blogombal Chapter 148 Planning Ahead! Building Your Own Loyal Team
Chapter 148 Planning Ahead! Building Your Own Loyal Team
Chapter 148 Planning Ahead! Building Your Own Loyal Team!
Lin Tian knew perfectly well why Wallace was so angry.
Lin Tian was well aware of Wallace's love and dedication to basketball.
In high school, Wallace's incredible athletic talent began to shine. He started to excel in baseball, football, and track and field, and was selected to the state's first team in baseball, basketball, and football at the same time!
His athletic talent is absolutely beyond doubt!
When he graduated from high school, several top universities immediately came to scout him and negotiate terms with him, hoping that he would join their schools.
Unfortunately, all these schools only wanted Wallace to play football; none of the teams were interested in having him join their basketball teams.
Left with no other option, Wallace had to settle for second best. He made a request that he be allowed to play both basketball and football in college. This request received almost no response from any school. No one recognized Wallace's basketball talent, and all the college coaches felt that he was better suited for football and should focus all his energy on football.
Ultimately, the only university willing to allow Wallace to develop in both areas simultaneously and offer him a full scholarship was Auburn University. However, when Wallace was excitedly preparing to go to school, he discovered that Auburn University had deceived him.
The so-called simultaneous development in two directions means that he is playing both offensive and defensive positions in rugby, but definitely not basketball. That would be blatant fraud!
An enraged Wallace rejected Auburn University's offer to pursue his dream of playing basketball!
Ultimately, it was Charles Oakley of the Knicks who helped Wallace out by finding him a place at Chua Hoga Community College, allowing him to start from the lower leagues. Wallace, who worked incredibly hard, did not disappoint Oakley and quickly became a star player for the team.
During his sophomore year, Wallace averaged 24 points, 17 rebounds, and 7 blocks per game! These stats caught the attention of many NCAA Division I teams, who offered him contracts.
This time, however, what troubled Wallace was his academic performance. He put all his energy into basketball, which made his already small brain capacity even worse, so bad that he couldn't even play in the NCAA Division I.
This time, it was Oakley who helped Wallace again.
Oakley used his connections to help Wallace find an opportunity at Virginia Union University, a private school that was still only a second-tier league in the NCAA, but was two levels above community colleges.
Here, Wallace finally found his place.
In 1995 and 1996, Wallace led his team to the CIAA championship twice. In his senior year, Wallace's outstanding performance of 12.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.68 blocks per game helped Virginia Union University reach the NCAA Division II Final Four, earning him a spot on the All-American First Team.
Then, after graduating from college, Wallace participated in the NBA draft with great ambition.
Unfortunately, in the world's premier basketball league, where talent flies everywhere, Wallace's seemingly impressive resume was hardly worth mentioning. In two rounds of the draft, 58 names were read out by Stern and his assistants, but not a single team was willing to give Wallace a chance.
Then, still unwilling to give up, Wallace first played for the Celtics in the Summer League, then went to Italy to play for two months, and was even owed wages. Then, just when Wallace couldn't even find a preseason training camp opportunity, the Bullets' general manager, former NBA legend Unseld, gave him a chance.
A one-year, non-guaranteed minimum salary contract was offered to Wallace. Wallace had no choice, nor would he choose, so he signed the contract without hesitation and became a member of the Bullets.
Then came the intense training, waiting for the coach to call your name and take you to the NBA court.
However, Wallace's first year in the professional league was undoubtedly mediocre, with less than 6 minutes of playing time and a mere 1+1 stat line that was hardly worth mentioning.
Wallace knew very well that Lin Tian was right. Whether he would get another contract, and where he would find a new job if the Bullets didn't renew his contract, was truly an unknown.
After all, his resume was really too bad!
"What exactly do you mean?" Wallace looked at Lin Tian, wondering if this guy was staying until the end not to laugh at him.
"What I mean is, you should focus on developing your strengths, instead of wasting your time on things you're not good at. No matter how much you practice, you'll never have Webber's vision and skills, or Howard's touch and range, right?"
"No matter how hard you try, you can't become Chris Webber or Shaquille O'Neal, understand?"
"Instead of focusing on things you'll never learn, you should think about what made you famous in Virginia and what got you into the NBA. Make your strengths truly your strengths. When your strengths are strong enough to compensate for all your weaknesses, you can definitely establish yourself in the NBA!"
"Now, tell me, Webber is Webber, O'Neal is O'Neal, Howard is Howard, then who are you?"
Wallace stared at Lin Tian, repeating Lin Tian's last words. After pondering for a long time, he finally understood Lin Tian's words: "I am Ben Wallace! I am a 198cm tall steel wall! I am an indomitable body of steel! I am the Ben Wallace who will never lose!"
198 cm tall?
Lin Tian picked at his ear, feeling as if he had overheard some secret that couldn't be told to anyone.
It seems Wallace's path to becoming stronger is going to be a long one!
First, we must get rid of this bad habit of speaking the truth without thinking!
However, Lin Tian was very satisfied with Wallace's reaction. It proved that players who could make it into the NBA and succeed were not really stupid, well... relatively not stupid among the Blackborgs.
At least Wallace is much smarter than he looks. His current buzz cut makes him look silly and cute, and he doesn't have a trace of the heroic spirit and fierce aura that he will later become "Big Ben".
"You're still in touch with Oakley, aren't you? Go see him and train properly during the offseason. You know what you should improve—be the best version of yourself! Don't let other people's opinions and demands make you a misfit."
After Lin Tian poured Wallace another bowl of chicken soup, he felt that was enough. After all, chicken soup is good, but you can't overindulge!
He patted Wallace on the shoulder and said, "I believe in you! As long as you persevere, you will definitely make a name for yourself in the NBA and find your opportunity."
"So what should I do now? The offseason isn't over yet, I can't just sit around doing nothing, I have to practice something!" Wallace said with a look of eager anticipation.
He clearly feels a great deal of urgency regarding his current position in the league.
"Practice lying first. For example, when someone asks you to introduce yourself, you should say your name is Ben Wallace, you're 206 cm tall, weigh 110 kg, and have a bench press of 210 kg! Understand?"
"But I'm only 198 cm tall and weigh just 105 kg, and my bench press is less than 190 kg!" Wallace spread his hands, completely honest.
"That's why I'm having you practice. If you don't say it like that, how can anyone be afraid of you? Who would be afraid of a 198cm rim protector and rebounder? I say 206cm, so it's 206cm! And then, let's change your hairstyle. Let's change to a hairstyle that looks more intimidating, more frightening, and makes you look taller."
"What do you think of the afro?"
"It's awful, stupid, and silly. I absolutely don't want this hairstyle." Wallace shook his head decisively and refused.
"What if this hairstyle helps you grab two more rebounds and block one more shot in a game, and earn an extra $300 million a year?"
"Then I'll go grow my hair out right now, and I promise I'll have an afro before the start of next season!" Wallace chuckled, revealing a cunning and mischievousness that he shouldn't have shown.
This expression made Lin Tian shudder.
That's terrifying, no, it's disgusting!
Imagine a 2-meter-tall muscular man kissing you with a "kiss" sound – that feeling is just too intense!
After patting Wallace on the shoulder again, Lin Tian didn't say anything more to him and turned to walk out of the Bullet Team's training hall.
Lin Tian certainly didn't help Wallace out of a sudden urge to do good deeds and set a good example.
That doesn't fit the image of Lord Lin!
Lin Tian's purpose is actually quite simple.
Next season, I will definitely leave the Bulls to start a new career with a new team.
Moreover, according to Lin Tian's thinking, he would never consider a team unless he was made the leader, given a lot of resources and a high status.
His needs are actually very simple: money and status!
Therefore, Lin Tian would absolutely not consider teams like the Heat or the Lakers, who are currently pursuing him very closely but are unlikely to offer him a true leadership position.
Of course, Lin Tian wouldn't create trouble for himself by going to lousy teams in Vancouver or Toronto and giving himself a hellish challenge.
Let other experts do this kind of thing; I, Lin Da Guanren, don't like self-torture!
A mid-table team with decent record and strength is undoubtedly Lin Tian's best choice.
However, joining a new team and relying solely on himself to establish himself is clearly a bit of a challenge, even though Lin Tian is confident.
Instead of racking your brains and wasting a lot of energy trying to integrate into the team and gain everyone's trust, you might as well prepare early and parachute in with your team!
Wallace, with his tough, dark build like Zhang Fei, and his low price, is definitely the best choice to join Lin Tian in making a name for himself on the new team!
Not to mention, Wallace just revealed a tiny bit of his shrewdness beneath his rough exterior, which means this guy's brain capacity is obviously much larger than I imagined!
That would be even more suitable!
Even though the season isn't over yet, Lin Tian has already started preparing his roster for next season!
As for why Lin Tian didn't directly tell Wallace to have Xia Tian follow him?
Some things are better left sufficiently; too much of a good thing can be bad!
Especially for something like this, it's definitely more effective to let Wallace take the initiative and bring it up himself!
……
The Bulls' provocation, which resulted in no one from the Bullets daring to stand up and fight them, quickly spread throughout the entire league! The Bullets instantly became the laughing stock of the entire league.
What's the difference between this and your wife having sex with her lover on the wedding bed in the bridal chamber on your wedding night, and the husband watching the whole thing but not daring to do anything about it?
That's such a coward!
This timidity made the second game between the Bullets and the Bulls almost a carbon copy of the first.
The Bullets still couldn't find any offensive rhythm, and their defense was helpless against the Bulls' wave after wave of attacks!
The suspense of the game almost disappeared in the first quarter, and the Bulls' starters all went to the bench to rest after playing only two and a half quarters.
69:91
The Bulls once again crushed the Bullets by 22 points, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in their two games in Chicago. Next, they will travel to Washington for a game that everyone thought would be a mere formality.
Even a drunkard who's drunk two jin of Erguotou and is completely out of it wouldn't dare bet on the Bullets to win now!
The two teams are not even in the same league; the gap is just too big!
After two easy wins, the Bulls moved their base to Washington.
At this point, the Bulls were brimming with confidence. The whole team felt they could easily sweep the Bullets aside and advance to the next round.
The Bulls won the first two games far too easily.
But in this game, perhaps because they were back at home, the cheers from the fans gave the Bullets players extra motivation. In addition, Bickerstaff finally changed his formation, removing Chaney, who had performed poorly in the first two games, and putting the team's most reliable striker, Murray, in the starting position.
From the start, Murray lived up to the coach's trust, shaking off his poor performance in the previous two games where his three-point shooting percentage was less than 30%, and scored two consecutive three-pointers, making the Bulls hesitant to desperately collapse their interior defense.
Then, the team's leader, Chris Webber, finally stepped up in this game. Facing Rodman's entanglement, Webber also extended his offensive lines, taking three consecutive three-point attempts and making two of them!
Then, when the Bulls extended their defense to guard the Bullets' three-pointers, Webber began to use his vision to feed the ball to Howard and Muresan in the paint. Thanks to Webber's talent, the Bullets' high-low post offense, which they were most proud of in the regular season, was executed perfectly!
The Bullets displayed unstoppable momentum and form in the first quarter of the third game between the two teams, scoring 33 points in the first quarter! Their offensive firepower was truly impressive!
But who are the Bulls? They've seen it all. The Bullets' first-quarter outburst only prevented the Bulls from taking the lead and forced them to adjust their defensive strategy.
The Bulls remained completely calm; in fact, their offense was even more impressive than the Bullets'!
After all, while the Bulls couldn't stop the Bulls, it was clearly wishful thinking for the Bulls to rely on their few players to stop the Bulls!
The Bulls' three-point shooting was slightly less effective than the Bullets' in the first quarter, hitting only one three-pointer, far fewer than the Bullets' five! Even so, the Bulls still managed to score 29 points in the first quarter, trailing the Bullets by only 4 points!
And this is with the Bullets' offense already exploding at an exceptional level! After all, they only make a total of 4 three-pointers per game during the regular season, and they've already exceeded that target in the first quarter!
Even though the Washington fans are shouting deafeningly right now, as if they're determined to defeat the Bulls, if you ask them, they themselves don't believe the team can win this game.
To perform exceptionally well, you can only do so in one quarter. Do you really want to hit four consecutive quarters and make five three-pointers in each quarter?
That's impossible.
In the second quarter, Jackson gave Jordan and Pippen, the golden duo, a break, while Lin Tian, Cole, Kukoc, Harper, and Wennington walked onto the court side by side.
How to put it? Apart from Wennington not being able to shoot threes, the other four players plus Pippen are the top five players on the Bulls with the highest three-point efficiency and the most three-pointers!
Not to mention Lin Tian, the oddball who loves to shoot three-pointers from behind, and Kerr, the league's newly crowned three-point contest champion!
Jackson sat in his chair with a mischievous grin. The team was down by 4 points, but he wasn't worried at all. His reason for bringing on this lineup was quite simple.
You're accurate with 3 points, right?
Come, let my disciples fight against you!
Let's see what a three-pointer really is!
On the Bullets' side, Webber and Howard, their star inside duo, were also resting on the bench. The Bullets fielded a lineup of Muresan, Channing, Strickland, Murray, and backup center Harvey Grant.
This lineup, at least in terms of height, is a traditional 2 big and 3 small, but they still have 4 players who are over 2 meters tall!
All I can say is that this bullet team is really bigger and taller than the last!
No wonder Wallace can't get playing time. In a team where even the guards have to be at least 2 meters tall, how can a 198-centimeter center have a place?
In the first possession of the second quarter, the Bulls had the ball. Lin Tian dribbled the ball all the way to the frontcourt, where Strickland immediately rushed over, elbowing Lin Tian and yelling, "Come on, kid, let me see what you've got!"
"Bang!"
No sooner had Strickland uttered those harsh words than he felt as if he had run into a behemoth: Wennington's cover was already in place!
Taking advantage of this moment, Lin Tian accelerated instantly and charged into the paint!
Although the Bullets have Muresan, the tallest player in the league at 231 cm, under the basket, Lin Tian is not afraid of this big man at all. After all, it would be strange for Lin Tian to be afraid of a 231 cm center who only has 1.3 blocks per game!
To reiterate: apart from his large size, you really can't find any other redeeming qualities in this guy!
"Bang!"
Lin Tian rammed into Muresan, and after a brief collision in the air, Muresan immediately showed Lin Tian why his shot-blocking statistics were mediocre despite his height.
This guy was sent flying by Lin Tian's ramming!
It's worth noting that Lin Tian's strength is only considered decent for a point guard, yet this proper center was actually knocked away by Lin Tian! This shows just how poor Muresan's physical strength and body control are!
After knocking Muresan away, Lin Tian skillfully controlled his hands and easily flicked the ball to score 2 points!
After scoring, Lin Tian quickly turned and went back to defend. As he passed Strickland, Lin Tian deliberately said, "What did you just say?"
Without waiting for his reply, Lin Tian immediately moved away, saying, "Never mind, it's not important. I won't waste my breath arguing with trash!"
FUXX!
Strickland cursed angrily. Lin Tian had been trying to provoke Strickland in the first two games, but this guy was indeed a top point guard in the league. Although his honors and resume were not outstanding, his mentality was really good. No matter how much Lin Tian cursed, he remained unmoved.
Of course, it's also possible that the first two matches were really predictable, with no close games between the two sides. Strickland was just getting a little heated when, bam! the game was over, so why get carried away and lose your temper?
But today's match is clearly a little different.
The Bullets were still leading in the second quarter!
That point guard who angered them would be quite meaningful!
While quickly returning to defense, Lin Tian simply ignored Strickland and ran straight towards Murray at the baseline, waving his hand to indicate that he didn't need to worry about him and could do whatever he wanted.
Deceiving too much!
Strickland cursed again, but still didn't dare to shoot.
He really lacked confidence in his long-range shooting, so he started to quietly move towards the three-point line.
One step...two steps...
Still no one is on guard!
He had already walked to the vicinity of the free throw line, but the Bulls players still seemed to completely ignore him, not even glancing at him!
"You really think I can't shoot?!" Strickland cursed, leaping suddenly near the free-throw line and slamming a mid-range shot toward the basket.
"Bang!"
After a crisp sound, Lin Tian, who had slipped back from the baseline to the basket, grabbed the rebound and then sprinted towards the frontcourt!
Lin Tian didn't even glance at Strickland before charging wildly towards the frontcourt. After a rapid ascent, Lin Tian arrived at the Bullets' basket in the blink of an eye. The only one who could barely keep up with Lin Tian was Strickland.
Facing Strickland, who is known for his strength, Lin Tian did not force a layup. Instead, after reaching the basket, he suddenly stopped with a jump step and raised his hands. Strickland immediately jumped up, trying to block Lin Tian's shot.
Lin Tian immediately made a graceful turn, brushing Strickland behind him, then easily jumped up and put the ball into the basket!
"Is the air better up there, buddy?" Lin Tian looked at the disheveled Strickland, chuckling as he spread his hands. "Or is the air so thin up there that you can't even speak? Jumping too high, be careful of oxygen deprivation!"
33: 33!
Less than a minute into the second quarter, the Bullets' hard-earned lead from the first quarter vanished!
Both sides are now officially back on equal footing.
Against the Bulls' defense, Lin Tian once again ignored Strickland and went straight to the perimeter of the three-second zone to help his teammates defend the other Bullets players.
"Don't look down on me!" This time, Strickland finally couldn't stand the ridiculously wide open shot. He glanced at it briefly, took a deep breath, and then calmly jumped up to shoot a three-pointer!
"Bang!"
All I can say is that a 17% three-point shooting percentage is truly impressive!
If Strickland just throws the ball up randomly without any regard for the shot, he might actually be more accurate than if he takes a careful aim and shoots!
This time, Kukoc got the rebound and immediately passed it to Lin Tian!
After receiving the ball, Lin Tian glanced at it but didn't rush into a fast break. This time, he slowed the pace, gently advancing towards the frontcourt while speaking again: "You can't do this. You won't be able to establish yourself in the NBA! Have you thought about what will happen when you're 35, having lost all your speed and physical talent? How will you survive in the league then?"
"People need to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances and plan ahead. If you don't practice shooting now, it will be too late when you're old!"
"Mind your own business!" Strickland, annoyed by Lin Tian's nagging, snapped, "If you're so capable, shut up and play basketball! Don't meddle in other people's business!"
"You said it!" Lin Tian smiled and said, "Then I'll teach you how to shoot a three-pointer first!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he suddenly took a step back while dribbling, then bent his knees again and looked up at the basket.
"Whoosh!"
With a whooshing sound, Lin Tian felt another large black rat fly right past his ear.
No need to look, it's Strickland again, being shaken off his feet.
After shaking off his opponent, Lin Tian did not choose to break through directly. Instead, he took a step in another direction and then suddenly pulled up for a three-pointer!
"Whoosh!"
Both were 3 points, but Lin Tian's shot was clean and crisp!
The Bulls took the lead in the blink of an eye!
Less than two minutes into the second quarter, the Bulls went on a 7-0 run, regaining the lead on the court!
"If I were you, I'd call a timeout right now to avoid further embarrassment. Tonight is your team's last game of the season. Are you sure you want to be the biggest culprit for the team's loss?"
"Role players can't bear the responsibility for a team's loss and elimination!"
"Who are you calling a role player!" Strickland yelled, finally letting out a fit of pent-up frustration.
After receiving the ball from the baseline, this guy stopped looking for teammates and didn't even slow down. Instead, he charged all the way to the frontcourt. When Lin Tian finally closed in, Strickland looked like he was afraid that Lin Tian would run away again. After a change of direction, he dribbled the ball and charged towards the inside!
But as soon as he crossed the free throw line, he realized something was wrong!
Hubble and Wennington quickly surrounded them, and with Lin Tian still not being shaken off from behind, Strickland was instantly trapped in a three-man ambush!
Just as he was about to pass the ball, Lin Tian reached out from behind him and snatched it away. The basketball immediately slipped from Strickland's grasp. With lightning-fast reflexes, Wennington grabbed the ball, swung his elbows twice to shoo away the Bullets players who were trying to steal it, and then handed the ball to Lin Tian.
"See, I told you, you had to call a timeout! Otherwise, you'll get nothing but turnovers and missed shots." Lin Tian dribbled the ball forward while continuing to attack Strickland's mental defenses. After reaching the frontcourt, Lin Tian called for a pick-and-roll once again, then bypassed Strickland and charged towards Muresan in the paint!
This time, the Bullet Team was prepared. They knew that Muresan couldn't withstand Lin Tian's attack, so Cheney on the right immediately abandoned Hubble and rushed towards Lin Tian!
But before Chaney had even reached halfway, Lin Tian's pass had already reached Hubble's hands.
With a swift stroke, the three-pointer is scored!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp click, Hubble scored his first field goal of the game!
"Great shot, Ron! Keep shooting like that! Let's widen the gap before Michael comes back!" After Hubble scored, Lin Tian immediately encouraged him loudly, and then looked at Strickland again. This time, Lin Tian didn't say anything, but the sarcasm in his eyes was undisguised.
"Call a timeout! All you can do is call a timeout to call for your teammates' help; you're just a role player!"
Although Lin Tian didn't speak, Strickland completely understood what Lin Tian meant.
No timeout! I'm not a role player! I'm a top-tier guard with All-Star caliber skills!
After a series of angry roars in his mind, Strickland once again dribbled the ball and launched an attack on Lin Tian and the Bulls' defense!
At this point, head coach Bickerstaff should have called a timeout, especially since Strickland was clearly overconfident and the Bullets hadn't scored a single point. As head coach, he had to maintain control of the team's overall situation.
But Bickerstaff still pins its hopes on Strickland!
He believes that since the Bulls didn't field Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman, the Bullets have the advantage in terms of lineup!
His call for a timeout is essentially helping the Bulls bring their Big Three back into the game, making the Bullets even more helpless!
So Bickerstaff chose to remain silent at this crucial moment.
The decision was made to send Strickland to challenge the Bulls' defense time and time again!
Bickerstaff believes the team will be able to catch up and take the lead again while the Bulls are out of shape!
However, it is clear that while Bickerstaff's ideas were very ambitious, the reality was far from ideal!
Bickerstaff overlooked the most important thing: Strickland was no match for Lin Tian at all!
This time, Strickland still failed to score. Although he was not intercepted, he also failed to make the shot. His floater, which was very close to the basket, bounced off the rim again due to the double-teaming of Lin Tian and Wennington!
This time, Lin Tian grabbed the basketball, glanced at Strickland lying on the ground, and sprinted at full speed again! It was time for a transition between offense and defense!
With one less player, the Bullets' defense was a complete mess. At the very least, there was no defender in front of Lin Tian, who had the ball!
The Bullets' retreat perfectly illustrates the phrase: retreating without defending!
This is a counterexample worthy of being included in textbooks!
Lin Tian advanced unimpeded, and it wasn't until he reached below the free-throw line that Murray finally reacted, leaving Cole behind and running from the baseline to chase after Lin Tian!
Everything was so similar to the last round. Lin Tian's behind-the-back pass once again came to Cole's hands!
"Whoosh!"
It feels so good to be able to shoot an open shot when there's no one guarding you within a 3-meter radius!
As the team's primary three-point shooter, Kerr certainly wouldn't waste such a good opportunity!
In the blink of an eye, the Bulls hit three three-pointers in a row, not only erasing the point difference but also widening it further!
But at this moment, both Strickland and Bickerstaff were in a strange and terrible state. No one was directing the team on how to play, and no one thought of uniting the teammates and getting them to play well and regain their form.
In short, the Bullets are stuck here. The Bullets' coach won't call a timeout, and the Bullets' leader is as quiet as a chicken, not saying a word, and not thinking about catching up in the score at all.
As for Strickland, he has lost his mind. After getting the ball from his teammate on the baseline once again, he launched another counterattack!
But this time, the Bulls' defensive trap came even earlier! As soon as Strickland crossed the center circle, Lin Tian's defensive intensity suddenly increased, and then the defensive expert Harper quickly moved in.
Strickland never expected that the Bulls would suddenly switch to a different half of the court to double-team him without warning, completely surrounding him near midfield!
"Give it to me!" Lin Tian seized the opportunity and suddenly made his move. With another death grip, Lin Tian's hands grabbed the basketball from Strickland's hands. Then, with all his strength, he swung the ball back into his hands!
This time, it was less of a steal and more of a robbery; Lin Tian's defense was just too fierce!
Strickland couldn't even stand up straight and collapsed onto the floor in a sorry state, allowing the Bulls to launch another counterattack!
Lin Tian dribbled the ball and sprinted towards the frontcourt!
But he still didn't rush into the three-point line, and instead immediately passed the ball to Kukoc!
"Tony, give it a shot! You're the only one missing a three-pointer!"
After receiving the ball, Kukoc glanced left and right to make sure no Bullet Team players were coming towards him. Unusually, he acted recklessly and missed a fast break three-pointer.
"Whoosh!"
After another crisp sound, the score difference had exceeded 10 points!
33: 45!
So far in the second quarter, the Bullets still haven't scored a single point!
The Bulls went on a 16-0 run in less than 3 minutes!
During this period, the Bulls went 6-for-6 from the field, including 4-for-4 from three-point range, while the Bullets, or rather Strickland, failed to score a single point, resulting in a series of missed shots and turnovers!
At this point, even if Bickerstaff didn't want Jordan and Pippen to play and wanted to keep attacking the Bulls' bench, he had no choice but to call a timeout.
If he doesn't call a timeout soon, he won't need to call one for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, during the pause, Bickerstaff suddenly realized something.
It wasn't his players chasing after the Bulls' bench players.
Instead, the Bulls' reserves chased down the Bullets and unleashed a barrage of attacks!
From starters to bench players, from core players to role players, the Bulls' lead over the Bullets was comprehensive and overwhelming!
Perhaps the only good news for the Bullets in this series is that neither Webber nor Howard has uttered any trash talk or harsh words to the Bulls, such as "We're going to upset the eighth seed" or "We're going to teach the Bulls a lesson."
Otherwise, this would be a huge embarrassment! That would be incredibly shameful!
Now, although we lost the game, at least we didn't lose too much face or become a laughing stock.
After the timeout ended, Bickerstaff, who didn't have many options, had no better solution than to put Webber and Howard, the two forwards, back on the court.
But the Bulls followed suit, putting Jordan and Pippen on the court together!
After the first quarter of adjustment and the break, the Bulls didn't give the Bullets any more chances.
Jackson first had Pippen guard Webber on the perimeter, preventing him from getting easy shots, while Jordan personally went to defend Murray, the Bullets' only shooter, while the rest of the players remained inside!
This change on the defensive end immediately exposed the Bullets' true colors, making it impossible for them to keep up with the Bulls' pace!
Even though the entire Bullets team gave their all in this game, with everyone fighting tooth and nail, Webber showed unusual toughness against Pippen's defense, repeatedly driving into the paint to fight for the win, while Howard kept hitting mid-range shots.
However, the gap between the two teams was simply too large. Once the Bulls found their rhythm and got into game mode, the Bullets were simply unable to close the gap of more than 10 points.
Of course, their hard work paid off, as the Bulls were never able to extend their lead to more than 20 points, keeping the game suspenseful! The Bullets were constantly chasing the score.
With three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Lin Tian stepped up once again, hitting a long-range three-pointer from the top of the arc, then grabbing a rebound, and on a fast break, finding Jordan who was following up, assisting him for a powerful dunk and a 2+1 play.
After this 6-0 run, the Bulls finally extended their lead to more than 20 points for the first time in the game!
After those two rounds, Bickerstaff knew that their season was over. He stopped being stubborn and called a timeout 30 seconds later, substituting the team's key players off the court.
The Bullet Team surrendered!
Finally, when the final whistle blew, the score was 109-88.
The Bulls swept through three consecutive games without batting an eye, advancing to the second round of the playoffs!
In this game, Chris Webber finally played like the "Kings," scoring a double-double of 26 points and 17 rebounds. Juwon Howard also scored 21 points and 8 rebounds. Unfortunately, apart from these two, only Murray scored in double figures, and the rest of the players could not provide them with any support.
而公牛队这边，乔丹拿下28分5篮板，皮蓬13分5篮板5助攻，林天则是打出了他首轮比赛中最漂亮的一场，拿下29分13次助攻5次抢断！
Throughout the three games of the first round, Lin Tian averaged an impressive 18.3 points, 10.6 assists, and 3.3 steals, with shooting percentages as high as 51%, 44%, and 81%! Even his turnovers dropped to 3.1, more than one less than in the regular season.
On the other side of Lin Tian, the well-known Strickland was completely crushed in his matchup against Lin Tian!
整轮系列赛，斯特里克兰只有9.3分，4.6次助攻，失误数还高达5.3次！更别提他的命中率更是低到只有37%、9%和77%！
Aside from his passable free throw percentage, he clearly exposed his shortcomings in this series: insufficient shooting range and ineffectiveness outside the paint!
For Strickland, who is also in the final year of his contract and needs to find a new contract in the summer, this series has directly reduced his value from the $5-600 million range to around $300 million!
At least for Strickland, it would have been better not to make the playoffs at all!
(End of this chapter)