boyutpedia Chapter 687 Breaking the Record! The Largest Point Difference in History in 40 Years
Chapter 687 Breaking the Record! The Largest Point Difference in History in 40 Years
Lin Tian himself couldn't possibly feel the irresistible sense of ease and freedom that Kobe was thinking, or that the audience at the stadium and fans watching on TV were experiencing.
He couldn't explain his state just now; he didn't even realize he had entered a certain state.
But if he goes back and watches the video, Lin Tian will definitely discover something.
That's because his performance in those last few minutes has already blown this world apart, giving the feeling that he's about to ascend to the next world, the next level!
What's the next level?
Kuroko's Basketball?
"Bang!"
Then came another muffled thud. McGrady's mid-range jump shot missed, and the basketball was caught by Jamison, who had just entered the game. Jamison then quickly threw it to Lin Tian.
After getting the basketball, Lin Tian immediately banished all his distracting thoughts, dribbled the ball and sprinted towards the Western team's basket, then suddenly slammed the ball hard onto the floor. After bouncing, the basketball went straight up and down.
He was caught by Arenas, who was following up from the middle lane!
Then, he drew a circle in the air with both hands and then made a layup off the backboard with one hand!
Arenas executed a two-handed windmill layup!
"Aren't you going to dunk this?" Lin Tian couldn't stand it anymore. This kind of shot, you're not going to dunk it?
"I can't." Arenas, always a straightforward guy, shrugged and said, "I can only choose between a regular dunk and a windmill layup. For a windmill dunk, I need to be on a trampoline."
While Lin Tian and Arenas were chatting casually, Popovich called another timeout!
He had no choice but to call for help; the gap between the two sides had already reached 34 points!
115: 81!
If they continue playing like this, Lin Tian will really lead his team to break the NBA record!
Popovich absolutely does not want such a shameful thing to happen to him!
So even though the Western Conference team was currently exhausted and the players were barely cooperating, he still had to call a timeout to get the Western Conference veterans energized and play the game well.
Meanwhile, on the eastern side, when Lin Tian walked off the court, everyone on the bench stood up. They all gave Lin Tian a high-five and showered him with praise.
It wasn't until Lin Tian sat down and glanced at his technical statistics that he understood why everyone was so enthusiastic.
林天这会儿已经拿到了20投17中，其中3分球11投8中，罚球8罚7中，拿下了49分7助攻11篮板。
In other words, in the first 6 minutes of the third quarter, Lin Tian made 9 of 10 field goals, 4 of 4 three-pointers, and 4 of 4 free throws, scoring a whopping 26 points!
He scored 26 points in just 6 minutes.
The third quarter is only halfway through!
That's terrifying.
At the All-Star Game, such a high shooting percentage, such a dense shooting schedule, and such crazy scoring.
The entire western region has been defeated by Lin Tian!
Despite Lin Tian's incredible performance, they only lost by 14 points in half a quarter, which shows that the West team was really fighting hard!
If Lin Tian hadn't been so incredibly strong, they would definitely have closed the gap by now!
"Still want to play Lin Tian? How about breaking a record or something? What's the All-Star Game single-quarter scoring record again?" Rivers looked at Lin Tian with a smile. He was still good at helping others achieve their goals. With Lin Tian's crazy performance, he would never take Lin Tian out of the game.
That would earn them at least 20 years of curses from New York fans!
"I'm not playing anymore." Lin Tian was very direct, shaking his head and saying, "Give my guys some room to perform! I believe that even without me playing, they can continue to widen the score gap until they break that record from back then!"
"So, are you confident?" Upon hearing this, Rivers immediately turned to look at the others in the east.
"Of course!" Arenas, always eager for a good moment, waved his arms and said, "I'll break the record before this quarter is even over! What's the target score again? 40-something?"
"Never mind, it's not important! Let's aim for 45 points! I remember it's definitely not going to be higher than 45! Our goal for the third quarter is to widen the gap to 45 points! Anyone confident enough to work with me? Even without Lin!"
"Yes!" Arenas' two go-to straight men, Jamison and Butler, shouted at the same time, raising their arms in perfect unison!
"Then the three of you together, plus Yao and Devin!" Rivers waved his hand and sent out a very strong and well-balanced five-man lineup.
Keep scoring!
How well the next 6 minutes turn out depends entirely on you guys!
"FUXX!" In the TNT studio, Barkley couldn't hold back and swore.
Because he saw that Lin Tian was indeed sitting on the sidelines resting again.
"It's garbage time in the All-Star game, and this bastard isn't playing?" Barkley complained. "Garbage time in the All-Star game is usually for the most popular stars to show off, and Lin isn't playing?"
"I'm sure Lin asked to go off to rest," Kenny said, pursing his lips. "That's Lin's style! He likes to leave the field early! And he always likes to call timeouts for himself to rest! I'm really starting to agree with what Charles said back then."
"In a sense, Lin is the most disappointing and heartbreaking person in this league!"
"He often leaves the game prematurely, even when he has a record he's already set!"
"He scored 26 points in the third quarter alone! He's already scored 49 points in total! What's wrong with him scoring a few more? What's wrong with setting a new All-Star Game high score and a new single-quarter high score?"
"Can he really lose two pieces of flesh? Will the Knicks lose home-court advantage in the playoffs? What misfortune might befall him?"
"Too bad, this guy just gave up! It's so frustrating!"
Barkley couldn't help but burst into laughter, saying, "I told you, one day you'd hate Lin, hate that he didn't pad his stats during garbage time, hate that he didn't come out and break records during garbage time. He missed out on countless records; he gave up at least 10 records in his career just during garbage time!"
"If he were willing to lower his expectations, let go of that useless pride, and play a little longer during garbage time, he could have scored at least 2000 more points in his career by now!"
"So, Lin Na! Ugh, it's infuriating!"
As the two were talking, the Eastern Conference lineup, with Arenas as its absolute core, began to show its fangs. Arenas was constantly scoring with drives to the basket and shots from the outside, while the Western Conference could only offer a lackluster response.
The timeout just now really gave them a boost, a real shot in the arm, and a good morale boost.
The problem is that the West's issue isn't morale or determination; their problem is that they're simply exhausted! With more than half the game played, these All-Stars have been running for 30 minutes, and they're genuinely worn out.
The effects of a hangover are still strong!
These guys are definitely going to fall behind the Eastern Conference team's pace!
They were completely unable to score, completely unable to put the ball in the basket.
Even though Popovich was so angry that he kept making substitutions on the sidelines, it turned out that their problem wasn't personnel at all.
They were all exhausted; they had all reached their limits!
Getting the ball into the basket became an incredibly difficult task.
Therefore, Arenas scored with increasing ease, and the point difference between the two sides widened.
With one minute left in the third quarter, Arenas received the ball outside the three-point line, used a series of fakes to get rid of his opponent and then stepped back in a crossover before suddenly pulling up for a three-pointer.
"Whoosh!"
After that crisp sound, the gap between the two sides reached 45 points!
Then, less than 10 seconds later, Wade made a steal, dribbled the entire length of the court, and pulled up for another powerful dunk!
"boom!"
47 points!
Then the Western Conference team's offense still failed to score, and this time it was Jamison's turn! After a screen with Arenas, he popped out, received Arenas' pass, and confidently took a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
"Buzz!"
Two voices rang out almost simultaneously: Jamison hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer! The third quarter ended.
The point difference between the two sides has reached an astonishing 50 points!
134:84!
50 points!
Arenas exceeded expectations, leading his team on an incredible 19-3 run!
The gap between the two sides has already exceeded that of the Cincinnati tournament!
This time, the East delivered an even more insane and dominant victory than that year!
The problem in the fourth quarter is that even if the East team wanted to go easy on their opponents, they wouldn't be able to.
There's no way around it; all 12 players on the team are leaders and core members of their respective teams. They're either the team's boss or, at the very least, someone like Ginobili who has practically secured the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
Who's going to fill in during garbage time? And whoever fills in isn't going to be a water dispenser that just dumps water!
What's even more difficult is that these guys are all big names on their respective teams. Asking them to play garbage time? I doubt any of them would be willing.
Just as Rivers was hesitating about how to assign players to play in the final quarter, Lin Tian suddenly stepped in to help him.
"Let's draw lots! Whoever has the worst luck goes up to draw!"
"Great idea!"
"That's it!"
"Whoever has the worst luck goes!"
"If you're having a bad night, I'll treat you to drinks!"
"Celebrating our historic, unparalleled victory!"
A group of people were making a huge fuss, and then happily drew lots.
What was originally a huge headache for Rivers was resolved so happily. And then?
Then the five unlucky guys went onto the court, while Lin Tian changed his clothes, put on a jacket, and even found a physiotherapist to give him an ice pack to relax.
Lin Tian's every move proved: I'm not playing anymore, if you want to see me break records, you can change the channel.
The fans at the scene immediately switched sides. As soon as they saw Lin Tian changing clothes, they chanted in unison with perfect coordination: "Give us Lin! Give us Lin! Give us Lin!"
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
……
Unfortunately, no matter how loudly and uniformly the fans shouted, Lin Tian remained unmoved, sitting there motionless.
Just kidding. I can't even get New York fans to listen to me. They want me to put on some extra show for them, but I just ignore them. So how could I possibly listen to these random New Orleans fans?
It only comes once a year, and it's almost impossible to meet in the finals.
Then there's no need to make any special effort to leave a good impression.
So be it!
In the fourth quarter, both sides seemed to have let go of their burdens and pressure, and played quite easily. The game also progressed very quickly. Neither coach called timeouts or made many substitutions. They would only make substitutions if someone hadn't scored or if someone wanted to play for a while.
As time went by, the Western team began to slowly catch up!
After all, the West is generally stronger than the East.
Especially the players outside the starting lineup, the Western Conference holds an overwhelming advantage!
Therefore, in the battle between the two teams' rotated players, the Spanish team had a clear advantage!
They won quite a few points in this quarter!
148: 114!
With three minutes remaining in the game, the Western Conference had narrowed the gap to 34 points!
They are getting further and further away from the biggest point difference in NBA All-Star Game history!
Steady!
This is a sentiment echoed in the hearts of everyone in the entire West.
Even if Rivers calls a timeout at this point, the Western Conference isn't worried.
What? You think you can bring back Lin Tian, Iverson, and Duncan and then go on a 10-0 run against us in the last 3 minutes?
How could you be so shameless and have no bottom line?
No, not at all.
Rivers wouldn't stoop to such a shameless level.
But clearly, this guy isn't a good person either.
At this point in the game, Rivers fielded a small lineup consisting of Arenas, Butler, Jamison (the Wizards' trident), Wade, and Ginobili.
This lineup is impressive, isn't it? Not a single player is an All-Star starter.
You might say they're not amazing, but these five are definitely the five players with the strongest scoring explosiveness in the East besides Iverson and Lin Tian!
Rivers' lineup is an open secret, and he makes no attempt to hide it.
Hehe, I'll just use a lineup that can quickly score points. If you're so capable, then you can try to maintain the point difference.
If you're not good enough to be defeated, don't blame me, Rivers, for being unfair!
I haven't even made a single start!
Their main tactic is a shameless, open conspiracy!
You in the West know what I'm going to do, but you just can't find a single fault with me.
Rivers was incredibly pleased with his little scheme; he could barely contain his smile!
And then?
The entire Western Army team, who had been drinking almost all night, was already exhausted and at their limit. Their physical strength, morale, condition, and mood were all in a terrible state.
At this point in the game, facing the Eastern Conference's scoring lineup, they were completely overwhelmed and unable to fight back!
Arenas scores 3 points, Jamison scores 3 points!
Wade and Billy steal the ball and slam dunk on the fast break!
Wade drives to the basket and converts a three-point play!
In less than 3 minutes, these guys from the East actually unleashed an 11-0 offensive surge!
The Western Conference was in really bad shape and had terrible luck. In the last 20 seconds, when the Eastern Conference completely gave them a chance to shine, McGrady drove into the paint and attempted a windmill dunk, but it just went wide!
That one missed dunk sealed the score difference at 45 points!
This year, the Western team still couldn't escape being nailed to the pillar of shame by the Eastern team!
The biggest point difference record in NBA All-Star history has been set!
After the game, the players from the East and West were clearly divided. The East team was excitedly making a ruckus, while the West team was silent, everyone with their heads down, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, the staff on site worked quickly and soon set up a temporary award stage.
Then Stern appeared out of nowhere, stood on the podium with a smile, and started spouting nonsense amidst the usual boos.
It's nothing more than thanking the passionate fans, thanking our partners, thanking everyone for their support, wishing New Orleans good luck, saying we're always together, and thanking both teams for their passionate dedication and wonderful game.
Finally, he feigned mystery and difficulty, saying that everyone played very well, but there could only be one MVP, and deciding who to give it to was a real dilemma for many. The reporters who participated in the voting were even more anxious, fearing that their votes would not satisfy the fans.
Stern's rambling speech annoyed the fans in the stadium.
What are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty?
Can there be a second person to be the All-Star MVP tonight?
Lin Tian has already scored 49 points, including a 26-point outburst in the third quarter alone.
If you don't give the MVP to him, who should you give it to?
For the fans at the stadium?
So, while Stern was spouting his pretentious nonsense, the fans in the stadium couldn't wait any longer.
"Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin!"
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
"Lin! MVP! Lin! MVP!"
The fans couldn't wait to start chanting Lin Tian's name, while urging Stern to actually pronounce it.
After that person awkwardly played around for at least two or three minutes, Stern seemed finally satisfied, then smiled and opened the envelope in his hand, saying, "Tonight's MVP..."
"Forest!"
The fans at the scene immediately erupted in a frenzy of cheers and shouts.
At this moment, Lin Tian also showed a completely cooperative attitude.
His eyes widened in disbelief!
Then he looked around erratically, put his hands on his head, and looked incredulous.
At the same time, he kept shouting, "Impossible! This can't be! Me? Impossible! How could it be me! God, how is this possible! Oh, it's amazing! It's wonderful! This is the most perfect night of my life!"
"My God, unbelievable, unbelievable!"
Lin Tian was putting on a crazy performance, sometimes clutching his head, sometimes pounding his chest, sometimes jumping around on the spot, sometimes high-fiving the players around him, and then asking them if he was dreaming.
Then, Lin Tian even ran to the sidelines of the field and circled the field, interacting with fans in every direction.
Finally, when Lin Tian finished circling the field, he walked right past Stern without even glancing at him!
Stern was already cursing, and he even wanted to grab Lin Tian and pull him back!
However, Lin Tian was too fast, and there was no time to react or reach him!
Lin Tian, who had run past Stern, ran back into the group and started high-fiving, hugging, and celebrating with everyone!
After this set of procedures was completed, Lin Tian still didn't go up to the podium. Instead, he turned around and prepared to interact with the fans again.
"return!"
This time, Stern finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "Get back here as soon as possible to claim your award!"
"Huh? Oh! Oh dear, why didn't you remind me sooner, Mr. President! I was so happy that I forgot about it!" Lin Tian slapped his forehead and exclaimed before walking over to Stern's side.
His entire set of movements was designed, full of deliberate intention and traces.
It's all acting; there's not a single genuine emotion involved!
"You brat, hurry up and claim your prize!" Stern cursed at Lin Tian.
"I learned this from you, didn't I?" Lin Tian smiled as he accepted the trophy, then held it high, showing everyone yet another All-Star MVP trophy.
"When did you become so petty, kid? You're already taking revenge on me." Stern put the microphone aside and whispered in Lin Tian's ear.
"Who told you to either spout a bunch of nonsense or be full of malicious schemes every time you appear on stage? Next time you award me the Finals MVP, cut your speech to a third of what it is now, or I'll just rush back to the locker room, take a nap, and come back!"
What can Stern do in the face of Lin Tian's blatant "threat"?
He was well aware, of course, that Lin Tian's antics and mischief were definitely not because he had been talking nonsense.
This wasn't the first time Stern had talked nonsense; he knew all too well that nobody wanted to listen to him.
Stern believed that the only reason Lin Tian was unhappy and causing trouble was because he was dissatisfied with the Spurs' calls!
Yes, it was the game where the Spurs had the upper hand in the refereeing during the first regular season matchup between the two teams, and then won against the Knicks!
Oh, and I should probably also mention the severe, maximum penalty I imposed on the Knicks after the Christmas Day game; that must have infuriated the kid. (End of Chapter)