Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 722 The Suns' desperate last stand brings a brand new...

The Suns called another timeout, but D'Antoni had no solution at the moment.

What can a player do if he misses a shot?

The Suns' tactics have always been simple and direct: Nash initiates the offense with the ball, while others run screens and set picks, using constant screens, off-ball screens, figure-eight cuts, reverse runs, drives to the basket, and pick-and-rolls followed by cuts or pops to attack the opponent's set.

Most of the time, the Suns relied on these simplest and most basic things on the basketball court to destroy their opponents and win, and it was with these things that they made it all the way to the Finals.

But now, they are clearly unable to hold on any longer.

Nash was locked down by Lin Tian and had a very difficult time. The rest of the team was not shooting well and could not make catch-and-shoot shots. However, if Pierce was allowed to play one-on-one again, it would be like drinking poison to quench thirst, and the team would fall into the Knicks' trap again.

After thinking for a moment, D'Antoni could only say, "Keep shooting! We can't keep missing, and the Knicks can't keep making shots. As soon as we start making them, we can catch up immediately!"

"Go for it! Let's use our best style and have a good offensive battle with the Knicks!"

Continuing to play an offensive game is the only solution D'Antoni can think of.

Given the Suns' current roster, they really have no choice but to continue focusing on offense; they have no other options.

Everyone, including themselves, knows that if they can't score on offense, they're a terrible team with no defense.

Then let's keep fighting!

"Defend against the next attack!" During the timeout, Don Nelson's instructions were concise and powerful: "I've never asked you to play any defense. In this team, just getting by is enough!"

"But now, I'm asking you to defend! Just one possession! Just the next possession! Defend against the Suns! I don't care who they pass the ball to next, everyone, get focused and defend this play!"

"If they miss their first attack after the timeout, their morale will suffer a devastating blow. They'll be utterly desperate, and then we'll have won!"

"Go ahead, I don't care what methods you use, or what tactics they employ or who attacks. Your job is just one thing: stop them!"

"clear!"

The Knicks players shouted in unison and then walked onto the court side by side!

After this timeout, both sides switched back to their starting lineups, and the key players from both sides gathered together again to decide whether there would be any meaningful duel in the second half of the fourth game. Let's begin!

Nash was once again met with Lin Tian's relentless, tenacious defense as soon as he received the ball. Although he quickly found Jones who was left open, Jones' open three-pointer missed again!

For the first quarter and a half, they focused on Pierce's one-on-one play, which caused everyone else to be out of sorts. Now that they've lost their touch, it will be extremely difficult for them to get it back!

Meanwhile, the Knicks didn't care whether you had a good touch or not. Stoudemire, who had just come on, grabbed the rebound and then passed it to Lin Tian. Lin Tian, ​​after receiving the ball, naturally didn't stop and suddenly accelerated, rushing towards the frontcourt!

What Lin Tian needs right now is speed!

Lin Tian knew very well that with the Suns' offensive capabilities, they couldn't keep losing their way or missing shots forever. Sooner or later, they would regain their form and start making shots consistently.

What Lin Tian needs to do is to completely blow out the game before the Suns can find their rhythm!

Even if you find your rhythm and go on a 10-0 run when we're up by 30 or even 40 points, so what?

Can we win?

It's no use! It's too late!

But of course, all of this is contingent on the Knicks being able to widen the gap as early as possible!

If we can't widen the gap significantly, we might have to put in a lot of effort in the second half!

So this time, Lin Tian's transition offense was lightning fast. He rushed to the frontcourt and before Marion and others could close in, he suddenly stopped and pulled up for a mid-range jump shot that went in!

A 25-point difference!

"Keep defending! Snipe them with all your might! I want a 40-point lead before the end of the first half!" Without realizing it, Lin Tian had already increased his first-half lead target from 25 points to 40 points!

He's going to completely crush the Suns!

If possible, we should also take this opportunity to crush the Suns' morale and confidence for the next game!

"clear!"

The Knicks players also shouted in unison! Regardless of whether they usually care about defense or are good at it, at this moment, the Knicks players unleashed unparalleled ferocity and focus on the defensive end!

Fuck him!

Of course, their defense was still not very good. They still selectively left Marion, whose shooting was the least accurate and most inconsistent, open, keeping two players under the basket to protect the rim and prevent the Suns' attacks and cuts.

The Knicks' tactics were quite successful!

The Suns couldn't find their rhythm, missing their next two shots. Finally, Nash had no choice but to find Pierce again, instructing him to slow down the pace and force a one-on-one attack on Anthony. Only then did Pierce finally make a mid-range shot, stabilizing the situation for the team!

But everyone on the Suns, and even the Knicks, knows that it's not impossible to slow Pierce down like that, but you have to let him play like that at a certain moment or during a crucial phase. No problem!

But if the Suns are just relying on Pierce for the whole game, slowly taking on one-on-one opponents one after another?

Their chances of winning are really slim!

Even in the last game where Pierce had a phenomenal outburst and scored a high number of points, the Suns were still playing a very fast-paced game! Many of Pierce's baskets came in transition, and many were catch-and-shoot plays.

But tonight, because of Lin Tian's switch on defense, the Suns' wishful thinking of wearing Lin Tian down broke through their rationality, and they fell into the Knicks' trap and started a positional battle!

Now that they have realized what the Knicks are up to, they have once again fallen into the same trap.

The difference is that the first quarter was a conspiracy that the Suns didn't see through.

This time, however, it's an open and blatant conspiracy!

The Suns had no choice; they could only choose a suspended death sentence over a death sentence.

The second quarter flew by, and the Knicks' offense was like a tidal wave, surging into the Suns' territory wave after wave.

Lin Tian was the spearhead of this offensive wave. In the second quarter alone, Lin Tian went crazy and scored 27 points. In the first half, he had already scored an incredible 39 points!

Led by Lin Tian, ​​the Knicks scored 45 points in this quarter, and 80 points in the first half!

The Suns' defense was completely breached!

Meanwhile, the Suns had scored 49 points at the end of the first half.

In this day and age, 49 points in the first half may not seem like much, but it's certainly not a small number either. Some teams don't even reach 49 points after three quarters!

But against a high-scoring team like the Suns, 49 points in the first half is just barely a passing grade.

More importantly, after scoring 49 points, they trailed the Knicks by 31 points at halftime!

The good news is that Lin Tian's 40-point goal was not achieved, and the Knicks couldn't be that tough after all.

Another piece of good news is that the Suns were able to trail by 'only' 31 points because the team finally found their rhythm in the last two minutes of the first half. Marion, Jones, and Nash each hit a three-pointer, helping the team barely escape from a deficit that was about to reach 40 points.

This allowed them to enter the second half with a deficit of only 31 points.

The bad news is that although they regained their shooting touch, the team is already down by a full 31 points.

The baby died, but the milk arrived.

It's too late.

In the second half, the Knicks, who had a huge 31-point lead, inevitably relaxed. They relaxed from top to bottom, their defense became less aggressive, and their offense began to produce some rather basic mistakes and overly casual shots.

After halftime, the Suns players were clearly unwilling to surrender, let alone lose so badly in front of their home fans. In addition, the team had calmed down and determined their strategy during halftime.

At the start of the third quarter, the Suns displayed their fierce offensive capabilities!

In the first 5 minutes of the third quarter, they launched a 15-6 offensive run, narrowing the gap to 22 points!

Then Nash went on another rampage, hitting a three-pointer from the left and a three-pointer from the right at the top of the arc, narrowing the gap to within 20 points, and it looked like it was about to shrink to within 15 points!

Once the score difference between the two sides is less than 15 points, the situation of the game will be completely different!

"Stay calm! Let's play it safe, defend against their offense, and then continue to narrow the gap!" After hitting two consecutive three-pointers, Nash became completely excited, clapping his hands heavily to encourage his teammates.

But before he could even finish slapping his hand, he suddenly felt an immense force rushing towards him. Caught off guard, Nash instinctively reached out to push it away, and then he heard two sounds.

"Beep beep!"

"Whoosh!"

Two sounds rang out simultaneously, and needless to say, Nash could immediately understand what had just happened.

Just as he turned around to encourage his teammates, Lin Tian rushed to the front and collided with him. As he lost his balance and instinctively reached out to grab something, Lin Tian seized the opportunity to pull him up and strike.

Not only did he score, he also drew a foul from Nash!

What frustrated Nash even more was that when he looked down, he found that he and Lin Tian were both standing outside the three-point line!

This is still a 3+1!

"Want to catch up?" Lin Tian shrugged dismissively, arrogantly telling Nash, "Don't even dream about it!"

As he spoke, Lin Tian quickly walked towards the free throw line.

"Whoosh!"

After another crisp crack, the point difference between the two sides widened once again to 20 points!

Immediately afterwards, Lin Tian, ​​who was thinking about assisting his teammates and helping them get into a good shooting rhythm in the first half of the third quarter, and also showing off a few fancy passes himself, which resulted in two turnovers, once again entered scoring mode!

After that 3+1, Lin Tian first started a full-court press on Nash, and then repeatedly used back-to-the-basket moves to drive into the basket, either scoring directly, drawing fouls, or completing 2+1 plays!

Then, when the Suns had to collapse their defense to stop his drives and post-ups, Lin Tian imitated Nash just now, scoring two consecutive three-pointers from the left and right!

In less than 5 minutes, Lin Tian scored another 21 points, including that 3+1 play!

Under Lin Tian's relentless pressure, the gap between the two sides has once again reached 28 points!

These two three-pointers and the gap closing to nearly 30 points again forced D'Antoni to call a timeout.

"Incredible! Incredible!" Payton shook his head repeatedly after Lin Tian's two consecutive three-pointers, saying, "Lin's performance is truly astounding..."

"It was completely expected!" Barkley interrupted again, "Anyone who knows Lin knows his abilities, knows how terrifying he is. Anyone who has watched Lin play knows he almost never disappoints!"

"The Finals!" This time, Miller interrupted, seizing the opportunity while Barkley was catching his breath, and quickly said, "In the Finals..."

"Lin's performance will only get crazier as the Finals approach!" Barkley didn't mince words with these guys.

You want to isolate me? You won't talk to me? Heh heh, let's see who's afraid of who!

"The more crucial and important the match, the more difficult and unforgiving the game, the more stable Lin becomes! If it were 3-0 or 2-0 now, Lin might play less well."

"But in crucial moments like these, which can change the course of the entire series, Lin will only fight harder and beat everyone! He's invincible!"

"If you like Lin so much, why don't you go and make him your dad?" Payton finally couldn't hold back anymore and retorted to Barkley, "What else can you do besides lick Lin's shoe soles?"

"But the Suns will definitely come back, they will continue their pursuit! After all, with their scoring and shooting abilities, they are capable of closing the 28-point gap!" Barkley didn't even glance at Payton, completely ignoring his provocation.

Come on, let's take this mutual destruction to the extreme!

On the court, D'Antoni substituted Barbosa for Jones, choosing to improve the team's penetration and independent offensive capabilities at this time in order to counter Lin Tian's crazy individual offense.

D'Antoni didn't improve the team's defense, nor did he have much to improve.

All he could do was have Nash and Barbosa double-team Lin Tian!

Yes, they're going straight for a double team!

One person? You can't defend against it, you really can't!

With just two minutes left in the third quarter, Lin Tian had already scored 60 points!

If D'Antoni lets him play alone and continues his relentless barrage, he has no doubt that Lin Tian can score another 10 points in 2 minutes. In just 2 minutes, he can bring his total score from the first three quarters to 70 points!

So even though D'Antoni knew that Lin Tian was the best passer in the league and the least afraid of being double-teamed, he had no choice.

No matter how many points others score, they can't possibly be more terrifying than Lin Tian.

D'Antoni's logic is still sound.

No matter how many points the rest of the Knicks score, they can't break any NBA records, right?

But if Lin Tian continues to go crazy, he might actually do something like scoring 100 points in a single game in the finals.

Even D'Antoni couldn't afford to lose face like that!

Of course, what D'Antoni didn't know was that even though the game wasn't over yet, Lin Tian had already scored 50+ points in three consecutive games, which was the first time in NBA history that someone had achieved such a feat!

Only the Suns' defense could create such a crazy individual performance from Lin Tian!

If it were any team with even a slightly better defense, Lin Tian wouldn't be able to score so recklessly!

Clearly, Lin Tian's performance tonight is not over yet!

With the timeout over, facing the Suns' double-team, Lin Tian remained calm and made consecutive passes, allowing the team to score three more baskets in the final two minutes.

The Suns' offense was slightly better, as they had the first possession after the timeout and the last possession before the end of the third quarter, giving them an extra offensive opportunity. During this period, they scored 4 baskets and 8 points!

By the end of the third quarter, the score difference between the two sides had been narrowed to 25 points.

115: 90!

The Suns were already incredibly dominant in this quarter, scoring 41 points. However, facing Lin Tian's terrifying firepower that could be unleashed at any moment and the huge point difference, they fought hard but only managed to close the gap to 6 points.

With a remaining 25-point gap, this level of scoring efficiency is utterly insignificant!

In the fourth quarter, Don Nelson wasn't prepared to crush the Suns too badly.

At the start of the game, he let Lin Tian, ​​Anthony, and Stoudemire rest and substituted them with a group of reserve players to continue the battle against the Suns.

If the opposing coach had any self-awareness, they would have called it a day at this point, bringing in their substitutes and turning the entire fourth quarter into garbage time.

Because the meaning behind Don Nelson's actions was all too clear: I'm not even letting my star player, who scores 60 points in 3 quarters, play. If you still don't give up and keep putting your starters in to catch up, then you're being a bit unreasonable, bro!

But clearly, D'Antoni has no sense of social etiquette or knowing when to stop.

Of course, it's possible that he has that thing, but it's the finals now, and he doesn't want to give up or surrender just like that.

Even if it's tough, we have to hold on until the very end!

Regardless of D'Antoni's true intentions, he hasn't benched his starters and is instead continuing to field his four main starters plus Barbosa to try and close the gap!

With this full-strength lineup facing the Knicks' bench, the Suns were able to easily launch another offensive surge, allowing them to quickly catch up.

But the Suns, who refused to give up and continued to chase points, had already sealed their fate tonight. Their perseverance only brought them a brand new record.

A record belonging to Lin Tian!

With 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter, after the Suns' frantic comeback, the score was now 125-110!

The Suns have once again narrowed the gap to 15 points!

Then?

Then Nelson called a timeout and gave some instructions.

When the timeout ended, Anthony, Stoudemire, and Lin Tian returned to the court!

Since you Phoenix people are so ungrateful, then we'll just have to take advantage of you! (End of Chapter)