thefictionvixens Chapter 654 Christmas Battle! A showdown between super scorers!
Chapter 654 Christmas Battle! A showdown between super scorers!
Chapter 654 Christmas Battle! A showdown between super scorers!
"This is absolutely an incredibly exciting offensive battle!" Before the game started, Barkley and Kenny were once again sitting in the commentary booth. Barkley excitedly said, "These two teams are not only the most popular teams in the league today, but also the teams with the most fans."
"They're still one of the most offensively potent teams this season!"
"The Knicks are averaging 118.4 points per game this season, remaining the league's offensive kings! Meanwhile, the Lakers, thanks to the top-tier individual abilities of Kobe and McGrady, are averaging 114.5 points per game! That ranks fifth in the league!"
"A head-to-head matchup between two top-five teams in the league is sure to bring us endless surprises and two wonderful hours!"
Kenny added, "Besides their team offense and pace being among the top five in the league, these two teams also boast three, or even five, of the league's top offensive players!"
"As of now this season, Allen Iverson leads the scoring charts with a career-high average of 35.4 points per game, a league-leading figure despite his team's poor performance!"
"Second on the list is Lin, who has been dominating the game for the past month, averaging over 45 points per game throughout December, and 34.6 points per game so far this season!"
"Ranked third is Kobe Bryant with an average of 30.1 points per game, and ranked fifth is Tracy McGrady with an average of 28.4 points per game!"
"The Lakers' Kobe and McGrady duo is the highest-scoring duo in the league! And if you add Anthony (22.3 points per game) and Stoudemire (20.9 points per game) to the Knicks' roster, then the trio of them and Lin Tian forms the highest-scoring trio in the league!"
"Which team will prevail in tonight's duel between the strongest duo and the strongest trio?"
Barkley and Kenny were both in high spirits; clearly, they were just as excited as the fans for the game.
"Tonight I'll guard you, crush you, and take the victory." Before the game started, Kobe maintained his usual arrogance and aloofness as he walked up to Lin Tian and said, "Then, I'll take all the US dollars in the 'Super Lotto'."
"You think you can get that by beating me? Don't you think I need to become the president of the players' union to get it?" Lin Tian was stunned; Kobe's words left him speechless.
What's going on? Was my information wrong?
These people are so boring, they don't want me to become the president of the players' union, they want to beat me up?
Is he mentally ill or just tired of living?
Kobe was stunned at this moment.
What's going on? Was my information wrong?
These people are so bored, they're not trying to beat Lin up, but to make him the president of the players' union?
Is he mentally ill or just tired of living?
Kobe and Lin Tian, both with four eyes, met each other's gazes, filled with suspicion and confusion. Neither of them understood what was going on, nor whose information was correct.
But neither of them is prepared to admit defeat tonight!
Who cares why, who cares about any of this bullshit?
If we win tonight, if we crush the opponent tonight, won't everything be solved?
A simple horse!
Just do it!
As the referee stepped onto the field, the five starting players from each side also took to the field.
Besides Kobe and McGrady, the Lakers' other three players are starting point guard Smush Parker, power forward Brian Cook, and center Andrew Bynum!
Compared to last year, four of the five players in this lineup have been replaced. Apart from McGrady, who has shown a clear improvement, the Lakers have experienced a significant decline in the other three positions.
Although Bynum is nicknamed "Little Shaq", he is still in his growth stage and cannot be compared with O'Neal at all. Smush Parker is a role player who has never had any opportunities on other teams in the league.
As for power forward Cook, he was forced to take the starting position because of Kirilenko's injury, but in terms of ability, he is not comparable to Kirilenko at all!
In other words, McGrady is a significant improvement compared to Prince last season.
McGrady's formidable offensive firepower is also the reason why the Lakers, despite leaving due to injury and only playing 8 games, still have a record of 18 wins and 12 losses, ranking fifth in the Western Conference.
The offensive duo of McGrady and Kobe was truly the best forward pairing in the league!
Looking at the entire history of the league, the firepower of these two is probably only comparable to that of the duo of Lin Tian and Jordan.
Others?
They are all confident of winning!
Tonight is clearly the time to test the mettle of this top-tier offensive duo of Kobe and McGrady!
The Knicks did not change their starting lineup. Thanks to Lin Tian's performance, the team only lost the first two games of December. It can be said that the team is in its peak condition!
In other words, the Celtics have also been in excellent form recently, not losing a single game throughout December, so they have firmly held the top spot in the East. Otherwise, given Lin Tian and the Knicks' performance this month, they would have already reclaimed the top spot in the East!
This also shows that although the Pistons and Nets have exposed their weaknesses, the competition among the top teams in the Eastern Conference is still quite fierce!
Soon, Bynum and Okur stepped up to the center circle again to prepare for the jump ball, while the rest of the players took their positions and waited for the game to begin.
On the sidelines, Knicks head coach Don Nelson and Lakers head coach and former Rockets championship coach Tomjanovich both crossed their arms and frowned, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
Clearly, both coaches are determined to win this match and attach great importance to it.
"How can I win today!" That was Tomjanovich's thought.
"If you burn my turkey again tonight, I'm going on a hunger strike!" That's old Nelson.
"Beep beep!"
With the referee's whistle, the match began!
Bynum truly deserves his title as the youngest player in NBA history. When he made his first appearance last season, he was only 18 years and 5 days old, and no one has ever been able to enter the game at a younger age than him.
This record will inevitably be permanently sealed away, forever belonging to him, as the NBA bans high school players from directly entering the league.
The fact that someone so young could enter the league and be selected in the lottery speaks volumes.
1. His talent is truly blinding; his size, feel, and sense of smell are all top-notch!
2. He is really immature; he is an absolute gem.
When Bynum joined the team this season, the Lakers took advantage of their position and brought in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to give Bynum special training. This allowed the immature Bynum and Abdul-Jabbar to learn about interpersonal skills and how to conduct themselves on the court.
So far this season, although Bynum is only averaging 8 points and 5 rebounds per game, the potential and talent he has shown have made the Lakers' management very happy!
They all believe that although the O'Neal trade has dashed the Lakers' hopes of contending for a championship in the last two years, the players they acquired were strong enough, and the assets they received were substantial enough.
With McGrady, Bynum, and a top-ten draft pick from 07, the Lakers' resurgence will inevitably come very quickly!
Three years at most!
Kupchak is confident that he can get the Lakers back on track within three years!
This was an incredibly lucky start for him.
With his exceptional talent, perfect physique, and athleticism that belies his size, Bynum easily defeated Okur, securing the Lakers' first offensive possession.
The basketball came into Parker's hands. As the famous "Grim Reaper" in the streetball circle, Parker had extremely high confidence and an explosive desire to perform. His physical qualities were excellent even in the NBA.
He actually only has two problems.
1. This guy clearly doesn't think his level and ability are only suitable for a role player; he thinks he's Jordan.
2. The only thing this guy has in common with Jordan is that his basketball IQ is about the same as Jordan's grandmother's.
In short, after arriving at the frontcourt, this guy started showing off his fancy street dribbling skills as soon as he saw Lin Tian, including crossovers and behind-the-back dribbles.
I must say, it's actually pretty cool.
However, aside from showing off, his few moves were completely useless. He remained standing still without moving, and Lin Tian didn't move either.
But Kobe and McGrady were already cursing.
It's been two months! They've put up with this bastard for two months.
If the team hadn't been so desperate for another point guard to fill the void, Kobe and McGrady would have fired this guy long ago.
As you can see, Kobe is currently boxing out Barnes in the low post and constantly reaching for the ball.
During this offseason, with Shaquille O'Neal gone, the Lakers' low-post offense had a vacuum. So Kobe spent a lot of money to learn footwork from Hakeem Olajuwon and even gained a few kilograms, all in order to punish opponents in the low post.
His points in low post isolation plays this season have jumped to first place among all players in the 2-3 positions!
Meanwhile, McGrady was on the other side, at a 45-degree angle, reaching out for the ball. Compared to Kobe, he was better at organizing and passing the ball, and he was more adept at forcing shots and initiating attacks from the high post. So this season, these two guys often stood one on top of the other, without interfering with each other.
Of course, when it comes to crucial moments, the Lakers also have a secret weapon: having these two players stand on one side and play a high-low post combination, which can be considered another version of the OK connection.
Unfortunately, no matter how much Kobe and McGrady wanted the ball, Parker had to finish his impressive but useless dribbling routine before he could finally raise his head and look for his teammates.
But would Lin Tian give him that chance?
Lin Tianquan didn't intercept the ball from him just now because he wanted to see what tricks this guy could pull off; he treated it like watching a show.
Now that you've finished your moves, it's time to organize your attack.
Then Master Lin needs to step out of his show-watching mode and teach you a lesson on how to behave!
So, Lin Tian, who was just a meter away from Parker, suddenly stepped forward, blocked the position, and then pressed his body tightly against Parker, preventing him from dribbling the ball easily.
Then, after Lin Tian suddenly increased his defensive intensity, forcing Parker to scramble, he quickly seized an opportunity and stole the ball.
"Snapped!"
That was absolutely swift, accurate, and ruthless! The basketball instantly slipped from Parker's control and was poked away by Lin Tian.
"FUXX!"
At the same time, similar roars came from almost every corner of the stadium.
Lin Tian glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw that at least three people—Kobe, McGrady, and head coach Tomjanovich—were roaring.
Are they really treating this like Rock Park, showing off wherever they want?
You think you're facing a streetball player? Your opponent tonight is Lin!
Amidst the roars of the Lakers, Lin Tian charged to the frontcourt and unleashed a powerful one-handed dunk, opening the scoring for his team.
"Good dribbling, keep it up." After completing the dunk, Lin Tian patted Parker on the shoulder to encourage him, saying that the young man was doing well.
These blatantly provocative words instantly ignited Parker's passion and made him lose his temper!
This is also this guy's signature skill.
It explodes at the slightest touch, and gets you intoxicated with just one spray.
And there is absolutely no ability to match it.
For example, in the second round, he wanted to continue to challenge Lin Tian one-on-one, and showed off several beautiful dribbling feints in front of Lin Tian, making Lin Tian want to applaud him.
Unfortunately, this guy didn't pause after making the move; instead, he accelerated to try and get past the opponent.
If you pause for a moment, then Master Lin might give you a round of applause as encouragement.
But now you're breaking through directly?
I'm sorry.
"Snapped!"
With another crisp sound, Lin Tian struck again, stealing the ball once more!
"Fast break!" After shouting, Lin Tian once again sped up, dribbling the ball at lightning speed to the frontcourt. This time, the Lakers retreated even faster, and Kobe and McGrady returned to their own half of the court in time.
But Lin Tian was prepared. After compressing the Lakers' defenders into the paint, he suddenly made a behind-the-back pass, sending the ball back beyond the three-point line.
Okur, who was following up, suddenly stopped, took a look after receiving the ball, and decisively launched a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
5: 0!
The Knicks had a fantastic start!
"FUXX!" Parker clapped his hands, clearly annoyed and frustrated, and yelled at Cook, who was preparing to serve from the baseline, "Ball! This time I'm going to kill him."
"Get down here!" Tomjanovich, being a championship coach, reacted quickly. Seeing that Parker dared to get carried away when facing Lin Tian and made two consecutive mistakes in 20 seconds, how could he dare to let him continue playing on the court?
With a loud shout, he took the guy off the court, and replaced him with Vujacic, who had delivered a stunning performance in last season's finals.
A pure marksman with almost no organizational attributes.
This is why someone like Parker, who has absolutely no NBA skills, can be a starter for the Lakers.
Besides him, the Lakers can only field Vujacic as the nominal point guard.
In name only.
Because the organization, advancement, passing, and calling out tactics were all done by Kobe or McGrady.
If the team had even one decent point guard, Tomjanovich wouldn't have made Parker a starter for two months.
He really had no other choice.
But after those 20 seconds of competition tonight, he really couldn't hold back anymore.
Even if McGrady and Kobe took turns playing point guard, he wouldn't want to endure it for even a second longer.
Parker, you must get DNP!
This is actually the treatment that matches Parker's abilities.
After all, throughout his entire NBA career, apart from the two years he played for the Lakers, he couldn't get playing time anywhere else in the league; he was always a benchwarmer and extra.
He has not achieved success or recognition anywhere else.
That's why he left the NBA stage and went to the CBA before he was even 28 years old, without any injuries or illnesses.
This guy definitely lacks the ability and basketball IQ required for NBA rotation.
Do not believe?
Look at the entire league, which role player-type point guard dares to prevent their own team's first and second-leading players from receiving the ball at the start of the game, instead of praising themselves for dribbling and then talking about tactics and passing?
This is the only one of its kind; there are no other branches.
Even the former "Madman" Van Nistelrooy had to give O'Neal a few shots first.
But Parker dared to reach out to the team leader for the ball even after making two consecutive mistakes.
That confidence is truly impressive!
Unfortunately, their abilities didn't match.
"Tracy, you organize the offense!" Tomjanovich yelled at McGrady from the sidelines. Since Vujacic was on the court, they could only rely on Kobe and McGrady's playmaking and passing abilities to have them fill in at point guard.
After all, Vujacic is a pure shooter and finisher.
After McGrady took over ball handling, the Lakers' offense immediately came alive. His height of at least 203 centimeters gave him a wide field of vision on the court. Coupled with his strong scoring ability and first-class ball handling skills, he is considered by many to be the most playmaking forward in the league today.
The first possession after the Lakers changed their tactics was when Kobe received the ball in the low post, McGrady organized the offense at the top of the arc, and then Kobe suddenly turned and blew past Barnes, sprinting towards the basket. At that moment, the basketball flew into the air and was caught by Kobe, who jumped high.
"boom!"
Then came a loud bang, and the connection between Comer and McCain was established!
Barkley praised, "The chemistry between these two is really good. I heard they've been good friends since high school, and they both decided to skip college and go straight to the NBA."
Kenny said the same thing: "These two seem to train together all the time in recent years, which is why they have such good chemistry. There's a lot of chemistry between them."
With Kobe and McGrady's first connection of the game, both sides officially got into the game and began their duel!
For the remainder of the first quarter, McGrady didn't take many shots. He took on the main task of organizing the team's offense. Since McGrady wasn't shooting, Kobe naturally became the team's main offensive option.
In the first quarter, facing Barnes behind him, Kobe effectively defeated Olajuwon.
His back-to-the-back footwork, back-to-the-back skills, and the seamless transitions between various techniques behind the back were truly admirable.
"This Kobe season has been incredible! He's improved once again! His playing style has undergone a huge transformation, and I even think that in terms of post-up skills alone, Kobe has surpassed Jordan and is now the greatest perimeter player in NBA history!"
After Kobe repeatedly used his back-to-the-basket footwork to teach Barnes a lesson in the first quarter, Barkley couldn't hold back any longer and gave him a very high evaluation!
(End of this chapter)