Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 596 An Early Celebration with a Throat-Slitting Gift? Completely Gone Mad!

The Wizards quickly inbounded the ball, and Jamison was the first to receive it. He held the ball high in the high post, making it out of reach of everyone. Then Butler quickly moved towards him, and the two passed each other before making a handoff pass.

After receiving the ball, Butler dribbled a few times in place, but Houston's defense didn't put much pressure on him.

He didn't attack, but just wasted time.

As for Arenas, he stood quietly in the corner, clearly waiting for his chance! The Wizards' tactics were obvious: have Butler face a weaker defense to steadily run down the clock, and then have Arenas step in at the last moment to try and get the ball for the decisive blow!

Now, it's all about patience and focus!

With only 7 seconds left on the shot clock, Arenas made his move!

He sprinted from the baseline toward the basket, and despite the screens from Haywood and Jeffries, he couldn't shake off Lin Tian.

Then he suddenly changed direction and ran in the opposite direction under the basket, heading towards Butler.

But he only ran one step before suddenly stopping, and then set an off-ball screen with Jamison coming from the baseline, pretending to run towards the basket.

But this is also a feint!

After taking just one step toward the basket, Arenas made another reverse run, this time accelerating to his maximum speed and charging headlong toward Butler, while Jamison set a second consecutive screen for him!

The Wizards' setup and Arenas' movement were textbook perfect, with continuous screens and cuts.

But it didn't work!

Lin Tian caught up! He kept up with Arenas, not letting him shake him off at all. He followed right behind Arenas.

After a mad dash, Arenas finally reached the finish line and arrived at Butler's side with only 3 seconds left on the shot clock. Then, they executed a handoff and screen play together.

Having bypassed Butler, Arenas had no other choice. Lin Tian's defensive ability was terrifying beyond expectations! Lin Tian was like an evil spirit possessing Arenas; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake him off!

But this time, Butler finally couldn't hold back!

After completing the handoff with Arenas, he took a step to the side and grabbed Lin Tian's jersey tightly with both hands!

This obvious moving screen and offensive foul was once again ignored by the referee!

All I can say is that, after all, it's the capital, and the capital's outpost is indeed formidable!

The referee's disregard and Butler's relentless pulling ultimately cost Lin Tian his best defensive opportunity.

After receiving the ball, Arenas dribbled once before taking a step to the side to create distance, and then immediately launched a three-pointer!

"Buzz!"

The moment the basketball was released, the whistle blew to end the 24-second shot clock. Whether the ball went in or not, the Wizards had achieved their most basic tactical objective: to waste as much time as possible!

Then, the MCI Center fell completely silent as the fans waited to hear the melodious, crisp sound.

Arenas displayed absolute confidence at that moment, turning around the instant after releasing the shot to face all the fans and opening his arms wide.

Celebrate in advance!

This move was also something he learned from Lin Tian!

"Whoosh!"

Then came a crisp sound, igniting the entire Washington stadium once again. All the fans went wild, releasing their excitement and passion, their roars and shouts echoing throughout the arena.

Lore!

We did it!

Fuck the Knicks!

No matter how arrogant they are, they still have to lose on our home turf!

I'll beat you to death!

I don't care if you're the Big Three, the Three Musketeers, or the Three-Headed Monster, our Jill will wipe you all out!

Arenas, who had been celebrating ahead of time, was now completely overwhelmed by excitement. Not only did he celebrate wildly himself, but he also turned around and slit Lin Tian's throat!

He extended his right thumb and drew it across his own neck, pointing it at Lin Tian! This was accompanied by his incredibly arrogant expression and the frenzy of the entire Wizards team and Washington fans!

This scene will definitely become a classic!

Lin Tian once again displayed remarkable composure in the face of the opposing team's jubilation.

He pointed to the clock, which now had only 1.4 seconds left, and said, "You've given me too much time."

After saying that, Lin Tian ignored Arenas, who was standing there motionless, and did not show the referee his jersey, which had been torn by Butler. Instead, he walked coldly straight to the bench.

Don Nelson just called the last timeout.

"Arenas was great, but he shouldn't have provoked Lin!" Barkley said. "That throat-slitting gesture was cool, but it could very well be the death knell for the Wizards' sweep! In the past decade, has anyone in this league ever gotten away with provoking Lin?"

"1.4 seconds is enough!"

He needs to make arrangements for the final 1.4 seconds.

Trailing by 3 points, the Knicks need a game-winning catch-and-shoot opportunity, and it has to be a 3-pointer!

"I'm quite confident about this attack," Old Nelson said casually before outlining the tactics. "You all saw Arenas's movements and expression just now, didn't you?"

"Whether it's an early celebration, a singing ceremony, or something aimed at Lin, I think we all know what's going to happen next."

"They'll become a laughingstock," Lin Tian quickly interjected. "Their celebrations, cheers, and joy will all become a joke, they'll become our backdrop! The perfect backdrop!"

Old Nelson nodded in satisfaction, then picked up his pen and began drawing up tactics.

He wanted to devise a simple and practical tactic for Lin Tian that would allow him to receive the ball and make the final shot in regulation time!

"Stop! Everyone, stop! Don't lose your men, they'll definitely give it to Lin! Everyone, it's just one second left, hold on, and we'll win! Make the New Yorkers pay!" Eddie Jordan was incredibly excited, a stark contrast to the relaxed and calm Don Nelson next door.

Don't ask, the answer is I've never won!

"They need three points, so everyone stand outside the three-point line. Don't worry about what they're preparing or how they run. Everyone just stand outside the three-point line. Two points are fine, but for three points, stick to them like glue!"

"Gil, Caron, Antoine, Antonio, and Jared, all five of you come on! Hold the line! We're bringing home the victory!"

With instructions from both head coaches, the timeout ended quickly, and the players returned to the field.

Wizards: Arenas, Butler, Jamison, Daniels, and Jeffries! These are their five most mobile and aggressive players!

Knicks: Stoudemire goes to inbound the ball. Lin Tian, ​​Anthony, Okur, and Houston stand on the court, waiting for the referee's whistle so they can start moving.

"Hey Gil," Lin Tian suddenly called out to Arenas with a smile, "You learned early celebrations from me, and positioning and throat-slitting from Reggie, but you missed one thing."

"You forgot to learn how to predict the game-winning shot from Larry!"

"Here!" Lin Tian casually pointed to the spot at the top of the key directly opposite the basket, saying, "I'll hit the game-tying shot here, and then I'll completely destroy you in overtime, making sure you don't score a single point! I said it!"

"1.4 seconds left!" Kenny shouted excitedly, "The referee has blown the whistle! Both teams start moving!"

Lin Tian started running almost the instant the referee blew the whistle. He sprinted from near the top of the arc towards the corner, but as the primary target of defense, his straight-line run was naturally met with heavy resistance. The Wizards set up a strong defense against Lin Tian!

But with Lin Tian's sudden reverse run, turning back towards the top of the arc, the Wizards' defense was instantly thrown into disarray! After all, their defensive system was equally poor, and they didn't have a top defensive elite like Lin Tian to defend one-on-one.

In the ensuing chaos, Butler and Arenas both charged at Lin Tian, ​​trying to stop him from receiving the ball!

But they had to stop before they even crossed the three-point line.

They found cover, and there were two of them!

In that split second, Lin Tian darted through the tiny gap between Okur and Anthony, and then the two of them immediately took a half-step to the side and closed the door!

How could Butler and Arenas possibly react in time?

They crashed heavily into the screen, giving Lin Tian space to receive the ball and shoot.

Lin Tian received the ball at the top of the arc, landed, turned around, and then made a smooth three-pointer!

"Buzz!"

This time, the final whistle blew while the basketball was still in the air.

Then, witnessed by all the Wizards fans, Lin Tian turned around, opened his arms, and drank!

He celebrated early too!

"Whoosh!"

Then came a sound that brought tears to the eyes of all of Washington.

Lin Tian did it!

He scored the equalizer, leveling the score once again and sending the game into extra time!

After hearing the satisfied sound, Lin Tian, ​​who was celebrating in advance, quickly turned around, looked at Arenas, gave him a thumbs up, and then smacked himself on the neck!

You want to celebrate early? I'll do the same!

You want to slit someone's throat? I can do that too!

I know things you don't!

Let's play overtime, we'll see!

116: 116!

The two sides will continue their fierce battle!

"This was absolutely the most thrilling and suspenseful game of this year's playoffs!"

"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!" Barkley shouted excitedly. "A game-winner! A game-winning shot! Overtime! A clash between two top stars! A scoring extravaganza by two top scorers!"

"Tonight, we've got everything the fans wanted to see!"

"There couldn't be a more exciting game than this!" Kenny, equally in high spirits, celebrated excitedly, "Let's see what happens in overtime!"

On the field, after less than two minutes of rest, the players from both sides returned to the field, and both head coaches adopted a relatively conservative approach.

Starting lineups! Neither side made any substitutions; they're continuing with their starting lineups!

"Remember what I said, Gil?" Lin Tian leaned against Arenas and said to him, "Not a single point! You won't get a single point in overtime! I told you!"

"Just you wait, Lin! Tonight, I can't stop you! Not even you!" Arenas was bursting with confidence. His outstanding performance of scoring 5 points in the last minute and almost ending the game had made him put aside all his fear of Lin Tian.

"Beep beep!"

Game start!

Okur slapped the basketball and passed it to Lin Tian. After receiving the ball, Lin Tian did not look for his teammates, but dribbled and accelerated, charging straight into the Wizards' territory!

At this point in the game, all of the Wizards' starters had played more than 38 minutes, and everyone was exhausted, with a noticeable decline in speed, reaction time, and energy!

It's not just the Wizards players; even the Knicks players are nearing their limits right now.

Except for one person.

Lin Tian!

His speed is still as fast as ever, his breakthroughs are still unstoppable, and his energy makes you wonder if he has just finished warming up!

With his incredible speed, no one on the Wizards had time to get back on defense before Lin Tian had already reached the basket, pulled up once again, and slammed the ball into the hoop with one hand!

"Where are you, Gil?" After scoring, Lin Tian put a hand to his forehead, looking like he was trying to find Arenas. At this moment, Lin Tian looked relaxed.

"You can't stop me, Lin! You know you can't stop me at the end of regulation time, and you can't stop me now!" Arenas continued to provoke Lin Tian aggressively.

"You know how you got those last two baskets, right? They were supposed to be two blocks. I thought you knew better than anyone how lucky you were!" Lin Tian said, quickly closing in on Arenas. "Unless you can prove you can get past me on your own."

"Not the referee!"

At this point in the game, everyone's heads are buzzing and they're all getting more excited. At this time, using provocation and trash talk is absolutely effective!

For example, Arenas gave up passing the ball. He dribbled the ball and quickly advanced towards the frontcourt. Then, facing Lin Tian's extremely intense close defense, this guy neither passed the ball nor called a pick and roll.

He's going to fight on his own!

At the top of the arc, Arenas dribbled between his legs and in different directions repeatedly, looking for an opportunity to attack. Then he suddenly accelerated to the left, took a step, and then suddenly changed direction in front of his body, turning to move to the right.

But this time, he only dribbled once before suddenly turning around and, still to the left, accelerating to break through!

Arenas's offensive moves were flashy and beautiful, but to no avail; he couldn't shake off Lin Tian at all! He didn't create any scoring opportunities for himself!

After fighting his way to near the 3-second zone, Arenas was still firmly covered by Lin Tian.

In desperation, he could only force a back turn to try and create distance for a step-back jump shot, but Lin Tian didn't give him even that chance!

Lin Tian continued to press forward, then accurately calculated his steps and jumped almost simultaneously with Arenas.

"Snapped!"

With a muffled thud, Lin Tian blocked Arenas's shot with a slap!

At the same time, this time it wasn't just a block.

Lin Tian also caught Arenas' shot in mid-air and put it in his arms!

A mid-air catch!

Even the statistician at the technical desk was taken aback.

Is this play a block or a steal? It's completely impossible to tell!

However, Lin Tian was too lazy to care whether this play was counted as a steal or a block. He didn't rush to advance, but stared at Arenas and continued to taunt him!

"What did I say, Gil? Not a single point! In overtime, no matter how many shots you take, it's 0 points! If I were you, I'd choose not to shoot and not hold the ball to ensure a basket! That way, at least you'd have some dignity!"

"Anyway, you're pretty good at doing that, aren't you? Just like in the first quarter, curl up like a turtle! Use your shell to protect yourself!"

"Shut up!" Arenas roared, his eyes blazing with anger. "I'm the leader! I can hide for the first three quarters, but now, the team is mine! I'll carry the team! Just like you!"

"Then let's see just how much you resemble me!"

Lin Tian dribbled the ball slowly to the frontcourt, and as soon as he entered the three-point line, he immediately turned around and blocked the position. After shoving the ball towards the inside twice, he suddenly turned around and pulled up for a jump shot!

Arenas was completely caught off guard. He didn't even have time to interfere and could only watch Lin Tian shoot.

"Whoosh!"

After a crisp sound, the Knicks extended their lead to 4 points!

Then, Arenas, not believing in bad luck, attacked again with the ball. This time, he chose to drive two steps toward the inside and then suddenly pull up and shoot a jump shot!

Although Lin Tian failed to block the shot, his overwhelming defense completely blocked Arenas's shooting space!

In order to avoid being blocked, Arenas had to forcefully adjust the arc.

The result of adjusting the arc was that this shot resulted in an airball!

The basketball was caught by Stoudemire under the basket and quickly passed to Lin Tian.

This time, Lin Tian suddenly chose to push things forward quickly again!

He sprinted all the way to the frontcourt, and then, without any feints or tricks, stopped abruptly, completely ignoring Arenas still beside him.

Then, with people on his back, and because the sudden stop was so abrupt, Lin Tian's whole body was floating forward when he jumped!

Even with his body not yet firmly planted, Lin Tian still forced out a three-pointer!

"Whoosh!"

Another crisp sound rang out!

7: 0!

Eddie Jordan couldn't stand it anymore, so he had to call a timeout.

The team needs to make some adjustments.

Lin Tian's three-pointer gave his team a seven-point lead and forced the Wizards to call a timeout!

Lin Tian has gone completely berserk! (End of Chapter)