area51novel Chapter 312 Who would fall for such a high school student's trick?
Chapter 312 Who would fall for such a high school student's trick?
Chapter 312 Who would fall for this kind of high school student's trick? Kobe would!
As for the effect of Jackson's instigation?
Of course, the effect is outstanding!
Unconsciously, Fisher, who was standing next to Kobe, took two steps away from Kobe, creating a slight distance between them. It wasn't that he was afraid of Kobe; Fisher simply felt that standing next to Kobe at that moment was extremely dangerous!
It's simply a biological instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm, to stay away from danger.
Kobe didn't say a word, nor did he make any big movements. He just narrowed his eyes, bit his upper lip, and stared intently at the Pacers' bench next door.
He exudes a murderous aura!
This word perfectly describes Kobe right now!
Soon, the second quarter began, and the Pacers fielded five players: Webber, Lewis, Miller, Carter, and Lin Tian.
Three starters and two substitutes.
Meanwhile, all three of the team's top scorers – Carter, Lin, and Webber – were on the court! Seeing the Pacers' lineup, the Lakers players immediately felt a surge of confidence!
As expected, our "Zen Master" Phil Jackson is a true top-tier coach! Didn't he completely predict the Pacers' roster and their upcoming tactics? Larry Bird, what's the point? He's just so-so!
Dry them up!
The Lakers fielded Fisher, Kobe, Horry, Green, and Fox.
Two starters, three substitutes, and sure enough, O'Neal wasn't on the court! Seeing the Lakers' lineup, the Pacers players immediately felt a surge of confidence!
As expected, our "Big Bird" Larry Bird is the real top-tier coach! Didn't he completely predict the Lakers' roster and the tactics they'd be using? What's so great about "Zen Master" Phil Jackson? He's just so-so!
Yes, both sides have gained confidence and morale!
Fisher dribbled the ball up the court, and before he could even get his footing, Kobe, spurred on by Jackson, had already charged out from the paint, all the way to the top of the arc and "snatched" the ball from Fisher's hands!
Not only did Kobe take the basketball, but he also used the somewhat bewildered Fisher as a screen, dribbled straight into the paint, and after only one step, jumped and shot over Carter!
"Whoosh!"
"You think I'm trash? Huh? You think I'm useless? Huh? And what about you? What kind of trash are you?" After scoring, Kobe unleashed a torrent of abuse on Carter.
Carter's outburst was rather inexplicable.
What's this guy doing?
We haven't even spoken!
When did I ever think you were trash? Why are you acting like I beat up your father? What kind of deep grudge do you hold?
After Kobe scored, Lin Tian received the ball from the baseline, reached out and pressed it down, meaning there was no need to rush, and to stabilize the first wave of attack.
With O'Neal off the court, the Pacers can definitely play a half-court game and attack the Lakers' interior!
Without Shaquille O'Neal protecting the rim, the Lakers' interior defense is practically no different from Lin Tian's backyard!
Fisher stood outside the three-point line, his eyes fixed on Lin Tian, his muscles clearly defined.
Regardless of his actual abilities, Fisher's strength and muscle development are truly impressive! No wonder he could still hold his own against LeBron James at full speed towards the end of his career!
Fisher kept his center of gravity very low and even pulled up his shorts with both hands so that it wouldn't affect his footwork when he moved to defend later!
"Come on, Lin! Let me see what you've got!" Fisher slapped the floor with boundless enthusiasm, then looked up and stared intently at Lin Tian!
Yes, I only stared at it for a second!
Because in the blink of an eye, Lin Tian had already changed direction and run past him, heading straight for the inside!
All Fisher could do was look back and see if his teammates could successfully assist Lin Tian in defense.
He certainly couldn't catch up with him!
"This kid's got some skills!" Fisher's gaze towards Lin Tian even held a hint of admiration.
He, a guard who was mediocre in every aspect except for his shooting ability and clutch performance, truly envied Lin Tian, a super genius with exceptional talent and maxed-out abilities in all aspects!
After penetrating the paint, without O'Neal protecting the rim, Lin Tian directly flew up over Green, engaging in a fierce physical confrontation with Green in the air. Then, Lin Tian drew a circle in the air with both hands to dodge Green's blocking hands, and then deftly deflected the ball in mid-air.
"Whoosh!"
"Beep beep!"
As Lin Tian made the layup, the referee blew his whistle!
He successfully drew a foul from Green and completed a 2+1 play!
After Lin Tian's 2+1 play, the Pacers successfully tied the score! Both teams are back on equal footing!
Next, Kobe once again faced off against Carter at the top of the arc. His experience in the first quarter convinced Kobe that the Pacers would continue to target and double-team him.
Kobe handled that ball really fast enough that the Pacers' double team didn't have time to form!
At this point, a normal player would definitely choose to hold the ball and observe the situation on the court, observe the Pacers' defensive formation, and decide whether to attack himself or draw a double team and then pass to a teammate.
But Kobe was clearly not a serious player!
His thinking was very simple and direct: Last time, I took the shot within 3 seconds of getting the ball, and they didn't have time to double-team me. This time, their double-team defense might be even faster! So my task is to finish the game within 2 seconds and make this shot!
After setting a goal for himself, Kobe received the basketball at the top of the arc, dribbled once, adjusted his posture, and then pulled up and shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
After another crisp sound, Kobe scored 5 points to start the second quarter!
On the sidelines, O'Neal excitedly and happily waved a towel. His relationship with Kobe is currently in a honeymoon phase, and O'Neal was genuinely happy that his little brother was playing so well!
After Kobe scored this time, the Pacers stopped their leisurely advance. Webber quickly came to the basket, grabbed the ball, and threw it forward with one arm. Lin Tian, who had already stolen the ball, took two steps to shake off Fisher and drove straight to the basket, raising his hand for a 360-degree two-handed dunk!
"Here it comes! The Pacers' fast break! The Lakers need to be careful!" Kenny said. "If the Pacers get going on that fast break, the Lakers are in big trouble! The Pacers' fast break ability, not just in today's league, but even in the entire history, few teams can compete with them!"
Will the Lakers be in trouble?
Maybe!
but not now.
Because Kobe is currently on a killing spree!
He once again blew past Carter and drove straight into the paint. Webber's defense obviously posed no threat to him. Kobe pulled up in mid-air, tucked in his stomach, and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Kobe scored another 2 points!
This time, it was Lin Tian's turn to quickly inbound the ball from the baseline. He had already rushed to the basket when Carter was beaten, intending to help defend Kobe. However, he didn't expect that Kobe was too fast and actually completed the dunk first!
Fortunately, Lin Tian was already in position. He grabbed the basketball, stepped out of bounds, and then flicked it with one hand. The basketball turned into a bolt of lightning, piercing through the entire defense and crossing the entire court!
The player on the fast break was Miller, the Pacers' most cunning player. When he received the ball, the basket was already in front of him. After getting the ball, he didn't even need to dribble. He just started and dunked with one hand!
That was such a perfect pass!
"Here it comes! Lin's signature pass, a perfect shot!" Barkley celebrated loudly!
Kenny, standing nearby, added, "From the inbound pass to the dunk, not a single dribble was needed, not a single adjustment—it was simply breathtaking! Lin's passing is truly art!"
As the Lakers prepared to launch another attack, Lin Tian patted Carter on the shoulder and said, "Go guard Fisher! I'll take care of him."
Cardi nodded, completely disregarding any pretense of seeking revenge or promising to do so in the next round, and obediently moved to the side to defend against Fisher.
Of course, Carter's absolute obedience and trust in Lin Tian was partly due to this, but the biggest reason was Carter's personality.
His personality lacks the innate competitive spirit and the drive to fight to the death; he is too casual and lacks a strong desire to win.
This is why this guy flew to North Carolina for his graduation ceremony the day before the Game 7 of the 2001 playoffs, and then flew back to Philadelphia overnight for Game 7, which resulted in him not getting enough rest and performing terribly.
This is also why, judging solely by talent, this guy is clearly second only to McGrady among the four great shooting guards, yet his achievements are not even comparable to Ray Allen's.
This is also why he was able to play for a full 22 years, including the last 10 years of his career as a pure role player, yet seamlessly transitioned and perfectly integrated into his role without feeling any discomfort whatsoever.
Even after playing for so many years, it wasn't to pursue the championship he'd never won!
In those years, his team could only make it to the playoffs, and at most, they would reach the second round.
Even in the last few years of his career, his team missed the playoffs for half the time.
Although Carter played for so long and always said things like he loved it and couldn't live without it, Lin Tian always felt that this guy played for so long simply because he was lazy!
He was too lazy to think about what would happen after retirement, and too lazy to change his lifestyle and routine. He was simply staying in his comfort zone and unwilling to come out! That's why he didn't want to join those top teams.
If he goes to a top team, he has to adapt to the team's style and atmosphere. But in weaker teams, he is the senior member, and everyone respects him. He can comfortably enjoy his career.
Compared to him, Iverson couldn't accept being a substitute and left the Grizzlies after less than half a month, while McGrady forced himself to play with painkillers because of that stubbornness, which ruined the second half of his career.
As for Kobe, if he hadn't been so determined to lead the Lakers to the playoffs in 2013, he wouldn't have suffered a series of major injuries at the end of his career, resulting in him only playing 107 games in his last three seasons!
If Iverson is willing to accept a substitute role, his career could last at least another 3-5 years, allowing him to continue contributing as a sixth-man scorer.
If McGrady hadn't fought so hard to break his first-round curse and wanted to win just once, and hadn't resorted to those damned closed-door tournaments, he wouldn't have experienced such a precipitous decline in his career.
As for Kobe, if he had abandoned his promise in 13 and chosen a more "rational," "correct," and "selfish" approach, and if he had been shameless enough to not defend and stand with his hands on his hips to conserve energy, he could have definitely played for another 3-5 years with an average output of around 25 points per game.
Given Kobe's condition and age in the 12-13 season, as well as his self-discipline, whether he could win another championship if he hadn't suffered that major injury would have depended on the team's actions, but his regular season stats would definitely have been phenomenal.
However, none of them chose the path that seemed easiest, most correct, and most profitable.
They chose a path that seemed outrageous and offered no benefit whatsoever to themselves, but which followed their own conscience.
As for Carter?
He has never had a difficult journey.
The championship? Anything goes!
All-Stars? Whatever!
Team leader? It doesn't matter who it is!
Sometimes, he is too indifferent.
This makes him always at a disadvantage when facing other top forwards and guards.
In short, Carter simply lacked that ruthless edge!
Back on the court.
When Kobe saw Lin Tian come to defend him, his eyes immediately lit up!
He was a fanatic brimming with murderous intent and fighting spirit. Upon seeing Lin Tian appear, he charged at Lin Tian without a second thought.
"Lin! Remember when we trained together back then?" Kobe dribbled the ball and said to Lin, "I made up my mind back then! I was going to crush you!"
"On the NBA court, in the playoffs and the Finals! I'll crush you!"
"Your efficiency is really slow!" Lin Tian mocked. "I've been waiting for you in the finals for years! You're really terrible! If you had come two years earlier, I could have completely shattered your resolve and crushed me!"
"Maybe in the next life!"
Kobe knew that he was no match for Lin Tian in trash talk. As a player who needed to memorize his lines in advance, he could never beat Lin Tian in trash talk!
So Kobe chose a more direct approach. He turned around and used his back to block Lin Tian. His plan was to probe with his back to Lin Tian, then quickly turn around and rush into the three-point line, followed by a pull-up shot!
They rely on their absolute advantage in height and wingspan!
But Lin Tian figured out Kobe's offensive tactics! Lin Tian also knew that compared to Kobe, he had a natural disadvantage in height and wingspan. If Kobe could comfortably jump up, whether or not he scored would really depend entirely on Kobe's condition.
Lin Tian would never do something so reckless!
He suddenly engaged Kobe when Kobe was back in the game, wedging one leg between Kobe's legs and pushing Kobe's waist with his other hand, almost causing Kobe to lose his balance!
This sudden, intense confrontation caused Kobe to stumble as he turned, his entire posture visibly distorted, and his shot equally unpredictable.
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, the mid-range shot bounced off the rim, and Kobe finally hit his first missed shot of the second quarter!
Webber grabbed the rebound and originally wanted to quickly pass it to Lin Tian. However, although Lin Tian defended Kobe's shot somewhat awkwardly, Kobe reacted extremely quickly and clung to Lin Tian after landing, preventing Lin Tian from completing a fast break.
The fact that Lin Tian couldn't catch the ball was no problem for Webber at all. He hesitated for only a moment, then turned his wrist and sent the ball flying straight to Carter's hand on the other side.
Carter dribbled the ball up the court quickly, easily shaking off Fisher and driving all the way to the basket. Then he suddenly made a bounce pass to Lin Tian, who was following up in the middle!
After Lin Tian got the ball, he didn't actually shake off Kobe, but he didn't adjust at all after getting the ball and completed the shot with a sudden stop-and-shoot jump shot!
"Whoosh!"
Even though Kobe has been selected to the All-Defensive First Team this year and has gained the recognition of most people, and can be called one of the NBA's top perimeter defenders.
But faced with Lin Tian's sudden stop and direct shot, he was powerless. It was as if Lin Tian had cast a spell on him, and he stood on the floor without moving or making any reaction. He could only watch Lin Tian make the shot!
"Kobe, is this how you beat me? I waited 5 years for you to reach the Finals, and this is how you beat me by just standing there and watching me shoot?" After scoring, Lin Tian continued to trash talk. Logically speaking, the young Kobe should have been easily provoked!
But Kobe remained unmoved. With a gloomy face, he snatched the ball from Fisher's hands and dribbled it up the court himself!
Without saying a word, he dribbled to the frontcourt. The previous play made Kobe realize that his strength was no match for Lin Tian's, so he decided to give up using his height and back-to-the-basket moves to deal with Lin Tian and instead use face-up drives!
At this age, Kobe hadn't gained weight yet, and he was in the most elegant and graceful stage of his career. His signature move now was a huge crossover followed by a pull-up jump shot or a direct drive to the basket!
In Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, Pippen was humiliated by this move, and Kobe delivered the crucial pass that sealed the victory!
As for post-up moves, that wasn't officially added to Kobe's arsenal yet!
Facing Lin Tian's defense, Kobe suddenly used his signature crossover to dribble the basketball from left to right. Although his speed and range were worthy of a 9 out of 10, he also added several small feints with his head and feet, making it extremely deceptive!
However, Kobe is facing Lin Tian tonight!
Even if Lin Tian isn't the best crossover player in the current league, he's definitely in the top three!
Lin Tian saw Kobe's move clearly and completely predicted his direction of breakthrough, so he quickly moved to the side and blocked Kobe's path.
Kobe's forward momentum had to stop. At the same time, because Lin Tian moved laterally too quickly, Kobe's dribbling also appeared somewhat unsteady. In addition, Lin Tian suddenly stepped forward to press him, and in his haste, Kobe failed to dribble the ball properly. After staggering for a moment, Lin Tian's big hand suddenly slapped out!
With a crisp "snap!", the basketball was snatched away by Lin Tian and flew towards the Lakers' backcourt!
Lin Tian shook off Kobe, then suddenly accelerated and sprinted, grabbed the basketball near midcourt, and then drove all the way to the Lakers' free throw line area before leaping up!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, both of the Pacers' home arenas erupted in thunderous cheers and shouts!
"Free throw line dunk! Free throw line dunk! A perfect free throw line dunk!" Kenny shouted excitedly, raising his arms. "I really didn't expect to see fans go crazy like this in a real game, on the Finals stage! And I never imagined that Lin could dunk such a perfect dunk in a game! Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!"
At this point, Phil Jackson, who was off the court, could no longer wait. He waved his hand and sent O'Neal and Rice onto the court!
Jackson could see that Lin Tian had completely found his rhythm! If Kobe and Lin Tian continued to face off, letting them engage in relentless one-on-one battles, Kobe would definitely be utterly crushed by Lin Tian! The point difference would definitely widen further!
It's even possible that Kobe might develop psychological trauma from being overwhelmed and outmatched by Lin Tian in such an unreasonable manner.
Hmm, never mind, I'm overthinking it.
It's impossible for him to have any lingering trauma. Others might develop trauma from being beaten, but Kobe, that guy, would probably get more excited the worse he gets beaten.
If this were a regular season game, Jackson might have kept O'Neal on the bench a little longer, and then given Kobe a good talking-to.
But now, this is the Finals stage, so there's not much room for Kobe to make mistakes.
Victory is the most important thing!
The moment O'Neal entered the game, the effect was immediate. He started to push and shove, making Webber look miserable. Even when Lewis rushed over to help defend and grabbed O'Neal's arm, O'Neal was completely unmoved. He forcefully pulled up, hanging on both Webber and Lewis, and completed a 2+1 play!
Yes, 2+0!
He missed the free throw.
But as he was taking the free throw, Bird had already made a substitution, removing Carter and Webber and bringing in Davis and Ben Wallace!
With the addition of Lewis, Miller, and Lin Tian, a lineup of 3 big men and 2 small men was formed!
Bird knew that the Lakers would definitely be attacking the paint, so Webber brought in three big men!
He knew that O'Neal was not someone one person could defeat, so he tried to increase the number of defensive players as much as possible to counter O'Neal's strategy.
After Ben Wallace and Anthony Davis came on, Lin Tian once again dribbled past Kobe Bryant, and after drawing help defense, he passed the ball to Lewis, who was completely left open on the weak side.
After his brilliant performance in the Eastern Conference Finals and that almost game-winning three-pointer, Lewis may not have improved much in terms of skill, but his mentality and confidence have truly improved by leaps and bounds!
With Bird's encouragement and coaching, this guy now doesn't hesitate at all when he gets the ball, as long as there's no one in front of him!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lewis hit a three-pointer, scoring his first point in this year's Finals!
Then, when the Lakers were on offense, the Pacers quickly changed their defensive strategy. The 210cm Davis used fronting defense to prevent O'Neal from receiving the ball, while Ben Wallace also stood behind O'Neal. As soon as the Lakers lobbed the ball into O'Neal's hands, he would immediately rush up to help defend.
Seeing that two players in the paint had completely surrounded O'Neal, Kobe hesitated for a moment while holding the ball, then suddenly accelerated and pulled up for another shot from mid-range!
Kobe's start was somewhat sudden. Lin Tian was a few centimeters shorter than Kobe, and he didn't have time to provide Kobe with a physical contact in the lower body. Even though he reacted quickly and jumped to try to block Kobe's shot, he was clearly not tall enough and failed to interfere.
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp click, Kobe hit another mid-range shot! He was really on fire this quarter!
"Kobe!" Jackson on the sidelines suddenly shouted after the shot went in: "Watch out! They're starting to front Shaq, they think you can't pass to Shaq with that move! Only the best guards can still feed the ball to the inside when facing this kind of front-and-back defense!"
"So if you want to pass the ball to Shaq next, you have to be careful and don't make a mistake! If you really can't, take the shot yourself and don't feed the ball to Shaq anymore, it's easy to make a mistake!"
Jackson's words made a group of Lakers players sitting in the stands roll their eyes.
Even if it was their own head coach, they couldn't help but complain to themselves.
"Old fox!"
Instead of directly asking Kobe to pass the ball to Shaq, he said Kobe couldn't pass it in.
This kind of reverse psychology tactic that even high school students wouldn't fall for, is it? Trying to use it on an NBA All-Star level player?
Yes, it's still incredibly effective!
After all, Kobe was a high school student.
"Wow, Coach Phil! That's psychological warfare! If you just tell Kobe to pass the ball directly, he'll definitely be reluctant, but if you say it like that, Kobe will immediately listen and obediently pass the ball, right?"
Upon hearing this voice, Jackson's face immediately fell.
This guy is really annoying!
Behind Jackson, of course, stood Rivers, a round-headed man with an eager look on his face.
Jackson liked being flattered and praised.
But Jackson didn't like being so blatantly exposed, having his buttocks lifted up and his anus slapped so hard!
Jackson was very averse to Rivers's type of person who explained everything clearly, leaving no room for mystery or ambiguity!
In addition, Rivers was a real social butterfly. Before the game even started, he kept asking questions. At first, Jackson knew that this guy was the Magic's head coach, so he agreed and chatted with him for a few minutes.
But then Jackson discovered that Rivers had absolutely no sense of boundaries, asking all sorts of questions without restraint or embarrassment, which really annoyed Jackson.
So Jackson didn't even look at Rivers, completely ignoring him.
Anyway, the game is on the other half now, so this guy can go and bother Bird in the second half!
In the second half, let him annoy you to death, you damn country bumpkin!
In the remainder of the second quarter, Jackson's provocative remark had a huge effect. Kobe, who was in good form, indeed stopped taking shots and instead kept passing the ball to O'Neal.
Even though the Pacers used a double-team defense with a screen in front and a back, the difficulty for O'Neal was receiving the ball. Once he received the ball, O'Neal had plenty of ways to put it in the basket or draw a foul.
When Kobe focused on passing the ball, Shaq could get the ball and launch repeated attacks into the paint!
Under these circumstances, O'Neal continued his dominant performance from the first quarter, relentlessly attacking the Pacers' interior.
In the latter part of the second quarter, Bird, unable to stand it any longer, had Lewis also retreat to the paint, and the three of them surrounded and blocked O'Neal.
Under this intense triple-team, O'Neal also showcased his playmaking and passing abilities. Especially after Jackson replaced Green with Horry, a sharpshooting power forward, the Lakers fielded a lineup of one inside and four outside players. Apart from O'Neal, the other four players all had decent three-point shooting abilities.
Whenever the Pacers double-team O'Neal, he immediately passes the ball out.
Then it doesn't matter whether it's Fox, Horry, Kobe, Harper, or Fisher who receives the ball.
As long as these players get open looks on the court, they dare to take the shot!
There is one thing that Jackson's players absolutely excel at, unmatched in the league.
That's self-confidence!
This old man is incredibly skilled at building team culture, boosting players' confidence, and getting his players to perform at levels surpassing his own.
Throughout the second quarter, the Lakers had numerous opportunities beyond the three-point line. Sometimes they opted to shoot directly, and other times they drove to the mid-range or the basket to change the Pacers' defense before shooting or passing.
But whatever they choose, the Lakers' offense went completely wild in this quarter!
Especially Kobe and Shaq!
Kobe scored a total of 14 points in the second quarter, along with 2 assists and 1 steal, thanks to a scoring run at the beginning of the second quarter.
Due to the Pacers' relentless double-teaming, O'Neal didn't have many opportunities to shoot in this quarter. He only took 4 shots and made 3, but he drew multiple fouls and earned 10 free throw opportunities.
Although he only made 4 out of 10 free throws, he still scored 10 points in the quarter.
With his first-quarter stats included, O'Neal had already racked up a monster-level performance in the first half, shooting 8-for-11 from the field and 7-for-15 from the free-throw line, racking up 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks. This kind of performance, which other players would struggle to achieve even in a full game, was easily accomplished by O'Neal in just the first half!
Even if it were just his poor free throw shooting, if he had been a little more accurate, he might have put up 30+10 in the first half tonight.
Besides the two players, Fisher, Fox, Horry and others also had good performances. The group of role players combined to score 15 points, and the Lakers scored a total of 39 points in this quarter!
Although the Pacers had a decent shooting touch in the second quarter, they didn't have an absolute powerhouse in the paint like O'Neal. In addition, when O'Neal was guarding the basket, apart from Lin Tian, the rest of the Pacers players simply couldn't attack the basket. If they tried to drive in, it meant they were facing a 300-pound behemoth, so their success rate was naturally predictable.
Although they couldn't penetrate inside, the Pacers' perimeter players performed reasonably well.
另外则是林天，他内突外投打出了无可阻挡的表现，单节轰下15分3篮板3助攻2抢断1盖帽的漂亮数据，整个上半场已经拿下了29分5篮板7助攻3抢断2盖帽！
Even with Lin Tian's incredible scoring, the Pacers still fell into a complete disadvantage in the first half!
They also scored 30 points in this quarter, but lost to the Lakers by 9 points in the quarter. At halftime, they trailed the Lakers by 10 points, 65-55!
Although the team was behind, the fans' enthusiasm was clearly not dampened by this disadvantage. The fans continued to cheer wildly for the Pacers and shout to boost their morale. When the team walked into the player tunnel during halftime, the fans still gave them their unreserved cheers and shouts!
They believe their team can find their rhythm in the second half.
The first half was a terrible one for the Pacers.
It wasn't just because they were down by 10 points, but also because Ben Wallace and Anthony Davis, who were guarding O'Neal, both had three fouls, and Webber also had two fouls.
The entire Pacers' interior defense was in foul trouble.
They were completely unable to withstand the terrifying O'Neal, and had no way to limit him.
"Fuck! If I can't stop you, then I won't stop you!" Bird looked at the statistics in the locker room, recalling the first half of the game. He remained silent for a long time, and then, just as the entire locker room was completely quiet and everyone was recovering their strength, he suddenly said viciously, "If you can't defend against me, then don't defend against me!"
"Ben! In the second half, keep shutting down O'Neal! Keep him pinned down! Don't be afraid to foul, if you can't hold him down, send him to the free-throw line!"
"I can accept Shaq scoring 20 points in a single quarter again! But I can't accept Kobe scoring 10 points in a single quarter, and I can't accept the Lakers' role players scoring that many points in a single quarter again!"
"Everyone, mark your assigned player tightly! Don't leave anyone open! Don't give anyone an open look! Tackle everyone except Shaq!"
When Bird got to this point, his eyes were gleaming with a fierce red light. This guy had overturned the game strategy that had led the team to fall behind in the second quarter, and he was going to go all out and fight to the death!
They started playing like crazy from the third quarter onwards!
He's going to let O'Neal run wild, let that fatso score as many points as he wants, he's going to shut down the rest of the Lakers!
On the Lakers' side, Jackson, who was leading, was in a very relaxed state. He said leisurely, "Shaq, if I'm not mistaken, in the third quarter, Bird will let you attack to your heart's content! He will let you destroy their interior."
"So, you know what I'm going to say!"
Shaquille O'Neal confidently flashed a row of bright white teeth and laughed, "I'll score 30 points in a single quarter and show them how stupid they are!"
"The rest of you, keep creating space for Shaq! Let him unleash his full firepower! Also, Robert, you'll start in place of AC Milan in the second half. I want to give Shaq as much space as possible! If they dare to give him space, we'll crush them!"
Jackson was in a very comfortable mood at that moment.
The team's performance in the first half exceeded his expectations, which made him extremely satisfied!
Of course, another reason for their happiness and comfort was that they were switching halves in the second half.
That annoying guy is going to bother Bird!
I can finally be free!
happy!
Then?
Then, with nothing else to do, Riley watched the Finals on TV and laughed until tears streamed down his face!
This guy was probably one of the few who noticed Rivers reappearing behind Jackson.
At the same time, he was the first to notice that Rivers had changed positions again!
Just like in the Eastern Conference Finals! He's switched positions again!
Riley immediately felt better and more at ease!
This disgusting underhanded tactic isn't something those bastards on the Pacers use on themselves alone!
You, Phil Jackson, can't escape either!
In particular, Riley felt even better when he saw Jackson's disgusting expression, as if he had eaten shit!
Suddenly, the Eastern Conference Finals sweep and the falling out with his best disciple of the past few years, Mourning, all seemed insignificant!
I understood it immediately!
Watch the game! Focus on the game!
Yeah, and let's also see how disgusting Rivers can be to Jackson!
Riley's only regret now is that he didn't learn more skills when he was young! For example, he didn't learn lip reading properly!
If he could read lips right now and see what Jackson and Rivers were talking about, that would be a really fun thing to do and would make him forget all his troubles!
hiss.
otherwise.
Want to go to Indiana to watch the game live?
Anyway, I'm just killing time!
(End of this chapter)