boyutpedia Chapter 361 Give me the ball! I'll lead you guys to lift the O'Brien trophy!
Chapter 361 Give me the ball! I'll lead you guys to lift the O'Brien trophy!
On June 4, 2001, the second game of the Finals continued at Staples Center!
The process of this match was even more intense and exciting than the first match, with both sides going back and forth and neither giving an inch!
With both teams' players performing at a similar level, making it impossible to determine who is better, it becomes a matter of the coaches employing ingenious strategies to showcase their tactical abilities!
Various player and lineup combinations were constantly brought onto the court. Some lineups were surprisingly effective, while others were exploited by the opponents. Jackson and Carlisle gave it their all tonight, and the two coaches' foreheads and backs were almost completely soaked throughout the game.
They constantly deployed their troops, trying to find the opponent's weaknesses and their own strengths in order to gain an advantage.
The two coaches kept making substitutions. For example, the Pacers played 11 players tonight, and the Lakers had 12 players who all got playing time!
Even with such a long rotation, in a game of tonight's caliber, no matter how hard the two coaches searched for the most suitable lineup, they dared not let their absolute core players and absolute powerhouses rest!
For example, Lin Tian and Kobe played the entire first 47 minutes of the game without a single second of rest. O'Neal played 45 minutes and Webber played 44 minutes. The two of them only rested for less than 5 minutes in total!
This means that although the rotation is long, in the end, the people who really decide the outcome of the game are still the four strongest players from their respective teams!
With one minute left in the game, the Lakers held a one-point lead!
At this point, they fielded a lineup with one big man and four small men!
O'Neal, Horry, Rice, Kobe, and Fisher!
It's still the same lineup of O'Neal and the team's four most accurate shooters!
The Pacers, on the other hand, fielded a traditional lineup at this time: Ben Wallace, Chris Webber, Christie, Miller, and Lin Tian!
With these five players together, the Pacers' average height is very high. Except for Ben Wallace, who is shorter than Shaquille O'Neal, the other four players are 3-5 centimeters taller than their respective opponents!
With one minute left in the game, the Lakers had possession of the ball first!
The Lakers had a backcourt possession. Kobe Bryant returned to the sideline to receive the ball, drawing the Pacers' defensive attention. After receiving the ball, Kobe jumped up and made a through pass to Rice, who had turned around to receive it.
Rice received the ball but didn't dribble. He made a cross pass to Fisher, who was left unmarked on the other side. After receiving the ball, the clutch shooter dribbled quickly all the way to the frontcourt.
Then, just when everyone thought he would wait for Kobe to get out of trouble and get to the frontcourt before passing the ball to Kobe to stabilize him, this guy actually shot!
He seized the moment when Miller relaxed his guard and didn't immediately close in to defend him. He dribbled the ball once to steady himself when he was still 1 meter away from the three-point line, and then shot!
A brainless three-pointer that seems absolutely unreasonable, should never be taken, and even if he were to take the shot, should never be taken!
If he misses, Fisher could even become the villain of Los Angeles.
Then?
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Fisher's brainless three-pointer actually went in!
After scoring, Fisher excitedly raised his left shooting hand into a chop shape and swung it three times towards the floor!
I can do it!
I did it!
After this basket, the Pacers had 50 seconds left and were still down by 4 points!
The pressure is immense!
Then the basketball came back to Lin Tian's hands. Facing Fisher's one-on-one defense, Lin Tian, as usual, did not hold back and directly forced his way into the paint, charging towards Horry, whose defensive ability was mediocre!
Lin Tian wants to create a 2+1!
But how could a seasoned veteran like Horry fall for such a trick? As soon as he saw Lin Tian's momentum, he dodged to the side without thinking and watched Lin Tian score 2 points!
He knew that if he forced a defense, he would most likely give Lin Tian two free throws, and there was a small chance that he would score a 2+1. There was almost no chance of him directly blocking the shot!
Therefore, Horry chose the smartest and safest method!
Anyway, we're leading by 4 points, so these 2 points are yours!
With 30 seconds left, the Lakers are leading by 2 points!
This time, the basketball finally came into Kobe's hands. Kobe dribbled all the way to the frontcourt, and then waved to signal everyone to spread out and make room for him!
Then, facing Lin Tian who switched onto his defense, Kobe didn't waste any words. He dribbled the ball two steps toward the inside, and then, after reaching the free-throw line, he suddenly turned his back to the basket, pretending to post up.
"Doug, don't help!" Lin Tian, who was guarding Kobe from behind, suddenly saw Christie coming to help and shouted to warn him not to help, but it was too late!
Kobe had already passed the ball, and Fisher was still the one receiving it at the top of the key!
Still a full meter away from the three-point line, this clutch shooter is completely on fire.
Ignoring the 12 seconds left on the shot clock, ignoring the team's 2-point lead, and disregarding any reasonable strategy of wasting more time before taking a shot, he launched his three-pointer directly!
Two seconds after the basketball flew through the air, the entire Staples Center erupted once again!
"Whoosh!"
The last 16 seconds!
The Lakers are leading by 5 point!
The Pacers were completely cornered by Fisher's two deadly three-pointers!
The entire Staples Center was in a state of extreme excitement at that moment, with all the fans shouting, cheering, and roaring wildly as they celebrated with great joy!
The team is finally about to end its five-game losing streak against the Pacers in the Finals!
We're about to win!
With 16 seconds left and a 5-point lead, they simply couldn't believe that the Pacers could turn the tide in this situation!
Absolutely impossible!
Hmm, that's probably impossible.
Amidst the excited celebrations of the entire crowd, some viewers saw Lin Tian receive the ball on the baseline, then dribble at high speed to the frontcourt, stop outside the three-point line, and, despite being defended by Kobe and Rice, launch a three-pointer without hesitation.
With a crisp "swish!", Lin Tian scored the shot that revived the Pacers' chances of survival!
"Defense! Defense! Full-court press! Foul if you can't steal the ball! We need time!" Lin Tian roared, reminding his players to pay attention to defense and to be mindful of the final defensive maneuver.
The entire Staples Center fell silent at that moment.
No way.
That can't be right.
We were leading by 5 points with 16 seconds left, no, now we're leading by 2 points with 10 seconds left.
This situation can't be turned around, right?
They were truly terrified of Lin Tian.
Then, the Lakers called a timeout, and Jackson replaced O'Neal with Mike Penpece.
Upon seeing this guard wearing the number 12 Lakers jersey enter the game, more than half of the Lakers fans and 99% of the Indiana fans raised the same question.
Who the hell is this?
who is it?
He was an undrafted player in 1996. Five years ago, he participated in tryouts with the Lakers and more than 20 other teams, but his performance was so bad that he didn't even get any opportunities in the Development League. Instead, he went to Europe and played for five years in countries such as Spain, Italy, Germany, and Lithuania.
Then at the beginning of this season, the Lakers were short of a third point guard, so they recruited this guy into the team.
He played 53 games in the regular season, averaging 5 points per game, and 2 games in the playoffs, totaling 3 minutes per game. Tonight, he played 59 seconds and committed 1 foul.
Apart from this foul, all his playoff career statistics are 0!
He's a complete background character; it's normal that ordinary fans don't recognize him except for the most die-hard Lakers fans!
But if there's anything worth mentioning about this guy whose career has been unremarkable, and who hasn't even made a name for himself in Europe, it's his free throw percentage.
His free throw percentage in the regular season was an astonishing 91%! If you only look at the percentage and not the number of shots, this guy is one of the Lakers' and even the league's top free throw shooters!
Even during the regular season, some people joked that Jackson invited him over to give O'Neal a free throw lesson and teach O'Neal how to shoot free throws!
It was this very person who, in such a crucial round, was brought up by Jackson!
"Phil is really daring! Bringing such a role player onto the court. But I think he'll most likely be the Lakers' fourth option, unless everyone else is out of options and they've used all their timeouts!"
Kenny laughed and said, "Who would give such a crucial free throw opportunity to such an unknown player at this point in the Finals? Even Phil Jackson, who is known for his boldness and decisive personnel decisions, wouldn't..."
"The Lakers got the ball to Mike Penpece! They really got it to him! They really got it to him! He dribbled the ball, very calm! Extremely calm, not rushing to dribble or pass, he was observing! Time was ticking away! Tickling away!"
"The Pacers didn't expect Jackson to actually pass the ball to him; their defense was a step too slow! Time is running out! Christie! Christie's here! He wasn't nervous at all facing Christie's defense!"
"The Pacers failed to steal the ball immediately, should they foul? Foul! Christie fouled! Mike Penpecy, to the free-throw line! Let's see if Jackson's bold move will result in two successful free throws?"
"There are only 4 seconds left in the game. If he makes both free throws, the Pacers, who have run out of timeouts, will have almost no chance of a comeback! Let's see those two free throws. Beautiful!"
"A beautiful swish! Pampersi was incredibly calm! He wasn't in a rush at all; the free throw was solid and crisp, and the entire Staples Center erupted in cheers!"
"Let's look at the second free throw. Beautiful! It's in! The Lakers are still leading by 4 points!"
"The Lakers defended the Pacers' baseline pass very well! Webber can't get it out! Will it be a five-second violation? Lin! It's Lin again! He got the ball back under the basket!"
"Kobe and Rice are double-teaming him! Lin isn't passing the ball, he's pushing the ball up the court! He's dribbling up the court at breakneck speed!"
"Two seconds left! Lin has just reached the three-point line, and the Lakers' defense is incredibly tight! The Pacers have no chance!"
"He took the shot! Lin finally took the last shot! He forced a long-range three-pointer from a step away from the center line!"
"Missed it! Or rather, whether it went in or not doesn't matter anymore! Time's up, and there are no four-pointers in the NBA!"
"The Los Angeles Lakers have won Game 2 of the series! 105-109! The Lakers defeat the Pacers by 4 points!"
"The series is tied 1-1! Both teams are back on equal footing! Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers on this fantastic victory!"
With Kenny and Barkley providing commentary, Game 2 of the series finally came to a close!
Jackson's bold personnel decisions and his strategy of using two surprise players to turn the tide of the game were enough to shock the entire basketball world for a whole day!
The Lakers' final 8 points came from Fisher and Mike Penpecy!
These two only combined for a total of 8 points tonight! All of their points came in the last minute!
A starting point guard with the lowest presence and an absolute extra with the lowest presence on the entire team!
These two players teamed up to secure the victory for the Lakers!
Fisher and Penpecy's names will definitely resonate throughout America tonight! In the coming days, these two will be the talk of the town, becoming representatives of the new generation of "grassroots dream" and "American dream"!
This is Los Angeles!
This is what makes Los Angeles completely different from all other cities!
One game, or even just one possession, can make you famous throughout the United States! That's why so many people are willing to take a million or two less dollars a year just to play in Los Angeles!
Here you'll get the best exposure!
And now, here we have the boldest head coach who dares to give you the most opportunities!
除了费舍尔和潘佩西之外，这个晚上奥尼尔拿下全队最高的33分15个篮板4盖帽，科比拿下24分8篮板8助攻2抢断1盖帽，莱斯和小奥尼尔各拿10分！
步行者队那边，林天拿下全场最高的34分10篮板12助攻3抢断1盖帽的三双数据，韦伯20分10篮板5助攻，大本5分12篮板，克里斯蒂11分，但卡特在今晚再次表现糟糕，11投2中只拿到7分！
After the game, Jackson, who was all smiles like a cunning fox, gave an interview to the media.
"It was all set up. I told Derek, 'Just shoot! As long as there's an open spot, shoot anytime!'"
"As for Mike, I was also very nervous before he went on the court, but he told me: Phil, Kobe and Shaq are no longer good, they can't handle it, now they need me to save them! To be honest, I couldn't tell if he was joking or serious at the time."
"But then I thought, isn't someone who dares to make such a joke at a time like this someone we can rely on? So I sent him up!"
"What? You mean the hardest thing about the last round was Robert? That guy's nearsighted."
"I had to make Robert stare at Mike for a full minute before Robert could even barely remember Mike's face and pass the ball to him inbounds. Otherwise, I doubt Robert would have remembered Mike's face at all!"
"Thankfully, we did it! We held on to the win! Now, the series will really begin! We'll try to win on the road and then try to finish the series in Indiana! If we don't, we won't be too disappointed."
"After all, the Pacers are very strong! They are probably the strongest team I have ever faced in my life! It's normal to play them no matter how they perform. I have a lot of respect for them. I'm actually very worried that they will win three games in a row and then we will lose the series."
Jackson's smug and happy demeanor couldn't be fooled by anyone who knew him. Everyone who knew him could see that this bastard wasn't being modest at all; he was showing off! He was flaunting his wealth!
This guy is just waiting for fans, commentators, and his peers across America to praise him!
He was praised for his boldness in personnel selection, his tactical genius, his daring and unconventional approach to fighting.
This is exactly what the old man was waiting for!
Of course, Jackson did not disappoint in the comments from all sides after the game. He did receive countless praises before the start of Game 3 of the series.
This incredibly arrogant and narcissistic old man was extremely satisfied!
Pure joy!
The ultimate enjoyment.
Jackson's joy and enjoyment influenced the entire Lakers team.
After the team arrived in Indiana, he sent Kobe, Shaq, and Rice, the three highest-ranking players on the team, out to play cards, and then closed the door to hold a serious meeting with all the role players!
He had Fisher and Penpecy share their experiences, telling everyone what it means for ordinary people to rise up, what it means for anything to be possible, and what it means to seize opportunities and become famous throughout the United States.
At the end of the meeting, Jackson said something that stirred the hearts of all the Lakers' role players.
"Back then, Lin was just like you, playing quietly and unassumingly. He was just a second-round pick, maybe 55th, 58th, or 51st—a bottom-ranked player! Almost everyone here started from a higher point than him! What he could do, I believe you can do too!"
"Also, do you know why I told Kobe and Shaq to get out?"
"Because I want to tell you, superstars are important! They determine a team's ceiling, but we, we role players, are just as important! Without us, there is no team! Without our return, superstars are nothing!"
"We are the most important part of this team! We are the decisive factor in whether this team can win the championship this year! Let's learn from Derrick and Mike, and become the ones who decide the game! Shoot bravely, take bold shots, and defend like crazy!"
"I believe you can all do it!"
Jackson's speech, which was only addressed to role players, undoubtedly received overwhelming approval from everyone, and the Lakers' cohesion and fighting spirit were boosted by a huge margin once again!
So, in their first game after arriving in Indiana, the Lakers continued their perfect form and confidence from the previous game, and from the very beginning, the Lakers had an absolute advantage on the court!
This time, the advantage certainly comes from those role players!
Jackson intentionally increased the pace of the team's rotation and ball movement, asking O'Neal to pass the ball more often, especially to Rice and Fisher!
And the effect of doing this is obvious!
第一节比赛，湖人队的外线全面开火！费舍尔3分球2中2，莱斯3中2，替补登场的福克斯、肖和霍里三人也各种一球！反倒是科比第一节的3分球只有2投0中，拉了大家伙的后腿。
Even so, the Lakers made 7 of 12 three-point attempts in the first quarter alone, a remarkable 58% success rate!
Meanwhile, Jermaine O'Neal also displayed incredible aggression in the first quarter, grabbing 3 offensive rebounds and scoring 3 putbacks, which not only gave the Lakers a significant lead in points on 2 possessions, but also spurred the Lakers' shooters to be more decisive and aggressive!
With the role players on fire, the Pacers' defense naturally felt immense pressure!
In the second half of the quarter, they dared not collapse and double-team O'Neal anymore; they could only watch their own men and let O'Neal bully Ben Wallace in the paint!
So, O'Neal, who only scored 2 points but delivered 2 assists in the first half of the quarter, went on a rampage in the second half, delivering another 2 assists, making all 4 of his field goal attempts, and scoring 10 points with 2 of 3 free throws!
整个第一节，这个怪兽打出了自己总决赛三场比赛以来最轻鬆最舒服的一节球！7投5中，罚球3罚2中，拿下12分4篮板4助攻2盖帽！
When the Lakers perform so perfectly from the inside out, with impeccable teamwork and coordination, they are unstoppable!
In the first quarter alone, the Lakers relied on O'Neal's dominance and the three-point barrage from role players to score 39 points!
Even so, Kobe was having a bad day, going 0-for-4 and scoring no points!
If Kobe had been even a fraction of his hottest, who knows how many points the Lakers could have scored in the first quarter tonight!
Meanwhile, the Pacers were completely overwhelmed by the Lakers' terrifying momentum! Including Lin Tian, the entire Pacers team performed terribly in the first quarter. They were completely out of form, failing both inside and outside, and only scored 19 points in the entire quarter.
Trailing by as many as 20 points in the first quarter, this Pacers team has never suffered such a brutal blow since its formation!
In the subsequent games, although the Pacers began to recover and slowly closed the gap, the Lakers' performance showed no signs of decline.
They maintained a firm grip on the advantage and initiative on the field!
Although the Pacers never gave up, the gap between the two teams remained around 10 points.
It wasn't until the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, with Miller and Christie each hitting a three-pointer, that the Pacers finally narrowed the gap to eight points, and they finally saw a glimmer of hope for victory!
But then, Kobe Bryant, who had only made 5 of his first 17 shots and had a terrible performance, suddenly exploded!
Three-pointer, mid-range shot, strong drive to the basket for a powerful two-handed dunk, back-to-the-basket fake to draw a foul on Christie!
In 3 minutes, Kobe scored 9 points in a row, and the gap between the two sides reached 12 points again!
With only two minutes left in the game, the match was over.
Facing a Lakers team that was in superb form tonight and whose entire team was on fire, even though the Pacers launched attack after attack in the following two minutes, they either failed to put the ball in the basket, or after finally scoring, the Lakers always managed to respond with a variety of ways to make the shot!
With 50 seconds left in the game, when O'Neal once again made a hook shot over Ben Wallace, extending the lead to 10 points, Carlisle gave up, called a timeout, substituted his starters, and reluctantly accepted the loss.
A few dozen seconds later, when the timer ran out and the game officially ended, the score was fixed at 111:102.
The Lakers are in excellent form, winning the next two games to secure victory in Game 3 of the series!
2: 1!
They finally gained the upper hand in the series and regained their home-court advantage!
本场比赛，奥尼尔继续自己怪兽级的发挥：打出29分14篮板8助攻5盖帽的超全面数据！科比虽然前面表现不佳，但靠着第四节的爆发也拿下了22分5篮板5助攻的数据。
In addition, Jermaine O'Neal had 12 points and 10 rebounds, Rice had 13 points, Fisher had 10 points, and Fox had 10 points. Six Lakers players scored in double figures, resulting in an incredibly exciting team victory!
步行者队那边，林天再度空砍全场最高的33分10篮板8助攻3抢断的数据，韦伯17分9篮板4助攻，米勒21分3篮板2助攻，除了这三名球员之外，步行者队再没有一个人得分上双！
The team's defense was shattered by the Lakers' all-out attack, and their offense was completely dismantled by the Lakers' frenzied play. Their assists hit a season low, while their turnovers hit a new high!
It's fair to say that the Pacers were able to stay in the game until the very end thanks to the high-level performances of Lin Tian and Miller! Without their help to keep the team alive, the Lakers would have easily eliminated any suspense in the game!
After the game, the Pacers players were devastated. Unlike the previous game, they were completely contained and overwhelmed by the Lakers in this game.
Or rather, although they only lost by less than 10 points, judging from their momentum and the course of the game, they were completely outmatched by the Lakers!
The Pacers are in a very serious crisis!
At this point, they could easily suffer a crushing defeat and completely lose any chance of winning the series!
At this critical moment, the team leader must step forward firmly and take the lead! Only when the team leader steps up, demonstrates his authority, reunites the team, and shoulders the responsibility of leading the team can he truly achieve this!
Otherwise, the team's situation is likely to get worse and worse, falling into a vicious cycle!
So, during the break between the third and fourth games, Bird decided to step up! He felt it was his duty and responsibility!
He needs to get involved in the team, help Carlisle regain control, and help the team boost morale!
But when Bird reached the locker room door of the training facility, he saw Carlisle and the entire coaching staff standing outside the locker room door without going in.
"What's wrong?" Bird asked curiously, and before Carlisle could speak, he realized what was going on.
You're overthinking it! You really are overthinking it!
This team has Lin Tian on their roster!
When did it become my turn to worry about the team?
Bird chuckled self-deprecatingly, then relaxed and shrugged, "How long were you inside?"
"Less than 1 minutes."
No sooner had Carlisle finished speaking than the locker room door suddenly opened, and Lin Tian, his face filled with murderous intent and a fierce look, led his men out, looking at Bird and Carlisle and saying, "It's all settled. In the next game, we'll make sure those Los Angeles guys don't leave alive!"
Bird looked at Lin Tian and the rest of the team with some surprise; he was genuinely incredulous.
He is 100% confident that Lin Tian can manage the team's morale and unity.
He did that in less than two minutes? This guy is a mysterious monster!
Before everyone could march into the training hall in high spirits to prepare for training, Bird and Carlisle stopped Miller, who was lagging behind.
Miller, of course, knew what the two were up to, and without them asking, he said directly, "Lin only said one sentence."
"Give me that damn ball, I'll fucking smash those bastards from Los Angeles, and then lead you to the championship!"
"That's it?" Bird was stunned. It was that simple?
"That's it." Miller nodded firmly. "And then everyone believed it, believed he could do it, believed he could lead us to victory, and believed that this year's championship was still ours!"
Bird still felt a sense of surrealism; he couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes.
If the team were full of passionate young players like Ben Wallace and Harrington, that would be one thing, but the Pacers also have top-tier veterans like Miller and Webber!
Even they were stunned by Lin Tian's two sentences, and their fighting spirit was rekindled.
Bird suddenly realized that although he had always thought highly of Lin Tian, he now seemed to have underestimated him! He discovered that Lin Tian possessed a unique quality that belonged only to him!
But Bird thought for a long time and couldn't come up with a suitable adjective to describe this trait, which made him feel a bit overwhelmed and annoyed.
But if he asked Lin Tian this question directly...
Lin Tian told him: This is the inherent buff of the chosen one, the chosen youth, and the transmigrator.
A domineering aura!
Overwhelmingly powerful!
Anyone who gets pregnant from my glare!
Pooh!
Whoever gets glared at will have their legs go weak and immediately bow down in worship!
In short, the Pacers' lack of confidence and the morale that was shattered by the Lakers in Game 3 have returned!
But it's only a temporary return.
If Lin Tian fails to deliver on his promise in Game 3 of the series and fails to dominate the game with a dominant performance, then his words will become a joke. The Pacers will also suffer a crushing defeat in this series and may very well be defeated by the Lakers in three straight games on the road, thus handing over the championship to the Lakers!
Even worse, the team's prestige built up by Lin Tian over the years and his omnipotent image will be fatally damaged, and the team may very well fall apart!
In short, everything depends on the upcoming fourth game!
After a day of rest, the fourth game of the series between the two teams resumed!
Neither of the head coaches showed any intention of changing their starting lineups!
Neither side made any adjustments; the duel continued!
At this point in the series, both sides are basically at an open state. They know exactly who on your team can play and who can't, who on my team is the weak point, who will be targeted by the opponent, and who is not up to the task. Both sides, from coaches to players, are already very clear about this.
At the same time, this also means that the playing time of the main players on both sides will continue to increase, the rotation lineup will be shorter, and the number of players on the field will be less!
If the first half of the series could be described as a period of exploration and experimentation, with both sides having some room for error and experimentation, then now that we've reached the second half of the series, it's truly time to go all out!
Neither side can afford any mistakes or carelessness!
At least the situation that occurred in the second game, where each side had more than ten players on the field, will absolutely not happen again!
In other words, every game from now on in the series will be a matter of life and death! Every game will be a desperate battle!
"beep!"
With a whistle, the referee blew the whistle again to start this life-or-death battle!
This time, however, things were finally a little different.
After losing the jump ball many times in a row, Ben Wallace mustered all his strength this time, leaped high, and slapped the basketball to Lin Tian. For the first time in this series, he won the jump ball against Shaquille O'Neal!
After receiving the ball, Lin Tian changed his cautious and calm playing style from the previous few games. He accelerated immediately after receiving the ball and charged towards the heart of the Lakers' territory!
At breakneck speed, Lin Tian made a lightning-fast run to the Lakers' free-throw line!
At that moment, Jackson, sitting on the sidelines, revealed a smug, mischievous smile.
I knew it!
In this match, Lin will definitely go all out and try his best to score points!
It was all planned out long ago, just waiting for you to fall into the trap!
On the court, when Lin Tian swiftly charged into the heart of the Lakers' territory, Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal were in front, and Fisher was behind, forming a three-man attack on Lin Tian!
"Oh no!" Carlisle slapped his head in frustration and pulled out several strands of hair!
Carlisle immediately recognized the Lakers' lineup.
This is a relentless attack on Lin Tian from the very beginning!
As expected of Jackson, a top coach in the league who coached Lin Tian for two years!
He predicted the Pacers' strategy for this game!
But what if you predict it?
Lin Tian was not afraid of being surrounded by three people, nor did he have any intention of slowing down. He threw the ball directly towards the basket, then suddenly turned and passed between Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal, then jumped high and caught the basketball that bounced off the backboard in mid-air.
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Lin Tian threw down a self-alley-oop and dunked, scoring the first points for the Pacers!
After scoring, Lin Tian arrogantly turned to look at Kobe and the others, raising his thick arms on either side of his head and saying, "Come on! So what if you're triple-teamed? So what if you're going to use extreme defense? I've seen that before! Tonight, I'm going to attack on my own. You guys better stop me!"
Lin Tian's imposing aura and fierce presence emanated from his body without any concealment. Rice even felt that there was a demon, almost a tangible entity, swaying around Lin Tian's head at this moment.
Too scary!
Rice dared not look at Lin Tian any longer, quickly turned around and left, preparing to participate in the team's attack.
The Lakers' offense was still the same as in the previous game. O'Neal held the ball in the middle, backed down the ball, observed the Pacers players' movements, and then, just as Carter came up to double-team, passed the ball to Rice, who was being guarded by Carter.
But this time the basketball didn't reach Rice's hands!
Because O'Neal looked around and only saw open spaces, but didn't see that Lin Tian had already disappeared!
Lin Tian, who had taken an unknown route, emerged from O'Neal's blind spot and slapped the basketball that O'Neal was about to pass. Then, Lin Tian immediately sprinted forward, grabbed the basketball, and ran ahead without caring whether his teammates followed.
After driving all the way to the frontcourt, Lin Tian was once again double-teamed by Kobe and Rice. He quickly turned around and came to the free throw line area, and then decisively pulled up for a shot!
"Whoosh!"
After another crisp sound, Lin Tian once again scored points in an unreasonable way!
"You all better fucking play defense properly! I'll take the shots you're afraid to take, and I'll pick up the ones you miss! I'll cover for the players you can't defend! But if you're not giving it your all and are just coasting on the court, then you fucking get to the bench and start waving towels!"
"Today, we'll tear the Los Angeles team to shreds on the court!"
"yes!"
After scoring, Lin Tian returned to defense while unleashing a barrage of attacks on his teammates. No Pacers player protested, nor did anyone express dissatisfaction with Lin Tian's rough approach.
On the contrary, every Pacers player had bloodshot eyes at this moment, and the way they looked at the Lakers was no different from looking at their father's killer.
Just as Lin Tian said.
Tear them apart! (End of Chapter)