Chapter 85: When Enemies Meet, Time Slows Down

After checking into the hotel, the Lakers coaching staff told the new guys to chill and not wander off. Besides getting used to the court together, it was best to stay put in the hotel. If they had to go out, they shouldn't rock any Lakers gear to avoid stirring up the fans.

Portland's got just one NBA team, the Trail Blazers, among the big four sports leagues!

With the whole city backing them, the Trail Blazers are like gods here. Whenever they play at home, the fans go nuts, cheering like crazy for their team. Their way of cheering? Creatively roasting and humiliating the opponents. The vibe's so intense that folks started calling it "Portland Jail."

The Lakers are now the Trail Blazers' top enemy. In Alaric's past life, Portland fans hated the Lakers until 2012, thinking the Lakers blew the Trail Blazers' best shot at a championship in 2000.

In 2012, when the star Brandon Roy was about to make a comeback, fans said as long as he didn't wear a Lakers jersey, Portland would always welcome him and never boo him.

Alaric didn't go anywhere and stayed in the hotel to call his family.

Kay said, "You gotta be careful in this game. I heard from some fans at the restaurant that the two teams have beef, and the defense might be super aggressive. It's cool if you don't play well, just don't get hurt."

"The coach said I'd get more playing time in this game. Not just a few minutes like in the preseason."

Kay exclaimed, "Isn't he setting you up to fail?"

"What?" Alaric was speechless at Kay's comment.

Kay continued, "You already got a high salary. In the future, aim for a mid-level contract. We can invest that money, and the interest alone would be enough for us to live on."

Alaric hung up after a short chat. He and the basketball-clueless Kay were not on the same page. Probably because he was an only child, his parents always thought "safety first" rather than whether he could become a superstar in the future.

On the evening of the 31st, the NBA new season opener kicked off.

The regular season game roster is 12 players, and with only 13 players available, the Lakers left out guard Mike.

In the locker room, Phil didn't give a pep talk, and the players were pretty chill. The advantage of veterans is their ability to adjust; they've seen too many ups and downs, and an opener wouldn't get them hyped.

Shaquille cheerfully patted Alaric on the back. "Alaric, you nervous?"

"A little," Alaric answered honestly, "but I can definitely handle it."

"The Trail Blazers fans will definitely boo us when we come out. Don't be scared," Shaquille laughed.

"Don't underestimate me. Booing is the least of my worries," Alaric said. When he first reincarnated, he was super weak and had been booed on tennis courts, in boxing clubs, and nightclubs. This little thing couldn't faze him.

Seeing that he wasn't nervous, Shaquille changed the subject. "Have you seen the movie 'The Man with Two Brains'? I watched it last night and highly recommend it."

"No way, you just watched it? I've seen it like a million times already."

In less than a month, Alaric and Shaquille had become tight. They got along really well.

Shaquille's personality is lively and cheerful, even carefree, making him one of the few happy-go-lucky players in the NBA. Alaric also has a restless nature, loves to play and joke around, and is into many entertainment activities.

They both dig the entertainment industry and are down to try acting. They're both jokesters, love telling jokes, and are super approachable. They're both into fighting and martial arts. Their biggest commonality is that they both love dancing, anytime, anywhere, and enjoy being happy together.

The players hit the court on time, and the Trail Blazers fans gave the Lakers players a tsunami of boos. Even the newcomers, who hadn't experienced the last playoffs, were still roasted.

The Trail Blazers players got a roaring welcome when they hit the court. But no matter how loud the cheers, the Blazers were in a tough spot today. Their veteran center, Arvydas Sabonis, was out with an injury, leaving them without a solid defender against Shaquille.

ESPN was broadcasting the game live, and commentator Mark Woodson didn't hold back his doubts about the Blazers. "How the Trail Blazers will defend Shaquille today is a big problem. I don't think they can stop him."

Co-commentator Tom Horvath chuckled, "The Trail Blazers might still get an early edge. Their strength is in having multiple scoring options. Damon's performance is key. With Derek injured, the Lakers are left with only veterans and rookies, making their point guard position a clear weakness."

Lakers starting five: Ron, Kobe, Rick Fox, Horace Grant, Shaquille.

Trail Blazers starting five: Damon Stoudamire, Steve Smith, Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, Dale Davis.

The 6'11", 228-pound Dale won the jump ball, and the game was on.

Scottie got the ball and started organizing from the middle, with the players spreading out. Damon moved to the right corner. After joining the Trail Blazers, Damon didn't quite play like a point guard; the team didn't need him to organize.

Kobe's primary defense on the point guard was a brilliant move from last season. He stuck close, making it hard for Damon to get the ball. Rick was also a top-notch defender. Scottie couldn't shake him off with a dribble move and passed to the moving Steve. Ron's timely defense made it tough for Steve to turn, forcing him to pass again.

Phil started Ron to beef up the defense, making sure there were no mismatches on the court.

After several passes, the ball ended up in Rasheed's hands. Facing Horace, he turned and shot a straight-arm jumper, scoring. This was Rasheed's signature move, perfected to a high degree, with a release point so high that it was hard to block. 0-2.

Lakers' offense, Ron dribbled slowly past half-court, almost violating the 9-second rule. He used the court's width and his physical advantage to avoid Damon's steals.

The Lakers spread out, and Ron passed to Kobe. Kobe was closely guarded by Scottie, used a screen to shake him off, but Rasheed switched and blocked him. Kobe couldn't break through and passed to the middle. Horace had no direct shot opportunity and passed again facing Scottie.

Shaquille called for the ball in the low post, and Dale fronted him. With 24 seconds almost up, Rick lobbed a pass to Shaquille, who drew a foul from Dale while making a one-handed bank shot.

Shaquille missed the free throw, 2-2.

Trail Blazers' offense, after several passes, Steve used Rasheed's screen to shake off Ron and took a three-point shot, which missed. Rick grabbed the defensive rebound and handed it to Ron, who dribbled to the frontcourt. Ron passed to Kobe but made a mistake, and Scottie intercepted.

Scottie dribbled to the frontcourt and passed to Steve. Steve forced a layup against Rick's defense but missed. Rasheed quickly grabbed the offensive rebound and scored with a bank shot. 2-4.

Lakers' offense, Ron's pace was incredibly slow, using 15 seconds for only two passes. Kobe challenged Scottie with a jump shot but missed. Shaquille tipped the ball out from the paint, and Kobe picked it up for another jump shot, but Scottie interfered, and he missed again.

Shaquille showed his superstar strength, using his massive body to push away the defender and grabbed the offensive rebound for a powerful dunk. Dale didn't dare to foul again. 4-4.

The Trail Blazers continued their set offense, passing back and forth, not stopping until 20 seconds had passed. After a missed shot, the Lakers grabbed the defensive rebound and followed the same pattern, with the inside players methodically positioning and focusing on one-on-one plays. Shaquille didn't score every time, missing a one-handed floater under Dale's defense.

Three minutes quickly passed. When enemies meet, it was exceptionally slow, and both teams had only played a few possessions.