Chapter 21: Today, I am going to teach Jordan how to do his job!

Just as he prepared for his free throw, nearly 20,000 fans in the arena erupted in a deafening frenzy!

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The thunderous chanting acted like the ultimate stimulant for Hardaway. After sinking the first free throw with ease, he waved his hands casually toward the air, signaling to the crowd. This nonchalant, stylish gesture drove the fans into a further frenzy, pushing the atmosphere to a new peak!

Standing under the basket to box out for the rebound, O'Neal clearly hadn't taken any courses on facial expression management. His lips curled downward in a distinct sneer.

It was pure disdain! The angle of his downturned lips, exceeding 30 degrees, betrayed a long-standing grudge. Accompanying this movement, his eyes rolled upward significantly, proving that beneath the contempt, O'Neal held a hint of impatience. Furthermore...

Just as Lin Tian was busy analyzing O'Neal's mindset, Jackson suddenly called out his name: "Lin! Get in there. You're playing the point! You're in with Michael, Scottie, Toni, and Dennis!"

Upon hearing his name, Lin Tian didn't hesitate for a second. He sprang from his seat and sprinted onto the court, subbing in for Longley, who had picked up his fourth foul.

Marcus of CBS exclaimed, "Oh, look! Jackson is the first to change his tactics! Instead of bringing in Bill Wennington to deal with O'Neal, he’s putting in Lin, the point guard, opting for a smaller lineup! But this leaves O'Neal completely undefended! What exactly is Jackson trying to do?"

"I imagine he's trying to push the pace. Perhaps he wants to wear O'Neal out with speed?" Smith speculated. "But regardless of Jackson's intent, this rookie Lin is stepping onto the court alongside the Bulls' four main stars. That’s quite a treatment for a newcomer!"

On the court.

"Rookie, don't drag us down!" Jordan didn't even glance at Lin Tian as he stepped up, his tone laced with impatience.

After all, the Bulls were in a tough spot, trailing by seven points!

O'Neal and Hardaway’s individual play was already hard enough to handle, and in the third quarter, the two had begun running pick-and-rolls! This tactic had stretched the Bulls' defense to its breaking point, leaving them on the back foot.

"Michael, if you grab the rebound in a moment, don't worry about anything else—just heave it up the court! No matter how wild you think the pass might be, I’ll be sure to catch it!"

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? You think I’d throw a wild pass? Do you take me for some idiot like Dennis who can't pass at all?" Jordan gave Lin Tian a disgruntled look before catching himself: "Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?"

Lin Tian didn't respond to Jordan's challenge, whispering instead: "Forget it, I’ll just go find Dennis and Toni; they are much better at rebounding!"

"Come back! You get back here! Are you telling me I can't rebound?" Just as Jordan was about to flare up at Lin Tian again, Hardaway sank his second free throw, extending the lead to eight!

Kukoc and Lin Tian had developed an extraordinary chemistry during practice. The moment Hardaway’s free throw dropped, Kukoc rushed to the baseline, grabbed the ball, and launched a quick inbound pass!

The ball streaked across half the court. As soon as Lin Tian caught it, he took off like a shot!

Nick Anderson, tasked with guarding him, never expected the rookie to be this insanely fast. Even though he turned to chase immediately, Lin Tian had already transformed into a bolt of lightning, leaving him in the dust!

"Dennis!" A helpless Anderson knew he couldn't catch up to Lin Tian and could only shout for help, begging his teammate for defensive assistance.

Fortunately, Dennis Scott was well-positioned near the three-point line. He shifted into a defensive stance, blocking Lin Tian’s drive and forcing him to slow down!

But that was all he managed. After a slight hesitation, Lin Tian accelerated again, slicing through Scott's defense and charging to the rim to complete a lightning-quick layup!

"So fast! This rookie is so fast! Is this why he averaged 11 points in the preseason?" Marcus was genuinely stunned by Lin Tian’s clean, lightning-fast breakthrough; his voice actually turned shrill!

"I think Damon Stoudamire might not be the fastest rookie in this draft class anymore!" Smith offered high praise for Lin Tian based solely on that one play!

It couldn't be helped—the drive had been simply too fast and too sudden!

"Toni! What a pass! I’ve always said your passing talent is the best in the entire league!" After scoring, Lin Tian turned back and intentionally spoke loudly enough for Jordan to hear, complimenting Kukoc.

Hearing this, Jordan’s lips began to twitch.

Dammit, first you say I can't rebound, now you're saying I can't pass?

When has Michael Jordan ever taken this kind of disrespect?

On the next possession, Jordan went on the offensive!

As Hardaway drove into the paint, Jordan suddenly abandoned his own man, flashing into the lane like lightning to join Pippen in a perfectly timed double-team! Jordan’s iron-grip hand reached out, ignoring everything else, and swiped at the ball Hardaway was dribbling!

"Smack!"

Following a crisp, resounding crack, Jordan swiped the ball away!

Without a moment's hesitation, Jordan spotted his target and, with the motion of a shot-put throw, whipped the ball down the court!

"Whoosh!"

Pippen and Hardaway both felt a gust of wind whistle past their ears as the ball transformed into an orange blur, streaking straight toward the Magic’s basket.

"It’s going to be a turnover! That pass from Jordan was inexplicable. Why didn't he... My god! Oh my god!" Marcus, who had been narrating, suddenly escalated into a high-pitched cry: "He didn't need to slow down! He didn't need to! This rookie, his speed is just incredible!"

Lin Tian, of course, would never let that ball go out of bounds, nor would he let a meaningless turnover stain Jordan’s stat line!

He caught the ball just as it reached the basket. Although his form was a bit clumsy and far from graceful, he secured the ball and put in a bank shot for two points!

"Nice pass, Michael! Your passing ability is definitely the best on our team!"

Hmm?

Jordan was just about to reach out for a celebratory high-five when he caught the nuance in Lin Tian's words.

Kukoc is top-tier in the league, and I'm just top-tier on the team?

This kid must be tired of living!

"Michael Jordan's emotions are fluctuating, experience points dropped by 20!"

He gained experience again!

Jordan’s thoughts didn't dwell on it for long; the Magic’s offense was already coming!