r18novel Chapter 454 When it rains, it pours! God doesn't want us to win.
Chapter 454 When it rains, it pours! God doesn't want us to win.
At this point, Carlisle had no choice but to bring Lin Tian back on the court, putting him on the court with Parker, Ginobili, Artest, and Miller.
This is also Carlyle's successful experience and habitual thinking over the past few years.
When trailing or facing difficulties, Carlisle always placed more faith in the team's offense than in their defense!
"Tony, you played well just now, keep controlling the ball." After coming on, Lin Tian first gave Parker some encouragement, and then quickly ran to the frontcourt to box out Cassell.
"Shout it out! Shout it out!" Lin Tianren, positioned low, shouted at Parker, "Guide everyone's positioning, execute whatever tactics you want!"
"How about... a number 3 tactic?" Parker raised his hand, hesitantly calling out, then his eyes immediately glanced at Lin Tian.
This was the first time he had ever been asked to call out tactics while Lin Tian was present.
"What are you hesitating for?" Lin Tian was annoyed when he saw Parker like this. He had taught him so much over the past two months, and it was all for nothing, wasn't it?
"Where's your swearing? Where's your bravado? Where are all those highlight reels I show you? You're not as good as you were when you were 17 and playing in the World Junior Championships! Or is it that all French people do after they grow up are surrender and admit defeat?"
"Stop calling yourself the Gallic Rooster, you're just Gallic Chickens!"
"Get the hell out of here! I'm going to use Tactic Three!"
Whether it was because Lin Tian insulted Parker's homeland or because Lin Tian mentioned 17-year-old Parker, Parker finally showed some composure after Lin Tian's words and yelled at Lin Tian.
Well, if it's just this one shout, Lin Tian would give him a 9 out of 10.
But this guy added another sentence afterward.
"Is that alright?"
Sure, sure, sure my ass.
Lin Tian couldn't help but roll his eyes, then quickly started running, heading towards the other flank according to the tactics, drawing all of the Timberwolves' defensive attention away.
Then Parker seized the opportunity, accelerated hard to break through, and suddenly stopped after the mid-range shot, passing the ball to Miller at the free-throw line. Miller immediately threw the ball to the side, passing it to Ginobili, who had just completed a screen with Artest and run out to the three-point line.
"Whoosh!"
This time, Ginobili didn't hesitate at all, pulled up the paddle and shot, and the three-pointer went in!
This guy is much more reserved than Parker, so his progress over the past two months has been more obvious than Parker's.
At least, he's more confident when it comes to one-on-one plays and shooting!
More importantly, neither Lin Tian nor Carlisle criticized him for his mistakes and missed shots. Instead, they encouraged him, boosted his confidence, and gave him the courage to continue showcasing his talent.
In short, everything for the Pacers is moving in a better direction.
The Pacers' small lineup of one big man and four small men is definitely sharp and fierce on the offensive end, but it's not so good on the defensive end. Artest can use his size and strength to contain the not-so-tough Garnett.
However, Parker and Ginobili are both defensive weaknesses. When facing opponents of average skill, they can still rely on the system and team defense to avoid dragging the team down.
However, when the two of them face off against top stars like Iverson or experienced veterans like Cassell, they will inevitably be exploited as weaknesses.
Unfortunately, Lin Tian couldn't help them defend at this moment; he had to be outmatched to defend Sprewell outside number 3! What if Madman was put up against these two?
They could probably tear them both apart and eat them whole!
In the first possession after the Pacers hit a three-pointer, Iverson dribbled the ball and isolated against Parker, using his agility and shooting ability to score a mid-range pull-up jumper.
Parker, clearly boosted by his previous play, dribbled the ball up the court and, seeing Lin Tian standing on the wing, immediately called a play.
"Damn it, are you messing with me?" Lin Tian rolled his eyes, because this time Parker's tactic was to have him circle around and then go to the other side for a low-post one-on-one.
So you insist on shouting the opposite of how I stand, huh?
"Hurry up! Don't you understand?" Parker shouted at Lin Tian again, as if he wanted to release something.
This time, even the suffix was gone.
My confidence seems to have truly returned.
You want to settle scores and avenge your grudges, right?
Lin Tian pursed his lips. What could he do?
You have to pay for the sins you've created!
He could only start running, and together with Miller, he set a screen under the basket and made a series of reverse runs to shake off the defender. Then he quickly moved to the other side of the post and reached out for the ball.
Parker didn't dare to show off his skills anymore, and the basketball quickly went to Lin Tian's hands.
He caught the ball, turned around, and with a smooth fake, sent Cassell, who had run a long way over, flying high into the air. Then, Lin Tiancai leisurely brushed against him and took a shot.
"Beep beep!"
"Whoosh!"
The referee's whistle and the sound of the basketball going through the hoop rang out at the same time. Lin Tian made another shot and scored a 2+1!
"Well done!" After scoring, Lin Tian's first action was to go over and give Parker a high five to encourage him.
"Is it really that good?" Parker's big eyes were now filled with eager anticipation.
"That's really good. You can even try doing that again," Lin Tian threatened. "Then guess who'll get a brutal beating during the next training session?"
"I understand, boss! I'll keep working hard!" Parker saw Lin Tian's expression and knew that Lin Tian knew he was playing a trick on him. He didn't hesitate to show the genes of a French man.
Surrender and admit defeat.
But despite surrendering, Parker did indeed play better and better in the following games. As a point guard who is essentially a scorer, his playmaking ability, while not top-notch, is definitely sufficient! His real strength lies in his ability to penetrate and finish!
Parker is definitely the type of player who leads the offense.
But with Lin Tian drawing and diverting the defense's attention, his offensive space was excellent. In the remainder of the second quarter, he was in great form, scoring three times and dishing out a total of four assists. He was in excellent form tonight!
His impressive performance and brilliant offense earned him a significant amount of time on the court alongside Lin Tian.
Christie barely played in this quarter, only playing for a total of 2 minutes, while Parker played almost the entire quarter.
Good performance, more playing time.
Besides Parker, Ginobili also scored 5 points in this quarter. The Pacers' two bench stars had a great breakout performance today.
Besides these two, Artest, Miller, and others also performed well, scoring many crucial points.
With his teammates performing well in the second quarter, Lin Tian played a supporting role and didn't score many points. He only took 3 shots in the quarter and scored 5 points. Despite scoring 23 points in the first quarter, Lin Tian didn't even score 30 points in the first half.
Although Lin Tian's performance in the second quarter was mediocre, the Pacers quickly caught up, and by the end of the first half, they had successfully narrowed the gap to single digits.
55: 60!
The Pacers are now only down by 5 points!
As we all know, in the NBA, if a team has a top star player, 5 points can be scored in just 20 seconds!
At the start of the second half, Lin Tian once again broke through Cassell's defense and drove to the basket, forcefully pulling up for a layup over Ogvorkandi and scoring 2 points.
Then, on the defensive end, Lin Tian stuck to Iverson tightly, not giving him any chance to receive the ball. Meanwhile, Haslem had a good chat with Artest at halftime about how to defend against Garnett, a tall and skinny mid-range shooting king. He blocked Garnett's lower body, making his shot somewhat awkward.
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, Garnett's mid-range shot bounced off the rim!
Lin Tian grabbed the backboard, then pushed the ball forward, unleashing a burst of speed in the blink of an eye.
Quick attack!
The league generally agrees that when Lin Tian decides to launch a fast break, there is only one way to stop him: foul him.
But often, when facing Lin Tian sprinting at full speed, you simply can't find an opportunity to foul!
The Timberwolves, and Allen Iverson, were really fast.
This guy gritted his teeth and unleashed all his primal power, chasing Lin Tian with all his might, just to barely stand in front of him and avoid being outmaneuvered.
They may look like they're about the same speed, but you should know that one of them is dribbling and the other isn't!
The speed difference between them is definitely greater than the height difference between them!
After Lin Tian crossed the three-point line, Iverson glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye and found that Cassell had also run across half-court and was right behind him. So Iverson gritted his teeth and fouled him!
He wanted to use fouls to disrupt the Pacers' fast breaks and force them to inbound the ball and play positional offense.
Just as he was about to grab the man, Lin Tian seemed to have read his mind and suddenly jumped up, shooting a three-pointer from just one step past the center line!
That bastard's trying to cheat for three free throws!
The idea flashed into Iverson's mind instantly, but no matter how fast his mind raced, he couldn't control his hand in time.
It's too late to get it back.
"Snapped!"
Iverson's hand landed squarely on Lin Tian's arm, but because he tried to pull back his strength at the last minute, the slap, though solid, didn't hurt or itch.
It did not affect Lin Tian's attack at all.
"Beep beep!"
"Whoosh!"
Then, the referee's whistle and the sound of Lin Tian's three-pointer going through the net rang out almost simultaneously.
Lin Tian's incredible long-range shot went in the basket!
The target center, which had just been filled with cheers, instantly returned to silence.
The fans watched in disbelief as they were leading by 5 points just moments before.
How did they manage to be overtaken so quickly?
A super long-range 3+1 play just past midfield?
Even during an NBA live game, they wouldn't throw things like that!
Lin was standing very straight, waving his hands up and down, signaling the fans to give him more noise!
That was incredibly arrogant!
Of course, if you ask Lin Tian how much luck accounted for that shot, he can only tell you: 99%.
It was basically all guesswork, mainly relying on a miracle through sheer force.
Iverson was incredibly frustrated at that moment, spreading his hands in frustration, hoping the referee would only give him a regular foul instead of a 3+1.
This was his last act of defiance.
To his dismay, the referee, after reviewing the replay, promptly issued a shooting foul.
The 3 points are valid, but an additional penalty will be imposed!
"I saw you, Alan. No matter who you team up with, no matter how strong your teammates are, you're still going to lose to me!"
After trash-talking Iverson, Lin Tian went to the free-throw line and made the shot. In less than 30 seconds at the start of the third quarter, he scored 6 points in a row, leading his team to take the lead!
The rest of the game was almost a carbon copy of the first quarter. Lin Tian was still unstoppable, but the Pacers' starters were still in poor form. Both Christie and Artest missed many open shots.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves' team chemistry and compatibility remained strong, with the entire team consistently scoring.
With three minutes remaining in the third quarter, Lin Tian had already scored 20 points in the quarter, but the Pacers were still down by nine points against the Timberwolves!
This quarter was even more exaggerated than the first quarter; the Pacers have only scored a total of 20 points so far!
Apart from Lin Tian, everyone else went 0-for-7 and scored no points!
"Honestly, the Pacers' starting four were really terrible today. They didn't live up to Lin's performance and output at all," Barkley said. "If they had just been a little more accurate, the Pacers might already have a lead of more than 10 points!"
Kenny added, "Perhaps Carlisle should make a change. He should make a substitution. The current players are making it difficult for the Pacers to win. And sure enough! After the timeout, Carlisle brought out the same lineup that made the difference in the second quarter!"
Miller, Artest, Ginobili, Parker, and Lin Tian!
Carlisle's decision to bring out this "one big, four small" lineup again is quite clear: I can't beat you with the regular lineup, so I'm going to go all out with this aggressive lineup. If you're so tough, the Timberwolves can go all out against me!
Back at the start of the game, the first person to speak was surprisingly Parker. He was playing with complete confidence and rhythm today, waving at Lin Tian and saying, "Get to the baseline! Let's run a guard play!"
Wow! Goodness!
Lin Tian finally understood why Jordan had pushed him to his limits during every training session during his rookie year.
That guy's behavior is just asking for a beating!
Parker was completely unaware that he had almost been beaten up. Overflowing with confidence, he dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and faced the defense of Iverson, one of the league's top stars. He was not afraid at all, carefully controlling the ball while raising his hand and shouting the tactics.
The so-called G tactic is that Lin Tian starts running in circles from the baseline, using his teammates' screens along the way, eventually drawing a semi-circle, and then sets up an off-ball screen with Miller near the waist on the other side before receiving the ball and attacking.
This time, after Lin Tian circled most of the court, he still couldn't shake off the defense because Garnett's movement and awareness were too good. He blocked Lin Tian's angle to run and receive the ball, preventing Parker from passing the ball out.
"Get out of the way if you don't have a chance! Don't block the way!" Parker waved for Lin Tian to move aside, then suddenly made a bounce pass to Ginobili, who had moved to where Lin Tian had just been.
After receiving the ball, Ginobili didn't shoot, nor did he even make any moves within the bounds. Instead, he threw the ball away with one hand!
The route he chose was extremely bizarre. The basketball drew an arc from outside the boundary, flew horizontally across the entire baseline, and then came into the hands of Lin Tian, who had just run to the other corner.
But what about Ginobili's curveball? The curve was a bit lacking. At the very least, when Lin Tian received the ball, his entire upper body was outside the baseline. If it weren't for his excellent core strength, this shot would have gone out of bounds no matter what.
But Lin Tian relied on his terrifying core strength to not only successfully retrieve the ball back into bounds, but also pulled up and took another shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Lin Tian waved his arms again, signaling the fans in the stadium to cheer him on and make more noise!
"Wow! What is that?! I actually saw a curveball on the basketball court? How does Ginobili pass a ball like that? I watched the basketball trace an incredibly beautiful arc!"
When Barkley saw the ball, he roared with excitement. He could tell that Lin Tian's core strength and shooting accuracy accounted for at most 3% of the credit for the basket, while Ginobili's incredible pass deserved at least 7% of the credit!
Even if the ball had been passed back slightly more, with a smoother arc, Lin Tian's contribution to that goal would only be 10%!
Shooting a basketball? Anyone can do that.
Compared to Barkley's howling, Kenny's commentary was much more elegant: "The Argentinian treated the basketball court like the Pampas grasslands, dancing a passionate tango here! Let's once again feel the romance and creativity from the grasslands!"
But regardless of how it's presented, it all illustrates one thing.
Ginobili's pass was fantastic!
"Beautiful pass, Manu!" Lin Tian was equally excited. After returning to his half of the court, he vigorously rubbed Ginobili's head several times: "Just do it! Just pass it like that! Don't be afraid of any damn mistakes."
"How can you play basketball without making mistakes? But if you don't play basketball stylishly, you're doomed!"
"You're right!" Ginobili was completely excited by this incredibly beautiful shot. On the next defensive play, he snatched the ball from Sprewell's dribble and then dribbled the ball up the court at high speed!
"Counterattack!"
The Pacers' fast break speed is ridiculously fast. All three perimeter players have top-tier speed in the league. Even Artest at the power forward position, although considered slow for a perimeter player, is incredibly agile compared to the inside players!
In the blink of an eye, the Pacers' counterattack surged like a tidal wave, rushing towards the Timberwolves' half of the court.
Ginobili drove forward at breakneck speed, but didn't rush to find a teammate to receive the ball. It wasn't until he had completely shaken off Sprewell with a wide Euro step after driving past him all the way to the basket that he suddenly made a behind-the-back pass to Parker, who was following up in the middle.
Iverson, who was chasing after Ginobili and trying to block him, couldn't stop in time. He jumped up awkwardly but missed, and could only watch helplessly as Parker easily completed the layup.
"Well done!"
Lin Tian, who had run to the free-throw line, was not upset at all because he hadn't touched the ball. On the contrary, he reached out and high-fived his two teammates to celebrate, expressing his support and trust in them.
That's how we have to play! That's how we have to play. Only with enough confidence can the Pacers possibly get back on track!
In the next possession, Garnett's jump shot missed again. Miller grabbed the rebound and this time made a risky pass reminiscent of Webber's. The ball grazed past several players' ears before flying straight towards the frontcourt.
After receiving the ball, Parker spun around and dribbled past Iverson, then slammed the ball hard into the Timberwolves' three-point line with one hand.
Ginobili arrived in a flash, grabbed the basketball, and took three steps to launch a powerful two-handed dunk.
Garnett's defensive speed was incredibly fast. He arrived late but arrived early, blocking Ginobili's path like a dark cloud. Ginobili suddenly changed his posture, from opening his arms to dunk to holding the ball with one hand behind his back, and the basketball immediately flew out from his waist.
"Good shot!" Lin Tian, who was following up in the middle, shouted. After receiving Ginobili's pass, he didn't even need to dribble. He took a step and then slammed the ball up for a dunk!
No matter how much Garnett helped protect the rim, claiming to be the best in the league, at this point he no longer had the ability to jump up and defend again.
Before he could even dodge, Lin Tian straddled him from the side and executed a spectacular dunk!
"boom!"
After a muffled thud, Lin Tian released his grip on the rim, looked down at Garnett, and said, "Consider yourself lucky. Next time, I'll find an opportunity and give you a one-on-one!"
"Kevin, let's give them a good beating later!" Iverson rushed over and helped Garnett up with both hands.
Garnett nodded, and when he came back to the frontcourt, Iverson took the basketball from Cassell and waved to Garnett for a pick-and-roll.
Garnett's feet moved rapidly with a clanging sound, his main goal being to move like the Great Wall that never falls, and if necessary, he could move all the way to Siberia.
"Bang!"
With such blatant mobile cover, let alone Lin Tian, even Captain America would be blocked by Garnett!
After the screen was successfully set, Iverson immediately accelerated and drove towards the paint.
Garnett, however, was a step behind, starting from the other side and closely following Iverson down the road.
What kind of driving ability and destructive power does Iverson possess? As soon as they saw him driving towards the paint, the Pacers players were on high alert, quickly collapsing their defense. Miller was also forced to move away and no longer camp in the paint.
Then, relying on his instincts, Iverson tossed the basketball high into the air. With his chemistry with Garnett, Iverson believed that unless something unexpected happened, Garnett would definitely be in that position!
But if nothing unexpected happens, something unexpected is bound to happen!
"Thanks, Allen! Great pass!" Lin Tian's annoying voice came from behind. He had already turned around and blocked Garnett's path, making it impossible for Garnett to jump and catch the ball to complete the alley-oop.
At the same time, Lin Tian himself leaped high, grabbed the basketball, and then turned around to launch a counterattack!
Iverson's talent is truly remarkable. Surrounded by a group of guys who were at least a head taller than him, he could still pass the ball perfectly without being able to see the situation outside. His ball control and awareness are absolutely top-notch.
The problem is that his height is a real limitation for him, which prevents him from seeing Garnett and getting up to speed, and also prevents him from seeing Lin Tian blocking Garnett's path, turning what should have been a beautiful shot into a mistake.
Iverson had no time for regrets; he had to immediately accelerate back on defense and disrupt the Pacers' fast break as much as possible.
But when Lin Tian, Parker, and Ginobili get going, it means the Pacers' once invincible three-line fast break is back on the court. ?
It's unstoppable!
We can only hope they make a mess of things themselves.
For example, in this play, Lin Tian was looking at Parker on his right, but the basketball went towards Ginobili on his left.
But it was still a feint. After the basketball spun around in front of Lin Tian, it still flew towards Parker on the right.
But how should I put it?
There were too many feints.
It did indeed fake out Cassell and Sprewell, who spun around twice like headless flies. But the problem was, Parker was also faked out. He genuinely thought the ball was for Ginobili and wasn't prepared to receive it at all. The basketball flew out of bounds in front of him.
Before Parker could even raise his hand to indicate that the ball was his fault, Lin Tian had already raised his hand.
"It's my fault!" Lin Tian took the initiative to take responsibility, saying that he had already admitted his mistake before Lin Tian did.
He definitely overthought that shot.
"Just run, run as fast as you want, leave the rest to me." Lin Tian gave Parker and Ginobili a high-five, indicating that they should just keep doing it this way!
The last few minutes of the third quarter did indeed become the stage for these three guys to perform.
With Parker's breakthroughs and finishing, Ginobili's shooting, breakthroughs, and his imaginative passing and creativity, plus Lin Tian's omnipotence, the Pacers' fast break, which had disappeared for two months, has actually made a comeback!
The only downside is that this is the Target Center instead of the Conseco Center; otherwise, the excited Indiana fans would have definitely used their roar to lift the entire ceiling of the arena.
But sometimes, God is unfair.
For example, with 12 seconds left in the third quarter, the Pacers had already reversed the score again and extended their lead to 5 points. Just when it seemed that they could use this momentum to completely crush the Timberwolves, an unexpected incident occurred on the court!
For his final offensive play, Iverson once again opted for his signature low-profile, aggressive drive, dribbling the ball all the way into the Pacers' three-second zone. However, the Pacers were prepared and had already collapsed the defense. As soon as Iverson gathered the ball and prepared to jump, he found himself surrounded by at least three Pacers defenders.
Completely surrounded, Iverson could only yell and throw the ball forcefully towards the backboard. At this moment, he could only hope that Garnett could use his height and wingspan advantage to grab the ball in the crowd.
But as soon as Garnett jumped up to grab the ball, Haslem and Ginobili, who came to help defend, jumped up as well.
On the first try, no one could control the basketball, and it fell directly to the floor.
Then came a series of chaotic and disorganized struggles.
It wasn't just those three people; after everyone else on the field realized the ball had become a loose ball, everyone nearby who could rush over did so.
The scene immediately descended into chaos, with people falling and sprawling on the court, all lying on the floor.
In the chaos, Lin Tian didn't know who had pushed him, but he pushed back. The two shovings were like knocking over the first multi-plying card, and in an instant, many people fell to the ground like rolling gourds.
"Click!"
Then a clear, though not loud, sound rang out, and Lin Tian instinctively sensed that something was wrong.
He immediately turned his head to look, only to find Ginobili lying on his side on the floor, clutching his leg and screaming in pain, while next to him was a bewildered Haslem.
A split second later, Haslem suddenly realized what was happening and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Ref! Ref! Manu! Manu! Ref! Manu!"
But the scene was too chaotic, and no one else noticed Ginobili's screams or Haslem's cries for help immediately.
"Stop the hell right now!" Seeing his buddy injured, Lin Tian had no mind to fight for the ball anymore. He suddenly exerted force with both arms, pushing Garnett and Sprewell aside on the left and right, clearing a path for himself in the blink of an eye.
"Manu is injured!" After pushing the man away, Lin Tian rushed to Ginobili's side and shouted at the bench and the referee, demanding that they stop the game immediately and call the doctor.
Upon hearing Lin Tian's shout, Carlisle's expression froze instantly, while the team doctors quickly rushed onto the field and towards them.
They need to thoroughly examine Ginobili's condition.
The referee intervened immediately and urged everyone to remain calm.
They then paused the game and started watching the replay.
"How is it?" Carlisle and Lin Tian stood on the sidelines, their hearts filled with anxiety.
Ginobili and Parker were finally about to make a comeback, but then... well, judging from Ginobili's appearance, things don't look too optimistic.
"It's all my fault, all my fault!" Haslem's face was extremely pale. He looked at Ginobili with great concern, his eyes filled with self-blame. "I lost my balance and fell backward, accidentally landing on Manu's lap. I think I heard a sound of bones breaking. It's all my fault, I'm just a useless piece of trash!"
"if……"
"Alright!" Lin Tian shouted somewhat roughly, then reached out and pressed his hand on Haslem's head: "This has nothing to do with you, you did a great job tonight! This was an accident, it has absolutely nothing to do with you, understand?"
Seeing Haslem nodding repeatedly, Lin Tian didn't care whether he heard him or not. After offering a few more words of comfort, he looked at the team doctor who was walking over.
"What we can confirm is a fracture." The team doctor sighed. "It's bad. He'll most likely miss the rest of the season and will need at least 4-6 months to fully recover. Basically, we can declare him out for the season."
"FUXX!" Carlisle shouted angrily, slamming his fist on his tactical board, a gesture that was usually reserved for gentlemen.
The team had just regained some form and found the right playing style when Ginobili got injured.
"I'm going to check on Manu; I'm going to take him to the hospital."
Haslem's eyes were red; clearly, accidentally injuring his teammate filled him with immense regret.
"Give him a piece of shit!" Lin Tian cursed. "The best way for you to repay Manu right now is to use your defense and pick-and-rolls to turn Garnett into a piece of scrap metal, and then let the team win tonight!"
"Only when you play better and better, and the team keeps winning, can Manu focus on recovering and then return fully fit, understand?"
"Understood, boss!"
"There are others too!" Lin Tian turned around and looked at everyone, saying, "We've experienced player departures this season, and just when we were starting to get into the game, everyone got injured."
"Some people might think that God doesn't want us to win anymore, and others might say that God doesn't like seeing a team keep winning, but what I want to say is, we're going to keep winning! We're going to crush everyone!"
"Don't even mention if God doesn't want us to win; even if this old man himself came to the basketball court, he couldn't stop us from winning!"
"Kill the Timberwolves, avenge Manu! We'll win the Christmas Day game! Got it?"
"Take down the Timberwolves! Take them down!!" (End of Chapter)