Basketball miracles

Chapter 127 [A Basketball Miracle! 76 Wins and 6 Losses]

Xiao Tu flew back to Los Angeles with the team that night, and the next day he learned from the news about Mitchell Ray Richardson's evaluation of him.

He wasn't angry at all; he just found it very funny.

Richardson's behavior was suicidal; he seemed to be out of his mind. But thinking about it, it's understandable—who in their right mind would do drugs?
After Xiao Tu traveled through time, he gained a lot of knowledge and often saw bizarre news, not just about the NBA. There are too many idiots in America, yet they seem to enjoy both happiness and freedom.

The rich use drugs, while the poor can even catch toads to lick for hallucinogenic effects. Many homeless people across the country have become destitute from drug addiction, lying haphazardly on the roadside; Xiao Tu often sees this when he goes out.

Richardson, who used cocaine for a long time, can still play basketball and talk, which is considered normal; his physical talent is truly extraordinary.

Richardson was originally scheduled to be kicked out of the NBA halfway through the next season, but Xiao Tu thinks that given the current situation, he may not be able to last another half season.

Xiao Tu recovers his strength by eating premium fruits and is not afraid of any drug tests. If the league investigates, he will cooperate fully. Moreover, he is telling the truth; even when he is tired, his athletic ability is stronger than others.

In the same match, Xiao Tu was exhausted, and so were the others. It was a contest of talent and perseverance. He not only has great talent, but he also trains at a high intensity regularly. How can other players compare?

Xiao Tu was more concerned about the reward. The reward for the first-ever 60+ triple-double in NBA history was better than he had imagined; it was a golden treasure chest.

This data will definitely elevate Xiao Tu's historical status; no one else can match it, and its value is no less than a high score in the playoffs.

Xiao Tu opened the treasure chest and obtained yet another talent. This talent wasn't related to basketball, but it wasn't entirely unrelated to basketball games either.

King of Kung Fu: Using no way as way, using the infinite as the finite. You have become a martial arts prodigy with amazing talent, able to quickly master various fighting techniques. After integrating them, you can become the King of Kung Fu.

This was a natural talent for martial arts; there was no way for Xiao Tu to learn any specific skills through initiation. He understood it as a change in his innate constitution, but he just couldn't feel it.

If I practice some fighting skills, I should be able to benefit from them in basketball games.

For example, in Muay Thai, once I master it, there's no one I can't beat with an elbow strike, at most there's one guy who can't beat an elbow strike...

Xiao Tu has already been in a fight once, relying on his physical abilities; he doesn't know any martial arts. If he learned some martial arts, no one would be able to escape unscathed from a future conflict.

The rewards from the golden treasure chest are always good, but he can't try them for now. However, he believes he'll learn kung fu quickly. Kung fu, combined with his superb physical abilities, will also improve his ability to outmaneuver opponents on the court.

There are still some players in the NBA who can hold their own against Xiao Tu in physical confrontations. If he learns kung fu and becomes more stable in his lower body, and can knock people away with a single Iron Mountain Lean, wouldn't he be invincible in post-up play?

When breaking through the basket, Xiao Tu can also use techniques like elbowing, stealing peaches, and catching toads in eight steps. Future Kobe, Paul, James, and others are all very good at this.

Xiao Tu plans to wait until he has a break before deciding what to practice. It would be foolish for him to practice kung fu during the season and get injured, which would affect his performance in the playoffs.

The next day, news of Xiao Tu's incredible triple-double began to spread, and the whole of America was talking about it. Many casual observers believed Xiao Tu was a superman and started paying attention to the NBA because of it.

No one mentions Magic Johnson's 23 assists in a single game, and Isaiah Thomas had 25 assists in a single game in February. Johnson didn't break the record.

Several retired stars commented on Xiao Tu's performance, and almost all of them praised him.

Elgin Baylor said, "I watched the game, and the Nets players did their best to defend him. But some great players, you just can't guard them."

Rick Barry said, "Shaw is simply insane. His 60+ triple-double is unbelievable. Shaw's talent will leave defenders in despair, and his skills keep improving."

Lakers general manager Jerry West said: "History! A basketball miracle!"

Only Chamberlain poured cold water on Xiao Tu's performance: "Xiao is seriously overrated. He can only put up super numbers in this era because he benefits from the rules. If I were in this era, I would average 60 points per game. The league has to change the rules so that I can't be dominant on the court."

Chamberlain also said, "The Lakers' record is good because the other teams are too rubbish. The NBA in this era doesn't play defense at all, including the Celtics. When Russell was on the team, the defense was much better."

Wilt Chamberlain brought a lot of joy to fans, and his words were always full of points to criticize. Wasn't Russell's greatest evidence of his defensive prowess during the Finals against Chamberlain?
Does the league really need to change the rules? Did someone move the free throw line further away, which is why Chamberlain's free throws were so bad?

Or was it that the rules of the Finals were different from those of the regular season, and this change caused Chamberlain's stats to drop by half?
Chamberlain's sweeping generalization didn't really affect the Lakers and Shawn Yue, but it hurt the Celtics and Larry Bird more. Fans believe the Celtics' defense is indeed terrible right now and they're no match for the Lakers.

The Celtics' stars have remained silent and declined all interviews. Xiao Tu is the Celtics' biggest rival and has already reshaped the league's landscape.

Worst of all, fans generally believe the Celtics' roster is no less impressive than the Lakers'. With McHale's late-season explosion, the Celtics appear to have four All-Star caliber players, while the Lakers only have three.

The Lakers went on a winning streak, and their star players never underperformed again.

The Lakers not only won but also scored more points, and their ball movement was very smooth. With Xiao Tu's improved passing ability, the Lakers' ball movement became even better, and they had three players capable of orchestrating the offense.

However, to better coordinate with his teammates, Xiao Tu primarily played off-ball, and his assists never reached double digits in a single game. The hardest part of achieving a triple-double was racking up assists, as Magic Johnson controlled the ball most of the time, and Cooper was available off the bench.

The Lakers vs. Nuggets game was the most exciting, with both teams trading baskets throughout the game, resulting in a high score of 150-138 in regulation time.

Last summer, when Vandeweghe transferred to the Trail Blazers, he was asked, "Won't playing like this with the Nuggets develop bad defensive habits?" Vandeweghe replied, "No, because we don't play defense at all."

The Nuggets are a team with such a unique personality; no matter who the opponent is, they can only fight on offense, and even if they lose, they have to lose spectacularly.

Every time the two teams meet, the score is high. In the four games played in the regular season, the Lakers won three and lost one.

Xiao Tu dominated the Nuggets' starting power forward Dan Issel. The two are similar in height and weight, but their athletic abilities are worlds apart.

肖途出战42分钟，16投10中，三分球4中2，罚球10中9，砍下31分21篮板5助攻1抢断4盖帽。

Xiao Tu, who put up impressive stats, earned another Silver Chest, reaping a rich reward. He repeatedly delivered 30+20 performances during the regular season, gaining countless fans.

Veteran Dan Issel only managed 10 points and 3 rebounds, playing 22 minutes and accumulating 5 fouls. The coach eventually hesitated to put him back on the court to guard Xiao Tu, feeling he had been thoroughly outmatched.

Dan Issel, 36, once enjoyed a period of glory, even being selected as an All-Star. Now, he just wants to finish this season as soon as possible and retire, feeling he can no longer keep up with the pace of the game.

Although second-in-command Kelvin Knight put up a star-studded stat line of 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, he was unwilling to match up against Xiao Tu. At only 198cm tall, he was a mismatch against Xiao Tu and couldn't possibly defend him.

对阵爵士的比赛中，湖人全队帮魔术师约翰逊刷数据。他打出了个人生涯最高的45分10助攻，36投17中，罚球14中11。

Players who don't shoot threes can only score high points by taking more shots. Johnson went all out in one game, but his average score was barely over 20 points. The coaching staff went to great lengths to make his MVP award less controversial.

Johnson isn't good at taking many shots and his scoring efficiency isn't high, but his teammates are willing to help him pad his stats, which makes him very happy.

大局已定的情况，肖途在最后一场对阵勇士的比赛中拒绝轮休。他出战35分钟，砍下34分16篮板5助攻2抢断3盖帽，带领湖人替补124比106赢得了比赛。

Coach Pat Riley also believes that Xiao Tu doesn't need a rest; it's good for young players to play more games, as he's in his developmental stage. Besides, the Lakers are playing at home, and if Xiao Tu rests, ticket-buying fans will be very disappointed.

With Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out of the game, Xiao Tu can still practice his ball-handling offense and low-post back-to-the-basket moves.

He felt even more relaxed than in his usual training sessions, and his high-scoring method was back-to-the-basket shots, which made him unstoppable and scored repeatedly.

Xiao Tu's goal was to get another treasure chest reward, and he wouldn't rest unless he got injured. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to get 40+10 or 30+20, only managing a bronze treasure chest.

The Lakers ultimately achieved a terrifying 76 wins and 6 losses in the regular season, breaking the historical record and improving it by a full 7 games.

Although they didn't break the 33-game winning streak record, the total win record is clearly more difficult to achieve. The Lakers are too strong this year; fans believe they will definitely win the championship!

(End of this chapter)