chsdbacks Chapter 409 The person who betrays you is most likely your friend! Jordan
Chapter 409 The person who betrays you is most likely your friend! Jordan
After Lin Tian and Jordan led the Pacers to a combined 60 points in the opening game against the Wizards, and utterly defeated the Wizards, breaking the NBA record for the largest point difference, the Pacers' journey this season has only just begun!
On November 1st, in the second game of the season, the Pacers hosted the New York Knicks. The team's leading scorer and one of the league's top shooters, Houston, was targeted by Lin Tian and Jordan. He only managed 8 points on 3-of-14 shooting, along with 3 turnovers!
The Knicks only scored 81 points in the entire game, losing to the Pacers by a full 25 points!
The only bright spot for the Knicks in this game was Amar'e Stoudemire, the high school player they drafted seventh overall in the first round. He scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, while also contributing two spectacular dunks!
One of his plays, where he followed up in the middle to receive the ball and dunked over Ben Wallace, secured his place in the top ten plays of the week and even the season!
The following day, the Pacers hosted the Hornets, who had moved to New Orleans. The Hornets' outside duo, Mashburn and Davis, were once again shut down by Jordan and Lin Tian. Mashburn only scored 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting, while Davis only managed 9 points and 4 assists on 3-of-14 shooting!
With the team's two key players playing so poorly, the Hornets naturally suffered a crushing 21-point defeat to the Pacers without any suspense!
In the third game of the series, the Pacers continued to play at home, welcoming the Philadelphia 76ers led by the unruly Allen Iverson!
Meanwhile, Iverson is also the guy whose name is on Lin Tian and Jordan's revenge list, and everyone is looking forward to seeing what kind of sparks will fly in this game.
Will Iverson continue his rampage, or will the Pacers' duo lock him down and continue their crushing dominance?
The result is obvious!
The 76ers didn't find any reliable help for Iverson during this offseason; the team remains his one-man show.
And a one-man team is exactly the kind of team the Pacers are best at dealing with!
Jordan and Lin Tian couldn't wait to increase the intensity for Iverson from the very beginning of the game!
With constant double-teams, relentless high-intensity defense, and Ben Wallace always ready to help block shots in the paint, Allen Iverson received meticulous, thoughtful, and attentive care from the Pacers that night!
29投7中，只拿到18分5篮板4助攻，另外还有6次失误！
That night, Iverson transformed into a devil once again!
In the fourth game of the season, when the Pacers were finally about to embark on their away journey, Carlisle changed their starting lineup for their first away game.
After winning the first three games, which were actually quite good, averaging 11.3 points per game and having a three-point shooting percentage higher than Arenas' 40%, Christie was put back in the starting lineup.
This adjustment was made because Carlisle understood it.
This year, Jordan and Lin Tian are determined to sweep the entire league's perimeter duo and beat everyone to a pulp!
At this point, the coach must support his players!
Therefore, Carlisle brought in Christie, who has stronger defensive capabilities, to complement Jordan and Lin Tian, further strengthening the team's defensive ability.
Less than a week into the season, Carlisle has changed his mindset from prioritizing offense and relentless attacks this season!
Play defense! We must play defense!
The biggest reason he made this decision was certainly not because Lin Tian and Jordan wanted to do it.
He made this choice because he saw the two players' terrifying defensive performance and efficiency on the perimeter.
Especially Jordan's!
Before Jordan joined the team, Carlisle studied Jordan's games from the previous season and carefully observed his performance in the preseason and training.
Carlisle concluded that when Jordan was at his peak physical condition, his one-on-one offensive game was still top-notch, and he could still punish any opponent from anywhere inside the three-point line! But the problem was that he could only maintain this peak physical condition for a maximum of 20 minutes, and he was really not good enough on the defensive end!
My legs are too slow, I can't keep up! I can still force my way up in offense with skill, experience and talent, but when it comes to defense, old age is old age, and my legs are too slow.
Let alone Jordan, even Santa Claus wouldn't bend down to defend.
After all, I'm getting old!
It was precisely to conceal the fact that Jordan's legs had slowed down and his ability to defend positions 1 and 2 was far inferior to what it used to be that Carlisle put Arenas on the court as a scoring option. This was to add another offensive option so that Jordan and Lin Tian could play one-on-one more comfortably.
Secondly, it would allow Jordan to defend the small forward position, so that he wouldn't have to deal with too many fast and quick shooting guards.
But to everyone's surprise, Jordan's performance after just a few games of the season truly astonished Carlisle.
That lateral speed, that defensive effectiveness, that ability to chase down smaller guards, that defensive ability that made Iverson scream in pain.
39 years old?
Go to hell!
Carlisle even felt that Jordan hadn't really put in his full effort last season and was just playing around, otherwise how could he have defied aging?
Defense isn't something you can achieve just by trying hard!
Regarding Carlisle's question, Jordan said, "I have the same question!"
Jordan didn't know what was wrong with him, but his back didn't ache, his legs didn't hurt, and he could climb three flights of stairs without even being out of breath!
When chasing Iverson or Davis, it was so easy and effortless. I could just yell and chase after them to disrupt their shots!
Jordan even wondered if he had encountered God at some point, drunk some kind of fountain of youth, and returned to his peak form.
Lin Tian: Am I that much like God? Unfortunately, Master Lin doesn't like being tied to a cross; he only likes to tie girls to it when playing certain special games!
In short, Jordan's performance exceeded everyone's expectations except Lin Tian's; it was unbelievably good! This excellent performance certainly made it worthwhile for Carlisle to make special changes to the tactics and the team's playing style for him!
The subsequent course of the game fully demonstrated that Carlisle is indeed a top coach. His grasp of the game situation, understanding of the players' condition, and speed of making adjustments are all top-notch!
With their opening game at the end of October and games throughout November, the Pacers are undefeated at 14 games, ranking first in the league!
In these 14 games, the Pacers averaged 110.5 points, ranking first in the league!
At the same time, they only allow 92.5 points per game, ranking tenth in the league!
Although their defense may seem only slightly above average, it's important to remember that the Pacers have the most possessions in the league! More possessions mean more shot attempts.
If we take a comprehensive look at deeper statistics such as the number of possessions, defensive efficiency, and limiting opponents' shooting percentage, then the Pacers are definitely a top-three defensive team in the league this season!
Offense is paramount, defense is top-three!
This season's Pacers have absolutely played at an unprecedented level!
No wonder many people say that this season's Pacers might be even stronger than the year they won 75 games!
与此同时，林天在赛季第一个月场均29.5分8.8助攻，乔丹更是直接又干到了场均30.8分5.6篮板3.3助攻！
并且这两个人的命中率都高得惊人，林天是51%+44%+88%，而乔丹则是52%+37%+86%！
The combination of these two duo utterly crushed all the opponents they encountered in the first month.
Furthermore, Lin Tian and Jordan are currently ranked first and second on the NBA scoring list!
Although it has only been a month, Jordan's competitive form this season has truly amazed everyone.
How can he be so strong? Why has he rejuvenated? Is there really some kind of rejuvenating spring or something?
The speculation about the Rejuvenating Spring is obviously nonsense; it's just something people say casually.
But this league is surrounded by countless data experts, game analysis experts, commentators, and retired players!
There are plenty of people who know about football!
As early as two weeks ago, major media outlets and newspapers began analyzing the reasons for Jordan's resurgence this season.
"Lin! Without a doubt, the biggest reason McGrady is putting on such a great performance is Lin!" Barkley confidently stated on the show, "Lin's passing, Lin's offensive presence, and the chemistry between Lin and Michael!"
"In this league, you won't find a more coordinated and stronger duo! These two together are a nightmare for the entire league!"
"When the two of them are on the court side by side, the opponents simply can't double-team them, because if they do, the other player gets an incredibly easy offensive opportunity!"
"Most teams are lucky to have one top-tier or excellent perimeter defender! But against the Pacers? You need at least three!"
"Even worse, there's an even scarier story: even if you double-team Lin or Michael, even if they get carried away and don't pass the ball."
"You'll have a hard time defending against it!"
"They were the league's former best player and the current best player. Having them together is truly a foul!"
Barkley's remarks also received widespread support, and almost everyone was talking about it.
Taking advantage of this wave of popularity, major media outlets have begun to hype up the possibility of Jordan and Lin Tian reuniting!
Whether it's top national media outlets like ESPN, TNT, CBS, ABC, and Sports Illustrated, or local newspapers like the Los Angeles Times, the Orlando Sentinel, and the Indiana Daily News, they're all reporting on this frantically.
"Only after the champion backcourt reunited did we realize who truly is the best!"
"McGrady might reach the top, but Lin can make his teammates perfect!"
Why did Michael's performance improve a year older, comparing his performances over his two seasons?
There's no such thing as a fountain of youth; Michael just met the right person!
Lin's magic can bring people back to their youth; with just a wave of his wand, Michael is once again an MVP candidate!
Where does Michael Jordan's 30+ point per game average come from? 14.4% of his shots this season are open looks, and 91% of his shots aren't double-teamed!
Completely at ease! Michael has never been so "underestimated" on offense! Simply because there's someone around him who deserves even more "attention"!
"Lin provides Michael with much more than just 3.6 assists per game; he also provides an immense amount of offensive space!"
Never been this easy! Over 39% of Jordan's shots this season involve fewer than two dribbles! 17% of his shots don't require a dribble!
"Just run, I'll pass it to you! Lin's pass allowed Michael to play the easiest basketball of his career!"
"At 39, Lin and Michael meet the perfect match again; their romance is enviable!"
"A perfect understanding like a married couple! Lin and Michael even know what color underwear the other wears!"
Who can stop them? Who can defeat them? With Superman and Spider-Man teaming up, you can only turn to God for help!
"Who the hell has such a tacit understanding with him like a married couple? How the hell would I know if that bastard wears underwear or not! This newspaper must be toxic!" Lin Tian was furious when he saw the report.
"I'm playing so well, not because of Lin! Without him, I'm old? Ridiculous! This newspaper is fucking toxic!" Jordan was equally furious after seeing the report!
Then, on December 1st, the Pacers traveled to the West to face the Portland Trail Blazers on the road. Compared to the Pacers' 14-12 record, the Trail Blazers are no longer as dominant, currently holding an 8-6 record, which puts them in sixth place in the West.
Before the game, the Bulls' former trio gathered together for a chat. However, times have changed, and Pippen's form is no longer what it used to be, but Jordan and Lin Tian can still play at the highest level!
"Scott, if you didn't have sex with your wife four times every night, you'd probably still be averaging 20 points per game! Young man, you need to be more disciplined!" Lin Tian patted his old friend on the shoulder, expressing his concern.
"No, oh dear! Oh dear, Lin, that's all nonsense, no! It's not that exaggerated." Pippen's smile was so wide that his face was completely covered by wrinkles, making him look rather awkward, but anyone could tell that he was overjoyed to be misunderstood like this!
"It's not every night, and it's not always four times. There are exceptions, there are exceptions! Honestly, how can you guys take this kind of joke seriously?"
Judging from Pippen's smug look, you can tell that this guy wants this 'lie' and 'misunderstanding' to spread to every corner of the world.
Which man would refuse such a misunderstanding?
I can't refuse, there's simply no way to refuse!
Didn't you see that, apart from Pippen who was showing off and being smug, everyone else was rolling their eyes in disdain while secretly resenting their wives or girlfriends for not spouting such nonsense in front of the media?
They just don't know how to handle things!
As for Lin Tian, he didn't care.
After all, no matter how cocky you are today, Pippen, won't you still have to call Jordan's son "brother" 20 years from now?
No one knows whether Jordan's jealousy of Pippen stemmed from Larsa's boasting, or whether Jordan was simply excited to see his old teammate.
In short, Jordan's playing style in this game was somewhat different from what he had throughout November.
He played very selfishly, and his movement wasn't as aggressive as in the previous games.
This guy just keeps posting up, going one-on-one, and then shooting!
The easiest scoring methods from last month, such as off-ball movement and catch-and-shoot, and layups after cutting to the basket, were almost completely absent in this game!
而乔丹今晚的手感也真的是还不错，28次出手命中15球，罚球12罚11中拿下41分7篮板2助攻。
Although Jordan's stats were good, he played somewhat selfishly tonight, and many of his shots didn't fit the team's usual tactics and rhythm, which caused everyone to be a bit out of sorts and need to adapt.
It was precisely this lack of adaptation and out-of-form performance that allowed the Trail Blazers to seize the opportunity.
Rashid, in particular, had an outstanding performance tonight!
This guy scored 33 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, once again dominating Webber, and then naturally led the team to victory!
They handed the Pacers their first loss of the season!
And sometimes, losing a game just happens in a chain!
Next, the Pacers continued their away game against the Jazz. Facing a Jazz team led by Jermaine O'Neal and with mediocre outside shooting, Jordan continued his strong performance, scoring a season-high 47 points. However, the team inexplicably lost again!
The Pacers then continued their western tour, arriving at the Denver Plateau. On the Colorado Plateau, Jordan's touch dropped slightly, but he still took an astonishing number of shots.
The Pacers made only 15 of their 36 field goal attempts throughout the game. Although they managed to score 41 points thanks to free throws, they still lost to the Denver Nuggets, one of the league's worst teams for many years.
The Pacers suffered three consecutive losses in three games, despite Jordan scoring 40+ points in three consecutive games.
This was definitely a blow to Jordan!
At the same time, this is another great opportunity for those hidden Jordan haters!
After all, anyone who understands basketball can see why the Pacers lost these few games.
Jordan's departure from the system, his relentless one-on-one play, and his complete disconnect from the team were the fundamental reasons for the Pacers' losses!
Although Jordan scored 40+ points in all three games, his playing style was indeed hard to praise.
To put it bluntly, it's a data manipulation tactic!
Whether the statistics are good or bad has absolutely nothing to do with whether the team wins or loses.
So, at this point, some people, especially those who weren't afraid of Jordan, started digging up Jordan's dark history!
For example, Barkley!
"Michael's true colors are showing!"
This was the first thing Barkley said on a TNT show.
"He's been like this since the season he last won the championship in '99. His playing style is becoming more and more like a cancer to the team, and he's becoming less and less able to help the team."
"I won't even mention last season. He couldn't even lead a team to the playoffs. Whether he performed well or poorly didn't have much to do with the team's winning percentage. Of course, we can say that Michael was already 38 years old last season. What more could you expect from him?"
"But what about a few years ago? How old was Michael in the '98-99 season? He won the championship and the Finals MVP that year, I believe everyone remembers that! But so what?"
"If you didn't watch the games, or you've forgotten about that year's games, then you're lucky, because all you'll remember is that Michael had a perfect season and led the old guys in New York to a dream come true. But is that really the case?"
"No!"
"Let me help everyone recall what actually happened!"
"In the 99 NBA Finals against the Spurs, Michael was indeed the Knicks' leading scorer, even drastically ahead of everyone else on the team! But!"
「总决赛第一战，麦可44分6篮板6助攻2抢断2盖帽表现神勇，可最后连续3次进攻打铁，导致尼克斯队输掉首战！」
"Forget about the second battle, I'll just report the data directly, it'll be simpler that way!"
「从第二场比赛开始，麦可的数据分别是：G2：21分5篮板4助攻2抢断；G3：39分9篮板9助攻3抢断1盖帽；G4：24分5篮板6助攻4抢断1盖帽；G5：22分7篮板3助攻2抢断1盖帽；G6：54分10篮板2助攻3抢断1盖帽；G7：22分3篮板2助攻1抢断1盖帽。」
"As for the rest of the Knicks, the second-leading scorer is Ewing, who averages 20.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game, followed by Houston with 15 points per game and Starks with 13 points per game."
"Based on the data, they are completely incomparable to Michael!"
"In seven games, Michael averaged 32.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks! Absolutely top-tier performance, absolutely Finals MVP performance. Even if the Knicks had lost, giving him the losing team MVP wouldn't have been an exaggeration!"
"But what is the truth?"
"The truth is: the Knicks lost all three games where Michael scored over 30 points and seemed to dominate—Games 1, 3, and 6! Conversely, the teams won the games where he played terribly!"
"Can anyone tell me why this is?"
"If no one dares to say it, then let me tell you the answer: Michael is old! He can no longer balance putting up good stats and winning! If his stats look good, he can't defend or organize the team. To win, he has to give up his stats!"
"He's old! It's that simple!"
"It's that simple. The current Michael is just a flashy but ineffective decoration. He can give you impressive stats, brilliant moments, and seemingly perfect performances, but the one thing he can no longer do is bring victory to the team!"
"He should step down to the sidelines now, or even become a substitute, to maximize his strengths and potential!"
What did Barkley say?
After hearing this, Jordan almost bought a plane ticket to New York and shot Barkley dead in front of the TNT headquarters, leaving his fat everywhere!
That bastard!
Jordan was in a really bad mood!
Worse still, similar opinions and views are now circulating in every corner of the United States.
Jordan is past his prime; his comeback is all thanks to Lin Tian.
He was past his prime 3-5 years ago. He relied on his teammates to support him. In '97, he relied on Lin. In '98, he lost immediately after Lin left. In '99, he found Ewing and Starks and won the championship again!
Jordan couldn't even lead his team to the playoffs, but suddenly became the scoring champion this year. What's the reason?
The performance last year and this year is at least two levels apart. What is the reason?
What caused the team to go from ninth in the East to first in the league, and then from first in the league to a three-game losing streak?
What else could it be? Lin Tian, of course!
Well... of course, the truth is that it really was because of Lin Tian.
It's just that it's a completely different story from what everyone imagines!
Lin Tian even admitted it with a smile in an interview.
"There's some kind of connection between Michael and me, some indescribable magnetic field, something like an aura skill in World of Warcraft, that gives us a boost!"
Lin Tian said, "I'm telling the truth!"
Unfortunately, the media and fans referred to this aura as the tacit understanding between husband and wife.
Disgusting, absolutely disgusting!
Right now, the person who feels the most disgusted and frustrated on the entire Pacers team is definitely Jordan!
The team's three-game losing streak is nothing; what really disgusts him is that he is playing well, but the team keeps losing!
These bastards, are they all putting on an act for me?
grandma's!
Am I old? Am I a cancer?
fart!
While Jordan was brooding and trying to calm himself down, Lin Tian happily said goodbye to the team, then changed into a suit, which was quite unusual for him, and temporarily separated from the team.
Next, he has to go to Kansas, next to Colorado, to attend an awards ceremony.
Organized and awarded by USA Track and Field, the Laureus Awards, also known as the Laureus Awards for track and field, are considered the biggest individual awards in track and field.
The Jesse Owens Award!
Jesse Owens is a legendary American track and field athlete who led an entire generation and an entire generation of young people.
After his death, his name became synonymous with track and field. USA Track and Field holds an annual award ceremony to present this prize to the best-performing athlete of the year, recognizing their achievements, thanking them for their efforts, and hoping that they will continue to strive for the cause of track and field!
So, Lin Tian, who swept the Golden League, won 7 consecutive championships and took home 50 kilograms of gold, and broke multiple world records, is the fastest legend in human history. If he doesn't take this award, who will?
Would Montgomery dare?
Of course he wouldn't dare! He couldn't even attend, because just a month ago, this guy went crazy and went to the BALCO Labs, which wasn't infamous yet but was about to become notorious.
According to witnesses, this guy was probably high on drugs and went crazy, because he was yelling at passersby at the entrance of the laboratory building.
As for the content of the insults...
"You promised me I would win the championship!"
"You guys say that if I take your medicine, I'll become the best in the world!"
"You all think I can break the world record!"
"You guys say it'll take at least 100 years to detect that I'm on drugs!"
"I'll piss on you right now, and you can go ahead and get your urine tested. See if you can detect anything!"
"Liars! A bunch of damn liars! You've ruined my career, you've tainted me!"
Well, how should I put it? Apart from the accusation of being a fraudster, Montgomery wasn't entirely wrong.
The BALCO Labs did indeed allow him to break the world record, but it was a world record for ordinary humans. Who would have thought that a monster like Lin Tian would suddenly emerge in the sprinting world?
Then, Montgomery was apprehended by police who arrived at the scene and was charged with multiple counts. Then, based on what he said after he was under the influence of drugs, the FBI quickly intervened and began investigating the Burke Labs.
According to Lin Tian's memory, this infamous laboratory, which featured articles on "Technology and Hardcore Skills" and provided illegal cheats to athletes, should have enjoyed its glorious days for about another year before being reported.
Unexpectedly, because he beat Montgomery, who couldn't beat him even with drugs, the guy went crazy and carried out a suicide bombing.
What a sin!
However, for Montgomery, who is a drug addict, this might not be such a bad thing.
This guy was originally supposed to be imprisoned for 10 years because of the drug-related incident and the series of subsequent cases!
Now?
I'd guess it'll be about half!
I, Lord Lin, am a savior of suffering and a pardoner of all!
However, regardless of when this notorious doping case in sports history is solved, when the results are given, or who is involved, it has nothing to do with Lin Tian.
He didn't take any!
More importantly, regardless of who touched this stuff or who were customers of BALCO Labs, Montgomery, the guy who self-destructed, definitely was one of them, and he couldn't escape!
This means that even though the world's top sprinters were on drugs, they still couldn't beat Lin Tian!
The value of Lin Tian's achievements this summer has skyrocketed!
His title, the fastest-growing legend in human history, only grows stronger with each passing year!
If, before the Montgomery incident, there was still a tiny bit of suspense surrounding this year's Jesse Owens Award, and Lin Tian's chances of winning were only 99.99%, then...
After the Montgomery incident, Lin Tian's chances of winning the award are now over 100%!
Yes, even if the organizing committee doesn't award the prize to Lin Tian, Lin Tian feels that others should hurry up and deliver the prize to him.
At this point, who would dare to attract attention, who would dare to win an award?
That's basically saying outright: I'm better than Lin, so come and investigate me!
Even the female winner of the annual Jesse Owens Award, sprint star Marion Jones, didn't dare to attend the awards ceremony to accept her award.
As for the reasons? The general public has many different opinions and guesses.
But Lin Tian knew perfectly well: Jones and her boyfriend Montgomery were a couple who were addicted to drugs! At this point, Jones might very well be sitting in an interrogation room, being interrogated and recounting her drug use.
Are you here to collect your prize?
I have the will but not the ability!
Jones can now essentially retire from sprinting early to play her beloved basketball and could enter the WNBA draft.
After all, she was a fellow alumnus of Jordan University and even led the North Carolina women's basketball team to an NCAA championship!
It can be considered a return to his old profession ahead of schedule.
Congratulations! (End of Chapter)