bookbashuk Chapter 359 Jackson's Signature Psychological Warfare: The NBA's Four Great Beasts Face Hi
Chapter 359 Jackson's Signature Psychological Warfare: The NBA's Four Great Beasts Face Hi
"That last minute was absolutely the most exciting minute of NBA game I've ever seen in my life!" Barkley continued in his usual exaggerated tone, "Although neither side scored a single point, and the game even looked a bit chaotic, the overall pace was indescribably fast!"
"That's right!" Kenny added, "To be honest, we've played in the NBA for over ten years, reached the Finals, and won a championship. What kind of situation haven't we seen? But the current state of the game is something I've truly never seen before!"
"I really felt like I couldn't breathe just now!"
"That was amazing! An incredible back-and-forth battle, both sides were at their absolute best! Look closely at all those shots and passes, is there anything wrong with them? Absolutely nothing wrong with them! Whether it was the dunk by the two O'Neals, Carter's drive to the basket, or Christie's three-pointer."
"From the perspectives of rhythm, opportunity, timing, tactics, and every other aspect, there are absolutely no problems! These are all absolutely perfect shot selections!"
"But both the Lakers and the Pacers were able to destroy those opportunities! Absolutely destroy them!"
Barkley followed up, "The fact that both sides were able to do this, and do it multiple times in a short period of time, only proves one thing."
"In this series, the players' abilities, physical attributes, hunger for victory, and level of commitment on both sides have exceeded the average person's understanding of basketball! This series has been incredibly fantastic, filled with all sorts of amazing moments!"
"O'Neal has once again defeated Ben Wallace, giving the Lakers another offensive opportunity! Game on!"
「仍旧是0：0！如果不是第一节的比赛时间只剩下10分58秒，我真的会有一种刚刚那1分钟什幺都没有发生，一切都是错觉的感觉！」
Amidst exclamations from Barkley and Kenny, Kobe dribbled the ball back to the frontcourt, positioning himself in a very similar manner to before. Fisher, O'Neal, and Rice were spread out on the weak side, while Kobe and O'Neal formed a local two-on-two situation on the strong side.
Kobe then immediately passed the ball to O'Neal, letting him go one-on-one against Ben Wallace in the paint.
"Come on, fat pig! If you dare to make a move, I'll give you another bloody block!" Ben Wallace had one hand firmly planted on O'Neal's waist, while his legs were spread wide and firmly planted on the floor. He was ready to have another head-on showdown with O'Neal!
"You think you're all that just because you blocked my shot? I'll show you how big the gap is between us!" This time, O'Neal went even harder, attacking Ben Wallace even more fiercely!
With a series of sideways thrusts, he practically crushed Ben Wallace all the way into the three-second zone. Then, before the help defense could arrive, he suddenly made a wide turn and dribbled right to the basket, before jumping up again while still hanging on Ben Wallace!
This immediately highlighted the huge gap in physical abilities between Ben Wallace and Shaquille O'Neal!
The two jumped at almost the same time, but when O'Neal had reached his highest point, Ben Wallace was still a full half hand's width below him!
Despite the huge weight difference between the two, O'Neal still had an absolute advantage in jumping speed!
"boom!"
This time, there were no surprises. O'Neal brutally pinned Ben Wallace down and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands!
"Hey shorty, where are you? Huh? Consider that last basket a gift from Shaq!" After scoring, O'Neal clenched his arms in a fierce and arrogant celebration, baring his teeth at Ben Wallace!
"Just two points." Lin Tian quickly walked over to O'Neal and Ben Wallace, reached out and helped Wallace up, then looked at O'Neal and said, "It's nothing."
During the Pacers' offense, Lin Tian once again faced off against Fisher at the top of the key.
In Lin Tian's view, Fisher's defense has always been no different from air! Although this guy is still very young, he is not yet the huge defensive loophole that no one can stop except for pulling up his trouser leg and posing.
But that's all.
At least in Lin Tian's eyes, this guy is nothing special except for his fighting ability!
It was still a very simple attack step plus a misleading dribble, and then a sudden acceleration. Lin Tian once again got past Fisher in one step, and then accelerated directly into the paint!
Then, as he reached the edge of the three-second zone, Lin Tian suddenly did a 360-degree spinning turn to get past O'Neal, who was coming to help defend. Then he took a step and pulled up, holding the ball with both hands and charging towards O'Neal!
"You're asking for it!" O'Neal's eyes widened as he jumped up to face Lin Tian!
In his opinion, Lin Tian's jump around like that was just asking to be humiliated!
Before the two even made physical contact in the air, Lin Tian, who had just been so aggressive, seemingly determined to score a goal against him that night, suddenly lowered his hands and passed the ball to Ben Wallace, who had been left out under the basket.
After receiving the ball with both hands, Big Ben pulled it up and violently smashed it into the rim!
"boom!"
2: 2!
"Fantastic!" Barkley exclaimed. "Both teams' first points were spectacular! Although both ended with a center's two-handed dunk, everything before the dunk was completely different! This also highlights the differences between the two teams."
"The Pacers are built around Lin as their absolute core, with him controlling the ball possession and tempo, and then distributing the ball as needed."
"The Lakers employ a traditional two-star strategy, with the two players spread out to one side, using O'Neal's dominant one-on-one ability to overwhelm any player matched up against him!"
"While O'Neal's playmaking ability certainly can't compare to the Pacers' Webber or other centers whose selling point is playmaking, it's more than enough for him! If the Pacers dare to double-team O'Neal easily, the Lakers' other four players' powerful shooting ability will definitely make the Pacers pay a heavy price!"
"Of course, the same applies to the Pacers! If the Lakers don't double-team, Lin Tian will beat Fisher to a pulp; but if the Lakers do double-team, the Pacers' scoring ability is probably no weaker than the Lakers'!"
"The question now is, who will change their stance first, and who will be unable to resist switching tactics first?"
Barkley's question remained completely unanswered, at least during the first quarter of the game.
Regardless of whether it was Jackson or Carlisle, although there were substitutions and adjustments in the first quarter, the overall tactical approach remained unchanged.
Carlisle insisted on having Ben Wallace guard O'Neal one-on-one, but apart from the first block, Wallace's defense wasn't very effective. O'Neal went 7-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line in the first quarter, putting up a monster stat line of 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks!
Besides O'Neal, Kobe scored 4 points for the Lakers, Rice and Fisher each hit a 3-pointer, and Jermaine O'Neal also scored 4 points with a mid-range jumper and a putback.
On the Pacers' side, Lin Tian didn't get much double-teaming either. In fact, as long as he didn't get into the paint, the Lakers let him run rampant against Fisher!
对于这种防守待遇，林天也没和湖人客气，他单节10投6中，3分球2投1中，罚球2罚全中，拿下15分3篮板4助攻1断1帽的全面数据。
With Lin Tian orchestrating the offense, Christie scored 5 points, Webber scored 7 points with a hot mid-range shot, and Ben Wallace added 4 points with a layup. In addition, Miller, who came off the bench, scored 3 points and Harrington scored 2 points!
In the first quarter, the two teams were evenly matched, with the Pacers leading the Lakers 36-31 by 5 points!
If we were to name which players underperformed in the first quarter, it would be Vince Carter for the Pacers. He went 0-for-3 against Kobe Bryant, scoring no points and committing a turnover. In this head-to-head matchup between one of the league's top young swingmen, Carter was completely outmatched in the very first possession!
As for the Lakers, the substitutes Horry, Shaw and Fox all performed poorly, combining for 4 missed shots and failing to score a single point. Additionally, Harper played for 2 minutes without taking a shot or making any other contribution.
The Lakers' bench going completely cold was one of the biggest reasons they trailed the Pacers by 5 points in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Lin Tian and O'Neal, the two leaders, both went to the bench to rest, leaving Kobe and Webber, the team's two second-in-commands, to lead the team.
The Lakers' starting lineup consists of Kobe, Rice, and O'Neal, plus two reserves, Harper and Grant.
The Pacers, on the other hand, had a five-man lineup consisting of Webber, Christie, Miller, and Best.
Although Lin Tian and O'Neal were not on the court, the excitement of the game was not diminished at all!
Kobe turned on his offensive mode, scoring 6 points in 3 minutes while O'Neal was out, with drives and outside shots, and also assisting O'Neal and Rice to each score a basket!
Although Webber didn't play as freely against O'Neal and only scored 2 points, his presence at the free-throw line and his ability to orchestrate the team's offense made for an extremely beautiful performance.
With Brad Miller, a center with exceptional basketball IQ, in the low post to complement him, the Pacers' offense was incredibly fluid and exciting!
Reggie Jackson, Christie, and Best were constantly taking shots or attacking the basket, and the Pacers were scoring at a rate that was just as fast as the Lakers.
With 8 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Jackson and Carlisle made another substitution, bringing on O'Neal and Lin Tian. The score then became 49-46!
The Lakers have narrowed the gap to 2 points, trailing by only 3!
When O'Neal returned to the court for the first time, he forcefully pushed past Ben Wallace under the basket, scored 2 points with a hook shot, and drew a foul on Wallace.
After making the free throw, O'Neal's free throw percentage reached 80% (4 of 5), and the Lakers also tied the game!
But how could Lin Tian, who was on the court at the same time as O'Neal, just watch O'Neal dominate the court alone? He turned around and forcefully attacked the basket, collided with O'Neal in the air, and then made a layup!
Just like O'Neal, he scored 2 points and got a free throw!
Fortunately, this was only O'Neal's second foul, so the Lakers don't need to worry about O'Neal's foul trouble.
But the number of fouls isn't a concern; the Lakers have another problem to worry about.
That was O'Neal's free throws, back to normal!
Hmm... that's his usual level in previous seasons, not his usual level this season.
In the remainder of the second quarter, O'Neal took three more free throws but failed to make a single one!
After missing three consecutive free throws, the Pacers' defense against him became even more aggressive and ruthless, with their actions becoming noticeably more aggressive!
Shaquille O'Neal is still the behemoth he always was. He wasn't afraid of the Pacers' rough defense at all, and he would even respond with rougher offensive moves!
The problem is that he can't find his touch at free throws.
Throughout the second quarter, O'Neal went to the free-throw line eight times, making only four of them. His free-throw percentage in the first half dropped to 7 of 12, not even reaching 60%.
Because of O'Neal's sudden cold shooting at the free-throw line, the Lakers lost the initiative in the latter part of the second quarter and were once again pulled away by the Pacers.
By the end of the first half, the Lakers were already down by 9 points to the Pacers!
61: 52!
The Pacers entered the second half with a significant advantage on the road!
Just when Indiana fans were jubilant and thought the game was in the bag, the second half brought a dramatic turn of events!
The Pacers suddenly went cold, with players including Lin Tian going 0-for-8 and scoring no points in the first 3 minutes of the third quarter!
On the other hand, the Lakers seized this opportunity, scoring in succession. Rice once again demonstrated the top-class star style he had when he was third in the scoring list and led his team to the second round of the playoffs. He made all three of his three-point shots in three minutes, plus a powerful dunk, scoring 11 points!
With Kobe and Shaq each scoring 2 points, the Lakers went on a fierce 15-0 run in 3 minutes!
The reason for this huge offensive surge was not only that the Pacers suddenly couldn't make their shots, but also that Jackson changed his tactics!
Or rather, he slightly changed the players' positioning.
Previously, Kobe and Shaq were playing 2-on-2 on one side, but in the second half, Jackson suddenly switched to Rice and Shaq on one side!
Rice's passing ability, dribbling ability, or most other abilities are actually far inferior to Kobe's, but there is one ability in which he is definitely better than Kobe now.
Three-pointer!
His three-point shooting, both in quality and quantity, is definitely better than Kobe's at the moment. More importantly, Rice is facing Carter's defense, and Carter's defensive ability is far inferior to Christie's. Relatively speaking, Rice's shooting environment is also better than Kobe's!
Especially when Carter had to collapse to defend O'Neal, his lateral movement speed, timing and scale of help defense, and speed of recovery were far inferior to Christie's!
With several factors combined, the Lakers' inside-outside game was incredibly smooth, and Rice's confidence in shooting grew stronger after the first basket!
When he took the third shot, Carter had actually blocked his face, but unfortunately the basketball still managed to go through the hoop!
With this 15-0 run, the Lakers turned the score around and took a 6-point lead instead of trailing!
At this point, the Pacers' scoring drought was finally broken!
It was Lin Tian again. He drove into the paint once more, this time facing Jermaine O'Neal. He almost recklessly threw himself into the air first, and only after a serious collision with O'Neal was he able to barely throw the ball out.
The ball still missed, but at least the referee blew his whistle.
Lin Tian got two free throw opportunities!
"Give up, Lin! You guys aren't going to score easily anymore!" O'Neal said to Lin Tian under the basket, "Victory is on our side!"
"If there's a goddess of victory in this world, she's in my bed!" Lin Tian caught his breath, steadily sinking his first free throw, then said, "If I miss, I'll just keep charging, let's see who falls first, shall we?"
When Lin Tian said this, his eyes were full of murderous intent, which made O'Neal shudder.
He couldn't help but swallow hard, then slapped his head hard.
Damn it, I'm 210 cm tall and almost 150 kg, what am I afraid of?
What's there to be afraid of!
If you dare come in, I'll make you regret it!
Give it a try!
Let's see who lies down first!
Lin Tian said it, and he did it!
In the next few minutes, the Pacers' shooting touch remained nonexistent, with no one able to put the ball in the basket. If the Lakers' shooting touch hadn't also started to drop, especially if Rice's magic had ended, the Pacers would probably be down by more than 10 points by now!
With his teammates, including himself, all off-target, Lin Tian completely abandoned the idea of winning the game with shots and began charging into the paint time and time again! He transformed into a suicide squad member, carrying a bomb, and repeatedly storming into the Lakers' heart of the team.
Then he repeatedly threw himself into the air, colliding with Lakers defenders, throwing the ball towards the basket, falling to the ground in a disheveled state, and finally getting up and walking to the free-throw line.
In this quarter, Lin Tian went to the free throw line 11 times and made 10 of them!
Thanks to his fearless and relentless offensive style, even though the Pacers still couldn't find their shooting rhythm and the team's field goal percentage plummeted to less than 30% in this quarter, they managed to keep the score close!
81: 89!
When the quarter ended, the Pacers were down by 8 points to the Lakers!
"I don't know what happened during halftime, how did the Pacers suddenly lose their touch? They even give me the feeling that they're under a spell!" Barkley pondered. "Everyone, including Lin, can't make a shot!"
"Their tactics are fine, their timing of shots is fine, and the players shooting are fine too."
Kenny added, "But they just couldn't make the shot! The basketball just wouldn't obediently go into the basket anymore. Sometimes you can't reason with these things; if it doesn't go in, it doesn't go in, and nobody can explain why."
Barkley said, "What I'm most curious about right now is how this game will unfold, and how Carlisle will resolve the current predicament. Will he continue to let the starters test their form, trusting his strongest players, or will he bring on some substitutes and try his luck?"
In response to Barkley's question, Carlisle's choice was to try his luck with a few different players!
At the start of the fourth quarter, because the team was behind, he didn't dare let Lin Tian and Webber rest. At the same time, he also brought on Reggie, Harrington and Best!
This lineup is quite short. The two inside players are Webber, a pure power forward, and Harrington, who can even play small forward when necessary. Reggie is barely considered tall for the shooting guard position, but the backcourt consists of two point guards, Lin Tian and Best!
Although this lineup isn't strong, it's definitely fast enough, and Lin Tian, Reggie, and Best are among the most accurate players tonight.
With Carter completely out of form and Christie failing to score in the third quarter, this offensive lineup is truly the best option Carlisle could make right now!
Barkley offered a very simple and accurate assessment of Carlisle's lineup.
"Carlisle has some nerve! To gamble like this at a time like this!"
The first offensive possession of the fourth quarter belonged to the Pacers. Best dribbled the ball up the court and quickly passed it to Miller on the left, while he himself moved towards the right wing.
After receiving the ball, Miller quickly moved two steps to the left, completely spreading out the formation, and then suddenly gathered the ball and passed it inside.
That spot was where Lin Tian was backing down Fisher and reaching out for the ball!
As for the other three Pacers players, they all spread out to the other side, giving Miller and Lin Tian a local two-on-two opportunity!
"The Pacers are imitating the Lakers! They're using localized two-on-two situations! Let's see if this imitation tactic will be effective!" Kenny noticed the Pacers' change and immediately offered his analysis.
"Lin's strength and post-up game on the backcourt, combined with Reggie's shooting range and accuracy, make them a threat no less than Shaq and Kobe if they're spread out to one side!"
"More importantly, they still have Weber!"
As soon as Kenny finished speaking, Lin Tian showed everyone why Webber was so important in this position.
He had just dribbled the ball once when the Lakers double-teamed him. Lin Tian immediately passed the ball to Webber at the high post with one hand.
The moment Lin Tian passed the ball, he suddenly turned and dribbled towards the baseline. Webber, after receiving the basketball, did not stop and passed the ball directly towards the basket!
Lin Tian, who had already penetrated to the basket, leaped up, forcefully pushing past the aging Grant, grabbed the basketball in mid-air, and then slammed it towards the rim!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Lin Tiankong received the ball and dunked it over the goalkeeper, scoring two crucial points for the team!
"Wow, that's beautiful! In this league, I'm afraid only the Pacers can execute such a beautiful triangle offense!"
"Webber's awareness and passing, Miller's three-point threat, and Lin's combined strength and agility in the low post! All of these combined made Lin's score so smooth!"
Then the Lakers went on offense. At this point, the Lakers' lineup on the court consisted of Kobe, Fisher, Shaw, Jermaine O'Neal, and Grant.
The core of this lineup is undoubtedly Kobe!
Although Kobe didn't score as many points as Shaq tonight, and his highlights weren't as dazzling as Rice's, he still managed to rack up a well-rounded stat line of 19 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds thanks to his explosive performance at the beginning of the second quarter!
But when Shaq wasn't there, Kobe was the real Kobe! Only then could he unleash his full potential.
Facing Lin Tian, who was guarding him, Kobe excitedly licked his lips and said, "Long time no see, Lin! You know what? I haven't slept well for a year! All for beating you in the Finals!"
"If you can't sleep well, you need to see a psychologist, what's it to me!" Lin Tian said as he suddenly pressed against Kobe and tried to steal the ball from him.
Unfortunately, Kobe had a clear physical advantage over Lin Tian, holding the basketball extremely high and not giving Lin Tian a chance to steal it.
"I don't need to see a doctor!"
"Then you need to take your medicine! Otherwise, if you continue to have insomnia, your health will suffer!"
"I'm doing this to beat you! Not because you've lost your mind!"
"So, are you having trouble sleeping?"
"yes!"
"Then you're mentally ill!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
"Reggie."
The two were exchanging insults when Lin Tian suddenly shouted, attracting Kobe's attention. He then turned to look at the other side, only to find that Miller hadn't come over at all, but was instead entangled with Shaw on the other side.
Kobe didn't have time to refocus his attention on Lin Tian.
Because Lin Tian had once again reached out his sinister hand, this time he added a movement to his body, directly bypassing half of Kobe's body, swatting the ball down, and then suddenly accelerating, rushing towards the frontcourt!
This time, in order to score quickly, Lin Tian accelerated his speed to the limit in the blink of an eye, and then drove all the way to the basket, slamming in with one hand for another 2 points!
When he completed the dunk, even Kobe, who was chasing desperately, had only just stepped into the free throw line.
The difference in speed is obvious!
Seeing the Pacers score two points in a row, Jackson didn't dare to hesitate any longer. He patted O'Neal and Rice, signaling for the two absolute core players of the team to quickly enter the game!
Jackson dared not be careless in the first game of the Finals; he had to win and give the team a winning start!
When Kobe saw that Jackson had substituted in all the starters after just one round, he couldn't help but frown.
He felt a sense of loss at not being trusted.
I can fight back!
There's no need to change the person!
This was what Kobe was thinking, and this is what he did next!
Instead of passing the ball to O'Neal on the next offensive possession, he forced his way to the mid-range and then suddenly pulled up, taking advantage of his height and wingspan to force a mid-range jump shot over Lin Tian's defense!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Kobe Bryant hit a difficult two-pointer despite the defense.
After scoring, Kobe didn't look at Lin Tian and trash talk, but instead turned around and glanced at Jackson.
Although he didn't say anything, the frustration he felt inside was completely revealed!
He even ran right past Jackson and mumbled a couple of words to him.
"Frustrated, aren't you?" Who is Lin Tian? As the league's number one dirty-minded tactical mastermind, Lin Tian could immediately see what Kobe was thinking. Without hesitation, as soon as Kobe came to the frontcourt, he started to provoke him: "You don't even have a chance to prove you're not good enough, are you upset?"
"Who told you to be the team's second-best, no, the third? Shaq, Phil, and then you."
"Look at Tracy, he can be the leader of a top team, why can't you? I heard several teams are willing to offer you a max contract and unlimited shooting opportunities, why don't you consider it?"
"Shut up, Lin! I'm having a blast in Los Angeles!"
"I understand, I understand. It's all about brotherly love and harmony." Lin Tian continued with a mischievous grin, "You could have just let Shaq go. Being the boss doesn't mean you have to move yourself. Getting someone else to move is just as good, isn't it?"
"Shaq and I are great buddies!"
"Really? I don't believe it!" Lin Tian shook his head without even thinking. "If you two really like each other from the bottom of your hearts, I'll cut off my head and use it as a chamber pot!"
While relentlessly mocking and provoking Kobe, Lin Tian dribbled the ball, looking for an open teammate. Then, Lin Tian suddenly flicked his hands towards the left corner, where Harrington caught the ball.
Jermaine O'Neal didn't follow up in time; he was still entangled with Webber near the free-throw line. As for O'Neal, it was even less likely that he would rush over to intercept an open three-pointer from an unknown player.
Harrington got a huge open shot, and the fearless guy glanced at it before jumping and shooting without hesitation!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, the Pacers scored another 3 points!
This three-pointer was their first since the middle of the third quarter!
They've just missed seven three-pointers in a row!
"Beautiful! Harrington! A clutch player! This guy only shoots 30% from three-point range this year, but he dared to take that shot! Carlisle's player selection is indeed bold and effective!" Barkley praised excitedly, "No wonder Larry made him his successor as head coach! This courage is exactly what a top coach should have!"
As Barkley spoke, the Lakers' offense once again passed through Kobe and reached O'Neal. When O'Neal faced Webber, it was really no different from facing thin air. He easily pushed Webber aside, then turned and hooked his hand to score 2 points!
"I thought you'd have more guts and go toe-to-toe with Phil and Shaq, but you just passed the ball like that! What was the point of that mid-range shot? Did you want a lollipop?"
Lin didn't care whether O'Neal scored or not. In his opinion, the most important thing tonight and even in this series was to provoke Kobe, make Kobe play more selfishly, and not pass the ball to O'Neal!
"You know Kobe, even if you win the game by playing like this, all the credit should go to Shaq!"
"You're just some nobody who won by riding on someone else's coattails! Everyone will only remember Shaq!"
"Did you contribute anything? Oh, you did, but it was really nothing!"
"Don't you know that a championship without a Finals MVP would lower your historical standing?"
"Have some backbone! Don't even think about winning the championship unless you're the Finals MVP!"
As Lin Tian continued his trash talk, Kobe became increasingly engrossed!
Unfortunately, Kobe became increasingly impulsive and passed the ball around as he played.
This guy has practically given up on his attack!
He actually played more and more rationally, and his passes to O'Neal became smoother and smoother!
He passed the ball directly to O'Neal from beyond the three-point line for a one-on-one shot, drove to the basket and passed the ball to O'Neal near the free-throw line for a mid-range shot, then drove to the basket, drew a double team and passed the ball to Rice on the baseline for a three-pointer, then drove to the basket, faked a shot and passed the ball to O'Neal for a one-handed dunk.
The most outrageous instance was when the Pacers brought back their full starting lineup, and Christie returned to the court to face Kobe in a single possession.
This guy used a series of fakes to shake off Christie, giving himself a great three-point opportunity. Then, when he jumped and everyone thought he was going to shoot, he actually dunked the ball towards the inside!
Jermaine O'Neal catches the ball in mid-air, spins and slams it down for another 2 points for the Lakers!
Before the fourth quarter was even over, Kobe had already racked up 15 assists, breaking his own career playoff single-game assist record!
While dishing out 15 assists, Kobe only had 3 turnovers! His performance as a top-tier point guard, coupled with his assist-to-turnover ratio, demonstrated absolute composure and sound judgment!
Kobe proved that he wasn't selfish or incapable of passing; in those games where he got carried away, he simply didn't want to pass!
When he's focused on passing, he's definitely one of the best passers outside of the point guard position in the league!
With Kobe's incredibly rational playing style, the Lakers' entire offense was completely revitalized! Their offense in the fourth quarter was fluid and consistently successful!
Kenny even gave the highest praise he could: "I see the shadow of Magic Johnson in Kobe!"
In other words, the Pacers' shooting touch suddenly returned in the fourth quarter tonight. Lin Tian, Miller, and Christie all made shots. Apart from Carter still being unable to deal with Kobe and being completely outplayed by him, the rest of the Pacers players were back in form!
Just like their sudden loss of touch in the third quarter, there was no reason or cause to be found. It was as if some unseen force was guiding them, making them miss their shots, and then making them hit their shots one after another!
If the Pacers hadn't regained their shooting touch in the fourth quarter, the Lakers would have pulled away much earlier!
Even when they found their rhythm, they were never able to completely tie or take the lead.
With only two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the score was 115-120!
The Pacers are still trailing the Lakers by 5 points!
This was an extremely offensive battle, and both sides played to their strengths and performed at their best!
This night's showdown was absolutely a battle of the titans!
But in any case, this match must eventually have a winner!
At least for now, the Lakers still have the upper hand!
Carlisle called a timeout at this point in the hope that the players could calm down, regain their composure, and then score the next goal!
At this moment, the most excited person in the entire arena was not even Kobe, who had already scored 24 points and 15 assists, nor Shaq, who had already scored 40 points and 19 rebounds. The most excited and proud person at this moment was Phil Jackson.
The guy crossed his arms and looked smugly at Lin Tian across from him on the bench.
Little fox! I finally got to beat you this time, didn't I?
Psychological warfare?
When it comes to psychological warfare, Phil Jackson is the undisputed number one in the league!
Throughout the entire night, and even in the days leading up to the media reports about Lin Tian's comments, Jackson barely spoke to Kobe!
He never said anything like "Lin is deliberately provoking us," "We need you to pass the ball," or "Shaq is the most important person to us, your job is to give him the ball."
Jackson knew very well that saying these things to Kobe would not only be useless, but would most likely have the opposite effect, so he wisely chose to remain silent and wait. He was waiting for Kobe to come to him on his own initiative!
Sure enough, right at the start of the fourth quarter, after Jackson substituted O'Neal, Kobe made that difficult jump shot, then ran over to Jackson and said, "Phil, I can do it!"
"I know." Jackson remained incredibly calm and composed, squinting as he said, "I've always known you could do it, and I believe you know when and how to play. You're Kobe Bryant! The super talent I think has the best chance of surpassing Jordan."
"Michael knows when to attack and when to pass the ball, and of course you know that too!"
"If I didn't know what you could do, why wouldn't I talk to you?"
With just a few words, Kobe completely let go of his inner turmoil and transformed into a passing master, feeding the entire Lakers team until they were practically burping!
At this moment, Lin Tian even had a strange feeling that the four legendary NBA beasts circulating on the Chinese internet in his previous life were 2-meter Iverson, rational Kobe, hardworking Shaq, and cold-blooded LeBron.
Today, what I encountered was nothing more than the damn rational science and diligent shark.
"Having either the Crouching Dragon or the Young Phoenix is enough to bring peace to the world, and I've encountered both of them today?"
To die to die!
Has this alliance driven itself into this mess?
Even a super mythical beast that has never existed before is starting to stop him from winning two consecutive championships?
What a tragedy! (End of Chapter)