NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

"They'll make mistakes." During the final timeout of the third quarter, Lin Tian said to his players, "Their touch will cool down. Nobody can be this accurate and crazy for the entire half."

"What we need to do now is continue to play the basketball we do best! We need to stabilize the situation, continue to attack the paint, and keep driving towards the basket, using our toughness and ferocity to break them down and wear them down!"

"Don't rush, don't be afraid. Their touch will fade over time. What we need to do is maintain our hot streak and determination to win even after their touch has returned to normal!"

"Guess what will happen if we get scared and give up now? That is, when their shooting touch drops in the fourth quarter and they start missing shots, we'll find that we're too far behind to catch up!"

"That's when you'll truly regret it!"

"So now, everyone, perk up! Then look at the Larry O'Brien Trophy right there on the sidelines, imagine the acceptance speeches when we lift the trophy later, and think about how you're going to brag about your achievements this summer."

"Just imagine how painful this summer will be if you lose!"

"Finally, step onto the court, keep sinking those damn basketballs, and take back our lead!"

"Take it back! Take the lead back!"

Under Lin Tian's speech, the players quickly perked up, raising their hands and roaring. They would not be intimidated by the Mavericks; their game had only just begun!
"Alright, Jeremy and Lamar, you two will replace Derrick and Gordon. Remember, keep driving to the basket and keep attacking the paint!"

"Leverage your strengths and advantages!"

This was Lin Tian's last timeout in the third quarter. He spent 95% of the time boosting morale, helping the players regain their spirits and find their rhythm. As for tactics, he basically explained them in one sentence.

To reiterate, the Bobcats' tactics are fine right now; what they lack is the desire to win, or rather, they need to maintain that desire and not be crushed by the Mavericks' unpredictable and unstoppable hot streak.

Anyway, Jordan's side is on the verge of being crushed.

My brother has played basketball for so many years and defeated so many teammates. Even when he was defeated by Lin Tian in the Eastern Conference Finals, he was never anxious or defeated.

But now, at this moment, he is truly anxious.

Otherwise, he wouldn't keep asking questions.

The reason he keeps asking Lin Tian questions is because he's completely at a loss and has no idea what to do.

Jordan felt that the championship was slipping away from him, that the cooked duck was about to fly away.

And right now, the entire Bobcats team is pretty much in the same boat.

It's simply a matter of being extremely anxious, very anxious, very anxious, or just generally anxious.

Some people can keep their worries and fears to themselves and continue playing, while others can't hide them and wear their anxiety and fear on their faces.

The only person on the team who still appeared completely at ease, confident, and calm was undoubtedly Lin Tian!

The guy remained calm and unhurried, sitting comfortably in his chair. Even during the timeout, Lin Tian didn't stand up and yell. Instead, he used a calm and quiet tone to encourage the players and keep them motivated.

The advantage of Lin Tian doing this is that, apart from Van Gundy and Jordan, who had just had in-depth conversations with him and knew that he really had no other options, everyone else genuinely felt that their head coach still had some tricks up his sleeve!

This is the reputation Lin Tian has built up over the past year. He has saved the team time and time again from desperate situations, and his strategic planning and anticipation of the enemy's moves have instilled confidence in the players.

This is the biggest reason why everyone can still maintain their confidence even though they are completely overwhelmed by the Mavericks' shooting and can't resist them at all.

Lin Tian hasn't surrendered yet!

Our head coach hasn't even started to get anxious or lose his temper yet.

Why are we in such a hurry? The head coach is there to back us up!

With this idea in mind, the Bobcats immediately had Yao Ming score a layup after the timeout, successfully putting the Bobcats back in the lead, and the two sides entered another tense back-and-forth battle.

"Derrick, do you know why you didn't win this year's MVP?" Just as the players on the court were exchanging blows and not giving an inch, Lin Tian quietly switched places with Van Gundy and then asked Rose.

But clearly, Lin Tian didn't need Ross to give him an answer; he was answering his own question.

"It's not because you missed more than 20 games, nor because you're not as good as Wade or anyone else. Skill, stats, attendance—none of these are the reasons you didn't win the MVP."

Ross looked up at Lin Tian, ​​knowing that he didn't need an answer now; he was waiting for Lin Tian to continue.

"You played so well. You passed when you should have passed, you shot when you should have shot, and sometimes you even went for it when you needed to be aggressive."

"Your playing style is flawless; every choice you make aligns with the coach's ideas and needs. No coach would dislike you, and no coach would refuse such an obedient, useful, and top-notch player."

"So you know what I'm going to say, Derek?"

“Sometimes, we need you to lose your temper, to play a little more selfishly, and occasionally, you have to get carried away and play in a somewhat irrational way.”

"Look at Terry on the other side. Did he follow the play even once in the third quarter? Did he take a single, conventionally reasonable shot even once in the third quarter?"

"No, but he blew us apart, right?"

Upon hearing this, Rose finally nodded decisively and said, "I understand, Coach."

"If you understand, then go on the court. Next time there's a dead ball, you go on and take Yao out; he needs to rest for a while."

Rose nodded quickly, then eagerly stood up and went to the scorer's table to wait for the dead ball to come on.

"Is this okay?" Jordan, who was behind Lin Tian, ​​had heard the whole conversation between Lin Tian and Rose, but he couldn't help but ask again.

He was truly panicked at this moment, not only because the Bobcats were now down by 3 points, but also because the Mavericks' offensive showed no signs of weakening or diminishing.

This relentless, wave-like onslaught is truly terrifying.

“That won’t do.” Lin Tian didn’t hide anything from Jordan, but just as Jordan was about to ask again, Lin Tian continued, “So I substituted Yao. We need Yao to rest.”

"You needed Yao but you took him out? What do you need him for? Just to sit on the sidelines and cheer?"

Lin Tian chose to ignore Jordan's question this time.

Too lazy to pay attention to him.

Just then, the ball went dead, and Yao Ming and Derrick Rose gave each other a high five, then Yao sat down next to Lin Tian.

"Brother Lin, is there something you want to say?" Da Yao knew Lin Tian had something to say to him as soon as he saw Lin Tian's expression.

"Do you know why you're never an MVP candidate?" Lin Tian asked directly, getting straight to the point.

Just like before, he doesn't need Yao Ming's answer; he has his own answer.

"It's not because you're Asian, it's not because you're inferior to Duncan or Shaq. Stats, race, attendance rate—none of these are reasons why you didn't win the MVP."

"You played so well. You passed when you should have passed, you shot when you should have shot, and sometimes you even went for it when you needed to be aggressive."

"Your playing style is flawless; every choice you make aligns with the coach's ideas and needs. No coach would dislike you, and no coach would refuse such an obedient, useful, and top-notch player."

"Look at Nowitzki's plays in the third quarter, was any of them executed according to the tactics?"

"But he blew us apart, right?"

Do you know what I'm going to say?

"I understand, Brother Lin." Yao Ming nodded, looking solemnly at the court: "I understand now!"

"Very good, go ahead if you understand!" Lin Tian patted Da Yao on the shoulder, not feeling embarrassed or ashamed at all for saying the exact same thing twice.

Anyway, he said this in Mandarin, and no one except him and Yao Ming could understand it, so what was he afraid of?
Moreover, given Lin Tian's thick skin, even if he spoke in English, and even if Jordan and Van Gundy heard him say the same thing to them, so what?
These two can't possibly talk to Rose and Yao Ming and then have them confront them, can they?
"Although I didn't understand what you and Yao said," Jordan said as Yao walked to the scorer's table to replace Boozer. "But based on what I know about you, you just said the same thing to Yao as Derrick."

"You've done similar things many times! I knew it all along! You're just using the same trick again tonight, aren't you?"

Seeing Jordan's smug look, Lin Tian didn't tolerate it at all: "Do you think I'm like you? I'm talking to Yao about completely different things. I won't use the same trick twice!"

"You're kidding me!" Jordan said, expressing his disbelief.

"I can't be bothered with you. If you don't believe me, go ask Yao for confirmation. I'll bet you $10 that what I talked to him about and what I talked to Derek about are two completely different things."

Upon hearing about gambling, the renowned veteran gambler Jordan's eyes lit up immediately, then deflated like a punctured balloon, slumping back onto the bench. He loved gambling, but hated losing.

He made up his mind long ago: he would rather die than gamble with Lin Tian again.

I've lost enough, I'm numb from losing.

As the two were talking, Boozer had already walked off the court and sat down next to Lin Tian.

Although he didn't dare to gamble, Jordan, still wanting to confirm that his guess was correct, immediately pricked up his ears to listen to the conversation between Lin Tian and Boozer.

Unfortunately, neither of them said anything of substance.

"Get some rest, Carlos. You'll be on the court at the start of the fourth quarter. You only have two minutes to rest!"

That was all he said, accompanied by a slow nod from Buzel, and that was it.

Jordan sat back down in his chair, dejected, and then turned his attention back to the court.

There was only one minute left in the third quarter.

The score was 94-98!
The Mavericks led by 4 points, outscoring the Bobcats by a whopping 19 points in this quarter.

They completely shattered the Bobcats' defense.

But the Bobcats clearly haven't given up yet.

Rose had the ball at the top of the arc, called Yao Ming for a quick pick-and-roll, and then Rose drove hard into the paint, completely compressing the Mavericks' defense. Then, he suddenly turned and passed the ball to Yao Ming, who was completely open outside the three-point line at the top of the arc.

Although Yao Ming's three-point shooting ability has improved rapidly this season, he is best at shooting from the two corners. More than 3% of his three-point attempts are made from the two corners, and the vast majority of the remaining 3% ​​are made from areas below 30 degrees on either side.

In other words, although both are 3-pointers, the top of the arc and even the 45-degree angles on both sides are not Yao Ming's shooting area and are not within his shooting range.

He hasn't attempted a three-pointer from that position this season.

This is one of the reasons why the Mavericks dared to completely let him go.

But at this moment, Yao Ming was incredibly determined. After receiving the ball, he glanced at it and then immediately shot from beyond the three-point line. In this area where he had never shot before, he made a crucial three-pointer!

"Shh!"

Then came a crisp sound as Yao Ming's three-pointer pierced through the net, narrowing the gap to just one point!
The Mavericks launched several comebacks at the end of the third quarter, trying to extend their lead, but they failed each time, and the Bobcats were always able to keep the score close!

After failing to pull away from the score multiple times, the Mavericks are starting to get a little anxious.

Because they themselves know that the reason why the third team won by so much is not because of any good tactics, brilliant teamwork, or overwhelming lineup.

To put it bluntly, their winning by so many points in the third quarter was simply due to good luck.

They scored all the goals they should have scored and none of the goals they shouldn't have scored.

It was truly an overwhelming feeling that hit me in the face.

At the same time, they are also well aware that this hot streak could disappear at any time, and they could return to their normal state at any time.

The Mavericks' goal, from top to bottom, was to widen the score gap and establish their advantage as much as possible before this momentum faded.

Otherwise, they wouldn't know what to do, and they would also be afraid of the Bobcats' firepower.

As is well known, when you're anxious on the basketball court, you're more likely to make mistakes.

For example, Terry glanced at the time and realized that there were still 42 seconds left in the game after the Bobcats made that three-pointer. After a quick calculation, he immediately rushed to the frontcourt, dribbled twice, and then took a step-back shot, throwing out a super long three-pointer.

He needs to seize the time and give the team another chance to attack!
"Boom!"

Unfortunately, he was met with a muffled thud as the basketball bounced off the rim and missed, only to be caught by Odom.

"Rob? Damn it, now it's our turn to rob one!" Ross, standing next to Terry, snorted, then shoved Terry in the shoulder and used that moment to accelerate and sprint away.

Terry's speed was already far inferior to Ross's, and now Ross had taken the initiative, so there was no way he could catch up with him.

Only a monster like James could charge at full speed at this moment, then immediately return to his defensive position and spread his arms to try and block Rose's fast break.

But obviously, James' straight-line speed is undeniable. His height and weight, combined with his explosive power, make him almost indistinguishable from a tyrant when he's charging in a straight line.

But he was facing Ross.

Without the ball, Rose made two consecutive body-changing feints along the way, followed by a sudden pause and acceleration, completely fooling James and leaving him behind.

There's no way around it. No matter how talented you are, James, you're still human. At over 110 kilograms, it's impossible for you to compete with Rose in agility and flexibility.

After Rose pulled away in two steps, James completely lost control of Rose. Although he was still desperately chasing back, he knew in his heart that he couldn't catch up with him this time.

But he didn't give up. He continued to attack with all his might, hoping to disrupt Rose's layup.

Odom's passes are always timely and precise; he throws the ball out early, and the basketball lands right in Rose's path.

After receiving the ball, Rose doesn't need to adjust or slow down; he can simply hold the ball and go for a layup.

But after Rose glanced back at James, who was hot on his heels, he saw that James suddenly slowed down after getting the ball before getting up to drive to the basket.

Even though James knew Rose was deliberately slowing down to lure him into a collision, he didn't have time to adjust his body.

Rose is too fast; James has to go all out to catch him, and there's no chance for him to slow down and adjust his body and pace.

"Oh!"

With a muffled thud, James, unable to brake in time, crashed heavily into Rose's back, who was deliberately braking, resulting in an inevitable rear-end collision.

Rose had already released his shot before James crashed into him, and then he was sent flying by the impact, sliding a long distance on the floor before colliding with the photographers.

"Beep beep! Charge foul! 2 points awarded, plus 1 free throw!"

The referee's decision was made very quickly. There was absolutely no room for hesitation in this situation. It's not like a deliberate rear-end collision on the road where you can be assigned primary or secondary responsibility. On the field, in a collision like this, the defending player is fully responsible.

But for James, what's worse right now isn't the referee's call.

After all, this ruling was expected; he knew it was over as soon as Rose braked.

The worst thing for him right now is the fans' reaction.

James has 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists so far tonight, with no turnovers and 5 of 11 field goals. His stats are impeccable. Although his scoring isn't high, he's maintaining his usual all-around game.

The problem was that in the third quarter, when the team launched a major counterattack, he went 0-for-2 and scored no points, completely disappearing from the game.

Or rather, although James played almost the entire quarter, the only time he truly showed his presence was when he committed that foul—a foul that allowed the Bobcats to take the lead again.

What does this mean for the fans?
This means that they were having a blast when someone suddenly poured a bucket of cold water on them, and that bucket of cold water was poured by James.

The simple and honest people of Dallas were instantly swayed by the cold water poured on them.

Their reaction was quite simple: boos, boos that echoed throughout the mountains and fields.

However, they weren't booing the referees or Rose; they were booing James.

Of course, the booing lasted only a short time.

Nowitzki and Terry almost immediately sensed something was wrong. They stood on either side, waving to the fans in different directions, trying to quiet them down and calm them down.

Fortunately, both players are veterans who have played for Dallas for many years, and they have a lot of prestige here. The fans immediately calmed down and stopped booing.

Some scattered fans even tried to salvage the situation, shouting at James, "Go LeBron!"

Marion, the experienced veteran, put his arm around James's shoulder and whispered words of comfort in his ear. (End of Chapter)