One Year Left to Play

Chapter 557 - 170: Five Consecutive Away Games of Death (Part 2)

Coincidentally, the SuperSonics also lost.

On the night the Lakers lost to the Heat, there was a hot matchup between SuperSonics and Spurs. The Spurs, with their 13-game winning streak, faced the SuperSonics, who wanted to reclaim the top spot in the Western Conference. The Spurs won narrowly in overtime, 109 to 105, achieving a 14-game winning streak, undefeated since the end of last month, racing directly to the top of the Western Conference!

This déjà vu is just like the Lakers before the All-Star weekend.

The SuperSonics had a wave of consecutive wins at the start; the Lakers had a crazy winning streak mid-season; the Spurs had a crazy winning streak after the All-Star weekend.

All three teams reached the top of the Western Conference during their good stages, making this season’s Western Conference particularly unique.

And coincidentally, after the Spurs’ 14-game winning streak, they will face a formidable opponent—the Chicago Bulls!

If the Spurs don’t want to be knocked down from the Western Conference top spot within two days, they need to defeat the Bulls or hope both the SuperSonics and Lakers, who also have games on the 29th, lose, because the Spurs have a 0-2 record against the Lakers this season, and even though they just won a game against the SuperSonics, it’s still 1-2. With similar records, the Spurs will directly drop from the first to the third in the West!

But the hottest topic of this match isn’t this... although it’s related.

If the Bulls fail to stop the Spurs’ winning pace, then the Bulls will have lost two games this month, while the Spurs haven’t lost any. David Robinson’s performance is so good... Jordan can only win the Player of the Month by defeating the Spurs.

...

After dropping to second in the West with a 16-6 record post-All-Star weekend, Zhang Hao arrived in Charlotte to complain to his godson’s father.

Dale Curry looked at Zhang Hao, who was unhappy with second place in the Western standings, and thought this rookie really needed a beating!

Not content with just being second, what does that make the Hornets, who are fighting for eighth?

Dale Curry genuinely admired Zhang Hao’s performance post-regular season: adapting quickly, making huge progress, performing better and better...

After playing 67 games, averaging 26.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game...combined with the Lakers’ record, even without considering popularity, that’s a true All-Star performance.

Seven times scoring over 40 points, 19 times scoring over 30, and even a game with a triple-double over 60 points... Comparing is deadly. For someone also a shooter, Zhang Hao’s career start is way too impressive! Even Jordan wasn’t this flashy!

Yet, with such performance, Zhang Hao still isn’t satisfied!

Dale Curry regrets now: "Why did I think of becoming friends with him and inviting the wolf into the house?"

Looking at Zhang Hao’s annoying demeanor and the admiration that Little Curry has for Zhang Hao’s annoying demeanor...

His son is going to be led away!

Originally, after Little Curry figured it out, he felt that becoming Zhang Hao’s godson might become his dark history.

But now, Little Curry sees it as the most glorious part of his life. With Zhang Hao visiting today, he took many photos with Zhang Hao and even recorded a belated "birthday wish."

Little Curry wants to show off at school! Let’s see who dares to say he’s lying now!

Since Zhang Hao took the All-Star vote king title, Little Curry has been bragging about Zhang Hao being his godfather. Nobody believed him, but now there’s proof!

Dale Curry, witnessing this, felt his heart shatter...

After dinner, he directly kicked Zhang Hao out, using the excuse of needing to think about tomorrow’s game without leaking team secrets.

However, after kicking Zhang Hao out, Dale Curry looked at the good relationship between his son and Zhang Hao, feeling that casting a wide net to get to know Zhang Hao was definitely a wise decision.

The basketball talents of the older son had started to show early, and Dale Curry hoped that Little Curry could also enter the NBA. Little Curry is now 8 years old, and Zhang Hao is 19. It’s entirely possible that Zhang Hao will still be at his peak when Little Curry enters the NBA!

...

After resting in Charlotte for one night, on March 29th, the Lakers will play their fourth game of a 5-game road trip.

Sitting at the Western top for so long, dropping down for a few days in between, made the Lakers players anxious.

With the season nearing its end and only 13 games left, dropping at this point makes the Lakers players feel even more crisis-ridden.

Even Zhang Hao, usually calm and focused, might have insomnia without the study mode from the night before.

At this moment, he realized how deep his desire for clinching first place in the West truly was.

The opportunity is too rare!

However, he has understood the influence he has on his teammates and found a place to vent his emotions without complaining to his girlfriend, as that’s not good. Venting to an opponent is better.

After raving about his anxiety to Dale Curry yesterday, today Zhang Hao was once again the most dashing gentleman, showing no trace of being upset about dropping to second in the West.

Early today, when his teammates saw Zhang Hao’s calm demeanor, their anxiety eased quite a bit.

"Our boy is pretending again... This time we won’t secretly curse him; we need his leadership qualities."

Del Harris felt that cultivating his team’s championship mentality is a long-term mission!

Would teams like the SuperSonics, Spurs, and Utah Jazz, with their years of championship fights, start doubting themselves after a few losses? Would they have bad moods after dropping from first in the West? Even a team like the Magic, which only recently became a top team, wouldn’t do so.