met free Chapter 491 Dominating the Court Even Without Scoring! Lin Tian's Hot Pot Flourish
Chapter 491 Dominating the Court Even Without Scoring! Lin Tian's Hot Pot Flourish
"Lin?" In the Pacers' locker room, Carlisle looked at Lin Tian. Although he knew that this disciple was almost omnipotent and had played almost every 48 minutes in the first round, this was the Finals!
Furthermore, given that Lin Tian played the entire first half, Carlisle was still somewhat worried about Lin Tian's stamina.
"I'm fine. I can easily play another 24 minutes in the second half." Lin Tian took a swig of his energy drink and said, "Tonight, we have to crush them! If we win tonight, they won't put up any more resistance!"
"But if they win tonight, if they recover from this, the next game will only be more difficult than tonight!"
"So, get ready, Rick. I believe everyone here is as prepared as I am, and we're all willing to give everything for tonight's victory!"
"Yes! We are all willing to give everything!"
Seeing his disciples' growing confidence, Carlisle said with satisfaction, "Very good!"
"So, based on my understanding of Sanders, this guy is a rather stingy and very unpleasant miser. His stinginess is reflected in every aspect, including on the court. He will cherish the physical strength that Iverson and Garnett have just recovered. He will never and dare not let their energy be overdrawn in advance."
"In other words, in the third quarter, he will most likely continue to rely on his role players, letting Cassell, Sprewell, and others take the lead in the offense, while allowing Iverson and Garnett to conserve their energy for a breakout performance in the fourth quarter!"
"So, we'll need to change our strategy slightly in the third quarter. We'll change our defensive matchups! Lin, you'll take on Cassell, Doug, you'll take on Iverson. If they change their primary offensive option, you two should switch your guards as needed!"
"Then, Lin, Cassell's three-point shooting is terrible, you can try leaving him alone, and then help defend other positions whenever possible! As for how exactly to defend, which positions to defend, and where to appear, rely on your instincts! I trust you."
"Everyone else, increase communication, shout more, remind each other, don't leave anyone out, let them shoot, keep them away from the basket!"
"Finally, on the offensive end, there's not much to say. Let's play the same way we did in the first half. You guys did a fantastic job in the first half! So I believe in you, and you definitely won't let me down."
"Alright, everyone, any questions? Anyone else have any questions?"
After Carlisle glanced at everyone and confirmed that everyone was alright, he clapped his hands and said to everyone, "We are..."
"champion!"
"Dry them to death!"
"Let the Minnesotans go back to their cold, icy nests and weep!"
"Awoooooo!"
Halftime is over, the second half begins!
The two sides stepped onto the field once again.
"What are you doing here? Allen is over there!" When Cassell saw that Lin Tian had actually clung to him, he couldn't help but frown. Sanders had asked him to be the main attacker in the second half, but now that Lin Tian was here, what was the point of him being the main attacker?
"I'll try something different." Lin Tian avoided eye contact with Kassel, keeping his head down as he said, "I'm used to eating delicacies, so eating something like mud and tree roots now and then is good for my health!"
"Why don't you look at me when you talk? Don't you have the guts to look me in the eye?" Kassel continued to mock Lin Tian as he looked down.
"Yes, I don't have the guts to look you in the eye. I'm afraid of you." Lin Tian nodded without hesitation. "And you'd better not tease me with your face anymore. Have you forgotten that we have Josh on our team?"
"He's uglier than you!"
Upon hearing Lin Tian's words, Kassel immediately recalled the unpleasant scene from the Christmas Day game between the two teams, and couldn't help but shudder, saying, "Then it's settled! We won't mention this again. I won't, and you shouldn't either."
"It's a deal!"
Lin Tian never imagined that ugly people were more afraid of ugly people than ordinary people.
I guess this is the reason why I'm extra afraid of water after I've been caught in the rain?
Lin Tian felt that this was a case of same-sex repulsion!
The Timberwolves then launched their first offensive play of the second half. Cassell dribbled the ball up the court, and instead of rushing to attack against Lin Tian's defense, he decisively passed the ball out!
The threat posed by the league's new Defensive Player of the Year is absolutely enormous!
Kassel, that old fox, would never have the foolish idea of challenging Lin Tian to a one-on-one fight and trying to score points from him unless absolutely necessary.
After seeing Cassell pass the ball, Lin Tian only stayed by Cassell's side for two seconds before quickly shifting his position and letting Cassell go.
It can only be said that most point guards in this era have significant weaknesses. Lin Tian has lost count of how many point guards he has encountered who are not good at three-point shooting and who can be temporarily set aside to help defend.
However, such good days are numbered.
In two years, when scoring point guards or combo guards like Arenas and Davis emerge in large numbers, Lin Tian will have to focus on defense and it will be difficult for him to roam around and help defend.
But that's for later, what does it have to do with tonight?
In the first round of Lin Tian's roaming, he slipped into Szczerbiak's blind spot. Just as the guy was dribbling and preparing to break through, Lin Tian suddenly popped out from behind and slapped the basketball that he had just slapped, stealing the ball directly!
"Counterattack!" Lin Tian shouted, just about to dribble up the court, when he suddenly found that Cassell and Iverson had almost simultaneously arrived in front of him, spreading their arms to double-team him!
"A full-court double-team, huh?" Lin Tian chuckled, slowing down his pace as he prepared to start. "Starting in the third quarter? Aren't you afraid my teammates will beat you to a pulp?"
"Come on then!" Iverson lowered his center of gravity and tentatively reached out to steal the ball.
Just as Iverson reached out, Lin Tian suddenly accelerated and easily passed by the side where Iverson had stolen the ball!
This is Iverson's biggest bad habit on the defensive end: he always likes to use this kind of risky steal.
But as we all know, if you're lucky enough to steal the ball directly, it can indeed be a great opportunity for a fast break dunk.
However, if you're unlucky, it's a defensive lapse that gives your defender plenty of space to attack.
Almost no coach would like this kind of risky steal, and no coach would let their players practice or try this technique.
Rather than a low-probability steal, they prefer their players to maintain their defensive positions and not be easily beaten by their opponents.
This time, Iverson made another mistake, and Lin Tian quickly passed by him and reached the frontcourt.
Lin Tian had just stood still outside the three-point line when Sprewell rushed over at lightning speed. At the same time, Iverson also used his speed to sprint to Lin Tian's side. As for Cassell, although he was a step slower, he still managed to stand next to Christie as quickly as possible.
The Timberwolves continued to double-team Lin Tian, but this time Artest was left unguarded.
Lin Tian wasn't in a hurry to break through the double-team on his own. He passed the ball to Artest, letting him back down in the low post and attack Szczerbiak.
Artest had an absolute advantage in strength and physique when facing Szczerbiak one-on-one. He easily drove to the basket in no time, but as soon as the ball left his hand, Garnett's help defense arrived.
"Snapped!"
Garnett slapped Artest's shot away, sending it flying to the vicinity of the free-throw line.
Cassell, with his exceptional basketball IQ, immediately stepped aside to block Lin Tian, preventing him from contesting the ball. Sprewell then quickly stepped forward, grabbed the ball, and passed it to Iverson.
Iverson dribbled the ball up the court at lightning speed, while Lin Tian quickly shook off Cassell and retreated to defend.
As the two chased each other, Iverson suddenly bounced the ball off the ground, sending it past Lin Tian and directly behind him.
When Lin Tian turned around, he saw Sprewell receiving the ball and preparing to drive straight to the basket!
"What are you thinking about!"
With a loud roar, Lin Tian accelerated and arrived beside Sprewell in the blink of an eye.
"Snapped!"
With a crisp crack, Lin Tian slapped Sprewell's layup against the backboard! A chase-down block drew cheers and shouts from the Conseco Center!
This is not finished!
The basketball that Lin Tian had knocked away fell into the hands of Szczerbiak, who was following up. The sharpshooter then tried to dunk the ball as well.
But he had clearly forgotten the miserable state of Iverson and Garnett in the first half. This guy with rather mediocre physical attributes dunked as if he was just handing the ball to Lin Tian to help him pad his block stats. Szczerbiak didn't even get the ball fully up before Lin Tian slapped it away again!
After landing, Lin Tian accelerated wildly once again, sprinting all the way from under the basket to the free throw line area, and then jumped high with all his might!
This jump instantly propelled Lin Tian to a very high position, from which he could look down and see Iverson's face filled with disbelief and almost terror.
As for the reason?
Iverson had just received the basketball and completed a mid-range jump shot, but Lin Tian appeared inexplicably just as the ball left his hand.
"Snapped!"
After another loud bang, the basketball flew out again, but this time, no Timberwolves player was able to get it!
Christie, who had finally gotten back into position on defense, caught the ball and immediately passed it to Artest. Artest, not wanting to take credit, passed the ball to Miller instead.
Miller was still near the Timberwolves' free throw line when he raised the ball with both hands, successfully tricking Garnett into taking a step forward to close in on him.
At that moment, the ball in Miller's hand flew out, heading straight for the back of Garnett's head.
"boom!"
Then came a loud bang!
Haslem, unguarded, easily caught the ball and completed a powerful two-handed dunk!
The fans in the arena cheered wildly, but they weren't cheering for Haslem's powerful dunk or Miller's alley-oop pass.
All the fans were still chanting Lin Tian's name! They were still celebrating wildly for Lin Tian's performance!
"Three blocks in a row! He's only 191cm tall, and just a point guard!" Barkley shook his head in disbelief. "With these three blocks, Lin has already recorded seven blocks tonight! And this is only the beginning of the third quarter!"
"Honestly, I was joking when I said Lin could get 5 pairs, but now it seems... he might actually be able to do it?"
"Seven blocks and five steals, and he only played one minute in the third quarter. Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! I can't even predict what kind of stats Lin will put up tonight!"
"But what I can say for sure is that we can absolutely use words like 'unprecedented' and 'unparalleled' to describe Lin's dominance and madness!"
"The Timberwolves are on offense again!" Kenny added. "I really hope the Timberwolves can score some points now. I don't want them to let the Pacers pull away like this."
"That would mean Lin would be substituted early and rest! Lin wouldn't get the stats the fans want to see!"
Kenny's words are sure to resonate with countless Pacers fans.
They've actually started secretly cheering for the Timberwolves!
Let's score one!
Come on, score one!
Otherwise, what if our Lin leaves the game early?
Unfortunately, the Timberwolves' attack was thwarted!
It's Lin Tian again!
This time, the Timberwolves gave the ball to Garnett, who was near the free-throw line with his hands raised, observing the situation on the court. Just as he spotted Sprewell in a good position and was about to pass the ball to him, Iverson's shout suddenly rang out.
"Kevin! Watch out!"
Garnett was startled, and then he realized what Iverson wanted him to be careful of, but it was too late for him to react!
Lin Tian's large hands firmly gripped the basketball that Garnett was holding with both hands.
"Give it to me!"
Then Lin Tian roared and suddenly exerted force with both arms. His iron-like hands snatched the basketball from Garnett's hands as if he were robbing him. Then Lin Tian dribbled the ball and launched another counterattack!
The Timberwolves' defensive discipline is absolutely flawless. As soon as Lin Tian gets the ball, the two closest perimeter players will quickly move over to him and double-team him.
But Lin Tian's vision is also among the best in the league. He passed the ball out almost before the Timberwolves double-teamed him, and Christie took the ball and advanced.
And based on habit and trust in Lin Tian, Christie pushed forward while moving towards the sideline.
As he crossed midfield and reached the sideline, the Timberwolves' defense rushed in, trying to force Christie into a turnover using the sideline. By then, the ball in Christie's hands had already flown to the middle.
He didn't even need to look at the situation in that position; he was certain that Lin Tian would get the ball!
"Beautiful pass, Doug!" Lin Tian's shout reassured Christie. After getting rid of the Timberwolves' double team with his speed, Lin Tian didn't stop for a moment after getting the ball and accelerated into the Timberwolves' paint again. Then he made a behind-the-back pass to Artest, who was following up on the other side.
When Artest got the ball, the Timberwolves' defense had completely collapsed!
They have no decent defensive resources to deal with Artest.
"boom!"
Artest drove straight to the basket and slammed it home, scoring 2 more points for the team!
After Artest's two points, Sanders couldn't hold back any longer. He stood up and called the first timeout of the second half!
It's terrible!
The team played terribly in the second half!
Although so far, the Pacers have only beaten us 4-0 so far, which isn't a particularly dramatic score.
The issue isn't how many points the Timberwolves conceded, but rather how they conceded those four points!
He didn't score a single point, and even gave Lin Tian 3 blocks and 2 steals, and it's only been two minutes into the game!
He got stolen and blocked in just two minutes. What, are you trying to give Lin Tian a five-double today?
Sanders called a timeout and was furiously yelling at the players from the sidelines. He was utterly disappointed with their performance!
But at this point in the game, seeing the Pacers' morale gradually rising due to Lin Tian's defensive brilliance, Sanders knew he couldn't wait any longer.
If we wait any longer, the score will widen again! At that point, it's hard to say whether the team will still have the will and tenacity to catch up.
Change is necessary!
We must take advantage of the fact that we're only down by 6 points now and unleash our ultimate weapon!
Of course, while it's called a signature move, Sanders's move is basically known throughout the entire league.
It's just Iverson and Garnett, with the two of them running pick-and-rolls and passing and cutting.
Of course, it's true that not many people know Sanders and the Timberwolves' secret weapon and can defend against it!
The Lakers failed to do this at least in the Western Conference Finals; they couldn't stop this duo and ultimately lost.
So what about the Pacers tonight?
"If Sanders gets pushed to the limit, he'll definitely pull out all the stops!"
As soon as Carlisle saw Sanders call a timeout, he knew exactly what Sanders was going to do! After all, the Timberwolves only have a handful of cards to play.
Anyway, Carlisle didn't believe Sanders would dare to try out Ogvorkandi at this point.
"Lin, you'll be guarding Iverson next! He'll be running a lot of pick-and-rolls and handoffs with Garnett, as well as off-ball cuts and the like. Their offense is going to be very sharp from now on!"
"There's a high probability that this next offensive attack will be their most ferocious one since the finals began!"
"Hold on this wave, and we'll be the champions!"
"I've watched their videos countless times. I know their tactics, their attacking and teamwork methods inside and out!" Lin Tian patted his chest, brimming with confidence. "I'll shut Iverson down!"
"He won't have any chance to prove himself!"
"Alright, everyone, let's do it again! Let's take down the Timberwolves!"
70: 76!
The game continues in the third quarter!
As expected, the Timberwolves' first offensive possession back on the court no longer saw Cassell in charge.
Iverson received the ball and called Garnett to set a screen for him. After the two set a screen, they quickly separated. Garnett received the pass from Iverson and pulled up for a high-post jump shot, scoring the Timberwolves' first 2 points of the second half!
"I thought you'd have more guts," Lin Tian said, looking at Iverson. "But it turns out that no matter who's guarding you, you've lost the courage to attack on your own."
"Just tell me, isn't it 2 points?"
"They're both 2 points, what's the difference? Don't you have a brain to figure it out?" Lin Tian snorted. "You're just a spineless coward who can only organize the offense and be someone else's assistant!"
"none of your business!"
"It's none of my business, but it's none of your business either, huh?"
Lin Tian gave one last contemptuous laugh. This feeling of sowing discord was really good!
Whether it succeeds or not, this feeling is awesome!
Lin Tian, who had just arrived at the frontcourt, quickly learned what kind of adjustments the Timberwolves had made to their defense.
It's just changing the full-court double-teaming of Lin Tian to a half-court double-teaming.
Clearly, Sanders was intimidated by Lin Tian's attacks in the previous two rounds and dared not continue to double-team him throughout the game. Instead, he only double-teamed Lin Tian after he came to the frontcourt to prepare for the attack.
This slightly conservative early double-teaming prevents the Timberwolves' defense from crumbling and leaking air everywhere just because of Lin Tian's breakthrough. It's true that the defensive area they are trying to control has become smaller, but in this smaller space, the Timberwolves have a stronger grasp of this area!
Of course, whether he's strong or not has nothing to do with Lin Tian.
I'll say it again: How does Iverson and Cassell's double-team defense compare to Jordan and Pippen's back in the day?
Neither of them could hold me down, so what right do you have?
Faced with a double-team, Lin Tian first dribbled and retreated to move the two defenders around, and then suddenly changed direction and dribbled the ball the moment the two continued to press forward.
It seemed like he was going to force his way past Cassell, but the instant Cassell and Iverson moved in that direction, Lin Tian suddenly spun 360 degrees with the ball, and in the blink of an eye, he had passed through the gap between the two!
The scenery before me suddenly opened up completely!
Garnett charged toward Lin Tian at lightning speed under the basket, but this time Lin Tian did not challenge Garnett. Instead, he made a bounce pass, allowing the ball to pass through Garnett's defense and reach Miller under the basket.
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Miller slammed the ball in with both hands!
"You also pass the ball! You don't have the guts to score one-on-one either, do you?" Iverson snorted, expressing the same disdain for Lin Tian.
"Have some shame!" Lin Tian snapped, "You gave me a chance for a one-on-one fight? I'm taking on three of you! Go ahead and try fighting me one-on-one, see if I can beat you so badly you'll never see your limp self again!"
Lin Tian's words once again broke Iverson's defenses.
This is why the truth is often more hurtful than dirty talk.
Unfortunately, Allen Iverson has now played in the NBA for eight years and is no longer the explosive player he once was, especially on the stage of the Finals!
Iverson's desire for the championship led him to make a decision!
That means I will never speak to Lin Tian again, so as not to be provoked by him.
As long as I don't talk to him, he can't hurt me.
Iverson dribbled the ball up the court with his head down, and then ran a pick-and-roll with Garnett again. This time, after the two separated, Iverson found Szczerbiak in the corner and assisted him to hit a three-pointer!
Believe it or not, once the Iverson-Garnett connection was fully activated, the Timberwolves' entire offensive system came alive. Especially when Iverson wasn't thinking about attacking and was willing to pass the ball to his teammates, the threat of this tactic reached its peak!
Garnett and Iverson both have top-notch vision and excellent passing ability. At the same time, the other three players on the Timberwolves are all very reliable on offense and have top-notch finishing ability.
Add to that the formidable presence of Garnett and Iverson themselves, and when the two of them repeatedly set pick-and-rolls and then decided whether to pass the ball or attack themselves based on the Pacers' defense, the Pacers' defense really had no way to deal with them!
Fortunately, the Pacers still had Lin Tian. He not only seized the opportunity to intercept Garnett's pass and launched a counterattack for a dunk, but also provided help defense when Sprewell attacked the basket, blocking the "Madman" and making him fall to the ground in a sorry state.
Besides his ability to fill gaps and help his teammates on defense, Lin Tian also frequently made good passes on offense. Facing the Timberwolves' double-teams and the second or even third line of defense waiting for him, Lin Tian did not insist on gritting his teeth and forcing his way through alone.
He constantly moved and outmaneuvered the Timberwolves' defense, then repeatedly found his teammates, delivering brilliant passes and assisting them to score.
Of course, the Pacers also had their share of missed shots, and Lin Tian himself had his share of turnovers or forced shots.
Overall, in the third quarter, neither the Timberwolves nor the Pacers could gain a decisive advantage, with the two teams constantly trading and fighting for a lead of around 5 points.
Meanwhile, the role players on both sides performed exceptionally well in this quarter. Even without their star players launching aggressive attacks or using their individual skills to break through the game, both sides scored over 30 points in this quarter thanks to the hot shooting of their role players.
By the end of the third quarter, both teams had scored over 100 points, but the Pacers, thanks to Lin Tian's early burst of scoring, still maintained the advantage and initiative.
100: 107!
The Pacers finished the third quarter with a 7-point lead!
In this quarter, the Timberwolves continued their all-out offensive strategy. The trio of Sprewell, Cassell, and Szczerbiak all performed well. Although Iverson and Garnett only scored a combined 8 points, they delivered 8 assists together!
These eight assists made the Timberwolves' offense incredibly exciting in the third quarter!
Kenny's assessment at the end of the third quarter says it all: "This was absolutely the best team basketball performance in the league right now! The Timberwolves showcased teamwork and selflessness to the fullest in this quarter!"
On the Pacers' side, it was still Lin Tian's solo act!
Although he didn't score many points in this quarter, and even considering Lin Tian's level, his scoring performance in this quarter was quite mediocre, only scoring 6 points.
但他这一节除了这6分之外，还送出5助攻4篮板4盖帽3抢断。
The sheer awe-inspiring power of this all-around performance is even more incredible than Lin Tian's 30-point outburst in a single quarter!
too crazy!
Especially that triple block at the beginning of the third quarter was a crazy play that could have humiliated the Timberwolves' trio!
By the end of the third quarter, Lin Tian's stats had accumulated to a level that made everyone feel crazy.
43分11篮板13助攻7抢断8盖帽！
Lin Tian has already achieved a triple-double. If he continues at his pace in the third quarter, he will achieve a five-double tonight!
Unprecedented and unparalleled!
"I think Lin needs to get at least a quadruple-double tonight!" Barkley said. "He needs to get at least a quadruple-double, otherwise how can he live up to the fans' expectations!"
"It's mainly because I'm letting you down, isn't it?" Kenny snorted from the side. "If Lin doesn't get four or five doubles tonight, you, Charles, will be the one who'll be the most upset."
"I'll cry, I'll cry my eyes out, then chug three bottles of whiskey, and finally have a sleepless night!" Barkley nodded, indicating that you were right.
"What if Lin gets four or five pairs?"
"Then I'll cry too. I'll cry my eyes out, then chug three bottles of whiskey, and finally have a sleepless night!" Barkley nodded, giving the same answer.
"You bastard, you just want to drink, right?"
On the Timberwolves' bench, Sanders was still frantically boosting the players' morale, urging them to give it their all one last time.
He knew better than anyone how important this match was, and he was also very clear about what would happen to them if they lost.
"Take this step back, and you're safe! This is our last stand, our only chance! Crush those Pacers bastards, show them what we're made of! And starting today, let's pull off the greatest comeback and upset in NBA history!"
"Dry them to death!"
"Awoo!"
"Awoooooo!"
Ok?
Sanders noticed something was off about the wolf howls around him, glanced back, and saw Artest howling enthusiastically in the area.
"What the hell are you doing here! Get the hell out of here!"
Sanders was in a bad mood at this moment. He didn't care whether the guy in front of him was a beast or a dinosaur. He started yelling at Artest, who chuckled and quickly turned and ran away.
"How's it going? What news have you found?" The Pacers players were just about to take the court, and Lin Tian asked Artest about the results while adjusting his wristband.
"What he said... I didn't quite understand." Artest scratched his head, but showed no embarrassment: "But I know what they meant."
"He said he was going to kill us!"
"That's enough!" Lin Tian smiled, looking up to meet the gazes of Iverson and the others who had also walked onto the court. "Let's see who beats whom tonight!" (End of Chapter)