basketball pope

Chapter 59 [Bloodwashing]

In the final quarter, Jordan continued to play, trying to reverse the game with his personal ability. This was a futile effort, and the Knicks did not relax at all.

Van Gundy's employment in the last quarter was still relatively conservative, and he took a big lead and arranged for two defensive players to follow Jordan on the field.No matter how much he leads, Van Gundy can't tolerate his players not defending hard, otherwise he will be uncomfortable.

Under the double team of the Knicks, Jordan's scoring efficiency has not been high, and he only shot two-pointers. After 6 minutes, the Knicks led by 27 points and sealed the victory.

With both teams on the bench, Jordan came off the court with a gloomy and terrifying look on his face.

He can't accept this way of losing. The two teams don't seem to be on the same level at all. If the Knicks can play this kind of game intensity in the playoffs, the Bulls will have a hard time winning even with Pippen.

Even the "God of Basketball" is not optimistic about the prospects of the Bulls, let alone fans?The Knicks had a lively atmosphere at home as if they were already champions and completely forgot about their first loss to the Bulls.

After Larry Johnson came back, the Knicks were different from the previous game, and the offense was unstoppable.

In terms of fame, Rodman is better than Johnson, but in terms of tactical role, Rodman is too far behind.Rodman didn't play much on the defensive end. The Knicks only looked for the weak side in the offense. If Rodman switched to the pick-and-roll, passing Johnson one-on-one would be an opportunity.

The 198CM Johnson held the ball to break through the 218CM Lang Li, relaxed and happy, Johnson's barefoot height was actually 195CM, and the difference in mobility between the two was very obvious.

When Lang Li took a break, the substitute Wennington was even worse. He couldn't improve his defense, and he couldn't open up space. In a game with the Knicks, if he couldn't defend on the inside, he would be dead.

The Knicks' backup is not a vegetarian. The backup point guard Atkins, the guest forward Stephen Jackson and the swingman Mills can also shoot three-pointers, and Ben Wallace is left inside.

In the garbage time, Oakley rested, the Knicks' offense became stronger, and the point difference widened to 35 points. "Zen Master" did not call a timeout, and quietly waited for the end of the game on the sidelines.

In a game that cannot be won, there is no need to let the star consume physical strength, in case of injury, it will be miserable.

Albert said excitedly: "These newcomers from the Knicks have given hope to everyone, especially Ben Wallace. He is very tough and has outstanding rebounding and blocking abilities. This blue-collar is great!"

Glickman said: "Bowen is also very good. He has been a starter in the new season, defending hard, and can shoot three-pointers."

Albert laughed: "There are not many scenes of bloodbath in Jordan's career. The most impressive is the game that the Knicks beat here in the 1995-96 season. Today, I am afraid that the two teams will set a record for a bigger difference in points. ."

In the 1995-96 season, the mighty Bulls came to New York with a record of 54 wins and 6 losses. All of the previous 6 games they lost were within 10 points. First in the league in points and first in the league in points difference per game.

Then, the Bulls with a complete lineup were slaughtered by the Knicks for 32 points in New York.

The pseudo-zone defense that the Knicks are good at, and the way players retreat into the penalty area, has always been the most feared tactic for the Bulls, because the Bulls lacked three-point shooting points in the starting lineup.

In the past, the Knicks had poor offense, and the two sides had victories and losses. This season, the offense has been strengthened, and the Knicks have begun to gain the upper hand.At the end of the game, the Knicks won 116-79 with 37 points.

The Bulls only scored 16 points in the distal quarter. After Jordan came off, the Bulls were hard to score. Without Jordan and Pippen, the Bulls would be a rotten team at the bottom of the game.

Jordan also played a nightmarish game, making 31 of 13 shots, 4 of 1 from 10-pointers, 9 of 36 free throws, and scored 4 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 18 steals.

尼克斯队三人得分20+。尤因13投8中，罚球4中4，20分14篮板6助攻2抢断2盖帽，完胜12分5篮板的郎利。

Johnson's 24 points and 8 rebounds were better than Rodman's 6 points and 13 rebounds.

Houston scored 27, and once Jordan was screened, there was nothing he could do.

At the press conference, Phil Jackson and Jordan were black-faced throughout the whole process and were reluctant to say a word.

The Knicks players answered all kinds of questions from reporters proudly.They did not clearly state their goals, but they all saw the hope of the championship.

Van Gundy smiled and kept his usual low profile. "The players played very well in this game, but the Bulls star Pippen did not return. We can't be complacent just because of a regular season. The playoffs are the key."

Yang Rui didn't go to the press conference and went home early to rest.

If he faces a high profile in the media, Van Gundy will be under a lot of pressure as a coach. When selecting the best coach in the regular season, he will also deduct points for Van Gundy.

On the contrary, he does not strive for honor, and only discusses tactics within the team. It will be much easier to convince Van Gundy. As for whether to say good things about Yang Rui at the press conference, it depends on Van Gundy's conscience.

In this victory, Yang Rui's biggest insight is that on the basketball court, no matter how strong a star is, it is impossible to solve all problems with personal ability. There must be good teammates and a reasonable lineup configuration.

The configuration of the Bulls is not reasonable. The main reason is that Rodman's offense is too bad. If the "big bug" can shoot, the Bulls may not only have 1996 wins in 72.

As for those legendary stars in later generations who independently led the team to win the championship, and independently led the team to the finals, it is all nonsense.

The next day, major media praised the Knicks, and the team consolidated the top spot in the league with 29 wins and 5 losses, ranking first in the official power list.

The Bulls are 23 wins and 12 losses, a lot behind the Knicks, and unless there is a long winning streak behind, it will be difficult to catch up.They also have to compete for second place with the 22-11 Heat, and in case the regular-season record is not as good as the Heat, there is no home-court advantage in the second round.

The New York Times did not mention Yang Rui, but only praised Van Gundy. Thomas Bentley was unhappy after reading the newspaper.

"Is there something wrong with these people's brains? Fans know that the Knicks played well this year and you are the most credited, but recently they have not mentioned you. They beat the Bulls by a big score, and the offense is so beautiful, should I say something?"

Yang Rui ate a bun and said with a smile, "I'm not afraid that no one will know me after the results. Maybe there are many teams who are investigating me now."

If it is too much, the New York media will not publicize Yang Rui's credit.

A Chinese coach is a good gimmick to attract attention, but arrogant Americans don't want foreigners to steal the limelight of their own people, especially Van Gundy is white.

Thomas asked: "Do you really think there will be teams looking for you as head coach in the summer?"

"Tom, if I go out of town, will you go with me or stay in New York?" Yang Rui asked back.

Thomas now has a job on Wall Street. If he goes to a small city, what can he do?But if they don't develop together, it goes against his original intention of coming to New York.

Yang Rui said with a smile: "During this time, I suggest that you carefully study the matter of opening an investment company. I have borrowed books from the library, and we will open a company when we go out of town. It must be better than any analyst you are."

"As long as you are not afraid of losing money, I will be with you." Thomas made up his mind.

"It can't be compensated."

PS
(End of this chapter)