novelraw Chapter 543 If the best head coach is obtained by exchanging MVP, then I...
Chapter 543 If the best head coach is obtained by exchanging MVP, then I...
While Barkley was catching his breath, Kenny picked up where he left off and continued, "The Sixth Man of the Year award went to Ben Gordon of the Bulls. It's worth mentioning that he's also the first guy in NBA history to win this honor in his rookie year."
"The Most Improved Player is Bobby Simmons of the Clippers."
"As for the best coach award, it went to Don Nelson of the Knicks. I think it's a well-balanced award."
"Those who voted for Don Nelson must be the ones who gave Steve Nash the MVP vote and feel guilty, so they dare not vote for D'Antoni for Coach of the Year."
"If you ask me, the MVP should go to Lin, and the Coach of the Year should go to D'Antoni. That would be the right thing to do! Not the other way around like we are now."
While the two were chatting, the scene was shown live. Old Nelson had arrived at Madison Square Garden and was taking advantage of the players' warm-up time to give his final pre-game interview.
"If I had known that I traded Lin's MVP for this piece of junk, I would have thrown it away when I received the award. I don't care about this stuff at all. I'll throw it in the trash tonight when I get home."
"Every time I see this thing, I feel like I robbed Lin to get it. How am I supposed to face Lin after this?"
"If anyone wants the Coach of the Year trophy, go rummage through the trash can outside my house; there's bound to be a lucky person who finds it."
"I only have one thing to say: those who voted are stupid idiots! Lin is the MVP this year! Anyone who disagrees with this statement is either an idiot, doesn't understand basketball, or is both stupid and doesn't understand basketball."
"At the same time, I feel sorry for the Celtics; they must be having a terrible night."
After giving the interview, Old Nelson turned around and walked back to the bench. Lin Tian immediately leaned over and said, "You really threw it?"
"How could that be? Just talking is fine, but actually throwing it would be idiotic." Old Nelson rolled his eyes and said, "But you, we have all the preparations and publicity in place. If we lose tonight, we'll become the biggest joke in the NBA this year."
"I'll tell the jokes, and they'll become the jokes." Lin Tian patted old Nelson on the shoulder and stood up from the bench.
The match is about to begin!
Both teams' players had already taken to the field, and neither coach had changed their starting lineup or made any substitutions.
Howard and Okur once again stood on the center circle, waiting for the referee to blow the whistle to start the game.
"Beep beep!"
The referee finally blew his whistle, and the basketball was thrown into the air.
"Snapped!"
Howard once again easily defeated Okur, giving the Celtics their first offensive opportunity.
"Our victory and advantage will begin from the very first second of the game!" Stephon Marbury, who had the ball, faced Lin Tian with a confidence and arrogance that was much stronger than in the previous games. This guy was no longer the little Karami who only dared to sing in response to Lin Tian's provocations in the first two games.
He started actively spewing trash talk!
"My good son has grown up and his wings have hardened." Lin Tian looked at Marbury, and just as Marbury was about to open his mouth to say another word, he suddenly accelerated and reached out, sticking to Marbury in the blink of an eye. Then he reached out and accurately slapped the basketball that Marbury was dribbling.
Then Lin Tian accelerated again, leaving Marbury behind in an instant, rushed to the frontcourt, grabbed the basketball, and then drove to the basket, slamming the ball into the hoop with one arm!
"boom!"
"Stephen, you just missed your last chance to take the lead tonight," Lin Tian said, backing away while looking at Marbury. "You'll be trailing for the rest of the night."
"Bullshit!" Marbury snorted, and just as he was about to reach for the ball, he found that Lin Tian was already right next to him.
Lin Tian used the same tactics he used on Wade on Marbury.
Seeing this, Duncan on the baseline didn't give Lin Tian another chance to steal the ball. Instead, he passed the ball directly to Pierce on the other side, who then advanced it into the frontcourt.
"He doesn't trust you, Stephen. He thinks I'll beat you to a pulp." Seeing this, Lin Tian immediately let go of Marbury, backing away as if he couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him, and mocked, "He doesn't even dare to let you touch the ball."
"Shut up!"
Marbury glared at Lin Tian and snapped, "It was just unnecessary!"
"There's no need to let you make a mistake, right?" Lin Tian chewed his gum, completely relaxed.
He's now certain of one thing: Marbury is doomed tonight!
To drive people crazy, first make them arrogant.
Marbury has gotten carried away in the previous few games, now it's time to let him go wild!
The Celtics' offense remained quite chaotic and simplistic; they still couldn't produce any impressive plays, and the ball was still being passed to Duncan to post up Okur.
But this time, Lin Tian's defensive support was even faster!
He was pushed aside by Duncan in Okur, and just as Duncan was about to release the shot, Lin Tian rushed to the basket, jumped high, and raised his hands. Although he did not block the shot, Lin Tian successfully interfered with Duncan's layup, and the basketball bounced off the rim.
The moment Lin Tian landed, he jumped up again with his knees barely bent. He stretched out his long arms and grabbed the rebound. At the same time, he turned around in mid-air and charged towards the frontcourt!
"Quick attack!"
Lin Tian dribbled the ball at lightning speed, so fast that everyone around him seemed to be running in slow motion. In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian had already reached the heart of the Celtics' territory. Then he looked back and saw Howard chasing closely behind him.
But Lin Tian acted as if he hadn't seen it and still forced himself to jump.
Then, without any pull-up or dodge, he went straight for the basket!
I'm going to dunk today! I'm going to dunk while being chased!
If you're so good, come and block my shot!
"boom!"
Unfortunately, Howard was clearly too late to catch up with Lin Tian.
Even though he ran and jumped with all his might, he was still a little short and couldn't intercept the basketball.
0: 4.
The Knicks, or rather Lin Tian, had a perfect start tonight with two fast breaks, which is exactly the offensive pattern that the Knicks are best at and need to play.
The Celtics inbounded the ball again, but it still didn't reach Marbury, who was being closely marked by Lin Tian. This time, Pierce dribbled the ball up the court and moved to the waist position to try and isolate Jackson.
But this time, while he and Jackson were entangled, Lin Tian arrived again!
Lin Tian started double-teaming Pierce!
But Pierce's awareness and passing ability were still quite good. He quickly found Marbury, who was left open by Lin Tian, and passed the ball to him.
Marbury received the ball, drew his bow and arrow, and decisively took a shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Bang!"
After a dull thud, Marbury, who had a 40% three-point shooting percentage in the first four games, missed his first shot of the night.
Lin Tian glanced at the guy and then decisively rushed to the basket, grabbing the rebound over Howard's head once again.
In the first four games of the series, Lin Tian only had a lot of help defense in the first game. However, because Marbury was in such good form in this series, he was always able to make open three-point shots. So after Marbury made a few in a row, Lin Tian didn't dare to continue to double-team him.
There's nothing we can do about it. The Knicks' defensive rotations and teamwork are so poor that if Lin Tian goes to help on defense, there's almost no way his teammates will cover for him.
Nobody knows how to do this.
But tonight, Lin Tian once again activated his defensive support mode from the very beginning.
He had made up his mind that he would definitely not give Marbury much attention until Marbury hit a few consecutive three-pointers.
Except when advancing with the ball!
Lin Tian continued to closely guard Marbury from the backcourt, trash-talking him and preventing him from even touching the ball. When they got to the frontcourt, Lin Tian would seize the opportunity to double-team and help defend Marbury's teammates time and time again.
What if Marbury makes a three-pointer? What if he has a good shooting night?
Let's get in first and then talk about it!
Anyway, we didn't score the first goal of the day.
Then it's not scary!
Keep provoking him.
"Stephen, score!" After grabbing the rebound, Lin Tian was immediately marked by Marbury, who was rushing over at high speed. However, Lin Tian didn't seem to care at all, and didn't even try to accelerate. Instead, he casually said, "How am I supposed to defend you if you don't score?"
While continuing to tease Marbury to get him going crazy and excited, Lin Tian calmly pushed forward, easily organizing the team and directing his teammates' movements.
After arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian watched his teammates running non-stop, and he couldn't help but sigh, "The Celtics' defense is really good!"
The Knicks' previously infallible off-ball screens, figure-eight cuts, and other tactical plays have failed to create space and opportunities, which is one of the key reasons why the Knicks have struggled to find their rhythm in the previous few games.
Seeing that his teammates had no chance, Lin Tian decided to take the initiative once again!
Facing Marbury's defense, Lin Tian once again used a crossover dribble and a "swaying dribble" to deceive Marbury's center of gravity, and then drove past him in one step, heading straight for the basket!
The moment Lin Tian stepped into the area below the free-throw line, Howard and Duncan rushed over from the left and right, firmly surrounding Lin Tian in the middle.
Lin Tian once again chose to ignore the double-teaming by these two top defenders in the league!
"Bang!"
After a muffled thud, Lin Tian and Howard collided first, and then almost simultaneously, Duncan, who was a moment later, also collided with Lin Tian from another direction.
The two of them were like the two sides of a sandwich, squeezing Lin Tian in the very middle.
Encircled from both sides, attacked from both sides!
If it were any other player, they would either have to pass the ball quickly or grit their teeth and take a block.
But Lin Tian wouldn't!
Even though the space on both sides was blocked, Lin Tian remained extremely calm. He put the basketball in his arms and stood motionless in mid-air, like a stone statue.
Then, Duncan and Howard began to fall at a visible speed, and their once impenetrable defense gradually revealed flaws.
Then, to the astonishment of the two men, Lin Tian exerted his strength in his waist again, and his body, which had been slightly bent, suddenly opened up completely. It was as if Lin Tian had received some magical power in the air, giving people the illusion that he had ascended a second time in the air.
While others are falling, he is rising!
"boom!"
Then came a loud bang as Lin Tian slammed the ball into the basket with both hands!
"Roar roar roar roar!"
After scoring, Lin Tian raised his arms and shouted!
He slapped his chest repeatedly with both hands, and that goal was so satisfying!
After an incredible silence, Madison Square Garden erupted in a frenzied roar!
We've got this game in the bag!
Even if it's just a dunk!
But after that shot, all the fans in the stadium simultaneously had this thought.
"Incredible! How did Lin do that? Why did he suddenly rise up again after he had already started falling?" Barkley rubbed his eyes, as if he still couldn't believe what had just happened.
"Of course he didn't ascend a second time; that doesn't make sense in physics," Kenny said. "Lin simply used his incredible core strength to straighten himself up again as he fell, and then raised his hands, which he had been holding back, giving people the illusion that he had taken off a second time."
"But, besides him, I don't think anyone else in this alliance could do something like that!"
"This kind of dunk, which almost defies the laws of physics and surpasses the limits of human capability, I think it can be given a completely new label, just like top gymnasts can name the new moves they create after themselves."
"This dunk should also belong to Lin, Lin's dunk! No one can surpass or imitate him! Especially considering that it was Duncan and Howard!"
"Wudang's Cloud-Ladder Leap!" During the live broadcast on China Sports, Su Qun couldn't help but shout, "This is practically the kind of light-footed skill you only see in martial arts novels! I hope Mr. Jin Yong can see this match, and then he'll know that the top-tier martial arts he created do exist!"
Amidst everyone's frenzy, the Celtics finally scored.
Duncan was as steady as a giant banyan tree that stands firm through all four seasons, regardless of wind or rain. Taking advantage of the Knicks' over-excitement over Lin Tian's dunk, he received a pass from his teammate under the basket, turned around, and put the ball into the hoop.
The Celtics have finally hatched.
Next, the Knicks once again gave possession to Lin Tian, who immediately went to the frontcourt and quickly made a hand gesture.
"Another isolated island." In Indiana, Bird couldn't help but close his eyes.
Xie Baoqing, why did you have to mess with Li Yunlong?
Bird knew better than anyone how strong Lin Tian was, and at the same time, he had an extraordinary affection for the Celtics.
Seeing Lin Tian's performance at the start of the first quarter, he knew the Celtics' game was over.
Not only are they finished, but they're also likely to be beaten pretty badly.
Lin Tian was going all out, disregarding everything else!
Then Bird suddenly remembered that in the first round of the playoffs, his Celtics team was overwhelmed by Jordan's inside drives and outside shots, scoring a playoff-high 63 points.
The Celtics at that time had five Hall of Fame-caliber stars: himself, McHale, Dennis Johnson, Robert Parish, and Bill Walton, but they just couldn't stop Jordan; they couldn't defend him at all!
Jordan averaged 43 points per game in that series; he was like a god descending to earth, invincible.
The problem was that the Celtics had an absolute advantage in that series. Although they couldn't stop Jordan, they were able to easily win the games.
But this series...
Bird really didn't think this Celtics team could stop Lin Tian or the Knicks.
"Shall I turn off the TV and we go get some drinks?" Carlisle sat down next to Bird, quite understanding.
"No, I'll keep watching!" It was hard to describe Bird's feelings at that moment. He stared intently at the television screen, silent but with unwavering determination: "No matter who wins or loses, I'm going to watch it all!"
On the court at this moment, Lin Tian was still unstoppable!
He drives inside and shoots outside, appearing on every inch of the court and constantly passing in various ways.
Under his leadership, the Knicks finally played their own style for the first time in this series.
They played incredibly fast, picking up speed whenever they had the chance, launching counter-attacks time and again, and repeatedly charging towards the Celtics' basket.
At the end of the first quarter, the Knicks scored a series-high 33 points in a single quarter, while the Celtics played as expected, scoring 20 points.
They were down by 13 points in the first quarter.
As for the reason?
That's incredibly simple.
林天第一节比赛之中16投11中，3分球2投1中，罚球6罚全中，轰下29分！
Apart from him, the Knicks only scored 4 points, but his individual score was higher than the entire Celtics team's score!
An absolute solo show, an absolutely dominant performance!
"I expected Lin to put up a strong comeback tonight, and I also expected him to showcase his offensive capabilities tonight."
During the break, Kenny and Barkley resumed their work, with Kenny starting the analysis first.
"But I really didn't expect his counterattack to be so fierce and crazy!"
"Lin is really good at dealing with top defensive teams; he's not afraid at all!"
Barkley said, "Don Nelson's pre-game interview wasn't just talk; the Knicks really didn't make any changes or have any specific strategies."
"If we have to point out the changes they made in the first quarter, then there are two things worth mentioning."
"1. Lin went to help on defense more, leaving Marbury open. Marbury didn't let the Knicks regret it, as he only made 0 of 3 shots in the first quarter."
"2. Lin was even more aggressive and unstoppable. He returned to scoring champion mode, not assist champion mode. He shot like crazy in the first quarter with extremely high efficiency." (End of Chapter)