area51novel Chapter 211 The Decisive Moment: The Final Strike and the Counter-Strike!
Chapter 211 The Decisive Moment: The Final Strike and the Counter-Strike!
Chapter 211 The Decisive Moment: The Final Strike and the Counter-Strike!
In the fourth quarter, both teams regained some of their shooting touch, but not by much. They could no longer produce the kind of crazy, god-like exchange of shots that they had in the first quarter, but the inefficient offense that resembled a shooting frenzy in the second and third quarters finally disappeared.
Both sides have entered a very stable phase, exchanging blows and countering each other's moves!
As time progressed rapidly and the stamina of both teams' key players significantly declined, both sides' shooting percentages began to drop noticeably in the second half of the quarter. Neither side was as confident in their attacks in any area as they were in the first half.
Both sides traded baskets, missing and scoring, with neither able to pull away. The score remained neck and neck until the last three minutes of the game!
The score is currently 102:104!
The Pacers are still leading by 2 points!
Starks dribbled the ball up the court once again. Despite his outstanding performance tonight, he didn't try to force a shot himself, but instead called for Ewing to set a screen.
After a crossover, Lin Tian quickly bypassed the screen and appeared in front of Starks again, while Ewing had already swiftly cut towards the inside. Starks' pass was immediately in place, and Ewing received the ball, shook off Barkley's help defense, and scored another 2 points!
After being tied, the Pacers did not panic at all. Lin Tian slowly advanced to the frontcourt once again. He had not rested for a single second tonight. Even though he had S+ level stamina, he was already close to his limit!
Facing Starks' one-on-one defense, Lin Tian once again accelerated and charged forward, quickly reaching the Knicks' free throw line area, and then pulled up and shot!
"Bang!"
With a crisp sound, the basketball failed to enter the basket, but Lin Tian reacted extremely quickly. He sensed the ball was too short the moment he released it. After landing, he rushed forward and then leaped high behind Oakley, slapping the ball over his head and sending it beyond the three-point line!
At that moment, the entire city of Madison let out a cry of disappointment.
Because they saw who was standing in that direction: Reggie Miller!
This guy, who once brought countless painful memories to New Yorkers, finally shook off Houston's defense, caught the ball, and pulled up for a shot!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Miller's three-pointer was like the sharpest dagger in the world, piercing into the heart of New York City!
The Pacers are leading by 3 points again!
"Scumbag, run again!" Miller, exhausted to the point of being oxygen-deprived, didn't realize he hadn't trash-talked until he got back to his defensive position. He quickly found Houston and blurted out another line.
Houston was too exhausted to argue. He stood motionless outside the three-point line until Starks dribbled the ball up the court. Then Starks suddenly reached out and shoved Miller. Miller's legs gave way and he collapsed onto the floor.
The referee didn't call it!
The basketball in Starks' hands flew to Houston's hands in an instant, and Houston swiftly made a three-pointer!
Madison Square Garden is back in action!
"You bastard, where are you? I can't see you anywhere." After scoring, Houston stood there panting, looking down at Miller with a mocking expression.
This is the most intense trash talk and expression he can make right now; any more and he'd be exhausted!
Miller didn't retort, slowly got up from the floor, and then moved towards the front of the field.
"Reggie! Pick and roll, pick and roll!" Lin Tian shouted a play as soon as Miller got into position. Even though Miller couldn't move anymore, he still moved toward Lin Tian.
Then, he and Lin Tian coordinated a screen, and then quickly separated, moving swiftly in two directions along the three-point line.
Lin Tian suddenly dribbled past him from behind with the ball in one hand. Houston and Starks thought he was going to give Miller another 3-point opportunity, so they immediately rushed towards Miller.
But the basketball didn't go in that direction at all; Lin Tian made a fake behind-the-back pass!
He was completely left unguarded. After glancing at the basket, Lin Tian decisively got up and shot!
"Whoosh!"
Lin Tian's three-pointer silenced the noise at Madison Square Garden once again!
For the Knicks, the ball was once again in the paint. Ewing received the ball, turned around, and forced a shot, not only drawing a foul from Ben Wallace but also deftly flicking the ball into the basket!
"Ben Wallace, sixth foul!"
The referee's whistle announced some very bad news.
Ben Wallace has committed his sixth foul and is about to leave the game!
With 10 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks, Ben Wallace's performance tonight was absolutely perfect.
But tonight, his time has come to an end.
Bird looked at Davis and Schmitz, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Rick, it's your turn!"
Schmitz threw off his towel and training clothes, quickly walked onto the court, and went to the basket to grab a rebound.
Ewing ignored Schmitz and, after taking several deep breaths, missed his free throw!
Schmitz and Barkley immediately turned around to position themselves for the rebound, but Ewing's height and strength once again helped him. He rushed into the restricted area, not only knocking Schmitz away but also successfully grabbing the offensive rebound and then scoring on the putback!
"See that little girl? Without that afro, the rest of you are all cowards! You can't handle me, go home and get some milk!"
Schmitz silently got up from the floor. He didn't say anything, but ran forward with his head down.
The Pacers' offense was still led by Lin Tian. This time, instead of setting a screen, he immediately found Schmitz near the free-throw line and passed the ball to him!
"Whoosh!"
Although Schmitz had just entered the game, he was prepared from the very beginning! The confidence he had built up in the previous two games allowed him to take a decisive shot and make it!
"I can't stop you, but can you stop me?" After scoring, Schmitz looked at Ewing and pounded his chest with both hands! His confidence had been completely unleashed!
We may not be able to win, but we are definitely not afraid!
On the next offensive possession, Starks once again opted for an incredibly difficult shot. This time, the ball missed, but Ewing grabbed the rebound once more!
Schmitz really couldn't beat him!
Ewing, who had just grabbed the rebound, was about to force a jump shot over Smits when he felt his hands go empty the moment he raised them.
The basketball is gone!
He could only see a figure wearing a yellow number 7 jersey from behind, dribbling the basketball and launching a counterattack!
Lin Tian!
In that critical moment, Lin Tian stole the basketball from Ewing's hands and launched a counterattack!
At this moment, everyone on the Knicks team displayed excellent discipline. Almost simultaneously, they all turned and ran towards the frontcourt to stop Lin Tian's fast break!
But nobody could keep up!
Compared to Lin Tian, every player on the Knicks seemed to be moving in slow motion!
They couldn't keep up with Lin Tian, and after playing for a full 46 minutes, Lin Tian once again unleashed a speed that surpassed everyone else at the most crucial moment!
"This is impossible! He can't possibly be this fast at this hour!" Van Gundy stared wide-eyed in disbelief as Lin Tian rushed to the frontcourt, jumped, and made a layup, scoring 2 points!
The Pacers are leading by 3 points again!
There are 1 minute and 20 seconds left in the game.
From that moment until the last 28 seconds of the game, neither side was able to score any more points!
The Knicks lost their touch, and Lin Tian was also exhausted from that full-court run.
Van Gundy decisively called his last timeout!
At the same time, it could also be a pause that determines their fate this season!
"Larry, you serve. Whether it's John or Allan, pass the ball to them whenever you have a chance! Then you run in the opposite direction to create space for them! Charlie, you go up too. You're at the top of the key, but don't receive the ball right away. Wait until others don't have a chance before you go!"
On the Pacers' side, Bird also began setting up this thrilling segment.
"Lin, Reggie, Doug, and Joe! All four of you come at me! Remember, no fouls, no three-pointers! Those two things are absolutely unacceptable. As for the rest, you guys figure it out! Keep a tight grip on the rules. Even if you really have to foul, absolutely do not give them a 2+1 opportunity. Foul them hard, so hard that they can't even make their free throws!"
"clear!"
After both coaches finished their instructions, the ten players from both sides stepped onto the field simultaneously.
Larry Jensen stood on the sideline, waiting to serve. In front of him was Christie, who stretched out his arms as much as possible and kept jumping in place, using his wingspan and height to interfere with Jensen's passing route and vision.
As everyone on the court scrambled together, screens, tackles, and physical contact were constantly occurring. But the Pacers were clearly going all out at this moment. Each player stayed close to their assigned man, preventing any Knicks player from getting a chance to receive the ball!
With the serve about to be a 5-second violation, Starks ran towards Jensen again, and on the way, he elbowed Lin Tian, slightly slowing down Lin Tian's momentum. In that instant, the ball came into Starks' hands.
Facing Lin Tian, Starks immediately got into position, dribbling the ball constantly, looking for an opportunity to attack.
But Lin Tian was really going all out this time, not giving Starks any space to shoot at all. No matter how hard Starks tried, he couldn't get even the slightest bit of space for himself!
Starks had been dribbling at the top of the key for almost 10 seconds, and the Knicks' offense was completely stalled. Finally, Ewing in the paint couldn't hold back any longer and yelled, "John, pass the ball! FUXX! Pass the ball!"
Ewing's roar seemed to finally remind Starks that this wasn't a one-on-one game. He quickly dribbled backward to create distance and then passed the ball to Ward at the top of the key.
After receiving the ball, Ward made a direct lateral pass to Larry Jensen, who was positioned at a 45-degree angle on the left.
After receiving the ball, Jason didn't rush to attack. Facing Christie, he made two feints before suddenly raising his hand to shoot. Christie, who was in a highly tense and alert state, immediately jumped up. But after he jumped, Christie realized that he had been tricked!
But it was too late!
Jason dribbled forward a step, then decisively pulled up for a shot, colliding with Christie in mid-air.
"Whoosh!"
With 5.7 seconds left in the game, Jason hit a game-winning three-pointer!
At the same time, the referee's whistle blew!
"Doug Christie, foul! 3 points awarded, plus 1 free throw!"
"No!" Christie knew the ruling was correct, but she still covered her head with her hands in disbelief, overwhelmed with regret, helplessness, pain, loss, and self-blame...
He bit his lip so hard it almost bled. Making such a fatal mistake at this crucial moment in the game, causing the team to plummet from heaven to hell in an instant, was something Christie couldn't easily forgive himself for!
The Pacers players on the bench were all groaning in despair, many of them closing their eyes in utter despair! Utter despair!
On the sidelines, Bird helplessly raised his head, closed his eyes, and shook his head in resignation.
The entire Madison Square Garden had entered a state of extreme frenzy at this moment!
The last time they were this happy was probably back in 71 when Willis Reed walked onto the court with a foot injury and led the team to the championship!
The entire Madison Square Garden was filled with cheers, and the fans were in a frenzy.
As for Jensen, he too was caught up in extreme excitement and frenzy. He stretched his arms out to the side, making a gesture similar to Ultraman firing a beam of light, which also resembled a capital L.
"BIG L! BIG L! BIG L!"
An excited Jason shouted his favorite nickname to the New York fans!
Yes, I'm not some "auntie," I'm "BIG L"!
Spike Lee was definitely the most excited person in the entire arena. He not only stood on his chair, but also imitated Jason's pose to celebrate.
Just then, Lin Tian walked past him, and the guy immediately shouted at Lin Tian, "This is the real L! Lin, you're rotten! You can't beat us, you fake L, you insignificant L!"
"You guys had better tone it down now, or you'll suffer even more later," Lin Tian said to Spike. "Didn't you see? Larry gave us 5.7 seconds left, didn't he?"
"5.7 seconds?" Spike laughed. "Hey waiter, get Lin a cappuccino. Let's see how he beats us! You think you can beat me in 5.7 seconds? If you can beat New York in 5.7 seconds, I'll eat this chair right here and now!"
Seeing Spike's arrogant demeanor, Lin Tian said, "I'll wait until you eat a chair."
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Larry Jensen calmly slotted the ball into the net.
The Knicks have taken a one-point lead!
115: 114!
"Give the ball to Lin!" That was the first thing Bird said during the timeout.
Then, he began to set up all sorts of screens and running tactics. All the tactics revolved around one point: give the ball to Lin Tian and let him finish the game!
Everyone else, spread out completely!
With five seconds left, Bird chose to trust Lin Tian completely, whether he wanted to attack himself or pass the ball to a teammate, Bird believed in Lin Tian!
The timeout ended quickly, and it might be the last time for both teams to step onto the court tonight.
At that moment, the entire Madison Square Garden erupted in a unified shout.
"Defense! Defense! Defense! Defense!"
With 5.7 seconds left, start!
Barkley stood on the sideline, using his experience and vision to prepare to pass the ball. Lin Tian, Miller, Dumars, and Smits began to screen and run for each other near the free throw line.
Lin Tian quickly circled around his teammates' screens, constantly using back-runs and changes of direction to deceive the defenders chasing him.
However, the Knicks clearly opted for a switch-everything defensive strategy. Whenever Lin Tian and his teammates set a screen, the Knicks players would immediately remind each other and then quickly switch on defense!
Just like Bird thought, in the end, it would definitely be Lin Tian!
Their mission was to prevent Lin Tian from receiving the ball!
After a series of runs, the Pacers' five-second inbound pass was also nearing its end.
At this moment, Lin Tian suddenly accelerated!
His already fast speed was increased to a level that no one else could catch up with. Starks watched helplessly as Lin Tian broke free of his defense and ran towards the top of the arc!
Barkley's pass arrived immediately, but Lin Tian received the ball a little further away, a full 3 meters from the three-point line!
After receiving the ball, Lin Tian maintained a distance of at least 3-4 meters from all the Knicks players defending him!
His burst of speed just now was just too fast and exaggerated!
The moment Lin Tian received the basketball, not only Starks, but also Jason, who had just been blocking Barkley's inbound pass, ran towards Lin Tian!
They're going to launch a pincer attack ahead of time!
Barkley sprinted towards the paint, raising his hands to indicate that he had missed the pass, but Lin Tian didn't pass the ball to Barkley. Instead, he suddenly smiled and stretched out his left hand, pressing it down on the ground!
Although he didn't say anything, this gesture, like raising the middle finger, is an internationally recognized hand gesture.
Don't rush, stay calm, hold on!
As if by some strange twist of fate, both Jason and Starks stopped in their tracks and stood more than a meter away from Lin Tian outside the three-point line.
They didn't know why they had to stop at Lin Tian's suggestion, nor did they know why Lin Tian wanted them to stop.
After all, even though they stopped, time didn't stop!
Lin Tian isn't some kind of time magician who can stop the flow of time.
What exactly is he trying to do?
Taking advantage of this extremely short time, Lin Tian quickly opened the system and took out an item that he had just prepared.
"Miller Time: Increases 3-point shooting percentage by 80% for 10 seconds after use!"
At this moment, Lin Tian wasn't going to gamble on his luck! He was going to use this prop he'd been saving for so long!
Then, Lin Tian let everyone know what he was going to do.
Right where he received the ball, a long-range three-pointer, Lin Tian pulled up and shot!
The placement, choice, and timing of that shot were all unacceptable to everyone!
When he took the shot, there were still more than two seconds left in the game! He didn't dribble forward, didn't pass to his teammates, and didn't make any other move. He just threw it out from almost midcourt?
Even Bird, the former number one braggart in the league, stared wide-eyed in disbelief. He couldn't understand why Lin Tian would choose such a way to make a move!
At this moment, the nine players on the court, nearly 20,000 people off the court, and tens of millions of viewers in front of their televisions were all staring at the basketball and the hoop.
Lin Tian turned around, facing the opposite direction from everyone else.
Then he made the exact same gesture as Larry Jensen with his left and right hands in front of Spike Lee!
BIG L?
I am Lao Tzu!
"Whoosh!"
At the same moment Lin Tian turned around to make a celebration gesture, the basketball accurately fell into the hoop!
And then, the whistle blew, signaling the end of the match!
The match is over!
The Pacers defeated the Knicks 115-117, a two-point advantage!
Lin Tian conquered Madison Square Garden with a stunning and deadly move!
They conquered New York!
Perhaps, it has also won over countless fans!
In an instant, the entire Madison Square Garden felt the same emotions that the entire Pacers team had just experienced.
From heaven to hell, it happens so fast, and it's so despairing!
Lin Tian could see that many Knicks fans in the arena were still staring wide-eyed in disbelief after his game-winning shot, unable to believe what they had just seen. Many of them had blank, numb eyes.
The few fans who did react either held their heads in their hands and shook them repeatedly, or lowered their heads and seemed lost in thought. Countless fans had already shed tears.
They all knew that the Knicks' season was over!
At this moment, the Pacers players rushed towards Lin Tian, and once again, Lin Tian was pinned down by them without any resistance.
Christie couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears on the sidelines!
Lin Tian saved him! He saved the team!
Barkley, who had just inbounded the ball from the sideline, didn't join the celebrations. Instead, he walked over to Bird and said, "I'm really grateful to have joined this team, and even if we don't win the championship, I'm still very happy!"
"Nonsense!" Bird gave Barkley a cold look. "We're definitely going to win! And do you know why you've never won a championship before?"
"Because this kind of small scene is something I can see every year when I play ball, it's nothing special, but for you, it's the first time in your life."
"Stop pretending, you jerk!" Barkley scoffed. "You think I didn't see you pinching your arms until they were bruised? You were totally nervous!"
"Aren't you going to celebrate with them?" Bird was a little embarrassed when Barkley pointed it out. He tugged at his shirt cuff, trying to cover the handprint he had just made.
"I'm so tired I just want to sit down. Otherwise, what do you think I'd be doing here?" Barkley pouted, plopped down in a chair, leaned back, and pressed all his weight onto the chair.
At this moment, the entire Knicks team was plunged into deep doubt.
They lost? Jason, Houston, Oakley... some sat helplessly on the floor, others stood there in different poses, but all of them were in a daze, unable to accept it.
As for Ewing, he straightened his back at this moment, waited for Lin Tian and his teammates to finish celebrating, then walked over to Lin Tian, extended his left hand and shook hands with Lin Tian: "A beautiful game-winning shot, I'm completely convinced!"
"Your right hand." Lin Tian noticed that Ewing had once again protected his right hand.
"I hope everything's alright." Ewing shrugged and turned to walk towards the players' tunnel.
This year's Ewing is clearly more tragic and tougher than the one Lin Tian remembers in history!
As the excitement of the game-winning shot subsided, the Pacers' celebrations gradually came to an end. No matter how much the Knicks' home fans couldn't accept it or how disappointed they were, they had to accept the fact.
They lost; they faced a desperate 0-3 deficit!
After this loss, in which the entire team played almost perfectly, making all sorts of incredible shots and game-winning shots, Knicks fans have come to accept one thing.
This year, they're finished!
After finishing his celebration with his teammates, Lin Tian turned to Spike Lee, who was still sitting in the audience, took the cappuccino that Spike had just ordered for him from his hand, and then drank it all in one gulp.
"The coffee isn't as good as the ones in Indiana! You don't need to eat the chair, but for the next game, if you're willing to honor your bet, how about you wear my jersey to watch the game here?"
"I'd rather eat a chair!" Spike was quite defiant!
"Alright! Come on, Ben, Dale, feed Young Master Li a pancake... ptooey! Feed the great director a chair!" Lin Tian called out, casually putting his arm around Spike's neck, and then pretending to pry his mouth open.
Spike never expected this kid to actually do it, and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Wear the jersey! I'll wear the jersey! I'll wear your jersey for the next game!"
"That's more like it! We're definitely going to have a crazy party to celebrate tonight, how about it, are you in?"
"Go to hell!" Spike spat irritably, then couldn't help but say, "Lin, are you really not considering coming to the Knicks? You and this place are a perfect match!"
"Let's talk about it when the contract expires. There are still six and a half years left." Lin Tian waved his hand and walked towards the player tunnel with his teammates.
However, Lin Tian was certain that he would not go to the Knicks unless he was boycotted by the other 28 teams.
After all, if I remember correctly, 6 years later... the Knicks will be run by James Dolan and Isaiah Thomas, a pair of brilliant duo!
Lin Tian would be crazy to team up with those two guys!
This season's experience has taught Lin Tian that Isaiah's most suitable position is assistant coach! He's not even cut out to be head coach! Managing a team?
Not only could he not get the team to perform well, he also managed to spend every last penny of the budget approved by the boss!
From this perspective, if Thomas is the Crouching Dragon, then Dolan really doesn't deserve the title of Phoenix Chick. After all, Dolan is willing to spend money, which makes him much better than most bosses. Dolan just can't find a good general manager.
The best bosses are those who rise to prominence, and you have to look for them among the bosses of lousy teams like the Suns and Timberwolves.
Hmm... wait a minute?
Who are we going to face next?
Phoenix Chick, here it comes!
115: 117!
This thrilling and stylistically diverse matchup, shifting from offensive to defensive battles and back to offensive battles, is undoubtedly the most exciting and entertaining game of this season's playoffs so far!
Even looking at the entire history of the NBA, the ups and downs of this game, the ability of both sides to adapt to different playing styles and methods, the battle of wits between the two coaches, the final buzzer-beater and counter-buzzer-beater, and the struggle between Lin Tian and James to see who is the real BIG L.
Taking all of this into account, it's no exaggeration to say that this game is one of the top three most exciting playoff games in NBA history!
Both teams gave their all and fought with everything they had to deliver such a spectacular match!
Throughout the game, Ewing played all 48 minutes, shooting 14-for-31 from the field and 11-for-15 from the free-throw line, racking up a dominant 39 points, 24 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks! Tonight, Ewing swept away the gloom of the previous two games, giving it his all!
He lived up to his title as the guardian of New York tonight, and he lived up to the expectations of the fans. He can leave with his head held high!
In fact, every single member of the Knicks team can leave with their heads held high tonight!
Starks had 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. His high shooting percentage and output in just two quarters made him and Ewing remind the world of the New York mob team at its peak five years ago!
Despite a mediocre shooting percentage, making only 6 of 17 shots, Allan Houston hit a crucial three-pointer and finished with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.
And Larry Jensen, who almost saved the team, made 5 of 14 shots throughout the game and hit a 3+1 with 5.7 seconds left, nearly pulling the team back from the brink of defeat and scoring 16 points.
Of course, there's also Oakley, who had 7 points and 16 rebounds, and Charlie Ward and Chris Childs, who made contributions despite limited playing time.
These players may have lost tonight, but they are all heroes of New York!
步行者队那边，林天今晚再度轰下大三双，全场比赛拿下39分15次助攻10篮板5抢断2盖帽的超级数据，他也成为NBA历史上第一个在季后赛中单场轰下35+15+10+5的球员！
He has once again set a record that is neither too big nor too small!
而除了林天之外，米勒18投7中拿下15分5篮板3助攻，克里斯蒂14投4中拿下10分7篮板4助攻3抢断，巴克利12投6中，拿下12分11篮板，当然还有7投全中，到最后也保持了100%命中率拿下14分的施密茨！
And, we must never forget Ben Wallace, who recorded his first playoff double-double of his career!
In this hard-won victory, the Pacers gave their all, engaging in a fierce battle with the Knicks from the very first minute. They knew how big the gap was between 2-1 and 3-0, and they also knew how difficult the subsequent games would be if the Knicks were allowed to catch their breath.
To achieve our goal in one decisive battle!
Of course, the happiest person at this moment was Lin Tian, who had just been hit with the decisive blow!
What he just received is not just a single match!
With such a thrilling scene, such an exaggerated reversal, and such an arrogant game-winning shot, how could the players of the Knicks and Pacers not have emotional fluctuations?
From Ewing, Starks, and Houston of the Knicks to Bird, Thomas, Barkley, and others of the Pacers, almost all of the more than 20 players and coaches from both sides gave Lin Tian a lot of benefits.
I gained 1200 experience points alone!
Then, to Lin Tian's delight, Patrick Ewing dropped a one-time item, something that hadn't happened in a long time!
"Patrick Ewing Experience Card (Full Game) for the 1989-1990 Season!"
Ewing in the 89-90 season!
Ewing is something else this season!
This season, Ewing not only made the All-NBA First Team for the only time in his career and ranked second in the MVP list, but also averaged 28.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game!
Both points and blocks are career highs for Ewing!
This season was definitely the year when Ewing's individual ability and physical qualities were at their peak and top level!
That year, he did everything he could!
Especially those four blocks...
Tsk tsk tsk, looking at the entire history of the NBA, how many people can average 4 blocks per game?
There's one more thing to clarify: although Ewing is undoubtedly the worst of the four centers in terms of honors, achievements, and reputation, it's not because he's weak, but because the other three monsters are ridiculously strong!
For example, during the three years from 93 to 96, Ewing's individual statistics and team performance were top-notch, and he ranked in the top five in the league in MVP voting. But what was the result?
This poor guy hasn't made the All-NBA First Team for three consecutive years! Not even a Third Team!
In those three years, the Knicks had a record of over 55 wins in all but one year, with only 47 wins. Even Ewing's worst year had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists. Despite this, he missed out on the All-NBA Team for three consecutive years.
Leading the team to 50 wins, achieving 20+10 individual stats, ranking in the top five for MVP, and making the All-NBA Fourth Team several times in a row!
In the entire history of the NBA, only Ewing has ever been this unlucky in such an extreme situation!
……
"Lin, that killer shot was absolutely unlike anything I've ever seen in my life! It was absolutely spectacular! What are your thoughts on that killer shot?"
As soon as Lin Tian stepped into the press conference, the reporters couldn't wait any longer and started asking questions before he even sat down.
"First of all, I want to thank Larry. Without his 3+1 play, my three-pointer would have been just an ordinary game-winner! He made that game-winner legendary and full of story!"
A perfectly ordinary game-winning shot?
The reporters below couldn't help but purse their lips.
From that distance, you're gesturing for your opponent to steady themselves? You call that normal?
"So what was your motivation for that final, pressing gesture? Were you trying to use it to hinder your opponent's defense?"
"No, it's just that I felt the shooting distance was perfect, and John was quite far away from me. Even if he ran over, he wouldn't have been able to interfere with me at all. So I just wanted him to relax and enjoy one of the greatest game-winning shots in NBA history!"
What a show-off! Just like his head coach, he's a show-off!
"So, Larry," another member stood up and said to Bird, "Larry, how did you plan the last shot? Did you agree to Lin taking the game-winning shot there? Do you think that was the right choice?"
"Our final play setup, or rather, I only set up Lin to receive the ball; everything else was left to him! As for Lin's shot selection, I was surprised, but I absolutely agree with it and think it was the right choice! I knew he could make it!"
"He's a player of this caliber, he can do these things! Just like when I played, I also hit a lot of amazing game-winning shots. Not every shot selection was reasonable, and not every one of them could be approved by the coach."
"But I think Lin and I are players of the same level. We can easily do things that others think are impossible, incredible, and illogical."
Wow! They really are a master and apprentice who are both incredibly pretentious when it comes to answering questions.
"Lin, let's talk about your early celebration. Why are you so confident that you dare to celebrate ahead of time? You know, if you miss the shot, you'll become a laughing stock."
Since they were just listening to people brag anyway, the reporters thought they might as well listen to Lin Tian brag, since at least he was popular and handsome, right?
"There's no particular reason. It's like when Larry was young, he asked his opponents who would be second, and he even predicted in advance that he would make the game-winning shot from a certain position. Why was he so confident?"
"I think, like me, it's something you're born with!"
Yes, of course it's innate. My cheat is innate. I used an item that increases my shooting percentage by 80%. If this shot still doesn't go in, what am I supposed to be, the chosen one, the time-traveling god, the king of luck?
Hey!
The reporters below were starting to get impatient; the smell was just too strong!
So the reporters decided to ask questions that would make Lin Tian less pretentious.
"The Bulls have taken a 3-1 lead. What are your thoughts on your next opponent?"
"I won't think about our next opponent in advance; that would be disrespectful to New York." Contrary to everyone's expectations, Lin Tian didn't talk about the Eastern Conference Finals this time. Instead, he said very seriously, "The Knicks did everything tonight. This was definitely the toughest game of my career! We were truly pushed to the brink!"
"I respect them, I will take them seriously, and I will prepare well for the next game! I don't think the series is over yet; I believe they will mount a fierce comeback! I won't relax, because relaxing inevitably means losing!"
This time, even Bird couldn't help but glance at Lin Tian.
Has this kid changed his ways? Why is he suddenly so calm and humble?
Lin Tian didn't keep the reporters and Bird waiting for long; he quickly explained to them why he was being so humble.
"Michael's Bulls just lost Game 4 of the series. I didn't watch the game, but I can guess they were careless, they thought they had it in the bag, and they underestimated their opponents, which is why they lost!"
"We won't make such a childish mistake!"
Wow! So this is where it is!
Bird nodded. "That's right, Lin Tian is still the same Lin Tian, he hasn't changed!"
The reporters below immediately became excited upon hearing this!
He mentioned Jordan! Hey! Every time Lin Tian mentions Jordan, their newspaper's sales always skyrocket!
This time will definitely be no exception!
Lin Tian bluntly states that Jordan is not as good as him!
Lin Tian points out Jordan's basic mistake in one sentence!
"A Spot-On Analysis! Lin Tian Easily Points Out Jordan and the Bulls' Biggest Flaw!"
Tsk tsk tsk, these headlines just conjure up images of greenbacks!
(End of this chapter)