One Thousand Two Hundred and Ninety-Eight: Link Wants Them All

The Houston Rockets don't seem to be what they used to be.

A few years ago, if the Grizzlies wanted to defeat the Rockets, they needed Link to produce 50+15+15 data.

The combination of Chris Paul and Harden really gave Rockets fans hope.

But what about now?

As Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said, Houstonians are becoming increasingly useless.

Easily, the Grizzlies won 25 consecutive games against the Rockets - the third longest winning streak in the league.

By the way, the league's second-longest winning streak of 26 consecutive victories also belongs to the Grizzlies.

Since there is no Heat's 27-game winning streak in this history, the Grizzlies almost have a monopoly on the winning streak.

While people are deeply disappointed in Houstonians, they are also worried about themselves.

Nowadays, grizzly bears are almost unstoppable, which also means that whoever encounters a grizzly bear next will be unlucky!

Since their victory over the Jazz on November 27, the Grizzlies have torn everything in their way into pieces. Among them, there are many powerful players such as the Lakers, Bucks, and Clippers.

Do you think you can stop a grizzly bear? Then go for it, but you can only pray to God for good luck.

Of course, not everyone is so scared. Some people also believe that bad luck will not happen to them.

This year's No. 1 pick, Zion Williamson, is one of them.

After the game against the Celtics, he naturally became the subject of interviews with reporters on the sidelines after leading the team to victory.

Since Zion Williamson was injured in last year's summer league, he has actually only returned for a few days.

People originally thought that after experiencing injuries, he would first encounter a period of trough before adapting to the intensity of the NBA. However, as everyone knows, this guy turned on the killer mode as soon as he came up.

Zion's outstanding performance coupled with his destructive style of play have made him extremely popular.

In terms of popularity, Zion, who has only played a few official games, has even surpassed Brandon Ingram, who has already played at an All-Star level this season.

Today, when Zion performed well again, he naturally became the most high-profile star again.

Williamson doesn't feel nervous in front of the camera. Although he only played less than 10 official games in the NBA, he was already accustomed to such big battles in college.

No, to be exact, he was already a well-known basketball star in high school.

This feeling of becoming famous at a young age is something that Link, an undrafted player, has never experienced before.

"Congratulations to Zion. This is the Pelicans' third consecutive victory this season. You are currently on the right track and are getting closer to the top eight in the Western Conference. Do you think you have a chance to reach the playoffs this season? Race?"

After three consecutive victories, the Pelicans are only 2.5 games away from the eighth-place Mavericks in the Western Conference. Whether this group of young Pelicans can realize their talents and achieve results in the first year is something that many people are very concerned about.

"We will work hard. The playoffs have always been our goal. Next, we will continue to run faster." Zion's answer was very calm, watertight, and so mature that it was impossible to tell that he was a rookie.

"Although your determination is very worthy of respect, the next game you will face may be the strongest opponent in your career so far. Are you ready for this? Do you think the team's Can the winning streak continue?" After a nonchalant question, the reporter finally started to talk about the key points.

Zion's violent beating of the Celtics today was just a warm-up.

What people are really looking forward to is the showdown between Zion and Link three days later!

The whole world is watching Zion, and everyone wants to know what he will say.

Will you be timid? Or will he be arrogant?

However, Zion did not show either of those two attitudes: "Link is a powerful opponent. Although I have not had any interaction with him yet, I respect that legend very much."

Zion's answer was very "well-behaved", which inevitably made the fans feel a little bored.

"However, no matter how strong an opponent we face, we will try our best to win. Yes, we will do our best to compete with the Grizzlies."

Sure enough, everything has a but.

Zion's answer made the fans extremely excited. He not only expressed his respect for Link, but also expressed his determination to win.

It’s the standard answer!

Zion said that he will compete with the Grizzlies with all his strength... Well, the collision of these two generations of superstars is becoming more and more eye-catching.

※※※

Although Link's performance this season is still strong, making him the All-Star vote leader for the eighth consecutive year, he is still firmly ranked first in the league.

But the fact is, this is Link's last season.

He did not leave his old age to the fans like Kobe, Jordan and others. He still seems to be able to maintain his peak condition for several years.

But at least for now, Link still has no intention of changing his mind.

Therefore, this season, the duel between Link and the new generation of stars has become particularly eye-catching.

It is really a gimmick for a superstar who is about to retire to play against the future superstars of the league.

So starting from Doncic at the beginning of the regular season, to Kendrick Nunn, Antetokounmpo, Simmons, Embiid...

Every time Link plays against a new generation of stars, the game gets heated.

As a result, the enthusiasm when Link played against old rivals such as Durant and James was not that high.

This time, taking advantage of the opportunity to tie the 26-game winning streak, he met the new generation number one pick Zion Williamson.

It’s clear how much attention this game has received.

Everyone wanted to see if Zion, the rampaging, unstoppable, wild beast, could make Link feel in danger.

However, the matchup between Link and Zion is just the wishful thinking of fans.

The day after the game against the Rockets, Joger made it clear in the tactical meeting: "Link, your target for the next game is Brandon Ingram. As for Zion Williamson ..."

Qiaogel said, his eyes falling on Jemichael Green.

Green's whole body twitched immediately, and his life suddenly became bleak.

Why me again...

"Green, in the next game, you need to fight Williamson at the fourth position. Don't put pressure on him, he is just a kid. I believe you can restrict him."

"Oh, oh..." Jemichael Green nodded speechlessly. He was indeed a little worried.

Don't say I can't do it, if you can do it, go ahead...

With an anxious mood, Green stepped into the training hall to practice tactics for the next game.

Joger's tactical arrangements are actually understandable. Although Zion has been very popular recently, Ingram is the real core of the Pelicans.

He averaged 25.5 points per game, shot 38.7% from three-point range, and shot 46.6% overall. This is definitely a very good personal data. On the court, Ingram has become more and more like his model Kevin Durant.

And this season, Ingram also scored 40 points in a single game and 49 points in a single game. Facts have proven that if you underestimate the former prince of the Lakers, you will definitely suffer.

Besides, for someone like Ingram, only Link is the most suitable to defend.

Let Brooks defend him, his height and wingspan are too different. Brooks's physical condition is enough to guard the second position, and Jogel doesn't dare to mention him to the front line.

Let Green guard Ingram. His agility and speed are somewhat lacking.

Therefore, if you want to restrict the Pelicans' core, you can only use Link to defend it.

Green understands the truth, but when he thinks that he is about to face a monster weighing nearly 260 pounds...

Green rubbed his chest. Why did his ribs feel a dull pain before he was hit?

"Hey, don't worry." At this time, Link came up from behind and patted Green on the shoulder.

He seemed to be very aware of Green's current troubles.

"Link?"

"Tomorrow, I will try my best to help you defend against that guy in Zion. You just need to remember not to back down easily," Link said and winked at Green.

Ingram or Zion?

No, children make choices, Link wants them all!