novelraw Chapter 466 I'll defeat you with your best moves! And I'll have more than you...
Chapter 466 I'll defeat you with your best moves! And I'll have more than you...
In the first quarter, Lin Tian barely passed the ball, even though he wasn't injured at all. He was finally given the instruction to unleash his full potential.
整个第一节，林天是快快乐乐的打满了整节，他17投11中，其中3分球5投3中，罚球5罚4中，单节拿下29分3篮板1助攻2抢断的漂亮数据！
Despite Lin Tian scoring 29 points in a single quarter, the Bulls were not far behind!
The reason for this is that Crawford and Curry, the inside-outside duo, had a very good shooting touch in the first quarter. Crawford hit four three-pointers and scored 19 points in the quarter, while Curry was a formidable force under the basket, scoring 10 points on 5 of 7 shots!
The 29 points that these two scored together were actually a draw against Lin Tian!
With their two players exploding, the Bulls scored 35 points in the first quarter, trailing the Pacers by only 1 point!
"The first quarter was an incredibly exciting back-and-forth battle between both teams!" Barkley exclaimed during the first quarter break. "Crawford's offensive talent and Curry's touch under the basket are truly amazing! The Bulls managed to hold on despite Lin's phenomenal performance!"
"In fact, if Ford hadn't played so haphazardly at the start, the Bulls might still be leading!"
Kenny added, "The strengths and weaknesses of these two players are quite obvious. Curry's stamina and Crawford's physicality are significant flaws that they cannot ignore. Whether they can maintain their current performance is the key to whether the Bulls can keep up!"
"Another key question is: can the Pacers withstand the Bulls' offense when Lin is out?"
"Look, in the second quarter, the Pacers didn't play Lin! He played the entire first quarter. Even if there's no time limit, Lin still needs rest; he can't play a full 48 minutes every game!"
"Holding on for the 5-8 minutes Lin is out, preventing the team from digging themselves into a too deep hole, is what the rest of the Pacers should be doing!"
In the second quarter, the Pacers fielded a five-man lineup consisting of Artest, Parker, Howard, Bonner, and Haslem!
This is the strongest rotation lineup Carlisle can currently field!
On the Bulls' side, Ford, who barely played in the first quarter, and Curry, who scored 10 points in just eight minutes in the first quarter, led a team including Antonio Davis, a role player, and two shooters, Donyell Marshall and Ronald Dupree, who both had a three-point shooting percentage of over 40%.
Without Lin Tian's restraint, Ford was not afraid of Parker at all. He immediately blew past Parker and drove to the basket to score 2 points, taking the lead in the process.
But Parker, who has been a starter for a month, is no longer the same player he once was. He can't carry a team and become its core player now, but he can definitely do it with ease as a penetrator who can constantly attack and score!
He turned around and forcefully broke through Ford's defense, then responded with his signature turnaround jumper under the basket, scoring two points to help his team regain the lead!
But in the next few rounds, the Pacers' old problem resurfaced! The Bulls' Marshall and Dupree each hit a three-pointer from the left and right, while the Pacers' Artest missed a strong drive, and Haslem's mid-range jumper also missed.
Two minutes into the second quarter, the Pacers were down by five points again!
The form and energy of their substitutes are truly worrying.
"Go, Lin!" Carlisle didn't say anything about having to sit for four minutes before playing this time. He knew very well what state the team was in and understood that without Lin Tian, the team's current roster was only at the bottom of the league.
So this time, he quickly substituted Lin Tian onto the court, replacing Artest, who had played for 10 minutes in the first quarter.
"He only rested for two minutes!" Barkley exclaimed. "It seems Lin is really in good shape! It's reassuring to see him on the court so early."
"But Carlisle can't stop him from playing," Kenny added. "If they play like this for another two minutes, the Pacers will really be down by more than 10 points again!"
"The Pacers' current roster is still too thin!"
After Lin Tian came on, he first comforted the somewhat dejected Parker. After all, although the two three-pointers made by the Bulls were not scored by the players he was defending, the assists were provided by Ford!
If Parker hadn't been unable to keep up with Ford, forcing his teammates to help defend and thus leaving the Bulls' shooters open, it wouldn't have been so easy for the Bulls to pull away!
"It's nothing, it's just 5 points! I'll be back in a minute!" Lin Tian patted Parker's shoulder lightly, then handed the basketball to Parker, letting him dribble forward.
As for Lin Tian, he ran to the low post empty-handed, blocked Ford behind him, and prepared to get the ball for a one-on-one attack!
"Kid, you were having a good time bullying us kids, weren't you!" After Parker passed the ball to him immediately, Lin Tian probed Ford's defense while saying to Ford, "Then try bullying me! Tonight, you at least have to defend me once!"
"Just this once. So what if I don't beat you to a pulp tonight?"
"Enough with the nonsense!" Ford's face, which had just relaxed a little, turned sour again because of Lin Tian's trash talk.
Isn't it just to keep you out?
It's not difficult at all! I can do it!
"No need for help defense!" Ford even confidently shouted to his teammates behind him.
Unfortunately, he was shouting at thin air; there were no teammates behind him who were willing to come up and help him defend.
Everyone was waiting to grab a rebound or inbound the ball from the baseline, and then quickly launch an attack to see if they could add another 2 points to their stats!
Lin Tian didn't say much about Ford's confidence, because he had plenty of ways to prove the gap between himself and Ford through his actions.
After backing down Ford, Lin Tian suddenly turned towards the baseline, then dribbled just that one step before abruptly pulling the ball up and raising it, as if he were about to execute a seamless turnaround shot.
Because the speed was too fast and the ball came too suddenly, Ford didn't have time to think or consider whether the ball was a trap.
The thought of thwarting even one of Lin Tian's desires made him jump up immediately, wanting to block Lin Tian's advances.
But clearly, he fell for it!
Lin Tian saw that his prey had taken the bait, so he easily took a step forward, allowing himself to jump against Ford and draw a foul while still maintaining his hand position to complete the shot!
"Whoosh!"
"Beep beep!"
Two more cheers, loud enough to send the entire Conceco Center crowd into a frenzy, rang out simultaneously as Lin Tian once again scored a 2+1!
Poor Ford, in his first matchup against Lin Tian, committed his third foul.
According to NBA conventions and habits, he has to go off to rest again.
Ford, who had just found his rhythm and scored 2 points and 2 assists in a row, had essentially finished the first half of the game.
Ford stood with his hands on his hips, his face filled with disbelief and confusion. He couldn't understand how he had fallen for it again. He had watched Lin Tian's move countless times during the video lessons, and Skiles had repeatedly instructed him not to jump! The most important thing in defending against a monster like Lin Tian, whose entire body was full of feints, was not to jump!
Ford, however, kept falling for the same tricks.
He hates it!
But hatred was useless; it wouldn't reduce his foul count. He could only regretfully walk off the court and let Crawford come on to take his place.
Pippen and Gill also played alongside Crawford, and Skiles hoped that the two veterans could use their experience to keep the team steady and maintain their slight lead.
"Finally, I get to face you, Lin!" Crawford exclaimed excitedly as soon as he entered the game. "I've been waiting for this opportunity! I've been waiting to fight you and crush you!"
"Are you this year's rookie?" Lin Tian looked at Crawford and couldn't help but ask.
"I was eighth in 2001..."
"You were a third-year student in 2001, why are you acting like we're meeting for the first time? We've never actually played together before, have we? Did our teams always end up with one of us getting injured? By the way, which team were you on again? Raptors or Hawks?"
"I've always been with the Bulls!" Crawford suppressed his anger. Just as Lin Tian said, he actually faced off against Lin Tian at least three times a year. This year was his seventh time facing off against Lin Tian on the court!
As for why Lin Tian had no recollection of the previous six times, acting as if he didn't know him at all?
It's possible that Crawford only averaged 4 points per game in his first year and 8 points per game in his second year, so Lin Tian simply couldn't remember him. Or perhaps, in the previous two years, he didn't have the chance to play one-on-one with Lin Tian.
This year is only Crawford's first breakout year!
"Ah! I know! You must have played terribly before, so you kept getting DNP'd by the coach. That's why I don't recognize you!" Lin Tian continued to stab Crawford's heart with the knife, attacking his most vulnerable spot.
After all, Lin Tian knew very well that this guy was the only player in NBA history to score 50+ points in four completely different teams. In addition, this guy also had the second-best retirement game in NBA history!
This kind of scoring machine might enter the zone at any time and then unleash an unstoppable super game.
Therefore, although Lin Tian verbally mocked and attacked him, he was actually quite wary of him.
He doesn't want to be the backdrop for Crawford's first 50-point game in his career!
Making your opponent lose their composure is always the best way to make them perform poorly!
For example, while Lin Tian was stabbing Crawford's chest repeatedly with a knife, he was also paying close attention to the basketball's movements.
Just as Crawford was distracted, thinking about how to retaliate against Lin Tian... Lin Tian suddenly moved aside and blocked him, then intercepted the ball that Gil had passed to him!
With the basketball in his hand, Lin Tian didn't hesitate any longer. He immediately dribbled and launched an attack, sprinting towards the frontcourt!
This time, however, Lin Tian did not push his speed to the limit immediately. He even deliberately slowed down, giving Crawford the opportunity to chase back to the basket and then get back on defense.
Why do this?
There was one move that Lin Tian had wanted to try for a long time!
After driving all the way to the edge of the three-second zone, Lin Tian suddenly slowed down, then dribbled the basketball from behind his back to his right side with his left hand, while his whole body swayed to the right with a considerable amplitude.
Then, just as Crawford moved in that direction, the basketball suddenly came from behind him to his left!
Lin Tian also took a step to the left to bypass Crawford, and then leaped high to deliver a two-handed slam dunk!
"Shake and bake!"
Crawford's signature move that made him famous!
That's why he's called the "essence of human misfortune"!
"Oh! Oh! What did Lin do! So fast! Too fast!" Barkley exclaimed immediately!
"If I'm not mistaken, Lin used a shake and bake!" Kenny's analysis was always a bit more level-headed than Barkley's: "This is exactly the trick Crawford brought into the league, Crawford's signature move!"
"Lin used this trick in front of Crawford! His meaning couldn't be clearer."
"He's provoking us! He's retaliating!"
"He's getting revenge on Crawford for what happened last month!"
Barkley chimed in, "That's great! It makes the game even more exciting!"
"I think Lin might be about to make headlines tonight!"
"Like that move? You can give it to your beloved mother!" Lin Tian immediately mocked Crawford after scoring. "I think she'll remember a few wonderful and happy nights!"
"FUXX! Lin, FUXX!" Crawford was in a terrible mood, a feeling that was very easy to describe.
Minotaur!
An extremely arrogant minotaur!
The kind of thing that makes you roll your eyes in front of people!
I not only want you, Minotaur, but I'm also much stronger than you.
At the very least, it would be almost impossible for Crawford himself to execute that move and then follow it up with a dunk in an NBA game.
My physical fitness isn't good enough.
But Lin Tian simply strolled around leisurely.
Crawford's mindset is clearly a bit off.
That's exactly what I want—for you to have a mental breakdown and feel something's not right!
The entire Conseco Center was also filled with cheers at this time!
What is a team leader? What is a city hero?
That's it!
At this moment, all Indiana fans were well aware that Crawford's nightmare had only just begun!
In the upcoming matches, he'll have plenty of bad luck!
Lin Tian retreated to the backcourt with ease, as if he had done something very ordinary.
Although his face was expressionless, he was actually thinking about how to further humiliate Crawford, so that this guy would know that there are some people you can't mess with!
Is this my horse?
While I was away, they were doing this on my turf?
I'll stomp you to death!
Unfortunately, the Bulls were currently in possession of the ball by the experienced Gil and Pippen. They were both quite calm and knew that if they passed the ball to Crawford at this moment, he would definitely be beaten to a pulp by Lin Tian.
So in the next few possessions, the Bulls barely got the ball past Crawford's hands, and instead basically handed it over to Curry to solve the problems.
Eddie Curry has the weight and massive physique of Shaquille O'Neal, and his touch and skills around the basket are also quite excellent!
If this guy develops properly and doesn't waste his talent by messing around, he could very well become one of the most dominant centers in the league since Shaquille O'Neal.
Unfortunately, while this guy may be considered a "little shark" in terms of talent, when it comes to squandering his own talent, he's more like a "megalodon".
Not only did his weight skyrocket, surpassing Shaquille O'Neal's own weight long ago, but he also disliked training, never played basketball during the off-season, and indulged in all sorts of vices like drinking, gambling, and womanizing!
These bad habits led to his severe lack of physical strength, often causing him to lose his energy during matches.
他如今的比赛风格，经常就是上半场15-6分，6-7个篮板，然后全场比赛打完17-8分，7-8个篮板。
The contrast between the first and second halves was huge, and the reason for this was that in the second half, this guy would become unable to play effectively.
With such a large weight that's all fat, the fact that he can maintain his stamina for half a game is already a remarkable talent!
Tonight's game was no different. In the second quarter, Curry was relentlessly bullying the skilled Miller and the extremely short Haslem under the basket. With his height and skills, dealing with these two guys was a piece of cake, and he could easily crush them!
In about 3 minutes, Curry scored 9 more points with a combination of field goals and free throws. The Pacers were unable to pull away, and the two sides remained in a close and back-and-forth battle.
The similarities are that Curry relentlessly tormented the Pacers' entire interior defense under the basket, while Lin Tian similarly tormented Crawford.
But what Crawford didn't expect was that with only 3 minutes left in the second quarter, Curry received a pass from Pippen again and immediately turned and laid it off.
No.
Snatch it again.
Still no luck.
Let's grab it again!
After grabbing the rebounds twice in a row, Curry was visibly panting heavily, and he didn't even attempt a putback immediately after getting the ball.
He needs to take it slow.
Even so, the Pacers' Miller and Haslem couldn't do much against him.
Why is it that Curry, a human tank, is the type of player that these two are least good at and least able to handle?
With their broad, thick bodies and massive elbows, the Pacers' two players simply couldn't get past them or reach the ball.
After taking a deep breath, Curry once again stood on tiptoe, feinted, and then did a 360-degree spin to get past Miller, while simultaneously kicking Haslem away with his butt.
Then Curry simply raised his hand and easily sent the basketball into the basket!
"That shot really had a bit of the real Shaq vibe! Soft touch, agile footwork, and a massive physique!" Barkley looked at Curry's pose and once again compared him to Shaq.
"But Shaq, who's always been known for his laziness and lack of ambition, suddenly seems like an incredibly hardworking young man compared to Curry!" Kenny immediately teased. "And if it were Shaq, after that turn, he definitely wouldn't have gone for a layup; he would have slammed the ball down on the rim!"
"Come on!" Barkley said. "If it were Shaq, he would have scored on the first try, why would he need three consecutive putbacks to make a basket?"
"And more importantly, judging from Curry's current condition, he'll most likely be too weak to stand up in the second half! As everyone knows, this guy only has the stamina for half a game."
On the court, watching Curry relentlessly dominate his teammate in the paint like a bomb, Lin Tian couldn't help but ask, "Karl, how much do you weigh again?"
"Who the hell is Karal? I'm Jamal!" Crawford yelled. "I weigh 86 kilograms!"
"86 kilograms is great!" Lin Tian's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this. "That's a fantastic number!"
"A good number?" Crawford said, indicating that he had no idea what Crawford was talking about.
But Lin Tian said: You don't need to understand, just feel it with your heart!
In the next round, Lin Tian quickly explained to Crawford why he had asked that question.
He immediately pushed down to the low post and reached out for the ball!
Christie, who had worked with Lin Tian for many years, knew exactly what Lin Tian was up to the moment he saw Lin Tian heading straight to the low post without dribbling.
He immediately waved to signal everyone to clear one side for Lin Tian, and then passed the ball to Lin Tian, allowing Lin Tian to make a low-post one-on-one play.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!" After getting the ball, Lin Tian put away all his back-to-the-basket skills and just went straight for the ball, using his body to smash it!
You know what, I really miss that feeling!
Before Lin Tian mastered his back-to-the-basket skills, this was how he bullied those short point guards in the league!
It works every time, and the results are amazing!
After three consecutive collisions, Crawford, who was 5 centimeters taller than Lin Tian but 7 kilograms lighter, was almost broken apart. Then Lin Tian suddenly took a step back to create distance and made a jump shot!
"Your toughness exceeded my expectations! I thought you'd go down easily! I respect you! A true man!" After scoring, Lin Tian immediately gave Crawford a thumbs up and said, "To show my respect for you, I'll play like this from now on!"
Lin Tian's words made Crawford's blood boil.
I want to fight, I want to beat someone up, I want to... never mind, it's okay!
For the next three rounds, Lin Tian used this move to punish or bully Crawford. He launched attacks from the low post time and time again, making Crawford twist and turn, and his ribs hurt!
Even Artest couldn't resist. He sidled up to Lin Tian with a sly grin and said, "Boss, want me to have a few rounds? I haven't had this much of a hard time with someone in ages, it looks so good!"
"Get lost!"
Lin Tian waved his hand, letting Artest pull him away, and then once again backed down and blocked the almost falling Crawford, making his fourth consecutive hard post attack.
What I, Lin Daguanren, am doing is to avenge my teammates!
Crawford: Then go find Curry! Why the hell are you coming to me!
Lin Tian: Idiot! The reason I'm not going to go after Curry is because I, Lin Tian, can't argue with him!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Three more muffled thuds followed as Lin Tian once again chased Crawford to the edge of the Bulls' three-second zone. It has to be said that the Bulls' defense was really bad. This was the fourth time Lin Tian had attacked like this, and still no one came to help defend or assist him.
This time, even though no one helped him and Crawford was completely powerless to resist, Lin Tian still failed to hit the ball!
A simple close-range bank shot actually bounced off the rim!
"Ball!" Crawford's eyes lit up when he saw Lin Tian miss the shot!
After quickly getting the ball back from Chandler, the guy felt it was time for revenge!
With lightning speed and a fast break, Crawford is going to unleash his signature transition offense!
After pressing Lin Tian all the way to the Pacers' three-second zone, Crawford suddenly stopped and dribbled behind his back, shifting his upper body to one side. Then, after noticing that Lin Tian had also moved half a step in that direction, he excitedly pulled the ball back from his waist and jumped to the other side.
It's his signature move: shake and bake!
You've been tricked!
You've been tricked!
Crawford shouted an excited slogan. Normally, he would have completely fooled Lin Tian and could have easily completed the layup.
Strangely enough... he felt like he was hallucinating, because his words seemed to echo!
"Snapped!"
Then, in less than a second, Crawford realized: it wasn't a hallucination; someone else was actually telling Crawford, informing him: you've been tricked!
Lin Tian!
Lin Tian wasn't actually faked out by Crawford. Instead, he used a feint with his upper body to fool Crawford, making Crawford think he had been shaken off. But the moment Crawford gathered the ball, Lin Tian had already regained his balance.
Then he jumped high, waiting in the air for Crawford to pass the ball to him, and then delivered a block!
Lin Tian slapped the basketball directly into Christie's hands near the three-point line. After getting the ball, Christie didn't rush to advance because he saw Lin Tian's gesture.
The guy slowed down and then returned the ball to Lin Tian.
"That lousy dribbling and layup you just did was your signature move, wasn't it?" Lin Tian said, looking at Crawford as he drove the ball forward. "Your signature move, something you're proud of, right?"
Seeing that Crawford remained silent, Lin Tian continued, "Seriously, that move is pretty cool, it's just that you can't execute it! Your movements are too small, your rhythm is too predictable, your dribbling lacks power and speed, and you're completely lacking in creativity!"
"You've turned such a flashy and stylish dribbling move into something resembling an old man doing a folk dance! It's embarrassing!"
"What? You don't know what Yangko is? It doesn't matter! All you need to know is that your dribbling and passing are absolutely terrible!"
"Let me teach you what a real shake and bake dribble is!" After Lin Tian finished speaking, he finally changed his tactics after dominating Crawford in the low post for four consecutive rounds.
Lin Tian, holding the ball outside the three-point line, suddenly made two consecutive crossover dribbles, followed by a behind-the-back dribble and a feint to one side with his upper body. After deceiving Crawford's center of gravity, Lin Tian quickly took a step to the other side and then pulled up for a three-pointer!
Crawford never imagined that he could use this move beyond the three-point line. He had already been completely shaken off by Lin Tian and could only watch helplessly as Lin Tian launched a three-pointer and made it!
After this shot was scored, not only did the fans in the stadium erupt in thunderous cheers, but the gap between the two teams finally began to widen!
The Pacers have led by more than 10 points for the first time tonight!
On the next offensive possession, the Bulls found Curry again, but Curry's stamina was clearly running low. This time he failed to score and didn't have the strength to grab the rebound. Miller grabbed the rebound and immediately passed it to Lin Tian.
"How was that three-pointer?" Lin Tian continued to attack Crawford after getting the ball: "That was just one of the ideas I came up with on the spur of the moment. Take a look at this next!"
In the final 94 seconds of the second quarter, Lin Tian changed his playing style once again. He used different variations of the shake and bake dribble on offense three times in a row. Although they were all behind-the-back dribbling with a jump step, Lin Tian made them look different.
He fooled Crawford three times in a row, and in three one-on-one situations, he created huge shooting space and made all three shots!
After Lin Tian humiliated him three times in a row with Crawford's signature move, the first half of the game had ended.
The point difference between the two sides has reached 15 points!
In the first half, Lin Tian played a full 22 minutes, taking 24 shots and making 17 of them, including 4 of 6 three-pointers and 8 of 9 free throws. By the end of the first half, he had scored a whopping 46 points!
He also casually grabbed 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks!
An incredibly versatile and insane half!
In this half, Lin Tian taught his two opponents who wanted to challenge him a good lesson.
These two are in even worse shape than the other!
TJ Ford played less than 5 minutes before fouling out with 3 fouls. Despite scoring 19 points in the first quarter, Crawford only managed 4 points on 2-of-8 shooting when matched up against Lin Tian in the second quarter. He was also constantly targeted by Lin Tian, resulting in 2 turnovers and 2 fouls.
What was even more painful was that in the final stage of the second quarter, Lin Tian used Crawford's signature move to give Crawford a good show of skill.
What could be more despairing, more humiliating than this?
I can do everything you can, and I can do it in much more ways than you!
Lin Tian's performance in this half was truly despair-inducing!
As for Crawford and Ford, it's really hard to say who got beaten up worse!
They can only be described as brothers in misfortune, a hidden dragon and a phoenix chick! (End of Chapter)