Chapter 70

(There should be another chapter tonight, Yu翁 will update three times today, and finally, I ask for recommendations!!!!)

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

It must be said that although the skill of the Tracy McGrady-style pull-up jump shot has a somewhat unpredictable shooting percentage, it cannot match the consecutive scoring effect of Kobe's spin-and-fadeaway jump shot, nor does it have the attribute of being able to shoot at will regardless of physical condition. However, it must be said that this straight-up-and-down, extremely stylish mid-range pull-up jump shot is very intimidating, especially when such shots can be made.

This is because this kind of pull-up is truly a "head-on confrontation" with the opponent. Although Jordan's spin-and-fadeaway jump shot or Kobe's spin-and-fadeaway jump shot, if they can hit consecutively, have a dominant quality, they are still somewhat evasive, not a true head-on confrontation, so they are inherently a bit lacking.

At the very least, just two three-pointers were enough for Lin Han to really boost the morale of the Jazz players and the bench. If it were Kobe's spin-and-fadeaway jump shot, hitting two in a row probably wouldn't have the same morale-boosting effect.

What made Lin Han frustrated was that the shooting percentage of the Tracy McGrady-style pull-up jump shot was too unpredictable. The first two three-pointers he made felt very dominant, but the next three times he tried, none of them went in, leaving Lin Han feeling almost on the verge of tears.

Isn't this skill supposed to be immune to defense? And every time Lin Han shot, he felt the ball would definitely go in, but why did it mostly not go in?

"Idiot, the biggest advantage of this skill is not its shooting percentage. The biggest role of this skill is to allow you to shoot at any time when facing any personal defense. The so-called 'immune to defense' just means it minimizes the possibility of your shot being blocked. Except for special situations like the 'McGrady Moment,' this skill, in terms of scoring efficiency, is far lower than the Kobe-style spin-and-fadeaway jump shot."

"Besides, aren't you being too greedy? You've made two out of five three-pointers, which is already a 40% shooting percentage. What more do you want?"

Damn, a 40% three-point shooting percentage isn't low, but so far in this game, it's still not enough.

"Lin, focus, don't think too much, give it your all."

Seeing Lin Han somewhat distracted at this moment, Stockton called out to remind him, and Lin Han also freed himself from his conflicted emotions. After Lin Han hit two consecutive three-pointers, the Jazz players' fighting spirit was indeed ignited. This led to the next part of the game, where although Lin Han's shooting was still frustrating, the Jazz managed to close the gap with the New York Knicks, thanks to the scoring of Malone, Stockton, and even Brian Russell.

At the very least, when there was only about a minute left in the game, the Jazz, with a long-distance two-pointer from Karl Malone, tied the score at 83-87. Although the ball was still in the hands of the New York Knicks, who still had the upper hand in the game, even if they lost, the Jazz couldn't be said to have performed poorly. After all, the team's comeback under Lin Han's leadership had given the New York Knicks a big scare.

As the game entered its final moments, both the New York Knicks and the Jazz would naturally hand the ball to their star players. For example, while Lin Han was spacing out, Doug Reeves handed the ball to Ewing again. This time, Ewing, facing Malone's defense, chose to run down the clock and then take a mid-range jump shot when the time was right, compressing the game time to less than 50 seconds, which would increase the New York Knicks' chances of winning.

However, even though they knew Ewing's plan, when Ewing held the ball with his right hand, raised it high, and faced Malone, all the Jazz players felt helpless.

There was really nothing the team could do against Ewing. Apart from Malone's desperate defense, who could match Ewing's height to force him into a mistake? With Ewing's all-around skills, any slight movement by Malone or others would allow Ewing to pass, shoot, or drive, making him almost impossible to defend.

"Damn, fvck!"

Seeing Ewing still standing there, casually holding the ball without any intention of attacking as the game was about to enter the last 50 seconds, Lin Han was almost desperate.

When his three-point shooting wasn't otherworldly, the only trump card he could rely on to win the game was to activate the "McGrady Moment." However, with time running out, he couldn't control whether he could activate it.

To activate the "McGrady Moment," there were specific conditions: the game must have 35 seconds left, and the team must be trailing by 8 points. Currently, the Jazz were trailing by 4 points with 49 seconds left. How could he control the score in just ten seconds?

This was almost an impossible task. So, seeing the experienced Ewing constantly running down the clock, Lin Han wished he could just foul him, but he knew he couldn't do that. Although intentional fouls were a good way to control the score, the time wasn't enough, and he couldn't control the opponent's free-throw percentage.

Therefore, besides intentional fouls, Lin Han really couldn't find a way to control the score to 8 points before 35 seconds were left.

"Watch the rebound!"

Just as Lin Han was about to jump in frustration, Ewing finally moved at the 24-second mark, taking a very easy jump shot. However, the ball hit the front of the rim and flew high toward Lin Han, a long rebound.

"Oh no!"

Just as Lin Han was about to grab the rebound, Stockton, who was on Lin Han's side, suddenly changed his expression. The player Lin Han was guarding, Starks, used his experience to come from the side and behind, and Lin Han didn't push him when he went for the rebound. As a result, Starks almost snatched the offensive rebound from Lin Han's hands and quickly retreated to the three-point line.

At this moment, Lin Han could only look at his opponent with a mixed expression.

"John, control the time, don't shoot, stay calm!"

After Starks grabbed the offensive rebound, almost all the New York Knicks players shouted at the guard, but Starks ignored them, looking at Lin Han with a cold, icy stare, as if he were looking at a dead man.

"Kid, I'm going to shoot now, come and defend me."

Seeing Lin Han's mixed expression, Starks' cold eyes softened, and he smiled innocently. Lin Han was in a dilemma, but seeing Starks' fake smile, he seemed to make a decision.

"Go for it!"

Lin Han, who was not far from Starks, quickly flew toward him. Seeing Lin Han's move, Starks quickly prepared to shoot a three-pointer from the top of the arc.

"What the hell is he doing?"

"fvck, John, stop!"

Seeing Starks prepare to shoot without running down the clock, the New York Knicks players, who were just excited, were all shocked.

The New York Knicks coach, Pat Riley, who had been sitting calmly throughout the game, also stood up, clearly not pleased with Starks' shot, which was not part of his plan.

The Jazz coach, on the other side, suddenly felt worried. This shot by Starks was not just a quick shot.

When Starks jumped, Lin Han also flew to block the shot. As Starks prepared to shoot in the air, he suddenly extended his right leg and kicked Lin Han hard. Jerry Sloan's face turned pale.

Not just Sloan, but the Jazz players on the court and on the bench all changed their expressions. Starks had been enduring the humiliation from Lin Han and was now ready to give him the final blow.

"I told you, you'd be carried out of this game."

As Starks threw the ball and felt his right foot kick Lin Han's chest, he smiled coldly. However, in an instant, Starks saw a huge fist coming toward his face.

When he tried to dodge, it was too late. Lin Han's punch, full of strength, hit the New York Knicks player in the face.

Lin Han knew that when Starks lured him to defend from the three-point line, he had no good intentions. So, this time, his defense was not to block the shot but to foul.

Moreover, Lin Han needed not just a regular three-point foul but also a technical foul to widen the score gap in a short time.

However, Lin Han was conflicted. If he really went for it, it would be a lose-lose situation. Was it worth injuring himself and Starks for this game? But seeing Starks' cold smile, Lin Han finally decided to go for it.

So, a scene that stunned the entire Madison Square Garden crowd, the players on the court, and everyone on the sidelines occurred. Lin Han and Starks, both trying to outsmart each other, lost their balance in the air and fell heavily to the ground.

The referee, Benoit, who was also stunned for a moment, quickly blew his whistle. Seeing Lin Han kicked to the ground and Starks with a bloody face, Benoit was unsure how to call it. After a moment of hesitation, he finally signaled for three free throws.

However, Lin Han, who had been paying attention to Benoit's signals, couldn't let it be just a regular foul. Almost instantly, Lin Han, despite the pain, stood up and shouted at Benoit.

"fvck, do you even know how to call a foul? I didn't foul, I didn't foul, fvck!"

The Jazz and New York Knicks players, who were all stunned, quickly surrounded the scene. Especially Stockton and Malone, who dragged the rookie Lin Han away from the referee. When Benoit finally made a 'T' gesture, Lin Han finally felt relieved.

However, while Lin Han was relieved, Benoit was truly frustrated. The players had really started fighting, and if he weren't a big name, he might not have been able to control the situation. This game could have turned into a brawl.

So, after the conflict was calmed, the players returned to their benches, and Benoit silently noted Lin Han's name in his little book. Kid, you'll pay for this.

......

"This, this is an incredible game."

At this moment, Jordan, seeing everything on the court and Lin Han chasing the referee, was speechless. The fact that even Jordan, who had seen it all, was so shocked shows how big Lin Han's move was.

"It's over, this game is really over. There are 44 seconds left, we're trailing by 4 points, and the opponent has 4 free throws. The Jazz are really finished. Lin Han was too uncontrolled."

Jerry West had already made his final judgment.

And the situation seemed to be developing as Jerry West predicted. The big man Ewing, who was executing the technical free throws, made the shot. Starks, who was bleeding and had a broken nose, also made all three free throws after being treated by the team doctor.

83-91, the Jazz were trailing by 8 points with 44 seconds left, and they had the ball.

......

"You're really ruthless, kid. Are you okay? That punch was incredible. Even if we lose this game, it was worth it."

"Ha ha ha, I knew you were faking it. It was so satisfying. I haven't seen such a satisfying scene in a long time, Karl. I think Lin is a lot like you. His revenge is really ruthless and precise. I still remember the sound of Isaiah Thomas's bones breaking."

"Jeff, shut up. I wasn't as ruthless as a rookie. I can't believe it. He can be our team's first enforcer."

Although the Jazz were trailing by a large margin, the bench was not filled with the previous dejected mood. All the players were almost excited. Clearly, the conflict Lin Han had started had released all the anger and frustration they had been feeling from being dominated by the New York Knicks.

This is why many trailing teams in the NBA are willing to start fights with the leading teams. They can lose the game, but they can't lose the momentum. Losing the momentum would affect future games. Now, after this release, the Jazz felt much better.

So, the Jazz players not only didn't see Lin Han as a sinner for giving up four free throws but also appreciated him. Jerry Sloan felt the same way. In their eyes, Lin Han was standing up for the team, which was very rare.

However, while being praised by his teammates and coach, Lin Han knew his true purpose. After the team doctor rubbed his chest and the pain subsided, Lin Han was ready to give the New York Knicks the final blow.

"John, when you go back on the court, give me the ball. Our goal in this game is to win."

"......"

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