vncnus Chapter 437 Malone Pinned to the Ground! Jordan's Most Painful Moment
Chapter 437 Malone Pinned to the Ground! Jordan's Most Painful Moment
In the second half, Carlisle sat on the bench, harboring deep doubts about Lin Tian.
Just after Lin Tian told him those words, he had been racking his brains trying to figure out what kind of competition was so strange.
What kind of top-level national competition was it that a weak team was down by 20 points, and then the veteran was successfully activated by the newcomer using a move that could not be used twice, thus reversing the game and defeating the strongest team in the country?
Unexpected!
I never expected that!
Carlisle considered himself well-read—no, well-versed in all levels of competitions—but he genuinely couldn't have imagined such a situation would arise.
Could it be that Lin Tian was referring to things happening on the other side of the ocean in China?
Hmm... Is this reliable?
Just as Carlisle was still pondering and recalling what kind of game and tactics it was, filled with deep doubt, the Lakers took the lead!
On his very first offensive possession, O'Neal overpowered Ben Wallace under the basket and scored! Not only did he make the hook shot, but he also drew a foul from Wallace, completing a 2+1 play!
With O'Neal making the free throw, the Lakers finally caught their breath and regained the lead in the game!
Although O'Neal's free throw percentage has dropped from a peak of nearly 7% to around 6% this season due to his less diligent work compared to two years ago, he has always been very accurate in making crucial free throws in key games!
This guy is a classic big-game player!
After O'Neal completed the 2+1 play, the Pacers slowly advanced again. Lin Tian was determined to give Jordan a chance to get back into form tonight. He waved to Jordan, signaling him to come up and screen for him.
Lin Dan's pick-and-roll – the first of its kind in this match!
After Jordan and Lin Tian were mismatched at the top of the arc, Lin Tian dribbled the ball and charged towards the inside!
A momentary lapse in communication between Kobe and Kirilenko, coupled with Jordan's clever positioning, immediately gave Jordan a good space.
Lin Tian didn't even look back. He flicked the ball backward with one hand, and the basketball landed right in Jordan's hands near the free-throw line.
At this point, Kirilenko and Kobe were both at least 2 meters away from Jordan.
Jordan could even steady himself with the ball, catch his breath, and then leisurely shoot.
The Conseco Arena was completely silent at that moment, as the fans waited for Jordan to make a field goal.
"Bang!"
But two seconds later, the ball still bounced off the rim!
13 out of 1!
Jordan continues to break records for the worst night of his career; this nightmare is destined to continue!
Jordan missed a shot, and Kobe grabbed the rebound and pushed the ball up the court. Facing Christie's defense at the three-point line, Kobe made a series of crossover dribbles, then suddenly made a powerful pull-up move, followed by a pull-up jumper and a strong three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
After the crisp sound, Kobe's three-pointer also went off!
This is definitely not good news for the Pacers!
Lin Tian remained unperturbed by the Pacers' offense; they were only down by 4 points, so there was no need for him to panic.
This time, Lin Tian waved to his teammates, signaling them to set more off-ball screens.
Jordan also cooperated very well with continuous running, and after setting screens with Webber and Christie, when he reappeared in the low post, the person guarding him became the Lakers' biggest defensive weakness.
Fisher!
This time, Lin Tian didn't hesitate and passed the ball to Jordan again.
Jordan got the ball, turned his back to Fisher, and then dribbled straight towards the paint!
"Bang! Bang!"
After two hard-hitting physical contacts, Jordan suddenly faked a turn towards the baseline to get past Fisher, then turned halfway towards the top of the court and pulled up to shoot!
Just as he jumped, Jordan noticed Kirilenko running towards him. On a whim, Jordan didn't shoot, but instead passed the ball back to Lin Tian on the outside.
When Lin Tian got the ball, there were only 3 seconds left on the shot clock. In addition, Kobe rushed over and stuck to him tightly. Even Lin Tian couldn't find a suitable shooting space in such a short time. He could only dribble twice and then forcefully shoot against Kobe's defense.
"Bang!"
Whether a shot from such a long distance and with such difficulty goes in or not really depends on luck!
Lin Tian's luck was really bad on this shot.
Malone secured the rebound and immediately passed it to Kirilenko. Kirilenko, now playing with complete confidence against Jordan, dribbled the ball and sprinted all the way to the Pacers' basket without looking for teammates. He then gathered the ball and faked a move.
Jordan wasn't fooled; instead, he stood still and raised his hands. However, the difference in height, physique, and especially in terms of presence between the two was still too obvious.
After a series of feints, Kirilenko realized that Jordan wasn't putting up any high-intensity defense against him, so he didn't hold back at all, jumping up and making a powerful, forceful shot towards the basket.
"Whoosh!"
After another crisp sound, the Lakers continued to extend their lead.
"Michael, aren't you going to wake up?" Lin Tian received the ball from the baseline again, and this time he finally spoke to Jordan: "You look like a stray dog tonight!"
"Seeing you get beaten up like this, I'm actually quite happy. But you're not really planning to give up and just keep going like this, are you? Are you really completely scared?"
"Shut up! I'm just having a bad shooting night!" Jordan retorted defiantly, "I'm not afraid!"
"Then why did you pass the ball just now? You know that distance, the Russians couldn't block it! But you still passed it."
"Mind your own business! I'm willing!" Jordan, his secret exposed by Lin Tian, immediately cursed and ran off quickly: "Give me the ball, I'll get back into form!"
"Sorry, you've missed your chance." This time, Lin Tian didn't give Jordan any face: "At the very least, I won't pass you the ball again until you show enough change and determination!"
"If you're satisfied, then focus on defense or try to grab rebounds yourself. If you're not satisfied, then ask Rick to let you off the court! We don't need a spineless coward who's afraid of being beaten on the court!"
"Coward? I'm a coward? You're the coward! Your whole family are cowards!" Jordan immediately retorted, "We'll see!"
Lin Tian and Jordan didn't lower their voices at all during their conversation, and they happened to pass by the Pacers' bench while they were arguing, so everyone heard their team talk.
So, starting with Carlisle, then Miller, Parker, Arenas, and even the more fringe bench players, everyone was a little confused at this point.
what's going on?
Are these two older brothers arguing?
Fighting directly on the field?
You must be joking...
Carlisle had guessed it; this was probably the move Lin Tian had mentioned that could only be used once.
but……
Isn't that just a provocation tactic?
What's so mysterious about it!
Moreover, is it really necessary to describe something like this as something that can only be used once in a lifetime and will render the user useless after use?
Thinking of this, Carlisle's heart skipped a beat again.
This... isn't just an appetizer, is it?
That bastard Lin Tian, does he have more surprises and tricks up his sleeve for Jordan?
I was quite scared.
Anyway, at this point, Carlisle was genuinely looking forward to Jordan's comeback, and it wasn't even about winning the game anymore. He was a little worried that Lin Tian's so-called "secret weapon" might have too much staying power.
His instincts told him that it wasn't anything good.
In this round, Lin Tian did not go after Jordan again. Instead, he waved for the whole team to spread out. Then, he quickly broke through Kobe and tore apart the Lakers' defense. Just as O'Neal stepped up to defend, he passed the ball to Ben Wallace.
Just as Big Ben was about to take off again with the basket open, he suddenly felt a tremendous force on his body, and then Big Ben was forced to lie down on the floor!
Karl Malone!
The thug struck again, grabbing Ben from behind and knocking him to the ground!
They turned what should have been two points for the Pacers into two free throws.
"FUXX! You want to get beaten up again, Karl?" To everyone's surprise, the first one to rush forward was Jordan, who rarely appeared on the front lines of conflicts. This guy charged forward fiercely and shoved Malone in the neck, pushing him back 4-5 steps!
Just as Jordan was about to charge forward again, Ben Wallace had already gotten up from the floor!
He blocked Jordan's path, hugged him tightly, and said, "Michael! Calm down! We want a championship, we want a championship!"
As for the three referees, they stood guard around Ma Long as if facing a formidable enemy, their eyes fixed on Lin Tian, looking extremely cautious, as if afraid that Lin Tian would rush over.
"Lin!" Christie and Webber quickly walked to Lin Tian's side, worried that he would impulsively start a fight.
Lin Tian shrugged casually and said, "Relax. If I want to take him down, nobody can stop me, nobody can stop me!"
"I'm walking so slowly because I'm not going to fight."
Upon hearing Lin Tian's words, Christie and Webber exchanged a glance and then stepped aside to let Lin Tian continue forward.
The entire stadium fell silent. Apart from Jordan, who was still cursing and yelling to vent his frustration over his terrible performance, everyone was watching Lin Tian.
They wanted to see how Lin Tian would handle this conflict.
The three referees were on high alert; they were all extremely nervous!
They all knew that if Lin Tian really wanted to beat up Ma Long, there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop him!
This is a monster who could toss Tyson around like a punching bag!
They're not to be trifled with.
As for the fans at Conseco Center, they were extremely conflicted at this moment!
They wanted Lin Tian to rush over and beat Ma Long so badly he could never stand up again, but they also hoped Lin Tian would stay calm and not get suspended for it.
Although none of the Lakers players spoke at this moment, they all gathered around and stood next to Malone to show their support.
Especially Kobe Bryant, who, despite being the worst fighter on the team and even in the entire league, stood at the front, looking like he wanted to spar with Lin Tian.
However, Kobe wasn't that reckless. He didn't take the initiative to provoke or strike first; he just stood at the front.
"I don't think Lin will make a move," Barkley said quickly. "This is the Finals! This is a chance for a four-peat! He'll hold back."
"But Lin did fight in the Finals before! His opponent then was Malone!" Kenny added, "And he and Ben Wallace are best buddies! They've been together on the Pacers for six years!"
"Lin might act impulsively! He's moving slowly right now, and he might be calculating how to take down as many Lakers players as possible while he's suspended! Just like he did against the Jazz!"
"I don't think so." Barkley shook his head again. "I know Lin."
At this point, the two hosts, who were usually so talkative that they were even a bit noisy, fell silent and waited.
So the current situation is that everyone is just watching Lin Tian, waiting for him to decide how this conflict will end!
hiss……
I'm actually a little embarrassed.
Given the current situation, are you all expecting me, Lord Lin, to start a fight?
Lin Tian also noticed that something was off; the scene was too quiet right now.
Fortunately, Lin Tian really didn't intend to make a move.
Aside from the fact that the Pacers didn't really suffer a loss after Jordan pushed them up, the main reason is that Lin Tian has matured!
Lin Da Guanren is no longer the hot-blooded young man who would resort to violence at the slightest disagreement.
As people get older, they tend to become more soft-hearted!
For example, nowadays, Master Lin is less likely to physically assault people.
Lin Tian walked until he was less than two meters away from Kobe and the other Lakers players, then finally stopped. He grinned and said, "Why are you so nervous? I'm not here to fight."
"In basketball, committing one or two flagrant fouls is perfectly normal!"
When Lin Tian finished speaking, everyone, including Kobe and the referee, breathed a sigh of relief.
If you're not going to fight, you should have said so earlier! You're walking slowly towards us from 10 meters away like you're the Terminator. I thought you were holding back something big!
"However, malicious fouls come with consequences!" Lin Tian's smile vanished abruptly, replaced by a cold tone and piercing gaze. He stared intently at Ma Long and said, "This isn't over!"
"Just you wait!"
Just you wait and see! Just you wait and see!
As long as I don't get beaten up, as long as I'm not thrown into a sandbag on the spot, everything is fine!
After everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the referee quickly delivered his ruling.
Malone committed a flagrant foul 2, Jordan received a technical foul, the Lakers were awarded one free throw, while Ben Wallace went to the free throw line for two free throws, and the Pacers also had an extra possession.
Two penalties and one throw-in.
"Swish!" Kobe made the first free throw.
"Lin, I'll make that free throw." Ben Wallace took a deep breath at the free throw line and said to Lin Tian, "For the championship!"
"Bang!"
He had barely finished speaking when he raised his hand and swung a metal object.
"Shut up, just focus on your free throws." Lin Tian rolled his eyes and said, "Shaq could shoot more accurately with his left hand than you, how dare you?"
"I'm way more accurate than him, okay?" O'Neal, now relaxed, started joking with Lin Tian: "20 percentage points higher!"
"Whoosh!"
No sooner had O'Neal finished speaking than Ben Wallace made his second free throw!
"What's the use? It's always the same: 1 for 2 free throws." Big Ben snorted, grabbed the basketball, and went to the sideline to prepare to inbound the ball.
After a series of screens, Lin Tian once again successfully received the ball at the top of the arc. This time, he signaled everyone to spread out for him, and then had Webber come up to set a screen for him!
After Webber blocked Kobe, Lin Tian dribbled quickly towards Malone, then distanced himself from everyone else, giving the Lakers no chance to switch on defense!
"Are you ready?" Lin Tian looked at Ma Long and said, "Are you going to embarrass yourself in front of the whole world again because of me? Seriously, there's a way you can do it without losing face."
"That means not defending or fighting back, so that I can only score on your head without anything embarrassing happening."
Malone didn't say anything, but instead spread his arms wide and defended with all his might!
Clearly, even if he originally intended to hold back and let Lin Tian score while not losing face too much, now that Lin Tian had said those words, he had to go all out!
Even top-tier athletes have their pride!
Seeing how hard Ma Long was defending, Lin Tian knew that his first chance for revenge had come!
Lin Tian dribbled between his legs repeatedly, looking for opportunities and rhythm, and pressuring Ma Long's defensive space. Then, Lin Tian suddenly made a wide crossover, pulling the ball from the left to the right while moving his feet quickly, tricking Ma Long into shifting his weight to the right.
Then Lin Tian made another dribble with almost the same huge change of direction, pulling the ball back from the right side!
After this dramatic double crossover, Ma Long's center of gravity simply couldn't keep up, and he was pinned to the spot by Lin Tian!
Then Lin Tian took a lateral step to collect the ball, and the distance between the two of them was more than two meters away in the blink of an eye.
Aim, fire!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Lin Tian's three-pointer went in!
Ma Long, however, remained standing still.
He really couldn't keep up, and his legs really wouldn't obey him.
At the same time, Ma Long was also very clear that if he moved even one more step, he would most likely be knocked down by Lin Tian!
Being rooted to the spot is more dignified than being knocked over, right?
Lin Tian: That's right, that's true, but what if you're repeatedly pinned to the same spot by the same action?
Twenty seconds later, in the same position, with the same rhythm, and with the same dribbling.
Lin Tian completely shook off Ma Long for the second time in a row and took a shot from beyond the three-point line in a nearly open manner!
"Whoosh!"
Lin Tian's three-pointer went in again!
The Lakers' advantage vanished after that basket!
The Pacers have regained the lead!
The Lakers then thoughtfully passed the ball to Malone, wanting the top power forward to get a feel for the game.
But as soon as Malone got the ball, before he could even figure out whether it was round or square, Lin Tian suddenly appeared from his blind spot and slapped the ball away. Webber, who was defending Malone, immediately grabbed the basketball and raised his elbow to prevent the Lakers from stealing it.
Possession changes! The Pacers have the ball and are on offense!
The ball was passed to Lin Tian, who continued to run pick-and-rolls with Webber, facing off against Malone on the wing.
The Lakers had no answer to the Pacers' endless pick-and-rolls. Webber's screens were too good, Lin Tian's three-point shooting was too accurate, Kobe really couldn't get through, and Malone really didn't dare to collapse the defense like that and ignore Lin Tian's shots.
Therefore, he could only be pinned to the floor by Lin Tian in the same way for the third time in a row, watching Lin Tian lift up and shoot again!
But Malone is a top-tier star, and he has his pride!
Having been hit with the same move three times in a row, he really couldn't take it anymore. This time, Ma Long didn't care about not being faked out. Instead, he bravely stepped forward and rushed to defend Lin Tian's shot.
But as soon as he jumped, he realized that Lin Tian had actually faked a shot, and Lin Tian hadn't even caught the ball!
As Ma Long got up and jumped over, Lin Tian instantly turned around to dodge Ma Long, and then raised his hand again, as if to throw.
Desperate to stop Lin Tian, Ma Long jumped up a second time to try and block him, but Lin Tian did the exact same thing as before, just in the opposite direction, and dribbled back to the same spot. Then he made a move to raise his hand to shoot again.
This time, Ma Long didn't jump again. He stood there, watching Lin Tian sway twice, but didn't go forward again.
"Coward!" Lin Tian cursed, and finally took his third consecutive three-point shot!
"Whoosh!"
It was another crisp sound!
Lin Tian's three-point shooting has really taken off! And he's been hitting a spree of threes!
The Pacers are starting to extend their lead!
Seeing that Malone had been taken down three times in a row, and that if the fight continued, he would most likely be chased down and beaten by Lin Tian, Jackson decisively chose to make a substitution!
He replaced Malone with Fox, who is more mobile.
Although Fox, as a small forward, would reduce the Lakers' interior advantage, considering O'Neal's dominance under the basket and Lin Tian's continuous outbursts, Jackson still chose to prioritize defending Lin Tian!
The addition of a faster small forward will increase the Pacers' perimeter control, especially against Lin Tian!
Lin Tian was clearly determined to continue humiliating Ma Long tonight!
When you're on the court, I score; when you're off, I organize the offense!
I'm going to take all my points today from you!
Under these circumstances, the two sides began a back-and-forth battle for a period of time after the third quarter. The scoring efficiency of both sides declined, while the defensive intensity of both sides began to increase significantly.
Until the end of the third quarter, the score difference between the two teams did not widen again or change significantly, with the Pacers still maintaining a slight lead.
64: 66!
It's worth mentioning that in the remainder of the third quarter, Jordan barely touched the ball, let alone took a shot; his shot attempts stopped at 13!
But he did change his game state and game strategy.
He stopped asking for the ball in the low post or at the top of the key. This guy gave up on offense and even offered to switch with Christie to guard Kirilenko, while Jordan himself was matched up against Kobe!
The head-to-head battle between these two shooting guards officially began in the fourth quarter!
This time, Jordan has the upper hand!
Faced with Kobe's drives and individual offense, Jordan gave it his all, going toe-to-toe with Kobe in a physical battle. The confrontation between the two was arguably the most intense of all the matchups on the court. They relentlessly tormented each other, constantly brandishing their elbows to demonstrate their toughness.
Because Jordan didn't attack at all, he was able to concentrate more on defense and was more effective on defense!
Under his defense, Kobe only managed 3 points in the second half of the third quarter, making only 1 of 4 field goals and 1 of 2 free throws!
Kobe had few options against Jordan!
In the fourth quarter, neither coach dared to make any substitutions!
This is not the time to show off your long rotation and various combinations.
Safety and security are the most important things!
Therefore, both coaches once again revealed their strongest starting five!
The duel began from the very first second of the fourth quarter!
In the first part of the fourth quarter, Jordan still showed no intention or idea of attacking with the ball.
He continued to defend with all his might, tearing and pulling, showing a determination to crush Kobe and stop his offense.
On the offensive end, however, he was still coasting along, conserving his energy.
Or rather, knowing that Jordan was having a bad night and getting blocked repeatedly, he wasn't going to attack tonight!
On offense, Lin Tian decided to pass the ball to Jordan several times, but Jordan didn't choose to shoot or drive directly. Instead, he would make a few gestures and then pass the ball back.
Tonight, although Jordan gave his all on the defensive end and didn't let his poor offensive performance affect him, he was truly unaggressive on offense!
It has to be said that although Jordan verbally refused to admit he was old and wouldn't give up, he was still a force to be reckoned with.
But deep down, he was very aware that he was already 40 years old.
Otherwise, even a 35-year-old Jordan wouldn't have been so cowardly.
Three minutes into the fourth quarter, Jordan once again boxed out Kirilenko in the low post, then spun and drove into the paint. However, facing O'Neal's help defense and Kirilenko's tenacious defense, Jordan once again opted for a one-handed bounce pass.
This time, the basketball failed to reach his teammate.
Because Kirilenko reacted with lightning speed once again, slapping the basketball with perfect accuracy to steal it!
The Lakers then launched another counterattack, with Kobe and Fisher on the left and right sides respectively. Kirilenko dribbled the ball and quickly advanced down the middle, then passed it to Fisher on one side after crossing half-court.
After receiving the ball, Fisher raised one arm and charged forward, ready to unleash a powerful one-handed dunk to showcase his almost never-before-seen physical prowess.
But Lin Tian had already returned to his defensive position under the basket, leaping high into the air to interfere with Fisher. Seeing Lin Tian's overwhelming defense, Fisher was so scared that he didn't dare to dunk anymore and quickly passed the ball to Kobe on the other side.
Kobe took the ball, stepped up, and jumped with unwavering determination. But Lin Tian landed and jumped again with incredible ferocity. After a collision with Kobe in the air, Lin Tian successfully interfered with Kobe's layup, and the shot missed again.
But the Lakers have a third player!
Kirilenko leaped high, grabbed the rebound mid-air, and then slammed it into the basket!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Kirilenko scored 2 more points!
The Russians were as fierce as Stalin tonight. Anyone who dared to stand in front of them and bare their teeth would be beaten into running away with their tails between their legs!
This night was absolutely the most dazzling night of his life!
After the Lakers made this shot, they once again took the lead!
75: 73!
They regained a two-point lead.
"Fuck you! What the hell are you all doing?!" After the Lakers scored on that basket, Lin Tian completely lost his temper.
He called a timeout, then waved his hands and yelled at his teammates, "If you don't want to play, get off the court!"
"Missing shots on offense is fine! Missing shots is fine, even being spineless to take a shot is fine! But not being aggressive on defense, what are you guys doing on the court? Why are you getting 3-on-1 under the basket? Did you guys buy VIP tickets to watch the game?"
"Anyone who doesn't want to play, anyone who doesn't want to play defense, just tell me clearly, and you can go to bed and rest! You're all out of the running for this series! FUXX! Now, sign up! Anyone who doesn't want to play, anyone who's afraid to play, anyone who's scared, step forward!"
Lin Tian's rare outburst of anger silenced the entire Pacers bench; no one dared to utter a sound, and everyone was unusually quiet.
After waiting for about 10 seconds, Lin Tian noticed no one responded and continued, "Fine, I'll assume everyone wants to continue fighting, and I'll assume no one is afraid! I don't want to see this happen again in the next match!"
"In my team, some mistakes are okay, you can keep making mistakes! But there are some mistakes I absolutely will not allow! I cannot tolerate them!"
"What just happened is a one-time event!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he turned to look at Carlisle and asked, "Rick, do you have anything else to say?"
"I support him 100%!" Carlisle didn't say much at this moment, but expressed his support for Lin Tian. He didn't make any substitutions, but directly put his starting lineup back on the field.
After Lin Tian's scathing rebuke, most of the Pacers players showed a completely different expression and look.
They got into the zone.
Well, okay, the so-called "most people" actually means everyone else except Jordan.
Jordan remained unmoved; the guy still looked half-dead.
Just as Jordan was walking forward, seemingly lost in thought, he suddenly felt an intense pain in his groin!
Intense pain!
The pain shot straight to Jordan's head from below his tailbone, and he felt like his scalp was about to explode!
So tangy! Super tangy!
Jordan practically jumped up, clutching his backside, and let out a scream.
The entire stadium fell silent.
The fans watching on TV were completely bewildered.
Barkley and Kenny, usually so boisterous, stared wide-eyed at what was happening on the court in disbelief.
The referees hesitated, considering whether to issue a technical foul or a flagrant foul.
If it were between rivals, they would definitely expel them on the spot.
But between teammates... there's no precedent for this.
"Are you awake now?" Lin Tian stood up from behind Jordan, his hands still in the "tiger mark" position with only his index fingers sticking out. He looked at Jordan and continued, "You cowardly little brat, it makes me want to pin you to the ground and beat you up."
"FUXX! What did you do to me? You bastard! You stabbed me in front of the whole world of fans... stabbed me... FUXX! I'm going to kill you!" Jordan was in a rage, glaring at Lin Tian as if he wanted to tear him to pieces.
"Don't kill me, go kill that Russian, he's the culprit." Lin Tian twisted Jordan's head, making him look directly at Kirilenko.
Carlisle, sitting on the sidelines, was completely stunned.
Is this your method, Lin Tian?
In front of the whole world, giving Jordan a thousand-year kill is your fucking solution?
You're a fucking genius!
At the same time, Carlisle also confirmed that the match Lin Tian mentioned had definitely not occurred in the top league in the United States.
Otherwise, he couldn't possibly not know!
Lin Tian: Of course you don't know, this happened in the Japanese high school league. A red-haired kid did this to a guy who looks exactly like Ewing.
Carlisle, you still haven't watched enough matches! (End of Chapter)