dmims Chapter 143 One pass ignites the world! The final 3 minutes...
Chapter 143 One pass ignites the world! The final 3 minutes...
Chapter 143 A pass ignites the world! The ultimate showdown in the final three minutes!
Through slow-motion replays, especially the replay from the rear view, Su Qun and the vast number of fans finally understood how Lin Tian passed the ball!
The left hand is a normal behind-the-back pass!
Just as the basketball left his palm and flew to the right, he swung his right elbow behind his body.
Then the basketball hit Lin Tian's elbow precisely and flew in the opposite direction to the other side. Hill then caught the ball, started, and dunked!
"My God! What did he do! What did he do!" Marcus, who was also providing commentary at the scene, was completely frantic. He could only monotonously repeat a few simple words: "God, can you please get out of Lin's body! This is outrageous!"
Smith's performance wasn't much better than Marcus's; in fact, he was even more exaggerated: "The greatest pass in history! The greatest of all time! No other play can compare to this one! If we're talking about the greatest assist in NBA history, anyone who doesn't rank this one first is an idiot!"
"Who could possibly refuse such a crazy pass?"
"Liu! You can spread rumors like that? You can?" Yao Ming's eyes lit up!
Seeing Lin Tian's elbow pass, he became completely excited.
"I don't know anything! Besides, even if I could pass, could you catch it?" Liu Wei sounded disdainful, but while dribbling behind Yao Ming, he had already tried the move on the spot.
Behind the back, elbow strike, reverse pass.
It only took one try, it's not difficult at all!
Yes, it's not difficult!
The technical skill level of this pass is actually nothing compared to Lin Tian's super long passes, his forced passes when double-teamed, and his passes in positional attacks that require mastering timing and power.
Even a complete novice who has only played basketball for a few months can barely imitate this move.
If a professional player really wants to practice, he can master the power generation method and basic passing angle in half an hour at most.
The movement itself is not difficult at all!
But the simpler it is, the more amazing it is.
Why didn't anyone spread this idea or use this action before Lin Tian?
Take Einstein's mass-energy equivalence equation, for example. It's a formula that even a middle school student can understand, but what happened before Einstein calculated it?
Take the heliocentric theory, for example. In the Middle Ages, it was a truth that scientists had to risk their lives to defend, but now it's common knowledge that even kindergarten children know.
This is what makes the pioneers so great and so difficult!
Creating something new is much harder than imitating it!
Lin Tian is too bold!
Who would dare to bring this kind of pass to the NBA, to the All-Star game!
How crazy must someone be to dare to do something like that on a stage like this!
"Change it! Change the logo!" In New York, the three founders of AND 1 sat together. Austin, without a second thought, shouted, "From now on, all of Lin's shoes will use a completely new logo! It will feature his elbow passing motion! That's it!"
"This pass will definitely start a whole new trend! Starting tomorrow morning, countless kids will rush to the field to study this move and try to imitate this pass."
Berg was clearly just as excited, grinning mischievously, "Then I can only feel sorry for those kids who catch the ball; they'll be receiving unreliable passes from all angles tomorrow!"
At that moment in Indiana, Bird was sitting with the Pacers' owner. After seeing Lin Tian's pass, Bird's eyes lit up: "If you hire me as the team's president and head coach, the first thing I'll do is to get Lin this offseason, no matter what!"
"He and Reggie are definitely a better match than Lin and Michael!"
In Los Angeles, West couldn't help but swear, then looked at Magic Johnson sitting next to him and said, "I used to think you were just joking when you said you'd be surpassed by this kid, just to get him to come to Los Angeles, but now I really think he might surpass you!"
"Just because of this one shot?" The Magician still had a smile on his face, showing no displeasure at his good friend's comment that he would be surpassed.
"This shot was just the one that truly convinced me of this. His performance throughout January, his performance in last year's playoffs, the courage and clutch gene he showed every time the team was in trouble, his passes on offense..."
West paused for a moment, then said, "Excuse me for being blunt, but you have everything I have, but you don't! Speed, agility, defensive versatility, shooting touch... you're not that great at any of those things."
At this moment, the Quicken Loans Arena was still in a frenzy. The cheers and applause of the fans had not stopped, and the name of Lin Tian was being heard from all directions throughout the stadium!
And it wasn't just the fans who were going crazy!
In the front row of the stands sat many players who had participated in various individual competitions and rookie games in the past two days. Kobe's eyes were wide open, and he kept clapping. Given Kobe's personality, he would most likely go and practice hard after the game, wanting to put this move into actual combat!
Next to Kobe was Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers' bigwig who was unable to participate in the All-Star Game due to injury but also came to the event.
This big, playful guy was standing ramrod straight, one hand clenched into a fist and the other palm open, giving Lin Tian a salute reminiscent of ancient Chinese chivalry.
Iverson jumped up from the bench and bounced around in place to express his shock.
……
On the bench, even Trier Brandon, the point guard from the Cavaliers, wasn't annoyed this time, because Lin Tian's shot was truly amazing!
He is also a guard known for his speed, passing, vision, and flashy moves. He knows better than anyone how difficult it is to pull off such flashy moves in the blink of an eye on a court like the NBA.
So, this guy was looking up, watching the replay of that moment over and over again, and couldn't help but start imagining whether he could have made such a beautiful pass if he had the ball.
The usually mild-mannered Hill was so excited that he didn't want to sit on the bench. He kept shaking his head in front of Lin Tian, saying, "Thank you, Lin! Thank you! What a great round! You made me the final finisher in such a great round!"
"Grant, you should be glad you dunked it. If you had missed, the fans would probably have hated you for ten years!" Lin Tian smiled and bumped fists with Hill. He was happier than anyone else to have captured this most unforgettable moment in his heart in the NBA!
Ewing, Miller, and Pippen cheered loudly and excitedly, and every now and then they would come over and chat with Lin Tian to express their admiration for the pass!
Not only in the East, but even on the West All-Star team, one could faintly hear Barkley and others talking loudly, describing how incredible Lin Tian's fast break pass was.
Neither Sloan nor Riley had a chance to devise any tactics during this timeout.
The players are so excited!
Fortunately, tonight was the All-Star Game, and the two head coaches didn't have much to do. Even Sloan, who disliked fancy moves the most in the league and was known for his rigid and meticulous style, kept nodding in approval of Lin Tian's play.
But after nodding, this guy immediately pulled aside his two disciples, Karl Malone and Stockton, and whispered in their ears, "If we make it to the finals, are you two confident you can handle Lin Yao?"
"I'll show him what a man's battlefield is! The finals aren't a place for circus clowns to perform." In his heart, Ma Long still vividly remembered the humiliation Lin Tian had brought him at last year's All-Star Game.
Last summer, he didn't even practice ball. Instead, he found a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert and worked hard with him to improve his ground skills!
Ma Long always felt that his defeat by Lin Tian last time was due to his carelessness, Lin Tian's sneak attack, and his lack of ground skills!
Ma Long, who was holding his breath, was fully prepared!
Get ready to give Lin Tian a good beating on the field! He's really going all out to get back at him.
"There's no need for Karl to get suspended." His old partner Stockton immediately saw through Malone's thoughts. With a cold look on his face, he looked at Lin Tian opposite him and slowly said, "I have a hundred ways to prevent him from playing, and we won't get suspended either."
"If he dares to pull any tricks like that in the finals, I guarantee he'll be carried off the court."
Sloan nodded and said, "That's right. Remember, what we want is the championship. Everything else is secondary! People will only remember the championship, not all the other stuff!"
As the timeout drew to a close, the emotions of the fans in the arena gradually calmed down. Neither coach made any substitutions or made any tactical arrangements during the timeout, as if this round was meant for the fans and players to celebrate Lin Tian's pass!
Lin Tian's elbow pass also had a downside.
That is, in the following games, no matter whether the players on the court make a high-flying dunk, a super long three-pointer, or perform some fancy streetball moves, they will not get a very enthusiastic response from the fans.
The fans at the scene seemed to have entered a state of euphoria after a moment of release. Their threshold had been raised too high by Lin Tian's shot, causing them to be somewhat distracted by the performance that followed.
The fans' "wise man" attitude gradually dampened the players' enthusiasm as well.
The All-Star game felt like it was over after Lin Tian's elbow pass.
Both players and fans found it somewhat boring.
This feeling of boredom lasted until the last 3 minutes of the game!
With three minutes remaining in the game, Riley called a timeout.
The score at this moment is 121:118!
The Western team still leads by 3 points!
"Guys, I know you're all a bit anxious and want to go home. We didn't play very well in the last two quarters, but I'm telling you, with three minutes left, don't you really want to give it your all and win the game?"
Riley looked at the group of stars and said slowly, "Knowing that old bastard Sloan as I do, he will definitely put Malone and Stockton on the court next, and most likely he'll pair them with Payton, Sprewell, and Olajuwon! I don't need to explain what this lineup means, do I?"
"These five players are the best defenders, the most resilient, and the least suited for the All-Star Game right now in the West!"
"They want to win, they want to humiliate us! They want to crush us in the last three minutes! So, now it's your turn to think, do you want to win? Do you want those bastards to kick your ass a few times?"
"Of course not!" Jordan chewed his gum and said, "I never want to lose!"
"Dry them to death!"
"In Cleveland, you think a bunch of Western idiots can beat us?"
"Pat, you decide. Whoever goes up there, we'll smash them to pieces!"
Seeing the group of star players all express their support, Riley nodded in satisfaction and then said, "Lin, Michael, Glenn, Wen, and Chris, the five of you go!"
The five players Riley pointed out are not all starters tonight, but if you look at the data, you can see that these five are the five best performers for the East team tonight!
林天已经拿下16分19次助攻，他距离魔术师22次助攻的历史记录，已经只剩下3次了！同时他还有机会拿下NBA全明星赛历史上的第一个双20两双！
Jordan scored 18 points, Vin Baker had 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Glen Rice, who is relatively unknown, had a breakout night with 24 points!
Chris Webber, in the final segment, only scored 12 points, but he also had 9 rebounds and 8 assists! He nearly achieved a triple-double tonight.
Not to mention his perfect teamwork and chemistry with Lin Tian. If Riley wants to win, putting Webber and Lin Tian on the court at the same time will give him an unparalleled advantage and create a fantastic chemistry.
This lineup also shows Riley's personnel style: unconventional, not based on reputation, whoever plays well gets more playing time!
As the timeout ended, the five players from the East took to the court together, and the five players from the West were exactly as Riley had predicted!
It was Olajuwon, Malone, Sprewell, plus the backcourt duo of Payton and Stockton!
At least in terms of troop deployment, Riley completely saw through Sloan!
The final battle between the two sides... has officially begun!
The first possession after the substitute returned belonged to the Eastern Conference. Lin Tian dribbled the ball quickly to the frontcourt, where Jordan in the low post had already positioned himself and firmly blocked Payton behind him.
Lin Tian didn't hesitate and immediately passed the basketball to Jordan. After receiving the ball, Jordan didn't even dribble. He turned around and shot a fadeaway jumper, which went in!
121: 120!
The East team has narrowed the gap to just one point!
"Gary, you're no longer a fingerless glove! You should call yourself a wristband now! One in front, one in back, two big holes! Your defense is easier to spread than a prostitute's legs!" After scoring, Jordan immediately started trash-talking Payton, successfully escalating the tension between the two.
The Western Conference baseline ball was quickly passed to Stockton, but before he could dribble, Lin Tian had already rushed over.
Full press!
In the last 3 minutes, we must increase the intensity!
"Come on, old dog! Let me see how many tricks you have up your sleeve. Without Malone, can you even get past one person in your life?" Lin Tian said, pressing close to Stockton as he launched into a tirade.
Stockton was not one to be taken advantage of. He turned his back to protect the basketball while simultaneously finding an opportunity to elbow Lin Tian in the stomach.
Lin Tian, who had already seen that Stockton was about to make a dirty move, was not to be outdone. He took an elbow himself and then raised his hand to pinch Stockton's waist hard.
"FUXX!" Stockton yelled in pain, then turned to the referee and shouted, "Are you blind?! This wasn't a foul? Didn't you see what he did to me? Just because someone's an All-Star doesn't mean you can just foul them and not call it?"
"Shut up, you woman! Instead of complaining, you should be thinking about how to score!" Lin Tian scoffed. "Or should I give you a nationwide anti-bullying hotline? You can call and say I've hurt your innocent little heart? Or, before that, you should get Malone to come up and protect you?"
"Shut up! You rookie who only knows how to talk back! Do you think I'm afraid to go one-on-one with you?" Stockton cursed. His original plan was to have Malone set a screen for him immediately after cursing Lin Tian.
Using underhanded tactics? Stockton is a legend in the league.
But before he could finish speaking, before Malone could even come up, Jordan rushed up first!
Lin Tian's defensive intensity also increased instantly, and he and Jordan were on the left and right sides, respectively, sticking tightly to Stockton.
Lin Tian's move was swift and ruthless. Just as Jordan came up, he seized the opportunity and slapped Stockton's arm with a loud "smack"!
No matter how steady Stockton's dribbling was, after being slapped by Lin Tian, he couldn't regain control of the basketball. Jordan snatched the ball and sprinted towards the frontcourt, ending the attack with a gliding dunk!
121: 122!
East team, take the lead by one point!
"FUXX! What are you guys doing! If you think the All-Star Game doesn't need referees, you can get off the court instead of pretending here!" Stockton, who had suffered a great loss, spread his hands and angrily berated the referees.
"If you don't get out of here right now, I can make you the first guy in All-Star history to be ejected." The referee looked at Stockton defiantly. He had seen it all clearly: it was Stockton who offered the elbow first, and Lin Tian retaliated with a claw.
If you can't stand being taken advantage of and keep spouting nonsense, then don't blame us for ignoring them and hitting your hand.
The All-Star Game is a place for relaxation and vacation, and it's not just for players and fans.
The referees were just there for fun. On this night, they weren't just too lazy to call violations like traveling, three-second violations, or double dribbling; they also didn't bother to call some fouls.
The referees' biggest goal tonight is to have fun, keep the game running smoothly, and finish the match as soon as possible.
Stockton, you dare to speak so rudely on a day like this? You really think you're something special?
Then I can only give you divine justice!
Stockton saw that the referee was completely ignoring him and knew that he could only swallow his anger and suffer in silence tonight.
Fortunately, he was an old hand and knew that the worst thing to do at this time was to get carried away, so he didn't say another word to the referee and threw himself back into the game.
Although the East scored 4 points in a row, this time the West handed the ball to Payton, who dribbled it to the frontcourt and immediately passed it to Olajuwon.
Finally, Hakeem Olajuwon managed to force a shot against Vin Baker in the low post, helping the West team regain the lead!
For the next two minutes, it was a back-and-forth battle, neither giving an inch, and neither able to defend against the other!
At this point, both sides' offensive efficiency reached a terrifying level. For a full two minutes, neither side missed a single shot. When the game came to a final minute, the score difference between the two sides was still only one point!
133: 132!
The Western Conference team leads by one point, while the Eastern Conference team has possession of the ball.
Lin Tian dribbled the ball up the court once again. Facing Stockton's quick press, Lin Tian suddenly smiled and said, "Old dog, I heard that your best skill, or rather, the only skill you've ever mastered, is the pick-and-roll?"
"What? You want to learn? Call me Dad and I might consider teaching you!" Stockton was on high alert, sticking close to Lin Tian to prevent him from suddenly breaking through or shooting.
"No, I want to teach you a lesson and show you what a pick-and-roll really is." Lin Tian grinned and patted his head with his left hand.
Chris Webber immediately rushed out from the paint and stood in front of Stockton.
Lin Tian immediately accelerated!
He squeezed past Webber and outmaneuvered Stockton in one step.
"Switch!" Malone was already prepared and shouted, standing in front of Lin Tian.
Lin Tian didn't even try to compete with Malone, or even break through. Instead, he took two steps to one side along the three-point line, created some distance, and then suddenly made a behind-the-back pass, sending the ball back to Webber who was still at the top of the arc.
Malone thought Lin Tian wanted Webber to mismatch and isolate against his old partner, so without hesitation, he moved back towards the top of the key to help Stockton defend.
But he overlooked Lin Tian!
It wasn't until Webber made a one-handed through pass that Malone realized Lin Tian had somehow cut to the area below the free-throw line!
Fortunately, the Western Conference team still had Hakeem Olajuwon. As the undisputed best center in the league, Olajuwon quickly moved his feet and blocked Lin Tian's path.
But what happened next left even Hakeem Olajuwon wide-eyed in disbelief.
Because the moment the basketball came into Lin Tian's hands...
Lin Tian didn't dribble or collect the ball; he didn't even fully control the basketball!
The moment Lin Tian's right hand made contact with the basketball, he suddenly exerted force and slapped the basketball away again!
"Snapped!"
Hakeem Olajuwon clearly heard the crisp sound of the basketball being slapped, and then watched helplessly as it changed direction and flew to the other side.
Glen Rice, who was following up, grabbed the basketball, took off, and flew straight toward the basket!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Rice roared excitedly at the rim. This was his 26th point, surpassing Jordan's 24 points and making him the highest scorer in the East!
According to All-Star tradition, if the East wins, the player with the highest score will most likely become the All-Star MVP!
"Great shot! So beautiful!" Su Qun exclaimed excitedly after the spike. "Non-stop, hand-to-hand, such fluid and beautiful teamwork! Three passes, each more beautiful and brilliant than the last!"
Song Shixiong couldn't help but say, "I'm really starting to wonder if Lin Tian and Webber have known each other for a long time, and if they've played many matches together already! How can their teamwork be so good? How can their matches be so pleasing to the eye?"
"22 assists! 22nd assist! Ties the record! Lin has tied the record!" Marcus roared excitedly. "There are 45 seconds left in the game! Can Lin break the record?"
Smith said, "Making new history is certainly great, but honestly, compared to those cold, hard numbers, Lin's performance tonight, and the brilliant moments he provided, are more worthy of our remembrance and reflection!"
Marcus was now completely fired up, in a state of high excitement, exclaiming, "No matter what, with 45 seconds left, the East team has taken the lead again by one point! Let's see what happens in the end, and how this game will end!"
The Western Conference team regained possession of the ball, and they once again gave it to Hakeem Olajuwon.
This time, just as Olajuwon was about to take a one-on-one shot, Rice was already double-teaming him! But what makes Olajuwon unparalleled, besides his one-on-one skills and defense, is his passing and playmaking ability, which is also among the best in the league!
Just as Rice rushed over, Olajuwon's pass had already grazed past his ear and landed in Sprewell's hands!
The "madman" who was left wide open caught the ball, pulled up and threw it, a clean and crisp mid-range jump shot that went in accurately!
135: 134!
The Western Army has overtaken them again!
The fans at Quicken Loans Arena were practically blowing the ceiling off!
This All-Star Game has been quite a rollercoaster ride so far. From the exciting back-and-forth between the two sides in the first half to Lin Tian's elbow pass in the third quarter raising everyone's expectations and causing the fans and players to lose interest, the latter half of the third quarter and most of the fourth quarter have been rather dull.
But in the last 3 minutes of the game, with the score close and both sides exchanging shots with extremely high accuracy, the game became more and more interesting and fierce!
At this moment, the players on both sides were really fired up, and there was a murderous intent in everyone's eyes. This game, from some point on, was no longer a show, but a battle for dignity that both sides had to fight with all their might to win!
At this point, Riley called another timeout. With 30 seconds left, he had to call a timeout to arrange tactics. After all, even a coach who's not really taking it easy has to do something.
Looking at everyone standing in front of him, Riley suddenly smiled and said:
"Lin, you're the point guard. It's the last possession, how about you make the arrangements?"
"I?"
Lin Tian was stunned for a moment. When did the "Master Calculator" become so open-minded? These words sounded more like they should have come from Michael Jackson.
However, seeing Riley's encouraging gaze, the group of people around him did not object. Lin Tian was not polite either. He took the tactics board and started drawing tactics. While drawing, he quickly explained how to position himself and how to proceed with Plan B if the first tactic did not work.
With the timeout over, all ten players from both sides returned to the court. This time, neither side made any substitutions, clearly intending to use these ten players to finish the final 30 seconds!
"Lin is actually standing on the sideline! Webber is right next to him. This should be a tactic where the ball is passed to the big man, and then Lin and Webber pass the ball hand-to-hand, and then look for an opportunity to break through the opponent's defense!" Marcus only glanced at the positions on the court and began to speculate on the Eastern Conference team's tactics for this round.
Smith continued his analysis: "It should be about right. Jordan, Rice, and Baker are all near the baseline, and the entire Eastern Conference team's formation is spread out very wide! This kind of positioning will make it very difficult for the Western Conference defense to completely contain the Eastern Conference's inbound passes."
"Beep beep!"
The referee blew his whistle, the basketball was passed to Lin Tian, and the other players on the court began to make their runs.
First, Webber moved towards Lin Tian, as if he was about to reach out and catch the ball.
Next, Jordan and Rice ran towards the basket from both sides of the baseline. Then Jordan suddenly changed direction and moved towards the top of the baseline, while Rice continued to run along the baseline.
With the 5-second inbound pass time fast approaching, the Eastern Conference team suddenly changed their tactics again!
Jordan suddenly turned and cut back near the free-throw line, using Baker's screen to cut towards the basket once again!
At the same time, the basketball in Lin Tian's hand also flew towards the basket!
After the basketball drew a beautiful arc in the air, Jordan leaped high, grabbed the basketball with both hands, and slammed it toward the basket!
"boom!"
The Eastern team took less than a second to overtake again!
At this point, Hakeem Olajuwon was still entangled with Baker near the free-throw line, while Payton was blocked by Baker and was a full two body lengths behind Jordan.
Sprewell was lobbed out of the paint by Rice, while Malone and Stockton were also entangled with Lin Tian and Webber near the top of the arc.
Lin Tian's tactics completely disrupted the Western team's defense!
In essence, it's nothing more than a few incredibly simple tactics: reverse runs, screens, and cuts.
But with just a few moves and Lin Tian's perfectly timed pass, this incredibly brilliant scoring moment instantly became a classic!
"What beautiful positioning! Coach Riley's skill is truly extraordinary!" Su Qun couldn't help but exclaim. "Although they are all superstars, they are, after all, a group of people who have never played together before. To get such a group of people to produce such wonderful teamwork at this moment in the game is truly remarkable!"
"The fortune teller truly lives up to his reputation!"
Marcus on CBS also took advantage of Sloan's last timeout to highly praise the play: "The positioning in that play was absolutely brilliant! Let's watch the replay!"
"Look, Jordan has the first opportunity! But if Payton or Olajuwon keeps up with Jordan but communication breaks down, Baker can immediately get a chance in the mid-range! At the same time, Rice on the baseline has also started moving towards Baker, and judging from the inbound time, he can also receive the ball directly in the mid-range after a pick-and-roll with Baker!"
"And if none of these three get a chance to deliver a decisive blow, then it'll be Lin Tian and Webber's turn to face Malone and Stockton in the high post!"
"All I can say is that a single inbounds play can give all five players a chance to receive the ball and score, and everyone has a chance to finish. Who ends up scoring depends on where the Western Conference team's defense falters! It just goes to show: Riley truly deserves his reputation as a top coach who led his team to four championships and won three Coach of the Year awards!"
"A simple tactic that perfectly showcases the skill of a championship-caliber coach!"
During this timeout, it wasn't just these few commentators who kept praising Riley; commentators from all over the world, industry professionals, coaches, players, and reporters watching the game all raved about Riley's tactical setup!
Even as the Western Conference timeout was about to end, Su Qun, while looking at the stats, suddenly shouted, "That pass just now was Lin Tian's 23rd assist! He's broken the record set by Magic Johnson in the 1984 All-Star Game!"
"23 assists! The NBA All-Star single-game assist record belongs to Lin Tian from today onwards! 23! Remember this great number! 23! This record belongs to the Chinese people!"
"It's not just 23 assists," Song Shixiong said, also looking at the statistics. "Lin Tian also has 18 points to his name today! Based on the current score and time remaining, Lin Tian still has one more chance to score!"
"If he can capitalize on this, Lin Tian could become the first player in NBA All-Star history to achieve 20 points and 20 assists in a single game! While 23 assists might be surpassed, adding 20 points would mean this record could stand for at least 30 years!"
"Perhaps, apart from Lin Tian himself, it will be difficult for anyone else to break this record at the All-Star Game!"
"Then let's look forward to it!" Su Qun said enthusiastically, "Let's see if Lin Tian can achieve this unprecedented record!"
The Western Conference team's timeout ended, and they still had the same ten players. Clearly, at this point in the game, neither coach would make any substitutions.
The first person to get the ball was Gary Payton. Facing Lin Tian's close defense after switching to him, Payton was not in a hurry. Instead, he directed everyone to get into position and then passed the ball to Stockton at the top of the arc.
After receiving the ball, Stockton quickly dribbled to the other side, creating considerable space for himself. Facing Jordan's defense, he showed no intention of attacking.
Instead, it was a bounce pass that got the ball to Malone, who had gotten into position inside!
Let Malone take on Webber one-on-one!
This is the matchup with the highest singles success rate that the Western team analyzed during the timeout just now.
They all believed that Malone could teach the young Webber a lesson.
But just as Stockton passed the ball to Malone, Payton suddenly felt something was wrong.
Where is Lin Tian?
When did he go to the inside?
"Karl! Watch out!" Payton shouted as soon as he realized what was happening, warning Malone to be careful, but it was too late!
Lin Tian cleverly circled around from the weak side to behind Malone, staying in Malone's blind spot the whole way. As he slipped behind Malone, the All-Star power forward didn't even notice him!
"Snapped!"
With a swift and decisive snatch, the basketball immediately broke free from Ma Long's control and was intercepted by Lin Tian, who then held it in his arms!
"FUXX! You two should have reminded me sooner! Are you blind?! Couldn't you see him sneaking over from the weak side?!" Malone, whose ball was stolen, slapped his hands together and cursed at the two defenders of his team with great frustration.
However, neither Payton nor Stockton paid any attention to Malone's protest, because Lin Tian didn't call a timeout! Not only did he not call a timeout, he also waved to Riley on the sidelines.
The meaning is clear: No need to pause, leave it to me!
"Defense first! Foul in the last 10 seconds!" Sloan of the Western Conference shouted to his players from the sidelines.
There are 20 seconds left in the game. If he doesn't commit a foul, Lin Tian can run out of time completely!
But Sloan didn't want to commit a foul and give the East team free throws.
One reason is that he thinks Lin Tian's free throw percentage is over 80% in the regular season, so giving him two free throws would most likely be giving him two points!
Another reason is that Sloan didn't want Lin Tian to take the free throws.
23 assists is one thing, but to give Lin Tian another 20+20? Sloan isn't that selfless! He definitely doesn't want Lin Tian to get any other records, so he'd rather gamble on Payton and Stockton's defensive abilities to see if they can steal the ball. Even if they can't, they can still foul in the last ten seconds and let the East team go to the free-throw line.
Of course, there is a third reason.
After all, this is the All-Star Game. Fouling tactics can only be used once. If you really use 3-4 rounds of tactical fouls in the last 10 seconds of the game, making the last 10 seconds of the game last 10 minutes, wouldn't the fans in the arena boo?
It's an All-Star game, so we have to maintain a certain level of decorum!
Lin Tian completely disregarded Stockton's defense, dribbling the ball all the way to the frontcourt. Then, after glancing at the time, he suddenly started moving!
Yes, with 15 seconds left in the game, Lin Tian started the attack!
This surprised everyone. Almost everyone thought that Lin Tian would hold out until the last minute, until the Western Army committed a foul before starting the attack!
Who would have thought... that this guy would start attacking right after coming to the frontcourt!
(End of this chapter)