The Western Conference Finals Game 3 saw the Spurs defeat the Lakers at home 103-84.
After losing by thirty points on the road, they bounced back to beat the Lakers by nineteen at home.
Home advantage is certainly important, but in this game, besides Kobe's thirty points and Gasol's fifteen, only Walton scored in double digits.
No one else scored in double digits, and many media outlets that were confident about the Lakers began to have subtle changes of heart.
Odom shot 2-for-11, which can be said to have made people feel the Lakers were not as dominant as they had imagined!
If one were to ask who was favored to win the championship this year, most people would have said in unison:
The Los Angeles Lakers!
But after losing to the Cavaliers at the Celtics' home and losing to the Spurs on the road, the media's tone began to shift.
However, this shift was like the American character, striking hard on the advantageous side, and when their face was slapped, they would hesitantly start making excuses.
...
"Out of the ten of you, only one will pass the probationary period and stay. This month will determine who among you will ultimately work for the greatest television station in America."
In the office, Lin Xiaotian pouted.
The editor-in-chief had definitely violated American advertising laws, as advertisements are not allowed to use exaggerated terms.
He then looked at the others. There were people of various skin colors, including an Asian girl, a Korean woman.
The others left in twos and threes, only the Korean woman stayed. 138 Reading Network.
"Lin, who do you think will stay?"
John walked over and greeted Lin Xiaotian warmly.
Among these newcomers, he and Lin Xiaotian had the best relationship.
The last time Lin Xiaotian broke the news about underground banks influencing league games, it completely put Lin Xiaotian on the map at the station.
Everyone thought he would be the first intern to be officially hired, but the station only gave him a small bonus and didn't mention anything about regularization.
Now that Lin Xiaotian was back on the same starting line as them, everyone felt indignant for him.
Lin Xiaotian didn't seem to care much; he himself didn't know who would be regularized.
As for the Korean woman, Lin Xiaotian didn't think she would be regularized.
Although she looked beautiful, everyone knew Koreans relied on cosmetic surgery, and besides, her professional ability was really poor.
Frankly, working for the largest television station in America was an opportunity many people dreamed of.
However, thinking that only one out of ten people could stay made Lin Xiaotian a bit dejected.
He had a good relationship with John, and no matter who among them got hired, it would feel a little off for the other.
As they were chatting, the Korean woman came out of the editor-in-chief's office. Her voluptuous figure swayed as she walked past them with an air of arrogance.
"This spot is definitely mine! You guys should start interviewing at other TV stations as soon as possible!"
The Korean woman swept everyone a disdainful glance, her eyes lingering on Lin Xiaotian before she snorted contemptuously.
Chinese people will definitely lose to me.
"Don't get too cocky!"
John, indignant, intended to argue with the Korean woman, and the other interns also glared at her angrily.
"John, I advise you to calm down. Be careful she doesn't buy the TV station and fire you first."
"Let alone her, even Korea might not be able to afford it."
"No, they really can afford it!"
John looked at Lin Xiaotian in confusion.
Which side are you on, kid?
"I'm telling the truth. You don't know, the whole world belongs to Koreans. If you keep babbling, be careful that even your Viking tradition will become Korean."
"That's not possible," John said with a laugh. "It's just you guys indulging them. After all, they used to be your vassal state. They're stealing our traditions, go get them."
"Hmph, sharp words are useless. None of you will stay!"
The Korean woman became angry and resentful.
John, being a man, didn't stoop to the Korean woman's level, but he was still angry and said, "I don't know where this woman gets her confidence from. She complains about being tired even when going on location. If someone like her stays, I will definitely report them!"
"I don't know, but I guess this woman must know the editor-in-chief." Lin Xiaotian sighed.
He used to think America was the symbol of human civilization, but after coming here, he realized it was nothing like that. His worldview was shattered.
In this way, even if he got into the TV station, it would be a joy in vain if he couldn't stay in the end.
While feeling dejected, his phone rang.
The number was unfamiliar, but the caller ID displayed Tang Long's name.
When he exchanged numbers with Tang Long back then, he was sensible. Although he kept Tang Long's number, he didn't call or text him.
After all, Lin Xiaotian knew that big stars like Tang Long were very busy every day, and as an intern news reporter, he was too embarrassed to bother him. He didn't expect Tang Long to call him proactively.
"Little Lin, do you want to watch me lead the Lakers to a crushing defeat in Los Angeles?"
"Uh, I'd like to, but..." Lin Xiaotian hesitated. "The ticket prices are too expensive!"
Lakers tickets were relatively affordable, and couldn't be compared to teams like the Knicks, but for Lin Xiaotian, who was still on probation, it was undoubtedly a significant expense.
"No problem, I'll send you a ticket when we go to Los Angeles! No, I should say two tickets!"
"My big star, you're not calling me just to give me tickets, are you?"
"Nothing much, just a little insider tip for you: Dwyane Wade is coming to the Cavaliers!"
"Oh my god! Really?"
There were many kinds of insider tips, and the one Tang Long gave was definitely a scoop. If it were in the stock market, it could directly influence stock prices.
Moreover, this news was too explosive!
After the excitement, Lin Xiaotian said helplessly, "Tang Long, you know I'm a social news reporter, not a sports reporter!"
"You're too honest, kid. Why don't you open a Twitter account, get certified as a reporter from your station, and then publish this news?"
Lin Xiaotian was stunned for a moment, and then he understood what Tang Long meant.
If this explosive news was released, countless people would interact with it on Twitter immediately.
More importantly, since the news came from him, as the first media person to break it, fans would naturally wonder why he knew such important inside information.
Then Lin Xiaotian realized this was a golden opportunity for him to build his personal brand.
"Tang Long, why didn't you tell this news to a reporter from Fox Sports?"
"That's different. Everyone knows Xiao has a relationship with our team. If it comes from her, wouldn't it be equivalent to confirming the rumor? How can such a topic be marketed back and forth like this?"
Tang Long had already thought everything through. His cleverness was something Lin Xiaotian couldn't match.