So I am the god of basketball?

Chapter 81 Another skill card
  This is the 61st day since Michael Jordan announced his retirement.

Shortly after retiring, as he said, he joined the baseball team owned by Bulls owner Reinsdorf for his father's dream:
  The Birmingham Barons, a Double-A team owned by the Chicago White Sox.

How to describe the status of this league in baseball circles.

Let's put it this way, the gap between the NBA and the NBA Development League.

Because of the arrival of Michael Jordan, the league's ratings once surpassed those of Major League Baseball. ——There is reason to believe that this is the confidence that Michael Jordan chose to come back for the second time at the age of 38.

It's so influential across industries, let alone selling tickets.

But the results proved that even the "God of Basketball" could not get the porcelain job without that strength.

Of course, that's another story.

Michael Jordan is living a very comfortable life now.

To a certain extent, it is more comfortable than when I continued to play in the NBA:

His influence was most concretely reflected during this period.

Wall Street was rocked by his retirement.

Because of his retirement, NBA ratings dropped to a historical freezing point.

Especially Chicago, because of his retirement, direct and indirect losses exceeded [-] billion.

Even today, there is no Michael Jordan in the world, but the media still reports every bit of Michael Jordan.

He is still the guarantee of traffic!
  The only time recently that newspapers did not report his news on a large scale was at the end of November. The Rockets won the 11th game in November, setting a new NBA historical record with their "undefeated month" record.

In this regard, Michael Jordan expressed his understanding:

After all, it is something that only happens once in this league in decades, so it is normal for it to occupy some traffic temporarily.

No, within two days, all the media reports were about him?

I wonder when will the next unusual news like the Rockets' 14-game winning streak appear... Less than 5 days later, there will be another big news?
  rash!

Michael Jordan saw the name again.

The figure that was gradually blurring in my memory became clear again at this moment.

He didn't expect that he would make such a big fuss in such a short time:
  In the 17th game of his rookie season, he scored 52 points in a single game, and faced the second-place SuperSonics team in the Western Conference with Gary Payton.

Payton is a little rookie, Jordan still has some impressions, he likes to talk trash, and his defensive ability is not bad...

Meng Lang actually scored 52 points in a single game against him?

Made 11 three-pointers?
  This……

"Listen, Jordan, sooner or later you're going to lose because of my shooting, we'll see!"

He couldn't help but think of the bitch who shouted at him unwillingly in last year's training camp.

Of course, this memory passed in a flash. When he thought of this scene, Michael Jordan just sneered. He did not take this matter to heart. Not then and not now.

Well, no!

But his eyes gradually became darker.

As new "legends" continue to appear in the league, it is certain that the media's attention will inevitably return to the NBA.

but……

too fast!
  This is only the third month since he announced his retirement.

Isn’t the legend I left to this alliance enough?
  This is the first time that Michael Jordan has seriously considered his dominance in the NBA after announcing his retirement.

He is the first player since the Celtics to complete the "three consecutive championships" led by the team.

Even "Magic" Johnson and "Big Bird" Larry Bird failed to do this.

This is the biggest reason why he feels that the NBA is not challenging.

But now, a thought suddenly popped into his mind:
  I should probably leave this league with some more dominant images!
  On the 61st day of retirement, because Meng Lang's 52 points took away his exposure, Michael Jordan seriously considered for the first time whether he should return to the league.

This "wind of 52 points" continues to blow.

The Magic continue their road trip, and in the next game, they will travel to Indiana to play the Pacers again.

After the last game, Reggie Miller's curses caused more grudges between him and Meng Lang.

Originally, before the game, there was a lot of attention paid to it.

result……

Reggie Miller accidentally sprained his ankle in training and was placed on the injury watch list, unable to play in this game against the Magic.

When Meng Lang entered the Pacers arena, he was greeted by crazy boos from Indiana fans.

Reggie Miller is a symbol of this city. People who Reggie Miller hates are naturally people they hate.

Chuck Daly was very happy for Meng Lang when he heard the curse on Meng Lang: "Man, you finally look like a star!"

Of all the stars, there are a few who can go to away games without being booed.

In American culture, sometimes booing means respect and admiration for you.

Oh, no, the ridicule of being shouted "WHO'S YOUR DADDY" by the away fans in unison when they were about to lose a game does not count. That is naked humiliation and ridicule.

Reggie Miller is not playing, and the starter today is Byron Scott, who just transferred to the Pacers from Los Angeles. ——Three decades later, a certain person will be the best at "defending" Michael Jordan.

Although Reggie Miller didn't play today, he lost the last game due to Meng Lang's buzzer-beater. The entire Pacers team was holding back their energy and vowed to avenge this revenge at home.

Everyone was holding their breath.

Except Byron Scott…

"Nice, good shot, dream, no one dares to take such a three-point shot with such determination!"

"Wow, it all went in. This shot is really hard!"

"You are the most powerful rookie I have seen since entering the league!"

Byron Scott proved that the stories he told about his future retirement were not false.

He is indeed so defensive!
  But, not just facing Michael Jordan...

Facing Meng Lang, a rookie who just scored 52 points in a single game in Seattle the day before yesterday, the same defensive method was used.

Ok……

Also, Michael Jordan has retired and he really needs to find a new goal!
  Not to mention, the effect of this "exaggerated" defense is really obvious.

Meng Lang "only" scored 18 points in the game!
  Compared to the previous game, one day and one place.

On the one hand, he feels bad, and on the other hand, Byron Scott has been praising him next to him.

Lu Xun was right, he really couldn't hit the "smiling man" with his hand!
  Coupled with the fact that Shaq and Hardaway were both in poor condition tonight, the Magic lost to Indiana.

This made Reggie Miller so excited. As soon as the game ended, he rushed to Meng Lang and yelled. Meng Lang replied lightly: "If I were you, I wouldn't be so happy. Think about it, why?" Without you, the Pacers would have won!"

Miller spoke very nicely, and came up with a piece of Indiana slang:
  fuck you.

Then he gave Meng Lang a friendly "middle finger" gesture.

Anxious!

Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.

With a record of 2 wins and 2 losses, the Magic returned to Orlando after a long absence.

As soon as he got off the plane, Meng Lang met Tai Lun, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

"A good news or a bad news, which one do you choose to hear first?"

"I choose to send me home to sleep now!"

Meng Lang didn't want to hear it, and Tai Lun said to himself: "The good news is that we will have a lot of potential customers in Orlando. The bad news is that Pat just called me. The Magic will have a fan event with about a few thousand people tomorrow. He wants you to attend.”

"Do you know how much this news will reduce my desire to score?" Meng Lang asked seriously.

"So what is your choice?"

"If I don't participate, I will finally have 2 days of rest..."

The Magic didn't play for the next two days. After playing four away games in a row, Meng Lang wanted to take a good rest.

"OK, man, I support your decision!" Tai Lun actually wanted to persuade him again. Such activities could enhance Meng Lang's business value in Orlando, but as an agent's professionalism, he couldn't do it when the client had already said "No." ” situation, then put forward your own opposite point of view.

This incident will not affect Meng Lang's career, it is just a small matter.

and……

"You came to Orlando just for this?" After getting in the car, Meng Lang asked curiously, "Do you think I will definitely agree?"

"No, sir, I just thought that we haven't seen each other for a long time. I need to let you know that you are my most important customer!" Tai Lun looked at Meng Lang through the rearview mirror and answered him.

"Isn't it because I scored 52 points?"

"Sure enough, I knew there would be such a misunderstanding, sir!"

……

Tai Lun's tone made Meng Lang laugh.

After becoming famous in the first battle, except for the media reports flying all over the sky, he did not really feel the changes brought about by this game.

But now, he felt it.

But two days later, he discovered that what he was feeling now was just "a drop in the bucket!"
  The Magic's long-lost home court.

One hour before the game, more than 1 seats in the entire Orlando Arena were filled with excited Orlando fans.

And quite a few of them are wearing the Magic's No. 23 jersey.

In 89, the Magic was officially established in Orlando, and this year is only its fifth season.

In the short history of the team, before Shaquille O'Neal, the biggest star of this team was none other than Nick Anderson!
  Shaquille O'Neal was the first "No. [-]" pick in Orlando.

He also really improved the "star flavor" of the Magic stars.

In his rookie season, he averaged 23.4 points and 13.9 rebounds per game, directly ranking him among the league's top insiders.

But even Shaquille O'Neal's career-high score so far is only 46 points!
  That was already a crazy performance, but now, in his 17th game after entering the league, Meng Lang has contributed an even more explosive scoring show, and he also used the most underappreciated three-pointer in this era...

Not only Orlando fans, but also countless fans throughout the league felt the charm of the three-pointer in this game.

After the game was reported in the newspapers the next day, it quickly detonated the entire Orlando.

In the streets and alleys, the number of Meng Lang's posters kept rising.

The extent of the increase...

Just look at how many fans are wearing the Magic's No. 23 jersey tonight.

It is no exaggeration to say that Dream detonated the entire Orlando.

This explosion reached its climax when Meng Lang came on the stage!

Even if Meng Lang did not attend the fan event, it did not affect the cheers of Orlando fans for him at all.

The whole scene was shaken!
  After the game started, this momentum did not diminish. Every time Meng Lang touched the ball and every shot he made, it set off the whole audience.

The sister's waist is not the waist, killing Saburo's scimitar.

Meng Lang's shots are not shots. They are like the atomic bombs used in the days when the United States surrendered. Each shot can cause huge radiation.

This situation is not the only one in this game.

The Magic's next three games are all at home.

Every home game is basically a replica of this night.

Meng Lang's performance in these three games was not good.

The average shooting percentage per game is only 40%, and the scoring average is only 16.3 points per game.

It's not that I'm in a bad state, if I have to say...

This is the radiation of "50 Cent Night"!

In these games, Meng Lang has become a key target for the Magic's opponents.

This group of people seemed to be particularly afraid that Meng Lang would have another similar "massacre" against the Sonics, and they could be described as "chasing and intercepting" him.

Meng Lang felt the defensive strength of those NBA stars in advance.

No, this is no longer the defensive intensity that ordinary NBA stars encounter. It is almost as strong as what those "superstar" level players encounter every night.

Also relying on him to attract defenses, Hardaway played particularly comfortably with Shaquille O'Neal.

Hardaway scored the second "triple-double" of his career in three games.

Shaquille O'Neal also had a luxurious double-double performance of "35 plus 15".

The Magic won all three games.

But Shaq wasn't happy.

The whole of Orlando fell into madness because of Meng Lang.

This level of madness even exceeds what he brought to this city.

He knew that he couldn't have "small-minded" thoughts about his "little brother" and he had to be happy for him. These days, he has been saying in interviews that "Meng Lang played an incredible performance."

He didn't shy away from his praise, and he tried his best to show his generosity to Meng Lang.

But at the same time, his inner desire to achieve 50 plus performances in a single game like Meng Lang is becoming more and more intense and urgent.

On December 12, the Magic went on the road again. This time their opponent was the New York Knicks led by "Gorilla" Ewing.

Before setting off, Meng Lang's running ability without the ball improved to 99 points!
  "Reggie Miller's off-ball running ability card" is the second star ability card that Meng Lang obtained after traveling through time.

After almost four and a half years of hard work, he finally upgraded this ability card to 4 points.

Since entering the NCAA, Meng Lang's ability to run without the ball has made a qualitative leap under the guidance of Old K.

This is the benefit of playing in the NCAA, which allows you to more systematically understand professional basketball and the various tactics required for professional basketball as well as various basic skills related to professional players.

After another summer of hard work, Meng Lang's ability to run without the ball had improved to 91 points before the start of the new season.

After that, he experienced personal baptism by two top defenders, Dennis Rodman and Gary Payton before him. In addition, during the recent period, he has been targeted by opponents.

He asked his assistant to review the game video with him to find his shortcomings in running without the ball.

Compared with abilities such as shooting, running without the ball is more like an improvement in consciousness, related to basketball IQ. The biggest difference is that even if you just watch the video and perform "intracranial training", the experience bar can increase rapidly.

In more than a month since the Spurs game, his ability to run without the ball has risen rapidly from 91 points. In the game against the Sonics, his ability to run without the ball has reached 96 points.

Even then, facing the full-fire Gary Payton, he could hardly get rid of his opponent.

In the past week or so, other teams have been focusing on marking, allowing him to quickly make up for his final experience bar.

His ability to run without the ball reached 99 points!
  Recently, he has been looking forward to this moment.

Because this will confirm his guess - for every SSS-level ability card that he can practice to the full level, he can activate a skill card. Is it correct?
  "Ding, congratulations to the host for improving his ability to run without the ball to 99..."

The moment the system prompt sounded in his mind, God knew how excited Meng Lang was.

Sure enough, his guess was right, he was about to get a skill card again!
  I hope this badge can be as powerful as “Buddha’s Light Shining”!
  Ok……

Although the frequency of activation is a little low, every time it is activated, Meng Lang completes an earth-shattering performance. With such a skill, Meng Lang can only say...

A few more!
  "Ding, it is detected that the host's ability to run without the ball has reached..."

"Ding, congratulations to the host for getting the exclusive skill card for the star. Please enter the system as soon as possible and activate the skill card!"

A series of beeps sounded one after another, and Meng Lang was "refreshed once, familiar the second time." This time, he opened the system without waiting and went to the "skill wall" of the system.

In addition to the gray "Buddha's Light", there is another "Skill Card" waiting to be activated.

Meng Lang opened it without saying a word...

"Ding, congratulations to the host for getting the 'Mr. Big Scene' skill card!" ˆ ˆ ˆ "Skill effect: When the skill card is activated, the host's abilities will be increased by 5%~10%!"

Isn't this Li Wan's "nerve knife"?

Meng Lang's mind immediately thought of a basketball novel he had read before time travel. The protagonist in it had a "Psychic Knife" badge. When the badge is turned on, the protagonist's abilities can be increased by 10%!

The skill introduction of this "Mr. Big Scene" is exactly the same as the Psycho Knife Badge.

I bet these systems are all made by the same manufacturer, right?

Just change the name?
  However, Li Wan's "Nerve Knife" only lasted 3 minutes, which was too short and not lasting. I don't know how he is like this.

Meng Lang curiously opened the introduction of the skill card:
  A natural "big scene" man, the bigger the stage, the better he can perform.

There are also notes below:

Regular season "National Live" level games: an overall increase of 5%;

Playoff-level games: overall improvement of 7%;

Finals level competition: overall improvement of 10%;

If you think about it, Reggie Miller did far better in the playoffs than in the regular season.

In the future, Jimmy Butler will be said to be a "playoff" superstar. In fact, Reggie Miller is not far behind in this regard. In the regular season, his highest scoring average was only 24.6 points per game. However, in the playoffs, he averaged 25 points per game. There were a total of 5 seasons where he scored more than 30 points, and in two of them, he averaged more than [-] points per game in the playoffs.

He is a true "playoff star."

His ability card activates skills like Mr. "Big Scene", which really fits the bill!

Meng Lang was extremely satisfied with his second skill card!
  Even if it is at least the regular season "National Live Broadcast" level game, you can get the "buff", and the minimum bonus is only 5%.

But no matter what, improvement is a good thing.

The key is……

You can use it immediately!
  The game between the Magic and the New York Knicks is the second in the Eastern Conference vs. the third in the Eastern Conference. It is also a battle between the top centers between "Gorilla" Ewing and "Shark" O'Neal. In addition, the Magic also had two super rookies, Hardaway and Meng Lang, so the league simply arranged their next two duels to be "live broadcast across the United States."

Yes, after challenging the Knicks in New York, the Magic must immediately return to Orlando to wait for the Knicks' challenge.

We don’t know why it was arranged like this, and we don’t dare to ask.

When the game started, Meng Lang glanced at his skill wall and found that "Mr. Big Scene" had indeed brightened up, with the words "+5%" displayed next to it.

However, there was one thing Meng Lang was not sure about. The ability value displayed on the system panel did not represent his constant ability value. He would still be affected by various aspects of his status. So whether this "5%" gain is a direct gain like "Buddha's Light", which brings his current shooting status to 100%, or is it just a simple panel gain, Meng Lang still needs to feel it for himself during the game.

It is also for this reason that Meng Lang started the game as before, focusing on running, catching and passing, and developing his touch. He did not turn on the arrogance of the "Buddha's Light".

Well, the main reason is that the 5% gain is indeed not as good as the "Buddha's Light".

Meng Lang was still feeling the difference in the "5%" gain, but Shaquille O'Neal was as if he had turned on the "Little Prince of Reverse Melancholy" badge. He played particularly eye-catching at the beginning, hitting consecutive shots in the first 5 shots in less than 4 minutes. , scored 10 points, and directly silenced Madison Square Garden.

New York Knicks head coach Pat Riley had to call a timeout.

The moment the referee blew the whistle, Shaquille O'Neal also excitedly took his signature celebration move, the "King Step."

On the way back to the bench, his expression could not suppress the joy, and he kept repeating this sentence in his heart:

Just today?

Just today?

Is today the day Shaq scored 50 points in a single game?

This is the thing he wants to do most recently!
  If it could be done on a night like this, that would be great!

After all, Meng Lang scored 52 points, which is quite valuable. He was playing the second-place SuperSonics in the Western Conference. Now he scored 50 points against the second-place New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference.

Even if our "super centers" want to score 50 points, it's not just to score points on the weak teams in the league. If they want to score, they have to score 50 points on the really strong teams!
  "I feel good tonight, brothers can pass the ball to me more!"

Returning to the bench, Shaquille O'Neal directly stated his request.

Chuck Daly did not object. The Magic are originally a team that plays inside, and Shaquille O'Neal is in such good shape tonight that there is no reason not to give him the ball.

It's just that Pat Riley, who is known as the "magic operator", is not the likes of Rivers later. Not only does he have hellish special training quirks and inspiring "chicken soup", but his ability to adjust the team is also first class.

Shaquille O'Neal's problem on the offensive end has always been that, as an inside player, he does not have enough range.

When this historical center retires in the future, someone has counted his shots and found that 90% of his shots were within 3 meters of the basket.

His mid-range and short-range throws and small hooks are his best offensive weapons.

Away from the basket, even just near the elbow, his threat will be greatly reduced.

This is why he needs more space under the basket than the other three of the "Big Four Centers".

Pat Riley's tactics are very simple, which is to use Ewing and Oakley's "wheel battle" to keep every Shaq catch point outside the penalty area. This is not an easy task, but because the New York Knicks have Ewing and Oakley inside, there is no problem with this tactical arrangement.

It may not have any obvious effect at first, but Shaq's strength and "newborn calves are not afraid of tigers" energy, as well as the desire to score 50 points tonight, allow him to continue to play after the timeout. Score.

At the end of the first quarter, Shaquille O'Neal had 16 points and 5 rebounds, fully demonstrating his reputation as the "Shark."

But the game is not one quarter, but four quarters.

A key issue that makes it difficult for traditional centers to score high scores:
  Every time they score, they get it through fighting under the basket.

Every point is a drain on physical energy.

This was still the 90s when the intensity of confrontation was even more fierce and the space under the basket was far less than what it would be in the future. The physical energy consumption is doubled.

In the first quarter, Shaq's scoring speed slowed down significantly in the second quarter, after he was "stunning" in the paint. In the third quarter, his singles became a defensive trap that the New York Knicks could exploit.

Not to mention Pat Riley, even Chuck Daly saw Shaquille O'Neal's eagerness to score tonight. He called a timeout, specifically called Shaq in front of him, and said : "Use your ability to draw double teams more, man!"

But Shaq didn't seem to understand what he meant.

In this game, the Magic led by 6 points at halftime, and after the third quarter, they fell behind by 4 points.

In the third quarter alone, they lost by 10 points.

At the end of the game, the New York Knicks held their home court 99-90.

Shaquille O'Neal took 35 crazy shots and scored 41 points and 19 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of 50%.

This hit rate is definitely unqualified for him.

Moreover, O'Neal did not provide an assist for 41 minutes in the game.

Chuck Daly was somewhat dissatisfied. When asked by reporters after the game, he pointed this out without hesitation: "We had an advantage, but we didn't take advantage of it."

He didn't directly criticize Shaquille O'Neal.

Tonight's "big shark" is an anomaly and a rarity. He doesn't know why, and he believes Shaquille O'Neal has his own reasons.

For example, I want to become the better one in comparison with Ewing; another example, I want to make my identity as the "absolute core of the Magic" more obvious tonight...

Whatever the reason, he allowed Shaquille O'Neal to have such a willful moment.

In the NBA, this is the prerogative of stars.

He won't take tonight's loss too seriously either.

To put it bluntly, it was just a loss in the regular season.

Meng Lang was a little unhappy.

It's just the displeasure of losing the game.

As for Shaquille O'Neal's eagerness to have his own offense tonight, he completely understands it.

Because on nights when he feels good, he will also think about hitting two more.

Meng Lang's greatest advantage is that he uses himself to save others, even if he is usually unkind. But he would not do such a thing as "only the state officials are allowed to set fires, but the people are not allowed to light lamps". Of course, he wouldn't be surprised if he knew Shaquille O'Neal's inner thoughts.

You know, this is the sensitive, suspicious, and petty "big shark".

Meng Lang was in very good shape tonight.

The final data was fixed at 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal.

The scoring doesn't look like much, and it hasn't reached his season average.

但他的投篮命中率很高，13次出手命中了其中的7球，投篮命中率53.8%。三分球6投3中，投篮命中率50%。

It is probably certain that the "5%" gain of "Mr. Big Scene" is a gain based on his status every night.

This is the same as the setting of "Buddha's light shines everywhere".

Then the skill cards obtained next should have the same settings.

Hey, another good news!

Back in Orlando, after a day of rest, the Magic continued their second battle with the New York Knicks.

Yesterday, Chuck Daly asked all Magic players to review the reversed game. After watching the game, he said directly: "This is a very regrettable loss. I don't want it to happen at our home court." We will lose to the Knicks in this way!"

But that afternoon, the Magic suffered a big surprise:

Shaquille O'Neal suddenly felt pain in his calf during training.

After an examination by the team doctor, it was discovered that Shaquille O'Neal had strained his calf muscle due to fatigue due to playing too hard in the last game.

The situation is not serious.

But considering Shaquille O'Neal's size, it is better to take a truce and observe for a while.

The team doctor did not give a clear time, but this game with the New York Knicks should not be played.

Shaq suddenly felt a little guilty after knowing the result.

Meng Lang comforted Hardaway by singing along:
  "Don't worry, we will try our best to win this game!"

"Even if we can't win, we still have to play two games with them later! At that time, there will be plenty of opportunities for revenge."

But these words made Shaq feel even more guilty, and he did not dare to have eye contact with these two people at all.

He had to admit, he was a little too petty.

There is no other way, Chuck Daly can only adjust the Magic's lineup and tactics for tomorrow overnight.

But no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't think of any way to solve the big hole in the paint caused by Shaquille O'Neal's inability to play.

Since there is a high probability of losing no matter what...

A bold idea suddenly came to Chuck Daly's mind.

The next day, on the morning of the game, Chuck Daly announced the starting lineup for the night's game against the New York Knicks after the Magic players gathered.

Meng Lang went numb when he heard his arrangement.

With Shaquille O'Neal out, Chuck Daly moved Jeff Turner to the five.

There is nothing wrong with this change of formation.

Aside from Shaquille O'Neal, Jeff Turner is the tallest player on the Magic roster, and he also has experience playing the 5th position.

The problem is the next evolution:
  Chuck Daly actually asked Meng Lang to play the fourth position!
  When he heard the old guy ask him, "What's your opinion, Dream?", Meng Lang really wanted to rush over and give the old guy a combo punch.

He did play the four position several times in the NCAA.

But that's the NCAA!
  Some teams' No. 5 position may not be as high as him.

Who is the New York Knicks' No. [-]?
  Michael Jordan's former "gold medal hitter", Charles Oakley!
  You want me to fight with him inside, right?

Meng Lang couldn't even imagine how he would be ravaged!
  But Chuck Daly’s reasons gave him no reason to refute:

Man, you're 2 meters tall!
  He put Scott Skiles back into the starting lineup. In this lineup, except for Turner at No. [-], Meng Lang is really the tallest among the others.

Meng Lang could only accept Chuck Daly's arrangement.

He could also see what Chuck Daly was thinking.

It has to be said that it is very bold, but maybe it can have some miraculous effects?

Anyway, with Shaquille O'Neal absent, the probability that they can win against the New York Knicks is already very low.

You must know that the original New York Knicks finally reached the finals this season. ——Only in the finals, Olajuwon had a "contrast" effect. But he was not the only one. A year later, Shaquille O'Neal also became Olajuwon's "background" in the finals, defeating two members of the "Big Four" centers. Wang has firmly established himself as the "top of the four major centers".

The next second Oakley knew that Meng Lang was playing the fourth position tonight, he stopped dead in his tracks, laughed out loud, turned his arms that were as big as the thighs of an average adult, and waited for the game to start.

He didn't expect that he would have the opportunity to defeat Meng Lang, a super newcomer.

You must seize this opportunity!
  "Anfernee, you will have a lot of singles opportunities in this game. If you can't play, then we won't have any chance of winning in this game. You are a selfless player, but I hope you are here." Every game becomes selfish! Just remember, this is a game that you need to score 40 points to win!" Chuck Daly made the final arrangements before the game. His first order was towards Hardaway. Said.

The second order he said to Meng Lang and the four of them: "What you have to do is to open up as much space as possible when Hardaway is holding the ball!"

I have to say that Chuck Daly's eyes are vicious.

In such an era, the importance of space has been understood.

After listening to his arrangement, Meng Lang knew very well that Chuck Daly was going to play "small ball" in this game, and it was a small ball tactic that was extremely in line with the "small ball era."

If I have to give an example, Anfernee Hardaway tonight is Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers in 23.

How many good shooting opportunities the entire team can get tonight depends entirely on how well he attracts double-teams.

The defensive end Chuck Daly's arrangement is also very "small ball". He allows everyone to get into the basket and grab rebounds the moment the opponent completes the shot.

At times like this, the opponent often has players who return to defense early, so the Magic can "defeat more with less" to protect the rebounds and prevent the Knicks from having too many secondary attacks.

These are the two aspects that Chuck Daly focuses on.

His coaching experience tells him that as long as the Magic can do these two things well and catch the New York Knicks by surprise, then the Magic will have a chance to win tonight's game.

The New York Knicks starting lineup is:
  Point guard Derek Harper, shooting guard John Starks, small forward Rolando Blackman, power forward Oakley, center Gorilla Ewing;
  This is their regular lineup and their peak lineup.

Relying on this lineup, they played 6 games against the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and even led the Bulls 2-0 at the beginning. Relying on this lineup, they played 7 games against the Houston Rockets in the future. , regrettably lost the championship.

This is definitely the best New York Knicks since the "ancient" era.

Chuck Daly knows how strong they are, otherwise he wouldn't be in danger without Shaquille O'Neal. He knew very well that if they played according to the regular lineup, they would definitely not be able to win tonight's home game.

The Orlando Arena was still full tonight, and the cheers that seemed to last forever were full of home momentum.

Amidst these shouts, Ewing grabbed the first offensive right for the New York Knicks.

His height of 2 meters made him look even taller tonight!
  It's like a giant descending on the "dwarf country".

New York's start was very clear. If Shaq was not there, they would focus on Ewing. With an easy jump hook, the New York Knicks scored 2 points.

2 to 0.
  Such an easy goal was what Chuck Daly had expected, but he still couldn't help but frown.

Hardaway faced Derrick Harper in the frontcourt.

The two-time winner of the "Best Defensive Player of the Second Team", although three years have passed since his latest award, his defensive ability is still top-notch at the No. 3 position.

It's worth saying that defense is the lifeblood of the New York Knicks' entire system. Of the five players in the Knicks' starting lineup, three have been on the "Best Defensive" list.

However, the Magic's offensive formation made the Knicks' players a little confused.

Four people occupied the four corners outside the three-point line, forcing the Knicks to expand the entire defensive formation, including Oakley and Ewing on the inside. At this moment, their positions on the bottom line were only one step away from the three-point line. Location.

The "hole" under the basket is wide open!

Hardaway didn't have a complete concept in his mind at first. When he took the ball to the frontcourt and faced Harper and the Knicks with space under the basket, he suddenly understood clearly:
  How big his heart is tonight, how big the stage is!
  Without hesitation, the signature "Hardaway Change of Direction" was used. How good "Penny's" physical talent is can be fully seen from this round.

The former "best second team" couldn't keep up with his rhythm. After swinging his body with Hardaway twice, he could only watch him pass from his side and drive into the inside.

Ewing went inside to cover up the defense, Jeff Turner was left open, Hardaway grabbed the ball with one hand, and threw the ball toward the three-point line in a cool way...

The deception made the "gorilla" pause and quickly turned his head to look. Before he saw Turner pick up the ball, he heard someone next to him rising into the air.

"Bah!"

A realistic fake pass deceived Ewing's sight, and Hardaway completed the basket!
  As he succeeded in the chop, the audience was immediately filled with huge cheers.

2-2!

　I'm speechless. The website I've been checking the data on suddenly crashed. Do you guys have any good NBA data websites I can look up in the 90s?

　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)