NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

"What did I say, German? You do it yourself, don't let your guys die for nothing." After the dunk, Lin Tian turned to Wade and said, "If you come, at least you won't be so embarrassed, right?"

"Shut up, Lin! It's only 2 points! It's only 2 points!" Wade looked at Lin Tian, ​​his expression still firm.

"Both are 2 points? No difference?" Lin Tian smiled and placed both hands to his ears simultaneously, listening intently to the utter silence. "Then where's the sound? Are you watching some kind of mime performance here? Why is there no sound at all?"

"Give me some noise! ​​When I was playing around with kids in high school, the noise I heard was 10 times louder than your fans!"

"So here's the question: are your fans completely unenthusiastic and don't love the game at all, or did my dunk silence them? Huh? You call that a regular 2 points?"

Lin Tian's words left Wade speechless.

There was nothing they could do; the fans at the stadium were completely silent. Even now, they hadn't recovered from the shock of Lin Tian's play, and they could still feel a sense of disbelief.

Too scary!

Why isn't a player like that on our team?
When Wade arrived at the frontcourt, he was facing a defender who was a head taller than him, but Wade has always been good at dealing with such tall defenders!

He's fast and incredibly strong! To defend against him, you need to have top-notch speed, anticipate his next move and timing, block his breakthroughs, and withstand his physical presence!
If you lack either of these two things, you'll either be blown past by Wade in one step, or even if you can keep up with him, he'll easily push you aside and then crush you into the paint step by step.

Top scorers need to have both of these advantages to be able to achieve unstoppable results against the vast majority of defenders in the league.

For example, tonight, when Lin Tian wasn't guarding him and wasn't marking him, Wade got past Wallace in just one step, just like Lin Tian got past West! Because although Wallace is strong and has explosive jumping ability, his lateral movement speed is indeed not fast enough.

He has a hard time keeping up with a top-tier swingman like Wade.

Therefore, he was easily beaten by Wade in one step.

Wade followed Lin Tian's example, driving straight into the paint. After jumping, he faced Okur who came to help defend. Wade dodged and weaved in the air, and after a collision, he flicked his arm lightly. The basketball curved around Okur's fingers and obediently went into the basket!
"See, I told you, it's all 2 points, there's no difference!" Wade looked at Lin Tian and said firmly, "Tonight's game will definitely not be that easy, Lin! We won't let you take the victory so easily!"

“That’s your business,” Lin Tian said casually. “There’s something I haven’t told you, Devin: we don’t care what you think or do, because it won’t bother us or cause us any trouble.”

"The gap in strength between us is too big!"

"We'll see! Come on, Lin, let's have another one-on-one! Let's see who has the stronger firepower!" This time, Wade said as he moved quickly, arriving next to Wallace in the blink of an eye.

They said they'd switch on defense, and they're doing it today! Wade won't give Lin Tian even the slightest chance.

"I won't!" Lin Tian snorted. "You want me to fight you one-on-one? Fine, I'll fight you one-on-one!"

As he spoke, Lin Tian easily passed the ball to Anthony.

"I almost forgot the tactics the coach set up a few days ago." Lin Tian smirked, then stood casually at the top of the key, shouting to his teammates to pay attention to space and remember to give Anthony room.

Meanwhile, he kept a close eye on the real-time situation on Anthony's side to decide whether to make a run, provide support, or simply stand and watch.

Lin Tian's choice depends entirely on whether Anthony can dominate Pavlovic tonight.

As for Anthony, if you put him against some of the top-tier wing defenders, or guys who are bigger and faster than him, he might have an off night.

But against Pavlovic, who was comparable in physical strength but far inferior in speed, as long as he was in good condition and had enough confidence and opportunity, he could definitely kill Pavlovic!

After all, Anthony is known as an offensive kaleidoscope!
In his first matchup against Pavlovic, Anthony pulled out his signature move: after receiving the ball in the mid-range, he turned directly to face the basket, but instead of dribbling, he kept tapping the ground with one foot, looking for an opportunity.

Then Anthony suddenly stepped his left foot to the left, and then slapped the basketball from his left hand to the right. This was clearly a classic crossover dribble.

Just as Pavlovic moved toward Anthony's right side, trying to block Anthony's attack, Anthony's right hand slapped the basketball just as it bounced up.

The basketball then immediately changed course and flew back to the left.

A super low-altitude double frontal change of direction!

The movement wasn't large, but it was quite sudden!
At least Pavlovic didn't react at all and didn't catch up with the ball. He only had time to turn around and watch Anthony slip past him before pulling up for a beautiful jump shot!
"Shh!"

After a crisp sound, Anthony was clearly in much better form tonight than in the third game a few days ago, easily scoring the first basket of the night.

This successful shot allowed Nelson, who was on the sidelines, to breathe a slight sigh of relief.

At least for now, starting the game tonight by focusing on Anthony is the right strategy!
Because in Don Nelson's plan, the Cavaliers would most likely focus their defense on Lin Tian and Stoudemire, especially after seeing Wade not match up against Lin Tian, ​​Nelson was even more convinced of his idea!

Compared to one-on-one defense, Wade is clearly better at help defense and filling in gaps in defense.

His speed, awareness, defensive instincts, and ruthlessness make him more suited for help defense than one-on-one with Lin Tian.

Preventing Wade from facing off against Lin Tian would free up Wade and the Cavaliers' most mobile help defender.

Even if Wade helps out on defense, his focus will definitely be on the paint and on Lin Tian and Stoudemire, so he can't devote too much energy to Anthony.

After all, logically speaking, attacking Lin Tian relentlessly and letting Stoudemire continue to bully Gasol would be the most efficient and intelligent choice for the Knicks tonight.

But Nelson refused!

Even though Anthony's performance in this series has been quite average, with a field goal percentage of only 41% in the first three games and a significantly lower average score than Stoudemire and Lin Tian, ​​and he currently lacks passing and defensive attributes.

At least in this series, he was the most easily overlooked of the three musketeers.

Therefore, Don Nelson wanted to target Anthony, and he wanted Anthony to single out and destroy Pavlovic.

Even though Anthony wasn't in good form before, he believed Anthony could do it.

Because Don Nelson knew better than anyone else that Anthony's poor performance in the first three games was due to the tactics not favoring him, and his opportunities to handle the ball and take one-on-one shots were pitifully few.

This guy is out of his element, but he's sacrificed a lot for the team.

But tonight, Don Nelson is going to fully unleash this one-on-one monster and offensive kaleidoscope!

This time, Gasol was much more proactive on the Cavaliers' offense, unlike in the previous three games when he looked dejected and easy to bully!

First, he moved directly to the high post and set a pick-and-roll with Wade. Then, instead of quickly slipping away after setting the screen, he turned around quickly and used his back to block Stoudemire, then kept moving towards the inside.

Wade's pass came incredibly fast. Gasol backed down Stoudemire, grabbed the ball, and before Stoudemire could even open his mouth to yell at him, Gasol slammed his left elbow into Stoudemire's chest. Then, just as Stoudemire thought he would turn in that direction, Gasol suddenly spun quickly to the right. He completely bypassed Stoudemire and easily drove to the basket. Although Okur quickly came to help defend, what was Gasol's vision?
This guy made a low pass and passed the ball to Big Z behind Okur.

When Big Z received the ball, there was no one around him. The Lithuanian giant jumped 5 centimeters from the spot and then put the ball into the basket with both hands!

A soft thud was heard; it was Big Z's dunk, which was indeed utterly devoid of any visual appeal.

But it's still a solid 2 points!
"It's here! The Cavaliers' signature inside-out play! The style of play they've been trying to pull off since the Webber Kemp era is finally back!" Kenny shouted. "Of course, what's even more exciting than a mediocre dunk is Gasol's performance!"

"He's no longer afraid of contact; he even actively engages in it. He's playing the kind of game the Cavaliers want him to play. If he had played like this in the previous three games, the Cavaliers might have had a chance to win a game!"

"Let's see if Gasol can maintain this toughness! If Gasol can get going, his playmaking and post skills will cause huge problems for the Knicks' entire defense!"

Miller added, "That's right. In terms of absolute individual ability, Gasol is definitely not a top-five center, and might not even be among the top five power forwards. But his strategic significance and the impact on the team's entire offensive line are probably unparalleled in the entire league!"

After thinking for a moment, Barkley said, "If we only consider passing and playmaking and their impact on the offense, with Webber aging and now only earning a veteran's minimum salary, perhaps only Garnett and Gasol are in the top tier."

"Everyone else, including Nowitzki and Duncan, is at least one level below these two."

"Regardless of Gasol's ranking, if he can maintain this aggressiveness and continue to put pressure on the Knicks' interior, this game will definitely not disappoint us! This game will definitely be the most exciting game of this round!"

As the commentators delivered their expectant commentary, the match on the field progressed rapidly.

Both sides thoroughly implemented the tactical requirements of their respective head coaches.

For the Knicks, Anthony became the absolute core of the first quarter, especially with Lin Tian and Stoudemire creating space for him and preventing the Cavaliers from double-teaming him. Anthony played like a fish in water.

Mid-range jump shot, turnaround jump shot after a jab step, back-to-the-basket drive to the basket, miss the shot, grab the rebound and draw a foul, face-up drive to the basket for a dunk, receive the ball and immediately pull up for a mid-range jump shot...

Anthony once again demonstrated his versatility and adaptability on offense. His offensive moves were varied and his skills were incredibly refined. In particular, his ability to pull up for a shot at any time left Pavlovic in a lot of trouble.

It's unstoppable, completely unstoppable!
Carmelo Anthony's offensive abilities are simply too comprehensive and too strong. Coupled with the Cavaliers' reluctance to provide excessive help defense and Anthony's explosive shooting touch tonight, his performance in the first quarter even led Don Nelson to change the team's usual rotation habits!

Anthony, Okur, and others played the entire quarter, while Lin Tian and Stoudemire went to the bench to rest with 3 minutes left in the first quarter.

Don Nelson's delegation of authority and his teammates' trust allowed Anthony to explode for 23 points and dish out 2 assists in this quarter! Not only did he make a huge contribution, but Anthony's efficiency was also extremely high, and Pavlovic was truly dominated by him!

With Anthony's explosive performance, the Knicks scored 35 points in the first quarter alone!
However, even with Anthony's incredible performance in this quarter, the Cavaliers did not fall too far behind.

Their scoring distribution in this quarter was quite even, with Pavlovic, who was the worst off, scoring 4 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas scoring 5 points, West scoring 5 points, Szczerbiak coming off the bench scoring 3 points, and Wade scoring 9 points!
Neither Wade nor anyone else were the Cavaliers' best performers in this quarter.

The best performer was Gasol, who had already been called a war criminal and a complete mole by fans in the first three games!

In this quarter, Gasol scored 7 points on 3-of-4 shooting and 1-of-2 free throws. More important than his high scoring efficiency was his strategic role.

When Gasol regains his form and confidence, it means the Cavaliers will have another top talent in all aspects, including high post playmaking, mid-range shooting, low post offense, setting screens for teammates, handoff passing, inside-out passing, high and low post play, etc.!
Gasol can do all of these things; he can punish the Knicks time and time again.

With him on the court, the Cavaliers' entire offensive line has been completely revived!

Regardless of their form or shooting percentage, everyone played with incredible comfort, playing at their favorite pace and always receiving the ball in their most comfortable area.

In this quarter, the Cavaliers scored 33 points, trailing the Knicks by only 2 points going into the second quarter!

The resurrected Gasol will obviously be the biggest variable in this game and the Cavaliers' biggest asset!

At the start of the second quarter, Brown, who was already playing with a vengeance and making a desperate gamble, only substituted Big Z and Pavlovic out of the game.

The remaining three are Wade, Gasol, and West.

Of these three, only West rested for 3 minutes at the end of the first quarter; the other two played the entire first quarter!
Judging from Brown's words, these guys probably won't be getting any rest tonight!

Meanwhile, on the Knicks' side, Don Nelson changed his rotation, with Lin Tian and Amar'e Stoudemire returning to the court. Together with Ariza, Smith, and Nate, the Knicks' five-man lineup was also full of firepower!

On the very first offensive possession of the second quarter, Wade himself brought the ball up the court!
Then, after another pick-and-roll with Gasol, Wade passed the ball to Gasol in the mid-range, but Gasol then made a move that resembled a wall play.

He didn't take the basketball into his hands at all; instead, he took the ball with one hand and passed it back to the court without stopping!

The pass was incredibly smooth, taking everyone by surprise.

The Knicks players, including Lin Tian, ​​didn't expect Gasol to pass the ball like that!

Even Wade, who received the ball, didn't expect the basketball to return to his hands so quickly and smoothly.

Fortunately, Wade's athletic instincts allowed him to react incredibly quickly. After receiving the ball, he didn't think twice but instinctively pulled up and shot.

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, Wade hit a three-pointer, and the Cavaliers took the lead!

This is the first time in this series that they have taken the lead outside of the first quarter!

In the previous three games, they only managed to take a slight lead in the first half of the first quarter, during the probing phase between the two sides. In the following three quarters, they did not lead for even a second!

But now, they've done it!
In the first round of the second quarter, they finally got the lead they wanted!
After that basket, the entire Quicken Loans Arena erupted in cheers once again, with fans roaring and shouting wildly. They're in the lead! After waiting for three whole games, the team has finally taken the lead!
But the fans' cheers lasted for less than 10 seconds!
Because the Knicks didn't care that the Cavaliers had taken the lead, nor did they care that Gasol and Wade's teamwork was becoming increasingly refined.

It's all fleeting.

Smith quickly arrived at the basket and launched the ball, while Lin Tian sprinted forward relentlessly without stopping.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian rushed to the Cavaliers' basket. Facing West's defense, Lin Tian suddenly slowed down to gather the ball and simultaneously threw it heavily towards Ariza, who was following up at the top of the arc.

West immediately turned around to chase after the basketball, but when he turned back, he was surprised to find that the basketball had not reached Ariza's hands at all.

Fake action!
"boom!"

Then came a loud bang!
Lin Tian faked a dunk, completely fooling West, and then easily slammed the ball down himself, putting the Knicks back in the lead! (End of Chapter)