hotmtlnovel Chapter 625 Steal and Game-Winning Shot! Lin Tian Creates Another Miracle!
Chapter 625 Steal and Game-Winning Shot! Lin Tian Creates Another Miracle!
"Now it's up to you guys." Mourning's foul this time was absolutely brutal and thorough. O'Neal was still clutching his wrist in pain and shaking it!
However, Mourning paid a heavy price: this was his sixth foul, making him the second Knicks player to be ejected tonight.
Looking at everyone on the court and on the bench, Don Nelson hesitated for a moment before finally making up his mind and picking up Josh Smith!
In the most crucial moment of the game, he chose to believe in talent! Smith's talent is absolutely top-tier among the Knicks' bench players!
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
O'Neal missed both free throws!
Mourning's foul was absolutely a steal!
118: 123!
Still 5 points, and the game has entered its final minute!
"FUXX!" Jackson on the sidelines was so angry he was about to throw a chair.
What the hell is that?! What the hell is that?!
Four missed free throws! Four in a row!
He was absolutely furious.
If the Lakers make two of those four free throws, they'll be leading by seven points!
7 points versus 5 points—that's the difference between 3 rounds and 2 rounds! That's an absolutely huge difference!
Based on what remains of the game so far, the Lakers are still in a precarious position with 5 points remaining!
But if they lead by 7 points, they can basically call it a win!
But now, everything is up to fate!
Once again! The Lakers double-teamed Lin Tian again, with Prince and Kobe still on the court!
Jackson's thinking is very simple: I'd rather have the rest of your Knicks beat me than let Lin Tian score again!
Everyone can actually understand Jackson's thoughts!
After all, Lin Tian hit eight three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone tonight, scoring a whopping 31 points!
Let him shoot? At least right now, fans across Los Angeles would rather let other Knicks players take open shots than see Lin Tian shoot with two defenders on him.
Too scary!
This time, Lin Tian didn't rush to pass the ball, but instead suddenly retreated continuously when facing the defense.
Then, Anthony, who was left unmarked, quickly moved towards Stoudemire next to him, and Stoudemire also ran towards Anthony on the flank.
"Snapped!"
After a screen without the ball, the two quickly separated and then simultaneously called for the ball from Lin Tian!
Turiaf, who was guarding Stoudemire, hesitated for a moment, but then chose to chase Anthony!
After all, this guy just hit a three-pointer, so he's relatively more threatening.
As for Stoudemire, he doesn't have the ability to score three points, so even if he makes two, it's not too unacceptable.
So, Stoudemire was left out!
Although Fisher was running frantically toward Stoudemire's position, trying to help defend.
But given his height and defensive abilities, even if he arrived, it would be of no use.
At that moment, Lin Tian's pass flew into Stoudemire's hands.
After getting the ball, Stoudemire completely ignored Fisher in front of him, pulled up for a jump shot, and calmly released the mid-range shot!
"Whoosh!"
After another crisp crack, the entire Knicks bench jumped up, everyone cheered wildly, and Stoudemire raised his arms and roared!
It's in! I've made it!
With 47 seconds left in the game, the two teams were down by 3 points!
120: 123!
"The opportunity has come! This time, the Knicks' chance has truly arrived!" Barkley roared excitedly. "Guys, remember this! At the start of the fourth quarter, the Knicks only had 70 points! But now, they've got 120!"
"They've already scored a whopping 50 points in the fourth quarter! They're almost tied the game!"
"The Lakers will absolutely play their last 24 seconds, compressing the game as much as possible! If they can play the full 24 seconds and score this basket, the scales will still be tipping in their favor!"
"And if the Lakers don't make it! Guys, all of you who know the Knicks and Lin, I think we all know what's going to happen in the final moments!"
At that moment, the entire Staples Center was completely silent. No one dared to shout, and countless fans closed their eyes, fearing they might see something they couldn't bear.
Kobe waited quietly, without rushing.
It wasn't until there were only 5 seconds left on the attack clock that this guy confidently accelerated!
He still used O'Neal's screen and then dribbled quickly towards the basket.
Kobe originally intended to pull up and shoot directly.
But Smith suddenly appeared under the basket, spreading his arms like a soaring eagle, blocking all of Kobe's shooting space!
"Don't you fucking try to score over my head!" Smith roared, but instead of jumping, he maintained a perfect defensive stance to disrupt Kobe's shot.
Kobe didn't force it; he made a bounce pass, like knocking the ball to O'Neal who was cutting after a screen.
But the basketball never came into O'Neal's hands!
Lin Tian!
Lin Tian, who had just been blocked by O'Neal, stood in front of O'Neal this time!
He maintained his position throughout!
Because he believed that Smith would stop Kobe, and he also believed that Kobe would definitely pass the ball to O'Neal!
"Steal! Lin stole the ball! 26 seconds left! The Knicks have possession! Lin... he's on the ball! Lin chooses to go straight for the ball! Houston is in the lead, he got the ball, no one on the Lakers can keep up with him! Houston is really fast!" Barkley roared again!
Tonight's game was so exciting!
Kenny provided rapid commentary on the game: "Houston is like he's back in '99! He's even faster than he was in '99! Nobody can catch him, he's created distance! Jump, glide, release!"
"Great shot! With 23 seconds left, the Knicks have narrowed the gap again! The difference between the two teams is now down to just one point!"
"122-123! 23 seconds left! Anything is possible! Anything can happen! Let's see... The Lakers call a timeout! This is their last timeout! Let's see how the Lakers will strategize and how they will play these final 23 seconds!"
"This time, is there anyone who can save the Lakers? Kobe just made a mistake, and Shaq missed four free throws! Their performances in crucial moments were clearly subpar! The question now is, can they redeem themselves? Can they redeem themselves and make amends?"
"I don't think so!" Barkley waved his hand decisively. "They definitely can't make up for it, at least not tonight! Tonight's game belongs to Lin! It belongs to the Knicks! They'll definitely come back in the final moments! I believe in them!"
"But the Knicks are in a pretty awkward position right now!" Kenny analyzed. "They only have 23 seconds left, they have to foul! Then it's a gamble that the Lakers will miss the free throws, and then they need another three-pointer or a two-pointer. Charles, what do you think they'll choose?"
"I don't think they'll foul! At least not in the first ten seconds of a possession! Lin definitely wants to go one-on-one with Kobe! He definitely wants to take down Kobe himself!"
"So I think the Knicks will keep Lin and Kobe matched up on this play, letting them go one-on-one and let them decide the game! As for who will ultimately win the game? Well, both of them think: it'll definitely be them!"
"The question now is, who will have the last laugh?"
Kenny added, "This game was absolutely thrilling! And what excited and amazed me even more, besides the Knicks' incredible comeback in the fourth quarter, was Lin's choice!"
"His touch was off the charts! He was in near-madness! He hit eight three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone, he was unstoppable tonight! But even in this form, when the opponents double-teamed him, when they did everything they could to stop him from scoring!"
"Lin chose to pass! He passed the ball repeatedly! Whether it was a pass to Houston, an open three-pointer to Anthony, or an assist to veteran Mourning, Lin displayed a terrifying calmness and composure!"
"Yes, we all know that Lin can now be considered a veteran. He has an 11-year professional career, he has experienced countless big moments, and he has done countless amazing things."
"But I still have to say: Lin is amazing! Every single choice he makes is correct; he always manages to find the right one among a string of wrong options! He's a natural big-game player!"
"No! He was born to experience big events. No matter what industry or project he's in, he'll become a top professional!"
With Kenny and Barkley praising Lin Tian, the Lakers' timeout ended.
All ten players from both sides returned to the field.
"You're the one who should get the ball, Kobe." Lin Tian ignored everyone else on the Lakers team, staring intently at Kobe. "You don't need to set screens or make any runs; you can just go get the ball!"
"Then, I will let you experience the most painful and miserable failure of your life."
"Impossible!" Kobe remained calm. "We won't lose! We can't lose tonight's game!"
Just after Kobe finished speaking, the referee blew the whistle, and the game continued!
Prince stood on the sideline, ready to inbound the ball. The Lakers players kept running and moving around, screening each other, trying to create a space for Kobe to receive the ball.
Then everyone was surprised to find that they didn't seem to need to do that.
Lin Tian didn't stick close to Kobe. As he himself said, he stood about two meters away from Kobe, making no attempt to interfere with his receiving the ball.
Then, Kobe easily got the basketball and looked at Lin Tian with some surprise.
"This time, let's have a real one-on-one!" Lin Tian lowered his body and slammed his hand on the floor. "One-on-one, no interference, no one to mess with us! Come on, Kobe! I've shown my sincerity, do you have the guts to take the challenge?"
"Come on then!" Kobe's inner chuunibyou was completely ignited by Lin Tian, and this guy was the same. His eyes shot out intense fighting spirit. He waved his hand to signal everyone to pull away and get away from him, while dribbling the ball to meet Lin Tian.
Or rather, Lin Tian became attached to him!
With only 23 seconds left in the game, even if Kobe were to act like a complete idiot, it's impossible for him to suddenly grab the ball and launch a strong attack at this point.
Therefore, Lin Tian had to push forward!
The two players were locked in a tangled battle just two steps from the three-point line. Lin Tian kept trying to steal the ball or make a steal, constantly putting physical contact on Kobe, making it difficult for him to stand firm and preventing him from breaking through.
At the same time, Lin Tian's trash talk was like it was free, relentlessly hurling insults at Kobe!
But as time ticked by, Kobe protected the ball almost perfectly without needing to score, making it difficult even for Lin Tian to steal it!
After all, as long as Kobe doesn't attack, he has no weaknesses! He's hidden himself in a turtle shell!
"Allan, to the left!" Lin Tian suddenly roared, reminding Houston to come up from the left to double-team him.
Kobe suddenly realized something was wrong and tried to look to his left, but his hand suddenly felt lighten!
Good news: Houston isn't on the left, so no one is double-teaming him.
Bad news: A momentary lapse in concentration gave Lin Tian an opportunity. He stole the basketball from Kobe and sprinted towards the frontcourt again!
"Steal! Lin stole the ball! With 5 seconds left! Lin made the steal! A crazy choice! An unbelievable choice! The Knicks didn't double-team or foul, they just let Lin go one-on-one with Kobe!" Barkley covered his head, looking completely incredulous.
"This choice, which defies common sense and basketball common sense, actually succeeded!"
"Charles, shut up! Lin's pushing the ball up the court! He didn't call a timeout! He's sprinting! There's plenty of time! Lin can drive to the basket and finish with a thunderous dunk!"
"No, Prince! Prince reacted quickly; he was in front of Lin the whole time, he blocked Lin's path!"
"In that split second, Kobe caught up! Lin is double-teamed; he's running out of time to pass or call a timeout! One second left!"
Just as Lin Tian crossed the center line, he was caught by Prince. This long-armed guy was indeed a natural defensive expert. He had anticipated Lin Tian's path of advancement and blocked his way, successfully slowing down Lin Tian's advance.
In that instant, Lin Tian no longer had time to rush to the basket and complete a perfectly safe dunk or layup to end the game.
His best option now is to call a timeout, then inbound the ball from the frontcourt and make good use of the last second to deliver the decisive blow!
But Lin Tian didn't call a pause!
No need!
This guy suddenly dribbled past Prince with a crossover, then moved forward while gathering the ball. After touching the ground with one foot, Lin Tian had already forcefully pulled up!
"A horse-riding arrow! Lin, two meters from the three-point line, used a completely non-standard shooting form, a horse-riding arrow, to throw the ball out! This shot..." Barkley's voice became increasingly shrill as the basketball got closer to the basket.
"Buzz!" The moment Lin Tian made his move, the buzzer signaling the end of the match also rang out.
Whether this shot goes in or not, it's a one-off deal!
2:1 or 3:0?
The entire city of Los Angeles was as quiet as if it had just been swept by zombies; there wasn't a sound.
Even at this time, not only in Los Angeles, but in countless places and corners throughout the United States, everything was eerily quiet.
Then, as if an eternity had passed, Lin Tian's basketball finally flew to the edge of the hoop.
With a muffled "thud," the basketball slammed onto the backboard, then bounced off and struck the front edge of the rim.
"Whoosh!"
After a sharp crack, the entire city of Los Angeles fell completely silent.
The fans held their heads in disbelief, unable to believe what they were seeing!
After a brief moment of shock, countless fans couldn't help but shed tears.
How could this happen? How could we lose?
Just 10 minutes ago, weren't we leading by 30 points? How did we lose?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
It's all an illusion!
But whether Los Angeles fans believe it or not, the scoreboard is there, with six numbers clearly written on it, leaving them no choice but to believe or acknowledge it.
125:123!
The Knicks pulled off a stunning comeback and won the game!
Aside from the unbelievable scoreboard, Lin Tian's exhilarating leap onto the scorer's table after hitting the game-winning shot, and the Knicks players celebrating wildly around him, all reminded the Los Angeles fans: they had lost!
The Lakers players, looking utterly devastated, silent, and with expressions of disbelief or blankness, demonstrated that this was not a fantasy or a dream.
This really happened!
Even Lin Tian was so excited that he was almost speechless.
Yes, he said he believed the team could turn things around, and he said he was sure they could take a victory.
But how confident are you that Lin Tian can definitely beat the Lakers?
He wasn't sure what to do, so he focused on making sure his momentum was there and that his determination was on full display!
So now, when everything becomes a reality, when Lin Tian really does it, he is genuinely excited from the bottom of his heart!
After all, this is no ordinary comeback!
This is in NBA history, regardless of the regular season or playoffs, whether it's the regular season, the Summer League, or anything else.
This is the first time for all of this!
This is the first time a team has ever come back from a 30-point deficit in the final quarter to complete a comeback!
The previous record was set in 1977 when the Bucks came back from a 28-point deficit in the final quarter to defeat the Hawks.
Second on the list are these few people in front of us: in 2002, Kobe and Shaq teamed up to defeat the Mavericks after trailing by 27 points in the final quarter.
It's worth mentioning that both of those games were regular season games!
Tonight, the Knicks pulled off an incredible comeback after trailing by as many as 31 points.
It's in the finals! And it's on the road!
There are no words other than unbelievable to describe how crazy this match was!
too crazy!
"Kenny, pinch me, let me see if I'm dreaming! God! A 31-point difference! In less than a quarter... FUXX! Why are you pinching me!" Barkley was just marveling when he suddenly jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Didn't you tell me to pinch you?" Kenny looked completely innocent. "But the fact that you felt pain proves that we weren't dreaming. This crazy thing really happened right in front of us."
"Remember what I said before?" Barkley didn't argue with Kenny about whether or not the fight was right or wrong, but instead suddenly said smugly, "From today onwards, call me the Great Prophet Charles!"
"The most insane, most outrageous, and greatest comeback in history has unfolded before our eyes! Lin did it, the Knicks did it!" (End of Chapter)