NBA's Monster Rookie

Chapter Twelve First Round

October 24, 1997, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

In Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, the Clippers faced the Phoenix Suns.

The regular season is over. The MVP trophy is in the closet. Sixty wins are history. Now, the only thing that matters to Arthur Thorne is the playoffs.

Before the game, Coach Fitch stood in the locker room, looking at his players. This team, which was the laughingstock of the league six months ago, is now the top seed in the West. The change happened so fast that some players hadn't even had time to react.

"I know you're nervous," Fitch said. "Some of you are even playing in the playoffs for the first time. But I'm going to tell you something: the opposing team is even more nervous than you are. Because they know that we have one guy on our team who they can't handle."

All eyes turned to Arthur.

Arthur was tying his shoelaces. He looked up and glanced at his teammates.

"The coach is right," Arthur said. "They can't take me down. But basketball isn't a one-man game. I need every single one of you to rebound, cut, defend, and shoot. I can't do everything."

He stood up, and his 2.3-meter-tall frame dimmed the lights in the locker room.

"But I can assure you one thing: as long as you do your job well, we won't lose."

There was a two-second silence in the locker room. Then Brent Barry stood up.

"Let's go," Barry said. "Let's win."

In the players' tunnel, Arthur ran towards the field. His footsteps were heavy, but the rhythm was steady, thump, thump, thump, like some kind of war drum.

The Suns' starting lineup: Kevin Jensen, Rex Chapman, Wesley Posen, Danny Manning, Mark Bryant.

The Clippers' starting lineup: Brent Barry, Malik Healy, Rodney Rogers, Walter Williams, and Arthur Thorne.

During the jump ball, Arthur faced Mark Bryant, a 6'3" white center who had played in the NBA for nine years and was experienced but had limited talent.

Bryant looked into Arthur's eyes, trying to find a hint of tension. He found nothing.

The referee tosses the ball. Arthur passes the ball to Barry.

Game start.

On the first possession, Arthur called for the ball in the low post. Bryant was guarding him from behind, and Manning came over to help from the weak side. Arthur received the ball and didn't hesitate; he turned to face the basket immediately. His movement was too fast; before Bryant could react, Arthur had already jumped.

One-handed dunk. Two to zero.

The Suns are on offense. Kevin Johnson dribbles past half-court, and Manning sets a screen at the high post. Johnson uses the screen to drive, but Arthur switches onto him. Arthur's lateral movement is too quick, blocking Johnson like a wall.

Jason was forced to pass the ball, and Persson caught it and shot, but missed. Arthur grabbed the rebound.

The Clippers launched a fast break, and Arthur dribbled the ball up the court himself. His dribbling speed left the Suns' retreating defenders bewildered. A 2.3-meter tall man charging at 40 kilometers per hour—no one dared to stop him.

Arthur leaps from the free-throw line and dunks with both hands. Four to zero.

The Suns called a timeout.

On the Clippers' bench, the players high-fived in celebration. Arthur didn't celebrate; he walked over to Fitch.

"Coach, they'll double-team me today. Tell Barry and Rodgers to wait on the weak side."

Fitch nodded. He was no longer surprised by Arthur's ability to read the game on the court, which was better than many veterans who had played for ten years.

After the timeout, the Suns indeed began double-teaming Arthur. Every time he received the ball in the low post, Bryant would guard him from behind, and Manning would double-team him from the side. Arthur's response was simple and effective: a pass.

He made a bounce pass to Williams, who cut to the basket and scored a layup. He then made a long cross-court pass to Rogers in the corner, who hit a three-pointer. He followed up with a behind-the-back pass to Barry, who scored a mid-range jumper.

At the end of the first quarter, the Clippers led 34-22 by 12 points. Arthur's stats: 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks.

In the second quarter, the Suns changed their defensive strategy, using Manning to guard Arthur, with Bryant helping. Manning was faster than Bryant, but 20 centimeters shorter than Arthur.

Arthur hit three consecutive mid-range jump shots over Manning. Manning's hand was already on Arthur's face, but Arthur's release point was too high for Manning to reach.

At halftime, the Clippers led 68-49 by 19 points.

In the second half, the Suns attempted a comeback. Kevin Johnson and Rex Chapman hit consecutive three-pointers, narrowing the gap to twelve points. Arthur called a timeout—not by the coach, but by walking up to the referee himself.

He walked among his teammates without looking at Fitch.

"They're closing the gap. We need to stay calm. Use at least fifteen seconds on each offensive possession, give me the ball, and I'll control the tempo."

Fitch stood to the side and put down the tactical board.

After the timeout, the Clippers' pace noticeably slowed down. Arthur controlled the ball at the high post, orchestrating the offense like a point guard. He repeatedly ran down the clock, scoring or assisting in the final seconds of the shot clock.

The Suns' comeback attempt was slowly stifled.

Final score: 121 to 99, Clippers win big.

Arthur's stats: 38 points, 16 rebounds, 13 assists, 7 blocks. Triple-double in his playoff debut.

After the game, Suns head coach Danny Ainge was asked at the press conference how he would rate Arthur.

"He's the best player I've ever seen," Ainge said, his tone devoid of resentment, only resignation. "I said 'best,' not 'best rookie.' He's the best player in this league. He is now."

The reporter pressed further: "Even better than Jordan?"

Ainge paused for three seconds. "Jordan had Pippen, Rodman, Kerr. Who did Thorne have? He single-handedly led a bottom-of-the-table team to the top of the West. If you ask me who's more valuable, my answer is Thorne."

April 26, 1997, Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs.

The Clippers will continue to host the Suns.

The Suns made adjustments in this game; they stopped double-teaming Arthur and instead used Manning for one-on-one defense while locking down the other Clippers players.

This strategy worked at first. The Clippers' role players committed more turnovers and their shooting percentage dropped under defensive pressure. At the end of the first quarter, the Suns led 27-23 by four points.

Arthur sat on the bench drinking water, without saying a word. He was thinking.

In the second quarter, Arthur changed his playing style. He no longer orchestrated the offense from the high post, but instead started his attack directly from midcourt. He dribbled up the court alone, cutting through the Suns' entire defense like a knife.

He pulled up for a three-pointer. He hit a pull-up jumper from mid-range. He drove into the paint and dunked over two men. He scored the Clippers' first fifteen points in the second quarter by himself.

The Suns' defense was completely dismantled. They didn't know how to defend against double-teaming Arthur; he would pass the ball. If they didn't double-team him, he would score. If they used a fast player to defend him, he would pull up for a jump shot. If they used a tall player to defend him, he would drive and dunk.

At halftime, the Clippers led 58-50 by eight points.

In the second half, Arthur continued to dominate the game. He scored another 16 points in the third quarter, including three consecutive three-pointers over Manning.

Manning fouled out with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. As he walked off the court, he glanced back at Arthur.

There was no anger or frustration in his eyes, only a resigned calm.

Final score: 115 to 96, Clippers lead 2-0.

Arthur's stats: 47 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 blocks.

After the match, Manning said something to reporters in the locker room that later became widely known.

"I've guarded Hakeem Olajuwon, I've guarded Robinson, I've guarded Shaquille O'Neal. But Thorne is different. He's not playing basketball, he's playing the game. And we're just NPCs in his game."

April 29, 1997, Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs.

Phoenix, West Coast Arena.

The Suns returned to their home court, facing a must-win situation. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit, making this a do-or-die game for the Suns.

The Suns fans were wild. The boos never stopped from the moment Arthur stepped onto the court. Someone in the stands held up a sign that read, "Stat padder, go home!" Someone else waved a colorful stick at Arthur's free throws, trying to distract him.

Arthur's first free throw was met with a moment of silence, followed by a deafening roar. Arthur released the ball and it went in.

The second free throw, the same noise, went in.

Suns fans found they couldn't get past the young man.

After the game started, the Suns pulled out all the stops. They had their best first quarter of the season, with Kevin Johnson scoring twelve points and Manning adding ten, giving the Suns a 33-28 lead.

Arthur scored 15 points in the quarter, but the rest of the Clippers players seemed a bit nervous playing on the road. Barry committed two turnovers, and Rodgers missed three shots.

In the second quarter, Arthur took over the game. He delivered three consecutive blocks on defense, nipping the Suns' offense in the bud each time. On offense, he hit two consecutive three-pointers to take the lead.

At halftime, the Clippers led 58-55.

In the third quarter, the Suns rallied again. Jason and Chapman combined for a 12-2 run, giving the Suns a seven-point lead. Arthur stepped up again, scoring nine points in two minutes, including two three-pointers and a three-point play, to tie the game.

In the fourth quarter, the game entered a heated phase. The lead changed hands frequently, and neither side could pull away.

With two minutes remaining, the Clippers led 106-105 by one point. The Suns were on offense; Jason had the ball, and Manning set a screen. Arthur switched to defend Jason, who attempted to drive past Arthur's long arm and poked the ball away.

The Clippers launch a fast break. Arthur dribbles the ball up the court, and two Suns players retreat on defense. Arthur jumps at the free-throw line, and both Suns players also jump, but Arthur doesn't dunk. Instead, he passes the ball in mid-air to Barry, who scores a layup.

108 to 105. One minute left.

The Suns are on offense. Jason's three-point attempt misses. Arthur grabs the rebound. The Suns commit a foul.

Arthur stepped to the free-throw line. The crowd booed deafeningly. He took a deep breath, released the ball, and it went in. The second free throw went in.

110 to 105. Thirty seconds left.

On the Suns' final possession, Jason quickly scored two points. The score was 110-107. The Suns then committed another foul.

Arthur stepped to the free-throw line again. The boos from the crowd grew even louder. He closed his eyes, opened them, and shot—it went in. Second free throw—it went in.

112 to 107. Eight seconds left.

The Suns missed their final shot. Game over.

The Clippers swept the Suns 3-0 to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

Arthur's stats: 43 points, 20 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 blocks.

After the game, Arthur stood in the center of the court, looking up at the dome of the American West Arena. Suns fans were leaving; some gave him the middle finger, and others threw drink cups onto the court.

Arthur wasn't looking at them. He was looking at the banners on the dome. The Suns had never won a championship, but their division championship banners and retired jerseys were still hanging there.

Barry walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Let's go, champion. Two more rounds."

Arthur nodded and walked toward the players' tunnel.

Behind him, the lights in the American West Arena went out one by one.

But Arthur Thorne's playoff run has only just begun.