Chapter 70: 33 Points in a Single Game! Is This a Rookie?
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While Barkley and Kenny Smith were arguing over their bet, the game continued.
After Wang Chong stepped onto the court, the dynamic of the game changed immediately.
At 6 minutes and 13 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Lakers attacked. Wang Chong set up a pick-and-roll with Fisher, quickly cut inside, and finished with a successful layup.
At 6 minutes and 54 seconds, Wang Chong held the ball and faced Antawn Jamison from mid-range, executing a fadeaway jump shot.
At 8 minutes and 40 seconds, Wang Chong intercepted the Mavericks' pass and scored a dunk in a fast break.
At 10 minutes and 24 seconds, Wang Chong made his signature mid-range pull-up jumper. By this time, the Mavericks had switched defenders on him from Walker and Jamison to Josh Howard.
Josh Howard, who was also a rookie from the 2003 draft, was picked 29th in the first round. As a member of the celebrated '03 Draft Class, Howard may have been selected late, but he was a capable player. At his peak, he averaged 19.9 points, 7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game and was selected as an NBA All-Star.
Josh Howard performed decently during his rookie season. In the 2003-04 season, he played off the bench for the Mavericks, averaging 8.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, earning him a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team.
However, at this stage, Howard was no match for Wang Chong. Even in his prime, it's debatable whether Howard could have matched the skill and talent Wang Chong displayed.
Facing Howard's defense, Wang Chong made another mid-range shot and was subbed out before the end of the half.
In the second quarter, Wang Chong shot 5 of 8, scoring an additional 10 points. By halftime, he had already accumulated 18 points, and the Lakers led 61-45 with a comfortable 16-point advantage.
Wang Chong did not get much playing time in the third quarter, appearing only briefly. Toward the end of the third quarter, he drew a defensive foul from the Mavericks and made 2 of 2 free throws, reaching his 20th point of the game.
"Rookie, you're playing really well today!"
During the break between the third and fourth quarters, O'Neal patted Wang Chong on the shoulder and laughed. "When I first entered the league, I only scored 12 points in my debut game. You're already better than I was."
"By the way, even though I only scored 12 points in that game, I also had 18 rebounds and 3 blocks."
Wang Chong: "…"
He suspected that O'Neal was boasting, though he had no proof.
But it didn't matter; there was still one quarter left to play.
Even though the Mavericks were trailing by almost 20 points and the game seemed decided, it appeared that the coach intended to give Wang Chong significant playing time in the fourth quarter.
Having already scored 20 points, Wang Chong had completed the first objective of his system task. However, as previously mentioned, the higher his score in this game, the better. Ideally, he would love to notch up 50+ points.
After a brief break, the fourth quarter began.
As expected, Wang Chong started the fourth quarter. The Lakers' lineup included Fisher, Gary Payton, Devin George, Wang Chong, and backup center Horace Grant.
Both Malone and O'Neal were resting on the sidelines.
Malone, who had a rough shooting night, was only 3 for 9 from the field, finishing with just 8 points.
O'Neal's performance was also average. While he dominated Nowitzki on offense, he struggled defensively, which consumed a lot of his energy. He also got into foul trouble, preventing him from playing at his best.
Thus, Phil Jackson decided to rest both players for the fourth quarter and adjust their condition.
The game unfolded as Jackson predicted.
The Lakers focused on pick-and-roll plays between Payton and Wang Chong.
To stop Wang Chong from scoring, the Mavericks chose to defend Wang Chong aggressively after the pick-and-roll. As a result, Payton used the pick-and-roll to drive to the basket several times, scoring consecutive points.
As veterans who joined the Lakers on minimum contracts, Payton and Malone were different cases. Malone, at 40, was clearly past his prime.
However, Payton, only 35 and still at the tail end of his prime, was far from over the hill.
Leaving Payton open cost the Mavericks dearly. Even without O'Neal on the court, the Mavericks not only failed to cut into the Lakers' lead, but the gap seemed to widen even further.
Before long, almost four minutes had passed in the fourth quarter.
Seeing that they couldn't close the 20-point deficit, the Mavericks chose to concede the game, pulling their starters off the court.
The Lakers responded by substituting Gary Payton, but Wang Chong remained on the court, playing against the substitutes from both teams.
Without Payton, Wang Chong became the Lakers' primary offensive focus. Point guard Fisher, ever astute, frequently passed the ball to Wang Chong as soon as he got possession.
In the next few possessions, Wang Chong went on a shooting spree, clearly intent on padding his stats.
As someone who came from an era where individual stats were paramount, no one understood better than Wang Chong how to make his numbers look impressive. This was LeBron's specialty.
Wang Chong had no qualms about inflating his stats. If he could make his numbers look good while winning the game, why not?
Especially in an era when the internet wasn't as pervasive, who would even bring up stat-padding during garbage time?
When Kobe's 81-point game was first reported, it was sensational. Who cared that Kobe continued shooting and scored 14 points in the last 5 minutes when the Lakers were up by 12 and the game was basically decided?
With this in mind, Wang Chong felt at ease shooting during garbage time. Before being subbed out by the coach, he scored another 7 points, bringing his total for the fourth quarter to 11.
The final whistle blew.
The Lakers defeated the Mavericks 112-93, securing a solid win in their regular-season opener and dominating a strong Western Conference team without their star, Kobe Bryant.
Lakers fans in the arena stood up and applauded the team for their victory.
"Wang Chong—Wang Chong—Wang Chong!"
Some fans chanted Wang Chong's name repeatedly.
Wang Chong was undoubtedly the biggest contributor to the victory.
With Kobe missing, O'Neal, Malone, and others underperforming, the newcomer Wang Chong stepped up, shooting 12 of 19 from the field, 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line, finishing with 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists on 63% shooting!
End of this chapter
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