I've been playing in the NBA for three years, and this system is only now showing up?

Chapter 76 An Alternative Record: Is This a Football Match? Lin Ze's Inspirational Quotes Relentlessly Preach to Shaq and Kobe! [Please Subscribe]

"In NBA history, any team that wins Game 5 when the score is tied 2-2 has a 77.4% chance of advancing to the next round!"

"Let's see if either side changes their tactics tonight, or if they come up with anything new!"

With the commentators' analysis, the battle for Tianwang Mountain began!

O'Neal unsurprisingly secured the team's first possession of the night, but his hook shot under the basket was thwarted when Sabonis poked him in the groin, rendering his attempt futile.

This roof of Europe not only boasts the highest altitude, but also features the most sophisticated and meticulous design in all of Europe.

O'Neal could always push him away, but Sabonis could also make O'Neal's easy shots inexplicably miss.

The Trail Blazers' first offensive possession also failed to find the net. Pippen went one-on-one against Kobe, but Kobe's one-on-one defense made him look quite disheveled. In the end, he managed to drive to the basket and shoot, but the ball bounced off the rim.

Looking back, Kobe's one-on-one against Pippen also failed, as Pippen displayed 150% defensive focus, just like he did five years ago with the Bulls.

Stoudemire then missed a layup, Rice missed a three-pointer, and Rasheed's shot against Linze was also disrupted by Linze.

O'Neal then missed another hook shot, and Hubble grabbed the offensive rebound and passed the ball to Lin Ze, whose open three-pointer also missed.

On the other hand, Blazers' Sabonis' three-pointer was disrupted by Lin Ze's help defense. Although Rasheed grabbed the rebound, his shot under the basket was ruthlessly blocked by O'Neal!

The ball was swatted directly into the side stands by O'Neal, causing a commotion and a burst of shouts from the fans, finally bringing the game to a brief pause.

It was only at this moment that the players on both sides suddenly realized that this was the first time since the start of the game that they had stopped and started to breathe properly.

Veterans like Sabonis are finding it hard to breathe right now.

The intensity tonight was greater than the players had anticipated!

Wilmarcus, too, finally found a moment to catch his breath, interjecting, "Suffocating intensity! This game is definitely the most intense and fiercely fought game since the start of the playoffs!"

"I really hope all fans turn on their TVs right now," Smith said. "I have a feeling that tonight's game is going to be a classic matchup that will go down in NBA history!"

The Trail Blazers inbounded the ball from the sideline.

However, the scoring drought for both sides did not end there.

Each of the 10 starters on both sides took at least one shot, including some wide-open opportunities, but none of them could make the shot.

Even 4 minutes and 31 seconds into the game, when O'Neal finally drew a foul on Sabonis and went to the free-throw line, he missed both free throws, failing to score the team's first point of the night.

The scoring drought for both sides lasted for a full 5 minutes and 43 seconds into the game!

O'Neal once again tried to score under the basket, but the ball inexplicably missed the rim again.

Lin Ze, under the basket, pushed Rasheed away from where he was squeezed together, but Rasheed grabbed the hem of his jersey tightly, preventing him from jumping.

Lin Ze could only barely jump to about the height of a matchbox, but that was enough for him to lightly tap the basketball with one hand, changing its direction and sending it flying toward the basket.

"Whoosh!"

This time, the basketball finally obediently went into the basket!

"NICE! Great shot! Beautiful!"

Wilmarcus shouted as the ball went in, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

They finally scored!

The egg has finally hatched!

The Staples Center fans roared and cheered wildly, with some even shouting "MVP" at Lin Ze. If you were a fan who had just turned on the TV, you might think they were celebrating a game-winning shot!

Even the Trail Blazers breathed a sigh of relief when the shot went in.

It's not easy.

The egg has finally hatched!

Because both sides were so inefficient on the offensive end, everyone focused their energy on the defensive end. The intensity of the defense gradually increased. It's unclear when it started, but every ball was like a physical battle, with a group of people completely entangled and fighting each other.

Every minute someone falls to the floor to fight for the ball, and every second elbows and knees fly around the field.

The players from the Trail Blazers and the Lakers are completely on the same page right now.

It's fine if I miss, but you can forget about putting the ball in the basket either!

If NBA games were to be categorized, this game would definitely be rated 18+ and not suitable for children.

With 11 seconds left in the first quarter, Lin Ze and Rasheed were once again tangled up under the Lakers' basket, their arms completely intertwined. Then, when Stoudemire missed another shot, Lin Ze found an opportunity first. Before jumping to grab the rebound, he first gave Rasheed a hard shoulder bump, then grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Kobe.

But because Lin Ze and Rashid were so entangled, Lin Ze couldn't hold back, and Rashid immediately opened his mouth and started spewing profanities.

Lin Ze would not have tolerated this kind of thing, but when he looked back, he found that the referee was less than half a meter away from him, and he frowned.

So Lin Ze chose to remain silent.

He waited.

Wait for the referee to blow the whistle.

He didn't think the referee would definitely call a technical foul on Rashid.

He believed in Rashid's lung capacity.

Rashid will not stop until the referee blows the whistle!

Sure enough, Rashid's shouting was loud, offensive, and prolonged, continuing from the front of the field all the way to his own backfield without stopping, leaving the referee with no choice but to give up.

As Lin Ze and Rasheed battled all the way to the Trail Blazers' three-point line, the technical foul whistle finally blew.

Seeing the straightforward Rashid's indignant expression, Lin Ze wondered if he had been too bad, and then reflected on himself for three seconds.

He then raised his hand and made the technical free throw.

And six seconds later, in the final moments of the first quarter, Lin Ze received a pass from O'Neal and hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer from beyond the arc.

Break up!

"Whoosh!"

As the basketball swished through the net, the whistle blew to end the first quarter.

Lin Ze scored 4 points in a row with a buzzer-beating three-pointer and a technical free throw, bringing his total score in the first quarter to 6 points.

Six points was also the highest score by any player in the first quarter for both sides.

Besides Lin Ze, O'Neal and Smith scored 4 points each. Apart from that, no other player on either side scored more than 2 points.

第一节比赛，湖人队21投7中，3分球5投1中，罚球6罚3中，开拓者队20投6中，3分球6投0中，罚球4罚3中。

15: 18!

Even though it was only the first quarter, Dunleavy's voice was already hoarse on the sidelines. He kept shouting, constantly reminding the players to be more focused and attentive.

"Keep playing like this! Keep fighting them! Maintain the pressure! Keep using your body to overwhelm them! We have a deeper roster! We have more players who can contribute! We will definitely be the last one standing!"

Jackson, on the other side, was much calmer and more composed than Dunleavy. At least for now, he was still able to remain calm: "We've started to gain the upper hand. Their mentality is starting to collapse. The final victory will definitely be ours."

"Lin, you did a great job at the last moment, you broke Rashid down and kept him going. If he can be sent off, we will have a greater advantage tonight."

Both coaches have stopped strategizing because they know very well that what matters now is not a brilliant, spontaneous play, but rather breaking the opponent's spirit!

Use muscle and confrontation to break your opponent.

Therefore, they mainly focus on providing players with mental energy.

"Kobe, just keep it simple!" Lin Ze, sitting on the sidelines, was furious at his lack of competitiveness. "Don't you know Scottie's lateral movement is slow, and his turning speed is nowhere near his peak? He simply can't keep up with you! Can't you just put away all those useless crossovers and between-the-legs moves?"

"Dive into his mid lane!"

Kobe didn't refute it; he did indeed play terribly in the first quarter.

He knew why.

He was eager to crush Pippen, but he had a terrible shooting night.

When you're having a bad shooting night, it's easy to fall into self-doubt. Once you start doubting yourself, you'll unconsciously make more unnecessary moves and want to create more space for yourself before you're willing to take a shot.

This resulted in Kobe dribbling the ball a lot in the first quarter tonight.

But how can you compete with Pippen in terms of technique and rhythm?

He's a seasoned veteran who's played in the Finals six times; what kind of fancy tricks hasn't he seen?

If you try to outsmart him, he can teach you a lesson with his experience alone, showing you just how ridiculous your skills are.

The more experienced an old man you are dealing with, the simpler and more direct your approach should be. Use the simplest speed, jumping ability, and physical strength to overwhelm him and force him to keep up with you.

"Shaq!" Lin Ze turned to O'Neal again: "Amazing! I think that old man can't breathe! You've almost suffocated him."

"I think he'll be completely out of steam after one more quarter at most, and then I'll have to resort to fouls to stop him."

Different methods should be used for different people.

Shaq deserves praise, Kobe deserves criticism.

Jackson?

He wanted to give Jackson the middle finger.

Because the old man had been looking at Lin Ze the whole time he was giving that speech.

Lin Ze understood what he meant immediately.

"Think of a way, Lin! Let's get everyone to step up their efforts!"

Because he's the coach.

Lin Ze can only do manual labor.

Then, during his brief rest period at the start of the second quarter, Lin Ze pulled Glen Rice aside.

"Glenn, give it your all! You used to be third on the scoring list! Michael once said: You're way better than Reggie or Starks! He'll have to go all out to beat you."

"Really?" Even though Rice, a seasoned veteran, knew that Lin Ze was using reverse psychology, he couldn't help but ask.

That's Jordan! A monster who beat up everyone in an entire era!

"Don't believe me? Ask Ron!" Lin Ze immediately shifted the blame: "He was there too."

"Lin is right." Hubble nodded, then shifted the blame: "If you don't believe me, ask Kirsty; he was there too."

"Michael even made sure Kirsty helped him defend back then," Lin Ze added quietly.

This made Rice a little excited.

He wouldn't actually ask Pippen, but he was starting to think Lin Ze was telling the truth.

On the court, Kobe and Shaq were on the court at the same time. After being provoked by Lin Ze, Kobe was as stubborn as a mule, but his actions betrayed him. When he met Pippen again, he put away his fancy tricks.

After taking an offensive stance, he accelerated and charged into the paint.

After being helped by the defense, he tossed the ball into the air again, and O'Neal jumped up and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!

This was O'Neal's first dunk of the night.

But with Lin Ze and Rice out of the game, the Trail Blazers' defense collapsed, and O'Neal found it difficult to find such comfortable opportunities again.

However, Kobe's shooting consistency is still insufficient at this stage, and he relies heavily on driving to the basket.

Although he managed to get past Pippen and into the paint after simplifying his approach, his efficiency was still difficult to maintain when facing a massive, packed interior defense.

Actually, at this point in the season, Horry should have been on the court to create space for the Lakers and give Kobe and O'Neal opportunities for isolation plays. But the problem is that he's been so bad in this year's playoffs. Even in the Western Conference Finals, a guy who's supposed to be a shooter only made one three-pointer. Jackson really doesn't dare to use him anymore.

He preferred to use his old friend Green to fill in.

With Green, a guy who has absolutely no scoring ability, on the court, the Lakers' offensive space becomes even scarcer and worse.

The good news is that Green can at least bring defense and toughness. Although he has declined significantly in all aspects, he has height and experience. With him camped under the basket, every attack on the rim by the Trail Blazers will be severely tested.

Therefore, the scoring efficiency on both sides remains shockingly low.

36: 40!

At halftime, the Lakers led by 4 points.

55: 60!

At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers led by 5 points.

Although both teams played at a slow pace, were inefficient, and struggled to put the ball in the basket, the Lakers maintained a slight advantage throughout.

This advantage was created by Lin Ze's four consecutive points at the end of the first quarter.

After all, neither side has been able to mount another offensive run of more than 4-0 since then, which shows how bad their shooting was tonight!

This close game continued until the last 54 seconds of the fourth quarter, with the score at 71-74!

The Lakers still lead by 3 points.

Jackson just called a timeout, and after the timeout, the Lakers brought in a huge lineup!

Shaq, Horry, Linze, Rice, and Kobe!

Four of these five people are over two meters tall, and even the shortest, Kobe, is 198 centimeters tall.

The reason for suddenly bringing out such a large lineup is that the Trail Blazers had just brought out Grant and Rasheed at the same time, playing with three big men.

Since no one can make the shot, let's compete on height and rebounds!

Dunleavy's substitution salvaged some pride for the Trail Blazers, who grabbed 0 offensive rebounds in two consecutive possessions.

Although the Trail Blazers failed to score even a single point despite grabbing two consecutive offensive rebounds, this was something Jackson could not tolerate, so he opted to change the lineup.

After Horry came on, he knew his shooting touch was terrible, so he wisely ran to the corner and stood there motionless. Judging from his posture, he was just about to ask the fans next to him for some chips or something to eat.

The Trail Blazers didn't commit too many defensive players to Horry either.

They simply didn't believe that this guy, who shot like crap in this year's playoffs, would suddenly explode at this moment!

They must concentrate more of their forces in the paint, on the routes that Shaq, Kobe, Lin Ze, and others drive through or along their usual paths.

Then, unsurprisingly, the basketball ended up in Horry's hands!

Absolutely huge open space!

"Shoot, Robert!" Lin Ze shouted as he passed the ball. "Just lightly support yourself with your left hand, then bend your knees naturally and jump!"

There was still no one in front of Horry. Grant, who was originally going to help defend, glanced at Horry receiving the ball, turned around and left to grab the rebound. He didn't believe Horry could make the shot!

However, Horry is a seasoned player who has won two championships, never missed the playoffs in his career, and has always been known for his clutch performances.

Even though his three-point shooting has been abysmal so far in the playoffs, he still doesn't hesitate to pull up and shoot when the opportunity comes his way.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, Horry's three-pointer missed again.

But O'Neal leaped high under the basket and slapped the rebound away, landing it in Lin Ze's hands outside the three-point line.

Lin Ze received the ball and faked a move, causing Rasheed, who had been in front of him, to lose his balance. He then lowered his center of gravity and accelerated towards the basket. The Trail Blazers quickly collapsed, and Grant and Pippen instantly blocked Lin Ze's path.

They completely ignored Horry.

But Lin Ze showed trust in his teammates.

He passed the ball laterally again, finding Horry once more.

"Keep throwing, Robert!" Lin Ze shouted!

Horry received the ball, facing a vast space as wide as the universe.

He still did not hesitate.

Vote again!

This time, as the basketball flew toward the basket, all the fans at Staples Center closed their eyes.

That shot was crucial!

With just over 20 seconds left in the game, if the Lakers make this shot, they will lead by 6 points and essentially secure the victory for the night. If they miss, the Trail Blazers will have a full 24 seconds to launch their final attack.

They can quickly score 2 points and then gamble on the Lakers' free throws, or they can shoot a game-winning 3-pointer to force overtime.

Almost everyone held their breath, even the usually talkative Wilmarcus and Smith remained absolutely silent at this moment, waiting.

"Whoosh!"

Then, with a crisp sound, Horry hit a three-pointer!

The Lakers have extended their lead to 6 points!

"The game-winning shot!" Smith shouted. "The Lakers have sealed the victory! After two consecutive losses to start the season, the Lakers are just 23.8 seconds away from taking the series lead!"

"The Trail Blazers need a miracle," Wilmarcus said. "They called their last timeout, and they have to hit a three-pointer in the shortest amount of time, and then they have to pray that the Lakers miss two free throws or commit a turnover."

"Lady Luck just smiled on the Lakers, allowing Horry, who has only made one three-pointer so far in the playoffs, to hit the game-winning shot. So, will miracles smile on the Trail Blazers next?"

Soon, the timeout ended, and the Trail Blazers players returned to the court.

Sabonis is responsible for inbounding the ball. His experience, height, and passing ability ensure that the team will at least not lose the game due to mistakes. At the same time, although Sabonis does not take many shots, he also has a decent three-point shooting ability.

If you give him a chance, he will have the confidence to take action.

Next up was Schrempf, the most accurate and experienced player on the team's bench, along with Pippen, Smith, and Stoudemire. Dunleavy put all five of the Trail Blazers' most accurate players on the court.

As for Rasheed, his three-point shooting percentage this year has been inconsistent, so he was substituted by Dunleavy in the final moments.

Meanwhile, the Lakers' starting five returned to the court. Since the Lakers were leading by a full 6 points, they only needed to defend from the three-point line. As long as they prevented the Trail Blazers from making a three-pointer and didn't foul them to give them three free throws or even a 3+1, they would basically win the game!

"beep!"

The referee blew the whistle, and the game continued!

Sabonis held the basketball high, watching his teammates' movements, waiting for an opportunity to pass the ball.

With the Lakers almost entirely defending the three-point line, it was extremely difficult for the Trail Blazers to create opportunities directly beyond the three-point line.

They struggled to find an opportunity, and it was only thanks to Stoudemire's speed that he finally managed to get a chance to receive the ball. However, after receiving the ball, he instinctively accelerated towards the three-point line, only to find that no one from the Lakers was paying attention to him.

He easily drove into the three-point line and continued to easily complete layups.

But this didn't work at all!

Stoudemire could only turn around and dribble out again, calling for a pick-and-roll, looking for an opportunity to organize the offense.

This wasted almost 10 seconds. By the time the ball reached Schrempf and he was about to shoot, there were only 13 seconds left in the game.

Schramf also failed to make a move.

He had just caught the ball and hadn't even had a chance to lift it up when Lin Ze slapped it away!

"A smart move!" Wilmarcus immediately praised, "That slap at that moment was really smart! If the referee had called a foul, then there would have been two free throws, and even if Schremff made both, it wouldn't have affected the overall situation."

"If they successfully steal the ball, the Lakers could practically kill the game! Lin has definitely made a profit this time."

With a "smack," Lin Ze knocked the basketball out of Schremf's hands. Then, he grabbed the basketball and sprinted towards the frontcourt. Helpless, Schremf could only hug Lin Ze in despair and send him to the free-throw line.

"That's basically handing Lin two points for free," Smith said, shaking his head. "But the Trail Blazers can't really do anything about it."

"They had no timeouts, no time, and even if Lin missed both free throws, it would be almost impossible for them to catch up by 6 points in the remaining time."

Lin Ze, who was embraced by Schramf, undoubtedly became a hero at Staples Center!

Although he didn't score in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, an assist and a crucial steal were enough to make him the Lakers' biggest hero tonight!

Fans chanted Lin Ze's name, and O'Neal and Rice went up to hug Lin Ze one after another. Even Jackson stood up from the bench and gave Lin Ze a big high-five as he passed by.

Won!

After a disastrous 0-2 start, the Lakers won three straight games!

Not only have they caught their breath, but they are now on the verge of winning the match. If they win just one more game, they will complete an incredible comeback and advance to the finals!

At the free throw line, Lin Ze's free throw percentage was actually quite poor tonight, making only 2 out of 5 attempts. Compared to his free throw percentage of over 80% this season, he was definitely a disappointment tonight.

But at this moment, Lin Ze, who was completely relaxed, steadily raised his hand twice and sent the ball into the basket twice!

71: 79!

With 10 seconds left in the game, the Lakers led by 8 points!

The outcome is decided!

After Lin Ze made both free throws, the Lakers stopped playing defense. They celebrated, cheered, and hugged each other, extremely excited about escaping death.

As for the Trail Blazers?

Stoudemire dribbled quickly to the frontcourt and then scored a three-pointer with no one guarding him, narrowing the gap to five points.

Then, the match ended.

74: 79!

The Lakers won Game 5! They won this incredibly tough defensive battle!

That night, the Lakers only made 30 of 85 field goals, 3 of 17 three-pointers, and even 16 of 28 free throws. Their poor shooting and the team's overall lackluster performance were a major setback. But thankfully, the Lakers held on because the Trail Blazers were even worse.

开拓者队83投28中，3分球20投4中，罚球20罚14中。

球员方面，林泽22投8中，3分球5投1中，罚球7罚4中拿下全场最高的21分7篮板3助攻3抢断1盖帽，他绝对是湖人队今晚获胜的头号功臣！

奥尼尔19投7中，罚球12罚6中，拿下20分23篮板5盖帽的大号两双，科比18投6中，3

分球3投0中，罚球4罚3中，拿下15分6篮板。

On the Trail Blazers' side, even Sabonis, who had the highest shooting percentage among the starting five, only made 5 of 11 shots. None of the other starters had a shooting percentage above 40%. In addition, no one on the team scored more than 20 points. Even though they were a poor performer, they still played a standard Trail Blazers-style poor game.

At the post-game press conference that evening, Lin Ze naturally represented the Lakers.

The reporters' questions mainly focused on the play where he passed the ball to Horry twice in a row.

"Why not? He's one of our best shooters, a two-time champion, a top shooter who's been through countless tough games. Why not trust him? Just because he missed a few shots? That's ridiculous. Michael has had bad games too, and he needed his teammates to save him!"

"All I can say is: I've missed shots too, and I've had my off days. When I'm not playing well, I hope my teammates will continue to trust me and pass me the ball."

"Then, like Robert did, I'll repay my teammates' trust and make that damn shot!"

"Everyone on the Lakers trusts each other. Even if my teammate goes 0-for-10, as long as he's open and still has confidence, I'll keep passing him the ball!"

Lin Ze's speech has once again become a textbook example.

His current image can be perfectly described by Wilmarcus's post-match comments tonight.

"A perfect all-around player can be in every position on the field. He is always there whenever you need him. He has a big heart, so you can confidently pass him the ball. He is also selfless enough that you can make serious runs and he will pass you the ball."

"Even when you are bullied or targeted by your opponent's dirty tricks, Lin will stand up for you."

"He might be the perfect teammate in this league!"

After defeating the Trail Blazers in Game 5, Jackson did not give the players a day off as usual. Instead, he unusually imposed a curfew, ordering everyone to go home and requiring them to be at the training facility by 8 a.m. the next morning.

In the past, everyone would have complained, and some might even have tried to negotiate with Jackson.

But now, at the most crucial moment of the Western Conference Finals, everyone on the Lakers team is behaving themselves. No one, including O'Neal, has arranged any fun activities, and everyone has returned home to rest.

Then, early the next morning, I arrived at the training hall on time.

"No training today," Jackson said with a smile after everyone had gathered. "Let's watch a movie."

Jackson frequently made sure his players watched movies or read books before crucial games. He liked to gather everyone together at these times, watch something together, and then have them share their thoughts, all to boost the team's fighting spirit and cohesion.

For Lin Ze, the most painful experience was when he was with the Bulls, when Jackson made them watch the Star Wars trilogy all day long.

For most of the Bulls players at the time, Star Wars, filmed in the 7s and 80s, was still the ultimate audiovisual experience and science fiction blockbuster. Whether they had seen it or not, everyone watched it with great interest.

But for Lin Ze, born in the 00s, watching Star Wars all day long is nothing short of torture.

The fight scenes, which were worse than a brawl between kids on the street, and the terrible special effects, made Lin Ze feel like he was dying.

Fortunately, this time, Jackson is showing everyone "Saving Private Ryan," a war film that will still be considered a blockbuster even 20 years later.

Unfortunately, although the movie screening was enjoyable, it didn't help the Lakers.

Because after they went to Portland after watching the movie, they were unable to finish the series in Portland.

After losing three straight games, the Portlanders fought desperately tonight, unleashing all their energy and firepower!

Both teams found their rhythm in this game. Although the competition was still fierce and intense, it was at least not like the previous game, which was a complete battle of missed shots.

虽然这个晚上奥尼尔宛若杀神，打的萨博尼斯6犯离场，爆砍系列赛最高的48分外加18个篮板，可却没能顶住开拓者队6人得分上双、3人得分超过20的集体表演。

Although the Lakers were only down by 4 points with 3 minutes left in the game and still had a chance to win, Kobe missed several shots in the next few minutes. The Trail Blazers took advantage of this time to go on a 6-0 run and extend their lead to 10 points.

At this point, the Lakers were completely unable to catch up and were overwhelmed by the Trail Blazers, losing this crucial matchup 99-107.

3: 3!

The series is tied again, forcing a decisive Game 7!

And just one day after the Lakers and Trail Blazers went to a Game 7, the Eastern Conference decided the winner first.

The Knicks and Pacers are arguably the most fiercely rivals and the most hated rivals in the league over the past decade.

From 1993 to this year's Eastern Conference Finals, this is the sixth time in eight years that these two teams have met in the playoffs, and the third consecutive year.

In their previous five matchups, the Knicks held a slight 3-2 advantage, but the painful memories Miller left them could not be erased by such a small advantage.

As the first mayor of New York City, Miller gave at least 80% of his playoff highlights to New Yorkers.

A phenomenal 25-point comeback in the fourth quarter, a incredible 8-point comeback in 9 seconds, a chokehold, a tirade against Spike, and a game-winning shot against the Knicks —

The Knicks deserve the most credit for Miller's stellar career.

Of course, the Knicks are no slouch either: their Cinderella story last year began by defeating the Pacers.

The first five matches between these two teams have produced countless classic moments.

The same goes for this year.

In the first four games of this year, three of them were decided by less than four points, with the score going down to the last second. The close competition and the close scores have been incredibly exciting for fans across the United States.

However, in the crucial Game 5, with Ewing's return, the balance of the series shifted significantly.

The Knicks couldn't hold on any longer!

Because Ewing has returned.

Then, the Knicks collapsed.

Ewing, who missed Games 3 and 4 of the series due to injury, had a poor performance in Games 5 and 6, resulting in the team losing two consecutive games, with the point difference in both games exceeding 10 points.

Game 3 became another moment of triumph for Miller at Madison Square Garden. In this game, Miller scored a whopping 34 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter. With his crazy performance and almost unerring three-point shooting, the Knicks lost at home and were eliminated.

The Knicks failed to reach the Finals for the second consecutive year, but the Pacers finally crossed that chasm, making it to the Finals for the first time in franchise history! For the first time in franchise history, they've come so close to the Larry O'Brien Trophy!

This series thus became the climax of the "Ewing effect".

The so-called "Ewing effect" refers to the awkward phenomenon that a team plays better when its star player is absent, but loses when the star player returns.

As the star player who experienced this phenomenon most frequently, Ewing was honored to have this phenomenon become his own, leaving behind his signature moment.

Even in the final moments of Game 6 of the series, the Madison Square Garden fans could no longer tolerate Ewing's abysmal performance and gave him a vicious chorus of boos.

The tenderness and affection of the past have vanished, and New Yorkers now only feel disgust towards Ewing.

Neither the New York fans booing Ewing nor Ewing himself, sitting on the sidelines watching his arch-rival celebrate victory with a dejected expression, knew that he had already played his last game for the Knicks.

The era of the New York gangsters, belonging to the four great centers and Ewing, has come to a complete end.

With the Pacers making it to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, all eyes are now on the Western Conference!

"So, what do you think?" Before Game 7 began, Jackson, still with his characteristic charlatan-like demeanor, looked at his players in the locker room and asked, "How was the movie you saw the other day?"

"I feel like throwing up." Lin Ze knew that he had to speak first at times like this. Shaquille O'Neal would fall asleep as soon as he watched a movie, and Kobe Bryant was a quiet person. If he didn't speak, who would?

"Saving Private Ryan is one of the best war movies of all time, but it's not worth watching it six times in a row. I never want to watch that movie again in my life, so we're definitely going to fuck the Portlanders tonight!"

"So I never have to watch this crap again!" O'Neal followed suit, raising his hand in celebration!