socalfunplaces Chapter 975: If we get it tonight, we have a whole summer to go.
Chapter 975: If we get it tonight, we have a whole summer to go.
"They're going all out!" Miller said excitedly. "In the second quarter, both sides focused their offense entirely on their respective inside players."
"Nowitzki and Boozer have had some rivalry over the past few years when they were both in the Western Conference. They have faced each other several times in the playoffs and 3-4 times a year in the regular season."
"In addition, they are both power forwards who primarily rely on face-up shooting, so they have always been competing against each other! Of course, as time goes by and the results of each game are observed, the general consensus is that Nowitzki is an MVP-caliber top star."
"Boozer, on the other hand, is just an ordinary All-Star player."
"But that's just popular opinion, and maybe it's true. Nowitzki is indeed a better player than Boozer."
"But honestly, would Boozer think that way too?"
Miller paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "100% not! He would never think he's worse than Nowitzki, or anyone else, or rather, no top player ever thinks they're worse than anyone else!"
"Yeah, it's like even though you've been crushed by Michael over 800 times, you still think you're better than Michael, right?" Jackson immediately retorted sarcastically, "Or are you saying that when Lin led the team to crush Michael, you assumed you were better than Michael too?"
"Mark, it's one thing for others to say that, but what gives you the right to say it about me?" Miller rolled his eyes. When it comes to mocking his friends, this guy is second to none, well, there are several people who would dare to call themselves number one. He's always quick to criticize his teammates.
"Do you know how many years you held me back in Indiana? If you had left sooner, Lin would have come much earlier, and I could have won a championship eight years earlier! It's all your fault, you understand? When your partner is just a point guard ranked around 30th in the league, it's really hard for you to win a championship!"
"Then you can imitate LeBron James. You can bring your talents to Chicago. They've always lacked a sixth man."
"If you say that, you might get beaten to death by the people of Dallas."
It has to be said that Miller and Jackson's conversation at this point is getting further and further away from the game.
The reason they drifted further and further apart was that the gap between them had widened without them even realizing it.
When the score difference widens, the suspense and excitement of the game inevitably decrease, so the commentators naturally have less to analyze and talk about, and can only start chatting to pass the time.
In particular, the score gap between the two sides this time was not due to a sudden outburst from a particular player or a team suddenly executing a brilliant tactical play or offensive surge.
This time, the score gap widened in a way that was like boiling a frog in lukewarm water.
The Mavericks are scoring, but the Bobcats are scoring more.
The Mavericks can defend some of the Bobcats' offense, but the Bobcats defend better.
For this seemingly simple reason, even experienced commentators like Miller and Jackson unconsciously drifted off into conversation.
Finally, it was only after the director in their headsets loudly reminded them, "This is the Finals! The Finals, my ass!" that the two finally coughed and stopped talking about the embarrassing incident Jordan had made during an away game in Indiana.
At this point, eight minutes of the second quarter had already passed, and the gap between the two sides had unknowingly reached 17 points!
Sometimes games are just like that. For example, Lin Tian didn't come up with any brilliant strategies or play any particularly targeted tactics, but the team just had a good shooting streak, and the Mavericks just couldn't make their shots. Before long, the point difference widened without them even realizing it.
But Lin Tian himself did not relax. On the contrary, he was well aware that although the team was leading by a large margin at the moment, it was not stable. After all, who knew if the Bobcats would collapse in a while and the Mavericks would recover their shooting touch?
So, at this time, when Jason called two timeouts in a row in an attempt to stabilize the situation and close the gap, what Lin Tian did was to tell his players on the bench not to relax, not to be careless, and not to get complacent just because they were leading by a large margin.
This is the finals!
Relaxing means you'll be overturned!
Fortunately, the Bobcats have been playing against the wind in the last few rounds, and they are used to playing from behind. So even now that they have a strong lead, the players are unlikely to make any basic mistakes.
Well, of course, it's also because Lin Tian took down big shots like Odom and Stephenson early on, even when they were behind, they still wanted to show off and have fun.
Even if the team is in a big lead, these two are still thinking about doing something funny.
Who knows what they might do on the field, so Lin Tian didn't let them play early on.
Go sit down and wait until the situation is settled before we talk about it!
After all, this was Lin Tian's first time getting close to the championship as a coach, so he was quite cautious when he needed to be.
When the team was in the lead, Lin Tian always told his players to be careful and not to relax too much. Whenever Jason called a timeout to make adjustments, Lin Tian would repeatedly remind his players not to relax and that the game was not over yet.
Even when the Bobcats were still leading by 15 points at the end of the first half, Lin Tian did not relax. He kept urging the players to work harder, not to relax, and not to think that the game was already won.
"After the competition, we will have a whole summer to celebrate our victory. We will enjoy praise from all over the world, we will get countless endorsement contracts and new business opportunities, and countless girls will fall into our arms."
"But everything depends on winning the game, on achieving victory tonight!"
"If we lose, we'll become a laughing stock. Look at the Celtics and Cavaliers, how they've been mocked for the past two weeks!"
"If we lose, everything I just said will become Dallas's business. We'll just be watching the girl lie in their arms and watching tons of business deals and money-making opportunities come to them."
"And of course, there's the most important thing! We've come this far, we're just one step away from the highest honor. Are you really willing to watch that highest honor and the Larry O'Brien Trophy be taken away by someone else?"
"No Game 7! I'm telling you, there's no fucking Game 7 in this series!"
"Tonight, tonight alone, we're going to lift the trophy, we're going to win the championship, we're not giving the Dallas team any chance!"
"Excellent! Don't give them any chance!"
"Crush the Dallas team!"
"Let them know how powerful we are! Crush them!"
"Crush them completely! We need garbage time, we need to crush the game!"
"In the third quarter, we extended our lead to over 25 points!"
Upon hearing Lin Tian's furious roar, the players also roared back, expressing their determination and belief in winning the game that night.
After all, there were things that Lin Tian didn't say, but they could guess.
Tonight, the team led by 15 points at halftime and even by nearly 20 points at one point. If such a favorable situation were to be overturned, the impact on the morale and confidence of both teams would be self-evident.
If the Mavericks pull off a stunning comeback tonight, and the series goes to Game 7 in Dallas, it's easy to imagine how crazy the Mavericks players and fans will be.
At that time, the Mavericks held absolute control and were about to crush the Bobcats.
Therefore, tonight is the Bobcats' best, and perhaps only, chance!
We absolutely cannot give the Dallas team any chance to breathe or regain their form!
After giving the players a pep talk and fully boosting their morale, Lin Tian looked at everyone and continued, "Now, listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
"Jansen will definitely go all out in the second half, bringing on his strongest offensive lineup. He'll intensify his attack, he'll repeatedly assault our defense to try and catch up. They're an attacking team; when they're behind, they always believe in their offense!"
"Therefore, Terry will definitely replace Stevenson as the starting defender in the second half. One of Peja or Marion will also replace Haywood in the starting lineup."
"An extreme lineup of one big man, four small men, and an all-out offensive lineup—that's the lineup the Mavericks will definitely be playing at the start of the second half."
"What we need to do is counter their lineup. If Marion starts, then Yao, you go inside. Don't worry about three-pointers, shooting, spacing, or anything like that. You and Carlos go inside and dominate them!"
"The same goes for everyone else, charge into the paint! Crush their paint! Forget mobility, agility, running and jumping, crush them to pieces!"
"No problem!" the entire Lynx team shouted in unison, expressing their confidence.
"Very good." Lin Tian nodded, then continued, "If Peja starts, that would be even better! Carlos, you already had... 15 points and 8 rebounds in the first half. If Peja starts, I think you can score at least 40+20 tonight. Are you confident?"
"Don't talk to me anymore, coach. I need to pray that they'll really let Peja play a little longer," Boozer grinned mischievously. "I'm going to leave a monster record in Finals history!"
"In short, whenever they play a big man and small man lineup, we'll immediately go and teach their inside game a lesson. If necessary, I'll bring in Lamar or Marvin too, to crush their inside game. Height, use our height advantage to wipe out their mobility advantage!"
"Finally, this is the most difficult point."
"Terry's shooting was off in the first half, but that doesn't mean he'll be off in the second half. His pick-and-roll with Nowitzki is the Mavericks' trump card and will pose the biggest threat to us!"
"If he and Nowitzki regain their shooting touch and get back into form, their pick-and-roll will definitely be one of the toughest pick-and-roll combinations to deal with in the league!"
"Both of them have the ability to strike anytime, anywhere, and consistently hit their targets."
"So on defense, you can't switch, and you can't back down! Stick close, all of you stick close! As soon as Nowitzki comes to screen, Derrick, you immediately squeeze past him, don't give them a chance to set a screen, force your way through!"
"Stick close to Terry, don't give him any chance to shoot immediately after a screen. Don't let him shoot!"
"The same goes for Nowitzki, stick to him tight! Don't give him any chance to receive the ball and shoot immediately."
"Those two want to use their skills and abilities to force their way through, to take difficult mid-range and long-range shots. Let them try! If they can keep making shots and stay accurate, then we'll think of other ways to deal with them. We have a 15-point lead! There's absolutely nothing to worry about."
"As long as their shooting touch isn't at its peak, as long as they can't keep hitting those difficult shots, we've already won!"
"They need to play at 150% to win, while we only need to maintain 100% focus and mindset, and we can easily take the win tonight!"
"Alright, that's all. Does anyone have anything to add?"
"Coach, and James too," Fields suddenly raised his hand and said, "Shouldn't we design some tactics specifically targeting him?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I forgot." Lin Tian scratched his head and said, "I forgot he was on the show tonight. Um, so, James, right?"
"Ignore him. He's not as threatening as Stevenson. If he gets the ball, just give him two steps and let him throw it. If he drives, just pass it to him. No need to double-team. When he gets to the basket, just protect the rim and don't let him dunk directly."
"That's settled then, is everything else alright?"
"No problem at all." After a burst of laughter, the players quickly reached a consensus.
In the second half, the Bobcats did not change their starting lineup as usual, and they continued with the same five players.
Judging from the players' expressions and demeanor, they were clearly full of confidence, and everyone was in a state of high excitement and focus.
Lin Tian's words had boosted their confidence to the extreme.
Tonight, this season will come to an end!
On the Mavericks' side, their fans hadn't given up. Their roars rose and fell without any slowing or weakening. They maintained their high level of passion, enthusiasm, and desire for the championship without diminishing in the slightest.
As for the Mavericks players, they were equally determined and had no intention of giving up. They didn't think the 15-point gap was insurmountable, nor did they think they couldn't catch up.
This is also inevitable.
They won 60 games in the regular season and made it to the finals in the playoffs. If they don't even have the ability and determination to cope with setbacks, and if they give up just because they're behind by a little bit, then they definitely won't make it to the finals.
At the same time, Lin Tian's prediction about the changes in their lineup came true once again.
Terry replaced Stevenson, and Marion took over Haywood's starting position.
The Mavericks' signature lineup of one big man and four small men, along with their all-out offensive style, has indeed appeared!
"What a pity, it would have been even better if Peja had come up." Sitting on the bench, Lin Tian shook his head in disappointment. "Jansen still doesn't have enough of a gambler's mentality! The lineup he fielded wasn't optimal enough."
"If we get Peja, it'll be even easier for us to bully their inside game, right?" Van Gundy said from the side. "A big, soft guy who's about to retire is much easier to deal with than Marion, that long-armed ape who's been on the All-Defensive Team."
"That's not all," Lin Tian said. "Even on the offensive end, although Peja is more accurate, he no longer has any ball-handling ability. Although his positioning is still tricky, due to his physical attributes and speed, no matter how tricky his positioning is or how good his awareness is, it can still be contained."
"Basketball, in the end, is a game of physical ability. Nowadays, Peja can't help the team in any other way except for throwing the ball and acting as a setter after receiving it."
"What's so scary about a pure long-range shooter? Marion, on the other hand, he's definitely not accurate anymore, but he's physically strong, fast, has great positioning, can set screens and make cuts, has back-to-the-basket ability, and can occasionally throw up a floater."
"Aside from his three-point shooting, he's far more difficult to deal with than Peja in every other aspect!"
Miller, in the commentary booth, quickly got into the zone and immediately predicted at the start of the second half: "The 15-point gap between the two sides in the first half is not small, but it is definitely not secure! This is not an insurmountable gap."
"Therefore, the second half will definitely be more exciting and thrilling than the first half. Both sides will surely bring their best form and abilities to the game!"
"If the Bobcats think a 15-point lead is enough to secure victory in the Finals, they're in for a world of hurt! Just a week ago, they overcame a massive 20-point deficit!"
"That's right!" Jackson added, "Both teams have top-tier offensive capabilities in the league, especially the Mavericks. It's no exaggeration to say that their shooting ability is the best in the league."
"So Mavericks fans don't need to despair. The team you support has the best, most balanced, and widest range of shooters in the league. As long as they find their rhythm and their shooting touch continues, tonight's game will still be quite suspenseful."
"On the contrary, I'm quite worried about the Bobcats. They have a young roster, a young coach, and almost everyone on this team is making their first Finals appearance, many of them are even making their first playoffs."
"Can they resist the temptation and continue to give their all in the competition?"
"Lin, can you still control the situation?"
As the two commentators analyzed the play, the Mavericks had already taken the inbounds pass. James brought the ball up the court, but this time, the first thing he did after arriving at the frontcourt was to pass the ball directly to Terry.
Then James quickly moved to one side, standing at a 45-degree angle on the left. Nowitzki quickly moved up inside, and he and Terry executed their signature pick-and-roll once again.
Following Lin Tian's instructions, Rose stepped forward in advance, blocking Nowitzki and preventing the pick-and-roll from succeeding. This was arguably Nowitzki's biggest weakness in pick-and-rolls, or rather, the biggest weakness of the two players in this game.
Nowitzki's block wasn't exactly top-notch in terms of quality.
If he had Garnett's ability to pull, drag, and subtly move when setting screens, his pick-and-roll combination with Terry would probably be unbeatable.
Unfortunately this time, Rose was not blocked at all. Instead, he continued to stick close to Terry, not giving him any chance to break through or have any space to shoot.
But Terry was clearly no pushover either. Facing Rose's close marking, he forced a lateral dribble to the left, then took a small step to the left rear, and then ignored Rose, pulling up and throwing the ball!
"Whoosh!"
"This is getting bad!" Looking at Terry's completely unreasonable shot, Lin Tian couldn't help but shake his head. He didn't like this momentum! (End of Chapter)