socalfunplaces Chapter 224 The Man-Eating Beast from the Primeval Forest!
Chapter 224 The Man-Eating Beast from the Primeval Forest!
Chapter 224 The Man-Eating Beast from the Primeval Forest!
In the second quarter, neither coach chose to field all of their key players, since everyone's shooting percentage was low tonight. A low shooting percentage means it's difficult to create any scoring surges or consecutive points on offense, which means there's a higher margin for error.
Therefore, at the start of the second quarter, Jordan, Lin Tian, Miller, Rodman, and several other players did not play.
The Pacers are still using Barkley and Christie, along with Ben Wallace, Dumars, and Hoiberg, as their regular rotation.
The Bulls, on the other hand, have a regular rotation of five players: Wennington, Kukoc, Pippen, Kerr, and Burrell.
At the start of the second quarter, the Pacers didn't think twice and immediately lobbed the ball to Barkley in the paint, hoping he could score. But Dumars regretted the pass immediately afterward. He forgot that none of the Pacers players posed a shooting threat in the first quarter, so the Bulls' defense was incredibly tight and collapsed in an exaggerated way!
The moment Barkley got the ball, three people rushed towards him, forming a double-team. Poor Barkley hadn't even gotten a firm grip on the basketball before several slaps came flying at him.
"Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!"
After a series of loud crashes, no one knew which shot hit the ball and which hit the hand, but what was clear was that Barkley let out a scream, and the Bulls had stolen the ball!
The referee's response was: Since we don't know who hit the hand this time, let's talk about it next time! It would be embarrassing to make a mistake and call a wrong call!
Pippen charged forward with the basketball, Christie blocked his path, trying to stop his advance and fast break, while the others quickly retreated to the basket!
During the break, Bird instructed his players to collapse their defense, giving the three-point line some space. The key was to prevent the Bulls from driving to the basket!
Pippen glanced at the situation on the court, then quickly made a choice, passing the ball to Cole, who had just followed up on the other side.
"Steve, throw!"
Kerr, who didn't play in the first quarter, got the basketball. There wasn't a single Pacers player within 3 meters of him. Kerr, who is known for his tough shooting, wouldn't let such an opportunity pass by. After taking a quick look, he decisively launched a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp click, the first three-pointer of the night was scored!
"Great shot, Steve!"
Pippen excitedly rushed over and gave Cole a high five!
This three-pointer is far more significant than adding three points to the scoreboard!
One three-pointer goes in, and then it could be a string of three-pointers!
The Pacers' defense will inevitably have to change because of this!
"Joe, stick with Kerr, don't let him get any more open shots!" Bird stood up and yelled at his teammates on the court from the sidelines.
It's just a three-pointer. Kerr is the Bulls' most accurate shooter, but even though his three-point shooting percentage is over 45% since the playoffs, he's only made less than two three-pointers per game on average. Making one is perfectly acceptable! There's no need to drastically change the current defensive strategy!
But Bird didn't expect that Kerr's three-pointer would be like flipping a switch, and the Bulls' shooting touch would return immediately. In the next three minutes, Pippen and Kukoc each hit a three-pointer! Then, taking advantage of the Pacers' increased defense on him after his three-pointer, Pippen faked a shot and drove into the paint for a dunk, scoring another two points!
The Bulls suddenly found their offensive rhythm in the first half of the second quarter, scoring 11 points in 3 minutes! On the Pacers' side, Christie continued his terrible shooting streak throughout the series, and in the Bulls' eyes, his offensive threat is now almost less than that of Ben Wallace!
Whenever Barkley gets the ball in the paint, he is immediately double-teamed by at least two players!
In 3 minutes, the Pacers only managed 4 points from a putback and a mid-range jumper by Dumars!
Bird quickly called a timeout, not daring to let the situation continue, and quickly substituted Lin Tian, Miller, and others to stabilize the situation!
With their key players on the court, the Pacers did manage to stabilize the situation and prevent the Bulls from scoring easily. However, while the Bulls' scoring momentum was suppressed, the Pacers themselves struggled to find their offensive rhythm.
In this quarter, Christie, Lin Tian, Dumars, and Miller went 0-for-6 from three-point range, failing to score a single point! The Pacers didn't make a single three-pointer in the entire first half.
Although the Bulls only made 3 shots, those 3 were in a row! This allowed the Bulls to go on a run and take the lead!
But aside from those 11 points, the Bulls only managed to score another 6 points in the remaining 9 minutes of the second quarter.
They scored a total of 17 points in this quarter!
It's not much, but it's enough!
Because the Pacers only scored a total of 12 points in this quarter!
Their shooting percentage is still completely unrecoverable!
37: 31!
The Bulls still had a 6-point lead at the end of the first half!
Although it wasn't much, considering the scoring efficiency and offensive touch of both sides in the first half, those 6 points must have put tremendous psychological pressure on the players!
For example, in the last game, the Bulls were down by more than 10 points, but it felt like nothing, and they could catch up in no time!
But in this game, it will probably take half a quarter to get those 6 points!
中场休息的时候，林天虽然拿到7分10篮板4助攻3抢断2盖帽的全面数据，但他的投篮命中率只有10投3中，3秒区之外的空间里，他是一个球都没能投进！
好在乔丹也一样是11投3中，只拿到8分9篮板2助攻2抢断2盖帽，显得林天的表现并没有那幺的拉跨！
Besides Jordan and Lin Tian, Barkley had 6 points and 15 rebounds for the Pacers, Miller had 4 points, Schmitz had 4 points, Ben Wallace had 1 point and 7 rebounds, Christie had 2 points, and Dumars had 4 points.
For the Bulls, Pippen led the team with 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, Rodman grabbed 17 rebounds, and Kerr and Kukoc each scored 5 points, becoming the surprise contributors tonight. Their three-pointers were the most direct reason why the Bulls were able to take the lead!
During halftime, Bird stood in the middle of the locker room. As usual, he didn't give any instructions or tactics, but instead kept encouraging the players to defend harder and to stick closer to their opponents! After all, the point difference was only 6 points, and if the Pacers played their normal offensive game, it would only be a matter of 1 minute!
But the question is, will the Pacers be able to find their normal rhythm tonight?
"Don't get too obsessed with shooting! But if you have the chance, definitely take it!" Bird said with a hint of helplessness, uttering something that sounded both ridiculous and contradictory. After saying it, he shook his head and continued, "Anyway, stay calm, maintain your confidence, and then figure out how to play the game we do best!"
"Lin, in the second half, you..."
"I'm going to take them all down!" After what was probably his worst first half since becoming famous, Lin Tian's eyes were now filled with a cold glint! He was incredibly frustrated in the first half; it wasn't that the Bulls' defense was good, it was that he just couldn't make his shots!
"I'll crush the Bulls, ball by ball! Leave it to me, Larry!"
Lin Tian's statement surprised Bird. That wasn't what he actually meant. He hoped that Lin Tian could stabilize the situation, find opportunities for fast breaks, and use faster speed and more offensive and defensive transitions to regain the Pacers' rhythm.
But now... well, it's about the same.
But when Bird couldn't help but look at Lin Tian, he noticed his eyes.
The look was brimming with murderous intent. Even though Bird himself was a dominant force in the league, the best and most elite player, and had seen all sorts of thugs, bastards, and ferocious monsters in the 80s, he was still intimidated by Lin Tian's gaze.
Compared to Lin Tian's gaze at this moment, all the villains Bird had faced—such as "Clothesline" Laimbeer, "King of Villains" Mahone, "New York's King of Villains" Anthony Mason Jr., and "Brain Assassin" Washington—were utterly insignificant compared to Lin Tian at this moment!
At least, Bird wasn't afraid of those guys at all, but now he was genuinely frightened by Lin Tian's murderous aura, which was transmitted directly to his soul!
It was a murderous aura that only the most ferocious and brutal carnivorous beasts could exude, deep within the most dangerous primeval forests.
"Smith, when do you think the Pacers will break their 0-for-3 record on three-pointers?" Marcus and Smith chatted again while waiting for the second half to start.
"The sooner the better! Compared to the Bulls, the Pacers are a team that relies more on offense and shooting. If they can't find their shooting touch, the Pacers are in trouble tonight! The longer it takes for them to find their rhythm and make their shots, the greater the Bulls' chances of winning!"
Smith, looking at the statistics in his hand, said, "In short, if the score was 5.5:4.5 before the game started, with the Bulls holding a slight advantage, then after this first half, I think the situation on the court is already 6:4!"
"Although the Bulls' lead wasn't large, the game was definitely played at their preferred pace and in their preferred style! The Bulls aren't making shots? No problem! They have plenty of examples of winning games through defense. But if the Pacers aren't making shots? That would be really bad! The core of all their tactics and achievements is offense and shooting!"
Marcus continued, "Jump shot teams can't win championships! If this year's Pacers, a team that has perfected its shooting and is even a level above other teams in the league, can't beat the Bulls, then I think this statement will become the truth, and no one will question it anymore."
If they can't find their rhythm, are the Pacers really finished?
At least, that's the opinion of the fans, commentators, and other players watching the game. They all believe that the Pacers' top priority is to regain their shooting touch! Even if not the whole team finds their rhythm, if at least one of Lin Tian, Miller, Christie, or Dumars starts hitting three-pointers, it could save the team!
Lin Tian was unaware of the doubts and skepticism from the outside world, but he was actually very clear about how the outside world was thinking about and discussing him and the Pacers.
Jump shots alone cannot win a championship; scoring inside and from mid-range is the key. Three-pointers are merely a secondary option. The Pacers' roster is too unbalanced, lacking a true big man for physical defense...
Lin Tian didn't need to think about or listen to these questions; he could easily guess most of them.
Of course, Lin Tian knew even better that the best way to respond to these doubts was to win Game 7 and advance to the finals!
There's no better way to respond!
Therefore, Lin Tian made his stance clear in the first attack of the second half!
And it doesn't rely on shooting at all.
0-for-3 from three-point range in the first half? Is the whole team struggling to find their rhythm and unable to make shots?
It's tough to lose your touch?
If it's difficult, then let's not do it!
I'm not voting anymore!
Lin Tian faced Hubble at the top of the arc. In front of him, besides Hubble, there was a wide but almost completely empty mid-range area, as well as the three-second zone under the basket where four people were already standing.
The Bulls' defense is just that extreme right now! They absolutely won't change their defensive strategy until the Pacers find their rhythm.
Lin Tian kept dribbling the basketball, and then once again used the same old method to deal with Hubble.
No unnecessary steps, just speed it up!
"FUXX!" Lin Tian clearly heard Hubble curse, because Hubble had been beaten by Lin Tian's simple and unadorned move countless times in this series!
But he simply couldn't overcome the speed difference; his basic defensive skills and footwork were far inferior to Jordan's, making it impossible for him to make up for the absolute gap in speed.
Fortunately, Hubble knew that Lin Tian had absolutely no shooting touch tonight. Even his mid-range jump shot wasn't very reliable, and if he drove to the basket...
Let him do whatever he wants!
Didn't you see that the 3-second zone is so crowded it could hold a meeting?
But Lin Tian seemed oblivious to how many people were in the three-second zone; he charged straight toward the basket!
Longley and Rodman immediately stood on either side of the basket, completely blocking the rim, making it almost impenetrable!
But Lin Tian just rushed over without stopping abruptly, and without any change in rhythm or feints.
Then, Lin Tian took off and flew towards Lang Li!
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, Lin Tian collided with Lang Li in mid-air. Then, Lin Tian caught the basketball with one hand and, with all his might, slammed the ball toward the basket over Lang Li!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Langli helplessly staggered back three or four steps. All he could do was make sure he didn't fall flat on his backside and get flipped over.
But that's about it.
Lin Tian's powerful, head-slamming dunk will definitely make this round a memorable moment, turning it into a poster that countless people will hang on their walls.
Whether Langli fell to the ground or not is completely unimportant!
After landing, Lin Tian didn't trash talk, flex his muscles, or make any celebratory gestures. Instead, he tightened his face, bared his teeth, and stared fiercely at Lang Li with a menacing look in his eyes.
Lin Tian's gaze made Lang Li involuntarily take another step back.
Even though this was a sports field, and even though Longley was surrounded by more than a dozen teammates and 2 fans, he still felt like he was in the Australian rainforest!
Lin Tian's gaze reminded Lang Li of the feeling he had when he went to the zoo in the fourth grade of elementary school and stared at a tiger through the glass.
Wildness, murderous intent! A quintessential beastly aura!
Longley swallowed hard, forcibly banishing the urge to turn and run away from his mind. He then turned around, using the pretense of finding the ball to avoid the terrifying prospect of continuing to stare at Lin Tian. At the same time, Longley realized something else—
Langli had been teammates with Lin Tian for two years, but it seemed that this was the first time he had met Lin Tian.
Too scary!
On the Bulls' offense, Jordan continued to call for the ball in the low post. The Pacers' defensive strategy was very similar to the Bulls'. The moment Jordan got the ball, Christie rushed towards him, and they were going to double-team him immediately!
The Pacers weren't the only team missing shots tonight; the Bulls were missing shots too! So the Pacers' defense was just as tight as the Bulls', practically collapsing into the paint!
Facing a double team, Jordan quickly passed the ball to Hubble on the outside. Hubble took the ball, faked a shot to shake off Miller who was rushing over, and then quickly drove into the paint, intending to finish the attack with a layup.
"Snapped!"
In the first half, Barkley displayed an unparalleled defensive attitude, while in the second half, it was the Dutchman Schmitz's turn!
He blocked Hubble's layup again with a powerful block, and then quickly passed the ball to Lin Tian. Lin Tian received the ball and, without thinking or observing, lowered his center of gravity and sprinted wildly towards the frontcourt!
He played too rationally in the first half today! The result of that rationality was that the Pacers scored zero fast break points in the first half!
Now, it's time to stop being so rational.
The Bulls' defensive retreat was clearly the result of targeted training. Jordan and Harper were the first to screen Lin Tian, slowing him down as much as possible. Pippen was positioned in the center to facilitate the play, observing the movement of the other Pacers players and ready to fill any gaps. Rodman and Longley were sprinting towards the basket to protect it.
Lin Tian's speed was indeed reduced considerably due to the double-teaming of Jordan and Harper. By the time he reached the frontcourt, all five Bulls players had returned to their defensive positions, while no Pacers player had yet penetrated the Bulls' paint.
Normally, Lin Tian should have slowed down and steadily launched a positional attack.
But Lin Tian showed no sign of stopping. He paused slightly outside the three-point line, giving Jordan and Hubble the illusion that he was going to stabilize and organize the offense. Then he accelerated again, dribbled the basketball to the right side, and forced his way through Jordan!
Then, just as Jordan and Hubble's defense shifted to the right, Lin Tian changed direction again and moved to the left. Hubble, who had just moved to the right, was not as quick as Jordan and Pippen, and his teamwork and defensive ability were not as strong as those two.
Not only did he fail to react quickly enough, but he also provided cover for Lin Tian, blocking Jordan's pursuit of him.
"FUXX!" Jordan roared angrily, but it was no use. He couldn't keep up with Lin Tian anymore and could only watch as Lin Tian drove into the paint!
It was still Langley and Rodman, still charging forward relentlessly, like Zhao Zilong charging into battle at Changban Slope, fiercely attacking Lin Tian in the paint!
The three men jumped up almost simultaneously. Rodman and Longley raised their four long arms high, completely blocking the distance between the basket and Lin Tian. It was an absolute sight!
This time, however, Lin Tian did not choose to confront the two head-on. Instead, before he reached the highest point of his jump, he suddenly tossed the basketball high into the air, drawing a perfect parabola that passed over the tips of their fingers.
"Bang!"
This almost perfect floater avoided the block, but it still failed to go in. My shooting touch tonight is really terrible!
But he had a premonition that he might miss the shot. The moment he landed after the shot, Lin Tian flashed between Rodman and Longley, then quickly jumped again, lightly touching the basketball that had just bounced off the rim with his finger. This time, the basketball finally went into the basket!
"Rebound! Rebound! Rebound!" Jackson jumped up from the bench and yelled at Rodman and Longley, "Boxing! What are you two doing? Too embarrassed to mess with your former teammates? Get your elbows up there, you idiots!"
"Kill Lin! If Lin charges in again, kill him!"
Even the usually composed and refined Jackson couldn't sit still any longer. Not only did he spew profanities, but he also stood up from the bench and, unusually, stood on the sidelines to give orders to the players.
The determination and ferocity that Lin Tian displayed in these two attacks really gave Jackson a bad feeling!
Then the Bulls finally scored their first basket of the second half. After Jordan missed a mid-range jump shot, Longley grabbed the rebound and scored 2 points on the putback.
After Longley scored, Jordan yelled quickly, "Lin! I'll mark Lin! Everyone else, mark your men! Hurry!"
Jordan expected the Pacers to continue pushing fast breaks and playing fast-paced offense and defense, but he really didn't expect it to be this fast!
Moreover, this time it wasn't Lin Tian who pushed things forward!
Christie!
This guy, who hadn't shown any shooting threat throughout the entire series and had completely degenerated into an ice-cold shooter, took advantage of the Bulls' loose defense against him, received the baseline pass, and then quickly started advancing!
It wasn't until he ran to the three-point line that Pippen finally caught up from the side and stuck to Lin Tian.
"Doug!" Before Christie could even assess the situation, a familiar voice came from beside her.
The tacit understanding they had developed over the past few months meant that Christie didn't bother to observe the specific situation; his trust in Lin Tian led him to pass the ball directly in that direction.
After the basketball bounced on the floor, Lin Tian caught it with both hands, then accelerated again, leaving Hubble, who had been following him, behind in one step, and charged into the paint once more!
Rodman, who had been hit twice by Lin Tian, was starting to lose his temper. Even though protecting the rim wasn't Rodman's forte, he wouldn't allow anyone to keep chasing and hitting him.
"Come on, Lin! If you're not afraid to die, come on, Lin!" Rodman's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Let's see if I'm serious!"
Lin Tian seemed to completely ignore Rodman's threat, paying it no heed and continuing his attack on the basket!
Just as Lin Tian was about to rush to the basket, he gathered the ball with both hands and suddenly swung it towards the left side where Schmitz had been left out. The highly tense Langley immediately moved a step in that direction, but Lin Tian then took the basketball back and rushed towards the basket again!
Longley, who had been shaken off, was too late to get back to his defensive position, leaving Rodman alone under the basket, baring his teeth and claws!
Lin Tian rushed towards the opening created by Lang Li. After jumping face-to-face with Rodman, Lin Tian turned his body in mid-air, turning to face Rodman and the basket sideways. He used his body to block Rodman, and at the same time, he reached out with both hands to the other side of the basket, drawing an arc in the air before attempting a layup to end the play.
Rodman absolutely couldn't touch that ball unless his wingspan reached 3 meters!
Just when Lin Tian thought he had the ball in the bag, a huge force suddenly came from behind him, and his body inevitably lost its balance and fell to the ground!
Before completely losing his balance, Lin Tian caught the basketball again, which was about to slip from his grasp. He quickly readjusted his posture, found the basket by feel, and threw the basketball towards it.
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, the basketball, as if it had eyes, fell precisely into the hoop!
"Bang!"
Then came a muffled thud, and Lin Tian, who had lost his balance, slammed heavily onto the floor, falling quite badly!
"FUXX!" Barkley, who was closest, cursed angrily, his eyes bloodshot, and charged at Rodman: "You damn bug, are you looking for death?!"
"Charles!" Lin Tian yelled from the floor, "Calm down! You've already committed a technical foul!"
Lin Tian's words seemed to have some kind of spell, causing Barkley to suddenly stop in his tracks, but he still stared at Rodman with a fierce look in his eyes.
"Hand foul, 2 points awarded, plus 1 free throw!" Salvador quickly blew his whistle, giving Rodman a regular foul.
"A foul on the hand? A foul on the hand?" Even Miller couldn't hold back this time, his eyes wide as he blurted out, "Did you eat dog shit? Or did Dennis lick you until your plasmolysis broke last night? You're giving that a regular foul?!"
"Even my grandma knows, that was a damn malicious foul! A malicious foul!"
"Shut up, Reggie!" Salvador said to Miller. "In any other game, I would have given you a technical foul immediately! But even now, I won't give you many chances. Shut up right now!"
"Reggie!" Lin Tian had already gotten up from the floor. He looked like he had fallen very hard, but in fact, he had adjusted his posture before landing and his landing protection was very good. He was actually fine.
So he immediately stood up. At this point in the game, the Pacers couldn't afford to be without either Miller or Barkley!
"So you mean," Lin Tian turned to Salvador and said, "we can use this method to defend from now on, right? We can bring someone down in mid-air and only get a regular foul?"
Even someone as experienced as El Salvador was rendered speechless by Lin Tian's question, unsure how to answer.
From any angle, this play was an absolutely malicious foul!
Rodman already had a technical foul, so he couldn't call it out at this point, as that wouldn't comply with Stern's and the league's requirements.
"You all better watch out!" Salvador hesitated for a long time, knowing that his ruling was incorrect. In addition, the three guys in front of him were all big shots. Apart from throwing out a harsh word, he really couldn't say anything else.
"You'd better be careful too." Lin Tian shrugged and said to El Salvador, "We all just want the situation to stay stable, for the game to continue smoothly, and for there to be no violence or other unpleasant incidents on the field, right?"
"You're threatening me?" Salvador's eyes widened. He had never been threatened by a player in his entire life!
"I'm just reminding you," Lin Tian said coldly, "a very well-intentioned reminder. You surely know what my past record is, right? I don't want to be suspended, and I believe you don't want to suspend me either."
"I understand your desire to keep star players on the court, but you'd better also understand that I can't always control my temper or stay calm."
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he didn't wait for Salvador's response at all. Instead, he turned around and pulled Barkley and Miller towards the free throw line.
"We won't cause trouble, we'll fight fair and square and crush the Bulls and Michael!" After saying that, Lin Tian patted Miller and Barkley on the shoulder, then turned to Schmitz and Christie and said, "We're all the same, fair and square, let's crush them! Let's make it to the Finals!"
"Yeah! Kill them!" The other four Pacers roared in unison, then took their positions, ready for the free throws.
"Lin, I..." Jordan walked over, opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only managed to say two words, then shook his head and walked towards the Pacers' half of the court.
They are the enemy, he has to support Rodman!
There are things I want to say, things I can't say.
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian's additional penalty was successful!
Then, influenced by Rodman's malicious foul and Lin Tian's words about "killing the Chicagoans," the Pacers' defensive confrontation and intensity were raised to another level, with everyone showing the same defensive attitude that Rodman had shown against Barkley in the previous two games.
Every player on the Pacers team wanted nothing more than to headbutt a Bulls player's elbow and was willing to go head-to-head with any Bulls player.
If just now only Lin Tian on the Pacers team was like a raging beast, now every single one of the Pacers players is a ferocious beast from ancient times!
The sudden increase in defensive intensity caught the Bulls completely off guard, and in this possession, the Pacers forced them into a 24-second violation!
Next, Lin Tian dribbled the ball to the frontcourt once again.
"I'm planning to drive to the basket on this one!" Lin Tian said calmly, facing Jordan who was finally going to be matched up against him. "Then I'm going to keep going for Dennis! Should you tell him to be careful?"
"You think you can scare us with this?" Jordan spread his arms wide, staring intently at Lin Tian. "Have you forgotten that we're not afraid of anything?"
"Wasn't it because I was there before that you weren't afraid to fight anyone? Now, you don't have me anymore!" After saying this, Lin Tian stopped arguing with Jordan, because Schmitz's screen had already been set up, blocking Jordan's side.
Lin Tian did not choose to break through from the direction covered by Schmitz, but instead accelerated in a different direction and forced his way through from the other side!
Jordan, who was trying to get around the screen, was caught off guard and Schmitz pulled his arm, allowing Lin Tian to get past him once again!
Lin Tian ignored Jordan; Jordan wasn't his target!
Dennis Rodman!
You disregarded the feelings of your former teammates and resorted to dirty tricks against me, didn't you?
Then I'll beat you down!
"Charles, get out of the way!" Lin Tian shouted, causing Barkley, who was originally under the basket, to give him space. Then, he charged towards Rodman with incredible ferocity!
Rodman, that kind of scoundrel, has never been afraid of anything on the NBA court! He took a step to the side, blocking Lin Tian's path, his feet firmly planted on the ground, and then he didn't move an inch!
In this round, he changed his strategy and tried to get Lin Tian to commit an offensive foul!
"Bang!"
A loud thud rang out as Lin Tian and Rodman collided head-on!
Lin Tian had ample space and ability to easily score by using a Euro step or a hop step to get past Rodman, but he didn't.
No need! We need a head-on confrontation!
Barkley, standing nearby, couldn't help but gasp. Judging from the sound, he was even worried that Rodman might have had a few ribs broken by Lin Tian!
Rodman didn't even let out a scream before he fell backward and flew out of bounds.
Lin Tian, however, seemed completely unaffected, raising his hand for an easy layup, scoring 2 points!
Then, Lin Tian turned his head and looked at El Salvador, who was standing at the baseline.
"Blocking foul! 2 points awarded, plus one free throw!"
Whether Salvador was trying to regain the balance of not ejecting Rodman in the previous round, or was intimidated by Lin Tian's glare, he called Rodman's blocking foul in what looked like an offensive foul.
After landing, Lin Tian didn't say much and walked back to the free throw line.
The reason he charged so resolutely and fiercely on this ball was not only to show his toughness, but also because he knew that El Salvador would definitely give him a favorable whistle in this round!
This is the NBA arena; it's not just about fouls, but also about interpersonal relationships.
The previous flagrant foul was changed to a regular foul, and now the offensive foul is changed to a blocking foul. Rodman didn't say much; he was very clear about these whistleblower decisions.
"Whoosh!"
With Lin Tian making another free throw, the Pacers finally took the lead! Relying on Lin Tian's continuous attacks and reckless style of play, they didn't even try to find their rhythm in the third quarter, but instead used their relentless attacking style to successfully overtake the score!
Lin Tian's ferocious and terrifying playing style and his almost bloodthirsty and crazy attitude not only allowed the Pacers to take the lead, but also made everyone on the team play fiercely. Whether on offense or defense, the Pacers are now playing like their lives depend on it!
Their intensity is completely unsuitable for the basketball court, and even on the football field, their physicality would seem a bit too fierce.
Relying on this fierce and ruthless attitude, even though the Pacers still couldn't find their rhythm in the third quarter and their shooting percentage remained low.
Lin Tian completely took over the team's offense in this quarter. He kept breaking through, creating scoring opportunities, attacking the paint time and time again, then throwing himself into the air before seeking contact and the basket.
This relentless, aggressive style of play, coupled with the Bulls' increasingly decisive defensive tactics and more aggressive fouls, led to a decline in efficiency as the game progressed and the Bulls committed more and more fouls.
Although Lin Tian started scoring consistently in this quarter, his overall shooting percentage was still not high, only 5 out of 14 shots. However, thanks to his excellent performance of making all 7 of 7 free throws, Lin Tian still managed to score 17 points and grab 5 rebounds in this quarter, 3 of which were offensive rebounds!
Although apart from Lin Tian, the rest of the Pacers team only scored a total of 7 points, that was enough!
Because the Bulls only scored a total of 12 points in this quarter.
Whether it's Jordan, Pippen, or Kukoc, none of them could guarantee a high shooting percentage against the Pacers' crazy and aggressive style of play. They could only miss shots and make mistakes, ultimately failing to score on offense.
By the end of the third quarter, the score had been reversed, with the Pacers winning the quarter by 12 points and taking a 6-point lead over the Bulls!
49: 55!
When the two sides went into a timeout, Lin Tian practically sat down on the bench, panting heavily.
No matter how abundant his stamina was, or how high his S+ level was, the way he carried the team on his shoulders in the third quarter, constantly sprinting at full speed and colliding violently, and finally managing to get shots under the opponent's close defense, still took a huge toll on Lin Tian!
In fact, this style of play is the most physically demanding of all, causing players to tire and lose stamina very quickly.
Lin Tian, for almost the entire quarter, used this most physically demanding, self-destructive truck-style playing style!
He successfully led the Pacers to take the lead, but he also seemed to be pushing his almost inexhaustible stamina to the limit.
"Lin can't play like that for the entire second half! He's only human! His stamina will definitely suffer!" Jackson shouted, his usual composure completely gone. He clapped his hands and said, "Continue with our defensive strategy! Keep going, we can win, this is Chicago!"
"No one can take the victory in Game 7 from here! A three-peat is ours!"
"Michael, haven't you rested enough? Are you just going to watch Lin beat us to a pulp all by himself?"
"Don't say things like that to me, Phil. I don't need them." Jordan wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel and said calmly, "Tonight, the only ones who can win are us!"
(End of this chapter)