At the beginning of the second quarter, Zhou Quan and Jordan had a tacit understanding and both sat off the court.
The Bulls were Bill Wennington, Toni Kukoc, Pippen who came off in the last two minutes of the first quarter, Steve Kerr, and John Paxson.
The SuperSonics are Earvin Johnson, Michael Cage, McMillan, Kendall Gill, who took a two-minute break in the first quarter, and Vincent Esqiu.
Zhang Lili analyzed: "The Bulls' bench lineup is slightly stronger, but the SuperSonics' perimeter defense is not bad, especially the defense of the back line is very good.
There is no high disadvantage inside. Although the rookie's strength is average, Bill Wennington is also a marginal person with no strength. At the third and fourth positions, the Sonics are at a disadvantage, but the back line should be able to make up for it. "
After four minutes of play, 32:32, no one on the bench of the two teams took advantage, and the game was tied.
As Zhang Lili said, the Sonics suffered a bit at the third and fourth positions, but the back line guarded Cole and Paxson to death.
In the fourth minute of the second quarter, Zhou Quan, Rodman, Perkins, and Schrempf came on the court, leaving McMillan on the bench to play the second position.
The Bulls also replaced Jordan and BJ, replaced Bill Wennington and Paxson, and Grant and Kukoc were paired inside, while Pippen continued to play.
"Grant was playing center, and he and Toni Kukoc were separated. Jordan held the ball and used Grant's pick-and-roll to start a breakthrough." Zhang Liji said loudly.
"boom!"
In the first offense on the court, Jordan made a dunk after a breakthrough. Both Sonics insiders were pulled out, and there was no one under the basket.
"When we broke it down, neither Tekken nor Rodman kept up with Jordan." Sun Zhenping said.
"If they can guard against half of Jordan's attacks, the Sonics will have a chance to win." Zhang Liang said.
Rodman couldn't pull out the SuperSonics offense, and the outside breakthrough space was not as big as the Bulls just now.
At the top of the arc, Zhou Quan looked over Jordan's head and glanced at Grant under the basket. This Cobra's defense was still very good.
"Will it break through?" Larry Bird said.
"Probably, this is Tekken's current main offensive method, compressing the opponent's defense and creating opportunities for teammates." Magic Johnson said.
There were only eight seconds left in the attack time, and Zhou Quan made a move.
The right foot steps out very quickly in a tentative step.
Jordan was too experienced to be impressed.
Zhou Quan immediately dribbled back and opened the distance between him and Jordan.
Jordan immediately took a step forward.
But just as Jordan moved forward, Zhou Quan, who was well prepared, turned right to break through, and dribbled in with his left hand.
"Damn it!"
Jordan cursed secretly.
"Sudden!" Zhang Lili shouted excitedly.
Zhou Quan held the ball and reached the left end of the free throw line. Pippen defended in place and blocked the front.
At this time, Schrempf on the left wing was free, and he stretched out his hands to Zhou Quan.
Zhou Quan made an emergency stop, dribbled the ball from his hip, and pulled it to his right hand.
At this time, Jordan poked the ball from behind, but his hitting accuracy was not as good as Zhou Quan's, and it missed the target. Zhou Quan pulled up the ball with his right hand, put his hands together with the ball, and raised it upwards. Pippen in front of him flew up.
When Pippen fell down, Zhou Quan stood up for the second time, lifted his feet up, and lifted the ball up again with both hands.
This time, Jordan jumped up from behind.
The next moment, just as Pippen landed, Zhou Quan stood up for the third time, this time for real.
Jordan was too late. Pippen took off for the second time, failed to keep up with the rhythm, failed to jump up, and failed to block the basketball.
"Shet!"
Both of them couldn't help but curse secretly.
"brush!"
There was a splash, and Zhou Quan hit a goal in nearly two points.
"Iron Fist played very patiently, and his continuous fake moves shocked two top defenders. He played so calmly." Larry Bird praised.
"Come on, you almost guarded me." After succeeding, Zhou Quan said with a smile.
"Shut up!" Jordan said angrily.
Looking back, he held the ball again, called a pick-and-roll to get rid of Zhou Quan, and then broke through from the outside.
But this time he was blocked by Rodman, and then Zhou Quan followed him in time and stuck to his left side, but he still held the ball without hesitation and broke into the penalty area.
Zhou Quan strengthened the confrontation, but Jordan failed to break through. He took off when he broke into the low right wing and shot while gliding to the baseline.
Zhou Quan jumped with his body, gliding, and blocked Jordan's shooting angle with his right hand. Jordan was forced to adjust his shooting angle.
"Glide jumper?" Magic Johnson yelled.
"boom!"
The basketball was short, hit the basket and was caught by Rodman.
Zhou Quan turned around, took the ball, and immediately moved forward quickly. Jordan was chasing after him. When he reached the top of the arc with the ball, BJ and Pippen were already back in place.
"boom!"
An emergency stop jumper from the top of the arc was too long, and the backboard hit the basket and hit the board.
At this moment, Phil Jackson, who was sitting on the bench, nodded thoughtfully and stood up immediately.
On the court, Rodman and Pippen rushed in and jumped to grab the rebound at the same time, and the basketball was knocked away.
Jordan turned around, rushed toward the landing spot, and grabbed the ball.
"Rodman was really active in rebounding. He almost grabbed this offensive rebound." Zhang Lili praised.
The Bulls attacked, but Phil Jackson unexpectedly called a timeout.
Jordan was a little surprised and didn't understand why a timeout was called at this time.
Phil Jackson said after the players sat down: "Listen, because the rest of them are not in good shape, the Iron Fist has strengthened their individual offense, so our defense needs to be more targeted."
Jordan understood as soon as he heard it. The biggest threat of Iron Fist with the ball is his omnipotence in sudden shots and passes, a real three-threat. But now that other SuperSonics can't make shots, the threat and possibility of passing the ball are reduced, so he You only need to focus on defense between breakthroughs and shots, and the chance of defending against Iron Fist will increase accordingly.
Phil Jackson added: "Although Iron Fist scored a lot today, his shooting percentage was not bad, and he also hit a three-pointer, his outside jump shot is actually not very good. He mainly relies on breakthroughs to score, and he must be close to the basket. So Michael, your next defense..."
Jordan understood it before Phil Jackson finished speaking, and immediately said: "The main defensive breakthrough."
Phil Jackson smiled and nodded, and said to the others: "Others can let go of their own men appropriately, give them a little space, and then shrink to strengthen the defensive pressure on Iron Fist."
"Understood." Pippen and others said.
On the SuperSonics bench, George Karl, who was far more nervous than Phil Jackson, emphasized the importance of defense, and asked Zhou Quan to strengthen his personal offense and let him use his personal offense to open up the situation.
This pause is a turning point.
Zhou Quan was indeed expected by Phil Jackson. In the following time, as long as his teammates did not have big openings, he would more often choose to take action himself.
Michael Jordan mainly defended Zhou Quan's breakthrough, and his defensive efficiency began to improve, while Zhou Quan's offensive efficiency began to decline.
Zhou Quan later tried to increase breakthrough points, but his teammates' touch was still not good, especially jump shots from small openings, which were very bad.
In the end, the Sonics lost their second home game 101:91 and tied with the Bulls one to one.
After the game, Larry Bird said: "Jordan played 42 minutes, 16 of 30 shots, 53.3% shooting, 1 of 3 three-pointers, half of the offense was breakthrough, 8 of 10 free throws, 41 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. 2 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers and 4 fouls.
Iron Fist made 14 of 32 shots in 43 minutes, with a shooting percentage of 43.8%. In terms of personal offensive strength, he is indeed inferior to Jordan, and his shooting percentage is ten percentage points lower.
He made 1 of 4 three-pointers, 11 of 12 free throws, and scored 40 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers and 3 fouls. "
Magic Johnson continued: "The Bulls and Pippen scored 21 points, Grant had 14 points, and B.J. had 10 points. A total of four people scored in double figures, and the performance of the others was average.
Except for Iron Fist, only Schrempf scored 12 points and Kendall Gill scored 10 points for the Sonics. Three of them scored in double figures, and the others performed averagely. Rodman grabbed 16 rebounds but only scored 4 points. "
Larry Bird said: "The overall shooting percentage was 52.1% for the Bulls and 41.5% for the SuperSonics. The Sonics took 8 more shots and had 4 more steals, but they made 6 more turnovers. The main reason was their inability to shoot.
In terms of low-post offense, they only rely on Tekken and Gill's breakthroughs to score, mainly Tekken, and there are almost no low-post offenses in the interior.
Although the Bulls' inside line is poor and their center rarely attacks, Grant's inside cuts are pretty good, with a shooting percentage of 54%. "
Magic Johnson said: “Even though it’s tied at one, I think the series is going to be in favor of the Bulls.
The Bulls will have three home games next. With the Bulls' strength, it is possible to win two of them. When the match point is obtained, they can win the series on the road. "
Larry Bird said with a smile: "But the SuperSonics also have the ability to defeat the Bulls on the road. When the Iron Fist was in the Pistons, they won at the United Center many times. So I think it depends on the on-the-spot performance. Whoever performs well will have greater success." chances of winning.”
Magic Johnson said thoughtfully: "Then the performance of the head coach is very important now. Whether they can activate the potential of the players and whether they can allow the team to exert their due strength will determine the direction of the series."
At the scene, Jordan was being interviewed.
"Michael, what does this victory mean to you?" the reporter asked.
"Confidence, we successfully won an away game, which is very important. This victory gives us confidence in the future." Jordan said firmly.
At this moment, his eyes were really shining, extremely bright.
Zhou Quan briefly greeted his friends at the scene and left the field with his teammates.
Under his emphasis, the Sonics made all preparations, including losing, but morale was inevitably hit.
On the 8th, at two o'clock in the afternoon, the SuperSonics arrived in Chicago and began their away trip.
Of the three away games, according to George Karl, it is best to win two of them, especially the first away game, which is the G3 game, so that you can gain the advantage of the series and establish a psychological advantage.
The idea was good, but George Karl was a rookie head coach in the Finals and lacked experience. He made a fatal mistake due to nervousness.
In the 8th minute of the third quarter of the G3 game, the two teams were tied. At this time, he made a substitution decision. He replaced Kendall, who had performed well, and replaced him with Mike, a veteran he trusted very much. Milan.
Kendall's offensive performance in the first two games was very poor, but when he came to the away game, he seemed to put down the burden and performed well. Before the third quarter, he had made 5 of 10 shots, including one three-pointer and 2 of 2 free throws. When he was replaced at 13 minutes, he couldn't believe it. He made sure repeatedly before leaving the field.
McMillan came on the field, but he was not in good condition. He made one mistake and missed a shot. BJ hit two consecutive shots on him, including a three-pointer. The Bulls stopped the SuperSonics with a 7-0 victory. .
Although George Karl immediately replaced Kendall Gill, after Gill came on the court again, his form was gone. He missed two consecutive shots and his touch was already cold.
The Bulls took the opportunity to launch a ten-to-four attack wave, widening the point difference to double digits in one fell swoop, confirming the victory of the game.
Zhou Quan was unable to cope alone, scoring 31 points, 11 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks, but ultimately lost the G3 game.
Jordan scored 38 points, but his shooting percentage was only 48%. He was intercepted by Zhou Quan three times. Fortunately, he also intercepted Zhou Quan twice.
After winning the G3 game, one to two, the Bulls were in great momentum. The SuperSonics had been pushed into a corner. If they lost the second away game, the Bulls would get the match point in the finals, so the G4 game was for the SuperSonics. A game that must not be lost. If the score is one to three, according to history, there is almost no chance of a comeback, and the finals will be lost 100%.
"At that time, I was going to let Kendall Gill take a break. He has been playing for a long time. It's not that I don't trust him." At the post-game press conference, George Karl explained the motivation for the substitution.
11. G4 game day.
"A game that cannot be lost." Zhang Lili said before the game.
But the Sonics still lost this game, 1 to 3, and the Bulls got the match point.
Zhou Quan felt average in this game and only scored 21 points, while Jordan scored 31 points.
After the game, Magic Johnson analyzed: "In the first four games, Tekken averaged 32.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 5.5 steals per game, and Michael averaged 38.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1 block per game.
Judging from personal data, Iron Fist is no weaker than Jordan, but the Sonics lost the match point. The key reason is that in terms of on-the-spot performance, his teammates are not as stable as Michael's teammates, and his coaching team is not as good as the Bulls. "
Larry Bird said: "Now the Bulls have got the match point, a big score of 1 to 3. There has never been a comeback in the finals in the history of the league, so it is basically certain that the Bulls will win the championship for the third time, and Michael Jordan will also win. The king returns and wins the third championship of his career.”
Magic Johnson said with some regret: "Iron Fist has lost an opportunity. If he can win the championship this time and lead different teams to win consecutive championships, he will create a miracle. It's a pity!"
Larry Bird smiled: "He has been very successful. He won the championship in the second year of his career, won the MVP in the third year, the youngest MVP in history, and reached the finals. With his performance in this finals Performance, I think he is already a true superstar."
"My personal performance is not inferior to Jordan's. It is indeed the performance of a superstar." Magic Johnson said after pondering for a while.
Larry Bird glanced at the magician, smiled and stopped talking, just as the live broadcast ended.
On the 13th, the G5 battle begins.
The Bulls really wanted to win and win the championship at home, but it was a pity that Zhou Quan did not give him a chance.
He played 48 minutes and had a very good touch. He made 15 of 28 shots, a shooting percentage of 53.6%, 3 of 7 three-pointers, a shooting percentage of 42.9%, and 12 of 12 free throws. He scored 45 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. With 2 turnovers and 5 fouls, he led the team to win the game.
Not only did he perform well, after falling into a desperate situation, Kendall, Perkins, and Schrempf also performed better, scoring in double figures. McMillan even contributed three steals, and Rodman grabbed 15 rebounds. ball.
Jordan scored 26 points and shot only 44.4% from the field. His performance was not as good as Zhou Quan's. However, this game was at his home court. His performance was not as good as others, but he was convinced that he lost.
On the 14th, the SuperSonics returned to Seattle with a big score of 2 to 3.
On the 15th, the G6 game begins.
Jordan scored 31 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, shooting 51% from the field.
Pippen scored 24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals, shooting 52% from the field, and was more efficient than Jordan.
Four members of the Bulls team scored in double figures, Grant scored 18 points and BJ also scored 14 points.
Zhou Quan made 12 of 25 shots, scored 30 points, 10 assists and 4 steals, and shot 48% from the field. Although his personal performance was good, his teammates did not perform enough and made mistakes again and again. Michael Cage made 0 of 6 shots, ruining the victory.
Apart from him, only Schrempf scored 12 points, Kendall Gill had 11 points, only three people scored in double figures, and Rodman only grabbed 9 rebounds.
As a result, the Bulls led the team to defeat the SuperSonics and successfully won the championship with a score of four to two.
Jordan averaged 36.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.2 steals in six Finals games, while Zhou Quan averaged 34 points, 5.4 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 5.2 steals per game.
"Iron Fist, if you come back next year, I will still kill you."
Jordan was so excited to win the championship again that he issued a letter of challenge to Zhou Quan on the spot.
"See you in the finals next year." The smile disappeared from Zhou Quan's face. After shaking hands, he immediately turned around and left the scene.
"Iron Fist, come to the headquarters tomorrow and we will discuss the lineup."
In the player tunnel, Bob Whitsitt caught up and stopped Zhou Quan. He waited until other players passed by before speaking to him.
Zhou Quan nodded. It is true that some people are not good enough, such as Michael Cage. He and Perkins were originally expected to rotate at the fifth position, but they couldn't count on it at all.
Perkins' efficiency is not good either. Although he can stretch the ball, his efficiency is too low. Many open shots cannot be made, which is annoying.
Not winning the championship, his season mission was also disappointed, and he was very disappointed not to receive a reward.
…
(End of chapter)
