NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

The Mavericks finally found their rhythm on offense, with Terry hitting a mid-range pull-up jumper to help the team reverse their losing streak, end their scoring drought, and temporarily halt the Bobcats' comeback.

The Mavericks finally breathed a sigh of relief after that play, regained their composure, and started another back-and-forth battle with the Bobcats!
In the following minutes, the two sides engaged in a fierce battle, with the score difference between them ranging from 5 to 10 points!
"I still don't understand why James would act like this even in this situation." After watching the game for a while, Van Gundy finally couldn't help but say, "The team was leading by a lot in the third quarter, so it's understandable that he would act recklessly. It's normal."

"But given the situation, why is he still doing this? Does this guy really think the Finals MVP is more important than the championship? Is he really willing to give up the championship just to fight with Nowitzki?"

“Jeff, you’re wrong,” Lin Tian said easily. “He is indeed unwilling to give up the titles of FMVP, the team’s first core player, and the number one star, but he is definitely even more unwilling to give up the championship! This is his first in his career.”

"If he really had to choose, he would definitely rather give up the Finals MVP and win his first championship. This is his eighth year. Even if he entered the league in high school, he is no longer young, is he?"

“When I was his age, he already ruled two dynasties.”

"He's really lost right now, he really doesn't know how to play, and he can't seem to get into the game even if he wants to."

“I still don’t understand.” Van Gundy shook his head. He couldn’t understand why a mature player like James, who had played for eight years, would suddenly stop being able to play.

In particular, he built the Bobcats' defensive system from scratch. He believes his defensive system is excellent, and even if the team doesn't have many professional top-level defensive players, the system he built is at least top-ten in the league.

However, it's great, but it's still far from being top-tier, and it's far from being able to completely lock down a player of LeBron James' caliber so easily.

So he couldn't understand it.

“You’ve never played basketball, so you don’t understand Jeff,” Lin Tian said. “Those of us who came from a basketball background understand this more easily.”

"It's difficult! Right, Michael? Isn't it difficult?"

"Yes, it's very difficult! And it's not just difficult to understand, it's even more difficult to do! It took me 3-4 years to understand this thing, and it took another 7-8 years to fully master it."

This time, Jordan didn't argue with Lin Tian. Instead, he said directly, "It wasn't until I played in the first Finals against Magic Johnson that I fully understood and was able to do this."

"If you two keep talking in riddles, believe me, I'll beat you up!" Van Gundy cursed. These two really hadn't changed at all; they were just as annoying as when he first met them more than ten years ago.

"Jeff, Jeff," Lin Tian said with a smile, shaking his head. "Tell me, when should a good player shoot to score, and when should they take the shot?"

"What does it mean to be decisive and have a strong mentality, and what does it mean to be a coward and a softie who dares not take responsibility? When should you trust your teammates, and when should you trust yourself? Can you distinguish between these differences?"

“This…I…” Van Gundy listened to Lin Tian’s words and fell into deep thought.

"Don't even think about it, he's playing you." Jordan laughed loudly, "Jeff has no answer at all."

“That’s right, there’s no answer.” Lin Tian said with a smile, “No one can explain the difference, and no one can give a clear line to distinguish between a lone wolf and a big heart, a selfless person and a coward.”

“Take Michael as an example. In the first phase of his career, he focused on scoring and proving that no one could guard him. In the second phase, he started to think about this and tried to strike a balance between passing and personal offense.”

"But even he couldn't always make the right choice. It wasn't until Michael matured, played more and more games, and tried various methods that he understood."

There is no absolutely correct choice!

"Yes, there is no absolutely right choice! That's the charm of basketball." Jordan smiled, once again feeling that Lin Tian was his best confidant.

Lin Tian continued, "So in the end, Michael stopped thinking about these things. He stopped thinking so much, and then he became Michael Jordan and created a semi-dynasty."

"Two." Jordan said stubbornly without thinking, "In '98, Scott and the others were injured, and one bastard ran away, so it would have been two."

"Shameless." Lin Tian snorted, too lazy to pay attention to Jordan, and instead looked at Van Gundy and said, "Do you understand now?"

"I understand a lot, but..."

"Still a little short, huh?" Lin Tian said with a smile. "Then let me tell you, there is no right answer, or rather, for a player, the only right answer is confidence! It's believing that your choice is correct, believing that you can make the right response!"

"I cast my vote because casting it was the right thing to do; I pass it on because passing it on was the right thing to do! It's that simple, isn't it?"

"As our ancient Chinese saying goes: 'When you see a mountain, it is a mountain; when you see a mountain, it is not a mountain; when you see a mountain, it is a mountain again!'"

At this point, Van Gundy finally nodded thoughtfully. He didn't reply; he was deep in thought.

Jordan and Lin Tian didn't disturb him; they just let him think as he pleased.

After a short while, Van Gundy suddenly looked up and said, "So, that means... James is also in this predicament. He doesn't know whether he should shoot or pass. He's confused?"

"That's not all." Lin Tian continued to analyze for Van Gundy: "This guy is thinking too much! He wanted the Finals MVP, and he even swallowed his pride to fight for it in the third quarter, but after being reprimanded by the coach and the team being in crisis, he may not want to fight for it anymore, or he may still want to fight for it, or he may want to fight for it but not want anyone to see it."

“I don’t know what he’s thinking, but he certainly doesn’t know what he’s thinking either. He’s completely trapped in a useless cycle.”

"He thinks too much. He wants everything, yet he's also willing to give it all up. He wants to sacrifice, yet he's also unwilling to sacrifice. He gave up some things, yet he feels it's a pity."

"He felt he should shoot, but he wasn't very confident. He should drive to the basket, but we have Yao in the paint."

"He felt he should pass more passes to Nowitzki to demonstrate selflessness, but he worried that it might be too humble."

“Being thoughtful can sometimes be a good thing. LeBron James is praised for his maturity beyond his years, for his rational play, and for always making the right choices. These are all his strengths.”

"But in situations like this, having too many thoughts is not a good thing. If it were Kobe, Anthony, or even younger players like Westbrook and Beasley who are a level below in skill but simple-minded, the situation would be completely different."

"These guys are all the kind of people who think, 'I'll just go and do it, so what?'"

"This kind of personality may always be a double-edged sword for them, causing headaches for coaches, but in these situations, the simpler the better."

"Ultimately, it's because James lacks confidence. If he were in San Antonio, or if Nowitzki came to join him, he wouldn't think so much."

"But in Dallas, he's an outsider! Nowitzki has been playing here for over ten years. He's the master here. Whether Nowitzki tries to steal the spot or not, the people of Dallas will help him. In their hearts, Nowitzki is a hero who has protected Dallas for 13 years."

"And James is the final piece of the puzzle to help the King ascend to the throne."

"See? Is that clear now?"

"I understand." Van Gundy finally nodded firmly at this point. He felt he understood. At the same time, he looked at Lin Tian and said, "You were preparing for all of this before the series even started? You anticipated all of this, and you knew we would be at a disadvantage?"

"Yes, I expected it. The Mavericks' roster is so strong and well-balanced, with two MVP-caliber superstars and a bunch of talented supporting players. Their roster is even more complete than the Cavaliers'."

"It's more likely that we'll be at a disadvantage!"

“Your heart is really dirty!” Jordan sat behind the two of them, shaking his head and sighing, “It’s so unlucky to be your enemy.”

"It's because they want to compete that they're acting like this," Lin Tian said dismissively. "If you're confident enough, without self-doubt, and like me, always think you're the best in the world, then no matter how dirty someone's heart is, it's useless!"

Lin Tian and Jordan worked together to answer Van Gundy's questions, and the game on the court had reached its most crucial moment.

The game entered its final three minutes, and at this point, the score was 110-107!

The Bobcats have narrowed the huge gap to just 3 points! That's only one goal difference.

At this point, the Mavericks had possession of the ball.

James still had the ball. He dribbled to the frontcourt, and at this moment, James looked quite strange. He bit his lip tightly, and his eyes revealed a sense of helplessness and powerlessness.

Lin Tian believed that if this guy were allowed to sit on the sidelines at this moment, he would definitely pick up the habit he had given up for many years and start biting his nails again.

That was a clever way for the young James to relieve tension.

But now, he has to organize this attack first.

He passed the ball around the three-point line, and then, because his teammates didn't find a suitable opportunity, the ball returned to his hands once again.

At this moment, James seemed to have finally made up his mind. He waved to signal everyone to pull him away, then dribbled the ball and did a series of crossovers. Then he suddenly gathered the ball, lifted it up, and waved it towards the sky.

Odom, who had only been on the court for a short time, remained completely unmoved. He didn't even raise his arm to interfere. After James shook his head a couple more times, Odom became a little impatient.

This flamboyant guy pointed a finger at the basket behind him and said, "You fucking shoot already, I'm not going to defend you!"

This sentence seemed to completely break James's defenses. He seemed to want Odom to pay the price, or perhaps he had completely lost his memory.

Anyway, this guy started dribbling.

Dribbling?

The referee on site was even stunned for a moment. Such a basic mistake is rare to see in this kind of situation!

Just like how referees get into trouble if there's goaltending in a middle school game.

These are violations that are rarely seen in this level of competition.

After a slight hesitation, the referee still blew the whistle.

"Double dribble violation, possession changes!"

"I thought the referee wasn't going to call it anymore," Miller said with a wry smile. "What's wrong with James?"

"They're just too stunned to believe their eyes," Jackson said. "I also hope James gets better soon. The Mavericks need him, Dallas needs him!"

James spread his hands, looking at the referee in disbelief, and said, "What? What did you say? Are you crazy? I was just dribbling!"

"You're crazy. Take the ball. If you're curious about what you did, watch the replay on the big screen." Odom walked impatiently toward the sideline, while also saying to James, "No, you shouldn't be able to see it, because your pathetic violation isn't even worth watching on the big screen."

"It's not even enough to consume electricity."

"Lamar's trash talk has improved a lot!" Lin Tian said with satisfaction. "The kid from Queens has finally grown up!"

On the court, James reluctantly put down the basketball and started to retreat on defense, while Johnson on the sidelines continued to assist the Bobcats and yell at James.

Tonight, James seemed to forget how to play in the fourth quarter, and Johnson deserves at least some credit for that with his three-pointer.

The Bobcats are on offense, and Rose is once again on the frontcourt!

"Can they tie the game or even close the gap? Can the Bobcats do it? There are 2 minutes and 50 seconds left!" Miller yelled. "The Bobcats fans are going crazy! I can't even hear anything from the court."

"All I can hear is noise! ​​It's all from the crazy fans!"

"Spread out! Spread out completely!" Rose, who hadn't taken many shots in the past few minutes and had been orchestrating the team's offense and assisting his teammates, decisively chose to have the whole team spread out for him at this moment.

Of course, I'll take that shot myself!
Then, without any hesitation, Ross immediately used the move that Lin Tian had taught him.

Lin Tian's signature skill.

Dribble between your legs, take a small hop to create space, and then suddenly change direction sharply and accelerate!
Swift as lightning! Agile as a cheetah!
Terry was easily outmaneuvered by Ross in one move, and had no time to turn around and chase after him.

Terry could only helplessly watch as Rose drove to the free-throw line and pulled up for a shot.

"Shh!"

After the crisp sound, the gap was reduced to only 1 point!
110: 109!

There are 2 minutes and 35 seconds left in the game!
If someone passing by didn't know there was an NBA game at the Spectrum Center tonight, they would definitely guess that Elvis Presley had been resurrected or that the Beatles and Michael Jackson were teaming up here for a concert.

The noise was too loud, and the fans were too crazy.

But you can't blame the Bobcats fans for disturbing the peace.

In the finals, the 20-point gap was reduced to just 1 point in the blink of an eye, and the team actually did it! They actually caught up!
The fact that the fans didn't fire guns at the ceiling to celebrate the team's performance in the second half is a testament to Charlotte's peaceful and safe society.

Soon, the fans' chaotic and frenzied voices suddenly turned into a unified cheer.

"Defense! Defense! Defense! Defense!"

"Defend! Defend! Defend!"

"Defend! Defend!"

The fans' synchronized cheers, resembling a battle formation, added pressure to the Mavericks' offensive players.

James continued dribbling up the court, looking for an opportunity as he did so.

"Do it yourself! Do it yourself, you softie!" Odom continued to taunt him, mocking him for not being tough enough.

"You really think I wouldn't dare?" James cursed, then immediately dribbled between his legs, accelerated, and charged forward – he was ready to do it!

Although Odom moved laterally at lightning speed, there was still a clear gap in speed between him and James. In the blink of an eye, James had pushed him to a position parallel to him. If James had just taken one more step, he could have easily left Odom behind.

But then, Yao Ming moved laterally in time, blocking James's path to the basket once again.

James immediately stopped in his tracks; this guy had lost his confidence!
If it were him in the past, he would have definitely accelerated and broken through with unwavering determination.

But tonight he stopped and walked around in circles.

"Traveling! Traveling!" Odom, having quickly regained his defensive position, once again forced James into position, shouting incoherently to try and distract James. (End of Chapter)