novelraw Chapter 489 A husky has infiltrated the wolf pack!
Chapter 489 A husky has infiltrated the wolf pack!
17: 15!
Halfway through the first quarter, the two sides were still evenly matched, with neither able to gain the upper hand. The score difference between the two sides remained within a single point.
And tonight's close contest is real!
Both sides held nothing back and went all out in attack and defense.
For the Pacers, they still relied heavily on Lin Tian's individual ability. Of the team's first 15 points, Lin Tian scored 7 points and also provided 3 assists.
Of all the team's points, only one was unrelated to him; that was Artest's own score after grabbing an offensive rebound, drawing a foul, and making one of two free throws.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves played a completely opposite game. In the first few minutes, Iverson didn't score a single point, and Garnett only managed 2 points. Both of them were fully committed to setting screens for their teammates, passing the ball, and drawing the Pacers' defense.
They would often spread out to one side, allowing Cassell and Sprewell to gain possession of the ball and launch attacks.
This tactic of avoiding the main problem was quite successful! The Pacers' pre-game plans were disrupted, and their defense struggled to find its focus.
More importantly, even knowing that Garnett and Iverson were not ready to attack in this game, the Pacers still had to deploy heavy defense against them.
After all, who knows when they'll open fire? If we wait until they open fire before we start defending, it will be too late!
As for Cassell, who has already scored 6 points tonight, and Sprewell, who has scored 5 points, we can only hope that they won't be so accurate next time!
At this point, the first timeout of the first quarter ended, and neither coach made any substitutions. They were clearly very satisfied with the first half of the game, and after making only slight adjustments, they brought their starters back onto the court!
At this point, only 7 minutes had passed in the first quarter, and both teams had just warmed up.
Returning to the first offensive play after the game, Lin Tian once again encountered Cassell on the offensive end.
"Old man, why aren't you going back to Mars to enjoy your retirement? What are you doing here?"
While dribbling the ball, Lin Tian didn't even bother to look at Cassell's flawed defense. His eyes swept across the entire court, searching for teammates who had a chance to score directly.
After scanning the court and finding no direct scoring opportunities, Lin Tian stopped looking and accelerated his attack, easily getting past Cassell in one step. He then drove straight into the paint, and facing Garnett who was rushing towards him, Lin Tian passed the ball behind his back with one hand, making it look like he was about to pass it behind his back.
But this time, Garnett saw through Lin Tian's feint. He did not shift his weight or get faked out. He still spread his arms and maintained a perfect defensive posture and position.
"Your little tricks won't work on me, Lin! I'm not falling for that!" Garnett roared excitedly after successfully seeing through Lin Tian's feint!
After all, Lin Tian had already collected the ball, and he had to deal with it now, otherwise it would definitely be a mistake!
No matter how Lin Tian handled it, the Timberwolves had already successfully defended the ball, and they had already cornered Lin Tian!
Especially with Cassel rushing over from behind and forming a double-team with Lin Tian, Garnett felt that they had a great chance to force Lin Tian into making a mistake this round!
"Who said I was going to shake you?" But to everyone's surprise, Lin Tian actually smiled and then repeated the same action as before.
Another one-handed behind-the-back pass!
This time, the basketball slipped from his grasp and flew away.
The receiver was still Christie, just like before.
The difference is that Lin Tian's fake pass just now successfully fooled Szczerbiak, who was guarding Christie. At this moment, Christie has used that space to run into an open spot, and after receiving Lin Tian's pass, he immediately took a mid-range jump shot!
"Whoosh!"
17: 17!
"Oh! Lin! It's here again!" Barkley shouted excitedly. "I call this Lin's signature move! I've given it a nickname!"
"Let's call it the essence of human slow-motion replay! Because if you don't watch slow motion and replays, you simply won't know how the ball was passed!"
"That was a beautiful play. I honestly can't figure out how Lin managed to spin the ball twice in his hands and then find an open teammate." Kenny shook his head and said, "But I can assure you, your nickname-giving skills are absolutely terrible! You've infringed on Wilkins' intellectual property rights."
"Where are you, Wally?" After scoring, Christie, who was usually very quiet on the field, started trash-talking Szczerbiak.
Tonight's match was incredibly exciting for everyone; everyone was almost unable to control their emotions and had the urge to yell at their opponents.
"Doug, that's not how you trash talk." While high-fiving Christie on defense, Lin Tian thoughtfully gave a lesson: "You should say: 'Five Dogs, where the hell are you?'"
"Don't call him Wally, it sounds so unimpressive. Of course, it's not your fault, it's his mother's fault for giving him such a sissy name, don't you think so, Five Dogs!" Lin Tian said, glancing at Szebiak running past him.
Whether a name is good or not, you should ask the person in question!
"Get lost!" Szebiak completely ignored Lin Tian and decisively changed direction, running away in the other direction.
"Look, he's angry! This trick worked. Tonight, you'll call him Five Dogs!" Lin Tian patted Christie's butt, signaling him to quickly go and defend.
After the timeout, the Pacers' defense noticeably picked up, with the players focusing more intently and aggressively on the "Three Dogs" offensive lineup led by Cassell, which prevented the three from finding any offensive opportunities for the time being.
"Allen!" Seeing that he couldn't organize an effective attack, Cassell shouted without hesitation, then moved to the side towards Iverson. Iverson also rushed forward and ran towards Cassell.
After a handoff screen between the two players, Iverson, with the ball in his hand, suddenly accelerated and drove into the paint.
"Snapped!"
Just as Iverson jumped to prepare for a layup, a crisp sound suddenly rang out, and the basketball that had just left his hand was pinned directly to the backboard.
Lin Tian!
He caught up with Iverson.
However, Lin Tian rushed too aggressively and failed to control his body in time, which prevented him from winning the ball.
The basketball was grabbed by Garnett who rushed over from behind, and then he pulled up and tried to slam the ball into the basket with a two-handed dunk.
"Get lost!"
Lin Tian, who was originally planning to trash talk Iverson, was interrupted by Garnett's sudden appearance, which was quite an unpleasant feeling!
It feels like you've just taken off your clothes, and you've already planned out what positions to use, what techniques to follow, and what steps to take, when your husband comes home. Isn't that disgusting?
Feeling disgusted, Lin Tian naturally wanted revenge!
He turned around instantly after blocking Iverson's shot, and then jumped again.
Although it was a series of jumps, and although there was no running start or stepping to help him jump, Lin Tian's jump height was not low at all.
At the very least, his jumping height is no less than Garnett's!
The two rose almost side by side.
Then Garnett's expression visibly changed, becoming shocked, incredulous, and even a little fearful.
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian slapped the basketball that Garnett was about to dunk on, sending the basketball flying once again!
Haslem pounced like a hungry tiger spotting its prey, grabbing the basketball and then swinging his elbows back and forth like shooing away flies, driving away any Timberwolves players who tried to steal the ball.
"You two, just stick to your support roles." This time, Lin Tian didn't rush into an attack. Instead, he stood still, looking at Iverson and Garnett, who were almost side-by-side. "Take the initiative. This is what will happen to you tonight!"
"We'll see!" Iverson muttered, but he didn't look Lin Tian in the eye at all. He knew that he was no match for Lin Tian in an argument, and he also knew that after losing face just now, any trash talk he said would be like a joke.
On the basketball court, skill reigns supreme!
Garnett simply didn't say anything and turned to join the defense.
But how should I put it?
The two guys turned around and stared at Lin Tian, listening to his trash talk, and they had already lost the initiative to retreat!
As they turned around, Lin Tian had already taken the basketball from Haslem's hands, and then with a long flick, the ball flew between Garnett and Iverson's heads...
Yes, Iverson's head flashed through the space between Garnett's shoulder and flew straight to the frontcourt!
"FUXX!"
With a roar, Iverson and Garnett, realizing what was happening, no longer dared to pose and walk slowly. They accelerated rapidly and charged towards the frontcourt.
But it was clearly too late.
How can a person run faster than a ball?
Christie received the ball in the frontcourt and immediately passed it to Artest, who then ruthlessly charged to the basket and forced a shot.
Although the ball didn't go in, Miller, who had already followed up with a fast break, flicked the ball in and put it into the basket. By the time the Pacers' offense succeeded, Iverson and Garnett had just rushed into the three-point line.
"Why are you guys running so fast?" Lin Tian said with a sly grin, looking at Iverson who was dribbling the ball up the court. "Why don't you just wait here like me? Don't you two trust your teammates? No way! Do you have some kind of conflict with your teammates? Otherwise, why is there absolutely no chemistry between you two?"
"Can you shut up! You're so noisy!" Iverson was really at his wit's end with Lin Tian.
Why did we run? If it weren't for you, you insidious and shameless bastard, suddenly passing the ball, would we have fought back with our lives on the line? Don't you trust your teammates? There's no star player I've ever trusted as much as I have!
Iverson yelled angrily at Lin Tian, but Lin Tian seized the moment when Iverson lost his temper and suddenly closed in to steal the ball from Iverson's hands.
Unfortunately, Iverson's fundamentals were still at a master level. Even though Lin Tian rushed in quickly and suddenly, Iverson managed to keep his dribbling steady and was not successfully intercepted by Lin Tian.
But when Iverson called for a screen, wanting to run another signature pick-and-roll with Garnett, Lin Tian suddenly reached out from behind him after Iverson got past him and slapped the ball away!
"Snapped!"
After poking the ball away, Lin Tian sprinted towards the frontcourt. Artest, who got the ball in front of Iverson, didn't hesitate. He jumped up and threw the ball forward with both hands. The basketball immediately passed over everyone's heads and came into Lin Tian's hands.
"boom!"
After another loud bang, Lin Tian dunked again! The Pacers gained a 4-point lead!
17: 21!
"Alan, don't rush! Stay calm, take it one round at a time, you can definitely do it!"
"No one makes mistakes forever. As long as you maintain your confidence, you can definitely break through your limits and achieve something extraordinary!"
"Remember, the sky's the limit! Don't be afraid, don't carry burdens, and don't be afraid to move forward. You are Allen Iverson!"
"Alan, you..."
"Shut up! Shut up!" Lin Tian was abruptly interrupted halfway through his encouragement to Iverson.
Iverson looked at Lin Tian with impatience and anger.
I made a mistake, I didn't score for several rounds in a row, but damn it, when did I ever need you, you bastard, to cheer me on?
How shameless!
"I thought you needed the guys' support! I just wanted to express my support for you." Lin Tian shrugged, looking innocent, while his tone carried a hint of frustration and regret, like someone who had been bitten by a dog.
"That's enough!" Iverson was practically bursting with anger.
He really wanted to send Lin Tian to a museum as an exhibit, so that he could properly showcase his talent.
Yeah, send it to a museum like the "World's Most Jerk-like Museum" or a museum like the "100 Ways to Be a Scumbag".
Let the whole world see what kind of bastard Lin Tian really is.
Shameless!
"It's so good to see you're alright!" Lin Tian then surprisingly put on a smile, the kind of expression a loving father has when he sees his wayward son finally getting back on the right path.
That kind of expression, Iverson, who didn't have a father, really has never seen much of it in his entire life.
But now that I've seen it, I'm even more annoyed!
I want to hit someone, but I can't beat them.
collapse.
In response to Lin Tian's almost shameless trash talk, Iverson decisively chose the principle of "if I can't afford to mess with him, I can at least avoid him," and quickly passed the ball to Garnett in the high post, letting him provide support from the free-throw line.
Then he quickly started moving around.
I'm not holding the ball at the top of the arc to organize the offense; I'm just sprinting around. You can't possibly chase me and talk at the same time, can you?
That would cause you to inhale a lot of cold air, leading to diarrhea!
Iverson dribbled Lin Tian toward the weak side, and Lin Tian couldn't just leave him alone, so the Timberwolves found an offensive opportunity. Szczerbiak received the ball in the corner and pulled up for a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
After the crisp sound, the Timberwolves managed to turn the tide and narrow the gap to 1 point again.
For the remainder of the first quarter, Iverson continued his non-ball offense, constantly running and looking for opportunities to receive the ball and shoot. But he just wouldn't stop, as if something dirty would catch up with him and hurt him if he stopped.
Under Iverson's leadership and influence, although he didn't score many points himself, the Timberwolves' offense was completely revitalized in the second half of the first quarter. With Garnett as the pivot and Cassell providing support, the Timberwolves' offense ran very smoothly!
Szczerbiak's three-pointer, Cassell's mid-range shot, and Sprewell's drives all appeared on the court, and the players also demonstrated their top individual level on the offensive end!
In the first quarter, the Timberwolves played their best quarter of the three Finals games!
They scored 32 points, and the team's field goal percentage was over 50%!
More importantly, their two leaders, Garnett and Iverson, barely took any shots in the first quarter. Iverson scored 2 points on 1-of-3 shooting, and Garnett scored 4 points on 1-of-2 shooting. The two of them hardly had any shot attempts or ball possession. They were really just baiting their teammates in the first quarter, letting them get into a rhythm.
The other Timberwolves players also lived up to the trust of their two top stars: Cassell scored 8 points, Szczerbiak 7 points, and Sprewell 9 points.
All three of them played at their best.
The situation is exactly the opposite for the Pacers. Lin Tian single-handedly shoulders the burden of both offense and defense for the team. He is the team's only core player and most important asset.
In this quarter, the Pacers scored 33 points, giving them a temporary lead over the Timberwolves by 1 point.
林天一个人就拿下了13分，同时还有4篮板5助攻2抢断2盖帽入帐！
comprehensive!
Based on the trend of the first quarter, Lin Tian will probably get a triple-double in the first half of the game tonight, and he might even get a five-double in the whole game!
"That's terrifying!" Barkley exclaimed sincerely regarding Lin Tian's performance in the first quarter. "It's insane! Lin played the entire first quarter, and he led the team in all five individual statistical categories!"
During halftime, Barkley continued his traditional skill: playing the zither.
"Even aside from ranking second in rebounds, Lin Tian ranked first in the other four statistical categories for both teams. He truly dominated the court. Even with two of the league's top stars, Iverson and Garnett, on the court, it was clear that Lin was the best!"
"So who will win this game?" Kenny looked at Barkley. He already knew the answer when he asked the question, and he really didn't want to ask.
There was nothing he could do; the director in his earpiece told him to ask, explaining that it was for the sake of the show, a recurring segment that viewers loved to watch!
He could only ask it through tears.
"The Timberwolves, of course! They'll win this game, no doubt about it! There's absolutely no suspense!" Barkley laughed heartily, a smug look on his face saying, "I was just waiting for this!" He added triumphantly, "The Timberwolves won not only this game, but the entire series!"
"We can even congratulate Minnesota on winning the championship in advance!"
Barkley's ramblings drew eye-rolls from Kenny, who genuinely disapproved of Barkley's style of play.
But there's nothing we can do about it; everyone loves watching it.
Working is not easy!
While the two were rambling on, the second quarter had already begun on the court, and the Pacers brought on three substitutes: Parker, Howard, and Bonner.
They only retained two key players on the field: Lin Tian and Artest.
The two most durable and physically fit players on the team!
The Timberwolves, on the other hand, retained their starting three of Iverson, Sprewell, and Szczerbiak, and added two big men, Ogvokandi and Nesterovic.
With both sides fielding a mixed starting lineup and substitutes, the duel continues!
Lin Tian glanced at the Timberwolves' frontcourt lineup and didn't hesitate any longer. He called for a pick-and-roll and matched up against Ogvorkandie, nicknamed "Sugar Man," a bust who was almost a carbon copy of Kwame Brown.
Tall and athletic, he looks every bit the part of a superstar.
But apart from that, they are utterly mediocre in every other respect.
Judging from their personality, abilities, skills, ambition, and desire to win, these two guys don't even qualify as good enough.
They're the typical civil servant-style athletes, clocking in and out of get off work, too lazy to put in any extra effort or work.
This time, Lin Tian set a screen against Ogvorkandi. Fearing that Lin Tian would drive straight through, Ogvorkandi retreated all the way to the vicinity of the free throw line before spreading his arms wide, looking menacing.
To defend against my Lord Lin, you'd better retreat to the free-throw line?
Who are you insulting?
"Whoosh!"
With such a large space and such an open shot, Lin Tian might not encounter this many times in a whole season. Now that he has, he naturally won't hold back. He pulls up and shoots, and the three-pointer goes in!
"Go up there! Go up there! FUXX! That's Lin, who do you think he is, your grandma? Go up there and guard him closely, don't let him shoot again!" Sanders, who was on the sidelines, immediately stood up angrily, spread his hands, and yelled at Ogvorkandi.
He truly looked down on this guy who was wasting his talent; if he had no other choice, he wouldn't have wanted to let him play at all.
But now, the players need rest, and they absolutely must rest!
After all, Garnett and his teammates will most likely play the entire second half! They need to rest as much as possible during the first half.
As for Ogvorcandy, Sanders' only requirement was that he not be too outrageous and could last for about 3 minutes!
But that last shot was clearly outrageous.
When defending Lin Tian, retreating to the free-throw line is not as good as not defending him at all and just turning around and going to the basket. That way, the probability of securing a defensive rebound would be much higher, wouldn't it?
Whether Sanders' outburst will have an effect remains to be seen, but at least Iverson, who hadn't taken many shots in the first quarter, finally shouldered the responsibility that a leader should bear. He knew very well that in this lineup, he had to rely on his breakthroughs and passing to disrupt the Pacers' defense.
So after he arrived at the frontcourt, he immediately accelerated his dribbling, trying to force his way past Lin Tian for a layup!
Lin Tian, who was focused on defense, was not the kind of opponent who could be easily beaten with a single acceleration. Lin Tian spread his arms to block Iverson's path of attack and maintained his defensive position.
But Iverson is a top-tier scorer of the scoring champion level. Even though Lin Tian completely blocked him, he still managed to find a shooting space after driving to the basket. With a hook shot-like motion, he sent the ball into the basket over Lin Tian.
Iverson's scoring is absolutely crucial, perhaps even the most important weapon for the Timberwolves!
He can choose not to score, he can give easy scoring opportunities to his teammates, and he can also only score a dozen or twenty points in a game.
But importantly, when the team needs someone to step up and score, Iverson must step up!
For example, right now.
For example, when Garnett is not playing, Iverson has to carry the team's offense!
After Iverson scored, Lin Tian didn't take it too seriously. Instead, he dribbled the ball easily to the frontcourt and continued to call for screens!
If beating Ogvor and Candy is so easy, why would I bother arguing with you, Iverson?
Of course, beating Iverson would be a piece of cake. With a turn of his body and a flick of his butt, he could easily knock Iverson down.
However, it's not that I can't beat you, Iverson, but that you're more cost-effective against Ogvorkandi!
Lin Tian once again set a screen to face Ogvorkandi. This time, Ogvorkandi indeed obeyed and dared not continue to stand near the free-throw line to defend, but it wasn't much better.
Because this guy actually rushed out of the three-point line and stuck to Lin Tian with his arms outstretched.
For a breakthrough expert like Lin Tian, close defense is just giving him space to get past you and make him completely outmaneuver you.
Lin Tian did the same this time, turning his back slightly to Ogvorkandi, then quickly observing the Timberwolves' defense, and then making a decision in a flash!
He easily dribbled past Ogvorkandi with a simple back turn, then suddenly accelerated and charged into the paint!
Of course, Ogvorcandi couldn't catch up with Lin Tian right now, and he had no intention of doing so. In fact, he was quite relieved at the moment!
I did my best. I wasn't knocked over. I didn't embarrass myself. I completed the task!
What a perfect round!
At this moment, Ogvorcandy was practically giving himself a thumbs-up with a smile.
Unfortunately, he was the only Timberwolves member who felt this way. Everyone else was furious when they saw Lin Tian pass him without any reaction and make no attempt to chase after him.
A husky actually managed to sneak into our wolf pack?
"boom!"
Lin Tian burst into the paint with full speed, leaping up at the edge of the three-second zone and sending the ball into the basket with one arm. Nesterovic's movement speed was not fast enough to help defend. He had only run halfway when Lin Tian had already slammed the ball in!
"Substitute!"
Sanders stood up; he couldn't hold back any longer!
Ogvorcandy was given two possessions, and that guy gave Lin Tian five points. If he keeps playing like this, Lin Tian might just set another record of 30 or 40 points in a single quarter.
Get the hell off here right now!
In these two rounds, Ogvorkandi has completely lost his place on the team, and it is basically impossible for him to play in this Finals series.
After resting for less than a minute, Garnett returned to the field, replacing Ogvorkanddi.
In this game that was destined to be a tug-of-war and a war of attrition, the Pacers' ability to force Garnett to come out of the game first and get him on the court first can be considered a partial victory for them!
Even if the Pacers players rest for just one more minute, they will have an extra minute of stamina advantage!
This is the rhythm of the game!
Every second counts, down to the smallest detail!
After Garnett returned to the court, he immediately received the ball at the high post and then pulled up for a shot.
"Whoosh!"
After hitting his signature mid-range jump shot, Garnett, who had been very quiet in the first quarter, started scoring!
The Pacers' offense was now orchestrated by Parker, while Lin Tian positioned himself in the low post, using his back to block Iverson and reaching out for the ball.
Just as Iverson was holding off Lin Tian with all his might, thinking of using a fronting maneuver to get past Lin Tian and disrupt the attack, Lin Tian suddenly turned around, brushed past Iverson, and ran towards the basket.
Parker immediately passed the ball, and it flew towards the basket.
"dream!"
Although Iverson could no longer catch up with Lin Tian, Garnett quickly provided help defense. He did not try to compete with Lin Tian for Parker's pass or attempt to steal the ball, but instead chose a more stable and safer defensive approach.
He stopped in his tracks, standing between Lin Tian and the basketball hoop, then spread his arms to block Lin Tian's path as he flew towards the hoop.
This defensive choice won't add any stats for Garnett, but Garnett is certain that Lin Tian will be 100% unable to get the ball directly and complete the attack!
Unless Lin Tian is a god, unless he can really fly, there is no way Lin Tian can score this ball!
But Garnett clearly underestimated Lin Tian.
Garnett had already positioned himself and made all the necessary preparations when Lin Tian suddenly jumped right in front of him.
What Garnett didn't notice was that Lin Tian's left foot shifted slightly when he jumped, which gave Lin Tian a slight spin.
This misstep caused Lin Tian to begin spinning the moment he jumped.
Lin Tianren caught the basketball with one hand in mid-air, and then, using Garnett as the axis, he did a 360-degree spin!
The man flew through the air and completely outmaneuvered Garnett!
"boom!"
Then, Garnett stared in disbelief as Lin Tian, who had been in front of him, disappeared and appeared behind him.
He didn't know how Lin Tian dunked, nor did he care whether Lin Tian dunked with both hands or one hand.
All Garnett knew was that he was about to become the backdrop for another top 10 play.
"What did Lin do?! What the hell did Lin do?" Barkley jumped up from his chair in disbelief, spreading his hands and shaking his head repeatedly. "He did it again, fly over people in the sky?" (End of Chapter)