Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 603 What does it mean to maximize strength from the very beginning? This battle

The Palace of Auburn Hills isn't located in downtown Detroit; in fact, it's quite remote. Aside from the necessary infrastructure like highways and the arena, it's practically nonexistent.

The entire stadium is located 20 kilometers southwest of downtown Detroit, and its biggest feature is its remoteness!

Some say the main reason the arena was built here is because Detroit residents are so crazy that every game causes serious disturbances to the neighborhood, making life unbearable for nearby residents.

That's why this stadium was built in this location back then.

All for the sake of having fun!

The goal is to allow every Detroit resident who comes here to feel completely at ease, to let loose, to express themselves freely, and to fully enjoy every night of sports here.

Whether this legend is true or false, it shows how crazy the fans are here and how fierce the atmosphere is.

When the Knicks' team bus was still 2-3 kilometers away from the Palace of Auburn Hills, all sorts of noise and the crazy shouts of fans could be heard. Detroiters had already entered a frenzy.

The closer you get to the Palace of Auburn Hills, the more you see fans with all sorts of banners, a wide variety of materials, and all sorts of other indescribable but absolutely crazy things.

The players even saw a madman in the car firing a submachine gun into the air!

Even Don Nelson was relieved that the team hadn't used the official NBA bus, but instead just picked a random bus without any logos or markings to come here.

Otherwise, something unexpected might really happen.

People in Detroit are so kind and simple!

As the team bus smoothly arrived at the arena and entered the players' tunnel, the chaotic noise and frenzied fans gradually subsided, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn't their first time playing an away game in Detroit, or even their first time playing in the Eastern Conference Finals.

But the fans' frenzy tonight was absolutely unprecedented.

They've all gone mad!

"It seems their anticipation for defending their title is beyond words." After everyone arrived in the locker room, changed, and took charge, Lin Tian was the first to stand up and said to his team, "Let's go, let's destroy the Detroit people's dream!"

"Go and utterly shatter their dreams!"

Just as everyone was somewhat worried and shakily stood up, ready to shout slogans with Lin Tian, ​​Lin Tian suddenly changed the subject and said, "Then, after the game is over, I'll borrow a bus with the Pistons logo on it, and we'll ride that thing."

"Great!"

"A clever boss!"

"As expected of our boss!"

"Dry them to death!"

"Crush the Pistons!"

As soon as Lin Tian said that, the guys got excited!

My brother Lin was indeed very well prepared, a true man! When it's time to back down, he doesn't hesitate for a second!

Led by Lin Tian, ​​everyone followed him into the stadium in single file.

Get ready for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals!

Old Nelson, trailing behind, couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

Lin Tian truly understands people's hearts perfectly.

He knows exactly when to be firm, when to relax, and when to crack a joke to put everyone at ease—a perfect leader!

Old Nelson now feels that being able to coach him wasn't because he had a keen eye for talent or anything like that; it was simply because Lin Tian gave him this opportunity, and he was incredibly lucky!

Since we're so lucky, we can't waste it!

Come on, Detroiters, tonight is the first step towards the perfect New York dynasty!

I'll crush you all.

Several tens of minutes later, when all the warm-up and preparations were over, the starting players from both sides stood on the field, ready and waiting for the game to begin.

This time, neither side said anything trash, didn't hurl insults at each other, or made any declarations of determination.

They both know what they should do, and they also know what the other wants to do.

On the night of the decisive battle, no nonsense is needed!

In contrast to the players' calm and composed demeanor, the Auburn Hills fans started booing and hurling insults from the very beginning of warm-up, and their noise once again proved the correctness of the stadium's location!

This bunch of crazy guys really shouldn't be in a location too close to the city.

There are just too many uncertainties.

"Beep beep!"

Then, amidst the intense anticipation of everyone, the referee finally blew the whistle to start the game, and the basketball was tossed into the air!

"Snapped!"

Facing Ben Wallace, Okur had a clear height advantage, easily securing the first offensive possession for the Knicks.

At the same time, the Pistons clearly knew they had little chance of getting possession of the ball in the first possession, so they retreated extremely quickly. Almost at the same time the referee blew the whistle, everyone had already started to retreat rapidly and immediately entered defensive mode.

But just as the Pistons players had retreated to their proper defensive positions, they were surprised to discover that there was a traitor among them!

No, an enemy has appeared among them!

Lin Tian, ​​dribbling the ball, almost simultaneously charged into the heart of the Pistons' territory, or rather, Lin Tian, ​​dribbling the ball, deliberately entered the Pistons' encirclement!

This is practically suicide!

Fortunately, despite their shock, the Pistons are the best defensive team in the league. They reacted almost instantly, and the two players closest to Lin Tian quickly moved towards him, forming a double team around him.

But Lin Tian reacted even faster. Just before Artest closed in on him from the side, he had already jumped and, despite Ben Wallace's defense, launched a floater!

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, Lin Tian opened the scoring for the team in less than 5 seconds, relying on his speed and touch!

"Too slow." After scoring, Lin Tian glanced at all the Knicks players, snorted, and then began to retreat on defense.

"So fast!" Barkley couldn't help but exclaim. "So fast that it looks like a mindless, reckless drive that sends him straight into the Pistons' encirclement. This is definitely the kind of drive that every coach hates and dislikes."

"But Lin can score in this way!"

"On the other hand, although Lin's move seemed reckless, he actually scored! This is definitely a huge blow to the Pistons' confidence!" Kenny added, "I think the start of this game is going to be quite exciting!"

Faced with Lin Tian's rapid attack, Billups was not in a hurry at all. Even though the Knicks did not use any full-court press, he was still very slow to cross half-court. He almost crossed half-court just before the 8-second violation.

You could say he was just strolling around!

But once he reached the frontcourt, Billups immediately tensed up!

Rashid and Ben Affleck stepped forward at the same time to set a high double screen for him, creating an open shot for him.

Billups immediately dribbled up the court and drove straight towards the Knicks' basket.

But at this moment, the Knicks' poor defense actually helped them.

Before Stoudemire and Oku could even leave, Billups had already arrived.

The two barely moved before they bumped into Billups, who had broken through and stormed in.

What the hell is this?!

Billups cursed inwardly, then, driven by instinct, he turned and looked back, intending to pass the ball to Rashid behind him.

With both big men there, Rashid was definitely left out!

But Billups forgot about Lin Tian!

He was practically the only guy on the entire team who put effort into defense.

Lin Tian watched as Billups charged toward the basket, quickly made a judgment, and assumed that Billups would pass to Rasheed. So he hid behind Rasheed and then, the moment Billups passed the ball, suddenly turned around and stood in front of Rasheed, completing the steal!

The moment Lin Tian grabbed the basketball, without him even having to shout, Houston and Anthony had already started sprinting!

Although Artest and Hamilton were closely marking him, Lin Tian still passed the ball to Anthony immediately. Anthony then advanced to the three-point line and passed it to Houston, who was making a quick run forward.

Houston doesn't adjust at all after getting the ball; they just pull up and shoot!

Young Hamilton never expected the old man to be so crazy, daring to drift and throw a mid-range shot like that. So, before he could react, he could only reach out and tentatively interfere.

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, Houston's mid-range jump shot went in!

"Grandpa will teach you what a real shot is today!" After scoring, Houston looked fierce, eager to prove himself! After all, he was the Knicks player who had faced the most criticism over the past year.

Countless people say he's too old and should step down, that he should give up his starting position.

As for Houston: At this age, it doesn't matter whether he starts or not. He can follow instructions, but if you question me? Then I have to show something!

This game is equally important for Houston!

"Stay calm! It's okay." Billups, who had made the mistake, slowly walked back to his own half of the court, gesturing for everyone to calm down and not rush. At the same time, he patted his chest and said, "This ball is mine, I will get it back. Everyone remember our goal and tactics."

After saying that, Billups gestured for Hamilton to pick up the basketball and inbound the ball from the baseline.

The Pistons' offense remained slow; clearly, they were determined to slow down, control the pace, and make the game completely slow down.

This time, the Pistons used tactics to circle the perimeter for several rounds, and the final opportunity actually came to Ben Wallace, who got a chance to pull up and dunk.

But this time, Stoudemire was quick too. He arrived immediately, spread his arms, and covered Ben Wallace. Unable to dunk immediately, Ben Wallace could only do a half-turn and then jump up to hook the ball, wanting to test the waters.

To be honest, Stoudemire's defense was negligible. He only prevented Ben Wallace, who wasn't tall enough, from dunking directly. His subsequent attempts to defend with his outstretched arms were clearly more of a bluff and an attempt to intimidate than anything else, and had no real defensive significance.

If it were any of the league's 90% of big men, they could probably easily hook that ball in.

Unfortunately, this is a large one!

His hook shot failed to go into the basket; his hook shot, which was just inches away, bounced off the rim!

This guy's offensive talent is really not as good as his grandma's.

Stoudemire reacted quickly, turning around and grabbing the rebound. He then immediately found Lin Tian. By the time Lin Tian got the ball, the other three Knicks players had already sprinted across half-court!

Of course, the Pistons' defense retreated incredibly quickly. Apart from Ben Wallace in the paint and Chauncey Billups sticking to Lin Tian to slow his advance, everyone else had already retreated to their own half of the court.

"Both sides are moving incredibly fast! There's not a moment to rest," Barkley couldn't help but say. "Kenny's right, the first few minutes of this game are bound to be incredibly intense and crazy! The biggest highlight of this series might just happen in those few minutes!"

As Barkley spoke, Lin Tian had already driven into the Pistons' three-point line. Hamilton and Artest immediately surrounded him from the left and right, respectively, and with Billups behind him, Lin Tian was practically being defended by three people as he charged towards the three-second zone!

After reaching the basket, Ben Wallace, who had just retreated to his position, jumped vertically, spreading his arms to try and block the basketball from Lin Tian's hands.

But Lin Tian's core strength was too good. Facing Ben Affleck's ultimate defense, he suddenly twisted his waist in mid-air and dodged Ben Affleck's hands.

Then, with a slight flick of his left wrist, he executed a reverse layup that flew towards the backboard.

"Snap! Swish!"

Two voices rang out at the same time. Lin Tian made a layup off the backboard, and the Knicks started the game with a 6-0 run against the Pistons!

"Ben!" Brown, sitting on the sidelines, practically roared, "What did we say before the game?! And what did you do?! Do what you're supposed to do! You're a center! You're Detroit's center!"

"Understood, Coach!" Ben Wallace nodded solemnly. Although he didn't speak, and Brown didn't explain how they had arranged things, Lin Tian could tell from their expressions that Brown was clearly dissatisfied with the Pistons' intensity and felt that they hadn't played up the intensity and performance Brown had expected before the game.

Ben Wallace's response also indicates that the Pistons are going to increase their intensity!

"Warm-up's over, guys." Lin Tian responded with a smile and clapping, then said to his teammates, "The match officially begins!"

"yes!"

The synchronized shouts, coupled with the Knicks' terrible and chaotic defense, were really hard to believe, and their all-out effort seemed somewhat unconvincing.

For example, the Pistons finally scored in this possession when Rasheed made a mid-range step-back shot from the left side.

Before the basketball even went into the basket, Okur, who was just guarding him, had already turned and sprinted towards the frontcourt.

"FUXX!" Rashid cursed, then turned around and followed Okur to the backfield. He didn't like the current pace at all.

But the Knicks like it!

Stoudemire quickly got the ball in the backcourt and immediately passed it to Lin Tian. Then he said that the entire Knicks team rushed to the frontcourt.

This time, after arriving at the front court, Lin Tian performed two simple crossovers to catch his breath. Then, he accelerated and passed Billups in the blink of an eye. But this time, Lin Tian only took one step forward before suddenly stopping.

Then he raised the ball with both hands and faked it towards the sky. Billups, who was anxious to block the shot behind him, finally fell for it and jumped up following Lin Tian's feint.

"FUXX!"

Realizing he had been tricked, Billups could do nothing but resignedly utter a curse.

He watched helplessly as Lin Tian jumped, brushed against him, and released the ball with an effortless grace.

The referee's whistle and the sound of the basketball hitting the rim rang out simultaneously once again.

"Whoosh!"

"Two points are valid, plus one penalty!"

Lin Tian successfully scored a 2+1 against Billups!

"Changxi, you need to stay calm. If your defense were half as composed as your offense, I wouldn't have been able to draw a foul so easily."

Lin Tian, ​​who had gotten a good deal but was still acting innocent, looked back at Billups lying on the floor, but did not reach out to help him up.

Billups didn't plan to let Lin Tian help him up. Instead, he waited for Hamilton to come over before using his teammate's help to stand up.

They both knew that this competition required neither friendship nor mutual respect between enemies.

Tonight, this place will become a battlefield where life and death are at stake!

"Whoosh!"

Lin Tian easily made the free throw, and the Knicks started fiercely, going on a 9-2 run against the Pistons, giving them a 7-point lead!

Brown then quickly called a timeout; he needed to make further arrangements, as he was completely dissatisfied with the team's performance!

"Ben, how did I teach you? To draw blood! I'll say it one last time: if Lin barges in again, I'll fucking take that bastard, that damn bastard you call 'Big Brother'!"

"I want to see this bastard's blood, you fucking know what I mean?" Brown's words were filled with countless swear words, and the amount of profanity was incredibly high.

But this time, Ben finally understood. He nodded firmly and said, "I understand, Coach. I won't let you down again!"

"Chauncey, and you too!" Brown looked at Billups and said, "That mistake wasn't the problem, I don't blame you. Your drive and organization were fine, but what were you doing just now?"

What were you doing after you were shaken up?

"If he shakes you up again, grab him! Fouls are fine! We can foul, even foul roughly! But I won't allow it, and I don't want to see us get another 2+1!"

"Remember our principles: Two free throws? No problem! 2+1? Fuck you! Got it?"

"Understood!" (End of Chapter)