Chapter 278: On the record night of the Finals, the Timberwolves began to panic!
Knicks (81): (92) Timberwolves.
The score difference was chased to 11 points. McHale took advantage of this long pause to re-emphasize the defensive focus for the players:
"Then the main players will come on the field, and we will focus more on limiting Lin's scoring. Gerrard and Ron will interfere with his singles with the ball and running without the ball, engage in physical confrontation, and consume Lin's physical energy! "
"He has played for 38 minutes tonight, and his physical fitness is close to the limit. He will inevitably be overdrawn in the final stage. As long as we can suppress Lin's explosion again in the final quarter, it will be enough for us to maintain our advantage smoothly until the end of the game!"
"Now Lin has scored 47 points, and his single-game scoring record in the Finals is 51 points. We must do our best to prevent him from breaking the record at the Target Center Arena!"
McHale's words were unequivocal, and the main players of the Timberwolves also shared the same hatred and high morale.
Tonight, Lin Fei is the common enemy of their Timberwolves.
For the Knicks, Isaiah Thomas found it difficult. He wanted to let Lin Fei rest for a minute or two, but he was worried that the game would be quickly wiped out, so he could only grit his teeth and let Lin Fei continue.
It wasn't until the finals that Isaiah Thomas realized how much his coach relied on Lin Fei tactically.
Many Timberwolves fans at home are actually looking forward to Lin Fei scoring high points tonight, preferably breaking his personal Finals single-game record of 51 points.
After all, many of these fans have watched all the way from the 04 Finals, and they are all fans of Lin Fei. Of course, the premise is that the Timberwolves must defend the victory.
The team won the game, and at the same time, they were able to witness Lin Fei's superb performance on the spot. It was absolutely the best of both worlds.
After returning from the timeout, the Timberwolves' offensive suddenly became fierce. Szebiak caught the ball after picking and rolling with Garnett on the outside, and hit a three-pointer.
"Shh!"
So far tonight, Szebiak, as the sixth man on the bench, has also scored 16 points. The Timberwolves have already had five players score in double figures, and truly everyone is on the same team.
When the ball changed, Lin Fei held the ball from the outside and was directly double-teamed by Gerald Wallace and Ron Artest. He quickly distributed the ball to Marbury who was in charge.
Marbury dribbled through and passed to David Lee in the high post on the right. The latter adjusted his shot in the open space and missed the basketball frame.
"Bang!"
David Lee's performance on the defensive end tonight was nothing to say. He has also grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds, but his offensive touch has always been sluggish. In this regard, he is exactly the opposite of Randolph.
"Snapped!"
Although the offensive rebound was grabbed by Eddy Curry, the latter's leaping dunk was successfully blocked by Garnett. The basketball rebounded and hit the steel backboard.
"Bang!"
"boom!"
This time the defensive rebound was obtained by Szebiak, and the Timberwolves stabilized their rhythm and switched from defense to offense.
Trailing by 14 points, the Knicks still failed to score in a 3-on-2 inside the three-point line. As the time on the timer passed by, every Lin Fei and Knicks fan in front of the TV watched. Starting to become anxious.
"Made, you can't even score? Are the Knicks guys sleepwalking? Isn't Lin Fei's dependence too strong?"
"The Timberwolves' defense is at least two levels better than the Knicks. If Lin Fei hadn't scored difficult goals one after another tonight, the game would have been spent by now!"
"Hey, losing an away game is not unacceptable, but the Knicks can't just give up!"
"Did the Timberwolves directly double-team Lin Fei on the outside? They clearly don't want Lin Fei to get 50+!"
"Brother Fei wants to score 50+, even God can't stop him, but the hope of reversing the game has become increasingly slim. The Knicks' defense tonight is really rubbish!"
Looking back at the Target Center Arena, during the Knicks' subsequent attack, Lin Fei assisted Ariza, who was at a 45-degree angle on the right outside line, to take an open shot, and finally hit the three-pointer.
"Shh!"
Immediately afterwards, the defensive tackle intercepted Garnett's pass by actively switching defenses. During the counterattack, he attracted two people to pursue him. Marbury made a long pass for a fast break layup and scored two more points.
"Shh!"
With two consecutive assists from Lin Fei, the Knicks also played a 4:0 wave, but the point difference still stayed at double digits.
The Timberwolves' defense in the final quarter obviously increased their focus on Lin Fei's offensive end. Double double teams have become standard, which also gives Lin Fei more assist opportunities after reading the situation.
However, with the greatest responsibility on both ends of the offense and defense, Lin Fei's physical fitness began to be exhausted. After being double-teamed once, his ball was obviously slow, and he was directly intercepted by Artest.
Ray Allen, who rushed into the frontcourt with the assist, made a layup.
"Shh!"
This passing error was only Lin Fei's second mistake in tonight's game.
Isaiah Thomas could only call for another long timeout, using a delaying method to let Lin Fei try to get some rest time.
Knicks (87): (100) Timberwolves.
On the timer, there were only 6 minutes and 19 seconds left before the end of the final quarter.
"The Timberwolves have scored over 100 points. The offensive efficiency of the team tonight is indeed terrifying. Of course, this also directly reflects the Knicks' defense that is full of loopholes!"
"To this day, Lin is still the brightest star in the game, with 47 points, 11 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. Even in the face of the Timberwolves' tight defense, he still played at the top level in the finals!"
"You have to know that the 47 points in a single game in the finals can already be ranked among the top ten in the history of individual single-game scoring in the NBA Finals!"
"And so far, there are only 50 players who can score 5+ points in a single game in the NBA Finals!"
In the commentary of Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith, the top ten individual scores in a single game in the Finals were also displayed on the high-definition four-sided screen overhead:
First place: Elgin Baylor, 61 points.
Second place: Michael Jordan, 55 points.
Third place: Rick Barry, 55 points.
Fourth place: Jerry West, 53 points.
Fifth place: Lin Fei, 51 points.
Sixth place: Lin Fei, 50 points.
Seventh place: Allen Iverson, 48 points.
Eighth place: Lin Fei, 47 points (tonight)
Ninth place: Michael Jordan, 46 points.
Tenth place: Dwayne Wade, 46 points.
The many Timberwolves fans at the scene, as well as the more than 8 million fans around the world waiting in front of the TV, realized that,
It turns out that Lin Fei has quietly occupied 3 seats in the individual single-game scoring list of the NBA Finals, surpassing Jordan's twice.
We have to admit that after Lin Fei's emergence, the league quickly became a small ball storm. Whether it was the regular season, playoffs or finals, the scoring efficiency has been significantly improved.
But as a fourth-year rising star, Lin Fei was able to take three places on the single-game scoring list in the history of the finals, which fully proves that he has the top scoring ability in any era.
"Lin Fei is actually the only player in the history of the NBA Finals to score 50+ points twice? Even Jordan, who played in 6 rounds of the Finals, only scored 1 points once!"
"In last year's finals, Lin scored 50+ points twice in two games. He scored 43 points in a single game in the finals, ranking first in history. This was the key to him overpowering Wade and winning the finals MVP!"
"Why is there no Wilt Chamberlain in the top ten of this list? I remember this guy had more than 100 50+ games in the regular season. Didn't he have one in the playoffs? He doesn't seem to have played in the number of finals. Less!"
"Haha, it's funny to talk about Zhang Erwan. He had 118+ points 50 times in the regular season, and only 4 50+ times in the playoffs. In the finals, he didn't even get 40+ points in a single game, let alone 50+!"
"Damn it, no wonder others say Zhang Bolun is a swindler. This is obviously greater in the regular season than in the playoffs, and in the playoffs than in the finals!"
"Compared with Zhang Bolun, Lin Fei is really strong. He had two games with 70+ points in the regular season. In the playoffs, he just tied Jordan's record of 63 points. He also had two games with 50+ points in the finals. Tonight There is a high probability that it will be another 50+ game, which is typical when you encounter a strong opponent and become stronger!"
"To put it this way, I really feel that NBA officials should re-evaluate Zhang Erwan's historical status. I feel that he is not qualified to enter the top ten in history. At best, he is a top ten goalie!"
Looking back at the Target Center Arena, after the game restarted, the Knicks team actively increased their intensity on both ends of the offense and defense and launched the final reversal sprint.
When Lin Fei was constantly double-teamed, he continued to help and assist his teammates to score through his off-ball movement and ball-holding pick-and-rolls.
Marbury, Randolph and Eddie Curry also regained some of their touch at critical moments.
On the defensive end, the team's main players actively switched defenses to press, giving the Timberwolves greater defensive pressure.
In less than 3 minutes, with Lin Fei's gravity and successive assists, the Knicks hit a 9:5 spurt, bringing the point difference back to single digits.
Knicks (96): (105) Timberwolves.
After the timeout, the Timberwolves stabilized their rhythm and played a positional battle. Garnett once again showed his superstar style at the critical moment, and his hard-hit jumper after moving sideways to face the frame made a solid hit.
"Shh!"
With the hit, the Timberwolves once again expanded their lead to double digits. At the same time, Kevin Garnett's personal data tonight also reached a terrifying 31 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks.
The Target Center Arena was filled with cheers of "mvp". An excited Garnett beat his chest and roared. The infinite passion infected every Timberwolves fan inside and outside the venue.
At the critical moment, Lin Fei finally became a little impatient in chasing points. Coupled with the impact of physical fitness, he made a difficult and long three-pointer after using continuous screens to escape from the outside.
In the end, I still missed the mark.
"Bang!"
The rebound was protected by Garnett. This was already the 16th rebound the "Wolf King" had grabbed tonight. The recent four consecutive NBA rebounding kings deserved their reputation.
There were cheers at the scene. Compared to the Timberwolves' offensive score, the fans were more happy about Lin Fei's super long three-pointer.
After all, this is the real owner of the 35 seconds and 16 minutes miracle. If the difficult three-point combo mode is turned on at the last moment, the Timberwolves' advantage will be wiped out in an instant.
The super long three-pointer just now when he was tired may really show that Lin Fei is physically exhausted.
Back on the defensive end, Lin Fei took the risk to double-team Garnett, and a loophole appeared again.
Garnett accurately predicted Lin Fei's press, turned around accurately, and passed the ball to Ray Allen, who was running at a 30-degree angle on the right side.
Artest came up and made a solid screen for Ray Allen, but Randolph's defense was obviously too slow.
"Shh!"
The cold-blooded Ray Allen saw blood sealing his throat tonight, and he hit the key three-pointer again.
"omg, Ray Allen's three-pointers tonight were so accurate, the efficiency of 5-for-4 was ridiculously high!"
"Lin's physical fitness seems to be really problematic. Several decisions on the defensive end were too risky!"
"The Knicks fell behind by 14 points again. With only 2 minutes left in the final quarter, a comeback is probably only a theoretical possibility!"
"But the NBA has never lacked miracles. Will Lin Fei, who created a miracle of 35 seconds and 16 minutes in the Eastern Conference semifinals, appear again? Let's wait and see!"
In the passionate commentary on the spot, Lin Fei ran to the frontcourt without the ball, his eyes were cold, and he had never given up this word in advance in his dictionary.
"Whoosh!"
With the help of his teammates' continuous cover, Lin Fei continued to move in and out, dragging his tired body and raising his iron will.
Standing on the sidelines, Isaiah Thomas gritted his teeth and really couldn't bear to see Lin Fei working so hard.
"Bang!"
Although he caught Marbury's pass during a high-speed reverse run, his elegant fadeaway shot still missed.
But this time Eddy Curry was tough and slapped the rebound toward the free throw line against Garnett.
Marbury, who has sharp eyes and quick hands, threw away Arroyo and grabbed the key ball. He turned over and gave it to Lin Fei, who was running at a 20-degree angle to the left of the outside line.
This time, Lin Fei still didn't hesitate at all, ignoring Gerald Wallace who rushed forward, and without saying a word, he just wanted to shoot.
"Shh!"
Amidst the crisp sound of the net swiping, Lin Fei finally hit the key shot. It could be said that he could only accomplish three things.
"Beep!"
At the same time, Gerald Wallace's big hand in defense also clearly hit Lin Fei's wrist. The referee's whistle sounded, indicating that Gerald had fouled Lin Fei's shooting hand.
3+1.
The Target Center Arena instantly became quiet, and every fan felt panic.
Seeing that the time on the timer has reached the last 1 minute and 35 seconds, is it possible that Lin Fei who was 35 seconds and 16 minutes is coming back?
"Shh!"
Lin Fei was exhausted when he walked to the free throw line, his forehead was covered with large beads of sweat, but he still hit the extra penalty steadily.
Kevin McHale was extremely cautious and once again chose to call a long timeout.
"Mygod! With 51 points, Lin has tied his single-game scoring record set in last year's finals! At the same time, he has also sent out 13 assists and 4 steals tonight!"
"This also makes Lin the only superstar in the history of the NBA Finals to score 3+ points in a single game three times!"
"The point difference was chased by the Knicks to 1 points in the last 35 minute and 10 seconds. Will Lin Fei's miracle happen again tonight?"
The Timberwolves fans at the scene were frightened. They led by 1 points in the last 35 minute and 10 seconds. In front of the Knicks with Lin Fei, it didn't seem to be very safe.
And this familiar 35 seconds will always linger in the mind of every home fan, weaving into a nightmare web.
After the timeout, the Timberwolves launched an attack from the frontline.
Driven by Lin Fei's exhaustion of physical strength and scoring 51 points, several other Knicks' main players also cheered up and tried their best on the defensive end.
Timberwolves head coach McHale also removed Arroyo and replaced Szebiak with a small and four-large lineup, obviously trying to make a big fuss in the penalty area and offensive rebounds.
Gerald Wallace was responsible for serving the ball from the sideline, and Szczerbiak and Garnett made a cross-screen run on the outside.
"Whoosh!"
After Szebiak took the lead in receiving the serve, he quickly returned it to Gerald Wallace who rushed into the court. The latter dribbled and accelerated to get rid of Ariza who was pursuing him. He went directly to the basket and was about to score a goal. Flying dunk.
However, Zach Randolph, who was actively moving down the right side, made a great contribution this time. He jumped up to face his opponent and slapped the basketball with his big hand on the basketball that Wallace was about to dunk into the basket.
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, the Black Bear's block was so powerful that Gerald Wallace's pupils dilated rapidly and he was knocked to the ground while dribbling the ball.
"Boom!"
The basketball flew out of the hand, and Lin Fei, who had quick eyes and quick hands, quickly bent down and picked it up. He turned around and dribbled the ball smoothly to avoid Ray Allen's press. Facing Kevin Garnett with his arms wide open at the top of the arc,
While turning his body to the right to pass the ball, the ball unexpectedly hit the ground and flew past the legs of the "Wolf King".
"Whoosh!"
After a wonderful pass, Garnett turned over in a hurry and was obviously a little impatient. He rushed forward and suddenly tried to grab a handful of basketballs under Lin Fei's arms, but accidentally slapped the opponent's arm.
"Beep!"
The referee's whistle sounded and Garnett was given a defensive foul.
Lin Fei, who took two steps forward, casually threw the basketball in his hand towards the basket fifteen meters away.
"Bang!"
The basketball hit the side of the basket in the front court and popped out. Can a casual shot from outside half court be so accurate? The Timberwolves fans at the scene couldn't help being frightened into cold sweats again.
The Timberwolves had already committed a foul count in the final quarter, and Lin Fei went directly to the free throw line to execute two free throws.
"Shh!"
"Shh!"
"With 53 points, Lin broke his personal single-game scoring record in the Finals. At the same time, his 53 points also tied Jerry West's 1969-point miracle in G1 of the 53 Finals, and tied for fourth in history!"
"But there are still 1 minute and 26 seconds left on the timer, and Lin's scoring feast tonight is not over yet!"
Knicks (102): (110) Timberwolves.
Zach Randolph's key block just now also boosted the momentum of the Knicks team. Everyone believed that with Lin Fei here, the suspense of this game would still be there.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves had differences of opinion during a key offense. Garnett wanted to take advantage of Lin Fei's lack of physical fitness to quickly score a two-pointer.
Both Gerald Wallace and Artest believed that the "Wolf King" intended to waste time.
Under Lin Fei's decisive double-team pressure, the Wolf King made a mistake in supporting the pass after breaking through the penalty area. Gerrard did not catch the ball, and the basketball flew directly out of the baseline and out of bounds.
The referee gave the Knicks the ball, and on the timer, there was still 1 minute and 08 seconds left.
Isaiah Thomas also called the Knicks' last long timeout, and two team doctors quickly relaxed Lin Fei's leg muscles as he walked off the court.
With a tactical board and marker in hand, Isaiah Thomas quickly drew pick-and-roll tactics and told the players decisively:
"We don't have much time left. Next, David Lee replaces Trevor. Lin is responsible for shooting three-pointers from the outside. The rest of the players are all covering for me!"
The camera lens on the sidelines showed a close-up of Michael Jordan sitting in the first row, and then switched to the Warriors legend Rick Barry sitting in the second row not far away.
Both of them have created a miracle of 55 points in a single game in the NBA Finals, and Lin Fei, who has scored 53 points tonight, is extremely close to breaking this finals record!