bdsm-fiction Chapter 157 A brutal kick right in the face!
Chapter 157 A brutal kick right in the face!
Chapter 157: A barrage of kicks rained down on him!
Soon, the warm-up time officially ended, and all the starting players went onto the court. The fans at the United Center couldn't wait to start cheering wildly!
The fans at the United Center tonight are incredibly excited and full of anticipation!
Because in this league, no one knows Jordan better than the fans of the United Center, and no one knows better than the fans of the United Center just how terrifying Jordan can be after he is angry and thoroughly provoked!
Of course, the scary part is for Jordan's opponents; the Chicago fans are there to enjoy Jordan's rage!
Jordan's anger brought them immense joy while watching the game!
The Heat are the unluckiest team today!
As fans who know Jordan best, Bulls fans know all too well what they should shout at this moment to unleash Jordan's unparalleled fighting power from the very beginning.
"Michael! MVP!"
"Michael! MVP!"
"Michael! MVP!"
Before the game even started, chants of "MVP!" echoed throughout every corner of the United Center!
In other teams, this would be supporting their star player, cheering for their favorite city hero, and expressing indignation and protest against him not winning the MVP award.
But in Chicago?
The fans know all too well how this adds fuel to the fire!
"Michael, how does a donkey's ass taste? Is it sweeter than a pig's?" Mourning smirked, looking at Jordan with a wicked grin. He really didn't want to miss such a good opportunity to mock him! Even though Riley had told them before the game to try not to provoke Jordan.
But I am the "Iron Man" Mo Ning, I'm not afraid!
"Fuck you! You stupid piece of trash, get the hell away from me! You single-celled idiot with an IQ lower than a paramecium, how dare you call yourself a tough guy? Is it because your little brother will never get hard? You just want people to think you're really tough, don't you? But we all know you're a coward!"
"Am I right? The tenth-ranked center in the league?"
A few words from Mourning were met with a barrage of rap-like remarks from Jordan, who unleashed a torrent of criticism on Mourning!
These past few days, the Bulls players, including Lin Tian, have all been extremely cautious, keeping their distance from Jordan, for fear of becoming the first to speak out and being used against him.
While this meant the Bulls players weren't really getting much of a chance to vent their anger on Jordan, the result was that Jordan couldn't release his pent-up frustration at all! He'd been holding this pent-up anger inside for almost a week!
"I'm furious!" When Mashburn, who was to face Jordan that night, walked up to Jordan, Jordan didn't say a word, just glared at him and said, "Get lost!"
Even the seasoned veteran Mashburn paused for a moment, then when he saw Jordan's gaze, he couldn't help but shudder and quickly looked away.
He had heard a lot of trash talk and had faced off against Jordan many times, but he could sense that Jordan tonight was completely different!
He sensed an incredibly strong killing intent!
Mashburn, after all, is nicknamed "The Monster." Beneath his 203cm height lies a monstrous 110kg weight! Despite his enormous weight, he can still run and jump, demonstrating truly astonishing physical abilities! This is why he's nicknamed "The Monster."
On the court, this guy is a ferocious monster!
Three years ago, facing a Bulls team without Jordan, he completely dominated the prime-era Pippen under Pippen's one-on-one defense, scoring a career-high 50 points! That night was definitely one of the darkest nights of Pippen's entire career!
The Heat assigned Marsh to guard Jordan because his physical strength and athleticism were a perfect match for Jordan's, and he also had a height advantage, making him the most suitable person on the Heat roster to guard Jordan!
At least, that's what Riley thinks.
So Mashburn raised his head again, took a step forward, and pressed his chest against Jordan's shoulder, looking like he wasn't afraid of him.
Jordan ignored him completely, turning instead to Pippen and saying, "Scott, you got blown out of 50 points by this guy back in the day? You're such a disgrace! Tonight, your dad's going to get revenge for you!"
In response to Jordan's provocation, Pippen decisively turned his head to chat with Lin Tian, completely pretending not to hear.
His knowledge of Jordan is no less than that of the fans in the stadium.
He knew very well that at this moment, he absolutely should not provoke Jordan!
After Jordan's indiscriminate trash talk once again went unanswered, his gaze finally turned back to Mashburn, and he said to him, "Kid, did you buy sleeping pills? If not, you'd better get someone to buy them for you now, or I'm definitely going to beat you to sleepless tonight!"
"Try it!" Mashburn remained completely unmoved; at least, he appeared quite tough on the surface!
At this moment, the referee walked to the center circle, and after the clichéd pre-match threats, he threw the ball high into the air.
With a roar, Mourning leaped high and slapped the ball to Hardaway. Lin Tian immediately rushed over and stood in front of Hardaway.
"Kid, you think you can handle me?" Hardaway looked at Lin Tian with disdain.
"I don't know if I can handle you, but your coach and teammates all think I can replace you!" Lin Tian grinned mischievously. "Guess who he'll trade if I tell Pat I want to go to Miami next season? Do you prefer cold Milwaukee or faraway Toronto? I'd be happy to help you out!"
Lin Tian's words undoubtedly touched a nerve with Hardaway. He knew all too well what kind of person Riley was, despite Riley's claims that he was the core of the team, the cornerstone of the future, and the team's most important asset.
But if Lin Tianzhen were to come to Miami, Riley would definitely knock him unconscious without hesitation and then personally put him on a plane to Toronto or Vancouver.
In this series, I'm going to prove my worth!
Hadaway looked at Lin Tian with the same gaze he would give his father's killer and his mortal rival.
A man fights for this pride!
Facing Lin Tian, Hardaway started with his signature "killer crossover," which is a crossover dribble followed by a quick, small change of direction. This move made Hardaway the most entertaining and capable guard in the 90s, bar none!
With his incredibly fast dribbling rhythm, flashy and frequent shifts in weight, and his own top-tier speed in the league, Hardaway's breakthroughs became a nightmare for the entire league!
Hardaway immediately unleashed his ultimate move, catching Lin Tian off guard and allowing Hardaway to overtake him in one step!
Hardaway then drove into the paint and was about to finish the attack with a floater before Longley could come up when a huge black shadow appeared out of nowhere and slapped the basketball out of his hand!
"Quick attack!"
Lin Tian reacted quickly, grabbed the basketball, turned around and sprinted towards the frontcourt. Following behind Lin Tian was, of course, Michael Jordan, who had just completed a block on defense!
Jordan sprinted alongside Lin Tian, and Lin Tian knew exactly what he should do at this moment. When he advanced to the three-point line, Lin Tian suddenly slowed down and then made a one-handed crossover pass to Jordan beside him.
After Jordan got the ball, he toughed against Mashburn, who was still in front of him, and chased him all the way to the basket. Just as Mashburn was calculating Jordan's steps and preparing to jump to block, Jordan suddenly changed his rhythm. In the blink of an eye, he went from fast to slow, and with a perfect slow three-step, he created a time difference to shake off Mashburn and easily slammed the ball in!
After scoring, Jordan showed no expression, did not celebrate, and did not even high-five Lin Tian. Instead, he quickly turned around and joined the defense.
Everything points to Jordan going on a killing spree tonight!
During the Heat's offensive possession, Hardaway got some space with the help of a screen, and then immediately got up and launched a three-pointer!
As the man with the most three-point attempts in the regular season and playoffs, Hardaway has complete confidence in his ability beyond the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
In the blink of an eye, a crisp sound rang out as Hardaway hit a three-pointer, putting the team ahead!
Pippen arrived at the baseline immediately and quickly passed the ball to Lin Tian, who was still outside the three-point line. After receiving the ball, Lin Tian started sprinting with both feet!
This was also one of the tactics Jackson had planned before the game.
Play as fast as possible! Keep Mourning, one of the league's top physical and tough defensive specialists, behind you and force him to run back and forth on the court! Wear him down as much as possible and reduce his presence!
Lin Tian dribbled the ball and sprinted all the way, reaching the vicinity of the three-second zone before the Heat team even set up their positions. At this moment, the only player standing in front of him was Hardaway.
Facing Hardaway, who was baring his teeth and looking fierce, Lin Tian made almost the same one-handed crossover pass as before. The basketball flew from between Lin Tian's legs and landed in the hands of Jordan, who was following up in the middle.
After receiving the ball, Jordan took a step forward, held the ball with both hands, and flew towards Hardaway.
"Bang!"
Hardaway, unable to turn around in time, only had time to sidestep Jordan before being knocked away by Jordan and falling awkwardly to the baseline.
"boom!"
Then came a deafening explosion!
Jordan hung on the rim with both hands and completed an incredibly powerful dunk!
After scoring, Jordan dribbled around the rim a few times, letting the United Center fans roar with excitement, before arrogantly jumping down and glaring menacingly at Hardaway, saying, "Get out of my way, shorty, unless you want your whole family to wear black!"
"What's there to be so proud of? So what if you dunked on a small guy?" Mourning ran past, deliberately bumping into Jordan with his shoulder, standing up for his good buddy: "If you've got guts, dunk on a few real tough guys!"
"Tim, he said you're a coward! He even said you're a dwarf! It was all your good buddy Alonzo who said it!" Lin Tian said with a grin to Hardaway, who had just gotten up. "The last time we met, Alonzo also said he hoped I would come to Miami so he could replace you!"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Mo Ning's face darkened as he glared at Lin Tian.
"Oops! Did I say something I shouldn't have? I hope this won't affect your brotherly relationship!" Lin Tian exaggeratedly covered his mouth, the green tea Lin was back online!
It's such a useful tactic, he just has to use it again and again!
"I never intended for you to replace Tim!" Mourning said to Lin Tian with unwavering certainty.
"You said last time you hoped I would come to Miami! How could you do this!" Lin Tian frowned, feeling wronged. "You even said you wanted me to be the team leader! You said it yourself! You can't deny it, can you!"
"Yes, I did say that! But..." Mo Ning opened his mouth to explain, but was interrupted by Lin Tian!
"Look at Tim! He admitted it! He said he wanted you to get lost! No wonder he could have given Michael a red card from behind but didn't. He was deliberately trying to embarrass you!" Lin Tian interrupted, shouting at Hardaway.
"What did you say? He can block me?" Jordan looked at Lin Tian, indicating that he heard him.
"Alonzo, Michael thinks you can't block him! He even said you're just a shorty over 2 meters tall, so there's nothing to be proud of if he dunks on you!" Lin Tian continued to happily relay messages between the two.
"I'm 210 centimeters tall!" Mo Ning looked at Lin Tian, indicating that he couldn't insult Lin Tian's height.
"You're kidding me! If you're 210 centimeters tall, I'll piss upside down!" Lin Tian immediately expressed his disdain.
"You guys, are you going to serve or not? If you don't, I'll give the ball to the Bulls." The referee, holding the basketball, looked at the Heat duo who were standing right next to him but were not ready to serve at all, his tone full of impatience.
Mourning glared at Lin Tian again, but at least he knew that possession of the ball was more important. He grumbled as he walked to the baseline and served the ball.
Hardaway dribbled the ball and once again sped forward.
His speed and dribbling ability were absolutely unmatched in the league in the 90s. Even though Lin Tian had just improved two defensive skills, it was still very difficult to find an opportunity to steal the ball while he was dribbling!
Fortunately, Lin Tian was also fast. He lowered his center of gravity, restrained his urge to steal the ball, and stayed close to Hardaway, not giving him any easy opening to break through.
Sometimes defense is like this: as long as you don't blindly try to steal the ball, it will be difficult for your opponent to get past you easily!
This time, Hardaway dodged and weaved around the top of the arc before finally passing the ball to Mourning in the paint. Mourning slapped the ball and then slammed his elbow into Longley. Just as he was about to pull up for a dunk, he suddenly felt his hand go light!
Although the other player jumped up, the basketball remained on the ground and ended up in the Bulls' hands!
It was Jordan again! Tonight, Jordan, filled with anger, was on full display. Whether on offense or defense, he was like an omnipresent ghost, always appearing in the most unpredictable and troublesome places for the Heat!
Less than two minutes into the game, he had a block and a steal, demonstrating his formidable defensive capabilities!
Then, this time Jordan didn't pass the ball to Lin Tian, but instead dribbled it quickly up the court himself.
Beyond the three-point line, he suddenly slowed down. Facing Mashburn's close defense, Jordan dribbled quickly, changing his pace while observing the situation on the court. Then, he suddenly changed direction and dribbled to the right, forcefully driving past the strong Mashburn in one step!
After driving into the three-point line, Jordan suddenly accelerated again, his already extremely fast speed increasing even more. He drove straight into the paint, let out a roar, and jumped up to face Mourning in the paint!
"Bang!"
Mourning and Jordan collided violently in mid-air, the sound of their muscles and bones colliding so hard that even the fans in the front row could hear it!
Then, Jordan's entire body arched backwards, and after a noticeable pause in mid-air to avoid Mourning's block, Jordan's entire body tensed up completely, and then, like a released bowstring, he sprang towards the basket.
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Jordan sent the basketball through Mourning's head and into the basket!
Alonzo Mourning, one of the best and toughest defenders in the league, was completely overpowered by Jordan and knocked to the ground, looking utterly pathetic!
Just as Jordan was about to strike a pose and say a few harsh words after landing, Lin Tian appeared.
"Was that high enough this time? Or did we just foul a sissy coward again?"
"Can you wait a minute?" Jordan shoved Lin Tian, who was blocking his way, aside, glared at Mo Ning, opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words.
FUXX!
This kid stole the lines I had prepared!
"Michael, just say, do you guys have any taller guys? Let him come up here and experience the air between my legs!" Lin Tian whispered a reminder from behind Jordan.
"You guys have even higher... FUXX!" Jordan started to say, then suddenly stopped, turned sharply, and walked back towards the backcourt: "Do I need you to teach me how to trash talk?"
Jordan's consecutive dunks at the start of the game were increasingly fierce and powerful!
The entire United Center was stunned by Jordan's continuous crazy performance.
They expected Jordan to play very aggressively at the start of the game, but they never expected him to play this aggressively!
After all, Jordan is already 34 years old this year! Since his comeback, he has rarely had such crazy, continuous dunking performances! His playing style has become more and more stable and safer. The kind of flying dunk seems to have been left behind by Jordan during his first retirement.
But now... Jordan is back!
The entire United Center erupted in waves of frenzied, hysterical, and explosive shouts, as the fans were completely in the zone!
Sure enough, if you want to see Jordan give his all, someone has to cause trouble for him, someone has to provoke him!
When the opponent is not doing well, your teammates can step in and there will be absolutely no problem!
After Jordan's incredible series of dunks, Riley promptly called a timeout. Besides trying to stop the Bulls' explosive momentum, he also wanted to ask his players a question.
"Who among you guys messed with that lunatic? Who made him so crazy?" Riley looked at Mourning, Hardaway, and Mashburn, wondering why Jordan was acting so violently.
"It's possible... it's Lin Qian. That guy is incredibly noisy on the court, and sometimes it's not just his opponents who get provoked by him." Hardaway hesitated for a moment before deciding to shift the blame to Lin Tian.
Riley nodded after hearing Hardaway's words, but said nothing more.
But in Riley's mind, a storm of thoughts was brewing.
Has this kid become so clever that he can use the tactic of provoking his teammates to unleash their fighting spirit? Even a seasoned veteran like Jordan has had his hidden fighting power awakened by this kid?
A born leader!
Riley gave Lin Tian a higher evaluation in his heart, and became even more determined to recruit Lin Tian to Miami.
Tim, I'm sorry, it's not that you're not good, it's just that I'm too demanding!
This timeout did not help the Heat regain their rhythm. On the contrary, facing Jordan, who was still in a berserk mode, the Heat were utterly defeated!
The first to be hit was Mashburn, nicknamed "The Monster." Facing Jordan's onslaught, he picked up his second foul after only 9 minutes in the first quarter and had to leave the game early. He was replaced by Dan Mali, a former All-Defensive Team member.
Unfortunately, not to mention that Mallley is now 32 years old and his athleticism and lateral speed have declined significantly, even in his prime, during the 92-93 season, he couldn't defend Jordan.
Not only could they not defend against it, but Marley and his Suns were utterly thrashed by Jordan in the Finals.
那一轮系列赛从第二场到第五场，乔丹连续4场比赛轰下40+，其中还有一场恐怖的55分！整轮系列赛乔丹以50%的命中率轰下41分8.5篮板6.3次助攻，着实是给所有人上了一堂生动的单打教学课！
What does it mean to completely break through a defense? What does it mean to single-handedly defeat a super team of Finals caliber?
Jordan taught everyone a good lesson in this series!
In that series, the two guards who were primarily responsible for guarding Jordan were Dan Mali and Kevin Johnson.
It's safe to say that if Jordan had to choose the player he played most comfortably and naturally in his career, that player would definitely be Marley!
So when Jordan met Marley again in the playoffs four years later, he certainly wouldn't hold back! Not only would he not hold back, he would also make Marley reminisce about their beautiful and sweet past!
In the first quarter, Jordan faced Marley and scored 8 points on 4-for-4 shooting in just 3 minutes before Jackson substituted him off the court.
In the first quarter, Jordan scored a high of 21 points, leading the Bulls to a score of 33-19!
At the start of the second quarter, Jordan, determined to get revenge tonight, returned to the court, facing his old nemesis, Mallley.
What more is there to say?
Just do it!
Back-to-the-basket moves, fadeaway jumpers, high-post drives, and even put-backs after grabbing rebounds—when facing Marley, Jordan was like he was back to his 28-year-old self, full of energy and aggression!
What freed Mali from his foul was his third foul! He picked up his third foul after playing only 5 minutes in the second quarter and was then substituted by Riley. The player who came back on to defend Jordan was Mashburn, who had rested for a full 8-9 minutes and was full of energy!
But after he came on the court, he didn't even have time to defend Jordan. Because he was too excited, he knocked down Steve Kerr while driving to the basket, got an offensive foul, his third foul, and had to leave the game to rest.
Riley was so annoyed by Mashburn's stupidity that he didn't even bother to scold him anymore. It was a waste of breath to scold such a stupid person!
The third person to come up and defend Jordan was Leonard.
Unfortunately, this guy, who was a brilliant shooter but a complete sieve on defense, was also a liability against Jordan.
Not only could he not defend against Jordan at all, but he was also fooled by Jordan's fakes and jumped up and down. In four possessions, Jordan drew two fouls on him, which scared Riley so much that he quickly told him to get out and bring in a fourth player.
PJ Brown was the key player in the team's advancement in the last round!
This player, who was selected to the league's second All-Defensive Team this year, is a high-quality role player who is a blue-collar and defensive specialist. He has a tough spirit and a tenacious style, and he is almost never fooled by fakes.
But the problem is...
He's so slow!
Brown's excessive height made it impossible for him to keep up with Jordan's speed. As soon as Jordan saw Brown guarding him, he quickly moved his offensive zone from the low post to the high post and began to attack Brown by constantly driving to the basket.
How so?
In those two possessions where Brown was guarding Jordan, even Riley thought... he could have put a barrel on the court instead of Brown!
At least he's fat! Jordan needs two steps to get around the barrel! Unlike Brown, who was easily beaten by Jordan in one step, like a wooden stake, completely powerless to resist.
Riley was at his wits' end. He had already gone through a round of changes to the available players on the team, and his last remaining options were Mourning and Hardaway. But... were those two going to defend Jordan?
The scene was too beautiful for me to look at!
After a brief hesitation, Riley made another tactical change with four minutes left in the first half. He brought on both Mashburn and Mallley, who already had three fouls, and had them double-team Jordan.
then……
In the last four minutes of the first half, Lin Tian took possession of the ball and led the Bulls to unleash a new mode of relentless attack!
Pippen, Kukoc, and even Longley all got open looks because Jordan was double-teamed, and Lin Tian's passes were always timely and got to these guys' hands immediately!
Whether it was Longley's alley-oop, Kukoc's open three-pointer, or Pippen's cut and dunk, they tore apart and destroyed the Heat's defense time and time again!
In the final four minutes of the first half, Jordan didn't take a single shot, and barely even touched the ball a few times, yet the Bulls completely broke through the defense of the Heat, a top-three defensive team in the league!
14: 3!
In the final four minutes of the first half, the Bulls launched an offensive surge, extending the lead to over 20 points!
66: 44!
At the end of the first half, the score difference between the two sides reached 22 points!
Jordan scored 34 points in the first half, shooting 10-for-16 from the field, 13-for-3 from the free-throw line, and 1-for-2 from three-point range. He destroyed every player who dared to match up against him in the first half!
Although only Jordan scored on a scoring spree in the first half, nine other Bulls players scored in the first half! This versatility and incredibly deep roster were the reasons that completely crushed the Heat!
In the first half, the Bulls showcased both the ultimate individual heroism and what the league's best team offense looks like!
The Bulls brought out two completely opposite and unrelated styles almost simultaneously.
The Bulls' strength and league-leading offensive capabilities have once again shocked everyone!
Hornets head coach Cowens, watching the game live on television, couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
He felt once again that he hadn't even managed to force the Bulls to go all out! Even in terms of offense alone, the Bulls hadn't used all the weapons in their arsenal!
A complete and utter defeat!
The gap between the Hornets and the Bulls is probably more than 4-0.
Cowens believes that even if the series goes to three more rounds, the Hornets will still be swept three times!
The difference in strength is just too great!
How exactly can we defeat this Bulls team?
Break them up!
This idea suddenly popped into Cowens' head.
Yes! Break him up! Only by truly dismantling this Bulls team, by scattering this terrifying team, can we truly defeat him!
Otherwise, unless they assemble an All-Star team, a normal team has no chance of beating the Bulls in the series!
Throughout the league, after watching the first half of this game, there were definitely more than just one or two people who shared the same thoughts as Cowens. Countless team management staff began to rack their brains, thinking about how to break up this Bulls team.
As those old foxes pondered, the competition reignited!
At the start of the second half, the Heat found their rhythm first.
Hardaway, Leonard, and Mashburn each hit a three-pointer, while the Bulls only managed one point from Longley's free throws during that period, with all other shots missing. The gap between the two teams narrowed to just 14 points in the blink of an eye!
Then, Jordan and Lin Tian stepped forward once again!
First, Jordan and Lin Tian double-teamed Hardaway at the high post and successfully stole his dribble. Then, Lin Tian quickly advanced the ball and forced a shot despite Mashburn's help defense. Although the shot missed, he successfully drew Mashburn's fourth foul!
The Heat's most reliable perimeter defender, "Monster" Mashburn, could only leave the court in disappointment.
Next, Mourning's one-on-one attempt in the paint was double-teamed by Rodman and Longley, and he missed. The ball bounced off the rim and was pulled down by Pippen, who quickly passed it to Lin Tian. Lin Tian dribbled all the way to the frontcourt and, facing a double-team from Hardaway and Leonard, suddenly made a high lob pass.
Jordan had already arrived under the basket, leaped high, and slammed the ball down with both hands to score another 2 points!
The Heat, whose offense had been struggling, became somewhat impatient. Hardaway attempted a three-pointer from the high post without shaking off Lin Tian, only to have it blocked. After the block, Lin Tian ignored where the ball was going and sprinted towards the frontcourt.
Jordan did not disappoint Lin Tian. He didn't even try to catch the basketball. Instead, he slammed the ball down in mid-air, sending it hurtling towards Lin Tian.
Facing an empty frontcourt, Lin Tian easily caught the basketball, took off from a step in front of the free throw line, swung his arms as wide as possible, and slammed it in with a one-handed windmill dunk!
Next, it was Jordan's turn to take over the game!
In less than 5 minutes, he drew 4 fouls from Leonard and Marley, and his free throw attempts increased rapidly to 20, of which he made 19!
With Jordan's explosive and ferocious performance, the Heat were no longer able to close the gap, and the difference between the two sides was never reduced to within 25 points!
With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Riley shook his head regretfully, waved his hand, and substituted key players such as Leonard, Hardaway, and Mourning off the court, signifying the end of the Heat's resistance in Chicago.
The score is now 2-0!
Yes, it's 2-0!
The Bulls easily won two games at home, and in both games, they destroyed the Heat's proud defense with their crazy and fierce offense!
A top-three defense in the league? Against the sharpest spear in our league, it's no different from paper!
两场比赛，乔丹分别拿下49分6篮板4助攻和43分5篮板2助攻！他这两场比赛的命中率，还全都超过了55%！同时两场比赛还分别获得了21次和22次罚球！
He single-handedly broke through the Heat's entire defense, giving Riley a huge headache. No matter who he sent out to face Jordan, they would be easily crushed by Jordan!
Poor Mallley, being beaten by Jordan for the second time in his career, must have been having nightmares all night.
The two met twice in the playoffs, and both times Jordan averaged over 40 points per game. Every team in the league today wants to find a "Jordan stopper" to defend Jordan, but so far, no team has succeeded.
But Marley could absolutely run for the reverse of the league's number one "Jordan stopper".
Every time Jordan faced him, he would be like he was on steroids, completely dominating him! Apart from Mallley, it would be hard to find another player who got so badly destroyed in the playoffs.
In addition to Jordan's outstanding performance, Lin Tian scored 17 points and 14 assists and 15 points and 15 assists in the two games respectively. He revitalized the entire team, not only setting a new team record with 29 assists in the first two games, but also leading the team to a top-level offensive performance.
Under Lin Tian's defense, league All-NBA First Team member Tim Hardaway played terribly in the first two games in Chicago, averaging only 14 points and 7 assists per game. Although the stats look decent, his overall field goal percentage was only 33%, and his three-point field goal percentage was even lower at 27%!
Jackson's pre-game pep talk was indeed incredibly effective!
Despite his abysmal shooting percentage, Hardaway still attempts 7.5 three-pointers per game. His reckless shooting from beyond the arc is one of the key reasons why the Heat have suffered consecutive blowout losses!
Furthermore, what excited Chicago fans even more was that Anthony Longley, the least popular and most low-key player in the Bulls' starting lineup, effectively contained Alonzo Mourning in the first two games of the series!
He limited Mourning to an average of only 17 points and 9 rebounds in two games, with a field goal percentage of only 48%! Although Mourning still contributed an average of 4 blocks per game, compared to his devastating performance in the first two rounds, where he seemed to be vying for the title of best center in the league, Mourning in the Eastern Conference Finals was clearly being relentlessly contained by Longley!
After a comfortable home run, the Bulls will head to the hot and comfortable Miami Beach for their next two away games.
The Bulls are getting closer and closer to sweeping their opponents in a fourth consecutive series!
After watching the team's outstanding performance in the first two games, the entire city of Chicago believed that the Bulls would definitely continue their winning streak and easily defeat the Heat!
In the eyes of the media and various commentators, the Bulls have already gained an overwhelming advantage, and everyone believes that the Bulls' advancement is a foregone conclusion!
After all, the players' form and abilities have been perfectly demonstrated to everyone in the first two games. No one on the Heat can match up with Jordan, and no one can stop his offense, while the Bulls can effectively limit the Heat's two stars!
At this point in the series, if the Heat still want to turn the game around, they can only rely on one person.
Pat Riley, the godfather of the Miami Heat and one of the league's top head coaches, known as "The Strategist"!
Almost everyone believes that the only variable in this series is the battle of wits between Riley and Jackson. Whether Riley can come up with something new with the existing lineup, and whether Jackson can counter his moves, is the final highlight of this series!
At this moment, Riley was sitting in his office, suffering from a terrible headache. His signature slicked-back hair, which was always perfectly combed and incredibly meticulous, was now somewhat loose and disheveled.
Judging from his tired, sunken eyes and the scattered documents and tactical analysis notebooks on his desk, the "Mastermind" was truly stumped this time.
He wasn't even faced with a choice between two cups of poison, but rather a choice between at least three or four bottles of poison, with the option to discard one at most and drink the rest.
It was practically a matter of life and death!
Looking at the huge pile of documents on the table, Riley couldn't help but mutter to himself, "That move against the Knicks in the semifinals, want to do it again?"
"No way. If we use that again, putting aside what the league and fans will think of me, Lin definitely won't consider us this offseason!"
"But if I don't use it, will Lin consider us?"
"How about we find an opportunity to talk to Lin?"
"But I heard that this bastard has no bottom line and will blurt out whatever others tell him without any restraint. He will definitely tell Tim that I want to take him down."
"But if we don't use any external tactics, how can we beat the Bulls? Double-team Jordan? We already tried that in Game 1. Continue to let Jordan play one-on-one, defend the others well, and then compete with the Bulls' firepower? That's too difficult! Our firepower is most likely no match for Jordan's."
"What should we do...? Does the Bulls have no weaknesses at all?"
Riley felt his head was spinning. Finally, he sighed deeply, picked up the phone, and called Morning.
"Alonzo, do you think Michael has any weaknesses? Anything is fine." Riley decided to ask his players for help, to see if Mourning, who was closest to Jordan, could come up with any ideas. Maybe the players could offer some new perspectives that coaches wouldn't see?
Even Riley was prepared; if Mourning said no or didn't know, he would take the call and call Hardaway, then Mashburn, then Mali...
Forget it, I won't call Marley. That guy's been driven crazy by Jordan. If he knew Jordan's weaknesses, how could he get ripped apart every time he faced Jordan?
"Weaknesses? Let me think... Do they count off the basketball court too? Bad sportsmanship at cards, yelling and swearing when you lose money? Does that not count? Let me think about it some more." Mo Ning mumbled into the phone, "Looks like I do have one!"
(End of this chapter)