Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 537 A Song of Ice and Fire! The Most Dull and the Most Fiery Team

Because the SuperSonics-Kings series was the only one in the first round to go to a Game 7, the teams that made it to the second round began their conference semifinals the day after that game.

Regardless of the team or the player, every player caught by reporters before their game is asked the same question.

"Gary Payton has finally decided to leave, another top player has left the league. What are your thoughts on this?"

In response to reporters' questions, in a league where there are almost no players from Payton's era left, most people chose to offer praise, compliments, and applause.

As one of the very few people in the league who has ever had a peak showdown with Payton, Lin Tian naturally gave a completely different answer.

"I'm very grateful to Gary. For the first time in my life, I played well in front of everyone, made a name for myself, and let the whole world know my game, and that was against Gary!"

"I believe Gary also remembers very clearly the 1996 Finals, where I scored 48 points in a single game against this arrogant, shameless, evil, and annoying old bastard, and then eliminated the SuperSonics, ending their championship dreams. That was the closest Gary ever came to a championship."

"That was also my first time winning a championship, and that was my first impression of Gary."

"Then, when he was with the Heat, I dominated him every time, and completely dismantled their championship-contending team."

"Oh right, remember the nickname 'Fingerless Glove'? I gave it to him! It's one of the most satisfying trash-talking moments of my career."

"But overall, the game will definitely be less fun without this old bastard. I'll miss him, especially the nights I dominated him. If I'd known he'd retire after the season, I definitely would have scored more goals against the SuperSonics this season!"

Lin Tian's answer, which was so different from everyone else's, was like frantically reopening Payton's wounds and then rubbing salt into them. How do you describe that?

This fits Lin Tian's character perfectly, and it made Peyton quite happy to hear it.

He's the kind of guy who doesn't care at all about compliments and praise. He knows better than anyone how annoying he is and how many people he's offended.

He knew that 99% of those compliments were just polite words.

But Lin Tian's words made Payton feel very comfortable.

Because, how should I put it?

Lin Tian was indeed referring to his embarrassing moments, but it must be admitted that those moments were also the peak of Payton's life.

Those past moments represent his most glorious moments. It's enough that someone remembers his most glorious moments.

"Old man, are you really going to give up? Why not consider coming here for a year on a minimum salary next season?"

Before the start of the second round of the playoffs, Lin Tian made sure to call Payton and chat with him for a bit.

If Payton is willing to come, Lin Tian is absolutely willing to accept.

"Absolutely not. I'd rather never win a championship in my life than be a substitute for a bastard like you." Payton refused without even thinking: "There are two people in my life I will never back down to."

"You and Michael! You two damn bastards will never break me or get me to join you."

"But you also joined Carl and Alonzo."

"That's different." Peyton snorted. "The three of us are about the same level. We all admit that we are not as good as you or Michael, so we stick together for warmth. We are equal in status, but that is completely different from joining you and becoming your henchmen if we can't beat you."

"So, put away your overflowing sympathy, you little bastard. Even if I were to make a comeback, the Knicks and Bobcats are two teams I would never consider. That's it, I have nothing more to say to you."

Looking at the disconnected phone, Lin Tian could only shake his head helplessly.

Honestly, he didn't quite understand Payton's logic. Why was teaming up with Mourning and Malone considered a bad thing, but joining him and Jordan would be such a disgrace?

So be it!

Now Lin Tian is preparing for the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinals!

This year's playoff situation is completely opposite to last year's situation where the first round was extremely difficult, and the next three rounds were easier one after another!

The Knicks easily swept the Cavaliers in the first round this year, but in the next round, they will face the incredibly powerful Celtics!

The Celtics have a formidable roster this season. Although their record is so-so, everyone knows how strong this team is! Since Bird retired and left the team, this team has never been so close to a championship.

Among the starting five, Howard, the genius high school student, is still growing, but his physical qualities and talent have already shown their immense potential. Although he is currently being used as a pure blue-collar worker, his various skills still need to be honed.

But everyone can see that the sky's the limit for him, and his future is limitless. At the very least, Howard's ceiling is much higher than that of Okafor of the Bobcats!

Then there's the team's starting power forward, Duncan! Although Duncan had a rather terrible and unsatisfactory few years with the Magic, no one would think Duncan wasn't good, and no one would think Duncan was a bust.

On the contrary, many people in the league believe that Duncan is the best power forward in the league, and even if Malone, Barkley and others were still in the league, he would definitely be one of the candidates for the best power forward!

This guy continues his stable, low-key but absolutely reliable output this year. As the team's leader, as long as Duncan is there, the Celtics will never fall easily.

The team's current leading scorer is still Paul Pierce, the talented small forward drafted in 98. This season, Pierce is still averaging 23 points per game, making him the team's highest scorer. His one-on-one skills, defense, and underrated playmaking ability are all very important weapons for this team.

He always manages to use his personal abilities to deliver devastating blows to his opponents at crucial moments.

Meanwhile, the team also has Ricky Davis, an excellent swingman who used to average 20+5+5 at the shooting guard position.

After playing for the Celtics for more than a season, he is no longer the unruly troublemaker he once was. Now, Davis is hardworking and willing to do the dirty work, while also being one of the team's most consistent three-point shooters.

As for the team's point guard, he is another troublesome and talented player they acquired from the Suns at a low price this offseason.

Stephon Marbury!

Marbury was practically a pariah for the past few years. He led the Nets to the lottery, then Kidd went, and the Nets immediately became an Eastern Conference powerhouse!

He led the Suns to the Lotto, then Nash went, and the Suns immediately became the top team in the West!

After these two disastrous transfers, Marbury's reputation and public image have plummeted.

Fortunately, he was self-aware enough to know that the Celtics were probably his last chance. If he couldn't perform well here and was still labeled a "lone wolf," his professional career would probably be coming to an end, and he would likely have to go overseas to make money.

For example, China?

I heard that NBA players there are paid incredibly high salaries, and the intensity of the games isn't that high.

Ahem... I've gone off on a tangent.

In short, Marbury has toned down his personality this season. With Auerbach's patient guidance, encouragement, and promises, Marbury seems to have become a good boy.

They practiced on time and played according to tactics on the court, which diluted the ball possession a lot, allowing Pierce and Duncan to be the main offensive force.

As for himself, his stats have dropped from 20+8 last season to 15+7 this season. If you only look at the stats, this guy has almost gone from an All-Star to an excellent starter.

But anyone who watched the game would give Marbury a thumbs up.

To put it simply: Stephen has matured!

His playing style is no longer so flashy but useless; he has put away those pointless moves and become more pragmatic.

This change allowed him to achieve his best field goal percentage and the fewest turnovers of his career, despite a decline in both scoring and assists.

Having shed his former brilliance, Marbury is now giving his all even on the defensive end, no longer the leaky sieve he once was.

This season, he has prematurely transformed into "Commissar Ma".

In short, the Celtics are incredibly strong this season!

Their starting lineup consists entirely of players with both fame and skill. Three of them have All-Star or even MVP-level ability, while the remaining players, Howard and Davis, are either future superstars or near-All-Star level.

In addition, the frontcourt duo of Davis and Pierce is tall and strong. Although they are not very fast, this team has a very tough style! Otherwise, they would not be called a top defensive team on par with the Pistons.

Of course, their playing style is even more dull and less exciting than the Pistons. This team has almost no adrenaline-pumping moments or plays. They are like a heavy, slow but indestructible battering ram, incredibly powerful!

They and the Knicks are like two sides of the same coin; the Knicks are crazy, passionate, and energetic, almost never stopping.

They are steady, calm, and rational to the point of being boring and almost never get excited.

"This series is definitely the most stylistically diverse and unpredictable of all the second-round series!" Barkley exclaimed excitedly before the first game. "The two teams have completely opposite playing styles; they're like ice and fire, heaven and earth."

"They're not even playing the same sport! I know that of the four matchups in this series, the most anticipated and highest-rated is definitely the Lakers vs. Timberwolves four-star showdown!"

"But personally, I'm even more excited for this A Song of Ice and Fire series!"

"I'm really curious to see how these two teams will fare! Will the Knicks' unstoppable spear pierce the Celtics' formidable shield, or will the Celtics' impenetrable shield break the Knicks' spear?"

Kenny added, "The league's best offensive team versus the league's second-best defensive team—that's exciting to think about! Is a balanced offense and defense better, or is an extreme offense stronger? I'm sure everyone's as curious as I am!"

"Another worrying aspect is the form of several key players on the Knicks. Anthony and Okur were completely out of form in the first round. Although they played quite well in the fourth game, their shooting touch was clearly not back."

"Furthermore, Stoudemire delivered an unparalleled performance in the first round series, making him the second key contributor to the team's easy sweep of the Cavaliers! So, in the second round, facing the frontcourt duo of Duncan and Howard, can Stoudemire maintain his performance?"

"If Anthony and others still can't find their rhythm, and Stoudemire gets shut down by Duncan and Howard's twin towers, then this series will become Lin's solo effort again! He'll have to carry the team alone and push them forward by himself."

"I think this might be exactly what some fans are looking forward to the most."

Barkley said, "Let's see what our staff has to say about the keys to victory for both teams!"

"Celtics: 1. Control the offensive rebounds to prevent Lin from leading the team on fast breaks; 2. Pay attention to the defense during pick-and-rolls to prevent Lin from leading the team to execute plays; 3. Marbury should wear down Lin as much as possible and avoid being overwhelmed by Lin."

"Okay, the point is to keep Lin out."

Kenny smiled and said, "Let's take a look at the Knicks' team: 1. Anthony finds his rhythm; 2. Stoudemire continues his hot streak; 3. Lin continues his consistent performance."

"Okay, it's not that I'm upset with my colleagues or trying to cause trouble, but I think the Knicks' winning formula is complete nonsense."

With the two commentators giving their advance announcements, providing pre-match analysis, and cracking jokes from the commentary booth, the ten players from both sides have once again taken to the field.

Both sides knew what kind of match this was, so everyone was eager to win and determined to take the lead and secure the first victory in the series that night!

Howard stood at center circle, shaking his head and looking relaxed. He was the most relaxed and nonchalant guy on the court. Before the jump ball, he even raised his fist to bump fists with Okur on the other side.

However, Oku ignored him and rolled his eyes instead.

What kind of monsters are kids these days?

Then, when the referee blew his whistle and the two players started jumping for the ball, Okur was once again certain of his earlier thought: Kids these days are really all monsters!

Howard jumped so high that his knees almost hit Okur's chest.

This wasn't the first time the two had faced off, but every time they did, Okur was amazed by Howard's incredible athleticism.

Marbury received the ball, but instead of rushing forward like he had in previous games to try and score first, he held the ball with his back to the basket, directed his teammates to move, and then slowly secured his position before advancing towards the frontcourt.

"Stephen, to be honest, you've really disappointed me, I..." Lin Tian was about to hurl a few trash words at Marbury when he was suddenly interrupted.

"Hehehe! We're black guys, yo yo yo, we have money, tons of money and tons of girls calling for us."

Marbury interrupted Lin Tian with a loud and unpleasant rap, cutting him off from what he was about to say.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Lin Tian looked at Marbury with disbelief on his face. Was Jay-Z possessing him?

"I own a Ferrari, and I'm moving it downtown. My driving skills are amazing; you'll be left with nothing but scrapes!"

Screw it.

Seeing Marbury engrossed in his singing, Lin Tian stopped trash-talking and stepped forward to block his position, applying close, tight defense to Marbury.

As he suddenly lunged forward, Lin Tian didn't forget to reach out and steal the ball. After stealing it twice, Marbury's singing finally stopped.

There's no time to sing anymore, Lin Tian's defense is too fierce!

If you get distracted thinking about lyrics again, then there's no point in attacking; you can just retreat and defend.

"Sing! Keep singing!" Lin Tian grabbed another basketball from Marbury's hand, not forgetting to taunt, "I've got plenty of money, I haven't had enough yet!"

Do you think I'm some kind of marketplace?

Marbury glared, opened his mouth to retort, but suddenly remembered Duncan's instructions before the game, and swallowed the words back down.

Damn it, let's sing!

Marbury quickly passed the ball to Pierce, who rushed over to receive it, and then started attacking Lin Tian.

"My gold watch is bigger than your pussy, my chain is thicker than your life! I can enter your soul and make you feel like you're in heaven!"

"Go to hell." Unexpectedly, Marbury actually started singing again. Lin Tian had no interest in listening to him sing. He casually elbowed Marbury in the stomach and then ignored him.

At the same time, Lin Tian's gaze also shifted to Duncan, who had just received the ball outside the three-second zone. This guy backed down against Stoudemire, turned around to create space, and then made a high-level floater with his feet almost off the ground. The basketball left his hand and went into the net.

The Celtics took the lead.

"You taught that jerk to sing, didn't you?" Lin Tian asked as he passed Duncan on his way back to defend, "Besides you, no one else on your team is this dirty."

"Hehe..." Duncan scratched his head, revealing a rather innocent-looking smile, then turned around and found Pierce, ruffling Pierce's hair: "Great pass, Paul!"

Looking at this action, Lin Tian could already imagine how Pierce's hair density would decrease rapidly over the next two years.

Poor Pierce!

After muttering something, Lin Tian turned to look at Stoudemire at the baseline: "Ball!"

The Knicks are on offense! (End of Chapter)