151: The cheetah's cage!

That box score felt like a red-hot branding iron searing itself onto Lin Feng's retina.

Kobe's words, every single one, struck his soul like a heavy hammer.

"Behind you, there are four teammates wearing the same jersey."

"Boom!"

Lin Feng's mind was filled with a deafening roar!

He suddenly looked up, staring at Kobe's face, which was etched with exhaustion and disappointment.

In an instant, he finally understood everything.

The root of this loss was not Nick Young's missed shot, nor was it the despairing gap in talent.

It was him!

It was because he chose the most foolish and arrogant way to try and win from the very beginning of the game!

He wanted to be the hero.

He wanted to shatter the pride of that pair of Aces with a one-man performance.

The result?

He put up god-like statistics.

And then, he lost the entire game.

He wasn't a hero.

He was the sinner.

The air in the locker room was so heavy it felt like it could drip water.

Everyone was looking at him, their gazes complex.

Lin Feng slowly stood up.

His gaze swept over the face of every teammate.

It swept over Nick Young, whose shoulders trembled with self-blame.

It swept over the exhausted faces of Gasol and Nash.

Finally, it rested on Kobe's face.

He took a deep breath.

Then, facing everyone, he bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry."

His voice was hoarse, yet clear.

"The responsibility for the G1 loss rests on me."

"I promise everyone that in G2, I will trust every single one of you."

The locker room remained quiet.

But the suffocating pressure had quietly dissipated a bit.

Nick Young looked up, a flicker of astonishment crossing his red eyes.

He thought Lin Feng would blame him.

But he didn't.

Kobe looked at Lin Feng, and a barely perceptible hint of approval finally appeared on his resolute face... The next day.

In the Lakers' tactical meeting room.

On the giant screen, the game footage from G1 was being replayed repeatedly.

Every savage collision by Westbrook.

Every unstoppable pull-up jumper by Durant.

It was all a reminder of the painful defeat they had suffered yesterday.

Kobe stood in front of the screen, his expression incredibly serious.

He pressed the pause button.

The image froze at the moment Westbrook and Durant slapped hands in celebration.

"Look closely."

Kobe's voice was cold and sharp.

"They are young and full of drive; they want to crush us in the fastest way possible."

"If we follow their pace, we will die a terrible death."

He pointed at the chaotic defensive formation of the Lakers on the screen.

"In G2, we cannot play like this anymore."

"We need to slow down!"

"Use ball movement, use team offense, drag them into our rhythm!"

"Use experience to defeat their talent!"

Everyone listened intently.

Lin Feng sat in the corner, silent.

But he was more focused than ever before.

He committed every word Kobe said to memory.

He knew this was their only chance... Western Conference Finals G2 officially tipped off.

The Chesapeake Energy Arena was still that hostile, blue ocean.

The deafening boos had not stopped since the first second of the game.

The Lakers won the first possession.

The ball was placed in Lin Feng's hands once again.

He dribbled the ball slowly across half-court.

His eyes were no longer filled with the aggression and destructive desire of G1.

Instead, they had become calm and focused.

He observed his teammates' cuts, searching for passing lanes.

The Thunder's defense had indeed changed.

The defensive scheme that Lin Feng had blown up in G1 was gone.

head coach Brooks had made new adjustments.

No double teams.

Not even help defense.

Defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha stuck to him like glue.

That was all.

Lin Feng felt something strange.

Just Sefolosha alone is supposed to stop me?

He didn't overthink it; following the plan, he prepared for a simple drive and kick.

He took a hesitant step to the right.

Then, he suddenly accelerated to the left!

He exploded!

The moment he accelerated!

A sudden change occurred!

A blue figure, like a Cheetah that had been lying in wait, suddenly pounced from his flank!

It was Russell Westbrook!

His position was at least two meters further up the court than in G1!

He was like a safety in American football, lurking on Lin Feng's driving lane, waiting for the killing blow!

Lin Feng's pupils contracted!

It was too late to change direction!

"Bang!"

A dull sound of muscle colliding!

Westbrook's iron-like shoulder slammed violently into Lin Feng's chest!

A massive force came through!

Lin Feng felt a sharp pain in his chest; his whole body staggered, nearly falling over!

The basketball in his hand was almost lost too!

The referee's whistle was right there.

But it didn't blow!

The referee made a gesture indicating legal body contact!

The entire Thunder crowd erupted in wild cheers!

Lin Feng stabilized himself, looking at Westbrook, who was retreating as if nothing had happened, flashing a provocative smile at him.

His brain worked rapidly.

He instantly understood the Thunder's new strategy!

This wasn't the Spurs' 'cage' that restricted space with formations.

This was a 'hunting ground' that used endless, savage physical collisions to wear you down and punish you!

They gave up on double teams.

They just wanted Sefolosha to harass him.

Then, they let the most explosive athlete, Westbrook, act as the hunter executing the collision!

Every time he tried to drive,

he had to be ready to meet a savage, football-style collision!

This wasn't basketball anymore!

This was war!

Lakers offense, 24-second violation.

Lin Feng rubbed his aching chest, his expression becoming extremely grave.

In the next few possessions,

this nightmarish scene kept replaying.

Every time Lin Feng caught the ball, Sefolosha's harassment followed him like a shadow.

And whenever he showed any intention to drive, Westbrook, that Cheetah, would ferociously leap out from some corner!

On another possession,

Lin Feng used Gasol's screen to shake off Sefolosha by half a step.

He was just about to accelerate!

Westbrook was back!

This time, he rammed into Lin Feng's ribs!

Lin Feng grunted, and before losing his balance, he managed to pass the ball out.

But the force and angle of the pass were off.

Nick Young couldn't control it, and the ball slipped out of his hands, going out of bounds!

Another turnover!

Throughout the entire first quarter,

Lin Feng felt like he had fallen into a cage made up of a Cheetah and hyenas.

Every time he held the ball, every time he moved, every time he tried to initiate offense,

he had to endure at least one such collision, a collision carrying the weight of punishment.

His offensive rhythm was cut into pieces.

His stamina was rapidly draining under this relentless, high-intensity physical confrontation.

He wanted to pass.

But he couldn't even find comfortable space to release the ball!

"Beep--!"

The final whistle for the end of the first quarter finally sounded.

Lin Feng walked off the court, feeling like his skeletal frame was about to fall apart from the hits.

He glanced at the stats on the big screen.

6 points, 3 turnovers.

This was the most frustrating and embarrassing quarter he had played since entering the playoffs.

He collapsed onto the chair, rubbing his painfully bruised ribs.

He looked up towards the Thunder's bench across the court.

Westbrook was full of energy, high-fiving and laughing with Durant, showing the arrogance of a victor on his face.

That look seemed to say: How was it? Did the taste of the prey feel good?

Two intensely suppressed flames of rage ignited in Lin Feng's eyes.