NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

"This Russian has been selected to the league's second defensive team this year. He averaged 1.6 steals and 1.9 blocks per game this season. He is an absolutely excellent defender! At the same time, he is almost omnipotent on the defensive end!"

"Whether it's defending a top outside scorer one-on-one, or helping to block shots in the paint, or going head-to-head with the opponent's forwards who are good at post-ups in the low post, he can do it all!"

"Except for the big No. 5 who can't defend, he is good at dealing with all types of attackers! I think he will most likely go against Michael. Michael, be careful! If necessary, play more pick-and-rolls with Chris. There is no need to go head-on with him!"

"In addition to defense, Kirilenko's offense has also improved significantly this year. After coming to the Lakers, his 3-point shooting percentage has increased from 25% last year to 34% this year. He can hit 0.9 three-pointers per game. Although it's not much, we must be careful!"

"Also be careful of his cuts and catch-and-shoot jumpers. Although this guy's ability to hold the ball is average on offense, his basketball IQ is extremely high. He will appear from all areas, then suddenly receive the basketball and complete the offense! He's an excellent assassin-type killer!"

"Then there's their starting point guard Derek Fisher, who looks like the biggest weakness in the Lakers' starting five. Well, he is indeed the biggest flaw in the Lakers' lineup."

"He's not good at defense, his organizational skills are not like a point guard at all, he's not fast, his breakthrough ability is average, he's not good at finishing at the basket or pulling up and shooting, and he can't play pick-and-roll. This guy is a pure role player!"

"His shooting percentage in this year's playoffs is only 37%, but what I want to say is that on the offensive end, we can chase him and beat him to death! As long as he is defending alone, anyone can choose to shoot in isolation, no problem!"

"But on the defensive end, we must not let our guard down and never give him an open shot! His shooting percentage is indeed only 37%, but his shooting percentage from beyond the 3-point line is as high as 51%! And he can make 2 three-pointers in every game!"

"He is the Lakers' true number one killer and number one three-point shooter. No matter the quality or quantity, he is the best in the Lakers! Don't give him a chance to shoot three-pointers, don't let him easily take even a three-pointer!"

"If we can do that, then on the court, we're almost 5 vs. 4! You know what I mean?"

"I understand, coach! My task on the defensive end is the smallest, so I will keep an eye on him and then beat him to death!" Lin Tian stood up and said, "I don't care how many 3-pointers he can make in each game in the first three rounds of the series, or what his hit rate is."

"But in my place, I will completely destroy him. He won't be able to do anything except miss shots on the court!"

"Very good! Then, in addition to the five starters, the Lakers' substitutes, although there are no particularly outstanding or powerful players, should not be underestimated!"

"Brian Shaw, Robert Horry, Rick Fox, these guys may not have the ability to score 20 points in a game, but they have been with the Lakers for many years. When we first met in 00, these guys were already with the Lakers."

"They have great tacit understanding and rich experience. They have seen countless big scenes. When it comes to the crucial moment, these guys' hands are harder than each other!"

"More importantly, these guys have hardly ever won. They have been losing. They keep losing to us! I even think that if it weren't for a team like us, they could have become a dynasty team!"

"So, don't underestimate their desire for victory, and don't underestimate their desire for the championship! They will give their all, and they will give everything for the championship!"

"And us?"

"Kill them!"

"Blow them up!"

"Let them know who's boss!"

"Beat them till they're left with their teeth all over the floor!"

"Send them to God!"

"They were beaten so hard that they cried all summer long!"

The players stood up one after another, waving and shouting, they are ready!
Lin Tian was the last one to stand up. He turned around, stood on the stool, and said to everyone: "We are the dynasty team! And they are, at best, the greatest footnote on our road to dynasty! That's all!"

"Five, ten or twenty years later, when we recall this most glorious moment of our lives, I hope that all of us can hold our heads high and say this to our loved ones, friends, cameras, fans and reporters."

"We have never lost once!"

“Never lost once!”

"We won't lose!"

"Kill the Los Angeles people!"

"Dynasty! Dynasty! Dynasty! Dynasty!"

"Dynasty! Dynasty! Dynasty! Dynasty!"

"Dynasty! Dynasty! Dynasty! Dynasty!"

The players roared and their morale reached its peak!
The same thing, a similar plot, naturally, also happened in the Lakers' conference room. Under the stimulation of Phil Jackson, the veteran old fox, the eyes of the entire Lakers team were now bloodshot.

Those are not tears, those are the pupils of a beast!

Just as Carlisle said, the Lakers have really lost enough!
They don't want to lose again!
Just now, Jackson stimulated the blood boiling of these Lakers players with just one sentence.

"The greatest rival of the dynasty team!"

Who the hell wants to be the greatest rival of a dynasty team?
We want to build a dynasty!
We are the real dynasty team!
At least, before the game started, the fighting desire and fighting atmosphere of the two teams had reached their peak.

Just waiting for the decisive battle!

At 7:30 p.m., Conseco Fieldhouse, as always, gave the Lakers players the loudest boos, and the Pacers players the craziest cheers!
The starting players of both teams lined up and stood on both sides of the court. This time there was no greeting or joking between each other. Even people like O'Neal and Lin Tian, ​​who were born to be fun, remained absolutely silent at this time.

The decisive battle is about to begin!
"Tonight, neither side changed their starting players! In this most extreme confrontation, there is really no need for either side to make active changes in formation! Just use the set that you are most familiar with and best at!" Still TNT, still Barkley, he continued his analysis.

Kenny followed up, "Yes, the Pacers once again put Arenas, who performed well in the Eastern Conference Finals, on the bench. In the Finals, they still want stability! It's far from time for them to make changes! From this perspective, this game is a test for both sides!"

"But I think this kind of testing won't last too long. Maybe in half a game or even a quarter, the coaches of both teams will make adjustments at any time based on the situation on the court! Let's see how the first stage of the game between these two teams will turn out!"

"How much?" Stern sat in his office, waiting for his subordinates' reports.

"2200 million! Still rising. It is estimated that the average number of viewers for this game will reach about 2500 million!"

Stern nodded and said nothing more.

It's the Lakers and the Pacers! It's the OK combination and Lin Tian + Jordan.

In the history of the NBA Finals, there have been some games with higher ratings than 2200 million or 2500 million, but those games were either Game s, the decisive game, or other key battles.

This is the first time in history that the number of visitors reached over 2000 million in the first battle!
A very auspicious sign, great fortune!

Stern is full of expectations for this series!
It would be best if he could play seven more games! It would be best if Jordan could make a buzzer beater and then retire perfectly!
"Dudu!"

On the court, the referee blew the whistle to start the game and then threw the basketball into the air.

Big Ben and O'Neal jumped at the same time, but the outcome was no suspense. O'Neal easily got the first wave of ball possession for the Lakers, and the Lakers began to attack!
Fisher was very clear about his level and what he should do tonight. The moment he got the ball, he passed it to Kobe, then moved quickly to the bottom corner, waiting to shoot a three-pointer.

There was no other way. Lin Tian couldn't let go of this guy who had a 50% shooting rate in the playoffs. He could only go to the corner to prevent him from shooting 3 points.

In the first round, Kobe did not rush to challenge Jordan one-on-one, but waited until O'Neal was in position before passing the basketball to O'Neal.

O'Neal blocked Big Ben in the low post, and after testing Big Ben's strength a little, he suddenly exerted force, pushed with his shoulder, and then turned his feet. In the blink of an eye, he pushed Big Ben behind him, jumped high, and completed a two-handed dunk!
Ben knows his moves very well. The two of them have played against each other for so many rounds of series. How could he not understand them?
But the problem is, even though we understand it and can prevent it, we really can’t prevent it!
O'Neal's moves were really too fast!
His footwork and speed under the basket are definitely more terrifying than his size suggests!
"It's okay, Ben, don't worry, we can always fight back!" Lin Tian comforted Ben, took the ball from the baseline, and started to advance towards the front court.

"Aren't you going to play against your idol? This might be your last chance." Lin Tian was not surprised to see Kobe coming to defend him.

After all, as long as Jackson is not stupid, he will never let Fisher play against him. Not only will he not let Fisher defend him, he will also make Fisher hide as far away as possible and never play against Lin Tian.

It's best if the two of you don't even have eye contact! That's the safest way.

"There are plenty of opportunities." Kobe lowered his center of gravity, concentrated his attention, stretched his arms vertically, and carefully defended Lin Tian. Although he was talking, he was not distracted at all: "This series is still long!"

"And we will beat you this year. After we beat you, Michael will definitely not be willing to retire. He will play for another year! By then, we will have plenty of opportunities to play against you!"

"Kill us? Why? By you? By that fat guy Shaq or that mercenary who has no place to bury his dead? Kill us? You are worthy!"

Lin Tian had just finished his sarcasm when the basketball in his hand began to move rapidly. He dribbled the ball with rapid changes of direction, then accelerated forcefully and squeezed past Kobe!

In the past two years, Lin Tian's passing has become more and more simple and rough!
In recent years, he has used less and less the fancy continuous changes of direction, crotch kicks and various small techniques that he used in the early years.

It's just a quick attack, with at most a change of direction or a dribble between the legs!
There is no way, Lin Tian’s speed is too fast now!

Especially after his dribbling ability reached S+ and could perfectly match his speed, his passing was so fast that people couldn't even see clearly!
He was too lazy to use those fancy moves unless his opponent had offended Lin Tian or had a deep grudge against Lin Tian!

For example, when facing Kobe, Lin Tian was able to pass him in just one step!

Then Lin Tian rushed into the Lakers' territory in the blink of an eye and came to the edge of the 3-second zone. In the process of rushing here from outside the 3-point line, Lin Tian's eyes did not stop at all. After observing left and right, he found that the Lakers had almost no help defense!
Everyone just kept watching their own men, except O'Neal in the interior who took half a step forward to protect the basket and the last line of defense. The rest of the people did not move!
Jackson once again chose Lin Tian's bottle among many bottles of poison!
He chose to let Lin Tian attack on his own, cutting off the connection between him and his teammates and preventing him from passing the ball.

Lin Tian was well prepared for Jackson's choice. Facing O'Neal who was defending, Lin Tian took a step forward and then rose vertically. The basketball was pushed out with one hand. It was a master's lob shot, and the basketball passed over O'Neal's palm and hit the basket accurately!

"Shh!"

2: 2!

In the first attack of the game, both sides brought out their signature programs and special skills: O'Neal's low-post singles and Lin Tian's lightning breakthrough!

These two attacks also show that neither side has any idea of ​​testing each other. They just use their best moves at the beginning and then go all out to attack!
Test?

In this kind of competition, if you try to test the opponent and he doesn't, you will be beaten into a sieve in a minute!
Do your best!

Kobe once again took over from Fisher and dribbled to the frontcourt. This time he did not look for O'Neal, but took the initiative to let Malone come up and cooperate with him in a pick-and-roll, blocking Jordan aside. Then Kobe dribbled to the free throw line, attracting double defense from the Pacers.

Then Kobe knocked the ball to the floor with one hand, and the basketball immediately fell into Malone's hands.

Malone took the ball, aimed, and shot directly in the mid-range area where he is best!

He has scored at least 15000 points in this position, and this is his favorite scoring area!
"Boom!"

But then there was a dull sound, and the basketball bounced out of the hoop. Ben, who was stuck in position, did not jump to grab the ball, but instead held O'Neal behind him, preventing the giant from grabbing the rebound. As for the rebound, it was grabbed by Christie who quickly recovered.

A very safe and altruistic practice that does not generate any data for yourself.

Then Christie dribbled forward, but this time his advance was not smooth, and AK47 found him!

Kirilenko's terrifying long arms were fully stretched out, blocking Christie's quick advance and the angle of the first pass. Christie, whose basic skills and dribbling were not top-notch, immediately slowed down and did not dare to force acceleration. He chose to protect the basketball instead of rushing blindly.

Then he passed the ball to Lin Tian who quickly retreated to receive the ball.

"Well done Doug! That's what we did tonight. No mistakes are much more exciting than a reckless attack!" The team lost a fast break opportunity, but Lin Tian didn't care and continued to dribble forward easily.

After coming to the frontcourt, this time Lin Tian chose to pass the ball to Jordan in the low post. At this time, the defender behind Jordan had become Kirilenko. During Lin Tian's advancement, he quickly switched defense with Fisher.

This was the number one problem for the Lakers’ defense: how to hide Fisher from the Pacers. Facing Kirilenko, who was tall and long-armed, and whose size was almost terrifying, Jordan suddenly pushed Kirilenko after continuous probing in the low post, then quickly turned around and took his signature fadeaway jump shot!
But Kirilenko's defensive coverage was really exaggerated. Even though Jordan's backward movement was very large, he was still almost blocked by Kirilenko! If Jordan hadn't reacted quickly and adjusted the angle and arc of his shot in time, he would have been blocked in his first attack!
But that’s all!
"Boom!"

Although he was not blocked, the impromptu adjustment in his shooting method still caused the ball to bounce out of the frame, making it a missed shot.

This time O'Neal successfully protected the rebound, and then passed the ball to Kobe again, and the Lakers began to counterattack!
After coming to the frontcourt, Kobe fully assumed the responsibilities of a point guard. He was not in a hurry to attack, but watched the running positions of his teammates. After Kirilenko and Malone made a beautiful off-ball screen and created a space for Kirilenko, Kobe did not hesitate at all and raised his hand to pass the ball!

"Boom!"

Unfortunately, Kirilenko, who received the ball from mid-range, also failed to hit his first goal!
This time the rebound was grabbed by Webber. After getting the ball, Webber was not as steady as Christie. After taking a glance at the court, he made a long pass. However, before the basketball flew out of the three-point line, Kobe, who was prepared, jumped high and slapped the ball out of the sideline.

Although Kobe failed to steal the ball, he blocked the Pacers' fast break, forcing them to stop and fight a positional battle.

"They are really well prepared." Weber walked to the sideline and passed the ball to Lin Tiandao: "It seems difficult to launch a quick counterattack tonight."

"Then let's play one ball at a time! What are you afraid of? No matter the position or the transition, we are invincible!" Lin Tian patted Weber's butt and started to advance again!

This time, Lin Tian called for a screen at the top of the arc again. He and Webber blocked the ball and then Lin Tian was about to pass the ball to Webber, but the Lakers' defense was extremely effective. Malone opened his arms and kept interfering, leaving Lin Tian with no suitable passing angle.

At the same time, Kobe also quickly moved forward and stuck close to Lin Tian, ​​leaving Lin Tian with no chance to shoot directly.

"Your defense today was really fierce." Seeing that the cooperation failed, Lin Tian immediately bent down and said with a smile: "If you don't allow me to cooperate, then I can only beat you directly!"

“Go ahead and give it a try!” This time Kobe took a half step back so that he would not be directly overtaken by Lin Tian’s terrifying speed. But this time Lin Tian spotted the gap created by Kobe’s retreat, and threw a powerful ball as if to move forward, but then he took a step back and made an emergency stop 3-point shot!
But this time Lin Tian somewhat underestimated Kobe's speed. This guy actually stepped forward quickly and jumped up to block the shot.

No, he didn't reach out to the basketball in Lin Tian's hand, but directly blocked Lin Tian's eyes!

Blindfold and defend!

When did Kobe, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, learn this dirty stuff?

"Boom!"

With a dull thud, Lin Tian's three-point shot unfortunately missed!

At the same time, Kobe was running as fast as he could, rushing towards the frontcourt.

Malone grabbed the rebound and did not hesitate. After taking a quick look, he also quickly passed the ball to Kobe who was running fast.

Kobe held the ball in the frontcourt, facing Lin Tian's defense 1-on-1. This guy made continuous fake changes of direction to try to shake Lin Tian's center of gravity, but his repeated efforts were in vain.

In the end, Kobe did not choose to force his way to the basket. Instead, he dribbled in and out with one hand and then directly pulled up, intending to make a quick stop jump shot.

"Snapped!"

But Kobe had just taken off when Lin Tian seemed to have seen through his shooting opportunity. He stretched out his big hand, directly knocked the ball away, and then dribbled the ball to the frontcourt to launch another counterattack!

This time, Lin Tian saw from a distance that Christie and Webber were doing an off-ball screen, so Lin Tian quickly passed the ball to Christie who was left open outside the three-point line.

After getting the ball, Christie did not hesitate, but shot directly and decisively!

"Boom!"

But unexpectedly, as soon as he raised his hand, another piece of fine iron was born!
After O'Neal protected the rebound again, he looked at Kobe who was still near the center line and directly passed the ball with one hand, wanting to help Kobe complete another quick counterattack, but this time the Lakers' ball also failed to fly out of the three-point line!
This time, it was Jordan who jumped up to intercept and blocked the basketball out of the sideline!
"Just serve the ball from the baseline! You still want to play a fast break? Dream on!" After disrupting the Lakers' ball, Jordan quickly retreated while spewing trash talk.

"In this match, both sides are really strong!"

After Jordan's steal, Barkley couldn't help but speak his mind.

In the past few minutes, both sides played very smoothly, with a brisk and clear rhythm, and in great shape.

And every shot by both sides was basically what they wanted! Whether it was an open jump shot, Jordan's 1-on-1 or something else, it was all in line with the tactics, and the choice of shot was not forced at all.

If we ignore the results and only look at the choices made, then the performances of both sides on offense and defense in the past few minutes can both score 90 points!
But what if we add the results?
2: 2!

Except for Lin Tian and O'Neal each scoring a goal in the first round, both sides missed shots in all the remaining rounds!

The basketball just can't be sent into the basket smoothly, it bounces out of the basket again and again.

This is related to the fact that both sides have invested huge efforts on the defensive end, but the bigger reason is metaphysics!
Well, metaphysics.

The chances and the open shots were all from their favorite shooting areas. Except for Kirilenko, the players on both sides were all top scorers in the league, but what was the result? None of them went in!

None of them went in and the defensive intensity wasn't that strong. If that's not metaphysics, then what the hell is that?
Well, that makes sense now! It was fate that made it impossible to score.

This kind of metaphysics lasted until 4 minutes into the first quarter when it was finally broken!
Big Ben grabbed the offensive rebound and put the ball into the basket with one hand, making the Pacers' score twice that of the Lakers!
2: 4!

Immediately afterwards, the Lakers finally broke the scoring drought, and the method they used was also very unconventional for them: O'Neal caused a foul under the basket, and then made 2 of 2 free throws!
4: 4!

After both sides scored a goal, neither side found a way to score. Who knows where the key to the locked basket went? Since the basket was locked and the key could not be found, what else could they do?

Smash them! Smash them to death one by one.

There is always a time when the lock can be broken open.

Therefore, the following game will still be an audio-visual feast.

Well, it's mainly hearing, and vision, that's it.

However, after players from both teams found that they were not able to make shots, they made changes.

The first is that both sides no longer pursue quick attacks and offense-defense transitions, because they can see how well each other guards against the opponent's first pass and quick counterattack. In order to avoid unnecessary mistakes, both sides slowed down their pace and began to fight in a methodical manner.

At the same time, they naturally put more of their energy into defense.

You know, although the Lakers and the Pacers are both known as the most offensive, most flamboyant and best-looking teams in the league, these two teams have Ben Wallace, a legitimate best defensive player.

At the same time, Lin Tian, ​​Jordan, Kobe, Christie, Kirilenko, O'Neal and others were included in the annual best defensive team, the top defenders!

In addition, players like Malone, although they are getting older and their defensive abilities are not as good as when they were young, their experience, size and intimidation are still there. When they go all out on defense, they are also excellent defenders who should not be underestimated!
In other words, in the starting lineups of both teams, Fisher and Webber are the defensive loopholes.

Therefore, the players from both sides started to attack these two defensive loopholes during the game!
The Lakers gave the ball to Malone, asking him to start the attack from the waist position to attack Webber's defensive flaw. However, facing Webber who was playing for his life, Malone missed several shots regardless of whether he created space or not.

All iron!

As for the Pacers, they let Christie hit Fisher twice at the beginning, but the effect was not good. In one of the shots, Fisher even caused an offensive foul. The excited Fisher sat on the floor and roared and pounded the ground.

"Bully me? Want to beat me alone? Dream on!"

Seeing that the team's confidence in these defensive loopholes was about to be boosted to the peak by defense, both sides changed their tactics at the same time and were no longer so aggressive.

The Pacers started with Lin Tian and Christie setting pick-and-rolls, and letting Lin Tian attack Fisher, but the basket was possessed tonight. Lin Tian played one-on-one against Fisher three times, but he only made one shot. The other two shots would have been a sure thing at normal times, but they were all missed tonight.

The Lakers also began to use pick-and-rolls, allowing Kobe to use his impact to attack Webber, but the situation on Kobe's side was similar. With Kobe's ability, it should be a sure thing to beat Webber, but tonight he attacked Webber three times in a mismatch, and only once caused a foul and went to the free throw line.

Although he made both free throws, he missed the other two attacks, which once again proved one thing.

Tonight, it was fate and metaphysics at work.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for both sides to miss shots like crazy!

Obviously, everyone is using the correct way of playing and the most reasonable way of attacking!
The two sides exchanged shots back and forth, with a few "swish" sounds of the ball going in amidst the crazy "bang bang bang" of missed shots. The first quarter quickly came to the last minute.

9: 11!

The Lakers are currently trailing by 2 points.

At this stage, the two sides are really close!
No matter whether it was OK and Malone of the Lakers, or Lin Tian, ​​Jordan and Webber of the Pacers, they really couldn't score and found it difficult to put the ball into the basket.

In the last minute of the first quarter, coaches from both teams started large-scale rotations. Arenas and Ginobili of the Pacers played together, and Carlisle wanted to test their touch.

Miller in the interior also replaced Big Ben. His support and shooting can also help the team on the offensive end. The remaining two are the starters Lin Tian and Webber.

On the Lakers side, Fisher, Kirilenko and O'Neal went off the court to rest, while Kobe and Malone brought Shaw, Fox and Horry to play against the Pacers!
Not to mention, the starting lineups of both teams were so iron-clad that it made one's ears go deaf, but when it came to the substitute lineup duel, the feel of the substitutes on both sides was so good!

As soon as Ginobili came on the court, he made a serpentine breakthrough that made Xiao confused, and then he went to the basket and forced Malone to score 2 points!
After being hit by Ginobili, Xiao turned around and immediately received the ball outside the three-point line and made a three-pointer despite Ginobili's defense!
This was the first three-pointer made by both teams tonight!

Now that we have the first one, the second one can’t be too far behind!
10 seconds later, Arenas held the ball outside the three-point line, and after two consecutive crotch moves to find the rhythm, he jumped straight up and made a strong three-point shot against Fox!
"Shh!"

After the substitute shooters on both sides made a 3-pointer each, Horry and Miller in the interior were not to be outdone. Horry made a layup after an open cut, and Miller turned around and immediately responded with a high jump shot from the free throw line!
After Miller made this shot, the score between the two sides quickly became 14:18!

The Pacers temporarily lead by 4 points!
In the past few dozen seconds, both sides made 5 consecutive shots, which is equal to the total number of hits of both sides in the first 11 minutes of the first quarter!
In the entire first quarter, both teams only scored 10 goals!

There are 4 seconds left in the first quarter!
Ma Long quickly came to the baseline, but he was not in a hurry to pass the ball. With his experience as an old wizard, he certainly knew that at this time, it is better to play steadily than to risk making a mistake by rushing to shoot. Even if he doesn't have a chance to shoot, it is better than making a mistake and giving the opponent a chance!

The score of tonight's game is destined not to be too high, so every point and every offensive round are extremely important!
Malone's steadiness made the Lakers lose the opportunity for a fast break, but also prevented the Pacers from making a quick steal. After observing for a while, Malone found that Kobe was double-teamed, so he decisively passed the ball to Xiao who was closest to him.

After getting the ball, Xiao turned around quickly, took two steps forward, and then jumped directly to try his hand at a long 3-pointer.

But he had just jumped up and hadn't shot the ball yet when he was stunned. A dark shadow that always appeared at this time appeared in front of him!
Lin Tian jumped high towards Xiao, and what was even more surprising was that he did not block the shot with one hand, but stretched out both hands at the same time, making a volleyball blocking motion!

"Snapped!"

With a dull sound, Xiao passed the ball to Lin Tian directly after jumping up. The basketball left his hand and fell into Lin Tian's hand.

After Lin Tian intercepted the attack with his hands in the air, he pulled himself up again without even bending his knees after landing.

The position from which he shot was two meters away from the three-point line.

"Shh!"

Super long buzzer beater 3 points, hit!

"Buzz!"

At the same time, the first quarter of the game officially ended! (End of this chapter)