Awkward Jim O'Brien

Roy Hibbert covered his head with both hands, deeply frustrated. Because this was already his second foul of the first quarter.

Conventionally, to control foul trouble, a head coach would pull a player after two fouls in the first quarter to keep them from getting bogged down. For a center tasked with protecting the rim, foul management was especially critical.

So, as Link stepped to the free-throw line, Roy Hibbert was also subbed out by Jim O'Brien. The guy fans jokingly called "Black Yao Ming" had controlled things well for the half-quarter he'd played, but never expected to get sent off because of a "negligible" undrafted rookie.

Sitting on the bench, Paul George didn't know whether to laugh or cry. On one hand, he was pleasantly surprised by Link's performance. On the other, it was his own team giving up points. But one thing George could confirm: Hibbert wouldn't be the last player to suffer at Link's hands.

Watching Link finish a reverse layup over Hibbert and draw the foul with toughness, the jeering laughter from the stands died down.

This guy who'd forgotten to take off his warm-up jersey and looked like a "weakling" was wilder and more dangerous than anyone had expected.

"Damn undrafted rookie!" Pacers head coach Jim O'Brien cursed loudly, then sent veteran white center Jeff Foster in for Hibbert.

By the end of 2010, Yao Ming and O'Neal had both left the court. Those two great beasts had retired early due to injuries. Their disappearance also marked the end of the center's twilight era. This ancient and glorious position was about to enter a long dark period.

In this era, the number of center players had plummeted, and quality centers were one in a hundred. So the days of a team stockpiling several good centers were gone. In today's league, if a team had one usable center, they could thank their lucky stars.

Thus, once Hibbert left the court, the Pacers' interior gate vanished instantly. Foster, subbing in for Hibbert, was experienced but old—couldn't run fast or jump high, and his reach didn't match Hibbert's. The Pacers' rim protection efficiency was bound to drop significantly.

In other words, the Grizzlies' offense was about to get easier from now on. And all of this was thanks to the brave Link.

A simple three-point play, yet it could very well change the game's trajectory!

"I never expected Link to pull off such a beautiful finish." Webber still couldn't quite believe his eyes. Link's composure while avoiding the block in the air was a stark contrast to his nervousness before stepping on the court.

"Link has always been a steady scorer; otherwise, he couldn't have dropped 52 points in a single G League game. It's just unexpected that he could bring that steadiness to the NBA."

Van Gundy had turned serious. He no longer judged Link with conventional eyes. As Yao Ming's former head coach, Van Gundy was probably the commentator who understood Asian players best. Most of them might struggle to survive in the NBA, but there was always one or two magical guys who could dominate the court!

Standing on the free-throw line, the Pacers fans let out their loudest boos. An ordinary undrafted rookie hearing that might start trembling.

But for Link, those boos didn't affect his touch at all. On the free-throw line, Link released the ball softly. Grant Hill still had over 80% free-throw shooting in this era. Not as freakish as those with 90%, but still very reliable.

The free throw dropped, completing the three-point play. Link's appearance helped the Grizzlies cut the deficit to just five points.

Sam Young clenched his fists. The better Link played, the more pressure he felt. Though they were teammates, he ungraciously prayed that Link wouldn't have any more standout performances. If he made a mistake or got crushed by Granger, that would be even better.

It seemed Sam Young understood the principle of "familiarity breeds contempt" better than George did.

But unfortunately, Sam Young's hopes were dashed. Because on this defensive possession, Link managed to intercept the Pacers' pass!

The Pacers' primary ball-handler was Darren Collison from UCLA. A star point guard in college, Collison was known for his scoring ability.

Though he played the one, his passing and playmaking weren't as good as his fellow UCLA alum Jrue Holiday. This season, Collison averaged 5.1 assists per game but also committed 2.5 turnovers. In the same period, Holiday also averaged 2.5 turnovers but dished out 1.4 more assists than Collison.

This time, Collison's pass was a bit too casual. His habit of being careless with passes didn't suit a point guard.

Collison thought that as long as he got the ball to Granger, his job was done. But on an NBA court, sloppy passes easily led to trouble.

With Grant Hill's veteran savvy, Link easily read Collison's passing lane. And because Collison's pass was so casual, the ball speed was slow.

So Link took a well-timed step forward and extended his arm. Granger was already preparing to catch and drive, but Link's hand got between the ball and Granger first.

After the steal, Link pushed forward. The Grizzlies, a team known for half-court offense, actually managed a rare fast break!

Of course, with Link's current athleticism, he couldn't pull off a coast-to-coast dunk. In transition, Link relied more on his court vision than his body.

After crossing half-court, before Granger could catch up, Link slammed the ball hard into the floor.

The ball hit the ground and bounced up sharply, landing perfectly in the hands of the trailing O.J. Mayo.

"A bounce pass in transition! My god, is this guy teaching Darren Collison what real passing looks like!?" Webber's jaw dropped. He'd played with elite point guards like Mike Bibby and "White Chocolate" Williams.

He knew very well how hard that kind of long bounce pass was to execute. Even pure point guards wouldn't dare try it lightly.

But as a 2.03-meter forward, Link didn't hesitate to deliver such a brilliant pass. Most importantly, the accuracy was spot-on. When Link passed, Mayo wasn't even in the receiving spot yet.

But he'd already anticipated that his teammate would get there.

Mayo caught the ball and threw down a two-handed dunk. For the first time today, Conseco Fieldhouse fell silent.

Though Mayo finished the play, the camera zoomed in on Link.

Randolph excitedly ran over and rubbed Link's head. In America, rubbing someone's head wasn't disrespect—it was a close gesture between friends.

Besides Randolph, the Grizzlies bench erupted in cheers. Almost everyone except Sam Young and Gay waved towels for Link.

Back when Link played NBA 2K, stealing and then assisting a teammate for a score was the fastest way to boost teammate chemistry. Now it seemed true.

But Link quickly broke free from "Big Black Bear's" embrace. Not that he disliked Randolph, but he was afraid his hair would end up like a certain famous Argentine basketball player's...

"Three points! The gap is down to just three! A few possessions ago, the Pacers had a chance to stretch the lead to double digits. But now, the Grizzlies have a chance to tie it up. And the only difference is that the Grizzlies brought in Link!"

Van Gundy had become half a Link fan by now. He could tell Link was someone who really knew how to play.

"The Pacers try to attack again. Let's see if Granger can break the Chinese zero's magical aura this time."

Granger certainly wanted to break that aura. He'd already taken down Rudy Gay, only to lose to an undrafted rookie? That couldn't happen.

This time, Collison's pass was much more cautious. Link didn't gamble on a steal either. He knew that reckless reaching was no different from gambling—if you got it, great, but if you missed, you'd get blown by.

Granger finally got the ball as he wanted, but he didn't notice Link put one hand behind his back and make a gesture.

Randolph saw Link's signal and immediately understood. This guy was crafty!

Link's stance favored Granger's right side, arms spread wide, full of confidence.

Granger dribbled between his hands, signaling his teammates to clear out. Once space opened up, Granger suddenly accelerated to Link's left!

Link had to admit that the gap in athleticism between NBA-level players and the G League was truly massive. Granger, also a 2.03-meter big man, ran like a G League guard when he got moving.

Link struggled to keep up with him, but he fought to stay by his side, continuing to force him toward the left.

"Stop wasting your energy!" Granger barked, taking two long strides before leaping for a dunk. He refused to believe he couldn't handle an undrafted rookie.

But just as Granger's arm began to load up, a massive shadow suddenly shot out and swatted the ball clean out of his hands.

"Thud!" When the hulking shadow landed, Granger could even feel the wooden floor tremble.

Looking up, the one who blocked Granger was none other than Zach Randolph!

Don't let Randolph's size fool you, or the fact that he played the four. If there was an opportunity, the guy wouldn't miss it! Blocking wasn't Randolph's specialty, but he was happy to take a freebie like this.

"Defensive trap. Danny Granger fell right into the Grizzlies' defensive trap. Link was smart—he deliberately let Granger go left because he knew Randolph would clean things up."

While Granger was still stunned, Conley had already scooped up the blocked ball and started pushing forward.

Everyone expected him to drive straight to the basket, but just as he reached the three-point line, Conley whipped the ball to the right corner. That was when people noticed Link had quietly set up there. And Granger, who was supposed to be guarding him, had only just crossed half-court.

"A three-point opportunity. The Grizzlies haven't hit a three all game—can Link break the ice for his team!?"

Van Gundy's words had barely left his mouth when the ball swished through the net. An open three-pointer for Link was as easy as playing a shooting arcade game.

After the shot, Link raised his right hand high, holding up three fingers, then tapped the number 0 on his chest.

At the same time, the referee's whistle blew. The Pacers had been tied up, and Jim O'Brien had no choice but to call a timeout.

The only question was whether Jim O'Brien remembered what he'd said before the game.

"That Chinese-American won't have any impact on this game."