Link and James were the two players who created the most points per game this season.
The points they generated through scoring and assists per game ranked second and third in the league, respectively.
Ahead of Link and James was Harden, who had undergone a transformation this season. But both James and Link had already beaten Harden this season.
Therefore, Link and James were considered the two best-performing players this year.
And this game undoubtedly gave them a chance to settle who was better.
They were not content with being one of the best; they only wanted to be the one and only.
Just now, both men had already displayed their outstanding passing ability and court vision.
Now, it was time to score!
After the Cavaliers brought the ball back, James eagerly took the basketball from Irving.
But he did not drive right away. A headlong, bulldozing style was not suited to dealing with Link.
James waited until Love's screen was set before making his move. However, a simple pick-and-roll was equally incapable of stopping Link.
Link quickly caught up, but just as he closed in on James, James did not accelerate. Instead, he stopped and paused.
James deliberately leaned his back against Link, then suddenly shoved backward, almost like backing down a defender while facing the basket.
James's sudden stop and bump disrupted Link's rhythm.
Link naturally knew that initiating contact during a drive could occasionally produce excellent results.
But James simply stopping to deliver contact like that was truly something Link had never seen before.
After forcing Link to stop, James accelerated again. With his chasing rhythm thrown off, Link found it difficult to catch up.
And so, facing Gasol Jr.'s help defense, James rose directly into the air, twisting sideways to evade the Spaniard's contest before hammering