: Reclaiming the All-Star MVP Title! Jordan's Comeback Declaration! [Daily Updates of

Chapter 95: Reclaiming the All-Star MVP Title! Jordan's Comeback Declaration! [Daily Updates of 20,000 Words, Please Subscribe]

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, Iverson scored 3 points to tie the game!

"Tie! Tie! Iverson's 11th point in overtime! His 35th point tonight!" Wilmarcus shouted. "With 4.1 seconds left, the East team has tied the score! Can the West pull off a comeback? Or will the game go into a second overtime? Huh?"

"Huh? Ouch!"

What could elicit such astonishment from Wilmarcus was, of course, the choice made by the Western Army.

Just as Wilmarcus was commentating on the game, and Iverson was excitedly patting his chest and raising a hand to his ear to listen to the cheers from the sidelines, the Western Conference team had already kicked off!

Duncan grabbed the basketball that had just fallen from the basket, and then swung it forward, throwing it up the court!

Iverson quickly stopped his celebration, which was only halfway through, and sprinted towards the finish line of the basketball. But even though he ran as fast as he could and even stumbled and almost fell, he still couldn't catch up!

The distance was too great, and his celebratory gestures had cost him his only chance to pursue.

And what about the others in the East?

Before Mason could even lower his hands in celebration, Carter had already turned around and high-fived his teammate Antonio Davis, who was sitting on the sidelines. McGrady, meanwhile, kept his eyes narrowed, as if nothing had anything to do with him.

Marbury?

Ever since Iverson broke his promise and stopped taking turns attacking each other in one round, this guy has completely given up. He basically just stands on the court and walks back and forth without moving.

You can fight whoever you want, I'm not playing anymore!

In this situation, Iverson was practically the only one in the entire East to get back on defense and chase down the ball; everyone else relaxed.

Honestly, at this point, it would have been reasonable for the West team to call a timeout before serving from the sideline.

Who would have thought that Duncan would suddenly go to the baseline and then quickly flick his long hair?

Iverson could only watch as that annoying guy received the ball beyond the three-point line, and then Lin Ze actually stopped and turned around to look at him.

That look disgusted Iverson, and he also came to hate that repulsive number 14 jersey!

But it was that one glance that allowed Iverson to catch up!

He rushed up to Lin Ze.

Less than a second had passed!

"You'll regret this!" Iverson knew that Lin Ze had deliberately let him catch up, and he was going to make Lin Ze pay the price!

That's right, Lin Ze was waiting for him!

Iverson's physique simply couldn't pose any obstacle to him.

Just like how he dared to sprint down the court immediately after Iverson made a shot, he had absolute confidence.

Because the West has O'Neal and Duncan in the paint, if this shot doesn't go in, there's at least a 90% chance that these two will grab the rebound and make a long pass. And even if it does go in, their passing abilities are top-notch!

Lin Ze believed that as long as they saw him running, they would definitely pass the ball!

As expected, Duncan reacted quickly, grabbing the basketball and stepping out of bounds to throw it away.

With 2.3 seconds left, Lin Ze first accelerated with his right hand, squeezing past Iverson and taking two steps inside, then suddenly made a sharp change of direction and pulled the ball back.

With 1.1 seconds left, as Lin Ze pulled the ball back, he subtly gave Iverson a gentle push on the waist with his left hand.

This move gave Lin Ze more space and almost caused Iverson to stumble and fall.

Then Lin Ze pulled up and pulled up for a jump shot from a distance of 1 meter from the free throw line!

The buzzer sounded almost simultaneously the moment he made his move.

"Buzz!"

"Whoosh!"

Then, the sound that caused Iverson immense pain rang out!

A game-winning shot!

After a brief silence and an unexpected turn of events, the entire stadium was instantly ignited!

"Lin! Lin! Lin!"

"MVP!"

"A game-winning shot! Lin scored the winning goal!" Wilmarcus shouted excitedly. "Let's congratulate the Western Conference team! And congratulations to all the fans who watched tonight's game!"

"Lin did it! If Iverson and Marbury dominated the fourth quarter, then Lin dominated overtime! He racked up 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists, and hit the game-winning shot! He is the MVP tonight! He deserves it! If anyone says that Lin's MVP last year was just luck."

"So this year, he won the All-Star Game MVP entirely on his own merit!"

On the court, after scoring, Lin Ze didn't have any wild celebrations or overly flamboyant displays.

He turned around and looked at Iverson, raising his hands and waiting for his teammates to rush over and celebrate with him.

At that moment, Lin Ze didn't say anything, but Iverson felt that he had said a lot. The trash talk he had spewed out earlier was displayed in front of him one by one.

Lin Ze remained silent after the game-winning shot, making Iverson feel as if he had swallowed three tons of flies.

That "I don't say anything, but you know what I'm going to say" expression made Iverson grit his teeth.

Coincidentally, Iverson wasn't the only one who felt disgusted tonight, as if he'd swallowed three tons of flies.

It's not just that many people feel like they've swallowed a fly; some have even experienced situations similar to Iverson's.

Jordan was sitting on pins and needles in the commentary booth.

Now he knows what it means to have your butt covered in mud.

so similar.

Regarding Lin Ze's game-winning shot, while it's not a 100% replica of his last shot from back then, it's at least 95% similar.

What upset Jordan even more was that Wilmarcus and Smith had both figured him out; they both knew that Jordan didn't want to hear anything like "Lin Ze is like you."

Therefore, these two hosts with high emotional intelligence kept quiet about it and did not steer the conversation in that direction.

But can keeping quiet cover up the truth?

Jordan was even more upset.

The way they looked at Jordan was clearly saying, "McClolough, you still say you never coached Lin?"

If anyone else played like that, Jordan would never have been so disgusting.

If it were a younger player like Kobe, whom he admired and respected, playing like that, Jordan would probably be happy to share his insights with everyone, and might even break down the details and shortcomings of Kobe's movements on the commentary desk.

But why Lin Ze? Why this guy?

Kobe, on the court, also looked constipated.

Hey.

It wasn't out of jealousy that Lin Ze's fatal blow stole the spotlight.

Instead, he was jealous of why Jordan only taught him and not him, and why Lin Zeming knew he liked Jordan but didn't take him to train with Jordan.

Of course, while some are sad, others are happy.

Almost everyone in the Western team was incredibly excited, surrounding Lin Ze in celebration. Even Duncan reached out and gave Lin Ze's head a few hard pats.

Although Pippen was unable to get through to Jackson on the phone again, it did not affect his mood at the moment.

The disappointment of not being selected for the All-Star Game for the 9th time has completely disappeared, replaced by pure joy.

In particular, although Jordan is not saying a word and the broadcast camera is not focused on the broadcast booth, Pippen can imagine Jordan's constipated face and his expression of wishing he were dead.

"Go eat shit! Hahahaha!"

On the court, after celebrating with his teammates, Lin Ze went to high-five and hug the players from the East. After all, it was the All-Star Game, and most people came with a playful attitude. Even though the two sides were really playing at the end of the game, most people were still in a calm state of mind.

Winning is great, but losing is also a chance to celebrate for the opponent. After all, this year marks the first time in All-Star Game history that there has been an overtime game, and it is also the first time in NBA All-Star Game history that there has been a game-winning shot!

Even though they were just background figures, most people in the East were excited and thrilled by such a wonderful game. They were happy to interact with Lin Ze and chat for a bit.

As for that small group of people, the first one is Stephon Marbury, who has long been quite unhappy and believes that Iverson's erratic behavior led to the team's loss.

However, although Marbury was unhappy, it was mainly directed at Iverson. When Lin Ze walked towards him, the guy didn't turn around and leave immediately.

After Lin Ze said that, the guy immediately beamed with joy.

"If Allen had let you play a few more games, I might not have had the chance to make the game-winning shot. That game-tying play in the fourth quarter was absolutely devastating for Stephen. If I weren't in the West, I would definitely have celebrated with you like crazy!"

"You know basketball!" Marbury grinned, his face crinkling with wrinkles, and playfully punched Lin Ze in the chest. "Next time, let's have a head-to-head match!"

Marbury turned to leave, but his face immediately fell again when he saw Iverson.

Even my opponents thought highly of me and believed I played well. This short guy just wouldn't pass the ball to me.

Iverson certainly didn't look at Marbury at this moment, nor did he look at anyone. His face was still grim. If it weren't for the fact that All-Star players couldn't leave early and there was a ceremony later, he would have left the court immediately.

"Alan!" Lin Ze certainly wouldn't let this guy get away with it.

You were so enthusiastic during the game, but now you want to run away?

There's no way you can have such a good deal!

As the two players who were the most in the spotlight and played the best tonight, the cameras naturally followed Lin Ze. Wilmarcus noticed this and immediately said, "Oh, look! The two best players tonight have met! Lin has gone to Iverson. I wonder what they'll say to each other?"

"Should we respect each other or challenge each other to a next round?"

Smith said, "Whatever these two say, the feeling they gave us tonight was unlike anything ever in All-Star history!"

"An unprecedented comeback in the final quarter, an unprecedented three-point tie, and of course, a last-minute game-winner and a game-winning shot against the opponent!"

This year's All-Star Game was absolutely the most classic and wonderful one in NBA history!

On the court, Lin Ze practically grabbed Iverson to prevent him from escaping, and said with a smile, "Allen, when you mentioned the bet, didn't you forget what the stakes were?"

"How about we bet you're the best? Come on, say that to me, and our bet will be over."

Iverson's lips twitched involuntarily; he really wanted to punch Lin Ze in the head.

How can this person be so annoying?

Unfortunately, although Iverson is a complete scoundrel, and although he has a terrible personality and disrespects fans and anyone else, he hasn't completely turned to the dark side yet.

Even now, he still knows how to act, and he knows what he should do under the spotlight.

So even though he'd clenched his teeth until they were raw, facing the cameras and flashes from all sides, and Lin Ze's "I won't let go until you tell me, we'll see each other until dawn" attitude, Iverson finally gave in and said, word by word, "You win!"

Then, Lin Ze finally gave him his freedom. At the same time, the podium was set up. Stern stood in the middle with a smile, holding a microphone. The staff called the players to gather and attend the awards ceremony.

Then, naturally, there was Stern's signature long, minute-long chorus of boos, before he finally began his speech, which nobody cared about at all, with a beaming smile.

"Thank you—gratitude—hope—next year—future—we—are better—support. —Finally, let's welcome this year's All-Star MVP winner—"

"Forest!"

Although Lin Ze is not a member of Washington, there were no players from Washington in this year's All-Star game, so everyone gave the biggest cheers to Lin Ze.

After all, tonight's game truly deserves to be called the most exciting All-Star game in history!

Then, no one knows who started it or which area it began from, but a strange slogan suddenly appeared, starting sparsely and eventually resounding throughout the entire stadium.

"Michael! We need Lin!"

"Michael! We need Lin!"

The fans who started shouting this must know their stuff.

They noticed that Lin Ze's movements were very similar to Jordan's, and they naturally assumed that Lin Ze had practiced extra with Jordan after arriving in Washington, which was why he achieved this effect.

So, given the relationship between these two, it's only natural that Lin Ze would come to Washington to play basketball in the future!

Moreover, fans believe that Jordan, the savior who is deeply loved and trusted by the entire city of Washington, must be happy to hear that someone is linking him with his best brother, and must really hope that his best brother can come and play for his team.

So, the fans, some eager to incite, some eager to please Jordan, and of course, genuinely hoping that Lin Ze, a two-time All-Star starter and MVP, would join the team, erupted in a unified cheer in the arena.

Will Marcus and Smith were quite shrewd at this moment; they didn't ask Jordan what he thought at all, as neither of them wanted to become Jordan's punching bag for no reason.

After all, they saw the frosty expression on Jordan's face more clearly than anyone else.

The next moment, both of them felt that Jordan might rush onto the court at any moment and have a life-or-death duel with Lin Ze.

Because of Lin Ze's remarks.

"Thank you Washington! Thank you fans, you guys are so enthusiastic. I heard you connect me with Michael, and honestly, this is the greatest honor of my life, the greatest praise I've ever received."

Who could not love Michael?

After Lin Ze finished speaking, more than a dozen disdainful snorts echoed from various corners of multiple cities across the United States.

Mockery and disdain.

These voices naturally came from Lin Ze's former teammates on the Chicago Bulls.

Others may not know what's going on, but how could they not know?

They don't talk about it now, firstly because Jordan's influence is still strong, and secondly because social media and podcasts aren't developed enough yet.

In a few years, it's hard to say for sure, but Pippen will definitely spill the beans.

Especially after Pippen and Jordan's son became like-minded, Pippen, whose mentality collapsed, was the kind of person who would even bring up the story of Jordan being rejected by Madonna because of his small birdie!

"As for my skills, I can only say that those who know, know; I won't go into further explanation. I hope everyone has a pleasant evening and enjoys our performance!"

Lin Ze, he's really bad too.

His relationship with Jordan needs no introduction.

He could guess how much Jordan wanted to distance himself from him and how much he hated him.

Hey, trying to distance yourself, huh?

I won't!

I'll disgust you to death! You won't even have a chance to explain yourself!

You son of a bitch, you bullied me, Lin, back then!

Amid applause, cheers, and shouts, and of course, angry, resentful, and jealous glances, Lin Ze left the podium, thus bringing this season's All-Star Weekend to a close.

All that's left is the final post-match interviews and press conference.

As the All-Star MVP tonight, Lin Ze was naturally surrounded by countless reporters.

"We overheard your conversation with Iverson after the game. What exactly did you two bet on? Was it a bet on whether you could hit the game-winning shot?"

"Oh, of course not," Lin Ze said. "It was Allen who, near the end of the fourth quarter, asked who wanted to bet with him on whether they could turn the game around, and I accepted. I said they couldn't!"

"Honestly, without Allen's suggestion and bet, I definitely wouldn't have played this well, nor would I have fought this hard."

"So, thank you, Allen! Thank you for your encouragement; I couldn't have done it without you!"

After disgusting Jordan, let's disgust Iverson as well.

Let you show off in the competition, kid.

Do you think you have a place to show off in front of me, Lin?

After disgusting countless people in one night, Lin Ze boarded the plane back to Los Angeles with a blissful expression.

He gained a great deal from this All-Star trip.

As for those who can't sleep because of him?

Ghosts don't care whether they live or die!

However, the thing Lin Ze least expected happened in Washington late at night.

As the night grew quiet and the fireworks faded, Jordan sat in his apartment and made a phone call.

"Tim, do you think I could still handle this league if I came back?"

"Are you crazy, Michael?" Grover, who had already fallen asleep, suddenly woke up: "You should know you're 38."

"Are you 39? You'll be 39 when you come back next season."

"Your knees will shatter."

"Maybe, but I'm in a bad mood tonight," Jordan said after taking a big gulp of whiskey. "I feel like this league has forgotten how I used to dominate here."

"You'd better forget about this too, Michael, or you'll end up like Magic Johnson. You surely remember his disastrous comeback."

Grover and Jordan have always been very direct with each other, which is probably why they have been able to work together for so long. Jordan needs someone who speaks the truth: "Unless you can accept becoming ordinary, becoming a mediocre player."

"You can no longer dominate this league. 82 regular season games and 4 series are too many for you!"

"What if my goal is to lead the team to the playoffs instead of winning the championship? What if I just want to prove that no one else is a second me, that even at 40, I am unique and irreplaceable?"

"That might work!" Grover said. "As long as you're as crazy as before, I'm confident I can get you back to your All-Star level before next season starts!"

"But the important question is, is it really necessary? A regular All-Star version of Michael Jordan? Is it really necessary?"

"It's necessary!" Jordan took a deep breath and said, "Wait for my call."

Now that Jordan is the team owner and manager, he obviously can't just come back whenever he wants like he did in 1995.

His team shares, business partnerships, and all sorts of other matters need to be renegotiated and re-planned.

But Jordan was certain that he really wanted to return to the league.

He hated Lin Ze; he hated that this guy was seen as his personal disciple and successor.

Even if he doesn't win the championship this time, he should at least cultivate one or two true successors to Jordan!

Let me show you what a true successor to Jordan really is!

Every year, shortly after the All-Star Game, there is the annual trade deadline, but this year, perhaps because the Lakers were too strong, or perhaps because the teams couldn't reach an agreement, the deadline was remarkably calm.

From the end of the All-Star Game to the trade deadline, only two trades were made in total.

One was a three-way trade involving the Knicks, Raptors, and Pistons. The Knicks traded Chris Childs for Muggsy Bogues from the Raptors, and Bogues went to Detroit along with Tyronn Corbin, Kornle David, and a 05 first-round draft pick.

While acquiring these men, Detroit sent Montrose to Toronto and Roger James to New York.

Another trade occurred the day after the All-Star Game, when the Wizards finally broke even, sending renowned basketball civil servant Juwon Howard to Dallas in exchange for five players, including Laettner and Ittan Thomas.

Although the contract amount involved in this deal is extremely high, the skill level of the players involved is just so-so, and it cannot change the league's landscape at all. At best, it is just a swap of worthless contracts.

The Wizards traded Howard's terrible contract for a bunch of smaller, less bad contracts.

These two trades combined don't even compare to the trade between the 76ers and the Hawks before the All-Star break.

In that trade, the Hawks sent their star center Dikembe Mutombo and McLeod to the 76ers in exchange for Toni Kukoc, Theo Ratliff, Muhammad, and Pepe Sanchez.

This trade paved the way for Iverson's one and only peak journey with the 76ers, who will then unleash an extreme storm of individual heroism in the East, and force the Hawks into a complete rebuild.

As for the Lakers, they did not make any trades or additions mid-season for the second consecutive year because Jackson was satisfied with the team's current state and personnel.

For the Lakers, who don't need to make trades or readjust to team cohesion, the next month is actually their last period of rest this season where they can completely relax.

After all, the real sprint is about to begin, and they need to prepare for the playoffs!

Even if Jackson takes some rest towards the end of the season, it won't allow the players to completely relax.

So, right after the All-Star Game, Jackson began taking a break.

Firstly, minor injuries are often treated too seriously. After half a season of travel and numerous regular season games, the Lakers' key players all have some injuries, but many of these injuries are not serious and will not even affect the players' performance. They are just caused by accumulated fatigue and do not require rest or recuperation.

For teams that are eager for a better regular season ranking or need to make a run for the top eight, it is absolutely impossible to let their core players rest at this time.

But the Lakers' goal is the championship. After breaking the 72-win record last year, they have no desire for a good regular season record.

So first, O'Neal was sidelined for three weeks due to a toe injury, and then at the end of February, just as O'Neal returned, Kobe was sidelined for two weeks due to a knee injury.

When Kobe returned from his injury, Lin Ze had a minor elbow problem and had to rest for two weeks.

By the time Lin Ze "recovered" from his injury and returned to the court on March 13, the Lakers' ranking had already slipped to fourth in the Western Conference. The Spurs were the team in the best form during this period, overtaking the Kings to become number one. The Jazz, who were still going strong, also launched a fierce attack after the All-Star Game and temporarily ranked third in the Western Conference.

This is of course due to the trio's rotating absences. After all, it would be strange if the team's performance wasn't affected when all three were absent.

Not to mention that during this period, players like Fisher, Grant, and Harper were also playing and resting intermittently. Jackson needed more than just the absolute health of the trio; the other players on the team also needed proper protection.

The benefits of rotating shifts are also obvious.

In mid-March, while players on other teams were at their limits and nearing physical collapse, the Lakers players were full of energy and maintained their best condition.

Another benefit of the team's constant player shortage is that many players' average statistics have increased as a result.

After all, as long as a player doesn't play, his average stats won't decline, but the playing time and shot attempts he vacates will be shared by his teammates, and naturally, everyone else's stats will improve to some extent.

比如林泽在奥尼尔不在的10场比赛里，场均就能拿下29分9个篮板的准两双数据，并且在10场比赛之中拿到了6场两双，而他11—2月的其他所有比赛之中，总共只拿到了5场两双而已。

From this perspective, the Lakers' players' rotation of absences can be said to be beneficial, as everyone has both gained valuable data and rest.

However, only the Lakers, who broke the NBA regular season record last season, can truly disregard their regular season record, ranking, and home-court advantage.

They have absolute confidence!

Of course, another reason why the Lakers are not afraid and Jackson dares to give the players a large number of rest days is that when they return, there will still be about a month left in the season, and they will have plenty of time to push for a higher ranking!

On March 13, after more than a month of injury woes, the Lakers were once again fully fit to play, and once again fielded the starting five of Fisher, Harper, Kobe, Lin Ze, and O'Neal.

The team has been holding back for a long time, and after a period of rest and recuperation, they are eager to show all the fans their current form and their desire for the championship!

The Kings have made tremendous progress this season, transforming themselves from barely making the playoffs last year to being a contender for the Western Conference title this year.

There are many reasons why they have made such a huge leap. The first is Peja’s rapid maturation. Last season, Peja could only play as a bench scorer for the team. This season, he has become the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 20.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, and he can also make two three-pointers per game with a 40% shooting percentage!

With him drawing attention on the perimeter, Webber in the paint gained more space and had more opportunities to showcase his talent.

In addition, the team acquired versatile forward/guard Doug Christie from the Raptors during the offseason, and he fits the team perfectly, integrating into the team almost seamlessly.

His drives, cuts, passing, shooting, and defense are exactly the skills and characteristics that the Kings need most. Although he is not an All-Star, his style is a perfect match for the Kings.

With veteran center Vlade Divac and flashy guard Jason Williams, this Kings team is just one step away from becoming the team that almost upset the Lakers.

They're just missing the last piece of the puzzle.

At the start of the game, O'Neal easily secured the first offensive possession for the Lakers.

Then O'Neal received the ball in the low post, easily overpowered the aging and physically weak Divac, and slammed home a two-handed dunk, scoring the team's first points of the night.

What happened next surprised the commentators and fans.

The Lakers immediately changed their defensive matchups, putting Kobe Bryant against Jason Williams.

This was something Jackson specifically emphasized and arranged before the game, targeting the most unstable aspect of the Kings' starting lineup.

Williams was undoubtedly a prodigy, possessing a uniquely romantic and flamboyant playing style in the entire history of the NBA.

Even in the NBA, where Jordan has several successors, almost every superstar can find some clones or players who are somewhat similar or have the same playing style.

But only Williams, this guy's style was unique, and there was no one else like him in the NBA until more than 20 years later.

Completely streetball style, free-flowing passes, and an almost overflowing flamboyance—

But his problems are equally obvious.

His overly flamboyant style and pursuit of visual effects and flashy tactics have resulted in a high number of errors, including some extremely basic mistakes.

The saying "one man gets the ball and nine men panic" perfectly describes him.

So Jackson sent Kobe, the Lakers' best perimeter scorer, to contain the Kings' most unpredictable player. Williams lived up to expectations, immediately engaging in a battle with Kobe, and then delivered a no-look behind-the-back pass to Jim Jackson, who was wide open.

If Jackson had been on the court instead of warming up when he received the ball, then that pass would have been absolutely brilliant!

After that mistake, the Lakers' second offensive possession showed the Kings what it means to have a heavy sword but no edge.

Kobe called for a screen, and Lin Ze made a simple pick-and-roll to draw the double team. The Kings failed to coordinate, and Christie and Webber both chased after Kobe.

Lin Ze easily received the ball and unleashed a powerful shot from beyond the three-point line.

"Whoosh!"

5: 0!

In the next possession, Kobe continued his relentless pressure. Although Williams didn't make a mistake this time, his pass failed to create an offensive opportunity. After receiving the ball, Christie rushed to the mid-range and looked for Peja. Peja, facing help defense from Lin Ze at the three-point line, missed the three-pointer!

Turning back, Kobe once again took the ball and started a pick-and-roll, with Lin Ze stepping up to screen for him again.

The Kings made another mistake.

Christie, wary of Lin Ze's shooting, shouted "Change!" and quickly moved to the side to block Lin Ze's cut and receiving route. His defense and decision-making were flawless, and even his communication was better than before.

The problem was that Webber's defense was really a hindrance. He just spread his arms as he retreated, and Kobe completely ignored his half-hearted defense. He pulled up and shot from two steps inside the three-point line, and scored two points!

After the Lakers went on a 7-0 run, the Kings finally scored on the next possession.

Webber faked a mid-range shot and then made a jump shot, scoring the team's first points.

Then in the next possession, Christie noticeably tightened his defense on Kobe, sticking to him more closely and no longer allowing the screen to happen easily, choosing instead to force his way through the screen from the front.

His choice clearly shows that he has resigned himself to his fate.

He knew Webber's defense was unreliable, and that it would be a pipe dream to expect Webber to play good defense in the future, so he increased his defensive aggression.

This change is useful, but not very useful.

Because Kobe chose to pass the ball immediately, passing it to Lin Ze. Lin Ze received the ball outside the three-point line, faked a move at Webber, but found that the guy was completely unmoved and was just standing near the free-throw line with his hands outstretched.

How could Lin Ze miss out on such an opportunity?

He pulled up again beyond the three-point line, taking his second consecutive three-pointer!

"Whoosh!"

Another hit!

"Are you crazy, Chris? Or have you forgotten how I blew you apart last season?" Lin Ze taunted after scoring. "Why did you leave me so far away? Do you think I'm as incompetent as you?"

Webber did indeed respond to Lin Ze's provocation in a better way than last year.

He backed down to receive the ball, then drove into the paint with a combination of pushing and shoving. Facing Lin Ze's defense, he launched a half-hook, half-float shot. The ball had an extremely high arc, completely exceeding Lin Ze's blocking range, and the basketball obediently fell into the basket after reaching its highest point.

"You think I'm still the same person I was last year?" Webber glared at Lin Ze after scoring. "My improvement this year is greater than you think!"

"That's really impressive!" Lin Ze said as he went to the frontcourt, preparing to set a screen for Kobe, but this time the screen was fake!

Lin Ze hadn't even gotten a firm footing before he turned and charged towards the inside.

Kobe's lob pass arrived immediately. When Lin Ze received the ball, Webber was still several meters away from him. He never expected Lin Ze to suddenly make a back cut and completely lost his defense against Lin Ze.

Lin Ze immediately stopped, pulled up and shot the basketball towards the backboard, making a clean layup and scoring 2 points.

"I don't see any difference in you, Chris. You're just as weak as last year! Your defense isn't even as good as a stupid high schooler's!"

I wasn't talking about you.

After Lin Ze finished speaking, he couldn't help but glance at Kobe, who was passing by.

"What's it to me!" Kobe ran past Lin Ze with a sullen face. Since the All-Star Game, the relationship between the two had undergone some strange changes. Kobe, who was not talkative to begin with, spoke even less.

Webber, on the other hand, chose to receive the ball at a high post, then waved his hands to signal his teammates to move and wait for an opportunity.

Then Christie suddenly made a reverse run to shake off Fisher, and Webber immediately threw the ball to the basket. Divac under the basket immediately turned to block O'Neal, trying to clear a path for his teammate to make a layup.

Unfortunately for him, O'Neal was at his most energetic and excited at the moment. He forced his way past Divac, faced Christie, and then slapped Christie's layup away!

Hubble grabs the ball, and the Lakers launch a counterattack!

Hubble went down the middle, with Lin Ze and Kobe closely following on the left and right, while Fisher deliberately slowed down and stayed at the back. This was the Lakers' signature four-pronged counterattack!

Harper, with his extensive experience, figured out the Kings' defensive strategy the moment he stepped inside the three-point line.

They blocked Kobe under the basket, but almost let Lin Ze, who had already run to the corner three-point line, go free.

Harper immediately passed the ball to Lin Ze, who received it outside the three-point line and immediately lowered his center of gravity to prepare to shoot. Christie, who was originally a few meters away and was preparing to block Kobe, glanced at Webber, who was standing still and thinking about grabbing the rebound. Helpless, he ran towards Lin Ze with all his might. He couldn't just watch Lin Ze shoot, could he?

But to everyone's surprise, Lin Ze's move was just a feint. He had no intention of shooting directly. Instead, he shifted his weight and charged towards the basket.

Christie charged too fast and was unable to adjust her center of gravity and direction to catch up with Lin Ze.

All he could do was watch Lin Ze drive towards the basket, yelling at Webber, "Stop him, Chris!"

The Kings' interior defense is now down to just Webber, but he's not so shameless as to just give up; he hasn't abandoned the defense.

Judging from his defensive moves, Lin Ze knew that this guy wasn't planning on a proper contest with him, but rather was preparing to foul him and send him to the free-throw line, but definitely not give him a 2+1!

So Lin Ze mustered all his strength, drove to the basket and charged straight at Webber without dodging!

With a muffled thud, the two collided almost head-on. Webber felt as if a tank had shoved into his chest, and he almost couldn't catch his breath. His outstretched hand, which was trying to commit a foul, lost its strength and only managed to give Lin Ze's arm a light tug.

With one hand being held, Lin Ze used his other hand to hold the ball and gently pushed it towards the basket. He then lost his balance and fell to the floor with Webber.

"Whoosh!"

"Beep beep! 2 points valid, 1 free throw!"

The referee made a swift decision, and Lin Ze won this round decisively!

"You think you can escape, you coward?" After scoring, Lin Ze looked at Webber and said, "Even if you run back into your mother's womb, I'll still chase after you and keep going!"

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