NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

"It's all my fault! It's my fault." When halftime arrived, Lin Tian didn't chat and joke with his teammates as usual, nor did he ask the team's physiotherapist to treat him.

He stood directly in the middle of everyone, looking at the team and at everyone, and said: "I played terribly on the last two shots of the second quarter. Because of me, we could have been leading by 30 points. We could have made the game garbage time by halftime."

"But because of me, because I missed two shots, our chance was gone, and we got thrashed by the Mavericks! I watched Nowitzki score nine points in a row without doing anything, and he kicked our ass hard."

"18 points! We're only leading by 18 points now, it's all my fault."

"I'll take over in the second half! I'll crush them all! I'll take back the points I lost, and I'll reclaim the lead I lost!"

"In the third quarter, we turned the game into garbage time! 3-0! Tonight, it has to be 3-0!"

"3:0!"

"Support Lin!"

"Go for it, Lin! Go for it! We support you!"

"Let the Dallas residents' illusions end tonight!"

"Send them to hell!"

"30 points! We'll rest in the fourth quarter! The fourth quarter is garbage time!"

The Lakers players cheered and raised their arms. Lin Tian was the team's recognized leader, a core player whom everyone admired and respected from the bottom of their hearts, let alone the minor mistakes he made in the last two possessions, such as missing a dunk and missing a floater.

Even if he really does make a series of mindless mistakes and misses wild shots, the Lakers players won't blame him, not to mention that the Lakers currently have an absolute advantage!

With a lead of nearly 20 points, the team leader is still blaming himself, saying it's all his fault. If this were another team, especially one of those lottery teams with terrible records, the players wouldn't just not support him, they'd probably think he's crazy.

However, the Lakers players did not hesitate to express their support for Lin Tian, ​​their absolute trust in him, and their obedience. Their team culture is the envy of the entire league's coaching staff and management, and their desire to win is evident.

During this halftime break, Jackson basically didn't go out to give the players any more tactical instructions or motivational speeches.

Because he knew that Lin Tian's few words were far more useful than any tactics or motivational speeches.

Now, let's wait for the second half to start and give the Mavericks a good beating!

Jackson found himself actually looking forward to it.

Because he is now 100% certain about what is happening in the Mavericks' locker room.

Johnson gave a speech, Nowitzki gave a speech, James gave a speech, and maybe Allen will give one too.

Boost morale, unite everyone and boost confidence, keep everyone motivated and fighting spirit. We can beat the Lakers 9-0 in 2 minutes. If we can do that twice more in the second half, we can turn the game around.

Very simple.

The Mavericks' locker room must be filled with the aroma of soup right now, which is useful most of the time as it can significantly increase their chances of a comeback in the second half.

Unfortunately, they were facing a furious version of Lin Tian!

Jackson couldn't wait to see how the Mavericks would look after Lin Tian completely crushed them, and he couldn't wait to see the bewildered and helpless look in their eyes after Lin Tian's outburst.

Tonight, we'll definitely crush the Mavericks!

Jackson was absolutely confident about this!

Soon, the second half of the game that Jackson had been looking forward to began on time, and the starting five players from both sides took to the court one after another.

"Watch closely, in the next game, we might witness a personal show that will go down in NBA history!" After seeing Lin Tian dribble across half-court and start organizing the offense, Jackson said to his bench players with an air of profound wisdom, "Remember every detail of this game."

"Because maybe 20 or 30 years from now, this will be something you can brag about to your friends, family, fans, and reporters."

"I watched Game 3 of the 2012 Western Conference Finals live, Lin's crazy outburst!"

No sooner had Jackson finished speaking than Lin Tian had already taken his first shot on the court.

With a mid-range pull-up jumper, he once again easily shook off Williams, then pulled up and shot from just inside the three-point line!
"Shh!"

After the crisp sound, Lin Tian maintained his cool expression, refrained from trash talk, and quickly retreated to defend, clapping and shouting, "Within 5 minutes, we'll widen the gap to 30 points!"

"Don't dream about it!" James, who was dribbling up the court, immediately retorted, "We'll cut the deficit to under 10 points in 5 minutes!"

As James spoke, he waved for Nowitzki to come forward, and the two completed a pick-and-roll at the top of the key once again, with the Mavericks pulling out their trump card once more.

This tried-and-true tactic worked once again in the first attack of the second half.

James shook off his defender and sprinted to the basket for a layup. This time, his layup didn't miss the rim, and he made the shot, narrowing the Mavericks' deficit to 18 points once again.

"Did you see that?!" James roared at Lin Tian after scoring, "We're going to win the game!"

"I'd be embarrassed to talk trash if we were up by 20 points," Lin Tian said, rolling his eyes at James. "You're down by 20 points, and you're barking like a dog?"

"Have you no shame at all?"

After Lin Tian finished his rant, he didn't continue to relentlessly attack James's fighter jet, nor did he keep chasing after him with insults.

This wasn't because Lin Tian had softened his heart, but because his only task now was to widen the score gap!

After returning to the frontcourt, facing Williams' defense, Lin Tian chose to call for a pick and roll, then accelerated into the three-point line before suddenly taking a step back to pull back to the outside of the three-point line.

This step-back was incredibly large in both range and speed. There was no way that Nowitzki, who was originally following him, and Williams, who wanted to go around to the three-point line to surround Lin Tian, ​​could catch up with him.

Both of them could only watch helplessly as Lin Tian sent the ball into the basket, unable to do anything about it.

"Shh!"

Lin Tian hit a three-pointer, scoring his fifth point in the third quarter!
There was still no trash talk, not a single word.

But at this moment, Nowitzki and Williams, who were closest to Lin Tian, ​​suddenly hoped that Lin Tian would say a few trash words.

Although Lin Tian, ​​who was spewing trash talk, was equally unstoppable, at least he still looked like a human being. But now, this Lin Tian, ​​who was almost completely silent, made the two of them feel an immense sense of estrangement.

It's like a demon from hell!
This made them even more afraid and terrified!

In the next possession, the Mavericks relentlessly executed the pick-and-roll between Nowitzki and James once again.

Unfortunately, the two of them overused this tactic far too much.

Even though there are countless ways to score and combos after a pick-and-roll between the two, they have simply played it too much.

The Mavericks always use this strategy in crucial moments. Even if the Lakers' coaching staff is incompetent, after so many games, they should be able to figure out some patterns and rhythm.

For example, in this play, when James split up again and stepped back from the three-point line, Lin Tian had already been secretly waiting on the side. When James made a high-arc lob pass, intending to let Nowitzki cut inside to receive the ball and complete the attack, Lin Tian suddenly rushed out from the side.

He had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time!
Lin Tian leaped high into the air and caught the basketball in mid-air, successfully intercepting the ball.

Then Lin Tian slammed the ball onto the floor, turned and accelerated, launching another counterattack!

The Mavericks' defense had already been thrown into disarray by Lin Tian, ​​and now they were all desperately rushing back, fearing that Lin Tian would launch another counterattack.

But clearly, if Lin Tian's counterattacks could be dealt with and defended simply by chasing him back desperately, he wouldn't be the nightmare of the entire league.

Outside the three-point line, Lin Tian suddenly stopped, then just glanced up at the basket. Williams couldn't help but reach out to block Lin Tian's shot.

Ke Lintian quickly lowered his center of gravity, took a step towards the three-point line, and then suddenly pulled up again.

The reason Lin Tian chose this position to pull up was not only because he had absolute confidence, but also because Williams, after losing his position, wanted to regain his defensive position and subconsciously reached back to pull, which happened to grab Lin Tian's arm.

Without hesitation, Lin Tian, ​​who had been violated, immediately pulled out the weapon and threw it away.

He also knows how to play efficiently and with minimal effort. Getting to the free-throw line is the most comfortable and convenient way to score.

Although Lin Tian was slightly off balance when Williams pulled him up, he quickly recovered. Relying on his incredibly strong core strength, Lin Tian managed to maintain his shooting form and direction even while off balance.

With a flick of his wrist, the basketball flew towards the hoop, and Lin Tian completely lost his balance, falling to the floor. The referee's whistle blew almost simultaneously.

"Shh!"

Then came a crisp sound that plunged the American Airlines Arena into silence once more. Another 2+1 play?

How long has it been since the game started? How many points has this monster already scored?

Keep an eye on him!

Dallas fans were stunned by Lin Tian's scoring spree, and they now shared the same thoughts as Nowitzki and Williams.

This person is no longer human.

terrible!

The fans couldn't make a fuss anymore. The American Airlines Arena became extremely quiet because of Lin Tian's three consecutive baskets, but they all knew, everyone knew.

Lin Tian's madness is not over yet.

"Shh!"

With the free throw made, Lin Tian has now completed three consecutive shots, scoring eight points in a row. The Lakers started the second half with an 8-2 run against the Mavericks!

The point difference has once again reached 24 points.

Then the Mavericks finally scored again. Instead of running pick-and-rolls, they spread out and let Nowitzki take the ball in the mid-range and make a mid-range shot.

But against Lin Tian, ​​who was firing on all cylinders and had completely entered scoring mode, Nowitzki's mid-range shot was clearly a drop in the ocean and not enough at all.

In the next possession, it was Lin Tian again. He dribbled and faked outside the three-point line, looking for space. Then Durant suddenly stepped up and set a screen for him. Lin Tian quickly changed direction and shook off Williams. Before James could rush up, he took another three-point shot!

The basketball seemed to be equipped with some kind of precision-guided GPS; after flying out of Lin Tian's hand, it flew straight into the basket without any hesitation.

"Shh!"

Still 3 points! The gap between the two sides continues to widen.

Lin Tian remained silent, having completely entered his own rhythm.

Killer God Mode!
Since his comeback, Lin Tian had not been in this state for a long time.

No need.

He just plays normally, even if he seems to be slacking off a bit, and that's enough for the Lakers to dominate the league, maintaining their position as the league's best team and their undefeated playoff record so far.

Opportunities to get Lin Tian fired up and attack recklessly are becoming increasingly rare.

But tonight, the fact that his opponent narrowed the gap to within 20 points due to two consecutive missed shots clearly made Lin Tian lose his temper.

Although almost everyone else except him didn't understand what was so exciting about it, Lin Tian was just unhappy and determined to do it!
The consecutive 2+1 and 3-pointers at the beginning were just an appetizer. For the rest of the third quarter, Lin Tian really made every shot he took!
He barely passed the ball in this quarter; he had almost nothing in his eyes except the basket.

After Lin Tian hit several three-pointers in a row, the Mavericks' defense noticeably tightened up, unwilling to give him any more easy scoring opportunities or allow him to shoot easily.

Lin Tian immediately changed his strategy, switching to constantly firing shots from mid-range.

Three times in a row, Lin Tian faked a shot outside the three-point line, then drove in one step and pulled up for a jump shot.

With this move, a sudden stop and jump shot after taking a step, Lin Tian's powerful three-point threat, his fast jump speed and strong core strength, allows him to stop, pull up, and adjust his hand position and state in the air before shooting.

It's unstoppable!
Whether it was Williams' one-on-one defense, his double-team with Allen, or James' help defense, none of them could stop Lin Tian's mid-range jump shot.

The Mavericks gave it their all, but in the end they could only watch as Lin Tian used the same move to score three times in a row from almost the same spot!
These three consecutive pull-up jumpers nearly broke down the Mavericks' defense.

But that wasn't the most despairing thing for them!

What made them most desperate was that Lin Tian did not get carried away by making three consecutive jump shots, or even when he was in a state of frantic scoring, he did not rely on his jump shots to keep shooting.

After the Mavericks changed their defense again and began to deploy heavy forces in the mid-range area, Lin Tian switched his offensive mode once more.

He's starting to break through!

He repeatedly drove to the basket, either for a layup, a dunk, or a floater, or he would simply launch an attack from the low post and finish the offense with a back-to-the-basket move or a hook shot.

In short, Lin Tian once again unleashed his full range of skills, launching repeated attacks on the Mavericks' position from all corners and directions.

While Lin Tian continued to attack and score, the Mavericks did not give up the game, nor did they surrender easily.

Both James and Nowitzki delivered top-level performances once again in the third quarter.

James repeatedly drove to the basket to score, and his efficiency from mid-range and long-range was also quite good.

Nowitzki once again dominated the Lakers' frontcourt, going to the free-throw line seven times in the third quarter. Barnes picked up his fifth foul and left the game before the third quarter was over. The entire Lakers' power forward position was completely overwhelmed by Nowitzki.

James and Nowitzki scored 35 and 41 points respectively at the end of this quarter!
The two of them combined for 76 points in just three quarters!
No matter how you look at it, their firepower was absolutely explosive. They barely missed a shot in this quarter. They gave their all, and even the most cynical and mindless haters couldn't deny their performance at this moment.

This shows how well Nowitzki and James performed in this quarter.

But it wasn't enough. Their performance was so explosive, yet it still wasn't enough, and the score gap between the two sides widened.

At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers' lead reached 27 points once again!
It was before Nowitzki scored those nine consecutive points that the gap between the two teams was so large.

Despite facing a crazy Mavericks team, the Lakers beat them by 9 points in this quarter!
The Mavericks played so well but still lost, and the reason is actually quite simple.

The two core players' shooting percentages are not 100%.

That's the reason, which sounds incredibly ridiculous yet is also very simple.

In this quarter, both Nowitzki and James had shooting percentages exceeding 60%.

But they were facing a truly terrifying monster.

Lin Tian was unerring in this quarter!
12投12中，其中3分球4投全中，另外罚球线上也有4罚全中的表现！

Lin Tian scored a whopping 32 points in a single quarter!
He alone held off—no! It should be said that even with James and Nowitzki at full power, they couldn't withstand Lin Tian's firepower!

He single-handedly defeated the entire Mavericks team; he alone delivered a higher output than the entire team.

Under Lin Tian's relentless pressure, Nowitzki and James' efforts resembled those of a ship teetering on the edge of a tsunami, on the verge of being swept away by a single wave and sinking to the bottom of the sea. They had given it their all, and they had done an incredible job.

But that's still not enough.

Still couldn't save the team!

"That's insane! This is the craziest star-studded duel I've ever seen!" Miller exclaimed at the end of the third quarter, still buzzing with excitement. "Unbelievable! Absolutely insane!"

"One against two, and not just holding his own, but completely dominating! Unstoppable! That's Lin! The greatest player in NBA history!"

Van Gundy said, "In this quarter, all the tactics seemed so pale and powerless, all the tactics seemed so ridiculous. What tactical system, what team style, what coach's strategy, it was all a joke."

"In this quarter, both sides completely crushed the traditional, so-called basketball concepts and ideas."

"It's unreasonable. Both sides played irrationally in this quarter, with absolutely no tactics! Of course, if you want to use one-on-one star players as a tactic, then they executed that tactic perfectly."

"The ultimate high-octane duel!"

"Kobe and Durant haven't even taken a shot yet," Jackson added. "The Lakers have already beaten the Mavericks like this without Kobe and Durant even taking a shot. If those two start to explode in the fourth quarter, how many points will the Mavericks lose tonight?"

"Perhaps everyone is focused on the match on the field, but they haven't noticed the rotation of players on both sides."

"Kobe and Durant both went to the bench to rest with 5 minutes left in the third quarter! They rested earlier than usual, and the Lakers rotated out earlier as well."

"Jackson's plan is crystal clear."

"Lin, who played the entire third quarter, will rest in the fourth quarter, and there is a high probability that he will not play again tonight."

"But Kobe and Durant will come on early in the fourth quarter and completely kill the game!"

"All I can say is, it was a crazy night!" (End of Chapter)