In the second half of the game, under Lin Feng's masterful orchestration, the Los Angeles D-Fenders erupted with an 8-0 run to start.
The Albuquerque Thunderbirds were completely shell-shocked.
Already trailing, the home team couldn't withstand Lin Feng's relentless offensive firepower.
Defending Lin Feng one-on-one was proving futile. Regardless of who Morey assigned, single coverage was a guaranteed two points for the D-Fenders.
Double-teaming Lin Feng offered little respite. His exceptional athleticism allowed him to force numerous "and-one" opportunities.
And when defenses collapsed on him, Lin Feng's pinpoint passing consistently found open teammates.
Under Lin Feng's guidance, previously underperforming players like Harris exploded for 20 points, sinking six three-pointers and adding a layup off a well-timed cut.
The team's rookie center also had a career night, contributing 16 points.
Lin Feng's efficiency rating for the game reached an astounding 25.6.
Any NBA fan would recognize that as a truly dominant statistic!
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"…"
The final buzzer sounded, and the Los Angeles D-Fenders secured a decisive 90-72 victory over the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in the first game of the finals.
Despite being on the Thunderbirds' home court, a significant portion of the crowd chanted "MVP" for Lin Feng, much to the chagrin of the Albuquerque players.
This was especially true for Croft, who had endured a humiliating performance against Lin Feng.
As Lin Feng had predicted, Croft finished the game scoreless, while racking up five turnovers, seven assists (a hollow statistic given his inability to score), and three defensive rebounds.
Croft was utterly neutralized, thoroughly outplayed by Lin Feng. He returned to the locker room looking utterly defeated.
In stark contrast, Lin Feng was met with a jubilant celebration. His teammates swarmed him, offering enthusiastic congratulations.
Su Muqing, watching from the sideline, beamed with pride. This was her man, and she was completely captivated and immensely proud of his performance.
"Baby, you are so great!" she exclaimed, running onto the court to give Lin Feng a public kiss.
In the United States, such displays of affection are generally considered normal and not inappropriate for children.
Lin Feng smiled at Su Muqing and replied, "There's more to come. You'll see when the time is right."
"Something even better?" Su Muqing's mind playfully wandered to more intimate possibilities, her cheeks flushing at the thought. Athletes, with their superior physical conditioning, were likely far more... capable in such matters.
She playfully swatted Lin Feng's arm twice, a blush spreading across her face. "What did you say?" she asked coyly.
"Huh?" Lin Feng was taken aback. He had simply meant his performance in the upcoming games. Was that misconstrued?
"Bao! Are you thinking something else?" Lin Feng teased, a smile playing on his lips.
"What did you just call me?" Su Muqing asked, surprised. He had called her "Bao," the Chinese word for "treasure," often used as a term of endearment similar to "baby."
"I called you treasure!" Lin Feng chuckled, a fleeting memory of a viral internet moment from his previous life flashing through his mind.
"That sounds a little strange. Why not just call me baby?" Su Muqing pouted her lips.
"Calling you treasure means the same thing," Lin Feng assured her.
As the couple chatted, Coach Ryan approached, his face beaming. "Lin Feng, fantastic job! Keep playing like this in the next game, and that championship trophy will be ours!"
"Coach Ryan, we're going to bring that championship home," Lin Feng affirmed. "By the way, Coach Ryan, I hope you can follow through with what you mentioned in the first half. I really want to join my parent team, the Los Angeles Lakers."
"Lin Feng, don't worry. After this season, I will do everything in my power to recommend you to the Los Angeles Lakers."
"Thank you so much, Coach Ryan," Lin Feng said, genuinely grateful. Coach Ryan had always been supportive of him since his NCAA days, a connection he knew stemmed from his father's relationship with the coach.
The teammates began heading back to the locker room. Su Muqing happily took Lin Feng's hand, and they walked together.
On their way, the system chimed again.
[Bite!]
[Congratulations to the host for leading the team to victory in the finals, earning 500 points!]
[Congratulations to the host for achieving a triple-double for the second consecutive game, earning 300 points!]
Another easy 800 points added to his tally.
In this dominant performance, Lin Feng had recorded 40 points, 26 rebounds, 11 assists, 5 steals, and 4 blocks.
Of his 26 rebounds, an astounding 18 were offensive. He had largely conceded the defensive rebounds to his taller teammates, focusing on securing those crucial second-chance opportunities.
His "agile positioning vs. talented rebounding" skill was proving to be a game-changer.
Lin Feng was confident that no one in the entire NBDL could match his rebounding prowess. Only in the NBA, with its heightened competition, might he encounter players who could rival him on the boards.
"Alas! I really have no interest in playing this kind of game. They are all too weak," Lin Feng muttered to himself, confident that at 100% similarity with Sakuragi Hanamichi, even NBA superstars wouldn't be a match for him.
After showering and changing in the locker room, Lin Feng and Su Muqing boarded the team bus to the airport.
It was already one o'clock in the morning when they returned to Los Angeles.
Upon disembarking, Su Muqing surprised Lin Feng by saying, "Baby, I've made up my mind. I'm not going back tonight. How about staying at your place?"
"Ah?" Lin Feng was genuinely taken aback.
He vaguely recalled a memory from his predecessor's life where he had awkwardly invited Su Muqing to stay over, only to be met with various polite rejections.
Yet, after tonight's game, she was主动 suggesting it?
Wasn't she worried about... that?
Lin Feng admitted he wasn't a saint. In his previous life at Beijing University, he had been a handsome and skilled starting guard on the school team.
Consequently, he had attracted his fair share of female admirers and hadn't always been the most virtuous boyfriend.
He wasn't a virgin. He had dated three women in his previous life, all of whom were considered exceptionally attractive.
But he had never dated anyone of mixed race.
Under the soft glow of the streetlights, he looked at Su Muqing's beautiful face, now adorned with a charming blush due to her bold suggestion.
Lin Feng felt a moment of internal conflict. To be frank, Su Muqing wasn't "his" woman in the truest sense.
He couldn't quite shake off the strange feeling he had about their relationship.
To be honest, it felt a bit wrong to inhabit his predecessor's body and then also sleep with his girlfriend.
Moreover, Lin Feng sensed a subtle resistance within him, almost as if the very genetic atoms of his body were recoiling.
Could it be the lingering consciousness of the previous Lin Feng, not yet fully extinguished, sending him a silent warning not to touch Su Muqing?
…