r18novel Chapter 705 Another clash of ice and fire! Top stars from both sides...
Chapter 705 Another clash of ice and fire! Top stars from both sides...
"Snapped!"
What awaited Parker was a crisp sound!
His layup attempt had barely begun when someone behind him slapped it against the backboard.
Then Parker completely lost his balance and fell awkwardly to the floor.
After lying on the floor, Parker finally saw who had blocked his shot from behind.
Lin Tian!
This guy dodged Duncan's screen and drove straight to the paint!
If he hadn't been distracted, Parker believed he would never have been blocked by Lin Tian!
Although Parker was sidelined, the Knicks' fast breaks failed to materialize.
Raja Bell immediately clung to Lin Tian, practically clinging to him, his arms and legs completely intertwined with Lin Tian's. This guy's defense was as sticky as a leech!
At the same time, Lin Tian couldn't help but sigh. Although this guy's defense was a bit dirty, with a lot of physical contact and a tendency to target the opponent's lower body, he was indeed smart!
He can distinguish the difference in scale; his defensive actions are completely different when he's defending at home and away!
He can clearly probe the referee's bottom line and standards.
His defensive level will also change constantly depending on the referee's standards.
Furthermore, if the referee doesn't call this move, his next move will definitely be even bigger! His next defensive play will definitely be even more aggressive!
He will not restrain himself or relax unless the referee blows the whistle.
It's all about ruthlessness!
Although he looks somewhat refined, this guy's style is to outdo his opponents in ferocity!
The rest of the Celtics immediately retreated on defense, each finding their assigned Knicks player to guard and completing man-to-man coverage.
A textbook example of defensive retreat!
This is also the Celtics' strongest weapon.
Their defense was truly textbook-perfect; even the Pistons of yesteryear never made things this difficult for the Knicks.
They really have the strength but can't use it. They can always stifle the Knicks, preventing them from executing the fast breaks they want. Everyone is marked immediately, and it's hard for them to find easy open shots.
"You're still such a bastard, boss!" Parker quickly got up from the floor and retreated to defend. After Lin Tian crossed the midfield, Parker and Bell didn't need to communicate at all. Their perfect understanding allowed them to switch defenses naturally.
The Celtics are well aware of Bell's strengths and weaknesses! They know that Bell's defense is easy to target and easy to get called for fouls by the referees.
Especially against someone as incredibly intelligent as Lin Tian, it's entirely possible that Bale could be called for 3 fouls in 5 minutes!
Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Bell will absolutely not defend Lin Tian during regulation time in this series.
He will save his defense against Lin Tian for the final quarter and the most crucial moments of the game.
Therefore, Lin Tian was mostly matched up against Parker.
"How am I a jerk? You call me a jerk just because I blocked your shot?" Lin Tian laughed, waving to direct his teammates' movements, while continuing, "Aren't you being a bit too much?"
"I'm talking about Eva!" Parker said as casually as possible, putting on an indifferent expression that said, "I knew you were joking."
Then they waited nervously for Lin Tian to speak.
But Lin Tian ignored him.
She acted as if she hadn't heard him and simply ignored him.
FUXX!
Say something!
You're capable of texting people, but not of reviewing the details?
Parker felt like his head was about to explode, but he had to stay rational and couldn't yell at Lin Tian.
He knew that if he cared too much and lost his composure, he would lose and fall into Lin Tian's trap.
I don't care! I don't care at all! I'm going to pretend I don't care!
Parker desperately tried to calm himself down and act like he didn't care.
Looking at Parker's superficial acting, Lin Tian really had to do his best to hold back his complaints: What, you think you haven't been fooled yet?
However, Lin Daguan was kind-hearted, and he knew that exposing Parker at this time would make him extremely embarrassed.
So he chose to remain silent, and then suddenly made a fake dribble with one hand. Parker, who was a little flustered, immediately stretched out one hand to try to steal the ball, but Lin Tian smoothly dribbled behind his back and passed Parker cleanly in the blink of an eye!
Then accelerate, stop abruptly, and release a mid-range jump shot!
"Whoosh!"
2 point hit!
The rest of the Celtics team didn't expect Parker to be beaten so thoroughly and so easily. They failed to provide timely defensive support and could only watch as Lin Tian scored.
"Tony, what did you just say? Sorry, I didn't hear you clearly. Can you say it again?" Lin Tian smiled and looked at Parker after scoring.
Parker had seen Lin Tian's expression countless times when he worked with Lin Tian.
He had personally witnessed Lin Tian repeatedly utter those hurtful trash words with similar expressions, then crush his opponents and lead the Pacers to victory.
Parker just found it funny at the time.
He might think: That's it? He's already mentally broken? He can't handle this? He's been completely crushed?
Noob!
But when time changed, and when Lin Tian used this move against him, Parker finally realized how lethal Lin Tian's trash talk was!
Compared to the regular season, the increased intensity of the playoffs is not limited to physical confrontation; the verbal and mental exchanges are also on a completely different level!
Anyway, this time, Parker started to experience a different level of intensity.
My heart feels like it's being scratched by a cat!
Then, Parker was completely crushed by Lin Tian!
Of course, whether Lin Tian beat Parker or not has nothing to do with how upset he is or whether Lin Tian trash-talked him.
It would be normal to blow it up.
Parker felt extremely disgusted at that moment!
Because Lin Tian simply wouldn't answer him; Lin Tian simply refused to talk to Parker about this anymore!
Not a word was mentioned, not a single utterance was made!
But Parker was too proud to ask, so he couldn't ask, and he didn't dare to ask!
He knew that asking would be tantamount to surrendering.
But whenever Parker thought about Lin Tian's romantic escapades, his fleeting romances with countless Hollywood beauties, the girls Lin Tian brought to hotels, and those girls with whom he still couldn't quite explain his relationship, he was overwhelmed.
Add to that Lin Tian's overwhelming attraction to the opposite sex, and if the two really had exchanged text messages or had private interactions...
Parker kept telling himself it was nothing, but he couldn't help recalling all sorts of details.
The legends surrounding Lin Tian's time, and the legendary size he witnessed with his own eyes.
Then, Parker couldn't help but think of the blissful expression on Eva's face every time she was with him.
all fake?
Are they all scams?
Acting skills?
Parker became increasingly uncertain and worried the more he thought about it.
As a result, he only scored 2 points on 1-of-7 shooting in the first half of the game, while also committing 3 turnovers.
He played terribly!
But until the end of the first half, Lin Tian didn't say a single thing about Eva to him.
The topic seemed to have vanished without a trace.
The good news is that even with Parker completely outmaneuvering the Knicks in the first half, the Celtics didn't fall behind the Knicks; they were only 5 points behind!
The Celtics were able to avoid falling behind in this situation thanks to their twin towers in the paint!
That night, Howard and Duncan stepped up once again, demonstrating their dominance in the paint once more!
They continued to use their height to successfully suppress the Knicks, maintaining a significant advantage in rebounds.
Howard even recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half, including 5 offensive rebounds.
而邓肯则是半场比赛拿下17分7篮板4助攻3抢断5盖帽的完美数据！他在篮下一次次的强攻和他精準巧妙的分球，是凯尔特人队进攻端最可靠的武器！
His rebounding and rim protection abilities make him the Celtics' toughest defensive line!
Duncan tonight proved once again that all the praise he has received over the years is well-deserved!
With Bell's emergence, he was on fire tonight, firing away from the corners and hitting three three-pointers in the first half to score nine points. His three-pointers also made the Knicks hesitant to double-team Duncan, giving him plenty of space to score in isolation.
Without double-teaming, whether it's Okur, Stoudemire, or Smith coming off the bench, they're all easy prey for Duncan!
In other words, Duncan's playing style is not the same as O'Neal's all-destroying style, otherwise this guy could definitely have scored another 10 points in the first half!
Thanks to the outstanding performance of their twin towers in the paint, the Celtics did not fall behind!
As for the Knicks, Lin Tian was undoubtedly the best performer!
他今晚半场比赛就14投8中，3分球3投3中，罚球5罚全中，拿下了24分6篮板7助攻的全面数据！甚至前四场中他时不时就因为凯尔特人的防守陷阱而爆发增长的失误也在今晚被他控制住了。
Zero turnovers in the first half!
Lin Tian's performance in the first half tonight was nothing short of perfect!
His score was still the highest in the game, and he was still the coolest guy tonight!
But even with Lin Tian's perfect performance, he couldn't lead the team to a significant advantage, which is enough to show how outstanding the Celtics' performance was tonight!
"At this point in the game, I think everyone can see who the two key players are," Barkley said. "Although they're not exactly matched up against each other, tonight is going to be a head-to-head duel between the two of them!"
"Duncan vs. Lin!"
"Let's see what kind of performance these two can deliver tonight!"
Kenny quickly followed up, "At least for the first half, I'd give both of them a perfect score! Neither of them is flawless! They're both incredibly versatile, and both can dominate the game on both ends of the court!"
"Lin let Parker shoot 1-for-7, while Duncan held the Knicks to just 10 points in the paint!"
"These two players have completely different playing styles! Duncan is as steady and calm as ice, while Lin's style is as passionate and unrestrained as fire! This game is a clash of ice and fire! Let's see who will lead their team to the Finals!"
Barkley also said with a smile, "Today's game reminded me of the game when Lin led the Pacers to break the 33-game winning streak record."
"Back then, Duncan was still with the Spurs, and their team was tasked with stopping the Pacers and preventing them from breaking the record! They were the last line of defense. I remember it was the Pacers' 32nd or 33rd game on their winning streak."
"David Robinson hadn't even retired when that game started! Both sides gave it their all, and Duncan scored a career-high 54 points, along with more than 20 rebounds."
"Lin even scored a near triple-double of 59 points!"
"In that game, the Spurs couldn't stop the Pacers. They became part of history, part of the first-ever winning streak."
Kenny also said, "What I remember more vividly is actually that series between the two teams two years ago! The Eastern Conference semifinals, Lin's first year with the Knicks."
"At that time, Anthony and Stoudemire were still very inexperienced and they were completely unable to adapt to the intensity of the playoffs. Howard, who was alongside Duncan, was also very inexperienced, but at that time, he also had Pierce and Marbury by his side."
"The Celtics' greater maturity, experience, and balanced strengths have given them a 3-1 lead, putting them almost guaranteed a spot in the conference finals!"
"But then, they were completely overwhelmed by Lin's explosive performance! Lin led his team to win three consecutive games! I think Lin's game-winning shot in Game 7 is one of the top five most important game-winners in NBA history!"
"A truly spectacular match!"
"This series isn't bad either!" Barkley said with a smile. "This series could very well go to a Game 1, or even go down to the wire with a buzzer-beater!"
"I'm really looking forward to it!"
While reviewing the exciting duels and battles between Lin Tian and Duncan, the two commentators couldn't help but look ahead to this series.
The series is currently tied 2-2!
Who will have the last laugh?
This is something that the entire league is extremely concerned about!
But before that, both sides have to finish this match!
In the second half, the two sides switched sides and started the game again!
The Celtics were the first to launch an attack!
Duncan immediately called for the ball in the low post and used his footwork advantage to overpower Okur, scoring two points and drawing a foul on Okur!
2+1!
Stepping to the free-throw line, Duncan remained calm and composed as always. After taking two deep breaths, he raised his hand and sank the ball!
On the other hand, Anthony drove into the paint with the ball, attempting to challenge Duncan, but was blocked by Duncan's powerful block!
Then the Celtics launched a fast break!
Parker dribbled the ball up the court at high speed and then passed it to Josh Howard in the middle. Josh Howard dribbled the ball up the court and then made a no-look pass to Bell on his side. Bell received the ball and immediately passed it back to the middle. This time, Duncan received the ball!
Duncan grabbed the basketball with one hand, then suddenly jumped up, raised the ball high with one arm, and slammed it towards the basket!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Duncan not only slammed the ball down, but also drew a foul from Barnes, who was defending under the basket!
Another 2+1!
Duncan did not disappoint the fans at TD Garden. After sinking a free throw, he scored 6 points and blocked 1 shot at the start of the second half, leading his team to take the lead!
He ignited the atmosphere at North Shore Garden in an instant, and the already frenzied noise and shouts of the fans escalated to an even higher level. The fans were practically screaming and yelling wildly!
The syllables they made no longer sounded like human sounds; they sounded more like wild beasts, like wild beasts howling in hunger!
Then?
Then, less than 10 seconds later, Lin Tian dribbled the ball and sped into the heart of the Celtics' defense. He then pulled up in the mid-range once again, made a sudden stop and jump shot, and released the ball.
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian scored 2 points! The Knicks regained the lead!
Lin Tian's goal was like a huge silencer, directly reducing the noise level of North Shore Garden by at least two levels!
Having clearly noticed the noise reduction, Lin Tian wasn't about to let the Bostonians off so easily.
He arrogantly raised his palm to his ear, making his signature gesture.
The shushing was too soft, I couldn't hear it!
You guys need to step up your game!
Lin Tian's provocation once again drew deafening boos from the Celtics fans, who directed all their passion and anger at him!
Lin Tian then lowered his arm in satisfaction and began to focus on defense!
Furthermore, the Celtics fans' confidence and enthusiasm for hurling insults surged again within just over ten seconds!
Duncan received the ball in the low post again, but this time he didn't force a shot. Instead, after noticing that Stoudemire was guarding him, he made a quick decision and suddenly tossed the ball into the air the moment he received it.
On the other side, Howard immediately jumped up, grabbed the basketball in mid-air over Okur, whose physical abilities were far inferior to his own, and then slammed it into the basket!
Ruthless! Incredibly ruthless!
After Howard scored, the Celtics took the lead again, and he excitedly bared his fangs, roaring at Okur!
Lin Tian certainly wouldn't let his buddy suffer like that. In the next possession, he set a pick and roll with Okur. After the two passed each other at the top of the arc, Lin Tian passed the ball to Okur with a bounce pass. Okur immediately pulled up and decisively shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
You have your innate superhuman strength, and I have my superior touch!
I'm not afraid of you!
In the remainder of the third quarter, both sides unleashed their full potential, going head-to-head with neither team willing to give an inch, trading blows back and forth around the few points difference!
They were like warriors and heroes defending the country's land on the battlefield, fighting for every inch of ground, never yielding an inch, and never surrendering even at the cost of their lives!
Both sides entered a do-or-die mode on the field!
The core of the deadly battle between the two sides is, of course, Duncan and Lin Tian!
These two individuals perfectly fulfilled their leadership responsibilities in this section!
His individual offensive skills, passing ability, playmaking, and directing teammates' movements; his significant impact on the defensive end, including help defense and reminding teammates to be mindful of man-to-man marking...
Their performances in this segment were absolutely perfect!
Under the leadership of these two perfect leaders, the rest of the teams were equally determined and unwilling to hold their leaders back, giving their all!
If you're good at attacking, then attack; if you're not feeling it, then defend. If you can't defend, then bite. If biting doesn't work, then use your head to bump into the opponent's elbow and force them to attack you!
This part of the game got everyone's blood pumping and their adrenaline was completely pumping!
Even Parker, who had been daydreaming like he did in the first half, was completely focused on the game!
The problem is, he wants to get into the game, but Lin Tian doesn't like that!
So with 20 seconds left in the third quarter, after Lin Tian made a layup, he once again set his sights on Parker.
"Tony, did I forget to tell you what text message Eva sent me earlier?"
?
Parker's eyes widened noticeably. He, who had been fighting fiercely and tenaciously with his blood boiling, seemed to have been suddenly doused with cold water, and instantly calmed down, or rather, froze.
This is the opportunity!
Lin Tian suddenly lunged forward and snatched the basketball from Parker's hands!
Parker's momentary daze was only a blink of an eye!
He was only slightly stunned after hearing the name he loved so dearly.
But Lin Tian caught him off guard! He successfully stole the ball!
With 16 seconds left in the third quarter, the Knicks led 81-79 by 2 points!
Lin Tian pressed his hand down and said, "No rush, stay calm, we'll fight to the very end!" (End of Chapter)