novelhk Chapter 316 God was moved to tears! An incredible moment of victory.
Chapter 316 God was moved to tears! An incredible moment of victory.
Chapter 316 God was moved to tears! An incredible, decisive moment!
After a day of rest, the Pacers and Lakers will play Game 2 of their series!
Both teams are determined to win this game. The Lakers want to secure a road victory, while the Pacers want to continue their dream and goal of winning the championship with a perfect playoff record!
As two of the top super teams, the coaches of both sides have already conducted countless rounds of research and analysis on each other's lineups, systems, tactics, rotations, and all possible potential changes, as well as those hidden players who may break out.
So even though the series has only been played once, neither coaching staff has any secrets from the other in this series!
They understand each other perfectly!
Jackson and Bird knew very well who they were facing, so before Game 2 of the Finals, they had no intention of changing their starting lineup or their strategy from the previous game.
They all wanted to fight first and then talk about it!
Before the game started, Lin Tian was warming up in the stadium when he was surprised to find Charlize Theron sitting in the front row, smiling and waving at him.
"What are you doing here?" Lin Tian was completely unaware of Theron's arrival.
"I missed you, and I've been unusually free lately," Theron said with a smile. "Of course, more importantly, I don't want to wait until I get to Los Angeles to share you with someone else!"
Lin Tian cleverly laughed off Theron's sarcastic remarks and then tried to chat with Theron about the weather.
But Theron had no intention of taking the bait, shrugging and saying, "Whatever, I'm not your girlfriend anyway."
Then, Theron suddenly whispered, "But if I become your girlfriend, you can forget about ever flirting with other women again! I'll be angry."
"But I don't plan on dating anytime soon." Lin Tian shrugged, looking like he was a total jerk with no bottom line and no moral qualms: "I'm a very fickle person."
"There will come a day when you won't be unfaithful." Theron rested her chin on her hand, looking at Lin Tian with complete confidence.
"Do you think you can make me stop being a womanizer?" Lin Tian suddenly thought of those love-struck girls who believed they could turn prodigal sons back to the right path and reform scumbags.
These girls who think they're different and can make scumbags turn back to their boyfriends will, 90% of them, end up with a terrible fate, or at least experience a period of unbearable suffering.
Only a very small percentage can truly win back a scumbag's heart. In fact, it's not that they can win him back, but rather that when the scumbags reach a certain point or stage, they suddenly don't want to continue being scumbags. At that moment, even if a chimpanzee appeared in front of them, they might just live happily ever after.
That's how realistic and ironic it is!
But is the famous Saiyan King also a love-struck fool?
It's all so unreal. Lin Tian couldn't even tell which was more far-fetched: Charlize Theron being love-struck or Amber Heard pooping on Depp's bed.
"No, I think you'll change." Theron gave a captivating smile. "I won't presume to change you. Someone like you wouldn't change for anyone, so I won't do anything annoying. But what I will do is make sure that if you ever want to change, I'm your first choice, the first person you'll think of!"
"So I can wait."
"But that might take a long time." Lin Tian looked at Theron and suddenly felt a little touched.
"I know, so I probably won't wait too long. Maybe a year, maybe three years, maybe five years. Maybe I won't want to wait anymore when I wake up tomorrow. Maybe I'll still be waiting for this day when I'm 40. Who can say for sure about matters of the heart?"
"Who says otherwise?" Lin Tian spread his hands and said, "But thank you, no one has ever told me these things before."
"What I'm about to say is probably something no one has ever told you before." At this point, Theron actually blushed slightly, which was rare for her.
Then he leaned close to Lin Tian's ear and whispered a few words.
When the two separated and looked at each other again, Lin Tian's eyes were full of anticipation, while Theron, for the first time in Lin Tian's memory, chickened out and quickly turned his head away after only a brief eye contact!
This woman!
Leprechaun!
She said she wasn't going to change herself, but just now she said this and that, and even told Lin Tian he could do this and that today. She even said that if Lin Tian hits the game-winning shot tonight, then she'll let Lin Tian...
What can Lin Tian do? Besides quickly defeating the Lakers, securing the victory, and then going to experience this and that and the joy of... well, what else can he do?
"Are you never going to stop chasing girls?" O'Neal's voice came from behind Lin Tian. "The game's about to start! If you're not coming soon, you might as well just come on as a substitute!"
"Shaq, you should become a coach! The coaching job suits you perfectly!" Lin Tian glanced at Theron again, then reluctantly turned away, saying, "Because you're a stupid, meddlesome fatso! And the most important quality for a head coach is being both meddlesome and stupid!"
"In that respect, you got full marks tonight!"
Ok?
Jackson and Bird, who were sitting on the bench, both looked at Lin Tian at the same time. Did this kid just curse at me?
However, neither of them delved into it. Bird was already used to Lin Tian insulting others and then insulting him in return.
As for Jackson, he was in a good mood today, so he didn't hold it against Lin Tian!
Rivers didn't come!
That big-headed idiot finally disappeared from the sidelines!
As for what Rivers went to do? Jackson didn't care! Who cares what he went to do? It would be best if he was walking down the street and got shot dead because he was annoying, so that he would never show his face again!
Rivers is definitely not in the mood to watch the Finals live and learn from the experience; he has more important things to do!
He got a call from Orlando; the Detroit guys have officially put Grant Hill on the trading block! Rivers needs to go back to Orlando and have a serious talk with management and the people in Detroit!
Meanwhile, the draft is about to begin, and as a key player in leading the team to the playoffs, Rivers has a certain say in the draft! He needs to select a suitable person.
Meanwhile, the free agency market is about to open, and the Magic, with their massive salary cap space, are ready to make a big splash and shock the entire league during the offseason!
Back to the game!
Neither coach changed their starting lineup tonight; they both opted to continue with the starting lineup from the previous game!
O'Neal and Ben Wallace stood at opposite ends of the center line once again, ready for the jump ball!
"Little Mushroom, where were you at the end of the game? I didn't see you anywhere!" Before the game even started, O'Neal started trash-talking Ben Wallace.
"I was really enjoying watching you almost fall on your butt when Chris pulled out a chair and shook you so badly! That was hilarious! Also..." Ben Wallace retorted, not to be outdone, "If you really want to call me Mushroom, then call me Big Mushroom or Giant Mushroom."
"Little mushroom, that's a term used to describe a greyhound like you!"
"FUXX! What the hell did you say, you bastard!" Although O'Neal didn't know what "sharp dog" meant, there were some words that he really didn't need to understand. Just hearing them made him instinctively angry!
Especially when this word touches on certain sore spots, and those sore spots are fundamentally unchangeable and unimprovable, then it hurts even more!
"You're the one who's meticulous! Your whole family is meticulous! You were born meticulous! You're incredibly meticulous! It's been meticulous since your great-grandfather's generation!"
An enraged O'Neal launched into a tirade, raging with boundless enthusiasm and energy. So much so that during the jump ball, he was a fraction too slow and missed his chance, allowing Ben Wallace to steal the ball in the first possession!
This was also the first time that Ben Wallace had defeated this behemoth in a jump ball after so many matches against Shaquille O'Neal.
Then, when Lin Tian dribbled to the frontcourt, Ben Wallace quickly moved up to set a screen for Lin Tian, and then he quickly cut inside and suddenly burst into action!
Ben Wallace stretched his arms out in mid-air, and then the basketball magically appeared in his hands. It's hard to say whether Ben Wallace jumped first or Lin Tian passed the ball first, but everything was just right!
Before O'Neal could even jump, he was pinned down by Ben Wallace and couldn't jump at all!
That moment of hesitation left O'Neal unable to do anything effective defensively except helplessly push Ben Wallace away.
Then came a deafening explosion!
Ben Wallace slammed the ball into the basket with both hands, completing an alley-oop dunk over Shaquille O'Neal!
"Roar roar roar roar roar!"
After landing, Ben pounded his chest frantically with both hands, letting out howls like ghosts and wolves. Coupled with his exaggerated afro and ugly face that clearly showed he was no benevolent person, at this moment, Ben was no different from a demon crawling out of hell!
"Pushing foul! 2 points awarded, plus 1 free throw!"
The referee's next call made Ben Wallace even more excited. He scored such an explosive 2+1, or rather, 2+0 right at the start of the game! But Ben Wallace was extremely excited!
"You fatso! You're finished! You think you can score 60 points every game? You think you're facing your grandma? Let me tell you, tonight, we're going to crush you! Tonight, we're going to completely destroy you!"
Although he missed the free throw, Ben Wallace didn't hold back on his trash talk, unleashing a torrent of abuse at Shaquille O'Neal!
This was also the task that Bird and Lin Tian gave him before the game!
In the last game, provoking Kobe didn't have a significant effect. Although he missed several shots and made mistakes at the end, it was ultimately too slow to work!
Even before he reached his full potential, Kobe still held great respect for the hardworking Shaq and Jackson, the charlatan who coached him in his first year. He was still willing to sacrifice his offensive desire for the sake of the team's tactics.
So tonight, the Pacers need to try to provoke O'Neal! Make O'Neal play unreasonably, make him not pass the ball, make him not pass even when double-teamed!
Ben Wallace was incredibly aggressive tonight!
After missing the free throw, he kept talking and raising his hands next to his head, excitedly showing off his muscles in front of O'Neal.
They're just smug! They're just arrogant!
However, Ben Affleck obviously doesn't have many more opportunities to be smug and arrogant tonight.
Because in the Lakers' next offensive play, O'Neal simply tore him apart!
He called for the ball with his back to the basket, then made a strong move to the side, and then jumped up directly, completely ignoring that Ben Wallace was not out of position at all, and that Ben Wallace was still in the defensive position and had jumped up to try to block the shot.
Shaquille O'Neal used the most primitive, crazy, and direct method to overpower Ben Wallace!
"puff!"
The two collided heavily in mid-air, and then Ben felt as if an AK47 had fired a burst of bullets into his chest. He instantly lost his balance and flew backward!
"boom!"
Then came a loud bang, and the basketball hoop, which was being pulled by O'Neal, shook violently and almost collapsed.
"Beep! Foul on the hand! 2 points awarded, plus 1 free throw!"
"Kid, who's the 'sharp dog' now?" O'Neal stared at Ben Wallace with bloodshot eyes, looking menacing and ready to devour him.
"Take your pants off and you'll see. Want to have a go? I can let you rub for three minutes first!" Ben's trash talk was now a direct inheritance from Lin Tian and Miller, both cunning and sarcastic: "No, one minute, okay? Three minutes and I'm afraid it'll be finished and back to normal!"
"You're dead!" O'Neal snorted, then turned and went to the free throw line, completing a 2+0 play.
But O'Neal is right, Ben Wallace is really doomed tonight.
An angry O'Neal will make more mistakes, commit more offensive fouls, and even make some irrational attempts to take 1-on-2 or 1-on-3 shots.
But this does not diminish his terrifying destructive power!
In the first quarter, O'Neal played 10 minutes and once again racked up a terrifying stat line of 11 points and 5 rebounds, but also committed 2 turnovers.
Meanwhile, after playing for only 7 minutes, Ben Wallace committed his second foul and was taken off the court by Bird.
It's worth mentioning that when Ben Wallace walked off the court and sat on the bench, he suddenly lifted his jersey, revealing a large patch of purplish-blue bruises from his chest to his abdomen! Even the team doctor was stunned when he saw it; it had only been one quarter!
Was Ben Wallace there to be tortured or to play basketball?
After a moment of surprise, the team doctors rushed forward to treat Ben Wallace.
All I can say is that an enraged O'Neal was truly giving Ben Wallace a good beating.
On the court, O'Neal scored 11 points in the first quarter but didn't dish out a single assist. He was determined to completely shut down Ben Wallace! As a result, the Lakers' offense inevitably stalled.
At the end of the first quarter, the Lakers had only scored 24 points.
The Pacers relied on Lin Tian's 9 points and 3 assists in the first quarter, and their entire offensive system was incredibly smooth. They found their rhythm from the start and scored 31 points in the first quarter!
The humiliation of being dominated by the Lakers from start to finish in the last game has finally disappeared!
In the second and third quarters, the Pacers maintained a steady lead. Although the score never widened and rarely exceeded 10 points, the Pacers were able to hold onto their lead.
But soon, changes occurred that were unfavorable to the Pacers.
Less than five minutes into the fourth quarter, Ben Wallace picked up his sixth foul and was ejected from the court for making an overly aggressive move while defending Shaquille O'Neal.
This is the second consecutive game where Ben Wallace fouled out. Shaquille O'Neal's ability to score is truly terrifying.
But there's also good news for the Pacers: although O'Neal has put up a monster stat line of 33 points and 18 rebounds, he's clearly on fire tonight and has four fouls on him.
It doesn't seem impossible to knock him down.
Therefore, at this point, Bird did not send his number one substitute Davis onto the court, but veteran Perkins.
At this point, the Pacers need a seasoned veteran more than a hothead trying to outmuscle O'Neal.
Perkins' experience makes it easier for O'Neal to make mistakes.
Another piece of good news for the Pacers is their lead in the score.
They still hold a 7-point lead at this point in the game.
90: 97.
Lin Tian and O'Neal, along with all the players on both sides, were clearly not as crazy as in the previous game; their performance had returned to normal.
With Ben Wallace off the court and Kendrick Perkins on the court, Shaquille O'Neal became even more unrestrained and aggressive in the paint! After Wallace left the court, the Lakers handed the ball to O'Neal to finish possessions for three consecutive possessions.
Then O'Neal scored 3 consecutive baskets, including one 2+1 and one 2+0. Perkins did not draw a foul from O'Neal, but instead was fouled twice by O'Neal!
After O'Neal's crazy offensive, the point difference between the two sides was narrowed to 4 points!
Fortunately, Perkins immediately showed his effectiveness on the offensive end. After catching the ball under the basket, he quickly turned around and raised his hand to fake a shot. O'Neal, who had already blocked three shots tonight, couldn't control his movement and reached out to block Perkins' shot.
But little did anyone know that it was all a feint! After shaking off O'Neal, Perkins leaned against O'Neal, flicked his wrist, and the basketball flew toward the rim!
Then, amidst the cheers of more than 18000 fans, Perkins, after losing his balance, shot the basketball, which, like Yu the Great who controlled the flood, passed by his home without entering and went straight across the rim.
A "Miss Wang crossing the bridge" style!
Perkins is getting old; his skills after a physical confrontation have really declined.
Fortunately, the strategic significance of this play cannot be compared to two points. The key point of this play is that Perkins drew O'Neal's fifth foul!
Even though he only made one of two free throws in the following game, the fans and his teammates were so excited by his successful foul that he was like a man possessed!
Shaquille O'Neal! The Lakers' fiercest and most difficult player to deal with has finally fouled out!
Once he leaves the game, the outcome will be a foregone conclusion!
At this point, Jackson had no choice but to call a timeout.
He needs to calm down, to stabilize the rhythm of the game, and also to calm O'Neal's mentality.
There's still half a quarter left in the game, so we have to remind O'Neal to control the game! He absolutely must control it!
As for the Pacers, no matter how loudly the fans shout, the players are well aware of some things.
Even a star of Shaquille O'Neal's caliber, even with five fouls already, absolutely cannot recklessly charge into the paint.
If that were done, the most likely outcome wouldn't be O'Neal committing his sixth foul; the most likely outcome would be a rapid increase in O'Neal's block stats!
These are the players at the top of the league, and they should not be underestimated, especially when they are in dire straits!
Be careful! Be extremely careful! Absolutely do not rush. Be cautious on both offense and defense!
These are the requirements Bird gave to his players during the timeout: Don't be impatient, and don't rush to draw fouls.
Waiting for an opportunity! Waiting for a truly good opportunity!
Bird and Jackson both knew at this point that the upcoming game would be a test of patience, experience, and mentality!
Whether O'Neal can play the rest of the game with five fouls, or whether the Pacers can successfully draw his sixth foul and send him off the court, will be the turning point of this game!
"Beep beep!"
The referee blew his whistle, the Lakers inbounded the ball, and the game resumed!
There were still 5 minutes and 43 seconds left in the game!
The Lakers' first offensive possession was once again a pass to O'Neal!
Regardless of how many fouls he commits now, he has already racked up 40 points and 21 rebounds tonight—an absolute monster!
Jackson sat in the audience with his arms crossed and a stern expression. He was very confident at that moment!
He believed O'Neal could definitely make that shot!
It wasn't just because of his ability, nor just because the player guarding O'Neal was the 40-year-old veteran Perkins, but because O'Neal had already committed five fouls!
At this point in the game, at this stage of the Finals, unless O'Neal elbows Perkins directly into the face or punches him, the referee will absolutely not call a foul on O'Neal!
Some people feel that five fouls are a shackle or a source of pressure!
But Jackson knew that sometimes, five fouls could be a shield! Referees would be much more cautious and careful when blowing the whistle at that point!
So passing the ball to O'Neal at this point was absolutely the right thing to do. What a load of rubbish!
Jackson, who was sitting on the sidelines, was full of confidence just a second ago, as if he had everything under control. He jumped up from the bench and rushed to the referee's side with speed that was no less than Lin Tian's, as if his butt was on fire!
"Are you crazy?! Are you crazy?! This is the NBA Finals! You actually ejected Shaq from the game because of that kind of move?!"
"Even my grandma could tell it was a fake fall! It was definitely a fake fall! One hundred percent fake!"
From Jackson's words, you can tell that O'Neal picked up his sixth foul!
The City Square stadium is now filled with cheers!
The fans celebrated wildly, cheering and shouting.
Everyone shouted their heartfelt blessings to O'Neal.
Goodbye, Shaq!
"Go home, wash up, and go to bed!"
"Indiana has no sea, so there's no place for sharks!"
"Go back to the West Coast! That's the place for idiots like you to play house!"
"Congratulations Shaq, you've been swept again in the Finals!"
"Lin could beat you up as easily as beating his grandson!"
On the court, O'Neal held the basketball in both hands, looking at the referee with disbelief. He spread his hands to indicate that he was innocent and had done nothing. He kept shaking his head and muttering to himself, clearly unable to accept the fact that he had fouled out of the game.
As for Perkins, who was lying on the floor, he was extremely excited at the moment, and even started wiggling his butt while he was still on the floor.
Happy! Utterly happy!
Just now, facing O'Neal's strong low-post attack, he naturally fell backward and lay on the floor.
With a single dunk, Perkins ended O'Neal's performance tonight!
O'Neal, offensive foul!
He was sent off!
That's not all. Because of Jackson's rage and incessant trash talk, the referee, who was fed up with it, gave Jackson a technical foul!
The Pacers will get an extra free throw opportunity!
At this moment, the entire Indiana region was filled with unparalleled confidence.
From fans to players, everyone believes they can definitely win this game!
Without this monster who scored 40+20, how could the Lakers possibly turn the tide and resist the Pacers' onslaught?
Because of Kobe!
The Lakers quickly provided their answer!
Next, although Lin Tian made the free throws and extended the score, the Pacers had a problem with the inbound pass. Christie's pass was intercepted by the alert Kobe, who then launched a fast break, completing the steal and dunk in one go, and closing the gap in the blink of an eye!
That 2 points not only brought Kobe's total to 20 points tonight, but it also seemed to unlock his full potential!
This guy, who was the primary culprit in the team's loss in the first game and whose performance in the first three and a half quarters of the second game was also unremarkable, suddenly turned on his killer mode in the next 5 minutes of the game!
Three points, a mid-range pull-up jumper, a strong layup after a drive, a dunk after a cut to the basket for a 2+1 play, grabbing a rebound and then fast-breaking to the frontcourt for a three-pointer.
In less than 5 minutes, Kobe scored a whopping 17 points, going 2-for-7 from the field and 2-for-3 from three-point range, and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line!
During that period, the Lakers only scored a total of 17 points! Kobe Bryant alone scored 17 points!
On the other hand, the Pacers made many mistakes during this period.
First, Bird was too happy because O'Neal was off the court and didn't take down the "anti-shark armor" Perkins in time. As a result, the old and slow Perkins became the Lakers' weak point. Kobe scored several points by switching and helping on Perkins!
Then, because of O'Neal's departure, the Pacers team's mentality was obviously relaxed. Everyone, including Lin Tian, either made low-level mistakes, made too casual shooting choices, or missed wide-open shots during this period!
In short, O'Neal's departure did not secure the victory for the Pacers; instead, it led to their collapse!
In the following few minutes, they not only made mistakes and missed shots frequently, but also only scored a total of 3 points!
With Kobe's incredible offensive surge, the Lakers took the lead!
With 38 seconds left in the game, the Lakers had even built an 8-point lead!
114: 106!
In just a few minutes, the Lakers, fueled by Kobe's incredible scoring, unleashed a terrifying 17-3 run, widening the gap between them.
During this period, Bird called two timeouts, but he was unable to get the team back into focus; they just couldn't find their rhythm again.
Not only could they not find their rhythm, the Pacers players became more and more anxious and shot harder and harder. Apart from Lin Tian driving to the basket and scoring a 2+1, the rest of them didn't score a single point!
When Bird called another timeout with only 38 seconds left in the game, he was already in despair.
38 seconds, 8 minutes.
Unless a miracle occurs, it's impossible to get it back.
But a miracle is a miracle precisely because it doesn't happen just anywhere!
He decided to just let it go.
Instead of pointlessly putting the key players on the court for another 40 seconds, we should think about how to help them regain their form in the next game!
However, despite being prepared to forfeit the game, Bird was still very confident about the series.
All he needs to do is tighten things up and get the players on their toes!
The Pacers had been on a winning streak before, dominating both the regular season and the playoffs, and had long forgotten the taste of defeat. Losing a game at this point would definitely be a wake-up call for the team.
Even Bird felt that losing at this point wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
The Pacers will definitely be stronger after this loss.
Looking at the players sitting on the bench, Bird sighed and said:
"Lin, Chris, Reggie, Vince, come down and rest. We're in charge of this game."
"This game isn't over yet!" Lin Tian said to Bird. "It's only 8 points. We just need 3 three-pointers to catch up. Larry, I don't think it's time to rest yet."
"Lin, you..." Bird looked at Lin Tian's resolute expression and quickly nodded.
Perhaps only on the court can these guys feel the pain more directly!
Then let's keep fighting and make this defeat an indispensable memory on the road to future victories!
He became a thorn in the side of every Pacers player.
Let this defeat set the stage for even greater victories for the entire team.
Losing is not the end of the season, but the beginning of a new winning streak.
Yes, Bird is already thinking about his post-loss speech.
He had given up hope for the game, but he was full of confidence for his post-game speech!
It will definitely inspire the players' determination to win!
"Lin, Vince, Reggie, Dale, or Chris, you five go up! Screen for Lin, let him receive the ball, then the rest of you run to comfortable positions. Lin decides how to finish the attack!"
"Remember, this round might be our last chance. Looking at the remaining time, what we need to do is be quick, accurate, and ruthless! Attack rapidly, maintain accuracy, and strike at the heart of the problem! Go, show the Los Angeles people our confidence!"
Although he had already given up on the game, Bird still put on a show of great spirit and laid out a tactic before sitting back down in his seat.
"Understood!" the five Pacers players who were called upon shouted, and then stepped onto the court at the same time.
After Lin Tian entered the game, he quickly opened his system before the referee kicked off.
He truly didn't give up, and he really wanted to create a miracle!
So now is the time to contribute to the miracle!
"King of Marksmen LV3 (2189/8000)!"
Lin Tian directly found the projection skill he obtained from Miller, and then used his remaining 6000 experience points to upgrade the skill to LV4!
"King of Shooters LV4: 3-point shooting percentage increased by 6%, mid-range shooting percentage increased by 7%, 3-point shooting percentage increased by an additional 4% in the last 20 seconds of the game, and if you shoot immediately after receiving the ball, your shooting percentage will increase by an additional 4%."
After the upgrade, although his shooting ability improved, Lin Tian's system panel did not change at all. His shooting failed to break through the S level bottleneck and reach S+. However, Lin Tian did not have time to regret it, because the game had to continue!
"The Pacers haven't given up! They've fielded their strongest lineup! They're still going to fight! They're betting on a miracle!" Barkley roared excitedly. "Reggie has done something similar before; he once scored 8 points in 9 seconds!"
"Lin has done something similar before, and coincidentally, the victim was also the New York Knicks! So tonight, let's see if the Pacers can produce another hero! Is it Lin, Reggie, or Vince?"
Kenny yelled, "Inbounds! Chris Webber inbounds the ball from the sideline. Lin, using a screen, receives the ball on the left wing outside the three-point line, dribbles laterally, faces Kobe, reaches the top of the key, and pulls up for a shot."
"Great shot! Lin's three-pointer went in! The Pacers' second field goal in the last five minutes! Let's see if this is a futile struggle or the beginning of a miracle!"
Barkley was also fired up by Lin Tian's three-pointer: "35 seconds left! Lin made that three-pointer in just 3 seconds! This is definitely good news for the Pacers! Three points in the shortest time! Let's see what happens next!"
114: 109!
"Defense! Full-court defense! Don't give them a chance to advance!" After Lin Tian hit a three-pointer, he immediately shut down Kobe, who was guarding him, and shouted at the same time, "If you can't steal the ball on the first try, foul immediately! Don't give them any chance to waste time!"
Following Lin Tian's instructions, his teammates immediately launched a full-court press and counter-attack. The Lakers first passed the ball to AC Green, who had been left out, and then Green, knowing that his free throws were inaccurate, quickly passed the ball back out.
After failing to force a Lakers turnover, Miller quickly committed a tactical foul on Hubble, who had possession of the ball.
Hubble steps to the free-throw line with 31.9 seconds left!
After stepping to the free-throw line, Harper, whose free-throw percentage was only 68%, did not hold back, steadily making both free throws, much to the disappointment of many Indiana fans.
However, the Pacers players showed no signs of disappointment. Davis quickly inbounded the ball from the baseline, and Lin Tian dribbled up the court!
To everyone's surprise, Lin Tian didn't rush. Instead, he pushed forward at a steady pace despite Kobe's defense!
"Is he giving up? Lin hasn't sped up at all? How can he be so calm?" Kenny looked at Lin Tian's unhurried demeanor and couldn't help but feel anxious for him. Then Kenny suddenly shouted, "Here he comes! Lin's here! Beautiful!"
Lin Tian, who was moving at a steady pace, suddenly made a quick crossover dribble after reaching the right midline, and then suddenly changed direction and accelerated towards the middle. Kobe gritted his teeth and followed Lin Tian closely. But then, Lin Tian suddenly made a behind-the-back dribble, and Webber's screen was already in place!
Kobe was firmly blocked behind Webber. Lin Tian bypassed Webber, held the ball with both hands and raised it to the sky. AC Green, who came to help defend, responded with a shot!
Only then did Lin Tian manage to forcefully pull his hand away from Green's leaping body!
"Beep beep!!"
The referee blew his whistle first, and Lin Tian drew a foul! This play deserves at least three free throws!
"Whoosh!!"
Then a sound that could make the whole of Indiana boil rang out: Lin Tian had scored 3+1!
The entire city square stadium erupted in celebration in an instant! Fans shouted and cheered wildly!
The Pacers have come back from the dead!
There are 24.3 seconds left in the game!
"Whoosh!!"
Then came another crisp sound, and Lin Tian's penalty was successful!
116: 113!
Only 3 points away!
At this moment, Jackson immediately called a timeout! The Pacers' momentum in closing the gap was too frightening. This old man, who had already received a technical foul and was usually calm and collected, was now a little flustered.
"Well done! Guys, you didn't do anything wrong!" Jackson shouted. "But Lin can't make that one! He can't make a third one! And even if he did, it wouldn't be a big deal!"
"Next, all we need to do is inbound the ball, stabilize the situation, and then make both free throws! As long as we don't make any mistakes or miss any free throws, we're guaranteed to win tonight, understand?"
Jackson looked at the players, clapped his hands heavily, and began to outline his tactics.
One minute later, the timeout ended! Neither side made any substitutions.
At this point, the Lakers were in a very loose formation, with no support or screens between each other, and the four players who received the ball were spread out very far apart!
When the referee blew the whistle, Kobe suddenly sprinted towards his own backcourt. His reverse run caught the Pacers off guard, and for a moment no one could keep up with him!
Horry, who was inbounding the ball, immediately passed it to Kobe. Lin Tian rushed up quickly but did not rush to foul!
Kobe's free throws were so accurate! He forced Kobe to dribble quickly across half-court, and just as Kobe crossed half-court, Christie came from the other side and cornered Kobe in a dead-end position!
Fortunately, Kobe reacted incredibly quickly, jumping up and passing the ball to Horry in the middle. Horry then quickly dribbled past his opponent and, before being double-teamed by the Pacers, passed the ball to A.C. Green, who was standing in the corner!
After Green got the ball, the Pacers finally got their wish. Without hesitation, Webber grabbed Green and started the fouling strategy!
Green's free throw percentage this season is less than 70%, making him the least accurate player on the Lakers' team. He also averages less than one free throw attempt per game!
He is absolutely the best choice for the Pacers to execute their fouling strategy!
But of course, the Pacers also wasted a lot of time getting Green to receive the ball and foul him.
When Green stepped up to the free-throw line, there were only 16.2 seconds left in the game!
As Green stepped to the free-throw line, the entire arena erupted in a frenzy, with fans booing him as much as possible to distract him from his free throws.
Jackson, sitting in the audience, swore.
Horry's pass decision was terrible!
Horry himself has a 79% free throw percentage, why would he pass the ball to Green, whose free throw percentage is 10 points lower than his own? Wouldn't it be better to let the Pacers foul him?
Making both free throws is far more important than wasting an extra second!
"Whoosh!!"
Before Jackson could finish cursing in his mind, Green made his first free throw, which caused a sigh of disappointment to come from the entire City Square arena.
They actually made it in!
Why did that bastard make the penalty at this moment?
Then, another, even more disappointed sigh came from the scene.
"Whoosh!!"
Green held his nerve and made both free throws!
"Beautiful pass from Robert!" Jackson clenched his fist on the sidelines, brimming with excitement. "This is the key reason we brought Robert to our team! Calm, clutch, always making the right decisions! A player for big games! Every extra second wasted can be the deciding factor for both teams!"
118: 113!
(End of this chapter)