area51novel Chapter 559 Next season, nobody wants to run into us!
Chapter 559 Next season, nobody wants to run into us!
That night, Lin Tian slept soundly, and the rest of the Knicks team were definitely in the same state of sleep, with several even falling asleep on the bus.
I'm so tired tonight!
So exhausted was Nelson that he didn't force the players to return to New York that night.
Even on the second day, the flight, originally scheduled for the morning, was repeatedly delayed and the time was changed because the players were too tired; some of them hadn't gotten up until noon.
It's only because Dolan is so wealthy that he provided the team with a private jet; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many flights between Detroit and New York that the Knicks had to keep rebooking.
That day, the Knicks players didn't board the plane back to New York until 6 p.m. This time, without Nelson having to tell them, everyone obediently went home to sleep.
In this state, anyone who still has the energy to go out and have fun is truly a prodigy, even Old Nelson would say! Go wherever you want, have fun as you please!
Fortunately, there are two full days of rest between the fifth and sixth games of the conference finals, instead of just one day between each of the first five games, giving the players a much more ample rest period.
But clearly, the fifth game was too intense, and two days was simply not enough time to rest.
This was quite evident in Game 6 of the series.
The intensity of the match was noticeably lower. The level of physical contact, the scale of the confrontation, and the speed of the offensive and defensive transitions were all significantly less than in the previous matches.
Furthermore, both head coaches used longer and more varied player rotations in this match because the key players on both sides played terribly on the field!
In the first quarter, both sides spent most of the time having their key players face off on the court.
But what about the results?
13: 16!
Neither team combined scored 30 points in the first quarter, and the Pistons committed 5 turnovers, while the Knicks had 6!
The two teams had shooting percentages of 23% and 27%, respectively.
This quarter of the game wasn't lost because of the intense competition or high intensity.
It was purely because everyone was too tired, which led to their poor performance.
In the second quarter, when both coaches started using their substitutes, the scoring efficiency on both sides immediately improved noticeably.
At the end of the first half, the score was 36-42!
The Knicks, playing at home, have a 6-point lead.
Then in the third quarter, the main players of both sides faced off, which once again became a contest of missed shots and poor performance. By the end of the first half of the quarter, neither side's score had increased.
41: 47!
Halfway through the game, the score was tied at 5-5.
Hmm... they're evenly matched, it's hard to say who's better.
Then, Nelson and Brown couldn't stand it anymore, so they waved their hands and made a five-in-five-out, letting their respective key players go down and get a good rest.
The substitutes from both sides continued their back-and-forth battle on the field.
This situation persisted until the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, when both coaches reluctantly brought their key players back onto the court.
"I don't think the role players on both sides ever dreamed that they would play for almost 30 minutes in a single game in the NBA Conference Finals! If I were them, I would definitely have my family record the game and keep it forever."
"Because not only did they play an exceptionally long time, but they also performed much better than their respective teams' star players!"
"I don't think we'll see a situation like this, where substitutes on both sides overwhelm the starters, or even the entire starting lineup, once in ten years! Let alone on such a crucial stage as the divisional finals!"
"To the fans who watched this game, I'm sorry, you watched a divisional final that wasn't very competitive or high-level."
"But the fans who watched this game are also very lucky, because in another 10 years, you may not be able to see this kind of situation and unconventional game anymore."
Barkley's words basically reflect the sentiments of everyone who watched the game.
This match was truly outrageous.
So ridiculously, neither team's key players managed to put on any interesting plays in the last five minutes of the game.
Even when both sides substituted their starters in the last five minutes, the score was actually not that big; it was 70-76, with the Knicks still leading by 6 points.
As the game went on, neither side really got into the game, and the point difference remained neither too close nor too far, fluctuating back and forth between 5 and 8 points.
Finally, Brown couldn't stand it anymore and, with two minutes left in the game, took all his starters off the court.
a shame!
He'd rather let his substitutes finish the game and lose!
I don't want to watch the main players play half-dead on the court anymore. They're all like deflated inflatable dolls!
Regardless of whether substitutes are substituted or not, both sides are in similar form tonight.
The 6-point gap remained until the very last second of the game, when Wells finally hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left, narrowing the gap to 3 points.
Although this shot was a last-minute winner, it didn't change the outcome of the game at all. At most, some gamblers would shout things like, "It's a rigged game! They definitely bet on both sides!"
But no matter what, and regardless of the quality of the game, the Knicks have overcome another hurdle!
They won the game, and once again, they dragged the series into a decisive Game 7!
For the second consecutive series to reach a Game 7, Lin Tian trailed 1-3 for the third time in a row before ultimately forcing a decisive Game 7!
In the first two series, Lin Tian led his team to victory and successfully advanced to the next round.
Can he do it this time?
No, it's impossible!
This time, Lin Tian really couldn't do it!
The break between the sixth and seventh games will still be two days.
Furthermore, since neither side exerted much effort in Game 6, neither side had any physical limitations or problems to overcome in Game 7, making it a fair and just head-to-head matchup!
In this game, the Pistons' defense was absolutely insane! They double-teamed Lin Tian the entire game, even when he was off the ball, and they didn't care that the Knicks had one player left open almost every moment!
After playing for so long, Brown has made up his mind: only Lin Tian can beat the Pistons on the Knicks. The rest of them, even if given the chance, are useless!
This is a matter of ability.
There's nothing anyone can do about it.
The course of the game proved that when the Pistons went all out, focusing solely on guarding and targeting Lin Tian, the rest of the Knicks team couldn't provide Lin Tian with any effective and consistent support.
这场比赛，被疯狂包夹的林天打出了系列赛最糟糕的一场表现，他32投9中，3分球10投2中，罚球15罚12中，只拿到了32分14篮板8助攻。
It's worth mentioning that while Lin Tian delivered 8 assists, he only committed 2 turnovers! This proves that Lin Tian truly passed the ball accurately and distributed it effectively, but his teammates simply couldn't make the shots.
To reiterate, the Knicks are indeed not suited to the Pistons' high level of physicality, and their players are not adapted to this level of competition and the playoffs.
Simply put: practice makes perfect!
The Knicks' rookies and young players are lacking in practice!
Game 7 was the only game in this series in which Lin Tian played for less than 40 minutes. That night, after playing for 39 consecutive minutes, with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Old Nelson substituted him out.
At this point, the score difference between the two sides had widened to 24 points.
Old Nelson knew that even Lin Tian, at this point, was powerless to turn the tide tonight.
We'll have to wait until next year.
Faced with defeat, Lin Tian was quite calm. He sighed and slowly walked off the court.
After winning five consecutive championships, Lin Tian fell short in the conference finals in his first year with the Knicks.
It's worth mentioning that this time, when Lin Tian left the court and sat on the bench, the fans at the Palace of Auburn Hills didn't hurl insults at him or boo him.
Instead, there was a minute-long burst of cheers and applause.
They paid their highest respect to Lin Tian, the guy who had put immense pressure on them and nearly eliminated them for the second year in a row.
The season is over just like that.
Lin Tian wiped his sweat with a towel, leaned back in his chair, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw Ben's dark face with tears in his eyes standing in front of him.
"Boss, you're awesome! You'll always be my boss!"
"Get lost!" Lin Tian kicked Da Ben in the butt, telling him to get lost.
What are you doing?
I only lost one series, it's not like I'm retiring, so why is Ben Wallace acting like it's the last time he'll see me?
If this weren't a competition, Lin Tian would have torn Ben Affleck's afro to shreds on the spot to see what was going on inside his head.
Regardless, this game and this series are over. The Knicks failed to pull off a second consecutive 1-3 comeback in the series, and were unfortunately defeated in Game 7, bidding farewell to the season.
The Pistons have finally overcome Lin Tian, a formidable obstacle, and successfully advanced to the next round!
Their opponent will be the Los Angeles Lakers, who just eliminated the Suns with a score of 4-2!
The two teams are about to face off in a true clash of titans!
However, none of that mattered to Lin Tian anymore, and he couldn't be bothered to pay attention to it. He was content with just knowing the final result.
He needs to attend a press conference first, then go home and get a good night's sleep for a few days to recover his energy and condition. Then, Lin Tian will be able to enjoy an incredibly relaxed and carefree off-season!
At the press conference, Lin Tian sat in the interview area with a smile on his face, waiting for the reporters' questions.
This was his last press conference of the season, and sitting next to him was the team's head coach, Don Nelson.
The reporters at the scene were quite cunning; their first question hit the nail on the head.
"Lin, after winning the championship for the past five years, you fell short in the Eastern Conference Finals this year. Do you regret leaving Indiana? Would you consider returning to Indiana?"
Good grief! I just lost the game, and you're already trying to cause trouble, huh? Lin Tian looked at the smug reporter who was just waiting for him to say something that would offend a certain city, and decided not to give him any face.
"Does anyone have a question? You can ask now."
"But I, Lin, I..."
"I said, does anyone have any questions? If not, I'm leaving." Lin Tian showed no respect for the reporter and completely ignored him.
Given Lin Tian's status, he has the right to bully people like this. He doesn't need to give him any face. Especially with Lin Tian's reputation and Dolan's influence, Lin Tian isn't afraid of him writing articles to smear him.
Do you even know what an industry leader is?
"Lin, losing this series must be very painful for you. How are you feeling right now?" Another reporter quickly stood up and asked a fairly standard question.
"It's terrible, absolutely terrible. Losing never feels good. All I can say is, I hope the other two teams deliver a terrible and boring Finals series. I hope that without me, everyone can only enjoy a terrible and boring Finals series, so that everyone will miss me."
"What would you like to say to your teammates? We've all seen how poorly they performed in this round and the last round. Do you think the team will undergo any major changes in the offseason? Like a big trade or something?"
"First of all, my teammates may not have played well, they may have played terribly, they made mistakes and missed shots, but they all gave it their all. They gave everything they could to win! Everything! So I am proud of them, and I don't feel like they dragged me down or anything like that."
"I don't think they're bad or terrible. They're still young, and they have plenty of time and opportunities to improve!"
"As for trades, I hope management won't make any. With our group, we'll come back again next year! We won't lose next year! We'll return stronger!"
"Next year, nobody wants to run into us!"
"Lin, are you making a declaration for next season? Are you foreshadowing winning the championship?"
"Yes, next season, it'll be the same group of people, but we'll be stronger, we'll be more aggressive, and then we'll win the championship! Just wait and see!"
Lin Tian's declaration of victory, made a full year ahead of schedule, excited many reporters. They quickly jotted it down in their notebooks, while another reporter stood up. This time, his target was Nelson.
"Mr. Nelson, the run-and-gun offense you created for the Knicks has been very popular in the league! Many teams have decided to imitate you, but it has to be said that offense alone is not enough in the playoffs. You and the Suns, two of the most offensively potent teams in the league, both fell in the conference finals."
"My question is, do you think the ceiling for a purely offensive team is the conference finals? Will you change the team's style of play next season and add some defense? You know, there's never been a team that could become a champion just by having a crazy offense!"
"Good question." Old Nelson, who had been lounging in his chair, sat up straight and looked at the reporter, saying, "First of all, there's no ceiling for a pure offense team! If you ask me, I'd say the sky's the limit for us, and a dynasty is our goal."
"It's only our first year as a team, so there will be some differences in understanding and team chemistry. As Lin said, we will be better next season! We will be even more amazing! As for tactics and style of play, they will not change. I still do not plan to have the team practice any defensive tactics."
"Next season, we'll still be all about offense! Offense!! Of course, as everyone improves, I'll make the team's offensive tactics more diverse and multifaceted, but fundamentally, next season we'll definitely still be the most offensively potent, the most physically demanding, and the most insane team in the league!"
"You mean, your goal is to become a dynasty team?" A reporter quickly grasped the key point in Nelson's words.
"Yes, a dynasty!" Old Nelson stated bluntly, "Starting next season!"
"By the way, you just said that before us, no team had ever won a championship solely through offense, no team had ever become a champion just by scoring, right?"
"What I'm saying is, this is what I'm going to do! I'm going to be the first to achieve this, a championship where offense alone can destroy everything! Only a championship like this will truly satisfy me! Remember that, remember, those are the words of Don Nelson!"
Good guy.
Lin Tian, standing next to Old Nelson, secretly gave him a thumbs up.
I knew long ago that this old man was a cool guy who was no less impressive than Bird and Phil Jackson, and seeing him today, I can confirm that he is indeed extraordinary!
The old man hasn't shown off much all season; he must be itching to.
Today is the end of the season, so we really need to put on a big show.
To win an unprecedented championship that no one has ever won before?
This is something that probably no one else in the entire history of the NBA has ever said.
What a pity!
Old Nelson actually stole my line! I should have spoken first, Lin!
such a pity!
The biggest show-off was actually outmaneuvered by old Nelson, how infuriating!
After the press conference, Lin Tian and Nelson walked side by side toward the locker room.
"What are your plans for the offseason?" the two asked each other almost simultaneously.
"You go first," the two said almost simultaneously.
Lin Tian smiled, never realizing he and this old man were so in sync. He then said, "Rest well, keep resting, keep resting, then make money, and finally go back to the training camp."
"You deserve it." Old Nelson actually nodded, without questioning why Lin Tian wasn't planning to train during the off-season: "If I were as strong as you, I wouldn't train either."
Then Nelson continued, "I'm going to be very busy this year! I have so much to do. Amaré, Carmelo, Mehmet... everyone on the team needs me. I have to help them improve. It's a huge undertaking."
"Then you definitely don't need help, right!" Before old Nelson could even open his mouth, Lin Tian interrupted, "Then we won't stand on ceremony, it's all yours, just don't let it interfere with my vacation."
"Damn it!" (End of Chapter)