"Ding, congratulations on achieving your first triple-double in the playoffs."
"Ding, rewarding Host with [All-Star (Ben Simmons 19-20 Season) sparring partner card] x1; [All-Star (Joel Embiid 19-20 Season) sparring partner card] x1; 500 Goat Points."
The system's mechanical and cold electronic voice rang out in Link's mind once again.
Uh...
Ben 10!
The Process!
They'll do, I guess.
In a Hundred-Point Battle against Simmons, Link was quite confident in winning the match.
He just needed to stay under the basket and wait for him to brick shots. As for Simmons' strong drives with the ball, Link's physique and strength were not inferior to his. Moreover, Simmons' finishing ability on strong attacks wasn't excellent; as long as he chose the right defensive positioning, he could lock Simmons down effectively.
As for the 19-20 season Embiid, at this stage, he hadn't learned to flop yet and was still willing to play inside the paint. To be honest, he was even more troublesome than in his MVP season.
At the same time...
Link also unlocked Kawhi Leonard's Signature Badge—[Lockdown Defender].
[Lockdown Defender] Function Introduction:
1. Can significantly enhance Steal instincts.
2. After completing a Steal, it can cause players with weak mental fortitude to become shaken and have their mentality collapse.
...
...
After the game ended, players from both sides shook hands and hugged.
Although Allen Iverson played like a Desperate Warrior during the game, after the match, he was dressed in hip-hop attire, wearing headphones. After a simple hug and greeting with Link, he left coolly.
Arriving at the locker room door, Link suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Why was it so quiet behind the door?
When things are unusual, there must be a catch!
Suddenly, Link said to Gerald Wallace beside him, "Buddy, I think I left something on the bench. I'll head back for a moment."
Gerald Wallace, who had just won the game, was very excited and didn't think much of it. He pushed the door open and entered, and uh... what greeted him was naturally several buckets of ice water.
"Wow..."
"OMG!"
Gerald Wallace screamed from the cold, while the Washington Wizards players hiding behind the door were first stunned, then burst into laughter. Only then did Link walk in unhurriedly.
"Oh, no, Gerald, you're really unlucky." Link looked at Gerald Wallace, who was drenched like a Drowned Rat, and spoke with feigned concern.
"Link, you didn't even warn me!!!" Gerald Wallace didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
...
...
In the G1 of the first round, the Washington Wizards won a landslide victory, and the Philadelphia 76ers were suppressed throughout. This led many to believe the Washington Wizards would sweep the Philadelphia 76ers.
Link recorded a triple-double in his first playoff game, and for a time, his momentum was unrivaled.
[Wow... Link, he achieved a triple-double once again, proving his superstar quality with practical actions, and even more so proving that he is not just a regular-season star. Without a doubt, he is the future of the league!]
[The last rookie guard to be this impressive in the playoffs was Ervin Johnson in 1980. Their all-around performances are breathtaking. Unlike Magic Johnson, Link has a precise jumpshot.]
[The Washington Wizards will become the biggest dark horse; let's wait and see their next performance.]
Link's terrifying media exposure almost overshadowed the league's new MVP—Tim Duncan.
That's right, just today, the NBA officially announced that Tim Duncan is the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2001-2002 regular season.
Incidentally, as a rookie, Link ranked eighth on the MVP list. The seven people ahead of him were: Tim Duncan (MVP), Jason Kidd, Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, and Chris Webber.
Of course, the real contenders for the MVP were only the top two on the list. Even the third-place finisher was just a runner-up. As for Link in eighth, his first-place vote rate was zero, and his overall vote percentage was only 0.95%. The MVP, Tim Duncan, had a first-place vote rate as high as 45.24%, while Jason Kidd in second had 35.71%, and by the time it reached Tracy McGrady in fourth, the first-place vote rate was only 5.56%.
...
...
April 24, 2002.
G2 of the first round, still at Washington's home court.
The Philadelphia 76ers started double-teaming Link on the pick-and-roll from the first quarter.
Trapping every screen, uh... just like the Washington Wizards were double-teaming Allen Iverson.
Haywood's Speed was not fast. After Link was double-teamed, he couldn't roll to the basket in time, which meant he couldn't form an effective threat to the Philadelphia 76ers' rim. Haywood received Link's pass about 10 feet from the basket. If it were a more mobile interior player, they could definitely get closer to the rim or even step into the Restricted Area. If it were a big man with shooting range, they could Pop out to receive the ball, giving Link plenty of space to Cut inside.
Haywood receiving the ball at this position was awkward. Derrick Coleman could comfortably rotate over to help, while Mutombo would rotate to cover Laettner. In this process, Laettner was open, but Haywood's Passing Vision and Passing ability made it difficult to deliver the ball in time.
As for Link after giving up the ball, he could also use his Speed to cut down, but the problem remained that Haywood couldn't accurately pass the ball into Link's hands. The Washington Wizards had constant turnovers and bricks, and the Philadelphia 76ers took the opportunity to score through fast breaks.
On the other hand, the Philadelphia 76ers' perimeter players weren't as cold as last night. By the end of the first half, the Philadelphia 76ers actually led by 5 points, 45 to 40. The courageous Allen Iverson scored 22 points in the first half.
The game entered the second half, and the Philadelphia 76ers, having tasted success, continued to double-team Link when he wanted to play the pick-and-roll. But at this time, the Washington Wizards changed their lineup: Laettner shifted up to the Center position, Zach Randolph took over at Power Forward, and the small forward to point guard positions were: Link, Michael Jordan, and the Masked Man.
The spacing of this lineup was relatively very good, but the real strength was that it could fully unleash Link's Off-ball Offense. Defending Link was Eric Snow. At 191cm, he had no problem defending Link's drives, but once Link moved to the low post and received the ball, it was a "Big on Small" mismatch.
The Philadelphia 76ers did not choose to double-team Link. Larry Brown believed that Link's efficiency in the paint wouldn't be too high; after all, he was a guard. However, what Larry Brown didn't know was that Link's Drop Step Master badge had leveled up after the Hundred-Point Battle with the new version of Joel Embiid last night. Link's post-ups were very composed, scoring points as easily as cutting vegetables.
On the defensive end, besides stripping Eric Snow of the ball 3 times in 1v1 situations, Link even disrupted Allen Iverson's ball-handling offense twice in 1v1s. Although he didn't get the Steals, it seriously affected the 76ers' offensive rhythm and further exhausted Allen Iverson.