"Steph, are you watching Kai Chen's game again?"
On the other side, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, after a big win, Draymond Green, who had just finished showering, looked at Curry, who was alone in the locker room. "Are you actually interested in that kid?"
"That's right. Kai 's talent on the offensive end is truly unparalleled."
Curry nodded in admiration. "I have a feeling that this season's Clippers will be our biggest challenge on the road to defending the title!"
In Curry's opinion, the talent Kai Chen was displaying now had the same feel as LeBron James back in the day.
Just thinking about it, the Western Conference was already full of powerhouses: the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Now there was another, the Los Angeles Clippers.
Curry felt a headache coming on, but the more pressure there was, the more motivation there would be.
Stephen Curry never feared any challenge!
"The Clippers with Kai Chen?"
After hearing Curry's words, Draymond Green's face was full of disdain. "They have no chance to challenge us. And Kai Chen? He's just trash, all hes good at is running his mouth!"
"He should be glad he didn't meet us in the first few games of his career, otherwise I would definitely beat him back to his original form!"
In Draymond Green's eyes, Kai was simply a clown who couldn't make it to the big stage.
The feud between the two could be traced back to the Final Four game between Duke University and Michigan State University, where Kai and Draymond had a fierce verbal exchange.
Because of this, Green had always held a grudge against Kai Chen, and he longed to teach him a good lesson in a game against the Clippers.
Los Angeles, Staples Center
Many eyes were gathered at the Staples Center, as the second quarter of the Lakers vs. Clippers city derby officially began!
The Clippers' bench strength was not weak, and the Lakers' rotation lineup also performed brilliantly.
Led by Chris Paul's good brother, Rajon Rondo, the Lakers made a small surge in the middle of the second quarter, narrowing the score difference.
In the latter half of the second quarter, both teams' starting lineups returned.
It was another aerial duel between LeBron James and Kai Chen on the offensive end, with both sides evenly matched and battling fiercely.
At halftime, the Los Angeles Clippers had scored 62 points, while the Lakers were not to be outdone, scoring 60 points!
The mere 2-point difference kept the suspense of the game alive.
"This is an absolutely fantastic game. Both teams' efficiency on both ends of the court is incredibly impressive."
"It's no less intense than a playoff-level matchup!"
"Especially the core players of both teams!"
Flipping through the statistics, Smith on the TNT commentary desk continued, "LeBron James scored 28 points in the first half, directly surpassing his total from the previous game against the Portland Trail Blazers!"
"Kai Chen, on the other hand, scored 29 points, almost reaching 30+ in the first half!"
"One is on the offensive end, using countless ways to break down the opponent's defense."
"The other relies on his increasingly mature mid-range and long-range shooting, plus terrifying physical talent, to overwhelm the defense."
"Two completely different scoring methods make this game extremely exciting, and I can't wait to see the start of the second half!"
It wasn't just the two commentators.
Fans throughout the Staples Center, including those watching on television and online, were equally looking forward to the second half.
"Kai, I still stand by my suggestion!"
At the same time, in the Clippers' locker room, after a heated discussion, Head Coach Rivers said, "We have no reason to let you take risks!"
"Coach, if we want to win this game, I have to do it!"
Kai Chen saw the problem clearly. "If we continue to play a war of attrition with the Lakers in the second half, it will be very dangerous for us."
Looking at Kai Chen's determined eyes, Head Coach Rivers hesitated.
Indeed, although the Clippers had maintained a lead throughout the first half—
Overall, in a war of attrition between the two teams, the Lakers, playing at home, clearly had the upper hand!
Perhaps letting Kai do what he wanted would give the team a better chance to win.
Halftime ended quickly, and both teams' starters returned to the court.
The Los Angeles Clippers had the first offensive possession of the second half.
Beverley dribbled quickly past half court and passed to Kai Chen.
Kai received the ball at the left side of the three-point line. He didn't even wait for his teammates to get into position and immediately rose up, taking a decisive three-pointer!
In the stands, many fans had just walked out of the aisle, holding their drinks and not yet seated.
On the court, Kai Chen's three-pointer had already swished through the net!
65:60!
The Los Angeles Clippers extended their lead to five points!
"What the Hell!?"
Kai Chen's sudden three-point shot surprised Barkley at the commentary desk. "Kai Chen's first offensive possession in the second half was a vicious three-pointer!"
"That was too sudden. I even had a hard time reacting."
Smith was also stunned.
Even though he was a world-class Kai Chen fan, this shot came with no buildup whatsoever.
Not only that!
On the Lakers' offensive possession, after LeBron James received the ball on the wing, the defender in front of him changed from Carmelo Anthony to Kai Chen!
"Not just on offense—on defense, Kai Chen chose to actively guard LeBron James!"
Looking at the matchup, Barkley was surprised again. "As soon as the second half started, the Clippers made changes on both ends of the court, and it was all Kai Chen!"
"This year's third overall pick is showing an aura on the court that commands respect!"
The moment LeBron James faced Kai Chen, the entire Staples Center became loud.
Fans watching on television and mobile phones instantly put everything down, their eyes fixed on the screen without blinking.
Fans all over the world watched with nervous and expectant expressions, fully focused!
It was the first time Kai Chen would ever face LeBron James at his peak.
Just standing in front of him, Kai Chen could feel the powerful pressure radiating from the opponent.
"Thump, thump!"
LeBron James began to dribble, moving unhurriedly in front of Kai Chen.
Kai Chen dared not be careless, following step for step.
Seeing Kai Chen's slightly nervous, awkward footwork trying to block him, LeBron James looked like a monarch inspecting his territory, mocking the soldier on guard.
"What are you panicking about? This is just an ordinary regular season game!"
"If you're really scared, you can let Melo guard me."
LeBron James's eyes grew sharper. "You're just a rookie. It's not time to challenge me yet!!"
"Fuck!"
Even with his usual calmness, facing such provocation from LeBron James made Kai Chen's anger flare.
He took a deep breath and shot back fiercely, "Haha, thats why I smacked that shit fadeaway into the stands!!"
After saying this, Kai Chen's nervousness instantly disappeared, replaced by a faint sense of excitement!
Come on, Lebron!
Even if he had to play the villain, Kai Chen wanted to be strong enough to take the throne of the league's number one player!
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