Inside Golden State's Oracle Arena, yellow and blue filled every corner of the stadium.
Looking at the roaring Warriors fans, Chen Yilun curiously scanned his surroundings. He had thought his own team's supporters were crazy enough, but the Bay Area crowd was on another level.
When he spotted a shirtless fan covered in blue paint, twisting his body wildly in the stands, Chen Yilun finally slipped on the sunglasses from his pocket.
What the hell is this? A bunch of monsters on parade.
Even with the sunglasses on, he couldn't help sneaking another glance at that blue-painted body writhing like a water snake. For some reason, it felt strangely familiar.
"Yilun!"
That familiar voice rang out behind him.
"You still love jumping out of nowhere, don't you?" Chen Yilun grumbled, turning around just as Kerr threw an arm around him.
If the old man was like ice that never melted, then Kerr was a California summer—blazing hot. Wherever you saw Kerr, you felt his energy.
"Hey, hey! Watch yourself!"
Chen Yilun wriggled free from Kerr's embrace. "We're opponents now! Can't look too friendly!"
"Pfft!" Kerr scoffed. "Everybody knows we're close. Let them gossip! I've got nothing to hide."
Then Kerr leaned closer and whispered, "Come on, tell your big brother—what trick did you use to beat your teacher?"
"Ask him yourself."
Chen Yilun's face reddened, rare for him. The move he'd used really wasn't something he liked admitting out loud.
Seeing his junior's awkward expression, Kerr figured he must be feeling guilty about the heavy blow he'd dealt their teacher.
"Alright, I'll stop bothering you. Time to go set up my tactics."
Kerr gave Chen Yilun a grin before walking off. "You better be ready for me!"
He had every reason to be cocky. With the best regular-season record in NBA history and two smooth playoff rounds, the Warriors were rolling.
And truth be told, Chen Yilun bore some responsibility for their easy path.
Originally, the Spurs and Thunder were supposed to battle through a grueling six-game war, a series that would have forged the fiery spirit of the "Two Young Guns." Durant would have used it to evolve again, becoming the unstoppable scythe-wielding weapon of the future. That was what should have led to the Thunder's 3–1 lead over the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
But thanks to Chen Yilun, the Thunder and Warriors had already met early in the Western Semifinals. The Thunder duo, not yet at their peak, had no chance against the Warriors at their peak. They were brushed aside with ease.
...
"Every perimeter player—lock down Curry!"
In the Kings' locker room, Malone traced lines on the board with deliberate strokes.
"If they run a screen, don't hesitate—switch immediately! Don't let them get their sets off clean!"
"As for offense," Malone paused before continuing, "we'll use the same plan we had against the Spurs. CJ, Booker, Jimmy—whoever ends up against Curry, attack him one-on-one!"
"Stay efficient, but wear him down."
This strategy had been worked out between Malone and Chen Yilun. Defensively, it was essentially the infinite switching scheme the future Rockets would use against the Warriors—constant switching to disrupt Golden State's ball movement and shrink the Splash Brothers' space.
For a team so dependent on perimeter offense, shutting down the outside meant grabbing them by the throat.
Offensively, the plan copied the future Cavaliers under Tyronn Lue: repeatedly isolating Curry to wear him down, reducing his influence over the game.
...
"Shaq, you making a prediction this time?"
In the TNT studio, Barkley asked with a mischievous grin.
"Nope. Not predicting anything this postseason," Shaq shook his head so hard it looked like a rattle drum.
The Big Diesel was starting to think he and the Kings were cursed. Every time he made a prediction involving them, something crazy happened. So now, whenever the Kings were playing, he kept his mouth shut.
Seeing Shaq refuse to bite, the host turned to Barkley, a little disappointed.
"Alright then, Sir Charles, who do you think wins tonight?"
Caught off guard as the hot potato came back to him, Barkley thought for a moment before answering.
"Honestly, I can't say for sure."
"The Warriors are obvious—they're hunting the championship. But the Kings can't be overlooked either."
After weighing his words, Barkley added, "The Kings have been surprising us since the offseason, and now they've made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals as dark horses. I really don't know what other surprises Butler and his teammates still have in store."
Shaq, who had been listening seriously, rolled his eyes at the vague answer.
I thought you, Sir Charles, would come out with something brilliant. Instead, it's just more hot air.
"Looks like you two are fired up for tonight's game. That's the beauty of sports—the unpredictability is what makes it so captivating." With nothing more to dig out, the host wrapped up the segment.
"Alright, the starting lineups are in. The Warriors stick with their regular rotation. As for the Kings… hmm?"
The host froze when his eyes landed on one familiar yet surprising name.
The Warriors' starting five were the same as in the regular season: Point Guard: Stephen Curry; Shooting Guard: Klay Thompson; Small Forward: Harrison Barnes; Power Forward: Draymond Green; Center: Andrew Bogut.
The Kings' lineup was: Point Guard: CJ McCollum; Shooting Guard: Ben McLemore; Small Forward: Jimmy Butler; Power Forward: Rudy Gay; Center: Nikola Jokić!
Ben: Hey, hey, hey! Folks, I'm back!
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(40 Chapters Ahead)
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