Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 656 All main forces are out of commission; tonight will be a showdown of surprise forces?

Barkley's praise for both teams and appreciation for the game's brilliance lasted only 20 minutes.

That is, the 20-minute halftime break.

At the start of the second half, the atmosphere and situation of the game suddenly changed.

It seemed that neither team's players rested or adjusted their condition during halftime, nor did they do any recovery or tactical arrangements. Instead, it was as if the entire team went through 20 minutes of extreme weight-bearing anaerobic training.

Everyone played terribly!

Everyone, including Lin Tian, ​​Stoudemire, McGrady, Kobe, and others, kept missing shots in the third quarter, and made a series of basic mistakes.

Halfway through the third quarter, the score was 66-62.

In this roughly 6-minute game, to put it nicely, the Knicks tenaciously chased after the Knicks, relentlessly fighting and giving their all to close the gap.

The Lakers united to build a solid defense and protect their narrow lead, striving to secure a victory.

But to put it bluntly, this game was a clash of idiots, with both sides performing so poorly that it was impossible to keep your eyes open.

It's not an exaggeration at all.

Barkley and Kenny also quickly woke up from the excitement and exhilaration of the first half, and were somewhat drowsy.

How did these two teams end up playing like this in the second half?

"Looking at just these 6 minutes, Lin is 1-for-3, Stoudemire is 0-for-2, Anthony is 1-for-3, and for the Lakers, Kobe is 0-for-3 and McGrady is 1-for-4." Barkley looked at the statistics in his hand and couldn't help but say, "Have these two teams been cursed by some kind of shaman or black magic?"

"How could things suddenly become so bad? Did they eat the same expired pizza together?"

Both head coaches were naturally quite dissatisfied with this situation.

After all, if their own players perform so poorly in the second half, it will affect their pride.

What was that saying again?

You won't affect my academic standing, but you will make me lose face in the education field.

This is the situation that the two championship-winning head coaches are facing right now.

What did we do during halftime?

Are you assigning yourselves to be undercover agents?

Playing so badly damages our reputation!

At this moment, Nelson and Tomjanovich reached a profound spiritual connection, their thoughts completely aligned.

Then, their approach was to constantly change players, from starters to absolute core players, replacing them one by one, adjusting them little by little, trying to find players who were in good form tonight. As a result, the number of players on both sides on the field increased rapidly.

On the Lakers' side, even Parker, who had thoroughly angered Tomjanovich and was subbed out for consecutive turnovers at the start of the game, and who didn't even get a starting opportunity in the third quarter, got some more playing time.

Then Parker quickly made a basic mistake and a ridiculous jump shot, which once again touched Tomjanovich's bottom line, and he was substituted out again. This time, Parker will most likely be out of the game for a long time.

With three minutes remaining in the third quarter, the situation on the court suddenly changed dramatically once again.

Right now, the Lakers have Kobe, Vujacic, Walton, Cook, and Bynum on the court—a solid rotation lineup. The Knicks have a similar lineup, with Lin Tian, ​​Nate, Ariza, Wallace, and Smith on the court.

Don Nelson's strategy was: Since you guys can't make shots, then run! I'll put on my best small-ball lineup, and as long as you can seize the opportunity to launch a fast break, how can you keep missing layups and dunks?

The score definitely needs to be boosted!

Tomjanovich's thinking was similar: if you can't make the shots, then change the lineup and the style of play. If you've been playing too aggressively and too loosely before, then switch to a smarter and simpler lineup.

These five players now, needless to say, follow Kobe's lead completely. How the team plays and what tactics they use depend entirely on Kobe's mood.

This style of play is collectively known as: Kobe, you figure out a way to score a few goals!

Tomjanovich could come up with a similar tactic: McGrady, figure out a way to take down a few of them.

Top-tier athletes do this kind of thing.

"Looks like it's time for Lin and Kobe to face off again! I'm curious to see if these two can find their rhythm and carry the team, and I'm also looking forward to seeing them regain their touch and perform to their potential in this 1-on-4 lineup."

Upon seeing the lineups on both sides, Barkley immediately perked up again, exclaiming, "This is my favorite moment! This is my favorite part! A head-to-head battle of superstars!"

"Let's do it! Whether it's Lin or Kobe, let's get this going! Let's show everyone your skill and fighting spirit!"

Barkley really wanted to add some energy to this boring game, but the stars on both sides said: I won't!

In the first offensive play after this lineup was brought on, Kobe passed the ball to Bynum, who made a strong drive to the basket in the low post. Facing Smith, who was at least a head shorter than him, Bynum played with ease, making a couple of passes and then turning around to score with a hook shot, earning the team a hard-fought 2 points.

Kenny immediately praised, "Great shot! That's a bit like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar! I heard that since Bynum joined the Lakers this summer, the thing he's done the most is train with Abdul-Jabbar!"

Following the Knicks' offense, Lin Tian, ​​as usual, executed a pick-and-roll at the top of the key. He then found Nate on the wing and passed the ball to him. The small guy immediately and fearlessly pulled up and shot!

"Whoosh!"

After the timeout, neither team's key players opted for a forceful attack, instead each contributing an assist!

These two balls, like opening Pandora's box, immediately began to ferment.

Everyone seemed to be stimulated by those two balls, and both sides began to regain their touch.

Walton is now able to score with his back to the basket, Smith has once again become a mid-range maestro, Cook's signature three-pointers are starting to come in, and Ariza can even complete a beautiful steal and fast break.

Both teams' role players have been awakening one after another, delivering one beautiful and exciting moment after another, and continuously contributing their strength to the team.

But for the fans...

During this period, Kobe and Lin Tian did only two things besides passing the ball.

Missing shots and making mistakes.

Lin Tian was responsible for missing shots; he went 0-for-3 in 3 minutes and scored no points. His shooting touch in the second half tonight was really terrible.

Kobe was responsible for the turnovers. He made two turnovers within three minutes: one was when his pass to Bynum was intercepted, and the other was when Ariza made a one-on-one steal.

In short: both teams played quite well in those 3 minutes, but Kobe and Lin Tian played terribly.

Even in the last 10 seconds of the third quarter, the role players on both sides had a dramatic duel!

First, Nate Robinson faced Kobe and used a series of crossovers and fakes before pulling up for a three-pointer. The ball flew over Kobe's fingertips and made a precise shot, giving the Knicks the lead!

But their excitement only lasted a few seconds.

Because in the next possession, it was Vujacic's turn to receive the ball outside the three-point line, and then launch a buzzer-beating three-pointer from a great distance. The ball flew towards the basket, bounced off the backboard, and went into the basket.

The Lakers have once again taken the lead and control of the game!

The unexpected duo of Nate and Vujacic, who put on a spectacular duel in last season's Finals, are back in action once again!

79: 77!

At the end of the third quarter, the gap between the two teams continued to narrow, with only 2 points separating them!

Both sides played terribly in the first 9 minutes of this quarter, and half of their points in the third quarter came in the last 3 minutes!

Role players from both sides.

If they were to replace Larry Brown or Hubie Brown with someone as meticulous, old-fashioned, and tyrannical as him, they would definitely pull off a lot of key players and let their best role players take over.

Unfortunately, both Don Nelson and Tomjanovich are known for their fiery tempers but also for their kindness towards players.

At the start of the fourth quarter, both sides continued with their usual rotations.

On one side were Stoudemire, Anthony, and three veterans: Hill, Houston, and Ward; on the other side was McGrady with a group of substitutes.

Kobe and Lin Tian, ​​on the other hand, got a rare rest.

This was the most standard lineup combination for both sides in the fourth quarter, and it was also a signal that although the coaches were dissatisfied with their respective players and thought they were performing poorly, they didn't think it was a big deal and there was no need to make major adjustments.

Keep fighting! Let's see how it goes!

And then...

The more they played, the more they felt that the key players and core members on both sides were either asleep or had eaten too much, and they played terribly!

In the first half of the fourth quarter, the main scorers on both sides were still struggling and didn't score much. The scoring on both sides relied almost entirely on their role players.

Okur and Cook traded baskets with mid-range and long-range shots, Vujacic and Barnes took turns cutting to the basket for points, Smith unleashed a powerful alley-oop, Bynum displayed his ferocity as the "Little Shaq," and showcased his talent with a powerful dunk under the basket...

In short, the role players on both sides played at a very high level and with a high success rate in the second half, while the five All-Star level players on both sides were all undercover agents, and their performances were all mediocre.

With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the score was still very close, 99-100!

The Knicks have quietly taken the lead.

From the fans' perspective, on such a wonderful Christmas night, what they want to see is a duel between star players and an unreasonable series of goals. Nobody wants to see a showdown between Vujacic and Barnes or a clash between Okur and Brian Cook.

Even if the score is close, if the star players don't step up to seal the victory, the game will feel somewhat lacking.

Fortunately, all of these players on the court are top-tier stars in the league. Regardless of their form or performance during regulation time, they can still find their rhythm and take over the game in the final moments!

They won't let the fans down forever.

At least, not everyone will be disappointed, leaving fans constantly frustrated.

With another timeout called by Tomjanovich, both sides brought back their entire starting lineup, except for Vujacic replacing the underperforming and completely benched Parker.

Both coaches finished their respective operations and were about to enter the final decisive moment.

On the very first possession after the game started, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers took the initiative!

He called for the ball in the low post, boxed out Barnes, then quickly turned and pulled up for a two-pointer to create distance!

The Lakers regained a one-point lead.

Kobe's shot helped the stars on the court sound the horn for a comeback.

Everyone, let's get moving!

"I have a feeling!" Kenny said expectantly, "What we most want to see, what we most hope for, is about to happen!"

"I think so too! These guys won't be asleep for the entire second half; it's time for them to wake up." Barkley added, "Let's see how the Knicks fight back!"

Sure enough, as soon as the two commentators finished speaking, Anthony faced off against Kobe on the wing. After using his signature series of probing steps to create some space for himself, he pulled up and calmly made a mid-range jump shot!

Then it was McGrady's turn to have the ball at the top of the arc for the Lakers. He changed direction to shake off Anthony, then drove into the paint and made a high layup over Okur's help defense, scoring 2 points.

The Knicks were clearly going head-to-head with the Lakers. Lin Tian dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, executed two consecutive crossovers, and then suddenly made a behind-the-back pass. The basketball drew an incredible arc, bypassing the Lakers' defense and flying directly to the Lakers' basket.

Stoudemire grabbed the basketball, turned and launched a floater, scoring two points in one go! Cook, who was defending him, was completely bewildered and couldn't believe that Stoudemire had just scored two points right in front of him.

From a physics perspective, Lin Tian couldn't possibly have received the ball at the top of the arc, facing the basket directly, and then passed it to the basket with a behind-the-back pass.

Unless he can hold the ball behind his back and wrap it around his waist before making the pass.

But is that still a human being?

Even a gibbon's arm couldn't stretch that far, and it couldn't possibly generate enough power at that angle to make a precise pass.

Cook preferred to believe that Lin Tian had used some unimaginable technique to add an arc to the ball, which was why he was able to make such a beautiful pass.

Even Stoudemire himself, let alone Okur, stared at his palm in disbelief after making the shot. His eyes were wide open, and after high-fiving Lin Tian, ​​he couldn't help but exclaim, "How did I get the basketball? How is this possible? Is it magic? Is it God's blessing?"

"It's because of your father's favor." Lin Tian glanced at Xiao Si with annoyance, wishing he could kick him right then and there.

What the hell are you doing at this crucial moment?

Lin Tian's wildly imaginative and somewhat unbelievable pass boosted the Knicks' morale. They then defended against the Lakers' offense twice in a row, and Anthony hit another three-pointer, extending their lead to four points.

With Stoudemire and Anthony's breakout performances, the Knicks began to take control of the game!

In the next few minutes, the Lakers continued to score. Kobe and McGrady had found their rhythm and were not so easy to lose. The two of them were on fire and kept scoring.

But the Knicks' Stoudemire and Anthony also found their rhythm, and no matter how Kobe and McGrady scored, they were always able to respond in time.

The four of them fought back and forth, almost evenly matched.

The point difference between the two sides remained between 2 and 5 points. The Lakers tried their best to turn the score around, but the Knicks had been suppressed for almost the entire game. Now that they had finally gained a lead, they were naturally not going to give it up so easily.

Both sides have fully entered the decisive battle mode!

The pace and excitement of the game intensified dramatically, and fans on both sides got into the zone, with the cheers at Madison Square Garden growing louder and louder!

With two minutes left in the game, Kobe and McGrady suddenly connected, silencing the Madison Square Garden crowd.

This time, Kobe had the ball outside the three-point line, and McGrady, who was originally positioned in the waist position, suddenly moved up to Kobe's side to set a screen for him!

Kobe and McGrady pick and roll!

This tactic is the first of its kind in tonight's game, and even in the Lakers' games this season! Although the two have passed the ball to each other a lot and provided many assists, this is the first time they have executed such a proper pick-and-roll!

As we all know, the threat level of a pick-and-roll depends on two factors: first, whether the ball handler has a well-rounded offensive ability and can attract the defense; and second, whether his passing ability is good enough to get the ball to his teammates after attracting the defense.

Secondly, it depends on whether the player making the cut is good enough and whether they have enough ways to score after receiving the ball. If they can find a teammate to pass the ball again after receiving it, that would be even more perfect!

Obviously, the pick-and-roll is the most basic and easiest play in basketball. It is quite simple, and even elementary school students who have just started playing basketball can play a few nice pick-and-roll plays.

It can be said to be profound. 90% of the tactics in basketball games are related to the pick and roll, from off-ball screens to on-ball screens, from real screens, fake screens, double screens, handoffs, and the movement and finishing methods of the ball handler and receiver after the screen.

With countless variations and derivative tactics, the pick and roll can be considered the most basic yet most difficult and unpredictable core tactic in basketball!

Getting started is easy, but mastering it is difficult.

But now, McGrady and Kobe, two of the most aggressive and lethal forwards in the league today, have started playing pick-and-roll!

This is clearly one of Tomjanovich's trump cards, and this guy chose to use it in the Christmas Day game!

"Old fox!" Barkley shook his head, giving Tomjanovich a fairly apt assessment. (End of Chapter)