"Run faster and defend..."
In the Mosaic team's training hall, Dameng kept yelling at his teammates.
Not only did he not have a championship, but he also didn’t have an MVP. He finally climbed to the first place, but before his butt was even hot, he was kicked down by Zhou Quan. He was a little anxious and angry, and several big blisters appeared in his mouth. , I have to get up in the middle of the night to drink ice water.
After the MVP rankings were updated, he had phone calls with Barkley, Jordan, and Ewing, and the only topic they talked about was how to beat Zhou Quan.
Several people were friends before, and have become mortal enemies with Zhou Quan in the past two years. Either they have been punched by Zhou Quan, or they have been eliminated by Zhou Quan in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Finals. They have deep hatred and bitterness, and they have a common enemy. Now The relationship is closer.
They exchanged their experiences with Zhou Quan and discussed how to defeat that guy, and they gained some insights.
The team did not train that day. Zhou Quan practiced two shooting skills in the morning and went to the golf course to practice in the afternoon. He also expanded his connections in Seattle and picked up girls.
The golf courses in Detroit are full of executives from car companies, while the golf courses in Seattle have a lot of executives from Internet companies, as well as many executives from aviation and navigation companies, executives from biological companies, and various software engineers. He met a lot of people in the afternoon, and even met two guys who were selling him private jets.
In addition, when he left the stadium, he had a few perfume-scented notes in his pocket. They were all phone numbers. Some were from rich girls, some were girls working at the stadium, and some were married women with a lot of money.
On the 3rd, the SuperSonics arrived in Phoenix.
This is the second regular season game against the Suns. Last time we won at home, and this time on the road, of course we must win if we can win.
At the airport, when being interviewed by the media, Zhou Quan said in a joking tone: "To be honest, I always win when I play Mr. Barkley. I am used to winning on his head. I am not used to losing. I don't know him." Are you used to always losing against me?"
"I'm so used to it!"
After Barkley, who had a deep hatred for Zhou Quan, heard Zhou Quan's words from the media, he was so angry that he screamed and cursed. He immediately said like an oath: "We must win this game. , we must do everything we can to defend our home court, kill the Sonics, and kill the Iron Fist."
On the night of the 4th, America West Arena.
At 7:30, the two teams announced their starting lineups.
Suns: Oliver Miller, Charles Barkley, AC Green, Dan Mulley, Kevin Johnson
SuperSonics: Sam Perkins, Rodman, Schrempf, Kendall Gill, Zhou Quan
"Fliggy, your shooting percentage has dropped below 50% this season. You have been injured for four games. Your condition seems to be not good?"
In the player tunnel, Zhou Quan joked when they met.
"I can still deal with you."
Barkley has a tough mouth, but the fact is that his shooting percentage has indeed dropped below 50% for the first season in his career, 49.5%.
52% last season, 55.2% the season before, 57% the season before that, and 60% in the 1989/90 season. In other words, his efficiency has been declining since that season.
The reason is simple, injury. He was injured in 1990. He only played 65 games in the 1990/91 season. Since then, his playing time has gradually decreased, his position has become more and more outside, and the number of free throws has gradually declined.
"Barkley, if you can deal with me, the championship and FMVP are yours, not mine." Zhou Quan chuckled.
"Damn it, why am I the loser?"
Thinking of the finals he lost, which was the closest he got to the championship, and which was an eternal pain in his heart, Barkley's eyes showed sadness.
"Hey, Flying Pig, you have to cherish it. This may be the only finals in your life."
"Fliggy, I guarantee you will never win a championship in this life."
He immediately remembered what Zhou Quan had said to him, and his eyes suddenly filled with anger. When he stared at Zhou Quan, he clenched his fists.
Seeing Buckley's reaction, Zhou Quan smiled and stopped teasing him.
…
At eight o'clock, the game starts.
Jump ball, Suns offense.
"boom!"
One step away from the right waist, Barkley, who was furious, caught the ball and nimbly turned and broke through Rodman. He went in and hit a dunk, which detonated the American West Arena.
Looking back, Zhou Quan attacked with the ball on the left wing, attracted the defense, created a back cut opportunity for Kendall Gill, and then used a scalpel pass to assist Gill to complete a dunk behind Oliver Miller.
"Oliver, don't forget your back."
Barkley, who didn't want to lose, shouted at Miller.
"brush!"
A lightning pass was passed to Dan Mulley, and Thunder faked a shot in front of Kendall Gill and hit a three-pointer.
Sonics offense.
Kendall Gill made another back cut, and Zhou Quan passed another good ball, but this time Oliver Miller sent a block shot directly out of the sideline, making him jump and scream with excitement.
"It doesn't take Oliver Miller just one offseason to become a ball, but his bounce is so good! He jumped really high when he blocked the shot this time!" Zhang Lijia exclaimed.
"boom!"
The Sonics attacked again. Zhou Quan took his first shot and missed a jumper.
Barkley squeezed Rodman away and protected the backcourt rebound.
"Barkley played very actively today and did not slack off on the defensive end. The SuperSonics should not be careless." Sun Zhenping said.
"boom!"
Dan Marley tried another three-pointer and missed.
Perkins grabbed the rebound and the SuperSonics attacked.
On the right wing, at the three-point line, Kendall Gill held the ball and beat Dan Marley in isolation, making a fake shot.
But Dan Malley's judgment was very accurate, because Kendall Gill did not have three-pointers, so he defended against breakthroughs but not shots, and retreated in time.
"Snapped!"
Kendall Gill failed to break through. He made a sudden stop and forced a shot, but was slapped by Lei Gong.
"brush!"
Fortunately, Zhou Quan ran over from the top of the key in time to grab the basketball, decisively shot a three-pointer behind Kendall Gill, and hit a three-pointer.
"5:5, Kendall Gill made 1 of 3 shots, Zhou Quan made 1 of 2 shots, Barkley made 1 of 1 shots, and Dan Malley made 2 shots." Zhang Heidee said.
After the first quarter, 26:28, the Suns led by 2 points.
During the break, George Karl reminded us to strengthen defense and rebound control.
In the second quarter, both teams were half main players and half substitutes. Zhou Quan played for 8 minutes. At the end of the half, 53:49, the SuperSonics led by 4 points.
Zhou Quan contributed 1 steal in 10 minutes of the first quarter, but contributed 2 steals and 1 block in 8 minutes of the second quarter. It was Barkley who blocked the ball, leading the team to play a strong defense.
In the second half and at the beginning of the third quarter, the Suns launched a counterattack and increased their intensity on both offense and defense, sending three blocks and one steal in a single quarter.
But the SuperSonics' defense was stronger, and they frequently intercepted the Suns with tight and fierce attacks. The team sent 6 steals in a single quarter, including two steals by Zhou Quan, two by Kendall Gill, and swingman Nate McMillan who came on the bench. twice.
72:81, the Suns fell behind by 9 points.
At the beginning of the final quarter, Zhou Quan, who had only played 28 minutes in the first three quarters, came on the court from the beginning. The SuperSonics sent all their main players in an attempt to completely defeat the opponent's will in the first half.
The Suns also have the same main force, intent on making a comeback.
"The Suns have already had five big blocks today, and the SuperSonics only have one from Zhou Quan." Sun Zhenping said.
"Fortunately, the Sonics won in terms of steals. The team had a total of 13 steals. Zhou Quan had 5 steals alone, while the Suns had only 5 as a team. In terms of turnovers, the Sonics were good today, with 13 turnovers, while the Suns had 19. times." Zhang Li said with a smile.
"Snapped!"
At this moment, Zhou Quan contributed his 6th steal of the game, took advantage of the fast break, and assisted Kendall Gill for a layup.
In the next round, Kendall Gill made another contribution and stole Dan Marley. Zhou Quan came down quickly and provided Gill with an assist with a dunk.
At this time, the Suns attacked, and through continuous changes of positions, Barkley got an opportunity to hold the ball in a misplaced single and play Zhou Quan two meters outside the left waist.
"What a great opportunity! Iron Fist, I'm going to crush you to death!"
Without hesitation, he started to spank Zhou Quan from behind, using his big ass to start back-arching.
While he was arching, he was also twisting his big ass, intending to shake Zhou Quan's center of gravity so that Zhou Quan could not resist him with all his strength.
Barkley was like a wild boar smeared with mud. Zhou Quan first shouldered it twice and was pushed back two small steps. After Barkley's second kick, he saw the opponent's ball and immediately grabbed it and took advantage of the ball. Now, just reach out and pick it up.
"Snapped!"
Barkley put the ball together with his hands and then turned over and jumped. The moment the ball reached his head, the ball was kicked away.
The landing point was towards himself, Zhou Quan quickly moved to block Barkley, and then grabbed the basketball.
"7 times, the 7th steal!" Sun Zhenping shouted excitedly.
This steal seemed to be the last straw, crushing the Suns' fighting spirit. Then the Sonics continued their efforts and successfully won this away game, completing the home and away double play against the Suns this season.
However, both teams belong to the Western Pacific Division. There are five regular season games this season, and there are three more games after that, plus the playoffs. The victory is not over yet.
"8 of 15 shots, 53.3% shooting, 1 of 2 three-pointers, 5 of 5 free throws, Zhou Quan scored 22 points, 6 rebounds, 16 assists, 8 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers and 3 fouls."
Zhang He thought about Zhou Quan's statistics, and then praised: "The defense is really strong! And his blocking data has increased significantly this season. It is obvious that he has worked harder on the defensive end."
Sun Zhenping said: "Coach Zhang, Zhou Quan's blocking data has indeed increased a lot compared to last season. Is this related to the SuperSonics' defensive system?"
Zhang Liyi nodded and said: "Yes, many of his blocks are sent when defending from a flank. Generally, when one-on-one, he will not look for opportunities to block shots."
Sun Zhenping nodded and said: "In one-on-one defense, he mainly uses his strong stealing ability to form a deterrent."
Zhang Lili nodded repeatedly and said: "Yes, his stealing ability is really strong! The main reaction speed is too fast. This is a foundation. In addition, the hands are fast, the feet are fast, the arms are long, and the steals are accurate..."
…
The SuperSonics rushed to Los Angeles overnight. After defeating the Clippers on the 5th, they rushed back to Seattle on the 6th the next day.
No. 7 and No. 8 ushered in back-to-back games at home, defeating the Kings and Jazz respectively, achieving a record of 26 wins and 3 losses, and continued to be first in the league.
At this time, 10 games have passed since the last away loss to Mosaic. In other words, the SuperSonics have completed ten consecutive victories.
The results of the first week's All-Star voting are out. Jordan is still the most popular superstar, getting 350,000 votes in the first week, but Zhou Quan is only about 10,000 behind, getting 335,000 votes in the first week, second and third in the league. It's Barkley, 230,000 votes.
On the 11th, the SuperSonics interrupted their winning streak and lost to the Trail Blazers in an away game.
The regular season schedule continued until the 27th. Some injuries occurred. The Sonics lost three more games, losing to the Jazz, Clippers, and Nuggets respectively.
At this time, with 32 wins and 7 losses, the SuperSonics had the best record in the league.
As his record reached the top, Zhou Quan found that he was getting more and more negative news. The first half of the season gave him a chance to breathe, but now he was trying to drown him.
Of course, this also shows that his popularity is growing day by day, otherwise the media would not skimp on space and continue to report on him.
Fortunately, the negative news about him is all about violence. He hasn't had a conflict with anyone for a long time, or it's just the media chasing rumors. Apart from disgusting him and distracting him, the other impact is not that big.
There were more and more paparazzi following him, and the villa on Lake Washington was also discovered by the media. Many paparazzi began to squat outside, which made him afraid to take a wrong step on his errands or pick up girls. The curtains were closed all day long. My nerves are tense every day.
Jordan only received this treatment after winning two consecutive championships. He had only won one championship, and he changed teams. Even if he wins this season, it is not a defense. He is still three championships away from the dynasty. The media's reaction made him a little helpless.
He thought about the last time he said he wanted to stand in front of the world boxing champion, and the media also ridiculed him.
This experience made him deeply realize that no matter what field, it is too difficult to succeed, especially as a Chinese who wants to succeed under the rules dominated by the Western world.
Although he had expected it, it still disgusted him.
But there is no way to avoid it. Jordan can only bear it hard. He can only bear it now and use his results to fight back against the media in the future.
On the 28th, the Seattle TV station’s noon news reported a piece of news.
Steve Ballmer, senior vice president of Microsoft and owner of the SuperSonics, officially submitted an application to build a new sports center to the city government.
"According to insiders, Mr. Ballmer's plan has an investment amount of up to 200 million U.S. dollars. The new sports center can accommodate up to 20,000 people. Microsoft intends to invest 150 million U.S. dollars. He hopes that the city government will approve a piece of land and The city government will undertake relevant discussions to assume the remaining investment..."
This news has undoubtedly cheered up the spirits of Seattleites. There are not many people who do not want to have a new sports center. The sports center can not only host basketball games, but also ice hockey games, concerts, concerts and other large-scale events.
Of course Zhou Quan was very happy when he heard the news, but this discussion wouldn't take several years, right?
At noon, the Pistons announced that veteran Mark Aguirre was injured in training and was out for the season, and decided to officially retire.
After Zhou Quan learned about it, he made a phone call.
In the afternoon, the Knicks arrived in Seattle.
Tomorrow night's game is the first regular season game between the two teams this season. Both teams are favorites to win the championship. In addition, Zhou Quan has many personal conflicts with the Knicks, which has drawn considerable media attention.
According to the current media's view, the Sonics are not effective against teams with strong insiders, so more media believe that the Knicks have an advantage, but this is the home court of the SuperSonics, and Zhou Quan has an obvious advantage on the back line. , this has been fully proven in the last Eastern Conference Finals, so the victory is basically even.
29th, Seattle Center Arena.
The game started at eight o'clock, but before seven o'clock, the dilapidated gymnasium was already full of people.
Many people are enthusiastically discussing the news of the new sports center. This topic has become one of the hottest topics in Seattle today.
At 7:30, both sides announced the starting lineup.
Knicks: Ewing, Charles Smith, Charles Oakley, John Starks, Greg Anthony
SuperSonics: Sam Perkins, Rodman, Schrempf, Kendall Gill, Zhou Quan
In the CCTV commentary box, Zhang Lili said: "The Knicks' main point guard Rivers played 19 games and was seriously injured. He was so serious that he couldn't even play in the playoffs. Now Greg Anthony is the main player at the No. 1 position. Derek Harper was brought in as a substitute.
Anthony + John Starks, Zhou Quan + Kendall Gill, on the back line, the SuperSonics undoubtedly have a great advantage.
Inside, Ewing + Smith, Perkins + Rodman, the Knicks inside can completely defeat the Sonics on the offensive end. If the Sonics want to win, if the inside offense is not good, they must defend well and rebound well. .
At the third position, Schrempf faced Oakley's fighting-like defense. There was a big doubt whether his offense could be produced.
In addition, it may also be possible for Smith to guard Schrempf on the defensive end, with Oakley sitting at the basket, which should be better for the Knicks in terms of low-post defense and rebounding. "
Sun Zhenping asked: "Director Zhang, which one of them do you think has a greater chance of winning?"
Zhang Lili said: "If Zhou Quan and Kendall Gill can lock down the Knicks' perimeter while playing their own offense, the Sonics will have a greater chance of winning.
But if it can't be locked down and the Knicks get a chance inside, then maybe... the Knicks also have a chance to win. "
Sun Zhenping nodded and said: "The SuperSonics and the Bulls have the same style of play. They strangle from the outside and destroy the opponent's organization, thus limiting the opponent's inside attack."
"Yes, the outside line holds the ball. Once the outside line has the advantage, the destructive power will definitely spread to the inside line." Zhang Liyi nodded.
(End of chapter)
