So I am the god of basketball?

Chapter 119 Perhaps, a new era has really arrived!

Although there are no changes in the lineup, the Bulls have made a lot of changes in tactics.

The first is that Michael Jordan no longer plays against Meng Lang.

The person who brought this up in the Bulls meeting was not Michael Jordan, but Phil Jackson. But when Pippen heard that he was asked to defend Meng Lang, he immediately looked at Jordan and thought to himself:

This pussy is trying to make my feet cramp again, right?

It’s no wonder that this was the first reaction in Pippen’s mind. It was the scene of Jordan falling in his arms that impressed him deeply!

Such a strong man, I have never seen him weak before.

But at that time, she was lying softly on his body, as if eighteen rough-skinned men were being turned around.

Pippen will really remember this scene for a lifetime.

He didn't expect that when he met the Magic again, he would actually replace Jordan and become the one guarding Meng Lang.

But he had no reason to refuse.

The Bulls' tactical arrangement, whether on the offensive or defensive end, follows one key point:

What Jordan can do, what others can do, let others do; and what no one else on this team can do, let Jordan do;

This kind of teamwork is called "reducing the burden on the team leader."

instead of...

If the team can do it, I will do it; if I can’t do it, let the team do it!

The biggest difference between real goat and fake goat is this.

Some goats, "bringing their own systems" are so popular that they fly into the air. But this self-contained system has hard conditions. Whether you can fly, run, jump, or grab, after entering this "self-contained system", you will all become able to shoot!

However, after these people sacrificed themselves, they were still not taken seriously. Turning around, it was this "goat" who became the player who sacrificed the most for the team.

If he really had sacrificed the most, he wouldn't have been unable to even shoot well for so many years.

Defending against Meng Lang is something Jordan can do and Pippen can do too.

This kind of thing, Phil Jackson handed over to Pippen, is in line with the Bulls' consistent tactical arrangement.

The main reason why Pippen accepted everything like a "little daughter-in-law" is also very simple. There are some things that Jordan can do, but he really can't do it. So he could only nod silently and prepare for a tough battle.

When Meng Lang saw that the person standing next to him was replaced by Pippen, he shouted to Jordan:

"Hey Michael, are you worried about your leg cramps again?"

When Jordan heard this, he didn't know whether his legs twitched or not. Anyway, his face twitched, and he cursed in a low voice through gritted teeth:

Bitch!

This scene once again left Kukoc stunned.

In the past, he has always watched Jordan "verbally violently output" to his opponents, but the opponent has never dared to respond. This is the first time that Jordan has not dared to respond.

"Night of 60 Minutes", his faith full of spider webs made a few more inaudible shattering sounds.

It's a straight-up graphic hit.

But at the same time, Kukoc felt a little more distressed.

Look, what a loyal fan is!

At this time, other fans will only feel that they are fans of the wrong person and that they are not fans of the stronger one. Kukoc is different. He will only feel sorry for Jordan giegie!

Jordan did not guard Meng Lang, but he also accepted a heavyweight challenge, directly facing "Jordan's successor" Anfernee Hardaway.

Hardaway has the size and explosive power to deal with the average No. 1 position. He is definitely the type to wipe everything clean and leave nothing behind. But against Jordan, it is a bit difficult. A calm breakthrough turns into a cautious frame protection.

That’s not to say that Jordan’s “dimensionality reduction blow” is so powerful.

No matter how "god" he is, he is now 32 years old, and the decline in physical function is irreversible.

It's just that Hardaway's "psychological baggage" was so heavy that he couldn't face Jordan calmly. Once the psychological pressure is too great, it is considered good to be able to exert 7% of your normal abilities to level at most.

This is a defensive change.

On the offensive end, Jordan has more energy to attack himself. The problem of the Magic's lack of an iron gate in perimeter defense is highlighted. No one can guard Jordan alone, let alone restricting him. Even if it is given greater interference, it is a very difficult thing!

In addition, Armstrong happens to be Hardaway's more difficult "little speeder" to deal with, and he is obviously constrained on the defensive end.

The Bulls started with a 17-10 score difference.

Chuck Daly called a timeout at this time.

The cheers that had been continuous at the scene suddenly became smaller at this moment.

The people in Orlando looked at each other, really wondering what went wrong.

Chuck Daly made tactical adjustments on both offense and defense. First, after Hardaway received the ball, Grant continued to step forward to pick and roll him, which also weakened Michael Jordan's defensive ability.

And as long as Hardaway has room to move forward and speed up, the Magic's tactical movement will immediately become very dynamic.

Mainly once Hardaway rushes up, there are still many passing options he can make.

Either give it to Meng Lang to allow more changes in the transfer of the ball; or give the ball to Anderson and let him shoot a three-pointer to finish; or give it to the inside and let Grant and Shaquille O'Neal give full play to the Magic's inside advantage. Come.

In short, in the 90s, if the number one position became comfortable, then the effect on the team's sorting would be very obvious.

After the timeout, the Magic also successfully launched a 6-0 scoring surge, successfully closing the point difference to 1 point!

The Bulls called a timeout at this time, but this timeout was called by Jordan. Phil Jackson was still "wandering" and did not notice that the situation on the court had changed dramatically in just two minutes.

The Magic's 6-0 scoring wave mainly came from the basket, so the changes made by Phil Jackson were mainly aimed at shrinking the basket!

Grant doesn't have a very good ball-holding ability, and Shaquille O'Neal doesn't have much to do with double-teaming, so he can only pass the ball.

As long as they return to defend the basket and shrink in time enough, the Bulls can well restrict the Magic's interior to continue to score at the basket.

Jordan was a little worried about Meng Lang and Anderson's shooting from the outside. After thinking about it, he said to Pippen: "Man, when we shrink, don't go back to defend. Keep an eye on that bitch and don't give him an easy chance to take a shot." !”

He retreats to the basket alone, confidently covering the fourth and fifth positions together, and ensuring the quality of the defense.

In this way, Pippen no longer needs to shrink.

Just as he was wary of Meng Lang's projection, Pippen could continue to stick to this guy!

Phil Jackson listened to what he said and nodded: "That's it!"

He was barely thinking.

First of all, this method was said by Jordan, and it sounds very good; another thing...this method was said by Jordan!

You taste it carefully!

One thing Phil Jackson knows very well is that his on-the-spot reaction is not very good. In this case, he must learn to absorb more opinions from others. Another more important point:

If you want the position of head coach of the Bulls to be secure, Jordan's opinions must be adopted!

The Bulls returned to the court and immediately stopped their decline. The Magic failed to score for two consecutive rounds. The Bulls relied on Jordan's consecutive scoring to open the point difference to 5 points.

After the first quarter, the score was 29-24.

Chuck Daly took a look at the opponent's data. Jordan took 9 shots in the first quarter alone and scored 6 goals. The efficiency was very good. Including free throws, he had already scored 15 points. More than half of the Bulls' first-quarter points came from him.

The performance of others was not very good. Otherwise, with Jordan's scoring speed, the Bulls would not have scored less than 30 points in a single quarter.

Pippen played the best among the others, but he only made 7 of 3 shots...

Obviously, this game is another very classic game that can only be won by the strength of "Qiaopi".

Compared with the Bulls, the Magic's scoring points were evenly distributed in the first quarter. Shaquille O'Neal, Meng Lang and Grant all scored more than 6 points, and Hardaway also scored 5 points. The only regret is that Anderson failed to grasp three shots. Otherwise, the Magic would not be 3 points behind.

On the defensive end, Chuck Daly does not plan to make any more adjustments, but on the offensive end, he must help Anderson open up the situation as soon as possible: "Man, you are the key point in this game. If the Magic team gets going, then it will be It starts from you!"

Meng Lang also patted him on the shoulder before the main player came on the field in the second quarter: "Don't be pressured, Nick, we will keep passing the ball to you until you make the ball!"

Only when Anderson makes a shot can Jordan's defense inside be more stressful.

Anderson nodded. As soon as he came on the court in the second quarter, he found his touch and scored 3 points from beyond the three-point line!

The Magic quickly narrowed the point difference, only 2 points away!

What's more fatal than this 2-point difference is that the Bulls' defense is completely "unbreakable".

Jordan tried to let Anderson go again, and the cost was that the Magic went from lagging to leading.

The cheers at the scene became louder at this moment, and Anderson became the opponent that Jordan had to follow step by step.

As a result, the Bulls' inside pressure becomes even greater.

Especially facing Shaquille O'Neal, without outside defense, they must spend time under the basket from beginning to end. It can't be just one of them under the basket. Both of them must be under the basket before they can succeed.

Otherwise, any of them would have no choice but to watch Shaquille O'Neal helplessly complete the "powerful frame" against him.

But with such a small contraction, the Bulls' mid-range has completely become a "vacuum zone", and even the mid-range on the baseline has become an open space for easy scoring. In the second half of the second quarter, Grant successfully licked several unguarded "third-level packages" and scored 6 points in a row, stopping the Bulls.

At halftime, the Bulls went from leading by 5 points to trailing by 6 points!

Lost by 11 points in a single quarter!

Jordan's output in the second quarter was still very strong, scoring 13 points in a single quarter.

It's just that this time the Magic's offensive firepower was even stronger. Shaquille O'Neal and Grant scored a combined 20 points!

Another even worse situation is...

"Dream obviously hasn't started to work hard yet. He only scored 11 points. Note that he made 7 of 5 shots and scored 11 points. He was in very good condition tonight, but he chose to pass the ball to his teammates first. He had already scored 5 points. At assists, if the Magic maintain their current offensive momentum in the second half and add Dream's strength, I'm afraid the Bulls will be taken away in a wave!" This is Bill Walton's analysis.

In the past, when commentating on Bulls games, he would never have been so sure.

Because this team has Jordan.

But this time, he stated with great certainty that the Bulls were already in a disadvantageous situation.

The reason is also very simple:

Michael Jordan's score in the first half has reached 28 points. This performance, even if he is Michael Jordan, is an extraordinary performance. It's difficult for him to consistently perform at such a high level.

To take a step back, even if he can guarantee such performance, the Bulls are still 6 points behind!

Both teams made frequent lineup changes and minor adjustments in the first half, looking like they were in the semifinals of the playoffs.

And they all brought about effective changes in a short period of time.

But at halftime, according to Bill Walton's observation, the Bulls' changes have gradually dried up.

Compared to them, the changes on the Magic's side can only be considered halfway through.

Chuck Daly worked hard to create opportunities for the inside in this game, so there were many cooperations between Meng Lang and Hardaway, but there wasn't much in this game. They just went from being lagging to leading in a step-by-step manner.

Such was the devastation of the 73-win team that even Michael Jordan and the Bulls couldn't stop them in the slightest.

Speaking of which, this is the real "73 wins"!

Compared with the Warriors team that later only achieved "73 wins", they regarded three-pointers as their "strongest killer move", although the state of the "Splash Brothers" that year was indeed stable enough. But the problem is that once the three-point shot fails to open up the situation, then they lack the ability to hold the ball and make a hard solution.

This is why they invited Kevin Durant!

The Magic are completely different.

They have to hold the ball and make hard solutions, they have to cooperate and cooperate, they have to make baskets and shots, and they have to shoot and shoot. Anyway, the weapons a team needs in any situation, there are people on this team who can stand up and provide them.

This allows them to deal with various situations very calmly.

This difference can actually be seen from the end of the season between the two teams:

Later, the Warriors really played until the last game of the regular season, and then established their new record. If they lost one more game, they would tie the Chicago Bulls' record.

It can be said that they entered the playoff mode half a month in advance.

Many media therefore said that the Warriors were completely hindered by the goal of 73 wins.

Looking at the Magic team again, not to mention that their goal from the beginning was only 70 wins. Even if they reached 70 wins, Chuck Daly reduced their losses, and they crushed them all the way and easily played a game. Bo's winning streak at the end of the season fixed their record at 73 wins and 9 losses!

Speaking of which, if these two teams had a "Guan Gong vs. Qin Qiong" across time and space, the Warriors would lose more than they win!

As the former Finals MVP, Bill Walton had no problem judging the situation. When he returned to the court in the second half, the Bulls' style of play gradually favored the "two-player" of Jordan and Pippen.

In fact, the two of them scored enough for the Bulls to win. This is how they won in the past.

It's just that the Bulls lack stable rebounding now.

Grant's scoring, Kukoc and others can replace him, but his role on the rebounding end and defensive end cannot be replaced by Kukoc.

Moreover, the Bulls' "triangle tactics" have not been improved at this time.

As mentioned before, the biggest difference between Jordan's first three crowns and the latter three crowns is that one is the ultimate "personal heroism", which once allowed basketball fans to see the "God of Basketball" coming to the court; in the latter three crowns, he used personal offense Just now it is no longer so omnipotent. In the 96 Finals, Payton even prevented him from shooting over 40%!

But in the "second three consecutive championships", Jordan's role in other aspects is incomparable to his role in the first "three consecutive championships", especially his control of the game, when to give up the stage, and when to take action. Strength, these are all things Jordan slowly figured out in his second "three consecutive championships".

But at this moment, he hasn't realized that he should transform, and he still uses himself as the first "three consecutive championships".

The result is that he scored a lot of points tonight, but the physical exertion was also huge. Although it didn't reach the point of leg cramps, it can be seen from his shooting percentage that dropped sharply compared to the first half that Jordan was tired!

Pippen worked hard to stand up in those few rounds, but unfortunately he was not thirsty. If he continued to perform, then he would no longer be Pippen, but would really be Jordan.

You can't force him yet. If you force him too hard, he will still have a "migraine".

So those who say Jordan won two "three consecutive championships" because of Pippen's remarks are not wrong. Because without Pippen, Jordan really didn't prove himself.

But don't forget, as far as Pippen's character is concerned, if he is not with the Bulls, but with other teams, whether he plays a "migraine" game as a leader or has other problems, it will become a problem in his career. A major blow!

Not everyone is as lucky as someone in the future. He obviously scored 8 points in a single game, causing the team to lose, and the team boss gave up his position to him.

Without Pippen, Jordan really doesn't know if he could win two "three consecutive championships", but without Jordan, there is a big question mark as to whether Pippen would have his current historical status!

After Jordan gave his all and Pippen completed the presence that a "second boss" should have, the Bulls' counterattack gradually subsided, and the Magic won at their home court 117-105 with a 12-point difference. The first win of the series.

Bill Walton's disapproval of the Bulls was even more thorough. During the post-game summary, he said: "Perhaps, a new era has really arrived!"

(End of this chapter)