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Chapter 19: Wildcats vs Sun Devils (Rough start)
🕑 Added 2025-04-26 08:41:50 +0000 UTC"Who's leading us to victory over the Arizona Wildcats?"
James Harden!
"Who's dropping 30 points a night, carrying the team on his back?"
James Harden!
"And who's gonna take us to the championship—March Madness, here we come?"
James Harden!
The crowd inside the Arizona Sun Devils' home arena exploded, their chants echoing through the rafters.
On the sidelines, Stephen Curry and Lin Yi exchanged glances, a flicker of envy in their eyes. Harden had the entire building behind him. Davidson's fans, in contrast, were... polite.
Reggie Miller, covering the game, couldn't help but tease. "You know, Davidson's mascot is also a Wildcat. And Arizona State? They've been stepping over the Wildcats all season. Fate or just bad luck?"
Reggie Miller was sitting next to Dell Curry, Stephen's dad. He wasn't an NBA superstar, but he was one hell of a shooter—and an even better father.
Two legendary shooters were calling the game together. Yeah, this was a beautiful sight.
If Davidson was all about Curry's pick-and-roll magic, then Arizona State? They were all about Harden and his squad of three-and-D killers. Harden's team was built around spacing, defense, and him doing whatever the hell he wanted on offense.
Funny how things work out. Davidson's system looked a lot like what the Warriors would run in the future. Meanwhile, the Sun Devils? They were playing like a preview of D'Antoni's Rockets—Harden isolating, surrounded by shooters.
College basketball wasn't just a stepping stone to the NBA. It was a blueprint.
What if guys like Garnett, Kobe, or LeBron had spent even one year in college?
We'll never know.
Lin Yi lined up at center for the tip-off, facing off against Arizona State's Grant, a 6'9" big man who could also shoot from deep.
The Sun Devils were built to switch everything on defense. They locked down the perimeter, ran Harden-led isolations, and drilled open threes.
For Lin Yi, tonight was going to be a test.
The ball went up.
Lin Yi won the tip, and Curry took it up the court.
The moment he crossed half-court, the pressure was on him—aggressive, suffocating defense.
"Damn, they're going this hard in the first minute?" Curry muttered. He wasn't used to this level of physicality in the Southern Conference.
..........
With their head coach out due to injury, Arizona's assistant coach, Scott Pera, just chuckled. "Steph's a scary shooter. No way they let him steal Harden's spotlight tonight."
On the sidelines, Steve Nash—who had no NBA game to play in that night—watched with interest. "Welcome to the big leagues, kid," he murmured to himself. "If you wanna make it in the NBA, get used to this. When defenses know you can shoot from anywhere, they'll never give you an inch."
...........
Davidson struggled to get into their sets, but they had time. The NCAA's long shot clock gave them breathing room.
Curry worked through a series of screens, finally finding Lin Yi on a switch. Now, it was Lin Yi vs. Harden, one-on-one.
Harden's defense? Let's just say… it had a reputation.
Lin Yi smirked.
b"Eye defense," they called it—Harden watching more than guarding.
But just as Lin Yi started his move—smack!
Harden stripped the ball clean, took off down the court, and finished with a vicious one-handed tomahawk slam.
The crowd lost its mind.
Lin Yi exhaled, shook his head, and inbounded the ball—too casually. Before Curry could even take a step, an Arizona State defender jumped the pass, stole it, kicked it to Grant—who lobbed it up—
And Harden came flying in for another dunk.
BOOM.
The rim shook. The whole arena shook.
Davidson called timeout.
"Harden! Harden! Harden!"
The fans were on their feet, roaring his name.
Harden flexed, showing off his arms.
Reggie Miller laughed. "Now that's a killer instinct. You don't become a superstar without it. Hell, even Tim Duncan had his moments of fire. You gotta want it."
Lin Yi's smirk was gone. His expression turned serious.
Eight straight wins had made them complacent.
Underestimate the NCAA?
Big mistake.
College ball wasn't about money. Every kid on this court was playing for love, for respect. Every game meant everything.
Harden was no different.
One player. One school. One city behind him.
He was the face of Arizona State. The pride of Phoenix.
And beard or no beard, he was ready to take over the world.
............
Scouts from the East Division grinned at their Southern counterparts. "So, this is the legendary Southern Conference competition? Cute."
The truth was, Harden had already gone toe-to-toe with Arizona's powerhouse squad and dropped 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. He had damn near beaten them by himself.
Davidson?
Miracles don't happen every year.
..............
Coach McKillop looked at Lin Yi, ready to say something. But when he saw the fire in his player's eyes, he just nodded.
"I was gonna ask if winning made you soft," McKillop said. "But I don't think I need to."
He clapped Lin Yi's shoulder. "Take a breath. Reset. Then go show them who you are."
No extra tactics. No speech. Just trust.
If he couldn't trust Stephen Curry and Lin Yi, then who could he trust?
Timeout ended. The game resumed.
The arena was electric. Harden was locked in, playing defense like his life depended on it. The Sun Devils had all the momentum.
Davidson needed a response.
Curry dribbled past half-court, hesitated, then pulled up for three—deep.
Clang.
Miss.
He shook his head, frustrated. Rushed it.
Harden responded immediately, slashing to the rim for another bucket.
Six points in the opening minutes.
"Harden! Harden! Harden!"
The crowd was deafening.
Curry exhaled, motioning to his teammates. "My bad. I forced that."
Lin Yi stepped up beside him, resting a hand on his head. "Forget it. Keep shooting. You're the best damn shooter out here."
That's just how they played.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Lin Yi extended his fist.
Curry bumped it. His confidence was back.
On the sidelines, Nash grinned. "You finally have a real teammate this year, Steph."
The game was on.
And Lin Yi?
He was having fun.
Even without some mission hanging over him, even without the weight of fate—
He would play basketball until the end of the world.
