MM Racing Chapter 243 Eastern Conference Finals Preview! The Strongest Regular Season Showdown
Chapter 243 Eastern Conference Finals Preview! The Strongest Regular Season Showdown
Chapter 243 Eastern Conference Finals Preview! The Strongest Regular Season Showdown!
Everyone believes that, given the current rankings of these two teams, this game is a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals! These two teams will almost certainly meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will put on another epic showdown for all the fans!
This highly anticipated match, arguably the most classic showdown of the entire season, was undoubtedly broadcast live across the United States, and the City Square Arena was once again packed to capacity!
Fans rushed into the arena early, eager to see their team teach their opponents from last year's Eastern Conference Finals and Eastern Conference Semifinals a lesson.
"Michael! You're utterly rotten!"
"We dismantled the Bulls!"
"A stray dog! Disgraceful!"
"Michael's choice to team up with Ewing was absolutely terrible!"
"Even my grandma knows that teaming up with Shaq would be a better option!"
"Teaming with my grandma is better than teaming with Ewing!"
"Welcome the New York Bulls!"
"Let's see who's been usurped!"
"Welcome the Knicks' second-in-command, vice-captain, and reserve team icon: Patrick Ewing!"
"Alan, I heard you're called the 'Mid-Range King'? Are you going to change your name to 'Mid-Range Second Place' now?"
"Let's see who got their starting shooting guard position taken by Michael? Is it Allan or Erlan?"
"Charles, I heard you went to Chicago and knelt down begging Michael to join New York, then cried and begged Michael to save you guys?"
It has to be said that, after the training Lin Tian received on that radio show, Indiana fans are now getting better and better at trash-talking, and their words are hitting the nail on the head.
As Lin Tian interacted with the audience with a smile, waving his arms to indicate that they could speak louder, he turned around and saw Jordan doing stretching.
"Michael, are you so old that you have to do this basic stretching routine before every game?"
"Get out of my way, Lin! I don't want to talk to you!" As soon as Jordan saw Lin Tian walking towards him with a grin, he immediately stopped stretching, turned around, and walked away!
If I can't win an argument with you, I'll just back down, okay?
"Michael! Michael! Don't be afraid! Where are you going? I just want to catch up with you, Michael!"
However, Jordan never expected that Lin Tian could be so shameless. He kept calling Jordan's name and followed closely behind. Lin Tian followed Jordan all the way to the Knicks' bench and sat down next to him.
Judging from Lin Tian's matter-of-fact attitude, anyone who didn't know him would definitely think that Lin Tian was a player for the Knicks.
The other Knicks players, watching Lin Tian chase Jordan all the way to his seat on the bench, didn't object at all.
What's there to object to? Everyone knows that Jordan and Lin Tian have a good relationship, and everyone knows that Lin Tian is a good player.
What can you gain by opposing it at this time?
Jordan's eye roll and Lin Tian's anger?
Nobody wants these two things!
If Lin Tian wants to sit, let him sit! What's the big deal if he breaks the chair?
"Are you ever going to shut up?" Jordan rolled his eyes. He really didn't want to say a word to Lin Tian!
After all, no one in this league knows better than Jordan just how annoying Lin Tian's mouth really is!
They are absolutely detestable!
"I just haven't seen you for six months and I missed you. Aren't we best buddies, Michael? You even invited me to your house for Christmas and Chinese New Year! What did I do wrong to make you ignore me?"
To everyone's surprise, Lin Tian didn't start spewing trash talk as he usually did; instead, he started playing the victim.
This commotion left Jordan a bit flustered. He even began to reflect on whether he had spoken too harshly and had a bad attitude, which might have really hurt Lin Tian's feelings.
"Yes, I admit, I can be a bit sharp-tongued. Some of the things I say can definitely upset people. Isn't an apology enough?"
Lin Tian's sincere attitude made Jordan start to regret his words. He felt that Lin Tian must have been really heartbroken to say that.
"Lin, actually I..."
Jordan opened his mouth to explain, but Lin Tian didn't give him the chance.
"I did say that Vince's dunks are better than yours, but that's a fact! He really looks better when he flies! I also said that I'm not afraid of you, that I'm much better than you, but I did eliminate you and win the championship last year! I also said that your era is over, and dragging on without retiring will only shatter your myth, you should retire while you're still at your peak."
"But I'm really doing this for your own good! You don't want to get 50 points slammed into your head by guys like Kobe or Iverson, do you? That would feel awful."
"By the way, last night I told the media that you're not jumping as high as before, and your shooting isn't as accurate as before, and that I could defend you by myself! It certainly didn't sound nice, but I really didn't mean to offend you!"
"I suddenly remembered something my dad once told me: 'If you see through something but don't say it, you can still be good friends!' Michael, have I said too much, which is why you dislike me?"
"Get out! Get the hell out of here! You son of a bitch! How did I ever get to know a bastard like you?"
Jordan pointed at the Pacers' bench in the distance and started yelling at Lin Tian, while also giving Lin Tian 200 experience points, something he hadn't done in a long time!
Mmm, it's the same familiar taste, the same familiar recipe!
Beautiful!
After rambling on for a while, Lin Tian turned around happily and contentedly and walked towards the Pacers' half of the court. Carter immediately came over to greet him, asking curiously, "Lin, what did you and Michael talk about?"
"Are you a Michael fan?" Lin Tian asked curiously, seeing Carter's excited expression.
"Yes! I came to North Carolina because I admire him! Today is my first time competing against him! I'm so excited!"
"Don't worry, if you get a chance to face him tonight, he'll absolutely go all out and fight you to the death. He definitely won't let you down! He'll give you a real taste of what's to come!"
"Huh? No...no, that's not what I meant. Wait, Lin, what exactly did you say to Michael?" Carter quickly pulled Lin Tian aside, wanting to get to the bottom of it.
After all, although it was only Carter's first year in the league, he knew all about Jordan's legends.
Of the legends about Jordan, at least 80% are about how he was angered by his opponents, then retaliated fiercely, and made his opponents run away in a sorry state!
Now Lin Tian is telling himself that Jordan is going to give it his all and risk his life to fight against him?
No need! Absolutely no need!
It's just a regular season game, it's not that serious yet!
Carter nervously swallowed. His original plan for tonight was to take advantage of Lin Tian's connection to have a good time chasing after his idol. How did it turn into his idol wanting to beat him to death?
"Oh, it's nothing, the reason is very simple." Lin Tian revealed an extremely cheerful smile and said, "I told Michael that you have the best dunk in history, and that you can blow his dunks away by eight streets, it's that simple."
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he patted Carter on the shoulder and said, "Keep it up, you can do it! You're going to be my best backcourt partner for the next 10 years!"
"Vince Carter's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 100 experience points!"
Carter didn't reply to Darlintian's words, but stared blankly at the Knicks and Jordan's positions, with only one thought in mind.
If I really get killed by Jordan, will Lin avenge me?
After all, my current predicament is all because of Lin!
After teasing Carter for a while, Lin Tian was even happier to see Carter's hesitant expression, as if he wanted Lin Tian to plead for him but was too embarrassed to speak up directly. Before the match even started, he had already gained 300 experience points!
And they all come from Jordan and Carter!
They are also my two most important clients in the crucial task of accumulating experience points!
New and old flames are all together!
Who said that getting together with new and old flames always leads to a love triangle? Lin Tian believes that having both new and old flames together means countless benefits and countless experience points!
"What do you think of Charles in this game?" TNT brought the camera into the studio 20 minutes before the game started, and Kenny began interacting with Barkley with a smile.
"First of all, I believe this game will be absolutely fantastic! Jordan versus Lin, a rematch between two generations of leaders in the league!"
"Reggie Jackson vs. Allan: A head-to-head battle between the mid-range king and the three-point king!"
"Vince vs. Starks: A duel between two of the league's top sixth men, one from the new era and one from the old!"
"And then there's Christie and Ward. Neither of them has star power, but they're both indispensable jacks-of-all-trades and lubricants for the team. Who among them can shoulder more responsibility tonight?"
"I bet Charles's next line is, 'It's a shame I retired,'" Kenny said with a laugh. "Because if you were still here, you could have matched up against Ewing and wouldn't have put the Pacers' interior defense at such a disadvantage!"
"Great! If I were here, this game would be a foregone conclusion!" Barkley boasted arrogantly, "I could destroy the Knicks' interior defense, whether it's Patrick or Charles, I could beat them with one hand!"
Kenny completely ignored Barkley's boasting and abruptly steered the conversation back to the game: "Both teams have incredibly strong rosters, and their records are outstanding! This game is also a direct confrontation between the first and second seed in the East!"
"The two teams are currently separated by only one game. If the Knicks win, they will directly become the top team in the East! And if the Pacers win, they will extend their lead to two games! Their position as the top team in the East will be even more secure!"
"From any perspective, this game is the most worthwhile regular season game to watch this season!"
"Now, as you can see, the starting players from both sides have taken to the field! Although everyone is certainly very familiar with these ten players, I'd like to introduce them again!"
"Pacers: Rick Smitz! Dale Davis! Doug Christie! Reggie Miller! And, Lin Tian!"
"Knicks: Patrick Ewing! Charles Oakley! Michael Jordan! Allan Houston! Charlie Ward!"
Accompanied by Kenny's high-pitched and clear roar, Ewing and Schmitz walked side by side to the center circle to prepare for the jump ball.
This season, Ewing has fully recovered from the wrist injury he suffered last season. The injection he received in the playoffs last year not only did not affect his performance at all, but it also seemed to have completely cured him, which is simply a medical miracle!
This season, Ewing continued to be the Knicks' interior guardian, averaging 19.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game, proving that he is still the best center in the league!
As Oakley gets older, his stats this season have declined to 8 points and 8 rebounds, but with his rich experience and instinct for rebounding, he is still an excellent role player!
Although Houston's scoring average has dropped from 18 points per game last season to 14 points this season, his shooting percentage has reached a career high! It just goes to show that playing alongside Jordan definitely makes a player more efficient!
As for Charlie Ward, although his stats are still not impressive, he is the most important glue of this Knicks team. He can push the ball, pass, shoot, score, and defend from the point guard to the small forward!
Although Ward never made the All-Defensive Team or the All-Star team, and was the least famous and least noticeable of the Knicks' starting five, Ward's presence was crucial to this Knicks team!
Finally, there's Michael Jordan, the scoring champion so far this season, who remains as sharp as ever and still delivers top-tier efficiency and output in the league!
The Knicks' bench was not empty this year despite acquiring Jordan. They brought in the second overall pick from the 96 draft class, last season's shot-blocking leader Marcus Camby, and defensive stalwart Kurt Thomas.
With the addition of team legends and former Sixth Man of the Year Starks, the Knicks' bench is also brimming with talent!
Their lineup is absolutely amazing!
This aircraft carrier has now officially set sail and launched its first attack on the Pacers!
"Snapped!"
With a crisp snap, Ewing easily secured the Knicks' first possession of the night!
Statistically, although Ewing didn't even reach the threshold of a top center with 20+10 this year, anyone who has watched the Knicks play knows that Ewing's performance this year is definitely the best he's been in recent years!
Ward got the basketball and slowly dribbled it to the frontcourt. He knew how big the gap was between him and Lin Tian, so he had no intention of attacking himself. Instead, he immediately passed the ball to Houston, who had run to the top of the arc on the other side.
Houston, after receiving the ball, remained unhurried and directly passed it to Jordan, who was well-positioned in the low post.
After receiving the ball, Jordan briefly tested Christie's defensive center of gravity, then quickly executed a shoulder shake fake followed by a smooth spin move, completing his signature fadeaway jump shot!
This season, with his advancing age and further decline in athleticism, and perhaps due to the overexertion of last year, Jordan has almost stopped initiating attacks from the high post. More than half of his offense comes from the low post, and the remaining half comes from catch-and-shoot after off-ball movement.
Only in the last 10% of possessions did Jordan initiate face-up attacks from the high post.
In short, Jordan's game has become increasingly concise, giving a sense of profound simplicity and unassuming skill.
The Pacers certainly didn't care about Jordan's two points. Lin Tian dribbled the ball up the court and faced Ward, his old rival whom he had faced several times in the playoffs. Lin Tian casually said, "Charlie, in your entire life, have you ever even once managed to stop my offense?"
"I'm not afraid of you, Lin! Your tricks are completely useless against me!" Ward lowered his center of gravity. Although his strength wasn't that great, his mentality was quite stable. Over the years and in so many duels, there really weren't many matches where Lin Tian could directly break him down!
Since we're not going to fall for it, let's not waste any more time!
Lin Tian dribbled between his legs twice in a row to find his rhythm, and then used his signature wide-angle offensive step forward to invade Ward's defensive space. Then Lin Tian changed direction again. Ward could not keep up with Lin Tian to begin with, and now when he tried to chase him, he encountered Davis who came to screen, and he could not keep up at all!
Lin Tian dashed into the three-point line in the blink of an eye!
"That's terrifying! Lin's ability to penetrate is truly terrifying! And now he's even using screens! That makes him even more unstoppable." Barkley couldn't help but say, "Kenny, you're a guard too, do you think you can guard him?"
"Are you kidding me!" Kenny scoffed. "Lin's current breakthrough is something no one in the league's history has been able to stop in a 1v1 situation! His strength, speed, and rhythm are almost perfect!"
"Of course, if I had to find a fault, it might be that my dribbling skills aren't as refined as Tim Hardaway's, my fakes during drives aren't as numerous as Kevin Johnson's, and my crossovers aren't as wide as Allen Iverson's."
"But does it matter? Michael's three-pointers aren't as accurate as Reggie's, his fast break speed isn't as fast as Drexler's, and now he might not even be as good as Carter at dunking. Does this affect Michael's invincibility and whether no one can stop him?"
On the court, Lin Tian has completed another pull-up jump shot. Since he regained his touch in the game against the Spurs in early March, he has been unstoppable. His mid-range shots, especially his pull-up jump shots after a pick-and-roll with no more than two dribbles, are incredibly accurate!
Many people exclaimed: In a season in which 80% of the players in the entire league have become lazy, gained weight, and their skills and tactics have declined significantly, only Lin Tian, only he has actually become stronger again!
That's a monster!
Of course, Lin Tian was aware of his own situation. He knew how lazy he had been during the offseason. Apart from the necessary training to maintain his physique and prevent himself from gaining weight, Lin Tian had hardly touched a basketball. Otherwise, he wouldn't have struggled so much in the first month of the season.
But he has cheat codes!
He can maintain a top-level performance without training, because I'm the main character.
In the next few minutes, although Lin Tian and Jordan did not directly match up, both of them took on the responsibility of supporting the team's offense.
Jordan constantly looked for opportunities to score in the low post. If the Pacers double-teamed him, Jordan's vision and the Knicks' ability to capitalize on open shots would leave the Pacers overwhelmed.
Lin Tian, on the other hand, constantly bullied Ward from the high post, sometimes even calling for a pick and roll, and also bullied Ewing and Oakley in the paint!
His speed, the accuracy of his pull-up jump shot, and his understanding of the Knicks all allowed Lin Tian to play with ease!
If the Knicks dare to double-team early...
Okay, the Knicks didn't double-team Lin Tian, or rather, no team dares to double-team him right now!
His vision, passing ability, and ability to find opportunities are so strong it's almost unfair!
Double-team him? The most likely scenario isn't that they'll completely shut down Lin Tian. The most likely scenario is that Lin Tian will use his passing to lead the whole team, allowing his teammates to completely dismantle the opponent's defense!
They possess both top-tier offensive and passing abilities, making them virtually undefendable!
第一节比赛的前6分钟，乔丹6投4中拿下8分2助攻，林天5投4中，拿下8分3次助攻！
14: 16!
Midway through the first quarter, the Pacers held a slight advantage!
Then, during the first timeout, Van Gundy clapped his hands and said, "McClean, you played brilliantly! You were on fire tonight! I bet they'll change their defense and double-team you when you post up!"
"At that time, pass the ball! Make sure to pass the ball out in time so that Alan and Patrick can take those easier open shots after receiving the ball from you."
"clear!"
On the Pacers' side, Bird remained as nonchalant as ever, casually saying, "Don't double-team Michael, let him play alone! Doug, do you have a problem?"
"No problem, even if he scores 50 points, I'm not afraid of him. I'll give it my all on every play and try my best to defend him!" Christie nodded. That's what he does. He's got at least 80% experience defending against the opponent's ace and getting blown out!
"Very good! Everyone else, remember this: no double-teaming, and no help defense unless you're driving to the basket. Let Michael play alone, let his teammates watch! Let his teammates cool down, let their bodies cool down!"
"If the Knicks let other players initiate the offense, like Ewing, then don't hesitate to increase the defensive intensity as quickly as possible, and double-team them when appropriate! Make sure their other players can't attack properly, forcing them to pass the ball to Jordan and let him finish!"
"clear!"
Lin Tian had figured out Bird's tactics.
Isolate Jordan, wear him down, and turn the rest of the Knicks into spectators!
If the Pacers were facing a 26-year-old or even 30-something Jordan today, Bird's defensive strategy would be suicidal! Not only would they likely be completely outplayed by Jordan, but they would almost certainly lose the game.
To make Jordan play one-on-one for the entire game?
Those who dared to do this before are probably buried with grass growing 2 meters high by now!
But Jordan has just turned 36, and his physical functions, strength, and physical qualities have all declined significantly. His legs are no longer as bouncy as they were when he was young, and he no longer has the strength and stamina he had back then.
Jordan plays more concisely than he did in his youth. This is not only because his experience and skills are more refined, but also because if Jordan were to exert too much force with his legs like he did in his younger days, he would quickly become fatigued.
Time waits for no one!
This was Bird's strategy! He was convinced that a 36-year-old Jordan couldn't single-handedly lead a team, especially a top team like the Pacers, like he could 5 or 10 years ago!
He couldn't possibly do that!
Let him continue playing one-on-one!
After both teams returned to the court, Jordan continued to reach for the ball in the low post. The moment he got the ball, he alertly looked around to see if anyone would come to help defend him. He then discovered that apart from Christie, who was desperately trying to contest his defense, no one else on the Pacers team seemed inclined to help.
They don't even watch Jordan!
After a slight mishap, Jordan couldn't help but glance at Bird, then quickly spun around and drove to the basket. As Christie was chasing after him, he suddenly braked, tricking Christie into taking an extra step and successfully rear-ending him!
The referee immediately blew his whistle, awarding Christie a foul for pushing.
Then Jordan raised his hand and launched a floater, sending the ball out!
He felt great about this shot; he was certain that the 2+1 play would go in!
"Snapped!"
In the extremely short time that Jordan was waiting for the basketball to go in and score a 2+1, Lin Tian suddenly appeared out of nowhere and slapped the ball away!
"Hey! Hey!"
Jordan immediately spread his hands and yelled at the referee, "Goaltball! Goaltball!"
"The ball's dead. Don't you even know the rules?" Lin Tian rolled his eyes, looking at Jordan with an expression as if he were an idiot. "You can touch the ball when it's dead."
"Is that possible?" Jordan was stunned. For a moment, he didn't know whether Lin Tian was talking nonsense or serious.
"If you don't believe me, ask the referee." Lin Tian pointed at the referee, who was stunned for a moment, his mind racing.
then……
He couldn't remember!
The whistle blew, the ball was dead, so you can move it freely.
According to the rules, it seems there's no problem.
But after thinking about it carefully, the referee realized that wasn't quite the case.
After hesitating for a while, the referee finally looked at the confident Lin Tian and the somewhat unsure Jordan, and decided to trust the more confident one!
"Two free throws!"
The referee made his ruling with absolute certainty: the ball was not goaltending; it was a ball that touched the court after it had gone dead.
"Haha! Wrong call!" Kenny laughed. "According to the rules, McGrady's shot was a continuous motion. Even though the whistle had blown and the ball was dead, Kolin touched the ball after it hit the backboard. That was definitely goaltending!"
"According to the rules, this ball should be awarded to Michael for a 2+1!"
Barkley laughed and said, "I've seen plenty of wrong calls in the NBA, but this is the first time I've ever seen one this funny! Lin's confident demeanor, even though I couldn't hear what he was saying, made me think he was explaining the rules to the referee!"
"Knowing Lin as I do, he was definitely saying: touching the ball after it's dead is fine! Maybe this kind of ambiguous violation is very rare on the court, so the referee was confused! He didn't quite realize what was happening and fell for Lin's trick!"
Kenny said, "I really love Lin! He's so bad, so cunning! He's got more tricks up his sleeve than the ocean! He actually managed to fool the referee on that play, costing the Knicks a point!"
"That was definitely goaltending! Absolutely!" Jordan muttered, walking to the free-throw line in dissatisfaction. After making both free throws, he still looked at Lin Tian with great dissatisfaction and said, "Goaltending! It was definitely goaltending!"
"The referee said it was a good play, two free throws! You know more about the rules than the referee? Here, take the whistle, you blow it!" Lin Tian spread his hands, shamelessly saying, "Whatever the referee blows, that's how it is!"
"Why don't you go see Satan?" Jordan rolled his eyes. "I've never seen you show so much respect for the referees in my entire life!"
Lin Tian and Jordan were arguing fiercely, but the fans at City Square Stadium had no idea what the two were talking about; they just saw that the two had started to match up against each other!
How could the Indians miss out on another showdown between these two old rivals and teammates? They almost spontaneously stood up and let out a deafening cheer and shout!
They want Lin Tianqian to be Jordan's!
"Who said there isn't?" Lin Tian said, suddenly accelerating and sprinting past Jordan!
He won't let the fans down! If you want to see me surpass Jordan, then you'll get your fill!
After getting past Jordan, Lin Tian quickly drove into the paint. Then, facing the double-team of Ward and Ewing, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and walked back towards the perimeter, as if he was going to reorganize the offense. Just as Ward relaxed a little, Lin Tian turned around again and drove back into the paint!
Ward's nerves tensed up again, and he quickly moved to catch up with Lin Tian. But Lin Tian also braked suddenly, successfully fooling Ward who couldn't brake in time, and caused a rear-end collision!
After the referee blew the whistle, Lin Tian slowly and steadily threw the ball out!
He felt great about this shot and was confident he could make a 2+1 play!
"Snapped!"
Everything is so similar to what it was just now!
Jordan chased after Lin Tian from the high post and slammed the basketball he had just thrown against the backboard!
However, Jordan only managed to catch the basketball after Lin Tian's basketball had already started falling.
It's also a goal-scoring error.
After landing, Jordan looked at the baseline referee on his side and arrogantly said, "The ball is dead, I can touch it, so it's two free throws, right!"
"What do you mean 'right'? Don't you even know the rules?" The baseline referee on this side rolled his eyes and said to the scorer's table without hesitation, "Goal-scoring violation! Lin Tian's 2 points are valid, plus 1 free throw!"
"What?" Jordan's eyes widened in disbelief, and he spread his hands, saying, "Are you crazy?! What's the difference between this and the previous play? Aren't they the same? Why is that one a two-free throw, and this one is goaltending? Are you guys out of your minds?"
"That was a wrong call." The referee nodded very straightforwardly and said, "I'm sorry, but my colleague made the ruling, and according to the rules, we cannot change his decision."
"But I can't make things worse. I'm against using the whistle for balance. If we blow it wrong, we'll apologize, but I won't deliberately blow the wrong whistle again just to make you happy. That would be too stupid of us!"
"Aren't you stupid now?" Jordan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Shouldn't you guys go back to referee school for another two years? What kind of stupid referees are you? My son deserves this whistle more than you!"
"A bunch of idiots! A bunch of stupid bastards! I've never seen such dumb idiots in my entire life!"
"If you shut up right now, I won't give you a technical foul," the referee said. "Consider it me giving you back that point!"
Jordan's eyes were wide open like light bulbs. Ridiculous!
He felt the utter absurdity!
Lin Tian had already stepped to the free-throw line and said, "Alright, Michael, it's only one point. How about I take this free throw with my eyes closed? Consider it my way of giving you back this point?"
"Shut up!" Jordan glared angrily at the referee, then turned to look at Lin Tian. He knew he was stuck with this injustice and no matter how much he appealed or got angry, it wouldn't do any good. He would only get a technical foul and nothing else.
So Jordan simply stopped talking and stood below the free-throw line, ready to grab the rebound.
"That's more like it. Watch this. I'm closing my eyes. I'm not watching." Lin Tian said, closing his eyes as he prepared for the free throw.
Jordan unconsciously turned his head to look at Lin Tian, wanting to see if the guy had closed his eyes or not.
"Fuck you! Michael, you've disappointed me so much! You actually don't believe me!" Lin Tian, of course, didn't close his eyes. His eyes were wide open as he easily threw the ball out of bounds while looking at Jordan and said, "You think I would lie to you? You think I would deliberately cheat with my eyes open or not closed tightly?"
"You don't trust me? That's so disappointing!"
"F*** you!" Jordan angrily cursed at Lin Tian again, feeling that Lin Tian was becoming more and more shameless!
You're just spouting nonsense now, without any regard for rules, aren't you?
Then, Lin Tian received a system notification that Jordan had gained 100 experience points!
And then? Jordan rammed and shoved Christie into the paint, then practically drove over him to score two points, while also drawing a foul on Christie once again!
Midway through the first quarter, Jordan drew fouls on Christie in two consecutive possessions! This was definitely bad news for the Pacers.
Bird now needs to rest Christie, the team's best perimeter defender, and let rookie Carter take over for a while.
"Vince, you go after Michael! Haven't you always wanted everyone to know you and prove you're no less capable than your senior? Go, Vince! Tell the world your name!"
Bird clapped his hands and didn't forget to encourage Carter, but what he didn't know was that Carter at this moment had completely lost his former ambition.
His mind was filled with the stories he had heard before.
An enraged Jordan chased someone around the court, beating him until he was completely disoriented and rolling on the ground in shock.
Moreover, judging from Jordan's continued pursuit of Christie, the guy is clearly still angry. Carter really doesn't want to defend Jordan right now.
"Lin, how about we switch? You can guard Michael? You two are old teammates, your defense will definitely be better." Carter walked onto the court, trembling a little, and tentatively asked Lin Tian if he would like to switch with him.
Lin Tian could tell at a glance that Carter was a little scared. This mental fortitude was probably the main reason why Carter, despite his outstanding talent, had the worst performance among the four shooting guards!
"Vince, go for it. Jordan is only 36 years old. He can't even jump half as high as you. Why are you afraid of him? On the first offensive possession, I'll give you the ball. You can take him down and you'll see that he's just a paper tiger right now!" Lin Tian punched Carter hard in the chest, trying to get him in the right mindset.
But at that moment, Jordan, who had just finished his free throws, walked over, looked at Lin Tian and Carter, and said, "36 years old? Paper tiger? You want to take me on? Did I hear that right?!"
"Of course you heard me right, Michael!" Lin Tian looked at Jordan and said, "Or do you think I'm wrong?"
Jordan chewed his gum, staring intently at Carter as if trying to see right through the rookie. After scrutinizing him from head to toe, Jordan finally said, "We'll see!"
"Lin, I..." Carter felt weak all over under Jordan's gaze. When he was bragging, he often said that he was invincible and would definitely be the best shooting guard in the league in the future.
But now, facing a Jordan who is clearly furious and in top form, Carter is genuinely a little scared.
"You can definitely take him down! Get ready to receive the ball on your favorite wing and take him down! I'll create a one-on-one opportunity for you!" Lin Tian patted Carter again, speaking loudly as if afraid Jordan wouldn't hear him.
Carter, after all, had been pampered since childhood, hailed as a prodigy and a future basketball superstar since middle school. So, although he was somewhat soft-hearted, when there was no way to avoid it, Carter gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and slapped his face, saying, "Then let's bring it on!"
Carter definitely has the makings of a superstar!
(End of this chapter)