pertwk Chapter 531 How about it, Devon? Now he knows what he just did.
Chapter 531 How about it, Devon? Now he knows what he just did.
"They can drive however they want. That kid named Wade can drive if he wants, and he can set screens if he wants. Let him do whatever he wants."
"I don't care how many points they score, nor do I care whether Wade puts up historic numbers or has a top-tier individual performance."
"There's only one thing I care about in this series: no matter how many points they score, we have to outscore them by at least 15 points every game! Get me what I mean?"
Before the playoffs began, during the Knicks' final tactical meeting, Don Nelson didn't even use a whiteboard. Instead, he simply sat in the middle of everyone, casually said the above, and then looked at all the team members.
Answer me.
"clear!"
After hearing the satisfactory answer, old Nelson nodded, clapped his hands, and said, "Alright, meeting adjourned!"
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the door of the conference room.
Halfway there, the old man suddenly remembered something, turned around, pointed at Sweetney, and said, "Please ask a staff member for a beer and a bucket of ice, and deliver them to my office, thank you."
After saying that, Don Nelson left without looking back, leaving the Knicks players in a room still a bit dazed.
"This is my first time playing in the playoffs. Do other coaches make the same arrangements before the playoffs start?" Little S, a third-year student playing in the playoffs for the first time, asked tremblingly.
"When Jeff was our head coach, our last players' meeting before the playoffs could last at least 7 or 8 hours! Jeff's hair just slowly disappeared like that." Team veteran Ward said, and couldn't help but shudder, clearly still feeling lingering fear about it.
"Rick and Larry won't take that long, but it will still take 3-4 hours. They'll want to analyze all the characteristics and tactics of the opposing players before letting us leave." Lin Tian saw everyone looking at him, then looked at the entire arena, and spoke up as well.
Unfortunately, although the Knicks are quite strong this year and many players on the team will be able to make a name for themselves in the future, right now, the team can only look around and find rookies or undrafted players that nobody wants.
Apart from him and Ward, the others were either never played in the playoffs, or if they had, they were just extras who were practically useless.
The team's playoff experience is quite worrying!
This year's playoffs will most likely not be as easy as Lin Tian thinks.
However, Lin Tian naturally wouldn't voice his slight worry.
There's no need to make your teammates anxious too.
It's a team made up of a bunch of young, clueless guys. If I, as their leader, don't help them solve their problems and instead add fuel to the fire, then I'm really being irresponsible.
Especially seeing his teammates trembling and somewhat at a loss, who clearly hadn't gotten enough confidence and assurance from Old Nelson, Lin Tian had to lend a hand.
"Don't worry, Tang must have absolute confidence in us to make the meeting so simple." Lin Tian thought for a moment and decided to drag another unreliable old man into it: "When I was with the Bulls, Phil never held pre-game meetings either."
"But I've heard that since Phil joined the Lakers, there have been a lot more pre-game meetings and post-game debriefings! He's not as carefree as he was during his time with the Bulls."
"Only absolute confidence and absolute trust in the players can make head coaches so relaxed before the playoffs begin."
"Tang definitely thinks we can easily take down the Cavaliers!"
"Besides, the Cavaliers aren't really that scary. Aside from Wade being a decent player, the rest of them are inferior to us in every way!"
"Even Wade was only the fourth or fifth pick, right? Carmelo, don't tell me you lack confidence, don't tell me you think you're not as good as him."
"Of course I'm better than him! I'm the number one draft pick!" Anthony slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said, "My performance will definitely be better than his!"
"Great." Seeing his teammates' confidence clearly boosted and their energy increased, Lin Tian clapped his hands and said with a sigh, "What else is there to say? Let's call it a day, everyone go home and get some rest. Don't go out tonight, we need to have a perfect start tomorrow!"
"Kill them!"
"Kill them!"
"Alright, everyone go home! And, Sweetney, remember to have someone get Don a beer. If you forget, the old man will be furious."
With Lin Tian's words of reassurance, the team members finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, after Lin Tian gave the order, everyone cheered and dispersed.
Everything depends on tomorrow's game!
If the Knicks can easily win tomorrow's game, then all the fear, worry and lack of confidence in the Knicks team will naturally disappear.
The following evening, after several years, New York fans were incredibly excited to finally see their team return to the playoffs, and large numbers of fans flocked to Madison Square Garden early in the morning.
They were eager to unleash their hormones, eager to release all the pent-up frustration and passion that the team had been holding back since Ewing's retirement and the team's failure to make the playoffs!
We are a wealthy family too! We have a long and prosperous history!
We, the Knicks, are back!
"It all feels like a dream." Before the match started, Wade walked up to Lin Tian and bumped fists with him, saying, "It feels like it happened just yesterday that you saved me from despair in the Produce Camp."
"Lin, I am still incredibly grateful to you. You are the most important mentor in my life. Meeting you in the playoffs so soon feels like a dream."
"Tonight is destined to be a nightmare," Lin Tian said casually. "Remember the day you got completely crushed by Gilbert? Tonight will be even worse than that day! That time you only lost a one-on-one match."
"But this time, you're going to lose the whole series!"
"I'm very grateful to you for giving me confidence back then," Wade said without backing down. "Now, it's time to show you the results of my hard work over the past few years, Lin!"
We'll see!
After the leaders of both sides had a "friendly" consultation before the game, the starting players of both sides took to the field.
The Knicks are sticking with their usual regular season lineup: Lin Tian, Jackson, Anthony, Stoudemire, and Okur.
As for the Cavaliers, they also fielded their strongest five-man lineup: Jeff McGinnis, Dwyane Wade, Ira Newbell, Drew Gooden, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
"Beep beep!"
With the referee's whistle, Okur jumped with all his might, securing the Knicks' first possession of the night.
Lin Tian caught the basketball. This time, he didn't rush to attack. Instead, he raised one hand and said, "Relax, they're weak! As long as our starting lineup can gain the upper hand, their bench players aren't even as good as the Queens community basketball team."
"We'll cripple them in the first wave, and we can win the second wave with our eyes closed!"
Lin Tian made no attempt to hide his humiliation of the Cavaliers' bench, shouting it out in front of everyone. His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
He wanted everyone to hear it.
When I, Lord Lin, curse someone, I never hold back.
Moreover, Lin Tian wasn't just making things up. On the Cavaliers' bench, there's only one player averaging 5.5 points per game, and no one else averaging 5 points. If you say the Cavaliers' bench is the weakest in the league, some teams might compete with them, but if you say they're among the top three weakest, there's absolutely no controversy.
If you cripple their starting lineup, then that team is basically finished!
As Lin Tian spoke, he had already arrived at the frontcourt. The first offensive play of the game was, of course, to target the Knicks' specialty!
With a wave of his hand, Stoudemire immediately moved up and executed the Knicks' signature high pick-and-roll with Lin Tian, after which Lin Tian immediately accelerated to attack.
After drawing the defense of both Gooden and McGinnis, Lin Tian did not pass the ball to Stoudemire who was cutting to the basket. Instead, he passed it directly to the perimeter, finding Anthony who was left wide open.
Carmelo Anthony unleashed a powerful three-pointer from beyond the arc, decisively taking the shot!
"Bang!"
Unfortunately, the Knicks missed their first shot, and Stoudemire under the basket also failed to grab the rebound from Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
After receiving the ball, Zydrunas Ilgauskas immediately passed it to Dwyane Wade. Wade didn't hesitate or wait for his team's two big men; he accelerated and charged straight towards the Knicks' basket.
There's no doubt about the speed and impact of "The Flash". Wade sprinted all the way and arrived at the Knicks' basket in the blink of an eye. After dribbling the ball around the basket for a full circle, he suddenly turned and jumped, putting the ball into the basket with one hand!
Since Nash started using this move extensively this season—dribbling around the basket and then suddenly jumping to shoot—it has become very popular in the league, with many guards trying to do it from time to time!
However, unless you are a player with top-notch fundamentals, rhythm, or speed and jumping ability, using this move under the basket can easily backfire.
Blocked, stolen from, double-teamed, and then made a mistake...
Some people have used this trick to achieve great success, while others have used it to become part of a collection of hilarious moments on the court.
"We're ahead, Lin! We're ahead!" Wade shouted to Lin Tian after scoring. "We'll win!"
"Keep your voice down, Devin! Otherwise, people might think the game is over, or at least a whole quarter has already gone by!" Lin Tian snorted. "Even if you're leading by 2 points, or even 20, we can still turn the score around!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he dribbled the ball forward for the second time.
Lin Tian found Stoudemire again on this play.
Then, after another cross screen with Stoudemire, he suddenly stepped out beyond the three-point line and pulled up for a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, the Knicks opened the scoring!
"We're in the lead! Devin, we're in the lead!" After scoring, Lin Tian suddenly roared at Wade, who was not far from him, and celebrated wildly, pounding his chest several times. His pose really looked like he had hit the game-winning shot.
"FUXX!"
Wade and the referee standing on the sideline couldn't help but utter a curse word at the same time.
Lin Tian's sudden attack was too unexpected, and the sound was too loud.
I was truly terrified.
"How does it feel, Devon? Now you know how stupid you were just now?"
After this rather illogical celebration, Lin Tian looked at Wade and said with a mocking smile, "You were 100 times dumber than me just now, because you looked uglier than me when you were celebrating, you're uglier than me, and your figure is worse than mine!"
"I'm not going to waste my breath on you," Wade muttered, then walked to the frontcourt with his head down. While Lin Tian and Wade were chatting, the Cavaliers' point guard McGinnis dribbled to the frontcourt and immediately passed the ball to Wade.
He's just a tool for dribbling the ball across half-court.
Aside from throwing up two open three-pointers and making a few fast break layups, there's not much else he can do.
Wade got the ball, glanced at Lin Tian who was facing him, and didn't even think about getting past Lin Tian one-on-one. Instead, he waved for a screen.
Or rather, two covers.
Big Z and Gooden rushed out from the inside at the same time, blocking Lin Tian on the left and right. Wade immediately used his signature move: high double screen!
He knew Lin Tian's skill level and defensive abilities all too well, and knew that he would be at a complete disadvantage in a one-on-one fight with Lin Tian.
This play also showcased Wade's strengths that set him apart from other players his age.
He is confident, calm, has a good overall view, and doesn't get carried away or make reckless one-on-one plays!
This guy's maturity beyond his years is one of his biggest advantages compared to many top rookies of the same age.
Faced with the Cavaliers' twin towers in the paint simultaneously setting screens, Lin Tian was somewhat helpless. The two seemed to want to join hands and form a circle to completely surround Lin Tian. In addition, Wade's speed was really fast, and in the blink of an eye, he had already penetrated to the paint and completed a layup over Okur.
"No wonder you're called the pick-and-roll man!" Lin Tian looked at Wade and continued to mock him, "I think even if you want to go to bed, you need to find something to block you so you can lie down, otherwise you can't even get into bed."
"I'm not buying it." Wade snorted, glaring at Lin Tian as he quickly backed away. "On the basketball court, you should play to your strengths. You're the one who taught me that!"
Did I teach him this?
Lin Tian scratched his head, indicating that he couldn't remember at all.
Sin!
Why did I teach so much real stuff when I was in the training camp? If I had known this day would come, I would have just given it a cursory glance.
But it doesn't matter.
If you can't remember, you can't remember.
Importantly, after receiving the ball from the baseline, Lin Tian made a rapid charge, reaching the Cavaliers' frontcourt in the blink of an eye. He didn't stop, but made a slight pause to create a time difference, and then accelerated again, easily tearing apart the Cavaliers' defense and rushing to the basket.
Then Lin Tian made a no-look, one-handed bounce pass, and the basketball flew along the middle towards the free-throw line. Stoudemire caught the ball, then jumped up and slammed it into the basket with one hand!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, the Knicks added 2 more points.
McGinnis continued to advance, and this time the ball was finally passed to Big Z instead of Wade. Big Z then used a simple fake move to make Okur jump. Big Z dribbled the ball, took a step to the side, and then made his signature mid-range shot from the baseline!
For the Knicks, the ball found Okur on the outside after Lin Tian broke through. How could a traditional European softie like Big Z possibly block Okur's three-point shot? He could only raise his arm bluffingly near the free-throw line before turning around to grab the rebound.
"Bang!"
After Okur raised his hand, there was another muffled thud, but the basketball still missed.
However, this time Jackson rushed into the paint, slapped the ball away, and passed it to Stoudemire near the free-throw line. Stoudemire slammed the ball down on the floor, took a step forward, and then pulled up for a layup that sent the ball into the basket again!
His physical abilities are vastly superior to those of Big Z and Guden.
However, those two inside players on the other side aren't exactly nobody; they have their own advantages.
For example, range.
In the next possession, Wade and Gooden ran a pick-and-roll again, but this time Wade was completely shut down by Lin Tian and had no space to shoot. Wade had no choice but to pass the ball back to Gooden at the high post. Gooden received the ball and pulled up for a mid-range jump shot, which went in!
His opponent, Stoudemire, did the same, merely extending his hand perfunctorily before turning around to grab the rebound.
The Knicks' defense is a serious problem!
Their defensive habits, defensive discipline, and defensive effectiveness are all negligible.
Of the five starters on the team, apart from Lin Tian and Jackson, the other three had no concept of defense whatsoever.
This is also what Nelson expects of them, and it sets the tone for the team.
Throughout the first half, both sides played at a very fast pace. Lin Tian constantly launched rapid attacks, advancing into the heart of the Cavaliers' territory time and time again, either taking the shot himself or looking for teammates with opportunities.
Unfortunately, several Knicks players were not in good form tonight.
Anthony made only 2 of 9 shots in the first half, including 0 of 3 from three-point range, scoring only 5 points. Okur went 0 of 4 and scored no points. As for Jackson, although he had a 50% field goal percentage, he has never been the team's main offensive option, and he only made 2 of 4 shots.
Fortunately, with three of the starting five players performing poorly, there was still Stoudemire, who was in excellent form and completely neutralized the Cavaliers' interior defense.
He perfectly showcased his impact and physical talent in the first half, dominating the Cavaliers' technically skilled frontcourt.
他半场比赛10投7中，罚球4罚3中，半场就拿下17分4篮板，是球队的第二号得分手。
Then, the team's best player was undoubtedly Lin Tian. In the first half, Lin Tian made 8 of 14 field goals, including 3 of 5 three-pointers, and a perfect 6 of 3 free throws, racking up an impressive stat line of 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists! (End of Chapter)