NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

After that frantic running and dunking and blocks by the backcourt players from both sides, the players on both sides suddenly calmed down and stopped their previous continuous, frantic, anaerobic exercise.

"They truly are top-tier stars! Their control of the rhythm is simply amazing! After an extremely fast-paced offense and defense, they can calm down in the blink of an eye and return to half-court offense!" Barkley said, "That's Lin! That's the best superstar in the NBA!"

"What if Lin continues to play fast, pushing the pace and counter-attacking?" Payton immediately raised a crucial question.

"He's also one of the best stars in the NBA. He calmly decided to use his strengths and advantages in fast breaks and transition offense and defense to defeat the Western Conference team and catch up in the score as quickly as possible!"

Barkley was utterly shameless, changing his tune without hesitation.

"Shameless!"

Regardless of their relationship with Lin Tian, ​​the other three all sent their blessings to Barkley.

The match between the two sides officially entered its most intense phase at this point!
Both sides went back and forth, neither giving an inch, giving their all and contributing everything they had. They brought out everything they could, and everyone was trying their best to demonstrate their energy.

Fans were completely captivated. This kind of top-level star showdown, a real, all-out battle, is definitely worth the wait – you might not get another chance like it even after ten years!

The score was rising rapidly for both sides, but this meant that the East team was unable to effectively close the gap.

Until five minutes into the fourth quarter, the score difference between the two teams was still 15 points!
In the past few minutes, they have only managed to close the gap to 3 points!
151:136!
The Western Conference team has too many weapons, and they have too many players who can score and handle the ball. In that recent back-and-forth battle, the Eastern Conference team definitely gave it their all, but they just couldn't effectively close the gap.

"Pause!" At this moment, Old Nelson decisively requested a timeout.

He's changing tactics!
Since attacking back and forth isn't effective in closing the gap, let's try a different approach!

You can attack, right? You can break through our defenses, right? Then let's replace them with a defenses you can't break through!

"Lin, Devin, Brandon, Tim, Dwight," Old Nelson quickly called out five names. "The five of you will come up next!"

"Now that all five of you are coming at us together, you know what our main focus is, right?"

"Defense! Pick and roll! Positional warfare!"

Don Nelson shouted a slogan he hadn't uttered in at least 20 years: "Slow down the pace, grind it down one ball at a time, take it one step at a time! Don't rush, don't rush!"

"Maintain a high success rate and keep the number of rounds short! Let's catch up slowly, one point at a time!"

With Nelson's instructions, the East team players had already taken to the court.

The five players from the West also took to the court almost simultaneously.

Nash, Kobe, James, Garnett, and Shaq!

At this point in the game, Karl chose to use the starting lineup again!

He ultimately opted for a more All-Star and more conservative approach, unlike Don Nelson who fielded a targeted lineup.

Lin Tian received the inbound pass from his teammate, stood at the top of the arc, and waited for his teammate to get into position. Then, without hesitation, he passed the ball to Duncan.

Let Duncan go and play against Garnett!

This is the biggest and most obvious advantage the Eastern team has right now, besides Lin Tian versus Nash!
It's not that Duncan was much better than Garnett, but rather that the two players had completely different characteristics.

Garnett excels at help defense, rotation defense, and big men guarding small men, but he has never been able to handle heavy centers.

Duncan happens to be the opponent he is least good at and cannot handle.

Duncan had a lot of experience dealing with Garnett. After taking two steps back, he suddenly made a feint, half-turned, and then used a side hook shot.

Garnett was completely overwhelmed by Duncan's attack and had no chance to stop him, so he could only watch as Duncan easily scored 2 points.

"Karl needs to make a substitution, or change the matchup. If Duncan keeps going one-on-one against Garnett, the East team's success rate is too high!" Kenny immediately gave his advice after watching the round.

"Having Garnett guard Howard, who has almost no one-on-one ability, and handing Duncan over to O'Neal, is definitely a more suitable matchup combination."

No sooner had Kenny finished speaking than the Western team's attack reached the frontcourt.

The ball was quickly passed to O'Neal, and the matchups on the Eastern side were clearly much smarter: Duncan against O'Neal, and Howard against Garnett.

If Shaquille O'Neal were to beat Dwight Howard, it would be just as easy as Duncan beating Kevin Garnett.

O'Neal dribbled and pushed the ball aggressively toward the inside, then did a back turn toward the baseline, but Duncan had already positioned himself in front of him. Frustrated, and seeing that the baseline was blocked, O'Neal had no choice but to turn toward the baseline again.

But this time Lin Tian's double-team had arrived, and faced with this sudden double-team, O'Neal could only quickly gather the ball and barely manage a shot.

"Boom!"

He suddenly changed his shooting method, so the basketball wasn't as stable, and his hook shot, which was very close, bounced off the rim.

Howard's terrifying physical abilities erupted instantly. He leaped high, almost overpowering Garnett, and grabbed the rebound. Then, the guy knew very well that his passing ability was negligible and his accuracy was quite poor.

So after landing, he didn't rush to pass the ball, but instead waved his elbows, waiting for his teammates to receive it.

Howard only handed the ball to Lin Tian steadily after the Western team had all retreated.

Upon arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian immediately noticed that the West team still hadn't made any substitutions!
Then what was he hesitating for? He passed the ball to Duncan in the paint once again, letting Duncan bully Garnett.

Duncan didn't disappoint, turning around and making a layup! After two consecutive baskets, the Eastern Conference team had narrowed the gap to 11 points!

"Switch! Switch!" Kobe clapped his hands anxiously, "Kevin, you fucking go guard Howard!"

"Got it!" Garnett looked grim after being hit twice in a row, but he knew his weaknesses and didn't try to be brave by saying he would continue to defend. Instead, he gritted his teeth and nodded.

Then on the offensive end, Garnett took the initiative to stand next to Nash immediately, set a screen for him, and then quickly cut to the basket.

Then Nash's basketball came at just the right time. Garnett received the ball and immediately pulled up for a shot. This time, his signature high-post jump shot finally went in!

An 13-point gap!

Immediately after Lin Tian dribbled the ball to the frontcourt again, he noticed that the Western team had changed their defensive matchup.

Then Lin Tian quickly patted his head and called Duncan out from the inside!
O'Neal hesitated for a moment. He had long since stopped doing this kind of work that caused delays after a pick-and-roll!
Especially considering his age and weight, even if he wanted to do it, he probably wouldn't be able to!
This hesitation immediately gave Lin Tian a huge opening.

Lin Tian didn't hesitate any longer. With no one guarding him beyond the three-point line, he pulled up and shot!

As for Nash, who was matched up against him?

Even if you kill Nash, he still won't be able to escape Duncan's screen and interfere with Lin Tian's shot!

He wouldn't do that.

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, Lin Tian hit a three-pointer, bringing the gap between the two sides to 10 points!
In the Western Conference's offensive possession, the ball was passed around to Nash. Nash took two steps toward the basket, then stopped abruptly and lay back, forcing a shot with a wide arc that was impossible to block.

Lin Tian was already on guard against Nash's move, so he didn't defend Nash head-on at all, and Nash's back kick couldn't stop his defense at all.

Lin Tian approached Nash from the side, then leaped high and slapped the basketball that Nash had just released!

"German!"

Then, as Lin Tian landed, he let out another roar and flung the ball away.

Wade once again moved with lightning speed, sprinting wildly towards the frontcourt. After grabbing the ball, he dribbled only one step before pulling up for a dunk to end the play! "Thwack!"

But this time, Wade was blocked again!
James sprinted back to defend down the middle, jumped from behind Wade, and slapped Wade's dunk away.

"Me too!" Roy arrived just then, grabbed the basketball and was about to jump up, but he didn't expect Garnett to follow behind him. The 'Wolf King' raised his arm and gave the young man a good whack!
The basketball bounced off the backboard again, then rebounded rapidly, flying towards the Western Conference's three-point line.

Lin Tian arrived just in time, grabbed the basketball, and then stepped back from the three-point line.

Kobe had already quickly closed in on Lin Tian, ​​not giving him any chance to shoot.

But Lin Tian never hesitates to make a move regardless of whether his opponent is defending properly.

If I want to throw it, I can throw the ball out in a minute!

A step beyond the three-point line, Lin Tian used a crossover to create half a body distance, then forcefully pulled up and shot over Kobe, who was at least 7-8 centimeters taller than him!
"Shh!"

After that crisp sound, Lin Tian scored two more baskets, and with his two three-pointers, the Eastern team narrowed the gap to 7 points!
"pause!"

At this point, Karl really couldn't sit still anymore. He quickly stood up, waved his hand, and called a timeout. First, he needed to adjust the lineup and bring in some players who were more suitable for the game at this time. Second, he also needed to disrupt Lin Tian's shooting touch.

After all, everyone knows that once Lin Tian goes berserk, he is simply unstoppable!
Lin Tian played fairly well in the first three quarters tonight, without really going all out. But in the fourth quarter, he suddenly transformed into a war god, hitting one shot after another!

Those two three-pointers alone were enough to send chills down the spines of everyone who supports the West!
If they don't call a timeout now, who knows how many more three-pointers Lin Tian might make? Logically and emotionally, the Western Conference needs to call a timeout to stabilize the situation.

"Good defense!" Old Nelson stood by the bench, giving each player a high-five and encouraging them. Then, looking at his own players, he said, "They'll definitely make some adjustments to the lineup, but I think it'll probably just be minor tweaks."

"Nash will almost certainly be replaced by this old idiot, and then Billups, who can defend, will be brought in. In addition, he will also likely bring in a heavy big man to defend our twin towers in the paint. Most likely it will be Milicic."

"So, if I'm not mistaken, their next lineup will be Billups, Kobe, James, Milicic, and O'Neal!"

"An incredibly solid lineup; just by looking at the names and the players' appearances, you can tell they're definitely good at positional play."

"So next, we'll continue with our best strategy: fast counter-attacks! Speed ​​and space are our two most important elements going forward. I want you to pursue the ultimate in space and speed! If you can run, then run! If you have the chance, then go all out and make your move!"

"Run! Understand? Everyone, charge forward at full speed! Don't give them any chance to recover! Send in heavy forces? Let them know the power of our relentless bombardment!"

"Lin! Devin! Brandon! Melo and Dwight, all five of you, charge! Get the tempo up and running!"

"understand!"

Old Nelson spoke with absolute certainty, and the players in the East naturally had no objections. At this point in the game, everyone had forgotten about their plan to ambush Lin Tian, ​​to slack off on the court, and ruin Lin Tian's last All-Star game.

Now, we must fight to the death! We must win!

For no other reason than that I'm just excited and fired up right now!
When the timeout ended, the Eastern Conference players were immediately delighted to see the Western Conference roster!

Old Nelson was absolutely right!
Shaquille O'Neal, Darko Milicic, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Chauncey Billups!

A super-heavy lineup.

"This... at this moment, both sides have picked up two completely opposite lineups!" Barkley looked at the lineups on both sides and felt like his brain was about to burn out: "One side has one big man and four small men, which is obviously a fast lineup that is going to rush and shoot."

"On the other side, however, is a heavyweight lineup of all strong men."

Kenny added, "The changes these two lineups have brought to both sides are obvious, and it's quite easy to guess what tactics they will use next. But there's one thing I just can't figure out."

"Did Old Nelson see through Karl, or did Karl guess Old Nelson's lineup? After all, both lineups are top-tier! Theoretically, they counter each other, and it's impossible to tell who will gain the upper hand!"

"I think we'll only know who's really in control when the game starts again!" Miller added. "Sometimes what the coach thinks is completely opposite to what they actually do on the court."

"Everything depends on actual combat!"

As Miller finished speaking, both teams had already taken their positions.

The Western Army has begun its attack!

James waved the ball, signaling Milicic to come up and set a screen for him.

Milicic rushed forward quickly, but after James made the screen, he found that Roy, who was a size smaller than him, was still in the same spot and did not move forward to block his shot at all.

It's clear that the Eastern Conference really isn't planning on defending LeBron James's shots tonight!
If you can vote us to death, then we'll accept it!

This defensive strategy in the East will prevent James from getting a single pick-and-roll. They won't switch or push screens to give you space. Although this kind of defense looks quite perfunctory and full of loopholes, it is really effective against someone like James who doesn't have a shot!
It can directly eliminate all pick-and-roll plays.

Five years from now, James might be able to dominate with his shooting, but right now, he doesn't even have confidence in himself!

So after a slight hesitation, James still chose to drive hard, forcefully pushing Roy aside in two steps, and then took a close-range jump shot.

"Shh!"

This time, James finally found his rhythm, making the shot and further widening the gap for his team.

But after scoring, James forgot how fast the Eastern Conference's lineup of one big man and four small men was!
After scoring, he even thought about pounding his chest in celebration!
But before the first punch even reached his chest, the ball had already been served from the baseline, and Lin Tian was already charging towards the frontcourt with the ball!

The Western defense was on edge, and Lin Tian, ​​who scored 6 consecutive points, was seen as a greater threat than everyone else on the Eastern team!

So when Lin Tian charged into the frontcourt and drove straight to the three-point line without stopping, the Western defense instantly tightened up, with three players blocking Lin Tian's path from three directions. But Lin Tian didn't stop at all, and made a low-hand pass. The basketball arced and flew to the other wing.

Roy received the ball outside the three-point line with no one in front of him. This young top shooting guard, nicknamed "Yellow Mamba," didn't hesitate and launched the shot without hesitation!

"Shh!"

With a crisp click, Roy finally hit his first three-pointer of the night!

"Great shot, Brandon!" Lin Tian shouted, raising his arms in celebration! This three-pointer narrowed the gap to six points! The Eastern Conference team's chance was within reach!

Meanwhile, the western troops did not rush to advance; they completely slowed down their pace.

After all, the East needs more time and space right now, while the West's burly and muscular lineup is obviously best played slowly for the best results!
Billups dribbled to the frontcourt and then executed the exact same play as before.

Milic stood next to Lin Tian, ​​blocking him.

Completely different from before, Billups has a top-tier three-point shooting ability in the league. At this moment, Lin Tian dared not give him any space at all. Instead, he desperately squeezed through the screen to prevent Billups from shooting directly!

Then Billups dribbled quickly, took two steps back to create distance, and then bounced the ball to Milicic.

After Milicic received the ball, he actually looked down at the floor, then dribbled backwards, walked out of the three-point line, and pulled up for a shot!

"A three-pointer! Milicic actually has a three-point shot? Unbelievable! Has he ever shot a three-pointer in the regular season?" Kenny exclaimed in disbelief.

In this day and age, let alone inside players, there are quite a few outside players who never shoot three-pointers.

After all, it's impossible to maintain consistency when you're so far from the basket. Many old-school coaches don't even practice three-pointers in training sessions!

The widespread adoption of three-pointers will have to wait a few more years.

Therefore, Milicic's 3 points inevitably drew everyone's attention and exclamations.

"Shh!"

Then, a crisp sound!
Milicic, the big man from Europe, hit his first three-pointer of the night! (End of Chapter)