Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 1143 The Outburst of Role Players! I am Isaiah, you...

Isaiah Thomas initiated a pick-and-roll at the top of the key, and this time his partner was Clark! Another grassroots player who has worked his way up from the bottom, from tryouts and non-guaranteed contracts to now becoming a member of the team.

The two players made a brief contact at the top of the arc and then separated. Instead of rushing to the basket like other big men, Clark instead created space by moving along the three-point line to find room for his team.

Then Thomas delivered a precise pass, and Clark received the ball as he ran from the top of the arc to the 45-degree angle on the wing and down to the area below. Without hesitation, he pulled up and launched a three-pointer.

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, Clark hit his first three-pointer of the game.

72: 77!

There are 2 minutes and 30 seconds left in the third quarter.

Van Gundy shouted, "Beautiful pass! Especially considering Isaiah Thomas' height, he was double-teamed on this pass, so theoretically he shouldn't have been able to see Clark's movement or situation at all. But the result was still such a precise pass from Thomas. There's only one reason for that."

"Countless training sessions, countless collaborations, and countless rehearsals have created a tacit understanding between the two, allowing them to clearly understand each other's styles. Isaiah Thomas knows that Clark will run towards the baseline, and Clark also believes that Isaiah Thomas's pass will definitely arrive."

"Absolute trust and perfect teamwork are qualities rarely seen in bench players. This year's Lakers team certainly has the makings of a title defender."

After Clark hit a three-pointer, the Celtics' fast break failed to find the net. Their tactical system remained clear and direct, focusing on overpowering Isaiah Thomas.

They gave Bass another chance, allowing him to face Isaiah Thomas in the mid-range and take a jump shot, but this time Bass missed.

"The Celtics' strategy was correct, absolutely no problem," Jackson shook his head and said, "but it was a bit too soft, or rather, a correct mistake. Playing against Isaiah Thomas was definitely the right choice."

"But is it really appropriate to have a role player take a series of mid-range jump shots during this period? Wouldn't it be better to push further into the paint, or create a mismatch and then have one of our star players isolate and attack Isaiah Thomas? Wouldn't that be more efficient?"

"Mid-range shooting, even against a player 30 centimeters shorter, is still not practice, it's not a completely non-contact shot. How efficient can a player of Bass's caliber really be?"

As they spoke, Isaiah Thomas, who had been racking up assists and points, was clearly in high spirits. He was in a state of high excitement, dribbling the ball up the court and recklessly driving into the paint to force a layup.

But this time he clearly underestimated the Celtics' defense. He practically crashed headfirst into their defensive trap, being surrounded by three players as he jumped under the basket.

With a "smack," Thomas's layup was slapped away by Bass, who had just missed the shot. Bass had gotten his revenge for his missed shot.

Unfortunately, before the commentators could even utter a "good shot," the basketball was caught by Clark, who was following behind Isaiah Thomas. Clark then pulled up and launched a floater, sending the ball soaring high into the air before it obediently went into the basket.

"Clark's follow-up gave me the feeling that he had predicted Isaiah Thomas would get carried away and force his way to the basket for a game," Jackson said. "Otherwise, it's hard to explain why he followed up so decisively and promptly."

"The chemistry between these two is truly amazing. I imagine they must coordinate quite a lot during the Lakers' daily training sessions."

"More importantly, both of them had very little playing time before, so their game content and habits hadn't been understood or studied by other teams," Miller said. "Without being studied, it's impossible to predict their teamwork patterns."

"If something is unpredictable, it's hard to defend. From that perspective, defending the bench duo of Isaiah Thomas and Clark is even more difficult than defending the combination of Kobe and Lin."

Van Gundy said, "It should be said that it is difficult to predict how they will play and how they will coordinate. It is more difficult than defending the Lakers' main lineup. But if we really compare the difficulty of defense and the offensive power and lethality, then the main lineup is definitely stronger, much stronger."

After Clark made the putback, the gap between the two teams widened further to 7 points.

The final 1 minutes and 54 seconds.

Carl, standing on the sidelines, couldn't stand it anymore either.

If you get a high from Kobe or Lin Tian, ​​that's fine.

But what's the situation now?

Did Isaiah Thomas and Clark combine for a scoring run? These two scored 9 consecutive points to widen the gap?

No coach could tolerate this situation.

So Carl immediately called a timeout; he was about to yell at people.

At the same time, after a frantic outburst to boost the players' morale and motivation, Karl also made a bold move, bringing his full-strength lineup back onto the field.

Meanwhile, on the Lakers' side, Jackson was still squinting at Thomas and Clark, showering them with praise, almost calling them the next generation of Payton and Kemp.

The two were beaming with joy at the praise, wishing they could rush up and beat Parker and Duncan to a pulp right then and there.

"However, we'll have to change our strategy from now on." Seeing that the two were having a great time, Jackson changed the subject and said, "After the timeout, we'll show those idiots on the Celtics how stupid they are."

Soon, the timeout ended, and the Celtics brought back their starting lineup, while the Lakers did not make any changes and stuck with their previous five-man lineup.

"Karl's being cautious! It seems he's taking his first official game since taking over quite seriously," Jackson said. "He wants to win! He's worried the team will get blown out in one go, so he's fielded his full starting lineup!"

"But the Lakers aren't making any changes," Miller said. "As expected of Jackson, he's always been bold in his player selections! Let's see if the Thomas and Clark duo can continue their excellent performance."

After the timeout ended and both teams returned to the court, James naturally took control of the ball and began to orchestrate the offense. Facing his old rival Durant, James played with considerable determination this time.

After two between-the-legs dribbles, James accelerated and charged forward, reaching the basket in the blink of an eye. He then pushed past Bynum again, executed a layup, and sent the ball into the hoop.

At this age, James still possesses unparalleled impact. His finishing ability is quite reliable, and coupled with his peak physical condition, he can dribble and take off at any time to finish the game.

Following James's quick, direct, and dominant two-pointer, the Celtics' morale soared, with Bradley immediately moving to the frontcourt and applying full-court pressure on Thomas.

Although Bradley's height and weight made him unable to hold his own against a standard shooting guard like Kobe, he suddenly had an advantage in height and weight against Isaiah Thomas.

Bradley's roster-caliber defensive ability immediately came into play, and Thomas's drive to the basket became severely hampered under his defense.

After finally getting to the frontcourt, Thomas struggled to organize the team's attack, facing Bradley's constant harassment and physical contact.

It's too oppressive.

Isaiah Thomas still falls short when facing the core defender of a championship-caliber team.

However, the Lakers have just experienced a timeout.

Isaiah Thomas was well aware of this type of defense, and he also knew how to break through it.

Facing the defense, Thomas suddenly turned around, stuck out his back, and used his back to block Bradley, then raised the ball in front of him.

Durant's slender yet tall figure appeared, and the two quickly completed a hand-off pass. At the same time, Thomas also sidestepped to block James, who was chasing Durant.

"Brave and fearless!" Miller shouted. "James is almost twice the size of Isaiah Thomas! But Thomas still fearlessly screened James! This is the bravest and fiercest pick-and-roll I've ever seen!"

Isaiah Thomas's selfless screen gave Durant a huge amount of shooting space. At the same time, Durant did not disappoint his teammates. After receiving the ball, he took a step to the side, and James could no longer catch up with him.

Although Bradley reacted quickly and arrived in front of Durant to interfere, his height was not even enough to cover Kobe, let alone Durant, who was much taller than Kobe.

After Durant created space, he didn't waste any time or words. Without even glancing at Bradley, who was much shorter than him, he pulled up and launched a three-pointer!

Durant completely ignored Bradley's high level of interference and defense.

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp sound, Durant hit a three-pointer!

74: 82!

With 1 minute and 27 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

"Both sides have been incredibly efficient these last few minutes, with their scores skyrocketing!" Miller said. "Both sides have reached their peak performance."

"But the Lakers definitely have an advantage in terms of stamina," Van Gundy said. "Kobe and Lin are both resting on the bench, while the Celtics have their full starting lineup on the court right now!"

"The fourth quarter will be more favorable for the Lakers."

Jackson added, "Don't forget, they're even in the lead right now!"

However, after a high-efficiency scoring feast lasting more than two minutes, both sides' shooting touch began to decline for about a minute.

Both sides failed to score on several offensive possessions until Durant found another opportunity with 28 seconds left in the third quarter. He made a near-basket floater, helping his team extend their lead once again!

74: 84!

The Lakers have a 10-point lead, their first double-digit advantage tonight.

"Stay calm!" Duncan took the basketball and came to the baseline. Instead of inbounding the ball, he pressed down with one hand to calm his teammates down before throwing the ball to James to organize the team's offense.

This was almost certainly the Celtics' last offensive possession of the third quarter. James, of course, wasn't in a hurry. He slowly walked up the court, waving and directing his teammates to move.

He needed to find the perfect opportunity and wait for the best moment to launch this attack.

Regardless, he needs to keep the team within single digits of the deficit by the end of the third quarter.

This ball must be scored.

The best way to score is, of course, through attacks under the basket.

James waited until there were 10 seconds left on the shot clock before passing the ball to Duncan, who had already positioned himself inside.

Duncan backed down Bynum.

This time, instead of testing Bynum's defense, he turned and cut past him on the baseline. Then, after Bynum moved laterally to block his path to the basket, Duncan suddenly turned in the opposite direction towards the baseline.

The two consecutive spins were seamlessly connected, and the speed was so fast that it was impossible for a veteran who was about to retire. Bynum was completely unable to keep up with the speed of Duncan's second spin and was completely left behind by Duncan. He could only watch Duncan get up and throw the ball.

Whether this shot goes in or not is no longer Bynum's concern; he can only watch Duncan take the shot.

"Bang!"

Unfortunately, Duncan's perfect footwork, which completely shook off his opponent, resulted in a close-range floater that missed!

The basketball bounced off the rim, but this time Bynum reacted quickly and caught it.

With 10 seconds left, the Lakers are on offense!

Bynum's passing ability is certainly not comparable to that of well-known passing masters in the league, such as Love and Duncan, but it is definitely sufficient.

His first pass may not be perfectly accurate, but it will definitely not hinder the team's fast break counterattack.

Isaiah Thomas received Bynum's pass immediately and drove all the way to the frontcourt. After facing James at the top of the arc, Thomas stopped, looked up at the time, and then stopped his advance, instead quickly dribbling the ball repeatedly in place.

Then, Durant caught up from the other side, reaching out to Thomas for the ball. Because it was the transition phase, the Celtics were on the principle of temporarily guarding the nearest player, so Durant was once again matched up against Bradley.

An absolute opportunity!

But just when everyone thought Isaiah Thomas was going to pass the ball, he suddenly made a sharp change of direction, then pulled up and, facing James' defense, launched a three-pointer!

"Whoosh!"

"Buzz!"

With a crisp crack, the third quarter ended.

74: 87!

"Who the hell are you? Huh? I'm Isaiah Thomas, who the hell are you?" Thomas was completely excited as he hit the buzzer-beater over James' defense. He was yelling and even spitting out saliva.

"Answer me! Who the hell are you? Speak louder! I can't hear you!"

Isaiah Thomas glared menacingly at James.

It's not that he dislikes James or has any grudge against him.

He was excited and in high spirits. At this moment, even if it was Barack Obama standing in front of him, let alone James, he would still unleash a barrage of trash talk until Obama was covered in spittle.

I will kill any god or Buddha who gets in my way.

James, of course, wouldn't waste any words with such a minor character. He didn't even glance at Isaiah Thomas and walked straight to the bench.

A 13-point deficit is far from what the Celtics planned.

Miller said, "Duncan's shot was also a pity. He missed such a close-range shot, and then Thomas threw it away. Even if we don't talk about the difference in morale and momentum, just looking at the points, it's 5 points."

Jackson said, "8 points to 13 points is a world of difference. For the Celtics, it's like heaven and hell."

"Not to mention that they played almost the entire third quarter with their full starting lineup. In terms of physical fitness and mentality, the difference between them and the Lakers is like night and day."

Van Gundy said, "I think the Lakers are getting closer and closer to their opening victory! The Lakers won't let this opportunity slip away, as they're going to win against their arch-rivals and raise the championship banner."

"You know what it means to raise the championship banner in front of the Celtics, right?" Jackson could certainly think of what the commentators could think of.

This cunning old fox understands all too well that the most effective psychological tactics are often revealed in the most direct way.

"Raise the championship banner in front of them, then beat them in the game—it feels like sleeping with the wife of the bastard you hate most, then knocking him out with one punch, and doing it all over again in front of him!"

"I don't need to tell you how amazing this feels, right?"

"So, in the fourth quarter, go all out! Beat them until they're traumatized!"

"What 'galactic battleship re-equipped' nonsense, what 'strongest Celtics in history' nonsense—it's all just stepping stones on our path to defending our title!"

"After tonight's game, I want them to tremble at the mere thought of Los Angeles. I want them to be too afraid to even make it to the Finals just by hearing our name!"

"yes!"

The players roared at the same time, and everyone's morale and performance were brought to their highest level.

Let's take them down!

"You know what it means to watch the Lakers raise their championship banner in Los Angeles, and then get beaten by them on the court, right?" Karl stood in front of all his players, his gaze sweeping over them, and said coldly, "You should know about the rivalry between Boston and Los Angeles, shouldn't you?"

"The bastard you hate most has entered your home and slept in your bed. If you don't fight back and act like men in this situation, do I need to say more about what they'll do next? Do I need to remind you?"

"If you're not going to use it, then in the fourth quarter, you guys need to show some fighting spirit. Play like real people!"

"Otherwise, I can't guarantee what other disgusting things my nasty mouth might utter. Don't push me!"

"In the fourth quarter, the key players don't need a rest. They all need to stay on the court, keep playing, and close the gap! I don't want to lose the first game of the new season, I don't want to embarrass the team in Los Angeles in the first game of the new season!"

"If you don't want to win, then win the game back! Take back that 13-point deficit!"

"clear!"

The Celtics players also mustered all their strength and fighting spirit at this moment.

It has to be said that these veteran coaches and cunning old foxes have a certain tacit understanding.

Although they have different styles and vastly different personalities, they sometimes seem to think alike. For example, the way Jackson and Karl boosted morale tonight was just like they were taught by the same mentor.

A subtle consistency.

With the break over, both teams' players returned to the field to continue the game.

The Lakers brought in Lin Tian and Kobe, and had them bring Clark, Turiaf, and Parsons onto the court together.

The Celtics, on the other hand, continued with their lineup from the end of the third quarter, still using their full starting lineup.

"Your coach has absolutely no respect for his elders," Lin Tian said, dribbling the basketball and smiling at Parker in front of him. "Are you and Tim planning to play the entire second half? Won't you two get cramps later?"

"Mind your own business!" Parker licked his lips, lowered his body, and spread his arms to defend against Lin Tian's attack. (End of Chapter)