's weight, then burst forward, instantly stopped, performed a Golden Rooster Stand, and completed a jump shot.

Swish!

A signature offense.

Fan Xi extended his hand and high‑fived Nowitzki.

As a mover, Fan Xi's style is very healthy and wholesome.

He shows another facet of a point guard: resting and letting teammates execute great one‑on‑ones.

For a point guard, assist numbers aren't the sole metric; ensuring the team runs smoothly and efficiently is what matters.

Swish!

On the other side, Chris Paul again hit a mid‑range jump shot, still using pick‑and‑roll to quickly shed his defender before stopping and shooting.

His mid‑range shooting has always been precise.

Fan Xi's defensive chase sometimes lags behind.

That's normal.

Fan Xi also doesn't over‑pursue defensive quality, because against superstars you must accept that some shots can't be defended. As long as no tactical gap forms, some offenses can be allowed. Basketball isn't soccer, where one goal can decide everything; basketball is a long game, and trade‑offs are essential wisdom.

The game progressed just like that.

Fan Xi does not take part in the team's direct scoring offense.

In the first quarter, Nowitzki and Leonard were the main focus, with Butler supporting.

In a single quarter, the Clippers scored 35 points.

For the Lakers, Chris Paul is the focal point, still playing the Hornets' style: pick‑and‑roll, assists, passing, fast breaks.

He logged 12 points and 6 assists in the quarter, very efficiently.

His presence is strong; if you look at advanced stats, you'll see he tops the game.

But in reality, the Clippers only had 30 points in the first quarter.

The Clippers led by five points.

At the start of the second quarter, Fan Xi even moved back to the two‑spot. Stephen Nash took over point guard, the small forward slot went to the long‑inactive Grant Hill, the power forward remained Nowitzki, and the center was Kuameibulang.

The Clippers' roster adjustments have always been known for bold flexibility.

Maikelbang is a conservative person by nature, but after spending a long time with Fan Xi, he has acquired a hint of romanticism.

Chris Paul is very angry.

He seems to be constantly angry.

He feels that Kuaisuan putting up such a "stupid" lineup is an insult to him, that they don't take him seriously.

His proud ego believes he is not being treated as a strong player.

So, on the opening possession he rushed into the paint, intending to cause immediate damage. However, he was blocked.

It was Grant Hill who blocked him.

Old Hill looked aged and frail, but with one slap he swatted Chris Paul's basketball out of the court, sending it far.

It drew wave after wave of cheers from the spectators.

This intense provocation spurred Chris Paul; he looked up at Grant Hill.

Hill is now an educator, always a modest gentleman; his gaze is compassionate, even carrying a hint of "Hey kid, now do you see where you went wrong? Your layup shouldn't expose the ball early" tone.

Chris Paul became even angrier, grinding his teeth.

Howard was also grinding his teeth alongside him.

Howard truly felt terrible.

When he was in Orlando, he played a blue‑collar role, still had some ball‑handling rights, and could occasionally act on a whim.

But after joining the Lakers, he remained a blue‑collar player, even stripped of any ball‑handling rights.

He previously blamed Kobe for it; now that Kobe is gone, he is still a blue‑collar, and Chris even more brazenly demands that he constantly set screens.

No superstar makes a living by setting screens.

Chris didn't withhold benefits; he fed Howard three alley‑oop passes, and he dunked with great pleasure tonight.

But at the end of the first quarter, Fan Xi said to him, "Think about it: what difference is there now between you and Tyson Chandler when he was with the Hornets?"

Those words truly wounded Howard to the core.

Howard envisions himself as a super paint‑dominant successor to Shaq, the four great centers, yet now he is treated like Tyson Chandler—a mere upgraded version.

Tyson Chandler is actually quite good, a top‑tier blue‑collar.

But he is not what Howard pursues.

He wants Chris Paul to hand him the ball.

Chris is a bit headache‑induced by him: "I just got blocked, and you already want the ball; you're deliberately putting me in an awkward spot."

But for team unity, he still passed the basketball to Howard.

Howard also learned the Dream Step from Hakeem Olajuwon, but… his tuition basically went down the drain.

Howard's post footwork is ordinary; he usually relies on his powerful upper‑body strength to forcefully push opponents aside, then toss the ball into the hoop.

But he ran into Kuameibulang.

Kuameibulang is also a high‑school top scorer; although he was once called a "water product," no one has ever denied his physical attributes.

Agile, strong, and fast.

These are Kuameibulang's strengths.

Howard collided twice without breaking free; he then stepped forward, made a half‑circle, released a layup, and a figure floated toward him… Bang!

Old Hill performed another feat, slapping the ball onto the backboard; it rebounded, and Kuameibulang easily grabbed it.

He quickly handed the ball to Stephen Nash, who sprinted with it; the old wind‑chasing youngster still rode the breeze.

Moreover, his coordination with Fan Xi was silky; when Fan Xi made a reverse run to create space, he swiftly passed the ball, Fan Xi caught and shot… Swish!

Three‑point shot made.

Scoring is that simple.

Matt Barnes looked at Fan Xi helplessly; he had no real choice—if he chased to guard Fan Xi, Fan Xi would certainly pass the ball to Grant Hill, who would then complete a layup or dunk.

De'Anthony sat on the bench, puzzled why Kuaisuan was so fluid, why he and the Lakers had such talent yet played so painfully.

He truly is one of the league's top offensive head coaches.

Chris Paul's peak also merits the title of the league's number‑one point guard.

Howard is undeniably the league's number‑one center.

But a harsh fact remains: they have never proven themselves on the biggest stages.

De'Anthony had never played in a Finals before joining the Lakers.

Chris Paul hadn't even set foot on a Western Conference Finals floor before joining the Lakers.

Howard did reach a Finals, but most of the credit belongs to Jeff Van Gundy and the Eastern landscape of that year. Moreover, he was utterly overpowered by Kobe Bryant in the Finals.

In other words, the three are failures who have never proven themselves, despite appearing to have enticing talent and a rich portfolio of abilities on paper.

Yet they still lack the capacity to prove themselves in such elite and ruthless competition.

Kuaisuan may seem relatively weaker, but they are experienced, with young players full of resilience and a tenacious spirit, and Fan Xi is a textbook winner.

The moment Kobe went on a cast, Fan Xi had already consumed the game.

Thus, no matter how solemn Chris Paul sounds before the game, Fan Xi will calmly say: "It doesn't matter, you're not important either."

Chris Paul will record the most beautiful postseason stats of his career in this game, the most perfect advanced numbers, and may even be hailed as a glorious loser. Yet he cannot secure the win.

The game continues.

Chris Paul and Pau Gasol executed a play; Gasol used his agile footwork to slip into the paint, but after his first fake, Kuameibulang, fierce as a demon, lunged and forcibly snatched the ball from his hands.

Kuameibulang is ferocious.

Pau Gasol was helpless.

Sitting behind the Lakers Bench, the magician Johnson finally had an epiphany.

The Lakers' three‑year championship dynasty wasn't built on these puzzle pieces, but on Kobe Bryant's tenacious fighting spirit. He was like a villain wielding a long whip—though infamous and inefficient, without him to wage the dirty war and grind the game into a meat grinder, the flashy displays alone couldn't win games.

Last year's overall impression was that Fan Xi had taken it; Fan Xi is a player who truly possesses Kobe's bloody spirit, and he belongs to the ranks of winners.

The NBA will have many top-tier superstars, but few are born with the winning gene. These people will infiltrate their thinking into every dimension of the game; perhaps he has such and such flaws, perhaps he is not even the team's primary scorer, but as long as he is present, the team's foundation will be solid.

The magician again fell into regret; he thought, if Fan Xi had not been traded, how glorious the Lakers' history would have been. Four-peat, five-peat,?

Moshushi Yuehanxun couldn't help feeling sorrowful as he thought of this; he stared at the championship flag swaying above his head for a few seconds, then he sadly shook his head.

This scene was broadcast by ESPN's cameras to televisions worldwide; all Lakers fans watching this footage tasted the same loss and regret.

Everyone knows, the Lakers are doomed tonight.

However, ESPN's McBlin continues to hype, continues to praise Paul, praise Howard, claiming they will surely leave the best result tonight.

Swish!

Sītífēn Nàshí assists Nowitzki on a made jump shot.

The point difference widened further.

In the first quarter, Fan Xi did not compete with Paul.

In the second quarter, Sītífēn Nàshí, the former starting point guard, even had the trend of pressing the starting point guard Shèng Bǎoluó.

Is this humiliating me again?

Shèng Bǎoluó became angry again.

He was especially angry, his eyes could even spit fire.

…