Chapter 101: The Great Confrontation

"Damn it."
Kaman couldn’t hold back when he saw what was happening.
He rushed from the sidelines and tackled Barbosa with a bear hug, slamming him to the ground.
When a big guy fights, it's always about the body slam—using his weight to crush the opponent. Throwing punches is pointless; he’d never be as nimble as the other guy.
Seeing this, both teams’ players charged onto the court. The Suns had been frustrated all game, itching to vent their anger.
Lagabel and James Jones swung their iron fists, landing a punch on Brand, who had only come to break up the fight.
Brand was innocent—he was just trying to calm things down, nothing malicious in his intentions.
Suddenly punched for no reason, Brand couldn’t tolerate it and fought back fiercely.
The scene left He Xinghui dumbfounded.
Brand doesn’t even like me—why would he stand up for me?
Could it be that my kingly aura has already won over this fierce warrior?
Moved +1.
Brand wasn’t the only one fighting back. Yaroslav, usually sidelined, unleashed his pent-up frustration—maybe from not getting any playing time, or perhaps he was proving his loyalty to the future team leader.
Either way, chaos reigned, filled with nothing but R-rated moments.
Afraid of getting caught in the crossfire, He Xinghui quickly scooted back a few steps and continued to sit on the floor, enjoying the farce like a spectator.
This sight amused Barkley, who quipped, “Well, this whole mess started because of him, but while everyone else is brawling, he’s sitting there watching like nothing happened.”
“That’s self-preservation. You can’t let your core players get involved in a fight—the core must always stay calm,” Smith argued.
“Oh, give it a rest. You’re just a He fanboy,” Barkley replied dismissively.
As their debate carried on, the on-court farce gradually subsided.
The main instigator remained calm and uninvolved; the others just needed to vent a little, to show their camaraderie. No one really intended to injure or maim.
Still, proving their point came at a hefty price.
Brand was suspended for three games for throwing several punches.
Yaroslav didn’t swing as many times, but he too got three games—because he’d charged from the bench, which was different from those already on the court.
Kaman received a five-game suspension, being both a bench player and the one who initiated the attack.

From the Suns, James Jones was suspended for three games, Lagabel for three, and Barbosa—the first to stir things up—got five.
As for He Xinghui, who was at the heart of the incident, he came out unscathed.
He hadn’t thrown a punch. He might have provoked the incident, but the rules don’t forbid players from provoking.
Learning the outcome, He Xinghui struggled to keep a straight face, worried someone might notice his delight.
On the way back to the locker room, Dunleavy couldn’t help but say, “He, the game’s over—there’s no need to provoke the opponents anymore.”
This fight had cost them two starters; the next few games would be tough.
In the fiercely competitive West, losing several games could mean dropping out of playoff contention.
And Kaman would be suspended five games.
For the Clippers, already weak at center, this was a big blow.
“Coach, this is actually a good thing. A fight in the regular season lets other teams know the Clippers aren’t easy to mess with—it might prevent them from starting anything in the playoffs,” He Xinghui replied.
What kind of twisted logic is that?
Dunleavy couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Back in the locker room, He Xinghui clapped his hands: “Great job, everyone—especially Chris, Elton, Slafov. You really showed the team’s unity.”
“You were hiding off to the side, weren’t you?”
Brand said bitterly, feeling he’d been shortchanged.
“Ahem, it’s just about proper division of labor. You guys fight—I’ll take the blame. Don’t worry, I’ll shoulder the responsibility for the fight, cover any fines, and when you’re on break, I’ll introduce you to a few gorgeous girls.”
He Xinghui said.
“You said it—I want two,”
Kaman replied.
Everyone burst out laughing...
The Clippers were in high spirits; their only goal was to make the playoffs, and now it seemed they had little to worry about.
On the Suns’ side, though, everyone was in a foul mood.
Their goal was the championship, so every regular season game mattered. Ideally, they’d finish first for home court advantage.
Now, because of unnecessary venting, one starter was suspended for three games, two key rotation players for three to five games—this was a huge blow.
D’Antoni even lost his temper in the locker room: “We’re a championship team. We must endure some grievances. If in the Finals, you lose your temper and lose the championship, that’s the greatest regret...”
“Coach, don’t worry. We’ll adjust and get back on track,”

Nash stepped in to keep the atmosphere from deteriorating, acting as peacemaker.
Those involved in the fight admitted their mistakes, though inside, they all hated He Xinghui.
...
At the press conference, the Suns were interviewed first.
D’Antoni, like a wounded child, complained loudly about He Xinghui’s various offenses.
“Honestly, I’m not sure if he came to play basketball or to start arguments. I asked my friends at TNT, and they counted—He said thirty-eight unnecessary things during the game.”
“So you’re saying your players lack mental toughness and lost because of He’s trash talking?”
A reporter asked.
Wait, that’s not what I meant at all.
D’Antoni hurriedly clarified, “Of course not. I’m just saying He doesn’t respect his opponents. As for the game, we were playing back-to-back and hadn’t recovered our energy.”
“If you knew your players weren’t at their best, why not switch up your tactics instead of insisting on run-and-gun?”
The reporter pressed.
D’Antoni was frustrated—if he knew any other tactics, would he even need to be told?
“How would you evaluate He as a player?”
The reporter continued.
“I have to admit, he’s a very talented player, and extremely cunning. But I hope he’ll play more fairly, rather than resorting to tricks. In the playoffs, his tricks won’t work.”
After answering a few questions, Nash was also asked about the incident.
His answers, however, were very official, offering nothing sensational.
Even when questioned about the conflict, Nash simply called it unnecessary and said the Suns would do better in the future.
The journalists quickly lost interest—there was no news to be had from these veterans.
Soon, they stopped asking questions altogether, waiting for He Xinghui.
He was the real highlight they were after.