no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 205: He never loses control of things
The Bulls and Lakers have only met once in the finals, but that time was very classic.

It was 1991. That year, Jordan finally led the team to cross the mountain of the Pistons, and he faced another mountain of the last century, "Magic" Johnson.

Johnson was only 31 years old at this time, and he was at his peak as a point guard. He was not only No. 1 in the league, but also No. 1 in NBA history.

The final result was that the Bulls defeated the Lakers and won the first NBA championship in team history.

Jordan stepped on Johnson to reach the top, so the finals was also called "the handover of kingship" by fans.

Just a year after that, the Dream Team formed a team. Jordan smiled and said the classic words to Bird and Johnson on the bus: "There is a new sheriff in town."

After that, it was Jordan's era.

Of course history will not repeat itself 100%, and the Bulls at this time are completely different from the Bulls at that time, but the good past always reminds people of the past. Chicago fans, or Jordan fans, now remember their past. His love was pinned on Xu Yong.

Let's do the Lakers again.

"90% of people think the Lakers will win."

In the villa in downtown Chicago, Butler was exchanging outside views with Xu Yong.

Like last year, this year ESPN also conducted a survey on the upcoming finals. The results were exactly the opposite of last year. This time the unfavorable team became the Bulls.

"Not bad, there are still 10% of people who are optimistic about us." Xu Yong said with a smile.

The Bulls and Lakers were similar on paper, but now that Rose is injured, anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Lakers are stronger.

If he were just a fan, he would choose the Lakers without hesitation.

"Senior, how do you plan to defeat them?" Butler then asked.

Xu Yong is now like a god in his heart, so he feels that Xu Yong will definitely fulfill the promise he made to him and win this year's championship.

"Go all out." Xu Yong said calmly.

He is just a rebirth, not a real god. He could not have guessed that Rose would be injured before the finals.

The Lakers are not the Thunder. Not only do they have a mature lineup, but their core is also very mature.

Even Bynum, a player who often suffers from injuries in the playoffs, has played full attendance in the playoffs in the past two years.

In other words, the Lakers have no weaknesses that the Bulls can target, and the Bulls can only go head-to-head.

Confidence is a good thing, but being too arrogant is arrogance. As the weaker party, he can only fight for a possibility with all his strength.

"Senior, I think there is something we can use." At this moment, Butler suddenly said.

"Huh?" Xu Yong looked at Butler doubtfully.

"I think we can also use up Kobe's energy like you said before."

"Kobe is not Durant." Xu Yong reminded.

The reason why Durant's physical fitness is not good is because he is too tall. He is 2 meters barefoot and 08 meters wearing shoes. This is a standard inside figure.

When he first entered the league, Durant was still very thin, and his physical problems were not obvious at that time. However, in the past two years, in order to evolve and fight and gain weight, the physical fitness bar is obviously not enough.

In other words, using the height and weight of the inside but always playing outside, controlling movement, movement, and defense are all very costly, and it will be the same no matter who you replace him with.

But Kobe is 1 meters barefoot and 95 meters wearing shoes, which is the standard size for a shooting guard.

"But he is old. He did not enter the defensive first team this season, which shows that he does not dare to invest too much on the defensive end, and his character makes it easy to invest on the defensive end." Butler continued.

Xu Yong looked at Butler, and after a while he smiled and reached out to pat Butler on the shoulder.

It has to be little Jimmy!
Although he didn't get many playing opportunities this year, his ability to read and analyze the game improved rapidly.

This is indeed a point that can be exploited, especially since Butler mentioned Kobe's character.

Imagine when he called Kobe Bryant on pick-and-rolls. With Kobe's character, it would be hard not to think, "I'm going to guard you to death."

"It's a pity that I can't be of much help." Butler was naturally happy to be recognized by Xu Yong, but said with a slight regret.

Of course, he is not just focusing on analyzing the game this year. He is also improving his physical fitness and defensive level.

It's just that there was Tony Allen before him, not only in terms of defensive ability, but also in terms of experience.

"Don't be anxious, and don't think that you must be like me. I believe you will definitely become an All-Star player in the future." Xu Yong encouraged.

Talent, as well as the eight years since time traveled to the present, the eight years of inhuman training he has persisted in, and his understanding of basketball in his previous life, these are the gaps that Butler cannot change.

But Butler is not immune to injuries, but he has a rare super-resistant physique that can train like him, and he is also a player with enough competitive spirit.

Xu Yong believes that Butler will have a more brilliant career than in history.

Hearing what Xu Yong said, Butler nodded excitedly and firmly.

Although he is only a late first-round pick, he firmly believes in this.

……

The first game of the Finals was played in Chicago, and the Bulls were waiting to get started.

The confrontation between the two sides attracted unprecedented attention.

According to NBA official statistics, the ratings of this game hit a new high both in the United States and overseas.

One is No. 1 in the league, and the other is that his momentum has suppressed the supernova who should have become the next league star James.

If it were the pirate world, this would be the battle between Luffy and Kaido, which would last for a year.

Jordan once again appeared at the United Center. Two players who inherited their unique skills met in the finals. How could he miss this occasion.

Chicago fans also showed unprecedented enthusiasm, and the streets near the United Center were blocked.

Even Rose, who had just completed surgery, came to the scene on crutches to cheer for his teammates.

As the live broadcaster of the finals, TNT sent their strong commentary team, including Barkley, O'Neal and Kenny Smith.

Warming up before the game, the three of them were also warming up like crazy.

"We know that ESPN has done a survey before, and the Lakers are the favored side. What's your opinion?" Smith looked at the two big players.

O'Neal was about to speak, but Barkley suddenly stood up at this moment.

Then, under the surprised looks of Smith and O'Neal, Barkley ripped open his suit, revealing the Bulls' classic red jersey inside.

"You know, I've been a Bulls fan for 20 years."

Twenty years ago was 20, which happened to be the beginning of the Jordan era. Barkley's words were logically impeccable.

Smith burst out laughing on the spot, and even O'Neal was stunned for a while before he reached out and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

That expression seems to say you have won.

This episode from the commentary box fully aroused the atmosphere before the game.

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of the two teams were also announced.

Lakers: Paul, Kobe, Ariza, Diaw, Bynum;

Bulls: Hinrich, Tony Allen, Xu Yong, Artest, Yao Ming.

The Lakers used their regular starting lineup, while the Bulls used one senior and four juniors.

Xu Yong called the Bulls players together on the sidelines, touched each other with their hands raised, and said the last words before the game started, which were also the words he had said to Butler before: "Go all out."

Bynum won the jump ball, and the finals officially began.

The Lakers' offense is the same as in the regular season, mainly centered around Paul's organization and Kobe's off-ball play.

But Kobe didn't get a chance, because the Bulls' defensive strategy was very specific. Except for Yao Ming at the fifth position, every other position was resolutely changed when encountering pick-and-rolls.

Kobe's efficiency this season is due to Paul's organization.

Even people who don't understand tactics know the difference in efficiency between eating comfortably and playing in difficult singles.

This is the purpose of Thibodeau using one senior and four juniors. He wants to kill the pie-eating Kobe and replace him with the singles Kobe.

To achieve this, only one player and four players are small, because Kobe's shooting ability is too strong, and high-speed rotation can stop him.

Thibodeau is worthy of being a coach known for his defense. From the formation to the defensive strategy, he has revealed his target for this Lakers.

Even using Allen to defend Kobe can reduce Xu Yong's consumption on the defensive end and kill two birds with one stone.

Of course, Thibodeau's capital for doing this is the unique configuration of the Bulls. The defensive level of the Bulls' starting four players is all elite, and they will not suffer a loss against Kobe if they are mismatched.

To this end, he also put Jimmy Butler on the active list tonight, so that there are two defensive gates in Battier and Butler on the bench, which can ensure the intensity of the entire team's defensive rotation when Kobe is on the court.

Kobe finally stopped and saw Hinrich behind him, reaching for the ball for a single.

Xu Yong had already rotated in front of Paul. After seeing Kobe turning around, he quickly flanked him.

Hinrich also has a tacit understanding and puts his defensive focus toward the baseline. In this way, he and Xu Yong formed a siege from front to back.

Kobe chose to turn and lean back toward the baseline, basically forcing a shot against Hinrich's defense.

This ball caused a lot of interference to Hinrich.

"Shh!"

But Kobe still hit the ball despite the defense.

There was a commotion at the scene.

Kobe's performance in the previous rounds of the playoffs was very brave, and he still showed no signs of weakening in the finals.

Xu Yong raised his head and glanced at O'Neal in the commentary box.

He had already expected Kobe's state.

What O'Neal talked about the most in the commentary box this past year was the fact that he won five championships.

Moreover, O'Neal watched Barkley every day and said that TNT directly asked the two to stage a real-person PK in the studio in order to improve the program effect.

There is traffic, but O'Neal's five championships are also remembered by everyone.

Although the quality of this fifth championship has been criticized by Barkley, just like James' data, most fans will not care about the details.

Especially Kobe, he is the one who cares the most. Although the OK group has cleared up the past feud, "I have one more person than you" is a topic he must talk about when the two meet.

So if everything O'Neal did before was to chase the fifth crown, then Kobe will do his best for the sixth crown.

Xu Yong reached the frontcourt and saw that the person defending him was Ariza.

As analyzed by Butler, Brown's opening was reducing Kobe's consumption on the defensive end.

Xu Yong reached for the ball and first tried to pass it inside to Yao Ming, but Bynum went directly around.

In terms of defensive targeting, Brown is much better than his predecessor "Zen Master".

Seeing this, Xu Yong directly signaled Yao Ming to pull up to the high post to play the pick-and-roll.

Yao Ming's big body blocked Ariza. Xu Yong looked for an opening and shot directly from 18 feet.

"Shh!"

The basketball also fell steadily into the bag.

Kobe was in hot shape, and he didn't give in too much.

This is also thanks to James, who allowed him to win the Eastern Conference Finals while also replenishing the energy bar he consumed when playing the Celtics.

The fans at the scene were also delighted at the opening.

Kobe was forced by the Bulls' defensive strategy to play singles with the ball, while Xu Yong had a strong desire to attack in the opening game.

There is no foreplay. When two people meet, they start having sex.

Then, the Lakers slowly fell behind.

Although they are both scoring, Xu Yong is essentially playing pick-and-roll tactics, while Kobe is basically playing one-on-one. There is a difference between the two in terms of efficiency and physical consumption.

After half a quarter, Xu Yong was still very active on the offensive end, but Kobe could only hand the ball to Paul, and he was on the weak side to recover his strength.

At the strategic level, the combination of Thibodeau and Malone is obviously better than the opposite combination of Brown and Tyronn Lue.

"Oh!"

After the pick-and-roll, Xu Yong used Yao Ming's hand-off pass to make a fake shot that flew past Bynum, broke into the inside and completed a two-handed dunk.

After landing, he smiled at Kobe, who was belatedly arriving, and made a signature move of spreading his hands.

He previously wanted to name Kobe to provoke him to defend him, but later he felt that this method might not work. After all, if Kobe was serious about defending, his offensive efficiency could not be guaranteed. If his hand fluctuated, not only would he not be able to anger Kobe, but he would also be able to defend himself. Mentality fluctuates.

So he chose to change his approach.

The meaning of this action just now is his way: Kobe, your little brother can't guard me.

Yes, Ariza is tall and has long arms, and he is good at movement and confrontation. He is a high-quality forward defensive player, but he does not have puppy footwork and can easily be caught against a super big guy like Yao Ming.

When Xu Yong plays Bynum, he has a lot of confidence in his ability to break out and shoot.

Kobe's expression changed instantly.

In the next defensive round, he and Ariza switched back.

A person's character can make a person successful, but it can also become a weapon for others to target.

Xu Yong signaled to pull away.

The United Center is boiling again.

The opening score surge between the two was already exciting enough, but now they have to go head-to-head one-on-one, which is so exciting.

Everyone else on the Lakers knew Kobe's character and had the good sense not to help defend him.

After having offensive space, Xu Yong quickly launched his attack.

What he chose was to play singles with his back to the basket and then turn around and fall back.

His size is an advantage to Kobe, and he has maintained a good touch since the beginning.

Back fight, turning around and feinting, turning around and pulling back.

Xu Yong's back attack is a clean one.

However, Kobe Bryant caused a lot of interference to Xu Yong on this ball, because he is too familiar with this kind of offense.

Xu Yongkong used his stay in the air to create a shooting angle and shot against Kobe's defense.

The ball barely passed Kobe's fingertips.

Both of them have full offensive and defensive capabilities in this round.

The fans watched intently.

"Shh!"

The ball finally hit the basket and entered the net bag.

The scene was instantly filled with bursts of cheers.

What Xu Yong did was a strategic consideration.

But in the eyes of fans, Xu Yong has been confronting Kobe from the beginning tonight.

When the ball is scored head-on, it will definitely be an emotional detonator.

Xu Yong was in a good mood after scoring the goal.

Scoring the first goal is crucial, because that is what really stimulated Kobe.

Of course, it wasn't enough, so he made the same "listening" celebration he did when he was playing against the Celtics while retreating.

Not only Iverson did this action, Kobe also did it.

Of course, at home, this means making the cheers louder.

The look in Kobe's eyes at this moment could kill someone.

When he returned to the offensive end, he didn't even have to run. He directly leaned on Allen in the high post to ask for the ball. After receiving the ball, he turned and broke through to the baseline without waiting for help from the defense to make a pull-up jumper.

Allen's defense on this ball was very good, and he also provided enough interference before Kobe took action.

But Kobe dodges with a lever in the air...

"Shh!"

Still threw the ball into the basket.

After hanging up on the court for a while, his physical fitness recovered a lot.

Of course, what's more important is that after being stimulated by Xu Yong, he entered a special state.

In this state, he can play as he pleases.

Xu Yong continued to challenge Kobe on the offensive end, but this time his offense failed to score.

He didn't know what happened to Kobe, but he could feel that Kobe's entire defensive intensity suddenly improved significantly.

Looking back, Kobe also continued to eat Allen alone.

Allen played better defense this time, but Kobe still faced his defense and sent the ball into the basket.

He looked a little miserable at this time, because it was obviously a matter between Xu Yong and Kobe, but he was the one who was injured.

In this quarter, Kobe suppressed Xu Yong on the scene. Under his leadership, the Lakers also overtook the score at the end of this quarter.

Then soon, they started competing again in the second quarter.In this game, the rotation of both sides was even smaller than when the Bulls played the Celtics before.

On the Bulls side, only O'Neal and Battier have come off the bench, and on the Lakers side, only Okafor and Barnes have come off the bench.

Both sides knew the importance of the opening game, so they went at it with bayonets.

It was in this quarter that the Bulls slowly took the initiative again.

The main reason is that Kobe's physical strength has dropped too much on the Lakers, and Brown can only activate the eighth man and let the old Hill step up for a while.

It was during this period that the Lakers' offense couldn't keep up.

Of course Paul has the ability to score. He was the main scoring point for the Lakers during this period. He and Bynum's pick-and-roll and Yao Ming's mid-range shots are also very intimidating.

But after Kobe Bryant, no one could hold Xu Yong down.

In terms of pure explosiveness in scoring, how can Paul, a point guard, beat Xu Yong, a swingman at forward and guard.

The passive nature of the situation caused Brown to pace back and forth on the sidelines, acting anxious.

As a head coach who is also famous for his defense, he actually discovered the Bulls' strategy of consuming Kobe later.

But, discovering it and being able to say it are two different things.

Kobe's personality off the court is much better than Jordan's, but on the court he and Jordan are carved out of the same mold, a standard court tyrant.

To put it bluntly, Phil Jackson has a brilliant resume and is very good at PUA superstars, but Brown obviously cannot do this.

When he was in the Cavaliers, he was known as James' nanny. When it came to Kobe, who had a stronger and higher historical status, he was just a little Calami.

On the other hand, Thibodeau does not have such troubles. Although he is a rookie coach, Rose and Xu Yong are both rookies on rookie contracts.

And because he is a rookie coach, he does not know or have the qualifications to show off.

Therefore, the Bulls coaches and players are on an equal footing, and communication is smooth.

When the Bulls widened the point difference to nearly double digits, Kobe, who had not fully recovered his strength, took the initiative to get up and reappear.

This time, Kobe Bryant did not compete with Xu Yong.

It can be seen from this that after the first quarter, Kobe belatedly realized that he had fallen into the Bulls, or Xu Yong's trap.

It's just that when masters compete with each other, the victory or defeat often lies in one and a half moves.

In particular, Xu Yong did not invest too much on the defensive end tonight and was full of firepower on the offensive end.

In the end, after Kobe picked up the jersey and sucked the salt inside to replenish his strength, and the counterattack launched in the last quarter failed to succeed, the Lakers finally lost.

The final score between the two sides was 89 to 81.

The score was low for both sides, which was part of the Bulls' game plan.

They did not use any air-conditioning tactics like the Celtics, but the absolute defensive intensity they showed at the beginning and their continuous consumption brought the Lakers' offense to a relatively low level.

According to the statistics after the game, Kobe Bryant scored a team-high 31 points for the Lakers. He scored 22 points very efficiently in the first half, but only scored 9 points in the second half.

The shortened season, seven games with the Thunder, and the Bulls' targeted game strategy caused obvious problems with his physical fitness in the second half.

Paul also had 21 points and 8 assists. He stepped up to help the team seal the score in the second half when Kobe had physical problems.

Then the problem can also be seen from the statistics. The rest of the Lakers only scored 29 points combined.

The Bulls' defensive intensity and their rotation speed did not allow others to get much room to play.

It can be said that the Bulls fully demonstrated their defensive capabilities in this game, which gave them the capital to compete with the Lakers without Rose.

What ultimately helped them win the game was Xu Yong's performance.

It wasn't just the hole dug for Kobe at the beginning. After all, Kobe didn't fall for it again. It could only be regarded as the small snowball at the beginning of the snowball.

What's more important is his performance on the offensive end tonight. He made 29 of 15 shots and scored a game-high 43 points, which was also his first 40+ points in the finals.

Especially in the last quarter, he scored 13 points in a single quarter and withstood the Lakers' final counterattack to close the game.

Speaking of which, after winning the championship last season, he and Rose have already completed the run-in. Rose played a lot in the first three quarters, and he made supplements and conserved his energy until the fourth quarter. However, Rose's frequent injuries this season made him feel that he had not trained. The ability for one person to do the work of two people.

The price is that after the handshake ceremony, he did not return to the player tunnel immediately, nor did he attend the interview with reporters on the sidelines. Instead, he sat on the bench alone to relax for a while.

His physical fitness has been greatly improved this season, but there is a limit.

With this intensity tonight, he played the entire game again, and it was good that he didn't fall down.

After sitting for a while, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up and saw the familiar braised egg.

"Playing well." Jordan made an evaluation of his game tonight after sitting down.

"Your strategy in the first quarter was good, but it was a little embarrassing." Then, Jordan showed the complexity and authenticity of his character, swinging wildly between being able to speak and not being able to speak.

Xu Yong was used to it and nodded: "I felt like I was no match for him in that period. He was very powerful."

He told the truth that there was no need to hide in front of Jordan, because he was here tonight, and as the audience who knew the most about football, Jordan saw it more intuitively than him who played the game.

"Have you heard of Mental.flow?" Jordan suddenly asked.

Xu Yong thought for a while and shook his head.

Mental.flow, literally translated means mental smoothness. He had never heard anyone say this word before.

"It is a term in psychology. It generally refers to the mental state displayed when focusing on a certain behavior. Of course, in basketball, there is also a term called The.Zone."

When Jordan mentioned Zone, Xu Yong's eyes lit up.

He had heard of this word before, it was described in the Japanese manga "Kuroko's Basketball".

In that comic, it was the strongest skill, which was to enhance all abilities and attributes, react faster than usual, and move faster than usual, which can also be understood as super-level performance.

When Jordan said this, Kobe was indeed a little bit mean during that time.

Moreover, Kobe was already very strong. He made further progress and was unstoppable.

"This is a real state, but only a small number of people can reach it, and only those who practice hard can achieve it. Entering it is also accidental."

Jordan's next words surprised Xu Yong again. He didn't expect that this happened in reality.

But it seems normal when you think about it. The author of Kuroko's anime is an NBA fan himself, and many of the skill settings in it are based on the NBA and then exaggerated.

"How many times have you entered?" Xu Yong asked curiously.

Jordan shook his head: "I can't remember."

Xu Yong: I shouldn’t have asked this!

"But the one that impressed me most was the first game of the 92 Finals. I made 6 three-pointers in the first half. That was probably my first experience. I felt like I could do anything, as long as I I thought, and then I did it." Jordan still had that pretentious expression.

But this is indeed a fact. Jordan's facts sound like pretense, while other people's facts sound like blackmail.

Xu Yong was naturally impressed by this game, but he didn't expect that Jordan performed like that because he entered the zone.

But this is indeed the most reasonable explanation, because Jordan's three-point level, the title of [Lowest Record Holder in Three-Point Contest] is enough to explain everything.

"Of course it has many limitations. For example, he needs to have plenty of physical energy and fully mobilize his emotions. In that state, the physical energy consumption is doubled, and he will be very tired after coming out."

Xu Yong nodded, which reasonably explained why Kobe only played half a game, or more accurately, it was a good quarter.

But it is indeed very strong. It can establish an advantage in one fell swoop in a tense game. As long as it is defended from behind, it is enough to determine the outcome.

"Don't be discouraged, I think you also have a chance to enter." Jordan smiled and patted Xu Yong's shoulder again.

"After you play two more years," he then added.

Xu Yong: Thank you so much.

……

G1's victory made Bulls fans full of confidence.

But reality soon taught them another lesson.

In the G2 game, the Lakers fully demonstrated their adjustment ability and hard power.

Kobe no longer had too much entanglement with Xu Yong in the front. Although he retained his physical strength, his points did not increase, but they were more evenly distributed in the game.

This also allowed the Lakers to maintain a very good offensive and defensive quality throughout the game.

At this time, the Bulls' shortcomings on paper were also exposed.

One thing that must be understood clearly is that the Bulls with Rose are much stronger than the Bulls without Rose.

Among the games that Rose did not play in the regular season, the two games that Xu Yong led the team to defeat the Lakers and Thunder were exciting enough, but such games were only a few after all. The Bulls more often showed ups and downs in record.

Even taking this season as an example, without Rose scoring in the first three quarters, Xu Yong felt like he was peeling off a layer of skin every time he played.

Because he not only has to maintain a high offensive intensity, but also constantly encounters double-teams from his opponents.

所以尽管徐永在G2发挥稳定再砍31分8板9助攻，姚明也有22分11板的发挥，但公牛队还是91比101输掉了比赛。

Moreover, the tactic of Paul and Bynum picking and rolling, and then shooting Yao Ming from mid-range began to appear more in games.

In order to protect Yao Ming, the Bulls adopted a rotation method, but Paul's organizational talent was reflected at this time.

Paul played quite well in this game, scoring 28 points and 14 assists.

Then came the crucial G3, and the two sides moved to Los Angeles to continue.

Let’s talk about the result first. The Lakers scored another victory 86-79, changing the big score to 2-1.

Xu Yong's offensive performance in this game had ups and downs. He only scored 21 points in the game.

Although he has worked hard in other areas and has 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks, it is not enough to help the team win the game against opponents of the Lakers' level.

Stability is where Xu Yong needs to improve, but this improvement takes time. You have to know that he is only in his third grade this year.

Then in this game, Paul had another performance of 23 points and 11 assists.

It may be hard to believe, but Paul may have a chance to compete for FMVP this year.

Paul's state in these two games can be said to be good news for Lakers fans.

But for Bulls fans, this is obviously not good news.

Because Paul's state helped Kobe greatly relieve the pressure, it was difficult for the Bulls to drag the game into a war of attrition.

Just after falling behind 1-2, the Jamies fell into a carnival because their previous predictions were coming true little by little.

As for the Bulls, Artest has also encountered many doubts.

With Rose absent, the only one who can become the third scoring point besides Xu Yong and Yao Ming is Artest.

But he averaged only 8 points per game in the first three games, which is obviously unqualified.

Although his three-point shooting percentage is still good at 37%, if he just needs a three-point shooting spot, Battier can also do it, and in a game like the Lakers, Battier Even better than Artest on the defensive end.

As the third-highest-paid player on the team, his performance is unsatisfactory.

Even the rationality of the Bulls' lineup has been questioned, because on the back line, except for Xu Yong and Rose, there are no other players who can attack with the ball.

Foreman has found many outstanding role players, but with Rose's frequent injuries this season, he has not prepared in advance for possible situations that may arise.

"Is Kobe about to win his sixth career championship?"

In the latest episode of TNT's program, Barkley looked at O'Neal and asked seriously.

O'Neal used to criticize Barkley every day, but now he finally found an opportunity for him to fight back.

"I believe the Bulls will turn the situation around in the next game." O'Neal looked stubborn.

Now he can only choose to believe in Xu Yong. If Kobe wins the sixth championship, Kobe will mention this every time he meets him.

Because he has retired, it is no longer possible to overtake him in the number of championships.

"Shaq, actually I think you can come back and join the Lakers next season." Barkley pursued the victory.

"I have five championship rings, but you don't." O'Neal used his ultimate move.

Barkley slapped the table with both hands, a trick that O'Neal has tried time and time again.

"Let's make a bet." Buckley was so angry that he said directly.

"What are you betting on?" O'Neal is not afraid of this.

"Say." Barkley must make O'Neal embarrassed this time.

O'Neal touched his chin with his hand and thought. The Bulls are obviously at a disadvantage now. If the Bulls lose in the end, he will have to fulfill this last bet.

"In this way, let's bet on the next game. I beat the Bulls and you beat the Lakers. The loser will wear a JK suit and a wig to participate in a show. How about that?"

Buckley was stunned for a moment when Kenny Smith, who had been silent next to him, burst into laughter.

These two old men are getting more and more ruthless as they play.

But if nothing else, this wave of traffic will definitely explode.

After all, who can resist the JK outfit of "Flying Pig" or "Big Shark"?

And at this moment, Smith was really grateful for O'Neal's joining, because he no longer had to worry about his butt being noticed by some flying pig.

"That's it, the next game is decided!" Barkley is determined to win.

……

The day before G4, after the extra practice in the evening, Thibodeau came to the training hall again.

The two sat down and talked about the upcoming game.

Falling behind 1-2, and they didn't make any obvious mistakes, the next game in the finals was really difficult.

"CP3's condition was something I didn't expect." Thibodeau said slightly helplessly.

He actually knew that Paul would vote for Yao Ming, but he didn't expect that it would be so accurate.

Statistically speaking, when matched up against Yao Ming, Paul's mid-range shooting rate reached 75%, which is an extremely terrifying statistic.

"Tom, I have an idea." Xu Yong thought for a while and said.

"Just say it." Thibodeau said the word "interest" was written on his face.

The previous strategy against Kobe was that Xu Yong suggested it before the game and then Xu Yong implemented it successfully.

"We can appropriately reduce the defensive pressure on Kobe, and then focus on limiting Paul's scoring opportunities." Xu Yong suggested.

Thibodeau didn't understand for a moment after hearing this.

Kobe is the focus of the Lakers' offense, and Paul is just a secondary attacker. This pinching of the secondary attacker gives the main attacker a chance. Isn't this putting the cart before the horse and wasting food because of choking?
"Tom, do you know anything about CP3?" Xu Yong asked after seeing Thibodeau's reaction.

Thibodeau shook his head. He had no experience of working with Paul. If he knew anything about it, it was limited to technical features.

"I only heard occasionally that CP3 is a person who cares about honor very much. Now that he has the opportunity to win FMVP, but if he finds that what is right in front of him is taken away, he will feel unbalanced."

Thibodeau was stunned by Xu Yong's words. This was no longer at the tactical and strategic level, but a psychological tactic similar to Kobe's "double-teaming players in contract years".

"As for Kobe, we can defend in turns. If he really breaks out again, I will switch to guard him. Until now, his consumption is not small." Xu Yong continued.

Thibodeau did not immediately express his position this time, because psychological tactics are indeed a bit mysterious.

……

One day later, G4 between the Lakers and Bulls continued in Los Angeles.

Playing at home, leading 2-1, the Lakers players had relaxed smiles on their faces.

Especially Paul, whose future was bleak with the Hornets last season, will not only win the championship this season, but even win FMVP.

This wave completely explains the principle of "moving trees will kill people, but people will live".

Moreover, the pain of 58 caused by Xu Yong and the Bulls can also be vented this year.

The game started quickly, and then Paul stopped laughing.

Because he discovered that the Bulls put their defensive focus on him tonight!
Even if he tried to find Yao Ming in a misplaced position, it would be difficult for him to succeed. The Lakers' offensive focus was forced to shift to Kobe.

Then Kobe played very well in the opening game.

As the game continued, Paul's expression became more and more uncomfortable, and then he actually started to attack!

Thibodeau felt incredible watching from the sidelines.

It is said that the most unpredictable thing is the human heart, but Xu Yong really understands it.

As the brains of the team, Paul's attack quickly disrupted the Lakers' offensive rhythm.

After Brown saw Kobe looking at him suspiciously, he could only take Paul off the court to make adjustments.

As a result, Paul also gave him a bad look at the end.

You might think that an individual can be a star nanny coach, but nothing is that easy.

After this chaos, the Lakers finally lost to the Bulls 87-99, and the score was tied at 2-2.

At the end of the game, Xu Yong couldn't help laughing when he looked at the score.

Naturally, he has never worked with Paul, but Paul's experience in the Suns Finals was really impressive.

And when you look at Paul's career in detail, while you feel regretful, you can also easily discover the fact: he really never loses his ability when it comes to his mistakes.

(End of this chapter)