boyutpedia Chapter 478 How can the regional finals not be exciting? The League opens high...
Chapter 478 How can the regional finals not be exciting? The League opens high...
After Kidd dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, Christie originally wanted to step up and defend him closely. After all, no matter how much it is said that zone defense doesn't defend three-pointers and that zone defense is very bad at limiting three-pointers, it's only relatively bad.
There's no reason to completely ignore the situation and let the opposing players shoot at will.
"Ignore him, let him throw! Didn't he say he could hit it? Doug, make room for him, let him play by himself!"
"Let him shoot this ball; if he makes it, I'll consider him a pro!"
Before Christie could even walk towards Kidd, Lin Tian, who was right next to him, called out to him, indicating that Kidd could throw whatever he wanted.
"Fuck you! You look down on me, huh!" Kidd, who had just made a 3-pointer, was now full of confidence. Feeling looked down upon by Lin Tian, he immediately glanced at the basket and took a deep breath to adjust his state.
Then Kidd drew his bow and shot a three-pointer!
However, he spent too much time and was too focused on doing this preparation work.
Long enough time for Lin Tian to stroll over from the side, jump up, and give him a bloody hat.
He was so focused that he didn't notice Lin Tian sneaking up from the side.
"Snapped!"
With a muffled thud, Kidd's three-pointer was caught by Lin Tian as soon as it was released.
"You think this is child's play? This is the Eastern Conference Finals!" Lin Tian slapped Kidd's shot off, not forgetting to make a sarcastic remark, before going full speed ahead and charging towards the frontcourt.
Quick attack!
Lin Tian's block on that play was somewhat shameless. Kidd really didn't expect this guy to pull this trick on him, so at that moment, no one on the Nets team had time to accelerate back on defense. They could only watch as Lin Tian rushed to the frontcourt and jumped high a step in front of the free-throw line.
"boom!"
After another of Lin Tian's signature gliding dunks, the Pacers' lead reached 11 points once again!
103: 92!
After these two rounds, only two minutes remained of the match time.
Time is running out for the Nets!
At this point, tactics, details, and rationality are no longer important. If the Nets want to win, they have to go all in!
For example, Kidd has stopped arguing with Lin Tian; he certainly knows how stupid he just did.
In an attempt to save face, Kidd quickly returned to the backcourt to receive the pass, then advanced to the frontcourt at top speed. He continued to drive towards the paint, drawing enough defensive attention before suddenly making a no-look pass to Carter outside the three-point line.
Christie's defense was solid.
As Carter received the ball, Christie arrived in time, spreading her arms to interfere with Carter's shot.
But sometimes, against a star like Carter, solid defense is far from enough!
"Whoosh!"
Carter's three-pointer, piercing through Christie's long arms, gave the Nets a much-needed boost.
But that was all it was—just a continuation of that thought.
The Pacers' offense suddenly slowed down. Lin Tian leisurely dribbled the ball, wasting about 20 seconds of the offensive time before suddenly bursting into action. He accelerated past Kidd and then, before the help defense could arrive, pulled up for a jump shot.
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp crack, the score difference between the two sides remained at 10 points!
The Nets were no longer willing to play slowly and steadily. Kidd once again dribbled at high speed and charged forward. This time, during his charge, he found Kittles on the other side.
Kittles also caught the ball and immediately pulled up for a three-pointer from beyond the arc!
"Whoosh!"
The basketball swished through the net once again!
In the final moments of the game, the Nets' shooting touch suddenly returned!
But what was that saying again?
The baby died, but the milk arrived.
late!
Facing two consecutive storm-like attacks from the Nets, Lin Tian remained as calm as a rock, slowly making his way to the frontcourt and only starting his powerful drive when the clock was almost up!
This time, the Nets' help defense arrived even faster, but Lin Tian's pass was equally terrifyingly fast!
Because Gasol went out to help defend Lin Tian, Miller in the paint got a huge space. He received the ball from Lin Tian, pulled up easily, and made a clean bank shot, scoring 2 more points for the Pacers!
After this shot was scored, there was less than a minute left in the game!
With 57 seconds left, the Nets were down by 9 points!
It can be said that Miller and Lin Tian's teamwork on this play almost killed the suspense of the game!
Of course, the Nets weren't going to give up so easily. They called a final timeout, and after Scott quickly made some arrangements, everyone went onto the court.
However, the Nets were faced with a Pacers team that almost entirely stood outside the three-point line with their arms outstretched, giving up almost the entire area inside the three-point line to the Nets' players.
The Pacers' defensive intentions were too obvious!
Playing two-pointers at a time is definitely too late, so if the Nets want to shoot three-pointers and gamble on three-pointers, then we won't let you shoot!
As for the 2-point shot?
Casual!
Carter can drive in and dunk with ease, and Gasol and Kidd can easily make layups, but forget about three-pointers!
Scott and the Nets players knew that they would likely face this kind of defense after the timeout, but there was nothing they could do about it.
Why did they fall so far behind and run out of time?
What else can they do but grit their teeth and throw the ball?
After a series of screens, the ball was finally passed to Kidd on the sideline. But at this point, even Kidd couldn't get any open looks. Lin Tian immediately pressed forward, spreading his arms wide to give Kidd no chance to shoot.
Kidd handled this close defense with ease, almost effortlessly brushing past Lin Tian and charging towards the Pacers' interior.
But nobody cared about him!
Apart from Miller standing under the basket protecting the rim, the other four Pacers players were all standing on the perimeter. None of them had any intention of helping defend Kidd. They simply marked their own players tightly and did not give them any open shots!
Kidd, who had driven into the paint, was in a rather awkward position.
Pass it, but your teammates have no space; they're all locked down.
If I do it myself, even if I do it in twos, there's clearly not enough time.
Should we rush in and try for a 2+1 chance?
Kidd glanced up at Miller's rather intelligent face, but unfortunately, he wasn't the kind of hotheaded, impulsive guy who could easily draw a foul.
Kidd hesitated and hesitated, and in the blink of an eye he was at the edge of the three-second zone. He glanced around the field one last time and found that none of his teammates had managed to get into an open position.
Left with no other option and not wanting to waste any more time, Kidd had to make a desperate shot. He took a shot from above, and the basketball slipped through Miller's fingers, who wasn't defending too aggressively, and went into the basket!
"Good shot, Jason! You've got that trick up your sleeve! Impressive! That floater looks pretty good!" Lin Tian continued to taunt Kidd while catching the ball from the baseline once again, preparing to break through and advance.
But Lin Tian had barely gotten the ball when Kidd and Carter charged at him. He couldn't shoot a three-pointer. With such a large point difference, the fouling strategy was just self-deception and only helped the other side score.
In that case, we can only gamble on defense, force the Pacers to make mistakes, and seek opportunities to steal the ball.
Unfortunately, as I said before: Lin Tian was the one dribbling the ball!
Let alone Kidd and Carter's double-team, how many times could Jordan and Pippen's double-team really work against Lin?
Faced with this barely formed double-team, Lin Tian used a crossover to shake off both players' balance, then slammed the basketball towards Kidd's crotch. Lin Tian then spun forward, slipping through the gap between Kidd and Carter, and grabbed the ball from behind Kidd, quickly advancing to the frontcourt.
Then, Lin Tian slowed down once again.
What's the rush?
The Nets aren't even fouling, so why is Lin in such a hurry?
After failing to steal the ball in the frontcourt, the Nets players quickly retreated to their own half, but they still didn't foul. Clearly, the Nets players' morale was low. With less than 50 seconds left to close the gap to 7 points, they didn't even actively use fouling tactics.
As for Lin Tian, he once again controlled the basketball until the last 5 seconds before starting.
He once again darted into the paint, jumped over Gasol, and swished the ball into the basket with one hand!
Lin Tian could sense that the Nets had given up. Their defensive intensity in this possession was extremely low, almost like there was no defense at all!
After Lin Tian scored, there were still 31 seconds left in the game!
Without a timeout, the Nets dribbled the ball quickly to the frontcourt, and after several passes, the ball reached Harrington, who pulled up and shot from two steps beyond the three-point line.
"Whoosh!"
The basketball swished through the net, but with only 18 seconds left in the game, the Nets were still down by 6 points!
Unless the Pacers make a crazy, blunder, the game is practically over from here on out!
But when Lin Tian broke through the Nets' double team again and dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, everyone knew that he couldn't steal the ball this time, and the last bit of space that belonged to the miracle was completely blocked.
After advancing to the frontcourt, Lin Tian had no intention of attacking anymore.
He stood dribbling the ball about 2 meters away from the three-point line, waiting for the game to end.
But just as Lin Tianzheng was standing there, ready to reach out and shake hands with the Nets players to show his friendliness, Kidd suddenly pressed forward again!
The old guy suddenly increased the intensity, giving Lin Tian a close-range defense.
You're really asking for it!
Caught off guard, Lin Tian was nearly knocked off his feet by Kidd's impact, and the basketball was almost stolen by Kidd.
If you keep playing like this, then Master Lin won't give you any face!
After cursing, Lin Tian turned around to face Kidd directly, and then suddenly launched a series of dazzling crossover dribbles in combination with constant footwork adjustments.
Kidd's eyes were practically spinning as he watched Lin Tian's dribbling. He wanted to reach out and steal the ball, but he couldn't find the best opportunity. Although Lin Tian's dribbling was flashy, Kidd really couldn't find a good chance to steal the ball.
He felt that if he made a move, Lin Tian would surely wipe him out in one fell swoop!
Lin Tian was getting more and more excited as he showed off, and it looked like he was about to show off a rolling dragon move on the court. Kidd finally mustered up his courage and thought that rather than being outplayed by Lin Tian, he might as well just steal the ball.
So he saw an opportunity and reached out his large hand.
But obviously, he wouldn't touch anything this time, because Lin Tian had been eyeing Kidd the whole time. As soon as he saw that the guy finally made a shot, Lin Tian quickly took a step back to gather the ball and retreated back to a distance of 2 meters from the three-point line. Then he pulled up and made a super long three-point shot!
"Whoosh!"
"Buzz!"
Two voices rang out simultaneously once again, and Lin Tian hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer that had nothing to do with the outcome of the game!
This shot was designed to humiliate Kidd!
"Next time everyone's ready to pack up and go home to sleep, don't force them to work overtime!" After scoring, Lin Tian said to Kidd, "Today we were on the field, you only got slammed in the face, but if you did that in other situations, you might get a bullet blowing your stupid head off!"
"Fuck!" Kidd cursed in frustration. He didn't know why he had to be so stupid as to steal the ball. The game was going to end peacefully, but he had to make himself miserable.
Kidd regretted it.
But even if I regret it, I can't explain it to Lin Tian!
He could only extend his hand and shake hands with Lin Tian, leaving behind the words "See you next game" before turning and leaving the stadium.
He made himself uncomfortable. Even someone as thick-skinned as Kidd would need at least half an hour to recover.
Why did Lin Tian know so clearly that Kidd would recover in half an hour?
Just 30 minutes later, when Lin Tian had just finished attending the press conference and was about to change his clothes, Kidd sent him a text message.
"Same time, same place, same rules, new girl."
Simple and clear, getting straight to the point.
That's Kidd's style.
Lin Tian thought for a moment and replied to Kidd with a short message.
"New York or New Jersey?"
"Fuck you! Come if you want, don't come if you don't!"
Hiss... This attitude, so unruly, Lin Tian likes it!
"See you there."
After sending a message to Kidd, Lin Tian put away his phone, whistled, happily changed his clothes, and then boarded the team bus back to the hotel to prepare for the second game of the series.
As for Kidd?
I, Lord Lin, am upright and incorruptible, and I have never engaged in such trivial matters with the enemy general during battle.
No, absolutely not.
What? You're saying that during the first round of the competition, Lin Tian, Rashid, and Ben went out to play?
That's different! The situation is completely different.
Those are our own people, Kidd isn't.
This guy has more holes in his brain than the stuff he spews out!
Going out with him tonight, what if there's a trap?
No, it's almost certainly a trap!
At the same time, Kidd was whistling and walking happily towards the parking lot. Carter asked curiously, "Jason, didn't you make plans to go out with Lin? This isn't your usual car."
"Yeah, I made plans with him," Kidd said matter-of-factly. "But who says I have to show up just because I made plans? Let him play by himself! Damn it, does he really think I'm easy to bully? I'll make him wait all night!"
At this point, Kidd suddenly looked at Carter warily and said, "You're not going to tell Lin, are you?"
"Of course not!" Carter patted his chest and said, "I'm not that kind of person!"
……
That night, Lin Tian and Kidd, who both felt like they had stood each other up, slept like the log!
Even two days later, during their second game in New Jersey, the two greeted each other like family.
The first thing they said to each other when they met was in unison.
"Had fun, huh!"
They both paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, expressing their immense joy! They both declared that it was the best night they'd had since joining the league!
The two guys exchanged empty pleasantries, something about how great the girl was that night...
The way these two look at each other is so intimate, they seem like childhood friends who grew up together wearing the same pair of open-crotch pants 20 years ago.
Then, after the two of them had finished their casual conversation and turned around, they once again showed their tacit understanding.
"Shameless bastard, thank goodness I didn't go."
At least when it comes to shamelessness, we've met our match.
For the rest of the time, Lin Tian and Kidd disliked each other and didn't say a single word to each other until the game started.
Backstage at TNT, Barkley was wearing Kidd's jersey and Kenny was wearing Lin Tian's jersey. The two looked determined to see this job through to the end. However, just as they were happily walking toward the studio, ready to continue, they were stopped by TNT's management.
"Are you two never going to stop?"
"This is so much fun, boss!" Barkley exclaimed happily. "Ever since I started wearing the Pacers' rival jersey, they haven't lost a single game! I feel like I have some kind of mystical shamanic power! It's a gift from my ancestors, my talent has awakened!"
"This bastard won't explain properly, so I can't do anything properly myself. I can only do the same thing to him!" Kenny looked aggrieved. "I was forced into it."
"Have you no shame!" Barkley glared at Kenny and said angrily, "Who called me last night and said I had to wear the Pacers' home white jersey tonight and that I should wear the Nets' away blue jersey because it wouldn't look good?"
"But you forced me into this first, so I retaliated!"
"That's enough, you two!"
The man standing in front of the two was clearly losing his temper. If it weren't for the fact that these two were really good at creating a good show, he definitely wouldn't have been able to hold back and would have given them a good scolding to show them who the real boss was!
"Do you know how many complaints I've received? Do you know how many people are asking me to fire you... FUXX! Do you know how many people are asking me to fire you, Charles? Your behavior has infuriated Detroit and Milwaukee fans! I don't want to offend them! And I don't want to receive any more complaints!"
"Detroit's complaint is one thing, but why is Milwaukee complaining about me? They think they can win if I don't wear Reed's jersey? Bullshit! They're slandering me! They're making this up!"
Barkley spread his arms wide, looking aggrieved, and said, "With their lousy skill level, they can't even win a game, and you're blaming me?"
"Shut up!" The man on the other end was losing patience, especially after Kenny, that traitor, obediently pulled out a shirt and put it on. The TNT executive really didn't want to listen to Barkley's nonsense anymore: "Go change your clothes!"
Then, perhaps seeing Barkley's physique of over 2 meters tall and weighing over 150 kilograms, the guy chickened out again: "Please, I'm begging you."
That was it. Barkley, who was stubborn and wouldn't listen to reason, could only shrug and turn to the staff member pushing a row of clothes racks to pick out some clothes.
However, TNT executives did not expect that when the show started, many fans who were looking forward to seeing Barkley and Kenny continue their antics were extremely disappointed when they saw the two men in suits.
Wearing a suit is nowhere near as fun as wearing a sports jersey and making jinxing predictions!
A complaint is necessary!
I strongly urge the two commentators to continue wearing their favorite team's jerseys. Commentating in jerseys is much more interesting than wearing suits and shirts!
Of course, complaints and such came later.
The important thing now is this one game!
Game start!
Yao Ming once again secured the first offensive possession for the Nets.
The first half of this match was similar to yesterday's, with both sides evenly matched and trading blows. The statistics and efficiency in all aspects were roughly the same.
The score is 44-45, with the Nets leading by one point.
The Pacers shot 6-for-15 from three-point range, while the Nets shot 5-for-14. The Nets also had 12 free throws compared to the Pacers' 11. Other statistics such as rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks were also very close.
In the first half, both teams played at a very similar level, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.
"Well done! Let's keep it up in the second half! Stay close, we'll definitely keep the score close! Don't worry about anything else, don't overthink it, if we win tonight's game, we'll have one foot in the finals! Let's win!"
"Don't put pressure on yourself! Relax completely. Hold on in the second half. As long as we don't fall behind in the final moments, we'll definitely win!"
During halftime, Carlisle kept shouting slogans. When the playoffs reach this stage, there are not many changes and adjustments that the coaches can make. Both coaching staffs have already figured out the opponent's tactics to a great extent. So at this time, what is more important than tactics is the momentum and confidence of both sides!
Whoever is tougher will win!
While the entire locker room was shouting to express their confidence, Lin Tian looked at the technical statistics in his hand and felt something was amiss.
A not-so-good feeling.
It's not about who has a bad shooting percentage or who shows signs of a breakout.
What Lin Tian felt was a bit off was the number of fouls committed by both sides.
Or rather, the number of fouls committed by the key players on both sides!
Looking only at the starting five, the Pacers have 7 fouls, while the Nets have 5, two fewer!
This number seems perfectly normal.
But if you look closer, you'll find...
Of the Pacers' seven fouls, Miller and Haslem each had two, while the remaining three players each had one.
On the Nets' side, only Kittles has two fouls, while the rest of the players each have one.
The concentration of fouls felt somewhat unnatural.
"Brad, Udonis, you two need to watch your fouls in the second half. Our interior defense is weak. If you two go out, there will be a vacuum in our interior, especially against a team like the Nets. We can't do without you two."
"Don't worry, Lin, we know what we're doing!" Miller nodded, but he clearly didn't take it to heart. After all, from any perspective, two fouls were really not many at all, and could hardly be considered a foul trouble.
Lin Tian could also see that Miller was somewhat distracted. There was nothing he could do about it; after all, Miller had high basketball IQ, high intelligence, and quick reflexes. A guy like that would naturally have a lot on his mind.
Haslem, the more honest and straightforward guy, nodded to indicate that he understood.
With a bad feeling about it, the second half of the game continued!
For most of the third quarter, the game remained relatively uneventful. The only noteworthy point was that Miller, as expected, picked up two more fouls in the third quarter.
How should I put it about the foul that occurred with 3 minutes left in the third quarter?
Lin Tian rushed to the inside to help defend, but when it seemed too late, he had no choice but to foul Gasol in advance, preferring to send Gasol to the free-throw line rather than let him go straight for a layup.
But when the referee blew the whistle, he didn't call a foul on Lin Tian for hitting his hand; instead, he called a foul on Miller for making contact with Gasol!
Although both involve two free throws, the difference is huge!
Lin Tian only has one foul on him now, so one more won't be a big deal, but Miller has committed his fourth foul this time!
According to the usual practice of NBA coaches, he should be substituted at this point to avoid the team being without a reliable center in the fourth quarter.
But now that the Pacers are without Webber, their interior rotation has become a huge problem. Apart from Miller, the team doesn't have a second center with enough ability. Whether it's Bonner or Tabak, to put it bluntly, they're just Yao Ming or Gasol's meat pouches.
If the opponent's interior strength is not strong, it's fine; we can let Artest play the power forward position, just like in previous games.
The problem is, the Nets' interior strength is definitely among the top three in the league right now. Against them, even if you put two big men who are just over 2 meters tall...
It's not that it can't be done; the Pacers also achieved remarkable results in their first game with this small lineup.
The problem is, you can use this kind of unconventional lineup once in a while, but if you keep playing it and rely on this lineup, you'll most likely get crushed by the Nets!
More importantly, without Miller, the Pacers' margin for error will be smaller, and their room for adjusting the lineup will be greatly reduced.
They had no choice but to play a small lineup, which is completely different from actively changing their formation!
Miller's early departure will have a huge impact on the Pacers' rotation!
The next few minutes of the game proved this point!
Unconventional formations should not be used frequently!
When Carlisle had to replace Miller with Howard to continue playing a small-ball lineup and zone defense, the Nets were clearly prepared this time.
When Gasol is facilitating, he shoots more decisively, and when Yao Ming doesn't get the ball, he positions himself further inside to try and grab the rebound.
An even more significant change is that the Nets have taken Jason Kidd away!
They replaced their team leader with Lucio Harris! An unremarkable player who has played in the NBA for ten years without any notable achievements, but whose three-point shooting accuracy is decent, with a 37% success rate this season.
As for organizing the team, Scott handed it over to Kittles!
As a result, the Nets' offense became Gasol receiving the ball at the high post to either facilitate or shoot, while Carter and Kittles stood at the top of the arc to either organize the offense or drive to the basket themselves. Harris, on the other hand, stood in the corner on the same side as Yao Ming, so that he could receive the ball and shoot at any time, and also help Yao Ming divert the defense's attention, making the Pacers hesitant to double-team Yao Ming.
Scott's incredibly bold tactical change this time has indeed had an effect!
Gasol can make mid-range shots, and Yao Ming can also make open three-pointers by drawing double teams with his post-up moves and passing to Harris!
After Harris scored a three-pointer, the Pacers dared not double-team Yao Ming so aggressively, allowing him to dominate under the basket and beat Haslem as easily as beating his son.
In short, in the latter part of the third quarter, the Nets, who were well-prepared for the zone defense, took the lead. Relying on Harris's three-pointer and the height advantage of Yao Ming and Gasol in the paint, they frequently scored. By the end of the third quarter, the Nets were leading the Pacers by 8 points!
62: 70.
But that wasn't the end of it. In the middle of the third quarter, Haslem, who had listened to Lin Tian's advice and was being very careful, was called for his third foul. The Pacers' only two reliable inside players were both in some foul trouble!
Then, at the start of the fourth quarter, Miller, who had rested for a long time in the third quarter, returned to the court. He immediately showed an unusual offensive desire, successfully attacking Gasol twice in the low post, scoring once and drawing a foul on Gasol, making both free throws.
But before Miller could even unleash his unusual energy, Gasol came to the basket and made a strong attack, followed by his signature wavy, pasta-like hook shot, when the referee suddenly blew the whistle!
Miller's fifth foul!
How should I put this foul?
It was similar to the foul called on Gasol earlier in the game; both were fouls with contact but not obvious.
In a normal divisional final, neither of these calls should have been called.
But now, both balls have been blown out, and although there's a bit of hair on them, there's really nothing wrong with them.
The problem is: Gasol only had three fouls in that last foul, but Miller already has five!
Seeing the dejected Miller protesting with his hands outstretched, Lin Tian finally understood the alliance's intentions.
This is to ensure the excitement of the conference finals; they're starting to favor the Nets!
To maintain suspense, the league definitely doesn't want the Nets to be down 0-2 at home.
After losing two home games in a row, what's the point of playing the remaining games?
So at this point, the referee stepped in and took control of the situation!
A remarkably skillful and excellent way of controlling the situation!
There seemed to be no problem. Even after a more in-depth and careful analysis, or by having the players who participated in the game recall it, no problem could be found.
Only those with truly high sports intelligence and after thorough research will discover that the biggest flaw is the absence of any apparent problems! (End of Chapter)