Chapter 586 - 84: [Cavaliers, What Do You Have to Compete With Us?]

Milicic’s resolute response caught Su Xi a little off guard. He hadn’t realized Milicic had such conviction.

To be honest, he was very moved.

It proved that Milicic was a grateful person, someone who thought of others.

It also showed that he had truly integrated into the team. He was proud of this team and was determined to defend and consciously uphold Su Xi’s status as its core.

The game between the Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers also captured the attention of countless fans.

Despite the widespread rumors that the Knicks could no longer beat the Cavaliers. The narrative claimed that the Knicks falling to third place proved their authority and dominance had significantly declined, and that Cleveland’s rise was unstoppable.

However, Knicks fans were flocking to this game, still enthusiastically snapping up tickets to go and cheer for their team at home.

Many people said that Knicks fans were the most impatient in the world.

But now, they were very patient with the Knicks and possessed an almost inexplicable confidence.

No matter what the media narrative was, no matter how well-reasoned or evidence-based the arguments were, they simply didn’t believe it, not even bothering to pay it any mind.

When fans of other teams argued with them online, especially the smug Cavaliers fans, they would just reply with a dismissive, "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Come back and brag after you’ve won a single game against us."

They never doubted the Knicks because, ultimately, they never doubted Goat Su Xi.

The game was hyped as a marquee matchup, with ESPN even dubbing it "The Reversal."

They believed this was the game where LeBron James would officially surpass Goat Su Xi.

While this didn’t mean James had surpassed Su Xi in terms of individual skill, being able to defeat the declining Knicks with O’Neal’s help was a major step.

As for individual ability, the consensus was already formed: Su Xi was the number one player in the league.

But being the best player in the league wasn’t the same as being its ruler.

If Su Xi could no longer rule the league, then he couldn’t be called the GOAT.

As long as Su Xi wasn’t the GOAT, he could do whatever he wanted. Other teams couldn’t stop him from scoring anyway, much less from racking up stats like triple-doubles.

Su Xi had announced he was going for the scoring title this season, and his current average was the highest in recorded history, surpassing legendary scorers like Jordan and Kobe.

Some detractors argued that Su Xi was only able to achieve such a historic scoring average because the pace of the game had increased and the defense wasn’t as tough as it used to be.

But with Su Xi’s physicality, wouldn’t he have been even more dominant in the eighties and nineties?

ESPN was broadcasting the game nationwide.

They had been building the hype since long before the game started.

They interviewed the Cavaliers, and the team’s role players all showed their determination to win.

Then, they went to interview the Knicks, hoping to stir the pot a little.

But the Knicks players remained silent. Only Isaiah Thomas stepped forward and said, with a hint of sarcasm, "Let’s hope LeBron James doesn’t have another groin strain tonight, or diarrhea, or come down with the flu... To be honest, we’re getting tired of it."

Isaiah Thomas was a master of the subtle dig.

Even the ESPN crew could feel the blatant sarcasm in that statement.

Was he mocking James for being afraid to face the challenge head-on?

When a reporter relayed the comment to LeBron James, his expression soured, but he didn’t respond.

But this was where Mike Brown showed his cleverness.

He said, "Although LeBron is indeed feeling some physical discomfort tonight, we will still be putting him in the starting lineup."

See?

That’s the art of public relations.

It was a statement that worked both ways.

If he played well, he could be praised to the heavens for fighting through an injury.

If he played poorly, it didn’t matter—wasn’t he fighting through an injury?

Still, the Cavaliers were very confident about winning this road game. They had watched a lot of Knicks film, and while the Knicks had improved, they were far from being a real threat to the Cavaliers.

TWEET!

The whistle blew.

The game began.

Following a lengthy introduction from ESPN, the starters for both teams took the court.

The Knicks’ starting lineup was: Kyle Lowry, Su Xi, Stephen Jackson, Zach Randolph, and Milicic.

It was by no means a weak lineup.

The Cavaliers’ starting lineup was: Gibson, Pavlovic, James, Ilgauskas, and Shaquille O’Neal.

They were starting with two giant centers.

While this slowed down their pace on both offense and defense, their half-court offense was incredibly potent.

Before the jump ball, when O’Neal greeted Su Xi, he made sure to throw in some trash talk. "Jack, don’t even think about pulling off any miracles tonight. I’m in prime condition, and I’m definitely going to destroy that second-overall pick of yours."

Su Xi replied with a wide grin, "That’s what we’re hoping for. Our Milicic is waiting to use you as a whetstone."

Su Xi’s words made O’Neal snort, his nose in the air. ’I may be old,’ he thought with a huff, ’but I haven’t fallen so far that I’ve become a practice dummy for some bust of a second-overall pick.’

’Goat Su Xi, you’re as arrogant as ever.’

’Too bad for you, your teammate isn’t you. He doesn’t have your talent.’

’So, he’s just going to have to take a beating.’

O’Neal looked over at Milicic, his eyes filled with pity.

But then, he noticed Milicic’s eyes meeting his, and they were filled with defiance.

TWEET!

As the referee blew the whistle and tossed the ball into the air, Milicic immediately exploded upwards. He jumped faster and higher than O’Neal, making full use of his outstanding height and wingspan.