NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

The Lakers' loss of their lead at the start of the second half, fueled by a Mavericks run, is unlikely to cause them any panic. This team has too many mid-career players and veterans who have experienced countless high-stakes games.

Kobe, in particular, has a wealth of experience losing in the Finals, so at this moment, what Staples Center fans saw was not a panicked Lakers team desperately trying to catch up.

Instead, he calmly dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, then waved to direct his teammates' movements while slowly moving to the wing to block out Lin Tian, ​​who was standing to the side with Lin Tian holding the basketball.

After receiving the ball, Kobe barely made any fakes; he simply bounced the ball off the ground without looking and passed it to Lin Tian, ​​who was cutting to the basket.

After receiving the ball, Lin Tian spun around to get past the defender, and then made a behind-the-back pass without looking, sending the ball to Durant on the other side.

When Durant got the ball, the Mavericks' defense had been completely disrupted by the Lakers, with almost everyone out of position.

"boom!"

Durant certainly wouldn't ignore such a flawed defense. He unleashed a powerful dunk, sending the ball into the basket and giving his team the lead again!

"Sound!" Van Gundy immediately gave this shot extremely high praise.

“Not only stable, but also gorgeous!” Miller added.

"Not just steady and glamorous, but also confident!" Jackson, seeing the two people in front of him looking at him, immediately followed suit with the same sentence structure.

This play by the Lakers truly showcased their composure, experience, and boundless confidence!
Especially in situations like these, they play with more relaxation and grace, and with greater calmness and boldness!
This is the kind of style that top stars in the league should show!
However, just as the Lakers have top-tier stars, so do the Mavericks!

The Lakers quickly got into the game, and LeBron James of the Mavericks also reached the best form of his career!
In the remainder of the third quarter, the two sides once again engaged in a back-and-forth battle.

However, unlike the first half where the Lakers held a clear advantage, the third quarter saw the two teams almost evenly matched for the entire period.

The Mavericks' main strategy is to utilize LeBron James' pick-and-roll offense and Dirk Nowitzki's post-up game.

Especially Nowitzki's low post game; he was truly unstoppable in the low post this quarter!

At first, Turiaf was guarding him, and Nowitzki showed off his step-back one-legged fadeaway jumper, leaving Turiaf helpless. Then Jackson quickly made a substitution, sending Barnes to guard Nowitzki.

As a result, Nowitzki suddenly turned into a tank, relying on his absolute weight advantage to score twice in a row. Once he drove directly to the basket and scored, and the second time he drew a foul and went to the free-throw line.

When Jackson saw that Barnes wasn't working, he continued to make substitutions, bringing in McRoberts, the team's best-built and most physically imposing player at the power forward position.

But when Nowitzki saw that the guy coming was a rather dim-witted jumper, he changed his tactics again.

Fake shooting moves, fake driving moves, and continuous dribbling motions when driving to the basket.

Nowitzki suddenly transformed into a 70-year-old con artist, barely lifting his feet off the ground, and a series of feints sent McRoberts tumbling around.

Then Nowitzki himself, naturally, had to step up to the free-throw line time and time again.

Seeing that McRoberts wasn't working, Jackson simply assigned Durant to defend, but Durant wasn't big enough.

Jackson even let Lin Tian and Kobe try out for two rounds, but facing Nowitzki, who was almost unerringly accurate, their height disadvantage was exploited by Nowitzki. As soon as he saw the two of them guarding him, he would almost just throw the ball, knowing that the two of them couldn't reach it anyway.

With four seconds left in the third quarter, Nowitzki got the ball again at the top of the arc. Although he hadn't attempted a single three-pointer in the quarter, when he raised the ball above his head as if to shoot, Durant, who was defending him, had no choice but to step forward and shift his weight to interfere.

This is Nowitzki; no one dares to ignore his three threats.

Just as Durant stepped forward, Nowitzki lowered his center of gravity and completed the breakthrough!

His speed was not fast at all, and his pace and stride frequency were just so-so, but he tried to use the thickness and width of his body.

Even though he wasn't fast, he still managed to keep Durant firmly by his side, preventing Durant from getting to the front to interfere or defend.

Nowitzki's drives are not like James's, which are like a rhinoceros charge, domineering and incredibly lethal.

Unlike Lin Tian, ​​who is like a fierce tiger, agile, unpredictable, and terrifying.

Unlike those cheetah-like defenders, who possess dazzling skills and dart left and right.

Nowitzki's drives look like a bear; although they appear clumsy and slow, they are difficult to defend against. You can often just watch him squeeze through, rush to the basket, and easily score a layup.

When defending Nowitzki, you don't have to worry about being faked out or getting elbowed hard.

But when you try to defend him, you'll find that you just can't stop him! Even though Nowitzki isn't fast, doesn't jump high, and his technique doesn't seem particularly impressive.

But it just couldn't be defended against!

After taking several long strides, Nowitzki drove all the way to the basket. Facing Bynum who came to help defend, Nowitzki raised his left hand and used a technique that was completely unlike what a power forward should use.

He used his non-dominant hand to throw the ball!

This floater was perfectly timed, not only avoiding Bynum's block but also almost slipping past his fingertips, and the whistle blew to end the third quarter while the ball was still in the air.

"Shh!"

Then, there was a crisp sound!
Nowitzki hit the buzzer-beater in the third quarter!
This shot silenced the entire Staples Center; the fans were no longer happy.

Because Nowitzki played the entire third quarter without rest, his personal offense was not only crazy but also efficient. He made 8 of 10 shots and 12 of 12 free throws in the quarter, scoring a crazy 28 points in a single quarter!
He used his relentless isolation plays to keep the Mavericks scoring, and it was thanks to his incredible isolation plays that the Mavericks not only managed to stay close in the score this quarter.

They managed to maintain their hard-earned lead from the start of the quarter until the end of the quarter thanks to Nowitzki's exquisite buzzer-beater!
98: 96!

The Mavericks entered the final showdown in the fourth quarter with a 2-point lead!
This is the first time in this season's playoffs that the Lakers have entered the fourth quarter trailing!

The Mavericks are indeed significantly stronger than the Suns and Grizzlies.

"Dirk laid a solid foundation for us! His outburst helped us beat the Lakers by 9 points in the third quarter! So, the Lakers aren't that scary, are they? They're human too! They can lose! We're all teams in the same league."

"We are stronger than them!"

Johnson raised his arms and shouted from the Mavericks' bench, constantly encouraging the players, telling them to cheer up and give it their all. The game had come this far, and if they lost at this point, it would be a huge blow to anyone!
We must win!

"In the fourth quarter, LeBron, it's your turn to shine! Keep up your perfect performance from the third quarter. I swear this was the best quarter I've ever seen you play! Keep it up and make tonight the best half I've ever seen you play!"

"Your performance in the third quarter was just as impeccable as Dirk's! The rest of you were too, you guys played fantastic! Now, let's stay calm, let's hold onto our lead, extend it, and finally win the game!"

After Johnson finished speaking, he looked at all the players and said, "Then, go! Go and win the game!"

With Johnson's roar, the Mavericks' morale reached another peak, and James, Bogut, and Ray Allen, along with two substitute players, took to the court.

The fourth quarter has begun!

This time, James won't let us down!

In contrast to the Mavericks' lineup of half starters and half substitutes, the Lakers made a completely different choice! Jackson once again made a bold lineup change.

He assembled a five-man team consisting of Lin Tian, ​​Capono, Terry, Barnes, and Murphy.

Looking at these five players, an average fan might think: Is the Lakers declaring the game over?

Veteran fans would unanimously say: Jackson has gone mad!
Only a die-hard Jackson fan would grin at this moment, revealing a confident yet mysterious smile.

"What do you know? Jackson is about to start his show!"

"Next up, it's 'Zen Master' time!"

As for the actual competition?
It's hard to say whether it was the Zen Master's time, but it was definitely Lin Tian's time!
The Lakers' lineup is clearly designed with Lin Tian as the absolute core, allowing him to play however he wants!
The four shooters spread out on all sides, leaving Lin Tian to attack the Mavericks' defense alone. Ultimate space, ultimate opportunity.

This lineup is designed for superstar players to shine!

Lin Tian, ​​of course, would not disappoint Phil, who believed in him.

At the top of the arc, Lin Tian, ​​who had possession of the ball in the first wave of the fourth quarter, looked at Allen, who was guarding him, and said with a smile, "I suggest you put on another layer of protective gear. We're friends, and I don't want your knee to be completely ruined because of this matchup."

“You’re almost 50. If you get injured now, it could affect the rest of your life.”

"I'm very kind, how about you find someone else to play against me?"

"Bring it on!" Although Allen was a little younger than Lin Tian, ​​he was no longer a young man. As a veteran who was already in the twilight of his career, Allen had long since become completely immune to all kinds of trash talk. He simply lowered his center of gravity, looked at Lin Tian, ​​and guessed the breakthrough route he might choose.

"What do you mean, 'come on'? Don't think I don't know your plan. It's just that I'll blow past you in one step, and then LeBron or someone else will come to help defend," Lin Tian said calmly. "Seriously, do you really think this method will work?"

"Why don't we try and see?" Allen remained unmoved, staring intently at Lin Tian, ​​hoping to deduce the breakthrough direction Lin Tian would choose from the details of his movements and certain small gestures.

"What's the point of trying? I knew you had an ambush set up, why would I go in and charge into that ambush zone? I'd be torturing myself! This time, of course I just shot! Your bullshit traps inside the three-point line have absolutely nothing to do with me!"

After Lin Tian finished speaking, he actually dribbled the ball again before pulling it up and throwing it!

Alan never expected Lin Tian to just throw it away like that, without any warning!
He didn't have time to react at all, and it wasn't until Lin Tian was already halfway up in the air that he remembered he had to reach out and interfere.

But this level of interference was obviously ineffective against Lin Tian. Whether the ball went in or not had nothing to do with Allen's defense; it all depended on Lin Tian's shooting touch.

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, Lin Tian's arrow struck the bullseye!
"How's that? Where's your ambush?" Lin Tian asked Allen, maintaining his shooting motion after scoring, "Show it off!"

"Then go ahead and charge in, charge in, and you'll see our ambush!" Allen remained calm and composed. After more than 10 years in the professional career, he was no longer the troublemaker he used to be, always fighting with his teammates and insisting on being the leader.

"Alright, let's do it next round then. Next round, I'll go in and see what kind of gift you've prepared for me!" Since Allen wasn't getting carried away, Lin Tian was even more composed. Not only was he composed, but he continued to provoke, acting as if he wanted to take on the entire Mavericks team by himself.

At the same time, Lin Tian's shot put the Lakers back in the lead!

98: 99!

The Lakers took a one-point lead.

The Mavericks' offense saw James once again draw a double team with a drive and then assist Bogut for a dunk, scoring 2 points and putting them back in the lead.

When Lin Tian dribbled the ball back to the frontcourt, he was still being guarded by Allen.

"Here I come!" Lin Tian said with a smile as he watched the entire Mavericks team take their positions. "Are you all set up? Don't say you weren't ready later."

"Come on then, from the right! Your favorite right side." Allen countered the move, indicating that the trap was already set and it was up to him whether he dared to come. As he spoke, he actually took half a step to the left, as if inviting the enemy into a trap.

A psychological game!
Although Allen didn't study psychology in college, he's still learned a bit of psychological warfare over the years.

I'm making it clear that you'll be surrounded as soon as you go in. Do you dare to charge?
dare!
"Thank you!" The polite Lin Tian even thanked Allen before accelerating past him and entering the Mavericks' defensive zone in the blink of an eye.

Allen had clearly anticipated that Lin Tian would easily get past him, so he didn't try to block Lin Tian's breakthrough at all, knowing that his teammates would help him intercept him.

Allen immediately turned around and followed behind Lin Tian, ​​blocking Lin Tian's escape route in the first instance.

As for Lin Tian's front, James had already arrived quickly and blocked Lin Tian's path to break through.

Faced with James and Allen blocking him from both sides, Lin Tian didn't slow down at all. He suddenly blasted the ball with his left hand, and then spun around like a top, breaking through the encirclement of the two in the blink of an eye.

Now, James and Allen could only watch from behind Lin Tian as he charged toward Bogut.

Facing Bogut, Lin Tian was even less ruthless. He easily jumped and collided head-on with Bogut in mid-air. Then, Lin Tian drew a circle in the air with both hands, elegantly opened his left hand, and flicked his wrist.

As if it were calculated, the basketball perfectly dodged Bogut's fingers, almost grazing his fingertips as it flew towards the hoop and then went straight into the net.

"Shh!"

"Lin's performance this time was really unreal," Miller said quickly. "His breakthrough was clean and efficient, and his turn was lightning fast, making it impossible for the Mavericks' double team to even close the gap."

"Then, when he made the final layup, he was calm and graceful, unhurried and elegant."

"He's truly an artist! Lin's performance this time was like a perfect work of art, it was mesmerizing!"

"Your traps won't work either."

On the court, Lin Tian retreated to defend while saying to the Mavericks players, "You dare call this a trap with just these two moves? When I was 7 years old, the traps I set were ten times more sophisticated than yours!"

"Could you give me some more practice?"

No one responded; Lin Tian's arrogance went unchallenged by any of the Mavericks players.

There's no way to respond; this guy is truly terrifyingly strong.

Although no one from the Mavericks responded, everyone could see that they had not lost confidence, nor had they lost their rhythm and courage.

They didn't respond because they really couldn't defend against it, but they weren't stunned or demoralized by Lin Tian like other teams.

Their performance demonstrates their maturity and strength.

The Mavericks are fully prepared to deal with the Lakers and Lin Tian, ​​including the possibility that they might not be able to defend him; they have also made ample mental contingency plans.

Only in this way can they maintain a calm mind when facing the omnipotent Lin Tian.

Next, it was James on the Mavericks' offense again. His hard-earned mid-range shot started to come alive. He pulled up for a jump shot from just inside the three-point line and made it perfectly!
Before James could even pound his chest in relief, Lin Tian had already inbounded the ball from the baseline. Lin Tian dribbled the ball and sprinted all the way, instantly reaching the Mavericks' basket.

Just as Lin Tian was about to dunk, he caught a glimpse of a huge figure rushing towards him from behind.

So Lin Tian quickly changed his strategy, switching from dunking to a floater. Before he even reached the highest point of his jump, the basketball was already out of his hand. This change not only caused the person chasing behind to misjudge the situation, but also caused that guy to crash directly into Lin Tian from behind.

"Dudu!"

The referee's whistle blew immediately, and at the same time, Lin Tian's shot went in accurately!

Although Lin Tian lost his balance due to the collision and crashed into the group of photographers at the baseline, he was obviously unharmed.

Even after Lin Tian got up, he didn't forget to strike a few poses for the nearest cameras.

Then, Lin Tian grabbed the hand his teammate offered and jumped to his feet. He looked at James, who was also standing up with the help of his teammates not far away, and said, "Thank you, LeBron, thank you for the free throws."

"It was originally 2 points, now it's 3 points."

“You won’t be so lucky next time,” James said fiercely. “Next time, I’ll nail the basketball to the backboard!”

"You'll never get to see that next time in your lifetime," Lin Tian shrugged. "If you're lucky, maybe in your next life."

Lin Tian shrugged, stepped to the free-throw line, held the basketball, raised his hand, and made the free throw.

"You guys had your fun in the third quarter, right? Now it's my turn to shine in the fourth quarter!" (End of Chapter)