novelraw Chapter 629 The Final Chapter of the Season! A Flawless Super Series
Chapter 629 The Final Chapter of the Season! A Flawless Super Series
"No need to time out!" After O'Neal easily scored 2 points, Lin Tian stretched out his hand to indicate that there was no need to rush. It's just a tie, so let's do it again!
146: 146!
The last 29 seconds!
The basketball continued to roll slowly across the court, and everyone held their breath, eager to see how this play would unfold.
The basketball rolled slowly towards the frontcourt, and Lin Tian didn't bend down to pick it up until it had crossed the center line.
The game timer has started running at breakneck speed once again!
Without rushing or being nervous, Lin Tian simply gestured for everyone to pull back. It was clear that he was going to hold back until the very last moment for his final attack!
This is absolute confidence, and also absolute strength!
19...
16...
11...
9...
Lin Tian just watched time pass quietly, doing nothing but dribbling the ball in place.
"There are only 6 seconds left! What is Lin going to do? How long is he going to wait?" Even Barkley, who was watching the game, couldn't help but exclaim. He even began to suspect that Lin Tian hadn't even checked his watch, otherwise why would he have pressed the time so tightly!
Just then, Kirilenko suddenly started moving and charged towards Lin Tian.
With so little time left in the attack, Kirilenko's timing in suddenly moving forward to double-team was absolutely perfect!
If it's earlier, Lin Tian will send the message; if it's later, Lin Tian might have already made his move!
This is the perfect time!
Faced with the Lakers' impending double-team, Lin Tian finally made his move!
He suddenly dribbled and took a step towards the three-point line.
Then, as Kirilenko braked suddenly and Kobe quickly retreated, Lin Tian also stopped!
And he pulled up and launched a long-range three-pointer!
"Buzz!"
Hearing that familiar yet annoying sound, at least 9% of the fans at Staples Center closed their eyes and dared not watch anymore; they could foresee what was about to happen.
"Whoosh!"
A crisp sound followed immediately, just like what Lakers fans had experienced in the past few games!
Lin Tian hits another buzzer-beating three-pointer from beyond the arc!
With 3 seconds left, the Knicks regained a 3-point lead!
149: 146!
"What the hell! What the hell is this kid?!" Jackson, sitting on the sidelines, finally broke down and blurted out a curse.
There's no way around it, Lin Tian always manages to tell the Lakers, just when they've made all the best and correct choices: No matter how well you make the right choices, you're still within the outline, while I am something that transcends the outline!
The Lakers have done the best they can.
But Lin Tian is like a bottomless pool; no matter how hard the Lakers try, they can't find his bottom.
Jackson could only request his last timeout; after all, he had to make arrangements for the final offensive play.
"Defend against the three-pointer! Everyone stay on the three-point line, don't foul, ignore them rushing in for two points!"
"If they can do these two things, they won't be able to shoot from beyond the three-point line and make a shot!"
"Then……"
Old Nelson suddenly grinned and said, "Then, Nate and Matt go to the locker room and bring out those two carts of champagne that were prepared beforehand. Remember to put ice on them. Swettney, you're in charge of the two bottles of beer I put in the fridge; be careful not to spill them!"
"Josh, I need you to get our hats and championship T-shirts. I don't trust those idiots in the uniform department."
"The rest of you, get ready. As soon as we hold off Lin, you immediately hoist him up and throw him into the air! Just three times! Then, celebrate however the hell you want! Any questions?"
"No problem!"
Don Nelson's words ignited the Knicks players' passion, and everyone was eager to get started.
They wanted to try on their championship T-shirts to see if they fit, and they wanted to take some photos wearing the championship hats.
But of course, before that, the team still has to defend against the Lakers' final attack!
The final blow!
Pause ended!
The Knicks not only fielded five perimeter players, but also four substitutes!
Okur, Anthony, Stoudemire, and Houston, four players whose defense was like air, were all taken off the court. The Knicks' lineup consisted of Lin Tian, Ward, Barnes, Smith, and Wallace!
The Knicks' five best-fitting perimeter defenders!
On the Lakers' side, apart from replacing Prince with Vujacic, the other four players were all starters!
If it weren't for the need for a big man to screen for all the players, Jackson would definitely have taken down O'Neal as well.
At times like this, it's a one-shot deal; rebounds are meaningless. The Lakers simply don't have time to miss a shot, grab the rebound, and score again.
Bringing O'Neal up here was for screen purposes!
To the Knicks' surprise, the person standing outside the sideline was none other than Kobe!
Jackson told Kobe to inbound the ball!
"It's definitely a handoff!" Lin Tian reminded his teammates. "Kobe passes the ball first, then quickly walks onto the court, catches it, and shoots! That's it! Everyone be careful, keep an eye on your own men, and as for Kobe, leave him to me!"
"clear!"
"Beep beep!"
Soon, the referee blew his whistle, and the game began with the final 3 seconds!
After setting multiple screens for his teammates, O'Neal suddenly turned and moved up to Kobe. Kobe quickly passed the ball to O'Neal and then moved towards O'Neal at top speed.
After the two men passed the basketball to each other, it was in Kobe's hands!
But Lin Tian, who had already anticipated the Lakers' playing style, caught up with Kobe as soon as he received the ball. The two stuck together tightly, giving Kobe no space to shoot.
Left with no other option, Kobe could only dribble forward. After dribbling twice, he knew that time was almost up.
Since they couldn't shake off Lin Tian, they had no choice but to take action!
Kobe landed with all his might with his left foot, then jumped up, using that momentum to lean back with all his might and throw the ball toward the basket!
"He crossed the line! He crossed the line!"
Before the basketball even reached the basket, Lin Tian's shouts rang out. He quickly filed a complaint with the referee!
In that critical moment, Kobe even had time to glance back at the referee.
This sight made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar!
2 points!
The referee's hand gesture indicates a 2-point score!
Whether this shot goes in or not, it's meaningless!
"Whoosh!"
Then came a crisp sound as Kobe's buzzer-beater went in!
In an instant, the entire Staples Center erupted in thunderous cheers and shouts! Their hero had done it too!
But then, the referee's gesture broke the hearts of fans all over Los Angeles!
2 points!
They saw the same thing as Kobe.
The referee raised two fingers and then swung them down hard.
Two points are valid! But the game is over!
The Lakers lost! They lost by another point!
"Fuck! Shady referee!"
"Garbage referee! That was definitely a three-pointer!"
"Damn it! Go to hell, you bastard! Give us back the game!"
"We haven't lost yet! That's fucking a 3-pointer!"
"Give us back the game!"
"If you can't sing, go home! Don't embarrass yourself here!"
Los Angeles fans vented their anger and dissatisfaction wildly, and for a moment the entire Staples Center was filled with boos!
They can't accept that it's only 2 points!
It's clearly in! Such an extreme shot, such an exaggerated lean back, such a crazy choice, and it went in.
But you only gave it 2 points?
No! Absolutely not!
But the fans' protests clearly had little effect.
The referee was not prepared to overturn the call, especially when the big screen in the arena began to replay the details, and everyone clearly saw Kobe's foot.
They definitely crossed the line!
When his left foot touched the ground, it clearly landed inside the three-point line!
This replay basically left fans all over Los Angeles in despair.
But at least, the boos finally stopped after that moment.
No one booed anymore, and no one cursed wildly anymore.
So what if you can't accept it?
They have to accept it!
That's the truth!
Countless fans were stunned; these two home games were truly unbearable for them!
They had chances to win in two consecutive home games, but they failed to capitalize on them.
That night, even more fans shed tears.
It wasn't just because the team lost the championship again, but also because they knew that the roster that had been with them for a full 10 years, with OK as the absolute core, was about to break up.
The era of Los Angeles' dominance in the West is coming to an end.
Not a single championship! They're so talented, they work so hard, yet they haven't won a single championship!
Los Angeles fans felt melancholy, pain, and helplessness at this moment.
The one who was even more powerless was Kobe.
Although the Lakers narrowed the gap to just one point after his long-range two-pointer, and although he scored over 50 points, he and O'Neal combined for 102 points tonight.
But they were unable to bring the team even a single victory.
In despair, Kobe lay on the floor in agony, covering his face with both hands.
This is not the first time he has lost the Finals; in fact, it is the fifth time he has lost the Finals in seven years.
But he had never felt so bad as he did tonight.
Because tonight, they had a chance to win every game in this series! If they could capitalize on those opportunities, they would now have a 4-0 lead over the Knicks!
But they failed to seize the opportunity, letting each chance slip away, and then, with great regret, swallowed the bitter pill of four consecutive losses.
O'Neal sat helplessly on the scorer's table. Looking at the countless celebrities and tycoons in the arena, and at Staples Center and the glamorous world of Los Angeles that he represented, O'Neal felt an indescribable sadness.
In the end, they still couldn't bring a championship to this city!
And so, it's time to leave.
Jackson also took off his glasses, rubbed his temples wearily, let out a long sigh, and then closed his eyes.
How could you lose so badly and feel so bad?
The entire Los Angeles area, and the entire Lakers team, were plunged into a deep slump and self-doubt.
Meanwhile, the Knicks players couldn't wait to start their celebration!
No ribbons, no celebratory confetti, no cannons, nothing that you'd expect at a championship ceremony, but that doesn't matter!
Because Nate and his teammates had already excitedly brought champagne, ice, jerseys, hats, and other items into the stadium!
It's time to celebrate!
Apart from Lin Tian, Houston, and Ward, none of the rest of this team had ever won a championship before; it was their first time!
Including Don Nelson, although he won the Coach of the Year award three times, he never won a single championship.
That night, almost every member of the Knicks team experienced the joy of winning a championship for the first time!
"We are the champions!"
"We are the kings of the world!"
"We will rule this world!"
"We will never fail! We are the strongest Knicks!"
……
The players celebrated wildly, hugging each other, releasing their remaining passion, spraying champagne in their hands. No one cared that it was an away game, no one cared that they were in Los Angeles.
What everyone needs is to celebrate!
Along the way, the Knicks swept all before reaching the top with a 16-game winning streak, but the doubts and criticisms they faced never stopped!
They lack post-up skills, have no true traditional big men, focus solely on offense and neglect defense, rely too heavily on mid-range and long-range shooting, and apart from Lin Tian, they don't have a single true top-tier player in the league.
And so on, a great deal of questioning and criticism actually permeated the Knicks' entire season.
But they held on! They won the championship! They proved everyone who didn't believe in them wrong!
So, if we don't celebrate wildly now, when will we?
Now is the time to go crazy!
Lin Tian was lifted up by the Knicks players, thrown into the air, caught, and then thrown again!
They were ecstatic! Of course they knew how important Lin Tian was to their victory and how crucial his role was!
这个晚上，林天轰下33分20篮板21助攻的疯狂数据，其中还包括最后2分钟连续轰下13分的壮举！
In this series of four games, the first game was Lin Tian's near game-winning shot, the second game was Lin Tian's deadly block that sealed the victory, the third game was Lin Tian's nine consecutive three-pointers and a steal in the fourth quarter that made the game-winning shot, and the fourth game would have been another game-winning shot if Kobe hadn't made a two-pointer that had nothing to do with the outcome!
The four games were separated by only 5 points in total, with 3 games separated by only 1 point!
Lin Tian deserves at least 90% credit for the Knicks' sweep of the Lakers, if not all the credit!
If the players don't throw him up, who else can they throw him at?
This night was destined to belong to Lin Tian, and also to all the Knicks players!
Jackson was the first Lakers member to come to his senses and walk over to Lin Tian.
"Congratulations, Lin! I really didn't expect you to be this good!" Jackson shook hands with Lin Tian and said, "I thought you'd be at most the second Isaiah Thomas, but I never imagined you'd become the league's first Lin!"
"For the next 20 or even 50 years, the point guard position in the entire league will live in your shadow."
After shaking hands and celebrating with Lin Tian, Jackson quickly left the court.
He didn't want to stay here any longer; he was in a really bad mood.
"Hey Kobe." Since he had already greeted Jackson, Lin Tian naturally wouldn't miss the others. He plopped down next to Kobe, who was still lying on the spot, and patted him, saying, "If you want a championship, you can consider coming to New York."
"I'll teach you how to win the championship."
"Absolutely not!" Kobe replied without hesitation. "I won't go to New York, and I won't leave Los Angeles! I'm here, I'll win the championship, I'll beat everyone, I'll win the championship!"
"Lin, I will definitely beat you, even just once, in my lifetime, and become the champion!"
"I believe in you! I'm waiting for you!" Lin Tian patted Kobe's chest heavily. He could feel Kobe trembling all over. This competitive guy was probably crying.
Lin Tian didn't expose him, but stood up, wanting to save face for Kobe.
Then he encountered O'Neal walking towards him.
"Lin! My buddy." O'Neal hugged Lin Tian tightly and said, "I think the next time we meet, it definitely won't be in Los Angeles."
"Are you so sure the team will trade you? Maybe they watched this year's Finals and decided to keep you for another year?"
"Next year is the year of my contract," O'Neal said quite soberly. "Plus, I'll be 36 next year, and the team will definitely trade me this year unless they're stupid."
"Otherwise, they'll get nothing next year except salary cap space. Ten years in Los Angeles, and not a single championship. It's all your fault, you damn bastard!"
"Isn't it your own fault for missing the free throw?" Lin Tian teased O'Neal with a smile.
"Forget it, I'd better leave." Upon hearing this, O'Neal immediately turned around!
Based on his experience communicating with Lin Tian and his understanding of Lin Tian, he knew that continuing the conversation would only result in personal attacks, so there was no need for it!
They've already been thrashed on the court, so why let Lin Tian thrash them again after the game is over?
If I can't beat them, can't I at least avoid them?
"Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by Lin Tian's team again! They are eliminated! 4-0! A painful score for all Los Angeles fans."
After chatting idly for a while from the perspective of the Knicks players, Barkley and Kenny finally got down to business.
"Let's thank the Lakers! Thank you for their dedication, their tenacity, and their hard work! Without them, this year's Finals wouldn't have been so exciting and perfect! And let's congratulate the New York Knicks on their championship win!"
"They won fair and square, they won spectacularly! They created countless miracles and set new records this year! They have become the new kings of the league!"
「今天晚上，林轰下了33分20篮板21助攻的超级三双！除了林之外，安东尼拿下30分4篮板2助攻，小斯轰下全队最高的36分8篮板！尼克斯队3人得分上30，3人加起来轰下99分！他们的火力，让人称讚！」
"Besides the Knicks' Big Three, Okur scored 13 points tonight, Houston 14, and all five of the team's starters scored in double figures! This is the Knicks' favorite way to win!" (End of Chapter)