First to Set a Record

Jordan Hill initially just wanted to fight for the rebound, but he didn't expect Jermaine Taylor to be so hard-headed, getting the ball swatted right in his face.

But because Daye went to help defend Taylor, Hill still had no one around him. Watching the basketball fly toward the right corner baseline, Hill thought to himself that if someone could pass him the ball—even just toss it up in the air—he was confident he could dunk it. After all, he was unguarded.

That said, who could possibly spot such a hidden opportunity?

That number 5 Chinese guy? Forget it, he hadn't even practiced with the team, let alone the fact that he was just an undrafted rookie.

But what happened next left Hill utterly stunned.

He first saw that Chinese guy grab the rebound that had been swatted away, then noticed the guy glance at him!

Hill decided to try his luck and cut toward the paint.

"There's no way he could see that opportunity," Jordan Hill muttered to himself.

The next second, the basketball shot up above Hill's head. The Pistons players all gaped, thinking that Chinese guy had taken a shot. But only Hill knew that pass was meant for him!

So, unguarded, Jordan Hill—always known for his athleticism—didn't waste the chance. He leaped high, grabbed the ball firmly with both hands, and before the Pistons players could react, slammed it hard through the hoop!

A beautiful alley-oop dunk. Hill landed and let out a roar, pumping his fist in excitement.

He glanced at the number 5 who had passed him the ball, only to see him calm and unhurried, jogging back on defense without any visible excitement.

Hill scratched his head. That guy was like a peerless master from a kung fu movie—unassuming, rarely making a move. But when he did, it was a top-five highlight!

"Do you think that was luck or a great play?" At the commentary desk, Webber and Kevin Harlan were both stunned.

A pass that perfectly timed wasn't something just any rookie forward could pull off.

"Perfectly timed? If that's the case, Link might as well buy a lottery ticket instead of playing basketball." Kevin Harlan's gaze toward Link shifted from earlier mockery to seriousness.

A player can have many talents—height, wingspan, speed, physique, and so on. But some players possess hidden talents, like court vision and the ability to read the game.

And players with those hidden talents, once they can bring them to bear, usually carve out a spot in the league.

Getting dunked on "out of nowhere" by the Rockets definitely didn't sit well with the Pistons' bench. Even though the game was essentially over, both sides were still quietly competing.

Will Bynum passed to Monroe, who then fed the ball to Ben Gordon cutting toward the basket.

Gordon caught the ball and immediately started his three-step drive. Jordan Hill was tangled up with Daye and couldn't get over to help in time.

So after one dribble, Gordon picked up the ball and took his steps.

But just then, a "wall" appeared in front of him. In the blink of an eye, Gordon didn't see anything clearly except the big number 5 on his chest!

"Number 5, that Chinese guy!?" Ben Gordon reacted quickly, but he couldn't figure out how the guy had rotated so fast.

Instinctively, Gordon looked for McGrady. But before he found him, he collided solidly with Link.

Link's positioning was clever—right outside the restricted area line. So when both players hit the floor, the referee's sharp whistle blew.

"Offensive foul, Rockets ball!"

As the call came out, the crowd gasped again. Drawing an offensive foul isn't a simple skill, especially for a rookie.

Normally, players who excel at drawing offensive fouls are veterans who've been around the league for years. Their timing and positioning are honed to perfection.

But a rookie pulling it off so perfectly? Most people had never seen that before.

Hearing the referee's call, Link pumped his fist excitedly from the floor. Sure, Link was a rookie, but the energy inside him came from a veteran who'd spent over a decade in the league.

So drawing an offensive foul was practically a reflex for Link.

Just as Link was about to get up on his own, Jordan Hill appeared in front of him. He extended a friendly hand and pulled Link to his feet.

"Nice work, man. Maybe we should start practicing together soon," Hill said, patting Link on the back.

Link felt a deep sense of relief. Gaining a teammate's trust can sometimes be more important than beating an opponent.

In two possessions—one offensive, one defensive—Link hadn't scored, hadn't even taken a shot. But in many people's eyes, his image had completely changed.

"He's really smart, isn't he?" Adelman was grinning from ear to sideline. A player with raw athleticism isn't always coachable. But a player with a sky-high basketball IQ? The old coach believed he could definitely make something of that.

With only 1:08 left in the game, everyone was hoping for one thing—Link scoring his first NBA points.

But Link wasn't thinking that far ahead. He knew his role on the Rockets was that of a role player, so he wouldn't do anything stupid like Jermaine Taylor's reckless play.

As long as he could help the team on offense, even without scoring, Link was fine with that.

A role player's main job is to show their value. Forcing shots just to score would only cheapen a role player's worth.

With the lesson of getting his shot blocked fresh in mind, Jermaine Taylor didn't dare try anything flashy. He knew that even though it was garbage time, the Pistons' bench wouldn't roll over easily.

So this time, he lobbed the ball to Jordan Hill, hoping the center who had dominated in college could handle things on his own.

But Daye's defense was anything but soft, especially after Hill's alley-oop dunk. He was determined not to let Hill score again.

Jordan Hill wasn't great at creating his own shot, and his overall skill set was pretty average. In 2019 terms, he was a pure "eat-the-cake" center.

Facing Daye's tight defense, Hill didn't have many good options.

Meanwhile, on the perimeter, McGrady noticed his matchup getting restless.

First, he cut from McGrady's right side, then suddenly reversed direction halfway!

On the first counter-cut, McGrady kept up. But just as he shifted his weight, the guy pulled off a second counter-cut in a row!

With his injuries, McGrady's legs weren't as quick anymore. He couldn't follow Link through two consecutive changes of direction.

McGrady finally realized why Link looked so familiar—his way of shaking off defenders was exactly like Grant Hill's after his injury!

The former master of the Toyota Center shook his head helplessly. Today, he had completely become the backdrop for that rookie.

Seeing Link shake off McGrady and cut into the paint, Hill didn't hesitate. He bounced a pass right into Link's hands. After all, Jordan Hill was probably the player most willing to feed Link the ball on the entire court.

Link caught the ball, raised it with one hand, and leaped.

At the same time, Greg Monroe charged over. He was going to teach that undrafted rookie that the NBA paint wasn't a place you could just waltz in and out of.

Monroe sprang up with force. Countless Rockets fans shut their eyes, unable to bear watching their number five get swatted into oblivion.

But Link twisted his body mid-air, slipping right past Monroe. He clenched his jaw, fingers locked tight, until he slammed the ball through the rim!

Sure, Grant Hill's athleticism had taken a nosedive after his major injuries. But here's a fact most people might not believe—during his Suns days, Hill could still occasionally throw down a posterizing dunk!

Even if the 10-11 season version of Hill could hardly dunk over someone anymore, evading a defender in mid-air to finish a slam was still well within his capabilities.

And so, Link pulled off that spectacular dunk. Even though he twisted sideways to avoid Monroe, visually, it still looked a lot like a posterizing jam.

The moment Link completed the dunk, half the fans in the Toyota Center rose to their feet. This time, it wasn't just the Chinese fans—plenty of Houston locals stood up to cheer for Link.

A dunk is one of the most electrifying moments in basketball. Nobody dislikes a one-handed slam over a defender.

"Did you think he was just a soft player who only passed and pulled off little tricks? I thought the same thing just a minute ago. But without a doubt, Link just reminded us that we were both wrong. Congratulations, Link—he just scored his first NBA points in the most explosive way possible!"

Chris Webber smiled. A minute ago, he hadn't known who that number five was. But from today onward, Webber swore he would never forget that name.

This was the most spectacular undrafted rookie performance he had ever seen.