The timeout ended. This was the Pistons' fourth foul in this quarter, and the Bulls served from the frontline.
When Michael Jordan saw Joe Dumars following him, he immediately pushed the opponent closer to the paint area, and then asked for the ball.
But Joe Dumas immediately moved forward, and the assassin blocked BJ's right side, cutting off the connection between the two.
At this time, Pippen asked for the ball at the right three-point line, Zhou Quan went to the line to defend, and BJ passed the ball.
"Snapped!"
At this moment, Zhou Quan rushed to the line like a leopard, completed the steal, and then continued to pounce forward to start the fast break.
"oh!"
Surprises echoed through the United Center.
"Beautiful! Well done Iron Fist!"
"Yes, Iron Fist, do it like this!"
Stars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and O'Neal who supported Zhou Quan stood up and roared excitedly.
No one can catch up with Zhou Quan. Pippen is not as fast as him. When BJ at the top of the arc and Jordan on the right turn back to defend, their rhythm slows down a beat and they can no longer catch up with him.
One step past the free throw line, holding the ball high with one hand, he took off with all his strength. When gliding forward, he turned 360 degrees in the air and then connected with a tomahawk chop.
"boom!"
The whole place fell silent for a moment.
"Oh ho!"
Then there were loud cheers and shouts from the Pistons.
"Shh!"
After the Bulls fans reacted, they immediately booed and suppressed the Pistons' cheers.
"Zhou Quan's 22nd point. By the way, it's also his fifth steal. There's no way to call it this steal. Pippen hasn't touched the ball yet, otherwise it might be another thug foul." Zhang Lili was happy. typical.
"61:55, the Pistons still lead by 6 points. Jordan scored 9 points in a row in this quarter, but Zhou Quan also scored 9 points in a row. They are really strong!" Sun Zhenping said excitedly.
Phil Jackson stood up from the bench, frowning a little.
When the Bulls attacked, he observed the Pistons' defense and frowned even more.
Jordan found that he couldn't catch the ball near the paint area. Even if he got rid of Joe Dumars, BJ was locked by the assassin and had no chance to pass the ball to him.
BJ could only pass the ball to Pippen. Pippen took a step forward to catch the ball this time, very cautiously.
After catching the ball, Pippen leaned sideways against Zhou Quan and raised the ball high with his right hand, not giving his opponent a chance to poke the ball.
At this time, Jordan used Grant's screen to get rid of Joe Dumars, ran through the penalty area to the left wing and asked for the ball. Pippen passed the ball over the top.
With a 96-level nerve reaction speed, Zhou Quan reacted instantly with full concentration, his body rose up, and his right hand reached up.
"Snapped!"
A close-to-top precision strike, and the big hand just caught the ball.
"Oh, beautiful! So beautiful! Another steal, Iron Fist steals the ball again!" Bill Walton roared very excitedly.
Pippen and Jordan fought back and forth, trying to counterattack on the spot, but Zhou Quan released the ball too quickly. When it landed, he threw his right hand to the right wing, and the ball flew over the top of the arc and beyond the right wing three-point line.
There, Joe Dumars had turned around, and beside him was only Grant, who was switching defenses in the pick-and-roll. After receiving the ball, he immediately started to drop quickly, threw Grant away, and launched a counterattack.
"boom!"
BJ returned to defense from the center, and Joe Dumas took the ball to the basket and hit a flying dunk, completely ignoring BJ.
"ah!"
The most excited person was Zhou Quan, who punched and roared repeatedly.
He raised his right hand, retracted three fingers, and made a Y sign with only the index finger remaining.
"This is?"
Countless people saw the gesture and felt it.
Zhang Lili laughed and said: "If you call me two fouls, I will repay you with two steals. This should be what Zhou Quan wants to express."
"The sixth steal. The score is now 63:55, and the Pistons lead by 8 points." Sun Zhenping said excitedly.
On the court, Zhou Quan shouted to Pippen: "Hey, Buffalo, don't pass the ball in front of me, just shoot it yourself. This is my advice to you."
Pippen opened his mouth and closed it again.
Sorry, I'm deaf, I didn't hear this sentence, this is his ostrich mentality at this time.
Pippen is also a very tough and arrogant person, otherwise he would not be nicknamed "Bison". He has a lot of brute strength. It is also because of this character that he dared to chat with Catherine in front of Zhou Quan in the Eastern Conference Finals last year.
But the one who provoked him was Zhou Quan, a professional boxer who had beaten him violently. He could only endure it. Just like enduring Jordan's insults for many years, the habit became natural.
Bulls offense.
Pippen is also a person who does not believe in evil. When he saw Jordan couldn't catch the ball after running for several seconds, he asked for the ball again.
BJ had no choice. Jordan's passing angle was locked by the Assassin, and the movement was not smooth. Grant was entangled by Rodman, and Scott was not an offensive option. He could only pass to Pippen.
Pippen catches the ball with his left elbow in front and his right hand behind him. His hands are no smaller than Jordan's, and his control of the ball is very strong.
Zhou Quan stood one step away, pointed his right hand at the foot, and said loudly to Pippen: "Listen up, Scottie Pippen, right here, I am going to steal your ball again here."
"oh!"
Everyone who heard it exclaimed.
"Crack, click, click..."
Zhou Quan's voice was not quiet. Some media reporters behind the line heard it, and the cameras in their hands immediately flashed crazily.
Larry Bird was also on the sidelines. When he heard this, he patted his knee and laughed.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and O'Neal also laughed.
Pippin's face turned red and he gritted his teeth.
"Iron Fist, just wait for me."
At this moment, he vowed to hit Zhou Quan on the head.
The referee stood aside and stared at the two of them nervously.
"Give me."
At this time, Jordan on the right wing ran to Pippen's side.
Pippen turned right and moved his right hand back, avoiding Jordan's hands trying to catch the ball.
Just when Pippen turned right, Zhou Quan suddenly rose up and stepped up quickly from Pippen's left side and his own right side.
When he crossed Pippen's body, Pippen moved his right hand holding the ball back to get out of Jordan's hand.
"Snapped!"
The 96-level nerve reaction speed allowed Zhou Quan to react immediately. Coupled with precise strikes, he picked up the left hand and the ball caught in Pippen's right hand flew out and flew to the midline.
"oh!"
The whole audience exclaimed.
"Oh ho!"
Larry Bird, O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and others jumped up from their seats and screamed strangely.
"Get the ball quickly!"
Chuck Daly jumped with excitement.
Pippen had no chance to steal the ball. Jordan reacted immediately and turned around to pounce on the ball.
The one who was faster than him was of course Zhou Quan. Zhou Quan took advantage of the momentum of the steal to surpass Jordan by one step, took the lead in controlling the ball, and then rushed past the midline.
This past is like a wild horse running wild, and no one can catch up with him again.
By the time Jordan's speed picked up, he was already two steps behind Zhou Quan. This was one step behind, every step behind. Even with his full explosive power, he couldn't catch up.
"boom!"
The Bulls' basket was exploded again.
"Oh yeah! Iron Fist sent out a tomahawk chop! This was his 24th point, 7th steal, and 3rd steal in the third quarter. He broke his personal playoff single-game steal record." Bill Waugh Dun shouted excitedly.
Lewis Williams was even more excited and said: "After receiving news from our on-site reporter Houston, just before the steal happened, Iron Fist said to Pippen, right here, I want to steal you, yes, that's what he said. , he did what he said, he stole Scottie Pippen again. Haha!"
"Oh, did Iron Fist really say that?" Bill Walton asked excitedly.
"Really, haha, Houston said a lot of people just heard it." Williams laughed.
Bill Walton said excitedly: "Then this will be a famous scene, a famous scene between Iron Fist and Pippen, haha!"
65:55, the Bulls trailed by 10 points.
Phil Jackson had already called a timeout in advance.
When Zhou Quan came off the field, he did not return to the bench. Instead, he came to the Pistons fans and interacted with them. The Assassins also followed.
"Victory will be ours!"
Zhou Quan raised his fist and roared loudly.
"Victory! Victory! Victory..."
The crazy shouts of the two thousand Pistons fans actually reached the scale of 20,000, which made the home fans unable to suppress the boos for a while, and the Pistons' momentum also skyrocketed.
Jordan's face was livid and he did not have an attack on the court, but as soon as he returned to the bench, he sprayed at Pippen: "Are you crazy? Why don't you give the ball to me? Are you crazy? This It's a tiebreaker, it's a tiebreaker. Do you want to be eliminated? Don't you want to win three consecutive championships?
Now we are embarrassed. He did what he said and stole you. You have become an eternal background. Is this the result you want? You idiot! You idiot! "
Pippen was sprayed so hard that he buried his head in his legs like an ostrich.
Fortunately, the United Center was too noisy at this time. Bulls fans were booing Pistons fans, but no one heard Jordan's roar.
"Okay, Michael, calm down." Phil Jackson advised.
"How do you want me to calm down? We are ten points behind."
Michael Jordan's roar was directed at Phil Jackson. At this moment, he was a tyrant.
After the timeout, the game restarted, and Jordan took over the ball, sometimes catching the ball in the backcourt, and sometimes catching the ball across the center line.
For the rest of the third quarter, the Bulls stretched out and he singled out Joe Dumars with the ball again and again.
On the defensive end, he still mainly defends Zhou Quan.
He made 3 of 3 shots from the front, 3 of 3 free throws, and scored 9 points in a row. He made 4 of 7 shots from the back, a hit rate of 57.1%, and 2 of 2 free throws. He made 7 of 10 shots in the whole quarter, with a hit rate of 70%. He scored 19 points in a single quarter. points, the efficiency is amazing.
But even so, the Bulls still failed to regain the points difference, but were widened.
Because Chuck Daly adjusted his defensive strategy in time, he let Jordan play alone and lock down the other four Bulls. This is another extreme manifestation of Jordan's law.
Zhou Quan made all four shots in the quarter, including a three-pointer. Facing Jordan's defense later, he still combined the three of sudden shots and passes, which was extremely threatening.
His touch declined slightly later on. Under Jordan's single defense, he made 2 of 5 shots, 5 of 5 free throws, and 6 of 9 shots in a single quarter, with a shooting percentage of 66.6%. He scored 18 points in a single quarter, and also had 3 assists and 3 assists. Steals.
However, when he broke through with the ball later, he was called for an offensive foul. He committed three fouls in a single quarter and has now committed four fouls.
In addition, the Pistons still have an advantage in rebounding. Rodman grabbed 6 rebounds in the third quarter, and Seikali had 3. The Pistons had 14 rebounds in a single quarter, while the Bulls only had 8. The Pistons got Take more shots.
The score between the two sides in the third quarter was 32:25. Under Jordan's crazy attack, relying on Zhou Quan's explosive performance and the advantage in rebounding, the Pistons played a better offense and led by 7 points in a single quarter.
84:71, at the end of the third quarter, the Pistons already led by 13 points.
"Congratulations to Iron Fist, you scored 18 points in a single quarter. This is your highest scoring record in a single quarter in the playoffs of your career." Bill Walton smiled.
"There are also 7 steals, which is also his highest steal record in a single game in the playoffs." Lewis Williams said.
"But Iron Fist should be careful. He committed four fouls, three in the third quarter. If he doesn't control the fifth foul early, he will be in trouble." Bill Walton reminded.
Williams said: “Judging from the situation in the third quarter, in single defense, Jordan and Iron Fist were really at odds with each other.
Jordan's personal offensive firepower is more powerful, while Iron Fist combines a variety of sudden shooting and passing options, and his threat with the ball is not weaker than Jordan's. "
Bill Walton said: "Rebounding is a big problem. Without enough shots, no matter how strong Jordan's firepower is and how efficient he is, he can't win the ball.
I now want to praise Mr. General Manager Troy Weaver. He traded John Salley and the draft pick for Ronny Seikaly. The biggest effect is to strengthen rebounding. "
On the Bulls bench, the atmosphere was dull, but on the Pistons bench, it was the complete opposite.
"Rebounds, everyone come in and fight for rebounds." Phil Jackson said with a very stern expression.
"Rebounds, continue to strengthen rebound control, we have to use our shots to crush them." Chuck Daly said sternly.
Soon, the final quarter began and the Pistons attacked.
At the beginning, Jordan first stole the assassin in a fierce double attack and made a counterattack. Then he prevented Zhou Quan from missing a jump shot. He successfully counterattacked again and made 2 of 2 shots. He also caused a foul by Joe Dumars and made consecutive shots and penalties. After scoring 5 points, his ultimate form was finally forced out by the Pistons.
In the last minute of the quarter, the Pistons did not score a point, 84:76, and still led by 8 points.
Chuck Daly called timeout and replaced the assassin.
The assassin was on his last legs. After playing 25 minutes in the first three quarters, his body could no longer hold up.
He replaced Mark Aguirre and asked him to face BJ.
"Listen up, from now on, double-team Jordan. As long as he has the ball in his hands, double-team him immediately."
He rearranged the defense and said to Mark Aguirre, who replaced the assassin: "Mark, if you have a chance outside, double-team Jordan and take a side kick."
"clear."
Mark Aguirre nodded.
The next game entered a real heat, from the low post to the outside, from the key position to fighting for rebounds, from offense to defense, every position began to fight.
In the 10th minute of the final quarter, 100:94, the Bulls were still 6 points behind and called a second timeout.
In these ten minutes, Jordan was under siege. Joe Dumars, Mark Aguirre, and Rodman in the low post. Even Zhou Quan would attack him when he had the chance. It was difficult for him to get in when he was exhausted, but He still made 4 of 7 jump shots from outside, including 1 of 2 three-pointers, plus 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 11 points.
Under Jordan's defense, Zhou Quan lost his physical fitness and reduced his offense. He focused on organizing passes and once again sent three assists and one steal. The ball he stole was from the unlucky Pippen. He had already broken the ball three times in the second half. Puffy ball.
Under his organization and passing, the Pistons barely withstood the crazy Jordan's offense.
Williams said: "Tekken didn't attack much in this quarter, making 1 of 3 shots and 2 of 2 free throws. The rest of the Pistons also had a mediocre feel. They were chased by 7 points even though they took more shots. The final outcome has not yet been determined. .”
"The Bulls still have the same problem. The Pistons still had three more rebounds than the Bulls in this quarter, and the Bulls took two fewer shots than the Pistons." Bill Walton said.
"Jordan played really well today. He scored 19 points in the third quarter, 11 points in the final quarter, 18 points in the first half, and 30 points in the second half. He made 19 of 34 shots from the field, with a shooting percentage of 55.9%, and 2 three-pointers. 1 hit, 9 of 9 free throws, already scored 48 points, it’s almost 50+ points.” Williams said with a shocked look on his face.
Bill Walton smiled and said: "Iron Fist is not bad either. He also sent three assists and a steal in the last quarter. He has already made eight steals. He made 13 of 23 shots in the whole game, with a shooting percentage of 56.5%, 7 of 7 free throws, and a three-pointer." He made 2 of 4 shots and scored 35 points, 11 assists and 8 steals. His performance was not inferior to Jordan's at all."
"The Pistons are still ahead by 6 points, and the Bulls have the ball. Bill, do you think the Bulls can get back?" Williams asked.
Bill Walton looked solemn and said: "With Tekken's current state, the Pistons' rebounding advantage is a bit difficult. However, Tekken missed two shots in the last quarter, and his shooting lost its threat. This is an opportunity for the Bulls, and there is still hope. "
In the CCTV live broadcast, Zhang Lili said seriously: "There are only 6 points left now, and the Bulls are chasing 7 points. Zhou Quan can't be careless. There are still two minutes left. The Bulls have time."
Sun Zhenping said: "In this tiebreaker, the Pistons played very well and have always been in the lead."
Zhang Lijia smiled and said: "The tactical opponent focused on locking Pippen down, which produced a miraculous effect. Once Pippen was locked up, Jordan took control of the ball, and then watched other people, and the Bulls' triangle offense couldn't be played."
On the Bulls bench, Jordan's bald head was covered with veins, and several big tendons were jumping and hopping. He was chewing gum quickly in his mouth, and his eyes did not waver at all. He was frighteningly bright, frighteningly cold, and extremely intimidating.
From being 13 points behind, to catching up to 6 points, he saw hope. With two minutes left, he finally saw the chance to come back.
Phil Jackson, who was sweating profusely, squatted in front of him with a tactical board and was arranging offensive tactics.
He was extremely dissatisfied with Jackson tonight because Jackson couldn't come up with corresponding tactics to solve Pippen's problem, which made it impossible for the Bulls' triangle offense to work.
On the Pistons side, Chuck Daly did not deploy defensive tactics.
He only emphasized that he would continue to follow the defensive tactics of locking Pippen tonight, and then arranged an offensive tactics.
The atmosphere in the United Center was very tense. Few fans went to the restroom. They were all holding in their coke. They had already thrown their Coke aside and did not dare to touch it again.
At this time, the timeout ends, the game begins, and the Bulls attack.
(End of chapter)
