no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 239 I often walk by the river, how can I not get my shoes wet?

After the MVP award results were officially announced, ESPN made a statistics.

There has never been a player in NBA history who can win MVP three times in the first six years of his career. Xu Yong is the first to do this.

The only one who came close was not Jordan, but Moses Malone, who did it in the first seven years of his career.

As for James, he only won his first MVP in the seventh year of his career.

ESPN is professional in producing customized data.

However, even if it is customized data, this record is very important. After all, compared to customized data that limits data, few people have such qualifications when it comes to a big honor like MVP.

Even setting aside this series of restrictions, the number of players who can win three or more MVPs in NBA history is only seven.

Xu Yong was not too excited when he saw this list. He was not interested in such customized things, but he was looking forward to next season in advance.

The media's sense of smell is like a dog's nose, it is the most sensitive. ESPN has begun to give him customized honors. There is a high probability that they have some inside information and know that the relationship between Nike and James will change next season.

Either Nike will give up on James, or it will lower the renewal price.

After all, once Love is injured, the Cavaliers are missing a leg, and their chances of winning the championship plummet.

It will be interesting to see where James goes from here.

But no matter how James chooses, one thing is certain, that is, Nike's number one is definitely no longer James.

And the domino effect caused by that will definitely be quite exciting.

Before the game against the Eagles G2, Xu Yong received the third MVP trophy of his career.

After taking the MVP trophy from Xiao Hua, Xu Yong gave a personal acceptance speech.

It is said that the nature of a country is easy to change but hard to change. After being relatively humble for a while in the past two seasons, Xu Yong has regained the confidence he had when he first entered the league.

"I will throw it into the deepest part of the closet until the end of the season when we lift the championship trophy, and then take it out and hold it high together."

The loan championship was agreed upon in advance, which directly caused the United Center to boil.

When other people say this, you think they are trying to trick you, but if Xu Yong says this, then he is basically fine with it.

Then, the Bulls got excited that night and beat the Hawks by 140 points 82-58.

Poor Eagle-chan, before she even understood what was going on, she became the backdrop.

What's even more pitiful is Chris Cannon, who was preparing for a game against the Cavaliers and then got shot innocently.

……

Time flies, and in a blink of an eye it is another week later.

The game between the Bulls and the Hawks has come to an end. There is not much suspense. Another wave of 4-0. The Bulls swept two consecutive rounds and easily advanced to the conference finals.

The last time the Bulls did this was the last time, when the Bulls had just welcomed Yao Ming to join.

Compared to the fierce battle between the knights and the walkers next door, they were really a bit too calm.

But for the Bulls, after the first two rounds of warm-up are over, their playoffs are really about to begin.

On this day, Xu Yong and Butler brought out melon seeds, peanut mineral water, French fries, champagne squid rings, and watched the game in front of the TV.

The euphemistic name is studying potential opponents, but in reality, I want to be a fun person.

Like Xu Yong's previous judgment, without Love, the Cavaliers were not dominant on the inside and at a disadvantage on the outside. They were already 2-3 behind in the big score.

If the Cavaliers are really blocked from the Eastern Conference Finals by the Pacers, it will be more exciting than not being able to break out of the Eastern Conference.

Before the game officially started, Xu Yong and Butler also imitated Barkley and made a bet on who would win in G6.

"Seniors first," said polite little Jimmy.

"I'm betting on the Cavaliers." Xu Yong once again bet on the Cavaliers, and then once again surprised Butler.

But because it was a bet, Butler didn't ask, but simply bet on the Pacers.

"So what's the bet?" After the bet was finished, the two of them realized that each other had little experience in betting, and they didn't seem to have decided what the bet was.

"Just a request, a reasonable request. The winner makes it to the loser." Xu Yong remembered the previous bet with Durant.

Butler had no objection, and the bet between the two was concluded.

The game starts soon.

First of all, the lineups of both sides are still neat, which is very rare considering the grievances and experiences last season.

Starters on both sides, Cavaliers: Irving, J.R. Smith, James, Davis, Tristan Thompson;

Pacers: Paul, Korver, Anthony, Amir Johnson, Bynum.

Xu Yong ate two melon seeds, and Bynum had already won the first offensive ball for the Pacers.

Anthony used Johnson's pick-and-roll and Paul's pass to hit a three-pointer.

This Johnson looks about the same height as him, but looks very strong. He used to play for the Raptors. This season, he was pushed to the bench by Antetokounmpo. Because his contract expired in the summer, Bird took the opportunity to use him in the first round. Brought to Indiana.

His pick-and-roll is very solid, and his subconscious awareness is also very strong, although Anthony will most likely not be able to pass.

And Xu Yong still had an impression when he played with the Raptors last season. This guy seemed to have three-point ability.

It's no wonder that he quickly replaced Ed Davis as the starting power forward after arriving with the Pacers.

Then James' breakthrough layup was interfered by Bynum and missed.

Bynum's body is really useful as long as he doesn't waste it.

However, as James spread his hands, the referee blew the whistle and Bynum was called for a defensive foul.

"So dark." Butler couldn't stand it anymore. He didn't even see Bynum make any move.

Xu Yong laughed when he heard this. Otherwise, why do you think he is optimistic about the Cavaliers? This game is 5 against 8.

Whether it is to play one more game or to let the Cavaliers and Bulls play, the league will support the Cavaliers.

Because of the referee's intervention, the Pacers did not play smoothly at the beginning. By the time they entered the rotation stage, they were already 10 points behind the Cavaliers.

"I'm already thinking about what request to make." Xu Yong had already opened the champagne and poured it for both of them.

The situation changed very subtly after both sides came on the bench.

Especially when Granger comes off the bench.

Bird's contribution to the team in the past is still very good. At the beginning of the season, he was allowed to recuperate from his injury. Granger also lived up to expectations. His recovery was better than in history. After his comeback, he became the team's sixth man.

Although entering the playoffs, his condition has declined, and his performance before the series against the Cavaliers can only be regarded as satisfactory.

But now that the team is in adversity, he seems to be a little passive.

After coming off the bench, he made two three-pointers in a row, one of which was made against James' defense, directly helping the Pacers catch up with the score.

Butler, who had just finished drinking the champagne, couldn't help but turn to look at his senior. He suddenly remembered a very interesting thing. It seemed that Xu Yong was optimistic about the Cavaliers before, but then Love got injured?
As the Pacers caught up with the score, the game on the field became more and more intense, and the intensity of the confrontation continued to increase. Anthony and Tristan Thompson also had a conflict, which was full of gunpowder.

This scene is not surprising at all. The Cavaliers have no retreat, and the Pacers are almost the same. Although they lead 3 to 2 by a big score, because it is the third against the second, this is the last home game, and With tonight's penalty standards, there is almost no chance of winning in Cleveland in the tiebreaker, so this can also be understood as their last game.

The two sides fought fiercely until the fourth quarter.

Then came the climax.

James came up at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and after Granger made his fourth three-pointer of the night, he actually tried to step on Granger again during a defense!
Xu Yong and Butler were dumbfounded.

You can't catch someone with your wool and pull it out!

This was indeed Bowen's possession, and Carter was sweating profusely.

"Senior, why do you think LeBron always comes out to cause trouble by himself?" Butler couldn't help but ask.

"He didn't find the right coach for him."

"Huh?" Butler didn't go around the corner.

"He should go to Spurs."

After hearing this, Butler realized that it was a bit of a joke.

However, words are not rough. Things like stepping on the feet have a great impact on a player's reputation. Doing it for your teammates is not worth the loss, but if you do it for the coach, the meaning is completely different, because the coach is the one who determines your chance to play.

Moreover, James was also a young boy who slayed dragons when he entered the league. If you have to say his turning point, it is most likely the experience when he was swept by the Spurs in 07.

So if James really goes to the Spurs, he will indeed be a perfect match with Popovich as Xu Yong said.

On the field, fortunately, Granger had been cushioned once and had experience, so he jumped forward to avoid it.

However, this also triggered a conflict between Anthony and James. Although Anthony has a bad reputation, he is still very protective.

This also made the smell of gunpowder on both sides more intense.

Finally, after two rounds, it really exploded.

When Bynum was defending James' breakthrough, he elbowed James in the air, and the elbow happened to be in the groin. James fell directly to the ground, curled up and did not move for a long time.

The players on both sides quickly confronted each other. Fortunately, the Cavaliers had many young players on the field and did not have much experience facing this kind of scene. Otherwise, they would have become the second Auburn Hills immediately.

The game was interrupted and the referee separated the players on both sides.

At this moment, James was helped by his teammates to get up with difficulty, but he could no longer finish the game and finally left the field in a wheelchair.

Seeing this result, Xu Yong didn't know how to evaluate it for a while.

Speaking of dirty, the only one who can match James on both sides of the court is Bynum. He elbowed Gerald Wallace in 09, causing damage to the latter's lungs and 30% of his lungs had to be removed. He is also considered to be the culprit that turned Wallace from an All-Star to a starting-level player; then in the 2011 Western Conference Finals, he elbowed Barea and almost killed him.

Tonight's game was so intense that his mind started to heat up, and it was so normal to do what he was doing.

But although Bynum is dirty, James is entirely to blame for this wave.

There was originally a big conflict between him and the Pacers. Bird's move to sign Granger was clearly out of revenge, but in the end, you still made a bad move at home.

And as the saying goes, if you often walk by the river, your shoes will not get wet. If you do too much harm to others, you will always be misled by others once or twice.

Not to mention that Indiana has always been full of martial virtue.

So to sum up tonight’s events: bad guys being punished by bad guys.

After James left the field, Bynum was also maliciously expelled from the second level, and the two sides completed a one-for-one exchange.

But the momentum of the game has completely shifted to the Pacers.

This is different from when James was absent during the regular season, because Love was there at that time, and Love could be used as the fulcrum of the offense, but now only Irving and Davis are left, and the two of them were capable of leading the team to tenth place in the Eastern Conference. .

In the end, the Pacers eliminated the Cavaliers with a score of 97-90 and 4-2 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The four-star Cavaliers played until the last two were eliminated and stopped in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Butler, the bet won.

Seeing this result, Xu Yong couldn't help but look at the champagne in front of him in confusion.

With the Cavaliers, he does seem to have set a flag.

"Tell me, what do you want me to do?" Xu Yong admitted defeat.

"I haven't thought about it yet. I'll mention it again when I have the opportunity in the future." The two of them had made an impromptu bet, and Butler really didn't have any needs now.

Although it was a bit delayed, Xu Yong didn't pay too much attention to it. After all, he had said it was a reasonable request before, and it would be the same sooner or later.

……

The Eastern Conference Finals are about to begin, but the smoke from the series between the Pacers and the Cavaliers has not dissipated. Instead, it has moved from the stadium to social media.

After eliminating the Cavaliers, many people in the Pacers had wonderful speeches.

When Anthony mentioned the on-court conflict at the post-game press conference, he said: "I don't think Andrew's approach is rational, but we will not back down when faced with provocations from our opponents. We will respond to our opponents in the same way."

For comparison, Paul's words are even more interesting: "Before tonight, we were leading 3 to 2. Even if there was no conflict, we were the team with the better chance, and no matter what, we won the game, and we were the team that continued Team moving forward.”

Bird was more direct, posting a status on social media: "Someone is trying to copy last year's formula to win games, but he picked the wrong guy."

At the same time, the Cavaliers and the league also successively updated the latest news.

The Cavaliers officially announced that James suffered a groin injury after the game and is expected to require surgery in the summer;
The NBA officially announced additional penalties. Bynum will be fined $2 and suspended for one game due to his flagrant foul.

"Paul looks like a villain. He competed with Kobe for Finals MVP and LeBron for Finals MVP. He deserves to never win a championship!"

"Suspended for 1 game? Was Xiao Hua licked by Bird?!"

"It's really too dirty, a dirty deal, such a bad move, and he was only suspended for 1 game. If Stern had been replaced, he would have started at least 10 games. It's too long!"

"Really, I have never seen James injured like this. He just kicked his legs and continued to play when someone stepped on him before. Damn Bynum!"

"If Bynum is suspended for 10 games, wouldn't it send the Bulls to the Finals? I support a 10-game suspension." Comment from "KBfnas".

"I think he should be banned in the regular season, but not in the playoffs."

"Smart...smart ban?" A comment from "KBforever".

"It's so shameful to win without force. It's not convincing at all to win the game like this!"

"So who reached the Finals last year in this way? Let me state in advance that I am not a Heat fan." Comment from "KBfnas".

"Can it be the same? Last year it was an accident, this year it's a criminal!"

"Only state officials are allowed to set fires, but ordinary people are not allowed to light lamps?" a comment from "KBforever".

"Brothers, report them, this is obviously a trumpet account opened by one person!"

"He's so anxious, look at him being hit by the boomerang!" A comment from "Knight Nation".

……

Xu Yongdu was amused by these comments on social media.

No matter who is hacking James, Durant must help.

And these two brothers surf very hard.

But it was expected, because the Thunder just completed their revenge against the Mavericks 4-2.

And it was Durant who vindicated himself by hitting the buzzer-beater against Tony Allen in Dallas.

If there are three steps to becoming a god, then Durant has now taken the first step, and he has done so solidly.

So it makes sense that they are now in a good mood and surfing the Internet intensively.

Xu Yong took advantage of the situation and also paid attention to the situation on the Warriors' side.

Relying on Curry's 8 three-pointers in a single game and the team's 32-for-15 shooting performance from outside, the Warriors also eliminated the Grizzlies 4-2 and met the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

These two teams have played against each other many times in history, and the Warriors have always won. But now the Thunder's situation is completely different from history, and it is very suspenseful who will win in the end.

Just when he was about to put away his phone, a new news pop-up window came out, the last batch of awards this year, the results of the best lineup.

Best team: Curry, Westbrook, Xu Yong, Anthony, Durant
Second team: Paul, Harden, Leonard, James, Marc Gasol
Third team: Irving, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Griffin, Cousins

All-Defensive First Team: Paul, Tony Allen, Leonard, Xu Yong, Draymond Green

Defensive second team: John Wall, Jimmy Butler, Ibaka, Anthony Davis, Bynum
After seeing this result, Xu Yongyong couldn't help but wiped his eyes, thinking that he was dazzled.

James didn't even make the best team?
And the defensive lineup doesn’t even have his name on it?

This was unimaginable in the past. No matter what happens to James, relying on data and [word of mouth] from the media, he has never lost a vote.I didn't expect that I would be reduced to this situation all of a sudden.

So this is the first card that the dominoes fall on?

He went back and took a look at social media, and sure enough, it had started again.

"Westbrook stole a moment that should have been LeBron's."

"Why? Why can Westbrook score a run with a triple-double?!"

"It's so ironic. It's a disgrace to the NBA!"

"So who has been in the past by brushing up data? Don't substitute it, I'm not talking about James during the Heat." Comment from "KBfnas".

……

Before the start of the Eastern Conference Finals, media reports about the best lineup also followed one after another.

"Xu Yong has the opportunity to achieve MVP/FMVP/scoring champion/double team for the second time in his career, and he will tie Jordan"

ESPN's report still has a strong flavor of limitation, but if Xu Yongzhen does it, no one will doubt that he is chasing Jordan.

Or it can be understood that others are relying on force, but Xu Yong is still the same as before. He does not need to do other things, the media has already done it for him.

"Players from different eras cannot be compared, but Xu's influence on the game in this era is the closest to mine in that era." Jordan also gave this answer when asked about the news by reporters at an AJ event. .

Even the Bulls players have begun to drift away. They are now playing with "Jordan".

The next day, the Bulls faced the Pacers at home.

The result of this game surprised everyone. Although Xu Yong scored 43 points, the Bulls lost the game 103-106.

The Bulls showed unprecedented slackness, and there was even a scene where Adams gave way during the game, only to be overtaken by Paul, and then the score was 2+1.

After the game, the Pacers were in a frenzy, with Paul jumping up and pumping his fists in excitement and Anthony shouting "We can do it" at the camera.

The Bulls were in a state of depression.

Originally, the team was superior in strength, but the Pacers were missing Bynum. In the eyes of the outside world, it was a game that they didn't know how to lose. They lost.

Although the game is not only about strength but also about performance, this game had a huge impact on the Bulls' morale.

Xu Yong returned to the locker room after attending the post-match press conference. When he entered the door and saw that everyone else was still there, he turned around and closed the door to the locker room, then put on the insurance.

His move quickly attracted the attention of other people in the locker room, and they stopped communicating and what they were doing one after another.

It is not uncommon in the NBA to hold small meetings behind closed doors, but the Bulls are playing too smoothly this season and have few meetings, and Hinrich, the leader of the locker room, usually presides over the meeting. It is rare to see Xu Yong doing this.

After closing the door, Xu Yong's eyes swept around the locker room.

"Listen, I'm not a babysitter and I'm saying to everyone before a game like this: Be careful because our opponent just eliminated the Cavaliers and their morale is high.

This is not the state that a championship team should be in. Me, Kirk, and Derek, we have experienced it and know what it should be like, but it is definitely not this state. If anyone is prepared to continue like this in the next game , you can get out of this locker room now! "

Xu Yong's opening remarks made many team members' pupils tremble. They had never seen Xu Yong so direct.

"From now on, until we win the championship, I hope everyone remembers one thing: attitude is more important than strength. Although we lost last season, I am proud of everyone because we are standing, but today I’m ashamed of the late game.”

After saying this, Xu Yong glanced around the locker room. Many players lowered their heads in shame.

"Everyone raise their heads!" Xu Yong's louder words made them suddenly raise their heads again.

"Remember the shame tonight and turn it into motivation to move forward. Our opponents will play harder in the next game. If we don't have that consciousness, we will be out here. Tell me, do you want to be out? Again once?"

"Do not want to."

"Tell me louder!"

"In no mood!"

Xu Yong's oratory talent was proven in the NCAA. The Bulls team now has a majority of young people, and emotions were quickly aroused.

After nodding at the end, Xu Yong raised his right hand. After seeing it, the team members stood up and folded their hands one after another.

"Come on! Bulls!"

After shouting the slogan, the Bulls' entire mental outlook improved significantly.

Xu Yong's words are a good reminder of the situation they are facing now. 72 wins is an honor, but it also represents pressure.

The team members gathered themselves together and prepared to go back to rest.

Xu Yong stopped Adams at this time and asked him to sit next to him.

Rookies usually sit next to the boss of the team, serving tea and water. Anderson's seat is also there. Anderson wants to drive Xu Yong, but he hasn't left yet, so he gives up his seat to the side.

Adams, who was as strong as an ox, had a nervous look on his face after sitting down. He had been with the team for two years and had always had the impression that Xu Yong was very gentle, but tonight completely overturned his perception.

"Steven, your job is to grab every rebound, do you understand?"

Adams was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

"I know what you're thinking, you want to give up backcourt rebounds to your teammates, but now I'm telling you, no, I don't, Jimmy doesn't, and if you don't know yet, your goal is to be Dennis Rowe. Deman, do you understand?"

Adams understood now and nodded firmly.

After reaching out and patting Adams on the shoulder, Xu Yong stood up and prepared to practice more.

Everyone is responsible for losing, and so is he. He should have sent the game into overtime tonight.

Anderson also trained with Xu Yong. Compared with driving, training with Xu Yong was the most helpful to him.

After practicing three-pointers for a while, Xu Yong had a one-on-one confrontation with Anderson.

What Anderson practiced in his rookie season was also his strengths in the draft report, three-pointers and defense.

Anderson has three-pointers. Although he did not produce much in the NCAA last season, averaging about 1.6 shots per game, he shot 48.3% from the field.

It's just that firstly, the distance of the NCAA three-point shot is different from that in the NBA. Secondly, his three-point shot speed is too slow and cannot meet NBA requirements. He must improve his shot speed through training.

As for defense, his wingspan of 2 meters is the basis for him to become a high-quality defender, and his willingness to defend is also very high. However, his defensive skills and experience still need to be polished to meet NBA-level requirements. This is also the reason why he and Xu The main purpose of always playing one-on-one confrontation.

In general, because the team's needs are different, his development path with the Spurs will be different from that in history. He needs to become a qualified 3D striker now, and then consider using his movement control and organizational characteristics.

The Bulls' training sessions over the past two days have not been open to the media, and the outside world does not know the specific situation of the Bulls.

However, Jamie fans on social media are very happy.

After all, if the Bulls really lose to the Pacers in the end, it means that the Pacers' strength exceeds expectations, and it can be concluded that the Cavaliers' loss is not considered a failure.

Even at this time, they don't criticize Xiao Hua because he has only been suspended for 1 game and Bynum will come back after the game.

Morale, lineup, psychology, the current situation is a polar reversal, and the Pacers have the advantage.

Chicago, United Center, G2 of the Eastern Conference Finals is about to begin.

The arena was still packed with people. Even though they lost G1, and even though the outside world had some doubts about the Bulls, the popularity the Bulls have accumulated over the years will not be lost if they lose one game.

Especially when the Bulls players came out of the tunnel with their faces full of fighting spirit, it made them even more excited.

They didn't know the status of their home team in the past two days, but now it seems that it must be developing in a good direction.

Xu Yong observed the situation on the Pacers side while he was warming up.

They did not appear relaxed or complacent, especially Paul, who was extremely serious.

It is said that failure is the only way to success. After experiencing two consecutive losses in the finals by the Lakers and Pacers, he seems to have matured a lot.

After the warm-up, the scene entered the appearance ceremony, and the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.

Pacers: Paul, Korver, Anthony, Amir Johnson, Bynum;

Bulls: Rose, Butler, Xu Yong, West, Adams.

The cheers of the fans at the scene were overwhelming. The high decibel level represented how high their support for the Bulls was tonight.

Amid cheers, Adams struggled to get the ball back to the Bulls half, officially kicking off the game.

Butler organized the opening, and Xu Yong's tactics just came out. Anthony and Johnson attacked him from the left and right. Vogel's defensive strategy against Xu Yong was much more thorough than Spoelstra.

However, Xu Yong did not wait where he was. Instead, he suddenly ran back and cut into the basket, pointing his hand directly to the sky.

Butler's pass was delivered accurately, and Xu Yong caught the ball in the air and smashed it directly into the basket.

Bynum was still under the basket at this time. Because he had just been suspended and Xu Yong was opposite him, he did not dare to make any moves and just raised his hands high.

Xu Yong did not choose to dodge sideways in the air, but pressed his other hand on the ball and exerted force with both hands.

"Oh!"

Bynum smashed the ball directly into the basket!

The huge impact knocked Bynum to the ground. The visual impact of Xu Yong's body swinging after dunking made people's blood rush.

After landing, Xu Yong let out a rare roar, and then collided with Butler who came over.

The United Center instantly went into a boil.

Although it was only the opening game, Xu Yong's body language had fully demonstrated the Bulls' determination tonight.

They will definitely win this game tonight, even if the King of Heaven comes.

That feeling continues on the defensive end as well.

Everyone on the Bulls took the initiative to engage in physical confrontation in order to prevent the Pacers' tactics from running out.

The change was immediate, and although the Pacers' morale was high, the defensive talent of this Bulls team was too high.

Success is worth ten points, two points depends on hard work, seven points depends on talent, and the remaining one point depends on the support of kneeling people.

This sentence tells us that talent is the decisive factor in success.

And there is another detail change that further reflects this. In previous games, Thibodeau arranged for Butler to defend Anthony, but tonight, it was Xu Yong who was defending.

Anthony struggled to catch the ball, and the Pacers' attack time was already halfway through. The Pacers only had one option left for this ball.

This is not the first time Anthony and Xu Yong have met in the playoffs. The encounter three years ago also had many famous scenes, such as the Knicks being slaughtered by the Bulls by 58 points, and Stoudemire angrily smashing a fire hydrant after the game.

Compared with that time, Anthony is not only more mature now, but his technology is also improving.

But what hasn't changed is that he still has difficulty playing Xu Yong in singles.

In the end, he threw away Xu Yong with a step-back jumper facing the basket, but was still interfered by Xu Yong's long arm, and the basketball hit the frame.

Adams caught Bynum under the basket, then jumped up and grabbed the defensive rebound.

And after grabbing the rebound, he held the ball with one hand to avoid Paul who wanted to rush in and cut the ball. This habit of his is very good.

But compared to what he was used to, his next operation was even more amazing.

After he glanced at the position of his teammates and saw that Xu Yong had already rushed out of the three-point line in advance, he directly performed a long throw like a football quarterback in the backcourt.

His strength can fully support him to do this, but because of his lack of experience, the ball is passed with greater force.

Fortunately, Xu Yong reacted quickly and strode forward. After controlling the ball, he also shook off Paul who was chasing behind him. He took three big steps and scored twice, performing a fast break tomahawk to violently abuse the basket.

The cheers from the last round at the United Center were rising again.

In this situation tonight, no Bulls fan can leave the United Center with a good voice.

After returning to the backcourt, Xu Yong also found Adams for a high-five: "That's it."

Of course, Adams and Rodman are different. Adams' judgment of the basketball's placement is not as good as Rodman's. He can't start fighting and provoking opponents from the backcourt like Rodman.

But Adams also has his own advantages. He is taller and stronger, which allows him to launch the offense directly from the backcourt after taking off the defensive rebound.

As a reborn person, Xu Yong knows this, which is why he asked Adams to get defensive rebounds.

Of course, this is somewhat similar to what Jordan did to Rodman. Doing so can make Adams more present.

Because backcourt rebounds are a big deal. In addition to the sense of rebounding, it actually also involves distribution issues.

This is another meaning of what he said yesterday about "becoming Rodman".

At the critical moment, Paul used his signature step-back jumper after the pick-and-roll to break the scoring drought for the Pacers.

After scoring, Paul retreated and yelled at his teammates to remind him of his defensive position.

Although he only played two or three rounds, he has already realized that the Bulls and G1 he faces tonight are two completely different teams.

Butler broke through Bynum after the pick-and-roll and passed the ball to Adams.

Adams' shot from close range was interfered by Anthony and missed the basket, but he directly grabbed the offensive rebound, then knocked Anthony away, jumped from the crowd, and completed the attack with a two-handed dunk in the second attack!
This move shocked both Anthony and Bynum.

Who are you?

Xu Yong couldn't help but nod when he saw this. Adams had awakened the bloodline of the Neptune.

2:6.

The Bulls started the game with momentum.

And after returning to the defensive end, amid the cheers of the fans at the scene, the inspired Bulls players defended with higher intensity.

Paul's pass was directly intercepted by Butler!
The Bulls once again played a fast break. This time Rose's layup also caused Korver's beater to foul.

Rose also hit the extra penalty, and the point difference on the field has reached 2 to 9.

"Defense! Defense!"

The cheers of the fans at the scene continued, making the Pacers players somewhat breathless.

Paul held the ball on the outside to signal the pace. Although the situation was unfavorable, he still played calmly.

Under his command, the Pacers played a Korver three-point tactic.

Korver took advantage of Johnson's pick-and-roll to catch the ball at a 45° angle on the right side and shoot a three-pointer.

Johnson's pick-and-roll, Paul's pass, and Korver's catch were all perfect.

Except the ball didn't go in in the end.

The basketball went in and popped out again.

Adams once again protected the defensive rebound, and the Bulls' fast break continued.

This time the Pacers retreated very quickly, but as soon as they got into position, Xu Yong received Rose's fast break pass and directly chased and hit a three-pointer.

Vogel reached out and called a timeout.

2:12.

Facing the Pacers who welcomed Bynum back, the Bulls established a double-digit lead in less than 5 minutes.

When Xu Yong came off the field, he felt the enthusiasm of the fans and waved his hands to signal the fans to make more noise.

He was answered with deafening cheers.

"I don't know what happened to the Bulls in the past two days, but now I feel like the Pacers woke up a sleeping lion and now it wants to tear its prey apart."

Barkley shook his head in the commentary box and sighed.

(End of this chapter)