Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 100 Do You Still Want to Be Friends with Me?
"I want to be friends with you, but you insist on arguing with me!"

A friend? Interesting.

Xu Ling didn't reply. He just stood on the outside with his hands on his hips and shrugged. If you listened carefully, you could hear the Cavaliers fans in Quicken Loans Arena hurling insults.

James made both free throws. 5-6.

But the Grizzlies' response didn't keep their opponents waiting long; Kidd, like a composed captain, steadily steered the ship.

After several concise and efficient passes, the ball passed Josh Howard and was finally gently placed into the basket by Milicic.

5:8.

"Beautiful team attack! Jeff, did you see that? Even with the game so close, Jason Kidd has maintained firm control!" Mike Breen exclaimed from the commentary booth.

Not long after, James drove hard to the basket again, and in the ensuing chaos, passed the ball to Zydrunas Ilgauskas for a basket.

Xu Ling simply took a deep breath and immediately responded in the next possession—by making a back-run, receiving the ball, and steadily hitting a mid-range jump shot.

After that, the pace quickened, and the Cavaliers' outside shooters gradually found their rhythm, but the Grizzlies' offense was even more aggressive. Not only Xu Ling, but even Kidd hit consecutive three-pointers.

Despite the refereeing being clearly biased towards the Cavaliers, the Grizzlies, playing on the road, led by 4 points at the end of the first quarter with a more efficient offense.

28 is better than 24
The highly anticipated showdown between Xu Ling and James did not disappoint the audience.

They not only trash-talked each other on the field, but they were also key figures on their respective teams.

徐凌首节拿下8分3篮板，詹姆斯则以5分3篮板3助攻的数据显示了自己全面性。

However, considering that Xu Ling is a rookie while James is already a top-five player in the league, such achievements cannot earn the Kings more recognition.

"Well done, Eli!" Roderick Craig exclaimed excitedly to Xu Ling, who was coming off the bench. "That's how you should play him! What king! He's nowhere near as good as Kobe!"

Xu Ling simply smiled and didn't respond to Craig's words.

Judging from his performance in the first quarter alone, James was indeed the same player Xu Ling was familiar with. His court presence was wide and extensive, and his one-on-one drives were almost unstoppable when the referees favored the Cavaliers. However, facing the Grizzlies' interior defense, scoring was not so easy, which is why he dished out 3 assists.

This style of play looks powerful and domineering, but it is predictable. Kobe, on the other hand, is a different concept. When he goes berserk, he is completely unpredictable.

This made Xu Ling want to see what James would look like when he went berserk. The Chosen One's berserk form was used in last year's Eastern Conference Finals to send the Eastern Conference's god Pistons away with a stunning victory, but that was not his usual state.

On the other side of the court, James sat on the bench with a towel draped over his head, his sharp eyes scanning the glaring "28-24" on the scoreboard.

He listened to Coach Mike Brown's instructions, but most of his attention was focused on his own thoughts. That rookie... was more troublesome than he had anticipated.

While this isn't surprising, if he were just a regular superstar rookie, he wouldn't have made such a splash in a godforsaken place like Memphis.

While superheroes also need luck, those unique and powerful individuals often manage to change their surroundings on their own.

James thought to himself, "Isn't what Xu Ling did in Memphis exactly the same as what he did in Cleveland?"

even
James didn't think any further; he just gripped the towel tightly.

"We need tougher defense! Give them physical contact! Let them know that every ball is hard-earned!" Mike Brown's voice carried a hint of impatience. "LeBron, take a few minutes to rest. When the time is right, we need you to come back and take over the game!"

James responded softly.

On the Grizzlies' side, Xu Ling led a second unit consisting of Lowry, Ariza, Warrick, and Radmanovic.

Because Xu Ling was substituted for rest a few minutes before the end of the first quarter, Mark Jaffaroni wanted to capitalize on the time difference during James's absence to allow Xu Ling to play more freely and extend the lead.

The game restarts. The Grizzlies have possession of the ball.

Xu Ling didn't rush to take over the attack. Instead, he passed the ball to Lowry and began making numerous off-the-ball runs. Like a slippery fish, he weaved through the shadows of Varejao and Zydrunas I's clumsy movements.

Lowry understood perfectly and delivered a precise bounce pass to Xu Ling, who cut out using Warrick's screen.

"Shh!"

Xu Ling hits a three-pointer.

31 is better than 24
The point difference widened to 7 points.

Boos immediately erupted from the crowd; the Cleveland fans could no longer tolerate this scoundrel of a yellow man who openly disrespected LeBron James continuing to swagger around on their turf.

Turning back, Daniel Gibson attempted to use his speed to isolate Lowry, but his floater went wide under Milicic's interference. Xu Ling retrieved the rebound to secure it and then dribbled the ball up the court himself.

The Cavaliers retreated quickly, but Xu Ling was even faster. Like a blue lightning bolt, he executed a sharp crossover near the center line, getting past the first line of defense, Delonte West, and charging straight into the paint!

Guarding the basket was the Cavaliers' small forward/guard, Devin Brown. He spread his arms, trying to draw an offensive foul, or at least disrupt Xu Ling's layup attempt.

But Xu Ling did not slow down at all. When he was still a step away from Brown, he suddenly pushed off the ground and soared into the air as if he had broken free from gravity. He raised the basketball high with his right hand and his body collided violently with Brown in the air!
"boom!!!"

Xu Ling maintained his balance in mid-air with his powerful core strength, and despite Brown's block, he slammed the ball toward the basket!

"Boom!!!!!!!!!"

After landing, Xu Ling lost his balance and staggered back a few steps, but he quickly regained his footing and, facing the camera lens behind the baseline, as well as the entire Quick Loan Center filled with boos, let out a long-suppressed roar.

Without And One, the referee wouldn't consider it a foul. It doesn't matter, because he had already achieved his goal and severely angered the entire audience.

“！￥！@￥%@”

"My God, Eli went on fire right at the start of the second quarter!" Mike Breen exclaimed excitedly. "He even yelled at the crowd. When have you ever seen him do that anywhere else?"

James threw the towel onto the chair; he could no longer sit still and watch.

Just one minute into the second quarter, the point difference had already widened to 10 points.

Coach Mike Brown had no choice but to comply with the Kings' wishes and make substitutions ahead of schedule.

Half a minute later, James came on as a substitute during a dead ball situation.

In his first round after entering the game, he went straight into the low position to face Xu Ling.

"Will he play in the low post?" The thought flashed through Xu Ling's mind.

The next second, James received the ball, leaned against Xu Ling with his shoulder, and began to rely purely on brute force to crush him step by step into the depths.

Xu Ling immediately understood.

Just like he did at the beginning, James simply used the low post as a tool to push his opponents into their comfort zone. Once he reached the designated position, he couldn't wait to turn around and jump shot—the success or failure of this shot had nothing to do with low post skills, but depended entirely on the feel of the fadeaway.

"boom!"

The basketball bounced off the rim. But Varejao, positioned under the basket, cleverly grabbed the offensive rebound and easily put the ball in. "Hopefully you won't only go all out against our reserves," James said, running past Xu Ling. "I'll be waiting for you in the backcourt."

Then, whether intentionally or not, Xu Ling found himself in the same position as James during his attack – the left low post.

"Is Eli going to play in the low post?"

"This isn't his forte!"

"Furthermore, his physique is different from LeBron's, so he's not a good choice!"

James could only sneer inwardly. It seemed that those scouts who always messed up their jobs had finally made a mistake on Xu Ling's template.

This guy really has the Mamba Mentality like Kobe. He has a better way to respond, but he insists on playing in the low post. What makes him so good at attacking in the low post?

James immediately locked onto Xu Ling's defense, his arm firmly planted behind Xu Ling's back. He was full of confidence—he had just used the same method to attack, and although the shot missed, the process was enough to demonstrate his strength advantage. He anticipated that Xu Ling would make a similar attempt, relying on brute force.

But Xu Ling's first close-range strike took him by surprise. The power wasn't just a simple forward push, but a combination of feints and real attacks. After a solid close-range collision, Xu Ling suddenly used his right foot as a pivot, pretending to turn towards the baseline, the movement of his entire body's center of gravity and shoulders incredibly realistic.

James's center of gravity subconsciously shifted towards the baseline for a moment.

In that instant, Xu Ling swiftly withdrew his foot, his body turning around like a nimble cat, and then cut into the middle of the path with the noodle basket.

His steps were clear and quick, and he gained a half-body advantage in one step.

James was fooled by the convincing feint, and by the time he tried to move to block, he was too late. He could only watch helplessly as Xu Ling cut past him, drove straight to the basket, and gracefully jumped over Varejao who was trying to help defend, making a beautiful reverse layup off the backboard.

Xu Ling's low-post skills, honed since college, were on full display at this moment. Although his footwork combinations were still limited, they were sufficient to deal with James at this stage.

Xu Ling glanced at James but didn't utter a single trash word.

This silent contempt naturally wounded the king's pride.

This is his castle, where he holds power, the power of life and death. He absolutely cannot allow himself to be at a disadvantage in this world-renowned duel—that would make the world begin to doubt.

Is the king merely a figurehead?

Does he deserve the high expectations?

Should the basketball world continue to revolve around him?
No one can withstand such questioning, and no one is willing to suffer such losses.

James responded by receiving the ball beyond the three-point line. Facing Xu Ling's defense, he didn't even need a screen. After a simple crossover, he used his explosive power to force his way through half a body length and, like a heavy tank, crushed into the paint, ignoring all help defense. He took off into the air—this moment was not a display of skill, but a pure display of talent and absolute dominance. King James slammed the ball into the basket!

"This is our king!" the DJ roared hoarsely.

Xu Ling picked up the ball from the ground and quickly retreated to the baseline to inbound the ball, his face expressionless. He didn't look at James's celebrating back, but instead quickly said to Lowry, "Give me the ball."

Lowry understood immediately, took the serve, and dribbled across half-court.

Lowry didn't rush to find Xu Ling, but instead directed a tactical movement to slightly stretch the Cavaliers' defensive formation.

Xu Ling, on the weak side, used a solid screen from Warrick to shake off his tight defender and cut to the 45-degree angle beyond the three-point line. Lowry's pass was like a precision-guided missile, arriving instantly.

James's diving defense was ultimately a step too slow.

"Shh!"

"An astonishing response!" Mike Brin exclaimed. "Just how big is Eli Xu's heart?"

In the following rounds, it completely settled into the rhythm of the "Xu vs. Zhan duel". The two were either attacking on their own or drawing the defense with the ball before passing to their teammates, their figures filling every round on both ends of the court.

Statistically, James seems to be the more well-rounded player, but viewers have a clear feeling that the Kings are at a disadvantage.

In individual offense, Xu Ling is unstoppable when he gets his three-point shot on target, while James's three-pronged attack is inconsistent, a point that became even more apparent after both teams' starters returned.

Kidd brought experience and control of the game, Josh Howard made up for the Grizzlies' lack of toughness on the wing, and James' offensive prowess became less effective. If it weren't for Delonte West coming off the bench and hitting two buzzer-beating shots, the Cavaliers would have been down by double digits.

These goals made Xu Ling glance at West a few more times.

Xu Ling knew this person quite well. Anyone who followed the NBA and participated in NBA fan wars knew about West and LeBron's mother. Although it sounded like a vulgar rumor, it was really unnecessary to explain it. Without explanation, it would only become more and more outrageous. In this way, West became a kind of treasure against LeBron on the Chinese Internet. His story with LeBron's mother gradually evolved into the legend of Rosamund Kwan and golf balls.

Then, as the first half came to a close, the Cavaliers worked hard all quarter, but Mike Brown never got to see James truly take over the game.

The score difference between the two sides reached as high as 10 points. After James entered the game, the score fluctuated between 5 and 8 points. Now, with 20 seconds left in the first half, the Grizzlies still have possession of the ball and are leading the Cavaliers by 5 points.

The Grizzlies had one last shot on the clock with 20 seconds remaining. Kidd dribbled the ball to run down the clock, and the entire arena rose to their feet, creating a commotion.

With eight seconds left, Kidd passed the ball to Xu Ling at the top of the key. James immediately assumed a defensive stance, his eyes sharp, determined to stop the shot.

Facing James, Xu Ling dribbled between his legs rapidly and unpredictably, the numbers on the timer jumping quickly.

With just 4 seconds left, Xu Ling suddenly faked a shot.

His jumping posture was incredibly realistic. James knew his shooting range and decisiveness, so he instinctively jumped with all his might to block the shot!

But it was a perfect feint!
Xu Ling completely levitated James, but instead of going around him, he made a jaw-dropping move the moment James was falling – he bent down, held the ball in his right hand, and passed it directly between James's outstretched legs from an extremely tricky angle!
Oh my god!!

Mike Brin in the commentary booth let out a startled gasp.

The basketball pierced precisely between James' legs, tearing apart the Cavaliers' final defense like a scalpel.

At the same time, Josh Howard understood perfectly and used that split second to cut to the basket, receiving the incredible pass.

Howard received the ball, with a wide-open view ahead, and easily jumped for a layup!

James lost his balance in the air and landed. Before he could even turn around completely, he heard the sound of the basketball swishing through the net behind him!

"Shh!"

The red light is on, the first half of the game is over!

The Grizzlies went into halftime with a 7-point lead!
James was completely stunned.

His face first froze in shock, then turned bright red, and the veins on his forehead bulged as his opponent teased him.

James turned around abruptly, not to look at Howard who scored the goal, but to stare intently at the culprit.

Xu Ling made no attempt to avoid James's fiery gaze.

Instead, he met the almost murderous gaze with an innocent, puzzled expression, slightly spreading his hands, just as friendly as the other person had been at the beginning: "Hey, Bron, do you still want to be friends with me?"

(End of this chapter)