allendalepharm Chapter 186 Are you really going to beat someone to death?
Chapter 186 Are you really going to beat someone to death?
Chapter 186 Are you really going to beat someone to death?
After a moment of silence, the entire city square erupted in cheers and shouts!
"MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP!"
At the same time, the chants of "MVP" swept across the entire stadium in unison.
Absolutely stunning!
"Lin...Tian! Let's shout Lin's name again and congratulate him on securing a spot in the top ten dunks of the season!" The DJ at the scene was equally enthusiastic, shouting Lin Tian's name while giving a perfect description of this amazing gliding, folding, and dodging dunk!
A definite contender for the season's top ten dunks!
"So, Allen, can you handle this?" Lin Tian asked Iverson casually as he returned to defense. "Is it because I'm tall? Should I bend my knees to play with you next time?"
"Shut up!" Iverson knew he had no excuse left for this play.
He just can't do it!
Even though his vertical jump height exceeds one meter, even though he already has monstrous physical attributes, and is top-notch in speed, jumping ability and strength.
But he just couldn't get to this ball. That's a difference in raw talent. No matter how high you fly or how far you dive, there are some moves that a 180cm tall person just can't do!
And it was after that play that Iverson's previously excellent mentality suddenly underwent a significant change.
Perhaps realizing that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't achieve the same effect as Lin Tian in certain aspects, Iverson became even more eager to prove himself. He wanted to prove that although he was inferior to Lin Tian in some areas, his strengths were just as unstoppable!
As a result, in the following games, Iverson's breakthroughs became even more ferocious and relentless, and his speed became even more powerful and unparalleled!
However, this inevitably leads to decreased efficiency, reduced teammate involvement, and more mistakes and missed shots.
In the latter part of the second quarter, Iverson took 9 shots but only made 3, scoring 10 points. Combined with the 5 points he scored in the first half with 2 of 4 shots, Iverson scored another 15 points in this quarter. However, his efficiency and as many as 3 turnovers were far inferior to those in the first quarter!
In the first half, Iverson scored 38 points and dished out 5 assists on 14-of-28 shooting! This first half was undoubtedly the most brilliant half of Iverson's career!
Lin Tian, who was matched up against him, didn't score as explosively, but he still managed to get a double-double of 25 points and 11 assists in just half a game. His performance was no less impressive than Iverson's!
Not only were their individual performances equally impressive, but more importantly, by the end of the second quarter, the Pacers had begun to take control of the game, extending their lead to 12 points!
67: 55!
In the latter part of the second quarter, the Pacers gained a clear advantage!
During halftime, Brown looked at Iverson, who had played the entire first half and was panting heavily, and said, "Allen, calm down! You were too hasty in your offensive decisions several times. You could have avoided those turnovers, and you had better options for those missed shots. You could have handled them in a more rational way!"
"I understand." Iverson said impatiently, panting heavily, but everyone could see that he was completely distracted and just going through the motions. Most likely, he hadn't heard a word Brown had said.
Seeing Iverson's expression, Brown pursed his lips but said nothing.
In the Pacers' locker room, Bird spread his arms wide and declared unequivocally, "45 points! I don't care how many points that little guy scored in the first half, I don't want to see him score more than 45 points before the end of tonight's game! I don't care who's the primary defender or who's the help defender and double-teamer."
"If the score exceeds 45 points, everyone's training volume will double starting tomorrow!"
"Leave it to me, Coach," Lin Tian said, raising his hand. "Give Allen to me. I'll completely shut him down in the second half!"
Bird didn't say anything about Lin Tian's "voluntary claim," but clapped his hands and said, "We're already leading by 12 points in the first half. Let's keep it up in the second half! We need to win this last game before Christmas, and then everyone can go home and have a good Christmas Eve."
"And then, it's Chicago! Our goal is to win the championship, so the Chicagoans are an unavoidable topic and opponent for us! We're not here to avenge Lin, nor to beat up Michael, we only have one goal—"
"Let everyone know that we deserve the championship more than the Chicagoans! So, in this game, I'm not just going to win, I'm going to win beautifully and cleanly! Understand?"
"clear!"
After a unified roar, the Pacers team got up again, with Lin Tian leading the way by pushing open the locker room door and heading towards the arena.
The battle continued in the second half!
Watching Iverson dribble the ball up the court once again, Lin Tian began to think about how to limit this scoring maniac to less than 7 points in the second half!
Given the rim protection and defensive abilities of the Pacers' starting lineup, Barkley and Schmitz, it's definitely unreliable to rely on close defense to allow Iverson to drive to the basket!
Those two guys simply didn't have the ability to keep Iverson out of the paint and prevent him from easily getting a shot off.
Since close-marking isn't suitable, let's give it a break!
I bet you, Iverson, won't make any shots, and I bet your already mediocre three-point shooting ability will decline as your physical condition deteriorates!
So when Lin Tian was defending Iverson, he took a half step back.
This gave Iverson a chance and space to pull up for a jump shot!
Of course, this is Allen Iverson after all, not some Kidd or Strickland who have absolutely no shooting ability.
Therefore, Lin Tian did not completely ignore the two steps.
Lin Tian only opened up half a step, a very clever distance. If Iverson broke through, this distance would give Lin Tian a significant advantage, enough time and space to react.
But if Iverson chooses to shoot, as long as Lin Tian reacts quickly enough, he can intercept the shot and disrupt Iverson's shot!
After all, Lin Tian absolutely cannot completely give up on Iverson's shooting, because although Iverson's three-pointers and long-range shots are average, that's compared to himself, and that's compared to all the top perimeter scorers in the history of the league!
Allen Iverson's current fourth-highest scoring average in the league best illustrates how formidable he is on offense and how proficient he is in various offensive skills!
Therefore, Lin Tian's current choice is definitely the best way to limit Iverson!
Facing Lin Tian's defense, Iverson didn't force a three-pointer. Instead, he looked at Lin Tian and said, "Ready? I'm getting serious!"
"What a coincidence! We need to get serious too!" Lin Tian chuckled. "7 points! In the second half, your score definitely won't exceed 7 points!"
"Well, of course, if you're shameless enough to rack up 50+ points against role players during garbage time, then if you're really good, I'll admit defeat!"
"Do I need to rack up points? I'll get 50 points in the third quarter and show you!" Iverson said, then suddenly accelerated and broke through! This time, Iverson didn't use his signature crossover or pass dribble, but instead accelerated directly, trying to force his way through Lin Tian's left side!
After the first half of the matchup, Iverson has become increasingly accustomed to Lin Tian's defensive style!
Lin Tian's defense is incredibly fast and ruthless. In addition, Iverson is at a significant disadvantage in terms of height and physique. Therefore, if Iverson wants to score more points against Lin Tian, the most important thing is not to get entangled with Lin Tian! And don't even think about using any fakes or fancy dribbling to shake off Lin Tian.
Lin Tian's forte is showing off his skills! Trying to do this in front of Lin Tian is like showing off your skills in front of Guan Yu, or at least like making fried rice in front of a Michelin-starred chef—it's a sure way to humiliate yourself!
Therefore, on the first offensive possession of the second half, Iverson reduced his dribbling and feints, opting instead to use his speed and physicality to launch a strong attack!
However, Iverson clearly underestimated Lin Tian's reaction and speed. After a half-step buffer, Lin Tian almost immediately caught up with Iverson's breakthrough, blocking him firmly and not giving him any chance to rush into the basket!
Seeing his drive blocked, Iverson reacted incredibly quickly, suddenly taking a step back to create distance, and then pulling up for a long two-pointer!
Although Lin Tian was unable to block Iverson because Iverson was too fast, he caught up immediately after Iverson jumped and stretched out his arm as far as possible towards Iverson's eyes. This was the eye-covering defense that would become famous in the martial arts world many years later!
"Bang!"
The large hand suddenly reaching out in front of Iverson caught him off guard, causing him to shudder. His shooting touch was severely disrupted, and the basketball slammed against the rim with a loud thud.
Barkley grabbed the rebound, and seeing that the team had no fast break opportunities and Lin Tian was being tightly guarded by Iverson, Barkley simply dribbled the ball across half-court himself and even gestured for a play.
However, apart from Lin Tian quickly running out from the inside to receive the ball, no one else even looked at Barkley's hand gestures, nor did they hear what tactics he was shouting.
Just kidding, if you actually listen to him and run around the field like crazy following Sir Charles's instructions, you'll get nothing but wasted energy!
Lin Tian ran out from the inside and grabbed the basketball. Then, taking advantage of Barkley's huge body, he did a swerve around the cones, blocking Iverson behind him. He dribbled the ball into the three-point line and then made a long two-pointer from a distance!
The difference is that Iverson had to get around Barkley's screen first, so he couldn't keep up with the ball at all, let alone interfere. He could only watch helplessly as the basketball flew through the air and fell into the net!
"Allen, step it up! At least let me see you when you shoot, right? Otherwise, how are you going to defend?" After scoring, Lin Tian quickly turned around and found Iverson, mocking him, "Or is your defensive trick just to completely ignore the basket and pray to God to protect it for you?"
"Shut up, Lin! Shut up!" Iverson finally started too! Like everyone who had faced Lin Tian before, he stopped trash-talking and his lines were reduced to weak retorts like "Shut up, get lost, you're really disgusting".
He quickly dribbled to the frontcourt. Facing Lin Tian's half-step defensive approach, Iverson did not force an attack this time. Instead, he gestured for Coleman to come up and screen for him.
"Rick, don't lunge too hard, just stay back and prevent Coleman from getting the ball and shooting! Leave Allen to me!" As soon as Lin Tian saw the screen coming, he retreated to go around the screen from behind, while also telling Schmitz to retreat as well, so as not to leave Coleman out.
This defensive approach was undoubtedly insulting to Iverson!
This kind of defense basically means letting him shoot, letting him throw in three-pointers!
Do you really think I can't make the shot?
Iverson dribbled the ball back, glanced at the basket, and then, just as Lin Tian rushed over after going around the screen, he decisively took a three-pointer!
This time, Lin Tian's block was still aimed at Iverson's eyes. He didn't intend to block Iverson's shot at all, but rather to block Iverson's vision.
"Bang!"
Unfortunately, although Lin Tian's defense was a bit slow, and this time the blindfold defense might not have been very effective, Iverson's shot still missed and went home empty-handed.
Rose grabbed the rebound, and as soon as Lin Tian saw Rose get the ball, he yelled, "Jaylen, run!"
As he shouted at Rose, Lin Tian also sprinted forward, charging all the way to the frontcourt.
At the same time, Iverson accelerated and clung tightly to Lin Tian. He was determined not to let Lin Tian find an open space during the fast break, and he would not allow himself to be left behind by Lin Tian.
I admit I'm not as accurate, as tall, or as good at passing as you, but when it comes to speed, I'm Allen Iverson, and I've never lost in my life!
Just as Iverson was giving it his all and sprinting at top speed, thinking that he had to at least stop Lin Tian from scoring, Lin Tian suddenly raised his arm and bumped Iverson!
Lin Tian's strike wasn't very powerful, but it was enough to stop Iverson's momentum. At the same time, he used the recoil to accelerate again and continue moving towards the frontcourt.
"FUXX!" Iverson couldn't help but curse. Although it didn't hurt much, Lin Tian had left him two body lengths behind. He knew he definitely couldn't catch up with Lin Tian.
"boom!"
Sure enough, three seconds later, Rose tossed the basketball into the air, Lin Tian leaped high, and then descended from the sky like a king, slamming the ball into the basket with both hands!
"Alan, where are you? I can't see you." After making a dunk, Lin Tian's first thing is always to find his opponent and have a nice, friendly chat with him.
"If you're so capable, don't use such a cheap gadget, Lin! When it comes to speed, I won't lose to anyone!" Iverson, who had been bumped, glared fiercely at Lin Tian, his face full of defiance.
"Alan, you've misunderstood. What I did just now wasn't to defeat you; quite the opposite, it was for your sake!" Lin Tian spread his hands, his face sincere. "Only if I did what I just did could you protect your pitiful self-esteem!"
"Otherwise, you will be utterly defeated by me in the very area where you are most proud and confident!"
"What did you say?" Iverson looked at Lin Tian. "You think you're faster than me?"
"I think that's obvious! Just like I'm stronger than you, I'm faster than you, and that's a fact everyone can see!"
"We'll see!" Iverson looked at Lin Tian, his eyes full of disbelief.
In terms of speed, he is confident that he is faster than anyone else in this league!
He's outpaced players like Marbury and Stoudemire, and he's always blown away by their speed!
Lin Tian is faster than me?
impossible!
In the 76ers' offensive possession, Iverson faced off against Lin Tian once again, but this time, Lin Tian gave him even more space!
The distance between the two was even more than a step. At this distance, even if Iverson jumped to shoot immediately, Lin Tian would be completely unable to interfere. This was almost a complete abandonment of Iverson, allowing him to shoot at will, and preventing him from breaking through.
"FUXX!" Iverson cursed, but ultimately did not choose to shoot directly. Although his shooting percentage was not low in the first half tonight, his long-range shooting touch was not good. Almost all of his mid-range and long-range shots came in the first quarter!
He decided not to vote!
Iverson, who was dribbling the ball quickly, suddenly lowered his center of gravity and accelerated, trying to speed past Lin Tian on the left side!
Moreover, even though Lin Tian quickly predicted Iverson's breakthrough direction and timely moved laterally to block Iverson's path to the inside, Iverson was clearly determined to make a strong breakthrough no matter what. Therefore, he did not stop his advance at all, but continued to attack the inside!
Go ahead!
Despite Lin Tian's relentless drive to the edge of the paint, Iverson couldn't find a suitable opportunity to shoot. Lin Tian was tall and didn't try to steal the ball; instead, he simply spread his arms to maintain his defensive position, making it difficult for Iverson to get a shot off.
After driving all the way to the edge of the three-second zone, Iverson not only couldn't find a chance to shoot, but Barkley also came over and, together with Lin Tian, double-teamed Iverson!
Iverson was helpless. He could only dribble and turn around, trying to dribble the ball out of the three-point line again and reorganize the offense!
But Lin Tian wouldn't give him that chance. As soon as he saw Iverson turn around, Lin Tian knew what Iverson was going to do. His large hand, which had been waiting for the opportunity, cut down from behind and poked the basketball that Iverson was dribbling away.
At the same time, Lin Tian immediately started sprinting, shouting, "Run, Alan! Didn't you want to have a speed contest?"
Without Lin Tian's prompting, Iverson realized he had lost control of the basketball and immediately knew he couldn't catch it. So, he stopped paying attention to the ball and started sprinting forward at top speed!
Speed contest? Come on!
This time, although Lin Tian started first, his position was about two body lengths behind Iverson, so in general, the two were on the same starting line!
Before the two had even crossed the halfway line, Iverson was astonished to find that Lin Tian was already running parallel to him. In such a short distance, he had been overtaken by two body lengths.
Then, Iverson's eyes widened even more, because even though he had pushed his speed to the limit, he still watched helplessly as Lin Tian passed him by.
Then, Rose's pass was quick and accurate, reaching Lin Tian's hands. Lin Tian got the basketball, took off and glided again... with a one-handed tomahawk shot, smashing the basketball into the basket!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Larry Brown couldn't take it anymore, crossed his arms, and called a timeout!
So far in the third quarter, the 76ers haven't even scored a single point, let alone caught up! They came out on a 6-0 run, and the gap between the two teams has reached 18 points!
Iverson played terribly in the first two minutes of the third quarter, missing both of his shots and committing a turnover. He was also completely outplayed by Lin Tian, who was guarding him.
All 6 points for the Pacers were scored by Lin Tian!
"Allen! Calm down! Think about what I told you before, think about how we kept the score close in the first quarter! Calm down! Reduce your long-range shots, try to draw double teams, and then pass the ball to your teammates to get them involved in the offense!"
Brown was anxiously giving tactical instructions, but Iverson looked half-dead, neither responding nor expressing any objection, as if the fact that he had just been completely outmatched by Lin Tian in terms of speed had caused his entire mental defenses to collapse.
As for the Pacers, even though he had only played for less than two minutes in the third quarter, Bird still decided to make a substitution!
"Charles, Rick, you two go down and rest for a bit. Dale and Ben, you two come in! Remember your job: stop Iverson's drives to the basket! Fouls are okay if necessary! But foul hard! Make him shoot free throws, and even if you get called for a flagrant foul, I won't blame you!"
"But you absolutely cannot give him 2+1, understand?"
"Lin, you played exceptionally well just now! Keep it up! Let Iverson know who's the boss! Crush him! Crush him mercilessly!"
With 6 consecutive points in the third quarter, Lin Tian had already scored 31 points. He nodded and said, "He's just a short guy who can't pass the ball. Even if he can score a lot, I'm not afraid at all!"
Soon, the timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court. Iverson dribbled the ball to the frontcourt once again. This time, Iverson did not initiate the attack himself, but passed the ball out as soon as he reached the top of the arc.
"You're scared of Allen already? I thought you'd be tougher." Lin Tian looked at Iverson with some surprise. He really didn't expect Iverson to pass the ball so quickly.
But Iverson didn't answer Lin Tian's question at all. After passing the ball, he immediately sprinted and started wandering around the Pacers' half of the court, looking for an opportunity to attack!
Lin Tian then realized that the kid hadn't given up, but had simply changed his approach, wanting to use off-the-ball tactics to complete his attack.
When it comes to playing off-ball, Lin Tian's two backcourt partners, whether it's Jordan or Miller, are both top players and industry veterans.
He knows exactly how to defend off-ball attacks, anticipate off-ball runs, and get around opponents who are covering his runs.
To Iverson’s horror, he discovered that no matter how hard he ran and how frantically he searched for opportunities throughout the half, he just couldn’t shake off Lin Tian’s entanglement with him!
Even if he occasionally gets that fleeting opportunity, either Lin Tian quickly blocks the passing lane between Iverson and the ball handler, or the 76ers' ball handler misses the opportunity because of poor passing ability and vision.
"Beep beep beep! 76ers, 24-second violation!"
Ultimately, the 76ers were forced into a 24-second violation during this possession!
Iverson couldn't find an opportunity, and the other players didn't dare to attack themselves, only thinking about following Brown's instructions and getting the ball to Iverson.
Under an overly rigid and domineering coach, situations can easily arise where tactics fail, leaving everyone bewildered and preferring to stand there with the ball in a daze rather than daring to attack themselves.
"Allen, the way you were just now was just like my little hamster that keeps running on the rollers at home. Tired, never stopping, never giving up, but very weak! Very weak!" Lin Tian, who had been running with Iverson for almost 20 seconds, was also a little out of breath. This kind of high-intensity defensive round was definitely a huge drain on physical strength!
However, the first thing Lin Tian did after regulating his breathing was to offer a heartfelt evaluation to Iverson, who was also panting heavily.
Diligent but weak!
"Fuck!" Iverson cursed, then turned away and stopped talking to Lin Tian.
But if keeping quiet could stop Lin Tian, then Lin Tian wouldn't have become the nightmare of the entire alliance.
He dribbled the ball quickly to the frontcourt, then waved to signal everyone to spread out, before making a strong drive to the basket, dodging Ratliff's defense, and scoring with a layup.
For the first time in this game, the point difference reached 20 points!
In the following possessions, Iverson tried to create offensive opportunities through off-ball movement, but either Lin Tian blocked his offensive route, or he couldn't receive the ball even when he finally got the chance, or when he finally received the ball, the Pacers' Ben Wallace or Davis would rush over to double-team him!
Bird's unconventional but timely adjustment played a huge role on the defensive end!
In short, the 76ers' offense completely stalled after Iverson started playing off-ball.
Iverson was completely shut down, and the other players dared not attack on their own. For a full three minutes, the 76ers failed to score a single point!
It wasn't until the third quarter, with only seven minutes left, that Iverson finally heard the referee's whistle as he forcefully drove to the basket after getting the ball.
"Lin, foul! Iverson gets two free throws!"
"I didn't touch him." Lin Tian raised his hands, looking helpless. "I didn't even touch a hair on his body! All my defense was legal!"
"I know you didn't foul," the baseline referee said to Lin Tian unexpectedly. "Your defense was extremely clean, even cleaner than in the previous rounds, but..."
"That's enough, do you really have to kill him? You two aren't enemies."
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian understood what was going on.
A warden of human relationships and social interactions!
This whistle is usually given to the star player of the losing team when one side is leading by a large margin and the game is no longer in doubt.
It can make the losing team's star player's stats look a little better, and at the same time, it can calm down both sides and prevent any conflicts from arising because the game is over.
This can also be considered a signal.
Tell the leading team: That's enough, don't get too worked up!
This can be seen as a way to protect the attacking players, as most players know that at this point, it's about time to ease up.
Otherwise, if you continue to play recklessly and beat your opponent to a pulp when you have a big lead, you are likely to get hurt. Who knows what they might do when they are desperate to lose?
Most of the time, these whistles are irrelevant to the outcome of the game, so even Lin Tian, who was being blown by one, didn't show any displeasure.
毕竟这会儿双方的比分都变成81：55了，步行者队在下半场靠着防守，打了76人队一个14：0！他们已经彻底把分差拉开了。
If you're going to send two whistles, then go ahead and send them!
Iverson remained expressionless as he went to the free-throw line and made both shots, finally breaking the 76ers' scoring drought in the second half. However, these two points were clearly a drop in the bucket for the 76ers, who were currently in a difficult situation.
Although they finally started scoring, their scoring efficiency remained low, and the Pacers maintained control of the game's pace. The score remained around 25 points.
By the end of the third quarter, the score was temporarily set at 93-66, with the Pacers leading by 27 points!
这一节比赛，林天打满了12分钟，8投5中，3分球4投2中，罚球3罚全中，拿下15分3助攻！再加上上半场比赛，林天今晚已经轰下了40分14次助攻的超级两双！更别提他顺手还拿下了6个篮板和4次抢断！
An absolutely perfect night!
An absolutely brilliant performance!
Meanwhile, Iverson, who was matched up against Lin Tian, was completely dominated by him in the third quarter. He only made 1 of 9 shots in the entire quarter and barely managed to score 6 points with just 4 free throws!
Although Iverson had already scored 44 points by the end of the third quarter, seemingly a back-and-forth battle, his shooting percentage continued to decline, reaching a pitiful 15 out of 37! Forget 50%, if he missed just one more shot, his shooting percentage would be below 40%!
Everyone could see that Iverson's performance was inconsistent. In the first quarter, he was able to go toe-to-toe with Lin Tian, but from the second half of the second quarter onwards, he was completely suppressed by Lin Tian and was almost pinned to the ground and beaten mercilessly!
Another brave warrior who dared to challenge Lin Tian has fallen!
During the break in the third quarter, Brown pursed his lips and didn't say a word. It was hard to say how bad he was feeling, but he knew very well that the 76ers had been completely outmatched by the Pacers tonight, whether at the team level, the individual level, or the coaching level!
Especially in the third quarter, the 76ers were almost completely helpless.
Brown looked at the dozen or so players sitting on his bench and shook his head helplessly.
He really doesn't think much of any of these guys, except for Iverson!
If he had the power to appoint and dismiss personnel, he would definitely replace the entire team except for Iverson!
In Brown's vision, since this team is to be built around Iverson as the absolute core, then Iverson must be equipped with a perfectly suitable lineup and enough helpers!
First, we need to get Iverson out of the point guard position, which is completely incompatible with him, and move him to the shooting guard position.
Then there's a true defensive big man who isn't just good at blocking shots, a point guard who can deliver the ball accurately and timely to Iverson, and a forward who can shoot, defend, and help Iverson withstand the attacks of the opponent's top swingmen. If this person also has some shooting range and can hit three-pointers and mid-range shots, that would be even more perfect!
Finally, if the team could have a versatile power forward who could facilitate, pass, screen, and run two-man transition plays with Iverson, then it would be perfect, with no flaws whatsoever!
Unfortunately, none of these players are currently on the 76ers roster!
This is the biggest reason why the 76ers are still at the bottom of the league in terms of record.
The roster doesn't match Iverson!
With the outcome already decided, Iverson did not return to the court in the fourth quarter. Instead, he sat on the sidelines looking bewildered, watching the role players from both sides battle on the court. He had been completely outplayed by Lin Tian that night, and he was still in a state of utter confusion.
Iverson still couldn't believe that his speed was completely outmatched, that his off-ball movement was so poorly defended that he couldn't even catch the ball, and that his offense was so badly defended.
Am I really not as good as Lin?
This idea, without anyone realizing it, took root in Iverson's heart.
"Allen Iverson's emotions fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 200 experience points!"
"WTF?" Lin Tian, who had just been looking down and spacing out, suddenly raised his head and almost knocked over the cup in Barkley's hand, who was sitting next to him drinking water.
Lin Tian mainly didn't understand.
The game was going so well just now, I was practically beating Iverson, but Iverson didn't show any emotion or reveal anything to me.
Why is it that Iverson suddenly gifted him a prize now that the game is over and he's resting?
Looking at Allen Iverson sitting there in a daze, Lin Tian really couldn't understand it.
Is it because Iverson has a long reaction time? Is it only now that he's realized he's been completely outmatched and utterly powerless to fight back?
Iverson isn't the type who gets scared during the day, acts all cool and collected, and then suddenly jumps up in bed at night yelling, "Holy crap, that scared me to death!"
Otherwise, how do you explain this guy suddenly giving you a gift after you've been sitting on the bench for five minutes?
Lin Tian never expected that Iverson was sitting on the sidelines resting, mentally reviewing the game, when he suddenly realized that he was no match for Lin Tian. This caused him to have serious self-doubt, and in the end, he directly gave Lin Tian a big gift.
Well, Master Lin only studied psychology, not has the special ability to see through people's hearts. He couldn't figure out the reason behind such psychological activities even if he worked himself to death.
But Lin Tian was never the type to get hung up on such a small matter. He couldn't figure it out.
Then I won't think about it!
118: 90!
When the final whistle blew, the Pacers had once again secured a resounding victory!
Throughout the game, besides Lin Tian's 40+10, Miller hit 4 three-pointers for a total of 15 points, Barkley had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Rose had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and Dumars, coming off the bench, also scored 13 points! It was another Pacers-style victory led by Lin Tian and with the whole team performing well!
On the 76ers' side, apart from Iverson scoring 40+ points, only Coleman scored 15 points, and no other player was able to score in double digits!
Iverson scored a high number of points inefficiently, and apart from him, the other players contributed very little. This was also a standard 76ers-style defeat.
After the game, when facing media interviews, Iverson bit his lip tightly. After this game, he lost his usual sharp edge. The doubts that Lin Tian had completely suppressed made him speak softly in front of the media, which was very rare for him!
"Lin blew us away tonight. He completely destroyed me. Honestly, after today I realized that I'm not on the same level as him. I lost completely today! I apologize for what I said before the game. Lin is really strong! He deserves every penny he gets and every praise he receives."
Iverson's unusual humility stunned the reporters.
Is this still Allen Iverson?
Is this still the same Allen Iverson who, in his rookie year, challenged everyone and everyone, including Jordan, and claimed he would become the greatest player in NBA history, with an incredibly arrogant attitude?
"Alan, have you been beaten into submission by Lin? Do you still dare to challenge him or anyone else in the future?"
Looking at the reporter who asked the question, Iverson replied without hesitation, "I admit, he beat me, but I wasn't defeated! No one can defeat me! No one can completely break me. I will always maintain a challenging spirit, and I will always challenge everyone in this league!"
"Tonight's defeat was very painful for me. I realized the gap between myself and Lin Tian, but for me, this is just the beginning, just a small setback on my road to becoming stronger! My goal hasn't changed; I still only have one goal: to become the greatest player in NBA history!"
"Next time! Next time, I'll teach Lin a lesson! I'll get my revenge! I'll watch tonight's game footage 100 times to find all my weaknesses and then train accordingly! See you in Philadelphia!"
Faced with Iverson's unexpected concession, Lin Tian adhered to his principles and did not pursue the matter further. Instead, he also spoke highly of Iverson in front of the media, which was quite rare for him.
"Allen is actually a very good player. He can definitely become an MVP and scoring champion level superstar. His never-give-up spirit is something everyone should learn from. His all-around scoring skills and the great courage hidden under his short stature are also qualities that everyone should learn from."
"What he needs is a growth process and a tactical system and style of play that are more suitable for him."
"So, Lin, you mean Philadelphia isn't a good fit for Allen, and he should switch teams?"
Looking at the troublemaking reporter, Lin Tian felt a little helpless.
I, Lord Lin, rarely want to say something nice or show my friendliness, so why are you reporters so mean?
Are you trying to make me the public enemy of Philadelphia?
Hey, this time, I, Lord Lin, won't fall for it!
"That's not what I meant. What I meant was that we all know Philadelphia just went through a big trade. A lot of people left their team, and some new people came in. It's a young and dynamic team, and they also have a very good coach, Larry Brown."
"They didn't go through training camp, they didn't have time to refine the details of their tactics, everything can only be explored slowly over the long season, which is why both players and coaches hate big trades during the season, it makes their games very difficult!"
"This current 76ers team is absolutely full of talent and potential. All they lack is time. I believe that once they get through the painful adjustment period, they will soon be able to achieve results!"
"I'm really looking forward to meeting them in the playoffs!"
(End of this chapter)