Chapter 661: with translation of chapter title

Golden State Warriors won a crushing victory in Game 5, returning home they were revitalized, Le Bu Lang Zhang Si played a pivotal role in this game, he contributed both inside and outside, striving for outside shooting, linking the team, using his strong physique to open up the situation and create space for Curry….

The Warriors' lineup is nearly invincible: an NBA history's top assault tank paired with the NBA history's most exaggerated and precise three-point shooter. Beside them stands another historically great shooter, who also possesses elite defensive ability, plus a big forward capable of initiating plays from the high post, and a center capable of establishing defensive threats in the paint.

Kuaisuan truly couldn't withstand it.

They could beat the Warriors in one game, and another game pushed them to the brink of a cliff, which is already quite good.

Fan Xi somewhat regrets that he has never faced Kuaisuan in the Finals before.

Originally, when he played for the Knicks last time, theoretically it was possible; as long as Kuaisuan overcame the Rockets hurdle, the road would be smooth.

But then the Chris Paul incident happened, and it ultimately fell through.

Fan Xi and the Knicks went to Oakland two days early, because the Warriors had a better record, and this year's Finals started in Oakland.

Before the Finals, the media did a lot of promotion.

James had lost to Fan Xi for six straight years, and the Golden State Warriors had also stumbled for two consecutive years; the media dubbed them the Avengers Alliance. They were expected to deliver, many neutral fans hoped James and Curry could end Fan Xi's dominance… When a superstar dynasty had ruled for six years, neutral fans wished for something fresh to appear.

This is a freshness issue.

In much media promotion, Fan Xi seemed to have transformed from a dragon-slaying youth into a demon king.

Fan Xi enjoyed the title, thinking being a demon king was not bad; evil rule over the basketball world, harshly suppressing any daring lords, suited his taste.

Durant also enjoyed the feeling of being Fan Xi's second-in-command.

He repeatedly claimed that he and Fan Xi are the greatest backcourt duo in NBA history.

But James and Curry obviously don't think so. The James-Curry union also merged their fan bases, giving them great drawing power, especially in the United States.

Game 1 of the Finals arrived as scheduled on June 1.

Porzingis won the tip-off against Pachulia, Fan Xi assisted Durant on a three-pointer, and the game started smoothly.

The Knicks took Princeton to a new level; their ball movement exceeded the Princeton playbook's stipulations, they were smoother than silk, every position could both score and pass.

This gave the Golden State Warriors a headache.

During the regular season they could still make the Knicks suffer, but once entering the Finals, as the Knicks' tactics improved and their interior rookie grew quickly, they began to feel somewhat overwhelmed.

At halftime, the Knicks led by 7 points.

In the second half, Curry began to shine, hitting consecutive threes. He narrowed the gap, then James drove.

They reduced the deficit to 3 points.

Then Fan Xi began setting screens with little Sabonis, frequently calling out Tang Pu Sen and Green from the high post. Given Fan Xi's current skill, setting screens would be like bullying a child.

But when the lead stretched to 8 points.

Porzingis, while defending against James's drive, fell to the ground, clutching his ankle and crying out in pain.

At that moment, Fan Xi felt a twinge.

An injury occurring at this time was simply disastrous.

Porzingis was carried off.

At that moment, the Warriors' home crowd involuntarily broke into cheers.

That was very unsportsmanlike.

But for the Warriors, it was unequivocally good news; they sincerely believed: the championship was near.

In the ensuing play, Fan Xi and Durant launched a fierce attack.

They tried to compensate for the lack of interior presence, but Porzingis's height and "dimensional reduction strike" were strategic; all season Porzingis had been part of the tactical system, yet suddenly his style changed.

The Knicks failed to adapt.

126:121.

The Warriors won Game 1 of the Finals.

Although Fan Xi scored 32 points and Durant had 31 in this game, the double-30 effort couldn't save the Knicks.

The Warriors' roster is too formidable, and the strategic havoc wrought by the James-Curry combination is unprecedented.

Moreover, having lost for so many years, they will no longer harbor any hint of complacency, nor give the Knicks any chance.

After the game, James said: "We haven't done enough; we still have great room for improvement."

Curry also reflected on his shooting issues.

Their win felt like a loss.

They displayed the aura of a desperate army bound to win.

Porzingis's medical report came out; thank goodness, his ligament wasn't torn, just sprained, and a moderate sprain at that.

The doctor advised two weeks of rest, no surgery needed.

Porzingis showed his courage at this time; he wanted to fight alongside the team and hoped to play while sealed off.

Fan Xi pointed at his nose and shouted: "Put away your foolish individual heroism; nothing is more important than health. You'll win many more championships someday, so don't dare steal my Finals MVP."

Porzingis lowered his head after being berated by Fan Xi.

In Game 2, as Porzingis sat on the bench watching Fan Xi repeatedly charge into the paint like a man hauling explosives, inflicting constant damage, Porzingis's eyes reddened: "Is this what foolish individual heroism looks like? Boss, why can't I be foolish just once?"

This game battled down to the final second.

Fan Xi hit a three with the second-to-last possession, his 53rd point of the game, putting the Knicks ahead by 2.

And left only 1.9 seconds for the Warriors.

The Warriors called a timeout.

Then, as Fan Xi chased Curry, he was screened by Tang Pu Sen moving; as Fan Xi was about to break through the defense, Green came over and shoved him.

Curry then received the ball smoothly and shot under Durant's defense… beep!

The head referee blew the whistle.

A foul was called on Durant.

Curry's shot went in.

Then, he completed the free throw.

The Warriors won by 2 points.

After the game ended, Fan Xi stood there, unwilling to leave for a long time.

He kept staring at the head referee, wanting an explanation.

But the head referee did not meet his gaze.

Durant complained after the game: "Even if God came, we couldn't win."

Then he received a fine, in US dollars.

Fortunately, there was no suspension.

The controversial call at the end of the second game sparked an uproar online, with everyone knowing the Warriors had stolen a victory, rendering Fan Xi's all‑game efforts futile.

Under any officiating standard, it was an offensive foul.

Moving screen! Pushing!

The whistle blew for a foul before he even released the shot.

Even if God came, we couldn't win!

Durant spoke a blunt truth.

However, the media rarely reported this foul. The next day, the referee report showed the Warriors had three missed calls, the Knicks two. The Knicks took 26 free throws, the Warriors 19.

Statistically, the Knicks even got a bit of an advantage.

But anyone who saw the game knows it's completely different. The Knicks' free throws were like Fan Xi charging in and blowing up a bunker.

As for missed calls, can a regular missed call compare to one at a crucial moment?

Ignoring the facts and talking about statistics is nothing but thuggish behavior.

The league's bias toward the Warriors is common knowledge.

Online opinion was uniformly critical.

But these are useless.

In the end, people recognize only the champion.

If the Warriors win this championship, who knows what they'll brag about—maybe even claiming one ring surpasses Jordan.

On the flight back to New York, the Knicks players were somewhat silent.

Everyone felt as sick as if they'd eaten a fly, disgusted despite having won but being called back.

"It's fine; we'll win it back in the next game."

Fan Xi was comforting everyone.

But this time he didn't have that strong confidence, and he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't lose any of the upcoming games.

Because the Warriors are truly too strong. Their fans like to brag about being the strongest in the universe, and now they indeed have the grounds to do so.

…

Fan Xi returned home with a disheartened mood.

The next day, when he woke up, he found all his children gathered by his bedside, saying, "Happy birthday, Dad!!"

Fan Xi was surprised.

Then he saw his wives entering in single file, all smiling as they wished him well.

Today is June 5, Fan Xi's birthday.

Fan Xi finally remembered. He usually celebrates his lunar birthday, but this time Liu Yifei arranged a Gregorian calendar birthday for him.

Having a lady of the house really makes a difference.

Moreover, this big family is indeed extraordinarily lively.

The family's warmth eased the disappointment of the loss; for the first time Fan Xi didn't go to practice alone, staying home to be with his family.

Tai Lei Si Wu Fu Te came in the afternoon, Jenna also came, Selena also came. Lin Yun'er, Fox, Hathaway, Si Jia Li, and Jennifer have recently been living together with Liu Yifei, and this huge family has established a very good relationship.

At the evening dinner table, everyone gathered to sing Fan Xi a birthday song; the children babbled noisily, the older kids rode on his shoulders, and then they asked Fan Xi to gather them one by one.

Fan Xi spent the most meaningful birthday of his life, although strictly speaking, it wasn't actually his birthday.

Late at night, Fan Xi arranged for the nanny to take the children to rest, then returned to his own room.

Then he witnessed the most thrilling, surprising, heart‑pounding, perfect scene of his life.

His wives were waiting for him.

…

That night, Fan Xi saw the light again.

It was a brilliant light in his mind.

But this time he did not see any other superstars.

He saw himself.

He saw Fan Xi!

Fan Xi never expected that the ultimate superstar would be himself.

His "self" brought him the ultimate fusion of talent and the ultimate fusion of skill.

In this long, arduous legendary basketball journey, Fan Xi had already trained every inch of his body into a basketball weapon, and now he fully mastered that weapon.

He reached the state of acting according to his heart's desire without overstepping bounds.

If described using the five stages of the Dugu Qiubai swordsmanship—sharp sword, soft sword, heavy sword, wooden sword, no sword—Fan Xi has reached the stage where no sword defeats having a sword.

Any move on the court comes easily to him, and its destructive power is immense.

The next morning, Fan Xi rose from a huge, chaotic bed, took seven or eight goose‑down quilts, and covered his wives with them.

Then he headed to the training facility, aiming to win his seventh championship.

At this moment, the media on TV were chattering; the basketball commentators who had been suppressed by Fan Xi for six years finally found an outlet, wildly praising the Warriors and hyping them as the strongest team since the 21st century.

At the same time, they didn't forget to kick Fan Xi when he was down: the Fan era would finally end. He would never surpass Jordan; he would not get a seventh championship. He would be stuck in New York if he kept his promise.

Who could have imagined that New York City would be the end of his legendary story?

The news on TV made Fan Xi feel amused.

But, it didn't seem funny at all.

Just a bunch of flies.

The Knicks are just a wound; it's still unknown whose corpse they'll end up buzz buzz buzz over, emitting a foul smell.

At the training camp, Fan Xi again refused Porzingis's request to play in a closed-door appearance. This time, he told Porzingis: "I will secure victory; in Game Six I will let you play."

Porzingis couldn't react at once: "Game Six? Can we still play a Game Six?"

In fact, Durant, while engaging in a fiery exchange online with Warriors fans the previous night, also brought up this point: "Actually, we just need to win four more games to clinch it. Jordan never played a Game Seven—do we have to play a Game Seven?"

This statement once topped the hot-search lists on major platforms, with everyone mocking Durant.

You've lost two games, yet you're still trying to ride Jordan's coattails by claiming you never need a Game Seven. If you had the ability to beat the Warriors four straight, what were you doing before?

When Durant arrived at the training facility, he saw Fan Xi's training.

He was stunned.

He saw Fan Xi's silky touch, his graceful aerial moves, his perfect pull-up jumper and post-up moves.

He regretted it.

He realized he had misspoken.

He quickly pulled out his phone and typed on Twitter: "I spoke wrong. God has really come, God has come, we will surely win!"

Durant had just finished spouting nonsense last night, and today he posted such a tweet.

The online basketball community was once again filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Even Shaquille O'Neal couldn't help sending a goofy emoticon. Although he didn't dare to openly rebuke Durant, is it wrong to secretly feel happy? Is it wrong to be sarcastic?

Moreover, there are so many people criticizing Durant now; what's one more?

Now, the media's estimate is that the Warriors are very likely to sweep the Knicks 4-0.

The Knicks have no fight left.

Even if Fan Xi played to the utmost in Game Two, he couldn't snag a win—never mind the referee's calls; a loss is a loss.

Moreover, if the Knicks can't establish an absolute advantage, they were never going to win. The referees could make calls in Game Two, but not in Game Three?

Amidst such voices.

Game Three has officially arrived!

…

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