At the end of the first quarter, the Bulls led 40-34.

Xu Yong played the entire first quarter, scoring 30 points with 13 of 15 shots, including 18 points in a row at the start.

Brooks tried all defensive methods except Box-1 in this quarter, but none of them could limit Xu Yong.

If the team had not trained such extreme defensive tactics before, he would definitely want to try it.

It is worth mentioning that this is the first time in Xu Yong’s career that he scored 30 points in a single quarter, which also put him into the ranks of new NBA legendary records.

Before him, only six players had scored 30 points or more in a single quarter, and among active players, only Kobe has done it twice.

Durant also scored 25 points in this quarter, breaking his personal single-quarter scoring record.

This quarter of the game can be said to be a scoring battle between Xu Yong and Durant.

Moreover, coaches on both sides used various defensive tactics, but ultimately failed to limit the other side.

Stern was grinning as he watched it on TV.

Not to mention the rest of the game, just in this quarter, the topic between Xu Yong and Durant has reached its peak, and the image of the rivals has been established.

Of course, in addition to Stern, Xu Yong was also happy on the bench.

Although he was also very tired after the first quarter.

Butler's pass was just a surprise, and he doesn't have the ability to dilute the ball now.

More often than not, Xu Yong still has to rely on his own one-on-one ability to solve problems.

However, because his performance of scoring 18 points in a row at the beginning was too explosive, his subsequent fake moves could easily create space or cause fouls.

This made it much easier for him to score later on and was also the key to his ability to score 30 points in a single quarter.

The reason why he was so happy was that he was tired, and Durant would be even more tired.

When the first quarter ended, he saw Durant already holding his waist.

You see, it's actually a good thing for Durant that Scarlett didn't like him.

Durant's body and physical fitness do not allow him to fight a protracted battle.

If word gets out that Durant is not good enough, it would be more hurtful than not even thinking about it.

In the second quarter, neither Xu Yong nor Durant scored much, Xu Yong scored 11 points and Durant scored 8 points.

On the one hand, they had consumed a lot of energy in the first quarter, and it was difficult for them to recover in just a few minutes of rest; on the other hand, in the second quarter, the defenses of both sides could be said to be surrounding and blocking them.

However, at the end of the first half, the Bulls were only trailing the Thunder 64-69.

After Artest and Gibson entered the bench, the Bulls' bench capacity has been significantly improved.

As an older rookie, Gibson has been the starter for the Bulls for more than half of the past three seasons. His ability and experience have reached the peak of his career. His coming off the bench is just a way to avoid peak hours.

As for Artest, although his ability has declined, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and he still has advantages as a substitute.

Of course, the most crucial reason why the Bulls were able to keep up with the Thunder in the first half was Xu Yong.

Xu Yong scored 41 points in the first half!

According to the fans, with 41 points in the first half, that means 82 points for the whole game, right?

After the half-time break, both sides continued the second half of the game.

The third quarter was like the decisive battle in the series, which was very crucial for both sides.

Just at the beginning of this quarter, the Bulls received their best good news of the night, their outside shooting touch recovered.

As soon as the second half started, Butler and Hinrich made three-pointers from the outside.

This change forced the Thunder to reduce their defensive investment on Xu Yong.

This gave Xu Yongxin an opportunity. After the halftime break, he recovered a lot of physical strength and scored another 17 points in a single quarter.

The Bulls also successfully reversed the score in this quarter with 90 to 88.

At the end of the quarter, his statistics were shown on the LED screen and live broadcast, with the words "new record" written on it.

21 of 34 shots, 1 of 2 three-pointers, 15 of 16 free throws, 58 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 fouls, and 4 turnovers.

Xu Yong's previous personal highest score in a single game was 53 points, which coincidentally was also achieved against the Thunder.

If the Raptors are Kobe's lucky team, then Xu Yong's lucky team is the Thunder.

Also behind his data are Kobe's statistics on December 21, 2005, when he scored 62 points in three quarters against the Mavericks.

This is the first time in nearly 20 years in the NBA that someone has come so close to Kobe's statistic.

And unlike Kobe who had already decided the outcome after three quarters, the Thunder and the Bulls are still in a stalemate, which means that Xu Yong's score tonight will start at 60, and 70 is not a dream.

In fact, things are moving in this direction.

In the last quarter of the game, Xu Yong's physical condition shocked everyone.

Especially when the game came to the last quarter, although his shooting percentage dropped, he was still able to shake off the defender and complete those shots.

What made many NBA players sigh about Kobe's 81-point game that year was that Kobe took 46 shots in the entire game.

Please note that this is only the number of shots included in the statistics. Blocked shots or other situations will not be included in the statistics.

That is to say, Kobe took at least 50 shots in that game.

Just this point alone is something that not many people can do in NBA games, because after completing such a large number of shots under such confrontation, their hands will basically become numb after a while.

This is what McGrady said in the game when he scored 62 points. He also wanted to score 70 or even 80 points, but he couldn't shoot anymore and only made 1 of 10 shots in the last quarter.

And Xu Yong undoubtedly reminded the fans of this in the last quarter.

In fact, the feeling is stronger.

The biggest reason why Kobe was able to score 81 points that year was that the Raptors used one-on-one defense on him most of the time, a defensive method similar to the "Anti-Jordan Rule". Kobe encountered less defensive intensity and could also shoot more from the outside.

But the Bulls' strategy tonight is that Xu Yong wants to break into the inside more often, which consumes different amounts of physical energy.

And in that game, Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell played a big role in the team's ability to play until the fourth quarter, but Brooks didn't have that tonight.

Although he couldn't surround Xu Yong with multiple players like he did in the first half because the Bulls found their aim from the outside, double-teaming was the norm as long as Xu Yong got into the inside.

So visually speaking, Xu Yong's performance tonight was even more shocking than Kobe's 81-point game.

In sharp contrast, Durant is no longer able to do it.

In the last quarter, Durant was basically invisible on the court. Driven by the desire to win, he competed with Xu Yong for three quarters, and gave people the feeling that his body was hollowed out, with not a drop of energy left.

Watching Xu Yong continuing to shoot on the court, he felt heartbroken.

Because he also realized that compared to scoring, the real gap between him and Xu Yong was physical fitness and endurance.

And this is actually the only part of the basketball game that Scarlett is interested in.

What a painful realization.

But just like he would fight recklessly in the first quarter, the biggest difference between him and James is that he doesn't understand Smart basketball.

His character is very real, or it can be understood as an ordinary down-to-earth person.

If you provoke me, I will fight you;

If I can't beat you, then I'll spray you.

So he started to use every opportunity to trash talk Xu Yong.

Although his trash-talking skills are limited, even though Harden is trying to stop him from doing so.

Xu Yong ignored him at first. After all, he had promised Harden that he would give in, and his physical strength was almost exhausted, so he didn't have the extra energy to argue with others.

But Durant was too real. Seeing that Xu Yong didn't fight back, he thought Xu Yong was scared, so he increased his intensity.

Finally, after he scored a point, when Durant ran up to him and kept talking to him, he responded with a shoutout.

And with just one sentence, Durant, who had been continuously producing, instantly turned into a deflated ball.

"If you really want to drink Scarlett's bath water, I have a pool at home, enough for you."

Harden was not far away at this time, and the corners of his mouth twitched when he heard this.

If Xu Yong had avoided the subject during the previous conversation with him and refused to admit his relationship with Scarlett, then this sentence just now would be an indirect admission.

Although things like female celebrities staying overnight are just like those girls who cheated online saying that they just chatted with other boys in the room all night, you can tell what happened with your toes, but speculation and admission are two different things.

Moreover, Xu Yong’s trash talk level is really too high now, and every sentence is killing.

Why does Durant refuse to listen to advice?

Xu Yong's trash talk also became a watershed in the fourth quarter. After Durant was obviously wilting, the entire morale of the Thunder team collapsed.

In the end, after four fierce quarters, the Bulls defeated the Thunder 118-110 and won this focus battle.

Xu Yong was undoubtedly the most dazzling performer tonight.

When he was substituted off the court 30 seconds before the end of the game, his detailed statistics were displayed again on the spot.

30 points in the first quarter, 11 points in the second quarter, 17 points in the third quarter, and 14 points in the fourth quarter.

He made 26 of 46 shots, 1 of 4 three-pointers, 19 of 20 free throws, 72 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 4 fouls, and 5 turnovers!

In contrast, although Durant also had a good performance tonight, his score of 48 points pales in comparison.

When Xu Yong left the court, Thibodeau went over and hugged him vigorously.

He thought Xu Yong could do what he said before and handle everything, but he really couldn't expect 72 points.

You have to know that before this, only three people had scored higher than this: Chamberlain, Kobe and David Thompson.

Yes, without Jordan, Jordan's single-game scoring record is 69 points.

Moreover, this kind of record is valuable if you really look into it, just like David Robinson once scored 71 points, but his purely fake score has become an important basis for fans to make fun of him.

But in terms of value alone, Xu Yong's 72 points are even better than Kobe's 81 points.

When the live camera showed Xu Yong sitting on the bench and gasping for breath, there was applause from the audience.

Originally this was just a regular season game, even though there were many topics involved, it was just a regular season game.

But Xu Yong's crazy scoring performance made this game destined to go down in history, and they were fortunate enough to become witnesses of history.

After the game, fans were already in a frenzy on social media.

"A great scoring performance. I even think it was the greatest scoring performance in history because the opponent was the Thunder!"

"I haven't watched Chamberlain and David Thompson play, but I have watched Kobe's 81-point game. To be honest, I was more shocked by the performance. This is the greatest scoring performance ever."

"During the most difficult period for the Bulls, Xu's crazy scoring gave Chicago fans the greatest confidence. As long as Xu is here, we are the defending champions!"

"He only had a good touch in the first quarter. Have you ever seen him score 20 points in the next four quarters? And he surpassed Kobe, man, that's exaggerated!" Comment from "KBfnas".

"The Thunder did not maintain their defensive intensity against Xu in the second half, while Kevin Durant was besieged the entire game. I don't think there was much difference in their performance." Comment from "Los Angeles Nation".

"Yes, brother, I agree with you very much. If Durant is given the same defensive intensity, I believe he can even score more points." Comment from "Cleveland Kingdom Guard".

…

After the game, Xu Yong asked the team doctor to give him a good massage.

Although he wouldn't get hurt, the fatigue and soreness in his body were really unbearable.

He is a person who does not have such a strong desire for data, so if possible, he still hopes not to continue such nights.

Of course, knowing that he had no choice, he could only relax in this way and check social media on his phone.

Who doesn’t like to see others brag about themselves?

This has nothing to do with age or personality, it is simply a spiritual enjoyment.

Then he saw Durant's comments on those small accounts.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly.

What a pity.

He didn't know who the "No. 1 Xu fan" was, after all, the Pacers still had Stephenson, but the "No. 1 Xu hater" was born tonight.

…

Just like Kobe's 81 points that year, Xu Yong's 72 points began to break the circle on the second day.

Moreover, he broke out of the circle quite thoroughly.

Because the song "I.Knew.You.Were.Trouble" that Swift made with him as the background music also became popular in North America.

This is a pop song that incorporates many elements such as electronic bass and Dubstep. It is completely different from Swift's previous country music and was described by the media as "the song least like Taylor Swift."

But its melody and rhythm are extremely rhythmic and it is extremely popular.

In addition, Scarlett Johansson also joined in the fun by posting a social media status saying "My Mr. 72 Points".

It is no exaggeration to say that Xu Yong has become the most talked-about person in the North American sports circle during this period, and the name "Satan" is well-known.

The number of celebrities attending the Bulls games has increased dramatically. According to people in the circle, if you don't have a certain status, you can't get front-row tickets even if you have money.

Of course, along with the praise from some fans on social media, there are naturally a lot of criticisms.

Because many fans like to compare his 72 points with Kobe's 81 points, and they always mention the value.

This makes many Comey fans unhappy, considering that they are the largest group.

"He just scored a high score in one game", "According to what you said, David Thompson is better than Kobe", "Scoring high points continuously is the real way to score", and other similar comments are endless.

Of course, whether it is praise or criticism, he doesn’t care now.

Because the Bulls have a tough schedule ahead.

They are going on a Western Conference road trip, and the Spurs, Nuggets, and Grizzlies are not easy opponents.

Especially since the match against Thunder was the first one in which they adjusted their game strategy, Brooks was somewhat unable to cope with it, but he will definitely be targeted in the future.

Especially, the next game is against the Spurs, Popovich is not a pushover.

In fact, this is true. He encountered crazy defense at the beginning of the game against the Spurs.

Even the various small attacks he suffered during the game were unprecedented, and some minor conflicts broke out between the two sides.

Don't think that the Spurs are a team that wins respect through strength just because they have Duncan. With Bowen, Finley and others, this team is not short of bad guys.

In terms of dirtiness, they and the Pistons are the two strongest teams in the East and the West.

However, after the game, Xu Yong still scored 43 points and led the Bulls to defeat their opponents.

It is not easy to score 40 points against the Spurs, but there is no other way, who calls him Xu Yong.

The Spurs' 2-1-2 zone defense is called "Kobe's Happy Zone" by fans, but isn't it also "Xu Yong's Happy Zone"?

Although the Bulls' strategy is for Xu Yong to break into the basket and score, he can also complete the attack if he has the opportunity from mid-range, and that is Xu Yong's sweet spot.

Of course, there is one point that cannot be ignored, the Spurs do not have Leonard.

In history, the Spurs have been able to remain strong even after their GDP has aged, and Leonard's presence is the key factor.

Without Leonard, Danny Green alone cannot support the Spurs' defense.

Without that kind of defense, it would be difficult for the Spurs to play the unsolvable offensive and defensive system in history.

The same thing happened to the Nuggets.

Digital Man participated in the Howard trade and sent Iguodala to the Nuggets.

But because they were able to get Bynum, and now Bynum is still in the Lakers, Iguodala naturally did not come to the Nuggets.

Led by George Karl, this Nuggets team is known as the "Track and Field Team" and is an offensive team.

It can be said that both sides ran on the court for the entire game, and then Xu Yong managed to score 51 points.

Then, the Bulls won three games in a row.

In the last game of this week, the Bulls played against the Grizzlies and eventually lost 91-101.

The main reason is the black and white duo of the Grizzlies, which can restrain the Bulls' current style of play.

Because Xu Yong was unable to break through to the basket, the effect of his breakthrough pass was relatively average.

This is why breakthrough players are always afraid of teams with strong inside strength, because their only way to score points stably is to break through.

However, Xu Yong still scored 40 points with his mid-range and long-range performance.

He scored 40+ points in four consecutive games and was unsurprisingly named Player of the Week.

This week, under his leadership, the Bulls achieved a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, and he averaged 51.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block per game, with a shooting percentage of 51.6% and a three-point shooting percentage of 36.2%.

Especially his average points per game is unprecedented. If fans have not been paying attention to the game recently, they would subconsciously think that the data is wrong.

In comparison, Westbrook from the Western Conference, who was elected in the same week, also led his team to a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, averaging 21.5 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists per game.

Such performance also reduced a lot of doubts about him among fans on social media, and even many fans who originally followed the trend began to turn from haters to fans.

To quote a fan, even if you give everyone else the chance to score, they won't be able to achieve such numbers.

Some fans have even started discussing the topic of "Is Xu Yong the strongest player in active service?"

Then the answers they came up with were surprisingly consistent.

James has always been defeated by Xu Yong. No matter how much his fans praise him, they are still not good enough in front of Xu Yong.

As for Durant, aside from his endurance, he has yet to lead his team to the finals, so he is naturally at a disadvantage;

The only suspense should be Kobe, who has the strongest overall strength among all active players.

Because of Bynum's injury, Kobe started taking more shots and his statistics also rose. He now averages 28.2 points per game, the highest since the 07-08 MVP season.

Xu Yong and Kobe, this looks a bit like Jordan and "Magic" back then.

…

It is late December and Christmas is coming soon.

Because the Bulls are not scheduled to play a Christmas game this year, this is their most leisurely time in recent seasons.

After the last game before Christmas, Xu Yong invited the entire team to his manor.

He held a pool barbecue party here.

In order to liven up the atmosphere, he also asked people to contact some party girls, with the main purpose of making his teammates relax.

What? Swimming pools are cold in winter?

His swimming pool is heated!

And basking in the sun in winter is a very comfortable thing.

At this time, Xu Yong and Yao Ming were leaning on the beach chairs, watching their teammates playing in the swimming pool and on the side.

"Is there really Scarlett's bath water in this swimming pool?" Yao Ming plays the role of a curious baby.

Just like his trash talk against James, Xu Yong’s trash talk was also exposed by the media after the game.

Xu Yong knew Yao Ming's character and nodded in agreement.

"But if Durant really wants it, he probably has to look in the sewer, because the water has been changed," Xu Yong continued to explain.

Yao Ming was stunned for a moment, then he burst into laughter, his face turning into the word "囧" (embarrassing) due to his laughter.

After he finished laughing, he couldn't help but stretch out his hand and give Xu Yong a thumbs up.

When it comes to feelings, Xu Yong is different from most Chinese people, and honestly, he can't help but envy him on this point.

"Thank you for your hard work this month," Yao Ming continued with a hint of emotion.

Although the statistics are impressive, as a teammate, Xu Yong can fully feel his tiredness.

And it was true that Xu Yong was tough, but he was also really afraid that Xu Yong would fall down.

"We made it through." Xu Yong said with relief.

Yao Ming is coming back next week, so he can have a much easier time working like a slave.

Yao Ming nodded, but there was a hint of sadness between his brows.

This time his injury recovery was not ideal, especially during the recovery phase, he could feel his shortcomings in many aspects, such as speed and explosiveness.

Perhaps it was really due to overwork, he had reached a stage where he couldn't go back even if he lost weight.

But looking at the bright side, he can play and Xu Yong can at least be a little more relaxed.

At this time, there was the sound of a car engine. Xu Yong stood up from the beach chair and said, "Here I come."

Yao Ming stood up puzzled, and then saw Butler and Teague carrying a large box over.

"What is that?" Yao Ming was full of curiosity.

"Christmas gift." Xu Yong said as he started greeting his teammates.

It is not uncommon for players to give gifts to their teammates in the NBA.

Yao Ming once gave his teammates Maotai liquor, a very Chinese liquor.

Xu Yong opened the box by the swimming pool and took out the gifts from it. They were boxes of beautifully packaged Rolex watches.

He passed them to his teammates one by one.

Yao Ming took it and didn't pay much attention to it at first, but when he opened it and found it was a gold watch with his name on it, he immediately realized that Xu Yong had spent a lot of money this time.

Other team members also noticed this one after another, and some of them couldn't help but shout out in excitement.

"Ron, you don't have to hold it like that, this watch is waterproof." Xu Yong said with a smile to Artest who was still in the swimming pool.

These were custom-made watches, each costing $40,000, including one he owned and one he had sent to Ross's home, for a total of $600,000.

This is by no means a small feat.

Of course, Xu Yong thinks it is very necessary.

Because he has been scoring high points over the past month, all the stats are on his side, and his teammates have made sacrifices to varying degrees.

Especially for players like Gibson and Artest, it was a big sacrifice to go from starting to being a substitute.

Artest happily put it on and couldn't put it down.

His teammates also came over to hug him and express their gratitude.

This Christmas was so worth it.

…

In January, Yao Ming finally returned after missing the first three months of the regular season.

And as soon as he returned, he played against a strong team like the Mavericks.

In the end, the Bulls lost the game.

With the successive returns of Nash and Nowitzki, and the growth of Leonard, the Mavericks are very strong.

They surpassed the Lakers in record last month and moved up to second place in the Western Conference.

Xu Yong scored only 38 points in the game, ending his sinful streak of 9 consecutive games with 40+ points. This record is tied with Jordan and Kobe for first place in history.

Leonard can be said to be the player who defends him best among the active players in the league.

Yao Ming did not perform well in his first game after his comeback, scoring only 15 points and 8 rebounds.

Of course, the first game after his comeback against a championship favorite like the Mavericks doesn’t mean much.

However, in the following games, Yao Ming's statistics basically remained at this level, averaging about 15 points per game, and his rebounds increased to about 9.

Now everyone, including Xu Yong, knew that he really couldn't go back this time.

This also means that Xu Yong needs to do more in the next game.

…

Time flies and it is already the end of January.

Although Yao Ming's performance has obviously declined, his return has significantly improved the Bulls' strength.

The Bulls surpassed the Pacers in record and ranked third in the Eastern Conference after the Heat and the Nets.

Xu Yong's season average data stabilized at around 33 points per game, which is the first time someone has reached this level since Kobe's 35.4 points per game.

It still needs to be emphasized that before the second offense was reformed to 14 seconds and the number of rounds increased, the average score per game was very high.

It was at this time that the league announced the All-Star voting and reserve lineup for the 2012-2013 season.

Eastern Conference: Wade, Xu Yong, Anthony, James, Yao Ming;

Irving, George, Iguodala, Bosh, Garnett, Brook Lopez, Howard

West: Paul, Harden, Kobe, Durant, Griffin;

Westbrook, Parker, Nash, Nowitzki, David Lee, Noah, Zach Randolph

Xu Yong won the most votes for the third consecutive year, and directly raised the record of votes to 4 million.

In the business of recording the highest ticket sales, he is far ahead of others and the only person he has to compete with is himself.

However, this situation "may" change in the future.

Because Yao Ming became the starting center for the Eastern Conference this year, fans' dissatisfaction with the voting mechanism reached its peak.

Although Stern pretended not to hear anything as he did in previous years.

The most depressed person at this moment should be Howard. He should feel that he should have gone to the Lakers in the first place, so that at least he would still have the exposure.

Another point worth noting is that there are quite a lot of new faces in this year's All-Stars, which means a new generation is quietly coming.

…

After the All-Star Game, the annual trading deadline arrives.

This year's deadline can be said to be quite lively.

Because before the All-Star Weekend, rumors of various trades were already flying around, and some deals had already been made.

The Grizzlies sent Rudy Gay to the Raptors just before the All-Star break.

This wave of fans attracted complaints from many fans because the Grizzlies only got Calderon, Ed Davis and a second-round draft pick.

This wave can be said to be a free gift.

Then there is the Celtics. With the departure of Ray Allen, the aging roster, and O'Neal's injury, the Celtics' competitiveness has plummeted.

Last season's Eastern Conference semifinals, in which Pierce shit his pants, basically marked the end of this team, and Pierce and Garnett were packaged up and put on the shelf.

There are traces of all these movements, because these transactions or rumors, as well as the Lakers' amnesty of Okafor, are all for the preparation of the super luxury tax for the 2013-2014 season.

Ordinary teams cannot afford that level of super luxury tax.

And also because of this super luxury tax, the final result of this year's trading deadline was a lot of noise but little results.

The biggest deal came from a three-way trade between the Magic, Bucks and Bobcats, and the biggest player in it was just JJ Redick from the Magic. The Orlando people traded him for two young players, Doron Lamb and Tebias Harris.

However, both the Bulls and the Pacers took action at this time.

The Bulls reached a three-way deal with the Knicks and Rockets.

The Bulls sent Kenyon Martin and next year's first-round pick to the Rockets in exchange for Marcus Morris.

Martin was sent to the Knicks, and the Rockets only received a first-round draft pick.

Martin has basically had few opportunities to play in the Bulls, so it was expected that the Bulls would deal with him.

The Marcus Morris they value is the younger brother of the Morris brothers. He was selected by the Rockets with the 14th pick in the first round of last year's draft.

Morris is 2.06 meters tall with shoes on. He played power forward in college. After entering the league, he played as a forward, but mainly played power forward.

His biggest feature is that his shooting range can extend to the three-point line. He didn't have many opportunities in the Rockets last season, but this season he entered the rotation and averaged 8.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He averaged 3.6 three-point shots per game with a hit rate of 38.5%.

Looking at the statistics, Morris is a promising player, but in reality his overall shooting percentage is only 42.6%, which is very inefficient as an inside player.

The main reason for this is that he is "neither good nor bad". As a power forward, he is not fast enough, and as a power forward, he is at a disadvantage in terms of confrontation and height.

This is also the main reason why the Rockets sold him at a low price. Of course, in addition to this, Mo Dog is still helping the boss save money as always, especially when the super luxury tax is approaching, he will pay more attention to this.

The Bulls' idea is relatively simple.

After Yao Ming's comeback, their strength declined and they could only play more space basketball. At this time, inside players who can shoot three-pointers are their favorites.

As for first-round draft picks, you can’t expect to win the jackpot at the end of the first round every year, right?

But there is a more important reason, that is, the Bulls have two first-round draft picks next season.

In addition to the one that has been traded, there is also the 2013 first-round draft pick that the Raptors got from the Rockets when Yao Ming joined the team.

This is a lottery pick.

Because the Raptors did not expect Bosh to go to the Heat, the draft pick was unprotected when it was traded to the Rockets.

And now, the Raptors are ranked last in the Eastern Conference.

Of course, at this time, you have to admire Foreman's foresight, because the season when Yao Ming came to the Bulls happened to be the season when the Big Three of the Heat formed a team.

Fighting for the championship and still having a chance to get a lottery pick is so exciting.

Then there are the Pacers.

They sent a second-round pick and traded for Dahntay Jones from the Raptors.

Jones played for the Pacers for the previous three seasons and was once a strong 3D player. After his contract expired, he went to the Raptors.

Now that Richardson is unable to take on the responsibility, the Pacers traded him back obviously to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the back line.

Then, just a few days after the trade deadline, the Pacers faced the Lakers.

Although times have changed, the meeting between James and Kobe still attracted a lot of attention.

Especially after more than half a season, Howard and James seemed to have sorted out their relationship, and the Pacers regained their competitiveness in the Eastern Conference.

The game was very intense, and the Pacers had a clear advantage.

The main reason, of course, is the Lakers' weak inside line.

Facing such a team, the Pacers' two regulars in "Shaq's Top Five Embarrassing Situations" and comedians performed quite well this season.

The Lakers can only rely on their two guns on the outside to support the team.

The good news is that Kobe was in excellent form. He not only beat Richardson, but also completely defeated Stephenson. In the end, Vogel was forced to use Dahntay Jones, who had just been traded.

As a veteran, Jones still has some ability. He called himself the "Kobe Terminator" in his early years. He is also very familiar with Kobe and his defensive effect is quite good.

The two teams fought fiercely until the end.

In the final moments, the Pacers led by 2 points and the Lakers had a chance to tie the game.

Kobe challenges Jones.

Then, at this moment, the "accident" happened.

Jones, a player who committed multiple flagrant fouls against Kobe during his early years with the Nuggets, tripped Kobe.

Kobe eventually sprained his ankle and left the game, and the Lakers lost the game.

But this is not the worst part. The bad thing is that the Lakers cannot do without Kobe at this time, and Kobe still plays with injuries in subsequent games.

Finally, in the game against the Warriors, Kobe sprained the same position, and this time he was not so lucky.

Kobe suffered a serious Achilles tendon rupture and was out for the season, which also marked the early end of the Lakers' season.

Jones's tripping was condemned by fans, but the main reason was Kobe's fatigue this season.

Perhaps no one thought that the Lakers' amnesty for Okafor in order to avoid the luxury tax would eventually trigger a series of butterfly effects.

But the end result was that the super backcourt collaboration between Paul and Kobe was forcibly stopped after one and a half seasons.

There are two direct results of Kobe's injury: the Lakers have basically withdrawn from the competition for the division title with the Thunder and Mavericks this season; and the competition for the league's top player.

The royal power was not handed over this time, but it was replaced in the course of history.