Zhang Hao took a look at the four games before the All-Star weekend in February. The opponents are the Bulls, Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, and Utah Jazz.

The Lakers are currently on a 14-win streak, while the Bulls had a 17-win streak before playing against the Nuggets.

"So no matter if the Bulls win tonight or not, if I want to complete the task, I have to beat the Bulls?"

Defeating the Bulls twice is already a miracle, especially across teams.

Teams that have beaten the Bulls once would lose by at least 20 points the next time they face the Bulls... even the SuperSonics and Magic couldn’t escape!

"Whatever, leave it to fate. What if I manage to do it? What if the Bulls can’t achieve 70 wins because of me?

By the way, the highest wins record is held by the Lakers with 69 wins, which is our record.

I’m not fighting for myself, but for the glory of the team’s history!"

Thinking this way, Zhang Hao suddenly felt a lot more dignified.

...

Duncan not participating in the ’96 draft didn’t affect the 76ers’ plan to tank at all.

As for the inside line, they got Coleman and are not interested in any inside players other than Duncan, but they are interested in point guards. Some media have reported that since Duncan decided not to enter the draft, scouts from the 76ers have appeared multiple times at matches of Georgetown University and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Their targets are quite clear.

There are also reports that scouts from the 76ers have appeared at some high school games, which is seen as an indication of the 76ers’ strong interest in high school rookies due to Zhang Hao’s emergence and Garnett’s visibly impressive talent.

In short, the 76ers are determined to tank. Teams have played 39 to 42 games, and currently, only four teams have fewer than 10 wins. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Bucks have both won their 10th games, while the Grizzlies, Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, and 76ers still have fewer than 10 wins.

On January 24th at 6 PM, the Lakers played an away game against the 76ers.

Zhang Hao felt a bit regretful that Starkhouse only played for 22 minutes in total this evening, playing briefly each quarter, but before he could even find his rhythm, he was substituted. This was completely out of line with his average playing time of 38 minutes per game so far this season.

And he was timid! In 22 minutes, he managed 4 assists, attempted only 5 shots, scoring only 4 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds, with 2 out of 5 shots made...

Zhang Hao also didn’t play long tonight, clocking 28 minutes on the court, and having a record of 12 shots with 6 successful, 3 three-point attempts with 1 success, alongside free throws 7 out of 6. Unfortunately, the last free throw didn’t score. He made 19 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 blocks when he was substituted, with the Lakers leading by 73 to 51, 22 points ahead.

In the end, the Lakers easily won 100 to 88 against the 76ers, maintaining their recent explosive form with 15 consecutive victories and improving their record to 33 wins and 8 losses!

...

The SuperSonics’ 5-win streak was ended by the Magic, and after 41 games, the SuperSonics’ record turned to 32 wins and 9 losses, officially overtaken by the Lakers’ 33 wins and 8 losses!

After this unexpectedly explosive winning streak, the Lakers climbed to the top of the West!

From the start of the trade involving Zhang Hao, no one expected this situation. The 10 wins 5 losses Lakers then went on to achieve a brutally dominant record of 23 wins and 3 losses after acquiring Zhang Hao! During this period, both the Lakers’ and Bulls’ records were 23 wins and 3 losses!

Zhang Hao raised his scoring average to over 26 points with a single 60-point game, steadily proving the correctness of the Lakers’ trade decision during the winning streak.

Logo Man stated in an interview: "The truth? I always believed that Zhang Hao would be the best among this batch of rookies even when Aix was still in high school. I didn’t expect he’d have a chance to be compared to rookies like Hill, Jordan, Bird, and Johnson. Like you, I’m watching him and curious about what he can bring to the NBA in his rookie season."

Although his praise was excessive, Logo Man was smoother than McHale.

Certainly praising him, but Logo Man’s words just don’t feel annoying.

Up to now, Zhang Hao’s performance since joining the NBA has been extraordinary no matter how much it’s praised.

The winner takes all, with most news about the Lakers praising Zhang Hao.

However, there will surely be differing opinions, like T.N.T listing data showing Zhang Hao’s improved performance after the Magician’s return. Before that, Zhang Hao’s performance was at the level of a top scorer, comparable to the contributions of Alan Houston from the Pistons, Glenn Rice from the Hornets, and Steve Smith from the Hawks, not having an advantage but not bad either.

But after the Magician’s return, Zhang Hao’s role on the court could directly be compared with top stars like Drexler, Reggie Miller, and Mitch Richmond... with his peak against the New York Knicks, Zhang Hao has even been dominant.

Moreover, T.N.T listed the performance differences of Zhang Hao with and without the Magician on the court, particularly in shooting accuracy, where Zhang Hao’s shooting percentage is five percentage points higher when the Magician is present, which is fifty-two percent compared to forty-eight percent...

This clearly aims to foster a viewpoint—Zhang Hao needs a good point guard to maximize and even exceed his potential.

Upon seeing this viewpoint, Zhang Hao felt it made a lot of sense.

In response, upon arriving in Jersey City, Zhang Hao said during an interview with CBA TV: "Yes, you’re right. As a player who thrives in an off-ball style, I need great ball handlers like Nick and the Magician to play better. I hope there’s always such outstanding ball partners throughout my career."