When the Suns attacked, Barkley backed Grant on the right wing to ask for the ball. B.J. Armstrong, who was guarding Dan Marley, immediately moved down and prepared for a double-team.
"Are the Bulls still using their old tactics tonight, double-teaming Barkley and defending K alone?" Bill Walton shouted.
Kevin Johnson moved to the right, and Dan Malley came over to do the pick-and-roll. Jordan was blocked, and he immediately changed direction downwards and headed from the right elbow to the paint.
This breakthrough immediately allowed Perdo to return to the basket.
Not only him, Grant on the right wing also immediately shrank towards the paint area.
"Bang!"
Before Kevin Johnson could reach Perdo, he pushed the ball to the left.
"Bang!"
On the left, Wang Tiejun, who followed Perdo into the paint area, suddenly rose up after receiving the ball and delivered a brutal dunk.
"Yo ho!"
The on-site commentator was responsible for creating the atmosphere, and his strange roar sounded again, rolling over the arena.
Another commentator had a clear division of labor and roared at the top of his lungs: "Here we go again, Old K is humiliating the bull with a brutal dunk."
Phil Jackson didn't look like much on the outside, but he was tense inside.
His defensive tactics today are to shrink the defense and try to prevent the Suns from playing high-quality low-post offense and basket offense.
Regarding outside offense, he believes that Jordan and Pippen's outside strength can make up for it.
This is what he did last time, and the effect was good. He got a win, and he thinks he can get a win this time as well.
But now he was beaten twice by Lao K in a row, which made him a little dissatisfied and called a timeout.
After the Bulls serve, they enter a timeout, and players from both sides exit the court.
"2:4, the Suns lead at home, and the Bulls have the ball."
When Sun Zhenping said this, he turned around and asked: "Coach Zhang, why did the Bulls call a timeout just after the game started?"
"There is a problem with the Bulls' defense. They cannot shrink the defense fast enough. I am very familiar with Phil Jackson's coaching style. He will call a timeout only if there is a problem with the tactics. If there is just a problem with the execution of the players, he will
We won’t call a timeout, we’ll just let the players make adjustments on the court.”
At this point, Zhang Lili said doubtfully: "But there should be a problem with the execution just now, and there is no problem with the tactics. He directly called a timeout, indicating..."
"What does it mean?" Sun Zhenping asked.
"A sudden change in habits can only mean that he is nervous."
When Zhang Lili said this, he nodded, as if confirming his own words, and analyzed: "For the Bulls, from the beginning of the G5 game to the current game, it is a battle of life and death. If you lose, it is over. This Bulls team
The team may collapse and rebuild.
So the pressure on Phil Jackson must be very high, and he didn't want to make any mistakes, so he changed his habits and called a timeout in advance."
"Scotty, you have to move early. Ceballos doesn't have much shooting rights at all, let alone three-pointers, and he can't even make mid-range shots. His main points come from breakthrough layups."
On the Bulls bench, Phil Jackson stared at Pippen and said solemnly.
"clear."
Pippen nodded calmly.
He now has a problem with Jackson. The last time he arranged for Jordan to attract the defense, he would rather let Grant play the last attack than arrange for him to play. As a result, the ball was blocked by the old K and the game was lost. He was very unhappy with this head coach.
.
"Grant, if Barkley is pulled close to the three-point line, you don't have to follow so close. As long as their ball goes to the basket, you immediately return to defend the basket, and Barkley leaves it to others to cover."
Phil Jackson said again.
"Okay, sir." Grant nodded quickly.
Phil Jackson said to BJ Armstrong again: "BJ, if Grant lets Barkley go, you have to go down and defend Barkley immediately, do you understand?"
"Understood." BJ Armstrong nodded.
"Michael, you cover Dan Marley. Kevin Johnson doesn't have a three-pointer and his shooting is average. We blocked the penalty area and he has no room to break through. It's okay to let him go." Phil Jackson said.
"OK." Jordan nodded.
On the Suns bench, Barkley was a little uneasy.
Tonight the Bulls still double-teamed him, preventing him from taking a single shot, and Old K scored two goals. If this continues, his FMVP will definitely be gone.
If FMVP is taken away by this little bastard like Old K, what face will he have in the Suns?
The timeout ends and the Bulls attack.
Jordan broke through with the ball on the right wing and made a jump shot. He missed the mid-range shot under Barkley's defense. Wang Tiejun grabbed the rebound and the Suns attacked.
Kevin Johnson began to break through under Jordan's high-pressure defense, which is what he is best at.
But at this moment, Pippen on the left dropped Ceballos and double-teamed him at the left elbow where he broke through. He hurriedly passed the ball to Ceballos who was in a small space.
Ceballos got the ball, and Pippen turned around and pounced. He got up and forced a mid-range shot.
"Bang!"
The ball bounced off the basket and was caught by Jordan.
"The Suns still lack outside shooting ability. Kevin Johnson and Ceballos' shooting abilities are not very good." Bill Walton laughed.
"squeak!"
Jordan personally held the ball and advanced to the right wing, making a sudden stop outside the three-point line.
Dan Malley didn't expect that Jordan, who rarely shoots three-pointers, stopped outside and rushed over. When he braked and turned around, he saw Jordan already jumping in mid-air.
"brush!"
The basketball drew a wonderful arc and splashed into a pool of white water.
"5:4, the Bulls took the lead. Jordan hit a three-pointer on his first try, which shows that he felt very hot today." Bill Walton laughed.
"2 of 3 shots, Michael took all the shots and scored in the opening game. His desire to attack was very strong tonight." John Hanks said.
The Suns attack, Wang Tiejun moves towards the basket.
Perdo pushed forward with all his strength, raised his elbows and knees, and kept making small movements, which finally had an effect, slowing down Wang Tiejun's speed of entering the basket. When the time was up, he could only retreat outside first.
Barkley got the ball with Grant behind his back on the right wing. B.J. Armstrong immediately came down to double-team him. At the same time, Jordan quickly defended Dan Marley on the right from the top of the key, while Pippen guarded Kevin Johnson at the top of the key.
Ceballos was shorted.
"Bang!"
But instead of passing the ball to the open space, Barkley forced himself to turn over and shoot a jumper in the double team, and failed to hit the ball.
Perdo protects the rebound and the Bulls attack.
"Perdo, like Old K, lacks the ability to make up for it. This is a loophole in the Bulls' defensive system. Other positions can be switched to defense in time, but Perdo cannot do it here. The Suns can actually play more.
Burrows' opening," said John Hanks.
"Ceballos's shooting ability is average. With a defender in front of him, his mid-range shooting percentage is very low and he rarely takes shots. But it's hard to say when he's open. He can indeed hit a dozen." Bill Walton nodded.
"Bang!"
This time, Pippen got the ball at the three-point line, faked a sudden shot, and shot a three-pointer over Ceballos, but failed to hit.
It wasn't that Ceballos prevented the shot. He didn't have the chance to jump to block the shot and only extended his hand. So the opportunity came up and it was a problem with his touch.
"Ceballos's defense is really bad. The only way to attack is to break through. It depends on whether he can use his open mid-range shot today." Zhang Liji shook his head.
Wang Tiejun protected the backcourt rebound and the Suns attacked.
"brush!"
Barkley took the ball on the right wing, suddenly turned over and shot a jumper before being double-teamed, and hit a goal.
Wang Tiejun just ran to the low position and quickly ran back.
"brush!"
The Bulls went on a fast break, and Jordan made a pull-up jumper and hit a nearly two-pointer over Barkley.
"Fuck!"
When Wang Tiejun saw Wang Tiejun running to the free throw line, he quickly ran to the front court again.
"Bang!"
Barkley once again forced a shot in the double team, but failed to hit the ball. Jordan rushed in and grabbed the rebound.
"Horse's!"
Before Wang Tiejun could get to the basket, he saw Barkley taking action. He was so angry that he wanted to rush over and kill this damn pig. You don't want the championship anymore?
"brush!"
The Bulls played a fast break, Pippen came down quickly, and after catching the ball, he shot another three-pointer and hit it this time.
At 10:6, the Suns were 4 points behind.
"Barkley had a strong desire to take action today. He took three shots in a row and made a shot." Bill Walton said in surprise.
"Yes, three shots, three double-teams, and the one I hit was because the double-team has not yet fully formed. What I want to say is that the Suns' strongest position and the Bulls' weakest position is not the fourth position, but the fifth position.
Bit." John Hanks said.
"Crack!"
Barkley once again forced a jumper from the double team, but Grant slapped him down.
"Bang!"
B.J. Armstrong grabbed the basketball and passed it to Jordan. The latter quickly stepped down and completed a looping dunk from the free throw line, igniting two thousand away fans.
12:6, the Bulls lead.
"It's time to call a timeout. Barkley's wild shots must be stopped. He made 1 of 4 shots, all from double teams. The Bulls have targeted him and can't let him do this anymore."
Bill Walton finally couldn't bear it any longer and directly complained: "I know what Barkley wants to do, but without a championship, there can be no FMVP. You are not Jerry West. That is the only exception."
John Hanks then sprayed: "Even if I give you mfvp, you will lose the championship you want most.
So wake up, Barkley, you are only suitable for positional warfare, don't let old K run around, he is a big center, not a long-distance runner."
"Kevin, slow down the tempo and wait until Old K is in position before playing." On the sidelines, Westphal was almost furious.
But he couldn't help it. Barkley was too famous and his qualifications for the position of head coach were too young.
Kevin Johnson, who was advancing in the backcourt, nodded. At this moment, Jordan suddenly stepped forward to press for him and almost stole the ball from him, but he was forced to join the ball in the backcourt and stop in place.
.
As a last resort, he passed the ball to Dan Mallier, who then passed it to Barkley in the frontcourt.
At this time, Wang Tiejun had already entered the basket, stuck Perdo to one side, and occupied the most advantageous position under the basket.
However, at this time Barkley hit Grant with his back, then turned over and made a jumper, making a hit.
12:8, Bulls attack.
Looking back, Jordan made a quick stop jumper during the fast break and hit a long two-pointer.
After succeeding, the Bulls immediately returned to defense with all their strength.
The offensive and defensive rhythm on the court increased. Kevin Johnson unconsciously accelerated his advancement. He started from the top of the arc and broke through to the left wing. However, he changed direction and went to the basket. He encountered Pippen's defense and then passed the ball to the basket.
Barkley on the right.
"Bang!"
Under Jordan's defensive block, Barkley's jump shot failed to hit.
Jordan grabbed the ball, hit the fast break again, and assisted BJ Armstrong for a layup.
16:8, Suns attack.
"Barkley made 2 of 6 shots. The Suns finally called a timeout. If they don't call, they will be killed by themselves." Bill Walton complained.
"After Old K played two goals in the opening game, he never participated in the offense once. No, he didn't even participate in the defense. He just ran back and forth between the frontcourt and the backcourt the whole time. What are the Suns doing? You
Why are you following the Bulls' rhythm? Otherwise, just replace Old K and play a small lineup." John Hanks said.
On the Suns bench, Westphal couldn't bear it anymore.
Although he is a rookie, he is also a player. He won a championship with the Celtics in the 1970s, and was a four-time All-Star starter. He was on the All-Star Team three times and once on the Second Team. He has many hard honors. He also has many honors.
The qualifications are solid.
"Charles, please calm down on the bench first." As soon as he made the move, he got real and pushed Barkley directly onto the bench.
"..."
Barkley was stunned, a little anxious, and wanted to say something. Wang Tiejun, who was next to him, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Brother, I'll accompany you."
"Nonono, old K, stop playing. This is not the time to play."
Barkley is really anxious now. If I don’t fight, you won’t fight either. Do you want the championship?
"I'm tired from running and can't touch the ball, so I don't want to play." Lao Wang said angrily.
Buckley's face turned red and he hesitated without saying a word.
Westphal stopped staring at Barkley and turned to Kevin Johnson: "Kevin, you are also a veteran. Don't let us down. You have to control the rhythm and don't follow them.
You have to wait for Old K. Do you want him to run to death? Or do you want to exclude him from the team's offensive and defensive lineup and prepare for four-on-five?"
"He may think so. As lightning, he is confident that he can break a bull into a sieve." Lao Wang said.
"Pfft!"
The other players burst into laughter.
"Old K, you're the only one who talks a lot, so shut up!"
Kevin Johnson also blushed and shouted to Wang Tiejun in embarrassment.
"From now on, we must prevent the Bulls from making quick passes during the transition between offense and defense, strengthen defense against the ball holder, and never allow him to easily complete the ball."
At this time, Westphal warned seriously.
The timeout ended, Tom Chambers was replaced at position 4, and the Suns attacked.
Kevin Johnson advanced with the ball in a very steady rhythm, with Dan Marley and Ceballos on the left and right wings supporting the ball.
Bill Walton stared at the screen and analyzed: "Jordan tried to force the ball. The Bulls used this high-pressure defense to force the Suns to speed up the offensive and defensive rhythm, resulting in more mistakes and allowing Old K to get out of the Suns' offensive tactics.
The effect is very good.”
On the court, under Jordan's pressure, Kevin Johnson calmly passed the ball to Dan Marley, then ran to the frontcourt, picked it up again, and began to wander outside the three-point line, but was suppressed by the rhythm of the Bulls.
.
At this time, Wang Tiejun entered the low post on the left wing and asked for the ball with Perdo behind his back. Kevin Johnson quickly passed the ball.
While the ball was still flying in the sky, the Bulls' defense immediately began to shrink, mainly Pippen and Grant, rushing towards the paint area.
"Crack!"
As soon as the ball came into his hands, Pippen jumped one step away, and Grant on the weak side also blocked the ball below, cutting off the path to the bottom.
"Three double teams, old K... passed the ball!" Bill Walton roared excitedly.
Before the three of them were fully close to each other, Wang Tiejun threw a single-handed right hand and passed the ball past Perdo.
Tom Chambers entered the paint from the low post on the right wing and made a layup after receiving the ball, making an easy goal.
"Look, this is Tiejun's role in the low post. His vision is unobstructed, and his passing ability can directly break double teams. If the Suns want to win the championship, they must pay attention to his role in the low post. Since the Bulls are double teaming Barkley
, then he can only be the first one to look for, so it is only reasonable to fight like this." Zhang Lili shouted happily.
16:10, Bulls attack.
It was Perdo who served. His speed was not faster than Wang Tiejun's, and he would be lagging behind during the fast break anyway, so he served.
According to the tactical requirements, Wang Tiejun ran towards the backcourt, and Tom Chambers blocked behind the baseline to prevent Perdo from serving quickly.
In this way, the Bulls' fast break failed.
"Bang!"
Jordan finally missed a shot, and Wang Tiejun protected the backcourt rebound.
Kevin Johnson advanced to the frontcourt, instead of going to the top of the arc, to the left wing, leaving Tom Chambers and Dan Marley on the right wing.
Because there are Kevin Johnson and Ceballos on the left wing, they have no three-point ability and average long-range shooting. They are good at breakthroughs, so the Bulls immediately shrink their defense in advance. Pippen is only two steps away from Wang Tiejun in the low post on the left wing, and he turns around and takes one step.
That way you can help with defense.
"Bang bang bang..."
Kevin Johnson took the ball and took a step back, away from the three-point line, and then suddenly combined the ball and passed the ball to the low left wing.
"Crack!"
When Wang Tiejun caught the ball with his right hand, Pippen was already in front and rushed forward with both hands to grab the ball from him.
Behind him, on the weak side, Grant also pounced, on the lower side, near the baseline.
But at this moment, he turned up with his right foot and took a diagonal step towards his waist, breaking away from the double team. The next moment after facing the basket, he took off and hit a front hook.
"Bang! Bang!"
The opportunity was completely present, but due to probability issues, the ball missed, it bounced twice on the basket and fell out again.
Chambers followed Grant into the paint and reached the basket, got the offensive rebound, and then took off a second time.
"Crack!"
Grant turned around and hit a big shot.
Wang Tiejun, Perdo, and Pippen rushed to the basket. The former stretched out his arms, firmly blocked the latter two behind him, and then grabbed the ball.
"Beep!"
When he took off to take action, Perdo directly hugged him behind him.
Bill Walton shook his head and sighed: "After Chambers suffered a serious knee injury this year, although he returned in the playoffs, his strength has declined too much. His speed of getting up and shooting is far less than before, otherwise he would not be able to withstand this hat."
John Hanks laughed: "If he doesn't get injured and Richard Dumars doesn't have problems, the Suns will be even better than the Bulls."
Bill Walton smiled weirdly and said: "If these two people really didn't have any problems, the Suns, now three to one, might have swept the Bulls."
"Sweep Jordan?" John Hanks couldn't help but be stunned.