radicalducati Chapter 263 Fighting to the Last Bullet! The Indian Raises His Head High
Chapter 263 Fighting to the Last Bullet! The Indian Raises His Head High
Chapter 263 Fighting to the last bullet! The Indiana man left the field with his head held high!
Bird glanced at the stats, and they were truly appalling.
林天上半场比赛打满了24分钟，23投8中，其中3分球4投1中，罚球10罚8中，拿下了25分8篮板4助攻2抢断。
Lin Tian's shooting percentage is already low enough. In other games, this would be the shooting percentage of a reckless shooter who just randomly throws shots.
But apart from Lin Tian, the accuracy of the others was even more appalling!
除了林天之外，步行者其余所有人加起来25投5中，3分球8投1中，罚球6罚3中，拿到了14分。
Compared to them, Lin Tian was actually very efficient and played exceptionally well.
Of course, the Heat's stats were just as appalling.
Apart from Mourning, who made 6 of 14 shots with a shooting percentage of almost 50%, the rest of the Heat players had shooting percentages hovering below 30%.
Both teams played incredibly poorly in this match! They focused too much energy on defense and physical contact.
The Heat had to do everything they could to stop and shut down Lin Tian, preventing him from scoring easily. The Pacers, unable to make their own shots, could only focus all their energy on defense, increasing the intensity and physicality to make the Heat's shooting percentage as bad as theirs!
In short, no matter who wins this match in the end, it will definitely be incredibly fierce!
In the second half, the players from both sides switched fields and continued the battle!
In the first possession of the second half, Mourning single-handedly held off Perkins and Davis in the paint, swinging his elbows left and right to push them aside, before unleashing a powerful two-handed dunk to help his team take the lead!
Turning back, Lin Tian faced a double-team from Hardaway and Mashburn, and once again chose to forcefully attack the basket. Under the basket, facing a triple encirclement by the Heat, Lin Tian forced a jump and shot, but was hit in the stomach by Mourning's elbow. He lost his balance in an instant and fell directly out of bounds!
Although the basketball shot didn't go in, the referee did blow the whistle and gave Mourning a blocking foul!
In the very first round of attack and defense at the start of the second half, both sides were fiercely competitive and fought an incredibly brutal battle!
This fierce battle had reached a point where both sides were bloodthirsty. The anger in their hearts had not eased at all during the 20-minute halftime break. On the contrary, in the second half, after the rest, the players had more energy to fight, confront, and battle!
The hand-to-hand combat continues!
After both sides scored 2 points at the start, the game once again entered a rhythm of missed shots, fierce defense, and constant confrontation. Neither side improved their scoring efficiency at all. Every point was extremely difficult, and every basket required facing the opponent's big elbows and hands that were always ready to foul!
This match was definitely the most intense and fiercest competition Lin Tian had ever participated in during his professional career!
As the game progressed, the Heat gradually gained the upper hand!
The most important reason for this is Mourning!
As a All-NBA First Team center and Defensive Player of the Year this season, Mourning's shooting touch wasn't great tonight, but as Perkins' stamina waned and Davis couldn't carry the team alone, Mourning gradually took control of the paint! He started grabbing more and more rebounds, and Perkins slowly became unable to compete with Mourning!
In the first half, Perkins was able to rely on his experience, weight, and skill to put up a good fight against Mourning in the battle for position.
But in the second half, as the veteran's stamina began to decline rapidly, he could no longer keep up with Mourning, who was always able to hold his position and grab rebounds.
In the third quarter alone, Mourning grabbed 10 rebounds, 5 of which were offensive rebounds!
Thanks to Mourning's 10 rebounds in the quarter, the Heat finally started to exert their strength and scored 18 points in this quarter, while the Pacers still only managed to score 13 points in this quarter!
Worse still, without the support of rebounds, they couldn't execute their fast breaks. Lin Tian could only face multiple defenders in half-court sets, repeatedly charging towards the basket with several defenders on his back before finishing the game!
In this quarter of the game, Lin Tian fought incredibly hard. He charged forward again and again, throwing himself into the air each time, only to fall to the ground again and again.
Lin Tian gave his all tonight, using everything he had to fight!
Even so, the Pacers' lack of personnel gradually put them on the defensive!
If the Heat's comeback in the third quarter wasn't too bad, then the Pacers' interior defense was completely breached when Mourning made a strong drive under the basket with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, drawing Perkins' sixth foul and sending the 38-year-old veteran out of bounds!
Pope, who came on as a substitute, was completely unable to stop Mourning. Despite having plenty of energy, he was outscored three times by Mourning in the next two minutes!
Thanks to Mourning's consecutive baskets, the Pacers' lead, which they had just closed in the first half of the fourth quarter, was gradually widened again!
With two minutes left in the game, Christie picked up his sixth foul! He lost control of his movement while defending Mashburn's back-to-the-basket move, and Mashburn seized the opportunity to knock Christie down as well!
After Mashburn went to the free-throw line and made both free throws, the score became 68-61!
The Heat's lead has reached 7 points!
This was also their biggest lead of the game!
Already short-handed, the Pacers had two more players ejected, and their two most important defensive positions, both inside and outside, were breached. The Pacers were clearly going to be in a completely passive position for the next two minutes!
After Mashburn made the free throw, Bird called another timeout.
During the timeout, Bird looked at Lin Tian, who was practically slumped on the bench, having not rested for a second all night and constantly wiping away sweat, Davis, who had held the fort in the paint for the entire game, and Hoiberg, who had almost collapsed onto the bench, as if he hadn't gone to the bench but sat directly on the floor, as if that would save him a few steps and conserve his energy.
Looking at them, Bird almost opened his mouth to say, "Maybe we should just call it quits tonight, and let's call it quits this series too."
Bird was genuinely a little reluctant; he couldn't bear to see his disciple fighting so hard!
"Give me the ball!" After downing three large bottles of energy drink, Lin Tian flung the towel off his head and shouted, "For the next two minutes, give me every single ball! I'll take you to Miami with a victory!"
"With victory and match point, let's head to Miami!"
After Lin Tian's words, Bird couldn't bring himself to give up. He went to everyone and said, "Let's do as Lin says! Let's fight like this!"
For the first time, Bird had the thought that he was a terrible head coach. He realized that he couldn't do anything except agree with what Lin Tian said.
He was powerless and could only entrust everything to Lin Tian!
The game continues!
Lin Tian took the ball from the sideline, looked at Hardaway and Mashburn, who were also nearly exhausted, and then looked down and realized that he was only 2 meters away from the three-point line.
Not far!
Then Lin Tian gathered the ball, jumped, and launched a super long-range three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian hit his second three-pointer of the night!
This is also the team's third 3-pointer tonight!
After the goal, the entire stadium erupted in wild cheers and energy once again! Lin Tian had once again pulled the team back from the brink of collapse, and once again gave the fans a glimmer of hope!
Tonight, we haven't lost yet!
Mo Ning walked past Lin Tian with a grim face, saying, "You played very well, Lin, but I will destroy you! You are powerless to stop me!"
After saying that, Mourning quickly walked towards the Pacers' three-second zone, then backed down, boxed out, called for the ball, turned, and hooked.
The entire sequence of movements was executed flawlessly. Davis, standing behind him, could no longer even lift his arms. He was powerless to stop Mourning from scoring over his head!
70: 64!
1 minute and 40 seconds left!
After Mourning scored, Lin Tian waved frantically, wanting the team to quickly take a baseline pass and launch a fast attack. Unfortunately, Pope, who had the ball on the baseline, couldn't understand Lin Tian's intentions and didn't dare to pass the ball rashly. He hesitated on the baseline, afraid of making a mistake.
Finally, he served the ball only after Lin Tian turned back.
Once again, Lin Tian chose to forcefully attack the basket!
As usual, Mashburn and Hardaway were completely unable to stop Lin Tian's breakthrough. Their minds were a complete mess at this moment. They couldn't believe that Lin Tian could still move so fast at this point!
Facing Mourning this time, Lin Tian once again demonstrated his toughness! Instead of choosing a floater, he threw himself into the air and collided with Mourning again. Then, after hearing the referee's call for blocking, he casually tossed the ball out before losing his balance.
"Whoosh!"
Another 2+1!
This time, Lin Tian fell out of bounds again and crashed into the group of photographers. This time, Lin Tian lay on the floor, unwilling to move for a long time!
He discovered for the first time that lying on the floor could be so comfortable and blissful! Lin Tian really wanted to lie on the floor all night long!
Seeing that Lin Tian hadn't gotten up for a long time, Bird couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up from his seat, wishing he could run to Lin Tian immediately. The four Pacers players on the court also went to the sidelines to check on Lin Tian's condition.
"fine."
Seeing his worried teammates, Lin Tian reached out his hand, and Hoiberg and Davis pulled him up.
Lin Tian shrugged his shoulders and said, "The competition isn't over yet!"
After stepping to the free-throw line, Lin Tian accurately made the free throw, narrowing the gap between the two sides to 3 points!
1 minute and 20 seconds left!
The entire stadium had gone completely wild, with fans chanting Lin Tian's name incessantly, cheering him on and the team on.
But the fans' shouts clearly couldn't stop Miami's iron hooves.
Mashburn once again sat in the low post and easily overpowered Hoiberg, scoring another 2 points!
The point difference has reached 5 points again!
Then, when Lin Tian dribbled to the top of the arc again, there were three people guarding him!
Not only did Mashburn release Hoiberg, but Leonard also released Bernanke, who replaced Christie. The three of them began to surround and intercept Lin Tian online!
Faced with this kind of defense, even Lin Tian had no choice but to pass the ball!
After receiving the ball, Hoiberg was completely unguarded for a full three meters. He glanced at the ball and then launched another three-pointer!
"Bang!"
Unfortunately, the sound of the ball hitting the brick was like a giant hammer, smashing into the hearts of every Pacers fan!
After missing the shot, Davis failed to grab the offensive rebound, and the entire team quickly retreated on defense. By this point, the Heat were no longer in a hurry.
They were running down the clock until there were only 5 seconds left on the shot clock when the ball finally came into Mourning's hands, and he turned and hooked the ball in again!
The point difference is back to 7 points!
But there were only 28 seconds left in the game!
Fortunately, Davis was the one inbounding the ball to the baseline this time. He knew what Lin Tian wanted right now, and the moment he arrived at the baseline, he found Lin Tian and quickly passed the ball to him!
After receiving the ball, Lin Tian did not hesitate. He dribbled the ball all the way to the frontcourt and then, at the right 45-degree angle, he did not hesitate at all and forced a three-pointer over Hardaway in front of him!
Lin Tian used almost all his remaining strength for this shot, so when he released the ball, his body leaned forward noticeably. Hardaway didn't react to Lin Tian's sudden forward lean and shot, and his hand got caught on Lin Tian's arm!
"Whoosh!"
"Beep! Foul on the hand! 3 points awarded, plus 1 free throw!"
The referee's decision is crucial. Even if Riley immediately stood up from the bench and went to argue with the referee with an incredulous look on his face, in this era without challenges, the referee's decision is unchangeable!
The Pacers have once again risen from the ashes!
Lin Tian didn't go to celebrate, nor did he watch the referee and Riley's argument.
He lowered his head and slowly moved to the free-throw line, preparing to shoot the free throw.
He can't do anything else now, he doesn't have the energy!
There are only 22 seconds left in the game!
Lin Tian stood at the free-throw line, ignoring everything else, deep in thought.
Then, after the referee told Riley to sit down and gave the ball to Lin Tian for a free throw, Lin Tian realized something.
After taking a deep breath, Lin Tian aimed at the front edge of the basket, then deliberately lowered the arc and increased the power when he shot the free throw.
"Bang!"
A muffled thud was heard; Lin Tian missed his free throw!
And the free throw was ridiculously short; it hit the front edge of the backboard and then almost came back the same way!
The four players vying for the rebound under the basket instantly huddled together, but none of them managed to touch the ball!
Having anticipated the basketball's landing point, Lin Tian suddenly rushed into the paint, then jumped with incredible precision, caught the basketball in mid-air, and then threw it back towards the basket!
"Whoosh!"
74: 72!
Just two seconds ago, Pacers fans were in despair because Lin Tian missed a free throw and thought the team was completely finished. Now they are experiencing what it means to go from hell to heaven!
Lin Tian grabbed the rebound and made the putback, scoring a 3+2 in this play!
They pulled back 5 points in one round!
The suspense of the match returned in the blink of an eye!
And what Lin Tian was just thinking about?
One point isn't enough! He needs two points!
Even if the Pacers made the free throws and defended the Heat's offense, they were still down by 3 points!
Even if Lin Tian hits another three-pointer, they will only go into overtime. But given the Pacers' current form and physical condition, going into overtime would be no different from losing!
Therefore, Lin Tian needs 2 points!
He wants a chance to kill the game outright!
Riley, on the sidelines, had run out of timeouts. He yelled, "Stay calm! Run the clock! Run it to the end! It's okay! Run it to the end and stay steady! We can hold off on attacking and wait for them to foul! They're out of timeouts too! They're running out of time!"
"Don't make a mistake! Absolutely don't make a mistake! Stay calm!"
"If they foul, just make the free throws! Tim, stay calm! Don't make any mistakes!"
That's all Riley can do.
With 20 seconds left, the Heat brought the ball up the court, but their attempt to stall for time was clearly not going to be easy.
Lin Tian took the initiative and began to press Hardaway relentlessly from midfield, making it almost impossible for Hardaway to dribble.
Seeing that he was about to be forced back onto the field by Lin Tian, Hardaway had no choice but to jump up and pass the ball towards Mashburn! But Bernanke, who had been pressed like a cotton ball by Mashburn, suddenly took two steps forward and beat Mashburn to the ball!
Unfortunately, Böhneun lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground, failing to intercept the ball completely!
With Mashburn also brought down by Bohannon, the two players closest to the basketball became Pope and Mourning!
At this moment, Pope finally brought out his speed advantage. He reacted faster than Mourning, was faster, and was more reckless! He used a diving header move from a soccer game to get to the ball before Mourning could reach it, and passed it towards Lin Tian at the top of the key!
"Thump!" Then, he fell to the floor!
Lin Tian certainly wouldn't let down his two teammates who weren't afraid of getting injured and fell heavily to the ground. He grabbed the basketball, turned around, and pushed it towards the frontcourt again!
There are 5 seconds left!
The entire stadium was filled with fans who spontaneously stood up, their eyes wide open, waiting for the historic moment to come!
He drove to the three-point line, gathered the ball, faked a move, took a half-step to the side to create space, then turned his body to the side and forcefully pulled up for a shot!
"beep!"
The first thing to sound was the whistle signaling the end of the match.
Whether this shot goes in or not, it's the last shot of the night!
It's a one-off deal; whether you win or lose, there's no room for maneuver or possibility of reversal!
Everyone held their breath, awaiting the final judgment of the basketball god!
"Whoosh!"
A crisp sound, so incredibly refreshing, could keep the entire Indiana party going all night!
Lin Tian hit the fatal blow!
The entire stadium erupted in cheers!
Lying on the floor, Lin Tian pounded his chest frantically with both hands, then let out an extremely liberating roar!
We finally got it!
The Pacers have won Game 5!
这个晚上，林天再一次打满了48分钟！虽然他47投只有17中，虽然他3分球13投只有4中！连罚球都在下半场有些失准，全场只有22罚16中！
But he hit three consecutive three-pointers in the final moments of the game, scoring 14 consecutive points for the team in the final stretch and leading them out of the abyss!
That night, Lin Tian scored 54 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists. With the team only scoring 75 points, he alone accounted for more than 70% of the team's points!
Apart from Lin Tian, no other Pacers player scored in double figures, and no one even scored more than 8 points! Although Lin Tian missed 30 shots in a single game, his teammates were even more inefficient.
Everyone except Lin Tian had a shooting percentage of only 27%! In contrast, Lin Tian consumed so much ball possession and with such an exaggerated defensive intensity, yet his shooting percentage was almost 10 percentage points higher than his teammates!
Lin Tian truly carried the entire team tonight!
He found the only way out for the Pacers in a desperate situation, and seized it, creating a miracle once again!
After Lin Tian hit the game-winning three-pointer, he lay on the ground for a long time, unwilling to get up! Lin Tian was truly exhausted!
His teammates, clearly lacking the strength to help Lin Tian up, simply piled on top of him, creating a human pyramid! Everyone lay on the ground, celebrating and resting at the same time!
The Pacers were really exhausted tonight!
Amidst the frenzied celebrations, no one on the Pacers noticed when the Heat left the court. They had neither the mood nor the energy to care about what had happened to the Heat. The fans in the arena lingered, reluctant to leave. The game had been far too thrilling and too crazy!
Everything felt like a wonderful dream!
"A perfect night. I really don't know how to describe Lin's performance tonight." Barkley's eyes were even a little red, and his voice sounded like he was about to cry: "Lin is just too unbelievable. I'm proud to be his friend, and I'm proud to have fought alongside him!"
For the first time ever, Kenny didn't mock Barkley's excitement and tears. Instead, he nodded in agreement, saying, "This is the most spectacular solo performance I've ever seen in my life! Lin has fulfilled every ordinary person's fantasy of a hero! He is a real-world superhero!"
"He is Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, he is the X-Men, he is the embodiment of all heroes!"
Su Qun from Huaxia Sports also choked up a bit, saying, "It's truly wonderful that our country has produced such a basketball player! A perfect player! A super player who can do everything, who can accomplish everything!"
Sun Zhengping continued, "I'm not a superstitious person. I've never believed in gods, Buddhas, God, or anything like that. But I have to say: if I really had to choose someone to represent all those gods and Buddhas, it would be Lin Tian! What he did tonight was a miracle!"
That night, the Pacers players missed the press conference again; this time, they were truly exhausted!
That night, no one questioned or protested the Pacers' decision not to attend the press conference.
Reporters are still human, after all. They were exhausted from playing on the field and couldn't attend the press conference, which is fine too!
That night, the praise for the Pacers was overwhelming, as if it were a repeat of Game 2 of the series!
Lin Tian scores 14 consecutive points and hits the game-winning shot! He single-handedly carries the entire team!
So what if I miss 30 shots in a single game? I can still carry the team!
"Playing for a full 48 minutes again! It's like there's a nuclear engine inside Iron Man Lin Tian!"
"50+ points in a single game and another game-winning shot; Lin Tian's clutch 3+2 play shows he's more than just athletic!"
The greatest solo performance in history! Lin Tian delivers another masterpiece in his playoff career!
The Jedi Eight conquered Mount Everest! Willpower trumps all!
The ultimate battle of willpower! The Pacers take another victory!
Hardaway's 4 out of 5 games ended in defeat; the former "Beetle" was utterly devoured!
With the series at 3-1, how will the Pacers decide their next game?
A top-tier player and a first-rate coach! How did Larry Bird build such a super team?
The adoration of fans, the praise of the media, the admiration of peers...
The Pacers have once again been hailed as the pinnacle by the media and fans. This game was incredibly important for both the Pacers and the league!
It brought many fans who had developed a dislike for the NBA due to the summer's labor dispute back to the league. The purest sports and the purest competition are sometimes more attractive than those fancy tricks!
In short, although the public opinion unanimously praises the Pacers, there are actually not many people who truly believe that the Pacers will ultimately advance!
Or rather, there aren't many professionals who are optimistic about them!
Fans are always passionate; they support whoever plays well, plays brilliantly, or moves people the most. However, professional commentators, media, and other industry professionals tend to be more rational.
For example, a famous player's internal newspaper, where all news and reports are published from the player's perspective, and many newspapers that only involve players, such as Bleacher Report, conducted a poll with only player participation after the fifth game.
The final results showed that over 91% of people believed the Heat would win Game 7.
Only 9% of people believe that the Pacers will win in Game 6 or 7!
It's fair to say that the Pacers are widely considered to be losing out by their peers.
There was nothing they could do. Everyone had seen how brutal the fifth match was. They had far too few players available, and their stamina was clearly exhausted. Winning one or two matches through sheer willpower was already their limit! How could they possibly win any more?
Unless they have something like Senzu Beans or Superman Serum, their physical strength and energy will never be restored!
This is the limit of the human body; it's not something that can be defeated again and again by sheer willpower.
Kenny said on a show: "The Pacers' performance is very respectable. They have really exceeded our expectations. It is incredible that they can push the Heat to this point with their current roster, but I really find it hard to believe that they can continue to go this far."
"But regardless, based on their performance in this series, they are definitely the league's top championship favorites next season!"
Charles Barkley, who always blindly sides with the Pacers and is a supporter of the Pacers and Lin Tian, also expressed his pessimism on the same program: "I contacted the Pacers and I have to say, the situation is terrible. Everyone is at their limit. Old man Sam even went to the hospital after the game."
"Poor guy, he was so exhausted he had to get an IV drip. The others were in similar situations. In short, there was no laughter or cheering from the Pacers after the game; they were just exhausted."
Barkley and Kenny's words already made it quite clear.
Unless a miracle occurs or the Pacers get at least another week of rest, they definitely won't be able to keep going.
They have indeed reached their limit.
The sixth game in Miami proved this perfectly. The game was in the Heat's rhythm from the very beginning, and they dominated the Pacers from the very first second!
At the start of the game, Bird was thinking of using his main players to try and win the game in the sixth game.
Less than five minutes into the first quarter, when the Pacers were completely outmatched by the Heat in terms of intensity and fell behind by 10 points in just five minutes, Bird quickly woke up and immediately substituted his three starters, including Perkins, to give them a rest.
This game was almost a carbon copy of Game 4, but the difference was that the Pacers put up less resistance tonight and lost even more badly!
Bird displayed his usual decisiveness in this game. The three substitutes played continuously from the 5 minutes after they entered the game, and played the entire game without rest. As for the starting five, they continued to rotate and play, so that they could consume as little energy as possible and conserve their stamina.
This strategy and tactic naturally resulted in the Pacers suffering another devastating defeat!
101: 60!
The Heat went on a rampage, defeating the Pacers by a whopping 41 points that night!
This loss broke the Pacers' franchise record for the most points lost in a single game, and it was their worst loss in playoff history!
But the aftermath of this crushing defeat extends far beyond that.
At this point in the series, there's only one day between Game 6 and Game 7, and the Pacers need to return to Indiana from Miami.
Even though Bird had done his best to let the players rest, the severe fatigue and complete exhaustion were obviously not easy to recover from.
In Game 7 of the series, although Bird did everything he could to encourage the team before the game, and the players really wanted to continue their miracle and win another game at home to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
But they really couldn't fight anymore.
Lin Tian's physical strength had also been completely exhausted.
In Game 7 of the series, the Pacers put up some resistance, but not much.
In the first half, they were able to keep up with the Heat, trailing by only 9 points. However, in the third quarter, when their stamina plateaued again, the Heat once again demonstrated their dominance!
Less than four minutes into the second half, the Heat went on a 9-2 run.
They widened the gap to more than 15 points!
In the subsequent game, the Pacers were unable to narrow the gap to within 10 points. Although their key players continued to fight on the court, the gap of more than 10 points was like an insurmountable chasm, which they could never close.
With three minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Pacers were still down by a full 16 points!
Given their form tonight, they clearly have no chance in this game.
Watching the Pacers fans in the stands drag their weary legs and run in their final struggle, some finally couldn't hold back anymore.
I don't know who started it, but the scope kept expanding!
Finally, the slogans turned into a unified roar from the entire audience.
"That's enough, you can rest now!"
Fans sincerely hope that their heroes can sit on the sidelines and rest for a while!
That's enough!
Hearing the unified shouts from the court, Bird finally couldn't hold back his tears, which instantly turned red. He called a timeout and substituted Lin Tian, Christie, and Perkins, who had been playing without a break for a second and were barely able to keep their eyes open.
The fans are right, that's enough, let's rest!
As soon as Lin Tian and the others sat down on the bench, the wounded soldiers of the footmen sitting behind them surrounded them.
"Great job, Lin! Let's do it again next year!" Miller patted Lin Tian on the shoulder, pursing his lips. The most cold-blooded man on the court was actually the most emotional, and at this moment, he couldn't stop his tears.
"I won't get injured again next year!" Carter patted his chest, expressing his determination!
"Next year, we'll wipe out these Miami cockroaches!" Mullin sighed and sat down on the bench.
Next up were Ben, Schmitz, Buckner...
The Pacers players filled their bench once again, hoping to be with their teammates, at least at this point in the game!
98: 80!
A few minutes later, this brutal series finally came to an end.
The Pacers suffered heavy defeats in their last two games, losing by nearly 60 points! But no one will criticize them, no one will say they played badly, because they really gave it their all!
When the final whistle blew, Lin Tian stood up from the bench, walked over to Lewis, who was sitting on the sidelines, weeping with his face covered, and patted the head of the young man who had just graduated from high school and was not yet 19 years old, saying, "Alright, stand up and go congratulate our opponents."
"They won fair and square; we weren't good enough! Show the sportsmanship of defending champions! If you feel resentful, unwilling to admit defeat, then train hard this summer! Next year, we'll come back!"
"Hmm!" Lewis wiped his face. Although he still couldn't calm down, he stood up and walked forward with his teammates, whose eyes were also red. They walked up to the Heat players, hugged them one by one, shook hands with them, and exchanged jerseys.
Although they won by a large margin in the last two games, it is clear that the Pacers also earned the respect of everyone on the Heat team.
"Lin, they all call me Iron Man, saying I'm the toughest guy in the NBA, but honestly, after this series, I think you deserve that title more than I do." Mourning patted Lin Tian on the shoulder, expressing his heartfelt feelings.
"Based on that statement, when you have nowhere to go after failing to win the championship," Lin Tian said with a smile, punching Mo Ning lightly, "come to me, and I'll lead you to victory."
"Screw you! I'll win the championship this year!" Mourning snorted. "So what if they're Michael and Patrick? I'll crush them!"
"I don't think it's possible. You can't do it." Lin Tian grinned mischievously and fired another shot at Mo Ning.
"I'm completely convinced!" Hardaway also came over. This guy, who hadn't scored in four of the first five games of the series and hadn't even reached double digits in the sixth and seventh games, and had been completely devoured by Lin Tian, also hugged Lin Tian and said, "Our era is over. Next, it's your era."
"This era has never belonged to you, Tim." After his earlier sadness, Lin Tian quickly regained his composure. "This era belongs to Michael and Hakim, but my era began last year! The first decade of the new century will belong to me!"
After Lin Tian acted obnoxiously towards Mourning and Hardaway, both of them gave Lin Tian the middle finger.
"Lin, if you're not happy in Indiana," Riley came over and whispered in Lin Tian's ear, but Lin Tian interrupted him halfway through his sentence.
"Larry, this old guy is trying to poach your guys!" Lin Tian shouted loudly in Bird's direction.
"Fuck!" Riley rolled his eyes and said, "I'm serious. If you're willing to come, I'm willing to do anything to trade for you!"
"Alonzo, Tim, this old guy says he wants to trade you!" Lin Tian shouted again at Mourning and Hardaway in front of him.
What he got in return was a huge eye roll from Riley and a middle finger, and then Riley turned and left.
That night, the Pacers lost their season, but they earned the respect of the entire league.
Indians can leave the arena with their heads held high!
(End of this chapter)