Chapter 73: What caliber are you? Do you deserve to have everyone clear out and watch you play one-on-one? Teammates and opponents both got posterized!
For Rivers, this God was on his side, so it was good news.
Now, he had directly extinguished the thought of substituting Chen Hao!
How was this a team cancer? This was clearly the team's savior!
On offense, he handled three defenders with no pressure, and on defense, he easily guarded two.
Now he even completed an incredible alley-oop, changing hands for a dunk. Wasn't this God playing in Chen Hao's jersey?
So, Rivers had now determined that Chen Hao was the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics, and as for Pierce, he was just a hindrance even as the second option!
The Boston TD Garden Stadium was now completely boiling over!
Especially the Boston Celtics Fans, who were all on their feet, frantically cheering for Chen Hao!
It was simply too explosive!
The Boston Celtics' performance in recent years had been too disappointing for the home Fans, so they didn't even have high hopes for the home team at the start of the game.
They once thought that the team's Rookie of the Year, Chen Hao, was a playboy who neglected his duties.
Unexpectedly, once the game began, it turned out to be such a scene!
Chen Hao, whom they believed had a chaotic private life, continuously put on incredible performances, each one more exciting than the last!
So, now the home Fans were all shouting out in guilt:
"I need to apologize to Chen Hao!"
"I was wrong! Chen Hao is the true MVP of the BostonCeltics!"
"From now on, don't let me hear any more criticism about Chen Hao!"
"Let him play, next time let him play with three, let him play with four, let him play with five!"
Even the Dragon Country Fans on the other side of the ocean were shocked by Chen Hao's incredible performance!
"So, this is Brother Hao's strength?"
"Good heavens, Brother Hao directly turned Howard into a little punk?"
"If Brother Hao could join the Dragon Country Men's Basketball Team for the Olympic Games, wouldn't the Dragon Country Men's Basketball Team take off?"
All the Fans watching this game were stunned by Chen Hao's incredible performance!
As Chen Hao's teammate, Pierce was in a terrible mood right now.
He originally thought Chen Hao would make a mistake, but the result was an incredible dunk!
It seemed like there was nothing this guy couldn't do, and this feeling was truly unbearable!
And Chen Hao, who had completed the hand-switching dunk, still had a calm expression.
He slowly returned to his half of the court and shouted loudly at a dejected Howard:
"Hey, your jumping height is only this high!"
As Chen Hao spoke, he extended his right thumb and index finger to illustrate.
Chen Hao's gesture would not only anger Korean men in Korea but also in the United States.
Especially in front of Howard!
When Howard saw Chen Hao make that gesture, his breathing became rapid, and his anger surged instantly!
"You're dead!"
Howard rushed to Chen Hao immediately, attempting to attack him!
Howard's action scared the referees nearby.
They rushed over to block Chen Hao, trying to prevent a conflict.
To everyone's surprise, Chen Hao showed no panic at Howard's action, even looking at him with anticipation.
It gave the referees the feeling of:
"Come on, hit me!"
This made the referees quite helpless with Chen Hao; his expression was truly annoying.
Although he said nothing, he had actually conveyed all his meaning.
No wonder Howard's expression became even more ferocious at this moment; Chen Hao's expression was truly asking for a beating!
But in the end, Howard was pulled back to the bench by his teammates, and Head Coach Van Gundy even told him to calm down.
As for Chen Hao, upon seeing Howard being pulled to the sidelines, he instantly looked very disappointed.
He seemed to feel that Howard not making a move was truly too disappointing for him.
The commentator Kenny Smith saw Chen Hao's expression and couldn't help but laugh, saying:
"Hey, Charles, if this were before you retired...
What would you do if you encountered a player like Chen Hao?"
To Kenny Smith's question, Barkley's expression looked very ugly:
"What would I do?
I might beat the crap out of him!
Shaq has been body-slammed by me, let alone a little rookie!"
Kenny Smith shook his head frantically at Barkley's reply:
"I don't believe it!
I feel like you wouldn't gain any advantage against him at all!
In fact, the one who gets beaten to a pulp might very well be you!"
Kenny Smith's words made Barkley's face turn even uglier:
"You're talking nonsense!
Even now, I can still easily knock him to the ground!
Let alone before I retired!"
Barkley was clearly very confident in his own strength.
But Kenny Smith, after hearing it, shook his head frantically again:
"Hey, that's enough!
You can barely walk now, and you say you can easily defeat him?
You don't even believe what you're saying!"
Barkley was so angered by Kenny Smith's words that he almost spat blood.
Just as he was about to retort, Kenny Smith interrupted him again:
"Forget it!
Let's get back to the game!
As for your combat power, no one will believe you're stronger than Chen Hao!"
Barkley: ". . ."
After the timeout to cool down, Howard's emotions had clearly calmed down a lot.
And his teammate Lewis also gave Howard some advice:
"Hey, when you're defending him, you don't actually need to keep staring at the basketball in his hands.
Sometimes, you can pay more attention to his footwork!
After all, no matter how high he flies or how long he stays airborne, he will still land!"
Lewis's words made Howard's eyes change instantly.
Immediately, he nodded thoughtfully!
Howard, who re-entered the game, had a calm expression.
This time, Nelson didn't pass the ball to Howard but to Turkoglu!
The latter, facing Pierce's defense, hit a pull-up three-pointer!
The Magic finally broke their scoring drought!
And after Turkoglu hit the three-pointer, he didn't forget to shout at Pierce:
"Hey, you almost guarded me!"
Pierce's face became incredibly ugly after being mocked by Turkoglu; already depressed, his mood worsened!
He wanted to challenge Turkoglu on this possession!
Pierce actively called for the ball, and West passed it to him!
Pierce signaled for his teammates to clear out!
And Chen Hao, seeing Pierce's action, gave him enough respect, truly standing in the right corner to watch him perform!
After several dribbles between his legs, Pierce chose to drive hard against Turkoglu!
The latter's defensive ability was actually not bad, and he never lost his position.
Even if Pierce really squeezed into the paint, he was already at the end of his rope!
So, the moment he forced a shot, Howard's long-awaited block was already delivered!
Just as Howard swatted the basketball away, Chen Hao, who had been lurking in the corner, had appeared in the restricted area at some unknown point!
And completed the catch!
After catching the ball, Chen Hao made a slight adjustment, pushed off with both feet, and leaped high!
He slammed the ball fiercely into the hoop over Howard!
Chapter 74: Pierce is furious! He publicly accuses Chen Hao! Completely enraging the home Fans!
Howard, who had just blocked Pierce, was about to show off.
But before he could, a lightning-fast figure appeared in front of him!
Before he could even react, he was violently knocked flying!
In front of Howard, there was actually still Pierce!
It was just that after Pierce was blocked by Howard, he fell to the ground!
So he wasn't knocked flying by Chen Hao, but he was enduring another kind of humiliation!
Chen Hao easily flew over his head!
Pierce looked up, staring blankly as Chen Hao flew over him, knocking Howard flying and completing a thunderous dunk!
The impact of Chen Hao's dunk was simply too great!
Howard only stopped when he hit the basketball hoop after being knocked by Chen Hao!
At this moment, he felt like he couldn't even breathe, a stifling feeling in his chest that wouldn't go away!
The home Fans, seeing this situation, erupted once again!
Kenny Smith shouted loudly:
"Oh my god!
Chen Hao actually dunked over both his teammate and his opponent at the same time!
This dunk of his has already secured the top spot on today's Top 10 Plays!
Did you see that?
Charles!
This guy is so strong even with weak legs; if his legs weren't weak, wouldn't he be defying the heavens?"
Kenny Smith didn't forget to mock Barkley at this moment.
Who told him to declare that Chen Hao would perform poorly before the game even started?
And he even said he would definitely have weak legs!
But looking at Chen Hao now, not only did he not have weak legs, he was even more valiant than before!
So, Barkley couldn't help but wonder what Chen Hao, Fox, and Rihanna did all night?
Could it be that this guy really didn't do anything?
Did he really just sleep or recharge?
At this moment, Barkley was full of frustration; he had once again misjudged Chen Hao!
Now he was being relentlessly ridiculed by Kenny Smith.
Compared to Barkley's depressed mood, Pierce, as Chen Hao's teammate, was incredibly furious at this moment!
It wasn't just because his isolation play was swatted away by Howard, it was mainly because Chen Haoactually flew over his head to complete the dunk!
This guy must have done it on purpose!
He deliberately made him look bad in front of the home Fans!
Pierce angrily got up from the ground, walked directly in front of Chen Hao, shoved him hard, and loudly questioned:
"Hey, rookie, what are you doing?
You knew I was on the ground, and you still flew over my head?
You're clearly trying to humiliate me!"
Pierce originally thought he could easily shove Chen Haoback a few steps.
But Chen Hao didn't budge, and even looked at him with a puzzled expression, seemingly very confused by his actions.
Besides Chen Hao's puzzled expression, his teammates were also equally shocked!
They never expected Pierce to actively confront Chen Hao; was this guy crazy?
Jefferson was also dumbfounded!
He knew Pierce had always disliked Chen Hao, but getting angry should be appropriate for the situation!
Chen Hao clearly didn't do anything wrong, yet Pierceactively attacked him?
Is this guy out of his mind?
Even Howard, who was knocked flying by Chen Hao, was full of shock at this moment.
He couldn't even figure out what was going on!
He should be the angry one!
Why was Pierce also so displeased with Chen Hao?
Just because Chen Hao flew over his head to complete the dunk?
Pierce's initiative completely confused Howard!
Should he still vent his anger at Chen Hao now?
After all, someone was already sticking up for him.
Howard even suspected that Pierce was a spy for the Magic.
Pierce was equally shocked!
Not only did he not push Chen Hao down, Chen Hao even looked at him with a surprised expression.
From Chen Hao's eyes, it was clear that he thought Piercewas an idiot.
This look made Pierce's face turn ugly again:
"What do you mean by looking at me like that?
Do you think there's something wrong with my head?"
Chen Hao shrugged and spread his hands, saying:
"Apparently, you already know what that look means!
You should go off the court and reflect properly!"
Chen Hao didn't even bother to argue with someone like Pierce; such a player was simply unworthy of being a team leader.
Just as Pierce was about to make more trouble for Chen Hao, Head Coach Rivers finally lost his patience!
He called a timeout, rushed onto the court immediately, grabbed Pierce, and roared in a low voice:
"Hey, Paul, calm down!"
Rivers' roar finally made Pierce sober up a bit.
At this moment, seeing the Head Coach's unfamiliar gaze, he realized that he might have made a huge mistake.
He actually started an internal conflict with a teammate at home, which had an extremely negative impact on the team!
Meanwhile, Lewis, a player from the Magic, actively fanned the flames:
"Well done, Paul!
If you're not comfortable playing for the Boston Celtics.
You're welcome to join our Magic!
Our Magic would definitely welcome your arrival!"
With Lewis's teasing, the Magic players burst into laughter again.
Now, Rivers' expression became even uglier.
Pierce, after being mocked by Lewis, also had a grim expression.
Although he knew his outburst had a terrible impact, he wasn't going to apologize.
He directly shook off Head Coach Rivers' hand and walked to the bench, plunking himself down!
From his demeanor, it seemed as if he wasn't the one who made a mistake, but rather the Head Coach and Chen Hao!
Barkley and Kenny Smith looked at each other, completely unsure of what had happened.
From Pierce's stance, was he very dissatisfied with Chen Hao's performance in the game?
Now, Barkley was happy:
"As everyone knows, the Boston Celtics are Pierce's team.
Chen Hao's performance is indeed very good.
But he is only a rookie player.
This game is even only his third game.
He has taken all of the team's possessions for himself.
This approach is truly inappropriate!
I even think their Head Coach also has a problem.
This approach has disheartened the veteran Paul Pierce!
I can understand his feelings, so I don't think he's wrong!"
When Barkley said these words, Kenny Smith's eyes widened in shock.
He even wondered if his ears had deceived him!
"What are you saying?
Is this something you, as a commentator, should be saying?"
Kenny Smith's tone had become serious.
But Barkley said nonchalantly:
"These are just some of my views.
As for whether the Fans accept them.
That's their business!"
At the same time, the home Fans erupted in loud boos.
Clearly, Pierce's behavior had greatly disappointed them.
Rivers, as the Head Coach, finally made up his mind at this moment, and he said to Chen Hao with a grim expression:
"I won't let that guy play anymore!
Let him cool down on the bench!"
Chapter 75: Another One Seeking Death! Howard Trips Chen Hao! He Ultimately Gets His Just Deserts!
After listening to Rivers, Chen Hao waved his hand indifferently and said, "Do as you please. This guy's mentality is indeed very problematic."
After expressing his opinion, Chen Hao no longer paid attention to Head Coach Rivers.
Chen Hao actually understood Pierce's inner feelings.
However, as a veteran player on the team, his behavior was extremely out of line.
Even though Chen Hao was a rookie, Pierce shouldn't have acted superior just because of his age.
He actually physically confronted and questioned Chen Hao directly in public, and even during a home game.
If it weren't for the home Fans watching, how could Piercebe standing and walking to the bench right now?
But this is also good; Pierce's actions are bound to enrage the team's General Manager, Angie.
Chen Hao could even predict that Pierce might face an internal team suspension for a period of time.
His outcome should be similar to Rondo's!
The Boston Celtics' General Manager, Angie, was also following this game.
When he saw Chen Hao dunking over Pierce on Howard, he was so excited that he even jumped up!
But before he could finish celebrating, he saw Pierceactually push Chen Hao.
From his expression, it seemed he was very dissatisfied with Chen Hao flying over his head to complete the dunk?
At that moment, Angie was completely furious!
"What is this damned Paul doing?
He's actually taking out his anger on Chen Hao over such a small matter?
He wouldn't possibly think that Chen Hao shouldn't have flown over his head, would he?"
Angie quickly deduced Pierce's inner thoughts, which made him even more annoyed with Pierce.
Although Pierce had always been the core player of the Boston Celtics, his team's performance in recent years had truly been disastrous.
Especially his temper, which was very erratic, and sometimes he would even have unpleasant arguments with his teammates.
So, Angie had always had a certain idea about Pierce.
Now, Chen Hao's sudden emergence, coupled with Pierce's self-inflicted internal conflict, made him realize that it was time to deal with Pierce!
This kind of behavior, actively engaging in internal conflict with teammates during a game, would cause great damage to the team's morale.
Therefore, Angie decided that after this game, he would swiftly punish Pierce to appease the damaged morale of the players.
However, if that happened, the outcome of this game would truly be in suspense!
Pierce would most likely not continue to play in the upcoming games.
Without the team's second-leading scorer, could the Boston Celtics contend with the Magic?
This was also a question that all the home Fans were concerned about!
After this interlude, Rivers made personnel adjustments!
Tony Allen replaced Pierce, and the game continued!
Due to Pierce's self-inflicted internal conflict, the Boston Celtics' morale was very low now.
After all, Pierce had been with the team the longest, and many players highly respected Pierce.
So now that a conflict had erupted between him and Chen Hao, some players were more inclined towards Pierce.
Even the starting players believed that Chen Hao should apologize to Pierce.
And the Magic's Head Coach, Van Gundy, keenly noticed this atmosphere, so he instructed the Magic players to seize the opportunity.
Indeed!
After the game resumed, the Magic's offense became even more aggressive!
However, the Boston Celtics' defense had many loopholes, and Chen Hao alone couldn't defend five people!
Thus, the Magic's three-pointers began to take effect!
After Howard received the ball in the paint, he would actively observe the double-team situation.
Once he saw the Boston Celtics' players double-teaming, he would immediately pass the ball to the perimeter!
This way, the Magic players had ample time and space to shoot!
Although Chen Hao could still occasionally contribute blocks and steals, his deterrent power on the defensive end was greatly reduced!
The Magic slowly chipped away at the score, and by the end of the first quarter, they had completed the comeback!
30:34!
This score was achieved with Chen Hao doing his utmost on the offensive end!
Every time Chen Hao had the ball, the Magic would resolutely double-team him in defense.
Sometimes even three or four players!
In this situation, Chen Hao's first choice was, of course, to pass the ball to an open teammate.
Unfortunately, his teammates' ability to convert easy passes was greatly reduced, often missing them!
So Chen Hao could only reluctantly go it alone to barely keep the point difference within 5 points.
And during the break between quarters, the Magic's Head Coach even instructed his players to be more aggressive in their defense against Chen Hao.
And Howard's eyes also began to turn sinister!
He had never forgotten Chen Hao dunking over him.
He had also observed Chen Hao's offensive style; he always jumped very high, making it almost impossible to interfere with his shots!
In this situation, defending his lower body became especially important!
Lewis was right, no matter how high he jumped, he would eventually land!
Howard decided to retaliate against Chen Hao!
After the second quarter began, Chen Hao's offense remained unstoppable!
He frequently completed difficult scores while being double-teamed by multiple players!
Under-the-basket layups avoiding defenders!
Unstoppable fadeaway jumpers from mid-range!
Pull-up three-pointers from beyond the arc!
Chen Hao's offense was almost without blind spots!
And Howard's defense also became fierce at this time!
He often fiercely pushed or pulled Chen Hao while he was jumping in the air, making it difficult for him to shoot!
Despite this, Chen Hao mostly managed to score 2+1s, which made the home Fans very excited and thrilled!
Seeing Chen Hao so unaffected, Howard's mood became even more furious!
In the last offensive play at the end of the second quarter, Howard finally used his long-planned tripping strategy!
The Boston Celtics had the last possession this time!
Chen Hao, holding the ball at the top of the arc, immediately encountered a double-team. He quickly broke through, shook off his defenders, and drove into the paint!
Facing Howard's defense, he once again exploded upwards!
Usually, Howard would jump up at this time to try and block Chen Hao!
But this time, he actually actively dodged out of the way!
He even moved to the side!
This greatly surprised Chen Hao!
Had this guy changed his ways?
Despite his confusion, Chen Hao still completed this powerful dunk!
After completing the dunk, Chen Hao released his grip and landed!
Just as Chen Hao released his grip and landed, Howard, who was nearby, quickly extended his left foot!
It was exactly where Chen Hao was landing!
This time, Howard wanted Chen Hao to know the price of dunking over him!
Chapter 76: A Complete Reversal! Dwight Howard Was the One Who Tripped Him, But He Was Also the One Who Got Injured?
Although Chen Hao was puzzled by Howard's dodge, he didn't take it to heart. Perhaps he was truly scared.
It was only when Chen Hao landed, his feet stepping on Howard's foot, that he finally understood Howard's dark intentions.
The reason this guy didn't actively try to block his dunk was to trip him?
Such malicious intent truly made one furious!
However, Chen Hao, possessing tungsten-titanium alloyankles, was not afraid of Howard tripping him!
After all, being tripped wasn't the first time it had happened to him.
As early as the Summer League, his teammate Rondohad already committed such a foul act.
But the ultimate outcome was that Rondo reaped what he sowed and received severe punishment from the team.
Clearly, Howard hadn't paid attention to Chen Hao's news and didn't know the full story of that incident.
That's why he resorted to tripping Chen Hao!
When Chen Hao stepped on Howard's left foot, he secretly exerted force, heavily stepping on Howard's left instep!
Originally, when Howard saw Chen Hao's feet step on his left foot, his heart was already filled with wild joy!
"Soon I'll see this guy fall to the ground in pain!"
"Let him dunk wildly over my head!"
"Now he can't dunk, can he?"
Little did he know, before Howard could finish celebrating, a sharp pain shot through his left foot!
This intense pain instantly contorted his expression, and he couldn't help but cry out:
"Ah! My foot!"
"It hurts so much!"
As for Chen Hao, he merely lost his balance and sat down on the ground.
However, there was no sign of pain on his face; instead, he watched the screaming Howard with a playful expression!
When the referee saw both Chen Hao and Howard fall to the ground, he was also very surprised.
At this moment, the Magic players all gathered around to check on Howard.
After all, his screams were simply too loud, sounding as if he had suffered a severe injury.
Head Coach Van Gundy quickly called a timeout, signaling for the team doctor to come forward and check on Howard's condition.
As for Chen Hao, he got up lightly at this moment, completely unharmed.
Howard, who was still screaming, looked at Chen Hao, who seemed perfectly fine, with a horrified and incredulous expression.
"How come he doesn't seem to be hurt at all?"
Howard finally couldn't help but voice the doubt in his heart.
After Lewis heard Howard's question, he immediately thought of something.
He looked at Howard with a solemn expression and asked:
"He really stepped on your foot?"
Howard nodded, his face contorted in pain.
After receiving Howard's affirmative answer, Lewis's expression became even more shocked:
"How is that possible?"
"Why is he completely fine?"
"And you, what exactly happened?"
Facing Lewis's inquiry, Howard also spoke with a frustrated expression:
"I just felt his feet step on my instep!"
"It felt like the bones in my left foot instantly shattered!"
"The force in that instant was truly terrifying!"
Howard recounted the moment of his injury, but his teammates and the team doctor were all full of doubt.
How could such a thing happen?
When Chen Hao landed, he didn't even notice Howardtripping him.
So, logically speaking, Chen Hao should have been the one injured.
It couldn't possibly be Howard!
Let alone Chen Hao injuring Howard by stepping on him!
Just then, the Fans in the arena suddenly erupted in a huge commotion!
Because they had clearly seen the process of Chen Haobeing tripped on the big screen!
Even Kenny Smith shouted angrily:
"Damn it!"
"Dwight actually deliberately tripped Chen Hao?"
"This guy even tried to play the victim first?"
"Putting on an act of being severely injured?"
"His behavior is truly despicable!"
Kenny Smith's words were met with approval from the home Fans, and many Fans booed Howard loudly.
The referees were also watching the replay of the game, and they had also figured out what had happened.
Deliberately tripping an opponent warrants additional penalties.
Because tripping is one of the most egregious acts on the court, easily causing severe injuries to offensive players.
Therefore, the referees must impose additional penalties for Howard's actions!
Howard was assessed a Flagrant Foul 1!
This penalty decision made the Magic's Head Coach Van Gundy very unhappy!
"Hey, he didn't intentionally trip him!"
"And he didn't suffer any injuries!"
"On the contrary, Dwight, he was stepped on and injured!"
"Why is he still being called for a flagrant foul?"
The referee didn't even bother to explain Van Gundy's remarks.
Although Howard's deliberate tripping did not cause Chen Hao a serious injury, his action itself was already a flagrant foul!
Seeing the referee ignore his protest, Van Gundy's mood became even more depressed.
He actually didn't believe that Chen Hao's landing would cause Howard such severe damage.
So he felt that Howard's current expression had an element of acting, and he proactively asked the team doctor:
"Hey, how serious is Dwight's condition?"
After carefully examining Howard's left foot, the team doctor's expression had become incredibly grim.
"The situation is much worse than I imagined!"
"His left foot appears to have multiple fractures!"
"And it's already starting to swell!"
"Emergency treatment must be administered immediately!"
The team doctor's words shocked Van Gundy:
"What are you saying?"
"His left foot injury is really that serious?"
The team doctor helplessly spread his hands and said:
"Although I also find it incredible, that's how it is!"
"His injury is indeed very serious!"
"He can no longer continue in the game!"
Van Gundy: "..."
Watching Howard limp back to the locker room, supported by his teammates, the home Fans were all dumbfounded!
They had already clearly seen that Howard was indeed the one who tripped him.
And Chen Hao had indeed stepped on Howard's foot!
But the result was beyond everyone's expectations!
Chen Hao was completely unharmed, while Howard, who had deliberately tripped him, limped off the court!
Was this a complete reversal of the natural order?
Barkley and Kenny Smith didn't understand what was happening.
It wasn't until they repeatedly watched the replay that Kenny Smith tentatively said:
"Let me get this straight!"
"Did Chen Hao step on Dwight's foot?"
"He injured Dwight!"
"And he himself has no injuries at all?"
"It seems so!"
Barkley's expression was equally astonished, and he nodded silently.
Hearing this, whether it was the home Fans or the audience in front of their televisions, everyone fell silent!
Such an outrageous thing, it was truly the first time they had heard of it.
It's like an outrageously absurd situation opening the door to even more absurdity; it's utterly absurd!
Chapter 77: Logo Buzzer-Beater! An Astonishing Comeback! Who's Your Daddy? Speak Louder, I Can't Hear You!
Kenny Smith's deduction basically revealed the truth behind Howard's injury.
Even the Magic players were left speechless by the outcome.
As for the Boston Celtics players, they looked at Chen Hao as if he were a monster.
As his teammates, they knew this was the second time something like this had happened to Chen Hao.
The first time was when Rondo undercut Chen Hao, and Rondo suffered a serious injury.
Now, Howard undercut Chen Hao, and it was Howard, the one who initiated the undercut, who got injured!
"What exactly are his ankles made of?"
Jefferson was filled with immense doubt at this moment.
Meanwhile, Pierce and Rondo, who had been sitting on the bench, now had extremely solemn expressions.
When Rondo saw Howard intentionally undercut Chen Hao and get injured, his expression turned incredibly ugly.
Because he remembered the time he himself had intentionally undercut Chen Hao and gotten injured.
He still remembered that painful feeling vividly!
At that time, he had thought it was because Chen Hao's weight was too great, which caused his foot injury.
But now, it seemed that wasn't the case!
How could such immense force be generated at the moment of landing?
Unless it was intentional exertion of force, and the feet were incredibly rigid!
Now, Rondo truly felt that Chen Hao's body was simply too terrifying!
No wonder he never got injured despite all the physical collisions in the paint; it turned out his body was truly very strong!
Thinking of this, Rondo's gaze towards Chen Hao was once again filled with apprehension.
After this interlude, the first half of the game ended!
60:65!
The Magic were still leading the Boston Celtics by 5 points!
Chen Hao had already racked up 36 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 steals, and 7 blocks in the first half.
It could be said that Chen Hao alone had been desperately carrying the team throughout the entire first half.
Otherwise, the Boston Celtics would definitely have been trailing by an even larger margin!
But now that Howard was out due to injury, this should be an opportunity for the Boston Celtics to take the lead!
Halftime ended, and the second half began!
Before the start of the second half, reporters on the scene had already learned of Howard's latest injury status.
Multiple fractures in his left foot, conservatively estimated to require more than two months for recovery!
This meant that Howard would be out due to injury for the next two months!
This was a huge blow for the Magic!
Howard's undercutting behavior ultimately backfired on him!
And after learning of Howard's injury, the Magic players all developed a strong animosity towards Chen Hao.
In their opinion, Howard's injury was intentionally caused by Chen Hao.
Although they didn't know why Chen Hao wasn't injured, the result was clear!
Chen Hao stepped on Howard's foot, which led to Howard's injury.
Chen Hao should bear responsibility for this!
If Chen Hao knew their thoughts, he would definitely give them a thumbs up:
"You guys really are famously hypocritical!"
Carrying this animosity towards Chen Hao, the Magiclaunched a fierce attack right at the start of the third quarter!
Especially Turkoglu and Lewis, they continuously hit three-pointers from beyond the arc, once again widening the point differential!
The Boston Celtics' defense was still quite poor, especially when Chen Hao helped defend the paint, there would definitely be huge open spaces on the perimeter.
Rivers was also quite helpless about this.
There was nothing he could do; the Boston Celtics' defense was already not good, and expecting Chen Haoalone to help defend five people was indeed very unrealistic.
However, what made Rivers slightly relieved was that Chen Hao continued to make huge contributions on the offensive end.
Not only could he set up his teammates, but he could also create scoring opportunities for himself.
Thus, both sides engaged in an offensive battle!
The third quarter ended, and the point differential between the two sides still remained in single digits!
90:96!
In the fourth quarter, the Magic's double-teaming of Chen Hao became even more resolute!
They would rather leave the Boston Celtics' perimeter open than allow Chen Hao to attack the paint!
As a result, Chen Hao's scoring was restricted, while his teammates' perimeter shooting percentage never improved!
By the time the game had only three minutes left, the point differential had already reached 9 points!
119:128!
Rivers called a timeout; he was equally anxious at this moment!
Chen Hao had done his absolute best, but the performance of the other players was truly too disappointing!
Especially the accuracy from beyond the arc, which they had consistently failed to find, and this was why the Boston Celtics were trailing!
And Chen Hao also realized that if he kept holding the ball, the effect would not be very good.
So he decisively suggested to Rivers:
"Hey, Coach, why don't you let me play off-ball.
Let them set off-ball screens for me.
Shoot three-pointers when I'm open!"
Chen Hao's suggestion made Rivers pause for a moment:
"Are you sure this method will work?"
"It's a last resort!"
Chen Hao joked with a smile.
Seeing Chen Hao's confident look, Rivers finally adopted his suggestion!
Thus, West took on the role of organizing the offense.
As for Chen Hao, he would use his teammates' off-ball screens to run into open space and find shooting opportunities!
Timeout over!
Seeing that Chen Hao wasn't attacking with the ball this time, the Magic players were somewhat surprised.
However, they still assigned two players to stick closely to Chen Hao.
Under his teammates' off-ball screens, Chen Hao began to move!
Although the Magic players tried their best to chase him, Chen Hao's speed was simply too fast!
By the time they caught up to Chen Hao, he had already caught the ball and released his shot!
This was a mid-range shot, and it went in steadily!
121:128!
Two minutes and forty seconds left!
On the return possession, Lewis hit a three-pointer from beyond the arc for the Magic!
121:131!
Two minutes and fifteen seconds left on the shot clock!
The point differential continued to widen, but Chen Hao's expression remained very calm.
After another off-ball screen and run, Chen Hao appeared directly at the right 45-degree angle!
West's pass was also very timely!
After catching the ball, Chen Hao pulled up for a three-pointer!
This time, Turkoglu and Lewis rushed over to defend!
Although they rushed to defend very timely this time, Chen Hao's jump height on his shot was simply too high!
They couldn't interfere with Chen Hao's shot at all!
"Swish!"
Three-pointer, nothing but net!
124:131!
One minute and fifty seconds left!
The Fans in the home arena had completely held their breath!
They had placed all their hopes on Chen Hao!
On the return possession, the Magic chose a half-court offense.
When there were only three seconds left on the shot clock, Turkoglu finally shot the ball!
This shot missed!
Chen Hao leaped high and grabbed the defensive rebound!
After passing to West, Chen Hao quickly sprinted up the court!
One minute and thirty seconds left on the shot clock!
The game had reached its final moments, and except for Chen Hao, all the other players' stamina had reached its limit.
So no one from the Magic could keep up with Chen Hao!
This time, Chen Hao went directly to the left corner!
West used all his strength to throw the ball to Chen Hao!
Chen Hao caught the ball!
And pulled up for another three-pointer!
"Swish!"
Another swish!
127:131!
One minute left!
The entire crowd of Fans instantly erupted!
The point differential had been narrowed to 4 points!
The Boston Celtics still had hope!
The Magic called a timeout!
The camera focused on Chen Hao; his face showed no expression, as if all of this was perfectly normal!
Timeout over!
The Magic still chose to run down the shot clock!
With three seconds left, Turkoglu drove to the paint!
This time, Chen Hao was right behind him!
The moment he shot, Chen Hao had already taken off into the air, single-handedly swatting the ball down!
Thirty-six seconds left!
Chen Hao dribbled the ball and sprinted up the court!
The Magic players wanted to foul him, but they couldn't even catch up!
Dribbling to the top of the arc, Chen Hao pulled up for a three-pointer!
It went in again!
130:131!
Twenty-four seconds left!
Magic possession!
The Magic players were all terrified!
They had never imagined!
Chen Hao would be so insane in the final moments!
He had narrowed a 10-point lead down to just 1 point!
Fortunately, it was their possession!
Turkoglu received the ball!
He slowly dribbled past half-court!
His goal was simple: to run out the clock!
But the Boston Celtics players double-teamed him!
He could only choose to pass!
The ball went to Nelson, who was again double-teamed!
Nelson passed the ball to Lewis again!
Six seconds left on the shot clock!
The moment Nelson passed the ball, Chen Hao, who had not participated in the double-team defense, suddenly burst out from the crowd!
He stole the ball right in front of Lewis!
Five seconds left!
Just as Chen Hao was about to dribble the ball and sprint up the court, the Magic players swarmed him like crazy!
Chen Hao quickly dribbled to evade their encirclement, and after a series of crossover dribbles and turns, he left the defenders behind!
At this point, there were two seconds left on the shot clock!
Chen Hao forcefully pushed the ball, quickly crossed mid-court, and pulled up for a jump shot from the logo!
The moment the ball left his hands, the timer lit up!
Everyone in the arena stared intently at the basketball flying towards the hoop!
"Swish!"
The buzzer sounded, and the ball went in!
Chen Hao completed a buzzer-beater!
133:131!
Chen Hao completed an astonishing comeback all by himself!
The entire crowd of Fans erupted!
Chen Hao became the hero of the Boston Celtics' home arena!
Chapter 78: Chen Hao, the Master of Time Management! Clutch Shot on the Court, Studying Two-Handed Dribbling Off It!
At this moment, Chen Hao's teammates were all convinced by him!
Especially Jefferson, after Chen Hao made the game-winner, he was the first player to rush over and celebrate!
Immediately after, except for Rondo and Pierce, all the other players rushed to Chen Hao and celebrated wildly with him!
With three minutes left in the game, the Boston Celticswere once trailing by as much as 10 points!
Then, Chen Hao decisively changed his ball-handling offensive style, which worked wonders!
After frantic off-ball movement, he hit an unguardable pull-up three-pointer, completing the comeback all by himself!
In the first home game of the new season, Chen Haosealed the win against the Magic with a buzzer-beating, ultra-long three-pointer, securing the team's first victory!
The home Fans were completely ecstatic, and a huge roar drowned out the entire Stadium!
In contrast, the Magic players all had expressions of shocked disbelief.
They didn't even know what had happened; how did they lose the game?
On the faces of Turkoglu and Lewis, there was only confusion and frustration; the victory should have been theirs.
But the final result was a game-winning shot by Chen Hao!
In this game, they didn't lose to the Boston Celtics; they lost to Chen Hao!
Kenny Smith's expression was also extremely excited at this moment; he laughed and said to Barkley:
"Hey, Charles!
I have to admit now!
Your mouth is truly blessed!
Calling you a jinx was definitely not wrong!"
Seeing Kenny Smith like this, Barkley was furious!
He originally thought that the Magic, leading by 10 points with three minutes left, had the game in the bag.
He never expected the final result to be a stunning comeback by Chen Hao; he couldn't accept this outcome!
"Damn it!
He just got lucky!
He definitely won't have such luck again!"
At this moment, Barkley's only remaining toughness was his mouth!
In the Magic's locker room, Howard, whose left foot was already tightly wrapped in an ice pack, had a dazed expression.
He had actually been following the game closely, and the final result was unacceptable to him!
"Damn it!
If I had been on the court, we absolutely wouldn't have lost!
That damn guy actually injured my foot!
I will definitely get my revenge!"
Sitting on the bench and watching his teammates celebrate wildly with Chen Hao, Pierce and Rondo's hearts were filled with immense complexity and frustration.
Now, they even felt like outsiders.
They were on the same team, so why did they feel alienated from it?
They knew the reason for this outcome.
And at this moment, the camera also focused on Pierceand Rondo sitting on the bench.
When the home Fans saw these two, their feelings were equally complex.
"Damn it, why are these two guys alienating Chen Hao?"
"Yeah, if they could integrate, their strength would definitely increase greatly!"
"But once something like this happens, a rift has already formed!"
"Forget it, I feel like it's fine without them; just trade them!"
"Trade them for two players who can score, and the Boston Celtics will definitely take off!"
At this moment, the Boston Celtics Fans even felt that Pierce and Rondo were two superfluous players.
They were flavorless to eat but a pity to discard; trading them as chips was the best outcome!
Angie actually had the same thought.
He had seen through it: Pierce and Rondo could not get along with Chen Hao.
Because Chen Hao's playing style and personality were incompatible with theirs, trading became the only option.
It's just that the league's trade window hadn't opened yet, so he could only bench them.
"Perhaps, I can try talking to Paul!
After all, he's also a veteran of the team!"
Angie sighed, his heart filled with worry.
Originally, Chen Hao's game-winner and the first home victory should have been a joyous occasion.
But the disunity within the team also troubled him greatly.
After all, the regular season isn't just one or two games; there are as many as 82 regular season games in an entire season.
Under these circumstances, for the team to secure a playoff spot, they must have a second and third consistent scoring option.
Besides Chen Hao, Jefferson is currently the second scoring option, but a third scoring option truly cannot be found.
This is Angie's main headache at the moment.
It's unrealistic to rely on Chen Hao to play one-on-five and perform various difficult scoring plays every game.
"Perhaps, I can listen to Chen Hao's opinion?"
Angie murmured to himself again.
The Boston Celtics players surrounded Chen Hao and returned to the locker room, where they finally slowly calmed their excited emotions.
Jefferson looked at Chen Hao with admiration and said:
"Hey, Chen, I must apologize to you!
Before, I really wasn't convinced by you!
But after today, I am truly convinced!
From now on, you are the leader of the team!
Whatever you tell us to do, we will do!"
Jefferson at this moment was truly not acting for Chen Hao, but genuinely admiring Chen Hao's actions from the bottom of his heart.
Facing double-teams and even quadruple-teams, he constantly fed his teammates easy passes.
Even when his teammates missed wildly, Chen Hao still had no complaints.
Finally, he carried the team on his shoulders, unleashing tremendous scoring ability, and completed the comeback!
Seeing Chen Hao fight with all his might and give his all for victory, Jefferson knew that such a player was absolutely fine to be the team's leader!
The other players, after hearing Jefferson's words, also chimed in, affirming Chen Hao's actions.
To his teammates' candor, Chen Hao replied with a smile:
"Hey, you guys saying that makes me feel a bit pretentious.
Playing basketball, the most important thing is to have fun!
As long as everyone cooperates, victory will definitely be ours!"
Chen Hao's words made his teammates laugh heartily.
Rivers, who had been silently observing everything from the side, finally spoke up to summarize:
"Hey, guys, this was a brilliant victory!
Chen Hao is right, we are a team, so we must have a spirit of teamwork.
Three consecutive wins are just the beginning; we still need to achieve more victories!"
The atmosphere in the entire Boston Celtics locker room became more united than ever before, and Chen Haoofficially became the team's leader at this moment!
Chen Hao's ultra-long three-pointer to win the game against the Magic also became the best highlight of the day's games.
And among the top ten plays of the day, Chen Hao alone accounted for six of them!
There was a jelly layup after beating three defenders, a dunk over Howard, and of course, the final game-winning three-pointer!
And on this day, Chen Hao's name successfully topped the All-America trending topics list!
Just as Fans across All-America were marveling at Chen Hao's performance, Chen Hao had already begun his streetball games!
This time, the jerseys worn by Fox and Rihanna had changed to Howard's and Pierce's jerseys!
Chapter 79: Every Maiden's Springtime Dreams! Scarlet Witch Travels Thousands of Miles for a Hookup! And Liu Tianxian and Yang Mi Are Next in Line?
While Chen Hao, Fox, and Rihanna were studying dribbling techniques, the highlights of his game quickly became the hottest video on social media.
As the video's shares skyrocketed, more and more netizens became aware of Chen Hao.
Male Fans marveled at Chen Hao's exquisite basketball skills and dominant game-winning shot on the court.
Female Fans, on the other hand, were amazed by Chen Hao's handsome appearance and exceptional ball skills, and they all followed Chen Hao's social media account.
Thus, overnight, Chen Hao's social media account gained a million followers, making him a phenomenal figure.
Now, both domestically and internationally, everyone was completely captivated by Chen Hao's performance!
Even the Big Diesel O'Neal commented on social media:
"Damn! This kid is really too good!
I feel he's even stronger than LeBron in his rookie season!
This guy already has the aura of a leader!"
Additionally, the recognized God of Basketball, Michael Jordan, also remarked with emotion:
"Chen Hao's performance is truly incredible!
It's hard to imagine he's a rookie player who has only played three regular season games!
He possesses a big heart!
He will be the future superstar of the league!
I really like this guy!"
With consecutive praises from O'Neal and Jordan, Chen Hao's fame grew even larger.
He even became popular outside of basketball, with players from other sports leagues also taking notice of Chen Hao.
This included both the NFL and UFC leagues.
One is an American football league, and the other is a mixed martial arts league.
The star players in these leagues all spoke highly of Chen Hao's performance.
Especially experts in mixed martial arts, who highly praised Chen Hao's incredibly robust physical condition:
"If this guy didn't play basketball and switched to mixed martial arts!
He would definitely be a top-tier rising star!
Because his physical condition is truly abnormal!
Did you see it?
He was tripped but was fine, while Dwight, who tripped him, suffered a fracture!
I really want to know if this guy's ankles are made of alloy!"
Although it was just an exaggerated joke, it indeed expressed astonishment at Chen Hao's astonishing physical condition.
It was precisely because Chen Hao had enormous exposure and traffic these past two days that domestic female celebrities also became aware of him.
This included Liu Tianxian and Yang Mi, both of whom learned about this formidable man, Chen Hao, through social media.
Mainly, Chen Hao's physical appearance was simply too outstanding, which held immense attraction for these look-conscious female celebrities.
Moreover, their agents also keenly sensed the enormous potential in Chen Hao.
It's important to remember that after Yao Ming played in the NBA, the number of basketball Fans in Dragon Country grew exponentially.
Now, Chen Hao's performance is even more explosive than Yao Ming's, so his Fans will definitely be even more numerous than imagined.
Therefore, how to leverage Chen Hao to gain more attention became a question for these female celebrities' agents to consider.
The simplest and most direct way was to travel to the United States to watch Chen Hao's games and interact with him.
Of course, before that, it was crucial to lay the groundwork, stating that they were Chen Hao's Fans and enjoyed watching his games.
Thus, the agents of these two young female stars from Dragon Country began their operations.
As for some young maidens in the United States, Chen Hao became their dream lover.
Especially Chen Hao's handsome face, comparable to Leonardo DiCaprio, captivated countless young girls.
Among them was Elizabeth Olsen, who had just turned nineteen.
In fact, she is more widely known as scarlet witch, and her most successful role was Scarlet Witch in Marvel.
Her debut was quite stunning, even surpassing Guǎ Jiě to become the dream lover of many moviegoers.
However, at present, she doesn't have many film works, so she is not yet widely known.
But when she saw various exciting videos about Chen Hao on social media, she completely fell for him.
"This guy is really too cool!
I'm going to watch his game live!
I used to think only Black people could play in the NBA.
I didn't expect a yellow-skinned person could play so well.
Most importantly, he's really too handsome!"
At eighteen or nineteen, it's the time for springtime dreams, and scarlet witch was completely smitten.
So, she quickly found Chen Hao's next game and started buying tickets online.
The Boston Celtics' next game was still at home, and their opponent was the San Antonio Spurs.
This was a formidable opponent because the Spurs had the GDP trio, and their Head Coach was Popovich.
In last year's NBA Finals, they even swept the Cavaliers4-0 to win the Championship.
So this game was a huge challenge for the BostonCeltics.
scarlet witch didn't care about any of this; she just wanted to see Chen Hao play live.
So, she decisively bought tickets for the Boston Celtics' home game, quickly booked a flight to Boston, and reserved a local hotel.
Just like that!
scarlet witch, who was currently in college, even skipped classes to go to Boston to watch Chen Hao's game.
scarlet witch's family background was quite good; her two older sisters were already in business, and her family gave her plenty of pocket money.
So she had no financial burden whatsoever when buying tickets and plane tickets; everything was completed smoothly!
After Chen Hao and Fox and Rihanna sparred for a day and a night in the hotel, he finally switched to sage mode.
When he opened his social media account, Chen Hao was stunned!
Because he found countless messages on his account, and his followers had already surpassed a million.
For a moment, Chen Hao even thought there was a problem with the social media backend and it had made a mistake!
It wasn't until he saw his video highlights going viral online that he realized he had exploded in popularity!
Chen Hao opened the social media account's backend, and his expression became even more peculiar.
All sorts of eye-catching messages made him feel the madness of this world!
"Hey, Chen, I want to have your baby!"
"Damn, you're really too cool! I'm going to watch your game right now!"
"Even though I'm a man, I really like you too!"
"I'm a female businesswoman worth over a hundred million, and I'm interested in your body!
If you're willing, I can pay you ten million, but you have to successfully get me pregnant!"
"I suspect you're an alien, but I have no proof!"
Chen Hao glanced at the chaotic messages and then closed them directly.
Tomorrow's game is against the San Antonio Spurs, which is indeed a huge challenge for the Boston Celtics at this stage.
But Chen Hao was not worried about it; instead, he was full of anticipation for the game.
"Popovich, I'm going to see if you're really as legendary a strategist as they say!"
Chapter 80: The Nineteen-Year-Old Scarlet Witch scarlet witchIs Truly Radiant! (Please Read and Follow)
The Spurs' roster this season continued their championship-winning lineup from last season, making them incredibly strong.
Last season, in the NBA Finals, they easily swept the Cavaliers 4-0, and Duncan even said those classic words to James:
"The future is yours!"
For James, these words were almost a curse.
It caused him to struggle for several years, eventually forcing him to resort to "brotherhood basketball" to finally win a Championship.
So, from this perspective alone, the Spurs' strength is truly astonishing.
Besides their well-balanced roster, the most important reason is Head Coach Popovich.
This old guy's coaching level can be described as extremely high.
How high?
At least four or five stories high, which is a world of difference compared to the Boston Celtics' Rivers, who is only one story high!
However, for Boston Celtics Fans, they now have blind confidence in Chen Hao:
"Chen Hao will lead the team to continued victories!"
But in reality, any slightly sober Fans knows that for the Boston Celtics to defeat the San Antonio Spurs is an almost impossible task.
Because they can hardly find a stable second scoring option, with only Jefferson left in the paint.
Jefferson will definitely be suppressed by Duncan's defense.
That means all offensive pressure will fall on Chen Hao's shoulders. The San Antonio Spurs are quite experienced in dealing with single-core teams!
Weren't the Cavaliers, their opponents in last year's NBA Finals, a single-core team?
Then they swept their opponents and easily won the Championship.
The current Boston Celtics also only have Chen Hao as a single core, so wouldn't defeating them be an easy task?
Therefore, the San Antonio Spurs' Head Coach Popovichstated in an interview with reporters:
"Hey, I've really never heard of this guy you're talking about.
Is he strong?
When did he enter the NBA?
What?
Just entered the NBA?
And only played three games?
Are you kidding me?
Is this guy stronger than Michael LeBron?
I'm really too disappointed with your questions!
Next time, I hope you think of more meaningful questions before asking me!"
The reporters who questioned Popovich were subjected to his barrage of trash talk.
From his remarks, it was clear he was truly dismissive of Chen Hao.
As for the other San Antonio Spurs players, they were equally indifferent, with Duncan stating directly:
"This is just an ordinary regular season game.
Our task is to finish the game and defeat our opponent!
As for whether he's strong, as you say, we'll only know after we play!"
Compared to Duncan's remarks, their team's defensive stalwart, Bruce Bowen, was even more arrogant:
"No matter how strong he is, under my defense.
I believe he will definitely doubt his life!
Since he's a rookie, I will definitely let him know what a cruel NBA is like!
I will definitely lock this guy down!
You all just open your eyes and watch!"
The game hadn't even started, but the San Antonio Spursplayers had already made bold statements, which greatly displeased many Boston Celtics Fans.
They were also eagerly anticipating the arrival of this game.
At the same time, scarlet witch had already arrived in Boston, and she was feeling incredibly excited and thrilled.
This was her first time leaving home alone to come to such a distant place, and her purpose was merely to watch Chen Hao play.
Such behavior, just thinking about it, felt crazy.
After scarlet witch put her luggage in the hotel, she went out to scout the area.
She needed to familiarize herself with the route to the Stadium and ensure she wouldn't be late on game day.
scarlet witch also had a bold idea: to get Chen Hao's autograph after the game.
After all, she had paid a hefty price for front-row seats, which allowed her to watch Chen Hao's performance on the court up close.
The reason scarlet witch spent so much to buy these front-row seats was to find an opportunity to interact with Chen Hao and get his autograph.
So, scarlet witch had already prepared Chen Hao's jersey and a corresponding marker pen; she wanted Chen Hao to sign his name on the jersey.
Of course, she would definitely wear this jersey herself, as that would make it more meaningful.
One day later, at the Boston Celtics' TD Garden Stadium.
It was half an hour before the game started, but the stands were already completely full.
The home Fans were very much looking forward to this game.
Although their opponent was the San Antonio Spurs, their strength should not be underestimated.
But after Chen Hao's buzzer-beater against the Magic in the last game, they were filled with confidence in Chen Hao.
In their eyes, there was nothing Chen Hao couldn't do!
It's just the San Antonio Spurs, right?
Once Chen Hao explodes, he can easily crush the San Antonio Spurs too!
So, even before the game began, the atmosphere in the Stadium was already quite lively.
At the same time, scarlet witch had also taken her front-row seat.
scarlet witch's seat was conveniently located right behind the Boston Celtics' bench.
This position is known to be the easiest for interacting with players, so getting Chen Hao's autograph would truly be a breeze.
Thinking of this, scarlet witch's heart was already pounding with excitement.
When she saw Chen Hao run out from the player tunnel, she excitedly stood up from her seat and cheered loudly for Chen Hao.
scarlet witch was dressed very lightly, with jeans and a camisole, perfectly outlining her figure.
Coupled with her sweet appearance, she instantly attracted the attention of many male Fans.
Even the home Stadium's cameraman noticed scarlet witch's presence at this moment.
After all, her figure was truly explosive, especially when she stood up and cheered loudly, her pair of "balloons" wildly bounced with her movements!
How could the cameraman miss such an explosive scene?
So, he aimed his camera at the bouncing scarlet witch.
As a result, scarlet witch quickly appeared on the big screen.
Now, all the Fans in the Stadium noticed scarlet witch's presence.
Especially the male Fans, who watched with wide eyes, almost drooling.
"This time, we must give the cameraman extra chicken drumsticks!"
Many male Fans even joked.
And Chen Hao, who was warming up with shooting drills, also saw the bouncing figure on the big screen, and his expression instantly turned surprised:
"It's the Scarlet Witch?"
Chen Hao still had a deep impression of the Scarlet Witch.
After all, the exciting clips from "Oldboy," which she later starred in with Thanos, were still fresh in Chen Hao's memory.
He even specifically collected them in his 10TB hard drive of study materials, occasionally taking them out to enjoy.
Now, seeing her in person, Chen Hao was also very emotional:
"scarlet witch at this time, she really looks radiant!"
Chapter 81: Completing a Put-Back Dunk Over Duncan's Head! The Jumping scarlet witch, Her Straps Are About to Give Way!
When scarlet witch saw herself on the big screen, her expression became even more excited!
She even jumped with more vigor!
Because she felt that if she jumped hard enough, Chen Hao would be more likely to notice her.
The cameraman seemed to have thought of something and suddenly turned the camera to the Boston Celticsplayers.
Now, all the expressions of the Boston Celtics players were clearly displayed on the big screen!
They almost all looked up at the big screen in a daze, seemingly captivated by scarlet witch's youthful energy.
However, at this moment, Chen Hao had already recovered from his surprise and was focused on his shooting warm-up.
Seeing Chen Hao like this, the commentators on site laughed and joked:
"Looking at Chen Hao, he doesn't seem to care about what's happening on the court!
It seems he might have entered some kind of mode!
After all, it was revealed again last night that he stayed up all night at the hotel!"
The commentator's teasing made the home Fans burst into laughter.
If they had been annoyed by Chen Hao's off-court private life before, they no longer felt that way now.
Because he had already proven with his actions that his off-court private life would not affect his performance on the court.
In fact, the more outrageous his off-court private life, the more explosive his performance on the court!
Therefore, many Boston Celtics Fans felt that Chen Hao's relationships with these famous actresses were actually a way for him to recharge and maintain his good form on the court.
At this moment, when scarlet witch saw Chen Haoconcentrating on his shooting practice, her eyes became even more adoring:
"He looks so handsome when he's serious!
Oh my God!
I must get his autograph!
It would be even better if I could take a photo with him!
That way, my trip won't have been in vain!"
Just as scarlet witch was lost in her fantasies, the game officially began!
The Boston Celtics' starting lineup had changed; Piercewas not even on the court due to personal reasons.
As for Rondo, he was, as always, watching from the sidelines.
So, today's Boston Celtics starting lineup was:
Point guard West, shooting guard Chen Hao, small forward Tony Allen, power forward Perkins, and center Jefferson.
With this lineup, the strong points were truly only Chen Hao and Jefferson; the scoring ability of the other players was quite ordinary.
Looking at the San Antonio Spurs, their starting lineup was:
Point guard Parker, shooting guard Bruce Bowen, small forward Manu Ginobili, power forward Tim Duncan, and center Oberto.
The San Antonio Spurs' lineup clearly had a huge advantage, as the GDP trio had all started, indicating they were clearly determined to win this game!
Tip-off!
Jefferson vs. Oberto!
Jefferson won the tip, and the Boston Celtics had possession!
West dribbled the ball across half-court!
And standing in front of Chen Hao was the San Antonio Spurs' defensive ace, Bruce Bowen.
The entire league was quite familiar with Bowen.
And his reputation was quite well-known, though not for anything good!
His defensive ability was strong, and he also had all sorts of dirty tricks, even often resorting to fouls!
Bowen's most famous defensive move was his "crippling foot," and he even once kicked someone in the face during a defensive play!
This habit of going after people earned him a notorious reputation in the league.
But Bowen was unfazed by this; he even took pride in it, often tripping opposing players during games.
Carter had even suffered at his hands, so Carter deeply detested Bowen.
In last year's NBA Finals, Bowen's defense against Jamesplayed a crucial role, causing James's performance to fall far below expectations.
Therefore, Bowen could be said to be the most important player in the San Antonio Spurs' defensive system.
With Bowen's presence, the San Antonio Spurs' defense was so impregnable.
And today, Popovich's task for Bowen was to shut down Chen Hao and prevent him from scoring easily!
So, the San Antonio Spurs' defensive strategy was for Bowen to guard Chen Hao, with the other four players forming a zone defense.
Popovich set up this defense because he knew Chen Hao's offensive ability was very strong and required multiple layers of defense to limit his performance.
First, use Bowen's man-to-man defense to disrupt Chen Hao's ability to receive the ball, and then use a zone defense to limit Chen Hao's drives to the basket.
This way, even if Chen Hao's one-on-one ability was strong, he would fall into a huge predicament.
Chen Hao had already figured out Popovich's defensive strategy the moment he saw Bowen in front of him.
But Chen Hao showed no signs of nervousness; instead, he directly stood outside the left three-point line.
West originally wanted to pass the ball to Chen Hao, but Chen Hao waved him off, signaling him to work with Jefferson.
Seeing Chen Hao's arrangement, West had no choice but to comply!
Jefferson came up for a screen!
West drove towards the paint using the screen!
Jefferson quickly followed behind West!
West made a behind-the-back bounce pass to Jefferson!
Jefferson received the ball and shot decisively!
Their pick-and-roll play this time was quite smooth.
The only pity was that Jefferson's mid-range shot this time missed!
Just as the San Antonio Spurs were about to grab the defensive rebound, Chen Hao suddenly appeared under the basket!
He snatched the offensive rebound with both hands over Duncan's head!
Plucking a melon from the top of the head!
Chen Hao's offensive rebound this time was too fierce; even Duncan looked completely bewildered!
And that wasn't all!
After Chen Hao completed the "melon plucking" over Duncan's head, he then slammed the ball fiercely into the basket!
This left the unprepared Duncan unable to react, and in desperation, he shoved Chen Hao hard in mid-air!
Duncan's push was clearly intended to commit an intentional foul and prevent Chen Hao's put-back dunk over his head!
Little did he know, Duncan's shove this time did not prevent Chen Hao's dunk and even gave Chen Hao an opportunity for an additional free throw!
"Dong!"
A dull sound rang out!
This was the sound of the basketball being dunked into the hoop!
Chen Hao completed a put-back dunk over Duncan's head and even drew a foul from him!
Seeing this scene, the Green Army Fans instantly erupted!
scarlet witch even jumped directly from her seat, shouting frantically at Chen Hao!
At this moment, Chen Hao unintentionally saw this scene, and his eyelids twitched wildly:
"Can her straps withstand such violent jumping?"
However, from scarlet witch's excited expression, it was clear she was there for Chen Hao.
Now, Chen Hao was even more determined to win this game!
"Since that's the case, let's give the young scarlet witch a little shock!"
Chapter 82: Bowen's ribs are too brittle! They broke after just one elbow? (Please keep reading)
The home Fans were completely hyped!
At the start of the game, Chen Hao had already shown them such an explosive scene, which made them even more confident about this game!
At this moment, Chen Hao had already landed from above Duncan's head. Duncan still maintained a poker face, but Bowen, as a teammate, was not happy!
He rushed to Chen Hao's front immediately, directly raised his right elbow, and fiercely shoved Chen Hao!
And he loudly shouted at Chen Hao:
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Bowen's sudden aggression caught many of the Boston Celtics players off guard.
Even Duncan didn't expect his teammate Bowen to be so impulsive.
Everyone initially thought Chen Hao would be violently shoved to the ground by Bowen, but the result left everyone stunned!
Not only was Chen Hao not pushed down by Bowen, but he also didn't budge!
The most shocked person was Bowen!
He looked at Chen Hao with a face full of surprise, unable to even utter any trash talk.
But just then, Chen Hao's counterattack came!
Chen Hao was not the type of player who would be repeatedly provoked without fighting back, especially against a player as notorious as Bowen; he never tolerated it!
So, Chen Hao retaliated in kind!
He also raised his right elbow and shoved it towards Bowen's chest!
Chen Hao's movement seemed slow, but it was incredibly fast, with a hint of the 'inch force' from Dragon Kingdom Kung Fu!
Bowen actually wanted to dodge Chen Hao's shove, but he was shocked to find that he couldn't dodge it at all!
Chen Hao's right elbow struck Bowen's chest, and the latter's expression changed dramatically in an instant!
From shock, it turned into a grimace, his eyes almost bulging out!
Then, Bowen flew backward several meters, like a kite with a broken string, his feet leaving the ground!
When he finally landed, he slid a long distance on the floor!
He only stopped when his back hit the scorer's table at the sideline!
Bowen's exaggerated flight shocked everyone in the arena!
Whether it was the Boston Celtics' Fans or the San Antonio Spurs' players, they all looked as if they had seen a ghost, staring in horror at Bowen, who was slumped with his head down in front of the scorer's table.
Duncan, who always had a poker face, now had an incredibly vivid expression.
His eyes, which were originally devoid of spirit, were now filled with fear and confusion!
Duncan could be said to be the closest person to Bowenand Chen Hao; he clearly witnessed what happened.
Bowen actively shoved Chen Hao, and Chen Hao didn't move.
Chen Hao shoved Bowen with the same motion, and Bowen even tried to dodge, but the result was what it is now!
Where did the problem lie?
Was Bowen flopping, or was Chen Hao's strength truly terrifying?
It wasn't until Duncan saw Bowen in excruciating pain that he finally realized that Bowen wasn't flopping!
He was genuinely shoved flying by Chen Hao, and by the looks of him, he likely suffered an injury!
At this, Duncan's gaze towards Chen Hao became incredibly respectful.
This was the first time in his many years of toiling in the NBA that he had seen a player with such explosive strength!
Before this, the league's strongest bench press king was Ben Wallace, who set the NBA rookie combine bench press record, and it had remained unbroken.
Ben Wallace was also quite tough in games, even becoming the Detroit Pistons' defensive anchor, which was inseparable from his immense strength!
Most impressively, during The Palace brawl, Ben Wallaceused the same motion to shove Artest hard, and the latter immediately cowered!
He didn't dare to make any further physical contact with Ben Wallace; instead, he retreated to the scorer's table and voluntarily lay down on it!
It seemed like Artest was persuaded to the side by his teammates and coaches, but in reality, he was scared into retreating by Ben Wallace.
It's worth noting that Artest was also incredibly strong at that time.
But when faced with Ben Wallace's shove, he merely almost fell to the ground, which was enough to instill great fear in him towards Ben Wallace.
However, compared to the result of Chen Hao shoving Bowen, there was a world of difference!
Artest could at least lie on the scorer's table unscathed and pretend to be tough, but what about Bowen?
He could only sit unconscious below the scorer's table!
One was active, the other passive!
This alone was enough to prove that Chen Hao's shove this time had terrifying power!
As the San Antonio Spurs' Head Coach, Popovich, after a brief moment of shock, immediately confronted the referee!
He loudly questioned the referee as to why Chen Haowas not yet ejected, because Chen Hao had caused serious harm to Bowen.
At this time, the San Antonio Spurs' team doctor had already conducted a preliminary examination of Bowen's condition and found that his situation was even more severe than imagined.
Bowen had already regained consciousness, but the painful expression on his face had not yet dissipated.
He clutched his chest in pain, his eyes filled with terror.
He would never forget the moment he was shoved by Chen Hao; he felt as if he had been hit by a high-speed truck, and the immense impact sent him flying uncontrollably!
At that moment, Bowen's only thought was regret.
He regretted that he shouldn't have stepped up for Duncan, he regretted that he shouldn't have actively shoved Chen Hao.
But there was no turning back now; his only hope was that the referee would eject Chen Hao.
At least he could contribute something to the team.
However, facing Popovich's pressure, the referees seemed unimpressed.
Because they all saw that it was Bowen who initiated the provocation and shoved Chen Hao.
If he hadn't made the first move, Chen Hao wouldn't have retaliated.
That meant that the instigator of everything was Bowen, not Chen Hao.
Therefore, the referees needed to use video replay to determine the responsibility of both parties in this conflict.
Because the standard for referee judgment was not based on who suffered greater harm.
When the entire process of the conflict appeared on the big screen, all the details became crystal clear!
Especially upon seeing Bowen actively shoving Chen Haoand being unable to move him, the entire arena erupted in huge laughter!
And when scarlet witch saw this scene, her expression became even more adoring!
"He's really too cool!
I must get his autograph!"
The replay clearly showed that Bowen brought it upon himself!
However, considering the consequences of the conflict, the referees still decided to penalize both sides equally!
Bowen and Chen Hao both received Flagrant Foul 1!
This decision left Popovich quite dissatisfied, and he did not accept the ruling!
Just as he was furiously railing at the referees, Chen Haocalmly walked up to Popovich and quietly said:
"Hey, old man, I advise you not to get too agitated!
I'm afraid you might burst a blood vessel later!"
Chapter 83 Chen Hao said to scarlet witch, who was stuck in the washing machine: "Don't look back, it's me!"
Popovich was already depressed enough, and now Chen Hao was even trash-talking him?
Popovich could be said to have considerable prestige in this league.
He had always been the one to trash-talk referees or players; no player had ever dared to trash-talk him.
And he was a rookie player, yet he dared to actively trash-talk him?
Popovich's face instantly turned incredibly gloomy, and he stared intently at Chen Hao, saying:
"Are you looking for death?"
Chen Hao smiled calmly at Popovich's threat:
"No, I'm not looking for death; on the contrary, I think you are!
You're old, so don't get so agitated!
I'm giving you good advice, so why are you cursing me back?
You really are a bit ungrateful!"
Chen Hao's trash talk was truly devastating. Popovichwas so infuriated by his words that he almost spat blood.
Popovich's face indeed turned incredibly red at this moment; he looked genuinely furious.
Seeing him like this, Chen Hao's smile grew wider:
"See!
When you're old, don't get angry so easily!
Don't worry, I'll try to play a little gentler.
I'll end the game as soon as possible!
I'll let you lose more gracefully, how about that?"
After speaking, Chen Hao didn't even bother with Popovich's reaction and turned to leave!
Because Chen Hao had already seen the referee walking towards them, clearly coming to break them up.
Chen Hao had achieved his goal of mocking Popovich, so he actively withdrew.
Seeing Chen Hao leave voluntarily, the referee finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They were really worried about a conflict between Chen Hao and Popovich; the one who would suffer would definitely be Popovich.
He was an old man; how could he be a match for a beast like Chen Hao?
The other San Antonio Spurs players also gathered around Popovich, all looking incredibly angry.
But at this moment, Popovich was clearly still fuming:
"What are you doing?
What were you doing when he was trash-talking me just now?
Damn it!
Later, go out there and beat them badly!
I refuse to believe I can't deal with this rookie!"
Duncan and the others were equally surprised to see the enraged Popovich.
Although Popovich usually liked to pressure referees, he wouldn't get as flustered and angry as he was today.
It was very clear that Chen Hao had provoked him!
However, Duncan and the others were also very displeased with Chen Hao's actions, especially after learning that Bowen had several broken ribs!
Therefore, even without Popovich asking, they would do their best to win this game.
Although Bowen had withdrawn from the game due to injury, it didn't have a significant impact on the San Antonio Spurs.
Their offensive ability was still quite strong, so defeating the Celtics was naturally no problem!
So, as the game continued, the San Antonio Spursplayers' eyes became incredibly gloomy.
Especially Chen Hao, who had almost become the common enemy of the entire San Antonio Spurs team!
After Chen Hao made the free throw, he smiled and taunted Duncan:
"Hey, Tim, next time you're grabbing a rebound, remember to check behind you!
Maybe I'll appear behind you!"
Chen Hao's words made Duncan's face even uglier. He silently glanced at Chen Hao, determined to dominate the Celtics' paint.
As a player with a psychology major, Duncan had received professional training.
Unless he couldn't help it, he wouldn't easily get angry.
But today, he was indeed very angry with Chen Hao.
This feeling hadn't appeared in a long time!
So Duncan felt it was necessary to vent in the Celtics' paint and make Chen Hao pay for his impulsive behavior!
Indeed!
When it was the San Antonio Spurs' turn to attack, the ball was immediately passed to Duncan!
All the other San Antonio Spurs players spread out!
This was clearly to let Duncan isolate Jefferson!
Jefferson was very cautious about Duncan's stance.
Duncan's post-up game was excellent, especially his unstoppable 45-degree bank shot, which was almost unguardable.
So Jefferson shouted to his teammates:
"You guys need to be ready to double-team him at all times!"
His teammates all nodded at Jefferson's shouts.
After two consecutive post-up dribbles, Duncan suddenly picked up the ball and turned!
Seeing Duncan's move, Jefferson stood ready!
Duncan, having turned, immediately made a shooting motion, changing Jefferson's center of gravity!
Little did he know it was Duncan's fake. Seeing Jeffersonsuccessfully faked out, he quickly turned and came to the basket, making an underhand layup!
Duncan's footwork in the paint was incredibly fluid, reminiscent of Hakeem's dream shake.
Just as the basketball was about to be gently tipped into the hoop, a figure once again descended from the sky!
It was Chen Hao again!
His timing for this help defense was perfect!
He directly snatched the ball with one hand!
This made the live commentators exclaim loudly:
"Oh my God!
Is this a block, a rebound, or a steal?!"
Duncan was dumbfounded to see Chen Hao appear above him and complete the block!
But his mental fortitude was strong, and he immediately made the decisive choice to retreat on defense!
Duncan's retreat speed was very fast, and his teammates Parker and Ginobili also quickly fell back.
So, when Chen Hao dribbled to the frontcourt, all the San Antonio Spurs players had already returned to their defensive positions!
Blocking Chen Hao's path was Parker, and next to him was Ginobili.
Behind them were Duncan and Oberto!
Clearly, if Chen Hao wanted to force his way into the paint, there was almost no hope!
Behind Chen Hao, there was also Michael Finley, eyeing him menacingly, ready to steal the ball at any moment.
Blocked in front, pursued from behind!
Chen Hao's best option was to wait for his teammates to arrive and then restart the offense!
However, he didn't do that!
Instead, after slowing down, he accelerated again, charging into the paint like he was carrying a bomb!
Parker and Ginobili, who were blocking his way, simultaneously closed the door, attempting to keep Chen Hao out immediately!
The moment Chen Hao collided with them, an unbelievable scene occurred!
Chen Hao burst through!
Parker and Ginobili were both sent flying!
And Finley, who was trailing Chen Hao, now had an incredibly gloomy expression!
He gritted his teeth, accelerated again, and after getting behind Chen Hao, he directly placed both hands on Chen Hao's shoulders, trying to pull him down!
But when he pulled Chen Hao, he was horrified to realize that he was being dragged along with Chen Hao towards Duncan and Oberto!
Duncan and Oberto, seeing Chen Hao charging fiercely, once again rushed in front of Chen Hao, trying to intercept him!
But Chen Hao, now at full speed, ignored their obstruction and collided with the two of them again!
Two more muffled grunts were heard!
Duncan and Oberto were both sent flying out of bounds by Chen Hao!
As for Chen Hao, he even completed a layup for a score at the last moment!
Finley, who was hanging on his back, was flung out of bounds and crashed into Duncan and Oberto when Chen Hao suddenly decelerated!
The referee finally blew his whistle at this moment!
Chen Hao was called for an offensive foul!
Taking down all five San Antonio Spurs players in one offensive play, this result was truly terrifying!
The Fans in the Stadium were all plunged into an eerie silence!
And what shocked the Fans most was that all five San Antonio Spurs players were lying on the ground, unable to get up!
After examination by the team doctor, they were all seriously injured!
This result was unbearable for Popovich's heart. In an extremely enraged state, he eventually fell to the ground, just as Chen Hao had predicted.
Chen Hao was ejected because the damage caused by his offense this time was truly too great!
Just then, scarlet witch suddenly left the stands, trying to rush to Chen Hao's side.
When the security guard was about to stop her, Chen Hao prevented them:
"Let her come over!"
scarlet witch, with an excited expression, indicated that she just wanted Chen Hao's autograph.
Chen Hao smiled and took the marker from her hand, while she gestured for Chen Hao to sign his name on her body.
Chen Hao smiled and signed his name on the jersey scarlet witch was wearing, and also motioned for her to extend her palm, signing his number on scarlet witch's palm:
"This is my phone number. If you need anything, you can call me!"
The game ultimately ended with the San Antonio Spurswinning, but the result was no longer important.
What was important was that the multiple records Chen Hao set in this game were enough to shock the entire league!
Just as Chen Hao finished his interview and was about to leave the Stadium, scarlet witch's call came in:
"Hey, I, I really don't want to bother you!
But I'm in trouble right now.
Can you help me?"
"What kind of trouble?
Of course, I'd be happy to help."
"I'm stuck in the washing machine."