I've been playing in the NBA for three years, and this system is only now showing up?

Chapter 81 Kobe's Invalidated! The Ultimate Card Bug: He Just Won't Get Fouled! [Daily Updates of 20,000 Words, Please Subscribe]

This was probably the first time in Miller's life that he didn't respond to trash talk from his opponent. Regardless of whether he accepted it or not, he knew he was in the wrong and that the Pacers were at fault.

Lin Ze snorted and stopped talking.

The Lakers inbounded the ball from the baseline, and Lin Ze immediately backed down and blocked Crosher behind him, reaching out for the ball.

Crosher was a gamble for the Pacers, as he was a lottery pick selected tenth overall after Bird joined the team.

The reason he was chosen is probably because before he entered the league, he was nicknamed "Bird's successor".

But those familiar with league history know that there are two ironclad rules for rookies in the league: 1. Don't become Bird's successor, or you'll be a bust! 2. Don't become a rookie favored by Jordan, or you'll be a bust!

Crosher, as Bird's successor, was naturally considered a weak player.

He's not the kind of player who can't get playing time at all, but even if he reaches his peak, Crosier is just an average rotation player. He has the ability and can be a starter on a weak team, but what about taking on more responsibility?

That would be asking the impossible.

Those who can be called "Bird's successor" must all have some common flaws: poor physical attributes and poor defense.

Croshill is also one of the best among them.

After Lin Ze backed down and secured his position, even though his strength was only average for a power forward in the league, Crosher was completely powerless to resist and couldn't move Lin Ze at all. When Lin Ze received the ball, he simply used a fake to completely shake him off and then easily pulled up for a jump shot and made it!

How thoroughly was Croshill shaken up?

Lin Ze originally intended to elbow him, but he missed!

This guy was completely fooled!

"The Lakers are about to launch a comeback!" Wilmarcus said. "Lin seemed to be playing quite well tonight! At least until the Pacers started 'Hack-a-Shaq' again, he was playing very efficiently."

"Get that thing up here!" After scoring, Lin Ze turned and yelled at Bird on the sidelines, "Get that thing up here, you idiot!"

"Fuck!" Bird didn't respond to Lin Ze, but just muttered a curse under his breath.

Like Miller, he also felt guilty at this moment.

Although neither of them are good people, and both are quite wicked and annoying, they both have their bottom lines.

Next, Crosier received the ball and tried to force his way past Lin Ze, but his amateurish attempt to break through Lin Ze's defense was no match for him. Crosier tried to pass the ball to a teammate, but Lin Ze anticipated his move.

Lin Ze suddenly reached out and intercepted his pass, then grabbed the basketball and launched a counterattack towards the frontcourt.

"boom!"

Then, Lin Ze, who rarely dunks, unleashed a powerful two-handed dunk to vent his frustration.

Damn it, I finally got the perfect reward, the card, after all that hard work!

If we waste two months like this, I'll definitely shove Ross's Dick into his mouth!

"Get that thing onto the court!" After the dunk, Lin Ze glared at the Pacers' bench again and issued a threat.

"Judging from Xiaolin's expression, he's really angry!" Su Qun, the commentator, said. "He must be furious about Kobe's injury. He and Kobe must have a very good relationship, otherwise he wouldn't be so angry right now!"

Sun Zhengping said, "I hope Xiaolin can fill the firepower gap that has appeared after Kobe's absence."

On the court, after Lin Ze completed a powerful dunk, the Lakers also executed another excellent team defensive play.

Lin Ze forced Crozier, who had the ball, into the left side, an area he was not good at, forcing him to use only his left hand to attack. AC under the basket

Green made a brilliant help defense, swatting away Crosher's layup attempt as he drove to the basket.

Hubble grabbed the rebound, and the Lakers launched another counterattack!

With O'Neal out, the Lakers don't have much of an advantage in half-court sets, so they must take every opportunity to attack and look for chances in transition.

After Hubble arrived at the frontcourt, he was caught up by Jackson and unable to penetrate the paint. He immediately passed the ball to Lin Ze on the side, and Lin Ze took another mid-range shot after receiving the ball.

Crosher was even pushed aside by Lin Ze's shoulder, and could only watch as he made a jump shot!

"Such aggression!" Wilmarcus exclaimed. "Aside from that clash with Malone in the Western Conference semifinals, I've never seen Lin so angry and so aggressive!"

"He and Kobe must have had a very good relationship! He's furious about what happened to Kobe!"

"Bang!"

Then, under the Lakers' defense, Chris Mullin, the former "Golden Left Hand," now a drunkard, scored 3 points.

The shot missed the rim, and the Lakers launched another fast break.

Lin Ze received the ball outside the three-point line and, without hesitation, pulled up for a three-pointer during a transition between offense and defense.

"Whoosh!"

After a crisp sound, Lin Ze hit another three-pointer!

"Nine points in a row!" Su Qun shouted excitedly, "Lin Ze moment! The Lakers have tied the score! Lin Ze has gone on a 9-0 run!"

The score is now tied! The Pacers have called a timeout; they need to calm down and collect their composure.

Back in China, Hu Weidong's eyes lit up: "This kid's got guts! He's loyal! If we were to fight outside, he definitely wouldn't be at a disadvantage. Tiger, you love to cause trouble, with someone like this in the team, you can cause as much trouble as you want."

"He has no chance," Zheng Wu said from the side. "If this kid comes, Xiao Mao will be kicked out of the national team. How can they possibly have a chance to fight side by side?"

"Fuck you!" Sun Jun cursed, "Even if you die, I won't get kicked out!"

Bird looks very uncomfortable on the sidelines.

He had thought that Kobe's departure would give the Lakers a brief burst of scoring and allow them to close the gap, but he never expected that they would be caught up in the absence of O'Neal.

In less than two minutes of the second quarter, the Lakers managed to completely erase the lead they had painstakingly built up in the first quarter.

What should I do?

Bird's brows furrowed; he had a terrible headache.

-

Looking at his players, he could only ask, "Jaylen, are you scared?"

"Don't worry!" Rose knew what Bird meant and said directly, "At worst, he'll beat us up, but that kid will be suspended! If Kobe gets injured and that kid is suspended, we've already won this series!"

"Then, you'll go and match up against him!" Bird made a rather cunning decision: "If Lin and Jaylen really start fighting, nobody should help them."

"Make that kid angry, provoke him with words, and bring out all those rude little tricks!"

"However, some methods are no longer allowed!"

Bird left himself and the team with the last shred of leeway.

Miller opened his mouth several times, but in the end he glanced at the huge Larry O'Brien Trophy imprinted on the court floor, sighed, and looked at Rose, saying, "Be careful."

He didn't like Ross's behavior, but he chose to accept it.

To win the championship!

The game continues!

Miller, who returned to the court, ran even more tirelessly. He finally got a chance to receive the ball after repeatedly using screens from his teammates.

Then, without hesitation, he pulled up and threw!

"Whoosh!"

After a crisp sound, Miller hit a three-pointer!

When the team was in the most danger, he was the one who stepped up!

Only he could stand up at a time like this.

Lin Ze made no comment on Miller's three-pointer, because he had already marked Rose closely.

"You're the one who's going to be my matchup?!" Lin Ze exclaimed in surprise. "Did you offend a lot of people in Indiana? Do all your teammates want you dead?"

"I'm here to kill you, kid!" Ross was quite dedicated; he clearly remembered his mission: to provoke Lin Ze and hopefully get a beating.

In terms of physique and playing style, Rose is actually a good fit for guarding Lin Ze.

With his height of 203 cm and strong physique, coupled with good physical qualities and mobility, he is a much more suitable matchup for Lin Ze than Davis and Crozier.

Especially now that Kobe is out, Rose has been freed up.

"Lin, kill him!" When the Lakers were on offense, O'Neal voluntarily gave up the low post and took two steps toward the outside of the three-second zone.

Lin Ze didn't hold back either, turning his back to Rose and reaching out for the ball.

After getting the ball, Lin Ze didn't bother with footwork or technique; he just went straight for the ball, slamming his shoulder into Rose's chest, almost choking him. Then he immediately turned around, raising his elbow as he did so, slamming it into Rose's chest again.

These two incredibly fast attacks not only left Rose completely defenseless and unable to continue close-quarters defense, but also caused Miller's eyes to twitch repeatedly as he watched from the side.

He was all too familiar with this action; not only familiar, but also loathed it.

Jordan bullied him like this back then!

"Whoosh!"

Then came a crisp sound as Lin Ze scored 2 points for his team with a back-to-the-basket move.

"Get me, you trash! Get me!" After scoring, Lin Ze glared menacingly at Rose and growled, "Put your leg over here, let's see who'll be carried into the operating room tonight!"

"Okay, then you keep jumping!" Rose came on stage with a mission. Even though he wasn't really confident at the moment, he still gritted his teeth and responded to Lin Ze when he thought about the championship.

"Come on!" Lin Ze was also excited; he loved this kind of fearless person!

With Kobe no longer harassing him, Miller really seemed to be swimming freely on the Pacers' offense. He ran out of space again, received the ball outside the three-point line, faked a shot, dribbled a step, and almost stepped on the three-point line before pulling up for a long-range two-pointer that went in!

After experiencing a 16-1 defeat in the first game, Miller seemed to have learned his lesson and worked hard.

Unfortunately, Miller's consecutive scores were not enough to help the Pacers widen the gap.

Because Lin Ze's physical bullying of Rose continues.

He still called for the ball in the low post, and O'Neal once again generously created space for Lin Ze.

After another fierce physical confrontation, just like before, Lin Ze pushed past Rose and this time chose to drive hard to the basket. After two steps into the three-second zone, Lin Ze ignored Schmitz's help defense and forced a shot.

Lin Ze was double-teamed by Rose and Schmitz in mid-air. After a fierce confrontation, Lin Ze's shot was obviously too long. It hit the rim once and flew to the other side of the rim.

Lin Ze felt no regret or frustration. Firstly, his elbow had once again struck Rose squarely in the chest, knocking the guy off balance and to the ground. Secondly, Lin Ze knew exactly who was on the other side of the basket.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the entire basketball hoop once again emitted a series of painful groans.

O'Neal, who was left behind by Schmitz, grabbed the rebound and easily completed a powerful dunk!

With O'Neal on the other side, Lin Ze didn't even think about making the shot.

He deliberately increased the force to ensure the basketball reached the other side of the rim. He focused most of his attention on dealing with Rose. Because this elbow strike was in the air, it carried Lin Ze's weight in addition to his own strength, making it even more powerful than the previous two strikes combined!

Ross was so badly injured that he couldn't get up from the floor. He covered his face with his hands and gasped for breath.

Although the fans at the scene were unaware of what had happened in the blink of an eye, they were certain that their side had suffered a loss!

Naturally, they didn't hesitate to unleash a deafening chorus of boos.

Then, the huge boos turned into even louder, more frantic shouts and profanities.

Seeing his teammate getting hurt, Miller rushed up to Lin Ze and started yelling at him, "Fuck! Bitch, you think I don't know what you're doing?"

"Are you worried I'll ruin your male lover's dermatitis?" Lin Ze wasn't afraid of Miller at all. Instead of backing down, he took a step forward, his chest almost touching Miller's, and looked down at him, saying, "Don't worry, I went easy on you."

"You can go and lick it yourself tonight to make sure it's still intact!"

"Damn bitch! No need to wait until tonight, I'll fuck your dermatitis to pieces right now!" Miller roared, stretching out his hands and shoving Lin Ze at him.

"You fucking lay a hand on me?" Lin Ze glared, slapped Miller's arm away with his left hand, and then followed up with his right hand, pushing Miller back several steps.

After gaining the upper hand, Lin Ze made a move to step forward, but O'Neal had already grabbed him around the waist from behind.

However, to O'Neal's surprise, he did not encounter the frantic struggle and angry resistance he had imagined.

Lin Ze cursed under his breath, "You old dog, I'll fucking bleed your dermatitis raw! How dare you lay a hand on me?"

On the other hand, he exerted force backward, pushing O'Neal back.

Although O'Neal didn't understand what Lin Ze was going to do, he didn't stop carrying him and walked backwards.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Ze fought and retreated, creating a distance of at least three meters between himself and Miller.

Even if the referees are slow to react, they still have enough time to react.

He rushed onto the court and stood between Lin Ze and the enraged Miller.

"Shaq, you pulled him just in time." After being pulled away by O'Neal, Lin Ze's face was still full of anger, but his tone was not angry at all: "That's teamwork!"

"Of course!" O'Neal had no idea what Lin Ze was talking about, but he couldn't very well ask Lin Ze about their "chemistry" right now, could he?

He could only nod quickly and say, "We've always been the best partners!"

"If Kobe hadn't gone down, I would have beaten that old dog to a pulp today!" Lin Ze continued to threaten, "But now, my goal isn't to beat him up."

"I'm going to make sure they don't win a single game!"

If Kobe hadn't been injured, after what Miller did, he would have definitely made Miller meet his great-grandmother. If any other Pacers player dared to come up, Lin Ze would definitely not have shown any mercy. At worst, he would just get suspended for another 10 games!

But Kobe is not here, and it's likely a grade 2 sprain. If he is also suspended, and with O'Neal carrying the team alone, the Pacers might actually be able to turn the tide!

That's not what he wanted!

What he wants is for the Pacers to lose, for the Pacers to not win a single game.

So he endured it.

He maintained a proper balance.

He knew what punishment he would receive for his actions.

That was a pretty bad technical foul.

That foul on Rose would at most result in another flagrant foul.

He won't be ejected; he'll still be able to stay on the field tonight.

The bugs are completely overwhelming.

If Lin Ze hadn't watched the game where he chased the egg, he wouldn't have known that he could control himself to such an extreme degree. He had always thought that technical fouls and flagrant fouls were counted together.

But seeing that even after being fouled out of the ball, Lin Ze could still jump up and celebrate receiving a technical foul, and still continue playing on the court, opened the door to a new world for him in his previous life.

He once dealt with an opponent who tried to sabotage him during a CUBA match in this way.

Ultimately, Lin Ze still suffered because he was born in the 00s. He didn't know that Kobe Bryant, despite suffering a severe sprain, inexplicably only missed one game.

Then this guy returned from injury, missed one game, and led the team to victory even when O'Neal fouled out.

林泽只知道奥尼尔这一轮场均38+16，打的步行者全队哭爹喊妈勇夺亚军，以及科比这轮系列赛里单场0分、8分、20投4欠。

If Lin Ze knew, he would never tolerate it and would definitely make Miller go and seduce his great-grandmother.

Despite the deafening boos and jeers from the crowd, Lin Ze remained unfazed. On his way back to the bench, he even raised both hands to his ears as if making a megaphone, indicating that their voices were too quiet to affect him at all.

That means he would definitely get a technical foul and a flagrant foul. If he were any more arrogant, he might get further penalties and be ejected. Otherwise, Lin Ze would definitely be running all over the court and waving his arms up and down to further provoke the Pacers fans and make them boo even louder.

"Well done!" Jackson stood up in front of the bench, reached out and bumped hands with Lin Ze, acknowledging his performance: "I've wanted to take down that old bastard for a long time."

"Too bad Michael's a spineless coward who can't fight," Lin Ze chuckled. "So you've never gotten your wish, right?"

"I didn't mean that at all." Jackson rolled his eyes, not bothering to respond to Lin Ze's words further.

"A mature performance! Lin's performance is becoming more and more mature." Wilmarcus continued to speak well of Lin Ze in front of the camera: "We all know what Lin did in the Western Conference semifinals! If he really wanted to fight just now, if he really wanted to make the conflict more serious..."

"Even Shaq couldn't stop him! We all know how fast and how ruthless he is when he fights!"

""

"He knew how important Shang Wan was, and he knew how important forbearance was in this kind of verbal setting."

Regarding Huaxia Sports, Su Qun also said, "While a man's anger may feel satisfying, the ability to bend and stretch is the true nature of a great man!"

"For even greater achievements!" Sun Zhengping chimed in from the side, "Enduring doesn't mean lacking courage, much less a sign of weakness."

"The fact that he was put on hold proves that Kobayashi is now more responsible. He knows his position in the team and what he needs to do to help the team."

"The team wants him to play on the court, score, and destroy the opponent, not throw a punch and then miss the entire Finals."

"He's ruthlesser than Lao Liu, has a temper like a tiger, and is probably even braver than Da Ba in a fight, but like Qun Ge, he has a good overall view and knows how to be patient. Most importantly—" In the room where the Chinese men's basketball team was watching the game, Hu Zhudong looked at his teammates and said calmly, "Just like me, he's loyal, follows the rules, has principles, knows when to advance and retreat, and is a real man!"

"Go to hell!" Liu Yudong jabbed at him, then cursed, "Have you no shame?!"

"Old Jiang," Li Qun couldn't help but whisper to the highly respected coach, "Can he come? I think he'll definitely integrate into the team. Besides, even if Tiger or Old Zheng are eliminated, they won't have any problems."

"I can do ideological work."

Jiang Xinggong remained silent for a long time. Just when Li Qun thought he hadn't heard him, the old man suddenly sighed and said, "It's unlikely, at least not during the Shang Dynasty."

On the field, the referees had already watched the video from multiple angles and discussed it for a long time.

Then the referee walked onto the field and gave his decision to the scorer's table.

O'Neal's two points were valid, and then Lin Ze and Miller each received a technical foul.

Lin Ze also received an additional malicious foul.

He's hit that bug!

"A technical foul and a flagrant foul," Wilmarcus said with a smile. "This is a rare sight! Lin could be ejected at any moment."

"It's a pity he only had 2 fouls," Smith said with a laugh. "Otherwise, we might have seen a player with 5 fouls, 1 technical foul, and 1 flagrant foul on the court."

"Who can say for sure?" Wilmarcus, now looking on with amusement, laughed and said, "Let's wait and see!"

Soon, both sides were awarded technical penalty shots, and then the game continued.

In the following matches, both sides were noticeably more agitated, and their actions became more aggressive and ruthless, further escalating the level of physical confrontation.

The three referees naturally tightened their officiating standards in a tacit manner.

Miller and Lin Ze's attack just now was terrifying.

They can't let a full-blown brawl break out on the Finals stage. A few shoving and trash talk might make the fans more excited, but if a real fight breaks out, it would be a serious incident!

Therefore, the referees decisively brought the refereeing standards back to the regular season level, calling fouls that were not called before, and turning previously ignored physical contact into fouls.

In this situation, the number of fouls on both sides skyrocketed, the game became fragmented, and the entertainment value plummeted.

But for referees: if the game is ugly, they might get scolded for a few days at most, but if a fight breaks out, it will affect their bonuses and careers.

However, what the referees didn't expect was that this game with a high number of fouls actually aligned with the Pacers' game strategy.

Shark-cutting tactics!

When the second quarter went into BONUS mode, the Pacers started fouling O'Neal relentlessly, sending him to the free-throw line repeatedly to try and stop the Lakers' offense.

O'Neal's free throw shooting improved somewhat compared to the first quarter, but the improvement was rather limited.

在第一节8罚只有2欠之后，第二节的奥尼尔10罚3欠，将自己的罚球命欠率从25%提升到了30%。

If it's just O'Neal missing free throws, it won't cause the Lakers much trouble.

What truly put the Lakers in trouble in the second quarter was O'Neal's increasingly agitated mood after failing to make any more free throws. With 3 minutes and 12 seconds left in the second quarter, he picked up his third personal foul.

Jackson had to substitute him to let him cool off on the bench.

After O'Neal went to the bench, Lin Ze immediately faced a relentless double-team from the Pacers. With his ball-handling skills not being top-notch and without the distraction of Kobe and O'Neal, he made a series of mistakes against the Pacers' relentless defense.

To make matters worse, with 1 minute and 19 seconds left in the second quarter, Lin Ze also committed an offensive foul due to an overly aggressive move.

He committed his third offense!

With one of the three key players blindfolded, another missing free throws, and yet another exposing his weaknesses after being double-teamed, the Lakers only managed 40 points by the end of the first half, which was quite poor.

On the other hand, the Pacers unleashed a formidable offensive barrage in the second quarter.

Neugi Miller!

This guy went on a rampage in the latter part of the second quarter.

Without Kobe's harassment, he unleashed all his firepower, running wildly on the court. Whenever he got the ball, he would either shoot directly or take a step and then jump.

After making consecutive shots, he began to showcase his other skills besides shooting.

Once his shooting accuracy improves, defenders inevitably find it hard to resist jumping when facing him.

After all, everyone knows how terrifying a Miller can be when he gets accurate.

The more worried and afraid the defenders were about Miller's shot, the calmer Miller became.

He started using feints after catching the ball or sudden stops to fake shooting, trying to trick defenders into jumping, and then brushing against them.

With this skill, Miller repeatedly stepped up to the free-throw line.

上半场比赛结束的时候，米勒就已经11投6欠，3分球4投3欠，罚球6罚全欠轰下了21

With his explosive performance and leadership, the Pacers gained a 16-point lead in the first half, getting closer and closer to their first-ever Finals victory.

"I can play!" The Lakers players had just returned to the locker room, and before they could even settle in, Kobe, who had been waiting there, volunteered: "Gary said I'm fine."

"How dare you slander someone's innocence out of thin air!" Vidi, who was not far away, immediately became agitated: "I didn't say that!"

He can't take the blame for this!

"You're nothing!" Just as Viti was about to continue arguing with Kobe, Lin Ze shoved Kobe back onto the bench: "Who do you think you are? You think we can't win the game without you?"

"Cultivate your speech wisely!"

Jackson replied sternly and firmly, "I will not allow you to play with this message, not even a second thought! If you say another word, you can forget about staying in the locker room and go straight back to Los Angeles for a checkup!"

At this point, even Kobe Bryant dared not say a word.

He lowered his head and sat back in his chair without saying a word.

"I wasn't joking just now," Lin Ze said immediately, noticing the tense atmosphere in the locker room. "We can win even without Kobe!"

"Of course, I don't mean we're stronger without you." Lin Ze added considerately when he saw Kobe about to stand up again: "Perhaps that's possible, but more importantly, the Pacers aren't that strong."

"We're the all-time leading team in regular season wins with 73 games, what are they anyway?"

"Do they even deserve to see us dressed up as runners-up with 73 wins?"

"Lin's right." Jackson adjusted his glasses and said, "What are they anyway!"

"How did they win? How did they manage to turn the tide?"

"We don't want anyone to play while injured, we don't need to return to our home stadium, and we don't need to worry or be afraid."

"I remember, what did Lin say during the first half?"

"A sweep! Our goal this round is a sweep!"

"That will not change!"

"In the second half, we completed the comeback and then swept them aside!"

"Sweep them away! Sweep them away!"

"Let the Indians die! Let them go to hell!"

"Los Angeles will win!"

"TO BE NO.1!"

Jackson nodded in satisfaction, then gestured for everyone to be quiet and slowly said, "Now, let me outline our tactics for the second half."

Outside the locker room, Jerry West lowered his hand from the door he was about to knock on, muttering to himself, "Damn that idiot!"

Then he turned to look at Old Buss, who was standing right next to him, and said, "Let's go, boss, we're not needed here anymore! Let's get a beer and then watch the kids pull off the comeback."

"I believe in them!"

The 15-minute break ended quickly, and the players from both sides returned to the field.

The noise at the stadium was even more frantic, almost hysterical, because the fans saw their team gaining a significant advantage and a strong chance of winning.

With Kobe's height and weight, the Indianapolis players sensed a chance to turn the series around.

They were like hyenas in the wilderness who had caught the scent of a corpse, howling wildly and baring their fangs.

At the start of the second half, Jackson unleashed his signature move.

Because the Lakers had to put Fisher in the point guard position to match up against him, Jackson immediately bent over, drove all the way to the basket, and then turned and shot.

He can't beat Kobe and Hubble, but he can easily bully a skinny guy like Xiaoyu.

Jackson's score drove the fans even wilder, and even O'Neal's explosive dunk immediately afterward couldn't dampen the Indiana fans' frenzy in the slightest.

Jackson once again bent over to dribble past Fisher, drawing a double team from the Lakers, then quickly passed the ball to Miller, who received it and...

He pulled up the ball from outside the three-point line and shot it; another three-pointer went in!

The gap is now 19 points!

The gap between the two sides was about to reach 20 points.

But Phil Jackson wasn't in a hurry at all.

He has plenty of patience, as well as business acumen and leverage.

His tactics were just beginning!

The Lakers are starting to change!

After dribbling the ball up the court, Fisher immediately passed it to Lin Ze in the low post.

Lin Ze calmly observed the situation with the ball, and just as he dribbled once, Rose on the wing came over to help defend.

The Pacers were clearly prepared, as they intensified their double-teaming of Lin Ze.

With Kobe out of the picture, they have enough manpower to target both O'Neal and Lin Ze at the same time!

But of course, there's a condition that no other Lakers player can fire!

Judging from the performance of Zhuangwan in the first two games of this series, especially in the second half of the evening session, this is highly likely!

Although the Lakers had a 2-0 lead in the first two games, it was thanks to the invincible Shaquille O'Neal and the support from Kobe Bryant and Lin Ze.

Besides O'Neal's consecutive 40+ point games, Lin Ze scored 27 points efficiently in the first game, and Kobe completely shut down Miller. In the second game, both Kobe and Lin Ze scored 20+ points.

However, apart from these three, the performance of the Lakers' other players on offense was less than satisfactory.

Rice scored less than 10 points in two consecutive games, and in the second half of the game, he only scored 5 points with 2 of 8 shots.

As for Hubble, needless to say, he has only scored 8 points in the entire series so far, missing two field goals.

If it weren't for the Lakers' Big Three being so offensively powerful, the Pacers wouldn't have fallen into such a desperate situation, trailing 0-2.

But as I said before: now that Kobe is gone, a corner of the triangle has collapsed, and the remaining players are completely out of form, so the Pacers are taking a gamble! They're daring to double-team!

Especially when they were convinced that they couldn't stop O'Neal at all, and simply let O'Neal go one-on-one, their double-teaming of Lin Ze became even more unscrupulous and reckless.

We can't stop O'Neal, but none of the others will get away with it!

We refuse to believe that O'Neal alone can reverse a deficit of nearly 20 points!

So when Lin Ze got the ball for the first time in the second half, Rose rushed towards him without hesitation.

Without hesitation, Lin Ze immediately passed the ball to Rice outside the three-point line, then quickly turned around and blocked Davis, who was still observing, behind him.

Rice received the ball in an open position and shot without hesitation!

This is Phil Jackson's setup for the second half.

Give Rice opportunities, give Rice more chances to make moves!

In the previous possession, O'Neal's one-on-one was with Rice and O'Neal on one side. If the Pacers double-teamed him, O'Neal would immediately pass the ball to Rice for a shot.

In crucial moments, Jackson chose to trust the role players! He wanted to let the role players fire first.

"Bang!"

Unfortunately, Rice's first three-pointer didn't go as planned, as the ball bounced off the rim.

Lin Ze, who had already positioned himself in advance, got up, hugged the basketball to his chest, and then passed it out again.

"Throw! There's a board!"

The "You've got a shot!" from the players inside the box is definitely the word every shooter loves to hear, as it can greatly boost their confidence when taking a shot!

In particular, the Lakers are really on fire right now!

Lin Ze blocked Davis, and O'Neal could easily humiliate Schmitz. The two of them were far more likely to grab the rebound than the Pacers!

"Whoosh!"

This time, Rice didn't disappoint his teammates; his second three-pointer finally met its match!

In the next possession of the Pacers, Jackson drove into the paint and was met with help defense from O'Neal. When he passed the ball out, Lin Ze successfully anticipated it and intercepted the pass in mid-air, launching a counterattack!

Without Kobe, the Lakers' outside athleticism is actually quite poor. Rice and Harper are both veterans, and Fisher has never been known for his physical prowess.

But their fast break still started!

Although they are not fast and their jumping ability is average, they are accurate!

The four players spread out completely when they launched their fast break, instantly covering half the court.

After sprinting with the ball, Lin Ze passed it to Rice on the wing.

Rice caught the ball and immediately pulled up for a three-pointer.

"Bang!"

Unfortunately, the basketball still bounced off the rim.

"Get lost!"

Schmitz had just positioned himself under the basket, ready to grab the rebound, when he suddenly heard a roar behind him, and then he could no longer move.

He felt as if the entire Rocky Mountain was pressing down on him, and he couldn't move at all.

The rebound that bounced off the rim was also caught by the monster behind him.

The one who grabbed the rebound was naturally O'Neal, who sprinted at full speed with the fast break four to the frontcourt.

He also passed the ball to Rice!

Just like the previous three shots, Rice, after listening to a long pep talk from Jackson during the break, resolutely pulled up for a shot again, completely ignoring Rose who was rushing at him like a madman.

With a "smack," the basketball was released when Rose's hand slapped Rice's arm.

"Whoosh!"

Then came a crisp sound, and Rice's three-pointer was cut short!

"Beep! 3 points valid, foul on touch, 1 free throw!"

"Rebounds!" Bird roared from the sidelines. He could accept the Lakers scoring 7 points in a row, even if it meant his opponent's three-point shooter suddenly had a hot streak.

But the fact that he'd lost two rebounds in a row made him practically leap off the bench, yelling at his two assistants, "Get in position! Don't let them grab the rebounds over your heads again!"

"Stop them!"

"Yes!" Davis was full of confidence. The one he just lost was due to his carelessness. He originally thought Lin Ze would continue to receive the ball and go one-on-one, but he didn't expect that this guy would choose to turn around and fight for the rebound. This was almost the first time in this series!

If Davis just needs to pay attention to this point, he's confident he won't let Lin Ze grab an offensive rebound! He has absolute confidence when it comes to rebounding.

But his partner wasn't so decisive.

Schmitz didn't respond. If it weren't for the fact that they were in public, under everyone's watchful eyes, he would definitely have pointed his finger at Bird and asked, "Me? Blocking him?"

"Swish!" Rice calmly took the free throw, scoring 7 points in a row. This player, who was once ranked third on the scoring list and snatched the All-Star MVP award from Jordan, roared loudly to release his pent-up emotions.

"Let me shoot? Haven't you guys ever seen me play basketball before?"

Bird, sitting on the bench, pursed his lips tightly; the thing he least wanted to see had happened.

The Lakers' role players are firing!

If the Lakers' role players start shooting, then the defensive tactics he devised during the rest period will be disastrous!

What Bird didn't expect was that his defensive tactics would be far worse than just his defensive ones!