So I am the god of basketball?

In attack and defense, Meng Lang took the initiative.

The Lakers' momentum was boosted by him, and although Jordan did not make a mistake in the next round and completed a response, the Bulls played very passively throughout the rest of the first quarter and were always behind by 6 to 9 points.

At the end of the first quarter, Meng Lang's statistics were fixed at 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

Jordan "only" had 7 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

The data still looks good, but it is very different from Meng Lang's.

Judging from their status, the difference between the two is even more obvious:
Meng Lang had a feeling that he was not satisfied yet. He was also breathing heavily, but his expression was clear, as if saying, "How come the first quarter was over so quickly?"
Looking at Jordan again, his expression seemed a little uncomfortable.

The entire team needs him to carry the weight on his shoulders. This feeling is not unfamiliar to him, but when he doesn't perform well on certain nights, it can be very painful.

Tonight is one of those nights.

What does it mean to "get older"...

Jordan now has a lot of understanding of these three words:

If he was young, he would have had enough sleep. In the locker room, he changed into his North Carolina team pants on time, with his balls stuck in a very comfortable position. Before entering the arena, he closed his eyes for five minutes. When he opened his eyes, he felt that no one in the world could stop him.

Then he had an outstanding night!

This is the young Jordan.

Even more outrageous is that he can often go to Las Vegas to gamble for a night, then rush back to Chicago and still put on an extremely exciting game.

But now, he tried his best to do all of this perfectly, but after he stepped onto the court, his knees, his ankles, and various parts of his body, there was always a part that suddenly jumped out and told him "I don't want it tonight, don't touch me", and his spirit would also be unexpectedly tired.

He wouldn't blame the loss on those things, but that's how he feels now.

He has to deal with more external factors, and he also has to fight against himself.

The gap in points and the suppression by Meng Lang made Jordan sit on the bench without saying a word when he left the court.

McGrady, who had felt that he was too reckless in tonight's game and had been fouled too early, felt sorry for the team and suddenly felt like he had fallen into an ice cellar. He was just waiting for the game to start so that he could atone for his sins through his performance on the court.

He couldn't sit on the bench for even a second longer...

The Lakers' change of formation was not affected by Kobe's foul trouble, and he was brought on the court at the beginning of the second quarter. Kobe was also holding back his energy and exploded as soon as he came on.

Let’s be honest, Kobe Bryant playing with all his strength is not necessarily a good thing!
Because this also means that he might act recklessly and turn himself into a "lone wolf".

But he did a good job in the substitute rotation tonight.

The Bulls' roster was aging, and the bench had limited energy, so they were completely relying on Kukoc to hold on. Kobe worked well with Divac, and the two of them penetrated the Bulls' bench lineup and widened the gap to 10 points.

Meng Lang sat on the sidelines and watched the Bulls. It was hard to imagine that such a team would eventually win the championship this season...

Don't say that the team originally had Pippen but not now. You have to know that at the same time, Pippen was still arguing with the team about the contract extension and went on strike under the pretext of recuperating from injury! In the original 97-98 season, Pippen only played 44 games, but they still won 62 games...

Meng Lang, who was sitting on the sidelines, could clearly feel how much the team relied on Jordan.

Once Jordan encounters personal ups and downs like he did tonight, revealing his aging side, the Bulls have almost no way to fight back.

It was this kind of championship that perhaps made Jordan's "Last Dance" so classic.

But someone in the future said that he won the most difficult championship in NBA history after bringing a championship to the Cavaliers.

Could it really be as tough a year as Michael Jordan had?
To be honest, if Meng Lang was Jordan at this moment, he might describe him in four words:
Looking around, ruined...

The huge destructive power caused by Kobe allowed Phil Jackson to take down Jordan and McGrady in advance.

The second quarter lasted 2 minutes and 15 seconds, which means that Jordan, who played for 11 minutes in the first quarter, only rested on the sidelines for about 3 and a half minutes in total, and with the rest between quarters, it was only five or six minutes.

This was really a "training" for a 35-year-old veteran. In the late 90s, when sports science was far less developed than it is now, the physical function of a 35-year-old player was actually similar to that of a 20-year-old player 37 years later. At least for Jordan, who changed his sport and became a professional, he also experienced a "strength reshaping". Basketball and baseball are two completely different sports, and this is undoubtedly another kind of torture.

Chuck Daly didn't rush to replace Meng Lang back to the court, but he still brought other main players back to the court.

Jordan took the initiative to hold the ball in his first round. He dribbled the ball and challenged Kobe, "Come on, rookie, don't you like to defend me? What, you don't dare?"

Kobe responded without showing any weakness: "Would you feel embarrassed if I blocked one, Michael?"

This is obviously referring to the block that Meng Lang just made against Jordan.

Jordan was speechless.

Kobe was not very happy either, because he had to use Meng Lang's "remaining power" to fight back against Michael Jordan. For him, this was the "Seven Injury Fist".

He subconsciously glanced at Meng Lang on the sidelines to make sure whether he had heard his "trash talk" just now.

This is a shameful thing!
"Kobe seems to be looking at you!" Ben Wallace has always been quick-eyed and quick-handed.

"Maybe he wants me to teach him how to defend Michael Jordan!" Meng Lang stood up and shouted at Kobe, "Stay in front of him, rookie. You have to have good defensive habits to defend this old bird!"

Kobe:…

Defending Michael Jordan while being instructed on his defense by Meng Lang, this was probably the most torturous moment for Kobe.

But Meng Lang was not wrong. Kobe's defensive habits were indeed very bad, and they were exploited by Jordan.

A shuffling step to the right drove Kobe's movement, and Jordan quickly changed direction in front of his body and made a large "cross over" in the opposite direction. Kobe was completely shaken off, and Jordan completed a mid-range jump shot.

“There’s a level difference!”

Jordan scored so easily.

Meng Lang shouted, "Just defend like this, you've done your best!"

This is comforting, but it hurts more than killing Kobe.

What the hell is “I’ve tried my best”!
Is this all I have got?
Kobe was very unconvinced, and in the next round, he faced Jordan and tried to break through with the ball. Jordan immediately stepped back, and then suddenly stood firm. This action scared Kobe a little. He was afraid of being called for another "offensive foul."

But just as he slowed down, Jordan took a step forward, lowered his center of gravity, and stuck his hand between Kobe's hands.

Kobe's rhythm of changing hands to control the ball slowed down, but he didn't know how to move his right hand that was controlling the ball. Jordan grabbed the ball and completed the steal.

Now Kobe was completely anxious. He stuck to Jordan and confronted him in various ways to prevent him from making fast breaks.

At the moment when Jordan completely controlled the ball, Kobe's pulling action made the referee blow the whistle...

"beep!"

"Lakers No. 8 fouled!"

Kobe picked up his third foul of the first half.

“It seems like you still have a lot to learn!”

Chuck Daly had to replace him with Meng Lang, and Kobe was ridiculed again when he passed by Meng Lang. Meng Lang once again ridiculed him mercilessly.

But when he walked in front of Jordan, Meng Lang changed his expression: "Michael, bullying a rookie is nothing, come at me if you have the guts!"

What kind of "domineering president article" is this, which says "Although I bully Kobe, others cannot bully Kobe"!

Anyway, Kobe was not moved at all.

You just slapped me and now you give me a sweet date.

What am I doing when I am training a dog?

Michael Jordan did not respond sarcastically in the face of Meng Lang's aggressive attitude.

He talks a lot of trash, but he is not a chatterbox. He prefers to give a "heartbreaking blow" through words after his performance, which is a bit different from the chatterbox like "The Glove" Payton.

The "domineering president" said this and did this. In the first round, when Jordan got the ball, he immediately went forward.

But this time, facing Meng Lang, Jordan dribbled the ball very rhythmically to his "sweet spot" and then made an easy jump shot.

"That's it?"

Jordan said this coldly and turned back to defend.

Kobe Bryant shouted to Meng Lang from the sidelines: "What are your defensive habits?"

Meng Lang glanced at him and said, "Shut up! Jordan can earn 3 million because he encounters defenders like you every night!"

You've got him in good shape, and you still have the nerve to yell at me!

Although Michael Jordan is already an "old man", when he is in the right rhythm, he is still the most powerful "winner" in the league. This is Michael Jordan in "The Last Dance".

However, even though he couldn't defend against Jordan, Meng Lang was not without a way to fight back...

If you can't defend it on defense, then respond with offense!

Meng Lang took the ball directly from the backcourt, and Jordan took the initiative to defend in front of him.

This is the time when the Bulls are on the rise, and he must step up to lead the team, whether he is the "arrowhead" on the offensive end or the "leader" on the defensive end. This is his attitude at the age of 35. Not to mention 35, even when he was 25 or 40, he played like this.

No one would just play ball-handling offense when they get older and just walk around the court on defense, right?

Meng Lang turned his back to Jordan and pushed inside, near the high post, and made a turnaround jump shot.

"What a ball!"

Watching Meng Lang finish his response, Bill Walton couldn't help but say: "Starting this season, Dream may gradually gain the upper hand in the fight with Michael!"

He actually had this feeling in the first quarter.

At this moment, seeing Jordan, who had returned to form, was strong-willed and full of anger, but was still being suppressed by Meng Lang, his thoughts became even stronger.

Even though he expressed his thoughts, the commentator who was working with him was not surprised at all.

Because he feels the same way.

Can't guard against this guy?
Jordan actually had the same feeling, and this dissatisfaction turned into his fighting spirit on the offensive end.

It has to be said that Jordan is Jordan. When he exerts his strength on the court and is in good enough shape, his offensive firepower is indeed sharp and unstoppable.

Meng Lang defended very well in this round. At the last moment, his hands almost covered his eyes, but he still couldn't stop his shot.

The ball hit the net.

This goal made the scene dull.

Sometimes, even an ordinary goal can scare the opposing fans.

That's how the Los Angeles people felt about Jordan.

but……

"Shh!"

In the next round, Meng Lang and Barkley ran straight to the basket after a pick-and-roll and scored again, livening up the atmosphere again.

You have Jordan, I have Meng Lang!
This "Christmas Battle" was just as everyone expected before the game, with the ultimate dish "Meng Lang versus Jordan". The two synonyms of "offense" refused to give in to each other at this moment, and their abundant firepower allowed them to sweep away all of the opponent's support.

Gradually, other people on both sides were unable to provide enough support, and what they did was:
Find Meng Lang (Jordan) and give him the damn ball!

The ultimate move of "Coach Lu" in the future became the core tactic of the two teams tonight.

There were only 4 minutes and 35 seconds left in the second quarter. Jordan shook off Meng Lang and rushed to the basket again, but this time, he used too much force when changing direction. There was no other way. If he changed direction a little slower, Meng Lang would have been able to hold him tightly.

So every move he makes must be done to the best of his ability.

At his age, it is indeed easy to become exhausted if he continues to perform such strenuous movements.

"Dangdang!"

Jordan, who was anxious to avoid Ben Wallace's rim protection, was blocked by the basket when he made a layup.

The ball was caught by Meng Lang.

The Bulls' defense returned quickly, but Jordan failed to return in the first place. Meng Lang saw this familiar scene and quickly took the ball and forced a kill. Harper was left behind by him in one step.

Facing Longley under the basket, Meng Lang made a light "small jump step" to increase the distance between them, then put his hands together for the ball and prepared to jump under the basket. McGrady came over from the right, but Meng Lang took the ball in his hand, turned 180 degrees on the spot, avoided McGrady who was flying in the air, and raised his hand to make a layup.

McGrady showed his talent. He flew in the air, but before he even turned his head, he reached back with his hand.

"Snapped!"

It hit Meng Lang's hand directly, but Meng Lang used up his last bit of strength, turned his wrist, and the ball, which was about to slip out of his hand, hit the backboard with the force and then bounced into the basket.

"Shh!"

"beep!"

As the ball went in, the referee blew the whistle.

"Bulls No. 1 foul!"

It is worth mentioning that this was the first time McGrady defended Meng Lang in the second quarter, and he was caught red-handed.

This is probably what is called "When the city gate is on fire, the fish in the pond are affected"!

Two "immortals" fought, and a "mortal" died! (End of this chapter)