NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

The entire third quarter became Duncan's show. He drove to the basket and shot from the outside, from hook shots, turnaround layups, and powerful dunks to mid-range bank shots, second-chance opportunities, and alley-oops...

Duncan absolutely gave it his all in this quarter, pulling out all the stops and attacking relentlessly to score.

He wants to use his personal abilities to pull the team back from the brink of defeat.

Of course, Lin Tian wasn't going to sit idly by and watch Duncan explode in this section.

Lin Tian had Yao Ming, who was matched up against Duncan, try traditional back-to-back defense, three-quarters fronting, and full fronting with Boozer ready to help defend at any time.

Then, they added double-teaming, switching to Thomas and Odom, cutting off passing lanes, pressuring Parker and Ginobili who had the ball, and pushing him away from the basket to limit Duncan.

However, it must be said that the effect was only so-so.

Lin Tian tried every method he could think of to limit Duncan, but none of them worked.

邓肯这一节14投9中，罚球5罚4中，单节轰下了22分4篮板！

The Celtics only managed 27 points in the entire quarter.

Apart from Duncan, everyone else combined only scored 5 points.

"Being a coach isn't as fun as being a player."

With 30 seconds left in the third quarter, as Duncan turned to rest, Lin Tian couldn't help but remark, "If I were on the court, I could definitely limit this idiot's ability to receive the ball."

“I can shut down Parker, and I can also get around his blind spots to double-team and help defend him. But Derrick and Jeremy are a bit lacking.”

"If you were on the court," Stevens said, his usual late but effective jabs at the bar: "How many points would Duncan score in this quarter?"

"Within 10 points!" Lin Tian patted his chest and said with great confidence, "This guy's athletic ability has visibly declined, not as good as he was 6-7 years ago. Predicting his attack route is too easy."

easy?

Stevens glanced at Duncan, who was sitting on the bench panting heavily, trying to recover his strength as quickly as possible, and recalled the routine that the guy had used during his crazy one-on-one attacks in the third quarter.

He couldn't understand how this big man, with his incredibly versatile offensive abilities, capable of attacking from both sides, under the basket, and in the mid-range, could be so predictable.

But how to say it?

In basketball, even if Stevens sometimes deliberately flattered Lin Tian to complete his job, his respect, admiration, and respect for Lin Tian were genuine.

He genuinely idolized Lin Tian and studied under him as a teacher.

He genuinely believed that Lin Tian was the best and most talented head coach in the league.

So, when Lin Tian said it was easy to predict, Stevens believed him.

If you can't predict it yourself, then it must be because your skill level is not high enough. Go back and watch the recording!
Okay, let's do it that way. I'll go back and watch the video, study it, and then try to make a prediction myself to see if I can see any logic or details.

While Stevens was still thinking and studying, the third quarter had officially ended, and the Bobcats players went back to the bench. Apart from failing to contain Duncan, they didn't play very well in this quarter either.

The team only scored 20 points, less than Duncan alone, and as a result, the Celtics closed the gap to 7 points.

68: 70!

The gap between the two sides has narrowed to just 2 points!

Basically, we're on the same starting line now, and the difference of one round is negligible.

"You played well." Facing his somewhat dejected players, Lin Tian smiled and offered encouragement: "Duncan is one of the best power forwards in this league. In fact, looking at the entire history, apart from Karl Malone, no other power forward is better than him."

"He is the greatest superstar in history, he is in the top ten of all time... um."

Lin Tian paused briefly as he recalled that Duncan in this era hadn't won four championship rings at this time; he only had one at most.

Let alone the top ten in history, it's questionable whether he even made it into the top 20.

"He has the strength of a top ten player in history. If he hadn't met me, he could have gotten at least four rings and at the very least created a dynasty."

"He was just born at the wrong time, not weak."

"So it's perfectly normal that we can't stop him. When the league's top stars are on fire and have a breakout game, it's normal that we can't stop them."

"But on the other hand, this guy is almost 40 years old, his peak is long gone, and the last time he scored 35 points or more in a single game was two and a half years ago. That's what I'm saying: if he could maintain that level of efficiency throughout the entire game, he wouldn't have gone 30 months without a 35+ point game!"

“This guy is old. What he just did wasn’t the prelude to an outburst, or even the sounding of a charge. It was a final burst of energy, the last gasp of his strength! He’s burned out completely.”

"This guy probably can't even stand up right now; he's reached his limit!"

"He has already scored 30 points tonight, which is an exceptional performance for him. Especially considering that we used every defensive tactic to contain him, he also exerted far more energy than usual to break through our defense."

"His stamina this season is only around 30 minutes; any more and he'll just be a burden to the team. But he's already played 29 minutes tonight, including a quarter that was incredibly demanding. So Duncan is no threat at all in the fourth quarter!"

"That's all he can do."

"So, Yao, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, you'll be resting on the bench. You'll have about 2-3 minutes to recover your strength. When you're back on the court, I want you to beat him to a pulp!"

"Tell him who's the best in this league! Tell him to stay put at power forward and not come here to mess around at center!"

"Understood!" Yao Ming nodded, clearly not feeling any frustration at being outplayed by Duncan.

He understood everything Lin Tian said.

"It's your turn later, Yitang. In the first half of the fourth quarter, you'll be playing against Yao Ming and the Twin Towers for a while. You'll be dealing with Howard. Use your lower body and strength to tell that rough guy: he's just a lump of bricks!"

"As for the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, Lamar and Carlos, you two go in too! Duncan and Howard will only have one of them on the court at the start of the fourth quarter, and it will most likely be Howard."

"Keep Howard pinned down! He's already got a technical foul. If you can get him to do it again, we're guaranteed to win tonight!"

"Jeremy, DeMar, you two go too! Pick up the pace, charge in, challenge Howard! Don't be afraid, this guy's emotions are close to breaking down. Keep challenging him, keep destroying him!"

"He has become our breakthrough point tonight!"

"Alright, that's it. Until Yao and Derrick return to the court, you only have one job: stay ahead! Go! Crush the Celtics!"

"The chance for an incredible 3-1 comeback is right in front of us, seize it! Let's seize it! Everyone, it's still the same message!"

"us……"

"They're the champions!"

With another burst of excited roars from the players, the five people Lin Tian had just selected stepped onto the field.

Thomas, Boozer, Odom, DeRozan, and Lin!

"This lineup... I really don't understand it." Miller looked at the group of people on the court and couldn't help but shake his head. "I can't understand it. Why at this time, in the decisive Game 7, when the two sides are only 2 points apart?"

"Lin will sign both Yao and Rose at the same time! With both of the team's two core players out, is he really that bold? Is he really that crazy and confident?"

Jackson laughed and said, "Maybe that's why he became a top head coach, breaking all sorts of records in his first year leading the team, while the two of us are here commentating on the game!"

"His use of people has always been so bold! No, it should be said that it has always been so crazy."

Miller, as Lin Tian's friend and old teammate, still had some concerns and said, "I'm just worried that Lin might be too overconfident. After all, this is a decisive Game 7, and it's an away game. With a two-point lead, Lin really doesn't have much room for error or room for error."

"Hopefully, his bold tactical change this time will have the same incredible effect as before!"

"Dudu!"

The referee blew his whistle and gave the ball to Thomas, who then inbounded it from the baseline, and the fourth quarter began!
Jeremy Lin slowly advanced, observing the opposing team's lineup.

Lin Tian guessed right again! Duncan, who only rested for a few dozen seconds in the third quarter, was indeed sitting on the bench. At this moment, Howard and Ginobili, two core players, were playing on the court with three substitute players.

With Duncan absent, Jeremy Lin has absolute confidence.

"Carlos!"

Upon arriving at the frontcourt, Jeremy Lin immediately shouted, signaling Carlos Boozer to come up and set a screen for him. After a brief exchange, Lin dribbled and drove to the basket, while Boozer, as usual, moved to one side to create space for him.

After drawing the Celtics' attention as soon as he entered the three-point line, Jeremy Lin quickly passed the ball to Lamar Odom on the other side.

As Odom received the ball, DeRozan rushed over and set a reverse screen for him, a move that contrasted with the size difference between the two players.

This second consecutive pick-and-roll left the Celtics' defense somewhat bewildered. In addition, Odom's speed on the drive was unlike that of an inside player, and Glenn Robinson, who was matched up against him, couldn't keep up with him at all and was left behind.

Howard, who was in the paint, had no choice but to step forward two steps to try and block Odom's drive, but Odom immediately raised his hand and threw the ball behind Howard's back.

"boom!"

Then, a loud bang came from behind Howard.

Boozer!
Boozer, who had just been creating space, suddenly turned and cut inside, tearing apart the Celtics' defense, successfully attacking the basket, and receiving a pass from Odom to complete an alley-oop.

"Where are you, kid?" After completing his dunk, Boozer continued with his most important task of the night: provoking Howard.

"If you get lost, I suggest you wear a compass around your neck when you play ball in the future, so you won't get lost again."

"Or perhaps you don't actually understand a compass? Come on, answer me a question: what do the W and A symbols on a compass mean?"

"Stop pretending to think, let me tell you, first of all, there's no A on the compass!"

Boozer's mouth was like a machine gun, spewing a barrage of trash talk at Howard.

Howard didn't understand half of what he was saying because he spoke so fast.

But Howard was certain that the bald guy opposite him wasn't saying anything nice.

Then you don't need to understand; just be angry and upset!

"Dwight!" Ginobili dribbled to the three-point line and waved to Howard.

He wanted to execute a pick-and-roll, then drive in himself, and then look for another opportunity to attack. This was the tactic Rivers had just devised.

Let Ginobili be the main attacker, with the others providing support.

However, Howard ignored Ginobili's calls and instead squeezed into the paint, using his back to block Thomas and reaching out to Ginobili for the ball.

"Fuck!" Ginobili cursed, hesitated for a moment, and finally passed the ball to Howard.

There's no way around it; if this guy just stays in the paint and doesn't come out, he has no space to break through, and his teammates can only force shots from mid-range or long-range.

It's so uncomfortable.

Howard, who had possession of the ball, finally got his moment of triumph in this possession.

Thomas had committed a lot of fouls, so he didn't push too hard on defense this time, and he didn't choose to foul directly. This gave Howard a chance to turn around, jump, and hook the ball into the basket!
"Shh!"

After a crisp sound, Howard finally scored his first field goal of the night at the start of the fourth quarter!

First!
It was still his own one-on-one play, not the simplest kind of scoring by getting a basket.

Feel proud!

After scoring, Howard excitedly pounded his chest and roared.

I'm back!
"Matt, come here." Lin Tian called Barnes over and said, "You replace DeMar. Once you're up there, double-team Howard. He's going to have a series of one-on-one plays coming up, so go double-team him!"

“Ittang has committed four fouls, he’s a bit hesitant. Go help him out. Remember, foul him whenever necessary! Of course, if you’re in a bad mood and just want to slap Howard, as long as it’s not a malicious foul, slapping him is fine! It’s no big deal.”

"But don't let him score again. If he wants to go to the free-throw line, he can go anytime!"

"Understood!" Barnes nodded to indicate that he understood, then quickly went onto the court and swapped places with DeRozan.

"They made a substitution in the second round?" Miller was taken aback and said, "Lin's substitution this time was too sudden! But judging from this adjustment, it should be because DeRozan didn't collapse the defense in time in the last round and didn't double-team Howard."

"Tonight, or rather, in this series, Lin is really targeting Howard to the death! I even suspect that Howard did something to Lin and offended him."

"We all know that Lin is very petty."

Jackson laughed and said, "Yes, Howard's average stats in the regular season and the first round of the playoffs were over 20+12+3, with a field goal percentage of over 55%. But in this series against Lin and his team, Howard only averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds, with a field goal percentage of less than 50%!"

"But there are also areas for significant improvement." Miller laughed as well: "In the regular season and the first round of the playoffs, Howard only averaged 8 free throws per game, but in this series, well, let's not even talk about this series, just tonight, Howard might get 40 free throws!"

"Lin is really ruthless!"

On the sidelines, on the Celtics' bench, Duncan stood up and said, "Coach, let me play! I don't need to rest."

"People need me!"

"Tim, you should rest well. Dwight just scored his first goal from open play, and he's in high spirits! Sometimes, you have to let your teammates save you. Don't always think about saving others; it's too much pressure."

Rivers chuckled and cracked a completely inappropriate joke at Duncan's hands.

Duncan squinted, looking at Rivers and then at the court, unsure of what to say.

Can't this coach really see that the team only needs Howard to step up and keep things in check because Howard scored a basket?

Or, to put it another way, just now, when Howard didn't follow the tactics and ignored Ginobili's pick-and-roll request to insist on posting up, Rivers should have stepped in himself to put pressure on Howard's mentality.

That last round wasn't about whether it went in or not; it was that Howard was clearly on the verge of losing control again.

But Rivers just wouldn't let Duncan play, what could Duncan say?
He's not the kind of domineering, all-powerful tyrant who hogs the ball; on the contrary, one of his biggest traits is his teamwork.

Helpless, Duncan could only sigh and sit back down on his bench.

Hopefully everything goes well and we won't fall behind again.

In the Bobcats' offense, after Jeremy Lin came to the frontcourt, he initiated his usual pick-and-roll and drive, and then passed the ball to Odom for another drive.

This time, the basketball finally came to Barnes, who had just entered the game. Barnes made a cut to the basket to try and make a layup, but was stopped by Howard, who was on defense in time, and the basketball failed to go into the basket.

But when Howard went to help defend, Thomas gained a very advantageous position. He jumped up, grabbed the basketball, and then slammed it into the basket with both hands!

"You guys have to play defense too!" Howard spread his hands, complaining angrily, "You can't expect me to do everything! I'm the one who attacks, and I'm the one who defends! I'm human too! Do you guys really think I'm Superman?"

Nobody paid any attention to Howard. Ginobili didn't even glance at him, just dribbled the ball forward. The others didn't try to show any loyalty to Howard either; everyone just went their own way and got into the offensive possession as quickly as possible.

"Coach!" Duncan stood up again, deciding to be honest: "The team needs me! They're having problems! Dwight is complaining, and no one is responding to him. Manu needs someone to help him initiate the offense from the top of the key."

"The team needs me!"

"Tim, rest. I told you, rest! You went through too much in the third quarter. You need to rest so we can have you with energy in the final moments! That's the most important thing, okay?"

"So, calm down, Tim! Besides, didn't you also break the rules in the third quarter? Didn't you attack the way you wanted? I didn't stop you!"

"It's the same, it's all the same. Stay calm, trust your teammates, it's that simple."

Rivers' words left Duncan speechless once again. He really didn't know what to say to the head coach. He could only sit down helplessly again and mechanically watch the game on the court.

The following games proved Duncan was right! (End of Chapter)