Chapter 634: The qualities of a hegemon were already evident

Fan Xi's words hit the core.

When asked about Pachulia's injury, he clearly said: "I don't sympathize with him; if you've watched the whole process of his injury, and his previous foot-sweeping move against me."

"If I hadn't completed the aerial turn, I would be the one injured, I would be the one hit by the elbow. Not everyone can spin in the air like me; I hope the league takes action. This should be a league that sets an example for basketball fans worldwide, not a place of corruption."

Fan Xi was still angry when he said this.

He even declared: "I've already told my teammates that if anyone dares to use dirty means to violate his health and safety, we'll respond with fists directly. The fines will be paid by the team!"

That remark was very impactful.

It had a big effect in the media.

Although those one-sided media outlets were making sarcastic remarks, saying Fan Xi was overreacting, saying he deliberately provoked players, and even demanding the league punish Fan Xi.

But these words had an unprecedented impact online, resonating with true basketball lovers; nobody wants their eyes polluted by games filled with dirty plays.

What people want to see is high-quality, high-level top-tier competition, not mutual scheming. Essentially, everyone despises these actions.

The Warriors faced massive online public criticism.

This forced them to come out and respond.

Kerr emphasized that the Warriors are a clean team, and said he had never supported or encouraged players' extreme actions on the court. At the same time, he advised Fan Xi not to make a fuss, after all the injured party was Pachulia.

Then, the Kuaisuan's troll Arenas entered the fray.

He directly aimed his cannon at Kerr: "If Steve Kerr thinks this is overreacting, then fine; when we shake hands the day after tomorrow, I'll give him an elbow. If he can't dodge it, I hope he doesn't overreact."

Arenas received a fine of one US dollar for his impulsiveness.

Kuaisuan accepted it.

Although the league fined Arenas, it also warned the Warriors and reminded the Clippers not to engage in extreme actions.

At the same time, they quickly adjusted the referee team.

Fan Xi stirred up public opinion, forcing them to readjust the foul standards, letting experienced referees intervene. If a full-blown brawl really occurred, it would be a disaster for the entire league.

Fan Xi is not someone without cards when facing league bias; he holds strong personal influence in the public arena, especially online.

He is an atypical basketball superstar, never having relied on hype from basketball media.

While Fan Xi stirred up public opinion calling for fairness and moral justice, the Heat played a classic game.

Fan Xi sat in front of the TV and watched it to the end, feeling his scalp go numb.

He never expected the Heat to have evolved to this extent.

The Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 98–76 at home.

The Chicago Bulls are second in the Eastern Conference this season, only eight games behind the Heat's regular-season record. Moreover, their strength this season has clearly improved over last season; Tony Parker's addition has unleashed Derrick Rose's unprecedented fighting power, and their control of the paint has reached an unprecedented level.

But they still lost.

They lost without any ability to resist.

Although the Heat only scored 98 points, failing to break the hundred-point mark, they held the Bulls to just 76 points.

That's terrifying.

They are like a slow but powerful meat grinder advancing; the Bulls couldn't stop it at all, watching from the first quarter onward as they headed toward defeat, the whole process seeming preordained.

That's terrifying.

Fan Xi realized that after the Heat acquired Howard, they had become a true dream team.

He began to worry: after the Clippers defeat the Warriors, can they really defeat the Heat?

This season's Heat should be able to beat every championship team of the past ten years.

Fan Xi thinks they are stronger than the OK dynasty and the Bulls dynasty.

Surpassing the Warriors is truly the towering peak.

…

The second game of the Western Conference finals arrived as scheduled.

Fan Xi was a few minutes late for this game and did not start.

Because Si Jia Li's child suddenly ran a fever, he went to the hospital to check; after treatment, when the child's condition eased, he then said goodbye to the tearful Si Jia Li and proceeded to the arena.

When he arrived at the stadium.

The Clippers led by 5 points.

At that time, there were 3 minutes left in the first quarter.

Then he sat on the bench.

He glanced at the stat sheet for a while: Rubio 7 points, Mili Xiqi 4 points 4 rebounds, Leonard 2 points 2 steals 1 rebound, Capela 2 points 3 rebounds 2 blocks, Isaiah Thomas 5 points.

20:15.

Maikelbang and Bilupusi personally discussed and set up the lineup, which was very aggressive.

But it succeeded.

The Warriors didn't spark a surge, and Stephen Curry still hadn't found his touch… although this is temporary.

Fan Xi sat on the bench watching the team finish the first quarter.

The final score was 26–23.

The Warriors, thanks to Klay Thompson's ultra-long buzzer-beating three-pointer, narrowed the gap to three points.

After the second quarter began, Fan Xi entered the game. Fan Xi appeared at position 1, alongside Leonard, Giannis, Huaiti Seda, and Capela.

This is a pure defensive lineup.

After watching the Heat crush the Bulls, Fan Xi had to heighten his vigilance.

This lineup is highly mobile, and each player's defensive skills are very strong.

Under Maikelbang's superb defensive tactical setup, they formed a powerful defensive net.

The Warriors were restrained.

Frankly speaking, if the Warriors don't use dirty tactics, their chance to break through the defense is only Ku Li's movement and ultra-accurate three-pointers... Only when Ku Li opens this up, leading Tang Pu Sen and other scoring points can create opportunities.

Ku Li's ability to create offensive opportunities is extremely strong.

However, under Kuaisuan's defensive net of this level, even if they are allowed to set some moving screens, wanting to score all around is still difficult.

In the upcoming game, if Ku Li can hit three-pointers, Tang Pu Sen also contributes, and Bo Gu Te occasionally scores in the paint.

But... the overall situation is in Kuaisuan's hands.

Kuaisuan erupts with true control.

They are like a giant hand, gripping the Warriors' vital point.

They have little breathing room, their ability to resist is lost.

The second quarter is iron-blooded defense.

Kuaisuan scored 28 points, the Warriors only 22.

The gap further widened.

Entering the third quarter, Yue Ji Qi and Mili Xiqi form twin towers, Lu Bi Ao, Fan Xi, and the Greek little monster on the perimeter.

The Warriors' offense begins to show an eruptive trend.

But Kuaisuan fiercely attacks the Warriors' weak paint; Bo Gu Te and Ge Lin cannot stop Fan Xi and the little monster's impact, moreover Yue Ji Qi can also pull the defense outward, and Mili Xiqi is also capable of outside play and linking.

ESPN no longer hypes the Warriors' epoch-making significance.

Only TNT television still tells the truth as always: 'The Warriors team is strong; they are the Western Conference's only team that can threaten Kuaisuan. But it's only a threat; they cannot truly harm Kuaisuan. The difference in strength between them is that between champion and runner-up.'

Putting aside Ken Ni Shi Mi Si's Fan Xi fan identity, this statement remains fair.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors launched a counterattack. But they were still a little short; they were just one point away from tying the score, and their three-point surge nearly overturned Kuaisuan's lead.

But it was only close.

The three-point shot is good.

The Warriors also elevated the role of the three-point shot to an unprecedented level.

However, the three-point shot inevitably has its instability. When Fan Xi repeatedly attacks their weak paint causing damage, relying on shooting percentage is enough to suppress their counterattack.

In playoff-level confrontation, the closer to the basket, the greater the danger.

It's like in a street brawl, throwing a stone from three meters away is dangerous, but a dagger at ten centimeters from the heart is even more dangerous.

99:87

Kuaisuan also won a suppressive victory.

The Eastern and Western Conference regular-season champions each announced their dominance with a defensive blowout.

They both proved they are in a league of their own.

The Bulls are good, the Warriors are strong. But sorry, the team truly capable of a showdown is not you.

Still Fan Xi and Jie Ke.

Still Le Bu Lang.

The competition between Kuaisuan's number 10 and Miami's number 6 will continue.

This has become an annual NBA staple, continuing for five years, and no one has grown tired of it.

Furthermore, it upgrades every year, especially this year, everyone feels... it has reached the historical peak.

Miami Heat still defended their home court without bloodshed in the second game, 89:72.

Still, they push defensive pressure to the extreme.

In this game, the Heat displayed the spirit of the iron-blooded New York of old; at a glance, it's Pa Te Lai Li in charge.

Pa Te Lai Li is a lifelong winner; back then, due to the favor of the magician, he got the head coach position of the Lakers and won the championship that season. He directly created the Lakers' classic Showtime of the 80s, whose flashy offense still delights fans. Later, he was squeezed out of Los Angeles by the magician Ye Han Xun due to overly strict training and other issues.

Upon arriving in New York, he started anew, with You Yin and others building iron-blooded New York, achieving an Eastern powerhouse in the 90s, nearly winning the championship. Without Jordan and his Bulls dynasty, the Knicks would have been the strongest team of the 90s and the one with the longest-lasting peak.

Next, he dramatically arrived at the Heat. There, he built an iron-blooded roster with Mo Ning, then in 2004 he orchestrated Ao Ni Er's move east, won the 2006 championship, and in 2010 directly created the peak Three Giants.

Without Fan Xi, his current standing in the martial world would be like the NBA godfather. Anyway, he also looks like A Er Pa Xi Nuo.

This season, he acquired Xi Bo Te from the Pacers, then used Xi Bo Te as the main piece to trade for Huo Hua De, a stroke of genius.

Then the Heat evolved into this terrifying form, possessing both the Lakers' Showtime dynasty's mercury-like offense and the iron-blooded New York era's terrifying defense, perfectly blended.

Wanting to defeat them is fraught with difficulty.

Fan Xi and Kuaisuan arrived in Oakland, they will play the third and fourth games in the Bay Area.

Returning to home court, the Warriors played with great momentum; in the third game, right at the start they unleashed a 13:3 scoring run.

The highest lead reached 17 points.

However, after entering the latter half of the third quarter, Fan Xi's touch heated up first. Then JR Shi Mi Si unleashed a barrage of shots, after the gap narrowed to single digits, they quickly substituted Yue Ji Qi, Lun Na De, Yang Ni Si, and Lu Bi Ao, together with Fan Xi to clear the battlefield.

They relied on seamless offense and defense, point by point closing the gap.

With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, the 17-point deficit was filled.

Immediately after, they increased their lead point by point.

The Warriors had no chance.

111:106

Kuaisuan narrowly won the third game and thus took match point.

After this game, more and more believed Kuaisuan would sweep the Warriors.

The Warriors also shouted the slogan of refusing to be swept.

The Bay Area fans united as one; in the fourth game they erupted with strong home-court momentum, they are the team's best sixth man.

Kai Wen Du Lan Te came to the venue, he watched this game.

Shu Bao Du rested his chin, he left a deep impression on both sides of the game.

Originally, the Oklahoma City Thunder was the Western Conference's strongest team with hope to break out of the encirclement; Kai Wen Du Lan Te was also the first rising superstar of the new generation. At that time, he led Fan Xi and Rosa by half a step, then came Wei Si Bu Lu Ke and the others; the two seasons saw the rise of Ku Li, Ha Deng, Ou Wen, and even later they were slightly behind.

However, this season Durant increasingly felt that he was drifting further from the center stage.

He was marginalized.

Fan Xi had already become the sole true god, with Le Bu Lang Zhang Si just a step behind him; next came Curry and Rosa. He could only fall half a position behind Harden, Irving, and the others.

Watching Fan Xi and Curry battle at their peak on the court, he realized he was getting farther from the championship, and didn't know when he would ever get to touch the Western Conference finals floor again.

Although the home fans were very passionate in this game,

However, the Warriors trailed throughout.

Until Green gave Fan Xi an elbow, when Fan Xi, for the third time in a row, drove to the basket fearlessly and began to complete a beautiful play.

Green finally couldn't take it anymore and gave Fan Xi an elbow.

In full view of everyone.

Then JR Smith rushed forward and punched Green.

Green and he got into a tussle.

The surrounding fans also got involved.

The head referee had to work hard to separate the two.

When they were separated, JR Smith was already disfigured, with Green's scratches leaving bloody marks all over his face.

Green's ear was also bleeding… JR Smith bit him… paying tribute to his idol Tyson.

There was no objection.

The referee ejected both of them.

As Green left, everyone thought the Warriors were done for; Green is an important tactical component of the Warriors.

But who could have imagined that afterward Iguodala would hit three three-pointers in a row?

These three threes played a crucial role.

The Warriors finally became tough at the small forward position.

The Warriors won back a game at home.

The suspense will carry over to Kuaisuan's home court.

And on the following night, the Heat defeated the Bulls, eliminating the Eastern second seed in four games.

They currently have a 12-game winning streak in the playoffs.

They have swept every round to advance.

The aura of a hegemon has long been evident.

…