allendalepharm Chapter 355 Beating Up Iverson! Defeat You the Way You Are!
Chapter 355 Beating Up Iverson! Defeat You the Way You Are!
This time, Iverson started with a series of small crossover dribbles, then suddenly switched to a large crossover dribble using an attack step and a small hop with the ball, looking for an opportunity to break through!
This time, Lin Tian, who was well prepared, stared intently at the basketball in Iverson's hands. Just as Iverson spread his long arms and was about to change his rhythm and make a sharp change of direction, Lin Tian suddenly made his move!
He pulled out his basketball and hit it precisely into Iverson's hand!
Iverson let out a scream, and the basketball immediately slipped from his grasp, flying towards the 76ers' half of the court.
Did they get a thug this time? Lin Tian wasn't sure!
He was certain that in Indiana, the referees would most likely not call such a half-and-half foul! But in Philadelphia, the referees would almost certainly call it!
Of course, if this were in Philadelphia, Lin Tian wouldn't have chosen such a risky way to steal the ball.
Six fouls are definitely not enough!
They played 82 tough games in the regular season, fighting tooth and nail, all for the sake of having one more home game and gaining an advantage at home, right?
Iverson, who was stripped of the ball, did not shrug or complain, nor did he yell at the referee. He knew he was in Indiana and that his shouting would do nothing but result in a technical foul and Lin Tian easily scoring 2 points against an empty frontcourt.
So he immediately turned around and chased after him, running like crazy, trying to get the basketball in front of Lin Tian.
Compared to Lin Tian, he was at a disadvantage in terms of speed, size, and strength. Not to mention, he had an extra turn, which allowed Lin Tian to overtake Iverson in the blink of an eye and leave him behind. He then grabbed the basketball before everyone else and charged to the frontcourt for another powerful dunk!
"boom!"
Lin Tian has scored 6 points since the start of the game! And all of them were dunks!
Three dunks, each more spectacular than the last, each more thrilling than the last, enough to drive fans wild!
"Lin was really going all out tonight to prove he deserved the MVP award! His fierce defense, his determination to attack the basket, and his terrifying energy... Iverson might really embarrass himself tonight!"
Kenny, who had previously sided with Iverson for the sake of the show, couldn't help but speak his mind this time.
"I told you so," Barkley said smugly. "When it comes to understanding basketball, maybe I'm only slightly better than you, but when it comes to knowing Lin, sorry, I can beat you to a pulp! We're good buddies! We were teammates for a year."
In the following game on the court, after Iverson was dispossessed by Lin Tian once, and especially after confirming the referee's standards, he quickly changed his playing style. He stopped showing off those fancy but error-prone dribbling moves and instead played more simply!
He started seeking cover from his teammates!
The moment he arrived in the frontcourt, he switched places with Mutombo to screen for him. Lin Tian had already spotted Mutombo's equally infamous elbow, which had left many gruesome marks, so he retreated while yelling, "Ben, stick with him! Delay his dribbling!"
Wallace reacted incredibly quickly. He and Lin Tian had an excellent understanding of each other. Just as Lin Tian was halfway through his sentence, Wallace suddenly lifted up, completely abandoning the basket, and reached out to cover Iverson, preventing him from taking a three-pointer.
Iverson's reaction was really quick. Seeing how hard Ben Wallace was attacking, he immediately lowered his center of gravity and accelerated to break through. After getting past Ben Wallace in one step, Iverson felt that there was a wide open space in front of him. He took two steps to the basket and was about to jump for a layup.
But just as he raised the basketball, a large hand reached out from the side and pressed down on the basketball before Iverson could even release it!
With a sharp "smack!", Lin Tian delivered a powerful block to Iverson, sending the basketball from Iverson's hands directly to Webber's hands on the other side.
After landing, Lin Tian didn't rush to advance this time because the 76ers' retreat defense was too fast. Mutombo, who was just setting a screen outside the three-point line, had already rushed into his own three-point line.
It has to be said that Westphal is really something! This guy has obviously focused on building the 76ers' defensive system, which is very tight and highly targeted. The team's retreat speed is incredibly fast. As long as Lin Tian doesn't start his fast break from beyond the three-point line, the Pacers' fast break will be very difficult to execute!
However, Lin Tian didn't care at all that the fast break was not going to happen. After glancing at the fact that there was no chance for a fast break, he immediately stopped and then wagged his finger at Iverson.
Mutombo's signature move!
This African guy almost always wags his finger at his opponent after a block; it's become his signature move. Especially considering his enormous contributions to charity, the league grants him special privileges for this.
Mutombo wagged his finger in a provocative gesture, but no technical foul was called!
However, if anyone else in the league wags their finger, they will definitely be called for a technical foul by the referee immediately, to prevent any conflict or tragedy from occurring!
Of course, this is all on the premise that the referee catches you shaking. If the referee doesn't see you shaking, well, that's the same as not shaking at all!
Anyway, Lin Tian found a very good angle and timing this time. It was right in the blind spot of the referees and at a moment when they were not paying attention. He quickly shook it twice.
Lin Tian was overjoyed! Especially after seeing Iverson's obviously unpleasant expression, he understood even more why Mutombo liked to wag his finger so much.
When he shakes his head, he is indeed arrogant and domineering, which is annoying!
Although the Pacers' offense reached the frontcourt early, they didn't rush to start the game. Instead, they waited until Lin Tian arrived in the frontcourt before passing him the ball.
Lin Tian held the ball outside the three-point line this time, and the first thing he did was to have Christie, who was being guarded by Iverson, come over to set a screen for him.
After a pick-and-roll play, Christie quickly ran away, putting Iverson up against Lin Tian again!
In fact, Iverson really didn't want to switch on defense, but he had no choice. Lin Tian's shooting had long been a nightmare for the entire league. Who would dare to collapse and retreat when he set a screen, giving him space to shoot?
I can only post it here!
This will at least force Lin Tian to take one less open shot!
Lin Tian was positioned relatively deep inside against Iverson, already inside the three-point line. Generally, this area is where Webber moves and holds the ball, but Lin Tian launched his attack from there.
Lin Tian dribbled between his legs repeatedly, his upper body swaying constantly, and his hands making small, alternating changes of direction, continuously deceiving Iverson's center of gravity.
Then, when Lin Tian was dribbling with his left hand, he suddenly staggered slightly, making Iverson think that Lin Tian was about to make a dribbling mistake, and he immediately reached out to grab the ball.
But who would have thought that this was just a deliberate opening created by Lin Tian? The basketball flew past Iverson's fingers and came to the right side. Lin Tian also moved sideways to create space and pulled up for a shot!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian's shot cleanly bypassed Iverson, without any hesitation, easily scoring 2 points!
"Should I call your mom, Alan? Have her come pick you up if you're lost, so you don't get lost and can't find your way home!"
Iverson found Lin Tian's move strangely familiar.
Did I do the same thing to Jordan back then?
He seemed to have it, but he couldn't remember.
But he didn't have time to think about it carefully, because Lin Tian had already pressed him closely again, continuing his full-court defense and pressure.
Stubborn Iverson still didn't call for a screen; he wanted to continue his one-on-one battle with Lin Tian.
This time, Iverson chose to fire from beyond the three-point line!
His continuous footwork changes and step-back created a tiny bit of shooting space for him, and then he suddenly pulled up and shot directly from beyond the three-point line!
But his shot was decisive and sudden, and Lin Tian's defense was also quick and fierce!
As the only guy in the league who surpasses Iverson in height, weight, speed, and agility, Lin Tian, the Lamborghini tank at point guard, is definitely the nemesis and nemesis of Iverson, the sports car!
Although Lin Tian failed to block the shot, his interference was spot on, forcing Iverson to raise his arc and changing the trajectory of the ball.
"Bang!"
After a muffled thud, Iverson missed a three-pointer, and the basketball bounced off the rim.
This time, Lin Tian was just outside the three-point line. He glanced back at Webber and, sure enough, he grabbed the rebound. Then, he started sprinting down the court.
But at this moment, after failing in consecutive one-on-one plays and being overwhelmed on defense, Iverson had completely lost his temper! He didn't want Lin Tian to have an easy time on the fast break anymore!
This time, Iverson was pulling and dragging with all his might, almost as if he wanted to use his head to block Lin Tian's advance between his legs!
The referee once again chose to ignore Iverson's series of fouls.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, it's perfectly normal for people to forget they're actually playing basketball when they're fighting!
Iverson's pulling and dragging finally stopped Lin Tian's fast break and sprint. Webber did not force the ball, but instead slowly and unhurriedly advanced forward.
After dribbling the ball all the way to the frontcourt, he spotted Lin Tian reaching out on the wing and passed the ball to him.
Then, taking over command from Lin Tian, he called out an isolation tactic. The other four players from the Pacers immediately spread out to one side, giving Lin Tian a huge space!
Lin Tian lowered his center of gravity, placing the ball with both hands at almost floor level, and said, "Allen, you can't escape this time!"
"Who said I was going to run! Bring it on!" Even though he had been thoroughly humiliated by Lin Tian, Iverson's fighting spirit showed no signs of diminishing. He opened his arms and said, "Don't try to back down me if you dare!"
"At any other time, I would have turned around and given you a couple of slaps immediately," Lin Tian said with a smile. "But today is different!"
After saying that, Lin Tian suddenly started dribbling.
Extremely flashy!
The magnitude is enormous!
First, he dribbled between his legs and took a step toward the baseline, then quickly pulled back to his original position. Then he dribbled between his legs and took another step toward the baseline, followed by a dragging step. After that, Lin Tian dribbled between his legs again and then turned halfway around to face away from the basket.
Just when Iverson thought Lin Tian was going to post up again, Lin Tian suddenly turned around and executed a crossover dribble combined with a lateral dragging step.
This move completely shook off the somewhat bewildered Iverson, giving Lin Tian space to attack the paint. So Lin Tian drove towards the baseline, and then, after Mutombo came up, he suddenly used a reverse step towards the top of the court to create distance!
After Lin Tian completed this jump step, there wasn't a single 76ers player within a 2-meter radius of him!
This is right outside the 3-second zone!
The entire 76ers team was completely outmaneuvered by Lin Tian, and they completely lost the will to defend him.
At this moment, Lin Tiancai finally jumped up and shot, sending the ball into the basket with a mid-range shot!
"Looks like I need to call more than just your mom, Allen!" After scoring, Lin Tian celebrated by waving his arms and signaling the fans to be louder, while continuing to taunt Iverson, "I should call all your team's moms!"
"You've all lost your way in life, haven't you?"
Iverson took a deep breath.
This shot felt so familiar to him!
Because Lin Tian used his style the whole time!
These dribbling and passing moves should all be his signature moves!
I'm hooked!
Iverson was completely out of control!
He wants to prove himself!
In the next offensive possession, Iverson once again chose to drive hard with his head down! This time, he drove all the way to the basket, then jumped up forcefully. Even with Lin Tian in perfect position and Ben Wallace providing timely help defense, he still managed to forcefully throw the ball up with his far hand despite being guarded by two people.
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Iverson responded to Lin Tian with an incredibly difficult shot!
"I saw Yaolin, I can do it too!"
"I saw it all, I saw every single one of your shots," Lin Tian shrugged. "But the problem is, can you see me? You didn't see a single one of my goals! Maybe next time I can give you a signpost so you won't get lost when you're defending me!"
As Lin Tian spoke, he dribbled the ball forward. After reaching the frontcourt again, Lin Tian suddenly passed the ball to Webber, who had moved to the free-throw line. Then, he quickly started sprinting towards the inside. Just as Iverson was about to chase him, he suddenly stopped.
Then, after another fake move towards the three-point line, Lin Tian accelerated and cut back again. This time, Iverson was completely out of sight of Lin Tian!
Lin Tian drove all the way to the basket and leaped high. Webber's pass came at just the right time, cleverly avoiding Mutombo's outstretched hands and landing in Lin Tian's hands, who was already flying in the air.
However, Mutombo's help defense was very effective on this play. Although Lin Tian got the ball, he was already directly under the basket. No matter how amazing his physical abilities were, he could not complete the alley-oop dunk!
But why does it have to be a powerful dunk?
Lin Tian drew a circle in the air with the basketball. When he finished drawing the circle, he had already glided to the other side of the basket using inertia. Then, with a slight flick of his wrist, the basketball hit the backboard precisely and bounced into the basket!
"Allen!" After scoring, Lin Tian didn't even fall to the floor. He stumbled briefly but quickly regained his balance and yelled at Iverson, who was still grappling with Webber near the free-throw line, "Where have you been? I missed you! I'm scared without you by my side!"
"FUXX!"
After Iverson cursed, he suddenly accelerated and sprinted, intending to launch a fast break between offense and defense!
Unfortunately, Snow was tied up by Christie, and the rest of the 76ers didn't have much of a passing ability.
Although Mutombo understood Lin Tian's meaning and quickly moved to the baseline to pass the ball, his passing skills were really not impressive, several levels below Webber. The ball was passed too far, and Iverson had to fight desperately to barely catch it before it went out of bounds.
However, due to inertia, Iverson could no longer control his body. Just as he was about to go out of bounds, Iverson looked back in mid-air, wanting to pass the ball to his teammates, but he was devastated to find that not a single 76ers player was following up!
In front of him were Lin Tian, who was ready to steal the ball with his arms outstretched, and Carter, who was cautiously watching to prevent Iverson from throwing the ball at him so he could switch to another ball in the frontcourt.
Iverson's brain worked at lightning speed, and he made a decision in the blink of an eye.
Forcing a save would most likely result in a turnover and allow the Pacers to complete a 5-on-4 fast break.
It's better to just leave it out of bounds; at least then we won't get caught on a fast break!
In the blink of an eye, Iverson had already landed, and the shot became a turnover.
"A smart choice! You made one more mistake, but the team lost two fewer points." Lin Tian praised Iverson with a smile, then reached the baseline and passed the ball to Carter.
"Dukenbe, let's slow down from here." After returning to the backcourt, Iverson didn't blame Mutombo, but calmly said, "Let's play slowly! One at a time! No rush."
"Understood." Mutombo nodded, indicating that he had received the message.
The Pacers were on offense. Lin Tian received the ball at the top of the key and waved once again to signal everyone to clear the way for him.
Keep going one-on-one against Iverson!
Want MVP? You're the scoring champion?
We're going to take down the MVP contenders! We're going to dominate the scoring champions!
After waving for everyone to leave, Lin Tian suddenly accelerated, took a step towards the three-point line, and then suddenly stopped and pulled back to receive the ball with a crossover dribble.
Lin Tian's starting speed was so fast it was almost exaggerated. In addition, his arm pushed forward with inertia, causing Iverson to immediately lose his balance and fall directly to the floor!
The league's dribbling king, the undisputed ankle killer, had his ankle broken!
That wasn't all. Iverson's fighting spirit and powerful core strength allowed him to exert force again the moment he collapsed, forcing himself to stand up!
But the moment he stood up, Iverson regretted it.
Because Lin Tian has started again!
Another crossover dribble and acceleration breakthrough. Iverson, who had just stood up, was completely unsteady and his mind and body were in serious communication breakdown!
Brain: I can catch up with him!
Body: Fuck you!
"Snapped!"
With another muffled thud, Iverson once again collapsed onto the floor in a disheveled state!
In one round, Lin Tian faked him out twice!
This was absolutely the darkest moment of Iverson's career, and even his entire life!
Iverson was so stunned by Lin Tian's sudden movement that he looked completely bewildered, his face showing a blank expression.
He was completely dumbfounded.
Lin Tian then drove past Iverson and drove into the paint, easily scoring another 2 points with a layup!
"Oh oh oh oh oh!"
Barkley let out a series of roars that sounded like primal attacks.
"That was terrifying! Terrifying! I feel like I've seen this play before, but what I really want to say is: after this half-quarter, are there still people who question whether Lin isn't the MVP? Are there still people who think Iverson deserved the MVP award more?"
"If anyone still thinks that way, I think Allen will be in even worse shape than Lin!"
Barkley is right.
Are there still people who disagree?
no problem!
We'll beat you until you submit!
Less than a minute later, Lin Tian once again got the ball at about a 30-degree angle on the wing, and the person guarding him was once again Allen Iverson!
"Alan, if I were you, I would definitely make sure I keep my balance this time and not fall again!"
"Shut up!" Iverson snapped angrily. "Nobody can fake me out twice!"
"Didn't I just trip you up twice already?" Lin Tian said with a smile. "Looks like you're not just lost, you've also lost your math skills! How about we call your grandma and have her take you to kindergarten for a little extra practice in addition and subtraction within 10?"
After Lin Tian finished trash-talking, he didn't give Iverson any chance to retort. He started again!
He suddenly broke through to the baseline, then took another step forward before suddenly stopping and pulling back with his legs apart. He then pulled up sharply, stepping on the three-point line to complete a step-back jump shot!
"Got it! I've caught up!" Iverson roared excitedly, then jumped with all his might, trying to block Lin Tian's shot!
This time, he really put in 120% effort to defend and stick to Lin Tian. He focused all his attention and he didn't let Lin Tian shake him off. Lin Tian didn't even get half a step of space to shoot. His hand was already reaching out towards the basketball that Lin Tian was about to shoot!
"Whoosh!"
Iverson tried his best, but reality was cruel.
He gave it his all and made every effort, but he couldn't do anything to interfere with Lin Tian!
Who says you always need space to shoot? Who says a well-placed defense guarantees a shot will be effective?
Lin Tian is a perfect 191 cm tall! And Iverson is definitely less than 180 cm tall!
This difference is enough for Lin Tian to ignore all of Iverson's interference when he takes a pull-up jump shot!
Desperate measures? In the face of talent, they are utterly ineffective!
After this shot, Lin Tian took two steps back due to the momentum, and Iverson also staggered when he turned around to check the result of Lin Tian's shot, then lost his balance and fell to the floor.
"What did I say, Allen? Don't fall." Lin Tian looked down at Iverson, who was half-lying on the floor, and said casually, "I'll make you pay for your comeback."
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he arrogantly stepped over Iverson's legs.
Meanwhile, in Miami, on vacation, Payton suddenly sneezed loudly.
"Achoo!"
A sneeze made Payton feel incredibly good, as if someone had taken something very bad away from him.
Of course, Lin Tian still gave Iverson some face and didn't just step over Iverson's head.
That's gone too far.
Unless you're certain you can't beat your opponent and can only gain an advantage through underhanded tactics and provoking them, what decent person would provoke their opponent by stepping over their head?
"Snapped!"
Lin Tian suddenly felt a force coming from behind him.
Iverson stood up, and somewhat embarrassed and angry, he even shoved Lin Tian from behind!
However, the force wasn't great, and Lin Tian didn't even stumble. He just smiled and looked back at Iverson with utter disdain, then without saying a word, he stopped pressing all over the court and went straight back to the backcourt to prepare for defense.
Lin Tian was certain that Iverson's mentality had collapsed!
The referees ignored Iverson's push and did not issue him a technical foul.
Of course, Lin Tian didn't plan to do anything like collecting video footage after the game and sending the tapes to the league, demanding that they punish and suspend Iverson.
I can't afford to lose face like that!
In short, after this round, Iverson had completely entered a state of frenzied rage.
He kept dribbling the ball and attacking one-on-one, constantly challenging Lin Tian, and using various methods to complete his shots!
But the result was predictable. These angry and unreasonable attacks could certainly get Iverson some points, but with the help of Lin Tian and Ben Wallace, Iverson's efficiency was negligible!
His missed shots far exceeded his made shots, while Lin Tian on the other side remained unstoppable, scoring wildly and constantly scoring through one-on-one attacks!
Even in the latter part of the game, Lin Tian stopped trying to specifically target Iverson through mismatches.
It's unnecessary.
39: 16!
At the end of the first quarter, the Pacers were leading by 23 points!
Lin Tian delivered a dominant performance in this quarter.
15投12中，3分球3投全中，罚球5罚4中，爆砍31分3篮板2助攻！
Single quarter!
Lin Tian scored 30+ points in yet another quarter, telling everyone: I am the MVP! Don't believe me? Then try it!
Against Iverson, that's the best outcome for a challenger!
17投4中，3分球5投1中，罚球4罚全中，单节只拿下13分！
Iverson was completely outmatched by Lin Tian!
And the kind of person who is completely humiliated and almost traumatized is absolutely crushed!
Add to that those moments that could be considered masterpieces, and tonight's Iverson would definitely be on a list like "Top 10 Most Miserable and Thoroughly Exposed Moments in History," and would certainly be near the top!
That's so tragic!
Some sentimental Iverson fans turned off their TVs early on; they couldn't bear to watch anymore.
Some die-hard fans even shed tears silently.
That's terrible, absolutely terrible!
How could they be exposed so thoroughly and so miserably?
When fans were thinking this, Iverson's condition was naturally not much better. His face, which always carried determination, never giving up and strength, was now filled with disbelief, confusion and blankness.
In the second quarter, Allen Iverson, who is known for his boundless stamina, did not play directly; he sat on the bench without saying a word.
It wasn't until about halfway through the second quarter that Westphal patted Iverson on the shoulder, urging him to return to the court.
But at this point, the score difference between the two sides had exceeded 30 points!
Before the first half was even over, a huge gap of more than 30 points had already emerged!
Looking at the entire history of the NBA conference finals, such a crazy one-sided game is extremely rare!
Iverson's return to the court did not help the 76ers reverse their losing streak. They still could not catch up with the score and were unable to quickly narrow the gap. The two sides were constantly battling back and forth on the court with a difference of about 30 points.
61: 30!
At the end of the first half, the gap between the two sides was still 31 points!
Even everyone could see that the reason the gap between the two sides was "only" 31 points was entirely because Lin Tian had already sheathed his sword!
After scoring 31 points in the first quarter, Lin Tian barely took any shots in the second quarter, and he didn't even play much!
第二节总共只打了6分钟，出手3次命中1球拿到2分2助攻1篮板。
As if he had lost all desire to continue to beat his opponent when he was down after completely crushing him, Lin Tian began to coast from the second quarter onwards.
That's enough for him!
He's too lazy to try and rack up points in a match that's already been completely dominated.
During halftime, the entire Conseco Center and even the Pacers' locker room erupted in cheers. From fans to players, everyone was incredibly excited!
Overjoyed!
What MVP competition?
What? Does he/she qualify to be MVP?
That's all bullshit!
There can only be one MVP in this league!
That's me, Situ.
Pooh!
That's me, Lin Tian!
The entire Pacers locker room was filled with excitement. Miller and others came up one by one to give Lin Tian a high-five. His performance in the first quarter had really shocked them and earned their admiration!
The Pacers of today have long since taken on Lin Tian's shape; in fact, everyone has always had the same idea in their hearts.
That means with Lin Tian around, the game can't be lost!
They trusted Lin Tian implicitly, but honestly, no matter who it was, even Miller and Ben Wallace, who trusted Lin Tian the most, never thought that the gap between Lin Tian and the others would be so big. They never expected that he could beat Iverson so easily!
After this half, the Pacers became more united, more confident, and their admiration for Lin Tian reached a whole new level!
The God of Basketball!
Although no one on the Pacers team uttered the somewhat disgusting word, everyone was thinking the same thing at that moment.
Lin is the god of basketball!
The Pacers' locker room is buzzing with excitement and madness, while the 76ers' locker room next door is filled with despair and silence.
Iverson sat there silently, and Westphal tried to talk to him several times, but Iverson brushed him off each time.
With no other options, Westphal could only give a look and direct Snow and Lynch, who had a good relationship with Iverson, to have a proper talk with him.
But clearly, the two men's attempts to talk to Iverson didn't yield much result.
This guy seemed to have been completely shut down, not uttering a single word for the entire 20-minute halftime break.
Because he didn't speak, it was difficult to explain Westphal's tactics, mainly because there really weren't any tactics to explain.
The team's star player was completely demoralized, and the rest of the players were utterly incompetent. The team was down by more than 30 points. Strategizing? At this point, it would be more useful to send a cheerleading squad over for a fun-filled party than to analyze the details of tactics!
This primal joy might even ignite the players' fighting spirit and animalistic instincts.
It wasn't until halftime, when the players were heading to the arena for the second half, that Iverson suddenly ripped off the towel that had been hanging over his head for the entire 20 minutes, stood up, and said, "Guys, sorry about that, I just needed a moment to calm down! But now, I'm all ready."
"Let's continue the second half!"
Iverson's words stunned the entire 76ers team.
Is that all it takes to self-regulate?
It's too fast!
No one knows what Iverson was thinking during those 20 minutes, and no one knows whether what he said was true or false.
But the fact is, when the two sides switched sides in the second half and resumed play, Iverson did indeed return to the same form he had at the start of the first quarter when he stepped back onto the court.
Fearless, fearless, and full of confidence!
At the start of the third quarter, Iverson scored 9 consecutive points with drives to the basket and outside shots, leading his team to narrow the gap to 25 points, a gap that doesn't seem too outrageous.
Then, perhaps Iverson's fearlessness reignited the fighting spirit of his teammates. For the first half of the third quarter, the 76ers actually showed a bit of dominance over the Pacers.
With half of the third quarter gone, McGee hit a three-pointer, and the 76ers had narrowed the gap to 19 points!
"Lin! What are you doing?!" Carlisle couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and yelled at the players on the court, "Beat them!"
Lin Tian waved confidently, dribbled the ball all the way to the frontcourt, and said to Snow, who was guarding him, "Your turn is over, right? It's our turn!"
As soon as Lin Tian finished speaking, he suddenly put the ball away and made a quick feint towards the sky.
Snow never expected Lin Tian to collect the ball so easily. In a subconscious reaction, he couldn't control his body and jumped up suddenly. But after he jumped, he realized that he had been tricked!
"Snapped!"
With a muffled thud, Lin Tian crashed into Snow. After the collision, Lin Tian managed to control his body and flicked his wrist to shoot the ball toward the basket!
"Whoosh!"
"Beep beep!"
The referee's whistle and the sound of the basketball swishing through the net rang out simultaneously once again. Lin Tian blew a 3+1, sounding the charge!
As for just now?
He just wanted the 76ers to catch up by a little bit, to give them a tiny bit of hope, and to make them feel that they could do it.
Then, Lin Tian made another move and completely crushed them!
Compared to the absolute darkness, what is more despairing is often seeing a glimmer of light in the darkness, only to find that glimmer of light is completely out of reach!
Yes, of course, we can only give a tiny bit of light!
If we give them too much, and the 76ers manage to capitalize on the opportunity and close the gap, it would be embarrassing.
Around 20 minutes is the most suitable and safest!
"Allen, I'll only play three more minutes in this game!" Stepping to the free-throw line, Lin Tian looked at Iverson and made a three-sign. "After three minutes, no matter what the point difference is, I won't play the rest of the game!"
"If you're so capable, hold on for these three minutes and don't let me widen the gap!"
"Don't underestimate me!" Iverson glared at Lin Tian, saying, "I'll make you pay for your arrogant words! We'll catch up, and if you have the guts, come down here and see for yourself!"
"Let's see who the winner is tonight."
"Whoosh!"
In response to Iverson, Lin Tian made the free throw and then quickly closed in on Iverson again, initiating a full-court press defense!
In the second half, Iverson's obsession with defeating Lin Tian one-on-one was clearly much less intense. He stopped dribbling the ball forward himself and handed the task over to Snow. Then he started his off-the-ball movement!
The old trick: he will use his off-ball skills and his teammates' screens to create space for himself, so that he can use his movement to get open and shoot!
This tactic was actually used by Iverson back when Larry Brown was coaching. This season, with Westphal as the new coach, although Iverson's ball-handling percentage has increased significantly, his off-ball skills haven't been neglected.
He is confident that, in terms of off-ball skills alone, he is definitely among the top five in the league!
Unfortunately, he ran into Lin Tian tonight!
As I said before: Lin Tian completely overwhelms him in height, weight, strength, and speed!
At the same time, Lin Tian also possesses top-notch awareness and defensive skills, as well as the determination to completely shut down Iverson!
When all these factors are taken into account, Iverson's off-ball movement and the screens the 76ers set for him seem like a joke.
Iverson ran his best in the frontcourt for almost 15 seconds, but couldn't get any chance to receive the ball or shoot directly.
The 76ers' offensive play ended with McGee's very unreliable mid-range shot.
As for the result, of course, it was a complete failure!
Lin Tian grabbed the rebound, but instead of rushing the drive, he raised one hand and shouted, "No rush! Let's go for a high success rate this round and get the lead over 25 points!" (End of Chapter)