RNP Chapter 707 You know, this time 21 was an opportunity you stole, right?
Chapter 707 You know, this time 21 was an opportunity you stole, right?
After that, both sides focused on Lin Tian and Duncan as their respective core players, initiating the final wave of tug-of-war and entanglement.
In a frenzy, Duncan stopped orchestrating plays from the high post and stopped setting screens for his teammates. Instead, he started aggressively demanding the ball in the low post and then going one-on-one!
As long as the Knicks don't double-team him, he will steadfastly execute his isolation plays. And if the Knicks do double-team him, he will accurately find open teammates and assist them to score!
Whether it's him or a teammate who takes the shot, as soon as the ball leaves his hands and flies towards the basket, Duncan will immediately rush to the basket to grab the offensive rebound!
On the defensive end, he stood guard like a pillar, protecting the Celtics' basket. He repeatedly made successful defenses, stopping Knicks players from rushing to the basket time and time again.
In the fourth quarter, Duncan's statistics—rebounds, points, assists, blocks, and steals—all increased rapidly!
He single-handedly carried the Celtics' glory!
Lin Tian's performance on the other side was equally dazzling!
Like Duncan, Lin Tian is also helping the team in many ways!
On offense, Lin Tian employed the most damaging tactics against the Celtics. He repeatedly used pick-and-rolls to attack Duncan and Howard, repeatedly used pick-and-rolls to move the Celtics' defense around, and repeatedly tore apart the Celtics' defense before choosing to pass or shoot himself depending on the situation.
On the defensive end, Lin Tian continued to lock down Parker while also starting to roam and help defend extensively. Sometimes he would go to the basket to help his teammates block and protect the rim, sometimes he would rush out from the side to directly block the Celtics' passes, and sometimes he would even act as a "shot blocker" to draw offensive fouls from the Celtics.
Like Duncan, Lin Tian also single-handedly carried the entire team, constantly leading them forward!
With two minutes left in the game, the score was 109-105!
The Knicks still lead by 4 points!
The Celtics have possession of the ball.
This time, Duncan finally stopped staying in the paint and trying to score one-on-one. Instead, he stepped out of the paint, went to the high post, and played a screen with Ginobili.
Then Duncan quickly cut inside and drove to the basket, and Ginobili's bounce pass found Duncan precisely.
After receiving the ball, Duncan immediately started moving, raised the ball high with one hand, let out a roar, and charged towards the Knicks' basket!
Go forward fearlessly!
Almost at the same time, Lin Tian, who was watching Parker from the outside, suddenly appeared under the basket. He appeared in front of Duncan in the blink of an eye, with his feet firmly planted on the floor and his hands placed on his lower abdomen.
"Bang!"
A muffled thud was heard as Lin Tian and Duncan collided head-on!
Lin Tian fell to the ground with a thud, crashing down behind him. Duncan, however, failed to complete the dunk. He controlled his body as much as possible and gently tossed the ball toward the basket.
"Beep beep!"
The referee whistle blows!
"Whoosh!"
Then, the basketball finally fell into the basket!
At this moment, everyone's eyes were on the referee.
How should it be judged?
"Offensive foul or blocking foul?" Barkley asked nervously. "This call could very well decide the outcome of the game!"
At this point, controversy arose!
The referee on the baseline passionately made an offensive foul gesture.
Meanwhile, the sideline referee on the other side gestured a blocking foul!
Two referees blew their whistles at the same time and gave completely opposite rulings!
"This..." Barkley frowned as well. "This kind of scene is very rare in NBA history! Two referees gave completely opposite calls at the same time, and to be honest, I couldn't be sure what happened for a split second!"
"Luckily, there's a replay!" Kenny added. "Let's watch the replay before drawing any conclusions!"
As Kenny said those words, the three referees on the scene also came together and began to whisper among themselves.
Aside from the three of them, nobody knew what they were talking about!
After exchanging a few words, the three referees walked to the technical table together to review the replay.
Not only the referee, but also the big screens at the stadium and the television broadcasts began to replay this crucial goal!
How exactly should it be judged?
Everyone's hearts were in their throats!
"Between millimeters!" After watching the replays from various angles multiple times, Barkley offered his advice: "No matter how you call it, it's by a hair's breadth. The moment Lin landed and the moment Duncan collided with him happened almost simultaneously!"
"The only thing I can be certain of from these replays is that Lin was indeed standing outside the reasonable collision zone!"
Kenny nodded in agreement, saying, "But no matter how you call it, this call is by a hair's breadth! No matter how you call it, it won't satisfy everyone! No matter how you call it, many fans will shout 'biased referee'! But let's trust the referee and see how he decides in the end!"
"Right now, these three referees are under the most pressure! Whatever decisions they make tonight, they will be heavily criticized!"
"Now, let's see what choices these three people, now in the world's spotlight, will make!"
After reviewing, studying, and discussing the case repeatedly from various angles for nearly five minutes, the referees finally delivered what was perhaps the most controversial and crucial ruling of the night.
"Lin, blocking foul! 2 points awarded, plus one free throw!"
The referees announced their rulings to the scorer's table!
The entire North Shore Gardens erupted in cheers!
The fans were ecstatic! They didn't care about the truth; they only cared about gaining the upper hand!
Now that they've received a favorable ruling, they should celebrate!
Duncan stepped to the free-throw line and let out a long sigh of relief.
He was quite nervous just now.
Because he himself didn't know whether it was an offensive foul or a blocking foul, just as Kenny and Barkley said: "It's a matter of millimeters, and there's a reason for every ruling."
"You know you shouldn't have gotten this 2+1, right?" Lin Tian suddenly walked up to Duncan and whispered in his ear, "But this is the reward you deserve after fighting all season and winning more than 60 games, so I'm not angry."
"I'm just telling you that these 3 points don't belong to you, so I'm taking them back exactly as they are!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he patted Duncan on the shoulder and said, "Good luck making your free throws!"
He then walked to midfield, awaiting the result of this penalty kick.
Duncan banished Lin Tian's trash talk from his mind, took a deep breath, composed himself, and then raised his hand to score!
His free throws are just so-so, not particularly accurate, but Duncan would never miss a crucial free throw like this!
「来了！109：108！双方的差距只有1分了！比赛时间还有最后的1分40秒！」肯尼兴奋的大喊道：「邓肯的数据也来到了45分23个篮板8助攻7盖帽5抢断！无与伦比的夜晚！MVP级别的表现！」
"In Game 5, Tim didn't disappoint anyone! Now, they need to stop the Knicks' offense!"
The Knicks did not call a timeout. Lin Tian took the basketball and began to slowly advance it towards the frontcourt.
At this point, there's no need to rush.
After arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian faced Parker, who had been completely dominated by him tonight and was only making 3 of 13 shots, scoring only 9 points, 5 assists, and 5 turnovers. This time, Lin Tian did not call for a screen.
This is the time for a one-on-one battle, the time for the team leader to show his power and demonstrate that every penny he earns is worthwhile!
Everyone was pulled away.
Lin Tian compressed the time, and only when there were only 5 seconds left in the attack time did Lin Tian finally launch the attack!
He dribbles in a different direction, then suddenly pulls the ball back in the opposite direction with a crossover dribble, and then accelerates again with another change of direction!
The three consecutive moves were quick, stylish, and effective, and Parker was completely outmaneuvered by Lin Tian!
But Bell had been waiting nearby for a long time. As Lin Tian accelerated, he slid to the side and appeared in front of Lin Tian!
But instead of accelerating towards the inside, Lin Tian did the opposite, taking a step back and jumping out of the three-point line again.
Bell and Parker both guessed what he was going to do.
They both lunged forward at the same time, charging straight at Lin Tian!
But Lin Tian acted as if he didn't see the two people's defense and block. He jumped up and shot almost as the 24-second timer was about to expire!
"Buzz!"
With an extremely long buzzer sound, Lin Tian's buzzer-beating three-pointer flew straight toward the basket!
The hearts of the fans at TD Garden were already starting to race.
They jumped incredibly fast one moment, then became too nervous to jump, then jumped wildly with excitement, and then stopped again out of fear.
Tonight's game will be an absolute ordeal for Bostonians!
It's a wonderful kind of torment, but it's also a kind of torment.
"Whoosh!"
But then, after Lin Tian's crucial three-pointer hit, things weren't so wonderful anymore.
All that's left is torment.
112: 108!
The Knicks' lead has once again been extended to 4 points!
1 minute and 16 seconds left!
"Fantastic! A perfect shot! A fatal blow! We can't be 3% sure if that blocking foul call was right or wrong, but Lin's three-pointer tells everyone: he doesn't care!" Kenny roared excitedly, "Right or wrong, I'll get my revenge myself!"
"That's a real man!"
Barkley quickly added, "After Lin made that shot, he's scored over 50 points! He's scored 50+ points again!"
「今晚，林51分14篮板10助攻6抢断4盖帽！他和邓肯两人同样完美!他和邓肯两人之间难分胜负！」
"But the Knicks still hold the advantage! Of course, it's not time for the Knicks to relax; a four-point lead isn't enough to make them complacent!"
On the court, the Celtics were still in no hurry. After getting to the frontcourt, they quickly passed the ball to Duncan and let him handle the play.
He turned his back to Okur, observing the situation on the field.
Then Barnes suddenly collapsed, trying to break Duncan's one-on-one opportunity!
Seeing Barnes arrive, Duncan quickly passed the ball to Ginobili outside the three-point line.
Ginobili made a swift and decisive three-pointer!
"Bang!"
Unfortunately, the ball that carried the hopes of North Shore Gardens failed to hit the target!
But Duncan turned and boxed out immediately after passing the ball. He had secured a favorable position, once again keeping Okur behind him. Then, as the rebound fell, he leaped high, grabbed it, and jumped again, hoping to score two points with a putback dunk!
But as soon as Duncan jumped up, he found that there was another person in front of him!
Lin Tian.
This guy appeared in front of Duncan like a ghost once again, and once again he provided timely defensive support, blocking all of Duncan's shooting opportunities!
There was no time to pass the ball, and no time to make any changes!
All Duncan could do was watch in near despair as Lin Tian swatted his dunk away, sending him flying all the way to the three-point line!
Anthony grabbed the basketball, then spun around, leaving Howard behind. He immediately accelerated and rushed to the Celtics' basket!
Parker, the only one who was in position to help defend, knew he couldn't stop Anthony's attack, so he seized the opportunity, suddenly stepped forward, and grabbed Anthony, hoping to at least turn the dunk into two free throws.
Free throws can still miss, right?
Parker clearly underestimated Anthony's perfect touch!
Although he was completely held, he managed to flick his left hand just before losing his balance, sending the basketball hurtling towards the basket.
"Whoosh!"
Then came a sharp crack, like a dagger, that pierced the hearts of every Bostonian!
Goal! Another 2+1!
At the same time, Bostonians knew they had lost!
They lost the pivotal game at home!
The next game, the sixth one, a win-or-go-home match for them, will be held in New York.
The odds are against them!
If they can't even win at home, the away game is really going to be very difficult!
In particular, all fans know that the team's performance tonight was nothing short of perfect! Duncan gave it his all, and apart from Parker, almost no one on the team faltered; everyone showed their best!
And so, neither of them won.
They're playing away for the sixth game, what should they do?
While the fans at TD Garden were heartbroken, Anthony calmly made the free throw.
115: 108!
The gap between the two sides has widened to 7 points!
With 7 points equal to 3 possessions, and considering the remaining events, the Celtics' chances of winning are getting smaller and smaller!
With 48 seconds left, Rivers called a timeout.
Their next task is crucial; they need to hit a three-pointer as quickly as possible! Then, depending on the situation, they should decide whether to risk defending the Knicks for the next 24 seconds or foul them out for a penalty shootout.
But one thing is certain.
That means the Celtics must hit a three-pointer immediately!
They must get the points in as little time as possible!
If we don't score the first ball after the timeout, then everything else is just empty talk!
The pause ended quickly!
The Celtics fielded a lineup with one big man and four small men.
With Duncan on the court alongside Josh Howard, Ginobili, Parker, and Bell, they were clearly aiming for a three-pointer!
The Knicks also have the same lineup of one big man and four small men!
Stoudemire single-handedly guarded the paint, while Lin Tian, Wallace, Smith, and Ariza—the four fastest, fastest, and most physically gifted players on the team—took to the court together.
The meaning behind this Knicks combination is quite clear.
Duncan, you can get 2 points if you want.
3 points is absolutely impossible!
As the whistle blew to resume play, all the Knicks players except for Stoudemire, who stood at the edge of the three-second zone to guard against the Celtics' alley-oop attempts, stood outside the three-point line with their arms outstretched to contest the shot.
Like Stoudemire, none of the four of them went to their assigned defenders; instead, they simply stood there, ready to disrupt the Spurs' shot!
In other words, at this point in the game, Don Nelson suddenly switched to zone defense! It was that same rudimentary, insignificant extended zone defense; he didn't play man-to-man, which completely wasted half of the tactics Rivers had just devised!
After all, when Rivers was giving instructions, half of his energy was spent telling his players how to get past defenders, how to position themselves, and where to receive the ball.
But now, the Knicks don't guard you from receiving the ball; you can receive it however you want!
The Celtics players were a bit stunned.
What should I do?
"Don Nelson is insane!" Barkley couldn't help but exclaim. "At this point in the game, he's not playing man-to-man defense, he lets you receive the ball freely, he lets you run plays freely, he completely ignores you. How can he be so bold?"
"So he's a mad scientist!" Kenny couldn't help but sigh. "But if you think about it carefully, the Knicks are leading by 7 points, and the Celtics need 3 points."
"That means no matter how they run or move, they'll eventually have to shoot from beyond the three-point line. So instead of running around aimlessly with the Celtics and potentially leaving players open due to screens or other issues, they might as well just stand still and wait for you to come to them!"
"After all, your ultimate goal as the Celtics is to shoot three-pointers! So why don't I just wait for you to shoot three-pointers?"
"There's an even more important reason," Barkley said. "While the Knicks' players are incredibly athletic and can drive, help, and rotate at any time, their defense is fundamentally terrible! Both their defensive discipline and their defensive system are awful."
"So, instead of trying to outmaneuver the Celtics tactically, we might as well just stand there and wait for their players to come to us!"
"Moreover, this unexpected positioning clearly had the effect of leaving the Celtics players bewildered and unsure how to continue the game!"
"Look! They really don't know how to position themselves! They're stunned! Howard, inbounding the ball, seems unsure who to pass it to! Don Nelson's tactics are working wonders! How many seconds left? Are the Celtics about to commit a five-second violation? The referee hasn't called it!"
At that moment, Duncan suddenly shouted on the court, "Manu!"
This shout seemed to wake up his teammates who were a little lost. Ginobili quickly moved up to receive the ball and then dribbled towards the Knicks' three-point line.
Lin Tian and Wallace at the top of the arc immediately rushed towards him, leaving him no choice but to pass the ball to Bell again.
As soon as Bale received the ball, he was marked closely by Ariza, who had moved over, and at the same time, Lin Tian also began to move in that direction!
In addition, other Knicks players have also begun their rotations as needed!
Ultimately, they are all NBA players. No matter how little they practice defense or how little they focus on defense, they still have the most basic zone defense movement and tactical awareness!
In particular, Don Nelson's only requirement was that four players outside the three-point line constantly pressure the Celtics' ball-handler!
Ignore anything inside the three-point line, ignore anything when driving to the basket, and ignore anything when shooting mid-range.
Keep your eyes on the three-point line!
This kind of task is something even a high school student could complete well, let alone the Knicks!
Why were the Celtics so far behind that they could only shoot 3-pointers?
Old Nelson's open scheme was something they couldn't avoid! (End of Chapter)