"If my teammates were as good as the Magician, it would be amazing. My passing could really shine with solid teammates, and I could extend my defense to play forward..."

...

...

The Lakers have won 9 straight games! Their record improved to 27 wins and 8 losses!

The Bulls, on their 13-game winning streak, are crying in the bathroom...

Being on a 13-game winning streak without grabbing the headlines, how tragic is that?

Besides, the Bulls just defeated the New York Knicks! Jordan scored 45 points in three quarters at Madison Square Garden to help the Bulls beat the Knicks 109 to 71, a massacre by 38 points.

As a result, the media once again emphasized Zhang Hao’s record of 60 points at Madison Square Garden, breaking the visiting player’s scoring record.

This streak of 9 victories by the Lakers ties the Magic’s second-longest winning streak of the season. The longest, naturally, is the Bulls’ ongoing 13-game streak.

After this powerful wave of 9 consecutive victories, the Lakers will face their formidable rivals, the defending champion Rockets, on January 12th, possible opponents in the first round.

However, on the morning of January 12th, the day of the Lakers and Rockets game, the Rockets announced that their core duo, Olajuwon and Drexler, wouldn’t be able to play.

Olajuwon’s shoulder injury prevents him from appearing in this California road trip, while Drexler, who played 36 games this season, has already missed 9 games.

Olajuwon’s performance against last season shows no signs of decline. Averaging 27 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.9 blocks, and a 51% shooting accuracy, he’s still showing the league’s top center display. Drexler averages 19 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2 steals, which is excellent. The Rockets also attracted many quality role players during the off-season, yet their record is similar to last season’s due to increasing core player injuries.

Famous coach Tomjanovich is strategic in this season’s lineup arrangement. Whenever Drexler is absent and the Rockets face strong teams, he refuses to put Olajuwon into the game, to prevent worsening Olajuwon’s injury.

Regarding this, Zhang Hao feels regretful.

The four top centers are now two down, Olajuwon hasn’t been beaten yet, and O’Neal hasn’t faced off with him. He is eager to compete against these two superstar centers.

O’Neal is still okay for now as he hasn’t reached his peak, but Olajuwon, by next season, might no longer be the number one center.

However, come game time, Zhang Hao completely sets his regrets aside.

Taking advantage of Olajuwon’s absence, the Magician drills more into the inside, creating opportunities for Zhang Hao and other outside teammates.

The Magician could be considered a fresh force for the Lakers. He almost returned mid-season with better stamina than other Lakers players excluding Zhang Hao. After playing over a dozen games, his form keeps improving, showcasing his star power increasingly.

Despite Alien Cassell’s brave performance with 24 points, 8 assists, and Robert Horry’s 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists helping the Rockets reach 101 points, the Lakers outperformed with 110 points.

The game wasn’t easy. Horry’s two three-pointers in the final period and Cassell’s 9-0 run almost helped the Rockets come back.

Still, the Lakers managed to secure a thrilling victory, defeating the defending champion Rockets.

In this match, Zhang Hao performed steadily, shooting 17 times and making 9, including 2 out of 6 three-pointers, plus going 6 for 6 in free throws, scoring 26 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and contributing 1 assist and 3 blocks.

...

Unknowingly, it’s now 10 consecutive wins!

The morning after the game against the Rockets, Zhang Hao eats breakfast while looking at the newspaper about his team making it to the headlines with 10 straight wins—it somehow feels intimidating.

Because, unbeknownst to them, they’ve tied with the SuperSonics!

The SuperSonics were upset by the Washington Bullets last night, their record also stands at 28 wins and 8 losses!

It’s not just Zhang Hao being humble; this record seems absurdly good, even the media, when reporting their tie for first in the West, used adjectives like "incredible," "miraculous," and "unexpected."

Better take a look at other teams’ news!

On a secondary headline, Zhang Hao sees news about the Bulls.

"The Bulls have won 14 straight? Defeating the Raptors 116 to 100? How come I remember the Bulls’ 72-win season didn’t have such a long streak? Didn’t the Raptors upset them once? How are they being swept 4-0 now?"

"Could it be me defeating the Bulls twice made Boss Qiao stop underestimating rookies? Now thrashing rookies with all they’ve got?"

"Poor Little Flying Squirrel, his masterpiece just lost like that..."

Zhang Hao mourns for Damon Stoudamire for two seconds, finishes his breakfast, and prepares to head to the University of Southern California’s home, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

It’s time again for an away game against the Clippers. Currently, the Lakers are on a 4 home, 1 away schedule—why is it viewed as a wave routine? Because this schedule’s sole away game is against the Clippers...

On January 13th at 8 PM, the Lakers’ alternating home/away second series tips off, challenging the Clippers on their court.

Zhang Hao goes 21-for-9, misses all 5 of his three-point attempts, but his 7-for-7 free throws are impressive. Playing for 41 minutes, he scored 25 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, recorded 2 assists, and blocked 4 shots. Additionally, Van Exel achieves an incredibly high shooting accuracy with 9-for-13 for 23 points and 5 assists, coupled with the Magician’s 15 points and 9 assists, Jason Williams’ 6 points and 14 rebounds, and Doug Christie’s 16 points. Despite the Clippers having 6 players in double digits scoring, with Ote Roy getting the game-high 28 points, the Lakers narrowly secure a 106 to 101 victory over the Clippers, marking their 11th consecutive win and improving their record to 29 wins and 8 losses!