Chapter 1013
My Turn! Lin Tian's Christmas Gift to Los Angeles!
Although Lin Tian quickly returned to defense, blocking Gomez's advance and successfully positioning himself, putting immense pressure on the Clippers' offense, he ultimately managed to slow them down and prevent them from launching a fast break.
Even though they were forced into a half-court game, the Lakers players did not let their guard down.
Their offense was terrible tonight.
After failing to secure a win so many times in a row, this start to the Christmas game is truly disappointing.
This has resulted in a somewhat subdued atmosphere within the Lakers organization.
It wasn't that the players were disappointed or gave up; it was simply a temporary slump. Normally, this slump would occur at the end of the first quarter, but tonight, because of the Lakers' poor performance at the start of the game, this situation came earlier.
Lin Tian knew that at this point, either the head coach would call a timeout to encourage the players or make personnel adjustments to change their form, or the players would have to find a way to play some exciting rounds to reverse the momentum gap.
Thinking of this, Lin Tian couldn't help but turn his head and glance at Jackson.
Well, don't count on it.
The old man was squinting and pretending to be dead, clearly wanting to see how well the Lakers could adjust themselves.
Then I'll just have to do it myself!
The Clippers' offense was lackluster tonight, with Rondo, who is second in assists, not really initiating plays with the ball. Apart from running a pick-and-roll in the first possession, he mostly used his voice to direct his teammates. As for the ball, it was basically in the hands of Gordon and Griffin.
This time, Gordon and Griffin ran a pick-and-roll. After the two separated, Griffin quickly turned and cut to the basket. Considering his incredible driving ability, the two Lakers defenders actually collapsed at the same time and followed Griffin.
Gordon was immediately given a fairly large open shot.
This guy didn't hold back either; after taking a quick look, he made his move!
"Shh!"
Another crisp sound, and Gordon hit a three-pointer!
The Clippers started strong, going on a 9-0 run against the Lakers!
In the Christmas Day game, the Clippers' illegitimate son, born from an affair between a maid and the master, seems to be plotting a rebellion against the Lakers, the eldest son and grandson of the team.
Of course, the Clippers have won against the Lakers before; they beat the Lakers once or twice every season.
The difference is that this is the first time they will face the Lakers on the Christmas Day stage. Although it is not the playoffs, it is still quite important.
The Clippers won this game, which may not have much impact on the die-hard fans of both teams, but for the Lakers, who are aiming for the championship, this is definitely a major blow!
At this point, Jackson still showed no intention of calling a timeout.
Not in a hurry.
He can still wait.
He believes that his players will step up when the team is in trouble.
Not only are they able to stand up, but many people are able to stand up.
Jackson was even betting with himself at that moment.
If Kobe Bryant steps up, we'll celebrate with a beer tonight. If Kevin Durant steps up, we'll celebrate with a big glass of whiskey. If Lin Tian steps up, we'll eat a whole turkey and open a bottle of '94 Lafite. After we're full, we'll find a place to have some fun by ourselves.
Okay, that's decided.
Who will step up to save the team tonight?
To be honest, I'm a little nervous!
While Jackson was adding his own drama to the scene, Claire on the sidelines was already raising her little fist and shouting, "Go Dad, get off work early!"
For Lin Tian, it would be hard to find a more effective cheer than this.
Unless Stallone's daughters can invite her to Stallone's villa in front of their father and let Stallone listen in from the next room.
But no matter what, Lin Tian knew it was time for him to make a move!
He has been keeping a low profile for two months. In the past two months, apart from the opening game where Lin Tian scored more than 30 points, he has not scored more than 30 points in any of the remaining 30 games. This is his longest streak of scoring less than 30 points since his rookie season.
Of course, no one doubts Lin Tian's scoring ability, whether now or in the past.
The game against the Bobcats was only part of the reason; another reason was the number of shots Lin Tian had taken this year.
Ranked only fourth on the team, below Kobe, Durant and Bynum, he's genuinely too lazy to shoot. And while he's too lazy to shoot, if someone actually leaves Lin Tian open, he'll really make everyone pay the price.
This year, Lin Tian's shooting percentage has reached the highest point of his career.
With a 57% field goal percentage and a 51% three-point percentage, Lin Tian is making almost every shot this year!
His efficiency and explosive performance in the first game speak for themselves.
Of course, during those two months, some people did ask him: Why didn't you get a high score? Did you not want to?
Lin Tian's answer was the same as his answer at the beginning of the season: If you want to see me score, you guys have to step up your game!
And yet, despite the efforts of all the teams in the league, they have never been able to force out a single 'full-power Lin'.
He just passed the ball around and occasionally took a few shots, always giving the impression that he hadn't even broken a sweat before going off to rest.
But tonight, right now, almost everyone feels that Lin Tian is about to explode!
After arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian still didn't speak to Rondo. Despite Rondo's crazy provocations, Lin Tian remained silent. But this time, Lin Tian didn't choose to pass the ball.
After a crossover dribble, the basketball came to his left hand!
He executed an attack step that took both feet off the ground simultaneously, followed by a noticeable tilt of his upper body to the left, giving the impression that he was about to accelerate and break through.
In that split second, Rondo couldn't be sure which direction Lin Tian was going to go; he could only gamble!
Without making a sound, Rondo shifted his weight to the right first.
But just as Rondo shifted his weight, Lin Tian also accelerated!
Charge straight to the left!
Rondo was thinking and guessing, and Lin Tian was also waiting for Rondo's reaction. He was absolutely confident that he could make his move after Rondo reacted and still successfully get past the kid.
This is the absolute confidence that Lin Tian has accumulated over many years of competition experience!
Sure enough, with just one offensive step and a pre-emptive lean of his upper body, Lin Tian completely fooled Rondo. He accelerated straight toward the basket. At this moment, DeAndre Jordan was tightly blocked by Bynum and had no chance to come forward to help defend and block Lin Tian.
As for Griffin, he wasn't good at protecting the rim, and when he saw Lin Tian coming over, he didn't even bother to rush over to help defend.
With the two big men unable to arrive in time, nothing can stop Lin Tian!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Lin Tian glided and slammed the ball into the net with a graceful dunk!
The Lakers finally scored!
"Everyone, get yourselves together! Three minutes, I need to take back the lead within three minutes!"
"Understood!" The entire Lakers team roared in unison, and the previous gloom vanished in the blink of an eye.
Although it was only two points, and only a dunk, Lin Tian's attitude and determination were enough to boost the team's morale.
After all, the Lakers weren't completely crushed; they were just a bit slow to start.
Now that someone has started the game, the team's form has naturally returned to normal at a rapid pace!
The concept of "momentum" is sometimes inexplicable and difficult to explain.
The Lakers' defense.
This time, Rondo called for Griffin's screen again, but instead of passing the ball, he accelerated and drove to the basket, clearly wanting to score against Lin Tian to get revenge.
But Rondo drove all the way to the basket and couldn't shake off Lin Tian's defense. Just when everyone thought Rondo could only pass the ball, he actually moved!
He took the ball with one hand and passed it behind his back, clearly intending to deliver a behind-the-back pass.
But anyone who knows Rondo would know that this is most likely a feint by the guy!
Rondo has big hands, so he can control the basketball completely even with one hand, which is why he is very good at this fake pass.
First, pass the basketball from behind, then pull it back from behind as you take a step up.
In the level of competition of the NBA, only those with sufficiently large hands can regain control of the basketball, prevent it from going out of control, and then complete the layup.
This move can be considered one of Rondo's two most important signature moves in the NBA.
This trick has never failed him!
Because his passing is very threatening, even if the opponent knows he will take the ball back, they can only be wary of his passing in order to prevent him from passing to an open teammate.
But obviously, that was when they were facing other people.
"Bring it to you!"
When facing Lin Tian, Rondo could only hear a loud shout, and then watch as Lin Tian snatched the basketball away.
Rondo was completely stunned; he didn't even chase after them immediately.
He couldn't understand how Lin Tian had moved from his side to behind him in that instant, nor could he tell how Lin Tian had managed to intercept the ball so accurately.
It's no wonder Rondo is confused.
Because Lin Tian's choice was truly audacious. He essentially abandoned his defensive position, giving Rondo space, and then waited behind him for the ball to be delivered to him before taking it.
He succeeded this time, which was impressive. It looked like they had planned it together, with Rondo passing the ball to Lin Tian behind his back.
But what if it doesn't work?
What if Rondo hadn't used that move and had gone straight for a layup?
Lin Tian's decision to let Rondo go would become a joke, as he would just watch Rondo score 2 points with an easy layup.
But Lin Tian was confident enough to do it, and he actually succeeded in predicting it and won possession of the ball!
Lin Tian: I've watched your video countless times. Although I can't be 100% sure you'll do it, I'm pretty confident.
It's at least much more likely than him going for a layup directly.
After intercepting the ball, Lin Tian did not immediately launch a fast break, because his interception position was close to the baseline, making it impossible to launch a direct counterattack.
The players at the top of the key and the arc have already run back to defend.
However, the lack of a fast break opportunity was obviously not important. Lin Tian was not in a hurry and simply dribbled the ball to the frontcourt at a leisurely pace.
"You won't always be this lucky, you bastard! I'll stop you! I'll win tonight!" Rondo, who had been dispossessed, was starting to get a little carried away. Looking at Lin Tian, he lowered his center of gravity and was fully prepared.
He was confident that Lin Tian wouldn't get past him too easily this time!
Then?
Then Rondo felt a huge thing appear next to him.
Bynum is setting a screen!
Rondo, who was distracted, didn't even notice Lin Tian calling for a pick and roll.
With Bynum's screen, Lin Tian drove to the three-point line, only to be guarded by DeAndre Jordan.
DeAndre Jordan certainly knew how good Lin Tian was, so he backed away while stretching out his arms to defend against any potential shots Lin Tian might take.
DeAndre Jordan had done everything a big man should do when defending a smaller player, but just as he opened his arms to cover Lin Tian and wait for his teammates to come and switch roles with him, Lin Tian had already taken a quick step back and moved out to the three-point line.
Seeing this, DeAndre Jordan knew that Lin Tian was going to shoot a three-pointer. He quickly stepped forward to try to block Lin Tian's shot, but unfortunately, he fell for it!
As he stepped forward, he just brushed past Lin Tian. Lin Tian's feint tricked DeAndre Jordan's center of gravity, so DeAndre Jordan would have no chance of catching up with Lin Tian in this round!
In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian drove into the basket again, this time in an empty Clippers paint area.
"boom!"
Then came another loud bang. This time, because there was a lot of space in the paint, Lin Tian did a 360-degree twisting dunk, showing off his physical abilities to the fans in the arena.
"38? You're telling me this? You're kidding me! What 38-year-old athlete in the world can do a dunk like this?" Miller was so shocked by Lin Tian's dunk that he immediately roared to the sky. Such a dunk, which was almost like jumping off the ground with both feet, was truly astonishing.
With almost no space to run up, he also had to use changes of speed to shake off his opponent, and after driving to the basket, he spun and dunked in a half-court situation. Considering Lin Tian's age, this shot was definitely enough to make the commentators cheer!
9: 4!
After that basket, the Lakers continued to close the gap.
But after Lin Tian's powerful dunk, the Clippers suddenly decided to play fast!
Griffin sprinted to the baseline, picked up the basketball, and threw it out!
Gomez received the ball in the middle and immediately passed it to Rondo, who was already fast-running down the court. Rondo grabbed the ball, started his run, and was about to pull up for a dunk. He had to get back at Rondo!
This time, however, Rondo made another miscalculation and contributed his second biggest label.
He was chased down and hit hard!
God knows how Lin Tian managed to sprint at a speed faster than the basketball after a dunk, and God knows why he could still sprint back to defense at full speed after such a difficult dunk.
But everyone knows something else.
Lin Tian caught up with Rondo. Lin Tian and Rondo jumped at almost the same time, but Lin Tian's speed and jumping height were clearly superior!
So the two, who jumped almost at the same time, quickly determined who was better.
Lin Tian's palm was a full half a hand higher than Rondo's!
At this moment, if Rondo is not afraid and continues to bravely dunk at his previous goal, then Lin Tian will also have a difficult time dealing with this ball. After all, he cannot pass through the palm to complete the block and will likely have to take a foul.
But the thing is, Rondo is afraid!
Instead of the simplest direct dunk, this guy, in a moment of fear, pulled up for a layup with his far hand, trying to end the play.
As the saying goes: Don't be afraid to go for a layup, the more afraid you are, the more likely you are to get blocked!
This truth applies equally well on both amateur and NBA courts.
"Snapped!"
Almost the instant Rondo took a layup, Lin Tian's big hand slapped the basketball.
Then Lin Tian pressed the basketball against the backboard and then hugged it to his chest.
By the time Lin Tian landed, he had completely taken control of the basketball.
"A steal! Lin snatched Rondo's layup in mid-air!" Van Gundy exclaimed in astonishment. "Incredible! Lin's jumping height, sprint speed, and judgment are terrifying!"
"He didn't give up on that play, chasing all the way from the deepest part of the court to his own basket, and then made a killer block! An incredible will to win, an incredible sense of responsibility!"
"Why is Lin the greatest of all time? Why is it that any team with him either wins the championship or is on its way to winning it? This shot is the best and most direct answer!"
With the commentator's praise, Lin Tian dribbled the ball back to the frontcourt.
He was so fast that he didn't have a chance to catch up with Rondo, who had fallen to the floor.
With 5 against 4 in the frontcourt, the Lakers have a clear numerical advantage.
If we have an advantage, we can't waste it!
After arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian immediately passed the ball to Kobe on the wing.
But Lin Tian himself didn't stop at all. After passing the ball, he accelerated and rushed towards the basket!
Kobe knew what Lin Tian was going to do, and at the right moment, he threw the ball into the air.
This was a team effort that resulted in a collision with the wall.
At this moment, Lin Tian had already rushed to the edge of the three-second zone. He aimed at the basketball Kobe passed to him, timed his steps perfectly, and jumped directly.
Lin Tian, suspended in mid-air, resembled a roc spreading its wings, holding the basketball in one hand and stretching his entire body in the opposite direction. His posture and stance were enough to terrify his opponents!
DeAndre Jordan was stunned.
As the Clippers' most reliable rim protector, he didn't jump for this shot. Instead, he just stared blankly as Lin Tian went from a fully extended backbend to a sudden explosion, full of power, and slammed into the basket like a bomb.
"boom!"
With another loud bang, Lin Tian once again slammed the ball into the net!
9: 6!
Lin Tian delivered three consecutive, increasingly ferocious dunks!
The fans at the scene could no longer suppress their emotions and roared wildly.
Soon, the fans' roars turned into a unified cheer.
"Airborne City! Airborne City! Airborne City!"
Steal their nicknames from their opponents!
Who is the real powerhouse team? Who is the real alley-oop city?
In any case, the Lakers have been the more aggressive team in these few rounds!
It wasn't until Lin Tian slammed the ball down that Rondo hurriedly returned to his own half of the court, and he stopped trash-talking this time.
Even if he was incredibly confident and arrogant, he was speechless after being beaten three times in a row like that.
A block and a steal – there's no defensive play that better illustrates the difference in skill.
Not to mention Lin Tian's three attacks, two of which involved him directly dribbling past Rondo before scoring.
Complete suppression!
But as I said before, Rondo has quieted down and become more obedient, but he's not at the point of collapse yet.
This guy is still very composed. It's obviously not enough to break him down in just a few minutes.
He quickly regained his composure, found Gomez cutting inside, and delivered a through pass, assisting his teammate to break the brief scoring drought.
But tonight, the Clippers are facing a Lin Tian who is firing on all cylinders!
This time, Lin Tian finally stopped driving to the basket. Instead, he called for a screen beyond the three-point line, then created space with a single screen before launching a three-pointer! (End of Chapter)