NBA's King of Talking

The away team's locker room was quiet after the game, everyone's faces filled with frustration. This game was very similar to last season's Finals; the fear of being dominated by the opponent had returned.

Kevin Martin actually played reasonably well, contributing 15 points, the team's third-highest scorer. However, the team's second unit relied entirely on him for scoring; neither Collison nor Mayo had any real presence.

Perkins and Sefolosha, the starters, only scored a combined 4 points, putting all the offensive pressure on the two young stars. Add to that Westbrook's ice-cold shooting and his overconfidence, and it would be a miracle if the Thunder won.

Coach Brooks arrived and addressed the team in the locker room. He stated that the loss was his responsibility, acknowledging that he had failed to develop a proper game plan and that his rotation arrangements were inadequate.

Jia Fei remained silent, showing no sign of negativity. He knew he couldn't reveal his dissatisfaction, as he didn't yet hold sufficient standing in the industry. Take this game, for example; he was disqualified without his input, nor did the coaching staff consult management. But if it were Durant or Westbrook, they wouldn't be needed. And if it were someone like Kevin Martin, would you dare disqualify him so easily?

Jia Fei secretly made up his mind to continue training like crazy and make himself stronger. Only in this way would he not have to worry about suddenly not having a chance to play one day.

After the game, Westbrook and Perkins went to find somewhere to relax. Jia Fei, Reggie, and Lamb didn't go straight back to the hotel, but instead wandered around the streets of Miami.

The Christmas spirit was everywhere, but the three of them felt completely at odds with the joyful and peaceful holiday atmosphere. Losing the game and not being given important roles was a really uncomfortable feeling.

Jia Fei suddenly thought of the Tang Dynasty scholar Qinglian Jushi, who was capable but not given important responsibilities. The three of them might not be as talented as him, but the coaching staff really wasn't giving them opportunities.

"Where shall we go for some fun?" Lamb asked.

"Let's stop playing and go home!" Jia Fei said.

Reggie agreed: "It's not fun at all. You two can't drink, it's boring!"

Lamb looked at Nick Young with a completely bewildered expression...

The three walked towards the hotel; the distance from the American Airlines Center to their hotel wasn't far. All three were tall and walked with a brisk, energetic stride.

"I really didn't expect Coach Brooks to not let Ja play!" Lamb said.

Reggie smiled wryly and said, "There are many things you don't know. He's very stubborn, Jia. What's that old Chinese saying again?"

"I won't give up until I reach the Yellow River!" Jia Fei said.

"Yes, that's it! He doesn't seem to know how to adjust the lineup or anything, even though the starting offense has such a big problem!" Reggie was furiously criticizing Coach Brooks.

Jia Fei agreed. Apart from Durant and Weidenfeller, if Ibaka is considered to be a decent offensive player, then Perkins and Sefolosha are pure offensive black holes.

These two players are indeed good defenders, but the problem is that if your offense is too weak, it's sometimes difficult to offset the help you provide on the defensive end. In today's league, a championship-contending team can only allow one offensive liability in its starting lineup. If there are two, your star players will inevitably face frequent double-teams and help defense.

The Thunder's previous winning streak was largely due to their second unit pulling away from the score. However, in the Christmas Day game against the Heat, the coaching staff opted not to use the lineup with such high plus-minus ratings, choosing instead to use a short rotation to go toe-to-toe with the opponent, and the result speaks for itself.

"Let's take it one step at a time. Maybe the coaching staff is just testing out the lineup. Although it's a Christmas Day game, it's really just an ordinary regular season game," Jia Fei said.

Since Jia Fei had already said that, Lamb and Reggie didn't say anything more.

Back at the hotel, Jia Fei connected to the Wi-Fi and found unread messages. He opened them and saw that they were from Sharapova again.

"Don't be upset that you didn't play today, Merry Christmas! I'll always support you (smiley face)!" That was Sharapova's message.

A warm current suddenly flowed through Jia Fei's heart. His previous unhappiness and depression due to DNP instantly disappeared. He was surrounded by warmth, and the small setback made him stop dwelling on it. He felt exceptionally relaxed all over.

Yes, it's Christmas today. Let bygones be bygones! We've made it through the whole last season, so missing one game is nothing.

Jia Fei felt that his mental resilience had suddenly increased to a new level.

After that, he received a comforting call from Kemba Walker, and after catching up with each other, he fell asleep peacefully.

The following day, Jia Fei returned to Oklahoma City with the team on a chartered plane. They will face the Mavericks at home on the 28th.

On the evening of the 28th, the Thunder hosted the Mavericks, and Jia Fei successfully returned to the rotation for this game.

He delivered an outstanding performance in this game, contributing 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, proving his value and helping the team easily defeat their opponents at home, avoiding a losing streak.

Two days later, at the Toyota Center in Houston, the Thunder defeated the Rockets on the road, achieving their second consecutive victory.

这场比赛结束后，雷霆队2012年的所有比赛都结束了，目前他们以24胜5负的战绩落后马刺0.5个胜场排名西部第2位。

On December 31st, Jia Fei had his first video call with Sharapova at home, and the two celebrated the New Year together online...

In front of the camera, Sharapova looked like a doll, dazzlingly beautiful. Jia Fei sighed that sometimes you can't always say that a woman's "values ​​follow her looks." The power of appearance is indeed enormous. If a beautiful woman does something wrong, you can easily forgive her. But if a woman is considered unattractive, the result is completely different.

"I'll be busy in January too, preparing for the Australian Open!" Sharapova said.

“Yes!” Jia Fei knew that the Australian Open was in late January. As a tennis player, he had matches almost all year round. In addition to the four Grand Slam tournaments, there were other events such as the China Open, the WTA Finals, and the Madrid Open, which were also very demanding.

In tennis, the stronger a player is and the higher their world ranking, the harder they work. Take singles as an example: if a star player frequently reaches the semifinals or even the finals in a tournament, then obviously they will play more matches, both in terms of the number of matches and the total playing time, than players who are frequently eliminated in the first or second round.

It's now 2013...

Jia Fei sighed, realizing he was already 21. He'd only been 19 when he first transmigrated. 21 now...it seems the time when he could drink alcohol is getting closer and closer... (winking emoji)