N-A-A Chapter 464 Return! A crazy scoring spree in his first game back!
Chapter 464 Return! A crazy scoring spree in his first game back!
February was an extremely tough month for the Pacers. Although Christie and Howard both returned early, and Parker also put up a good performance with an average of 17 points and 6 assists in the games where he started.
But relying solely on them is clearly not enough to get the Pacers, a team with enemies everywhere and everyone wanting to beat them up, back on track.
Forget about getting back on track; in February, the Pacers were practically struggling to win a single game.
The disappointing All-Star game was just the least significant thing in their entire terrible February.
整个2月份12场比赛，步行者队只拿到了1胜11负的糟糕战绩，其中一波4连败一波7连败，更是输到整个印第安纳都要绝望了。
The fans have really forgotten when the team last played this badly.
They lost so badly, and the reason they lost like this wasn't because the team was weak.
They have truly lost almost their entire starting lineup due to injury. The team's two most important core players and a substitute are all unable to play. Pacers fans are really unwilling to accept this!
If it weren't for injuries, we would never be in this situation!
What's even more painful is that Lin Tian, whom the Indians are so eager to see, is always absent no matter how many games the team loses. There are no updates on his injury, no progress on his recovery, nothing at all.
What the Pacers give their fans is endless waiting.
By the end of February, the Pacers' record had dropped to 30 wins and 32 losses, with a winning percentage of less than 50%!
Their ranking has dropped to ninth in the East, as they have been overtaken by the Celtics!
The Celtics currently have a record of 31 wins and 31 losses, a winning percentage of exactly 50%, slightly ahead of the Pacers.
The Cavaliers, ranked seventh, have already achieved a record of 35 wins and 25 losses, leading the Pacers by more than 6 games!
With only about 20 games left, if Lin Tian of the Pacers can return and maintain good form, then surpassing the Celtics will definitely not be a problem for them.
However, the chances of catching up with the Cavaliers, who have been in excellent form recently, are slim.
The reason they haven't been caught up by the tenth-placed Knicks is simply because the Knicks are genuinely bad, they're truly unbeatable, and these exceptionally talented young players are really playing their own game with almost no teamwork.
The Knicks are ranked tenth not because they are particularly good, but because the teams behind them, such as the Raptors, Hawks, and Bulls, are really terrible.
Even if they play terribly, they still have a winning percentage of around 35%. If the Pacers keep losing like this, they will really be overtaken by the Knicks!
In March, filled with immense melancholy, helplessness, and the pain of defeat, the Indians opened their eyes early and, as usual, opened their subscribed newspapers.
Then, cheers and frenzied shouts erupted from countless houses.
Because any Indian who reads the newspaper will see a message on the front page.
"Caesar Returns! Bird Announces Lin Tian Will Return to Play in the Team's Home Game Against the Kings on March 1st!"
Lin Tian finally returns after a month's absence! The Pacers have finally found their savior!
God Returns! The Alliance is Destined to Tremble Once Again!
What exactly is the injury to Lin Tian's foot? The Pacers have yet to release any medical report!
Can he return to his peak? Just how serious is Lin Tian's injury this time?
Rumors circulate that Lin Tian was forcibly injected with an antidote before entering the battle! Bird bluntly states that this is nonsense!
The ranks are still incomplete, but the central general has finally returned!
……
The Indians were so excited about the sudden news of Lin Tian's return that they almost jumped for joy!
They waited a month, lost a month, and finally their war god returned!
We must get back everything we've lost!
The Indiana people were incredibly excited that day, and they worked with even more energy! Countless people started asking for tickets to the team's game that night! They hoped to witness Lin Tian's comeback match live.
The Conceco Center was packed with enthusiastic fans from 5 p.m., an enthusiasm that other teams would probably only see in the Finals.
Fans who had tickets were incredibly grateful for their choice, feeling extremely clever for managing to buy tickets in advance.
TNT even changed its broadcast schedule at the last minute, abandoning the previously planned Lakers vs. Timberwolves Western Conference showdown and instead broadcasting this Pacers vs. Kings game.
In short, this otherwise unremarkable regular season game was transformed into a finals-level spectacle thanks to Lin Tian's return!
The Pacers are considered unremarkable because they have been plagued by injuries and are only ranked ninth in the East. The Kings are not doing much better. Two years ago, the Kings could compete with the Pacers in the Finals, but in the last two years, they have been getting worse and worse.
Divac is getting older and older. He has said before that this year will be his last year in the NBA. The team's leader, Peja, also suffered from an elbow injury this year and only played 43 games. Others, such as Bibby and Bobby Jackson, have also experienced injuries of different kinds.
So far, the Kings have achieved a respectable record of 35 wins and 26 losses, but they are only ranked sixth in the Western Conference, no longer the dominant force they were in previous years when they competed with the Lakers and Mavericks.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, when Vlade Divac, the team's cornerstone center, retires, the Kings' once-glorious but never fully realized Princeton offense will officially disappear from the league.
The era of the Sacramento Kings is coming to an end before it even began.
Of course, that's a matter for later. At least for now, the Kings are the better team. No matter how many injuries the Kings suffered in the early part of the season, at least by this point in the season, the injuries have largely disappeared.
Now, they are all out in action!
As for the Pacers' Webber and Ginobili, their return is still a long way off!
But at least Lin Tian is back, isn't he?
Thirty minutes before the start of the game, Lin Tian reappeared at the Conseco Center after a month's absence. He was still wearing his training uniform and was the last to enter the stadium.
What greeted Lin Tian was an overwhelming, minute-long cheer and shout!
At this moment, the fans' thoughts can be summed up in one sentence.
"Master Lin, we've missed you so much!"
Lin Tian, who had been resting for a month, was in perfect shape and had even lost a little weight. Clearly, he hadn't given up on training; he just hadn't played in any matches!
In the past month, Lin Tian considered that his energy expenditure would only be greater in the future. In order to ensure his physical strength, he made some weight loss, reducing his weight from 95KG to 93KG. Although the loss of 2KG may not seem obvious, it will definitely make Lin Tian stronger than before!
During warm-up, Lin Tian even casually performed a gliding dunk from the free-throw line to demonstrate that he has truly recovered his form!
Then, amidst cheers from the crowd, the Pacers' five starters took to the court.
Lin Tian, Christie, Artest, Haslem, Miller!
Even with such an incomplete lineup, fans around the world waited a month to finally see it again!
The Pacers set sail once again!
"He's back! Lin's finally back! A month's rest, honestly, was much faster than we expected! I was really worried Lin's season was over!" Barkley couldn't help but say in the studio, "But it's so great that he's back!"
Kenny added, "Yes, I was genuinely worried about Lin's injury, and I was really concerned that it would affect his career, but now it seems Lin is completely fine!"
"But now I'm even more curious: what exactly happened to Lin during this past month? What's wrong with him that caused him to be so badly injured, yet he only had a month to rest?"
"I think tonight's game will definitely give us the answer!"
"Beep beep!"
Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, the referee blew his whistle and tossed the basketball into the air.
The younger Miller had the upper hand in the jump ball and slapped the ball directly to Lin Tian.
Lin Tian took control of the ball and directed the attack without pausing at all. Instead, he immediately accelerated, pushing his impact to the limit!
Then Lin Tian charged headlong into the Kings' interior without a care in the world!
"Whoosh!"
Bibi, nicknamed "White Devil," only felt a whooshing sound in his ear before realizing that Lin Tian had disappeared.
That's too fast! I can't even react in time!
The Kings' entire defense was equally caught off guard!
Peja had just retreated to the vicinity of the three-point line when Divac struggled to complete his turn. Apart from his eyes, there wasn't a single part of his body that could keep up with Lin Tian.
Although the power forward from Lithuania sprinted with all his might, he couldn't possibly keep up with Lin Tian's speed. He could only watch as Lin Tian forcefully overtook everyone on the team, then drove to the basket and completed an incredible dunk!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Lin Tian completed a lightning-fast dash and a thunderous dunk in just 3.3 seconds!
He was so fast that even the fans at the scene couldn't react immediately. They didn't even expect Lin Tian to announce his return in such a crazy way!
"Lin is back!" Barkley's response to Lin's dunk was simple and direct: "The complete Lin is back! He wasn't even bothered or affected by any injuries! He's absolutely 100%!"
"I even think he's more decisive than before he was injured!"
Yes, we've become much more decisive!
After a month's rest, Lin Tian returned with an almost terrifying desire to attack!
Aside from that dunk just 3 seconds into the game, Lin Tian went on a shooting spree, relentlessly attacking the basket and shooting one shot after another!
Furthermore, his offensive performance tonight was quite similar to any of his previous crazy nights.
That's firepower coverage without any blind spots!
Once past midcourt, it's Lin Tian's designated offensive zone. As long as the ball is in his hands, he has 100 ways to get it to the basket from any position!
In the first quarter, Carlisle was worried that Lin Tian's excessive excitement would have the opposite effect, so he only let him play for 8 minutes before taking him off the court to rest.
但就是这8分钟，林天已经出手14次并命中9球，其中还有两个3分和3次罚球！
In the first quarter, Lin Tian scored 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists!
Under his leadership, the Pacers scored 30 points in 8 minutes, and when Lin came off the bench, the Pacers were already leading the Kings by 7 points!
But after Lin Tian rested for 4 minutes in the first quarter, Carlisle did not rush to put Lin Tian back on the court in the second quarter. In his plan, Lin Tian's first game back must have a limited playing time. He could not let Lin Tian play however he wanted like before!
Time must be limited!
Therefore, Lin Tian did not play for the first four minutes of the second quarter.
But in those two quarters, which lasted for 4 minutes before and after, totaling 8 minutes, the Pacers were hit by a 16-3 offensive surge from the Kings!
The 7-point lead Lin Tian had before the game was wiped out in the blink of an eye!
This is also why the Pacers' performance in the first half of the season was mediocre.
That means that as long as Lin Tian plays, the Pacers' level will immediately drop to the bottom of the league, and no matter who it is, they will have an advantage in the game against the Pacers without Lin Tian.
No matter how many advantages Lin Tian accumulates, they will always be quickly squandered by the Pacers' substitutes.
Their ability to dig holes is amazing!
"Good job, guys!"
With eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, Lin Tian strolled onto the court and gave each Pacers player a high-five.
"Now it's my turn to perform!"
Watching Lin Tian high-five every player on the court, Barkley couldn't help but say again, "I think that's one of the most attractive and fascinating things about Lin! Have you ever even once heard Lin complain?"
"Whether it's teammates, referees, coaches, team policies, or anything else, have you ever heard Lin complain? He never complains; he only tries to change the environment and everything through his own efforts! And he succeeded!"
"Actually, there's one possibility," Kenny said, suppressing a laugh, "When other players complain about how dirty their opponents are or how biased the referees are, Lin just goes for it. There's nothing to complain about with him; he'll settle things with his fists until no one dares to mess with them again!"
"Haha, that makes sense!" Barkley laughed. "Lin is indeed that kind of person, but he's never beaten up his teammates, has he? No matter what his teammates are like, he always encourages and supports them."
"I think any other star in the league would have been complaining endlessly and wishing they were the most miserable person in the world if their team had been cutting back for years and letting go of its key players, causing the team's competitiveness to decline step by step."
"I think everyone knows that four players released by the Pacers became All-Stars this year! If the Pacers had kept them all, or even just two of them, would the Pacers be in the same situation now? They would definitely still be a powerhouse in the league!"
Meanwhile, Barkley was promoting Lin Tian on TV, praising his responsibility and courage. On the court, Lin Tian had already started to score for his team!
His first shot after entering the game was a three-pointer after a screen, which he made despite Divac's defense. Poor 36-year-old Divac, despite his old age, rushed from the inside to the three-point line to block the shot, but he became like a scope for Lin Tianzhi to aim.
All their efforts were in vain; they could only watch as Lin Tian's fate was so unfairly sealed!
On the defensive end, Lin Tian relentlessly guarded Bibby, giving him no comfortable opportunities or space to handle the ball, almost forcing the guy into an 8-second violation.
Fortunately, Bobby Jackson stepped in to help, taking the ball from Bibby to prepare for the attack. But with Lin Tian playing such a tough defensive game, the Pacers' defensive intensity and aggressiveness had already been raised by the players!
Christie stuck to Jackson, preventing him from organizing the offense. In desperation, Jackson had no choice but to pass the ball to the team's leader, Peja.
But Peja, a shooter, is most afraid of a beast-like defender like Artest, who is all brute force. After getting the ball, he didn't even have time to dribble before the snarling Artest simply snatched it away.
Then Artest grabbed the basketball and immediately passed it to Christie, who was already running down the court. Although Christie is getting older and slower, his skills are becoming more and more refined!
After getting the ball, this guy actually made a Lin Tian-style one-handed bounce pass!
The basketball flew straight through Bibby's legs, from between his legs to behind him. When Lin Tian caught the ball, it felt so good that he didn't need to adjust at all. He just pulled it up and threw it, continuing to shoot from beyond the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Lin Tian scored two consecutive three-pointers.
The gap between the two sides was wiped out by Lin Tian in the blink of an eye!
"Fuck! What kind of breed is this guy? Where does he get so much energy? In his first comeback match, doesn't this bastard even need to get into form?"
Even Adelman, sitting on the sidelines, was helpless.
He truly couldn't understand or comprehend what kind of monster Lin Tian was!
Surely they can't be gods who traveled from another world?
Lin Tian: You're half right! This old man who believes in governing by doing nothing actually has some wisdom!
In the next few minutes, the Kings chose to tighten their defense on Lin Tian, because his offensive firepower today was simply too terrifying! If they let him continue playing like this, it could very well be another game with 40 points in the first half and 70 points in the whole game!
This time, facing the Kings' double-teaming and focused defense, Lin Tian didn't rush to do it himself, but instead started sharing the ball.
He assisted Miller, Artest, and Haslem to complete their attacks. Although Lin Tian didn't take many shots for a long time afterward, the Pacers quickly widened the gap in the game thanks to their team offense.
In the last 20 seconds of the second quarter, Lin Tian once again pulled off some outrageous moves.
Instead of running down the clock, he dribbled the ball and quickly drove into the paint, scoring 2 points with a low layup over Divac!
Then Lin Tian made a hand gesture, and the entire Pacers team moved forward to press, implementing a full-court press defense in the last 17 seconds of the game!
The sudden increase in defensive intensity and physical contact made the Kings players very uncomfortable!
They ultimately couldn't even find a way to get the ball across half-court, failing to get it past the center line for a full eight seconds.
8-second violation!
Led by Lin Tian, the Pacers forced the Kings into an 8-second violation!
Then, with 9 seconds left in the first half, Lin Tian received the ball at the top of the arc once again. Just when everyone thought Lin Tian was going to take a shot by himself, and even when the Kings double-teamed him, Lin Tian suddenly started playing team basketball at a leisurely pace!
With the ball double-teamed, Lin Tian passed to Christie, who then passed to Artest in the low post. Artest then made another low-post inside pass to Miller, who then made a behind-the-back pass to Haslem.
Haslem, without hesitation, pulled up for his signature mid-range jump shot.
"Whoosh!"
"Buzz!"
The crisp sound of the basketball swishing through the net rang out simultaneously with the buzzer signaling the end of the first half. The Pacers hit a buzzer-beating shot and went on a 4-0 run before the end of the first half.
With those 4 points, the Pacers successfully extended their lead to 15 points!
48: 63!
With this absolutely huge advantage, the Pacers completed their first half since Lin Tian's return.
For everyone who supports the Pacers, this first half was perfect!
They're back! They're all back!
"The changes brought about by Lin Tian's return are far greater than the statistics he has contributed on the surface. He alone can change the Pacers' entire offensive system; he is a system in himself. He alone can bring a bottom-of-the-league team to the upper echelons of the league!"
After the first half ended, Barkley couldn't help but exclaim, "One simple statistic shows just how important Lin is! In the eight minutes he was off the court, the Pacers were outscored 16-3 by the Kings, losing by a whopping 13 points in eight minutes."
「而他在的16分钟内，32：60！步行者队16分钟净胜28分！这就是林的影响力！他在与不在，步行者队输赢偏差值达到了夸张的41分！这还是半场！」
"This number is truly unbelievable!"
Kenny added, "I have another set of data to prove Lin's strength and terror. The Pacers played a total of 62 games this season, and Lin participated in 51 of them. In one game, he only played half the game before leaving the court due to injury."
"In the 50 games he played, the Pacers averaged 98.3 points, ranking 8th in the league. But in the 11 games Lin missed, the Pacers' average points dropped sharply to 86.4, ranking 28th in the league, only higher than the Pistons!"
"But you have to understand, the Pistons are the best defensive team in the league! Although they only score 85.9 points per game, they only allow their opponents 78.2 points per game! Their defense is so strong that it's almost a precipitous advantage over all other teams in the league!"
"But what about the Pacers? When Lin is on the court, they allow an average of 94.6 points per game defensively, ranking tenth in the league, which is decent. But when Lin is off the court, it's 103.9 points per game, ranking 27th in the league!"
"Furthermore, if we refine and break down this data, when Lin is on the court this season, the Pacers average 109.8 points per game, ranking first in the league, while allowing 97.3 points per game, ranking fifth in the league!"
"When Lin is off the court, the Pacers average 82.9 points per game, the worst in the league, and allow 116.3 points per game, also the worst in the league!"
"Are there any more outrageous statistics than this? In the history of the league, has anyone had a greater impact than Lin?"
"Their impact on both offense and defense is outrageous. With Lin and without Lin, this team isn't even a team anymore; they shouldn't even be in the same league!"
"Let me put it this way, Lin took a G League-level team to playoff level!"
After Kenny finished his analysis, Barkley followed up, "Alright, so, is there still any need to discuss who is the best player currently in the league, and who is the strongest? And, is it still necessary to discuss whether Lin is getting old and whether his performance has declined?"
"The Pacers have only been plagued by injuries, but Lin's level hasn't declined at all! As long as he's on the team, the Pacers' presence should never be underestimated!"
"He has the ability to single-handedly transform a bottom-ranked team!"
"Are there people who think that 3200 million a year is too much?"
Kenny and Barkley's analysis made all the fans who don't look at advanced data and only watch the game realize how terrifying Lin Tian is, and at the same time made everyone feel even more incredible about Lin Tian's performance!
too crazy!
He was literally dragging the Pacers forward by himself!
…………
His offensive firepower continued after the start of the third quarter!
He started with a powerful drive to the basket followed by a one-handed dunk, and then took a step off a screen before pulling up for a mid-range jump shot.
Then the Kings missed their shot, and Lin Tian grabbed the rebound and drove the length of the court to the frontcourt. He pulled up and shot a three-pointer from beyond the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Lin Tian completed a 3-hit combo at the start, leading his team to launch a 7-2 offensive wave, and the gap between the two sides once again reached 20 points!
Lin Tian's own score reached 40 points once again!
The third quarter had only been going on for less than two minutes!
"That's terrifying!" Barkley exclaimed sincerely. "Lin's consistency and explosiveness in firepower are truly unprecedented in my life! Including Michael! Although Michael was invincible in his era, he has never been able to deliver such incredible and insane performances in a row as Lin."
"He scored 40 points in less than a short time in the third quarter. I think Lin will most likely put on a performance of at least 60 points tonight."
When Barkley said "at least 60 points," the hearts of his longtime fans who knew him and Lin Tian were chilled.
With such a large point difference and Barkley's shrewd commentary, Lin Tian is unlikely to score 50 points tonight.
Some pessimistic fans have even turned off their TVs early, preparing to find other forms of entertainment.
If Lin Tian scores 60 points tonight, I'll be live-streaming myself taking off like a madman with a 3-speed ceiling fan!
It has to be said that after watching Lin Tian and listening to Barkley for so many years, fans have a very thorough understanding of these two players!
Lin Tian once again showed the fans what it means to score 40 points in two quarters and three minutes, finishing the game with 42 points.
He played for another 5 minutes in the game, taking two shots and scoring 2 points. Then, with 4 minutes left in the third quarter and the score widening to 30 points, he went to the bench without thinking and put on ice packs and protective gear to help his body recover quickly.
Let alone 50 points, Lin Tian didn't even get 45 points!
"Haha, Lin is indeed unpredictable. How many times have I failed to predict this?" Barkley said shamelessly, laughing it off. "I really don't know when I'll be able to predict correctly even once."
Still making predictions?
Please, sir, stop using your supernatural powers!
The fans' petition is heartfelt; they sincerely hope that Barkley can stop his unorthodox methods, calmly commentate on the game, and stop making predictions.
That very night, fans launched an online petition to "shut up Charles Barkley."
In just one night, less than 10 hours, more than 100 million people participated in the petition, and more than 99% of the participants said: Please ask Charles not to make any predictions during his future commentary.
any!
Barkley is now the league's number one record destroyer!
As long as he opens his mouth, no one can achieve a milestone or set a new record under his jinx.
so horrible!
The only person in the entire league who can stop Lin Tian is actually Barkley's mouth?
Putting aside the fans and Barkley's antics, back to the game, Lin Tian, in his comeback night, only played 24 minutes and achieved a perfect triple-double with 42 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists! With this triple-double and Lin Tian's all-around performance, the Pacers easily defeated the Kings.
89: 109!
A long-awaited resounding victory, a win as welcome as rain after a long drought, sent fans all over Indiana into a frenzy that night!
After all, they've only won one game in the past month, and that was against the struggling Wizards. Apart from that, they've lost all their other games!
Even before tonight, they were suffering a terrifying seven-game losing streak!
Lin Tian's return finally helped the team emerge from the shadow of their losing streak!
But this is only a temporary recovery from a losing streak; the Pacers are not yet back on track.
It's all because of Lin Tian!
Because Lin Tian had just returned to the game, Carlisle imposed extremely strict restrictions on his playing time!
His principle is: no matter what the situation is, Lin Tian's playing time will never exceed 30 minutes in the first week after his return!
The restriction on Lin Tian's playing time will only be lifted after he has adapted and received permission from the team doctor, and after it is confirmed that he is completely fine and has fully adapted to the rhythm of the game.
It was precisely because of this limitation on playing time that the team was unable to immediately achieve a winning streak after Lin Tian's return.
Aside from their easy victory against the Kings, the Pacers subsequently lost to two top teams, the Pistons and the Nets, and a relatively average playoff team, the Hornets, because Lin Tian couldn't play for extended periods.
During this period, they only managed to avoid a truly dismal record by winning another game against the Wizards.
In short, in the five games since Lin Tian's return, the Pacers have a record of 2 wins and 3 losses, and their overall record is temporarily set at 32 wins and 35 losses!
Then, at the press conference following the loss to the Hornets, Carlisle finally opened up.
"We've all noticed that the team's record hasn't improved much due to Lin Tian's limited playing time. When will Lin's playing time restriction be lifted? Is he currently playing with an injury?"
"Lin has fully recovered. The reason for limiting his playing time is that he needs to adapt to the game, adapt to the intensity, and test on the court whether his physical functions have fully recovered."
"As for the playing time restrictions you mentioned."
"After discussing with the team doctor, I've decided: the day after tomorrow night will be the day Lin's playing time is fully restored!" (End of Chapter)