Chapter 81: A Tactic Even a Fool Would

After the timeout, Westbrook was still matched up against Lin Fei. There was hardly any change—had Scott Brooks still not learned his lesson?

Westbrook brought the ball up, Lin Fei guarding him. Organizing the offense from the forty-five-degree angle beyond the arc, this time he didn’t rush to pass to Durant. Durant took the initiative, coming up to set a screen for Westbrook. Seizing the opportunity, Westbrook shook off Lin Fei, but the Warriors’ defense had been aggressive all night, and they switched seamlessly. Now Lin Fei was guarding Durant, but Durant didn't have the ball; instead, Keyns was on Westbrook, who still held possession. Westbrook tried to drive hard, looking to use his size mismatch, but Keyns, with both good height and defensive instincts, was not an easy mark. Still, Westbrook forced the issue. Perhaps he had the ability, but it wasn't a sure thing. Midair, Westbrook, seemingly having anticipated this, lobbed the ball back to Durant. Durant now had the ball and was facing Lin Fei, who was a full head shorter. He could almost shoot as if unguarded, but he didn't. Instead, he dribbled, driving into the paint. Lin Fei instinctively used his body to contest, having no choice but to grit his teeth and hold his ground. But as Durant gathered momentum, Lin Fei was like a piece of paper stuck to Durant—no resistance at all. Durant forced the layup through Lin Fei, who could only foul—utterly helpless! Lin Fei’s defense amounted to nothing more than gifting Durant a personal foul.

With two fouls already, Coach Nelson took Lin Fei out. Now that Lin Fei was a starter and a key player, it was different from when he was a bench player—back then, even with five fouls, he’d stay on the court, since Nelson hadn’t staked much on him. But now, Nelson was betting much more.

Lin Fei played only half a quarter before foul trouble sent him to the bench, with stats of five points and two assists.

Once Lin Fei sat, Curry took over as the Warriors’ primary ball handler. In fact, in most other teams, a player like Curry would be a starter. If not for Lin Fei’s meteoric rise, Curry would never have relinquished his starting spot. Still, even as a substitute, Curry averaged over thirty minutes per game, not far off the usual starter’s workload—a testament to Nelson’s frequent use of a dual-point guard strategy.

With Lin Fei off the floor, the Warriors’ pace slowed a little, but their defense became even fiercer.

Many fans felt a pang of regret. The much-anticipated duel between the league’s top scorers seemed unlikely now. Before the game, Lin Fei trailed Durant by sixteen points. Now, as Lin Fei left with five, Durant also had five—still a sixteen-point gap. With Durant still in the game, he would likely rack up a few more, while Lin Fei sat. Hopes were dimming; disappointment swept over the crowd.

Coach Nelson, however, knew exactly what was at stake. Securing home-court advantage was crucial, but so was the scoring title. Winning this game would bring not just home advantage, but a morale boost for the entire Warriors squad. And if Lin Fei claimed the scoring crown, it would be a huge encouragement for the team. Yet, the key was managing Lin Fei’s minutes and fouls—getting the best out of him without losing him to foul trouble.

“Lin!” Nelson called Lin Fei over after he left the court. “I could guess what Scott was thinking during that timeout even with my eyes closed. They’re going to keep attacking you, trying to draw fouls and get you off the floor. You’re a real threat to them—when you’re off, that’s when they feel safe!”

“But isn’t Curry just as dangerous on offense?” Lin Fei wondered. Deep down, he still saw himself as a bench player.

“Don’t forget, you have to win the scoring title!” Nelson’s words were measured and steady.

Lin Fei hesitated for a moment. He’d thought about the scoring title before, but never expected the coach to bring it up in the middle of the game.

“I’ll put you back in for the second half of the quarter. Watch your fouls, and on defensive switches, make sure you give your teammates room to help.” Lin Fei nodded as he listened. The coach really did think things through more deeply than he did.

With Lin Fei off, Durant looked to shut down any chance of Lin Fei catching up for the scoring title. But Keyns’s defense on Durant was even more unyielding, never allowing Durant an easy look at the basket, forcing the league’s top scorer to keep shooting from outside. Durant’s outside shooting wasn’t particularly efficient, and his usual knack for drawing fouls was blunted by the sheer intensity of Keyns’s defense. Many potential fouls went uncalled. Even as the second quarter began, the Thunder tried to run their offense through Westbrook, but in this Warriors system, Curry matched up well with him—the gap wasn’t as large as some might think. At his best, Curry could match Westbrook move for move.

Lin Fei watched the game clock, counting down the minutes until he could return.

By the time Lin Fei re-entered the game, Durant had tallied ten points—just five more than when Lin Fei left, having shot one-for-four from the field, the rest of his points coming from free throws.

Opportunity had come! Lin Fei returned to the court with the gap at twenty points—still plenty of time, with six minutes left in the half and the entire second half ahead.

He came in for Keyns, who high-fived him as they swapped places. Keyns had done a stellar job on Durant, never allowing a single easy basket. He’d picked up three fouls in just over a quarter, but if it helped the team and Lin Fei, it was well worth it.

Now, with Keyns off, the defensive task of guarding Durant fell to Aikes. Aikes was never a superstar, but his ability on both ends of the floor made him respected around the league. When the Warriors ran their wing-heavy offense, Aikes and Jobs were both considered core pieces. He was a solid player, and while he might be at a disadvantage against the league’s leading scorer, he certainly wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Curry brought the ball up, Westbrook shadowing Lin Fei. Sefolosha matched up against Curry. The Warriors pushed the pace, with Lin Fei darting around without the ball. Westbrook was on high alert, sticking to Lin Fei like glue.