Chapter 1046 1046. Prologue
Inside and outside the Staples Center, cheers were deafening... There were huge crowds...
Tickets for the Hawks' away game against the Clippers tonight were hard to come by, and fans who bought tickets in advance were lucky. Starting this morning, the remaining tickets were sold at least two to three times the original price.
The Clippers had set the ticket prices very high because the Hawks came to Los Angeles to play, and now they are even more expensive.
In addition, there were scalpers who raised the price. The 18,000 US dollars courtside ticket Liu Mang bought was sold to 50,000 by scalpers, and they were quickly sold out.
This kind of scene would be considered a grand occasion in Los Angeles or New York, after all, it was just a regular season game.
At 7:40, the players of both teams entered the court. The Hawks were booed all over the court. When Liu Mang entered the court, the boos made his eardrums vibrate.
Liu Mang was originally a public enemy of Los Angeles, and he thought this was normal, but the Clippers fans booed him so much that he felt weird, after all, he was Kobe's arch enemy!
Shouldn't we be united against the common enemy?
It wasn't until Liu Mang entered the stadium that he saw that half of the fans were Lakers fans... Most of the people who came to watch the game were Lakers fans... There was also Nicholson, the Lakers mascot, next to his father, booing him, and Liu Mang understood...
It turned out that Lakers fans had already bought tickets and were waiting to boo him! In addition, the ticket price increased today, and most Clippers fans are working class. Lakers fans in Los Angeles are relatively rich and more willing to buy tickets, so almost half of the fans at the scene were wearing Lakers jerseys!
"Wearing Lakers jerseys and holding a sign to cheer for the Clippers, how shameless!" Liu Mang couldn't help but complain.
"Ace, what are you talking about?" Jason Terry asked curiously.
He spoke his mind subconsciously, in Chinese. Liu Mang translated it: "Look at this group of people. They are obviously Lakers fans who have always looked down on the Clippers. Now, in order to defend their strongest iron-shooting male star in history, they are cheering for the Clippers. Isn't it shameless!"
"I wouldn't have noticed it if you hadn't said it, Ace. Don't worry, Ace, I will help you today, but people should always give and take, right..." Jason Terry frowned at Liu Mang.
This damn dwarf! Taking advantage of the fire! Liu Mang endured it! He forced a smile and said, "Okay, I will pass the ball to you more in the next game! But there is a condition! You have to shoot when you receive the ball, don't carry it back and forth."
"What do you mean by carry it back and forth? I'm looking for rhythm! Do you understand rhythm?" Jason Terry said angrily.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Liu Mang responded helplessly, and went to greet the celebrities on the sidelines with Jason Terry.
In addition to Nicholson today, many Hollywood people came, and they had to help them show their faces.
The reason why so many Lakers fans came today is related to the gimmick of "the strongest single-game scorer in history" first proposed by the league.
A columnist on the NBA official website listed a list of "the strongest scorers in history", including Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Rick Barry, George Gervin, Bob McAdoo, David Thompson, Jordan, David Robinson, O'Neal, Iverson, Kobe, McGrady, and Liu Mang.
Chamberlain, Kobe, and Liu Mang were placed in the first tier.
Chamberlain's 100 points and Kobe's 80 points are the only two players in NBA history who scored 80+ in a single game, and Liu Mang is regarded as the player with the best chance of getting 80+ in a single game. Others have either retired long ago or have little chance of getting 80+ in a single game based on their previous high-volume shooting.
Chamberlain scored 100 points in the 1960s, so Kobe is regarded as having a relatively higher gold content and is ranked first among the strongest single-game scorers.
Liu Mang ranked third, and there was a question mark on the third place.
This made the fans, when they saw this news widely forwarded by major media, couldn't help but think, will Liu Mang do it again after Kobe?
And Liu Mang himself "said" that he would score 81 points, but the Clippers boss was still asking for trouble by not giving Liu Mang a ticket, and the Lakers fans were panicking.
Their star player had just been hailed as the "strongest single-game scorer in history", and they were very worried that Liu Mang would take this title away immediately, so today Los Angeles was full of Clippers fans.
The Clippers players were even more upset than Liu Mang!
Even Cassell was asked by Brand not to say hello to Liu Mang today.
The whole world treated them as soft persimmons! It seemed that Liu Mang could get 80 points if he wanted, and treated them like ATMs, even if it was back-to-back. Captain Brand held a small meeting between the players before the game to mobilize the enthusiasm of his teammates and not let Liu Mang succeed.
Liu Mang was shooting to warm up his hands while looking at the ability evaluation of the Clippers' players. He didn't care too much about the Clippers yesterday, so he didn't have time to care about them. The most important thing was to criticize Kobe.
After losing to the Lakers, the Clippers suddenly dropped to eighth in the West. They have been in the top eight in the West since the beginning of this season. They have a chance to enter the playoffs again after a lapse of ten years. Brand really wants to try the taste of the playoffs, and the game cannot be lost!
The Clippers are unhappy today, but the pressure is even greater!
Liu Mang was shooting to warm up his hands while looking at the ability evaluation of the Clippers' players. He didn't care too much about the Clippers yesterday, so he didn't have time to care about them. The most important thing was to criticize Kobe.
Elton Brand, ability evaluation 88 (peak), 91 offense, 80 defense, 96 rebounds, 40 three-pointers, 87 mid-range shots, 94 layups, 77 speed, 93 strength...averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds and 2.2 per game. assists.
Captain Brand has averaged 20+10 points per game since he entered the NBA. At 2.03 meters tall, he is incredibly strong and surprisingly slow for his height. Liu Mang looked at Tracy McGrady and then at Brand. The height is the same, Brand is more than a lap bigger than Tracy McGrady.
Cassel's ability evaluation is 86, offense 87, defense 84, three-pointer 89, mid-range shot 80, layup 84, speed 88, strength 82...
Lucky star Cassel, Liu Mang has always felt that Cassel is not just lucky. No matter which team he goes to and which team reaches the peak of team history, his strength is the key. Cassel, who was 36 years old last month, is actually better than The season is getting better!
Even at the age of 36, Kobe started to help the Lakers get the second pick. Although it was related to injuries, Cassell's ability to maintain the level of a first-class star for such a long time is also a kind of strength.
Among the star point guards of Cassell's contemporaries, Kidd is the only one left.
Corey Maggette, ability evaluation 83, offense 86, defense 71, three-pointer 75, mid-range shot 63, layup 95, speed 91, strength 93, high probability of injury...
The offense is amazing. Except for throwing two three-pointers, he is a muscle monster who basically doesn't shoot. He has excellent finishing ability at the basket, strong ability to draw fouls, and his upper body is as strong as a center. His lower body is about the same as that of a jumping man, and his knees are therefore very fragile. The upper body looks so strong, but the weight is only 99 kilograms, and the lower limbs are too light.
Even so, Maggette was extremely lethal during his two-year peak period.
In addition, there are also Kaman's 79 ability evaluation of the 2003 generation, Livingston's ability evaluation of 75, Radmanovic's ability evaluation of 77, Mobley's ability evaluation of 76...
Liu Mang feels that the Clippers have been able to maintain such a good record so far this year after failing to perform well for so many years. Normal.
The Clippers are not as easy to deal with as imagined!
No wonder Kobe is given a chance to score 80 points. When the opponent can't guard you, but the game is anxious, it's a good choice for Liu Mang and Kobe, who are physical monsters and have strong independent scoring ability. Opportunity to earn points!
…
…
Amid the noise of the fans at the scene, the two teams completed their pre-match preparations. In an ordinary regular season game, which was broadcast in more than 60 countries and regions under the gaze of fans in front of the TV, the two teams made their starting debut.
The Eagles sent out a starting lineup of Liu Mang, Tracy McGrady, Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Kwame Brown.
For the Clippers, Cassell, Mobley, Maggette, Brand, and Kaman started.
“BEAT-ICE…”
“BEAT-ICE…”
“BEAT-ICE…”
When Liu Mang was spreading magnesium powder, the audience began to chant "Down with Ace". Once he came on stage, Liu Mang became physically and psychologically excited. The fiercer these people shouted, the more scared they were!
Kwame Brown and Kaman came to the center circle to jump the ball.
Kwame Brown was also so excited that it was broadcast live on all three major TV stations in the United States today! The first shot at the start of the game was his!
The referee blew the whistle to start the game and threw the ball in the air. Kwame Brown quickly bounced up and won the jump ball over Kaman.
Kaman barely jumped. Immediately after landing, he shook his blond hair, turned around and ran towards the backcourt. He was obviously prepared to lose the jump ball.
Liu Mang received the ball and quickly advanced towards the frontcourt, and the rest of the Eagles pressed forward collectively.
As soon as Liu Mang reached the three-point line, a face that made him feel like he was fighting "Star Wars" appeared in front of him. It was so lethal that Liu Mang's fast break was forced to stop!
"This guy, at 36 years old, his defense is close to top-notch. He must be intimidating with his face!"
Liu Mang was forced to stop, but the ball didn't stop and was immediately passed to McGrady. Then Liu Mang pressed Cassel's chest with his right arm, squeezed Cassel, turned right and wiped Cassel past. Cut in from the left side of the top arc!
So fast!
The 36-year-old Cassell no longer had the top speed he maintained last season. Liu Mang turned around and was wiped out. Not only was his speed but also his strength unable to keep up with Liu Mang.
When Liu Mang cut to the mid-range, McGrady's ball had already been passed back. Liu Mang received the ball and continued to rush to the basket. Brand had already let go of Rasheed Wallace in the left corner. They blocked Liu Mang's side.
Although the speed was slow, Brand was strong in physical confrontation and squeezed Liu Mang. At this time, Rasheed Wallace cut in from the baseline. Liu Mang was stunned and didn't pass the ball. Brand's big hook made it pass. The ball goes to the basket...
I didn't practice for so long today, Liu Mang's hook at the beginning hit!