A few minutes later, Link was back on the court.
A dull ache pulsed in his right ribs, causing some mild discomfort.
But none of that could hold back the anger burning inside him.
At this time, Artest hadn't yet become "Metta World Peace." He was volatile, his actions often dangerous.
But this only stoked Link's fighting spirit.
No matter what, he was taking this game!
Bonzi Wells stuck to him again. This time, his eyes held a trace of apprehension alongside the provocation.
He had seen that fall clearly.
Wells covertly drove his elbow into Link's ribs, right where he had been injured!
Standard NBA tactics.
There was no morality or benevolence here. Any flaw would be seized upon and hammered by the opponent.
Link gave Wells a calm look and shook off his arm.
This time, he didn't run the play as designed.
Kobe inbounded the ball directly to Link.
Link caught it beyond the arc, facing Wells.
He signaled for all his teammates to clear out, then crooked his finger at Wells.
A blatant provocation!
Wells, riled up, pressed right up against him.
"WOW! Defense! Defense..."
The crowd started to jeer.
Bonzi Wells got low, eyes locked on Link.
Link brought the ball down to his waist.
No screen called.
No fakes.
The rim seemed to draw closer.
The defender seemed to vanish into thin air.
A quick jab step, and Wells retreated half a step.
"Now!"
Link's eyes sharpened. He pulled up right there—a dry pull-up jumper!
His vertical was comparable to McGrady or Kobe!
Even with Wells' arm fully extended, he couldn't reach it.
The ball spun over Wells' fingertips, tracing an arc slightly higher than usual.
Link held his follow-through.
A brief wait, then—swish! Nothing but net!
16-13.
The Lakers bench leaped to their feet, cheering wildly!
The shot went in, Link landed, and a sharp pain stabbed his ribs.
His face remained expressionless. He sprinted back on defense without giving Wells a second glance.
The Kings' home court went silent for a moment.
That shot was incredibly tough!
A one-on-one pull-up in the defender's face—the difficulty was off the charts!
Kings ball.
Mike Bibby looked for Brad Miller in the low post, but Kobe read the passing lane.
Kobe dove.
Lakers steal!
A defensive stop and a chance to run. Kobe pushed the ball up quickly.
Lakers had a 3-on-1 advantage in the frontcourt!
Kobe passed to Odom, who was trailing on the right.
Odom caught it and, without adjusting, lobbed it high.
The ball hit the backboard and bounced back—an off-the-backboard alley-oop!
The height and angle were perfect!
"No way, Link..." Brian Shaw clenched his cuffs on the sideline.
Other Lakers players wore worried expressions too.
Link had just taken a hard foul and nearly been injured. This play seemed excessively risky.
A retreating Mike Bibby tried to contest.
But Link jumped faster!
Almost the instant Odom released the ball.
Link soared, his body fully extended.
Meeting the defender in the air, he caught the ball and threw down a one-handed tomahawk jam!
BOOM!!!
The ball was smashed through the hoop!
Link with 5 straight points!
19-13. Lead extended to 6.
Golden 1 Center was silenced once again.
Scattered cheers erupted from the few Lakers fans. Several wearing Link's #2 jersey shouted, "Prophet Link!"
The Lakers bench was in a frenzy.
The Kings players looked grim.
Head coach Eric Musselman called a timeout.
As Link walked back to the bench, the team doctor immediately handed him an ice pack for the pain.
"How is it? Can you keep going?" the doctor asked quietly.
"I can," Link answered briefly, staring at the opposing bench.
Back from timeout, the Kings adjusted their defense.
Wells no longer guarded him alone; whenever Link used a screen, a switch was waiting for him. They wanted to wear him down physically, forcing him into tougher decisions.
Next possession, Link curled off a double screen from the baseline.
When he caught the pass, Kevin Martin and Wells both closed out on him.
No passing angle.
Link caught and jumped almost instantly.
In the air, he was forced to fade away to avoid the block, his body contorted at an unnatural angle.
"You can't take that shot..." Brian Shaw fretted on the sideline.
Link looked like he was forcing it.
However, a second later.
At the apex of his jump, Link turned the shot into a pass.
The ball sailed over the defenders, straight into the hands of a wide-open Bynum.
Bynum caught it and slammed it home.
Lakers, two more points!
21-13!
"Great pass! Link!"
Running back, Bynum high-fived Link hard.
The Kings coach's face grew darker with each possession. Their rhythm was clearly disrupted; the defense hesitated, and the offense grew frantic.
Bibby forced a mid-range shot and missed. Kobe grabbed the rebound and found Link leaking out again.
Link strode toward the frontcourt.
Only a retreating Kevin Martin stood in his way.
Link was blazing fast, accelerating straight to the rim!
Martin's physical strength was lacking.
Link simply dipped his shoulder and leaned in.
Martin was knocked backward.
Link followed through with a low scoop layup.
The ball bounced twice on the rim and rolled in.
And the foul!
Free throw made!
24-13.
The Kings arena was dead silent!
Three minutes left in the first quarter.
When Link went down with the flagrant foul, the Lakers only led by 2.
Now, the lead was 11.
The Kings had scored only 2 points in nearly 6 minutes.
The Lakers, led by Link, had gone on a tear.
When Link was subbed out, his teammates lined up to high-five him.
Final possession of the first quarter. Kings held for the last shot.
Bibby milked the clock, drove, and kicked to Martin for an open three.
Clang!
Missed!
End of the first quarter.
Brian Shaw looked at the stat sheet.
Link had 13 points in the first quarter—11 of them coming after the hard foul.
Second quarter, Link stayed in.
The Kings put in their bench unit, and the defensive intensity dropped.
Link's shooting hand remained scorching hot.
A catch-and-shoot three off a curl—good.
A brute-force drive in transition for a layup—good again.
7:47 in the second quarter.
Link hit a tough floater on a cut over Brad Miller's help defense.
His personal total rose to 20 points. Lakers up by 17.
At the official timeout, the Zen Master signaled for a substitution.
Link walked to the bench.
This time, the boos in Golden 1 Center were much quieter. There was even scattered applause.
He sat down, gasping for air.
"How do you feel?" Brian Shaw asked seriously.
"Okay," Link said honestly, eyes closed. "Doesn't hurt that much."
At halftime, the Lakers led 58-40, an 18-point cushion.
Link had 20 points in the half, all from that explosive run late in the first and early in the second.
In the locker room, the team doctor gave a clear recommendation.
"Some bruising on the ribs. Not serious, but to be safe, I suggest resting for the second half."
Everyone looked at Link.
He was icing the injury. Hearing this, he looked up at the Zen Master.
"We're up 18," Phil Jackson said calmly but indisputably. "No need to go back out. Health is important."
Link was silent for a few seconds, then nodded. "Understood."
In the second half, Link sat on the bench in his warmups.
The Kings tried to mount a comeback, but under Kobe's masterful control, the lead stayed above 15.
The fourth quarter was purely garbage time.
Final buzzer sounded. Lakers 108-89, a blowout road win over the Kings.
Media swarmed after the game. The focus was naturally on Link's miraculous performance while injured and the flagrant foul.
Link's answer was brief: "I just play basketball. As for the foul, I trust the league will handle it."
He didn't attack Artest, just stated his position.
In the locker room, as Kobe was packing up, he walked over to Link and gently patted his shoulder.
"Good job, Link!"
"Let them know you're not someone to mess with."