Chapter 99: A Suffocating Decisive Battle

At this moment, the arena echoed with chants of "Defeat the Thunder," a roar that embodied the long-held hopes of every Golden State fan. The heat was both encouragement and pressure.

With Curry on the court, the Warriors' style might not change drastically, but it would certainly become more agile.

On offense, the Warriors moved swiftly. Curry passed to X, who drove to the baseline. Durant was guarding him closely, but after a quick stop and step back, X launched a jumper and scored, finally breaking through the scoring drought the Warriors had been suffering. On the sidelines, Nielsen and Lin Fei both rose to their feet. Though it wasn’t a spectacular play, it was crucial—at least for confidence.

The Thunder, meanwhile, remained composed. They had ample time and confidence to orchestrate multiple attacks. Leading at this point, they could afford to control the clock.

Westbrook held the ball at midcourt, facing off against Curry’s defense. He broke through, and as the Warriors’ Keane came to help, Westbrook passed to a teammate, who returned it to Westbrook. He stepped back behind the three-point line, where no Warrior could keep up. With no defender near him, Westbrook calmly sank the three-pointer.

“They must rely on defense. Only by tightening their defense can they catch up. It’s still early in the quarter, but if they don’t adjust, things will only get worse,” the home commentator fretted. But he wasn’t the only one anxious—Nielsen was worried too, though he outwardly remained composed.

The Warriors pressed on in offense. After a fast break, Curry handed off to a teammate, then received the ball back beyond the arc. Westbrook closed in, but Curry was already set to shoot—a three-pointer that Westbrook barely contested. The ball missed, bouncing off the front rim.

“This is the difference between Curry and Lin Fei,” the commentator mused. “Curry’s three-point ability ranks among the top ten in the league, but he relies heavily on teammates’ assists and a steady rhythm. When disrupted, his shots become less accurate. Lin Fei is the opposite—he often makes seemingly unreasonable threes without any assistance, creating space with his speed. Most of his threes come under heavy defense, yet he remains remarkably consistent. In team basketball, Curry might hold an edge, but in chaotic situations, Lin Fei is undoubtedly the league’s best.”

The Thunder’s offense continued. Westbrook signaled for a screen from Harden. The switch confused the Warriors’ defense—Curry ended up guarding Harden, and before Curry could adjust, Harden received the ball and scored a mid-range jumper.

Incredible. Approaching the end of the second quarter, both teams had astonishing shooting percentages above 60%. Even in the regular season, such accuracy was rare, let alone at this heightened playoff level.

After Lin Fei left the court, he did not return before halftime. The Warriors steadied themselves, narrowing the gap to six points by the end of the second quarter, trailing 62-68. Westbrook contributed 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists; Durant added 20 points and 8 rebounds. Together, they practically controlled the game. The Warriors’ scoring was more balanced—X led with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists; Jobs provided 12 points and 6 rebounds; Keane, Clawson, and Curry each had 10 points; Lin Fei scored 6.

During halftime, Nielsen hesitated over whether to put Lin Fei back in. Usually, when Lin Fei’s shots weren’t falling, it was tough for him to find points. His ability to draw fouls didn’t match that of top-tier point guards, and although his assists had improved, his defense remained a glaring weakness. Without his shooting or speed, Lin Fei risked becoming ineffective.

Every player goes through shooting slumps; the question was when it would hit Lin Fei. This series, aside from injury setbacks, his shooting had been steady. But this game might signal a slump. Additionally, after a grueling season, many players were fatigued. Lin Fei, who wasn’t especially athletic, had to run relentlessly on the court, draining his stamina. Nearing the season’s end, Nielsen had made Lin Fei a starter to boost the Warriors’ performance, which placed great physical demands on him.

During halftime, the Warriors’ coach, Sanders, repeatedly demonstrated Lin Fei’s signature shot—the rapid sprint, sudden stop, and long-range three. This was exactly what the fans wanted to see. The Warriors were behind; someone needed to step up. That someone was not the mascot lively on the court during the break, but another player.

“Lin, do you think you can do it?” Nielsen asked solemnly.

Lin Fei met Nielsen’s gaze and nodded deeply.

“Oh, buddy, the second half is your stage,” Keane teased.

“We rarely make the playoffs, let alone the Western Conference semifinals! I’m eager to see my fans celebrate,” X said with anticipation.

Lin Fei glanced around at his teammates, showing no sign of nervousness.

“Stay calm! Let nature take its course!” Nielsen muttered.

Lin Fei was struck speechless by the phrase—it completely distracted him from his worries about shooting.

Seeing Lin Fei trying to suppress a smile, Nielsen felt a little embarrassed. Fortunately, the others only understood “stay calm” and had no clue about the “let nature take its course” part.

The second half began with Nielsen deploying a dual point guard lineup featuring Curry and Lin Fei. This was arguably the fastest and most offensively potent formation in the league.

Curry controlled the ball while Lin Fei moved swiftly upcourt, not standing still but finding space. Harden guarded Lin Fei closely.

In training, Nielsen’s strategy with dual point guards was usually to have Lin Fei take the final shot when attacking from the perimeter.

Curry held the ball as the Warriors spread out the floor, creating a vast opening inside. The Warriors suddenly had multiple offensive options. Curry passed to X, who sprinted into the open lane and dunked emphatically. Glancing at Durant, X seemed to say, “Don’t be fooled by your scoring title; the Warriors and I are no easy challenge.”

This play barely involved Lin Fei, but his presence on the court was a constant threat.

The Thunder’s jump shot missed; Jobs grabbed the rebound and immediately found Lin Fei. Energized, Lin Fei dribbled fiercely. Facing Westbrook, who matched his speed, Lin Fei made a subtle crossover, shaking him off. Approaching the three-point line, he hesitated briefly before driving in unguarded and gently floated in a layup. If not for his speed, he might have dunked, but pragmatism ruled at this moment.

The Warriors scored four consecutive points, cutting the deficit to just two.

What an exhilarating moment!

The Thunder regained control, steadily managing the tempo. The only sounds in the arena were the squeak of shoes against the hardwood. Westbrook assisted as Durant stepped behind the three-point line and sank a smooth shot. Durant’s jumpers were almost impossible for the Warriors to defend.

Now came the true test for the Warriors.

Forget the previous six games. Forget the earlier half. The moment had arrived to see how the Warriors would confront this four-point gap.