Chương 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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