Chapter 43: Leveling Up Mid-Battle! Going All-In on Experience Points!

"Do you want to repeat what you just said?"

Payton stepped forward aggressively, his head nearly pressing against Lin Tian’s forehead as he spat out, "If your family never taught you how to behave, I'll teach you tonight!"

"Did your mother even teach you how to brush your teeth?" Lin Tian pinched his nostrils shut, looking disgusted. "When you haven't brushed your teeth, you should stay far away from people when you talk! Otherwise, it’s a crime! Do you know your mouth smells worse than a public toilet in the slums?"

Just as Payton prepared to lash out again, Fox blew his whistle and charged over.

"One warning! Both of you! One warning!"

Fox stood between them, furious. "Don't try to stir up trouble in my game! One more time and I’m calling a technical foul on both of you! Especially you!"

The referee’s final words were directed squarely at Lin Tian.

"Fox! My dear Fox! We’re old friends, after all." Lin Tian shrugged. "He clearly started it; I'm the victim here! Yet you’re telling me to be careful? I’m filing a complaint against you!"

"Kid, that sharp tongue of yours won't help you. If I were you, I’d call a timeout right now and put Michael in!" Payton glared at Lin Tian, suddenly feeling that this rookie was even more annoying than Jordan.

"Why bring him in? To watch you get demolished by me up close?" Lin Tian rolled his eyes. "If you want Michael to come in, you need to show some skill first, don't you? How about closing the gap to within ten points? We’ve already beaten you 4-0!"

"Wait, is your plan just to get blown out by us? That way you can reach garbage time sooner and avoid being beaten to a pulp by Michael again! Is that it?"

"You're dead!" Payton nodded at Lin Tian, now thoroughly enraged. He was determined to give Lin Tian a lesson.

A coming-of-age gift.

"Gary Payton's emotional volatility has triggered, dropping 20 EXP!"

Hearing the notification, Lin Tian’s eyes lit up.

It was starting! Payton was finally getting angry!

Good news!

He had to make Payton pay tonight!

At this moment, the Supersonics finally brought the ball past half-court. Payton reached the three-point line and called for the ball. Facing Lin Tian, who lunged at him once more, Payton chose to drive hard.

Using his powerful frame to get past Lin Tian in one step, he forced his way into the paint for a layup!

This time, Payton finally scored.

"See that, kid? Whenever I want to, I can destroy you in minutes!" After the basket, Payton raised his arms, taunting Lin Tian.

"That's just two points, isn't it?" Lin Tian dismissed him with a look of disdain and bolted toward the front court!

Payton hesitated for a split second, but that was all it took for him to lose Lin Tian completely!

Kukoc quickly inbounded the ball from the baseline to Pippen, who took only one dribble before returning the favor with a crisp pass.

This time, Lin Tian was sprinting down the court. Before the Supersonics could react, he grabbed the ball and finished with a layup at the rim!

Another transition!

Another quick score during the transition phase, which was Lin Tian’s specialty!

On the sidelines, George Karl was so furious he smashed his tactical board onto the ground! The elegance he had shown while comforting Payton earlier vanished instantly as he cursed, "Are you all pigs? How many pre-game meetings have I held for you? How many scouting reports have you read? This kid is fast! Fast! Faster than your fathers were when they sired you!"

"F***! Keep an eye on him! Don't let him get another fast break! Watch him!"

"And you, Gary! You’re the team leader! Play the game properly instead of picking fights with a little rookie!"

Karl’s anger finally made the Supersonics' defense a bit tougher, and it forced Payton to calm down slightly.

The entire Supersonics team began to pay more attention to defending Lin Tian's fast breaks. In the next three minutes, they finally found their rhythm, scoring several times using pick-and-rolls and Schrempf’s shooting range, while Lin Tian’s performance dimmed slightly.

Especially after Payton focused on protecting the ball instead of trying to crush Lin Tian, Lin Tian found it harder to contain him, and Payton scored a few baskets in succession.

38-32!

Four minutes into the second quarter, the Supersonics had only managed to shave two points off the lead.

Payton, facing Lin Tian, still hadn't displayed the level of play or the advantage expected of him!

On the sidelines, Jordan stood up and walked to the scorer’s table; clearly, the next dead ball would mark his return to the game!

The possession remained with the Supersonics.

Seeing Jordan about to check in, Payton grew even more anxious.

He wanted to score this basket to narrow the gap further!

He needed to close the distance as much as possible before Jordan returned. If they couldn't close the gap without Jordan on the floor, what hope would they have once he returned?

Payton tried to keep his composure, slowing the pace of the game down. Facing Lin Tian, he waved everyone to clear out and once again chose to drive hard to the basket!

Lin Tian had long anticipated Payton’s determination to score on him before Jordan returned, so he gritted his teeth, resolved to stop him no matter what!

So, as Payton slowed the pace to find an opening, Lin Tian took a quick look at his system!

After nearly two months of accumulation, Lin Tian now had over 1,400 EXP!

After a moment of thought, Lin Tian decided to go all-in with his points to upgrade a skill he had inherited from Pippen—

The Hand of Interception!

"Congratulations to the host, you have upgraded Hand of Interception to LV2!"

"Hand of Interception LV2 (0/3000): Steal ability increased by 10%!"

Lin Tian then opened his system panel:

Name: Lin Tian
Age: 22
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 84 kg
Physical Rating: Vertical B-, Speed S+, Strength C+, Stamina B-, Explosion A+, Coordination A-, Awareness A+
Overall Physical Rating: A-
Offense Rating: Shooting B, Dribbling B-, Passing A+, Driving B, Post-up D, Dunking B, Fast Break S
Overall Offense Rating: B-
Defense Rating: Rebounding D+, Stealing A, Post Defense D+, Blocking C-, Help Defense B, Boxing Out C-, Man-to-Man Defense B-
Overall Defense Rating: C-
Traits: Eye of All-Seeing, Pretty Boy, Lightning Speed
Skills: Pick-and-Roll Shooting LV2, Quick Passing LV2, Hand of Interception LV2, Air Walk LV1
Items: 92-93 Season Jordan Experience Card (3 min), 00-01 Season O'Neal Strength Experience Card (3 min), 98-99 Season Mourning Strength Experience Card (Full Game)
EXP: 105
Mission: Play over 20 minutes in 10 consecutive games

After the upgrade, Lin Tian’s Steal attribute had finally climbed to an A-level!

While not the absolute peak, it was certainly top-tier in the league, giving Lin Tian more confidence and opportunity to stop Payton on this possession!