novelhk Chapter 453 Christmas Battle! VS Timberwolves' Six Kings!
Chapter 453 Christmas Battle! VS Timberwolves' Six Kings!
In the period that followed, although the Pacers did not suffer any more bad situations such as a four-game losing streak, and even achieved a six-game winning streak, the team's overall record was indeed not very good, at least it was far from their previous performance of consistently ranking in the top three in the Eastern Conference.
And the reasons are still the same.
Besides Lin Tian, the team lacks a consistent offensive player. When Lin Tian is off the court, the team tends to play in disarray. The interior rotation is also stretched thin due to Webber's injury, with only Haslem and Miller being two truly reliable rotation players.
By the end of November, the Pacers had a record of only 9 wins and 7 losses, barely ranking sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Because his teammates weren't performing well enough, Lin Tian pushed himself to the limit this month, averaging 43.8 minutes per game, scoring 33.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 10.5 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.4 blocks!
Lin Tian leads the league in scoring! His assists are second only to Kidd, and he also leads the league in steals!
Besides Lin Tian, the team's second-leading scorer, Artest, only averaged 13 points per game, and the third-leading scorer, Miller, barely averaged over 10 points per game. Apart from these three, no one else on the team averaged double-digit points per game!
Judging from individual scores, the Pacers have been playing quite unlike the "Pacers" this month.
Their signature fast breaks have become significantly less frequent in recent years, while the proportion of half-court sets has increased dramatically. However, the Pacers' defense has also improved noticeably.
For the past few years, the Pacers have been the league’s best offensive team, even the best offensive team in the league. Their defense is good, but it is generally only in the top ten.
This season, their offense has dropped to the middle of the league, but their defense has climbed to the top three in the league!
It must be said that Carlisle's development of this team and his individualized coaching approach have been quite successful!
He truly used the existing personnel to create the most suitable offensive and defensive system for the team.
However, the Pacers do need some time to gel and adapt before they can truly return to the ranks of top teams.
In December, the Pacers' form improved slightly, and they won their first five games of the month!
Besides Lin Tian continuing his league scoring champion-level performance, the most important reason for this winning streak is that Parker and Ginobili are playing better and better.
Lin Tian's post-match coaching for these two is finally starting to show results!
Ginobili is becoming more and more confident. He's starting to dare to pass the ball out and throw it out when he used to hesitate.
Parker is becoming increasingly courageous when calling out tactics and directing his teammates.
Both of them are becoming more and more confident!
Especially during the routine one-on-one matches before each training session, Parker and Ginobili finally dared to fight back.
Faced with Lin Tian and Artest's trash talk and dirty tricks, the two guys started to retaliate in the same way, and gradually they were no longer afraid at all.
"You think you can transform these two kids just by giving them some dirty tricks and trash talk during one-on-one matches, and having them yell at the mirror before the game?" Webber, whose surgery was successful but will be out for at least 6 months, is the most relaxed person on the team and has the most time to observe everyone's situation.
He was the first guy to notice the changes in Parker and Ginobili.
"Of course, it's not just that. I give each of these two guys a DVD almost every week, which usually contains highlights of their performances, including their moments in the national team, youth team, European leagues, and NBA games."
"I categorized all those things like 'Top 10 Passes,' 'Top 10 Dribble-offs,' 'Top 10 Defenses,' and 'Top 10 Scoring,' and I made a lot of them!"
"Then there's a compilation of those old bastards' trash talk and dirty tricks, which I'll let them take home and savor."
"The main focus is on building confidence while encouraging proactive learning." Lin Tian shrugged, indicating that everything was going according to plan.
"This stuff can have such a big effect on these two?" Webber still looked unconvinced, because Parker and Ginobili's progress over the past month was truly too obvious.
"Add some differential treatment. Manu is more confident, so we need to encourage and praise him more. This will motivate him even more. Tony is more introverted and doesn't like to talk, so we have to push him hard and suppress him to the end. He will naturally rebound."
Lin Tian continued, "Of course, more importantly, they are both talented and capable. It's just that in the past few years, because the team was too strong and there were too many players, they didn't stand out and weren't that outstanding."
"But if you give them a chance and a bit of trust, they'll immediately show their abilities. Both of them will definitely make it to the All-Star team!"
……
After this five-game winning streak, the Pacers have gotten back on track. They have won six and lost three of their next nine games, bringing their overall record to 20 wins and 10 losses, and climbing back to fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Their record is only slightly worse than that of the Pistons, Magic, and Nets.
Next up is the most anticipated game day of the NBA regular season!
Christmas Battle!
The Pacers will undoubtedly continue to play in this year's Christmas Day game, and this time they will travel to Target Center in Minnesota to face the Timberwolves, who have assembled an all-star lineup during the offseason!
So far this season, the Timberwolves have been playing incredibly well, acquiring Allen Iverson without giving up too many rotation players!
Their starting five are among the strongest in the league, and the team's roster is also quite well-balanced. They are currently ranked second in the Western Conference, second only to the Lakers, who have failed to win the championship in the past few years.
The Timberwolves have a record of 23 wins and 7 losses in their first 30 games, which is the best record in the team's history for their first 30 games. Everything indicates that the Timberwolves' gamble has paid off. This time, they are no longer huskies, but have transformed into real wolves.
So far this season, the Timberwolves' most frequently used starting lineup has been Cassell, Iverson, Sprewell, Garnett, and Ogvorkandi, with Szczerbiak, a former All-Star shooter, on the bench.
The team's leading scorer is Allen Iverson. Although his average points per game this season has dropped to 25.5, which is a new low in recent years, his efficiency has reached a career high: 45%+37%+82%, with all three shooting percentages being career highs!
The most important reason for this is that he finally found a truly top-notch teammate.
Kevin Garnett!
加内特本赛季场均20.1分13.5篮板5.5助攻1.5抢断2.2盖帽，他仍旧无比全面。
What makes him the best match for Iverson is that he excels at playmaking, screens, passing, and defense, which are exactly the abilities that Iverson needs in his teammates.
The pick-and-roll and handoff between Iverson and Garnett has become a tactic that gives many teams in the league a major headache.
There's absolutely no way to defend against it!
In addition, Sprewell continued his performance. Although his average points per game dropped to only 14, his defense, experience, and ability to drive to the basket and score in crucial moments are indispensable assets for the Timberwolves.
Veteran Cassell averages 13 points and 7 assists per game, leading the team in assists. His experience, vision, and balanced offensive and defensive abilities effectively compensate for any shortcomings he might have when playing alongside Iverson.
球队的最后一名首发中锋奥格沃坎迪的表现虽然比起前一年场均12分9篮板2盖帽要差的多，他场均贡献甚至只有去年的一半：6分5篮板！
Fortunately, although this guy started to slack off after signing a big contract, his defense and size are still there. As long as he's in the paint, the Timberwolves' ability to defend the paint and protect the rim is guaranteed.
In addition, the team has All-Star shooter Szczerbiak on the bench to provide firepower support. This season's Timberwolves are definitely a top team that no one can ignore!
On the evening of December 25, at the Minnesota Target Center.
Because the team brought in Allen Iverson, a top-tier star with both exceptional talent and immense popularity, the Minnesota basketball market and ticket sales have been steadily increasing. Tonight, their arena was once again packed with fans!
"Lin, we'll definitely show you tonight! I'll give you a loss as your Christmas present, isn't that great!" Iverson couldn't wait to provoke Lin Tian as soon as he saw him. He was really in high spirits this year. He had never played in such a comfortable environment before, and he had never had such strong teammates before!
"Do you know the meaning of that tattoo on your neck?" Lin Tian wasn't going to tolerate Iverson any longer, and continued his habit of only hitting people in the face when he attacked: "Loyalty! Where's your loyalty? I heard you knelt on the ground begging your management to let you leave Philadelphia?"
"Shut up! This is a business alliance! Business is business!" Iverson was hit where it hurt by Lin Tian's words, and he was so angry that he was trembling.
"Alright, then let's not talk business." Lin Tian shrugged. "How does it feel to be so scared after I beat you to a pulp that you didn't dare stay in the East for long and ran straight to the West to beg for someone's coattails? I heard you knelt on the ground begging your management to let you leave the East?"
"I will never kneel and beg anyone!"
"So that means, apart from the kneeling part, everything else is real?"
"FUXX! Lin, FUXX! You're a damn bastard!"
"What's wrong with Allen?" Garnett saw from afar that his new buddy seemed to be bullied by Lin Tian, and immediately walked over, looking very aggressive.
"We were talking about the guy Allen recently hugged, a guy who's not even that thick, looks like he's only about the thickness of an ankle, and has never made it past the second round in his entire career—that's you. I was wondering if you two usually cry together when you lose, or do you cry back to back?"
As soon as Lin Tian saw the two of them coming over, he didn't hesitate at all and started cursing at them together!
If you're going to criticize, criticize a pair; if you're going to curse, curse two!
"What's wrong, Lin? Are you in trouble?" As soon as they saw that Lin Tian seemed to be bullied by the two, Artest and Haslem, two burly men who had recently gotten along well, came side by side and stood on either side of Lin Tian, looking ready to take action at any time.
"Kevin, Allen, do you need any help?" Sprewell and Cassel immediately came over.
"What happened?" Miller and Christie then came over as well.
"What are you guys doing? The match hasn't even started and you're already setting up this battleground? What, are you going to have a fighting tournament first, make me throw a few out, and then we'll play ball?"
At that moment, the referee for tonight walked over and stared intently at the group of people.
Damn it, what are you guys doing, standing in a row right in the middle of the Christmas game?
Will a brawl ruin my career?
"What are you talking about? There's no way a fight will break out." Lin Tian was the first to laugh and shrug. "I'll give you a try."
Wow!
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he suddenly jumped forward, raised his hands, and shouted Bruce Lee's signature roar.
Then, almost simultaneously, the Timberwolves players took a step back, putting distance between themselves and Lin Tian.
"See, there's no chance of a fight." Lin Tian immediately stopped fighting, shrugged with a smile, and then turned and left.
What he left behind were Artest and Haslem laughing so hard their stomachs hurt, some even sitting on the ground, and Miller and Christie trying their best to keep their mouths shut and show off their professionalism.
"I'm going to kill him!" Iverson's eyes were practically spitting fire. In all his life, when had he ever been played like this?
"Let the game decide!" Garnett glared fiercely at Lin Tian's retreating figure and said, "After this game, I want Lin to have to walk with his head down whenever he sees us!"
"Kill them!" Sprewell, the "madman" who was the league's number one psychopath before Artest, a psychopath who dared to choke the head coach and almost kill him, when has he ever been scared like this?
Before the game even started, the Timberwolves were already united in their determination to make the Pacers pay!
"The atmosphere's really tense!" Barkley exclaimed, watching the players who were already headbutting each other before the game even started, seemingly eager to kick Lin Tian out and start a fight. "I have a feeling tonight's game is going to be very exciting!"
"I think Charles said something completely pointless," Kenny chimed in without hesitation. "The chances of this group of people playing an uninteresting game are smaller than the chances of Charles successfully losing weight!"
"That's because I don't need to lose weight. My current weight has brought me to the peak of my attractiveness!"
"Because your face is so big that the mirror can't even hold you anymore? So every time you look in the mirror, you can only see half of your ugly face, that way you'll see less of your ugly face each time you look in the mirror, right?"
As usual, the two commentators were bantering and teasing each other in the studio, while the ten starting players from both sides were already in position, ready for the match.
"Come on, Lin, I'll show you what I'm capable of!" Iverson threatened, standing next to Lin Tian.
"Are you sure you want to match up against me? Then I won't leave the low post tonight. Let's fight it out in the paint! Let's see who's better!" As soon as Lin Tian finished speaking, the taller and better defensive Cassell walked over and stood next to Lin Tian in place of Iverson.
"Tonight you are mine."
"Get away from me." Lin Tian immediately closed his eyes. "Playing an away game on Christmas Day is bad enough, why do I have to see your ugly face? This is the worst Christmas of my life!"
"I'm obviously very sexy! Girls love my buck teeth!" Cassel proudly flashed his signature 'alien' smile. Clearly, at his age, being able to use his appearance to cause trouble for his opponents made him very excited.
"Sexy? I'll show you something even sexier!" Lin Tian turned and shouted at the Pacers' bench not far away, "Josh, stand up and show him your most confident smile!"
"Hehe." Upon hearing this, Howard immediately stood up from the bench, flexing his muscles and grinning in that direction.
"Fuck!" Kassel cursed. "Where did you find this bastard? Get him back! Stop letting him laugh! I have a party tonight, you can't make me think about him every time I close my eyes!"
"Josh, increase the dose, give him a wink! To Sam, yes, like that, keep going, wink a lot!" Lin Tian cleverly closed his eyes while continuing to have Howard launch a visual attack on Cassel.
come on!
You have Zhuge Liang, I have Pang Tong!
I'm no longer afraid of you, Kassel!
Come on, let's hurt each other.
"Make him sit down!" Cassel's expression and tone were a mixture of unprecedented fear, anger, and despair as he shouted at Lin Tian in a commanding yet pleading voice.
"Make him sit down!" The referee chimed in.
His psychological trauma is much greater than Kassel's!
Because he had to watch Howard wink and make faces at the same time, and also watch the stunned and dumbfounded look on Cassel's face.
The Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix simultaneously unleashed a critical strike on the referee. Even if Lü Bu were reborn, he would have to run away with his tail between his legs!
Lin Tian didn't reply, but waved his hand triumphantly, indicating that Howard had completed the task and could go back to rest.
Kassel is still shaken: "I swear, I'll never scare people with my face again."
Look! Look!
Only those who have been rained on themselves can hold up an umbrella for others.
What does it mean to put yourself in someone else's shoes and think from their perspective?
That's it!
I, Lord Lin, am truly a good person who spreads love and peace to the world!
The referee, clearly unable to bear the horrifying scene of the two monsters competing to be the ugliest, quickly walked to the center circle and, without even uttering his signature pre-match threat, blew his whistle and threw the ball into the air.
"Snapped!"
Although Ogvorkanddi was past the end of his contract year, his form and enthusiasm had declined significantly, and his stats had been halved, but his physical attributes and size were still there. He passed the ball directly to Cassell, letting Cassell organize the Timberwolves' first offensive attack!
"Let's go, let's go!" Cassell waved to his teammates to hurry up, while he himself slowly and unhurriedly advanced.
Cassell, who just turned 34, is still at the tail end of his career peak.
His post-up game, playmaking, and mid-range shooting still make him a top player in the entire league.
More importantly, he's a guard who clicks really well with Iverson!
Or rather, the Timberwolves' current roster is a perfect fit for Iverson.
For example, in the first game, the Timberwolves demonstrated why this new roster has been successful this year.
Cassell dribbled at the top of the arc, and Iverson ran around inside the three-point line, using two screens from Ogvorkandi and Garnett before suddenly moving up to the area above the free-throw line to get the ball. He then turned around but didn't rush to shoot; instead, he bounced the ball back to Garnett.
Then Iverson circled around Garnett again, turning the Pacers' defense upside down. Garnett suddenly passed the ball to Sprewell, who was cutting to the basket. The former All-NBA forward drove straight into the paint, dodged Miller's help defense, and made a successful layup!
"Beautiful teamwork! The Timberwolves' offensive system this year really reminds me of the Sacramento Kings' Princeton offense! Pick-and-roll, handoffs, cuts, reverse runs, and rolls to the basket—they play it both unselfishly and beautifully!"
Kenny immediately praised the Timberwolves, saying, "More importantly, when their plays fall apart, they still have two top stars, Garnett and Iverson, who can ignore the plays and force their way through. Even the Kings in their prime couldn't match that!"
Kenny had barely finished speaking when Lin Tian dribbled the ball up the court: "Allen, now you're afraid to guard me, afraid to go one-on-one with me, huh? To be honest, I still prefer the courageous you."
"No use, Lin! Your trick won't work on me! I know how to play basketball, I'm ready now!" Iverson and the Timberwolves were in the honeymoon phase, so of course he wasn't falling for it.
"Is that so? Let me see how mature you are!" Lin Tian said, making a hand gesture. Then Artest and Christie immediately set a screen without the ball, catching the other player off guard.
After hanging up, Artest grabbed Iverson to prevent him from chasing Christie, then turned around, took position, and reached out for the ball!
This is one of the Pacers' most important strategies tonight: attack Iverson!
The Timberwolves' other four players are either top-tier defensively or above average. Only Iverson is different; he's skinny and small, and Carlisle speculates that Sanders definitely won't let Iverson and Lin Tian match up.
So he used this setup of Artest and Christie setting off off-ball screens and then looking for opportunities to forcefully attack Iverson.
Let the 'beasts' ravage the 'answer'!
Lin Tian's passing never disappoints. As soon as Artest got into position, the ball was in his hands. Then, the guy turned around quickly, used his shoulder to push against Iverson, just like a bull against a lamb. Relying on his absolute advantage in height, weight and strength, he easily crushed into the paint and made a layup!
This time, there was no skill involved, it was all about the body!
"Mine!" Garnett rushed over immediately, grabbed Iverson who had been knocked down by Artest, and yelled at him, "I was too slow in helping! Next time I'll be right there, and if this guy dares to make a move, I'll show him what a block party is!"
"Thanks, Kevin! I knew you guys would back me up!" Iverson nodded and quickly joined the offense.
This Timberwolves team is currently in its honeymoon period!
The winning streak and the fact that everyone can play in their preferred and comfortable way have fostered an unprecedented level of unity among them.
More importantly, this was truly the first time Iverson and Garnett had such an absolutely amazing top-tier teammate.
They both truly cherish this.
Therefore, both of them were willing to give up some so-called pride, status, and data.
This year, they just need to win!
The Timberwolves' second offensive possession still featured Cassell with the ball, Iverson running off the ball, and Garnett facilitating from the free-throw line. This time, the opportunity came to Iverson, who had been getting opportunities through screens. He received the ball from Garnett, pulled up and shot, and made the 2-pointer.
Then the Pacers' offense ran into problems.
As Garnett said, if this guy focuses on one person and wholeheartedly helps defend the basket, his mobility and rim protection ability are absolutely terrifying!
Or to put it another way: aside from his limited effectiveness in top-post defense, low-post defense, and dealing with large, solid interior players, Garnett's abilities in help defense, rotation, rim protection, defensive awareness, and big-to-small defense are arguably the best in NBA history, and that's no exaggeration!
This guy's sweeping ability is terrifying!
Artest and Christie then tried to score against Iverson one-on-one, but Garnett's help defense shut them down, rendering the Pacers' opening strategy ineffective!
2: 8!
Three minutes into the game, the Pacers had only scored 2 points.
At this point, it was undoubtedly time for Lin Tian to step in!
Facing Kassel's close defense, Lin Tian easily accelerated and swept past the guy in one step.
After all, Kassel is already 34 years old, or rather, whether he is 34 or 24, he has no chance of keeping up with Lin Tian's speed.
The speed difference between the two is probably greater than the difference in their appearance.
Lin Tian took a step past Cassell and then encountered Garnett's help defense. Garnett's timing and speed in helping the defense were truly perfect. If it were an ordinary star player, he would hesitate for a moment and then be double-teamed by Cassell and Garnett who had turned around and caught up!
But Lin Tian was clearly no ordinary star. Facing Garnett's Spider-Man-like long arms, Lin Tian suddenly dribbled the ball with his left hand, then did a spinning backflip, and in the blink of an eye, he flashed past Garnett and continued to dribble and forcefully drive into the paint!
Ogvorcandy's speed and awareness weren't as good as Garnett's. He was clearly a half-beat slower. By the time he got in front of Lin Tian to help defend, Lin Tian had already released the ball. The ball left his hand, bounced on the backboard, and then fell precisely into the basket.
"Beautiful! Beautiful 1v3!" Barkley immediately shouted: "It's hard to say who is the strongest 1v1 player in the league today, but at least Shaq, Kobe, Iverson and others can compete with Lin."
"But when it comes to who's the best 1-on-N player in the league, I think everyone will only think of the same person as me!"
"Lin! His technique, speed, and the feel of his shot are all perfect! After getting past the first defender, he always finds an opening and opportunity when facing help defense, and then gives us incredibly exciting moments!"
This time, Kenny didn't contradict Barkley. Instead, he added, "There's one thing none of us should forget: which series cemented Lin's status as a top-tier player in the league, making everyone acknowledge him as a top-five, or even top-three, player?"
"The 97-98 Eastern Conference Finals! In that series, Lin faced the double-teams of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen with ease, completely destroying the Bulls dynasty he had built!"
"It was during that series that everyone first realized, and for the first time confirmed, that Lin was unstoppable!"
After making a layup against three opponents, Lin Tian temporarily gave up cooperating with his teammates. Even though he didn't believe in God, he was already forced to work overtime on a business trip during Christmas, a statutory holiday, and he didn't want to make his mood worse because of a defeat.
Since your teammates can't hit you, and since you, Garnett, can defend, let's go head-to-head!
From that point onward, Lin Tian's firepower became completely unstoppable!
A fast break dunk after a steal, a shot after a pick-and-roll in half-court offense, a pull-up three-pointer from beyond the arc, and a strong layup for a three-point play...
After a series of points, the first quarter of the game came to a temporary end.
Lin Tian was unstoppable in this quarter, scoring a whopping 23 points with drives to the basket and shots from outside!
But the Pacers only scored 27 points as a team. Apart from Lin Tian, the Pacers only scored 4 points in total!
Tonight, apart from Lin Tian, the entire Pacers team was not in good form.
The Pacers are out of sorts, while the Timberwolves are getting better and better, playing more and more aggressively!
In the first quarter, the Timberwolves had a hot hand. Except for Iverson, who was tied up by Lin Tian and only scored 2 points on 1 of 4 shots, the rest of the team performed very well.
Garnett used his absolute height advantage to completely dominate Haslem. He repeatedly made high-post jump shots, and Haslem could not interfere with him at all. In this quarter, Garnett made 6 of 9 shots and scored 12 points. Sprewell, on the other hand, used his mobility advantage against Artest.
He made several cuts to the basket, either scoring directly or drawing fouls. In this quarter, he made 2 of 4 shots and 4 of 4 free throws, scoring 8 points. Cassell, on the other hand, made a three-pointer and a mid-range jumper to score 5 points. Even Ogvorkandi had a resurgence, scoring 4 points with two dunks thanks to the attraction and control of his teammates.
That wasn't all. After both teams entered their rotation, Timberwolves' star shooter Szczerbiak came on and had another hot hand tonight, hitting two three-pointers from the left and right as soon as he came on!
After Szczerbiak's two three-pointers, the Timberwolves scored a whopping 37 points in the first quarter! They led the Pacers by 10 points.
But that's not all.
Early in the second quarter, Lin Tian, having played the entire first quarter, had to rest on the bench for a while. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves brought in Iverson, who had rested briefly at the end of the first quarter, to take advantage of Parker.
In less than three minutes, Iverson successfully isolated Parker three times, scoring twice and drawing a foul once, which led to him going to the free-throw line.
After Iverson's six consecutive points, the Timberwolves went on a 6-2 run against the Pacers in the second quarter, and the gap was rapidly approaching 15 points. (End of Chapter)