Chapter 16: Inside scoring

At the beginning of the second quarter, it felt like everyone was still holding their breath, as the first quarter was far from decided. The coaches on both sides kept their main players on the court. After receiving the pass, Cousins directly backed Griffin down. Griffin gritted his teeth, trying to withstand Cousins' strength. But now, Cousins was the league's top inside player, leveraging his muscular physique. He managed to squeeze out a little space despite Griffin's defense.

Cousins turned and hooked the ball, but Jordan quickly came over to defend. The sudden defensive pressure distorted Cousins' shooting motion. The basketball bounced on the rim twice before careening out. Just as the three big men adjusted their positions for the rebound, a pair of large hands snatched the basketball still hanging in the air. Mozgov, who had just been bypassed by Jordan for the defense, jumped up and slammed the ball home again.

"Oh my God! What a fierce inside battle!" Barkley exclaimed, swallowing hard as he watched the crowded paint. "It's not easy to see this kind of scene now. I almost thought I was back in the era of the four centers." With basketball evolving, the current trend leans towards minimizing physical contact and emphasizing outside shooting. It's rare to witness inside players clustering together for a physical battle like this.

"I think I understand the Kings coach's strategy," Kenny remarked, stroking the non-existent beard on his chin. "Coach Malone wants to drag the game into this inside-strangulation rhythm. If they can pull this off, Paul's influence on the game will be minimized, and the Kings can completely dominate the Clippers' inside game with Cousins as their focal point!"

As Cousins and Mozgov continued to battle in the paint, the backcourt and forward lines stood outside the three-point arc, waiting. If a shot wasn't taken, they'd sprint back to prevent Paul from capitalizing on a fast break. This strategy quickly allowed the Kings to erase the original score deficit, even taking a one-point lead at 33-32. Sensing the urgency, Clippers coach Rivers immediately called a timeout.

"Paul, what should we do now?" Paul, sitting on the bench and sipping water, glared at Rivers, visibly annoyed. It was rumored that when Rivers led the Celtics to a championship, his favorite phrase was, "Rondo, what should we do now?" Paul had initially thought it was just a league joke until Rivers became his coach. Now he felt the weight of that saying, realizing Rivers genuinely believed in asking questions.

"It's okay, let them keep playing," Paul replied, trying to contain his frustration. "With Cousins' current style, he can't sustain this level of play for the whole game. I doubt he can keep up his physicality for long. They can't extend their lead playing this way, so I just need to conserve my energy."

As expected, by the end of the second quarter, Cousins' stamina waned. Panting heavily on the court, he found the gameplay exhilarating yet exhausting. Noticing Cousins' increasingly labored movements, Malone sighed helplessly and substituted both Cousins and the visibly tired Mozgov. The halftime score stood at 57-51, with the Kings holding a six-point advantage.

In the locker room during halftime, Malone shook his head helplessly at Cousins, who was nearly collapsed on the ground, and Mozgov, who was better off but too drained to speak. The Clippers had disregarded his game plan, likely anticipating the current situation.

Meanwhile, in the TNT studio, the three commentators debated. "Cousins' performance today has been nothing short of heroic," Kenny started. "He's almost single-handedly carried the offensive load, achieving a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds in just half a game. If Cousins can maintain this level in the second half, the Clippers could be in serious trouble."

"I don't think so," Barkley countered, shaking his head. "Cousins' first-half heroics came at the expense of his stamina. I doubt he'll have enough left in the tank for the second half."

After the halftime break, Mike Malone kept Cousins firmly on the bench. With only ten minutes of rest, it was insufficient for Cousins to recover fully, so he remained sidelined. The Clippers, on the other hand, separated Griffin from Jordan, letting Griffin continue while Jordan took a rest.

There's no perfect strategy in basketball. The Clippers may have drained Cousins' stamina, but Griffin and Jordan had also exerted considerable energy. Crawford entered the game and dribbled up the court without calling for a pick-and-roll. He executed a dazzling series of dribbles that bewildered LaVine. As one of the top sixth men in NBA history, Crawford's streetball experience made him a premier offensive threat in the league. His crafty ball-handling skills intimidated countless rookies.

LaVine struggled against Crawford's quickness, unable to put up much of a fight. Crawford deftly maneuvered around LaVine and broke through to the free-throw line, where he elevated for a jump shot.

"Swish!" The basketball sailed through the net. Watching it go in, LaVine's face reflected despair. Having just entered the league and playing three games, he found himself matched against some of the best point guards in the league: Curry, Lillard, and Paul. These encounters had thoroughly tested the young LaVine. However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise; he was at a critical juncture of growth. Coach Malone had intentionally focused on developing LaVine's perimeter defense, following Jake's advice. In just three games, LaVine's defensive skills had noticeably improved through training against these elite guards.

The ball was exchanged. LaVine dribbled across half court, locking eyes with Crawford in front of him. Suddenly, he recalled what his coach had said before the game: "Although Crawford's offensive ability is top-notch in the league, his defense is his biggest weakness. You can leverage your physical advantage to exploit this." With that thought in mind, LaVine decided to make his move. He slapped the basketball and crouched low to break through.

Crawford, sensing LaVine's intention, immediately stepped up to defend. However, in the brief confrontation, Crawford's weaker frame was easily shoved aside by LaVine. After pushing Crawford out of the way, LaVine charged straight into the paint. He spotted Griffin, who was still two steps away, and gritted his teeth. With a powerful leap, LaVine soared high. Griffin, caught off guard by LaVine's audacity, rushed up but was still a step too slow.

"Bang!" LaVine locked eyes with Griffin and emphatically dunked the ball into the basket.

"Dunk! Dunk! Zach LaVine just dunked over Griffin! This young man!" Barkley shouted, leaping up from his seat in excitement. "That was a fantastic dunk, right over Griffin's head! It's one of the top five plays of the day!" Griffin, feeling a mix of depression and disbelief, glanced over at Crawford, who was rubbing his chest. The two exchanged bitter smiles. This young player had no sense of restraint; how could he come out so fiercely right from the start?

Meanwhile, in a Sacramento pub, a crowd of fans had gathered at the bar to watch the game on the big screen. When they saw LaVine's dunk over Griffin, many excitedly waved their glasses, spilling beer everywhere.

"Great! I haven't seen such an exciting Kings team in many years!" an elderly man with a baseball cap and a white beard exclaimed, his neck turning red with excitement.

"Yeah, since the new management took over, we haven't seen a single loss in trades this season!"

"Cheers!"

Back on the court, Griffin was feeling the pressure. Since LaVine's dunk, it seemed to ignite a renewed fighting spirit in the Kings. The weakness Paul had pointed out earlier still loomed large. Jokic was glaring fiercely at the paint, as if ready to continue battling his opponents inside.

Seeing that the situation was tipping, Jake Allen activated the three-point boost card once again. He nodded to Malone, who immediately caught on and called a timeout.

"Jokic will keep pretending to play inside. You guards need to be ready to receive his passes from the outside," Malone instructed. He turned to Gay, "You'll need to be prepared on the perimeter at all times. If our primary strategy falls apart, you can take the ball and go one-on-one."

This was Malone's AB tactic. The Clippers' front line wasn't robust enough, giving Gay a solid chance to take advantage on his own. Gay nodded and stepped onto the court, scratching his head in confusion. He realized that he no longer seemed to be the team's offensive focal point. Coach Malone had been focusing more on CJ's passing and developing the two new players.

But soon, Gay felt relieved. He wasn't originally a star player, and now, as the highest-paid player on the team, he didn't mind the reduced responsibility. His contract this year was a staggering $18.32 million—nearly $5 million more than Cousins. With such a lucrative deal, less pressure was a win in his book. Moreover, although his shot attempts had decreased, his shooting percentage was significantly higher this season due to the team's current strategy. As a result, his overall stats hadn't dropped much.

Feeling increasingly upbeat, Gay almost hummed a tune as he entered the court, which left Barnes, who was tasked with defending him, perplexed. What had this veteran done before coming out? Why was he so happy? Was Barnes expected to challenge Gay one-on-one? Fueled by competition, Barnes sized up the Kings' lineup and imagined various scenarios. With that in mind, he immediately glued himself to Gay with intense determination.

Gay was equally confused. I didn't do anything; I just came here to play. Why do I need to be defended so tightly?