San Antonio, Texas.
Inside the AT&T Center, Link was in the middle of his pre-game routine.
He caught the ball in the mid-range, adjusted his breathing.
Jump, release!
The ball hit the front of the rim, rattled twice, and dropped through the net.
Good!
At the same time, the System notification chimed in his mind.
[Mission: Mid-Range Shooting (Intermediate)]
[Content: Make 10,000 mid-range shots]
[Current Progress: 9,998/10,000]
Link stopped, gasping for air.
Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers were on the road to challenge the San Antonio Spurs.
The final game before the Christmas Day showdown.
The [Mid-Range Shooting (Intermediate)] mission had entered its final sprint.
Link had arrived at the arena early to grind it out.
The hype for this game was huge; it was being broadcast nationally.
With nearly an hour until tip-off, fans were already trickling in.
You rarely saw flashy or exaggerated outfits here.
Kids had team logos painted on their faces; old folks wore caps embroidered with the Spurs logo.
This was a classic small-market atmosphere.
No big-city glitz, just a grounded, community-based passion.
Swish.
With the final shot made, the System chime sounded.
[Congratulations, Host. Mission Complete!]
[Reward: Mid-Range Shooting +15%, Unlocked Skill: Mid-Range Master Lv2]
[Mid-Range Master Lv2: Significantly improves stability and resistance to interference for mid-range shots (Effective duration: 30 minutes). Bonus Effect: Shooting percentage boost when firing from the elbow area.]
His Mid-Range Shooting rating also bumped up from B+ to A.
During a break in warmups, while Link was stretching on the sideline, a familiar figure sauntered over.
"Hey, Link! How's it going?" Manu Ginobili grinned.
During the offseason, when the Spurs were recruiting, Ginobili and Link had shared a few pleasant conversations. They were on pretty good terms.
"Not bad, Manu. You guys are as steady as ever this season," Link smiled and high-fived him.
"Steady? We're just trying to save some energy so we can actually turn it on in the playoffs." Ginobili winked.
"Hope we don't run into you guys. I really don't want to play a seven-game series against you," Link teased.
"Hahaha, let's hope. But—" Ginobili quipped, "We're not gonna take it easy on you tonight."
They chatted briefly about some funny stories from the summer, the vibe relaxed.
Soon, players from both teams filled the court for the final warmups.
The ESPN national broadcast feed was live, and the atmosphere in the studio was just as heated.
---
"Welcome to the AT&T Center! I'm Mike Breen."
"Tonight, we have a marquee matchup: the Los Angeles Lakers visiting the San Antonio Spurs!"
"This isn't just a clash of titans between Kobe and Duncan; it's the final headline act before the Christmas Day games!"
Mike Breen's passionate voice beamed into countless living rooms via the TV signal.
"Mark, what's your take on this game? The Lakers have been up and down, while the Spurs are, well, the Spurs—consistent as always."
Breen tossed the topic to Mark Jackson.
"The key lies in pace and defensive execution."
"The Lakers need Kobe Bryant to deliver an MVP-level performance, no doubt about it."
"But more importantly, can the others—especially Link—find scoring opportunities within the Spurs' meticulously designed defensive system?"
Breen picked it up. "I agree. Link is effectively the Lakers' second option right now. His performance is the X-factor!"
"Exactly," Jackson added. "Another thing to watch is the Spurs' playmaking. Parker, Ginobili—they have multiple guys who can run the offense."
"The Lakers rely more on Kobe's isolation and Link's off-ball gravity."
"Let's see how two legendary coaches, Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich, play their chess match tonight!"
Courtside, ESPN reporters grabbed a few players for interviews as warmups concluded.
Facing the camera, Kobe was concise. "It's an important game. We need to stay focused and execute the game plan."
On the other side, Tim Duncan was equally brief. "Play our brand of basketball. Protect home court."
Warmups ended. The whistle blew.
Game on!
In the jump ball, Bynum surprisingly won the tip against Duncan.
Lakers with the first possession.
Kobe faced Bruce Bowen's defense. He didn't force the issue.
He dumped the ball to Odom in the high post to facilitate.
Link immediately tried to cut, but his matchup, Michael Finley, was a savvy veteran.
Finley stayed glued to his hip, using little hand checks and constant physical contact.
The moment Link tried to catch the pass, Finley gave him a subtle, hidden shove.
Right in the referee's blind spot.
Link stumbled, and the ball was deflected out of bounds!
"Michael Finley! Veteran savvy! Link is still too young for that!" Mike Breen chuckled on the commentary.
This was the Spurs.
They had an efficient, stable system, but they also had those dark arts—the little tricks you couldn't see on the stat sheet.
Spurs ball. Parker pushed the pace.
Duncan came up to set a screen.
Bynum was slow on the switch. Parker blew past him with one step and floated it in.
Typical Spurs scoring. Efficient. Clean.
From the jump, the game fell into the rhythm the Spurs loved.
Grinding defense and high-percentage offense.
The Spurs let Kobe isolate, even though he hit two mid-range jumpers over Bowen.
But they stuck to their strategy: single coverage on Kobe, cut off his passing lanes to everyone else.
Especially Link. The Spurs were blanketing him.
Their perimeter rotations were lightning fast.
Link couldn't get a comfortable look.
He missed two attempts from deep under heavy contest.
Halfway through the first quarter, the Lakers were down 8-15.
The Zen Master called a timeout.
"Listen up. The Spurs defend the three and the rim extremely well."
"We need to solve this in the mid-range!"
Phil Jackson had identified the core of the Spurs' defense instantly.
Finley and Bowen swept the perimeter, while Tim Duncan patrolled the paint.
The Spurs' defense was like a net.
It completely covered the Lakers' comfort zones.
Timeout over. Game resumed.
The Lakers adjusted their attack.
Kobe caught the ball in the post, back to the basket against Bowen.
After drawing the defense's attention, he kicked it out to Farmar at the top of the key.
Farmar didn't force a shot. He swung it quickly to Link, who was curling off a screen to the right elbow.
Link caught the ball at the right elbow. Nazr Mohammed had switched onto him, but he was a step away.
"We see the Lakers adjusting, but—this range isn't exactly Link's strong suit," Mike Breen shook his head.
"You're right, Mike. Link is only shooting 32.7% from this spot this season," Mark Jackson added.
However, Link didn't hesitate.
Catch, square up.
[Mid-Range Master Lv2] activated. Bonus effect triggered!
Knees bent, jump, release. One fluid motion.
Mohammed's contest was a beat too slow; his fingertips barely grazed Link's line of sight.
The ball traced a high arc.
Swish!
Nothing but net! 10-15.
"Good shot! The Lakers needed that bucket to break the drought!" Mark Jackson praised.
However, the Spurs' offense remained a machine.
Duncan drew a double team inside and kicked it out to Michael Finley.
Finley drilled the open three.
18-10.
Lakers back on offense.
Kobe ran the same play. Backed down twice, then kicked it to a cutting Link.
"Same tactic! But luck won't be on your side forever, Prophet," Mike Breen commented.
This time, the help defender was Tim Duncan.
Duncan's defensive presence was suffocating, his long arm practically in Link's face.
Link jumped, ignoring the interference.
Relying on the skill buff, he released with stability.
"That's a tough shot—Tim's defense was right there—" Mark Jackson started to say.
Swish!
Another one!
12-18.
"Beautiful response! Link handled the pressure!" Jackson raised his voice.
As they ran back on defense, Duncan trotted past Link and dropped a deadpan comment. "Nice shot."
"Hmm—uh—thanks, Tim—" Link didn't react in time.
Duncan rarely spoke on the court. aside from the obligatory pre-game and post-game pleasantries, this was the first time he'd actually talked to Link.
"Next time, try catching it a bit further out. Harder to contest," Duncan said earnestly.
"Huh? Uh—okay—" Link looked bewildered.
What did that mean?
On-court coaching? For the opponent?
That was so... Duncan.
Back to the game.
Spurs missed. Lakers transition.
After a few passes, the ball found Link again.
Same spot.
Link rose up over the smaller Tony Parker and buried another mid-range jumper!
14-18!
Link had scored 6 straight points!
"The Prophet's third mid-range bucket! He is decisive tonight," Mike Breen praised.
"Tonight, The Prophet is showing off a new weapon. Maybe Popovich should be worried!" Mark Jackson added.
Defending the mid-range was a headache for any team.
dealing with Kobe was hard enough.
Add a mid-range assassin version of Link, and the Spurs were going to have a long night.
The cheers in the AT&T Center faltered slightly.
On the sideline, Coach Popovich stood with his arms crossed, a rare frown creasing his forehead.