After wrapping up their game against the Celtics, the Kings boarded a plane to Los Angeles the next day.
"Bro, how do you look so wrecked after just one night?"
On the Kings' private jet, Ben McLemore sat next to Crowder.
Looking at Crowder, who seemed completely drained, Ben held back a grin and asked knowingly.
"You guys…"
Crowder hesitated before finally speaking.
"Do you usually train this hard?"
"Pfft!"
Ben, who had been drinking water, couldn't help but spit it out.
"Bro, you don't get it. You've been singled out for special treatment. Look at that big guy up there."
He pointed toward Jokić, who was napping a few rows ahead.
"Him. When he came last year, he was like a mountain of meat. But that didn't stop the higher-ups from believing in him. Mr. Divac personally trained him all summer. He slimmed down so much that his skin was loose when the season started."
"Otherwise, how could a second-round pick be playing this well? He even started in two games recently!"
Hearing Ben's words, the exhausted Crowder suddenly lit up with hope.
"I knew it! They must have finally recognized my talent!
This proves I have what it takes to be a true leader!"
Watching Crowder hype himself up, Ben casually lifted a magazine to hide the grin spreading across his face.
Hold on… wasn't I once just a simple, good guy? How did I end up like this?
It must've started when Yilun joined the team. Yeah, that's it! When the leadership goes bad, it drags everyone else down. He's corrupted a pure soul like me!
...
"Clang!"
Chris Paul used DeAndre Jordan's screen to carve out a sliver of space for a jumper, but the ball rattled around the rim before dropping out.
Underneath, Oden had Griffin completely sealed off, not giving him a chance.
"Zach!" Oden roared as he secured the rebound, then fired an outlet pass.
LaVine shot down the court like a flash of purple, catching Oden's pass in stride and sprinting toward the rim.
Hedo Türkoğlu, guarding LaVine, raced desperately to stop the fast break.
But just as Türkoğlu reached out to contest, LaVine whipped a sharp pass straight to the corner.
Ben was already there, set his feet, lined it up, and let it fly.
"Swish!"
The net snapped clean.
"These Kings are getting tougher and tougher," muttered Coach Rivers, scratching his bald head. As the coach of a Clippers team with title ambitions, he kept a close eye on anyone who could stand in their way.
"Let's set up another meeting to break down their tactics. I want a full report on the Kings before April." Rivers leaned over and whispered to his assistant.
And it wasn't just the Clippers—many Western Conference contenders had begun to take notice of the Kings.
There were only eight playoff spots. If the Kings were climbing, someone else would have to fall.
Plenty of teams had already marked the Kings as a threat and were preparing to target them.
But tonight, the Clippers were completely shut down.
With Mozgov gone, his minutes had been split between Jokić and Oden.
Oden had now become the backbone of the Kings' interior defense.
Even players as physically imposing as Griffin and DeAndre Jordan struggled to get anything against him.
When "Lob City" couldn't get off the ground, the game suddenly became much simpler.
The Kings settled into their favorite half-court offense. Oden posted up against DeAndre Jordan, and CJ fed him the ball without hesitation.
Feeling the pressure on his back, Oden decided to back down his man.
DeAndre, the Clippers' defensive anchor, wasn't about to give in. He dug in, locking horns with Oden.
The two giants wrestled fiercely in the paint.
Just as DeAndre braced for a power move, Oden suddenly spun past him, driving to the basket.
On the weak side, Griffin was tangled with Cousins and couldn't rotate over.
But DeAndre wasn't about to give up. Showing surprising agility for his size, he spun around and closed the gap.
At the last second, Oden stopped short, stepped back, and rose for the jumper.
The shot dropped cleanly.
"No matter how many times I see it, it still doesn't seem fair," said Charles Barkley in the studio. "If I'm not mistaken, Oden's 27 now, right?"
"Twenty-seven years and 29 days," Kenny replied.
"He came into the league at 19, the pride of a generation, and now, after everyone gave up on him, he's finally showing the talent we all knew he had."
Barkley shook his head. "At 27… can you really say he's only just now showing it?"
"I'd say…" Kenny hesitated. "Maybe this is simply Oden healthy. You can't really call it wasted potential anymore."
That basket summed up the whole game. The Kings, with balanced contributions, pulled out a 102–96 win on the road.
...
"Yeah, I'll be there around noon tomorrow."
Fresh from the shower, Ben strolled back into his room in a bathrobe, ready to rest. But his roommate Crowder was sitting on the edge of the bed, phone in hand, murmuring into it.
"Who're you talking to?"
As Crowder hung up, Ben asked casually, towel in hand.
"My coach. He just confirmed the time with me."
Ben froze mid-wipe.
"You mean… you were talking to Peja?"
"Yeah. He was checking when he'll be back in Sacramento so we can schedule some extra sessions."
"No way!" Ben shot upright.
"Bro, we just finished a game today, and we've got team practice in two days. You're telling me you're going in for extra work tomorrow?!"
"Of course!" Crowder's eyes burned with determination. "The team really values me. I can't waste a single moment."
...
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