Chapter 158 [You will be jealous of him, but more afraid of losing him]
The Sonics led by 6 points, and Payton began to control the rhythm and try to use up the 24 seconds of attack time. It didn't matter if he failed to score, as long as the opponent did not leave too much time, the Sonics would win.
At this time, the Sonics players were supposed to stand apart, but Yang Jian was still running actively, leading Jordan in a circle. He felt that if he went around and around, an opportunity might come out. Anyway, he was not tired yet.
Being idle is also idle.
Top-level physical fitness is so abnormal. Yang Jian feels that like Chamberlain, he can attend every season and play every game. He will not participate in marathons to test the limits of his physical fitness, but he has done high-intensity training in the summer.
I never feel physically exhausted during basketball training.
"King of CIC" Richard Hamilton can walk his dog until it is exhausted. Yang Jian has never raised a dog. He estimates that if he raised one, the dog would probably be paralyzed from exhaustion.
Although Jordan could insist on following Yang Jian throughout the game, everyone who watched the live broadcast discovered one thing. He stuck out his tongue to dissipate heat more than usual today.
The Bulls players couldn't let Payton and Young waste time. Cole pressed hard but couldn't grab it. Payton passed the ball to Schrempf with 8 seconds left, and the latter passed it to Kemp to cover the run.
Yang Jian.
Yang Jian caught the ball and threw it, but this time Jordan got in his face and the ball bounced out of the frame. However, the Sonics' offense was not over yet, and Kemp rushed to grab the offensive rebound.
The Bulls' fatal weakness inside has always existed. Without Rodman, the rebounding efficiency of other inside players is not as good as Pippen. Pippen was very active in blocking, but the ball did not bounce in his direction.
After Kemp grabbed the rebound, he was immediately double-teamed by Bill Wennington and Pippen. He passed the ball to Booutello who was left open. Booutello was open and did not shoot, and passed the ball again.
Yang Jian running.
Booutero didn't even think about assisting, but he didn't have the ability to shoot a jump shot, and it was useless to stand on the left baseline. He thought it was right to pass the ball to the core of the team at this time.
As a result, Yang Jian caught the ball and took a mid-range shot from the left corner of the penalty area, scoring .97 to 89.
Jordan was a step slow in blocking the shot. When his teammate lost the backcourt rebound, he had a premonition that the game was lost and was stunned for a second. Defending Yang Jian, you can't be stunned. He can distance himself in one second.
Zhang Lijia shouted: "Yang Jian scored another mid-range shot. This goal sealed the victory. Beautiful!"
Sun Zhengping said: "Yang Jian performed better than Jordan in the second half of the final quarter, and used his personal ability to help the Sonics expand their lead. Next, if the Bulls want to reverse, they can only shoot three-pointers."
Zhang Lili analyzed: "The Bulls have four three-point shooting spots on the field. Except for Cole and Pippen, none of them are accurate today. The SuperSonics will win if they guard them. At this time, there is no need to be afraid of Jordan. Jordan is in the three-pointer."
There are very few outbursts from beyond the arc.”
At this time, Zen Master Jackson called timeout again.
The Bulls still have a timeout opportunity. If you don't use it, it will be wasted. If you use it, you can still fight.
The purpose of his timeout was to replace high center Luke Longley and add a big man who is good at covering his teammates. In addition, Jackson arranged a three-point tactic and a full-court pressing tactic.
Once a player hits a three-pointer, the Bulls players press in the frontcourt, trying to cause the Sonics to make a mistake. Their chance of reversal is slim, but it's not time to give up yet.
George Karl also adjusted the lineup, replacing PJ Brown and replacing Schrempf. This is to strengthen defense and protect backcourt rebounds.
After the game started, Pippen sent a side ball to Kukoc who was running away. However, after P.J. Brown came on the court, Kukoc's height advantage was gone. The two were the same height.
Kukoc didn't have a chance to take action at the first point in the middle, and passed the ball to Steve Kerr who was running on the screen on the left.
Center Long, who just came on the field, used his huge body to block people and helped Cole get rid of Payton's entanglement. However, Cole did not receive the pass. It was too late and Jordan suddenly rushed out to block Yang Jian's baseline.
The passing lane is interrupted.
After successfully stealing the ball, he went on a fast break alone, took off from the right distance in the penalty area, and made a dunk with both hands to score! 99 to 89.
This goal immediately stunned all the Bulls players, and the situation was over.
Zhang Lili shouted: "After the timeout, Yang Jian actually let Jordan go to help defend Cole, and completed a wonderful steal and fast break dunk. This was really an incredible performance. He scored 10 points in the last five minutes of the final quarter."
Sun Zhengping sighed: "The home fans are shouting MVP! Yang Jian conquered the audience with this dunk."
The video was played back in slow motion, and the cameraman gave a close-up shot of Yang Jian running back. Zhang Lili praised: "He is so awesome, and this iconic celebration is so cool!"
The fans shouted "mvp", and when Yang Jian returned to defense, he put his left hand to his ear as if listening. Almost all Chinese people who watched the live broadcast became Yang Jian's fans. They had never seen such a performance before.
Cool people.
With this goal, Jordan gave up on defending. He knew that he would not be able to catch up with Yang Jian in that situation.
The ESPN commentator believes that Yang Jian is the fastest player in the league, unmatched by anyone.
"He is so fast that the cameras can hardly keep up with his speed. His three-quarter sprint might be able to run under three seconds, and Jordan couldn't guard him today."
Jackson no longer called a timeout. The Sonics' defense was aimed at long-range shots, and the players were positioned relatively outside. Pippen's forced three-pointer missed due to interference from Bo Otello, and Kemp grabbed the rebound again.
After Pippen failed to take the shot, both sides stopped playing. Payton controlled the ball to kill time and wait for the game to end.
The final whistle sounded, and the home fans applauded for a long time. Many people were unwilling to leave. This was an unforgettable night. Everyone on the SuperSonics bench rushed into the field to celebrate. They had won 14 consecutive victories, and they defeated the Bulls.
Obtained.
After defeating the Bulls, the players' ambitions became even greater. They felt that they could hit the opening winning streak and leave a glorious mark on the NBA record list.
The current NBA record for winning streak at the start of the season is 15 games, jointly held by the Washington Congress team and the Houston Rockets.
The Congressional team was one of the founding teams of the NBA. It was established in 1946 and disbanded in 1951. In the first three seasons of the team's establishment, the Congressional team won two championships under the leadership of NBA legendary coach Arnold Auerbach.
Branch championship, and achieved a record of 15 consecutive victories at the beginning of the 1948-49 season.
The record at that time was nothing remarkable because there were only a few teams in the league and they were generally weak.
The Rockets were even better. In the 1993-94 season, under the leadership of legendary center Olajuwon, the Rockets started the season with a 15-game winning streak, and finally won first place in the Midwest with a record of 58 wins and 24 losses.
Went all the way through the playoffs and won the NBA championship that year.
The Sonics players' confidence is soaring now. They feel that they have a high probability of winning the championship this season, and the imminent break of the winning streak at the beginning is a precursor.
Defeating the Bulls was not just an ordinary regular season game, the Sonics' morale surpassed that of the Bulls.
Payton is now completely convinced by Yang Jian and is mentally prepared to give up his "boss" position. Even if he doesn't want to give up, it's useless. He has played more than five seasons with the SuperSonics, and his accumulated popularity is not as good as Yang Jian's. The Sonics played fourteen games.
If Payton was only less popular than Yang Jian in the past and was still the team leader in name, now his strength is not as good as Yang Jian. If a poll is done in Seattle, fans 100% believe that Yang Jian is stronger.
Yang Jian scored 61 points against the 76ers, which is beyond what Payton can match. Even if his teammates are willing to help Payton score points, he has no confidence in scoring 60 points in a single game.
The final quarter of today's game better reflects the difference in ability between the two.
Payton didn't score a point in the final quarter, and was on the court against Steve Kerr. Kerr has never been a player known for his defense, but Payton was unable to crush him on the offensive end.
Yang Jian was more accurate than the first three quarters at critical moments, leading the team to win the game. If the Bulls arranged for Cole to guard Yang Jian, Payton doubted that he could score 20 in a single quarter.
What Yang Jian is currently doing is something that Payton has always wanted to do well, but has never been able to do well.
Payton's mood is very complicated. He is a little jealous of Yang Jian's talent but also happy about it. This person has a unique charm. You will be jealous of him, but you are more afraid of losing him.
With teammates like him, Payton doesn't have to face huge pressure in the playoffs and do things he's not good at. He can focus on assisting his teammates and enjoying the fun of winning.