LeBron James running away? He's going all in on Curry.

The buyout saga surrounding Ron Artest gradually subsided after the Los Angeles Lakers welcomed back the veteran player.

Just as David Stern hoped, Artest's return has indeed given the Lakers' defense, which was as weak as a morning street, a much stronger boost.

In addition, Jeremy Lin, the "Linsanity" player that Su Yang traded to them during the offseason, is currently in the absolute peak of his career.

Jeremy Lin greatly relieved Kobe's playmaking and ball-handling pressure on the backcourt, making the Lakers' offense less constipated.

On the surface, the Lakers' record has begun to improve, and their winning percentage has gradually increased, which means they have firmly secured their place in the Western Conference playoffs and will not completely fall into decline as they have in the past.

But Su Yang, far away in Cleveland, knew perfectly well that the Lakers' problems had not been solved at all!

Kobe's obsessive Mamba Mentality and Howard's carefree, winless basketball style remained irreconcilable in the locker room.

This false prosperity, built on piling up star talent and veteran players, will eventually collapse due to tactical incompatibility in the high-intensity, targeted series of the playoffs!

"Go ahead and play. As long as the conflict between Kobe and Howard isn't resolved, this F4 team will fall apart sooner or later. I have those two first-round picks firmly in my grasp."

Su Yang casually tossed the Lakers' briefing into a drawer, focusing all his attention on the upcoming major event.

Mid-February, Miami, American Airlines Arena.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will face the defending champion Miami Heat on the road!

This is the second match between the two sides this season.

The last time in Cleveland, James scored only 2 points in the first half, and the team ultimately suffered a 30-point blowout.

Tonight, the Heat, playing at home, are going all out, determined to wash away their shame in this nationally televised game!

"beep--!"

The competition has officially begun.

From the very beginning, LeBron James, who was seething with anger, displayed a strong offensive desire.

Unlike the previous game, he didn't hesitate on the perimeter. Instead, after receiving the ball at the top of the arc, he lowered his shoulders and charged towards the paint like a heavy truck, facing Kawhi Leonard's defense!

In James' subconscious mind, this is his home court, he is the league MVP, and as long as he gets going, even if he knocks down the defender, the referee's whistle will definitely be on his side!

"Bang!"

The two players engaged in a fierce physical collision near the free-throw line!

James habitually used his left hand to subtly raise his elbow, attempting to shift Leonard's defensive weight.

He has used this "path-opening punch" repeatedly in past matches, and the referees have always turned a blind eye.

However, just as he pushed Leonard aside and prepared to jump for a layup—

"drop--!"

The baseline referee's whistle rang out abruptly and sharply!

James was secretly pleased and instinctively prepared to step to the free throw line.

But when he turned his head and looked at the referee's gesture, he froze on the spot!

The referee slammed his fists together in front of his chest, then firmly pointed to the Heat's half of the court—an offensive foul!

"What?!"

James' eyes widened, he spread his hands, and stared at the referee in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?! I didn't exert any force at all! He's blocking my path!"

But the referee remained unmoved, ignoring his complaints and coldly upholding the original verdict.

In the VIP box, Su Yang watched this scene, took a leisurely sip of red wine, and the corners of his mouth grew increasingly cold.

David Stern is indeed a businessman of his word. Having taken Artest's buyout favor, the officiating in tonight's game finally returned to pure fairness!

Without the special protection of "star referees," LeBron James' good days are over!

The game continues.

Undeterred, James launched another attack in the next possession.

This time, he learned his lesson and didn't use any obvious additional moves. Instead, he relied purely on his physical strength to force his way past Leonard.

But when he struggled into the paint, the Cavaliers' "three-strike" defense instantly closed in!

Anthony Davis appeared like a divine intervention, his long arms completely blocking James' passing lane.

Marc Gasol, guarding the basket, remained unmoved like a mountain, raising his arms to meet the attack!

James and Gasol engaged in a fierce physical confrontation in mid-air!

"Snapped!"

No whistle!

Marc Gasol cleanly slammed the basketball from James' hands onto the backboard!

An undisputed hotpot hat!

James slammed heavily to the floor, angrily yelling at the referee, "Foul! He hit my hand!! And you're not calling that?!"

But the referee remained unmoved, raising his hands to indicate a good shot, and the game continued!

After two consecutive unsuccessful attempts to penetrate the paint, failing to even secure a consolation whistle, James' mentality visibly crumbled!

He suddenly realized that the whistles tonight were unusually uniform and stern.

In the past, all those free throws he could get by just yelling and dramatically falling to the ground were ineffective today!

Without the protection of the whistle, James' shooting weaknesses were magnified when facing the "three locks" of defense from Leonard, Davis, and Gasol!

They can't drive in, and they don't dare to shoot threes!

Throughout the first half, James struggled, making only 3 of 11 shots, scoring 10 points through fast breaks and free throws.

On the other hand, the Cavaliers...

The Splash Brothers unleashed their offensive talents on the court! Curry repeatedly used Davis's screens to pull up for three-pointers; Klay Thompson ran off-ball plays to the extreme, sinking four three-pointers in the first half!

At halftime, the Cavaliers led the Heat 65-48, a full 17 points ahead on the road!

The second half began with the teams switching sides.

Not long into the third quarter, a comical scene unfolded on the court.

After a failed drive and pass, James suddenly slowed down, his brow furrowed, one hand clutching his groin in pain, and he began to limp.

"Coach, I can't go on."

James gestured to Spoelstra on the sidelines to make a substitution, then shook his head with a pained expression.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra reluctantly called a timeout and substituted James.

Afterwards, James, supported by the team doctor, walked back to the locker room without looking back.

"LeBron James has suffered an injury and has to leave the game! It looks like his old groin problem has flared up again!" the commentator announced regretfully.

But in front of the broadcast cameras, countless fans who had watched Su Yang's previous press conference were already laughing like pigs.

"What the hell is this groin ailment! This disease is simply miraculous!"

"Can't win and you pull a muscle? Does your groin have a smart chip installed?!"

"Without the whistle, His Majesty the King simply chose to withdraw due to illness! My heart goes out to Wade!"

Yes, I feel sorry for Wade.

With James leaving the game due to injury, the immense pressure of being behind in the score fell entirely on Dwyane Wade's knee, which was suffering from fluid buildup.

In the latter part of the third quarter, Wade showed what a true fighter is.

He repeatedly launched himself into the air, struggling to score under the double-team of Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol, attempting to single-handedly pull the collapsing team out of the mire.

But even the strongest fists can't fight against a multitude of hands. Faced with the Cavaliers' relentless barrage of three-pointers, Wade's individual heroism seemed utterly pale and powerless.

When the third quarter reached its final minute.

Stephen Curry, near the logo area, facing Chalmers' defense, sank a devastating long-range three-pointer!

The score is now 98 to 65!

The point difference has exceeded 30 points!

Looking at the despairing numbers on the scoreboard, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra sighed, waved his hand, and substituted Dwyane Wade, who was covered in sweat and whose knees were already stiff.

At this point, all of the Heat's key players surrendered.

The fourth quarter completely devolved into garbage time for the substitutes to practice their lineup.

On the Cavaliers' starting bench, Curry, Klay, Leonard, Davis, and Gasol had already donned long-sleeved training uniforms and were chatting and laughing while drinking Gatorade.

"Clocking out after three holidays!"

The ESPN commentator, witnessing this scene, exclaimed in genuine amazement: "In the NBA, you only see key players finish the game in the third quarter when there's a significant gap in skill between the two teams!"

"But tonight, the Cleveland Cavaliers are facing the defending champion Miami Heat!"

Even the Heat, with their Big Three, couldn't break the Cavaliers' terrifying "three-quarter rule" this season!

The final whistle blew.

121 is 92.

The Cavaliers cruised to a 29-point victory on the road.

After the game, although the Heat officially claimed that James had "unfortunately suffered a minor groin strain," fans around the world already knew the truth.

Without the privileged refereeing, facing a truly perfect defensive system.

That self-proclaimed invincible "king" was, in reality, nothing special.