stonecrandall Chapter 509 The Near-Fall at Auburn Hills Palace Incident, Everything
Chapter 509 The Near-Fall at Auburn Hills Palace Incident, Everything
In the latter part of the first quarter, after both sides substituted their reserve players, the pace and efficiency of the game slowed down.
Especially Ward, who doesn't have the same aggressive, push-and-attack ability as Lin Tian, so Nelson paired him with Anthony, the team's best scorer, as well as Barnes and Wallace, two more blue-collar forwards.
This lineup, needless to say, is all about giving the ball to Anthony and letting him get going.
If the opposing team can defend it, it will only take 3-4 minutes anyway. In addition, Ward almost never plays fast breaks and has a calm and steady personality. With him in charge, the team's pace will inevitably drop rapidly, and it will be all about methodical positional play.
If the pace of the game can't be fast, the opponent can't expect to quickly catch up or widen the score gap.
If the opposing forwards can't contain Anthony and he completely dominates him from the inside out, then the Knicks can take advantage of this wave to further widen the score gap and win more and more games!
Tonight, Anthony encountered a huge predicament.
Christie, who returned to the bench due to a decline in form, and Artest, who started the game, are both top-notch defenders. These two guys could easily handle Anthony in his early stages.
Because Anthony struggled to break through the defense of these two players, he only made 1 of 4 shots in the remainder of the first quarter, and the Pacers managed to narrow the gap to within 10 points.
27: 36!
The two teams entered the second quarter with a 9-point difference.
In the second quarter, Don Nelson changed his lineup again, bringing out the most mobile lineup he could field at the moment!
Stoudemire will play center, Josh Smith will play power forward, Gerald Wallace will play small forward, and Lin Tian and Barnes will team up in the backcourt.
This lineup basically consists of the five fastest, highest-jumping, and most aggressive players on the Knicks right now. Each of these five players has monstrous physical attributes!
On his first offensive play on the court, Lin Tian continued to run pick-and-roll with Stoudemire, but this time he didn't pass the ball to Stoudemire. Instead, after the two of them set a screen, Lin Tian immediately threw the ball to Smith, who was sprinting towards the basket.
Smith, making his first regular season appearance in his professional career, leaped into the air, stretching out his arms as if he were reaching for the moon in the sky. Then, he grabbed the basketball with both hands and slammed it into the basket with all his might!
"boom!"
That loud bang was like opening Pandora's box; in the next few minutes, the Knicks' offense exploded!
Not only did their scores skyrocket, but even more astonishingly, they barely played on the ground.
Yes, their entire team is almost entirely flying in the sky!
After grabbing the rebound, Lin Tian found Wallace who was running down the court and made a precise long-range pass from more than half the court to assist Wallace for an alley-oop dunk.
Lin Tian and Smith set a screen, then Lin Tian found Stoudemire on the other side and assisted Stoudemire to once again cleave the mountain with one hand!
Then Lin Tian set a pick-and-roll with Stoudemire again. This time, after Stoudemire got the ball, he turned and drove into the paint, then pulled up for another two-handed dunk!
Miller finally scored a 2-pointer, but Lin Tian initiated another pick-and-roll. This time, the Pacers dared not let Stoudemire roll to the basket easily, but they forgot that if Lin Tian's firepower were to erupt, it would be far more terrifying than Stoudemire's!
"boom!"
Immediately following was another loud bang, as Lin Tian once again drove into the paint and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands.
The two sides traded baskets for four minutes, with the Knicks almost always ending their offense with a dunk or layup. Relying on Lin Tian's terrifying threat during pick-and-rolls and the decisive and quick instincts of other players, they repeatedly attacked the paint and ravaged the rim.
The Pacers' interior duo was completely overwhelmed.
Carlisle realized that if the Knicks continued playing like this, their players would get completely carried away, making it even more difficult to stop them.
He could only call a timeout and then bring in players like Artest and Christie who are good at defense.
But Don Nelson also quickly changed his strategy.
Okur, Anthony, and Jackson all came on the court together, along with Lin Tian and Stoudemire, bringing the Knicks' starting lineup back to the court.
With this lineup on the court, they certainly stopped playing in mid-air, but the Knicks' offense became much more three-dimensional and layered.
With Anthony's mid-range shots, Okur and Jackson's three-pointers, Stoudemire's drives to the basket, and Lin Tian's almost omnipotent offensive performance, the Pacers were completely powerless to resist when this starting lineup returned to the court and unleashed their full offensive firepower.
Even though Carlisle fielded his best defensive lineup, the Knicks were simply too relentless in their attack.
Under their relentless and frenzied offensive, the score difference between the two sides was essentially widened by the end of the first half.
45: 67!
On this night when the team's championship banner is raised, the Pacers are about to be crushed by their opponents!
In fact, the Knicks didn't put much intensity on them, nor did they put them through much defense or physical contact.
The Knicks just run! Keep running!
After running, throw it. If you can't throw it, rush into the paint and smash it. If you can't smash it, leave it to Lin Tian to do!
This seemingly simple offensive system, under the guidance of Lin Tian's strong individual ability and the Knicks players' vigorous firepower, completely overwhelmed the Pacers' defense!
At the start of the third quarter, Carlisle was prepared to put up some resistance. He changed the starting lineup, replacing Ginobili with Christie. He hoped that Christie and Artest could put some pressure on Lin Tian and curb his unrestrained passing.
But it had no effect!
Nothing works.
These two old friends of Lin Tian were completely unable to contain him, and the Knicks' firepower became even more insane in the third quarter!
The game started with Lin Tian driving to mid-range and hitting a difficult pull-up jumper. Then, Lin Tian passed the ball to Anthony and Okur outside the three-point line, assisting each of them to hit a three-pointer!
Although the Pacers did score during this period, their scoring efficiency and speed were far behind the Knicks' scoring pace.
It can't be defended, and it can't be attacked.
This is the predicament the Pacers faced tonight, and it's a predicament that all teams in the league will face this season, and even in the next few seasons.
How do we take down Lin Tian and his Knicks?
How to contain this team's firepower?
Should we fight with all our might to surround and block them, and shut down their attack, or should we show the same attitude and confidence as them, and fight them head-on?
This is difficult, extremely difficult!
Although it was just one game, or even just half a game, the Knicks' performance tonight was enough to give all the teams that follow them a headache.
What truly sealed the victory was the final two minutes of the third quarter. The point difference between the two teams had remained around 20 points throughout the quarter, and in the last two minutes of the third quarter, thanks to the resilience they had built up over the past few years, they even narrowed the gap to 20 points!
They're just one step away from scoring over 10 points, and that's when the Pacers can get going!
It was at this moment that Lin Tian stepped forward once again.
他先是一次强杀篮下造成韦伯犯规的同时还打进2分，接着在2+1打成之后不到20秒的时间3分线外突施冷箭，将分差再次扩大到了26分！
Then, just as Webber was going all out, putting all his effort into a one-on-one attack on Stoudemire under the basket, and had successfully tricked Stoudemire into getting up, Lin Tian suddenly appeared out of nowhere, slapping Webber's layup away and leading the team to launch another counterattack!
This time, it was Anthony who finished the job.
Lin Tian dribbled the ball all the way to the Pacers' heart of the court, and then made another no-look pass. With his eyes fixed on Stoudemire on his left, the basketball passed from behind Lin Tian to Anthony's hands.
"boom!"
After another powerful dunk, with only 1.2 seconds left in the third quarter, the gap between the two teams had widened to as much as 28 points!
8: 0!
Lin Tian's two shots, one pass, and one block completely dominated the Knicks' offensive surge. It was this 8-0 run that made it impossible for the Pacers to continue their resistance or show their resilience.
The score difference is just too big!
In the fourth quarter, Lin Tian and Stoudemire, among other key players, played for another 2-3 minutes midway through the quarter, stabilizing the score difference once again and extinguishing the Pacers' last offensive surge. The Knicks' key players then left the court early.
The rest of the games will be garbage time.
That night, in the Knicks' first regular season appearance since the team was formed, Lin Tian personally defeated his former team, leading his team to an easy and resounding victory!
124: 99!
The final score difference between the two sides was 25 points!
In this era, a score of 99 is definitely above average, which proves that the Pacers' offensive performance today was actually not bad.
But the problem is, they were completely overwhelmed and destroyed by the Knicks!
They scored 99 points, but also lost by a full 25 points!
That night in Indiana, although the championship banner was raised, it must be said that they had officially begun to move away from the next championship banner.
At least with the current group of players, they can forget about winning a new championship!
When the rebuild will be completed and another top star can be brought in to lead the team to a championship, only God knows.
That night, the team's current star player, Webber, had a poor performance, making only 5 of 17 shots, scoring 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, along with 3 turnovers.
That night, Webber was practically devoured alive by Stoudemire!
Apart from Webber, the Pacers' Parker, Ginobili, Howard, and Miller all scored in double figures, but none of them scored more than 20 points.
Five players scoring in double figures demonstrate the team's balance and unity, but the fact that no one scored more than 20 points also indicates that the team lacks a true leader and offensive core!
Webber might have been able to do it seven years ago, but now, after returning from a knee injury, his athleticism has declined significantly, and his impact on the game is not what it used to be.
Webber is clearly no longer capable of shouldering the responsibility of being the team's leader.
至于尼克斯那边，小斯拿下全队最高的26分8篮板，安东尼也有22分5篮板3助攻入帐，替补上来的史密斯打出生涯完美首秀，5投5中奉献了5次精彩绝伦的空中轰炸。
In addition, Okur hit three three-pointers for 11 points, and Jackson also scored 10 points!
Finally, there's the team leader, Lin Tian, who, despite only scoring 21 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out 21 assists, and had only 3 turnovers!
As I said before: Lin Tian single-handedly revitalized the team!
With 21 points and 21 rebounds, he became the first player in Knicks history to record 20 points and 20 rebounds in his debut game after joining the team!
Tonight, Lin Tian didn't display the terrifying all-powerful, high-flying scoring prowess of previous seasons, but his versatility remained. The way he shared, organized, and operated the team reminded everyone once again that he is not just a scorer; his primary job is to organize!
"A truly breathtaking game!" Barkley exclaimed after the match. "The Knicks seemed to need no adjustment period at all; they just went straight into the game! I think Lin has found a coach who's perfect for him in some ways!"
"Old Nelson's crazy offense allows Lin to play without restraint, to freely display his talent, and to run to his heart's content!"
"During his time with the Pacers, although Lin had won the assist title for many years and was widely recognized as the best point guard in the league, he was not able to fully unleash his passing ability due to the team's roster."
"He has to take more of the offense himself, take more of the shots, but with the Knicks, there are plenty of offensive geniuses, plenty of people who can put the ball in the basket. Here, Lin can just do what he wants to do!"
Kenny added, "If the previous Pacers team had a historic offense and a fairly good defense, making them a very well-rounded team, then this Knicks team might create the other extreme."
"A super offensive team with an extreme offense and a terrifying scoring ability, capable of destroying the opponent's entire defense with just its offense!"
"Of course, this is just one game. Whether the Knicks can maintain this form, whether they can keep this level of offense and unleash this devastating offensive firepower every game day, will be a key factor in how far they can go this season."
"One thing that can be seen from this game is that this Knicks team has absolutely no defense and is completely unprepared to play defense! Even with Lin, the best defensive player, they are not prepared to play defense."
"By overwhelming the opponent with offense! This style is quite in line with Nelson's philosophy."
Barkley laughed and said, "So, I think that this coming season, as long as it's not a really bad team, everyone should be able to put up some impressive scoring numbers against the Knicks. Even if I had five grandmas on a team, we could still score 100 points against them!"
"Oh, no disrespect to the Pacers, I love Indiana, but they really played terribly tonight. Chris needs to reflect on that. He needs to think about how he should carry this team and how he should step up when the team needs him."
"Over the past few years, he has forgotten how to be the face and the face of a team. He needs to rediscover that feeling and become a leader again."
"His performance tonight was terrible! Relying solely on passing and playmaking isn't enough to carry the team to its former glory!"
As the two commentators shared their reflections, Lin Tian walked up to his former teammates and hugged and waved to each of them.
Lin Tian talked to everyone for a long time and gave many people some advice.
For example, make Parker play more aggressively and be more decisive when breaking through, make Ginobili more confident and pass the ball when he sees an opportunity, and at the same time make Webber more confident and try to find his former self.
There's no way around it; they were all my former juniors. Even though we're not on the same team anymore, I still have to offer them guidance.
However, to Lin Tian's surprise, while everyone was in a good mood, greeting him with smiles and chatting, Artest, who was usually the most talkative and boisterous, greeted Lin Tian sullenly and left.
Lin Tian wanted to call him, but the guy didn't give Lin Tian any face. No matter how many times Lin Tian called, he didn't turn around and left the stadium directly.
Seeing that the guy was angry, Lin Tian thought about it for a moment and understood why he was so unhappy.
这个晚上的阿泰斯特出场26分钟，6次出手只命中2球，总共只拿下5分3篮板2抢断。
Whether it's shot attempts, playing time, or statistics, he's worse than last year.
And the difference is not just a little bit.
Last year, he was the team's second-leading scorer, always charging alongside Lin Tian. However, in the first game of this year's season, he clearly didn't perform well.
"Rick, Ron, he..." Lin Tian couldn't help but ask Carlisle.
"He was a little annoyed because we're going to be playing a completely new game this season, and because you're not here, we'll have to use more complex and disciplined tactics and playing styles to get open shots and better shooting opportunities."
"But Ron isn't quite suited to it. He doesn't like running complicated plays, and he doesn't really remember those things. He prefers to dribble and isolate, but that destroys the style of play that's more suitable for us."
"Or to put it more bluntly, when you were there, he was the team's second-best player, and opponents wouldn't focus too much on him. But now Ron has to face the opponent's number one defensive specialist."
"His skill level is no longer sufficient to support his previous style of playing one-on-one and detached from the system."
At this point, Carlisle sighed and said, "We've all been spoiled by you. With you around, the matches were always simple and easy. But now that you're gone, we have to start all over again. It's only now that I realize how difficult the matches really are!"
"There's no other way, we'll have to start from scratch and take it one step at a time. Hopefully, Ron can hold on and regain his form."
Seeing that Carlisle looked noticeably older and had become even balder, Lin Tian didn't say anything more.
This person seems to be under considerable pressure.
There's nothing we can do about it; the Pacers don't have Lin Tian anymore.
With Lin Tian on the team, they can continue to challenge for consecutive championships, and their goal could even be the Celtics' eighth consecutive title.
But now, he has to figure out how to get the team back together, find a new core player, find a new style of play, adapt to playing without Lin Tian, and then get the team into the playoffs.
In terms of goals, they are worlds apart.
Well... of course, the Pacers' public stance is still that they want to continue their pursuit of the championship.
Whether everyone believes it or not, whether they have the ability, and how far they are from the championship, they still have to shout it.
As for Lin Tian, he still decided to call Artest to see if he could get his old friend to adjust his mindset, as only in this way could he continue to help the Pacers move forward.
At the very least, this will prevent Artest from being seen as a cancer and being kicked out of the team again.
But...
It's over.
Lin Tian hit three times in a row, and Artest was defeated each time.
Knowing that Artest didn't want to talk about it, Lin Tian had no choice but to leave Indiana overnight and return to New York to prepare for the next game.
Lin Tian could only send Artest a text message, expressing his support and that he would always stand by Artest's side, and that Artest could talk to him anytime if he needed anything.
Besides that, Lin Tian couldn't help him much.
Let's just hope the Pacers don't have any internal strife.
They were all old buddies who played ball together, and although they weren't together anymore, Lin Tian genuinely hoped they were doing well.
For the next two weeks, the Knicks were on the go, playing games one after another. Until November 17, 2004, the Knicks played a total of 11 games and achieved an excellent record of 8 wins and 3 losses!
Their performance in these 11 games was exactly as everyone expected.
Their offense is indeed the best in the league, and they have unleashed unparalleled firepower!
In all eight of their victories, they scored over 115 points, ranking first in the league!
They also lead the league in dunks and assists per game! Their possessions and offensive efficiency are also among the highest in the league!
However, of course, such a frenetic pace and relentless attack resulted in them having the highest number of turnovers and the highest number of points allowed in the entire league.
In 11 games, they allowed over 100 points in 10 of them. The only game in which they didn't allow over 100 points was the first game against the Pacers.
In other words, they have conceded over 100 points in 10 consecutive games.
If this data were applied to other teams, they would be at the bottom of the league, competing for the 05 number one draft pick.
But now, with the Knicks' record of 8 wins and 3 losses, they've managed to climb to second place in the Eastern Conference!
Of course, they also have their own problems, and they are quite obvious.
That is the feel of the ball when defending and when attacking.
If they lose their touch and their opponents start collapsing their defense to shut down Stoudemire and others, the Knicks' offense will immediately run into problems.
For example, the three games they lost were almost identical.
In two of the three games, the Knicks did not score more than 100 points, and the reason for not scoring more than 100 points was the same in both games.
With a poor shooting touch from beyond the arc and the opponent collapsing into the paint to defend the basket, Stoudemire and others' attempts to attack the rim were severely hampered, making it difficult to break through the opponent's defense. The team's offense was reduced to relying solely on Lin Tian and Anthony's isolation plays and shooting.
After the Knicks' mobile offense turned into one-on-one situations in the half-court, their offensive rhythm and efficiency naturally suffered a significant drop!
At this point, their defensive habits, willingness, and ability are insufficient to help them stay in the game through defense, nor can they rely on defense to catch up.
With such a vicious cycle of losing on both offense and defense, the Knicks naturally lost the game!
In the first 11 games of November, the Knicks delivered a historic performance on both ends of the court.
The offense is historically good, the defense is historically bad!
Fortunately, their offensive advantage was greater, which allowed them to win 8 games.
However, this extreme imbalance between offense and defense has led many to doubt their chances of winning the championship.
This team is so exciting, passionate, and always makes the top 10 plays; it's sure to secure a good position in the playoffs.
However, when it comes to the conference finals and above, the Knicks, who only have offense, will not have an advantage against the opponent's tight defense and targeted strategies!
However, the Knicks are not considering that at the moment.
Everyone on the team had a blast! And their fans had a blast watching the game too!
Tickets for the Knicks' home games are selling like hotcakes, and Dolan is even considering raising the price of home game tickets slightly!
It's incredibly popular.
Bringing Lin Tian in was definitely a huge win!
Just as the Knicks were jubilant and the whole team was excited and in high spirits, something happened to the Pacers.
On November 18, 2004, the Pacers, who had a poor record of only 3 wins and 7 losses in their first 10 games and were in a very slump, arrived in Detroit to challenge the Detroit Pistons, who were currently ranked first in the league.
There's not much to say about the first three quarters of this game. Facing the Pacers, who eliminated them last year and created the first upset miracle since the best-of-seven format was introduced, the Detroit players didn't care about Lin Tian's absence.
Fight! Fight them to the death!
They used their tough defense and aggressive physical play to make life incredibly difficult for the Pacers!
In this extreme physical confrontation, only Artest could withstand it. Only this guy, who was originally out of step with the team's tactics, used his toughness and ferocity to carve a bloody path for the team.
After three quarters, the score was 56-63, with the Pistons leading by 7 points.
For the Pacers, Artest scored a team-high 20 points, the only player on the team to score in double figures, which is also his highest score of the season!
Artest definitely got his revenge tonight!
But apart from him, the other Pacers players really performed terribly!
In the fourth quarter, a rather discordant scene suddenly occurred during the game.
During a post-up move, Ben Wallace blew past Webber and was about to shoot a layup when Ron Artest, who was helping on defense, suddenly stepped forward and shoved Wallace.
Big Ben immediately fell to the ground, landing sideways on the floor.
Artest's malicious foul came incredibly suddenly, but considering the high level of physical contact and aggressive play between the two teams throughout the night, Artest's sudden action wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
When has Ben ever been someone who would suffer a loss?
The guy suddenly sprang up from the floor and charged at Artest. He raised his hands, about to shove Artest, but then abruptly pulled them back.
Instead, it's the head.
Ben Wallace shoved his head into Ron Artest's forehead and yelled at him, "If it weren't for Lin, if it weren't for your good relationship with him and the fact that you've played with him, I could have knocked you out of the game right now!"
"It's only because of Lin that I didn't kill you! If it weren't for Lin, I could have sent you straight to the hospital with that one blow!" Artest retorted, sticking his neck out and yelling back at Ben Affleck.
"If you've got the guts, come up to me in the ring! If you've got the guts, have a real fight with me!"
"What's wrong, Ben? Do you need help?" While Artest and Ben were locked in a standoff, Rasheed, Billups, Wells, and Hamilton had already rushed over and surrounded Artest without anyone noticing.
As for the Pacers players?
Christie and Webber were both on the court at the moment, along with Parker and Ginobili.
Firstly, these four guys didn't expect things to develop so quickly, ending up with five people surrounding Artest. Secondly, they weren't exactly known for being tough or ruthless.
So for a moment, they didn't even realize what was happening and failed to support their partner immediately.
Seeing himself surrounded by five men, Artest knew that it was wise not to fight a losing battle. He cleverly pushed Hamilton in front of him again, then fought and retreated, exchanging insults with the five men all the way back to the midfield technical table.
At this point, several Pacers players finally reacted and rushed to Artest's side to provide support. At the same time, the referees also arrived and stepped between the two groups to prevent the situation from escalating further.
In no time, dozens of people gathered at the scene, and the whole scene became chaotic.
But Artest was unusually calm at this moment, or rather, unusually disappointed and disheartened.
If Lin were here, he would never have let me suffer this humiliation!
I would have beaten those bastards a long time ago!
Instead of letting Lao Tzu be surrounded and insulted by five people in a one-on-one situation.
Feeling a sense of disappointment, Artest did not stay on the court after the referee brought the situation under control, and did not even wait for the referee to announce the verdict.
Instead, he went straight to the players' tunnel and left the field early.
At this point, if Bird or Miller had come to Detroit with the team, it wouldn't have been a problem; everything would have been fine. Both of them could have handled Artest.
Unfortunately, neither of them traveled with the team to the away game. Although Carlisle wanted to persuade them, the game was still ongoing, and he simply couldn't find the time.
After the game is over, I'll definitely have a good talk with Artest.
But Carlisle clearly didn't expect that his wait would lead to such a major incident. (End of Chapter)