"Michael, is anyone openly pursuing your wife?"
"Scotty, who is the next married woman you want to pursue?"
Jordan and Pippen rushed onto the bus despite a hail of media bullets and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Scotty, use your brain when you speak and act from now on."
Jerry Krause stayed behind to deal with the media and finally got in the car. After getting in the car, he wiped his sweat and then scolded him mercilessly.
Pippen now has the airs of a star, but he is not yet qualified to challenge Klaus. Hearing these words, he could only bow his head.
Klaus looked at Jordan again and said: "Michael, have you forgotten the lesson of the last Auburn Mountain battle? You are the leader of this team. Now is the most critical time. Don't let other things distract you from the series." s concern."
Jordan nodded with a straight face and did not answer.
He disliked Krause because the team didn't choose his little schoolmate and chose Grant instead, so he hated Krause, but now he is not qualified enough to openly challenge Krause, and his qualifications are still a little behind. But if Klaus keeps nagging, he won't stand it anymore.
Fortunately, Klaus also knew that Jordan didn't like him, so after saying something, he shut his mouth and didn't say any more.
Phil Jackson stood behind Klaus and saw Klaus teaching Jordan and Pippen. He felt that this method was very bad and could easily arouse the players' resentment. He had a better way, but it was a pity that he was not GM, otherwise the Bulls would be better than they are now.
It was Klaus who got the Bulls and helped him become the head coach. Now he is very grateful to Klaus and the relationship is not bad.
However, with the championship in hand, he now has a little more thoughts. He is a little envious of Klaus's status in the Bulls and the power in his hands.
This afternoon, the NBA channel of ESPN TV broadcast some interview clips from ESPN reporters. The interviewees were all retired or active stars, or head coaches.
"Mr. Riley, what do you think of the current trend of the East and West finals?" asked the reporter interviewing Pat Riley.
This is Pat Riley's office. Today he is preparing for the draft. Hearing this question, a gentleman's smile appeared on his face and said: "It's now tied at two to two, but I'm still more optimistic about the Blazers and the Blazers." The Bulls are in the Finals."
"Why?"
Pat Riley explained: "The Trail Blazers and the Jazz, the Jazz's John Stockton's performance in this playoffs has been unsatisfactory, and the Trail Blazers have too many people who can score, and the Trail Blazers also have one more home court. , so I am more optimistic about the Trail Blazers.
So the Bulls and Pistons actually have the same problem.
Iron Fist performed well and his assist performance was very stable.
However, the Pistons are not like the Trail Blazers. The Trail Blazers have too many people who can stand up and score. The Pistons do not have that kind of strength. Except for Joe Dumars, Iron Fist is the team's second scoring point and he must score.
But his offensive skills are immature, his efficiency is unstable, and in most cases his efficiency is low. "
"Is this why you look down on the Pistons?" the reporter asked.
Pat Riley nodded and said: "So I say the Pistons and Jazz have the same reason. The performance of the point guard will determine whether they have a chance to reach the finals.
But judging from the current performance, neither John Stockton nor Iron Fist can perform stably, so I am more optimistic about the Trail Blazers and Bulls. "
"Kareem, you and Iron Fist are alumni, and you have a good relationship with Michael Jordan. Who do you think is more optimistic about the Bulls or the Pistons advancing?" A reporter interviewed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar smiled and said: "Before the Eastern Conference Finals, or before the Eastern Conference Finals G4, this problem did not exist. No one thought that the Pistons could defeat the Bulls and advance to the finals, right? That includes you, ESPN."
The reporter nodded without embarrassment and said: "Yes, before the tie was tied at 2-2, no one thought that the Pistons had a chance to advance. We were even discussing that the Bulls had a chance to sweep the Pistons for the second time in the Eastern Conference Finals."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar smiled and said: "ESPN believes that the Pistons' chance of advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals is only 1%, and the chance of winning the Finals is only a symbolic 1%. In fact, I really want to know now, why don't you modify the data?
Do you still think that the Pistons' chance of advancing to the Finals is only 1%? Considering the big score of 2 to 2, there shouldn't be much difference in their chances. "
The reporter explained: "Sorry, Karim, this is something from above, I don't know about it."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar smiled and said: "Okay, back to the question of who I am more optimistic about just now, let me tell you, I am willing to support Iron Fist, but I am still more optimistic about the Bulls."
"Why?" The reporter was a little surprised.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said with a smile: "Tekken's performance is still not stable enough, but Michael Jordan is very stable in every game. He performed 40+ in the Eastern Conference Finals. This is not an ordinary person's performance. This is a super performance. As long as Tekken's offense cannot be played in any game, With efficiency, Michael Jordan has a chance to win the game.”
After being reminded by team staff, Zhou Quan noticed this interview clip.
Of course he knows what's wrong with him. Coach Daley also reminded him last time, asking him to reduce his shooting by nearly two points to improve his offensive efficiency.
The entire paint area, except for the area under the basket where dunks can be made, belongs to the near-two-point area, where there are piles of defenders to shoot, and the shooting percentages of all players in the league are not high.
He did reduce his shots as coach Daley said, and his efficiency did improve a bit, but it is very difficult to improve further. His current offensive skills are not supported, and his speed and agility Not supported either.
As a point guard, breakthrough scoring is the top priority. If you want to improve efficiency, this is the most important method.
But his current speed is not very fast. The speed and jumping of 91 and the agility of 92 have just reached the first-class level. He wants to rush in and score with lightning speed, or bypass all defenders and get to the basket. Can't achieve that effect.
Of course, his ability to break through and score is not too bad now, but now he is facing Michael Jordan, whose ability is not too bad, but in front of Jordan, it will appear very poor.
The key is that the Pistons need his offensive scoring, and he can't take too few shots.
Unless he has the ability to drive the offense of everyone around him, in that case, he can reduce some of his own shots.
He played well in the last game. On the offensive end, he frequently used pick-and-rolls to get rid of Jordan, and then went to the basket to score. On the defensive end, he kept an eye on Jordan.
So in the G5 game, he must continue to do this to have a chance to win.
…
That night, the Pistons booked a bar in the hotel. The players and their wives had a party together, and then watched the Western Conference Finals together.
Catherine was very popular among the wives. The assassin and Joe Dumas' wife were always with her. Other women were also very willing to talk to her. The central topic of conversation was Britain and the nobility.
"I am not from a noble family, and my father is just a worker. They seem to be disappointed."
After leaving the group of women, Catherine sat next to Zhou Quan and whispered in his ear.
Zhou Quan glanced at the group of women and whispered in his ear: "Leave them alone, you and them will not become friends. Their husbands and boyfriends and I are just teammates."
At 8 o'clock, the Western Conference Finals G5 game ends in Portland.
In the end, 121:127, the Blazers at home defeated the Jazz, won the key G5 game, and also won the Western Conference Finals point.
Postman Karl Malone made 16 of 30 shots, a shooting percentage of 53.3%, made 6 of 6 free throws, and scored 38 points and 14 rebounds.
Jeff Malone made 11 of 21 shots, with a shooting percentage of over 50%, and scored 23 points.
In addition, substitute forward and swingman Te'lon Corbin also scored 28 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
The three Jazz players scored 20+ points and jointly contributed 89 points, but they were still no match for the powerful Trail Blazers.
In this game, the Jazz played 9 rounds, but the Trail Blazers only had 7 rounds. The five main players were in great shape, and four of them scored 20+ points. They blasted the Jazz with an overall shooting rate of 57.1%.
The Jazz took 97 shots, but their shooting percentage was only 50.5%, while the Trail Blazers only took 84 shots, but relied on a more efficient offense to win the game.
It can be said that in this game, the Jazz lost heartily and convincingly.
Zhou Quan doesn't pay attention to the performance of others. He only pays attention to John Stockton, his main opponent in competing for the assists king and the best team and the best defensive team next season.
John Stockton made 1 of 6 shots in this game, 1 of 3 3-pointers, missed a 2-pointer, and 3 of 3 free throws. He scored 6 points, 1 rebound, 10 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover and 1 foul.
"Stockton was beaten by Terry Porter. With this kind of performance, the Jazz deserved to lose."
Assassin Thomas said angrily: "This kind of rubbish can actually replace my place in the national team. It's a joke. I can beat him in my current state."
Joe Dumas also smiled bitterly. He had the opportunity to go, but was too embarrassed to replace the assassin, so he refused.
From their words, Zhou Quan thought of himself.
These two guys also caught the eye of the US national team, but they were not selected for some messy reasons. What about him? Does the national team know about him?
Maybe you don't know that he didn't come from a sports school, and there is no file on him in the system.
Being selected for the national team is a very important honor for an athlete, even the most important honor. It means that you are one of the best athletes in this country in this sport, and only then can you have the opportunity to play for the country.
No matter how high one's professional achievements are, they are only personal. If Maradona had not led the Argentina team to win the Hercules Cup in 1986, he would not have been so great, and he would not be qualified to become the king of the world.
Being selected for the national team will allow him to play in the Olympics. From a personal benefit point of view, it is also an excellent opportunity for him to stand in the eyes of the world.
Therefore, both in public and private matters, it is a great regret for him that he cannot participate in the national team and compete in the Olympic Games.
The next day, May 27, was the G5 game of the Eastern Conference Finals.
"The Battle of Tianwang Mountain."
Japan's Tokyo News used this headline on its front page to express the importance of this game to both teams.
In 1990, the NBA played a regular season game in Japan between the Suns and Jazz, which attracted 20,000 fans to watch the game.
It was also from that day that the NBA began to enter the attention of the Japanese, and the basketball atmosphere in Japan began to strengthen.
Then Takehiko Inoue was influenced by the NBA in the 1990s and created Slam Dunk, which is still being serialized to this day.
This comic has influenced countless Japanese young people and made the basketball atmosphere in Japan better and better. After two years of development, it has become one of the most popular sports in Japan.
At noon, the Pistons came to the United Center for training.
When resuming training, Johnselli, who was jogging, suddenly felt discomfort in his left big toe. He stopped quickly, then sat on the floor and began to take off his shoes.
"Selly, what's wrong?"
Team doctor Neville saw it and immediately ran over.
"It hurts... damn, it's bleeding."
John Salley took off his shoes and saw blood on his socks, so he knew he was in trouble.
The nail on the big toe of his left foot was broken off by Zhou Quan during the violent incident in the locker room, but it did not fall off at all. He rested for three weeks and then the nail slowly grew back, but due to the game , the pressure caused the newly grown nail to be severely deformed.
Neville checked it and said to Chuck Daly who came over: "The situation is not good. The broken nail has penetrated into the toe. Surgery is required to remove the nail."
Daly's face was ugly. It was obvious that he was going to lose his main center.
"Can't we play?" Assistant Coach Musk asked hopefully.
Neville glanced at Selly, shook his head and said: "My opinion is to have surgery immediately to avoid inflammation. It will take at least four weeks of recovery time."
At this time, the players all came over, and when they heard this, they all looked disappointed.
Joe Dumars shook his head helplessly. Without John Salley, what are the chances of the Pistons winning the Eastern Conference Finals?
He was a little sad.
However, they were swept last year and have defeated the Bulls twice this year. Even if they lose, this record should be acceptable.
The assassin's disappointment was more obvious than that of Joe Dumars. He knew that he had completely lost the chance to counterattack Jordan.
If Jordan cannot be defeated in the Eastern Conference Finals this time, his state will be even worse next season. Maybe the team will trade him after Troy Weaver takes over. Then he will have to retire. If he wants to defeat Jordan in his career, it will be impossible. It’s impossible.
Zhou Quan was even more disappointed. Of course, he remained calm and there was nothing visible on his face.
Seeing that everyone was disappointed, John Salley thought for a while and said in a low voice: "How about we cut off the pierced nails without any surgery first, and give me an injection at night, so I can hold on?"
Everyone was speechless and their nails were broken. Do you think you are an iron man?
"Okay, John, prepare for the surgery, we will need you next season." Chuck Daly immediately rejected Selly's words.
Of course John Salley will not insist anymore. He is just showing his attitude. In fact, he doesn't want to fight so hard now. After all, he has won two championships in his hands. If the injury worsens due to forced playing, he will be the one who suffers in the end. If it affects His career suffered a huge loss.
Chuck Daly immediately arranged for Selly to go to the hospital, put him on the injured list, and activated a substitute inside man.
John Salley's injury cast a shadow over the G5 game. In the following training, the Pistons' morale dropped significantly, and the players were not very focused.
There is nothing Zhou Quan can do. Injuries are the most important reason affecting the team and cannot be avoided at all.
"Selly can't fight, what should I do now?"
"Can we still beat the Bulls?"
"Let's see how Iron Fist and Joe perform."
A group of people from the Pistons gathered around, saying something to each other, but none of them boosted morale.
John Salley is just a role player, but his injury caused the Pistons' morale to decline at a speed visible to the naked eye. Compared with the day before yesterday's draw with the Bulls, morale was not a plummet, but a plummet.
When Zhou Quan heard these words, he was both unwilling and very depressed.
He has a full level of willpower and can maintain his fighting spirit, but with his current leadership ability and seniority in the team, there is no way to really inspire the morale of these old guys.
At this time, there is a problem with the lineup. Empty words to encourage morale are of no use. Even if the morale is temporarily raised, as long as the real results are seen on the court and the team is at a disadvantage, the morale will immediately drop.
This made him very unwilling, but he did not have the same qualifications as Jordan. After all, Jordan had a lot of hard honors and was the real number one player in the Bulls. He only had one best rookie and one defensive second team, which gave him no confidence. Shouting at these veterans, if it were Jordan, in addition to spouting trash talk, he might also just go up with old fists.
He pulled the assassin aside and said, "Isiah, this won't work. We don't need to fight in this state, we will lose."
"What do you think we should do?" The assassin had no idea.
Zhou Quan said with a headache: "Are you trash-talking them?"
The assassin rolled his eyes at Zhou Quan and said, "Do you think I am Jordan?"
"What should we do?"
"As a leader, you'd better say a few words to save morale." The assassin said.
"Oh well."
Zhou Quan nodded. Since there was no other way, he had no choice but to talk and boost morale first.
"Hey, guys..."
He shouted, beckoning everyone to come over, and then said: "Selly can't fight. Do you all think we are destined to lose?"
"Iron Fist, without Celi, we are missing a big piece of defense and rebounding inside, how can we still play?" Mark Aguirre shook his head.
Zhou Quan used his brain, thought for a while and said: "The Bulls' inside line is average. We also have Rodman, who can support the inside line. Let's compete with them on the outside line."
Ulrich said worriedly: "Dennis's condition is also average. Besides, our outside line may..."
He didn't say anything further, but the implication must be that the outside might not be able to compete with Jordan and Pippen.
"Don't worry, I got at least 20 rebounds tonight." Rodman slapped his chest and shouted.
"Dennis, good job."
Zhou Quan was very pleased that the morale of so many people was not high, but Da Chong was in good mental condition and had high fighting spirit. Unfortunately, although his spirit was good, his body was not strong enough.
"Does anyone want to say anything else?" he said, looking at everyone.
"Iron Fist, you can say whatever you want," Joe Dumars said.
Zhou Quan nodded and stared at everyone. Since he couldn't hit or scold them, he would put some pressure on them from a mental level.
Sometimes he regrets that he should not have said that violence was not allowed in the locker room. Sometimes violence is the most effective method.
His eyes were very oppressive, which lifted everyone's spirits.
After everyone's attention was on him, he said: "Brothers, we have tied with the Bulls. Although Selly can't fight now, do we have to surrender and admit defeat and kneel in front of the Bulls? ?”
"That's impossible, I'd rather die." The assassin shouted angrily, his face full of sternness.
"Isaiah is right, he would rather die standing than live on his knees. We must continue to fight against the bull, and we cannot think that we are going to lose in our hearts." Zhou Quan said loudly.
"Iron Fist was right, we fought the Bulls," Darnell Walker shouted back.
The same goes for several fringe substitutes. They are different from Joe Dumars and others. They have no championship, no honors, and mainly no big contracts, so they still want to give it a try, maybe get some experience with the Pistons, but it's a pity. His strength is too poor, he has no chance to play, and he even entered the rotation. He can only support Zhou Quan mentally.
With their support, Zhou Quan temporarily stabilized the team's morale.
But he knew that this little morale could not cope with the wolf-like Bulls and Michael Jordan.
…
(End of chapter)
