143: The final battle for the Holy City! A systemic annihilation!

On the chartered flight to San Antonio, no one spoke.

The air was filled with a heavy silence, like the calm before a storm.

Lin Feng leaned against the window, looking at the unfamiliar Texas land below.

His phone had long been turned off.

He hadn't replied to either of those two messages.

Because he knew that any verbal response at this moment would seem pale and weak.

He had already made his choice.

The only final answer that could solve all problems was hidden in this silver and black city that was about to face him.

It was hidden in this silver and black city that was about to face him.

G7, the Game Seven showdown.

The entire city of San Antonio felt like a mobilized military fortress.

From the airport to the hotel, fans wearing Spurs jerseys could be seen everywhere along the streets.

Their faces showed no frustration after the crushing defeat in G6, only a cold, hateful determination.

They watched the Lakers' bus with eyes that looked like they were watching a group of death row inmates about to walk onto the execution ground.

AT&T Center.

The whistle for the start of the game had not yet sounded.

But the atmosphere inside the arena was already tense to the point of solidification.

This was the Spurs' home court.

It was the NBA's most terrifying graveyard for visiting teams.

In every seat sat a silent, silver-and-black soul.

They didn't let out deafening boos; instead, they shrouded every Lakers player on the court with a nearly physical resentment.

Popovich had indeed made adjustments.

The 'Cage' tactic that Lin Feng had completely shattered in G6 was gone.

In its place was the Spurs' most classic and proudest team defense system.

It was an inescapable net woven with countless rotations and help defenses.

Unlike the 'Cage,' it didn't use three people to block you.

It used five.

It used the movement and chemistry of the entire team to compress your every offensive space.

It told you in a more advanced and precise way: here, individual heroism doesn't work.

The Lakers' first possession.

Lin Feng held the ball at the top of the arc.

He didn't immediately enter a crazy individual attack mode like in G6.

He knew his stamina was the most precious resource in this long battle of attrition.

He couldn't fire all his bullets in the first quarter.

He just dribbled the ball calmly.

Then, he activated a power he had never fully revealed to the world.

At that moment, his vision underwent a strange change.

The positions of all ten players on the court, their running routes, and even the muscular exertion tendencies of their next movements...

Everything appeared clearly in his mind like snippets of pre-written code.

Danny Green was preparing to come from the wing, around a screen by Gasol, to double-team him.

Zero point five seconds before Green started moving,

Lin Feng moved.

A simple yet perfectly timed bounce pass!

The basketball precisely bypassed Leonard's outstretched long arms and avoided Duncan's impending defensive rotation.

Like a cruise missile, it landed steadily in the hands of the rolling Gasol.

Wide open!

Gasol easily finished the layup.

2-0!

On the Spurs' bench, Popovich's pupils constricted imperceptibly.

That pass... was too precise.

So precise it didn't seem like a prediction a human could make.

It was more like a director who had seen the script in advance.

Over the next few possessions,

Lin Feng completely transformed into a commander on the court.

He was no longer the scoring machine racking up points like crazy.

Instead, he used one incredible pass after another that pierced through the Spurs' entire defensive system to tear the opponent apart.

Nash caught the ball for an open mid-range jumper.

Swish!

Howard caught the ball for a dunk under the basket.

Got it!

Artest caught the ball for a corner three!

He got that too!

Under his orchestration, the Lakers played a fluid team offense.

On the sidelines, D'Antoni watched with wide eyes.

He had no idea when Lin Feng had evolved this passing ability comparable to Magic Johnson!

Kobe sat on the bench watching Lin Feng's performance, an imperceptible smile appearing on his serious face.

This kid always brings surprises.

However,

The Spurs were, after all, the Spurs.

They possessed the toughest nerves in the league and the most stable tactical execution.

After a brief moment of chaos, they quickly steadied themselves.

Parker used his signature teardrop and spins to break through the Lakers' defense.

Ginóbili's scimitar-like passes always found the most lethal gaps.

And Duncan remained the stone buddha who never made mistakes; every one of his bank shots under the basket was textbook, precise, and stable.

Both sides went back and forth.

The score remained neck and neck.

The situation on the court fell into a suffocating state of stalemate.

35-35.

48-47.

62-63.

Every offensive play and every defensive stop felt like walking a tightrope.

Every shot and every steal could completely change the final outcome of the entire series.

Time flew by in this suffocating battle of attrition.

The game was dragged into the fourth quarter.

Lin Feng's stamina had begun to decline noticeably under the constant wear and tear from the Spurs' precise defensive machine.

Sweat dripped from his forehead like broken beads.

Every rise and fall of his chest was accompanied by heavy breathing.

He could feel his legs becoming heavier and heavier.

Only five minutes remained in the game.

The bright red numbers on the screen were like a sharp knife stabbing into the hearts of all Lakers fans.

90-90.

Tied!

Spurs' ball.

After several rounds of ball movement, it found Danny Green in the corner.

An open look.

Green didn't hesitate, letting it fly!

Swish!

The three-pointer went in!

93-90!

The entire AT&T Center erupted at that moment!

The silver and black resentment that had been suppressed all game turned into a landslide of cheers!

Home-court advantage showed its most ferocious side at this most critical moment.

Beep—!

The Lakers called a timeout.

Lin Feng walked off the court and slumped onto the bench.

He covered his head with a towel, his chest heaving violently like someone about to drown.

His stamina had reached its breaking point.

His vision even started to go dark in waves.

His teammates in the locker area were also silent, their faces filled with gravity and exhaustion.

Pressure, like a tangible object, weighed on everyone's hearts.

Just then,

A pair of black sneakers stopped in front of him.

Lin Feng looked up.

It was Kobe.

There was not a trace of panic on Kobe's face.

His eyes were still like an unsheathed blade, incredibly firm and sharp.

He leaned down, looking into Lin Feng's eyes, which were starting to lose focus.

He didn't say any words to boost morale.

He just spoke calmly, in a tone of passing the torch that only the two of them could understand.

"Finish them in your own way."

Lin Feng's body jolted.

He looked at Kobe's resolute face and the unquestionable trust in his eyes.

The spark in his chest that was about to go out was ignited once more.

He nodded.

Then, he stood up.

The timeout ended.

Lin Feng stepped back onto the battlefield that would decide life or death.

The eyes of the whole world were focused on him.

At the commentator's table, Barkley's voice was full of anticipation.

"Is he going to activate that mode?! The Beast Mode that completely destroyed the Spurs in G6!"

Everyone thought he would activate the unstoppable [Aomine ZONE] from G6.

Using the most violent individual ability to respond to the Spurs' team strangulation.

However,

Lin Feng made a choice that no one expected.