stonecrandall Chapter 38 Injuries Strikes, Single Core Leader Leads the Team
Chapter 38 Injuries Strikes, Single Core Leader Leads the Team
The air in the Warriors' training facility seemed frozen; even the usually noisiest bench was silent.
The MRI report in the team doctor's hand felt light as a feather, but when it fell to the ground, it felt like it had made a huge dent. Richardson sat on the physiotherapy bed, his head buried in his hands. This veteran guard, who had been with the Warriors for several years, couldn't stop his shoulders from shaking—a torn ligament in his ankle, ending his season.
That's not even the worst part.
Just half an hour ago, the team's starting center was hit in the knee during a scrimmage. The MRI results were also not optimistic: a meniscus injury. He will be out for at least three months, and it is uncertain whether he can catch the last train for the playoffs.
With only twelve games left in the regular season, the Warriors' morale, which had been boosted by their last-second victory against the Lakers, was suddenly shattered overnight by a wave of injuries.
"It's over, it's all over." The assistant coach squatted in the corner, his hands gripping the tactical board so tightly it creaked. "Our starting shooting guard and starting center are both out, and all we have on the bench are a few undrafted players and seasoned veterans. How are we supposed to compete in the playoffs?"
His teammates were all dejected and silent. Everyone knew that the Warriors' rise from the bottom of the Western Conference to third place this season was thanks to the backcourt duo of Lin Hao and Richardson, plus their rim protection in the paint. Now, with two key players out for the season, it's like taking half an arm off the Warriors.
Just as the entire training hall was enveloped in a low-pressure atmosphere, Lin Hao unscrewed a can of yellow peaches, gulped down a large mouthful of syrup, and slammed the can onto the table. The crisp sound instantly drew everyone's attention back.
"Why are you all hanging your heads? Did the sky fall?" Lin Hao wiped his mouth, his Northeastern accent carrying an undeniable tenacity. "So what if two brothers are injured? The NBA keeps turning even if someone's missing. With me here, this season's playoffs aren't just going to be a hit, they're going to go far!"
"Haozi, it's not that we're discouraged." A veteran player sighed. "The remaining twelve games are all tough opponents in the West: the Kings, the Mavericks, the Timberwolves. Aren't they all determined to make the playoffs? With our roster so depleted, if our opponents can shut us down, we'll be completely helpless."
"Strangle me? They'd need to have the teeth to do that." Lin Hao chuckled, picked up a marker, walked to the tactics board, and quickly drew a new tactical line. "In the previous run-and-gun system, we focused on the inside-outside coordination. Now that we've lost our inside advantage, let's change our approach."
His pen tip slid across the tactics board, breaking down the original positional attack into a dynamic attack with five players spreading out, and changing the defense into a shrinking system with endless switching. The responsibilities of each position and the details of each movement were clearly marked.
"In the upcoming games, I'll initiate the offense with the ball. Everyone needs to get moving. Keep moving off the ball and take the shot if you have an open shot. I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong. On defense, we won't compete with the opponent's height in the paint. We'll compete on footwork and rebounding. Fight for every rebound and every loose ball with all our might."
Lin Hao put down his marker, his gaze sweeping over each teammate. The certainty in his eyes gradually rekindled the light in the eyes of the previously dejected team members.
"If we can take down the Lakers' OK duo, we can crush every opponent we face next. Northeasterners believe in never giving up; as long as the game isn't over, there's no reason to admit defeat. If you want to get through this mess with me, pick up a ball and practice with me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Richardson was the first to lean on the physiotherapy bed and shout, "Haozi is right! Let's do it! Even though I can't play, I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines and giving you tactical advice, no doubt about it!"
The teammates instantly perked up, picking up basketballs one after another, and the once lifeless training hall was once again filled with the thud of basketballs hitting the floor.
The head coach, standing to the side, watched Lin Hao's retreating figure and couldn't help but nod. He suddenly realized that this second-round pick, who had only been in the league for half a season, had unknowingly become the true backbone of the team, an absolute leader capable of carrying the team forward.
While the Warriors were busy adjusting their tactics, the American media was in an uproar, with a flood of articles predicting their downfall.
ESPN published an article titled: "Injury Wave Destroys Warriors! Lin Hao's Internet Celebrity Miracle is About to End, First-Round Exit in the Playoffs is Inevitable."
The TNT commentator bluntly stated on the show: "Without Richardson's offensive support and without the protection of the rim in the paint, Lin Hao is just a lone commander. Western teams will use a box-to-box defense to make him question his existence. He can't possibly make the game-winning shot every game."
Some even went so far as to remove the Warriors from the list of Western Conference playoff contenders, stating bluntly that "the Warriors will suffer a losing streak in the final stages and eventually fall out of the top eight in the West."
These taunts and pessimistic views flew to Auckland like snowflakes, but Lin Hao didn't even glance at them, throwing them all into the trash. He knew better than anyone that verbal battles were useless; on the basketball court, it was ultimately the ball that spoke.
Just then, the system's familiar notification sounded in Lin Hao's mind:
[Ding! The team has been hit by a major injury crisis, triggering a temporary main quest: "Single-Handed Flag Bearer"!]
[Mission Objective: To lead the team to a top-three finish in the Western Conference during the final stages of the regular season, achieving at least 50 wins before the end of the season.]
[Mission Rewards: Permanently increase physical durability by 25%, increase combat ability by 20%, and upgrade the [Iron Blood Entanglement] skill!]
[Mission failure penalty: None. Just keep pushing forward, the system will always be your strongest support.]
Lin Hao raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. Fine, let's show these pessimists that even leading a team alone, he can still carve out a path to victory in the West.
In the first game after the regular season resumed, the Warriors faced the Trail Blazers on the road.
Before the game, the Trail Blazers boasted that they would give the Warriors a rude awakening at home and show Lin Hao the difficulties of leading a team alone. Once the game started, the Trail Blazers indeed immediately deployed a box-one defense, with four players clustered in the paint and one player closely guarding Lin Hao the entire time, clearly aiming to allow other players to shoot and shut down Lin Hao as their only offensive option.
In the opening three minutes, the Warriors' role players missed four open three-pointers in a row, quickly widening the gap to eight points. The boos from the crowd were deafening, and the Trail Blazers players taunted Lin Hao relentlessly: "You think you're so great? Then try beating all five of us by yourself!"
The head coach on the bench was so anxious he was stamping his feet, but Lin Hao remained completely calm. Instead of going into scoring mode and racking up points as expected, he repeatedly passed the ball to open teammates.
"Shoot! Don't be afraid of missing! I'll grab the rebounds for you!" Lin Hao shouted to his teammates. His Northeastern accent pierced through the boos and reached the ears of every teammate.
Even as his teammates missed several shots in a row, he didn't hesitate at all when passing the ball. Finally, on the fifth pass, the substitute guard caught Lin Hao's pass and calmly sank an open three-pointer.
This shot was like opening a valve.
Lin Hao used his gravity to create numerous open looks for his teammates, while also shutting down the Trail Blazers' key guard on the defensive end, making two consecutive steals and leading the team in fast breaks. In the second quarter alone, he dished out 8 assists, directly activating the entire team's shooting touch. By halftime, the Warriors had not only erased the deficit but also taken a 6-point lead.
In the second half, seeing that their double-teaming tactics were ineffective, the Trail Blazers had no choice but to adjust their defense and switch to guarding Lin Hao one-on-one.
But they forgot that one-on-one defense has always been Lin Hao's slaughterhouse.
In the third quarter, Lin Hao turned on scoring mode, showcasing his skills with drives, three-pointers, and fadeaway jumpers, racking up 18 points in the quarter and effectively sealing the game. During garbage time in the fourth quarter, he sat on the bench, unscrewed a can of peaches, and watched the substitutes battle it out on the court, a relaxed smile on his face.
Ultimately, the Warriors defeated the Trail Blazers by 15 points on the road, securing their first victory since the injury crisis began. Lin Hao scored 36 points, 14 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals, delivering a perfect performance on both offense and defense, silencing all the naysayers.
This victory was like a shot in the arm, completely waking up the entire Warriors team.
In the next ten games, Lin Hao completely unleashed his killer mode. Against the Timberwolves, he scored 41 points and 9 assists, leading his team to a 12-point comeback victory; against the Grizzlies, he shut down Payton and dished out 16 assists, leading his team to a big win; against the Mavericks, he went toe-to-toe with Nash, hitting a game-winning shot in the final moments to secure another victory.
Throughout the final stage, Lin Hao delivered an explosive performance, averaging 34.8 points, 8.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game. He scored 30+ points in ten consecutive games, including three 40+ point games, single-handedly leading the depleted Warriors to an 8-2 record. Not only did they not fall out of the top three in the Western Conference, but they also firmly secured their 50 wins, thus clinching a playoff spot in advance.
The entire American media was stunned. Previously pessimistic press releases were deleted overnight, and they immediately began touting Lin Hao as "the league's best shooting guard" and "an epic performance leading the team single-handedly." The media also noticed that a row of canned yellow peaches was always on Lin Hao's bench during every game, and he would drink one afterward. As a result, the hashtag #CannedYellowPeachesIsTheWarriors'WinningSecret# once again topped the trending searches in both China and the US.
Some media outlets joked, "The entire league is studying how to defend Lin Hao, but no one has noticed that the real secret to winning is the canned yellow peaches from Northeast China in his hand."
Off the field, Zhang Qingying was almost always by Lin Hao's side. Every day after training, she would prepare hot meals for him, massage his muscles to relax them, and watch game videos with him in the evenings, analyzing their opponents' tactics. The national goddess, who was originally under the spotlight, was willing to be his most reliable support, and their relationship grew stronger with each passing day.
Zhao Dabao wasn't idle back home either. He organized fans to cheer for the Warriors while also connecting with domestic media to spread the story of Lin Hao leading the team single-handedly throughout the country. Harris, on the other hand, was busy coordinating with the league's top medical teams to develop rehabilitation plans for injured players. He also repeatedly appealed to the league against malicious fouls by opponents, shielding Lin Hao from a lot of off-court trouble.
With two agents providing backup, his loved one by his side, and his teammates increasingly trusting him, Lin Hao played with ever-greater composure on the court. He was no longer the rookie who conquered the court solely through scoring, but had truly become a leader capable of carrying the team forward, the soul of the Warriors.
In the game before the final game of the regular season, the Warriors defeated the Jazz at home, securing the third seed in the Western Conference with two rounds to spare.
The moment the final whistle blew, the entire Oracle Arena crowd rose to their feet, chanting Lin Hao's name and shouting "MVP!" His teammates swarmed around him like madmen, dousing him with water and towels.
In the locker room, Lin Hao had just unscrewed a can of yellow peaches when his phone started ringing incessantly. It was an overseas call from Zhao Dabao in China.
He answered the phone, about to share his joy at securing the ranking with his childhood friend, when he was interrupted by Zhao Dabao's excited voice: "Haozi! Something terrible has happened!!"
Lin Hao's heart skipped a beat, thinking something had happened back home, and he quickly asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem at the youth training camp?"
"No! That's way more outrageous!" Zhao Dabao's voice was laced with suppressed laughter, mixed with a wry smile. "First of all, that domestic peach cannery said they'd supply you with peaches for life, even saying they'd buy them for the entire Warriors team! And then, the most outrageous thing happened: your next game is against the Grizzlies, right? The entire Grizzlies team collectively stockpiled 500 cans of the same peach cannery before the game, and their head coach declared they'd fight fire with fire, breaking your winning buff!"
"And there's more! Customs just called me and said a container of canned yellow peaches we shipped from China has been seized! The reason... is that they suspect it's a new type of performance-enhancing drug meant for you, and they need to take it for testing!"
Lin Hao held his phone, almost spitting out the peach he was eating.
He looked down at the can of food in his hand, then listened to Zhao Dabao's complaints on the phone, and suddenly burst out laughing.
Well, I thought the final battle would just be a formality, but I didn't expect these guys to come up with so many tricks.
He wanted to see if the winning buff from the canned yellow peaches could actually be broken.