Chapter 71

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

The game had 44 seconds left, the team was trailing by 8 points, and there were only two short timeouts remaining. This was the current situation for the Jazz.

For the NBA, such a situation was impossible for any team to come back from, especially against a New York Knicks team with championship potential.

But for others, the game might already be over, yet Lin Han knew that as long as he activated the Tracy McGrady Moment, even at the LV1 level, his three-point shooting accuracy would increase by 75%, and his overall shooting accuracy by 50% in the last 35 seconds, allowing him to do a lot in just 35 seconds.

The game was about to start, and Lin Han was feeling quite excited. However, when he stepped back onto the court, John Starks, whose nose had been flattened by Lin Han and was now plugged with nasal tampons, came up to him again.

For the Jazz and the New York Knicks, the situation was actually quite simple: as long as they didn't foul and didn't stop the clock, they just needed to let the time run out to win. So, even though it was the final moments of the game, Starks didn't make too much of a move against Lin Han, and the other New York Knicks players also followed this defensive strategy. As long as they didn't foul, the Jazz would always need a lot of time to score, whether it was 2 points or 3 points, it didn't matter to the Knicks leading by 8 points.

"Hmph, you're really ruthless, daring to trade blows. But we still won this game, and the humiliation you suffered here will follow you for the rest of your life. 22 shots, 7 hits, 18 points, do I need to praise your performance?"

At this moment, although Starks was still spouting trash talk at Lin Han, the image of Lin Han in the minds of the New York Knicks players had completely changed. This rookie was not a lamb to be slaughtered. After this game, the butchers in the league would have to take Lin Han, this newly risen 'warrior,' seriously. At least, Starks could still feel a ringing in his ears, and Lin Han's punch was really vicious. When he kicked Lin Han, he was already preparing to use full force, but he didn't expect to be punched away by Lin Han just as he was about to use his strength. In the end, he didn't use his full strength on Lin Han, and he really suffered a great loss.

But at this moment, he didn't dare to cause trouble for Lin Han anymore. After all, the team was about to win, and he didn't need to create any more trouble. Moreover, Lin Han was not someone he could easily bully.

"My performance wasn't great, but scoring over 15 points is enough. Are you ready? Freak."

Although Lin Han didn't want to deal with this 'defeated opponent' at the moment, the excitement of about to activate the Tracy McGrady Moment made him involuntarily engage in another verbal exchange with Starks.

At this moment, Karl Malone, who was throwing the ball in from the sideline, passed the ball to Stockton. This time, Lin Han easily received the pass from Stockton. Starks and the other New York Knicks players didn't interfere much, just a bit of harassment before backing off.

Even after Lin Han received the ball and advanced to the top of the key, Starks, as Lin Han's defender, slowly followed, about half a step behind. Clearly, he didn't want to be fouled by Lin Han. In his mind, Lin Han might use the same move to retaliate.

What surprised Starks was that after receiving the ball, Lin Han kept dribbling in place without trying to lure him. The other Jazz players, including Stockton, were also a bit stunned. At this moment, Lin Han should have taken a shot, so why was he waiting? After all, they had given up on the game, but because Lin Han hadn't given up, Stockton decided to cooperate with him. Normally, in the final moments of the game, Malone would be the first option, followed by Lin Han.

"Time's up, activating the Tracy McGrady Moment!"

"Ding, the host's team is trailing by 8 points, 35 seconds left in the game. Tracy McGrady Moment activated. Please use this skill within the designated area on the court. The current designated area is from the 45-degree three-point line to the top of the key, one step inside and outside."

Lin Han looked up at the timer above the basket. When the time reached 35 seconds, he shouted in his mind, and a cold electronic voice responded. Almost simultaneously, Lin Han jumped up in front of Starks, who was looking at him in surprise. Starks, who had been waiting for Lin Han to make a move, didn't even jump, and could only watch as Lin Han shot the ball.

After the shot, Lin Han's heart tightened. The rhythm of the shot was average because he was trying to save time, so it wasn't very rhythmic. However, after a brief worry, the ball he shot flatly still fell into the basket.

Swish, three-pointer made, the score was now 86-91.

After Lin Han made the shot, the Jazz players on the court were still a bit stunned.

"Is this guy really going to catch up? Is he going to torture us like this?"

At this moment, Malone looked at the confident Lin Han not far away and thought to himself, feeling a bit speechless. He was really impressed by Lin Han's unpredictable three-point shooting. They couldn't really push forward after Lin Han blew the whistle, as they had already tried and failed, and their energy was completely drained.

"Probably not this time."

Unlike Malone, Stockton was a bit skeptical.

"This kid hasn't given up, he's really tough."

Jordan and Jerry West in the stands were also a bit surprised. Lin Han, this rookie, had given them a lot of surprises in this game.

"But it's too late now."

Even the New York Knicks' coach, Pat Riley, shook his head slightly after Lin Han made the shot, his expression unchanged.

"Hmph, even if you make this shot, we still win."

Facing Starks' provocation, Lin Han didn't say much, but he raised his right hand and extended one finger, then said in a very calm tone, "First one."

"What does this kid mean by raising one finger? Is he saying this is just the beginning? This guy is really arrogant."

"He can't think that after making one shot, he can make another and catch up, can he?"

"This is impossible, it can't happen at Madison Square Garden."

When Lin Han raised one finger after making the three-pointer, it enraged all the New York Knicks fans in the arena. Even those who weren't Knicks fans, the reporters on the scene, the viewers at home, and even Jordan and West, who were paying attention to the game, shook their heads. Clearly, they didn't agree with Lin Han's approach. Even the Jazz players and Jerry Sloan had a bitter smile on their faces, especially Sloan, who knew Lin Han wouldn't settle down in this game.

"Let him play as he wants in this game."

Finally, looking at his player on the court, Jerry Sloan sighed inwardly.

After Lin Han made his first shot, he arrogantly raised one finger, but the New York Knicks didn't take it seriously. The team continued to play out the final moments of the game as usual.

After Lin Han made his first three-pointer at 31.4 seconds, the New York Knicks, under the Jazz's full-court pressure, accurately passed the ball to Doug Reeves. The Jazz, led by Stockton, pressured for 5 seconds but couldn't steal the ball, so they immediately fouled, sending Doug Reeves to the free-throw line.

Although Doug Reeves' free-throw percentage this season was just over 60%, he wasn't nervous because the team was leading by a lot. This time, he made both free throws. It's worth noting that while the New York Knicks' free-throw percentage in the previous game against the Spurs was only 56%, without pressure, Reeves, Ewing, Mason, Starks, or Oakley could all maintain around 70%.

With 24.5 seconds left, the score was 86-93, the Jazz trailing by 7 points, and the Jazz called a timeout.

After the Jazz's timeout, Lin Han faced a bit more pressure. With Malone's screen, he received the ball from Stockton, who was throwing it in from the sideline. After receiving the pass from Stockton, to find a better shooting opportunity, Lin Han dribbled the ball slowly from the center circle to the top of the key on the right side. The center circle wasn't within the range of the Tracy McGrady Moment, so he couldn't use it there.

This time, Starks really stuck to him, but when Lin Han reached the designated position, he barely looked at Starks. After reaching the three-point line on the right side of the top of the key, he faked a move and immediately shot a three-pointer.

This time, the ball Lin Han shot again swished through the net. The arc of the ball was still flat, but it still went in!

"How, how is this possible?"

Standing under the basket, Ewing, who was blocking Malone, was shocked when he saw Lin Han ignore Malone and shoot again, making the shot. This was the first time the composed and regal New York Knicks star showed a look of extreme shock in the game.

Especially when Ewing saw Lin Han raise two fingers, he saw a shadow of Jordan in Lin Han. At this moment, Starks, like in the fourth game of the Eastern Conference Finals last year when Jordan scored 54 points against him, stood motionless in front of Lin Han, completely stunned.

"Second one, really the second one. This kid won't really create a miracle again, will he?!"

Looking at the 15.8 seconds left on the clock and the score of 89-93, Jordan stood up from his seat for the first time in the game.

"Creating a miracle, how is this possible? Will the New York Knicks really give the Jazz this chance?"

Jerry West was also unsure at this moment because he could feel that the New York Knicks players were starting to get nervous.

"John, you need to calm down. We can't let that kid shoot easily anymore. Next time, I'll guard him in a mismatch. We can't let the Jazz score another three."

At this moment, the New York Knicks players on the court were getting nervous, and Pat Riley on the sideline was frowning. However, this wasn't a good time to call a timeout because the Knicks only had one timeout left, and the game wasn't in its final moments yet.

This time, the Knicks' baseline inbounds pass was again strongly pressured by the Jazz. However, after a brief pressure, the Jazz immediately fouled. With 12.6 seconds left, the Jazz's point guard, Doug Reeves, stepped up to the free-throw line again.

This time, Reeves was under much more pressure. The first free throw spun around the rim and missed, and he only made one of two, making the score 89-94, with the Knicks leading by 5 points and 12 seconds left. It seemed the Knicks still had a good chance to win because the Jazz only had one timeout left.

After Reeves made the free throw, the Jazz used their last timeout.

"I have nothing to arrange now. John, Karl, Brian, Aaron, all of you, the only thing you need to do now is create a three-point opportunity for Lin, understand?"

This was the Jazz's last timeout, and this shot would be the key to whether the game could be turned around. For the first time, Jerry Sloan, in the final moments of the game, made all the other players support Lin Han.

It must be said that this already made Lin Han very satisfied.

"Now I suddenly feel my hands are trembling."

At this moment, as Lin Han walked back onto the court, he looked at his energized hands in disbelief. Although he had planned his trump card for this moment early in the game, he still couldn't believe that he actually had the power to turn the game around.

"This is really the end, kid. Your performance is enough to end it."

Just as Lin Han was a bit dazed, he noticed that the player defending him was no longer Starks. The defender who had been torn apart by Lin Han in the final moments seemed to have been abandoned, replaced by one of the league's best defensive big men, Ewing.

For Ewing, who always smiled and was called a hypocrite by his teammates, Lin Han had no ill feelings. However, at this moment, he wouldn't agree with the words of this league superstar.

"This is just the beginning."

After a deep look at Ewing, Lin Han quickly pushed him away and popped out. Seeing Lin Han push Ewing and pop out, Stockton quickly passed the ball to him.

It must be said that Ewing's experience was far superior to Starks'. If it were Starks, he would have followed Lin Han out, but Ewing stayed at the three-point line. Even when Lin Han received the ball, the big man didn't move.

"Patrick's defensive awareness and experience are hard to break through."

Even Jordan, seeing Lin Han's hesitation, was a bit worried for the young rookie because Ewing's inaction made Lin Han hesitate. When the opponent was wide open, he had to choose which opening to take. This was a strategy by Ewing, knowing his speed couldn't keep up with Lin Han, so he let Lin Han choose what to do.

What surprised Ewing and Jordan was that after a brief hesitation, Lin Han charged at Ewing again.

"Kid, don't underestimate me."

As Lin Han charged at Ewing, he was still one step away from the three-point line. At this distance, most players couldn't block the shot, but Ewing was different. Clearly, Ewing thought he had a good chance to block Lin Han's shot.

"What!"

As Ewing jumped, Lin Han, who was about to shoot, suddenly stopped and jumped towards Ewing, who was in the air.

This was a foul-drawing move!

When Jordan saw Lin Han being pinned under Ewing's massive body, with the ball already flying towards the basket, the NBA's top player was already numb with shock.

"Everyone was fooled. No one expected him to deliberately draw a foul after making two consecutive three-pointers. With the fearlessness and courage Lin Han showed, he seemed unlikely to use such a tactic. Ewing was deceived by his own experience."

Jerry West, looking at the pinned Lin Han, shook his head bitterly. Regardless of the final result of the game, Lin Han's performance was enough to make him regret it for the rest of his life.

"3+1, it's actually a 3+1!"

Especially when the ball Lin Han barely threw out hit the basket, Jerry West was left with only emptiness and helplessness.

Especially when Lin Han made the free throw and completed the three-point play, the score was 93-94, and the entire Madison Square Garden fell silent. Even the Chinese fans supporting Lin Han were stunned, looking at the Jazz's No. 8.

At this moment, Pat Riley, the New York Knicks' coach, was no longer calm, standing on the sideline, stunned, not knowing what to say.

As for the New York Knicks players, when Lin Han raised his right hand and extended a third finger, their faces were full of confusion.

"How is this possible? How is this possible? How can the game turn out like this?"

Although Pat Riley called the team's last timeout with 5.7 seconds left, the New York Knicks players couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Lin, are we dreaming? Is it really possible to win this game?"

At this moment, the Jazz players were no better off than the New York Knicks players, equally shocked and incredulous. It would take a huge miracle to make up such a large deficit in just 30 seconds.

"Whether it's a miracle or not, our defense is crucial now. I believe the New York Knicks will be emotionally affected, and we need to take advantage of their possible mistakes. We shouldn't be afraid of fouls; the more aggressive we are, the better. We only trail by one point, and we have nearly 6 seconds left. We have room to foul, but they have no room for error. The momentum is on our side now."

At this moment, looking at the excited and flushed Lin Han and the teammates who were also in a daze, Stockton shouted loudly. As the team's leader, he knew they had the advantage now. The momentum was on their side, and as long as Lin Han had the three-point shooting accuracy, the New York Knicks might make a mistake on this possession. The Knicks would worry that even making both free throws could be tied, and missing could be the game-winner. They would hesitate whether to wait for a foul or to run out the clock.

As long as there was a moment of hesitation, Stockton was confident his team had a chance. He was the league's steal leader, and even if he couldn't steal, he could immediately foul. Given the Knicks' current state, the Jazz still had a chance to win.

"Jerry, can we really win this game?"

When the short timeout ended, and the Jazz players walked back onto the court, Phil Johnson, the Jazz assistant coach, was trembling. Jerry Sloan was no better, his legs shaking uncontrollably.

Not just Jerry Sloan and Phil Johnson, but the fans in the arena, the viewers at home, and even the commentators were extremely tense and excited.

The last 6 seconds could really be a moment of miracle.

Especially when the players took the court, under the Jazz's one-on-one aggressive pressure, little Anthony Mason, who was throwing the ball in from the sideline, was really hesitant, unsure whether to pass to the front court for a foul or to the back court to run out the clock.

In the end, little Anthony Mason missed the first opportunity to pass the ball. All the passing routes were locked, and the Jazz's morale was incredibly high. When