NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

Chapter 848 A desperate gamble: Spain has no other choice!
The Spanish coach must be grinding his back teeth to the bone right now.

He's genuinely at a loss for what to do next.

Logically, now that Yao Ming is back, the team should be tightening up their interior defense and having the players guard the basket.

But the shooting range and accuracy of the remaining four players on the Chinese team made him realize that if he dared to give up, the Chinese team would definitely make him pay the price.

Double-teaming is not necessary...

Yao Ming has already rested for almost the entire quarter, and is in a phase where he is full of energy and vitality, while his Gasol brothers have hardly rested...

Difficult!

"Double-team! Collapse the paint! Except for Lin, whoever is closest should double-team Yao!" After much deliberation, the Spanish coach decided to take a gamble!
I bet that, apart from Yao Ming and Lin Tian, ​​the other three of you are off your three-point shooting, your touch is off! I bet you won't make those shots!
In Yao Ming's first possession back on the court, Lin Tian immediately moved to the frontcourt, lobbed the ball into the paint, and moved quickly to draw the Spanish defense, creating space for Yao Ming to go one-on-one.

Just as Yao Ming got the basketball and was about to dribble and challenge Marc Gasol one-on-one, Fernandez, who had just come on the court, abandoned Wang Shipeng and ran towards Yao Ming.

Yao Ming quickly passed the ball to Wang Shipeng, who then decisively took an open three-pointer.

"Boom!"

With a muffled thud, Wang Shipeng missed a three-pointer, and Pau Gasol grabbed the rebound and passed it to Rubio, who had just returned. Rubio immediately pushed the ball back, trying to get the pace back on track!

But Lin Tian appeared in time and blocked Rubio's attack once again. Rubio passed the ball to Fernandez, who dribbled down to the basket and was blocked. Then he turned around and passed the ball to Gasol.

After receiving the ball, Pau Gasol raised his arm high and drove straight to the basket, slamming the ball into the hoop with both hands!
It was still Spain's fast break, still brilliant scoring after multiple passes.

Everything seems to have returned to how it was in the first quarter.

But the biggest difference is that after Gasol dunked, he didn't even celebrate. Instead, he was panting heavily and walking back with his head down.

Judging from his body language, he was clearly quite frustrated.

exhausted!

Extremely exhausted!
The excessive playing time, intense physical contact, and almost non-stop running have begun to show signs of fatigue on the faces of every key player on the Spanish team.

Gasol's fatigue was visible to the fans, the commentators, and his teammates and coaches.

So... the players on the Chinese team can see it too!

Tired, aren't you?

Dude, you're making things even more tiring!
The instant Gasol dunked, Lin Tian shouted, "Pass the ball! Quick! Play fast!"

He shouted as he quickly moved to receive the ball, then accelerated again and sprinted towards the front, starting the counter-attack mode once more!
Do you think Pau Gasol wants to take a leisurely stroll and relieve some physical fatigue during the defensive transition?
Daydreaming!

Lin Tian rushed to the frontcourt, forcing the Spanish defense to quickly retreat and get back into position. Pau Gasol had no choice but to accelerate and run back to the basket to guard his territory and prevent Lin Tian from breaking in.

But after the Spanish players were all in position, Lin Tian suddenly stopped rushing. He slowed down, stood outside the three-point line and directed his teammates to run. Then, he suddenly flicked the ball laterally without looking and shoved it into the paint with one hand.

Yao Ming still has the ball!
This time, Yao Ming wasn't even in a hurry to attack. He simply held the ball high with one hand and observed the Spanish team's defense.

Are you guys coming to double-team me? If not, I'm going to take down your Gasol!

After waiting for at least 2 seconds, Yao Ming confirmed that no one would double-team him before he started the attack. So he quickly got into offensive mode, passing the ball, bending over, and powerfully backing down the ball!
"Oh!"

With a muffled thud, Yao Ming and Marc Gasol collided head-on. Yao Ming then saw a figure approaching him from the side out of the corner of his eye. He immediately gathered the ball, turned around, and raised it high again, finding the player who was following him down the middle.

The basketball flew over immediately, and Dazhi received it in the middle. He then raised both hands high, successfully fooling Gasol. Dazhi then bent down and stepped forward again, and with a low lick of the basket, put the ball back into the hoop!

After executing a perfect inside pass, Da Zhi and Yao Ming did not immediately pressure the baseline inbounds player like the Spanish team's inside players did, nor did they frantically turn and sprint back to defend. They simply turned around at a normal pace and ran back to their own half of the court at a leisurely pace.

This is Jonas's strategy!
We don't need the two of you to defend against fast breaks. Instead of wasting energy running back and forth, it's better to take it slow and steady.

Anyway, Spain doesn't have a top-tier drive player like Lin Tian, ​​nor a top-tier finisher like Lin Tian.

You might be able to get the pace of your fast break, but if you want to finish quickly, the whole team needs to participate and use teamwork and selflessness to execute the fast break.

Playing like this might not be a problem for your efficiency, but your stamina as a Spanish player will decline rapidly!
Their fast breaks and China's ability to force the entire Spanish team to desperately defend with just one player are two completely different types of attacks.

Ultimately, the Chinese team has one more player than the Spanish team: Lin Tian!
Or rather, they have one more Lin Tian than any other team in the world, and that is their biggest advantage!

In the final minutes of the second quarter, the Chinese team failed to widen the gap further, and the difference between the two sides remained at 15 points at the end of the quarter.

A 15-point lead is definitely a huge one. For a team of China's caliber, leading by 15 points at halftime makes it extremely difficult to come back and win the rest of the game!
For the Spanish team, the biggest problem is not the 15-point gap, but that they are exhausted!
Strategically, the Chinese team has achieved a resounding victory!
Spain's core inside duo only had less than 3 minutes of rest in the first half before they had to return to the court to continue the game. In the second quarter, because Lin Tian was such a big threat and they had to double-team Yao Ming from time to time, their exhaustion was absolutely enormous!
Near the end of the second quarter, Pau Gasol even gave the impression that he might run out of breath at any moment.

On the other hand, the Chinese team's rotation was quite healthy. Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, and other key players only played for 13-4 minutes each, and their playing style on the court was quite relaxed, not at all to the point of playing desperately. They were definitely full of energy.

The entire Huaxia team, although Lin Tian only rested for 1 minute at the end of the second quarter, played a full 19 minutes in the first half.

But in the entire Huaxia team, only Lin Tian played for more than 15 minutes!

Their rotation and personnel arrangements are clearly healthier and more reasonable!
"I don't have much to say about the second half," Jonas said, slamming his hand on the table. "Continue with the performance and tactics of the first half. Let's widen the gap to over 20 points in the third quarter! We need to make sure the score is firmly in our favor!"

"If everything goes smoothly, we can have a good rest during the fourth quarter tonight, prepare well for the final, and also rehearse our celebration after winning the gold medal!"

"Our starting lineup and tactics will remain the same for at least the first half of the third quarter. If we continue playing like this, those Spanish guys will definitely give out in 4-5 minutes! At that point, we'll change our formation and crush them!"

"Lin, how are you? Do you need to rest?"

"Halftime is enough time for me to rest!" Lin Tian said easily. "Playing 20 minutes in the first half is nothing. Let's just consider it a chance to get used to the atmosphere and rhythm of the final."

In the Spanish team's locker room, the head coach looked at the score and statistics, hesitated for a long time, and finally said: "We'll change our formation in the second half! Mark, you rest first, let Reyes start."

"Also, Juan, you'll be playing alongside Ricky and Rudy on the perimeter. You'll have to keep playing, okay?"

"Of course." Although Gasol looked like he was in no condition to play at the moment, sweat was pouring down his back like it was free, he was bent over, his hands were on his knees, and he didn't even bother to lift his eyes up.

But when the head coach asked, the guy still said without hesitation that he didn't need to rest.

"In the second half, we will provide more support to Bao and try our best to share the burden with him. Even if he has to stay on the field, we will try our best to reduce his fatigue and allow him to rest more."

Aside from these mostly helpless and consoling words, the Spanish coach really couldn't think of anything else to say to comfort Gasol and his players.

Because he also knew that the team was in a life-or-death situation.

With a 15-point gap, if Spain cannot catch up quickly in the third quarter, and if they not only fail to close the gap but also allow China to go on another run, then Spain's game is basically over!
If they want to continue chasing the gold medal, they must stay calm and catch up!

The head coach has done all he could. He has done his best to make adjustments and changes to the team's current situation. The rest is up to the players.

...In the second half, the two sides switched sides and started the game again!

The battle continues!

Rubio received the ball from the baseline and quickly dribbled to the frontcourt. Facing Lin Tian, ​​this experienced guy, as usual, did not choose to force an attack himself, but instead passed the ball to Fernandez first, and then stood there empty-handed calling out tactics.

Lin Tian was quite impressed by this off-ball play!

I truly admire you.

For an 18-year-old to dare to shout like that in such a strong team full of veterans, his confidence and courage are extraordinary.

If it weren't for Lin Tian, ​​Rubio would definitely have continued to shine, instead of playing like he did in the first half tonight, where he played 12 minutes, made 1 of 3 shots and only scored 2 points and 2 assists, plus 3 turnovers.

It can only be said that Rubio's talent was simply not enough against Lin Tian's defensive pressure and rich experience.

Pau Gasol played with considerable initiative and ferocity under the basket this time. He was unusually glaring and shouting, one hand firmly blocking Yao Ming behind him, while the other hand reached out to call for the ball.

This desperate attitude fully demonstrates Gasol's current mindset and how critical the situation the Spanish team is facing.

A 15-point gap is a rather ambiguous number; narrowing it slightly could bring it down to single digits, while widening it a little could push it over 20 points.

The difference between inside and outside is like heaven and hell; this is Spain's last chance, and of course they have to seize it!

Gasol aggressively demanded the ball, then forcefully turned around under the basket, and after the contact, he attempted a powerful layup over Yao Ming.

This time, Yao Ming couldn't control his defensive move, and his arm stretched forward slightly, hitting Gasol's arm.

"Shh!"

"Dudu!"

Two voices, enough to put the entire Spanish team at ease, rang out almost simultaneously.

Gasol scored a 2+1 play early in the third quarter!

This is definitely a major piece of good news for the Spanish team!

"Great shot! Gasol played really tough and inspiringly on that play! Although he's an opponent, he's definitely one to be respected!" Sun Weiping said, "A world-class player, truly extraordinary."

"But Gasol's physical condition is also quite worrying! The 20 minutes of halftime break seemed to have done nothing to restore his strength. And this is only the first ball. Look at his body movements and how he keeps panting."

"He's not far from overdrawing his savings!"

Gasol stepped up to the free-throw line, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to put his hands on his knees and gasp for breath. If this were in Spain, the referee would have wasted at least 10 seconds to delay and dawdle, giving Gasol a chance to catch his breath.

Unfortunately, this is in China, where the baseline referees know exactly who pays their salaries. Almost the instant they get the ball, they throw it back to Gasol, prioritizing efficiency and simplicity, giving you no rest time.

Gasol could only hold onto the basketball and then throw it out.

"Shh!"

After the crisp sound, the gap between the two sides narrowed to 12 points!
China Fortune's playing style was almost the same as in the first half.

After Gasol made the free throw, Yao Ming quickly went to the baseline and inbounded the ball. This time, because Spain was guarding Lin Tian tightly, Sun Yue received the ball.

Sun Yue is over 2 meters tall. In terms of basic skills and speed, he is certainly not as good as professional guards like Lin Tian and Liu Wei. However, he is tall and has a long stride. When the opponent does not closely guard him, his speed is not slow at all.

Furthermore, Spain's defense against Lin Tian could only prevent him from receiving the ball immediately. With Lin Tian's continuous back-runs and sprints, Rubio was completely outmaneuvered by Lin Tian after only a few attempts.

"Great Sage!" Lin Tian shouted suddenly after sprinting across the halfway line, taking the ball back from Sun Yue's hands.

As Lin Tian received the ball, the entire Spanish defense trembled; they were genuinely terrified!
But just as the Spanish team was in position and ready for battle, Lin Tian suddenly stopped abruptly, waved his hand to signal everyone not to rush, and said that they should take a steady approach and establish a foothold.
"Look, Lin Tian is using his psychological warfare tactics again!" Su Qun quickly analyzed. "Spain is afraid of Lin Tian's fast attack, so they quickly retreated to try and block his attack."

"This almost all-out offensive and defensive defensive style is extremely taxing on them! But they have no choice but to do it, because everyone knows that when dealing with Lin Tian, ​​if you relax, you're asking for death!"

"But on the other hand, if Lin Tian directly charges into the Spanish defense, the Spanish team can stay on edge and give it their all. With that mindset, even if the Spanish team is exhausted, they can persevere for a long time."

"But if Lin Tian were to charge forward at full speed, but instead of attacking, he would immediately stop and wait for his teammates after reaching the frontcourt, then feint a shot, that would truly be a double torment for Spain, both psychologically and mentally!"

Sun Weiping continued, "That's right! Spain will soon be overwhelmed by frustration. They will feel wave after wave of powerlessness and helplessness, but they still cannot relax for even a moment, because as soon as they relax, Lin Tian will really punish them and break their formation!"

On the field, the Chinese team players strolled leisurely across the frontcourt.

Then Lin Tian quickly called for a screen, and after a quick pick and roll with Yi Jianlian, Lin Tian threw the ball into the air.

Yi Jianlian leaped powerfully under the basket, grabbed the basketball with both hands, overpowered Reyes, and slammed the ball into the hoop!
After a loud bang, the Chinese team continued to maintain the initiative!

Spain's offense still started with Gasol. This time, he was double-teamed when he attacked the basket, but his playmaking ability is among the best in the world! Even with Webber getting old and Divac retiring, it's not an exaggeration to say that Gasol's playmaking ability is the best in the world.

So, while being double-teamed, Gasol made a low pass to Navarro, who then drained a three-pointer from beyond the arc!

In the second half, the Spanish team was in excellent form!
"No need for help defense!" Yao Ming roared. "I'll handle him myself! You guys watch yourselves and don't let them get hot!"

"Let him fight one-on-one, he can't kill anyone!"

With Yao Ming's shout, the Chinese team's defensive rhythm in the second half was set.

It's man-to-man defense! We won't give you guys who are good at passing and running many opportunities to pass, facilitate, and play together!
It means they'll keep a close watch on you, one-on-one, and keep you all under constant surveillance!
As time went by, the two sides maintained a gap of more than 10 points in the first half of the third quarter. The Chinese team did not widen the score again, while the Spanish team was able to stabilize the situation and narrow the score to 10 or 11 points on several occasions.

But they were always just one step away from closing the gap to within 10 points!
As the game progressed, both coaches began making substitutions, bringing their substitutes onto the field one by one.

In Spain, Marc Gasol returned to the court after a full rest, taking over his brother's task of guarding Yao Ming. Additionally, veteran Calderon also stepped up to replace Rubio and clarify the team's offensive tactics.

On the Hebei China Fortune side, Jonas made a bold change to his lineup. Instead of Liu Wei or Wang Shipeng, he brought on Chen Jianghua, the youngest player on the team, who is a few months younger than Xu Yong.

This youngest official national team player in the history of the Chinese team is known for his speed, dribbling, and breakthroughs. His speed is unbelievable. Only Lin Tian in the entire Chinese team is faster than him. No one else can compare to him in terms of speed.

Putting aside his other abilities, Chen Jianghua's speed alone is absolutely world-class!

Of course, world-class speed alone is clearly not enough to make him a world-class player; there are still many areas where he needs to improve.

But at this moment, Jonas's purpose in sending Chen Jianghua was obvious.

He wants to use his speed to completely destroy and break down Spain's twin towers lineup!

(End of this chapter)