NBA: Goat is actually me

Chapter 142 What Can You Use to Fight Me?

Meng Jin once again stole the limelight in the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest. Fans felt that Meng Jin was an alien who could always come up with some incredible moves.

The next day, various sports media praised Meng Jin, and Karl Malone was very unhappy when he saw the report.

Malone held the newspaper and swung it in front of Stockton: "This kid is definitely a histrionic personality. We can't let him steal the show in today's game."

Karl Malone is now so angry with Meng Jin that his teeth are itching, because it was this guy who broke his two original front teeth.

"I'll pass you the ball," Stockton said.

"Magic" Johnson announced his withdrawal from this All-Star Game at the last minute. This is the first time that the black and white duo have both missed the All-Star Game since entering the league. The media said this might be a sign of the end of an era.

Larry Bird was out for the season due to surgery, and Magic Johnson was absent due to injury, but Meng Jin felt that this guy was recuperating and saving his strength for the second half, because Magic Johnson was still full of energy in the game against the Warriors before the All-Star Game. He played for 30 minutes and scored 28 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds, a near triple-double.

Because of this Bulls team, Magic Johnson's mentality has changed a bit. At the beginning of the season, his plan was to save his strength for the regular season and put more energy in the playoffs. Now, Magic Johnson wants to get a better regular season record than the Bulls and prove that the Lakers' SHOW-TIME is more capable of winning than the Bulls' SHOW-TIME. After all, from the perspective of viewing pleasure, it is difficult for the Lakers to surpass the Bulls.

For "Magic" Johnson, an All-Star trip is optional, but the rest time during these few days is very important, which can help him adjust his body well. Don't underestimate the two days of the All-Star Weekend. Together with the time before and after, the Lakers can rest for 5 days, which is equivalent to a short vacation. "Magic" can use these five days to eliminate the physical fatigue of the first half of the season, provided that he stays at home honestly and doesn't go out to mess around.

"Magic" Johnson will not participate in the All-Star Weekend, so the starting point guard spot in the Western Conference is vacant. Jazz point guard John Stockton naturally replaced "Magic". As a result, in this All-Star Game, a total of three teams have two All-Star starting players, namely the Bulls, Jazz and Hawks.

The two starting players for the Hawks are Wilkins and Moses Malone. Larry Bird's absence gave Wilkins a chance, while Moses Malone was voted into the starting lineup by fans. Neither Ewing nor Doherty can compare with him in popularity.

Before the All-Star Game began, Isaiah Thomas spoke in the locker room. He hoped that his temporary teammates would show mercy because this All-Star Game was the last for "Skyhook" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had never won an All-Star MVP in his career. Isaiah Thomas hoped that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could win an AMVP and retire successfully.

This was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 19th All-Star appearance. In his 20-year career, he was selected to the All-Star Game 19 times, including 13 starts. He missed the game in 1973 due to injury. He averaged 13.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 blocks per game in the All-Star Game. Unfortunately, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar never won the All-Star Game MVP in his career.

This statement was responded to by many stars. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a high status in the league and is highly respected by the players.

"Do you want to drain the water?"

Jordan asked Meng Jin in a low voice, and Meng Jin saw the reluctance in his eyes.

"It's just an exhibition match." Meng Jin said.

"If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wants to win the AMVP, he should fight for it himself instead of relying on us to let him win," Jordan continued.

"I agree, so do you want to step out and disrupt the situation?" Meng Jin asked.

Jordan thought for a moment and said, "Forget it. I've already won the AMVP."

Jordan had been isolated by his All-Star teammates in the past few years. It was only in the past two years that he was gradually accepted and integrated into this star family. He did not want to go back to the days before liberation.

"What about you? If you want to win the AMVP, I can pass the ball to you," Jordan said.

"I do not mind."

"Alright alright."

After the first quarter of the All-Star Game, everyone in the East gave face to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but someone in the West stood up to disrupt the situation. Stockton played a fast-paced game with Karl Malone from the first minute. Although Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tried his best to keep up with the young men's pace, he was old after all. He ran back and forth with the two guys for 6 minutes, and finally went off the court to rest with 2 points.

Karl Malone scored 9 points and 2 rebounds in the first quarter, Jordan scored 8 points, and Meng Jin just slacked off throughout the game and scored 2 points before going off the court to rest.

On the bench, Meng Jin felt something was wrong. Stockton seemed to be speeding up the game on purpose. In addition, he ignored Olajuwon, who was playing at home, several times during fast breaks and passed the ball directly to his teammate Karl Malone.

The development of the second quarter was similar to that of the first quarter. After halftime, the Western Conference All-Stars led the Eastern Conference All-Stars by 96 points, 72 to 24.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made 6 of 1 shots in the first half and the score was still fixed at 2 points. It was impossible for him to win the AMVP tonight. Karl Malone and Stockton high-fived in the locker room. Karl Malone excitedly hugged Stockton's neck, which was like opening champagne in advance in the first half to celebrate winning the All-Star MVP.

Karl Malone is the highest scoring player in the Western Conference All-Stars, and the Western Conference All-Stars are now leading by 24 points, so it seems a foregone conclusion that he will win the AMVP.

Meng Jin was very unhappy. He thought Karl Malone was taking advantage of the situation. The Eastern Conference All-Stars were wide open originally for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but Karl Malone sneaked in like a thief.

Meng Jin met Jabeur in the player tunnel, and he looked calm.

Meng Jin walked up and patted Jabbar on the shoulder: "Kareem, I will avenge you in the second half."

Jabar looked at Meng Jin in confusion: "What revenge?"

Meng Jin said bluntly: "We originally planned to let you retire with an AMVP, but Karl Malone showed up halfway through. And John Stockton did it on purpose. He had no intention of falling back. He was speeding up and making quick transitions the whole time. I bet Karl Malone and John Stockton must have known about this. Isaiah and some leaders of the players' union told every player participating in the All-Star Game about this."

"My career is still great without the AMVP."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said this in a very Buddhist way.

Meng Jin could feel that he really didn't care about this All-Star MVP.

But Meng Jin was unhappy. He didn't want to see Karl Malone win the All-Star Game MVP. Meng Jin said, "I just came to inform you that I will beat Karl Malone in the second half."

In the first round of the second half, Meng Jin received a pass from Mark Price and hit a high jump shot.

96:74.

While returning to defense, Meng Jin ran to Jordan and said, "Michael, remember what I said before the game started?"

Jordan: “What?”

Meng Jin: "If I want to win the AMVP, pass the ball to me!"

Jordan nodded. In the next round, Karl Malone missed a high-post jump shot. The Eastern Conference All-Stars launched a counterattack. Barkley grabbed the rebound and passed it to Jordan. Jordan passed the ball to Meng Jin without even looking at him.

The Eastern Conference All-Stars currently have a very mobile lineup, including Ewing + Meng Jin + Barkley + Jordan + Price.

Although they have strong running ability, it is not a small lineup. Ewing and Meng Jin are both 213CM tall.

"Bang!"

With a powerful slam dunk, Meng Jin scored 4 points in a row.

96:76.

The fans at the scene started to cheer, not only for the slam dunk, but also for Meng Jin's awakening. In the first half, Meng Jin only scored 5 points in total and had no desire to attack. The situation in the second half looked very different.

Fans watch the All-Star Game to see the performances of the stars, and Meng Jin's strong personal style makes him the most anticipated by fans. Both the fans at the scene and the fans in front of the TV hope that he can play more.

After crossing half court, Stockton gave the ball to Drexler. Although Stockton wanted to help Karl Malone win the AMVP, he couldn't do it too obviously. The Western All-Stars were also full of big names. If the game really turned into a two-man show, his teammates would probably come out and attack them before Meng Jin could step out.

Jordan guarded Drexler. Drexler swayed and went to the right. James Worthy ran to the top of the arc and outside the three-point line, leaving Kareem Abdul-Jabbar alone in the low post.

Drexler naturally threw the ball in, but Jordan, who was prepared, jumped up early and caught the ball in his arms.

Drexler obviously felt something was different. At the beginning of the second half, Jordan's defense became more intense. After Jordan landed, he threw the ball directly to the front court.

Meng Jin slipped across half court early, but the Western Conference All-Stars were no pushovers. Stockton and James Worthy noticed it early and both returned to defense in time, trapping Meng Jin in the middle.

James Worthy has outstanding physical fitness, and Stockton is top-notch in his tricks. The two made Meng Jin very uncomfortable, but Meng Jin always found a way to find his comfort zone. He dribbled the ball and then forced a start.

Meng Jin took two steps between the two players, and then slammed the ball into the basket.

96:78.

Western Conference All-Stars head coach Pat Riley quickly called a timeout.

"Why did you suddenly speed up?" asked Isaiah Thomas.

Meng Jin suspected that Isaiah Thomas' head was kicked by a donkey at this moment. It was obvious that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would not get the MVP tonight. Would the Eastern Conference continue to let him win?
"Do you want to help Karl Malone?" Meng Jin asked back.

"Do not want to."

Isaiah Thomas answered very straightforwardly. His competitive spirit is no weaker than any other star present. If it wasn't for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's perfect outcome, he would not have proposed letting the game go.

Meng Jin stared into Isaiah Thomas' eyes and said, "Then let's really fight."

After the timeout, the Eastern Conference All-Stars replaced Isaiah Thomas and Larry Nance, removing Ewing and Price, and the speed of the lineup was upgraded again.

Isaiah Thomas + Jordan + Meng Jin + Barkley + Larry Nance.

This was almost the strongest running lineup in the late 80s. Pat Riley had a keen sense of smell. He replaced the aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone, who played for a long time in the first half, with Olajuwon and Tom Chambers in the interior.

Olajuwon received the ball with his back to the basket, made two fake moves to shake off Larry Nance and prepared to make a layup. Meng Jin rushed from behind and blocked his shot.

Although I knew that the Eastern Conference All-Stars were going to speed up, my body had not yet adapted to it. After all, the Eastern Conference All-Stars were almost defenseless in the first half.

After grabbing the basketball, Meng Jin swung the ball with his right hand and found Jordan who was moving forward at high speed, and then he quickly followed.

Jordan dribbled the ball to the top of the arc and outside the three-point line, and he felt a sense of happiness. On his left was Larry Nance, on his right was Barkley, and behind him was Meng Jin. Each one of them was more capable than the other. Any throw of the ball would be an assist!

Jordan stuck out his tongue and tossed his head to the left, then passed the ball to Barkley on the right, who ended the fight with his signature two-handed slam dunk.

96:80.

The Western Conference All-Stars' offense failed again. After receiving the ball, Drexler made a quick stop and mid-range shot against Jordan's defense. The shot was short. In order to shoot smoothly in front of Jordan, Drexler deliberately increased the height and air time of his jump shot, which made his last shot a little weak.

The Eastern Conference All-Stars continued to counterattack. Barkley got the ball in the high position and decided to make a show of it. He dribbled the ball, took a step back, and then took a three-pointer.

The basketball went out of the frame. Drexler grabbed the rebound and launched a counterattack, making a long pass to Chambers near the center circle.

After Isaiah Thomas failed in his gamble on a steal, it was Chambers' turn to perform, and Chambers scored two points with a powerful dunk.

The Eastern Conference All-Stars made a mistake in the positional battle, and Isaiah Thomas passed the ball between Meng Jin and Jordan.

Barkley's random three-pointer just now interrupted the Eastern All-Stars' momentum to catch up, and the Western All-Stars stabilized the rhythm in the next few minutes.

After the third quarter, the score was 121 to 110, and the Western Conference All-Stars still held an 11-point lead.

Meng Jin scored 10 points in the third quarter and 15 points after three quarters, which is second only to Isaiah Thomas in the Eastern Conference.

At this time, both sides have started to fight hard.

Price made two consecutive three-pointers at the beginning, helping the Eastern Conference All-Stars to narrow the gap to 5 points. Price was surrounded by players with strong impact such as Meng Jin, Jordan and Barkley, and it was easy to get open three-point opportunities when playing next to them.

Karl Malone quickly used a mid-range shot to stabilize the morale of the team. He was very nervous now, having a feeling that the MVP he had won was gone.

Karl Malone frequently threw his elbows in the next two rounds. He was really anxious. One of his elbows almost hit Jordan's face, brushing past his nose.

Meng Jin said that it’s fine if you elbowed Isaiah Thomas, and I could turn a blind eye to it, but what do you mean by trying to elbow my teammate in front of me?
In the next round, Meng Jin slapped Karl Malone on the nose while defending him.

A warm current suddenly rushed out, and Karl Malone's blood splattered on the court.

Barkley put his hands on his hips and Jordan put his hands on Barkley's shoulders. The two men looked like they were admiring a beautiful scene.

"That guy's nose was definitely broken," Jordan said.

"I believe you, you have the most say about the matter of Meng breaking your nose," Barkley said.

The commentator on the scene exclaimed that this was the most intense All-Star Game he had ever seen. Previous All-Star Games were limited to muscle collisions, but tonight there was blood.

Karl Malone went on the court after a simple bandage. He didn't want to miss the opportunity to win the All-Star Game MVP.

Karl Malone lasted for 3 minutes before being replaced by Pat Riley. The pain in his nose affected Karl Malone's touch, and he cared too much about the MVP trophy. After coming on the court, he basically did not cooperate with his teammates. He just shot as soon as he got the ball, and was hit by several counterattacks by the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Eastern Conference All-Stars tied the score.

James Worthy turned around and missed the hook shot. Meng Jin took the ball and rushed to the basket. Drexler gave Meng Jin a bear hug from behind. The intensity of the game made him forget that this was an All-Star Game.

There were also bursts of boos from the entire stadium. Drexler caused the fans to miss out on a dunk performance. How could the fans not boo him?
In the next few minutes, the Eastern Conference's momentum to catch up was unstoppable, and the score difference quickly reached 10 points. This time, the Eastern Conference All-Stars took the lead.

The impact of Jordan + Barkley + Meng Jin is so strong that as long as the Western Conference All-Stars fail to make a shot, these three people will have a way to get the ball into the basket in the most violent way within 5 seconds.

There was still competition in the last 3 minutes of the game, but it was not a competition between the East and the West. It was a competition between Meng Jin and Isaiah Thomas. Meng Jin currently has 25 points and Isaiah Thomas has 23 points. Both of them have the hope of winning the All-Star MVP.

Isaiah Thomas has been trying his best and is only 2 points away!

But in a blink of an eye, Meng Jin's score was over 30, and Isaiah Thomas still had 23 points.

Meng Jin said that Barkley is my brother, Jordan is my teammate, what can you, Isaiah Thomas, use to fight me?

In the end, the Eastern Conference All-Stars completed an epic comeback and won the All-Star victory 153 to 144.

Meng Jin won the first AMVP trophy of his career with 32 points and 5 rebounds. Karl Malone not only lost an All-Star MVP trophy tonight, but also lost a piece of his nose bone.

(End of this chapter)