Chapter 82: The "Smiling Assassin"

The atmosphere on the court was tense—though it was only the first half, it already felt as if the game had reached its final moments.

As Lin Fei sprinted swiftly towards the frontcourt, he made a sharp cut in the opposite direction, his movement sudden and explosive. Westbrook, unable to check his own momentum, lagged behind—perhaps because Lin Fei, having rested for a significant stretch, was full of energy, while Westbrook, who hadn’t left the court, was beginning to tire. This single cut immediately widened the gap between Lin Fei and his defender. Curry wasted no time, passing the ball to Lin Fei. Though Westbrook was now distant, Sefolosha, who was guarding Curry, and Durant both lunged toward Lin Fei simultaneously—like two lions vying for a single rabbit. It seemed the two had anticipated Lin Fei’s move and were ready to help on defense the moment he made his run. When Lin Fei caught the ball, both defenders were just a step away. Even attempting a shot from this range would be risky. Lin Fei stepped back, and the two defenders grew even more anxious—they knew Lin Fei could unleash a quick step-back jumper at any moment. Durant pressed in close, but Lin Fei remained still, flicking his wrist lightly and passing the ball back to Curry, who promptly drained a three-pointer.

The Warriors’ offense was a flurry of three-pointers, while the Thunder seemed completely lost defending the perimeter. On the other end, the Thunder relentlessly attacked the paint.

When it was the Thunder’s turn to attack, their strongest advantage—their powerful inside presence—had yet to be fully utilized. Perkins, their big man, was built for physical play and held a clear advantage in matchups against Crowderson and Jobs, who simply couldn’t contain him. Yet from the start, the Thunder had focused on feeding Durant, then shifted to Westbrook, which only served to give Durant more opportunities and increase the defensive pressure on Lin Fei, making it easier for Durant to chase the scoring title.

“No one expected they’d value the scoring title this much! Perhaps Durant should talk to his coach, focus on winning the game rather than his own numbers. He’s already claimed several scoring titles—what he really needs now is a championship to prove himself,” the commentator observed. “Lin Fei is playing aggressively tonight, continually passing and creating for his teammates, but with this approach, his chances at the scoring title grow slimmer. If he can keep his fouls under control, then even if he doesn’t win the scoring race, this game might still belong to him!”

The Thunder once again turned to Durant. Holding the ball at mid-range and facing Aix, Durant simply rose up for a jumper. Aix, defending tightly, nearly had his hand on Durant’s face, but the ball seemed guided by an invisible hand, floating gently into the hoop. Durant finally sank a three-pointer; his shooting touch was clearly returning. On the bench, both Nelson and Kaines stood up in anticipation.

The score now stood at 40 to 39 in favor of the Warriors. On the season’s scoring leaderboard, Durant had pulled ahead of Lin Fei by 23 points—Lin Fei’s odds of claiming the title seemed to dwindle with every moment. Even the fans’ hopes of a dramatic shootout between the two stars had yet to materialize.

The Warriors remained in control, with Lin Fei handling the ball. Westbrook’s persistent shadowing was no trouble; Lin Fei received the pass with ease and pushed the pace. Sensing Lin Fei was about to break free, Westbrook reached out and grabbed him. The Thunder hadn’t reached their foul limit yet, so it was a strategic move—by stopping play, Westbrook hoped to reduce Lin Fei’s chances of receiving the inbound pass on the next possession. It was rare in the league to see such dogged coverage of an opposing point guard right from the inbound, but Westbrook’s defense of Lin Fei was nothing short of special.

Curry inbounded from the sideline to Aix, who drove past Durant and penetrated the paint. Lin Fei lingered beyond the arc—a rare foray, as he usually hardly ever ventured inside, which was why he rarely grabbed rebounds. Westbrook, on the other hand, though a guard, had a hunger for rebounds. Aix pulled up abruptly for a jumper, but the ball clanged off the rim, dropping just in front of the free-throw line. Instinctively, Westbrook lunged for the rebound, but just as he was about to grasp it, a broad figure appeared in his way—Jobs. Jobs secured the rebound and immediately kicked it out to Lin Fei, who was standing a step beyond the arc. The moment Jobs grabbed the ball, Westbrook sensed danger. With Westbrook nowhere near, Lin Fei fired from the top of the key. Westbrook didn’t even attempt to contest—he knew he was too late. All he could do was hope the shot missed and prepare to fight for the next rebound. But...

Westbrook was left frustrated. Why did he go for that rebound? His usual instinct for the boards had let him down this time.

The Warriors extended their lead to four points, and the gap between Lin Fei and the scoring title shrank to twenty. Many fans in the stands began to cheer for Lin Fei, as if envisioning him catching fire and scoring in bunches once more.

The Thunder took possession, Westbrook on the ball. Lin Fei’s relentless pursuit disrupted Westbrook’s rhythm. Westbrook stopped short, crossed over, driving left. Perkins came up to set a screen, and Westbrook used the opportunity to slip past Lin Fei and charge towards the basket. Lin Fei, screened out by Perkins, was now even with Westbrook in his approach to the rim, but Westbrook was already accelerating while Lin Fei hadn’t yet started his sprint. On instinct, Lin Fei chased after him—he could have reached out and fouled Westbrook to stop the play, but in that instant, he remembered, “Control your fouls.” He withdrew his hand just as Westbrook took off, soaring for a thunderous dunk. As Westbrook landed, he let out a roar, venting all his pent-up frustration over his recent defensive lapses against Lin Fei.

The entire Thunder bench leapt to their feet—Westbrook’s dunk was a jolt to their spirits.

Nelson smiled slightly from the sidelines. What did it mean? Was he admiring Westbrook’s ferocious dunk, or was he thinking about Lin Fei’s defense on the previous play?

As the Warriors’ players passed by Lin Fei on their way up the court, each one patted him affectionately on the head—a friendly gesture, as if to encourage him. Even though Lin Fei had gradually become the heart of the Warriors, in the locker room he was still treated like the team’s kid brother; all his teammates were like elder brothers to him.

Lin Fei responded with a gentle smile, his entire expression brightening, as though the intensity and tension of the game had melted away in an instant. Nelson didn’t call a timeout—the team flowed straight into their next possession.

That smile was so familiar! Westbrook was startled. So many times before, that expression had been Lin Fei’s hallmark—whenever he was about to explode on the court, that smile would appear. Was he imitating the “Smiling Assassin” Isiah Thomas? Of course, that was just a joke. The real Smiling Assassin didn’t just smile whenever he wanted to take over. But right now, Lin Fei’s smile truly seemed like an omen.