Chapter 129: Playing Away Against the Raptors

Trade rumors swirled outside, but they had no impact on the daily routine of the NBA. On February 1st, the Clippers flew to Toronto to challenge the Raptors on the road.

Upon arriving in Toronto, the team's atmosphere turned peculiar. In the locker room, everyone seemed to be holding their breath, reluctant to speak. They all knew about Brand's desire to leave, and at this moment, anything said felt awkward.

He Xinghui disliked this vibe. He stood up and asked, "What's wrong with everyone today? Do you need me to tell a dirty joke to liven things up?"

"Hahaha, I wouldn't mind hearing one," Cassell chimed in. He had seen plenty of teammates having conflicts, and even experienced it himself, so he took it in stride. Unfortunately, only Cassell responded. The others remained tense, unsure of how to pick sides between He Xinghui and Brand. He Xinghui was the core player heavily backed by the front office, but Brand was the former leader, someone they had known longer and shared a deeper bond with.

"What is going on with you guys?" He Xinghui asked, seeing that everyone remained sullen.

*What’s going on? As if you don't know,* many thought to themselves.

"Is it because of Brand wanting to leave?"

Everyone was stunned that He Xinghui brought it up so directly. They looked at Brand, waiting for his reaction.

He Xinghui continued, "Isn't it normal for colleagues to switch jobs or players to be traded? Did you really think we could play together until retirement? If Brand can find a better place, we should be happy for him. Until then, we are still a team. Even if Brand leaves, we will still be friends."

His words weren't particularly profound, but they made his stance clear, hoping to relieve the pressure on everyone.

"Actually, it's not that I want to leave; it's just that my agent wants me to," Brand explained. Choosing to leave felt a bit like abandoning his teammates.

"Alright, none of that matters. Look at the news; the Toronto media is saying there’s conflict in our locker room and that they’re going to hand us a third straight loss. Wouldn't it be interesting if we won this game? If we lose, the media will certainly add even more fuel to the fire," He Xinghui laughed.

This finally boosted morale a little; they had found a reason to strive. "The outside world is counting us out. Let's give them a surprise together."

...

Not long after, the players took the court. When He Xinghui emerged, he was welcomed by a portion of the local fans. The Raptors’ history was too short, and their core fan base couldn't compare to traditional powerhouses like the Lakers, Knicks, or Celtics. Many fans here didn't just support the Raptors; they supported the league's stars. He Xinghui, having achieved the miracle of 82 points and delivered numerous spectacular performances, was naturally an object of their admiration. Some even fantasized that if they were enthusiastic enough toward him, they might earn his favor, and perhaps one day he would come to play in Toronto.

He Xinghui responded to these fans with friendliness. Relying solely on fans in California wouldn't make him the most popular star; he needed to win over fans in other cities too. The fans who received his acknowledgment were even happier, their favor for him increasing.

Next, the home team's players were introduced. When the star player Chris Bosh appeared, the cheers were the loudest. With the team's record being abysmal, Bosh was the only comfort for Raptors fans. They were still waiting for the "Dragon King" to grow and lead the Raptors to prominence. Other Raptors players also received varying degrees of applause. Only when Jalen Rose appeared did the crowd offer almost no welcome or encouragement. It couldn't be helped—he had brought shame upon the Raptors not long ago. If it weren't for He Xinghui scoring 82 points and making the Cavaliers the biggest joke, drawing all the fire away, the Raptors would have been mocked mercilessly by now. In fact, this was one reason why some Raptors fans didn't dislike He Xinghui.

After the introductions, Jalen Rose walked up to He Xinghui. "He, you're my idol. That 82-point performance was incredible."

Jalen Rose's words left He Xinghui stunned; for a moment, he suspected it was trash talk. It was too absurd—a veteran who had played in the league for years calling himself a fan of a rookie. Anyone with a shred of pride wouldn't say that. Recovering, He Xinghui didn't know how to respond, so he offered some trash talk of his own: "Oh, would you like to see an even more spectacular performance today?"

"..." Jalen Rose immediately wore a look of despair. He Xinghui’s meaning was clear: he intended to score even more. Unfortunately, Jalen Rose was the one matched up against him today. If He Xinghui dropped a higher score, Rose had no doubt the Raptors fans would jump onto the court to beat him up. What was he to do?

Jalen Rose opened his mouth, but in the end, the plea for mercy remained unsaid. Even for the shameless, there had to be a bottom line.

The warm-up ended, and the game began. The Clippers saw Kaman return to the lineup. The starting five were Cassell, He Xinghui, Maggette, Brand, and Kaman.

The Raptors' starting point guard was Mike James. Before this season, he was a nobody averaging about 10 points. After this season, he returned to being a nobody averaging under 10. Only this season did he inexplicably explode for 20.3 points per game. There were many players in the league who improved that much in a single season, and just as many who regressed. But to have such a massive jump and such a sharp decline across two seasons was truly unique to him.

Shooting guard Jalen Rose was once a man who averaged 23 points, a player who had been dominant. But that was past glory. Now, he had only one label: the man who let Kobe score 81 points. He became famous for one game, but it was an infamous reputation.

Small forward Morris Peterson was a 17-point-per-game player with decent skill. Power forward Charlie Villanueva was a role player averaging 13 points. Center "Dragon King" Bosh averaged 22.5 points. At first glance, the Raptors' starting lineup had terrifying scoring ability; the five starters combined for nearly 85 points. Yet, strangely, the Raptors' record was abysmal, landing them at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. There were two reasons for this: their bench was truly weak, and their defense was terrible. When they scored low, their opponents scored high; when they scored high, their opponents scored even higher. For Raptors fans, it was a truly tragic story.