socalfunplaces Chapter 646 Yao Ming's first game-winning shot in his career, just one point away.
Chapter 646 Yao Ming's first game-winning shot in his career, just one point away.
Unfortunately, despite the Nets' solid defense and strong determination, the point difference remained around 5 points.
Even with just one minute left in the game, the Nets were still leading by four points!
98: 102!
But at this point, they started making mistakes!
It was a really basic mistake!
Yao Ming, who racked up a top-tier stat line of 37 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocks tonight, suddenly forgot that tonight's game wasn't FIBA-style and that the NBA has a three-second rule.
He stood under the basket for a long time without coming out, and the referee immediately gave him a defensive three-second violation!
This is tantamount to giving the Knicks a free throw.
After Lin Tian calmly made the free throw, the gap between the two sides was only 3 points!
And that's not the end.
When Lin Tian received the inbound pass from his teammate, he quickly set a screen for Okur, putting himself in matchup with Yao Ming!
When fellow villagers meet, they'll stab each other in the face!
At this point in the game, Lin Tian wouldn't give Yao Ming any face or hold back.
He changed direction to create space, and then suddenly stopped and faked a shot!
Eager to make up for his defensive three-second mistake, Yao Ming made another error. He was fooled by Lin Tian's feint and jumped up towards Lin Tian.
"The Nets are finished!"
This is a sentence that Barkley shouted at the same time Yao Ming jumped.
He knew what was going to happen next!
Just like it has happened countless times before.
Lin Tian leaned against Yao Ming, dodged his outstretched short arms, and then flicked his wrist, sending the basketball flying toward the basket!
"Beep beep!"
The referee's whistle blew as expected!
"Whoosh!"
Then, with a crisp, delightful sound, Lin Tian's three-pointer went in!
3+1!
He scored a 3+1 again!
After stepping onto the free-throw line once again, Lin Tian calmly made the shot!
Because of Yao Ming's two turnovers, the Knicks scored 5 points in one possession! They were down by 4 points just moments before, but with 53 seconds left in the game, they successfully took the lead!
They turned the tide in just one round!
103: 102!
The game situation was completely reversed in the blink of an eye!
Yao Ming was furious after making two mistakes. Frustrated, he slammed his fist on the back of his chair as he left the court, uttering a curse word.
It's all his fault! If we lose tonight, it's all his fault!
"Yao! It's okay, it's not your fault!" Head coach Frank comforted Yao, "Everyone makes mistakes, it's perfectly normal! Just come back stronger, don't worry, everyone's rooting for you!"
After offering Yao Ming a word of comfort, Frank began outlining his tactics: "For the next play, we'll start with Mike. He receives the ball at the top of the key, needs a screen, and then moves over here. Vince, you move up now and do a handoff with Mike!"
"Then you choose to drive or shoot depending on the situation, that's it, any questions?"
"Coach, I want to play! I want to take this shot!" Yao Ming suddenly said. "That last play was a mistake on my part, so I want to finish the game myself!"
"This..." Frank looked at Yao Ming, feeling somewhat embarrassed. At this moment, with his limited experience, he really didn't know how to deal with the situation.
Fortunately, Carter is a good-natured guy, and he said directly, "Then let Yao play! The first half of the play remains the same, but when I get the ball, I won't attack; instead, I'll pass it to Yao and also create space for him!"
"Thank you, Vince!" Yao Ming looked at Carter with emotion and said, "I'll cherish the opportunity and make the shot!"
"I believe in you too!"
The two partners, who had been working together for many years, gave each other a high five and reached an agreement!
The game continues!
With 53 seconds left, the Nets theoretically still have at least two more offensive opportunities. Trailing by only one point, they actually have a very good chance and don't need to rush.
With the referee's whistle, Harrington threw the ball in to Bibby, who immediately moved toward the top of the key and began to press forward.
Especially in crucial moments like these, the Nets must not rush!
With 12 seconds left on the shot clock, Carter suddenly moved up, handed the ball to Bibby, and then moved towards the wing. He then made a bounce pass to Yao Ming!
At this moment, the Knicks' defense had been completely spread out, and Yao Ming didn't have to worry about being double-teamed at all. He dribbled the ball behind him and pushed hard, easily getting past Okur. Then, Yao Ming made a quick turn and, in the blink of an eye, brushed Okur behind him.
Then Yao Ming jumped up and shot, slamming the ball into the basket with one hand!
103: 104!
With 31 seconds left, the Nets regained the lead by one point!
"Good shot! Good shot! Good shot!" Yao Ming shouted three times after scoring, angrily releasing his passion and self-blame for his recent mistake.
With this goal, his good deeds and bad deeds have evened out!
"No timeout!" Lin Tian maintained his usual confidence, indicating that there was no need for a timeout at the last moment. He then dribbled the ball unhurriedly to the frontcourt and waved for everyone to spread out completely.
He's going to continue his one-on-one challenge to Bibby!
However, Lin Tian wanted a one-on-one match, but the Nets didn't want him to!
With 8 seconds left on the shot clock, just as Lin Tian was about to launch his attack, Carter suddenly rushed over and, together with Bibby, double-teamed Lin Tian.
Lin Tian passed the ball extremely quickly, without even looking, to Barnes, who had been left behind by Carter.
"Ball! Matt! Ball!" Then, taking advantage of the moment when Carter and Bibby hesitated while he was passing the ball, Lin Tian suddenly accelerated and ran between the two. Barnes did not disappoint Lin Tian and directly passed the ball to Lin Tian, who had completely shaken off the defense.
After receiving the ball, Lin Tian drove into the paint and jumped up again to face Yao Ming.
This time, Yao Ming was much calmer! He didn't make any excessive defensive moves or those underhanded, pressure-based defenses that were neither particularly impressive nor worth mentioning.
He stood up straight, arms outstretched, and tried his best to defend!
He believed that with his height and wingspan, it would be difficult for Lin Tian to score points against him!
It's even less likely that he'll commit a foul!
But Lin Tian's creativity is clearly even more exaggerated than Yao Ming imagined!
Seeing Yao Ming make that move, this guy immediately threw the ball out with a high one-handed toss!
A normal high-arcing shot is naturally not worth mentioning.
But the arc Lin Tian drew below was really a bit exaggerated!
The basketball was clearly at least a meter above the top of the backboard! The arc and height of that shot were astonishing!
Let alone Yao Ming, even if Piccolo came, he would have to make his arms longer to have any chance of defending this shot!
Madison fell silent once again, everyone waiting for the final result!
"Whoosh!"
Then, a crisp sound rang out that excited the entire Madison Square Garden!
The Knicks have taken the lead by one point again!
The ultimate feel, absolute confidence, lightning-fast judgment, and decisive choice.
Many viewers watching on TV didn't even see Lin Tian's incredibly high-arc lob shot clearly.
Because it's out of the camera's view! It's out of frame!
The last 13 seconds!
The Nets have their last chance!
Frank called another timeout, which was also the Nets' last timeout.
This time, he looked at Yao Ming with great trust and said, "I'm leaving it with you!"
"No problem! Bring it on!" Yao Ming patted his shoulder confidently, indicating that he was ready.
Frank quickly drew up the tactics, then the timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court.
Prince stood outside the sideline again, and with his experience, he calmly passed the ball to Carter. Carter was facing Barnes and originally wanted to quickly pass the ball to Yao Ming, but he underestimated the fighting spirit of Barnes, a minor player.
Barnes was practically glued to Carter, scratching and clawing at him, and Carter just couldn't shake him off.
Carter almost made a mistake by accident.
Fortunately, Bibby is a seasoned veteran. He quickly stepped forward, took the basketball, and helped Carter get through the danger.
But Carter and Barnes' antics quickly turned the Nets' ample time into a shortage!
With only 5 seconds left! Giving the ball to Yao Ming now for a post-up move would obviously be too slow!
Bibby quickly made up his mind, dribbled in a series of different directions, then suddenly accelerated and stopped, before pulling up for a three-pointer!
But he clearly underestimated Lin Tian's defense. Lin Tian was always right in front of him and he couldn't shake him off at all.
Then, when Bibby took the shot, Lin Tian blocked his shot, successfully brushing his finger against Bibby's three-point attempt!
"Too short! Blocked!" Bibby's reaction was really quick. While still in the air, he started yelling to remind his teammates to be careful when grabbing the rebound.
His shouts were effective!
The ball, which was noticeably shorter after being blocked by Lin Tian, began to fall when it was still 2 meters away from the basket.
It just so happened that Yao Ming, who had turned around and positioned himself in advance because he had received Bibby's message, ended up in Yao Ming's hands.
Yao Ming had the ball and was about to shoot, but Okur behind him couldn't control his movements. He was in a hurry to steal the ball and ended up pulling on Yao Ming's arm instead.
Yao Ming's exceptional basketball IQ was on full display at this moment!
As soon as he felt his arm being grabbed, he quickly grabbed the basketball with his other hand and threw it toward the basket!
Even if he had his back to the basket, even if he didn't even know where the basketball was when he shot.
But Yao Ming just threw it away!
Since this play is a foul anyway, if you don't shoot, you get two free throws; if you do shoot, you have a chance for a 2+1!
What if?
"Whoosh!"
Less than a second later, a crisp sound rang out.
Yao Ming's back-to-the-basket move, without even looking at the basket, resulted in a perfectly accurate shot!
Furthermore, he has one more chance to receive an additional penalty!
The Nets have once again taken the lead!
"nice shot!"
Yao Ming, having hit another crucial shot, roared with excitement and kept waving his fists!
This time he saw the time; there were only 0.8 seconds left!
At this moment, it wasn't just Yao Ming who was excited; the entire Nets team also rushed towards him, hugged him happily, shouted at him, and shared the fruits of victory with him!
"You did it, Yao! I knew you could do it!" Carter excitedly ruffled Lin Tian's hair, showing no jealousy or displeasure whatsoever because of the so-called battle for the top spot.
"Thanks, buddy, you saved me! If you hadn't grabbed the basketball, I would have been a sinner!" Bibby also excitedly hugged Yao Ming to express his gratitude.
"Everyone calm down!" At this moment, Yao Ming became the calmest person on the team. He clapped his hands and said, "The game isn't over yet! I still have to shoot free throws, and the Knicks have 0.8 seconds left! They have Lin, we have to be careful!"
"Keep your spirits up! We won only if we defend against the last shot!"
"clear!"
After Yao Ming's advice, all the players on the team nodded in agreement. It was after this that Yao Ming officially established himself as the leader of the Nets!
Neither Carter nor Bibby are going to compete with him!
Yao Ming hesitated for a moment before stepping onto the free-throw line.
He considered intentionally missing the free throw; after all, there were only 0.8 seconds left, and the Knicks might not even have time to call a timeout after grabbing the rebound, allowing the Nets to win outright!
But then he thought, what if the Knicks call a timeout quickly enough to secure the rebound? If he misses this shot, the Knicks could kill the game if they score!
After hesitating for a few seconds, Yao Ming decided to take the initiative.
He exhaled and then calmly made the free throw!
Leading by 2 points, at least I feel much more relaxed!
Even if the Knicks score just 2 points, it could still go to overtime, right?
"After this play, Yao Ming has 41 points and 20 rebounds tonight! This is his first 40+20 game in his career! And it's also the first time in his career that he's hit a game-winning shot!" Kenny read out Yao Ming's stats on the TV during a Knicks timeout: "Will Yao experience a qualitative leap this year?"
"First of all, this isn't a game-winner!" Barkley said quickly. "The Knicks have 0.8 seconds left! Nothing they can do would be surprising! If the Knicks score another basket, then Yao Ming's basket will be the key shot."
"Secondly, this isn't the first time Yao Ming has achieved 40+20 in his career. In a game in the Chinese Super League, he once scored 49 points, 21 rebounds, and 7 blocks on 21-of-21 shooting. That was his first time achieving 40+20!"
"It's worth mentioning that Yao Ming's team lost that game!"
Kenny decisively chose to completely ignore Barkley's blatant taunting.
Do whatever you want, I'm not going to say a word!
Just as the two were discussing the Knicks' next move, the Knicks' timeout ended!
The players from both sides stepped onto the field once again.
"Two or three points are fine, as long as they score, the Knicks can either win the game or tie it." Barkley watched the experienced Hill standing on the sideline preparing to inbound the ball, and his speech quickened. "But I think it will be a three! Because Lin doesn't like ties, he likes to kill the game outright."
"But whether it's a 2-pointer or a 3-pointer," Kenny quickly added, "you have to shoot immediately after receiving the ball! The Knicks only have one chance! They don't have time to dribble, adjust, or even pass the ball."
"It's a one-off deal anyway!"
On the court, Hill stood on the sideline, received the ball from the referee, and the 5-second countdown officially began!
Lin Tian was initially standing in the bottom corner, but after the referee blew the whistle, he suddenly accelerated and sprinted towards the top of the arc!
This time, Lin Tian didn't run back or change direction, and he didn't even ask his teammates for cover! Because his teammates scattered as Lin Tian sprinted towards the top!
They all scattered!
They cleared a path for Lin Tian!
Then, Lin Tian suddenly increased his speed to the maximum and sprinted towards Hill at top speed!
Bibby, who wasn't fast enough, was instantly left at least two body lengths behind by Lin Tian. Even though Prince reacted incredibly quickly and turned around to chase after Lin Tian, he could only keep up with Bibby, with a considerable distance between him and Lin Tian.
Hill finally served the ball at this moment, passing it directly to Lin Tian.
Lin Tian started turning as soon as Hill passed the ball. When he received the ball, he had already turned halfway around. Then he jumped up and completed the remaining turn in the air before shooting the ball toward the basket!
Prince and Bibby jumped with all their might, hoping to disrupt Lin Tian's shot.
But Lin Tian's shot was too fast; even though the two of them tried their best, they could only watch the ball go by.
"Buzz!"
The final whistle blew first once again.
One-off deal!
A goal is the winning goal; a miss means defeat!
Under the expectant and tense gaze of all the fans, Lin Tian did not disappoint them!
"Whoosh!"
A crisp sound rang out!
Goal!
Lin Tian hit another three-pointer to seal the victory!
He once again used his ability and absolute confidence to deliver the game-winning shot!
Trailing by 2 points, neither Lin Tian nor Old Nelson considered taking a 2-pointer to secure a safer shot closer to the basket!
They're aiming for a decisive blow! They're not going to go into overtime!
"A super long three-pointer! It's game over! A super long three-pointer!" Barkley excitedly raised his hands and shouted, "That's Lin! That's Lin!"
"My God, this is only the second game of the season! Lin has already played such a fantastic game! In the last minute, Lin scored 10 points in a row!"
"A technical free throw, a 3+1 play, a floater, and a game-winning three-pointer from beyond the arc! All of this happened within a minute!"
"Incredible, incredible!"
"The Knicks have risen from the ashes once again! Despite Lin Tian's incredible performance, the Knicks have once again secured a hard-fought victory!"
"Tonight, Lin has once again become God!"
"Of course, the Nets were great too. Yao Ming had the best game of his NBA career! He almost killed the game! Carter also had 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists! Bibby hit 3 three-pointers and Prince's defense on Anthony was also very good."
"The Nets tried their best tonight, but their opponent was Lin! Their opponent was the most powerful superstar in the world! So they lost, they couldn't win the game!"
"But I think this year's Nets might actually be stronger than last year's, or even the previous few years!"
"Let's see if we can see a New York derby in this year's playoffs!"
That night, Lin Tian once again dominated the headlines of major media outlets across the United States. He achieved a triple-double with 44 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists, especially his terrifying performance of scoring 10 points in the last minute, which pulled the Knicks back from the brink of defeat!
While the fans were celebrating wildly, Lin Tian casually told the media, "Isn't this what I do every night? I thought everyone was used to it."
"Basic operation, don't be silly!" (End of this chapter)