pertwk Chapter 68 The Villain's Guardian
Chapter 68 The Villain's Guardian
Knicks vs. Spurs.
The last night before the trading deadline.
Inside the luxurious private room, General Manager Donnie was angrily hanging up the phone.
Clippers general manager Elgin is simply taking advantage of the situation, trying to trade Randolph for two expiring bad contracts and a second-round pick?
This is an insult to his intelligence.
But he did not refuse immediately.
Walsh stared through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the large, fat man warming up on the sidelines.
"This is Zach's last chance," Walsh said to his assistant. "If he acts like a coward in front of Duncan tonight, I'll trade him even if it's at a loss."
Li Xiangbei is our future; he needs help, not a burden.
The other end of the stadium.
Although Bowen, the "killer," is no longer there, the Spurs under Popovich remain a disciplined and strong team.
In the locker room, the veteran coach set the tone: "Teach that New York kid a lesson. Don't let him get away with this. If necessary..." Popovich's eyes flickered, "...we can use a tougher approach."
……
Game start.
Li Xiangbei knew very well that if Randolph couldn't prove his worth tonight, his fate tomorrow would still be uncertain.
Therefore, tonight Li Xiangbei is no longer the score-obsessed killer.
He transformed into Nash.
Li Xiangbei dribbled past defenders, using the explosive power provided by the system to forcefully tear apart the Spurs' defense and draw Tim Duncan's help defense.
Just as Duncan's long arm came over, Li Xiangbei flicked his wrist, and the basketball flew out from behind him, landing precisely in the hands of Randolph, who was left wide open under the basket.
Randolph receives the ball and easily scores with a layup.
"Good shot! Zach!" Li Xiangbei shouted encouragement as he retreated on defense.
This is just the beginning.
Bounce passes, high lob passes, pick-and-roll cut-and-roll passes... Li Xiangbei is like the most patient zookeeper, feeding Randolph bite by bite.
Facing the Spurs' backup big men Bonner and Oberto, Randolph rediscovered his dominance in the low post.
His hook shot was as soft as embroidery, and his big buttocks pushed past opponents like a bulldozer to grab offensive rebounds.
Halftime is over.
Randolph has already scored 18 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.
Inside the private room, Walsh pushed up his glasses in surprise: "Was this guy ever this efficient before? This accuracy is simply outrageous."
The assistant beside him said cautiously, "Maybe it's because... no one was willing to feed him like Lee did before. Look, Lee only took 3 shots in the first half, but he delivered 9 assists."
He looked at the data sheet, lost in thought.
……
The last part of the third section.
Although Randolph had a breakout performance, the Spurs are still the Spurs.
The stable output of the GDP combination kept the score close throughout.
Knicks 78: 76 Spurs
Li Xiangbei suddenly launched an attack.
He anticipated Parker's passing route and made a steal!
Counterattack!
Li Xiangbei is advancing at full speed.
The frontcourt was wide open, with only Spurs center Oberto managing to retreat to the paint.
Li Xiangbei neither passed the ball nor slowed down.
He leaped into the air just inside the free-throw line, grabbed the ball with his right hand and raised it high, ready to unleash a powerful dunk that would ignite the home crowd!
Oberto looked at Li Xiangbei flying over, a fierce glint in his eyes.
He knew he couldn't block the ball; if he let that kid dunk it, it would not only be a loss of points, but also a loss of face.
"Don't even think about going there!"
Oberto acted impulsively.
He didn't even go for the ball; instead, he opened his arms wide and, like a wrestling move, wrapped his arms around Li Xiangbei's neck and shoulders!
A mid-air chokehold!
At the highest point of Li Xiangbei's body being airborne, Oberto exerted force and violently pulled him down from the air!
This is an extremely dirty and extremely dangerous move!
"Bang!!"
Li Xiangbei lost his balance and slammed heavily onto the floor.
[System detected a malicious attack on the host: Protection activated]
Pain sensation preserved. Structural damage avoided.
……
The moment Li Xiangbei landed, even before the referee had a chance to make a gesture.
A huge black figure charged towards them at full speed!
It's Randolph!
He didn't hesitate at all, and didn't even look at the referee who was blowing the whistle.
His only concern was Oberto, the one who dared to lay a hand on his boss.
Using the momentum of his sprint, Randolph slammed into Oberto's chest!
"Bang!"
Before Oberto could even assume a defensive stance, he was sent flying, sliding out of bounds and knocking down a row of photographers who were still in shock.
But it's not over yet.
Randolph did not stop.
He rushed forward, pointing at Oberto, who was lying on the ground and hadn't gotten up yet, his eyes wide with anger, the veins on his neck bulging:
"Do you want to die? Huh?!"
"Try touching him again?! I'll wipe out your whole family!!"
Duncan and Parker rushed over to try and break up the fight.
Randolph shoved Duncan aside, who was blocking his way.
Even the stone Buddha was pushed back two steps by this violent force.
Randolph single-handedly faced the entire Spurs team, standing firmly in front of Li Xiangbei, who was still lying on the ground.
Even if it might result in a suspension.
Anyone who dares to mess with my boss, I'll take them down!
……
The referee did not hesitate to give Randolph two technical fouls, sending him off the field.
Oberto also received a flagrant foul 1.
But Madison Square Garden erupted as Randolph was escorted by security guards toward the players' tunnel.
The entire audience of 20,000 rose to their feet, erupting in thunderous applause and cheers.
"Z-BO! Z-BO! Z-BO!"
New Yorkers love this kind of tough guy who's got guts and will stand up for his brothers!
At this moment, Randolph is a hero in New York!
Li Xiangbei got up from the ground.
He refused the team doctor's help and stretched his neck.
Then, he quickly ran to the entrance of the passage and, in front of everyone, stopped Randolph, who was about to leave.
He gave the fat man a big hug.
"Well done, Zach."
Li Xiangbei patted Randolph's round head.
"Go back and take a shower. I'll cover the fine."
Randolph paused for a moment, then grinned, his smile as innocent as a child's.
"Don't worry, boss. As long as I'm here, no one can touch you."
……
Inside the private room.
Donnie watched this scene, watching the fat man who had risked self-destruction to protect the core and was now enjoying the cheers of the crowd, when his phone rang.
That was a call from the Clippers, urging them to make a trade.
Walsh suddenly understood the meaning behind Li Xiangbei's earlier words.
This is more than just an inside scorer averaging 20 points per game.
This is an invaluable "asset insurance".
Li Xiangbei is a cash cow, he is the future.
Randolph was the fiercest and most loyal guardian.
With him around, every thug in the alliance would have to think twice before making a move against Li Xiangbei.
If he is sold, who will protect that asset worth hundreds of millions of dollars?
Walsh took a deep breath and answered the phone.
"Hey, Elgin."
The deal has been cancelled.