Chapter 115: Do You Want to Break the Playoff Scoring Record?

During the halftime break, the Warriors could barely contain their desire to celebrate. On the other side of the court, the Mavericks were shaking their heads in disbelief. Imagine: Jason Kidd had been in the league for nearly two decades, and Dirk Nowitzki for over a dozen years; they had played more playoff games combined than Lin Fei had played in his entire career. Yet, they were being soundly thrashed by this kid. Jason Terry, in particular, had thought his speed and strength would be enough to contain Lin Fei, but he now found himself being spun around like a child.

"We should just start intentionally fouling him!"

"No team commits constant fouls against a guard who shoots over eighty percent from the free-throw line."

"That’s still better than letting him keep draining those threes—the kind of ultra-long-range shots that are impossible to defend. Look at his shooting percentage and his hot hand. I feel like his individual offensive output is rivaling our entire team’s."

"If you ask me, if he keeps shooting like this, the league might have to move the three-point line out to mid-court!" the Mavericks players joked bitterly in the locker room during the break.

"I still don't believe he can maintain this shooting touch! No one can. Plenty of guys have had nights where they hit five or seven threes in a row, but no one maintains that kind of rhythm for an entire series. It’s impossible."

"The key is that most players’ three-pointers are concentrated within a meter of the arc, which is still defendable. Plus, not everyone has Lin Fei's range, and there are very few in the league who can run as fast as he does."

Kidd and Nowitzki remained silent. They were still dreaming of winning another championship, but with this kid standing in their way, they were reluctant to admit that their hopes were fading.

"Foul him! Maybe we can use a foul strategy against him," Carlisle said calmly. "If he stays on the floor..."

"If we still can't stop him, let's use two men to double-team his dribbling path! After all, his passing isn't quite at that masterful level yet," Kidd suggested. As a legendary point guard, he knew exactly where a playmaker's weaknesses lay and could easily identify the flaws in any guard's game.

Everyone offered a faint smile.

Over at the Warriors' bench:

"Oh! My reserve player, do you still intend to go back out there? You are practically a god," Cairns teased Lin Fei.

Lin Fei lost the cold intensity he displayed on the court and offered a slight smile. "Actually, I didn't even know how many points I had. I only just found out I’m at 32."

"Oh! You only played 18 minutes in the first half! There are 24 minutes left in the second. Do you know what the record for points in a playoff game is?"

"Of course! Michael Jordan, 63 points."

"You’ve got that straight. Looks like you’re bound to break that number sooner or later."

"Haha, let's hope so. But I think it’ll be a tall order; I’ve just been lucky."

"Oh, my God! Why don’t I ever have that kind of luck?" Cairns continued to rib him.

"Lin, do you want to break the record?" Nelson asked. His tone suggested he wanted to see just how many points Lin Fei could put up, though his eyes seemed to carry a hint of concern.

Lin Fei hesitated for a moment. After about three seconds, he met Nelson’s gaze and said one word: "Yes."

It had to be said that Nelson was a player-centric coach. In the final game of the regular season, he had even risked losing home-court advantage to help Lin Fei secure the scoring title. Now, he wanted to see Lin Fei break the playoff scoring record, hoping to cement the kid's name in NBA history.

However, Nelson’s concern was valid, especially after Lin Fei’s answer. Lin Fei’s physical attributes were arguably the worst in the league; he relied almost entirely on speed and shooting, which demanded immense stamina. The amount of time Lin Fei could maintain that level of explosive athleticism was limited. He could only sustain full-throttle offense for about twenty minutes or so; at other times, he might not be as lethal. But when facing him, opponents found it difficult to judge whether he was in "full-throttle" mode or not.

The second half began with the Warriors leading by 27 points, still utilizing their all-reserve lineup, including Lin Fei.

Lin Fei brought the ball up, but this time, two defenders stood directly in his path, forming a solid wall. As long as they kept him from penetrating, everything would be fine. The Mavericks should have done this sooner. The previous approach of one man guarding and one helping had simply created the perfect lanes for Lin Fei’s movement. One turn or a few quick crossovers were all he needed to breeze past. But against two defenders, his first step was far more difficult. With their arms spread wide, they nearly spanned half the court. If Lin Fei wanted to get past them, he would have to jump over their heads.

Lin Fei was forced to pass to his teammates. They pushed the ball up quickly, with all five Warriors crashing toward the Mavericks' paint.

Lin Fei roamed the three-point line, constantly moving. His teammates, seeing no immediate opening, didn't rush. The Warriors' offense was designed around six-second intervals, meaning that if they executed fully, they could cycle through four different offensive sets within a single 24-second clock to see which was most effective.

A teammate played one-on-one, while Lin Fei hovered high, ready to catch. Kidd stuck to him like glue, even using his body to bump him. Despite his age, Kidd still had enough physicality to hold his own.

The ball went into the post and kicked back out. After four passes, Lin Fei hadn't touched the ball once. Frustrated, his teammate was forced into a tough shot as the clock expired.

Something was off. The reserves had grown accustomed to Lin Fei running the floor, dribbling, penetrating, and scoring all on his own. With him stifled, the Warriors' offensive rhythm crumbled. Even when Lin Fei finally got the ball and passed it out, his teammates hesitated even when open, making one wonder if these reserves were truly of NBA caliber. The reason was deep-seated: after relying on Lin Fei to handle the offense for so long, they had lost their own sense of direction and style.

The Warriors failed on three consecutive possessions. Lin Fei only touched the ball once, in the dying seconds of the clock, and his rushed attempt missed. The Mavericks cut the lead to 20! In basketball, 4, 10, and 20-point margins are often psychological thresholds; the difference between being up by 20 or 19 is worlds apart.

Nelson sent in his starters, replacing Curry with Lin Fei.

The Mavericks’ hearts sank. That lineup was unstoppable.

The Warriors inbounded the ball. Lin Fei received it and immediately whipped a pass to the cutting Cairns, not giving the Mavericks a chance to double-team. Cairns didn't even take two dribbles before finding X. X saw Lin Fei sprinting ahead and looking back; he lobbed the ball forward. Lin Fei caught it, wide open as if no one were there. He paused, settled himself, and let it fly.

"Swish!" It was good!

The Mavericks were on the verge of tears. The lead ballooned back to 23!

On the next possession, Lin Fei passed to Jobs and sprinted toward the midline, waiting for the return. This time, only Terry was guarding him. Lin Fei caught the ball, gave a slight shimmy, shook Terry off, rose up, and drained the jumper. Terry grabbed his headband in frustration and slammed it onto the floor—a technical foul.

That was his second technical of the night! He was ejected. Lin Fei sank the ensuing free throw.

With Terry out, the Mavericks were forced to rely on the aging Kidd. The results were disastrous. Unable to keep pace with Lin Fei, Kidd was baited into foul after foul. It was simple speed—Lin Fei drew four free throws, and while that might not seem like much, forcing Kidd, a Hall of Fame-level playmaker, into constant foul trouble was no easy feat.

By the end of the third quarter, the Warriors had extended their lead to 118–90, a 28-point advantage.

Lin Fei had played the entire third quarter, contributing 22 points. He shot 6-of-9 from three and 4-of-5 from the line, drawing four fouls on Kidd—bringing Kidd’s total to five, just one away from being fouled out.

As the quarter ended, Lin Fei had reached a staggering 54 points, but the weariness was already visible on his face.