The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 368 - 193: Shaquille O’Neal’s "New Leader" Plan_4

Chapter 368: Chapter 193: Shaquille O’Neal’s "New Leader" Plan_4

After tonight, Gibson’s name is destined to be known by more fans.

Kobe praised Gibson, "He’s got a lot of energy."

Shaquille O’Neal even went as far as to say, "If Dennis doesn’t end up becoming an All-Star point guard, then Mike Brown and the entire Cavaliers team must take the major blame!"

These words carried some sincerity, since even "The Big Shark" didn’t expect Gibson’s performance to be this good.

But more than that, it was about creating a sensation to get everyone’s attention on Gibson!

So that LeBron wouldn’t suddenly snatch away the ball control unnoticed later.

Only by creating such a sensation could he continuously put pressure on LeBron in front of the media, to ensure he didn’t act recklessly!

As for LeBron, who managed to score 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists with a 42% shooting accuracy under the defensive formation led by Kobe’s Lakers, he barely squeezed out a smile for the cameras, "The Lakers set up a lot of defenses against me today. I’m glad to see Dennis stepping up in such a situation, which we have always expected him to do, and he did it tonight. That’s the cost of double-teaming me, and I think other teams will consider this in the future!"

Meanwhile, the "Christmas Battle" between the Pacers and the Mavericks was nearing its end.

This season, the Pacers had a fierce record, having lost only one game so far, while the Mavericks had only lost three.

Like the media predicted before the season, the Mavericks have clearly improved as a whole, with everyone performing better than last season, except for the only disappointment being Devin Harris, the fifth overall pick in the 2004, who still hadn’t lived up to his potential.

This season, just 10.4 points.

Hence, there was no media mention of the almost-happened trade with Su Wan.

After Cuban publicly apologized to Su Wan in front of the media, the atmosphere between Dallas and Indiana grew even tenser. This game seemed crucial to deciding who held the breathing room for the coming period in the eyes of both sides’ media and fans.

The players from both teams treated this game as a "Finals 2.0", with full-on confrontation in the venue. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Nowitzki, averaging 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists this season, saw a slight decline compared to last season, but his efficiency, those figures were even more remarkable—

A shooting accuracy of 50.7%, a three-point shooting accuracy of 41.6%, and a free throw accuracy of 90.5%!

Yes, this season marked Nowitzki’s only entry into the "180 Club."

This is also why he remained at the top of the regular season MVP list despite a slight decline in numbers.

The reason for the decline is only one:

He sacrificed for the team’s tactics.

Such sacrifices are undoubtedly precious!

And with the Mavericks being stronger this season than last, Nowitzki’s sacrifice appeared even more critical.

However, during this particular game, Nowitzki still hadn’t found a way to deal with Artest specializing in targeting his "lower body" opponents. The "Christmas Battle" had a very tight score, but it didn’t relate much to Nowitzki, purely because other Mavericks players were in a "Burst Seed" state.

Three-point shots were flying like "whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

But in the last 5.7 seconds, Nowitzki, sticking out his tongue and overcoming Artest, made a mid-range jump shot, taking the lead by 1 point.

At that moment, with his hair soaked in sweat, Nowitzki looked like a Heavenly God descending in Norse mythology to the Mavericks fans.

However, just after a time-out, on the Pacers’ side, Su Wan received Dior’s pass, broke through, and with 0.2 seconds remaining, performed a "Game-winning Slam Dunk," making Nowitzki’s shot ultimately a "foam."

The Pacers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 117 to 116 by a one-point margin.

Su Wan once again left the entire American Airlines Arena breathless!

The last time was on the Finals stage, and this time, on the "Christmas Battle" stage.

"Do I need to take another urination test? I’m waiting for the League’s call!"

Su Wan walked up to Mark Cuban immediately.

Just as Nowitzki had put the Mavericks ahead with his mid-range shot, the "Madman" owner had made a "urination" celebration gesture toward Su Wan; but at this moment, he stood there, not daring to look at Su Wan.

Erin captured this scene, and she already knew tomorrow’s headline: "There’s a kind of softie called the Dallas Mavericks, from owner Cuban down!"

The Pacers left Dallas that same night.

For them, this place had become just as loathsome as San Antonio.

On the bus back, Su Wan also learned about the fame Dennis Gibson achieved on another "Christmas Battle" stage that evening.

He wasn’t too surprised.

After all, this was the same man who scored over 30 against the Pistons in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

He was a total "X-factor."

When unnoticed, he could deliver immense energy.

And tonight, his opponent was Fisher!

There aren’t many point guards left in the league that haven’t been blown up by Fisher...

It was only when he was on the plane back, after watching a video compilation of the Lakers VS Cavaliers game sent by Erin on his computer, did he realize the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed.