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"This temporary mission... is so difficult."
While Wang Chong was contemplating the sudden temporary task, a figure flashed in front of him.
He was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and saw James rushing towards his basket with the ball. James executed a powerful slam dunk, then landed and howled to the sky, looking very dominant.
"Wow, you actually attacked while I was distracted," Wang Chong muttered in dissatisfaction, especially when he saw the look on James' face, as if the Cavaliers were in the lead.
It was clear that Kobe's accidental injury had given James and the Cavaliers players some hope of turning the game around, making them more aggressive on the court.
"Hey, Wang, keep your head in the game! It's not over yet; don't get distracted by Kobe's situation," Payton said, patting Wang Chong on the shoulder to encourage him.
Wang Chong shook his head slightly, too lazy to explain that he wasn't distracted by Kobe's injury just now.
The Lakers were on offense. As soon as Wang Chong crossed half court, he raised his hand outside the three-point line, signaling for the ball.
Payton was stunned to see Wang Chong asking for the ball.
Wang Chong rarely called for the ball on the court. And this time, without any off-ball movement or pick-and-roll, he clearly wanted to hold the ball and work solo.
Looking at James in front of Wang Chong, Payton felt skeptical. He knew how good Wang Chong's mid-range shooting was and admired it. However, Wang Chong's ability to independently dribble and create his shot had never been demonstrated—at least, not in the NBA.
The Lakers were still in an advantageous position, and Payton didn't want that lead to slip away, potentially costing them a game they should win.
But...
After a moment of hesitation, Payton chose to pass the ball to Wang Chong.
There were few trustworthy teammates available now. Since Wang Chong wanted the ball, it was worth giving him a chance to prove himself.
Wang Chong received Payton's pass, standing outside the three-point line with James defending him.
Wang Chong glanced at James briefly and, without hesitation, took a three-point shot.
"Too impatient! Why shoot now? There's still plenty of time left on the shot clock!" Payton's heart sank, and he couldn't help but curse inwardly.
"Rookies are always rookies. They can't be trusted..."
"Swish!"
The crisp sound of the net silenced Payton's complaints abruptly.
Wang Chong hit the three-pointer right in James' face.
Wang Chong's three-point shooting rating was currently 87, which was quite high—especially in the league at the beginning of the 21st century when three-point shooting wasn't as emphasized as it would be later. The general shooting ability of league players from beyond the arc was generally weak; only a few, like Ray Allen, stood out as reliable shooters.
In this environment, Wang Chong's three-point shooting rating of 87 was enough to put him in the top fifteen, perhaps even the top ten, in the league.
When James was defending Wang Chong, he was clearly more cautious about Wang Chong's mid-range game, so he gave him a little space. Seeing such an opening, Wang Chong took the shot, punishing James for his mistake.
Following his pull-up three-pointer, Wang Chong scored again with a pick-and-roll mid-range jumper and a back-to-basket turnaround shot in the paint, scoring 7 points in a row!
With Kobe out due to injury, the Cavaliers failed to close the gap. Instead, the Lakers widened their lead, forcing the Cavaliers to call a timeout to adjust.
However, the break didn't improve their situation.
At that time, the Cavaliers had traded Ricky Davis, who believed James was brought in to assist him, and had James playing as the starting point guard. As a result, James was classified as a guard for All-Star voting.
But Ricky Davis' departure only inflated James' stats, pushing him toward averaging 20+5+5 per game. It didn't elevate the Cavaliers' overall strength. Even though the Cavaliers had won more games than the previous season, they still struggled outside the top eight in the Eastern Conference, revealing their overall weakness. Besides James, only Boozer had some offensive capability, while players like Big Z were not effective in creating their shots.
When James struggled offensively, even a depleted Lakers roster couldn't be toppled.
The Lakers carried a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. Despite James' attempts to rally his team and turn the game around, Wang Chong's consistent scoring thwarted every effort.
Wang Chong's mid-range game was too reliable. Without a way to limit his scoring, the Cavaliers couldn't mount a comeback.
In the end, the Lakers secured a home victory with a score of 95-88.
With Kobe injured mid-game, Wang Chong carried the Lakers' offense in the second half. He went 12 for 21 from the field, including 3 of 7 from three-point range, and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line, scoring 31 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.
Payton wasn't in great form, shooting just 4 of 13 and finishing with 11 points. Even before Kobe's injury, he was shooting just above 40% and had 10 points. So, at least 80% of the credit for the win belonged to Wang Chong.
James, facing off against Wang Chong, lost to the Lakers for the second time in the regular season—and again, he lost to Wang Chong.
Unlike the first loss to the super F4 Lakers lineup, this defeat was solely on James. There were no excuses.
With O'Neal and Malone absent, Kobe only played moderately well in the first half and left due to injury in the second half. The Lakers' lineup wasn't much different from the Cavaliers', and with injuries plaguing the Lakers, James had a clear chance to lead his team to a comeback.
But he failed.
Defensively, he couldn't stop Wang Chong from scoring, making it impossible for his team to close the gap.
Offensively, James' performance was abysmal. He shot 6 of 20, scoring just 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and had 6 turnovers—his performance wasn't even on par with Big Z's 19 points and 8 rebounds.
Normally, having a few bad games isn't unexpected; after all, no matter how talented James was, he was still just a rookie lacking experience and polish.
But losing in a direct matchup against Wang Chong was a tough pill to swallow.
Especially with Wang Chong scoring 31 points and 8 rebounds compared to his 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. How would James, the No. 1 draft pick and the "Chosen One," feel about that?
End of this chapter
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