Chapter 8: Fearless of Jordan! The Best Play of the Game Is Born!

An enraged Jordan is certainly not someone to be trifled with!

As Jordan launched another low-post assault, Lin Tian felt as though his ribs were about to be crushed by the sheer force of Jordan’s drive. Yet, Lin Tian gritted his teeth, refusing to give an inch, doing everything in his power to disrupt Jordan’s rhythm.

Unfortunately, against the God of Basketball, such minor interference was far from enough.

"Swish!"

Jordan hit yet another turnaround jumper, adding two more points to his tally.

"Roo... F***! Stop right there!"

Jordan had just opened his mouth to deliver some trash talk, but Lin Tian had already vanished! He was sprinting again!

Kukoc, having gained confidence from the previous play, didn't hesitate for a second. He threw a long outlet pass to Lin Tian, who was already streaking into the frontcourt. Upon receiving the ball, Lin Tian accelerated once more.

With ample room to sprint, Lin Tian bypassed a flat-footed Pippen in a single stride, charging to the rim for an effortless layup.

In this league, those with S+ grade speed barely number more than five. And yet, Lin Tian was vastly different from those players.

Their S+ rating was because their speed had reached that level. Lin Tian’s S+ rating was only there because that was the highest grade the system allowed. His speed was on par with Usain Bolt—the absolute pinnacle in human history!

"Swish!"

A crisp sound echoed as Lin Tian scored six consecutive points. In a short span, he was actually trading blows with Jordan!

Not only that, but in the previous sequence, he had blown past Pippen—a perennial member of the All-Defensive First Team and widely considered the best perimeter defender in the league—in a single move. It was breathtaking.

Jordan’s eyes turned stone-cold; he was ready to play for real now.

In the following possessions, Lin Tian’s teammates began to trust him, and his ball usage increased. However, facing a frenzied Jordan, Lin Tian felt a profound sense of helplessness.

Even in his early thirties, Jordan’s explosiveness, speed, lateral quickness, and especially his defensive anticipation and pressure were terrifying. Even with Wennington constantly setting screens, Lin Tian couldn't find any opportunities, as Jordan’s suffocating defense rendered his speed advantage useless.

Aside from setting up Kerr for two open three-pointers, Lin Tian made little impact. Defensively, he lost count of how many times Jordan had bullied his way to the basket. Against Jordan, he was truly powerless.

As the game dragged on, Jackson began checking his watch. The game had gone on long enough; he had confirmed that Jordan was still at his peak and that Lin Tian was more than just talk—he had real substance. Now, he just needed to figure out how to best utilize this young player.

Just then, the most spectacular moment of the night occurred.

Jordan was backing Lin Tian down in the low post again. After a pump fake, he turned to rise for a jumper. Lin Tian seized the moment and swiped down with his hand!

"Snap!"

With a sharp sound, Lin Tian stripped the ball from Jordan!

Jordan, losing control of the ball in mid-air, landed in an awkward heap. Lin Tian had already launched a full-speed counterattack toward the frontcourt!

"Scott, Dennis, stop him!" Jordan roared.

He then poured every ounce of his energy into a desperate, all-out pursuit of Lin Tian.

Lin Tian’s terrifying speed was on full display. Although his ball-handling wasn't elite enough to maximize his S+ speed while dribbling, he was still undeniably fast.

Pippen and Rodman were locked in now. If they let a second-round pick finish a fast break after their leader’s command, they would have no face left.

Facing the containment of two defensive specialists, Lin Tian showed no fear. He lowered his head and sprinted forward!

He dared not pause, charging straight for the rim. But he couldn't shake the two defenders, and Jordan was closing in rapidly from behind, ready to deliver a thunderous block the moment Lin Tian left his feet.

The Bulls' "Big Three" were teaming up in a practice session to shut down a second-round pick! It sounded like a joke, yet it was reality.

Finally, Lin Tian stepped into the paint and jumped without hesitation. The Big Three converged from three different directions, sealing him off completely.

"Still too green. He's lost his head. He only knows how to sprint and lacks the ability to control the pace. That's his shortcoming," Phil Jackson mused, shaking his head slightly, somewhat disappointed by Lin Tian’s reckless drive.

But his disappointment lasted only a second.

"Whoosh!"

Just as everyone waited for the highlight-reel block, the basketball suddenly vanished!

"Boom!"

Less than a second later, the athletic Buechler rose up and hammered home a two-handed dunk.

Most of the people in the arena didn't see what happened in that split second; they could only gasp in instinctual shock. Even Buechler himself didn't know how the ball had ended up in his hands.

Phil Jackson’s eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

He had clearly seen Lin Tian pull the ball from his front to his waist mid-air, then deliver a no-look pass through Jordan’s armpit to the cutting Buechler.

How did he see him? Buechler was clearly in Lin Tian’s blind spot!

The pass reminded Jackson of a retired rival. In the entire league, only one person could deliver such an imaginative and bold pass: "Magic" Johnson!

A talent worth molding! Absolutely worth molding!

Even if it were just for this one play, Jackson had made up his mind: he would develop Lin Tian. With this kind of speed, vision, imagination, and passing technique, he was a rare prospect indeed.

As for what happened in the final two possessions, Jackson no longer cared. He didn't care about Jordan driving to the rim to dunk over Bill Wennington, nor about Jordan bullying Lin Tian from the three-point line all the way to the hoop. Even if Lin Tian had been thoroughly dominated by Jordan throughout the night, the most brilliant moment belonged to him.

Jackson had firmly etched this tall, Asian point guard into his mind.

After the game, a panting Jordan looked at Lin Tian and said, "Kid, how about that? I completely crushed you, didn't I?"

Lin Tian counted on his fingers and smiled. "Although you scored more points, you didn't manage a single one-on-one steal against me, nor did you block me. But I stripped you once! So, at best, we call it a draw!"

"A draw?" Jordan was so amused by Lin Tian’s audacity that he laughed, nodding his head. "I hope you remember those words: 'a draw.' You’ll regret it!"