What Can You Do in 90 Seconds?

In the TNT broadcast room.

"The Clippers unfortunately lost the second quarter 28-39," Barkley said.

"The second quarter was definitely a challenge for the Clippers. They couldn't find their rhythm on offense, and their shooting percentage dropped significantly. The Clippers missed a lot of shooting opportunities."

Kenny Smith added, "Yes, the Clippers seemed to suddenly lose their flair on offense, and their finishing ability decreased significantly compared to the first quarter. This limited their scoring ability. Moreover, they were at a disadvantage in rebounding, and the Mavericks grabbed many crucial second-chance opportunities."

Barkley continued, "Furthermore, the Clippers also have problems on the defensive end. Apart from Li Chen, none of their other players were able to effectively limit the opponent's scoring. Especially in interior defense, their reaction speed and physical strength are lacking. This gave the opponent many scoring opportunities."

Kenny Smith further explained, "That's right, the Clippers' interior defense has always been a weakness. If this problem isn't addressed in time, it will definitely be exploited. Even if they win this series, in the Eastern Conference Finals, both Popovich of the Spurs and Phil Jackson of the Lakers, two experienced championship coaches, will definitely make good use of this."

Barkley nodded, then summarized, "The Clippers need to make some changes in the next quarter. Li Chen can't just orchestrate the offense all the time; he needs to contribute to the Clippers' scoring as well, and even be mindful of help defense. At the same time, the Clippers need to strengthen their rebounding in the paint. Only then can they turn the tide of the game."

Kenny Smith agreed, saying, "Yes, the Clippers need to adjust their tactics and improve their overall teamwork. Otherwise, the Mavericks could very well take the lead, or even widen the gap, making it much harder for the Clippers to win the game."

Barkley nodded. "We'll have to see how Li Chen performs in the third quarter."

"To be honest, this is really putting Li Chen in a difficult position."

"No, no, no, Kenny, look, how could Chen not be motivated?"

Then Britney Spears appeared on the screen.

"Haha! I have to say, Chen really has a way with women. He's either a celebrity girlfriend or a celebrity fan," Kenny Smith teased, a rare occurrence for him.

At the start of the third quarter, Alvin Gentry also recognized the importance of second-chance opportunities, so he put Wang Zhizhi, Michael Olowokandi, Odom under the basket to compete for rebounds.

Meanwhile, Mavericks coach Nelson also instructed LaFrentz and Nowitzki to grab more rebounds.

In the third quarter, despite the Clippers' all-out offensive and defensive efforts...

But the Dallas Mavericks once again demonstrated their excellent offensive capabilities.

The Mavericks have a formidable trio of Finley, Nash, and Nowitzki.

They not only excelled in driving to the basket, but also demonstrated exceptional ability in three-point shooting.

In this quarter, the Mavericks showcased their status as the league's most offensively potent team, demonstrating overwhelming pressure on the offensive end.

The Clippers put in a tremendous effort on offense.

Li Chen attempted to close the gap between the two teams using breakthroughs and passes, but the results were unsatisfactory.

Left with no other option, Li Chen had to abandon guarding Van Exel and switch to guarding the very active Nash.

Then, Li Chen suppressed Nash's momentum, and Finley stepped up again.

Alvin Gentry then opted to double-team Finley, but the Mavericks then spread like wildfire, with one fire being extinguished only to be reignited by another.

This left the Clippers players and Alvin Gentry feeling helpless, their morale gradually waning, and eventually even showing signs of plummeting.

Li Chen keenly sensed this: Alvin Gentry.

Alvin Gentry paused, and then Li Chen and Alvin Gentry worked together to prevent the situation from escalating further.

Meanwhile, Alvin Gentry also employed a variety of tactics, but... they had little effect on the Mavericks, who remained resolute in their attacks, giving the Clippers no chance to breathe.

They constantly increased their offensive pace and disrupted the Clippers' offensive rhythm, forcing the Clippers into their familiar rhythm.

With 90 seconds left in the third quarter, the Clippers trailed the Dallas Mavericks 79-94 after Nowitzki hit Golden Rooster Independence jumper.

Looking at the dejected players, Li Chen felt heavy-hearted. The Clippers had used up their timeouts for the third quarter, and now they had to rely on themselves.

He knew the Clippers had to score and try to close the gap to single digits before the end of the third quarter.

Therefore, not only must you score on every offensive possession, but you must also try your best to prevent the Mavericks from scoring on the defensive end.

The teammates are too nervous; they're too eager to tie the score, which leads to a vicious cycle where the more anxious they are, the less they can make their shots. So now, it's crucial to help the teammates relax.

But how can we help them relax?

A moment later, Li Chen's lips twitched. He felt a little ashamed, but he was determined to win.

So, during the break between serves Li Chen's teammates gathered together to encourage him, "Everyone..."

Li Chen glanced at Elton Brand, Odom, Corey Maggette, Michael Olowokandi one by one, saying, "Believe in yourselves, we can win."

However, his teammates were in low spirits.

Then Li Chen gave Odom and the others a hard slap on the butt one by one, and said, "Good luck."

Then, "Fuck, Chen, you bastard, why are you pinching us?"

They glared at each other angrily, their faces filled with disgust and revulsion.

At the same time, seeing that the four people were no longer as tense as before, Li Chen also breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, with a disdainful look, he said, "If you guys hadn't been so nervous, do you really think I wanted to?"

The four people were speechless.

To be honest, after Li Chen did that, the heavy burden that had been weighing on their hearts disappeared, making them feel much lighter.

Just then, the referee jogged over and demanded, "Why haven't you served yet? If you don't serve soon, I'll call a violation."

"Sorry, we'll serve now," Li Chen said, and then...

At the same time, Nowitzki felt a sudden sense of unease and loudly warned his teammates, "Watch out, the Clippers might be on the verge of a comeback."

"Dirk, you're overthinking it. There are 90 seconds left in the third quarter. They'll only get two possessions, and they'll score a maximum of four points. There's no need to scare yourself like this."

Van Exel's words made Nowitzki frown. Van Exel's points were so valid that he couldn't refute them. He silently wondered, "Is that really true? Am I just being paranoid?"