After this battle, the Sonics were 21 wins and 3 losses, and Mosaic was 22 wins and 3 losses. The Sonics were still half a game behind, ranking second in the Western Conference and second in the league.
Leading his team to a wild victory over the league's No. 1 Mosaic, Zhou Quan recorded the second steal triple-double of his career. With his super performance and a wild victory, he slapped the faces of the media who criticized him.
After this Christmas war, doubts about him suddenly came to an end, and even the negative news that continued every day was much less.
After two days of rest in Seattle, the SuperSonics arrived in Chicago on the 28th.
Previously, the Bulls had 20 wins and 5 losses, the Knicks had a losing streak with 17 wins and 7 losses, and the Pistons had 18 wins and 6 losses. The Bulls have already ranked first in the Eastern Conference and third in the league.
The last time they lost to the Bulls at home, Rodman was injured and the lineup had just begun to adjust. Although this game was an away game, the SuperSonics, which had been playing for almost two months, were getting better and better, and they were very hopeful to win. .
No. 29, United Center.
At eight o'clock, both sides announced the starting lineup.
SuperSonics: Sam Perkins, Rodman, Schrempf, Kendall Gill, Zhou Quan
Bulls: Carter White, Horace Grant, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, B.J. Armstrong
It will be broadcast live across the United States tonight on TNT, and the commentators are the recently popular Black and White duo, Magic Birds.
After all, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson dominated an era. They only commented on two games after debuting as commentators, and they had already stolen the limelight from Isiah Thomas and Laimbeer. They are the most popular ones recently. Interpretation package.
Magic Johnson exclaimed: "The Pistons are now second in the Eastern Conference, and the SuperSonics are second in the Western Conference. The Iron Fist deal is truly a win-win."
Larry Bird chuckled and said: "This deal meets the interests of all parties, and the result is indeed good, far better than Barkley's deal.
Philadelphia was hurt by Barkley's trade, and now it has to rebuild. The Suns also lost to the Pistons in the Finals. This season, the Suns lost to the Iron Fist SuperSonics. It seems that there is no chance of winning the championship. The Suns Barkley will probably be considered for a trade, which I see as a lose-lose deal. "
"Pfft!"
Unable to hold it back, the magician laughed.
As soon as Buckley sat down on the sofa, he was so angry that he jumped up and cursed: "Big Bird, can you clean the mouth of your toilet?"
Magic Johnson laughed and said: "The Pistons are currently strong, but Mark Aguirre will retire soon, and Sekali will probably choose to leave.
As for Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, to be honest, I think it will be difficult for the Pistons to stay after their contracts end. "
Big Bird nodded and said with a wicked smile: "A small market like the Pistons is only suitable for low-cost operations. It cannot retain superstars and cannot offer such a big contract.
I suggest that the management trade those two guys now and stock up on a lot of draft picks. This will not delay their future, but will also be conducive to the development of the team. "
"Oh, Larry, this is a good suggestion. Anyway, the Pistons have won three championships in five years and no longer want to chase the championship."
Magic Johnson exclaimed and said excitedly: "They can go to the Lakers. The Lakers have a lot of draft picks."
"No, you can go to the green team." Larry Bird said with a smile.
"Go to the Lakers."
"Go to the Green Team."
"lake……"
"green……"
Well, the Lake-Green War that just ended a few years ago started again in the TNT commentary box.
But their suggestions really moved the hearts of many teams, such as the Lake Green Second Team.
However, the Pistons are not among them.
The Pistons management's brain is not broken, and the boss's brain is not broken either. Including this season, Payton still has three years of rookie contract, and Shawn Kemp still has two years. They are all cheap, and with such a good record, operating costs It’s low and the market is stable, so why rush to trade?
Therefore, although the Green Team and the Lakers are interested, they are destined to be unable to succeed this season.
In the CCTV commentary box, Zhang Liyi held up a statistics table and said: "The defensive intensity of the league is really strong this season. Pat Riley has really built the Knicks into an iron-blooded defense. It is even stronger than last season. The average defense is even stronger than last season." They only conceded 91 points, first in the league. The Bulls were not bad either, with 94 points, second in the league.
The Sonics are getting better and better. They are now averaging 95.8 points per game. As the lineup adjusts and mistakes decrease, there should be a possibility of a decline. "
Sun Zhenping said: "Coach Zhang, the SuperSonics rely on Zhou Quan and Rodman to defend one team, plus the defensive system. What do you think is the difference between their defensive system and the zone defense?"
Zhang Lijia smiled and said: "The NBA does not play zone defense, but many teams are playing side kicks, that is, double-teaming people without the ball.
According to NBA rules, you cannot double-team a player without the ball within an arm's reach, but you can play a side kick if you are beyond an arm's length. Whether it is the SuperSonics or the Bulls, they have similar defensive systems.
The Knicks' defense tends to be tough, with big and wild defensive moves. For example, Oakley, many of his moves are directed at people.
This kind of defense is very useful for ordinary teams and has a strong deterrent effect, but it cannot deal with the Chicago Bulls.
Because when there were no flagrant foul rules, the defense of the Bad Boys was even worse. Jordan was not afraid of that kind of defense. He would rush in with his head down while holding a bag of explosives, and he would not be afraid of the current Knicks.
Moreover, Oakley and Jordan are good friends. He was Jordan's protector at the beginning and should not be harsh on him.
And if Zhou Quan's SuperSonics encounter the Knicks, they won't be afraid. The last Eastern Conference Finals series has proven this. "
"Oakley probably wouldn't dare to fight Zhou Quan again," Sun Zhenping said in a low voice.
"Haha..." Zhang Lili laughed.
In the player tunnel, the starting lineups of the two teams met.
"Flying Man, you won our home game last time. This time I want to take away a victory from here." Zhou Quan said with a smile.
"Winning at our home court is harder than reaching the sky." Jordan sneered.
"Really?"
Zhou Quan smiled and stretched out his left hand, pinched it with his thumb and index finger, then waved to Jordan and came out with a smile.
Seeing Zhou Quan's gesture, Jordan's face became frighteningly gloomy. Pippen and others did not even dare to fart, and remained silent.
Two hours later, with one minute left in the final quarter, 91:91, SuperSonics had the ball and called a timeout after serving.
Zhang Lili said: "The two teams tied for the 32nd time tonight. Jordan had 31 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers, and 2 fouls, with a shooting percentage of 49%. Zhou Quan had 25 points, 5 rebounds, 15 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers, and 3 fouls." Fouled, shot 46%, average performance.”
Sun Zhenping wiped the sweat from his forehead and said: "The defense of both sides is very strong, and Jordan is not in a super explosive state. Zhou Quan's personal offense is a little worse, but his passing is really good, and his ability to directly assist is too strong ”
Zhang Lili said: "Both sides defended with intensity tonight, and their success rates in positional battles were average, but their fast breaks were both pretty good."
At this time the timeout ends and the game restarts.
Serving the ball from the sideline, Zhou Quan advanced from the backcourt, and Jordan defended and retreated from the front. He came to the top of the key and made a tactical gesture.
At this time, Rodman came up from the low post and screened Kendall Gill. Gill took the opportunity to run towards the top of the key.
Zhou Quan was dribbling to the left wing at this time, taking Jordan away and giving up the position at the top of the arc, and then made a backhand pass. Before Jordan could react, the ball flew towards Gill.
Gill caught the ball at the top of the arc, but before BJ could catch up, there was an open space. He immediately took a three-pointer and the ball flew toward the basket.
After Zhou Quan passed the ball, he did not stand there, but immediately rushed into the paint area.
Kendall Gill does not shoot three-pointers. Last season with the Hornets, he averaged 0.9 three-pointers per game, hit 0.2 three-pointers, and only shot 27.4%. After additional training in the offseason, he averaged 1.5 three-pointers per game this season. , hit 0.5, and only had a 31.7% hit rate.
Gill made a three-pointer before and missed, so the probability of hitting this time is not too high.
"brush!"
But the goal was scored.
Bulls offense.
Jordan ran on the right wing, used Grant's pick-and-roll to get rid of Zhou Quan, caught the ball, and then shot, hitting a mid-range shot.
Magic Johnson smiled and said: "The catch-and-roll jump shot after the pick-and-roll is Michael's usual method for playing Tekken. It is simple and practical. His shooting rhythm is very fast. Tekken's pursuit and defense is very fast, but in most cases he also defends. You can’t stop this kind of ball.”
94:93, SuperSonics offense.
Perkins pulled to the left three-point line, and the Bulls used Grant, who has excellent mobility, to guard him on the defensive end. Center Carter White defended Rodman, who had no ability to stretch.
Zhou Quan broke through with the ball from the left wing and used Perkins' pick-and-roll to break through from the outside.
Jordan bypassed Perkins and Grant and took a shortcut from the inside to pursue the defense.
At this time, Grant blocked Zhou Quan for a moment, firstly to prevent Zhou Quan from taking action, and secondly to slow down Zhou Quan's breakthrough. Then when Zhou Quan changed direction and attacked him, he stopped caring because Jordan had already blocked Zhou Quan at this time. In front of Quan, he immediately returned to defend Perkins.
The two completed a beautiful defensive pick-and-roll tactic, which also meant that Zhou Quan and Perkins' pick-and-roll tactic failed, and Zhou Quan stopped near the left line and baseline.
"Bang bang!"
Stop suddenly, dribble with your hips, switch your right hand to your left, and suddenly step your right foot to the left.
"Testing step!"
At this time, Magic Johnson shouted.
Changes have occurred on the court, and Jordan instinctively steps back.
After a tentative step, when Jordan retreated, Zhou Quan braked with his right foot, then stepped back and exited the three-point line. While dribbling, he followed up with his left foot, and then pulled out when Jordan pounced on him. Rise from the ground and shoot a three-pointer.
Jordan took off to block the shot. The ball flew over his palm and the shot failed.
"brush!"
The next moment, the basketball drew a wonderful arc in the air, and then plunged into the basket. Amidst the refreshing sound of the basket being brushed, a pool of white water splashed up.
"Beautiful! The SuperSonics scored two three-pointers in a row." Zhang Lili said happily.
"My three-point shot is accurate."
Zhou Quan said to Jordan with a smile while retreating.
"Three points?"
Jordan had a cold face. He still holds the record for three-pointers in the first half of the Finals. You can say this after you break my record.
However, he has decided to practice more three-pointers.
97:93, Bulls attack.
On the left wing, Pippen singled to Schrempf.
Jordan moved on the weak side, borrowed Grant's pick-and-roll and cut inside to the basket, but was blocked by Rodman. There was no chance to pass. Pippen made his own shot, but missed. Rodman controlled the backcourt rebound. , to Zhou Quan outside.
Jordan was still under the basket, and Zhou Quan took the opportunity to launch a fast break. Grant, who was switching to guard him, couldn't keep up with him, and was left behind by two big steps before he could cross the center line.
"boom!"
After a flying dunk, the Sonics scored another goal.
99:93, the Bulls were 6 points behind and called a timeout after serving, with 9 seconds left.
Larry Bird said: "There is an iron fist on the outside and a giant bug on the inside. The two top defensive players in the defensive team, Jordan's effect when using the pick-and-roll and cutting inside is average.
The Bulls' strong-weak side tactic, with Pippen holding the ball on the strong side to attack and attract defense, and Jordan running without the ball on the weak side, did not work well against the inside and outside partners of Iron Fist and Big Worm. "
Magic Johnson nodded and said: "Jordan's receiving angle is often blocked by the Iron Fist. His off-ball movement relies more on pick-and-rolls and continuous counter-runs. Even his inside cuts must use the pick-and-roll, because once the Iron Fist follows, He goes into the penalty area and he's probably going to get locked up in the penalty area."
Larry Bird laughed: "Bill Walton said that running without the ball and chasing defense in the penalty area are Tekken's signature skills. This seems to be right. So far, no one can easily get rid of Tekken in the penalty area, and no one can easily get rid of Tie Fist in the penalty area." People can keep up with him in there, and Iron Fist’s vision in a crowd is unparalleled.”
"Speaking of vision, Iron Fist should be one of the strongest visionaries in the history of the league, right?" Magic Johnson said.
"This season he has increased his ability to pass the ball without looking at people, which shows that his vision ability has gone further. Ervin, I agree with you, his vision should indeed be one of the strongest in the history of the league." Larry Bird nodded.
After the timeout, the Bulls served from the frontline. Jordan missed a three-pointer and then gave up the game.
The SuperSonics defeated the Bulls away from home, and both teams won one game each in the regular season.
The SuperSonics were 22 wins and 3 losses, just as the Mosaic team was defeated by the Suns. They were 23 wins and 4 losses. With two games less, the two teams were tied.
The two teams each won one game against each other, but the SuperSonics had a better record in the same division and had not lost in the Pacific Division, while Mosaic lost to the Nuggets in their Midwest Division, so the SuperSonics surpassed each other and ranked first in the Western Conference and first in the league. The first position.
After defeating the Bulls and reaching the top record in the league, no significant media classified the SuperSonics as a second-tier team. The SuperSonics became the most popular team to win the championship.
On the 30th, the team returned to Seattle.
Next there is a back-to-back away game, with No. 4 and No. 5 facing the Suns and Clippers.
At noon that day, the league announced the start of All-Star voting, which will end at the end of January.
Time entered 1994. On New Year's Day, the league announced the Player of the Month. Zhou Quan won this honor for the second time in his career and the first time this season.
Averaged 40 minutes per game, 9-for-17.8 shooting, 50.5% shooting, 0.8-for-2.1 three-point shooting, 38.1% shooting, 8.5 free throws, 94% shooting, 26.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 4.2 steals, 1.2 blocks, 3.8 turnovers 2.1 fouls, assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.76, and true shooting percentage of 62.2%.
The average minutes and minutes per game are similar to last season, and the average number of shots per game has increased by 2.3 compared with last season. All five positive statistics have improved, fouls have decreased, turnovers have increased, and passing stability has weakened.
The true shooting percentage is nearly five percentage points higher than last season and nearly two percentage points lower than last season's playoffs. However, this is the regular season. As a playoff superstar, it is normal for the efficiency to be lower than that of the playoffs. Regular season superstars perform better during the season. The efficiency in the post-season will be lower than that in the regular season.
Then the league announced the latest MVP ranking list.
With the help of his record, Zhou Quan surpassed Dameng and once again reached the first place.
…
(End of chapter)
