NABC Chapter 364 Crazy 1-Minute Rain! At least two major versions ahead of you!
Chapter 364 Crazy 1-Minute Rain! At least two major versions ahead of you!
In the short time it took Lin Tian to move from the backcourt to the frontcourt, he had already figured out his next strategy.
That is: fight the same way you fought before!
Just flush it in!
Of course, there are some differences.
To say there's absolutely no difference is pure nonsense.
For example, in this round, Lin Tian waved for Webber to pull away, and then had Big Ben cover for him!
As soon as Lin Tian made this gesture, many people immediately understood what he was going to do!
This is a mismatch one-on-one against Shaq!
It's just that the term "military training" didn't exist in this era, otherwise Barkley and Kenny would definitely have exclaimed in surprise immediately.
But it doesn't matter if it doesn't exist!
I should have just created him!
After a single screen, Fisher was pushed to the side by Ben Wallace. Although O'Neal came out from under the basket, he only extended very little outwards, still a full step away from the three-point line!
The meaning couldn't be clearer.
Go ahead and vote if you dare!
Jackson had already predicted this situation during the break!
He said that Lin Tian could attack O'Neal at any time and take advantage of O'Neal's lack of speed.
Jackson's instructions to O'Neal were: Let him shoot! Just defend that small area under the basket!
Anyway, Lin Tian was completely out of sorts tonight, making only 1 of 6 three-point attempts! Jackson doesn't believe that Lin Tian can always find his rhythm in crucial moments and deliver a fatal blow to the opponent!
That's impossible!
Lin Tian saw that O'Neal was a full 2 meters away from him, but he didn't shoot directly!
It wasn't that he lacked confidence, but rather that Lin Tian didn't want an open three-point shot opportunity.
What he wants is to knock O'Neal out of the game!
So, he suddenly accelerated and kept dribbling in and out with one hand at low altitude, deceiving O'Neal's center of gravity while Lin Tian also pressed close to O'Neal's body, trying to provoke O'Neal into committing a foul!
But O'Neal maintained an almost perfect physique this time! Although Lin Tian followed him closely towards the inside, O'Neal never lost his defensive position on the inside, always managing to interfere with Lin Tian's shot.
Secondly, O'Neal's defensive actions were extremely clear, with his hands clearly positioned, leaving the referee with no reason to blow the whistle!
After driving all the way to the basket, Lin Tian was unable to deceive or shake off O'Neal's defense, and he couldn't even draw a foul.
Seeing that he couldn't possibly force a shot against O'Neal while standing still under the basket, Lin Tian actually dribbled the ball around the basket for a whole circle, forcing O'Neal to spread his arms and spin around with Lin Tian!
Then, just as Lin Tian was about to turn around, he suddenly stopped halfway through. He then quickly reversed his position and faced the basket again. At the same time, he hooked and flicked the basketball with his left hand, sending it flying through O'Neal's armpit and slamming it onto the backboard.
"Bang! Swish!"
Two voices rang out almost simultaneously. Lin Tian cleverly used the rhythm and timing difference under the basket to score 2 points, continuing to narrow the gap for the team!
"Beautiful! Lin's timing was superb, his rhythm was perfect!" Kenny exclaimed. "Shaq's control was also at its limit! Despite being outmaneuvered by the point guard like that, he managed to maintain perfect control of his defensive movements without committing a foul, while still maintaining his defensive aggression!"
"Shaq's defense is truly underestimated!"
Turning back, when it was the Lakers' turn to attack, Kobe also had the ball at the top of the arc, then waved his hand, signaling O'Neal to screen for him!
This time, O'Neal walked straight towards Kobe without hesitation.
After a screen, Kobe was matched up against Ben Wallace. Kobe immediately accelerated and drove to the basket, overpowering Wallace. He then used his rhythm advantage, making a series of feints, fakes, and footwork changes in an attempt to trick Wallace into jumping.
Unfortunately, Ben Wallace stretched out his arms, giving Kobe no chance to draw a foul. Although Kobe eventually made the shot despite Wallace's raised arms, Wallace's defense and control were truly at their limit!
"Beautiful! Kobe's attack this time was just like Lin's!" Barkley exclaimed. "Brilliant offense! Clever defense! Both Ben and Kobe have demonstrated exceptional body control and a deep understanding of the game!"
"But these two rounds also show that both teams will likely focus their attacks on their respective team's centers in the coming minutes!"
"Currently, with Ben Wallace at 5 fouls, the Lakers have the advantage! Let's see who can take down the opposing center first!"
As the two strongest and closest teams this season, both the Lakers and the Pacers have reached their peak in terms of execution and form at this stage!
For example, as Barkley and Kenny said, after realizing that whether they could take down the opposing center would be a key factor in the outcome of the game, both teams' players began to put in their best efforts!
The Pacers repeatedly attacked O'Neal under the basket, either by using pick-and-rolls to directly challenge him one-on-one, by forcing shots under the basket, or by using dirty tricks on O'Neal when grabbing rebounds in the hopes of provoking him into committing a rebounding foul.
In short, the Pacers targeted O'Neal on almost every possession!
Shaquille O'Neal truly deserves to be called one of the league's top centers. Even though his defense has always been underestimated and he has never been a contender for the league's best defensive player, that's because his offense is too strong and his defensive intentions are never that strong.
It's not because his absolute defensive ability is bad!
When O'Neal was fully focused on his defensive intensity and giving it his all for the championship, the paint he guarded was undoubtedly one of the most impenetrable walls in the league!
For the next five minutes, O'Neal delivered two blocks. When he felt he couldn't block his opponent, he raised his arms and stood up straight, putting as much defensive pressure on the Pacers players as possible.
In 5 minutes, he didn't commit a single foul. On the contrary, the Pacers' offensive efficiency was extremely low. After all, apart from Lin Tian and Carter, the effect of the rest of them forcibly attacking the basket to challenge O'Neal was really not worth mentioning!
In those 5 minutes, the Pacers only managed to score 7 more points!
Of course, the good news is that the Pacers also have a top-class defensive center! Even though the Lakers attacked Ben Wallace relentlessly, constantly assaulting the basket he was protecting, Wallace, with 5 fouls, held on!
The Lakers' offensive efficiency was not higher than the Pacers'. Even O'Neal's low post-up plays were blocked by Ben Wallace three times in a row!
The Lakers only managed to score 6 points in those 5 minutes!
73: 76!
With six minutes remaining, the score difference between the two teams was still only three points!
The Lakers held onto their slim lead firmly in the fourth quarter, preventing the Pacers from overtaking them again!
At this point in the game, the deadlock on the field was suddenly broken!
The Pacers missed a three-pointer, and Kobe grabbed the rebound, which bounced a little far away. Then he suddenly made a diagonal pass and put the ball in the hands of Fisher, who had already started running at full speed on the other side!
Fisher received the ball and didn't stop. Instead, he accelerated and drove straight to the basket, then raised his hand for a layup!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp click, Fisher made a fast break layup! For Fisher, this was definitely a stroke of good luck!
This was his first fast break point in this series!
The entire series!
That was his only absolute fast break score!
What changed the situation wasn't even the two points Fisher scored on that layup.
Instead, right after, the baseline referee suddenly blew his whistle!
"Ben Wallace, pushing is a foul!"
The referee's sudden call left Ben Wallace completely stunned. He jumped almost a meter high, clutching his head in disbelief!
"Are you crazy! I didn't even touch him! How could I have fouled! You're insane!" After covering his head, Ben Wallace quickly spread his arms, looked at the referee in disbelief, and appealed to the referee.
This was something even Fisher himself hadn't expected.
Did this guy foul? Did we have any physical contact just now?
It seems so.
But given tonight's standards, was that contact called a foul?
Anyway, Fisher felt that Ben Wallace was completely wronged by the foul!
But as the saying goes, a basketball court isn't a place where absolute integrity and fairness are paramount. It's just that Fisher's reaction wasn't quick enough. If he had reacted a little faster, he might have rolled on the ground and screamed while clutching his back the moment the referee blew the whistle, to increase the credibility of the foul.
The large screen at the scene was also very considerate, immediately showing a slow-motion replay of the ball.
In slow motion, it's clear that Ben Wallace did put one hand on Fisher's waist while chasing back. If you insist on calling it a foul, then the play itself isn't wrong!
The problem is, if this kind of contact is called a foul tonight, or even in the entire finals and all the playoff games this year, then tonight's games probably won't end until 1 a.m.!
There were at least 200 instances of this level of physical contact throughout the night!
"According to the rules, there was physical contact between the two players, which is indeed a foul," Kenny said, frowning. "But I don't understand the point of that whistle! The referee clearly encouraged physical contact throughout the entire game, ignoring countless similar or even more serious physical contact incidents all night long."
"But I really can't understand why they'd call a foul of this magnitude at this point!"
"What's so hard to understand?" Barkley said indignantly, "Isn't this helping Los Angeles? The whistles are starting to favor the Lakers, and the referees are starting to call fouls on things that could be called otherwise!"
"We've all played basketball for years, we're used to these kinds of whistles, right, Kenny?"
"What matters is never whether this play is a foul, but whether the referee will call a foul on the next similar move!"
"scale!"
"Good point, the standards are right!" Kenny echoed Barkley's sentiments, "The same move gets called on the Pacers but not the Lakers, that's a difference in standards, and that difference in standards can cause the game to veer directly in one direction!"
"The Lakers will become more and more confident on both ends of the court and make bolder moves, while the Pacers will become more hesitant and will no longer dare to make some moves that they used to dare to do."
"But it's hard to say whether things will develop that way! Nobody knows exactly what happened this time, or why the referee called that foul! But what if the referee blows the whistle again when the Lakers make the same move next time?"
"That's nothing!"
"What do you mean 'nothing'? That's Ben's sixth foul! Let me tell you, Kenny, this is FUXX!"
Barkley was only halfway through his sentence when he felt a sharp pain in his leg!
Kenny kicked him under the table! And it was a really hard kick, the kind that showed no mercy, making Barkley wince in pain.
Kenny's meaning couldn't be clearer: he was reminding his partner that it's okay to question the referees' calls here, and it's also okay to say that their calls are problematic! All of that is permitted!
But Barkley was clearly getting carried away. He was obviously going to continue saying things like the league was giving Los Angeles a free pass and that Los Angeles would win the championship. Is that something you can say on a live broadcast?
After the competition, you can publish your opinions and articles as a freelance writer or in any other way you like.
However, such biased remarks should absolutely not be made during a live broadcast of a match!
This is the bottom line for commentators! If Barkley continues to speak recklessly, then the person sitting next to Kenny next season will definitely not be Barkley!
TNT has always been known for its bold statements, exaggerated style, and minimal restrictions.
But there are limits. Some things just can't be said!
After stopping Barkley from rambling, Kenny quickly changed the subject, bringing everyone's attention back to the game.
At this point, Ben Wallace had been stopped by his teammates, who prevented him from continuing to appeal to the referee!
This is the NBA. In an era without a challenge system, referees don't change their calls once they've been made! No matter how much Ben Wallace protests, even if it was a referee's mistake, even if he didn't commit a foul, nothing will change!
Aside from an extra technical foul, the Pacers and Ben Wallace will get nothing!
More importantly, this is Game 7 of the Finals, and these are the last 5 minutes of Game 7.
At this point, there is no longer any need to pressure the referee by yelling, committing technical fouls, or swearing.
That's too late!
So now, even if the entire Pacers team is indignant and thinks this whistle is nonsense, they have to accept reality and endure it!
More technical fouls will only put them in a more unfavorable situation.
Ben Wallace, who had been pulled to the sidelines, had red eyes and was even unable to hold back his tears.
"I just touched him, I didn't use any force, I didn't foul! If I had fouled, he would have been sent flying. I know what I did, I really didn't, I..."
"Alright, Ben! Alright!" Lin Tian suddenly walked over, grabbed Ben's bulging, afro-like hair, and shook it vigorously twice before saying, "You did your best! We all know you did your best! It's okay, get some rest!"
"You can only rest for two minutes at most, and then you have to do something for me."
"Help us get the champagne from the locker room to the stadium! We're going to celebrate later!"
"Lin, it's me," Da Ben raised his head and looked at Lin Tian.
"Don't fucking look at me like that, it makes me feel disgusted! I only accept pretty girls looking at me like that." Lin Tian laughed and ruffled Ben's afro again. You have to admit, it felt pretty good!
"Two minutes at most, I'll have O'Neal come down and play with you!"
"Fuck you! You think you can brag like that? Then let's all just quit!"
73: 79!
With Fisher making the free throw, the point difference between the two teams has reached 6 points! This is the first time in the entire game that one side has extended the lead to more than 5 points! This is undoubtedly the Lakers' biggest lead tonight!
Based on the scoring pace and efficiency of both teams tonight, and with the time remaining, the scales of victory are beginning to tip in the Lakers' favor!
The game continues!
With Ben Wallace fouled out and Reggie Miller injured, Carlisle has no choice but to move Webber to center and Harrington to the four. This gives the Pacers maximum mobility and agility in the paint, but significantly reduces their height, toughness, rebounding ability, and rim protection.
"El, get three-quarters of the way forward!" Lin Tian shouted to Harrington as he advanced towards the frontcourt. "You're faster, you handle Shaq. Chris and I will figure out how to cover for you!"
"Understood!" Harrington had only played 10 minutes of the game tonight, and he was full of energy and stamina. He hopped and skipped as he ran towards the frontcourt.
After Lin Tian arrived at the frontcourt, he saw that the person O'Neal was guarding was Webber. Without saying a word, he directly asked Webber to come up and set a screen for him.
Then, facing O'Neal, who was once again positioned in the free-throw line area, Lin Tian accelerated and broke through!
This time, it was no different from the previous targeting. Lin Tian still charged towards O'Neal. After the two made physical contact, Lin Tian moved towards the inside while adjusting his posture. Then, after reaching the edge of the three-second zone, Lin Tian suddenly jumped!
This is quite different from before!
Lin Tian's hands holding the ball were completely exposed, and everyone could see how he held the ball with both hands. Lin Tian's arm and O'Neal's arm were pressed tightly together!
Or rather, O'Neal's hand was on Lin Tianlu's exposed arm from the very beginning!
From the moment he jumped, Lin Tian acted as if he had suffered a severe injury, as if he had been hit on the arm by a 12-ton iron hammer. Before he even jumped, he had already lost his balance and fell flat on his back.
At the same time, Lin Tian casually tossed the ball toward the basket while letting out a loud shout.
"And one!"
"beep!"
Whether it was because they were frightened by his miserable state, or awakened by the shout, or because O'Neal's hand pressing down on Lin Tian's arm was too obvious, the referee immediately blew the whistle and gave O'Neal a foul for hitting his hand!
O'Neal's fifth foul!
"FUXX! I didn't move! He pulled me up by the arm! My hand was on his arm and I didn't move! This guy forcibly pulled me up by the arm!" O'Neal spread his hands, looking very dissatisfied!
Just like Ben Wallace did, he also felt that he hadn't fouled. He had been playing defense like this throughout the entire game, and even throughout his entire career!
But this was the first time he had ever seen someone as shameless as Lin Tian, who directly fouled him by hanging up and getting hard!
Shameless!
"You definitely didn't foul Shaq." Lin Tian stood up, adjusted his jersey, then walked over to O'Neal with his back to the referee and whispered, "I pulled you up by the arm. How does that feel? Good, right?"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he patted O'Neal's arm before walking to the free-throw line to prepare for the free throw.
As he said, it wasn't O'Neal who hit his arm; rather, his arm hit O'Neal's hand, and then he made a miserable face and screamed to get the free throw!
Just like with that play by Ben Wallace, did O'Neal commit a foul?
The fact that he said "my arm was on your arm the whole time" means he definitely fouled.
But Lin Tian's fighting style...
It's disgusting.
But the game had already progressed to this point, and the referee had made the first move!
Then you can't blame me!
come on!
If you keep spouting nonsense and take down the main force, then don't blame me for attacking recklessly!
Watch me unleash my ultimate technique, the "One-Point Rain," which will shock the entire league and basketball world 20 years from now, and crush you all!
He wouldn't have bothered to use this move if he hadn't been forced into a corner, if Ben hadn't been in such a bad mood and Lin Tian hadn't wanted to stand up for him.
Who in their right mind would want to watch this? Who in their right mind would play basketball like this?
Anyway, Lin Tian felt that this style of play was not basketball at all, but rather picking a fight!
But how should I put it?
This trick is indeed boring, ugly, despicable, and contemptible, but it is effective!
It can quickly boost your rank, demoralize your opponents, deter them from close defense, and make it easy for you to reach the free throw line!
If you only look at the live text commentary and post-game statistics, it's definitely the style of a basketball god!
But forget about the highlights and live broadcast! Lin Tian hopes his fans won't watch the next few minutes of the game.
How can I describe this feeling?
In movies, top-tier fighters who always present themselves as innocent and docile often say this to the person they love when they decide to kill the villain.
"Close your eyes, don't look. I don't want you to see how ugly I am next."
Yes, Lin Tian feels the same way right now!
Lin Tian stepped to the free-throw line, ignoring O'Neal's angry gaze, and easily made both free throws!
You know what, the speed at which I gained points was both fast and steady. Seeing the angry yet helpless look in my opponent's eyes was really exhilarating!
No wonder!
No wonder this trick became so popular in the future.
1: Questioning; 2: Understanding; 3: Becoming; 4: Surpassing!
Anyway, Lin Tian has now reached at least the 2.5th realm.
For the next two minutes, Lin Tian didn't try to force his way past O'Neal to draw fouls. He knew very well that you can't use some things all the time, even if they are very effective.
Not to mention that referees in this era don't buy into this, and might even realize it and stop calling fouls on Lin Tian in no time, even O'Neal might become smarter and stop committing fouls.
In the next two minutes, with a stamina-filled Harrington desperately jumping around to try and disrupt O'Neal's play, and Webber lurking behind him with a menacing look that seemed ready to steal the ball if he tried to dribble behind him, the Lakers were unable to get the ball back into O'Neal's hands quickly.
Kobe, Rice, Fisher, and others took turns shooting during this phase, but in the end only Kobe made a close-range jump shot, and the Lakers only scored 2 points.
The Pacers were in the same boat; their shooting touch hadn't returned. Although Carlisle made a desperate move by replacing Christie with Miller, Miller couldn't score at that moment, missing both of his shots!
Only Carter, who had recovered in the previous game, successfully challenged O'Neal when he attacked the paint again, scoring 2 points for the Pacers!
With 3 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, the score was still 77-81!
The Pacers are down by 4 points!
Then, Lin Tian called for Webber's cover once again!
Time's almost up! I said O'Neal would be off the bench in two minutes, and that means he'll be off the bench in two minutes! A second earlier, a second later, a possession earlier, a possession later—it wouldn't be two minutes!
After the pick-and-roll, Fisher became much more proactive on defense, stepping forward to screen Webber and try to protect O'Neal.
But Fisher's speed and defensive ability were practically nonexistent to Lin Tian! He even waited for Fisher to completely squeeze through the screen and prepare to pull up his pants again to focus on defense before Lin Tian accelerated his breakthrough!
Asking that question is intentional!
After getting past Fisher who was trying to catch up, Lin Tian chose to accelerate again when facing O'Neal, who was still crouching near the free throw line!
This time, O'Neal was much smarter. He stretched his arms out straight and didn't put his arms on Lin Tian's arms again. You can tell how high the basketball IQ of a top center is! He didn't make the same mistake twice!
But Lin Tian's current playing style is widely recognized as the dirtiest in the league!
Is it okay if you just straighten your arm?
Even if you cut off my arm, I'd still find a way to foul you!
During the breakthrough, Lin Tian spotted O'Neal's outstretched arm, then suddenly exerted force with his left hand, clamping O'Neal's arm onto his own.
Then, the scene became all too familiar.
Lin Tian jumped, then, with a pained expression, sprawled out on the ground, losing his balance. At the same time, he carelessly tossed the basketball aside and shouted, "AND ONE!"
O'Neal looked completely bewildered, staring at Lin Tian in disbelief.
Without hesitation, the referee instinctively blew his whistle!
"O'Neal commits a foul, 2 free throws!"
No matter how you look at it, it was O'Neal who directly stuck his arm between Lin Tian's arms, thus affecting Lin Tian's shot. It was an absolutely obvious foul!
The referee's CPU didn't overheat; instead, after a quick analysis, he felt he had made the absolutely correct judgment!
What kind of person would proactively grab another person's arm to jump when breaking through? Who would just blindly graze the whistle like that?
Lin Tian: Yes! It is I!
We're at least two versions ahead of you, that's how efficient we are!
Jackson, sitting on the sidelines, immediately stood up. He was so angry that he wanted to smash his clipboard on the floor, but before he could throw it, he saw the referee standing next to him and suppressed his rage.
If I get another technical foul, that would be a huge loss!
O'Neal still couldn't believe it and spread his hands to explain to the referee, but the referee didn't say much and instead pointed to the big screen above his head: "See for yourself."
Following the gesture, O'Neal turned around and saw his arm draped over Lin Tian's arm, preventing Lin Tian from jumping to shoot.
That was definitely a foul by the attacker!
This conclusion immediately came to O'Neal's mind.
But it's different from my memory!
I didn't make a move!
Did I lose my memory?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
There's only one possibility: this match replay is a damn digitally manipulated image!
O'Neal stared blankly at the large screen above his head; his CPU was practically burnt out by now.
He couldn't understand how he had somehow become the one who did the work when he hadn't even lifted a finger.
Lin Tian: Don't even think about it. If you really want to learn, I'll teach you!
Filled with doubt and resentment, O'Neal shook his head and angrily returned to the bench, sat down in his seat, and immediately covered his head with a towel.
He wouldn't burst into tears like Ben Affleck, but he was really upset right now and didn't want to say a word!
As for Ben Wallace on the other side? This guy, whose brain is all muscle, had long forgotten about the tears he had just shed. Especially after seeing that O'Neal had already left the court, this guy whistled, hopped to his feet, and went to the locker room to get some champagne!
Go early and come back early, otherwise you'll miss the most crucial minutes of the game!
"Lin drew those two fouls on Shaq... well, how should I put it?" Kenny watched Lin Tian step up to the free-throw line, his expression quite interesting.
His intuition told him: Lin Tian's two shots were suspicious. Unless O'Neal was an idiot, how could he just put his hand on Lin Tian's arm like that?
He couldn't figure it out yet because the live broadcast didn't show many replay shots. The camera was already focused on Lin Tian at the free throw line, preventing Kenny from carefully reviewing the foul situation of the previous play.
"But it was definitely a foul, right?" Barkley was beaming now, a far cry from his earlier scathing criticism of the league's favoritism towards the Lakers and his ambition to make them champions. "Lin drew fouls on Shaq repeatedly; he's the hero tonight!"
"Yes, you're right." Kenny shook his head. There was no point in thinking about it now. After the match, there would be plenty of detailed analysis and people would review Lin Tian's two rounds!
"Kobe!" When Lin Tian stepped up to the free throw line, Jackson also stood up and suddenly shouted at Kobe, calling Kobe to his side.
Kobe, with his jersey in his mouth, walked over to Jackson, bent down, and placed his hands on his knees, waiting for Jackson's instructions. He originally thought Jackson was going to tell him how to play the game, but unexpectedly, Jackson asked him a question that had nothing to do with the game.
"Kobe, do you remember before the Finals started, Lin said he thought you were the biggest threat they faced, that they needed to study how to defend you, and that you would be an MVP candidate if you went to another team?"
"I remember." Kobe nodded.
"And I also remember that I didn't express any opinion or do anything to clarify this matter."
"Remember."
"Then do you know why I turn a blind eye to such blatant attempts to sow discord and divide?"
"Because the methods are too low-level, you disdain to clarify them?" Kobe's gaze towards Jackson suddenly held a hint of expectation.
"Silly kid." Jackson patted Kobe on the back, squinting his eyes, and said, "Because I think he's right! I won't clarify something I believe is correct, nor will I forcibly suppress the best shooting guard I've ever coached for the sake of so-called team unity!"
After saying that, Jackson didn't say anything more. He patted Kobe on the back, then turned and walked to the bench, plopped down, and his eyes were full of confidence!
Little fox, are you playing mind games with me?
I'll make you pay!
Let me show you what it means to dig your own grave! After waiting for 6 games and 45 minutes, now is the time for me to unleash my ultimate move!
This alliance is the dirtiest thing in my heart!
Pooh!
I'm the number one old fox in this alliance!
Pooh!
Lao Tzu's tactical skills are the best! His understanding of human nature is the most amazing!
As for Kobe, he stood near the center line with his hands on his hips, his eyes shining with the most intense light of his life!
What did Jackson just say?
Was Lao Tzu the best shooting guard he had ever coached?
I knew it! This old man, he knows football like a jerk!
He understands football just as well as Lin!
Right now, Kobe only has one thought in his mind.
Kill Lin Tian! Kill the Pacers! Let everyone know who the best shooting guard in the history of this league is!
After easily making both free throws, Lin Tian quickly turned around and returned to his own half of the court.
With 3 minutes and 15 seconds remaining, the score is 79-81!
The gap between the two sides has narrowed to just one goal once again!
At this point, with their respective starting centers off the field, neither side could use their starting lineup anymore.
For the Lakers, Jackson brought in clutch shooter Horry and moved Jermaine O'Neal to the center position, forming a five-man lineup of Fisher, Kobe, Rice, Horry, and O'Neal.
On the Pacers' side, Carlisle reacted very quickly. After O'Neal went to the bench, he immediately substituted Miller, who had a longer shooting range but was not in good form tonight, and brought back the more impactful Carter to attack the Lakers' interior defense, which had been greatly weakened.
Webber, Harrington, Christie, Carter, and Lin Tian formed the Pacers' lineup!
Based on the current fouls committed by both teams and the remaining time, unless some unexpected incident occurs on the court, this will likely be the final lineup for both sides tonight!
The game continues!
Fisher dribbled the ball up the court and hadn't even gotten his footing yet when Kobe, his eyes burning with passion, circled out from the baseline and forcefully reached for the ball!
Then he quickly turned around to face Christie, and after two consecutive crossover dribbles, Kobe suddenly accelerated and drove hard to the left!
Although Christie reacted incredibly quickly and caught up immediately, Kobe suddenly made a sharp change of direction after he caught up, causing Christie to lose his balance. The disheveled Christie took two more steps to the side before regaining his footing.
He wasn't faked out on that play, which shows his incredible core strength!
That's all there is to it. Catching up with Kobe? That's impossible!
Kobe jumps from a standing position and launches a mid-range jump shot!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp crack, Kobe's eyes widened, his face resolute, and he raised his left fist to celebrate the score.
FUXX!
Lin Tian cursed inwardly.
I forgot there's still a mythical beast I haven't subdued!
Then let's go through a little more trouble.
"Derrick, get out of the way!" Kobe shouted forcefully, taking over Fisher's task of guarding Lin Tian and standing in front of Lin Tian!
"Vince, come here!" Lin Tian followed suit, passing the ball directly to Carter and then quickly pulling away.
Carter, who was nearly 20 centimeters shorter than him, didn't hold back. He shifted his weight, took a big stride, squeezed past Fisher, and charged straight in!
Webber anticipated Carter's drive and blocked Jermaine O'Neal, preventing the Lakers' last strong interior player from coming up to help defend. As for Horry?
If he doesn't get scored on by Carter and get a 2+1, then he's doing a pretty good job defending!
"boom!"
Then came a loud bang! At this moment in the game, Carter didn't attempt any fancy dunks, but instead delivered a powerful one-handed slam dunk, smashing the ball into the basket!
The score difference between the two sides remains at 2 points!
This is Carter's 20th point tonight! He's also the team's highest scorer besides Lin Tian!
After being completely dominated by Kobe in the first five games of this series, Carter finally delivered a brilliant performance for the second consecutive game tonight after a desperate outburst in the sixth game!
He managed to rebuild his market value, which he had almost destroyed in the first five games!
"Lin! You don't even have the guts to face me head-on, do you? You're too scared to fight me one-on-one?" Seeing that Lin Tian actually let Carter bully Fisher, Kobe immediately started spitting out insults.
"Idiot! I'm a point guard, passing the ball is my job." Lin Tian curled his lip and replied disdainfully.
"Is this kid insulting you?" The magician, who was watching from the front row, was actually sweating profusely with nervousness, but he still quickly turned around to look at Bird next to him after hearing that word.
"Did he curse me to get AIDS? If not, then what kind of insult is that?" Bird rolled his eyes, too lazy to pay attention to the magician.
Well, of course, the truth is that this guy was just as nervous as the magician, and his back was soaked with sweat. He really wasn't in the mood to waste brain cells arguing with the magician anymore.
These two guys seem to have the same idea right now.
They all wished they could put on their jerseys and play basketball themselves!
They both found that sitting on the sidelines was much more difficult than sitting on the field!
For the next two minutes or so, Kobe completely unleashed his killer mode! No matter who stood in his way—Christie, Lin Tian, or Carter—they couldn't stop him at all and could only watch helplessly as Kobe continued to score!
Right now, Kobe is wielding the "greatest shooting guard of all time" buff, handpicked by Jackson. The effect of this buff is probably comparable to the trial card Lin Tian used before! (End of Chapter)