NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

After James fully recovered and adjusted his mindset, the impact of Lin Tian's two trash talk comments on him was indeed negligible.

This guy fully utilized his reasonable playing style. In the last three minutes of the game, James passed the ball when he needed to and went for layups when he needed to.

Even the Mavericks' long-range three-point attempt with two seconds left in the first half, which was initiated from the baseline, was completed by James.

If James' performance in the first four minutes of the second quarter made the head coach despair and even want to directly disqualify him, then in the last four minutes of the game, no coach could find fault with him.

From a tactical perspective, James' performance in the last four minutes of the first half was nothing short of perfect.

He organized the team's offense in an orderly manner, and his individual offense was equally impressive.

The only downside was that the Mavericks couldn't catch up.

When he entered the game, the Mavericks were down by 6 points.

At the end of the first half, the Mavericks were down by 7 points.

Although there is not much difference, it has indeed been enlarged.

As the score widened, the particularly sarcastic Los Angeles fans once again gave the Mavericks a genuine cheer as they left the court.

Hmm... give it to him.

"LeBron, thank you!"

"James, you deserve credit for our championship run!"

"If you don't come to the victory celebration party tonight, we Los Angeles folks won't even eat a single pudding!"

"Come to Los Angeles after your contract expires! Dallas doesn't want you, but we love you!"

"We are all your fathers! Come home, my child!"

……

Nobody knows how much impact the fans' frenzied and malicious cheers had on James.

But as everyone saw, the moment James walked into the player tunnel, he angrily kicked the wall.

This guy was clearly extremely frustrated.

As a result, the fans cheered even louder and more joyfully for MVP.

The Mavericks players also found themselves walking faster without even realizing it.

Logically speaking, a 7-point gap at halftime is really not a big deal, and the atmosphere in the locker room for both sides shouldn't be too tense.

After all, if they play well, they can erase a 7-point deficit or even take the lead in just 2 minutes. Given the Mavericks' offensive capabilities, this is definitely not a difficult task.

But the atmosphere in their locker room during halftime was quite strange.

It's neither somber nor oppressive.

But it was very quiet.

Everyone found themselves in a rather awkward situation.

After all, everyone saw what happened in the first half, and everyone knew why the team was behind.

James.

While the Lakers fans' jeering was ill-intentioned, it wasn't entirely baseless.

Strictly speaking, James only played poorly for the first four minutes of the second quarter. In the rest of his playing time, while not impeccable, he was definitely at a top level.

But his plus-minus rating is low; whenever he plays, the team loses points.

The Mavericks lost by 7 points in the first half, but James' plus-minus was -14.

Embarrassingly, both Nowitzki and Bogut, the two starters whose playing time differed from his, had positive plus-minus ratings.

It's not an exaggeration to say that the Mavericks are losing as long as LeBron James is on the team.

So everyone felt awkward, not knowing how to cheer or shout.

It's supposed to be a morale booster, but it's a bit awkward; James is clearly unhappy right now.

If we don't say anything, we're only 7 points behind, but if we don't say anything, it just doesn't feel right.

In particular, although the Mavericks underwent a roster overhaul before the deadline, many of the players were still involved in last year's Finals. They know when James started to lose his composure and cause the team to lose a great opportunity, ultimately leading to the Bobcats' comeback victory.

In the end, it's all the same thing!

The same trick, wait?

It's the same damn opponent again!

Lin Tian is a bastard... his crimes are heinous!

In the Mavericks' locker room, no one dared to speak loudly; at most, there were whispers. Judging from their demeanor, it was hard to believe that this Mavericks team had only lost by 7 points in the first half and had a shooting percentage of over 50%.

After nearly two minutes of silence, someone finally stepped forward.

"Keep up the good work in the second half! It's only 7 points, we can easily take the game back, and with such a small margin, I'm almost embarrassed to say we won by a comeback tonight." Nowitzki, as the team's leader, still stepped up.

He looked at the entire arena and said, "Let's get a win on the road and break the Lakers' undefeated playoff record!"

"Dirk is right!" Just as Nowitzki finished speaking and everyone was about to cheer him on, James suddenly stood up, looked at everyone, and said, "I played terribly in the first half."

"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I played terribly. We shouldn't have fallen behind. We were in such good form; we should have been in the lead! It's all because of me!"

"My plus-minus was the lowest in the game. I will take full responsibility for our first-half deficit, but I will not take responsibility for the loss!"

"Because we won't lose tonight! We'll win the game tonight!"

At this point, James looked at Johnson: "Coach, I think we should focus on Dirk and Ray in the second half! Because no one on the Lakers can guard Dirk, they don't have a good power forward, that's our breakthrough point."

"While Kobe is a good defender, we all know that his off-ball defense is quite inadequate. He doesn't like to run after off-ball shooters. When Ray gets open, that's when our opportunity comes!"

"As for me, I will run pick-and-rolls, I will still drive to the basket, and I will still pass the ball! I will pay attention to everyone's positioning, and I will try my best to do it perfectly."

"I will find a good balance between the team and the individual!"

"LeBron is right!" Johnson nodded with great satisfaction.

I'm awake! I'm finally awake!

After almost two years of waiting, this great deity has finally awakened!

Johnson even had a feeling that the strongest version of LeBron James was about to appear!

It's all thanks to the motivational speech I gave him in the first half!
Forget Rivers Jackson, his motivational speeches are nowhere near as awesome as mine!

Johnson was secretly pleased with himself, but he didn't openly express his smugness.

He knew that the most important thing now was to devise a strategy for the second half of the game.

He should be happy after he wins the game tonight!
Let's celebrate then!

At the same time, in the Lakers' locker room, compared to the Mavericks' initial setback and subsequent surge in morale, the atmosphere in the Lakers' locker room was quite unified.

Confident, optimistic, excited, and impatient!

Everyone was quite satisfied with the result of the first half, and many people were still talking about the explosive speech the fans delivered before halftime.

Jackson watched the incredibly cheerful guys on the team with a smile, but didn't say anything.

In his opinion, he should step forward at this point to warn everyone and tell them to stay calm and not underestimate the enemy. The 7-point advantage is not secure and could be overturned by the Mavericks at any time.

But Jackson looked around the arena, touched his nose, smiled, and said nothing.

He neither reminded the players nor issued any warnings.

Jackson felt that if problems were going to occur, it was better for them to occur sooner rather than later. He had reminded them now, and even if the players briefly regained their focus, it was unlikely to last. If there were no consequences, everyone would feel less pain.

Only when they feel the pain will the players realize their mistakes.

Then go ahead and make a mistake!
I'll get crushed by the Mavericks, and then I'll appear as the savior to remind you all to stay calm, to remind you all that you relaxed too early and underestimated your opponents.

Let's do it!

As Jackson pondered this, he couldn't help but glance at Lin Tian.

It's normal for the other players to be overjoyed and carried away by their newfound experience, but what about Lin Tian? This guy, he gets carried away too? He forgets all that?
A guy with so many rings he can't wear them all on both hands, a genius who can lead a new team to a championship in just one year as a coach, would he ignore such basic things?
Jackson thought it was impossible.

But he was unwilling to ask Lin Tian.

He had already lost face in front of Lin Tian, ​​and he didn't want to go any further.

So, I'm not going to ask anymore. If I find out, I find out; if I don't, I don't.

Jackson let things take their course, ignoring the players' condition. He observed everyone, but failed to notice that Lin Tian, ​​while fooling around with Durant, glanced at him and then revealed a wicked smile.

The old fox wanted to teach the players a lesson, and then improve the team's cohesion and focus.

But the little fox was thinking about how to make the old fox suffer a loss and be tricked.

……

Soon, the second half began, and the players switched sides. Neither team made any changes to their starting lineups, and the second half of the match commenced!
The Lakers inbounded the ball from the baseline, and Lin Tian leisurely walked to the frontcourt, then observed the Mavericks' defense.

There's not much difference; it's the same as the first half.

Lin Tian dribbled the ball in place while waving to signal his teammates to pull away.

He wanted to take the lead in the first attack of the second half and seize the initiative.

Lin Tian didn't even glance at Williams, who was guarding him, from beginning to end. He didn't even see the guy; it was just a matter of passing him in one step.

Lin Tian's gaze was fixed on the Mavericks' overall defensive line and defensive setup.

Before breaking through, Lin Tian had already chosen his route, and figured out which directions might be attacked and which directions would create gaps in defense.

After quickly scanning the entire court and making a judgment, Lin Tian made a quick crossover dribble, followed by an attack step.

He had been using this signature move for over ten years and had mastered it to perfection. When he used it again now, his offensive power was at its maximum. With a simple step, he completely shook off Williams, and then Lin Tian strode out, heading straight for the inside!
In the mid-range shot, Allen indeed let Kobe come to help defend, and Lin Tian turned around with the basketball in one hand while making a pass fake towards Kobe.

This move not only bypassed Allen, rendering his help defense ineffective, but also caused Nowitzki to subconsciously move half a step towards Kobe, preventing him from coming back to double-team Lin Tian.

Then, it was under the basket again, and it was Bogut again!
Lin Tian never showed any respect to this old dog.

Just like stockings and suits can increase attack speed, Bogut can increase Lin Tian's projectile speed.

With a whoosh, Lin Tian once again shot up into the air like a rocket, pressing down with his left hand to push Bogut's hand back down as he tried to block the shot, while Lin Tian's right hand gripped the basketball and slammed it into the basket with all his might!

"boom!"

With a loud bang, Lin Tian scored the first basket of the second half with another powerful dunk!

"Hey buddy, where are you? I bought a GPS for LeBron, want one for you too?" After scoring, Lin Tian bent down and pointed his hand almost to the floor, mocking Bogut for being too small, while his words were equally sarcastic.

"By the way, do you know how to use GPS? Do you even know what GPS is? You can't possibly not have one in your shabby place, can you?"

Bogut did not respond to Lin Tian.

After all, Bogut was just bad, not stupid.

Having dealt with Lin Tian and his teammates so many times, he had suffered countless losses at their hands.

He knew very well that ignoring Lin Tian and not talking back was the only way to deal with him.

Talk back? You'll only get criticized even more harshly.

Fight back? Ha! Bogut is just showing he's not done living yet.

Bogut has never forgotten the time he got a beating from that rather abstract-looking guy!

So he ignored Lin Tian's trash talk, looked down, found the basketball, passed it out, and quickly ran to join the offense.

"It's starting again! Another dunk contest! They already did that once in the first quarter!" Miller exclaimed as he watched Lin Tian's powerful dunk. "Mavericks, give them one back!"

Unfortunately, the Mavericks' response disappointed him.

James controlled the ball and steadily advanced forward, then called for Bogut to set a screen for him.

Bogut's character is beyond reproach, down to the lowest level, practically filthy and stinking.

But his physique is also really thick and tough, able to completely block Durant, preventing him from forcing his way through.

Using a screen to shake off Durant, James faced Bynum, who wasn't fully out of position but was positioned near the free-throw line. Without hesitation, James glanced down at the floor, took a half-step back from the three-point line, and then launched a three-pointer!
"Shh!"

James, whose mid-to-long-range shooting ability has greatly improved this season, will not miss such an almost open shooting opportunity!
The opening three-pointer boosted James' confidence, and he pounded his chest several times before letting out a series of beast-like roars.

After watching the play, Jackson said, "James seems to have regained his confidence! If he can regain his confidence and make rational decisions on the ball, the Mavericks still have a good chance in the second half!"

On the court, Lin Tian had already dribbled past Williams again, but this time he didn't shoot himself. Instead, he found Turiaf, who had to be left behind. Turiaf had a great opportunity after getting the ball; he could have just jumped up and made a bank shot.

But this guy made the same old mistake, and couldn't resist slamming the ball to the floor with both hands, then using the momentum to jump up and try to dunk it.

Unfortunately, even though the Mavericks' team defense was weak, their individual defense was solid.

Bogut had already completed his help defense at this moment, jumping up and raising his hands high to block Turiaf's dunk.

"Quick attack!"

Allen grabbed the rebound, dribbled and accelerated suddenly, and after being blocked by Kobe, he passed the ball to Williams, who then passed it to James.

When James got the ball, everyone thought he was going to dunk, but James suddenly made a no-look pass and returned the ball to Williams.

This wall-running pass was quite brilliant. In one go, Williams had shaken off all the defenders and easily drove to the basket for a layup, scoring another 2 points for the team!
"The Mavericks are on fire!" Van Gundy exclaimed. "Those first 5 points are a huge boost to their morale! Even though they've only closed the gap to 3 points, this efficiency and scoring style will definitely give them a huge surge in momentum!"

"It's nothing, just one ball." Lin Tian comforted him with a smile, "Ronnie, just don't dribble next time, keep running, I'll give you the ball again when I have the chance, dunk on him next time and get back at him!"

"Yes, boss!" Turiaf pounded his chest a few times to show his confidence, then inbounded the ball from the baseline, launching the Lakers' offense!

At the top of the key, Lin Tian was dribbling and preparing to launch an attack, but this time he found that the Mavericks' defense had changed!
Double team!

They're going straight for a double team!

James, who was closest to Lin Tian, ​​actually abandoned Durant and rushed towards Lin Tian ahead of time!

This kind of early double-teaming is generally used in crucial moments, occasionally as a trial to see if it can have a surprising effect. Or it can be used against teams with only one reliable ball handler; in that case, early double-teaming can paralyze the opponent's offensive system.

But this is clearly not the do-or-die moment, and the Lakers are not a one-man team. They have many strong finishers, and double-teaming Lin Tian has long been proven to be suicidal!

This time, Lin Tian was no exception. He didn't rush to pass the ball. Instead, he moved towards the far end while continuing to attract James' attention. Only after James and Williams had finished surrounding him did Lin Tian leisurely pass the ball.

Durant, who received the ball, immediately gained a huge amount of space!

The Mavericks' defensive rotations are clearly inferior to the Grizzlies'. If it were the Grizzlies, they would never have given Durant such a lot of space at this point.

Durant had a rare open shot, took a moment to adjust himself, and then calmly released the ball.

But this time, luck wasn't on his side.

"Boom!"

With a muffled thud, the basketball bounced off the rim again. This time, Bogut grabbed the rebound. Seeing the Lakers' incredibly fast defensive transition, he abandoned his quick pass and instead steadily passed the ball to Allen. Only then did the Mavericks proceed with their advance at a leisurely pace.

Van Gundy couldn't help but sigh and said, "The Lakers weren't very lucky in the second half. Durant and Turiaf both had very good opportunities, but neither of them managed to capitalize on them."

"If they keep playing like this, the Mavericks will probably find a chance to come back soon."

Sure enough, no sooner had Van Gundy finished speaking than James charged forward again, this time driving straight to the basket, dodging the defense, and scoring a layup.

2 points!

The gap between the two sides narrowed dramatically in the second half.

"Defense! Defense!" James shouted after scoring, reminding his teammates to pay attention to defense, while he himself kept a close eye on Durant.

The Mavericks' confidence was boosted by their successful defensive gamble, and this time they played with even more care and successfully stopped the Lakers' offense once again.

When it was their turn to attack, James drove to the basket again. This time, after drawing the defense, he decisively passed the ball to Ray Allen, who was left wide open on the other side. Kobe, as expected, left his man open again while trying to help defend.

After receiving the ball, Allen once again drew his sword and swiftly added 3 points to the team!
Overtaken!

In just two minutes since the start of the second half, the Mavericks have gone on a 10-2 run, erasing their seven-point deficit and turning it into a one-point lead.

"We need to call a timeout! The Lakers need to take a break," Miller said. "If they keep playing like this, things aren't looking good! The Lakers' start has really been poor."

"No timeout!" Jackson shouted after a glance. "Phil didn't call a timeout, he's signaling the Lakers to continue! That shows he trusts his players!"

Van Gundy said, "That's normal. After all, the Lakers' stars are really reliable, and it's not just one person who's reliable, it's the whole team! The upcoming games are going to be interesting!" (End of Chapter)