hotmtlnovel Chapter 210 Ewing's Swan Song at the Pinnacle! The Twin Stars' Guardian Microphone
Chapter 210 Ewing's Swan Song at the Pinnacle! The Twin Stars' Guardian Microphone
Chapter 210 Ewing's Swan Song at the Pinnacle! The Twin Stars Protect Madison!
Van Gundy hesitated, considering whether to substitute Ewing, but the game on the field did not stop at all. The players from both sides had already started a fierce physical battle on the field!
With Oakley almost abandoning his defensive efforts, focusing all his energy on offensive rebounds and constantly disrupting the Pacers' inbounds plays, the Pacers' fast breaks were indeed stifled. They were unable to mount any decent fast breaks and could only engage in a back-and-forth battle with the Knicks in half-court sets!
At this moment, the defensive intensity and physical confrontation of both sides reached their maximum! Whether in the paint or on the perimeter, almost every player was constantly grappling and wrestling with their opponents, all their arms were tightly intertwined, and everyone was doing their best to fight back!
Their purpose in the confrontation wasn't even to receive the ball. Sometimes it was for a better position, sometimes to screen for teammates, and sometimes they just didn't want their opponents to be comfortable!
Both sides were at their most heated in this intense, high-density, and high-contact confrontation.
Miller and Houston were already panting and looking like they couldn't run anymore before the first half was over, because these two guys hadn't stopped. They were running around the court like they were running a marathon, constantly looking for opportunities.
One was running at full speed, and the other was chasing at full speed. Both of their heads were even steaming from the exhaustion!
Larry Jensen, who relies on physicality, couldn't gain any advantage against the skillful Christie. Christie's back teeth were almost bitten off by him, but he didn't give Jensen any chance to attack with the ball. His long arms were almost always wrapped around Jensen, showing no sign of letting up.
Jason was driven to despair by Christie, but he was completely helpless because Christie's touch, technique, and footwork were simply too perfect! A top-tier technical defender in the league can make his opponent despair!
There are even two pairs of the most intense matchups on the court, which are no different from a fight!
Barkley vs. Oakley, Ben Wallace vs. Ewing!
These four players practically lived under the basket. If you looked closely, you could see that they committed both offensive and defensive three-second violations every possession, but the referee clearly wasn't in the mood to call such high-level violations at this point.
As a result, the battle between these four players under the basket became even more intense! Apart from the time when they were running back and forth on the court, there wasn't even a second that it was possible to tell whose arms belonged or whose legs were tangled together.
Their confrontation was too fierce, their entanglement too tight, and people would occasionally fall to the ground.
But the referee acquiesced to all of this!
In this kind of match, in this kind of confrontation, the referees' experience tells them: at this point, the game must be handed over to the players!
The final match on the court was between Lin Tian and Charlie Ward.
Lin Tian should have had a significant advantage over Ward, having completely dominated him in the first two games.
But Ward was clearly different tonight!
Losing his starting position didn't frustrate or upset him at all; on the contrary, it fueled his fighting spirit and ferocity!
He did everything in his power to stay in front of Lin Tian every single second! Even when Lin Tian wasn't holding the ball, he wouldn't even look at the basketball, but would just stare at Lin Tian face to face, relentlessly entangled with him!
As long as Lin Tian moves, he moves; when Lin Tian stops, he stops!
His task was to keep Lin Tian occupied and prevent him from participating in the attack!
As for other things on the field?
Sorry, this has nothing to do with me!
Under Ward's self-destructive defense, Lin Tian also got into some trouble, because in addition to Ward's desperate attempt to entangle Lin Tian, the four guys in the paint completely blocked Lin Tian's space to drive to the basket!
With his teammates all tied up by the opponents and finding it difficult to create space, he couldn't drive to the basket because there were so many people around. He could only choose between a mid-range pull-up jumper or a forced three-pointer over Ward from beyond the arc.
Both of these offensive methods are clearly inefficient!
In particular, every time Lin Tian makes a move, he has to go through a very intense physical confrontation before he can create space, so his accuracy is also unpredictable!
But of course, Lin Tian wasn't the only one struggling with shooting accuracy! Even Ben Wallace and Oakley, who were only responsible for putbacks and dunks under the basket, couldn't maintain their shooting percentage under such pressure, let alone the others. For the entire quarter, the combined shooting percentage of both sides didn't exceed 50%! This was a stark contrast to the crazy back-and-forth offensive battles of the first quarter!
In the first quarter, the Pacers shot 61% from the field, while the Knicks shot 58%! In the final two minutes, both teams made every single basket without missing a single one!
In the second quarter, the Knicks' field goal percentage dropped to 23%, and the Pacers only managed a paltry 24%! Together, they were still 3 percentage points short of reaching a 50% field goal percentage!
Whether it was Ewing, Houston, Lin Tian, Miller, or Barkley, they all failed to put the ball steadily into the basket in this quarter due to the intense physical contact!
Throughout the quarter, the Knicks made a total of 4 field goals, while the Pacers were slightly better, making 6!
But the score remained close, which is to be expected. With this kind of efficiency, it would be a miracle if the score could be widened!
The few statistics that saw rapid increases for both sides in this quarter were rebounds and turnovers! Apart from these two items, all other statistics almost stopped growing.
The score was 39-40 after the first quarter, but by the end of the second quarter, the score was only 55-56!
In this quarter, the score was tied at 16-16! The scoring efficiency and the number of points scored were less than half of those in the first quarter!
Whether they were at the stadium or watching on TV, fans were experiencing a strange sense of division.
The first quarter was an extreme offensive and run-and-gun battle, while the second quarter was an extreme physical confrontation and positional warfare.
These two completely opposite styles, which should never have appeared in the same game, were surprisingly displayed to all the fans in the first and second quarters of the same game.
This sense of disconnect gave all the fans the same feeling—
Worth every penny!
It's absolutely worth the ticket price!
The first quarter was an extreme back-and-forth battle and incredibly exciting individual performances, but the rest of the match turned into a muddy, hand-to-hand combat, with both sides fighting tooth and nail in defense! Two completely different styles, two completely different viewing experiences.
Seeing the content of two games in one match, isn't that a huge win?
At halftime, the fans at Madison Square Garden were still immersed in the excitement of the game. Almost no one left their seats to buy something or go to the bathroom. They were watching the game highlights being replayed on the big screen in the middle.
The more I watch, the more exciting it gets! The more I watch, the more thrilled I become!
CBS's back-end data also showed that their ratings did not drop significantly during the halftime break!
In the past, their viewership would plummet at this time, dropping to only about 30% of the viewership during the match.
But today, because the match was so exciting, about 70% of the audience still haven't changed the channel and are watching GG!
Whether or not fans found what they were looking for in GG, the vendors who ran GG during halftime today made a killing! They got top-notch returns by investing in GG during halftime, when prices were lowest!
This match was an absolute treat for fans, distributors, and TV stations alike!
But for the players, especially the starting players from both sides, the game was not so friendly!
During halftime, Lin Tian, Miller, and Christie, who had played the entire 24 minutes of the first half, were all panting heavily. The masseuses behind them were diligently massaging them to help them recover their strength as much as possible.
Lin Tian was alright; he was just covered in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water, but at least his condition was normal.
Miller, who had been racing against Houston for almost an entire marathon, was pale and looked completely exhausted. Miller's condition was indeed quite bad.
Even so, this guy was still being defiant: "I'm telling you, that Houston guy is lying on the floor like a dead dog right now, too exhausted to move! I'll make sure he's foaming at the mouth today, or I'm not Miller! You agree, Doug! Doug? Doug!"
Miller called Christie's name three times before Christie reluctantly looked up at him and said, "Don't talk to me, Reggie. Jason is a beast in human form. He's as strong as a rhinoceros, constantly ramming into me! Damn it, don't talk to me again before the second half starts! I need to rest!"
Besides these three guys who played the entire first half, Barkley, who played 22 minutes, and Ben Wallace, who played 19 minutes, weren't in much better shape either. They were both so tired that they didn't even want to open their eyes.
Bird wisely refrained from devising any tactics or giving the players any pep talks at this time.
Rest! All they need right now is rest!
The situation in the Knicks' locker room is pretty much the same as that of the Pacers.
The guys who played the entire first half were exhausted, as if they had just been through a war. Each of them collapsed in their positions, and the physiotherapists massaged and relaxed them on the spot.
While Van Gundy didn't give any instructions, he went up to Ewing and plopped down in front of him: "Patrick, I have to apologize to you! I have to apologize to you! I knew about your situation when the second quarter started!"
"But I hesitated for the entire quarter and didn't substitute you. As a coach, to let my player play a full half of such an intense game with injuries and painkillers, I am a very bad and unqualified coach!"
"But now, I've made up my mind! I've made up my mind! You won't play in the second half, rest! I won't risk you any more tonight! You still have a long career ahead of you..."
"A long time? How long?" Ewing, unusually, interrupted Van Gundy, chiming in, "I'm 36 years old. How many more years do I have left in my career? How many more years can I maintain my peak performance? I've already said these things to Nick, Coach, and I really don't want to say them a second time."
"I'm going to gamble on this year! I'm going to go for the championship this year! Otherwise, when am I going to wait? Wait for Lin and his Pacers to get stronger next year? Wait for Michael to find a new partner? Or wait for those bastards in Miami to keep improving? Or even if we make it out of the East..."
"O'Neal, Robinson, Duncan, Malone, and Garnett—these old guys and the young ones, can we beat them next year? Will we be in better shape next year than we are this year?"
"Coach, everyone has been at their best this year, in the prime of their careers! I can't let them down, I can't let my own poor performance prevent my teammates from progressing further!"
"That's not my style! I can accept being the worst of the four centers, and I can accept people saying Mourning is better than me! But if you want me to be the culprit for the team's losses and the one who drags us down, sorry, I can't do that."
"I have to play this game, I have to persevere! I have to give my team hope and opportunity to keep fighting!"
Listening to Ewing's heartfelt monologue, Van Gundy knew that nothing he said would make a difference. He could only pat Ewing's knee and say, "If you have any problems, tell me anytime, and I'll replace you immediately! Patrick, listen, whatever you think, it's unnecessary! Some things really aren't necessary!"
"I'll leave the field if I feel even slightly unwell!" Ewing nodded and said, "Coach, go ahead with the tactics, I'm ready!"
At this moment, Van Gundy and Bird displayed a very strange tacit understanding, because when they were discussing tactics, they each only said one sentence.
"Play like you did in the first half, and crush those sons of bitches!"
In the second half, the two teams switched sides and resumed play!
Bird didn't change the starting lineup; he kept Schmitz in the game to face Ewing!
Van Gundy changed his starting lineup again. Starks, who had a stellar first quarter with a perfect shooting percentage, was left on the bench but didn't play in the second quarter. Instead, Charlie Ward, who played the entire second quarter, started in his place!
"John, are you angry with me?" Van Gundy didn't watch the third quarter that had already started, but instead sat down next to Starks and said, "After you played what might be the best quarter of your career, I benched you. Do you hate me?"
"I'm definitely unhappy and don't understand," Starks said honestly. "But I support you; you're a good coach!"
"Thank you." Van Gundy patted Starks on the shoulder and said, "I need a John who's fully fit, not tired at all, and at 100% to play in the fourth quarter and lead us to victory with his accurate shooting and unstoppable drives!"
"When everyone is exhausted and unable to fight anymore, that's when you step into the battle, John, do you understand?"
"Understood, Coach! I'll be waiting for the moment you call my name and let me play! I'm really looking forward to it!"
At this point, the third quarter was almost a carbon copy of the second quarter, with an extremely slow pace, extremely low scoring efficiency, and one missed shot after another.
Both teams continued to be immersed in physical confrontation and marathon battles, and putting the basketball into the hoop seemed to be no longer important. The coaches of both teams also did not call timeouts much in this situation!
The two players used a total of two timeouts throughout the third quarter, including the official timeout.
Moreover, the two players called a timeout not to adjust tactics, but simply to give their key players a rest.
Given the intensity and frenetic competition of the match, neither coach dared to field too many players, fearing that a single misstep could lead to total defeat! They placed more trust in their core players and starting lineups, resulting in only eight players on the field for each side in this match!
Furthermore, several players simply came up, made a brief appearance, and then left the game.
During his timeout, Bird said to Lin Tian, "This is not normal. Starks played so well, but he didn't play at all in the second and third quarters. Van Gundy would not be so stupid as to not let his best player play."
"He definitely has some plan!"
"What other plan could it be?" Lin Tian leaned back in his chair to rest and analyzed, "Isn't it just about waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, letting a scorer with plenty of energy come on in the fourth quarter to control the game and kill it? There's really nothing to consider or think about. I don't believe that bald guy Van Gundy can come up with anything else."
"So how do we deal with this?" Bird looked at Lin Tian. His intention was to have Lin Tian take the initiative to rest. In any case, Lin Tian's speed and organizational advantages could not be brought into play in this kind of muddy game. Resting would allow him to face Starks in the fourth quarter.
"That's a bit unnecessary," Lin Tian shrugged. "He's just Starks, not Michael Jordan. Do you think I'd leave the game early just because I'm afraid of him?"
"Don't worry, Larry, I have plenty of energy. I can still go all out against Starks in the fourth quarter! I'll shut him down completely! But right now, I have to keep playing!"
"Understood." Bird nodded, letting Lin Tian continue playing, but at the same time, he also took Schmitz off the court and let Ben take his place to fight against Ewing and the others!
At this point in the game, Schmitz was struggling to keep up with the intensity. His weaknesses in physical attributes and strength were becoming increasingly apparent. Although he had scored 8 points and grabbed 5 rebounds on 4-for-4 shooting, he couldn't keep up with Ewing and the Knicks' intensity on the court. Despite his best efforts, the negative impact on his performance outweighed his contributions.
So, after much deliberation, Bird decided to let Ben Wallace take his place in the game!
Everyone has their own area of expertise!
Right now, compared to Schmitz's two mid-range shots, the team needs Ben Wallace's toughness and rebounding more!
The entire third quarter was almost a carbon copy of the second quarter, with neither side showing any improvement in scoring efficiency, and once again both teams failing to achieve a field goal percentage of more than 30% in a single quarter!
70: 72!
When the third quarter ended, the score difference was still not wide, and the score remained low.
By this point, the stamina of several key players on both sides had reached its limit. Miller, Christie, Barkley, and Lin Tian had all played for more than 30 minutes, with Miller, Christie, and Lin Tian even playing the entire first three quarters!
These people were panting heavily, sitting on the benches, not wanting to move at all.
The Knicks weren't in much better shape either. Ewing, Houston, and Jason all played the entire three quarters, and their fatigue was no less than that of the Pacers.
In this match, both sides relied almost entirely on their five starting players, with their substitutes receiving virtually no playing time or opportunity to perform.
dare not!
Neither coach dared to make any changes to their lineup on the field.
But at this point, it's no longer a matter of the coaches saying "keep going" and the players just continuing to play. Even if they could hold on for a few more minutes, the score between the two sides doesn't look close at all. In the last few minutes of the fourth quarter, who will play?
The players still need to get the rest they deserve!
After thinking for a long time, Bird looked at his players and said, "Lin, Joe, Fred, Dale, and Rick, the five of you go! Lin, hold on for three minutes! I'll get Reggie and the others back on the court to help you!"
"Before they go back, slow down the pace and play as slowly as possible, whatever you do, don't..." Bird paused here, then looked at Lin Tian as if he had made up his mind, and said, "Fine! Play however you want! You decide the rest of the game time!"
"The game is in your hands! I believe in you!"
"If you can't hold on any longer, just call us up to help you." Barkley slumped in his chair, panting heavily, and didn't forget to make a sarcastic remark to Lin Tian.
"Don't let them lose a lot of points while we're away, or it'll be a real struggle for us to catch up!" Miller was slumped in his chair, much like Barkley. These two were all soft-spoken except for their tough talk.
Lin Tian gave the two men the middle finger, then turned around and led his teammates back onto the court.
Bird's substitutions at this point were quite bold. Compared to the lineups in the second and third quarters, he made four changes at once! He brought on Hoibogo, Dumars, Davis, and Schmitz along with Lin Tian!
As for Lin Tian, who will continue to play, he will most likely play the full 48 minutes today. But there is no way that Bird dares not substitute Lin Tian. If other players are substituted, he can find replacements to fill the gaps. But if Lin Tian is also taken off the court, then the Pacers will really not have a single player who can handle the ball!
He had no choice but to overdraw Lin Tian's resources!
On the Knicks' side, it seemed like Jeff Van Gundy and Larry Bird were on the same page tonight. He played defense, and Larry played defense. He didn't make substitutions, and Larry didn't make substitutions either. And this time, when Larry started to rotate, Jeff Van Gundy also made substitutions. However, he didn't make a large-scale rotation. Instead, he only replaced Ward with Starks, adding an extra scoring option to the team!
But this was Starks, who exploded in the first quarter, scoring 17 points on 7-for-7 shooting!
If Van Gundy hadn't insisted on changing tactics in the second and third quarters to go toe-to-toe with the Pacers, who knows what kind of stats Starks would be putting up now.
However, one thing is certain: if Starks is on the court in the second and third quarters, given his age and physical condition, he certainly can't be relied upon in the fourth quarter.
Van Gundy was essentially gambling. He was betting that Starks could find his rhythm after sitting on the bench for two quarters, that the Pacers would be exhausted and no one would have the stamina to keep up with him, and that even without Starks' firepower, the Knicks could keep the game close in the second and third quarters!
Now, he has basically achieved his goal, with only one last thing remaining.
Can Starks maintain his form?
can!
On the Knicks' first offensive possession of the fourth quarter, the ball was passed directly to the energetic and in-form Starks. Facing Lin Tian, the guy used two quick but not large crossovers to create a little space for himself, and then once again, he pulled up and threw the ball without any restraint!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Starks sat on the bench for 24 minutes, and the basketball still swished straight into the basket!
"Come on! Come on, Lin! Let me see what you've got! Do you still have the strength to defend me?" Starks pounded his chest, his eyes bloodshot. He was in the best condition of his life right now!
The entire Madison Square Garden erupted in thunderous cheers and shouts, with everyone screaming and calling out Starks' name!
This guy, who hasn't been at his peak in recent years and has only been contributing his energy on the bench, delivered his best performance tonight!
Even Van Gundy, who is usually calm or as still as a mountain sitting on the sidelines, couldn't help but stand up, raise his hands, and shout!
This three-pointer gave him hope that his team could win!
We can win! Starks is still in form!
"We'll see!" Lin Tian said with a smile, chewing his gum. Starks' three-pointer hadn't bothered him at all. He took the ball from the baseline and slowly made his way to the frontcourt. Facing Starks, who was lowering his center of gravity and looking provocative, Lin Tian didn't say anything or engage in any confrontation. He simply passed the ball!
Schmitz, who had just arrived near the free-throw line, received Lin Tian's pass. He glanced at Ewing, who was still under the basket and hadn't followed up at all, and pulled up for a shot. It was a signature mid-range jump shot, and the two-pointer went straight into the net!
"You weren't the only one who hit the bullseye tonight," Lin Tian said, looking at Starks and giving Schmitz a high-five. "Our Rick didn't miss a single one either!"
"You spineless coward! You don't dare to fight me one-on-one? You don't dare to face me? Where's your courage?" Starks received the baseline ball and hurled trash talk at Lin Tian as he advanced.
"Let me tell you a truth." Lin Tian remained unmoved, still incredibly calm: "A child's courage is to rush forward recklessly, while an adult's courage is to make the most rational decision no matter what the situation."
"You're mentally challenged, not even 13 years old. Go back to college and then come talk to me about courage!"
"And another thing, if you're not a coward, what were you doing for those last 24 minutes? Changing your diaper to prevent yourself from wetting your pants from being scared, or praying to Jesus to protect you from getting beaten to death on the basketball court?"
"John, don't let his trash talk affect you." Ewing quickly walked past Starks, patting his butt and saying, "Even Michael can't stand his trash talk."
"Yeah, even Michael can't stand it, let alone you who's not even as good as one of Michael's toes!" Lin Tian shrugged, returned to his defensive position, lowered his center of gravity, and looked at Starks, saying, "Come on, let's see how many you can score tonight!"
Starks stopped talking to Lin Tian's trash talk. This time, he found Ewing and asked him to set a screen for him before quickly breaking through to the inside.
But Lin Tian was too fast. Before Starks could even reach the free-throw line, Lin Tian had already bypassed the screen and reappeared in front of him!
As far as Lin Tian was concerned, as long as God didn't keep favoring this guy and letting him score every ball in a way that was unreasonable, then it wouldn't be a big problem for him to defend him to death!
Starks didn't force it this time, but instead made a one-handed pass to Ewing, who cut to the basket. Ewing then pulled up and shot without hesitation!
His right hand, which had been injected with painkillers, withstood the pressure once again. With a gentle flick of his wrist, the basketball precisely swished through the hoop!
"Come on, Lin! This isn't a one-on-one match, nor is it a personal grudge!" Ewing said with a rare seriousness after scoring, "This match is a rivalry between two cities! We will do everything in our power to defeat each other!"
"It's not time to use every method to deal with you, Dale!" Lin Tian's last words were shouted at Davis, who had just reached the baseline. As soon as Davis heard Lin Tian call him, he immediately reacted as if he had some kind of stress response, raising his hand and throwing the ball towards the frontcourt!
Davis's passing skills are not as good as Barkley's, so this pass was not very good. The ball landed closer to Houston than Lin Tian!
Lin Tian and Houston sprinted together, lunging towards where the basketball was going to land! In this kind of game, nobody would just stand there waiting for the ball to come to them; that would be tantamount to giving up possession!
Ultimately, Lin Tian was faster and had better physical strength. He used his shoulder to push Houston off balance, and he himself was also shaken by the impact. But Lin Tian was still one step ahead and grabbed the basketball. Before losing his balance and flying out of bounds, Lin Tian grabbed the basketball with one hand and threw it back towards the frontcourt!
Having just entered the game, the powerful Hoiberg had just shaken off the heavy Jansen, grabbed the basketball, charged toward the basket, and unleashed a thunderous dunk!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Hoiberg once again repaid Bird's trust!
"Sorry Lin, I made a bad pass!" Davis walked to the sideline, pulled Lin Tian up, and apologized to him.
"Your pass was excellent! I asked for the pass too quickly and too suddenly! Next time I'll give you the signal in advance! Okay, enough talk, let's defend!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he turned to look at everyone on the court and shouted:
"Defense! Guys, defense!"
Barkley and Miller, listening to Lin Tian's roar from the sidelines, were also fired up. They stood up and said, "Larry, we've had a good rest!"
"Wait a little longer." Bird, who had also stood up from the bench, looked at Lin Tian and the other players, and reached out to reassure the two key players, saying, "The last nine minutes! The last nine minutes, you two and Doug will go together! We need to have enough energy to play the last few minutes of the game!"
For the next two minutes, the two sides remained locked in a stalemate. Although Schmitz scored another two points and Starks missed two consecutive shots, Schmitz and Davis couldn't stop Ewing, who grabbed offensive rebounds and put them back in. The score remained close.
But unlike the first two quarters, in this quarter, both teams seemed to have regained their shooting touch!
They've all started making shots!
With nine minutes remaining in the game, the score was 84-85!
The Knicks are down by 1 point!
Bird called a timeout at this critical juncture!
It's time for a change of personnel!
Looking at Lin Tian, who was covered in sweat as if he had just been pulled out of the Hudson River, Bird couldn't help but ask, "Lin..."
"I can hold on, my stamina is fine!" Lin Tian looked at Bird and nodded firmly. Even though his stamina was definitely among the best in the league, the exertion from this game was still too great.
He really felt like his lungs were about to explode.
But I'm sure I'll be fine playing!
Because Lin Tian believed that others could only be worse off than him!
"Ben, Charles, Doug, Reggie, let's go! The last nine minutes! Let's give the New Yorkers a 3-0 lead!" Bird clapped his hands loudly, urging his players on: "To hell with the New Yorkers! Let them know we're the best team this year!"
"Dry them to death!"
Lin Tian lifted the arm protector on his elbow to wipe away sweat, turned around, and led his teammates towards the court.
The Knicks also fielded their strongest lineup to date!
Ewing, Oakley, Johnson, Houston, Starks!
With just 9 minutes left, the decisive moment has arrived ahead of schedule!
On their first offensive possession back on the court, the Pacers inbounded the ball from the center line. Lin Tian didn't rush to attack himself but passed the ball to Barkley in the low post. After resting for 3 minutes, it was the perfect opportunity for the energetic Barkley to make a couple of runs!
Barkley didn't hold back after getting the ball. He drove all the way to the three-second zone, faked Oakley out of control, and then immediately jumped up and shot!
"Snapped!"
But Ewing arrived from the wing to help defend at some point and slapped Barkley's shot away. Houston caught the slapped ball and quickly found Starks, who then launched a counterattack!
The Pacers' transition defense was incredibly fast!
Their shorter stature proved advantageous during their rapid defensive retreat. Christie and Miller found Houston and Jason respectively, while Ben Wallace sprinted towards the basket without looking back, determined to protect the rim!
Lin Tian stuck to Starks tightly. At this point in the game, Lin Tian was going all out and holding nothing back. His tough defense forced Starks' advance to a halt near the mid-court line.
"John!" Ewing's shout came from the side. Starks immediately made a bounce pass to Ewing. After receiving the ball, Ewing did not think about passing it, but dribbled and ran towards the basket!
Jason and Houston immediately spread out to the left and right, giving Ewing ample space to attack.
Just as Lin Tian was about to turn around and block Ewing, Starks deliberately pulled and pushed him, and the two of them immediately fell to the ground in a sorry state!
With no obstacles in front or behind, Ewing dribbled the ball and sped towards the basket!
Facing Ewing, who had already charged forward with all his might, Ben Affleck was not afraid at all. He spread his arms, seized the opportunity, and jumped up with his arms outstretched!
"Bang!" The two collided heavily in mid-air, and Ewing's bull-like strength and powerful impact gave him the upper hand! After a clash, Ben Wallace was knocked to the ground by Ewing!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, New York's guardian angel Patrick Ewing slammed home a two-handed dunk, accompanied by Ewing's frantic roar, and the Knicks took a one-point lead!
"Charles, where are you?!" Lin Tian, who had finally gotten up after shaking off Starks from the floor, looked at Barkley, who was now rushing back to his half of the court, and shouted angrily, "What were you doing?! If you didn't want to play, if you wanted to slack off, then go back to Indiana and slack off! Why didn't you come back to defend?!"
Lin Tian rarely loses his temper with his teammates, and this is the first time he has ever yelled at them on the court!
Starks watched Lin Tian and Barkley with a sly grin, convinced that a fight was inevitable!
What kind of temper does Barkley have? When in his life has he ever suffered such an injustice? If he could tolerate this, he wouldn't be Barkley!
Just as Starks was considering whether to add fuel to the fire and fan the flames, Lin Tian suddenly disappeared!
He has already dodged Starks and started sprinting towards the frontcourt!
Starks was about to turn around and catch up with Lin Tian, but what appeared in front of him was Barkley's wickedly grinning face!
be cheated!
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, Starks crashed heavily into Barkley and fell to the ground once again.
Christie, on the baseline, had already swung the ball with one arm, sending it flying rapidly into the frontcourt.
Lin Tian caught the basketball, took an easy step and jumped, completing a layup!
The Pacers have taken the lead again!
(End of this chapter)