boyutpedia Chapter 126: Heart-wrenching Trash Talk! Lin Tian, the All-Around Talent
Chapter 126: Heart-wrenching Trash Talk! Lin Tian, the All-Around Talent
Chapter 126: Heartbreaking Trash Talk! Lin Tian, the All-Round Talent!
"You guys, if you enjoy chatting so much, how about I put on a stand-up comedy show for you?" The referee for tonight, Crawford, walked onto the field with a serious expression. "You're all experienced old guys. I think you all know what this game means, what its significance is, and how many people are watching, right?"
"So I'm warning you guys! I can ignore your verbal threats, but if any of you actually lay a hand on me!" Crawford said, crossing his arms and making a "T" sign, "I'll make you regret it, I'll kick you off the field! Understand?"
After Crawford finished speaking, he looked around at the ten players from both sides. Seeing that no one else was going to speak, he nodded in satisfaction, then took the basketball, stood on the center line, and waited for the players from both sides to take their positions and get ready.
"Beep beep!"
With a whistle, the basketball was tossed into the air. Hakeem Olajuwon, in every respect, could easily outmaneuver Longley, even though he was well over 30 years old. He still easily caught the ball, giving the Rockets their first offensive opportunity.
Temalong, no, Nimalong, no, Mayinglong...
What was it again?
Lin Tian watched Malone dribbling the ball, calling his name several times, but he couldn't get it right...
If you're rude, then you're rude.
Why is this guy's name so hard to remember?
Maloney was extremely annoyed that Lin Tian had repeatedly called him by the wrong name!
Despite his displeasure, he didn't immediately dribble the ball at Lin Tian to get revenge or prove himself.
The reason he was able to become a starter for a championship-caliber team despite having only average talent is because of one thing.
Self-awareness!
He knew that his abilities were not even close to being among the best in the NBA. He was also aware that if he tried to fight Lin Tian with his own abilities, he would most likely suffer a loss and be humiliated, and then be substituted off the court!
So even though he was so angry he wanted to punch Lin Tian, he still quickly passed the ball to Drexler, who came up to receive it, after dribbling it to the frontcourt.
Then he quickly ran to the corner, ready to catch the ball and shoot.
"So you really are just a point guard! Once you control the ball up the court, the game has nothing to do with you anymore, right? Well, that's a pretty novel way to get a front-row seat without buying a ticket!"
Maloney decisively ignored Lin Tian's provocation and instead kept a close eye on the situation on the court, preparing to decide whether to quickly get back on defense, take full-court lead defense, or catch and shoot based on the outcome of this offensive possession.
That's his style: calm, or rather, he makes it clear that he has no right to be uncalm. Compared to putting on a good performance, what he needs to do more is avoid making mistakes!
This style of play means he won't have any highlight performances, but he'll also rarely make any basic mistakes. With Marlonny's abilities, this is the only way he can survive in the NBA.
Marlonny ignored Lin Tian's trash talk and instead kept a close eye on the situation on the court, while always keeping himself and Lin Tian together.
After Hakeem Olajuwon successfully scored 2 points against Longley in the paint, Lin Tian was about to accelerate when Maloney was already standing in front of him!
"Dude, don't tell me you're already preparing for defense before your offense is even over." Lin Tian was delayed by Maloney, and the opportunity for a fast break was gone, so he simply went to the basket, received the ball, and slowly advanced.
"This is my job! If you can't execute a fast break tonight, I can continue to start, it's that simple!" Marlonny lowered his center of gravity; he had watched countless videos and replays of Lin Tian's breakthroughs.
After reading those, he became certain of one thing.
Lin Tian is not someone he can defeat alone!
So, while focusing intently on preventing Lin Tian from suddenly accelerating, Marlonny also shouted behind him, "Mario, help me defend!"
"Over there! Your Mario is over there!" Lin Tian saw Marloni calling out but not daring to turn his head, and couldn't help but remind him that he was calling in the wrong direction.
Mario Elie was clearly entangled with Jordan in the corner, what good did it do for you to yell at the free throw line?
"Luke!" Lin Tian knew there was no chance to score quickly this time, so he immediately called for Longley to set a screen for him. Then Lin Tian accelerated and rushed towards the Rockets' basket!
Hakeem Olajuwon maintained a very appropriate distance.
This prevented Lin Tian from comfortably stopping for a jump shot, and also prevented him from easily breaking through.
Facing Hakeem Olajuwon with his arms outstretched, Lin Tian charged all the way into the paint but couldn't find a suitable shooting opportunity or a passer. The Rockets' defensive discipline and system were truly commendable; his breakthrough hadn't even caused any panic in the Rockets' formation!
Of course, Lin Tian knew that the biggest contributor to the Rockets' excellent defense was Hakeem Olajuwon!
Even though he'll be 34 in just half a month, and his movement speed and ability to defend against smaller players are nowhere near what they were in his prime, Hakeem Olajuwon still manages to block Lin Tian's shooting angles!
Last season, when facing the Rockets, perhaps because the Rockets didn't put any specific defense against Lin Tian, Lin Tian didn't feel much of Olajuwon's terror.
At this point, when the Rockets focused their defense on Lin Tian, Lin Tian finally understood why so many people called Hakeem Olajuwon the best defensive big man in NBA history!
His deterrent power is truly extraordinary!
Lin Tian circled the paint twice without making any mistakes, but he couldn't find any good opportunities. Fortunately, Jordan rushed out from the baseline at this moment, and Lin Tian immediately passed the ball to Jordan and used his body to set a screen for him to block Eli.
Jordan's mid-range shot was far superior to Lin Tian's current mediocre performance. After receiving the ball, Jordan took advantage of the moment when Elie was blocked and Olajuwon's movement speed slowed down and he couldn't catch up, and made a mid-range shot!
2: 2!
"Hakeem, your legs are too slow! Next time, do you need me to give you two seconds so you can get up to defend?" After scoring, Jordan certainly wouldn't let it go, and he opened his mouth and spat back at Olajuwon.
"You can shoot all night, you can score 50 points!" Hakeem Olajuwon said, "But tonight's victory is ours. Don't even think about playing the same fluid offense and transition game you had before this season!"
"Really? Your strategy is to curb our rhythm and speed, then let me score easily?" Jordan finished speaking, then suddenly looked at Tomjanovich on the sidelines and shouted, "Tom! Why are you being so nice to me? Are you trying to let me score 60 points?"
"Go ahead and take it, Michael! You can score as many points as you want!" Tomjanovich smiled. He wasn't afraid of Jordan's trash talk; he had an undeniable championship mentality!
The Rockets' offense saw them pass the ball to Barkley, who, in the low post, stuck out his massive rear end and charged towards Rodman with a series of powerful thrusts!
This offensive style, which is devoid of any skill and relies solely on having a big butt, a big belly, and broad shoulders to block defenders, preventing them from getting around and stealing the ball, and then forcing a shot under the basket based on one's own hot hand, left Rodman helpless.
He was completely outmaneuvered by Barkley's header and couldn't interfere at all, allowing Barkley to easily score a goal!
"Dennis, you've regressed!" Barkley said arrogantly to Rodman after scoring, "I only used three-tenths of my strength, and you were so badly overpowered you didn't even recognize your own mother? If I use five-tenths next round, you'll be crying your eyes out!"
"Shut up, Charles! If you've got the guts, tuck your ass in and fight me face to face!" Rodman said helplessly. Throughout his career, he had always been at a disadvantage against Barkley. This kind of incompatible attribute situation was something no one could do.
"I'm not an idiot! Why would I do that?" Barkley shrugged, indicating that he was going to sit on Barkley's ass today!
In the following rounds, the Rockets continued with their strategy: attack the paint, grab rebounds, and block Lin Tian's driving routes to prevent him from getting going, while also not double-teaming Jordan and allowing him to score.
Although Jordan was able to score from mid-range, Houston's twin towers also had a clear advantage in the paint. The two teams were tied 11-11 in the first five minutes!
Although the score was tied, Jackson's brow was furrowed deeply. After all, just looking at the score, it was clear that the Rockets controlled the pace of the game! The Rockets played at the rhythm they wanted and executed their game strategy.
Although Barkley and Olajuwon in the paint only grabbed one offensive rebound in the first 5 minutes, they made it very difficult for the Bulls to get on the boards. Moreover, after getting the rebound, no one dared to pass the ball or launch a fast break easily, because the Rockets' interference started immediately after the Bulls got the rebound!
Everyone was worried that if they rushed things, they might make a basic mistake.
Even Lin Tian, who is least afraid of making mistakes, did not rush to pass the ball due to the Rockets' targeted defense, in order to avoid unnecessary mistakes.
Besides the fact that the Rockets completely controlled the pace of the game, another problem for the Bulls was Rodman!
Rodman was completely outmatched in his matchup against Barkley. His strength couldn't match Barkley's, and his agility and stealing ability were ineffective against Barkley's massive size. As a result, less than five minutes into the game, he picked up two fouls in his haste and had to leave the court early.
Replacing Rodman was Kukoc, whose offense was stronger than his defense.
It's fair to say that the reason the Bulls didn't fall behind in the first few minutes wasn't because the team played exceptionally well, but because Jordan played exceptionally well! He scored 8 points, keeping the score close for the team.
But Jackson and the Bulls players all knew that if they continued playing like this, relying solely on Jordan's individual offense, their chances of winning tonight were slim!
When the first timeout of the game ended, Barkley dominated Kukoc, sending him tumbling, and then easily turned and made a layup, giving the Rockets another 2 points!
After scoring, Barkley didn't rush to celebrate. Instead, he turned around and tried to steal the ball, disrupting the Bulls' fast baseline play and preventing them from getting any pace!
By the time Lin Tian got the basketball, the Rockets players had already run past half-court, making a fast break impossible!
"Kid, being able to run isn't enough! Positional play and offense under the basket are the real magic weapons to get to the end! Don't even think about launching a fast break tonight!" Barkley yelled at Lin Tian as he quickly retreated.
"Useless? Then tell me who the champion was last year? The inside game is the key, so how many championships have you won, you inside game monster? Three or four? Hmm? Speak louder, I can't hear you!"
"Someone who's never won a championship is going to teach me, a champion, how to play? Shouldn't you take a look at your own resume, which is full of failures, Sir Charles?"
"FUXX!" Barkley wouldn't give Lin Tian any answer. Lin Tian's words had pierced his heart. Apart from cursing, he had no other way to respond. He could only turn around quickly and run back to the Rockets' half of the court. This time, he had brought shame upon himself.
Facing Marlonny's defense, Lin Tian did not rush to advance or choose an offensive method. Taking advantage of this brief opportunity, Lin Tian activated his system.
He knew very well that continuing to play like this tonight was absolutely not going to work. Even though the team was only down by 2 points, if they didn't change their strategy, the gap would quickly widen! They had to take back the tempo from the Rockets!
Lin Tian looked at his system and quickly made his first decision—
"Mailman's Mid-Levels (All Audiences)!"
This skill from Karl Malone allows Lin Tian to instantly possess Malone's peak mid-range shooting ability!
Although Malone looks like a muscular man, his real secret weapon and most important scoring method is shooting!
His mid-range shooting was among the best in the entire 90s, absolutely top-notch!
After using Malone's "Mailman mid-range shot", Lin Tian immediately called for Longley's screen again, wanting to attack Olajuwon's defense once more!
"Kid! Give up, it's no use! You can't get past me, and you can't score against my defense!" Hakeem Olajuwon looked at Lin Tian with complete confidence!
Through his defense in the first half of the first quarter, he had roughly figured out Lin Tian's style.
It's fast and powerful, but its ability to stop and shoot quickly, as well as its mid-range jump shot, is lacking!
The best way to defend Lin Tian is to maintain distance so he can't get past you in one step, then put pressure on him at any time, give him space for a quick stop and jump shot, and protect the basket. Never let this kid face the basket easily, otherwise his finishing ability will definitely give you a big problem!
Therefore, after the pick-and-roll between Lin Tian and Longley, Olajuwon once again chose to give Lin Tian space for a mid-range shot, preventing him from easily attacking the basket.
But this time, Lin Tian suddenly changed his attack method!
He suddenly gathered the ball near the free-throw line and pulled it up, raising his hand to shoot before Olajuwon could react!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian scored his first 2 points of the day!
"It's okay, Hakim! You defended very well!" Tomjanovich on the sidelines quickly encouraged him, "This kid has been pushed to the brink! He's starting to attack in ways he's not good at! One after another, he'll score! Keep it up! Keep it up!"
"A dead end?" Lin Tian looked at Tomjanovich and laughed, "Do you want me to repeat what Michael just said to you? Tom! Why are you being so nice to me? Are you trying to get me 50 points?"
"If you've got the guts, keep shooting! Keep throwing! I want to see how many you can actually make!"
"How many will make?" Lin Tian couldn't help but laugh. "That depends on how many you can accept! I can force you to change your defense. If you don't, then congratulations, you've just suffered a resounding defeat!"
"Give it a try, kid!" After saying that, Olajuwon stopped arguing with Lin Tian and started running towards the basket. The Rockets' offense wouldn't wait for Lin Tian and Olajuwon to finish their argument before continuing. They wanted to seize the time and score as many points as possible while the Big Three were still full of energy!
In this possession, the ball once again came into Barkley's hands. Facing Kukoc, Barkley had it all under his control, easily pushing Kukoc aside and scoring a layup!
Lin Tian frowned. He knew that if even Rodman couldn't withstand Barkley, then whether Kukoc or Wennington came, the result would be the same: a complete loss!
"Damn it, all in!" Lin Tian was absolutely determined to win this Christmas Day game! It was all about his All-Star starting position! So, after cursing under his breath, Lin Tian decided to spend some more money to ensure the team's victory tonight and his own outstanding performance!
Of course, before buying another trial card, Lin Tian called for a pick-and-roll again, and then continued to attack Olajuwon from mid-range!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Lin Tian hit another mid-range shot, continuing to lead his team to stay close in the score!
"Hakeem, you said I could shoot however I wanted! You'd better not regret it!" After scoring, Lin Tian held up two fingers, gesturing to Olajuwon: "Two now! Let's bet, if you keep defending like this, how many more can I score?"
While trash-talking, Lin Tian quickly retreated on defense. As he retreated to his three-point line, he suddenly yelled at Kukoc, "Tony, you go guard that damn Ron! He can't score, don't worry about him, just don't give him open looks!"
"And you?" Kukoc was actually hoping to get away from Barkley as soon as possible. He had only faced Barkley a few times when he felt a burning pain in his chest. Although Barkley's elbow was not as vicious as Malone's, it was definitely one of the toughest elbows in the league!
If Kukoc weren't the one who was truly the best matchup against Barkley, he would have already asked to switch on defense!
"I'll guard Charles, need I say more? Don't worry, leave it to me! I'll handle it!" Lin Tian patted Kukoc on the back, making him take two steps forward to block Maloney who was dribbling the ball. Lin Tian then sank under the basket to face Barkley.
"Come on, you short, fatso! Let me see what you've got up your sleeve!" Lin Tian started trash-talking Barkley as soon as he stood next to him.
Lin Tian's appearance aroused Jackson's curiosity in the audience.
What is this kid, who always manages to bring me all sorts of surprises, going to do this time?
How about angering Barkley and then drawing an offensive foul?
But this is Barkley! In his many years of professional career, although Barkley's temper is still fiery, he no longer makes mistakes because of his emotions.
Because of his trust in Lin Tian, Jackson didn't rush to stop Lin Tian from switching defenses without permission, but instead wanted to see what Lin Tian was up to.
Lin Tian's confidence at this moment is, of course, because he has spent money on in-game purchases again!
Moreover, in order to achieve the best results, Lin Tian spent money on two of them at once!
Alonzo Mourning 98-99 Season Strength Experience Card (Full Game) and a Rebound Maniac (Full Game) from Charles Oakley!
With both trial cards in use, Lin Tian was brimming with confidence in defending against Barkley!
After all, who is the strongest man in the league after Barkley? Without a doubt, it's Alonzo Mourning!
Lin Tiancai simply cannot believe that Mourning's peak power is inferior to Barkley's late-career power!
Then, with Oakley's "rebounding maniac" added to the mix, Lin Tian was confident that he wouldn't lose to Barkley in terms of either rebounding ability or pure strength!
Of course, that's only for dealing with short interior players like Barkley.
Against a 213cm tall, fast, and solidly grounded center like Hakeem Olajuwon, even if Lin Tian had two more, it would still be difficult to contain him! After all, the height difference between the two is simply too great!
But there's no such problem with Barkley!
In particular, this time when Lin Tian was matched up against Barkley in the low post, he discovered something he hadn't noticed before.
Barkley is so shameless!
Barkley, who is about the same height as me, or at most a tiny bit taller, actually has the nerve to give his official height of 198 cm?
He's 193 centimeters tall at the top!
Barkley was definitely not as tall as Jordan!
This discovery also demonstrates how powerful Barkley was at his peak!
The guard's height is suitable for playing inside, but he's not the blue-collar or shooting type of inside player.
Despite his guard-like stature, he plays the most traditional, steely, and tough back-to-the-basket style of interior play!
All I can say is that this guy was a complete monster when he was young!
Fortunately, Barkley will soon be 34 years old, and his physical abilities have declined significantly.
"Bang!"
Seeing Barkley and Lin Tian facing off in the low post, the Rockets' guard didn't hesitate and lobbed the ball into the paint. As soon as Barkley got the ball, he immediately bumped into the annoying Lin Tian!
The two clashed head-on outside the three-second zone!
Lin Tian remained motionless!
"Give it your all, Charles! Haven't you eaten?" Lin Tian immediately mocked Barkley after he withstood the first blow, urging him to give it his all.
"FUXX! You're asking for it!" Barkley was furious that he couldn't gain the upper hand in his strongest area, strength, and charged at Lin Tian again!
This time, however, Lin Tian held his position firmly while suddenly extending his long arm to snatch the basketball from Barkley's hands.
"Bang!"
After another muffled thud, Lin Tian felt as if a rhinoceros had hit his chest, but he still maintained his position and was not knocked away by Barkley. At the same time, his long arm accurately hit the basketball!
If it were any other player in the league, Lin Tian would have a 90% chance of stealing the ball.
But today, Lin Tian encountered Barkley, who was twice as wide as an average player! Although he touched the ball, he couldn't get around Barkley's thick body and could only watch helplessly as Barkley regained control of the basketball, then forcibly turned around and jumped to shoot.
"Hey shorty, get down here!" Lin Tian shouted, raising his arms high and jumping up with Barkley. Lin Tian did his best to block Barkley's space and angle of attack as much as possible, forcing him to have no chance to make a move.
Barkley, who was almost driven to the brink of defeat, displayed the flair expected of a superstar!
He forcibly suspended in mid-air, and with a pull-up move of both hands, he dodged Lin Tian's block before shooting.
But this shot was barely made; it was only by exerting all his strength that he managed to dodge Lin Tian's block.
"No! Hakeem!" The moment Barkley released the shot, he knew it was going to miss, so he immediately shouted, trying to get Olajuwon to grab the rebound.
"Bang!"
With a crisp sound, the ball missed its mark, but Barkley, who was about to jump to grab the rebound, found that he couldn't jump at all!
Lin Tian had already turned around before him, firmly blocking his position, and secretly grabbed the hem of Barkley's jersey, making it impossible for him to jump and causing him to lose the best rebounding position.
"Snapped!"
After confirming that Barkley was unable to jump and posed no threat to the rebound, Lin Tian jumped and caught the rebound in his arms. After landing, Lin Tian immediately accelerated and rushed towards the frontcourt.
"run!"
A shout that could excite the entire United Center was heard for the first time during this game!
Jordan and Pippen, who hadn't been running at all in the first half of the quarter, were now running faster than each other. By the time Lin Tian reached the mid-court line, they were already close to the three-second zone.
"Scott!" Lin Tian shouted, his eyes fixed on Pippen. The basketball in his hand was about to be passed to Pippen when Elie and Drexler immediately moved to block the passing lane between Lin Tian and Pippen.
But in the next instant, Lin Tian's hands suddenly changed direction!
He passed the ball behind his back with one hand, making a behind-the-back pass, and got the ball to Jordan on the other side!
"boom!"
With no one guarding him, Jordan easily slammed home a one-handed dunk, scoring another 2 points for his team!
"Well done, Lin!"
The team finally launched their first fast break of the game, and Jordan excitedly gave Lin Tian a high five.
"Fatty! Is that all the strength you have?" After high-fiving Jordan, Lin Tian finally had a chance to find Barkley and start trash-talking him.
"What did you say?"
"I'd say you're as soft as a pile of shit! Aside from your body odor being so strong that nobody wants to get close, you're limp in every other way!"
"I wore cologne!" Barkley stomped his foot angrily, then realized what he meant and said, "You're lying! I'm not shit!"
"Yes, you're not poop, you're toilet paper! The cheapest kind, soft and easily torn! If you use even a little force when wiping, it'll tear completely, leaving your hands covered in it!"
"Matt!" Barkley's face turned red with anger. After forcefully blocking the position once again, he made a move to call for the ball.
Marlonny dared not disobey the team leader's orders, so he quickly got rid of Kukoc and passed the ball to Barkley.
"Kid! I'll make you regret every word you just said!" Barkley held the basketball with his back to the basket. This time, he didn't rush to dribble and attack. Instead, after sensing Lin Tian's defensive angle and position, he suddenly released the ball and charged into the paint again.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Barkley unleashed his brute force, ramming into the paint three times in a row! He used all his strength in all three rammings. Even though Lin Tian had Mourning's power protecting him, he was still too much heavier than Barkley, and the guy had a low stance. Lin Tian was still managed to be pushed from outside the paint into the paint!
"You think you can stop me? Huh?" Barkley turned around as soon as he entered the three-second zone, intending to jump and score, but before he could even raise the basketball, there was a crisp 'snap'!
Jordan is here!
As one of the people in the league who knows Barkley best, Jordan knows all too well when Barkley will jump and when he will shoot. His timing is perfect, just when Barkley has used up all his energy and exposed the ball to prepare for the shot!
"run!"
Lin Tian reacted quickly, and seeing the basketball flying in mid-air, he grabbed it without thinking and rushed towards the frontcourt again!
At this moment, Marlonny was blocked by Kukoc, and Drexler and Pippen were entangled together. The only one who could get back on defense in time was Elie.
But what can a guard do against Lin Tian?
He can't do anything!
Before Ellie could even make any defensive move, she felt a gust of wind brush past her ear, and when she turned around, Lin Tian had already made a layup!
When Lin Tian's speed is fully unleashed and he can charge forward at full speed, he will definitely be one of the most unstoppable people in this alliance!
Then, for the third consecutive possession, Barkley tried to get the ball in the low post, but he lost it twice in a row. Following his career pattern, he absolutely had to win this possession! He had to save face!
But this time, just as Barkley had positioned himself in the low post and reached out to ask for the ball, Olajuwon couldn't resist.
"Charles! Wait a minute before you hit him! This kid's a bit weird!" Hakeem Olajuwon's face was grim, but at least he saved Barkley some face by not explicitly saying that he couldn't beat Lin Tian.
But if he doesn't say it, does that mean Barkley doesn't know what it means?
He may look a bit dim-witted, but he's not stupid!
After staring intently at Olajuwon for two seconds, Barkley finally stopped forcing his way into the low post and moved two steps outward, giving Olajuwon the space in the low post.
Hakeem Olajuwon did not disappoint, taking control of the ball and easily scoring against Longley!
"Poor thing! That's how pathetic a stray dog is!" Lin Tian certainly wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass by. Taking advantage of Olajuwon's goal, he immediately began to mock Barkley: "Playing with other teams on a minimum salary contract, do you think you'll have a good outcome? Will they even respect you?"
"You're just a bootlicker!"
"What did you say?" Barkley's eyes widened. Since joining the Rockets in the offseason, this was the word he hated hearing the most!
"I'm telling you, you're a homeless stray dog, a hapless wretch living off others, a spineless coward who can only cling to others and can't win a championship, a good-for-nothing who abandoned Phoenix, a coward who has no guts to continue trying to win a championship on his own! Any objections?" Lin Tian wasn't going to be polite to Barkley.
Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll mercifully tell you!
Not only did they tell you, but they also added a lot of extra information to ensure that you, Sir Charles, will listen comfortably and with peace of mind!
"Kid! What about you? How are you any better than me? Didn't you also win the championship by riding on Michael's coattails?" Barkley looked at Lin Tian, his eyes practically spitting fire: "If you weren't in Chicago, you'd be nothing! Nobody would even know your name."
"Maybe you're right, but what about you?" Lin Tian said, slowly dribbling the ball up the court while looking at Barkley. "You're nothing in Houston, aren't you? You can't just go one-on-one whenever you want, you can't play however you want like before. You have to accommodate others. Do you know why you have to accommodate others, instead of others accommodating you?"
"Because you're a stray dog!"
"Shut up!"
Barkley's shout to shut up was so loud that it even startled the referee, Crawford.
Crawford looked at Barkley threateningly and said:
"Charles, what are you doing? Trying to get a technical foul?"
Barkley glanced at Crawford, said nothing, and turned back to Lin Tian, saying, "I'm not as good as I was when I was younger, I can't jump as high or run as fast as I used to! But my desire for a championship will never change!"
"Kid, I'm not angry about what you're saying! Since I've made my choice, I'll bear the consequences! I've heard what you've said countless times this offseason. Let me tell you, I... what are you doing! FUXX!"
Barkley's heartfelt monologue was left unfinished because Lin Tian didn't give him the chance to finish.
He quickly passed the ball to Kukoc beyond the three-point line. Facing Marloni, who was less than 190 centimeters tall, Kukoc didn't hesitate at all. He pulled up and shot the three-pointer, which went in without hesitation!
"Charles, you play defense! How are you going to let Matt match up against this European?" Hakeem Olajuwon felt his head was spinning. What was this guy doing?
Standing in the middle of the field, chatting with people about life ideals and the future?
Let's talk after your match!
"Charles, he yelled at you!" Lin Tian said with a smile after successfully getting away with it. "A true teammate wouldn't yell at you for something like this! Has Kevin Jason ever spoken to you like that? Doesn't he always show you respect?"
"Kevin and I have never been friends! But Hakim and I are best buddies!" Barkley was still being stubborn, but his feet betrayed him.
Yes, they didn't even enter the three-second zone, continuing to give Hakeem Olajuwon room to create one-on-one opportunities.
"Your best buddy will keep you out of the paint and watch you shoot from mid-range? Do you think you're Karl Malone? Or did you secretly practice your mid-range shot sometime ago?" Lin Tiancai wouldn't let Barkley off the hook, continuing to provoke him: "Admit it, you're just a mercenary! You're just an unappreciated outsider!"
Even if you win the championship, Houstonians won't love you! They'll just treat you like a passerby! They'll just open the door and say hello, they won't even invite you into the living room!
"Enough, kid! Enough!" Barkley looked at Lin Tian, panting heavily. No one knew whether he was angry at Lin Tian or at himself.
What angered Barkley even more was that Hakeem Olajuwon had already scored another basket under the basket, and then Lin Tian, who had just been spouting nonsense and mocking him, ran away again!
The instant Olajuwon scored, Lin Tian had already sprinted towards the frontcourt! The Bulls' power forward is now Kukoc, who has excellent passing ability. He quickly reached the baseline, picked up the basketball, and threw it towards the frontcourt!
Lin Tian grabbed the basketball. Even though there were two defenders, Marloni and Elie, in front of him, he didn't slow down at all. Instead, he dribbled all the way to the vicinity of the free throw line, then suddenly stopped and pulled back. Before the two could react, he pulled up and threw the ball!
"Whoosh!"
Karl Malone's shooting package is indeed accurate!
"pause!"
After the Bulls launched a series of counterattacks and Tomjanovich realized that his team's veterans were simply not keeping up, he decisively called a timeout!
"Charles, you go rest for a bit. Eddie, you're up here! Make sure to create space so Hakeem can have a comfortable time one-on-one! Clyde, you also need to increase your offense, drive to the basket more, and stretch the Bulls' defense! Okay, go!"
Tomjanovich finished speaking quickly, completely ignoring Barkley who was standing to the side. Barkley looked resentful. In his career, apart from foul trouble, he had almost never left the court after playing for only a few minutes.
"Coach! I'm not tired, I can still play!" Barkley didn't understand why Tomjanovich suddenly substituted him. Was it because of my consecutive missed shots and turnovers? But I clearly followed the instructions and made way for Hakim's one-on-one!
"Charles, take a break. I need you to lead the second unit later." Tomjanovich glanced at Barkley and then gave a completely unconvincing reason.
Bring a substitute?
You want me to be a substitute, don't you?
On the Bulls' side, Jackson first praised the team's performance over the past few minutes, then looked at Lin Tian and said, "Lin, how are you? Can you hold off Charles? Don't push yourself too hard, tell the truth! That way I can allocate your playing time reasonably."
"No problem! He's just a 34-year-old fat guy who can't fly or run, I can handle him!" Lin Tian gave Jackson a thumbs up, indicating that he had no problem at all.
"Good, you can rest on the bench for a bit now!" Jackson nodded and immediately benched Lin Tian. "Everyone else, come over here. We'll play like this from now on..."
"No problem! Wait, what? I'm going down?"
Just as Lin Tian was about to agree, he realized that Jackson actually wanted him to go down and rest first.
Then why did you ask me if I could withstand it? It was completely unnecessary!
What kind of crazy trick is this old man up to now?!
However, Lin Tian didn't rush to ask Jackson. He waited until Jackson finished setting up the lineup and tactics and the players took to the court before raising his doubts: "Coach, why did you make me rest? I can still play."
"You're going to guard Charles, and based on what I know of Tomjanovich, he'll definitely rest Charles next, so you should rest too! I know you're not tired right now, but we need to be prepared to fight until the very end in this game! So, rest as much as you can!"
"But Barkley went in, look!"
Lin Tian suddenly pointed to the court, indicating that Barkley hadn't rested.
"What? How is that possible?"
(End of this chapter)