NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

After Francis arrived in the frontcourt, this time he didn't go for James. Instead, he called for a screen, lowered his center of gravity, pushed off the ground with all his might, and forced his way to the basket to shoot!
Although he missed the layup, he did manage to draw a foul from Okur, who came to help defend!
After a mid-air collision between Okur and Francis, Okur slapped Francis's left hand, which was protecting the ball.

In a normal match, given Okur's personality, this goal would have been the end of it.

But this is the finals!
So now that he was certain he had committed a foul, Okur was determined not to give Francis any chance to score a 2+1!
"Fuck you!"

After a roar, Oku added more force to his hand and slapped Francis with even greater force.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp sound, Oku missed his mark and hit Francis's face instead of his hand!
Francis lost his balance in an instant and fell heavily to the ground.

"Beep beep!"

The referee blew his whistle frantically, as if afraid of further disputes between the two sides.

At this point, the Spurs players didn't care about the New York gang or the fact that the opposing team had the "God of War" Lin Tian; they rushed towards the scene of the incident and Okur.

But at this moment, it was Francis who stood up to block everyone!

The guy sprang up from the floor in a flash, blocking his enraged teammates: "Calm down! All of you, calm down! Stand still!"

"That was a malicious foul! It was a malicious foul! It's that simple! You'll get a technical foul if you act impulsively, but we don't want technical fouls, we want victory! So, everyone calm down and trust the referees! If they don't give us the correct call, it's not too late for us to be angry!"

"Right, Mr. Referee!"

Francis's calm, almost chilling tone, coupled with his piercing gaze, made it an undisguised threat.

If you don't give us permission for malicious fouls, we'll cause trouble.

The referees didn't seem to care, and they certainly wouldn't give Francis a technical foul or anything to make him behave.

This is the NBA Finals, the most-watched game in NBA history!
The referee's biggest role in this kind of competition is to make both sides as invisible as possible, without fighting, so that they have no presence at all.

Therefore, the referees did not hesitate much and immediately gave Okur a flagrant foul.

Slapping someone in the face like that is absolutely justifiable as a malicious foul.

Francis got the call he wanted and walked to the free-throw line to shoot when Okur cleverly walked past him, saying, "I didn't mean to, I was aiming for my hand, so sorry."

"But if you come in like this again next time, I'll still be on guard! We'll see!"

“Then next time I drive to the basket, you’ll have to stay away from the court.” Francis, a seasoned veteran, was completely unfazed by Okur’s threat, sneering, “I’m not even afraid of the league’s rules, why would I be afraid of a Turk like you?”

"Shh!"

As they were talking, Francis made his first free throw.

After that technical free throw, all the players returned to the court, stood in their respective positions, and waited for Francis's remaining two free throws.

"Shh! Shh!"

Two more crisp sounds rang out as Francis made all three free throws, and the Spurs regained the lead!
68: 70!

Of course, a two-point advantage can disappear at any time.

Tonight, the two sides are destined to be entangled from beginning to end!

Soon, the Knicks launched a counterattack. Okur, who had just committed a malicious foul that gave the opponent 3 points, swaggered under the basket and scored with a hook shot after a back-to-the-basket move against Bosh, tying the score!

JR Smith stepped up again for the Spurs, hitting a mid-range jumper to give the team the lead again!

For the next few minutes, both sides traded blows, and the score remained neck and neck, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.

In the second half, both sides unconsciously slowed down the pace, with more positional play and fewer counter-attacks.

At the same time, because both sides are putting in their best efforts, opportunities for various tactics, movement, off-ball cuts, and open shots are becoming increasingly rare.

Both sides were caught in a positional battle where star players took turns attacking one-on-one.

As a result, the efficiency of both sides naturally decreased, and both sides unconsciously began to adopt a dense defense.

Focus on marking the ball handler and star players closely, making it difficult for them to get a shot off.

The two sides officially began their most brutal hand-to-hand combat!

If this were ancient times, both sides would have reached the point where the soldiers had already fought, and the commanders would have to engage in a life-or-death, hand-to-hand combat.

Whoever can take the biggest piece of flesh from the other, and whoever stands the longest, will win!
In a martial arts novel, it would be a desperate situation where two top masters fight until their internal energy is exhausted, their meridians are broken and messed up, and even breathing hurts for a long time. They can't use any exquisite moves or peerless sword techniques, and can only engage in the simplest back-and-forth combat.

If this were a modern romance novel, the two characters would be in the stage where the domineering CEO goes bankrupt, his wife cheats on him, his parents both die of heart disease, and he and his childhood sweetheart, his white moonlight, pool their two yuan to buy one last lottery ticket, hoping to defy fate and win against destiny.

In short, both sides were in dire straits, and both sides had given up everything they could.

"Both sides visibly gave it their all; they were practically grinding their teeth to powder." When the game finally came to a pause, even the guests seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Barkley said, "That game was truly suffocating."

"I believe that whether it's the fans, the players, or even us, we all felt like we were hit by a storm, a tornado, or a tsunami just now," Miller continued. "But the problem is, there are still about 5 minutes left in the third quarter."

"But both sides are already fighting with this kind of life-or-death intensity. What will they do in the next 17 minutes? Will they have the stamina to keep fighting?"

Payton chimed in, "Reggie's right. Even though he's a weak and annoying jerk, he's right. For NBA players, some can play 45 minutes at full strength, and some can only play 38 minutes."

"But you can't really tell how good someone's physical condition is just by looking at their playing time, because everyone does different things on the field."

"For example, some people only attack and don't defend, some people need to constantly fight in the paint, and some people need to handle offense, defense, and playmaking all at once. So the energy expenditure for each person in a unit of time is completely different."

"However, even if we unify all the conditions, and assume that the things the players do on the field, their playing time, the energy they expend in the game, their level of commitment, and so on, can all be adjusted to be the same."

"Even so, even the same person can deliver high-level performances at different times, against different opponents, and with different playing styles."

"What I want to say is that tonight, under these circumstances, both teams have gone through a long regular season and playoffs. They have played nearly a hundred or even more games. Every player on the court has some injuries that have accumulated over time."

"And they are both physically and mentally exhausted, in a state of extreme fatigue and pain. Each of them is very tired, and each of them is actually persevering only through willpower."

"I've played in the Finals, and I know how tired and difficult it is for the players when the season reaches this point."

"You've only played once and got thrashed, how dare you share your experience?" Barkley couldn't help but mock, "I've played twice! One time I set the highest viewership record at the time, and the other time I won the championship."

Kenny gave an innocent smile and said, "I've played twice, and although I didn't get much playing time, I won both times."

“I’ve forgotten how many times I’ve played, sorry Gary, but I’m sure I won every single time,” Miller shrugged, adding insult to injury.

"FUXX!" Payton crossed his arms, regretting once again bringing up the topic of the Finals and the championship, and fell silent.

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll share. I’ve played in the most Finals, but I swear, I really can’t remember how many.” Miller chuckled mischievously, cleared his throat, and continued, following Payton’s lead.

"Gary means that the players are exhausted. They have persevered until now through sheer willpower, but no matter how strong a person's willpower is or how unparalleled their will to survive is, there is a limit! There will eventually come a time when they can't hold on any longer."

"Right now, considering the level and intensity of competition between these two teams tonight, they're both pretty much at their limits. Plus, their key players haven't had much rest, so either team could collapse at any moment." "Especially when you're completely exhausted, barely able to stand, and you glance at the time and realize there's still a quarter or even a quarter and a half left in the game, that feeling of despair and helplessness will creep over you at an unimaginable speed!"

"This feeling will come very suddenly, it will come in a way that is completely unpredictable, and it will be impossible to defend against or defeat! At that time, you will be unable to attack or defend, unable to score for a long time, and you will be stuck in a quagmire of struggle."

"These two teams are now competing to see who can get into that state first and who will give up first! Right now, it's a battle of wills."

“It’s not just about willpower,” Kenny added. “Don’t forget, both teams have monsters in their ranks.”

"LeBron and Lin! These two guys have proven countless times how terrifying they are, how their physical abilities are a level above everyone else, and how insane they are!"

"I don't think I need to repeat their records too much, so tonight's game will most likely be a showdown between Lin and LeBron! They will inevitably have to decide who is better!"

Even if it's not in a one-on-one way!

As the commentators analyzed the game, the fans' expectations and tension reached their peak. They all knew that the intensity of the game could drop suddenly at any time, and a one-sided situation could occur at any moment.

So the question now is: which of these two teams will break down first?

The fans' expectations are off the charts!
The subsequent matches quickly proved that the professional players' judgment was indeed correct.

With only four minutes left in the third quarter, Francis suddenly fell during a drive and clutched his calf.

This guy, who entered the league in 99, has long since passed his peak in terms of form, ability, and physical fitness due to numerous injuries and an irregular personal life.

That night, he only rested for less than 3 minutes during the second quarter, spending almost all the rest of the time facing off against Lin Tian.

This consumption is absolutely enormous!

At this point, Francis became the first person to give up; he got cramps.

The team doctors arrived promptly to check on his condition.

The good news is that he only had cramps and called a timeout before collapsing, but the bad news is that the team doctors advised him not to play tonight.

Although Francis is no longer at his peak and his defensive ability is just so-so, he is still significantly stronger than the other point guards on the team.

Without Francis, Lin Tian will be even more difficult to control, and the Spurs' own offense and organization will definitely suffer.

After a moment's thought, Popovich opted to bring on bench shooter Gibson. This clutch shooter, who had hit game-winning shots in the playoffs, was one-dimensional and could be relied on for almost nothing but three-pointers, but at least he had one trick up his sleeve.

With him on the court, the team's offensive space is definitely not a problem!
As for the others...
Having JR guard Lin Tian and Gibson guard Wallace, even if he gets overpowered by Wallace, is better than having other mediocre players on the court, which would leave him unsuccessful on both offense and defense.

Just as Popovich brought on Gibson, Don Nelson took advantage of the timeout to make a substitution.

Wallace out, Smith in!
The Knicks switched to a super-large lineup!
Three players on the team are over or over 208 cm tall, and Anthony is 203 cm tall!

With four two-meter-tall giants and Lin Tian, ​​whose strength, size, and post-up ability are all top-tier among the league's perimeter players, the Knicks' heavy lineup is not only capable of countering the Spurs.

But it can definitely counter Gibson!
Furthermore, despite the team's increased size and weight, the Knicks have incredibly maintained their mobility; the five players on the court are still able to run, jump, and launch fast breaks.

All I can say is that the Knicks' roster is a natural run-and-gun offensive machine!

This clearly shows that Don Nelson anticipated Popovich's tactical change and specifically made substitutions to target him.

"FUXX!" Popovich cursed as soon as he saw the lineup on the court. Then, his reaction was quick. Knowing there was no time to make substitutions, he yelled at James, "LeBron, be aggressive! Be decisive!"

James bit his lip, his face expressionless. He knew perfectly well what Popovich meant.

Anthony already has 3 fouls!

If I grit my teeth and fight with all my might, I definitely have a chance to beat Anthony!

So, the Spurs inbounded the ball, and James was matched up against Smith.

"Fuck!" James cursed. He had forgotten that the Knicks could change matchups. After glancing at JR Smith, who was guarding Anthony, James hesitated for only a moment before passing the ball to him.

Trust your teammates!

During this phase, the amount of shouting "FUXX!" from the Spurs players to the coaches suddenly surged.

That shout came from Popovich.

He genuinely wanted James to go after Anthony and take him down.

But he didn't mean for JR to go!

JR is going to go one-on-one against Anthony, who knows what this guy will choose!
Do not!
Popovich said: I can guess how he's going to play.

It's either a direct pull-up three-pointer, a mid-range jump shot after two dribbles, or a step-back three-pointer after a sudden pull-back after one dribble.

These are the three moves this guy loves the most!
JR can play like this against shorter opponents, but against Anthony? With such a large size advantage, it's perfectly fine for Anthony to drive to the basket, but if he chooses to shoot, he'll likely get blocked and have no chance of making a shot.

Popovich understands this principle, as do many others on the court, but JR definitely doesn't!

"Break! Break through! Break through!" Popovich was yelling at the top of his lungs on the sidelines because this was Francis's halfway point in the attack, with less than 10 seconds left in total. There was no time to pass the ball, and he could only hope that JR would come to his senses.

But unfortunately, is a JR who is sober still a JR?
"Calm down! Calm down! JR! Calm down! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! FUXX!" Popovich watched as JR indeed made the most foolish choice, from reminding him to protesting to desperately screaming.

Because Popovich watched as JR dribbled hard, drove in, took a step, and then immediately stepped back with a crossover dribble to receive a three-pointer.

Anthony wasn't shaken off at all; instead, he focused intently on defense, keeping up with JR's pace and lunging at him.

"That bastard! I'll bench him, he won't play this game again! I'm trading him! My team won't allow it! YES! YES!" Popovich's words suddenly turned into a cheer: "I knew he could do it!"

"I knew it! My disciple could do all this!"

Popovich's rapid changes and utter lack of restraint have clearly become the norm for his players and assistant coaches. No one responds to him; everyone just shrugs and acts as if nothing has happened.

Popovich's excitement stemmed from two voices that came almost simultaneously.

"Swish!" JR's three-pointer swished through the net, hitting the target precisely!
"Beep beep!" The referee's whistle blew, and Anthony's lunge was a bit too aggressive. He lost control of his body and his hand hit JR's wrist.

3+1! A 3+1!

At such a crucial moment, JR stepped up and made a savior-like 3+1!
The entire city of San Antonio erupted in cheers in an instant, with everyone roaring wildly.

JR started making incredibly flamboyant celebration moves while still lying on the ground, making all sorts of strange and indescribable gestures and shapes with his hands, while constantly muttering all sorts of trash talk. He didn't stop celebrating even after his teammates came over and helped him up.

In stark contrast to JR, Carmelo Anthony was incredibly dejected, hands on his hips, head hanging low.

What frustrated him even more than being scored on with a 3+1 play was being called for his fourth foul.

He needs to go and rest. (End of Chapter)