Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 90 The Exhausted Ox
The Christmas holidays flew by, and the Grizzlies enjoyed a few rare days of peace.

The repercussions of the trial continue to spread, and the full impact of the entire event will take time to materialize.

Then, the Grizzlies faced their first opponent at home, a strong team in the West, the New Orleans Hornets, who are currently ranked third in their division.

Their star player, Chris Paul, and his classmate, Deron Williams, are considered equally brilliant, both being exceptional talents that the Grizzlies, a team severely lacking a core point guard, desperately needed.

To Xu Ling's surprise, the current Paul was exactly the same as the one he saw before he traveled through time—not in appearance, but in how he played basketball, except that he was faster, more explosive, and seemed to be the kind of person who didn't have many distractions and was focused on basketball.

It is precisely this quality that makes him stand out among contemporary All-Star point guards. Without Paul, the next generation of star point guards would basically be like Stephon Marbury—arrogant, conceited, and unrestrained. But Paul doesn't have these flaws. On the contrary, you can find the shadows of those classic OG players in his games. He has mastered the secrets passed down from generation to generation of OG point guards and knows how to play the right kind of basketball.

This quality is refreshing and makes people believe that this is what a point guard should be like.

Ironically, Paul's commendable qualities today would have been hard to appreciate in the small-ball era led by Curry.

But no problem.

Xu Ling and he both want to live in the present.

If you consider the Lakers' situation, you'll know that many things are quietly changing. Kobe is moving further away from this season's MVP, and the biggest beneficiary of this is undoubtedly Paul, who should have finished second in the MVP voting and missed out on a career-ending regret.

"Listen up, guys!" Marc Jaffaroni clapped his hands loudly in front of the tactical board, trying to get the players' attention. "Forget Los Angeles! Forget all the nonsense in the newspapers! Tonight's opponent is Chris Paul, and he and his whole team are running like rabbits! We need to keep up with their pace and protect our paint."

Jaffaroni gave a loud pre-match pep talk.

Then, the players arrived at the field.

FedExCare was packed tonight.

This is no longer surprising after the Grizzlies drafted Xu Ling.

Despite rumors of Xu Ling's aloofness towards fans and lack of enthusiasm for team-organized community events, the Grizzlies' most likely interaction with him, aside from in-person support, is replying to his tweets. Some extreme fans, desperate for Xu Ling's attention, post outrageous comments, creating a unique scene on his Twitter feed and making it one of the most followed accounts.

There, you can see both a group of crazy fans cursing him and the most perverted Grizzlies fans professing their love for him.

Chris Paul observed Xu Ling intently.

In his view, Xu Ling and he were the same kind of people.

They were forced to start their careers in small markets, and the teams were already in dire straits before their arrival. The Hornets lost their home court due to Hurricane Katrina, and the Grizzlies were struggling due to poor management. But Paul's arrival changed the Hornets, just as Xu Ling single-handedly transformed the Grizzlies from the least promising team in the West into one of the most exciting teams today.

Hello, Eli.

Paul greeted him warmly.

Xu Ling couldn't help but sigh, "Isn't this more like it? This is the basic situation for normal people meeting for the first time."

Because Paul's first words to him were so normal, Xu Ling began to wonder if the people she had met before all had some kind of mental problem.

"It's nice to meet you," Xu Ling said. "CP."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, then went back to continue their warm-up exercises.

This friendly first meeting only intensified Xu Ling's memories of Paul's appearance before his time travel.

To be honest, Paul was really unlucky. Putting aside everything before 2019, he deserved one of the biggest "what ifs" of the 2010s – if he hadn't been injured, could the 18 Rockets have defeated the Warriors? How much impact would that have had on the NBA afterwards? We can't imagine. The fact is that once Paul got injured, the Rockets' luck was over. From then on, he was basically burdened with bad luck. Even when he returned to the Clippers, which was touted as his last dance, it was overshadowed by Leonard's dual contract scandal before the season even started.

This is really just bad luck.

After warming up, the competition began.

Paul immediately put his skills to the test, easily tearing apart the Grizzlies' defense. His pick-and-roll with David West was so fluid it was almost effortless, while Tyson Chandler lurked under the basket, ready to deliver an alley-oop dunk or a thunderous block.

The Hornets took the initiative, starting with an 8-2 run.

However, the Grizzlies are no longer the same team they once were. Xu Ling quickly stepped up, stabilizing the situation with a three-pointer, and then defended against Maurice Peterson's drive, sparking a fast break, with Lowry scoring on the offensive.

Judging from the current situation alone, the Grizzlies are by no means a weak team.

With a core player like Xu Ling on the field, the whole team is full of confidence.

This is hardly surprising, given the truly astonishing battle between Xu Ling and Kobe Bryant before Christmas. Kobe was already phenomenal that night, racking up 58 points, while Xu Ling, judging from the game, might have been at a slight disadvantage in one-on-one situations. However, he still managed to score 48 points and dish out 13 assists thanks to his technical skills, plus that decisive dunk at the end. This was enough to convince the Grizzlies that they could defeat any opponent under Xu Ling's leadership.

The two teams then became locked in a fierce battle.

Paul's playmaking ability is everywhere; he always manages to find teammates who are open.

Peja Stojakovic set up his outside shooting range and hit a long-range shot.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies' strategy also revolved around Xu Ling.

Xu Ling repeatedly broke through Maurice Peterson's defense on the perimeter and in the low post. Gasol also occasionally showed his skills in the low post, but he did not have an easy time against Chandler's mobility and West's high-post jump shot.

At the end of the first quarter, the Hornets led 28-25 by 3 points.

In the second quarter, during the rotation phase, the Hornets' depth began to show. Substitutes Genero Pargo and Bobby Jackson repeatedly attacked the basket and scored, while the Grizzlies' bench seemed somewhat ineffective, and the point difference was once widened to 9 points.

This may be the Grizzlies' biggest problem when facing strong teams.

Compared to strong teams with deep rosters, the Grizzlies lack roster depth. While their starting five can compete with any opponent, they are vulnerable to being shut down by opponents' transition lineups once the rotation begins.

At this point, Jaffaroni had no choice but to call Xu Ling back.

This is why Xu Ling's average playing time is as high as 38 minutes, ranking sixth in the league. The players ahead of him are basically well-known veterans, such as Iverson, who seems to have no concept of fatigue, averaging 41 minutes per game, the highest in the league, and Kobe, averaging 39 minutes per game. But the problem is that these players are all seasoned veterans who know how to manage their energy. Xu Ling, on the other hand, is a newcomer to the league who has taken on such a heavy burden right from the start. Anyone would know that this is not normal.

Mark Jaffaroni was certainly aware of this, and Jerry West had always had strong opinions about the coaching staff's use of the technique.

But, abnormal as it may be, and with opinions as they may be, relentlessly cursing Daddy really works.

Xu Ling's entry into the game had an immediate effect. He first drew a double team and then assisted Mike Miller to hit a three-pointer from the corner. He then drove hard to the basket, drawing a foul from Chandler who was helping on defense, and made both free throws.

Under his leadership, the Grizzlies responded with a 9-2 run, narrowing the gap once again.

With Xu Ling's move, the Hornets brought back their key players, including Paul, and the battle continued.

With the final possession of the first half, Paul was running down the clock. Facing Xu Ling's tight defense, he used his signature series of crossovers, suddenly stopped and took a mid-range jump shot—the ball swished through the net!

Unconcerned about shooting percentage, Xu Ling launched a three-pointer from the backcourt with only one second remaining in the first half, but it bounced off the rim. The Hornets entered the second half with a 4-point lead, 52-48.

徐凌半场砍下19分5篮板4助攻，保罗则以14分7助攻的数据带动全队。

"You're going to take that kind of shot?" Paul laughed. "Isn't that unnecessary?"

Xu Ling, however, said, "I've hit two game-winning shots from roughly the same position."

He was referring to his college days, but whether it was the game-winning shot against the University of Texas or the game-winning shot against Florida in the championship game, they were in the logo position, or even further forward. But the shot just now was a standard backcourt three-pointer. Unless it was an alien creature drawn by a basketball ignoramus like Midorima Shintaro, no one on Earth would dare to say that they were confident of making such a shot in a game.

But Xu Ling's words made Paul wary.

Does he really think he can make the shot?
Paul couldn't help but think.

In the home locker room, Marc Jaffaroni was very dissatisfied with the team's overall defense.

"We can't stop their pick-and-roll!" Jafaroni said somewhat anxiously. "We need to be more decisive in our switches! Keep up with their pace! Kyle, you need to give Eli more support!"

Xu Ling sat there nonchalantly, not out of disrespect for Jaffaroni, but simply because he was immune to this kind of routine performance.

Did Jaffaroni not know the capabilities of his players? He did.

Does Jaffaroni not know that the Grizzlies' current roster is simply incapable of producing high-quality defense? He couldn't possibly not know.

So why did he even put on this show?

Of course, Xu Ling needs to hear and see this. The coaching staff has tried their best to mediate, but teammates are just teammates, so please be more understanding.

Xu Ling had no objections. He knew that with the team's current personnel configuration, no matter who coached, there would be no qualitative change. They could only wait for the management to complete the long-planned trade.

The second half began with a dramatic turn of events.

Paul, who commanded like John Stockton in the first half, suddenly channeled Isaiah Thomas, unleashing his personal attack mode with two mid-range jumpers and a three-pointer, scoring 7 points in a row to widen the gap again.

The Grizzlies didn't collapse. Xu Ling hit another three-pointer and then backed down Maurice Peterson. After the game against Kobe, Xu Ling finally realized that his offensive skills weren't as versatile as he thought, or rather, if it were the small-ball era, then the skills he possessed would be sufficient.

Unfortunately, the small-ball era hasn't arrived yet. The generation that grew up watching Michael Jordan still dominates the court. Therefore, core players at the two and three positions need to emulate Jordan, possessing not only solid one-on-one skills but also a kaleidoscope of post-up moves. Xu Ling was able to contend with Kobe that night primarily because of his hot shooting touch, allowing him to minimize direct confrontations through pick-and-rolls and screens. But what if he's off-target? Then he might be completely outmatched by Kobe.

Therefore, these skills must be practiced, and Xu Ling finally understood what Bob Knight had told him back then.

If you don't master post-up moves, you'll be far behind even Kobe, let alone Jordan.

Xu Ling completely modeled himself after Kobe, and his low-post moves were almost identical—faking, turning around, etc. There were many flaws, but it was enough to deal with Peterson.

And just like that, the score narrowed again.

Moreover, Xu Ling took the initiative to come to the top of the arc this time to defend Paul.

The audience at FedExCare erupted in screams upon witnessing this.

The call of "the Lord" filled the entire venue.

Xu Ling lived up to expectations, guarding Paul one-on-one and limiting the seemingly invincible 183cm tall player to the high post, forcing him to shake and then stop for a jump shot.

"boom!"

Xu Ling turned around to protect the rebound that bounced out, and then turned around, but was quickly interrupted by Paul's tactical foul.

“I watched your game against Kobe,” Paul said, panting. “You’re even better than I thought.”

Xu Ling's face was completely expressionless, which made Paul feel that this was not the same person who had greeted him before the game.

"I feel the same way about you."

Xu Ling will not tell Paul how surprised he was by Paul's current state after returning from 2025.

He looks like the best point guard in the league.

Then, the Grizzlies inbounded the ball, and Xu Ling controlled it alone. Before even crossing half-court, he made the "ISO" gesture, signaling for the others to pull away.

Peterson, who was already in a daze from the beating, wished someone could take his place. He knew Xu Ling was coming. It was like some kind of uncontrollable desire. Once it came, you could only let it rush through your body.

Xu Ling used a quick crossover to get past Peterson and accelerated into the paint. Tyson Chandler and David West didn't expect him to come so fast. In an instant, the Hornets' paint was completely empty. No one could stop the Grizzlies' number 1 from taking off, gliding, and slamming in that dunk that gave the Grizzlies their first lead of the game.

"！@%￥#@%￥"

"Eli is unstoppable tonight!!!"

The commentator's shouts abruptly stopped the moment Xu Ling landed.

A short, painful groan escaped Xu Ling's throat!

His expression instantly twisted, his sprinting motion abruptly halted, and he seemed to be tripped up by an invisible rope.

"Oh no—!!"

The crowd erupted in terrified screams, and countless fans instinctively covered their mouths. Fear and disbelief washed over the entire stadium like ice water, and the deafening cheers instantly turned into deathly silence.

"Eli?!"

Kyle Lowry, who was closest to him, was the first to rush to his side, his voice trembling.

Pau Gasol turned deathly pale, while Marc Jaffaroni practically jumped up from the bench, his heart pounding in his chest. The most terrifying thought flashed through his mind—Achilles tendon? Knee? God, please don't let it be...
The referee blew his whistle sharply, and the game was suspended.

All the Grizzlies players gathered around, their faces filled with anxiety and panic.

Team doctor Frederick Hazard rushed onto the field carrying his medical kit, pushed through the crowd, knelt down on one knee next to Xu Ling, and asked urgently, "Where does it hurt? Eli, tell me where it hurts?!"

Xu Ling gritted his teeth, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He took a few deep breaths and tried to move his ankle slightly. He then realized what was wrong. Seeing the pale faces of his teammates, he said, "It's nothing, I just had a cramp."

Jaffaroni squeezed in at that moment, and upon hearing the words "just a cramp," he abruptly raised his hand to wipe his face, feeling as if he had just walked through the gates of hell, and exclaimed weakly twice, "Okay, okay. It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright."

Thank God!
(End of this chapter)