At this moment, the score between the two teams on the court was already 90–94.
In just over a minute since Yuki appeared on the floor, the point difference had been reduced to only four points. The Pacers were obviously getting anxious. Once again, the ball was handed to Stuckey, who was feeling the hottest.
Facing Yuki's defense, Stuckey did not choose to force a breakthrough. Instead, he used a series of fake moves, followed by a step-back jumper, and launched a three-pointer.
However, the fancy dribbling failed to deceive Yuki. The moment Stuckey stepped back to shoot, Yuki stepped forward in time to contest the shot. The purple Hall of Fame–level Defensive Deterrence badge activated once again, and Stuckey's three-point attempt completely missed the rim.
Clang!
"This defense… there's something to it!"
At this point, the players on the court also began to realize that Yuki, this little-known rookie, was far more troublesome than they had imagined. The Pacers' recent scoring drought was largely due to Yuki shutting down Stuckey several times in a row.
The Warriors gained possession. This time, Thompson and Green ran a pick-and-roll. Green caught the ball and forced Pacers center Roy Hibbert into a defensive foul. He made one of two free throws, cutting the deficit to just four points.
Unable to sit still any longer, the Pacers finally called a timeout.
Yuki walked off the court and noticed head coach Steve Kerr looking at him with a rare smile.
"Good defense. Keep it up," Kerr said.
Hearing this, Yuki couldn't help but smile.
Obviously, with his defensive performance just now, he had successfully earned the coach's appreciation. This was an extremely important first step.
At the same time, however, he noticed Harrison Barnes' dark and expressionless face.
Indeed, Barnes was in a bad mood.
In this game, his touch had been terrible—his shooting percentage was below 30%. Not only that, but when defending Stuckey, he had looked completely lost, allowing the opponent to blow past him and score with ease.
Yet, only minutes after Yuki entered the game, he managed to completely contain Stuckey and help the team close the gap.
As a competitor at the same position, Barnes had never considered Yuki a threat. He had simply looked down on this rookie who seemed incapable of contributing anything.
But now, hearing the coach praise Yuki directly gave Barnes a strong sense of crisis.
"What's going on with this guy?" Barnes thought.
The timeout was short. The players wiped off their sweat, drank a few sips of Gatorade, listened to the coach's tactical instructions, and quickly returned to the court.
Usually, Yuki would have been substituted out at this point and wouldn't stand up from the bench again until garbage time.
But this time was different.
Coach Kerr did not replace Yuki sota.
Instead, he left Barnes sitting on the bench.
"This is an opportunity!"
Yuki was both surprised and excited. At the same time, he knew very well that his performance in this game would directly determine his status with the Warriors—and even whether he would stay on the team.
After inheriting another set of memories, Yuki also sensed that the Warriors had already lost patience with him. If he couldn't break out soon, he might be cut at any time.
With the Basketball God System and those badge skills that gave him elite defensive ability, Yuki wasn't worried about surviving in the NBA. But the problem was—
This was the Warriors.
In 2015, the Warriors were on the rise. This season, they would charge through the playoffs and ultimately defeat the battered Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals to win the championship.
If he could follow the Warriors and get a championship ring, what kind of résumé would that be?
Not to mention 2016, when Curry would fully explode and lead the Warriors to a historic 73-win season, breaking Jordan's Bulls' regular-season record. If not for LeBron James' miraculous Finals comeback, that season would have been the most shocking in NBA history.
If Yuki could ride this wave of success over the next two years, even as a role player, he would earn massive championship bonuses with no downside at all.
Of course, Yuki had no intention of being satisfied with sitting on the bench and collecting a ring like a bystander. He wanted to play a larger role in the team's tactical system—perhaps even become a core contributor.
To do that, his first objective was clear:
Take Barnes' starting position.
Was Harrison Barnes strong?
Very strong.
Barnes was the 7th overall pick in the NBA Draft and was selected to the All-Rookie First Team in his rookie season. Among that draft class, he was considered a top-tier talent.
According to the original timeline, in the summer of 2016, the Warriors would give up on extending Barnes' contract in order to sign Kevin Durant. The Dallas Mavericks would then offer Barnes a four-year, $94 million maximum contract.
Although Barnes' career averages hovered around 12 points and 5 rebounds, and he never made an All-Star team or an All-NBA squad, among over 400 NBA players, he was already considered a highly successful professional.
If it were the old Yuki, he wouldn't even have been worthy of carrying Barnes' shoes.
But now, everything was different.
Time travel.
The Basketball God System.
Five powerful badges.
All of this had transformed Yuki into a legitimate top-30-level defensive player in the league.
The reason Barnes held onto the starting spot wasn't his offense—it was his athleticism, lateral quickness, and defensive versatility. He provided solid defense for the Warriors' lineup and could reliably knock down open three-pointers.
In essence, Barnes was a 3-and-D role player.
And now—so was yuki.
Only better.
Yuki's open three-point shooting was already solid, with his rating exceeding 80. On top of that, he possessed a purple Hall of Fame–level Corner Three Specialist badge. In corner three-point shooting alone, he was already among the league's elite—on par with Curry and Thompson.
Moreover, Yuki knew that the Basketball God System wouldn't stop there. Based on the usual logic of basketball novels, with the system's help, he would eventually have the potential to become a historical superstar.
But that was for later.
For now, Yuki only needed to do one thing:
Fully display the power of his five badges in front of Coach Kerr.
After play resumed, the Pacers adjusted their offensive strategy. Instead of continuing to attack from the perimeter, they shifted the focus inside. Roy Hibbert and David West formed one of the league's strongest interior combinations.
In contrast, the Warriors' interior defense was one of the weakest in the league.
After David West received the ball, he immediately backed down Green.
Green's defense was excellent, but due to the height and weight disadvantage, it was difficult for him to stop a strong post-up player.
West dribbled twice and prepared to turn around for a shot—
But at that moment!
A second defender appeared right on time, forming a perfect double-team with Green.
It was Yuki.
At his peak, David West was an All-Star. But now, with declining speed and under sudden pressure, he panicked. He nearly lost the ball and barely managed to pass it out as the shot clock expired.
Forced to take a desperation shot, the Pacers missed badly.
Clang!
"Good job!" Green said, clearly surprised.
He hadn't expected Yuki to rotate so decisively for the double-team.
Leaving Stuckey—the Pacers' hottest scorer—was risky. But Yuki made the decision without hesitation, and the result was perfect.
This was all thanks to another one of yuki's badges:
Gold Badge — Double-Team Master
With this badge, Wang Feng had an instinctive sense for timing double-teams, maximizing pressure and disrupting passing lanes. Once trapped, opponents found it extremely difficult to move the ball smoothly.