NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

"Keep going! Maintain our shooting percentage, maintain our accuracy and confidence! We can keep being accurate because we are the best shooting team in the league! Try to outshoot us? We'll blow them out of the water!"

"And what about them? Can they maintain a perfect record for an entire match without making a single mistake? Obviously not! They could start making a series of errors at any moment because the taut rope they've been holding together could snap!"

"And when that time comes, it will be time for us to launch a counterattack, for us to go all out and win the game!"

Johnson's speech for the Mavericks was similar in meaning to Lin Tian's; both coaches were waiting for the other to make a mistake, while also carefully guarding against the other making the first move.

Both coaches were completely focused on the game. Without a doubt, if anything went wrong on the field, they would make immediate adjustments!

What they are striving for now is not an advantage or lead in the score, but to control the rhythm of the game and make the rhythm completely in their own hands.

But obviously, doing that is too difficult!
Especially in the finals, in such a life-or-death battle, no one will just hand over the rhythm and the right to attack!

Then it all comes down to patience, and the understanding and mentality of the players on both sides.

Whoever can maintain their peak performance at the start of the game the longest will have a chance to win!
Whoever can come up with more little gadgets and new things to provoke the other in this competition has a greater chance of controlling the pace.

So, tonight's game, in essence, is still a battle of wits between the two coaches.

They are all playing in a way that can most easily throw their opponents off balance and is also what they are good at.

"What a tough opponent! Is this guy really a first-year coach?" Johnson couldn't help but sigh as he watched the situation on the court. Lin Tian's maturity in the coaching position was just like that of those seasoned veterans who had been doing it for many years!

"This match is really not interesting. How about we change our tactics and try something different?" While the other side was on high alert, thinking about how to break the deadlock, Lin Tian yawned and thought the match was no longer exciting.

Lin Tian was right; even the commentators could see that the match was more lively than exciting.

After a passionate exchange of blows and swings, the intensity of the match was negligible.

To put it bluntly, under the deliberate guidance of the two head coaches, the game was hardly exciting at all.

"Isn't Johnson supposed to be short-tempered? Why isn't he angry yet?" Lin Tian muttered again, waiting for Johnson to finally change tactics.

"He just called a timeout a minute ago, and then you two combined for only one basket. What's he angry about? What's there to be angry about?" Van Gundy rolled his eyes, indicating that Lin Tian should just shut up.

Van Gundy swore that he had never seen the Finals played and commanded like this in his entire life!

Outrageous!

Is this what the new generation of young coaches are like? They're all playing with abstract concepts, aren't they?
For the next while, the players from both sides played back and forth in a lively and exciting manner for quite some time.

Then, the Mavericks finally couldn't hold back and changed their minds!

They were the first to enter the second stage.

In the end, Johnson couldn't outlast Lin Tian!

Of course, there's also the fact that Lin Tian now holds the initiative in the series, and they can afford to wait it out, and even accept the terrible fact of losing tonight.

The team that has the advantage in the series is more likely to gain the upper hand in the game!

The Mavericks replaced Butler, who has better ball-handling skills, with Peja, a traditional shooter!

Looking at the rest of their team, it's clear the Mavericks are going back to their old ways!

With three excellent shooters and a cutting machine like Marion, this lineup is best suited for having James handle the ball and then running pick-and-rolls, drive-and-kick plays to keep the team in the lead!
"Can James hold on? Can he get back into form and help the team stabilize the situation or create an advantage with his performance?" With Jackson's somewhat expectant voice, the Mavericks' next offensive possession indeed saw James dribbling the ball up the court.

Terry arrived at the corner early and stood ready to go!

James reached the top of the arc, touched his head which was somewhat resembling Ginobili's, and Marion immediately stepped forward to block him. James himself also accelerated instantly and rushed into the heart of the Bobcats' territory!
As James charged forward, he used his almost unobstructed vision to survey the entire court, and then he spotted Peja standing alone in a corner, seemingly forgotten!
"Whoosh!"

The basketball flew like a cannonball, and James seemed to have four eyes. The basketball flew towards his diagonal rear, Peja caught the ball, and no one was guarding him!
The guy guarding him is off chasing after James now!
Peja aimed, looked at the basket, and then immediately shot!

An absolutely wide-open shot, a former second-team All-NBA star and top-tier shooter, his best three-point shot, a delicious pancake delivered to his mouth by a top-tier dribble master.

All of this combined resulted in a muffled thud that Charlottes loved dearly.

"Boom!"

Peja's shot bounced off the rim and missed! The rebound was grabbed by Odom, who had just come on the opposing team. Odom quickly glanced at the court and immediately decided to take matters into his own hands!
He dribbled the ball at lightning speed and sprinted towards the frontcourt. Although he wasn't exactly lightning fast and unstoppable, he was indeed incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, he was inside the three-point line.

Odom paused briefly, then spun around Marion, and immediately jumped, spreading his arms wide, flying towards the basket like a bird!
"Don't even think about it!" James, who seemed to have regained some confidence, had somehow returned to the basket to try and stop Odom's dunk.

But it was too late!

Even James arrived too late, so late that even with James's terrifying speed, he simply didn't have time to complete his defense and positioning.

"Oh!"

James, who hadn't even found his footing, was actually knocked away by Odom!
"boom!"

Then there was another loud bang!
Odom's seemingly reckless and crazy choice resulted in a spinning dunk that deserves a place in his career's top ten plays!

Rebound, drive, spin move, dunk over a superstar – Odom's play is something he can brag about for three months straight!

As for James, who had just been dunked on by Odom, he silently got up from the floor. He had just shown a little bit of energy, but after being dunked on, he looked half-dead again.

"LeBron! Wake up! We need you! FUXX! What's with that expression? Wake up, you son of a bitch! I need your strength!" Johnson was jumping up and down on the sidelines, hoping that James would wake up quickly and play at an MVP level.

"I will!" James replied casually, then continued dribbling forward.

Because he got up from the floor after being dunked on, by the time James arrived at the frontcourt, the entire Bobcats team had already set up their defense.

"Coward, are you wearing a diaper tonight?" Odom saw James and immediately continued to provoke him, while also keeping a close watch on James's potential breakthrough.

"Get lost!" James roared, accelerating and driving hard to the basket. His shoulder collided with Odom's, and he forcefully pushed him aside.

Then James took a step and drove hard to the basket, leaping high into the air until his eyes were looking down at the rim. Only then did James begin to descend, and at the same time, he used all his strength to slam the basketball toward the rim with one hand!
You could tell from James's eyes that he was really going all out this time!

Although he barely touched the ball during that half-quarter of the game, it seemed to have made him realize something. This guy wants to win; this guy wants to win through his own hard work!

So whether it was that incredibly clever pass or that fierce and powerful dunk, both are evidence of James's determination to change!
but……

He's having a really bad night!
Peja missed that clear-cut chance, and this time James's dunk was so powerful that the ball hit the rim and flew high into the air!

"Boom!"

Although the sounds varied in volume, both shots definitely missed!
The backboard flew almost to the ceiling before falling nearly vertically, but the basketball hit the top edge of the backboard and then rolled out of bounds behind it.

Possession of the ball is exchanged directly.

"What a pity!" Jackson said, "Such a dunk could have directly ignited James's fighting spirit and form tonight! But he just missed! Even if he had been blocked, it would have been because James was simply outmatched."

"That was really a dunk..."

"It really feels like Dallas's destiny isn't on their side tonight, right?" Miller said with a laugh. "The question now is actually quite simple: Can James maintain his aggressiveness? If so, how long can he keep it up?"

"If his luck continues to be this bad, can he maintain his peak performance indefinitely? After all, it was quite obvious in that last play that Odom, the Bobcats' best defender against James, was no match for him at all. He was easily pushed aside!"

"But the question now is, will James' luck and feel return first, or will his courage and fighting spirit leave him again?"

As the two analyzed the situation, the game continued.

Odom, who had just been pushed aside by James, was clearly determined to get revenge in this possession. He came to the low post, which he rarely comes to, and after blocking James, he reached out to forcefully ask for the ball.

Even though James missed the dunk, Odom was determined to get revenge!
Rose didn't waste any time, and with a bounce pass, he sent the ball over to Odom to get his revenge.

Odom backs down James and then rams him from behind!
"Boom! Boom!"

After two muffled thuds, neither of them used any tricks or techniques; it was just a direct clash of muscles.

Then?

Odom lost quite obviously; James blocked his attack almost without moving.

Although both of them are exceptionally talented, the difference in their innate abilities is quite obvious!
After failing to move James with two consecutive impacts, Odom immediately dribbled towards the baseline, hoping to get past James and force a layup to score.

But before Odom could even finish his turn, James had already blocked him, cutting off his path to the basket and practically knocking him off the court!
On that play, Odom was almost sent flying by James' quick lateral movement; he no longer had time to think or analyze the play.

His shot either goes directly out of bounds, which would be considered a turnover for Odom, or he has to find a teammate to pass the ball out while James is defending him.

But whatever choice Odom makes, he must make the choice and take action in the blink of an eye.

Then, Odom's choice surprised everyone!
This guy actually threw the ball directly into the air.

Then it landed just outside the baseline.

The ball flew high behind the backboard, almost vertically, but somehow it flew back onto the basketball court from above the backboard before falling vertically back down.

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, Odom, incredibly, threw in a miraculous shot from an unusual angle despite being completely shut down by James!

An absolutely divine ball!
It's the kind of situation where Odom could throw 100 more times and still not make 3, but tonight, just now, Odom made it!
What can you do?

James's dunk and Peja's clear-cut chance missed, but Odom's absolutely wild shot on the other end went in!

Tonight, destiny doesn't belong to the Mavericks, it doesn't belong to Dallas!
"FUXX!" This time, even the neutral Jackson couldn't help but swear: "James is so unlucky! Not only did he miss such a great offensive opportunity, but how could the Bobcats score on such a defensive opportunity?"

"I'm starting to feel like it would be an injustice if they didn't win tonight!"

"FUXX!" James cursed as well.

He doesn't believe in fate!

I don't believe it, at least not now!

Enraged, James took out his mouthguard and bit his tongue hard, drawing blood. Then he put his mouthguard back in.

Stay alert! Stay vigilant! And stay thirsty!

This is what James is forcing himself to do at this time.

I can't score on my own, and Peja's three-pointer is also my fault. So, at this point, I'll find the most reliable person on our team, okay?

"Dirk!" After dribbling the ball back to the frontcourt, James decisively called for Nowitzki to come up and set a screen for him. Then, James did not rush to pass the ball, but instead kept an eye on Nowitzki's direction as he advanced.

Then, James seized the moment when Nowitzki suddenly stopped and passed the ball to him with a bounce pass.

After receiving the ball, Nowitzki pulled up and shot from the area below the free-throw line, an area he knew all too well!

A clear chance, a perfect sweet spot!
But for some reason, whether God was playing a joke on James or on the whole of Dallas, Nowitzki's shot still didn't go in!

It was an open shot from almost point-blank range, but it still missed!
There's nowhere to reason with them!
Since James regained control of the ball and started organizing the offense himself, every Mavericks possession has been incredibly well-reasoned, with very comfortable shooting opportunities.

But the problem is, it doesn't go in even once!

And what about the Bobcats? Besides Odom's incredible shot, after Nowitzki missed his shot, they launched another counterattack. This time, Rose got hot, suddenly stopping beyond the three-point line for a pull-up three-pointer!
"Shh!"

Another crisp sound, and the Bobcats score again!
One side had every opportunity, but then kept missing shots, while the other side didn't look for opportunities at all, letting the players just play to their instincts and then making one shot after another.

This situation is absolutely terrible for the Mavericks, and it's a huge blow to their morale!

The bigger blow was that this situation didn't stop; it continued until the end of the first quarter! (End of Chapter)