20demayo Chapter 1071 Because I knew they would regret not doing it to me
Chapter 1071 Because I knew they would regret not doing it to me
With 7 seconds left, James suddenly dribbled and started his attack. This time, instead of calling for a screen, he had his teammates spread out completely before accelerating forward.
With his absolute speed and bull-like physique, Durant faced immense pressure when defending his drives. Durant could keep up with his size and footwork, and even had an advantage in speed, but he was no match for James in terms of physical strength.
But in this round, Durant gritted his teeth and kept up with James, not letting him leave.
Even though James' elbow was almost hitting Durant's face, Durant was tough and ruthless this time, holding his defensive position.
"Durant's defense is almost perfect! What will James choose? Will he pull up for a jump shot or drive to the basket and create another scoring opportunity?" Van Gundy asked curiously as James was forced to stop.
Then James suddenly passed the ball!
He suddenly stopped one step away from the free-throw line, then turned halfway and passed the ball to Allen outside the three-point line. When Allen received the ball, he was unable to shake off Kobe's defense and was immediately back on by Kobe.
Allen knew he couldn't shake off Kobe in his current state, so he turned sideways and bounced the ball back to James.
"Three seconds left! The Mavericks' offense is a bit disorganized!" Miller shouted.
After receiving the ball, James made a fake shot, but Durant was not fooled by the fake shot and maintained perfect defensive balance and position.
James had no choice but to turn his body to the side and dribble the ball again before passing it towards the three-point line!
Williams caught the ball this time!
Williams, having received the ball, had no time to do anything else. He didn't even have time to dribble; he simply pulled up and threw it.
But Allen hadn't found any space or opportunity, let alone him, who was being closely followed by Lin Tian the whole time.
Williams hadn't even released the basketball before Lin Tian had already pinned it down!
"Snapped!"
"Buzz!"
With a muffled thud, Lin Tian slapped the ball away, followed by a buzzer sounding – a 24-second violation!
The Lakers did it! They stopped the Mavericks' offense and forced them into a 24-second violation!
The Lakers have one last chance to win the game!
The last 6 seconds!
Lakers have possession!
"The Lakers should call a timeout. They have one last timeout. Call it out, set up a play, and then make a basket. That's all they need to do!" Van Gundy resumed his analysis after the game was temporarily interrupted.
"Six seconds is plenty of time. The Lakers can make one drive, pass the ball two or three times, drive and dish, finish directly, or execute a few plays beyond the three-point line."
"In short, with 6 seconds left and the Lakers down by 2 points, they have a lot of options and a lot of things to do."
"Whether it's a 3-pointer or a 2-pointer, they can accept it! For the Mavericks, the difficulty of their defense will increase exponentially because they will have to defend every area; there are no safe zones or areas that can be left open."
"More importantly, with this Lakers roster, it's very difficult to completely shut down every single player! If I'm not mistaken, the Lakers will bring Terry in after the timeout."
"Kobe, Lin, and Durant are three of the top one-on-one kings, plus Terry, the clutch shooter who hit the game-winning shot in the last game, and Bynum, a 7-footer with top-notch finishing ability."
"The Mavericks are under a lot of defensive pressure!"
"No timeout! FUXX! The Lakers didn't call a timeout! With six seconds left, they actually didn't call a timeout?" Miller suddenly exclaimed. "Are they that confident?"
"Impossible!" Van Gundy, who had just confidently analyzed the situation, stared incredulously at the scene before him. He clearly saw Bynum reach the baseline, receive the basketball from the referee, and the referee begin the 5-second countdown.
Three Lakers players sped forward, leaving the entire backcourt to Lin Tian. The Mavericks, however, weren't completely bewildered by the Lakers' lack of a timeout; Williams was still standing in his half of the court.
They had already let Lin Tian cross the half-court line easily without him needing a second. Now that they think about it, if someone on the Mavericks had been able to create some threat or interference for Lin Tian in that possession, it would have taken him at least 3-4 more seconds to complete that possession.
If those 3-4 seconds are deducted now, the Lakers will only have 1-2 seconds left.
The Mavericks' chances of winning have increased dramatically!
But now, it's too late for regrets. All the Mavericks can do is avoid making the same mistake twice.
Lin Tian stood outside the three-point line in his own half of the court, blocking Williams with one hand and calling for the ball with the other.
Bynum played a basic chest pass, quickly delivering the ball to Lin Tian, while Williams began retreating almost as soon as Lin Tian received the ball.
He retreated rapidly; his goal had been achieved. Lin Tian could no longer stop the passage of time by rolling the Earth.
Therefore, Williams had to retreat quickly to avoid giving Lin Tian the opportunity to break through and create a brief 4-on-5 situation.
Williams' idea is quite reasonable and logical.
In this situation, deploying a large number of players to defend in your own half is obviously a more reliable and safer defensive approach.
The only downside is that the Mavericks' opponent doesn't play by logic!
Lin Tiancai doesn't care whether you're reliable or reasonable!
After Williams quickly retreated to his own half, Lin Tian didn't actually pick up the pace completely; he didn't even rush across the half to get into an attacking position.
Lin Tian dribbled the ball across the frontcourt in an almost strolling manner.
It took Lin Tian two seconds just to dribble from his own three-point line to midfield!
It is worth mentioning that Lin Tian once casually broke two Guinness World Records during his peak.
His sprint time with the ball throughout the game is 3.6 seconds, the fastest in the world.
His three-quarters sprint time without the ball is 2.98 seconds, the fastest in the world, and he is the only person in the world to run it in under 3 seconds.
Well, even top professional sprinters haven't tested this, so it's hard to say whether there are any other people in the world who can run under three seconds.
But even if someone is shameless enough to try and cross over into this area, Lin Tian isn't afraid.
Dude, just keep pushing it faster, who said I've already given it my all?
Far away.
But in any case, Lin Tian, whose speed was so fast that he could be called the fastest in the world, slowed down this time.
He seemed oblivious to how anxious everyone watching him was, and calmly took a full two seconds to finish the dish halfway across the table.
Then, he took two more steps forward, still so relaxed and unhurried. Countless people even rubbed their eyes or closed their eyes and shook their heads, trying to clear their minds.
They were starting to doubt themselves because of Lin Tian's actions. Did we remember things wrong?
The Lakers are actually leading, not trailing, so this guy can be so arrogant?
But when they opened their eyes again, everyone was filled with regret.
Because they just missed one of the craziest game-winning shots in NBA playoff history!
After leisurely taking two steps past the midfield line, Lin Tian looked up at the timer and saw the remaining time rapidly ticking away, as if he had finally remembered that he was still behind!
Then, Lin Tian made his move!
Two steps forward from the center circle, Lin Tian launched a super long-range three-pointer!
This shot stunned everyone who saw it; everyone watching stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the basketball.
Is he crazy?
What is he doing?
Why was he so unhurried when he crossed half-court, and then suddenly threw out a random, super long three-pointer with just over two seconds left in the game?
Why?
Why did Lin Tian do this?
"Whoosh!"
Immediately afterwards, a crisp, clean sound rang out. Lin Tian seemed to have anticipated all of this, and had already turned around to celebrate the moment he made his move.
His celebration was quite simple: he raised his clenched fists high and waved them lightly a few times, as if he had only scored a simple three-pointer.
Then, Lin Tian continued at the same leisurely pace as before, passing in front of the Mavericks' bench.
Lin Tian smiled, reached out, and patted Jason's butt: "Sorry, another game-winning shot."
FUXX!
All Jason wanted to do now was swear; he just wanted Lin Tian to die.
Unfortunately, he now has to face reality.
He has to face the fact that the team had huge chances to win in two consecutive games, but was ultimately defeated by the Lakers in the final moments.
They lost the most crucial game in the most painful way.
Two games still.
The Mavericks players were completely stunned the moment the final buzzer sounded.
I was completely dumbfounded.
Why is this happening?
Weren't we leading by 9 points just 2 minutes ago?
Why are we lagging behind now?
What did we do wrong?
How did the game turn out like this?
Van Gundy roared, "Unbelievable! An unbelievable game-winner! A game-winner that no one expected! Who could have imagined, who could have imagined Lin would do this? Who could have imagined Lin would actually hit a three-pointer? Who could have imagined Lin would be this crazy?"
"They're behind! The Lakers are behind! But Lin just threw it away like that!" Miller added, "When they're behind, with plenty of time left, they don't call a timeout, they don't use screens, they don't even go all out on the drive."
"Lin did not demonstrate his talent for speed at all this time."
Jackson said, "I can't understand it, I still can't understand it. Why is that? How could Lin play like that? FUXX! If anyone ever asks you why Mark is always kneeling when watching a game, just tell them: Because I'm watching Lin's game!"
"A crazy three-pointer! A crazy choice! A crazy result!"
"Unbelievable! I still find it unbelievable even after watching it several times!"
"I've thought of 100 ways Lin can end a game," Miller said. "Speeding to the three-point line and pulling up for a shot, faking out to find space and then shooting, driving to the mid-range and pulling up for a jumper, using his rhythm and skills to fake out the opponent and draw a foul."
"And then there's driving hard to the basket, drawing double teams before passing the ball..."
"Lin's creativity and ability are enough to support him in making all sorts of choices and completing them, but I really didn't expect it to be like this! Unbelievable! Even if I had witnessed this shot with my own eyes, I still couldn't believe it."
On the court, the Lakers players were in a chaotic frenzy as they once again escaped death and won the game with a last-minute victory! Winning two consecutive games in this manner has given the Lakers' morale and fighting spirit another crazy boost.
Conversely, the Mavericks on the other side are in a very bad situation.
James stared blankly at the scoreboard, like countless others, unable to accept reality and unable to believe that they had just been leading by 9 points, only to be reversed and defeated by the Lakers.
Nowitzki bit his lip, shaking his head and forcing a bitter smile.
What else can they do? What else can they do? How can they win?
Yes, the Mavericks' performance in the last two minutes wasn't perfect either.
They missed two free throws, watched Lin Tian carry the ball all the way to the frontcourt without interfering, which saved the Lakers a lot of time, and they were also defended until the last 24 seconds.
But are these things really enough to decide the outcome of the game and cause them to be reversed when they are leading by 9 points in 2 minutes?
It doesn't seem fatal at all, nor does it seem like a reckless or desperate mistake.
But it was these small details and shortcomings, coupled with the Lakers' almost perfect two minutes, that led to the Mavericks' eventual loss.
If the Mavericks had just one of these weaknesses, they would have won. If the Lakers had missed a single shot, or played a few more minutes, they would have lost tonight.
But it's just that coincidental, that's that perfect.
The Lakers did everything they were supposed to do, but the Mavericks had some issues, and that's how the Lakers won the game.
The frenzied Staples Center didn't care about the Mavericks' despair and helplessness, and the jubilant Lakers fans didn't care what the Mavericks players were thinking.
All they knew was that they had won again!
Once again, they won against all odds, and once again they created a miracle in an almost impossible situation!
"I think there's one more thing worth mentioning about the Lakers' win tonight." After the exhilarating cheers and exclamations, Miller composed himself and concluded, "Those last few plays by the Lakers, while each one looked heroic and incredibly crazy, were still impressive."
"But in reality, almost everyone on their court scored!"
"Kobe, Durant, Bynum, and Lin all scored points, and each of them made their own contributions at crucial moments, adding to the team's victory, while Terry didn't take a shot and didn't score."
"But his performance in the last game, with two three-pointers and drawing an offensive foul on Nowitzki in the final moments, was already legendary. Although Terry didn't find a chance to shoot tonight, he definitely put a lot of pressure on the Mavericks' defense."
"The Mavericks didn't dare to leave him open. A large part of the reason Durant was able to easily get space for that three-pointer was because the Mavericks tightened their defense on Terry."
"Confident yet selfless, with absolute ability yet willing to share, everyone can invest, everyone dares to invest, yet everyone is willing to spread the word."
"I think that's what makes this Lakers team so crazy and powerful!"
After celebrating for a long time on the court, the Lakers players and fans finally had their fill, and Lin Tian and Jackson also came to the press conference.
This time, the excited and impatient reporters didn't even bother with any of those opening remarks like "Congratulations on winning!" or "How did it feel to score the winning goal?" to warm up the atmosphere.
They immediately steered the conversation to the point they were most looking forward to and curious about.
"Lin, why did you take that shot on your last attempt?"
"Because I'm afraid they'll regret it." Lin Tian instantly got into the zone: "If I score the last basket using the conventional approach, the Mavericks will regret it."
"They'll regret not pressing me harder in the previous rounds. They'll think we were just lucky, that we were able to win this game because they were careless and saved a few seconds."
"So, to make sure they don't regret it, I chose to shoot early. I shot with 3 seconds left in the game, giving them 3 seconds! I wanted to tell them that the 3 seconds we saved because they didn't press the defense were not important at all, and I'm giving them back now."
"You didn't lose because you were careless. You lost because I was too strong. So tonight, you can sleep peacefully. Your loss wasn't your fault."
How arrogant!
The reporters almost simultaneously had this idea.
I've never seen such an arrogant bastard.
Oh, I've seen it many times. Lin Tian has done this countless times.
But apart from Lin Tian himself, he really had never seen such an arrogant bastard.
Are they afraid the Mavericks will regret it? Are they worried they won't be able to sleep?
That's utter nonsense!
It's basically an attempt to silence everyone!
Lin Tian's purpose was simply to silence any potential criticisms from the haters.
Phrases like "If the Mavericks had pressed full-court press that possession, you wouldn't have had enough time" or "If the Mavericks had just run a few more seconds, you'd be done for."
But now, Lin Tian's words, "I'll give you back the 3 seconds you carelessly gave me," have silenced everyone.
If you've already said something like that, and then go on to spout nonsense like "If the Mavericks had a full-court press," wouldn't that just be making yourself look stupid?
"Aren't you afraid you'll miss?" a reporter stood up and said, "After all, the distance for this shot is so far. If you miss, you'll lose."
"It won't miss." Lin Tian smiled, his tone casual and relaxed, as if he were stating some very simple common sense: "I knew this ball would go in."
Lin Tian's expression was relaxed and his tone was casual, but the reporter who asked the question felt a tremendous sense of pressure and an unquestionable and absolute confidence emanating from him.
This guy's confidence isn't faked.
He truly believed in himself, thinking he could make one shot after another, genuinely believing that it was impossible for him to miss and that there was no possibility that the basketball couldn't go through the hoop.
You can get in!
Now that things have been said, what else can the reporters do?
Congratulations to him, congratulations on his victory. Besides that, there's really nothing else he can do.
2: 0!
The Lakers narrowly escaped defeat twice at home, securing two consecutive buzzer-beating victories against the Mavericks and achieving a perfect result with an absolute advantage.
Next, the two teams will move to Dallas for two more games.
These two games are the Mavericks' last chance.
They have to take them all down.
If they lose a game and fall behind 1-3, then when the two teams return to Los Angeles, the Lakers will not give them any chance. They will definitely crush the Mavericks and advance to the Finals.
For the Mavericks, their upcoming home game is crucial; they cannot afford to lose! (End of Chapter)