Chapter 131: Birth Mother

The Raptors failed to capitalize on their possession, and the Clippers launched a counterattack. After a few back-and-forth exchanges, the Raptors surprisingly held onto a lead of several points. In the NBA, even the worst teams cannot be pushed around at will.

Despite the deficit, Dunleavy remained unperturbed. The Raptors' lead was entirely due to their hot shooting hand. Such a rhythm could not be maintained for an entire game; once their shooting cooled off, the lead would evaporate into nothingness. Compared to a sudden burst of momentum, executing a tactical game plan and maintaining consistent output were far more important.

As the Clippers moved into their offensive set, He Xinghui passed the ball to Brand, who scored in the paint. This collaboration, to a certain extent, signaled that he and Brand had not reached a breaking point.

In China, on CCTV, Zhang Heli remarked, "Playing this way is very reasonable. Ah Xing should continue to collaborate more with Brand and improve his relationship with his teammates. To achieve great results, having good teammates is essential."

When news of Brand seeking a trade reached China, Zhang Heli had worried for He Xinghui. After all, falling out with teammates was never a glorious affair. He even worried whether He Xinghui would become a troublemaker after joining the national team.

"Indeed, there is no need for Ah Xing to rush to snatch the leadership position. If he plays for another year, accumulates some seniority, and puts up good performances, his teammates will naturally respect him," Sun Zhengping agreed.

Older generations tended to favor the middle path and valued harmony above all else. Their perspective could not exactly be called wrong, but their point of view displeased He Xinghui’s mother, Cai Qiuju.

She grumbled, "Why are these two old men taking the side of foreigners? What do they mean by saying my son should improve his relationship with his teammates? Why don't those people improve their relationship with my son?"

Cai Xuemei, standing to the side, explained, "Auntie, Cousin is a rookie who joined the Clippers later. If he competes with Brand for the lead now, it’s equivalent to him damaging the relationship with his teammates."

"If those people just handed the leadership to Ah Xing, there wouldn't be any conflict," Cai Qiuju retorted.

Goodness. Upon hearing this, Cai Xuemei could only give her aunt two thumbs up—there was no doubt she was his biological mother.

Afterward, Cai Xuemei asked, "For the All-Star Game on the 17th, are we going to go see Cousin?"

"Of course we are going. I haven't disciplined him in too long, and he’s getting full of himself. To think he dared to find a girlfriend that old without even asking me! If they really get married, should I call her daughter-in-law, or should I call her my little sister?" Cai Qiuju complained. She didn't like Charlize Theron or Cameron Diaz—not because of their nationality, but because of their age.

"You call her daughter-in-law, and she calls you sister; you can each keep your own titles," Cai Xuemei laughed loudly.

"I think your skin is itching for a beating."

On the court, the Raptors launched a fast break, and Jalen Rose finally got on the scoreboard, picking up two points.

"Congratulations. Just 79 more and you'll have 81 points," He Xinghui said.

Jalen Rose was truly impressed; He Xinghui had managed to link two completely unrelated numbers. Would he ever stop?

"Boring," Jalen Rose scoffed.

On the Clippers' next possession, He Xinghui assisted Brand. He then said to Rose, "That was the 81st assist of my career."

Unfortunately, having already been fooled once, Jalen Rose would never believe such nonsense again. How could a player keep track of their career assist count at every single moment?

After a few more exchanges, He Xinghui noticed that the effectiveness of his trash talk was waning, and the "rage" he was harvesting from Jalen Rose was decreasing. He reasoned that this might be because the Raptors were in the lead. When a team plays well, players are generally more relaxed, which significantly boosts their resistance to trash talk.

He Xinghui wanted to overtake the score and then mock Rose again. However, without using his special items, the situation would not change just because he willed it. Although he was constantly scoring, his efficiency was merely average, and his opponents were performing just as well.

At the end of the third quarter, the score was 74 to 84; the Clippers were trailing by double digits. This was a dangerous margin. If the Clippers didn't explode offensively or the Raptors didn't commit turnovers, closing a 10-point gap would be difficult, given that both sides were trading baskets possession by possession.

During the timeout, commentators on every major network were analyzing the performances of both teams. Without exception, they attributed the Clippers' deficit to internal discord and a lack of chemistry. After all, fans might not enjoy a dry, technical analysis of why the Clippers were losing. Framing the deficit around locker room drama added a layer of intrigue to the story.

"Kenny, didn't I tell you? Locker room disharmony has a massive impact on a team. Remember, the Raptors are the bottom-feeders of the East, and the Clippers are still trailing," Barkley argued, solidifying his point.

"Charles, it’s not as mystical as you make it sound. I didn't see any conflict between your cousin and Brand during the game; they've had several beautiful connections. The Clippers are trailing, and I think it's just because the Raptors are shooting lights out today. That's all," Smith retorted.

"No, no, no. It’s because the Clippers aren't playing well together, giving the Raptors too many easy looks, which is why they are shooting well."

Meanwhile, the reporters watching the game began praying for a Clippers loss. If the Clippers won, they wouldn't be able to continue hyping up the locker room narrative. A win would be the best response. If they lost, it would mark a three-game losing streak, and linking that record to locker room issues would be much easier for fans to swallow. For the sake of their headlines, the reporters were unanimously hoping for a Clippers defeat.

Fortunately, the Clippers were trailing and looked low on morale. Many reporters already had smiles on their faces, waiting for the "good" news to happen.

On the Clippers' bench, Dunleavy was still mapping out the strategy and defensive adjustments for the fourth quarter. He spoke with intensity, attempting to use his energy to boost the team's morale. However, some of the Clippers' role players already had expressions of confusion. They had tried their best, yet the result was still a deficit. This made them wonder if the locker room friction was truly affecting the team's state of mind.

Seeing the doubt on his players' faces, Dunleavy felt a flicker of worry. But when he looked at He Xinghui, he felt at ease again. He Xinghui’s expression was incredibly calm and composed. An outsider would absolutely think He Xinghui was a veteran of over ten years; otherwise, his composure could not be this steady.

In reality, He Xinghui simply had absolute certainty of victory. If he really wanted to win, he could just buy a few items, and it would be a done deal. However, he wanted to save resources where he could. He planned to play the first half of the quarter; if they truly couldn't catch up, he would unleash his ultimate abilities. In any case, he had to win this game, or he wouldn't be able to handle the questions from the reporters.