Chapter 124: Carlisle's Miscalculation

As the game began, Lin Fei was greeted by an earth-shattering chorus of boos. In truth, the louder the jeers, the more it betrayed the fans' deep-seated fear that their team might face such a player. Lin Fei was once again in the starting lineup for this game.

The match tipped off with a jump ball between Cladson and Chandler. Chandler’s vertical leap bested Cladson’s, and the Mavericks secured possession. With Kidd running the point, the Mavericks seemed to carry a different energy today, appearing determined to seize victory at all costs.

On their first possession, the Mavericks executed a pick-and-roll. Following a high-post screen from Nowitzki and a penetrating pass from Kidd, Chandler finished the play with a thunderous dunk.

After conceding two points, the Warriors quickly inbounded the ball. Lin Fei received the pass and took two dribbles before two defenders immediately converged on him. Lin Fei swiftly dished the ball to the sprinting Kearns, who was virtually unmarked. As Kearns pushed the ball toward the three-point line, Nowitzki rushed out to provide help defense. Kearns bypassed the shot, instead passing to Jobs, who was left wide open. Regardless of how formidable Chandler’s interior defense was, he could not immediately recover to the free-throw line, and Jobs drained the mid-range jumper.

Analyzing the play, the Warriors’ offense took only six seconds. From the moment Lin Fei received the ball to his pass, it took 1.5 seconds. Kearns caught the ball, dribbled two or three steps, and—including a slight hesitation at the three-point line—used about two seconds before passing to Jobs, who shot immediately. The entire sequence lasted six seconds. This is what is meant by a fluid offense: the ball moves from start to finish without a single moment of stagnation. This style of play specifically exploits the Mavericks’ aging roster and their decline in athletic ability. To execute this, the Warriors needed someone capable of drawing double-teams, creating an opening for a ball-handler to attack. Lin Fei was that man; his presence forced the Mavericks to double-team him even in the backcourt. Consequently, the Warriors were guaranteed to have an open man, and since the Mavericks’ defensive rotations could not keep pace with the speed of the ball movement, the final player to touch the ball could easily complete the scoring opportunity.

In reality, the Mavericks had considered sticking to single coverage as they did in the previous game, but gambling on Lin Fei’s lack of rhythm was dangerous. Because of the Warriors’ constant motion, playing a zone defense was nearly impossible; they had to play man-to-man. For a player like Lin Fei, single coverage was practically an invitation to shoot, and if he caught fire, the Mavericks would have no recourse. Thus, the Mavericks chose to prioritize caution, using two defenders on Lin Fei initially to test his touch. If he was hot, they would continue the double-team, hoping to freeze his rhythm. However, if they sensed his touch was off, they would immediately revert to single coverage.

Through the first play, Carlisle keenly observed that Lin Fei did not possess the same frantic scoring desire he had displayed during his 64-point outburst. Typically, Lin Fei would look to finish the first possession himself, but this time he passed to Kearns in the backcourt. This realization brought a glimmer of relief to Carlisle; as long as Lin Fei did not activate that terrifying, "super-human" scoring mode, the Warriors remained beatable. Still, Carlisle would not call a timeout just yet; he needed to observe further. With a player as dangerous as Lin Fei, caution was the best policy.

Sure enough, on the Warriors’ second possession, Lin Fei carried the ball past mid-court but, seeing Kearns already in the frontcourt, quickly passed it to him. Kearns caught the ball and, without hesitation, drove into the paint for a soft finger-roll layup. This, too, was not credited as an assist for Lin Fei.

Although the Warriors were playing smoothly, Carlisle was not overly concerned because he saw a "passing" Lin Fei rather than a "scoring" Lin Fei. He knew that relying on passing alone made it difficult for Lin Fei to dominate the game. While he acknowledged that Lin Fei’s speed was an asset when playmaking, he believed Lin Fei’s passing had not yet reached the level of his scoring.

Finally, the Mavericks made a substitution: Terry entered the game. Their "Jet" had arrived. The player who had once boasted he could shut down Lin Fei’s scoring opportunities was finally on the floor, and his presence promised to bolster the Mavericks’ offensive firepower.

Once Terry was in, the Mavericks’ offense shifted to him, and he immediately scored by driving through the lane and hitting a floater over Lin Fei.

On the next Warriors possession, Lin Fei held the ball. His eyes were locked on the rim. "He only has eyes for the hoop"—a phrase often used as a critique in basketball, as it is a team sport. Yet, when Lin Fei’s eyes were fixed solely on the basket, it signaled a terrifying moment for the opponent.

Lin Fei held the ball, showing no change in demeanor. Meanwhile, Carlisle adjusted his defensive strategy; since Lin Fei lacked an intense desire to score, a double-team felt like a waste. He switched to single coverage: Terry.

Lin Fei dribbled twice. It was the same as before. He reached mid-court. It was time for him to pass; he had done so on the previous plays, seemingly placing more trust in team basketball.

But in the next heartbeat, Carlisle realized his mistake. Lin Fei didn't pass. Instead, facing Terry’s defense, he accelerated, executed a crossover dribble between his legs, and blew right past him. From a team perspective—at least from a coach’s view—there were better options for the ball to reach the basket. Yet, Lin Fei chose to break through himself. After beating Terry, the path to the rim was wide open. For most players, especially those with Lin Fei’s elite speed, this was the perfect moment to drive to the hoop. But Lin Fei’s choice was shocking. He leapt, elegantly lifting the ball over his head. The height of his jump, the upward momentum, and his grace in the air made one forget that this was an "unreasonable" shot. Given the distance, one couldn't help but wonder if such an elegant attempt could actually go in.

Lin Fei paused briefly in mid-air, his arm acting like a spring, and with a flick of his wrist, the ball snapped off his fingers. As it left his hand, his fingers followed through, putting a sharp backspin on the rock.

"Swish." Lin Fei hit the shot.

Carlisle was jolted awake. This was the Lin Fei who had dropped 64 points! And he was being guarded by Terry—the very player who had provoked him. How could he have overlooked such a crucial detail? This was a player who could not be provoked; once stimulated, he would erupt with astonishing scoring capability. By making an ignorant substitution, Carlisle had ignited Lin Fei’s desire to score. He had hoped to increase his own offensive power, but instead, he had completely unleashed the beast. It was a pyrrhic victory—or rather, a self-inflicted wound.

Lin Fei’s desire was lit. The show was about to begin.