28: Chokehold defense

That elbow strike was both vicious and cunning, jabbing right into the softest spot below Lin Feng's ribs.

The sharp pain caused his breathing to hitch abruptly.

Lin Feng's body swayed for a moment, but he didn't make a sound, nor did he theatrically collapse or angrily complain to the referee like many other players would have.

He simply steadied himself, and while everyone was focused on Paul and Griffin completing the alley-oop, he turned his head and shot a deep look at Matt Barnes, who was running back to defend.

There was no anger or pain in that gaze, only a cold, icy calm.

Barnes felt his gaze, looked back, and grinned at him, silently mouthing a word.

"Welcome."

Lin Feng withdrew his gaze as if nothing had happened.

But he knew this was just the beginning.

This was a "greeting" from an enforcer, an appetizer for this war of attrition.

In the following possessions, the situation on the court confirmed his judgment.

Lakers' possession.

Lin Feng began his off-ball movement again, but Barnes was like a shadow.

No, he was even more loathsome than a shadow.

His body was like a moving wall, constantly squeezing Lin Feng's space.

His hands were always in the referee's blind spots, pulling or grabbing.

His trash talk was like a fly, buzzing in Lin Feng's ear.

"Is that all the strength you have, Chinese kid?"

"Run faster, I haven't even warmed up yet!"

"Your teammates don't seem to trust you; they aren't passing you the ball."

Lin Feng felt as if he were stuck in a quagmire, every step a struggle.

Even touching the basketball had become a luxury.

Nash tried to pass to him several times, but Barnes' defense was like a lock, firmly sealing off all connection between Lin Feng and the ball.

On the sideline, head coach D'Antoni's brow furrowed tightly.

He had expected the Clippers to focus on Lin Feng, but he hadn't anticipated their defensive strategy being so extreme and targeted.

This was no longer defense.

This was a stranglehold.

They wanted to completely snuff out the Lakers' sharpest offensive arrow right from the start of the game.

"Mitch, this bastard's play is too dirty!" the assistant coach couldn't help but curse under his breath.

D'Antoni said nothing, but his eyes were filled with worry as he watched the figure wearing number 1, still running tirelessly on the court.

On the court, Lin Feng showed no sign of discouragement or anxiety.

Since the opponent was focusing all their attention on him, he might as well act as bait.

During one possession, Lin Feng suddenly accelerated, sprinting toward the left corner.

Barnes immediately followed him like a hound.

The Clippers' wing defenders also subconsciously collapsed toward Lin Feng's side, wary of his sudden three-pointers.

They maintained the highest level of vigilance against this monster who had sunk twelve three-pointers in the preseason.

However, Lin Feng was just a decoy.

His movement acted like a magnet, instantly pulling the Clippers' defensive focus to the wing.

On the other side of the court, a massive opening appeared.

How could Steve Nash, the wizard of the court, miss such an opportunity?

With a flick of his wrist,

The basketball seemed to take on a life of its own, threading through the gaps to find the cutting center, Chris Kaman, with precision.

Kaman caught the ball and finished with an easy layup.

The shot went in.

The Lakers finally scored.

The next possession followed almost the same pattern.

Lin Feng once again used his frantic off-ball movement to stretch Barnes and the Clippers' defensive formation.

Nash delivered another brilliant pass, assisting Kaman to draw a foul under the basket and score two points from free throws.

Using this method, the Lakers temporarily stabilized their precarious situation.

At the commentary desk, Kenny Smith saw what was happening.

"Lin Feng is very smart!"

"While being completely locked down, he didn't let his ego get the better of him against Barnes. Instead, he used his three-point threat to create scoring opportunities for his teammates."

"This is the playstyle of a mature player; it's hard to believe he's just a rookie."

Barkley also nodded: "Yes, but this can't go on forever. The Lakers need their primary scorer to step up."

The first quarter reached its final two minutes.

The Lakers trailed by 6 points.

D'Antoni didn't call a timeout; he trusted the players on the court to adjust themselves.

Another offensive play.

Lin Feng was still running.

His lungs felt like they were on fire, and his legs were starting to feel heavy.

Barnes' defensive intensity hadn't dropped for a single second since the game started.

Just then, Gasol set an extremely solid off-ball screen for Lin Feng at the high post.

His massive frame, like a literal wall, stood firmly in the way of Barnes' pursuit.

"Thump!"

Barnes crashed headlong into Gasol.

It was that one-in-a-million moment!

Lin Feng curled out and finally received Nash's pass a step beyond the three-point line!

This was the first time this game he had caught the ball in a position where he could shoot comfortably.

The Lakers fans in the arena subconsciously stood up.

But Barnes reacted incredibly fast after being bumped.

Like an enraged bull, he skirted around the screen and lunged frantically toward Lin Feng!

His eyes were bloodshot as he launched himself into the air, arm outstretched, desperate to block the shot entirely.

There was no time to make any adjustments.

Lin Feng didn't hesitate.

He jumped the moment he caught the ball, forcing his body into a fadeaway in mid-air to avoid the block.

Relying on the muscle memory granted by Shintaro Midorima's Full-Court Three-Pointer, he released the ball just before Barnes' fingers could touch it.

It was a forced shot of extremely high difficulty.

After the release, Lin Feng was even a bit unsteady on his feet when landing because the fadeaway was so pronounced.

He gasped for air, feeling that this single shot had consumed a massive amount of physical energy.

Every eye in the arena followed the spinning basketball through the air.

The arc of the ball was somewhat high.

"Swish!"

The sound was crisp.

The ball rattled around the rim for a moment before finally dropping in!

Three-pointer made!

The purple and gold half of the Staples Center erupted completely!

"Lin! Great job!" Nick Young waved a towel on the bench.

Kobe, sitting on the sideline, also showed a hint of approval on his face.

However, after the basket, Lin Feng didn't even have time to catch his breath.

Matt Barnes scrambled up from the floor and walked over to him.

There was no frustration or anger on his face; instead, he wore a morbid smile.

He leaned into Lin Feng's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear,

"See that, rookie?"

"Every point you get is going to cost you a layer of skin."

The buzzer for the end of the first quarter sounded at that moment.

Lin Feng stood in place, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving violently.

He looked at the scoreboard.

Lakers 25, Clippers 30. They still trailed by 5 points.

And he himself, after a massive expenditure of physical energy, had only managed those 3 hard-earned points.

He realized a serious problem.

If he only relied on shooting, under this kind of reckless, brutal attrition from Barnes, he might very well be worn to death tonight.