Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 673 To humiliate you, the game will begin the moment the whistle blows!

"But besides revenge, there's another important show tonight that we can show you!" Barkley suddenly changed the subject, no longer talking to Kenny about the odds of either side winning or losing.

The most important story tonight isn't actually the Knicks' revenge, nor is it the new generation king LeBron James challenging the current league champion, and certainly not a head-to-head matchup between any of the league's top teams.

The most important highlight tonight is still the indirect battle between Lin Tian and Chamberlain!

"So far this month, Lin has played 15 games, scoring a total of 771 points, including one 70+ point game, three 60+ point games, and 12 50+ point games! He has only scored less than 50 points in three games this month, and in one of those games, he achieved an unprecedented triple-double!"

"Lin's performance this month is absolutely arguably the best single-month performance in NBA history! And he's averaging 51.4 points per game for the entire month of January!"

"This is his second consecutive month on track to average 50+ points per game! Or rather, if Lin scores more than 29 points tonight, he will achieve the remarkable feat of averaging 50 points per game for the second consecutive month!"

"Given Lin's current form, averaging 50 points per game is a done deal! He absolutely can do it!"

Kenny laughed and said, "That's right! So the only question right now is: Lin, who missed breaking Chamberlain's record last month, can he do it this month? Can he accomplish this feat this time?"

"Back in his day, Chamberlain averaged 52.443 points per game."

"If Lin wants to surpass him this month, he needs to score at least 69 points tonight! That would bring his monthly average to 52.5 points! A historic high!"

"Given Lin's performance over the past week, the probability of him succeeding is quite high!"

"Honestly, even now, it still feels unbelievable to me to say that! I can't believe that a player has a pretty good chance of scoring 69 points! I can only say that Lin is just too terrifying! His performance is truly frightening."

"He's so strong that I feel like 50 points is nothing special, 60 points is easy, and only 70 points can be considered a small breakthrough."

Barkley laughed and said, "Without realizing it, Lin has become so strong that everyone in this league has to look up to him, admire him, and submit to him. Lin is now a living, active legend! He will become everyone's target."

"And what I can say for sure is that, at least among all the current or soon-to-be-entering talented players in the league, not a single one is a match for Lin! Not a single one!"

"None of them can see Lin's taillights! We also don't know when we'll see someone who can challenge Lin's status and achievements."

"Perhaps I'll never see him in my lifetime! He truly is a superstar unlike any other before him, and it's unlikely we'll ever see another like him! A monster born for the sport!"

In the TNT studio, Kenny and Barkley went on a tirade of praise for Lin Tian, ​​successfully raising everyone's expectations once again!

Everyone wants to see what kind of performance Lin Tian and the Knicks will deliver in this game!

Expectation!

On the field, both teams' starting players are now in position!

The Spurs' five-man lineup is absolutely an All-Star roster!

Center Shaquille O'Neal, although his dominance has clearly declined this season and he has been plagued by injuries again, playing only 16 games so far, is still a force to be reckoned with, averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds per game!

Power forward Chris Bosh has also grown rapidly this season. His mid-range and long-range shooting has become more and more reliable, especially his three-point shooting, which has reached the peak of his career!

With two top stars on the team, LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal, he averaged more than two three-pointers per game with a 40% success rate, and contributed 19 points and 8 rebounds per game, making him the team's second-leading scorer.

Many people believe that Bosh is very likely to make his first NBA All-Star appearance this year!

Then there's Steve Francis, whom the team brought in this year to replace Bibby. After years of injuries and various predicaments, Francis no longer has the sharpness and ruthlessness he once had when he directly challenged Lin Tian. Of course, his abilities are also far from what they were at his peak.

Francis is now nearing the end of his career.

He has long since shed his former glory and is now content to play a supporting role. This season, he is averaging 12 points and 6 assists per game. He is also one of the most important offensive players in the team's history, and his ability to drive to the basket is still not to be underestimated!

The team's starting shooting guard is veteran Michael Finley. Of course, Finley no longer has the flair and strength of the Bull King. Now he is a spot-up shooter and a pure finisher. Time has taken away his speed and jumping ability. He rarely drives to the basket, but if the opponent leaves him open, he will definitely make the opponent pay the price!

Finally, of course, is the team's current absolute core and the league's rising star, LeBron James!

This season, LeBron James is averaging 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists per game! In terms of all-around ability and triple-double performance, no one in the entire league except Lin Tian can rival him.

At the same time, James has made significant progress and improvements in many technical details this year. He is more mature and more stable than ever before!

This year marks the year LeBron James officially launches his bid for the championship! It's a crucial year for him to shed the "young LeBron" label!

The Spurs' starting five are all incredibly talented, each a former All-Star or a current All-Star! This lineup is definitely one of the most luxurious in the league!

Compared to them, the Knicks on the other side are somewhat lacking!

Although the combination of Okur, Smith, Wallace, Barnes, and Lin Tian is strong in athleticism, can run and jump, and can play beautiful games, apart from Lin Tian, ​​the other four are completely incomparable to the opposing Spurs in terms of ability, status, popularity, achievements, or anything else.

"Four out of the Knicks' starting five are at a disadvantage in their matchups; four of them are clearly weaker than their Spurs players," Barkley remarked sincerely after both teams' starters took to the court. "The only thing the Knicks have an advantage on..."

"It's Lin! Lin is all they have left!"

Kenny added, "Even their bench isn't an advantage for the Knicks! Because while they have the veteran duo of Hill and Houston, the Spurs have JR Smith!"

"JR is the top contender for this year's Sixth Man of the Year! He's already scored 40+ points twice this season! His scoring explosiveness shouldn't be underestimated!"

"Well then, let's see how the Knicks break this deadlock! How they manage to win this game when they're completely outmatched and at a disadvantage!" Barkley chimed in again, "Look, the referees are at center court, the game's about to start!"

"Beep beep!"

Barkley had barely finished speaking when the basketball was already flying into the air.

Although O'Neal is clearly past his prime and his performance has declined drastically this year, he still easily defeated Okur and secured the first offensive possession for his team.

Francis took control of the basketball, but instead of rushing forward, he let his teammates go down while he steadily and slowly advanced the ball.

After arriving at the frontcourt, Francis quickly passed the ball to O'Neal, allowing O'Neal to post up against Okur.

To reiterate: Shaquille O'Neal may not be able to beat top centers like Yao Ming or Tim Duncan now, but he could easily bully Mehmet Okur!

"boom!"

Three seconds later, O'Neal easily shook off Okur and delivered a signature two-handed dunk, scoring 2 points for the team!

This is also the Spurs' usual strategy this season: start by letting O'Neal play, taking advantage of his unstoppable energy and allowing him to have his fill of one-on-one battles.

Then, when his stamina declines, James, Bosh, and others will take over the game!

After all, O'Neal is just old now, not finished.

If he only plays 20 minutes, he's still the best center in the league!

"It's okay, Mehmet, you stand outside the three-point line, shoot him!" Lin Tian patted Oku's butt, indicating that he shouldn't worry and they would take it slow.

"But O'Neal is unlikely to match up against me. Anyway, if I were Popovich, I would definitely have Bosh match up against me," Okur said miserably, indicating that he probably wouldn't have a chance to get revenge tonight.

"What are you afraid of? In that case, let me help you get revenge!" Lin Tian smiled and then dribbled the ball to the frontcourt.

Then Lin Tian noticed that O'Neal was indeed crouching in the paint, switching defense with Bosh.

The closer Shaquille O'Neal is to the paint, the more powerful he becomes!

"Josh!"

As soon as Lin Tian saw O'Neal crouching in the paint, he immediately waved for a screen, asking Smith to come up and set a screen for him.

He wanted to see if O'Neal would come out.

Not coming out?

After setting a screen, Lin Tian pulled up and shot! The three-pointer went in perfectly!

"Shaq, you're just going to stay in the three-second zone and build your house! If you don't come out, I'll use this move to give your whole team a good beating!"

After scoring, Lin Tian immediately launched into a tirade against O'Neal.

Given Lin Tian's form and touch, if he were allowed to keep throwing like that, he could really crush the Spurs tonight!

"LeBron!" Popovich reacted quickly, standing up and yelling at James on the court, "Help on defense! What was our pre-game strategy?"

James did not respond to Popovich's criticism. Instead, he quickly dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and passed it to O'Neal to attack!

In the first 3-4 minutes, O'Neal was the primary offensive force.

O'Neal had an easy time against Okur, and the Knicks didn't have any good help defense or double-teaming tactics, so he made another hook shot and scored.

The Knicks' offense saw Lin Tian once again facing off against Francis, and Lin Tian called for a screen for the second time in a row!

Your Spurs team focuses on Shaq, and so do we!

But this time, Lin Tian encountered James who came up to help defend after setting a screen!

James rushed over early, spreading his arms to block Lin Tian's space and angle to either drive or shoot a three-pointer. This guy's defensive awareness and help defense ability are quite good!

If it were anyone else, their first choice at this moment would definitely be to pass the ball to Smith, who has already started cutting to the basket, or to Wallace, who is left wide open.

But Lin Tian didn't!

Instead of rushing into an offensive stance, he suddenly started dribbling backwards while waving to signal everyone to pull him away.

We've been waiting for you, LeBron James!

Lin Tian dribbled the ball, signaling everyone to spread out, and at the same time, he quickly entered the offensive rhythm himself!

With a series of crossover dribbles and upper body feints, he constantly deceived and manipulated James' defensive footwork.

Then, just as Lin Tian made another slight change of direction to draw James' left foot forward, Lin Tian suddenly accelerated!

He made a huge change of direction to create distance, and in the blink of an eye, he accelerated past James' left leg!

If this round ends here, then it will just be one of Lin Tian's countless brilliant breakthroughs.

But this time it's not that simple!

Just as Lin Tian had passed James and was almost parallel to him, James's terrifying physical attributes and coordination allowed him to make a lateral movement under these extreme conditions. He took a step forward and once again blocked Lin Tian's path.

But this one move led to the worst and most embarrassing defensive play of James' career!

James had no idea how the basketball was moving in Lin Tian's hands. In short, after James moved laterally to take his position, he was astonished to see the basketball disappear from Lin Tian's hands.

Then James felt a cool breeze between his legs, and when he looked at the basketball again, it was already behind him.

As for Lin Tian?

Taking advantage of James's momentary lapse in concentration, he took another step forward, broke behind him, grabbed the ball, and charged into the paint!

"He got past him? Lin got past James? How did he do that? How did the ball go between James's legs? How did he manage to pass the ball like that?" Kenny shouted incredulously, "I didn't see it at all! I didn't see Lin do it at all!"

"I didn't see it either!" Barkley didn't have time to mock Kenny's poor eyesight at this moment, firstly because he didn't see it either, and secondly because this round wasn't over yet!

Having gotten past James, Lin Tian picked up speed again and charged headlong toward O'Neal in the paint!

Then, ignoring the formidable Shaq who struck fear into everyone's heart, he leaped up with a mad dash, basketball in both hands, and charged straight at O'Neal!

Lin Tian's shot was incredibly powerful, with an attitude of "it's either you or me, I'm going to kill you today!"

If O'Neal were 5 years younger, and if this were the playoffs or the Finals, O'Neal would definitely go for it without hesitation, even if it meant committing a malicious foul, just to pin Lin Tian down.

Unfortunately, it was just an ordinary regular season game!

So without hesitation, O'Neal moved sideways, making room for Lin Tian.

He chose to watch Lin Tian complete his powerful dunk!

"Shaq, you want to join the Knicks?" Lin Tian asked O'Neal after his dunk. "Otherwise, why aren't you playing defense?"

"I can't be bothered with you!" O'Neal had no interest in wasting time talking nonsense with Lin Tian, ​​like saying he was too old or that he no longer had the ambition to dunk on him.

He immediately went to the baseline, picked up the basketball, and threw it towards the frontcourt!

James over there has already started his fast break!

"How rude!"

As Lin Tian muttered to himself, he accelerated and sprinted back towards his own basket!

If you let us run a fast break on our home turf using the methods we're best at, do you think we have any dignity left?

So at this moment, Lin Tian unleashed all his energy and speed, overtaking countless people along the way and charging all the way to his own basket!

When he returned to the Knicks' three-second zone, it was exactly when James had driven to the edge of the three-second zone!

He caught up!

But James isn't the type to get carried away easily. If it were JR Smith or Steve Francis, they would have charged in without hesitation.

But James remained calm. He slowed down, adjusted his footwork, and then faked a layup before passing the ball to the middle.

There was Bosh, who was also running at full speed, only a tiny bit slower than Lin Tian!

Bosh took off as soon as he got the ball, and with both hands, he flew towards the basket and slammed it down!

A dunk over Lin Tian!

Bosh felt he was about to accomplish this unparalleled feat!

Just as the basketball was about to be smashed into the basket, Lin Tian miraculously completed the entire process of turning around, adjusting his steps, and bending his knees to jump in that instant!

He jumped up as if he were on a rocket, and Lin Tian's huge advantage in speed was obvious at this moment. He arrived first after starting later and appeared between Bosh and the basket at a very tight time.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp sound, Lin Tian slapped Bosh's dunk off the rim!

However, Lin Tian turned too quickly and didn't jump high enough, so he couldn't generate enough power and failed to swat the ball away! The ball barely left Bosh's hand before Lin Tian pushed it back!

Bosh lost his balance completely upon landing and stumbled to the floor in a very awkward manner.

Lin Tian wasn't in much better shape either. He also lost his balance after landing and had to use his hands to brace himself against the floor to avoid falling over in a sorry state.

Fortunately, he didn't fall, otherwise it would have been too late!

Because the incredibly alert James had already quickly adjusted his angle, caught the basketball that Bosh had failed to control, gathered his strength, and flew towards Lin Tian and the basket once again!

This time, Lin Tian had no room to jump, no time to gather strength, and at this moment, one of Lin Tian's arms was still supporting him on the floor!

You think Lin Tian can block my shot? Can you stop me again?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Excited, James let out a roar as if he were releasing all his strength into this one shot. His muscles bulged, and veins on his arms were faintly visible, making him look quite terrifying!

"Go to hell!"

Even under these extremely extreme circumstances, Lin Tian let out a roar. He slammed one hand on the floor, giving himself a little bit of upward force, while simultaneously exerting force with his knees, helping him to pull himself up again with lightning speed.

"Snapped!"

Another muffled thud, exactly the same as before, and Lin Tian's palm slammed down on James' basketball once again!

A second block in a row!

This time, Lin Tian blocked the basketball, sending it flying straight towards the three-point line.

But Lin Tian didn't chase after the basketball. Instead, after landing with difficulty and regaining his footing, he glared fiercely at James and Bosh: "This is my territory! Want to dunk? In your next life!"

Tonight, I'm going to humiliate you! I'm going to teach you Spurs a lesson!

Dunking? What a load of rubbish! (End of Chapter)