pertwk Chapter 96 When you get the ball, don't shoot it yourself, give it to the captain!
Chapter 96 When you get the ball, don't shoot it yourself, give it to the captain!
Chapter 96 When you get the ball, don't shoot it yourself, give it to the captain!
整个上半场的比赛，活塞队一直牢牢地占据着比赛的主动权，公牛队除了乔丹，其余所有人都莫名其妙的不在状态，皮蓬7中2、库科奇5中1、哈勃3中1、林天4中1……
Several key players delivered performances that resembled those of undercover agents, leaving the Bulls trailing the Pistons by as many as 17 points at the end of the first half!
Even so, it was Jordan who went on an unstoppable run, scoring 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting in the first half!
But he alone couldn't stop the three sharpshooters Hill, Houston, and Dumars from exploding at the same time. The three of them combined for 18 of 27 field goals, 5 of 8 three-pointers, and 7 of 9 free throws in the first half, scoring 48 points!
During halftime, an enraged Jordan delivered a near-brutal and extremely fierce halftime speech, yelling at the entire team in an almost threatening tone.
He never wanted to lose in Detroit, especially in the playoffs! Even though the series was completely in Chicago's hands, Jordan just didn't want to make the Detroit fans happy!
Not even for a second!
In the second half, most of the viewers at Huaxia Sports were already losing their enthusiasm. After all, in this era, the NBA was still a niche sport. Although Jordan and others had their first batch of fans, the number was very small. The reason so many people were watching this game was not to see Jordan and Hill go head-to-head!
They came to see Lin Tian wreak havoc!
Just like how many people in China understand volleyball? But everyone will always support the women's volleyball team and watch their matches!
The viewership ratings on Huaxia TV dropped by more than half in the second half compared to the first half! Many people felt that the game was boring, and that their own player didn't perform well at all, just so-so!
At this moment, both the leaders of Huaxia TV and Stern, who received the real-time news, were sweating profusely.
Is this first attempt destined to start strong but end weak, a case of starting strong but ending weak?
Stern even considered approaching the referees to ask them to give Lin Tian some leeway and let him get a few more penalty kicks.
But considering that this was Detroit, Stern suppressed the idea.
Playing the "away star referee" game at the Palace of Auburn Hills? The game could easily turn into a full-blown brawl! Then his cooperation with China would be even less likely to continue!
As the third quarter progressed, Jordan played with even more ferocity and ruthlessness. He almost stopped passing the ball, and his near-obsessive personality drove him into an incredibly frenzied state on the court!
He kept shooting, relentlessly attacking, and firing away wildly!
After the Pistons realized this, they began to double-team Jordan constantly!
Initially, Jordan would still choose to pass the ball when facing double teams.
Ultimately, the Bulls were completely out of sorts tonight. The rest of the team couldn't capitalize on the open shots Jordan passed out, so Jordan gradually stopped passing and started attacking the basket himself! Meanwhile, the Pistons' double-teaming became increasingly blatant!
Even so, despite the relentless double-teaming, Jordan still managed to score another 13 points in the first half of the quarter!
The rest of the Bulls only scored a total of 2 points!
Under these circumstances, Jordan single-handedly carried the team, preventing the Pistons from widening the score gap further! Instead, he narrowed the gap by 1 point!
"Fuck you! You bunch of trash! If you can't make a shot or don't have the guts to shoot, then give me the ball! I'll take you all back to Chicago! I can tolerate you trash missing a single shot, but on defense, you guys have to do it right! Anyone who leaves their man open is fired!"
"If the guards are afraid to dribble, no problem! Give me the ball! The center is afraid to grab rebounds? No problem, I'll do it! You're afraid of contact? I'll handle it! You're scared? Then leave everything to me! After you grab the rebounds, just give me the ball! Pass the ball directly to me from the baseline!"
"Give me all those damn balls! I'll take you back to your warm homes! Tonight, I have to win! Got it, you bunch of losers?"
Jordan's outburst silenced everyone on the Chicago bench. After observing the starters, especially the terrified Kukoc and Longley, Jackson could only sigh and substitute them both.
At least tonight, these two guys can't stop the Pistons' intensity and ferocity!
"Lin, Bill, you two go! Defend! Your job is to defend! Stick with them! I'll allow you to miss every shot, but you can't let them make even one, understand? Just like Chuck Daly told his players back in the day!"
"Next round, if Grant breaks through, I'm going to make him bleed! Understand? Bleed! All of you, get up there! Show your manly side!" Jackson was also getting fierce, clapping his hands loudly to encourage his teammates.
With the timeout over, the Bulls' roster became the Big Three plus Lin Tian and Wennington, while the Pistons brought in their backcourt trio plus Thorpe and Ratliff.
The Pistons' intention is clearly to capitalize on their good offensive form, having secured one of their top four scorers and Ratliff, who had an excellent night with five blocks!
They were determined to win this one battle and widen the score gap completely in the third quarter!
They dared not gamble that the Bulls would have no offensive touch throughout the entire game!
Now, both sides are about to enter the final battle ahead of schedule!
"Michael! When they shoot, don't worry about anything, just keep your head down and run forward!" Lin Tian suddenly called out to Jordan before he went on the court.
"What did you say? You're teaching me how to play basketball, Lin?" Jordan's face was unfriendly as he stared intently at Lin Tian. The murderous aura emanating from him frightened Wen Ningdun, who was standing next to Lin Tian, and he quickly moved away from the two of them.
"Yes, if you want to win, trust me! And you, Scott, I want you to rush up the court immediately after they shoot! Don't worry about anything else!" Lin Tian wasn't intimidated by Jordan at all, and instead casually called out to Pippen beside him, saying, "Just listen to me, we'll definitely win! If we lose the game because of this, I'll take responsibility!"
"You're in charge?" Jordan rolled his eyes and turned to leave. "What makes you think you're in charge? Because you can't even make a three-pointer? I'm always in charge of the Bulls' games!"
Jordan didn't say he would follow Lin Tian's orders, and Lin Tian didn't ask.
But Lin Tian believed that Jordan would run!
Then, Lin Tian found Rodman and Wennington. Before he could speak, Rodman picked his ear and said, "Just now, you gave Michael, who was in a rage, instructions on tactics, telling him to play the ball the way you wanted?"
"That's how it is!" Lin Tian nodded.
"You've got guts!" Rodman gave a thumbs-up with his ear-picking hand and said, "Michael's listening? I'm listening too! I want to see what you're up to!"
"Get the rebound and pass me the ball immediately! It's that simple! Also, if they score, let me inbound the ball from the baseline!"
After Lin Tian finished giving his instructions, the Pistons inbounded the ball from the baseline and began their attack!
On the first offensive possession, the ball was passed to Houston. Pippen was clearly in high spirits by now, sticking tightly to the mid-range shooting king and preventing him from getting a comfortable shot, forcing him to pull up and shoot.
"Bang!"
After a crisp sound, Rodman pushed Thorpe aside, grabbed the rebound, and quickly passed it to Lin Tian.
After receiving the ball, Lin Tian glanced at the frontcourt, then placed the ball behind his head with one hand and threw it out with a baseball pitching motion!
"Whoosh!"
This was the sound that rang in the ears of all the players on the field at the same time, and it was the first sound they heard!
But almost no one saw where the basketball went, and some even thought that the ball's speed had probably broken the sound barrier!
Meanwhile, in the frontcourt, Jordan had already completed a fast break at some point, grabbed the basketball just outside the three-second zone, and then slammed it home!
"Beautiful dunk, Michael!" Lin Tian clapped loudly, shouting amidst the cheers of the entire arena, "We can win!"
"The pass was alright, nothing special." Jordan maintained his arrogant demeanor, bumping hands with Lin Tian and saying, "Whether I run next time or not depends on my mood!"
"Whatever!"
This time, the ball came to Dumars's hands on the Pistons' offense. The Pistons had clearly seen that the Bulls had raised their defensive level, and they were convinced that Lin Tian, the rookie, was the weakest link in the Bulls' lineup!
They wanted the most experienced Dumas to teach the newcomer Lin Tian a lesson!
But Dumars is already 33 years old! His condition isn't as good as Jordan's! Just as this guy was about to dribble and break through, he felt someone tug at his waist. Before he could turn around, Lin Tian's other hand had already flashed out and hit the basketball in Dumars' hand!
"Playing cleanly and being polite are not virtues here! Dear gentleman!" After successfully pulling off a dirty trick, Lin Tian didn't forget to throw in a trash talk at Dumars. It was his dirty trick that blocked Dumars's breakthrough!
"Whoosh!"
Then came another whooshing sound. Lin Tian passed the ball with one hand again, but instead of the lightning-fast straight pass, he made a bounce pass. The basketball bounced off the center logo and then bounced up, landing right in the hands of Jordan who was already running down the court!
"boom!"
After another crisp sound, the Bulls scored 4 points in a row!
"Watch out for the speed of your retreat! Watch out for those two bastards' fast break! Keep up! Grant! Houston! Catch up! Don't let them dunk easily! Joe! Block that kid, don't let him pass the ball easily again!" Pistons head coach Collins shouted to his players.
No one can stand the Bulls' fast and easy scoring style!
Then, Hill finally scored again against Jordan, pulling up for a jump shot and hitting two points over Jordan!
But they didn't even have time to be happy, because Lin Tian had already quickly reached the finish line.
"run!"
After a roar, the basketball once again shot out like lightning, cutting through the air!
Jordan received the ball near the three-point line again, but this time Hill chased closely and clung to him tightly.
However, when there are only the two of them in the frontcourt, this kind of one-on-one defense is not much different from giving away points directly to Jordan!
Compared to a direct dunk, he simply made two more fakes, then easily pulled up and scored 2 points!
The Bulls' comeback attempt continues!
In the following possessions, under the shouts of head coach Collins, the Pistons paid more attention to retreat and help defense, and their fast breaks were no longer able to continue. However, in contrast, the Bulls' defensive momentum and intensity were clearly improved!
A comfortable scoring opportunity can always help the team regain its form!
Meanwhile, due to their fear of Lin Tian's long passes, the Pistons clearly gave up on competing for offensive rebounds!
Just kidding. The Bulls have a 216cm tall big man, the league's number one rebounding maniac, and a top-notch passer. With these three on the court at the same time, unless the opposing coach is an idiot, they will definitely give up on offensive rebounding, which is a thankless task, and instead choose to focus on defense!
Therefore, although the Bulls didn't execute many more exciting fast breaks in the latter part of the third quarter, they secured all the defensive rebounds! They didn't allow the Pistons a single offensive rebound or second-chance opportunity!
The two sides then engaged in a long back-and-forth battle, with the score remaining around 10 points.
The situation on the court changed again in the last minute of the third quarter!
Dumars, whose performance clearly declined in the second half, missed a three-pointer. The long rebound bounced right into Lin Tian's arms. After grabbing the rebound, Lin Tian did not hesitate and immediately launched a counterattack!
How could the elderly Dumas keep up with Lin Tian's speed? In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian had him completely overtaken!
But he was incredibly experienced. He had Hill, the fastest of the three, block Lin Tian while he quickly found Jordan to prevent Lin Tian from making a fast break pass!
During his confrontation with Hill, Lin Tian fully understood why this guy was highly regarded by the league and had won over so many fans!
Not only does he have a height of 203 centimeters and a perfect physique, but his speed is also terrifying! According to Lin Tian's estimation, this guy's speed, even if not S+, must be at least S! Without dribbling, relying on his height, wingspan, and strong body, he was able to keep up with Lin Tian at all times, making it impossible for him to break through easily!
"With this guy's defense, Jordan can score 40 points in 3 quarters?" This thought flashed through Lin Tian's mind, making him realize once again the huge gap between himself and the league's top stars. At the same time, Lin Tian had already begun to observe the situation on the court!
After reaching the three-point line, Lin Tian suddenly changed his offensive route, moving laterally instead of attacking the basket. As he moved from the wing to near the free-throw line, a gasp suddenly came from all the fans in the arena!
They discovered the basketball was missing!
Less than a second later, Jordan, who had just driven to the basket, received the ball again, and despite Dumars' defense, he jumped up and scored 2 points while also drawing a foul from Dumars!
And those who exclaimed in surprise were not just the fans at the Auburn Hills stadium.
The fans watching on Chinese television initially felt drowsy during the first half, but then became excited in the latter part of the third quarter as Lin Tian delivered several brilliant passes, allowing the Bulls to close the gap.
Then, the instant that ball struck, they were all completely awakened!
"How did that ball get passed over there?"
This was the first reaction of all the fans at that moment!
They clearly saw the basketball in Lin Tian's hands, which Hill was guarding tightly, so how did it suddenly end up in Jordan's hands under the basket in the blink of an eye?
Unbelievable!
Fortunately, this era already has replay systems, and the television screen and the large screen at the scene simultaneously began replaying this magical episode.
The ball caused everyone to gasp in amazement, but when the slow-motion replay began, everyone felt it was nothing special.
It's just a matter of stepping to the side, blocking Hill, and then making a behind-the-back pass that sends the ball flying to Jordan's hands at the baseline! It's that simple!
But this seemingly simple technique, in that very round, almost blew the whole world away!
Turning the rotten into the miraculous!
"Brilliant! Beautiful! Lin Tian is truly a unique athlete! He's the Bulls' best sixth man!"
Song Shixiong's excited voice reached the ears of all the Chinese football fans! The fans, along with this familiar voice, became excited as well!
"This is Lin Tian! The Magician of China! He absolutely deserves that title! He can always find space, find gaps, and deliver incredibly precise passes from unbelievable directions, allowing his teammates to score effortlessly!"
"In the few minutes he played in the third quarter, Lin Tian only scored 2 points himself, but he delivered 6 assists, each one incredibly brilliant! Although he didn't score himself, he energized the whole team with his passing, and his passing allowed the Bulls to quickly close the gap!"
"I think we need to give Lin Tianqi a nickname that suits him! 'Air Jordan,' 'The Human Highlight Film,' 'The Glide,' 'Clyde Drexler,' 'Shaq,' 'The Glove,' Payton… these famous names all have another famous nickname!"
"I think we really need to give Lin Tian a good nickname to describe his current playing style and role on the court! Not a nickname like 'Chinese Magician,' which is impressive but doesn't really suit him, but a nickname that truly belongs to Lin Tian!"
"69:77!"
"With only 52 seconds left in the third quarter, the Bulls finally narrowed the gap to within 10 points, and don't forget, Jordan still had to shoot free throws! The biggest contributor during this period was definitely our Lin Tian!"
Accompanied by Song Shixiong's passionate voice, a brainstorming session began throughout China.
What should Lin Tian's nickname be?
While the entire nation of China was engaged in a frenzied brainstorming session, the third quarter of the Battle of the Palace had reached its final 20 seconds!
Just now, Jordan made the free throw, narrowing the gap to 7 points.
Then, neither side managed to land a single attack.
With 20 seconds left in the third quarter, the experienced Dumars dribbled the ball up the court, aiming to slow down the pace and prepare for the final attack of the third quarter!
If they can play well this time, they can still enter the fourth quarter with a double-digit advantage. Even if they don't score, they will definitely not give the Bulls any chance to fight back and will keep the clock running until the very end!
With time ticking away, Hill suddenly circled around the baseline with 8 seconds left, wanting to receive the ball. Dumars immediately passed the ball, preparing to let the team's new leader finish the final attack!
But the moment Hill made his move, Jordan and Pippen rushed out simultaneously, trying to intercept Dumars' pass. If it weren't for Dumars' experience and quick reaction, who promptly retrieved the ball, an ordinary guard would most likely have had the pass stolen!
But Dumars is not Magic Johnson, nor is he a top passer like Stockton, Payton, or Kidd. His primary job is shooting guard!
Therefore, he failed to find Houston, who was left wide open by Pippen, and hesitated noticeably at the top of the key.
It was this moment of hesitation that gave Lin Tian the opportunity to seize, and he pulled out his weapon, making his second one-on-one steal against Dumars in this quarter!
After snatching the ball away, Lin Tian once again shouted the word that had terrified all the Auburn Hills Palace fans tonight.
"run!"
Jordan and Pippen didn't even need Lin Tian to tell them what to do; the two of them automatically spread out and launched an attack on the frontcourt, one on the left and one on the right!
The entire Pistons team seemed to be under some kind of spell, and they all ran wildly towards the frontcourt!
At this point in the game, they absolutely did not want the Bulls to close the gap any further!
Jordan and Pippen were positioned on the left and right, respectively, while Lin Tian dribbled the ball rapidly in the middle. The Pistons' defense this time was absolutely desperate, with the entire team running like crazy!
Lin Tian observed the situation. Hill and Houston were both next to Jordan, Pippen was only blocked by Thorpe, and Ratliff had already quickly returned to the basket. As for Dumars, although Lin Tian hadn't shaken him off, he posed no threat to Lin Tian at all!
After a quick analysis, Lin Tian suddenly gathered the ball, grabbed it with both hands, and threw it towards Jordan's direction!
"That wasn't a good choice! Jordan was guarded by two people! While passing the ball to Jordan wasn't a mistake, what if Lin Tian had chosen to pass to the player who was only guarded by one person... Oh! What did Lin Tian do! His game is truly captivating! His creativity and imagination are probably unmatched by many in the entire NBA!"
Song Shixiong had just sighed, but before he could even finish half of his sentence, the situation on the field changed again!
Although Lin Tian was looking at Jordan who was rushing down the court at high speed, and everyone in the arena saw Lin Tian's gaze, Ratliff under the basket clearly moved his feet toward Jordan!
Just as the basketball was about to leave Lin Tian's hands and fly towards Jordan... the basketball suddenly changed direction!
Or rather, Lin Tian changed his passing route!
The original two-handed pass became a one-handed pass, and the direction changed drastically! The basketball flew in the opposite direction to the other side of the basket!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Pippen hooked his hands around the rim and completed an alley-oop dunk! But the attention of everyone on the Pistons was still on Jordan!
Because Lin Tian had targeted Jordan on several fast breaks before, and because Jordan had already scored 45 points tonight, they were far too wary of him! They actually overlooked Pippen, the team's second-in-command!
With Pippen's dunk, the third quarter was almost over. After Houston's long-range shot with two seconds left in the third quarter missed, the score at the end of the third quarter was 72-77.
The Bulls surged ahead in the second half of the third quarter, narrowing the gap to just 5 points!
In the fourth quarter, Jackson was unwilling to break the team's momentum in closing the gap. Even though Jordan and Pippen had been on the court for more than 30 minutes, he still did not substitute them. Instead, he continued to use the trio of Jordan, Jordan, Pippen, and Lin Tian and Wennington.
This was also the lineup that brought them back the most points tonight and won the most points on the court!
As the game entered the fourth quarter, the Pistons' momentum showed no signs of slowing down. Hill was clearly in a do-or-die state tonight, delivering the best performance of his career!
He continued to match up against Jordan in the fourth quarter, and the two remained neck and neck, fighting for every point and leading their team to score continuously!
This 5-point difference became the focus of the battle between the two sides in the fourth quarter!
Even though Jordan scored another 8 points in the first half of the fourth quarter, bringing his total to over 50 points, Grant Hill had already found his rhythm. With 6 minutes left in the game, he delivered an alley-oop to Ratliff, completing a triple-double of 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists!
This is his first triple-double in his playoff career!
With both players performing exceptionally well, neither side was able to close the gap or extend their lead, and the score difference remained at 5 points!
Judging from the attitudes of both head coaches, at this point, neither of them dared to make any substitutions easily!
This is the lineup we'll use until the end of the game! Nobody dares to put someone who's been on the bench for so long and whose hands are cold on the court at this point!
88: 93!
88: 96!
90: 96!
92: 96!
……
As the game progressed, the score continued to rise. By this crucial moment, both Collins and Jackson had given up their illusions of crushing their opponents in one fell swoop. They had accepted the fact that the game would have to be fought round by round until the very end.
At this time, the most important thing is not to launch any surprise attack, but to protect your own base, leverage your strengths, and remain as stable as possible!
With 50 seconds left in the game, the Bulls were still down by 5 points! Houston took a mid-range pull-up jumper but it bounced off the rim. Rodman jumped up and grabbed his 21st rebound of the night with almost no contact!
Then once again, he passed the ball to Lin Tian immediately!
Lin Tian was unable to launch a counterattack immediately because the Pistons retreated very quickly on defense, giving him no chance to launch a fast break throughout the fourth quarter. Also, Dumars stood in front of Lin Tian as if he were risking his life, making it impossible for him to quickly pass the ball or observe the situation on the court.
Since we can't get it out, let's push it forward ourselves!
Without hesitation, Lin Tian dribbled forward at lightning speed after failing to find an opportunity immediately! This time, he pushed his speed to the limit, going all out and charging towards the frontcourt without needing any changes in rhythm!
Dumas stared wide-eyed in disbelief once again, because he was powerless to do anything but stare wide-eyed. He simply couldn't keep up with Lin Tian's terrifying speed! After all this time in the competition, Lin Tian's speed was completely unaffected by his physical exertion?
Of course, it does have an impact. Even if Lin Tian tries his best now, he can't match his speed at his peak.
But the problem is, you, Dumas, are already at the age of semi-retirement, and your physical strength is not what it used to be!
Lin Tian's current physical fitness is B-, which is barely at the average level in the NBA, but Dumars is at most a C level!
Not to mention, although Lin Tian contributed many wonderful scenes, he didn't really expend much energy.
How much energy could it take for him to grab a rebound or take the ball from Rodman and then throw it down?
Dumars, on the other hand, has to work his butt off and get back on defense at top speed every time, with absolutely no chance to slack off!
In terms of energy expenditure, Dumas will only consume more energy faster than Lin Tian!
At this moment, Dumars, who was far behind Lin Tian, could only watch as Lin Tian charged all the way to the Pistons' interior.
Jordan and Pippen, like sharks smelling blood, also chose their direction and cut towards the basket.
The Pistons' defensive attention was once again completely drawn to Jordan and Pippen, two of the league's top finishers, and Lin Tian, the ball handler, didn't even encounter any defensive pressure!
Perhaps this has a huge connection to the fact that Lin Tian only scored 6 points on 3-of-9 shooting tonight, but still delivered 14 assists!
Lin Tian drove all the way to the edge of the three-second zone. After a slight hesitation, Ratliff finally stepped forward to block Lin Tian. After all, he couldn't just watch Lin Tian make the layup.
But then, Lin Tian just glanced in Jordan's direction and made a passing motion. Ratliff immediately moved his feet toward Jordan as if by reflex!
then……
"Whoosh!"
Lin Tian shook off Ratliff with a single glance and easily scored a layup!
With 35 seconds left, the Bulls closed the gap to 94-96!
The difference between the two sides is now down to just one ball!
"Great shot! Beautiful!" Song Shixiong's voice once again resounded throughout China, and huge cheers and shouts rang out in every family compound, dormitory building, and community throughout the country!
"Lin Tian's shot was absolutely crucial! If he had missed this shot at this point in the game, the Bulls would have been in serious trouble tonight! But he was incredibly bold and meticulous, deceiving the opponent's defense with a single glance and easily making the layup! He earned the Bulls an extremely important 2 points!"
"Now let's see how the Pistons respond. They've called their final timeout of the game! Let's look forward to what happens in the last 35 seconds!"
On the bench, Jackson was rapidly outlining the final tactics: "We're out of timeouts! Everyone remember that, no matter what happens, don't call another timeout! Nobody wants to become a laughingstock like Chris Webber, right?"
"Then, in their final possession, they'll almost certainly give the ball to Hill! Given Hill's talent and vision, if we double-team him, he'll likely choose to pass! So..."
"I'll take care of him! Everyone, keep your eyes on your man! No help defense, no double-teaming! I'll handle him alone!" Jordan took on the responsibility without Jackson needing to say anything more. "I can guarantee Hill won't score, so you guys also need to keep a close eye on everyone else and prevent them from scoring!"
"Great, so if we manage to defend this possession, we'll give the ball to Michael, he'll handle it! Just like he's done countless times before! Michael, we don't have a timeout, so after we defend, it's all up to you, understand?"
"Leave it to me!" Jordan chewed his gum, looking relaxed. He had already scored 54 points tonight, and his touch and form were at their peak. This small situation after taking a 2-0 lead in the first round was nothing to him!
After quickly giving instructions on several pick-and-roll and screen plays to create better space for Jordan, Jackson waved his hand and said, "Go! I've already booked our plane tickets for tomorrow morning, and we won't change them! Go, end the series, and we'll be back in Chicago tomorrow!"
"Michael." As the Bulls players walked onto the court, Lin Tian called out to Jordan again, "For the last possession, they'll definitely double-team you!"
"I know I will crush them!"
Jordan snorted. Double-team? When has he ever been afraid of Detroit's double-teams?
"My shooting was terrible tonight, only 4 for 10, mostly layups! So they'll definitely have Dumar double-team you and leave me open," Lin Tian continued. "What I mean is, if you get double-teamed, don't shoot, give me the ball, I'll take care of them!"
Jordan looked at Lin Tian as if he were some alien creature, then sneered:
"Kid, I don't need you to teach me how to play. I can handle it."
After saying that, Jordan turned and walked towards the court, then quickly stuck to Hill's side. He was going to start using his signature aggressive defense to take down Hill!
"Rookie, what did you say to Michael just now?" Dumas stood next to Lin Tian and started chatting with him.
"I'll make him give me the ball, and I'll score the winning goal!" Lin Tian shrugged, indicating that he never lied.
"Nice joke." Dumas clearly didn't believe a single punctuation mark.
"beep!"
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, the Pistons players immediately scrambled to get the ball. After a few screens and crosses, Hill managed to get the ball at the top of the arc. With a two-point lead, they weren't in a hurry at all. Instead, they carefully controlled the ball at the top of the arc, running down the clock.
"Grant! Kill him!"
"Let him know how tough the Detroit people are!"
"Kill this piece of trash! Isaiah will be proud of you!"
Long live Detroit!
Amidst the cheers of the fans, with 8 seconds left, Hill suddenly launched his attack! Facing the league's king, Jordan, he showed no fear and charged towards the basket at top speed!
End the Bulls!
Hill had only one thought in his mind! Faced with his lightning-fast first step, Jordan was momentarily caught off guard and struggled to maintain his position. However, Hill still managed to gain a half-body lead.
But just as Hill drove into the paint and was about to jump for a layup, Jordan's terrifying experience and reflexes reacted in advance!
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, Jordan snatched the ball from Hill's hands in an almost stealing motion! Rodman's reaction was equally astonishing; he rushed to the baseline and retrieved the basketball that was about to fly out of bounds, handing it to Lin Tian!
"No rush! Let's press down and score!" After getting the ball, Lin Tian didn't rush to pass it to Jordan. Instead, he raised his hand and loudly signaled everyone to be careful. Then, after the Pistons quickly retreated on defense and didn't press the frontcourt, he passed the ball to Jordan.
The Bulls have experienced this situation countless times. Lin Tian habitually landed at the left 45-degree angle, which is the area with the highest three-point shooting percentage this season!
The last 8 seconds!
Jordan didn't rush to launch an attack. Even though the team was down by 2 points, Jordan remained incredibly calm, as if the Bulls were the ones leading by 2 points!
He easily directed all his teammates to spread out while keeping an eye on the time. He finally started moving when there were only 5 seconds left!
The goal is to kill with a single blow!
The goal is to achieve victory in one decisive battle, leaving no way out for ourselves!
Arrogant! Confident! Fearless!
That's Jordan's style!
Jordan suddenly started moving beyond the three-point line, and in just one step, he formed a parallel line with Hill. After dribbling another step inside the three-point line, Jordan was already at the free-throw line area. Then, a very familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
Joe Dumars, that old nemesis, has indeed shown up!
Double-team!
The Pistons' choice was exactly as Lin Tian predicted!
Jordan suddenly took a step back and then quickly pulled up. Hill and Dumars both jumped and reached out as high as possible to try and stop Jordan's shot.
"Forest!"
But to everyone's surprise, Jordan chose to pass the ball at that moment!
The area at a 45-degree angle on the left is completely empty!
Lin Tian, with no Pistons players within 3 meters of him, steadily caught Jordan's pass.
Take a deep breath, aim, jump, and shoot!
在这一球之前，林天3场比赛总计42投14中，命中率只有33%，其中3分球9投2中，只有22%的命中率！
Even so, in the final possession of the game, Lin Tian was incredibly determined and launched the three-pointer!
Be fearless!
"Buzz!"
Even the most exciting games never let the merciless timer linger for even a moment longer. As the final whistle blew, Lin Tian's game-winning three-pointer flew straight toward the basket under the watchful eyes of more than 18000 people at the Palace of Auburn Hills!
If this were an anime, countless scenes would be flashing before Lin Tian's eyes right now—his past life, this life, his university days, his high school days…
But that's not it!
So, after two seconds of flight, the basketball quickly gave everyone an answer!
The answer to a series!
"Whoosh!"
97: 96!
The series is over!
(End of this chapter)