"We led for the entire game tonight, but unfortunately, at the crucial moment, we couldn't pull through."
Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Spates said somewhat dejectedly after the game when interviewed by the media, "We lost a game we should have won."
"But tonight I am proud of my players. They showed a will to win on the court."
"But unfortunately, Kai Chen's performance in the final moments turned our efforts to ashes."
"Coach Spates, what level of player do you think Kai is currently?" the TNT reporter immediately followed up. "Or rather, where does he rank among the league's top players now?"
"What level is he? The entire league knows the answer!"
Head Coach Spates continued, "If you force me to say, then I think he's at least a top-three player in the league!"
With multiple 40+ point regular-season games and leading his team to a ten-game winning streak, no player would dare claim to definitively outshine Kai Chen in either individual statistics or leadership ability.
However, it must be said that the Trail Blazers did a very good job of limiting Kai Chen tonight.
Only 5-of-15 shooting in the entire first half is not Kai's usual standard.
Of course, this was partly due to a poor shooting touch and consecutive back-to-back games, but the Trail Blazers' defensive strategy was the most crucial factor.
Evan Turner primarily defended Kai Chen, and whenever Kai got past him, the other defenders would double-team without hesitation.
Fortunately, Kai redeemed himself in the final moments, making consecutive steals against Damian Lillard on defense and helping the team secure the victory.
After the game, fans at the Moda Center were reluctant to leave for a long time.
They were all shocked by Kai Chen's individual performance. This is the NBA, a league that champions individual heroism.
No matter how poorly you perform earlier, as long as you deliver the decisive blow at the critical moment, fans will forget your previous struggles and elevate you as a hero.
.......
After taking down the tough Portland Trail Blazers, the Clippers flew overnight to Oakland.
They will face the final opponent of their five-game road trip, the defending champions Golden State Warriors, the day after tomorrow.
November 17th
In the early hours of the morning, the NBA official website announced the best players of the third week of the new season for the Eastern and Western Conferences.
In the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis led his team to a perfect 3-0 record last week.
With averages of 32.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game, combined with his team's record, Giannis was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
By all indications, Giannis this season is not just collecting Player of the Week awards.
The Milwaukee Bucks, led by him, will surpass the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers in the standings, ranking first in the Eastern Conference.
Giannis himself will also become the MVP this season.
This will be the first MVP trophy of his career.
Regardless of what may come later, Giannis fully deserves this honor this season.
After the Eastern Conference announcement, attention shifted west.
Performances among Western Conference teams fluctuated, and even the defending champions Golden State Warriors suffered losses in the third week.
Ultimately, the Western Conference Player of the Week naturally went to Kai Chen.
Last week, the Clippers, led by Kai, embarked on a demanding four-game road trip.
From Phoenix to San Antonio, then to Dallas, and finally Portland.
Kai's nearly unstoppable performances across four games helped the team secure a four-game winning streak.
The Clippers still maintain an impressive ten-game undefeated record, ranking first in the Western Conference.
At the same time, this is also the best record in the entire league.
Kai deserves immense credit.
During the four-game road trip, Kai averaged 40.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6 assists, including two consecutive 40+ point games.
His career total of 40+ point games also ranks first among the 2018 rookies.
This marks Kai Chen's third time being named Player of the Week.
It is also his third consecutive week receiving the honor.
By becoming Player of the Week for three consecutive weeks in his rookie season, he set a new record for consecutive selections by a rookie.
At the same time, Kai became the first player in NBA history to win three Player of the Week awards within a single month.
He once again created his own historical milestone.
ESPN even launched a fan poll: Which will break first, the Clippers' winning streak or Kai Chen's red-hot form this season?
"Looking at the entire NBA history, no one has ever won the Player of the Week award for three consecutive weeks!"
"Kai Chen has accomplished something unprecedented, and it will be extremely difficult to replicate!"
At the TNT weekly summary meeting, Smith was visibly excited.
As a devoted Kai supporter, he stood even straighter. "I really want to see how those fans who criticized me before the season are doing now!"
"Let me repeat this once again: Kai Chen will be the next Michael Jordan. He will be the next Kobe Bryant. Who agrees, and who disagrees?"
"I wholeheartedly agree!"
Charles Barkley, who was also a fan of Kai, interjected. "Whether it's the team's record or individual performance…"
"Kai is the best in the entire Western Conference, even the entire league!"
Simply saying such things is not typical for Barkley. "Is there no one in the Western Conference who can stop Kai Chen? Are those big-name stars still asleep?"
"Your performance is worse than a rookie's!"
Looking across the Western Conference, it is undeniably stacked with stars.
The Los Angeles Lakers have LeBron James.
The Golden State Warriors have Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
The Portland Trail Blazers feature Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
The Oklahoma City Thunder rely on Westbrook and Paul George.
The Houston Rockets boast James Harden and Chris Paul.
Even players of DeRozan's caliber are far from rare.
Yet in this star-packed Western Conference, the Player of the Week award was claimed by a rookie.
This is indeed a bit…
Although Barkley's words were somewhat excessive, they received strong support from fans.
==========
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