69novels Chapter 288 A grueling schedule is coming! The goal is a 33-game winning streak!
Chapter 288 A grueling schedule is coming! The goal is a 33-game winning streak!
Chapter 288 A grueling schedule is coming! The goal is a 33-game winning streak!
After a night of being blinded by diamonds, the entire Pacers team was burning with rage, wishing they could tear the Knicks thugs to shreds and devour them!
Deceiving too much!
If I don't beat you guys until your faces are flushed with rosy cheeks today, you bunch of New York scumbags won't know why flowers are so red!
Fueled by anger, the Pacers players plotted their revenge in the locker room!
"I'm going to dunk on Ewing! At least three of that bastard's!" Carter, unusually, dropped his cheerful smile, his face darkening, and his signature white teeth disappearing.
"I'm going to keep that bastard from Houston from scoring a single basket!" Miller said, equally annoyed.
"I'll elbow that idiot Oakley to death!" Ben Affleck bulged his biceps, looking incredibly fierce, his eyes gleaming.
"I'll make Patrick look like a complete idiot tonight! I'll totally crush him!" Webber was equally imposing!
The Knicks, and their key players who pulled off some crazy stunts tonight, are definitely in for a rough time!
"Sorry guys, you probably won't be getting your revenge tonight." Just as a group of people were discussing how to humiliate the Knicks tonight, Bird walked into the locker room holding a piece of paper.
Both coaches provided the league with their starting lineups, active lineups, and injured lineups before the game.
"Those bastards you were talking about aren't playing tonight. They're resting. Patrick has a wrist injury, Allan Houston is... well, did they have too much fun last night and rupture their hemorrhoids? Anyway, none of those sons of bitches are ready to play!"
Bird was also quite angry tonight. Although he didn't go last night, being shown his championship ring still made his eyes twitch.
Although he has several, and even most of the players on the Pacers have one.
But failing to win that championship last year is a thorn in the side of the entire Pacers team! If they had won it last year, they would have been aiming for a three-peat this year.
But if they didn't win last year, and they want to create a dynasty and become a historically great team, they'll have to start all over again this year.
I'm just not happy.
Then, the Pacers, who were holding back their energy, discovered that the opposing team's starting lineup had all chosen to leave.
Just fucked up!
It's like, "I've already taken my pants off, and you're telling me you got your period tonight!"
Absolutely terrible!
"The substitutes are the same, fight them to the death!" Lin Tian threw the arm sleeves he was just about to put on to the ground, stood up and said, "Whether you're a substitute or a starter, today you all need to completely demolish Madison Square Garden!"
"Yes! Demolish it!"
When the Pacers entered Madison Square Garden, the first thing they saw was Ewing, Oakley, and others sitting neatly in the front row of the arena. These guys were dressed in flamboyant clothes, exuding an incredibly flashy aura.
Then, as soon as the group saw Lin Tian and his group enter, they immediately turned their palms over, revealing the 'bling-bling' rings on their fingers.
"Ten points for a ring!" Lin Tian walked over and said to the group, "The six of you make 60 points!"
What was the worst margin of defeat in Madison Square Garden's history?
"It doesn't matter," Ewing said with a grin. "Anyway, I didn't play."
"You'd better never appear on an NBA court again in your life." Lin Tian glared at Ewing again, his eyes as cold as a wild beast's, making Ewing shiver involuntarily. Then, he unconsciously flipped his wrist and hid the ring.
He was a little scared.
He suddenly had the feeling that maybe he should just stop playing in the future.
Lin Tian's gaze and expression were indeed quite frightening.
Ewing was starting to regret it.
This is not the way to do things.
The aftereffects of this stuff might be too much for him to handle.
Game start!
Facing the Knicks' pure bench lineup, the Pacers showed no mercy and had no intention of being shy or holding back for future encounters.
Beat them to death!
Not only did they excel on offense, but their defense, which had always been only in the middle of the league, was also completely improved.
Today, the Pacers are going to crush those Knicks bastards!
Are you trying to provoke us?
hum!
19: 0!
Halfway through the first quarter, the Knicks hadn't managed to score a single point! They were hit with an unbelievable 19-0 run to start the game!
Then Camby finally scored his first 2 points of the night with a shaky, machine-gun-like shot.
After breaking the deadlock, the Knicks' offense and mentality finally started to improve. They began to score points intermittently, but their scoring speed was obviously far slower than that of the Pacers!
At the end of the first quarter, these poor substitute players were hit by a 35-10 offensive run by the Pacers!
If the Knicks are down by 25 points in the first quarter, and continue at this pace, they will lose by 100 points by the end of the game.
This is of course impossible.
Everyone here is an NBA-level team. Even if they're not the best, they'll always find their rhythm and score a few consecutive points to catch up.
For example, tonight, the Pacers only outscored the Knicks by 10 points in the second quarter! They didn't even win by 40 points at halftime.
By the end of the third quarter, they had only managed to extend their lead to 60 points.
Then in the fourth quarter, Lin Tian and Miller remained on the court. Lin Tian then hit two three-pointers, and Miller hit two three-pointers. Less than two minutes into the quarter, the Pacers gave the Knicks a 12-0 run!
119: 47!
A 72-point difference!
Having reached this point, even if the Pacers players are full of anger and resentment, it's about time they gave up.
If the fighting continues, things could easily go wrong.
Both offensive and defensive players may lose their composure, and even the home fans at Madison Square Garden may lose their composure.
After venting his anger, Bird waved his hand, and Lin Tian and Miller came down to rest. The two sides finally began the decisive battle of role players!
Van Gundy, sitting on the sidelines, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He had absolutely no idea why the Pacers were playing so aggressively today, or why they were attacking his rotation players so relentlessly.
Could it be that he felt he underestimated them and was angry because he didn't fight them properly?
Unaware of the truth, Jeff Van Gundy was quite helpless. The Knicks were at a crucial juncture in their push for the playoffs, and he didn't want his players to waste a lot of energy on such a difficult game. That's why he told Ewing and the others to conserve their energy for the more critical games to come.
You guys are angry because I'm on rest day? Why should I?! Can't I even give you a victory?
Jeff Van Gundy was furious, and the Knicks' role players, after being dominated by Lin Tian and his team for three whole quarters, finally got to rest.
FUXX!
Then it's time for us to fight back!
After three quarters of stagnation, the Knicks players launched their counterattack!
Compared to the Pacers, who had already vented their frustration and lost the will to fight, feeling that the game was completely meaningless, the Knicks suddenly displayed a never-say-die, never-give-up, and incredibly resilient spirit in the fourth quarter. At the same time, their shooting accuracy and form also miraculously recovered.
"Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Simply put, the Knicks' fourth quarter was just a chaotic mess of scoring!
Of course, with a 70-point deficit, no matter how many points you score, Bird wouldn't bother to bring the player back.
If we can't win by 70 points today, so be it! We'll try again next time! Anyway, the two teams still have to play another game at Conseco Arena!
We'll talk about it later.
In the end, the final score of the match was 80:137!
The Pacers swept the New York teams in two games, leaving them utterly humiliated, each loss more devastating than the last!
Then, because the upcoming schedule was so tight, they didn't even spend the night in New York, but instead took off directly to Minnesota.
They are about to begin their nightmare away game here, facing three top teams with a winning percentage of over 65% in four consecutive days!
Fortunately, after defeating the Knicks, they could rest for another day. The reason Bird made them fly to Minnesota so quickly was that it would allow the players to rest comfortably all at once, rather than resting intermittently, which would make it difficult to truly relieve fatigue.
More importantly, it also keeps the players away from the temptations of New York! At this crucial moment in their pursuit of a winning streak, Bird doesn't want any player on the team to get into trouble or have their performance affected by drinking or chasing girls!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break historical records, and Bird would absolutely not let it slip by!
Of course, more importantly, the Pacers are challenging the Lakers' record this time!
That was the club in the world that Bird considered most deserving of being disbanded! What could be more exciting than breaking their records and leaving Magic Johnson, West, Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar crestfallen?
Yes, but obviously not many! Bird had even secretly decided on the order in which he would call others after breaking the record!
First call Magic Johnson, then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then Jerry West! And the fourth call is to their boss, Buss!
Okay, let's do it this way!
Just once, and I stimulated them thoroughly and made them feel completely satisfied!
Who told those bastards to always show off in front of me?
Live it!
Get ready to be rubbed raw by yourself!
At this crucial moment of revenge and venting his anger, Bird certainly wouldn't allow any accidents to happen!
He demanded that everyone be on high alert, fully prepared, and take down the Timberwolves!
Since the Timberwolves drafted high schooler Kevin Garnett in 1995, this very young team in the league has finally found its cornerstone. Starting from the 1996-97 season, the team has made the playoffs for three consecutive years, and this year they have a chance to compete for a spot in the upper half of the playoffs!
This is a first in Timberwolves history!
Although they had made the playoffs for three consecutive years, the team had never won a single series! They had been eliminated in the first round three times!
Of course, from God's perspective, this is nothing, after all, it's only three times. The Timberwolves still have to go through four more first-round exits! Only after Garnett finally completes the feat of seven consecutive first-round exits can the Timberwolves summon the dragon and win two series, successfully reaching the conference finals in the 2003-04 season!
Yes, these are the only two series that the Timberwolves have ever won in their entire franchise history!
From its founding in 89 until 24, a full 35 years, the Timberwolves only won these two series!
It has to be said that the management's level is beyond terrible or utterly incompetent; it's simply outrageous!
Lin Tian even felt that if Zhu Fangyu were to become the general manager, the Timberwolves might win two more series.
At the very least, Zhu Fangyu is a normal person. He wouldn't overspend everything and then use five first-round draft picks to trade for Gobert, nor would he add an extra unprotected first-round draft pick when trading Wiggins for Russell.
The Timberwolves' management over the past 35 years has not been making trades with their opponents; they've been doing charity!
I suffer alone so that millions of families may be happy!
Even Jordan and the Hornets! This team is terrible enough, isn't it? They haven't won a single series in over 20 years of history!
But the Hornets are saving money! They don't have two centers who cost $200 million each or a power forward who was on a supermax contract of $28 million in the early 21st century!
Even though theirs is rotten, it didn't cost that much, did it?
As for the Timberwolves...
Let's not talk about it anymore, let's not talk about it anymore!
But of course, that's all in the future! For now, the Timberwolves' roster can be described as vibrant and full of potential!
Kevin Garnett, the power forward from the 95 draft class, has just signed a super contract that is only slightly less than Lin Tian's. This contract will make him the second highest-paid player in the NBA in a few years, second only to Lin Tian. At the same time, Garnett's current performance absolutely justifies this contract.
赛季至今，加内特场均23分12个篮板5次助攻，另外还有1.5盖帽和1.6次的抢断！
他是全联盟唯一一个能做到20+12+5+1.5+1.5的人！五项数据如此均衡如此全能的怪物，整个联盟只此一家别无分号！
Garnett can be called a unique all-around monster in this era, and even in the entire history of the NBA!
从进攻到防守，从传球到掩护，连续6个赛季场均20+10+5+1+1，整个NBA历史上只有他一个人能够做到这个！
All-around talent is his best label!
Of course, Garnett is not perfect either; his flaws and strengths are equally obvious.
His biggest flaws, in fact, can be summarized in just two.
Firstly, they lack offensive firepower and don't possess the signature skill of top stars: the ability to break through defenses!
他是那种能稳定的给你送出20+10+5的全能怪兽，但如果到了要命的时候，球队需要一个能轰下40分、50分，用个人得分来拯救球队的时候，加内特还是只能给你20+10+5！
Even if there's a burst of energy, it's only 25 + 15 + 5!
Impressive, but not enough for a team leader!
The team leader needs to score points, but Garnett is clearly not good at that.
For example, in the matchup against Nowitzki, when Nowitzki averaged 33 points and 15 rebounds per game in the series, Garnett had 24 points, 18 rebounds, and 5 assists. Impressive, right? Impressive! But clearly, he didn't do what a team leader should do. What he should have done wasn't to fill the stat sheet, but to close that 9-point gap!
This is also the biggest reason why Garnett is always criticized: his highest single-game score in the playoffs is only 35 points, which is absolutely unacceptable for an MVP-level player.
Another weakness is Garnett's defense. He can defend point guards' drives, guard the one-on-one situations of small forwards and small forwards, and go head-to-head with shooting power forwards. He can appear in every corner forgotten by his teammates to provide help defense. He can appear anywhere on the court like Spider-Man to fill in gaps for his teammates.
Even considering only the all-around defensive capabilities, the area covered in help defense, the aggressiveness in sweeping, and the omnipresent presence on the defensive end, he is probably the greatest of all time, or at least the strongest contender for the title.
But he can't defend against heavy big men, whether they're power forwards or centers, whether they're good at facing the basket or backing down the basket.
If the tonnage is large enough, Garnett will have a hard time dealing with it.
Similarly, this is something a team leader should do, but he can't do it well.
When the rest of the team can't handle the opponent's key inside player, when the team needs someone to raise their arms and shout, "Get out of my way, I'll take him down!"
Garnett can't come here.
He needs a tank to help him hold off the opponent's behemoth-like inside players.
This is a compromise that had to be made due to insufficient tonnage and the need to maintain maneuverability; there's nothing anyone can do about it.
But these two weaknesses on both offense and defense are fatal for Garnett.
This means that although he possesses top-tier historical abilities, he is not suitable to be the primary core player of a championship-contending team!
His more suitable position is actually the team's second-in-command.
He was the greatest blue-collar worker in history, capable of doing all the dirty and tiring work and doing it to perfection, but as the leader of a championship-contending team, he was indeed lacking.
Hmm... I've gone a bit off-topic.
The reason why we are talking so much about Garnett's strengths and weaknesses now is that the Timberwolves have acquired a player who can attack hard, break through defenses, and tear apart the opponent's defense ahead of time.
"The Madman" Terril Sprewell!
This guy, who was selected to the All-NBA Second Team, was definitely one of the top swingmen in the league in the mid-90s. His mid-range shooting, his three-point shooting, and his ability to penetrate were all excellent!
Most importantly, he has a reckless personality; he's not afraid! He's not afraid of anything. Of course, if someone dares to almost kill their head coach in front of the whole team during training, then there aren't many things they wouldn't dare to do.
In short, Sprewell is an absolute clutch player, a big-game player, and he's incredibly tough! So tough that you can't tell if he's tough or just plain stupid!
For example, a normal person might be tough, but they won't give up money. If it's for money, they'll make money when they should and yield when they should.
But Sprewell doesn't.
The Timberwolves once offered him a 3-year, $2100 million contract extension. Keep in mind, that was in 04, when the team's salary cap was only $3-4000 million. A $700 million annual salary was already considered a high-level player's salary. Not to mention that Sprewell was already 35 years old that year. The Timberwolves' offer to him was even a bit too high.
But Sprewell is different!
"This little bit of money isn't enough to support my family!"
After leaving behind this famous quote that serves as a wake-up call to all NBA players—avoiding excessive impulsiveness and overconfidence that could lead to rejecting contracts and ultimately failing to earn money—Sprewell actually didn't look back. He preferred to retire rather than sign this 3-year, $2100 million contract or even less.
Then?
Then Sprewell kept his word and retired.
We've gone off on a tangent again.
In short, the Timberwolves acquired Sprewell, who was still in his prime, several years ahead of schedule. This season, he is averaging 19+4+4, and he is particularly effective in clutch situations, which can compensate for Garnett's lack of clutch ability.
In addition, the team also has this year's 6th overall pick, white sharpshooter Szczerbiak, and All-Star guard Trier Brandon, who came to the team in the Marbury trade. On the bench, there is also Joe Smith, the 95 number one overall pick.
Well, this guy will later become one of the culprits behind the Timberwolves' three consecutive lottery wins from 05 to 07, becoming one of the most notorious laughingstocks in the league. Of course, that's a story for another time.
But the Timberwolves' current roster is definitely luxurious!
With good players in every position and a relatively stable team tactical system, the next question is when the team will be able to achieve a real breakthrough in performance!
After introducing the Timberwolves' tactical system and roster, Bird turned off the TV, looked at his players, and said, "So? What do you think of this team?"
"I know Trier well! I often teach him a lesson!" Lin Tian said with a wicked smile. "Another shorty who's at most 175 centimeters tall but insists he's 180 centimeters. Tonight, I'll make him realize just how short he really is! I'll beat him and the Timberwolves to a pulp as soon as possible and force them to bring in that 2-meter tall guard, Malik Healy."
"That means they only have Garnett as a playmaker! And when it comes to initiating plays? In league history, is there even one big man who can compare to our Chris?"
"Oh, not at all, I'm not that good." Webber waved his hand arrogantly, then said, "I'll show Kevin what a real power forward is, what kind of person can carry a team! What kind of person is a team leader! Obviously, this guy isn't qualified!"
"Garnett isn't good at defending post-up plays in the paint," Ben Wallace said, scratching his exaggerated afro. "How about I try posting him up a few times?"
"You should just give up, Ben. Garnett is just not good at defending post-up moves. That means he can't defend Shaq, Olajuwon, or Mourning, but it doesn't mean he can't defend any post-up move!" Miller quickly tried to stop Ben.
Just kidding, who in all of Indiana doesn't know that Ben Wallace's back-to-the-basket skills are worse than a high schooler's? Aside from sticking his butt out and turning around to lay up or dunk, he doesn't have any reliable offensive methods.
Even so, his layups sometimes went over the bar or bounced off the rim. That's how Ben Wallace gets at least one offensive rebound every game!
With his skills, he thinks he can just go all out against Garnett?
What's the difference between this and delivering groceries to Garnett?
It's like everyone knows Tyson's best moments are the first three rounds; if you can survive the first three rounds against him, you have a chance to win.
It sounds pretty simple.
After a group of people lined up to mock Big Ben, the atmosphere in the Pacers' locker room relaxed considerably. Then, just before everyone was about to leave the locker room and head to the court to warm up, Bird suddenly called everyone back.
I delivered some good news to them.
Just minutes ago, the Suns' second-in-command, Penny Hardaway, who averages 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game this season, twisted his knee again and will be out for at least 7-10 days!
This is absolutely fantastic news for the Pacers, who are on a winning streak!
The Suns have been able to maintain a top-four position in the Western Conference for an extended period this season thanks to their dual-core, dual-drive, dual-engine strategy! With two top-tier backcourt players, Kidd and Hardaway, driving the team's offense together!
The Suns' offensive strategies and systems are widely recognized as one of the most beautiful and entertaining in the entire league!
But now that there's only one core left in a dual-core system, and dual-drive has become single-drive, their strength has not only decreased by half, but at least it has dropped from being extremely difficult to deal with to being just so-so.
Before the game, Bird gave the team an order: Win this game as quickly as possible! Crush the Timberwolves as soon as possible, and then quickly take down the Suns, who have only one star, in the next game!
Finally, of course, we need to conserve our energy and be in top form to face the Spurs! To play this crucial game in the team's quest for a winning streak!
Now, with their unexpected good fortune and boosted confidence, the Pacers swaggered into Target Center!
The freezing weather in Minnesota clearly did not dampen the fans' enthusiasm and passion. They were obviously waiting for the Pacers players to step onto the court. Then, the moment they entered the court, a deafening chorus of boos, curses, and noise came from all directions towards the Pacers players.
"Your winning streak will end tonight!"
"You can't scare us!"
"Minnesota can conquer the cold, and it can conquer everything!"
"You're a bunch of daydreaming trash! We'll tear you to shreds!"
"If you venture into the forest on foot, you will only be torn to pieces by wild beasts!"
"KG will teach you a lesson! You'll be completely crushed!"
……
"Minnesota is such a lousy place, shouldn't the cold weather freeze people solid? How come only the mouths of Minnesotans are frozen solid, while the rest of their bodies are still soft?" Lin Tian was already used to this level of booing. To him, this noise was nothing. He had seen far more vulgar and unbearable swearing.
"It's alright. Things frozen solid are very fragile," Miller said. "They'll shatter completely with the slightest touch, just like the confidence of the Minnesotans! In five minutes at most, we can shatter their confidence, which is protected by the low temperatures!"
"Five minutes it is!" Lin Tian, Weber, and the others were now rubbing their hands together, full of confidence!
They really don't take the Timberwolves seriously!
A few minutes later, the players from both sides finished warming up and went onto the field.
The Pacers kept their starting lineup unchanged, while the Timberwolves' starting lineup consisted of: center Rasul Nesterovic, power forward Kevin Garnett, small forward Wally Szczerbiak, shooting guard Trariel Sprewell, and point guard Brandon Trier.
This lineup is actually quite good! It has a strong inside presence, excellent shooters, a clutch player, and a point guard who excels at both offense and playmaking. Most importantly, it has Kevin Garnett, an all-around monster!
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Nesterovic, a Slovenian who is over 220 centimeters tall, jumped up quickly and passed the basketball to Trier, giving the Timberwolves possession of the ball on the first possession.
Ben Wallace's height really makes him unsuitable for jump balls; he's probably the center with the lowest jump ball success rate in the entire league.
However, while Ben's weaknesses are obvious, his strengths are equally prominent!
For example, in the first possession of the Timberwolves, he switched defense with Webber and directly positioned himself in front of Garnett.
"Chris, I thought you'd have the guts to fight me one-on-one." Garnett grinned menacingly at Webber, "You've really disappointed me."
"Take down Ben first! You'll see who the real tough guy on the court is in a minute!" Webber scoffed and turned to guard Nesterovic, a pure blue-collar player.
He knows his own defensive capabilities, and if he can switch with Ben Wallace on the court, he will definitely do so without hesitation!
Hiding one's shortcomings is nothing to be ashamed of.
A few seconds later, before Garnett even got the ball, his expression changed.
He wanted to go low and use his height to bully Ben Wallace under the basket, but he found that as soon as he got to the area below waist level, Ben Wallace's defensive intensity would immediately increase significantly. Garnett wanted to get in?
It's too difficult! He first has to engage in a fierce physical battle with Ben Wallace, boxing out, and constantly colliding with his muscles, and then he has to endure Ben Wallace's dirty tricks before he can finally get into the paint.
The cost is too high!
Moreover, Garnett didn't like this method.
So he quickly abandoned the idea of going inside to fight Ben Wallace, turned around and charged towards the free-throw line, and then grabbed the basketball as soon as he reached the free-throw line.
The Timberwolves players immediately began moving, quickly cutting in and out, trying to find space. Trier and Sprewell took turns running around Garnett to set screens, hoping to get a handoff opportunity to receive a pass from Garnett.
Unfortunately, after running several laps, none of the Timberwolves' other players got a real chance.
Logically, at this point, the tactics were already set in stone, and it was Garnett's turn to finish the round. However, this guy was surprisingly wary of Ben Wallace's defense!
Ben Wallace completely ignored Garnett's upper body, focusing all his attention on Garnett's lower body! One of Ben Wallace's hands was almost always hanging on Garnett's waist, and his legs were tightly wrapped around Garnett's thighs, making it impossible for Garnett to exert any force!
With Ben Wallace so tightly marking his lower body, Garnett simply couldn't generate enough power to shoot! But anyone who's played basketball knows that when your defender is so close, the best approach is to drive to the basket!
Garnett's fundamentals absolutely enable him to make those face-up drives!
Garnett hesitated for a moment with the ball, then made a few gestures with the triple threat, only to find that Ben Wallace completely ignored him. In the end, he still didn't choose to attack himself; he didn't even dribble the ball, but simply passed it back to Sprewell!
Sprewell was still completely out of Christie's defense, but when he received the ball, there were only 4 seconds left on the shot clock. He had no chance to regroup and create space for a good shot, so he could only make two quick fake moves, dribble forward once, and then pull up and throw!
"Whoosh!"
In the early stages, Sprewell had a good touch, forcing a shot that went straight in!
In the Pacers' offense, Lin Tian faced Trier, who was only 175 cm tall. As usual, he turned around at the three-point line, used his butt to block Trier, and then shoved him twice towards the inside before suddenly turning around and pulling up for a mid-range shot!
But as soon as Lin Tian turned around, he found that Garnett had somehow gotten into position on defense! His long arms were reaching out towards Lin Tian!
If Lin Tian were to make a move directly like this, he would 100% get hit by a bloody hat!
Fortunately, Lin Tian reacted quickly and had a wide field of vision. Just as Garnett rushed over, he suddenly lowered the ball and passed it directly from Garnett's ribs to Webber, who had rushed to the edge of the three-second zone and was completely left open. Webber took the ball and pulled it up directly, easily scoring 2 points with a floater!
As for the other inside player, Nesterovic?
This guy was still two meters away from Ben Wallace, blocking him! His footwork and reaction time weren't as fast as Garnett's, so he didn't have time to fill the gap left by Garnett!
"Come on! You almost stopped me!" After landing, Lin Tian didn't forget to encourage Garnett: "But you'd better get your teammates to cheer you on too, otherwise they won't be able to fill the gaps you left."
"Kevin, where are you?" Webber, who had just been mocked by Garnett, seized the opportunity and ran over with a grin, saying, "Why can't I feel any defensive pressure? Are you lost?"
"FUXX!" Garnett's expression was incredibly fierce as he swore. His menacing look made it clear that he was about to explode!
Lin Tian even gave Christie a wink, signaling him to help Ben Wallace if necessary.
then……
Garnett missed the three-second zone again. He got the ball far from the basket once more, and after testing Ben Wallace's strength twice, he was pushed even further away from the basket by Wallace. Then, as if he was on fire, Garnett angrily turned around forcefully, shoved Wallace with his shoulder, and passed the ball to Szczerbiak outside the three-point line.
"Bang!"
The rookie shooter took a very decisive shot, but Carter's defense was also very effective, and the ball bounced off the rim and missed!
Webber grabbed the rebound and then tossed the ball to Lin Tian with one hand, and the Pacers launched another counterattack!
Lin Tian received the ball in the middle and quickly surveyed the situation on the court. He then made a bounce pass to Carter, who was sprinting on the left. Carter dribbled the ball twice and then started to run for a thunderous and violent dunk!
But as soon as he jumped, Lin Tian realized something was wrong and quickly sped up his pace to run towards the basket.
"Snapped!"
Garnett's speed was unlike that of an inside player over 210 cm tall. He actually caught up with Carter and delivered a fierce block to Carter under the basket!
Caught off guard, Carter couldn't dodge the attack, and Garnett swatted the ball towards the top of the key.
Fortunately, Lin Tian reacted quickly enough!
He quickened his pace, grabbed the basketball before everyone else, and charged toward Garnett.
"Come on! Come on, Lin! Let's see who's the coward!" Garnett quickly turned around, his knees slightly bent, ready to jump a second time.
Lin Tian was completely unafraid and jumped up to face Garnett!
The two players jumped at the same time. Both were top players from the 1995 draft class, and they had a solid collision in the paint!
"Bang!"
After a muffled thud, Garnett felt as if he had been hit by a Hummer with the accelerator floored!
He almost lost his balance completely! But fortunately, he still has the most perfect size and defensive talent in the entire league. Although he was almost sent flying by Lin Tian's collision, he still stretched out his hand to interfere with Lin Tian!
Garnett was confident that as long as Lin Tian dared to make a move, he could give Lin Tian a bloody block!
But Lin Tian's basketball is gone!
Garnett watched incredulously as Lin Tian magically retracted the basketball back to his waist.
Then he passed the ball from behind to Carter, who had just been blocked by him.
"boom!"
Having just suffered a major loss, Carter wasn't going to be polite to the Timberwolves. After getting the ball, he even waited a moment, just in time to jump when Garnett landed and didn't have time to jump.
A powerful, sweeping two-handed dunk landed over Garnett's head!
Hat me?
I'll take it back!
After scoring, Carter gestured with the muscles on his arms towards Garnett, baring his teeth fiercely at Garnett!
"You're dead, kid! You dare to detain me? You're dead! I'll beat you so badly your own mother won't recognize you! I'll make your father cry while holding your dead body!" Garnett once again spewed out extremely fierce trash talk.
Then, on the offensive end, this guy was so badly blocked by Ben Wallace that he didn't even have time to make a shooting motion before passing the ball to Trier.
Before Trier could even shoot after receiving the ball, Lin Tian closed in. With his age and declining speed, Trier had no choice but to pass the ball back to Garnett.
This time Garnett got the ball, and there were less than 4 seconds left on the shot clock. This time, he didn't have time to pass the ball!
He could only take his signature jump shot from the area above the free-throw line, despite Ben Wallace's defense!
(End of this chapter)