allendalepharm Chapter 412 The Battle for the Scoring Title Begins! For the first time in history, [the title is he
Chapter 412 The Battle for the Scoring Title Begins! For the first time in history, [the title is he
At the start of the fourth quarter, both coaches showed remarkable teamwork once again, fielding their strongest lineups to continue the fight!
The Magic want to quickly close the gap, otherwise time is running out and they won't have much time left.
As for the Pacers, they obviously want to quickly turn the game into garbage time and let their starters go home early.
On the first offensive possession of the fourth quarter, Lin Tian continued to move to the frontcourt.
Then, the Pacers' strongest weapon of the season was unleashed!
Lin Dan sets a screen!
In any case, Lin Tian believed that this move was much more powerful than Lin Dan's smash!
At least when Lin Tian dribbled the ball and Jordan quickly stepped forward to set a screen and receive the pass, the Magic were truly at a loss. From Rivers to McGrady to Vaughn, none of them knew what to do!
Switching defense? Double-teaming? Squeezing through the screen?
Or should we quickly delay the attack and then switch back to the original defense?
Lin Tian said: It's not important!
How you want to defend is your business, and how we want to fight is our business!
You can't defend against it anyway, can you?
After Lin Tian and Jordan crossed paths, Jordan quickly ran towards the inside and made a cut. McGrady and Vaughn hesitated for a moment, and then unconsciously took half a step towards Jordan who was cutting inside!
After all, subconsciously, Jordan's cuts to the basket were still a greater threat!
But it was this half-step that completely left Lin Tian vulnerable!
In addition, Lin Tian moved quickly to the other side, and he gained a huge open space in the blink of an eye!
This time, no need for further explanation, the three-pointer was executed swiftly and decisively!
"Whoosh!"
The point difference between the two sides has widened again to more than 20 points!
"Tracy, remember that number? You're aiming for the scoring title, aren't you? You'd better step up your game!"
Top scorer?
McGrady spat, he never wanted to win the scoring title again in his life!
As long as that bastard Lin Tian shuts up!
On the Magic's offense, Miller and Duncan continued their high-low post play that they had been using very well in the third quarter. However, this time, after Duncan passed the ball to Miller, Miller failed to maintain his hot shooting touch from the previous quarter, and his three-pointer bounced off the rim and missed.
Ben Wallace grabbed the backboard, observed that there was no fast break opportunity, and then passed the ball to Lin Tian. The Pacers slowly advanced.
Then, it was another pick-and-roll between Lin Tian and Jordan!
After blocking the shot, Jordan decisively chose to bounce outwards, moving towards a 45-degree angle to the left.
Then Vaughn and McGrady miscommunicated on defense again.
The two of them lunged at Lin Tian again.
After all, Jordan wasn't that scary from beyond the three-point line.
Lin Tian: Yes, it's not that scary, but if you really let him go, he can throw 6 or 7 of you in a game in no time!
If you don't believe me, go ask Drexler and see how he was driven to despair by Jordan's three-pointers in the 1992 Finals.
"Whoosh!"
Beyond the three-point line, Jordan was unguarded, and the three-pointer came down with ease!
25 points!
"Tracy, my memory isn't very good. How many points did each of us score?" This time Lin Tian shut up, but Jordan came over again. These two were determined to beat McGrady into submission today!
You little rascal, aren't you aiming to compete for the scoring title, and have you even started thinking about your acceptance speech after winning?
I can still consider my acceptance speech, but it's not going to happen in this lifetime! I'll save it for when I win an award in my next life.
"What's it to me!" McGrady cursed!
His mood and condition were terrible tonight. Although he continued to dribble to the frontcourt, he had no desire or idea to attack at all. After arriving at the frontcourt, he didn't even wait for Duncan to get into position before lobbing the ball over.
Although Ben Wallace behind Duncan was no match for Duncan in terms of height, McGrady's pass was clearly rushed. Due to his height, it would be difficult for Wallace to defend Duncan's one-on-one after he received the ball. However, if he was only preventing Duncan from moving to receive the ball, that would be no problem at all!
As a result, Duncan was blocked by Ben Wallace, and even with his arms outstretched, he couldn't touch the basketball. The ball flew straight out of bounds, and the Magic committed a turnover!
After Lin Dan successfully executed two consecutive pick-and-rolls, Lin Tian signaled for Jordan to come up for the third time!
This time, however, it was Jordan who had the ball, and Lin Tian was setting a screen for him. After a quick exchange, Lin Tian took off and sprinted towards the paint!
This time, the Magic's duo didn't make any defensive mistakes.
Communication was fine; McGrady followed Jordan, and Vaughn chased Lin Tian, who was cutting to the basket.
Communication isn't a problem, but there are big issues with ability!
Vaughn couldn't keep up with Lin Tian at all!
In less than three steps, Lin Tian easily created a body-length advantage in space, then received the ball passed by Jordan. He faked a shot on the floor to shift Duncan's weight, then used a Euro step to pass by Duncan and easily made a layup!
"Tracy! I won't say anything, but you know what I'm going to say!"
36:33:10! What else can you say, you bastard?
McGrady cursed inwardly as that horrible number flashed through his mind.
FUXX!
McGrady felt he was going to have nightmares tonight; one or even countless numbers would appear repeatedly in his dreams!
It's bound to happen in a frenzy!
Of course, no one knows exactly where this number will end up!
On the Magic's offense, Duncan finally managed to turn around and hit a hook shot despite being guarded by both Ben Wallace and Webber, while also drawing a foul from Wallace!
Unfortunately, Duncan missed the free throw, and Webber grabbed the rebound. Then, Webber once again used his signature move, fiercely throwing the ball forward with one arm!
"Don't even think about it!" McGrady had anticipated the Pacers' move. He tightly marked Lin Tian, holding his position. He was confident that Lin Tian wouldn't be able to control the ball at all!
But why do we need to control the ball?
Lin Tian and McGrady jumped almost simultaneously. Lin Tian, who had the advantage, slammed his hand on the basketball in mid-air, and the basketball immediately changed its course, flying towards the middle.
And there, Jordan was sprinting!
Jordan grabbed the basketball and charged towards the basket!
Despite Miller and Vaughn's efforts to pull and drag him, they couldn't stop Jordan's charge!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Jordan made a powerful layup in mid-air, and at the same time, the referee's whistle blew.
Mike Miller committed a foul!
乔丹在邓肯打成2+1之后不到6秒的时间，就回了一个2+1！
"Art! Lin's pass, Chris's pass, Michael's touch—it's all art! How did Lin see Michael on that play? And how did he so accurately change the basketball's trajectory in mid-air with just the force of his hand?"
Barkley exclaimed, "That fast break was a classic Indiana fast break! It took only 5.4 seconds, two passes, and Jordan only dribbled the ball once to complete the attack!"
"An absolutely textbook fast break! A play that definitely deserves a spot in this week's top ten plays!"
Jordan's free throw percentage was much higher than Duncan's when he stepped up to the free throw line!
Webber didn't even try to grab the rebound; instead, he had Christie stand under the basket for him while he rested for a while in the Pacers' half of the court.
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Lin Tian stared at McGrady with a sly grin on his face.
"Damn it, 36-36-10! Can you get away from me?! Stop staring at me!" McGrady was really about to break down. He had played terribly, the team was trailing the whole way, and he had played so badly in this matchup against a strong opponent that he might not even be able to keep his All-Star starting position!
He's so annoying!
Well, right now McGrady isn't thinking about what to do if he encounters the Pacers in the regular season or playoffs; he's thinking about his All-Star starting career!
He also wants to beat his cousin and grab a spot as an All-Star starter!
Anyway, if he voices this idea, Lin Tian and Jordan can humiliate him for at least until next month.
No prospects!
The point difference between the two sides has now reached 28 points!
On the Magic's offense, facing Christie, McGrady wanted to test his touch again, so he used his signature crossover dribble and step-back drive, and then suddenly pulled up for a pull-up jumper!
But tonight he was clearly in terrible form; his touch had completely vanished, and he had no intention of coming back tonight at all.
"Bang!"
The basketball slammed against the back of the rim again, and the rebound bounced off low and far, almost reaching the vicinity of the free-throw line.
Here, Christie grabbed the basketball and made a one-handed pass to Jordan, who had already started his fast break. Jordan didn't try to score, but instead bounced the ball to Lin Tian, who was following up on the other side. Lin Tian took the ball, jumped high, and slammed it into the basket with one arm!
"boom!"
Less than 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the fourth quarter, Lin Tian and Jordan had already fulfilled their promise!
The Pacers are up by 30 points!
As it turns out, Carlisle was indeed a bit conservative; 5 minutes?
When these two guys are giving it their all, it's a piece of cake for them to pull ahead by 30 points in less than 3 minutes!
Solved easily!
After that powerful dunk, Lin Tian immediately turned around. The most exciting moment of the game had arrived; he needed to find...
Hey?
Where's McGrady?
Lin Tian scanned the court twice with his big eyes before finally spotting McGrady in front of the Pacers' bench, in the corner of the Pacers' half of the court.
This guy hid himself very well!
If you had nearsighted eyes, you definitely wouldn't be able to find him!
McGrady's idea couldn't be simpler.
If I can't beat them, can't I just hide?
Most of the time, yes!
But not tonight!
"Doug, switch!" Lin Tian shouted, switching with Christie and then unleashing the speed and momentum he had displayed in Monaco when he broke the world record, charging towards McGrady.
Judging from Lin Tian's appearance, anyone who didn't know better would think he was going to steal the free eggs from the supermarket!
But Lin Tian's purpose was simple and clear: he just wanted to ask a question!
"Tracy?"
"roll!"
Oh, young man, how rude!
People who haven't gone to university are no good!
Look at me, Mr. Lin! I spent four years in university, and I'm so gentle and refined!
Then look at Michael, he went to college for three years, it's exactly the same as if he never went to college at all!
"41:40:8!" Since McGrady didn't answer, Lin Tian had no choice but to give him the answer directly, taking the initiative to teach and answer questions.
"Nonsense! It's clearly 38:36:10!" McGrady glared at Lin Tian, correcting his mistake. "I scored in double digits, and you're deducting 2 points from me?"
Not like
FUXX!
McGrady swore; he knew he'd been tricked!
Lin Tian came here just to make him give the answer himself, didn't he?
At this point in the game, the only remaining questions are when Lin Tian and Jordan will leave the court and how many points they can score before they leave.
Pacers fans, in any case, are hoping they'll play until the end of the game, ideally resulting in an unprecedented double-50 showdown.
Unfortunately, Carlisle wasn't interested in having players pad their stats. Lin Tian and Jordan were monsters who had seen countless big moments and set countless records.
They weren't interested in the idea of being the first pair in history to score 50 points in the same game.
After running on the court for another two minutes, with about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Carlisle made a sweeping decision to substitute all of his starters.
And this highly anticipated battle for the top scorer, which had been hyped up before the game, came to an end in a uniquely intense manner!
Yes, Lin Tian and Jordan fought to the death, it was incredibly intense and the outcome was hard to predict!
McGrady was responsible for waving and cheering from the sidelines.
They have absolutely no competitive edge!
The final score for the three players was 42:42:12.
McGrady's last two points were actually scored through a fast break after Jordan and Lin Tian had both left the court!
He played terribly that night!
While Lin Tian and Jordan both scored 40+ points, McGrady's 12 points put him a little further away from the scoring title!
Even forget about the scoring title, Kobe, who is fourth on the scoring list, scored a season-high 53 points tonight, and he is only 0.2 points behind McGrady.
"Honestly, before tonight I had Tracy in my MVP list, and he was very high up! Definitely in the top five! But after tonight, I'll put him outside the top 20! Tracy was terrible tonight!"
After the game, during his post-game debriefing, Barkley continued to criticize McGrady.
"It's not because he only scored 12 points, nor because of his terrible 4-for-21 shooting percentage. None of that matters. Michael has had some really bad nights, and he's been guarded down to 5-for-20. One bad night isn't a big deal."
"What's appalling is Tracy's choice! Look at his performance! What did he do when faced with Lin and Michael's insane trash talk? He ran away! He even hid in a corner, too scared to face his opponents!"
"This kind of weakness cannot be explained by any words!"
"I think everyone remembers my rookie year, right? Back then, we were playing against the Celtics, and, well, Larry Bird, cough cough, Larry destroyed 'Dr. J' Julius Erving. All night long, Larry kept repeating '42-6! 42-6' in Julius's ear."
"In the end, Julius got angry and gave Larry a brutal beating. Yes, he was fined, he was beaten badly, and he'll be suspended, but I respect him. He'll always be my big brother! Because as a top player, you have to take responsibility and protect your dignity!"
"After this game, will anyone still respect Tracy McGrady?"
"Charles, I don't care if anyone on the Magic respects Tracy, I just want to ask you, what role did you play in that fight?" Kenny asked Barkley with a wicked grin.
"I was the one who tried to break up the fight!" Barkley said without hesitation, head held high. "I did everything I could to stop them from fighting, to pull Larry apart. I wanted them to stop."
"You call that peacemaking? I'd rather call your move 'gallows'! Larry was almost strangled to death by you!" Kenny continued to expose Barkley.
"But it worked, didn't it? Larry didn't fight! He didn't fight that night, he wasn't suspended, and he didn't set a bad example!"
"Yes, he didn't fight, he was almost beaten to death." Kenny was certainly aware of Barkley's shamelessness, but he really didn't expect Barkley to be this shameless!
He calls this mediating a fight?
So the recently popular new fighting league, UFC, isn't a fighting league at all, it's more like a peacemaker teaching people how to break up fights, right?
"Another question: were you just encouraging Tracy to fight Lin?"
"He can bully the weak, he can go to Michael," Barkley said without hesitation.
"What's the difference between beating up Lin's teammates and fighting with Lin?" Kenny continued to ask.
"The difference is huge! If it's a fair one-on-one, Lin won't fight if you can't beat Michael! He has the dignity and principles of a fighter."
"What if we could win?"
"Well, at least you beat Michael up, right? Does the rest even matter?"
Hmm, it's not important anymore.
At least for McGrady, nothing else matters.
Tonight, he really lost everything, down to his last penny!
Reputation, statistics, and image—while these things won't all disappear overnight, McGrady will definitely suffer a severe blow after tonight's game.
When he goes out to perform at various events to earn money, he might lose $10 a night!
He lost a lot of money!
As for Lin Tian and Jordan next door?
Jordan ignored Lin Tian at this moment, and Bird was equally angry.
Jordan: What the hell am I being called a pushover again? What do you mean, "If you can't beat Lin, you come after me first"? Am I that easy to bully? Yeah, compared to Lin, I am indeed the easier one to bully, but what gives you the right to call me a pushover, you fatso?
FUXX!
If I get the chance, I'll definitely kill that fatso!
Bird, who also came to the scene with the team, was just as furious!
That fatso called me an idiot again! And that fatso dares to bring up his rookie year?
Do you really think that just because we worked together for a season, we can forget about each other and make any kind of joke?
fart!
I'm petty!
You want to break up a fight? Good job breaking up a fight!
Next time, I'll find a chance to mediate your fight and show you the benefits of peace!
FUXX!
We have to kill this fat bastard.
"What's wrong with you two? We won by almost 40 points, and you're still not happy?" On the team bus back, Lin Tian noticed that Jordan and Bird were both sulking with their arms crossed, clearly unhappy. Knowing the answer already, he asked, "Do you think we didn't win enough?"
"Shut up! Get lost! This is none of your business!" The two players, both ranked in the top ten in history, displayed the tacit understanding befitting those in the top ten, and in unison, they chased Lin Tian away.
If it weren't for you, you bastard, would I be such a pushover?
Would Barkley have won a championship if it weren't for you, you bastard?
If it weren't for you, you bastard, would I have been bullied by Barkley?
It's all your fault, you son of a bitch!
Go away! I don't want to talk to you tonight!
Lin Tian knew exactly why the two brothers were angry, and at the same time, he was also very happy.
What could be more enjoyable than watching your best friend sulk?
In addition, since Lin Tian and Jordan tied the score that night, their $10 bet was considered a draw.
Jordan was extremely excited; this was the first time he had ever tied with Lin Tian in a bet!
That night, he went on a crazy spending spree, treating the team members to a good time!
Then, as if they were addicted, the two of them started scoring high in a series of games!
乔丹拿一个39，林天下一场就必须回一个40，这场林天来一个33分10篮板10助攻的三双，下一场乔丹就得给你来一个36+8+8的超全能表现。
The two players are getting better and better as they play, and their teamwork is increasing rapidly!
The "Lin Dan pick and roll," which wasn't used much in the first half of the season, started appearing more and more frequently in games starting in January, becoming a staple tactic for the Pacers!
Because of the terrifying offensive power and scoring ability of these two players, when they start a pick-and-roll, the opponent's defense is under tremendous threat at all times!
Not to mention, the Pacers have more than just these two players who excel at offense!
Webber, Christie, Arenas, Parker, Ginobili.
Even without considering Lin Tian and Jordan, just these names alone are enough for the Pacers to beat some teams on the edge of the playoffs!
Their strength this year is truly terrifying!
在林天和乔丹两人的发挥如此精彩的情况下，一月份接下来的比赛，步行者又是5胜2负，虽然1月的前7场比赛他们只有4胜3负，但靠着后面8场比赛的6胜2负，他们这个月还是拿到了10胜5负的不错成绩。
Their positions as the top team in the East and the league, which had just been slightly weakened, have been stabilized again!
Another point worth mentioning is that this season's Pacers are also known as "Robin Hood" because they specialize in robbing the rich to help the poor!
For example, in these 15 games in January, top teams such as the Magic, Nets, and Mavericks were all defeated by them, while teams like the Grizzlies, Raptors, and Cavaliers all took a victory from them!
Including at the end of December, the Pacers also lost to the bottom-ranked Nuggets, the playoff-bound Jazz, and the Trail Blazers.
Barkley's words perfectly describe the Pacers' performance over the past month: "A team that can consistently hold the top spot in the competition among elite teams, wreak havoc in the playoff race, and simultaneously make the outcome of the number one draft pick unpredictable!"
"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
In Chinese terms, this kind of behavior is like being able to reach for the moon in the heavens and roll around in the mud in the mud.
36 wins and 8 losses!
Meanwhile, the Nets, second in the East, have only 30 wins and 13 losses, and the Lakers, first in the West, have only 32 wins and 11 losses.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances or injuries, the Pacers will most likely remain the league's top team until the end of the season!
另外值得一提的是，林天1月份场均31.6分6.9篮板10.2助攻，乔丹场均33.4分5.5篮板2.2助攻，两个人在这个月分列得分榜的第一和第二。
Even looking at the scoring charts for the entire season so far, they are still ranked first and second respectively!
Lin Tian averaged 31.2 points, 9.4 assists, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game.
Jordan averaged 32.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game.
And after giving McGrady a good lesson, the gap between them and the third place has widened even further. Similarly, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this season's scoring champion will be one of these two!
After all, McGrady, who is third in the scoring list, is now averaging only 29.8 points per game. He can't possibly surpass Lin Tian and Jordan, let alone Kobe, who is fourth, who is already averaging 29.6 points per game. He could be overtaken in no time!
The scoring gap between McGrady and Jordan has reached 2.7 points per game. To be honest, with that gap remaining in the remaining games, it's like: forget about it! Let's compete for the scoring title next season!
It's hopeless!
This is the first time in NBA history that something like this has happened at this stage!
The top two scorers are from the same team!
The competition for the scoring title is actually taking place among teammates!
This is absolutely unprecedented in the NBA!
There's even a strong possibility that this will be the last time!
After all, you'll never find such a perfect and powerful team again!
Finally, and perhaps least noteworthy, the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January was shared by Lin Tian and Jordan.
But an award like Player of the Month is really nothing to these two guys who have countless MVPs and championships.
What kind of crappy honor is this? You think you can get into our honor roll? Do you even deserve it?!
At this time of year, it's usually time for teams to relax and take a break.
Because the All-Star Game is about to start!
This season's All-Star Game has a lot more to offer than previous ones!
First up is the dunk contest!
Since Richardson challenged Lin Tian and Carter after winning the championship last year, and Lin Tian agreed to participate, fans all over the United States have been looking forward to this battle!
Fans believe that a showdown surpassing the 2000-year history of the Slam Dunk Contest is about to take place!
As for the league, they are also caught in a happy dilemma.
Who should we choose for the fourth person?
With Richardson, Carter and Lin Tian as three top dunkers, who should be chosen for the last dunk?
Or rather, who would dare to participate?
At least, after 2003, Stern was constantly looking for people and trying to find solutions.
Francis? He refused.
McGrady? He was initially eager to try, but after the game against the Pacers, he declined.
The 01 champion, Dysonmond Mason? This guy actually said he didn't want to be labeled a dunker and refused, pshaw! If you weren't a dunker, who would even know you! Carter Jr. isn't afraid to be a dunker, and you're afraid?
In short, Stern asked around among his top dunkers, but couldn't find the most suitable fourth player.
Ultimately, Stern had to settle for second best and look for someone among the second-tier dunkers. After asking around and being rejected by several people, one person finally agreed to Stern's offer.
Baron Davis of the Hornets!
A point guard who's a mini-tank, a top-tier springy player, his dunks are unparalleled in both power and visual impact!
More importantly, he's a big name in the industry. He made the All-Star team last season, and he'll most likely make it into the All-Star game this season as well.
After he agreed, Stern finally managed to gather the four players for what was touted as the ultimate dunking showdown of all time!
Popularity, dunking ability, court skills, and league status—these four are all top-notch!
If we only consider the participants, then this dunk contest can definitely be called the greatest dunk contest in history!
Besides the dunk contest, there's the three-point contest.
This 3-point contest brings together eight of the league's best three-point shooters: Lin Tian, Peja, Ray Allen, Michael Reed, Chauncey Billups, David Wesley, Steve Nash, and Brent Barry!
These eight players basically encompass the most accurate or prolific top shooters in the league today. This is also Lin Tian's second time participating in the 3-point contest. When he participated that year, Lin Tian left behind the story of "My left hand is more accurate than Payton's." Fans are all looking forward to seeing what new tricks Lin Tian can come up with this year.
The only pity is that Jordan refused Lin Tian's repeated invitations and persuasion, preferring death to participating in the three-point contest.
Although Jordan's three-point shooting percentage this year is barely acceptable at 33%, which is considered a decent level of shooting in this era.
However, if it weren't for the incident where Lin Tian humiliated Payton by shooting with his left hand, Jordan might have just participated as a joke.
But after seeing Lin Tian use his left hand and various other moves to humiliate Payton in person, Jordan said: "I'd only participate in the Three-Point Contest if I was really going to be a show-off."
Losing is no big deal. What if he gets voted for last place again? Who knows how Lin Tian will mock him?
Jordan isn't stupid. Does he think Lin Tian only wants him to go to embarrass him? Does that bastard have good intentions? If he does, I, Michael Jordan, will eat the basketball hoop right now!
We will not give Lin Tian a chance, absolutely not!
Lin Tian could only shake his head and sigh at this.
It seems my true colors were too obvious! Jordan actually saw through me.
What a pity, what a pity.
With Jordan not participating, I, Lin, will have to focus all my efforts on winning the three-point contest.
Then, there's the brand new project launched this year.
All-Star Skills Challenge!
This is also a brand new feature recently added to the NBA this season. (End of Chapter)