Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 926 You two aren't spoiling the plot or guessing tactics, you're helping...

"Hahaha, that's hilarious! This Stephenson looks like a brainless brute, but he's actually quite shrewd! Did you see Allen's expression? I'll remember that moment for a long time!"

Miller was laughing so hard his eyes were almost closed in his commentary booth. He slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "Of course! I have a lot of respect for Allen. I think he's the best perimeter defender in the league right now, the toughest and most reliable defender!"

"But this moment was really funny, especially Odom and Stephenson. Did they form a band?"

The happier Miller was, the angrier the Celtics fans in the arena were. Allen had been tricked, which meant they had been tricked too.

Nobody likes to be made fun of, so the boos from the audience became even louder, and the profanities became increasingly vulgar.

This time, their target was simply Stephenson.

A second-round rookie making his first appearance in the playoffs.

Stephenson has become the least famous and least respected public enemy in Boston's history!

However, his performance has come to a temporary end.

After being outmaneuvered, Allen immediately increased his defensive intensity and aggression. He would stick to Stephenson almost from the backcourt, making it extremely difficult for Stephenson to receive the ball.

Fortunately, Lin Tian had already sent Odom to help advance the ball on the field, which prevented the team from not even being able to get past the halfway line.

But Allen's defense was indeed tough. In the next two minutes, Stephenson was unable to score again, contributing only one missed shot and one turnover.

Even so, Stephenson was really calm enough not to get carried away and keep trying to take on Allen one-on-one.

If he really gets carried away and insists on dueling Allen, he'll only make more mistakes and miss more shots.

But Stephenson couldn't perform, his magical touch began to fade, and the Bobcats' lineup immediately lost its advantage, allowing the Celtics to catch up.

Five minutes into the second quarter, the gap between the two teams had narrowed to two points!

Before this, both sides had already substituted a number of their starting players.

But as Lin Tian called a timeout, both head coaches made adjustments to their lineups.

When the timeout ended and the players returned to the court, both teams had already resuming their starting lineups.

It's time for the starting players to go head-to-head again!

However, during this phase, the offensive efficiency of both sides was still quite poor. The game was like a repeat of the first quarter, with slow and heavy positional warfare, tough and fierce defense, and offensive firepower that obviously declined after high-intensity confrontation.

Although the pace of the game was slow, the intense and brutal clashes were still incredibly exciting for the fans!

The Celtics rely on their fierce physicality, perfect defense, and unhurried, sporadic offense.

They have 90 points in defense and 50 points in offense.

In their past games, they relied on their defense to limit their opponents' offense to around 40 points, and then they were able to win the game by leveraging their extensive experience in missing shots.

As for the Bobcats, they originally relied on their offense. They are an offensive team. Their defense is indeed far inferior to that of the Celtics, but fortunately, their offensive options are numerous and spread out, and their defense can be considered good.

Although their offense has been severely weakened, they still have a decent offensive foundation, allowing them to contribute 50 points and slightly suppress the Celtics' offense.

With back-and-forth exchanges and combined inside and outside attacks, the Bobcats successfully gained the upper hand at the end of the first half.

Of course, it's only a tiny advantage.

41: 37!

Despite their shooting spree, Stephenson's early second-quarter outburst helped them maintain control of the game and take a four-point lead.

"No need to rush in the second half! Keep testing their stamina and physicality! Think about how hard we've trained this past year! Think about how tired we've been!"

"Now is the time for us to turn our sweat into our glory, and for all that we have sacrificed in the past into victory!"

"Hold on! Even if it's only a 4-point lead, hold on! Let's maintain our lead and bring the game back to Charlotte!"

During halftime, Lin Tian started by giving his players a pep talk to boost their spirits and keep up the fighting spirit and confidence they had in the first half.

"In the second half, we'll keep the same pace as in the first half. Yao, keep bullying Howard! Disrupt their defense, crush them! Make them double-team you!"

"Everyone, I know we only made 3 of 15 three-pointers in the first half, and I know our mid-range shooting wasn't good either! But we have to keep going in the second half, we have to keep shooting!"

"I'll say it again: I'm not afraid of you going 0-for-30; I'm only afraid that after you go 0-for-3, you won't dare to shoot again!"

"As long as there's an open space, as long as there's an opportunity, keep shooting! You'll definitely make it! I believe in you!"

"Any questions, everyone?"

"there is none left!"

Lin Tian nodded, satisfied: "Then, get some rest, and let's prepare well for the second half of the game!"

"Yao Ming was the Bobcats' top scorer in the first half tonight. He was the only player on the team to score in double figures, with 11 points and 6 rebounds. He's very likely to get a 20+10 performance tonight!"

During halftime, Miller and Kenny once again began analyzing the game and determining the winner for both sides that night.

Jackson continued, "However, I also noticed that Yao's shooting percentage wasn't good, only 4 out of 12. Fortunately, his free throws were up to par, making all three and scoring 11 points. It has to be said that Howard's defense has indeed improved a lot."

"His biggest fear used to be Yao, as Yao often bombarded him with impressive stats with his high shooting percentage."

Miller said, "It's not like Yao Ming is the only one with poor efficiency. Let me put it this way, out of all the players who took more than two shots, only one had a shooting percentage of over 50%, and that's that kid Lin found from somewhere."

"He also scored the second-highest points for the Bobcats, with 9 points and 1 assist, which is quite impressive, especially considering that many of those shots were made against Allen, a defensive stalwart!"

"Stephenson's performance tonight was absolutely the turning point of the game, bringing about completely unexpected changes! Let's look forward to seeing if Stephenson can continue his magic in the second half!"

"Will Lin give him another chance, or find another surprise player to win the game?"

Jackson said, "Then we'll have to take a good look at the Bobcats' roster. I have to say, there are several players on it who haven't played much. Will they get extra opportunities tonight?"

"Lin has already unearthed an undrafted player and a second-round pick this season. I have to say, this guy is truly a blessing for low draft picks and a Jesus-like figure! Perhaps it's because he himself was a low draft pick that he looks at these other low draft picks with special regard."

"Lin isn't that kind of person," Miller said, shaking his head. "His current starting lineup, apart from Boozer, consists of four lottery picks! Yao was the second overall pick, Rose was the first overall pick, and Hayward and DeRozan are both top-ten picks."

"Although Boozer was a second-round pick, he was already a multi-time All-Star when he came here."

"So, in my opinion, it's not that Lin is giving these second-round picks and fringe players special treatment; it's just that they are genuinely talented and hardworking enough to earn their opportunities!"

"Although people often say that the least important and cheapest thing in this league is hard work, I still want to say: Heaven rewards diligence!"

"Alright, let's talk about the Celtics." A voice from backstage came through Jackson's earpiece, telling him: Stop fucking talking about the Bobcats.

This is in Boston, this is TD Garden, and the fans here all support the Celtics.

You two are playing on someone else's home turf, can't you let them feel a little involved?

Miller shrugged, not bothering with any jokes, and said directly, "The Celtics played a fantastic first half; their defense remains among the best in the league!"

"Howard also played well. He had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. He was the highest scorer and had the best stats in the game."

……

The 15-minute halftime break ended quickly, and as the second half approached, players from both sides emerged from the player tunnel. Judging from their radiant appearance, piercing eyes, and beast-like aura, it was clear that the game was in full swing.

During halftime, Lin Tian and Rivers gave their players plenty of pep talks.

Right now, their locker room is probably still filled with the aroma of chicken soup.

"Neither side has changed their starting lineups; they've used the same starting eleven as in the first half," Miller said quickly as he watched the players walk onto the field. "It seems both coaches are quite satisfied with their players' performance in the first half."

Soon, the referee blew his whistle, and Parker took the basketball and began to advance it towards the frontcourt.

After he arrived at the frontcourt, he immediately waved and called out plays. Parker's original intention was to have everyone run around and then run some screens and drive-and-kick plays, but Howard ignored his gestures and stood under the basket to box out and reach for the ball.

"FUXX!" Parker cursed, but ultimately didn't show his dissatisfaction with Howard on the court and passed the ball to him anyway.

Howard, facing Yao Ming under the basket, finally delivered a beautiful offensive play this time.

After a quick turn, he successfully locked up his position, then took a step forward and drove to the basket. He bounced up like a spring and slammed the ball into the hoop with tremendous force!

"Pass it to me sooner, and I would have scored already!" After scoring, Howard raised his arms, excitedly showing off his muscles, while also looking at Parker with dissatisfaction, complaining that his pass was too slow.

Parker and the others were already used to Howard's personality. They didn't say anything or respond, but quickly retreated to prepare to continue their defense.

The Bobcats' offense has now changed.

Jeremy Lin received the ball again, but instead of passing it directly to Yao Ming in the paint, he let Yao Ming go and contest with Dwight Howard to establish position, while he calmly dribbled and passed the ball around.

When the basketball returned to Jeremy Lin's hands, he didn't wait this time. Instead, he quickly slammed the ball into the paint.

At this moment, Yao Ming had already used his lower body advantage to push his way into the three-second zone. After receiving the ball, he did not make any adjustments or dribbling. He simply turned his body to the side, lifted the ball, and then raised his hand for a small hook shot.

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, Yao Ming scored 2 points! The Bobcats maintained their lead.

"The Bobcats' tactics have changed! Although they're still targeting Yao Ming, they're calmer, more patient, and their passes are deeper. This is clearly because they're wary of the Celtics' rotations and help defense, so they've simplified the process after Yao Ming gets the ball."

"In a sense, this is also a catch-and-shoot style of play."

As soon as Miller finished speaking, the Celtics on the other side had already inbounded the ball from the baseline. This time, Parker suddenly accelerated and charged forward, looking like he was going to make a fast break and play a transition offense. He drove all the way to the frontcourt and then made a signature spin move to drive into the basket.

He dodged Hayward's help defense and made a layup off the backboard, quickly putting the ball in!

"If we don't count Stephens's few shots that looked like they were just randomly hitting, this should be the first fast break point for both teams tonight, right?" Jackson said. "Both teams played too aggressively in the first half, and neither of them had many fast break opportunities."

"No wonder their pace is so slow and their scoring is so low; they've completely abandoned the easiest and simplest way to score on the court!"

"It's not that they've given up, it's that a fight can't be fought, and both head coaches probably have the same idea," Miller analyzed. "It's a war of attrition!"

"Both sides are engaged in physical battles and close-quarters combat, and the players on both sides are losing their stamina very quickly! I think by the middle of the fourth quarter at the latest, several players on both sides will be unable to continue playing due to exhaustion."

"I even suspect that the reason Rose hasn't taken many shots or had the ball much so far is because of this! Lin is waiting for his opportunity; he wants Rose to hold back and wait until everyone is exhausted before taking his shot!"

"There is a lot of evidence to support Lin Tian's intention."

"Rose only played 16 minutes in the first half, while in the previous four games, he played more than 40 minutes. He only took 5 shots in the first half, scoring 5 points and 2 assists. Not only did he take more shots, but his time with the ball, the number of times he participated in the offense, and the number of times he drove to the basket were all greatly reduced."

"I know Allen's defense is great! I wouldn't be surprised if he held Rose to 0-for-15 shooting, but only scoring 5 points on 2-for-5 shooting in the first half is not Rose's style, nor is it Allen's achievement!"

"The Celtics need to be wary of the Bobcats' fourth-quarter changes and Rose's potential outbursts."

"The Celtics have some hidden talents too," Jackson said with a smile. "Look at Duncan, he only took three shots in the first half! I know, I know, Duncan is getting old, his average stats are even below 20+10, he hasn't had 20+10 stats in two years."

"He's only averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds this year; he's no longer an elite-level top player."

"But obviously, is taking only 3 shots in the first half a reflection of his style and ability? Or rather, who would have thought that Boozer could shut Duncan down to the point of not even having a chance to shoot?"

"So you mean the fourth quarter will be a Rose vs. Duncan showdown?" Miller looked at Jackson and laughed heartily. "I'm really looking forward to that inside-outside duel!"

A battle between insiders and outsiders? Is a trump card hidden?

Lin Tian listened to the two commentators' analysis and picked at his ear with disdain.

He did indeed tell Rose to rest and stay hidden until his opponent was exhausted before delivering the fatal blow.

But you're saying Rivers was hiding Duncan, letting him explode in the fourth quarter?

Could he even be that smart? If he were that smart, Lin Da Guanren would have eaten the basketball on the spot!

This clearly shows that Rivers is unable to control the team, leading to the team going out of control!

Duncan is unassuming and doesn't compete for anything. As long as the team isn't behind or in dire straits, he keeps quiet and does whatever makes Howard happy.

Lin Tian didn't believe that Rivers had arranged for him to make few moves.

Nine times out of ten, it's just that this guy doesn't take action himself.

As for the fourth quarter's outburst?

It's possible, but Lin Tian won't let that become a reality.

Some coaches might dislike professional commentators like Miller and Jackson, who make wild guesses about tactics and analyze things on the sidelines, potentially revealing the team's intended tactics.

But Lin Tian really liked them.

These two aren't here to break up this family; they're here to join it.

No.

They're not here to reveal my tactics; they're here to give me new ideas!

Before, Lin Tian had overlooked this big man because Duncan had a low profile, ignoring the fact that he was just old and lazy, not useless.

If this neglect continues, then in the fourth quarter, when Rose drives to the basket, he might actually be shut down by Duncan.

But now...

Hehe... Now that I've figured it out, I have plenty of ways to make sure Duncan can't get the ball and can't play in the fourth quarter!

"Yao!" During a Celtics offensive failure, the basketball bounced out of bounds. The other players were preparing to inbound the ball, and Yao Ming was about to run and join the offense when Lin Tian called out to him.

"Try provoking that idiot. He looks like he has a tiny brain stem; he's a complete moron." Lin Tian said to Howard across from him, "You can handle him, right?"

"Got it! How exactly do we provoke him? Is the goal to get him to beat me up or to get him worked up?"

"What's the difference?" Lin Tian looked at Yao Ming, not expecting this guy to make a joke at this moment.

"There's not much difference. The main thing is whether I get yelled at when I get home. Yezi won't let me fight." Yao grinned, his signature funny face back online.

"Get lost!" Lin Tian kicked him in the butt and said, "You have one quarter to make him angry. I'm going to make him keep playing one-on-one, keep playing one-on-one, and keep occupying the inside position without letting him get away."

"Then, let him help us completely drive Duncan out of the three-second zone!"

"Coach, you played really dirty!" After Yao Ming nodded and left, Stevens couldn't help but say, "I've seen plenty of psychological warfare, and I've seen plenty of tactics like getting the opposing players to get carried away and keep taking one-on-one shots."

"But I've never seen a style of play like yours, where you make the opposing players fight each other, make them hostile to each other, and directly break up the team.

"That's because you're inexperienced. If you had come to the NBA and worked with me earlier, you would have seen it all."

"I've dismantled so many football teams that I can't count them on one hand. People in the industry have given me a nickname: the demolition expert."

"You really disassembled it?"

"Who's joking with you?" Lin Tian snorted. "Why do you think these Celtics fans hate me? Walker and Pierce were such a promising duo back then, why did they break up?"

"Shaquille O'Neal was doing just fine with the Magic, so why did he leave for the Lakers without hesitation? Was it really because the Magic's management was incompetent, or were they idiots?"

"And another thing, let me think... Right! Why did LeBron go to the Mavericks instead of staying with the Spurs? Wasn't it because I told him, 'Don't let loyalty hurt you!'"

"And what about that guy, Kemp and that, what was it again? I think it was Jimmy's? They were throwing punches at each other on the field. Who do you think started it?"

"You really should change your nickname." Stevens couldn't help but say as he listened to Lin Tian proudly boasting about his glorious history of dismantling teams. "The title 'team-dismantling expert' doesn't even begin to describe what you've done."

"I think you're more aptly called a war machine; no one brings more war and suffering than you."

"I'm really hurt by what you're saying to me," Lin Tian said to Stevens. "I wouldn't say these things to anyone else! I'm only saying these things to you because I truly consider you my successor and my first disciple."

"You're not even grateful to me, and you're still looking down on me!" (End of Chapter)