NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 251 Encountering an Old Rival Again

贾飞本场比赛出战38分43秒，轻松砍下27分10个篮板8次助攻3个抢断2个盖帽，表现出色。

Under his leadership, the Hawks finally ended their losing streak.

In the post-game press conference, the Hawks' head coach affirmed Jia Fei's leadership role and also stated that Art Mayork's appearance had a positive impact on the team.

When asked whether Art Mayork's appearance was the key to the victory, Jia Fei said that Art Mayork provided the energy and the victory was the result of the whole team's efforts.

"I want to emphasize here that Elton is a very professional player. He took the initiative to suggest that other players be rotated in. He is part of our team," Jia Fei said seriously.

He genuinely felt the old captain's demeanor was very professional; not everyone is willing to admit they can't do it anymore. Getting someone who has had a glorious past to admit they can't do it is truly not an easy thing.

Although the Hawks defeated the Knicks on the road, their record remains at 2 wins and 5 losses. Fortunately, the season has only just begun, and they have plenty of opportunities to catch up with their rivals.

Victory can solve many problems. The Hawks won, and the criticism from the outside world decreased significantly. The pressure on the players and coaches also decreased a lot.

Returning to Atlanta from New York, the Hawks players were in high spirits and had regained their former confidence.

On November 13th, the Hawks will host the Jazz from the Western Conference. The Jazz are not a strong team, especially when playing away.

In this game, the Hawks continued their form from the previous game, defeating their opponents at home and achieving two consecutive victories!

This is their first winning streak of the season. After a three-game losing streak, they have to say how great it feels to win.

From a 1-5 record to a 3-5 record, the Hawks, while still ranked 10th in the Eastern Conference, are noticeably different from their early-season form. Their starting five are improving on both offense and defense, and the chemistry between their bench players is gradually building.

On November 15th, the Hawks will continue to play at home against the Heat.

The two teams were opponents in last season's Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks were eliminated by the Heat 1-4 in the Eastern Conference Finals, so the rivalry between the two teams was formed.

This summer, the Heat underwent a major upheaval, with four-time MVP Ekpe Udoh leaving again, ostensibly to "go home." Udoh's departure instantly transformed the Heat from championship favorites into just another strong Eastern Conference team. In terms of sheer championship aspirations, the Atlanta Hawks were the stronger contenders this season.

That evening, at the Philips Arena.

Jia Fei and Art Mayork arrived at the arena early to practice. They were very serious, as the opportunity for a three-game winning streak was right in front of them. Their opponent was the Heat, who had eliminated them last season. Winning three games against such an opponent would make the streak even more meaningful.

“Jay, after LeBron left, Pat Riley brought in Luol Deng as LeBron’s replacement. Do you think he can replace LeBron?” Art Mayork asked.

“No, no matter how much you hate this guy who likes to run away, you can’t convince anyone, including yourself, that Luol Deng can replace him. They’re not even in the same league.” Jia Fei chuckled awkwardly.

“Don’t let Ruhr hear you say that, he’ll definitely be angry!” Art Mayork laughed.

“If I said to Luhr, you are a much better player than LeBron, and LeBron is not even worthy to be your assistant, I think he would think I was insulting him, hahaha…” Jia Fei laughed.

After two consecutive wins, the Hawks' locker room atmosphere has improved. The veteran captain is slowly transitioning from a backup center to a locker room veteran. The transition is difficult, but everyone has to learn to grow gradually if they want to survive in this league.

Coach Buden went to the locker room and offered some words of encouragement to the players. Afterwards, he specifically sought out Jia Fei and said to his favorite player, "Jia, you led us to victory, and I hope you can do even more. We need your energy, and I believe there's nothing you can't do!"

Jia Fei had always known that Coach Buden supported him, but he never expected the coach to say something like that.

Since you all want me to lead, then I will lead you! Let's move forward together!

The pool at Philips Stadium was great for pre-match practice.

Napier jogged over to chat with Jia Fei and Art Mayork.

The departure of Running Man is definitely a boon for the Heat's point guards. This guy is supposedly a "playmaking forward," but he just clung to the ball constantly, turning the team's point guards into "dribble guards"—responsible for dribbling the ball up the court and orchestrating the offense. They'll probably only get a chance to play when Running Man gets a rest. But the problem is, Running Man rarely rests; his stamina is incredible, his body is practically superhuman.

"Art, don't you dare dunk on me later!" Napier joked.

"Oh, if you're under the basket, I'll become Art Mayok. But Shabazz, don't stay in the paint when I have the ball. It's not fun for me to dunk like that. You'd better get out of the way." Art Mayok started showing off.

Jia Fei, standing to the side, smiled without saying a word.

On the other side, Anderson, nicknamed "Birdman," was covered in tattoos, resembling a leopard, which looked quite intimidating. Jia Fei remembered that Anderson used to play in the CBA, back when he was also incredibly athletic and didn't have so many tattoos; he was a clean-cut young man. Who knew he would turn out like this?

Wade, dressed in a suit and wearing sunglasses, was clearly out of the game. As he's aged, his injuries have become increasingly frequent, reflected in the games he's missed. As a man who started his career with a torn meniscus, his career has been remarkable enough.

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced, and the Hawks, playing at home, will field the same starting five.

The Heat's starting lineup for the away game was Bosh, Luol Deng, James Ennis, Shawn Williams, and Norris Cole.

As expected, Wade was not in the starting lineup, so he definitely won't be playing in this game.

The Heat's starting lineup is indeed quite shabby. Just a year ago, it was led by the Big Three! Sometimes it feels a bit surreal. The changes have been too fast. Almost overnight, the Big Three fell apart, and Luol Deng became the new star.

This match was broadcast live on China Sports Channel, with commentators Yu Jia and guest Su Qun providing commentary.

Yu Jia asked, "Professor Su, with Wade out for the Heat, what do you think the Hawks' chances of winning at home are?"

Su Qun adjusted his glasses: "With the Heat's roster like this, the Hawks have a very good chance of winning as long as they play normally."