blogombal Chapter 122 Season Opening Game! The Rebuilt New York Knicks!
Chapter 122 Season Opening Game! The Rebuilt New York Knicks!
Chapter 122 Season Opening Game! The Rebuilt New York Knicks!
美国东部时间1996年11月1日的晚上7点30分，联合中心在这个晚上，破例卖出了超过2000张的无座票，他们让这个原本只能坐下18771人的体育馆，疯狂的涌入了超过21000名狂热无比的球迷！
Even with nearly 2500 more tickets sold, the United Center was still in high demand and sold out quickly by excited fans that night!
Just like during the NBA Finals, countless fans once again gathered in the plaza outside the United Center. Some hadn't given up, holding up signs hoping to get a ticket, while others were chanting "Bulls are the champions!" wildly in the plaza, releasing their passion.
Twenty minutes before the match officially began, thousands of fans in the square finally reached a consensus, chanting a unified and resolute slogan.
"Bulls are the champions!"
"Bulls are the champions!"
"Bulls are the champions!"
If the fans outside the stadium were this enthusiastic, how could the fans inside the stadium possibly be left behind? Long before the fans outside the stadium started celebrating, the more than 21000 lucky people inside the United Center had already used all their strength to let out tremendous cheers and shouts!
There's only one reason why the fans are so excited and enthusiastic!
Tonight is the Bulls' home opener of the new season!
Meanwhile, the Bulls will also hold their championship flag-raising ceremony at the United Center tonight! The championship flag, representing the highest honor in the NBA, will be raised high above the United Center!
Owner Reinsdorf will also present his players with a brand new championship ring tonight.
Even though this is the fourth time in six years that the Bulls have held such a ceremony.
But no one will find it tiresome, and no one will find tonight's ceremony insignificant.
After all, no matter how many championships you have, no one will complain about having too many!
At 8 p.m. sharp, accompanied by passionate and exciting music and a dazzling light show, and with the cheers of the mascots and cheerleaders, the banner of the 1995-1996 NBA championship was finally slowly raised and climbed to the top of the United Arena in Chicago.
The fans erupted in a frenzy of enthusiastic shouts and cheers!
This night belongs to Chicago, this night belongs to the Bulls.
Everyone at the scene went crazy for this moment!
Well, not everyone. In a corner of the stadium, there were about twenty people who were very unhappy with what was happening on the scene, but remained indifferent.
"So what if he's the champion? You country bumpkin who's never seen the world."
"Fuck! That damn Lin, if he dares to cause trouble tonight, I don't care if tonight is the championship night, I'll deal with him anyway!"
"We were careless last time. Does this Lin really think he's better than us?"
"This kid really made a splash at Rucker Park this year. I suspect he might think he's the king of New York!"
"Just look at his flashy but impractical playing style! How could a normal person play like that? He's just getting cocky! Tonight, we guys will show him what real toughness is!"
"Give him some resistance!"
"Not just Lin, but Michael too! I'm going to teach him a lesson tonight! Damn it, I lost $1500 million in the offseason! And he stood me up, he didn't even come to New York?"
"Don't worry, with a few of us joining this year, the Bulls won't get away with this victory so easily!"
"That's right! I'm here to take care of those Chicagoans! I'll fucking kill them!"
These conversations reveal that this group is the Bulls' opponent tonight, and also their old rival, the New York Knicks, who have undergone many changes this summer!
Just by looking at the Bulls' opponent in their season opener, you can see how bad Stern and the league are!
Everyone knew that the Bulls would raise the championship banner in their season opener, so Stern specifically chose the Bulls' biggest rival and challenger in the East as their opponent for the new season opener!
The Bulls don't want to lose at the championship ceremony, and the Knicks don't want to lose immediately after watching others raise their championship banners. So, without a doubt, this game is going to be a spectacular clash of titans!
Both sides would absolutely splatter their brains out!
Stern's logic in arranging the schedule and opponents is absolutely brilliant!
The Knicks' offseason can be described as having a happy start but ending in utter disappointment.
They originally thought they could secure Jordan's signature and showed unparalleled sincerity. Their star player, Ewing, even took a $15 million pay cut on the first day of free agency, signing a super low-priced one-year, $3 million contract with the team, all in an effort to attract Jordan to join the team.
Under immense pressure, the Knicks owner openly tested the limits of league rules by offering Jordan two contracts: a $1200 million annual basketball contract and a $1200 million annual Sheraton hotel endorsement contract!
Unfortunately, such great sincerity only became a bargaining chip for Jordan to raise the price. In the end, Jordan did not come to the Big Apple, but stayed in Chicago.
Jordan's choice infuriated many New Yorkers, who felt they had been tricked. But the angrier one, without a doubt, was Ewing, who had lost $1500 million in salary for nothing!
That's a whopping 1500 million!
What angered Ewing even more was that the Knicks' owner wanted to compensate Ewing by giving him the Sheraton endorsement contract that Ewing had secured for Jordan, which Ewing was naturally happy to accept.
but……
Sheraton was unwilling. They felt that Ewing's image was completely incompatible with their brand image. No guest would choose Sheraton because of Ewing's endorsement. On the contrary, many people would turn around and leave after seeing Ewing's face, choosing the Marriott next door instead...
This summer, Ewing has definitely suffered a double blow to his salary and endorsements, making him arguably the most unfortunate player in the NBA this offseason!
Of course, as a team aiming for the championship, the Knicks are always making changes and never stop. They will definitely not let Ewing's sacrifices this summer go to waste. They did not let the salary cap space freed up by Ewing go to waste, because saving money has never been the Knicks' style!
Not only did they not save any money, they also spent it very freely!
They first poached their second-leading scorer, Allan Houston, known as the "King of Mid-Range Shots," from the Detroit Pistons with a massive 5-year, $3500 million contract!
A salary of 700 million a year may not seem like much in the 21st century, but in the 90s, it would have been an incredibly lucrative contract that was hard to refuse!
After all, in the last season, the 1995-1996 season, apart from Ewing, who had the highest salary in the NBA at $1800 million, Drexler, who ranked second on the salary list, only earned $770 million a year!
Houston has definitely landed an incredibly lucrative contract!
In addition to giving Houston such a huge contract, they also traded Anthony Mason Jr. and draft picks to the Charlotte Hornets for former number one draft pick Larry Johnson, who is in his prime!
Jason was selected as an All-Star in 95, and last season he averaged 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, leading his team to the playoffs.
Acquiring this versatile offensive forward would undoubtedly be a huge boost to the Knicks' firepower.
In addition to these two high-scoring players, the Knicks also signed former All-Star player and Nets franchise legend Buck Williams, nicknamed "The Buck".
Buck Williams, whose real name is Charlize Williams, was one of the league's top defensive big men in the 80s. "Buck" is actually a transliteration of his nickname "Bull". It's just that his nickname was so famous that many fans forgot his real name and called him Buck instead.
Using nicknames instead of real names was something only Magic Johnson and John Buck could do throughout the 80s.
This alone shows just how glorious Buck Williams was in the past! His tough style and fierce playing style, coupled with his rich experience over more than ten years in the league, make him absolutely capable of filling the defensive gap left by Mason Jr.
In addition, after failing to retain Derrick Harper in the offseason, the Knicks acquired Chris Childs, the Nets' star point guard from last season, on a high-salary contract.
Although Childs' resume isn't as impressive as the others mentioned, and he was even an undrafted player, he averaged 13 points and 7 assists for the Nets last season. While he might not be the team's leader, his 38% three-point shooting percentage is more than enough to supplement the team and provide offensive support!
The Knicks' summer signings and big spending show that they are still ambitious for the new season! The team clearly believes that the reason they lost to the Bulls last season was because of insufficient offensive firepower. The team was too defensive, which left Ewing unable to carry the offense alone, and that's why they lost to the terrifying firepower of Jordan and Lin.
Therefore, they brought in three offensive players—Jason, Houston, and Childs—to fill the team's lack of firepower in the new season. They aim to compete with the Bulls on offense! Furthermore, to prevent a significant drop in the team's defense, they also brought in Williams to be a reliable defensive asset.
The Knicks are a force to be reckoned with this season! The most obvious reason is that, according to the odds from Las Vegas, the Knicks are second in the Eastern Conference title race! Many consider them the strongest team in the East besides the Bulls!
Amidst the Knicks' disgruntled gazes, the Bulls' championship ceremony finally came to an end amidst the wild cheers of the entire arena.
After a series of opening ceremonies, the ten starting players from both sides took to the field, ready to start the first battle of the new season!
The Bulls are fielding the same starting lineup they used at the start of last season's playoffs.
The Knicks' starting lineup is vastly different from last season: apart from Ewing and Oakley, the inside duo, still starting together, their three perimeter players have all been replaced.
Point guard Childs, shooting guard Houston, and small forward Jason lined up, and in terms of sheer presence, they were in no way inferior to the Bulls' Lin Tian, Jordan, and Pippen.
"Patrick, I heard you lost your wallet this summer, a whopping 1500 million?" As soon as he stepped onto the court, Lin Tian couldn't help but open his mouth and deliver a sarcastic remark to Ewing.
"Michael, shut your little brother up and stop him from talking nonsense!" Ewing's face immediately fell when his secret was exposed.
How can you do this? You don't hit someone in the face, and you don't insult someone by revealing their weaknesses. But you just came up and slapped them hard across the face.
Unfortunately, Ewing clearly turned to the wrong person for help.
Who is Jordan? The NBA's number one petty person!
"3000:300, Patrick, remember this number, 3000:300!"
Without a second thought, Jordan, expressionless, launched into a torrent of the most plain yet deadly trash talk at Ewing.
Who told Ewing to keep chanting 1800-300 all season last year? Jordan finally got his chance for revenge. You can imagine that Jordan will repeat that phrase at least a hundred times for the rest of the game!
Before the game even started, Ewing's face was already so dark that you couldn't see any expression at all. He had made up his mind that he would teach those Chicago bastards a lesson tonight!
As the referee stepped onto the field, after the whistle blew, Ewing let out a roar, leaped high, and slapped the ball to Childs behind him.
"What a powerful aura!" Lin Tian muttered, then said in a voice that Ewing could hear without any attempt to hide his words, "Anyone who didn't know better would think he just hit the game-winning shot!"
"Kid!" Ewing's eyes widened as he looked at Lin Tian. "You're all dead today! I'll beat you to a pulp!"
Ewing, cursing and swearing, quickly moved to the low post, forcefully turned his back, blocked Longley, and demanded the ball.
As a newcomer, Childs naturally wouldn't go against the team leader's wishes, so he made a bounce pass to Ewing.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Frustrated, Ewing grabbed the ball and charged at Longley behind him, leaving Longley utterly battered and bruised as he was chased all the way to the basket by Ewing. Then, Ewing elbowed Longley in the chest and followed up with a powerful two-handed dunk!
"boom!"
An incredibly excited Ewing swung back and forth on the rim several times before landing arrogantly amidst a deafening chorus of boos from the entire United Center, and then stormed back to defense.
"Hold them down! Defend them! Our path to the championship starts today!" Ewing shouted to his teammates as he quickly returned to the basket.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Jordan had already run from the baseline to the wing, and then, with the help of Longley's screen, he turned and received the basketball that Lin Tian passed to him, and pulled up for a shot from mid-range!
How could Houston possibly catch up with Jordan? Not to mention there were several screens and barriers along the way, they could only watch helplessly as Jordan easily pulled up for a mid-range jumper and made a two-pointer!
"I don't even need to dribble against you guys! I don't even need to break a sweat! By the way, why didn't you guys find someone to guard me? I can't see a single defender!" After scoring, Jordan spread his hands and uttered his signature trash talk.
"Fuck! Guard Alan well!" Ewing sighed, and could only warn Houston: "Communicate with your teammates promptly, and call for help if you need it!"
"Got it." Houston nodded, determined to return the favor with the same move! After all, Jordan had used his signature move of receiving the ball after a screen and then shooting, a move he knew better than anyone!
However, Houston's offensive turn was yet to come.
Ewing has secured his position again, and in a one-on-one situation, Longley is simply no match for this big, strong guy!
Ewing is indeed often criticized for being soft, described as a kite-like player who plays without any strategy, and is never at an advantage when matched up against top-tier centers.
But his softness depends on who he's playing against! When Ewing played against Olajuwon, David Robinson, or even younger players like O'Neal and Mourning, he was indeed soft and didn't like to play inside.
But tonight on the Bulls' court, there's no Hakeem Olajuwon or Shaquille O'Neal. You, Longley, aren't even the Australian O'Neal. Ewing is as hard as a diamond!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
After another series of physical clashes, Ewing once again drove into the paint. This time, just as he was about to power up, Rodman came up to help defend!
Rodman wasn't good at blocking shots or steals; his basic defensive stats were actually quite poor. But what he excelled at was being in the right place at the right time!
For example, this time, he appeared just as Ewing turned around to make his move; he was right in front of Ewing.
Caught off guard, Ewing's shooting motion inevitably became distorted, and his shot was slightly off-center.
"Snapped!"
Rodman reacted with lightning speed, grabbing the backboard and, while still in the air, finding Lin Tian who was reaching out for the ball, quickly passing it to him.
"Watch out for that kid's first pass!" Oakley was clearly prepared for Lin Tian's fast attack. He sprinted to Lin Tian's side, spreading his arms wide and waving them wildly to prevent Lin Tian from launching a fast attack.
But Lin Tian didn't care about him. The basketball slapped out and cleverly slipped between Oakley's legs. Lin Tian then turned and dodged Oakley, catching the basketball behind him. He then slapped it once more and found his passing target!
"Whoosh!"
Many players on the court could only hear a whooshing sound, and then they saw Pippen grab the basketball near the three-second zone and jump up for a powerful dunk!
"Beautiful pass, Lin!" Pippen reached out and touched Lin Tian's hand after scoring.
"It's mainly thanks to Charles. His little brother is short and skinny, so I was able to easily nutmeg him! You agree, Charles?" Lin Tian and Pippen high-fived, and immediately started trash-talking!
He's really lacking in experience points right now! Gaining experience requires starting from the very first game of the new season; there's no time to let up!
It was the Knicks' turn to attack again. Ewing, who had just been forced to miss a shot by Rodman, was much more cautious this time. He used his signature step-back jumper. Longley's interference was practically nonexistent. With a "swish," Ewing scored another 2 points!
The Bulls' offense, which originally intended to be a fast break, saw that neither Pippen nor Jordan had made any open runs. Instead of forcing a dangerous, beautiful pass, Lin Tian opted to slowly advance and play a positional game.
Lin Tian's choice brought a sigh of relief to Jackson in the audience.
This kid is just playing around in the preseason. He'll be more mindful of his mistakes in the regular season!
It's worth noting that in the five preseason games, Lin Tian had the most assists per game in the league, but also the most turnovers. Jackson was genuinely worried that Lin Tian would carry this somewhat aggressive and flashy style of play into the regular season.
But now it seems that it doesn't.
Yes, we can only see it now.
Because less than five seconds after Jackson was relieved, Lin Tian came again.
He was dribbling the ball at the top of the arc. One moment he was looking at Jordan on the left, telling Jordan to take two more steps to the outside, and the next moment he had already raised the ball with one hand and smashed it into the paint!
Yes, smash it!
The ball was incredibly fast, almost hitting Jason on the head. It flew into the paint like a missile, and Longley almost couldn't react in time. He trembled for a moment before finally managing to hold onto the ball, turn around, and hook shot for 2 points!
"Sigh, it's still unnecessary!" Jackson sighed. Lin Tian could have easily made a more secure two-handed chest pass to Longley, allowing Longley to easily complete the hook shot.
But Lin Tian used a one-handed pass without looking, which almost made Lang Li make a mistake.
That pass was, frankly, all it had was style; it had absolutely no redeeming qualities.
But for Lin Tian and the audience who were once again ignited, this shot was cool enough!
He's not handsome. Even if he has 100 good points, they're all his flaws!
For the Knicks, Ewing, after several consecutive attacks, also began to look for opportunities to coordinate with his teammates. After receiving the ball in the midcourt, he and Houston executed a handoff screen, creating a sliver of space for Houston to jump and shoot from mid-range, scoring 2 points!
Jordan, who had just been hit once, was not about to let it go. He immediately turned around, called for the ball in the low post, turned around, and made a jump shot for 2 points, retaliating in kind!
Then, the Knicks' new acquisition, Larry Johnson, received the ball at the top of the arc and, facing Pippen's defense, jumped up and shot directly from beyond the three-point line, and the three points went in!
Both sides unleashed their offensive prowess in this quarter!
Throughout the first quarter, both sides traded blows, neither giving an inch, and their shooting touch was impeccable, with the rounds being played incredibly fast!
Nine minutes into the first quarter, Jordan and Rodman went to the bench for the Bulls to rest, while Kerr and Kukoc came on as substitutes. For the Knicks, Childs and Oakley went to the bench and were replaced by Williams and Starks.
Seeing his old rival from last season, Lin Tian showed no mercy. On the first possession after Starks came on, Lin Tian drove straight to the basket to challenge Ewing!
Facing Ewing's block, Lin Tian first raised his hands high, then suddenly spun counterclockwise in a circle, and then used his left hand to bypass Ewing's block, pulled up for a layup, and scored 2 more points!
Having been outmaneuvered by Lin Tian, Ewing immediately called for the ball again in the low post and attacked hard.
Longley was tricked this time and committed his second foul by Ewing. Phil Jackson immediately made a substitution, taking Longley off the court.
Ewing then made both free throws, adding points for his team!
In the next two minutes, the offensive efficiency of both sides finally decreased, and they no longer had the efficiency of making shots as easily as in the first half. Even so, with 20 seconds left in the first quarter, the score was still 33-36.
The Bulls lead the Knicks by 3 points!
After bringing the ball up the court, Starks didn't entangle with Lin Tian for long, but instead passed the ball directly to Ewing in the low post!
Ewing has already scored a whopping 18 points in the first quarter tonight! His performance is frightening, and he has also drawn two fouls from Longley and one foul from Wennington.
Tonight, Ewing absolutely delivered a performance befitting a super center!
This time, Ewing got the basketball and once again chased Wennington away.
Even with Rodman off the court, his determination to drive inside was absolutely unwavering!
After easily brushing past Wennington, Ewing raised his hand to deliver a powerful dunk, but a black and red shadow suddenly appeared in front of him!
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, the basketball in Ewing's hands was slapped and sent flying!
"How is that possible!" Ewing exclaimed, his eyes wide.
Staring in disbelief at the tiny man in front of him!
Lin Tian!
When did this guy sneak up to the basket, and how could he have timed it so well to make that block?
No matter how illogical or surprising it was, Ewing had no time to think about it at that moment.
Because the ball that Lin Tian blocked was caught by Wennington, who then immediately passed it to Lin Tian.
"run!"
Lin Tian once again shouted out that word that made countless players in the league curse in their hearts.
Run, run, run! What the hell are you running for?!
Despite the criticism, when Lin Tian started to advance, no one dared to stand still.
Lin Tian's current offensive capabilities have long been recognized and valued by the entire league. Anyone who still dares to underestimate Lin Tian's fast break ability is either stupid or never trains.
"Achoo!" Allen Iverson, who was in Philadelphia preparing for his season opener, suddenly sneezed.
Someone must be thinking of me!
I wonder if it's the blonde stripper from last night!
On the United Center side, Lin Tian had already dribbled the ball all the way to the frontcourt. This was the last attack of the first quarter. Lin Tian was not in a hurry to attack. Instead, he glanced at the time and suddenly stopped, standing outside the three-point line, waiting for time to pass.
Meanwhile, Ewing, exhausted, finally reached the basket with only 4 seconds left in the first quarter.
Lin Tian has started!
With a crossover dribble and his absolute speed, he easily bypassed Starks, who was even smaller than him, in one step! He charged towards the basket from the wing!
"You little brat, you're asking for it!" Ewing cursed, and even before he could catch his breath, he took a step to the side and blocked Lin Tian's path! Having just been bloodied by Lin Tian, he hadn't expected his chance for revenge to come so soon!
Facing Ewing, Lin Tian showed no fear whatsoever. He accelerated forcefully along the baseline from the flank, and then jumped up at the edge of the three-second zone to meet Ewing.
"You're asking for it!"
With a loud curse, Ewing also jumped up and collided with Lin Tian in mid-air!
Ewing, who originally thought he could easily block Lin Tian's shot, was incredulous to see the basketball in Lin Tian's hand getting further and further away from him!
This kid actually turned sideways and floated towards the other side of the basket!
After a gliding motion that was almost visible to the naked eye, almost like floating in the air, Lin Tian finally arrived at the other side of the basket. At this point, unless Ewing had an extra pair of hands, it would be impossible for him to interfere with Lin Tian's layup!
"Whoosh!"
As Lin Tian lightly raised his hands and flicked the basketball towards the hoop, a pleasant sound rang out as the basketball swished through the net!
At the same time, the whistle signaling the end of the first quarter also rang out!
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Lin!"
"My God! What is this? Has Lin turned into a glider?"
"Floating! Floating in the air!"
"Passing through souls! Lin can even dribble past people in mid-air!"
"Patrick, is your soul alright? Was your soul possessed by Lin?"
"Top 10 goals! Absolutely top 10 goals!"
"He flew over Ewing! He flew over the entire three-second zone! He practically flew over his entire life!"
The cheers of the fans rose and fell, and the Bulls players rushed forward to hug and celebrate with Lin Tian.
That shot was so elegant and amazing!
"It's nothing special. I could do a layup like that with my eyes closed." Jordan curled his lip and, seeing Lin Tian approaching, mercilessly started to criticize him.
"Michael, if you were 25 and said this to me, I might believe you." Lin Tian wiped his sweat with a towel, not even looking at Jordan. "But you're 40 this year. Can you stop spouting nonsense and bragging? You can still do layups like that? If you can still do layups like that, I'll kick Ewing's head like a ball!"
"Okay! It's a deal, let's do it this way!" Gambler Jordan immediately perked up at the prospect of gambling, but after agreeing, he realized something was amiss: "Is Patrick's head up to you?"
"I can pin him down, just like I pinned Karl down, lock him up, and then kick him however you want." Lin Tian raised his arms, showing off his muscles.
His strength at this moment was much greater than his usual strength.
At the end of the first quarter, seeing that Wennington couldn't hold off Ewing, Lin Tian didn't think twice and directly used his "Shark Blood Block (Half-Court)" which had the blocking ability of Shaquille O'Neal in the 99-00 season. Otherwise, Lin Tian wouldn't have been able to get into position so quickly and complete the block!
The improvements brought by this "shark blood hat" are obviously not limited to blocking shots. Lin Tian could feel that his jumping ability and strength had also improved in order to match the required blocking ability.
Otherwise, even if he had the "Flying Mamba" skill, it would be absolutely difficult for him to complete such a large gliding distance and lever pull.
After all, the 5% increase in jumping ability from the "Flying Mamba" was simply not enough for Lin Tian to challenge Ewing's rim protection.
Shaquille O'Neal's jumping ability has been underestimated by many! He became the most terrifying dominant force under the basket in history, not only because of his strength and touch, but also because of his agility, quickness, jumping ability, and even speed, which were absolutely terrifying at a monstrous level!
33: 38!
With Lin Tian's gliding layup, the Bulls took a 5-point lead in the first quarter.
Jordan led the team with 15 points, while Lin Tian contributed 6 points and 6 assists. Pippen added 6 points and Rodman had 2 points and 6 rebounds. All four of the Bulls' stars performed well!
On the Knicks' side, it was basically a one-man show by Ewing. He scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. If he hadn't had a series of setbacks in the last possession, he would have single-handedly destroyed the Bulls' entire defense!
However, being humiliated by Lin Tian on both offense and defense in the last round immediately diminished Ewing's originally fierce first-quarter performance, which was like that of an ancient Vajra.
In the second quarter, Jordan and Rodman, the two key players who had rested for a while, returned to the court with Hubble and others, while Lin Tian and Pippen rested on the bench.
For the Knicks, Ewing, who played the entire first quarter, also needed to rest on the bench for a while to catch his breath.
Without Ewing, the Knicks' offense will immediately become a game where Starks has the ball and plays however he pleases.
Forget about tactics, teamwork, and rationality; Starks doesn't need to get carried away. He just needs to step onto the court, and he'll forget all about it.
On his good nights, he can be New York's savior, pulling the Knicks out of the abyss. But on other nights, he becomes the most hated guy in the entire city, his missed shots causing the Knicks to fall behind rapidly.
Tonight, his opponent is Jordan, and all he can do is keep missing shots.
7: 2!
Two minutes into the second quarter, the Bulls went on another run, thanks to Starks going 0-for-3, extending their lead to 10 points!
Van Gundy didn't dare hesitate any longer and immediately substituted Ewing and Houston onto the court, letting Starks come off to calm down.
That's terrifying! In the blink of an eye, it's already at 10 points?
Ewing's entry into the game had an immediate effect, once again exposing the Bulls' lack of height and rim protection in the paint. Rodman, after all, is only a little over 2 meters tall, and he has never had many options against giants like this who are close to 220 centimeters tall.
After Ewing dominated the paint again, scoring 5 points in a row with a mid-range jumper and a strong layup and a 2+1 play, the Knicks narrowed the gap to 5 points once again!
Tonight's match was a back-and-forth affair, and judging from the game itself, it won't be easy for either side to pull away from the score!
Two minutes into the game, with only seven minutes remaining in the first half, Jackson made another substitution, bringing on Lin Tian, Pippen, and Wennington to replace Longley, who had three fouls, as well as Harper and Cole.
The score at this point is 44-49, with the Bulls still leading by 5 points!
On the first possession after returning, Lin Tian calmly dribbled the ball to the frontcourt. He exchanged a glance with Wennington, and the good-natured big man immediately stepped forward and held off Childs' defense. Lin Tian then cut into the paint!
Ewing also bared his teeth and claws, stepping forward to help defend. He wouldn't let Lin Tian continue to do whatever he wanted in the paint!
"Snapped!"
But then came a crisp sound, and the basketball in Lin Tian's hand once again slipped between Ewing's legs and flew into Rodman's hands as he cut to the basket.
"boom!"
After a crisp sound, Rodman scored 2 more points for his team.
As for Lin Tian, ever since he acquired Williams' '101 Passes', even though he had already integrated the skills, he still had an uncontrollable desire and craving for nutmegging.
As if his DNA, ingrained in his very bones, had been completely activated, Lin Tian was now seizing the opportunity to deliver a groin piercing.
"Kid, do you think this is, a circus?" Ewing glared at Lin Tian, losing face, and yelled, "If you try to attack again with these underhanded tactics, you'll regret it!"
"What, regret it? Kneel on the ground and beg me not to do it again?" Lin Tian shrugged and said, "Instead of wasting time spouting this useless trash, you'd be better off figuring out how to get another 2 points. You're already 7 points behind!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he quickly retreated while finding Jordan and whispering to him, "Michael, keep an eye on my man for me! This Child!"
"What are you trying to do? Your own men should defend themselves! Why should I help you defend?" Jordan was thinking, "Are you crazy?"
In the NBA, what reason would a team's star player have to help his underlings on defense? I'm an all-around player on both offense and defense. By actively guarding the opposing team's key player, I'm saving you guys a lot of trouble.
Instead of thanking me, you're now asking me to defend you?
"I'll go help defend Patrick. I can't let him score so easily anymore. Besides, I can block him, can you?" Lin Tian looked at Jordan with a matter-of-fact expression. "Besides, the Knicks are playing a big-small lineup now. Dennis is guarding the stronger and more scoring Jason. I can't let him help me defend, that would be a case of penny-wise and pound-foolish."
"You only blocked him once!" Jordan gritted his teeth. Why did Lin Tian's words always sound so infuriating?
What gives you the right to teach me how to play basketball and tell me how to defend?
"Here they come!" Lin Tian didn't say much to Jordan. Seeing the Knicks' offense charging in again, Lin Tian clapped his hands and said, "Remember our plan!"
After several passes, the Knicks' offense once again found Ewing, who, relying on his strength and skill, easily pushed past Wennington!
Just as Ewing was about to take another layup with a smug look on his face, that annoying kid appeared in front of him again!
Lin Tian appeared in front of Ewing once again, raised his hands, and jumped high into the air!
Caught off guard, Ewing, who had already jumped, had no time to dodge.
It was practically as if he had personally handed the ball to Lin Tian!
"Snapped!"
With another crisp sound, Lin Tian blocked Ewing's shot for the second time in this game!
"Run!" Jordan shouted as he saw Lin Tian block the shot, and sprinted towards the frontcourt.
"What the hell are you running for?!"
Lin Tian shouted, but it was too late. Jordan and Pippen, those two guys who were so comfortable and skilled at scoring on fast breaks, had already run past the center circle, but the Knicks had already got hold of the ball...
Lin Tian didn't control the force of his block well, using too much force and slapping the basketball into Houston's hand.
Jordan and Pippen, who had just crossed half-court, could only turn around helplessly and try to get back on defense as quickly as possible.
In a 3v5 situation at halftime, how could those two possibly get back on defense in time unless they had wings?
Before the two even reached the three-point line, Houston seized the rare opportunity and hit a mid-range jump shot!
Jordan and Pippen could only turn around a second time to prepare for the offense.
"From now on, only I can say 'run' on the court!" Lin Tian dribbled the ball and cursed. "Can't you two have some team spirit? Can't you stop thinking about fast breaks and scoring and put some effort into defense? Don't let everyone's hard work on defense go to waste!"
(End of this chapter)