Chapter Eighty-Four: The Jordan Rules

The Thunder’s entire bench was wrapped in gloom, and no one knew how to break the silence—not even the coach. It was only halftime, yet the Thunder already felt as though they had lost the game. That boy’s ghostlike figure kept drifting through their minds, impossible to shake. He had never imagined that even with the league’s most elite scorer and most elite attacking guard in his own ranks, he still could not compare with a mere youngster. This kid seemed to be overturning every law the game of basketball had ever known.

No one could stay that hot forever. Absolutely not. Every coach has his own stubborn faith, and Scott Brooks was no exception.

In truth, Scott Brooks still had one final tactic in reserve: the Jordan Rule. In simple terms, the Jordan Rule was a strategy the Pistons once used against the Bulls: leave Jordan alone, and clamp down on the other four. Even if Jordan scored plenty, if the other four were held to a low output, the Bulls would still lose. In its evolved form, the heart of the Jordan Rule rested on two seemingly contradictory principles: first, smother Jordan. Use every layer, every means possible, to destroy his offensive rhythm and sever his connection with his teammates. If you come at me, I’ll come at you. Second, leave Jordan alone. If Jordan truly cannot be stopped, then let him score, but completely lock down everyone else so that no matter how much Jordan scores, his team still cannot win. Back then, it was precisely this rule that forged the Pistons’ Bad Boys and directly led to the Bulls being swept from the playoffs three times despite having Jordan, greatly delaying his road to a championship.

Still, Brooks had his misgivings. First, the standards for foul calls in today’s league were extremely strict, so whether the Jordan Rule could still be used at all was a major question. Second, none of his own players could possibly be compared to the likes of Lambeer, Dumars, and Thomas, making it difficult to ask them to carry out such a scheme. Third, the early Jordan often preferred to attack the paint—his later years were when he truly refined the unstoppable post-up game and jump shot—and much of his damage was built on physical contact. Lin Fei, however, was a player known for quickness, finesse, and long-range shooting. More often than not, he would not even give defenders the chance to make contact. In other words, there was the problem of suitability.

Scott Brooks had only twenty minutes to wrestle with his thoughts.

When the second half began, the Warriors’ starting lineup remained unchanged, with Lin Fei and Caines still forming the backcourt. On the Thunder’s first possession, Westbrook did as he always did: he read Lin Fei’s position and drove hard. Lin Fei kept up with his footwork, but at most he could only provide a little interference. After all, Westbrook was merely the Thunder’s primary scoring option; more often than not, he had to think about how to get the ball to Durant, even if his scoring ability far outstripped his passing.

After one drive, he quickly fed the ball to Durant. At that moment, Caines was still the defender on him. Young and fiery, Caines watched Durant’s every move. Durant signaled for a teammate to come set a screen, then attacked off the dribble straight into the lane. X intercepted on the help rotation, and Caines leaped from behind, intent on chasing down a block. Though the distance was a bit great, Durant simply glided away in midair and finished with a dunk. Because Caines had jumped so high and driven so hard, he tumbled right out of bounds.

The gasp from the crowd seemed to herald a fierce rebound from the league’s scoring king. Although he had been perfectly solid in the first half, there was still a small gap between that performance and the unstoppable, all-conquering scorer the fans had in mind. As for Caines’ hustle, that alone was enough to set the arena alight with excitement.

On the Warriors’ possession, Lin Fei sprinted ahead, but the scene was unusual: two teammates were running in front, while Lin Fei himself had fallen behind. Using his teammates’ screens, he charged all the way to the three-point line. With two teammates lined up neatly in front of him, how could he let such an opportunity slip away? Lin Fei released the shot without the slightest hesitation.

Scott Brooks covered his face with both hands. Unimaginable Lin Fei. Incredible Lin Fei.

Yet that basket also brought a measure of clarity to Brooks’ earlier frustration. He had originally thought he could rely on his team’s balance between offense and defense to contain the Warriors, using his own scorers to battle Lin Fei point for point. But as things stood, that approach did not seem to be working very well. At this point, the only option was to try the Jordan Rule. They had never actually implemented it before, so there was no guarantee it would work. Still, it was fortunate in a way: they could test it now, at halftime, and perhaps find the most effective answer before the playoffs arrived.

Scott Brooks called timeout and said to his players, “Use every possible means to stop that kid from shooting. Every means. Do you understand? I mean it—even if we have to foul, do you hear me? We cannot let that kid get a clean look. But even if you foul, make sure it’s within the margin that won’t get called if at all possible. At the same time, do everything you can to control the other four guys. I still believe that kid’s stamina is limited. I rarely see him play a full half. That’s on defense. On offense, keep trying to get near the rim, keep getting closer and closer. Go on! This is our last hope! I believe in you, boys!”

Most of them heard it in a daze, but they all understood one thing: the coach kept emphasizing “that kid.”

“The Jordan Rule?” one player asked.

“Yes!” Scott Brooks answered with certainty.

Back on the floor, Durant was facing two different pursuits at once: the team’s crisis, still trailing by more than ten points, and Lin Fei, who was drawing ever closer to him on the scoring chart.

With the ball on the left wing, forty-five degrees from the arc, Durant faced Caines’ defense. This time he did not ask for a screen. He cast a hard glance at the basket, and anyone who knew him understood that the scoring king was about to enter “Durant mode,” launching into one basket after another.

He made one feint, and Caines shifted his feet slightly. Durant burst right past him. Caines chased from behind, and when Durant met X’s help defense, he made a sharp change of direction and stepped back, drifting into a jumper. Caines leaped desperately to contest it. At that moment, Durant was as cunning as they came—he simply leaned his arm into Caines’ hand and drew the foul. But because he had been fouled, his release drifted slightly off line, and the shot missed.

Free throws: two for two.

Lin Fei watched every point Durant scored, filing each one away in his mind.