Chapter 43 Breaking the record, Western Conference champion!
"Zen Master" looked dignified and said nothing. It didn't matter whether Lin Fei scored points during the garbage time. After all, he was a serious rookie who failed the draft.
Leading 3:1, they were eliminated by the Timberwolves in three consecutive games. The F4 Lakers team under his leadership would inevitably be nailed to the shame column of the Western Conference Finals.
Originally, the "Zen Master" planned to use a dirty trick in the second half to let rookie Luke Walton step on to injure Lin Fei.
But the Timberwolves completely relied on the main lineup to defeat the Lakers in the second half, and Lin Fei was just icing on the cake in the final quarter.
The "Zen Master" had no choice but to give up on this last resort.
The game is irreversible, and "Zen Master" has also set his sights on the offseason. This Lakers team must undergo reconstruction and major changes, and Kobe and O'Neal must leave.
The Lakers bench was silent. It was really embarrassing to be overturned 1:3, but this is the NBA and sports competition.
No one wins all the time, and no one loses all the time.
Kobe's eyes were sharp and he clenched his fists tightly. He would not forget the shame of this Western Conference finals. He must lead the team to come back next season and avenge the Timberwolves.
On the other hand, O'Neal is in a more relaxed state. This should be his last game with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Sharks are already looking forward to his new club next season.
On the Timberwolves' bench, the atmosphere was much more cheerful. The wolf king and "Madman" had a playful smile, and Szczerbiak and Kassel chatted happily.
Head coach Flip Saunders also had a relaxed exchange with several assistant coaches, and his eyes seemed to have been set on the Finals and the Detroit Pistons.
In the luxury box on the roof of the stadium, owner Glen Taylor and general manager Kevin McHale were all smiling. Winning the Western Conference championship was a journey of many twists and turns. It was not easy.
Seeing that Lin Fei had already hit 9 three-pointers in this game but was still on the court at the last moment, McHale shook his head and sighed.
This old guy, Philip Sanders, has absolute true love for this Chinese rookie!
After tonight's tiebreaker, Lin Fei is even more dissatisfied with the three-year, $3 million contract offered by the Timberwolves. Maybe other teams will offer higher prices one after another.
On the court, the game quickly reached the last two minutes.
Lakers youngster Kareem Rush was obviously over the top and couldn't help but shoot a three-pointer with Lin Feibiao, but he hit the iron again.
"Bang!"
The rebound was taken by Timberwolves substitute center Johnson Sr., Hoiberg caught the ball and counterattacked, and Fisher gritted his teeth and chased Lin Fei.
Although the team's defeat has been determined, Lao Yu will never tolerate Lin Fei scoring another three-pointer, otherwise it will be the tenth.
The Timberwolves fans at home were full of passion, shouting Lin Fei's name, looking forward to the arrival of the tenth three-pointer.
Flip Saunders was also smiling. He left Lin Fei on the court and just pushed him along, hoping that he could break his personal single-game three-point record in the playoffs.
The eyes of Mike Breen in front of the commentary were full of enthusiasm. Although the suspense of the game was gone, the game with Lin Fei was still exciting:
"Lin has hit 9 three-pointers, tying Rex Chapman and Vince Carter, and sharing the record for the number of three-pointers made in a single game in the history of the NBA playoffs!"
"As long as he hits another three-pointer, he can break this record. Will a miracle happen tonight? Let's wait and see!"
Amidst the high-pitched commentary, Lin Fei ran into the penalty area without the ball. With the continuous cover of Johnson and Mark Madsen, he accelerated and ran back to the top of the arc. After leaving the three-point line, he continued to expand outwards and headed directly towards the center circle. LOGO rushed.
"Whoosh!"
Fisher followed a little slower, but the traditional subconscious still believed that this was beyond the attack range of a normal shooter.
Lin Fei suddenly waved his hand to Hoiberg and asked for the ball. He caught the ball at the edge of the LOGO area and turned over, facing Fisher who was rushing forward two meters away.
Take off quickly at a position 12 meters away from the basket, bend your bow and set an arrow, and shoot another one.
The basketball flew over Fisher's fingertips and roared toward the basket.
When Lin Fei was training off the court, his three-point shooting rate over 12 meters was only about 60%.
But tonight he felt hot and his shots became more accurate. Only then did he have the confidence to take the initiative to hit a long three-pointer at the last moment of the game.
After all, the team's victory has already been decided, and I believe the head coach will not blame anything for the last moment.
The moment the ball was released, Lin Fei knew it was there.
"Shh!"
The tenth.
The Target Center Arena was once again boiling, and Philip Sanders also called a timeout with satisfaction, replacing Lin Fei with Gary Trent, and applauding Lin Fei who came off the court:
"Lin, good job!"
Lin Fei and his teammates on the bench clapped hands one by one, and then waved to the fans in the auditorium.
Cheers and screams came one after another, and many Timberwolves fans stood up from their seats to applaud Lin Fei.
Lin Fei played 20 minutes tonight, making 11 of 10 three-pointers and 3 of 3 free throws. He scored 33 points efficiently, but his assists, rebounds, steals and blocks were all zero.
33 points is also the highest score of the players of the two teams in this game tonight, and the Wolf King's data is 30 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Compared with the all-around Wolf King, Lin Fei's performance can be said to be extremely partial, but his plus-minus value is still the highest on the team.
The 5 three-pointers in G7 of the Western Conference Finals, the 6 three-pointers in G8 of the Western Conference Finals, plus the 10 three-pointers in tonight's tiebreaker,
Lin Fei's fresh move really made it popular all over the world, and became the most unforgettable flashy explosion for fans in this round of classic western finals.
Although 10 of the 4 three-pointers tonight were made in garbage time, Lin Fei was originally a substitute, and it was his task to score.
Besides, after the whole game, Lin Fei only played 20 minutes in total, and he scored 10 three-pointers with super high efficiency.
Lin Fei is very grateful to coach Phillip Sanders for this.
This playoff record-breaking 10 three-pointers in a single game further consolidated Lin Fei's worth, making it easier to find a new club during the offseason.
Celestial dynasty.
In five live broadcast rooms.
Director Zhang and Yang Jian played Lin Fei for the whole game, but he was still full of energy, and the more he played, the more addicted he became.
"Lin Fei really played very well. After these three Western Conference Finals games, each one is better than the last and he scores more points than each one!"
"Tonight's 10 three-pointers in a single game directly broke the NBA playoff record for three-pointers made in a single game. The significance is so profound!"
"It seems that Lin Fei made the right choice by not signing a three-year, 3 million contract to stay with the Timberwolves. He will definitely become a dark horse in the free agent market this offseason!"
"Director Zhang, what do you think about the problem that Lin Fei can only shoot three-pointers, but his defensive performance is too poor?"
"Lin Fei's three-pointers are not generally accurate. After three games, he hit a total of 25 three-pointers. He only missed two goals in the full game, one of which was a buzzer-beating shot from 20 meters away!"
"This true shooting percentage can be said to have exceeded 130%, which is too terrifying. Looking at the entire history of the NBA, it is unprecedented. It must be difficult for future comers!"
"So even if the role of the defensive end is 0, Philip Sanders still dares to deploy Lin Fei at the critical moment, because Lin Fei's offense has completely covered up his defense!"
"Although these three-pointers cannot always be so accurate, Lin Fei's results in these three games are somewhat due to luck."
"But fans who understand the ball can see that Lin Fei's series of movements in the frontcourt running, counterattacking quickly, using screens to get rid of, catching and shooting, and jumping and shooting,"
"They have all reached the textbook level of the NBA!"
"Lin Fei's catching and shooting posture is very standard, and if you carefully watch the replays of his three games, you can find that his shots can be freely switched between bump shots and jump shots according to the defensive situation, ensuring the smoothness and hit rate of shots to the greatest extent!"
"Being able to master the three-point shooting technique so skillfully is absolutely inseparable from Lin Fei's unremitting hard training for many years!"
“And there’s some shooting talent in there too!”
Director Zhang analyzed it from a professional perspective. When it came to the emotional part, he couldn't help but sigh:
"With Yao Yao on the inside and Lin Fei on the outside, our Chinese men's basketball team is finally on the verge of a full rise!"
This tie-breaker was unprecedentedly popular among Chinese fans. In the NBA text live broadcast rooms of New Wolves and Souhu, fans' message posts were also overwhelming:
"A victory of nearly 30 points. The entire Timberwolves team played really well tonight. If we play in this state in the Finals, the Detroit Pistons will definitely not survive 6 games!"
"Philo made 10 three-pointers and blasted a game-high 33 points. It's too fucking strong. Hamilton has already started to panic!"
"Seven in the fifth game, eight in the sixth, and 7 in the seventh. Oh my god, who else dares to say that Fei's three-pointers were due to luck? I will never beat him to death!"
"Some people actually say that Lin Fei scored points in the last quarter. It's funny. Is there a problem for a rookie who was undrafted to play in garbage time?"
"Brothers, I watched the game late. This Timberwolves No. 22 should be the Flying Man you often call him, right?"
"It's great. It's great to see Kobe lose. Yes! This season has failed. The Lakers will fall apart, right? One of O'Neal and Kobe must go!"
"I sincerely hope that Lin Fei can go to the Rockets next season. I heard that the Rockets are pursuing McGrady. If successful, then Yao and Mai will join forces in the new season, plus Lin Fei, the Rockets are expected to win the championship!"
Looking back at the Target Center Arena, as Joey Crawford blew the final whistle, a harsh buzzer sounded in front of the technical stage, and the steel backboard lit up in red.
At the end of the game, the Timberwolves defeated the Lakers at home. The total score of the Western Conference Finals series was 4:3, completing a major reversal. The team entered the finals for the first time in team history and joined forces with the Detroit Pistons.
Flowers and ribbons fluttered from the roof of the stadium. Timberwolves players smiled and hugged each other, and some excited fans also shed tears.
"Oh my God, it's unbelievable. It's like a dream. We actually eliminated the Lakers!"
"Thank you Lin, he is the God of this round of the Western Conference Finals!"