Chapter 21 When 30+10+10 Becomes Fleeting Smoke

As an MVP, how could Rose easily accept defeat? Furthermore, as a young player filled with intense competitive drive, he was certainly not one to back down easily.

However, Rose's approach was indeed open to debate. He was not displaying his usual well-rounded game; today, facing Lin Fei, he seemed overly determined to outperform him specifically in scoring. On the second offensive possession, Rose actually signaled his teammates to clear out, wanting to go one-on-one against Lin Fei. While Rose was eager for a duel, the Warriors had other plans. The second attempt succeeded, but on the third try, Lin Fei's good friend Cairns was having none of it. Cairns had always disliked point guards who relied purely on physical strength to bully Lin Fei, and whenever he helped out with defensive rotations, he often delivered stellar performances. Now, facing the formidable Rose, Cairns was definitely not going to sit idly by. Sure enough, as Rose drove past Lin Fei on his third possession and went straight for a layup, Cairns came flying over with a thunderous chase-down block. The Warriors players could not help but smile inwardly, knowing that Rose was among the most blocked players in the league.

On the other end, Lin Fei, despite sharing an equally strong desire to win against Rose, better understood the value of moving the ball—passing it out and then receiving it back. Whenever Lin Fei caught the ball, he found it easy to get his shots off. The dynamic was somewhat amusing: the normally all-around Rose was desperately searching for ways to score, seemingly trying to outdo Lin Fei, whereas Lin Fei appeared much more focused on distributing the ball. Perhaps they each secretly envied the other's abilities.

Seeing the flow of the game unfold, Thibodeau decided it was time to get serious. The Bulls' defense was truly of championship caliber. When the Warriors officially shifted into their fast-break rhythm, it was almost a declaration that an unstoppable offense had arrived. Yet the defensive recovery speed of the Bulls was undeniably swift. With Rose, Luol Deng, and the powerful center Arnold anchoring a defense that was growing increasingly ferocious, the Warriors could only generate speed if the ball started directly in the hands of the point guard or via a long outlet pass. In any other scenario, a Warriors fast break was exceedingly difficult to launch. Out of two offensive possessions, the Warriors could now only manage one quick eight-second strike. While that might seem miraculous to an ordinary team, given that they were the Warriors, it could almost be considered a failure.

Thibodeau was a clever coach; he knew the interior was the Warriors' Achilles' heel. Giving the Warriors a little taste of success early on and matching their speed for a while was fine, but when it came to playing a tough, gritty game, the Bulls had to unleash their interior offense. Arnold's individual scoring ability inside might be average, but paired with a guard of Rose's caliber, his threat could not be underestimated. Arnold could firmly establish advantageous position deep in the paint, while the Bulls' power forward was Boozer—the former Utah Jazz standout equipped with a lethal mid-range jumper. Boozer frequently drifted outside to shoot, causing headaches for many interior defenders across the league. Combined with Luol Deng, whose offensive prowess was also of All-Star caliber, the Bulls' offense was undeniably formidable. Guided by Thibodeau, Rose clearly rediscovered his complete self. Facing Lin Fei, he easily penetrated into the paint and then effortlessly kicked the ball out to Arnold or Boozer. That single tactic alone made the Warriors' defense struggle immensely.

The Bulls gradually seized the upper hand, their defense beginning to suppress the Warriors, while on the offensive end, Rose practically stopped shooting jumpers, opting either to slice all the way to the rim for layups or drive and kick. This unleashed Rose's maximum destructive power. Fortunately, the Bulls' defense was only good in relative terms, not absolute perfection. While Clauderson had no answer for Arnold, Jobs possessed a reliable mid-range jumper against Boozer. Boozer's height limited his defensive effectiveness, making it relatively easy for Jobs to score. Moreover, the cross-cutting and fluid movement of X and Jobs allowed the Warriors' forward line to hold their own against the Bulls. That left the backcourt: after a flurry of successful early-game scores, Lin Fei seemed to lose interest in purely hunting for his own offense, opting instead for more passes. Lin Fei was trying to figure out how to distribute the ball like Rose. Prior to Lin Fei, players like Rose, Russell Westbrook, and John Wall were the quintessential aggressive point guards. While these players possessed explosive scoring ability, their playmaking skills were equally profound. Many people hoped Lin Fei could evolve into a player like Rose—perhaps a pipe dream given physical limitations, but as Lin Fei himself put it: "I just want to try exploring pure isolation scoring, and I also want to try becoming a player like Rose."

Nelson promptly substituted Lin Fei out to give him a rest, sending in Curry. Curry matched up against Rose without suffering any real disadvantage, and Curry's perimeter shooting was significantly superior to Rose's. With Curry on the floor, the tide began to turn for the Warriors. Their pace once again exceeded the absolute speed limit of what the Bulls could defend. Curry crossed half-court in the blink of an eye, and his teammates' rapid cuts made every player look like a sharp blade piercing the heart of the Bulls' defense. Even with a defensive stalwart like Arnold on the floor, two hands cannot fight four. With so many Warriors players attacking, the Bulls' interior defense was shredded like a sieve by constant motion.

This was precisely what Thibodeau feared! The Warriors' tempo never slowed down; they never reduced their speed simply because their opponents were fatigued. While the Warriors themselves might experience a slight dip in pace due to tiredness, they invariably minimized that drop-off through seamless player rotations. Thibodeau began calling upon his bench. While these reserves were capable players, expecting them to drastically shift the tide against the Warriors was unrealistic; his primary hope was simply to buy adequate rest for his starters.

The Warriors gradually clawed their way back from a deficit, a recovery largely owed to the bench unit.

On the sideline, Lin Fei constantly cheered Curry on. Deep down, Lin Fei always felt that he had merely stumbled into Curry's starting job by chance, and he never knew how long he would be able to hold onto that spot in the starting lineup.

After resting for roughly five minutes, Rose re-entered the game, with the score deadlocked. Back to square one, Nelson watched the unit led by Curry performing well and let them continue for a bit longer. However, the moment Rose stepped back onto the court, the Bulls' aura instantly surged. Two consecutive defensive stops followed by three successful offensive possessions quickly stretched the lead to seven points.

Nelson placed immense importance on this contest because, in order to win a championship, a team like the Bulls served as the ultimate litmus test. Calling an urgent timeout, Nelson sent his starters back onto the floor, deploying a dual point-guard lineup featuring both Curry and Lin Fei. For Nelson, the twin-guard combination was a lethal trump card, complemented by Lin Fei's fearless shooting off the dribble.

Faced with this lineup reputed to be the most potent offensive combination in the league, Thibodeau was equally exhilarated. To learn from the experience—even in defeat, it would be worth it—was undoubtedly the proper mindset for a coach.

On their first offensive possession with the dual point guards, Curry initiated the play. Lin Fei sprinted forward rapidly, cleanly shaking off Rose's coverage. However, Rose fiercely cut off the passing lane from Curry to Lin Fei. Lin Fei drifted near the centerline in the frontcourt, and the exact second Curry crossed mid-court, both players burst forward simultaneously. Rose was caught right in the middle, running parallel with the two of them. Suddenly, Lin Fei slammed on the brakes, taking a single step backward. Curry understood instantly, flicking the ball directly into Lin Fei's hands. By the time Rose desperately tried to recover, it was far too late. With a light dribble, Lin Fei hoisted the shot immediately. It was a wide-open look; to miss it would have been a crime.

The deficit was down to four! A sense of crisis began to grip the Bulls, and Rose's pace as he brought the ball up became markedly more measured. Even when matching up against Lin Fei, Rose probed cautiously, sketching the blueprint of the Bulls' offense. With a screen from Boozer, Rose slashed into the paint in a flash, launching a floater that struck the front rim. Clauderson secured the rebound and immediately launched an outlet pass to Lin Fei, who was already running the floor. Luol Deng scrambled back on defense rapidly, but how could his speed compare to Lin Fei's? Even with Lin Fei dribbling the ball, Deng was not guaranteed to win a footrace. As Lin Fei reached the free-throw line, Deng arrived at the three-point arc. Lin Fei could have gone straight into a layup, and it would have been difficult for Deng to chase him down for a block. Instead, anticipating Deng's explosive leap a step inside the free-throw line—scaling an astonishing height intended to swat Lin Fei's shot—Lin Fei displayed immense cleverness. He pulled back the hand he had already extended and instead executed a delicate, soft finger-roll. Deng crashed hard directly into the basket stanchion.

The deficit was down to two! Lin Fei's destructive impact was beginning to show. The Bulls responded by tightening the screws with bloody, physical defense. On Lin Fei's next drive, Rose used his body as a brick wall to stonewall him. Lin Fei kicked the ball out to Jobs, who went one-on-one against Arnold. Arnold blanketed Jobs with his arms, making Jobs intensely uncomfortable. Jobs turned, leaned back, and fired, but the shot missed wide, his body crashing heavily to the floor. He expected a foul call, but the whistle remained silent; inside the restricted area, a degree of physical contact was considered standard play. Arnold was beginning to fully showcase his tough, rugged physical attributes.

The two teams were deadlocked once again.

Now, a superstar needed to step forward and dictate the outcome of the game.

All eyes converged on two individuals—Rose and Lin Fei.

The game reverted to its initial narrative: the most direct duel between the two players.

Rose assisted Boozer on a mid-range jumper, while Lin Fei initiated his personal scoring onslaught. Dribbling swiftly, despite Rose's smothering contest that would normally have lowered his shooting percentage, Lin Fei received the full cooperation of his teammates. Emerging from a screen near the centerline, Lin Fei wasted no time pulling up and letting fly. Swish! Three points! The Warriors led by one.

On the ensuing possession, the Bulls attacked, drawing a foul on Lin Fei. Rose split the pair at the free-throw line, tying the game.

Lin Fei went coast-to-coast alone once more. This time without a teammate's screen, during a frantic high-speed dribble, he utilized a subtle hesitation move to freeze Rose before immediately rising up for the shot. Bucket again. The Warriors led by three.

Gritting his teeth, Rose answered with a layup of his own.

Lin Fei brought the ball up again, only to find three defenders swarming him near mid-court. Lin Fei zipped a pass to X, who sprinted to the corner and drilled a three-pointer. The lead expanded to four.

This was enough to nearly shatter the psychological resilience of the Bulls! Those threes fell faster than a meteor shower.

The Warriors showed no signs of stopping, and Lin Fei continued his mythic three-point shooting display.

Following that, he pulled up from well beyond the arc and drained another triple. His ultra-deep bombs from near mid-court almost made people forget that his standard three-point shooting from behind the arc was equally devastating.

Four points! Seven points! Five points! Eight points! Eleven points!

Just like that, the Warriors effortlessly dismantled the Bulls! In crunch time, Lin Fei shot an incredible 7-of-11 from beyond the arc!

Lin Fei was named the player of the game. Facing the superstar Rose, he poured in 40 points, rendering Rose's triple-double of 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists entirely negligible.

Over two games against the league's two finest elite offensive guards, Westbrook and Rose, his scoring average stood unmatched in the modern era. It seemed the scoring title was destined to be his.

Whispers began to circulate on the streets: scoring has no limits. When I scored 20 points, many people claimed my physical traits dictated that 20 points would be my ceiling. But when I reached 30 points, they argued that my technical style meant I could only manage that much. Yet when I surpassed even that... what will they say next?