radicalducati Chapter 481 Plot Kill! The author won't let you enter as punishment, so you're number 1.
Chapter 481 Plot Kill! The author won't let you enter as punishment, so you're number 1.
"Beep beep!!"
"Whoosh! Bang!!"
"Beep beep!!"
"Swish! Swish!!"
"Beep beep!!"
"Bang! Swish!!"
The entire fourth quarter of the game proceeded in almost the same pattern.
The game lasted an exceptionally long time and the quality of the game was lackluster. Neither side could produce any reliable or visually appealing attacks or strategies. In the final minutes of the game, both teams abandoned tactics and started charging headlong into the box.
The whistle will blow anyway!
Meanwhile, the referees, as they continued to blow their whistles, also got carried away and stopped caring about controlling the game, winning or losing, or the principles of giving the whistle.
Anyway, since you touched it, I'll blow it!
This vicious cycle made the game incredibly long.
An NBA game normally lasts about two and a half hours, but tonight, due to a lot of free throws from both sides, it went on for three hours and ten minutes, with two minutes left in the fourth quarter!
At this point, the event was paused, and even the most passionate Indians were starting to lose their energy.
After all, such a boring game has lasted for so long, and even if the fans are full of passion and energy, they are probably at their limit by now.
This night is destined to be boring and long!
At this point, both sides had accumulated an incredible number of free throws.
Carter and Gasol had 13 and 12 free throw attempts respectively, Kidd had 7, and Yao Ming, who left the game early, had 8. The Nets' total free throw attempts have now exceeded 50!
As for the Pacers, after the referees' crazy calls in the fourth quarter, everyone's free throw attempts steadily increased and were no longer concentrated on Lin Tian alone, but this lack of concentration was only relative to the first three quarters.
Lin Tian took the most free throws in the team this quarter, stepping to the free throw line 11 times, and his total free throws tonight have exceeded 30!
27 made out of 32 free throws!
It's worth mentioning that Lin Tian has surpassed the record set by Michael Jordan against the Knicks.
Jordan made 23 free throws in that game, making him the second-most free throws made in a single playoff game in NBA history. Now, that record belongs to Lin Tian, who made 27 free throws in a single game, making him the second-most in history!
As for the number one ranking, it dates back to 51 years ago, created by Lin Tian's predecessor, Bob Cousy, who is known as the "first point guard in history". That night, Cousy made 30 of 32 free throws, scoring a total of 30 points just from free throws!
With two minutes left in the game and only three shots to go, given Lin Tian's explosive free throws tonight, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to continue raining down one point and surpass Cousy's record.
The only challenge is that time is not on the Pacers' side right now.
With two minutes left, the Pacers are still down by seven points!
It's raining in twos, one minute at a time, which is a bit too late.
If Lin Tian wants to win, he'll need to come at three at a time!
Hmm... just like that!
Pooh!
Just do it!
The timeout is over, and the Pacers' offense continues!
Lin Tian dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and, facing Kidd, waved again to Bonner to come forward and screen for him.
It's worth mentioning that Haslem and Miller have both been eliminated from the game for the second consecutive time, and they can only watch from the sidelines now.
The same thing happened to the Nets; Yao Ming and Kittles both fouled out.
At this moment, both Gasol and Kidd have five fouls and are on the verge of being ejected.
Artest and Christie on the Pacers' side both have 5 fouls, while Howard, who is currently coming off the bench to play the 3 position, has 4 fouls.
Tonight, both sides might have to fight a few more people!
Lin Tian's call for a screen immediately put the entire Nets team on high alert! They all felt that Lin Tian wanted to take Gasol out as well, so that the Nets' inside advantage, on which they relied, would be completely eliminated.
So this time, when faced with cover, Kidd chose to force his way past Bonner.
He needs to protect Gasol!
However, Kidd clearly forgot that he already had 5 fouls. His push was too aggressive. In order to get through, he first stretched out his arm to cover Lin Tian before taking a step forward with his body and legs.
In this day and age, it's normal to crowd together for cover, and the referee usually won't blow the whistle.
But tonight is different.
The referee went crazy tonight.
In addition, Kidd's opponent is Lin Tian!
Master Lin possesses skills far beyond what's available in this era—no, I mean, techniques for creating fouls!
He spotted Kidd's outstretched arm and, without a second thought, forcefully leaned against it.
As luck would have it... Kidd felt his hand touch something, and instinctively grabbed it.
This bad habit was obviously developed while partying in nightclubs; this guy likes to close his eyes and grope and grab things randomly.
But in nightclubs, this habit of blindly groping allows Kidd to always find something soft and yielding. However, on the court, especially tonight, he has to pay a huge price!
"FUXX!" Lin Tian was even more excited when he saw Kidd come to his door. He let out a miserable scream, making people wonder if Kidd knew some kind of Nine Yin White Bone Claw.
Then Lin Tian naturally jumped up, sprawled out, but apart from barely managing to make a move that looked like a shot, his basketball didn't even fly towards the basket.
"Beep beep!"
In situations like this, the referee really can't help but call a foul.
This rule was violated far too clearly! Just how clearly?
Even the fact that Lin Tian didn't fall after this exaggerated performance was entirely due to Kidd's strong hand grabbing his wrist, which allowed Lin Tian to maintain his balance.
It would be an injustice if we didn't brag about this.
The referee had no choice but to blow the whistle, and as Kidd committed his sixth foul, Lin Tian was awarded three free throws.
Kidd originally wanted to protest, but when he raised his hand to yell at the referee, he found that Lin Tian's wrist was still in his hand.
He became obedient, instantly became obedient.
Anger and grievance instantly turned into frustration. He covered his face with his clothes, then walked to the bench with a feeling of utter grievance and sat down.
As for whether Kidd was crying behind the clothes, Lin Tian didn't know and didn't care.
Let him and Yao Ming find solace in each other.
Lin Tian's goal right now is to score the free throw!
After stepping to the free-throw line, Lin Tian let out a deep breath, then swiftly made all three free throws!
He tied Cousy's record! Sharing the top spot on the NBA playoff all-time free throw count!
Meanwhile, the score difference between the two sides narrowed to 4 points!
107: 103!
The final 1 minutes and 45 seconds.
The Nets' offense will have to continue without their leader, Kidd, and they must hold onto their four-point lead.
At this point, it was naturally Carter who stepped up to take responsibility! He waved for everyone to spread out, and then, facing Artest, he once again chose to charge!
Given the intensity and pace of tonight's game, attacking the paint is the best option! You're almost guaranteed to get to the free-throw line anyway!
And then, sure enough!
Although Artest's defensive play was very clear this time, with no hand movements, no attempt to steal the ball, and very obvious footwork.
But the referee still blew the whistle at the very moment Carter took the shot.
Blocking foul!
As for how and why the obstruction occurred, the referee doesn't have time to explain, nor can he. Anyway, Artest, you've committed six fouls, so you can get off the court now!
Surprisingly, Artest, who was called for his sixth foul, did not protest or show any displeasure. Instead, he put his arm around Lin Tian's shoulder and said, "Boss, I don't like him. Get him out of here."
"No problem! Watch me..." Lin Tian was about to pat his chest and say that he was definitely going to avenge Artest, but then he thought better of it and looked at Artest, asking, "How many times did Vince foul?"
"I forgot, I think it was 3 times." Artest stroked his chin, not quite sure of his answer.
"Get lost, go sit down and play in the backstage area." Lin Tian kicked Artest in the butt in annoyance.
With less than 1 minute and 30 seconds left, how did he manage to draw three fouls on Carter?
Even if so-and-so and so-and-so come, it won't work for him!
Do you really think that I, Lord Lin, have practiced some kind of Eighteen Falling Techniques?
Artest walked off the court with a grin on his face. Nobody knew what this guy, who wasn't exactly on his own, was thinking. All anyone could tell was that he was pretty happy.
Carter stood at the free-throw line, and he really enjoyed scoring points today. After making 11 of 13 free throws, he adjusted his breathing and raised his hand to shoot.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Two muffled thuds, enough to make the entire Indianapolis community once again consider Carter one of their own, rang out as Carter missed both free throws!
A series of cheers and shouts erupted from the crowd.
"Vince, come back!"
"Indiana is your home!"
"We feel your sincerity, come back! We love you!"
"We will always be family!"
Lin Tian ignored the group of scheming fans and was the first to jump high and grab the backboard.
He knew very well that there was only one reason why Carter missed both free throws at this point.
Plot-driven death!
If the author wants you to miss both free throws, then you, Carter, have no chance of making a shot today!
After glancing at the time, Lin Tian calmly dribbled the ball to the frontcourt. Facing the Nets players who were on high alert and extremely cautious, Lin Tian suddenly grinned and passed the ball out!
An incredibly long diagonal pass!
An incredibly long pass thrown from the left wing directly to the right corner!
Standing there is Bonner, who hit a crucial three-pointer in the last game!
This guy got missed by the Nets again!
This is the aftermath of Kidd's absence: no one is calling out tactics on the court, and no one is reminding teammates to pay attention to defense and not leave any gaps!
The Nets' defense was focused on Lin Tian; they were all keeping a close eye on him.
As for Bonner, he was completely overlooked.
If someone is missed, there will be a price to pay!
After receiving the ball, Bonner glanced down to make sure he hadn't stepped on the three-point line, then the "Red Mamba" jumped again and shot, and the three-pointer went in!
"Whoosh!"
In the second consecutive game, and in the second consecutive game at the most crucial moment, Bonner hit the game-winning three-pointer!
Bonner's total score in this series was only 6 points!
I won't score unless it's a crucial shot!
With these two goals, Bonner will likely be a regular starter for the team next season, taking over from Robert Horry and becoming the league's new lucky charm.
An excited Bonner raised his hands high, sprinting back to defend while roaring with excitement in celebration.
So happy! Super happy!
The score difference between the two sides is now down to just one point!
1 minutes and 10 seconds!
The Nets' offense once again went to Carter. This guy who had just missed two free throws did not lose his composure. After dribbling the ball to the frontcourt and facing Christie, he once again chose to have his teammates spread out to one side, and then he accelerated and attacked!
This time, Carter suddenly stopped in mid-range, then turned around to create distance, seemingly about to unleash his signature turnaround jump shot. This time, it was Christie's turn to lose control of her body and jump towards Carter.
At this point, jumping means making a mistake!
"Snapped!"
Christie lost control of her body and collided with Carter again!
"Beep beep!"
The referee immediately blew the whistle!
If Artest's foul was a bit far-fetched, then Christie's foul is definitely no problem!
Carter stepped up to the free-throw line again.
Christie became the fourth Pacers player to be ejected.
In other words, the Pacers now only have Lin Tian as their starting player; the other four are all off the court!
This gives a glimpse into how frequent the whistles were in this game and how outrageous the referees' calls were.
"Whoosh!"
After missing both of his free throws earlier, Carter finally seized the opportunity this time and made the shot.
With the next shot, he took another deep breath, completely relaxed his body, and then calmly took the shot.
"Bang!"
But the result was another muffled thud!
Bonner grabbed the rebound this time, and immediately crossed his arms and called a timeout!
Carter, whose free throw percentage has consistently been around 8% throughout his career, only made 1 of 4 free throws in the last 2 minutes!
Having made numerous clutch and game-winning shots, Carter has long proven himself to be a player with a big heart and a strong mentality. His performance tonight was also commendable and certainly not bad.
But he just couldn't get past his opponent! He missed those free throws that were practically giving away points!
106:108
With 50 seconds left, the Pacers had another chance to take the lead!
The plot is so similar to the last one, and the situation is almost exactly the same.
The Pacers trailed for a long time, but managed to close the gap in the final moments thanks to Lin Tian's incredible run and Bonner's three-pointer.
So, tonight, who will be victorious?
"No need to rush three-pointers! There's plenty of time. The Nets are the ones who need to rush. Just relax! Take the shot whenever you have the chance, don't worry about the format! Two points or three points, as long as we score, the Nets are doomed to lose tonight!"
After gathering everyone together, Carlisle first gave a speech to boost morale, and then quickly set up a screen and running tactic for Lin Tian to receive the ball.
After arranging all that, he looked up at Lin Tian and said, "The rest is up to you!"
"Rick, I've noticed you're becoming more and more like Phil." Lin Tian looked at Carlisle and complained helplessly, "You're both equally lazy, so lazy that you don't even bother to plan tactics."
"No need to devise tactics, just let the best players do the work." Carlisle, far from being ashamed, took pride in it, laughing as he said, "Is there a better or more perfect tactic than this?"
"That's it!" Lin Tian wiped his sweat again with a towel, stood up, and said, "Giving me the ball is the best tactic!"
After speaking, Lin Tian led four substitute players—Bonner, Tabak, Howard, and Parker—onto the court.
With 50 seconds left, they were down by 2 points!
"Beep beep!"
As soon as the referee blew his whistle, the Pacers players immediately sprinted as Carlisle had instructed. Lin Tian started from the baseline, ran along the baseline to the other baseline, then drew a right angle and sprinted towards the wing.
He and Bonner coordinated a screen at a 45-degree angle on the left, and then Lin Tian continued running towards the middle of the arc.
Here, after Lin Tian and Tabak set an off-ball screen, Lin Tian finally got a chance to receive the ball!
After getting the basketball, Lin Tian, facing Carter who had finally pushed aside Tabak's screen, didn't stop to observe, but instead dribbled directly towards Tabak.
This guy, who had been with the Pacers for many years but had always contributed very little, reacted quickly, regained his footing, and blocked Carter for Lin Tian once again.
Lin Tian's sudden counterattack caught the Nets' entire defense off guard. In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian had another wide-open shot beyond the three-point line!
After Carter was blocked by Tabak, Lin Tian immediately gathered the ball, pulled up and shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
Then came a crisp crack that made the whole of Indiana boil!
109: 108!
They've overtaken them!
Lin Tian not only scored this goal, but also did so in very little time.
All told, Lin Tian only needed 5 seconds to complete the attack while the ball was flying in the air!
There are only 45 seconds left in the game!
"MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP!"
"Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin!"
"Go for it! Lin Chong! We're going for our fifth consecutive championship!"
"Destroy the Nets! Destroy these bastards!"
"Sweep! Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!"
The fans cheered excitedly. They had led for almost the entire game but fell behind in the final moments. Lin Tian scored effortlessly with just two screens. Carter's 1-for-4 free throws cast a shadow over the team. Without Kidd, the team lacked a true leader...
These factors combined led to the chaos and confusion among the Nets players on the court.
Gasol passed the ball from the baseline to Harrington, but instead of immediately looking for a guard, Harrington dribbled the ball up the court himself.
Although he is very versatile, and although he is known as a genius player who can play both inside and outside.
But that depends on who you meet!
Against 90% of the league's big men, Harrington's agility and ball-handling skills are excellent.
But when Harrington pushes the ball up the court, he's facing the energetic Howard head-on, with Lin Tian, the newly appointed best defensive player, secretly following him from the side. In that case, Harrington's pushing and dribbling abilities are basically just feeding the enemy.
"Snapped!"
Before the other players even crossed half-court, Lin Tian slapped the basketball away.
This time the referee didn't blow the whistle, and Howard reacted quickly, diving to save the ball before anyone else could grab it, and then tossed it to Lin Tian.
Lin Tian didn't hesitate after getting the ball. While the entire Nets team was still scrambling and yelling angrily on the bench, he dribbled the ball and quickly drove to the Nets' basket, once again pulling up for a powerful dunk, extending the lead to 3 points!
The Pacers, who were just on the verge of losing due to a last-second shot, have suddenly taken complete control!
As long as they don't make any stupid mistakes, they at least won't lose in regulation time!
Scott was so angry he felt like his bald head was going to grow hair back. He suppressed his rage and called a timeout.
Then his anger erupted.
Hmm... He held back just now so that he could unleash his anger and let it all out once everyone was in front of him!
These idiots are driving him crazy!
Such a great situation, leading by 7 points with 2 minutes left!
The Pacers have launched another offensive surge!
What? Carter only made 1 of 4 free throws? What? Harrington has no sense of proportion and tries to dribble past Lin Tian and Howard's double-team defense?
Scott was absolutely furious.
But he was so angry that his outburst of rage caused him to smash the tactical board, and he couldn't say anything else.
"You...you...you guys...FUXX!"
Scott was so angry he couldn't even speak!
"Next round, we have to score! It doesn't necessarily have to be 3 points, but it has to be fast!"
Seeing that Scott was rambling incoherently, Kidd naturally stepped forward and said to everyone, "Vince, don't lose confidence. You're still our most lethal weapon. Everyone misses a shot in a crucial moment!"
"Michael Jordan missed crucial free throws a few times when he was facing you guys, right? That's perfectly normal! The important thing is that you can't give up hope, and you can't lose confidence!"
"Next round, it'll be Vince's one-on-one again!"
"Whether you drive in to draw a foul or go straight for a three-pointer, it's up to you! I believe in you, and I believe everyone else believes in you too!"
After Kidd finished speaking, he patted Carter on the shoulder forcefully, expressing his trust.
At this moment, Scott finally caught his breath and looked at Carter, saying, "Jason is right! I believe you too!"
Then he looked at Kidd and said genuinely, "Thank you."
Scott knew that he had just failed in his duty as head coach!
The head coach must always be the calmest and most rational person on the team, especially when the team is in dire straits.
But he just lost his composure, and almost failed to formulate tactics during the timeout because of it.
If the team loses because of this, then Scott will truly become a laughing stock.
Fortunately, he still has Kidd.
Regardless, the Nets' morale, especially Carter's confidence, has finally recovered considerably.
The Nets still have a chance!
With 35 seconds left, the team was down by 3 points.
Timeout over, game resumes!
After a series of runs and screens, Carter successfully received the basketball 2 meters outside the three-point line. This time, he was up against Lin Tian!
"Come on, Lin!" Carter hugged the basketball, looked at Lin Tian, and said, "This time, I won't lose again!"
"You've said that line countless times." Lin Tian also lowered his center of gravity, raised his hands, and stared intently at Carter: "I sincerely hope you can do it even once!"
Because the Nets were behind, Carter didn't press the clock too hard. He just waited for 3 seconds at the top of the arc, let his teammates spread out, and then immediately launched the attack!
He initiated a breakthrough with a crossover dribble, choosing to drive hard from the left side.
But Lin Tian knew that this guy was a standard right-handed player, so he didn't stick too close to him; he was on guard against Carter's next move.
Sure enough, after only one step forward, Carter immediately executed a behind-the-back dribble, bringing the basketball to his right hand.
Then Carter made a powerful, stationary slam, followed by a sudden acceleration!
He was going to use his speed and physique to force his way past Lin Tian!
"That trick of yours won't work on me!"
Lin Tian had long since figured out Carter's offensive tactics. The two had played together for four years, and Lin Tian knew him better than anyone!
"You haven't practiced a single new move in the past two years?"
Lin Tian, who blocked Carter's attack, kept talking non-stop, interfering with Carter's attack both physically and mentally.
Carter had switched to a back-to-the-basket dribble, using his back to block Lin Tian and protect the ball. Then, he suddenly said, "Let me show you my new move!"
After Carter finished speaking, he suddenly dribbled with his left hand and made a half-turn to force a breakthrough, but in the blink of an eye he switched to dribbling with his right hand and made another half-turn in the opposite direction.
Then Carter suddenly exerted force with his shoulder, slamming into Lin Tian hard. Using the force of the impact, he quickly stepped back to the three-point line and then launched a three-pointer!
But Carter never expected that Lin Tian would actually catch up!
Despite being hit hard by Carter, Lin Tian's steps were not hindered at all due to the confrontation. He quickly rushed in front of Carter and jumped up to interfere!
Because of Lin Tian's unexpected defensive speed, Carter had to increase the arc and angle of his shot to avoid being blocked.
However, this means that what was once a sure thing for a three-pointer now becomes a matter of luck.
Carter, who only made 1 of 4 free throws, was clearly unlucky!
"Bang!"
After another muffled thud, the basketball bounced off the rim. Bonner, getting ahead of Gasol, slapped the ball to Lin Tian. Lin Tian caught the ball and then looked at Carter: "Do you know what your biggest problem is in basketball, Vince? Do you know why you can never compare to Kobe and Iverson?"
"You play basketball so well!"
Bonner grabbed the rebound with 29 seconds left in the game!
This means the Pacers can still run out of 24 seconds, and if the Nets can defend this attack, they will have another chance to tie the game!
This is truly the last chance!
Of course, the Nets could also choose to foul early, sending Lin to the free-throw line, and then proceed with their next move.
The reason Lin Tian didn't rush to advance after receiving Bonner's pass was because he was observing and waiting.
He saw Parker rushing towards the frontcourt, and he also saw Harris relentlessly chasing him, not giving Parker a direct chance to receive the ball and attack the basket. He also saw that no one from the Nets was running towards him to prepare to foul him, otherwise Lin Tian would have already started sprinting to avoid those tactical fouls, to waste as much time as possible!
But now it seems the Nets are choosing to use standard defense to shut down the Pacers' offense, and then try to tie the game one last time.
Seeing that the Nets were not fouling, Lin Tian began to slowly advance the ball.
"Do you understand what I meant, Vince?"
Seeing that Carter, who was defending him, didn't say anything, Lin Tian simply continued, "You play too much for the sake of looking good and flashy. This may gain you a lot of fans and make you an All-Star starter for a long time, but it won't make you stronger."
"For example, that so-called new trick you just mentioned."
As Lin Tian spoke, he suddenly launched an attack!
He also suddenly made a crossover dribble to the left and made a strong drive, then after one dribble, he made a behind-the-back dribble and sprinted towards the inside with his right hand.
But Lin Tian still didn't accelerate, and instead switched to a back-to-the-basket dribble, using his back to block Carter.
"That opening move, familiar, right?" Lin Tian braced himself against Carter with his back, continuing to undermine his confidence. "But what follows is different!"
"Your moves are too numerous and flashy, but they're completely ineffective. Instead, they give your opponent, who has already been outmaneuvered, an opportunity to catch up again!"
"You've played basketball for so many years, don't you know that the most important thing in dribbling past someone is speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness, not flashy moves? If flashy moves were enough, those streetball legends would have already become NBA All-Stars!"
As soon as Lin Tian finished speaking, he dribbled the ball with his left hand and did a half-turn. But unlike Carter, after this half-turn, Lin Tian used his shoulder to push Carter away and jumped back a big step, also stepping out of the three-point line, and then raised his hand to shoot.
Lin Tian's attack was faster, more concise, and had a greater range of motion!
But Carter was clearly prepared. Based on his understanding of Lin Tian, he had already guessed that Lin Tian was going to replicate his move after saying so much. So when Lin Tian turned around, Carter was already ready to pounce!
Seeing that Lin Tian was indeed using a step-back dribble, he was overjoyed and pounced on Lin Tian!
He even prepared his trash talk!
"You're more concise and faster than me, but what's the use?"
Then, Carter's eyes widened in disbelief.
Lin Tian didn't actually collect the ball! He just made a fake bowing motion!
After Carter jumped, Lin Tian immediately spun and dribbled to create space again. Then, from a point inside the three-point line, he calmly jumped and released the shot!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, the Pacers gained a 5-point lead with 17 seconds left!
The outcome is decided! (End of Chapter)