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90.44% Rise to Glory:Conquering the NBA with The God of Basketball System / Chapter 123: Chapter 123: If You Can’t Beat ’Em, Join ’Em

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: If You Can’t Beat ’Em, Join ’Em

Coach Rivers shook his head, clearly frustrated. Tang Lei's skills were just overwhelming. Despite his lean frame, his explosiveness, shooting, and ability to drive to the basket were all exceptional—comparable to Durant's in some ways. Beverley was undersized, and when Tang elevated for his shots, all he could do was pray for a miss. There wasn't much else he could do defensively.

Calling a timeout this early in the second quarter was out of the question for Rivers; that'd be a death sentence for team momentum. Besides, this lineup was their strongest on paper. If they couldn't handle the Warriors now, substituting in other players wouldn't make much difference.

The Clippers had possession. Once again, Harrell stepped up, throwing down another ferocious dunk off an assist from Lou Williams. This, at least, slowed down the Warriors' growing lead a bit.

"Doesn't matter how strong you are—end of the day, you're still just a benchwarmer here on the Warriors, aren't you? How long can you keep settling for that?" Beverley muttered as he closely guarded Tang Lei, changing up his usual trash-talking strategy. Instead of directly getting under Tang Lei's skin, Beverley started poking at a potential sore spot—Tang Lei's current role as a sixth man.

Surprised, Tang Lei couldn't help but smirk. On-court recruiting? This was a first. Beverley was sly, though, keeping his voice just low enough that only Tang Lei could hear. If a referee overheard, it could lead to a technical and likely a league fine, as recruiting during non-trade periods was strictly prohibited.

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Nothing wrong with that. Look at Durant—he joined the Warriors to get what he wanted, right?" Beverley went on, clearly trying to unsettle Tang Lei. His approach was simple: expose any hidden desire Tang Lei might have for a bigger role, planting seeds of discontent to destabilize his focus.

"If you keep quiet, no one will mistake you for a mute," Tang Lei finally responded with a calm, exasperated sigh.

Beverley's grin widened, knowing he had at least gotten a reaction. Tang Lei recalled hearing stories about this game from his past life—it was a playoff showdown where Beverley famously switched to Durant for a one-on-one duel. Apparently, Beverley was now recycling the same tactics on him, trying to make Tang Lei question his own position and team loyalty.

"You care about that starting spot more than you're letting on, don't you?" Beverley continued as Tang Lei started to break free for a pass. Ignoring him, Tang Lei took the ball, maneuvering to his sweet spot, then faked a shot. Beverley took the bait, leaping to contest, and Tang leaned in to draw the foul.

With the referee's whistle signaling the contact, Tang used his core strength to steady himself and release the shot, a perfect three-pointer that swished cleanly through the net, earning him a trip to the line for a potential four-point play.

"OH!" The Oracle Arena erupted in celebration at the dazzling 3-and-1 play.

"Damn it!" Beverley's face hardened, visibly irked. He shot Tang a glare that screamed frustration, practically fuming as he watched Tang convert his free throw to complete the play. The Warriors' lead was now a comfortable 15 points.

As the Clippers called a timeout, Coach Kerr swapped out some starters. Tang Lei, however, remained on the court, taking Cousins' spot in the rotation.

Across the court, the Clippers' adjustments were minimal; they subbed in Zubac for Beverley to bolster their center position. Given that the Warriors had gone small, this was a gamble to gain a size advantage, as going head-to-head in traditional matchups was proving too challenging for them. Additionally, with Beverley's two early fouls, it was wise for Rivers to keep him on the bench and protect him from foul trouble. 

As the teams lined up, Tang prepared himself for the adjustments ahead, aware that the Clippers were experimenting with unconventional tactics to slow him down. He knew he'd have to stay sharp if he wanted to keep the Warriors firmly in control.

...


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Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Is He About to Become the Next Isaiah Thomas?

Hearing that he was being subbed out, Beverley couldn't hide the disappointment on his face. He had wanted to atone for his earlier mistakes, but he was determined to shut down Tang Lei's scoring. But foul trouble and a lack of trust from the coaching staff sealed his fate.

Beverley couldn't entirely blame Coach Rivers. Tang Lei had just scored nine points on him in three or four possessions—a defensive performance that was anything but acceptable. Instead of containing Tang Lei, Beverley's efforts had only fired him up, leading to an explosive scoring spree.

"Damn it! This is bullsh*t!" Beverley muttered angrily as he took his seat on the bench.

---

The game resumed. 

Tang Lei remained at point guard, as his playmaking had proven invaluable so far. The Clippers adjusted their defense, assigning Harrell to guard Tang Lei. Harrell's combination of strength and relentless energy made him an intimidating presence. For someone with Tang Lei's slender build, a collision with Harrell could very well end with him sprawled on the court.

However, Tang Lei didn't force the issue against Harrell. Instead, he shifted into playmaking mode. After all, with Curry, Thompson, and Durant surrounding him, there was no need for him to carry the offensive load alone.

With a quick between-the-legs dribble, Tang Lei delivered a perfect bounce pass to Thompson, who wasted no time sinking a three-pointer. The Warriors extended their lead to 18 points, 48–30.

But the Clippers weren't ready to give up. Over the next three possessions, Curry and Durant both struggled with their shooting, going 0-for-3 combined. The Clippers capitalized on the missed opportunities, utilizing Zubac's size advantage inside to score three consecutive baskets, trimming the deficit to 48–36.

Tang Lei continued to contribute in the next five possessions. He scored on a drive, assisted Curry for a three-pointer, and set up Durant for a mid-range jumper. While two of his passes to Draymond Green didn't result in points, Tang Lei's impact remained evident. By the time Coach Kerr finally subbed him out, Tang Lei had logged an impressive stat line: 17 points and 5 assists in just over 12 minutes of play.

As Tang Lei left the court, Oracle Arena erupted in applause. His efficiency outshined even some starting guards across the league, and the crowd appreciated every bit of it.

Cousins took Tang Lei's place on the court. With Cousins in the game, the Warriors' offensive rhythm noticeably slowed. Because of Cousins' lack of speed, fast-break opportunities were squandered, allowing the Clippers to set up defensive schemes and even execute a few five-on-four transition plays.

That said, Cousins wasn't entirely ineffective. In half-court sets, his post presence remained a significant threat. He even delivered a thunderous dunk over Zubac, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

At halftime, the Warriors led the Clippers 60–49, holding an 11-point advantage.

---

During the break, the Tencent Sports Live chatroom buzzed with activity. Surprisingly, viewership numbers were underwhelming, with less than a million concurrent viewers. 

This wasn't entirely unexpected. Pre-game predictions had given the Clippers just a 1% chance of advancing past the Warriors. For many fans, this first-round matchup seemed like a foregone conclusion. Without suspense or intrigue, the appeal of sitting through a lopsided game waned.

"Cousins is dragging them down. If it weren't for him, the Warriors would already be up by 20!"

"That Achilles injury is brutal. The era of Cousins being the league's best center is over."

"Sad to say it, but Cousins might just end up like Isaiah Thomas—never the same after an injury."

"Tang Lei is solid, though. I feel like he's about to set another record tonight."

"Tang Lei isn't just breaking records; he's redefining them. Tang Lei forever GOAT!"


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