NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

"They're really going all out!" Miller said excitedly. "In the second quarter, both sides focused their offense entirely on their respective inside players."

"Nowitzki and Boozer have had some rivalry over the past few years when they were both in the Western Conference. They have faced each other several times in the playoffs and 3-4 times a year in the regular season."

"In addition, they are both power forwards who mainly rely on face-up shooting, so they have always been competing against each other! Of course, as time goes by and the results of each game are announced, everyone generally believes that Nowitzki is an MVP-level top star."

"Boozer, on the other hand, is just an ordinary All-Star player."

"But that's just popular opinion, and maybe it's true. Nowitzki is indeed a better player than Boozer."

"But honestly, would Boozer think that way too?"

Miller paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "100% not! He would never think he's worse than Nowitzki, or worse than anyone else. In fact, no top player ever thinks they're worse than anyone else!"

"Yes, it's like even though you've been beaten by Michael over 800 times, you still think you're better than Michael, right?" Upon hearing this, Jackson immediately mocked, "Or are you saying that when Lin led the team to beat Michael, you assumed you were better than Michael too?"

"Mark, it's one thing for others to say that about me, but why are you saying it about me?" Miller rolled his eyes. When it comes to mocking his friends, this guy is second to none, well, there are several people who would dare to call themselves number one. He's always quick to criticize his teammates.

"Do you know how many years you held me back in Indiana? If you had left earlier, Lin would have come much sooner, and I could have won a championship eight years earlier! It's all your fault, understand? When your partner is just a point guard ranked around 30th in the league, it's really hard for you to win a championship!"

“Then you can imitate LeBron James. You can bring your talent to Chicago. They’ve always lacked a sixth man.”

"If you say that, you might get beaten to death by the people of Dallas."

It has to be said that Miller and Jackson's conversation at this point is getting further and further away from the game.

The reason they drifted further and further apart was that the gap between them had widened without them even realizing it.

When the point difference widens, the suspense and excitement of the game inevitably diminish, leaving commentators with little to analyze and discuss, forcing them to resort to idle chatter to pass the time.

In particular, the score gap between the two sides this time was not due to a sudden outburst from a particular player or a team suddenly executing a brilliant tactical play or offensive surge.

This time, the score gap widened in a way that was like boiling a frog in lukewarm water.

The Mavericks are scoring, but the Bobcats are scoring more.

The Mavericks can defend some of the Bobcats' offense, but the Bobcats defend better.

For a reason that sounds quite simple, even experienced commentators like Miller and Jackson lost focus and started chatting without realizing it.

Finally, it was only after the director in their headsets loudly reminded them, "This is the Finals! The Finals, my ass!" that the two finally coughed and stopped talking about the embarrassing incident Jordan had made during an away game in Indiana.

At this point, eight minutes of the second quarter had already passed, and the gap between the two sides had unknowingly reached 17 points!
Sometimes games are just like that. For example, Lin Tian didn't come up with any brilliant strategies or play any particularly targeted tactics, but the team just had a good shooting streak, and the Mavericks just couldn't make their shots. Before long, the point difference widened without them even realizing it.

But Lin Tian himself did not relax. On the contrary, he was well aware that although the team was leading by a large margin at the moment, it was not stable. After all, who knew if the Bobcats would collapse in a while and the Mavericks would recover their shooting touch?
So, at this moment, when Johnson called two timeouts in a row in an attempt to stabilize the situation and close the gap, what Lin Tian did was to tell his players on the bench not to relax, not to be careless, and not to get complacent just because they were leading by a large margin.

This is the finals!
Relaxing means you'll be overturned!

Fortunately, the Bobcats have been playing against the wind in the last few rounds, and they are used to playing from behind. So even now that they have a strong lead, the players are unlikely to make any basic mistakes.

Well, of course, it's also because Lin Tian took down big shots like Odom and Stephenson early on, even when they were behind, they still wanted to show off and have fun.

Even if the team is in a big lead, these two are still thinking about doing something funny.

Who knows what they might do on the field, so Lin Tian didn't let them play early on.

Go sit down and wait until the situation is settled before we talk about it!
After all, this was Lin Tian's first time getting close to the championship as a coach, so he was quite cautious when he needed to be.

When the team was in the lead, Lin Tian kept telling his players to be careful and not to relax too much. Whenever Johnson called a timeout to make adjustments, Lin Tian would repeatedly remind his players not to relax and that the game was not over yet.

Even when the Bobcats were still leading by 15 points at the end of the first half, Lin Tian did not relax. He kept telling the players to keep pushing, not to relax, and not to think that the game was already won.

"After the competition, we will have a whole summer to celebrate our victory. We will enjoy the praise from all over the world, we will get countless endorsement contracts and new business cooperation opportunities, and countless girls will fall into our arms."

"But the prerequisite for everything is winning the game, winning tonight!"

"If we lose, we'll become a laughing stock. Look at the Celtics and Cavaliers, how they've been mocked for the past two weeks!"

“If we lose, everything I just said will become Dallas’s business. We’ll just be watching the girl lie in their arms and watching tons of business deals and money-making opportunities come to them.”

"And of course, there's the most important thing! We've come this far, we're just one step away from the highest honor. Are you really willing to watch that highest honor and the Larry O'Brien Trophy be taken away by someone else?"

"No Game 7! I'm telling you, there's no fucking Game 7 in this series!"

"Tonight, tonight, we will lift the trophy, we will win the championship, and we will not give the Dallas team any chance!"

"Excellent! Don't give them any chance!"

"Smash the Dallas team!"

"Let them know how powerful we are! Crush them!"

"Crush them completely! We need garbage time, we need to crush the game!"

"In the third quarter, we'll extend our lead to over 25 points!"

Upon hearing Lin Tian's furious roar, the players also roared back, expressing their determination and belief in winning the game that night.

After all, there were things that Lin Tian didn't say, but they could guess.

Tonight, the team led by 15 points at halftime and even by nearly 20 points at one point. If such a favorable situation were to be overturned, the impact on the morale and confidence of both teams would be self-evident.

If the Mavericks pull off a stunning comeback tonight, and the decisive Game 7 takes place in Dallas, it's easy to imagine how crazy the Mavericks' players and fans will be.

At that time, the Mavericks held absolute control and were about to crush the Bobcats.

Therefore, tonight is the Bobcats' best, and perhaps only, chance!
We absolutely cannot give the Dallas team any chance to breathe or regain their form!
After giving the players a pep talk and fully boosting their morale, Lin Tian looked at everyone and continued, "Now, listen carefully to what I'm about to say."

"Johnson will definitely go all out in the second half, bringing on his strongest offensive lineup. He will intensify his attack, he will repeatedly assault our defense to try and catch up. They are an offensive team, and when they are behind, they always believe in their offense!"

"Therefore, Terry will definitely replace Stevenson as the starting defender in the second half. One of Peja or Marion will also replace Haywood in the starting lineup."

"The Mavericks will definitely use a lineup with one big man, four small men, and an all-out offensive lineup at the start of the second half."

"What we need to do is counter their lineup. If Marion starts, then Yao, you go inside. Don't worry about three-pointers, shooting, spacing, or anything like that. You and Carlos go inside and dominate them!"

"Everyone else, attack the paint! Crush their paint! Forget mobility, agility, running and jumping, crush them to pieces!" "No problem!" The entire Bobcats team shouted in unison, expressing their confidence.

"Very good." Lin Tian nodded, then continued, "If Peja starts, that would be even better! Carlos, you already had... 15 points and 8 rebounds in the first half. If Peja starts, I think you can score at least 40+20 tonight. Are you confident?"

"Don't talk to me now, Coach. I need to pray that they'll really let Peja play a little longer." Boozer grinned mischievously, revealing his signature villainous grin. "I'm going to leave a monster record in Finals history!"

"In short, as long as they play a big man and four small men strategy, we'll immediately go and teach their inside game a lesson. If necessary, I'll bring in Lamar or Marvin too, and we'll all go and crush their inside game. Height, use our height advantage to wipe out their mobility advantage!"

"Finally, this is the most difficult point."

"Terry's shooting was mediocre in the first half, but that doesn't mean his shooting will be mediocre in the second half. His pick-and-roll with Nowitzki is the Mavericks' trump card and will pose the biggest threat to us!"

"If he and Nowitzki regain their shooting touch and get back into form, their pick-and-roll will definitely be one of the toughest pick-and-roll combinations to deal with in the league!"

"Both of them have the ability to strike anytime, anywhere, and consistently hit their targets."

"So when you're on defense, you can't switch, and you can't back down! Stick close, all of you stick close! As soon as Nowitzki comes to screen, Derrick, you immediately squeeze past him, don't give them a chance to set a screen, force your way through!"

"Stick close to Terry, don't give him any chance to shoot immediately after a screen. Don't let him shoot!"

"The same goes for Nowitzki, stick to him tightly! Don't give him any chance to receive the ball and shoot immediately."

"Those two want to use their skills and abilities to force their way through and take difficult mid-to-long-range shots. Let them try! If they can keep making shots and stay accurate, then we'll think of other ways to deal with them. We have a 15-point advantage! There's absolutely nothing to worry about."

"As long as their shooting touch isn't at its peak, as long as they can't keep hitting those difficult shots, we're guaranteed to win!"

"They need to play at 150% to win, while we only need to maintain 100% focus and mindset, and we can easily win tonight!"

"Alright, that's all. Does anyone have anything to add?"

“Coach, and James too,” Fields suddenly raised his hand and said, “Shouldn’t we design some tactics to target him as well?”

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I forgot." Lin Tian scratched his head and said, "I forgot he was on the court tonight. Well, James, right?"

"Ignore him. He's not as threatening as Stevenson. If he gets the ball, just give him two steps and let him throw it. If he drives, just pass it to him. No need to double-team. When he gets to the basket, just protect the rim and don't let him dunk directly."

"That's settled then, is everything else alright?"

"No problem at all." After a burst of laughter, the players quickly reached a consensus.

In the second half, the Bobcats did not change their starting lineup as usual, and they continued with the same five players.

Judging from the players' expressions and demeanor, they were clearly full of confidence, and everyone was in a state of high excitement and focus.

Lin Tian's words had boosted their confidence to the extreme.

Tonight, this season will come to an end!
On the Mavericks' side, their fans hadn't given up. Their roars rose and fell without any slowing or weakening. They maintained their high level of passion, enthusiasm, and desire for the championship without diminishing in the slightest.

As for the Mavericks players, they were equally determined and had no intention of giving up. They didn't think the 15-point gap was insurmountable, nor did they think they couldn't catch up.

This is also inevitable.

They won 60 games in the regular season and made it to the finals in the playoffs. If they don't even have the ability and determination to cope with setbacks, and if they surrender just because they are behind by such a small margin, then they will never make it to the finals.

At the same time, Lin Tian's prediction about the changes in their lineup came true once again.

Terry replaced Stevenson, and Marion took over Haywood's starting position.

The Mavericks' signature lineup of one big man and four small men, along with their all-out offensive style, has indeed appeared!
"It's a pity, it would have been better if Peja had come up." Sitting on the bench, Lin Tian shook his head in disappointment: "Johnson still doesn't have enough of a gambler's mentality! The lineup he fielded wasn't optimal enough."

“If we get Peja, it’ll be even easier for us to bully their inside game, right?” Van Gundy said from the side. “A big, soft guy who’s about to retire is much easier to deal with than Marion, that long-armed ape who’s been on the All-Defensive Team.”

“Not only that,” Lin Tian said. “Even on the offensive end, although Peja is more accurate, he no longer has any ball-handling ability. Although his positioning is still tricky, due to his physical attributes and speed, no matter how tricky his positioning is or how good his awareness is, it can still be contained.”

"Basketball, in the end, is a game of physical ability. Now, apart from throwing the ball and acting as a setter after receiving it, Peja can no longer help the team in any other way."

"What's so scary about a pure long-range shooter? Marion, on the other hand, he's definitely not accurate anymore, but he's physically strong, fast, has great positioning, can set screens and make cuts, has back-to-the-basket ability, and can occasionally throw up a floater."

"Aside from shooting three-pointers, he's much more difficult to deal with than Peja in every other aspect!"

Miller, in the commentary booth, quickly got into the zone and immediately predicted at the start of the second half: "The 15-point gap between the two sides in the first half is not small, but it is definitely not stable! This is not an insurmountable gap."

"Therefore, the second half will definitely be more exciting and thrilling than the first half. Both sides will surely bring their best form and abilities to the game!"

"If the Bobcats think that a 15-point lead will secure their victory in the Finals, they will definitely suffer the consequences! Not to mention, just a week ago, they overcame a huge 20-point deficit!"

“That’s right!” Jackson added, “Both teams have top-tier offensive capabilities in the league, especially the Mavericks. It’s no exaggeration to say that their shooting ability is the best in the league.”

"So Mavericks fans don't need to despair. The team you support has the best, most balanced, and widest range of shooters in the league. As long as they find their rhythm and their shooting touch continues, tonight's game will still be quite suspenseful."

"On the contrary, I'm quite worried about the Bobcats. A young roster, a young coach, and almost everyone on this team is making their first Finals appearance, many of them are even making their first playoffs."

"Can they resist the temptation and continue to give their all in the competition?"

"Lin, can you still control the situation?"

As the two commentators analyzed the play, the Mavericks had already taken the inbounds pass. James brought the ball up the court, but this time, the first thing he did after arriving at the frontcourt was to pass the ball directly to Terry.

Then James quickly moved to one side, standing at a 45-degree angle on the left. Nowitzki quickly moved up inside, and he and Terry executed their signature pick-and-roll once again.

Following Lin Tian's instructions, Rose stepped forward in advance, blocking Nowitzki and preventing the pick-and-roll from succeeding. This was arguably Nowitzki's biggest weakness in pick-and-rolls, or rather, the biggest weakness of the two players in this game.

Nowitzki's block wasn't exactly top-notch in terms of quality.

If he had Garnett's ability to pull, drag, and subtly move when setting screens, his pick-and-roll combination with Terry would probably be unbeatable.

Unfortunately this time, Rose was not blocked at all. Instead, he continued to stick close to Terry, not giving him any chance to break through or have any space to shoot.

But Terry was clearly no pushover either. Faced with Rose's close marking, he forced a lateral dribble to the left, then took a small step to the left rear, and then ignored Rose, pulling up and throwing the ball!
"Shh!"

"This is bad!" Looking at Terry's completely unreasonable shot, Lin Tian couldn't help but shake his head. He didn't like this momentum! (End of Chapter)