NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

“But that’s the truth!” Stevens shrugged. “I never imagined you’d done so many bad things!”

"What do you mean 'bad thing'! I'm helping the players find a more suitable home for them!"

“You mean Chris! Not that shorty Paul, but my good buddy Chris Webber.”

"Do you think he could have joined the Pacers and built a dynasty with me if it weren't for me and my encouragement? Obviously not! He would have stayed with that lousy Wizards team for the rest of his life, and his biggest dream would have been to reach the second round of the playoffs once."

"Tell me, didn't I save his life and career!"

"I can only say you're shameless." Stevens had basically gotten used to Lin Tian's style by now. He knew that the more he asked, the more serious Lin Tian would be, so he really didn't want to talk to him anymore.

The game is at a crucial moment, who has time to discuss with your head coach whether you are cunning or bad!

On the court, Yao Ming was once again engaging in close combat with Dwight Howard in the low post, and Yao Ming started talking more.

"Dwight, are you sure you can handle this? Or should we let Tim give it a try?"

"With your skill level, I could score 40 points tonight!"

"Is this Defensive Player of the Year award for real? I don't feel any of the pressure a Defensive Player of the Year should have."

"You're on defense, right? Hold on! Come on, give it your all! I'm going in! I'm going in!"

As Yao Ming spoke, he suddenly made another turn and feint, then took a step toward the baseline. Hayward's pass came at just the right time. After receiving the ball, Yao Ming faked to the left, then suddenly twisted his body to the right and threw the ball out again with one hand.

"Shh!"

After another crisp sound, Yao Ming, who positioned himself deeper, played more aggressively, and played more concisely in the second half, became increasingly efficient!

He's already 3-for-4 in the third quarter!

Of course, his playing style greatly increases the difficulty of confrontation and positioning, and therefore consumes far more of his stamina than in the first half.

By this point in the third quarter, about halfway through, Yao Ming was already panting. The exertion he expended in half a quarter was probably more than he did in the entire first half.

"Stop with your low-level provocations and trash talk." Howard remained unmoved, glaring at Yao Ming and saying, "Tim and I are brothers, we've been playing together for eight years!"

"It's seven years." Yao Ming couldn't help but say, "Can't you study math properly? I don't need to calculate to know that it's seven years from 2004 to this year. What? Did you play with Tim in high school?"

"I told you the league was right to ban high school students from running for office! Look at the difference!"

"It's useless anyway! I'm not falling for it!"

"It's okay, I just sincerely hope that you really think so," Yao Ming said with a smile. "I hope you can truly accept that Tim is more intimidating, more capable, and more frightening than you!"

"I also hope you know that everything you have now, including your status and the right to act, was not earned by your own strength; it was given to you by Tim!"

"By the way, do you think this guy is really willing to give you everything? You're not his long-lost younger brother, are you?"

"Shut up!"

"I'm so envious! Tim must really consider you a brother. Otherwise, why would he be willing to do all this?"

Yao Ming was constantly taunting and bullying Howard's small head, while also putting pressure on Howard on both ends of the court, making him irritable and giving him headaches.

As for the effect?

In any case, we didn't see any results in the first half of the third quarter.

It wasn't until eight minutes into the third quarter, when Rivers made his first substitution, that Lin Tian and Yao Ming's plans finally started to take effect!
Howard went to rest.

If the Bobcats were to follow their usual rotation, Yao Ming should have been benched by now.

He needs to rest, especially after the significant exertion he experienced in the third quarter.

But Lin Tian did not.

After thinking for a moment, he didn't even need to call Yao Ming over; he simply yelled in Mandarin, "3 points!"

Those two words are enough. Yao Ming's emotional intelligence and basketball IQ are more than enough to understand what Lin Tian meant.

At the same time, you don't have to worry about being understood by the Celtics players, how great is that!

Lin Tian's current plan is also very simple: Duncan is definitely going to be matched up against Yao Ming now, and this guy is going to start playing center.

Yao Ming's next task is to try to squeeze into the paint, and when he can't get there, he should move out to the three-point line and wait for the ball.

Whether or not there was an opportunity to shoot a three-pointer, or whether or not a shot was made, was not important. Even whether or not Duncan came out with Yao Ming was not important.

The only important thing at this stage is to let Howard see that Yao Ming can't beat Duncan, and to let Howard see that Yao Ming is afraid of Duncan but can easily control him!

Lin Tian refused to believe that the kid's mentality wouldn't change.

If he were that mature and composed, he wouldn't keep forcing himself to play under the basket despite lacking skill.

They had already obediently gone to set screens and get to the basket.

In the remaining minutes of the third quarter, the Bobcats indeed stopped attacking the paint and instead relied more on mid-range and long-range shots to finish their offense. They seemed genuinely afraid of Duncan's rim protection, with almost no one driving to the basket to challenge him.

Of course, the main reason Lin Tian dared to let his players play like this was that DeRozan and Boozer had been shooting accurately lately, and their mid-range jump shots were quite accurate!
If these two hadn't maintained their shooting percentage, Lin Tian would have been crazy to let his players abandon their drives to the basket at this moment, all for a little trickery.

But if you can get close, that would be even better!

Unfortunately, Lin Tian can't sit next to Howard right now, otherwise Lin Tian would definitely teach Howard a couple more lessons.

They didn't teach him anything else either.

Let's analyze for him how good and scary Duncan's defense is, and how much of a threat he is.

Analyze the details, such as each positioning and confrontation, and use Howard himself as a teaching example from time to time to help him quickly understand the true meaning of defense!

I refuse to believe you won't lose your temper!
What a pity! I can't go, and the Celtics probably wouldn't welcome me anyway.

As time passed quickly, the two sides remained evenly matched in the third quarter. The overall efficiency of both sides was still not high, and the score did not rise quickly. By the end of the third quarter, the score difference between the two sides had been erased!
Overall, the Celtics held a slight advantage in this quarter, especially during the few minutes Howard was off the court.

61: 61!

The two teams are back on equal footing, and the final 12 minutes of the game will decide the winner!
The final battle has arrived!
The Celtics have clearly made thorough preparations, and Rivers has fielded his best players!
Aside from giving Duncan and Parker, who played the entire third quarter, a rest, Howard, Jackson, and Allen were all on the court, along with Ginobili and Davis, making their lineup quite formidable.

On the Bobcats' side, Lin Tian was in a similar situation. Rose and Yao Ming went to rest together, while Jeremy Lin, DeRozan, Hayward, Boozer, and Odom took to the court.

At this stage, the Bobcats' roster deficiencies were quite obvious.

There is no true center!

Boozer and Odom are both not tall or heavy enough to handle a pure center like Howard.

But it's okay if you can't hold on.

Lin Tian made other arrangements.

They're about to start targeting Howard!
In the fourth quarter, the Celtics immediately stopped DeRozan's mid-range jump shot, and on their first possession, Howard was forced to post up for a one-on-one attack.

Seeing the Celtics' style of play, Lin Tian immediately smiled!
let's hit!

As long as Howard gets the ball under the basket and goes one-on-one, my strategy will work!

Lin Tian once again used the same method he used to deal with Howard in the first quarter!

He didn't double-team Howard in the second and third quarters.

He was afraid that Howard would give up his position and stop playing one-on-one.

But now that we're in the fourth quarter, are you, Howard, willing to give up? Are you willing to stop challenging for position one-on-one just because of a few turnovers or missed shots?
Lin Tian felt that this guy was definitely not reconciled! Especially after sitting on the bench and watching Duncan single-handedly defend the basket at the end of the third quarter, this guy must be even more unwilling.

Howard had just grabbed the ball under the basket and hadn't even had a chance to make a move when Hayward's help defense arrived. He spread his big hands and slapped Howard's hands holding the ball away!
Don't worry about fouls. Hayward has plenty of foul opportunities to draw. He only has one foul on him right now, so let them call it!

Anyway, in the fourth quarter tonight, we're going to surround and shut down Howard, and we're going to do it with absolute determination!
Anyway, this guy doesn't have a pass button or any support function, so double-teaming him has great benefits and minimal risks.

They're not even afraid of sending him to the free-throw line because of a foul, since he can't make the shot anyway.

"Snapped!"

Hayward was lucky; his first reckless slap resulted in another steal of the ball. The Bobcats still didn't launch a counterattack. Hayward held onto the ball cautiously, and only started dribbling forward after the Celtics players began to retreat and return to defense.

Back in the frontcourt, the Bobcats patiently passed and moved the ball around, trying to shift the Celtics' defensive focus. Then, with only 3 seconds left on the shot clock, the ball reached Odom's hands beyond the three-point line. This guy does have a three-point shot!

The only thing the left-handed magician is better than the magician might be his three-point shooting ability.

Unfortunately, this time, the ability to score 3 points was not demonstrated.

With a loud thud, the Bobcats' shot missed again.

Fortunately, Howard's second attempt to get the ball back failed. After receiving the ball in the low post, he was immediately double-teamed by Hayward. At this point, Hayward actually had a chance to pass the ball to Allen, who was left unmarked.

But he didn't!

I won't split it!
To avoid being double-teamed, this genius even started imitating Yao Ming.

No dribbling, no contact, just a quick turn and a side hook shot!
This looks simple, but in the NBA, with its high level of competition, it's very difficult to consistently make shots that are off-rhythm and unsteady, except for those who are naturally gifted with top-notch shooting touch and have a special sense for the basket!
At the very least, Howard doesn't have that talent.

"Shh!"

But he was lucky.

Howard himself wasn't sure what to do when he took that shot, but it went in anyway. Sometimes, things really do just don't make sense.

After Howard made that incredibly difficult shot, he roared with excitement, and his subsequent defense became even more energetic. After Jeremy Lin set a screen, Howard immediately pressed forward and closely guarded Lin.

His terrifying athleticism and super-long wingspan became Jeremy Lin's nightmare at this moment. Even when Jeremy Lin was about to pass the ball, Howard's long arms stretched out incredibly and slapped the ball right on the ball.

They stole the ball!
"Charge!" Howard roared, sprinting forward and slapping the basketball. As a big center, he dribbled and charged towards the frontcourt!

He's going on a fast break with the ball!

However, while this guy is fast, that's only among inside players. In addition, his basic skills are really not up to par. So when he dribbles up the court, he's not fast enough and is quickly caught up by players like Jeremy Lin and DeRozan.

Logically, Howard's best option at this point would have been to pass the ball or stop and play a set play.

But this guy was clearly caught up in the moment, and when faced with Jeremy Lin's defense, he actually did a crossover in front of him!
This sudden change of direction immediately made Howard look foolish.

The basketball slipped from his grasp and rolled out of bounds. Howard, in his attempt to catch it, lost his balance and fell to the ground in a disheveled state.

He wobbled himself so hard he fell flat on his face!

"Lance! Landry! Get to work!" Seeing Howard lying not far from the Bobcats' bench, Lin Tian immediately called on the two and told them to start performing.

"What the heck?" Neither of them had any idea what Lin Tian wanted them to do.

"Imitate! Can't you imitate? Imitate the moment Howard fell down this round." Lin Tian said impatiently, "Do I have to teach you that? One person imitates Howard, one person imitates Jeremy, and the rest of you, just wait for the right moment, as soon as Howard runs in front of us, laugh immediately!"

"Boss, isn't this a bit childish?" Stevens couldn't help but say. "What good will this do?"

While he was still questioning, Stephenson, who was equally eager to show off, had already started performing. He dribbled with exaggerated and clumsy movements, then met Fields, changed direction, and fell down awkwardly, all while making all sorts of strange sound effects for himself.

Just as he fell to the ground, Howard passed by the Bobcats' bench.

The entire Bobcats bench erupted in a burst of loud laughter!
Well, in fact, the vast majority of people here share the same thoughts as Stevens.

That's too naive, what good would it do?
But firstly, no one dared to resist, and secondly, Stephenson's performance was indeed funny, so when everyone laughed, the impact and sonic boom were quite significant.

"Go Dwight!" Lin Tian laughed heartily. "Shaq just called me and told you to do your best so he can have his 'Shaqtin' a Fool's Day five this week! He hopes to complete his 'Shaqtin' a Fool's Day five with just this one game!"

"Isn't it inappropriate for the coach to trash talk with the players himself?" Stevens asked timidly after Lin Tian finished trash talking. He really didn't understand the coaching profession.

"Of course it's inappropriate!" Lin Tian snorted. "But you guys should at least start criticizing! Go on! If none of you go on, if you're all just sitting here quietly, then who will come if I don't?"

In the end, I had to bear it all alone!

Shameless!
Lin Tian's image in Stevens' mind became clearer and clearer.

For the next few minutes, Howard seemed unaffected by this basic mistake and continued to run all over the court as before!

His defense remains as impenetrable as the most solid defensive line in human history, and his offense... well, his offense is alright.

Overall, Howard can perfectly perform defensive duties such as help defense, rim protection, delaying plays, and blocking shots, but on offense, he is really inconsistent. Although his efficiency is okay, his offense is really hard to describe.

He even managed to throw a close-range hook shot that missed the target despite Boozer's defense!

This was because Boozer used all his strength to force him to the left, forcing him to use his left hand to hook the ball, and then Howard directly missed the ball.

Of course, there are also moments when he grabs an offensive rebound and then blows everything aside to violently smash the rim!
Howard's series of moments of brilliance and embarrassment, one after another, caused a subtle reaction in his mindset.

He felt confident that he could handle it, but at the same time, he lacked confidence and worried that he might not be able to do it.

With the efforts of the Bobcats' bench team to create atmosphere, Howard's current state is somewhat indescribable!
As the game progressed, both coaches made some personnel changes on the court. With 6 minutes left in the game, Lin Tian called another timeout to make adjustments. Everyone knew that the final showdown was about to begin!
Both coaches have once again brought out their starting lineups!
All the substitutes and role players went into cheerleader mode at this moment. They knew that unless something unexpected happened, they wouldn't be able to play again! What followed was a clash of the two sides' strongest forces!

71: 75!

The Celtics, thanks to Howard's indiscriminate shooting, managed to gain an advantage in the first half of the game, successfully extending their lead to 4 points!
But at this point, the player dribbling the ball across half-court for the Bobcats was no longer Jeremy Lin.

Finally, it's Rose!
Rose played incredibly low-key tonight, only taking 7 shots and making 3 for 8 points and 3 assists. His playing style tonight was very much like a role player, even handing over the playmaking role to Jeremy Lin, willingly playing a supporting role to conserve his energy!
But at this point in the game, in the final minutes, he's about to unleash his full potential!

So far in tonight's game, Rose has only played for less than 30 minutes. Lin Tian has completely compressed his playing time, all for the sake of Rose winning the game in these last few minutes!

In the first possession after the timeout, Rose, who had been holding back all night, immediately waved for everyone to move aside. Standing in front of him was Allen, who had barely rested all night and had already played for over 40 minutes!
"Defense must be tiring!" Rose said casually as he backed down Allen with a dribble, "Are you exhausted by now?"

"That's enough to deal with you! Besides, I don't talk to a noob who can't even score 10 points in a game!" Allen said, while nudging Rose's waist from behind to prevent Rose from getting any power.

But Ross was furious at the moment and wasn't afraid of Allen's interference at all. After a feint with his upper body, he suddenly turned to the other side.

Then Rose accelerated, his terrifying speed exploding in the blink of an eye, leaving the unprepared Allen behind. He then drove straight to the basket, leaping up to face Howard's defense.

Howard spread his arms and tried to jump, attempting to intercept Rose in mid-air. However, Rose was as famous as his speed, and after fully launching himself, he suddenly jumped, almost as if he were spring-loaded, and instantly reached the highest point.

Although Howard's width and height prevented Rose from directly shoving the ball over him into the basket, it was enough for Rose to bank the ball in over Howard.

"Shh!"

73: 75!

The Bobcats are about to launch a counterattack!

"Kid, don't think you can succeed every time! Try charging in again next time!" Howard stared at Ross with wide eyes, his face full of resentment.

But what happened next made him even more unwilling. Rose completely ignored him and turned to leave after landing.

I'll just ignore him.

After running to Allen's side, Rose yelled at him, "Close-guard me? Are you tired of living? Even a three-year-old knows that close-guarding Derrick Rose will get you killed!"

"Try charging at me again!" Allen glared at Ross, his tone menacing.

"Then try guarding me close again!" Ross retorted, looking at Allen and saying, "If you dare to guard me close, I'll let you smell my farts again! Hopefully you're fast enough, otherwise you won't even be able to smell this much!"

The two men bickered as they quickly retreated. Howard, who had been scored on and ignored, was furious. He went to the low post again, reached out for the ball, and decided to score to end the game!

Parker was so angry at Howard's attitude of "I'm not playing by the rules, you better get the ball now" that his mouth twitched. So instead of giving the ball to Howard, he turned around and passed it to Jackson on the wing.

After Jackson got the ball, he took a series of jab steps, then suddenly drove forward, and then jumped up to release his signature pull-up jump shot!

"Boom!"

Unfortunately, his shooting touch was really bad tonight, especially since he was being forced to play this most difficult one-on-one style of play, making it hard to guarantee his accuracy.

"Ball!" Howard yelled angrily at Parker, "I've got my position set, ball!"

"You have Yao behind you, and Stephen is facing a rookie. My duty as a point guard tells me that the other side has a better chance of scoring!"

"Did he make it?" Howard stared at Parker relentlessly, still arguing with him.

"Slow down! Slow down! Everyone, don't rush, slow down, slow down!" Lin Tian waved his hand immediately when he saw this scene, signaling his players not to rush, to stay calm, and not to rush forward.

If you rush over there now, and they see you're here, they'll stop arguing, right?

Let them argue a bit more before we decide! (End of Chapter)