Chapter 379: You Can Act Better Than Us

This is a match with no way out.

For Miami, that's the case.

For the Clippers, it's even more so.

If the Heat lose tonight's win, the game ends for them outright.

If the Clippers lose tonight's win, once they get to Miami they can't play any better.

Now is the best timing for the Clippers.

Fans at the Staples Center are shouting to cheer the Clippers, even though basketball media are wailing and many Los Angeles experts say the Clippers have little chance. Yet those fans still hope Fan Xi can work a miracle, that the team can win another game and claim the club's first championship trophy.

Fan Xi brings the ball into the frontcourt.

It is Wei De who comes over to guard Fan Xi personally.

Facing Wei De's pressure, Fan Xi moves unhurriedly, swinging back and forth, probing Wei De's defensive focus with quick, high‑density direction changes.

But in the end, Fan Xi doesn't meet him head‑on. As he suddenly lunges forward a step, he spots the moment and quickly passes the ball to Leonard.

He then strides into the paint; James, who was guarding Leonard, sees this, instinctively shifts his foot, Leonard turns, leapt easily… swoosh!

It hits.

Tonight's first basket is Leonard's finishing shot.

After Leonard scores, the Clippers rush back half‑court.

All players take positions, aggression bristling.

"What a defensive warrior!"

Bilupusi can't help praising from the sidelines.

The Clippers' five tigers line up clearly, eyes steady, momentum fierce, like a high‑horsepower meat grinder kicking into gear.

Ma Liao Qianmosi brings the ball over and passes it to James.

James matches up against Leonard.

Leonard spreads his arms, glaring fiercely at James, occasionally reaching out to disrupt James's dribbling rhythm.

James is not an excellent ball handler.

After several drives that find no defensive gaps, he passes the ball to Wei De.

Wei De faces his college junior Butler.

Butler is a fierce man.

Wei De forces a drive inward, holding his ground; when he finally breaks through the varying pace into the paint and jumps to shoot, he is blocked from behind, Kuameibulang leaps up front to block, forming two iron walls.

In the gap, Wei De quickly passes, but as soon as the ball leaves his hands, a familiar figure darts in and snatches the ball.

Very natural.

Fan Xi carries the ball deep into the frontcourt, and the Clippers players sprint forward at lightning speed.

The Heat's retreat is slightly slower; Fan Xi seizes the chance, drives into the paint, passes to Butler lurking in the corner, Butler shoots a three… bang!

A bit off.

But the rebound is grabbed by Kuameibulang, and Ma Ku Si Kan Bi Xiong holds him, sending him to the free‑throw line.

"Hey, Ji Mi, relax your shot a bit, don't be too tense. Imagine your right hand sliding over a woman's thigh in stockings, that smooth feel, then picture your left hand kneading a woman's 36D, that gentle, bouncy sensation…"

Arenas loudly reminds Butler from the sideline.

Their relationship hasn't been repaired.

But Arenas can no longer manage that much.

"I'm a gentleman," Butler retorts to Arenas.

In truth, he thinks: I never even dated a girlfriend who likes stockings and has 36D.

Bang!

Kuameibulang misses his first free throw.

Then he turns to Arenas and humbly asks, "Ji Er Bo Te, what if my palm isn't big enough? I can only grip half of a 36D."

Arenas, a master of shooting, his mind flashing, shouts while Kuameibulang takes his second free throw, "Then imagine you're dating a flat‑chested girl, a feather lightly brushing her body…"

Kuameibulang takes a deep breath, then imagines for a moment.

The head referee watches from the sideline, utterly confused.

The fans in the arena and the spectators on the sidelines all feel a refreshing sensation.

Then Kuameibulang opens his eyes, as if he's captured something, and launches the ball… swoosh!

Piercing!

Air‑nothing!

"Exactly, just like that!" Arenas shouts excitedly.

Kuameibulang extends his hand to salute Arenas.

At this moment, Fan Xi and Wei De raise their eyebrows simultaneously, thinking the same: How can this work? Read a book.

Only James there reflects: Could this be another Clippers plot, deliberately using such words to scramble our thoughts?

James is a bit of a scared‑bird.

The game continues.

The Clippers' defense remains extremely sturdy, causing the Heat's fast breaks to stall, dragging them into a quagmire.

That isn't a particularly big problem for the Heat.

Because they have three superstars.

What do superstars do? Superstars solve problems with one‑on‑one play under intense defense.

Wei De launches a sprint, pierces the defense, but his layup is disturbed and misses; James comes from behind, tips the ball in with one hand.

The Heat can still score, but their scoring efficiency has dropped.

Turning back, Kuaisuan's offense is also unhurried, though occasionally they launch a thunderous fast strike.

Strangely, the primary scorer tonight isn't Fan Xi, but Leonard. The secondary scorer isn't Fan Xi either, but Butler.

Fan Xi is like a top‑tier facilitator; he uses his drives to Clear the Minion Line, passes the ball to Leonard, letting Leonard go one‑on‑one, exploit mismatches, even directly take on James.

Meanwhile, Butler also gets some possession; Fan Xi sometimes empties the wing, handing it to Butler to drive, or, via Butler's movement, passes the ball to him for off‑ball options.

These two forwards, hand‑picked and cultivated by Fan Xi, play a huge role on the Finals stage.

End of the first quarter.

Leonard scores 8 points, Butler 9.

Kuaisuan totals 25 points, while the Miami Heat as a whole manages only 23.

Both sides set the lowest single‑quarter score of this Finals.

"Can Leonard really become a superstar?" Derek Rose asked Kobe.

They sit in front of the TV.

"No doubt, they can!" Kobe gave a high rating: "Butler can too. I feel they can still explode tonight; the more they play, the better they get, the more chemistry they develop."

"The Heat's chance of winning is getting lower and lower," Kobe analyzed. "Moreover, they'll secure a perimeter‑style victory, a Bulls‑dynasty‑style victory."

Huh?

The other players seem not to have understood.

Chris Paul furrowed his eyebrows; he understood.

Among all those present, his basketball IQ is the highest, even higher than Kobe's.

The problems Kobe can see, he can of course see as well.

Moreover, he also guessed one thing: Fan Xi definitely has a backup plan, but what is Fan Xi's backup?

The commentators on TV, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley were discussing: "Kuaisuan's perimeter game has taken shape; if they can gain an advantage in the paint, I think Kuaisuan will win easily. Even if tonight Ke Li Si Bo Shen hasn't shot yet, even if James's touch is still mediocre."

Barkley also agreed with Smith's view; they think Kuaisuan's advantage still lies in the paint.

…

The second quarter arrives quickly.

Kuaisuan substitutes Yao for Kuameibulang, substitutes Arenas for Butler, and substitutes Grant Hill for Leonard.

Kuaisuan's lineup is very stacked; they have more rotation players than the Heat. The Heat dare not rotate lightly, while Kuaisuan appears especially free‑spirited.

The Heat also made personnel changes, swapping out Ke Li Si Bo Shen for Hassleam, and swapping out Qian Mos for Shawn Badi'er.

The game starts, Wade drives into the paint; Yao's defense against Kuameibulang is mismatched—he's too slow, letting Wade slip behind him for a beautiful layup.

But turning back, Fan Xi and Yao set a high pick, passing to Yao; Yao receives the ball, about to shoot, when Badi'er flies in to defend.

Yao easily passes the ball to the wing, and Arenas raises his hand to shoot.

While the ball is still gliding in the air, he turns, spreads his hands, and says to Butler, "Kid, you must be confident when you shoot. A confident man is the most charming…"

Swish!

The ball pierces the net.

Three‑point shot.

Arenas is a flamboyant guy; his life is full of blemishes. Yet one thing never darkens: his effort and confidence in shooting.

Butler raises an eyebrow, mutters: "If I were a woman, I'd definitely not like this guy."

Their little tangle seems impossible to resolve.

Turning back, James launches an attack, shoving Grant Hill aside, though when he first entered the league, some said his prototype was Hill.

Hill can't hold, Yao provides a brief help defense in the paint; James, lacking variation in the air, throws the ball, it hits the rim but luckily falls through the net.

After the score, he loudly appeals to the referee for a foul.

But the referee remains unmoved; he doesn't want to earn a reputation for bad calls.

At that moment, the previously motionless Si Jia Li and Selina suddenly stand up, both shouting at James: "Actor, you can act better than us!"

It's a strong provocation and also a dazzling sight.

The audience at the sideline is taken by surprise; the two Fan ladies are suddenly united at this moment.

James hears the two beauties' voices; his complexion turns sour, but he doesn't flare up; he doesn't want to become a news figure.

He still wants to maintain his persona.

Meanwhile, the sideline erupts in chattering laughter and discussion; many front‑row fans murmur there.

And someone says to them, "Hey, take me next time, we'll join in together."

The one who said that is Megan Fox.

She is also an actress.

The Transformers she starred in is a national‑level blockbuster, very popular.

Although she once said in some settings that she wasn't interested in Fan Xi, she now clearly is attracted; otherwise why would she be at the sideline?

Back at halftime, James's mood appears affected.

When Grant Hill darts quickly, sprinting past Yao's side, he fails to anticipate and is blocked by Yao's massive body.

Hill finds an open lane, Fan Xi passes the ball, and he easily nails a three‑pointer.

This widens the gap further.

Kobe Bryant comments in front of the TV: "That shot is deadly. If Kuaisuan grabs an extra point now, it adds a strategic threat. This is a rotation lineup."

Kobe's analysis makes the national‑team teammates beside him nod repeatedly.

This is common sense; even Wesbrook, whom all basketball experts deem half‑a‑point IQ lower, agrees the statement has no flaw.

"Actually, this little calculation means nothing. The Finals are a stage for superstars; Miami has three superstars, and as soon as one steps up to carry, the game ends."

Chris Paul said from another angle.

He insisted that the Heat could win the championship.

He and Fan Xi have deep grudges, and his relationship with Miami's James and Wei De is too close; the Banana Boat brothers are not just a hollow name.

"What you say also makes sense." Durant agreed with his viewpoint.

Rosa, however, added from the side: "Don't the Kuaisuan now also have three superstars? Moreover, their bench is filled with a bunch of superstars; in terms of eruption potential, I think the Kuaisuan are even greater."

Rosa was eliminated by the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, and his relationship with Fan Xi was that close: they had the friendship where he could actively lend money to Fan Xi to purchase the Kuaisuan club.

How could he not be opposed to Paul?

Moreover, this year's Dream Team will likely only bring two point guards.

Rosa, Wei Shao, and Paul will compete for that one spot.

Adidas has high hopes for Rosa.

So, he and Paul are naturally opposed.

"Then we'll see who ends up erupting." Paul said teasingly.

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