socalfunplaces Chapter 729 He was once someone who reached for the moon in the heavens!
Chapter 729 He was once someone who reached for the moon in the heavens!
"Incredible 90 seconds!" During the first quarter break, Kenny finally couldn't help but exclaim, "Those last 90 seconds showed us just how powerful the scoring ability of the two best passers in the world can be!"
"It's unbelievable! Every single shot they took just now was irrational! Every single decision they made was terrible! But they just kept scoring, and scoring again and again!"
"Those two showed us with their superb skills why they are MVPs!"
Barkley said, "But even with such a crazy back-and-forth, even though Nash was in unbelievably good form, hitting three shots in 90 seconds, he was still outmatched by Lin! In the end, Lin made the steal and led his team to successfully take the lead."
"Nash was amazing! Nash's passing was amazing, his touch was amazing, his rhythm and shooting percentage were amazing, but he still lost! He still lost to Lin!"
Payton added, "That 90-second duel could very well drastically change the course of the game for both sides! Not in terms of points, but in terms of psychology!"
"Although the Knicks are only leading by 2 points now, the psychological advantage that 2 points gives them is absolutely huge! The Suns have played so well and so perfectly, Nash has played at 150% level."
"But what was the result? We were still in the lead! That's the power of a psychological advantage!"
"Although it was only 2 points, it was incredibly important! Lin's almost 1-on-3 steal at the end was even more crucial! If the Suns hadn't been more resilient, that one steal would have been enough to shatter their mental defenses!"
"More importantly," Miller continued, "Lin can play like this in every quarter, he can play like this for the entire game, and he's even playing like this throughout this series! How many points has Lin averaged so far in this series?"
「45、54、70、53、52。」
「5场比赛，林打的最平平无奇的一场，轰下了45分11篮板12助攻。他每天晚上都可以维持第一节最后90秒的状态和打法。」
"But what about Nash? Nash is great, he's outstanding, his MVP award is well-deserved, he's a top-two point guard and a top-five player in this league! I believe everyone agrees on that."
"However, everyone knows that Nash can maintain that level of output from the end of the first quarter for certain periods, but he can't do it for the entire game! He can't!"
"So, if Lin continues to play like this, what will Nash do? What will the Suns do? That's the most anticipated and exciting thing in the upcoming games!"
At this moment, the players from both sides had returned to the court, and the second quarter was about to begin. As usual, the Suns replaced Jones and Martin with Thomas and Barbosa.
Judging from D'Antoni's attitude, Marion, Pierce, and Nash will likely play the entire game unless the outcome is no longer in doubt!
The Suns will still be using a 7-man rotation tonight!
Meanwhile, the Knicks, or rather, Don Nelson's team, displayed absolute confidence at this crucial moment!
Lin Tian went to rest!
With veteran Ward replacing Lin Tian, and both Stoudemire and Anthony on the court, plus Smith and Hill, two excellent substitutes, one old and one young, Nelson's substitutions at this time were quite bold!
"They're actually not playing Lin." Barkley was taken aback. "Old Nelson's audacity is truly far greater than D'Antoni's!"
"Maybe it was Lin's performance at the end of the first quarter that gave Don Nelson confidence?" Miller added, "And it gave the rest of the Knicks confidence too! Now I think every Knicks player, and even every fan, believes one thing: as long as Lin is there, we can win!"
Yes, with Lin Tian around, we can win!
Everyone believes this!
Meanwhile, the Knicks players had another layer of thought besides absolute trust.
We can't rely on Lin for everything!
We have dignity too!
For example, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire were both child prodigies, and they were both well-known super talents in the United States before entering the NBA.
They were considered to have the potential to become NBA superstars when they were 15 years old. They are absolutely confident and have their own dignity!
They may acknowledge Lin Tian as their leader, but that doesn't mean they consider themselves trash!
They also wanted to lead their team to a high point and widen the score gap while Lin Tian was away!
So at the start of the second quarter, both players displayed unparalleled confidence and energy!
First, Anthony blocked Pierce's layup in a one-on-one defense. Then, Stoudemire and Anthony ran a pick-and-roll. Anthony made a bounce pass to Stoudemire, assisting him to drive into the paint and dunk!
In just this one round, D'Antoni was so scared that he quickly made a substitution, taking off Thomas and bringing Martin back in.
This guy is the epitome of conservatism!
Of course, this is also closely related to the fact that the Suns really can't afford to lose now, and they are really on the verge of elimination.
If the series is 1-0 or the Suns are leading 3-2, then D'Antoni...
Yes, he will definitely still use a 7-man rotation, but he will at least let Thomas and Barbosa play for a while longer, and he won't let 2-3 players play the whole game all the time.
Nash dribbled to the frontcourt again, and this time he quickly called for a screen. After the screen was set by Martin, he successfully matched up against Stoudemire!
He's going to attack Stoudemire! He's going to target the Knicks' undisputed weakest defensive player!
Facing Stoudemire's defense, Nash easily found his rhythm with a series of crossovers, and then suddenly accelerated as Stoudemire's left leg took a step, trying to slip past him.
But this time, Stoudemire gritted his teeth and was determined to prove himself. Despite being left behind by Nash, he relied on his physical qualities and athleticism to turn around and catch up with Nash!
"Don't help defend!" Stoudemire then jumped up the moment Nash jumped, shouting at the same time to warn Smith and the others who wanted to help defend to keep an eye on their own man!
Everyone knows that Nash's most terrifying skill was his unpredictable passing!
"Snapped!"
Then came a crisp crack!
Because of Stoudemire's yelling, the other Knicks players did not help defend, which meant that although they watched Nash make the layup, they did not give him the opportunity to pass the ball to an open teammate.
Meanwhile, Stoudemire, standing behind Nash, precisely seized the moment after Nash jumped and slammed the basketball into the backboard!
Then Stoudemire jumped again, caught the ball in his arms, and immediately passed it to the veteran Hill.
Hill knew very well that the team was in high spirits after a series of successful defensive plays and a goal, and it was precisely at this moment that they were most likely to make mistakes in the heat of the moment!
If a mistake is made at this point, the momentum of both sides could be reversed.
So he didn't rush. Instead, he stretched out a hand and pressed down, signaling everyone to stay calm. He wanted to score this ball steadily and widen the gap!
Instead of rashly gambling on a low-probability opportunity.
"Grant has really matured," Payton couldn't help but say. "If it were him back then, he would have already sprinted up the court for a dunk or a pass!"
"It's not that he's matured, it's that he understands himself better." Miller sighed. "He's old! He's accepted his age. He knows what he can still do now, and he knows what he can no longer accomplish in his current state."
"Look at Grant this season. He played a total of 71 games in the regular season and playoffs, which is a rare feat of getting him healthy. But in those 71 games, he only averaged 1.3 points on fast breaks and a mere 0.04 dunks per game."
"Or rather, he's only dunked four times this season."
"In addition, 89% of his points come from assists, 80% from catch-and-shoot, less than 5% from inside the paint, and his average free throw attempts have dropped to less than one per game."
"He plays like a complete role player and shooter. Looking at Grant now, who can still connect him with the 'Jordan successor' who was once hailed as having the fastest first step in the league, capable of blowing past 99% of the defenders in one step and then smashing into the basket for a dunk?"
"Yes, even I had forgotten." Kenny suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly. "Even I had forgotten that Grant was once someone who could reach the stars in the sky and grasp the moon with a single hand. But now, he has returned to the human world."
The entire studio fell silent once again.
This time it wasn't because of embarrassment or to put anyone down, but because all four people present were thinking about their careers and what the end of their careers would be like.
Back in the day, weren't all of them superstars capable of reaching for the moon?
No, Kenny isn't.
But it is not important.
Importantly, after the steady and calm Hill brought the ball to the frontcourt, he immediately found Anthony who was rushing over, and after quickly completing a handoff pass with him, he immediately and consciously rushed to the other sideline to create space for Anthony.
Anthony once again faced his old rival Pierce in this series, and he went all out. After a series of probing steps that failed to shake off Pierce's balance, he immediately lowered his body and charged towards the inside.
After Anthony drove to the mid-range, he suddenly stopped, did a half-turn with a shoulder shake, and then turned again with a noticeable fadeaway. Pierce, who wasn't known for his defense or athleticism, couldn't defend against Anthony's combo. He could only watch helplessly as Anthony made the jump shot right in front of him!
After Anthony made that basket, the Knicks went on a 4-0 run to start the second quarter, extending their lead to 6 points.
Although the Suns' Barbosa found an opportunity to drive to the basket and score, breaking the team's scoring drought, the Knicks were clearly in high spirits and one or two baskets wouldn't disrupt their rhythm.
The Knicks players kept scoring!
The two sides have once again entered a tug-of-war!
45: 50!
With four minutes left in the second quarter, the Knicks still maintained a five-point lead. Then, Don Nelson knew that it was about time, and he called a timeout during a dead ball situation!
Old Nelson is about to make his move!
"Amar'e, Melo, you just played the best four minutes of the game I've ever known you two to play! Now I'm 4% sure of one thing: if Lin retires, even if the team only has the two of you, the Knicks will still be one of the best teams in the league!"
"You two are capable of leading the team to the championship!"
"I'm happy and pleased! And Josh, your defensive plays were absolutely perfect. You're really maturing. Grant and Charlie, I don't need to praise you two, do I? You both know how important you are to this team!"
"What I'm saying now is that the five players who were just now can rest for a few minutes in the next round!
"I'm going to give the Suns a real beating! They like to overuse their starters, they like a seven-man rotation, right? Today we'll show them something they've never seen before! Lin, Allan, Terver, Mehmet, Nate, you five are in!"
"Run! For the next few minutes, I want all of you to run! Run like mad! Run with all your might! Run those Suns guys until they throw up, until they feel nauseous, until they despair!"
"With this lineup, I know our inside and outside defense will be a problem, and I know our defense will be easily broken through! But I believe that all of you, like me, don't really care about this stuff, right? When have we ever played basketball based on defense?"
"But! Poor defense is fine! Leaving your man open is fine! But you can't let me miss any rebounds! From now on, you can't give me a single rebound! I want you to grab every single defensive rebound!"
"If any Suns player, who is being guarded by anyone, gets even one offensive rebound, I won't listen to excuses or reasons. Get off the court and watch the game. You're not playing tonight! Any questions?"
"No problem!"
"Great! Go, dominate the court, and crush the Suns!"
"clear!"
After a unified roar, the Knicks players took to the court, and the game continued!
"Am I seeing things, or has Don Nelson gone senile?" Barkley was the first to notice the Knicks' inexplicable five-in-five-out maneuver at this moment, and asked incredulously, "What is he trying to do?"
"I saw Lin on the field, so I should be able to confirm that old Nelson isn't demented, otherwise he wouldn't have let Lin play." Miller's tone was quite relaxed: "I think it's just that the 'mad scientist' has another crazy idea."
"As for whether this frenzy will actually help the team, I think we'll only know after we play!"
"Compared to Don Nelson's madness, D'Antoni is really, what the hell can I say?" Payton cursed, then shook his head and said, "Too consistent! D'Antoni's player selection is fucking perfect, so consistent that even my grandma could guess what he's going to do."
Yes, D'Antoni made a substitution during this timeout, bringing Jones back onto the court to replace Barbosa, which means the Suns have returned to their starting five.
Compared to the Knicks' lineup...
Indeed, as Payton said, this lineup is so consistent it's infuriating.
There really has been no change at all!
But regardless of whether D'Antoni changes or not, Nelson will definitely undergo one change after another.
For example, the Knicks' first offensive play wasn't even orchestrated by Lin Tian dribbling the ball.
Nate Robinson!
This short guy, who is only 175 centimeters tall, dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and then started calling out tactics in a very professional manner.
Then, Lin Tian suddenly ran towards Nate, and the two of them quickly set a screen at the top of the arc!
Lin Tian immediately ran to the side, and Nash and Jones rushed towards him without thinking!
At this point, Nate would definitely pass the ball to Lin Tian so that Lin Tian could launch an attack! As for the previous part, needless to say, it was all just a smokescreen!
But just as Nash and Jones let go of Lin Tian and ran in the other direction, they realized they had been tricked!
With no one guarding him, Nate accelerated straight into the paint!
With two Suns players guarding Lin Tian off the ball, Nate was completely left open. If the Suns wanted to fill this gap, they would have to create an even bigger one!
For example, Martin had no choice but to go up and interfere with Nate, and when Nate saw Martin, he immediately took action, casually tossing the ball into the air and that was it!
Because Nate knew: if Martin came out, the paint would be wide open!
Sure enough, in the next instant, Okur, who always prefers to shoot three-pointers, was unguarded. He received the ball in place, then made a layup off the backboard and put the ball in!
It was easy and effortless, without any resistance.
"FUXX!" This time, D'Antoni was furious.
It's bad enough that their own team was tricked by Lin Tian, but now they've been outsmarted by a little potato?
I can't stand it!
"Steve, kill him!" D'Antoni yelled angrily at Nash from the sidelines. This level of defensive blunder is really demoralizing!
After all, not to mention Lin Tian, who has been consistently explosive, the Knicks' Stoudemire and Anthony are also in top form right now, ready to score at any moment.
With three players unleashing their full potential, the Suns had to give it their all.
If you let Nate and Okur develop chemistry again, are we even going to play the game anymore? Should we just surrender?
"Was this tactic devised by Nelson, or was it just a spur-of-the-moment idea from Lin and Nate?" Kenny asked, looking at Nate and Okur, who were celebrating their goal.
"Whether it's Don Nelson or Lin, their control over the game, their understanding and analysis of people's minds, opponents' subconscious reactions, first choices, and habitual thinking are truly terrifying!" Payton sighed and shook his head again.
This guy was clearly recalling the terrible experience of being bullied and humiliated by Lin Tian and Jackson, the two foxes, back then.
It's unbearable to look back on, absolutely unbearable to look back on!
After this goal, the gap between the two sides has once again reached 7 points!
At this moment, Nash once again chose to trust Pierce, who had the best one-on-one attacking ability on the team. After coming to the frontcourt, he passed the ball to Pierce and then quickly spread out.
"I'll go!" Just as Ariza was about to rush over and face Pierce, Lin Tian's voice rang out, and he stood in front of Pierce once again. (End of Chapter)