harleyscars Chapter 392 Home Team Championship! 4 Titles in 5 Years! A New Dynasty Officially Descends
Chapter 392 Home Team Championship! 4 Titles in 5 Years! A New Dynasty Officially Descends
By the end of the first half, the suspense was almost over. The Pacers, with their relentless offense and a style of play that barely used their center, practically pounded the Kings' shooters to the ground!
47: 81!
At the end of the first half, the Pacers led by a whopping 34 points, completely shaming the Kings!
You want to compete in offense?
Then let's see who can attack the most!
In the first half, the Pacers unleashed a barrage of attacks, with everyone contributing. They relentlessly assaulted the Kings' defense, repeatedly eroding the Kings' confidence and morale.
Furthermore, as the Pacers launched repeated and frantic attacks, with Lin Tian and Parker, two incredibly fast guards, constantly setting the pace, the Kings suddenly realized that even in terms of offense, they couldn't keep up with the Pacers' rhythm at all!
Lin Tian: Of course you can't keep up! We're playing a no-holds-barred style, not holding back at all and not thinking about the second half. We push the speed and rhythm to the extreme in every round!
In the first half, the Pacers were playing like they were doing anaerobic exercise against the Kings!
If the Kings can react to this style of play, they just need to stabilize their situation, maintain their composure, not follow the Pacers' all-out running pace, and conserve their energy. As long as they don't fall too far behind in the first half, they will have a chance to turn the tide in the second half.
Unfortunately, neither Adelman nor the team's commander Bibby noticed the Pacers' ulterior motives, nor did they understand why they were acting so recklessly.
All they knew was that they couldn't hold on! They couldn't hold on at all!
They were completely dominated and beaten by the Pacers!
Faced with this situation where they had no chance to fight back, the Kings players' mentality quickly collapsed!
After all, there weren't many tough guys with particularly strong mental fortitude on their team.
Ultimately, they are not even in the same league as the Pacers!
In the second half, although the Pacers slowed down their pace and the stamina and form of several key players visibly declined, the Kings still failed to mount any counterattacks or offensive moves.
Because their key players are completely exhausted! They've been bombarded and utterly destroyed by the Pacers!
This game has become torture for the Kings!
So even though the Pacers didn't play very well in the second half, the Kings couldn't close the gap, let alone take the lead!
As a result, when fans realized that the Kings showed no signs of catching up and had no motivation to do so, and the Pacers' shooting percentage also dropped significantly, with no intention of continuing to widen the score gap, the game became an ordeal for the fans.
It's so boring.
Especially when the trophy can't be awarded after the match, it's really enough to make you yawn!
Fortunately, as is customary, these agonizing matches don't last too long.
2 hours and 7 minutes!
The match lasted only 2 hours and 7 minutes from the moment the referee threw the ball into the air at midfield until the end!
As is well known, a normal NBA game, without overtime, lasts an average of about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Nowadays, a final match lasts almost half an hour less than the average, which is enough to show how fast the pace of the game is!
One side offered no resistance, the other offered no pursuit, the game proceeded almost without pause, and the coach rarely called timeouts. In the blink of an eye, the game was over!
For fans, it's definitely a good thing that such a boring game has ended.
Because after this game, fans, especially Indiana fans, really need to hurry up and buy all sorts of celebratory items!
If you don't buy now, it won't just be a question of whether the price will go up or not, it will be a question of whether you can even buy it at all!
After the match, Lin Tian, unable to contain his excitement, completely let loose during the interview, behaving extremely arrogantly!
"Lin, congratulations on another victory and taking the match point! If you win the upcoming fifth game, you will lift the championship trophy for the third consecutive time and the fourth time in five years!"
"What I want to ask is, what are you thinking about right now?"
"I'm thinking about the design of this year's championship ring. This year's is very important, and I hope I can be involved in the design!"
"If all goes well, this will be your sixth championship ring. Does this ring have any special meaning?"
"Of course!" Lin Tian said with a smile, "My right hand is too small, so starting with this ring, I'll need to wear it on my left hand!"
"But if the Kings win Game 5, the next two games will be played in Sacramento! They'll have a huge advantage. What do you think, Lin?"
"Why not just prevent them from winning Game 5? What home-court advantage? There are only five games in a series, where does the home-court advantage come from?"
"What else do you have to worry about with this Kings team? Are you concerned that they might unleash a powerful performance and reignite the suspense in the series?"
"No worries, absolutely no concerns. The series is already decided!"
"Aren't you worried that the people of Sacramento will be angry after hearing your remarks?"
"I'm just worried they won't be angry. To be honest, this series was boring. We did lose one game, and I've played several Finals series that ended in a sweep."
"But honestly, this year was the most boring one yet."
"Lin, so what would you like to say to the Indiana fans?"
"We're sorry, our previous two championships were both on the road, and our home fans haven't experienced the feeling of lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy with us at home for three whole seasons! But this year, we will lift the trophy at home! We owe you this!"
"The third title in a three-peat, lifted on home soil! It feels absolutely amazing! I can't wait!"
"I can't wait to lift the Indiana Trophy in front of all the Indiana fans, and I look forward to celebrating with them!"
"This is absolutely historic for me!"
"So, what are your thoughts on this match? Are there any other things you're worried about?"
"Yes!" Lin Tian exclaimed excitedly, slapping his thigh upon hearing this question that had been asked almost before. "I hope no one tries to steal the basketball from me! I want to keep it! Yeah, I was just saying this to Larry and Reggie; those two bastards are definitely eyeing that basketball too!"
"But it's no use, I said it first, so this basketball is mine! It has to be mine!"
Look at this, what is the ultimate arrogance?
What is textbook-perfect arrogance?
This is Lin Tian!
The match hasn't even started yet, and they've already begun dividing up the spoils!
He wasn't even thinking about his opponent in the next round anymore; Lin Tian had already started thinking about how to celebrate!
However, considering their performance in the first four games...
Well, whether it's the Pacers or Lin Tian, they certainly have the confidence and reason to be arrogant and disdainful of others!
Who can blame them when they are truly strong, completely crushing the Kings in two consecutive games using two completely different methods?
Who can blame them when the Kings are so formidable that they have no chance against them?
Regarding Lin Tian's arrogance, the reporters all thought: If it were me, I might be even more arrogant than that bastard Lin Tian!
At this point, what else is there to do but be arrogant? Who are you trying to impress with humility? Jesus, perhaps?
Sorry, even Jesus wouldn't be happy to see this! If Jesus saw this, he would tell you: If you're not spirited, you're not a real young man!
When it's time to float, you have to float!
As for the Kings...
No response whatsoever!
Faced with Lin Tian's arrogance and disdain for everyone, they didn't even utter a few harsh words. The entire team, from top to bottom, was somewhat intimidated by Lin Tian. They lost their courage and the will to fight back. They even forgot that they came to compete for the championship!
Right now, the Kings really just want to end this series as soon as possible.
This team, from top to bottom, doesn't think they can win!
This is also one of the reasons why the Kings have been criticized.
They were not like kings, they were more like queens.
This team is too soft! Even the full version of the Kings that Lin Tian remembered, with Webber and Christie, had the same problem.
Too soft! No one on the team can fight tough games, no one can step up and save the team in desperate situations, and no one can truly take on the responsibilities of a leader!
If a team like this were given a strict, ruthless head coach with sufficient authority, such as Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, or Larry Bird, there might be hope for them. These top coaches would find ways to address the players' problems at their root.
The problem is that the Kings' head coach is Adelman. Although he has led the team to the Finals twice and can be considered one of the top coaches in the league, he is known for his laissez-faire approach and his "childish" coaching style!
He rarely gets angry, has a very good temper, and is always smiling. He has hardly ever received a technical foul. Expecting such a good-tempered head coach to improve the team's overall willpower and resilience under pressure is obviously asking too much.
In short, not a single player on the Kings stepped up and yelled at the media at this crucial moment.
He told the media to let Lin die and send this arrogant bastard to hell. He told reporters that the entire team was furious about Lin Tian's remarks and no longer respected him. He also told the media that the Kings would be united and give 150% to fight the Pacers again!
Unfortunately, no one said these words, and no one stood up.
The more this situation arises, the more silent the team becomes, and the bigger their problems are!
The Kings' collapse started with a complete lack of confidence from within!
After seeing the Kings' lackluster performance, the reporters understood one thing.
The series is really coming to an end!
There will be no miracles or surprises in the fifth game.
The Kings have surrendered and conceded defeat!
They were unable to put up any resistance.
Those who still have expectations for the Kings, and even dare to bet on the Kings team, are destined to lose everything!
The Pacers' march toward a three-peat is unstoppable!
As Lin Tian predicted, Game 5 of the series became the final game of the season!
The tone of the match was set from the very first round!
Lin Tian received the ball at the top of the arc and drove straight into the paint. This time, Divac didn't even come up to help defend or block Lin Tian's path to the basket.
He just watched as Lin Tianchong entered the team's paint, executed a dazzling 360-degree spin dunk, and then, without a second thought, lowered his head and went to the baseline to inbound the ball.
If this round still doesn't explain the situation, then two minutes later, when Lin Tian once again penetrated the paint and faced an empty Kings defense, he jumped up and made a move that should never occur in positional warfare.
A between-the-legs dunk!
After switching the ball between his legs with both hands, Lin Tian once again swung the ball into the basket with one arm!
The Sacramentoites, however, remained indifferent!
"Wow! Lin treated the Finals like a dunk contest! He treated the Kings' defense like his own backyard!" Barkley exclaimed in the studio. "Kenny, have you ever seen a between-the-legs dunk in an official game?"
"Never!" Kenny stated bluntly, "I can't say no one has ever done that in a game, but I've never seen anyone dunk like that in a game, especially in a half-court set!"
"Let me put it this way, if someone dared to dunk on me like that when I was playing basketball, I guarantee they'd be carried out the next possession!"
"What if it were Lin dunking like that?" Barkley said with a wicked grin. "If it were anyone else, I'm sure you'd have them carried off the court, but what if it were Lin dunking like that?"
"They can carry me off the court then," Kenny shrugged. "But to dunk like that without paying any price? Absolutely not! That's not a normal two points, and it's not a normal dunk!"
"This is provocation! This is humiliation of our opponent!"
As Kenny and Barkley said, in the NBA, sometimes you can put your elbow on your opponent's neck and they won't get angry. Sometimes you can knock your opponent away with a shoulder throw and they'll just curse and then keep going to fight you.
But sometimes, a shot during garbage time, an attack on the basket when the game is almost over, a steal, or some completely unnecessary actions can trigger a large-scale conflict between the two teams!
That's always been the case on the basketball court!
You can win, you can be tough, but you can't humiliate your opponent!
Barkley and Kenny continued chatting, and the Kings' performance clearly disappointed them more and more.
Blood was drawn? He was carried away?
Stop joking!
They remained completely unmoved by Lin Tian's blatant provocation!
Even Lin Tian himself wasn't actually trying to show off when he made that dunking move.
He was testing the Kings' limits; he wanted to see if the Kings had been completely crushed and if they had surrendered.
As it turns out, the Kings were indeed crushed!
Faced with Lin Tian's blatant humiliation, they made no response, whether it was a high-intensity defensive maneuver or a series of offensive surges and aggressive offensive and defensive moves.
None at all!
20: 31!
In the first quarter, the Kings were down by 11 points!
However, in the following games, the point difference between the two sides did not become too exaggerated.
Because of their lack of resistance and almost surrender-like playing style, the Pacers found it particularly uninteresting to play against them.
It's like everyone enjoys taming wild horses and pushing their limits!
A true veteran pervert wouldn't even bother with choosing between lolis, mature women, office ladies, nurses, teachers, students, flight attendants...
Anyone who's good-looking can do it!
You can try them all, you can take on any challenge!
But I'm not very interested in those wooden pieces that lie motionless like corpses, and I'll probably just leave them be.
That's how the Kings played tonight.
According to the original script, if they mustered their last bit of strength and went all out against the Pacers, the Pacers would most likely think: "They're still not convinced? Let's beat them! Beat them until they submit!"
As a result, the Kings might lose by another 3-40 points today.
But tonight, faced with the Kings' completely unresisting attitude and style of play, the Pacers lost interest and the will to continue playing at full intensity after a quarter, or even less.
Not interesting.
So, in the second quarter, the Pacers extended their lead to over 20 points. Then, in the second half, they not only failed to widen the gap, but also made a series of basic mistakes and missed shots. The Pacers were already eager to lift the championship trophy!
With this mentality and playing style, they were able to let the Kings close the gap by quite a few points in the second half.
But it's just a matter of catching up by a few points.
When the final whistle blew, the Pacers had easily secured the victory!
100: 92!
Judging solely from the game result, one would likely perceive it as a desperate counterattack by the Kings, a last-ditch effort to bring the game back to Sacramento.
However, if you watched the live broadcast, you would find that the game was incredibly boring. The quality of the game was quite low for both sides, and the players were just going through the motions, waiting for the game to end.
The only ones who maintained passion and energy throughout the entire match, constantly screaming, cheering, and celebrating, were the fans!
The fans at the stadium went wild early on, this is a three-peat!
They've been waiting for this moment for so long!
Then, when the final whistle blew and the referee officially stopped the game and announced its end, the entire Conseco Arena and the fans gathered outside who hadn't bought tickets all celebrated with immense excitement.
"Champions! Three-peat!"
"Dynasty team! We are a dynasty! A true dynasty!"
"Number one in history! We are number one in history!"
"We are the greatest team in history!"
"Reggie! Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!"
"Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin!"
Inside and outside the arena, the entire team, from Bird and Carlisle to the few rotation players on the fringe, had their names chanted wildly by the fans.
The fans celebrated wildly, roaring with excitement. From the moment they fell in love with the Pacers, they had been waiting for this moment tonight!
Dreams come true!
A dynasty has begun!
At the same time, the moment Lin Tian finished the game, he tightly hugged the basketball he was dribbling in his arms and let out an extremely excited roar and shout!
Then, Lin Tian sprinted all the way and leaped onto the technical table in the middle of the court, interacting passionately with the fans in front of him!
Lin Tian spread his arms wide, venting his emotions to the fullest. Then he suddenly reached out to signal everyone to calm down, and then raised his left arm high, extending one finger.
Then two, three, four!
The fans immediately understood Lin Tian's meaning, and when Lin Tian repeated the action for the second time, the fans excitedly coordinated with his fingers, letting out bursts of roars.
"Not one, not two, not three, not four."
Then, Lin Tian held up five fingers!
The fans were absolutely thrilled!
They understood Lin Tian's meaning.
We want to come again!
He wants to come again next year!
To be honest, the fans were initially a little worried.
They were worried that Lin Tian might suddenly follow the example of the guy who achieved three consecutive championships and say that he found it boring and didn't want to play anymore.
How so?
Judging from Lin Tian's style, he seems too much like the kind of person who would do something like this!
But now?
Everyone can rest assured!
Lin Tian might suddenly retire one day, but definitely not next season!
Then there's nothing to worry about, let's celebrate!
Celebrate to your heart's content!
Roar! Roar wildly!
Lin Tian's interaction with the fans on the scorer's table didn't last long, because his teammates, who were also in a state of celebration, didn't give him much time to show off.
Ben Wallace grabbed Lin Tian from behind and carried him off the scorer's table. Then Miller, Carter, Christie and others surrounded him. The Pacers players gathered together and celebrated wildly!
happy!
The purest joy!
This is the players' most primal impulse and thought after winning four championships in five years and a three-peat!
No one knows how long the Pacers celebrated; the whole team was in a state of wild celebration.
What finally stopped their celebrations and frenzy was Stern's voice.
"Alright, alright, I know you're all excited, but shall we present the awards first?"
Stern's laughter finally calmed the Pacers players down, and it was only then that several of them remembered they hadn't put on their championship T-shirts and hats yet.
As they continued their playful antics, they changed into their gear while listening to Stern spout nonsense that nobody wanted to hear.
It wasn't until Stern had been rambling on for a long time that they finally heard the word they most wanted to hear.
"The Indiana Pacers won the 2001-2002 NBA Finals!"
"Champion! Champion!"
"We are the champions!"
"Dynasty! We are the greatest dynasty team in history!"
"Even the Bulls never achieved four championships in five years! Never!"
"We are the best!"
Amid cheers from the fans, Lin Tian grabbed the trophy with both hands, then suddenly raised it above his head, holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the highest honor in the NBA, and then waved it around in the air.
Stern maintained his smile until the Pacers players had somewhat recovered from their frenzied emotions, then continued, "So, this year's Finals MVP..."
After another pointless pause that drew boos from the crowd and created absolutely no suspense, Stern continued, "He averaged 38.4 minutes per game, scoring 33.6 points, grabbing 7.8 rebounds, dishing out 9.2 assists, making 3 steals, and blocking 1.2 shots."
"Lin Tian!"
Stern's voice was quickly interrupted by the cheers and applause of the fans. After the result, which everyone already knew, was announced, the fans' excitement reached another level!
"Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin!"
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
"The King of Basketball!"
"Goat! Goat!"
"The highest peak!"
"It will also definitely become the longest river!"
"Keep firing! Target 411! Lin, the most versatile player in history! Charge!"
"Break all records!"
The fans' frenzied shouts finally stopped when Lin Tian took the microphone, clearly about to give his remarks.
Lin Tian's next words sent the fans into a frenzy once again.
"Many people will say that our championship this year is not of high quality, that our opponents were not strong enough, that we only beat two 50-win teams and did not encounter even one 60-win opponent."
"Among our opponents, some are old and some are young; some are strong in attack but weak in defense, some are strong in defense but weak in attack, and some are simply not worth mentioning."
"I know, I'm aware of all these questions! But what I want to say is..."
"We're right here, waiting for the entire alliance to challenge us. Who comes before us is none of our business; it's up to their own abilities! If they don't even have the skill to stand before us and compete with us, who can they blame? Can they blame ourselves for being too strong?"
Lin Tian's words once again sparked a frenzy among the fans, who roared and shouted the names of Lin Tian and his teammates in a near-mad manner.
"Finally, I want to say that I respect every one of my opponents—almost every one of them! They all went through tremendous hardship to get to where they are today, and I admire each and every one of them!"
"But we are here. We are here this year, we were here last year, we were here the year before last."
"We'll be here again next year! The Larry O'Brien Trophy and the Finals MVP trophy will be right here too. Bring them on if you want them! See you next year! I hope that this time next year, when I lift the trophy again here, there won't be any of those boring people here!"
"Stop saying our opponents were too weak or that the victory wasn't substantial enough! We won fair and square! We won rightfully!"
"We are a dynasty team!"
"Dynasty! Dynasty! Dynasty!"
The fans' frenzied shouts echoed through the sky, their passion almost lifting the ceiling of Conseco Arena. The noise and excited cheers from the fans outside the arena could even be faintly heard inside!
This shows how crazy the Indians were, and how excited they were at this moment!
They felt like they had won the whole world!
Lin Tian's remarks tonight are destined to be mentioned again and again by the media and fans around the world.
One more time! Lin Tian aims for a four-peat!
The league hasn't seen a team win four consecutive championships in almost 40 years; the last time was in 1966!
The Dynasty Has Officially Descended! But Lin Is Still Not Satisfied?
Aiming for a fourth consecutive championship! Lin Tianming declares he'll try again next year!
Three consecutive championships aren't enough! Can the Pacers win another title next year?
A Look Back at Some Teams That Could Be Called Dynasties: The Lakers' 5 Championships in 6 Years in the 50s, and the Celtics' 8-Year Winning Streak – A First in History!
After catching up with the Bulls, the Pacers have only one goal: to surpass the Bulls!
Can the Pacers succeed in their goal of becoming the greatest team in history? What will they do in the offseason?
Two key players are entering the final year of their contracts; if the Pacers retain them, their luxury tax next year could exceed $4000 million!
How should the Pacers strengthen their roster if they can't retain Carter and Harrington?
The Pacers' biggest enemy is themselves! Three players may leave, making the team's roster highly uncertain for next season!
Even if Carter leaves, the Pacers aren't worried! They've already found a backup plan for him, and the Pacers will still be full of talent next season!
"Celebrate to the fullest! After lifting the FMVP trophy three times in a row, Lin Tian is definitely a top-ten player in history!"
Where will his status be upon retirement? Will he be able to surpass Jordan and become the greatest of all time?
That night, as the Pacers celebrated wildly and let loose, headlines and articles were being printed in droves. The Pacers' season was over, the NBA season was over, but the media's revelry had only just begun!
The next few days will be a great opportunity for them to make a fortune!
We must seize this opportunity and hold onto it firmly in order to ensure that our newspaper not only sees a surge in sales but also attracts a new wave of loyal readers.
Meanwhile, these eager media outlets immediately went to all over the United States to intercept any star players they could, to interview them, hoping to get the latest news and opinions from them, and then spark a new wave of discussion!
That's how long the hype lasts!
O'Neal: See you next year! Once my foot injury heals, I'll show the Pacers next year that they were just lucky this year!
Kobe: That's a great achievement. Congratulations to them! We'll do it next year too. I'm going to train now! What? Why am I in Houston? Of course I'm not joining the Rockets. Why would I join the Rockets? I have my own plans!
Iverson: Congratulations Lin, he did something amazing, but we won't give up! Next year, next year we'll continue to challenge them! Next year, we'll beat them!
McGrady: A four-peat? Great idea, but it won't be that easy! I noticed the Kings didn't double-team Lin at all throughout the series; that defense was ridiculous. If Lin had faced us, we wouldn't have let him have it so easy!
Payton: I'm in a bad mood and don't want to comment on this! Get out of my way!
A source said that Payton was in a bad mood because he was going to the hospital to see Mourning, who had been hospitalized again since the Eastern Conference Finals, with some saying that his kidney disease had relapsed.
Riley: We may be going to have a huge change this summer, and it will be painful, but I have to say, no one on this team is untouchable!
Garnett: Let's celebrate next year! Next year I'll prove I'm the best of the '95 class! We'll win that damn championship next year!
Jordan: Get lost!
Barkley: Michael fired you guys? He must be in a really bad mood. I need to go talk to him and see if I can make him feel worse, no, I mean see if I can make myself feel better. Anyway, that's the gist of it!
Ewing: I'm going too!
Pippen: I'll go too!
Miller: Wait for me! I'll borrow the Larry O'Brien Trophy and we'll go find him together! (End of Chapter)