Before the game began, Sophia Clarke, a field reporter for Rivals, reported the scene in front of the camera, saying, "Viewers on television, you can clearly see the overwhelming popularity here. Most people came to watch Link's game to see if he's really as formidable as other media outlets report."
"In my opinion, since Link has already signed up for this year's NBA Draft, it means he must show dominance in the High School League. But honestly, I'm not optimistic about his draft prospects."
Sophia Clarke is a recent American white female college graduate, with blonde hair, blue eyes, a capable demeanor, and long, beautiful legs suitable for carrying on one's shoulders.
Not only was she not optimistic about Link's draft prospects, but she was also a big hater of his.
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Lincoln High School's opponent in the Sweet 32 was DeSoto High School, located in the suburbs of Dallas. Known for its team basketball and defensive intensity, it had reached the quarterfinals of the playoffs multiple times.
Link was matched up defensively against a guard who was 188cm tall and weighed 86kg.
The opponent's height and weight could be considered "full-sized" for a guard in the High School League, but for Link, too small!!!
"Hey, buddy, my coach's task for me today is to limit you to under 20 points, but honestly, for me, that's easier than drinking water." The opposing guard, who was guarding Link, spoke with contempt and a very frivolous attitude, thinking that Link was easy to bully.
But Link wasn't going to humor him. Through a high pick-and-roll with Bosh, he made 4 consecutive mid-range shots, and one of them even drew a defensive foul from the opponent. In less than 4 minutes from the start, Link had already scored 9 points.
No choice.
Link's mid-range attribute was already as high as 80 points, far exceeding the ceiling for high school students. In addition, he had [Difficult Shots (bronze)] which improved his resistance to interference, and Reapers Scythe, which stacked resistance to interference after each made shot.
Four consecutive mid-range shots made the live audience gasp in amazement. He was so damn accurate; it was like an adult bullying a child.
"Buddy, are you sure it's not just air defending me?" As the Little Shakespeare of the East, he cleverly used a double negative to express affirmation.
The opposing guard, who had wanted to provoke Link, was now provoked by Link instead.
"Buddy, thanks for the pass!" Link said with a smile, after tangling with the opponent's strong drive and completing a Steal.
Link's Steal attribute was now as high as 73, and his Perimeter Defense was 63. Coupled with his 213.2cm wingspan, he was undoubtedly the team's Perimeter Defense lockdown!!!
The Texas High School Championship format was 1 minute per quarter, for a total of 4 quarters.
By the end of the first half, Lincoln High School had already established a 21-point lead.
51 to 30!
Link effortlessly scored 19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 Steals, and 1 Block.
In the second half, Link used a pick-and-roll, then threw a lob pass to Chris Bosh, who completed an alley-oop dunk.
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
Cheers erupted on the court.
"Buddy, next possession, I'm going to shoot and get my 22nd point." Link said.
The opposing guard, who had boasted that limiting Link to 20 points was as easy as drinking water, now looked extremely upset.
"Hmph, all you can do is pick-and-rolls. Without teammates to set screens for you, you're nothing." The opposing guard said through gritted teeth.
Link smiled faintly. Such low-level trash talk hardly provoked him. However, Link did have the idea of "training through matches."
In the next offensive possession, Link moved without the ball, intending to go for an isolation play in the elbow area. However… to Link's surprise, his opponent was directly shaken off.
Link, who had slipped to the basket, was now undefended. He had no choice but to take an open layup after receiving the pass, scoring his 21st point.
Soon after, the opposing guard finally managed not to lose track of Link. The moment Link received the ball in the elbow area, the guard followed him. Link took a jab step, stepping out with his right foot. The opponent didn't react in time, so Link immediately planted his right foot firmly, stomping hard on the ground. Relying on [First Step Master], with a "whoosh!", he burst past, drove to the basket, and collided head-on with the opposing Center. Although he was staggered, he completed a 2+1 play thanks to his good finishing touch.
"Hehe, after this Driving Layup reached 7 points, the layups after contact have indeed become much tougher."
As Link ran back on defense, he didn't forget to complain to the opposing team's bench as he passed by: "Are you guys letting air defend me?"
As soon as he said this, not only did DeSoto High School's head basketball coach fall silent, but the defender's eyes also became as clear as a husky's… or rather, a husky that had been beaten into submission.
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In tonight's game, Link was a force on both offense and defense, and the score continued to widen.
"Beep!"
The referee's whistle sounded, signaling the end of the game.
Link, who played 32 minutes, shot 14-for-19 from the field, 3-for-6 from Three-Point Shot, and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line, tallying 36 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 Steals, and 2 Blocks.
These are definitely star high school player stats, very impressive.
But for the standard required to enter the NBA, it can only be described as decent.
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[Link exploded for 36 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 Steals, and 2 Blocks, leading Lincoln High School to defeat their opponent and easily advance to the Sweet 16. The four-star All-American guard who defended him broke down emotionally and cried after the game. Without a doubt, Link is the number one guard in the entire country!!!] — Sports Illustrated report.
[Lincoln High School easily defeated their opponent. Team ace Link was omnipotent in the game. In addition to putting up impressive stats, he also cross-matched and defended the opposing Center twice. My goodness, he really showed me a new generation of Magic Johnson.] — FOX-Sports report.
After the game, Link, with his victory and impressive individual stats, earned praise from the media.
But there are always those who sing a different tune.
Such as Sophia Clarke, the field reporter for Rivals.
"That's right, Link. Although he put up great stats and won this game, his opponent, DeSoto High School, is not a strong team with significant pedigree. Furthermore, Link, more than half of his 36 minutes came from shooting, simply relying on his height advantage. If he encounters a defensive player of similar build, can he still perform well?"
Sophia Clarke's words, despite having an element of negativity, were not entirely without merit. The opponent was 11cm shorter than Link and had a much shorter wingspan, making defense difficult. But what if he were replaced by a player of similar size?
Additionally, the element of luck cannot be ruled out.
However...
Link quickly "slapped!" "slapped!" "slapped!" Sophia Clarke's pretty face in the Sweet 16 game the following week.
The opponent used a 198cm All-American four-star forward to guard Link, but Link's ball-handling and Driving Layup were still effortless. With ball control at 75, 92kg weight, and 60 Strength, even against a player of similar build, Link could overpower him to drive, much like Luka Doncic overpowering the uncrowned dunk king Aaron Gordon.
Link, however, lacked explosiveness, so he couldn't completely shake off his opponents with Speed, but through rhythm, he could easily create opportunities for shooting, layups, and assists.
In the Sweet 16 game, Link played 34 minutes, shooting 14-for-18 from the field, 3-for-5 from Three-Point Shot, and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, tallying 35 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 Steals, and 1 Block.
Although his scoring was less than last time, his assists and rebounds were more, and his overall shooting percentage was higher.
This made it difficult for Rivals' beautiful reporter Sophia Clarke to claim that Link was just lucky, and it also indirectly showed that Link wasn't just capable of bullying smaller guards.
But Sophia Clarke, the female reporter, seemed to be getting more and more into being a hater.
"Link, his scoring ability isn't strong; it's far inferior to TJ Ford and Dajuan Wagner. He has never scored 40+ points."
And so...