Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 822 Your finals start from Game 2? Sorry!

After Anthony's steal and dunk, Popovich called another timeout and then made a five-in-five-out substitution, taking all five starters off the court and replacing them with his bench players.

According to Popovich's thinking, at this point, Old Nelson would definitely have to substitute his starters; he certainly wouldn't allow his starters to engage in such a pointless drain.

More importantly, at this time, with this point difference, having the key players on the court makes them very susceptible to injury!

Popovich believes that Don Nelson would never take that risk!

The point difference in this game is a bit bigger than Popovich expected; it's already 32 points.

He originally thought it would be around 25 points at most!

But it's okay. In the fourth quarter, let JR or Finley go up and try to close the gap by 7 or 8 points. Even if we lose by 20 points in the end, it will be a satisfactory result for the fans. As long as we can win the next game, losing this one game is no big deal!

In the second game, my players will be almost fully recovered. How will I play then?

They'll definitely double-team LeBron relentlessly! So in the opening stages, I won't let LeBron be the primary scorer; I'll make him feint attacks!

Hehe, let Martin and Bosh take turns setting screens for James, and then pass the ball depending on the situation!

Anyway, the Knicks' defense is quite poor, and they don't encounter much resistance whether they roll to the basket or cut to the perimeter to shoot.

If Bosh can get his shooting touch on at the start, the rest of the game will be much easier! James can attack the basket and easily drive to the rim. Since the Knicks don't have a rim protector from the top to the bottom, you can't stop James!

There's a high chance James can trade blows with Lin Tian! Even if they can't, it's okay, we still have Francis and JR on our side! Those two guys are also incredibly energetic!

Especially veteran Francis, this guy hasn't suffered any injuries this year. Although his stats are average, his condition and energy are fine! If he can score against Lin Tian and a few others, then we'll have everything we need!

The next problem is that we can't defend every single player on the Knicks, but we can selectively defend a few.

Lin Tian is absolutely undefendable. He can be dealt with in a few moves and that's it. LeBron can go up against Anthony and keep him at a disadvantage. We definitely have the upper hand in this matchup.

As for Bosh and Stoudemire, they should be evenly matched!

As for the rest, Martin and Okur... it's hard to say. One has strong impact, and the other is good at shooting. They should be evenly matched.

While Popovich was quickly planning in his mind how to play the next game, how to match up, and how to win, the game on the court was also progressing rapidly.

By the end of the third quarter, Popovich, who had been in a daze, was finally "awakened" by the sound of the buzzer and the players returning to the bench.

"Well played, keep it up." After saying this casually, Popovich suddenly noticed that the Knicks' starters were all standing up!

And judging by the sweat on their bodies, these guys must have played for a long time in the third quarter!

How is that possible?

Popovich suddenly had a terrible feeling, and when he looked up, he found that the score had become unacceptable.

108: 63!

The gap between the two sides has reached 45 points!

This gap is definitely greater than Popovich had anticipated.

It's even more than double!

What happened in the third quarter? How did we suddenly lose so badly?

What exactly happened?

Popovich was a little nervous at this moment. He couldn't help but lick his lips, and then unconsciously turned his head to look at the Knicks' bench. As he looked, he met the gaze of Don Nelson.

The man who had been Popovich's teacher immediately grinned.

Then he raised his left hand, making a gun gesture, and fired a shot at Popovich.

Little thief, trying to outsmart me?

I'll beat you to death!

The shot hit Popovich squarely in the heart, causing him to flinch.

Ugh, that's disgusting!

This made Popovich break out in a cold sweat, and he felt his heart skip a beat.

What are they going to do?

Are they going to break NBA records? They don't want to beat us by 60 points or more, do they? They won't keep playing their starters, will they? If they do, should I let LeBron and the others play?

If we go ahead, all our efforts will be in vain.

But if I don't play, and if I really get some kind of historical record, then...

Popovich has truly become a conflicted person now.

On the other side, old Nelson was naturally very relaxed. He didn't even stand up from his chair and gestured for everyone to sit down and not to rush.

"Just now in the locker room, Lin asked me for a favor, and I agreed. So, give me some face, Xiao Bobo is my apprentice after all, we can't really beat him to the worst record in history, can we?"

"So in the fourth quarter, can our key players rest and not play anymore?"

"Coach, do you have to be so humble?" Lin Tian rolled his eyes and said, "We're already leading by 40 points. We dunked at least 7 or 8 times in the third quarter alone. We've already given the fans enough. If we want to continue leading by 40 points in the fourth quarter, that would be too much of a nightmare. We're worried about getting injured!"

"No more playing, no more playing, let's give the coach some face." Anthony leaned back on the bench and said with a smile, "We've already said all that, can we really let Tang lose face?"

"That's right. The old man has already lowered himself to beg us. Let's see who dares to utter a word of objection. Anyone who dares to object is my enemy! Let's see how I deal with you!"

"You two, are you tired of living?" Old Nelson turned his head to look at the two men, his eyes revealing a strong murderous intent.

"I need to use the restroom." Anthony swallowed hard and quickly stood up to indicate that he needed to urinate.

"I'll go help him!" Xiao Si followed closely behind and ran off.

These two clowns, let's continue our crosstalk performance!

The fourth quarter started quickly, but neither side fielded their starters or key rotation players, making the game essentially garbage time.

The Knicks gave Popovich a break, and Popovich, in turn, gritted his teeth and decided not to field his starters, thinking, "So be it, we'll just lose!"

125: 79!

Finally, the game ended, and the Knicks won the game thanks to their crazy offensive in the third quarter.

Overall, this 46-point massacre was indeed not very entertaining.

This kind of massacre is obviously very bad for the fans' viewing experience.

Fortunately, the Knicks had a crazy third quarter.

The Knicks' sudden outburst in the third quarter alone was enough to satisfy the fans in attendance.

The home team won big, and there was a quarter of relentless, almost exhibition-like play – definitely worth the ticket price!

Even so, Lin Tian still took the initiative to apologize to the fans at the post-match press conference!

"We played terribly in the first half! The head coach's rotation was also terrible! This is the Finals, the highest stage in the NBA, but we treated it too casually and didn't take the game seriously at all."

"I know many fans have come from afar, I know many fans have saved up for a long time to watch this game, and I also know many people may only have this one chance in their lifetime to watch the Finals live."

"Before halftime, we heard the fans' protests. We heard them, and we are very sorry and regretful for showing the fans such a terrible first half. We sincerely apologize."

"What I want to say is that we weren't playing passively, nor were we disregarding the fans. We were simply misled; we were too focused on the Spurs' tactics and their underhanded tricks!"

"They were physically exhausted and decided to strategically forfeit the game, choosing to rest instead. We wanted to lure their key players onto the field and prevent them from resting. They hoped to minimize their physical exertion tonight so they could give their all in the next game, and we didn't want that for them."

"That's the whole truth."

"But during halftime, we thought about two things."

"After figuring out these two things, we made up our minds to go all out in the second half and let the fans enjoy a true Finals-level competition and level of play. Even if it's just our side, we believe the fans should see it."

"I sincerely hope that all fans will feel that their ticket price was worthwhile when they go home tonight, and that their trip tonight wasn't in vain. That would satisfy us!"

"So what's the other thing? What's the other thing you've figured out?" The reporters pressed on impatiently, because they instinctively felt that Lin Tian was about to drop a bombshell!

"Another thing is, they're just the Spurs! They're just the Spurs, nothing more." Lin Tian shrugged and uttered the most explosive statement of the night: "Is the Spurs, a mere team, really worth us outsmarting, outmaneuvering, and pushing our limits against?"

"Is the Spurs, a mere team, worth us making our fans sad and tearful, and comparing who's worse?"

"I don't think it's worth it. They're not a strong team; they just got lucky to make it to the finals. Is a team that we're sure will lose to, that we'll beat the crap out of, really worth our attention and this level of caution?"

"Our whole team came to the same conclusion."

"No need, absolutely no need!"

As soon as Lin Tian uttered those arrogant and provocative words, the entire audience gasped in shock.

As expected of you!

Can someone still be this arrogant on the stage of the finals?

But the reporters then thought of the Knicks' 40-point victory tonight.

Okay, that's how arrogant I should be.

Strictly speaking, the Knicks didn't win by 40 points over the entire game; they won by 40 points in just two quarters!

In the first and third quarters, the Knicks dominated, winning by nearly 40 points.

Even if the Spurs deliberately held back and conserved their strength, you can't afford to be 40 points behind after just two quarters!

Such a huge difference really needs to be matched with Lin Tian's unique arrogance to make it interesting!

Otherwise, if some star player came out at this time and said something like "I'm lucky," "I'm in top form tonight," "It's hard to say what will happen next," or "We're full of confidence but also cautious," that would be too boring!

When the topic turned to this point, the reporters on site knew what questions were coming next.

"Lin, since you're so confident of victory, what score do you think you'll score in this series to finish him off and lift the championship trophy?"

"I can't tell you how many games it will take to end the series, because there are always many variables in a game, and many things can happen that people can't predict."

"So all I can say here is this: the next game will be my last game at Madison Square Garden! We won't be coming back, so I hope everyone who can come to the stadium will come, and if you can't, just turn on the TV!"

"It'll be the same on TV. We can say goodbye to Madison Square Garden together then. These four years have truly been amazing, filled with countless joys and laughter!"

"The thought of playing for the Knicks for four years and bringing them three championships and a dynasty feels amazing!"

"It all feels like a dream, absolutely wonderful! I'm still so glad I made the decision to join the Knicks! I'm so happy, genuinely happy!"

Hmm? Something's not right, is it?

The reporters were initially taking notes while listening to Lin Tian, ​​but they soon noticed a problem.

No, I wanted you to share your thoughts on the game and your opinion on this series!

So, you're starting your retirement speech now?

That's going too far! They're really underestimating the Spurs! So arrogant? Aren't they afraid of being proven wrong?

Lin Tian: I'm also afraid! So I was referring to the last game in Madison, not that we'd definitely sweep the Spurs.

They'll be playing three more games in San Antonio!

Even if the Knicks lose one game and eliminate the Spurs 4-1, it will still be at the Spurs' home court!

As for the possibility of losing two games and then returning to Madison?

Lin Tian said there was absolutely no such possibility!

What makes you Spurs team? You think you can beat us two games in a series?

Next season, maybe. If we meet again next season, there will definitely be a chance.

Anyway, my buddy won't be in the league next season, right?

"Have you considered that your words will hurt Spurs fans, make them hate you, and offend the Spurs players, giving them extra strength and energy to beat you and crush you?"

"If the Spurs need me to say a few more words to unleash their full potential, then they're truly hopeless, and they deserve to be crushed by us!"

"This is the finals! Hoping your opponent will use trash talk to fuel your performance is ridiculous!"

"We, the Knicks, haven't needed any outside interference from the start of the season. We've been ready since the beginning, ready to have a great season!"

"We will establish a dynasty!"

"I think that's the most important reason why we've been able to win all the way here, without any underhanded tactics or extra preparations!"

"We have enough confidence to support us in doing everything."

"Only those insecure guys, only those cowards who are always worried about being beaten to a pulp, would try to find a ridiculous opportunity for themselves by using those laughable schemes."

"But unfortunately, it doesn't work here!"

……

Lin Tian's press conference this time was extremely arrogant. He not only mocked the Spurs and Popovich, but also issued his own "retirement statement". He even gave a part of his retirement speech in advance!

There has never been anyone this arrogant in the history of this league, or even in the entire history of sports.

"That bastard! FUXX!" In the Spurs' hotel, after reading the article titled "The Spurs are weak, they are not worth our cooperation in their tricks," Popovich cursed angrily.

That bastard!

How dare they underestimate us!

Similar scenarios have been repeatedly played out in the rooms of Spurs players!

James was reading an article titled "Next Game Will Be My Last at Madison Square Garden!"

Bosh was reading the article titled "Only the weak resort to tricks and schemes; we all beat people up openly and honestly!"

Martin was reading "Lin's Early Retirement Announcement! He's Really Not Afraid of a Loss and Doesn't Take the Spurs Seriously!"

The rest of Francis, JR, Finley, and the other Spurs players were also in their rooms, looking at the reports one by one, and getting furious.

It wasn't just that Qi Lintian made outrageous remarks at the press conference, completely disregarding them.

They were still annoyed that even though they were already in New York, they couldn't go out and have a little fun, maybe even a few drinks.

Otherwise, given the average educational level of the Spurs, how could everyone on the team spend an entire night reading newspapers and browsing news on computer websites?

Without even thinking about it, they were absolutely forced into it.

But whatever their reasons for staying in the room, at least after reading the newspaper, the Spurs players were furious!

They were all determined to give Lin Tian and the Knicks a good beating in Game 2 of the series!

Let them know how powerful we are!

Revenge is imperative! (End of Chapter)