Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 550 Lin Tian's Debate with the Scholars: Boston Was Silent Tonight

"Don't you think Howard's performance was very tough? He wasn't afraid of you guys, he bravely stepped up, and he risked being ejected to cheer on the team."

"Two stupid and meaningless technical fouls can boost a team's morale? What kind of illogical logic is that?" Lin Tian chuckled. "If he's reacting to unfair calls, to protect injured teammates, or to punish opponents for dirty play, then that's fine."

"But now, let me ask you, why was he expelled? Do you dare to say it out loud? When you do, don't you think it's a joke?"

Lin Tian paused slightly at this point, knowing that the reporter was embarrassed to say the answer himself, so he answered his own question directly: "Because his provocations and shouts did not get any response from the other side, he was so impotently enraged that he received two technical fouls."

"I would call this the most childish and inexplicable technical foul in history."

"Still two!"

"So, Lin," a reporter standing nearby said, seeing his colleague being utterly defeated by Lin Tian's barrage of criticism, "I'm curious, why do you think the Celtics are still going all out and fighting so desperately when their chances of winning are already slim?"

"Doesn't this deserve respect and recognition? Doesn't this demonstrate their team's strong cohesion and never-give-up spirit?"

"Of course not." Lin Tian shrugged and said without hesitation, "They didn't do this because the team has strong cohesion! Otherwise, Marbury wouldn't have suddenly disappeared, right? Or is it that the Celtics' team cohesion excludes Marbury?"

"Let me put it this way, why did they go all out in the second half to catch up, to play so hard, and to show everyone their toughness, unity, and never-give-up spirit?"

"After we rallied to win two games from a 3-1 lead, the team's morale and mentality collapsed! They have lost all unity and cohesion; they are on the verge of collapse!"

"Someone, or rather some people, on their team know very well that there's only one way to maintain the team's fighting spirit, to keep the team's superficial cohesion going: to chase a ridiculous task that can never be accomplished!"

"This is their only way."

"Lin, are you saying that if a team is down by 30 points at halftime, they should just give up and there's no point in playing the rest of the game? That all teams that are trailing by a large margin at halftime should just surrender?"

"I didn't say that," Lin Tian waved his hand and said, "What I mean is that David, who dared to challenge Goliath, was certainly a brave warrior, but more importantly, he was intelligent. He knew how to defeat Goliath. If David hadn't been intelligent, he wouldn't have used a slingshot to shoot stones."

"If he were to take up a longsword, wear armor, and engage in hand-to-hand combat with Goliath, then I'm sorry, he would only become another nameless corpse dying under Goliath's sword."

"So, do you understand what I mean? The Celtics' comeback in the fourth quarter tonight was purely to save face and maintain team cohesion; they weren't after victory."

"Because they know perfectly well they can't win! It's like they're destined to lose in Game 7!"

At the press conference, Lin Tian went all out, practically engaging in a verbal battle with everyone present, leaving all the reporters speechless.

Anyway, Lin Tian had a good rant that night. He blew the Celtics' players, coaches, and even team culture to shreds. After standing up and looking at the reporters to make sure no one dared to challenge him, he left the press conference with a smug look on his face.

He absolutely exceeded expectations in completing the task assigned to him by Old Nelson!

Back in the locker room, Lin Tian clapped his hands and addressed his teammates, saying, "After the fourth game, the Celtics players made a series of arrogant and disrespectful remarks, which made us extremely angry."

"So today, I'm going to retaliate with even more arrogant and outrageous remarks. I'm going to show them that when it comes to trash talk, their entire team combined is no match for me!"

"But you all surely know what kind of impact my criticism will have on the team!"

Lin Tian paused again, then said, "If we lose the next game, we'll become the biggest joke in the NBA! For the next five years, our actions will be brought up as a joke time and time again, and we'll be ridiculed relentlessly."

"But if we win, they'll be a joke, and their boasts after Game 4 will be nothing but madness. Now tell me, who's the biggest joke in the NBA?"

"Celtics! Celtics! Celtics!"

"Very well, then let's go home! And then, send the Celts home too!"

The night ended with the entire Knicks team chanting "Celtics!"

They will then return to New York for the final game of this series.

For both sides, it was a win-or-go-home game; for both sides, it was a must-win game!

When a series reaches this stage, no matter who it is, there's no need for any pre-match pep talk or preparation.

Both sides know each other perfectly, and are extremely clear about each other.

Knowing which player on the opposing team likes to shoot from which position, and where they are prone to missing shots, as well as which player on the opposing team can defend and which player is simply unbeatable.

At this point in the game, it's no longer a test of the coaches' abilities; it's a test of the strength of the strongest players on both sides, and the ability of their absolute core players and ace players to withstand pressure!

Whoever can withstand the pressure, whoever can perform better in dire situations, and whoever can save the team will become a hero for the entire team and even the entire city.

And everyone knows that Lin Tian will never let the fans down at this time!

The same goes for tonight!

At the start of Game 7 of the series, Lin Tian unleashed his unparalleled individual skills and began a fierce attack on the Celtics' defense!

That night, Lin Tian was no longer as keen as before to attack the basket, draw the defense, and then either pass the ball or take a shot to end the play.

That night, Lin Tian started to focus on mid-range attacks!

Because the biggest weakness in the Celtics' defense lies here!

They will defend the three-point line tightly, and they will rely on their twin towers to collapse the paint!

However, they also selectively leave open the area from the free-throw line up to the three-point line.

Firstly, regardless of who it is, the shooting percentage in this area is relatively the most unstable. Secondly, given the Celtics' defensive resources, they have to selectively leave some areas open; they cannot defend every area in the half-court.

Comparatively speaking, the three-point line and the area under the basket are the most efficient areas on the court, with the former having a higher single-shot score and the latter having the highest shooting percentage.

Therefore, the Celtics had no choice but to leave some space in the mid-range area to strengthen their defense in the paint and on the three-point line.

This defensive strategy was actually implemented by the Celtics throughout the regular season and in the first few games of this series.

However, when it came to a decisive Game 7, the Celtics implemented this strategy even more thoroughly.

It's all about letting you shoot from mid-range, blocking the paint and three-pointers, betting you can't get in!

Lin Tian's response was simple, direct, and extremely forceful.

After failing to penetrate the paint twice at the start of the game due to interference from the Celtics' twin towers, Lin Tian stopped his persistent drives to the basket.

Since everyone knows the Celtics have a fierce defense under the basket, there's no need to push towards the basket anymore.

Let's go for mid-range attacks!

Starting from the third round after the start, Lin Tian's playing style changed again!

He accelerated past Allen from beyond the three-point line, then took two steps inside the three-point line and pulled up for a shot!

hit.

He called for a pick-and-roll from the top of the arc, then dribbled only one step after the screen before stopping abruptly, pulled up half a step inside the three-point line, and shot it in!

He held the ball beyond the three-point line, observing the Celtics' defense, then suddenly accelerated, and near the free-throw line, he did a crossover dribble, pulled back, stepped up, and shot—it went in!

After calling for a screen on the flank, he faced a double-team from Duncan and Allen, but he forced his way through the gaps and managed to make a mid-range floater!

Before the first quarter was even halfway through, Lin Tian had already transformed into a mid-range powerhouse, sinking four consecutive mid-range shots!

The Knicks, thanks to Lin Tian's terrifying offensive power in the mid-range, scored 15 points in just half a quarter, taking a 7-point lead over the Celtics!

"Ultimately, this game comes down to the ability of the core players on both teams and their ability to break through defenses." After the first official timeout, Kenny said, "Lin has set an example. He found the only 'weak point' on the Celtics' defense and exploited it relentlessly, giving his team the lead."

"Now it's time for Duncan or Pierce to fight back. If they don't step up, if they can't respond, then the Celtics are in trouble tonight."

No sooner had Kenny finished speaking than the Celtics executed a classic play.

Duncan and Pierce set a pick and roll, and then Duncan quickly sprinted down the court. After receiving a pass from Pierce, Duncan spun around and brushed Okur and Stoudemire behind him. Then he jumped up and slammed the ball down with both hands!

"A new trick! The Celtics really have something new to offer!" Barkley exclaimed in surprise. "We haven't seen this move much before. Even when the Celtics run pick-and-rolls, they mostly let Howard come out. Duncan rarely takes the initiative to set screens for his teammates to cut to the basket."

"Because he is too heavy, too much driving to the basket will affect his health and reduce his threat under the basket."

"All I can say is that everyone on the Celtics team gave it their all! Physical strain or risk of injury—none of that mattered at this moment!"

"The important thing is to win!"

However, less than 10 seconds after Duncan made that layup, the Knicks scored again!

This time, it was Anthony who scored. The guy who found his rhythm in the last game received a pass from Lin Tian on the wing, faked a step forward, and then immediately stopped and shot, another mid-range jumper that swished perfectly into the pocket!

Carmelo Anthony's scoring is definitely very bad news for the Celtics!

If it were just Lin Tian alone, they wouldn't be able to defend against him. They could simply launch a full-scale attack and win back the points they had lost.

However, if the other players around Lin Tian also start scoring, then the Celtics' system will have huge problems. That's why the Celtics dared to let Lin Tian shoot mid-range shots freely today, betting that the other Knicks players wouldn't be able to make them.

They prefer to believe that the Knicks' all-around explosion in the last game was just a temporary accident, and that their overall poor performance and inability to make shots is the norm.

Or rather, the Celtics had no other choice but to gamble this way; this was the only option they could take.

If the Knicks have a breakout game and the opposing team can't stop their offense, then they might as well give up.

In terms of offense, who in the league today can beat the Knicks?

Unfortunately, the subsequent games turned out to be the complete opposite of what the Celtics had hoped for.

Unable to find an opening beyond the three-point line, Okur took two steps inside and made two consecutive jump shots from the free-throw line area.

Jackson also made a jump shot near the basket.

That night, the Knicks' jump shot percentage skyrocketed!

And everyone saw a surge in sales!

In the Knicks' starting lineup, apart from Stoudemire who had never practiced a mid-range shot, everyone else made a shot and scored in the first quarter!

Therefore, Stoudemire only played for 7 minutes in the first quarter before going to the bench to rest.

他进攻端2投0中1分没得不说，防守端还完全顶不住邓肯，被邓肯7分钟内就轰下了14分的高分！

Duncan was really firing on all cylinders tonight!

Paul Pierce was also firing on all cylinders, hitting 3 of 4 three-pointers for a total of 11 points, fully unleashing his offensive firepower.

Thanks to the hot shooting of the team's two stars, both inside and outside, the Celtics kept the score close!

And the score was kept close even when the Knicks had a huge offensive outburst!

Even though the Knicks scored 31 points in the first quarter, even though Lin Tian had an all-around performance of 12 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in that quarter, and even though the Celtics' pre-game defensive tactics were crippled by the Knicks in just half a quarter, they still held on.

29: 31!

In the first quarter, the Celtics trailed by only 2 points.

Then the second quarter began, and Lin Tian, ​​Okur and Anthony, the three players who scored the most in the first quarter, continued to play. All three of them played the entire first quarter. Judging from what Old Nelson meant, these three might have to play the entire first half!

As for the substitutes, Barnes and Ward are two players with stronger shooting ability, but average size and physical attributes.

Clearly, Don Nelson acknowledged that his team would struggle to penetrate the Celtics' interior and maintain their offensive firepower and scoring efficiency in the paint against the Celtics' twin towers.

Since we can't break through, since Stoudemire is completely contained, and since Smith has disappeared since his amazing performance in the first game, then we won't try to break through.

Let's have a shooting contest today!

The Celtics' choices were similar to the Knicks': Pierce, Duncan, and Howard, who played the entire first quarter, continued to play in the second quarter as well. It seems that these three are not planning to rest!

This match is going to become a test of physical endurance ahead of schedule!

"Stop controlling their drives to the basket and their three-pointers! Keep it down!" Before the second quarter began, Rivers gritted his teeth and finally made his decision: "They can't be this accurate all the time! They can't consistently score from the mid-range!"

"Let's keep the score close, give them mid-range shots, and then I believe they'll have their off nights. That's when we'll go on a run and take the lead!"

Rivers' tactics were well supported and executed by his players.

The problem is that as Lin Tian continued to make mid-range shots, the Celtics were starting to get restless.

Their two inside players really couldn't stand seeing Lin Tian easily shoot and score time and time again.

Halfway through the second quarter, Lin Tian had already made four more mid-range shots, easily scoring eight points without even breaking a sweat.

Seeing that Lin Tian was almost always hitting the target in the mid-range, Howard finally couldn't hold back any longer.

As Lin Tian once again broke through Allen and reached the free-throw line, raising his hand to shoot another basket, Howard suddenly stepped forward and spread his hand to interfere with Lin Tian's shot.

Hey, you're here, bro!

Lin Tian was immediately excited when he saw Howard arrive.

Not only did he stop shooting, he started showing off.

"Come on, weren't you so arrogant? Didn't you provoke me in the last match? Come on, break one of my legs!"

As Lin Tian spoke, he quickly performed crossover dribbling in place. His dazzling and provocative dribbling annoyed Howard. This kind of dribbling, which was all show and no substance, was usually only seen on amateur basketball courts.

Let alone the NBA, even in the NCAA, very few people dribble like that.

Firstly, it's useless and a waste of energy; secondly, it's easy to make mistakes; and thirdly, it's easy to get beaten up!

But clearly, Lin Tian was physically strong, unafraid of making mistakes, and even less afraid of getting beaten up.

He used it with absolutely no burden. (End of Chapter)