Chapter 797 - 249: I Didn’t Mean You’re Short! (Part 3)

But when these two teamed up on the inside, it was basically a playground for O’Neal...

With 3 minutes and 44 seconds left in the second quarter, the Lakers were leading 44 to 33, leveraging O’Neal’s cut and layup after a three-minute rest to widen the gap to 11 points.

But during this layup, O’Neal fell and twisted his ankle...

Having played 10 minutes in the first quarter and over 30 seconds in the second, O’Neal had scored 17 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 1 assist, and blocked 1 shot, with the Lakers’ game focused around him that night.

O’Neal suddenly left the game due to injury, heading back to the locker room for a detailed checkup, which threw the Lakers’ tactics into chaos. Initially, Zhang Hao and Kenny Anderson were creating opportunities for O’Neal through cuts, positioning, and breakthroughs; O’Neal would decide whether to take the shot himself or pass after drawing defense, and they couldn’t adjust in time.

Leading by 7 points in the first quarter 31 to 24, they opened the second quarter 13 to 9, but got overturned by a 22 to 6 run!

With O’Neal leaving the court, not only their offense but their defense was hugely impacted, allowing the Hornets to suddenly execute smooth passing and cutting plays.

By halftime, the Lakers were trailing 50 to 55.

In the third quarter, the point difference widened to as much as 12 points, but nearing the end of the third quarter to the beginning of the fourth, Zhang Hao led a counterattack by scoring 11 points and providing 2 assists, helping the Lakers briefly regain a 2-point lead. However, two three-pointers from Glenn Rice and a cut-in by Dale Curry for a 2+1 over Jason Williams turned the game back around, extending the point difference again.

With 29 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal, Zhang Hao’s final individual performance was decent, relying on a scoring streak and assists between the end of the third and the start of the fourth. He brought his shooting percentage back to 50%, hitting 11 of 22 shots, but the Lakers still lost at home to the Hornets 103 to 109, ending their three-game winning streak!

...

...

After losing to the Hornets, the Lakers’ record became 26 wins and 6 losses.

They had just overtaken the Utah Jazz, but now they’ve been surpassed again.

Losing a game isn’t that scary; it’s bound to happen.

But Zhang Hao felt the same distress as last year’s Anfernee Hardaway...

The next morning, Zhang Hao arrived at the arena only to receive some bad news.

After an MRI scan, although O’Neal fell and suffered pain, there was no structural damage.

However, he still experienced a mild ankle ligament sprain, which means a slight fiber tear and swelling, requiring at least two weeks to return to normal activities.

Of course, he could still play if he stayed under the basket and didn’t move extensively.

But it’s O’Neal! Already weighing 137 kilograms, reaching nearly Oliver Miller-level weight. Not to mention the team didn’t want to risk O’Neal playing more, Zhang Hao himself wasn’t pleased about it.

"Fortunately, Er Pang’s leisurely playstyle didn’t result in the kind of consecutive injuries during the regular season like he did back at the Rockets..."

Yet seeing Byron Scott and Brian Shaw standing with Barkley... Zhang Hao abandoned the idea of leveraging Barkley’s talents.

Now that guy was only focused on meddling with his bald head!

That would be fine, except he even affected the future coaching styles of the two.

Barkley, though aware of injuries, didn’t like seeing them happen to teammates, but he’d played for over a decade. Whether it’s seeing teammates injure themselves or experiencing injuries himself, with so many incidences, he’s long gotten used to it, considering the minor injuries abundant in his career.

Such happenings are hard to avoid, and over time, you naturally come to terms with them.

Facing one’s own and teammates’ injuries is an experience and acceptance that every professional player must undergo.

A large portion of the money they earn indeed compensates for their current or future medical bills.

Barkley wasn’t the only bald-headed player in the Lakers; Brian Shaw and Byron Scott also shared the similar pains as wearing number 23 jerseys.

At this moment, their shared pain was understood.

And for Zhang Hao, it was a kind of torture!

Seeing Zhang Hao arrive, the two future coaches were slightly embarrassed, with a tendency to avoid direct eye contact.

Barkley, on the other hand, went straight to Zhang Hao and asked, "Aix, which designer did you hire for your wig? It’s designed so well! The ones I hired are terrible, couldn’t create a wig as fitting as yours!"

Zhang Hao, avoiding eye contact with Barkley’s explosive hairstyle, turned his head and said, "I didn’t hire a designer."

"So you designed it yourself? Oh my, could you design one for me too!"

"That wasn’t quite my point... All right! I’ll design one for you!"

With Big Fatty injured, Zhang Hao was already frustrated, and seeing Barkley, the second strongest guy on the team, oblivious to the basketball court and solely focused on hairstyle design, he decided to do something to uplift his mood!

"Great! Aix, what hairstyle do you think suits me? Not a watermelon head, I don’t want that."

"Relax, definitely not a watermelon head... Is your wig expensive?"

"Expensive."

"Expensive is good! Come on... Hey, Tony, bring me a pair of scissors."

What does he mean by expensive is good? Scissors... going hands-on directly?

Before Barkley could react, Zhang Hao had pulled him to the mirror in the lounge.

Without giving Barkley a chance to struggle, Zhang Hao flipped off Barkley’s wig, revealing it was stuck to a skin-like synthetic leather, which was in turn stuck to his scalp!

No wonder it appeared so real!

Zhang Hao had only used a wig provided by the system, entirely different from this.

It’s truly a hassle! Isn’t washing a bald head at night trouble? Sticky like tape.

Doesn’t matter, as long as it’s expensive!

Soon, with a few swift moves, it was done...

Before Barkley realized, the wig on his head already looked a mess...

"Mr. Barkley, next time you customize a wig, go with this style. Make the top tightly twisted and elongate it into a bullet shape, it’s best if the top stands upright, that way the height effect is apparent...

I’m not saying you’re short!"