The next afternoon after losing to the Timberwolves, the Clippers headed back to Los Angeles.
There is actually still one game left in the 5-game away streak, but the opponent is the Lakers. For today's Clippers, it is no different from home.
It’s just that after the Lakers lost to the Clippers in the playoffs last season, Lakers fans are now more active in grabbing tickets when the Clippers play. The Clippers play the Lakers at home and away from home.
The fans of the two teams don't know what they are thinking. They go out to grab the tickets for the other team's home game, completely ignoring their own home court. Now when the two teams play against each other, most of the fans are Lakers fans when the Clippers play at home, and the Lakers play at home. Same situation.
It can only be said that they are all Los Angeles fans, and they all have the same idea, and their first principle is to disgust their opponents.
On the way back to Los Angeles, his teammates saw Spider-Man leisurely reading the newspaper, and the last bit of negative emotions that the winning streak was ended were cleared away.
The boss doesn't care that much about his winning streak being ended. Why are they angry? Then play music, then play cards!
Li Ao deliberately expressed his indifference to his teammates to reduce the negative impact of his teammates' winning streak being ended.
Of course, he has really looked away now. The winning streak will eventually end one day.
As for rolling around on the bed for more than ten minutes after returning to the hotel last night, and spending most of this morning lying in various places in the hotel room, it's not important.
If the winning streak is ended, the extreme self-confidence brought about by the winning streak may also fade.
The rest of the Clippers don't have many negative emotions today, but they are the benefits of their 20-game winning streak.
Winning 20 consecutive victories is completely different from winning 14 consecutive games last season.
Now that the Clippers' winning streak has ended, the media and fans are still discussing how incredible their winning streak was and how strong their performance was.
Some media even asserted that even if the Clippers lose the next three games and end January with a four-game losing streak, Li Ao or a certain duo or trio of the Clippers... can still rely on the previous 12 wins. Won the best of the month.
Such public opinion will bring unparalleled confidence to the Clippers players, but it will also inflate them. The key is that this inflation will not disappear just because the winning streak is ended, and will last for a long time... This That's the hardest thing to do.
Li Ao can only try to reduce the impact in this regard.
Fortunately, the next opponent is the Lakers. Facing the OK combination, they can't bear to underestimate the enemy.
No, little O'Neal was sitting by the window watching the white clouds again, instead of playing cards.
A few days ago, when he saw that O'Neal's first All-Star votes were 300,000 votes ahead of O'Neal, he was overjoyed. He knew that the next time he played against the Lakers, he would definitely encounter an angry shark. But at that time, he was not afraid at all and thought that he would not be able to fight. Just got blown away.
But when we really have to play against the Lakers, emmm...
…
After arriving in Los Angeles, Li Ao called Kobe to make an appointment for training, but Kobe refused fiercely.
Li Ao was very happy after being rejected, and Snake was jealous!
The next day, January 26, the Los Angeles Derby came.
The fans' attention was overwhelming, and the ratings were so high.
There is no need for any extra gimmicks in this game. The Clippers and Lakers matchup is one of the biggest highlights in the NBA.
At 7:40 in the evening, the Clippers, who were playing away games, entered the stadium first, and thunderous cheers erupted from the scene.
The Lakers players are numb waiting to play. Next time they play against the Clippers, their fans will take the field back.
Kobe stared at Li Ao with piercing eyes, jealousy written on his face without concealment.
20 consecutive wins! Big Spider actually won 20 consecutive victories!
Their OK combination has only won 18 consecutive victories!
The key is that Jordan has also won 20 consecutive victories, and he has one more thing to surpass.
But despite being jealous, he felt more motivated.
The Black Mamba thinks a lot, but the Shark's idea is very simple - beat O'Neal to death!
The game starts at 8pm.
The OK team was very violent tonight. The Lakers dominated the Clippers 26-24 in the first quarter.
But in the second quarter, the Clippers fought back 21-19 to tie the score. The two teams entered the second half with a score of 45-45.
In the third quarter, the Clippers turned on the rampage mode... but they played an average game and only scored 25 points in a single quarter, which was lower than their average performance in the third quarter this season.
O'Neal's frame protection is too strong!
In the middle of the season, O'Neal's weight has been successfully reduced to 149 kilograms, reaching the state at the end of the regular season in the past two seasons!
With O'Neal protecting the frame inside and Kobe taking charge of the offense on the outside, the Lakers fiercely withstood Bibby, Li Ao, Jordan, Matt Halprin, and O'Neal Jr., who have been called the "strongest five" for more than a month. The combination.
25 to 24 in a single quarter, the Clippers only won by 1 point in the third quarter!
Entering the break, Li Ao looked at the opposite side and felt something strange... Oh! By the way, there are so few people on the opposite side showing up tonight!
In addition to the five starters of Fisher, Kobe, O'Neal, Rick Fox, and Samakie Walker, only three of Devin George, Horry, and Kareem Rush played, which is a rotation of 8 people!
Once upon a time, Jackson looked down upon the Kings' rotation strategy.
In previous years, he rotated with 10-11 people, but last season he was able to rotate like that, but this year it really didn't work. By the middle of the season, the veterans were still unable to find their form. He could only change from veteran to veteran based on the warm-up situation that day. Find a few players who are in relatively good condition, and after Christmas there will basically be only 8-9 people in rotation.
With this rotation strategy, the Lakers' role players have performed much better, but injuries have increased. The veterans are already older, have played more games over the years, and have been consumed a lot. Now that their playing time has suddenly increased, there will naturally be more injuries. .
The injury wave broke out only after the Kings were stuck with an eight-man team for two years. The Lakers did not need two years of 'transition' to directly enter the state of the Kings this season.
But this has nothing to do with tonight's game. The Lakers' 8-man combination played really well tonight!
After withstanding the Clippers' strongest five-man offense in the third quarter, the Lakers took the initiative in the final quarter.
Kobe had 10 points and 2 assists in a single quarter, and O'Neal had 6 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in a single quarter. The two worked together to lead the team to a score of 27 to 22.
At 10:24 pm, the final whistle sounded.
Kobe had 32 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals and 1 block, O'Neal had 26 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 4 blocks, leading the Lakers to a narrow victory over the Clippers 96-92, giving the Clippers two consecutive losses!
The Clippers actually played well, with four players scoring in double figures.
Li Ao made 8 of 14 shots, including 2 of 2 three-pointers, plus 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 block.
Jordan had 18 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, Bibby had 15 points and 6 assists, O'Neal Jr. had 9 points and 10 rebounds, and Odom had 11 points and 12 rebounds.
But no one opened up the situation like the OK combination and eventually lost.
…
After 20 consecutive wins and two consecutive losses, losing is definitely not a good thing, but losing two games in a row at this time will have a good impact on the Clippers.
After the six consecutive away games, the Clippers got two days of rest. There was no team training on the 27th. When Li Ao saw his teammates on the morning of the 28th, he clearly felt that his teammates were less impetuous.
When I came back from Minneapolis two days ago, although I attached great importance to the game against the Lakers and didn't care about it, the pride of "I'm the second best in the world is dead" was clearly visible to the naked eye.
This change was even more obvious when they played the Kings at home on the 29th. The Clippers players played this game more seriously, cautiously and patiently than when they played the Lakers.
The Kings' starting five all appeared tonight, and they started off very fiercely, leading 16-12 at half quarter. Faced with such a start, the Clippers calmed down, waited for opportunities, and outscored the opponent 11-6 in the last 3 minutes of the first quarter. The Kings returned the score 16-13 in one and a half quarters, chasing the score to 28-29, only trailing the Kings by 1 point entering the second quarter.
The Clippers' offensive performance declined in the second quarter, with the score plummeting to 20 points in a single quarter. They responded calmly and defended, lowering the Kings' score to 23 points. At the end of the half, the point difference was within 5 points. 48 points behind 52.
In the second half, the Clippers finally became stronger, scoring 32 points in a single quarter in the third quarter.
The Kings only scored 25 points in the third quarter, and the Clippers led by 3 points at the end of the third quarter. The Kings scored soaring in the final quarter, scoring 30 points, but the Clippers once again scored 32 points in a single quarter...
Weber had 37 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists, Peja had 24 points, Doug Christie had 22 points, White Chocolate had 11 points and 10 assists... lost to Li Ao with 34 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals, Jordan with 14 points, Big Q with 10 points, and Bibby. 21 points and 6 assists, O'Neal Jr. had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Odom had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists...
112 to 107, the Clippers defeated the Kings and stopped their two-game losing streak!
In this game, Li Ao saw from his teammates the strength, calmness, patience, and adaptability that a defending champion team should have... He hopes this can continue.
This time the luck was good, and it really continued, because the Clippers' next opponent was the Timberwolves, who ended their winning streak!
On January 31st, the Timberwolves came to the Staples Center to challenge the Clippers away from home. It felt like wolves like a pride of lions...the other team seemed to be eating them alive!
Today is New Year's Eve, it's game time in the evening, and it's the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year in China. Li Ao heard that domestic fans are very enthusiastic about watching the live broadcast. The Imperial Court and the NBA have a Spring Festival linkage, and he even went to shoot a New Year greeting video.
Playing a game on New Year's Eve is still a game that domestic fans pay attention to, and coupled with the hatred of having his 20-game winning streak ended... Li Ao is even more desperate on the defensive end than when he played against the Mavericks.
The Timberwolves are not without the ability to fight back. After all, a top-notch team with 50 wins cannot finish the Clippers without the strength.
Mainly because the game drives them crazy! They felt how painful it was when the Mavericks played the Clippers in back-to-back games.
The score was 15-13 in the first quarter, 19-20 in the second quarter, 22-16 in the third quarter, and 19-21 in the final quarter...
Li Ao had 20 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 3 blocks, beating Garnett with 11 points, 21 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. The Clippers defeated the Timberwolves 75-70, avenging the end of their winning streak. !
This kind of resentment is actually only felt by the Clippers players. The fans don't have much hatred for the Timberwolves ending their winning streak, because they later suffered a losing streak against the Lakers. If they had not lost to the Timberwolves, it would have been possible. The winning streak was ended by the Lakers.
In that case, you will definitely see the angry faces of the fans next door, so it is better to stop it as soon as possible.
…
February 1st, a new month has arrived.
At noon, the league announced the latest monthly award and All-Star starting voting results.
Little Giant and Little Overlord once again won the Rookie of the Month. Two insiders with completely different types complement each other in the East and West.
Isaiah Thomas won the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month, and Gentry won the Western Conference Coach of the Month.
Player of the month.
Rahim led the team to a single-month record of 11 wins and 5 losses, averaging 22.3 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, and won the best player award in the first month of his career.
Western Conference Player of the Month... Bibby, Li Ao, Jordan, Matt Halprin, and O'Neal won the award together.
Although it is rare to win the Best of the Month together, it is not uncommon either. Li Ao is happy about this, since everyone has a separate trophy anyway.
That's right, he only won the Best of the Week once and the Best of the Month twice...
Li Ao suspected that Stern arranged this after watching the news. During the 20-game winning streak, the topic of 'the strongest five-man team in the league' was very popular.
Comply with public opinion? Or do you want to continue the 'strongest five' gimmick?
According to the All-Star starting voting results, Kobe won the All-Star voting title with 2.61 million votes, beating Jordan's 2.44 million votes.
Different from the original All-Star starting lineup, Jordan won the 7th championship, and his fame and popularity surpassed the entire league... Kobe also inherited a lot of popularity, and he could not compete for the All-Star vote king.
Li Ao, who ranked second among Western Conference defenders with 2.13 million votes, was heartbroken. Snake could share Jordan's popularity even across a team, but he didn't get much.
The main reason is that he refused the title of 'Jordan's successor' and was not welcomed by Bulls fans.
It was the first time I didn't win the All-Star vote, so I felt a little uncomfortable.
The other two All-Star starters in the West are Garnett and O'Neal.
The five All-Stars in the Eastern Conference started - Kidd, Iverson, Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Yao Ming.
Yao Ming won 340,000 votes over Duncan and 190,000 votes over O'Neal Jr.
Little O'Neal, who was squatting in front of the TV watching the news, saw that the starter was holding on and laughed wildly: "Hahahaha, Shark, the All-Star starter is mine!"
Yao Ming is not as thick-skinned as O'Neal, and his heart has not been tempered for so many years. Now he is afraid that the faces of Duncan and O'Neal appear in his mind...
However, a piece of good news allowed him to restrain his fear - Schwartz called to tell him that the sneaker endorsement contract was finalized. He signed a contract with Reebok for US$30 million in three years and co-signed with Iverson!
Reebok originally wanted to sign a long-term contract, but Schwartz refused. He didn't ask for 100 million in 7 years like Li Ao, but he couldn't accept 70 million in 7 years.
On the OK team, O'Neal chewed up the collar of his training uniform.
Just as Yao Ming feared, O'Neal not only hated O'Neal Jr., but also hated Yao Ming, because his votes were lower than those of the two.
Compared with O'Neal who cares about this matter very much, Kobe is very confused now.
He is just the middle child, has a bad relationship with the media, and doesn’t have many friends. He even lost his sneaker endorsement last year, and he didn’t even have any fan activities during the offseason... Where did he get so many votes?
…
Three members of the Clippers were selected as All-Star starters, causing a sensation.
What's even more sensational is that both O'Neal and Duncan were not selected as All-Star starters.
O'Neal Jr., who averaged 13 points, 9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2 blocks per game, and Yao Ming, who averaged 14 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.2 blocks per game, fell into a whirlpool of public opinion.
When Li Ao was selected as the All-Star starter, he was a player averaging 20+ per game.
These two were selected as All-Star starters, and they still defeated Shark Buddha in a single-channel competition...
Li Ao didn't know what Yao Ming was thinking. Anyway, the other party was very happy when he called to congratulate.
On O'Neal's side, Li Ao felt that the high school students were very happy and were not afraid anyway.
After a day off, the Clippers ushered in a back-to-back home game.
On the 2nd, the Clippers faced the Bucks at home.
The Bucks made a huge gamble during the offseason, clearing out the three Musketeers to see if they could create a poor version of the Big Three.
If Reid grows up quickly enough, Hill can return to 70% to 80% of his peak strength, and Brad Miller can continue to improve, the Bucks can become a top team.
But unfortunately, they lost the bet.
The Bucks management also knows that losing is a high probability, but there is no way. They cannot count on that kind of guaranteed opportunity, and even such low-probability opportunities are difficult to encounter.
For a team in a small market, when the opportunity comes, even if the hope is slim, you still have to win.
If you lose, just keep messing around, and continue to cultivate the talented Reed. This talented second-round pick is the key to the Bucks management's determination to take a gamble, and it is also their hope for the future.
Since it’s a big gamble, you have to think broadly.
In tonight's game, the Bucks didn't give the Clippers a single chance. They lost so cleanly that the Clippers were performing a dunk show and the Bucks couldn't catch up with more than 10 points. Poor, astonishing the Clippers.
A team that averages 86 points per game and concedes 99 points per game is really awesome.
Li Ao dislikes the Bulls even more than the Bulls fans dislike him.
Look at the Bucks, this is called a mess.
The Bulls are nothing.
Li Ao played 17 minutes, scored 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals, and clocked out at halftime.
Big Q scored the second-highest 23 points in the game, and the Clippers defeated the Bucks 99-88.
The highest scorer in the game was Reed, who threw 24 times and scored 28 points.
On the 3rd, the Clippers faced back-to-back challenges from the Hawks at home.
The Eagles' record this season is not as good as last season, but it can't be said to be bad. The Big Dog played very well, averaging 24.1 points, 6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The three statistics of points, assists and steals set new career highs, and also had a career statistic. A new low, 43.6% shooting rate.
Together with Jaylen Rose, who averaged 19 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, the Big Dog led the team to a record of 20 wins and 28 losses... and internal strife.
Terry's shots this season plummeted from 16.7 last season to 10.6, and his scoring also plummeted from 19.9 points last season to 12.8 points. Although his assists per game soared to 7.6, he didn't like this style of play.
Halfway through the regular season, Terry couldn't stand it anymore. In an interview, he stated directly that this team is not suitable for me and refused to renew his contract in advance.
Rich second-generation owner Steven Price successfully spoiled a team that was on the verge of rising.
Rahim's fans knelt down to thank Price for not killing him. If Rahim stayed with the Hawks, he would probably have the same explosive mentality as when he was with the Grizzlies.
After the game started, the Clippers didn't play as easily as last night.
Although Big Dog, Jaylen Rose, and Terry each play their own roles, they all have the ability. If the three of them really get up to speed, they will dare to win no matter who the opponent is.
The Eagles also have a top-notch center named Ratliff at the center position.
The Clippers had no choice but to defend with all their strength, press the pace, and increase their success rate.
Big Dog scored 26 points, Jaylen Rose scored 20 points, Terry scored 14 points and 6 assists, and Ratliff had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks... It was just the four of them that dragged the game to the last minute. .
However, the Clippers were still better. Li Ao had 28 points, Bibby had 17 points and 5 assists, Odom had 15 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Jordan had 11 points and 5 rebounds... The Clippers narrowly defeated the Hawks 95-89.
This time back to back, Li Ao's deepest impression was that gambling dogs should not be messed up, and it is best to escape as soon as possible when encountering a bad boss.
…
After 4 consecutive home games, the Clippers began their last 4 consecutive away games before the end of the half.
The reason why the consecutive away games ended in the first half of the season was because the Staples Center was about to hold a large-scale event, the Grammy celebration. The Lakers next door were even worse, with 7 consecutive away games in the first half of the season.
On the 5th, the Clippers challenged the Suns away from home to kick off their consecutive away games.
The two teams played very fiercely, with the Suns leading by 4 points 30-26 in the first quarter, and the Clippers leading the Suns by 1 point 23-18 in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, the Clippers failed this time. They scored 18 points repeatedly. They were even beaten by Madman and contemporary Jordan to score 23 points in a single quarter, and the point difference was back to 4 points.
In the final quarter, the Suns continued their offensive performance in the third quarter and led the Clippers by 1 point until the last minute.
With 5 seconds left, Li Ao caught the ball, turned around, and rushed forward. He took two steps to the right sideline of the three-second zone, faced the overlord who came up, and hit the buzzer-beating hook!
The referee watched the replay and found that when the final whistle sounded, the ball had already left Li Ao's fingertips, and the goal was valid!
30 to 25 in a single quarter, the Clippers finally defeated the Suns 97 to 96 and won 5 consecutive victories!
Marbury had 22 points and 7 assists, Madman had 23 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and Marion had 21 points and 13 rebounds, but they still lost to Li Ao who scored 29 points and Bibby who had 19 points and 9 assists.
On the morning of the 6th, the Clippers arrived in Washington, D.C., and checked in at the White House in the afternoon.
Li Ao was looking forward to checking in at the White House for the first time, but was made miserable by the waves of interviews and photos.
Might as well play one more game.
On the 7th, the Clippers came to the Verizon Center Arena to challenge the Wizards away from home.
With 26 wins and 24 losses, the Wizards relied on Richard Hamilton, who averaged 21 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, and Brand, who averaged 21.6 points, 12 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, to complete their rise and return to the playoffs.
Tyronn Lue, who averaged 8 points and 3.5 assists per game, Christian Laettner, who averaged 10.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, and Brandon Haywood, who averaged 9 points and 7 rebounds per game, are the Clippers' top targets in last year's draft. Juan Dixon, who averaged 9.2 points per game in his rookie year and shot 43.5% from three-point range, also played an important role in the Wizards' rise.
After the game started, the Clippers fell into a disadvantage.
The Wizards played very well tonight, with good form and hard-working players.
This is a traditional show for the Wizards. It's been like this since they were called the Bullets. It happens once a year.
Whenever the defending champion visits the White House, they will encounter the Wizards who are in great shape.
Yes, the Wizards are envious and jealous of the defending champion, from the management to the players to the fans, and the atmosphere is full of explosions.
The Clippers have been in average form recently. They no longer have the state of seeing who can be defeated in the late stages of their 20-game winning streak, and have entered a stable period.
The Wizards led by 8 points 27-19 in the first quarter and 33-23 in the second quarter, widening the point difference to 18 points.
In the third quarter, the Clippers began to counterattack, scoring 32 to 24, narrowing the point difference to 10 points. In the last quarter, the Clippers surged again, 30 to 24 in a single quarter, and scored 64 to 48 in the entire second half. Crazy counterattack, but too many holes were dug in front, and the Clippers eventually lost by 4 points.
Brand had 33 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block, and Hamilton had 21 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists. The former performed well, while the latter performed...actually average, but almost made Li Ao vomit, Big Q and Gerald Wallais Shi's defensive ability is a bit poor, Yalic's athletic ability is insufficient, Bibby and Jordan don't need to be considered, they can't keep up, only Li Ao comes.
We had to guard against Hamilton. The long-distance running champion scored 16 points in the first half. It was thanks to Li Ao that he defended Hamilton to only 5 points in the second half, and the Clippers began to narrow the point difference.
This also caused Li Ao to only score 7 goals in 20 shots. With 9 of 10 free throws, he only scored 23 points.
The Clippers, who won the championship for the first time, had no experience and tasted the horror of the 'Red-Eyed Wizard'.
The day after playing the Wizards, on February 8, the Clippers came to Detroit to challenge the Pistons back-to-back.
Facing back-to-back Clippers, the Pistons' four stars performed particularly vigorously.
Ray Allen made 13 of 24 shots, including 2 of 5 three-pointers, plus 3 of 3 free throws, scoring 31 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
Billups had 17 points and 13 assists, Artest had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists, Ben Wallace had 14 points and 17 rebounds, and Jon Barry had 12 points and 2 assists...
The Pistons relied on their violent offense to defeat the Clippers 118-105!
Li Ao made 10 of 20 shots, plus 5 of 5 free throws to score 25 points, which is actually not bad. O'Neal Jr. also performed well with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Bibby's 11 points and 5 assists were also quite satisfactory... But except for the three of them, the whole team scored Only Jordan scored more than 5 points.
It may be the last time he plays the Pistons, and it's an away game. Jordan was extremely coquettish tonight. He took 24 crazy shots and made 13 of 24 shots. Plus 9 of 9 free throws, he scored a game-high 35 points. His personal performance was perfect. .
It's a pity that things are not always perfect in every aspect. After the game, Jordan's expression was particularly resentful. When he came back, he was worried that he had cheated his teammates, but he didn't expect to be cheated at this time.
I also feel a bit nostalgic, thinking that it took him several years to overcome this opponent...
After playing the Pistons, the Clippers came to Toronto, and their annual trip to the north has arrived.
After a night's rest, they went to the Air Canada Center to prepare for the game. Tonight is their last game in the first half of the regular season.
It's another popular showdown specially arranged by the league, a battle between old and new Flyers. One game is less than one.
The battle between Li Ao and Carter to lead the new generation of superstars is also a hot topic.
But the hottest topic is - is it possible for Carter, the world-famous saxophonist, to play again?
Music fans have been waiting for it all year.
Carter was furious when he saw the news. If he hadn't really been reluctant to let go, he would have smashed his saxophone live and announced his permanent retirement from the music!
(End of chapter)
