N-A-A Chapter 202 The Playoffs Begin! Old Rivals Meet Again!
Chapter 202 The Playoffs Begin! Old Rivals Meet Again!
Chapter 202 The Playoffs Begin! Old Rivals Meet Again!
With the regular season over, the Eastern and Western Conference standings are now finalized!
east:
1. The Chicago Bulls have a record of 62 wins and 20 losses.
2. Miami Heat: 56 wins, 26 losses.
3. Indiana Pacers: 56 wins, 26 losses.
4. Charlotte Hornets: 51 wins, 31 losses.
5. Atlanta Hawks: 50 wins, 32 losses.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers: 47 wins, 35 losses.
7. New York Knicks: 44 wins, 38 losses.
8. The New Jersey Nets have a record of 42 wins and 40 losses.
west:
1. Utah Jazz: 62 wins, 20 losses.
2. Seattle SuperSonics: 61 wins, 21 losses.
3. The Los Angeles Lakers have a record of 61 wins and 21 losses.
4. Phoenix Suns: 56 wins, 26 losses.
5. San Antonio Spurs: 56 wins, 26 losses.
6. Portland Trail Blazers: 46 wins, 36 losses.
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: 45 wins, 37 losses.
8. Houston Rockets: 41 wins, 41 losses.
Aside from playoff teams, the Denver Nuggets are far ahead of the rest of the league in terms of wins, boasting a perfect 11-win record and securing the last place and the highest probability of getting the number one draft pick. The Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers follow closely behind with 16 and 17 wins respectively, ranking second and third. Next are the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies, both with 19 wins, ranking fourth and fifth.
Next up are the Mavericks with 20 wins, the Kings with 27 wins, and other teams that aren't completely rotten.
For the Pacers, their ideal scenario this year is that the Raptors don't get a top-three pick and instead get the fourth pick, which would give them the Raptors' draft pick. However, if the Raptors get a top-three pick, then they'll have to wait until next year to cash in on that pick.
Anyway, after glancing at the rankings, Lin Tian recalled the draft order rankings from his memory.
Yes, at least in terms of rankings, they are exactly the same! Since the rankings are the same, it is very reasonable for the draft results to be exactly the same as well, and it is a very likely thing to happen!
The Raptors will most likely get fourth place, and then they—no, the Pacers—can choose between Carter and Jamison!
To reiterate... Pierce and Nowitzki are great, but Lin Tian has absolutely no intention of urging the team to draft them.
If you're not a good basketball player, don't come to Indiana!
That's just how reality is!
From this perspective, following the original plan and route, selecting Jamison and then trading him to the Warriors for Carter, in exchange for some additional rewards, would have been the best option!
Of course, the lottery is still a month away, and the draft is still two months away. Lin Tian and the Pacers don't need to worry about that now. They just need to focus on playing well in the playoffs!
As for the draft, we'll talk about that later!
When the season ended, all the Pacers' statistics were finalized.
林天本赛季出战58场，场均拿下23.7分11.1次助攻5.3篮板2.0次抢断0.5次盖帽的全面成绩！他的3项命中率则分别达到48%、40%和81%！
Absolutely excellent efficiency, absolutely top-notch performance, plus the fact that the team won 44 and lost 14 games when he played, but only 12 and lost 12 games when he was absent, a winning percentage of just 50%! Even if you remove the last two games of the season when the team rested and tanked, the team only had 12 wins and 10 losses when Lin Tian was not there.
When he's on the team, the winning percentage is 75.8%! When he's off the team, the winning percentage is 54%!
The huge difference of over 20 percentage points vividly demonstrates Lin Tian's importance to this team! Regardless of what the haters say, Lin Tian is the strongest and most important core player of this Pacers team!
Meanwhile, Lin Tian's 23.7 points ranked fourth on the scoring list! Although the top three on the scoring list were Jordan with 30.5 points, O'Neal with 28.3 points, and Malone with 27 points, all of whom scored at least 3 points more than Lin Tian, fourth place is fourth place, and Lin Tian's score was higher than everyone else's!
In addition, he led the league in assists with 11.1 per game and tied for sixth in the league with Jason Kidd and Eddie Jones with 2.0 steals per game. However, due to his limited number of appearances and insufficient total steals, he could only regretfully rank eighth.
Even so, Lin Tian's record of fourth in points, first in assists, and eighth in steals is still unique in the entire league! Apart from him, no one else can rank in the top ten in all three of these statistical categories at the same time!
It's no wonder that Indiana media outlets published numerous provocative articles as early as mid-season.
"Lin is the best point guard currently playing in the NBA!"
"Target Magician! Can Lin Become the Greatest Point Guard in History?"
The best playmaker, the top scorer, the best defender! That's Lin!
What's very unusual about these provocative articles is that, whether it's Seattle with Payton, Salt Lake City with Stockton, or Phoenix with Kidd, the media in these places all chose to remain silent and did not publish any articles in response.
Unless he is absolutely forced to confront the question directly, he can only say: Lin has never personally led a team to achieve anything in the playoffs.
Yes, winning the championship as the team's primary core player is the only thing that can be questioned about Lin Tian now. If Lin Tian can win the championship this year, then all current point guards will be trampled under his feet! Even looking at the entire history, after Lin Tian wins the championship this year, the only point guard who can still keep up with him is probably Magic Johnson.
Even Isaiah Thomas only has better stats than Lin Tian in those that need to be accumulated.
Everything hinges on this year's playoffs!
Besides Lin Tian, Pacers' new addition Christie averaged 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.4 steals in the games he played. He ranked third in steals, and his combination with Lin Tian averaged 4.4 steals per game, ranking first among all duos in the league!
Their steals and defense not only created many fast break opportunities for the Pacers, but also gave the Pacers' interior defense, which was mediocre in terms of rim protection and offensive capabilities, a lot of breathing room.
One of the most telling sets of data is that before Christie arrived, the Pacers ranked third in the league in points allowed per game and seventh in points allowed per 100 possessions, making them a typical offensively strong but defensively weak team with one of the worst defenses in the league.
But after Christie arrived, their average points allowed per game dropped to ninth in the league, and their points allowed per 100 possessions dropped to fourteenth in the league.
Although they are still not a strong defensive team, they have at least managed to escape the bottom ranks and reach an average level.
Christie's contribution to the team is definitely more impressive than his stats on paper!
另外，巴克利本赛季场均能够拿下17.7分11.4篮板，米勒场均14.8分3.1篮板2.6助攻，施密茨场8.2分5.1篮板，五大首发场均能够奉献78分！他们的火力绝对堪称恐怖！
Even off the bench, the Pacers have Dumars, who averages 12.1 points per game, to anchor the team's firepower off the bench.
With the addition of players like Ainge, Davis, and Best, the Pacers team, with each player fulfilling their role, has built a super offensive team with the best firepower in the league after a whole season of integration!
Total points per game, points per 100 possessions, points per 36 minutes, 3-point attempts, 3-pointers made, 3-point field goal percentage, points per fast break, possessions per game, offensive rating...
Of all these most important offensive statistics, the Pacers rank first in the league!
They are the strongest offensive team of this era, with the most extreme offense, the most insane firepower, and a team-oriented style of play. The best description of this Pacers team this season is offense, brilliance, and madness!
Their first opponent in the playoffs is also the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have just completed their rebuild and have just acquired Shawn Kemp, the most famous player in the team's history!
As one of the toughest and most tenacious rivals in the Eastern Conference during Jordan's first three-peat, the Cavaliers had a glorious period in the early 90s, but with the retirement of team legends such as Mark Price and Brad Doherty, the team fell into a period of decline.
During the offseason, the Cavaliers spent a fortune, not only giving "Rain Man" Kemp the biggest super contract in franchise history, but also almost completely rebuilding the team. The management's sweeping reforms quickly yielded results, allowing the team to return to the playoffs!
Shawn Kemp, nicknamed "Rain Man," is their absolute core player, averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds per game. He is a top shooter in the league, and Wesley Posen, who has the league's highest three-point shooting percentage this season, averages 14.7 points and makes 2.3 three-pointers per game, making him the team's primary offensive weapon from the outside.
Rookie point guard Blevin Knight is mature beyond his years. Although his scoring ability is average, he plays steadily and passes skillfully. In his first year in the league, he can deliver 8.2 assists, making him a very important booster for the team!
In addition, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Lithuanian who joined the NBA a year later, averaged 13.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, supporting the Cavaliers' interior alongside Shawn Kemp!
Then there are the two rookies the team drafted this year. Derek Anderson, the 13th pick in the first round, averages 11.7 points per game and is the team's leading scorer off the bench. He is aggressive and good at disruptive play, but his shooting is mediocre.
And then there's Cedric Henderson, the 201cm tall forward selected 17th overall in the second round. He's also tall and strong, good at driving, rebounding, and defending, and he averages 10.1 points per game.
These six players are basically the most important rotation players for the Cavaliers right now. Add to that Bob Sura, who will be very familiar to Chinese fans in the future, Cavaliers veteran Danny Ferry, Ukrainian center Vitaly Potapanko, and others, and you have the core lineup of this resurgent Cavaliers team!
It's clear that this team is very young. Three of their six most important players and highest scorers are first-year rookies! There's also a repeat player, Zydrunas Ilgauskas. You could say their roster is incredibly young!
Being young means being full of energy, drive, and courage, but it also means lacking experience and being prone to carelessness.
On April 23rd, U.S. time, over 19000 fans flooded into Indiana City Square Arena! As some of the most passionate and loyal fans in the country, Indiana fans didn't get to see their team play a single game in the playoffs last year, but thankfully, they didn't have to wait too long!
After failing to make the playoffs last year, the team underwent a major overhaul during the offseason. They not only offered the biggest super contract in NBA history to recruit third-year guard Lin Tian, but also brought in talented players such as Barkley, Dumars, and Ben Wallace, quickly completing their rebuild.
As it turns out, the team's offseason frenzy was indeed worthwhile. The Pacers not only returned to the playoffs after a year's absence, but also finished third in the Eastern Conference. In fact, if they hadn't rested all their players in the last two games, they could have finished second in the East!
Furthermore, in the championship odds predictions before the start of the playoffs, the Chicago Bulls were ranked first, the Jazz and Lakers were ranked second and third respectively, and the Pacers were ranked behind these three teams. Their probability of winning the championship this season can be said to be very high!
It's no wonder the Indianapolis are so excited and looking forward to the start of the playoffs, because this year, they really feel... they are incredibly close to the championship!
They all believe that the team can achieve great things this year!
With 20 minutes to go before the game started, the Pacers, who were starting afresh, walked out of the player tunnel, and the Indiana fans who had been waiting for them immediately gave them a crazy, almost hysterical cheer and shout!
The passionate fans poured all their energy into the players even before the game started!
This is how they express their support, and also how they express their love!
"The Indiana fans are fucking amazing!" Barkley exclaimed, feeling the cheers from the crowd. "When I played in Phoenix to the Finals, the fans there weren't this crazy!"
"And when you made it to the conference finals in Philadelphia, were the fans crazy?" Lin Tian asked curiously.
Before Barkley could speak, Miller chimed in, "Didn't you make it to the conference finals in Houston? What's the Houston fanbase like? I often hear Hakeem rave about their fans, are they really not as good as our Indiana fans?"
"Can you two bastards shut up? I'm rarely making a serious comment." Barkley cursed, giving Lin Tian and Miller the middle finger each.
How can there be such a jerk in this world? The game hasn't even started yet, and he's already bullying his own teammates?
Aren't you afraid of internal strife?
Afraid of internal strife?
If Barkley were to ask that question, Lin Tian could easily find another way to insult him.
Isn't Barkley himself the one most afraid of internal strife on the team?
Among the Pacers players, he is the oldest and most likely to experience a significant decline in form. With Lin Tian having two championships and Miller relying on shooting skills and positioning, his performance is unlikely to plummet.
To put it bluntly, Barkley, if he misses out on this year's championship, he'll either be a backup player or a mere supporting player if he wants to win another title. It's basically impossible for him to win a championship again as a near-second-in-command like this year.
This year is Barkley's best chance!
Infighting?
He was more afraid than anyone else!
After Barkley was silenced by Lin Tian and Miller, both teams quickly began warming up to get into the game rhythm.
Then, the referee took the basketball and walked to the center line, and the ten starting players from both sides quickly and consciously took their positions.
The Pacers' first playoff game is about to begin!
Bird made no changes to tonight's lineup, sticking with Rick Schmitz, Charles Barkley, Doug Christie, Reggie Miller, and Lin Tian.
There's no need to think about changing tactics when dealing with just one Cavaliers team!
The Cavaliers' starting lineup consisted of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Shawn Kemp, Cedric Henderson, Wesley Posen, and point guard Bryn Knight.
"Lin, I'm not afraid of you!" Knight walked up to Lin Tian and tried to throw some trash talk at him.
"Wait a moment." Lin Tian looked at Knight, who was 175 centimeters tall, bent down, put his hands on his knees, and whispered in his ear, "Sorry, I was too far away just now, I didn't hear you clearly, please say it again."
FUXX!
Knight cursed, then turned away decisively, refusing to speak to Lin Tian again.
You come here and immediately say I'm short. Shouldn't you hit me in the face first before you start?
I'm not talking to him anymore!
"They ran away already?" Lin Tian picked at his ear with a bored expression. He had thought this guy was tough and they could have a good exchange of words.
disappoint others.
"First, absolutely do not cause any trouble on the court! If you mess around, I guarantee you'll regret it! Second..."
Tonight's referee, Vitti, tirelessly delivered the usual pre-match intimidation tactics to both teams from the center circle. I wonder if these referees received standardized training in their rhetoric, as every single one of their threats sounded so similar and utterly ineffective.
Lin Tian felt that 99% of the players in the league wouldn't take the referees' pre-game comments to heart; they would just think they were talking nonsense.
After making this threat that no one would listen to or believe, Vitti finally blew his whistle and threw the ball into the air.
Big Z and Schmitz actually have very similar styles. They both come from Europe, both have average physical attributes, both are tall and can shoot, and both are criticized as soft because of their mediocre rebounding and defense.
This time, the two were evenly matched. They touched the basketball almost at the same time, but Schmitz was stronger and successfully passed the ball to Lin Tian after a slight effort!
After receiving the ball, Lin Tian did not stop to observe Miller and Christie's runs as usual. Instead, he dribbled the ball himself and rushed towards the frontcourt at lightning speed!
Then, before the Cavaliers could react and before they could stop and get into position, Lin Tian accelerated again and dribbled the ball directly toward the Cavaliers' interior!
Big Z had just reached the free-throw line. Kemp was always strong on offense but weak on defense, and the Cavaliers' huge paint area was completely empty!
Faced with such a generous gift, Lin Tian naturally wouldn't be polite. After pulling himself up, he did a 180-degree turn and tucked in his abdomen. Then, with a burst of strength, he completed a 180-degree turn in the air and clasped his hands behind his back!
"Did you like that dunk, Sean? Do you know why you're called 'Rain Man' instead of 'Rain Man'? Because you're soaking wet!" After scoring, Lin Tian turned around and happened to see Kemp. Without hesitation, he immediately started mocking him.
Since we have a grudge anyway, and we've already fought, there's no need to save face for anyone!
Anyway, if the season is shut down this year, this guy will come back looking much fatter, and he won't even have the chance or ability to get revenge.
Kemp didn't respond to Lin Tian's trash talk. After several matches with Lin Tian, he had long understood one thing: when it came to trash-talking, even eight of him tied together wouldn't be a match for Lin Tian. It was better to just play basketball quietly!
Turning around, Knight dribbled to the frontcourt. Although he was only about 175 centimeters tall, he didn't rely on speed and penetration like Iverson, Boykins, or Muggsy Bogues. Those guys all had top-tier speed in the league, and their penetration was lightning fast and unstoppable.
Knight's playing style is known for its steadiness and tradition; he is a true, very traditional, classic point guard.
He prioritizes passing and organizing the team. He rarely shoots unless it's a clear-cut opportunity. He doesn't use fancy dribbling or passing, but he always manages to unite the team and get the ball to the right person.
For example, this time, after Kemp secured his position, he quickly passed the ball to him, allowing the team's star player to make the first attack, which is a rule and tradition for many teams.
"Hey fat guy, let me show you my new move, how about it?" Kemp looked at Barkley, switched from back to back to face the basket, lowered his center of gravity, and after a series of probing steps and fakes, suddenly pulled up for a mid-range shot!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Kemp actually made a pull-up jump shot with a jab step typical of guards!
"How about it? Have you seen this before?" Kemp was very proud after scoring the goal, gesturing with his ring finger at Barkley.
Barkley ignored him completely, quickly turned around, grabbed the basketball, and then swung it with one arm. The basketball flew to the frontcourt, where Christie jumped high to catch it. He was quite comfortable against Henderson's defense and easily advanced forward.
After dribbling the ball twice before reaching the frontcourt, he suddenly made a one-handed pass, sending the ball to Lin Tian, who had already driven to the three-point line on the other side.
Facing Knight, who was more than 15 centimeters shorter than him, Lin Tian raised his hands high, easily caught the basketball, and then passed it out without putting it down.
The basketball flew over Knight's head, but he was powerless to stop it.
What if I can't reach it?
The basketball flew almost diagonally, from the left 45-degree three-point line to the right baseline. In principle, this is a major taboo when passing the ball, and no coach would like their player to pass it like that.
Too easy to make mistakes, and too inefficient!
But Lin Tian can transmit it!
Miller, who had just run to the corner, hadn't even gotten his footing when the basketball flew to his chest. After catching the ball, he didn't even have time to think about how the ball was passed to him or who passed it to him. Driven by his shooter instincts, his body moved faster than his brain!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Miller hit a three-pointer!
In the opening two possessions, the Pacers capitalized on the Cavaliers' unsteady footing and transition offense, with both possessions taking less than 15 seconds in total! This is definitely the Pacers' favorite rhythm!
In the Cavaliers' offense, Barkley used his strength advantage to push Kemp further out, preventing him from receiving the ball in his most comfortable position. But just as the two were grappling, Kemp suddenly shifted his weight, causing Barkley to lose his balance. Then, he suddenly turned around and drove straight to the basket!
Knight's pass followed Kemp's through ball and flew straight to the basket.
Kemp followed suit, leaping high into the air, grabbing the basketball with both hands, and slamming it down towards the rim with all his might.
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Kemp scored 4 points in a row at the start, playing incredibly tough!
"This kid has really improved since leaving Gary. He didn't have such good dribbling skills before," Barkley muttered, watching Kemp's retreating figure.
"If you can't handle him, we can help you, Charles." Lin Tian walked over to Barkley, waiting to serve, and asked Barkley if he needed any help.
"I can do it myself!" Barkley shook his head decisively, then added, "On offense, I want to beat them two first!"
"Go get the position!" Lin Tian didn't say much, but directly agreed to Barkley's request.
There's no reason not to agree to something so trivial.
Not to mention that this kind of thing can make Barkley happy, while also wearing down Kemp, who is offensively minded but not good at defense.
He is the Cavaliers' only reliable ball-handling offensive option. If he fouls too early or gets too exhausted, the Cavaliers will lose all opportunities and weapons to compete with the Pacers!
Barkley's speed and jumping ability are not as good as Kemp's, but his strength and weight are far superior to Kemp's.
When this guy establishes position, he goes deep and hard. By the time he gets the ball from Lin Tian, he's almost inside the three-second zone! He then delivers a powerful elbow strike, forcing Kemp to take a half-step back in pain. That half-step space is enough for Barkley to jump and finish the move!
The first exciting moment of the game has arrived.
Barkley vs. Kemp!
These two started a one-on-one battle in the first half of the first quarter!
Kemp's mid-range shots, his speed-based spin moves that drive straight to the basket, and his quick face-up drives left Barkley helpless; he simply couldn't keep up with Kemp's speed!
The effects of time on Barkley may not be so obvious, but they are profound enough!
Fortunately, Barkley's advantages were still there. He kept pushing deep into position and backing down his opponents. His famously big butt made Kemp suffer. Unfortunately, the team's other big man, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, couldn't handle Barkley's brute force. If Ilgauskas were to switch on him, he would probably be knocked to pieces by Barkley in the first half of the game!
Therefore, even if Kemp couldn't keep up with Barkley, he had no choice but to fight his way through!
This season is his first season carrying the team on his own, and it's also the first time he's become the leader of a team. He hopes he can take responsibility, he hopes to wash away everyone's neglect of him, and he hopes even more to wash away his current bad public opinion and reputation.
With 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Bird made the first substitution, replacing Barkley, who had already scored 7 points, with Davis, who was more mobile and better able to match up against Kemp, to guard Kemp, who had already scored 10 points that night!
With Barkley out and Davis in, it means the Pacers' only strong interior scorer is gone, and they will no longer play half-court sets.
Let's go!
In the first possession, Davis used his energetic, leaping defense to disrupt Kemp's shot, causing him to miss. Schmitz then grabbed the rebound and immediately passed it to Lin Tian.
After receiving the ball, Lin Tian took off running towards the frontcourt!
Quick attack!
Knight and Persson positioned themselves in front of Lin Tian, one from the front and one from the left and one from the right, to stop his fast break and force the Pacers back into positional play.
Just when everyone thought Lin Tian would pass the ball when facing a double team, Lin Tian suddenly dribbled towards Knight. Then, when the two were so close that they were almost touching, Lin Tian suddenly made a very low-altitude, small-amplitude change of direction and flashed past Knight, arriving in front of Person in the blink of an eye.
Before Persson could even react or defend in time, Lin Tian had already delivered a powerful smash and spun around, disappearing from his sight and disappearing behind him in the blink of an eye!
"boom!"
This was the only sound Persson could hear coming from Lin Tian!
He couldn't turn around in time and couldn't see clearly how Lin Tian spiked the ball.
All he could hear was a loud bang and the crazy cheers of the fans!
Lin Tian's shot was just too smooth!
In the blink of an eye, he dribbled past two players, making the Cavaliers' backcourt duo look like wooden stakes!
In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian broke through two opponents in succession, demonstrating that his dribbling and breakthrough abilities are getting better and better!
After making that shot, the Pacers regained the lead and are now leading the Cavaliers 19-18 by one point!
The Cavaliers' offense was struggling against Davis's fierce defense. Kemp was unprepared and couldn't handle it. He passed the ball to Persson in the corner, but Persson was facing the master of off-ball movement!
Miller knows all too well how Persson moves and uses screens to find open shots. Miller is indeed not good at dealing with other types of players. His overly thin physique and lack of speed make him very passive every time he faces a ball-handling opponent.
But what if Miller were to defend a shooter who moves off the ball and catches it for a jump shot?
Miller will immediately show everyone what it means to be the originator of the catch-and-shoot jumper with an empty hand position!
For example, in this play, as soon as Kemp released the ball, Miller had already adjusted his position and stood in front of Posen!
He didn't even need to try to steal the ball; it just flew straight into his hands!
If you only look at the result, it wasn't Miller who made the steal, but Kemp who made the pass!
"Lin!" Miller shouted, passing the ball to Christie near the center line. Christie, without stopping, quickly threw the ball towards the empty frontcourt.
The basketball bounced alone on the court, and no one around could catch up with or get the ball. Just as the basketball was about to go out of bounds, a pair of large hands suddenly caught it.
"boom!"
Then, the owner of those hands took the initiative to jump up and slammed the ball into the basket, scoring a sure two points!
The yellow number seven jersey fluttered in the air, and the entire stadium began chanting Lin Tian's name once again!
"That was a good lead for Doug, it's kind of like me!" Lin Tian said after landing, finding Christie and giving him a high five with a smile.
The Cavaliers' next offensive possession finally saw Zydrunas Ilgauskas hit a mid-range shot, but the Cavaliers had no chance to catch their breath because the Pacers started running again!
Lin Tian once again took the lead, even though he didn't have a basketball in his hands. But how could the Cavaliers let him go? Persson and Knight, these two unfortunate brothers, could only grit their teeth and do their best to chase after Lin Tian.
But even after Lin Tian drove to the Cavaliers' basket, the basketball didn't come over.
The Pacers' fast break is probably not going to happen this time!
Persson and Knight both breathed a sigh of relief; their desperate run hadn't been in vain. The two even exchanged a glance and gave each other an encouraging smile.
"Bro, well done this round!"
"No, no, no... you defended even better!"
Ok?
and many more……
After exchanging glances, Persson and Knight realized the problem.
Both of our guards were following Lin Tian around the three-second zone, but what about Miller?
Where's the league's best shooter? Who's marking him?
The answer, of course, is no one!
Miller ran all the way to the three-point line and stood firm. Christie's pass had already arrived. Within a three-meter radius of Miller, there wasn't a single defender!
Kemp, who was closest to him, glanced at the scene and decided to give up rather than waste his energy.
If Miller doesn't make that kind of shot, he might as well quit the league!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp crack, Miller was on fire tonight, shooting with incredible accuracy!
The Pacers continued to extend their lead.
As the first quarter progressed, the Pacers gradually took control of the game. There was a significant gap in strength between the two teams. By the end of the first quarter, the Pacers had widened the gap considerably through several fast breaks and their excellent ability to score during transitions between offense and defense.
33: 24!
The Pacers led by 9 points in the first quarter!
Before the start of the second quarter, Bird sat next to Barkley and suddenly said, "Charles, when you were on the court, we scored a lot, but we were behind. After you went to the bench to rest, we suddenly took a 9-point lead."
"You'd better step up your game in the second quarter! Otherwise, a lot of people will say I made a bad choice with my players and didn't start Dell!"
Barkley frowned as he listened to Bird's words.
Who is this silly bird trying to insult by speaking in such a roundabout way?
Do you really think I can't hear it?
Doesn't this mean I played poorly and dragged the team down?
If Dale Davis really plays well but doesn't start, who in the league will be criticized? Need I say more?
It definitely wasn't Bird!
He himself will definitely be the number one target! As for who else will be dragged down, that depends on how well Davis plays.
With that in mind, Barkley didn't respond to Bird's words, but instead walked towards the court.
Are you implying I'm a cancer, huh? Do you really think I'm stupid enough not to understand?
I, Sir Charles, am smarter than a monkey!
When Barkley came on, the Cavaliers didn't let Kemp go up against him right away. Instead, they let Kemp, who had been exhausted in the first quarter, sit on the bench and rest for a while.
But on the entire Cavaliers team, besides Kemp, who else can match up against Barkley?
No matter who it is, if they face Barkley, they will be crushed and beaten mercilessly!
As soon as Barkley saw that Kemp was not there, he immediately entered his most excited state!
No matter which Cavaliers center he faced besides Kemp, Barkley was unstoppable, scoring with all sorts of fancy moves! And even if he missed, his big elbows would create enough space for him to grab offensive rebounds and score on second-chance opportunities!
Less than three minutes into the second quarter, Barkley scored seven points, including a three-point play!
He has indeed gotten old; he can no longer run or jump as high as he used to when he was younger.
But he still has the size to dominate the Cavaliers' rotation big men, so there's no problem with him!
With Barkley scoring 7 consecutive points, the gap between the two sides has widened to 13 points!
At this point, Cavaliers head coach Fratello dared not let Kemp rest any longer. He quickly called Kemp and Knight to his side and said, "Pick and roll! Shawn, you and Blevin run pick and rolls to attack their interior defense and Barkley's lack of lateral quickness!"
With a dead ball, Kemp and Knight both stepped onto the court. The first offensive play after they came on was Kemp setting a screen for Knight, who quickly broke through. At the same time, Kemp, seeing that Barkley was not as fast as him, also lowered his head and walked towards the inside!
Although Davis still had his presence in the Pacers' paint, there was clearly not much he could do against Kemp, who was sprinting at full speed and running at full speed.
Knight delivered a precise one-handed bounce pass to Kemp, who caught the ball with both hands and jumped straight to the basket.
"boom!"
With a loud bang, Kemp leaped into the air and displayed near-perfect physical abilities, switching from holding the ball with both hands to one hand, dodging Davis's defense and block, and slamming the ball into the basket over the powerful forward!
"Whistle! Goal stands! Dale Davis commits a hand foul, one more penalty!"
As Kemp landed and roared in celebration of the dunk, referee Vitti blew his whistle!
"None of you can stop me!" Kemp pounded his chest with both hands, arrogant and domineering!
(End of this chapter)