harleyscars Chapter 613 You have the Slovenian cannon, I have the New York mainland.
Chapter 613 You have the Slovenian cannon, I have the New York mainland.
At the end of the third quarter, the score difference between the two sides remained at 8 points!
The Lakers lost by only one point in the third quarter, essentially consolidating their advantage from the first half.
92: 84!
Both sides' offensive efficiency in the third quarter was average, far less impressive than in the first half.
But as the game progressed and only the last quarter remained, the trailing team, the Knicks, had to go all out. If they didn't, they would be completely crushed by the Lakers!
At the start of the fourth quarter, Don Nelson finally made his move, fielding a lineup of Nate Robinson, Lin Tian, Houston, Anthony, and Okur!
This is an extremely small lineup on the perimeter, with three guards on the court, including Nate, who is 175 cm tall.
Meanwhile, both Anthony and Okur in the paint are purely offensive players with little defensive ability.
But these five players also happen to be the Knicks' top five three-point shooters this season.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Don Nelson immediately fielded a pure offensive lineup!
Just by looking at this lineup, you can tell that Don Nelson is gambling on a three-pointer!
"I don't think it's necessary!" Barkley shook his head and said, "There are still 12 minutes left, and the Knicks are only down by 8 points. With their firepower, if they're in good form, they can close the gap in a minute. They don't need to field such an extreme lineup at all."
"A lineup that's too extreme means there's no room for error! If they play exceptionally well, this lineup might have a surprising effect, but if they play poorly, the Lakers could easily blow them out of the game!"
"Especially since their head coach is Phil Jackson! He's capable of anything!"
Kenny quickly said, "As expected! Phil Jackson really did make his move right away! After seeing this lineup, Jackson immediately had O'Neal, who was resting on the bench, move to the scorer's table."
"He requested a substitution! He requested a substitution at the start of the fourth quarter—no, before the fourth quarter even started!"
"Jackson reacted so quickly! He just glanced at the Knicks' roster and immediately brought on O'Neal, targeting your Knicks' weaknesses!"
At the same time, the act of suddenly substituting players before the serve has even started is quite... how should I put it?
This personnel change perfectly demonstrates Jackson's shamelessness!
That's right, I didn't predict your lineup. The tactics I devised during the break weren't quite right.
Then I'll find someone else!
And they don't even give you a chance for a round, they just switch you out!
If you dare to field a lineup with one big man and four small men, I'll have Shaq beat you to death!
That's Jackson's style.
Although it may not sound like a big deal, at least 99% of the other head coaches in the league would not substitute a player without even letting him play a single possession.
They'll definitely let the players play with the current lineup for a while longer to see how things go.
No, they'll only replace someone if they suffer a loss.
Sometimes it's stubbornness, sometimes it's saving face, and sometimes it's simply a matter of not being able to react in time.
But Jackson clearly didn't have such concerns and simply changed his mind!
"Good thing Shaq is on the court." Old Nelson couldn't help but laugh when he saw O'Neal enter the game.
He was waiting for O'Neal to come on the court!
As for why?
The first offensive push in the fourth quarter came from the Knicks. Lin Tian was only allowed to dribble forward after the Lakers made a substitution.
The first offensive play in the fourth quarter was quite important.
Lin Tian dribbled the ball quickly to the frontcourt and then directed his teammates to make continuous runs. He and Okur set a screen, and he successfully matched up against O'Neal.
As soon as Lin Tian faced off against O'Neal, he didn't give the Lakers any chance to switch defenses or double-team. With two quick and sudden crossovers and offensive steps, O'Neal was so shocked by Lin Tian's move that he quickly took a step back, afraid that Lin Tian would blow past him in one step.
But the instant O'Neal stepped back, Lin Tian had already launched his attack!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, the Knicks hit a three-pointer!
They're about to start catching up.
"Andrei, you go up too!"
Jackson immediately understood when he saw Lin Tian's playing style. Old Nelson was targeting O'Neal, taking advantage of O'Neal's advancing age and his inability to defend against three-pointers. He wanted Lin Tian to use his individual ability to defeat O'Neal.
So he made another substitution, quickly bringing on Kirilenko. With Kirilenko, this defensive monster, even if Lin Tian wanted to directly mismatch and one-on-one with O'Neal, it wouldn't be so easy!
At this point, after only one possession in the fourth quarter, Jackson substituted two players in quick succession, leaving Kobe as the only remaining starter on the Lakers' bench!
On the field, the lineup consisted of the other four starters plus Vujacic.
"Change it, change it as much as you want." Old Nelson remained relaxed, clearly expecting all of Jackson's changes to be within his expectations.
"Ball!" O'Neal had already reached the basket, aggressively positioning himself to call for the ball. After receiving the ball, he didn't lower it below his chest at all, but instead raised it high and shot, turning around and laying it in to score 2 points for the team!
In O'Neal's eyes, Okur's defense was practically nonexistent!
Lin Tian originally wanted to replicate the mismatch from the previous play and take down O'Neal again on the Knicks' offense, but when Kirilenko and Prince were on the court at the same time, the Lakers' help defense speed and ability were truly among the best in the league!
Even so, Jackson was still holding back Kobe, hoping he could rest a little longer. If Kobe had come on, the Lakers' defensive capabilities and help defense at the 2-3-4 positions would probably be unmatched in history.
So this time, after the pick-and-roll, Lin Tian encountered the Lakers' quick help defense, but he reacted just as quickly, making a no-look pass to Okur on the wing, and Okur then passed the ball to Nate in the corner.
At this point, the only one who could still catch Nate was Fisher.
Unfortunately, this guy's height and speed were negligible, and Nate was almost unaffected, making a decisive and steady three-pointer!
"Here it comes! The Knicks hit two consecutive three-pointers to start the fourth quarter! They're steadily and quickly narrowing the gap! So far, at least, Don Nelson's tactical change has been quite successful!"
Kenny quickly added, "But they still can't stop the Lakers; this lineup's defensive capabilities are almost negligible."
"Look! O'Neal has gotten the ball in the paint again, turned around and scored 2 points!"
Barkley added, "Fortune favors the bold! The Knicks' lineup is playing to its absolute limit! They're going to test the Lakers' margin for error. Don Nelson has absolute confidence in his players; he believes they can withstand the pressure and catch up through their offense!"
"As for what to do if the team goes off-target and the Lakers go on a scoring run to widen the gap again? Those are things that we commentators and fans need to consider, but certainly not things that Don Nelson needs to consider."
"If he considered these things, he wouldn't be a 'mad scientist'! That's precisely why Don Nelson is so likable and fascinating."
On the court, after O'Neal scored two consecutive baskets, Lin Tian had returned to the frontcourt. This time, he didn't call for a screen, but instead gestured for Nate to move closer to him.
Then, when the two were less than 2 meters apart, Lin Tian suddenly accelerated and broke through, rushing into the paint.
Fisher didn't have time to think. He could only follow Lin Tian and charge towards the inside to help Prince defend Lin Tian. He hoped to stop Lin Tian's attack.
"Derek! Watch your men!" Prince shouted in near despair. He didn't know why Fisher had suddenly come to help defend, and he didn't understand what the guy was up to.
If you chase after Lin Tian, can you catch up?
Just as Prince opened his mouth to shout, it was too late. The basketball had already disappeared from Lin Tian's hands and flown into Nate's hands behind him.
Having just scored a basket, Nate was now brimming with confidence, as if divinely inspired. He took the ball and jumped up, launching his second consecutive three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
After another crisp sound, Nate hit two consecutive three-pointers!
In the blink of an eye, the point difference between the two sides had been narrowed to 3 points!
96: 93!
The Knicks' three consecutive three-pointers at the start of the fourth quarter were incredibly fast and effective in closing the gap!
It's only been two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Even so, the Lakers' offensive efficiency was still very high, with O'Neal making both of his isolation plays!
If O'Neal had made just one mistake, the Knicks would have turned the game around by now!
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Knicks' core strategy was to use the five-ring system, which they had one more ring than the four-ring system!
Then, O'Neal's strong drive to the basket went in again! This time, he not only made the shot, but also drew a foul on Okur, successfully getting to the free-throw line.
Unfortunately, he missed the free throw as always. As he has become less aggressive in recent years, his free throw percentage has dropped from nearly 70% after years of hard work to around 50% now.
"Bang!"
O'Neal missed the free throw, and Lin Tian, who was already positioned under the basket to grab the rebound, rushed forward, grabbed the rebound, and launched another counterattack towards the frontcourt!
"Back! Back! Back!" Jackson was completely caught up in the moment, and unusually, he stood on the sidelines shouting and directing his players to retreat.
The Lakers' defensive discipline was quite good; apart from O'Neal being a little slow, everyone else quickly retreated to their positions.
But after Lin Tian quickly arrived at the frontcourt, all of the Lakers' preparations fell through!
Lin Tian glanced at it once, then suddenly accelerated and charged into the Lakers' paint with the ball!
This time, Fisher didn't dare to go to help defend. He kept his eyes fixed on Nate. He was joking, but if he let that little dwarf score another one, where would he put his face?
But just as Lin Tian broke through, Nate also started to move. He and Anthony set a cross screen on the wing, setting an off-ball screen for each other.
Just then, Lin Tian, who had already penetrated into the paint, turned around and glanced in this direction.
This discovery revealed a major problem for the Lakers' defense!
Fisher and Vujacic didn't communicate at all, but instinctively moved together towards Nate, since he had just hit two three-pointers in a row and needed to be closely guarded.
But they had barely taken a step when they realized they had been tricked again.
Lin Tian did pass the ball, but he didn't pass it here. Instead, he passed it to Anthony, who had just completed a pick-and-roll with Nate!
Anthony received the ball beyond the three-point line and didn't hesitate to pull up and shoot!
"Whoosh!"
The Knicks started the game by hitting four consecutive three-pointers!
98: 96!
The Lakers' lead was in jeopardy in the blink of an eye.
At this point, Jackson dared not let Kobe rest any longer, and quickly waved his hand to send Kobe back onto the court.
He's lost enough! He doesn't want to lose to anyone again, not even once! Especially Lin Tian.
So at this moment, Jackson put away all his previous show-off habits. His reactions were much faster than before, and he shouted and stood up to coach for much longer than he used to.
He absolutely must win this game, this away game!
"Kobe's in! The Lakers have fielded their full starting lineup early! The decisive battle is about to begin! Let's see if Don Nelson will send Stoudemire to fight the Lakers... FUXX! What is Don Nelson up to?"
Barkley was calmly commentating on the game, but he instantly lost his composure after seeing Don Nelson's substitution.
Instead of bringing in Stoudemire, a key player, Don Nelson also dropped three starters: Okur, Anthony, and Houston!
The players who replaced them were Mourning, Smith, and Barnes!
With Lin Tian and Nate joining the team, the Knicks, having narrowed the gap to just one point, took out a large number of their key players, leaving only Lin Tian and four substitutes on the court!
"He's gone mad! Old Nelson has gone mad!" Kenny shook his head and said, "I can guess that he wants to conserve his strength, wait for the Lakers to tire themselves out, and let his main players rest for a while before taking advantage of the Lakers' exhausted team."
"But the problem is, this is the Finals! And you're still behind! That's the Lakers!"
"Old Nelson is being far too arrogant!"
Jackson's brow furrowed at this moment. Like Kenny, he could see through Nelson's move, but he couldn't understand it.
Then, after seeing Lin Tian go one-on-one with Kobe and his tenacious defense of Kobe from near midcourt, Jackson felt he understood.
There's only one reason why Nelson plays like this.
Lin Tian! He believed that Lin Tian could lead the team to hold on for the game, even without Stoudemire or Anthony by his side.
"Get your act together! If they don't field their starters, we'll crush them! They don't field their starters? Then their starters are out of the question!" Jackson shouted into the arena after realizing what was happening, reminding the Lakers players to give it their all.
You try to be a slut with me, I'll make sure you never come back!
Widen the gap! As quickly as possible, so quickly that by the time your Knicks' starters return, it will be too late!
Kobe returned to the court with great momentum. He immediately used a screen to make a quick lateral movement and his signature pull-up jump shot, scoring 2 points for the team and stabilizing the situation again!
On the other hand, with O'Neal guarding the paint, the Knicks' players who were good at cutting to the basket had a hard time finding suitable opportunities to move off the ball, and Lin Tian also had some difficulty facing the Lakers' three defensive stalwarts.
In the end, he could only pass the ball to Smith, who was left wide open on the side, to see if Smith could have another burst of energy and prove that he was a great mid-to-long-range shooter.
"Bang!"
Unfortunately, Smith's jump shot missed. After O'Neal secured the rebound, the Lakers launched a rapid offensive, with O'Neal running incredibly fast. He pressured Mourning all the way to the basket in the blink of an eye, grabbed the ball, and then used his shoulder and elbow to force Mourning to retreat.
"boom!"
Then came another loud bang as O'Neal, practically riding on Mourning's arm, completed a one-handed dunk!
"You can't stop me!" With O'Neal's roar, the gap between the two sides widened to 6 points again.
For the next five minutes or so, the Lakers maintained a firm grip on the court. Apart from Lin Tianneng scoring occasionally, the rest of the Knicks were ineffective, with a pitifully low shooting percentage.
On the Lakers' side, Kobe and Shaq were getting more and more excited as they played, constantly attacking the Knicks' defense!
With six minutes remaining in the game, Kobe Bryant once again received the ball and, using his height and wingspan, forced a stop and made a jump shot over Lin Tian, bringing the score difference between the two teams back to 10 points!
"What on earth is Nelson doing?" Barkley was completely baffled.
At this point in the game, with this situation, why aren't you making a substitution?
Even if the intention was to conserve energy and wear down the Lakers' key players, there was no need to keep them pinned down for so long.
"Don Nelson's carelessness will cost the Knicks dearly! If they lose today, Don Nelson will be the biggest problem!"
No sooner had Barkley finished speaking than the Knicks had an opportunity!
Lin Tian once again drove into the paint, drawing help defense and finding Nate, who had been left out in the corner!
After hitting two consecutive three-pointers at the start, this guy didn't get many opportunities, missing all three of his shots. So by this point, the Lakers' defense against him had relaxed once again.
Ultimately, he's just an unknown nobody, and his hot streak has clearly faded, so the Lakers really don't want to waste any effort on him.
Even when Fisher went to help defend Lin Tian, he felt that even if the ball came into the hands of this little guy, he wouldn't dare to shoot!
Do you really think everyone is Kobe? You missed four crucial shots in a row during the playoffs, and you still dare to keep shooting?
impossible!
"Whoosh!"
Then, as a gift in response to the Lakers' carelessness, Nate hit another three-pointer!
"Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!" Nate roared excitedly after scoring, pounding his chest and shouting, "I am the King of New York!"
Then, he saw Lin Tian, and this guy quickly added in a very obsequious manner, "The Vice-King of New York!" (End of this chapter)