Chapter Ninety-One: The Shameless Referee

At present, the Thunder lead 2-1, enjoying a clear psychological advantage on paper. For them, securing the fourth game would bring much greater peace of mind, especially since Lin Fei will be eligible to play in the fifth game—he’s practically the Thunder’s nemesis. Conversely, the Warriors have adopted a more relaxed, open attitude: even if they lose this game, the next one returns to their home court, and with Lin Fei back, their confidence will soar.

After the third game, many people posed a question: without Lin Fei, are the Warriors still a top team in the league? Judging by their performance, they truly are—a steely, battle-hardened squad that nearly pushed the Thunder to the brink. Yet many doubt the Warriors’ suitability for the playoffs, citing their inconsistent play and defensive intensity that falls short of postseason standards. When the Warriors find their rhythm, they can dominate the league, but the playoffs are largely a stage for true strength—a stage demanding stability and fighting power, not luck.

Soon enough, the Warriors and Thunder faced off in the fourth playoff game, held at the Thunder’s home court.

From the opening tip, both teams intensified their defense. In the previous game, they had set a league record for consecutive opening baskets, and now, everyone was eager to seize the initiative.

The Thunder maintained their spread-out, man-to-man defense—a strategy they’d honed specifically against the Warriors. Almost every team employing a half-court offense and defense found themselves dragged along by the Warriors, often suffering crushing defeats. Even the Spurs and Celtics, renowned for their half-court defense, found themselves helpless against the Warriors. In response, the Warriors strengthened their interior offense. Nelson, having learned from the previous games, realized that sticking exclusively to perimeter attacks against the Thunder's defense forced their shots further and further from the basket. If Lin Fei were on the court, it would be a different story, as his half-court offensive threat stretched the defense nearly to mid-court. But without him, the Warriors lost nearly eighty percent of their long-range firepower near the midline. Thus, Nelson adopted an off-ball movement for the perimeter, pairing it with interior cuts as their main offensive strategy.

The Warriors’ defense, meanwhile, was now focused almost exclusively on two core players: Durant and Westbrook. These two, by current standards, formed the league’s most potent forward-guard duo—one nearly averaging thirty points per game in the playoffs, the other racking up near triple-doubles. As Nelson told his players during practice: if you can contain both, victory is ours; even limiting one increases our chances by fifty percent. It was clear Nelson had emphasized targeted defense in training, judging by the team’s positioning on the court.

The Warriors played with ease, much as they had in the previous game; every player who stepped onto the floor scored, and the points were evenly distributed. The bench, having learned from the last game, also performed admirably—four substitutes combined for over twenty points by halftime, much to Nelson’s satisfaction.

At the end of the first half, the Warriors and Thunder were tied again. However, one factor strongly disadvantaged the Warriors: the referees. In these fiercely contested playoffs, many fouls are unnecessary to whistle, yet the Warriors were unlucky enough to encounter officials who loved calling fouls against them. In just one half, the Thunder were awarded twenty-two free throws; Durant and Westbrook alone had sixteen, more than the entire Warriors team combined.

During halftime, in the locker room, Kaines ran over to Lin Fei. “Hey, buddy, today we got stuck with a lousy ref. What rotten luck. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get to play another playoff game! Ha, it’s my first playoffs too—I’m pretty hyped. Back in NCAA, I rarely got this excited. These playoffs remind me of the Final Four against Washington, those scrappy kids who somehow made it—pure luck, really.” He always did this—Kaines was great at livening up the locker room, and though he and Lin Fei were close, he loved to joke at Lin Fei’s expense.

“If you score twenty this game, dinner’s on me at Yao’s restaurant!” Lin Fei replied.

“Oh, yes! That’s my favorite phrase from you! Watch—I’ll light up the scoreboard just like you!” Kaines was brimming with confidence; one could only wonder where he found so much of it.

The second half began, and the Warriors started to ramp up, playing at full speed. Whether or not Kaines was serious in his locker room boasting, he’d scored six points in the first half, but now in the second, he made his scoring presence felt. Receiving passes from Curry, he hit two shots and drew a foul, quickly tallying another six points. After every basket, he’d wink back at Lin Fei—this kid was always a character.

By the end of the third quarter, the Warriors led by ten, victory within sight.

In the final period, the Thunder switched into superstar mode, essentially handing Durant control of the floor. Their defense intensified, increasing speed and pressure, forcing the Warriors into two quick turnovers and narrowing the score.

The Warriors now needed someone to step up. Kaines patted his chest, saying, “Leave it to me!” Nelson stared at him wide-eyed—he’d never seen such a thing, and it was almost distracting, yet perhaps unleashing this approach was worth a try. The Warriors had plenty of offensive options, and with Kaines, a defense-first player, opponents often overlooked his scoring ability.

At this point, Kaines already had sixteen points; not reaching twenty would be a pity! Perhaps that’s exactly what he had in mind when he said, “Leave it to me”—his thinking was straightforward.

Sure enough, the Warriors shifted their focus, letting Jobbs, Ikes, and Curry funnel more shot opportunities to Kaines. He took three shots from beyond the arc, making two, but the Thunder responded with consecutive baskets to tie the game.

It wasn’t over yet. After a timeout, the Thunder increased their defense on Kaines. Once an unexpected weapon in Nelson’s offense, Kaines’s scoring dropped off once opponents noticed him—but he did fulfill his twenty-point promise.

With twelve seconds left, Jobbs hit a shot to tie the game, giving the Thunder one last chance for a buzzer-beater.

Now was the time to call for defense, to summon players like Howard and Garnett, those with exceptional defensive prowess. Westbrook dribbled upcourt, slowing the tempo.

With three seconds remaining, Westbrook accelerated his attack. Kaines moved to defend him—a clear sign Nelson trusted him deeply today. Westbrook drove, Kaines retreated quickly, Westbrook stopped and started again, but under Kaines’s interference he lost balance slightly. Still, he got his shot off, missed, and then the referee’s whistle blew. Kaines’s defense. For once, the always-smiling Kaines was furious, charging at the referee and shouting. Before he finished, the referee called a technical foul. With two seconds left, Westbrook nailed the technical and two free throws, sealing the Warriors’ fate.

After the game, Lin Fei ran over and ruffled Kaines’s hair, and everyone patted his chest. “That was no foul! Damn ref!”

“Hey, keep your voice down, or some bored folks will make you pay a fine—I’d rather go eat fried chicken!” Lin Fei consoled him.

“See you in Golden State! I’m going to make them search for their teeth all over the floor! Damn ref! Come on, Lin, dinner’s on you now! Ha, I can’t wait for you to get revenge next game—go crush Westbrook!” Kaines really was like a big kid.