NBA: Basketball Legend.

Chapter 32: Hidden Danger! Durant's Mentality Has Collapsed!

"Kevin, make sure you control your defense out there," Coach Rick Barnes reminded as Durant prepared to check back in.

Durant gave a quick nod. He wasn't stupid—those two early fouls were just the result of getting too hyped at the start. After cooling off on the bench, his mindset had settled.

Coming back in, Durant pulled up for a long two to find his rhythm.

Clang!

The ball smacked the rim and bounced out. Durant shook his head slightly, motioning that his hands were a bit stiff from the time on the bench.

But it didn't take long to find his groove again. After two trips down the court, he got it going:

First, he used a pick-and-roll, slipped to the rim, and banked it in with a smooth finish.

Then, he sized up his defender, hit a one-dribble hesitation, and rose for a mid-range jumper—bucket.

At 6'10" with that insane wingspan, Durant only needed half a step of space to get his shot off clean.

Everything looked like it was back on track. Coach Rick Barnes nodded in relief from the sideline. Durant looked confident again.

Then—

BEEP!

A sharp whistle cut through the arena.

Durant had just tried to cut off Corey Brewer's fast break drive, but the referee called a blocking foul.

"What!?" Durant threw his hands up in disbelief, covering his head in frustration.

His teammates rushed over, trying to calm him down. The last thing they needed now was a technical on top of the foul.

Brewer, meanwhile, wore a sly grin. That drive? It was a setup.

He didn't care where the rim was. He launched himself right at Durant, baiting the contact and the whistle. That was the plan all along.

On the sidelines, Coach Billy Donovan clapped. "Smart move, Brewer! Great job!" he shouted.

Coach Rick Barnes had no choice—he had to sub Durant out again. There were only 57 seconds left in the first half, but with three fouls now, the risk was too high.

Durant walked to the bench with his collar pulled up, hiding his face. But his frustration was obvious—his confidence was shaken.

"Kevin Durant's picked up his third foul before halftime. That's a big blow to Texas!"

"No doubt about it. If Durant can't stay on the floor in the second half, it could get real ugly for the Longhorns."

"Yeah, with Durant out, Florida can throw double-teams at Chen without hesitation. That's going to be brutal on his stamina."

Halftime hit with the scoreboard showing Texas 52, Florida 48. The Longhorns held a narrow lead heading into the locker room.

But despite being up, the atmosphere was tense. Everyone knew the team had a problem—Durant.

Chen Yan had already racked up 24 points and 7 assists in the first half, basically keeping Texas in the fight by himself.

But in a high-stakes game like this, leaning on a single player was dangerous. Too many variables. Too much pressure.

Durant sat silently in his chair, visibly frustrated. He hated the way the first half had gone.

Durant wasn't the kind of guy who liked letting people down. He'd always tried to be the guy who made everyone around him happy. Now? He felt like he was dragging the team down.

Chen Yan didn't say a word to him.

He understood Durant's mindset. Trying to comfort him would only make him feel worse. Sometimes silence was more powerful than sympathy.

After Coach Barnes finished laying out second-half adjustments, Chen Yan gathered the team in a huddle.

"Listen up! We had a solid first half, but it's not enough. The real battle starts now."

He looked each player in the eye.

"We fight for the name on our chest. We fight for the fans who believe in us. And most of all—we fight for each other!"

He threw his fist into the air. "One, two, three—"

"TEXAS LONGHORNS MUST WIN!" the whole team shouted, echoing his energy.

That moment lit a spark.

Coach Barnes watched from the sideline, quietly impressed. Having a leader like Chen—someone who could rally the team with just a few words—was rare.

As the second half tipped off, Chen sat to rest, following Coach Barnes' plan. Florida did the same, sending out their second unit.

But here's the thing—Florida's bench wasn't just deep, it was NBA-deep.

They had Marreese Speights and Chris Richard out there—guys who would make it to the league, even if just as rotation players.

Texas?

Their bench was basically made up of hustle guys—Tool Man 1, Tool Man 2, Tool Man 3—and the waterboy captain and his vice-captain.

They weren't even given names.

Their role was simple: survive just long enough to let the starters breathe.

Within two minutes, Florida had already erased the deficit and taken the lead.

Coach Barnes had seen enough. He quickly sent Chen and D.J. Augustin back in to stabilize things.

Durant stayed on the bench. With three fouls hanging over him like a time bomb, Barnes had to be surgical with his minutes.

Florida soon brought back their starters, and the game resumed its original rhythm—teamwork versus isolation.

Florida moved the ball, ran their sets, and made everyone touch the rock. Texas, meanwhile, went right back to the Chen Yan show.

He ran iso after iso. When doubled, he kicked it. But his teammates missed two open looks in a row.

So Chen stopped passing.

He switched gears, blowing by defenders before the double could form, finishing through contact, and getting to the mid-range pull-up. His scoring kept the game close, but it came at a cost.

Coach Barnes was watching closely. The dribbling, the cutting, the constant body contact—it was wearing Chen out.

Only five minutes into the second half, Chen had already burned a ton of energy.

And Florida wasn't helping. They pressed him, bumped him, made him fight through every screen. It was clear—they wanted to run him into the ground.

After 4.5 minutes of high-intensity play, Coach Barnes finally waved Durant back in.

"Kevin, when you get back out there—" Barnes began.

"I got it, Coach. I'll watch my fouls," Durant cut him off.

He didn't need to hear it again. He knew the stakes.

When he stepped back on the floor, Chen immediately recognized the tension on his teammate's face.

"KD," Chen said, "just let the offense flow. Play free. And don't worry on defense—we got your back."

Durant looked at him and nodded, a bit of weight lifting off his shoulders.

"Thanks."

And with that, the Longhorns prepared to make their final push.

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