Chapter Thirty-Seven: Brothers United, One Attacks, One Defends

The game thrived on passion, and Lin Fei’s powerful slam instantly silenced the boos from the entire crowd. Clearly, this kid’s reputation was well-earned. Jennings, facing such a formidable opponent, grew more exhilarated as he played. Excellent! Among young players, it was rare to find such a rival. He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

Jennings controlled the ball; his specialty was also the stop-and-pop jumper, though his range was slightly less than Lin Fei’s. However, with Bogut anchoring the paint for the Bucks, Jennings rarely needed to extend his attack out to half-court—perhaps he simply wasn’t capable of it. Lin Fei spun and tried to break through, but his defense was of little use. The paint was a crowded mess, with Bogut among the throng. Jennings’ drive completely unraveled the Warriors’ defensive scheme, turning the area beneath the basket into utter chaos. Jennings tossed up a floater that bounced off the rim. As everyone leaped for the rebound, Bogut used his size to box out the Warriors’ big men and calmly snatched the offensive board. Landing, he immediately sprang up for a thunderous dunk—a move reminiscent of a dragonfly skimming the surface of water. The arena erupted, the fans ecstatic to see their Australian center dominating the paint for their team.

The Warriors’ offense now seemed utterly chaotic—a pack of madmen racing up and down the court, impossible to contain or predict, with no clear focal point for their attacks. Against such unpredictable play, the Bucks’ defense was almost meaningless. By halftime, both teams were shooting an astounding 50%, and the score was 62–60, with the Warriors holding a two-point lead.

During halftime, Coach Nelson couldn’t hide his delight. He hadn’t expected his unconventional strategy to yield such an explosive offensive performance in just one half.

The Bucks’ coach, on the other hand, was at a loss to understand Nelson’s approach. This was nothing like his previous coaching style, which at least followed some discernible pattern. Now, he found it impossible to crack.

In the first half, Lin Fei racked up 12 points in 12 minutes during the second quarter alone—a point per minute. Though some of his stats were less impressive—just one assist, no rebounds, and two turnovers—overall, his performance was outstanding. Curry, meanwhile, tallied six assists. For the Bucks, Jennings also posted 12 points and five assists, a stellar showing, but what truly worried the Warriors was Bogut’s eight points, eight rebounds, and three blocks.

As the second half began, Lin Fei returned to the court in the third quarter, but this time his backcourt partner wasn’t Curry, but Kynes. Kynes and Lin Fei were close friends off the court, and their on-court chemistry was even more anticipated. The Bucks had also made a change, swapping out Jennings for Redd. The former superstar shooter, Redd—much like Arenas and Lin Fei himself—was a second-round pick with a deadly shot, tremendous scoring ability, and played the role of a “pseudo-point guard” shooting guard. Many compared Lin Fei to Jennings, but in terms of playing style, he was more closely aligned with Redd.

With Curry on the bench, Lin Fei assumed the role of true point guard, attempting to organize the offense. Yet, his unmatched speed left his teammates struggling to keep pace or find open looks. Often, Lin Fei would resort to isolation plays, scoring almost at will, but aside from him, the other Warriors seemed hexed—nothing they shot would fall. On the sideline, Nelson kept rubbing his head in frustration; this style of play relied too heavily on hot shooting.

On the Bucks’ side, Maggette was proving a tough matchup for Lin Fei, repeatedly scoring over him. Kynes, unable to watch the situation deteriorate, suggested they switch assignments right on the court—an act of defiance against the coach’s instructions only the Warriors would dare. The issue was significant: Redd stood almost a full head taller than Lin Fei, rendering him nearly helpless defensively against such shooters.

Sure enough, Redd began to rise and fire three-pointers right over Lin Fei, making two of four attempts after the switch. Maggette, now matched up with Kynes, stopped attacking, as the rookie’s defensive skills were formidable. Yet, he consistently got the ball to Redd, who faced Lin Fei and kept scoring. Lin Fei could only offer minimal interference.

This, however, seemed to ignite Lin Fei’s fighting spirit. With Kynes taking over more defensive duties, Lin Fei could now focus his energy on offense. Despite giving up significant height to Redd, Lin Fei repeatedly used his speed to shake free and knock down jumpers—threes and driving layups alike. Against the Bucks’ defensive intensity, he was nearly unstoppable.

Lin Fei attempted five three-pointers, sinking three. At this point, the commentator remarked, "Lin Fei is definitely not a prototypical point guard; when he’s on the floor, the Warriors’ offense is a complete mess. Nor is he a traditional shooting guard, as his scoring relies too much on jumpers and threes. That’s not the path to superstardom—even the league’s top shooters, like Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, never scored more than a third of their points from beyond the arc. For Lin Fei, nearly seventy percent of his shots are threes, many from well beyond the line. It’s almost unimaginable."

Yet the game continued according to Nelson’s plan. Lin Fei, relying on his own ability, did his best to orchestrate the team’s offense. Though the Warriors’ attack remained somewhat disorganized, it was more than enough to keep pace with the Bucks.