Back at the hotel, Wang Zelin and Batum were preparing to have a midnight snack before resting.
Fortunately, the hotel's restaurant is open 24 hours a day, so you won't have to go to bed hungry after playing ball all night.
"Wang, what do you think about exchanging jerseys with that kid from the Magic Team?"
Matthews cut a small piece of beef and put it in his mouth before chewing it, then he asked vaguely.
"It's nothing, I just think that guy is quite interesting." Wang Zelin shook his head gently without explaining too much.
The reason why I chose to do this was just to feel sorry for Oladipo's tragic fate in the future.
As the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft, Oladipo had the highest achievement among this class of rookies who were considered mediocre by later generations. He was the only player among the top 10 picks to be selected as an All-Star.
In the first three seasons of the Magic, they averaged 16 4 4 quasi-All-Star statistics per game. The highlight of this period was probably when they scored 45 points against the Cavaliers led by James.
This player who has always believed that "hard work changes life" finally reached the peak of his career with the Pacers. He was selected to the All-Star for the first time, the All-NBA third team, the All-Defensive first team, and the Most Improved Player of the Year...
After that, fate began to play tricks on him. All his efforts and sacrifices seemed to become a joke in the face of injuries.
But he was such a guy who was constantly devastated by injuries, but he never thought about giving up. Even when he was at his most desperate, he was still thinking about training hard to stay in the NBA and proving himself again.
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Hence, Wang Zelin’s previous whim.
Seeing that their boss obviously didn't want to talk any more, everyone dispersed in an amused manner.
…
On January 18th, the Trail Blazers will face a back-to-back game, or a back-to-back away game.
The opponent is none other than one of the most glorious teams in the league's history, the Boston Celtics!
Then, the moon waxed and waned, and people experienced joys and sorrows. Now, this one of the famous NBA giants has reached a low point in their team history.
After sending away Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett last season, the Celtics' bad luck is not over yet. Rondo, who has just been established as the core of the team, suffered a heavy blow before the season officially started and was absent for more than two months.
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Recently, he finally made his comeback on January 16th when the Celtics played the Lakers at home.
If he didn't come back at other times, he picked a day when the opponent was the Lakers and played at home... If it wasn't premeditated, it would be a lie.
It's a pity that Rondo made the right choice at the right time and place, but missed the opportunity to make the right choice. On the night of the 16th, Rondo didn't get the script he dreamed of.
That night, Lakers guard Kendall Marshall broke out. Not only did he provide 13 assists, he also hit an open three-pointer from the right corner of the frontcourt with 1 minute and 09 seconds left in the game to help the Lakers go ahead!
Subsequently, Rondo missed a three-pointer with 1.9 seconds, and the Lakers defeated their old enemy in a thrilling 107:104.
The script that Rondo had chosen from thousands of people was just screwed up!
Now, the outside world is laughing at the new leader of the Green Army.
In the face of doubts and ridicule, Rondo did not come forward to refute, because he knew that once he lost, anything he said would be redundant. Similarly, only winning is the best way to defend.
Unfortunately, Rondo and his Celtics were obviously not fully prepared to face the menacing Portland youth army.
At the end of the first quarter, at 28:15, the Trail Blazers led by 13 points.
After the first quarter, Wang Zelin made 3 of 3 shots and 3 of 3 free throws, scoring 12 points and 4 rebounds.
Arriving at the home court of the Green Army and the historic arena at North Shore Garden, Wang Zelin felt as if he had been given a shot of blood. He seemed to want to vent the passion that he had not vented in the last game together with this one.
In addition to personal offense, he also did not forget to organize the team.
At the end of the half, Wang Zelin had already sent out 3 assists.
en, the coach Long on the opposite side seems to have not even broken through 3 points yet!
After discovering that Long's guidance was still the same as before, and the danger of outside shooting was almost zero, Lillard found the right opportunity and joined his teammates to start all kinds of crazy double-teaming of opponents.
After three quarters, Long coached 2 of 11 shots and only scored 4 points.
Due to the crazy compression of the inside line and the average touch of the Celtics outside players today, Coach Long does not have many assists now, only 4.
At the end of the game, the Trail Blazers still defeated the Celtics with their overall strength.
110:91, the Trail Blazers won the away game by 19 points.
Wang Zelin made 12 of 16 shots and 10 of 11 free throws in 33 minutes. He scored a game-high 34 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks and 1 steal.
Today, not only the Celtics, but also the Trail Blazers are a bit tough on the outside. Wang Zelin grabbed a little more rebounds than usual.
Seeing that the outside shooting was fruitless and everyone chose to attack the basket, the presence or absence of a strong frame protector became the biggest factor in determining the outcome of the game.
In the second half, Wang Zelin shrank in the paint area and waited. He didn't block a single shot in the first half. In the next two quarters, he blocked 4 shots in less time.
With an average of 2 blocks per quarter, the Celtics lost their fighting spirit.
After this game, the Trail Blazers had 33 wins and continued to lead the league.
This game, which was not broadcast live across the country, attracted the attention of the entire league after it ended. Because Wang Zelin showed dominance on both offense and defense tonight, to a large extent, it can be said that he single-handedly defeated the entire Celtics team.
military.
Shaq O'Neal, who has always supported Wang Zelin, immediately updated his Twitter, in which he said:
"Once upon a time, after Yao and I retired, everyone always said that the era of traditional centers has come to an end, but what I want to say is that the legacy of centers will never be extinguished, symbolizing a great fire that will last forever!"
The illustration is even more simple and clear, directly matching the No. 36 jersey worn by Wang Zelin and his game data tonight.
His statement was recognized by many fans, followed by criticism from many professionals.
The former is nostalgic for the glory of the center in the past, while the latter continues to value offense first. There can be bulky centers, but they should not occupy too much limelight.
Wang Zelin is now mixed in between the two forces. In the future, whether he will follow the trend and resign himself to fate, or break free from the constraints and step out of himself, all depends on whether his own strength is strong.
…
The morning of January 19th.
The Trail Blazers' special plane took off and flew to Cleveland. They will challenge the Cavaliers away from home tomorrow.
The media has been building momentum for this game for a long time, and the fans have been waiting for it for a long time.
Although the disparity in strength between the two sides is too large, the NBA's slogan is right, this is a land of miracles, so some people still expect the Cavaliers to upset.
On the afternoon of the 20th, the two teams conducted pre-match interviews. Before the game, the head coaches of both teams also announced their rosters.
Home Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving, Luol Deng, CI Miles, Anderson Varejao, TT
Visiting Trail Blazers: Lillard, Matthews, Batum, Aldridge, Wang Zelin
At the press conference, Wang Zelin said bluntly to the media: "I am ready for 6 consecutive victories!"
The sudden declaration of victory put Wang Zelin at the forefront of public opinion.
No matter how weak the Trail Blazers' opponents are, they are still an NBA team, not a pig to be slaughtered. This statement is equivalent to telling the opponent: wash your neck tonight and wait for death!