Team USA's players slammed balls during warm-ups, the thuds echoing. 6'8" Davis loomed under the hoop, sneering at Lin Mo. "Heard you know LeBron? Too bad he can't save you."
Lin Mo said nothing. The system flashed: [Davis' tell: Dips left shoulder before shooting, disrupting his rhythm].
Davis, a rampaging bull, scored 10 first-quarter points—turnarounds, dunks, threes. After each basket, he挑眉 at Lin Mo, as if to say "See?"
In the second quarter, Lin Mo switched to guard Davis. When Davis spun to shoot, Lin Mo drove a shoulder into his left—his shot clanged off the rim.
"You fouled me!" Davis roared.
"Ref didn't blow." Lin Mo stayed calm.
He stuck to Davis like tape after that, targeting his left shoulder on every attempt. By the third quarter, Davis' shooting tanked to 40%, his roars turning to grunts.
Two minutes left, 88-88. Davis bullied his way to the hoop—Lin Mo stripped the ball!
Lin Mo sprinted upcourt, Davis hot on his heels. He crossed over suddenly, leaving Davis behind, and laid it in.
Buzzer.
Lin Mo's stats: 14 points, 5 assists, 2 steals.
Coach Wang tackled him, voice shaking: "Finals! We're in the finals!"
The system panel glowed:
[Compatibility: 13%]
[Global Rank: 42,905 → 39,562]
[New Quest: Score 15+ points in the final, lead the team to gold]
Lin Mo stared at the flags overhead, fists clenched. One last game to bring gold home to China.