Chapter 99
: The tension overflows from the stadium! A record sealed for 45 years! [Daily updates of
Chapter 99: The tension overflows from the stadium! A record sealed for 45 years! [Daily updates of 20,000 words, please subscribe]
"Use you? Besides getting me to rush in too, what good will you do?" Lin Ze threatened. "If you don't want to start a brawl, you'd better stay put!"
"You think you can threaten me?" Marshall probably felt he had been a bit too soft just now, so he replied quite forcefully, but that was all he said.
After he finished speaking, he stood still and didn't move, as obediently as Lin Ze's dog that he had raised for several years.
In the heart of the conflict, not a single Lakers player rushed forward, but each player tacitly blocked their assigned opponent, ensuring that no player, except for the referee, was able to reach the scene.
Despite the referee's repeated whistles, Madsen and Malone remained unwilling to let go. Both wanted to stand up first, but neither could get up quickly.
Finally, after struggling for more than ten seconds, the referees managed to separate the two.
This dragging left the three referees exhausted.
"Technical foul for both sides!" The referee glared at the two players. "You two, do you think fighting is cool?"
"I just want to play defense." Madsen wasn't afraid at all at this moment. Instead, he looked at Malone with eagerness, as if he was ready to take him down at any moment.
Malone still looked fierce, but he really didn't expect that an unknown white kid would dare to talk back to him.
Grinning, how dare they not take him seriously!
What alarmed him even more was that none of the other Lakers players came to help; everyone stood far away.
Are they trying to replace me with this rookie?
Ma Long was a little worried.
These young, impetuous individuals are the most troublesome.
"How are you feeling?" At this moment, Lin Ze walked up to Madsen and reached out his hand to him.
The two gave each other a heavy high five, and Madsen said menacingly, "That's all there is to it! Not scary at all."
"Did you hear that, Karl?" Lin Ze said as Malone approached to take his technical serve. "You're completely washed up! Nobody's afraid of you on this court! You're just an old piece of trash who could retire at any moment!"
Malone stopped shooting free throws, turned to Lin Ze and said, "Kid! Sending a cannon fodder to wear me down, you think you're a tough guy?"
"First, Mark isn't cannon fodder; he'll completely shut you down this round! Second, I don't need to think of myself as a tough guy; you know better than anyone whether I'm tough or not! Third, I'm not called 'Kid,' I'm called 'Lin'!"
The referee quickly stepped over and stood between the two, saying, "Separate! Shut up! Shut up, both of you! We'll send you both off if the game doesn't end in a tie!"
"If you fight again this year, I guarantee you'll regret it! You'll be targeted by all the referees! I guarantee that no matter which one of you makes it to the next round, you'll definitely not make it to the finals!"
「放心吧裁判先生，我很热爱和平的。」林泽轻鬆无比的道：「就算这个家伙再怎幺挑衅甚至出手揍我，我都不会还手的。」
"He doesn't deserve my suspension! He's just a washed-up old codger, he doesn't deserve to trade one-for-one with me!"
"Don't you understand what 'shut up' means?" The referee glared at Lin Ze. It was only because Lin Ze had risen to prominence this year, and was in Los Angeles, that the referee would have given him a technical foul by now if it were last year's Lin Ze!
Lin Ze shrugged, said nothing more, and ruffled Madsen's hair, saying, "Well done! I knew you could take him down!"
The very first round has already revealed the strategies and intensity of the game for both sides tonight.
The Lakers need to attack the paint aggressively, so let O'Neal go and beat up Polynes.
On the defensive end, the Lakers will also use the highest level of physicality against the Jazz.
This series is sure to be very intense! The total points for both sides are also unlikely to be very high.
After both teams made their technical free throws, the Jazz resumed their offense.
This match between Malone and Madsen was as fierce and intense as ever, with Malone giving it his all to gain the upper hand.
He secured a position for himself.
But as soon as he got the ball and turned around, before he could make any move, Madsen was already right there with him.
Madsen's head was right in front of Malone's face. Malone only needed to move slightly to kiss him. Madsen didn't give Malone any space, and at the same time, his hands were clearly positioned.
Will Marcus said, "That's standard face defense! Madsen really isn't afraid of Malone's iron elbows at all!"
"Ma Long didn't scare him!"
Malone was in a tough spot against this relentless defense. He could easily knock Madsen down with an elbow, but he would also inevitably be called for a flagrant foul or a technical foul.
For someone who already had a technical foul, that was fatal!
He has to be careful.
What Malone found even more unacceptable was that this rookie he didn't know wasn't afraid of him at all!
A few years ago, even top rookies like Garnett were afraid of his iron elbows and dared not defend like that!
Malone suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness, but it was only fleeting. He immediately launched an attack, dribbling with his shoulders low to break through, and stopped abruptly at the edge of the three-second zone. He then half-turned, engaged in contact, and then engaged in more contact!
He can handle Madsen, he can gain an advantage, but he wants the Lakers to double-team him; he wants the Lakers to put him in front of the defense.
He can then find an open teammate.
But nobody came!
After a series of intense exchanges, Malone had no choice but to handle the offense himself. He stepped back, jumped, and shot.
However, there was too much physical contact before the shot was taken, which caused Malone to lose his touch, and the basketball naturally failed to go into the basket!
After the Lakers easily controlled the rebound, O'Neal immediately passed the ball to Fisher, who then passed it to Kobe, who in turn passed it to Lin Ze.
After receiving the ball, Lin Ze started his attack, raising one arm high and charging towards the basket.
"boom!"
With a loud bang, Lin Ze sent the ball into the basket with one arm!
Wilmarcus said, "Although it only lasted less than a minute, the Lakers have already exploited the Jazz's Achilles' heel. Their weaknesses are completely under the Lakers' control. What should the Jazz do?"
Sloan didn't know what to do either.
In the following matches, he let Ma Long play several more singles games, but the results were poor.
He had Stockton and Malone run pick-and-rolls, but the Lakers' rotations were quick and their players were tall, while the Jazz also...
There weren't many players who were good at cutting to the basket, so they were always able to disrupt Stockton's passing and Malone's offense.
After trying for a long time without finding a comfortable way to attack, Sloan decided to pass the ball to Starks and let him go one-on-one.
But clearly, Starks is just a former scoring machine; he was good in the past, but he's no longer at his peak.
Not to mention he was facing Kobe's defense, with O'Neal and Lin Ze providing help defense under the basket.
Despite trying various tactics, the Jazz's offense remained ineffective.
The Jazz couldn't find a solution, but the Lakers found a tactic to defeat them!
Counterattack!
The Lakers took their counter-attacks to the extreme tonight. Whenever O'Neal grabbed a rebound, he would quickly pass the ball to his teammates to push the ball up the court.
In the first quarter alone, the Lakers scored 12 points through transition offense and defense!
They easily routed the Jazz.
Even in half-court sets, the Jazz couldn't handle O'Neal, Lin Ze, and Kobe.
They can't solve any of them.
Shaq beat Polynes like he was beating a child, Kobe beat Starks like he was beating a girl, and Lin Ze beat Marshall like he was beating an old man.
These three players combined for a spectacular performance in the first quarter!
At the end of the first quarter, O'Neal had 10 points, Lin Ze had 8 points, and Kobe had 7 points!
In addition, Madsen scored 2 points, Fisher scored 3 points, and Grant, who came off the bench, scored 2 points.
The Lakers scored 32 points in the first quarter!
Even so, this was despite Stockton relentlessly controlling the tempo, trying his best to slow down the game, and not daring to make any aggressive moves.
If the Jazz had a less consistent point guard, the Lakers probably could have scored 40 points in the first quarter!
On the Jazz's side, they couldn't contain any of the Lakers' players on defense.
Their problems on the offensive end are equally serious!
The Jazz only scored 14 points in the entire first quarter.
Apart from Malone, everyone else only scored 7 points combined!
Even for the Jazz, the worst problem wasn't just being down by 18 points in the first quarter.
The worst thing for them was that Malone played the full 12 minutes of the first quarter before going to the bench for a rest.
Even if he has all his stamina, the physical exertion under this level of competition and contest is enormous, and he must go to the bench to rest in the second quarter.
Jackson clearly knew that Malone would be resting during this period.
Therefore, he changed his previous habit of only using Kobe as a rotation player at this time.
Let Lin Ze and Kobe appear together!
Although Lin Ze played 11 minutes and Kobe played 9 minutes in the first quarter, both of them are young and strong. Even if they come on early in the second quarter and slightly overexert themselves, it will not be a problem at all!
But what about the Jazz?
Is it possible to let the 35-year-old Ma Long play the entire first half?
Obviously impossible.
So even though Sloan saw Kobe and Lin Ze on the court, he couldn't come up with an effective response.
All he could do was send in Russell, Manning, and others.
At the start of the second quarter, Kobe Bryant drove hard to the basket on his first offensive possession, scoring a layup while drawing a foul and converting the free throw.
Turning back, the Jazz's offense was like headless flies. None of them could find an opportunity to attack, and they could only keep passing the ball around meaninglessly. Finally, 34-year-old former number one draft pick Danny Manning stepped up and tried to post up Lin Ze in the paint.
But after making several feints and changing his footwork, he still couldn't find an opportunity to strike.
Lin Ze's defense far exceeded his expectations.
In the end, he could only barely throw the ball toward the basket, which bounced off the rim. Grant grabbed the rebound and passed it to Kobe. Kobe drove to the frontcourt and, after drawing a lot of the Jazz's defensive attention, passed the ball without looking to Lin Ze, who was following up on the wing.
After receiving the ball, Lin Ze glanced down, then took a half step back, retreating from the three-point line, before leisurely pulling up for a shot!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, the Lakers scored 6 points in a row to start the second quarter!
14: 38!
The gap between the two sides quickly widened to 24 points.
Even though the second quarter lasted less than a minute, Sloan had no choice but to call a timeout and signal everyone to come over.
He wanted to disrupt the Lakers' scoring momentum.
But while he said he wanted to stop it, Sloan didn't really know how to stop the Lakers' scoring momentum.
He simply doesn't have enough personnel to contain Lin Ze and Kobe.
A direct offensive battle between Ma Long and another player?
At his age, if he were to suffer any mishap or injury due to overclocking, that would be truly terrible.
Similarly, Stockton, who is a year older than Malone, also needs to be used sparingly.
In the end, Sloan didn't make any substitutions; he just clapped his hands to encourage his players, telling them to keep pushing, to believe in themselves, to play well, and to catch up.
A load of nonsense!
On the Lakers' side, Jackson's command was much calmer and more arrogant: "My plan is that no one will play more than 25 minutes tonight!"
"You don't have much time left, so give it your all and get the game into garbage time. The entire second half is our rest time!"
It's not that Jackson is arrogant, it's just that the difference in strength between the two teams tonight was too obvious!
The pause ended quickly.
After the Jazz came up, they passed the ball around like headless flies until it finally came to Russell's hands. After receiving the ball, he had no choice but to force a shot.
If you don't throw it away now, you'll be in violation within 24 seconds!
"Bang!"
Grant grabbed the rebound and immediately went back on the ball!
Kobe was sprinting ahead again, drawing a lot of defenders before tossing the ball into the air.
"FUXX!" Lin Ze, who was following behind Kobe, couldn't help but swear.
Kobe's pass to him was absolutely devastating!
He jumped with all his might, but in the end, he only managed to touch the basketball with his fingers.
Fortunately, Lin Ze had excellent touch. Even though his fingers only touched the basketball, he still managed to flick it towards the basket with a quick flick in the air.
The basketball spun back and forth on the rim several times before finally and reluctantly going into the basket.
Lin Ze spread his hands in protest at Kobe: "It's so high, is it even within my reach?"
"Didn't that go in?" Kobe glanced at Lin Ze, his meaning clearly: any shot that goes in is a good shot.
Just you wait!
Lin Ze ignored him and turned back to defend.
He felt that Kobe definitely did it on purpose!
In the next possession, the Jazz's offense still failed to find the net, and Grant grabbed the rebound again, passing it to Hubble to advance the ball.
Hubble moved forward along the middle and then passed the ball to Linze on the wing.
This time, Lin Ze didn't shoot immediately after getting the ball; instead, he shouted, "Kobe!"
Then the basketball flew towards the basket!
Or rather, it flew towards Kobe on the other side of the basket!
Lin Ze's pass was high, but not ridiculously high.
It's a height that requires Kobe to jump with all his might to barely catch the ball and then put it in the basket.
I'm putting you in a difficult position too!
Kobe jumped with all his might, barely managing to catch the basketball in mid-air with one hand, but this time he touched the ball even less than Lin Ze had just done.
He could only tap the basketball once, then land first, and then jump a second time.
Kobe finally caught the basketball and put it directly into the basket in mid-air.
"Good shot, Kobe! That was a series of bunny hops!" Lin Ze shouted to Kobe from a distance. "Sorry, my passing skills aren't very good, so the pass wasn't great."
You think you can jump?
You should just do an alley-oop dunk!
Don't bounce the ball twice to get it and then put it in!
Watching the Lakers duo on the court, who were clearly playing without any pressure, Sloan was really itching to fight back. He stared intently at the court, a few thoughts forming in his mind.
You two are so arrogant, I'll get someone to deal with you!
I'll cripple one of you, then we'll see how arrogant you can be!
Just as Sloan had made up his mind to turn back and look for the culprit, Lin Ze happened to pass by him.
Lin Ze's smiling, handsome, and seemingly harmless face reminded Sloan of one of the most painful memories of his life.
With this guy around, it's definitely not a good idea for the Lakers to resort to dirty tricks.
Because Lin Ze has already made a name for himself in the league.
Over the past two years, various rumors about Lin Ze, as well as evaluations of him by players and coaches, have formed a coherent system.
Basically, it's all based on firsthand accounts from the parties involved.
Based on Sloan's personal experience and these rumors and evaluations, Sloan believed that no matter who he put on the court to sabotage the Lakers players, Lin Ze would eventually retaliate against Malone or Stockton.
This guy is definitely not the kind of reckless person who would just attack anyone who lays a hand on him.
He's the kind of guy who, once he starts, will strike where you're most vulnerable!
Professionals are ruthless and vicious!
While Sloan hesitated and pondered, the Lakers scored again, this time with Hubble hitting a three-pointer from an absolutely open position.
Minutes!
Their lead has reached 31 points!
And right now, O'Neal hasn't even come on yet.
As for the Jazz, although Sloan didn't let Malone and Stockton play, he also knew that putting them on wouldn't help.
A gap of 31 points is simply not something this Jazz team can close!
In the following games, Sloan demonstrated the decisiveness of a top-class coach.
Surrender!
do not fight!
He didn't bring Malone and Stockton back in until there were only 5 minutes left in the second quarter.
The Lakers are now leading by 36 points!
Sloan has already conceded defeat; for him, how many points he loses tonight is of no importance.
Whether we lose or lose by 40 points or 20 points, it makes no difference.
Moreover, the Lakers' bench is not strong either. As long as their starting core is out, the Lakers will definitely not be able to maintain their offensive firepower and widen the gap.
Therefore, Sloan had essentially given up the fight before halftime was even over.
But to Sloan's surprise, the Lakers' ruthlessness far exceeded his expectations!
The score was 41 points at the end of the first half.
Three minutes and 48 seconds into the third quarter.
With 4 minutes and 21 seconds left in the third quarter, the Lakers were already leading by 54 points!
At this point, the Lakers' three key players had already been resting for about three minutes.
As Jackson said, he wasn't going to let anyone play for more than 25 minutes, so he started rotating players early on.
The garbage time in this game was incredibly long!
On the other side, Sloan, knowing that there was no hope for tonight's game, did not persist in vain. His starters only played a few more minutes than the Lakers. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, he substituted his starters with the bench players. At the same time, Sloan's mind was no longer on the game.
Tonight, the Lakers started Madsen with a big man lineup, which really caught Sloan off guard. Madsen's defensive effect far exceeded Sloan's expectations. Malone was actually contained by Madsen!
Malone, who only played 27 minutes tonight, made only 8 of 22 shots, a shooting percentage of less than 40%. This kind of efficiency obviously cannot help the Jazz win.
What Sloan needs to think about now is how to unleash Malone's firepower and maximize Malone's offensive capabilities.
Only when Malone gets into form will the Jazz have a chance to win the game.
What should we do?
"Coach, Coach?" Just as Sloan was deep in thought, a voice woke him from his reverie. Sloan looked curiously at Stockton beside him and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Score!" Stockton said succinctly, gesturing for Sloan to look up.
Sloan paused for a moment, then rubbed his eyes, looked again, and then looked at Stockton: "They've brought in their starters to rack up points?"
"No," Stockton shook his head. "Brian Shaw and Rick Fox have suddenly found their rhythm."
"What? Who?" Sloan couldn't believe his ears; of course, two seconds earlier, he couldn't believe his eyes.
The score right now is an absurd 51:110!
The gap between the two sides has reached 59 points!
Sloan never imagined that the Lakers' bench player, who had been disliked and criticized all season, would suddenly explode tonight!
It's worth noting that he was quite shrewd when he took the starting lineup off the court in the third quarter, deliberately letting Malone and the others play for a few more minutes. By the time Malone and the others were off the court, the point difference had narrowed to 48 points.
At the end of the third quarter, the gap between the two teams was only 45 points.
Sloan believes that his team should have no problem winning by another 7 or 8 points to narrow the gap to within 30 points!
How come the Lakers have widened the gap to this extent in the few minutes I've been lost in thought?
The Jazz have suffered crushing defeats before; they once lost to the Bulls by 42 points in the Finals!
So in Sloan's view, losing by 30 points or so is not a big deal, as long as it doesn't exceed that 42-point blowout.
But he never expected that the Lakers' bench, which had been quiet for a whole year, would erupt tonight!
Shaw and Fox delivered their best individual performances of the season, hitting almost every shot and then unleashing a flurry of fire to extend the lead to nearly 60 points!
This clearly crossed Sloan's bottom line.
Losing by 30 points and losing by nearly 60 points, what's the difference?
But he can't possibly take down Malone at this point, or that would definitely make them a laughing stock.
But even if you bring in players like Manning, Russell, or Starks, it will be difficult to salvage the current situation without bringing in Malone.
Sloan was still hesitating and thinking, while the Lakers were celebrating wildly on the other side.
"Record broken! Record broken! Record broken!" O'Neal shouted excitedly. "Shaw! Rick! Come on! A few more points! Crush these Salt Lake City guys, and etch them into the annals of shame!"
"Keep it up! Only a few points left! We're about to break the record!"
As O'Neal got to this point, he suddenly realized that he didn't know what the largest point difference in NBA history was.
So he turned to him and said, "Does anyone know what the biggest point differential in playoff history is again?"
"42 points," Fisher said. "Between the Bulls and the Jazz."
"That's the biggest point difference in the Finals," Lin Ze said. "The biggest point difference in the playoffs is 58 points, 09—no, anyway, the record is 58 points, but which year was that record again?"
Lin Ze knew this number all too well, so well that he almost blurted it out, but thankfully he stopped in time.
I hope Pao Ge won't be sad.
"In 1955, the Lakers beat the Hawks by 58 points! Although the Lakers were still in Minneapolis and the Hawks were still in St. Louis back then," Jerry West interjected with a smile from behind the bench, "you still have to remember the team's glorious history."
"So it's already broken!" O'Neal glanced at the huge 59-point deficit and suddenly lost interest: "This is boring."
"This score might not hold until the end of the game," Lin Ze said. "Let's keep cheering! Let's keep this gap until the final whistle!"
"They'll hold the record for the biggest point differential in the Finals, and they'll also hold the record for the biggest point differential in the playoffs! Those damn Salt Lake City folks deserve such a dazzling and unique record!"
"That's right!" O'Neal shouted again, "Rick! Keep it up, you're almost at 20 points!"
"How many points did he get again?"
"Can't you see it yourself?" Lin Ze was somewhat speechless. "The score difference isn't on the big screen, but the players' on-court records are displayed there!"
On the court, the two sides began to battle back and forth around a 60-point difference.
The significance of this game has changed completely without us realizing it. It has transformed from an ordinary playoff game into an epic battle that could potentially set a new record!
"Will this 45-year-old record be broken tonight?" Wilmarcus also became nervous: "There's 1 minute and 11 seconds left in the game, and the current gap between the two teams is 60 points, with the Lakers leading the historical record by 2 points!"
"Russell's shot—unfortunately, it missed! The Jazz don't have many chances left; they still have about 2-3 shooting opportunities! If they can't capitalize, they will become the team with the biggest single-game loss in NBA playoff history!"
Smith said, "Lakers' offense! They're starting to run down the clock. Fox has the ball at the top of the arc and isn't moving."
The team was quite strategic; they didn't continue their attack, they stopped.
"Looks like they're going to run down the 24-second shot clock completely. Sure enough, the Lakers have used up their 24-second limit and committed a turnover. Now there are 40 seconds left in the game!"
"The Jazz still have a chance! They still have a chance to avoid being last!"
Wilmarcus said, "I never expected a game that was already decided in the first half to have such a big suspense at the end! Let's see the final result!"
"The Lakers have stopped playing defense! Everyone's standing still, and they're giving the Jazz open shots."
"Jacqueline Vaughn catches the ball! The Jazz's most accurate three-point shooter off the bench! He doesn't rush, he steadys himself for a moment, then shoots—and misses again! What a pity!"
"After all, this is a shot carrying a historical mission," Wilmarcus joked. "The pressure on this shot is no less than that of a game-winning shot!"
"The Lakers got the rebound again, but they still didn't attack. They dribbled up the court and ran out of 24 seconds."
"The Jazz have their last possession of the night! Seven seconds left!"
All eyes were now focused on the Jazz players, these role players who were shouldering a mission they had never had before in their lives!
Jacqueline Vaughn received the ball in the frontcourt, but this time he didn't dare to shoot. He passed it to Russell. When Russell got the ball, there were only 3 seconds left in the game. He didn't have time to think or hesitate. After glancing at the three-point line, he took the shot!
"Bang!"
Unfortunately, all we heard this time was the sound of hammering metal!
The Jazz's final, game-winning shot still missed the rim!
At the same time, the final whistle blew, signaling the end of the match!
The Lakers won!
They won by a full 60 points!
60: 120!
The Lakers scored exactly twice as many points as the Jazz!
After the game, Wilmarcus couldn't help but say, "Actually, the Jazz didn't need to! Why were they so fixated on three points? The Lakers weren't even playing defense anymore. They could have easily walked into the paint and made a layup, easily getting two points."
"If they maintain their pace in the last minute, there's a 99% chance they can score two goals in a row, which would reduce their deficit to 56 points."
"Although it is still shameful and disgraceful, at least they will not become the first in history, and will not be mentioned again and again."
Smith said, "When people are nervous, their brains can only perform the simplest linear tasks, which is normal! It can only be said that the Jazz were unlucky. Both of their shots were the most basic and simplest open shots, and both were taken by the team's shooters."
"But they all missed. It just goes to show that God wanted to rewrite that 45-year-old record, and that the NBA would set a new record!"
"Well then, let's congratulate the Lakers!" Wilmarcus said. "Congratulations to the Lakers for winning Game 1 of the series tonight and taking a 1-0 lead! And congratulations on achieving the biggest win in NBA playoff history!"
"Let's remember all the Lakers players who stepped up and contributed tonight; they'll be etched in history! After all, I think this point difference will be sealed for at least another 30 or 40 years."
「奥尼尔今晚拿下21分10篮板，林20分4篮板，科比18分5篮板9助攻，这三人出场时间最长的科比也只打了21分钟！」
"Fisher scored 14 points, Harper 4, Grant 6, Fox 18, Shaw 14, and Madsen 5! Six Lakers players scored in double figures tonight, and nine players contributed points! This was a classic team victory!"
"And I have to say, the Lakers really went easy on us tonight. They didn't play any defense or offense in the last minute, and none of their starters played more than 22 minutes."
"But a new record was still set."
"You said you wanted to destroy them, but I never imagined it would be like this!" Nicholson stood up excitedly on the sidelines. "Now, all the revenge for those two years of '96-'97 is done!"
Lin Ze laughed and said, "I didn't expect it to be this decisive. We originally planned to win by 30 points! Who knew they would be so weak?"
"That's arrogant enough! I like it!" Nicholson laughed heartily, and Lin Ze also walked over and chatted casually with some female celebrities.
The post-game atmosphere in Los Angeles is always so relaxed and leisurely.
A dozen minutes later, when Lin Ze arrived at the press conference, the reporters immediately began asking their questions.
"Was winning by 60 points part of your plan?"
"No, our plan is to win by 30 points."
A reporter quickly seized on Lin Ze's grammatical error: "Before the match even started, you were confident of winning by 30 points?"
"Yes, Phil has implemented new tactics and a new starting lineup, and we all believe this lineup will be incredibly effective, so winning by 30 points is definitely part of our plan!"
"So, is there anything you'd like to say to the Jazz?"
"Maintain your energy and willpower, keep striving, keep improving, and try your best to stay in shape. Don't let rumors defeat you. Be yourself, just like tonight, and be the best version of yourself!"
"Excuse me—" The reporters, not missing the sarcasm in Lin Ze's tone, immediately pressed on, asking, "Are you mocking them?"
"Is it that obvious?" Lin Ze couldn't hold back any longer and grinned. "Yes, I was definitely mocking them. They made me so happy! 60 points! That's exactly double their score! How did they manage that? I still can't understand or believe it!"
"But the series has just begun. You're only up 1-0. Winning by one point or winning by 60 points makes no difference and doesn't make the series 2-0. In basketball, point differential doesn't really matter."
「谁说没区别的？你可以说输1分和输5分没区别，输15分和25分没区别，可你说输1
"Is there any difference between winning by 60 points and losing by 60 points?" Lin Ze spread his hands, looking at the reporter, and said, "Do you believe that?"
A reporter, clearly from Salt Lake City, said, "But you should respect your opponents. You shouldn't continue to bombard them like this after they've surrendered, branding them with shame. That's unsportsmanlike!"
"Sportsmanship?" Lin Ze said, "This is the playoffs! This is the playoffs where it's win or go home! Giving it your all is sportsmanship! Besides, we didn't relentlessly attack the Jazz, we didn't humiliate them like chickens."
"It's their own fault for being bad at cooking."
"Is it really appropriate to talk about your opponent like that? Don't you think you'll offend all the fans in Salt Lake City and make them hate you?" The reporter was still unwilling to shut up. Obviously, the Jazz's crushing defeat had made him lose his composure and the professionalism that a reporter should have.
"So you think it's more appropriate for me to say here that the Jazz are strong, great, play with great resilience, and deserve respect? Wouldn't that be even more sarcastic? We did a lot of preparation before the game. We made changes to our lineup to counter theirs. We watched countless Jazz game videos and analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of their lineup bit by bit."
"Isn't this respectful? Does failing to prepare before the game, not making adjustments to counter the opponent, playing sluggishly and chaotically, and losing the game mean respecting the opponent?"
"And most importantly, you actually think that if I say less, the people of Salt Lake City will like me? Are you sure?"
"How many points you win on the court is a matter of player ability, but you definitely didn't give your opponents enough respect! You didn't—"
"Stop!" This time, Lin Ze interrupted the reporter directly, telling him to shut up, and then interjected, "I have a few questions for you. Who were the first starters and key players to be substituted tonight? How many points did our starting lineup score in the latter part of the third quarter and the fourth quarter, and how many shots did they take?"
"Stop looking around like that, look me in the eye and answer me!"
"Honestly, to avoid humiliating the Jazz and permanently branding them with that shame, we didn't attack in the last two possessions, controlling the ball until the very end, which resulted in two turnovers!"
Lin Ze paused for a moment, then looked at the Salt Lake City reporter and began his final statement: "They lost by 60 points because they were stupid, incompetent, and too proud. They couldn't hit a three-pointer with no one guarding them at the last moment. They were too proud to field their starters even when they were about to lose by 60 points. They were stupid; they couldn't think of using two dunks to come back and win."
"It has nothing to do with us!"
Lin Ze's words left the reporter speechless and unable to respond.
He stopped talking and lowered his head to start writing and drawing in his notebook.
Needless to say, they were definitely writing bad things about Lin Ze, but Lin Ze didn't care at all.
Being called trash by the Salt Lake City media only proves that you are a good person who aligns with the values of the general public.
The reporters didn't dare to argue with Lin Ze anymore. They had witnessed his firepower once again, which was no less than his on-court performance. Of course, this was also because they had already gathered enough material tonight.
After Lin Ze answered some more trivial questions, this night, which would surely go down in history and cause a certain 183cm mysterious masked man to lose his nickname, came to an end.
Riding high on their victory over the Jazz, the Lakers swept them off their feet in the second game with the same ease.
In the second game, Sloan didn't change his starting lineup, but he used [a different player] in the second and third quarters.
For a while, it will be a five-man combination of Ostertag, Malone, Marshall, Russell, and Stockton.
During the five minutes that these five players were on the court together, the Jazz beat the Lakers by five points!
The reason Sloan didn't keep these five players on the court for too long was because he had already decided to forfeit the game before it even started!
The 60-point blowout loss in the first game was too painful! Even after a day of rest, the Jazz players had not regained their form and confidence at all, and were completely in a dazed and unsteady state.
So Sloan gave everyone a long day off the day before the game, allowing them to release their pent-up emotions and forget the painful defeat in the first game.
In the second game, Sloan had only one goal: not to lose too badly!
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