chsdbacks Chapter 153 Kids are so easy to fool! Making a bet with Jordan...
Chapter 153 Kids are so easy to fool! Making a bet with Jordan...
Chapter 153 Kids are so easy to fool! Betting with Jordan to kiss a donkey's ass!
"So, besides focusing on defense and keeping them in check, we also need to change our offensive strategy. Michael, you can rest tonight. You can act as a feint and roam around the weak side to draw their attention."
"Lin, you've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, haven't you?"
Looking into Jackson's eyes, Lin Tian immediately understood Jackson's meaning and tactical intentions. Just as Jackson said, he had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time!
Lin Tian stood up and said, "I'll give Bogues a good workout! I'll show him that basketball is a sport for giants!"
"You call yourself a giant?" Jordan, who is 198 cm tall, stood next to Lin Tian, clearly half a head taller than him.
"You don't count either." Lin Tian pulled Pippen, who was 206 centimeters tall, over. He was half a head taller than Jordan.
Then Jordan pulled Longley over and said, "Compared to Luke, you're a dwarf."
"What, you're not a dwarf compared to Luke?" Lin Tian scoffed, gesturing dismissively at Jordan and Longley. "In this game, listen to my instructions. Stand obediently on the weak side and don't move around. If you're bored, grab a cup of coffee and have a sip. Don't hold me back, understand?"
"You two, stop this nesting!" Jackson rolled his eyes. Couldn't these two just keep quiet for one day?
They're like two little kids, acting like elementary school students every day!
Lin Tian shrugged and said, "I was just repeating your instructions, Coach. This guy just doesn't understand your tactical plan, right? A feint attack?"
Lin Tian emphasized the last few words, then gave Jordan no chance to refute, taking advantage and running away—exciting!
"Come on, let's get on the court!" Jackson patted Jordan on the shoulder, then suddenly whispered, "I think you'll really miss him starting next season. No one else brings you this much joy, right?"
"Miss him?" Jordan sneered. "I'd love for him to get out of here so I can kick his ass next season and let everyone know that without me, he's just a greenhorn!"
After Jordan finished speaking, he walked out of the locker room without looking back and headed towards the court at the Charlotte Spectrum Center.
In fact, Jordan and Charlotte have a very deep connection. Besides the fact that he would later create a brand new team in Charlotte, the University of North Carolina, where he made a name for himself and became the king of the NCAA, is also located in North Carolina, just like Charlotte.
The city of Chapel Hill, where the University of North Carolina is located, is less than 300 kilometers from Charlotte, a drive of just over two hours.
Therefore, even though the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in Charlotte are absolute rivals in the NCAA, and both sides wish they could devour each other, Jordan's strength was so great that he was almost invincible. His almost every time he faced North Carolina State University, he led his team to a crushing victory. His perfect performance not only made Charlotte people hate Jordan, but also made them admire him immensely!
It's fair to say that the Charlottes were among the first people to be turned from bitter rivals into die-hard fans by Jordan!
Therefore, when Jordan walked into the Spectrum Center, he was not greeted by a deafening chorus of boos. In fact, there were at least a thousand people scattered around wearing Bulls and North Carolina jerseys, clearly there to cheer him on!
It's because it's currently the playoffs. If it were the regular season, there would probably be at least three times more fans wearing Jordan jerseys!
It's no exaggeration to say that Charlotte is Jordan's second home court!
Coming to Charlotte is like coming home.
So when Jordan entered the court, there were no boos, but rather a chorus of MVP chants came from all directions, which was a very friendly welcome ceremony for him.
After a brief greeting to a few familiar fans, Jordan walked to the Bulls' half of the court to begin warming up.
Then, Jordan's eyes narrowed.
What is Lin doing?
This guy is bullying a kid who looks only 10 years old, with a basketball.
Has Lin Tian's bottom line now sunk so low that he won't even spare a 10-year-old child?
I despise him!
"Kid, didn't you say you were going to beat me? Come on, let me see how you beat me." Lin Tian dribbled the basketball around on the ground, occasionally changing direction. Although the kid in front of him kept reaching out to grab the ball, it was obvious that he had no chance of taking the basketball from Lin Tian's hands!
Their age, height, and ability speak for themselves!
"I might not be able to beat you, but my dad will definitely crush you tonight! Charlotte will win!" The child's voice sounded so cute and adorable that you couldn't help but want to pinch it a few times.
"Your father?" Lin Tian's eyes suddenly narrowed; this was exactly what he had been waiting for!
Why would he bother bullying just any kid? He's not some kind of pervert!
He was talking to this kid simply because the boy looked familiar!
With an adorable baby face, he walks with a swagger, shaking his head. Just now, when Lin Tian came up to warm up, this kid actually picked up a Bulls basketball and shoved it from beyond the three-point line.
The basketball actually went straight into the basket!
In Charlotte, around 10 years old, he was cute but arrogant. He sat in the front row, completely unafraid, and could shoot three-pointers.
These conditions combined reminded Lin Tian of a guy who would one day dominate the NBA.
"My dad is Curry! He's the best three-point shooter in the league! He's amazing! He can shoot you all! His three-point shot is the most accurate in the universe!" The kid, or rather Stephen Curry, proudly announced his dad's name, but the Hornets hadn't even left the locker room yet.
Clearly, Curry got impatient and slipped out on his own.
"Really? But in the first two games, I completely crushed your dad! He couldn't shoot in front of me at all, I shut him down!" Lin Tian looked at Curry with a wicked grin, like a perverted older brother.
Hmm... Lin Tian will give it a try!
Even retired magicians can bring skills to Lin Tian, so theoretically, 10-year-old Curry should also be able to give Lin Tian something!
Today, I, Lin the Great, am going to bully you, you 10-year-old boy! Don't even think about leaving me here unless you leave something behind! I'll send you to meet your nemesis! I'll scare you to death!
"Impossible! My dad is invincible! He couldn't possibly get beaten up! You're lying!" Curry pouted, stubbornly insisting.
"You don't believe me?" Lin Tian grinned mischievously and passed the basketball to Curry, saying, "Then let's have a one-on-one! 21 points, switch teams, if you score 5 points, I'll consider you the winner!"
"Come on then!" Little Curry grabbed the basketball, glared fiercely at Lin Tian, and said in a cute but menacing tone, "But I don't need you to let me win! 21 points, that's 21 points! My dad can't stop me, and you can't stop me either!"
As he spoke, Curry started dribbling the ball.
Don't tell!
You really shouldn't say that!
As expected of a descendant of a great family and a future unanimous MVP, Curry Jr. dribbles with impressive skill! His fundamentals are incredibly solid! His movements are also remarkably fluid; his ball handling and dribbling technique clearly demonstrate professional training and astonishing talent!
But...
"Snapped!"
Screw your basketball dream!
A crisp sound!
Lin Tian slapped Curry's shot from the three-point line to near midcourt.
Then, raising his arms, he said fiercely, "See that, brat! See that? This is the power to crush your dad! Crush!"
"You're lucky, let's try again!" Curry bit his lip, clearly unconvinced.
Then, Lin Tian took the ball, accelerated past Curry, rushed into the paint, and pulled up for a powerful two-handed dunk!
After achieving an A- in vertical jump, Lin Tian was already able to perform many fancy dunks. Although he couldn't compare to those top dunkers and didn't like to show off in games, it was easy for him to do a few fancy dunks in training!
"So cool!" Little Curry's eyes immediately lit up. Being a child, the annoyance of being blocked by Lin Tian earlier vanished in an instant, replaced by pure admiration: "Can you do the windmill dunk? I love the windmill dunk!"
"Beat me first. Have you forgotten that we're having a one-on-one match? Hmm?" Lin Tian said, pressing the basketball into Curry's arms to let him continue his attack.
then……
Screw your basketball dreams!
Screw your basketball dream for the third time!
Screw your basketball dream for the fourth time!
the fifth time……
"What did that brat do to Lin? Did he steal Lin's chocolate or step on his tail? He actually beat a little kid so badly?" Pippen shook his head as he watched Lin Tian and Curry's one-on-one fight.
That's so brutal!
What kind of deep-seated hatred must one harbor to beat a child to death like that!
He is still a child!
"I don't know, maybe that brat stole Lin's girlfriend?" Hubble glanced at it, shrugged, and then quickly changed the subject.
Instead of wasting time watching Lin Tian bully elementary school students, you'd be better off practicing your basketball shooting!
On the other side of the court, every shot Curry took was blocked by Lin Tian in various ways, showing no mercy to the kid!
Lin Tian, on the other hand, repeatedly dribbled past Curry and charged to the basket to dunk in various styles.
Windmill, 360-degree spin, tomahawk, double-arm head smash...
Although Lin Tian can't do any of the really difficult dunks like between-the-legs, arm-hanging, free-throw line, or 360-degree windmill, these few dunks are definitely enough to fool kids!
Curry certainly has a tough temper. Any other ten-year-old would have cried and shouted for his dad and run away after being bullied like that by an adult. But little Curry just watched Lin Tian put on 11 dunks and get beaten 22-0 without crying.
Not only did she not cry, but the admiration in her eyes became more and more obvious.
"You train with your dad at the training ground every day, and you've never seen a dunk?" Lin Tian suddenly became a little curious. This kid has been playing with NBA teams since he was a child, so why does he seem so unsophisticated?
"My dad won't allow it," Curry said, pouting. "He always says that people in our family don't have great physical talent or top-tier jumping ability, so we shouldn't watch dunks. That shouldn't be our style of play! Shooters are about shooting! It's about throwing the ball into the basket as fast as possible!"
"He didn't even want me to practice dribbling. He thought it was useless. He thought a shooter should just catch the ball and shoot, hold the ball and ignore everything else, and quickly throw the ball into the basket. Everything else was secondary."
What an idiot!
Lin Tian couldn't help but complain, "Luckily, Curry Jr. doesn't seem to be the type to listen to instructions. Otherwise, with Curry Sr.'s teaching method, wouldn't he have turned a top point guard and a groundbreaking superstar into a spot-up shooter with no distinguishing features?"
No way! I, Lord Lin, cannot stand to see such promising talents go to waste!
I, Lin Da Guanren, will help Curry defy fate!
"Don't listen to your dad. Has he ever been an All-Star? Has he ever been on the All-NBA team? What's his most notable achievement? Sixth Man of the Year. I won that in my rookie season, just last year! Even at his peak, your dad wasn't as good as me in my rookie season. I just made the All-NBA team!"
"Think about it yourself, am I more capable than him? Should you listen to him or me?"
"You're amazing! I'll listen to you!" Little Curry blinked his big eyes, declaring his surrender!
"Then tell me, between me and your dad, who can beat whom!"
"You can beat him! He's no match for you, he can't even dunk!" Curry scoffed. "He always says young people don't know the value of their knees, just randomly dunking all the time, and he'll be in a wheelchair by the time he's 40!"
"They also like to say things like young players shouldn't drive too much, that spot-up shooting is the only way to extend their careers and live a healthy life in their later years!"
"Nonsense! All nonsense!" Lin Tian snorted and said, "Don't listen to your dad's nonsense. If you listen to him, you're finished!" Lin Tian patted Curry's head and said, "Think about it yourself. Do you want to become a superstar like Jordan, win the MVP, have countless fans who like you, and have everyone worship you as a hero?"
"Or do you want to be like your dad, playing basketball your whole life in obscurity, with hardly any die-hard fans, retiring quietly and nobody even knowing?" Lin Tian continued to entice Curry.
"I want to learn from Michael Jordan!" Curry puffed out his chest, then quickly added, looking at Lin Tian, "I'll learn from you too! You look so cool when you play!"
"That's it. So tell me, how do I play to become a player like Michael and me?"
"Dunk! Bang bang dunk! Drive in and dunk! Jump and dunk!" Little Curry raised his little arms, his momentum intimidating!
"Yeah! You have to dunk! What's the point of a man playing basketball if he doesn't dunk? A real man will break the rim! He'll work on his jumping ability and physical strength! Instead of stupidly shooting spot shots!" Lin Tian patted Curry and continued, "But you also have to remember, you're not Shawn Kemp or Drexler."
"Everyone's physical abilities are different, and their strengths vary. For example, I can dunk a lot, but what really attracts people to me isn't dunking, right?" Lin Tian looked at Curry with a smile, his face full of admiration.
"Yes! I've watched your games!" Curry Jr. clapped his hands excitedly, saying, "Dribbling past people! All sorts of crossovers, changes of direction, spin moves, fancy dribbling! And one-handed passes, bounce passes, behind-the-back passes! You play 10 times better than my dad!"
"Hmm, maybe you shouldn't practice back passes." Lin Tian thought of Curry's back pass that he would regret for the rest of his life, and out of a selfless spirit of not leading people astray, Lin Tian still reminded Curry.
However, we can't favor one over the other. If we ever see James, we should remind him to practice his chase-down blocks more often!
The main principle is to ensure that everyone receives equal treatment and that everything is fair and just!
"Yeah! Practice dunking! Practice dribbling! Practice passing!" Curry was so excited that hot air was visibly coming out of his nose, as if he could already see himself galloping on the NBA court in the near future!
"Great! Become the Slam Dunk Champion! Become the Assist Champion! Make the All-Star team! Win the MVP!" Lin Tian continued to cheer on Curry!
Lin Tian felt that it was just a little bit more; he felt that Curry was about to reveal something amazing.
At that moment, Lin Tian suddenly saw a burly man swaying and walking over from behind Curry.
Dell Curry!
This guy came out of the locker room!
Seeing Curry getting closer and closer, and with an unfriendly expression, Lin Tian knew it was time to stir things up again!
"Stephen! Who's better at bullfighting, your dad or me!"
"You're amazing!"
"Can I beat your dad to a pulp?!"
"Beat him until he's sprawled on the ground!"
"What's the most important thing in playing basketball?"
"Dunks have to be cool! Passes have to be flashy! Dribble has to be dazzling!"
"What do you need to practice first to get into the NBA?"
"Dunk! Dunk! Dunk!"
As Lin Tian and Curry shouted slogans loudly, Curry's lips began to twitch uncontrollably.
Is Lin crazy?
Seeing me coming over, you taught my son to say that?
What the hell kind of minotaur is this?!
As Curry drew closer, Lin Tian grew increasingly excited, raising his hand and shouting, "Who will win the game tonight!"
"Chicago Bulls!"
What will Charlotte encounter?!
"They'll be beaten to a pulp!"
What will little Stephen experience tonight?!
"He'll be beaten to a pulp!"
Old Curry simply couldn't take it anymore. He had no interest in being a cuckold, and the feeling of having his own son turned against him like this was truly bittersweet.
So, finally losing his temper, the elder Curry grabbed Curry from behind by the scruff of the neck and lifted him up: "You want to beat your dad up? Want your dad to lose?"
Just moments ago, Curry was so excited he could kill two bulls, but the moment he saw his dad, he immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, completely drooping down.
He shrank back, not daring to utter a single word.
Only those two incredibly sorrowful eyes stared at Lin Tian without blinking.
Curry is just a kid, but he's not stupid. Anyone with a brain knows that Lin Tian was deliberately messing with him.
Just thinking about getting beaten up by Curry again when he gets home tonight makes Curry feel wronged!
How could these adults be so mean!
Lin Tian, on the other side, was smiling so hard his eyes were almost closed.
Shortly after Curry was lifted up by Curry, the system issued a notification!
"Stephen Curry's emotions fluctuated, and he dropped the permanent skill: Quick Draw LV1 (0/2000)."
"Quick Draw Master LV1: Reduces the time taken for the host to act by 10%!"
Looking at the name of this skill, Lin Tian instinctively wanted to throw it away. Who is the quick-draw master?
Your broken system makes your whole family quick-drawers!
But after seeing the description of this skill, Lin Tian thought, "Anyway, no one can see this broken system except me, so I might as well be a quick shooter!"
This skill may seem useless, but Lin Tian knows very well how useful it is in actual combat!
Simply put, why is it that Curry, with his average height, below-average physical attributes, and mediocre wingspan and jumping ability, can still consistently shoot from various angles and be extremely difficult for opponents to contest or block?
Besides his extreme speed, agility, and top-notch fundamentals, the most important thing is his speed of attack!
Curry's entire motion, from receiving the ball to releasing it, takes only about 0.36 seconds! What does this mean? It means that Curry can easily complete Fisher's game-winning shot with 0.4 seconds left, a shot that was completely contorted and a wild throw, with a normal shooting motion!
Twenty years later, after the league's tactics and skills have evolved time and again, the average shot release time in the league is about 0.54 seconds, and top shooters are around 0.45 seconds.
Keep in mind that this is league data from 20 years later. In the 90s, although no one was tracking the time each player took to shoot at their maximum potential, it's safe to assume that this number was significantly longer than the 0.54 seconds recorded in the 10s!
Especially considering that there are still so many players in the league with very unusual shooting forms, they will definitely further lower this average. Therefore, the average shooting speed of players in the league today is definitely much slower than it will be in 20 years, and it is very likely to exceed 0.6 seconds!
With this skill, Lin Tian will definitely be ahead of everyone else in the league in terms of attack speed!
As for Curry, he is the only player in NBA history to make his regular shooting motion take less than 0.4 seconds, making him the "fastest shooter"!
It is precisely his ghostly shooting speed that makes Curry's shots so frightening and so unpredictable!
Therefore, the skill Lin Tian acquired may seem insignificant at first glance, but upon closer examination, it can bring him a huge boost! Especially next season, when Lin Tian has to shoulder the responsibility and become the team's leader, the difficulty of his shots and the intensity of the defense he faces will definitely be greater than this season!
At that time, this skill will come in very handy!
This skill from Curry is absolutely top-tier shooting technique, and it will definitely bring Lin Tian tremendous progress!
As for how Curry will deal with Seth Curry tonight...
You can't really cripple your own son, right?
With the little incident between Lin Tian and Curry over, the Hornets' main team entered the arena one after another. Lin Tian, of course, felt embarrassed to linger there any longer, so he quickly returned to the Bulls' half of the court and began to warm up.
"You actually like kids?" Jordan looked puzzled when he saw Lin Tian return.
He couldn't understand how Lin Tian could suddenly play with a kid for so long.
"I don't smoke, I don't drink, and I like kids." Lin Tian rubbed his nose and said nonsensically, "That's my attitude towards basketball."
"Go to hell!" Jordan gave Lin Tian the middle finger. What kind of nonsense is this?
Jordan didn't believe a single word Lin Tian said!
"Michael, it's you. At this pace of the league announcing the All-NBA teams, the MVP for this year should be decided as early as tonight, or as late as tomorrow. So, are you confident about winning the MVP again?" Lin Tian looked at Jordan and asked the question that all the fans were most concerned about.
The All-Star team has been announced, but the MVP of the regular season is still up for grabs!
If we analyze it from the perspective of team records, the MVP will almost certainly be selected from the Bulls, Jazz, and Heat, all of which have more than 60 wins. However, the Heat's star player, Mourning, only played 60 games due to injury and didn't even make the third team, so the MVP is definitely out of the question.
In other words, there's a 95% chance this year's MVP will be chosen between Jordan and Malone, with a remaining 5% chance it will go to Hakeem Olajuwon, who led the Rockets back into the top three in the Western Conference this year.
"If those idiots give the MVP to Malone, then Malone better pray they get eliminated quickly! If he makes it to the Finals, I'll kill him!" Jordan shrugged, determined to win the MVP!
After all, when someone is selected to both the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive First Team, wins the scoring title by a huge margin, and his team achieves a terrifying 70 wins in a single season, is it fair not to give him the MVP award?
That doesn't make sense!
But Lin Tian knew that this year's MVP would not go to Jordan!
Although Lin Tian couldn't understand why the MVP wasn't awarded to Jordan, the league did award it to Malone, whose record and stats were inferior to Jordan's, this year!
Perhaps the only explanation is that the reporters who voted felt that although the Bulls had won 70 games this season, their record had regressed by 4 games compared to last season.
Aside from that, Lin Tian really couldn't find any other reason not to award the MVP to Jordan.
But looking at Jordan's confident demeanor, Lin Tian felt that it didn't matter at all why the MVP wasn't awarded to Jordan!
The important thing is that Lin Tian feels he needs to think of a way to get some benefits out of Jordan!
"Michael, I don't think you'll be the MVP this year! Want to make a bet?" Lin Tian put his arm around Jordan's shoulder and started digging a hole.
"A bet?" Jordan looked at Lin Tian and sneered, "Are you giving me money? Tell me, what's the bet?"
"If you can't get the MVP, how about you go kiss a donkey's ass?" Lin Tian laughed, looking at Jordan. "If you win the MVP, I'll kiss a donkey's ass!"
"Lin, are you crazy?" Jordan originally thought Lin Tian was just betting something like 3-500 US dollars to join in the fun. He really didn't expect Lin Tian to go this far!
"Don't you know? I led the MVP rankings for two-thirds of the season, and I was number one in the MVP rankings for eight consecutive periods!" Jordan looked at Lin Tian, not rushing to agree. He had a feeling something was amiss!
"I know, but I just have a feeling you won't get MVP!" Lin Tian said with a smile. "Let's see if you have the guts to bet with me! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for you to beat me in a bet!"
"You haven't received any information? You guarantee that?" Jordan was still skeptical. He felt something was off. After all, with this kind of betting, his chances of winning were far too high!
He remembered the MVP odds that were offered in Las Vegas at the end of the regular season!
I'm at 1 to 1.5 odds, while Ma Long is at 1 to 3 odds!
The fact that these odds were offered at the end of the season basically indicates one thing: Las Vegas believes that Jordan is definitely going to win the MVP for the second year in a row!
Given this situation, why would Lin Tian gamble so heavily with himself?
Jordan couldn't help but think this over, after all, he knew Lin Tian too well. He knew how shrewd and cunning this guy was, and he had to be careful!
"If you don't even dare to bet on this, then you've really disappointed me, Michael!" Lin Tian looked at Jordan, shook his head, and looked at him with a disappointed expression.
But Jordan still didn't fall for it!
He looked at Lin Tiandao and said, "Do you dare wait until halftime to bet with me?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian knew that Jordan wanted to use the halftime break to inquire about the situation and see if any news or rumors had leaked out. Otherwise, why would Lin Tian be so certain?
Lin Tian casually spread his hands and said, "I already said, I never cheat when I gamble. I only rely on my memory and observation." Lin Tian chuckled and said, "But since you want to wait, then I'll wait until halftime. At that time, you'd better not disappoint me! But as for the chips..."
"You waited for me, now I'm raising the stakes! If I don't get MVP, I'll not only kiss a donkey's ass, I'll also..."
"And while you're at it, give the pig's ass a kiss!"
Lin Tian opened his mouth before Jordan could speak, silencing Jordan.
If you raise your bet, you're just adding money. I, Mr. Lin, have plenty of money!
If you're going to gamble, gamble on something that will damage the reputation of the famous Jordan and make him look incredibly humiliated!
Ideally, you could just reveal some amazing moves like a super fadeaway, a top-tier jump shot, a breakthrough dribble, or a post-up game!
After all, Lin Tian won't have many more opportunities to take advantage of Jordan!
This MVP competition might just be Lin Tian's last chance to make a big splash!
We must seize this opportunity; we must ensure Jordan leaves us with a perfect farewell gift!
Jordan, who had lost to Lin Tian so many times, was unusually cautious this time.
That's like kissing a pig and then a donkey! Even if, as Lin Tian said, he never cheats when gambling, Jordan has to be careful with such a large stake.
During halftime, he had to ask Falk, Krause, and the reporters he knew to see if there were any rumors about the voting, whether he could actually win the MVP, and then decide whether to gamble with Lin Tian!
Lin Tian simply shrugged at Jordan's caution, showing no sign of disappointment.
Sometimes, pushing too hard can backfire. If Jordan gets angry and quits, you'll lose big time. Anyway, no matter how much you ask, Jordan, you won't get any answers from the future. As long as you accept, I, Lin, will win!
As Jordan became somewhat distracted, carefully considering the potential pitfalls in Lin Tian's bet, the referee for the night had already stepped onto the court and signaled for both teams to come to the center of the court to prepare for the jump ball.
The crucial third game of this series is about to begin!
Although this game is not the match point, its importance cannot be ignored. For the Hornets, this game is their last stand; they have no way out!
If we lose tonight and the score becomes 0-3, then the final match will really be pointless, becoming purely a battle for pride and a formality.
For the Bulls, this game isn't a do-or-die situation, but if they win tonight, Game 4 will be a breeze! Conversely, if the Hornets recover from this setback, the outcome of the next game will be much more uncertain!
At the very least, the Hornets' morale and fighting spirit are definitely completely different from when they were up 2-0!
In this match, both teams' players were very focused, and neither coach sat on the bench; instead, they stood up, as if they were all a little restless!
"Beep beep!"
At that moment, the referee blew his whistle, and the basketball was tossed into the air!
This time, Divac jumped with all his might and passed the basketball to Muggsy Bogues next to him.
After receiving the ball, Bogues immediately began to advance. Even though Lin Tian had his arms outstretched and was firmly in a perfect defensive position, Bogues' speed did not slow down at all. Instead, he quickly reached the frontcourt and, just like in the previous two games, passed the ball to Rice.
Just like in the previous two games, Jordan quickly closed in on Rice. But this time, Jordan didn't have time to trash talk because Divac's screen came in. Rice used Divac's screen to dart past Jordan, and as soon as he got the space, he immediately pulled up!
Just when everyone thought this guy was going to shoot right away, Rice suddenly put the ball down and threw it towards the basket!
Just as Mason made his cut to the basket, he grabbed the ball and then rammed into Rodman, causing him to stumble. Mason then fired a powerful shot and scored two points!
After scoring, Mason fiercely raised his two black, pillar-like arms at Rodman and roared at him!
The Hornets used the very first possession of the game to tell everyone that they're back!
Their signature style of play is back! They're going to go all out!
However, despite their best efforts, the Bulls players, who were used to all kinds of big occasions, remained completely calm despite the overwhelming cheers and shouts from the fans at the Spectrum Center.
Lin Tian dribbled the ball, unhurriedly making his way to the frontcourt, and then quickly passed it to Pippen.
Then, Lin Tian casually circled around the court twice, while Jordan on the other side was already double-teamed by Mason and Rice. But Jordan had obviously anticipated that he would be double-teamed by the Hornets, so he jumped high, aimed at Lin Tian's position, and threw the ball heavily over!
Muggsy Bogues is only 160 centimeters tall, so he has no way to deal with such high passes over the top except by watching.
After asking, Lin Tian looked at Bogues with a grin and asked the same question he had asked in the last game: "Little kid, are you going to elementary school tomorrow after the game? The basketball court is so dangerous, who let you come here? Do your parents know you're here all alone? They must be very worried!"
"Do you want Uncle...?"
"Are you ever going to stop?!" Boggs finally snapped, unable to contain Lin Tian's long-winded rant any longer. "Can't you come up with something different with your trash talk?"
"That's not all! No tricks! It's that simple and straightforward!" Lin Tian turned around and said, "But since you don't want to listen, you'd better get ready! Uncle's about to start hitting you in the back!"
As soon as Lin Tian finished speaking, he mustered his strength and rammed into Boggs!
"Bang!"
After a muffled thud, the huge difference in weight and height between the two men became apparent once again. Lin Tian, with Borg on his back, charged toward the three-second zone!
This time, however, Lin Tian didn't try anything fancy under the basket. Instead, he turned and jumped, easily scoring two points before Divac could arrive!
"Oh! Here we go again! Lin is backing down Muggsy Bogues again! Can the Hornets resolve this huge crisis?" CBS's Smith immediately began his analysis after seeing Lin Tian score two points!
"Lin's move to take on Bogues was actually entirely within our pre-match analysis and predictions. However, in the first two games, the focus was entirely on the battle between Jordan and Rice, and Lin didn't get many opportunities."
But tonight seems different!
"Great! Both teams have shown significant changes tonight! The Hornets' Rice has started passing the ball, using his teammates' screens to distribute it and find open teammates to finish the attack! This Rice is much more dangerous than Rice who just goes one-on-one!"
"The Bulls seem to have changed their offensive tactics as well. First, Lin and Jordan aren't standing on one side anymore; they're spread out completely to the left and right! Perhaps the Bulls' strategy tonight is for Jordan to feint an attack, letting Lin take the lead!"
Marcus agreed, "That's right. At least in the first possession, the Bulls' strategy was very clear: Jordan drew the defense and double-teamed, while Lin Tian bullied Bogues in the low post! After all, it's a 30-centimeter difference! Bogues was completely helpless!"
"What's worse is that if the Bulls really continue playing this style of play, the Hornets will have no choice but to make substitutions, because Muggsy Bogues' height makes it impossible for him to switch on defense! Who can he guard? Jordan or Pippen? Or could he try Rodman, who doesn't like to score?"
"How Cowens resolves the current predicament and how he counters the Bulls' targeted offense should be the Hornets' primary challenge today! Let's see how Cowens responds—whether he substitutes Muggsy Bogues or keeps him in the game?"
"How about we move on to another topic, Smith?" Marcus decided to change the subject after realizing the question was getting a bit boring, the conversation wasn't going well, and the audience's feedback was minimal.
Fortunately, there are plenty of topics tonight, and an incredible number of people to discuss. Among the players, there are many top-tier celebrities. Marcus could pick out 20 very interesting new topics to discuss with his eyes closed!
This time, Marcus brought up Lin Tian's topic, "What do you think of Lin's back-to-the-basket technique?"
(End of this chapter)