LRAB Chapter 20: Strong Start in Matchup
Chapter 20: Strong Start in Matchup
November 2002, United Center Stadium, Chicago.
On game night, the entire arena was filled with deafening cheers and boos. More than 20,000 spectators packed every seat, and the red Bulls jerseys formed a vast ocean. Only a few blue Warriors jerseys in the corners and a few Chinese support signs that read "Go for it, Suona Bro!" stood out against the red wave.
Tonight's nationally televised game was temporarily upgraded by the league from a local station to a national broadcast on TNT. In the studio, Barkley was arguing heatedly with Kenny Smith, banging his fist on the table.
"I bet a hundred dollars that Lin Hao will score over 20 points on Williams tonight! This kid isn't some internet celebrity, he's a natural basketball player!" Barkley slammed his clipboard down. "Jay Williams is a paper tiger, a show-off from Duke, he can't stop Lin Hao!"
Kenny Smith shook his head with a laugh: "Charles, did you forget that you called this kid a circus performer during the Summer League? Jay is this year's second overall pick, the absolute core of Duke University. He'll show that Chinese kid that you can't survive in the NBA with just a crappy song."
The studio was in an uproar, and the atmosphere during the warm-up segment was so tense it was almost palpable.
In the Bulls' half, Jay Williams was dribbling the ball, making sharp crossovers repeatedly. Every dribble was filled with rage, and his eyes would occasionally glance towards the Warriors' half, filled with undisguised aggression.
The pre-game bet had spread throughout the league, and the entire nation was watching this fateful matchup between the second overall pick and a second-round pick. He publicly declared that Lin Hao wouldn't score more than 10 points against him, and if he lost, he would publicly apologize and serve as Lin Hao's caddie for a week. Now that he'd said that, if Lin Hao proved him wrong tonight, he, the second overall pick, would have absolutely no face left.
Meanwhile, at the Warriors' halftime, Lin Hao was leaning against the scorer's table, slowly unscrewing a can of yellow peaches, forking a piece of peach and stuffing it into his mouth. The sweet juice melted in his mouth, instantly suppressing the slight tension he had before the game.
Richardson sidled up to him, also holding a can of food and a spoon in his mouth, looking menacing: "Canned Food Bro, when you get on the court later, if that kid tries anything dirty with you, just tell me, and I'll ram him into the air, making sure he never even touches the rim!"
"Stop with the nonsense." Lin Hao chewed on a peach, glanced at Williams on the opposite side of the court, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "He wants to fight me one-on-one, right? I'll play along. I've taught a lot of middle school students with much worse tempers than him, and in the end, I still managed to subdue them all."
He wasn't bragging.
The night before, he stayed up half the night in the hotel's video room, meticulously dissecting Williams' game footage at Duke University and every single round of the Summer League, frame by frame.
All of this kid's habits have long been etched into his mind: before changing direction, his knee must be tilted one centimeter in the direction of the breakthrough; he relies heavily on his left hand to break through; eight out of ten breakthroughs are on the left side; before a sudden stop jump shot, there must be a half-second pause; when turning around with his back to the basket, he will always walk towards the baseline.
In the eyes of this youth coach who has been teaching football for more than ten years, Williams' every move is as clear as if it were written on his face, and easier to predict than the traffic lights at the entrance of the village.
"Come here, everyone." Lin Hao swallowed the last bite of peach, put the can aside, waved to his teammates who had gathered around, picked up a marker from the scorer's table, and quickly drew a few lines on the tactics board. "At the start of the game, on the first possession, Murphy, you come up and set an off-ball screen for me. I'll circle out to receive the ball. Jason, you spread out to the weak side and draw their defender away. The rest of you spread out. I'll go one-on-one with Williams."
"No problem!" Richardson patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, Canned Food Bro, I guarantee I'll get him clean and tidy. Let that kid fight you one-on-one. I want to see how you can fool this second overall pick!"
Murphy, standing next to him, nodded repeatedly. After the opening game against the Lakers and the previous Summer League, Lin Hao's words carried more weight than the head coach's.
The whistle blew to signal the end of warm-up, and both teams left the field to prepare for their return.
In the player tunnel, Lin Hao was walking onto the court with his teammates when he bumped into Williams, who was walking towards them with the Bulls players.
Williams stopped and blocked Lin Hao's path. Standing at 1.88 meters tall, his muscles were taut, and his eyes were filled with malice. He made a throat-slitting gesture at Lin Hao and spat out viciously, "Kid, wait till we get on the court, I'll make you cry your way home. You'll learn that a second-round pick is always a second-round pick, and internet celebrities never deserve to stand on the same court as me."
Lin Hao raised an eyebrow, and a thick Northeastern accent slowly floated out: "What? What's the use of just talking? Let's see who's the real deal on the field. Don't come crying and saying I bullied you after I beat you up."
After saying that, he didn't bother to waste any more words with Williams, so he stepped aside, walked across the players' tunnel, and strode onto the field.
A deafening chorus of boos erupted from the crowd, mingling with cheers from the Chinese fans. The two sounds collided so violently they nearly blew the roof off the stadium.
The TNT commentator looked at the camera, his voice brimming with excitement: "Ladies and gentlemen, the matchup everyone's been waiting for is finally here! This year's second overall pick, Jay Williams, versus this summer's most controversial second-round pick, Lin Hao! The two made a bet before the game, and this matchup is destined to be explosive!"
The starting players from both sides took to the field for the jump ball in the center circle.
Warriors' starting center Dampier and Bulls' Chandler stood at center circle. The referee tossed the ball high into the air, and both players leaped simultaneously. Chandler's jump was faster; his fingertips touched the ball first, tipping it towards his own half of the court.
The Bulls gained possession first!
Williams caught the ball that was passed to him steadily, glanced at the person defending him, and a sinister smile instantly appeared on his lips.
Standing in front of him was Lin Hao.
The entire venue erupted in cheers!
No one expected that the Warriors would immediately pair Lin Hao with this year's second overall pick! There was no switching, no help defense, it was a clear one-on-one matchup!
The commentators on the sidelines instantly perked up: "Wow! The Warriors are clearly going to pit Lin Hao against Williams head-to-head! Let's see if this rookie, whom Williams calls an 'internet celebrity,' can stop this Duke University prodigy guard!"
Williams lowered his center of gravity, dribbling the basketball between his legs with a crisp, slapping sound. His eyes were fixed on Lin Hao, and he began trash-talking, "Kid, you delivered yourself to me. Don't cry when I blow you past in one step!"
Lin Hao stood firmly in place, his center of gravity stable, his feet shoulder-width apart, his left hand held horizontally in front of him, his outstretched arms blocking both escape routes. His eyes didn't even blink, his gaze fixed intently on Williams' knee, his expression unchanged.
The passive effect of the Eye of Foresight has already been quietly triggered.
Every subtle shift in Williams' center of gravity was as clear to him as a slow-motion replay. He knew all too well that the kid would definitely break through to the left, and before that, his right shoulder would drop half an inch, making a feint to break through to the right.
Sure enough, the next second, Williams suddenly lowered his shoulder to the right, making a move to break through to the right. Then, he flipped his wrist and was about to pull the ball to his left hand to break through to the left at full speed!
This is his signature crossover that he used repeatedly in the NCAA. His first step is incredibly explosive, and almost no one in college leagues can keep up with his first step.
He had even planned out how this move would send Lin Hao flying, followed by a one-handed dunk, making this arrogant Chinese kid lose face in front of the entire American audience.
But just as he pulled the ball to his left hand, before he could take a second step forward, a hand suddenly blocked his way.
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Hao's hand precisely sliced the basketball, his fingertips landing right underneath it, snatching the ball from his grasp!
The moment the basketball was intercepted, it rolled down the floor toward the Warriors' half. Richardson reacted quickly, scooped up the ball, and sprinted toward the frontcourt.
Williams froze on the spot, his eyes wide open, his face filled with disbelief.
His signature crossover, which he was so proud of, was completely outmaneuvered by this second-round pick, who simply reached out and stole the ball.
A gasp erupted from the crowd, the cheers from the Chinese fans instantly drowning out the boos. The Warriors' bench players jumped up, waving cans of peaches wildly at the court while shouting.
"Great job! Canned Food Guy! Well done!"
Richardson rushed to the frontcourt on a fast break, faced the Bulls' retreating defender, and made a reverse layup, sending the ball smoothly into the basket.
2: 0!
The Warriors took an early lead!
Upon landing, Richardson rushed over immediately, bumped shoulders with Lin Hao, and excitedly shouted, "Awesome! Canned Food Bro! You completely stunned him right from the start!"
Lin Hao smiled, patted him on the back, turned and ran back. When he passed by Williams, he glanced at him indifferently and didn't say anything.
But that one glance sent Williams' anger soaring to the top of his head.
He felt like he'd been slapped in the face in public, his face burning. As the highly anticipated second overall pick, to have the ball cleanly and decisively stolen by a second-round pick in the very first possession—if that got out, where would he put his face?
The Bulls inbounded the ball from the baseline, and Williams received it again. He dribbled across half-court, waved to his teammates as before, and told them to spread out. He was going to go one-on-one with Lin Hao.
He couldn't believe that he, a genius second overall pick from Duke, couldn't even beat a second-round pick!
This time, he didn't use any fancy changes of direction. Instead, he lowered his center of gravity and used his physical advantage to force his way to Lin Hao's left side, trying to create space for a layup.
But Lin Hao remained as steady as a mountain, retreating in rhythm with his exertion, his steps perfectly controlled, always blocking his path, his left hand always positioned between him and the basketball, leaving him no space to shoot.
Williams was forced into a corner and had no choice but to forcefully gather the ball. He made a sudden stop and a fadeaway jump shot, but due to Lin Hao's long arms interfering with it, the basketball went way off course, hit the side of the rim, and bounced out.
Murphy grabbed the rebound easily and passed it directly to Lin Hao in the frontcourt.
Lin Hao received the ball and dribbled it across half-court. He looked up and saw that the person guarding him was still Williams.
The entire audience fell silent instantly, everyone holding their breath and staring at the one-on-one match.
Williams' eyes were bloodshot. He lowered his center of gravity, pressed himself tightly against Lin Hao, and continued to hurl trash talk: "If you're so capable, then fight me one-on-one! Don't rely on your teammates! I want to see what you're capable of!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Hao smiled and waved to Murphy, who had run up to provide cover, signaling him to pull away.
The entire audience erupted in uproar!
He actually wants to play a one-on-one singles match against Williams!
Lin Hao dribbled the ball and stood outside the three-point line. He didn't do any fancy crossover dribbling; he just did simple alternating dribbling in front of his body. The pace wasn't fast, but it made it impossible for Williams to predict his next move.
In the half-second that Williams was stunned, Lin Hao suddenly took a step to the right, his right shoulder dropping, assuming a stance to break through to the right. Williams instinctively moved to the right, but after only half a step, he saw Lin Hao flip his wrist, pulling the ball back to his left hand, and then taking a step to the left.
This was Williams' signature wide crossover dribble!
The movements were exactly the same, even the rhythm and shifts in weight were exactly the same!
Williams' center of gravity was instantly shaken, and he staggered back two steps, watching helplessly as Lin Hao easily slipped past him, stepped just inside the free throw line, jumped lightly, flicked his wrist, and the basketball grazed the backboard and went steadily into the basket.
4: 0!
The moment the ball went in, the whole stadium erupted!
The Warriors' bench went completely wild, with players jumping up and down and shouting. Richardson even held a can of peaches above his head and started yelling at the Bulls' bench.
The commentator on the sidelines, microphone in hand, was trembling with excitement: "My God! What did I just see?! Lin Hao used Williams' signature crossover to get past him! He stole Williams' skill set! This is unbelievable!"
Lin Hao landed, picked up the basketball, tossed it to the referee at the baseline, turned to look at Williams who was still standing there in a daze, grinned, and slowly let out a thick Northeastern accent:
"Your signboard is quite useful. Can I borrow it for a bit? You don't mind, do you?"
In one sentence, Williams's face turned a deep purplish-red, his chest heaved violently, and he gritted his teeth, unable to utter a single word.
He couldn't understand how this Chinese kid could use his best move so skillfully and even turn it against him!
The following matches turned into a complete solo performance by Lin Hao.
On offense, he played better and better, using his teammates' screens to get out and receive the ball, and then making a three-pointer with ease, swishing it through the net; his penetration and passing were so accurate that he always found open teammates, assisting Richardson to complete consecutive dunks; even when facing double teams, he could easily break through the defense and score layups by changing his rhythm.
On the defensive end, he completely shut down Williams.
No matter whether Williams drove to the left or the right, whether he used a crossover or a behind-the-back dribble, Lin Hao could always be a step ahead, blocking his path as if he knew in advance where Williams was going, making his defense impenetrable.
For four consecutive possessions, Williams was either forced to take shots that missed, or he was forced to pass the ball, without getting a single comfortable shot opportunity.
With half of the first quarter gone, the Warriors had already outscored the Bulls 32-18, leading by as many as 18 points!
The boos at the United Center had long since subsided, leaving only whispers throughout the arena and occasional cheers from the Chinese fan section.
Everyone was stunned. No one expected that the highly anticipated second overall pick would be so thoroughly outmaneuvered by a rookie selected late in the second round, who struggled to even get a shot off and was completely crushed on both ends of the court.
The whistle blew to end the first quarter, and both teams walked off the court.
The technical statistics were displayed on the big screen at the scene, and everyone was stunned.
Lin Hao scored 15 points in the first quarter, making 6 of 7 field goals, 2 of 2 three-pointers, and 1 of 1 free throw. He also had 3 assists and 1 steal, demonstrating incredibly high efficiency.
Jay Williams went 0-for-4 in the first quarter, scoring only 2 points from free throws, and also committed 2 turnovers, completely shutting down by Lin Hao's defense.
On the Bulls' bench, Williams plopped down in his chair, slammed his towel to the ground, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at Lin Hao on the opposite bench, who was calmly drinking water and discussing tactics with the coach, his teeth grinding together.
He was completely out of control.
In the second quarter, he will abandon all teamwork and start a crazy one-on-one mode. He will take back all the face he lost over Lin Hao!
On the Warriors' bench, the head coach looked at Lin Hao with a broad smile, patting him on the shoulder repeatedly: "Lin, you did a fantastic job! In the second quarter, you played with complete freedom, and the plays were all executed perfectly!"
Lin Hao smiled and nodded, unscrewed a can of yellow peaches, forked a piece of peach into his mouth, looked up at Williams across from him, and a faint smile flashed in his eyes.
Are you getting anxious?
This is nothing.
I haven't shown my true abilities yet.