Jordan Hill had only wanted to fight for the rebound at first, but he hadn't expected Jermaine Taylor to be so hardheaded that he'd get his face swatted.
But with Daye going to help defend Taylor, Hill was still left unguarded. Watching the ball fly toward the right corner, Hill thought that if someone could pass it to him—even just toss it into the air—he was confident he could dunk it. After all, he was wide open.
But then again, who could even spot such a subtle opportunity?
That Chinese guy wearing number 5? Forget it. He hadn't practiced with the team at all, and on top of that, he was an undrafted rookie.
But what happened next left Hill utterly stunned.
First, he saw the Chinese guy grab the rebound after it had been swatted away. Then he realized the guy had glanced at him!
Hill ran toward the basket, figuring he might as well give it a try.
There's no way he could have seen that opening, Jordan Hill thought to himself.
The next second, the ball soared over Hill's head. The Pistons players all gaped, thinking the Chinese guy had shot it. But Hill alone knew that the pass had been meant for him!
So, with no one guarding him, Jordan Hill, long known for his athleticism, didn't let the opportunity go to waste. He leaped high and caught the ball firmly with both hands. Then, before the Pistons players could react, he slammed it into the hoop!
After the beautiful alley-oop dunk, Jordan Hill landed and let out an excited roar toward the ceiling.
He looked at the number 5 who had passed him the ball, only to see him heading back on defense at a leisurely pace, completely unfazed.
Hill scratched his head. That guy was like a peerless master from a martial arts movie: unremarkable-looking and reluctant to make a move, but when he did, it was always a highlight-reel play!
"Do you think that was a fluke or a great pass?" At the commentary table, Webber and Kevin Harlan were both left slack-jawed.
A pass that perfectly timed wasn't something just any rookie forward could make.
"Perfectly timed? If that's the case, Link should go buy a lottery ticket instead of playing basketball." Kevin Harlan's expression as he watched Link shifted from playful mockery to seriousness.
A player could have plenty of physical gifts: height, long arms, speed, strength, and so on. But some players also possessed hidden talents, such as court vision and the ability to read the game.
And players with those hidden talents, once they learned to make the most of them, could usually carve out a place for themselves in the league.
After the Rockets had "out of nowhere" dunked on them, the Pistons' reserves were understandably unhappy. The game was practically over, but the two teams were still quietly competing.
Will Bynum passed the ball to Monroe, who then sent it to Ben Gordon as he cut toward the basket.
Ben Gordon caught the ball and planned to take off for a three-step drive. Jordan Hill was being tightly guarded by Daye and had no chance of getting to the basket in time to help.
So Gordon took one dribble after the catch, gathered the ball, and started his steps.
But just then, a "wall" appeared in front of him. In the blink of an eye, Gordon couldn't make out a thing—he could only see the big number 5 on the guy's chest!
"Number 5, that Chinese guy!?" Ben Gordon reacted quickly, but couldn't understand how the guy had gotten over to help on defense so fast.
Instinctively, Gordon tried to find McGrady. But before he could spot him, he ran straight into Link.
Link had picked his spot cleverly, just outside the restricted area. So when both players fell to the floor, the referee's sharp whistle sounded.
"Offensive foul! Rockets ball!"
The call drew another wave of gasps from the crowd. Drawing an offensive foul wasn't easy, especially for a rookie.
Usually, the players who were good at drawing offensive fouls were seasoned veterans who'd spent years in the league. Their sense of when to help on defense and where to position themselves had been honed to perfection.
But most people had never seen a rookie draw an offensive foul so perfectly.
When he heard the referee's call, Link, still on the floor, excitedly pumped his fist. It was true that he was a rookie, but the energy inside him came from a crafty veteran who'd spent more than a decade in the league.
So for Link, drawing an offensive foul was pure instinct.
Just as Link was about to get up by himself, Jordan Hill appeared in front of him. He offered Link a friendly hand and pulled him to his feet.
"Nice work, buddy. Maybe we should start practicing together soon," Hill said, then patted Link on the back.
Link was delighted. Earning his teammates' trust was sometimes more important than beating an opponent.
After those two trips down the court, one on offense and one on defense, Link hadn't scored or even taken a shot. But in many people's eyes, their impression of him had completely changed.
"He's really smart, isn't he?" Adelman was grinning from ear to ear on the sideline. A player with great physical gifts wasn't necessarily easy to coach. But the veteran coach believed that a player with exceptional basketball IQ could definitely make something of himself.
There were only 1:08 left in the game. Everyone was hoping for one thing: for Link to score in the NBA.
But Link wasn't thinking that far ahead. He knew exactly what his role on the Rockets was: a role player. He wasn't about to do something foolish and force the issue like Jermaine Taylor.
As long as he could help the team on offense, Link was fine with not scoring.
For a role player, the most important thing was showing his value. Trying to score just for the sake of scoring would only make a role player look worse.
Having seen his previous shot blocked, Jermaine Taylor didn't dare force things this time. He knew that even though it was garbage time, the Pistons' reserves weren't going to back down easily.
So this time, he lobbed the ball to Jordan Hill, hoping the college star of a center could solve the problem on his own.
But Daye's defense was anything but soft. Especially after Hill had just finished an alley-oop, Daye wasn't about to let him score again.
Jordan Hill wasn't much of a ball handler, and his skills were pretty average. In the words of 2019, he was a center who lived off easy baskets.
With Daye defending him tightly, Hill didn't have many good options.
At the same time, out on the perimeter, McGrady noticed that his man was starting to act up.
First, he cut in from McGrady's right, but halfway through, he suddenly reversed direction!
McGrady kept up with him on the first cut. But just as he shifted his weight, the guy suddenly reversed direction a second time!
Because of his injuries, McGrady's legs weren't as nimble anymore. He couldn't keep up with Link's two quick changes of direction.
McGrady finally understood why Link had seemed so familiar. The way he shook off his defender was exactly like Grant Hill's after his injury!
The former king of Toyota Center could only shake his head in resignation. Today, he had become a mere backdrop for that rookie.
Seeing Link shake off McGrady and cut into the paint, Hill didn't hesitate. He bounced the ball to Link. After all, Jordan Hill was probably the person on the court most willing to pass him the ball.
Link caught the ball, raised it one-handed, and leaped.
At the same time, Greg Monroe rushed over. He was going to teach that undrafted rookie that he couldn't just waltz into the NBA paint and leave whenever he pleased.
Monroe leaped hard. Countless Rockets fans shut their eyes; they couldn't bear to watch number 5 get brutally blocked.
But Link turned sideways in midair, slipping right past Monroe. He gritted his teeth and clenched the ball tightly until he slammed it through the hoop!
It was true that Grant Hill's athleticism had declined severely after his major injuries. But here was a fact that few people might believe: back when he played for the Suns, Hill could still occasionally pull off a dunk over a defender!
Though Hill in the 2010–11 season could hardly dunk over someone anymore, he could still avoid a defender in midair and finish with a dunk.
And Link had just pulled off a spectacular dunk like that. He'd turned sideways in midair to avoid Monroe, but visually, it still looked a lot like a dunk over a defender.
The moment Link finished the dunk, half the fans in Toyota Center rose to their feet. This time, it wasn't just the Chinese fans—even many Houston locals stood up and cheered for Link.
A dunk was one of the most thrilling moments on a basketball court. Nobody disliked a one-handed slam with a defender right there.
"Did you think he was just a soft player who could pass and play little tricks? I thought so too, just a minute ago. But there's no doubt Link has reminded us with that dunk that we were all wrong. Congratulations to Link! He's scored his first NBA point in absolutely explosive fashion!"
Chris Webber smiled. A minute ago, he hadn't even known who number 5 was. But after today, Webber was sure he'd never forget the name.
It was the most spectacular performance by an undrafted rookie he had ever seen.
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