bdsm-fiction Chapter 40: Regular Season Concludes! Securing 8th Place in the Western Conference
Chapter 40: Regular Season Concludes! Securing 8th Place in the Western Conference
The dome of Oracle Arena in Oakland was bathed in bright yellow light, transforming it into a sea of excitement.
On April 16, 2003, the final game of the 2002-03 regular season, the Warriors hosted the Memphis Grizzlies. This was no ordinary final game—a win would see the Warriors return to the playoffs for the first time in five years, securing the eighth seed in the Western Conference; a loss would mean all the hard work of the season was in vain, and Lin Hao's one-man comeback would become the laughingstock of the league.
Three hours in advance, the streets outside the arena were packed with fans wearing number 6 jerseys. Some held signs that read "Canned Fruit Guy Leads Us to the Playoffs," some squatted by the roadside playing "A Man Should Be Self-reliant" on a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument), and others simply brought whole cases of canned peaches, handing one to everyone they met while muttering, "May you get some winning buffs." On domestic live streaming platforms, the number of pre-registrations had already exceeded ten million, with countless fans setting their alarms for 3 a.m. to wait in front of their screens and witness a miracle.
What's even more interesting is that the entire Grizzlies team actually stockpiled 500 cans of the same brand of canned yellow peaches before the game. Head coach Hubie Brown said seriously at the press conference, "Since everyone says that canned yellow peaches are the Warriors' winning formula, then we'll fight fire with fire. Tonight, we're not only going to win, but we're also going to take all the canned yellow peaches from Oakland."
When this reached the Warriors' locker room, it drew a burst of laughter from the entire team. Richardson, leaning on his cane, slammed a can of peaches on the table: "These guys actually believed that? They really think winning is all about canned food? It's about our 'Canned Food Bro's' brains and the lives of our brothers!"
Lin Hao, who was squatting on the ground tying his shoelaces, looked up and smiled when he heard this, then stuffed the last can of yellow peaches into the insulated box on the bench. For the past month, he had led this depleted Warriors team all the way from 11th in the Western Conference to 9th, completely tying the Grizzlies' win difference, with the final game deciding their fate. Apart from him, three starters were injured, and the bench consisted of undrafted players or veterans nearing retirement; no one believed they could overcome the Grizzlies.
ESPN's pre-game winning percentage prediction for the Warriors was only 17%. Commentator Kenny Smith bluntly stated in the studio, "Lin Hao has created enough miracles, but this is the limit of a single star carrying a team. The Grizzlies' twin towers in the paint will crush the Warriors' paint; they won't make the playoffs."
The locker room door opened, and head coach Musselman walked in, his tactical board gripped tightly, turning white. Looking at the players who had fought to their last breath, he took a deep breath: "Brothers, I won't say anything more. This season we've experienced injuries, ridicule, and everyone's skepticism, but we've made it this far. Tonight, no pressure, no burdens, fight for every single ball. Even if we lose, we'll leave with our heads held high."
"Let's do it!" Lin Hao was the first to stand up, slamming his wristband to the ground. His Northeastern accent was firm and resolute. "We Northeasterners never back down in the face of battle. The Grizzlies want to trample us into the playoffs? They'll have to ask the ball in my hand if they agree!"
"Beat the Grizzlies! Make the playoffs!"
The whole team erupted instantly, with more than a dozen hands clasped together, their shouts shaking the locker room windows.
In the jump ball, Grizzlies center Lorenzen Wright easily won, and the game officially began.
Sure enough, the Grizzlies immediately deployed the BOX-1 defensive tactic – four players huddled in the paint, with one player marking Lin Hao closely the entire time, even during off-ball runs, clearly aiming to allow other players to shoot and shut down Lin Hao, their only offensive option.
In the opening three minutes, the Warriors' role players missed five consecutive open three-pointers, allowing the Grizzlies to capitalize and go on a 12-2 run, quickly widening the gap. The cheers in the arena subsided, and many fans clenched their fists, their palms sweating.
On the bench, Musselman was so anxious he was stamping his feet. Just as he was about to call a timeout, he saw Lin Hao wave at him. Lin Hao didn't go into his personal scoring mode like before, but instead slowed down the pace of the offense, passing the ball to open teammates time and time again. Even if his teammates missed the shot, he didn't hesitate to pass the ball.
"Shoot! Don't worry about missing! I'll take the rebound!" Lin Hao shouted to his teammates, his voice cutting through the noise of the arena.
Finally, with two minutes remaining in the first quarter, veteran guard Bob Sura, coming off the bench, received a pass from Lin Hao and calmly sank an open three-pointer. This shot seemed to open a floodgate, and the Warriors' role players gradually regained their touch. Lin Hao used his gravity to create countless open looks for his teammates. In the second quarter alone, he dished out 7 assists, leading the team on a 28-16 run. At halftime, the Warriors led 48-46 by 2 points.
In the locker room during halftime, Lin Hao, holding a clipboard, quickly drew out running routes for his teammates: "The Grizzlies' twin towers in the paint are slow-moving. After a pick-and-roll, immediately pop out to the outside. They won't dare to come out, so you can shoot with confidence. On defense, continue with endless switching. Don't give them easy opportunities to drive through. Make sure to lock down the rebounds."
His teammates nodded repeatedly, their eyes filled with trust and admiration as they looked at Lin Hao. This second-round pick, who had only been in the league for half a season, had already become the true soul of the team.
In the third quarter, seeing their double-teaming strategy fail, the Grizzlies began to increase the intensity of their physical contact. During one drive, Grizzlies guard Jason Williams deliberately tripped Lin Hao, causing him to fall heavily to the ground and severely twist his left ankle.
The entire stadium erupted in a deafening chorus of boos. The team doctor rushed onto the court like a madman, while Zhang Qingying stood up abruptly on the sidelines, her face deathly pale.
"Lin! Stop hitting him! You can't hurt your ankle any more!" The team doctor squatted on the ground, looking at Lin Hao's swollen ankle, his voice trembling with anxiety.
Lin Hao gritted his teeth, pushed himself up from the floor, and moved his ankle. Although he felt a sharp pain, he could still keep going. He waved to the team doctor, "It's nothing, just a minor injury. The game isn't over yet, I can't leave the field."
After saying that, he limped back onto the field.
This time, Lin Hao didn't pass the ball. He switched to individual scoring mode, using changes in rhythm and accurate mid-range shots to repeatedly tear apart the Grizzlies' defense. Even with an ankle injury, his footwork remained agile, and his shooting was consistent. In the third quarter alone, he scored 16 points, single-handedly carrying the team and keeping the score difference within 3 points.
With two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the score was tied at 88.
Grizzlies' star Pau Gasol scored twice in the paint, extending the lead to four points. The air in the arena seemed to freeze; many fans covered their eyes, unable to watch any longer.
Just then, Lin Hao stepped up. He first hit a difficult three-pointer over the defense, then turned around and intercepted the Grizzlies' pass on the defensive end, making a fast break layup and scoring 5 points in a row, taking a 1-point lead!
With only 10 seconds left in the game, the Grizzlies had possession of the ball.
Gasol received the ball inside and attacked hard, but was double-teamed by two Warriors players. His shot missed, and the Warriors grabbed the defensive rebound and immediately called a timeout.
With 10 seconds left, the Warriors were down by one point and had possession in the frontcourt.
During the timeout, everyone gathered around the bench. Lin Hao, holding the tactical board, took a deep breath: "On the last possession, they will definitely double-team me. The power forward will come up to set a screen for me, and I'll use the screen to run towards the top of the key, drawing their defense. Sura in the corner, you run to an open spot, and I'll pass the ball to you. Trust me, and trust yourself."
Everyone nodded without the slightest hesitation.
The timeout is over, and the game has resumed.
As the whistle blew to inbound the ball, the Warriors' power forward set a solid screen for Lin Hao. Lin Hao used the screen to circle to the top of the arc, and sure enough, two Grizzlies players rushed over instantly, double-teaming him and completely blocking his shooting space.
Just when everyone thought Lin Hao would force a shot, he flicked his wrist and delivered a precise bounce pass that went through the Grizzlies' defense and into the hands of Sura, who was completely open in the corner.
Sura receives the ball, adjusts his breathing, and raises his hand to shoot.
The basketball traced a perfect arc in the air, and just as the final buzzer sounded, it swished through the net!
Lore!
93-91!
Warriors won!
Oracle Arena exploded instantly!
More than 20,000 fans stood up, cheering and jumping wildly, throwing cans of yellow peaches and support signs into the air. The sounds of suonas, cheers, and applause mingled together, shaking the floor. His teammates rushed to the center of the court like madmen, surrounding Lin Hao and piling him up like a mountain of people, their shouts of "MVP" echoing throughout the Auckland night sky.
Lin Hao, pinned at the bottom, looked at the blazing lights above him and listened to the deafening cheers around him, and couldn't help but smile. He had done it; he had led this depleted Warriors team into the playoffs.
On domestic live streaming platforms, the screen was instantly flooded with comments, and countless fans shed tears of excitement in front of their screens. At the Xinghuo Youth Training Camp in Fengtian, Liaoning Province, hundreds of children held basketballs and shouted "Brother Lin Hao is awesome!" at the screen, their voices echoing throughout the entire training camp.
The post-game statistics were displayed on the big screen: Lin Hao played 44 minutes, shooting 13 of 27 from the field, 2 of 6 from three-point range, and 9 of 10 from the free-throw line, scoring 37 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. His game-winning assist in the final moments was the key to victory.
[Ding! Temporary main quest [Single-core Flag Carrying] 100% completion! Quest settlement in progress!]
[Congratulations, host, for leading your team to the eighth seed in the Western Conference and successfully advancing to the playoffs!]
[Mission Rewards: Permanently increase physical durability by 25%, increase combat ability by 20%, and upgrade the [Iron Blood Entanglement] skill, permanently reducing the opposing player's shooting accuracy by 20%!]
[Regular Season Summary: Host's all attributes slightly increased, [Tactical Master] skill advanced, teammates' tactical execution efficiency increased to 15%!]
The system notification sounded in his mind. Lin Hao smiled and patted Sula's shoulder, giving all the credit to his teammate.
In the locker room, champagne and peach juice mingled and spilled everywhere. Zhao Dabao, clutching a stack of domestic newspapers, was so excited he was almost incoherent: "Haozi! You're a sensation! Absolutely a sensation! Every media outlet in the country is on your front page! The league just officially announced that you've been unanimously voted for Rookie of the Year, and you've also been nominated for the All-NBA Team and the All-Defensive Team!"
Harris walked over with a smile and handed him a playoff schedule: "Lin, the first-round playoff opponent is out."
Lin Hao took the schedule, his eyes falling on the first line of text, his pupils shrinking slightly.
Western Conference Playoffs, First Round: Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs.
First in the West, in terms of GDP combination.
That is an opponent he can hardly defeat at present.
The entire locker room fell silent instantly. Everyone stared at the schedule, their smiles fading. No one believed they could beat the Spurs; they were a formidable team with their Twin Towers, the formidable "Twin Towers + GDP" combination that struck fear into the hearts of the entire league.
Just then, the locker room door opened, and several staff members carried in a truckload of canned yellow peaches. Zhao Dabao wiped the champagne off his face, grinned, and shouted in a thunderous Northeastern accent, "What's there to be afraid of! It's just the OK duo, right? We have the canned yellow peach buff! I brought over every canned yellow peach I could find in Fengtian! Let's fight them!"
Lin Hao looked at the room full of canned yellow peaches, then looked out the window; the direction of Los Angeles was hidden in the night. He picked up the ebony suona leaning against the locker, put it in his mouth, and played the beginning of "A Man Should Be Self-reliant." The loud suona sound pierced through the noise of the locker room and soared into the sky.
He put down his suona, looked at his teammates, and his eyes were full of determination.
"What's there to be afraid of? We can fight them to the very end in the opening game, and we'll still be able to take a bite out of them in the playoffs."
"We Chinese have never come to the NBA just to make up the numbers."
"So what if the Spurs have the GDP? This time, we're going to upset them."
As night fell, the wind from Auckland carried the warmth of the Pacific Ocean, blowing southward towards San Antonio.