NBA: I have 3, no D, and I can't dribble

In front of the courtside commentary desk, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith also accurately judged the opening situation and praised the Timberwolves' defensive execution.

"Offense wins box office, defense wins championships. This sentence is still the truth of the league. The Miami Heat can win two consecutive championships. Both offense and defense have always been the label of this team!"

"Especially the backcourt combination of Lin and Dwayne has been a backcourt nightmare for any NBA team in the past two seasons!"

"Although Carlos Arroyo and Ray Allen on the Timberwolves' defense are a little inferior, the front three are both inside and outside. Both single defense and assist defense have reached the top in history!"

As we all know, Ron Artest was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, and Kevin Garnett was the DPOY in the 06 and 07 seasons.

Although Gerald Wallace has not yet been selected to the All-Defensive Team, he has averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game this season. His role in the team is not inferior to that of Artest.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to be selected as an All-Star substitute in the highly competitive Western Conference.

Now Gerald Wallace has grown faster in the Timberwolves than in his original world with the Bobcats, and his defensive level has reached the level of the best defensive second team.

When these three strikers are put together, you can feel the huge defensive pressure just by listening to their names without having to fight.

Under the anti-magic ball defensive strategy of the Timberwolves, in addition to Lin Fei's individual ability to force singles, his teammates' mid-range fan-shaped shots and Eddie Curry's basket tonnage advantage,

These are the three main methods of the Knicks' offense.

When the Timberwolves attacked, Garnett directly broke through Eddy Curry at the high post. After entering the penalty area, he faced Randolph's defense. He jumped sideways and smashed the ball into the basket with a powerful dunk.

"Boom!"

After landing, the "Wolf King" beat his chest and roared, full of domineering, showing the infinite grace of the 60 superstars.

"Lin, welcome back to Target Center, don't expect me to show mercy tonight!"

Garnett clenched his fist and roared angrily at Lin Fei, and the atmosphere in the entire Target Center was pushed to a climax.

"Kevin's breakthrough dunk was so cool, wasn't it? One against two, it feels invincible!"

"At 31 years old, with the most perfect combination of experience and body, this season is definitely the most glorious season of Kevin's career. I feel that his performance on the field is not inferior to the year when he won the regular season MVP in the 03-04 season!"

"That's right, it's a pity that this season's MVP competition is a fairy-tale fight. Lin and Nowitzki each have incredible statistics and records. Otherwise, Kevin would definitely have a chance to win the second regular season MVP in his career!"

"Although I didn't win it in the regular season, I must win the championship and finals MVP!"

Amid the cheers and discussions of the fans at the scene, the Knicks launched an attack. Lin Fei faced Gerald Wallace's constant interference and small movements in the frontcourt, causing physical contact.

It is clear that this is McHale's intentional defensive arrangement to continuously interfere with his emotions and mentality.

Judging from the scale of the whistle blows at tonight's opening, the referee is more encouraging of confrontation, and this is obviously more detrimental to the Knicks.

Lin Fei dribbled past Gerald Wallace with a behind-the-back dribble, broke through from the right and encountered Ron Artest's defense, and quickly distributed the ball to Zach Randolph, who was released in the high post on the right. .

Randolph took a step and jumped up, about 16 feet 4.9 meters away from the basket, and decisively shot a mid-range shot.

"Shh!"

Randolph is obviously better than Eddy Curry and David Lee in terms of the accuracy of the mid-range shot at this distance. This is also the main means of offensive scoring.

Knicks (6): (9) Timberwolves.

Seeing that his teammates felt good at the start, Lin Fei did not go too far in singles when faced with the Timberwolves' targeted defense. Instead, he chose to create opportunities for his teammates as much as possible and activate the team's offensive and defensive enthusiasm.

However, the offensive efficiency of the Knicks team is not as high as that of the Timberwolves at home, and the matchup on the front line is completely at a disadvantage.

Eddie Curry also turned around and hit a goal when he went behind the basket to attack Garnett. However, overall it was still easy for Garnett to get around and block him, making it difficult to get into a good position in the low post.

At 6 minutes and 19 seconds in the first quarter, Garnett made a mistake in assisting the ball and was intercepted by Ariza. Lin Fei quickly caught the ball and passed it to Marbury before running back to the corner.

After receiving the back pass from Marbury's breakthrough, he hit the target with a three-point shot.

"Shh!"

This was also the only three-pointer Lin Fei hit in the first quarter.

During the positional battle attack, Lin Fei also tried an outside three-pointer after the pick-and-roll, but failed to make it.

In the second half of the first quarter, the Timberwolves replaced Ron Artest with No. 1 center Michael Olowokandi, allowing Olowokandi to hit Eddie Curry under the basket. Garnett should play back. Power forward versus Randolph.

In the original world, Olowokandi, the No. 1998 pick in 06, had disappeared in the 07- season. He chose to withdraw from the NBA early due to his physical condition. He was an out-and-out parallel import.

However, in this parallel world, it was still because of Lin Fei's butterfly effect that truly changed some of Olowokandi's habits and ideas while he was a teammate in the Timberwolves.

At the same time, because the Timberwolves won the championship in 04, Olowokandi had greater self-confidence.

Although the Timberwolves traded away Olowokandi during this period, they have welcomed back this blue-collar center this season. He has a certain value in the Timberwolves' substitute lineup and can provide strong support against powerful and large-tonnage centers. Garnett gets stuck in position to share the pressure on the basket.

The first quarter of the game is over.

Knicks (21): (27) Timberwolves.

The Knicks were 6 points behind. Overall, they were still playing back and forth with the Timberwolves and were not at a significant disadvantage.

Lin Fei only took 3 shots in the first quarter, making 3 of 1 shots. He scored 5 points with a three-pointer and two free throws. His offensive performance was average under tight defense, but he sent 4 assists in a single quarter.

However, after the start of the second quarter, as Lin Fei took a break, Szebiak and Artest also led the Timberwolves substitutes to a 7:2 spurt, and the point difference was quickly opened to two points. number of digits.

Lin Fei rested for 2 minutes and could only play in a hurry during the dead ball time. Isaiah Thomas did not dare to take a big gamble. If the Timberwolves hit a big climax, the point difference would be directly 20 points, and it would be difficult to catch up. More difficult.

This is the finals after all, and the first game is a key battle that sets the tone.

Since the start of the playoffs, the lineup rotations arranged by Isaiah Thomas for the Knicks have been relatively fixed.

Because there are no qualified ball handlers on the bench, starting point guards Stephon Marbury and Zach Randolph are usually allowed to rest in the second half of the first quarter, and David Lee, Quentin Richardson and Nate Robinson enter,

This is also a classic eight-man rotation for the Knicks in the playoffs. When Zach Randolph is out due to injury, the playing time of Jerome James and Marty Collins will be appropriately increased.

To be honest, with the depth of the lineup, if it weren't for Lin Fei's superb performance and leadership, the Knicks would really have no chance of making the playoffs.

In the first quarter, Marbury and Randolph relied on Lin Fei's containment to achieve good shooting percentages in the mid-range. However, in the second quarter, they led the substitutes to play. As the Timberwolves' defensive focus was on For the two of them, the scoring efficiency naturally dropped significantly.

In terms of defensive strength, the Knicks really can't compare with this battle-hardened Timberwolves.

After playing in the second quarter, Lin Fei quickly entered his personal offensive mode.

First, he held the ball at the top of the arc and faced Gerald Wallace's defense. This defensive strategy was obviously to focus on breakthroughs but not on shots. He directly changed direction to break through and then took a step away from the opponent. With the help of David Lee's pre-arranged shot, lift cover,

Lin Fei dribbled around to the left side of the three-point line, avoiding the defense of Gerrard and Ray Allen, and took advantage of Artest's defensive switch to catch up in time, and decisively shot a lightning three-pointer. .

"Shh!"

Seeing Lin Fei hit a three-pointer in the second quarter, McHale on the sidelines quickly called a timeout.

Tonight, the purpose of him and the Timberwolves coaching staff was to immediately call a timeout or use tactical fouls to block the rhythm of the game once Lin Fei hits a three-pointer. They must not allow Lin Fei to have continuous opportunities to explode from the outside.

Knicks (26): (34) Timberwolves.

During Lin Fei's warm-up shooting session before the game, he clearly felt that the Timberwolves' basket tonight was a little uneven, with the horizontal error exceeding 0.5 centimeters. At the same time, he deliberately relaxed the fixation of the basket and tightened the net. .

In fact, these small details are all outside the game at the home arena, and naturally this is not the first time Lin Fei has encountered them.

With his shooting talent, he was able to make appropriate adjustments quickly.

After the timeout, Garnett and Ray Allen also came on the court. The Timberwolves also did not dare to slack off in G1 of the finals.

When the Timberwolves attacked, Garnett continued to support the ball in the high post and provided a solid and high-quality screen for Ray Allen, who was running without the ball.

Garnett's screen directly delayed Lin Fei, who was chasing Ray Allen. Although there was obvious suspicion of moving the screen, the referee chose to turn a blind eye.

"Bang!" While delaying Lin Fei's pursuit, Garnett also used a beautiful back-up shot to hit the ball in time, reaching Ray Allen who was running outside the three-point line at a 45-degree angle on the right side.

This cooperation was very similar to the many supporting passes between Garnett and Lin Fei in the 04 Western Conference Finals and Finals. This familiar feeling made many Timberwolves fans at the scene fall into familiar memories.

"Bang!"

But no matter how accurate Ray Allen is, he can't match Lin Fei's abnormality. This time, he missed the shot in a hasty shot from the outside, and the long rebound bounced very high.

However, Ray Allen, who was proactive in his predictions, rushed to the three-point line. Under the competition between Artest and David Lee, he shot and grabbed the offensive rebound.

Taking advantage of the situation, he accelerated to the basket, flew to the basket and put the ball in.

"Shh!"

As the Timberwolves' second-in-command on paper, Ray Allen, who is at his peak, is naturally working hard to perform worthy of his worth in this round of finals.

For facing the new MVP Lin Fei in this round of the finals, Ray Allen is naturally under great pressure. Although the defensive task is given to Gerrard and Artest,

But on the offensive end, Ray Allen has always been studying how to break through Lin Fei's top defense.

The final conclusion is exactly the same as head coach Kevin McHale's proposal, which is to try to be more active in fighting for rebounds and strive for more opportunities for second offense. This is Lin Fei's fatal weakness.

You must know that when Ray Allen was with the Bucks, he also had an explosive style of flying and escaping for a long time, and he could compete with Kobe Carter's top dunkers.

Of course, for the sake of team glory, Ray Allen no longer cares about personal data. If he can contain Lin Fei on the offensive end throughout the game and give his teammates on the front line more scoring opportunities,

For Ray Allen, this has fully demonstrated his personal value.

Now among the swingmen in the entire NBA, the one who is qualified to allow Lin Fei to press and defend the whole court can probably be counted in two slaps.

Isaiah Thomas frowned on the sidelines. The thing that troubled him the most so far in the game was rebounding. After more than one quarter, the Timberwolves had a clear lead with 11:6 rebounds.

In a defensive level like the Finals, where the bayonet is red, it is simply unrealistic to rely on a super high shooting percentage. Therefore, only the team that can control the rebound advantage has the greatest capital to win the game.

However, in the next Knicks offensive round, Lin Fei once again showed what it means to be a superstar in front of fans around the world.

Just after halftime, Lin Fei asked Marbury for the ball. Faced with Gerald Wallace's defense, Lin Fei started a singles 4 meters away from the top of the arc's three-point line.

"Whoosh!"

With two consecutive sharp crossovers, Lin Fei quickly shook off Gerald Wallace's defense, lowered his center of gravity and accelerated forward to break through, and waited until the moment he attracted the latter to turn over and catch up.

Another sudden stop followed by a step back, mobilizing Gerald Wallace to chase back. At the same time, a realistic little worshiper successfully shook the latter, changed to the right, and then suddenly stopped.

Taking advantage of the fact that neither Ray Allen nor Artest had a chance to pounce directly at the top of the three-point arc, they leaped up 10 meters away from the basket and cold-bloodedly shot a long three-pointer.

Lin Fei's change of direction and breakthrough on this ball can be described as three advances and three retreats. His ability to combine man and ball can be called a perfect court art, which completely made Gerald Wallace dizzy.

The moment the basketball flew out of Lin Fei's fingertips, Gerald Wallace, who counterattacked from behind again, was a little out of control emotionally, and his defensive movements were obviously bigger.

"Shh!"

The basketball shot straight through the net like a cannonball, leaving the 20,000 fans in the Target Center Arena stunned and stunned.

Damn, can you get in with this?

"Beep!"

The referee's whistle also sounded, and Gerald Wallace, who was fighting back from behind, fouled Lin Fei's shooting hitter.

Even though tonight's referee made a large-scale call, Gerald Wallace's actions clearly violated Lin Fei's shooting cylinder and almost knocked his opponent down from the side and rear.

That cannot be turned a blind eye.

After all, the current league is not the brutal 90s. Encouraging and protecting offense must not be just empty words.

"OMG, God, Lin faced the tall and long-armed Gerald Wallace and completed a classic three-pointer after holding the ball and getting rid of it. Looking at the entire league, I'm afraid there is no second brother who can do it. The star has arrived!”

"I think Charles's evaluation is not exaggerated. Lin's three-pointers without the ball are the first in history, and his three-pointers with the ball are also the first in history!"

"Haha, Kevin McHale called a timeout again. If he keeps calling it like this, I'm afraid the Timberwolves will soon run out of timeouts!"

"Now the difficult question has come to the Timberwolves coaching staff. Should they upgrade their defense against Lin and let go of role players to a greater extent?"

"It turns out that it is completely impossible to limit Lin's scoring in one game!"

Gerald Wallace came off the court with a purple face and was extremely embarrassed. He felt that he had been tricked by Lin Fei on the defensive end just now.

Randolph and Artest did not deal with each other from the beginning. When the two villains came off the court, they did not forget to taunt each other from a distance.

The Timberwolves fans at home once again experienced the fear of being dominated by Lin Fei's three-pointers. In December of last year's regular season, Lin Fei scored a terrifying 12 points in this arena, creating the Target Center Arena. personal single-game scoring high.

"In order to defend Lin, the Timberwolves' defense has been very targeted. I didn't expect that he could still score two three-pointers in a row. He is really not human!"

"With such a long distance, it is absolutely impossible for Lin to maintain a high shooting percentage. Guarding the penalty area and the basket is still the key. We must not let Lin blossom inside and outside!"

"Three years ago in the finals, Lin Ke was still a pure off-ball player who couldn't even dribble. Now his dribbling level feels as good as that of peak Iverson!"

"I feel that there is no need for the Timberwolves' defense to target Lin too much. This guy is not just a fourth-year star. He won three championships with the team and was a regular season scratch. What's there to brag about? Just guard him alone for the whole game. If we let him shoot, can he kill the Timberwolves by himself?"

"Hey guys upstairs, I seriously doubt you're a Knicks fan!"

On the court, after returning from a timeout, Lin Fei stepped to the free throw line and made a steady hit with the extra penalty.

"Shh!"

Knicks (30): (36) Timberwolves.

Less than 1 minute after Lin Fei came on the court, he helped the Knicks quickly respond with a 7:2 victory over the Timberwolves. Two difficult three-pointers were the highlight of the game.

But as Lin Fei's former big brother, Garnett was determined not to let his younger brother steal the limelight. When he came to the offensive end, he went directly to the low post, received Arroyo's lob, and used his flexible steps to shake off Eddie... Curry, after turning over, picked up the basket and scored two more points.

"Shh!"

Looking back, this time Lin Fei held the ball for half the game and continued to train Gerald Wallace ten meters away from the basket. The huge defensive pressure made Elvis inevitably frightened.

Because he was too close, Lin Fei also seized this fleeting opportunity. After lowering the center and accelerating past Gerald Wallace, he took advantage of Ray Allen and Artest on the three-point line. Ste has not yet pounced,

He dribbled decisively to the left, took a big step laterally, faced the basket 9 meters away, jumped up and shot another shot.

Gerald Wallace, who had already committed two fouls, obviously did not dare to throw the ball too far. He could only watch the basketball fly towards the basket, praying wildly in his heart that it would not go in.

But reality will never be changed by the will of an ordinary person.

"Shh!"

The crisp sound of brushing the net sounded again, and Kyle McHale, who was standing on the sidelines, was also stunned.

He didn't know if he should call a timeout again, but what could he do if he called a timeout?

"My God! This is Lin's third consecutive three-pointer in less than 100 seconds!"

"After scoring 10 points in a row in the second quarter, Lin's personal score tonight has reached 15 without realizing it. You must know that this is the finals!"

"The sharpshooter who turned the tide in the final quarter of Game 04 of the Western Conference Finals in 5 to save the Timberwolves. Three years later, is he coming back to collect debt tonight?"

Lin Fei, who landed the shot, still maintained his shooting posture. From the noise and exclamations at the scene, he could clearly distinguish a burst of praise from deep in his heart:

"He's back again!" (End of chapter)