The Frozen Number

Michael Harris, born June 15, 1983, in Texas. Standing at 1.98 meters, he played as a swingman. Most people aren't familiar with this guy's name, but his story is anything but ordinary.

Like Link, Michael Harris also had a deep connection with the Houston Rockets. For him, constantly shuttling between the CBA and the Rockets had become the norm of his career.

Whenever the Rockets were in a pinch, they'd sign Michael Harris to a 10-day contract, and after a few of those, Harris would head back to the CBA or the G League. That's why last season, Michael Harris briefly played for the Vipers.

And it was during his time with the Vipers that Michael Harris—this little-known player with years of professional experience—set the current G League single-game scoring record of 48 points.

Considering this was an era before three-pointers and fast-paced offense had taken over, a G League player dropping 48 points in a single game was no small feat.

Because of this, whenever the G League's individual single-game scoring record came up, the Vipers were always proud. After all, the record was set by one of their own.

But today, the Vipers' pride was about to come to an end. With just three minutes left in the game, the undrafted Chinese-American rookie Link had already scored 43 points. If he could get just five more, he'd break the G League's single-game scoring record.

Demare Carroll had become the most frustrated man on the court. All game long, he'd been nothing but a backdrop for Link.

Cuts, catch-and-shoot, floaters, second-chance shots under the basket... Today, Link even pulled off a crossover into a driving dunk.

To put it simply, in the G League, Link was unstoppable. His hand was scorching hot today—every time he shot, the crowd could start celebrating early.

Carroll put up some resistance in the first half, but by the second, he'd given up entirely. He knew full well that this was destined to be Link's night, and no amount of struggle on his part could change that.

And so, Link's points kept piling up. By the time everyone realized what was happening, he was already closing in on the G League single-game scoring record set by Michael Harris!

At this point, the Vipers were trailing the Blue Team by 13 points. Chasing down a 13-point deficit in three minutes wasn't impossible, but no one in the arena believed the Vipers could still win. They'd been dominated by the Blue Team all game long.

Carroll, the Vipers' scoring core, had been held to just 8 points by Link's defense so far. When a team's star player goes completely silent, their chances of winning become slim to none.

By now, the outcome of the game was all but decided. The only thing left to watch was whether Link could break the G League's individual single-game scoring record!

"What a game! Link, wearing Upshaw's jersey, has played an incredible game! His offensive talent is on full display—I'd even go so far as to say he's already a polished scorer!"

The commentators' praise poured in endlessly. They had no idea where Link's drive came from. Was it from being cast aside by the Rockets? Or from the death of his close friend Upshaw?

Whatever the source of his strength, everyone believed that tonight would be a legendary, dramatic night.

On the court, Link cut along the baseline toward the basket. By now, it wasn't just Carroll—even the Vipers' power forward had closed in on the Chinese-American forward. That's right, the Vipers had resorted to double-teaming Link!

On a basketball court, not just any random nobody gets the privilege of being double-teamed.

Seeing the defense collapse on him, Link didn't panic. He suddenly reversed his cut, sprinting toward the three-point arc.

Carroll chased desperately but suddenly slammed into a "wall." Looking up, he found himself in the arms of Jon Brockman. Of course, there was nothing romantic about this scene.

A perfectly timed off-ball screen, and Link had easily shaken off his defender once again. Reaching the arc, he caught the ball, made no extra moves, and shot.

The moment Link released the ball, every fan in the arena rose to their feet, arms raised high. Celebrating a basket before it dropped had become the norm this game. Link's unstoppable performance had given the Blue Team's fans immense confidence.

This time, the ball didn't swish cleanly through the net. It clanked off the rim and bounced high.

Just as the Vipers' players let out a collective sigh of relief, the ball came back down and dropped through the hoop. Another three-pointer, and Link had scored his 46th point of the game, just two away from tying the record!

"Keep your eyes wide open, folks, because every moment we're seeing tonight is history in the making!"

Twenty seconds later, Link struck again. This time, Carroll was faked out so badly he fell. Not that Link had humiliated him with Kyrie-esque fancy dribbling—after all, the 10-11 season's Hill didn't have that kind of agility or ball-handling ability.

Link simply used a pump fake to shift Carroll's weight. When Carroll lunged forward, Link pulled the ball back and drove inside. The off-balance Carroll tried to turn, slipped, and hit the floor hard.

Amid the crowd's gasps, Link charged into the paint. Facing the Vipers' center rotating over to help, Link gently lofted a floater.

Before crossing over, Link had seen an interview with Chris Paul from his Hornets days. In it, Paul said he loved the feeling of a floater sailing over a big man's fingertips—taking down someone taller and stronger with a soft touch gave him a real sense of accomplishment.

And now, Link finally understood that feeling.

The ball sailed over the Vipers' center's fingertips and arced downward. Blocked by the big man, Link couldn't see if it went in. But when the roar of the crowd hit his ears, he knew the answer.

"48 points! 48 points! The unbelievable Link, this incredible Chinese-American, has tied the G League's individual single-game scoring record! He's completely dominated the game, turning Oklahoma City's winter into a blazing inferno!"

With the commentator's shout, Link kissed the 0 on his chest. He knew he wasn't fighting alone.

On the big screen, a message flashed that Link had tied the scoring record. Link glanced up, pulled up his jersey to wipe the sweat from his face, then spread his arms wide and bore down on defense.

The Vipers' players all swallowed hard. Link's demeanor said it all—the slaughter wasn't over yet!

Meanwhile, back at his TV, Morey immediately called Carl Jones. But on the other end of the line came Carl Jones's sobbing voice.

"Link already fired me. I'm out!"

"Dammit!" Morey cursed. Just then, Link scored again.

This time, it wasn't actually Link taking the shot—it was Brockman. After receiving a pass from Link, Brockman took an open mid-range jumper.

Despite the wide-open look, Brockman's shooting was sadly lacking. His shot clanked off the rim and missed.

But under the basket, Link seemed to have predicted the rebound's landing spot. He leaped lightly, tipped the ball gently with his hand, and guided it back into the hoop.

A casual putback, and Link had scored his 50th point of the game, breaking the G League's individual single-game scoring record!

"MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP!"

After that basket, every fan in the arena erupted into chants of "MVP." For any player, hearing that kind of roar was an honor in itself.

"Enjoy it, Conner. This is the peak a G League player can reach," Conner said from the sidelines, joining in the cheers. For a moment, he wasn't the Blue Team's coach—he was Link's fan.

With 48 seconds left in the game, Link drove hard to the basket. In the air, he was battered and knocked sideways by Carroll and other Vipers players, crashing to the floor in a heap.

Even so, Link's shooting form never wavered. Just before he hit the ground, he softly floated the ball into the hoop.

At the same time, the referee's whistle blew. Link, who had already scored 52 points, was awarded an additional free throw.

Link was pulled up from the wooden floor by his teammates. He looked up at the big screen, checked his own score, then seemed to think for a moment before stepping onto the free-throw line.

On the free-throw line, Link's expression was indifferent, not excited. Many players never touched a league record in their entire lives, yet Link, who had already broken the scoring record, didn't seem overjoyed.

Picking up the basketball, Link casually tossed it toward the backboard, then deliberately fouled to cause a dead ball. He walked straight off the court, signaling to Conner that he didn't want to keep playing. Without a doubt, he wanted his score to freeze at 52 points.

Walking to the sideline, Link crouched down, kissed two of his fingers, and then rubbed them against the edge of his shoe sole. There, two simple words were written—Rest in peace, Zeke.

Zeke Upshaw, 26 years old, was a month and a half away from his 27th birthday. But now, this world would never see the next chapter of his life.

Likewise, Link had seen off his good friend with 26 points in each half. 26—that number was frozen tonight. It would never grow, never. But this night and 26-year-old Upshaw would never be forgotten.

Link sat back down on the bench, draped a towel over his head, and ended this legendary performance.

As for Morey, watching the Vipers get slaughtered, his face was already dark with fury.