LRAB Chapter 663 As expected of my good brother, Michael! That one didn't...
Chapter 663 As expected of my good brother, Michael! That one didn't...
After the Knicks timeout, on their first possession, Lin Tian called for an isolation play as usual, instructing his teammates to spread out and continue to take on Felton one-on-one!
Although Felton couldn't stop Lin Tian at all tonight, his confidence actually grew as the game went on!
After all, being crushed by Lin Tian is nothing new. Who in this league hasn't been one-on-one destroyed by Lin Tian?
Not a single one!
But while being completely outmatched by Lin Tian, Felton still managed to display his own style and deliver a brilliant performance, which is what truly boosted his confidence significantly!
Everyone knows that Lin Tian is not only unparalleled in offense, but his defense is also at the level of the best defensive lineup!
Facing his defense, Felton was able to put up impressive stats and offense, even if it was just for one quarter, which was enough to make Felton incredibly confident!
So this time, Felton didn't give Lin Tian any space. Instead, he moved up and stood in front of Lin Tian, pressing him closely in defense!
On the last offensive possession of the first quarter, Felton was stopped by Lin!
Now I'm going to be on guard against you too, to get my revenge!
This is Felton's current thought.
But how should I put it?
Young people often fail to recognize their own position and tend to misjudge their abilities due to various circumstances.
For example, Felton.
The little guy is now completely inflated and overconfident; the success in the first quarter has made him a bit too excited!
The good news is that he was emboldened by Lin Tian.
Lin Tian will shatter his illusions immediately and bring him back to reality!
飘？
What kind of bird or beast are you? Why are you floating in front of me?
At the same moment Felton closed in, Lin Tian suddenly dribbled behind his back, pushing the basketball forward from his side. After bouncing on the floor, the ball passed precisely between Felton's legs!
At the same time, Lin Tian himself turned sideways and flashed past the stunned Felton.
Lin Tian immediately followed up with a nutmeg and a crossover dribble!
In the blink of an eye, Felton was completely wiped clean by Lin Tian!
Even now, his face still radiates that confidence and arrogance from just moments ago!
Before the guy could even react, Lin Tian had already cleaned him up.
"Whoosh!"
Then there was another crisp sound as Lin Tian's mid-range jump shot went in, starting to score for his team!
"Here he comes!" Barkley shouted excitedly, "Lin started scoring as soon as he came on! 28 points! He could easily surpass 30 points in the first half! And there are still a full 8 minutes left in the second quarter!"
"I think Lin will score 40 points in the first half tonight! Or even more!"
Felton, who had just been easily outmaneuvered by Lin Tian and lost face, remained calm.
After all, he is one of the three point guards who are considered lifelong rivals of Paul and Deron. Even if his career development and personal ability are not as good as those two, at least at this stage, he is not much worse than them.
His mindset, in particular, was remarkably stable.
It was just passed over, nothing to mention!
This guy calmly called for the ball, steadily advanced, and then, facing Lin Tian's still loose defense, decisively found Sean May under the basket and assisted his teammate to score 2 points!
Furthermore, when this guy defended against Lin Tian again, he immediately created distance, no longer closing in too much at once like before, sticking directly to Lin Tian's body.
He remained calm, but he really didn't want to lose face again!
"Oh?" Lin Tian couldn't help but show a hint of surprise when he saw Felton's choice.
His "Oh" was the first thing he said to Felton that night.
This kid is more mature than I imagined!
Unfortunately, calmness and maturity are useless when facing Lin Tian!
If calmness and maturity were useful, Billups and Kidd wouldn't have been chased and brutally beaten by Lin Tian, completely powerless to fight back.
If this alliance is to be useful, it has to be based on hard power!
Lin Tian possesses the strongest strength in this alliance!
Seeing that Felton had given him space to shoot again, Lin Tian didn't hold back. He pulled up and threw the three-pointer straight at the basket!
"Whoosh!"
After another crisp sound, Lin Tian's three-pointer went in again!
"31 points! Lin has scored 31 points! If Lin maintains this form, 40 points in the first half is definitely not his limit!"
"He might just score 50 points!" Barkley continued his excited commentary, "Especially since we have some good news now!"
"The Bobcats are still in the lead! They have an 8-point lead! And they're playing really well tonight! Only if the Bobcats are playing exceptionally well can Lin possibly put on a truly amazing performance!"
"If the opponent doesn't put up any resistance, given Lin's past record, he'll definitely have to go to the bench before the third quarter is even halfway through!"
Barkley's words basically reflect the sentiments of all Lin Tian fans and those who yearn to see Lin Tian continue his scoring spree.
They already want to cheer for the Bobcats!
Charlottes! Hold on! We are with you this moment! We are all lovely Charlottes this moment!
You should maintain a lead of a few points, and ideally, keep it until the very end of the game.
Then let Lin wipe you all out completely!
Just as Barkley and Lin Tian's fans were internally switching sides and cheering for the Bobcats, Jordan's brow furrowed more and more. He wasn't troubled because the team couldn't defend Lin Tian; it was simply because Jordan couldn't quite understand the game on the court.
Lin Tian's defense against Felton was too loose!
Jordan felt that Lin Tian hadn't defended Felton at all.
Jordan is only in his early forties now, and he still has considerable energy and stamina. He often goes to the team's training ground to train with the younger players.
Therefore, he knew exactly what his subordinates were capable of and what their skill levels were like!
Felton is only a near-All-Star level player. With two more years of development, he has the potential to become an All-Star. Although his stats were good this year, it was because he sacrificed efficiency and shooting percentage, and his team was at the bottom, which is why opponents didn't take him seriously enough.
Jordan knew very well that in the second half of the season, as everyone got to know the kid better and targeted him more effectively, Felton's stats would definitely shrink, and his shooting percentage would most likely continue to decline.
So, is Felton, with his level of skill, able to hold his own against Lin Tian to some extent?
Unless you're Lin Tian's illegitimate son, this bastard would never do such a thing!
But looking at Felton and Lin Tian's completely different appearances, Jordan ruled out this possibility.
He is not an illegitimate child. As far as Jordan knows, the two have no relationship or private contact.
What happened?
Let's take a look, study it further, and then decide!
Jordan kept pondering this strange matchup. He couldn't understand why Lin Tian was unleashing such a massive attack on Felton. So, Jordan was watching the game very intently!
He concentrated intently and devoted himself entirely to the competition.
This is extremely rare in his career as a boss!
After all, the Bobcats were a bad team; they kept losing. It was simply impossible for Jordan to concentrate on watching the team lose.
In fact, if it weren't for the team's ticket sales and to maintain the fans' enthusiasm, Jordan wouldn't really want to come to the game in person.
The team is simply too weak and lacks star players. If Jordan doesn't come, the fans probably won't want to come to the game.
He's practically the team's mascot and a ticket seller now. Every time he comes to the Spectrum Center, he's listless, like he's just clocking in for work. But this time, Jordan is genuinely studying the game! He wants to see if Felton has undergone a super evolution, or if there's some unspeakable secret between him and Lin Tian!
The game was progressing rapidly, and in the second quarter, Lin Tian and Felton were still trading blows.
Although Lin Tian had a clear advantage in both statistics and the game, almost completely dominating, Felton's performance was also quite remarkable.
Throughout the second quarter, Lin Tian once again scored 18 points in 8 minutes, making 6 of 10 field goals, 2 of 3 three-pointers, and 4 of 3 free throws. His offensive firepower remained quite formidable.
But the Knicks failed to take the lead; they couldn't even close the gap much.
At the end of the first half, the score was still 64-70!
The Bobcats still hold a 6-point lead!
Felton deserves the most credit for the Bobcats' ability to stabilize the situation and maintain their advantage amidst Lin Tian's relentless attacks in the second quarter!
In the few minutes he was matched up against Lin Tian, he was completely unable to contain Lin Tian and committed two fouls, but his own performance was quite good. He not only scored 7 points, but also delivered 4 assists!
His first-half stats already reached 16 points and 9 assists! Although it can't compare to Lin Tian's feat of scoring 44 points in the first half, this half is definitely one of the best half Felton has played in his career so far.
Even Brown, who is not known for praising players and is known for his tyranny and cold-bloodedness, gave Felton a thumbs up during halftime and praised him highly.
This guy's performance tonight absolutely deserves the highest praise!
To perform like this against Lin Tian is an extremely difficult feat. If Felton can maintain his form and performance in the second half, this one game alone will be enough to make him famous throughout the United States!
After all, this game was broadcast live across the entire United States!
Even though only half the game has been played, countless fans have already started discussing whether Felton is being underestimated simply because he plays in Charlotte.
Is his exposure too low? Did Brown and Jordan hold him back?
Otherwise, how could someone who could fight Lin Tian to a standstill remain so quiet and unresponsive?
"Raymond Felton, I think this name will be remembered by many people after tonight!" Barkley praised. "This kid has potential! He played a truly amazing first half."
"I even think Adidas should print a lot more of his jerseys tonight; they'll definitely sell out tomorrow morning!"
Kenny added, "A mature, calm, and steady guy with considerable offensive firepower! Looking at it this way, the Class of '05 is truly a phenomenal class! Just these three point guards alone make one think: a golden age of point guards might really be on the horizon!"
"Didn't the point guard phenomenon arrive a while ago?" Barkley said with a smile, "Lin led the way!"
While fans and commentators were wholeheartedly praising Felton, one person remained remarkably calm.
Michael Jordan, owner of the Bobcats.
Others might not see anything, but as someone who considered himself to know Lin Tian better than anyone else on the planet, he clearly saw the problem.
Lin Tian used a certain tactic against Felton in the first half, how should I put it?
That's a really impressive defensive tactic!
How exactly is it so powerful?
It seems that Lin Tian defended well, without leaving anyone open, without losing his position, and without giving Felton any open space or particularly easy opportunities. But upon closer inspection, Lin Tian didn't put any intensity on Felton at all; he was just going through the motions on the defensive end.
He defended perfectly, and that was it!
This guy didn't defend at all!
As someone who had been Lin Tian's teammate for three years and had faced off against him thousands of times, including at least a hundred 100-point duels, Jordan knew all too well what Lin Tian looked like when he was going all out on defense, or rather, when he was putting his energy aside on defense.
That was a league-historic level of defense that would give even him a lot of trouble and make him extremely difficult to deal with!
If Lin Tian put that same effort into defending Felton?
Let alone almost 20+10 in the first half, Jordan said, I know Felton's capabilities all too well. If Lin Tian hadn't gone easy on him, Felton would have had 5 points and 2 assists in the first half, and less than 5 turnovers would have been considered impressive!
Is there a return trip?
dream!
Jordan has found the reason why Felton played so well.
But now the question troubling him is: why?
Why did Lin Tian play defense like that? Why did he release the entire Pacific Ocean to let Felton showcase his talent and become famous throughout the United States?
Are these two really related?
Jordan shook his head in disbelief; he knew it couldn't be.
Why is that?
Jordan sat motionless in his seat, biting his lip as he thought rapidly.
His mind raced as he began to analyze and reason meticulously.
It couldn't have been for the sake of helping others, nor could it have been to give Felton a chance.
It couldn't be to repay a favor or anything like that; this kid doesn't owe anyone favors.
It certainly wasn't some kind of exchange of benefits. Although Jordan didn't know how much money Lin Tian had or how much his net worth was, he was certain that Lin Tian earned far more than he did! Given the odds and betting volume in the NBA, it was simply impossible for anyone to bribe Lin Tian.
What exactly is the reason?
Jordan's brow furrowed more and more as he thought about it; he couldn't understand it.
Then, Jordan decided to use the great detective Sherlock Holmes's secret weapon: the process of elimination!
Eliminate all the wrong answers, and the last one that remains, no matter how absurd or ridiculous, must be the truth!
Jordan quickly eliminated the wrong answers from his mind.
Then, as all the reasons he came up with were eliminated one by one, only one remained in front of him! Something that even Jordan thought was outrageous.
"Of course, it's for my good buddy Michael!"
Jordan saw Lin Tian's handsome yet irritating face, grinning smugly as he expressed his "feelings" to him.
This is the only possibility!
After eliminating all the incorrect answers, this is the only possible correct answer!
Jordan was a little confused. He didn't understand why Lin Tian wanted to do this for him, nor did he understand why this was happening.
But after eliminating all the wrong answers, this is the only possible answer left.
If Lin Tian wasn't doing this for himself, why would he go easy on him? And why make it so obvious?
Jordan's little brain continued to work at full speed!
Yes!
Suddenly, Jordan slapped his thigh and realized!
My team is at the bottom of the league, and the rookie Lin recommended turned out to be a complete bust. He let me down! He feels he let me down!
His refusal to come to Charlotte back then led to the Bobcats consistently finishing at the bottom of the standings, and his recommendation of the wrong players made our rise hopeless.
So Lin hopes to help me and can provide me with as much assistance as possible!
What kind of help could be more direct and useful than helping me educate and nurture a rising star in the league?
In a nationally televised game, a game that fans all over the world are watching with rapt attention, deliberately letting Felton play a stunning game allows fans across the United States to get to know him, makes his name more memorable, and gives him confidence so that he can play even better.
Yes! That's it!
Jordan felt he had figured it out! He saw through Lin Tian once again!
That kid is still the same old rascal.
Thinking about this, Jordan couldn't help but smile.
He truly is a great buddy of mine, Jordan!
Even at this moment, Jordan suddenly remembered that in his safe, there was a small box containing a rather worn and crumpled playing card—
A Queen of Spades worth $400 million!
That was also the first time Jordan felt that Lin Tian was his friend.
This kid is exactly the same as he was back then, he hasn't changed at all!
That's how he was back then. He would secretly do whatever came to mind, while pretending he would never do such a thing.
This little guy hasn't changed at all in over 10 years!
Jordan was getting happier and happier as he thought about it, and he even started reminiscing about many fun things that happened during his time with the Bulls.
"It seems Michael is quite satisfied with the Bobcats' performance in the first half! He's grinning from ear to ear." The cameras on site accurately captured Jordan's change in expression at that moment.
With a smile playing on his lips and eyes sparkling with joy, he nodded repeatedly, as if recalling moments from the first half of the game.
"Of course I'm satisfied. His team was leading the defending champions at halftime. As one of the worst teams in the league, even if it's only for half a game, it's quite gratifying to have such a performance!"
Kenny chimed in, "The young Bobcats need this experience, they need these games to improve, to identify their weaknesses! They still have a very bright future!"
Jordan was daydreaming, the commentators were guessing wildly, and in short, neither of them was thinking of the same thing.
As for the protagonist of the story, Lin Tian?
He's resting in his chair in the locker room right now.
He expended a lot of energy in the first half!
If you ask him why his defense against Felton wasn't very tight in the first half, or if it was as Jordan thought, Lin Tian can only tell you: Are you out of your mind? What nonsense are you spouting?!
Master Lin is simply conserving his energy!
It's important to understand that the Knicks will be without Anthony and Stoudemire for over a month. Without them, the Knicks' offensive system, on which they rely, will have huge gaps and weaknesses.
It's obviously impossible to expect Ariza, Smith, and others to fill this gap; Lin Tian himself has to take on at least 70% of the responsibility!
He has to devote more energy to the offensive end, so he simply has no time to focus his energy on the defensive end.
This is the NBA, this is the Knicks, offense is definitely more important than defense!
In order to ensure his physical fitness and condition for the next month, Lin Tian began to adopt a completely new way of allocating his physical strength from the very first match.
Simply put, it means temporarily abandoning defense and focusing all your energy on offense! First, use individual firepower to establish the basic foundation of the team's offense, and then we'll think about other things!
As for anything else? Lin Tian had no time to think about that.
All I can say is: if that's how you think, then there's nothing I can do. (End of Chapter)