NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 197 The Thigh is Coming Back

The team was on a losing streak, and Jia Fei was getting anxious! He was clearly fine, and the team doctor admitted he was alright, but the team still didn't want him to return so soon. He really wanted the team to know that he could play several times a night, and that his thigh was perfectly fine!

But there was nothing he could do; the team claimed it was all for his own good, so he could only endure it.

Many people outside the team who dislike him and his team have been kicking him while he's down, calling him a "smart thigh" and accusing him of "faking an injury to evade responsibility," and so on.

After the week ended, the team doctor conducted another thorough examination on Jia Fei's thigh, and the results showed that he was in excellent health.

The team's opinion is that he can resume training, but cannot immediately engage in competitive training.

In the next two games, the Hawks lost to the Warriors and the Clippers, suffering their sixth consecutive defeat.

Despite the losing streak, the team has received some good news. Center forward Antić, who had missed several games due to injury, has returned and is currently playing more minutes as a substitute center.

On March 11, the Hawks lost to the Jazz on the road, suffering their seventh consecutive defeat.

After a seven-game losing streak, their record dropped to 34 wins and 28 losses, surpassed by the Nets, and they fell to sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Fortunately, the competition in the Eastern Conference isn't that fierce this season. Currently, only the top 7 teams have a winning percentage above 50%, and the Knicks, ranked 8th, are several games away from 50%. Therefore, even if the Hawks' record doesn't improve, their chances of making the playoffs are still very high.

But as I said before, if they enter the playoffs as the 7th or 8th seed, they'll face the Pacers or Heat in the first round, with a very high probability of being eliminated in the first round. If they're ranked 3rd to 6th, these teams are all fairly evenly matched, and they'll all have a good chance.

On March 14th, the Hawks suffered a narrow home defeat to the Bucks, marking their eighth consecutive loss. Following this losing streak, the team finally received some good news: their key perimeter player, Jia Fei, will return to play in the next home game against the Nuggets!

This is the most missed games in a single season since Jia Fei entered the NBA, with six games already missed. The Hawks haven't won a single game in those six absences. Some experts previously joked that his All-Star selection this season was due to the Hawks' success; if the Hawks weren't strong overall and had a good record, how could he have made the All-Star team?

But now the facts are clear: with him out, the Hawks have become much weaker on both ends of the court. The facts are clear: Horford and Jia Fei are the core of this Hawks team, both inside and outside, and they are the real stars.

Every losing or winning streak in the NBA eventually comes to an end. The difference lies in who will be the one to end it. Nobody wants to be that opponent, especially a team on a long losing streak. It's understandable that the players are frustrated, but they still play with all their might because nobody wants to be nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

The Hawks' next opponent is the Nuggets. Upon learning that Jia Fei will return to play in their home game against them, their head coach Brian Shaw said in an interview, "Hopefully the yellow-skinned dunk king will go easy on me!"

On March 16th, Jia Fei was interviewed before the game. When the reporter mentioned the Nuggets coach's words, Jia Fei smiled and said, "I have a time limit tonight. I want to help the team end the losing streak, that's all."

That evening, Jia Fei arrived at the Philips Arena three hours early for shooting practice. Being allowed to participate in the competition was fantastic; he felt every cell in his body was about to ignite, and he wanted to fight.

From the battle in bed to the battle on the field, Jia Fei felt that he was fully prepared!

That evening in the home team's locker room.

Even after an eight-game losing streak, the atmosphere in the locker room was different when Jia Fei announced his return. Art Mayork was the most excited of them all. He had gradually found his rhythm and his place in the team during this period of rotation. Being able to compete against Jia Fei was his biggest wish this season, and now that it was about to come true, he was truly thrilled.

Tonight, at the Philips Arena.

The arena attendance for this game was significantly higher than in previous games. Many of Jia Fei's fans came to support him upon learning of his return, along with numerous "winners' fans." The Nuggets' overall strength is not strong, and the home team has a high chance of ending their losing streak in this game.

This game was broadcast live on TNT, and the commentators were former NBA superstar Charles Barkley and his longtime partner Kenny Smith.

Before the match started, the two commentators warmed up the crowd.

Kenny Smith said, "Charles, Atlanta Hawks' star player Jia Fei will be returning for this game, and many people are saying they are likely to end their eight-game losing streak. What do you think about that?"

Barkley shook his head vigorously: "I don't think so! And Kenny, I have to correct you first. You made a mistake earlier, calling him 'Hawks' star player Jia Fei.' In my opinion, he has never been the star player of this team!"

"Oh, so who do you think it is?" Kenny Smith knew his old partner all too well; this guy's disdain for Asians was practically his trademark. Whether it was Yao Ming back then or Jeremy Lin later, he looked down on them. Even after losing a bet and kissing a donkey's ass, he remained stubborn.

Some people are indeed suited for the media industry, and Barkley's personality and way of doing things make him a natural-born performer.

Barkley said in a serious tone, "The star player of this team could be Al Horford, it could be Paul Millsap, it could even be Jeff Teague, but it can't be Jia Fei!"

“But none of the players you mentioned were even selected for this season’s All-Star game, while Jia Fei is an All-Star starter!” Kenny Smith questioned.

"All-Star starter? Look at Yao Ming back then, he was able to replace Shaq as a starter. Do you still think this starting position is very valuable? Unless Jia Fei can win the MVP one day, in my opinion, he will never be the Hawks' star player!" Barkley's tone was very certain, with the authority of an "NBA 50 Greatest Player".

As they spoke, the starting lineups for both sides were announced.

The Hawks' starting lineup consisted of Antić, Mills, Jafki, Korver, and Teague.

The Nuggets' starting lineup consists of Mozgov, Faried, Wilson Chandler, Randy Foye, and Ty Lawson.

Since Andre Iguodala left the Denver Nuggets, the "Denver Track and Field Team" has lost its former glory this season, and its record is not very good either. Currently, its winning percentage is less than 50%, and it is 7 games behind the 8th-placed Mavericks in the Western Conference. Its chances of making the playoffs are about the same as the Chinese national football team making it to the World Cup...