An hour later, the post-match press conference began.
"Michael, what is the main reason for losing tonight?" a reporter from the New York Times asked.
Jordan's face was as dark as iron, and he said solemnly: "There are many reasons from various aspects, and the cumulative result is losing."
"Isn't it because of Tekken's defense? For example, 10 steals." The reporter asked.
Jordan snorted in his heart and said, "That's just one of the reasons."
"In the G1 game, they only narrowly defeated the SuperSonics with a buzzer-beater, but tonight they suffered a huge defeat. Michael, do you think the Bulls and SuperSonics are teams of the same level?"
The reporter saw Jordan's bad attitude and was very unhappy, so he immediately asked a barbed question.
Jordan was so angry that his dark face turned pale. He stared at the reporter with a knife-like gaze, but said nothing.
The reporter was stared at for a few seconds, and the psychological pressure was also great. If I can't offend him, why can't I avoid him? I'll write an article later and blast you to death, and then he took the initiative to hand over the microphone in his hand.
At this time, the TNT reporter who had just interviewed Zhou Quan was flipped. He took the microphone and asked. "Coach Jackson, in the post-match interview just now, Tie Fist revealed that he will use Tai Chi to adjust his condition.
It was the Kung Fu he performed at the All-Star Game appearance ceremony. He was in such good condition because of Tai Chi.
He also said that the kind of meditation you asked the players to do in the Bulls locker room has the same effect as Tai Chi. Do you think he is right? But why didn't you condition the players to be as good as Tekken? "
Phil Jackson was startled, what question was he asking? His mind was a little confused, and he hesitated: "Sorry, oh, I can't answer this question for you. I don't know what kind of boxing you are talking about. I learned meditation from Japan, not China."
"As far as I know, Japanese Buddhism was also introduced from China." The reporter laughed.
"Really?"
Phil Jackson was startled, he really didn't know this.
"Michael, there are three away games in the future, and the situation will be favorable to the Sonics. What do you think of this?" The reporter from Chicago Sports News asked the next question.
Jordan said firmly: "We will defeat them on the road. No one can stop us from defending our title. Our defense will be unstoppable."
On the other side, at the SuperSonics press conference, the atmosphere was very good.
"Iron Fist, there are three home games next. If we can win two of them, we can grab the match point. Do you think there is a big chance of this?" a Seattle Times reporter asked excitedly.
Zhou Quan smiled and said: "Everything is possible. As for the chances, our home court is by no means weaker than the Bulls. Our chances are certainly greater."
"Very good!"
Reporters in Seattle were excited.
"But this is only a possibility. We still have to play the game one by one and make all mental preparations." Zhou Quan added.
…
"Michael Jordan: Our title defense is unstoppable!" Chicago Daily News.
"Tekken said that as long as you practice Tai Chi, you can average ten steals per game." TNT TV station.
“The Ultimate Secret to Iron Fist Conditioning: Tai Chi.” The New York Times.
"Iron Fist: We'll take match point at home." Seattle Daily News.
The next day, on the 5th, the name of Tai Chi spread throughout North America with news reports of the finals.
"It's great. It's a rare opportunity to take advantage of the momentum and promote Tai Chi."
Tai Chi master Mai Baochan, who is preparing to participate in the World Wushu Competition with his disciples, was very happy after seeing these reports from many mainstream media.
That afternoon, the SuperSonics and Bulls arrived in Seattle one after another.
On the 6th, the G3 game day.
The SuperSonics very much hope to win the first home game with the help of their home game, but the Bulls want to win the first away game and seize the initiative in the series. With the strength close, the game was very intense and the score was tight. Together, the score difference exceeded 5 points only once.
With only 58 seconds left in the final quarter, the two teams were tied at 90:90. The SuperSonics had the ball, and George Karl called a timeout.
Zhang Lili wiped the sweat from his forehead, exhaled, and said: "Pippen scored 18 points, Toni Kukoc scored 12 points, and Jordan has already scored 40 points.
His scoring accounted for almost half of the Bulls' points, 14 of 31 shots, 45.2%, including 1 of 3 three-pointers, 11 of 12 free throws, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks, and only two turnovers. and two fouls.
Zhou Quan made 11 of 26 shots, 42.3% from the field, 1 of 3 three-pointers, 11 of 11 free throws, 34 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds, 6 steals, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers and 2 fouls. Although his state is not as explosive as in the G2 game, he Very good too.
The shooting percentages of the two are not very high. This is because the defenses of both sides have reached the level of physical combat, and they are double-teamed at every turn. "
Xu Jicheng nodded and said: "Today's whistle is still biased towards the home team. It's a pity that the other players' touch is not very good and a lot of Zhou Quan's passes were wasted. Otherwise, this game would have been won long ago."
Zhang Lili also nodded and said: "Schrempf only scored 13 points today, shooting 46.5% from the field, and his touch was a little off. Fortunately, Kendall Gill was not bad today, scoring 17 points, and Gilliam also scored 11 points."
At this time the timeout ends and the Sonics attack.
On the left wing, Zhou Quan quickly went around from below to the three-point line to catch the ball and pulled it towards the top of the key.
When he first reached the top of the arc, he didn't look towards the basket, but his full panoramic view saw Rodman entering the basket.
Offensive rebounds are guaranteed. At this moment, he did not slow down, but suddenly took off. While gliding to the right, he adjusted his posture in the air, and then shot a three-pointer.
Jordan, who followed, was completely unprepared and failed to react. By the time he caught up and took off to block the shot, Zhou Quan's ball had already been released.
Under the basket, Dennis Rodman moved first and blocked Luke Longley. As the offensive side, he occupied the most advantageous position under the basket and stared closely at the basketball flying towards the basket.
"brush!"
The water splashed and he hit a three-pointer.
"oh!"
Zhou Quan and Rodman pumped their fists and roared excitedly at the same time, and countless Seattle fans roared excitedly at the scene.
"Michael, keep an eye on me."
Phil Jackson, who had been standing for at least half the day, his shirt completely soaked, his tie long gone and his sleeves rolled up, shouted at Jordan.
"The ball came out so suddenly, I didn't expect it at all." Zhang Lijia praised.
"It's unexpected!" Xu Jicheng said excitedly.
90:93, SuperSonics lead, Bulls attack, 39 seconds left.
BJ holds the ball close to the top of the arc, and other players start running.
At the last minute, the SuperSonics players began to spare no effort in guarding, not giving the Bulls a chance.
Even Schrempf was entangled with Pippen at this time, not giving Pippen a chance to catch the ball comfortably, and repeatedly went around to defend and cut off his receiving angle.
At the critical moment, seeing that his teammates had no chance, Jordan did his duty and moved out to catch the ball.
Zhou Quan quickly followed up, and out of the corner of his right eye he could clearly see BJ's first pass, which was blocked by Kendall Gill, who was good at anticipating the opponent's pass.
At this moment, his feet quickly exerted force and he pounced on Jordan with all his strength.
The next moment, BJ passed the ball for the second time and the basketball flew towards Jordan.
"Snapped!"
Zhou Quan swept past Jordan and took away the orange basketball with a precise interception with his right hand.
"Oh ho!"
The moment the ball was stolen, more than 13,000 Seattle fans in the audience immediately raised their arms and cheered.
"Steal the ball! Iron fist steals the ball..."
The roar of the on-site commentator Henem Chrisman also sounded immediately.
"Steal! Zhou Quan stole the ball! Haha..." Zhang Lili roared with excitement.
Zhou Quan took advantage of the situation and quickly went down with the ball, constantly accelerating. When he reached the left elbow area, he was already two big steps ahead of Jordan behind him. Jordan tried his best to catch up, but he couldn't close the distance.
After finishing the ball, he entered the paint area and took off in one step. The next moment, he held the ball in his left hand and dunked.
"boom!"
As the violent basket bombing sounded, the Seattle Center Stadium roared with shouts, and the boiling momentum of the home court burned like a wildfire.
"90:95, Iron Fist scored 5 points in a row, and now there are only 18 seconds left. The Bulls called a timeout." Larry Bird said.
Magic Johnson said: "Michael is 32 years old, and his physical fitness should be in a state of decline from its peak, but today he invested a lot in both offense and defense. His defense is almost as strong as Iron Fist. With such a large physical investment, he should be trying his best. However, Tekken’s defensive status is better and has already made 7 steals.”
Larry Bird said with a smile: "Michael's performance today is definitely on the same level as Iron Fist. His offense is still stronger than Iron Fist and more efficient, but his defense is weaker, mainly in terms of his stealing ability and his ability to organize assists. Be stronger."
Magic Johnson nodded and said: "There are only 18 seconds left and a 5-point gap. The Bulls are likely to foul after a three-pointer."
"Well, it's possible," Larry Bird said.
In front of the Bulls bench, Phil Jackson said with a serious face: "The last attack in G1 is handed to Toni Kukoc. We have to take this goal by surprise."
At this point, he looked at Pippen.
"Is it my turn?"
Pippen suddenly became excited.
"By Scottie..." Phil Jackson said.
"What?" Pippen blurted out after being stunned.
"You serve, focus, don't mess up." Jordan said, staring at Pippen.
"Uh-oh, I know."
Pippen lowered his head to avoid Jordan's sharp gaze, but he cursed in his heart, "You obviously messed up the matter yourself. First you let Iron Fist shoot a three-pointer, and then you couldn't catch the ball. Do you still blame me?"
"Tony Kirkuch attracts the defense, and Michael waits for the opportunity to catch the ball." Phil Jackson continued.
"Understood." Several people said.
"Don't waste time. If we can get three points, we need three points. Two points is fine. After we get it, we should foul immediately and get the ball back." Phil Jackson said.
Having said this, he specifically added: "Try to foul Rodman as much as possible, as his free throws are the worst. Also be careful not to foul Iron Fist."
"Understood." Everyone said again.
The timeout ends and the Bulls attack.
Pippen served the ball from the left side of the frontcourt, and Schrempf blocked it in front.
Gilliam followed Toni Kukoc everywhere, running from outside to inside, from top to bottom, from right to left. Pippen was also staring at Kukoc, a look that was only passed to him, and other teammates watched. Not even a glance.
Jordan was one step outside the top of the arc, no movement at all.
At this time, Toni Kukoc, who was running around, suddenly reversed and ran to Zhou Quan's right side.
The next moment, Jordan suddenly ran to the left wing, and Pippen also seized the opportunity to pass the ball.
Jordan caught the ball one step to the left at the top of the arc. Zhou Quan forced his way past Toni Kukoc, who was not very strong, and caught up, half a step behind.
At this time, after receiving the ball, Jordan continued to move one step to the left, and then took off. As he continued to drift to the left, he adjusted his posture in the air and shot a three-pointer.
The moment after Jordan took off, Zhou Quan struggled to follow the jump and stretched his left arm upward as much as possible.
"Lean back?"
Seeing that his left hand was about to touch the ball, he suddenly found that the distance was getting farther. He couldn't help but be shocked.
"Whoosh!"
Jordan flicked his wrist and the ball flew toward the basket.
"Drifting + leaning back..." Zhang Lili exclaimed.
"brush!"
The water splashed and he hit a three-pointer.
"Oh ho!"
Two thousand visiting fans immediately cheered.
"Beautiful! Michael hit a three-pointer. It's now 93:95, two points behind, and there are 17 seconds left. This attack only took 2 seconds." Magic Johnson said excitedly.
George Karl was sweating profusely, and he gestured to the court to pause.
The SuperSonics served from the backcourt, center Gilliam served, Kendall Gill ran to the frontcourt, and Zhou Quan ran in the backcourt to catch the ball.
"Whoosh!"
The ball flew to the frontcourt, Kendall Gill caught the ball, and BJ rushed over to prepare for a foul, but he had already made a timeout gesture.
Zhang Lili said nervously: “With only a two-point advantage, one three-pointer can lead the lead, and judging from the looks of the Bulls, they will definitely get the ball back through a foul.
Everyone else's free throws are okay, at least 70% or more. Only Rodman's free throws, oh, his 67% this season, ten percentage points higher than last season, are okay, but there is one thing to note. "
Xu Jicheng asked: "Should we change it?"
Zhang Lijia shook his head and said: "Both rebounds and defense need him, he can't go down."
In front of the SuperSonics bench, George Karl felt nervous. After wiping his sweat twice, he said: "The Bulls are definitely going to get the ball back with a foul. Dennis, try to hide as much as possible."
Rodman said nonchalantly: "I'm not afraid of free throws."
George Karl's scalp feels numb. Don't you know your free throw percentage?
Zhou Quan smiled and said: "Dennis's psychological quality is super good, and his free throws at critical moments should be trustworthy."
"Well."
George Karl was startled and could only nod.
He then arranged an offensive tactic, which of course was handed over to Zhou Quan. This was the only option at the critical moment, and there was no second option.
The timeout ended and the Sonics served from the left sideline of the frontcourt.
Small forward Schrempf served, and Zhou Quan was moving in the penalty area under the basket. At this time, Rodman ran over. Before Rodman could block Jordan, Zhou Quan suddenly ran upwards. When Jordan was about to follow, he happened to Collided with Rodman.
"damn it!"
Jordan pushed Rodman hard, and Rodman fell backwards.
But at the last moment, the referee's whistle is destined not to sound easily.
Even if it is a slashing tactic, the ball must be released. After the offensive team receives the ball and time starts to run, it can be executed.
Zhou Quan came out from the free throw line, caught the ball at the top of the key, and was about to take off when the whistle sounded.
Pippen started and hugged Schrempf. The foul was so obvious that the referee could only blow the whistle.
"Detrev, we are ahead, don't be nervous." Zhou Quan went over to high-five Schrempf and warned him with a smile.
"Iron Fist, don't worry."
The smile on his face and his gentle words immediately made Schrempf feel much more relaxed.
"16.8 seconds left, two free throws now."
Zhang Liangli's heart was beating a little fast, and he felt that he was more nervous than the players on the field.
"call!"
Schrempf exhaled, held his breath for two seconds, and threw the ball.
"brush!"
The water splashed and the first free throw was made.
"Beautiful! 93:96, a three-point difference. As long as we hit the second free throw, it will be basically stable." Xu Jicheng said excitedly.
Schrempf and Zhou Quan high-fived again, and seeing the calm and gentle smile on Zhou Quan's face, a smile appeared on his face too.
At this time the bull called a final timeout.
In addition to arranging offensive tactics, Phil Jackson hopes to use this timeout to cool down Schrempf's hand. If the second free throw is hit again, it will be difficult to play.
"brush!"
"Oh ho!"
After the timeout, the second free throw was made, and as the water splashed, countless SuperSonics fans cheered.
"93:97, a four-point gap, the Bulls have no timeout, let's see how they chase." Zhang Lili said excitedly.
Jordan personally received the ball in the backcourt and continued to accelerate along the right sideline. When he reached the three-point line, he suddenly stopped and started.
Zhou Quan prevented Jordan from grabbing three-pointers. Jordan's mental quality was amazing at the critical moment. The record for three-pointers in the half of the finals was still in Jordan's hands. If he was thrown into a three-pointer at this time, he would be very passive, so Jordan When there was an emergency stop, he also reacted quickly.
"squeak!"
He braked sharply with his left foot, stopping half a step to the left of Jordan, then turned around and blocked Jordan's front.
At this time, Jordan completed the ball and jumped up while taking off.
"Snapped!"
Zhou Quan swung his left hand, and with a precise strike, the ball that Jordan had just raised from his abdomen to his chin was knocked away.
"Shet!"
At this moment, Jordan was really stunned.
"Snapped!"
Zhou Quan reached out for the second time and struck again with precision. He put his hands together and caught the basketball that bounced off the floor.
"Beep!"
The referee blew the whistle, Jordan committed a hugging foul, and the SuperSonics made two free throws.
"Oh oh oh...win, we are going to win..."
On-site commentator Hernem Kreisman roared excitedly, and the same was true of the Seattle Center Stadium, where countless people cheered.
"Steal! Another steal! Zhou Quan sent out consecutive steals at the critical moment. This was also his 8th steal!" Zhang Liangli roared excitedly.
"Steal to win! If you make two free throws and lead by 6 points, the Bulls will have no chance at all." Xu Jicheng said excitedly.
"And the Bulls didn't pause." Zhang Li said with a smile.
Zhou Quan stood on the free throw line, turned around, glanced at Jordan with a smile, and said, "Flyer, I will definitely win this game for you."
"snort!"
Jordan could only snort.
"Brush! Brush!"
Two free throws were made, 93:99, with 11.5 seconds left.
"boom!"
Jordan missed the mid-range shot, and after Rodman grabbed the backcourt rebound, there were only 3.9 seconds left on the clock and the Bulls gave up the game.
"Oh ho!"
The score was two to one, and there were still two home games to go. At the moment the game ended, all the SuperSonics fans and players cheered heartily.
(End of chapter)
