LRAB Chapter 400: I'll defeat your teams one by one, once each.
Chapter 400: I'll defeat your teams one by one, once each.
Lin Tian's three-pointer extended the gap between the two sides to 11 points, marking the first time tonight that the difference between the two teams had reached double digits!
After that goal, although Yugoslavia launched several counterattacks, the Chinese team maintained a lead of about 10 points, led by Lin Tian, who was firing on all cylinders, and Hu Weidong, who hit two three-pointers in quick succession.
With only 1 minute and 30 seconds left in the game, Yao Ming made a powerful block, thwarting Vlade Divac's seemingly inevitable layup.
Then, the Chinese team launched a counterattack. Lin Tian advanced through the middle, sprinting all the way and attracting the defensive attention of a lot of Yugoslavian players. Then, Lin Tian suddenly made a crossover pass to Du Feng, who was following up behind.
After receiving the ball, Du Feng did not hesitate. He slammed the ball heavily on the floor, then took off and slammed it in with both hands for another successful dunk!
75: 89!
After this dunk, the score difference between the two sides reached 14 points! With little time left in the game, Pesic knew that he couldn't win this game, so he called a timeout, substituted all his key players, and announced his surrender!
China didn't continue their attack either, and during this timeout, they substituted their key players!
For the next minute or so, neither side scored again, and the score remained unchanged.
Got it!
This match, which many considered a preview of the finals, has now come to an end!
The match started fiercely, with a brawl breaking out at one point. However, the rest of the game was incredibly peaceful as both sides quickly regained their tempers, delivering a clean and intense high-level contest for the fans!
Throughout the game, Yao Ming scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Wang Zhizhi contributed 14 points and 7 rebounds. Hu Weidong also scored 10 points.
Besides these three players who scored in double figures, the biggest contributor to the Chinese team was undoubtedly Lin Tian!
Lin Tian focused on passing and orchestrating the offense in the first three quarters of the game, but unleashed his full potential in the final quarter, scoring 21 points and 3 assists, for a total of 32 points, 15 assists, and 5 steals!
As for Bodiroga, who was matched up against Lin Tian, he only made 5 of 12 shots, scoring only 14 points and 7 assists!
This guy, who's been called the 'best player outside the NBA,' only has half the stats of Lin Tian!
Lin Tian has once again proven that, whether in or out of the NBA, the best player on this planet, the only one who can be called number one, is none other than me, Lin Tian!
Meanwhile, after winning this match, Hebei China Fortune basically secured first place in the group. In the next two matches, they easily defeated Angola and Spain, who are far from their peak and can only rely on Gasol to carry the team.
Meanwhile, although Yugoslavia lost the crucial match against China, they went on to win their next two games against Brazil and Türkiye!
Thus, China and Yugoslavia helped each other by eliminating the team that had beaten them in the first stage, thus securing their respective rankings.
In the end, the Chinese team won 5 and lost 1, ranking first in the second stage and advancing to the quarterfinals as the top seed in their group!
Yugoslavia finished second in the group with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses, based on their point differential. Spain and Brazil, both with 3 wins and 3 losses, finished third and fourth in the group, respectively.
As for the other group, Argentina has shown its dark horse nature to the fullest, winning all 6 of its matches, making it the only team to achieve a perfect record in the group stage!
Next up was the German team, led by the "German Machine" Nowitzki, who stormed all the way to second place!
The pre-tournament favorites, the home team, the United States, suffered a major embarrassment, finishing third in their group with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses.
As for the team ranked fourth in this group, which is China's opponent, although they only have 3 wins and 3 losses, they successfully defeated Puerto Rico, the dark horse of the United States!
Thus, based on the cross-battle principle, the matchups for the top 8 have been determined.
China vs. Puerto Rico!
Yugoslavia vs. USA!
Spain vs. Germany!
Brazil vs. Argentina!
The quarterfinals will no longer be a round-robin tournament, but will finally usher in the most exciting and thrilling knockout stage!
It's a single, decisive match with absolutely no room for error.
This stage is also the stage where upsets are most likely to occur, and unexpected results will emerge!
The first match to kick off is a clash between the South American powerhouses, Brazil and Argentina, who are old rivals. The two countries are neighbors and have been fighting each other in football for over a century. Although they don't have as much animosity in basketball, when Samba meets Tango, it's bound to ignite an exciting spark!
Throughout the match, Brazil dominated the first half and maintained their lead. Thanks to captain Mazzucini's performance, they once held a 10-point advantage.
However, in the latter part of the third quarter, Argentina came from behind. They first went on a 15-3 run at the end of the third quarter to take the lead, and then in the middle of the fourth quarter, Ginobili led an 11-4 run!
After two offensive surges, Argentina's lead had reached 16 points!
Although Brazil launched a series of counterattacks, they were unable to close the gap and ultimately had to accept defeat, ending their run in the quarterfinals.
Next up is a head-to-head battle between two European powerhouses, Germany and Spain, as well as a duel between two top European power forwards, Gasol and Nowitzki!
The game was also full of twists and turns. Germany took the initiative in the first half and led by 9 points at halftime, 40-31.
However, Spain launched a major counterattack in the third quarter, going on a 21-6 run to take a 52-46 lead at the end of the third quarter.
At this point, the Germans only had 10 minutes left. But the tenacious Germans once again staged a remarkable comeback from the brink of defeat, with Nowitzki and Persic leading the attack while the rest of the team set up a defensive net.
Throughout the fourth quarter, they forced Spain to make only 4 of 18 shots and commit 5 turnovers. In particular, Spain's star duo, Gasol and Navarro, failed to score a single field goal in the entire fourth quarter!
With a strong defense and key players' output, the German team once again completed a comeback and advanced to the semi-finals!
诺维茨基在比赛中拿下了20分和8个篮板，佩西奇得到了14分，奥库拉亚拿下11分和8个篮板。
It's worth mentioning that this Pešić is the son of the Yugoslavian coach. It's quite a peculiar sight that the father and son chose to play for two different countries.
That night, the matadors were largely helpless against the German defenses, achieving only a 31% success rate in the match.
虽然纳瓦罗得到了21分，NBA的年度最佳新秀加索尔得到了14分11篮板，可他们加在一起的命中率只有34投11中。
Next up is the highly anticipated match between the USA and Yugoslavia!
This game was seen as America's last chance for redemption!
Of course, that's obvious, since if they lose this match, they'll be eliminated and will have to play in the 5th-8th place ranking matches.
But regardless, for Team USA tonight, they still have a chance to prove themselves, a chance to wash away the stigma of being the "worst Dream Team in history," and a chance to move forward!
Although their opponents were only 11 people, the Yugoslavs were strong and truly united!
At the very least, the fans at Conseco Arena are incredibly confident; they still believe in their team and that Team USA can continue to advance!
After all, although the Dream Team had lost a game in Sydney before, it was against the formidable Lin Tian and his Chinese team, and the team still managed to win at least a silver medal.
But if the US team loses here this time, they will achieve their worst result since the Dream Team was formed in 1992!
Nobody wants to be called the worst, nobody wants to surrender!
At the very least, the US team came to the court tonight with a sense of mission and confidence! They want to make it to the semifinals!
Then, just as the entire American team, unusually, didn't show off any fancy moves before the game, but instead diligently warmed up with layups, running, and stretching, a sigh suddenly came from the crowd.
A group of people looked over curiously, and then they saw the face of a jinx.
Lin Tian!
This guy is at it again!
Fans and media outlets have already analyzed this!
During this tournament, Lin Tai attended two games played by the US team.
VS Puerto Rico and VS Argentina!
These were the two games the US team lost, while the US team won all four games that Lin Tian didn't play!
Immediately, some superstitious people declared: "Stop Lin Tian from entering! Stop Lin Tian from coming to watch the game! Then the American team will definitely win!"
Some people even gave Lin Tian the nickname "jinx," implying that he was the number one jinx for the American team in this tournament! With him on the team, they couldn't win!
As the nickname spread, more and more fans felt that Lin Tian and this American team were incompatible! He would lose every time they met!
Therefore, when Lin Tian walked into Conseco Arena, even though it was his city and at least 95% of the 19000 fans present were actually his fans, everyone still couldn't help but let out a sigh.
Or rather, this is Indiana. In any other place, Lin Tian would be greeted by a chorus of boos and demands for him to get out.
As for Lin Tian himself?
Well, Mr. Lin is very busy. He didn't want to come in the first place. He even wanted to treat his teammates to another meal at a steakhouse where they could still use Jordan cards. But then he heard about his nickname "jinx".
How so?
Official Lin is a kind-hearted man!
Since you've already given me nicknames, then Master Lin can't let you give me nicknames for nothing, can he?
This nickname must be confirmed! This name must be officially stamped and imprinted on our minds so that everyone is certain that this is indeed true!
This stamp must be so deep that even if the Trisolarans attack, as long as Lin Tian isn't there, the Americans feel they can put up a fight.
What water droplet could possibly compare to the power of causality that I, Lord Lin, possess?
If you come, you're going to lose!
As Lin Tian sat down in his usual spot near the players' tunnel, two fans sitting behind him couldn't help but say, "Lin, please, just leave! Don't watch our game anymore."
Lin Tian turned around and recognized him!
As an Indiana Irons fan, I can see these two guys in the front row at almost every game.
"Want an autograph? I happened to bring an extra pair of shoes; I can give you my sneakers."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Upon hearing Lin Tian say this, the two brothers immediately woke up!
Not only did they not want Lin Tian to leave, the older one even ordered him a beer and popcorn, implying that he should sit here and watch comfortably.
Come on, let's take another photo together!
What jinx? That's utter nonsense!
This is clearly our Indiana's eternal hero!
As Indians, we will always stand up for Lin Tian! We will always support Lin Tian!
The fans sitting in the area near Lin Tian were eager to try their luck when they saw that these two guys had autographed shoes. They wanted to come over, but were afraid of disturbing Lin Tian's game.
"Come on, keep order and line up, but I'm out of sneakers. If you bring your own, that's fine."
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
"There's a store right outside, I'll go buy it now!"
"Me too! Me too!"
"Lin, do you need another beer? How about a donut or a burger?"
"I also have a free parking voucher for the Conseco Center, do you want it?"
"Shut up, idiot! Does Lin need to pay for parking here? He can park as long as he wants! Lin, look at this, this is my sister's phone number and picture, she's super hot!"
Lin Tian kept smiling and happily signed autographs and took photos with the fans, and also noted down the phone number of one female fan – she was indeed very hot in the photos!
As for whether or not to use it, there's no rush!
After Lin Tian satisfied the requests of the fans in the entire area, shouts of "MVP" suddenly rang out from the crowd!
Yes, it was the fans in this area who started chanting, and when the fans in the entire Conseco Center saw someone chanting "Lin Tian MVP," their inner DNA immediately kicked in!
What a jinx!
Lin is in Indiana, and people are chanting "MVP," so we have to help him out!
If the atmosphere turns sour, how will our Native American ever be able to face people again?
And then, in an instant, the chants of MVP resounded throughout the entire stadium once again!
"Fuck! What the hell is this bastard doing here?" Iverson dribbled the ball forward and watched Lin Tian interact with the fans, standing up and waving and bowing to the crowd in a very flamboyant manner. Iverson immediately felt a wave of displeasure.
However, his displeasure was not over yet, when Bodiroga in front of him suddenly stepped forward and successfully intercepted the ball!
Yugoslavia capitalized on this interception to launch a successful counter-attack!
"Allen! Focus! Go, go to the frontcourt, you play 2, I'll play point guard!" Marbury immediately went to the front and yelled at Iverson.
"Get out of my way! This is my time to control the game, don't even think about taking it! Go to the frontcourt and wait to receive the ball and shoot!" Iverson waved his hand unhappily and said, "It's just one turnover. How many turnovers do you have in a game, you bastard? If I remember correctly, you have way more turnovers than me!"
"That's because I got more assists than you!"
"Wow, that's amazing! How come I've never received a single assist from you?"
Just look at how these two can still argue over such a small thing at this point, and you can tell how bad the atmosphere is on this American team, and how badly Karl has done in managing the team atmosphere and uniting the team!
In this respect, he really can't be considered a good coach!
After Yugoslavia's fast break went in, even though the game had only been going on for less than 3 minutes, Karl took advantage of the moment when the two key players on the team were arguing to call a timeout!
There was no other way; we had to call for it!
In just over two minutes, Yugoslavia had taken a 9-0 lead over the United States! Meanwhile, Carter was called for two fouls within two minutes due to his overly aggressive play, forcing Karl to bench him temporarily!
The opponent went on a scoring spree, but the key players on this side had to leave the game early due to fouls. The start of the night for the US team was definitely hellish!
Fortunately, the US team regained their composure and gradually narrowed the gap, but they still failed to take the lead. They were dominated by Yugoslavia throughout the first half and remained behind.
At halftime, Yugoslavia led 40-36, with Divac scoring 16 points and grabbing 5 rebounds, making him the top scorer for both teams.
In the third quarter, Karl finally couldn't stand being behind and getting beaten anymore, so he made adjustments, and very significant ones at that!
The starting five has changed to Baron Davis, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, Kevin Garnett, and Ben Wallace!
Just by looking at these names, you can tell that Karl is going to strengthen the defense, increase the height, and use the traditional tricks of the Dream Team.
Full press!
By removing top stars and replacing them with more pragmatic, hardworking, and defensively stronger players, Karl was determined to turn the tide starting in the third quarter!
Indeed, the US team started applying tight defense from the backcourt at the beginning of the second half, and this tactical change was very effective! They gradually gained the lead starting in the third quarter.
Midway through the third quarter, Miller was called upon to take the lead. He intercepted the ball at midcourt and immediately drove to the basket for a three-pointer. Miller then broke through the middle and made a layup, giving the United States a 45-42 lead for the first time that night!
In the fourth quarter, the US team continued their momentum, leading 69-59 at one point. This 10-point advantage put them almost on the verge of victory.
But then, Carl made another stupid mistake.
Unable to contain Iverson and Marbury, who were constantly chattering on the bench, he had no choice but to bring them back onto the court!
Then?
Then the US team's defense collapsed!
Gulovic launched a surprise attack, hitting consecutive three-pointers and leading the Yugoslavian team on a 9-0 run to close the gap again.
With 2 minutes and 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jaric hit a three-pointer, tying the score at 71. Then, with 1 minute and 49 seconds left, Bodiroga drew a foul on Marbury and made one of two free throws, giving Yugoslavia the lead again!
Yugoslavia then held onto that one-point lead tightly! They never fell behind again, not even once, until the very end of the match!
With 3 seconds left in the game, Miller's long-range three-pointer bounced off the rim, and Team USA failed to hit the game-tying three-pointer!
78: 81!
Team America lost again!
This time the defeat was even more devastating, as they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. At best, they can only compete with the other three quarterfinalists for fifth place!
Regardless of whether they achieve their theoretical best result of fifth place, this American team has already been etched into the pillar of shame!
Having failed to even reach the semifinals and lost three consecutive matches in a single tournament, they probably won't have the nerve to call themselves the Dream Team again, even if people mention them in the future!
From 1992, when Barcelona started, until today, a full ten years have passed, and the glory of that "Dream Team" has come to a complete end!
Lin Tian, on the other hand, witnessed the moment when the US team lost the game.
How wonderful!
Lin Tian watched his old buddies walk past him, heads bowed and faces down, while he wore a broad smile.
However, Master Lin is a man of principle! He knew he couldn't kick someone when they're down; he knew he had to show respect and encouragement to his men!
"It's okay! Keep it up! You'll definitely do your best in the next match! I believe you can win! I'll be back to watch!"
The phrase "I'll come again" sent a shiver down the spines of Garnett and Iverson, who were walking at the very back. They looked up at Lin Tian, and the meaning in their eyes was crystal clear.
"Please stop your supernatural powers! Don't come again!"
You keep losing every single game you play, what's the point of you even trying?
Lin Tian: No way! The more difficult the situation is for the guys, the more they need support and help, the more I need to be there to cheer them on!
"Lin, you really came again?" Several veteran fans who were on good terms with Lin Tian and could even recognize his face or name looked miserable.
This guy really came back?
"Come on, why not come and cheer for my guys!" Lin Tian said with an innocent look. "Do you guys need more sneakers? I'll bring a few more pairs next time."
"Yes! See you in the next game!"
real!
It looks incredibly realistic!
After the US team had already secured its worst result in team history, Lin Tian jumped high and whistled as he happily left the Conseco Center. The Chinese team's quarterfinal match wouldn't be until tomorrow night.
However, Lin Tian was not worried at all about their opponent, Puerto Rico.
This team is vastly different from Argentina and Yugoslavia. Those two teams beat the US team because they genuinely had the ability! If it were a series, they might not be a match for the US team, but they truly have the strength to compete with them!
If they play each other 10 times, these two teams should win 3-4 times without any problem!
But Puerto Rico, how should I put it?
This team's victory over the USA essentially mortgaging their luck for the next 30 years. At the very least, after this one win, they haven't been able to return to the world stage until 2024.
Moreover, the gap between them and the American team was so large that they might not win even once in 100 attempts. But with just that one chance, they seized the opportunity when everything was in their favor!
But that's all they can do.
They handed the American team a humiliating defeat, and they have accomplished their historical mission.
The next day, in the game against the Chinese team, Lin Tian personally took to the court and kept a close eye on Arroyo throughout the game. He held the guy who had been dominating the American team to only 4 of 17 shots, scoring only 10 points and 4 assists, while also committing 5 turnovers!
同时林天自己则是23投12中，拿下28分9助攻5抢断2盖帽，彻底打崩了阿罗约！
With their star player completely outmaneuvered in such a direct and point-to-point manner, the Puerto Rican team's reaction in this match speaks for itself.
104: 70!
They suffered a crushing 34-point defeat to the Chinese team! They were completely outmatched!
And right after this game, everyone quickly calculated that the US team lost to Puerto Rico by 7 points, and Puerto Rico lost to China by 34 points. Thus, the gap between the US team and the Chinese team reached 41 points!
Then, a reporter quickly posed this question to Lin Tian during an interview.
Lin Tian: "No, no, not that much! That's an exaggeration. You can't calculate basketball games like that. Everyone has good and bad times. At the same time, the attribute counters between teams, the counter-strategies, and other factors cannot be ignored."
"If you ask me, the gap between us is at most 25 points! 40 points is impossible! Seriously, I'm not being modest, it's at most 20-25 points! Even 30 points is difficult!"
Lin Tian's smug declaration made the reporter interviewing him twitch at the corner of his mouth.
He regretted asking Lin Tian that question.
This is self-inflicted humiliation!
Did they really expect Lin Tian to say something nice?
But regret is regret, and ultimately, it's only the reporter's own feeling!
The entire print media industry is thrilled!
The next day, Lin Tian's words were broken down into 88 different parts and appeared in newsstands of all sizes across the United States.
The core meaning is just one thing—
Lin Tian bluntly stated that there is a huge gap between the Dream Team and the Chinese team, and that if they played a match, the Dream Team could win by at least 20 points!
As for how the other 87 figures were arranged, just go to the street and take a look, and you'll immediately find the answer!
But surprisingly... Lin Tian's humiliation and direct disdain for the American team didn't draw much criticism in the US.
Because everyone's criticism is now focused on the American team itself!
Who would have the nerve to complain that others look down on them after losing three games in a row?
You have to be strong yourself to forge iron. If you're as soft as noodles, others can easily knead you up. Can you blame them for not taking you seriously?
As a result, the condemnation and questioning of this US team swept across the United States in an instant!
Some say Colangelo doesn't understand basketball and made terrible player selections. Others say Karl made poor decisions in his player selections, even though he had already found the right way to win against Yugoslavia, he still sent two guards out to play recklessly.
Some people say the players aren't good enough: Iverson is too inflexible, Marbury is too selfish, Carter is too lazy, Duncan is too dull, Ben Wallace is too short, and Garnett is too skinny.
In short, all 12 players, from top to bottom, were criticized by the fans!
They were genuinely angry!
At this point, the fans were clearly unaware that their anger was far from over!
Because Lin Tian has reappeared!
He reappeared at the 5th-6th place ranking match.
USA vs. Spain!
The day before, the US team defeated Brazil, salvaging a little bit of their pride.
But everyone also noticed that Lin Tian didn't come to watch this game!
American fans and players alike were momentarily at a loss, unsure whether to breathe a sigh of relief or remain tense.
After all, Lin Tian said he would come again next time.
So, on the eve of the match against Spain, a battle for 5th or 6th place, half of the fans in the stadium were praying.
Don't come! Don't come! Don't come!
Please! Please! Please! Please!
And then?
Lin Tian is here!
He didn't want to miss this opportunity!
More importantly, Lin Tian needs to maintain his public image!
The manipulative narrative is that the US team is destined to lose when he plays!
Although his presence has brought about significant changes to this World Championship, the US team has lost the matches they were supposed to lose in the previous ones, and even lost an extra match to Puerto Rico. This has convinced Lin Tian that this match will be just like in history, and the US team will lose again!
With Lin Da Guan Ren on the field, Team USA lost all four of their matches!
Team USA's number one jinx!
Lin Tianke absolutely loved these titles and gimmicks!
Lin Tian thought this nickname was even more impressive than Julius Caesar's!
After all, Julius Caesar inspires worship, desire to submit, despair, and helplessness.
But the 'jinx' thing can be disgusting!
Master Lin loves this style!
So he sat in his favorite spot, took out several pairs of sneakers and jerseys from his bag, and looked at the eager fans behind him, saying, "Want some?"
"want!"
And then?
"MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP!"
"Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin!"
Indiana fans have once again shown their incredibly genuine side!
We Indians just love the forest!
As for this match?
To put it nicely, the American team had no will to fight and gave up the game early on; for them, sixth and fifth place made no difference.
To put it bluntly, they got thrashed by Spain!
Especially the fourth quarter of the game!
Early in the fourth quarter, the US team led 71-59, but then suddenly went cold and Spain went on a 22-4 run. The US team did not make a single field goal in the last 5 minutes of the game, scoring only 2 points from free throws.
75: 81!
sixth!
Everything was so wonderful! Everything made Lin Tian feel refreshed and invigorated.
Of course, he has no grudge against the American team. On the contrary, several people on the team are his good friends, and Lin Tianai and the others love them deeply.
Just like you always want to be the father of your best brother.
Lin Tian is also the father of these players on the American team.
Of course, it would be quite difficult to get more than ten burly, dark-skinned men to bow their heads and call him "Father."
Therefore, Lin Tian had no choice but to settle for second best and become a "jinx," ensuring that he could appear before them and comfort their wounded hearts when they were at their lowest point, most lost, and most in need of help.
Lord Lin, you have a kind heart!
However, Lin Tian's leisurely mood came to an end. With the American team officially eliminated, Lin Tian now only had one task left—
Go all out for the championship!
China Fortune FC has two games left.
In the semi-finals, they will face the German team led by Nowitzki.
The final match will be between the winner of the match between Yugoslavia and Argentina! (End of Chapter)