On the other side, Buckley and others were being interviewed.
"Kareem, why didn't you see Magic when he came to Detroit with you?" a reporter asked.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shrugged and said, "He's staying in the hotel."
"Didn't he come to Detroit to watch the Eastern Conference Finals?" the reporter asked in surprise.
Barkley complained on the side: "The Pistons management is a little too much. They are unwilling to give Irvin a ticket. To be honest, this is too much."
"oh?"
several reporters exclaimed.
Soon, the news that the Pistons would not give Magic Johnson tickets spread throughout the Palace of Auburn Hills and also reached the ears of TNT reporters.
At the Palace of Auburn Hills, David Stern is with Pistons owner Bill Davidson, preparing to enter.
Stern took the time to come to Detroit to watch the game this time because he wanted to sit in person. He did not want to see the Battle of Mount Auburn happen again.
The ratings for this Eastern Conference Finals are very good, exceeding the ratings for last year's Eastern Conference Finals by 30%. He doesn't want any problems to arise.
Stern was accompanied by Pistons owner Bill Davidson, general manager McCloskey and Troy Weaver, who was about to take over.
Davidson is older than McCloskey. He is seventy years old this year and twenty years older than Stern. He is also a famous American philanthropist and jurist. He has participated in the formulation of some American laws many times, so Stern I respect him very much.
At this time, a reporter happened to see them and quickly ran over and asked: "Mr. McCloskey, is it true that the Pistons refused to provide tickets for Magic Johnson? Why? Is it because of the Assassins? Or because Magic Johnson supports it?" Bulls, not Pistons?"
The series of questions not only confused McCloskey, but also Stern and others.
Troy Weaver quickly asked: "Sir, are you sure Magic Johnson didn't get our complimentary tickets?"
"I'm sure, what Barkley and the others said just now, and the magician did not appear at the Auburn Hills Palace, I heard he is staying in the hotel now," the reporter said.
"Sorry, we will take care of this matter."
Several people looked at each other, and Weaver first stepped forward to dismiss the reporter.
"what happened?"
After the reporter left, McCloskey looked at Weaver and asked seriously.
"Sorry, sir, I don't know about this. I will deal with it right away."
After speaking, Weaver nodded to David Stern and boss Davidson, and left in a hurry.
Stern shook his head and said: "Bill, it's not good for this guy. Irvin has made great contributions to the league. We can't treat him like this. I hope it will change immediately. He should get our respect." ,What do you think?"
"I'm sorry that this happened," Bill Davidson said apologetically.
McCloskey explained: "It should be a staff problem, and we will deal with it. But David, you know, there are some problems between the magician and the assassin, and there have been some reports in the media.
Of course, I don’t think Isiah Thomas knows about this. It should be caused by his influence on the team. "
“I would love to see Magic at the Palace of Auburn Hills.”
David Stern nodded, a smile returning to his face.
He knows well that the relationship between Isiah Thomas and Magic is so bad now, and there are also important reasons for the league's decision.
"Is it Erwin? Hello, I am the assistant general manager of the Pistons. I'm sorry that our staff has been negligent in their duties. I will send a car to pick you up at the hotel immediately..."
Soon, Weaver contacted Magic Johnson.
"No, Mr. Weaver, I'll take a taxi."
Magic didn't know what to do. He wanted to cheer for Michael Jordan in front of the assassin.
The two had a good relationship in the past. Even if the assassin interrupted his dream of three consecutive championships, it did not affect their relationship. However, after he fell ill, some of the assassin's actions irritated him, and the relationship between the two took a turn for the worse.
…
"Iron Fist, you know, our management didn't give Magic a free ticket." Rodman said with a smile in the home team's locker room.
"Yeah?"
Zhou Quan was a little surprised, but it had nothing to do with him. He had no relationship with the magician, so he immediately forgot about it.
At eight o'clock, the bench came on, and the Bulls and Pistons announced their starting lineups.
Bulls: Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, John Paxson
Pistons: John Salley, Dennis Rodman, Orlando Ulrich, Joe Dumars, Zhou Quan
"Linger, who do you think has a better chance of winning tonight?" Robert Guida asked in the TNT commentary box.
Ringo Wilson said: "Currently, many media have made predictions about the G3 game, because it is the home court of the Pistons, and it has become the league's first home court since the Battle of Auburn Hills, so most media are more optimistic about the Pistons.
My opinion is that I am still more optimistic about the Bulls. The home court advantage can really help the home team, but Michael's performance at the Palace of Auburn Hills is very strong every time. I think after some low points in the last game, he will have a good performance this time. Performance. "
Then Robert Guida suddenly shouted: "Oh, look, who's coming?"
Ringo Wilson took a closer look and couldn't help but smile: "Did Mr. David Stern personally come to supervise the battle? He did not go to the United Center for the G1G2 game, but now he comes to the Palace of Auburn Hills. This should be to prevent the Battle of Auburn Hills from happening again. Happen?"
Robert Guida laughed and said: "It's possible."
At 8:10, the starting lineups of the two teams met in the tunnel.
Dead rivals, it was the Eastern Conference Finals again. No one spoke, not even eye contact. In the weather in May, everyone in the auditorium outside was sweating profusely, but the atmosphere in the passage was freezing cold.
At 8:15, the visiting team takes the field.
"boom!"
The huge boos were like a tsunami, buzzing in all directions, causing everyone to lose any hearing in their ears.
When Jordan came on the court, the boos reached their climax.
What greeted him was not only endless boos, but also endless curses, raised middle fingers, and even some debris thrown down.
He chewed gum quickly and ran to the court expressionlessly, not affected at all.
"Pistons fans doing this will only anger him and make him perform better." Barkley couldn't help but shook his head on the sidelines.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar looked at the terrifying Auburn Hills Palace and couldn't help but sigh: "It is indeed the most terrifying home stadium in the league."
Even they themselves couldn't hear what they said. As soon as their voices came out, they were drowned by the noise.
Soon, the home team came out.
"boom!"
When Zhou Quan first appeared on the stage, the Palace of Auburn Hills was in a boil, with cheers and shouts overwhelming.
His performance has conquered more and more Detroiters. All the home fans stood up and cheered for him.
Catherine also stood up. She was very excited when she saw 20,000 fans cheering for her boyfriend, but she was also even more disappointed and sad.
Instead of being introduced, hey, this is Iron Fist's girlfriend, she wants people to say, hey, this is Katherine Jones's boyfriend.
She knows that she is very good, so she is absolutely not willing to just be the girlfriend of Tie Fist. She hopes to have her own light.
"Catherine?"
When she was in a daze, Zhou Quan's voice rang in her ears, and it turned out that she was already in her boyfriend's arms.
"Oh ho!"
When Zhou Quan was seen kissing his girlfriend, strange screams rang out from the Palace of Mount Auburn and the applause was very warm.
"Zhou, come here, Mr. Stern has something to say to you." At this time, Bill Davidson waved Zhou Quan over.
"Okay, boss."
Zhou Quan nodded to his boss Davidson, then walked over and said to Stern with respect: "Hello, Mr. Stern, it's a pleasure to see you at the Palace of Auburn Hills."
He didn't expect that the president would come to watch the game. He was a little surprised, but you couldn't tell it on his face, he still had a smile on his face.
This was the second time he had seen Stern, the first being in the draft.
"Zhou, I'm glad to see you again, too."
Stretching out his right hand, Stern's usual smile appeared on his face.
After shaking hands, he smiled and said: "Zhou, you performed well in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals. I am very happy to see your outstanding performance."
"Thank you!" Zhou Quan smiled.
Stern continued: "I'm also glad to see that in the playoffs, you did a good job of maintaining restraint and letting the game flow smoothly.
This is good. I don’t want all kinds of violence to always appear in the game. You are a wise person and I believe you will make the most correct choice. "
Zhou Quan smiled and nodded: "Mr. Stern, I know the difference between basketball and ice hockey, and I am very willing to abide by the rules here.
In fact, in an NBA game, I have never tried to use the Hockey Executioner method to intentionally cause conflict and thereby profit.
It is true that many violent incidents have happened to me, but I explained the last time we talked on the phone that they were all provocations from the other party and I was forced to fight back.
I am not an American, I am Chinese with yellow skin. Here, in the United States, I cannot be weak, otherwise I will be bullied miserably.
You may not know that when I first arrived in the United States, I tried to give in at UCLA, but the result was double the humiliation and bullying.
Therefore, sir, I can only promise you that I will not take the initiative to provoke others or use violence. But if the other party uses violence against me, I will definitely fight back. "
Stern was a little surprised by Zhou Quan's toughness, but he could understand it. After thinking for a while, he said: "I can accept your counterattack, but Zhou Quan, once you fight back, you will also be punished.
Also, you received boxing training at UCLA. Maybe no one in the league can be your opponent, so you must not defend yourself too much. You have to promise me this. "
"I can promise you this." Zhou Quan smiled.
Stern became happy and said: "Zhou, I noticed that you have no tendency to immigrate. Why is this?"
Zhou Quan was startled, although this was his private matter, but he still explained: "Actually, I think that even if I immigrate to the United States, it will not change my skin color, and it will not be of much help to my career in the United States.
At the same time, I am even more proud of my country and nation, and I do not want to give up my national identity for the sake of my personal career. "
Stern nodded and asked: "So what do you think of China's future development?"
Zhou Quan thought for a moment and said, "We have such a large population and are very hard-working. I believe we will develop one day."
Stern nodded thoughtfully and smiled: "Starting a few years ago, the NBA has donated some clips to CCTV, and it will be the same this year.
After the playoffs, I will add some of your highlights to the clip, hoping to be helpful to your domestic development. "
"That's great! Thank you, Mr. Stern." Zhou Quan said happily.
…
At 8:28, the referee blew his whistle, indicating that the players on both sides were ready to take the field.
"Victory! Victory! Victory..."
Michael Jordan was surrounded by all the Bulls players in the middle and started roaring in the most angry voice. All the Bulls players roared with him, and then two thousand Bulls fans.
"We are tenacious, tough, iron-blooded, and we are fearless..."
But the next moment, the Bulls' voices were drowned out by even louder shouts. There was no splash at all. There was only one voice left in the Palace of Auburn Hills, the shouts of 20,000 Pistons fans.
"Go on."
Almost at the same time, Zhou Quan and Jordan roared and waved, leading their teammates onto the court.
"The G3 game has begun. This will definitely be a fierce game, but we don't want the Battle of Auburn Hills to repeat itself, so players on both sides are asked to control their emotions and try to avoid too dangerous actions. Everyone must remember the words of Iron Fist, you are Playing ball, not fighting."
Robert Guida reminded in the TNT commentary box.
At this time, Ringo Wilson suddenly said: "Oh, look, Magic is here. Haha, I put him behind the Pistons' bench. That's the best position, but I'm afraid he doesn't like it very much."
Robert Guida was overjoyed and said: "There is no way, the tickets have been sold out a long time ago, I'm afraid that seat has to be adjusted privately."
But he was wrong. Magic Johnson was more than happy to sit behind the Pistons bench so that his cheers for Michael Jordan and the Bulls could be more easily heard by the Assassins. It was kind of a bad idea, he said. I just want to disgust the assassin.
The assassin was indeed caught. His position was right in front of the magician. I couldn't help but blame the management, why did they arrange this guy so close? He was afraid of getting infected.
"Jump ball, Pistons attack." Ringo Wilson shouted at this time.
Zhou Quan took the ball and Jordan stood in front. He moved his left elbow forward and started to advance forward. After reaching the frontcourt, he headed to the right wing.
"Pick and roll."
Jordan immediately understood that this was a tactic the Pistons often used in the previous game, with Iron Fist and Joe Dumars running a pick-and-roll on the right wing, and then Iron Fist playing John Paxson in isolation.
The reason why he failed to guard Zhou Quan in the last game was because of the pick-and-roll tactics.
In response to this tactic, Phil Jackson asked them not to switch defenses in the last game, but the effect was average. Often after he bypassed Joe Dumars and then caught up with Zhou Quan, he would have to be a step and a half slower, so Phil Jackson asked them today Try the anti-switch tactic.
This tactical consideration is because Zhou Quan has not shown outstanding outside singles skills, and under normal circumstances, his outside shooting percentage is low.
When guarding Zhou Quan alone on the outside, as long as others follow him closely, he can limit his strongest passing ability to the greatest extent.
But unfortunately, this kind of defensive tactics did not achieve its goal in the last game, because in the last game Zhou Quan went directly into the paint area, compressed their double-teams to the maximum extent, and completed fatal passes in the crowd.
"Switch defense?"
Zhou Quan went around Joe Dumars and found that John Paxson was following him. He immediately started to accelerate and immediately changed direction and accelerated to pass people. If Paxson dared to block him, he would directly knock over and rush in.
However, Paxson did not choose to block, but stuck to his left side, interfering with his breakthrough with the ball and preventing him from taking an easy shot.
The Bulls did not arrange a double-team on the flanks. Grant was in the low right wing and did not come out to double-team, so the rest of the Pistons had no space and he could only choose to play by himself.
The Bulls are already very clear about his defensive tactics. They are still the same as the last game, they will not double-team him unless he enters the paint area.
This will test his mid-range singles ability. It is said that he has a natural mismatch advantage at the first position. If John Paxson is not effective in singles, his evaluation and future potential assessment will be greatly reduced.
Zhou Quan advanced some distance into the paint area and saw that he was close to the right waist. Paxson had no choice but to speed up and go around to the front to defend.
Zhou Quan immediately started to play with his back, facing upward, controlling the ball with his left hand, and after arching his back twice, he smoothly got close to the right waist.
Low on the right wing, one step inside the right line of the paint, Grant was ready to double-team. As long as Iron Fist dared to come in, he would double-team immediately.
His current position blocked the possibility of Zhou Quan sneaking in. If Zhou Quan wanted to come in, he could only turn up and break through. He had even simulated the next offensive and defensive scene in his mind: he moved into position first, and then Zhou Quan was turned around to break through. Quan was knocked down, and finally the referee's whistle sounded and Zhou Quan committed an offensive foul.
At this moment, using his right foot as a pivot and controlling the ball with his left hand, Zhou Quan suddenly turned around, flicked his right elbow, and knocked away John Paxson behind him.
The next moment, Grant dropped Rodman and quickly moved up, preparing to take the lead.
"cobra?"
However, when Grant just moved upward, Zhou Quan saw his movements from the corner of his right eye.
In the full-level panoramic field of vision, there is no difference between his peripheral vision and his direct gaze. When a person turns around, his eyes always turn away first, so he saw Grant's movements immediately, leaving time for him to react.
He doesn't have any good impressions of Grant, because it was this guy who triggered the Battle of Mount Auburn, causing the Assassins to get injured one after another, seriously affecting the Assassins' current state, otherwise the Pistons would be stronger.
The next moment, when Grant was in position to block his way, he had just completed his turn but suddenly made a slight downward change. At the same time, he pushed the ball between Grant's legs with his left hand and passed it to the next moment. of myself.
The next moment, he stepped sideways and passed between Grant and Paxson. At the same time, the ball passed through his crotch and passed to his left hand.
"boom!"
Then, he jumped up, held an ax in one hand, and violently smashed the dunk, instantly blasting the Bulls' basket, leaving Cartwright, who was competing with John Salley in the low post on the left wing, too late to return to defense.
"boom!"
The Palace of Auburn Hills was in a boil.
In the commentary box, the bearded John Lowes shouted excitedly: "Beautiful! Iron Fist penetrated all the Bulls' defense with the first goal. He made the Bulls' defense useless."
(End of chapter)
