bdsm-fiction Chapter 225 Tigers and Lions!
Chapter 225 Tigers and Lions!
Chapter 225 Tigers and Lions! A Round-Based Seven-Game Match!
At the start of the fourth quarter, Jackson and Bird, who had been quite bold in their player rotations in the first three quarters, quietly put aside their rotations. Jackson directly fielded the Bulls' strongest five-man combination: Jordan, Pippen, Kukoc, Kerr, and Rodman.
Bird did the same. Except for Lin Tian, who looked too tired and could be exhausted at any moment, so Bird didn't let him play, Barkley, Miller, Ben Wallace, Christie and Dumars all went onto the court!
This lineup can be said to be the Pacers' strongest lineup after replacing Dumars with Lin Tian. Bird was a bit too bold while being conservative.
"You're dead meat." Jordan, seeing that Lin Tian wasn't on the Pacers' roster, looked at Miller and said, "Without Lin, you're just a bunch of useless maggots!"
"We'll see!" Miller chewed his gum, looking relaxed, but heaven knows how nervous he was inside!
Yes, Miller, known as the league's number one cold-blooded killer, is also very nervous right now!
But at the same time, Miller was mostly excited! Extremely excited!
This is Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals!
This could very well be the only chance he ever has to beat Jordan!
In the first three quarters, Lin Tian had already given it his all!
Now it's his turn, Barkley's turn, and the rest of the Pacers to carry the game!
On the first offensive possession of the fourth quarter, Jordan faced Christie in the low post and started with his signature back-to-the-basket move.
But before Jordan could even start dribbling, Miller had already sprinted over from the other side to double-team him! Double-team Jordan again!
This was also one of the most important tactics that Bird devised during the break!
This time, Jordan didn't pass the ball. Instead, after observing Miller's route, he quickly turned in the opposite direction and then launched a fast, easy fadeaway jump shot!
"Whoosh!"
"Jordan's on fire! Jordan, who's only scored 13 points so far tonight,''s on fire!" Marcus roared excitedly. "Only when Jordan starts attacking does this game truly reach its most exciting part!"
"If the first quarter was a period of probing between the two teams, then the Bulls took the lead in the second quarter, and Lin Tian responded in the third! The first three quarters were like a turn-based game, one player at a time, one quarter at a time! Now that we're in the fourth quarter, will we see Jordan's crazy comeback?"
Smith continued, "That's right! When Lin exploded for 17 points in the third quarter, Jordan only took 5 shots and scored 5 points. Now, in the fourth quarter, I think it's time for Jordan, who has been conserving his energy, to take advantage of Lin's absence and dominate the court, showcasing his abilities!" Smith's words had barely finished...
Jordan had already burst out from behind Barkley, who had just received the ball, and stole the basketball from his hands, then dribbled the ball up the court.
Facing Miller's defense, Jordan accelerated and broke through again, then suddenly stopped, pulled up and made a mid-range fadeaway jump shot!
"Whoosh!"
In the blink of an eye, the score difference between the two sides was reduced to only 2 points!
On the other hand, the Pacers executed a brilliant play, with Miller and Barkley exchanging passes in the high and low post, after which Miller got a huge open shot thanks to a screen.
Without a second thought, Miller launched a three-pointer!
"Bang!"
Unfortunately, Miller missed another three-pointer, and the Pacers' three-point shooting record remains at 0-for-10 tonight!
After Miller missed that shot, Lin Tian stood up from the bench: "Coach, don't wait any longer, it's my turn!"
"Lin, go! We're all counting on you!" Bird patted Lin Tian's butt, nodded, and at the same time requested a substitution from the technical staff.
Next, we just have to wait for a dead ball opportunity.
Lin Tian walked towards the sideline and just brushed past Jordan, who was dribbling the ball forward. Neither of them looked at each other. Jordan only had the basket in his eyes at that moment, while Lin Tian was only thinking about getting on the court and didn't care about anything else.
"Whoosh!"
Lin Tian didn't look at how Jordan got the score; he only saw that the score on the scoreboard had become 55:55!
Both sides are now on equal footing again.
Then, Dumas walked to the sideline, gave Lin Tian a high-five and a hug, and said, "Go Lin, we're all counting on you!"
Lin Tian patted Dumars' head and then walked straight to the court.
"No need to rush, guys, let's take it one point at a time! It's just a tie, we'll pull away from them again!"
"Yes!" The Pacers roared along with Lin Tian, and the dejection they had just experienced from Jordan's six consecutive points vanished in the blink of an eye.
With Lin Tian on the court, the Pacers' soul and pillar returned!
After arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian stretched out his hand and, as usual, called for an isolation tactic.
Now that he's back, Lin Tian must take the first shot himself and score it again to regain the lead!
Jordan, standing in front of him, lowered his center of gravity, his lips pressed tightly together, and stared intently at Lin Tian, making no unnecessary movements or saying any trash talk.
The decisive moment has arrived ahead of schedule!
He dribbled between his legs repeatedly, his upper body swaying constantly, and his feet moving in small, inconsistent motions, trying to find a weakness in Jordan's defense.
"Jordan's defense was perfect!" Marcus's speech quickened involuntarily. Even with a full 11 minutes left in the game, he had a feeling this was the decisive round. "His center of gravity was incredibly stable; Lin's feints didn't fool him at all!"
"If there's any weakness, it's that Jordan was standing too far away; he didn't defend Lin's shot!" Smith's voice also became noticeably louder, and like Marcus, he felt that the most crucial moment of the game had arrived.
"But Lin didn't make a single three-pointer tonight! No, the entire Pacers team didn't make a single three-pointer tonight! From this perspective, Jordan's positioning doesn't seem to be a problem!"
No sooner had Smith finished speaking than Lin Tian suddenly pulled it up!
Half a meter beyond the three-point line, Jordan was more than a meter away from Lin Tian!
If you dare to release me, I dare to surrender!
老子才不在乎今晚我自己的3分球到底是10中0还是10中10呢！
"Whoosh!"
The moment the basketball finally swished through the hoop, the entire Pacers bench jumped up! Even veterans like Bird and Thomas leaped from their seats in excitement, cheering loudly!
And fans throughout Indiana, and around the world who support the Pacers and watch the game, cheered wildly the moment the basketball went through the hoop!
This play was more than just a three-pointer, and it wasn't simply about the Pacers regaining the lead and taking the initiative.
This shot marked the Pacers, who had been struggling with their shooting touch all game, finally scoring from beyond the three-point line! This was a shot that helped the Pacers regain their confidence!
Many people were even more excited when they saw this shot go in than when they saw a game-winning shot! This was truly the ultimate release after being suppressed for more than three quarters!
This time, even Lin Tian excitedly raised his arms and shouted!
He knew that his shooting touch, which had disappeared for three whole quarters, was back! He couldn't explain why his touch had returned at this moment, nor could he explain why he hadn't been able to make any shots in the first three quarters, but no matter what, his touch was back!
"Keep going! Keep letting me shoot!" Lin Tian roared excitedly at Jordan. The three-pointer was crucial and simple for the Pacers.
This is just like the US president pressing the button to launch a nuclear weapon. The Pacers' lifeblood, their range advantage and deterrent power, has returned!
Although it's just one ball, it's Lin Tian! Whether it's Jordan, Harper, or Pippen, who would dare let Lin Tian shoot again?
On the basketball court, some things are inexplicable and completely unscientific, seemingly just pure luck.
For example, after Lin Tian hit that three-pointer, although Jordan chose to face up and drive to the basket, and scored another layup to get his 8th point in the fourth quarter, Lin Tian responded with a drive in return, and then, after attracting a double team, found Miller outside the three-point line.
At this moment, Hubble was not out of position at all. He still had his arm outstretched in front of Miller, and his fingers almost brushed against Miller's three-point shot!
Even though the defense was so effective, the basketball still flew straight toward the basket without hesitation.
then……
"Whoosh!"
This time, Bird, who was already crouching on the floor in tension, excitedly slammed his fist directly onto the floor!
"Fuck! We should have played like this a long time ago! Kill these sons of bitches!" In his excitement, Bird swore without any manners, just like he did 10 years ago when he was playing basketball!
Moreover, Bird had a feeling that those two three-pointers would directly determine the Pacers' victory tonight!
After the Pacers hit two consecutive three-pointers, Jackson wanted to call a timeout, but Jordan had already asked his teammates to inbound the ball from the baseline and then started advancing the ball himself!
Jackson, who had already stood up, reluctantly gave up the idea of a timeout, deciding to wait until Jordan finished this possession before making any decisions.
After driving all the way to the frontcourt, Jordan saw that there was no opportunity to attack, so he slowed down the pace and passed the ball to Pippen. Pippen faked a shot and drove into the paint, then passed the ball to Kukoc. Kukoc received the ball and originally wanted to shoot immediately.
But when he saw Ben Wallace, who looked like a vicious killer, he chickened out! He took the ball back and passed it to Cole again! But Cole didn't get any space at all. Miller was sticking to him tightly, and the almost 15-centimeter height difference between the two made it impossible for Cole to find any space to shoot.
Kerr was thoroughly harassed by Miller. Forget about shooting and driving to the basket, he didn't even make a mistake, which is a testament to his excellent fundamentals!
He could only retreat again to create distance and try to find a teammate to receive the ball, but Miller's defense was too fierce. His suddenly extended arm almost intercepted the ball. Helpless, Cole could only hold the ball with both hands and swing his elbows. He barely managed to dodge Miller's entanglement before passing the ball out.
But this delay meant another 3-4 seconds were gone. By the time Pippen received the ball, there were less than 4 seconds left on the shot clock. From any perspective, Pippen should have taken the shot himself.
But he hesitated!
Pippen's poor shooting performance tonight prevented him from taking direct shots.
Instead, he feinted and wasted his first opportunity before dribbling towards the paint.
However, the result of this breakthrough was that he ran headfirst into the Pacers' trap and was surrounded by three Pacers players!
Not far away, Jordan was yelling and frantically reaching for the ball. Pippen is indeed the best and top-tier superstar and a first-class playmaker in the league. Even when facing a triple-team from Lin Tian, Christie, and Barkley, he was still able to use his height to jump up and pass the ball to Jordan.
But it didn't work.
"Buzz!"
The 24-second shot clock went off before the ball even reached Jordan's hands.
The Bulls were forced to commit a 24-second violation by the Pacers!
"FUXX!" Barkley clenched his fists in excitement and roared to the sky. Christie and Lin Tian next to him were also very excited and gave each other a big high five.
At this stage of the competition, every round is a decisive battle!
"Shoot it! Throw that damn basketball at the rim! FUXX!" Jordan spread his hands and yelled at his teammates. He was extremely disappointed with the Bulls' performance in that last play!
We are the King of Bulls! We were the undisputed rulers of the entire 90s!
But these bastards were so scared that they didn't even dare to shoot a basket?
"Stop yelling, Michael, it's useless." Lin Tian dribbled the ball up the court again, looking at Jordan and saying, "You may be a tiger, but we are a pride of lions! A complete pride of lions!"
"Even in a one-on-one fight, you might not be able to beat me, the Lion King. Besides, we have 15 ferocious lions. What makes you think you can fight us?"
"Then let's give it a try!" Jordan was now completely bloodthirsty!
Jordan was driven almost to madness by his teammates' cowardice in the previous round.
Since you guys are so useless, then I'll do it myself!
The Pacers' offense this time got to Barkley, who quickly turned and laid the ball in, but missed. However, Ben Wallace quickly jumped up and put the rebound in from the other side!
But the basketball still didn't go in; instead, it bounced off the other side of the rim once again.
Barkley leaped up once again, grabbing another offensive rebound with overwhelming force.
"Get the hell out of here!" With a beast-like roar, Barkley leaped up from the ground and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands!
"Come on! Come on, all of you, try to stop Charles from scoring again!" Barkley raised his arms and launched a series of fierce taunts at the entire Bulls' interior defense.
Both Rodman and Longley chose to remain silent after losing two offensive rebounds in a row, rather than arguing with Barkley.
The entire Bulls' momentum was completely suppressed!
"Get lost! You damn fat pig!" At a time like this, it was Jordan who stepped forward!
He elbowed Barkley in the chest, sending him staggering back several steps, then Jordan glared at him and said, "You're in my way!"
"I got a technical foul, I got a technical foul, I got a technical foul." Barkley quickly chanted his special calming mantra, suppressing the urge to punch Jordan in the face, and quickly turned around and ran back to his own half of the court.
Jordan tried to boost his teammates' morale by actively seeking a technical foul, but the referee once again chose to ignore it!
The current situation in the game is terrible for the Bulls. If they give the Pacers another free throw and possession at this point, it will not only be the death sentence for the Bulls, but it will also be the last straw that breaks the camel's back.
57: 63!
The Pacers are leading by 6 points with 7 and a half minutes left in the game!
After Jordan arrived at the frontcourt, he immediately called for an isolation play, instructing everyone to spread out for him. Then, facing Christie, Jordan completely abandoned any theories about teammates or how stats were just a bonus.
None of you dare to vote, right?
Then don't vote!
Jordan suddenly accelerated, blowing past Christie in one step, and then forcefully pulled up for a shot from mid-range.
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp click, Jordan scored his 10th point in the fourth quarter! He was the sole scorer for the Bulls in the fourth quarter tonight, and his shooting percentage was an astonishing 5 for 5!
When it came to the Pacers' offense, the Bulls dared not give them any more space beyond the three-point line because of Lin Tian and Miller's consecutive three-pointers. Who could guarantee that these two top shooters in the league wouldn't go on a scoring spree and sink a whole bunch of shots?
Although Jordan closely guarded Lin Tian, Hubble did his best to keep Miller under control, and Pippen was also in a semi-retreat position, ready to rush into the paint to help defend or help his teammates grab rebounds at any time.
But Christie was overlooked!
Christie, whose three-point shooting percentage was 10% in the first five games of this series and less than 20% in the sixth game, was overlooked!
Without hesitation, Lin Tian made a long diagonal pass to Christie on the wing, which was his favorite three-point shooting area.
"Throw it, Doug! We believe in you!" Lin Tian roared as he passed the ball.
"Even if you don't make it, I'll still grab the rebound for you! Throw it with confidence!" Barkley immediately turned around under the basket, not intending to ask for the ball for a one-on-one shot at all, but looking at the basket, ready to box out and grab the rebound.
With his teammates' trust, Christie no longer hesitated. With Pippen a full two meters away and looking like he wasn't going to come up at all but wanted to grab the rebound inside, Christie took a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
Two seconds later, a sound that could make the entire Joint Center cry out in anguish rang out!
The Pacers hit their third three-pointer in the fourth quarter and the entire game!
Their three-pointers went in a row!
59: 66!
Even though Jordan kept scoring, the gap between the two sides kept widening!
At this point, even the most composed Jackson had no choice but to call a timeout.
He had to make some arrangements and give his team a good breather.
"Well done! You damn bastard, well done!" Bird excitedly rubbed Christie's head with both hands as soon as he saw Christie return to the bench. Christie hit a three-pointer, and at such a crucial moment. It has to be said that this shot successfully lifted the stone that had been pressing on Bird's head.
"I knew you could do it, I knew you had guts!" Barkley excitedly patted Christie on the shoulder.
Miller grabbed Christie's shoulder and said, "You have to go to the victory party tonight! Forget about that damn wife, she can all step aside. You're our hero tonight!"
"Doug, feel free to shoot anytime, anywhere, I'll grab the rebound for you!" Ben Wallace was also a bit silly, grinning at Christie.
"Hey Doug? Why are your eyes red? Did they hurt you too much?" Lin Tian suddenly noticed that Christie was not only not speaking, but her eyes were also red and her lips were trembling slightly.
"You bunch of bastards! You all deserve to die! You all deserve to go to hell!" Christie's voice was clearly choked with sobs.
After saying that, he plopped down on the bench, covered his face with a towel, and judging from his trembling body, he actually burst into tears!
Yes! In the past six games, the person under the most pressure on the team was not leader Lin Tian, nor Barkley and Miller who were determined to win the championship, but Christie.
His performance was so bad! So bad that if the Pacers lose this series, he will be the number one culprit and may even receive death threats from those irrational, fanatical fans.
This three-pointer, while not exactly a redemption, at least gave him a much-needed breather.
"Alright, idiot." Lin Tian gestured for the others to move away from Christie, then sat down next to her and said, "No matter how many shots you make, the guys trust you! We're a team!"
The atmosphere on the Bulls' side was far less warm than on the Pacers' side. Jordan even snatched the clipboard from Jackson and threw it aside, looking at his teammates and saying, "You're afraid to shoot? No problem! You don't want to take responsibility? No problem either!"
"You're afraid of losing, afraid of missing shots, afraid of being ridiculed, afraid of being the culprit for losing the game—no problem! None of that is a problem!"
"Next, give me all the balls, I mean all the fucking balls! Give me those damn balls, and then I'll carry you bunch of trash to the finals!"
After saying that, Jordan stomped on the tactical board that was already on the floor, crushed it, and then, ignoring the fact that there were still dozens of seconds left in the timeout, turned around and walked towards the court.
Tonight, Jordan started to resemble the tyrant he was before Lin Tian arrived. All the subtle influences Lin Tian had had on him over the past two years, the things that made him more peaceful and easier to communicate and get along with, all disappeared tonight.
Let's go all out!
The timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court!
At the start of the game, Jordan received the ball on the sideline about two meters from the three-point line. He glanced at Lin Tian, who was a meter away from him, and without thinking, he pulled up and shot!
This is not his shooting range. Throughout his entire career, except for those buzzer-beaters with 1-2 seconds left, he has almost never shot from this position.
But now, he's cast his ballot!
"Whoosh!"
Not only did they shoot, they made it!
Jordan completely entered tyrant mode. Normally, when Jordan enters this mode, no one can be a match for the Bulls!
But tonight's situation is clearly abnormal.
In response to Jordan's three-pointer, Barkley made a strong layup and drew a foul for a three-point play!
Jordan then drove into the paint and scored 2 points, and Lin Tian responded with a mid-range jump shot.
Jordan once again backed down in the low post, scoring 2 points while being double-teamed by Lin Tian and Christie, and also drawing a foul on Christie!
2+1打成之后还不到10秒，克里斯蒂在另一侧的3分线外获得机会，3分球再次命中！
Jordan returned to the low post and scored again, finally stopping the Pacers' offense. But then Jordan himself missed a shot.
For the next two minutes, neither side scored a single point!
Then, when Jordan hit another mid-range jump shot, narrowing the gap to only 3 points, Lin Tian forced a pull-up jumper from beyond the three-point line and made it again!
The point difference between the two sides is now 6 points!
……
The score difference between the two sides has been hovering between 3 and 8 points. The pace of the game is neither fast nor slow, and the scoring efficiency is neither high nor low. Sometimes the score difference is closer, and sometimes it is widened.
But one thing remains constant: no matter how hard Jordan plays, the Pacers can always maintain their lead!
Until the very last minute of the game!
79: 82!
The point difference remains at 3 points!
这一节，乔丹已经16投11中，3分球2投2中，罚球6罚6中，单节轰下了30分！
Meanwhile, the Bulls only scored 30 points in this quarter.
Or to put it another way: Jordan, representing the Bulls, scored 30 points in a row!
Tonight, Jordan once again delivered an unstoppable performance in crucial moments!
In stark contrast to the Bulls, the Pacers scored 27 points in the fourth quarter tonight. Although they lost to the Bulls by 3 points, 5 out of the 6 players who took the court in that quarter scored.
Lin Tian scored 10 points, Miller 3 points, Barkley 5 points, Christie 6 points, and Ben Wallace 3 points.
Just as Lin Tian said, tonight is Jordan, this lone but fierce tiger, facing off against the pride of lions led by Lin Tian!
The tiger is now covered in wounds and blood from the fight, but its eyes are still full of ferocity, showing no intention or thought of giving up the competition!
Jackson's timeout has ended, and the Bulls' five players have returned to the court.
This offensive play by the Bulls was clearly crucial to the game!
If they score, the gap between them and the Pacers will be narrowed to just one point once again!
If they can't score, they will be in an extremely passive position!
The Pacers barely paid any attention to the Bulls' inbound pass, as they quickly took their defensive positions!
At this stage of the game, Bird believed that instead of trying to win the extremely low chance of steals and successful defense, it would be better to stand still and prepare to defend one player to prevent the Bulls from easily scoring.
Lin Tian quickly closed in on Jordan, who had the ball at the top of the arc.
"It's here! Lin vs. Jordan! The most exciting matchup! The most thrilling and anticipated moment has finally arrived! Will this round decide the outcome of the game?" An excited Marcus asked with boundless anticipation, "Who will become the king of this league?"
"Will Jordan continue to defend his dominance, or will Lin succeed in his challenge and dethrone his former teammate and coach?"
Marcus's expectations are exactly what all the fans are hoping for! At the United Center, all the fans spontaneously stood up; they certainly knew how important this round was and what it meant!
"Michael! Michael! Michael! Michael!"
The entire United Center erupted in a frenzy, chanting Jordan's name.
And countless viewers around the world who watched the game felt as if they were there, clenching their fists and preparing to receive the final result.
"The viewership has exceeded 4000 million! 4000 million! A brand new record in NBA history! The first NBA game to be watched by more than 4000 million people has been born!" In the backstage of CBS, an equally exciting message also came out: in the final stages of the game, the peak number of viewers finally exceeded 4000 million!
With 14 seconds left on the shot clock, Jordan finally began his attack!
He dribbled between his legs to find his rhythm, then suddenly turned halfway and used his elbow to push Lin Tian aside to create more offensive space for himself. After a fake move with his upper body, Jordan suddenly accelerated and turned to break through to his right!
Lin Tian positioned himself right in front of Jordan, his attention focused to the extreme. No matter what Jordan did, he kept himself in front of Jordan, giving him no space whatsoever!
The 7-centimeter height disadvantage was perfectly offset by Lin Tian's faster, denser, and more aggressive footwork. Under his defense, no matter how hard Jordan tried, he could never get a comfortable shot opportunity!
As the shot clock dwindled, Jordan grew increasingly impatient. With only 5 seconds left on the clock, Jordan, having no other option, suddenly gathered the ball, raised it, and faked a move.
But Lin Tian remained completely unmoved. He not only stood up straight with his hands raised, but also gave Jordan no space at all. His legs were almost completely intertwined with Jordan's legs, making it impossible for Jordan to exert force and jump!
With no other option, Jordan had to pass the ball to Pippen, who was nearby. Before Pippen could even get a firm grip on the ball, Jordan first elbowed Lin Tian away, then made a quick run back and reached out for the ball.
"Ball! Scott, ball!"
Jordan's obvious offensive foul was ignored by the referee, and he gained about a body length of space from it.
Pippen's pass came very quickly, and the basketball was back in Jordan's hands in the blink of an eye. After receiving the ball, Jordan had no time to make any adjustments. He had no choice but to pull up and shoot!
But as soon as he jumped, he stared in disbelief at the dark figure in front of him.
His shock stemmed from two aspects.
One possibility is that the previous confrontations were too intense. For a full 24 seconds, Jordan's legs were a bit weak from constantly exerting force, looking for opportunities, and dribbling against each other, and his jump was not as full as expected.
The other one was Lin Tian, who should have been pushed away by his elbow, but surprisingly he forced his way forward again and jumped up to meet Jordan!
It blotted out the sky and blocked out the sun!
This word was the first one that flooded Jordan's mind at that moment.
"Snapped!"
A crisp sound rang out as the basketball, which Jordan hadn't yet released, struck the hearts of the 19000 spectators at the United Center!
Incredibly, Lin Tian made an incredibly crucial block on Jordan at the last moment!
Then, before the 24-second shot clock rang, Lin Tian grabbed the basketball even faster and sprinted towards the frontcourt!
If Lin Tian had been a step slower and missed the ball, then according to the rules, this possession would have been a 24-second violation, and the ball would have been inbounded. This would have given the Bulls a chance to set up their defense and launch a proper half-court offense!
But now, it's the Pacers' turn to have a fast break opportunity! A 1-on-0 chance for Lin Tian in the frontcourt!
At that moment, when Lin Tian's speed exploded and he sprinted towards the frontcourt like lightning, not a single Bulls player could catch up with him!
Everyone could only run with all their might, and then helplessly watch Lin Tian drive to the basket and slam dunk!
32 seconds!
79: 84!
Lin Tian's fast break almost pushed the Bulls to the brink of defeat!
The Joint Center fell silent.
Complete silence.
The fans covered their heads in disbelief, their eyes wide open.
To be honest, they've experienced this scenario countless times in the past decade, but more often than not, it's Jordan who makes a killer defensive play against their opponents and then personally kills the game.
Chicagoans have always brought despair and disappointment to their rivals, but tonight, it seems that it is finally Chicagoans' turn to feel that way. Is this what Chicago's rivals have felt for the past decade?
Countless Bulls fans bit their lips. Even if they trusted Jordan and he had brought them many miracles in the past, with 30 seconds left and down by 5 points against the Pacers and Lin Tian, everyone was uncertain.
Because in this league, no one knows better than the Bulls fans how terrifying Lin Tian is!
They watched it for two whole years!
Those who support Indiana are now clenching their fists, waiting! Waiting for the moment when time truly comes to an end!
Jackson's final timeout has been used, and this may be the last time for both teams to step onto the court tonight.
Kerr, Jordan, Pippen, Burrell, and Kukoc.
Five of the Bulls' highest three-point shooting percentage players were on the court at the same time!
The Bulls' strategy in the final 30 seconds was obvious: three points! Grab three points!
With the last timeout already used, it's too late for them to play two points at a time. They need to score quickly and get more points as quickly as possible!
"Ben, stay under the basket! No matter where Kukoc goes, you stay under the basket!" Lin Tian pulled Ben aside and the rest of the team and said, "Rodman grabbed 31 rebounds tonight, but Jackson didn't let him play at this time. I know him; this old man isn't after one more three-pointer!"
"He's trying to draw our attention; he's trying to steal a point, using 1-2 seconds to quickly score a two-pointer under the basket!"
"Then, defend our next possession. The last possession is when they can go for a three-pointer! Ben, the basket is yours! No matter what, give them an open three-pointer rather than let him get to the basket and quickly score a two! Everyone else, help Ben cover for Kukoc as much as possible!"
"clear!"
Ben, Davis, Christie, and Miller shouted at the same time to indicate that they had received Lin Tian's instructions!
The real life-or-death moment has officially begun!
"FUXX!" Jackson, who had barely sat down throughout the fourth quarter, knew things were bad as soon as he glanced at the Pacers' defensive positioning.
He saw Ben Wallace standing motionless under the basket, not even glancing at Kukoc. He knew that his tactical intentions had been seen through.
Whether it was Lin Tian or Bird who saw through it, it no longer mattered.
The Bulls' best option right now is to focus on three-pointers!
But at this crucial moment, Rodman was absent, which inevitably made the Bulls' shooters a little less confident when shooting.
Regardless, Jackson had no chance to devise other tactics, and all that remained was for the Bulls players to be able to adapt and execute his alternative tactics as soon as possible.
PLAN B!
In fact, Plan B is very simple.
Give the ball to Jordan!
In the next few seconds, Jackson breathed a sigh of relief because the Bulls players were indeed seasoned veterans and reacted very quickly; they did not stubbornly stick to that quick attack to the basket tactic.
But the bad news is, Jordan couldn't get the ball!
Lin Tian once again displayed his wolf-like, tenacious defensive skills. Combined with his speed and stamina advantage, no matter how Jordan tried to break free, Lin Tian always kept himself in front of Jordan, cutting off his connection with the sideline.
Despite the Bulls setting several screens for Jordan within five seconds, Jordan simply couldn't shake off Lin Tian!
Jordan's stamina had indeed reached its limit. The fluidity of his feints, the suddenness of his reverse runs, as well as his physical strength and speed, were all attributes that were incomparable to his previous state.
Before Lin Tian could defeat Jordan, time had already defeated the 35-year-old Jordan!
With the serve about to be a 5-second violation, Pippen had no choice but to pass the ball to Kukoc, who had been deliberately left out!
Kukoc received the ball beyond the three-point line but did not shoot immediately; instead, he made a shooting fake!
"Shoot! FUXX! Shoot!" Jackson on the sidelines was going crazy. He spread his hands in disbelief, not understanding why Kukoc could be so soft at this moment!
By the time Kukoc realized what was happening and mentally prepared himself to shoot, Christie had already caught up!
Kukoc then quickly made a pass, finding Pippen.
Miller's defense was equally fierce, quickly blocking Pippen's path. Just as Pippen was about to break through, Davis's defense rushed in again!
Seeing that he was about to be double-teamed, Pippen had no choice but to find Kerr on the other side, hoping that Kerr, who was temporarily left open, could take the shot.
"Ben! Steve!" Lin Tian, who had been closely following Jordan but whose eyes were observing the situation on the court, let out a roar at this moment.
So Pippen passed the ball and shot, while Ben Wallace abandoned the basket and lunged towards Kerr.
At the same time, Davis left Pippen behind, turned and ran towards the basket, quickly filling the gap under the basket!
After receiving the ball, Kerr still had no opportunities to attack or break through. He could only dribble backward, trying to pass the ball to Jordan or Pippen.
But as soon as Pippen passed the ball to him, Jordan was completely marked by Lin Tian, and the Bulls' offense came to a complete standstill!
Fortunately, Jordan is a man who never gives up. With only 14 seconds left on the shot clock, he finally managed to get a little space to receive the ball thanks to Pippen's screen and a communication error between Christie and Lin Tian.
"Scott!" Jordan shouted anxiously, reaching out to Pippen for the ball.
Seeing that Jordan had finally made his move, Pippen breathed a sigh of relief and passed the ball to Jordan!
(End of this chapter)