Chapter 445: Victory in the First Battle + The Bulls Are Infighting Again
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On the court, the Suns attacked again.
"Pay attention to the response." Danny Ainge yelled.
This time, his left elbow was against Jordan and he controlled the ball with his right hand. Kidd carefully protected the ball and pushed forward. Jordan stretched out his hand to harass him, which made his nerves a little nervous.
Just past the center line, behind Kidd, Harper on the left suddenly ignored Horry and quietly pounced from behind.
"Watch your back!" Robert Horry quickly reminded.
But it was too late. By the time Kidd reacted, Harper was already at his side, pressing down with Jordan, and the ball was intercepted again.
"Oh, damn!" a live commentator said in frustration.
"Jordan made a layup, now the score is 59."
Another on-site commentator said: "The Bulls' perimeter defense is too strong. We still need Lightning. Please let him come back."
Danny Ainge heard what the commentator said and thought it was right. He looked back at Lightning on the bench, who nodded.
At this time, the Suns served and called a timeout.
During this timeout, the Suns resumed their dual-control tactics.
Although the Lightning was unable to achieve offensive efficiency under the Bulls' strong perimeter defense, his appearance on the court broke the Bulls' full-court press tactics.
In this way, Lao Wang's strong strength in the low position can be fully utilized.
"Bang!"
From the low post on the left wing, Wang Tiejun received the ball with a fierce back arch. Wang Tiejun knocked back Luke Longley, then turned around and stepped into the paint area, jumping up to meet Luke Longley and Rodman, who was assisting in defense to the basket.
"Bang!"
As the rim trembled, Luke Longley and Rodman collapsed at the same time.
"Beep!"
The referee's whistle sounded.
"yeah!"
The whole audience cheered.
"That's it, the outside is responsible for passing the ball, and Old K is responsible for the output, beating the Bulls!" an on-site commentator roared excitedly.
"They can't kill our perimeter, so we'll beat them in the low post! I believe Old K's physical fitness can hold it, it just depends on how long the Bulls can hold on." Another on-site commentator laughed.
Next, Lao Wang hit an extra free throw and the Bulls attacked.
"brush!"
Jordan burst into form. After a quick push, he made a pull-up jumper and hit a three-pointer over Kidd's head.
"Bang!"
Looking back, Lao Wang broke out again, forced his way into the basket, caught the ball in the double-team, and with his strong tonnage and explosive power, he got up and blasted the Bulls' basket again.
Luke Longley was dunked under the basket again, but Rodman no longer dared to get close.
"Old K is so brave and unstoppable!" Su Qun said excitedly.
"If we keep playing like this, the Bulls' basketball rack will have to be replaced." Zhang Lili joked excitedly.
Next, the core of both sides launched a battle.
But overall, the Bulls suffered a loss, because no matter how efficient Jordan was, he could not match Pharaoh's attack at the basket. The Suns quickly took the lead, forcing the Bulls to call a timeout immediately.
"We're going to use foul tactics now!"
Phil Jackson knew this was a suicidal tactic. Old K's free throw percentage today was not bad, reaching 60%. Using a foul tactic was a bit outweighing the gains.
But he had no choice. Jordan exploded, and Old K also exploded. The Bulls had no way to stop an erupting beast from attacking the basket. Luke Longley, the human shield, couldn't stop him, and neither could Rodman, who was assisting in defense.
, we can only use foul tactics to resist and interrupt the offensive rhythm of old K.
Next, he sent two substitute insiders to specifically implement foul tactics.
During the rest of the third quarter, Lao Wang stepped to the free throw line from time to time. Fortunately, at the critical moment, he was calm enough and his free throws were okay, and he was able to maintain a normal level of over 60%.
The Bulls paid a huge price. Several insiders committed consecutive fouls. If they play like this again in the final quarter, I'm afraid no one will be available.
Moreover, the purpose of the Bulls' foul tactics was not achieved, because Wang's free throw shooting rate was not low, and once the Bulls did not foul, he would attack the basket fiercely, and the overall offensive efficiency remained at about 60%.
However, the efficiency of the outside lines such as the Lightning still cannot improve, and there is nothing we can do about it. The Bulls' outside defense is indeed too strong, ranking first in the league.
On the Bulls side, Jordan wanted to overtake the score, but the Suns' defense was also quite strong. He didn't have many chances to get to the basket, and his efficiency wasn't very high, at about 43%, which was not as good as the first half.
Lao Wang was frequently fouled on the offensive end, and no attack was smooth. On the defensive end, he stared at the Bulls' perimeter. Anyone who dared to come in was seeking death. Later in the third quarter, he sent two big shots in succession, which was a powerful blow.
Deterred the Bulls from breaking through.
At the end of this quarter, 74:79, the Suns led by 5 points.
Jordan scored ten points in the third quarter, exactly thirty points in the third quarter, and his shooting percentage was 44.5%, which is not very high.
In the third quarter, Wang Tiejun made 2 of 4 shots and 6 of 9 free throws, scoring 10 points.
After three quarters, he made 13 of 21 shots, a shooting percentage of 61.9%, and 12 of 20 free throws, a shooting percentage of 60%. He had 38 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 5 blocks, 3 turnovers and 4 fouls.
Zhang Lili analyzed: "The situation is still as we predicted. Due to the Bulls' strong perimeter defense, the Suns are not efficient enough on the perimeter, but they still have a certain advantage by relying on their strong low-post offense. In the next quarter, it is the two sides.
Let’s see who can persevere in the final battle.
Overall, the Bulls' defensive intensity should come down, as they are no longer stamina, let's see if the Suns can improve their efficiency on the outside and reduce the offensive pressure on the Iron Army."
Su Qun analyzed: "The Bulls committed 6 fouls on Old K in the third quarter, and a total of 15 fouls were committed on Old K in the three quarters. From the main force to the substitutes, none of the six insiders committed less than three fouls.
, and at the critical moment, the Bulls will definitely send their main force.
Da Chong now has four fouls, Rick Schmitz also has four fouls, Coach Zhang, do you think the Suns can take advantage of it?"
Zhang Li thought for a while and then said: "It depends on the situation. If the fifth foul is too early, we can definitely take advantage of it.
However, I still think that the Suns will definitely win the final victory. The strength of the two teams is very clear. The Suns have too much advantage in the low post, but if they cannot lock down the Suns from the outside, this advantage is almost irreversible.
We have also seen that in the first three quarters of the game, the Bulls rarely had the upper hand. They occasionally made a short wave and were quickly suppressed by the Suns. This is determined by strength."
Su Qun nodded and smiled: "As long as the ball can be passed in, Old K's low-post offense will be a ballast for the Suns. No matter how poorly others play, the overall efficiency is still guaranteed."
Zhang Liyi nodded and said: "Yes, that's it. No matter how the Bulls suppressed the rest of the Suns, they just couldn't really restrict the Tiejun. This is just like how the Suns defended Jordan, but couldn't really restrict him.
of.
And Tiejun, just like Jordan, has amazing physical fitness. He can ensure long-term efficient output and is closer to the basket than Jordan. He has regained the disadvantage of the Suns on the outside. His existence is the basis for victory. Really
cornerstone of the team.
In the following fourth quarter, the Bulls' physical fitness will definitely reach the limit, the defensive intensity will definitely drop, and the offensive efficiency will also drop. If the Tiejun continues to maintain high efficiency in the low post, this is quite guaranteed, then the Suns' advantage
It will expand, and if nothing happens, there will be no problem winning this game."
Su Qun said with a smile: "Old K's fourth quarter is very stable and he can still maintain high efficiency. This is very rare. Most stars will decline a lot in the final quarter, but he will not."
The final situation was just like what Zhang Lili and Su Qun were talking about. Until the end of the game, the Bulls were still unable to restrict Lao Wang, whether it was foul tactics or double-team tactics, and they were unable to crack the Suns' double-control tactics.
, after their physical fitness declined in the final quarter, their defensive intensity also declined.
As for the Suns, while Wang continued to be efficient, his outside efficiency also improved a bit, and the point difference immediately began to widen, so in the end they lost the game.
96:106, the Suns won by 10 points.
Jordan scored 38 points in the game, but Wang Tiejun scored 8 more points in the final quarter, scoring 46 points in the game, almost scoring 50+ points in a single game in the finals.
After the game, Su Qun took the data sheet and read: "Old K played 45 minutes, 16 of 26 shots, 61.5% shooting, 14 of 23 free throws, 60.8% shooting, 46 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 6
Data of blocks, 3 turnovers and 5 fouls.
Coach Zhang, his shooting percentage is about the same as the regular season, lower than the first three rounds of the series, and his free throws are a bit worse. Is this efficiency okay?"
Zhang Lili smiled and said: "Of course. If you look at the number of free throws, you can imagine how fragmented the Tiejun's offense is. The rhythm is disrupted, and they are frequently double-teamed. They can still hit 60% of the field goal percentage."
, very good, it was all because of his fierce attack on the basket today that he was able to achieve this efficiency.
As for free throws, with so many free throw opportunities, it will definitely not make you feel better if you are fouled frequently. To be able to achieve this efficiency is not bad. Tie Jun’s psychological quality is not generally strong."
Su Qun nodded and said: "The first three quarters of this game were quite tense, and no one had a very obvious advantage.
That is to say, in the final quarter, the Bulls' physical fitness declined and their defensive intensity dropped, so the Suns' offense became slightly easier.
In fact, comparing the shooting percentages of both sides, excluding old K and Jordan, the Bulls are better than the Suns. The Bulls' defense is stronger, and it is more difficult for others on the Suns to score."
Zhang Lili laughed and said: "Don't forget that old K has an advantage in the low post and no one can stop him, but don't forget Jordan. Who on the Suns can stop him?
He is almost 35 years old, and he can still score 38 points in the finals. He is so strong. If he hadn't met the Iron Army, he really doesn't know how many championships he would have won in the past few years.
The Suns can beat the Bulls because the Tiejun are closer to the basket than Jordan and have more efficiency advantages. With this advantage, the Suns' outside disadvantages must be eliminated. A positive number means the Suns win, and a negative number means the Bulls win.
.
This year is no different than before. With the K Rule, the Bulls don’t have to worry about player injuries. The next series will not be easy. The Suns must not be careless."
Su Qun nodded and said: "Lightning didn't perform very well today, but his biggest role was to cooperate with Kidd to pass the ball to Old K.
However, Wilkins, a veteran, performed well and scored 12 points today, second only to Rasheed Wallace’s 13 points and the same as Horry.”
Mentioning Wilkins, Zhang Lili laughed, "This veteran was so excited that he almost had a laugh problem. Finally, he was lucky. Now he is back. Without him, the Suns' bench lineup is missing a piece. It's really...
It’s not easy to handle.”
In the ABC live broadcast, Magic Johnson lamented: "The Suns can be said to be the most stable team in the final quarter. As long as they lead in the first three quarters, few teams can overtake the Suns in the final quarter. Even the Bulls will have a hard time coming back.
.
The key to this lies in the stability of old K. His strong physical fitness is enough to ensure that he can perform adequately in the final quarter."
Larry Bird held up a statistic table and said: "In this game, the Suns got a total of 45 rebounds, the Bulls 38, of which Old K grabbed 16 and Rodman 10."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar smiled and said: "Rodman met Old K, and his rebounding was suppressed. This is a habitual performance of the two, and it is not surprising."
Larry Bird nodded and continued: "In terms of field goal percentage, the Suns are 4.5 percentage points higher. Excluding Old K, the Suns are 3 percentage points lower. From this aspect, the Suns can win, and Old K
The low post attack is so important."
Magic Johnson said: "Michael's efficiency today is not very high, 44.1%. If he can increase his shooting percentage to more than 50%, the Bulls should be able to win this game."
Larry Bird laughed: "God is wearing No. 33 today, not No. 23."
"Ha ha……"
The other two people immediately laughed.
Larry Bird continued: "Kidd's defense is still good, and his defense against Jordan achieved a certain effect.
But the Bulls' perimeter defense suppressed the Suns' perimeter really well. None of the three main players, Lightning, Horry, and Kidd, had a shooting percentage of 40%."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said: "Today Rasheed Wallace scored 13 points, and he did not restrict Rick Schmitz. Schmitz scored 16 points, which was the Bulls' third scoring point.
And his efficiency is pretty good. Although he rarely attacks in the low post, his high jump shot has a hit rate of 50.2%. It is difficult for Wallace to guard against his absolute height."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said: "It's a pity that Schmitz has no confrontation ability and cannot stand in the low post. If he had the confrontation ability, it should be possible to play old K in the low post. The efficiency should be higher. He also has a good hook."
Technically, even Old K has a hard time blocking shots."
Larry Bird shook his head and smiled: "It is difficult for him to get close to the paint area. Old K will not allow it."
At this time, interviews were being conducted at the scene.
"Old K, what do you think is the most exciting part of this game?"
"When you finally defeat your opponent."
"The Lightning didn't perform well today. How would you evaluate their performance?"
"In the finals, Jordan's efficiency today is just like that, and my efficiency has also declined a bit. Without the Lightning and Wilkins, we would never be able to win. Everyone has their role as a team leader.
, I want to thank them for their efforts.”
The first question was answered somewhat casually, but this question made Lao Wang become serious.
"Do you think the Bulls are capable of taking a win from here?"
This question made Lao Wang serious. He thought for a while and said: "If the Bulls are capable of winning here, it means they are also capable of winning this series. This is something we will never allow, so we will do our best.
Work hard and stop them from winning here."
The Bulls had already left. He then ended the interview, said goodbye to the fans with his teammates, and then left the stadium.
Back in the locker room, Lao Wang soaked in the medicine bucket again.
His medicated baths are actually of little use anymore and can only be used for maintenance twice a week, but he is used to it and takes a bath after playing a game.
I opened the system and took a look. Last time, the MVP was awarded 1,000 points, and the last team was awarded 200 points. There was no reward for the best second defense, and now there is a total of 5,500 points.
An hour later, the post-match press conference began.
In the Bulls press conference hall, the atmosphere on the stage was dull. The reporters in the audience were very enthusiastic about asking questions. The host signaled the questioning to start, and many hands were raised immediately.
The first reporter to be slapped was a reporter from the Chicago Sports News. He asked seriously: "Coach Jackson, this is the third time we have met the Suns in the Finals and we lost the G1 game again. Is there really nothing you can do?"
To deal with...Old K?"
Phil Jackson's face looked a little gloomy, perhaps because of the angle of the lighting, and the position between his eyebrows was a little dark. He sighed: "The management is not ready to compete with the Suns at all. When choosing the inside, there is no
Choose a suitable insider, how do you want me to deal with old K?"
"oh!"
The reporters below exclaimed, are the Bulls in internal strife again? Head coach Phil Jackson actually fired at general manager Jerry Krause?
But they were not surprised at all, because the Bulls have always been like this. Jordan and Krause were at odds, and the same was true for Phil Jackson. The conflicts were piling up. This time, the conflicts were just made public.
Their eyes immediately turned to General Manager Jerry Krause, who was standing nearby.
Nothing could be seen on Klaus's face, but his expressionless face gave a direct answer. He must be very unhappy.
"Michael, what do you think of what Jackson just said?" the Chicago Sports reporter asked immediately.
Jordan glanced at Phil Jackson next to him and felt that he was a little impulsive. This was not the time to cause internal strife.
However, he was on Jackson's side, so he had to say: "I agree with Phil. The management did not consider old K when introducing insiders. In the past few years, we have suffered too much from inside players. If we lose, we lose."
Inside, we have to make changes."
"oh!"
The reporters below exclaimed again.
It's obvious that Jordan's attitude is obviously that he stands with Phil Jackson, and they are putting pressure on the management.
The reporters looked at Jerry Krause again, his face was still expressionless, and they couldn't get any answers from Kraus's face.
Klaus was very angry. Ever since Phil Jackson wanted to take away his power, he wanted to change the head coach, but was always blocked by Jordan. This time Jackson openly attacked him, which was too much.
The last time he had a good conversation with the boss Reinsdorf, the boss had promised him that if he failed to win the championship this time, the team would be rebuilt immediately according to his ideas, so he didn't bother to pay attention to the two of them in person at the moment.
