vncnus Chapter 308 Stunned on the Spot! Lin Tian Delivers the Most Insane Dunk in History
Chapter 308 Stunned on the Spot! Lin Tian Delivers the Most Insane Dunk in History
Chapter 308 He fainted on the spot! Lin Tian delivered the most insane dunk in history!
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he shrugged and walked behind the free-throw line. His confident demeanor made Malone tremble a little.
Then?
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, this free throw shooter, whose free throw percentage has been around 77% for most of his career, failed to make this crucial free throw!
That muffled thud was nothing short of a death knell tolling in the hearts of Heat fans!
By missing that free throw, their chances of winning tonight have dropped by more than half!
In the final minute or so, the difference between 3 and 4 points may seem like just one point, but in terms of the situation on the court, it was a world of difference!
Three points can be caught up in one round, but four points require two rounds!
Because of this missed free throw, the Heat were back on the edge of the cliff, with one foot already off the edge.
Their last chance is the next throw-in!
Malone, who had just missed a free throw, came to the sideline to serve, while the other four players scattered, preparing to find an opportunity to receive the ball.
The Pacers didn't defend the Heat's inbounds passes too aggressively because they knew it wasn't the time to gamble on blocking the opponent's outbounds balls. For the Pacers, playing steadily was the most important thing right now!
To be on the safe side, Payton followed Riley's instructions and retreated all the way to his own half before reaching out for the ball!
Instead of rushing the ball forward and scoring, the Heat opted for a back pass, opting for a more cautious approach by initiating their attack from the backcourt.
Then came a series of ball movements; the Heat were hoping to get the ball inside for Mourning to score.
But at this point in the game, Ben Wallace stopped caring about having five fouls. He was fighting and battling Mourning like crazy, constantly pushing Mourning out of the paint, making it difficult for Mourning to establish a foothold. After a few seconds, the Heat changed tactics and stopped relentlessly attacking Mourning!
The basketball returned to Payton's hands, and he waved for Malone to step up and set a screen!
The pick-and-roll play that the Utah Jazz duo excelled at back in the day is back on the court!
Ma Long's cover was always fierce and ruthless; he made no attempt to hide his large elbows as he went straight for Lin Tian's head.
Lin Tian didn't confront him head-on. Instead, he bent down and retreated, bypassing the cover, and made a move to pounce on Payton.
After believing he had drawn the defense of Webber and Lin Tian, Payton suddenly made a one-handed bounce pass, trying to pass the ball to Malone!
But Lin Tian had already figured that Payton wouldn't take the shot himself! He would definitely choose the more reliable Malone!
So he kept an eye on Payton's passing lanes!
The moment Payton made the pass, Lin Tian suddenly turned and stepped in front of Malone, then grabbed the basketball!
"Well done, Gary!"
Lin Tian roared and then dribbled the ball towards the frontcourt to launch a counterattack!
This time, Lin Tian didn't settle down to wait for his teammates, nor did he, as he had done most of the night, settle down to fight a positional battle to kill time.
This time, Lin Tian is going to make a breakthrough!
Payton, whose steal was intercepted, quickly moved to block Lin Tian's counterattack. However, Lin Tian, who had been holding back for almost the entire game and had hardly ever accelerated to launch a counterattack, was not someone that Payton alone could hold down.
Lin Tian was advancing at high speed while constantly switching dribbling hands and changing direction while moving to deceive Payton's center of gravity!
Then, as Lin Tian drove all the way to the Heat's three-point line, he suddenly made a sharp change of direction, pulling the ball to the right side. Just as Payton came up to defend, he pulled back again, bringing the ball back from between his legs to his left hand. Then he suddenly raised his center of gravity, and his ball-handling hand pretended to flip upwards, as if he was about to catch the ball and shoot.
As Payton pressed forward again, trying to stop Lin Tian's shot, Lin Tian lowered his center of gravity once more, slammed the ball onto the floor, and darted past Payton!
A near-perfectly timed step-back dribble past the opponent!
As Lin Tian flashed past Payton, Payton completely lost his balance due to the continuous shifts in his center of gravity and the constant starting and stopping!
If he had given up defending Lin Tian at this moment, everything would have been fine; he would have just been beaten. But unfortunately, Payton still wanted to catch up with Lin Tian!
But at this moment, the only things on his body that could keep up with Lin Tian were his brain and eyes!
"Bang!"
After a muffled thud, Payton, unwilling to give up, sat down awkwardly on the floor, having been knocked down by Lin Tian!
Lin Tian didn't even glance at Payton sitting on the floor before charging straight toward the basket!
Under the basket of the Heat, only Bowen was standing there. Surprisingly, he wasn't afraid at this moment. He looked at Lin Tian, calculated the timing and angle of Lin Tian's jump, and then jumped up!
"Watch out, Lin!" Barkley couldn't help but shout, because in that instant, he saw Bowen's outstretched, sinister hand.
Judging from this guy's posture, he's not going to defend at all; he's going to knock Lin Tian over!
"Bang!"
After another muffled thud, Lin Tian and Bao Wen collided heavily in mid-air!
How terrifying would Lin Tian be if he charged at full speed, pushing his speed and power to the limit, and went all out to get to the basket?
Mourning, Malone, Kemp, Ewing, Robinson...
These top centers in the league can all tell Bowen: being hit by Lin Tian at full speed is not much different from being hit by a fully grown African elephant!
These top-tier centers, with their strength and abilities, couldn't withstand Lin Tian's impact, let alone Bowen, who is even lighter than Lin Tian.
The two touched and separated in mid-air. Lin Tian was completely unaffected and, still in the same position, slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!
A dunk so fierce it took your breath away!
In that instant, Lin Tian once again became the focus of the basketball world!
The entire city of Indiana and all of Lin Tian's fans went crazy for this shot!
That's so brutal! That's so terrifying!
While Lin Tian was enjoying cheers and the spotlight, Bowen didn't receive such treatment.
This guy was knocked sideways by Lin Tian in mid-air and lost all control of his body when he landed. He landed on his back first, and even after landing, he still couldn't control his body. His head slammed heavily on the floor!
The "thud" was incredibly frightening!
The group of photographers sitting on the sidelines all heard the sound of Bowen's fall, and many of them were so shocked that their eyes widened as they watched Bowen lying on the floor.
The photographers were genuinely terrified, not only by the loud noise, but also because Bowen was lying motionless on the floor!
This guy has most likely lost consciousness!
"My God! Was that the sound I just heard, Bowen's head hitting the floor?" Kenny exclaimed in disbelief. "Wasn't that a terrifying sound? He's been lying there, completely still. I think the referee needs to check on him properly!"
"He might have fainted." Barkley said, a little shaken, "Was Lin's impact really that exaggerated? Could he knock someone out? Cause them to go into shock?"
"If Bowen had actually fainted and gone into shock, then Lin's dunk would probably be considered the most brutal poster dunk in NBA history!"
"Speaking of which, shouldn't we pray for Bowen?" Barkley suddenly blurted out, "We don't want to see any injuries on the court."
"Yes, I should, but unfortunately, I'm an atheist right now and don't believe in these things." Kenny shrugged and made a regretful expression. "But even though I can't pray, I hope he gets better soon."
The referee quickly blew the whistle to stop the game again, while waving for the Heat's team doctor to come forward immediately!
The match was interrupted once again.
Bowen is injured!
If it were any other player who got injured, Pacers fans would definitely applaud to show their support!
Indians have always had this kind of manners!
But this time it was Bowen who got hurt!
The Indians haven't forgotten the scene of this guy trying to kill Lin Tian!
Then, led by someone, the fans in the stadium began chanting slogans in unison!
"Fake fall! Fake fall! Fake fall! Fake fall!"
"Serves you right! Serves you right! Serves you right! Serves you right!"
"Die! You damned villain!"
Pacers fans will have absolutely no sympathy or pity for the guy who dared to hurt their team's star player!
A few minutes later, the Heat's team doctor quickly made a gesture towards the sidelines.
Lin Tian knew that this was the position for a stretcher!
Bowen is definitely out of the game, and even the series!
Judging from the sound he made and his motionless position on the floor, the photographers at the bottom line all said: at the very least, it's a concussion!
Bowen's fall just now was incredibly hard! He fell sideways from the air with almost no cushioning or protection!
Falling directly onto the floor from such a height in this position could potentially break your spine if you're unlucky!
Concussion?
If it really was just a concussion, then Bowen was incredibly lucky.
At that moment, the large screen at the scene focused its camera on Bowen, who was lying on a stretcher with his eyes closed, and then sent him the most sincere blessings once again!
"Trash! Trash! Trash! Trash!"
"Die! Die! Die! Die!"
……
High-level trash talk often appears in the most ordinary form!
After Bowen was carried off the field, Riley substituted Ruben Paterson back on!
The referee awarded 2 points, ruling that neither side had committed a foul!
Lin Tian's move was incredibly clean! On the contrary, Bowen's move was less clean; he clearly wanted to give Lin Tian a good thrashing and send him flying. But Bowen never expected that he would be the one knocked away by Lin Tian!
He was so badly thrown that he had to be carried out!
If Bowen were still conscious at this moment, he would definitely be filled with regret!
He could have easily dodged that ball; why did he have to be so crazy as to confront Lin Tian head-on?
That's suicidal! Bruce, Bruce, why did you have to provoke this humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex?
Unfortunately, Bowen was clearly unable to think at this moment and did not know what was happening to him. He was dizzy and had not regained his ability to think until he was lifted into the ambulance!
On the court, Lin Tian not only dunked successfully, but also used the cleanest and most impeccable method to take down Bowen, the opponent's hidden weapon!
Anyway, Lin Tian felt that Bowen would most likely have psychological trauma in the future!
Amidst the excited and frenzied cheers of the home fans, the Pacers successfully extended their lead to 6 points!
Then, during the Heat's offensive possession, Payton quickly dribbled up the court, and with the help of a screen, pulled up for a three-pointer!
But the three-pointer that could have saved the Heat missed. Payton couldn't maintain the touch he had just made with a three-pointer, and the basketball bounced off the rim!
While in the air, Webber knew he would have a hard time getting the ball between Mourning and Malone, so instead of trying to catch it, he clenched his fist and slammed the ball away from the basket!
He believed that Lin Tian would definitely be able to hold onto the basketball!
Furthermore, even if Lin Tian can't hold onto the basketball, this long flight distance can still consume several seconds of game time!
This is precious time!
Lin Tian certainly wouldn't let his buddy down. He shook off Payton and quickly chased after the basketball. He grabbed the ball near midcourt and then dribbled it, sprinting towards the frontcourt!
Behind Lin Tian were the Heat players, who chased after him like madmen, trying to catch him and foul him to give their team a last glimmer of hope of winning!
Lin Tian's speed was astonishing; when he sprinted all the way to the Heat's basket, no one could catch up with him.
Then instead of shooting, he suddenly stopped under the basket, and the Heat players breathed a sigh of relief, preparing to foul Lin Tian who was standing there motionless!
But just as Peyton approached Lin Tian, Lin Tian suddenly started moving again!
He changed direction and shook off Payton, then ran in the opposite direction at a 45-degree angle!
Several Heat players quickly turned around and chased after Lin Tian, trying to catch him.
But Lin Tian was fast and had strong ability to change direction and stop. He dribbled the ball for more than ten seconds by himself!
When the Heat finally managed to block Lin Tian near the sideline and Malone grabbed Lin Tian and fouled him, there were less than 30 seconds left in the game!
Even the fact that the Heat players were able to hold onto Lin Tian was actually due to a little trick of Lin Tian's.
Before he was finally caught, he had space to pass the ball out! But Lin Tian didn't pass it.
If Lin Tian passes the ball out, it will at least take away another 5 seconds of the game time!
But who can blame him when Lin Tian already has 38 points?
Who wouldn't want to continue their streak of scoring 40+ points?
Lin Tian took a deep breath as he stood at the free-throw line, and then calmly made both free throws, bringing his score to 40 points!
This marks Lin Tian's fifth consecutive game scoring 40+ points in the playoffs!
81: 89!
The Pacers' lead has now reached 8 points!
The suspense of the match is basically gone!
Next, Riley did his best and left the rest to fate, calling another timeout and setting up a three-point play.
Unfortunately, Leonard, who got an open shot in the corner, failed to capitalize on the opportunity to save the team, and his three-pointer bounced off the rim.
This time, it was Lin Tian who grabbed the rebound!
After he grabbed the rebound, everyone knew the game was over!
There was no point in the Heat committing any more fouls; it would only help Lin Tian rack up points.
So everyone looked at Lin Tian and stopped defending. The Pacers also played it safe, not attacking again, but instead dribbling the ball up the court and waiting for the final whistle to sound.
"Buzzing!"
Finally, the final whistle blew!
The Pacers narrowly won this fierce, close-quarters battle thanks to Lin Tian's consecutive points in the final moments!
In this match, both sides fought with every bullet and gave it their all. It was an absolutely brutal match, a match that will go down in history!
Both sides displayed exceptional competitiveness and willpower in this match! Although neither side had a high shooting percentage, the excitement of this game was absolutely no less than that of high-scoring matches where both sides scored 130 points!
Defensive battles have their own unique charm!
林天今晚是31投13中，罚球11罚全中，3分球9投3中，全场拿下40分13篮板6助攻5抢断3盖帽的全面数据！
Although his shooting percentage was only 40%, Lin Tian's strength and consecutive points in the final quarter were enough to make everyone forget about his shooting percentage!
Especially considering that apart from Lin Tian and Lewis, the surprise player in the fourth quarter, the rest of the Pacers played terribly, Lin Tian's performance was even more amazing!
除了林天之外，步行者队的刘易斯拿下6投4中，其中3分球2投2中，拿下10分。
Webber had a terrible night, shooting only 5-for-22 for 12 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists. Ben Wallace was the only player on the team besides Lewis to shoot over 50%, shooting 2-for-3 for 4 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 blocks! Apart from these players, no other Pacers player scored or grabbed double figures in points or rebounds.
Miller scored 7 points, Carter scored 8 points, and Christie scored 4 points.
至于热火队那边，除了第四节的奇兵布福德拿下7投5中拿下11分之外，莫宁27投9中拿下24分24个篮板7次盖帽，马龙则是21投7中拿下19分18篮板！热火队的内线双塔虽然今晚投中的球不多，但他们合力拿下了超过40个篮板，其中还有16个前场篮板！
Tonight, the Heat were able to stay close and hold on until the very end thanks to their two strong drives to the basket and second-chance opportunities!
In addition, Payton hit a three-pointer in the fourth quarter and scored 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting. The Heat were also extremely inefficient tonight, with only 4 players scoring in double figures.
Tonight is definitely going to be a fierce battle of iron-forging!
But winning a game of this caliber tonight would be a huge boost to the Pacers' morale!
All the players were genuinely excited!
The boost to their morale from such a victory is immeasurable!
After all, if they can win a game like this, what game can't the Pacers win?
On the other hand, the Heat, despite giving their all and having their core players, starters, and even the last-minute substitutes perform at their best, still lost the game, which must have been incredibly frustrating for them!
What frustrated the Heat even more was that Bowen's diagnosis came out that very night.
The good news is that Bowen did not suffer any injuries to his spine, lower back, or other parts of his body.
The bad news is, a severe concussion!
Bowen barely regained consciousness after the ambulance took him to the hospital; his condition was extremely bad.
Forget about the next game, this guy's season is already over! As for whether he'll suffer any lasting effects, that's up to fate.
In response to this situation, Lin Tian offered his sincere condolences to Bowen during a post-match interview!
"I'm so sorry, I was already in the air when that ball came, and I couldn't control my body at all. I'm very sorry for this accident. I hope he's okay, I hope he can get back on the field as soon as possible, and I hope to see him back on the field soon!"
"I can't wait to meet him on the court again!"
These words sound perfectly reasonable.
However, to several people involved and those who knew Lin Tian, Lin Tian's words were nothing short of a blatant threat!
"Go ahead and try playing against me again, see if I can kill you!"
That's the real meaning behind Lin Tian's words!
Several reporters from Miami were clearly not going to let Lin Tian off the hook so easily; they continued to relentlessly pursue him!
"Lin, didn't you mean any revenge with that action? Do you think it was a clean move? Didn't you go too far? You didn't need to do that at all!"
"I didn't push him, nor did I make contact with him using any part of my body other than my chest. Looking at the entire history of the NBA, you won't find many dunks cleaner than this one! It was just an unfortunate accident! Just as God punishes the guilty, the god of basketball will also teach those who don't play properly a lesson!"
"As for revenge? I don't know what that means. Why would I want revenge? What did he do to me? I don't think he did anything that warrants revenge."
"And if you watched this match, you'd know how crazy it was, how many dirty tricks and confrontations there were. My move was utterly insignificant! It was a perfectly normal and clean move!"
"He tripped you! Of course you should get revenge." Another reporter, clearly dissatisfied with Lin Tian's feigned ignorance, stated directly, "We all saw it, he tripped you!"
"Did he bump me?" Lin Tian smiled. "That's really dirty of him! But I'm not that kind of player. I would never use any tactics that could ruin someone's career against my opponent!"
"You can even go ask those guys I've clashed with before, Karl Malone and Gary Payton right next door, and Shawn Kemp, and all the others I've clashed with. Go ahead and ask them if I've ever used any moves that would have ruined their careers!"
"I'm not a nice guy, and I'm not a good person. I'm vengeful, and I admit that."
"But I'm not dirty."
"Furthermore, since you all say Bruce fouled me, I will put away my respect for him and go back to review the game footage! If he really did foul me, I will definitely complain to the league and demand that they impose an additional suspension on him! I will show no mercy or politeness to such dirty players, and I will make it my mission to drive all players of this type out of the league!"
Lin Tian's words were forceful and clear, without the slightest hesitation. In addition, the fact that the Miami reporters were the first to admit that Bowen had stepped on their feet made them feel inferior!
At this moment, they were completely speechless, overwhelmed by Lin Tian's aura.
After all, these reporters were well aware that if they continued to speak out, they would be advocating for a player who tripped and fouled, and protecting a dirty player—something they simply couldn't bring themselves to do.
It's not that I don't want to, or that I'm afraid to, it's just that it's not worth it!
If they insist on supporting Bowen, they might become public enemy number one in the league!
Lin Tian's stance gave him a significant advantage in public opinion. Fans, players, and commentators alike unanimously agreed that the final goal was an accident and that Bowen's foul was extremely dirty!
For example, the day after this game, when the first game of the Western Conference Finals started, several players from the Lakers and Trail Blazers were interviewed!
Shaquille O'Neal: "Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting! I condemn this despicable act of intentionally tripping someone!"
"I watched the video, and I know what Bowen's move meant," Kobe said. "If Lin had been unlucky and actually twisted his ankle, his entire career would have been plagued by endless injuries! Only athletes know how dirty that move was!"
Rashid: "If Bowen had used that move on one of our players, I guarantee he wouldn't have been able to walk off the field! What? He actually had to be carried off? Great! That's exactly what I wanted to see!"
Sabonis: "In Europe, this kind of scum would be banned from stadiums! If he encounters a crazed fan, getting shot isn't out of the question!"
Stoudemire: "I've been fouled, and I lost my speed because of it. I can never go back to where I was, and I've forever lost the chance to become a top point guard! I will never forgive those scoundrels who fouled me!"
……
The reason why only these two teams spoke out is because now that we've reached the conference finals, everyone else is probably off enjoying themselves or going on vacation somewhere else!
If this had happened during the regular season, there's no doubt that Bowen would have faced a massive wave of public condemnation!
As for the fact that he fell heavily to the floor, resulting in a concussion and even fainting and shock on the spot, everyone thought he deserved it!
Under such public opinion, the alliance also went along with public sentiment and did not conduct any further investigation into the incident of Lin Tian slapping Bowen, nor did it impose any additional punishment on Lin Tian!
As for Lin Tian, he certainly didn't appeal to the league, demanding that the league impose additional suspensions or fines on Bowen.
After all, I, Lin, am a top star in the league and a two-time MVP!
Reporting someone after a match is so shameful! It's like a kid telling their parents after someone steals their lollipop—not only embarrassing but also ridiculous. Lin Tian said: "I have my pride; I wouldn't do something like that!"
People need to maintain their dignity! They need to save face!
The controversy surrounding the first game quickly came to an end thanks to Lin Tian's firm stance, support from all sides, and the league's attempt to quell the situation as soon as possible.
The second match between the two sides, two days later, had a completely different rhythm from the first!
In this game, the Pacers increased their aggressiveness and intensity in driving to the basket and attacking the rim. In the very first possession, Lin Tian drove hard into the paint, jumped over Mourning for a layup, and drew a foul from Mourning!
The Pacers drew a foul on Mourning in the very first possession, and their perimeter players were brimming with confidence. From then on, they charged at Mourning almost every possession!
虽然这种打法让莫宁在第一节的前5分钟就拿到了4次盖帽，也让热火队在前5分钟的时候拿到了一个14：6的领先，但却也让莫宁在首节第5分23秒的时候，就吃到了自己的第二次犯规！
Less than halfway through the first quarter, the team's star player was in foul trouble!
Even someone as shrewd as Riley couldn't come up with a good solution to this situation. He could only bring in PJ Brown to fill the void left by Mourning.
Even though Brown is a top-tier role player in the league and has been selected to the All-Defensive Team several times, he is clearly no match for Mourning in terms of aggressiveness, pressure, defensive coverage, and deterrence on the defensive end!
More importantly, after Mourning left the court, the Heat lost their primary offensive option!
Although Malone and Payton were still on the court, Payton was tightly marked by Lin Tian, while Malone had to face a double-team from Webber and Ben Wallace!
The Heat's advantage was quickly eroded!
22: 30!
By the end of the first quarter, the Pacers had taken an 8-point lead!
Although the Heat put Mourning in at the start of the second quarter, Malone had played the entire first quarter to fill the void left by Mourning's absence, so he had to go to the bench to rest at this point.
Bird accurately predicted that the Heat could only field one top-tier center during this period, and decisively pulled out his trump card, the same five-man lineup that hadn't been used for a single second in the first game!
Webber, Christie, Miller, Carter, and Lin Tian!
Bird only gave this lineup one piece of advice.
"Get their lungs out of their bodies!"
After five quarters of frustrating, half-court battles, the Pacers can finally let loose!
Thus, Miller's three-pointer, Carter's alley-oop, Webber's rebound and pass, Christie's setting as the ball's transit point, and the omnipotent Lin Tian all came into play!
Less than three minutes into the second quarter, the Pacers unleashed a furious 9-0 run!
Even if Riley immediately called a timeout and brought in his full starting lineup, the Pacers, who were already running like crazy, were clearly not someone the Heat could easily stop again!
Lin Tian's tough three-pointer over Malone, Carter's long-range three-pointer when the Pacers were about to be forced into a 24-second violation, Miller's one-handed dunk under the basket! And Webber's no-look behind-the-back pass, assisting Christie's cut to the basket for a dunk!
With 9 minutes and 30 seconds left in the second quarter, Lin Tian once again held the ball at the top of the arc and used a screen to face Mourning. He used his continuous changes in rhythm and wide dribbling to deceive Mourning into losing his footing. Finally, he stepped out of the three-point line and raised his hand to fake a jump, which finally made Mourning jump!
Without hesitation, Lin Tian stood up and pressed against Mo Ning. After a collision in the air, Lin Tian used his wrist to forcefully throw the basketball out!
"Beep beep beep!"
The referee's whistle blew quickly. Lin Tian not only drew Mourning's third foul, but also scored a 3+1!
Meanwhile, when Lin Tian made the free throw, their lead had reached 20 points!
Under these circumstances, how could Riley dare to substitute Mourning? Without Mourning at this point, the Heat would have been down by 30 points before the end of the first half!
So even with three fouls, Mourning had to stay on the court!
All Riley could do was pray that Mourning would calm down and not make any more mistakes!
The two sides battled for a long time, with the score difference hovering around 20 points.
Until the Pacers' final possession of the first half, Mourning still had three fouls, and the score difference between the two teams was 19 points!
Lin Tian dribbled the ball calmly at the top of the arc, watching the time and waiting for the opportunity to make the final shot.
The last 6 seconds!
Lin Tian suddenly activated!
A simple, practical, and lightning-fast crossover dribble past Payton, and then Lin Tian suddenly accelerated, instantly driving into the Heat's three-point line!
Although Marsh was prepared and quickly moved in to help defend Lin Tian, Lin Tian suddenly passed the ball behind his back with one hand, making Marsh think that Lin Tian was going to pass it behind his back to Christie, who was left unattended.
When Mashburn quickly turned around to tackle Christie, he realized that the basketball hadn't even flown over!
Lin Tian completely fooled him with a feint!
Then Lin Tian rushed into the three-second zone, took the ball, and jumped up again to face Mourning!
"Bang!"
After a muffled thud, the two collided violently in mid-air. Lin Tian blocked Mo Ning's attempt to block with one hand, and with the other hand pulled the ball to a distance that Mo Ning couldn't reach. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the basketball soared through the air and flew towards the hoop.
Mourning, however, was eager to make blocks and didn't want the point difference between the two sides to exceed 20 points in the first half! After all, although there is only a 2-point difference between 19 and 21, one is more than 10 points behind and the other is more than 20 points behind. This small difference has a huge impact on the players' mentality and confidence!
So Mourning's block was still a tiny bit too big!
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, Mo Ning's right hand struck Lin Tian's arm accurately, and the referee on the sidelines immediately blew his whistle!
Lin Tian drew another foul from Mourning, scoring a 2+1!
Mourning, meanwhile, received his fourth foul, which infuriated Riley on the sidelines!
The first half was almost over when he got another foul!
Losing big!
That's an absolute huge loss!
Riley was muttering curses under his breath; he was in a truly terrible mood!
Mourning's foul will have a devastating impact on the Heat!
Despite Riley's constant encouragement and attempts to energize the players during halftime, the Heat players clearly lacked fighting spirit!
Trailing by 22 points in the first half, Mourning had 4 fouls, and it was an away game.
The players generally felt: This game is over! This game is hopeless!
Let's talk about it when we get back to our home ground!
As long as we defend our home turf, it'll still be 2-2!
The conquest of Indiana is better left for the decisive battle at Mount Rushmore!
Once this feeling of laziness arises, it's almost impossible to eliminate it.
The Heat still couldn't find their rhythm in the third quarter, and they were completely overwhelmed by the Pacers!
The biggest problem for them tonight is that Mourning was called for too many fouls, which prevented them from giving their all on both offense and defense!
By the end of the third quarter, the score difference between the two teams had reached 27 points!
Mourning has already committed 5 fouls!
Under these circumstances, Riley realized: the Heat had no chance tonight!
So, at the start of the fourth quarter, he substituted all his key players, effectively surrendering!
If it were a home game tonight, Riley might give it his all and see if he can create a miracle.
However, if the referees are biased towards the Pacers when playing away, then there's really no point in continuing!
Let the key players rest more and conserve as much energy as possible – that's the most important thing!
As for Bird, he wasn't the type to relentlessly attack his opponents. Once he saw that the Heat had benched their starters, he let his starters play an extra possession on the court. As soon as the ball died, he quickly rotated them out, signaling that the game was over!
129: 109!
Finally, the Pacers played their own style that night, showcasing their favorite offensive basketball and fast-break tactics!
全场比赛林天再次轰下41分7篮板11助攻3抢断的漂亮数据，而他连续40+场次，已经延续到了6场！林天在季后赛期间的状态，实在是强的有些吓人。
除了林天之外，上场比赛被双塔压制的无比悽惨的韦伯今晚也找回状态，17投10中拿下25分14篮板7助攻！
In addition, Carter also scored 15 points, while Ben Wallace dominated the paint. Taking advantage of the fact that only one of Mourning and Malone was on the court for a long time, he grabbed rebounds like crazy, and finished with an impressive stat line of 4 points and 26 rebounds!
On the Heat's side, Mourning's playing time was cut into tiny chunks tonight. Although he put up impressive numbers with 15 rebounds and 8 blocks, he barely made a play on offense, shooting only 4-for-14 and scoring 15 points from free throws!
Malone was in superb form tonight, shooting 14-for-24 and racking up a spectacular double-double of 36 points and 12 rebounds. He was the team's highest scorer and the only player to score over 20 points!
But Ma Long alone was clearly not enough. He couldn't carry the team alone, and even though he tried his best, he could only watch the team suffer a defeat!
The third match between the two sides then became a repeat of the first one!
In this game, the Pacers were the ones who were not favored by the referees and were called for multiple fouls. The Heat, with their home-court advantage, more relaxed defensive actions and aggressive playing style, dominated the game for almost the entire time!
Of course, in this kind of hand-to-hand combat, the pace is usually slow, with low scores and intense confrontations!
With two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Pacers were still down by five points when the game went into a timeout!
71: 76!
Tonight, the Pacers are facing a foul crisis. Ben Wallace was fouled out two minutes ago, and Christie and Carter both have four fouls. With Webber on the other hand, the Heat's strategy will likely be the same as the Pacers' in Game 2.
Attack the paint, dominate the basket!
"Charge inside! The referees are in our favor!" During this timeout, Riley gave almost nothing but this instruction!
Capitalize on this biased refereeing and win the game!
We absolutely cannot let this victory slip through our fingers!
If they lose tonight, with a 3-0 score, the Heat are beyond saving! It doesn't matter whether they play the next game or not.
Even if they aren't swept, the score will be at most 4:1!
But if we win tonight, everything will be different!
The Heat will have a chance to tie the series in Game 4!
The team's morale will definitely increase significantly! Everything will become more possible!
Now, it all depends on whether the Heat can hold onto their 5-point lead in the final 2 minutes!
(End of this chapter)