The Pistons also quickly found the rhythm of the offense. Hamilton ran without the ball and received a screen from Rasheed to get rid of Hassell. He received a pass from Billups and hit a high jumper.
"Uh-huh!"
Immediately after the "Madman" breakthrough failed to beat the whistle, Ben grabbed the rebound and the Pistons counterattacked with a fast break.
The Timberwolves' defense was very timely. Billups maintained a steady rhythm and played a positional battle, and the ball was once again given to the running Hamilton.
But this time Hassell pursued the defense in a timely manner and did not give Hamilton the opportunity to take action immediately after receiving the ball.
Hamilton tried to beat Hassell in isolation with the ball behind his back, but found that he couldn't beat him at all.
Lin Fei, who was sitting on the bench on the sidelines, could see it clearly. Hassell's skills and experience in defending the ball-handler were really strong. He had steady steps and a solid base, and he could slide quickly without losing his position or swaying.
Hamilton could only pass the ball back to Billups, who stepped up from the outside and attempted a three-pointer.
"Uh-huh!"
It really does exist.
The two sides started with a tie at 5:5.
Come back.
The "Madman" and the Wolf King broke through with the ball after a pick-and-roll. This time, facing Rasheed Wallace who was switching defenses, Sprewell made a realistic bow after an emergency stop, accelerated and changed direction, then broke through, and slid down the baseline for a layup. .
"Uh-huh!"
Rasheed Wallace was shaken around by the series of moves by "Madman" and almost twisted his ankle. He waved his fist in annoyance.
The Pistons attacked, and Hamilton continued to run without the ball this time, leaving Hassell behind to catch the ball and shoot again.
This ball was a bit difficult, and the basketball bounced off the frame.
"Clang!"
The Wolf King protected the defensive rebound, and the Timberwolves counterattacked and started a positional battle.
After several days of learning and applying it, Hassell has gained more experience in defending Hamilton's off-ball movements, and the effect has naturally improved a lot.
For an off-ball expert at Hamilton's level, it's easy to score 20 points in a game against a strong perimeter defender who normally doesn't let his guard down, but it's very difficult to score 30 points.
In Flip Saunders' opinion, Hassell has basically reached this defensive level now.
Throughout the four games of the finals, apart from stretching his hips in the first game, Hamilton performed efficiently in three consecutive games from the second game when he faced Lin Fei with the ball, averaging 30+ points per game.
30+ points in three consecutive finals. Not even Kobe Bryant has this ability. Even from a probability perspective, Hamilton should be a winner tonight, right?
Phillip Saunders replaced Cassel and replaced Szebiak in the intersection, allowing the "Alien" to retain his energy and use Hao Gang on the edge.
This blade is naturally Lin Fei.
Throughout the first quarter, the Timberwolves shared the same hatred and performed better than the Pistons on both offense and defense, always maintaining a good lead.
Especially on the defensive end, with the active cooperation of his teammates, the Wolf King sent 2 blocks and 1 steal in the first quarter, fully demonstrating the top defensive level of DPOY level.
After a single battle,
Timberwolves (24): (17) Pistons.
Seeing that this main lineup with both offense and defense was playing well, Flip Saunders did not let Lin Fei play in the first quarter, but stayed in the crucial second half of the second quarter.
After the start of the second quarter,
The "Madman" used the Wolf King's pick-and-roll cover to continuously break through Rasheed Wallace. He hit a breakthrough layup and a mid-range jumper, and then caused a shooting defensive foul on Rasheed.
"Beep!"
Roaring angrily, Tianzun couldn't hold himself any longer and almost roared at the referee.
Larry Brown frowned and had no choice but to let small forward Coris Williams temporarily replace the Roaring God.
As for why Okur was not used in exchange, it was naturally because he was afraid that the Timberwolves would immediately send Lin Fei to punish the Pistons.
The eight three-pointers in Game 2 of the Finals are still lingering in the minds of Pistons fans.
Okur, who was sitting on the Pistons bench tonight, was already distraught. At first, he was dissatisfied with his lack of playing time in the finals.
But after G2 of the finals, Okur felt that it was better not to play than to play. Otherwise, he would be killed by Lin Fei's misplaced shots every game, which might have suppressed his offseason signing value.
"Uh-huh!"
"Uh-huh!"
The "Madman" who stepped to the free throw line made both free throws. The Timberwolves were united tonight and led by 10 points in less than 3 minutes of the second quarter.
Corliss's appearance significantly reduced the height of the Pistons' inside line. The Wolves quickly stepped up on the offensive end. With the defense switched, they assisted Olowokandi twice in a row and easily won the basket.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The parallel import No. 1 pick, who had scored 4 points in a row, was happy. He returned to the defensive end aggressively and turned over to give Billups a big block in the face as he broke through the penalty area.
"Snapped!"
The Timberwolves counterattacked the fast break, and all the players were in full condition. Szebiak's three-pointer from the bottom corner also hit a hollow ball.
"Uh-huh!"
Timberwolves (36): (21) Pistons.
In the blink of an eye, the lead has been extended to 15 points.
7 minutes and 12 seconds of the second quarter.
Larry Brown had no choice but to call another long timeout.
The home fans at the Palace of Auburn Hills began to wane, and the cheers dropped by dozens of decibels.
"Did all members of the Timberwolves tonight have their blood pumped? So fierce?"
"Hamilton is a bit tough tonight. How come he has only scored 6 points so far?"
"Let Lin play quickly, otherwise we will be a little overwhelmed!"
In front of the commentary desk, Charles Barkley frowned, a little confused about Larry Brown's substitution:
"Why would Brown be so anxious to replace Rasheed? It was just a foul?"
"Could it be that……"
Kenny Smith responded: "Judging from Rasheed's defensive performance tonight, there are indeed some problems with his condition. There is no doubt about Latrell's strength, but he won't be so cleanly surprised, right?"
On the Timberwolves bench, Lin Fei also observed that Rasheed Wallace's condition on the court tonight was abnormal. His right ankle seemed to be affected by some injury.
If it is true, then this is undoubtedly a very good signal for Lin Fei and the Timberwolves.
You must know that Lin Fei can be said to be "conquered as a god" in G2 of the finals, because he took a huge advantage from the absence of Rasheed Wallace.
At this time, Sam Cassell, who was sitting next to him, leaned into Lin Fei's ear and whispered mysteriously:
"Lin, Rashid's right ankle is sprained, and it's probably a grade two sprain, with a minor ligament tear!"
After listening to Cassel's words, Lin Fei was immediately surprised. For a moment, he felt that he had traveled to the world of Infernal Affairs. His nose twitched and he laughed softly:
"Sam, is there really a spy from our Timberwolves in the Pistons?"
Cassell smiled and said: "To be precise, Eric told me. He was my old teammate in the Rockets, and one of his friends worked in the Pistons!"
Lin Fei nodded in realization and said with a smile: "Then your teammate is a big help!"
Cassel's face turned serious: "Lin, this is great news for us. I'm already looking forward to your crazy performance tonight!"
"Haha, Sam, it seems that Latrell should have known about it for a long time, right? Otherwise, he wouldn't have focused on Rashid!"
"Of course. Just as Chauncey targeted me, we are going to target Rasheed Wallace tonight!"
Lin Fei frowned and nodded, thinking that injuries will always be a part of the NBA. If Cassel is not injured, the Timberwolves may even have a chance to sweep the Pistons.
On the court, back from timeout.
Larry Brown has replaced Rasheed Wallace again, and he is indeed a tough guy.
This time Hamilton's catch and shot after running without the ball finally hit, and it also caused a foul on Hassell's shooting hitter.
2+1.
"Uh-huh!"
Hamilton also took extra penalties to help the Pistons stop the bleeding.
On the offensive end, the "Madman" continued to pick and roll with the Wolf King, and then hit Rasheed Wallace in a misplaced position.
This time Rashid did not switch defense immediately, and Prince quickly caught up around the screen.
So the "Madman" gave the ball to the Wolf King. The Wolf King turned around and beat the Roaring God, and he also made a big jumper when he turned around.
"Uh-huh!"
The second quarter quickly reached the last 3 minutes and 9 seconds.
The Timberwolves withstood the Pistons' crazy counterattack and still led by 12 points.
At this time, Phillip Sanders finally called a timeout with a smile, looking at Lin Fei and Cassel on the bench.
"Lin, Sam, it's your turn!"
"Before halftime, try to expand the point difference to more than 20 points for me!"
After the timeout, Lin Fei and Cassel partnered in the backcourt, replacing "Madman" and Trenton Hassell.
The Pistons' home fans watched Lin Fei come on the court, and suddenly felt hope coming again.
"Is Lin playing? Suddenly, Hamilton rises!"
"With our top five Pistons here, Lin can't even think about hitting three-pointers on the offensive end!"
"Is Sanders still so superstitious about losing the draft and three-pointers? Well, there is hope for our reversal!"
It can be heard from the cheers of the home Pistons fans that these Pistons fans have disparaged Lin Fei's performance on the defensive end and also believe that his three-pointers are no longer magical.
Of course, from a certain perspective, these Pistons fans are also afraid of Lin Fei's three-pointers in their hearts and hate his 1.3-second buzzer beater in G2 of the finals.
Lin Fei walked onto the court with light steps and didn't care at all about the hustle and bustle of the home fans.
Since so many Pistons fans are looking forward to him playing, of course he has to perform well.
"Lin came on the field, and indeed he partnered with Sam. It seems that Phillip Saunders has found the best way to use this sniper rifle!"
"The Pistons' five tigers basically played the entire first half. Their physical strength has been severely exhausted, but Lin and Sam are playing with full blood!"
On the court, the Timberwolves' offense.
Szebiak sent the ball to Sam Cassel on the frontline, and then quickly positioned in the left corner to open up space.
Billups' defense was tight, leaving no room for Cassel to easily shoot or pass, leaving only room for him to break through.
Cassel dribbled sideways continuously to drive Billups' defense, while also carefully observing the situation in the frontcourt and the positions of his teammates.
"Whoosh!"
Lin Fei suddenly started running to the left from the outside line on the right. He first provided a screen for Cassel who was holding the ball on the outside line. When Cassel started to break through from the right,
Lin Fei quickly turned over and rushed again, borrowing another high-quality cover from the Wolf King in the high position on the left.
Insert straight into the left side at a 30-degree angle.
"Whoosh!"
At this moment, Cassel broke through the penalty area on the right side of the court and suddenly made a long horizontal pass. In the moment that Billups had no time to react,
It accurately flew into Lin Fei's hands.
At this time, Hamilton bypassed the cover of the Wolf King and quickly caught up. Lin Fei seized this fleeting opportunity at a 30-degree angle on the left, bent his bow and arrow, and struck out with lightning.
Hamilton's defense was still only 0.1 seconds behind. I couldn't help but sigh that Cassel's grasp of the timing of the pass was really unmatched by the Wolf King and the "Madman".
Maybe it was because the last game was hidden, or maybe Cassel’s pass was too risky, and Lin Fei’s speed of catching the ball was too fast.
Anyway, the basketball bounced on the rim and jumped out with a "clang" sound.
But the Wolf King who followed was quick-sighted and grabbed the offensive rebound one step ahead of Rasheed Wallace.
After landing, facing Big Ben's double-team, the Wolf King quickly turned the ball back to Cassel.
And Cassel also faked a real pass. With a flick of his left wrist, the ball once again seemed to have eyes and flew to near the 0-degree angle on the right side of the court.
"Whoosh!"
Lin Fei did not stop after missing the shot. He used the cover of Olowokandi and Ben from the baseline to hit the 0-degree angle on the right side.
After all, Hamilton had played the entire first half. At this time, he was already experiencing physical problems. It would be a bit difficult to catch up with Lin Fei, who was full of blood.
What's more, Lin Fei's ability to use cover has always been the best in the league.
People come and balls come.
Lin Fei, who rushed to the right at a 0-degree angle, almost turned over and the basketball flew directly into his hands.
The ball almost flew close to the side of Hamilton's face. Cassel can pass the ball well, but the difficulty is very high.
Seeing Hamilton rushing up quickly from two meters away, Lin Fei's brain was running rapidly and he had already calculated everything. He suddenly pulled up on the spot and shot a follow-up shot towards Hamilton.
This opportunity is better than the 30-degree opportunity on the left just now. Lin Fei's feeling of shooting the basketball is perfect and impeccable.
"Uh-huh!"
The long-lost crisp sound of the net finally sounded again. This was only Lin Fei's second three-pointer in the last three games at Auburn Palace Arena.
Hamilton shook his head and sighed, while his eyes became sharp.
Lin Fei's two catches and shots just now clearly indicate that Cassel, the passer, has become more adventurous and bold.
If it were placed before, the Wolf King and the "Madman" would rarely pass such a risky ball.
The Pistons fans at home felt like their faces had been swollen when they saw Lin Fei come up and score another three-pointer.
"Why...why did this guy come in again?"
"I only hit one in two shots, 50% three-point shooting rate, don't panic!"
"Wate? Don't you need to panic with a 50% three-point shooting rate?"
"Hamilton, let's play hard. On the offensive end, I will severely punish Lin, who is a defensive colander!"
On the court, when the Pistons attacked, the ball naturally went to Hamilton, who had his back, and Lin Fei was singled out in the high post on the right.
But this time, Lin Fei was full of energy, concentrated and nervous, and imitated Hassell's defensive method very well, which interfered with Hamilton's turnaround jump shot.
"Clang!"
Olowokandi took out the basketball with the first blow over Ben's head. After the Wolf King got the ball, he turned over and quickly passed it to Cassel. The Timberwolves made another fast break.
"Whoosh!"
Lin Fei immediately threw away Hamilton and flew down quickly. In the process of going straight to the right corner, he suddenly stopped and ran back, rushing towards the top three-point line of the arc.
Szebiak arrived as quickly as possible and gave Lin Fei a good quality cover.
Lin Fei rushed to the left at a 0-degree angle. Cassel's pass came very timely.
Lin Fei almost took one step forward on the 0-degree angle on the left side and caught the basketball. After landing, he immediately stopped and jumped up.
His body in the air was tilted outward due to the inertia of running. Taking advantage of the small space of less than one meter with Hamilton, he quickly raised his hand and shot the basketball.
This can already be said to be a difficult and elegant shot from a negative angle.
"Uh-huh!"
Lin Fei hit a three-pointer on a fast break.
the second.
In less than a minute, he scored two three-pointers, one on each side from a 0-degree angle, and the noise and noise of the Palace Arena of Auburn Hills was instantly suppressed.
Charles Barkley in front of the commentary desk was extremely excited, his eyes widened with an exaggerated expression, he slapped the table and shouted:
"He's back, the Lin we are familiar with is back!"
"Sam's precise passing, Lin's sharp and intelligent off-ball movement, and his superb shooting touch after receiving the ball have been perfectly combined!"
"There is no doubt that this is the art on the NBA court!"
As Lin Fei scored 6 points in a row, the Timberwolves' lead instantly reached 18 points, and the advantage became more and more obvious.
Flip Saunders was also very emotional. He never thought about hiding Lin Fei in the finals, and always tried to find the best way to use Lin Fei.
And this trust finally paid off in tonight's battle at Tianwang Mountain.
Larry Brown yelled on the sidelines to control the mistake and quickly return to defense, not to give the Timberwolves a chance to counterattack the fast break.
In his opinion, as long as the Timberwolves are forced to play positional battles, it will be difficult for Lin Fei to get a chance to catch the ball and shoot.
Billups pick-and-rolled with Hamilton in the frontcourt, and when Cassel didn't catch up, he seized the opportunity and made a decisive shot.
"Uh-huh!"
Looking back, the Timberwolves fought a positional battle.
Lin Fei continued to make sharp off-ball moves in the frontcourt, and the Wolf King and Szebiak set up an elevator door screen at the top of the key.
"Whoosh!"
When Lin Fei crossed the penalty area, he quickly ran back to the top of the arc and penetrated through the elevator door like a snake.
Hamilton didn't get around the elevator door in time, and Prince on the left quickly switched defenses.
Facing Prince's long arms, Lin Fei naturally did not stop. With the help of another cover raised by the Wolf King, he quickly rushed from the top of the arc to a 45-degree angle to the right.
This time Prince and Hamilton were thrown away, and Rasheed Wallace, who was defending the Wolf King, could only make up the defense.
"Whoosh!"
at the same time,
Cassel, who had already made a move to break through the basket, suddenly turned around and passed back. The ball flew out from Rashid's side and fell accurately into Lin Fei's hands.
It is obvious that Rasheed Wallace's right ankle sprain has affected the rhythm of defense changes.
After receiving the ball, Lin Fei was not absolutely confident, but he still had cold eyes and without hesitation, he jumped decisively in the face of the roaring Tianzun's defense.
"Uh-huh!"
The third.
Lin Fei, who scored three yuan in a row, finally vented all his pent-up emotions in G3 and G4 of the finals.
After landing gracefully, he turned over, waved his fist fiercely, and shouted to the Pistons fans in the audience:
"I'm so sorry, guys, the me you hate the most is back!"
(End of chapter)
