Chapter 232 How did the sky hook become the bull's licking dog?
"105:104, congratulations to the Suns for winning their first victory in the Western Conference Finals." Bill Walton smiled.
"A narrow victory by one point, this game indicates that this series, no matter which side, will be a very difficult series." John Hanks said.
Bill Walton smiled and said: "AC Green's pass just now was very timely. He was very calm and sent a valuable assist at the critical moment."
John Hanks analyzed: "The Suns' ability to win this game today relied on the all-around performance of Old K and the superstar performance of Lightning Kevin Johnson, and other people were also very good. They made shots.
There were a lot of open balls, and the Mosaics paid a huge price for their double-team tactics."
"Finally won!"
In the CCTV commentary box, Su Qun sighed, and then smiled: "Old K made 12 of 20 shots today, a shooting percentage of 60%, and 9 of 15 free throws, a shooting percentage of 60%. He scored 33 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, and 5 steals.
With the data of blocks, 4 turnovers and 4 fouls, I almost had a triple-double!”
"It is already very comprehensive, and compared to Dameng's performance, it is good. It seems that at the critical moment, the Tiejun's defense is really explosive. If it were not for such a comprehensive performance, how could the Suns win this game?
"Zhang Lili said with a smile.
Su Qun praised: "The opponent was too strong. Barkley and Dameng jointly contributed 67 points. Barkley scored 42 points alone. Dameng was almost a quadruple-double.
However, such a strong inside combination still lost to the Suns, which shows that the Suns are really strong."
Zhang Lili said calmly: "From the perspective of the lineup, the Suns are stronger on the outside and weaker on the inside, but the inside is more dominant, so overall the mosaic lineup is stronger. This is the reason the media thinks.
The Suns were able to win the game today because their tactics were good, their offense was fully developed, their defense inside and outside was also good, and every detail was good, otherwise it would be difficult to win!
You see, they performed so well, that is, they won one point in the end, how strong is Mosaic?"
Su Qun asked: "As for the guidance, could you please analyze the following series?"
Zhang Liji smiled and said: "There are opportunities, and the Mosaic team is not without problems. For example, they focus too much on the inside. Once the two superstars are not in good condition, problems will definitely occur.
It's not like Dameng and Barkley didn't have that kind of situation. They both took a high percentage of jump shots. They felt good today, but the end of the game was uncertain.
Also, the Suns can strengthen some perimeter defense. Although the Suns' perimeter defense is not as good as the Bulls, they can still limit the Mosaics' perimeter defense. As long as they limit the opponent's perimeter and separate the opponent's interior and exterior lines,
This game will be easier to play.
However, Barkley and Dameng are both capable of passing and attacking. With the perimeter restricted, the team has only lost part of its organizational capabilities and cannot strangle their offense."
At this time, Lao Wang was interviewed by ABC telephone station at the scene.
"Old K, after winning the G1 game, what are your expectations for the next series?" the reporter asked.
"My attitude has not changed. The Mosaic team can't stop us. If we beat them, we will advance to the finals." Lao Wang gasped while wiping his sweat.
"Tonight your last free throw definitely killed your opponent. How do you feel about that?" the reporter asked again.
Lao Wang smiled, shook his head and said: "It's good if I win. I'm very happy. As for whether it's a decisive victory or not, I don't have much feeling about it."
"Your free throw shooting percentage is only 60%. How do you stay calm at the most tense moment?" the reporter asked.
Lao Wang said in surprise: "At the most critical moment, you will be highly focused and staying calm is a natural thing to do, because at that time you have forgotten to be nervous. Isn't this difficult?"
The reporter rolled his eyes and said, Okay, I get it, you are a very thick-headed person with a big heart.
He secretly said, let alone ordinary players, even superstars, how many of them can maintain such a calm attitude at the last moment of such a critical Western Conference Finals?
At the end of the interview, Lao Wang returned to the bench and sat for a while, waiting for his physical strength to recover slightly before returning to the locker room with his teammates.
Everyone was very excited after winning against the powerful Mosaic team. After talking and laughing for a while, Lao Wang entered the bathroom.
Liu Changfeng had already prepared a medicinal bath inside, and he soaked in it.
The warm medicinal soup nourished his very tired body, making him feel so comfortable, ten times more comfortable than the previous ice bath.
After 70 minutes, he and Kevin Johnson attended the post-game press conference. The atmosphere of the press conference was quite good and it went very smoothly.
For the home team, the atmosphere at the press conference was very dull. The stronger Mosaic team lost the game at home, and everyone was in a bad mood.
Dameng and Buckley sat on it with their heads down, their faces gloomy.
Dameng was in a particularly bad mood and didn't want to speak at all.
"Hakeem, where do you think we lost tonight?" a reporter from the Houston Chronicle asked.
Dameng hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "There are some organizational problems. Our organization lacks them a lot, and their offense is more reasonable and efficient."
This was on point. The reporter nodded and asked, "Has the team discussed how to solve this problem?"
Dameng shook his head and said: "The coaching staff will solve the problem. I have nothing to answer now."
"Charles, what do you think of the current Suns team?" The next reporter is a reporter from the Houston Sports News.
Barkley organized his language and then said: "Old K and Kevin did a very good job. Their two cores, inside and outside, jointly contributed 19 assists and revitalized the team's offense. This is something we failed to do tonight.
They are very competitive and energetic, and they always maintain their impact on the championship."
"So do you think we have a chance to win the Western Conference Finals?" the reporter asked.
"Of course, I always insist that we are stronger. As the series progresses, our advantages will accumulate more and more, and we will eventually burst out and win the entire series." Barkley said firmly.
"Hakeem, what weaknesses do you think the Suns have that you can exploit?" a New York Sports reporter asked.
Dameng immediately said: "I was very impressed by Lao K's defense tonight, but the explosion on both ends of the offense and defense will consume a lot of his physical energy. I believe his physical fitness will not be able to last the entire series. This is something we can take advantage of."
A little bit.”
"Coach Tomjanovich, could you please analyze the strengths and weaknesses of our team and the Suns?" The next reporter was the Houston Daily.
Tomjanovich raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, feeling that the air-conditioning here was not enough, and then said: "We, um, yes, the point guard is not as good as them, and the No. 1 position is their strong point.
How should I put it? They are the two cores inside and outside. They have balanced ball rights and can integrate the strength of the entire team. Once they play well, they can stimulate the energy of all players.
Our two cores are both inside and weak on the outside. During the regular season, and even in the first two series, we were able to allow the outside to control part of the ball, which allowed the inside and outside to be in a balanced state.
But tonight's game is too important, so we concentrated a lot of the ball inside, which put our inside and outside ball rights in an unbalanced state. The inside was attacking, and the outside participated very little, and the inside and outside were separated from each other.
It affected the overall offensive quality.
Well, this is my responsibility and I will take it."
He had a very good attitude and had the courage to take responsibility for the failure, so the media did not get too entangled and the press conference continued.
By the time the press conference ended, it was almost one o'clock in the morning.
After rushing back to the hotel, Liu Changfeng ate some prepared food, and then quickly gave Lao Wang a medicated oil massage. However, after a while, Lao Wang actually fell asleep during the massage.
Liu Changfeng still insisted on finishing the massage. During the massage, Lao Wang was pushed awake twice and fell asleep again, which showed how tired he was.
He didn't know how long it took, but he vaguely heard a loud crackling sound in the room. He opened his eyes and saw that it was already broad daylight, and his cousin Liu Changfeng was boxing in front of the window.
Liu Changfeng practices through-arm boxing, which makes a lot of noise, like exploding firecrackers.
"It's almost 9 o'clock, Tie Jun, get up and have breakfast, come back and catch up on your sleep." Seeing him wake up, Liu Changfeng stopped.
Feeling a little bloated, he quickly got out of bed and ran to the bathroom. After draining the water, he went out and moved his body. He felt pretty good. There was no soreness in his body. His physical recovery speed was pretty good. The fatigue from last night was gone.
This state is much better than last season. Last season, his physical recovery speed was not as fast as it is now. The medicinal bath and oil are one aspect, and this year's physical reserves are better, another aspect.
After getting dressed, Liu Changfeng and Liu Changfeng went to the corridor. Kevin Johnson and Dan Mulley happened to come out of the room opposite. They called a few teammates who had already gotten up, and everyone went to the hotel restaurant to have breakfast together.
After breakfast, Lao Wang ate for a while and then went back to his room to catch up on his sleep. At noon, he got up just in time to have lunch.
There is no training scheduled in the afternoon, and the players are free to move around, but they have to ask for leave when leaving the hotel.
Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, the largest city in Texas, and the largest economic center on the Gulf of Mexico. The city has a population of nearly 2 million, and the metropolitan area has a population of nearly 6 million. It is world-famous for its oil, energy, aviation, and canals, and its medical care is also very developed.
.
However, there was only a population of more than 50,000 here 90 years ago. It developed so fast that there was no plan for the city's development. Therefore, Houston is also the most unplanned big city in the United States.
However, the housing prices here are one of the cheapest big cities in the United States, making it suitable for living.
The city's official name is Space City because the Johnson Space Center is located here.
Lao Wang asked for leave, drove the car prepared by the hotel, and walked around the city with Liu Changfeng. The first stop was the aviation center.
Leaving Houston and driving more than 30 kilometers southeast, we arrived at the shores of Clear Lake, where the Aviation Center is located.
Many areas of the aviation center are open to the public. The two took a tour bus here and visited the space shuttle, space capsule, space station and other laboratories.
Here, they also saw a schematic diagram of country Z setting off rockets eight hundred years ago. This showed that modern rocket theory originated from that ancient country.
After returning to Houston, the two went to Chinatown again and bought some daily necessities. Liu Changfeng also bought a box of Laobaigan.
This evening, the G1 game of the Eastern Conference Finals begins.
This is a game that gets more attention than the Western Conference Finals because Jordan is there.
The Bulls lived up to their expectations in the first two series, completing two consecutive sweeps. In this Eastern Conference Finals, the media are generally optimistic about the Bulls and believe that the Knicks will be eliminated by the Bulls again.
And the facts proved that these media were indeed right, the Bulls successfully defeated the Knicks at home.
Retired league superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was watching the game at the scene, said in an interview with the media after the game: "After the Bulls strengthened the fifth position, their strength has already ranked first in the league. Their inside line is no longer weak, and their outside line is no longer weak.
Can beat any team in the league on both offense and defense.
In fact, the current style of play of the Bulls' two big men is a brand-new style of inside tactics. They are all spread out. This is a style that has not been seen before. I am very surprised.
But the effect is very good. After the defender is pulled out, it becomes very easy for Jordan and Pippen to break through the paint area. More of their outside attacks are carried out in the paint area, and the efficiency is obviously improved. And these are two people who can pull out the paint area.
The value created and possessed by the open inside line, they completely released the breakthrough energy of Jordan and Pippen."
"Kareem, can you predict what the outcome would be if the Bulls and Mosaics or the Suns met in the finals?" the reporter asked.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar thought for a while and then said: "If we meet Mosaic, the Bulls will have a greater advantage on the outside. If we meet the Suns, the advantage on the outside will be slightly smaller, but we still have a big advantage.
As for the inside, the Bulls' brand-new style of playing with all the inside can greatly weaken the opponent's inside defense. Therefore, on the offensive end, the Bulls will be very strong. Neither the Mosaic nor the Suns can stop Jordan and LeBron James.
Peng's breakthrough.
On the defensive end, the Bulls are still at a disadvantage in the interior. This is undeniable. Whether it is Dameng, Barkley, or Old K, they are all capable of defeating the Bulls' interior. Interior defense may be the Bulls' only weakness. But
No matter what, this is a five-star Bulls team that will win in this league."
"Kareem, do you think this year's championship will be the Bulls?" the reporter asked again.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did not think about it and laughed: "If you know this Bulls, you will know how powerful this Bulls are. I think they have actually booked the championship this year."
The Suns team gathered together to watch the game.
Lao Wang looked at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the TV and complained: "Isn't this Sky Hook a Lakers star? How come he has become a bull's licker?"
"Pfft, haha..." The room burst into laughter.
After Kevin Johnson laughed, his expression turned serious and said: "But the Bulls are indeed very strong, and their style of play has changed a lot from last season."
"After Ewing and Oakley were pulled out, it was difficult to quickly return to the basket. Jordan and Pippen made many breakthroughs, and the success rate was very high." Dan Marley nodded.
"101:125, the Bulls can be said to have defeated the Knicks." Danny Ainge said.
At this time, ESPN, which broadcast the Western Conference Finals, began interviewing Jordan on the spot.
"Michael, how do you think your teammates played tonight?" the reporter asked.
"They performed very well, everyone worked hard, yes." After winning the game by a big score, Jordan was in a very good mood and praised his teammates.
"Do you think the Bulls' current internal spread tactic is still a triangle tactic?" the reporter asked again.
"Of course, we always use triangle tactics. A triangle will be formed between any three players. This has nothing to do with the change of position of the inside line." Jordan nodded.
"So Michael, do you want to meet the Suns or Mosaic in the finals?" the reporter asked.
Jordan's eyes flashed sharply and he uttered a phrase: "The sun."
"Why?" the reporter asked.
Jordan's next answer surprised the reporter. He thought Jordan would not answer directly, but no, Jordan did not hide his thoughts and said bluntly: "Because they defeated us to win the championship last year, it will be the best for us to defeat them to win the championship this year."
way to win the championship.
And the issues between me and Lao K also need to be settled through this finals."
"Finish it? Doesn't he want to suppress me for the rest of his life? It's over this time, what will happen in the future?" Lao Wang couldn't help laughing when he saw this.
Kevin Johnson laughed and said: "He is 31 years old, how long can he keep suppressing you? If it doesn't end now, can he bear it if it drags on? Do you still want to beat him up when he is forty years old?"
"Haha..." Lao Wang laughed.
Although he wants to compete this year and be the best to defend the title, he can accept that he cannot defend the title. This year, both Mosaic and Bulls are too strong.
Next year, his strength will improve again. As long as the Suns can maintain their current lineup, I believe they will be more competitive next year.
But the only worry is whether Kevin Johnson can maintain his condition. If the No. 1 position weakens, it will be difficult.
This year he calculated the possibility of making the All-NBA team. The second team has a good chance, and the first team has to compete with the big dreams, and the Western Conference Finals is the key. If the Suns win the Western Conference Finals, then he may win the competition in the first team.
On the contrary, he is likely to enter the second team.
But no matter what happens this year, starting from next year, he will have an impact on these hard honors.
If the three super centers haven't aged yet, and Jordan hasn't aged yet, if he doesn't get a few hard honors, when they are completely old, even if he gets a few hard honors, they won't be valuable enough.