NBA restricted area bulldozer

Chapter 229 Victory in the First Battle

In the second quarter, neither side made substitutions.

Although Bulls center Carter White doesn't play a big role in the interior, Phil Jackson can't help it either.

The only available backup center, Stacey King, is not as good as the former in terms of height, experience, and tonnage confrontation.

As for other positions, it doesn't matter if you don't feel good, because the Bulls have already determined the layout of the assault inside under the big framework of the triangle offense system in the second quarter.

……

The Bulls attacked in the first round.

After Armstrong gave the ball to Jordan, in the bottom corner on the right side, he felt like he was throwing more shots, but he didn't feel like he was pushing in. Jordan was the center of gravity of the Jazz's blockade, so when he just received the ball and was about to launch an attack, Crotty Team up with the nearby Tyrone to double-team.

Put Jordan singles?

This is tantamount to giving a chance!

But because the game had just entered the second quarter, the rhythm was not too tight, and Jordan was also happy to distribute the ball to his teammates, so he threw it to Pippen on the left.

Although Tyrone turned around to match up at the first time, Pippen still rushed into the inside line and shouted: "Lee, I'm coming!"

Come on!

Bring a gift, give a cap and you'll be off!

Li Shengli didn't care about Cartwhite at all, and flew out, while Batman Pippen was pressed down in the air. Although he was not overturned, the ball was picked up by Cartwhite on the side and sent into the basket, but from Pippen's personal From a standpoint... very embarrassing, very embarrassing.

"Tell you not to come in, just shoot outside!"

"Shit, it's just a hat, don't be complacent, kid."

……

After losing face, Pippen looked very angry, and in the next few rounds, Jordan gave him the ball a few more times, letting him show what a head shot is.

The second time he hit the inside line, he made a tough wave of Li Shengli. Although he was not blocked, he hit a jumper with an emergency stop and did not touch the basket. Fortunately, it was not the more embarrassing three-no-stick.

As for the third time, with a lesson learned from the past, after pulling out Li Shengli, Pippen handed the ball to Carter White who was under the empty cut basket, but Li Shengli turned back and killed Carter White's layup directly on the backboard.

Can't get in?

Pippen's mentality is a little anxious, his shooting touch is not good, and when he is attacking the inside, Cartwhite can help him too much, and... this is the finals, if he continues to be self-willed and loses the first game, who will pay?

Jordan is also a little bit blind.

In the first few rounds of the playoffs, Pippen played very well, but this time his state was in a state of confusion, so Jordan took the initiative to ask for the ball to play offense, and cooperated with Grant in the pick-and-roll. .

However, the Bulls had big problems.

Even if Jordan can play, he is only one person, and he cannot guarantee 100% hits. However, the rebounds caused by his inability to score are basically overthrown by Li Shengli and Malone.

……

By the end of the second quarter, the Bulls had fallen behind by 10 points.

Still the same sentence, without the touch, no fairy tactics can put out the fire, and in order to restore the fallen inside, Stacey-King entered the battlefield in the second half of the second quarter, but the rebound is still Did not save back.

Therefore, most of the Bulls' offensive rounds have only one shot. On the Jazz's side, Li Shengli provided unlimited rebounds, Stockton organized, and Malone's offense, which feels hot, has a clear division of labor and amazing efficiency.

The tone was set for the first half.

In the third quarter, the Bulls were still overwhelmed and out of breath, while Phil Jackson on the sidelines looked cold, the more he looked at Li Shengli, the more he wanted to hit him.

The triangle offense is indeed useful, and Jordan's personal strength is beyond doubt, but Phil Jackson knows that his weakness lies in the interior.

Let's not talk about offense and defense inside, just talk about rebounds.

Throughout all the Bulls’ games this season, it is rare for the Bulls to lead their opponents by a large margin in terms of rebounds. Even though the Bulls led by Jordan can occasionally try to stabilize the situation even if the number of rebounds is poor, Phil Jackson knows… ...if the Bulls can take their rebounding numbers up a notch, the overall strength of the team will go up as well.

The Bulls really have no shortage of offense. With rebound protection, it provides a lot of opportunities for the stable Jordan to blow up the entire league. It's really not a joke who will blow up.

In view of this, Phil Jackson is already considering a proposal to the team management to strengthen the inside.

He did not think much about a player with super potential like Li Shengli. After all, everyone knew that the Jazz would not let him go. Not just him, Phil Jackson.

However, it is still too early to consider this kind of thing, he urgently needs to add a rebounder to the team next season!

Who will be the most suitable candidate?

Of course, Phil Jackson's first reaction was Dennis Rodman, who is currently playing for the Pistons and a rebounding idiot.

His rebounding ability does not need to be proved. Last season, he averaged 18.7 rebounds per game to become the rebounding leader. He is indeed a ghost in the rebounding world, and he was also a DPOY in the 90-91 season. Although he does not have much offensive ability, he is the most suitable Bull's candidate.

Of course, it is incomparable with Li Shengli, a cheap, easy-to-use, and durable rookie.

Li Shengli's current annual salary is 240 million and Rodman's 235 million, but everyone knows that Li Shengli is an inside player far superior to Rodman. Not only is there no way to rebound and protect the basket, but he also has the offensiveness that Rodman lacks.

But what can't be avoided is... When Li Shengli finishes his rookie contract, he will be far more than this price.

Phil Jackson has already made up his mind to equip Jordan with a qualified inside rebounder. Obviously, the future super center Li Shengli is unlikely.

What is the price tag for a super center?

This season, the Spurs' Admiral David Robinson signed a new contract with an annual salary of 572 million, while Olajuwon and Ewing are two super centers whose contracts have not yet been completed, one is 317 million and the other is 330 million.

As for Li Shengli, who wants to make no concessions, it depends on who has such a big appetite. Anyway, the bull can't eat it.

……

Before Phil Jackson could think about it, just seeing the smiling Jerry Sloan on the other side, he knew that this game was going to be difficult.

In the third quarter of the second half, the Jazz made some rotations. Li Shengli took a rare break and was replaced by Mike Brown for a while, but the Bulls still failed to recover the point difference and remained behind by 10 points.

10 points is not a lethal difference.

However, except for Jordan, the Bulls' cold touch was fatal. Coupled with the rebounding pressure, Malone blasted Grant's head again, and the fourth quarter hit the end... The point difference did not drop but increased, making this game At the end of 99:86, the Bulls fell behind by 13 points in the first game and lost.

Jordan made 30 shots and made 17 hits. In addition, he made 8 of 8 free throws and scored 42 points.

Pippen made 8 shots, 3 hits, 4 of 3 free throws, 9 points and 5 rebounds.

On the contrary, Grant scored 18 points and 6 rebounds on Malone's side.

As for the Jazz.

Li Shengli scored 14 points, 23 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 blocks. Compared with the previous triple-double data, Ma Long knew why... because Li Shengli gave him a big gift.

Li Shengli, who had completely crushed the Bulls inside, wanted to play statistics too easily, whether it was points or rebounds, but this shot was given up to Malone, and many rebounds that were bound to be obtained were also given up.

The fat and water don't flow into the fields of outsiders. If you want to have a good time, let Ma Long have a good time.

In fact... Ma Long turned the sky upside down, with a huge double-double of 45 points + 20 rebounds, not only surpassed Jordan in scoring, but also teamed up with Li Shengli to get 43 rebounds, which surpassed the rebounding data of the Bulls team.

On the contrary, Stockton was a little bored by the triangle offensive system, but he still had 10 assists, plus 14 points, reaching a double-double.

This is Li Shengli's first trip to the finals. Although Stockton and Malone are also, the meaning is quite different.

After all, the two brothers had wasted eight seasons, and it was the first time they stood on the stage of the finals... The two were extremely excited. Not only did they win the first match, but they also performed very well.

Comfortable!

The two of them felt an unprecedented sense of comfort, especially Ma Long... wishing he could grab Li Shengli and kiss him, but he was not gay, because he couldn't find any other way to express the ecstasy in his heart.

(End of this chapter)