NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

Wade's answer was so flawless and impeccable that even if the reporters wanted to stir up trouble and generate clicks, they couldn't find any loopholes in Wade's words to exploit.

What can they do? Say that Wade said Lin Tian insulted the entire league, that Lin Tian doesn't respect the entire league, that Wade said Lin Tian is arrogant?
Even Lin Tian would happily say: You're right, buddy, you're just that awesome!
That's just the kind of person he is.

Left with no other option, and seeing that they couldn't get Wade to tell the truth from the reporters, they had to change their approach and tactics.

A more direct approach.

"Devin, what are your thoughts on this series? Do you think you have a chance?"

This was already a compromise; the reporters wanted to hear Wade's tough words and determination, and then find something useful to report and send to Lin Tian.

They still haven't given up on stirring up trouble and creating drama before the game.

Because it all comes down to traffic and money.

Unfortunately, Wade's words were truly impeccable.

We won't give you a chance to cause trouble!

When faced with this question from a reporter, Wade said directly: "I can't tell you we have no chance, but I also won't tell you we're guaranteed to win. We certainly have some advantages, but the Knicks are indeed the team with the highest winning percentage in the regular season."

"Of course we hope to win this series, but we won't say anything if we lose. After all, Lin is the greatest player on the planet. Everyone wants to beat him, and everyone has been beaten by him. It's all perfectly normal."

"Let's wait and see how this series turns out."

……

What did he say?

The reporters looked at each other, realizing they couldn't understand what Wade was saying.

It's not that I can't understand it, but that I can't extract any information from it.

This guy talked for ages, and judging from his appearance, he could keep answering if the reporters asked more questions; he might even talk until dawn.

However, there were some useful parts to Wade's long speech...

None of them are unremarkable or lacking in quality.

There's nothing useful. Even a three-year-old who's just learned to speak can say a couple of useful sentences from all those words.

But Wade was able to say so much without using a single word.

It has to be said that this guy and Lin Tian are two extremes.

Lin Tian's words could support the entire North American sports media industry, and a single interview could keep American fans talking and excited for a week or two.

But what about Wade?

To put it simply, if we were to rely on him to write articles and make a fortune through his interviews, then the number of sports journalists in the United States would have to be reduced by at least half.

There's no food to eat, everyone has to change jobs, or they'll starve to death.

This kid is really something. He plays such an explosive game, yet he speaks so calmly. He doesn't reveal a single detail!
Thinking this through, the reporters were too lazy to ask any more questions. They figured that would be pointless anyway, and Wade wouldn't say anything meaningful until the series was over.

That's all for now, let's go home.

This kid isn't worth wasting even a minute of your time on.

As the reporters left, bored, the Cavaliers' locker room returned to silence.

The smile, kindness, ease, and sunshine that were just on Wade's face vanished instantly.

Instead, it is cold, fierce, excited, and serious.

"Everyone, form a circle." Wade clapped his hands, gathering his teammates, mainly Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Pau Gasol, together. "Everyone thinks we're doomed. Did those bastards really come here to ask us if we have confidence?"

"No! They don't care whether we have confidence or not. What they care about is stirring up trouble, creating problems, finding topics to mock and ridicule us! The moment I say that we will win, they will greet us with a barrage of ridicule."

“Overestimating our abilities, being self-righteous, and trying to stop a chariot with a mantis's arm will portray us as arrogant idiots and Don Quixotes trying to challenge windmills.”

"So I won't give them any chance to make us look like clowns, and I won't let my grand ambitions become the laughing stock of others!"

"Because I know that we may not be as good as them, and my words of certain victory may end up being nothing more than a joke."

"But is this a reason for us to give up? Because of this, should we abandon the competition and stop resisting?"

"Of course not! The more this is the case, the more we must fight with all our might and let everyone know how powerful we are!"

"So now, what I want to say is that I am actually full of confidence! I don't think we are without a fighting chance! So what if we have 76 wins in the regular season? That has nothing to do with the playoffs! In the playoffs, whether it's 76 wins or 56 wins, it's just that they have one more home game than us."

"Apart from that, they are not much stronger than us!"

"I will deal with Lin myself! I will fight with all my might and use everything I can to restrain and stop him!"

"Then, we'll unite, everyone will give it their all, and we'll win this game and this series! Any questions?"

"no!"

"Let everyone know that Cleveland is a small city, but the Cavaliers are a great team, and everyone here is incredibly great!"

"We are a great team!"

"Very good." Wade said, knowing it was about time. He held out his hand, waiting for everyone to put their hands together, and then said, "Let the world know how powerful we are! We will win!"

"Must win!"

Minutes later, as the Cavaliers players confidently strode into Madison Square Garden, a deluge of incredibly vulgar and offensive insults and profanities immediately reached their ears.

Wade, who was walking at the front, was able to act as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't seen or heard anything. But Gasol, who was behind him, did not have the same willpower and courage. This guy, who was called the number one softest player in the league by many people, visibly trembled.

"It's okay, Pau." Wade thoughtfully gave Gasol a nudge to perk him up: "Let the whole world know that your name is Pau Gasol, not Paul Gasol!"

"You are a one-of-a-kind Paul, not just another generic Paul!"

"Understood! Let's go, Devon!"

Gasol nodded, punched his chest with his fist, and then, with a determined look, ran onto the court.

"They seem prepared to fight back," Lin Tian said casually, as if he didn't take the Knights seriously at all. "Kill them!"

Lin Tian may look relaxed now, but if you've ever seen him train and how serious he is, you'll know that this guy takes the Cavaliers very seriously!

He would carefully watch the videos, study the weaknesses and strengths of each opponent, and think about how to limit them.

Under Lin Tian's guidance, everyone on the Knicks team is now extremely familiar with the Cavaliers.

They knew the Cavaliers' technical characteristics, personality traits, abilities, and many other things.

For example, their leader, Dwyane Wade, an All-Star starter-level superstar, entered the league in the same year as Carmelo Anthony and quickly earned the nickname "Flash" because of his open and aggressive playing style, fierce breakthroughs and super speed.

He excels at driving to the basket, possesses incredible finishing ability, and boasts top-tier strength, jumping ability, and speed in the league. Unlike many top scorers, Wade isn't selfish; he enjoys sharing the ball, passing, and getting his teammates involved in the game. Although this is only his fifth year, Wade displays a maturity and composure reminiscent of a 15-year NBA veteran.

Pau Gasol, the team's second-in-command, is a representative of the league's technical power forwards. He can do a lot of things. Apart from three-pointers, there seems to be no skill he is not good at on the court. He is a rare playmaker and playmaker in the paint.

The downside is that he lacks a tough guy's temperament; he's not like a man, he's as soft as a noodle.

Of course, there's also Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who has played for the Cavaliers since entering the league in 97.

He plays a low-key and unexciting style, making him easy to overlook. But if you give him an open shot at the last moment, he will definitely make you regret your decision!

The starting point guard is Delonte West, a tough player acquired from the SuperSonics before the trade deadline.

West is a fierce and tough defender, with simple and effective drives on offense, and a decent mid-range and long-range shot. He is definitely a very practical player with a heroic and fierce personality, and a fearless and reckless demeanor.

This guy is also Wade's most reliable perimeter defensive anchor on the Cavaliers. His most important task is to guard the opponent's perimeter core.

Finally, there's the Cavaliers' starting small forward, Alexander Pavlovic.

This European from Montenegro, while generally mediocre, also has his strengths.

He has extremely high basketball IQ and accurate shooting. Although his vertical physical attributes are average, he is not fast or high-jumping, but he is strong and muscular. His weight of over 100 kilograms means that he will never be at a disadvantage when matched up against heavy forwards, and he can also switch to defend the opponent's power forward from time to time.

The above five players constitute the Cavaliers' regular starting five. On the bench, the Cavaliers also have Anderson Varejao, nicknamed "Brazilian Oscar Winner".

Varejao has two strengths: he can grab rebounds and he can flop! He has a deep understanding of positioning, timing of his falls, and the posture and distance he slides when he falls. He is practically the league's number one expert at drawing offensive fouls!

In addition, the team also has Groo Gooden, the starting power forward for the past few years. This guy, who is accurate in shooting and good at rebounding, became a substitute after Gasol arrived, but he is still an important member of the team and has a lot of stable playing time.

Besides these players, the Cavaliers' bench also includes sharpshooter Damon Jones, Szczerbiak (who was acquired from the Timberwolves at a low price and has been plagued by injuries this season), and others who are all capable of playing!
The Cavaliers' roster this year is definitely not bad. If they hadn't faced the Knicks earlier, many people would have thought that this roster would have been able to put up a fight against the Celtics.

It's only when they face the Knicks that everyone thinks they have no hope.

"Not bad." Lin Tian nodded in satisfaction, then waved for the Knicks players who had just been gathered together to leave.

He had just tested these guys' knowledge of the Cavaliers to see if they were slacking off during tactical lessons and video analysis.

The result was good; these people were still able to recount the characteristics, preferences, weaknesses, and playing habits of the Cavaliers players in great detail.

As for how much of this knowledge can be applied to the game, and how much of it can be used to help them on the field, that depends on each player's understanding and study of the game.

Regardless, the Knicks did not underestimate their opponents or become overconfident. They carefully studied the Cavaliers, their game strategy, key players, and playing style.

In short, no matter how arrogant and conceited the Knicks and Lin Tian may appear to the outside world, they are extremely cautious and never let their guard down internally.

Strategically despise the opponent, but tactically take the enemy seriously.

The words of a great man are truly wise.

As the warm-up ended, the starting players from both sides took to the court. Both sides used their regular starting lineups. After all, it was the first game of the series, and even if adjustments were needed, they had to play a few games to see if they were necessary and how they should be made.

This time, both teams were unusually quiet and didn't say a word.

They know each other well. This isn't the first time the Cavaliers and Knicks have met in the playoffs. They both know who the other is, what kind of trash talk works, and what kind of trash talk is just a waste of breath.

So at this moment, both sides tacitly chose to remain silent.

They were like two packs of hungry, fierce, and experienced beasts, each waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity to tear their opponent to shreds!
"Dudu!"

As soon as the referee blew his whistle, Okur and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who had been on edge the whole time, jumped up at the same time. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, being a proper 7-foot tall man, easily won possession of the ball for his team after his high jump.

He slapped the basketball to West, who was still in good spirits. West quickly dribbled to the frontcourt and faced Lin Tian. Instead of passing the ball to Lin Tian like other role players, he turned his back to protect the ball and started calling out tactics.

The Cavaliers players quickly took their positions, with Gasol immediately moving to the free-throw line. West then quickly passed the ball to Gasol and began running according to the tactical route.

As for Wade, he started sprinting towards Gasol's position as soon as Gasol got the ball. After arriving next to Gasol, the two immediately passed the ball hand-off. Then Wade used the screen to move to the side and accelerated towards the basket!

Stoudemire hesitated for a moment when defending Gasol, whether to stick with Wade or continue to guard Gasol. That one moment cost him all his defensive opportunities.

Wade made a bounce pass, and Gasol had already started to cut to the basket. After getting the ball, he took a three-step layup and easily scored over Okur.

2: 0!

The Cavaliers started with their signature free-throw line play and Wade's pick-and-roll offense.

"They're going all out right from the start! Showing their ultimate moves right away," Lin Tian muttered under his breath, then became excited.

He felt that this game was going to be very exciting! The Cavaliers would definitely not surrender easily.

Too many games that are decided early and easily overturned can become tiresome. Sometimes, a few tough games are needed to give Lin Tian and the Knicks players a real workout and help them rediscover the feel and enjoyment of the game.

Once he arrived at the frontcourt, Lin Tian was naturally unwilling to be outdone!

If you Cavaliers come out and show off what you do best, then we'll do what we do best too!
Stoudemire understood Lin Tian's hand gesture and quickly stepped forward to screen for him. Lin Tian used the screen to move to one side, and at the same time, he noticed that Stoudemire had already accelerated as fast as he could and was sprinting towards the basket. As for Gasol, who was defending him...
Where is Gasol?

As Stoudemire accelerated, he delivered an elbow and a shoulder strike to Gasol, accompanied by a fierce growl.

This three-hit combo made Gasol swallow hard, and he unconsciously slowed down half a beat when defending, allowing Stoudemire to easily rush past him.

Lin Tian's pass arrived instantly. After receiving the ball, Stoudemire slammed it heavily on the floor and took off, slamming the ball into the basket with one hand!
"boom!"

After a loud bang, Stoudemire landed and originally wanted to run back to his own half of the court, but suddenly remembered their tactical arrangement, so he immediately turned around and found Gasol, raised his hands, and bulged out the muscles on his arms.

"Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Then came a series of beastly roars, one after another, sounding quite exaggerated.

But Gasol clearly falls for that!
Faced with Stoudemire's provocation, this guy didn't even dare to look Stoudemire in the eye. Instead, he lowered his head, turned to the side, and walked to the baseline to serve.

He looked exactly like a dejected, homeless dog.

This was also the Knicks' main tactical idea at the start of the game.

Bullying Gasol!
No matter what method you use, whether it's yelling, showing off, threatening or intimidating him, it's also acceptable to deal with him by using small tricks, fierce fouls, or tough physical confrontation.

In short, make Gasol afraid and make him feel the awful feeling of being bullied.

Everyone knows Gasol is soft, and the Knicks' goal today is to test just how soft Gasol really is, and how badly he'll be bullied before he retaliates.

Of course, Don Nelson's purpose in devising this tactic was not to see how Gasol would explode; he's not a saint. That's Wade's and Coach Brown's job.

Don Nelson's goal was to completely cripple Gasol!

Make him afraid and terrified, make him tremble whenever he sees Xiao Si and Lin Tian.

Free throw line playmaking? Top-tier post moves and finishing ability? First-rate shooting ability?

Save your breath! You won't be able to perform at all in this series!

That's Nelson's ultimate goal!
Turn Gasol into a sitting duck, cripple him completely! (End of Chapter)