Chapter 826
: A chapter dedicated to criticizing trash! Giving 03 Twin Stars a lesson on the spot!
In this game, the Knicks certainly wouldn't change their starting lineup. They had a large lead and won the game with ease, dominating the field.
Change the lineup?
Why bother with that?
As for the Spurs, they made a slight change to their starting lineup: replacing veteran Finley with JR Smith, and bringing on a more offensively capable and firepower-rich lineup.
Looking at the Spurs' roster, you can tell that Popovich is going all out from the start. He wants to give it his all from the beginning of the game, gain the upper hand as much as possible, and then win the game!
"This lineup change is very interesting! The Spurs' bench firepower will undoubtedly drop significantly with JR moving into the starting lineup. So even if they gain an advantage in the early stages, they are likely to lose it during the rotation phase."
In the final moments before the game began, Kenny and his team, as usual, started their pre-game analysis.
“But obviously, that’s not something the Spurs should be thinking about right now.” Miller added, “First, take the lead, then we can talk about other things. If they fall behind the Knicks from the start, they can’t rely on JR’s firepower to catch up.”
"That's clearly wishful thinking!"
"What I'm more curious about is what kind of attitude and spirit the Spurs will bring to this game tonight!" Payton said. "What this game, or rather this series, means, and how significant it is to all the players on both sides, I think everyone knows perfectly well."
"If the Spurs can't gain the upper hand tonight and can't put up a fight with the Knicks, then they might really become the 'most embarrassing runner-up in history'."
“Just going back and forth isn’t enough.” Barkley held up two fingers and said, “Two games! They have to win at least two of the next three games to wash away their shame. They have to bring the series back to the Knicks before they can get rid of this nickname.”
"If this doesn't work, they'll really become a laughing stock. What's that saying again?"
"The second place winner is the biggest loser!"
"No one will remember that your Spurs team went through three Game 3s, including a miraculous comeback from a 1-3 deficit, nor will anyone remember how many thrilling moments and game-winning shots you had in the first three rounds of the series."
"Everyone will only remember one thing: the Spurs' opponents started celebrating the championship when they were up 2-0. They didn't take the Spurs seriously at all and thought the Spurs were a piece of trash."
"So this game or this series is actually quite simple."
"One of these two teams is destined to become an epic laughing stock this year. As for which one, this game may not be 100% certain, but it's at least 80% certain!"
"Let's see who emerges victorious in this epic battle of the biggest jokes!"
"So here's the question," Kenny said quickly, "whether the winner becomes a laughingstock, or the loser?"
"Of course it's winning... no, losing, and not even if you... but tonight... FUXX!" Barkley, whose brain capacity was smaller than when he was playing basketball, muttered to himself for a long time, unable to figure out how to make sense of this simple sentence.
So all he could do was swear angrily and then quickly change the subject: "The match has begun!"
On the court, Martin, facing Okur, his opponent from last year's Finals, once again displayed his number one draft pick-level jumping ability, slapping the ball to James.
Game start!
James faced off against Anthony, quickly dribbling the ball up the court. Of course, James wanted to take the lead on the first offensive possession himself!
He waved for Bosh to come forward, and the two executed the Spurs' signature pick-and-roll. James then accelerated and drove straight to the basket!
But Anthony was also fast, especially when Anthony completely ignored James's pass fake and Bosh's three-pointer and just rushed back to the basket to defend. He immediately blocked James again.
"Oh!"
With a muffled thud, the two collided head-on outside the three-second zone. Then, Anthony, bracing himself against the immense force that felt like a warhammer coming from his chest, stretched out his hands and grabbed the basketball from James's hands!
The four hands of the two league's top strongmen and the heavyweight small forward were simultaneously pressed down on the basketball.
No one gave up, no one admitted defeat!
Almost simultaneously, the two gritted their teeth and exerted tremendous force, hoping to pull the basketball back into their hands.
"Oh!"
Then, as both of them exerted their strength and fought desperately for the ball, they both lost their balance and fell heavily to the floor!
The two players almost instantly fell to the ground, each trying to increase their control of the basketball by gripping it with their upper arms. Unfortunately, neither of them could take the ball away from the other.
At the same time, because the two players were too large, after they fell to the ground and rolled around, no one could tell who was in control of the basketball.
"Beep beep beep beep! Let go! Let go! Fight for the ball! Fight for the ball! You two, let go of each other!" The referee rushed to the scene, issuing his ruling while shouting loudly for the two to let go!
The three referees know better than anyone how many people are watching this match!
Stern had already tried to sow discord among the three of them.
This was the most important game since the NBA's globalization plan began and the most-watched game in NBA history.
The number of viewers in North America alone has exceeded 4400 million and is still rising, while the number of viewers in other countries and regions is too high to count!
In such a high-profile match, the referee's officiating style and control become extremely important!
Stern's requirements for the referees tonight were actually quite simple.
"The competition must be tense, exciting, intense, and crazy! But there absolutely cannot be any real fighting."
This simple request put immense pressure on the referees.
They understood the subtext of Stern's words.
"If things go wrong in this game... Hmph, the NBL has just been established and is in dire need of referees, especially experienced ones. You guys, go and mentor the newcomers!"
This match is tense not only for the players, but also for the referees. Tonight, they will do their utmost to ensure that the exciting, intense, and action-packed game proceeds safely and smoothly as much as possible.
This kind of competition not only requires referees to enforce the rules strictly and make accurate judgments, but also requires referees to have top-notch control over the field and authority. They should not only make the players afraid, but at the very least make the players feel respect when they see the referees!
For these three top referees selected by the referees' union tonight—the most senior, with the best resumes and having officiated countless top-level games—who basically represent the best super referees in the basketball world today, tonight's game was just too damn difficult!
Anyway, after the three referees pulled the two apart, they looked at each other and all had the same thought.
too difficult!
Stern's implication was that the game should absolutely not be played in a way that would make it unwatchable, such as using strict officiating, prohibiting physical contact, or blowing the whistle at the slightest touch.
But with the pace tonight, the two sides almost came to blows and wrestled together less than 15 seconds into the game, and the officiating was strict... The remaining 47 minutes and 45 seconds must have been a nightmare to live 10 years!
This is terrible!
If Stern hadn't repeatedly hinted that the three referees would have blown the calls to the bone tonight, making the game 'civilized and polite' from the very beginning.
For example, in that slam just now, if the two brothers had obeyed, it would have been a foul on both sides, and they would have each received a 50/50 penalty. But if they had disobeyed and started yelling, I would have given them each a T, letting them know who the king and queen are tonight.
With this kind of officiating, the competition will definitely be civilized and there will be no conflicts, but as for the level of excitement, there's no need to expect anything.
What's the point of watching a game where the whistle blows every time?
Unfortunately, thanks to Stern's hint, the referees could only call a jump ball, sending the two players to stand at opposite ends of the free-throw line to prepare for another jump ball.
With this ruling as a foundation, given the immense experience of both sides, from head coaches to key players to rotation players, and the presence of a group of seasoned veterans and hooligans, they will immediately understand the officiating logic and style for tonight's matches.
In the next few minutes, both teams will definitely start experimenting.
Experiment with the baseline calls, find the referees' limits, and then start dancing back and forth on the edge of those limits, trying to gain an advantage in various ways while preventing the referees from calling fouls on you.
The techniques and rhythms involved are incredibly varied and cannot be taught; you have to experience them yourself to figure them out.
So this game will be very difficult for the players!
"How about it?" Lin Tian approached Anthony as he glared at James and swaggered toward the free-throw line to jump for the ball.
"A resounding victory!" Anthony said triumphantly. "I punched him in the stomach twice, and now his stomach is covered in the shapes of my fingernails!"
"Did you suffer a loss?" Francis, standing next to James, was the team's longest-serving player in the league. Although Francis had accepted his role as a player, he clearly still felt that he should shoulder some responsibility.
“No,” James said, enduring the pain in his stomach. “I’ll teach him a lesson next time! That bastard! He’s too dirty now!” Upon hearing James’s words, Francis knew that he had definitely been wronged, but was just too embarrassed to say so.
fine!
You're sorry, but I'll help you get back at him later!
No need to rush, let's wait for the right opportunity!
"beep!"
The referee blew the whistle again, tossing the basketball high into the air. Anthony and James jumped simultaneously once more, vying for possession of the ball in this possession!
Ultimately, James' physical attributes were superior, allowing him to dribble the ball past Anthony and pass it to Francis.
Then James quickly stepped back from the three-point line, opened his arms, and yelled at Francis, "Ball!"
Francis didn't hesitate. Although there was a small hiccup in this round, it was still essentially the first round, so the team's leader had to attack!
After James received the ball and faced Anthony, he took two consecutive probing steps before suddenly pulling up for the ball!
Just a half-step beyond the three-point line, James suddenly unleashed a long-range shot!
Given his three-point shooting percentage of just over 30%, that shot was really quite unexpected.
At the very least, Anthony didn't react at all and didn't provide any effective defense.
"Shh!"
After a sharp crack, James bared his teeth and roared, "Come on! Come on, nigger! Stop me with your dirty tricks! Let me see what you're made of!"
Against this backdrop tonight, James was aggressive and oppressive from the start, like a bloodthirsty beast waiting for an opportunity to tear its prey to shreds!
“Then let him have his way, Melo!” Before Anthony could even reply, Lin Tian leaned close to him and said, “He wants you to take him down with dirty tricks! Then show him!”
“Show him everything I’ve taught you over the past four years! Show him what you’ve endured every day during training! Let this guy know what real hell and nightmares are like!”
After years of collaboration, Anthony is no longer the naive and foolish college student he once was.
If it were 3 or 4 years ago, he would definitely have asked at this point, "What? What did you teach me?"
Two years ago, he might have said something like, "Just wait, LeBron! I'm about to unleash my ultimate move!"
But now, with his acting skills, cunning, and filth all greatly improved, Anthony said nothing and had no interaction with Lin Tian.
Instead, he suddenly put on a rather sinister expression and looked at James, then quickly rushed to James's side and leaned against him.
Keep quiet! At this moment, silence is the best weapon.
Those with weaker mental fortitude might be scared to death by Anthony!
Even someone with James's strong mentality would feel a little guilty being threatened like this. He had to defend Anthony while also being wary of Anthony's possible dirty moves.
That moment of distraction was all it took to fall for the trap!
Anthony suddenly accelerated with a reverse run, leaving James behind. At the same time, Lin Tian's bounce pass was just right, not only breaking through the Spurs' defense in the blink of an eye, but also accurately reaching Anthony's hands.
Receive the ball, stop suddenly, feint!
A tall figure flew past Anthony from behind, and James was completely shaken off balance.
Then Anthony calmly pulled up for a shot and made a mid-range jumper.
"LeBron, are you lost?" After scoring, Anthony turned to James and said, "Do you know why I was the number one draft pick back then?"
"Because I'm smart! Because I'm 10 times smarter than you! Anyone would choose a stupid baboon over a smart King Kong!"
Listening to Anthony's trash talk, a lot of questions popped into Lin Tian's head.
Is this trash talk?
This... 800 enemies killed, 1000 suicides?
Who would call themselves an ape when they're insulting someone as a baboon?
It gives off a feeling of "You little husky, how dare you be so presumptuous? Watch me, the Golden Retriever King, bite you to death!"
All I can say is that Anthony does have a unique logic when it comes to trash talk!
But what Lin Tian found even more unbelievable was that James was actually angry!
This league is insane!
"Melo! I'm way smarter than you! I'm the real King Kong! You're just a hybrid monkey!" James's trash talk left Lin Tian completely baffled.
Is this the new era of trash talk in the 21st century?
Is this the culture that young people who joined the league after the millennium admire?
I can't understand it at all!
Fortunately, Lin Tian didn't need to understand; he only needed to know one thing.
That means Anthony's trash talk worked.
As the Spurs were on offense, James glared angrily at him, then turned sideways and rammed into him with all his might! He unleashed a barrage of 'thump! thump! thump!' of force on Anthony, as if to prove that his real strength was far superior to Anthony's fake strength; he was truly fighting for his life!
But Anthony didn't suffer any disadvantages either, holding his position firmly and not losing ground at all.
Then, just as Anthony saw an opportunity and tried to steal the ball, James suddenly passed it, throwing it towards the corner with a one-handed push.
That direction is where JR Smith, who just completed an off-the-ball pass with Martin and outmaneuvered Wallace, is heading!
After receiving the ball, JR displayed his clutch gene and explosive speed, turning around as he received the ball and then immediately pulling up for a shot! Even though Wallace was chasing desperately, he couldn't catch up in time and could only watch helplessly as JR launched the three-pointer into the basket!
"Shh!"
The Spurs' new starting lineup is definitely on fire! They hit two consecutive three-pointers right from the start, showcasing their excellent form and boundless confidence!
"So, Melo! Now you know why I'm King Kong and you're just a baboon, right?" James's face no longer showed the furious expression he had just had, one that suggested he wanted to kill Anthony.
Obviously, this guy was faking it.
"All I see is a coward who only dares to run away with his tail between his legs when facing a strong enemy, who only dares to launch sneak attacks and rip things off from behind! You are a... a... f***! Wait a minute!" Anthony turned around angrily to look at Lin Tian, his face full of pleading, as if he were asking the audience outside the arena for help!
"Hyena." Lin Tian rolled his eyes, giving Anthony the answer he wanted.
“That’s right! Lin thinks the same way I do! You’re just a cowardly hyena!” Anthony said triumphantly, turning around to berate James.
"You idiot! Do you think I can't tell you can't even spell this word?!" James thought to himself, "I've never seen such a shameless bastard."
"I just suddenly forgot, but I bet you, an idiot who couldn't even graduate high school, don't know the difference between a hyena and a tiger!"
"Messi and Ronaldo?" Lin Tian couldn't stand it anymore. This was too outrageous! As the eldest brother, he had to remind Anthony.
“Mello, these two animals are so different that anyone can tell them apart.”
"Then what animal should I use as a metaphor?" Anthony asked again, his face full of curiosity.
"Komodo dragon." Lin Tian was too lazy to pay attention to this guy and gave a completely nonsensical answer.
"Did you hear that, LeBron? You bastard, you can't even tell the difference between a Komodo dragon and a hyena!" Anthony yelled at James again.
This time, James didn't talk back! Instead, he quickly returned to his defensive position and joined the defense! (End of Chapter)