31: The Queen's First Meeting

Kobe sat on the sidelines and slowly raised his thumb towards Lin Feng.

This simple gesture was precisely captured by the courtside cameras and projected onto the giant screen at the Staples Center.

The entire arena erupted in thunderous applause.

Receiving such direct affirmation from Kobe Bryant was the highest honor for a rookie on the Lakers.

The expression on the Clippers head coach Del Negro's face darkened, looking like it could drip water.

He had called this timeout to calm Matt Barnes down and reorganize the defense.

But now it seemed not only had it failed to have any effect, it had instead allowed the Lakers' momentum to fully erupt.

"Matt! Stick to him! Don't give him any space to shoot! Use your body!"

Del Negro roared loudly at Barnes, having lost his usual composure.

Barnes nodded heavily, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth grinding audibly.

The timeout ended, and the game resumed.

The Clippers' offense, perhaps affected by the atmosphere on the court, seemed disjointed. In the end, Griffin took a forced shot that bounced off the rim.

The Lakers secured the rebound and immediately launched a fast break.

Nash dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, scanned the floor, and finally passed the ball to Lin Feng at the top of the key.

Now, Lin Feng was the sole tactical focal point on the court for the Lakers.

"Stop him!"

A beast-like growl erupted from Barnes's mouth as he lunged forward again.

His defensive actions were even more rough than before, almost draping his entire body over Lin Feng.

Arm pulls, knee bumps, cheap shots kept coming.

Lin Feng felt the force transmitted from his opponent's body, but his expression remained unchanged.

He simply, once again, made a motion to raise the ball for a shot.

Like a machine that had pressed the repeat button.

Barnes's mind was now completely occupied by rage and humiliation.

His reason told him not to jump easily, but his physical instinct and that uncontrollable fury made him make the worst possible choice.

He jumped up again!

This time, he even jumped higher and more ferociously than before!

However, the anticipated drive to the basket did not happen.

Lin Feng didn't even make a fake move.

He just stood there, watching Barnes jump up like a fool in front of him and then land.

He was just toying with him.

In the simplest, and most humiliating way.

"You..."

Barnes landed and was about to say something.

But Lin Feng, the moment Barnes was off-balance, accelerated past him on his right side!

This time, Barnes didn't even have time to turn around.

He watched helplessly as Lin Feng's back grew farther and farther away from him.

"Grr!"

A roar of shame and anger burst from Barnes's throat.

He had completely lost his cool.

As Lin Feng had already blown past him by a body length and leaped high for a layup.

Barnes chased from behind. He didn't go for the block; instead, he stretched out both hands, grabbed Lin Feng's waist in mid-air, and viciously yanked him down!

This was an extremely dangerous, dirty play!

Lin Feng lost all balance in the air, his whole body crashing heavily towards the floor!

"Thud!"

A heavy impact sound echoed through the arena.

"Tweeeet——!"

The referee's sharp whistle sounded simultaneously, without hesitation!

Everyone on the court stopped moving.

Nick Young was the first to rush over from the bench, pointing at Barnes and cursing.

"FXXK YOU! Are you trying to kill him?!"

Gasol and Kaman also immediately surrounded them, protecting Lin Feng in the middle, glaring at Barnes.

Clippers players also gathered around, the tension on the court ready to explode.

The Staples Center erupted in a tidal wave of boos.

All the blame pointed towards the perpetrator—Matt Barnes.

Barnes still wanted to argue with the referee. He spread his hands, playing innocent.

"I was just trying to stop his layup! It was a normal defensive play!"

The referee gave him a cold look and made the call.

"Flagrant foul! Two free throws, plus possession!"

Then, the referee added another gesture.

"Flagrant foul 2! Ejected from the game!"

As soon as the call was made, the entire arena cheered!

"Get out!"

"Scumbag!"

"This is Clippers basketball!"

Massive jeers drowned the entire arena.

The Clippers head coach Del Negro grabbed the still-protesting Barnes and shoved him directly towards the players' tunnel.

He knew Barnes's mentality had completely collapsed. Keeping him on the court would only make things worse.

Amidst the boos, Barnes walked off the court, cursing under his breath.

At center court, Lin Feng slowly stood up with the help of his teammates.

He moved his body a bit, feeling a burning pain in his back, but fortunately, no bones were injured.

"Lin, are you okay?"

Nash asked with concern.

Lin Feng shook his head and patted the dust off his clothes.

He glanced at Barnes's disappearing back, his eyes calm.

From beginning to end, he hadn't said a word, hadn't made an extra expression.

This disregard was the greatest contempt for Barnes.

Play resumed.

Lin Feng stepped to the free-throw line.

The gaze of nearly twenty thousand spectators in the entire Staples Center converged on him.

He took the pass from the referee, dribbled twice, adjusted his breathing.

"MVP!"

"MVP!"

Someone started it, and soon, the entire arena echoed with a unified chant.

Lin Feng's expression still didn't change.

He raised his hand and shot the free throw.

"Swish!"

The first free throw went in cleanly.

"Swish!"

The second free throw was nothing but net.

Both free throws made!

Not only had the Lakers tied the game, they had taken the lead over the Clippers!

Just as the fans were cheering for Lin Feng, the live broadcast director, knowing exactly what to do, cut the camera to the VIP seats courtside.

That was the gathering place for celebrities and dignitaries.

The camera focused on a prime seat in the first row.

A woman appeared on the big screen.

She wore a pair of large black sunglasses, covering most of her face.

A dazzling mane of golden hair cascaded casually over her shoulders, her fiery red lips particularly striking under the lights.

Even from just a side profile, it couldn't hide her peerless grace and powerful aura.

On the commentary booth, Kenny Smith's voice rose an octave, filled with undisguised surprise.

"Oh! My goodness! Look who's here!"

"It's Taylor Swift! The pop superstar! She's actually here too!"

Barkley also leaned in, scrutinizing the screen.

"It really is her! The leading lady of the 2013 'Red' Tour! She's the hottest female singer in the world right now!"

The moment that name was uttered, countless fans and music lovers in front of TVs and at the scene erupted.

"Tay Tay! It's Tay Tay!"

"Oh my god! I'm watching the same game as Taylor!"

"Is she a Lakers fan too?"

The live camera lingered on her for a long time.

As if sensing the camera's gaze, or perhaps hearing the commotion around her.

The woman known as Taylor Swift slightly turned her head.

She offered a faint, somewhat polite and distant smile towards the camera's direction.

Then, her gaze, passing over the noisy crowd, returned to the court.

More precisely, it landed on that boy from the East who had just finished his free throws and was preparing to receive the inbound pass.