章 51: Chapter 51: All-Star Vote Leader! China’s Fan Power, Showdown with the Raptors
Sensational headlines about Tang Lei's popularity took over the media:
[Stunning! Voting Portals Crash – Just How Popular is Tang Lei?]
[Undrafted Rookie Predicted to Lead Votes? LeBron: 'What??']
[Will Tang Lei Compete in the Three-Point Contest?]
[One Vote at a Time, the Rose Blooms Again!]
As each game unfolded, the Warriors maintained their winning streak, with no formidable opponents able to halt their momentum. With Durant back from injury, the Warriors grew even more dominant, pushing their winning streak to an impressive 18 games with no sign of slowing down. Just as critics expected the Warriors to tire out or anticipated their opponents to adapt, Tang Lei's versatility repeatedly dismantled their strategies.
January came and went, with the relationship between Tang Lei and Caroline continuing to deepen. She attended a few of Tang's games at Oracle Arena, and their conversations grew longer and more intimate, with mutual confessions of life's ups and downs. By the month's end, they had become more than just friends, the only thing left was a simple step beyond the line of friendship.
With January behind them, the first round of All-Star voting results arrived. Thanks to an overwhelming fanbase from China, Tang Lei claimed the top spot with over 1.5 million votes, comfortably ahead of LeBron's 1.08 million. Tang had anticipated this to some degree—after all, even Yi Jianlian was voted into the All-Star game as a rookie simply by the force of his homeland's support. However, the competition wasn't over, as player, coach, and media votes could still shift the standings, leaving LeBron a chance to reclaim the lead.
Tang Lei wasn't the only underdog inspiring waves of admiration; both Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade earned high votes as well, moving fans to tears. Rose, once on the verge of retirement, achieved a personal high of 50 points while playing for the Timberwolves, a comeback performance that brought him—and his supporters—to tears. Meanwhile, Wade's final season sparked a campaign to witness him one last time on the All-Star stage.
The All-Star Game would be held on February 17, but before then, the Warriors faced a highly anticipated battle against the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors, who had traded for the "Klaw" Leonard in a swap for DeMar DeRozan, were riding a wave of success, solidly holding second place in the league. Although trailing the Bucks, Toronto was widely seen as the Warriors' greatest challenger in the East, especially with their sights set on a title defense.
This game was a primetime showdown, broadcast nationwide, with media hyping the face-off between the defending champions and Toronto's new "King of the North." However, unlike previous big matchups, the Warriors were the visiting team this time, taking them to Toronto's icy January climate. Despite mentally preparing, many players shivered as they arrived. Fortunately, with the arena's heating, they quickly warmed up.
After resting at the hotel, the team arrived at the arena an hour early for pre-game warm-ups. At this point, the Warriors' 22-game winning streak had matched the Rockets' legendary Yao-McGrady era record, but they were just two games shy of their own franchise-best 24-game streak from the historic 2015-16 season. With tonight's victory, the Warriors could edge closer to surpassing that milestone.
The arena filled with anticipation: could Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors break the Warriors' winning streak?
Game Time: Raptors vs. Warriors – National Broadcast
Raptors Starters: Leonard, Lowry, Siakam, Ibaka, Danny Green
Warriors Starters: Curry, Durant, Thompson, Green, Tang Lei
With his impressive consistency, Tang Lei had secured his starting position, proving himself indispensable even after Durant's return. In the NBA, performance dictates everything.
The game began with Green and Ibaka jumping for the ball. Known for his height and wingspan, Ibaka easily won the tip-off. Lowry brought the ball up and immediately passed it to Leonard, whose calculated moves and robotic precision shook Durant off-balance. Leonard swiftly seized the opening, executing a clean mid-range jumper that gave the Raptors their first points.
The Warriors responded in kind. Durant answered with a pull-up, while Thompson traded threes with Danny Green. Siakam showcased his footwork in the paint, but Tang Lei countered with a flawless fadeaway. Lowry drew a strong 2+1, and Curry fired back with a deep contested three.
Back and forth the score went, as each team matched each other's rhythm and accuracy. Both benches rotated early, with the Warriors substituting Curry and Durant and the Raptors swapping out Leonard and Lowry. Seeing the two veteran stars step off the court, Tang Lei knew his opportunity to shine had arrived. So far, his shots were limited, but in this window, he could fully showcase his skills.
Green, now controlling the ball, found Tang Lei in a perfect shooting position. Without hesitation, Tang Lei caught and fired over Siakam, nailing a three-pointer with a confident "OK" gesture to his eyes, putting the Warriors up 27-25.
With Lowry off, VanVleet took over as point guard. Known for his "Van Jordan" nickname among fans, he'd kept Jeremy Lin from significant playing time, a fact that fueled some disdain among fans. However, Tang remembered VanVleet's later rise to prominence, particularly during the Raptors' championship run post-fatherhood, when he became a key player.
After being burned on a three, Siakam, brimming with youthful energy, set up aggressively against Tang Lei. Shielding the ball with his back, he called for a pass and began working to position himself for a quick score…
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