Stepping onto the court for the very first time, Link immediately showed a composure that belied his ten-day contract status.
While his defense still wasn't great, the noticeable improvement in his lateral speed caught the eye of assistant coaches Brian Shaw and Smith on the sidelines.
"Link movement looks a lot quicker than it did at the tryout," Smith quietly remarked to Brian Shaw.
"I noticed too. It's only been a few days, but Link has made huge strides!" Brian Shaw sounded genuinely surprised.
Thanks to the boost from the [Devil Training System], Link was only slightly overmatched when guarding Andre Miller.
He even came close to getting a steal on one possession.
The Zen Master, Phil Jackson, gave a subtle nod of approval at Link's defensive improvement.
More importantly, the Nuggets had absolutely no scouting report on Link's game, which gave him a perfect opportunity to shine.
During a Lakers possession, after a few simple passes around the perimeter, Link found himself wide open. The defender just waved a hand vaguely in his direction—a show of token effort.
Link wasn't about to pass up the chance. He immediately activated [Focused Shooter Lv1]. Fifteen minutes was more than enough time to finish the rest of the game.
As the skill activated, everything around him seemed to go silent. Link was laser-focused; the only thing in his vision was the rim.
"Swish!"
The ball dropped straight through the net. The Nuggets players shrugged it off—just a couple of points, no big deal. But they had no idea that a massive comeback, led by Link, was about to begin!
The Nuggets missed their next shot. Kobe took the ball upcourt quickly. After drawing a double team on the baseline, he kicked the ball out to Link on the right wing at the 45-degree angle.
Link caught the ball, hop-stepped, and without any hesitation, launched another three-pointer right over his defender.
Splash! The Lakers cut the deficit to seven points!
"Yes! Great shot, Link!" Brian Shaw pumped his fist on the sideline. The home crowd was momentarily stunned into silence.
But he wasn't finished. The Lakers ramped up their defense and forced a 24-second shot clock violation on the Nuggets.
On the next trip down the floor, Link felt like he was playing out of his mind. He caught the ball in the left corner and, leaning away from the defender, hit a high-difficulty three-pointer.
Another make! The lead was down to just four points!
"BEEP!" The whistle blew. Denver called a timeout. The game was now completely in doubt.
On the bench, Kobe was breathing hard, and he gave Link a huge slap on the shoulder. "Nice shooting, Link!"
The Nuggets, meanwhile, looked completely shell-shocked by the sudden barrage of three-pointers. They were clearly rattled.
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After the timeout, Andre Miller brought the ball up. Link stayed locked on him, challenging him relentlessly.
An exhausted Miller simply couldn't shake Link's defense. He kept adjusting his dribble and, with the shot clock winding down, had to heave a desperate pass to Carmelo Anthony.
'Melo was forced into an ultra-long-range three-point attempt, which, predictably, clanged off the iron.
The ball hit the rim with such force that it bounced high and long, right into Link's hands!
Link immediately turned and sprinted for a fast break, with Kobe tearing down the court with him.
It was a two-on-one opportunity!
Miller chased hard but was stuck between Kobe and Link, unable to cover both.
Link dribbled to the top of the arc. At this point, he was completely in the zone, ignoring Kobe's call for the ball near the basket and pulling up for a transition three-pointer!
"No! No! No!" Brian Shaw grabbed his head on the sideline. Going for the difficult shot over the easy layup is a cardinal sin in basketball!
Kobe shot a look at Link that could kill, as if he were ready to eat the rookie alive.
The ball arced high through the air. Players, coaches, and the crowd held their breath; you could hear a pin drop in the arena.
Everyone clenched their fists.
In an instant, the ball dropped clean through the net.
97-98! The Lakers were within one point!
The Lakers bench erupted in cheers, jumping and celebrating. With only 30 seconds left, Denver was forced to call another timeout!
As Link came off the floor, his teammates chest-bumped him one after another.
This was the beauty of basketball!
But before the excitement could fade, the coaching staff had different ideas for the crucial defensive possession.
"For the final defensive possession, I suggest we take Lin out," Brian Shaw said.
His suggestion made sense. For the last shot, Denver would undoubtedly put the ball in the hands of their most reliable scorer, Carmelo Anthony.
Link guarding Anthony would be a huge mismatch and an obvious weak spot.
The Zen Master remained silent, scanning the players as he considered the right substitution.
Link's lips moved. He desperately wanted to argue his case, but given his status as a two-way/ten-day guy, he didn't feel he had the right to speak up.
Just then, Kobe spoke.
"Leave Lin in. He's the one who brought us back into this game. He deserves the chance!"
Link couldn't believe his ears. Kobe, of all people, was sticking up for him—that was unheard of!
Phil Jackson looked at Kobe, and in the last second of the timeout, he decided to keep the lineup as-is. Link would play to the finish!
The game resumed.
The entire crowd was on their feet, many of them praying for a successful game-winning play.
At the whistle, Anthony quickly broke free of his defender and caught the ball at half-court.
Confirmed!
The Nuggets chose Anthony to take the critical last shot.
With the lead in hand, Anthony was patient, slowly dribbling the ball to find his rhythm.
As one of the faces of the 2003 Platinum Draft Class, Anthony had been groomed as a franchise cornerstone from day one.
He was highly athletic, with offensive moves that rivaled Kobe's, earning him the nickname "The Scoring Chameleon."
Anthony lived up to the hype, becoming one of the league's top scorers in just two seasons.
However, compared to his generational peer, LeBron James of the Cavaliers, he always seemed to be missing just that little something extra.
As the 24-second clock ticked down, Anthony dribbled to the wing.
At the same time, a Nuggets shooter drifted to the baseline, while the other three players cleared out to the opposite side of the three-point line.
Link's eyes narrowed. He recognized this familiar Nuggets set-up.
The instant Anthony made his move, Link shouted, "Lamar, guard the weak-side baseline!"
"What did you say?" Lamar Odom looked confused.
"Hurry!" Link urged. He was absolutely certain: Anthony was running the same play again!
It was a classic "pick-your-poison" situation: either Anthony uses a screen for an isolation shot, or the double-team opens up the baseline shooter.
The best defense was for Odom, who was on the strong side, to extend toward the weak side, forcing Anthony to make a high-IQ pass.
Link didn't have time to explain and physically pushed Odom toward the designated spot.
Anthony found himself double-teamed, and just as he was about to pass, he realized Odom was perfectly positioned in the passing lane.
The corner opportunity was gone!
With the clock expiring, Anthony was forced to jump, attempting a wide cross-court pass to the other side.
That was the moment Link made his move!
He had positioned himself in a blind spot in Anthony's peripheral vision. Combined with the longer flight time of a cross-court pass, Link had time to react.
Link was quick as lightning. He leaped, his fingertips grazing the ball, changing its trajectory.
Players from both teams swarmed for the loose ball, and in the chaos, Link snatched the ball back!
Simultaneously, Kobe was already sprinting toward the Lakers' basket. The court in front of him was wide open.
This time, Link didn't hesitate. He launched a long pass, and the ball flew halfway across the court, landing perfectly in Kobe's hands.
Kobe took it in for a one-on-none fast break, finishing with a powerful tomahawk dunk! The Lakers took the lead!
With no timeouts left, the Nuggets could only rush up a terrible, off-balance half-court heave.
The Lakers won the season opener, thanks to Link's clutch steal and Kobe's game-winning dunk!
Kobe finished with a monster stat line of 43 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, the biggest reason for the win.
Link's NBA debut was absolutely stunning: 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and a game-clinching steal that sealed the victory!
In the locker room afterward, everyone but Smush Parker gathered around Link, cheering and celebrating the first win of the season.
Even the usually stone-faced Kobe was noticeably softer and more cheerful.
A moment later, Phil Jackson walked in and clapped Link on the shoulder. "Great job, Link!"
Link scratched his head, smiling humbly, though he couldn't hide his excitement.
"Oh, by the way, you'll be joining the post-game press conference in a bit," Phil added, as if remembering something.
"Me?" Link pointed to himself in confusion. Post-game pressers were usually reserved for the team's biggest stars. Why him?
"A media outlet wants to interview you," Phil said casually before leaving the locker room.
He left a stunned Link—and a Smush Parker whose eyes looked like they were shooting daggers.