bookbashuk Chapter 344 The Worst Pacers Team! An Unprecedented Embarrassment
Chapter 344 The Worst Pacers Team! An Unprecedented Embarrassment
Regardless of whether the Pacers' strategy of using Harrington to trap Garnett's lower body was a Minnesota-specific version of Carlisle's tactics, the fact remains that tonight, when Garnett faced Harrington, he truly couldn't display any dominance!
He was completely shut down by Harrington on the offensive end!
Throughout the first quarter, Garnett not only committed 3 turnovers but also only made 1 of 4 shots. With the team leader performing so poorly on offense, the Timberwolves naturally struggled to put on a good offensive performance, scoring only 19 points in the entire first quarter!
Of those 19 points, a large portion came from individual offensive plays by Sprewell and Brandon, with the team dishing out only 3 assists in the first quarter! The Timberwolves' entire offensive system collapsed because Garnett was effectively shut down by Harrington!
They can only score points piecemeal through individual ability!
For the Timberwolves, the worst problem isn't even Garnett's lack of contribution on offense, but rather his lack of contribution on defense!
After the Pacers launched several fast breaks at the start of the game, the Timberwolves began to focus on retreating on defense, compressing the Pacers' driving space, and fighting for offensive rebounds to prevent them from pushing so easily.
But when the Pacers finally fell into a half-court game as the Timberwolves had hoped, the Timberwolves realized that the "Minnesota-style package" that Carlisle had prepared for them had only just begun!
Targeting the Timberwolves' center Nesterovic's weaknesses of slow movement, slow reaction and lack of agility, the Pacers' center Miller never went to the area below the free-throw line. He stayed at the high post to play various screens and handoffs with his teammates!
If Nesterovic doesn't come up and just stays in the paint, Miller and Lin Tian will use handoffs to catch jump shots one after another, making the Timberwolves look like they're being ripped out!
Nesterovic then finally gave up camping and moved up to defend the Pacers' shooters. But at this moment, Carlisle brought in Best, a very effective backup guard, and started a double point guard tactic with Lin Tian.
Are you coming up?
These two fast guards immediately turned the Timberwolves' interior defense into a sieve!
At this point, Garnett had no choice but to quickly retreat to defend the Pacers' small guard's attack. However, this left Harrington exposed!
This kite-like power forward who loves to shoot threes has a shooting ability that is completely inconsistent with his lower body strength. In the first quarter, he seized the opportunity and hit two three-pointers in a row!
As a result, the Timberwolves didn't even dare to ask Garnett to take them back.
Head coach Saunders had no choice but to make a substitution, replacing Nesterovic with the faster and more agile Lafonso Ellis!
But as soon as the Timberwolves brought on Ellis, who was only a little over 2 meters tall, Carlisle immediately shouted at the court. Brad Miller, who had just been acting like a germaphobe and refusing to go inside, immediately transformed into an inside monster and plunged into the paint, refusing to come out!
Compared to Ellis, Miller has a height advantage of over 10 centimeters and a weight advantage of almost 10 kilograms! With both advantages combined, this guy immediately transformed into a monster under the basket, scoring twice in a row with strong low-post attacks.
Left with no other option, Garnett had to charge into the paint to help defend once again, following Sanders' instructions.
But none of them expected that this unknown guy, who was overlooked and went undrafted in the draft three years ago, would actually have a knack for passing!
Or rather, Miller's signature skill is passing! While not as flashy and elegant as Webber's, his vision and passing ability are absolutely top-notch!
In the end, the Pacers defeated the Timberwolves by 18 points, successfully securing another victory!
After successfully defeating the Timberwolves, the Pacers' new starting lineup has gradually found its rhythm and confidence, and they have won several more games in the following period.
After defeating four more opponents in a row, their winning streak has once again reached five games!
The Pacers' record at this point is temporarily set at 21 wins and 6 losses! They are firmly in first place in the Eastern Conference, with the Magic following closely behind with 19 wins and 8 losses.
When the season reaches this stage, it also means that December is almost over.
Christmas Battle!
The most anticipated and eagerly awaited game day of the regular season for fans has finally arrived!
On Christmas Eve, the league will, as usual, schedule several of the most anticipated and exciting matchups that fans will want to watch on TV!
This year, the league has prepared a total of three games.
Magic vs. Spurs!
This marks Tim Duncan's first visit to San Antonio since his trade, earning him the nickname "traitor to San Antonio." Here, he will face his former mentor Robinson and coach Popovich! Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic, who assembled a dream team this summer, will also face a challenge from a top Western Conference team, where they will showcase their true strength!
76ers vs. Bucks!
This game is a clash of emerging forces in the league, with the third-ranked 76ers in the East facing off against the fourth-ranked Bucks. Iverson vs. the Three Musketeers!
This game was a contest of individual and team firepower. Before Christmas, Iverson averaged 32 points per game, the highest in the league!
The Bucks' three sharpshooters combine for 62 points per game, making them the second-highest scoring trio in the league!
Will the Three Musketeers wipe out the Philadelphia elite led by Iverson, or will the lone hero Iverson storm the Deer's Den and win the crucial battle?
And the most important and eye-catching final battle.
Lakers vs. Pacers!
These two teams, who were opponents in last year's Finals and are also the two most popular teams in the league today, faced off for the first time since the Finals on Christmas Day!
The only difference is that the Lakers are now fully healthy and in good form. Jermaine O'Neal, whom the team acquired from the Trail Blazers for a low price last year, has transformed this season and secured his position as the team's starting power forward!
Not only that, Jermaine O'Neal is averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds per game this season! He has surpassed Rice's 12 points per game and become the team's third-leading scorer!
而球队老大奥尼尔场均轰下28分13篮板，同样在今年迎来蜕变，状态越来越好的科比则是场均27分5篮板5助攻，职业生涯第一次打出25+5+5级别的顶级摇摆人数据！
The trio of Kobe and the two Shaqs has become the highest-scoring trio in the league today!
Actually, the Pacers' Carter, Webber, and Lin Tian could have been a match for these three guys, but unfortunately, Carter and Webber played too few games and didn't make it into the statistics list!
If they want to compete with the Lakers in this ranking, they'll have to wait until Webber and Carter return to the court!
This highly anticipated Christmas game lost much of its appeal and excitement due to the Pacers' incomplete roster!
What was supposed to be a top-tier showdown between the leagues turned into a three-on-one battle against Lü Bu!
When the game started, everyone finally realized that Brad Miller and Harrington, who could play brilliantly against other opponents and deliver excellent performances, were somewhat unable to keep up with the intensity of the game when facing truly top teams!
这一场比赛，布拉德·米勒7投仅2中，只拿下8分6篮板2助攻的数据就被奥尼尔打到6犯离场，哈灵顿则是12投只有3中，只拿到了9分3篮板2助攻，被对面同样是今年开始崛起的小奥尼尔给打爆了。
As for Christie on the perimeter, he also had a hard time dealing with Kobe, who has now grown into a true top star. Especially after Ben Wallace lost his help defense in the paint, Christie became the only barrier to defend Kobe. He tried his best on the defensive end, but he still couldn't stop Kobe's firepower!
In this game, only Lin Tian and Reggie Jackson performed well for the Pacers. Lin Tian scored 41 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds, nearly achieving a triple-double, while Reggie Jackson hit 7 three-pointers and scored 31 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists!
Thanks to the performance of these two players, the Pacers managed to keep the game close until the very last minute!
Unfortunately, only these two players scored in double figures; the rest of the team were simply not in form tonight!
In the final minute of the game, Fisher relentlessly chased Miller all over the court, while Kobe and Rice double-teamed Lin Tian. In addition, the O'Neal brothers were ready to help defend under the basket. As for the other three players, the Lakers left them alone!
This targeted defense and the 5-on-2 defensive strategy put the Pacers' offense in a very difficult position!
In the final minute of the game, the Pacers attacked the Lakers' defense three times, but Miller couldn't find space to receive the ball, Lin Tian missed two shots, and Harrington missed a wide-open shot as well.
On the contrary, the Lakers relied on O'Neal's dominance in the paint and Kobe's mid-range jump shot to score 4 points in a row, killing the game!
The Pacers failed to score in the final minute, allowing the Lakers to go on a run. Ultimately, the Pacers lost this crucial Christmas Day game by 7 points, 101-108!
The Lakers were ecstatic after securing this crucial victory. The players celebrated and cheered wildly, as if they had won the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, the entire Staples Center was celebrating like it was New Year's Day!
They won!
I've been holding back for a full six months, carrying the regret and frustration of being utterly crushed by the Pacers for a full six months!
Los Angeles residents can finally hold their heads high!
Although the Pacers were a depleted team, and the Lakers fought to the very end to secure the victory against them, a win is a win!
The Lakers are just so happy!
When asked about the Lakers' excitement, Lin Tian simply told the media after the game, "We'll see."
Then, Lin Tian left Staples Center and left Los Angeles.
He wasn't in a terrible mood tonight, given that the team was depleted and losing to the Lakers was to be expected.
But it's definitely not wonderful. After all, who can look at the stats after losing a game and say, "We lost tonight, but I had 40+10 and my plus-minus was +7"?
How strong must one's heart be to say something like that?
Anyway, although Lin Tian considered himself to be thick-skinned enough, he really couldn't do that.
For the Pacers, however, the nightmare has only just begun!
As if the Lakers had shattered their confidence, Brad Miller, Al Harrington, and even Christie and Best on the bench were completely out of sorts in the remaining two games of December, their performances plummeting from before Christmas.
Even Reggie Miller seemed to have exhausted himself in the game against the Lakers. In the next two games, his three-point shooting percentage dropped to 26%, and he only made 4 of 15 shots in total. He played equally poorly!
With the entire team performing poorly, the Pacers suffered another losing streak at the end of December, losing to both the Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings, two offensively potent teams.
Three consecutive losses!
步行者队遭遇了林天加入球队以来的第一次3连败！自从97-98赛季以来，他们在3个多赛季的时间里一直保持着顶级强队的水平，从未遭遇过3连败的窘境！
This time, due to persistent injuries and a decline in the strength of their bench, they suffered a losing streak!
After this three-game losing streak, their record has dropped to 21 wins and 9 losses, overtaken by the Magic, and fallen to second place in the Eastern Conference.
In the Western Conference, the Lakers (24 wins, 5 losses) and the Mavericks (22 wins, 8 losses) are ahead of the Pacers.
With more than a third of the season completed, the Pacers were only ranked fourth in the league!
Meanwhile, they were only ranked fifth in the latest power rankings released by the league, and in the odds given in Las Vegas, they also dropped to sixth, even being surpassed by the Milwaukee Bucks!
Furthermore, in the MVP rankings, even though Lin Tian is still averaging a perfect 26 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals per game, he has already slipped to fifth place!
不如场均28分13篮板的奥尼尔，不如场均32分5助攻的艾弗森和22分12篮板的邓肯！
Even Kevin Garnett of the Timberwolves has climbed to fourth place, surpassing Lin Tian!
Since Lin Tian joined the Pacers, he has never fallen out of the top three in the MVP rankings!
It can be said that both the Pacers and Lin Tian personally have reached the most difficult and worst moment in the four seasons since Lin Tian joined the team!
Perhaps the only thing to be thankful for at this point is that the Pacers' injury crisis came early, at the beginning of the season, rather than in the middle or at the end!
If such a series of injuries had occurred at that time, it would have truly affected the team's chances of winning the championship!
It's not too late!
But Lin Tian couldn't stand it anymore!
Faced with the team's continuous losing streak and the terrible situation of switching back and forth between victory and defeat, Lin Tian knew that he had to do something!
On January 1st, the Pacers, returning to Indiana, will host the Sacramento Kings, a rising force in the West, in their first game of 2001!
双方在3天之前的那场对战之中，国王队的三剑客杰森·威廉士、迪瓦茨和佩贾·斯托贾科维奇是纷纷开了大招，威廉士17分13次助攻，迪瓦茨18分13篮板5助攻，佩贾则是轰进8个3分拿下33分！
With all three of them exploding at the same time, the Kings successfully defeated the Pacers, achieving a victory that made the entire city of Sacramento cheer!
Then, less than 96 hours later, the Kings arrived in Indiana, determined to win! They still wanted to achieve the feat of sweeping the Pacers this season!
In the past four years, no team in the league has been able to sweep the Pacers in the regular season!
Now, the Kings' chance has come!
From head coach Adelman to key players Peja and Williams, and even the role players, everyone on the team is highly motivated and determined to defeat the Pacers and become the first team in four years to sweep the Pacers in the regular season!
Because of Lin Tian's appearance, the Kings, who were almost completely drained, actually benefited from the misfortune. Although they lost Webber and Christie, the two absolute core players of the team.
However, Williams has received better training and more opportunities. This season, he is averaging 16 points and 9 assists per game. Although he still cannot solve his weakness of low shooting percentage, he is already showing signs of becoming a top-tier guard in the league.
With Webber absent, the tall shooter Peja from Yugoslavia has stepped up to lead the team early on. This season, he is averaging 24 points per game with a 42% field goal percentage, and making more than two three-pointers per game! He has become a representative of the new generation of top shooters in the league!
In addition, there's the multi-talented Vlade Divac, who averages 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. In his rookie season, he got plenty of opportunities to showcase his excellent talent and all-around skills, along with Hedo Turkoglu, who averages 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game, and bench killer Bobby Jackson.
The Kings' goal this year is no longer just to make the playoffs!
They have higher-level dreams and plans!
Before the game started, amidst a barrage of boos and jeers from the Indiana fans, the five starters – Verratti Divac, Peja Stojakovic, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Williams, and Fred Hoiberg – walked onto the field side by side!
"Long time no see, Fred. How have you been lately?" Lin Tian's expression remained relaxed as he reached out to greet Hoiberg, a former Pacers player and the team's backup shooting guard during their 98 championship run.
Hoiberg was clearly surprised that Lin Tian still remembered him, a complete extra, and reached out to bump hands with Lin Tian, saying with some delight, "Not bad! I've even made it into the starting lineup this year!"
"Lin, I'm going to beat you to a pulp tonight!" Williams, Lin Tian's number one fanboy, walked over with a slightly jealous look on his face when he saw that Lin Tian hadn't greeted him first, and started to provoke him.
"If you can shoot over 30% and score over 10 points tonight, that's a pretty low bar to beat me, isn't it?" Lin Tian said, chewing gum. "If you can't even do that, don't ever use the word 'beat' in front of me again!"
"We'll see!" Williams sensed Lin Tian's disdain and immediately became eager to try, his breathing becoming heavier as he couldn't wait for the match to begin! He also knew very well that he was no match for Lin Tian.
Can it score 10 points? With a 30% hit rate?
Who do you think you are!
Just do it!
Of the Pacers' starting five, only Lin Tian and Christie are regular starters, while the remaining three are still Miller, Harrington, and Miller.
With the referee's whistle in the center circle, Miller easily secured the first possession for his team against a veteran player who was older, slower, and jumped lower than him.
Lin Tian hugged the basketball and calmly dribbled it to the frontcourt once again. Facing Williams' eager and excited defensive stance, Lin Tian chewed his gum and said casually, "Judging from your expression, you're ready to be completely crushed by me?"
"Come on, Lin, let me show you what I'm made of."
Just as Williams was halfway through his sentence, Lin Tian used the same trick again, accelerating past Williams and forcibly passing by him. Lin Tian was so fast that Williams didn't even have time to utter a curse before he disappeared from his sight!
By the time Williams turned around and tried to continue defending Lin Tian, Lin Tian had already made his move!
Lin Tian blew past Williams, stopped abruptly two steps inside the three-point line, pulled up, and launched a mid-range jump shot!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian scored a jump shot in the blink of an eye!
"Jason, where are you? Lost?" After scoring, Lin Tian was still chewing gum, casually backing away with a nonchalant expression.
"Oh! Lin is here again! His first step is so fast! If we're just talking about speed, I think Lin is definitely the best player in the league right now!" Kenny couldn't help but exclaim in admiration after seeing Lin Tian's shot.
"Is it just about speed? Why do I feel like Lin is the best player in the league in so many aspects?" Barkley said from the side. "Or rather, Lin is clearly the best player in the league right now!"
"He's the best in the league in so many ways! Like his defense! Look, Lin is guarding Williams closely, giving him no space at all. Is Williams going to make a mistake? He's dribbling very awkwardly! Lin shoots! He steals the ball! Lin steals the ball!"
"Snapped!"
On the court, Lin Tian was closely guarding Williams outside the three-point line, making it impossible for him to even take a single step into the paint. With his powerful strength as a foundation, Williams really had no room to perform or break through. Just as he was staggering and trying to find a teammate to pass the ball out, Lin Tian took the ball!
He stole the ball from Williams, then turned and launched a counterattack towards the frontcourt. With Lin Tian's lightning speed, the Kings players had no time to catch up and could only watch as Lin Tian charged towards the basket!
Then Lin Tian easily jumped from the side of the basket, holding the basketball in one hand and drawing a beautiful arc in front of him. Then, as Lin Tian glided all the way to be parallel to the basket, his right hand holding the ball suddenly swung out horizontally and slammed the ball into the basket!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Lin Tian scored another 2 points for the Pacers!
"Wow!" Barkley shouted excitedly, "Here it comes! Lin's shot is so similar to Michael's in the Slam Dunk Contest! A one-handed long swing! Lin's execution is even better!"
"I think his takeoff height, glide distance, and the fluidity of his one-handed windmill jump are all better than Michael's back then! Kenny, what do you think?"
"I think that shot was perfect! I saw Michael's shadow and spirit in Lin! If Lin were a few centimeters taller, that shot would be exactly the same as Michael's!" Kenny's comments were much more cautious.
After all, Barkley and Jordan were good buddies, so he could say whatever he wanted without any inhibitions.
But Kenny doesn't have that kind of connection, so he has to think carefully and be more cautious when he speaks.
As for Lin Tian on the court, if he heard what these two were saying, he would definitely say: Similar? That's right! And it's not just similar, you could even say "yes" without being an exaggeration!
After the team suffered three consecutive losses, Lin Tian could no longer tolerate the team continuing in this mediocre state, unable to win consistently, so he used up his last trial card!
"Michael Jordan Trial Card (Single Month) for the 87-88 Season!"
That season, Jordan averaged an impressive 35 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals per game. That season, Jordan won his first MVP award, led his team to 50 wins for the first time, and won the Defensive Player of the Year award for the first and only time!
This season, Jordan achieved his first individual Grand Slam! He won every honor except for the NBA championship!
Although Jordan didn't average 37 points per game this season as terrifyingly as he did the previous year, his average of 35 points per game is still the second highest in his career!
At this time, Jordan had endless energy and could truly play an all-out offensive and defensive game. It was the year in which his personal abilities were most exaggerated and thoroughly unleashed!
In addition to Jordan, the Bulls' roster that year also included a pure role player, a young version of Charles Oakley, a rookie version of Pippen who had just joined the team, and "Cobra" Grant who hadn't yet put on his glasses.
Apart from that, no other player has ever been selected for the All-Star team, and no other player has left any noteworthy achievements in the league.
This Bulls team is quite similar to this year's 76ers team; both are purely one-man teams and teams that belong entirely to one person!
But this one-man team was led by Jordan to the second round of the playoffs and won 50 games!
It was also from this season that Jordan officially began to become the league's top superstar!
That year, Jordan may not have possessed the same effortless and indiscriminate post-up game as he did in his later prime, and his ability to read the game and share the ball was also not as good as it was in his peak.
But his mid-range shooting, his finishing ability when driving to the basket, and his ability to pull up for a shot and score at any time have absolutely reached a historic level!
This is the state Lin Tian is in right now!
Infinite energy, fierce fighting spirit, the skill to pull up and put the ball in the basket anytime, anywhere within the three-point line, and shooting range, plus terrifying impact and finishing ability!
While acquiring Jordan's abilities, Lin Tian also possesses a reliable three-point shot, perfect court vision, and top-tier passing skills in the league! Add to that a weight likely greater than Jordan's at the time, and even greater speed.
Simply put, Lin Tian is now, or rather, for the next whole month, definitely stronger than Jordan was back then!
The next month will be Lin Tian and Jordan!
The two most offensively powerful and defensively terrifying backcourt players in NBA history have been combined into one!
Williams?
Let alone Jason Williams, even if Michael Jordan in his prime came, he wouldn't be able to get the better of Lin Tian now!
From this perspective, Lin Tian's trash talk about Williams only being able to score 10 points with a 30% shooting percentage doesn't really count as trash talk anymore.
This is definitely a huge compliment to Williams!
Given Williams' abilities, the standard should be at least 8 points and 20% shooting percentage!
Under Lin Tian's targeted defense, Williams committed 3 turnovers in the first 5 minutes of the first quarter! One of them was a one-on-one steal by Lin Tian in the backcourt, and Lin Tian made a layup!
Besides committing 3 turnovers, Williams also only made 0 of 2 shots, scoring no points and failing to dish out a single assist. As a point guard, Williams played terribly in the first five minutes of the first quarter!
Lin Tian, who was guarding him, dominated the past five minutes, not only making three steals but also accounting for all of the Pacers' points!
他五分钟内8投7中，3分球1投1中，连续轰下了15分！
One player single-handedly orchestrated a 15-4 offensive surge!
"Lin's fangs are fully bared!" Barkley exclaimed after the Kings called their first timeout. "That's leadership! That's what the best player in the league should do! When the team is plagued by injuries, when the team is on a losing streak, that's how it should be!"
"Forget tactics, forget rationality, forget ball sharing, get the hell out of here! Give me the ball, and I'll take you home! That's what a top leader does when the team is in trouble!"
"And Lin, I suspect Lin's madness won't stop just in these five minutes, and it certainly won't be limited to just this one game! Until the Pacers' injured players return, until the Pacers get back on track, Lin's offensive firepower won't subside!"
"A little tip from Sir Charles to all fans: Don't miss a single Pacers game for at least the next month! Otherwise, you'll definitely regret it!"
As Barkley spoke, the game pause ended, and the players from both sides returned to the court.
Jason Williams was temporarily benched by Adelman due to his terrible performance, and was replaced by the team's sixth man, Bobby Jackson.
Jackson is more of a shooting guard than a point guard; his playing style is that of a pure offensive player!
The responsibility of organizing the Kings' offense was directly handed over to Turkoglu, the point forward. Although Turkoglu is still a rookie this year, his skills and abilities are far from reaching their peak.
But his talent in vision, organization and passing has already been revealed. At least when facing a defender like Harrington, he can organize the team's offense with ease.
In their first possession after the Kings' timeout, they executed the Princeton offense that Coach Adelman had meticulously crafted for them!
Divac set a screen for Turkoglu at the high post, then Turkoglu passed the ball to Divac. Jackson then rushed up and made a handoff pass to Divac. After receiving the ball, Jackson continued to attack the paint.
Halfway through his sprint, he suddenly made a lateral pass to Hoiberg on the wing, who then tapped the ball towards the inside.
Peja cut to the mid-range and caught the ball. He then pulled up for a jump shot. With his power forward-level height and shooting guard-like touch, he made a sudden stop and jump shot, leaving Christie with no choice.
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp crack, the Kings finally broke their scoring drought.
"Doug, switch! I'll guard Peja." Lin Tian said immediately after Peja scored, "You go deal with Bobby."
A leader's job is to directly defend the strongest opponent! Defend against their highest-scoring player!
Since Williams isn't around, Bobby Jackson is the only real target. Lin Tian can rest assured that he can be handed over to Christie!
After arriving at the frontcourt again, facing Jackson, who was much shorter than Williams, Lin Tian didn't make any excessive moves. After two crossover dribbles, he gathered the ball and pulled up for a long-range three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian scored his 18th consecutive point!
Then, when the Kings were on offense, Lin Tian switched to defend Peja and stood next to him. This time, when Peja tried to use his off-ball skills and height to attack Lin Tian, he found that he couldn't shake off Lin Tian. No matter how he used his off-ball skills, Lin Tian was able to stick to him and prevent him from getting space to receive the ball.
Just as the Kings' tactics were about to completely fail, Adelman on the sidelines couldn't hold back any longer. He stood up and yelled, "You have a height advantage! A height advantage, Peja! Turn your back to him! Corner him! Corner him!"
Upon hearing the coach's instruction, Peja seemed to suddenly realize something, immediately turned around and blocked Lin Tian, reaching out for the ball. Seeing that his teammate was in position, Turkoglu didn't wait for any other opportunity and made a bounce pass, giving the ball to Peja.
Lin Tian provided ample support from behind Peja, making Peja extremely uncomfortable.
"Bang!"
Peja dribbled the ball backwards, trying to test his strength.
But after he pushed out, he felt like he had not hit a person, but an indestructible city wall!
Not only did he fail to advance towards the inside, but he was also knocked back a step by Lin Tian!
The more he plays, the further he gets from the basket!
"FUXX!"
Peja cursed, quickly changed his offensive strategy, dribbled the ball and leaned against Lin Tian, then turned around and quickly gathered the ball, intending to make a turnaround jump shot!
He believed he had a significant height advantage and could easily dodge Lin Tian's defense and interference to complete the shot.
But the question is... can he even make the shot?
Obviously not!
"Snapped!"
Just as Peja jumped to catch the ball, Lin Tian seized the opportunity and slapped him down viciously!
Peja immediately lost control of the basketball in his hands and it disappeared. He also lost his balance because of this and almost fell over!
Lin Tian had already dribbled the ball and launched another counterattack towards the frontcourt!
Jackson, Hoiberg, and Turkoglu, the three Kings players, immediately retreated on defense. All three of them focused their attention on Lin Tian. Hoiberg and Jackson were in front, and Turkoglu was behind. The three of them did their best to prevent Lin Tian from scoring!
Faced with being surrounded by three people, Lin Tian's choice was incredibly calm and decisive!
He stopped abruptly two steps into the three-point line, then pulled up and launched another mid-range pull-up jumper!
"Whoosh!"
20 minutes! (End of Chapter)