Chapter 625: Avengers

The Rockets' starting lineup this season is different from last season's.

Dwight Howard returned to his familiar center position, the power forward was Luol Deng, the small forward was Parsons, the shooting guard was Harden, and the point guard was Eric Gordon.

Gordon was an important offseason acquisition for the Rockets, a player with borderline All-Star talent. Although he doesn't have Paul's strong control, but… he dares to fight and scrap, is the type Harden likes.

Harden doesn't like teammates who are too opinionated; he likes this kind of nominal point guard who in practice won't steal his ball‑handling and command.

The Kuaisuan's starting lineup is: Rubio, Fan Xi, Leonard, Capela, Jokić.

Fan Xi put in two rookies at once.

This is a completely new attempt.

The whistle blew, Jokić and Howard jumped for the ball. The winner was Jokić.

Jokić was lucky; he just tipped the ball by standing on his toes, because Howard jumped too early.

The ball was passed to Rubio, who brought it past half‑court.

Then it was passed to Fan Xi.

Fan Xi sealed Harden with his back, gave a hard shove inside, then went for a back‑to‑back isolation; Harden followed step for step, his defense none too sharp—when Fan Xi turned away, he acted like an eager john, flailing as he stepped forward; Fan Xi flicked the air and he jumped.

Fan Xi hit a timing‑difference shot against his body… beep!

The whistle blew.

Fan Xi's shot went in.

Fan Xi's ability to draw fouls is far superior to Harden's.

Amid the home crowd's cheers, Fan Xi walked to the free‑throw line and calmly made his free throws.

This was a provocation for Harden, who couldn't wait to get even. When he drove, he tried to clamp Fan Xi's arm, but Fan Xi kept his hands back, using his body to stick to him and apply great pressure.

Harden used a stop‑and‑go jump shot, and Fan Xi extended his hand as Harden released.

Bang!

Harden's shot clanged off the rim.

The rebound was grabbed by Capela, who passed to Rubio; Fan Xi sprinted down, settled into position, then suddenly cut back, received the ball under Jokić's screen, and launched a three‑pointer.

It went in.

Right at the start they ran a 5‑0 burst on the Rockets.

On the sideline, D'Antoni was caught on camera clutching his own head.

He already carried a deep shadow; every time he met Fan Xi he couldn't lift his head. From the Lakers to the Rockets, Fan Xi had abused him too many times. Although outsiders placed great hope in him, he truly didn't want to meet the Kuaisuan. He'd been having nightmares.

It's just a job.

He even consoled himself that way.

This isn't about losing his swagger; his swagger had already vanished in a long string of defeats.

D'Antoni is confident he can beat any other team in the league—as long as it's not Jieke Fan's team.

He gathered his emotions, stood up, and told Harden to steady the pace.

Harden first steadied his own emotions.

He and D'Antoni are still somewhat different; D'Antoni's spirit has been worn down by constant losing, but Harden hasn't. He still holds to his convictions and still wants to win once.

He refuses to accept losing forever.

He brought the ball past half‑court and lowered the tempo.

He sent Howard out to set a screen, but Howard moved like a zombie.

Howard's fight is also low these days; although he's still a max‑salary player, he's no longer the focal point.

He and D'Antoni are about the same; the Happy Beast is utterly unhappy and lacking confidence when facing Fan Xi.

He already believes he can never beat Fan Xi.

To some extent, although Howard has a beast‑like physique, he's really just a softie.

His defense on Harden isn't very good, which caused Harden to run into Jokić.

Jokić's belly made Harden stagger; he was about to fake a fall to draw a foul.

Fan Xi swiped the ball from his side with a single slap.

Fan Xi sprinted to the frontcourt while Harden was still doing his empty‑handed act.

The referee ignored him.

Fan Xi drove into the paint and threw down an axe dunk, his momentum fierce.

The lead grew to seven points.

The Rockets were still at zero.

Seeing this, ESPN wisely stopped talking about the Rockets' great offseason overhaul, and no longer claimed the Rockets could make the Kuaisuan feel threatened.

Because the Rockets have shown signs of collapse.

D'Antoni called a timeout.

Although it was a bit embarrassing, he called a timeout less than two minutes into the game.

But when has meeting Fan Xi ever not been embarrassing?

He's already endured a 58‑point loss in the finals; nothing left could make him feel socially dead.

After the timeout, the Rockets finally scored.

Still Harden, who scored with his signature step‑back jumper.

One must admit, his three‑step shot is hard to defend.

Fan Xi greatly admires Harden's mind; his mastery of the rules is almost intuitive. He creatively invented face‑up isolation, arm‑bar drives, and the step‑back three.

He is a genius.

But this genius can't win a tough battle.

In the regular season he could play as flamboyantly as he wanted, but in the playoffs, facing tough defense, his shortcuts lost their effect.

Fan Xi always believes that players should do the difficult but correct things, and that's how he trains the team's rookies. Lun Na De Ba Le Te does not allow shortcuts; they all play a hard‑as‑steel style. Yang Ni Si A De Tuo Kun Bo is now being required to do the same.

Fan Xi still hopes the league's spirit becomes more robust.

The game continues.

The point gap continues to widen.

The arrivals of Luo Er Deng and Ben Ge Deng cemented Ha Deng as the Rockets' absolute core, but that very core cannot lead the team to defeat Kuaisuan.

Last season, after the Knicks slaughtered the Rockets in the Finals, Ha Deng escaped accountability. People mocked Paul for provoking Fan Xi, subjecting him to ruthless humiliation.

Now, in this game, Fan Xi said: "Not a single one can be spared."

The Clippers' slaughter knives are held high.

Yue Ji Qi begins to hit three‑pointers.

Lun Na De continuously makes drives on the wing, while Ka Pe La eats biscuits in the paint until he vomits.

The Rockets' lineup simply cannot be compared with Kuaisuan.

And Kuaisuan is not yet an ultimate form.

After the first quarter, Kuaisuan leads by 13 points.

At halftime, Kuaisuan leads by 26 points.

At the start of the second half, Huo Hua De stops playing. He publicly quarrels with Ha Deng on the bench, and Ha Deng calls him a wimp.

Huo Hua De says: "You're the wimp."

The two point at each other's noses and hurl curses; if staff hadn't pulled them apart, they might have come to blows.

The conflict between Ha Deng and Huo Hua De has also erupted.

It is foreseeable that Huo Hua De's wandering plan will resume. Houston will not choose him over Ha Deng.

When he left Orlando, he already had no home team.

Huo Hua De sits on the bench in the second half, his expression solemn, and no one knows what he is thinking.

ESPN commentators speculate: Does he now regret leaving Orlando? He thought he could win the championship in Los Angeles, he thought he could clinch it in Houston… but all that was ruined by one person.

After persisting for seven minutes, Ha Deng returns to the bench, sitting on the opposite side; a galaxy seems to separate the two.

Fan Xi did not expect this game to break the Ha Deng–Huo Hua De pairing.

And this scene will make other NBA super‑teams swirl like sharks smelling blood… those championship‑hungry powerhouses, who wouldn't want to gamble on buying Huo Hua De for a big bet?

Fan Xi sits on the bench, watching Kuaisuan's substitutes slaughter the Rockets' substitutes.

The strength of Kuaisuan's bench would be a starter on other teams, even a core player for some weaker squads.

The final score was 155–97.

It seems bound to an inseparable fate with a 58‑point margin.

Fan Xi was dumbfounded by the score, a bit incredulous; it was just… miraculous.

Yang Ni Si looks at his right hand; he never expected that the basketball he casually tossed from half‑court would pierce the hoop, widening the 55‑point gap to 58 points.

Still a super buzzer‑beater.

De An Dong Ni, after the game, deliberately bypassed Mai Ke Bu Lang, walked straight to Fan Xi, and said, "Jie Ke, could you be a bit gentler in the future?"

Fan Xi shrugged and said, "Alright, next time I meet you, I'll use only eighty percent of my strength."

He was joking.

De An Dong Ni took it seriously.

He was truly fearful.

Likewise, there is De Huai Te Huo Hua De; Huo Hua De waits for Fan Xi in the players' tunnel.

After his public clash with Ha Deng, he is well aware that he can no longer stay with the Rockets.

He came to find Fan Xi.

Just as he did before leaving Orlando, he sought out Fan Xi.

At that time, his first choice was to join Kuaisuan.

But Fan Xi rejected him. Fan Xi thought he was no different from a little Jordan.

Now it's different; Kuaisuan's two centers are Yue Ji Qi and Mili Xiqi, both white, and Kuaisuan needs a primary center to command the scene.

He spoke openly with Fan Xi, asking, "If I buy out my contract, would you sign me?"

Huo Hua De looks at Fan Xi very seriously.

He's already gone that far.

He now wants to restrain his inner demons; he only has one year left on his contract and doesn't mind losing some money.

But Fan Xi thought for a moment. He said, "You don't need to do that, De Huai Te. This is a sincere suggestion; money is the most practical. I can't offer you a contract here. Moreover, we have no roster spot left."

Fan Xi said, "We already have four different types of frontcourt players."

Fan Xi stopped there.

Huo Hua De was angry, rejected again. He even felt humiliated; Fan Xi wouldn't even accept his low‑salary signing, let alone a free handout.

He let out a heavy sigh and said, "Do you think the league's top center can't match the four fringe players on your team?"

Fan Xi looked into his eyes, solemn: "First, our four frontcourt players aren't fringe pieces; each possesses extraordinary abilities. Second, it's not a matter of whether they compare, but whether they fit. You don't fit us."

Fan Xi bluntly refused, "You can pursue a better future."

"You'll regret it," Huo Hua De said through clenched teeth.

He turned away with a face full of resentment.

He believes Fan Xi has humiliated him.

But Fan Xi thinks he only did what he should have; why should I have to accept you walking in the door? If I don't accept, does that become humiliating you?

Is your self‑esteem too excessive?

Mili Xiqi walked over from behind, he asked Fan Xi: "What did Dwight Howard want to talk to you about? Does he want to defect? Hahaha."

He didn't hear Fan Xi and Dwight Howard talking; he was just joking.

Fan Xi said seriously: "Yeah, he wants to defect. But I refused him; I'm afraid he'll come to the Kuaisuan, his thief's heart not dead, trying to seduce your wife."

Mili Xiqi heard this, first stunned. Then he laughed loudly: "Hahaha, stop joking. Jie Ke, he could never come to the Kuaisuan; we basically have no salary cap space to sign him. Moreover, my wife is faithful to me; she didn't even look at him back then, and now it's even less likely she would."

They were talking about a past incident; at that time the Kuaisuan and the Lakers faced off. Dwight Howard showed affection to Eva, who had come to watch the game, but Eva completely ignored him and instead took a liking to Mili Xiqi.

Since then, Dwight Howard has gone downhill, while Mili Xiqi has risen all the way, returning to the mainstream spotlight.

…

"I don't know what happened between them, but I think this is normal; disagreements between players over games happen all the time, and we don't need to make a big deal out of this."

D'Antoni said this when asked at a press conference about the internal conflict between Harden and Howard.

He seemed very experienced. "We will resolve this issue before the new game starts."

But it was obvious that things did not develop in the direction he wanted.

Because that very night, Dwight Howard's agent leaked the news: we are seeking a trade.

Dwight Howard is about to jump ship.

And the James Harden team also revealed the news, saying that the conflict between Harden and Howard is irreconcilable.

The "one mountain cannot tolerate two tigers" incident reoccurred.

As for JR Smith, he had foresight; he said at the post‑game press conference: "Their team always does this—when they fall far behind, their core players rush to pass the buck, never uniting. When we defeated Chris Paul in last season's finals, James Harden sat on the bench motionless."

"Tonight, Dwight Howard merely played the role of James Harden in the finals. James Harden couldn't bear it, which shows that Harden actually can't bear himself."

"Harden's fans always blame others for their mistakes; when they quarrel with Paul, it's Paul's fault. Now when they quarrel with Howard, it's Howard's fault. Who will be next? D'Antoni?"

JR Smith seemed like a prophet: "I feel Howard is going to be traded, just like Chris Paul was."

These words were dripping with sarcasm.

But reality was even more ironic—it actually came true.

Dwight Howard's trade request quickly became a hot league topic; those commentators who the night before were still dreaming of the Rockets beating the Kuaisuan now picked up their pens and mouths, eagerly discussing which team Howard could join to shatter the Kuaisuan dynasty.

Is it the Chicago Bulls?

Or the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Or the San Antonio Spurs?

Or perhaps the most terrifying Miami Heat?

If Howard went to the Miami Heat, would Miami be called the Avengers League!

…