As the players came down, Phil Jackson was thinking.
Just now, Joe Dumars prevented Pippen's breakthrough, and now Zhou Quan's off-ball movement has successfully found a big open space. In other words, the Bulls have problems on both ends of the offense and defense. Not only did they not play what he wanted. Offense and defense, and was restrained by the Pistons.
He was somewhat mentally prepared for Joe Dumars to guard Pippen. After all, Joe Dumars was the All-Defensive First Team three times and the Second Team once.
But he was not mentally prepared for Zhou Quan to play without the ball. He thought the Assassin was playing without the ball.
Although he called a timeout, he actually didn't have a good solution because he was not good at making changes on the spot.
After Jordan and others sat down, he said to Pippen: "Scotty, when you are holding the ball on the wing, do a pick-and-roll with John and try to misplace the assassin."
After hesitating for a moment, Pippen nodded without speaking.
He was a little unhappy, thinking that Phil Jackson didn't believe in him and it was just a failed attack. He felt that he was capable of beating Joe Dumars alone.
Phil Jackson said to Jordan again: "Michael, the Pistons' tactics are a bit strange. You have to go all out on the offensive end and try to make up for the lost points."
Jordan nodded and said nothing.
His attention was still on the attack and defense just now. Zhou Quan used the crowd in the paint area to easily get rid of him, which made him feel very bad.
In last year's Eastern Conference Finals, Zhou Quan was like this when he occasionally played without the ball. This kind of running ability left him helpless.
Phil Jackson then said to Williams, Grant, and Pippen: "If Iron Fist continues to play without the ball and gets into the crowd, you have to block him in time or switch defenses, but be careful not to be blown away. folder."
"clear."
Just to remind them to play on the sidelines, the three of them nodded.
The timeout ends and the Bulls attack.
On the right wing, Jordan held the ball and played singles against Zhou Quan. He made a fake shot and took two steps toward the three-point line before being stuck to the inside by Zhou Quan. He suddenly turned around, arched his back to Zhou Quan once, and then immediately turned around and shot a fadeaway jumper.
Zhou Quan took a step forward, jumped forward, and almost covered Jordan's body. Although he did not block the ball with his desperate defense, it affected Jordan's shot.
"boom!"
It missed a little, and the basketball hit the backboard again, and was caught by Rodman.
"MJ missed two shots. Doesn't he feel good today?" Bill Walton said.
Williams smiled and said: "Normally, his long two-point shooting rate is generally 40%, and his mid-range two-point shooting rate is a little higher. The near two-point shooting rate within the paint area is the lowest, just over 30%. If the outside jump shot is not good, he will definitely have to strengthen his breakthrough. Now, scoring at the basket is his weapon."
The Assassins advanced, John Paxson defended.
Zhang Lili joked: "Both of them are reluctant to start, and both have serious injuries. No one dares to work hard. If they are injured, it may affect the final result of the series."
"Injuries are the number one killer in sports." Sun Zhenping nodded.
Zhang Lili lamented: “If Isiah Thomas is at his peak, John Paxson is simply not good enough in front of him.
Paxson, a white man, has average physical fitness. If it were two or three years ago, the assassin would have been able to get through with one breakthrough, very easily. "
Zhou Quan repeated his old trick and entered the paint area from the left wing again.
Williams moved sideways to block, but Zhou Quan turned around and bypassed him. Instead of blocking Zhou Quan, he blocked Jordan.
Zhou Quan took the opportunity to pass through the paint area, and Pippen, who followed Joe Dumas into the paint area, quickly turned around and changed defense.
In this way, Zhou Quan ran to the right wing, the assassin passed the ball down, and he caught the ball and hit Pippen alone.
Joe Dumars, on the other hand, pulled to the left wing and brought Jordan back to the left wing.
Playing small to hit big, Zhou Quan faked a shot and really jumped out. After shaking Pippen, he immediately started to accelerate and stepped past Pippen. Then before Grant could cover up the defense, he made an emergency stop jumper one step away from the right waist.
"brush!"
He made a two-point open jump shot and the basketball went hollow into the basket.
"Wow, using the same style of play, Tekken hit a mid-range shot again. I didn't expect Tekken to play so well without the ball. His ability to move without the ball is quite strong. Jordan has already missed him twice." Bill Waugh said Dun said in surprise.
Williams laughed: "During the Eastern Conference Finals last year, Iron Fist occasionally played without the ball, and it was the same way. He entered the paint area and used the crowd to get rid of Jordan.
Moreover, he is also like this on the defensive end. If Jordan wants to pass through the paint area, he cannot get rid of him. Later, when Jordan hits him, he does not even enter the paint area. "
Nodding, Bill Walton smiled and said: "Iron Fist's talent for getting into crowds is indeed unique and very sensitive. I think his ability is no worse than Boggs."
Next, Jordan made a shot, and Zhou Quan tried his old trick again, but failed and was trapped in the penalty area.
"Iron Fist's ability to get through people's cracks also has a big flaw. Not only the defender may consciously block him, but the movement of his teammates may also block him." Bill Walton said.
"If the success rate of running can reach half, it would be very good. It is a first-class running without the ball." Williams nodded.
At the 10th minute of the first quarter, the Bulls called timeout for the third time, and the two sides entered the substitution process. The score at this time was 25:18, and the Pistons were already leading by 7 points.
Jordan made 3 of 7 shots, missed the first two shots, and then made 3 of 5 shots over Zhou Quan, plus 2 of 2 free throws. His hand started to get hotter, and he scored 8 points.
Paxson got an open opportunity and hit a three-pointer.
Pippen made 1 of 3 shots on Joe Dumars' head, with average efficiency.
On the Pistons side, Zhou Quan, who was playing without the ball, focused on attacking with all his strength. He used one move to get rid of Jordan in the paint area and get the advantage of openings or mismatches. He made 5 of 7 shots in ten minutes, with a hit rate of 71.4%, and scored 10 goals. point.
In 7 shots, 3 got open opportunities, all of which were made. In 4 misplaced shots, 2 of them were hit.
The assassin made a big profit and received 3 assists from Zhou Quan in less than one quarter.
"The Bulls have only one way to deal with Zhou Quan's off-ball movement, which is to block him in the penalty area. They blocked him many times. Zhou Quan only took 7 shots, but his hit rate was really high!" Sun Zhenping laughed. road.
Zhang Lili said excitedly: "I didn't expect the Pistons to play so well today. I didn't expect Zhou Quan to play so well without the ball. I didn't expect the Bulls to beat the small ones with big ones, but instead they were beaten by the Pistons and beat the big ones with small ones, haha!"
Sun Zhenping smiled and said: "If we continue like this, Coach Zhang, the Pistons should be able to win this game, right? It would be great if they can win."
Zhang Lili put away his smile, pondered for a moment and then said: "If Phil Jackson can come up with suitable tactics, it is possible to change the situation. It depends on his ability."
At this point, he changed the topic and said with a smile: "But he is good at adjusting the players' psychology. Maybe he can't find a good way for a while."
On the Bulls bench, Jordan kept chewing gum very quickly, which showed that he was very mentally unstable.
Phil Jackson replaced John Paxson and replaced him with BJ, who faced off against the Assassin, giving the Assassin strength in confrontation.
In these ten minutes, the Assassins did not attack, they just controlled the ball and passed the ball to Zhou Quan. Paxson could not prevent his pass.
He was very troubled by Zhou Quan's off-the-ball movement, but he had no better way to solve it. He could only use people to block it. The defensive effect was too poor. He did not expect Zhou Quan's off-the-ball ability to be so strong.
On the Pistons side, the assassin was replaced. He had an old injury. It was good to be in the starting lineup, but it was impossible to play the whole quarter.
Chuck Daly replaced Ulrich, Joe Dumars also went to rest, Zhou Quan returned to the first position, Mark Aguirre played the second position, and Polynice and Terry Mills were replaced in the paint. Zhou Quan was left alone in the starting lineup.
In the first four games of the second round, Zhou Quan played in three games, averaging 46.5 minutes per game. Facing the powerful Bulls and Jordan, Chuck Daly did not dare to replace him.
For the Bulls, Jordan continued to play, and everyone else was replaced.
Zhou Quan did not attack and mainly focused on defense and organization.
Joe Dumars and the Assassins are both gone, and no one is passing the ball to him. He can no longer play without the ball, but when attacking with the ball, there are no strong outside teammates around him to contain him. Even if Jordan is missed, the Bulls will easily catch him. When he broke through, he was surrounded by multiple players in the penalty area.
Jordan, on the other hand, went all out to attack and wanted to chase points. He made 1 of 3 shots in two minutes, including 0 of 1 three-pointers. His touch was not good, and he scored 10 points in the first quarter.
After the first quarter, 27:20, the Bulls were still 7 points behind at home.
Bill Walton said: "Today Pippen and Joe Dumars' offensive efficiency was not high, and the same was true for Jordan. They made 4 of 10 shots, 0 of 2 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws. Only Iron Fist's efficiency was high enough. "
Williams continued: "The difference of 7 points is not big. If Jordan's touch becomes hot, it will be easy to chase points. So if the Pistons want to win, they must not only maintain their advantage on the offensive end, but also maintain their defense against Jordan on the defensive end." The pressure cannot make him explode."
Bill Walton smiled and said: "The key to winning or losing the game is no longer Jordan's offense."
"what is that?"
Williams was startled and looked at Bill Walton.
Bill Walton laughed: "Once the main force comes back and Iron Fist plays without the ball again, how will the Bulls defend? Unless Phil Jackson comes up with a solution. Maybe Jordan will try his best to break through and improve his offensive efficiency."
In the second quarter, both sides were still in the same lineup at the end of the first quarter.
Jordan's offense stalled, and his physical fitness also had its limits. It was impossible to attack non-stop within 48 minutes. Physical fitness also needs to be distributed on the court, otherwise insufficient physical fitness will occur at important moments.
Zhou Quan also had a tacit understanding and did not attack. He knew that if he attacked, Jordan would definitely follow. However, he was not as good as Jordan in terms of physical fitness, so it was better to save his physical fitness for the second half.
In this way, the second quarter progressed at a leisurely pace. By the 5th minute, the Pistons were already leading by 8 points. At this time, Jordan, who was resting, suddenly exerted his strength. First, he hit a three-pointer, and then interrupted the cycle. Quan scored a goal and successfully counterattacked, scoring 5 points in a row and launching a 5:0 attack wave.
After half a quarter, 38:35, the Pistons still led by 3 points.
The Pistons called a timeout and then replaced the starting lineup. The Bulls followed suit, but instead of Paxson, they played BJ.
"If he wants to get into the crowd, we will squeeze him to death."
There is no better way. Phil Jackson can only let the players do this. The paint area is only that big. Zhou Quan's physique is not small. He is not a little mouse like Bogues who is 160 centimeters and 60 kilograms. He doesn't believe in the paint area. There were so many people on both sides unable to stop Zhou Quan.
Pistons offense.
The Assassin held the ball at the top of the arc and BJ pressed for the ball. He responded calmly while observing Zhou Quan's movement.
Zhou Quan entered the paint area from the right waist this time, but Grant moved up and blocked him.
He went down around the opponent and entered the paint, trying to get rid of Jordan through Rodman's screen, but Jordan followed closely and failed.
As soon as he rounded Grant, he saw that there were no obstacles on the way to the left, which could not get rid of Jordan, so he immediately changed direction upwards, deliberately burrowed into the crowd, and slipped through the gap between Grant and Sekali. past.
Grant wanted to move and block Zhou Quan again, but he felt it was too late, so he didn't move.
Jordan followed Zhou Quan and ran upwards, and Seikali did not dare to move the screen. This is the Bulls' home court, and it is not cost-effective to be called to move the screen.
But as soon as Zhou Quan ran between the two, he suddenly changed direction to the left, bypassed Grant, and ran back to the left wing.
Jordan quickly bypassed Grant from below and caught up, but he was already a step too late.
However, his speed is very fast, and he is within reach of one step. If Zhou Quan catches the ball and takes a shot, he can still catch up and block the shot. If Zhou Quan moves slowly, he will not even have a chance to take the shot.
The assassin's eyes lit up at the top of the arc, and he suddenly stepped back and jumped, passing the ball from BJ's head to Zhou Quan with both hands. The passing speed was very fast, and there was an advance amount.
Seeing the ball coming, Zhou Quan jumped forward, caught the ball in the air, turned around, and was already facing the basket when he landed.
At this time, he saw Jordan rushing over from a step away, and immediately raised the ball with both hands, and Jordan immediately flew up.
"Bang!"
At the next moment, collect the ball, dribble one step to the left, and then make a jump shot.
"Shet!"
Flying past Zhou Quan, Jordan missed it.
"brush!"
The water splashed and he hit a two-pointer.
"Beautiful! No one can keep up with this movement!" Zhang Lili said excitedly.
Sun Zhenping laughed and said: "Zhou Quan just circled around Grant and then got rid of Jordan."
Zhang Lili smiled and said: "Qiaodan is indeed strong and he caught up. Fortunately, Zhou Quan was quite calm and used a fake move to knock Jordan away."
"boom!"
Jordan returned to the offensive end, broke through Zhou Quan with a tentative step, and went to the basket for a dunk. Seikali did not dare to block it, and with a powerful dunk, he exploded the Pistons' basket.
"ah!"
He let out a bad breath, and even though he was quite depressed after the beating, he roared excitedly.
When Zhang Lili saw this dunk, he couldn't help but sigh: "I think Jordan was like this when he was playing with the Bad Boys. He was not afraid of villains like Bill Laimbeer at all. He just rushed in and beat Chuck. Leigh came up with the Jordan Rules.
Now the Pistons' interior defense is far less rigid than it was back then. He is even more unscrupulous. Rodman alone can't guard him at all. "
40:37, Pistons attack.
Zhou Quan repeated his old trick, but this time his movement was not smooth and he was blocked by Scott Williams and Sekali. Then Jordan chased after him. Under Jordan's intentional entanglement, both of them fell into the crowd. among.
"boom!"
So the Assassin gave the ball to Joe Dumars, who singled out Pippen and missed the jumper.
The basketball bounced toward the front right side of the basket, where several people jumped up at the same time and knocked the ball away. Then Rodman took off a second time and Superman grabbed the basketball.
"Not bad! At the critical moment, Da Chong grabbed an offensive rebound." Bill Walton praised.
Joe Dumars moved down, received the ball from Rodman on the right wing near the baseline, and then made another jump shot, and Pippen flew to block the shot.
"boom!"
Still missing, the rebound was taken by Seikali, who quickly gave it to Zhou Quan on the left wing.
Facing Jordan's defense, Zhou Quan took a tentative step. When Jordan retreated from defense, he retracted his right foot. Instead, he took a step back with the ball, completely distancing himself from Jordan, and then made a jump shot.
"brush!"
The water splashed and he hit a two-pointer.
Bill Walton said excitedly: "Trying step fake breakthrough + step-back jumper, beautiful! Iron Fist hit the 8th goal tonight. In less than halftime, he scored 16 points on 8 of 12 shots, with a shooting percentage of 66.6%. .
He was in great shape today. Whether it was open or misplaced, or facing Jordan, he could make a shot. He was the most critical factor in the Pistons' lead tonight. "
Williams said: "Jordan has made 7 of 15 shots, with a shooting percentage of 46.7%. He made 4 of 10 shots in the first quarter and 4 of 5 in the second quarter. His state broke out in the second quarter, and Iron Fist basically couldn't defend him. But when Jordan broke out When it happens, no one can guard against it.”
42:37, Bulls attack.
(End of chapter)
