"The Battle of Tianwang Mountain."
The Tokyo Daily News gave this name to the G5 game, which refers to the key battle that determines the strength of both sides.
Many stars arrived at the United Center to watch the game live.
The game started at eight o'clock, and before seven o'clock, fans filled the stadium, and the atmosphere was warm and tense.
"Ervin, who do you think has a better chance of winning this game?" A reporter interviewed Magic Johnson.
He said: "Of course the Bulls are playing at home. And at critical moments, I believe in Michael Jordan's ability and his mental quality.
On the other hand, the Pistons currently have no one who can stand up at critical moments, no explosive scoring, and no ability to make a comeback once they fall behind by a big score.
Under Michael's defense, Iron Fist's offense was still a little worse, it was still not sharp enough, its offense was not decisive enough, and it did not believe in its own abilities.
His breakthrough with the ball is good, but in most cases, he distributes the ball after the breakthrough instead of solving the problem himself. I suggest that he strengthen his shots and shoot more decisively. "
"Guess why he said that?" Zhou Quan suddenly asked in the visiting team's locker room, staring at the TV on the wall.
"I encourage you to take action and destroy your most powerful passing ability." The assassin also stared at the magician on the TV, with an indifferent light shining in his eyes.
"I know, I asked him why he said that." Zhou Quan smiled.
"You also have conflicts with him?" the assassin asked curiously.
"I didn't hear that!" Joe Dumas said.
"No." Zhou Quan shook his head.
He smiled and said: "People's hearts are very complicated. This guy doesn't know what other purpose he has."
He was actually thinking of the Lakers. The Lakers had contacted Philip and hoped that he could play for the Lakers. Magic had just acquired 5% of the Lakers' shares and was the Lakers' minor owner.
So, is this guy hoping that he will not succeed in the Pistons, or is he deliberately belittling him so that he will be more easily traded by the Lakers?
He can't decide the transaction, but he can also exert certain pressure to facilitate the Lakers' transaction. This may be the Lakers' purpose.
However, if Magic and the Lakers really mean this, he doesn't want to go to the Lakers, and he doesn't want to be plotted against.
At this time, Rodman shouted: "Iron Fist, after the second round, the league will announce the best lineup. I think you have hope of being selected for the double first team?"
"Double burst?"
Everyone, including Zhou Quan, was stunned.
"possible."
Joe Dumars smiled. Last year he was selected for the All-Defensive First Team, but this season Zhou Quan's defensive performance did surpass him and he has a better chance of being selected for the first team than him.
As for the best team, he has been selected to the third team twice, and he should have a chance this year, but at most he is the second team. He never thought about who can compete with Jordan at the second position?
Iron Fist does have a chance. After all, at the No. 1 position, from personal performance to team record, no point guard currently performs better than him.
"Dennis, you are also expected to be selected for the best defensive team, maybe for the first time." Zhou Quan smiled.
Rodman immediately laughed. He didn't care about these vanities, but with these things, he had the confidence to ask for a bigger contract.
At this time, Jordan was on the phone with Barkley in the home team's locker room.
"Charles, don't lose to David Robinson. This is a rare opportunity. I also want to taste how it feels to kill you in the finals."
"Michael, don't try to beat me this time. We will definitely get the match point tonight, and you, be careful not to get killed by that Iron Fist guy."
"How is that possible? I will definitely win tonight."
Jordan's voice suddenly became sharp, and there was an invincible energy and an extremely strong competitive spirit coming from the phone.
"Me too." Buckley said unwillingly.
…
Tonight's game is very crucial. If the Bulls lose and the Pistons get match point, the Bulls' hope of winning three consecutive championships will be sharply reduced, so the attention is very high.
The United Center is very lively, with a large number of celebrities hanging out.
At 7:30, the substitutes came on to warm up, and the starting lineup was announced at the same time.
Pistons: Ronny Seikaly, Dennis Rodman, Joe Dumars, Zhou Quan, Isiah Thomas
Bulls: Scott Williams, Horace Grant, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, John Paxson
In the ABC commentary booth, after receiving the list, Bill Walton looked at it and said in surprise: "The Assassin is in the starting lineup? Then the Pistons are at a disadvantage due to their height on the perimeter. How can they play like this?"
Lewis Williams was also a little surprised, but said: "Ulrich's performance on the field was too poor and became a loophole targeted by the Bulls. It is also a good choice for the Pistons to get him.
In this starting lineup, I think Iron Fist will still be in charge of the ball. The Assassin's current physical condition seems to be okay, better than last season, and he played less in the regular season.
His role on the court should be similar to John Paxson, dribbling the ball through half the court, and then handing it to Iron Fist, who will face Paxson. It should be okay, everyone is injured. "
Bill Walton thought for a while and said: "When Joe Dumars defends Pippen, he has a huge height disadvantage, but the effect should be better than Ulrich. Ulrich is a defensive black hole most of the time."
At this point, he changed the topic and said: "The defensive end should be good, a little better than Ulrich, but on the offensive end, because of the height disadvantage on the outside, how can we break through the Bulls' outside defense?"
Williams nodded and said: "Pippen is guarding Joe Dumas, and with his wingspan, he has a height disadvantage of nearly 20 centimeters. Joe Dumas' performance tonight cannot be counted on, so we can only look at Iron Fist and Assassin from the outside.
However, although the assassin's current physical condition is a little better than last season, the improvement is limited. The regular season shooting rate is only 42.5%. This is still the performance of the substitute lineup. Now that he is in the starting lineup, how efficient can he be when facing the main force? , who can guarantee it? "
Bill Walton shook his head and sighed: "The Pistons are in trouble. If the Bulls don't want Ulrich to seize this loophole and beat him hard, they can only use small to beat big. If they lose this game, let the Bulls get the match point. With the strength of the Bulls, there is little hope of coming back."
In the home team's locker room, after getting the Pistons' starting lineup, Phil Jackson took one look and knew that his plan had been revealed. The Pistons would rather lose height from the outside and the depth of the bench lineup to win Ulrich. Starter.
He thought for a while and then said: "We also have an advantage in the third position, we still play the same as last time, and Pippen must continue to work hard.
Scotty, you have the height advantage. Let's start by staring at Joe Dumars to see what's going on. Defensively, you have to target Joe Dumars. "
"I'll do it."
Pippen was in great spirits.
Phil Jackson said to Jordan: "Michael, according to the Pistons' habits, you should still control the ball with an iron fist, and you should try to cut off his connection with the low post.
The two wings can be released. The Assassins will definitely not be in good condition when playing the main force. Let the iron fist be passed to Joe Dumars and Pippen will deal with him. "
Jordan nodded. Joe Dumars was not threatening with the ball. He never was. It was far less threatening than Iron Fist with the ball.
He didn't consider assassins at all. The current assassins were no longer in his eyes. When it came to festivals, Iron Fist was his number one enemy.
Soon after, the starting lineup from both sides came to the tunnel.
When the assassin and Jordan met, they both snorted coldly.
Zhou Quan smiled and joked: "It's just a game, why have you become enemies? Please, don't be so stingy and don't bring the conflicts on the field to the field."
There was a lot of security in the player tunnel, and the general managers of both teams were there, as well as reporters and photographers. When they heard this, they all found it funny. You, Larry Johnson, and Oakley all went to the boxing ring, okay?
Jordan glared at Zhou Quan, "You bastard, I can't beat you. If I can beat you, I'll trade you over and beat you in the locker room every day."
"Shh!"
The away team came on the field, the Assassins went first, and the iron fist ended. Jordan's two biggest enemies in the Pistons came out. The boos at the United Center tonight were particularly violent.
Zhang Liji smiled and said: "The assassin and Zhou Quan are really similar. They are both the kind of people who are born with a smile on their faces."
Sun Zhenping smiled and did not answer the topic, because if he continued, it might make people think that Zhou Quan was a smiling tiger.
"Victory! Victory! Victory..."
"We are resilient..."
The shouts of the home fans suppressed the shouts of the two thousand Pistons fans, but the Pistons' voice was like grass, growing and growing.
At eight o'clock, the game starts.
Jump ball, Bulls attack.
John Paxson advanced to the frontcourt with the ball, and the Assassins faced each other. He gave the ball to Pippen on the left wing and then went to the left corner.
At this time, Grant rose to a high position to provide support.
This is a requirement of the triangle tactic. John Paxson goes to the bottom corner to wait for an opportunity, and at the same time presses the opponent's point guard to the baseline, weakening the opponent's speed in launching counterattack fast breaks.
He is good at open shots and running. He hits almost 100% of his open shots and is accurate in three-pointers. His shooting percentage is even higher than Jordan's. Of course, this is because most of his shots are open shots.
However, he was injured by Zhou Quan in the battle of Auburn Hills last season. Like the assassin, he was injured later. This season, he is resting and recuperating like the assassin and did not play much. Now he is forced to start in the playoffs.
It's just that his running position is no longer good, and he can only wait for the opportunity to shoot open.
Pippen caught the ball, played big and small, and started singles on Joe Dumars.
"It depends on Joe Dumars' defense. If he can't guard Pippen, he will be in trouble." Zhang Lili said nervously.
Joe Dumas has a smaller tonnage, only 86 kilograms. He has good lower body strength and fast speed. His defensive characteristics are position selection and confrontation. He does not make many defensive moves and is not prone to fouls. Once the opponent does not rush past, he will Can entangle opponents.
Pippen's current tonnage is 102 kilograms, and the tonnage of both sides is not at the same level at all, so he knows that it is difficult for him to defend Pippen with the defensive method he is good at.
He is now standing in front of Pippen, blocking Pippen's right hand, trying to force his opponent to break through from the outside, and at the same time forcing his opponent to control the ball with his left hand, but he does not engage in confrontation because he knows he cannot resist Pippen.
Pippen was very agile. He turned around, controlled the ball with his left hand, and broke through from the outside.
Joe Dumars moved quickly and kept up with the rhythm, but still blocked Pippen's right hand, preventing his opponent from taking an easy shot or charging up.
This time, Pippen felt uncomfortable because he didn't make a step forward, got entangled, and failed to break through with the ball.
He felt that beating Joe Dumars was not as easy as beating Ulrich. If it were Ulrich, he would have jumped over in one step.
In the left blocking area, the assassin saw Pippen break through and immediately came up to attack.
"later."
Jordan had moved from the right wing to the left wing, asking for the ball behind Pippen.
Zhou Quan took the lead and blocked the passing angle of Jordan and Pippen.
Jordan immediately passed Zhou Quan, cut inside and continued to ask for the ball. The main purpose was actually to take Zhou Quan away to prevent Zhou Quan from attacking Pippen.
But Zhou Quan turned around and attacked Pippen from behind.
At this time, the assassins' pincer attack also arrived. The three of them were one step inside the three-point line on the wing to form a three-pin attack on Pippen.
"Oops!"
When Jordan saw it, he quickly ran back to respond.
When John Paxson saw it in the left corner, he quickly moved up to meet Pippen and prepare to return to defense.
By this time, Pippen had already balled up and was holding the ball tightly in his arms.
Zhou Quan also put his hands on the basketball, and the two sides were in a stalemate.
"drop!"
The referee came over and blew his whistle, judging Pippen and Zhou Quan to compete for the ball.
Bill Walton laughed and said: "It seems that it is not easy for Pippen to beat Joe Dumars. Beating a big player against a small player has advantages, but it also has disadvantages. This is the two sides of things."
Williams nodded and said: "The speed is not as fast as others. As long as Joe Dumars is stuck in the right position and has a certain amount of confrontation ability, it will be difficult for the slower Pippen to break through."
On the sidelines, Phil Jackson stood up from his seat.
But he sat down again. One ball didn't mean anything. He had to take another look and give Pippen more opportunities. He couldn't easily adjust the established tactics.
"Snapped!"
The basketball was thrown up, and Pippen used his height to move the ball away first. He got the ball in Jordan's direction, and it was still the Bulls' ball.
Jordan caught the ball on the right side of the arc. After landing, he immediately swayed up and shook Joe Dumars. Then he got up a second time and shot a three-pointer.
Joe Dumars couldn't keep up with the rhythm and could only use his eyes to defend.
"boom!"
But the ball missed, it was short, the basketball hit the basket and bounced, and was caught by Rodman.
The Pistons attacked and the Assassin took the ball and moved forward.
When he reached the frontcourt, he did not hand the ball to Zhou Quan or Joe Dumars, but stopped at the top of the key.
"Will the Assassins control the ball? The Iron Fist will play without the ball?"
Many experts at the scene and in front of the TV were a little confused when they saw this scene.
When Phil Jackson saw this, he stood up from his seat. He first glanced at Chuck Daly, his old rival, and then stared at the court.
Joe Dumars was active on the right wing, leading Pippen towards the paint.
Zhou Quan, on the other hand, was active on the left wing and took Jordan with him to the paint area immediately.
This time, in addition to the two point guards at the top of the arc, four inside players on both sides, plus four outside players, there are eight people, and the paint area is immediately full.
Zhou Quan concentrated on moving in the crowd, and all the passages and gaps in his sight were clearly visible. Even when he turned around and moved, he also brought the space behind him into his sight. The entire paint area could not escape his full-level panoramic vision. .
He can always observe the next gap to pass in advance, so his movement is also the most agile.
"Oops!"
Michael Jordan only took three steps behind him before he was thrown away and collided with his teammate Williams.
Zhou Quan made a few twists and turns, got out of the paint area from Joe Dumars and Pippen, and reached the right wing. The entire right wing was now empty, an absolute no man's land.
"Out!"
At the top of the arc, seeing Zhou Quan get out of the paint, the Assassin suddenly moved to the right, getting rid of John Paxson and passing the ball.
Two steps away from the right waist, Zhou Quan caught the ball, turned around, and calmly made a jump shot.
At this time, Jordan was already stuck in the crowd, and so was Pippen. Grant, as a defender, was inside and was blocked by Rodman. He had no chance to make up for the defense. There was no one within three meters of Zhou Quan. A Bulls defender.
"brush!"
An open mid-range shot and a hit.
"Beautiful! This is a beautiful move. The Pistons used the small one to beat the big one, fully taking advantage of the small man's mobility." Bill Walton said happily.
"There's something wrong with the tactics."
Phil Jackson immediately signaled a timeout, and the Bulls called a timeout after serving.
"Is this called a timeout?"
Countless Bulls fans were a little confused. The game had just started, and Phil Jackson's timeout made them feel a little bad.
(End of chapter)
