Chapter Ninety-Eight: A Momentary Loss

“He’s simply a demon on the court!” Scott Brooks muttered through clenched teeth after Lin Fei nailed an ultra-long three-pointer at the start of the game.

His sharp gaze and agile movements lingered in the mind of the Thunder’s coach.

“God help us, don’t let that kid run wild on the court again!” The Thunder players began to pray silently. Since the last game of the regular season, whenever that kid was on the floor, his shooting felt almost supernatural.

Durant gritted his teeth. As a superstar, he was supposed to step up when the team needed him most. But now, the whole team seemed worried. As their leader, he had to rise and lead his teammates forward.

This time, Durant didn’t need Westbrook’s playmaking or his teammates’ screens. What he needed was ferocity—something fierce, even brutal—something to conquer.

Facing Cairns’s defense, Durant’s entire body seemed to ignite like a blazing flame. From the high post, with a single step, he blew past Cairns. It was unimaginable that anyone could perform such a move right in front of Cairns, let alone Durant. At that moment, X quickly came to help defend, but Durant displayed astonishing vertical leap. Approaching the rim, he slightly shifted his body. The camera clearly showed that Durant’s eyebrows were nearly level with the rim. X’s jump fell short by a full head. Durant was almost horizontally aligned with the basket as he slammed the ball down. Claudson stood under the rim, trying to contest, but his leap was no match.

“Boom!” The ball thundered through the hoop, the backboard trembling violently.

No one expected Durant, known for his smooth shooting touch and scoring prowess, to deliver such a domineering dunk. Many were stunned. It seemed rare in the league to see a dunk with eyebrows level to the rim. This dunk belonged to Durant, with the entire Warriors team as his backdrop. It was likely to be selected among the NBA’s top ten dunks of the year—it was simply extraordinary.

Lin Fei had once dreamed of delivering the world’s most spectacular dunk like Durant, but his height and jumping ability decided he could never reach that level in this lifetime. These limitations were unchangeable, so he sought to make up for them through his shooting.

Lin Fei sprinted swiftly, using Cairns’s cut to the middle line. Almost three defenders kept their eyes locked on him, leaving him nearly no space to shoot—like three walls standing by his side. Forcing a breakthrough might have freed him, but he knew that if he passed the ball now, any of his remaining four teammates could easily score. So, Lin Fei directly lobbed the ball inside to Jobs. Jobs spun and took a jump shot, but the ball hit the rim and missed.

Perkins grabbed the rebound and launched a long pass to Westbrook. Westbrook caught it, and with two defenders who had just been guarding Lin Fei, the Thunder launched a three-man fast break. Although Lin Fei chased, he was easily toyed with by three defenders. Durant caught Westbrook’s high lob in midair and threw down another powerful dunk.

Two consecutive dunks gave the Thunder a glimmer of hope. Their morale surged explosively. Nielsen quickly called a timeout, knowing this momentum was dangerous. On one hand, he needed to adjust his players’ states; on the other, he aimed to disrupt the Thunder’s rhythm.

“Defense! Defense! You must lock down Durant and Westbrook’s drives. Force them to shoot from the outside! Their outside shots aren’t as threatening as their drives,” Nielsen instructed his players. He didn’t set offensive plays because he was confident in his team’s offense.

Back on the court, the Warriors showed signs of impatience, clearly visible on Lin Fei. Remember the last regular season game? That famous commentator pinpointed Lin Fei’s greatest improvement in the season’s final stage: he began to understand how to move on the court in the most threatening way. But now, Lin Fei’s movement seemed more about creating space for himself—an unconscious shift. If he remained calm, he would understand this well, but Durant’s two dunks largely stemmed from his own defensive lapses. His presence was disrupting the team’s defensive setup.

Lin Fei held the ball, guarded by two defenders. After crossing midcourt, he jumped and launched a deep three-pointer. The defenders lunged simultaneously but were too far to pose a real threat. However, Lin Fei’s shot lacked a smooth arc. The ball missed. Immediately after, Lin Fei dashed back to his half—he knew that shot was never going in.

The Thunder grabbed the rebound and passed long to Durant. Durant caught the ball and took just three steps to the free-throw line distance, stopped abruptly, and hit an easy jumper without even laying it up.

The timeout did nothing to reverse the Warriors’ passive situation.

During the next Warriors’ possession, Lin Fei seemed frenzied, dribbling madly into the frontcourt, almost forgetting his teammates. Thunder players watched Lin Fei’s lightning dribble. He beat Westbrook with a single step, eliciting awe from the crowd. Facing a defender rushing to help, Lin Fei faked a spin and slipped by effortlessly. The third defender to block him was Durant. Without hesitation, Lin Fei executed two quick crossovers and shook him off. Now inside the three-point line, Lin Fei shot without a moment’s pause. His whole body seemed to drift as the ball hit the rim, bounced on the front edge, then bounced again—agonizingly close but no good. Thunder players hustled for the rebound, handing it to Westbrook. The Warriors’ defense was timely, denying the Thunder a fast break.

Westbrook orchestrated the offense. Their previous fast breaks had been smooth; now they settled into a half-court offense. Durant was also adept at half-court play. Westbrook signaled for a pick-and-roll, drove hard to the basket, and floated in a shot successfully. After scoring, Westbrook pounded his chest and roared in fury!

Nielsen could already feel the Thunder’s momentum building bit by bit. Though the Warriors were playing at home, their performance was utterly unworthy of home-court advantage.

The fans’ expectations for the all-powerful Lin Fei, who had scored several impressive shots early on, suddenly vanished as he seemed lost, unable to find his shooting rhythm.

Heaven above! Finally, the kid’s madness was stopped! The Thunder must feel fortunate—Lin Fei was clearly off his game tonight. The tides turn; even you will have bad moments! Haha! The previously solemn atmosphere on the Thunder’s bench gradually lightened after they built a double-digit lead.

On the sidelines, Lin Fei analyzed the angles and selections of his shots, comparing them to his usual form. The importance of this game was undeniable. If he lost himself, the whole team might as well take a vacation. Sweat dripped relentlessly down Lin Fei’s cheek, and at that moment, the crowd saw that this boy had suddenly become a man of iron will.

Helpless, Nielsen substituted Lin Fei out. For the team’s tactics, bringing in Curry might offer a fresh path, a new approach that could benefit the team more. It also gave Lin Fei a chance to regroup.

With Curry on the floor, the Warriors’ offense and defense became more balanced. Whether it could turn the tide for the Warriors remained to be seen.