allendalepharm Chapter 500 Bird's dirty tricks come one after another! The real game
Chapter 500 Bird's dirty tricks come one after another! The real game
"Brother Lin, how did you know your jersey would get ripped?" Yi Jianlian wasn't as shrewd as Kidd; his face was full of naivety and stupidity.
"Think about it yourself." Lin Tian put on his jersey and came to the frontcourt again, ready to attack.
This time, the US team practically gave them possession of the ball for free!
"Hey Jason, look at this." After running up to the frontcourt, Lin Tian suddenly ripped a hole in his jersey right in front of Kidd, then looked at Kidd and said, "We'll continue later."
"Fuck!" Kidd rolled his eyes. He had never seen such a shameless guy as Lin Tian.
Fortunately, Bird, who was off the court, realized that Kidd's human roadblock tactic had failed, so he immediately made a substitution, replacing Lewis, who hadn't had much of a chance, and bringing back the team's core player, Kobe.
This lineup is an enhanced version of the previous lineup.
Kobe and Wade charged together, while Kidd and Garnett passed the ball to them.
Team USA needs to keep pushing and continue playing the 3-2 zone defense!
After all, while this defensive setup is only so-so on the defensive end for now, it works well on the offensive end!
Bird knew very well that against the Chinese team, conventional tactics would be difficult to implement, and it would be hard to find a tactic and lineup that could balance both offense and defense.
So what he needs to do is find a lineup and system that can gain an advantage in one aspect and achieve results.
Even if it's only effective for a limited period, that's fine!
Therefore, Bird is not prepared to change his playing style until this 3-2 zone defense is broken down.
He has lots of little trinkets and surprises hidden away!
However, he only persisted for three rounds.
Because in the next three rounds, the Chinese team won all three!
Lin Tian passed the ball to Zhang Jingsong in the corner and Zhang Jingsong hit a three-pointer. Zhang Dazhi then received the ball and used his footwork and shooting range to score two consecutive goals!
However, the US team's fast breaks were disrupted because no one dared to grab Lin Tian's clothes to prevent him from getting back on defense, allowing Lin Tian to get back on defense at lightning speed. The US team had three fast breaks after a pass, one of which was Wade's layup that Lin Tian swatted away to the three-point line, and another was Kobe's forced shot that missed under Lin Tian's interference.
Team USA had three chances, but only managed to capitalize on one, with Kobe and Wade completing an alley-oop to score 2 points for the team.
But with the game progressing to this point, Bird knew he couldn't use that tactic anymore.
So he quickly made substitutions, replacing Kidd, Wade, and Battier with O'Neal, Artest, and Davis!
The US team's lineup on the court became Davis, Kobe, Artest, O'Neal, and Jermaine O'Neal!
"A 'strongman duo'!" Su Qun couldn't help but exclaim. "Browder really has a lot of tactics. He has so many different routines that he can't possibly use them all."
"These five guys are all incredibly strong and fat; each one is like a mini-tank or a giant black bear in their respective positions!"
"Let's see what kind of trouble this massive combination can cause the Chinese team!"
"Harris has been substituted too!" Yang Jian said from the sidelines. "Yao Ming, who had rested for about five minutes, is back, replacing Da Zhi, who just made a great contribution. China is now playing a twin-tower lineup! Yao Ming + Da Zhi, we also have a double-strong combination!"
"Then Zhu Fangyu replaced Chen Ke, haha, this is interesting! Artest versus our Zhu Fangyu! I wonder if these two will create some new sparks."
"Zhu Fangyu is a formidable fighter who got into fights at the World Championships, the kind of guy who sent his opponents to the hospital in one-on-one battles. His matchup against Artest is bound to be quite interesting. Add to that the 'workaholic' Jinsong, and our lineup is going to be tough!"
"What 'tough guy combination'? We're not afraid of them at all!"
After both sides switched to heavy gear, the pace of the game naturally slowed down, and both sides began to fight positional battles and physical battles, resulting in a muddy, hand-to-hand combat!
To be honest, this style of play is disadvantageous to the Chinese team, since they are not as physically strong as the American team and do not have as many players.
In this head-to-head confrontation, it's difficult for the Chinese team to gain the upper hand.
But Harris was helpless.
What can he do at this point?
Should we bring in technically skilled players like Yi Jianlian, Dazhi, and Li Nan?
It's probably going to be smashed to pieces by the other side in no time!
Throughout the second half of the second quarter, the US team relied on this group of five strong men to play, and they did indeed dominate the game!
However, this advantage was only on the field; they were not able to take a significant lead over Hebei China Fortune in the score.
As for the reason?
This playing style is slow-paced and inefficient, so naturally, it's also slow to gain points!
In addition, China also has Yao Ming and Mo Bateer, two players with exceptional height!
These two players were relentlessly charging into the paint, grabbing rebounds, helping on defense, and attacking. Thanks to their efforts, the Chinese team secured four offensive rebounds in the second half of the quarter, giving them four more second-chance opportunities.
Thanks to these second-chance opportunities and another three-pointer from Zhang Jinsong, the Chinese team was only 6 points behind the American team with 7 seconds left in the second quarter!
But Lin Tian didn't want them to keep those 6 points!
"Whoosh!"
With 5 seconds left in the first half, Lin Tian made a tough three-pointer over Davis's defense at the top of the arc, narrowing the gap to 3 points!
Then, at Lin Tian's command, the Chinese team suddenly launched a full-court press!
This sudden change of tactics really caught the American team off guard.
After all, it's always been the US team that has been bullying others with their physical talent and playing full-court press, but what about the opponents who are using full-court press against the US team?
While not absolutely unique, very few people would dare to push the limits and risk their lives.
After all, trying to compete with the American team in terms of physical strength and physicality is suicidal!
But the Chinese team suddenly pulled this stunt. More importantly, at this moment, Garnett and Kidd were not on the court for the American team. With the two brains of the team absent, the ball handler was prone to getting carried away. Davis was focused on scoring one more basket with the last 5 seconds left!
Lin Tian closely marked Davis from the backcourt, preventing him from advancing easily.
Then, just before Davis reached the mid-court line, Zhang Jinsong suddenly appeared and blocked Davis's position to continue his breakthrough from the right side.
Davis reacted incredibly quickly, executing a behind-the-back dribble and attempting to switch to his left hand for a drive.
This is exactly what Lin Tian was waiting for!
Davis dribbled behind his back, but the ball didn't return to his hands; instead, Lin Tian stole it!
Even in slow motion, this play looks more like Davis passing the ball behind his back to Lin Tian!
After stealing the ball, Lin Tian immediately delivered a long pass to Zhu Fangyu, who was still outside the US team's three-point line.
Zhu Fangyu had no time to hesitate after receiving the ball. He pulled up and shot as soon as the halftime whistle blew!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, the Chinese team scored a 6-0 run in the last 10 seconds of the first half, tying the score!
45: 45!
The two sides shook hands and drew, going into halftime with the score tied!
Bird's smile vanished in an instant, just 10 seconds ago!
If Bird was willing to give his team an 8 out of 10 seconds ago, now it's down to 3!
What a load of crap!
Davis's brainless drive was also noted down by Bird!
He is destined not to get much playing time in the second half. As for who gets his playing time?
We'll have to see how things go in the second half and then analyze it in detail!
In stark contrast to Bird's shift from relaxation to anger, Harris on the other side initially looked worried, but after Lin Tian and Zhu Fangyu hit consecutive three-pointers, the old man immediately broke into a wide grin.
There couldn't be a more perfect half!
Let's continue the duel from the same starting line in the second half!
During halftime, Kenny said to Barkley, "So, Charles, what score would you give both teams in the first half?"
"Both sides played quite well, and their level was very high. It's clear that Larry prepared a lot for this match. He brought out a lot of new tricks to deal with the Chinese team, and achieved some good results."
"Unfortunately, we couldn't hold onto the lead we had worked so hard to gain. A six-point advantage may not seem like much, but it definitely gives the team a significant confidence boost and will allow them to play even better in the second half!"
"But now that China has caught up so quickly, the impact on us is absolutely huge!"
"If I had to give them a score, I'd give both teams an 8! They were both excellent and played exactly what the coach wanted them to play."
"Charles, this neutral, rational, unbiased, and unpredictable midfield analysis is really not your style! What's wrong? Is there something they've got on your hands, so you're afraid to speak freely?"
Kenny wasn't going to let Barkley off the hook; he wasn't going to let him finish the first half with just a bunch of nonsense! He had to ask Barkley what was wrong.
"Shut up, Kenny. I've lived an upright life. What could I possibly have done to deserve this?" Barkley scoffed, then sighed and said, "I'm just afraid my words will affect the outcome of the game. You know, I possess mysterious shamanic power from my ancestors."
"Screw you!"
Kenny waved his hand dismissively, too lazy to say another word to Barkley.
Let's take a break right now! Let's get to GG quickly, or this fat bastard will drive me crazy sooner or later!
Inside the Chinese team's locker room, Yao Ming was panting heavily. He played 14 minutes in the first half, which didn't seem like a lot, even less than his playing time with the Nets.
The problem is... during those 14 minutes on the field, he was playing at maximum intensity; Lin Tian was practically using him like an animal.
The main strategy is to keep going as long as you have the energy, and attack the paint whenever you have the chance.
Take advantage of your energy levels to burn off some calories, so you don't waste your energy by doing too much during the break.
But seeing Yao Ming panting and so tired that he could barely lift his arms, Lin Tian knew it was time!
"System, use the stamina recovery card on Yao Ming."
A burst of green light, visible only to Lin Tian, immediately shot out from Lin Tian's body and entered Da Yao's body.
then……
Then nothing happened.
After all, Yao Ming doesn't have any stamina bar or anything like that on his head, so no one can see how much stamina he has left, let alone how fast his stamina is recovering.
However, Lin Tian believed that Yao Ming would be fully recovered by the start of the third quarter.
At that time, we should give him a good boost! Let him sit on O'Neal's back a few more times and have some fun.
Then, in the latter half of the third quarter, we let him rest for another 7-8 minutes, and when he came back in the latter half of the fourth quarter, he was back in top form.
Tonight, Lin Tian is determined to make Yao Ming play like a pillar of strength and an invincible force in the paint!
As for Lin Tian himself, he really didn't launch much of an attack in the first half of the game tonight. He only scored 15 points in total. Considering his firepower, ability, and status in the Chinese team, he definitely intentionally restrained his offensive power in the first half.
As for why Lin Tian did this, it certainly wasn't because Kidd defended well.
If Kidd had that ability, would he have been wiped out by Lin Tian's team for so many years?
It was purely because Lin Tian knew that his teammates had plenty of energy in the first half, so he should take advantage of their energy and enthusiasm to share the ball and let them take more shots and attack more. This way, when the US team's defensive intensity increased again in the second half,
When they can no longer withstand the intensity of the American team and their stamina drops rapidly, that's when it's time for them to step in!
Tonight's match was absolutely a tough, back-and-forth battle!
Even Lin Tian had to conserve his energy to ensure he had plenty of energy for the crucial moments of the fourth quarter!
Lin Tian could also clearly sense that the American team hadn't gone all out yet, hadn't started playing with their lives on the line! They would definitely raise the intensity of the game again in the second half.
By then, the Chinese team's players will definitely not be able to hold on, and the team will only be able to rely on Lin Tian!
Before that moment arrives, Lin Tian must ensure that his physical strength is as high as possible!
Lin Tian's idea and Bird's idea were basically exactly the same.
Bird's rotation in the first half was very varied and numerous. Apart from Okafor, all 11 other players got playing time, and 9 of them played for more than 5 minutes!
Furthermore, no one on the team played more than 15 minutes. Bird took average basketball to the extreme!
However, this is only the first half.
In the second half, Bird wasn't going to do that anymore.
For him, the first half was a test, a time for him to show off his fancy skills and warm up.
The second half of the game is when he really goes up in intensity and even goes to extremes!
"Starting from the first possession of the second half, press high across the entire field! Everyone, mark your opponents tightly, whether their players have the ball or not, increase the intensity and the physicality!"
"I want each of them to go through a lot of hardship just to get to the frontcourt, and I want each of them to be so tired that their legs are weak when they are in their own positions on the offensive end."
"Take them down!"
"This Chinese team only has 2-3 players who can match our strength throughout the entire match, and another 3-4 players who can match our strength for a period of time. As long as we play with our strength, show our competitive spirit, and showcase our signature moves, they will be completely helpless!"
"They'll be so tired they can barely stand! And that's when we'll widen the gap!"
"Jason, Shaq! You two have the heaviest task tonight! Kill Lin and Yao! As long as those two are exhausted and can't hold on, we've got this in the bag!"
"Especially Yao! He only has about 33-35 minutes of stamina in the NBA. In international competitions, the pressure and physicality are greater, so his stamina will only be worse! Shawn, I want you to double-team him. In the second half, double-team him every time he gets the ball!"
"As for Lin, Jason, you'd better figure something out."
After Bird said that, Kidd couldn't help but want to curse.
What do you mean by "I'll think of a way"? If I had a way, would you have swept us in the playoffs? Would you have won against us in a row?
Go ahead and spout nonsense.
As for Bird's later words of encouragement and encouragement, Kidd didn't listen to a word of them; he didn't believe them!
……
In the second half, the two sides switched sides and started the game.
China still controlled the first wave of possession. When Lin Tian was preparing to receive the ball in the backcourt, Kidd rushed over immediately and pressed him across the entire field. At the same time, Lin Tian glanced around and found that each of his other teammates was also accompanied by a player from the American team.
Sure enough, the US team intensified their play at the start of the second half!
The signboard's full-field pressure has appeared.
They are about to start utilizing their physical strength and innate advantages!
Lin Tian backed down Kidd, calmly dribbling forward while taunting, "Knowing Larry as I do, he'll probably tell you during halftime to figure out your own way and try your best to defend me, right?"
"He definitely can't give you any useful solutions or methods, nor can he offer any advice. After all, no one can do what no one has ever done before, right?"
Honestly, Kidd really wanted to stop defending right now, shake hands, high-five, hug Lin Tian, and then the two of them would find a place to sit down, drink, and yell at Bird, "You're a piece of trash!"
Unfortunately, it cannot be stopped.
All he could do was look back at Bird with a resentful look in his eyes.
In that brief moment, Lin Tian suddenly accelerated and flashed past him.
Lin Tian accelerated and drove straight into the three-point line, but almost at the same time, Kobe and Battier were rapidly closing in on him. Lin Tian waited a moment, and after the two got closer, he passed the ball to Zhu Fangyu on the wing.
After receiving the ball, Zhu Fangyu made a adjustment and then pulled up to shoot.
But just as he lifted the basketball, Battier, who had been in front of Lin Tian a moment ago, was already in front of him again!
Battier's lateral movement speed far exceeded Zhu Fangyu's expectations. In the first half, Battier's lateral movement was definitely not this fast!
This time, he didn't even manage to shoot the ball; it was slapped away by Battier.
Then, with lightning speed, Battier grabbed the basketball and found Kobe.
Kobe dribbled the ball quickly forward, pushing past Lin Tian all the way until he was almost at the three-second zone. Then, Kobe suddenly turned his back to the basket and dribbled the ball back to the three-point line.
Kidd received the ball outside the three-point line, paused slightly, and then pulled up and shot!
The Chinese men's basketball team didn't have Battier's unpredictable and incredibly fast help defense speed. No one could catch up with Kidd. Apart from Lin Tian, no one could keep up with the US team's fast break. They could only watch Kidd shoot from beyond the three-point line.
"Whoosh!"
After the crisp sound, Kidd, like an old tree blossoming, opened the scoring for the second half.
"Speed up your shooting! Speed it up! Minimize your shooting adjustment time as much as possible! Team USA is serious! Their defensive aggression and lateral movement have increased significantly!"
Lin Tian clapped his hands to remind his teammates that if they continued at the same pace as in the first half, the situation where Zhu Fangyu was directly dispossessed would definitely not be the first time.
We must speed up the pace!
Even if the inevitable result is a decrease in shooting percentage, it's still better than being directly interfered with or having the ball stolen.
After this play, Lin Tian dribbled the ball across half-court again. Bird didn't actually make any changes to his defensive strategy against Lin Tian.
Well, okay, he just wants Kidd to think of a solution. Whether things will change depends on Kidd, not Bird.
However, the US team's defensive changes came in their defense against China's off-the-ball players.
The Chinese team players were not as relaxed when making runs as they were in the first half. Every run required a lot of physical contact. Screens that they could bypass in the first half could no longer be bypassed. Roads that could be traversed by simply walking straight in the first half required squeezing through several times in the second half.
The level of competition has clearly increased!
After Lin Tian dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, he noticed that his teammates could no longer make comfortable runs and it was even more difficult for them to find open shooting opportunities.
So Lin Tian stopped looking and lobbed the ball into the paint again. Yao Ming received the ball and turned around, then took a shot with a slight backward lean. Even Shaquille O'Neal couldn't reach Yao Ming, a 226cm tall giant who leaned back.
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, the Chinese team finally scored!
However, these two points clearly cannot mask the problems that Hebei China Fortune will face next.
Because the intensity of the American team has increased so much, all the players on the Chinese team, except for Lin Tian and Yao Ming, including Da Zhi, are finding it difficult to adapt.
Or rather, I'm quite uncomfortable with it!
They quickly felt tired and soon began to pant heavily.
The two sides' capabilities and the level of competition are indeed not on the same level.
As for him, he was just an excellent role player for the Mavericks. He was the fifth or even sixth number one player on the team. Although his stats were good and he played well, opponents didn't target him as a star.
But in the Chinese team, he was the undisputed third-in-command, and the American team devoted a lot of energy to him.
In addition, his playing style is somewhat soft, so even he didn't play well in the third quarter.
In the first half of the third quarter, only Yao Ming and Lin Tian were able to score for the Chinese team. The rest of the players either couldn't receive the ball at all, or they couldn't get a shot off even if they did.
The difference in talent between the two sides was clearly revealed in this quarter of the game!
And the crisis facing the Chinese team has only just begun.
In the first half of the third quarter, thanks to the strong performances of Yao Ming and Lin Tian, the Chinese team was able to score points one after another.
But when the third quarter was just past the halfway point, Bird changed tactics again, and they started double-teaming Yao Ming!
As soon as Yao Ming gets the ball, the team immediately applies pressure and double-teams, preventing Yao Ming, who is already exhausted from continuous output, from scoring.
Not only could he not score, he couldn't even pass the ball out. Within a minute, Yao Ming committed two turnovers!
Because of these two mistakes, the Chinese team was hit by a series of counterattacks from the American team, and the gap between the two sides widened rapidly.
63: 55!
Team USA leads by 8 points.
At the same time, Yao Ming's stamina has run out!
But his performance tonight was absolutely phenomenal! Yao Ming has already racked up 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks!
Facing the Dream Team and Shaquille O'Neal, even with Lin Tian feeding him the ball like crazy, his ability to put up these numbers in less than three quarters is absolutely commendable!
Harris, who was off the court, called a timeout at that moment.
He could see that Yao Ming was already exhausted and that continuing to play would only lead to burnout.
Harris knew he couldn't keep pushing, even though he knew that if Yao Ming wasn't on the court, the Chinese team would be left to struggle alone with Lin Tian, and he had to make a substitution.
On the bus, Yao Ming was replaced, and Harris also substituted Zhu Fangyu and Li Nan, who had only played less than 7 minutes in the second half but were already exhausted and out of breath, and brought on Chen Ke and Zhang Jinsong.
Even if he was unwilling, Harris had to increase the rotation, otherwise the fourth quarter would be pointless, as his players would cramp up sooner or later facing the tight defense of the American team.
"They're definitely going to substitute Yao," Bird said, waving his clipboard during a timeout. "From now on, China will be a one-man team with Lin! They can only rely on Lin! So, it's time to bring out the tactics we've been practicing, the ones we used against Argentina!"
"Jason, Kobe, Ron, Shawn, Kevin! You five, get in there! Press them hard in the backcourt, and when you get to the frontcourt, go for a box-to-box!"
"I don't care how strong Lin is, or how terrifying his attack power is, I'm going to make sure he doesn't get a single point! As for the others, I believe they won't get any points either! Understand?"
"clear!"
The five players selected by Bird stood up at the same time and walked back onto the court.
With four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the game continues!
Lin Tian had just gotten the basketball from the backcourt when Kidd and Kobe ran towards him.
The US team's signature high-pressure full-court press is here!
Lin Tian quickly surveyed the situation on the court. Chen Ke and Zhang Jinsong were respectively entangled by Artest and Battier. Although Garnett had to cover both Dazhi and Battier in the paint, the two Chinese players were too far away from Lin Tian. If Lin Tian passed the ball directly from the backcourt, the American team would most likely be able to steal the ball!
After seeing the situation on the field, Lin Tian made up his mind.
He knew that now he could only rely on himself!
"Liu, get ready to go in! If Lin gets double-teamed and makes a mistake, go in immediately and replace Zhang!"
Harris reacted quickly, immediately deciding to bring on Liu Wei to add another ball-handler to the team and help Lin Tian dribble the ball across half-court.
However, what happened next proved that his worries were obviously unnecessary.
Facing two of the world's top defenders, Lin Tian didn't bother with them at all. Instead, he accelerated and made a strong breakthrough, driving straight past the slightly slower Kidd from the side!
The seemingly impenetrable double defense of the American team was broken by Lin Tian in an instant!
But after Lin Tian rushed to the front, he had to stop again.
The US team's positioning was truly intimidating!
Apart from Garnett still guarding the paint, the other four players on the American team subtly surrounded Lin Tian on the court.
Of course, they didn't completely surround Lin Tian with the four of them. Instead, they formed a defensive triangle, able to support each other at any time, and their defensive line could be tightened to encircle him at any moment.
"This...is a box?" Barkley hesitated for a moment, then muttered, "Browder actually gave Lin a box?"
Kenny, standing nearby, couldn't help but exclaim, "This is Team America! This is the so-called strongest Team America! They're actually using high school-level tactics against Lin?"
"Okay, if there's one person in the world that the US team would use this BOX tactic against, it's definitely Lin."
"But Lin is no stranger to this so-called BOX1 tactic," Barkley said. "Sloan used this on Lin when he played the Jazz in the Finals."
"The following year in the playoffs against the Heat, Riley also used this thing against Lin, but the result... both of them failed! Their teams lost the series."
"Charles, wake up! The Heat back then actually won the series! They used the BOX and won that series. That was the only series Lin lost after joining the Pacers!" Kenny quickly pointed out the error in Barkley's words.
"That's not the point, Kenny! The point isn't whether the Pacers won or lost, the point is that this trick didn't work on Lin! The Heat won that series not because of this so-called BOX1, they won because I retired! That's why they destroyed the Pacers' interior defense."
"Can't you have any shame? FUXX!!" Kenny almost choked on his own saliva. Barkley, at a time like this, could still make such a sudden turn and boast?
They have absolutely no shame!
However, after almost being faked out by Barkley, Kenny quickly recovered and continued, "But who were the players who defended Lin back then? It was Russell, Hornacek, and Ellis from the Jazz, and Mallley and Mashburn from the Heat."
"But what about tonight? Tonight, the team guarding Lin was Kobe, Kidd, Battier, and Artest! If you were to pick 10 of the best defensive perimeter players in the world, all four of them would definitely be on the list!"
"With a completely different level of defense and defensive resources, I think Lin will have a hard time truly organizing the team's offense for the foreseeable future!" (End of Chapter)