Curry remained focused on defense, but he sagged off Westbrook by more than a step. This distance gave him enough room to react to a sudden drive, but it also meant he offered zero contest if Westbrook decided to pull up.
Seeing Curry give him so much space—and still feeling the sting of being blown by on the previous play—Westbrook's temper flared. He rose immediately and launched a three.
The result? A brick.
Man, he's got confidence, but the accuracy just isn't there, Luke thought as he watched Westbrook jog back unbothered. In his rookie year, Westbrook shot a dismal 27% from deep—a stat that was borderline painful for a starting point guard.
Because it was a long shot, the rebound bounced far out. Luke snagged the long board and immediately pushed the pace. Thanks to his sessions with Idan Ravin, his handles had improved significantly. He could now bring the ball up under pressure, already surpassing the level of most domestic Chinese guards.
Upon reaching the frontcourt, Luke began orchestrating the offense.
Gallinari used a screen from Barron at the baseline to curl up to the right 45-degree wing. His defender, Ibaka, got caught on the pick, giving the Italian a split-second opening. Luke gathered the ball as if to pass, drawing the Thunder's defense toward Gallinari.
But it was a feint.
Luke suddenly snapped a bounce pass to the left. Curry had timed a perfect backdoor cut from the left wing. The Thunder center, Marcus Dove, was too slow to rotate, and Curry finished the easy layup.
Westbrook stood there for a moment, stunned. How did that pass get through? If a point guard had made that play, he wouldn't have blinked. But this was a 6'8" small forward. Since when did forwards pass like that?
There was no time for contemplation. Westbrook took the inbound from Ibaka and sprinted up-court. He initially wanted to go ISO again, but seeing the "pouting" look in the young James Harden's eyes, he checked his ego.
I'm the veteran leader now. Gotta look out for the little brother.
He deferred, swinging the ball to Harden. Guarding Harden wasn't Danny Green, but Luke. At this stage, Green's defensive prowess was nowhere near his future Spurs-era peak; he couldn't contain a college star like Harden. Atkinson had specifically tasked Luke with this assignment.
Harden hadn't grown his iconic bushy beard yet, so Luke didn't have to worry about getting "foul-baited" by a face full of hair. As soon as Harden squared up, he felt the suffocating pressure.
So this is the guy who locked down Melo, Harden thought. Instead of forcing a 1-on-1, he called Ibaka for a screen.
Ibaka rolled hard to the rim after the pick. Fearing Ibaka's verticality, Luke stayed attached to the big man rather than switching onto Harden. Harden took advantage of the mismatch against Gallinari but didn't shoot; instead, he fed Ibaka, who had established deep post position against Luke.
Luke gritted his teeth, leaning his weight into the Herculean force of the African native. Damn, these guys are built different, he cursed internally.
Ibaka caught the entry pass and backed Luke down several times. Luke held his ground with everything he had. Ibaka spun, looking to use his height and wingspan for a mini-hook shot.
Luke didn't bother trying to block it—that would be a fool's errand. Ibaka's wingspan was a staggering 226cm (7'5") on a 6'10" frame. Despite having a 7'2" wingspan of his own, Luke was at a disadvantage. Instead of reaching, he dug his forearm into Ibaka's hip, preventing him from getting a comfortable lift. This was the "dirty work" knowledge granted by his Defensive Specialist skill. It was the same technique Tony Allen used to frustrate Kevin Durant—understanding how to disrupt a bigger player's balance.
The strategy worked. Ibaka couldn't get a clean release, and the hook shot clanked off the rim. Luke immediately secured the rebound.
The Knicks pushed the break again. Gallinari, who had been guarding Harden on the perimeter, leaked out the moment the shot went up. Harden... well, his "eyes-only" defense had been a habit since college.
Luke launched a full-court outlet pass to the sprinting Italian. Gallinari caught it in stride and hammered home a two-handed dunk. After landing, he pointed a finger back at Luke in a gesture of thanks.
Luke pointed back. This Italian cannon is quite a weapon if used correctly!
The Thunder attacked again, this time with Harden bringing the ball up. He immediately handed it to Livingston. Luke couldn't help but chuckle—it felt like the Thunder's point guard was playing like a shooting guard, and their shooting guard was playing like a point guard.
Livingston posted up Danny Green. After a few bumps, he rose for a turnaround, fadeaway jumper. Swish.
Luke had to admire the form. That mid-range fadeaway was Livingston's signature "post-injury" survival tool. It was incredibly consistent. Even in the future, when he played for the Warriors, Luke always felt that if Livingston took that shot, it was going in.
Curry brought the ball up and deferred to Luke. Luke held the ball at the top of the key, directing traffic. He waited for a teammate to break free, but the Thunder's defense held firm. No one was open.
Luke flashed a confident smirk.
Looks like it's time for my solo performance.