NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 177 We Won't Suffer Three Consecutive Losses

Before going to bed that night, Jia Fei logged into the system to check his task completion status. In this match, he completed the task of "getting 30+10+10 once in the regular season" and received a reward of 3000 points.

In terms of anger points, Howard generated 12 anger points against him, Beverley 4, Refrigerator 7, Harden 1, and the others 6 in total, for a total of 30 anger points, which can be converted into 3000 points.

Adding the 7412 points he already had in his account, he now had a total of [number] points. He spent [number] points to raise his "Iverson Peak Skill Integration" from 44% to 46%!

Jia Fei was looking forward to it; his integration rate was finally approaching 50%.

Back at home, the Hawks narrowly defeated the Mavericks on the 30th of this month, ending the month with two consecutive wins.

They currently hold a 13-4 record, ranking 3rd in the Eastern Conference.

February has arrived.

On December 1st, the Hawks narrowly lost to the Wizards on the road, failing to achieve a three-game winning streak. Two days later, they were defeated by the Spurs on the road, suffering their first two-game losing streak of the season.

After two consecutive losses, their record dropped to 13 wins and 6 losses, and their ranking fell to 4th in the Eastern Conference.

After two consecutive losses, rumors quickly spread that the Hawks were past their prime and that Jia Fei was not living up to his reputation.

On December 5th, the Hawks will host the Los Angeles Clippers, a strong team in the Western Conference.

Since assembling this roster, the Clippers have indeed dominated their crosstown rivals, the Lakers, for the past two years. However, they have also failed to make a significant breakthrough in the Western Conference. It's a real shame that Paul has yet to reach the Western Conference Finals.

The home team's locker room before the match.

Coach Buden finished his pre-game instructions, looking somewhat serious. He was under pressure; if the team continued their losing streak, they would eventually have to find a scapegoat for their dismal record, and without a doubt, he was the most likely candidate. Being an NBA head coach is a high-risk profession; no one can guarantee they can lead a team through an entire season.

"Jia, do you think we'll suffer three consecutive losses?" rookie Xiao Hei asked uncertainly.

"No, we can definitely win!" Jia Fei patted Xiao Hei on the shoulder like an older brother. In fact, he was only a year older than Xiao Hei.

"Hmm!" Looking at the confident Jia Fei, Xiao Hei felt that he also needed to learn from this older brother to become more confident and dare to be himself on the field.

“Jia, you can come to my hometown of Germany sometime, and I’ll be your guide!” Schröder smiled, revealing a set of white teeth.

Jia Fei exclaimed that Schroeder was a perfect fit for Darlie toothpaste, a brand ambassador who perfectly embodied the brand image! What surprised him even more was that such a dark-skinned little guy was German, which was as unexpected as him saying he was Chinese. Have all Germans become this dark-skinned?

This guy's skin is even darker than Art Mayork's, yet he's German?

Even during pre-match practice, the fans at Philips Arena remained enthusiastic. Despite the home team's two-game losing streak, the fans still had unwavering confidence in their team. The team's potential and future ceiling gave the fans hope, and Jia Fei was a key figure in bringing them that hope.

This game was broadcast live across the United States by ESPN, and the commentators were ESPN's chief commentator Mike Brin and former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy.

"Jeff, do you think the Atlanta Hawks can shut down the Los Angeles Clippers at home in this game?" Mike Breen asked.

Jeff Van Gundy's hair is noticeably less thick than his brother's. Under the lights, his scalp shines like a light bulb. It's said that bald men are exceptionally intelligent, but judging from his experience coaching the Rockets, he doesn't seem particularly suited to be a head coach...

"The Hawks aren't in great form right now. They've lost two games, both narrowly, which is a huge blow to their morale. If the Clippers play to their usual standard, they'll have a hard time winning!" Van Gundy said.

"Tell me about Jia Fei. I heard he's getting a lot of buzz in the All-Star voting right now. Do you think he'll be selected as an All-Star starter?" Mike Breen asked.

Van Gundy shook his head: "I don't think he's qualified to be an All-Star starter. Of course, many Asian fans might still choose him as a starter, just like Yao Ming did back then, but popularity is popularity and ability is ability. I still maintain that he doesn't deserve to be an All-Star starter."

In this game, Korver returned after missing several games. During Korver's absence, the Hawks' offensive efficiency dropped significantly, which is a considerable advantage for them.

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced. The Hawks, playing at home, will start with Horford, Millsap, Jafi, Korver, and Teague.

For the Clippers, sharpshooter JJ Redick will be absent from this game. The starting lineup consists of DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin, Jared Dudley, Willie Green, and Chris Paul.

After the starting players from both sides took to the court and exchanged brief greetings, Horford and Jordan prepared for the jump ball near the center circle, and the game was about to begin.

The jump ball began, and DeAndre Jordan won the jump ball against Al Horford, giving the Clippers possession for the first possession.

Paul dribbles the ball across half-court.

Paul is known as the "best point guard in the league" because of his exceptional ball-handling skills. This stability isn't solely due to his 183cm height, which gives him a low center of gravity. His powerful dribbling, combined with excellent ball protection and skillful crossovers, makes him incredibly difficult for opponents to steal the ball from.

The Clippers' head coach is the infamous Doc Rivers, the originator of motivational speeches. He's not only good at giving motivational speeches, but he's also very good at getting reverse-swept. But he's always so passionate, always so confident, and never learns from his mistakes.

The Clippers' tactics are simple. In the starting lineup, the pick-and-roll is initiated by Paul, mainly between Paul and Griffin. Occasionally, there will be pick-and-rolls with DeAndre Jordan. The tactics rely mainly on Paul. Many people doubt that Rivers has any tactics at all. He just shouts "go go go," and after timeouts, he just uses the clipboard like a brick. He is rarely seen drawing up any sophisticated tactics on the clipboard.

But this kind of coach never lacks work. Since winning the championship in 08, he has never lacked work. Even if he leaves Celtics, he can find a job immediately, which makes many coaches envious.

Griffin was posting up against Mills. Mills lacked height but had a very stable lower body. Griffin, on the other hand, had short arms and lacked a good hook shot, making it difficult for him to score high up the court. He still needed to drive to the basket to score easily.

Griffin was forced to take a jump shot, but he missed!

Horford positioned himself, and Jia Fei leaped to grab the rebound, then passed it to Teague to advance the ball.