harleyscars Chapter 14: Persevering Despite Injuries, a Glorious Defeat
Chapter 14: Persevering Despite Injuries, a Glorious Defeat
The moment the whistle blew to start the second half, Lin Hao stepped onto the field again.
When he appeared on stage, the audience erupted in thunderous cheers, everyone stood up, clapping and chanting his name.
The team doctor and head coach ultimately couldn't dissuade him, and could only repeatedly tell him that he must leave the field immediately if he experienced any discomfort in his ankle. The team doctor even brought ice packs to the front of the bench, ready for him to apply ice when he left the field.
Lin Hao moved his ankle, and although it ached slightly, he didn't pay any attention to it. He had endured injuries ten times more painful than this in his previous life, so this little pain was nothing.
He looked up at Kobe across from him.
Kobe stood near the half-court line, staring at him coldly, like a cheetah locking onto its prey. In the second half, he would personally guard Lin Hao the entire time, using the fiercest confrontation to completely crush this rookie who had scored 34 points against him in the first half.
The Lakers launched a fierce attack right from the start of the game.
The Kobe-Shaq duo once again stepped up their game. Shaq dominated the paint, drawing all of the Warriors' defensive attention, while Kobe took advantage of the open looks to hit frequent mid-range jump shots, instantly widening the gap to 8 points.
Meanwhile, the Warriors' offense completely stalled. The Lakers changed their defensive strategy, with Kobe guarding Lin Hao closely the entire time, using his body to block him and constantly using his arms to interfere with his receiving the ball. As soon as Lin Hao received the ball, Lakers players would immediately come to help and double-team him, not giving him any space to pass the ball.
What's even more ruthless is that Kobe's every contact was precisely aimed at Lin Hao's injured left foot. Whenever Lin Hao landed, Kobe would intentionally or unintentionally brush against his left foot with his body, forcing him to use his injured ankle to exert force. Every contact sent a piercing pain through Lin Hao's ankle.
He knew all too well that to kill this rookie, he had to kill his body first.
For three consecutive possessions, Lin Hao failed to receive the ball, and the Warriors' offense could only rely on Richardson's one-on-one attacks. However, facing the Lakers' top-notch defense, Richardson's one-on-one attacks frequently missed, and the point difference widened.
The head coach on the bench was sweating profusely, pacing back and forth on the sidelines, shouting at the players: "Make a run! Give the ball to Lin! Give the ball to Lin!"
But the Lakers' defense was too tight. Kobe was like a net, clinging to Lin Hao and not giving him even a chance to receive the ball.
With eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Warriors called a timeout.
Lin Hao limped back to the bench, and the team doctor immediately rushed over, applying an ice pack to his ankle. He winced in pain, his forehead covered in cold sweat. The back of his jersey was already soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to his body.
"Lin, you can't play anymore!" The team doctor's voice trembled with anxiety. "Your ankle is even more swollen! If you continue playing, your season will be over!"
The head coach squatted down in front of him, looking worried: "Lin, we've played very well. Even if we lost, no one would blame you. You've already proven yourself; there's no need to gamble with your career."
His teammates gathered around, their faces filled with worry as they looked at his swollen ankle. Richardson patted him on the shoulder and said, "Canned Food Bro, why don't you just rest? Leave the rest to us, we'll fight them!"
Lin Hao looked at his teammates' worried eyes, then looked up at the score on the big screen. The Warriors were down by 10 points, with a full quarter and a half left in the game.
He shook his head, gritted his teeth, pushed the ice pack aside, and stood up.
"No." His voice wasn't loud, but it was incredibly firm. "The game isn't over yet, I can't leave the court. I'm from Northeast China, there's no reason for me to desert my post. So what if we're down by 10 points? We'll catch up."
He picked up the whiteboard and pen, and quickly started drawing on it. He told his teammates, "In the second half, they'll stick to me the whole time, not letting me receive the ball. So let's do the opposite. Jason, you handle the ball and attack. I'll set off-ball screens for you and draw Kobe's defense. As soon as they switch, I'll immediately cut to the basket. Either I'll attack, or I'll pass the ball to Murphy who's open on the perimeter. Their attention will be entirely on me, so we'll exploit that timing."
His teammates crowded around, heads huddled together, nodding in agreement. The chaotic attack from before had been instantly brought back to a clearer picture by Lin Hao's few words.
The timeout is over, and the game has resumed.
Back on the court, Lin Hao indeed stopped obsessing over getting the ball and started constantly setting screens for his teammates and making off-ball cuts. Kobe originally intended to guard him closely the entire time, but Lin Hao kept setting screens for Richardson, forcing him to switch. As soon as Richardson switched, Lin Hao would immediately cut to the paint, leaving the Lakers' defense overwhelmed.
The Lakers' defensive formation was instantly disrupted.
Lin Hao set a solid screen, completely blocking the defender guarding Richardson. Richardson used the screen to easily break through the paint and score a layup.
In the next possession, Lin Hao set a screen for Murphy again. Kobe switched to defend Murphy, and Lin Hao immediately cut inside. Richardson's ball arrived instantly. Lin Hao received the ball, faced O'Neal's defense, and made a light layup, avoiding the block and sending the ball steadily into the basket.
The moment the ball went in, the entire stadium erupted in cheers once again!
When he landed, Lin Hao stumbled on his left foot, and a piercing pain shot through his ankle. He gritted his teeth, braced himself on his knee, steadied himself, and turned to run back.
Kobe watched his limping figure, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He didn't expect that this rookie, despite being so injured, could still put on such an efficient performance on the court, accurately read the defense, and revitalize the entire team's offense.
But he won't show any mercy.
The Black Mamba's dictionary doesn't contain the words "show mercy." The tougher you are, the more I'll crush you.
In the following games, Kobe completely unleashed his killer mode, employing a frenzy of individual isolation plays. He used every trick in the book: post-up moves, fadeaway jumpers, layups, pull-up threes, and his scoring skyrocketed.
Lin Hao, still battling an injured ankle, gave his all on the court. Defensively, he relentlessly clung to Kobe, refusing to back down even as every lateral movement brought excruciating pain. Offensively, he orchestrated the Warriors' offense with his passing and off-ball movement, occasionally sinking a crucial three-pointer to keep the score close.
With every run, every jump, and every landing, he endured excruciating pain in his ankles. Cold sweat streamed down his face, blurring his vision, yet his eyes remained steadfastly resolute.
In his past life, he had to give up his professional dream because of injuries. In this life, he will never give up a single match because of injuries again.
The entire audience was moved by this young Chinese player who was playing despite his injury. Whenever Lin Hao got the ball, the entire arena would erupt in thunderous cheers; whenever he defended against Kobe's attack, the arena would erupt in thunderous applause.
Time ticked by, and before we knew it, it was the last minute.
The Lakers still lead by 6 points, and the Warriors are on the brink of elimination.
During the Warriors' offensive possession, Lin Hao received the ball at the top of the arc, using a teammate's screen. Kobe immediately closed in, using his body to firmly block him. Lin Hao used two consecutive crossovers to create half a body length of space, then forced a jump and launched a three-pointer.
Kobe jumped with all his might to block the shot, and his fingers hit Lin Hao's wrist.
The referee's whistle blew instantly!
Shooting foul! Three free throws!
The entire stadium erupted in cheers!
When Lin Hao landed, his left ankle twisted violently again. He staggered a few steps and knelt on one knee, clutching his ankle tightly, trembling all over in pain.
The team doctor rushed onto the field like a madman, and the head coach followed suit, trying to help him off the field.
But Lin Hao pushed their hands away again, gritted his teeth, and forced himself to stand up.
He shook his head and said to the referee, "I'm fine, I'll take the free throws myself."
The entire audience erupted in thunderous applause as they watched the limping Chinese boy. Everyone stood up, clapping and chanting his name with all their might. Even the Lakers fans on the sidelines couldn't help but join in the applause.
They've seen countless star players play through injuries, but they've never seen a rookie, in his very first regular season game, fight to this extent with a torn ligament in his ankle.
Lin Hao limped to the free-throw line, took a deep breath, and adjusted his breathing.
The first free throw, shot, and the basketball went steadily into the basket.
Second free throw, and it's in!
The third penalty was another clean swish into the net!
All three free throws made!
The point difference instantly narrowed to 3 points!
With 42 seconds left in the game, the Warriors are only down by 3 points and still have a chance!
The entire audience went absolutely wild, with deafening cheers!
During the Lakers' offensive possession, Kobe received the ball at the top of the key. Everyone thought he was going to go one-on-one, but he suddenly passed the ball to Shaquille O'Neal in the paint. O'Neal received the ball, faced two defenders, forced his way up, and made a layup off the backboard!
The point difference is back to 5 points!
18 seconds left in the game!
The Warriors called a timeout to plan their final attack.
Everyone knew this was the Warriors' last chance.
The head coach, holding the tactical board, was about to give instructions when Lin Hao spoke up: "Coach, I'll take the last possession. They'll definitely defend my three-pointer. I'll drive and pass, either I'll attack, or I'll pass to Murphy in the open corner."
The head coach looked at his ankle, which was swollen like a bun, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay, we'll do it your way. Everyone spread out and create space for Lin!"
The timeout is over, and the game has resumed.
With 18 seconds left, the Warriors inbound the ball.
Lin Hao received the ball at the top of the arc, and the entire stadium fell silent instantly. Everyone held their breath and stared at the field.
Kobe was still guarding him.
Lin Hao lowered his center of gravity, dribbled between his legs twice in a row, and suddenly broke through to the left. Kobe immediately moved to the side to block his path. Just then, Lin Hao suddenly pulled the ball back, took a step back, and was about to jump for a three-pointer!
Kobe lunged forward instantly, blocking his shot.
But that was a feint!
Lin Hao gathered the ball, accelerated again, and slipped past Kobe, driving towards the paint. The Lakers' interior players immediately rushed to help defend, but Lin Hao didn't hesitate. With a flick of his wrist, he passed the ball to Murphy, who was wide open in the corner.
Murphy received the ball, adjusted himself, jumped, and launched a three-pointer!
Everyone in the stadium had their eyes glued to the basketball in the air.
The basketball hit the front edge of the rim and bounced out!
It didn't go in!
The final whistle blows, the game is over!
The Lakers won the regular season opener with a score of 102-97, a 5-point advantage.
The entire audience instantly stood up. There were no boos, only thunderous applause that was deafening.
Although the Warriors lost, all the applause from the audience was for Lin Hao.
This second-round pick, this young man whom Kobe called an "internet celebrity," played a full 40 minutes with a torn ligament in his ankle, scoring 38 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block. Against the defending champion Lakers, and under Kobe's constant defense, he delivered an epic rookie debut.
Although he lost the game, he won the respect of everyone in the arena.
Lin Hao stood on the court, looking at the basket, breathing heavily. Waves of sharp pain shot through his ankle, almost making him lose his balance.
He lost; he couldn't complete the comeback and couldn't win the game.
But he doesn't regret it.
With this game, he showed the world that he's not some internet celebrity, he's a real basketball player. He deserves to be on the NBA court and deserves this number 1 jersey.
Just then, a pair of sneakers came into his view.
Lin Hao looked up and saw Kobe standing in front of him, arms crossed, looking at him with icy eyes.
The entire room fell silent instantly; everyone held their breath and stared at the two of them.
Everyone wants to know what this superstar, who previously said "internet celebrities don't deserve to play in the NBA," will say to this rookie who played through the entire game despite being injured.