As the author of the NBA version of "How the Steel Was Tempered," Su Feng knew very well that the best way for Middleton to get rid of his current slump was to face the difficulties head-on.

You see, why didn't Su Feng and Kobe ever care about how many shots they missed in a game?

Because if you look at the NBA's all-time single-game missed shots list, you'll find...

As of now, Jordan's single-game record of 27 missed shots from back in the day isn't even worthy of carrying shoes for these two brothers.

Ahem!

Although, being able to monopolize this list isn't something to be proud of.

But in a sense, Su Feng and Kobe's thick skin is unmatched by ordinary people.

Looking back at Middleton, it's not hard to see...

This unlucky kid will easily have his technique deformed if he misses a few shots in a row during a game.

In Su Feng's view, it's not a bad thing for young players to experience this situation in games.

Because it also indirectly shows that Middleton is indeed a very responsible player.

However, being constrained by this kind of ideological baggage can not only easily prevent players from exerting their original strength in the game, but also easily affect the performance of other teammates on the court.

Why do many old fans often complain that missing shots is contagious in games?

Because when your teammates can make shots, you will naturally face the next game with a more relaxed attitude.

Therefore, before the playoffs arrive, Su Feng knows that it is time to let Middleton completely relax.

...

March 2nd, the Lakers, who had just broken the NBA regular season winning streak record, challenged the Jazz in Salt Lake City.

This season, "Utah's Little Kobe," Paul George, is undoubtedly Middleton's best role model.

Due to failing to retain Yi Jianlian last summer, coupled with the fact that Deron Williams is starting to decline in his on-court performance as he gets older, except when playing against Paul...

Therefore, 23-year-old Paul George has ushered in the best opportunity to rise to the top.

"Don't be nervous, look at Paul on the other side. He misses nearly 10 shots per game, and in the last 20 games, he has missed 20 shots or more in 7 games...

But look at the local media's evaluation of him in Salt Lake City.

If I remember correctly, yesterday the Salt Lake City media was still praising him for his tenacious style, never giving up, and having the style of Kobe back in the day," Su Feng said with a smile, patting Middleton on the shoulder before the game.

And aside, although knowing that Su Feng was comforting Middleton, Kobe almost couldn't hold back when he heard Su Feng say that Paul George had his style from back in the day...

Su, watch your wording!

"In this game, just open up and play.

Kobe and I will try our best to pass the ball to you," Su Feng continued to say to Middleton, pushing away Kobe, who was glaring at him with his nostrils.

And hearing this...

Although Middleton already knew before setting off yesterday that the Lakers would use him as the core for the next few games...

However, due to his recent poor performance, Middleton was obviously still worried that his performance would drag down the Lakers' record.

Aside, watching Middleton's worried expression, Kobe immediately became anxious.

"We're now leading the Warriors by a full 4 games.

I'm saying, kid, you don't really think you're a big deal, do you?

Not to mention that in the game, there's still me and Su to back you up.

Even if we lose a game or two because of it, we're still the number one in the West."

Without a doubt.

At this moment, what angered Kobe wasn't Middleton's sense of responsibility to the team.

But...

If Kobe remembered correctly, Middleton's treatment...

Even he didn't receive it back then!

No way!

The right to miss unlimited shots is a good thing that anyone would refuse?

Honestly.

If Su Feng dared to say to Kobe that he could fire at will in the next few games...

Then, I'm afraid the entire North American steel industry would have to bow to Kobe!

EnergySolutions Arena, after the two teams finished warming up, the big screen on the scene immediately gave the starting lineups for the two teams tonight.

Lakers: Gasol, Su Feng, Middleton, Kobe, Rondo.

Jazz: Jefferson, Millsap, Paul George, Burks, Deron Williams.

CCTV, when Gasol and Jefferson were preparing for the jump ball, Zhang指导 spoke up for Jefferson, saying, "This season, Jefferson is averaging 21.9 points and 10.8 rebounds for the Jazz. Since entering the league, this is the 6th season that Jefferson has been able to achieve '20+10' in games.

But what is puzzling is that such an excellent center was not selected for this year's All-Star game."

Aside, Yu Jia nodded in agreement and said, "So that's why people say the NBA is a commercial league?

In terms of data, Jefferson is not at all worse than Howard.

But due to popularity reasons, Al Jefferson has even found it difficult to get a nomination when selecting the All-NBA team in recent years."

Fun fact.

In Su Feng's previous life, in the stage from 2007 to 2015, the unremarkable Jefferson could be said to be the nemesis of Yao Ming and Gasol on the NBA court.

In the game, this short, fat guy could not only always use his flexible skills to make Yao Ming and Gasol annoyed, but also, because the peak Jefferson also had a certain shooting range...

So whenever Yao Ming and Gasol sink down to prepare to fight him to the death...

Jefferson would often take the initiative to withdraw from the three-second zone:

— Hey, I'm not playing with you guys, I'm actually a shooter.

In this life, under the Jazz's militarized system, from a personal performance point of view, Jefferson is definitely worthy of the title of All-Star center.

However, as a team that is often forgotten in the NBA for many years...

Plus, due to some appearance reasons, Jefferson is destined to still have difficulty gaining exposure.

No way.

After all, the NBA's cake is just this big.

Therefore, this is also why many old fans often first evaluate whether young players have the look of a superstar when looking at them.

Honestly.

If it weren't for Su Feng having a handsome face that transcends borders and appeals to men, women, and children of all ages, then his fans around the world would be at least half as many.

Admittedly, such a statement is slightly exaggerated.

But, appearance is definitely one of the key factors in the composition of an athlete's popularity.

From Jordan and Penny back then, to Hill and the Four Shooting Guards later...

You will find that when the strength of two players is similar, Stern will definitely choose the more handsome one to promote.

And this is also why before Stern retired, he was always unwilling to choose Durant to be the face of the league.

Because of Durant's innate aura and his usual loser behavior...

How could Stern choose him to be the face of the league?

(Durant: This can also Cue me?)

EnergySolutions Arena, after the jump ball, the Jazz attacked first.

Paul George followed the team's tactical design, circled back and forth in the left wing and left corner twice before sneaking to the top of the arc to receive the ball.

Inside, Millsap simultaneously moved up to set a solid screen for Paul George.

Before his major injury, Paul George, who had excellent running and jumping ability, had a very good start-up ability.

Fortunately, Su Feng switched defense with Middleton in time, blocking Paul George's path.

However, as a fan of Su Feng and Kobe...

How could Paul George choose to pass the ball just because he was blocked by his idol?

Emergency stop, leg push, hang time, wrist shake!

This shot, Paul George is paying tribute to both Su Feng and Kobe!

New York, Stern, who was also paying attention to this game, said to Mark beside him with a smile, "This player wearing the Jazz's number 24 jersey is indeed worthy of promotion."

This season, Paul George was able to get a seat in the All-Star game in the talent-rich Western Conference precisely because of his dashing style of play and his face that can be called handsome among black players.

As the saying goes, strength is only temporary, but being handsome is for a lifetime.

Clang!

Look, even if Paul George misses this shot, no one at the scene or in front of the TV will say that he is playing unreasonably.

Because as Su Feng and Kobe's successor, what's wrong with playing like this?

On the court, at this moment, even Kobe cast an admiring look at Paul George.

"This kid is just like me," Kobe said, looking at Su Feng, who happened to be passing by him during the offense.

Su Feng: "..."

Back on the other end, the Lakers attacked.

Middleton also returned the Jazz with a missed shot.

Although in Su Feng's original timeline, Paul George would often appear as a background in various GIFs.

But from the side, this also proves that Paul George is often arranged by the coach to defend the opponent's core players.

"Look at his fighting spirit, it's exactly the same as me back then!" On the court, Kobe said to Su Feng, looking at Paul George, who was pleasing to him.

And hearing this...

Su Feng at this moment hated that he didn't record the scene at the beginning of tonight's game, when he said that Paul George had someone's style, almost breaking someone's defense.

Therefore, that's why Jordan liked Kobe the most among the many successors back then?

Because as a senior who is about to retire...

Who doesn't want a handsome junior to take over their mantle?

The Jazz's offensive round.

Because he favored Paul George more and more, Kobe simply switched defenses with Middleton this time.

As a result, Paul George was so excited.

Because for young players...

What is more worthy of pride than being able to compete with idols on the court?

Although...

In Paul George's eyes, the person he wanted to compete with more was Su Feng.

But...

Kobe, who took the initiative to come and defend him, was also someone he couldn't refuse.

At the high post, Deron Williams, seeing that Paul George wanted to show himself very much, simply passed the ball to Paul George.

On the wing, after receiving the ball, George first made several crotch dribbles in a row, and then, it was a beautiful pull-up jumper.

Swish!

"Good kid! You dare to shoot this ball?" Kobe said, admiring Paul George's handsome face.

"I learned it all from you. I watch recordings of you playing every day," Paul George said after smiling at Kobe.

Hearing this, Kobe nodded, and at this moment, he was very happy.

And on the court, just when Kobe was cherishing each other with Paul George, over here, Su Feng was also using Paul George to point out Middleton, "See, you have to have this kind of indomitable momentum when playing.

Anyway, as long as the ball is given to me, I will definitely get it in!"

Middleton nodded obediently and said, "I understand, boss."

Many years later.

When the Lakers players lamented in the game that the ball passed to Middleton would always be gone forever...

They would never have imagined...

That Su Feng personally pried off Middleton's pass key.

EnergySolutions Arena.

In the first quarter of the game, Jazz coach Hornacek, who had the idea of "even if we lose the game, we must beat Su Feng to death" before the game, never dreamed that...

Su Feng didn't even think about attacking tonight.

And what made Hornacek even more angry was that...

Abby Hornacek, who got a courtside ticket through Sloan tonight, not only blatantly wore a Lakers number 23 jersey to cheer for Su Feng on the sidelines...

And on the court, even if it was just an ordinary pass, Abby, sitting on the sidelines, would cheer for Su Feng hoarsely.

"What kind of ecstasy did he give my daughter?" Jazz's bench, old Hornacek thought to himself with a puzzled look.

And on the court, Middleton on this night made Shaquille O'Neal, who was responsible for the commentary, cry.

Because if he, Shaquille O'Neal, had received such treatment as Middleton when he was teammates with Kobe and Su Feng...

Then how could he regret signing autographs and taking photos with these two little brats back then?

In the first quarter of the game, Middleton, who was violently fed the ball by Su Feng and Kobe, made 6 of 15 shots in a single quarter. Including free throws, he scored 16 of the Lakers' total of 28 points in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Middleton, who continued to stay on the court, completely let go.

Although Middleton's shooting percentage was quite touching in Salt Lake City's plateau home court...

But during the halftime break, Su Feng noticed that Middleton's eyes were obviously different from before.

At the end of the first half, the score between the Lakers and the Jazz was 55 to 59.

After the halftime break, in the third quarter, with the help of Su and Kobe, Middleton, who was letting himself go, scored another 14 points for the Lakers in a single quarter.

At this time, on TNT, Shaquille O'Neal had already started self-isolation mode.

In the final quarter, after resting on the bench for 5 minutes, Middleton, who had just returned to the court, was entrusted with an important task by Su Feng.

"This game is up to you, Chris," Su Feng said with a smile, patting Middleton on the shoulder.

Hearing this, Middleton was somewhat flattered at this moment.

But soon, he repaid the trust given by Su Feng with his performance on the court.

On the other side, Paul George, who had been thinking in his mind when Su Feng would come over and beat him, got what he wanted.

In this game, Su Feng basically didn't attack much.

Except for shooting at some necessary moments, Su Feng focused his main attention on defending and organizing the team's offense.

Therefore, when Paul George confidently launched a challenge to Su Feng...

Under Su Feng's VIP service...

In just two rounds, Paul George sighed that it was easier to shake a mountain than to shake Su Feng.

In addition, in the second half of the final quarter, Jefferson, who had been playing Gasol to the point of exasperation in the game before, also met his opponent.

As the saying goes, one thing conquers another.

Although when facing the Yao Ming and Gasol brothers, Jefferson can always use the advantage of "those who are taller than me are not as flexible as me, those who are stronger than me are not as fast as me, those who are more agile than me are not as strong as me" to deceive and sneak attack these three brothers...

But after the Lakers replaced Adams, Jefferson's advantage was not so obvious.

Don't look at the fact that Adams is not as good as Jefferson in terms of absolute tonnage.

But whenever Jefferson wants to rely on brute force to push Adams away, this short, fat guy is surprised to find that...

Even if he can squeeze Adams away in the first time, Adams will definitely appear in front of him before he is ready to shoot.

And when Jefferson wants to use fighting and retreating to kite Adams...

Adams can always use his footwork advantage to block his shooting space in advance.

Attributes are mutually exclusive, that's true.

In the end, relying on his excellent performance on the defensive end, the Lakers defeated the Jazz on the road with a score of 104 to 98.

In the whole game, Middleton made a total of 19 of 48 shots, including 4 of 14 three-pointers, and 9 of 10 free throws, scoring 50+ for the first time in his career.

And Su Feng and Kobe scored 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and 14 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists respectively.

After the game, when he saw his technical statistics, Middleton couldn't believe that he would actually take 48 shots in a game.

Thanks to having Su Feng and Kobe by his side, most of Middleton's shots in this game were direct jump shots after receiving the ball.

So in terms of physical consumption alone, it is not surprising that Middleton can complete 48 shots in this game.

But you must know that...

As of now, besides Su Feng and Kobe, only Jordan and Chamberlain have more single-game shot records than Middleton.

Therefore...

God knows how Shaquille O'Neal broke the load-bearing column in the TNT studio with his head that night... (Exaggerated description, don't take it seriously)

"This is too outrageous!

They actually let a second-year player take 48 shots in the game!"

Can't figure it out!

At this moment, no matter what, Shaquille O'Neal couldn't figure it out!

"And what's even more outrageous is that they still won after this second-year player missed 29 shots!" Aside, looking at Shaquille O'Neal, who was close to collapse, Barkley simply added insult to injury.

To be fair.

Being able to get Su and Kobe's violent feeding in the game...

Middleton is really something.

Because at this moment...

It's not just Shaquille O'Neal who envies him?

In front of the TV, Iverson, who had retired and devoted himself to running his burger shop, had already smashed his TV to pieces.

And as for Carter and McGrady...

Don't ask!

Asking is that they want to fly to Los Angeles immediately to question Su Feng in person...

Why didn't they get such treatment back then!

"Hiss—!

How did we manage to get a ridiculous record of 30 missed shots in a single game back then?

I clearly felt that Chris was iron enough tonight, but as a result, he still couldn't catch up with us," Su Feng asked with a curious look, hugging Kobe after the game.

And hearing this, after thinking for a long time, Kobe said, "Sorry, I was the one who missed 30 shots, you were the one who missed 31 shots in a single game."

Su Feng: "..."

Okay...

From now on...

The Lakers will have the top three iron kings in NBA history.

Look, what is it called not being a family, not entering a family?

Without a doubt.

Judging from the effect of helping Middleton out of his slump...

The effect of this game, which can be called violent feeding, is very significant.

In March, Middleton, who was used to being iron, averaged 19.1 points for the Lakers that month, and his overall shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage gradually returned to normal.

Although in the middle of the month, the Lakers' winning streak that started from last Christmas finally stopped at 39 games, but before the final closing journey in April arrived...

They still topped the league with an impressive record of 63 wins and 10 losses!

...

ps: Holy crap! There have been updates for two consecutive days. Is this still that pigeon? (Strive to enter the playoffs chapter tomorrow, love you!)