boyutpedia Chapter 154 Lin's heart is truly filthy!
Chapter 154 Lin's heart is truly filthy!
Chapter 154 Lin's heart is truly filthy!
"Lin's back-to-the-basket skills?" Smith looked at the game screen. Lin Tian had once again received the ball in the low post and was arching towards the inside. "To be honest, my grandma's back-to-the-basket skills might even be better than Lin's. If Bogues were 185 centimeters tall, Lin wouldn't be able to score on Bogues so easily."
"But what's strange is," Marcus said with a wicked grin as soon as he saw Smith take the bait, "do you remember how he thrashed Stoudemire last season, dominated Hardaway this season, and that game against Dallas on the road? In those games, Lin displayed incredibly pure and dazzling back-to-the-basket skills!"
"Footwork, spin moves, fadeaway jumpers, drives to the basket... Lin displayed near-perfect post-up skills and an incredibly well-rounded offensive game in those games. If you only looked at his highlight performances in the low post, you might even suspect that Lin was the next Michael Jordan!"
"Many of the movements are so similar!"
"Hmm..." Smith was stunned by what Marcus said.
After thinking it over carefully, he realized that Marcus was absolutely right!
Lin Tian did indeed display very beautiful and comprehensive low-post offense in some games, but today, he really didn't use any skills at all. He just used his height, strength and weight to bully Bogues, and just relentlessly rammed into him!
"I think Lin did it on purpose?" Smith stroked his chin, trying to save face. Then, as if he had found a breakthrough, he excitedly said, "Yes, Lin did it on purpose! He uses skill to win against taller and stronger opponents, but against Boggs, who is much shorter than him..."
"Lin doesn't need any skills, nor does he need any fadeaway jumpers. He just uses his body and strength to drive into the paint and then keeps scoring over Bogues with the most basic bank shots! This style of play certainly doesn't look beautiful, but honestly, it definitely puts the most pressure on Bogues!"
"Think about it, guys. When you go to the court to play, do you feel more hopeless when you encounter someone with unparalleled physical abilities who can fly high, use fakes, and slam dunks, or when you encounter someone who just uses the most basic move to constantly humiliate you?"
"It's definitely the latter!" Marcus continued, "Lin is using this boring, seemingly easy-to-defend-against-the-heads method—a method that Borgs could never defend against no matter how hard he tried—to attack Borgs, to make him despair, frustrated, and demoralized!"
At this point, Marcus and Smith exchanged a glance and said simultaneously, "Lin's heart is truly filthy!"
"All tacticians have dirty hearts!" Marcus concluded.
"Lin is the dirtiest of all these tacticians!" Smith quickly added an even higher assessment.
The two of them quickly reached a consensus!
On the court, the Bulls have used the same strategy to score against the Hornets five times in a row. Lin Tian initiated the attack in the low post five times and scored four of them!
When Lin Tian came to the low post for the sixth time, Cowens finally couldn't hold back anymore. He shouted loudly from the sidelines, and Mason immediately moved over from the other side to double-team Lin Tian. But just as he rushed over... Lin Tian made a no-look behind-the-head pass, and the basketball went straight through the defense of Bogues and Mason and flew to the basket.
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Rodman dunked and scored 2 more points!
To surround Lin Tian?
His vision and passing ability will make any team that tries to double-team him regret it!
If the Hornets hadn't been in such excellent form tonight, scoring a series of difficult goals, they would have been on the back foot from the start!
Rice seemed to have finally resigned himself to his fate. In the first few possessions, he didn't take a single shot. He either moved to the weak side to let his teammates play 4-on-4, or after getting the ball, he tried to draw the defense before passing it out!
In the first five possessions, the Hornets each scored a basket through Mason, Pierce, and Divac, making it a close game between them and the Bulls.
After being sat on six times in a row by Lin Tian in the low position, Bogues was finally furious. "Damn it, I'm short, and I'm often bullied because of my height, but you can't be this extreme. Hit me one after another!"
This time, Muggsy Bogues didn't pass the ball.
Instead, he constantly used his extremely low center of gravity and extremely fast speed to dribble around the top of the arc, and then suddenly changed direction, flashing past Lin Tian. Then, using Divac's screen, he suddenly took a step back.
Muggsy Bogues's movements were incredibly fast and exciting. Even Lin Tian, who has the best speed in the league, couldn't keep up with his pace. Bogues created space and fired a three-pointer from beyond the arc, which went in!
Muggsy Bogues has been on fire in this year's playoffs, shooting an impressive 85% from three-point range in the first round of five games!
Even though his shooting touch dipped slightly in the second round, after two games, he still made 5 of 7 three-pointers, boasting a terrifying 70% shooting percentage!
Muggsy Bogues in this year's playoffs is definitely the most terrifying outside shooter in the entire league.
"Hey kid, come on! Stop me! What else can you do besides clumsy back-to-the-basket moves?" After scoring, Bogues pounded his chest and shouted at Lin Tian, venting his frustration.
No one can remain calm after being sat on so many times in a row.
"You said it." Lin Tian dribbled the ball while waving to signal all his teammates to spread out. Then, just as he crossed the center line, he turned around and stuck out his butt: "Then I'll grant your wish."
Anyway, there's no five-second violation for back-to-the-basket moves in this day and age. Since Muggsy Bogues likes it, I, Lin, must satisfy his needs!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
This time, Lin Tian drove all the way from the center circle to the basket, then easily turned around at the edge of the three-second zone and scored two points with a hook shot!
"Do you like the gift Uncle Lin gave you, little one?" Lin Tian said to Bogues after scoring a goal, "Or would you rather learn how to post up from Uncle Lin?"
"FUXX!" Bogues cursed angrily. He dribbled to the frontcourt, intending to use the same trick again to make a three-pointer with a screen. However, this time Lin Tian increased his focus and defensive intensity, maintaining his position and sticking to Bogues tightly to prevent him from shooting!
Bogues dribbled continuously but couldn't find a shooting opportunity, and Lin Tian kept following him closely. This made it impossible for the 160cm tall Bogues to stop and shoot suddenly. He could only accelerate again and force his way through!
But Muggsy Bogues himself knew that with his height, if he drove to the basket, he would simply be asking for a block!
So after driving into the paint, Bogues didn't dare to shoot under the defense of Longley and Rodman. Instead, he jumped and found Rice, ready to pass the ball.
But just as the basketball was thrown by Bogues, Lin Tian, who had been following behind him, suddenly appeared from the side and intercepted the basketball in mid-air!
"Quick attack!"
Jordan reacted incredibly quickly, shaking off Rice and sprinting towards the frontcourt!
This is also the Bulls' favorite fast-break tactic this season.
"Stay calm! Press down! We'll take them one by one!" Lin Tian didn't pass the ball quickly as usual, but instead raised his hand to signal everyone to stay calm.
Jordan was almost knocked down by Lin Tian's sudden steady play. Has Lin Tian gone crazy today?
In the past, when there was no opportunity for a fast break, he would risk turnovers to make a flashy pass. Today, with this opportunity, why isn't he taking it?
However, just a second later, Jordan knew what Lin Tian was going to do. The guy was still inside the three-point line in the backcourt when he turned around, used his butt to block Bogues in front of him, and began to slowly advance.
What angered Borgs even more was that Lin Tian, that bastard, was grabbing his clothes and preventing him from leaving!
"FUXX!" Borg was so angry that he cursed loudly. He was indeed short and often got shot down.
But he just shamelessly started forcing back-to-the-basket shots from the backcourt and wouldn't let me leave. Muggsy Bogues said, "I've never seen such a shameless person in my life!"
"Lin's playing style is really... dirty!" Not only was Bogues in a frenzy, but even Marcus's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"I've seen rape, I've seen people force-feed alcohol, but forcing an opponent to defend against his backhand is something I've never heard of before," Smith said, shaking his head and smiling bitterly.
Then, Smith and Marcus exchanged a glance and simultaneously laughed, saying, "Shameless!"
Amidst a burst of cheerful laughter, Lin Tian had already chased Bogues all the way past half-court, and once again turned around and scored with a shot under the basket!
Borgs really had no choice but to blame his parents for not giving him a height of 190 cm!
Cowens, watching from the sidelines, couldn't stand it any longer and shouted:
"Change! Change! Change with the little bug!"
In the next round after Cowens's roar, the person standing in front of Lin Tian became Pierce.
Lin Tian glanced at Pierce, who was half a head taller than him and at least 2 meters tall, chuckled, and made a hand gesture, causing the Bulls players to move quickly.
Soon, it became another isolated station with 1-4 scattered.
This time, Pippen and Muggsy Bogues were pulled to one side, and then Lin Tian's pass quickly reached Pippen's hands.
"Are you sure you want to guard me?" Pippen, with his back to the basket, looked down at Muggsy Bogues, who had lowered his center of gravity to just chest level, and said, "Should I let you have some space?"
"Shut up! You shameless... um!" Muggsy Bogues was only halfway through his sentence when Pippen, who was equally insidious, had already unleashed his power!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
After three heavy impacts, Pippen blew past Muggsy Bogues and drove to the basket again, then easily turned and shot!
At this moment, Muggsy Bogues was in no mood to curse. He entered the NBA at a height of 160 centimeters. He survived in this country of giants for more than ten years with a height that is shorter than the average person. Although he was never selected as an All-Star, he was not a pure role player for most of his career, but always managed to secure a starting position on the team!
That's not all. He had double-digit assists for two seasons, and during his peak, he averaged more than 7 assists and fewer than 2 turnovers per game for eight consecutive seasons!
During his prime, he may never have been a top-ten guard in the league, but he was definitely a qualified starting player!
Last season, Muggsy Bogues suffered the most serious injury of his career, which kept him out for almost the entire season. Just when everyone thought that the 32-year-old Bogues would probably never be able to return to the court after such a serious injury,
Muggsy Bogues made a strong comeback this season, not only averaging a respectable 8 points and 7 assists per game, but also improving his three-point shooting from the bottom of the league to above average! Before this season, Bogues had played eight healthy seasons, making only 25 three-pointers in total, with his highest three-point percentage being only 23%.
But this year, Muggsy Bogues made 60 three-pointers with a 41.7% success rate! In the 90s, that level of shooting would definitely have made him a top-tier shooter!
This alone shows how hard Boggs works and how much he loves his job!
He tried everything he could to stay here a little longer and leave behind more of his own stories.
His entire career is a perfect story of inspiration and a comeback!
But today, he encountered the Bulls, the strongest, most talented, and least credulous team in the league when it comes to "inspirational stories" and the American Dream.
Tonight, they are destined to utterly destroy Boggs!
Five minutes into the first quarter, Cowens knew he couldn't push the Bulls any further. He couldn't bear to watch the Bulls relentlessly target Muggsy Bogues on the court any longer, so he had no choice but to substitute him.
The Bulls have scored a total of 19 points so far, 14 of which came from strong inside attacks in the paint, and every single one of those 14 points came over Muggsy Bogues' head.
Even the few remaining points were scored by Bulls players sitting in the paint, drawing double teams, and then passing out to get the points.
Muggsy Bogues became the Bulls' weak point, or rather, the only point of attack the Bulls made in the first half of the first quarter!
Even if Cowens really likes a motivational and hardworking player like Bogues, he has no choice but to substitute Bogues for now.
If this continues, what will likely be destroyed is Bogues' mentality and confidence.
Boggs sat in the chair with a blank stare on his face, saying nothing.
Throughout his career, he has been targeted and relentlessly attacked countless times.
He had never experienced such a thorough, extreme, and insane beating before.
Is this the number one super team in the league?
Seize your opponent's weakness and use the most straightforward methods to keep attacking until that weakness disappears.
"Are you alright?" Cowens patted Bogues on the shoulder and said, "We'll wait until they field their big men lineup. Then it'll be your turn to destroy them with speed!"
Bogues didn't say anything in response to the coach's praise, but just gave a wry smile.
Having played basketball for so many years, Bogues knew very well that Cowens was just trying to comfort himself.
He was very clear that he would most likely not get much playing time in this game.
The Bulls' tactical execution is simply too strong!
This is truly an arena for giants!
Inspirational? Hard work? Giving it your all?
Faced with absolute talent, these things are so utterly insignificant!
The Hornets don't have a second qualified point guard besides Muggsy Bogues, so their sixth man and top shooter Dell Curry is filling in for Bogues right now!
The Hornets' offensive firepower has been further enhanced!
Without Muggsy Bogues orchestrating the offense, the Hornets' offense was far less fluid than when he was on the court. The team's plays often failed to materialize, and open players often couldn't receive the ball. The Hornets once again found themselves in a predicament of individual isolation plays, and their leader, Rice, was forced to start taking a lot of difficult shots again.
But Rice has already shown everyone through the first two games that he and Jordan are not even in the same league. If you put him in a one-on-one match with Jordan, he will definitely be the one who gets defeated in the end!
Perhaps the only good news for the Charlottes is that they still had a good shooting night. In the first quarter, Rice, Muggsy Bogues, Delk, and Curry all hit three-pointers, which kept them in the game.
At the end of the first quarter, the Bulls had scored 31 points thanks to their high finishing efficiency in the first half of the quarter, leading the Hornets by 5 points going into the second quarter!
"Go for it! It's their rotation period now, there won't be as many people backing you down! If Steve Kerr or Ron Harper are on the court, you guard them!" Cowens patted Muggsy Bogues on the shoulder and said, "The rest of you, create space for him! We'll focus on Bogues for the first few minutes of the second quarter!"
"Glenn, Anthony, Tony, and Dell, the four of you come out on the court with Muggsy Bogues! Play your favorite offense! Play the pack offense!"
"Let the people of Chicago know just how powerful our firepower really is!"
Cowens clapped his hands loudly, encouraging the players' morale!
At this point, he had no choice but to go all out and fight the Bulls to the death!
On the Bulls' side, Jackson said casually, "In the second quarter, they will definitely let Bogues come on and try him out. In fact, to boost Bogues' confidence, I guess Cowens might even start playing against Bogues! That is, their so-called 'mad dog' strategy."
"It's a wolf pack tactic!" Clemens couldn't help but remind him from the side.
"Okay, it's the 'wolf pack' tactic." Jackson shrugged nonchalantly. "The so-called 'wolf pack' tactic can also be called the run-and-gun tactic, which is very similar to the 'RUN-TMC' tactic that the Golden State Warriors used in previous seasons. Simply put, it's about running! Running and throwing!"
"Shoot when you have the chance. Don't look for a second chance, and don't wait for a better, absolutely open opportunity. If the players feel they can shoot, then they shoot! The core of this lineup is that the Hornets can field four or even five top-class shooters with a three-point shooting percentage of over 40%!"
"Glen Rice, Muggsy Bogues, Curry, Pierce, and Delk are their most frequently used four-man lineup. In addition to these four, they will add a passer like Divac or a rebounder like Mason. This lineup is also the one they use to score points and play all-out."
"At the same time, this lineup also has their highest winning percentage this season! You could say that it's thanks to this so-called 'pack of wolves' strategy that the Hornets were able to achieve a franchise-best 54 wins! You have to be careful when dealing with them."
At this point, Jackson suddenly laughed: "But when it comes to offense, it seems like we've never lost? We have the league's best offensive player, the league's fastest point guard, the most versatile small forward, and of course, the smartest and most elegant sixth man from Europe, as well as this year's league three-point champion!"
"Go, Lin, Michael, Tony, Scott, and Stephen! Go show the Hornets that they're nothing but five wild dogs in front of us! We're a pride of lions! Okay, any questions? If not, go and destroy them, then we'll rest early in the second half!"
"Coach! I have a question." Lin Tian suddenly raised his hand and said, "A lion pride usually only has one male lion, and the rest are lionesses. I want to ask, among us, who is the male lion, and who are the lionesses?"
Lin Tian's words nearly choked Jackson, who had just taken a sip of water and was known for his extensive knowledge, psychological warfare skills, and ability to effectively use people, and was particularly adept at giving players pep talks and emotional massages.
I've led the team for so many years and won 4 championships, and I've never seen a bastard ask such a question!
Jackson now thinks that compared to Lin Tian, Rodman is simply an innocent and adorable little baby!
Jackson looked at Lin Tian, and Lin Tian looked at Jackson.
Lin Tian's eyes were clear and innocent.
After the two stared at each other for more than 10 seconds, Jackson finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Phil Jackson's emotions are fluctuating; he has lost 50 experience points!"
The system's prompts accurately revealed to Lin Tian all the turbulent inner thoughts beneath Jackson's calm exterior.
"Michael, Scott, after the game, you two beat Lin to death! Dennis, if you're interested, you go too. Get Lin's clothes soaked, cut his shoes to shreds, break his room key, and tie him up in the locker room. Don't let him get on our team bus!"
"Want to know who the lion is? Go think about it in the away team's locker room."
"Coach, there's one more question." Lin Tian, completely unfazed by Jackson's threat, continued with a wicked grin, "Those guys can't beat me."
"FUXX! Are you never going to stop?!" Jackson was so angry that he wanted to grab a big bucket of Gatorade and pour it over Lin Tian from head to toe.
No, I'll throw that bastard in boiling hot Gatorade, the kind that's just reached boiling point and is still bubbling!
FUXX!
Fortunately, the referee came over at that moment and reminded the Bulls players that it was time to go on the court; otherwise, Jackson's blood pressure would have spiked by at least another 30 mmHg!
Lin Tian, Jordan, Kerr, Pippen, and Kukoc walked onto the court side by side. This was the pure offensive five-man lineup that the Bulls hadn't shown in a long time!
The Hornets, on the other hand, fielded Glen Rice, Anthony Mason Jr., Tony Delk, Dell Curry, and Muggsy Bogues, their ultimate, all-or-nothing lineup!
"Wow! Look, almost all of the key players from both sides are back on the court! Coaches Jackson and Cowens are really in sync! They clearly anticipated that the other side would bring out their full strength to compete against their original rotation players during this phase of the game."
Marcus immediately got excited when he saw the lineups of both teams! As a seasoned commentator, he knew all too well what these lineups meant.
"Therefore, to avoid being outscored and widening the score gap during this period, both coaches made the same choice! They both brought out their best offensive, scoring, and running five players!"
Smith echoed this with anticipation: "The data shows that this five-man lineup of the Bulls is scoring 121.8 points per 100 possessions this season! That's the highest among all five-man lineups in the league!"
"And this Hornets five-man lineup is scoring 118.5 points per 100 possessions! Two of the league's sharpest spears have clashed head-on! Let's see which spear is sharper and can completely crush the opponent!"
With the two commentators' anticipation, the fans at the Spectrum Center were delighted to see the team's most exciting and wildest lineup brought onto the field, and they erupted in deafening cheers!
Fans and commentators alike knew that the decisive moment of this match had arrived ahead of schedule!
Neither team's key players will rest, and neither team's coaches will hold back anything!
The first half will decide the winner!
On the court, the first wave of attack belonged to the Hornets. Muggsy Bogues dribbled the ball and quickly broke through. Perhaps it was Cowens' trust that restored his confidence. Facing Lin Tian's defense, he lowered his center of gravity and rushed into the paint like lightning. Then, after attracting Pippen's help defense, he made a very subtle underhand pass to Rice on the wing.
Rice faked a shot, then quickly passed the ball to Curry in the corner. Curry pulled up and shot, and the three-pointer swished through the net!
Quick passing, selfless sharing, decisive shooting, and exceptional accuracy!
These factors combined are the biggest reason why the Hornets' roster can achieve the second-best offensive level in the league!
Lin Tian retrieved the basketball at the baseline, raised his hand, and said, "No need to rush, it's just one ball!"
This time, Lin Tian didn't leisurely dribble across half-court, nor did he stubbornly continue to back down Muggsy Bogues.
Since the Hornets want to compete in offense and shooting, then so be it!
After dribbling past half-court, Lin Tian suddenly exerted force with the sole of his foot, and his lightning speed suddenly burst forth, leaving Muggsy Bogues behind in the blink of an eye!
Bogues' eyes widened in an instant. You see, the 160cm tall guy has been able to stay in the league for so long because his most trump card is his unparalleled speed, which many people call the best in the league!
But in that instant, Boggs suddenly understood two things.
Even at his peak, he was still no faster than Lin Tian.
Secondly, Lin Tian hadn't taken himself seriously when facing him before!
Lin Tian, who had just gotten past Borgs, didn't pay any attention to what Borgs was feeling. His eyes had already scanned the entire arena in the blink of an eye!
Facing Mason and Pierce rushing to help defend from both sides, Lin Tian's eyes were on Pippen on Pierce's side, but the basketball in his hand flew towards Kukoc in the opposite direction!
After receiving the ball, Kukoc was completely alone. Everyone was fooled by Lin Tian. He calmly took a step back, moved himself out of the three-point line, and then decisively took the shot!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, the Bulls responded with a 3-pointer!
In the following rounds, both sides played faster and faster, with increasing agility and decisiveness. The rapid transitions between offense and defense, the exquisite passing and cutting, and the continuous long-range shots captivated the audience both in the arena and watching on television. The roars from the crowd almost shook the Spectrum Arena.
Who wouldn't love this kind of intense, head-to-head battle?
With four minutes left in the second quarter, Jackson called a timeout.
At this point, both sides used extremely high shooting percentages and super-fast offensive and defensive transitions to quickly increase their score, which has now reached 51:47!
The Bulls still lead by 4 points.
In just four short minutes, the score reached an incredibly high 20-21!
For the Bulls, Lin Tian hit a three-pointer and a layup, totaling 5 points and 5 assists, making him the Bulls' best player during this period! This fast-paced offensive rhythm is the system that best suits him!
Besides him, Jordan scored 6 points, and Kukoc, Pippen and Kerr each hit a 3-pointer, making it a balanced attack from all sides!
这段时间内，公牛队3分球6投4中，2分球7投4中，效率高到让人不可置信！
The Hornets were just as efficient as the Bulls, hitting five three-pointers and having Mason drive to the basket several times to overpower Kukoc and score!
During this back-and-forth offensive battle, they actually gained a slight advantage, scoring one more point than the Bulls!
However, Hornets head coach Cowens' face showed no sign of happiness or relaxation; instead, it was filled with worry.
He had a bad feeling.
Besides the fact that even with the team's offense at its peak, they couldn't narrow the gap, he also knew where the Hornets' biggest weakness lay in their roster.
But now, Cowens had no choice but to keep these five men working themselves to the bone.
This is the best and most direct way for the Hornets to win!
On the Bulls' side, Jackson, still all smiles, spread his hands and said to his players, "Having fun, huh? Now, game time is over. I think you know what to do next, right?"
"Leave it to me, Coach." Lin Tian took a big gulp of water and said casually, "I'll stick with Bogues! Everyone, don't help me with defense, just keep an eye on your own men!"
"Rice is mine now, he won't be making threes anymore!"
"I'll take Curry." Pippen glanced at the stats and picked the player in the best form among the remaining players.
Even Kukoc slapped his own face twice, saying fiercely:
"I won't let that muscle idiot get past me again! I'll block all his attacks under the basket!"
"Great, go ahead." Jackson clapped his hands, indicating that you could go on stage!
This is the benefit of coaching a mature and united team. There are many things that he doesn't need to explain repeatedly; these players know very well what they should do at what time.
After the timeout, the Bulls had possession on the first offensive possession. Lin Tian passed the ball directly to Jordan in the low post. Facing Rice, Jordan had already found his rhythm. He spun around and drove to the basket, forcefully jumping to score 2 points!
But when the Hornets were about to attack, the Bulls' defense changed!
Lin Tian stood alone at the very front, in front of Boggs.
"Here it comes! Full-court press! The Bulls' targeted defense! Facing the Hornets' terrifying offensive efficiency, the Bulls are pulling out all the stops; they're going to intensify their defense!" Marcus was still buzzing with excitement from the previous offensive surge, his voice booming!
"The Bulls have changed, so what about the Hornets? Will there be any changes?" Smith then posed a profound question.
Will there be any changes for the Hornets?
will not.
Cowens, standing on the sidelines, gave everyone the answer with his conflicted and worried expression.
The Hornets have already given it their all; they don't have any more tricks up their sleeves to change their roster or improve their strength, which is exactly what Cowens has been worried about.
The Bulls' trump card isn't offense, but defense!
Although their lineup is an all-out offensive lineup, Pippen and Jordan are both All-Defensive Team players, and Lin Tian averages nearly 2 steals per game. His tight defense against point guards and terrifying speed make him the perfect front-line weapon in the tight defense!
It's true that Kerr and Kukoc aren't good at defense, but Kerr has a fighting spirit and grit that's known throughout the league. Perhaps the Bulls' only weakness is Kukoc!
Thinking of this, Cowens shouted towards the court, "Meatball! Little bug, hit meatball!"
After shouting that, Cowens had no other options. Besides hoping his tactics would work, he could only pray that someone on the team would perform exceptionally well and make a few incredible shots.
After receiving Cowens' instructions, Muggsy Bogues, who was still unable to shake off Lin Tian's defense, slapped his head hard, then dribbled backward to create distance while waiting for his teammates' support.
Mason Jr. rushed out from the inside and stood next to Muggsy Bogues.
"No trade! Tony, back off!" Lin Tian roared in a flash, calling out the defensive tactic. At the same time, he turned sideways and forced his way through the two men's cover, allowing himself to maintain a defensive position in front of Bogues.
Kukoc retreated quickly, knowing that Mason Jr. did not have a mid-to-long-range shooting range and was not afraid of him suddenly shooting.
Even though the tactic didn't work out and there was no mismatch opportunity, Bogues didn't hesitate and quickly passed the ball to Mason.
After all, in that previous offensive exchange, Mason Jr. was beating Kukoc like a baby! He attacked the basket three times and scored on all three! He even made a 2+1 play, but Mason Jr.'s free throws weren't good enough to capitalize on the opportunity.
This time, after getting the ball, Mason dribbled and charged towards the paint again!
Among power forwards of this era, if Kemp is a tiger that can leap 3 meters and is capable of anything, Barkley is a fierce and bloodthirsty bear that looks fat but has top-notch agility, then Mason is a rhinoceros that can't run fast or jump high, but has infinite destructive power!
When he decides to attack the paint, there are very few players in the league who can stop him!
With a muffled thud, Kukoc was knocked back two steps, but his hands remained raised, maintaining his defensive position.
Then Mason Jr. struck again, stabbing Kukoc twice in quick succession!
Although Kukoc continued to retreat, when he reached the basket, he steadied himself, raised his hands high, gritted his teeth, and defended his last inch of territory.
"Bang!"
Kukoc's tenacity did not intimidate Mason Jr. After a brief moment of preparation, he charged at Kukoc again! This time, Kukoc finally couldn't take it anymore. As if he had been repeatedly rammed by a rhinoceros, he fell backward and lost his defensive position!
Although Kukoc was still knocked away by Mason, his tenacity created an opportunity for his teammates!
Just as Mason was about to shoot, Pippen flew through the sky, startling Mason so much that he quickly pulled the ball back and didn't dare to shoot. But as soon as he put the basketball down, he felt a huge force coming from it!
Lin Tian!
He left Muggsy Bogues behind, rushed into the paint, grabbed the basketball from Mason's hands, and then forcefully stole it away!
"Quick attack!"
With a roar, Lin Tian dribbled the basketball and charged towards the other side!
The Hornets' retreat was also extremely fast. Everyone rushed towards the backcourt, trying to stop Lin Tian's attack. But when Lin Tian's speed was fully unleashed, even though he started his attack from under his own basket, the Hornets still couldn't get into position by the time he reached the vicinity of the opponent's three-second zone!
The only person left who could stand in front of Lin Tian was Rice!
To everyone's surprise, facing Rice's defense, Lin Tian did not force a jump shot for a layup. Instead, he suddenly made a one-handed behind-the-back pass, throwing the basketball to the left at a 45-degree angle!
There was no one there!
"Is Lin going to make a mistake? That pass was too long! It was completely unnecessary! Oh! No! There was no mistake! It was Kukoc!" When Marcus saw that the spot was empty, he couldn't help but let out a regretful sigh. Was such a beautiful fast break just wasted like that?
But less than a second later, a tall figure appeared there!
Not a second off, not too early, not too late, he received Lin Tian's pass with remarkable skill and precision!
It was Kukoc who had just run up to the frontcourt!
"Tony! Shoot! This is your chance!" After Lin Tian shouted, Kukoc did not hesitate. After adjusting, he decisively shot the ball, which flew across the court and landed on the basket.
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, the Bulls scored two consecutive baskets after a timeout, extending their lead to nine points!
"That's it, brothers! I'll take care of the first line of defense!" Lin Tian clapped his hands and shouted, "Tighten up the defense! Let's blow the game out of the first half, and then we'll call it a day in the second half!"
(End of this chapter)