NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 384 The Civil War in Los Angeles

Even though it was just a regular season game, and even though the Clippers and Cavaliers weren't in the same bracket and were unlikely to be direct playoff opponents, the game still sparked heated discussions afterward.

Jia Fei's performance garnered him a huge fan base. The image of Running Man in the US isn't as negative as it is in China, where loyalty and patriotism are highly valued, and contract expiration and transfers are unacceptable; loyalty to one's former team is paramount. Even so, many still disapprove of his alleged shortcuts and forming cliques. Therefore, Jia Fei's defeat of the three main members led to him being likened to a dragon-slaying hero. Whether this dragon-slaying hero will ultimately become the dragon himself is no longer a concern for most.

After defeating the Cavaliers, the Clippers rushed to New Orleans, where they will face the Pelicans in a back-to-back game.

Why are there no NBA teams with an 82-game winning streak in the regular season? Besides the sheer number of games and the element of chance in competitive sports, another reason is the constant away games and back-to-back matches. The fatigue from travel combined with continuous play easily leads to exhaustion and injuries, which in turn affects performance. These factors are only absent in video games.

On December 3, the Clippers will play the Pelicans in a back-to-back away game.

In this game, facing Jrue Holiday's defense, Jia Fei scored 41 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks, a perfect performance that helped the Clippers defeat their opponent on the road and achieve a three-game winning streak.

After a three-game winning streak, the Clippers' record improved to 18 wins and 3 losses, ranking second in the Western Conference, only behind the Golden State Warriors.

After this game, the Clippers ended their six-game road trip and will return home for four home games.

The team's management is very satisfied with the team's current performance, which gives them more confidence in the team's future.

On December 5th, the Clippers returned to their home court to face the Pacers.

The game went into overtime, with the Clippers ultimately losing and missing out on a four-game winning streak. This loss also marked the Clippers being swept by the Pacers this season, making the Pacers the team with the most wins against the Clippers in the entire league this season.

On December 8th, the Clippers will host the Warriors. This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. For the Clippers, facing the dominant Warriors will be a test of their strength.

The game left Clippers fans somewhat disappointed, as even Jia Fei's game-high 44 points couldn't stop the Warriors from winning. The Splash Brothers combined for 80 points, while DeAndre Jordan became a sitting duck, getting thoroughly outplayed and humiliated by the Warriors.

After this game, the Clippers suffered their first losing streak of the season, bringing their record to 18 wins and 5 losses, dropping them to third place in the Western Conference.

Two consecutive home losses have ended the Clippers' invincible myth, and the haters are starting to stir again. Many passionate Clippers fans are also returning to reality. It is obvious that the Clippers' strength on paper is not that strong. It is just that Jia Fei's superhuman performance has made people mistakenly believe that they are a team on the same level as the Warriors.

On December 11th, the Clippers cruised to a home victory over the Pelicans, ending their two-game losing streak. The unfortunate Pelicans once again fell victim to the Clippers' attacks…

On December 13, the Clippers narrowly defeated the Trail Blazers at home, securing their second consecutive win.

In their subsequent three-game road trip in the Eastern Conference, the Clippers defeated the Magic, Heat, and Wizards, achieving a five-game winning streak.

On December 20th, the Clippers defeated the Nuggets at home, achieving their sixth consecutive win. The following day, they suffered a narrow home defeat to the Spurs in a back-to-back game, failing to secure a seventh consecutive victory.

On December 22, the Clippers narrowly defeated the Mavericks at home, avoiding a two-game losing streak.

After this game, the Clippers' record improved to 25 wins and 6 losses, ranking second in the Western Conference, only behind the Golden State Warriors.

With more than a third of the regular season completed, the Clippers' record remains impressive. They are not only second in the Western Conference but also second in the entire league. This performance far exceeds expectations. Before the season, ESPN and other media outlets predicted their best possible record would be eighth in the West, making the playoffs. Now, barring major injuries, the Clippers have a high probability of making the playoffs this season, and even a significant chance of advancing to the playoffs from the upper half of the bracket.

The Clippers will next face the Lakers on the road on December 25.

The Clippers and Lakers share the Staples Center, so while it's called an away game, it's practically the same as a home game.

A Christmas Day game between the Clippers and Lakers would certainly generate plenty of buzz, even though the Lakers finished last in the Western Conference last season and legendary Kobe Bryant has retired. The Los Angeles rivalry is still a topic of discussion. Not to mention the presence of Jia Fei, and it would be a loss for the league if a star like him didn't appear on Christmas Day.

The night of the 24th, Christmas Eve.

For Jia Fei, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day didn't feel special to him; they were just ordinary days, maybe a little more lively, nothing more.

That evening, he unexpectedly received a text message from Sharapova.

The text message was simple: "Merry Christmas Eve!"

This is the first time Jia Fei and Sharapova have contacted each other since their breakup. In Jia Fei's mind, it's impossible to be friends after a breakup; if you can, it proves you were never in love.

Jia Fei replied, and that was it. He no longer wanted anything to do with Sharapova; their relationship was completely over.

Christmas Day, December 25th, Christmas Day battle.

The streets and alleys of Los Angeles are filled with a strong Christmas atmosphere. For Jia Fei, Christmas is just an ordinary holiday, nothing special, but for other Americans, this holiday holds a very high status.

Staples Center was decorated with Christmas decorations tonight, and players from both teams wore special Christmas game jerseys. The NBA is indeed very powerful in terms of commercial promotion; it's an extremely mature commercial league.

Jia Fei wore a special Christmas edition signature shoe customized for him by Nike. The shoe was the same style, but with added Christmas elements and a slightly different pattern from the regular Jia Fei 3. It's said that Nike plans to release this Christmas edition signature shoe as a limited edition, with a higher price than the regular version.

The away team's locker room.

Old Li was still rambling on and on. Half a season had passed, and Jia Fei was already getting tired of this pep talk guru's words. It was always the same few sentences over and over again. Couldn't he come up with something fresh?

Of course, Lao Li has a lot of inspirational quotes and platitudes in his head, but inspirational quotes can only be enjoyed occasionally, not eaten as a meal!

This was Jia Fei's first away game at Staples Center since joining the Clippers. It felt strange; you're playing on a familiar court, but it turns out to be an away game.

In the United States, Los Angeles isn't the only city with two NBA teams; New York also has two, but the New York Knicks and Nets each have their own home arena.