Chapter 110: Stark Contrast

The Cavaliers launched their attack, and this time LeBron James took the initiative to ask for the ball.

Forget about playing reasonably—damn reasonable. Right now, all he wanted was to prove that he deserved to wear number 23.

He assumed his signature crab step stance, first stepping back, then dribbling forward with full force. Using every ounce of his strength, he finally squeezed past He Xinghui and charged toward the basket, finishing with a layup.

This move was LeBron’s trademark crab step, characterized by a backward step before the drive to create space, then an explosive start.

However, during this move, he often took extra steps, resulting in what looked like a four-step layup.

This footwork was difficult for referees to call, and with LeBron being the league’s most favored star, such traveling violations were rarely flagged.

He Xinghui even knew that within two years, the league might amend the rules specifically to allow the crab step.

With such a rule in place, bizarre scenes began to appear regularly—players cradling the ball, jogging all the way to the basket to score. If the defender made contact, the attacker would immediately earn a free throw.

After scoring, He Xinghui laughed heartily and mimicked the crab step mockingly.

This gesture sent Corman in the stands into fits of laughter, nearly toppling from his seat.

LeBron frowned, beginning to doubt the possibility of teaming up with He Xinghui—he suddenly disliked him.

Although He Xinghui hadn’t trash-talked him directly this time, the mockery was far more cutting than any taunt.

The score stood at 4 to 6.

Despite He Xinghui’s two impressive offensive plays, his team led by only two points.

Their lineup was genuinely struggling.

The Clippers went on the attack, and the ball found its way back to He Xinghui. The Cavaliers still assigned LeBron to guard him one-on-one—that was a matter of pride for a star.

Of course, LeBron was confident in his defense.

Previously, he hadn’t been able to stop He Xinghui mainly because he didn’t understand him.

Now, having grasped He Xinghui’s capabilities, LeBron’s confidence soared.

He Xinghui held the ball, faked a drive, luring LeBron to shift, then immediately pulled up for a three-pointer.

LeBron reacted swiftly, jumping to contest the shot.

If anyone else took that shot against LeBron, they’d surely be disrupted.

But He Xinghui, empowered by peak Curry-like skills, released the ball with lightning speed.

Though LeBron appeared well-positioned to defend, his impact was minimal.

However, on this occasion, He Xinghui missed the shot.

That was hardly surprising—Curry’s three-point shooting percentage hovered between 42% and 45%, below half. More often than not, the shot wouldn’t fall.

Yet the terror of the three-pointer lay in the fact that sinking two equaled the value of three two-point shots.

A single miss was nothing to fret over.

The Cavaliers attacked again, with LeBron holding the ball.

This time, He Xinghui had learned his lesson and pressed tightly, sticking to LeBron, denying him any chance to explode to the basket.

If LeBron couldn’t get going, his drive lost much of its threat.

Of course, sticking close to LeBron wasn’t easy.

Had it been the old He Xinghui, it wouldn’t have been a thought.

But now, empowered by Jordan’s strength, he could restrict LeBron to some extent.

While staying glued to him, He Xinghui used his long arms to poke and harass the ball.

If he were a bit bulkier, the image would be reminiscent of Kawhi Leonard defending LeBron.

LeBron showed signs of discomfort, nearly losing the ball.

With no breakthrough opportunity, he passed the ball back to Snow.

Although possession remained with the Cavaliers, their offense was already half-failed.

With little time left, Snow had no choice but to pass to Big Z.

Big Z had a size advantage over Wilcox, but basketball wasn’t a one-on-one game.

When Magetti saw the ball return to Snow, he knew LeBron had lost a good chance to shoot.

Snow’s next move was predictable.

As the ball reached Big Z, Magetti moved in front of him, double-teaming alongside Wilcox, leaving no room for Big Z to maneuver.

Big Z wasn’t a power center and couldn’t muscle his way through for a shot.

With the 24-second shot clock winding down, he had no passing options left.

In haste, he released the ball—and it clanged off the rim.

Mobley grabbed the rebound, and the Clippers immediately launched a fast break.

In terms of speed, the Clippers were far quicker than the Cavaliers. Big Z’s transition defense was as disappointing as Yao Ming’s once was.

The Clippers attacked against fewer defenders up front. Mobley screened LeBron for He Xinghui, who gained a clean look.

Without mercy, he launched and sank a three-pointer.

The score was now 4 to 9.

Suddenly, the point gap seemed to have widened considerably.

In fact, by division, it was already twice as much.

“Trying to be a league superstar without shooting threes?” He Xinghui taunted.

Such trash talk had limited impact, but it was relentless.

In just a few possessions, He Xinghui had already jabbed three or four times.

He buzzed like a fly in LeBron’s ear, and LeBron couldn’t just swat him away.

LeBron hadn’t lost his temper yet but was growing impatient.

Moreover, his performance was somewhat painful to watch; the team was trailing, and all sorts of frustrations piled up. He was on the verge of anger.

In TNT’s broadcast booth, Barkley was openly critical: “What kind of game is LeBron playing? He can’t even handle a depleted Clippers squad, yet he talks about advancing out of the East or winning a championship?”

“Charles, I think you’re wrong. LeBron’s playing pretty well—it’s just that He Xinghui’s performance is better. Four shots, three made, nine points total. He even held LeBron on defense, which created the gap,” Smith defended while subtly praising He Xinghui.

Given He Xinghui’s current form, such praise was well-deserved.

The game had just begun, yet fans watching from home felt conflicted.

For LeBron’s haters, though they still believed He Xinghui couldn’t reach 82 points, it was hard to celebrate his excellent play.

Helplessly, they comforted themselves by waiting patiently for He Xinghui to eventually falter.

Meanwhile, a small number of rational critics began to contemplate a possibility.

If He Xinghui scored 60 or 70 points, should he still be mocked?

Seventy points might not break records, but was it truly laughable?

Many stars would cry their eyes out trying to hit such “ridiculous” numbers.

Compared to the frustration of the haters, LeBron’s fans were much more at ease.

No matter the outcome, at least He Xinghui was playing beautifully.

Some of the more naive fans suddenly felt hope rising, counting on their fingers.

Nine points in two minutes meant 216 points over 48 minutes.

Even at forty percent efficiency, that would still be 82 points.

Could it be possible?

These fans immediately lit up, eyes glued to the big screen, afraid to miss a single scoring moment from He Xinghui.