jdhmnovel Chapter 97 The Post-Match Press Conference Full of Tension
Chapter 97 The Post-Match Press Conference Full of Tension
Shen Jing and Martin helped Wang Xiucheng walk slowly toward the players' tunnel.
The entire stadium rose to applaud Wang Xiucheng, and some female fans even inexplicably burst into tears, clasping their hands together as if in prayer.
Wang Xiucheng raised his hand, which was resting on Martin's shoulder, and waved it as a greeting to the fans.
It's also a form of apology.
Wang Xiucheng knew that a significant portion of these fans had come to see him.
After Jalen Green got injured, the Rockets' box office success depended on Wang Xiucheng.
Fertitta, standing on the sidelines, couldn't help but feel a little worried.
If Wang Xiucheng gets injured again, how will we sell tickets?
Rely on Gordon? Or on Wood?
Give me a break!
They would have been finished long ago if they had relied on them.
After a few minutes' pause, the game resumed.
But everyone stopped paying attention to the game and was scrolling through the news, hoping to see how Wang Xiucheng was doing.
The Rockets ultimately defeated the Nets, who had several key players resting, with a score of 114-104.
As the players left the court, the fans booed the entire Nets team, including Harden.
In the eyes of fans, resorting to dirty tricks when you can't win a game is the worst kind of behavior.
This kind of team never deserves to win a championship!
The atmosphere in the Penguin Live room was somewhat heavy at this moment.
Neither Yang Yi nor Wang Shipeng spoke much after Wang Xiu left the field.
Only Wang Meng provided simple commentary on the match, almost like a solo performance.
When Wang Xiu was injured and had to leave the field, the fans of Chinese football were naturally the most concerned about him.
At this point, the live stream chat was filled with insults directed at Mills' ancestors, along with Harden and even Australia.
Even the Brooklyn Nets' Chinese-American owner, Tsai Tsung-hsin, wasn't spared.
Injuries, more injuries!
Why did Yao Ming retire so early?
It's because of injuries.
However, most of Yao Ming's injuries were due to overwork.
Wang Xiucheng is only 19 years old, so it's impossible for him to have such a problem.
"As Wang Xiucheng plays better and better in the league, he may often face such dirty tricks."
Yang Yi finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse, caused by his vocal cords being dry from not drinking water for a long time.
"There are many players in the NBA who like to use dirty tactics, and I believe everyone knows that."
"Wang Xiucheng's Chinese identity means he will have some hidden rivals, such as Mills from Australia today, and the Japanese he will encounter in the future."
"Don't accuse me of conspiracy theories. The only player your Chinese team can really rely on right now is Wang Xiucheng. As long as Wang Xiucheng can't play in some crucial matches..."
Yang Yi didn't say what he was going to say next, but the meaning was obviously clear.
Wang Shipeng chimed in at this point, "And that $10,000 thing, I never approved of it in the first place. Now they've saved up over $100,000, right? This doesn't actually benefit Wang Xiucheng at all; it only puts him in the limelight."
Yang Yi and Wang Meng both nodded in agreement with Wang Shipeng's point of view.
"The post-match press conference is about to start, let's go take a look," Wang Meng reminded them at this moment.
At the post-match press conference, all the reporters' questions focused on Wang Xiu's injury.
The Rockets' representatives, Silas and Gordon, attended the press conference.
After Wang Xiucheng left the court, Gordon made several aggressive moves that resulted in him being ejected by the referee.
But no one blamed him.
"Gordon, how is Wang Xiucheng doing? Any preliminary results?"
The first person to ask a question was Meng Chao from Tencent Sports, who was holding an ESPN microphone.
Old Gordon looked at Silas, and only after the latter nodded did he say, "Our team doctor is relatively optimistic. The initial examination shows it's a sprain, but further examination is needed to determine if there are any other injuries."
Upon hearing this, reporters, including Meng Chao, breathed a sigh of relief.
If it's just a sprain, then it's already a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune.
"The Rockets have won seven straight games. Wang Xiucheng probably won't be able to play next game. Without Green, without Wang Xiucheng, and even without Porter Jr., can the Rockets still keep winning?"
A reporter from the Houston Chronicle took the microphone and asked Silas a question.
The Rockets' seven-game winning streak, following a 15-game losing streak, is a dramatic rise and fall that has left the entire league bewildered.
"No matter who plays, our goal is to win, regardless of whether the player is an undrafted player or a first-round pick."
A female reporter from Houston TV station KHOU raised her hand, took the microphone, and asked, "Wang Xiucheng is still on a two-way contract, right? Isn't the team going to give him a permanent contract? Or is Stone planning to trade him?"
The female reporter's words were somewhat provocative, but everyone understood why she was angry.
Wang Xiucheng is currently Houston's darling, but this darling is still on a two-way contract, while Lakers' undrafted player Reeves has already received a two-year official contract.
With this comparison, some reporters were naturally puzzled by the Rockets' actions.
"I don't know anything about the contract, so I can't answer you." Silas brushed the question aside; he wasn't going to take the blame.
The Rockets' post-game press conference ended, and soon Nets head coach Nash arrived with Harden.
As soon as they sat down, almost all the reporters raised their hands.
The Houston radio reporter practically snatched the microphone from him and asked directly, "Harden, did you ask Mills why he pushed Wang Xiucheng from behind?"
Harden's beard twitched; he had anticipated someone would ask about this, but he hadn't expected the first question to be about it.
“Believe me, Mills isn’t that kind of person. It was just an instinctive reaction. I apologize on his behalf,” Harden said.
This is Houston after all, and he doesn't want to fall out with the Houston media because of Mills; he still wants to come back.
"Coach Nash, do you usually require the Nets players to do this in practice?"
The beautiful reporter asked again.
Nash frowned; the atmosphere was tense today.
There are many such issues in the league, but few reporters press this particular question.
“That was an accident,” Nash replied.
The entire Nets press conference was filled with tension.
This puzzled Harden, and he was even a little jealous.
When he was with the Rockets, he was often subjected to dirty tricks, especially in crucial games. He even led the team to a championship, but you guys weren't this indignant back then.
It's only been half a season, and that Chinese guy has already got these picky reporters so under his thumb?
Seemingly dissatisfied with the atmosphere, Harden and Nash left the press conference after answering a few questions briefly.
At this moment, in the Rockets' locker room, Wang Xiucheng had already put on his protective boots.
The team doctor's suggestion is to leave it at that for today, and the team will send a car to pick up Wang Xiucheng early tomorrow morning so he can go directly to the Texas Medical Center, which has a partnership with the Rockets, for a full check-up.
After greeting each of his teammates, Ma Wei, who was being allowed into the locker room for the first time, pushed his wheelchair out of the locker room.
Actually, Wang Xiucheng felt fine. When he fell, he realized he had twisted his ankle, so he pulled back a bit.
Wang Xiu admits he can walk slowly without protective boots, but the team doctor obviously wouldn't agree.
Wu Di and Wu Jia, who were waiting in the parking lot, saw Wang Xiucheng come out and immediately ran over to take the wheelchair, then helped Wang Xiucheng slowly into the Grand Voyager.
The two cars started one after the other and slowly left the parking lot.
Outside the parking lot, there were still many fans who hadn't left. Wang Xiucheng asked Wu Di to park next to him and open the window. He smiled and signed autographs for a few fans, and told them that he was alright before leaving Fengtian Center.
Once the vehicle was on the main road, Wang Xiucheng took out his phone, which already had more than a dozen missed calls.
The first phone call was from Ouyang Na.