allendalepharm Chapter 128 A Series of Devastating Strike Against Three Giants! Another Chapter in Lin Tian's
Chapter 128 A Series of Devastating Strike Against Three Giants! Another Chapter in Lin Tian's
Chapter 128 A series of crushing blows to the three giants! Another night in Lin Tian's career!
After Barkley made the free throw, Lin Tian dribbled the ball to the frontcourt again, and this time he was matched up against another rookie from the Rockets, Harrington, a strong and muscular guy, but with mediocre basketball IQ and skills.
Players whose minds are all muscle are exactly the type that Lin Tian is best at dealing with!
He first waved to signal everyone on the team to pull him away, then started dribbling between his legs repeatedly, looking for an opportunity to break through.
"Stand close! Stand close! Don't let him shoot!" Tomjanovich shouted anxiously from the sidelines. Lin Tian's shooting had already given the Rockets a major headache tonight!
Upon receiving the coach's instructions, Harrington immediately stepped forward, intending to use his physical advantage to suppress Lin Tian's dribbling.
But he clearly underestimated Lin Tian's agility. Seeing Harrington step forward, Lin Tian immediately made a quick back turn and dribbled the ball, leaving Harrington completely behind in one step!
Then Lin Tian quickly dribbled and charged forward, driving all the way to a position two steps inside the three-point line. Lin Tian glanced back out of the corner of his eye, suddenly stopped, and raised the ball with both hands.
The rookie in the blue and white striped Rockets jersey behind him immediately jumped up.
"Don't jump! FUXX!" Tomjanovich knew he was in trouble when he saw Lin Tian stop, but his warning and shout were obviously too late!
Lin Tian had already jumped, and first collided with Harrington in mid-air.
He then threw the ball before losing his balance.
"Whoosh!"
Two seconds later, a crisp sound rang out, and Lin Tian's unbalanced floater luckily swished into the basket!
"Foul! 2 points awarded, plus one free throw!"
Crawford immediately blew his whistle, signaling Lin Tian to get ready to go to the free throw line!
Lin Tian's play, from dribbling past his opponent to stopping abruptly to draw a foul, was executed flawlessly and with effortless grace. As the replays were shown repeatedly on the big screen, the entire United Center erupted in cheers and shouts once again!
Many fans even started chanting "MVP" as Lin Tian stepped to the free-throw line!
Lin Tian truly deserved the title of MVP tonight!
因为随着他加罚命中，他今晚已经拿下34分了！同时还有12个篮板11次助攻3次抢断4次盖帽入帐！
An absolutely stunning triple-double!
There were still 5 minutes left in the game!
It remains to be seen how impressive Lin Tian's stats will be tonight!
Tomjanovic, sitting on the sidelines, glanced at Jackson, who was sitting calmly and motionless on the Bulls' bench, as if he had everything under control, and couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
Did this old man really guess my tactical intentions and see that I would continue to strengthen the team's interior advantage, which is why he's so calm? Should I make a substitution? Bring in the more experienced Mario Elie?
Just as Tomjanovich was thinking, the Bulls' defense on the court had already changed its formation.
They were all standing below the free throw line!
They conceded the entire three-point line and the area just inside it to the Rockets!
The meaning couldn't be clearer.
Go ahead and vote! Go ahead and vote if you dare!
In stark contrast to the incredibly loose defense on the perimeter, the battle for the paint was fierce! At this moment, there were five players standing inside and outside the three-second zone alone! In this small area, it was now a sea of people, with ten arms completely entangled, making it impossible to see which arm belonged to whom!
Unfortunately, the Rockets don't have Elie, who is most confident in his shooting, on the court right now. Jason and Harrington are both afraid to take long-range shots, and Drexler's shooting has always been his weakness. Therefore, even though the Rockets are left wide open, none of them dare to shoot!
After several passes, Drexler finally gritted his teeth and charged into the paint. Facing the Bulls' encirclement near the mid-range, he opted for a mid-range lob shot!
He was confident that Barkley and Olajuwon could grab the rebound!
"Bang!"
Unsurprisingly, Drexler's awkward floater missed and bounced off the rim!
Hakeem Olajuwon, in the best position, immediately grabbed Kukoc with one hand, then leaped as high as possible, his long arm sweeping the basketball into his arms. He then raised the ball high and shot it high, not placing it below his chest, but pausing slightly after landing before jumping up again to try and score two points with a bank shot.
"Snapped!"
But what awaited Olajuwon was a merciless, crisp sound!
Lin Tian!
He had just completely given up on defending Harrington and turned to charge into the paint. He took off early and caught Olajuwon just as he was about to put the ball back in, blocking Olajuwon's shot out of the basket.
Then Lin Tian jumped up again, demonstrating his impressive continuous jumping ability, and grabbed the backboard in his arms!
"run!"
That roar that terrified all the interior players in the league came again. The Rockets' big men, as if they had heard some kind of deadly curse, didn't dare to lift their heads and sprinted back to their own half of the court, afraid that Lin Tian would launch another counterattack at this moment.
"Baller! Defend the baller! FUXX! Defend the baller!" Tomjanovich felt like he was going crazy! These guys, turn around! What's the use of running fast if you're just running with your heads down and not targeting Lin Tian with the ball?
"Clyde! Go guard Lin! You guard Lin! Watch out for his drives, shots, and passes!" Tomjanovich on the sidelines was getting a little frantic!
His words almost made Drexler curse on the spot.
What's the difference between what you've said and nothing at all?
It just means you have to be careful about everything and defend against everything, right?
Seeing the entire Rockets team sprinting, Lin Tian relaxed and calmly dribbled the ball to the frontcourt.
This was his first time facing Drexler in this game. Facing the former number one fast break player in the league and his nickname "The Glide," Lin Tian smiled and said, "I remember you were previously known as the best fast break and finisher in the league?"
Drexler did not answer Lin Tian's question. Instead, he lowered his center of gravity and carefully observed Lin Tian's movements, wary of Lin Tian's sudden burst of speed. He was well aware of Lin Tian's speed!
"Silence can't hide the fact that you're past your prime! Old man, your era is over! Oh... no, you never had an era of your own!" Lin Tian finished speaking and suddenly accelerated!
It was still the same trick he had brought to the league since last year's Finals: a small hop and a step-back to one side to deceive the opponent's center of gravity, followed by a sudden, huge change of direction. Even though Drexler was a nine-time All-Star and a five-time All-NBA selection, his aging and fragile knees could hardly support him to complete the lateral movement and keep up with Lin Tian's speed.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian had already flashed past him and rushed towards the inside!
"Close marking! Close defense! Give him contact! Give him strength! Don't let him dribble so easily! Did all my pre-game meetings go to waste?!" Seeing Drexler being blown past by Lin Tian in one step, Tomjanovich completely exploded!
His pre-match preparations consisted entirely of feeding the dogs!
Nobody remembers his pre-match analysis of Lin Tian's strengths and weaknesses!
After charging all the way to the edge of the three-second zone, Lin Tian took three steps, drawing Olajuwon's help defense.
Then, Lin Tian pulled the ball back to his waist and, at an incredible angle, passed it out from under Olajuwon's ribs!
Hakeem Olajuwon left the ball behind, and Kukoc, who was right under the basket, grabbed it.
He leaped up quickly and finished with a layup!
Bulls, another 2 points!
The entire Joint Center was once again set off!
Lin Tian's play, from dribbling past his opponent to accelerating and then passing the ball, was so smooth that it left everyone speechless!
Through the soul!
Most people in the entire Joint Center simultaneously thought of the nickname that the CBS host had given Lin Tianqi.
Pass through your soul!
Whether you're a "glider" or a nobody, you'll be completely wiped out by Lin Tian!
91: 97!
The Bulls' lead has reached 6 points!
Facing the Bulls' tight defense, the Rockets' offense still didn't dare to attempt three-pointers. This time, they passed the ball to Hakeem Olajuwon, hoping their team leader could score and stabilize the situation.
Hakeem Olajuwon never dared to put the ball below his chest after receiving it, because the moment he got the ball, Michael Jordan would be charging towards him! If he dared to dribble, he would definitely be stolen from the ball!
Left with no other option, Hakeem Olajuwon had to force a spin without dribbling and then quickly release a hook shot!
"Bang!"
This hasty shot still missed. Barkley on the other side was about to jump, but before his feet left the ground, he felt a violent tug. Lin Tian reached out and tugged at his clothes again!
"Tear!"
A sharp, tearing sound was heard as Barkley's jersey was torn because of his powerful jump and Lin Tian's tight grip.
Due to the force with which Lin Tian pulled his jersey, Barkley's jump height was insufficient, and he failed to grab the rebound.
Instead, Lin Tian jumped up immediately and snatched the backboard into his arms.
"Fuck! He ripped my shirt, and you're not calling a foul? Are you blind or have you been kissed by a donkey? Huh? Look at my jersey! Look at my jersey!" Crawford remained unmoved on this play, much to Barkley's utter displeasure!
He unleashed a string of profanities at Crawford!
Logically speaking, Lin Tian's foul was indeed a bit too aggressive and he couldn't control himself. The fact that the call wasn't called is clearly a result of the referee being too lenient with the home team.
But who will be the referee tonight?
Crawford is the kind of player who could kick Duncan out just by covering his mouth and laughing!
In response to Barkley's protest, Crawford immediately blew a whistle!
"Charles Barkley, technical foul! Out of the game!"
This is Barkley's second technical foul! He was ejected from the game!
"Are you crazy?! How could you give Charles a technical foul?!" Tomjanovich finally snapped, jumping up and down and yelling, "Are you blind? Didn't you see that Asian guy foul? His jersey was torn and you didn't call it, but when I complained to you, you called a technical foul?!"
"I see, you're Santa Claus today, right? You're here to deliver Christmas presents to the Bulls, aren't you? They got a lousy and ugly victory, didn't they?"
"Tomjanovich, technical foul!" Crawford didn't even hesitate, refusing to waste any more words with Tomjanovich, and immediately issued another technical foul! Furthermore, he looked at the entire Rockets team with a provocative and arrogant expression, his meaning clear: Come on, let's see who else dares to challenge us, who else wants a technical foul!
Fortunately, at this moment, Eli and others quickly pulled Tomjanovich back to calm him down, lest the team be left without a coach in the last few minutes. As for Barkley, he reluctantly took off his jersey and walked dejectedly toward the player tunnel.
As he walked up to Lin Tian, the guy suddenly reached out and patted Lin Tian on the shoulder, saying, "It's not your fault, that was a clever little trick! Very clever, but I won't fall for it again next time!"
Barkley...is he that easy to talk to?
Lin Tian was starting to feel a little embarrassed by Barkley's antics.
Am I being too harsh?
Such a treacherous little trick got Barkley ejected.
They were all expelled, and they don't even blame me?
Not only did they not blame me, they even encouraged me?
Who said that the league in the 90s was full of villains and bastards?
There are good people out there too!
After receiving two technical fouls, the Rockets' players and coaches finally calmed down. Although they were still angry, they finally stopped causing trouble. This time, Lin Tian went to the free-throw line and made both technical free throws. The Bulls further extended their lead and still had possession of the ball.
At this point, Tomjanovich finally regained his composure. He realized that his big man lineup had been a complete failure! Not only had they failed to gain any advantage in the paint, but Lin Tian had also exploited their weaknesses to score repeatedly, and in the end, even Barkley was fouled out!
Tomjanovic knew that this match was likely to end badly, but he also knew that it wasn't time to give up yet!
He sent Mario Elie and Kevin Willis onto the field, replacing the red-out Barkley and the disoriented Harrington.
The Rockets once again fielded a relatively standard lineup.
But his change came much later!
Although as soon as Lin Tian received the ball on the sideline, the experienced Elie immediately clung to him, preventing Lin Tian from dribbling properly, Lin Tian quickly called for a screen, allowing Kukoc to come out from the inside and screen Elie for him.
At the same time, unlike other big men in the league today, after a pick-and-roll, Kukoc did not roll down or move laterally, but instead quickly retreated to the three-point line!
His withdrawal made Olajuwon very uncomfortable.
If we chase after them, the area under the basket will be completely exposed to Lin Tian.
If we don't go out, Kukoc's three-point shooting percentage this season is 40%! He's definitely a top-tier shooter in the league!
After a moment's hesitation, Olajuwon made his decision: he stuck to Lin Tian and let Kukoc go!
Lin Tian's drives to the basket are far more powerful than Kukoc's three-pointers!
As soon as he saw Olajuwon make his choice, Lin Tian immediately made a behind-the-back pass, letting the ball pass to Kukoc. At the same time, he also made a lateral movement, cleverly blocking Elie's route to chase Kukoc, turning Kukoc's shot into a completely open three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
This time, Kukoc did not disappoint Lin Tian, making a precise three-pointer from the front!
91: 102!
After Barkley's two free throws, the Bulls went on a 10-0 run, extending their lead to 11 points!
There are 3 minutes and 30 seconds left in the game!
What made the Rockets even more desperate was that Jordan himself hardly participated in the offense during this period! They were completely outplayed by Lin Tian! Has the Bulls become this strong now?
Countless viewers of this match had this same thought.
Has the Bulls become so strong that they can create such spectacular offensive surges without relying on Jordan?
In this offensive surge, the player who deserves the most credit for the Bulls is undoubtedly Lin Tian!
He scored 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block!
Every single one of those 10 points was thanks to Lin Tian!
Not to mention that he faced off against the Rockets' Big Three one after another, and dominated them all: he blew past Drexler, blocked Olajuwon, and outmaneuvered Barkley!
An absolutely godlike performance!
At this point, Tomjanovich still hadn't called a timeout! To be honest, at this stage of the game, he didn't know how to make any adjustments; he could only trust Olajuwon and Drexler's on-the-spot adjustments.
The Rockets' offense saw Drexler forcefully break through Pippen's defense, finally scoring a long-awaited 2 points for the team. However, the good times didn't last long. On the other hand, Lin Tian once again set a pick and roll with Kukoc!
This time, Olajuwon finally chose to rush out, while Elie chose to rush into the paint, hoping to block Lin Tian's breakthrough route.
But as soon as he got near the free-throw line, Elie was stunned.
Lin Tian did not take advantage of Olajuwon's expansion to make a breakthrough.
He stepped back beyond the three-point line, took a quick look, and then Lin Tian launched a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
After another crisp sound, Lin Tian widened the gap again, and his score reached 39 points!
Then, the Rockets' offense started to falter again!
Hakeem Olajuwon received the ball in the paint but was double-teamed by three Bulls players. Helpless, Olajuwon had no choice but to pass the ball to Elie on the perimeter!
As the Rockets' primary three-point shooter, Elie didn't hesitate at this moment. After receiving the ball and making a slight adjustment, he decisively took the shot!
"Bang!"
Unfortunately, no matter how decisive the shot, if it misses, it misses!
The ball bounced a bit far, but Lin Tian's rebounding instincts tonight came from Oakley, they're incredibly sharp!
He arrived near the free-throw line early, jumped high, but didn't use his hands to grab the backboard.
Instead, he stretched out one hand in mid-air and slapped the basketball hard.
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, the basketball flew out like lightning towards Lin Tian's back, which was the Bulls' frontcourt!
Just as the audience was confused and wondering what Lin Tian was going to do, a red figure appeared in the Rockets' half of the court.
Michael Jordan!
He had completed a fast break at some point, and received Lin Tian's pass near the free throw line. Jordan stepped on the dotted line in front of the free throw line and took off.
"boom!"
After a crisp sound, Jordan caught Lin Tian's pass and dunked again!
"My God! How did Lin know there were people there? There wasn't a hair there when he passed the ball!"
"I'm more curious about how Lin managed to pass the ball behind his back so steadily, accurately, and timely!"
"It's not just Lin's drives that can penetrate an opponent's soul, but also his passes! His passes, too, can pierce through an opponent's soul!"
"I love Lin! I love Lin! How could anyone pass the ball like that? Even Magic Johnson couldn't pass a ball like that!"
The fans at the United Center erupted in cheers. Lin Tian's imaginative pass had made him the master of the United Center tonight!
93: 107!
There are less than 3 minutes left in the game!
A 14-point difference is almost an insurmountable deficit in an era where three-pointers aren't highly valued.
Rockets, your time is up!
Although Tomjanovich did not substitute his strongest lineup and still did not give up on the game, everyone, including himself, knew that this Christmas Day game was over. In the most crucial two minutes of the game, the Rockets suddenly went cold and could not score, allowing the Bulls to go on an offensive run!
15: 2!
In less than three minutes, the Bulls seized every opportunity they could, scoring and defending in quick succession, once again demonstrating their terrifying control!
As time dwindled, the Rockets were unable to close the gap. Finally, with 1 minute and 30 seconds remaining, Tomjanovich gave up, substituted Olajuwon, Drexler, and others, effectively surrendering the game.
Less than five seconds after Tomjanovich surrendered, Jackson quickly had Pippen commit a foul and then substituted all of his key players!
When it's time to play, don't even think about slacking off for a minute; when it's time to rest, don't let the players play an extra second! This has always been Jackson's philosophy!
The final 1 minute and 30 seconds turned into garbage time. The substitutes from both sides played at a fast pace but with extremely low efficiency. Amidst a series of missed shots and turnovers, this highly anticipated Christmas game finally came to an end!
98: 110.
The Bulls, thanks to that offensive surge, secured a narrow victory with a 12-point lead!
Even though Jordan scored 33 points on 14-of-21 shooting, the Bulls' number one contributor was undoubtedly Lin Tian! Before leaving the court with 1 minute and 30 seconds left, Lin Tian drew a foul and made one of two free throws, while also delivering a beautiful assist, bringing his assist total to 15!
他这场比赛的最终数据，也定格在了40分15篮板15次助攻3次抢断5次盖帽！
A perfect 40+15+15+5 stat line!
Even looking at the entire history of the NBA, this statistic is absolutely phenomenal!
Especially now, before Westbrook entered the league and before his stats skyrocketed, it's likely that no one will be able to produce stats like Lin Tian's for another 5-6 years!
What's even more commendable is that a large portion of Lin Tian's statistics come from the most crucial moments of the game!
In that final offensive surge, Lin Tian's presence was everywhere! Rebounds, assists, passes, blocks—that night, whenever the team needed Lin Tian, he was there!
Lin Tian delivered a brilliant performance on both offense and defense!
The Bulls' backcourt duo combined for 73 points, while the Rockets' Big Three also performed well!
奥拉朱旺拿下38分19篮板5次盖帽的大号两双，德雷克斯勒也有25分4篮板4助攻入帐，哪怕是因为技术犯规提前下场的巴克利，也拿到了22分14篮板的两双数据！
But Barkley's efficiency tonight wasn't high. He only made 8 of 21 shots, far below his average. Against a Bulls team with mediocre interior strength, such a shooting percentage is undoubtedly thanks to Lin Tian, who was the main defender on Barkley in the second half of the game!
According to statistics, during the time Lin Tian was matched up against Barkley, Barkley only made 3 of 11 shots! Conversely, when facing other players, Barkley made 5 of 10 shots! Lin Tian's effectiveness as a point guard in the paint has once again refreshed many people's understanding of Lin Tian.
Many people originally thought that Lin Tian was the type who only attacked and never defended!
After this night, Lin Tian, who excels in both offense and defense, will surely gain even more fans! His All-Star votes will definitely see a surge!
However, what truly surprised everyone was Barkley!
At the Rockets' post-game press conference, Barkley, who was ejected from the court after receiving two technical fouls, gave an interview to the media.
The media, eager to stir up trouble, originally wanted to sow discord between Barkley and Lin Tian, hoping that the outspoken Barkley would say something harsh and ignite the tension between the two teams.
Therefore, the first reporter to stand up and ask a question focused on Barkley's two technical fouls: "Charles, can you talk about those two technical fouls and the person who got them? What do you think of tonight's officiating and Lin as a person? Do you dislike Lin's playing style?"
"Dislike? How could anyone dislike Lin's playing style? Aside from those old fogies and those who can't accept new things, who would dislike Lin's style of play? Honestly, even I'm a fan of his. If you let me choose two players from the East as All-Star starting point guards, I would definitely choose Jordan and Lin without hesitation!"
"As for those two technical fouls, I have to give Lin a round of applause, he did a great job! He provoked me with some bad, but not dirty, little tricks, and I lost my temper. I fell into his trap, and then I got fouled out, that's it!"
"For a young man to have such good mental fortitude, to be able to provoke his opponent's emotions and remain calm at the same time, Lin's performance is truly unbelievable! He kicked my butt hard, which was very embarrassing! So, next time in Houston, I'll get my revenge for what I lost tonight!"
Barkley's answer stunned many reporters present.
Is this still our Charles Barkley?
Is this still the same Barkley who talks trash, doesn't respect anyone, and loves to argue with people?
Why does he have such a high opinion of Lin Tian? Or does this kid possess some kind of mind-controlling magic, which is why Barkley said so many good things about Lin Tian in front of the media?
But regardless of the truth, and regardless of what Barkley and Lin Tian are really thinking, after tonight, Lin Tian is destined to have several new nicknames.
"Charles Terminator", "Beat Barkley to the Brink", "The Pig Tamer", "Master Pig Tamer", "Pig Keeper"...
But now that those reporters who wanted to stir up trouble haven't managed to get the atmosphere heated, it's time for the local Chicago reporters to ask them questions!
A reporter from Chicago, who was on Lin Tian and the Bulls' side, stood up and said, "I didn't expect Charles to have such a high opinion of Lin. So, Charles, what level do you think Lin can reach in the future?"
"I don't know how high Lin can ultimately reach, but I think he will definitely become a point guard of all time in NBA history! And, given his playing style, he won't be the next Magic Johnson, the next Isaiah Thomas, or the next Tim Thomas!"
"Lin's speed is like Kevin Johnson's, his passing technique and imagination are like Magic Johnson's, he has the cold-blooded mentality of Isaiah Thomas, and his defensive ability is comparable to Payton's. In addition, Lin's shooting accuracy is probably rare among point guards!"
"Considering all of this, I would be very surprised if Lin didn't win a few MVPs and Finals MVPs in his career! His goal shouldn't be All-Star selections or All-NBA selections; his goal should be Finals MVP and regular season MVP! I believe he can do it!"
The Chicago reporter, having received a satisfactory answer, happily sat back in his chair. Tonight alone, Barkley Qualin's article would be enough for their newspaper to publish many more articles!
……
Several tens of minutes later, after the Rockets' press conference ended, Lin Tian, Jordan, and Jackson also entered this conference room to prepare for their post-game press conference that evening.
"Lin, you achieved your first 40+15+15 stat line of your career tonight! That's no easy feat! This is something to be happy about for a long time. What are your thoughts on tonight's performance?"
"I don't want to see it," Lin Tian said bluntly. "Because just a few days ago, someone scored 40+10+10 on us! For me, what stats I got aren't important; what's important is what stats I let my opponent get! I got completely crushed before, and that's intolerable!"
"I've looked at the schedule. In about two weeks, we'll be facing that guy again. This time, I'll stop him! I'll make his offense incredibly difficult, and I'll tear apart their entire defense!"
Lin Tian's sudden harsh words immediately excited the reporters!
"Lin, are you referring to Hardaway?"
"You and Hardaway don't get along, do you?"
"What kind of performance are you planning to deliver against the Magic?"
"Are you confident you can contain Hardaway's performance?"
"Hardaway has averaged 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists so far this season. What stats do you think he'll put up next time you face him?"
Faced with the reporters' excited questions, Lin Tian didn't rush to answer. Instead, he waited until everyone quieted down before smiling and saying, "I don't know what kind of stats he'll ultimately put up, but I can assure you, they'll be far below his average for this season! He's going to have a nightmare night!"
"I'm also confident that my stats will be much better than his, and our team will achieve a huge victory!"
"So, you completely disregard Hardaway, you don't consider him a threat, is that right?"
"Yes." Lin Tian didn't hesitate this time. His gaze was fixed intently on every reporter present, and he said confidently, "I can take down Hardaway. I can lock him down. I'll show Hardaway just how vast the gap in strength between us really is!"
"So, is there anything you'd like to say to the fans?" Another reporter raised his hand and asked a seemingly unrelated question.
"Orlando Magic fans? Yes! I want to tell the Orlando fans: you'd better not watch our game against the Magic in 20 days, you'll be heartbroken! And, on behalf of the Los Angeles fans, I'd also like to express my gratitude! Thank you for not wanting Shaq, thank you for giving him up."
"That's why the people of Los Angeles have the opportunity to build a super team and have a chance to win the championship again! Thank you, thank you for the generosity of the people of Orlando!"
Lin Tian's words surprised the reporters. Their original intention was for Lin Tian to thank the Chicago fans for their support, greet fans across the United States, or perhaps garner some All-Star votes.
But no one expected that he would take a dagger and stab all the Orlando fans in the chest!
What does "killing someone by destroying their spirit" mean?
This season, without O'Neal, the Orlando Magic are only 14-10, ranking sixth in the Eastern Conference. The Los Angeles Lakers, even though they almost emptied their starting roster in the summer and even though the high school player they acquired in exchange for All-Star center Vlade Divac only averaged 5 points per game, still have an 18-6 record, ranking third in the Western Conference!
At the very least, after saying that, Lin Tian shouldn't even dream of getting a single All-Star vote sent from Orlando!
But clearly, Lin Tian didn't care about that.
Orlando is such a small place! Lin Tian's goal is to play with style and momentum, attracting the attention and love of fans across the United States! Not to mention, Lin Tian's act of giving a thank-you speech on behalf of the Los Angeles fans has instantly won him the goodwill of the entire Los Angeles fan base!
Given Magic Johnson's and others' fondness for Lin Tian, they will most likely fuel the flames after this incident. The benefits Lin Tian gains will definitely outweigh the losses from offending Orlando fans!
But no matter what, Lin Tian is destined to be the protagonist of the NBA tonight!
That night, reporters from various media outlets worked overtime, and surprisingly, more than half of the articles they produced featured Lin Tian as the main character!
Furthermore, the manuscripts are divided into three main categories.
First and foremost, there's the serious reporting on the competition.
"40+15+15: Where exactly is Lin's ceiling?"
Lin leads the team to a 15-2 victory in crucial moments!
"A rising star explodes during the Christmas game; Lin Tian carries the team on both offense and defense!"
……
The second type is the kind that's all about creating a buzz and stirring things up.
A crazy night! Who would have thought that the protagonist of the Christmas battle would be him!
Three MVPs and six All-Stars in their prime competed on the same court, but the player who decided the outcome was actually him!
"The League's Top Pig Tamer Emerges! He Subdued Barkley in Just One Game—Is His Personal Charisma Really That Great?"
"I don't admire Jordan, I admire Lin Tian! A detailed account of how Lin Tian subdued 'Sir Charles' in this game!"
Through the soul! The entire Rockets team's souls were transported by Lin Tian!
……
Then there's the third category, which focuses on something completely unrelated to the competition.
The reports were all about Lin Tian's challenge to Orlando after the game.
Unwilling to admit defeat! After a resounding victory, Lin Tian's eyes are only on the crushing defeat of the previous match!
On behalf of Los Angeles fans, thank you! Orlando, can you hear me?
Inciting hatred! Orlando's newest public enemy number one may be born!
"Is it sheer power or arrogance? What abilities does the 'Soul Traveler' who challenged 'Penny' possess?"
Hardaway bluntly stated that Lin is just a kid sheltered by a star player, and he doesn't take Lin seriously at all!
A ranking of the league's most winning players, with the Bulls occupying two of the top five spots!
"Orlando Disney will never be open to you again! Lin Tian's one sentence offends the entire city of Orlando!"
Speaking out for justice or meddling? A closer look at how the Orlando management's questionable actions provoked public outrage!
……
The next day, all sorts of reports and articles sprang up like mushrooms after rain, sweeping across all media outlets and newsstands across the United States.
Even those who didn't watch last night's Christmas Day game know that Lin Tian defeated Barkley, crushed the Rockets, and taunted Hardaway from afar!
This attention-grabbing and incredibly arrogant behavior made Lin Tian the hottest topic in the American basketball world during Christmas, the American Lunar New Year!
This naturally led to a rapid increase in his All-Star votes!
In the two weeks following the Christmas Day game, Lin Tian's All-Star votes increased rapidly, creating a frantic chase for Hardaway, who was currently in second place!
Before the Christmas Day game, Hardaway had 51 All-Star votes, ranking second in the Eastern Conference.
Lin Tian only had 38 copies.
But in the two weeks following this Christmas battle, Hardaway's votes only increased by less than 20, reaching 69, while Lin Tian's votes surged to 61! The gap between him and Hardaway was now less than 8 votes!
In recent years, apart from a few top-tier players with ridiculously high popularity, most of the starting players have received around 100 million votes in All-Star voting. From this perspective, the 8-vote difference between Lin Tian and Hardaway is really not that big.
Lin Tian could overtake Hardaway at any time!
Furthermore, everyone knows that the game on January 14th, where the Orlando Magic will play the Chicago Bulls on the road, will be the second head-to-head matchup between the two players this season, and will be a crucial factor in determining who will ultimately be selected for the All-Star game!
In fact, according to past practice, with less than a month left before the All-Star voting deadline, whoever plays better, whoever dominates the opponent, and whoever delivers a spectacular performance in this game will almost certainly secure the other All-Star starting spot besides Jordan!
The importance of this match goes without saying!
The reason Lin Tian provoked Orlando and Hardaway so many days in advance, and deliberately stirred up a nationwide discussion, was precisely for this reason!
Only by making the competition incredibly popular and getting everyone to watch and look forward to it can he rely on his outstanding performance to win over more people and attract more votes for him!
As for your question about whether Lin Tian is confident in defeating Hardaway in a head-on confrontation and achieving a crushing victory?
No!
Absolutely not!
After all, he was a player on the league's All-NBA First Team, a recognized super genius and all-around guard among the new generation, hailed as the superstar with the best chance of reaching Jordan's level, and the new generation's chosen one heavily promoted by the league.
Even though Lin Tian has made rapid progress this summer and his stats this season are very impressive, averaging a double-double of 19 points and 10 assists per game, Lin Tian knows that he is still a little bit behind Hardaway.
However...
(End of this chapter)