Before the All-Star Weekend arrives, Mike Malone has already labeled the next 5 games of the Warriors as "must-win."

On February 6th, while visiting the TNT TV station studio, Scottie Pippen once again talked about the bet he made with Charles Barkley before the regular season started.

It was a bet requiring Qin Yue to help Barkley win to complete the mission of "Charles Barkley's Gift II."

The content of the bet was whether Qin Yue could achieve a "50+ triple-double" in a regular-season game before the All-Star Weekend.

Originally, as Qin Yue kept achieving triple-doubles during the 06/07 season, Barkley thought his victory was within reach.

But after nearly two-thirds of the regular season ended, Barkley realized...

He clearly underestimated the difficulty of a "50+ triple-double."

Since entering the league, the two nights Qin Yue came closest to achieving a "50+ triple-double" were, one, the night of the first "Goodnight, Los Angeles."

That night, Qin Yue was just 2 points away from becoming the fourth player, after Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to achieve a "50+ triple-double" in the NBA.

The second was the Christmas night when Qin Yue chose not to play in the fourth quarter.

Many believed back then that if Qin Yue shamelessly padded his stats like his good buddy, he would definitely achieve a "50+ triple-double."

In short, for Qin Yue at this stage, a "50+ triple-double" is not an impossible task.

But it does have its difficulties.

First, looking at the Warriors' winning statistics this season, whenever Qin Yue pulled off a "30+ triple-double," he would often be forced to clock out after three quarters.

This season, the only exception was the Warriors' Christmas battle against the Supersonic.

That night, having scored 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 14 assists for the Warriors, Qin Yue was rarely granted playtime in the fourth quarter.

But aside from the Supersonic...

Whenever Qin Yue achieved a "30+ triple-double," it always equated to clocking out after three quarters.

Because the better this primary ball handler performed on the court, the easier the Warriors would often win the game.

Secondly, another challenge of a "50+ triple-double" is...

Qin Yue must handle more ball possessions during the game, especially in terms of shot attempts, to have the chance to achieve this feat.

Considering Qin Yue's current status in the Warriors...

This challenge should not have been an obstacle for Qin Yue to achieve a "50+ triple-double" on any night.

But right now, to ensure the Warriors can compete for the top of the West, Qin Yue has to prioritize winning in his games.

So only on nights when Qin Yue feels he's in excellent form, does he increase his shot attempts.

But Qin Yue's style of play determines that...

He's a player who can suddenly deliver a high critical strike damage that takes the opponent out within a timeframe.

Thus, this circles back to the first issue.

That is...

How can Qin Yue, when in great shooting form, secure playing time in the fourth quarter?

This season, in Qin Yue's recent 40+ games, only in the previous game against the Magic did Qin Yue get about 4 minutes of playtime in the fourth quarter.

But in that game, the high efficiency Qin Yue traded with frequent post-ups made it difficult for his stamina to be as replenished as usual.

After some calm thinking...

Barkley realized, to his surprise, that he might actually lose this bet with Pippen.

Because for Qin Yue to achieve the "50+ triple-double" feat...

He needs to consider both his own condition and the opponent's mood.

And now, with the All-Star Weekend fast approaching...

Barkley admitted he really got flustered.

Though all he bet with Pippen was that the loser would have to wear a maid outfit and kiss the other's butt...

But...

No!

Damn it, if he lost, how could Barkley face anyone ever again?

On the night of the 6th, after finishing the Big Talk NBA program on the TNT TV station, Barkley immediately took out his phone and dialed Qin Yue's number.

In the call, the always-impatient Barkley directly stated his purpose: "You need to think of something! Isn't it just a '50+ triple-double'? Can you put in a bit more effort? Your recent performance has really disappointed me, you know? You're the new GOAT of the NBA, how come you don't care about stats at all? Don't worry about those damn teammates' feelings, just give me an epic performance!"

...

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