NABC Chapter 479 Top-notch officiating skills! You won't let me win, I'll...
Chapter 479 Top-notch officiating skills! You won't let me win, I'll...
To give an example, even now, the number of fouls, free throws, and the referee's calls for both sides are almost exactly the same, and there's not much to criticize.
If you commit the same foul, I'll commit the same foul; if you don't call the foul, I won't call it either.
The problem is that the Nets' fouls are being called very evenly; so far in the game, only Gasol has committed 3 fouls.
On the Pacers' side, their only available center, Miller, had 5 fouls, their only true power forward, Haslem, had 3, and Artest, a quasi-center who can play the power forward position, also had 3.
The same foul called on different people can have completely different chain reactions! But when everyone looks at the recaps, highlights, and statistics after the game, they will conclude that the referee was incredibly fair and objective in this game.
This is the most advanced way to control the game in the league!
I feel like I've got control, but it also feels like I haven't. It's uncomfortable, but I can't find any reason to cause trouble for the league.
The main problem is that he's like a mute eating bitter herbs, completely helpless.
In addition, the league has another top-notch method for controlling the game.
To give an example, imagine the best offensive team in the league playing against the best defensive team.
If the whistle blows too hard, and a slight touch results in a foul, then the team that excels in defense and physical confrontation is out of the game. Their defense, which they rely on for survival, becomes completely useless, and they can only compete with their opponents on offense!
Can they win? No, they can't!
Conversely, if the whistles are blown very loosely, and fouls that could be called or not called are not called, then offensively strong teams will be at a loss, their offensive rhythm will be completely disrupted, and they will become unable to attack.
Can you beat someone who excels at defense? No way!
The methods mentioned above are all top-tier tricks for the league to find balance; they are the kind of tactics that leave teams feeling cheated and helpless.
This was one of Stern's signature moves; he would do everything he could to maintain the suspense and watchability of the series without others noticing, so as to avoid losing a large number of fans in the later games of the series due to a lack of suspense.
Under Stern's control, he presided over the league for so many years, and while there were certainly controversial series, they weren't many.
There are only a few famous series that went too far.
Unfortunately, Stern's trick was lost and not passed down.
This led to a mess of officiating in the NBA after Stern left. Referees blew their whistles without any attempt to conceal their intentions, clearly aiming to promote players, create stars, and make your stats look good.
This has led to a large number of biased and arbitrary calls, which have boosted the stats of star players, but have significantly reduced the entertainment value of the games.
Well, we've gone off on a tangent again.
Back to the game!
After Miller committed his fifth foul, Carlisle was also on tenterhooks. He was now really hesitant and didn't know what to do.
Should we replace him?
Or should we keep it?
However, regardless of what Carlisle thought, Scott on the other side made the first move.
With Yao Ming and Harrington on the court, he once again set up a lineup with three centers!
In the last game, this trio of big men was thoroughly defeated by the Pacers, and Scott is clearly not giving up. Tonight, he's going to use this trio of big men again!
I don't believe it anymore!
Carlisle hesitated for a moment and didn't take down Miller, but in that very moment, the Pacers suffered another heavy blow.
A real blow.
Miller, the only true big man over 205 cm tall in the team's main rotation, was clearly a bit annoyed by the foul he just committed. This time, when he called for the ball in the low post and attacked Gasol, his movements were noticeably more aggressive than before.
Given Gasol's limp appearance, Miller misjudged the force of his elbows and struck Gasol in the stomach, causing Gasol to fall to the ground. Without hesitation, the referee blew his whistle and gave Miller an offensive foul!
"FUXX!" Miller felt incredibly aggrieved once again, and protested loudly with his arms outstretched.
With his sixth foul, he was about to be ejected at the start of the fourth quarter!
Without Miller, unless Carlisle dares to use Bonner or Tabak, the Pacers will have to rely on Haslem (201cm) and Artest to fill in the paint.
Keep in mind that the opposing Nets team has two giants who are over 213 centimeters tall!
The Pacers' interior defense was truly in dire need of attention in this game!
At this point, Carlisle had no time to regret it. He could only call a timeout, hesitate for a while, and then, as usual, choose the small-ball lineup that had made a great contribution in the previous game.
However, there was a slight change in personnel this time. He used the 2-meter Howard instead of point guard Parker.
Clearly, Carlisle also felt that the team still needed to increase its height and depth as much as possible, even if it couldn't compare to the Nets, it couldn't give up.
He still couldn't believe that players like Bonner and Tabak could step up and not let him down in a situation like this.
Even with their strongest lineup, the Pacers couldn't withstand the Nets' offense in the first defensive possession, despite using their zone defense. Yao Ming positioned himself even further and deeper, allowing him to turn and lay up the ball immediately after receiving it.
In a one-on-one situation where he gets the ball under the basket, even if Haslem were exhausted, he still couldn't stop Yao Ming.
There's a significant height difference between the two!
A difference of 25 centimeters!
Fortunately, although the Pacers' zone defense is no longer effective and can't stop the Nets' offense, it will be even more difficult for the Nets to stop the Pacers!
After arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian immediately started his breakthrough, drove to the mid-range, and passed the ball to Christie in the corner. Christie received the ball and immediately made a three-pointer!
The Pacers clearly won't give up just because Miller is off the court.
They still have Lin Tian! Lin Tian is their only core and the soul of the team!
As long as Lin Tian doesn't give up, the Pacers' strength and potential should not be underestimated!
For most of the fourth quarter, neither side could stop the other, and both sides' offenses were very smooth. Under these circumstances, the score difference between the two sides naturally hovered around 10 points!
Then, perhaps feeling it was unfair to only call a foul on one Pacers player, the referees called a dubious foul on Kittles with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, bringing him to five fouls as well.
Lin Tian immediately received the referee's message. Just one round later, he used a screen to create a mismatch and one-on-one opportunity against Kittles. Then, he used his rhythm and feints to trick Kittles into jumping, successfully drawing a foul from him!
the sixth time!
Kittels.
The Nets' starting small forward has also been ejected!
Unfortunately, while Kittles and Miller may be roughly equal in ability, their importance to their respective teams is worlds apart!
There are always people to fill the position for Kitters, but there's no one who can fill Miller's spot.
After Kittels went off the court, Scott didn't hesitate to bring Harrington, who had performed well that night, back into the game, and the two sides came to the final showdown!
Lin Tian stepped up to the free-throw line and made both shots, temporarily bringing the point difference back to single digits.
88: 97!
The match continues!
In the next few minutes, Lin Tian once again unleashed his unstoppable offensive power. He attacked with the ball time and time again, whether he was matched up against Kidd, Carter, or the newly entered Harrington, or he was in mismatch one-on-one against Yao Ming and Gasol, Lin Tian's accuracy was terrifyingly high!
In the next three minutes, Lin Tian made all five of his shots, scoring 11 points in a row, including a 2+1 play that also drew Kidd's fourth foul.
But at this point in the game, four fouls are really insignificant.
More importantly, after Lin Tian's crazy scoring spree, the score difference between the two sides was narrowed to 5 points.
Then, just as the Nets were about to collapse, the referee intervened again!
When Yao Ming turned and isolated Haslem under the basket, the referee blew the whistle again!
Haslem's 6th foul!
He was also knocked down!
No matter what Haslem said with his hands outstretched, the referee remained unmoved, firmly gesturing towards the scorer's table on the sideline, indicating that Haslem had committed his sixth foul and must leave the court immediately.
"Don't worry, Udonis, if they want to play like this, I guarantee they won't take this victory tonight!" Lin Tian pulled Haslem back from arguing with the referee, saying, "Go and rest. You've done your best. Leave the rest to me!"
After Lin Tian said that, Haslem, who had just been indignant and full of resentment, immediately nodded, said no more, and walked directly to the bench and obediently sat down.
Lin Tian's ability to calm his teammates demonstrated his unparalleled status within the team and his standing in their hearts, which even surprised the referee.
This kid really knows his stuff!
Carlisle, sitting on the sidelines, was in a real bind. He looked at Bonner and then at Tabak, and he really didn't know who to put on the court.
Upper Tabak? This guy is completely incapable of offense and is incredibly skinny, but he grabbed a crucial rebound in last year's Finals, which saved the team.
Bonner? This guy is a rookie who barely made the rotation during the regular season and was almost completely benched. But he does have a three-point shot, so he might be able to help the team offensively.
Just as Carlisle was hesitating, Bonner actually stood up on his own initiative.
"Coach, I can do it! Give me a chance, I won't let you down!"
"You're the one!" Carlyle saw Bonner volunteer and immediately patted him on the shoulder, urging him to go on stage: "Good luck! I believe in you!"
At this point, Carlisle values the players' confidence more.
If Bonner dared to volunteer, he dared to let Bonner take the job!
At the very least, confident players won't make mistakes because of fear.
"Remember what we did in training?" Lin Tian asked as he walked over to Bonner, "The one you're best at."
"Of course!" Upon seeing Lin Tian actually reach out to him, Bonner felt a surge of adrenaline and replied without hesitation, "Those things are already etched into my DNA!"
"Then get ready, use your favorite move, and wait in your best spot!" Lin Tian nodded; he really liked Bonner's demeanor.
"I won't let you down!" Bonner patted his chest and tried to run to the front of the court.
But Lin Tian grabbed him and said, "Where are we going? Let's go get the rebound!"
Yao Ming still has to take free throws! You, a center, ran away, so how am I supposed to fight Gasol for position?
"Oh, I forgot!" Bonner scratched his fiery red hair, turned around and ran back to the basket.
Well, it's not very effective, since Yao Ming is the one who takes the free throws, a free throw expert who can take technical free throws for the team.
At the free-throw line, Yao Ming calmly made both free throws, extending the score to 7 points.
99: 106!
There are only 2 minutes left in the game!
"No rush! There's plenty of time. Seven minutes is enough; we'll be back in three rounds. Let's play it safe and focus on increasing our success rate!"
Lin Tian didn't rush to dribble forward at all. Instead, after getting the basketball, he reached out and called out the tactics while signaling his teammates to stay calm and not to rush.
After arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian, facing Kidd's defense, quickly called for a screen.
Bonner, the team's only true big man, quickly stepped forward to block Kidd, and then Lin Tian took the ball and immediately accelerated, launching another attack towards the inside!
Considering Lin Tian's explosiveness and scoring ability, Yao Ming and Jason Kidd quickly retreated simultaneously, trying to block Lin Tian's direct attack on the basket.
But just as all three players reached the area below the free-throw line, Lin Tian suddenly passed the ball again, a one-handed behind-the-back pass, to Bonner, who had just been set up and bounced out to the three-point line.
This rookie, who was at the end of the second round this year, this minor player who didn't play a single game outside of garbage time throughout the entire playoffs, this guy who the Nets might not even have a scouting report on, took the basketball, glanced at it, and faced with a vast, empty space in front of him, he decisively took the shot!
"Whoosh!"
A pleasant sound came, and Bonner excitedly pounded his chest repeatedly!
coming!
This is what I do when I take the stage!
"Let me go! Keep letting me go! My name is Matt Bonner! My pubic hair is fucking red!"
Wow, that's trash talk!
Lin Tian couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion as he listened to Bonner's words.
This is the first time I've ever seen someone use this thing to spew trash!
After Bonner made that shot, the gap between the two sides was narrowed to 4 points!
The Nets then created space, clearing one side for Yao Ming to go one-on-one against Bonner!
After all, although no one knew this redhead, they all believed that if this guy could defend and shoot threes, he wouldn't have been DNP all season! He could only play one of offense or defense at most!
He just made a three-pointer, so there's no way he can stop Yao Ming!
This guess and idea is absolutely correct!
The only thing Bonner has to offer right now is his inconsistent three-point shooting; everything else is just mediocre.
For example, although he is tall, he can't hold his own against Yao Ming on defense. He is almost pushed and trampled by Yao Ming all the way to the basket, and then Yao Ming turns around to make a hook shot!
Just as the ball was about to hit, Yao Ming suddenly felt a blackout!
A familiar figure has appeared again!
Lin Tian!
This guy arrived just in time from the weak side once again, leaped high behind Bonner, and slapped away Yao Ming's hook shot!
To block Yao Ming's hook shot, you absolutely need an absurdly high jump.
For example, Lin Tian jumped with all his might this time!
How high did he jump?
After jumping, Lin Tian's chin was already level with the basketball hoop!
If he hadn't chosen the perfect angle, he would have smashed his head into the rim and knocked it askew!
"Snapped!"
Lin Tian, who wasn't hit in the head by the rim, slapped Yao Ming's hook shot away, sending it flying into Christie's hand near the sideline.
After Lin Tian landed, there was no need to call out any tactics anymore, because Christie knew Lin Tian very well and directly passed the ball forward, giving it just the right amount of lead time!
Lin Tian, sprinting at top speed, grabbed the basketball near the center line and then used a behind-the-back dribble to leave Kidd, who was trying to steal the ball, behind him. After getting past Kidd, there was no one in front of Lin Tian. He dribbled and rushed to the basket and slammed it in with another dunk!
104: 106!
Only 2 point left!
Lin Tian's block and dunk brought the game back into the spotlight once again!
Scott was quite helpless after being hit with this 5-0 run.
He quickly called a timeout, hoping the players could calm down.
"I said I'd catch up in three rounds, and I mean three damn rounds! I won't wait even one more!" As for Lin Tian, he high-fived his teammates while declaring with unparalleled arrogance, "Next round, no matter what tactics they use, no matter what they do, I'll defend against it!"
"In the next round, we either tie or we overtake. There's no third option, understand?"
"clear!"
"The league wants the Nets to win, playing dirty tricks on us. Today we'll show the league who's really dirty! Join me, and beat them to a pulp!"
"Kill them!"
"Victory is certain!"
"Victory is certain!"
Carlisle, holding his tactical board, watched Lin Tian encouraging the swimmers, smiling but saying nothing.
With a leader like Lin Tian, the head coach really has it so easy!
You don't have to do anything.
Especially at this stage of the competition, he really doesn't need to plan any tactics.
Letting Lin Tian call out tactics on the spot might actually be more effective than having him draw them on a tactical board.
With 1 minute and 20 seconds remaining, both teams' players returned to the court.
This time, neither coach chose to change the lineup. With the game at this point, there was no need for them to make any changes. They would stick with the same lineup and go for it!
In the Nets' offense, Kidd received the ball and immediately passed it to Gasol at the free-throw line, instructing Gasol to raise his hands to facilitate the play.
Yao Ming was boxing out Bonner under the basket and continued to aggressively demand the ball, causing the Pacers' defense to unconsciously shrink back into the paint.
Theoretically speaking, the Nets were indeed more likely to attack the paint directly on this play!
Just as the Pacers players were gathering inside to double-team Yao Ming, Gasol suddenly made a no-look pass to Carter on the wing!
Carter had just received the ball and was about to shoot a three-pointer when a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
"I knew they would pass the ball to you instead of the inside!" Lin Tian immediately came over from the side of Kidd to help defend, blocking Carter's chance to shoot a three-pointer.
When Carter saw Lin Tian coming over, he actually smiled!
"Lin! It's been a long time since we've had a one-on-one match!"
"Come on! I'll show you that even if you've been gone for two years, I'll still beat you up the same way!" Lin Tian lowered his center of gravity, and knowing the referee's standards and purpose tonight, he paid special attention to his hand movements, spreading his arms wide and not putting them on Carter.
Lin Tiancai wouldn't give the referee any chance to call a foul on him and hand the ball to the Nets at this moment!
Even so, Carter really struggled to put on a good show against the defense of the newly appointed best defensive player, Lin Tian.
After dribbling the ball and making several triple-threat feints in place, Carter still couldn't find a good offensive opportunity.
With little time left on the shot clock, Carter gritted his teeth and blasted the ball with all his might, then tried to force his way through Lin Tian from the left side using his body and bigger strides!
But Lin Tian's reaction was incredibly fast, and his strength was no less than Carter's!
Carter dribbled three steps toward the basket, but Lin Tian blocked his path to the basket, preventing Carter from getting close.
Left with no other option, Carter quickly changed his strategy, suddenly stopping and pulling back, then turning around and dribbling before stepping back and shooting a jump shot!
Lin Tian had seen Carter use this move countless times!
From the moment he abruptly stopped and pulled back, Lin Tian knew how he was going to turn around and which way he was going to turn.
We played together for four years, so this level of understanding is no joke!
So Lin Tian arrived at the area where Carter was about to shoot even earlier than him, and then jumped up to block the shot!
But Carter's physical attributes were truly astonishing. Even though Lin Tian had completely predicted the angle and timing of his shot, Carter still managed to increase the angle of his lean back and the arc of his shot, preventing Lin Tian from blocking the shot.
But apart from not getting blocked, this was an absolutely successful defensive play!
But given Carter's shooting form and the situation, it was impossible for him to make the shot!
"Too short! Backboard!"
As Lin Tian failed to block the shot, he turned around and yelled at his teammates, telling them to watch out for the rebound.
This time, Artest grabbed the rebound. He shoved Harrington aside, grabbed the ball, and instead of launching a counterattack, he raised his hammer-like elbows and swung them left and right to prevent anyone from trying to steal the ball.
However, Artest seemed to get addicted to waving his arms, swinging several times in a row. The Nets players had already walked quite a distance ahead, but he was still waving his arms.
"Ron, are you fucking 'windmill'? Stop fooling around, ball!"
With the power Artest swung his elbow, even Lin Tian had to stay far away when trying to get the ball from him. Otherwise, looking at how excited Artest was, who knows if he could tell friend from foe, or if he would mistake Artest for Harden and deliver a powerful elbow to him.
I can't afford to gamble, I'd better stay away.
Artest took the ball, glanced at it again, and then, after confirming it was safe, passed it to Lin Tian.
"59 seconds left!" Lin Tian glanced at the clock, still maintaining his calm, composed, and confident demeanor. "We have to take the lead with this one shot! We absolutely must take the lead!"
"Then, we won't give the Nets another chance! We'll completely crush them!"
After arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian did not rush to attack. Instead, he directed his teammates' movements while observing the situation. Then, he called on Bonner again to provide cover for him!
With the boss giving the order, Bonner happily rushed forward and set another screen for Lin Tian. Then, just like in the previous play, one dribbled past the inside, while the other bounced out to the three-point line to prepare for an opportunity to receive the ball and shoot.
Lin Tian dribbled into the Nets' territory once again. After drawing the defense, Lin Tian once again took the ball with one hand and passed it behind his back!
He's going to pass the ball to Bonner again!
At least 80% of the more than 18000 fans at the scene thought so!
The Nets players, of course, think the same way!
For example, Kidd laughed triumphantly, then quickly moved sideways and stood behind Lin Tian!
As long as Lin Tian passes the ball, he will definitely be able to intercept it!
Even when Kidd saw Lin Tian put the ball behind him, he was so excited he almost laughed out loud!
You little rascal, you finally fell for my trick!
I've been waiting for you to pass the ball!
Want to come back from 3 points behind? Dream on!
The same trick won't work on the Saint Seiya... FUXX! Where's the ball?
Kidd's smile froze visibly, then turned into surprise.
Lin Tian's ball did indeed reach behind his back, but he didn't pass it behind his back at all. Instead, he dragged the ball behind his back with one hand, took a step to get past Yao Ming's defense, and then held the ball in front of him with one hand.
With one hand, he made a spectacular layup, the basketball arcing beautifully before sliding in off the backboard!
"Whoosh!"
They've tied it!
106: 106!
Led by Lin Tian, the Pacers went on a 7-0 run against the Nets in the final two minutes, tying the score!
The last 45 seconds!
In theory, both sides still have one more chance to attack!
If the Nets choose to go for a quick attack, they will have two offensive opportunities!
At this moment, Scott also called his last timeout of the game.
He needed to make a final, thorough preparation for the final attack.
Who to call and how to call, whether to call quickly or slowly, all need to be carefully planned!
Carlisle was constantly yelling from the bench, reminding the players to communicate, to remind their teammates to stay focused and not to lose concentration while defending, and to tell everyone that they must be alert and hold on in the final moments to win!
Well... or to put it more bluntly, he didn't say anything except nonsense.
Anyway, no matter what he says right now, the players, who are in a state of extreme excitement, are unlikely to listen.
For players, isn't it all about playing hard and getting the team to win?
Soon, the timeout ended, and the starting players from both sides returned to the court.
The Nets' inbound pass was initiated by Gasol.
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, the entire Nets team sprinted forward, setting screens and making runs one after another.
The Pacers players did their best to chase down their defenders.
Then Kidd and Carter suddenly sprinted towards the top of the arc from both sides. After they met in the middle, Kidd ran towards the center line and reached out for the ball.
Carter lowered his head and sprinted into the paint!
Just when many people thought Gasol would pass the ball to Kidd, who had already made it into an open position, Gasol suddenly threw the ball towards the basket.
Just then, Carter, who had rushed to the vicinity of the three-second zone, jumped up. With his back to the basket, he caught the basketball with both hands in mid-air and then slammed it down behind him!
"boom!"
With a muffled thud, the Nets completed the attack in less than a second!
Carter dunks an alley-oop, finishing with a back-to-the-basket two-handed slam!
After scoring, Carter remained expressionless, letting go of the rim and landing on the floor, his hands swinging back and forth.
Although he didn't utter any trash talk or make any other celebratory gestures, his expressionless face truly exuded arrogance from head to toe!
"What a pretentious show-off!"
Then, just as Carter was still posing, a familiar, sarcastic voice rang out.
Lin Tian!
This guy had already sprinted to the baseline, then grabbed the basketball and hurled it towards the frontcourt with one arm!
Throughout his career, Lin Tian has received countless long-distance passes from his teammates that originated directly from the baseline.
But this time, it was his turn to pass the ball to his teammates!
Artest, who was not fast to begin with, had already crossed the three-point line at some point. This guy had become the Pacers' most aggressive player at this moment.
He received a pass from Lin Tian, took three steps, and then slammed it home with a one-handed dunk, giving the Pacers another 2 points!
They took only slightly longer than the Nets, completing the attack in less than 3 seconds!
After a back-and-forth dunk by each side, there were still 36 seconds left in the game!
However, unlike the Nets, the Nets no longer have timeouts.
They were unable to devise any more tactics, and didn't even have much time to scold Harrington for missing Artest.
This time, they were much more composed when they served the ball from the baseline.
Kidd slowly dribbled the ball to the frontcourt. He didn't rush to attack, but waved for everyone to take their positions. This time, Kidd was going to play slowly! He wanted to run out of time!
With 18 seconds left in the game, Kidd finally got going!
He waved for a screen, and Gasol stepped up to set a pick and roll for him. The two of them started driving towards the paint at the same time.
Kidd actually sprinted to finish the play himself, a move that really surprised most people!
After all, this guy is really loyal; he'll never shoot unless he has to!
Kidd is now exploiting this ingrained way of thinking!
He broke through to the edge of the three-second zone, then suddenly stopped and retreated, then pulled up and threw!
This guy actually did a step-back jump shot!
Judging from his eyes, hand gestures, and confident demeanor, this guy has probably practiced this move a lot!
The entire city of New Jersey fell silent at that moment; fans even closed their eyes, unable to bear watching.
Kidd's game-winning shot? That sounds like such a ridiculous idea!
then……
"Bang!"
Then, there was a muffled thud, and the basketball bounced off the rim!
Sure enough, this guy isn't the type to do this kind of work!
Lin Tian, who had been shielding Kidd, was the first to react. He jumped up and caught the rebound, then looked at Kidd's regretful face and couldn't help but say:
"What the hell are you feeling so uncomfortable about!"
"Is this what you're supposed to be doing? And you're acting all down here."
"It would be a miracle if that ball went in!"
"Have some shame! Have you ever scored a goal using that trick in your entire life?"
Have you ever been struck by a fatal blow in your life?
"Still using a step-back jump shot here? Why don't you jump to Mars and throw it?"
"If you make the game-winning shot, how will we ever be able to show our faces in public again?"
"Dude, I'm going to teach you what a game-winning shot really is today!"
After Lin Tian unleashed a torrent of abuse on Kidd, he glanced at the time and realized he still had time. He almost couldn't resist giving Kidd another few more jabs.
Unfortunately, Kidd had already run away. He didn't listen to Lin Tian's nonsense at all and ran away at top speed.
As for Lin Tian, he then began to proceed at a leisurely pace!
There are still 20 seconds left in the game, no need to rush! (End of Chapter)