Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 557 Once again in dire straits! The responsibility for tonight's loss

After the game, Brown took the initiative to admit his mistakes at the press conference. He said that he had oversimplified the game and was too confident, which led the team to play the wrong style of play throughout the game, and that this was the biggest reason for the team's loss.

Throughout the press conference, Brown took all the blame upon himself, admitted his mistakes, and stated that his players had played a perfect game and made no errors.

With Brown taking full responsibility, regardless of what the interviewees thought, said, or discussed, the Pistons players were all moved!

With such a great head coach, wouldn't he give his life for him?

Da Ben even made a phone call to Lin Tian with a slightly tearful voice.

"Boss, don't go inside in the next game. If you do, I'll make you bleed! We have to repay Coach Brown."

If Lin Tian hadn't known Ben Affleck perfectly and knew that this guy wasn't there to issue a challenge but was just acting a bit crazy, he would have definitely fired back a barrage of trash talk to show Ben Affleck the consequences of provoking him.

Unfortunately, Lin Tian knew very well that Ben was genuinely trying to persuade him, from the bottom of his heart.

What can he do?

He could only swallow his profanity and advise Ben to take it easy, not to blame himself too much, and to just play well in the next game.

"Damn it!" Lin Tian cursed as soon as he hung up the phone.

What sins have I committed?

The Eastern Conference Finals have just begun, and I also have the task of comforting the opponent's key player, telling him to relax, not to feel pressured, and to play well in the next game.

Where is the heaven!

Lord Lin, you've never felt so humiliated in your life!

However, while feeling frustrated, Lin Tian couldn't help but sigh that people really do improve, even Brown, an old man who was about to die, could improve.

Think back to 4-5 years ago when he and Iverson had a falling out. Back then, Brown didn't show any mercy, and he certainly wouldn't have taken all the responsibility after the game.

If Brown had been more responsible back then, and as mature as he is now, he wouldn't have fallen out with Iverson to that extent, and a championship would definitely have been his...

Hmm, I still can't get it.

With Lin Da Guan Ren around, you're doomed to fail at winning the championship.

Although he was quite annoyed by Ben's antics, there was one thing that made Lin Tian very happy and relieved.

That is, although they won the first game on the road, the Knicks players did not slack off at all, and no one even celebrated.

Because everyone knew very well that once the Pistons intensified their play in the fourth quarter, everyone was a liability! No one could offer Lin Tian any help.

There wasn't a single person on the entire Knicks team, not even one, who could consistently provide Lin Tian with assistance in this situation!

Whether it was the last round against the Celtics or today's game against the Pistons, whether it was Anthony, Stoudemire, or anyone else, these unruly beasts who always thought they were the best in the world have finally realized their shortcomings.

And the more they play, the more they realize they're not good enough.

Making these prodigies and super geniuses realize that they are just a piece of cake in the highest level of competition is actually quite difficult, but once they do it, they will definitely benefit greatly.

After all, that feeling is just too agonizing!

It is foreseeable that no matter how far the Knicks go this season, whether it's Stoudemire or Anthony, they will definitely have a crazy and busy summer of training!

As the series progressed, these players' self-blame and guilt became increasingly apparent.

In Game 2 of the series, the Pistons, united and giving their all, indeed stopped playing any fancy offensive games. They slowed down the pace, played with full force, and raised the intensity to the extreme from the very beginning.

From the very beginning, they used their near-perfect defensive rotations and incredibly strong physical pressure to keep the Knicks on the back foot!

Compared to the Celtics in the previous round, the Pistons don't have as much talent, nor do they have any top-tier stars, and they are also lacking in height in the paint.

But their system is more perfect. Their coordination in all five positions is almost flawless. More importantly, the team's five starters are almost flawless on the defensive end. They have no weaknesses. Each of them has defensive capabilities that would earn them a spot on the All-Defensive Team.

This Pistons team is the best practitioner of the barrel theory!

Other teams always have a few strong players and a few weak ones, which means that although the team may seem to have amazing talent, it can't hold much weight.

Only the Pistons, the only team in this league, are like a perfect bucket made up of five planks of almost equal length.

If other top teams in the league have 100 points of talent, and through a process of integration, sacrifice, and mutual trust, they barely manage to reach 90 points...

So this Pistons team, at best, has 85 points of talent, but through unity and grit, they managed to score 91 points.

Well, they're only slightly better, but they can still go toe-to-toe with all the top teams. That's their skill!

In Game 2 of the series, the Knicks players, who had adapted to the Pistons' physicality and aggressive defense throughout the playoffs, still couldn't adapt. They still couldn't make shots, and they still couldn't maintain their position.

Their movements still become distorted.

Their shooting form is still quite bizarre due to the relatively low level of physical contact.

This is something that, in a truly physical sense, cannot be supported or withstand.

71: 77!

In Game 2 of the series, the Pistons won the game thanks to their defense and their signature low score!

The Knicks only scored 71 points, with Lin Tian scoring 36 of them!

His individual score accounts for more than half of the team's total!

To be honest, the Knicks have already accomplished their mission by tying the game 1-1 on the road. Stealing a win from the road is a huge advantage for them!

But their advantage disappeared in the third game!

68: 72!

In Game 3 of the series, the Pistons continued to relentlessly control the pace of the game, using their defense to prevent the Knicks from scoring even 70 points once again!

That night, Lin Tian played the full 48 minutes for the second consecutive game, giving his all for the second consecutive game. And that night, while the team only scored 68 points, Lin Tian scored an astonishing 41 points on his own!

Although his shooting percentage was only 13 out of 33, which was negligible, half of his points came from constantly attacking the basket and drawing fouls. That night, Lin Tian got 24 free throws and made 20 of them!

In the final moments of the game, Billups, who was matched up against Lin Tian, ​​and Ben Wallace under the basket both fouled out and were knocked off the court by Lin Tian.

Even so, Lin Tian's teammates still showed no improvement. They made 9 of 41 shots, including a shocking 0 of 14 three-pointers, and only 2 of 7 free throws. Such poor form and performance naturally made it even more difficult for the Knicks!

With 12 seconds left in the game, the Knicks were only down by 2 points, and Lin Tian had a chance to win the game.

However, the Pistons immediately deployed a BOX1 defense, with four Pistons players double-teaming Lin Tian, ​​leaving only Rasheed standing guard under the basket.

As for the other Knicks players, they were completely released!

The Pistons don't believe the other Knicks players can score!

Lin Tian didn't pass the ball this time either!

He actually... didn't believe it anymore.

Faced with the encirclement of four people, Lin Tian used all his skills to find space and opportunities to strike. After a series of quick movements and a display of his peak skills, Lin Tian got a fleeting chance to strike from the mid-range on the flank.

Lin Tian naturally didn't let this opportunity slip away, and seized the moment to pull up and shoot!

However, Lin Tian had exhausted himself tonight. He had no reserves on either offense or defense and used too much energy to get rid of the Pistons' defense in the last possession. As a result, his jump shot was obviously not high enough and his release was obviously too short. The shot did not go in and bounced off the front edge of the rim, where Rasheed caught it.

Then Stoudemire fouled Rasheed, and Rasheed made both free throws. Lin Tian then dribbled the ball to the frontcourt again and took a long three-pointer, but missed again. The Knicks lost the game tonight.

"If anyone is to be held responsible for tonight's defeat, who is it?" This was the question relentlessly posed by reporters at the press conference after the match.

"I," Lin Tian said without hesitation, "I will take full responsibility! I had the chance to win, I had the chance to narrow the score and keep the game going, and I had two chances! But I failed to capitalize on my last two shots."

"If I had scored, tonight's game would have been completely different, so I take full responsibility, no question about it!"

Lin Tian's answer undoubtedly surprised the reporters. They had originally wanted to stir up trouble within the Knicks team, hoping that Lin Tian would point to someone as a scapegoat, even if it was just a vague hint.

Unexpectedly, Lin Tian managed to shoulder the burden all by himself.

He took all the blame for the loss, but anyone who watched the game, or even just looked at the statistics, would know that Lin Tian had no responsibility whatsoever! If it weren't for him, the first quarter would have been garbage time!

The gap in strength between the two sides is indeed quite large and obvious.

After Lin Tian took on this responsibility, his prestige within the Knicks has reached a new level. No one could question his leadership or challenge him in the past, and now the Knicks follow his lead even more!

In the ensuing Game 4 of the series, the Knicks players once again unleashed an incredible will to win! They craved victory, they longed to prove themselves in this game, and even if it was just for Lin Tian, ​​they wanted to take this game!

Throughout the game, the Knicks players provided Lin Tian with significantly better and more assistance.

Surrounded by two Wallaces, Anthony grabbed 5 offensive rebounds, while Stoudemire, despite only scoring 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting, also grabbed 15 rebounds tonight!

Although they couldn't make the shots, the Knicks players became more motivated. They started to do everything they could to help the team in every way. They also began to adapt to the Pistons' physicality and were no longer afraid of them.

With the Knicks players playing with all their might, the score for both sides in this game was slightly higher.

80: 82!

With 10 seconds left in the game, the Knicks were still down by 2 points!

This time, Lin Tian chose to trust his teammates. After being surrounded by players again, Lin Tian passed the ball with one hand to Okur on the other side. There was not a single Pistons player defending Okur, who was at least 3 meters away from him.

He received the ball in his most comfortable area!

After aiming and letting out a long breath, he steadily raised his hand and released the weapon!

"Bang!"

Unfortunately, the ball missed again! The Knicks' game-winning shot failed once more!

This defeat has pushed the Knicks to the brink of elimination!

1: 3!

For the second consecutive round of the series, they found themselves in a desperate situation, trailing 1-3.

Lin Tian was the one who attended the press conference after the match. This time, when the New York media saw Lin Tian, ​​they were too embarrassed to ask him anything.

"Lin, the problem in this match still lies with you, and you will still take responsibility, right?" A reporter even started answering for Lin Tian.

"Since you know what I'm going to say, can I leave early?" Lin Tian pointed to the door, indicating that he wanted to leave work early.

But after the reporters at the scene laughed for a while, Lin Tian continued, "Memet got a good opportunity, I saw it, so I passed the ball to him. I thought he might be able to make it, but that's how basketball is. Melo's dunking percentage is only 89%, he doesn't even dunk 100% of the time."

"What right do we have to demand that Mehmet make this shot 100% of the time?"

"It's normal for him to miss. He only makes around 300 million a year. He shouldn't have to bear this pressure. He shouldn't be responsible for the team's loss. It was my choice, I was the one who passed the ball, so I should be responsible!"

"I earn 10 times more money than him in a year, so I should do 10 times more and take 10 times more responsibility. Role players stand there waiting to shoot. If you criticize him for not converting my pass into an assist, isn't he pathetic?"

"This is just one of Mehmet's thousands of missed shots, nothing special."

"I hope Mehmet won't take it to heart. It was just a regular missed shot. Of course, if he learns from this experience, trains hard, and becomes a shooter who never disappoints and has a 100% shooting percentage next season, then I'd be happy to let him take responsibility for this."

"I'd even be willing to give him a portion of my earnings, because if he could shoot 100%, I'd probably average 25 assists per game next season!"

"Lin, you're already looking ahead to next season. Are you already disillusioned with this season? Do you think you can't beat the Pistons?"

"I've never thought that way. I'll never give up hope. That's the secret to how I've gotten this far. I can assure everyone that we'll be back here. We'll be holding press conferences here again this season. Let's wait and see!"

Lin Tian once again took full responsibility after the game, but the team was indeed once again in dire straits, trailing 1-3.

This is the third time in two years that Lin Tian's team has been in such a desperate situation!

His team pulled off two major comebacks in the first two instances.

Lin Tian was also given the nickname "King of Reversals".

But what about this time?

Facing an even stronger opponent than the previous two times, and against the Pistons, who are known as the best defensive team in the league's history, can the Knicks and Lin Tian create a miracle for the third time in a row?

At the very least, Lin Tian's fans and the entire city of New York believe in him!

Especially after Lin Tian boldly declared that he would definitely return to New York for this series, it further boosted the confidence of the entire New York city.

Our king has not given up!

After a day of rest, Game 5 of the series resumed at the Palace of Auburn Hills!

This game was almost a carbon copy of Games 3 and 4 of the series.

The Knicks' rebounding was dominated by the Wallace duo, their interior defense collapsed, they couldn't stop the Pistons' offense, and their offense could only rely on Lin Tian's individual madness to maintain the score.

In this game, Lin Tian once again had no time to rest. During the game, the Pistons extended their lead to more than 10 points a total of 3 times, but each time, Lin Tian led the team to launch a counterattack and bring the score back.

Lin Tian, ​​who launched attack after attack and used his madness to keep the team alive time and time again, was really exhausted at this moment, even with all his buffs at their peak.

When the game entered its final minute and was paused again, Lin Tian sat on the bench, panting heavily, trying to inhale as much oxygen as possible to slow down his wildly beating heart.

The score at this point is 80:85!

The Pistons still have a 5-point lead and they also have possession of the ball.

The reason the Pistons called a timeout was because of Lin Tian's incredible scoring run!

With two minutes left in the game, the Pistons were leading by 10 points! The entire Auburn Hills Palace was already celebrating prematurely, wildly reveling and shouting, "Weren't we supposed to be back in New York for a press conference?"

"Didn't you want to bring the series back?"

"Go! Bring the game back!"

"We're still hoping for a Game 7! You need to step up your game, Lin!"

"You think you can control everything and decide how many games to play? Detroit doesn't believe in that bullshit!"

As the fans continued to hurl insults and taunts, Lin Tian suddenly exploded!

He first hit a mid-range pull-up jumper, then the Knicks united to defend against a Pistons attack, and finally, with the Knicks' offense almost shut down by the Pistons, and the Knicks about to commit a 24-second violation.

Lin Tian forced a three-pointer from beyond the arc, facing the defense of both Billups and Hamilton!

To avoid a block, Lin Tian adjusted the arc of the basketball extremely high, so high that even the cameras couldn't keep up! The basketball was sent flying out of the frame!

Then, when the basketball reappeared on screen, the entire Palace of Auburn Hills fell silent.

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, the basketball fell cleanly into the basket!

The score difference between the two teams is now only 5 points, with only 1 minute left in the game! (End of Chapter)