NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

The Knicks substituted two key players, keeping Lin Tian on the court. This rotation method is clearly more like their previous seasons than this season's.

It can only be said that with the playoffs approaching and the allure of a historic regular season record, Don Nelson has begun to change his tactics.

The team is about to enter playoff mode early!
The Lakers also started their rotation, with Fisher, Kirilenko, and Durant going to the bench and Turiaf, Walton, and Farmar coming on.

Needless to say, the strength of this lineup is significantly weaker than the starting five, but the core of this lineup is quite obvious.

It's Kobe!
He no longer needs to think about organizing the team's offense or taking care of and instructing his teammates on the field.

Just do it!

Kobe and Bynum, one inside and one outside, will be the Lakers' main offensive weapons for the foreseeable future!

What a coincidence!

For the Knicks, it was also Lin Tian's time to shine.

"It's been a long time since we've faced off so directly." Lin Tian dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, and as he expected, the person he was matched up against was none other than Kobe!

"Didn't we just face off last month?" Kobe lowered his center of gravity, looking ready for battle. "Which bastard made the game-winning shot in the All-Star game?"

"I have a bad memory. Is this what you mean by a three-point game-winner?"

Lin Tian was talking and his hands were still moving. Suddenly he stopped and bent his knees slightly.

"You can't fool me, Lin!" Kobe shouted, unmoved, indicating that he had fallen for Lin's feints countless times and would not be fooled this time.

"Shh!"

But what greeted Kobe was Lin Tian's immediate and direct three-pointer that flew straight into the basket!

"I'm a very honest person, I never lie! I've never even told a lie, I don't even know how to lie." After scoring, Lin Tian shrugged and mocked Kobe, who couldn't even jump and could only watch him score.

"I never use those kinds of tricks, do you know why?" Kobe dribbled the ball up the court and looked at Lin Tian, ​​saying, "Because I'm strong enough! And taller than you!"

After Kobe finished speaking, he also slightly bent his knees and looked up at the basket.

Lin Tian's hand was already prepared. Based on experience, he slapped the ball towards the spot where Kobe would inevitably raise it!
He was confident that if Kobe dared to shoot, he would be 80% able to steal the ball!

"FUXX!" But unfortunately, Lin Tian miscalculated this time. Kobe, that bastard, has also learned to lie!

Instead of shooting, he took advantage of the moment Lin Tian reached for the ball to break through and then launched a mid-range pull-up jump shot.

"Shh!"

After the crisp sound, Kobe narrowed the gap to 1 point.

“有什么用？2分比3分少一分你不知道么？我进2个，你就得进3个。我进20个你就得进30个。”林天除了那句脏话之外，倒是完全没觉得怎么样。

Just kidding, this is Kobe at his peak, when his skills were fully developed. Who could stop him from scoring a single point?
Lin Tian felt that at the very least, one would need the bloodline of Pangu or the Hulk serum to possibly prevent a normal human at the peak of offensive ability like Kobe from scoring a single point.

Lin Tian's own abilities are simply not enough.

But clearly, Lin Tian couldn't stop Kobe, but Kobe definitely couldn't stop Lin Tian either!
Lin Tian suddenly stopped again beyond the three-point line, then slightly bent his knees, pretending to shoot directly. This time, Kobe finally fell for it! Although he didn't jump directly and was faked out by Lin Tian, ​​his upward footwork and center of gravity were enough for Lin Tian to complete the breakthrough!
"Whoosh!"

In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian darted past Kobe and accelerated to the basket. Facing Bynum protecting the rim, Lin Tian once again pulled up completely, raised the basketball high with his right hand, and in the instant before colliding with Bynum, Lin Tian suddenly and incredibly switched the ball from his right hand to his left hand in mid-air!

This sudden mid-air hand switch thwarted all of Bynum's defensive expectations, leaving him unable to make a block. He could only watch as Lin Tian used his left hand to bypass his defense and then slammed the ball into the basket!
"boom!"

"I almost forgot about you, dear Andrew." After his second dunk over Bynum tonight, Lin Tian said casually, "Our business isn't over yet. Don't forget, beating you up is the main course tonight, Kobe is just a side dish!"

"Come on! Let me see you do one more!" Ten seconds later, Kobe received the ball in the low post, and after a series of aggressive drives towards Lin Tian, ​​he suddenly turned around and, taking advantage of his nearly 10-centimeter height, practically chased Lin Tian and forced the ball into the basket!

"I'm here tonight to beat up Anthony, and beating you up is just a side effect!"

Kobe was completely ignited when he scored again; facing Lin Tian always made him feel passionate.

34: 33!

The Knicks are still leading by one point.

"I've never seen anyone so arrogant when they're behind." Lin Tian glanced at the last 39 seconds, caught the basketball, and slowly advanced towards the frontcourt: "Fine, I'll grant your wish. Tell me, how many points do you want to be behind at the end of the first quarter? 3 points, 5 points, or maybe 7 points?"

"I want to be down by 58 points, go ahead and try! Come on! Try it!" Kobe was completely unfazed, continuing to lower his center of gravity and sticking tightly to Lin Tian.

This time, Kobe's defense was at its most focused, most desperate, and most tireless. He stuck to Lin Tian from the backcourt, and no matter what methods and rhythms Lin Tian used, he couldn't completely shake Kobe off.

It was another textbook example of perimeter defense.

From footwork, timing, positioning, and never stealing the ball or attempting to force a breakthrough, Kobe's execution was almost perfect.

This guy's defense is really fierce!
In the 24-second shot clock, Kobe's defense in the first 18 seconds was practically perfect, even preventing Lin Tian, ​​who was playing one-on-one with him, from getting to the three-point line.

Then, with only 6 seconds left on the shot clock, Lin Tian suddenly dribbled backwards, then performed two seemingly effortless crossover dribbles before looking at Kobe and saying, "Not bad defense, Kobe."

"But do you know, I haven't even used my full strength yet!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? You're completely helpless! You can't break through..."

Kobe paused mid-sentence.

Because Lin Tian achieved a breakthrough.

He accelerated immediately, using his unparalleled speed in the league, no... in the world, to completely blow past Kobe in one step and then drive into the paint.

This time, Bynum was smarter. Knowing that Lin Tian would definitely try to dunk on him again, he stopped guarding the basket and instead stepped forward, blocking Lin Tian outside the three-second zone.

"Very smart," Lin Tian praised, "but far from enough!"

After saying that, Lin Tian faced Bynum's defense and made an easy floater. The basketball slid in an arc that seemed to have been planned and programmed beforehand, and fell precisely into the basket.

The gap is still 3 points!
"Do you know the best way to beat your opponent, Kobe? I can teach you, this lesson is free." With 16 seconds left, Lin Tian once again stuck to Kobe and put him under full-court pressure: "The way is to pretend that he can stop you, pretend that you have no other options and have been forced into a corner."

"Then, just when he thinks he's about to win, he suddenly reveals his trump card and delivers a fatal blow!"

"So? Don't you also think this is the best way to eliminate the opponent?"

"Not good." Kobe's face was gloomy. How could he not know at this point that he had been tricked?

He couldn't be bothered to respond to Lin Tian anymore. All he wanted to do now was score a goal in the last 16 seconds so that the team could go into the second quarter tied or trailing by only one point.

After dribbling the ball all the way to the frontcourt, Kobe cautiously looked for opportunities while also being wary of Lin Tian's attempts to steal the ball and foul him.

But as time went on, Kobe eventually found his most comfortable offensive position.

With 5 seconds left in the first quarter, Kobe suddenly accelerated laterally from the wing, dribbling the ball all the way towards the center arc. Lin Tian maintained his defensive position, always standing in front of Kobe.

Lin Tian's defense also made Kobe's lateral dribbling less effective. The more he dribbled, the further he got from the three-point line. When he reached the top of the arc in front of the basket, he was more than 2 meters away from the three-point line!

It's impossible to squeeze in!

Then I won’t go in.

Kobe was determined, gritting his teeth, and suddenly stopped and pulled up from 2 meters beyond the three-point line. At this moment, he wasn't even facing the basket directly; his entire body only began to rotate to face the basket after he jumped. Then, without hesitation, Kobe took the shot, a super long buzzer-beating three-pointer flying towards the basket.

Lin Tian was shorter than Kobe, so it was difficult for him to block the shot in this head-on confrontation. All he could do was to make Kobe's body twist as much as possible, make his shot as awkward as possible, and make him as far away from the basket as possible.

From this perspective, Lin Tian's defense on that ball was practically perfect.

But Kobe's touch and his incredible luck in the final moments should not be underestimated.

Even though Lin Tian's defense couldn't be tighter, Kobe still made the shot!

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, Kobe hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer from way beyond the arc!
36: 36!

The score is tied, and the second quarter begins!

"Stimulate!"

"nice!"

"Wonderful!"

"Kobe! Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!"

After that shot went in, the Staples Center crowd went wild. Everyone was screaming and shouting. Kobe's shot was so inspiring, and it made them feel once again: Although we don't have Lin, we have Kobe!

The best shooting guard in this league!

Of course, almost all Lakers fans also believe that Kobe is the second best player in the league.

Once Lin Tian retires this year, next year will be the era of our Lakers!

Fans were brimming with confidence because of Kobe's almost unstoppable performance in the first quarter, and they were eagerly anticipating the rest of the game.

"That's all the Lakers are capable of. They've run out of ammunition." During the break, Lin Tian said casually, "Kobe scored 21 points in the first quarter and barely managed to tie us with luck. He can't maintain that efficiency every quarter."

"His performance will definitely start to decline as his physical strength decreases. As for us, we've only just begun!"

"Mero, how are you?"

"I will learn to be a leader! I will strive to become better!" Carmelo Anthony, clearly having received a moral lesson from Don Nelson, stood up and declared, "I won't lose to Amare! We will compete healthily together and work together to become the team's leaders next season!"

"I won't do anything like having two captains or two leaders." Old Nelson shrugged when he saw Lin Tian looking at him. "A team needs to have a king and a queen! I believe these two guys won't fight over this crap."

"They certainly deserve our trust, don't they?"

“Of course!” Anthony and Stoudemire nodded at the same time. The two guys’ playing styles may not be very compatible, but their personalities are indeed a good match. They have been working together for so many years and have a deep friendship.

Whether they click on the court or not, they definitely click off the court. These two are unlikely to fall out over things like tactical or team status.

"Then go for it!" Lin Tian gave the two a high five, then sat down on the bench: "The second quarter is all up to you!"

In the second quarter, both teams entered a rotation phase. For the Lakers, Kobe and Bynum rested, while Durant, Kirilenko, and Fisher, the three starters, came on with Vujacic and Mihm as substitutes.

This lineup is obviously centered around Durant. The team also paired Durant with the experienced veteran Fisher and the versatile player Kirilenko. With these two players and Durant, along with shooters and role players, Durant can definitely play to his full potential!

For the Knicks, it was naturally time for the Anthony-Stoudemire duo to shine.

With the two teams rotating their lineups, they began their head-to-head battle!

“Amaré and Melo are being a bit too modest.” Lin Tian sat next to old Nelson, saying that he was really worried about the future of the team: “They both played a bit hesitantly, they were too eager to share the ball, and they were too focused on integrating their teammates into the team.”

“But we can’t say anything to them,” Nelson shrugged. “Anyone, any player, has to go through this. They have to struggle between the options of ‘I want to be more selfish’ and ‘I need to get my teammates involved.’”

"There is no absolute right or wrong. They have to find their own balance, make their own choices and judgments! When to pass and when to shoot, they have to figure these things out for themselves."

“We can remind them, we can encourage and help them, but ultimately, they have to rely on themselves.”

"I believe they will grow. People who are used to winning will not easily relax and choose to keep failing. They cannot accept that."

While Don Nelson and Lin Tian were chatting off the court, Anthony and Stoudemire were playing rather poorly on the court. Just as Lin Tian and Don Nelson said, both of them were overcorrecting.

They were too selfless, as if they were competing to see who could take fewer shots and share the ball more. Both of them kept passing the ball around, while their own offense was minimal.

However, if these two had Lin Tian's vision and passing ability, it wouldn't matter if they were beaten like this, as they could always find open spaces.

However, the combined vision of these two is probably not as broad as Lin Tian's, and their passing techniques and skills are also inferior to Lin Tian's, so although they are passing the ball, the effect is extremely poor.

The timing, target, angle, and force of the pass can all cause problems from time to time.

On the other hand, the Lakers played with great determination and directness during this phase!

After Kobe left the game, the Lakers focused solely on feeding Durant the ball, with everyone else concentrating on assisting him, setting screens, and creating opportunities for him.

This simple and direct style of play is sometimes best suited for rookies like Durant who need room to grow.

Although his efficiency is just so-so, he is still a scorer with historically great talent, so he should have the confidence he needs, especially on the court.

So Durant played more and more freely and confidently. In the middle of the second quarter, after hitting two consecutive mid-range jump shots, he even made a breakthrough dunk, directly dunking over the Knicks' physically explosive Smith!
This shot once again showed Los Angeles fans Durant's potential, and they have even higher expectations for the Kevin-Kobe duo!

With both teams' players gaining and losing ground, one side improving while the other remained stagnant, the Lakers gradually extended their lead.

43: 49!

Halfway through the second quarter, the Lakers had a six-point lead!

Seeing this, Don Nelson stopped letting Lin Tian rest and sent him back onto the court. Along with Lin Tian, ​​besides Okur and Wallace, there were also Kobe and Bynum from the Lakers!

Both sides will face off with their starting lineups once again!
Lin Tianyi's appearance on the court had a remarkable effect. His offensive desire was exceptionally strong tonight, and he immediately made a three-pointer after a change of direction.

Bynum, who had just come on, missed a strong shot under the basket. Lin Tian grabbed the rebound and launched a fast break, driving to the basket and scoring a layup while drawing a foul from Fisher!
2+1!

In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian tied the score with a 3-pointer and a 2+1 play in less than 40 seconds! The Lakers' efforts in the first half of the quarter vanished in an instant, and the two sides were once again on equal footing.

49: 49!

Fortunately for the Los Angeles fans, the new duo of Kobe and Bynum quickly got into form and showed excellent chemistry.

Whether it was Kobe's pick-and-roll followed by a direct isolation play, his drive and dish, or his spacing to let Bynum take the shot, he scored on all of them.

The Lakers' scoring remained steady and improved, maintaining their form from the first half of the game.

The Knicks' offense was also quite effective. After Lin Tian returned, their offense became decisive and simple. Whether it was Lin Tian making a personal attack, breaking through and passing the ball, or trying to attract double teams and then setting up his teammates, their play was fluid and very entertaining!

The two teams, both known for their flashy and attractive playing styles, went head-to-head in the latter part of the second quarter, with the score fluctuating back and forth. Neither side was able to pull ahead, and the score remained tied until the end of the second quarter.

The two teams were tied again in the second quarter!
66: 66!

An incredibly auspicious number! (End of Chapter)