"Steph picked up his fourth foul! Damn it," Jennings muttered, looking crushed on the Wildcats' bench.
Not even five minutes into the second half and the Sun Devils had pulled off what felt like a power move. The heart of the Wildcats—Southern scoring king Stephen Curry—was heading to the bench in foul trouble.
Coach McKillop didn't have a choice. He gave Curry a quick nod and waved in the backup, Williams.
............
Reggie Miller's voice came through the broadcast. "This might be the break the Sun Devils needed. One of the 'Splash Bros'—Curry—has to sit with four fouls."
Dell Curry frowned, arms folded. "Gotta talk to Steph later. No need to pick up a dumb foul like that. He's young, still learning how to stay outta foul trouble."
..............
As Curry walked off the court, he glanced sheepishly at Lin Yi.
Lin Yi smiled and patted Steph's shoulder. "Relax. Aggressive defense ain't a crime. Go chill."
That was all he could say…
On the other hand, James Harden was heating up.
With Curry off the floor, the full weight of the Wildcats' offense—and defense—landed squarely on Lin Yi's shoulders.
Sun Devils inbounded fast. Harden attacked, smoothly and effortlessly.
One dribble, two steps—layup.
41–47.
Sun Devils up six.
Coming back, Lin Yi called for the ball, jab-stepped, and pulled up—money.
43–47.
Cut it to four.
But Harden came right back.
Quick move, lefty shimmy, step-back mid-range.
Bucket
43–49.
Lin Yi posted up. Spin move.
Fade away jumper from the block.
Splash.
45–49.
Sun Devils power forward Grant stared up at him, wide-eyed.
This dude's too damn tall… and that jumper? Textbook. And that wingspan—what do I even contest with?
While Grant was wondering if Lin Yi came with cheat codes, Lin was marveling at how smooth everything felt lately. That Dream Shake badge? It was working overtime.
But then the crowd roared again. Harden had drawn another foul, kissed it high off the glass—and one.
............
"He's killing us," Jennings whispered on the bench.
Scouts from the East Region started scribbling like crazy. Harden was in his sophomore season, and they were wondering out loud: If he had more athleticism, would he be in the running for the number one pick?
Of course, in hindsight, many of these same scouts would later lose jobs. Just ask the guy who once wrote, "DeMar DeRozan has decent scoring instincts, and nothing more."
Meanwhile, the scouts from the Pacific were all eyes on Lin Yi.
Can the Chinese center carry Davidson now that Curry's benched?
Javier Stanford leaned forward in his seat. He'd flown into Phoenix just for this. "This is your moment, kid. Handle this game right, and you shoot up the rankings."
Lin Yi had a rare blend of size, shooting, and movement. He wasn't just big—he was nimble. If he could lock in defensively, there was no question he'd be special.
.............
Harden sank the free throw. The crowd went wild. Cheerleaders led a full "James Harden" chant.
Lin Yi exhaled deeply. He could feel the weight on his shoulders now.
Gotta pace myself. But how do you save energy when everything depends on you?
Screw it.
Time to go full throttle.
He wasn't just Lin Yi the center anymore. He was Lin Yi the go-to guy.
Flashback begins
Back at Davidson, whenever he and Curry played one-on-one, Curry never gave him an inch.
"You're too slow, Lin," Steph used to tease, spinning the ball on his finger. "Can't keep up with me."
But Lin never backed down. And each time they battled, Curry could feel it—Lin was learning. Growing. Pushing himself.
Dell Curry once told his son, "If you're gonna be great, you need that killer instinct—especially as a guard."
Strangely enough, Steph always thought Lin had it too.
They'd gone at it so much, that one-on-one had become part of their daily training. Steph lived for that competition. And deep down, he knew—if Lin Yi reached that next level, he could help the Wildcats.
Flashback ends
Back in the arena—James Harden had now scored three straight possessions.
Could Lin Yi answer?
He had to.
With the game tightening, Lin Yi posted up again. Grant braced, lowering his center of gravity.
The first bump, Grant held his ground.
The second bump, Grant took a step back.
That's when Lin Yi spun.
Grant recovered quickly, slid his foot over, and blocked the baseline.
Then Lin Yi froze. Didn't budge. His pivot foot stayed down. Then came the fake—Grant bit.
A split second later, Lin Yi exploded upward, not for a hook, but a vicious one-handed slam.
BOOM.
..............
Javier Stanford stood up shouting, "That's what I'm talking about!"
Reggie Miller echoed him from the booth. "Dreeeeeamshake! Woo! This kid is for real! That footwork? That poise? Solid."
Dell Curry nodded slowly.
He'd seen those moves before.
Back when he was in the league.
Back when Hakeem Olajuwon made even Shaq look mortal.
Everyone talks about the Big Four centers… but only one ever truly ruled the post: Hakeem the Dream.
And now?
This Chinese center had his footprints.
.............The
Grant stood there, stunned. He'd brought his full strength… and Lin Yi still got the shot he wanted.
47–52.
Wildcats down five. But Lin Yi's dunk lit a fire.
Only… Harden came right back. Pulled up from deep—splash. Another three.
Wildcats bench went quiet.
Lin Yi let out a sigh of breath.
...........
Curry bounced off the bench, eyes locked on the court.
Coach McKillop looked at him, then down at his foul count.
Steph didn't say a word.
McKillop sighed.
Then nodded.
" Just don't make it five."