Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 727 The pressure is all on the Suns!

As usual, there was a full two-day break between Game 5 and Game 6 of the Finals, so that the players of both teams could rest as much as possible after their journey across the East and West.

In order to make the next two matches more exciting and entertaining.

Meanwhile, fans from all walks of life engaged in various discussions and exchanges during the two days of waiting.

They all agreed that Game 6 would be the most exciting and best game of the series so far!

This match is absolutely not to be missed!

At the same time, this match is also extremely important for Lin Tian and his team!

This is a crucial game that will determine whether the Knicks can complete their dynasty and become the defending champions!

If the Knicks lose this game, they will lose all their advantage and be forced into a Game 7. The Suns will likely seize the opportunity and become the first team in NBA Finals history to come back from a 1-3 deficit to win the series!

On the same night, Knicks fans, who had never won back-to-back championships in their history, went into a deep frenzy!

More than 19000 tickets inside Madison Square Garden sold out early, while outside Madison Square Garden, there were scalpers holding up signs for tickets and selling them at high prices.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the plaza outside Madison Square Garden! Most of these fans didn't have tickets; they just wanted to come to the stadium to watch their team win the championship up close and share in the joy of consecutive victories!

And the same was true in the streets, bars, squares, parks, and even in front of churches throughout New York City; everywhere was filled with crazy fans.

Police from all over New York were mobilized that night; regardless of whether they were on vacation, everyone had to patrol the streets.

Otherwise, who knows what these crazy fans might do tonight?

In a sense, those who most want the Knicks to win the Finals right now might not be fans or players at all.

Instead, it's not about the mayor of New York City or the NYPD chief; if they lose, if the crazy fans lose control...

I can't even imagine it!

Win! We absolutely have to win!

Just as the whole of New York was in a frenzy of celebration, the Knicks and Suns players had already quietly entered Madison Square Garden.

Needless to say, the Suns wouldn't dare show their faces on the streets of New York at this time. What if some madman did something reckless? Even if the probability of that happening was infinitesimally close to zero, no one would dare to take that gamble.

Even when the Suns left the hotel, they used the back door and underground parking lot, sneaking away in a brand new bus.

As for the Knicks players, they also dared not appear in public at this time, not because they were afraid of any American-style iaido.

Their concern is that the fans might get too excited and go crazy, leading to unplanned incidents.

For example, incidents like stampedes or road blockages are something no one can afford to experience nowadays!

In short, everyone, including Lin Tian, ​​kept a very low profile before the competition.

Lin Tian once again experienced what it means to say that everything else is different except for New York.

In terms of economy and city size, Los Angeles can still rival New York.

But when it comes to sheer madness, obsession, and die-hard loyalty, Knicks fans can absolutely crush Lakers fans.

The reason is actually quite simple.

There are a lot of respectable people in Los Angeles.

With so many public figures and so many people around them, it's inevitable that a large number of people will be cautious in their words and actions to avoid any trouble.

What is most abundant in New York?

Gang members, blue-collar workers, immigrants from all over the world, rich kids, political kids, financial thugs...

The rich people here are characterized by being wealthy, reckless, and unscrupulous.

Dolan and Hilton are representative figures.

The poor here are characterized by their flamboyant, crazy, and unrestrained nature.

Those New York players who entered the NBA are all representative figures.

In short, amidst this city-wide frenzy, the players from both teams gathered in their respective locker rooms for a final pep talk.

"I think everyone heard what Lin said after Game 5," D'Antoni said, gesturing for his players to form a circle around him. "He didn't take us seriously! He thought we won Game 5 by luck!"

"He thought he could easily manipulate us. He thought that as long as he put in the effort, he could win the series and the championship! He was arrogant! He was self-important! He looked down on everyone!"

"So, I won't say any more. Tonight, we're not fighting for the championship, we're not fighting for glory, we're not even fighting for profit!"

"Tonight, we fight for dignity! We fight to tell the whole world: looking down on us was Lin's biggest mistake in life!"

"Let them know how powerful we are!"

"yes!"

D'Antoni's passionate speech had the entire Suns team in the locker room cheering! After Pierce's game-winning shot, their confidence and morale were already at their peak, and D'Antoni's speech was like pouring hot oil on them.

They don't even need to be lit; they'll ignite instantly!

"Paul." After finishing his speech to everyone, D'Antoni suddenly looked at Pierce, his tone returning to calm as he said, "You didn't make the All-Star team. Your All-Star voting ranking was 9th among Western Conference forwards and 15th among all league forwards!"

"Of these 15 players, 7 are small forwards. Do you think there are 14 small forwards in this league who are better than you?"

"None of those seven players have ever scored 40 points in the Finals, none of them have ever hit a game-winning shot in the Finals, and most of them have never even seen the Finals floor!"

"Paul, no matter what others say, in my heart, you're the best small forward in the league! Tonight, you need to keep up your performance and prove to the world that D'Antoni's judgment is correct! D'Antoni is the most accurate judge of people in the world!"

"I will kill Anthony!" Pierce said with a grim face, his small eyes flashing with a fierce light. He had completely abandoned his personal relationship with Lin Tian.

"Steve, if there's one point guard in the world who can beat Lin, who's better than Lin, I think that person is you! Only you."

"I don't have that confidence." This time, Nash didn't agree with D'Antoni. Instead, he stood up, scanned the entire court in D'Antoni's place, and said calmly, "But I don't need to beat him, nor do I need to be better than him."

"Lin is the best individual in this league, that's undeniable. But we are the best team in this league! I have the best, most outstanding teammates in this league!"

"I might lose, I'm almost certain Lin will beat me again! But I believe we won't lose! We'll kill them!"

"This match isn't between him and me, it's between us and them!"

"Let's win the last two games! Let's tell the world who this year's champion belongs to!"

"It belongs to us! It belongs to Phoenix!"

"Win the championship!"

The Suns' locker room is now completely ablaze.

They're ready!

……

The home team's locker room, which is several times better than the away team's in terms of size, facilities, and luxury, is quite messy at this moment.

Old Nelson sat in the middle of the locker room, smiling as he watched the players bustling around.

Lin Tian stood right next to him, constantly giving instructions.

"Matt, is the champagne ready? How many bottles did you prepare? What? Only about 30 bottles? That's insulting! Are we just trying to rip us off? You have 10 minutes to get me 100 bottles! If you can't get enough, go find James. Our boss is always very generous!"

"Messi-Ronaldo?"

Upon hearing Lin Tian mention him, Anthony quickly replied, "The venue is booked! The most luxurious place, a huge private room, big enough for all our players, coaches, medical staff, and management!"

"Amare?" Lin Tian continued to call out names.

"Don't worry, girls!" Stoudemire grinned mischievously. "I even arranged some girls for the Phoenix team to soothe their grief over losing the championship!"

"I've already given the order. After the competition, we should be able to gather at least 20 buckets of ice! We'll definitely have a great time!" Without Lin Tian even having to say anything, Oku stood up and gave his report.

……

"Very good! So finally..." After more than ten players gave various reports, Lin Tian clapped his hands in satisfaction and turned to look at him, saying, "Finally, it's my task."

"I'll lead you guys tonight, and take that damn championship! Everyone, think about your victory declaration for tonight, think about your feelings about winning, or you can go find some reporters or writers and prepare your autobiographies!"

"Tonight, I'm in charge of marking Pierce! A game-winning shot against me? I'll make him…"

"Leave Pierce to me!" Lin Tian had only spoken halfway when Anthony stood up, interrupting him. This was definitely the first time in the three years the two had worked together!

"It was my fault in the last game. I didn't receive your signals, and I couldn't get past the defense. You've already taken care of everything for me after the game, shielding me from all the criticism and gossip. Now, it's my turn to handle the rest!"

"I'll guard Pierce! I'll shut him down!"

"Well done! That's what a real man does!" Lin Tian gave a thumbs up and said, "Pierce is yours now. I'll go back to dealing with Nash. I'll make him experience what hell is like!"

At this point, Lin Tian paused deliberately before continuing, "This time, no one will be competing with me, right?"

This remark immediately drew another burst of laughter from the audience. Then, old Nelson stood up with a smile and said, "Alright, you should take a break now, unless you want me to be fired and then make a profit off my salary too."

Don Nelson's words made the atmosphere even more relaxed. He said with great ease, "We didn't make any changes in the last game. We played the most direct basketball from start to finish. Then, after we lost, many people said that I was inflexible and that I was just being presumptuous."

"That's why we lost."

"Therefore, I've decided that we won't make any changes to this game. We'll play exactly as before! We'll continue with our previous tactics! We'll continue with man-to-man marking, our previous starting lineup, and our previous offensive strategy!"

"Am I inflexible? Am I too stubborn? Am I outdated?"

"Children, go and tell them: We are not unchanging, we simply don't need to change!"

"We can win the game using the simplest, most basic, most casual, and most fun playing style!"

"Alright, time's almost up." Old Nelson stopped there, offering no more motivational words. He simply surveyed the arena, then his smile vanished, and he lowered his voice: "Go! Win the game! Win the championship!"

"Yes! Win the game, win the championship!"

Inside the Knicks' locker room, only that final chant brought a semblance of atmosphere to the entire time.

It has the atmosphere of the finals!

Here, there are no motivational speeches, no excited shouts, not much inspiring motivational rhetoric, and the players don't even need to express much determination.

Because everyone on the Knicks team knows: they don't need that!

No need to prepare any of that tonight!

If the Knicks still need the head coach to constantly offer motivational speeches to achieve their highest level of play at this stage of the season, then they have no right to compete for the championship!

This confidence and self-assurance is the biggest difference between a dynasty team and an ordinary championship team!

Although this Knicks team has only won one championship so far, they have Lin Tian!

With Lin Tian on the team, this team is bound to have this level of confidence and momentum!

A few minutes later, the players from both sides entered the field one after another, and the fans in the stadium showed all their energy, whether they were booing or cheering!

Both the Knicks and the Suns received the wildest welcome gifts from their fans!

Both teams of players, fans, commentators, and spectators are all ready!

Everything hinges on this crucial battle!

"Neither side has changed their starting lineup!" Barkley exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the starting players submitted by both teams. "These two head coaches are incredibly stubborn!"

"But on the other hand, both managers are quite confident!" Payton added. "They both believe their current choices and lineup will lead them to victory!"

"So now, it's the ultimate showdown between the two most offensively potent teams in the league! Will it go to a Game 7, or will the winner be decided tonight?" Kenny quickly chimed in.

"Everything depends on tonight's game! The referee has come onto the field. Let's count down together: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Kick-off!" Miller said last. The four of them were becoming more and more in sync!

"Snapped!"

This time, Okur passed the ball to Lin Tian in the first wave. After receiving the ball, Lin Tian suddenly made a long throw, throwing the ball with one hand towards an open space in the frontcourt. Just when the basketball was about to fly out of bounds and Lin Tian was about to make a mistake at the start of the game, Anthony suddenly appeared!

Anthony received the basketball with ease, as if he and the ball had arranged to meet there. Without pausing, Anthony quickly pushed the ball forward, reaching the edge of the three-second zone in just two steps, where he faced Pierce, who was rushing to retreat.

Facing Pierce, Anthony's speed and reaction were incredibly fast. With a powerful left-handed dunk and a deceptive crossover, he slightly shifted Pierce's balance. Then, Anthony suddenly executed his signature rolling spin, shaking off Pierce in the blink of an eye, and drove to the basket, slamming the ball into the hoop with both hands!

2: 0!

The Knicks started with their signature fast break and steal, taking the lead!

However, while the Knicks were fast, the Suns were not slow at all. Pierce was not frustrated at all because Anthony dunked on him. He quickly turned around and went to the baseline, and immediately inbounded the ball.

Nash received the basketball, and then, contrary to his usual practice, he did not observe, predict, and accelerate first, but instead reversed the order.

Speed ​​things up first, then we'll see what else we can do!

Anyway, a point guard like Nash, who can go fast or slow and can brake at any time, is unlikely to make a mistake or make a mistake even if he charges forward with his head down.

Just go ahead and rinse it off!

Nash drove all the way to the frontcourt, but when he was still 2 meters away from the three-point line, he had to slow down because Lin Tian's defense arrived!

Martin then quickly stepped forward, turned sideways, and set a screen for Nash.

Okur, who was originally guarding Nash, reacted quickly, stepping forward to block Nash, trying to force him into a mistake together with Lin Tian.

But who is Nash?

This guy is the undisputed second-best point guard in the league. His vision and passing ability are among the best in the league!

Just as Okur stepped forward to double-team Lin Tian, ​​Nash had already made a behind-the-back bounce pass with one hand. The basketball flew quickly between Okur's legs, through his defense, and into the hands of Martin, who had just cut inside.

Facing Stoudemire's help defense, Martin showed no fear. The two beastly big men, who entered the league after the turn of the century, jumped almost simultaneously, both tensing their bodies and leaping with all their might, before colliding heavily with each other.

"Bang!"

After a muffled thud, the two men collided violently in mid-air, a collision powerful enough to break an ordinary person's ribs. Ultimately, Martin gained the upper hand due to the momentum he had generated while jumping.

Because Stoudemire, who suffered a great loss, was bounced away by Martin, and then Martin let out a roar and slammed the ball into the basket!

"boom!"

After a loud bang, Martin, who had performed poorly in the previous few games but had just shown a slight improvement in the last game, displayed an even more ferocious side tonight!

After all, this is a do-or-die game for the Suns!

Do not!

This, once again, is their battle for survival! (End of Chapter)