basketball never sleeps

Chapter 341 Good news, brother!

The SuperSonics also went on a four-game winning streak after the trade deadline, and combined with their six-game winning streak before the All-Star break, they once again achieved a 10-game winning streak this season.

The outside world's discussions also subsided because of this impressive performance.

The team had expected this winning streak to last until March, and that the Cavaliers wouldn't be able to stop them. However, the SuperSonics unexpectedly stumbled before facing the Cavaliers.

On February 26, the SuperSonics faced the Suns on the road. Mo Wen twice tied the game and dragged it into a second overtime, but ultimately they fell short and lost to the Suns once again.

Shaq, who failed to part ways with Miami, naturally started his vacation again due to a toe injury. Marion, who also wanted to leave but couldn't, didn't react much. In fact, he saved the team from danger several times in today's game.

Marion seemed to have returned to his peak form from three years ago. On the defensive end, he swept across the paint and was everywhere beyond the three-point line, while on the offensive end, he was like an old Beijinger, lurking along the edge of the three-point line and sinking one three-pointer after another.

With Stoudemire also in good form today, his various drives to the basket quickly put Tyson in foul trouble.

The two players combined their strength from both inside and outside, making them impossible to defend against. Even the SuperSonics, who usually like to use this tactic against other teams, suffered a setback.

"Damn it, didn't you say you were leaving? It's one thing to shoot accurately, but why are you defending so hard?" Mo Wen joked and complained to Marion during the post-match handshake.

He still prefers a future where morality declines and people become less virtuous. If he can't get a contract extension, he can just focus on padding his stats on offense. Why work so hard on defense when he can only get a few stats?

“I feel like you’re insulting me, Mo. Don’t doubt my professionalism. We won today, you have no right to joke like that.” Marion curled his lip, but there was a hint of smugness on his face.

He had a falling out with Kerr before, but that's all in the past. At least until the end of this season, he just wants to play well and contribute as much as possible to the team.

Shaq and Riley, this ill-fated couple, couldn't break up because they couldn't find a buyer. Marion and Cole actually had several viable trade opportunities, but both were greedy. Cole didn't want to acquire some useless players, while Marion wanted a team willing to offer him a big contract extension (if he wasn't willing to extend, his trade value would be greatly reduced). They kept picking and choosing, and the trade deadline passed...

It's like brothers swapping accounts to play Delta Force, each filling a backpack with junk but pretending it's full of big red potions, and in the end, they both fail to time the shutdown and end up retreating together.

Since they couldn't split the deal, life had to go on. Nash, who had already shared a farewell drink with Marion before the trade deadline, stepped in after the deadline to act as a mediator, comforting Marion while contacting the coaching staff and management to ease tensions.

Cole, who didn't want to be taken advantage of by the player transfer platform, shamelessly pretended to be confused and said that the team never wanted to trade Marion, and that Marion was like family to him.

What about Marion himself?

Ironically, the main reason he was so eager to leave the sun was because he felt he wasn't getting enough respect there.

Marion felt he had made a huge sacrifice for the team. He did too much dirty work, sacrificed his stats, gave up the chance to win honors, and didn't even have a tactical system built around him. The team, the local media, and the fans were more concerned about Nash and Stoudemire—even though he thought the team, the media, and the fans' choices were right.

If you look closely, you'll find that he shares the same characteristics as a certain charismatic man—he can control his desires on the court, practice the right values, and be a team player, but off the court he is unusually sensitive and cares a lot about public opinion of him, just like those who will stop at nothing to satisfy their desires for personal gain.

In the eyes of the media, the Suns' internal strife was like diarrhea that had reached the sphincter, an inevitable outbreak. However, all parties were willing to put aside their personal prejudices and finish the season first, so the problem was suppressed. There was even a moment of peace within the Suns, like diarrhea being suppressed.

Maybe that's just life.

……

Seattle at the end of February was still shrouded in damp and lingering drizzle. Fortunately, the expensive ground source heat pump and fresh air system in the villa kept the temperature and humidity in the room at very pleasant levels. When not in use, the sound of rain always gave people a relaxing feeling.

On the wide and soft sofa, Mo Wen had his arms around the Schwarzenegger sisters on one side and his mentor Katherine on the other, all watching TV leisurely.

Gently stroking little Catherine's belly, it had been three months since her fiancé took his first steps, and the little pregnant woman was beginning to show. Feeling her fiancé's warm, large hands, little Catherine looked blissful.

On the other side, Christina, who was only wearing a white tank top, had a pretty face flushed. Mo Wen did not show favoritism and also reached out his big hand to her. However, there was nothing in her soft and tender little belly. The bad brother-in-law could only look for other fun, such as experiencing the damp early spring in Seattle.

The group wasn't watching some melodramatic TV series, but rather a classic program that Americans watch every four years: the presidential election.

“Mandatory medical insurance is simply impossible to achieve. Even if the corresponding policy is issued, it will only fatten up the parasites in the medical group.”

"You don't think much of her? I remember you bought a lot of stock in the medical group, didn't you?"

"Because that black man also wants to get health insurance, even though it's just increasing subsidies and enforcing it on children, the signal is still very clear. The only ones we can trust are him and that female con artist. We can't choose those idiots, can we? Look at what those idiots have done to the country!"

While watching Lucian and the old hag tear each other apart on TV, Catherine and Rose chatted intermittently.

Mo Wen originally didn't care about this issue. He felt that since he didn't want to be an American, there was no need to be so involved. However, after making some investments through his father-in-law's connections, he started to pay more attention to this matter and gradually began to like the show.

There's no other reason than that watching these so-called big shots dig up dirt on each other and tear each other apart is genuinely entertaining. Although neither side is digging up any truly shameful secrets like those from Lolita Island, it's still enough to make our mundane lives amusing.

Thinking about it, Mo Wen looked at little Catherine in his arms again.

"By the way, Father-in-law, have you ever thought about giving it a try in a couple of years?"

"That's true. My father feels that his two terms as governor have given him enough experience, and he's thinking of trying to go further. However, my uncle doesn't think he's a good candidate, and my mother also thinks that my father's career is pretty much over once he gets into Congress. Anything more than that is beyond his capabilities."

Mo Wen raised an eyebrow. He was just asking jokingly, but the old man actually had that idea.

In the original timeline, Schwarzenegger's affair with his nanny and his secret father-in-law having an illegitimate child completely enraged his mother-in-law, leading to the loss of his wife's family support and ultimately his suicide. Now, with his reminder, if his father-in-law can avoid playing with fire and getting burned, who knows...

Don't let the fact that both Elephant Party candidates have become his own people come back to haunt him.

However, Mo Wen shook his head again. His father-in-law, an immigrant who was not born in the United States, had already achieved legendary status by marrying a princess and serving as a regional governor for two years. To think that he could go any further was simply wishful thinking.

"He's too old to cause trouble. I think he only has two and a half years left in his term. I'll talk to him about Tina after he leaves office."

As he spoke, Mo Wen turned to look at his sister-in-law in his arms on the other side. However, his sister-in-law seemed not to have heard him clearly. She looked as if she were soaked in spring rain, her eyes were misty and covered with a layer of water mist, her cheeks were red from the cold, and her rhinitis had relapsed, forcing her to stick out her tongue to breathe.

Little Catherine didn't hear her sister's reaction. She turned her head slightly and saw a taut, white jade foot. She immediately understood what was going on.

hiss--

Mo Wen just chuckled when he felt his waist being twisted.

"You're only three months along now. Wait another two weeks, and neither of you will be able to escape."

"You scoundrel, you're about to be a father and you're still acting like this." Little Catherine spat lightly, hurriedly got up and left. All the women in the house were here, and with Mo Wen's outrageous behavior, if they didn't leave soon, they'd be eating the leftovers again. Big Catherine also noticed the commotion and originally wanted to sneak away with Ruth, but Mo Wen grabbed her with his long arm and instantly melted her.

Ruth, watching as Catherine feigned resistance for so long before finally being stripped naked by Mo Wen with one hand, couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"I remember there's a match against that little emperor from the Knights tomorrow, don't get too carried away." Seeing that Mo Wen's hands were occupied, Sister Ruth went around behind the sofa and gently hugged Mo Wen's head.

Faced with the heavy pressure, Mo Wen couldn't help but shake his head. "You know what, darling, your defense against me is more effective than his."

……

At the Cavaliers' hotel, the coaching staff led the players through another video analysis of the SuperSonics' last five games. Seeing the Cavaliers players showing signs of impatience after watching the video four times, the coaching staff announced a short break, planning to review it one-on-one after dinner.

"The match is tomorrow, Mo must be very nervous right now." Delonte West, who had just joined the team, saw that the atmosphere was a bit dull and took the initiative to start a conversation to lighten the mood.

“Don’t be nervous, bro. Where do you get the confidence to think he’ll be nervous?” Damon Jones, sitting next to him, widened his eyes. He first glanced at Ajax out of the corner of his eye, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Ajax didn’t react.

A-Zhan is mostly friendly and cheerful, but his eyes become particularly frightening when discussing Mo Wen.

Damon Jones can empathize with LeBron James, after all, according to media statistics, LeBron's record against Mo Wen has reached 0:22 in the regular season, playoffs, All-Star game, and national team games.

If this score were placed in a single game, you could say it represents a brutal act of bullying. But considering the past four years, where every score represents the outcome of a game, for LeBron James it has been a long and arduous nightmare.

Many star athletes with fathers rarely lost so badly when playing against their fathers as children. In a sense, Mo Wen also made up for the fact that the chosen one didn't have a childhood where he was not dominated by his father.

“Our Cavaliers are so strong right now. Given the grudge between Mo and LeBron, shouldn’t he be nervous about losing to LeBron?” Delonte West scratched his head.

Damon Jones was also stunned. It seemed to make sense. According to this logic, shouldn't a team be nervous when it encounters a tanking team that is on a losing streak?

Thinking back to the Knicks, who were on a losing streak, that the Cavaliers faced the day before yesterday, and how the coaching staff looked so prepared before the game, it really seems like...

Hearing the discussion, A-Zhan couldn't help but glance over. He'd heard plenty of rough but reasonable words, but this was the first time he'd heard words that were both rough and reasonable.

What are you implying, little forearm?

"Don't overthink it. MVP-level players don't get nervous. LeBron is an MVP, have you ever seen him nervous?" The guy with the afro pressed his big hand on his head and said in a know-it-all tone.

"What's so great about an MVP... Hmm, I remember you were also a DPOY, Ben. We have both an MVP and a DPOY, so why are we afraid of an MVP?" Delonte West, as this year's rookie, still carried the foolish courage of a newborn calf not afraid of tigers.

Ben raised an eyebrow. He could tell that West was trying to flatter him, but he didn't like it. He really was going to face off against Mo Wen tomorrow.

Ben was about to say that MVPs are unstoppable, but a glance at LeBron James beside him revealed that James had also noticed Ben's gaze and subtly puffed out his chest. However, Ben decided to use a more precise statement:

“MVPs all have their own dominance. You won’t understand unless you match up against them… Um, you’re a point guard, so you can get a good feel for it tomorrow.”

Delonte West's eyes seemed to have turned into beady eyes as he blinked twice at Ben Affleck.

Hey, you're asking me to face Mo Wen? Am I serious?

"Don't scare him, Ben. Tomorrow will be our showdown. Four years have passed, it's time to settle things." A-Zhan, sitting across the table, finally spoke quietly.

For the past four years, it has been Mo Wen who has been bullying others with better teammates. Now the Cavaliers have gathered him, Reed, Ben Wallace, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas (it was an error that Zydrunas Ilgauskas was included in the trade, and it has been corrected). These are four real All-Stars. It's time for a righteous brawl, or rather, a fair fight.

……

On February 29th, a special day that only comes once every four years, LeBron James led a group of Cavaliers players into KeyArena with their heads held high once again. He couldn't wait to conquer this fortress that had become famous last year for its high-profile bet. To this end, he even wore a custom-made suit to highlight his successful demeanor as a max-contract player at the post-game press conference.

However, there was no tense atmosphere of an impending big game in the home locker room.

Even disregarding Morey's offensive record against LeBron, to be honest, the two games against the Cavaliers last season felt very easy for them.

Before the game, as usual, Mo Wen and Ray Allen visited their old friends during the warm-up.

However, LeBron James, Ben Wallace, and Reed were all very uncooperative, or perhaps they embodied the idea that "those who want to win don't smile."

“Starting with today’s match, from now on I will beat you, Mo.”

"Wow, is it April Fool's Day? Where did you find that joke? It almost made me laugh." For some reason, Mo Wen suddenly thought of the classic winning strategies of the future King of Knowledge.

I don't care where you're from, I'm going to win.

"I'm seriously reminding you that you can start preparing your post-match acceptance speech now, unless you can score 88 points again." The young emperor wasn't entirely confident either. He knew there was a gap in individual ability between him and Mo Wen, so he was using this method to give himself a psychological boost.

Mo Wen chuckled and shook his head, not arguing with him any further.

After the warm-up, the starting lineups for both teams took their places during the DJ's introduction.

The SuperSonics are sticking to their old ways, while the Cavaliers have made significant changes. Remembering how Mo Wen easily singled out Zydrunas Ilgauskas last year, the Cavaliers coaching staff, now with Ben Wallace, decided to start him. Varejao, with better athleticism, will play power forward, and Gibson will fill the void left by Bibby's departure.

Tyson faced off against Ben Wallace, and the result of the jump ball was a foregone conclusion.

Mo Wen was genuinely surprised to see that A Zhan had taken the initiative to approach him. No matter who you are, get off A Zhan!

Or has he really pushed LeBron to this extent?

After estimating the distance, Mo Wen feigned a breakthrough, dribbled to the side, took a step, and immediately launched a three-pointer.

The shot missed, but Ben Wallace leaped high to secure the defensive rebound, unleashing his killer instincts as the greatest transition offense player in history.

At this moment, LeBron James' mind was perfectly clear as he ran. If he made this basket, his personal score would surpass that of Mo Wen, and the Cavaliers would surpass the SuperSonics. This basket would be the beginning of everything wonderful on his road to future victories.

Ben, holding the basketball, didn't hesitate. He swung the ball like a quarterback in football. After the previous few games, he no longer had any doubts about LeBron's ability to launch fast breaks, just like he had no doubts about Mo Wen's three-pointers.

Ben Wallace's pass wasn't accurate; it was a bit high and not comfortable enough. The force was so great that it was easy to slip out of his hands if he wasn't careful. But LeBron, who has excellent learning ability, quickly adapted. He was confident that he could catch the ball. However, just as he adjusted his steps and prepared to jump,

A shadow suddenly appeared between Ben and Ajax, leaping high into the air and completing an aerial interception.

Snapped!

"Good pass, bro!" Mo Wen didn't forget to praise his old teammate after landing.

Brothers are brothers; even after three years, they still have such a great understanding. (End of Chapter)