stonecrandall Chapter 733 Your grandma is only on par with Stockton! Your whole family is...
Chapter 733 Your grandma is only on par with Stockton! Your whole family is...
"Incredible!" Barkley uttered this line for what felt like the umpteenth time tonight. Needless to say, he was once again impressed by Lin Tian's performance!
"Let's look at the stats. Since Lin returned to the court, starting at 70-65, the Knicks have scored a total of 15 points in this quarter! Lin didn't score a single point; all the points came from his teammates."
"But every single one of those plays, every single one of them! It was an assist from Lin! From Nate's dunk, Okur's three-pointer, Hill's alley-oop, Ariza's three-pointer, and of course, Okur's three-pointer." Kenny glanced at the data in his hand and began to analyze.
"Besides Lin, the Knicks' other four players were almost always on target, and all their baskets came from Lin's assists! What is vision? What is control? What makes a top-tier point guard?"
"I think Lin's performance tonight says it all! He's the greatest point guard in history since the position was created, since basketball had five positions! He's that strong, that terrifying!"
"Before Lin, who could have imagined a game could be played like this? Who could have imagined someone playing so effortlessly on the Finals court? A furious offensive first quarter, a madcap passing second quarter! Lin gave everyone a perfect experience with his unparalleled skills in those two quarters!"
"And what's even more amazing," Miller added, "is that no matter whether Lin chooses to pass or attack himself, the team always manages to gain the upper hand in the final moments of the quarter! Whatever he does, whatever he does, he's always helping the team!"
"Let's look at the data from both sides." Payton was afraid that these bastards might suddenly decide to drag him into the comparison while praising Lin Tian.
Well, it's not so much a comparison as it is a humiliation! I can't give these bastards any chance, I can't give them any opportunity to humiliate me, so Payton decided to skip the part about analyzing the game's progress and go straight to studying the player data.
"Steve Nash's performance in the first half was absolutely perfect! He scored several points in a row at the end of the first quarter, and he also led the team on a run when Lin and Pierce were out, even taking the lead at one point!"
"He's already recorded a massive double-double with 17 points and 14 assists! And tonight, Nash once again successfully controlled his turnovers, managing only 2 turnovers while dishing out 14 assists!"
"The Suns' top scorer was Pierce, who repeatedly scored one-on-one against Lin Tian midway through the second quarter and then against Ariza late in the second quarter! He already has 23 points and 5 rebounds tonight! The Suns' star duo's performance tonight was as consistent and impeccable as ever!"
「另外，马里昂拿下11分7篮板2助攻2抢断2盖帽的超全能数据！马丁10分4篮板的表现也一样相当不俗！太阳队半场就能有4人得分上双，他们今晚的火力，绝对是被他们发挥到登峰造极的地步了！」
"But they're still down by 5 points! As for the reason?"
「当你对手之中的头号球星半场比赛就拿下25分15次助攻8篮板4抢断1盖帽的时侯，你半场落后5分，那都是少的了！」
Yes, Peyton was talking about Lin Tian!
"This guy already had a near triple-double of 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists in the first half! Considering he rested a bit in the second quarter due to an accident and his usual tendency to be even more aggressive and fierce in the second half than the first, it's still anyone's guess what kind of stats and terrifying performance he'll put up tonight!"
"Besides Lin, Stoudemire and Anthony combined for 29 points, and Okur also scored 10. Like the Suns, the Knicks had four players scoring in double figures!"
"But the biggest difference between the two teams is that the Suns only had six players score in total. On the other hand, the Knicks had nine players contribute points in the first half alone!"
"At least in terms of depth and bench energy, the Knicks absolutely crushed the Suns! But that's a problem with the head coach, and the players really had no choice but to accept it."
"The best news for the Suns right now is that the series has come this far. The players can grit their teeth and get through it. There won't be any physical collapse."
"I think that once both sides have rested and recharged, we'll definitely be able to enjoy an even more exciting match!"
Payton spoke with smug satisfaction! He thought he was incredibly awesome!
He deftly defused the crisis by casually changing the subject and making it easy! He prevented those idiots from even having a chance to steer the conversation back to him!
But clearly, Payton overestimated himself and underestimated the three seasoned veterans next door.
"Gary, who do you think is better on defense, you or Lin?" Barkley asked a seemingly harmless question first.
"We each have our strengths! I think we've both won Defensive Player of the Year, so our defensive capabilities are about equal! Of course, I admit it! I can't guard him, and the gap between us on offense is even bigger, I don't deny that!"
While answering, Payton demonstrated his shrewdness and extensive experience.
Heh heh, trying to set me up?
dream!
I'm not going to fall for that!
"Steve Nash is better than you! Lin couldn't guard him, and Nash got 17 points and 14 rebounds in such a short time! How many times in your entire career have you gotten 17 points and 14 rebounds in a full game?"
"I think if you were in your prime and went up against Steve, you would definitely get crushed!" Barkley chuckled, implying that his little brother had fallen for his trick.
We're not waiting to see how well you play on the offensive end!
What we've been waiting for is your line, "My defense is about the same as Lin's!"
Similar to Lin, he's just like Lin Tian, and he's not very good at containing Nash!
That means he's not as good as Nash!
"Charles, that's not a fair comparison! Steve is an MVP, he's won MVP." Miller immediately chimed in sarcastically, "But is Gary an MVP? No! So he shouldn't be compared to Steve! I think he'd be better suited to be compared to the Celtics' Parker or the Hornets' Baron Davis."
"They're in the same league!"
"I think Paul from the Warriors has a better future than Payton! He's a good defender, and although he's small, he's fierce and quite dirty. I have high hopes for him." Kenny didn't give Payton a chance to retaliate and immediately chimed in.
"What about Deron and Felton? Are they worse than Paul?" Miller spread his hands, indicating that he had to say something to his younger brothers.
"If we were to rank the greatest point guards in NBA history right now, Lin and Magic Johnson would definitely be in the top two, followed by Isaiah, and then Oscar Robertson."
"Don't forget Terrence Frazier! He won two championships!" Barkley eagerly interjected.
"Bob Cousy also deserves a top-five spot, and if West is considered a point guard, then these five players are definitely in the top five!"
Miller frowned and said, "Steve Nash won MVP, doesn't he deserve a top-five finish?"
Kenny shrugged. "But he doesn't have a championship! If you don't have a championship, you're not even in the top five! That's a hard and fast rule!"
"You mean you should be ranked in the top five? Mr. Champion?" Barkley immediately followed up with a sarcastic remark!
In the next three minutes, these three guys uttered a total of seven or eight names. In the end, even Barkley started lending money to Paul and Deron, saying that these two guys were destined for greatness!
From beginning to end, Payton's name was never even mentioned!
But Payton held back.
He knew that if he didn't join in, those three bastards would eventually get tired and bored, and then stop this stupid discussion. But what if he joined in?
Hehe, then I'll prepare to be bothered to death by these three bastards!
In the end, it was Miller who was best at being sarcastic and provocative. Seeing that Payton remained silent, Miller suddenly blurted out, "Alright, that's about it for the top ten. Now there's only one spot left. Should we choose John Stockton, or dear Gary?"
Barkley immediately understood Miller's meaning and said with a sly grin, "They're both equally good! I suggest a tie for tenth! There are 11 point guards in the top ten of all time, which makes perfect sense!"
"Your grandma's legs are reasonable!"
"I'm not in the same league as that bastard Stockton! I'm not on par with him! You're the one who's on par with him!" Payton snapped!
Upon hearing that he was on par with Stockton, Payton immediately lost his composure!
He could accept that he was inferior to Hardaway and Kidd, and he could even accept that Barkley and others said that Paul would definitely be better than him in ten years.
But Payton couldn't stand it!
What decent person could tolerate being compared to Stockton?
Even the ancestors would be so angry they'd crawl out of their graves and slap Payton twice.
This is a disgrace to the family!
Seeing that Payton had finally broken down, the other three were completely satisfied. They laughed heartily and continued to analyze who was stronger, Payton or Stockton.
"Why the hell isn't the fourth quarter starting yet? Is there a power outage? When am I going to be able to watch the fourth quarter?" Payton was absolutely furious!
He had even forgotten which quarter of the game it was.
Of course, this isn't Payton's fault.
77: 82!
If you asked 10 people to guess the score, 8 would think it meant the third quarter was over, while the remaining 2 would think the game was finished.
Given his anger, it wouldn't be a big deal if Payton made a slight mistake.
"Are you asleep, Gary?"
"Did Stockton kick you in the head?"
「斯托克顿排第十吧！你一个连1、2、3、4都数不清的人，不配排在前十，你第11好了。」
The three men launched into another barrage of insults at Payton, leaving him barely able to open his eyes.
There's nothing you can do about it; it's the NBA. Every position has a few topics that you can't even bring up.
As for the taboo topics for the other four positions...
I haven't decided yet, I don't know.
But one of the biggest taboos for the point guard position is definitely this.
Nobody wants to be compared to Stockton!
The banter and teasing between the four players during halftime was quite entertaining for the fans, who felt they hadn't had enough before the halftime break ended!
The best news for Payton is that if he doesn't want to watch the third quarter, then he won't!
107: 112!
In the third quarter, both sides slowed down their offensive intensity slightly, with both scoring 30 points in the quarter, resulting in a tie!
The gap between the two sides remains at 5 points!
It's worth mentioning that the key players on both sides played almost the entire quarter!
Especially for the Suns, Nash and Marion played the full 36 minutes, and Pierce only got a short rest when he went to take a dump. Judging from D'Antoni's expression, none of these three will get a single minute of rest tonight!
As for the Knicks, although they have had much more playing time and 11 players have already taken the court, with 10 of them scoring, their playing time is only balanced compared to the Suns!
Of the five starters, apart from Barnes, the other four have played more than 30 minutes. If there are no surprises, these four will most likely play the last 12 minutes as well. So tonight, there will be at least 6 or 7 players on both sides who have played more than 40 minutes!
It's easy to see from his playing time that even Don Nelson was relatively conservative tonight; he didn't let his madness and recklessness continue.
And as everyone can see, tonight's match has almost turned into an ultimate test of willpower and physical strength!
Whoever has better physical fitness, whoever can persevere longer, whoever has more energy reserves, and whoever can muster the strength to fight again in the fourth quarter, will be the winner tonight!
As Lin Tian received the pass from Anthony at the baseline, the fourth quarter began!
Needless to say, D'Antoni brought out his strongest lineup early on!
Martin, Marion, Pierce, Barbosa, and Nash!
This lineup is the same one they use to finish the game in almost 95% of the matches!
D'Antoni's decision to bring on these five players at this point proves once again that he won't make substitutions in the fourth quarter unless there are foul troubles or injuries!
The Knicks are in a similar situation!
Don Nelson used four starters, then replaced Barnes with Hill to form his starting lineup for tonight!
By bringing in Hill at this point, Don Nelson's intention was clearly to have Hill use his experience and skills to help the team!
Furthermore, Don Nelson directly entrusted Hill with the crucial task of guarding Pierce!
He believes that at this stage, the best player to defend Pierce is Hill!
No matter how little emphasis is placed on defense, at this point, Don Nelson still chose to field a veteran with better defensive ability and more experience on the court!
At this crucial moment in the game, there's no room for error! Even Don Nelson wouldn't be so reckless anymore!
At the start of the fourth quarter, Hill showed that he was better than Barnes!
Lin Tian brought the ball to the frontcourt and, as usual, set a pick and roll with Stoudemire. After the two quickly separated at the top of the arc, Stoudemire made a rapid cut to the inside, while Lin Tian suddenly took a step back!
This retreat terrified Barbosa. He quickly stepped forward to block him, worried that Lin Tian would directly launch a three-pointer. But just as he stepped forward, Lin Tian suddenly crouched down and accelerated, transforming into a lightning bolt, passing by Barbosa in the blink of an eye!
Marion, who was defending Stoudemire, had no choice but to quickly turn around and chase after Lin Tian. Martin also had no choice but to leave Okur alone and block Stoudemire's route for a direct dunk.
Faced with this situation, Lin Tian made a rather easy no-look pass, delivering the ball to Hill on the wing.
If Barnes had the ball in that position, he would definitely have shot it directly.
But Hill is capable of so many things compared to Barnes!
For example, he passed the ball the moment he received it! He flicked the ball with one hand, sending it flying towards the basket!
At this moment, Marion went to defend Lin Tian, and Martin blocked Stoudemire's path, trying to prevent Lin Tian from passing him the ball.
Martin's choice did block Lin Tian's passing lanes, but when Hill threw the ball over from the side, he was truly helpless!
Because now it's his turn to be completely blocked behind by Stoudemire!
Stoudemire easily jumped, caught the basketball, and then slammed it into the basket in mid-air!
"boom!"
With the addition of Hill, an experienced player with top-notch passing skills and awareness, the Knicks' offense will be able to play more smoothly and seamlessly!
With him on the team, there's another top-notch passing option!
With the Suns' level of defense, Lin Tian and Hill would completely break through it in no time, and it would be even more thorough and easier than when Lin Tian was alone!
Fortunately, this is the Suns' style. They can't really guard anyone. Their advantage is the same as the Knicks': even if I can't guard you, I can find a way to make you unable to guard me either!
After arriving at the frontcourt, Nash found Marion to run a pick-and-roll with. The two immediately separated after the screen, and Nash didn't do anything fancy this time. Instead, he made a simple bounce pass to Marion.
After receiving the ball, Marion slammed it heavily on the floor, then took a step to the edge of the three-second zone and jumped again, releasing a one-handed, ugly-looking floater that looked like a random toss, accurately sending the basketball into the basket!
The Suns continue to keep the deficit at 5 points!
They have absolutely no intention of giving up! They are determined to catch up completely!
"The fourth quarter of this game was absolutely fantastic!" Barkley shouted. "Both sides showed their attitude in the fourth quarter! They both played their own style! Now, let's see who's more aggressive! Who can better control the game!"
"Will it be a tiebreaker tonight? The last 10 minutes or so of the game will definitely give us the answer!"
Kenny added, "These final 10 minutes might just be the perfect showcase of the league's strongest offensive form this season, or even this century! Want to see just how high the offensive level of today's NBA teams really is?"
"Just watch these 10 minutes, you absolutely won't regret it!" (End of Chapter)