NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 421 So What If You Don't Talk About Martial Morality?

"But isn't doing this a bit unethical?" Wang Meng asked.

Yang Yi shook his head: "This is a normal competition strategy. Jia Fei didn't resort to dirty tricks, so there's no question of it being unethical. It's a strategy in itself. I actually think Jia Fei is quite resourceful, doing things that benefit his side within the rules. He's really excellent."

After the start of the second quarter, 58 didn't return to the court until halfway through. Upon his return, the fans could clearly see that he was in worse physical condition than at the start of the game. The mismatch defense against Jia Fei had taken a heavy toll, which aggravated his injury.

Only then did many people understand Jia Fei's true intention in specifically targeting 58.com. It was simply a matter of "taking advantage of your weakness to finish you off"—it was that simple.

It's true that doing this isn't exactly honorable, but you can't call it despicable. This is competitive sports, and the playoffs are all about matchups and targeting. Is it honorable for you to relentlessly attack DeAndre Jordan during pick-and-rolls?

James Harden's decline has had a significant impact on the Rockets. Their defensive intensity has decreased, but the biggest impact is on their offense, as they can no longer consistently target DeAndre Jordan's pick-and-roll plays. Furthermore, Harden being double-teamed and Harden's decreased offensive output has greatly reduced the defensive pressure on the Clippers.

The injury to 58 became the Rockets' Achilles' heel, and the game returned to the rhythm of the first game between the two teams.

At halftime, the Clippers led 59-66, having hit eight three-pointers. Their 66 points were a new halftime high for the Clippers in this year's playoffs. While not a team known for its offense, this game showcased Jia Fei's ability to create scoring opportunities and his second unit's pick-and-roll duo's consistent output in the playoffs.

Jia Fei scored 21 points and dished out 7 assists in the first half, accounting for more than half of the team's points.

Old Li seemed very happy. He felt that Jia Fei's brilliant decision, made under his encouragement, was unbelievable without his help. He believed that under his coaching, it was only a matter of time before Jia Fei became a legendary superstar.

At the start of the third quarter, 58 did not choose to quit in the second half as many media people predicted; he persisted on the court, which is truly admirable.

58 immediately used the card as a screen to hit a mid-range shot after a sudden stop! Even though he jumped with difficulty due to injury, his mid-range shot is still his bread and butter thanks to his years of experience.

Beverley dribbled the ball over and passed it to Jia Fei.

Jia Fei dribbled the ball and continued to look for Beverley's screen.

Ariza tried to squeeze through the screen to prevent Jia Fei from hitting the 58, but Jia Fei took advantage of the opening to suddenly step back and shoot a three-pointer...

The ball went in perfectly!

With the score at 61-69, Jia Fei hit a three-pointer to start the second half, effectively neutralizing the Rockets' defensive strategy. It wasn't that the Clippers didn't try to defend against screens in the first half, but Jia Fei was simply too versatile. If you screened him, he'd shoot directly at you; if you went around a screen, he'd still shoot at you; he could also choose to drive to you; if you double-teamed him, he'd pass to an open teammate. Coupled with the Clippers' hot shooting from beyond the arc in the first half, the Rockets didn't dare to double-team him.

Cheers erupted quickly in the arena. Los Angeles fans have an unusually high tolerance for high scores; they've witnessed Jerry West's 81-point outburst before, and scoring is commonplace for them. But this season, Jia Fei has won over many fans, including some Lakers supporters. After all, compared to Russell, Ingram, and Clarkson, Jia Fei is far superior.

In a 58-pick-and-roll against DeAndre Jordan, there was no double-team, but he seemed unable to continue and passed the ball to Harden. Clearly, the injury was aggravating his condition.

Harden sets a screen against Jordan, the Clippers double-team him, 58 sets the second pass, Ariza misses a 3-pointer!

Jia Fei grabbed the rebound, brought the ball over, and continued to run a pick-and-roll to score at 58!

Some Rockets fans at the scene couldn't stand it anymore. "That's enough! Didn't you see that Mr. 58 is injured?"

Jia Fei knew this wasn't exactly heroic, but that's competitive sports; being merciful to your opponent is being cruel to yourself. If the 58 team is fully healthy, their chances of winning this series are slim.

This isn't an unacceptable fact; the reality is that even with both teams at full health, the Clippers' chances of winning are slim. The Clippers do have more debuffs. D'Antoni is known for his stubbornness and poor adaptability, but compared to Doc Rivers, he's far superior. Doc Rivers is the truly hands-off coach; he doesn't know what Jia Fei is up to, he only knows how to give the players pep talks, and whether they like them or not is beyond his control.

58 had defended himself very well, but Jia Fei still dared to act aggressively in front of him. It was truly unreasonable, but what could he do? If he couldn't resist, then he might as well just quietly enjoy it...

With the score at 61-71, the point difference has reached double digits, marking the largest point difference between the two teams in this game.

Staples Center erupted in its first climax, with chants of "MVP" resounding once again throughout this series. Compared to Harden, Jia Fei's performance in this series was clearly superior, even if he lacked sportsmanship. Ultimately, 58 is an opponent, not a teammate; winning is the most important thing.

Rockets are on offense. 58's drive to the basket resulted in a turnover, which was stolen by Beverley!

Beverley is good at interpersonal relationships; he gave the fast break opportunity to the team's leader, Jia Fei!

In front of more than 2 fans, Jia Fei completed a powerful dunk, bringing the game to a climax...

D'Antoni called a timeout. The opponent's morale had completely picked up, and the point difference had reached double digits. The situation was not good for them.

"Jia Fei is amazing, his singles game is really solid!" Wang Meng exclaimed.

Yang Yi laughed and said, "Jia Fei is really amazing and smart; athletes like him are rare. If Paul's injury doesn't get better, the Clippers' chance has really come!"

After the timeout, 58 didn't return, and his physical condition worsened. Whenever he was on the court, Jia Fei would relentlessly attack him, showing no mercy, which infuriated him, but there was nothing he could do—he was injured!

In the following games, the Rockets played very tenaciously even without 58. Round-faced Harden is really good at playing tough games, stepping up to score and catch up when the team was behind.

It wasn't until Jia Fei took charge of defending him that his scoring momentum was finally contained.

In the final quarter, the Clippers, thanks to Jia Fei's control of the game, repeatedly thwarted the Rockets' comeback attempts and ultimately won the game, tying the series at 2-2!

The Clippers defeated the Rockets 111-127 at home, retaining their home court advantage. Their next game will be a pivotal Game 5 in Houston.

贾飞全场砍下46分10个篮板13次助攻3个抢断2个盖帽的数据，表现之炸裂，让人震惊。

A triple-double with 40+ points is something that might be commonplace in the regular season, but remember that this is in the playoffs.