NBA: Northeast China's spectacular dunks sweep the entire league.

"Tomorrow, there's an intra-team scrimmage. You'll be leading the attack team. Let me see your 'Northeast Sniper' skills."

Thibodeau looked at Lin Hao very seriously.

Lin Hao stared at Thibodeau's face and blinked three times. It wasn't fear, it was excitement. They'd been practicing for almost a week—Nelson's seven-second offense, Thibodeau's endless switching defense, and Dell Curry's lightning-fast shots.

Whether these three things can be combined remains to be seen tomorrow.

---

The next day, Lin Hao pushed open the door of the training hall.

Everyone was there. Don Nelson stood on the sidelines, a cigar dangling from his lips, a stopwatch in his hand. Thibodeau crouched at the baseline, a whiteboard spread out in front of him, blue marker lines drawn all over the defensive rotations. Dell Curry sat behind the scorer's table, a camera mounted in front of him, a notebook in his hand.

Zhao Dabao squatted in the corner, with two boxes of canned yellow peaches in front of him. The lids were all unscrewed, and the smell of syrup filled the room.

"Haozi, the buffs are fully stacked." Zhao Dabao lowered his voice, "We're going to win today."

Lin Hao ignored him and walked to the center of the field.

Old Nelson took the cigar out of his mouth and stubbed it out on the sole of his shoe: "Offensive lineup—Lin Hao point guard, Richardson shooting guard, Van Exel small forward, Murphy power forward, Dampier center."

Thibodeau stood up: "Defensive lineup—Payton point guard, Arenas shooting guard, Dunleavy small forward, Foyle power forward, Chandler center."

The two teams stood in place, separated by a center line, like two fierce calves.

Payton took the toothpick out of his mouth, broke it in two, and threw it on the ground. He looked at Lin Hao: "Kid, you've mastered that 'Northeast Sniper' technique? Let me try it out today."

Lin Hao bent down and patted the floor: "Uncle Gary, if you can defend against this, you win."

The referee whistle blows.

Dampier won the jump ball and flicked it towards Lin Hao. Payton wasn't waiting for him in the attacking third; he started marking him closely from the backcourt—his chest pressed against Lin Hao's waist, his right hand constantly reaching for the ball. This wasn't defense; it was a physical battle.

Lin Hao didn't dodge. He used his body to lean against Payton, dribbled the ball twice, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Richardson had already run to the frontcourt.

From the sidelines, Don Nelson shouted, "The ball won't wait!"

Lin Hao flicked his wrist, delivering a long flick. The ball sailed over Payton's head, across the center line, and landed precisely in Richardson's hands. Richardson caught the ball, and Dunleavy rushed over to cover. Richardson didn't stop the ball, instead passing it directly to Van Exel in the corner.

Van Exel received the ball, and Arenas was already lunging at his face. Van Exel didn't stop, passing the ball back to Lin Hao, who was following up in the middle.

The ball was inbounded from the backcourt to the frontcourt, changing hands four times. When Lin Hao received the ball, Payton was still two steps beyond the three-point line.

He caught the ball, his knees already bent, his wrists bent. He jumped and shot.

"Whoosh."

Hollow entry into the net. The timer stops at five seconds.

Old Nelson's stopwatch didn't go off. Thibodeau didn't blow his whistle.

Payton looked at the basket, picked up the toothpick from the ground, and threw it into the trash can. He didn't say anything, but his eyes changed—not with anger, but with seriousness.

The offense retreats to defense. Lin Hao stands at the top of the key, Payton dribbles the ball across half-court. Thibodeau shouts from the sidelines, "Switch!"

Payton used Foyle's screen to break through, and Lin Hao and Dampier switched defenses. Payton was now facing Dampier—ten centimeters taller and more than a beat slower. Payton took a step, pulled up, and jumped for a shot.

"Whoosh."

Payton landed and looked at Lin Hao: "You were too slow to switch on defense."

Lin Hao didn't say anything, picked up the ball and passed it to the baseline.

The second attack was even faster.

Lin Hao receives the ball, doesn't dribble, and immediately passes it to Van Exel on the sideline. Van Exel receives the ball, and Arenas closely guards him. Van Exel dribbles behind his back past Arenas and drives to the free-throw line, where Foyle helps defend.

Van Exel didn't attack, but instead passed the ball under Foyer's arm to Dampier, who was cutting down the court. Dampier caught the ball and slammed it home with both hands.

"Clang!"

The basketball hoop wobbled three times.

The timer stopped at four seconds.

Old Nelson put the cigar back in his mouth, a slight smirk playing on his lips. Thibodeau, crouching at the baseline, wrote a line on his whiteboard.

Payton walked up to Lin Hao and said in a low voice, "Hey kid, who taught you this passing game?"

"Dell," Lin Hao said, pointing to the scorer's table.

Payton glanced at Dell Curry and nodded.

Five minutes into the first quarter, the offense had scored 18 points while the defense had only managed 8. Payton called a timeout and surrounded the five defenders.

"What are you doing?" Payton's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a knife. "The ball went from the back to the front, they passed it three times, and you made substitutions three times. And then what? You lost your man. The bottom corner was open twice, and the arc was left unmarked three times. Who were you defending?"

No one speaks.

Payton pointed at Arenas: "You, guard Axel, he'll get past you like a log. His left hand isn't good, block his left flank."

Then, pointing at Dunleavy, he said, "You, defend Richardson. He'll only cut to the right. Block the right flank in advance, don't let him get going."

Finally, pointing at Foyle, he said, "You, don't go so deep when defending pick-and-rolls. Lin Hao's mid-range shot can kill you."

After the timeout, the defensive lineup changed.

Lin Hao received the ball, and Payton pressed even closer. Not just physically, but practically against the ball—Payton's hand remained between the ball and the rim, preventing Lin Hao from shooting. Lin Hao dribbled a couple of steps, found no space to shoot, and passed the ball to Richardson.

Dunleavy blocked the right flank in advance, preventing Richardson from breaking through and forcing him to pass back. Van Exel received the ball, but Arenas blocked the left flank, cutting off Van Exel's path to the basket and forcing him to take a shot.

"Bang!"

Missed shot. Foyle grabbed the rebound and passed to Payton. The defense made their first successful save.

Payton dribbled past half-court, slowing the pace. He remained calm and patient, waiting for everyone to be in position before calling for Foyer to set a screen. Lin Hao and Dampier switched defenses, and Payton, facing Dampier, used a crossover to get past him and drove to the basket.

Lin Hao came over from the weak side to cover, and Payton didn't force a shot, instead passing the ball under Lin Hao's arm to Foyle under the basket. Foyle received the ball and scored with a layup.

10:18.

Thibodeau nodded from the sidelines.

The offense inbounds the ball again. Lin Hao receives it, and Payton closes in again. This time, Lin Hao neither passes nor calls for a screen. He dribbles a step to the left, and Payton follows. Lin Hao suddenly performs a behind-the-back crossover, accelerating to the right. Payton catches up, but Lin Hao doesn't stop—in the instant Payton adjusts his balance, he changes direction again, pulls the ball to the left, and jumps for a jump shot.

Payton lunged forward and covered Lin Hao's face with his hand.

The ball flew from my fingertips.

"Whoosh."

21:10.

Payton landed, looked at Lin Hao, took the toothpick out of his mouth, and broke it into three pieces. He didn't say anything, but Lin Hao could tell—Payton was serious.

In the second quarter, the defense began to double-team.

As soon as Lin Hao received the ball, Payton and Arenas rushed towards him. Lin Hao passed the ball to Van Exel, Arenas returned to position, and Van Exel was open in front of him. He dribbled once and pulled up for a jump shot.

"Whoosh."

23:12.

The next possession, the double team came again. Lin Hao passed to Richardson, Dunleavy helped defend, and Richardson passed to Murphy in the corner. Murphy received the ball, Foyer rushed out, Murphy didn't shoot, and passed it back to Lin Hao at the top of the key.

Before Payton could get back into position, Lin Hao caught the ball, bent his knee, twisted his wrist, and jumped.

"Whoosh."

26:12.

From the sidelines, Don Nelson yelled, "Run! Keep the ball moving! Keep your players moving!"

This is Don Nelson's seven-second offense—the ball is always moving, and the players are always running. You double-team the ball handler, I pass to the weak side. You cover the weak side, I pass to the baseline. You cover the baseline, and the top of the key is open.

The defense chased the ball for half a quarter, but their pace began to slow down.

With three minutes left in the second quarter, Lin Hao received the ball, and Payton closely guarded him. Arenas double-teamed him from the weak side, but Lin Hao didn't pass the ball—he slipped it through the gap between the two defenders, and it landed precisely in the hands of the cutting Richardson.

Richardson receives the ball, and Dunleavy covers. Richardson doesn't stop the ball, passing it directly to Van Exel in the bottom corner. Van Exel receives the ball, Arenas rushes over, but Van Exel doesn't stop either, passing the ball back to Lin Hao who is following up in the middle.

The ball changed hands five times, and the defense switched positions five times. During the fifth switch, Foyer and Dunleavy collided.

When Lin Hao received the ball, there was no one two meters in front of him.

He caught the ball, bent his knee, pressed his wrist, jumped, and shot.

"Whoosh."

34:18.

Payton was bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily. Arenas, supporting himself on his knees, sweat dripped onto the floor. Dunleavy stood with his hands on his hips, his face flushed red.

Zhao Dabao opened a can of yellow peaches on the sidelines and handed it to Lin Hao: "Haozi, take a break and have some sugar water."

Lin Hao took it and took a sip. It was sweet.

上半场结束，进攻组42比24领先。林昊12分7助攻，投篮5中4，三分3中3。

Old Nelson walked up to Lin Hao, moved the cigar from one corner of his mouth to the other: "Those passes in the second quarter were good."

Lin Hao, panting, asked, "Coach, they'll still double-team us in the second half, what do we do?"

Old Nelson glanced at him: "What do you think?"

Lin Hao thought for a moment: "If they double-team me, the weak side will definitely be open. Richardson and Nick will be positioned at the baseline and 45 degrees. I'll pass the ball out, and they'll pass it again. The defense won't be able to keep up."

Old Nelson nodded, said nothing, and walked away.

In the second half, the defense changed its strategy. Payton stopped pressing Lin Hao all court and retreated to the vicinity of the three-point line, giving him some space.

Thibodeau shouted from the sidelines, "Let them shoot, but don't let them drive!"

Payton took a step back, Lin Hao took a step forward, and pulled up for a shot.

"Whoosh."

Payton took another step back. Lin Hao took another step forward and pulled up for a jump shot.

"Whoosh."

Payton took another step back, and Lin Hao received the ball two steps outside the three-point line, jumped, and shot.

"Whoosh."

Three in a row. Payton glanced back at Thibodeau, who didn't say anything and put his hands in his pockets.

This was the counterintuitive insight in Lin Hao's mind: the run-and-gun offense isn't about running fast, it's about making your opponent unable to keep up with your pace. You take a step back, I take a step forward. If you can't keep up with my shooting speed, you can only watch me shoot.

Payton stopped retreating. He closed in again, and Lin Hao changed his strategy—he would drive to the basket when Payton guarded him closely. The tighter Payton guarded him, the faster Lin Hao drove past. In the first six minutes of the third quarter, Lin Hao had scored 11 points and had 4 assists.

The point difference widened to 20 points.

In the fourth quarter, Thibodeau substituted all the starters with substitutes. The offensive team also replaced Lin Hao, and the game entered garbage time.

The final buzzer sounded. 98-72. The offense won by 26 points.

林昊全场28分11助攻，投篮12中9，三分7中6。

Payton walked over and extended his hand. Lin Hao shook it; Payton's hand was cold and sweaty.

"Kid, your 'Northeast Sniper' is pretty good." Payton's voice was hoarse, but it carried the candor of a veteran.

"Uncle Gary, you didn't lose. You just had bad teammates."

Payton paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Damn, are you praising me or insulting me?"

Arenas walked over, plopped down on the floor, and looked up at Lin Hao: "Brother Hao, that catch-and-shoot thing of yours, I chased it the whole game and couldn't catch it. Did you have a spring in your hand?"

"No springs. It's filled with Northeast rice." Lin Hao reached out and pulled Arenas up from the ground.

Zhao Dabao came over carrying a box of canned yellow peaches, handing one to each person. When he got to Payton, Payton didn't take it: "Can this stuff really win games?"

"You'll know once you try it." Lin Hao unscrewed a can and took a sip.

Payton took it with some skepticism, took a sip, and his eyes lit up.

Old Nelson walked to the center of the court, a cigar dangling from his lips, and looked at the scoreboard. 98 to 72. He didn't smile, but a slight smirk played at the corners of his mouth.

"Today, the first shot of the run-and-gun offense has been fired."

He turned around and looked at the whole team.

"Keep practicing tomorrow."

Lin Hao sat on a bench, looking down at his phone. Zhang Qingying sent him a message: "I heard you crushed Payton today?"

Lin Hao typed a few words: "I didn't blow it out, I just made a few shots."

After sending it, he added, "How did you know?"

The other end displayed "typing..." several times before finally replying: "An ESPN reporter is waiting outside the locker room to interview you. Don't keep them waiting too long."

Lin Hao stared at the message for a few seconds, then put his phone in his pocket and stood up.

Zhao Dabao called from the doorway, "Haozi, three ESPN reporters are here, blocking the entrance. Are you coming out?"

"Let's go." Lin Hao picked up his backpack. "Let's get ready."

He walked to the door, paused, and glanced back at the training hall. The sweat on the floor was still wet, the writing on the tactics board was still unerased, and empty cans of yellow peaches were scattered all over the floor.

[Ding! Intra-team scrimmage complete! Offense team wins!]

[First Real-World Test of the Three-Dimensional System – Offensive Proficiency: 35%! Defensive Proficiency: 28%! Shooting Proficiency: 42%!]

[“Northeast Sniper” Accuracy in Combat: 85.7%!]

[Counterintuitive insight triggered: Run-and-gun isn't about running fast, it's about keeping your opponent from keeping up with your pace.]

Lin Hao pushed open the door, and a flurry of flashes from the hallway greeted him.

He squinted and stepped into the white light.