The next morning, ESPN adjusted the forecast data for the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pistons' probability of advancing to the Finals increased to 55%, and the Knicks' probability of advancing to the Finals increased to 45%.
This is the first time ESPN has adjusted data in the playoffs, and it was a last resort decision due to the pressure of the Knicks losing at home.
That night, the Western Conference Finals began.
91:105, the Suns played at home, defeated the SuperSonics, and won the G1 game.
As the team's number one star and the superstar of the Dream Team, Barkley made 6 of 14 shots and only scored 12 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers and 2 fouls.
Zhou Quan noticed Suns forward Ceballos, the Suns' scoring leader tonight, with 8 of 12 shots and 5 of 6 free throws, scoring 21 points.
This is a player similar to Ulrich. He is a dunker and has a monotonous offensive style, but he has a strong ability to hit the basket. He also has no three-pointers and an average mid-range shot.
The most difficult thing for the Pistons to guard against is this kind of person, because he cannot defend well inside, and Rodman alone cannot withstand the impact of this kind of person.
In addition, he saw the Suns' strong bench lineup. In this game, 11 people were rotated. Six substitutes scored a total of 43 points, accounting for 41% of the total score. Two of them scored 10+, which was not much worse than the main lineup.
And the Suns really like to shoot three-pointers. They made 4 of 13 shots in this game, with a shooting percentage of 30%.
On May 31, the G2 game of the Eastern Conference Finals started, but the Pistons lost the game.
The Knicks made 32 free throws in the game, while the Pistons only made 19. Zhou Quan struggled to break through with the ball. He was knocked down 6 times in the game and only got 8 free throw opportunities. At the same time, he was called for 3 walking violations.
In addition, his hand was not good either. He played 40 minutes and made 7 of 17 shots, a shooting percentage of 41.2%, 0 of 3 three-pointers, and 7 of 8 free throws. He scored 21 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers and 5 fouls. data.
However, the team is not frustrated. After all, the chance of winning two away games in a row is not high. It would be good to win one away game.
On June 1, the Pistons returned to Detroit.
That night, the G2 game of the Western Conference Finals began.
The Suns lost at home, 103:99, by 4 points.
Five Suns scored in double figures, including Dan Marley and Barkley, who scored 29 and 24 points respectively, but they were unable to defeat the Sonics, who had only three scorers in double figures.
Moreover, the Suns' overall shooting percentage was 4 percentage points higher, with 9 more free throws and 5 more blocks, but they lost in the number of shots.
The Sonics took 84 shots and the Suns only took 70, a 14-shot difference.
What caused this gap was not rebounds. The Suns only lost two rebounds, but they lost on rebounds, because the Suns grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, but the SuperSonics grabbed 17 offensive rebounds. The opportunity to attack was far greater than that of the Suns.
In addition, in terms of blocks, although the Suns sent out 13 big blocks, they only got the ball three times among these big blocks. This is also an important reason for the lack of ball rights.
Both the Eastern and Western Finals were tied one to one, but the media's evaluation of the four teams was divided into two categories.
The Suns and Knicks were criticized because they lost a home game.
The Sonics and Pistons, who won the next away game, were praised.
The G3 game is on the 3rd, and there is an extra day of rest. This is good news for both players.
On the 2nd, the Knicks arrived in Detroit.
On the 3rd, the G3 game of the Eastern Conference Finals begins.
At 10 o'clock in the evening, the game had gone on for three quarters, 70:70, and the two teams were tied. This was the 15th tie tonight.
Robert Guida praised: "From the beginning of the G2 game, Pat Riley played a suffocating iron-blooded defense, especially against the iron fist. This is the Knicks winning the G2 game, and it happened many times tonight." The reason for tying the Pistons.”
Ringo Wilson smiled: "In the G2 and G3 games, the Knicks' defense against Iron Fist was successful, and it was stronger than the G1 game.
They set up three lines of defense for Iron Fist. The first line was John Starks, the second line was supplementary defense from nearby defensive players, and the third line was inside.
The Knicks did not care about Tekken's passing, but they achieved their defensive purpose by speeding up rotations and did not allow the Pistons to get wide open. In these two games, Tekken passed the ball when being double-teamed. A lot of shots, but his teammates also missed a lot of shots. "
"Everyone has bad moments. Now the pressure is on the Pistons. If we lose this home court, the pressure will be even greater." Robert Guida said.
Ringo Wilson said: "In the first three quarters, Ewing performed well, making 13 of 22 shots and a shooting percentage of 59.1%. Whether it was Rodman, Sekali, or Polynis, they were all beaten by him. Now in the final quarter Now, Ewing also needs to stand up at critical moments, and he must show the ability to play key balls."
Robert Guida said: "Tekken made 7 of 12 shots in the first three quarters, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and 8 of 8 free throws. He scored 24 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers and 2 fouls.
Because he encountered multiple layers of defense today, he broke through a lot with the ball in the first two quarters and made many free throws. In the third quarter, due to adjusting his physical fitness, he did not break through again. He took a lot of shots from the outside, but he singled out John Starr from the outside. In fact, the effect of Kes is still good, and the hit rate is very high.
But now it's the most critical moment. If you win, it's two to one. If you lose, it's one to two. If you lose, the pressure will be on you. So Iron Fist should stand up. This is a game that the Pistons cannot lose. "
At this time, the final quarter began and the Knicks attacked.
"brush!"
Ewing attacked again, singled out Rodman and hit a field goal.
"Ewing had a blast tonight, with a shooting percentage of over 60%." Robert Guida said in admiration.
Looking back, Zhou Quan broke through with the ball.
He adjusted his physical fitness in the third quarter and did not break through. Just now, Chuck Daly asked him to increase his threat with the ball in the final quarter, so he started to break through again.
First he broke through John Starks, and then Doc Rivers from the left elbow quickly came over to cover up the defense. He then broke through the second line of defense, but he had lost his speed and was caught up by Ewing and John Starks. , Rivers and the other three made dumplings.
But in the three-person double team, he still saw the assassin with his full panoramic vision and passed the ball through the gap.
"boom!"
The Assassin, who was wide open, took a jump shot, but missed a three-pointer, and the rebound was grabbed by Ewing.
"well!"
The entire stadium was filled with sighs from Pistons fans. The assassin hated himself so much that he gritted his teeth and kept hitting his right hand.
Next, Ewing succeeded again, slipped past Rodman, and hit the basket for a dunk.
Looking back, Zhou Quan was double-teamed again, and he was about to pass it to the assassin. Unexpectedly, the Knicks' defensive rotation was too fast. By the time the assassin got the ball, Oakley had already jumped in front of him. He forced the shot and again The shot was missed and Mason got the rebound.
The Knicks attacked, King Kong Ewing exploded, Bunny Jump made another jumper, and hit the third consecutive goal in the final quarter, beating the Pistons 6-0.
Zhang Lili exclaimed: "Ewing made 16 of 25 shots, and his shooting percentage reached 64%. He is in great shape."
"To score, the Assassin missed two goals in a row. He has no touch now. Don't give him the ball anymore." Sun Zhenping said anxiously.
"The morale of the Knicks is up, the Pistons have to hold on!" Zhang Lili encouraged.
76:70, the Pistons were 6 points behind and called a timeout after serving.
"Core versus core, now the Iron Fist is about to stand up. Ewing scored six points in a row. You should stand up and score, not pass the ball. You have to use offense to suppress the opponent. Only in this way can you suppress the opponent's momentum." Robert Gee Da said seriously.
"The critical moment depends on the performance of the core of both sides. If the core cannot hold up, the morale of others will not rise." Ringo Wilson said.
Robert Guida joked: "If the core does not stand up at this time, then he will definitely be questioned, just like Ewing in the G1 game.
And if someone else steps up at this time, the pressure on the core will be even greater, because at critical moments, he can only count on his teammates, just like Iron Fist in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. "
At this time the timeout ends and the Pistons attack.
The Assassin took the ball to the frontcourt and gave Zhou Quan on the left wing.
As soon as Zhou Quan caught the ball, he felt great defensive pressure. He seemed to feel that everyone in the Knicks was paying attention to him.
You can be sure that as long as he breaks through with the ball, he will still encounter heavy volleys, and there will definitely be gaps for his teammates.
In contrast, as a point guard, he believes that it is better for him to force a shot than to let an open teammate take a shot.
But the assassin missed two shots, and the Knicks' defensive rotation was very fast. He had to consider the consequences of his teammates' missed shots. As the boss of the team, his considerations were different from those of the point guard. Now he is more inclined to Take action on your own and solve the problem yourself.
And just now, Chuck Daly also asked him to score.
"Come on, Iron Fist, you're nothing more than that."
On the opposite side, John Starks, who only cares about eating and not fighting, said provocatively.
In the three quarters tonight, John Starks made 4 of 10 shots, 1 of 4 three-pointers, only scored 9 points, and made three turnovers. With such a performance, he just didn't understand how this guy had the confidence to challenge him.
"squeak!"
In the next moment, he started a breakthrough, from the outside, close to the center, and made a strong frontal breakthrough.
John Starks retreated quickly and his left shoulder connected with Zhou Quan's. He leaned back and fell directly to the ground.
Zhou Quan's sudden momentum stalled for a moment, and then he used force again and lunged towards the left elbow area.
The referee did not blow the whistle and followed Zhou Quan.
"It broke in!" Sun Zhenping said excitedly.
"Be careful of Rivers." Zhang Lili said urgently at this time.
Doc Rivers came over from the high post to cover and established a second line of defense in the left elbow area in time.
The assassin had an opening, but the full-level panoramic view allowed Zhou Quan to see that Oakley, who was guarding Joe Dumas on the right three-point line, had already pounced on the assassin, and Mason on the right waist pounced on Joe Dumas, so He did not distribute the ball, but continued to break through.
After a slight slowdown, he immediately changed direction and accelerated to step past the passer. Then he suddenly rushed Rivers and entered the paint area from the left elbow area.
Rivers grabbed Zhou Quan's jersey and chased after him, and John Starks got up from behind to catch up. Ewing, who was in the low post on the left, also defended to the basket. The three of them chased and intercepted Zhou Quan.
Low on the left wing, outside the left line of the paint area, Seikali was reaching for the ball, and he was open.
But Zhou Quan didn't pass the ball, and headed towards the basket. He jumped up one step ahead of Ewing and held the ball high in his right hand, ready to dunk.
The next moment, Ewing in front of him, John Starks behind him, and Rivers on the left jumped up to block the shot at the same time.
"One versus three!"
Zhang Lili shouted urgently.
The moment before he collided head-on with Ewing, Zhou Quan's right hand holding the ball suddenly deflected outward, passing Ewing's left hand, and then pressed the opponent's left forearm with extra force and hit the ball down.
"boom!"
The next moment, while hitting Ewing, the basketball was smashed into the basket by him. Ewing was also knocked over by him, and he hung on the basket with one hand.
"Oh ho!"
The Palace of Auburn Hills instantly turned into a boiling ocean.
"Foul! Offensive foul!"
John Starks became anxious and yelled at the referee.
The noise was so loud that the referee didn't hear what he shouted. He just gestured for two points to be scored, a foul for the beater, and one free throw.
"Two plus one, Zhou Quan made it two plus one, Ewing committed the fourth foul, the fourth foul." Sun Zhenping shouted excitedly.
Zhang Lili shouted excitedly: "This offense was too determined. At the critical moment, Zhou Quan stepped up and attacked the basket. He dunked directly over the opponent's super center. While scoring, he also suppressed the opponent's morale."
"It's so beautiful! The point guard dunked directly over the super center. How explosive is this?" Sun Zhenping said excitedly.
On the sidelines, Chuck Daly raised his fist in excitement, while on the other side, Pat Riley shook his head.
His team's rotations are indeed very fast, just like the Bulls, they don't leave big gaps for their opponents. They did just that, without leaving Joe Dumars and the Assassins big gaps.
However, due to the rotation change, Mason left the low post to supplement Joe Dumars, which weakened the defense in the penalty area, allowing Zhou Quan to succeed in a one-on-three.
He believed that if Ewing and Mason or Oakley were added, Zhou Quan would not dare to go in for a one-on-three, and he would definitely be knocked down directly.
But this is a rotation. There is no perfect defensive strategy. He must bear some disadvantages caused by this defensive system.
Zhou Quan stood on the free throw line, looked back at John Starks near the midline and said: "Hey, madman, how much do you look down on me? You didn't defend me just now? You see, it's because you didn't defend me Me, that’s why I charged in and dunked King Kong.”
"Ha ha……"
Rodman immediately laughed strangely.
John Starks' face turned red with anger. When he saw Ewing looking at him with a bad expression, he quickly looked away.
"brush!"
After making an extra free throw, Zhou Quan scored his 27th point.
76:73, the Pistons were still 3 points behind at home, and the Knicks attacked.
(End of chapter)
