harleyscars Chapter 538 You regret not practicing your shooting diligently for the past few years.
Chapter 538 You regret not practicing your shooting diligently for the past few years.
"Amare!" Lin Tian shouted, signaling Stoudemire to step forward and cover. Then he quickly moved to the side and charged into the paint!
During the run, Lin Tian attracted a lot of defensive attention from the Celtics, and then he made a one-handed bounce pass, and the basketball came to Stoudemire's hands.
As usual, Stoudemire was about to unleash his signature powerful shot when he got the ball, but this time, as soon as he jumped, he found that the pair in front of him were no longer the soft duo of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Gooden.
This time, the people in front of him were Duncan, who moved across at lightning speed, and Howard, who was watching him intently from the side.
"Bang!"
Duncan's defense was absolutely textbook perfect!
He wasn't thinking about blocking shots or stealing the ball. He just stood in position, raised his hands, and adhered to the principle of absolutely not committing a foul, trying his best to disrupt the opponent's shot and reduce their shooting percentage!
This is the defensive style that all coaches love the most. Duncan also earned the nickname "Never Out of Position" on defense because of his perfect defensive habits and defensive awareness.
His basic defensive stats weren't outstanding, so even though Duncan's defense was praised by everyone, and he could almost single-handedly carry a team, he never received the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Of course, this defensive approach can significantly reduce the opponent's offensive efficiency, but in some cases, it can also make Duncan the backdrop for those beasts.
Kobe, Garnett, James, Stoudemire, Carter...
Many high-flying superstars have dunked over Duncan or made other memorable moments that will go down in history.
However, those were only a very few moments and instants.
But more often than not, it was Duncan's successful defense that caused the opponent's offense to fail and end in a missed shot.
For example, this time.
When Stoudemire raised the basketball and charged toward the basket, Duncan held his position. Even Stoudemire couldn't gain the upper hand in this contest and failed to score.
He didn't even touch the rim; his signature "forced dunk" turned into a somewhat awkward layup.
With a loud "bang," the basketball bounced off the rim. Howard reacted incredibly quickly, leaping up like a rocket and grabbing the ball, followed by a vicious upward thrust of his elbows.
How fierce was this guy? He raised his iron elbow and even managed to bump Duncan, who was right next to him.
Duncan pursed his lips, glanced at Howard, rubbed his shoulder, and silently joined the attack.
This kid is way too fierce.
The Celtics' offense remained monotonous and uninteresting. Pierce once again passed the ball to Duncan, who, after confirming that no one was helping him, easily turned around, then used his footwork to shake off Stoudemire, and floated the ball into the net again.
Duncan's offense is undeniably solid, but it's also undeniably boring!
The Knicks were on offense, and Lin Tian came to the frontcourt again. Marbury's harassment and defense against Lin Tian were basically ignored by Lin Tian. After all, the two of them were at least 5 kilograms apart in weight, plus the difference in height and other physical attributes. It would be a miracle if Marbury could defend Lin Tian!
This time, Lin Tian pushed past Marbury and made a shot in the mid-range area, helping the team open the scoring and stop being scoreless.
The Celtics' next attack also failed to score. Pierce missed a mid-range jumper against Jackson. However, the Spurs' height under the basket was truly exaggerated. Stoudemire and Okur had to exert a lot of effort in the paint to finally secure the rebound.
But the team obviously lost the opportunity to launch a fast break as a result.
Lin Tian could only continue advancing and try to make some moves in positional warfare with his teammates.
This time, Lin Tian created space by breaking through and found Anthony in an open position. Anthony took the shot from his best spot, but Davis's defense was in place very quickly, interfering with Anthony's shot, and the ball missed.
After Howard secured the rebound once again, the Celtics slowly advanced the ball again!
However, their attack failed to score this time. After Duncan received the ball, he drew the defense and passed it to Howard on the other side.
Howard's performance was rather rough. Because he was blocked by Okur and couldn't dunk directly, Howard could only jump and throw the ball out in an indescribable way.
As a result, the ball bounced off the rim and missed, but with Duncan making a racket under the basket, even though the ball didn't go in, Stoudemire put in a lot of effort to barely pass the ball to Lin Tian, and the team lost another fast break opportunity.
Let's keep chipping away at their position!
This time, the Celtics suddenly double-teamed Lin Tian. Lin Tian reacted quickly and found Okur, who was left open on the wing. Okur received the ball and was about to shoot a three-pointer when Howard rushed over with his claws outstretched.
This guy is so fast he doesn't look like a center at all. Although he didn't have time to block the shot, he still managed to disrupt it.
"Bang!"
Okur's three-pointer still missed!
Duncan grabbed the rebound and then swept it down the court, allowing Marbury to advance the ball. The Celtics suddenly launched a fast break!
But Lin Tian's defense was equally fast and steady. He quickly secured a good position and blocked Marbury's path.
"Come on, Stephen! You cowardly weakling!"
If it were Stephon Marbury from two years ago, he would definitely be baring his teeth and charging into the paint to have a one-on-one battle with Lin Tian.
But Marbury has clearly forgotten what it means to be on top. After realizing that Lin Tian had blocked his offensive route, he immediately passed the ball to Davis, who was advancing through the middle.
Lin Tian moved to block Davis again, but Davis, who was also known for being a troublemaker, arrogant, and extremely dangerous on the court, chose to play it safe. After realizing that there was no opportunity to attack the basket directly, he actually turned around and dribbled the ball out of the three-point line.
Then he passed the ball to Pierce, who pressed his hands down to signal everyone to calm down, and then passed the ball again to Duncan, who was walking into the paint.
Duncan dribbled the ball once and then passed it to Davis on the wing. Davis then caught the ball and pulled up for a mid-range shot.
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, the Celtics scored 2 more points.
Then Duncan and Howard quickly turned around and spread their arms to interfere with the Knicks' baseline pass. Stoudemire was caught off guard, and once again the team missed the opportunity for a fast break pass.
It still has to be positional warfare!
In this round, Lin Tian still chose to attack personally, accelerating past Marbury and driving straight to the basket. Despite Howard's defense, he raised his hand and made another floater!
So far in the game, Knicks' Lin Tian is 3-for-3, while the rest of the players are 0-for-3!
The Celtics' next attack still failed to go in. Marbury's mid-range shot missed, and this time the rebound was grabbed by Lin Tian who rushed into the paint. He then turned around and accelerated, ready to launch a fast break.
But this time, he had just started to accelerate when Marbury grabbed him and grabbed him.
"Defensive foul, inbound pass!"
The referee quickly gave instructions, telling Lin Tian to serve the ball from the baseline.
Although Marbury committed a foul, it thwarted the Knicks' fast break.
"The Celtics' defense against the Knicks' fast breaks was truly effective! They approached the issue from every angle, using every possible effort and method to limit the Knicks' fast breaks and force them into a half-court game."
Seeing Lin Tian standing somewhat helplessly on the sideline preparing to inbound the ball, Barkley quickly analyzed, "Currently, although the scores on both sides are quite close and seem evenly matched, the Celtics are actually completely controlling the pace of the game!"
"This is their preferred pace! Their shooting percentage isn't high, which is normal; this is their usual style and efficiency. But the Knicks are able to stay close in the score entirely thanks to Lin's individual ability!"
"The rest of the Knicks haven't scored yet. If they want to win tonight, the other players have to step up! Lin alone isn't enough."
"Hmm...maybe that's not enough."
After Barkley finished speaking, he scratched his head. He was obviously thinking about the incredible and incomprehensible things that Lin Tian had accomplished single-handedly over the past few years.
He alone might be able to defeat a team.
For example, in the last matchup between the two teams during the regular season, which was also a crucial game for both sides to compete for the second seed in the East, Lin Tian single-handedly scored 40 points in the first three quarters to carry the game when the Knicks as a whole team was performing poorly.
In the fourth quarter, when the Celtics dared not let Lin Tian attack freely and double-teamed him relentlessly, he delivered 7 assists in the quarter, leading the team to victory!
That night, Lin Tian scored 47 points, 16 assists, and 8 rebounds, switching seamlessly between individual offensive and team passing modes. It was thanks to his superb performance that the Knicks won the game and secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
So, what about today? Will Lin Tian be able to hold on for the game today and wait for his teammates to recover?
Throughout the first quarter, the Knicks failed to find anyone to step up, scoring only 19 points in the quarter, while the Celtics scored 21 points. However, the Celtics were definitely in complete control of the game's pace.
In the first quarter, the Knicks relied almost entirely on Lin Tian's performance. Even though the Celtics' defense was really tough and aggressive, and Lin Tian only made 5 of 12 shots in the quarter, he still scored 13 points.
Besides Lin Tian, his teammates only made 1 of 10 shots, and scored a total of 6 points including free throws.
In the first quarter, Stoudemire, who had performed brilliantly in the previous round, was completely contained by the Celtics' tall and fierce defense. His weakness of only being able to drive to the inside but lacking a shot was completely exploited by the Celtics. In this quarter, he went 0-for-3 and scored no points.
On the contrary, Anthony showed some signs of improvement tonight. Although he only made 1 of 4 shots in the first quarter, he made all 4 of his free throws, scoring all 6 points for the team except for Lin Tian!
In other words, only two players on the Knicks scored in the first quarter!
This is definitely not good news for the Knicks, who have a history of multi-pronged attacking, unleashing a barrage of attacks, and displaying a fierce offensive style of play.
At the start of the second quarter, as usual, Nelson put Anthony and several substitutes on the court, while letting Lin Tian and Stoudemire rest.
Anthony was in excellent form during this period, dominating Davis and displaying remarkable toughness.
He drew fouls or scored several times in a row on one-on-one plays, and thanks to his strong performance, the Knicks kept the score close even when Lin Tian was not on the court.
With three minutes left in the second quarter, Anthony grabbed another offensive rebound under the basket and scored on the putback.
After this basket, the Knicks regained the lead.
25: 26!
They beat the Celtics 7-5.
But then the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The Celtics quickly changed their strategy, switching from a one-on-one defense between Pierce and Anthony to a double-team defense between Pierce and Davis against Anthony.
With Anthony's current passing ability, this kind of double-team defense is his biggest nemesis! He is powerless against this kind of defense.
In the next minute, Anthony had the ball three times. He rushed out one shot, which bounced off the rim and missed. On the other two occasions, he was directly stolen by Pierce, and on the other occasion, he was forced to gather the ball early. While looking for his teammates to support him, he was caught traveling by the referee.
Fortunately, Don Nelson reacted very quickly. After Pierce made the steal and scored with a fast break dunk, giving the Celtics a 4-point lead again, Nelson decisively called a timeout and brought Stoudemire, Lin Tian, and others onto the court.
Rivers quickly made a substitution, bringing in Duncan and Howard to start a new twin-tower lineup.
Once on the court, Lin Tian noticed Rivers peering over and talking to a balding and rather obese middle-aged man next to him.
Others might not recognize the middle-aged fat man at this time, but Lin Tian could recognize him at a glance as the future famous top defensive head coach.
Tom Thibodeau.
It was this guy's early arrival that brought about a huge leap in the Celtics' defensive system and defensive capabilities. His design and response on the defensive end are absolutely top-notch in history!
Of course, besides that, this guy also has a very good relationship with the players and is quite sentimental. No matter where he goes, he is willing to help and bring along his old players. He is a guy with a lot of chivalrous spirit.
If Thibodeau hadn't joined the Celtics, Lin Tiancai wouldn't believe that this year's Celtics could have become one of the top two defensive teams in the league, given Rivers' limited skills.
However, Thibodeau's weaknesses are also obvious: this guy can coach defense, build defensive systems, and provide effective advice on the defensive end based on the opponent's situation.
But asking him to study offense, master offensive systems, and build a well-rounded offensive team is asking too much of him.
He doesn't know how to do that.
Well, Rivers wouldn't either.
Otherwise, with a trio of Duncan, Pierce, and Marbury, the Celtics' offense wouldn't be in its current state.
Their defense is as good as their offense.
The rest of the game was still a battle for the rhythm between the two sides. The Knicks were still not in good form and could only rely on Lin Tian's unstoppable ability and the intermittent shooting of other players to score. Their fast breaks were always unable to get going and their offensive efficiency remained low.
Fortunately, the Celtics' offensive capabilities were also quite worrying. They could defend the Knicks, and they could also defend themselves. They were never able to widen the score gap, nor could they completely secure the victory.
This is also why their regular season record wasn't top-tier.
They can only widen the gap little by little, gradually increasing their advantage, but they cannot quickly launch a decisive attack to widen the score and dominate the game.
This makes their matches unpredictable, and they are often able to be reversed by their opponents, leading to losses.
The situation tonight is, of course, the same.
The game went on until the end of the third quarter, with the score still 66-57.
Despite having complete control of the game and its tempo, the Celtics only led by 9 points, giving the Knicks a considerable chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter!
At the start of the fourth quarter, Don Nelson put Lin Tian and Carmelo Anthony back on the court to lead the team, leaving Amar'e Stoudemire on the bench.
As the game began, the old man plopped down next to Stoudemire, who had a terrible performance tonight, shooting 3-for-12.
"Feeling helpless, aren't you? Don't you really want to go on the field and help your guys? Don't you really wish you could contribute to the team instead of just being a burden?"
Stoudemire nodded firmly and said, "Coach, I want to go up!"
"No, your shooting is too bad. If you go up there, our offensive space will be too small, and they will have a lot of trouble dealing with our collapsed defense."
"I will only consider putting you on the court after we have a clear advantage or the current lineup is truly inadequate. In other words, if they play well and allow us to catch up, you will likely not be able to continue playing in the fourth quarter tonight."
After saying that, Don Nelson gestured for Stoudemire, who was about to speak, to be quiet, and continued, "You regret it, don't you? You regret only remembering to play and rely on your talent for the past few years, without honing your skills and shooting, right?"
"Frustration and regret are useless. Only by taking action can you truly improve. Only by enriching your playing style and becoming unstoppable, without weaknesses or vulnerabilities, can you help your brothers on the court and fight alongside them at every moment!" (End of Chapter)