dmims Chapter 97 Michael was terrified; he begged me to help him.
Chapter 97 Michael was terrified; he begged me to help him.
Chapter 97 Michael was terrified; he begged me to help him.
That night, Grant Hill delivered the most brilliant performance of his career, racking up a triple-double of 33 points, 17 rebounds, and 13 assists as he sought to defend the honor of Detroit.
Joe Dumars gave it his all, hitting six three-pointers and scoring the team's second-highest 25 points.
Jordan once again delivered a near-dominant performance against his old rival: 54 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists!
Although Pippen was almost shot through the net by Houston in the first half, he adjusted his defensive strategy in the second half, successfully making the "mid-range king" who dominated in the first half disappear in the second half and become the "mid-range heartthrob", while also contributing an impressive 18 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
In addition, Rodman also put up impressive individual stats with 3 points and 21 rebounds.
However, beneath these incredible statistics, the person who shines brightest tonight and is destined to make headlines is someone else entirely.
Lin Tian scored 11 points and 14 assists on 5-of-11 shooting – an "unremarkable" stat line!
He hit the game-winning three-pointer that ended the entire series!
He hit the crucial three-pointer that plunged the entire Palace of Auburn Hills into despair and anguish!
Even though he played terribly and insignificantly for most of this series, he still dared to shoot and made the shots!
That was the game-winning shot!
The entire Palace of Auburn Hills fell into complete silence, and many fans even shed tears.
They lost to Chicago and Jordan once again.
Failure is always so painful!
Just as they caused Chicagoans the same pain 7 or 8 years ago.
"A game-winning shot! A game-winning shot! This is absolutely the most spectacular game-winning shot I've ever seen in my life!" Song Shixiong's voice once again resounded across China, his voice even carrying a hint of a sob! A Chinese man, in the NBA, in the playoffs, in a game that ended a series, delivered a game-winning shot!
This absolutely deserves all the praise!
Across the entire land of China, countless families celebrated wildly, with cheers, shouts, frenzied applause, and roars resounding continuously. Everyone was celebrating wildly!
The direct impact was that "hard dishes" such as fish, shrimp, and pork ribs in major vegetable markets and farmers' markets across the country were snapped up within the next two hours!
Everyone should celebrate!
As for Lin Tian, after making such a crazy game-winning shot, he jumped directly onto the scorer's table. Facing 18000 heartbroken Pistons fans, Lin Tian spread his arms wide and raised them high to his sides, extending three fingers on each hand.
"From today onwards, you have one more nightmare to live in!"
Lin Tian's arrogance gave the entire Auburn Hills Palace an outlet for his anger. After his crazy actions, a barrage of curses and roars, all sorts of profanities and vicious words poured out at him!
When have we Detroiters ever suffered like this?
Finally, it was Clemens and Wennington, those two good-natured guys, who were worried that Lin Tian might stand on the scorer's table for too long and get hit by some cola or popcorn cup falling from above. They managed to pull him down from there and quickly led him into the player tunnel.
They didn't want anything to happen to Lin Tian!
This is Detroit!
Anything can happen here!
Today, things couldn't be better for Chicagoans and Chinese people!
At the post-game press conference, Jackson didn't bring Jordan, who scored 54 points, but instead brought Lin Tian, who made the game-winning shot!
As soon as they entered the press conference venue, enthusiastic applause erupted!
Sports reporters from across the United States expressed their appreciation and congratulations to Lin Tian for his game-winning shot with applause.
After the celebrations, a Chicago reporter spoke first: "Lin, first of all, congratulations on hitting the game-winner! That was a beautiful shot! But we noticed that you and Jordan exchanged a few words before the final possession."
"What did you say?"
"Michael was terrified," Lin Tian said with a laugh. "Even though he scored 50+ points, he was still terrified. He felt he couldn't handle it, and he begged me for help. So I told him: 'Michael, if you can't handle it, if you're scared, then give me the ball, and I'll take care of them!'"
"Michael was really touched. He said I was his best brother, and then he actually passed me the ball!"
Lin Tian's joke drew another burst of laughter from the reporters present. Then another reporter asked, "So, Lin, how does it feel to hit the first game-winning shot of your career, especially since it ended a series?"
"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!" Lin Tian said with a smile, "I've fantasized about this scene countless times in my life, and I've prepared for it countless times. I know my shooting touch has been terrible in this series. I can't make the shots that I could easily make in the regular season. But I also know that Michael is my brother."
"When my brother gets scared, that's when the superheroes come to the rescue. I'll protect my buddy!"
Lin Tian's two statements undoubtedly became the headlines of major media outlets that night!
Lin Tian jokingly says Jordan was so scared he peed his pants, and he felt it was his duty to save his good buddy!
The man who can solve everything for Jordan!
Who's really the boss? Lin says he'll always protect Jordan!
Born a superstar! Despite a 22% three-point shooting percentage in the series, he dared to take the ultimate shot!
"A Calm Leader! The Person Jordan Trusted Most Was Actually Him!"
……
The news stories that would enrage Jordan to the point of beating Lin Tian to the ground are destined to spark waves of discussion tonight.
But Jordan was unaware of all this before these news reports came out.
This is what life is like without the internet.
Jordan and Pippen are currently experimenting with and researching various mechanisms on the locker room door, trying to give Lin Tian a proper "celebration".
They vividly remembered how Lin Tian had knocked the ice buckets out of their hands with two punches last time! The two of them wanted to provide a high-level mechanism that Lin Tian absolutely could not crack or discover!
However, these two were clearly overthinking things and getting too involved.
To what extent should we invest?
"Move it a little to the left, or it'll easily fall down. If the basin falls down before Lin gets in, all our efforts will be wasted."
"Too far to the left, a little more to the right, otherwise Lin will come in and not fall down, wouldn't that be a waste of time?"
"You're right!" Pippen turned his head and said, "You're very professional, Lin... Lin?"
"Lin?" Jordan also turned around abruptly, then looked at Lin Tian, who was sitting in a chair with his arms crossed, as if he were a ghost.
"When did you come in?" The two asked in unison, more in sync than they had ever been in their lives!
"They probably came in around the time Michael said, 'This time, I'm making sure Lin's underwear and anus are covered in ice,'" Lin Tian shrugged. "Are you two going to get off? Or are you going to stand on these benches all night?"
"Go to hell!" Jordan was somewhat embarrassed and angry at Lin Tian, so he picked up the big bucket of ice in his hand and splashed it at Lin Tian!
Almost at the same time, Pippen, who had an unparalleled understanding with Jordan on the court before this season but had almost no communication with him off the court, also reacted and threw the ice bucket at Lin Tian!
However, neither of them noticed that Lin Tian was holding a huge trash can lid in his hand! A huge, prototype trash can lid that was at least 1 square meter in size.
Then, Lin Tian's brand-new ability, "Human Cannon," was officially activated!
Lin Tian used his world-class serving technique to hit ice with a trash can lid.
Waist and stance in perfect harmony!
The whole body is a single unit!
Roddick and Mayweather are channeling their spirits at this moment!
Lin Tian's strike was incredibly precise and powerful!
"Crackling! Crackle!"
With just one tap, countless ice blocks that had been flying in from both directions were sent flying back the way they came!
"FUXX!"
Jordan and Pippen only had time to utter a single curse word before they were blasted by a hail of ice shards. Pippen lost his footing and fell off the bench, landing hard on his backside.
Although this time, the two weren't completely covered in ice, and the ice fragments didn't seep into their underwear, they weren't in much better shape. Their disheveled appearance scared the entire Bulls' locker room into almost an instant!
Except for Rodman, who was still chuckling and taking photos, everyone else rushed into the shower room to take a shower!
They dared not watch this scene any longer; who knew if Jordan and Pippen would vent their anger on them, these innocent people?
"Damn it! I'm never playing this stuff again! Lin, you're a monster!" Jordan cursed, then jumped off his chair, a rare sight of him smiling, and gave Lin a high-five, saying, "Anyway, congratulations on hitting the game-winner! That was a great shot!"
"Your goal bought us at least three more days of rest! Now, let's see who our opponent is in the second round!"
Jordan's goodwill towards Lin Tian ended there, because the media reports came out before the second-round opponent!
Jordan was so scared he peed his pants!
That one sentence made Jordan so angry he almost peed his pants!
Do you think I'd be scared to death? Do you think I'd be afraid? Do you think I'd be so scared of the people of Detroit that I wouldn't know what to do?
If Jordan hadn't seen the newspaper the next morning, he would have smashed down Lin Tian's hotel room door at four in the morning, dragged him away, and made Lin Tian explain what it meant to be "fucked to death"!
Jordan only found out about this while idly reading the newspaper on the plane, so the hotel room door escaped unscathed, but Lin Tian couldn't escape it.
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 100 experience points!"
Huh? Why am I suddenly losing experience points?
Lin Tian looked up curiously and saw Jordan staring at him angrily, saying fiercely, "Lin, you've been practicing your shooting extra these past few days, haven't you?"
"Yes, depending on the situation, I will do an extra 300-500 repetitions every day!" Lin Tian answered truthfully.
"Too little! You haven't practiced enough! FUXX! If it weren't for your 22% three-point shooting percentage in this series, how could we have played so hard? How could I have scored 54 points and still had to play until the last second to decide the winner?"
"Our next opponent won't let us get through so easily! You need to get your touch back quickly, you need to regain your rhythm!" Jordan looked at Lin Tian and said smugly, "1000 shots a day is a good choice! Let's start today!"
"When we get back to Chicago, you and I will go to the training facility together. I'll work with you on an intense shooting drill! You can only go home after you make 1000! You have to do this every day until the second round of the competition begins! Understand?"
"No problem, but I think Scott should come with us." Lin Tian wasn't intimidated by the number or Jordan's attitude at all. Instead, he shrugged casually and said, "Scott only had a 29% three-point shooting percentage this round! I should be with him!"
"Scott Pippen's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 60 experience points!"
"What's it to me!" Pippen immediately turned around and glared at Lin Tian, saying, "I need to spend time with my family!"
"But I need more help! You guys can't always rely on me! My passing and shooting can carry the team, but I also need your support. Your shooting, Michael's cuts, you all need to practice!"
Lin Tian looked at Pippen and Jordan, clearly continuing his provocation!
With just a few words, he gained nearly two hundred experience points. Given Lin Tian's personality—he'd squeeze out even the smallest bit of urine from a toad before letting it go—how could he possibly let these two go so easily?
"You need help?" Jordan laughed in exasperation. "Great, I'll be your good helper!"
"So you mean I'm holding you back?" Pippen retorted. "Who let Dumars score 25 points again? Your defense needs work! I'll join your training! I'll be responsible for one-on-one with you to improve your defensive skills!"
"Michael Jordan's emotions fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 20 experience points."
"Scott Pippen's emotions fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 10 experience points."
After receiving the second notification from the system, Lin Tian immediately lost interest in continuing his verbal sparring with the two guys.
If it's shrunk by six or seven times in an instant, who would have the mood to argue with them?
So Lin Tian waved his hand impatiently and said, "Let's meet at the training ground."
Lin Tian's reaction made Jordan and Pippen want to tear him apart and eat him on the spot, and also made the rest of the Bulls team swallow hard.
This kid... is he really not afraid of death?
You may not be afraid, but we are!
So, in less than 30 seconds, everyone on the Bulls' chartered plane fell asleep and began to snore softly. They all cleverly drifted off to sleep together!
Jordan and Pippen had already prepared all the means to teach Lin Tian a lesson for his arrogance. The two of them once again showed an unusual tacit understanding, actually sitting down together and starting to whisper to each other, discussing something.
In response, Lin Tian could only reiterate: "For a pair of 'partners' who never speak to each other in private to end up like this, I must be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize!"
In the following days, the Bulls, who swept the Pistons and became the first team to advance to the second round, gained very valuable rest time. Normally, they could comfortably watch their potential opponents fight tooth and nail, while they waited at home for their opponents to come and challenge them.
However, when the team's leader, Jordan, took the initiative to practice extra, he became Lin Tian's target on the training ground, helping him practice high-intensity shooting and competitive shooting.
When the team's second-in-command, Pippen, began to personally teach Lin Tian how to defend and practice one-on-one offensive and defensive skills and details, the rest of the team dared not slack off. They could only obediently come to the training ground and train with the three of them.
Although the intensity is far less than that of these three people, it's still not as comfortable as lying at home!
Oh, right, there was one person who didn't come for extra practice; instead, they were comfortably lying at home.
Dennis Rodman.
It's already incredible that this guy hasn't missed a single training session this season. Why would he need to do extra training?
Back then, Madonna just wanted Rodman to practice a few more times each night, but Rodman simply packed his bags and ran away.
If Madonna couldn't do it, how could Jackson possibly do it? And how could Jordan, Pippen, and Lin Tian possibly do it?
While the entire Bulls team is training relentlessly on their own initiative, their hard work and unwavering dedication have once again made headlines in the media!
"74 Wins + First-Round Sweep of the Bulls and Still Not Letting It Go! Just How Terrifying Are These Champions Who Are Spontaneously Practicing Extra Less"
Stay thirsty! The insane Bulls are ready to crush any opponent in their path!
How to stay great? Just look at the Chicago Bulls!
When the Bulls work this hard, who can stop them?
Talent plus hard work is always the key to victory! The Bulls have everything under control!
While the media were vying to report on the "perfect" atmosphere within the Bulls, the other seven matchups in the first round of the playoffs were gradually revealing their winners!
西部方面，超音速3：1干掉国王，湖人3：1干掉太阳，马刺3：0横扫开拓者。
Meanwhile, the defending champion Rockets suffered a minor upset, being eliminated by the Jazz 3-1!
Of course, at this time, no one could have imagined that with the Suns and Rockets' first-round exits and the expiration of a former MVP's contract, a Big Three combination that would shock everyone would be officially formed during the offseason!
Meanwhile, in the East, the Magic easily swept the Heat 3-0. Shaquille O'Neal delivered a crazy performance of 33 points and 15 rebounds, completely dominating Alonzo Mourning and proving once again why he is one of the top four centers, while Mourning is not!
The Pacers showed no mercy to the Hawks, defeating them 3-1 and sending them packing!
As for the last matchup, which is the Bulls' next potential opponent: the Knicks and the Cavaliers, it also turned into a one-sided game!
Thanks to outstanding performances from Ewing, Starks, and others, the Knicks cruised to victory in three consecutive games, winning by a total of 59 points over the Cavaliers. This demonstrated their terrifying dominance and allowed them to easily advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals!
The Knicks are ready to face their old rivals Jordan and the Bulls!
They are ready to truly defeat the Bulls this time! The united New York gangsters have sharpened their weapons and are just waiting for the battle to begin!
After all, although they had defeated the Bulls once in the 94 playoffs, everyone knows that the Bulls that year didn't have Jordan! Nobody in the league believes the Knicks ever truly beat the Bulls!
Chicagoans also have no goodwill towards this opponent who eliminated them two years ago when Jordan was not around!
Similarly, they didn't take this gang seriously!
Just a lousy team that won unfairly while Jordan was away!
Chicagoans don't even see this series as revenge; the Knicks are just a second-rate team that gets easily dominated by the fully-formed Bulls!
Yes, a second-rate team! They can be easily manipulated!
If we were to say who the Bulls' biggest nemesis was during their three-peat from 91 to 93, and who they beat the hardest, then without a doubt, that team was the Knicks!
After all, only the Knicks have lost to the Bulls three times in a row for three consecutive years!
91年首轮、92年东部半决赛和93年的东部决赛，绝对是纽约人在90年代初心头最痛的3根银针！
Three consecutive defeats had made the Knicks hate Jordan and his Bulls.
Although the Knicks successfully avenged their loss to the Bulls in the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals, everyone knows that the Bulls that year didn't have Jordan!
Is it really a victory to beat a Bulls team without Jordan?
The entire league knows this is called bullying a depleted opponent!
That would be an unfair victory!
Therefore, both sides were determined to prove themselves and settle the score this time!
On one hand, they want to get revenge and defeat the Bull in a fair fight; on the other hand, they are waiting for their leader to return so they can vent their anger!
This marks the fifth playoff meeting between the two teams in six years! In their previous four encounters, the Bulls held a commanding 3-1 advantage!
However, this year's Knicks are noticeably different!
They experienced a major internal conflict midway through the season. Team star Patrick Ewing, dissatisfied with head coach Don Nelson's desire to trade him, staged a "coup" and ousted Nelson from New York after only half a season in charge.
Then, after discussion, the New York team's management decided to appoint Jason Van Gundy, Pat Riley's protégé, as the team's coach. This meant that the team would return to the tough and aggressive defensive style that Riley had cultivated during his coaching era!
The Knicks' record was naturally affected by the mid-season coaching change and internal strife, which is a major reason why they only finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and also why they were able to easily sweep the Cavaliers!
They shouldn't be fourth in the East at all; their true strength should be second or third in the East!
After all, the New York team, having returned to their familiar style, entered the game immediately with almost no adjustment period. Their record from Van Gundy's appointment until the end of the regular season was second in the league, only behind the Bulls!
This team, which has rediscovered its fighting spirit, has a very simple goal this time: to defeat the Bulls and win the championship!
When the united Knicks arrived at the United Center in Chicago, what awaited them first was not a life-or-death battle.
It was an awards ceremony!
Before the start of the second round of the competition, the league announced a number of awards for the regular season.
First and foremost, there's Coach of the Year. With his incredible achievement of breaking the league's all-time winning percentage record, Jackson is the undisputed Coach of the Year for this season!
Unfortunately, Krause didn't make many moves this summer. So, although he selected Lin Tian, providing the team with an important backup, the Best Manager award ultimately went to Pat Riley, the "mastermind" who led the Heat to the playoffs through a few trades and poaching.
Almost immediately after that, the Rookie of the Year award was announced!
Unfortunately, even though Lin Tian dominated Stackhouse and Stoudemire in the last two games of the season, the judges still didn't give him many votes.
After all, this award is known for not valuing team performance and only looking at individual statistics, so the Bulls' 74 wins didn't add much to his score.
再加上虽然林天本赛季能拿下15.2分4.7助攻和1.6抢断，但他这个看起来还不错的数据在面对赛季场均19.6分9.3助攻的达蒙·斯塔达迈尔和场均20.1分的杰里·斯塔克豪斯时，还是有点不够看！
Ultimately, Lin Tian only ranked 4th in the Rookie of the Year rankings, behind Stoudemire, Stackhouse, and number one draft pick Joe Smith!
The announcement of this award immediately sparked a heated discussion among fans.
So, while data is important, can we really only look at the data? Are results, one's role in the team, and the actual contributions to victory really unimportant?
Some people even brought up the topic of racial discrimination, asking whether Lin Tian would have been able to win the award if he were a Black or White person instead of an Asian.
Many Chicagoans said: It's not that Lin Tian was a pity for not winning Rookie of the Year, but that the Rookie of the Year award is not worthy of him!
Our Lin is going to win the championship this year!
Fortunately, although he didn't win Rookie of the Year, Lin Tian was unanimously selected for the All-Rookie Team!
Lin Tian, Stoudemire, Stackhouse, Smith, and Rasheed Wallace were selected to the All-Rookie First Team!
Garnett, Sabonis, and others were selected for the All-Star Rookie Second Team!
Next, the league announced the All-Defensive Team and the Defensive Player of the Year award!
The Defensive Player of the Year award once again went to a guard. Payton, with his ability to shut down 99% of opposing point guards, beat out players like Pippen, Mutombo, and David Robinson to become this year's Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to the All-Defensive First Team!
It's worth mentioning that, apart from Payton and David Robinson, the other three players on the All-Defensive First Team all came from the Bulls!
Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman were all selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the first time since the NBA established the All-Defensive First Team!
The strength of the Bulls' overall defense is evident!
Although Lin Tian did not make the All-Defensive Team, he still received several votes for the All-Defensive Team. This was clearly due to his average of more than one steal per game during the season and his perfect performance in the last two games of the season, which completely shut down Stoudemire and Stackhouse.
Then, another award, presented the day before the start of the second round of the playoffs, and the one Lin Tian will receive at tonight's awards ceremony, is the Sixth Man of the Year!
In this award competition that recognizes the best bench player in the league, team record is much more important than statistics! Flashy stats are no longer the most important benchmark, unlike Rookie of the Year.
Contributions and assistance to the team were what the judges valued most.
Lin Tian has played a total of 72 games this season, 69 of which were as a substitute. He has averaged 15.2 points, 4.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game, ranking among the top substitute players in the entire league in all these statistics!
The player who won the Sixth Man of the Year award that year was actually an old acquaintance of Lin Tian.
Tony Kukoc!
However, due to Lin Tian's addition and Jackson's adjustments to the roster, Kukoc only played less than 40 games as a substitute this year, which does not meet the criteria for the best sixth man award.
Lin Tian's biggest competitor is gone just like that!
The rest, whether it's fellow rookies Sabonis or Jason Williams, cannot compare to Lin Tian in terms of team record, individual highlights, and contributions to the team. Therefore, Lin Tian won the Sixth Man of the Year award with an overwhelming 69% of the vote without any controversy!
At the same time, Lin Tian became the first player in history to win the Sixth Man of the Year award in his rookie year! That's a record, albeit a small one!
At the United Center, before the start of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, more than 18000 fans erupted in deafening cheers and shouts for Lin Tian! They gave all their passion to this likable young man, Lin Tian.
Lin Tian showed no politeness whatsoever. When he accepted the trophy and microphone, his speech was as arrogant and domineering as ever!
"This award is nothing; we have so much more to accomplish this year! Like winning the overall championship!"
"Huh? The champions?" The Knicks players, who had been standing idly by, waiting for the awards ceremony to end, immediately perked up. "New York's King of Violence," Mason Jr., squinted at Lin Tian and said, "This kid's pretty arrogant!"
What he didn't know was that Lin Tian's arrogance had only just begun!
"Oh, I almost forgot," Lin Tian continued with a smile, "There are still guests here, it seems a bit impolite to talk about the championship now! Let's use another way to say it!"
"Tonight, let's give him a resounding victory as a gift for winning the Sixth Man of the Year award!"
"Fuck!" Another thug from New York, former Bulls player Oakley, blurted out, "I was thinking that because they were old teammates, it wouldn't be good for him to mess with Jordan and Pippen! If this kid walks off the court unscathed today, I'm not Oakley!"
"Who does he think he is? How dare he look down on us like that?" Starks, the diminutive guard who also came from the Sixth Mans, retorted with equal arrogance, "I'll show him what real Sixth Man firepower is all about!"
Following that, Charles Smith, Derek Hubble, and others also made threatening remarks, all saying that they would teach Lin Tian a lesson and let him know why the flowers are so red!
The only Knicks player who didn't threaten Lin Tian was their current leader, Patrick Ewing, known as one of the four great centers.
This guy, who once lost to Lin Tian for over $100,000 in one night at the All-Star Game, now had a fierce look on his face. Clearly, he wasn't going to let Lin Tian off easy either!
This is the style and spirit of the current New York team!
Their nickname, "The New York Gang," isn't because they're black! It's because they're all thugs, each one more vicious than the last!
They are absolutely the most vicious and ruthless gang in the entire Eastern Conference since the Pistons' "Bad Boys"!
"Bad Guy" Charles Oakley, "New York's Number One Flagrant Foul King" Anthony Mason Jr., "Madman" John Starks...
Just by hearing these nicknames, you can understand why the Knicks are called the New York mob.
As the saying goes, a person's name may be wrong, but their nickname will never be wrong!
With a group of fierce and crazy villains, plus Riley's protégé, Jeff Van Gundy, who is also known for his toughness, ruthlessness, and stubbornness, you can imagine the style of play of this Knicks team!
Of course, they are different from the Pistons of that time. Although this Knicks team lost to the Bulls many times in a row, players such as Oakley, Ewing, and Starks had a very good relationship with Jordan, and the group would often go out together.
So in the game, although they would be very fierce, they rarely really went all out against Jordan!
But now, the entire Knicks team is a bit unhappy!
They decided to give Lin Tian a good beating! To let him know why they were part of the New York mob!
We also want Lin Tian to know that some things can't be said just because you're happy!
There will be a price to pay!
After the brief awards ceremony, Lin Tian casually tossed the Best Sixth Man trophy to an assistant coach to keep it. Jordan, sitting in a chair doing his final stretches, looked at Lin Tian and said, "What you said just now will offend the New Yorkers! Don't you know their nicknames?"
"What nickname? New York garbage dump or New York maggots?" Lin Tian said dismissively, "Can they be more terrifying than those scumbags on the Jazz? I'm not afraid of them at all, wait..."
"Michael, you're not afraid of them, are you? That's why you're so close to Ewing! You're afraid they'll foul you maliciously! So you're deliberately trying to get on their good side so you won't have to worry about getting beaten up when you play the Knicks, right?"
"I'm afraid of them?" Jordan's eyes widened immediately, and he nodded vigorously. "You're saying I'm afraid of them?"
"Otherwise what? Then why did you remind me? Or are you just being kind because you're worried I'll get hurt?"
"I don't care if you get hurt. I'm not afraid of anyone!" Jordan stood up from the bench and walked towards the court, saying, "You sit on the bench and open your eyes wide! Let's see who's afraid of whom!"
"Let's see who gets beaten to tears!"
Watching Jordan's fierce retreating figure, Lin Tian relaxed and sat down in the seat he had just been sitting in, saying to Clemens beside him, "Looks like I won't be breaking a sweat tonight, Michael will handle everything!"
"Lin, I also want to give you some advice," Clemens, who had always had a good relationship with Lin Tian, couldn't help but say, "The way you're acting, you're likely to get beaten up!"
"I know, that's why I'm so good at fighting," Lin Tian said with a smile. "I can make anyone who wants to beat me up lie on the ground before I do."
While Lin Tian and Clemens were still chatting, the ten starting players from both sides were already in place on the field!
"Michael, you can't protect that rookie today!" Starks stood beside Jordan and said menacingly, "We'll make him pay for his boasting!"
"Whatever! I'm not sticking up for him! You can kill him all you want!" Jordan slapped Starks' hand off his arm and said impatiently, "But before that, I'll kill you all first! FUXX! You think I'm scared? Ridiculous!"
Starks looked at Jordan with some surprise.
He'd seen that expression before!
That was the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks had taken a 2-0 lead in the series and were taunting Jordan relentlessly, saying he could never win a three-peat.
In the third game, the Knicks lost, but Starks contained Jordan, forcing him to have the worst playoff game of his career: 3-for-18 shooting, barely managing 22 points from free throws.
Then, Starks made the worst decision of his life: he spent the whole day trash-talking Jordan, saying that Jordan was no good, that he would crush Jordan, and even calling himself the Jordan terminator.
Then?
That was the end of it.
In Game 4 of the series, Jordan exploded for 54 points, practically dominating Starks the entire game!
Meanwhile, Starks, who was defending against them, only scored 8 points!
In Game 2 of the series, Jordan racked up a super triple-double of 39 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, and delivered a game-winning block in the final two minutes to completely extinguish the Knicks' hopes of winning. At the same time, he continued to lock down Starks, limiting him to only 8 points!
Then, back to Game 6 in Chicago, the Bulls continued their dominance, overwhelming the Knicks throughout the game and giving them no chance. They were never behind for even a second!
And so, after the New Yorkers unleashed a torrent of trash talk at Jordan, the Bulls and Jordan won four straight games, causing the Knicks to lose their perfect 2-0 lead and fall to the Bulls for the third time in a row.
It was from this moment that Jordan officially became the nightmare of New Yorkers.
No matter how arrogant and domineering the New Yorkers and Knicks are, they all know not to provoke Jordan, or he'll teach them a lesson!
Just now, Starks felt he hadn't said anything wrong, but he sensed a familiar killing intent emanating from Jordan, a very clear feeling that struck Starks' heart.
Michael Jordan is going to dominate tonight and completely destroy him!
Starks has never believed in things like a sixth sense or instinct.
But at this moment, he was absolutely certain!
I'm sure Jordan will destroy me tonight!
"Patrick! Derrick! You two, remember to help me defend! I'll block Michael's shots and let him go inside!" Starks swallowed hard and said the sentence he regretted most in the game.
"Oh? You're trying to shut down my shooting?"
(End of this chapter)