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

The following morning, an emergency post-game press conference was held at the Los Angeles Clippers' training facility.

The barrage of cameras and microphones from across the United States nearly collapsed the podium.

With Rich Paul's meticulous planning and a whole night of mental preparation, LeBron James walked slowly onto the stage with a slightly melancholic smile.

Facing the pairs of eyes below the stage, gleaming with gossip, James took the initiative to speak.

He completely ignored the embarrassing fall he faked last night, which was so bad it made his toes dig into the ground, and nonchalantly began his "big brother" whitewashing script:

"I know why everyone is here today. Regarding what happened with DeMarcus last night, I think it was actually a very regrettable misunderstanding."

James adjusted the microphone, his tone full of generosity and tolerance, portraying himself as a magnanimous and caring older brother:

"DeMarcus is a very passionate player, he wants to win so badly. But you know, sometimes he's like a younger brother who's easily emotional and needs to be cared for."

"Everyone reacts to pressure differently in this league. As the leader of this team, I will try to understand his anxiety."

James patted his chest and confidently assured them, "I've already submitted a statement to the league office, pleading with them not to suspend DeMarcus. The Clippers need him, and I'll talk to him, help him calm down, and help the team complete its final integration."

"We are still an inseparable family, and our goal remains the championship."

This hypocritical speech drew eye-rolls from many reporters in the audience.

You were the one who shifted the blame first and then faked the fall, but now you're acting like a great saint who tolerates your younger brother's mistakes?

Just as James finished speaking, a young reporter from Los Angeles, known for his sharp tongue, suddenly stood up.

"LeBron!"

The fearless young reporter, microphone in hand, cut straight to the point: "You just said it was a misunderstanding. But in the slow-motion replay, we clearly saw that DeMarcus's fist was still a long way from you, and you not only fell to the ground and rolled over prematurely, but also covered your face with your hands... peeking at the referee through your fingers."

"Was this a flopping attempt by you to gain sympathy from the referees? What is your response to Cavaliers owner Su Yang's tweet that your flopping was 'smooth to the extreme'?"

The moment the question was asked, the entire press conference room fell into a deathly silence!

All the cameras were zooming in, trying to capture the embarrassment on James's face.

James' smile froze abruptly, a hint of panic and anger flashing in his eyes.

However, before James could even open his mouth to defend himself, Rich Paul, who had been standing like a bodyguard behind the podium, stepped forward and grabbed the microphone in front of James!

Rich Paul's eyes, hidden behind his gold-rimmed glasses, stared like a venomous snake at the young reporter who asked the question.

"Which media outlet are you from?"

Rich Paul's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling coldness and a sense of threat.

The young reporter paused for a moment, then instinctively replied, "I'm from the Los Angeles Sports Journal..."

"very good."

Rich Paul nodded and waved to the security personnel in the press conference room:

"Today's press conference will only answer questions about team building, and will not address any boring gossip that is insulting or involves conspiracy theories."

"This reporter's question has seriously crossed the line. Please leave."

Under Rich Paul's intensely intimidating gaze, two burly security personnel immediately stepped forward and, half-inviting and half-dragging, forced the flushed young reporter out of the press conference room!

Kill the chicken and the monkey!

Upon seeing this, the reporters in the audience who had originally wanted to ask for details about the "dive" fell silent.

Who doesn't know how massive the media empires behind LeBron James and Rich Paul are?

Who doesn't know how ruthless they are in manipulating the media and suppressing disobedient reporters?

If I insist on getting to the bottom of this issue today, I might be fired tomorrow for "stepping into the newspaper office with my right foot first," making it impossible for me to survive in this industry!

Under the absolute monopoly of capital's power and discourse, that absurd "dive of the century" was suppressed.

……

As this farce was forcibly covered up by capital, the NBA regular season continued to roll forward in the torrent of time.

In the blink of an eye, the season has entered the final sprint in March.

At this moment, the entire league map presents a thrilling "three-way standoff"!

The most unbelievable team this season is neither the Clippers with their four superstars nor the Cavaliers aiming for a three-peat.

Instead, it was the Houston Rockets, who, under Mike D'Antoni's guidance, took the "Moreyball" theory to its extreme!

Houston Space City.

Under the guidance of this run-and-gun master and actuary Daryl Morey, James Harden has completed a transformation in his career!

He abandoned the beautiful mid-range pull-up jumper he had with the Thunder, and took his offensive options to the extreme: either step back and shoot a three-pointer from beyond the three-point line, or desperately drive to the basket with the ball!

What if you drive to the basket and get help defense?

Harden has exploited loopholes in the rules to an unparalleled degree!

He would deliberately swing his arms in a large loop and bump into the defender's arm before the defender's arm had fully retracted!

"Beep—!" The referee's whistle became almost the main theme of the Rockets' game.

Free throws! Insane free throws!

This season, James Harden, nicknamed "The Beard," has been scoring an astonishing 35 points per game in a frustrating and even ugly way, and he's been going to the free-throw line more than ten times every game!

"Master Ichidō!"

"The God of Extortion!"

Although the entire internet is criticizing Harden's playing style as dirty and unwatchable, it is undeniable that under D'Antoni's Moreyball system and Chris Paul's perfect orchestration, the Rockets have unleashed a devastating winning streak!

With this winning streak, the Rockets not only kept pace with the Los Angeles Clippers, but also briefly topped the Western Conference!

Such outstanding team performance and exaggerated data explosion have also brought huge changes to the regular season MVP rankings.

The official MVP prediction list for late March has been released:

First place: James Harden (Houston Rockets)!

Second place: LeBron James (Los Angeles Clippers)!

Third place: Stephen Curry (Cleveland Cavaliers)!

This list immediately sparked heated discussions across the United States.

The Cavaliers, with the best record in the entire league and a chance to achieve 70 wins again, have their absolute core player Curry ranked only third?!

Inside the Cleveland Cavaliers owner's office.

Looking at the MVP list, General Manager Grant shook his head with a wry smile.

"Boss, Stephen is being underestimated again. Harden, who averages 35 points per game by flopping, is ranked first. And LeBron, the Clippers have a worse record than us, and their locker room is a mess, yet he's ranked second."

"What's so strange about that?"

Su Yang sat on the sofa, watching the Rockets' game replay, and smiled nonchalantly:

"Harden is incredibly physically imposing; his arms are like they're equipped with radar. Although his playing style is unsightly, the ability to exploit the rules to this extent is quite an achievement. With his 35 points per game average this year, coupled with the Rockets' transformative record, winning the MVP award is well-deserved."

As for why Curry is only ranked third?

The reason, of course, is Su Yang's "mandatory rest order"!

In the final stretch of this season, in order to ensure absolute health during the playoffs, Su Yang went to great lengths to practice "health-preserving basketball".

Curry, Leonard, Davis and other key players not only played three quarters in every game, but also rested on the bench in suits when facing weaker teams or back-to-back games!

Reasons for using it include, but are not limited to, tension in the gluteal muscles, abdominal muscles, and back muscles...

Don't ask how tense it is, just take turns resting.