Chapter 41

"Steady, steady, don't panic, don't panic."

The Jazz took this game against the SuperSonics very seriously, so once the game officially started, assistant coach Phil Johnson stood by the sideline, shouting loudly to the Jazz players on the court, a way of reminding them.

The Jazz's only advantage in this intense game against the SuperSonics was their core players being older and more experienced, while the SuperSonics' core players were too young. Therefore, for the Jazz to win, they had to leverage this advantage, playing slowly and methodically, wearing down the SuperSonics until they were exhausted. This was the best outcome. If they tried to match the SuperSonics' speed and intensity, it would be suicidal.

Of course, for the Jazz, playing steadily, avoiding mistakes and chaos, was actually quite easy to achieve. They just needed to let their two star players, Stockton and Malone, run the pick-and-roll slowly.

However, this approach created an awkward situation: Stockton and Malone could legitimately avoid passing to Lin Han, even though the head coach had designated Lin Han as the team's second offensive option, just behind Karl Malone. But now, the assistant coach had emphasized stability above all else. If Lin Han's solo plays, which often ended in turnovers, were successful, that would be one thing, but if they failed, it would be like handing the SuperSonics a fast break.

"Kid, it seems your teammates don't trust you much."

After the game started, Lin Han hardly received any passes from Stockton. Even when the ball came his way, it was mostly for transition plays, not in a position to attack. This left Lin Han running back and forth, feeling quite frustrated.

Lin Han knew that replacing Jeff Malone might not win him the favor of the older players who were close to Jeff, but he didn't expect them to act so quickly.

Who said the Jazz had the best team atmosphere in the NBA? Who said there were no factions within the team? Lin Han had only played two games and already found himself at odds with two major factions within the team. This was really unfair.

"You're no different. You're still the point guard. Whenever a teammate asks, you pass the ball right away."

Facing the young SuperSonics point guard Gary Payton, who was marking him closely, Lin Han retorted sarcastically. Payton's face turned sour at Lin Han's taunt.

While the SuperSonics' overall strength was indeed a good thing for the team, it wasn't necessarily good for individual players, especially those trying to stand out. With everyone on the team capable of scoring, it meant he couldn't rise to prominence easily. Others would compress his space, and as a point guard, Payton wouldn't have a reason to score when others could share the scoring load. The team expected him to focus on defense and passing.

A few seasons ago, Payton didn't care much about scoring. He needed to secure his position on the team, competing against Gary Payton's rival, Kevin McHale, who was also a formidable point guard in the league. If he couldn't prove he was better than McHale in defense, organization, and team contribution, being the second overall pick wouldn't help him beat McHale. Now, he had secured his position and firmly established himself above McHale.

In this situation, Payton also wanted to improve his stats, make the All-Star team, and be recognized as not just a defensive specialist but also one of the league's top offensive players. He wanted to stand out, become the SuperSonics' top player, and the league's top point guard. However, he still hadn't found that opportunity because the SuperSonics were even stronger this year, making it harder for him to stand out.

So, when Lin Han taunted him, the usually intelligent Payton was enraged.

"Kid, you'll see. Don't cry when it happens."

Looking at Lin Han with disdain, Payton gritted his teeth, thinking to himself. At this moment, the focus was on other SuperSonics players, and no one noticed the two bench players exchanging trash talk.

"The game started very intensely, especially with Malone. Almost every play involves a pick-and-roll with Stockton, and then he drives to the basket, seemingly forgetting his mid-range shooting ability. He's trying to attack the paint and hurt Kemp, really going all out. The score is now tied."

"Conversely, the much-anticipated matchup between Lin Han and Gary Payton hasn't even started. In this high-stakes game, Lin Han hasn't earned his teammates' trust. He doesn't have the ball and no offensive opportunities. Jack, what do you think about the game starting so intensely?"

"Clearly, this is a revenge game for the Jazz. Although both Coach Sloan and the Jazz players said it's just a regular season game, I've watched enough games to know that few regular season games start with such intensity. The Jazz players are playing with a killer instinct, and the SuperSonics are no different. This will be a great game."

"Of course, regarding Lin Han's quiet start, I think it's inevitable. Although he scored a lot in the previous two games, he hasn't proven he can consistently perform at that level. We've only seen him make turnaround jump shots. Against a strong team and a dedicated defender, he won't get as many opportunities."

"Of course, this can also be seen as a lack of trust from his teammates or a lack of ability on his part. If he had the skills, he could bring the ball up the court and attack on his own, like Jordan or Drexler. I don't think this rookie has that ability yet."

"Jack, do you mean to say that Lin Han will soon quiet down, just a flash in the pan like many other NBA players who have a couple of good games and then fade?"

"Ha, that's exactly what I think. Maybe ABC should reconsider their national broadcast schedule. They might have picked the wrong guy. He's just an ordinary rookie with some good luck, not a second coming of Jordan."

Although Lin Han and Payton were relegated to supporting roles in this high-stakes game, the TV audience and commentators wouldn't let them off the hook. This matchup was the biggest draw, and the whole nation was watching to see if Lin Han could continue his hot streak.

Soon, after the score tied at 11-11 and about three minutes into the game, the TV audience finally saw the first matchup between Gary Payton and Lin Han. However, this time, it wasn't Lin Han attacking Payton, but Payton attacking Lin Han.

Payton, who had been taunted by Lin Han for not being aggressive enough, finally found an opportunity to go one-on-one with him.

Seeing Payton about to attack Lin Han, Brian Russell, Lin Han's teammate and sidekick, naturally moved to help. Even if he had to abandon his own defensive assignment, he couldn't let Lin Han look bad. That was the basic duty of a sidekick. But after a few steps, Russell was stopped by a gesture from Lin Han.

Lin Han was determined to defend Payton on his own. When he signaled his teammates not to help, the Jazz players and even Coach Sloan were stunned. What was this kid trying to do?

The Jazz were stunned by Lin Han's behavior because they knew his defensive skills were far from enough to stop 80% of the league's perimeter players. Although Payton wasn't known for his offense, he still averaged around 12 points per game.

Lin Han's defensive stance was peculiar. Typically, a defender would have one arm extended horizontally and the other vertically, the standard defensive position. But Lin Han had his right hand extended forward, as if trying to block Payton's vision.

While the NBA doesn't require a standard defensive stance, Lin Han shouldn't think that covering Payton's eyes would stop him from shooting.

"Bro, is this No. 8 an idiot? He must be an idiot. His defensive stance is telling the opponent to shoot. This stance can't stop a jump shot. Is he going to poke the opponent's eyes when they jump? That's a foul."

"Yeah, Kevin, don't ever play like him."

Many fans watching the game on TV were left speechless by Lin Han's defensive stance. While most knew he had only been playing basketball for a short time and lacked defensive skills, his bizarre defense was still amusing.

Lin Han's defensive stance was like the Chinese idiom "covering one's ears while stealing a bell," thinking that by blocking the opponent's vision, they wouldn't be able to shoot.

When the Jazz players and the bench recovered from their shock, they felt embarrassed by the laughter of the SuperSonics fans. Lin Han was making them look bad.

Of course, Payton, on the offensive end, wouldn't miss this opportunity. Lin Han's extended right hand offered no defense, and Payton could shoot at any time.

But when Payton jumped, Lin Han was a step behind and couldn't jump to defend. His defensive awareness was poor. When everyone thought Payton had an open shot, something unexpected happened.

In mid-air, Payton suddenly let out a "Oh!" as if in great pain. His hands, ready to shoot, were as if struck, and his body convulsed as if electrocuted. He lost control of the ball, and it fell to the ground.

The SuperSonics fans, the referee, and the players and coaches were stunned by Payton's reaction. When he landed and immediately looked at the referee, signaling a foul, the entire arena fell silent.

Even though I'm not well-read, you shouldn't fool me like that. Everyone knows about diving in soccer, but diving in basketball? And this wasn't even a dive. Lin Han didn't jump, so what was that convulsion? Could you be any faker?

Referee Bob Delaney almost called a technical foul on Payton for diving but held back. He was a responsible referee and resisted the urge. He even pointed to the SuperSonics' half, indicating that the defender had already started a fast break.

Feeling a lingering pain, Payton had to give up his argument with the referee and chase after Lin Han.

"Um, um, good, good defense. Lin Han did a great job on defense, but is this really a fast break? His slow dribbling is like a turtle. Although his ball handling is decent, can he speed up a bit? Payton is already catching up. If Payton catches him, this play will fail. The other players are also closing in. Maybe he should slow down and pass to a teammate."

As a commentator, the most awkward moment is when you criticize a player's defense, and they suddenly make a perfect stop. However, Lin Han's fast break was so poor that he was caught by Payton just past the three-point line.

"Kid, you forced my hand."

After catching up to Lin Han, Payton, still feeling the pain from Lin Han's earlier move, quickly closed in, almost ready to pounce. Lin Han suddenly stopped, turned, and crouched.

Everyone knew Lin Han was about to make a turnaround jump shot from just inside the three-point line. Payton recognized the setup and jumped, not considering the possibility of a fake, especially against Lin Han.

"Huh?"

But when Payton jumped, Lin Han made another half-turn before jumping. By the time Lin Han was rising, Payton was already falling.

Fake move, that was a fake move!

"Idiot."

As Payton fell, Lin Han, still taunting him, threw the ball. Enraged and with his intelligence lowered, Payton, without thinking, slapped Lin Han as he landed, causing Lin Han to lose his balance and fall.

"Beep, beep, beep."

Three consecutive whistles. Delaney saw the foul and confirmed Lin Han wasn't diving. He called a shooting foul and a technical foul on Payton, as it was a deliberate foul.

Seeing Lin Han fall, Payton finally realized his mistake and regretted his irrational behavior, but it was too late.

The commentator, a former SuperSonics legend, Sam Perkins, was also embarrassed. He couldn't laugh at what had just happened.

Payton was completely outplayed on both defense and offense!

How could he laugh now?

(Yes, the contract finally arrived. Please recommend.)

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