bookbashuk Chapter 579 McGrady Moment? McGrady my ass! It's iron now.
Chapter 579 McGrady Moment? McGrady my ass! It's iron now.
Faced with the Spurs' sudden high-intensity defense, the Knicks responded relatively easily. After exchanging a few words with James, Lin Tian quickly used his speed and screens to easily run out of position, receive the ball, and then dribble towards the frontcourt.
Of course, Lin Tian's speed wasn't fast; he was just advancing towards the frontcourt at a steady pace. At this point in the game, it was impossible for him to pull off any fancy high-speed advances or transition plays.
Stay calm, waste time, and the team will basically win the game!
No matter how aggressively the Spurs players pressed and increased the intensity of their play, Lin Tian was able to maintain control of the ball without making a mistake.
With only 11 seconds left on the shot clock, the Spurs suddenly double-teamed them! And there were three of them at once!
James, JR, and Bibby all rushed towards Lin Tian at the same time. Facing the encirclement of three players, Lin Tian remained quite rational. He jumped up and made a wide pass, giving the ball to Okur in the corner. Okur didn't rush after receiving the ball. He attracted the defense and then passed the ball to Stoudemire, who then passed it to Anthony.
When Anthony got the ball, there were only three seconds left on the shot clock, just enough for him to dribble once and then jump for a one-handed dunk!
"boom!"
But after a loud bang, Anthony, who was on fire in the fourth quarter tonight, failed to dunk the ball!
His old habit kicked in again; the basketball bounced high into the air and he smashed it away.
Bosh caught the dunking basketball and tossed it to James. James was about to dribble forward when he heard a loud roar.
"The ball! Give it to me!"
McGrady sprinted at full speed while yelling at James. James hesitated for a moment, but still passed the ball to McGrady. McGrady dribbled and sprinted all the way, stopping two steps away from the three-point line. Then, without hesitation, he launched a long-range three-pointer!
There's no way around it. Although the Knicks missed their last attack, they wasted enough time. If the Spurs want to turn the game around, they have to make every second count!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, McGrady scored 5 points in a row!
The gap between the two sides has narrowed to 7 points!
They worked hard for the entire quarter and finally narrowed the gap back to single digits!
"Defense! Defense!" With 59 seconds left, McGrady continued to roar frantically, directing all his teammates to engage in defense.
This time, the Spurs' attention was entirely focused on Lin Tian. James and Bibby were double-teaming him, and Anthony, without hesitation, passed the ball directly to the open Houston.
The veteran has an 87% free throw percentage this season, so he's not afraid of the Spurs' fouling tactics. He also has a big heart. Passing the ball to him is definitely no problem!
After the Spurs failed to intercept the Knicks' first pass, they immediately changed tactics. Bosh rushed over, grabbed Houston, and sent him to the free-throw line.
The moment of penalty shootout has arrived!
"The good news for the Spurs is that Lin didn't receive the ball, which is a relief," Kenny said. "But the bad news is that the one who received the ball was Houston. Although his scoring average has dropped to 8 points per game this season, his free throw percentage is second only to Lin's, and he has three more seasons in his career with a free throw percentage over 90%!"
"At this point, sending a veteran to the free-throw line and hoping he'll make a mistake is highly unlikely!"
"Bang!" Before Kenny could even finish speaking, Houston missed his first free throw.
"Shut up, Kenny," Barkley gestured for silence. "Didn't you notice you've taken away my mystical energy? Now you can't predict the game's outcome at all! This is retribution for mocking me last year!"
"Whoosh!"
Houston then took a deep breath, finally calmed himself down, and made the crucial second free throw.
8 points!
55 seconds.
Popovich called a timeout.
He needs to reduce the time the team spends advancing the ball, allowing players to receive the ball in the frontcourt and ideally score directly.
After a brief adjustment, the Spurs players returned to the court. They didn't make any changes to their lineup, since the five players on the court were their most reliable five-man combination.
The Knicks, on the other hand, fielded a five-man lineup consisting of Lin Tian, Wallace, Smith, Barnes, and Stoudemire.
Well, I guess we'd say we're on the defensive side.
Apart from Stoudemire, all of these players would have had the potential to become defensive stalwarts if they had gone to other teams. But unfortunately, with the Knicks, Don Nelson didn't need them to develop defensive skills.
"Beep beep!"
After the whistle blew, the players from both sides started running again. After a chaotic and complicated run, McGrady received the ball on the far wing once again and then took another shot!
This time, Smith's thick arm interfered with his movement, but Smith didn't lose his position at all and jumped very high, almost touching McGrady's basketball.
Unfortunately, even with proper defense, it's not guaranteed to be effective!
Especially when facing a superstar like McGrady.
With a crisp "swish!" sound, McGrady hit his second consecutive three-pointer!
He's scored 8 points in a row!
"Defense! Defense!"
McGrady yelled again, directing his teammates to quickly get into position and defend.
The more Lin Tian looked at this scene, the more familiar it seemed!
Damn it, is McGrady Time about to arrive?!
They're starting to score insane, unreasonable goals, aren't they!
The Spurs were ecstatic as the score narrowed again, and the whole team was thrilled.
The Spurs' almost frenzied defense also caused Barnes, who was inbounding the ball from the baseline, to lose his composure.
Seeing that his teammates didn't have much of a chance, this guy didn't call a timeout to make substitutions. At the same time, after seeing Smith coming towards him, he didn't think about whether it was appropriate to pass the ball to Smith at this moment, but just passed the ball to him directly.
Barnes didn't make any mistakes, but his choices of not calling a timeout and giving the ball to Smith were really bad.
A bad choice will naturally lead to bad consequences.
Smith rushed forward after getting the ball, and then, for some reason, his legs gave way and he fell down!
The basketball was grabbed by JR, who was defending him, and then passed to McGrady immediately.
Hey!
It's so similar! It's really so similar!
Three-pointers in a row, opponent misses free throws, dribbling error...
Is this truly the McGrady moment?
The moment McGrady got the ball, he didn't even think. He jumped up and was about to take a third three-pointer!
If this shot goes in, the gap between the two sides will be reduced to only 2 points!
He was incredibly excited and extremely confident. He believed that he could score the ball even with his eyes closed and using his left hand!
He felt as if he had entered some kind of realm.
No one can stop him!
Is that right?
"Snapped!"
Just as McGrady was about to raise his hand to shoot, he suddenly encountered a huge resistance and found that he couldn't lift the basketball!
Lin Tian!
Lin Tian had already rushed in this direction when Smith slipped, and then seized the opportunity to slap the ball away from McGrady's shot!
McGrady Moment?
Damn your grandma's legs!
Go home, wash up, and go to bed!
Lin Tian grabbed the basketball he had broken, ignoring McGrady's incredulous expression, and sprinted towards the frontcourt, launching a counterattack.
When Lin Tian sprinted all the way to the Spurs' basket, not a single Spurs player could catch up with him.
Lin Tian stopped dribbling the ball, then looked back and saw that the nearest Spurs player had just crossed the three-point line.
So Lin Tian waited another 2 seconds. When James crossed the free throw line, Lin Tian suddenly accelerated again and ran towards the corner. Then, before Bibby and James could surround him, he dribbled in a different direction and sprinted towards the other wing.
When Lin Tian moved to the other wing, the five Spurs players finally returned to their own half of the court. At this point, Lin Tian had nowhere to run. Just as McGrady rushed towards Lin Tian, intending to foul him, Lin Tian called a timeout.
In an instant, the entire stadium fell silent, and the Spurs players were completely dumbfounded.
Damn it, you haven't called a timeout yet?
What the hell was he doing just now?
Lin Tian: What else can I do? Just tease you guys! The main goal is to have fun!
I love how you guys give it your all, are on the verge of success, and then fall short, having to start all over again!
"FUXX!" McGrady cursed angrily, then stormed over to the bench and sat down on it, feeling utterly frustrated.
If that shot hadn't been intercepted and I had made it, the difference would have been only 2 points!
But it was just a little bit short!
The ball didn't go in, and Lin Tian intercepted it, wasting more than 10 seconds of time!
With only 37 seconds left in the game and the Knicks still in possession of the ball, even if McGrady moved God to tears, he was powerless to turn the tide.
The only thing the Spurs can hope for now is for the Knicks to commit a turnover on the inbound pass, and then the Spurs can steal the ball and quickly hit a three-pointer.
It's not entirely hopeless, after all, Smith just made a mistake, didn't he?
"Next, try to get the ball to Lin and let him take free throws!" Old Nelson drew plays on the whiteboard, speaking very quickly. "The rest of you should spread out to create space for Lin to receive the ball. Don't rush, we still have one timeout, we can call it anytime!"
"Also, if Lin doesn't get the ball or the Spurs don't foul, there's no need to rush if anyone else gets the ball. There are still 12 seconds left on the shot clock; we have plenty of time to score another one!"
"Anyway, everyone relax, score these two goals and we've got it! Alright, everyone, go!"
After Old Nelson finished giving his instructions, both teams' players went onto the court at the same time.
"Allan, you only made one of two free throws, feeling frustrated, huh?" Lin Tian suddenly put his arm around Houston, who had come on with him, and said, "I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself, are you in?"
"What's there to be afraid of! I don't miss more than two free throws in a month. I was just careless. As long as the ball is in my hands, I'm sure I'll make both free throws!" Houston is a veteran after all. Missing a free throw didn't affect him at all. On the contrary, it made him more confident.
"Then get ready to receive the ball, run in the opposite direction from me!" After saying that, Lin Tian went to find Ward, who was preparing to serve.
Ward, calm, experienced, and almost never loses his temper, is undoubtedly the Knicks' best player to inbound the ball.
"Charlie, pass the ball to Alan." Lin Tian's instruction was quite simple.
"But Coach..." Ward frowned, worried that not following the tactics would anger Nelson.
"Don't you know that old man? As long as we win tonight, he won't mind if you pass the ball to your grandma. Just listen to me!" Lin Tian said, patted Ward on the shoulder, and walked onto the court.
Compared to the Knicks' confidence, the Spurs players knew things were going to go wrong when they saw the Knicks' players on the court.
Old Nelson has actually made a replacement.
Well, okay, as long as old Nelson doesn't get dementia, he'll definitely replace him.
Lin Tian, Houston, Anthony, and Stoudemire stood together, ready to receive the ball at any moment. These four were also the Knicks' best free throw shooters with the highest shooting percentage.
No matter who receives the ball, they can almost always make both free throws!
"beep!"
As soon as the referee blew his whistle, the Knicks players scattered immediately.
They quickly provided cover for each other, while the players moved and ran rapidly, looking for opportunities.
Ward calmly observed the positions of all the players on the court. He watched as Lin Tian suddenly started running towards the backcourt, immediately drawing considerable defensive attention from the Spurs.
Then he saw that Houston had run to the other corner, and there were no Spurs defenders around him!
Lin Tian's impromptu tactic worked!
Ward didn't hesitate and immediately played a through ball to Houston. Houston received the ball and immediately dribbled towards the top of the arc, trying to create space and waste as much time as possible.
He succeeded in doing so. A large number of Spurs players were drawn to the other side by Lin Tian. Houston dribbled for a full 5 seconds at his not-so-fast speed before Bibby grabbed him and sent him to the free-throw line.
The last 32 seconds!
Having just missed a free throw, giving the Spurs hope of a comeback, Houston stepped up to the free-throw line again, took a deep breath, and began his shot.
"Swish! Swish!"
Two crisp, clean shots rang out as the league's top shooter easily sank both free throws, redeeming himself after his earlier mistake.
A 7-point difference!
Instead of calling a timeout, the Spurs quickly inbounded the ball from the baseline, allowing James to dribble up the court at high speed!
Although the Knicks' defense was negligible, at this point, everyone immediately got into the zone to defend and match up!
Facing off against James was Lin Tian, who stuck to James closely, moving with him at breakneck speed. No matter how hard James tried, he couldn't shake off Lin Tian or get a chance to attack.
Then, he suddenly felt a lightness in front of him; Lin Tian's defense was gone!
Did I shake them off?
I knew you couldn't stop me!
James was overjoyed, gathered the ball, stood up, and then unleashed a thunderous dunk!
Yes, a powerful dunk!
This is also why Lin Tian let him go.
Lin Tian looked down and realized that he had already retreated to below the free throw line. This was the area he was in. Why was he still defending him?
Do whatever you want, just don't break the rules.
Therefore, Lin Tian decisively made way.
"boom!"
After a loud bang, James completed a quick two-pointer in just 6 seconds!
If there weren't less than 30 seconds left in the game, and if the Knicks weren't still leading by 5 points, then James's shot would have been absolutely explosive!
How many players in the league today can forcefully shake off Lin Tian in a one-on-one situation and complete a dunk?
This is a very rare sight!
The only downside is that with only 26 seconds left in the game, the Spurs are still down by 5 points.
Old Nelson, sitting on the sidelines, almost choked on his water. What kind of move was this?
At this point, with this gap, a quick 2-point lead?
But even though he couldn't understand it, Old Nelson believed that the team had basically secured the victory!
Next, when the Knicks had a baseline pass, Don Nelson didn't call a timeout immediately. Ward stood on the baseline, looked around, and then quickly passed the ball to Houston!
This time, Houston didn't waste any time. McGrady immediately went up and hugged him, sending him to the free-throw line.
"Swish! Swish!"
Having found his rhythm, Houston made both free throws again, continuing to wash away the shame of his previous 1-for-2 performance.
With 25 seconds left, the Spurs inbounded the ball again. This time, Bibby received the ball and dribbled quickly up the court. He stopped abruptly outside the three-point line, but before he could shoot, he was completely covered by Anthony.
This time he didn't force it, but passed the ball to James who was following up in the middle.
James grabbed the ball, faked out Stoudemire, and then drove to the three-point line before jumping up again.
"boom!"
In a crucial moment, James scored 4 points in a row! Two powerful dunks helped his team quickly close the gap!
"Pfft!" Old Nelson couldn't hold back this time. He spat out the mouthful of water he had just drunk and then called the team's last timeout.
He should take advantage of this timeout to have a good laugh.
What are all these things?!
Meanwhile, Popovich, in a fit of anger, threw his tactical board onto the floor.
He didn't know what had happened either; who knows why James scored in this way twice in a row at this time.
Two dunks short of fucking happened? (End of Chapter)