NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

The conference finals are played every other day. For both teams, each game gives them a full 48 hours of rest, while for the fans, they get to enjoy an incredibly exciting game every night!
At the very least, they were full of confidence, hoping to see another match that was no less exciting than the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, so they turned on the TV and started watching the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

This match, and even the third match that followed, can actually be described in one sentence.

That means Anthony and Stoudemire's anus, limbs, facial features, family, happiness for the rest of their lives, life in hell after death, and their reincarnation in the next life—all of these things were preserved!
Anthony won't need erectile dysfunction, he won't get acid thrown in his face, his family won't suddenly die, and he won't have to go to hell to be Lucifer's sex slave after he dies.

As for Spartan, the situation is similar, except for the usual things like not getting run over by a truck, not falling out of a plane, and not being rear-ended by more than 300 Spartan warriors.

His main concern is that in his next life he won't be born into a beggar's family in Congo with more than 20 congenital diseases, he won't fall hopelessly in love with a transgender person who looks like Ewing, and he won't be hated by all the pretty girls.

To prevent these ridiculous predictions from coming true, the two brothers really fought like their lives depended on it in the second and third games of the series!

小斯这两场比赛分别轰下25分11篮板和28分8篮板，并且这两场比赛之中他的命中率都高于50%！

至于安东尼，他两场比赛分别拿下27分5篮板3助攻和39分3篮板2助攻！

The performances of these two were absolutely brilliant; they both completely dominated their opponents!

As a result, the team's leader, Lin Tian, ​​was able to conserve his energy in the second and third games of the series, playing only 29 minutes and 31 minutes respectively! He didn't even break a sweat, just watching his teammates win the game!

Of course, even though he played less, Lin Tian's contribution was by no means small. He did his share of the stats and shots that were expected to be made.

What made it even harder for the Celtics to cope, besides the breakout performances of Anthony and Stoudemire and Lin Tian's consistent play in these two games, was that in addition to these three players, someone else also had a breakout performance in each of these two games!

Okur, who had a terrible performance in the first game, came out on fire in the second game of the series, hitting 5 three-pointers and scoring 19 points and 8 rebounds. At the same time, Ariza also went crazy, showing everyone his energy and passion.

That night, Ariza went 5-for-5 from the field, all of them dunks after driving into the paint! Although his dribbling is still not great and he still can't break through with the ball, with Lin Tian by his side, Ariza only needs to make cuts! Not only will the ball come to him again and again, but even the opponent's inside players will be drawn away by Lin Tian and Stoudemire, giving him enough space to operate.

If Ariza and Okur, who had a breakout performance in Game 2, were targeted in Game 3 and their performance was mediocre again, it was because the Celtics' adjustments after Game 2 were effective in limiting their role players.

So, in the third game, the outbursts of Smith and Nate were absolutely unexpected.

In Game 1 of the series, Nate came off the bench and scored 14 points with a combination of drives and shots. It's worth noting that in the first two games of the series, Nate went 0-for-7 from the field and didn't score a single point, making him a complete mole.

But that night, this guy suddenly transformed into a super sixth man, putting the Celtics' Ginobili at a disadvantage.

Another player who exploded in the third game was Smith! This guy played so-so in the first two games, with some spectacular dunks, but his impact on the court was unremarkable.

But in the third battle, this guy suddenly transformed into a 'Warcraft Hunter' and completely pinned Howard down during his appearance!
He contributed 3 blocks in this game, all of which were against Howard. He also grabbed 11 rebounds, including 4 offensive rebounds, which were also mostly grabbed over Howard's head.

Smith and Nate's outburst caught the Celtics completely off guard, leaving them utterly stunned!

In summary, in these two games, the Knicks' starters not only performed consistently and brilliantly, avoiding the complete containment seen in the first game, but their role players also took turns delivering outstanding performances.

Under these circumstances, the Knicks scored 118 and 124 points in the two games respectively! They broke through the Celtics' proud and reliable defensive system in two consecutive games.

If the Celtics controlled the pace of the first game, then the Knicks completely took control of the pace of the second and third games of the series!
The Celtics were powerless against the Knicks' relentless offensive onslaught, quickly regaining their rhythm and bombarding their own half-court defense.

They lost by 17 points in the second game, and in the third game back at home, they lost by 12 points.

We can't beat them, we really can't beat them!

Even though Duncan scored 30+15 in both games, and Parker had 25 points and 9 assists in the second game, and Ginobili scored 21 points in the third game, they just couldn't match the Knicks' firepower.

The firepower of the two sides is at least one level lower!
And even so, Lin Tian basically coasted along, playing only 60 minutes in total across the two matches.

What if he played for more than 45 minutes like in Game 1? What if he went all out and fought tooth and nail? Would the Celtics have lost even more badly?

I don’t dare to think about it, I don’t dare to think about it at all!
And people have come to a whole new perspective on just how strong the Knicks are and how offensively capable this group of players is.

The Knicks' offensive firepower is indeed at least a level above all other teams, having brought down the league's best defensive team to this extent!

It's so scary.

In short, no matter how much Boston resisted and how frantically they fought, after three games, the score was 3-0 for both sides!

The Knicks have once again secured a match point, giving them a chance to sweep their opponents for the third consecutive round!

After watching the first game of this round, everyone thought it would be a fierce battle, with both sides playing closely and likely going to be a long and arduous series. And just like that, it seems that there is no suspense left!
The Knicks' stamina and adaptability are astonishing.

With a score of 3-0, the Knicks and their fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, the Western teams, having started their season a day earlier, have already played four games.

After the first four games, the Western Conference-leading Spurs have fallen behind, failing to conquer Denver's intimidating home court and currently trailing 1-3 in the series.

For them, losing a home game is just too painful!
Meanwhile, the Nuggets' burly men and beasts, after returning to the Denver plateau, were like everyone who had taken a deep breath of pure oxygen, all jumping around and howling with energy, muscles and fierce competition, winning two games in a row at home and taking the match point!
If they can win just one of the next three games, they will reach the finals for the first time in their team history!
The people of Denver have been waiting far too long!

After all, the last time the Nuggets reached the NBA Finals was back in the ABA era. Since entering the NBA, they have never made it to the Finals!
It is widely believed that the Nuggets may have difficulty winning the series in San Antonio, but once they return to the Blackstone Center in Denver, they will definitely not give the San Antonio team any chance. They will win the series in Game 6 and then meet the Knicks in the Finals!
But of course, the Eastern Conference Finals will end before the Western Conference Finals are decided!
In Game 4 of the series, the Knicks continued their challenge against TD Garden.

By this time of the season, the Boston team's friendliness and respect for Lin Tian, ​​which they had shown during the regular season, had vanished completely as the team fell behind 0-3.

If you're going to curse, curse them to death!
If you don't curse him today, you might never have the chance to curse Lin Tian again.

We have to criticize them relentlessly!
Even if the team loses, we cannot lose.

From the moment the players entered the field, the entire North Shore Garden was filled with frenzied boos, curses, and all sorts of noise. The fans were truly treating this match as their last, and they were cursing them like it was their last.

Unfortunately, while the fans displayed unparalleled determination and passion, doing their best to help their team off the court, the Celtics players' performance was somewhat disappointing.

At the start of the game, the Celtics wanted to maintain the intensity of the first game, slowing down the pace and playing their preferred half-court offense, while also having their twin towers create chaos under the basket, hoping to gain the upper hand in rebounding and inside scoring.

Because they knew that if they wanted to beat the Knicks, they couldn't win by competing with them offensively and in shooting.

The only way is to defeat them with our defense!

At least in the first game, the Celtics almost did it.

Unfortunately, the Celtics forgot one thing.

That is, the reason why they were able to control the pace of the game in the first match was not solely due to their own efforts!

The most important reason they were able to slow down the pace was that the Knicks couldn't make their shots!
In the first game, the Knicks just couldn't keep up with the intensity; they just couldn't get the ball into the basket.

But after that, their rhythm returned. They adapted to the Celtics' intensity and frantic physicality, and they started to make shots under pressure. After all, the Celtics are tough, have a lot of big men, and their defensive rotations are indeed excellent.

But does the Knicks have any softies?
Putting aside Lin Tian, ​​that troublemaker, which of the guys like Stoudemire, Anthony, Smith, Wallace, and Nate is a coward?
These guys were just unaccustomed and unprepared at first, but once they were ready, they would engage in high-intensity, high-stakes combat.

No matter how fiercely the Celtics compete, how do they compare to the Pistons of yesteryear?

The entire Detroit population were villains, but we still managed to wipe them out, didn't we?

In short, the Celtics wanted to continue their success from Game 1. Their defense remained solid, their help defense rotations were incredibly fast, and their players were still playing with all their might. But the shots the Knicks couldn't make in Game 1, they were able to make tonight.

In the first game, the Knicks missed open shots that they would otherwise have missed. Instead, the role players hesitated, were nervous, and were afraid, causing those hard-won open shots to vanish in an instant, and they missed their chance.

But tonight, the Knicks players were more confident than ever. Forget about those absolutely open or half-open shots, even if the Celtics blocked their heads, they would still take the shot if they felt they had the rhythm and were in the right place!

Its main selling point is absolute confidence and extreme madness!

When the Knicks can consistently make their shots, when they believe they can consistently make their shots, then no matter how much you try to control the pace or slow down the game to play a half-court offense, it's impossible.

Whether your defense is good or not, I'll still shoot. And whether it goes in or not, I'll still dare to shoot again.

How can we defend against this? It's impossible!
The Knicks led by 11 points in the first quarter, and by the end of the second quarter, they had extended their lead to 23 points!
It looks like another massacre is about to happen, and the Knicks are about to advance to the NBA Finals again!

However, in the second half, when the players switched sides and started playing again, the situation on the field changed dramatically!

The Celtics changed their starting lineup, taking out Artest, who had a poor offensive performance tonight, and replacing him with the more offensively capable Ginobili.

Since we can't defend, then let's not defend. Let's fight back and see if we can find a way out!
This was the core of the Celtics' tactics in the second half.

They are far behind, and if they don't want to be swept away, this is the only path they can take, and this is the only way they can fight back.

This lineup change, in particular, caused a significant drop in the Celtics' defense. Artest, who was able to contain Anthony quite well, was substituted off the court, and if Ginobili were to match up against Anthony, he would probably be so badly beaten by Anthony's backside that he would question his existence.

Abandoning defense and intensifying offense is absolutely a dead end with no turning back!

Whether it will work out or not really depends on luck and the players' performance.

The only way is to try anything, even if it seems hopeless.

This tactical change actually worked in the second half of the game!

In the third quarter, the Knicks didn't expect the Celtics to make such a change in their lineup, which caused them to fall behind the Celtics' pace. In the early stages of the third quarter, the Knicks were actually at a disadvantage in the back-and-forth battle between the two teams!

Their shooting percentage wasn't as high as the Celtics' during this period, and they missed several shooting opportunities.

In addition, because the Knicks' interior height is lower than that of the Celtics, and they are currently leading 3-0, such a favorable situation inevitably makes them a little relaxed. As a result, when they are grabbing rebounds, their focus and fighting spirit are far less than in the previous games.

They were also outrebounded by the Celtics in rebounding.

In this quarter, the Celtics were far superior to the Knicks in terms of form, focus, success rate, and the intensity of their play!

This allowed them to finally unleash a scoring surge in the third quarter.

Originally trailing by 23 points, with more than half of the third quarter remaining and only about 4 minutes left, the deficit dwindled to just 7 points!

They outscored the Knicks 26-10 in this quarter!

"Timeout!" Old Nelson couldn't hold back any longer. He stood up from the bench and called another timeout. This was the last timeout he could use in the third quarter. If the team still didn't improve, no matter how anxious he was, he would have to wait until the fourth quarter to call another timeout.

But at that time, it's really hard to say what the score will be.

The Knicks players looked dejected, like wilted eggplants, heads bowed and silent, seemingly unaware of what had happened to them in the third quarter.

I can't make the shots I used to be able to, I can't grab the rebounds I used to be able to, and I can't do the things I used to be able to do easily anymore.

They were like they were possessed by a demon!
But Lin Tian knew very well that he was certain this was not some kind of possession.

This is because the team was too excited during halftime, and everyone acted as if they had already won.

During the 15-minute halftime break, the entire team was discussing whether it would be better to face the Cavaliers or the Nuggets in the Finals.

Such a serious underestimation of the opponent would be perfectly acceptable against a team that has already given up on the game and is only thinking about finishing the garbage time as quickly as possible.

But the Knicks were up against the Celtics! They had no intention of giving up, and even made specific lineup changes in an attempt to close the gap.

On one hand, they underestimated their opponent and were careless, while on the other hand, they fought desperately. With this combination of inside and outside pressure, the reason why the Celtics were able to catch up so quickly is self-evident.

"Keep shooting!" Old Nelson said to his players, "Your offense is fine. Missing shots is never the players' fault! If you can't make them, keep shooting. After you've shot, go for the rebound and fight for the win!"

“In my team, I would never get angry at someone for missing five open shots in a row, but if someone has an opportunity and an open shot but doesn’t dare to shoot, then I’m sorry, this team is not for you.”

"Listen to me, all of you! On offense, I don't care if you can make the shots or if you keep missing them. All I ever want is for you to take the shot whenever you have the chance!"

"In the next game, just keep shooting! Don't be afraid of being called selfish or playing recklessly, don't pay attention to that nonsense! Just shoot! I'll back you up, and I'll tell everyone: our strategy is to shoot whenever there's an opportunity! As long as there's an opportunity, just go for it!"

"In my team, not shooting is a crime! From now on, get running! Get charging! No one is allowed to stop on offense! No one is allowed to slack off. I want Lin to be able to see two open shots as soon as he gets the ball. I want Lin to be able to pass the ball to a teammate who can dunk it without even closing his eyes!"

"Secondly! On the defensive end, I don't expect you to stop the Celtics' offense, that's not our strength, but you must hold the rebounds! For the rest of the third quarter, I don't want to see them grab even a single rebound!"

"All the defensive rebounds are ours! Protect all the defensive rebounds! The job of rebounding isn't just Amar'e and Mehmet's, it's everyone else's!"

"Everyone, watch the rebounds! Everyone, be ready! Everyone, hold your positions! If anyone loses even one defensive rebound, I'll show you what hell is like!"

"And lastly, they will definitely target our fast breaks after the timeout, and they will target our quick serves from the baseline and our first pass on the ball!"

"They also want to narrow the gap as much as possible in the last few minutes, hoping to use this momentum to turn the tide."

"Let me put it this way, the next few minutes will definitely be the toughest moment of this series. We're going to face the most insane and hardest-working Celtics players!"

"You all need to be mentally prepared, and Lin, I have a new trick up my sleeve that you can use to deal with them later!" (End of Chapter)