socalfunplaces Chapter 306 Secret Weapon Showdown! The First Match Reveals the Ultimate Weapon
Chapter 306 Secret Weapon Showdown! The First Match Reveals the Ultimate Weapon
Chapter 306 Secret Weapon Showdown! They pulled out their trump card in the very first match!
The ruling this time wasn't difficult. The referee just glanced at the video to make sure he hadn't overlooked anything, then ran back and gave Ben Wallace a flagrant foul, awarding the Heat two free throws and possession.
As for the minor incident where Webber and Malone fell to the ground and struggled with each other, unable to get up, the referee simply ignored it.
There was no fight. It's perfectly normal for people to fall to the ground and not be able to get up because they are too heavy.
Even if someone gets up and then falls again, that's an accident. If you give a technical foul or something for that, is this still a basketball game? Even the WNBA doesn't play like that!
Mourning, stepping to the free-throw line, successfully continued the Heat's poor free-throw shooting form tonight, making only 1 of 2 free throws. The Heat then took the inbounds pass again!
After the conflict and incident, although the two sides did not fight, and although the Heat players were very afraid that Lin Tian would take action, these guys were used to being fierce, and after playing against each other for so many years, they already knew what kind of personality Lin Tian had.
Even Ma Long, who was most afraid of Lin Tian, knew that as long as he kept his movements within the 'basketball range,' Lin Tian would basically not make a move.
After all, even though the fans think they're fighting, the players are still aware of the risks involved in this kind of game!
What fighting? We're just playing basketball! Our movements are perfectly controlled! They're all textbook-perfect, proper basketball moves!
So, you're asking if the Heat are afraid of fighting?
I'm scared! I really can't beat them.
But how do we get them to back down?
That's impossible!
And the more they fight, the angrier they get!
For example, when the ball was inbounded this time, Payton pushed Lin Tian directly in order to catch it, making him stumble back two steps before regaining his balance. After getting the basketball, Payton gritted his teeth and charged into the paint!
"Bang! Bang!"
The two best point guards in the league today engaged in a fierce physical battle starting from beyond the three-point line. Payton elbowed Lin Tian in the chest, and Lin Tian raised his knee to strike Payton's thigh in return! Then, as Payton turned, he raised his arm very high and swung it backward, almost hitting Lin Tian in the face!
Lin Tian instinctively leaned back, dodging the arm, but Payton had already driven into the paint!
Lin Tian is not the kind of person who would suffer a loss.
He accelerated wildly and suddenly reached out and shoved behind Payton.
"Snapped!"
After the crisp sound, Lin Tian didn't know whether he had hit the ball or his arm, but the referee didn't call a foul!
Lin Tian, of course, didn't ask Payton if he was in pain. He suddenly lunged forward, slipped past Payton, grabbed the basketball that was about to roll out of bounds, and passed the ball to Webber next to him before Payton could rush up.
"Bang!"
Immediately afterwards, Payton lost his balance while trying to grab the ball and fell to the ground, rolling around with Lin Tian.
Webber grabbed the basketball and fiercely swung his elbows around like a machete, scaring Malone, who had originally wanted to try to steal the ball, into breaking out in a cold sweat. He completely abandoned the idea of stealing the ball and turned to run towards the backcourt.
Go back and defend.
Lin Tian and Payton were locked in a tug-of-war on the floor for a long time. In the end, Lin Tian's ground skills were better, and he pinned Payton down. Then he quickly stood up, snatched the ball from Webber's hands, and ran towards the frontcourt at lightning speed.
As for Payton?
He had just stood up to chase after him when Weber, who had been waiting in place, blocked his way. He lost his balance and fell flat on his backside, looking quite pathetic!
After completely shaking off Payton, Lin Tian advanced rapidly to the frontcourt and faced Patterson, who quickly stepped up to help defend. Lin Tian had no intention of getting entangled with him. He used a crossover to get past the guy, took a step into the paint, and then collided with Malone again when he jumped!
"Bang!"
The two clashed head-on without any trickery, and Ma Long's arm was completely pressed against Lin Tian's arm!
Just as he was about to be blocked, Lin Tian once again unleashed his terrifying core strength in mid-air. He contracted his stomach, curled up his body, and then passed Ma Long in mid-air before suddenly stretching out again.
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian completed his aerial ballet, and after a quick turn in the air, he scored 2 points for his team!
The opening offensive and defensive plays by both sides are more than enough to demonstrate their attitude and strategy for the second half.
That means keep going! Go all out! We won't stop until we've crushed them!
Compared to the first half, although both sides had a halftime break in the third quarter to recover some energy, they were also more precise in controlling the intensity of their play!
From then on, both sides became even more aggressive and reckless in their defensive and offensive maneuvers!
As a result, the scoring efficiency of both sides hit a new low throughout the third quarter!
In this quarter, the Heat made 5 of 17 field goals and 5 of 8 free throws, scoring only 15 points. They still didn't make a single three-pointer!
The Heat's best performer in this quarter was Malone, who made two mid-range shots and two free throws, scoring a team-high 6 points in the quarter.
The Pacers weren't much better. Although Carter hit his first three-pointer of the game, that was the only three-pointer the team made in the quarter!
他们这一节是15投5中，罚球5罚4中，也是拿下15分！
As for the Pacers' best performer, it was still Lin Tian! He made 2 of 5 field goals and 3 of 3 free throws in this quarter, scoring 7 points! By the end of the third quarter, he had a game-high 22 points! Although his efficiency wasn't high, in a game of this caliber, Lin Tian is still the most reliable player for the Pacers!
50: 54!
The two sides were tied in the third quarter!
By the latter part of the third quarter, both sides had almost stopped defending against each other's mid-range and long-range shots.
Anyway, I can't make the shot!
There were at least 6-7 players crammed into the penalty area every round. If the referee strictly called for a 3-second violation, then the game would basically be over for both sides.
There must be 2 or 3 players committing a three-second violation in each round.
Both sides have gone all out in this section!
They were all so engrossed in the fight that sometimes even elbowing or shoving their opponents with their butts was more important than getting possession of the ball!
Under this level of competition, even if the referees try their best not to call fouls, there are still a lot of obvious fouls that simply cannot be ignored, so the number of fouls committed by both teams is naturally not low.
For the Heat, Mourning and Malone both had 4 fouls, Mashburn and Patterson both had 3 fouls, and Payton, who was guarding Lin Tian and relentlessly harassed him throughout the game, had 5 fouls!
The Pacers' foul count wasn't much better. Ben Wallace had 5 fouls and a flagrant foul, while Webber and Christie both had 4 fouls, and Lin Tian and Carter both had 3 fouls!
It can be said that the fourth quarter of the game was no longer just a battle of skills and tactics, or even a battle of wills.
The fourth quarter will be a battle of skill in controlling the flow of the game! Whoever can be more aggressive, more ruthless, and more ruthless within the referee's permitted limits will have the upper hand! And if someone gets carried away and loses control of a move that results in a foul, they could become the scapegoat for their team!
"In the fourth quarter, neither coach will dare to field their bench players much. At this level of competition, the fewer players in the rotation, the better! I think Riley and Bird might even field their entire starting lineup, or at least four starters, on the court!"
While waiting for the fourth quarter to begin, Kenny analyzed, "Play it safe! In a game of this level, playing it safe is absolutely the most important thing!"
As soon as Kenny finished speaking, the ten players from both sides took to the court at the start of the fourth quarter.
Upon seeing the players enter the game, Barkley immediately burst out laughing: "Hahaha, Kenny, now I know why you can't be a head coach and can only talk big in the studio. Your thinking is completely different from that of a top coach!"
The Pacers' roster: Lin Tian, Miller, Christie, Lewis, and Davis!
Bird actually brought on three substitute players at once!
Even excluding Reggie Miller, who is considered a substitute, some teams even have veterans with core strength, and there are still two substitutes on the court!
Dale Davis was a key player for the team last season and has had considerable playing time this season, consistently serving as the team's most reliable backup center.
He's been in such good form this year that even though Bird knew it was his contract year and the team would have a hard time keeping him this summer, he ultimately didn't trade him to cut his losses. Instead, he kept him on the team so that he could continue to unleash his energy on the rebounding and defensive ends.
It's actually acceptable for all four of them to play.
Kolasad Lewis...
This former high school prodigy did perform reasonably well in the regular season and made it into the team's rotation. However, he lost his place in the playoffs because Bird shortened the team's regular rotation. In the first 7 playoff games, Lewis played a total of 37 minutes, scoring 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
It's the entire playoff run!
With an average playing time of just over 5 minutes per game, his efficiency becomes irrelevant, since he's playing against benchwarmers anyway, making it almost meaningless as a reference.
"Bird brought in a second-year rookie at this point? I don't understand why! Even with Ben Wallace already having five fouls, he could have let Webber play more, or even brought in veteran Perkins or his favorite small-ball lineup!"
"Okay, he's playing a big-small lineup now, but I don't understand why Bird would be so bold at this point."
Kenny shook his head, indicating that he didn't understand Bird's personnel rotation at all.
"Take a look at the Heat's roster! You'll be shocked by 'The Strategist's' lineup again." Barkley didn't let his partner off the hook, continuing to mock him! At the same time, Barkley was secretly pleased.
Luckily, I didn't say those words just now, otherwise Kenny would be laughing at me now!
Yes, Barkley's idea is exactly the same as Kenny's!
But now he's forgotten what he just thought. All he feels now is: Kenny, you don't know anything about basketball! Trash!
I'm the most knowledgeable football player on TNT!
The Heat's current five-man lineup is: Rodney Buford, Dan Mashburn, Alonzo Mourning, and Bruce Bowen!
While Barkley and Kenny could easily name the five Pacers players, the five Heat players were a bit intimidating.
"Mallley, Mashburn, and Mourning are fine, but who are the other two? Are they Heat players? Why don't I remember them at all?" Barkley asked his question very directly and clearly.
"Rodney Buford, the 24th overall pick in the second round of this year's draft, is a 196cm tall guard who played 34 regular season games, averaging 4 points per game. This is his first appearance in the playoffs this year!"
"Bruce Bowen went undrafted in 1993, played in the Continental League and the French Professional League, and started playing in the NBA in 96, playing for the Celtics and 76ers. He was bought out by the 76ers midway through this season and then signed by the Heat on a minimum contract. He played 27 regular season games, averaging 5 points per game, and played 5 playoff games, averaging 3 points per game."
Kenny quickly read out the information about the two men, without any personal preference or bias, simply reading it from the scout's report.
Because, like Barkley, he didn't know either of those guys at all.
Where did this guy come from?
Riley just let them play like that?
This is the fourth quarter of the Eastern Conference Finals! This is the crucial moment for both teams to decide the outcome!
The score difference between the two sides is now 4 points, but Riley has fielded the lineup that should have been used when the score difference was 40 points!
Riley's choice is even crazier than Bird's!
"Is Riley crazy?" Barkley looked incredulously at the 10 players on the court, each in their positions, ready to kick off.
"I even suspect Riley called the wrong player's name," Kenny said, shaking his head as well. "If these three coaches on both teams can perform effectively, then I'll admit I can't be an NBA head coach! These two are like lunatics versus madmen! Neither of them is normal!"
Let's go back to the break time two minutes ago.
Bird looked at the players sitting on his bench, called out four names first, and then looked at Rashad Lewis sitting at the end of the bench and said, "Rashad, do you remember before the playoffs started, I told you that there would be a night in this year's playoffs that belonged to you?"
"Do you remember my promise to you that I would prove to the world, especially to Houston, that you are still the top high school player in the country, and that you can once again receive the world's attention?"
"Coach, I remember!" Lewis paused for a moment, looked at Bird, and gradually a look of anticipation appeared on his face.
"Then tell me, what do you want to do now?"
"Coach, I want to play basketball!" Lewis stood up and said, "I'm ready! I'm completely ready! Give me a chance, and I definitely won't let you down!"
Bird patted him on the shoulder and said, "Then go ahead and let the whole world know your name!"
On the Heat's side, Riley also looked at his players, first calling out the names of three people, and then looking at Bowen and Buford sitting at the end of the bench.
"Bruce, Rodney, do you remember before the playoffs started, I told you that there would be a night that belonged to you in this year's playoffs?"
"Do you remember my promise to you that I would give you a chance to prove to the world, especially to those who didn't draft you, that you deserve a spot in the NBA, that you are incredibly talented players, and that you can once again be in the global spotlight?"
"We remember, Coach!" Buford and Bowen stood up, their faces full of anticipation and excitement!
"Then tell me, what do you want to do now?"
"Coach, I want to play basketball!" Bowen and Buford said in unison. They had been waiting for this for a long time!
"Then go ahead and let the whole world know your name!" Riley patted the two men on the shoulder and led them onto the court.
After the start of the fourth quarter, both Bird and Riley looked confident, assured of victory, and completely at ease. They were both relaxed and calm.
Judging from their appearance, it was as if they hadn't fielded a few fringe players at all, but rather one person had pulled out a Blue Flame Gatling gun and another had pulled out two individual RPG rocket launchers.
Full of confidence!
Even after Bird and Riley noticed that the other had fielded an unusual lineup, they exchanged glances. When their eyes met in mid-air, both of them displayed the acting skills of top-tier veterans in the NBA.
Riley had an arrogant look on his face, as if to say, "You're something else, you actually managed to force out my number one secret weapon in the very first game."
As for Bird, he looked relaxed, his eyes telling Riley: I've pulled out a nuclear weapon, you're done for!
However, if you look closely, you can see that Bird's pockets are bulging high, and his hands inside are obviously clenched into fists. Riley's tactical board is also being squeezed so tightly that it's almost deformed.
The calmer these two appear on the surface, the more panicked they are inside!
Unfortunately, Lin Tian was too lazy to observe the two head coaches' micro-expressions and small movements at the moment, otherwise he would have definitely yelled at them with a megaphone.
You two old show-offs, stop your nonsense!
"Just two minutes! If he doesn't perform well, take him off immediately! No more patience!"
This idea crossed the minds of both Bird and Riley, who were both prepared to replace him at any time.
The Pacers had possession of the ball on their first offensive possession of the fourth quarter!
At this moment, Lin Tian was actually the most clear-headed person on the court, and the one who understood best what these newcomers were capable of.
Lewis was a future billionaire and a multiple All-Star. At his peak, he almost single-handedly developed a completely new style and trend in the league: the shooter-type power forward.
Although many people say that Lewis's hundred-million-dollar contract is terrible, Lin Tian knows very well that although Lewis is not good as the team leader, if he is a shooter, his big heart and consistent shooting range will definitely make all those who believe in him feel at ease and make all his opponents tremble with fear!
As for Rodney Buford on the other side...
Um, excuse me, who are you... Lin Tian really doesn't know you.
But Buford didn't know the other guy, Lin Tian knew him very well!
Bruce Bowen!
The number one scoundrel of the 21st century, the successor to Bill Laimbeer, the number one filth in the first decade of the 21st century in the NBA, with countless innocent victims under his feet, his "Invisible Foot" move has crippled countless people, and made countless star forwards and guards suffer endlessly!
What's most despicable and contemptible about him is his refusal to admit it! Every time this guy makes a tackle, he spreads his arms wide and stares with wide eyes, looking like he's suffered a great injustice. He dares to do it but not to admit it, dares to tackle but not to acknowledge it. This guy is despicable from his playing style to his personality; he's a pure villain!
When he's using someone as a cushion, he's ruthless and doesn't discriminate between family and friends; he'll cushion anyone!
Vince Carter, a man who is usually mild-mannered and always smiling on the court and almost never loses his temper, was injured twice by Bowen's foul. Once he missed 15 games, and the other time he had to walk with crutches for three weeks after the foul.
The third time, Bowen kicked Carter again, and then? Carter, who almost never got angry on the NBA court, chased Bowen across half the court. If the referee hadn't grabbed Carter and calmed him down, Bowen would have definitely gotten some blood that time.
Ray Allen and Bruce Bowen had a good personal relationship. They often kept in touch and went out together. He was almost Bowen's only friend outside of the Spurs.
And then? Bowen attacked Ray Allen twice, the second time even delivering a flying kick reminiscent of Taekwondo, which sparked a brawl between the SuperSonics and the Spurs. Ray Allen then severed ties with this villain and never interacted with him again.
And then there's Francis. Poor Francis, after being injured by Bowen, Bowen still had a bitter face at the post-match press conference, saying that he was innocent and that he didn't touch Francis at all. He claimed that Francis jumped too high and didn't land properly, which caused the injury.
His attitude infuriated the Rockets fans at the time!
Of course, there's also the Suns, the Spurs' biggest nemesis! But the Suns players haven't been fouled by Bowen much.
Nash was only fouled twice by Bowen in the same playoff game, almost losing his fertility, while Stoudemire was hit on the inside of his knee, causing a sprained medial collateral ligament.
Aside from these unfortunate few, there were also Iverson, Kobe, McGrady...
To put it simply, in the first decade of the 21st century, if you haven't been dirtied or fouled by Bowen, then don't call yourself a top-tier swingman! If Bowen wouldn't lay a hand on you, then you're nothing but a nobody!
In short, he's a notorious, cowardly, cunning, and shameless bastard player!
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Riley will start to heavily utilize Bowen next season, and Bowen will make his first All-Defensive Team selection next season, beginning his career peak of eight consecutive All-Defensive Team selections!
Of course, Bowen hasn't made a name for himself yet. Although Riley will start using him more next season, he's just a "pseudo-mentor." If Bowen wants to truly make a name for himself, he needs to meet his real mentor, another cunning old fox, Popovich.
Only then will he be able to find the true meaning of his career.
Useless person!
At the very least, people have to think he's a cripple!
However, although Bowen has not been used much this season, as soon as Lin Tian started dribbling, Bowen would entangle him and use his sticky defense to match up against Lin Tian. Lin Tian knew that Riley had obviously discovered Bowen's advantages and strengths!
A tenacious defense, an indomitable defensive spirit, and a relentless fighting courage!
As for whether Riley had discovered that Bowen was ruthless and daring enough to kick, Lin Tian was not quite sure.
But that's obviously not important.
Lin Tian isn't a fool like Kakarot, yet he actually rejected Bulma's brilliant idea of killing Dr. Gero three years in advance to prevent the birth of androids.
Lin Tian found Kakarot's reluctance to eliminate the enemy before they could do anything wrong to prevent future troubles to be a fool's choice.
I, Lord Lin, do not have such moral fastidiousness!
"Stay away from me, you piece of trash! A nobody who's been overseas for a few years, you think you're worthy of guarding me? You've never died before, have you?" The moment Bowen rushed to defend him, Lin Tian raised his elbow and struck Bowen, simultaneously unleashing a string of trash talk: "I'm telling you, stay away from me, or I'll make sure you never return to Miami!"
Lin Tian's fierce and brutal appearance really startled Bowen.
He hasn't even started yet, so why does this guy hate him so much, as if he's already slept with him ten or eight times?
Where did this resentment come from?
Lin Tian didn't care that Bao Wenming didn't understand why he was targeting him, and he didn't even care whether Bao Wenming had awakened his stepping stone soul tonight. Anyway, today, Lin Tian was determined to completely subdue Bao Wenming!
Not to mention that he won't dare to kick him again, at the very least he should teach Bowen a lesson so badly that he'll be kicked out of PDST and tremble in fear whenever he sees him, and won't dare to kick him or his teammates!
The main focus is on prevention, eliminating harm for the people!
Lin Tian wanted to teach Bao Wen a lesson: Before you even started, I had already started... No, this formula can't be used like that.
Before you can even step on me, I'll beat you to a pulp!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A series of muffled thuds of flesh colliding rang out. Lin Tian didn't hold back at all, simply using Bowen as a punching bag. Payton, sitting in the audience, stared wide-eyed, feeling a sharp pain in his chest.
Meanwhile, the entire bench of both the Heat and the Pacers began to wonder what was wrong with Lin Tian.
What kind of news is this, received during the holiday break, like "My girlfriend got married, and the groom isn't me"?
Otherwise, why would they be so ruthless towards an unknown nobody?
Lin Tian drove all the way to the mid-range, then quickly turned around and faked the ball with both hands. Bowen immediately jumped up to try to block the shot!
But after he jumped up, he realized he had been tricked!
Lin Tian jumped up towards Bowen's body, and then jumped up as well, pressing his whole body against Bowen.
It's a perfectly normal move to draw a foul!
Well, if Lin Tian hadn't adopted a stance similar to the ultimate move in Bajiquan, a traditional Chinese martial art, and instead struck Bowen directly in the chest with his elbow, the action would have been much more normal!
Bowen felt a sharp pain in his chest, followed by a dizzying sensation, and his vision went black. He almost fainted!
Fortunately, Lin Tian didn't really want to kill him. Lin Tian held back his elbow and adjusted the angle, so he didn't use his hardest elbow tip to touch Bowen.
It wasn't that Lin Tian was kind-hearted; he simply felt that if he delivered that elbow strike, Bowen would most likely collapse on the spot, and he himself would be suspended for several games.
Not worth it, not worth it at all!
Lin Tian's goal was to thoroughly humiliate him, to the point where he would tremble at the mere sight of him in the future.
He wasn't trying to kill anyone!
Even after pulling back his strength and adjusting his angle, Bowen was still in so much pain that he couldn't catch his breath for a long time. To make matters worse, the referee called a defensive foul on him. Bowen was truly suffering in silence and could only swallow his bitterness!
Having gained a huge advantage, Lin Tian had no intention of letting Bowen off the hook so easily. He stared intently at Bowen and said, "Don't think I don't know the dirty things you've done in the French league. I know you too well. I don't care if you came here tonight with a mission or whether you want to attack me or not."
"But anyway, if you dare to face me, I dare to kill you! We'll see!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he brushed past Bowen fiercely, even bumping his shoulder against Bowen in a very provocative manner, before walking to the free throw line to prepare for the free throw.
What did I do? What did I do in France? I did everything right in France, except sleep with a few sexy French girls, I didn't do anything bad!
Injustice! Injustice!
"Lin was really aggressive tonight!" Barkley exclaimed, watching Lin trash-talk Bowen. He didn't understand why Lin was being so fierce. "I've really never seen Lin like this before! I think the Heat have completely enraged him! Tonight's game is going to be absolutely thrilling!"
Lin Tian stepped up to the free-throw line and easily made both shots. Turning around, Lin Tian personally matched up against Bowen. Even though Bowen didn't have the ball at all, Lin Tian still made him almost unable to stand! Various physical confrontations and fierce positioning made Bowen even want to stand on the sidelines for safety.
Just as Lin Tian and Bowen were arguing, on the other side, the tall guard Buford, who had just come on, got an opportunity beyond the three-point line, took off, and launched a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
This was also the Heat's first three-pointer of the night!
After he scored, Riley on the sidelines clenched his fist excitedly. If it weren't for his aloof persona, he would have roared out!
Although he didn't say anything, Riley secretly praised himself in his heart.
I'm a true genius!
After Buford hit a three-pointer, the Heat successfully closed the gap!
Lin Tian didn't care at all about Buford's goal; it was just a three-pointer, nothing to worry about!
He then proceeded to give Bowen another lesson, ramming and shoving him all the way into the Heat's three-second zone. At that moment, two Heat big men rushed forward to help defend. Facing a three-man double-team, Lin Tian remained incredibly calm and tapped the ball with one hand to Lewis, who was left wide open on the baseline!
Lewis's somewhat strange shooting form immediately reappeared on the court!
"Whoosh!"
The two "surprise players" carrying the head coach's hopes traded three-pointers on the court!
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! The battle of wits between two top coaches is even more exciting than the bloody battle between players! Brilliant substitutions, I think this is the quality that a top coach must have!" Kenny was completely convinced this time, praising Lewis and Buford's performance loudly.
But what he didn't know was that this was just the beginning of these two guys' performance!
For the next three minutes, the game turned into a duel between Lewis and Buford!
These two then took turns making shots, scoring points for the team!
Although they weren't matched up, they truly became the focus of attention on the field!
With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Bird called the first timeout of the quarter!
At this point, Lewis had already scored 10 points, and Buford had scored 11 points!
During this period, apart from Lin Tian making both free throws, neither team scored a fourth point!
61: 66!
Tonight, these two top teams, whose offensive efficiency was extremely low and whose entire team relied on defense with an extremely low shooting percentage, had their most efficient offensive minutes during the period when Lewis and Buford were going at each other!
No one could have imagined that the focus of the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter would not be on stars like Lin Tian, Miller, Malone, or Mourning, but on two guys who were completely unknown to 90% of fans before tonight!
It's simply unbelievable if word gets out!
Bird and Riley were so smug they practically wanted to smugly look down on the sky!
Every pore and every hair on their bodies was conveying one message: I'm awesome!
However, what no one noticed was that in the few minutes that these two guys took center stage, Bowen had been bullied by Lin Tian to the point of almost crying!
Lin Tian was truly ruthless and was beating people to death!
Even though he didn't score many points or take many shots, he relentlessly pressured Bowen on both the defensive and offensive ends with an incredibly fierce attitude and scale.
Bowen, who was resting on a bench, felt like he was suffocating!
Playing in the playoffs for the first time, he even began to doubt whether he could play in the NBA! If this is the standard for the playoffs, then what makes him worthy of playing in the NBA? What makes him worthy of playing in playoff games?
I do not deserve!
If Riley hadn't had such a high level of authority within the team, Bowen would have been asking Riley to let him off the court.
Coach, I don't want to play basketball anymore!
Riley: No, you do! You really do!
"Bruce and Rodney played absolutely perfectly! That's exactly what I wanted you guys to do! You guys were amazing! Absolutely amazing!" Riley rarely praised his players so sincerely.
However, Buford was incredibly excited at this moment. He now knew what it meant for this night to belong to him!
Bowen, on the other hand, had a bitter face. He really didn't want to play anymore. He really wanted to take off his jersey and let Riley see all the bruises on his body!
It hurts! It hurts so much!
"Next, Gary and Karl, Bruce, Rodney, and Alonzo stay on the court!" Unfortunately, Riley hadn't studied micro-reactions, and he was too lazy to observe each player's condition.
Completely oblivious to Bowen's apparent reluctance to continue playing, he continued, "Bruce, your defense against Lin was fantastic! You played top-tier defense worthy of the All-Defensive Team! You'll continue guarding Lin as the primary defender! Gary, you have more experience and your timing is perfect; you'll be in charge of help defense and double-teaming!"
"I don't want Lin to score a single point in the rest of the game!"
"As for that Rashad, Rodney, he's yours! This guy is taller than you, but his strength and speed are far inferior! His ability to break through is also poor; he only has one shot! As long as you control his lower body and prevent him from jumping and shooting, this guy will be completely useless!"
"The rest of you, just continue with the same strategy as before! How's that, everyone? Any questions?"
"No problem!" The five Heat players who were called on responded at the same time, but each of them responded in a different way!
At least Bowen was genuinely a little scared!
He really didn't want to face off against Lin Tian anymore.
The storyline for the Pacers is very similar to that for the Heat.
Bird first showered Lewis with praise, encouraging him to keep up the good work and keeping him on the court. Then he brought Ben Wallace, Webber, Lin Tian, and Carter to play alongside Lewis!
"Rashad, you go guard that Rogers or Ronald guy. Don't be afraid of him. Although he's faster than you, his height and size are nowhere near yours! As long as you use your height to cover him, he won't be able to shoot at all, and that guy will be completely useless!"
"As for the others, just continue playing as before!"
At this point, Bird suddenly looked at Lin Tiandao and said, "Lin, I have a question. Why are you targeting that Bruce guy so much? Is it because you don't like Bruce Lee?"
Bird was genuinely curious, after all, Lin Tian's performance in those four minutes was so abnormal, completely unlike his usual style. He was beating someone so fiercely, Bird felt there must be something going on!
"It's nothing really, it's just that I suddenly remembered I know this guy!" Lin Tian said without hesitation, "He's been playing in the French league for the past few years, and when he played in France, he had a nickname: Crippled Leg!"
"This guy's greatest strength isn't scoring, passing, or anything else; his greatest strength is tripping! He injured several people when he was in France! It caused outrage among the local French players!"
"His return to the US to find work is partly due to his inability to make it in France! His reputation is too bad!"
The above statements are complete nonsense from Lin Tian!
Hmm... not a single word of the truth!
After all, in this era, who knows what's going on in a third-rate basketball league in a third-rate basketball country across the ocean! NBA scouts back then weren't as resourceful as they are 20 years later, nor did they extend their reach to hundreds of leagues of all sizes around the world.
The NBA guys are completely unfamiliar with overseas leagues!
Even putting aside these people, even 20 years from now, when the internet is incredibly developed and convenient, you still wouldn't find a single one out of 100 fans who would know exactly how Bowen performed in the French league!
Therefore, Lin Tian could make up lies without batting an eye; he could just open his mouth and say whatever came to mind without any moral burden!
They didn't care at all about things like Bowen being wronged or that Bowen might have played cleanly in France.
I, Lin Da Guanren, am not a judge. Who cares if you're real or fake?
Anyway, the NBA version of Bowen is the number one jerk and filth in the first decade of the 21st century, so if he teaches you a lesson, you have to take it!
After all, everyone has a responsibility to kill Bowen!
This is to rid the people of a scourge!
(End of this chapter)