MM Racing Chapter 384 The Playoffs Reignite! Charlotte's Final Battle
Chapter 384 The Playoffs Reignite! Charlotte's Final Battle
Parker, who was selected to the All-Rookie First Team, averaged 10.1 points and 3.2 assists per game this season. Due to his strong performance, the team's original second point guard, Best, lost his position and was traded away by Bird before the trade deadline.
After this trade, the Pacers saved about $300 million in expenses, and Bird made this trade in preparation for the offseason.
Although he didn't communicate much with the owner about the roster throughout the season, Bird was clearly unwilling and reluctant to give up this dynasty roster.
He still wants to try to persuade the team owner to agree to increase investment.
At the very least, one of Carter and Harrington should stay, right?
Of course, we'll have to wait until the end of this season to discuss everything!
Besides Parker, Arenas, who was selected to the All-Rookie Second Team, averaged 9.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists this season.
His shooting range, microwave-like attributes, and highly entertaining explosive playing style not only allowed him to almost fill the firepower gap left by Miller and Christie's declining form, but also made him the new darling of the Indianapolis.
At least in Indiana, the arrogant, flamboyant, and crazy Arenas was much more popular than the cute and innocent Parker.
Aside from the two rookies, the team's key player and soul, Miller, has seen his performance and statistics this season, including playing time and shooting percentage, all reach career lows.
This season, Miller played 61 games, averaging only 8.2 points per game. His three-point shooting percentage dropped to a career low of 34%, and his field goal percentage was even lower at 38%!
Clearly, after winning three titles in four years, Miller's desire and his ever-playful attitude have both declined considerably.
At least during the regular season, Miller won't be putting in much effort anymore.
Another key player off the bench, Harrington, is averaging 8.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season. Although his stats are mediocre, that's because he hasn't played enough minutes. But anyone who has watched the Pacers play knows how much energy he can bring to the team!
This guy is like an electric toy that's always fully charged, never tired. Once he's on the court, he's practically everywhere! Many people believe that if Harrington went to a team that was developing him as a key player, averaging 15 points per game would be no problem at all!
At the same time, his energy and his indomitable spirit can definitely transform a weak team into one full of vitality and passion!
As for the team's other backup center, Brad Miller, his playing time has been further reduced because Ben Wallace is in such good form, and he often has to play the power forward position.
Because of this, although Miller is undoubtedly talented, he only plays 20 minutes per game, averaging 5.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.
Although the Pacers' bench has both fresh talent and seasoned veterans, with some improving over time and others struggling, one thing that no one can ignore is that, in terms of bench strength alone, the Pacers are definitely the best in the entire league!
Their roster is so well-balanced and deep!
The Pacers these days aren't even that afraid of injuries.
They have the confidence and the capability!
Apart from the bench players, the Pacers' starters have also performed quite well this season.
Ben Wallace is averaging 3.8 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game, making him the rebounding and blocking leader this season! Based on current trends and news, this guy is highly likely to win his first major individual honor this season.
Best defensive player!
He has finally waited for Mutombo, Mourning, and others to grow old. In the next few years of the league, Ben Wallace will definitely be the best blue-collar big man! Without a doubt!
Webber played 68 games this season, averaging 16.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Although his scoring and rebounding have declined significantly due to injuries, his assists are the highest of his career. He is playing more and more comfortably and easily these days.
Christie is the Pacers' starting player whose decline is the most obvious. This 32-year-old is noticeably slower than in previous years, and his scoring accuracy has also declined, averaging only 9.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Fortunately, his defense remains at a very good level, averaging 2.0 steals per game this season, making him the Pacers' most important forward defender.
Then there's Carter, who has now replaced Webber as the team's second-leading scorer.
Carter is averaging 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game this season, making him the team's second-leading scorer and most entertaining finisher.
At the same time, Carter is also the biggest fish on the free agent market next year! Although under Bird's protection, Carter has never been involved in any trade rumors, but the fact that the Pacers did not extend Carter's contract early is enough to say everything.
With salary cap pressure mounting, the Pacers are unlikely to retain Carter!
Therefore, almost every team with salary cap space this summer wants to sign Carter, and even some teams without salary cap space are eager to contact Carter to see if they can reach a sign-and-trade agreement.
In short, one of the biggest highlights of this summer is the battle for Carter!
Then, the last member of the Pacers' starting five is the Pacers' absolute leader over the past few years and now the best player in the league.
Lin Tian!
本赛季林天场均能够拿到24.6分11.9次助攻4.2篮板2.7次抢断1.1次盖帽的全面数据！
At the same time, he ranks fifth in scoring, first in assists per game, and second in steals per game, making him the only player in the league to rank in the top five in all three of these categories!
Furthermore, his 48%, 46%, and 89% shooting percentages are all top-tier for his position! He's definitely a top-level player with both quality and quantity!
It is precisely because of the players' outstanding performance that the Pacers were able to easily secure the second seed in the Eastern Conference despite encountering numerous injury problems this year.
In the upcoming first round of the playoffs, the Pacers will host the Charlotte Hornets!
The Hornets have been in a rebuilding phase ever since they traded Eddie Jones to Charlotte for Mashburn in another major trade with the Heat two years ago.
This year, Baron Davis, the team's third overall pick in 99, finally rose to prominence, averaging 18 points and 8 assists per game, and was selected to the All-Star team for the first time in his career.
In addition, Mashburn remains strong. Although he only played 40 games due to injury, he still averaged 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game. In the playoff battle in April, it was thanks to Mashburn's strong performance that the Hornets were able to defeat their opponents and enter the playoffs!
At the same time, many people believe that given the Hornets' form this year, if Mashburn hadn't suffered a serious injury, they would likely have been able to challenge for a place in the top half of the bracket!
In addition to their two core players, Davis and Mashburn, the Hornets also have veteran David Wesley, who contributes 14 points per game, a stocky center, Campbell, who averages 14 points and 7 rebounds per game, and forward Lee Nairon, who has had a breakout year and is averaging 10 points per game.
In addition, there's the formidable blue-collar worker PJ Brown, who joined the Hornets alongside Magloire, and second-year rookie Magloire.
The Hornets' roster is actually quite good.
But clearly, just being good isn't enough to beat the Pacers!
Especially the Pacers in playoff mode!
If the Pacers' overall dominance in the regular season wasn't as as astonishing as it had been in the previous two years, then the Pacers in the playoffs immediately elevated their abilities by at least one level!
Even Miller, who seemed half-dead and on the verge of retirement during the regular season, was resurrected in the playoffs!
In the first two games of the series, the Pacers won by 18 and 24 points respectively! Although it doesn't seem like a particularly exaggerated victory or a win worth mentioning, what is shocking about the Pacers is the pressure they showed in the game and that cat-and-mouse kind of pressure they exerted!
In both games, the Hornets led or were tied for no more than two minutes in total, and both of those minutes came at the start of the first quarter!
The Pacers completely controlled the game, giving the Hornets absolutely no chance on their home court.
The reason why they only won by 10 or 20 points in the two games was because key players such as Lin Tian, Carter, and Webber did not play in the fourth quarter of both games, and the team lost points in the fourth quarter.
If the Pacers really play their hearts out, or even if they don't play their hearts out, as long as they get into a state of not holding back, then the final point difference in these two games will most likely exceed 30 points!
The Pacers have passed the point of using huge point differentials to intimidate opponents and demonstrate dominance.
They are now more reserved.
This is what is meant by "a heavy sword has no edge, and great skill appears effortless."
前两场比赛，林天场均等场时间只有30.5分钟，场均就能拿下27分13助攻4篮板2抢断！
Furthermore, the team's second-leading scorer is neither Carter nor Webber, but Miller!
This guy seemed to have played dead for a while and finally woke up. In the first two games of the series, he averaged 23 points and made a total of 11 three-pointers, with a terrifying 58% three-point shooting percentage!
It's safe to say that the Pacers' season has only just begun!
In Game 3 of the series, the Pacers traveled to Charlotte, hoping to completely crush their opponents and advance to the second round.
The ever-resilient Charlotte team will certainly not give up so easily, and they will definitely put on a very tough performance tonight to respond to the Pacers!
Meanwhile, Hornets owner George Shinn got into legal trouble over Christmas because he couldn't control his sexual desires and was accused of rape by a woman.
The truth of the matter is unknown to anyone other than the two people involved, but what matters is that Shin believes he is innocent, and he is getting impatient with the Charlottes' defection, boos, insults, and all sorts of accusations against him.
In addition, he always felt that Charlotte was too small a city, which was not conducive to the team's promotion and making money, so he decided to move the team!
This is now a done deal. All the necessary approvals and the league has officially announced that the Charlotte Hornets will relocate to New Orleans starting next season and become the New Orleans Hornets!
In other words, if the Hornets lose this game, they will leave the city in a humiliating sweep.
Anyone with a modicum of self-respect would not want to leave in such a shameful way.
Therefore, the Charlottes truly unleashed all their potential tonight!
Mashburn and Davis, the team's two absolute core players, combined for 21 points in the first quarter with inside drives and outside shots! They also led the team to a 33-26 lead over the Pacers by 7 points in the first quarter!
In the second quarter, when the two key players went to the bench to rest, veteran David Wesley stepped up. He hit two consecutive three-pointers and a layup, scoring eight points in a row to stabilize the team's situation and give the two key players enough rest time!
Because of Wesley's outstanding performance, with 6 minutes left in the second quarter, they extended their lead to more than 10 points for the first time tonight, and for the first time in this series!
The Charlottes displayed their courage and love for the city in this final night of battle!
On the other hand, Miller, who had been dominating in the first two games, seemed to be asleep again, going 0-for-3 from three-point range and scoring no points in the entire first half. In addition, Carter was also locked down by the fierce Mashburn, scoring only 6 points on 2-for-8 shooting in the first half.
Webber, on the other hand, got caught up in the physical brawl that he disliked and was not good at. He seemed to be intimidated by PJ Brown's muscular face and fierce appearance, and he fought very poorly!
If Lin Tian hadn't been in excellent form tonight and scored a high number of points, the Pacers might already be down by more than 20 points!
But clearly, Lin Tian's firepower alone, especially the kind that isn't at full power, is not enough.
Because the Hornets' trio on the other side have completely gone berserk!
上半场比赛，戴维斯拿下18分5次助攻，马什本19分7个篮板，韦斯利也拿下了13分3助攻3篮板！
All three top scorers performed exceptionally well, while the opposing team was completely out of sorts. As a result, the point difference between the two sides continued to widen!
At the end of the first half, the Pacers were down by a full 19 points to the Hornets!
41: 60!
The Pacers are facing adversity for the first time since the playoffs began!
Of course, this is obviously temporary!
After halftime, Carlisle immediately changed his starting lineup.
He substituted Miller, who was in poor form and hadn't scored a single point, for Christie, who was in even worse form, failing to score and committing three turnovers.
At the start of the second half, the Pacers showed their determination to use their best offensive weapon to win.
Come on! Aren't you guys crazy when you run? The Three Musketeers can score 60 points in the first half when you go berserk?
Today I'll show you what it's like when we're being crazy!
The Hornets continued with their original starting lineup: Baron Davis and David Wesley in the backcourt, Mashburn and PJ Brown on the frontcourt, and Campbell at center!
With the referee's whistle, Davis jumped high and dribbled the ball across half-court.
As a rising star at point guard who was selected for the All-Star Game for the first time this season, Davis is actually very similar to Lin Tian in some ways!
For example, both of them are top-tier point guards, with Davis even weighing 96kg, heavier than Lin Tian. Also, despite their enormous weight, both of them possess slam dunk contest champion-level physical attributes!
Both of them could rise up like rockets and deliver a thunderous dunk.
For example, both players have incredibly flashy playing styles, which are the most popular types among fans. They both have a particular fondness for pull-up three-pointers and often attempt them. Furthermore, both players' passing is full of inspiration and always manages to catch the eye!
This is why many people call Baron Davis "Little Lin Tian".
Both sexy and strong!
"Lin! We'll win the match tonight, and we'll win the fourth match two days later too! I'll show you that I'm not some 'mini-Lin Tian,' I'm the upgraded version of you!"
After Davis came up to the frontcourt, taking advantage of the lead in the first half, he finally started trash-talking Lin Tian!
"Why didn't you dare trash talk when we beat you to a pulp in the first two games?" Lin Tian immediately retorted. "Also, remember one thing, Baron, you're not anyone's successor, you're Baron Davis!"
"Lin?" Davis was taken aback. Was this guy actually praising him?
"Don't get me wrong, you're too ugly. You're not worthy to be my successor." Lin Tiansheng, afraid Davis would misunderstand, quickly explained, "To be my successor, you first need to get plastic surgery, otherwise I can't bear the embarrassment!"
"Fuck you! I'm not ugly! I was ugly back at UCLA!"
"Yes, yes, yes." Lin Tian said impatiently, "You're a heartthrob, everyone loves you, but isn't that because you're decent at basketball? Try not playing basketball and see if you can win a girl's love even once in your life."
"FUXX!" Davis's eyes widened, and he cursed again. Then, he suddenly made a behind-the-back pass, throwing the ball to Wesley, who had just run to the top of the arc.
After receiving the ball, Wesley ignored Miller's face-blocking shot and resolutely took the shot!
"Whoosh!"
After the crisp sound, the score difference between the two sides reached 22 points!
An excited Wesley roared to the sky, letting out bursts of furious howls.
Who says we're no good? Who said we were the worst team in the playoffs?
We can dominate the Pacers!
Lin Tian took the basketball and looked at Davis, who was grinning lewdly, and found it amusing.
This guy with the big beard who looks just like Li Kui is actually a cunning little devil!
Good heavens, Mr. Lin, you really like cunning little devils!
"Come on, Lin! I'm not afraid of you!" A smug Davis lowered his center of gravity, fully focused. "I'm no worse than you! I will become the best point guard in this league!"
"You only dare to trash talk when the team is leading by 20 points, right?" Lin Tian said casually while dribbling the ball, extending his hand to explain, "Let me teach you the different types of trash talk."
"If you trash talk when you're leading, that's just a petty person who's gotten ahead and isn't worth mentioning. If you trash talk when you're tied, that's just a bully trying to embolden himself. If you trash talk when you're behind, that's just your impotent rage and the behavior of a stray dog!"
Listening to Lin Tian's analysis, Davis couldn't help but say, "So, does that mean you can't trash talk at any time? What about you? Aren't you the king of trash talk?!"
"Of course I'm different! When I'm leading, I criticize to completely crush the opponent's confidence; when we're tied, I criticize to boost my teammates' morale; when we're behind, I criticize to make the opponent anxious and lose their temper!"
"This is the difference between us, understand?"
understand?
What do you know?!
Davis did have a lot of facial hair, but he genuinely couldn't understand Lin Tian's reasoning.
Lin Tian: It's okay if you don't understand, as long as you understand the other principle.
Double standards are the essence of humanity!
For example, when Lin Tian reads novels, he hates those who ramble on and on, padding the word count with endless nonsense.
But if you let him write it himself, he'll definitely write as much as he can, and be as verbose as he can.
While explaining the true nature of humanity to Davis, Lin Tian had already quietly passed the ball out, then moved to the low post, blocked Davis, and reached out for the ball!
"Oh, right, there's an even more important principle I can teach you." After getting the ball, Lin Tian continued, "To accurately and effectively attack your opponent, you have to target their strongest point! For example, aren't you strong and powerful, known as the number one tank in the backcourt?"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he suddenly dribbled the ball with force, and his shoulder slammed heavily into Davis's chest.
"Bang!"
A muffled thud exploded, and Davis, who was just about to speak, almost choked on his breath. Lin Tian's impact caused waves of pain in his chest!
Then, after this collision, Lin Tian quickly created distance, turned around and lifted up, throwing at mid-range!
"Whoosh!"
After the crisp sound, Lin Tian also scored 2 points for the Pacers!
"See that? That's it!" After scoring, Lin Tian continued to berate Davis while retreating to defend.
"I only see the scoreboard! We're leading by 20 points now!" Davis wasn't one to mince words either. After being rebuked by Lin Tian, he got ruthless and, upon reaching the frontcourt, bent over and accelerated to force his way through!
He practically clung to Lin Tian as he drove hard through the defense, and then, once he reached the three-second zone, he suddenly used a Euro step to shake off Lin Tian and attempted a floater!
It has to be said that this guy, with his huge weight and speed, can still stop and change direction so suddenly after sprinting at full speed; he's really got some skills.
But two skills are clearly not enough!
Because the Pacers also have Ben Wallace in the paint!
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, Ben Wallace, who was crouching in the paint, slapped away the ball that Davis had thrown out.
Lin Tian, who reacted the fastest, grabbed the basketball and then accelerated forward, initiating a counterattack!
Everyone knows that when the Pacers get going, that's when they're at their most terrifying and undefendable.
The Pacers' transition offense and defense capabilities are absolutely top-tier in the entire history of the league!
"Whoosh!"
After driving all the way to the vicinity of the free throw line, Lin Tian suddenly stopped and pulled back, shifting the entire Hornets' defense a step towards the top line. Then, he suddenly released the basketball, which flew over the heads of the Hornets players and all the way to the side of the basket.
"boom!"
Then came a loud bang, and Carter, who had long regarded fast breaks and drives as his life motto, arrived in a flash and slammed the basketball into the hoop!
"What's the point difference now?" Lin Tian high-fived Carter, then turned to Davis: "You'd better speak louder, or I won't hear you."
"We'll see!"
Davis didn't get worked up after getting blocked; it was just a block, not worth it!
The guy dribbled the ball back up to the frontcourt and then called a play.
Then they passed the ball to Mashburn, letting him bully Carter in the low post!
This is Mashburn's signature move, nicknamed "The Monster"! He used it to give Christie and the Pacers many unpleasant memories when he was with the Heat!
Carter wasn't exactly known for his defense, and Mashburn kept pushing him back until he reached the edge of the paint. Suddenly, Mashburn turned around and unleashed his signature side hook shot, hoping to score another two points for the team!
This is Mashburn's signature move, and also his most lethal weapon on the offensive end.
Carter's defense wasn't great on that play, but somehow the ball just didn't go in; instead, it bounced off the rim by some strange twist of fate.
Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound and then passed it to Lin Tian.
Lin Tian dribbled the ball slowly forward.
"I thought you'd be braver and retaliate against me face-to-face, but it turns out you're just clinging to the coattails of the old dog on the team!" Lin Tian said, then stopped passing the ball and instead turned his back to Davis, pushing hard towards the inside!
Since acquiring Jordan's "Godly Back-to-the-Back" skill, Lin Tian has used all the experience points he has accumulated this season on this skill. Now, the skill has been upgraded to LV3, and the bonus for Lin Tian has reached 50%!
In addition, Lin Tian's back-to-the-basket attack ability has also improved again, reaching S-!
All I can say is that Jordan's signature move is incredibly effective. By upgrading a single skill from LV1 to LV3, Lin Tian's post-up attributes can jump three levels, from A- to S-!
Absolutely conscientious!
This time, Lin Tian didn't push Davis too far into the deepest part; there was absolutely no need for that!
He suddenly stopped at the side waist position, then suddenly pushed past Davis with force, and then turned and jumped to shoot!
Everything was so similar to the previous round, as if it had just happened!
Even the basketball slammed into the hoop with pinpoint accuracy once again!
"Whoosh!"
This is also the most signature part of Jordan's back-to-the-basket move!
Simple, efficient, fast, and powerful!
Because Jordan's height, wingspan, and physical attributes were outstanding among his peers, his opponents were either shorter, thinner, or slower than him. No one could match him in these physical attributes!
The result of Jordan's overwhelming physical superiority was that his post-up game was incredibly simple!
Often, after a brief confrontation, they would quickly turn around and shoot, which is the biggest difference between Jordan and Kobe, two masters of low-post one-on-one offense, when attacking in the low post.
Kobe didn't have Jordan's outstanding physical attributes, and many of his opponents were formidable figures whose physical abilities could keep up with his.
Therefore, Kobe needed to use more feints, footwork changes, and rhythm to deceive his opponents and create space for his shots.
The immediate impression is that Kobe was as beautiful as a painting, and Jordan was as fluid as flowing water!
Lin Tian's current back-to-the-basket style is exactly the same as Jordan's!
Even his advantage at the point guard position is greater than Jordan's at the shooting guard position!
Apart from Davis and Kidd of the Nets, there is no guard in the entire league who can stop Lin Tian!
The difference in tonnage is too great!
If Lin Tian wanted to, he could sweep all the point guards in the league with just this back-to-the-basket move, leaving everyone helpless and forcing them to rely on taller and stronger shooting guards to defend him.
But the players in position 2 are simply not fast or agile enough to keep up with Lin Tian.
It's a mismatch no matter who you hit!
This also includes Davis, who wasn't particularly good at defense to begin with!
The rest of the third quarter almost turned into a post-up game demonstration by Lin Tian, who used one simple and fluid post-up move after another to teach Davis a lesson.
Starting from the beginning of the third quarter, Lin Tian backed down Davis, the guy known as the number one tank at the point guard position in the NBA, a total of 7 times. He had 7 low post isolation plays, 5 of which were scored directly by Lin Tian, and once he drew a foul and made both free throws.
In other words, Lin Tian missed the shot only once out of seven attempts.
It's worth mentioning that when Lin Tian was demonstrating his backhand strike technique, Wesley specifically came over and asked, "Need any help, lad?"
"No need!" Davis said firmly.
Say the harshest words, and you'll get the worst beating!
After being brutally beaten by Lin Tian, Davis, who was usually incredibly optimistic and practically jumping for joy, clearly lost the sparkle in his eyes. He was so badly beaten that he started to question his existence.
With only three minutes left in the third quarter, when Lin Tian scored on his eighth one-on-one against Davis, narrowing the gap to 13 points, Hornets head coach Silas finally couldn't hold back and called a timeout.
"He only couldn't hold back now; he must have a very good temper." Carlisle stood up easily from the bench, shook his head and muttered something before beckoning his players to his side.
Judging from Carlisle's current state, he doesn't seem to be trailing by 13 points at all. If you only look at his expression and body language, you would probably think that the Pacers are leading by 13 points right now!
"Lin did a great job. At this point, we really don't need to rush to gamble on 3 points. We can just slowly catch up, destroy them with one 2-pointer after another, and then the opportunity for a 3-pointer will naturally arise, right?"
"Next, they'll definitely double-team Lin, so Lin should continue to post up, but this time don't get the ball in the high post or mid post. Go deeper, go harder! Completely compress their formation into the area inside the free-throw line!"
"Then, Gilbert, Reggie, Vince, and Al, you five go up! Get into your favorite spots and wait for Lin to pass you the ball! In the last three minutes of the third quarter, the score needs to be reduced to within five points! Okay, that's it, go!"
Carlisle then waved his hand dismissively, ignoring the fact that the long timeout would last at least 30 seconds, and sat down in his chair, looking completely arrogant.
It has to be said that after the fierce Game 7 battle of last year's Finals, Carlisle has matured and become more confident at a rapid pace, and he has gradually begun to exude a "cool king" vibe.
It can only be said that the soil and water of Indiana breed spoiled brats.
The pause has ended.
The score is currently 70-83.
Both teams were quite efficient in scoring this quarter, especially the Pacers, whose shooting percentage exceeded 67% thanks to Lin Tian's 6-for-7 shooting run!
It's just that because Lin Tian kept scoring two points at a time, and the Hornets were also able to score, the point difference wasn't widened too quickly.
But that was just now!
Now, the Pacers need to show some real talent, or rather, they've finally forced the Hornets to take a gamble!
Lin Tian received the ball in the low post once again, and this time, just as Carlisle had requested, Lin Tian received the ball only a step away from the three-second zone.
The moment Lin Tian got the ball, Wesley quickly abandoned Arenas and charged towards Lin Tian.
It was indeed a double-team!
But who is Lin Tian? Facing Wesley's double-team, he wasn't in a hurry at all. Instead, he waited for Wesley to come over, then suddenly turned around and headed away from him towards the basket. Then, when Wesley moved again and got a step closer to the basket, Lin Tian calmly passed the ball!
Miller, who had been completely left out beyond the three-point line, caught the basketball, glanced at it briefly, and then decisively took the shot!
"Whoosh!"
Miller hit his first three-pointer of the night!
Silas reacted very quickly this time. As the saying goes, a person's name is like a tree's shadow. After Miller, the greatest shooter in history, hit a three-pointer, Silas didn't dare to let him go any further.
He yelled at Wesley to stop double-teaming and to let Mashburn do it instead.
He also told Mashburn not to be too aggressive and not to get too close to the paint, otherwise he wouldn't have time to get back on defense and rotate.
But clearly, this little bit of effort is in vain!
Lin Tian's passing skills and timing are simply superb!
He always manages to find an opportunity when the Hornets have no chance to get back on defense before passing the ball out.
He always manages to pass the ball out when the Hornets think he's going to attack on his own!
Even if the Hornets' rotation can keep up and fill the first open shot Lin Tian passed to, what kind of team are the Pacers?
Their ball movement ability is no longer just the best in the league; in terms of passing and spacing, they are practically the best in history!
Absolutely top-notch!
Even if the first open shot is closed, the Pacers can quickly find a second and third open shot through fast passing!
The Hornets aren't exactly a strong defensive team; their defensive discipline is just so-so!
Therefore, with Lin Tian as an absolute strong point to draw double teams, the Hornets' perimeter defense was exposed on all sides and was riddled with holes by the Pacers!
Besides Miller's three-pointer, in the next minute or so, the Pacers' Harrington and Arenas each hit a three-pointer, and Carter even hit two, making him unstoppable with his scoring ability on all four sides!
Then, the Hornets finally couldn't take it anymore and chose not to double-team.
Can we not double-team?
Lin Tian showed no mercy, turning and charging straight to the basket, almost riding Davis for a powerful layup.
"Whoosh!"
After the crisp sound, the score difference between the two sides had narrowed to 1 point!
The Pacers unleashed a 17-5 offensive onslaught during this period!
The Hornets' lead vanished in an instant.
At this point, only 28 seconds remained in the third quarter.
Davis, who was completely outmatched by Lin Tian in this quarter and looked so disheveled that he couldn't even open his eyes, finally remembered that he was the third overall pick, the newly minted All-Star, and the man hailed as the future king of point guards.
He bit his tongue hard to try and pull himself together a little, and then he perked up again.
He ended this terrible quarter with a last-minute goal!
He scored a last-minute goal to redeem himself!
That's what Davis was thinking at that moment.
He waved to signal everyone to spread out, pressed down with one hand to indicate that everyone was not in a hurry, looked up at his watch, and reduced the attack time to the last 6 seconds.
And then, it's performance time!
With a series of crossover dribbles, combined with changes in footwork and upper body movements, Davis unleashed his signature move!
Then, he suddenly took a step to the left and moved forward. The instant his feet landed, he suddenly made a small crossover dribble to change direction and accelerated sharply to the right!
This move is Davis's signature dribbling technique!
With his immense weight, top-notch speed and agility, and top-notch fundamentals, Davis's move was almost always successful. Every time he used this move, he could completely wipe out his opponent!
"Snapped!"
But this time, what awaited Davis was a crisp, clear sound!
Then, the lovely basketball left him.
He couldn't even maintain his balance and fell awkwardly to the floor. He only had time to look back and see Lin Tian dribbling the ball and sprinting towards the frontcourt. When Wesley closed in, Lin Tian made a one-handed pass to Arenas, who was following up in the middle.
Then Davis saw Arenas stop in his tracks in disbelief, and then, just two steps past the center circle, he suddenly pulled up and launched a long-range three-pointer!
But at that moment, there were still 4 seconds left in the third quarter! Did this madman just throw it away?
Yes, I threw it away!
Not only did he throw the ball, but Arenas didn't even wait for it to go in before turning around and making eye contact with Davis.
In that instant, Davis understood a principle.
Even when it comes to being crazy, I can't beat the Pacers' group of lunatics.
They are real lunatics, pretentious show-offs, madmen, and incredibly powerful bastards.
"Whoosh!"
The third quarter is over! (End of Chapter)