ESPN commentator Charles Barkley finally noticed the player and directly asked his partner, Olney, about him. In the second quarter, they had merely joked about a rookie crossing over LeBron James. But now, it seemed this player was more than just a fluke.
Olney rummaged through a pile of documents and finally found the rookie on the Lakers' roster: "Oh, this player is named JIANG, LIN! He's a guard from China who signed a short-term contract with the Lakers 10 days ago."
"A Chinese player?" Barkley couldn't recall any notable Chinese guard players.
"Yes, the Lakers' management plans to cut him after his contract expires. He performed well in the CBA, but it seems he might start drifting again here," Olney said, referencing Woj's information.
"His style is quite flashy, a bit like Tony Parker or Kyrie Irving, but I wonder how his shooting is. I hope he finds a stable job," Barkley commented.
Olney added, "Fans, calm down. He just made a few good plays. There's no way he's the next Linsanity." (Note: Last season, Jeremy Lin caused a sensation with the New York Knicks, a craze everyone in the basketball world still talks about.)
"Yeah... He's still just a 10-day contract player," the host agreed, noting that such players were usually just there to fill gaps.
In the NBA, player drifting is common. Only 450 people worldwide have an NBA job. Many players repeatedly try out for teams to play in the NBA, which, for most, is just a well-paying job. The NBA is the most lucrative basketball league in the world!
Getting into those 450 slots with a long-term contract is incredibly tough.
Before the commentators could finish their discussion, Jiang Lin, in a transition play, sprinted ahead like a galloping horse, received a pass from a teammate, and performed a single-handed in-and-out move without losing speed, bypassing the unfortunate Cole, and finished with a three-step layup!
Six consecutive points!
Now some fans decided to stay, finding seats to watch a bit longer.
This guy's ball-handling, the fluidity of his wrist movement, stunned Metta World Peace on the bench.
Odom was even more puzzled. Cole was at least a first-round pick last year, a strong, speedy guard, and better defensively than Chalmers. Yet, Jiang Lin passed him in a fast break without slowing down, which seemed exaggerated.
They knew Jiang Lin; they had played several practice games together recently. In practice games, this Chinese rookie was unremarkable, but now he was stealing, scoring, and showcasing his presence.
It was hard to believe. If the 2 points and 1 assist in the second quarter were a fleeting moment among stars, now it felt like he was the lone star on the court.
On defense, Jiang Lin fiercely guarded, switching to cover Lewis as he emerged from the baseline. Lewis, with his height and quick release, shot a three over Jiang Lin and made it!
"He's tall and fast," Jiang Lin realized the charm of NBA's top shooters. Rashard Lewis, transferred from the Magic, was 2.08 meters tall with a shot release as quick as Ray Allen's, catching and shooting effortlessly.
Jiang Lin hadn't encountered this in one-on-one or in the CBA. What was more terrifying was that the Heat had three such shooters (Miller, Lewis, Allen), showcasing the depth of a defending champion.
After Lewis' shot, Sacre passed the ball to Jiang Lin. Cole, now sweating profusely, had the same mindset as LeBron in the second quarter. What grudge did Jiang Lin have against him? He had been made a background player multiple times.
Something was off. In this era where everyone played pick-and-roll and set plays, Jiang Lin didn't care. If there was a one-on-one opportunity, he would just dribble and go! And the unfortunate defender was Cole, who was continuously crossed and beaten.
Just as he thought, Jiang Lin executed a continuous behind-the-back dribble followed by a spin move, driving into the paint. When Cole jumped to defend, Jiang Lin's fake shot sent him flying. Veteran Haslem rushed over, and Jiang Lin made a bounce pass to the trailing Sacre.
Cole's jump was an instinctive reaction to the fake. Jiang Lin's move was too convincing, and his footwork was solid. Ordinary players would have shuffled their feet and traveled.
Sacre, known as the Lakers' mascot during their rebuilding period, took off for a dunk... but jumped too low, getting blocked by the rim, disappointing the Chinese commentators who lamented the wasted pass.
"My bad, my bad!" Sacre patted his chest repeatedly, apologizing to Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin was speechless. How could you miss such an easy dunk?
But Jiang Lin's offensive organization had caught the attention of the opposing coaches. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra silently observed the Asian player dominating garbage time for a while.
Getting beaten once might be an underestimation, but repeatedly? That wasn't luck. At least in ball-handling, this JIANG outperformed the Heat's guards!
As Cole dribbled near the Heat bench, Coach Spo shouted for him to sag off on defense. Spo saw that Jiang Lin hadn't taken any shots, all his points were in the paint. He decided to let Jiang Lin shoot and see.
"Got it," Cole nodded firmly.
However, there wasn't much time for Spo to test his theory. After Cole passed to Joel Anthony, who scored with a hook shot, Jiang Lin faced Cole, who was giving him space, and hesitated. Was he being dared to shoot?
Fine, I'll shoot! Jiang Lin wasn't afraid to shoot. In practice, he had a shooting percentage of over 95% out of 100 shots. He just hadn't taken a shot in the NBA yet.
So he decisively stopped and took a three-pointer, which hit the rim and bounced out.
Spo rubbed his nose, feeling relieved. At least this showed Jiang Lin's three-point shooting wasn't that accurate. Otherwise, this player would be a real offensive threat.
But it wasn't surprising. Jiang Lin wasn't a pure shooter; he needed to find his rhythm.
With 13 seconds left, the Heat didn't push for another play. Players shook hands as the game ended, with the Heat winning by 24 points against the Lakers.
Many fans felt a sense of incompleteness. Jiang Lin had played 5 minutes, scoring 10 points, with 3 assists and 1 steal, giving off the vibe of a garbage time king.
"Wait, didn't he also cross over LeBron?" American fans began to notice the Chinese player who dominated the final moments of the game.