Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 143 I like hell, I hope you like it too.

During the break, Xu Ling covered his head with a towel and quietly replenished his fluids. According to the plan, he would continue to rest at the start of the second quarter.

This is a lesson the Grizzlies have learned in their last four games.

No matter how tense the situation, players should be given a certain amount of rest time whenever possible.

Xu Ling scored 11 points in the first quarter today, and Marc Jaffaroni hopes he can maintain this form.

The Hornets, playing at home, also have the confidence to rest Paul, as Giannilo Pargo, who replaced Paul at the end of the first quarter, performed well and showed signs of continuing his form from Game 4.

The Grizzlies' coaching staff felt reassured having Kidd lead the transitional lineup.

Kidd can't beat Paul, but surely he can't beat Pargo, right?

However, in basketball, the role of substitute players is functional. They don't need to win every game; they just need to play their part. Pargo's role in the Hornets is to score, and when he's in great form, his personality will highlight the effect of this role.

At the start of the second quarter, the Grizzlies made a mistake, giving possession to the Hornets.

Pargo was extremely excited after receiving the inbound pass. Facing Kidd's defense, he made several quick crossover dribbles while saying, "Hey, old man, can you keep up?"

Pargo, a mocking smile on his lips, suddenly accelerated, attempting to force his way through Kidd's right side.

Kidd, with his experience, positioned himself in advance, blocking Pargo's path. Pargo was forced to stop the ball and pass it out.

"Your legs don't seem to be quite nimble anymore, old man," Pargo continued trash-talking. "Coach Scott told me before the game that all I needed to do to beat you was speed."

The name "Scott" really has a magic to it. Kidd originally just thought Pargo was noisy, but now he's starting to feel annoyed.

But Kidd didn't respond; he just followed Pargo closely.

After several fruitless possessions, Pargo used a screen to hit a mid-range jumper.

As Pargo ran back on defense, he deliberately passed right by Kidd, shouting, "See? It's that simple!"

Kidd is undoubtedly a calm person, but a person's emotional stability is closely related to their personal circumstances.

For Kidd, this series has eroded his star power. The Grizzlies originally had two undisputed stars: Xu Ling and him. This season, Kidd was still selected for the All-Star Game, but his influence has clearly declined. If he hadn't joined Xu Ling and maximized his playmaking abilities, his decline in other areas would have been even more pronounced.

However, Kidd and those who believe in Kidd can still deceive themselves with some vague concepts. Kidd is still Kidd, and Kidd is still the same as before. But the situation is very different now. Compared to Paul, Kidd is completely outclassed.

And now, facing Paul's substitute, that bastard named Pargo shows him the same utter disrespect.

Kidd suppressed his anger and called Ratliff to set a screen. After drawing the attention of the two players with the screen, he made a brilliant bounce pass to Warrick, who cut to the basket and easily dunked the ball.

23 is better than 27
Kidd responded to Pargo's score with a textbook assist. As he returned to defense, his gaze swept over Byron Scott, who was standing on the sidelines with his arms crossed and a serious expression.

Kidd's eyes met briefly before looking away, without any sparks flying, yet it was as if a thousand words were silently converging.

Xu Ling, sitting in the audience, didn't know what Kidd was thinking, but he could sense that the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

Kidd's voice was much quieter. The old guy was always the noisiest person on the court, with endless things to say, like a controlling madman who wanted everyone to play at his pace.

But now, Kidd is only using gestures to communicate tactics; he responded to Pargo with an assist, but that's far from enough.

Because Pargo only knows how to beat up the master in the most direct and thorough way.

On the next possession, Pargo didn't call for a pick-and-roll, attempting a one-on-one against Kidd. His crossovers were more flamboyant, and his trash talk more grating: "You know what, Jason? You're not the guy who can control everything anymore! You're old, it's time to leave!"

Kidd's breathing quickened slightly.

During a defensive play, Pargo made a slightly controversial move to squeeze past Kidd, but the referee did not call a foul.

After Pargo scored a layup, he spread his hands at Kidd and yelled, "You can't guard me! You old man! You just can't guard me!"

The point difference widened to 6, and the New Orleans crowd erupted in a thunderous cheer to reinforce Pargo's aggressiveness.

The Grizzlies are on offense, and Kidd dribbles the ball up the court.

Pargo stuck to him like glue, his hands moving constantly, his mouth still chattering, repeatedly mentioning Scott's name, and words like "old," "slow," and "outdated."

Kidd's facial muscles tensed. He could hear the crowd cheering for Pargo's every "successful" defense, and he could see Scott's familiar yet unfamiliar face.

Fragments of past memories—his time with Byron Scott during his time with the Nets, the discord, conflicts, and insults after the defeat, and the eventual irreparable break and betrayal—flashed uncontrollably through his mind. Those emotions he had tried to suppress now began to boil over, fueled by Pargo's relentless noise and the away game environment.

Xu Ling frowned on the sidelines, stood up and said to Jaffaroni, "Coach, I've had enough rest."

Jaffaroni nodded, as he was also preparing to make a substitution to change the situation on the field. So Xu Ling walked to the vicinity of the scorer's table, ready to enter the game.

Kidd controlled the ball at the top of the arc, attempting to launch a half-court attack.

Pargo pressed closer again, his hand gestures becoming more obvious, almost like an embrace.

“Give up, old man! You’re done for! Your time is over!” Pargo roared in Kidd’s ear, this time touching Kidd’s most sensitive spot. “Just like your ex-wife doesn’t want you anymore! You’re about to be phased out!”

The word "ex-wife" completely shattered Kidd's last shred of sanity.

Kidd suddenly turned around, trying to force Pargo aside with more force than ever before.

Pargo dramatically fell to the ground, and the referee blew his whistle—offensive foul!
Possession changed!

Pargo leaped to his feet, a smug smile of triumph on his face, and roared at Kidd, "See? You're finished!"

Xu Ling replaced Ariza, but his return did not mean the situation had eased.

The Hornets failed to score the next basket because Xu Ling's defense blocked Bonzi Wells. However, just as the Grizzlies were preparing to seize this opportunity for a rotation offense, Kidd made a mistake while passing the ball in the backcourt.

His ball was intercepted by the opponent at low altitude, a mistake he would never make if he were sober.

The mistake came so suddenly that the Grizzlies players, who were preparing to engage in a fast break, didn't even realize the gaping hole in their defense.

Pargo received the ball and accelerated towards the basket. The only person in the frontcourt who could interfere with him was the old and slow Kidd. The arrogant thug had no respect for this near-Hall of Fame player.

Just as Pargo easily shook off Kidd and was preparing to end the attack with a layup, he didn't expect that Kidd would still rush towards him at full speed even though he posed no threat to the ball.

Kidd wasn't going for the ball. Suppressed anger, old grudges, and the humiliation of being repeatedly provoked twisted his mind at this moment. He didn't leap high enough to block the shot, but instead used both arms to slam Pargo down hard and without reservation, pulling him down from mid-air!
"Boom!!!!!"

Pargo crashed heavily to the floor with a painful groan.

"Woo!!!"

The entire Smoothie King Center erupted in deafening hisses and gasps.

The referee's whistle blew sharply, and he rushed over without hesitation.

"My God!" Kevin Harlan screamed, "Jason Kidd! A completely reckless and malicious foul!"

Doug Collins's voice was filled with disbelief and shock: "This...this is so unlike Jason! In my memory, Jason Kidd has always been the calmest mind on the court, someone who can control the game with passing and intelligence. I've never seen him lose control like this!"

Xu Ling was the first to walk to Kidd's side, gently tugging at him and whispering, "Calm down, Jason. We need you!"

But at this moment, Kidd seemed unable to hear anything.

Right after that tackle and throw, all the noise—the boos from the crowd, the opponents' roars, the referee's whistle—seemed to vanish in an instant. The world around him slowed down.

Pargo stood up with the help of his teammates, casting a look that was a mixture of pain and triumph.

That gaze pierced a taut bubble in Kidd's mind like a bee sting.

Byron Scott's blurry figure on the sidelines, Pargo's constant taunts, and that unbearable remark... these fragments kept replaying in his mind.

A deep sense of shame stemmed not from the malicious foul itself, but from the fact that he had so easily surrendered his sanity—a defeat that felt more devastating than any statistical failure.

Pargo began to execute the additional penalty.

The Hornets brought back Paul, but didn't replace Pargo because he looked to be in excellent form, and with his offensive ability, he could easily fill in at shooting guard.

The Grizzlies substituted Kidd, with Kyle Lowry coming off the bench.

When Pargo made his first free throw, the entire arena chanted in unison, "Die, Memphis!"

The moment the second free throw swished through the net, the chants escalated to: "Go to hell, Memphis!"

Now, the Grizzlies have lost their brains on the court and are down by 8 points. The Hornets still have possession of the ball, and the suffocating pressure of playing on the road is eroding everyone's desire to win.

Memphis really looks like hell.

“Kyle.” Xu Ling could tell that Lowry was very nervous.

But who wouldn't be nervous?
The Grizzlies' number 1 was probably the only visiting player who wasn't nervous.

Lori looked at Xu Ling, too nervous to speak.

“We have to help Jason get revenge,” Xu Ling said.

"how should I do?"

"Just remember to pass the ball to me, and I'll demonstrate for you."

With that, the game was about to restart.

The Hornets inbounded the ball, and after a few passes, it returned to Pargo, who was on fire. Facing Xu Ling's defense, he still wore the smugness and self-satisfaction of defeating Kidd.

"A newbie, it doesn't matter who comes!"

That's what Pargo said.

Xu Ling remained silent, while Pargo attempted to break through using his speed, a tactic that always worked on Kidd. However, Xu Ling's lateral movement was as close as breathing, each step precisely blocking his path.

Pargo was forced to stop the ball and turned around to try to lean on Xu Ling with his body.

The instant he turned around, Xu Ling's hand shot out like lightning, knocking Pargo's ball from his hand with terrifying force.

"Snapped!"

Xu Ling grabbed the basketball first, started moving instantly, and shook off Pargo in a flash, rushing straight to the frontcourt like a gust of wind.

Before him lay a vast, uninhabited area.

The Hornets players chased back at full speed, but it was too late.

Xu Ling adjusted his pace during his high-speed run, stepped firmly outside the three-point line, and without the slightest hesitation, stopped abruptly and took a shot.

"Shh!"

Hollow hit!

26 is better than 31
"Eli Xu hit a three-pointer in response! He answered immediately after coming back on the court, bringing the score back to 5 points! Wait! He looked towards the stands!"

The moment the ball went in, Xu Ling suddenly turned around, facing the audience seats that were churning like boiling water, and facing countless eyes that seemed to want to devour him alive.

He gently raised his right index finger and placed it precisely and forcefully to his lips.

"Shh..."

It was a mocking yet elegant gesture of silencing.

In an instant, the boos and curses in the audience seemed to be set off by explosives, and the violent sound waves almost lifted the roof off, more intense and vicious than ever before.

Amidst this destructive cacophony directed at him, a cacophony capable of unsettling any player, Xu Ling surveyed the distorted faces in the stands, listening to the most vicious curses…

Far from showing any fear, his lips curled up in a striking smile, eventually revealing a look of enjoyment.

It's as if it's saying: Darling, I like it this way.

I hope you like it.

(End of this chapter)