Jamison scored 9 points in half a quarter and increased his 17 points to 26 points. Li Ao was impressed.
The highest score in the game was snatched away abruptly.
Li Ao was quite confused before. How can he average 42 minutes per game when playing on a team with 11 wins and 41 losses?
Recently, he had a sudden realization after playing against the Warriors and Bulls in succession.
He was a little regretful that he didn't get the highest score in the game, but if he was given garbage time to do it, he wouldn't be as capable as others. He scored 25 points and 4 blocks in a single game, which was higher than the season average, which is already very good.
The next afternoon, as the Clippers were flying from Oakland International Airport to Miami, Li Ao flipped through the upcoming schedule, his mouth bulging.
In the first game of the second half, they played very easily and re-adapted to the rhythm of the game smoothly.
With 9 consecutive victories, it is a pleasure to win, and the team's record has been raised again.
But it’s difficult later!
There are 4 games left in the 8-game away streak, first back-to-back games with the Heat and Magic, then the Nets, and finally the 76ers.
Next, we have to play 5 consecutive games with the Trail Blazers, Kings, and Mavericks, the top six teams in the Western Conference...
stressed!
etc!
Li Ao suddenly reacted and flipped through the schedule for the first and middle days of last month.
At that time, there were a lot of back-to-back games and a lot of opponents against strong teams. He had a performance of 3 wins and 9 losses in 12 games, and there was no pressure on him.
Now that we have just posted a 12-1 performance, why has the pressure increased?
After struggling all the way to the hotel in Miami, he figured it out.
He fell into a state of anxiety about gains and losses.
He found Big Q, both rookies, and he felt that the other person could empathize with him and comfort each other.
Unexpectedly, Da Q responded in surprise: "I have no pressure! 31 wins and 22 losses. With such a good record, I have become the main rotation. I am very happy now."
"Don't you think the next opponent will be difficult to deal with?"
"It's difficult, but with you, Lamar, Jermaine, and Matt... I'm not afraid."
Li Ao: (￣(∞)￣)
Right!
Spider-Man is one of the few people who carries the team forward. Big Q is just a defensive engineer and wing shooter. How can he put the pressure on Big Q?
However, his mind is now full of thoughts about the next nine games, and he can no longer concentrate on training, so he has to find ways to relieve the pressure.
But he usually relies on training to relieve stress, but now he can't concentrate on training because of the pressure... It's an endless loop!
If you can’t think of a solution, just ask!
He dialed the phone number of his senior in the same city.
The answer I got: "I have never been in the situation you mentioned. My record has been very good since I entered the NBA. My record is fourth in the Western Conference with the worst record. I don't quite understand the pressure you are talking about."
Crack!
Got caught by the afro!
"But I know a way to divert the pressure. You can try it."
Li Ao quickly asked: "What can I do?"
"Just pretend that you lose all the next 9 games and look at the remaining 20 games to see how many games you need to win to make the playoffs."
Li Ao: (ˇˇ)
What is this operation?
He suddenly had an idea: "Oh, I understand, I will first put all the wins needed to reach the playoffs in the next 20 games, and be prepared to lose all 9 games, so that my current There will be less pressure.
And every win in these 9 games can reduce the pressure of winning one of the next 20 games, and at the same time reduce the current pressure, changing from a vicious cycle to a virtuous cycle..."
The man with the afro on the other end of the phone hung up the phone with a snap - just let me finish pretending, okay?
…
This method of transferring pressure treats the symptoms rather than the root cause, and it doesn't really transfer the pressure completely, but it is enough for Li Ao.
The mentality of worrying about gains and losses prevents him from concentrating on training and preparing for battles. His thinking will also be affected. As long as he can temporarily avoid the impact on these two aspects, it is enough.
Relying on this method, he came to the American Airlines Center in the afternoon and successfully devoted himself to the training guided by James Worthy.
After an afternoon of training, he was thinking about improving his three-point and mid-range shots, but they haven't improved yet. He still needs to work hard on his high post and back-up distance of 70, and his turn over is still not up to the qualified level... but his physical strength has improved from 90 to 91. !
When the east is not bright, the west is bright. His playing time has increased sharply in the past month or so. He often plays games for more than 40 minutes. After the game, he can only walk, catch and shoot. However, in this high-pressure game environment, his physical strength is getting stronger and stronger. alright.
The next day, on the morning of February 22, Li Ao came to the American Airlines Center again, this time with the whole team to prepare for the evening challenge to the Heat.
At noon, a sudden transaction made Li Ao call him "I'm sorry."
Tomorrow is the trade deadline, and the 76ers and Hawks completed a buzzer-beating deal.
The 76ers sent Kukoc and Ratliff, and acquired Mutombo from the Hawks.
Use a retired center and a substitute who is completely incompatible with the team's system and performs poorly to replace Mutombo in his prime?
Li Ao wants to say to Wally Walker - you are still too conservative.
However, Li Ao still recognized Wally Walker's mid-season efforts. He heard that the general manager had been busy recruiting players.
But it's not easy. They can't touch the current core framework, and other teams are eyeing their inner twin towers. They have to be bold in their offers and conservative in their transactions. The situation Wally Walker is in is actually very difficult.
Understanding the current environment the team is in, Li Ao did not place his hopes on foreign aid, but focused on improving himself.
At 5:40 in the evening, the Clippers entered the American Airlines Center first.
Playing against the Heat again, the Clippers' momentum is completely different.
The Heat currently rank third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 31 wins and 22 losses.
Coincidentally, their Clippers team also happens to have 31 wins and 22 losses!
And they currently have 9 consecutive wins and are in full swing!
In addition, Fox Sports will broadcast their game tonight... Before going on the court, Li Ao led his teammates and shouted - "Ten consecutive wins!"
After the game started, Li Ao played very actively. At the beginning, he gave Tim Hardaway a big block for a pull-up jumper.
Before the official timeout, Brian Grant's pie dunk and AC Green's tip-in were blocked consecutively.
The Heat's offense in the first half of the quarter was actually pretty good, and they tied with the Clippers at 12-12.
Li Ao had 3 hats in half a quarter, which played an important role.
The veterans of the Heat have done some psychological construction and cannot be scared like the old guys on the Lakers.
But seeing Spider-Man block their inside twin towers with their own eyes, even if the reason why the twin towers were blocked was because of poor frame attack skills, it still shocked them.
In the second half of the first quarter, the Heat's offense collapsed and only scored 7 points!
However, the strong teams that have been strong for many years cannot be blocked. If the offense is not good, the Heat players will defend to the death.
The Clippers also didn't play well offensively in the positional battle, scoring only 5 points, but relied on defensive counterattacks to score 7 points, and scored another 12 points in the half quarter!
24 to 19, the Clippers led by 5 points in the first quarter!
In the second quarter, the Clippers wanted to pursue the victory and continued to rely on defensive counterattacks and strong inside attacks to widen the gap. However, the Heat strengthened their retreat defense and stayed inside in position battles, no longer allowing Odom and Maggette to easily get inside. Opportunities to wreak havoc.
Guarding the basket and covering the mid-range, the Heat have a clear defensive purpose.
Li Ao stretched outside the three-point line at a 45-degree angle, and no one cared!
When Odom and Maggette passed the ball suddenly, Li Ao decisively caught the ball in two consecutive rounds and scored!
Pat Riley was caught off guard.
Li Ao has only scored 3 three-pointers in the past 11 games, and has not made any three-pointers in 9 games.
There are many reasons. When playing against the Spurs, he was targeted. When playing against the Kings, the opponent's defense was too good. When playing against the Bulls, he only focused on practicing post-up shooting. There were also situations where he just couldn't make a shot... But like when playing against the Trail Blazers, he was required to score three goals. In a three-point game, he actually made two.
Pat Riley didn't have that much free time to pay attention to the teams outside the top eight in the Eastern Conference. The data he saw was that Li Ao's three-point shooting rate dropped to 28.8%, so he made an arrangement to short Li Ao's three-pointer.
Li Ao scored two open three-pointers in a row, disrupting the Heat's defense. The Clippers took advantage of the situation and stormed, scoring 27 points in a single quarter. However, the Heat did not defend well and did not pick up the offense, scoring only 18 points in a single quarter.
At halftime, the Clippers led 51 to 37 by 14 points.
In the second half, the Heat's 50-win level strength was still on display, successfully reducing the Clippers' score to 21 points, and scoring 23 points themselves, stabilizing the situation and chasing the score to 60-72.
In the final quarter, the pair of Tim Hardaway and Eddie Jones made waves, breaking out on the offensive end, and the Heat team's defensive performance went even further. While scoring 23 points in 10 minutes, they prevented the Clippers from scoring only 14 points.
83 to 86, the Heat chased the point difference to 3 points!
When the Clippers attacked, Odom broke through in singles from the top of the arc and rushed in from the left. Li Ao leaned against Bowen on the right side of the free throw line, seized the opportunity, turned around and cut inside.
Brian Grant didn't block it out.
Except for Li Ao's outstanding performance of scoring 9 points in the second quarter, he only scored 8 points in the other three quarters. Under Bowen's defense, he had no hits from close range in the final quarter and only scored 2 long points. point.
But Odom still shot the ball as soon as Li Ao got the chance.
Li Ao received the ball half a step outside the right side of the three-second zone, took off, and shot a jump shot from close range...
In!
At the critical moment, Li Ao showed no mercy!
His teammates supported the attack and defended the advantage until the last moment. He lived up to his teammates and hit the key goal!
Pat Riley shook his head.
A rookie with talent and a big heart who can shoot key shots belongs to someone else... Suddenly he doesn't feel so uncomfortable anymore, at least he's not from the Lakers!
With a 5-point difference, the Heat did not give up, and they caught up with a 14-point difference.
When the Heat were on offense, Eddie Jones, who was ridiculed, "You'd be stronger if you had an afro", caught the ball and hit Li Ao's back-up mid-range shot. 85 to 88, the Heat clinched the score!
In the transition between offense and defense, Odom continued to break through and attack.
Greg Anthony moved from a 45-degree angle on the left to the top arc, Matt Halprin was two points long from the right baseline, and O'Neal was close to the left baseline to open up as much space as possible.
Li Ao continued to turn his back and cut in when Odom broke through, but this time Bowen predicted it well and retreated early. When Li Ao received the ball, he got close to him and gave it to Brian Grant on the left side of the three-second zone. Chance.
Anthony Mason Jr. waved his arms to cut off the space for Li Ao to pass to O'Neal Jr. and pass back to Odom.
Li Ao took the initiative and took a step deep inside. When Brian Grant made up for it, he leaned forward and turned around to bypass Brian Grant!
Brian Grant stopped and turned around to pounce, but it was too late. Li Ao turned around and made a layup!
At the critical moment, the skill of attacking the basket from behind to the basket, which I have spent a lot of time practicing in the past two months, played a key role!
The Clippers continue to maintain a 5-point lead!
In the remaining dozens of seconds, the strong shots of Tim Hardaway and Eddie Jones were blocked by the defense of Li Ao and Matt Halprin.
At 8:22 pm, the final whistle sounded.
Relying on Li Ao's 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 6 blocks, Odom's 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, O'Neal Jr.'s 8 points, 14 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block, and Maggette's 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The fleet defeated the Heat again 90-85!
Li Ao and his teammates gathered together to celebrate, 10 consecutive wins!
10 consecutive wins for the first time in team history!
Li Ao's system prompt also came.
"The host led the team to defeat the Miami Heat. Congratulations to the host for receiving the reward: 650 achievement points."
"Opening record:
Goal: The host needs to lead the team to 10 consecutive wins this season.
Reward: 10,000 achievement points.
Advanced goal: continue the winning streak.
Reward: After 10 consecutive wins, 2,000 achievement points will be awarded for each consecutive victory. "
Before the game started, he received the task of winning 10 consecutive games, but since there were no additional requirements, he ignored it and focused on playing the game, because he wanted to win the game regardless of whether there was this task or not.
10,000 achievement points, win!
In the post-game interview, Li Ao was asked whether he could continue his winning streak against the Magic in back-to-back games tomorrow.
The big spider swelled slightly: "We want to bloodbath the south coast!"
(End of chapter)
