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Liam had just recalled the curse on Curry at Staples Center. His first consecutive three-point record in history was broken at the Lakers' home court, and this wasn't an isolated case. Curry had left many famous scenes at Staples, the most well-known of which was, of course, the fast break to a + three-point shot without hesitation.
Whenever Curry played on the Lakers' home court, it was almost guaranteed that he would make moves, according to experts' analysis. This might be related to the color of the floor and lighting at the Lakers' court. Curry's vision isn't very good; he has been nearsighted since he was a child, and the dim main color of Staples Center may make it difficult for him to see the basket clearly.
It's worth mentioning that Curry, who also played at Staples Center, used to perform well at the Clippers' court, only suffering curses when playing against the Lakers.
Of course, this wasn't absolute. Curry broke the record for most three-pointers in a single game at Staples Center last season and even made a whistle shot, proving that there wasn't really a "Staples Curse."
According to Liam's assumption, the volatility of three-point shooting is inherently high. It could be that the lights at Staples Center had an impact on Curry, but they would never make him incapable of making a single three-pointer. It should just be that Curry's poor form at the time amplified the impact, giving the impression that he would miss shots at Staples Center.
In fact, after the Lakers missed 0 of 10 field goals, Curry returned home and made 13 three-pointers against the Pelicans, breaking the record for most three-pointers in a single game and setting a legendary second streak of three-pointers.
It was precisely because of the focus on three-point shooting that Liam's thinking had gone into a misunderstanding. He kept thinking of letting Curry break the record or at least stop him from falling into this curse, but let him shoot three-pointers. But Silas' words reminded him—why let Curry insist on shooting three-pointers?
After returning to the visitor's locker room, Liam took the tactical board, stood in front of everyone, and said:
"Everyone played well in the first half. Everyone was focused. In the second half, we need to continue encouraging each other, protect the rebounds on the backcourt, keep our feet moving on defense, and not give the other side the chance to open up positions. Run actively when attacking. The Lakers are old; we have to play to our advantage in vitality…"
He encouraged the players, served some motivational words, and praised Butler and Matthews for their great play in the first half. Then, he turned to Yi Jianlian:
"Emirates, wait to replace Drummond on the court."
Yi Jianlian, who was wiping sweat, was stunned for a moment and then said in a muffled voice:
"No problem, coach."
In private, he called Liam "Brother Liam," but on the team, he referred to him as "Coach." Yi Jianlian wasn't as the outside world thought—he didn't lack communication skills. He had learned a lot during the three years he had been in the United States.
Liam then spoke to Curry:
"Stephen, you'll hold the ball in the second half, and Tyson will be easy to block and dismantle. Everything will play out according to the tactics, and the subsequent changes will be handled by you. But the best option is to attack the basket to finish. The Lakers have fewer players like Bynum, and their defense in the restricted area is much weaker than before. I hope you can first create a threat with the ball and then pass it. Got it?"
"No problem, coach, I know what to do." —Curry replied.
"Mmm... Of course, if you get an open shot, feel free to take a three-pointer, but try not to force the shot, and when you're in your rhythm, shoot." Liam thought for a moment and added.
Curry smiled wryly and nodded. He knew how bad his shooting performance was in the first half, and even without Liam saying anything, he wouldn't casually shoot three-pointers in the second half.
He didn't know what was happening. He wasn't allowed to shoot today, and even though he obviously had opportunities to open up the space, he simply couldn't shoot three-pointers, leaving him helpless.
…
Soon, the 15-minute break passed, and both teams returned to the court to continue the game.
In the live broadcast room of ESPN, Mike Breen looked at the screen, his eyes lit up, and said with some excitement:
"Liam replaced Emirates and took Green off the court. The rest of the Warriors were all starters in the first half, but they were substituted in the small forward position, while the Lakers kept their starting lineup from the first half. It seems that Liam has a lot of confidence in Emirates and let him face Odom."
Jeff Van Gundy smiled and said:
"In the first half, Emirates played well. He played for 7 minutes, made 1 out of 2 three-pointers, got 3 points and 3 rebounds, and felt really good. I hope he can play well in the second half."
In the live text broadcast room, after the audience saw Emirates on the court, the news also slid across the screen:
"Damn, did Yi Di and his starting partner just appear? 666!"
"The Yi went on an expedition and didn't miss a shot!"
"I think Space Yi will definitely get 8 points and 8 rebounds today, and since then, he has earned Coach Liam's trust and has become a starter. Brothers, what do you think?"
"Haha, now he's been reduced to a substitute. Can't we ridicule him?"
"You guys X, you anti-patriotic Yi Jianlian fans…"
Yi Jianlian's appearance caused even more of a sensation than Curry's. There was chaos in the live broadcast room, with people ridiculing Yi Jianlian while others supported him. Everyone was divided into two groups, but no one paid attention to the game for a while.
For Yi Jianlian, the feelings of the national fans were very complicated. On one hand, he was considered the successor to Yao Ming, the future leader of Chinese basketball, and the leader of the national team; on the other hand, many hated that Yi Jianlian didn't realize his potential, thinking that he hadn't lived up to his talent and had been reduced from a No. 7 pick to a marginal substitute, almost unable to play in the NBA, which was embarrassing for Huaxia.
His performance with the Nets last season was disastrous. He didn't play much and his efficiency was poor. It was widely believed that Yi Jianlian would return to play in the CBA after his rookie contract ended, and that no NBA team would want him.
Even after the Warriors and Nets completed the trade, national fans ridiculed Yi Jianlian for being traded to the Warriors due to Liam's relationship. Some more extreme Warriors fans even questioned the trade, saying that Azubuike and Reggie Williams, who had performed well last season, should not have been swapped for Yi Jianlian, and that the Warriors had lost money on the deal.
But after the start of the new season, while this voice still existed, it was a little quieter. On one hand, Reggie Williams hadn't played well in the preseason, and after the start of the season, in the two games he played, he had no chance to perform.
Azubuike hasn't been demoted, but Klay and Tony Allen have won over Warriors fans with their outstanding performances in just three games, and Azubuike has been almost forgotten.
Additionally, Yi Jianlian himself was competitive enough. In these three games, although his statistics were average—only 7.6 points and 3.3 rebounds—his efficiency was very high. His shooting percentage was as high as 57%, his three-point shooting percentage was 38.9%, and his defense was also above par.
Only those who had high hopes for him earlier, deceived by unscrupulous national media, thought he might become a star or even a superstar, continued to mock Yi Jianlian.
After realizing that Yi Jianlian wasn't as powerful as the unscrupulous media had reported, they immediately swung to the other extreme, from promoting him as the most exaggerated player to now calling him the hardest-working Yi Jianlian.
Today, they didn't pay attention to the game between the Warriors and Lakers at all, focusing solely on Yi Jianlian, hoping he would act out and then play hard.
End of this chapter
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