RNP Chapter 617 Lin Tian's Masterful Control! Leaving the Lakers Nearly Despair
Chapter 617 Lin Tian's Masterful Control! Leaving the Lakers Nearly Despair
On the evening of June 10th, the second game of this year's finals kicked off again at Madison Square Garden!
That night, neither head coach changed their starting lineup.
Of course, there's no need to make any changes to Nelson's lineup; the team's starting lineup has already performed perfectly.
And even if he goes crazy, he can't actually put Nate in the starting lineup and have him fight tooth and nail against the Lakers' starters.
That's suicide!
It's even uncertain whether Nate will get any playing time tonight!
To reiterate, top-tier coaches don't rely on outdated tactics, nor do they use the same move until the opponent finds a weakness and starts counterattacking.
They'll react even faster!
Similarly, Vujacic for the Lakers will most likely only be a feint and bait tonight, and he won't get much playing time.
Fisher did play terribly in the last game, but what can Jackson do? Bring in Smush Parker?
That's just asking for death!
He didn't want to be seen as mentally challenged.
Jackson really had no choice. Since Fox, Shaw, Horry and others retired or transferred, coupled with the high salaries of the four starting players and the Lakers' consistently good record, it has been difficult to select suitable players in the draft.
The Lakers' bench strength has been greatly reduced, and they rely more on their strong starting five to win games.
Therefore, without any adjustments, Jackson had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue playing like this.
He can only hope that the Lakers can mount a stronger and more effective comeback tonight!
He absolutely did not want the team to fall into a 2-0 deficit.
Even though the Lakers have three consecutive home games, Jackson doesn't want to put all his eggs in one basket at home.
They have no home-court advantage, and if they want to win the championship, they must win at least one game on the road!
Since we're going to win this game, whether we win early or late, we have to win it eventually, right?
It's always better to win sooner!
In particular, Jackson had seen many teams be beaten 2-0 by Lin Tian and his team.
Those teams that wanted to bet on their home field were all utterly crushed by Lin Tian and his team.
In the third game of the series, Lin Tian always managed to deliver a tougher and more aggressive performance.
This guy knows all too well the difference between 2:1 and 3:0.
Therefore, we must win this game!
But no matter how confident or determined Jackson is, whether the game will go as he wishes remains to be seen once it starts!
With the referee's whistle, Game 2 of the series began on time!
The course of this match was almost exactly the same as the previous one, only completely reversed.
Both Stoudemire and Anthony were on fire that night, each hitting a mid-range shot right from the start.
Those two shots were just the beginning! For the next period of time, Lin Tian kept using his breakthroughs or pick-and-roll drives to create easy shooting and rim-attacking opportunities for the two players.
Neither of them disappointed Lin Tian. From the three-point line to the basket, these two were almost unstoppable, constantly scoring points, and the Knicks' score soared.
On the other hand, Fisher continued his poor shooting form from the first game, starting with a ridiculously wide-open shot that he completely missed, and then Kobe also missed a shot...
The Lakers, who failed to score on offense from the start, were at a significant disadvantage from the beginning of the game. Their first point came two minutes later when Kirilenko cut to the basket and dunked, giving the team two points.
But by this time, the score was already 11-2!
In other words, the Knicks started the game with an 11-0 run against the Lakers!
Fortunately, the Lakers finally found their rhythm after that. Starting with O'Neal's dunk, Kobe's mid-range jumper, Kobe's layup, and O'Neal's alley-oop...
The Lakers' star duo finally found their rhythm, helping the team catch up in the score.
Unfortunately, although the Lakers' offense was fierce, the Knicks' offense was even more effective, and the two teams once again engaged in an offensive duel.
The Knicks established a lead of about 10 points with an 11-0 run at the start of the game, and maintained that lead throughout the first quarter.
With only one minute left in the first quarter, Kobe suddenly erupted again! While Lin Tian was resting on the bench, he first drove to the basket, drawing a foul from Okur, and then made the free throw for a 2+1 play.
Then, on the last offensive possession of the first quarter, he hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer from beyond the arc. With one minute left, Kobe scored six consecutive points, successfully narrowing the gap to five points!
33: 38!
Both sides once again achieved extremely high scores in the first quarter, with both sides displaying a very fast pace and high shooting percentage!
第一节比赛，科比拿下11分2篮板2助攻，奥尼尔拿下10分4篮板1盖帽。
For the Knicks, Anthony and Stoudemire also scored 12 and 11 points respectively, showing a very strong offensive attack!
As for Lin Tian, he didn't compete with his teammates for shooting opportunities when they were in excellent form. He only took 3 shots in the entire first quarter, making 2 of 3 for 4 points, but he also grabbed 4 rebounds and dished out 5 assists.
All-around! Lin Tian this season is truly all-around; he can also switch randomly between individual offensive mode and team mode.
How well he plays tonight depends not on his own performance, but on the performance of his teammates and opponents!
For example, tonight, Lin Tian's teammates were in excellent form, with almost the entire team having a hot hand. Lin Tian intentionally reduced his own shot attempts, selflessly giving the shot opportunities to his teammates!
His teammates naturally reciprocated, and with Lin Tian's selfless ball feeding, everyone achieved remarkable statistics and results!
At the end of the first three quarters, the Knicks once again played a game of rapid-fire attacks and relentless momentum!
Stoudemire led the team with 17 points, Anthony had 15, Okur had 9, Houston also scored 10, and Smith added 8 points off the bench!
All we can hope for is that team leader Lin Tian, who achieved an economical triple-double of 10 points, 14 rebounds, and 15 assists in the three quarters of the game tonight. Moreover, Lin Tian only took 5 shots in total tonight, focusing on passing the ball while playing a conservative style, making his game incredibly easy and comfortable.
The Knicks' shift in their primary offensive weapon rendered many of the Lakers' strategies ineffective.
The Lakers had no choice.
Even if the rest of your Knicks team can score, even if they can make 20 three-pointers, what can they do? Do they really dare to leave Lin Tian unguarded, or relax their defense against him?
Obviously not!
That's Lin Tian!
Who would dare!
In particular, Lin Tian didn't just make 3 of 15 shots for 10 points tonight; he made 3 of 5 shots for 10 points! No matter how you look at it, this guy was just coasting; he's completely mastered the art of playing "health-preserving" basketball!
With the Knicks' entire team exploding into action, they successfully maintained an 11-point lead at the end of the third quarter, and the game was completely under the control of the Knicks.
But this is the Finals, and the opponent is the Lakers, the top team in the entire league.
The game was bound to have its ups and downs, and the Lakers were bound to put up a fight!
In the fourth quarter, it was O'Neal who first exploded!
His outburst was actually quite simple: a 2+1 free throw, and he made it! After being fouled, he made two more free throws! Then he scored another 2+1, and made the free throw again!
Thanks to O'Neal's four consecutive successful free throws, the Lakers were able to catch their breath!
Although the Knicks still had a 6-point lead, O'Neal's consecutive free throws had an unimaginable boost to the Lakers' morale!
Super energizing!
Sure enough, although O'Neal started to face tighter double-teams and help defense in the paint, his passing began to revitalize the entire team!
After all, this is the Knicks. They can bring them in, but asking them to spread the ball out after O'Neal passes it is really asking too much!
The Knicks players can only defend against them.
As a result, the Lakers had a ton of open shot opportunities for the remainder of the fourth quarter.
O'Neal's dominance and control were perfectly demonstrated in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter!
The Knicks didn't double-team him, so whether he was playing Okur or Mourning who came in later, it was an easy game for him!
Are you double-teaming me?
At this moment, O'Neal, who was extremely calm and clear-headed, was able to easily pass the ball to the outside, and then the Lakers' perimeter players could easily pass the ball 2-3 times and open shots would appear!
Unfortunately, the Lakers' three-point shooting was also quite impressive in the fourth quarter, almost an all-around explosion, with all four players capable of three-pointers scoring three points in that quarter.
Kobe Bryant received three passes from Shaquille O'Neal and made all three three-pointers!
That night, OK connected successfully in a way they rarely used before!
第四节的前10分钟，湖人队3分线外12投8中，以66%的命中率狂飙8个三分球！
In addition, O'Neal also had a great performance in this quarter. He not only made many strong inside shots, but also made all 6 of his free throws!
Even so, they are still at a disadvantage at this point in the game!
Even with such a frenzied performance from the Lakers, they couldn't catch up, and there's only one reason for that.
Lin Tian!
This guy, who only took 5 shots and scored 10 points in the first three quarters, tried a few times in the fourth quarter and found that his teammates' shooting touch had dropped while the opponents' shooting touch had improved significantly. He then decisively switched modes!
Team mode off!
Personal Speed Mode activated!
As a result, for most of the fourth quarter, Lin Tian was outmaneuvering the entire Lakers team!
Kobe hit a three-pointer, and Lin Tian drove to the basket, scored, and drew a foul for a three-point play.
Fisher hit a three-pointer, and Lin Tian responded with a three-pointer of his own!
O'Neal scored 2 points with a strong drive to the basket, and Lin Tian hit his second three-pointer in a row!
Kirilenko hit another three-pointer, and Lin Tian suddenly accelerated and made a mid-range stop-and-shoot jump shot for two points.
……
In the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, Lin Tian, who had been dormant, seemed to suddenly wake up. He made 8 of 14 shots, 3 of 5 three-point shots, and 3 of 3 free throws, scoring 22 points in 10 minutes!
He also delivered several assists, helping Stoudemire, Anthony, and others score!
Despite Lin Tian's explosive performance in that quarter, the Lakers managed to close the gap thanks to a team-wide outburst.
But with only two minutes left in the game, they were still trailing!
120: 124!
Although they were only down by 4 points, the fact that they couldn't catch up despite their hard work and excellent performance was a huge blow to the entire Lakers team!
It's like a person walking in the dark. He can see the light, but no matter how hard he tries or how desperately he moves forward, that light is always faint and can never be captured.
As the saying goes, "One should strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will wane on the second attempt and be exhausted on the third!"
The Lakers are currently in a state of exhaustion! Many players' faces show undisguised fatigue and helplessness.
No matter how they score, Lin Tian can respond at any time; no matter what they do, Lin Tian can retaliate.
This feeling is so frustrating and painful!
The only good news for the Lakers right now is that there is still one guy on their team who hasn't given up and isn't showing any signs of fatigue or slackness!
"Get out of my way, all of you!" Kobe noticed his teammates' laxity. This ever-spirited guy stretched out a hand and yelled at everyone, "Get out of the way! I'm taking you home!"
"Of course, you'll go home with them in defeat, right?" Lin Tian had already switched defenses with Houston, and for most of the night, he was matched up against Kobe.
Kobe had a great performance tonight, hitting three three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone, and was a key contributor to the team's comeback to within four points.
"Defend against this ball first!" Kobe said, then suddenly accelerated past Lin Tian, and after only two dribbles, he pulled up and pulled up for a jump shot!
This is the most efficient and simple way for Kobe to defeat Lin Tian after facing him so many times!
Simply put: I'm taller than you, so I'll compete with you in height and shooting touch!
He has an 8-centimeter height advantage, and as the offensive player, Kobe's pull-up jumper is quite sudden and unpredictable.
Even Lin Tian was somewhat helpless against Kobe's somewhat shameless style of play, which relied on his height to keep pulling up for jump shots.
It's really hard to defend against. If you try to hit it, you're likely to be called for a foul. If you don't, you really can't reach it.
But to be honest, there are no more than three people in this alliance who can use this move to defeat Lin Tian!
This move requires exceptional explosiveness, top-notch body control, superior shooting touch, absolute height, and perfect shooting technique.
If any of these are missing, it will be very difficult to deal with Lin Tian, and you will be completely suppressed by Lin Tian!
Looking at all the perimeter stars in the league, besides Kobe, probably only McGrady could deal with Lin Tian like that.
Aside from those two guys, maybe Anthony can train for a few more years, and there's that one-on-one shooting monster who won't join the league for another two years. As for the rest, I'm afraid there's no one left.
Moreover, even these few people cannot be 100% accurate, nor can they maintain a top-notch shooting touch for an entire game, making one high-difficulty shot after another.
This kind of sudden stop-and-shoot jump shot, which has no rhythm or method, is arguably the most difficult and unstable shooting method on the basketball court!
But regardless of whether others can do it or whether they can do it consistently.
Kobe was on fire tonight, he just couldn't stop scoring!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp crack, Kobe narrowed the gap to 2 points!
"Come on, Lin! Come on!" After scoring, Kobe bent down on the spot, pulled up his trouser leg, and then slapped the floor hard.
"Who did they learn this from?" Lin Tian was utterly disgusted by the Lakers' perimeter players' defensive habit. Didn't they know that gesture was unlucky? What was the difference between this and Vegeta getting a beating every time he pointed at himself with his thumb and announced his name?
It's all about cause and effect!
If you Lakers players do this, then you're bound to get thoroughly humiliated by Lin!
"Whoosh!"
With a whoosh of wind, Lin Tian accelerated at full speed, rushing past Kobe in the blink of an eye, and then speeding straight towards the frontcourt.
Kobe only had time to utter one curse word before he could only turn around and follow Lin Tian, trying to stop him from quickly scoring points.
But this is Lin Tian!
When he was pushing forward at full speed that day, and wanted to score a quick two-pointer, no one could catch him except by committing a foul!
In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian had already arrived under the Lakers' basket. Even though Prince and Kirilenko had completed their defensive retreat and were waiting for Lin Tian to approach from the left and right, Lin Tian showed no fear or hesitation, nor did he show any intention of calming down.
They've already charged forward, what's the point of being cautious?
Just do it!
"Bang!"
Lin Tian leaped high into the air and faced Prince head-on. Prince couldn't withstand the attack and flew backward. Lin Tian then used a reverse layup to dodge Kirilenko's block and scored 2 points!
With 1 minute and 40 seconds left, the score difference was still 4 points!
122: 126!
In the next possession, Kobe was still in charge of the Lakers' offense. He first observed the situation on the court from the top of the arc, and then used the same trick again, suddenly starting and then abruptly stopping to pull up for a jump shot!
This time, Lin Tian was faster and jumped higher, trying to disrupt Kobe's shot.
But this time, Kobe wasn't shooting!
After he jumped up, he suddenly slammed the ball down with both hands, sending it flying straight towards the basket. O'Neal received the ball, turned around, and jumped up, smashing it towards the rim with both hands!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Okur collapsed to the ground in a sorry state. O'Neal's strength was truly beyond his reach.
O'Neal, after scoring the basket, showed no intention of celebrating. Instead, he sprinted back on defense, yelling, "Run! Run! Back on defense! Don't let them turn this into a damn fast break!"
O'Neal's roar and his example prompted the Lakers to quickly complete their defensive transition, while the Knicks were unable to inbound the ball from the baseline immediately because Okur fell.
Lin Tian decided to stop rushing and instead slowly dribbled the ball past half-court, preparing to run down the clock and make a good play!
He stood at the top of the arc, directing his teammates to move and spread out. At this time, he wasn't going to call for a pick-and-roll, but rather to go one-on-one!
At this point, it's time for a one-on-one fight! (End of Chapter)