Chapter 85 "Black Braised Egg" (10,000-word chapter)

On the night of May 25, 1997, in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, with 8 seconds left in the game, Brian Russell of the Jazz missed the winning three-pointer.

As a result, the rebound was collected by Barkley, and then Matt Maloney received the ball and launched a counterattack!

At the end of the game, veteran Eddie Johnson received the pass at the top of the arc. Without adjusting the time, he was still one step away from the three-point line and immediately shot a jump shot!

When the ball went in and the lights came on, everyone on the Rockets rushed to the court, yelled and hugged the veteran.

At 92:95, the Rockets, playing at home, escaped and tied the series at 2:2. The battle at Tianwang Mountain will return to Salt Lake City again.

The Rockets' senior Big Three performed at a mid-range performance. Olajuwon scored 9 of 18 and scored a game-high 27 points. Barkley made 5 of 11 and scored a double-double of 20 points and 16 rebounds with free throws.

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Drexler made 6 of 15 shots and also contributed 16 points.

The Rockets made 6 of 19 from behind the three-point line, with a shooting percentage of just over 30%. However, veteran Eddie Johnson's last-minute three-pointer was priceless. Protecting the home court is the most important thing!

Almost getting the match point, everyone in the Jazz team was a little disappointed.

Karl Malone shot 10 of 28 and only had 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 turnovers;

Stockton was as stable as ever, shooting 9 of 12, 22 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 steal, with no mistakes!

The Jazz only committed 8 turnovers in the game, while the Rockets also had only 12 turnovers.

The two sides have been evenly matched in several games. In the playoffs, controlling mistakes is an essential ability for championship teams.

Li You, who was watching the game at home, noticed that the Jazz had 83 possessions and the team made 8 turnovers. He couldn't help but think deeply.

Compared with the Eastern Conference Finals, the Jazz played at a faster pace, which can be regarded as a continuation of the regular season style of play.

The Bulls have been slowing down in the past few games, expecting the Knicks to make the first mistake. The result is that the two teams play slower and slower, fighting for positions and grabbing rebounds frantically, with no one taking advantage.

The rhythm of the game will naturally affect the performance of the players, but the Knicks have a lot of old guys and their legs and feet are not very good. They can still run for one quarter, but they will most likely have to rest first if they run the whole game.

"The big score of the series has reached 2:2. Next, the two sides will have a battle at Tianwang Mountain. The Jazz have a chance to get the match point at home."

The sound coming from the TV also reminded Li You that G5 had to return to Chicago:

“What a terrible situation”

On the evening of May 26, G4 of the Eastern Conference Finals started again at Madison Square Garden.

By the fourth game, the two sides already knew each other very well. Tactical adjustments could not solve many problems. Player status was the key.

G2 almost made Li You vomit from exhaustion, which also caused G3 to follow suit. After two games of slowdown, his physical fitness finally recovered.

After the opening, Li You showed a different state, just like Stockton last night, more actively promoting transition offense.

"Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks!"

The New York fans at the scene shouted excitedly. They really didn’t want to see Michael Jordan pretending to be sexy in Madison Square Garden.

After the start of the game, McDunner continued to hit the ball, and Harper followed suit. The game lasted 2 minutes, and the Bulls did not score a point. This time, Rodman received McDunner's breakthrough pass, but was interfered by Ewing again, and the basketball was knocked against the frame.

And out.

Oakley grabbed the rebound and immediately threw the ball to Li You who responded.

Harper quickly stepped forward to lead the defense, but Li You, who received the ball, rushed faster and faster along the right sideline.

Holding the ball in his right hand, he continued to accelerate and approached the midline. Li You quickly dribbled the ball behind his back. After switching to his left hand, he carried the defense and continued to rush towards the right flank.

After the start, the bull struck, and Li You accelerated. Harper had no choice in this regard. He was also a human being, and his physical condition began to decline.

Holding the ball with his left hand and reaching the right wing, Li You began to slow down slowly when he approached the three-point line.

Players from both sides were still trying to run toward the half court, and Harper had already slid in front of Li You, glancing back at the movements of the Knicks players from time to time.

Slowly approaching the three-point line, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, slightly lowered his center of gravity and dribbled quickly with his hips. While swinging his body to the right, he took advantage of Harper's sliding step, scooped up the ball with his right hand and dribbled with his hips again.

Before Harper could react, Li You, who completed two consecutive dribbles under his crotch, took a step sideways, opened up space for his shot, and quickly made a jump shot from outside the three-point line!

"Whoa!" Converted a three-pointer into the net!

"God! It was so fast. Lee used his personal ability to support the Knicks' counterattack!"

Commentator John Andaris saw that the players from the two teams had just settled down, and Li You had already clapped his hands and retreated, and immediately praised it loudly.

Phil Jackson on the sidelines didn't blame Harper, it was really impossible to prevent.

Not only do you have to worry about passing the ball, but you also have to pay attention to breakthroughs. If the result is shaking, just throw it, and it will be the same for anyone who defends it!

After the game started with a 7-0 score, the New York fans at Madison Square Garden screamed happily and felt extremely happy.

For two consecutive games, Larry Johnson, who was in a state of lethargy, was in a much better state tonight. He didn't care about turning back and running. After retreating from defense, he quickly directed the defense to position.

As for Ewing and Oakley, they also turned back and continued to stand under the basket. Only Alan Houston was leading the defense against Michael Jordan who was advancing with the ball.

Surrounded by three players for three consecutive games, Michael Jordan sometimes had difficulty connecting the ball. Except for the G3 explosion, the efficiency of Michael Jordan was improved.

Trying to advance with the ball, when he came to the right wing, Longley stepped forward to pick and roll. Ewing, who followed, naturally retreated to the defense.

At the three-point line, Michael Jordan, holding the ball in his left hand, quickly pushed the ball to change direction. After switching to his right hand, he immediately lowered his shoulders and pretended to break through.

Alan Houston hurriedly slid to the back left, and the next second he saw a dunk from beyond the three-point line and quickly shot a jumper.

"state!!"

A long rebound popped up and went to the left wing. Li You rushed to collect the rebound in front of Harper, caught the ball and rushed!

Still accelerating along the right sideline, Li You, who was traveling, felt the confrontation from Harper on his side. After quickly crossing the center line, he quickly dribbled the ball behind his back, suddenly stopped, and swayed a distance.

Without waiting for his teammates behind him to cross the half court, Li You, who switched to his left hand, lowered his center of gravity, swayed his body to the left, and quickly changed direction in front of him.

Harper hurriedly slid back to the left, but after Li You grabbed the ball with his right hand, he accelerated and sprinted, cutting in neatly from the right wing.

"Wow!"

New York cheered loudly again at the scene, and when they reached the right block, Li You suddenly stopped suddenly, blasted the ball vigorously on the spot, and then changed direction again.

Harper, who lost his defensive position, saw Li You grabbing the ball with his left hand and was about to complete the throw, and immediately chose to pull the ball and foul.

"squeak!"

The referee immediately blew the whistle and Li You got two free throw opportunities.

Breathing heavily, Harper felt that he couldn't bear it any longer. He stood near the paint area with his hands on his hips and raised his hands to indicate that it was his defensive problem.

He kept running back and forth after the start, and Michael Jordan also noticed that the rhythm of the game was not right.

"What a beautiful counterattack. Lee's excellent ability to combine the ball makes it difficult for Harper to keep up with his rhythm."

"It's a pity that others didn't follow up quickly enough, otherwise we could easily score points!"

Commentator Marv Albert also began to praise Li You's performance after the opening, and commentator John Andaris added:

"Coach Van Gundy's adjustments are very timely. The Bulls will also be tired. We should seize these opportunities to score easily in transition attacks."

Jeff Van Gundy, who was on the sidelines, except for a few symbolic shouts after the game started, was basically on hold.

The ball is in Li You's hands. When the point guard has the ability to speed up the game with his own offense, the head coach has nothing to do.

Calling a timeout when ahead? That’s what only a fool would do!

At the free throw line, Li You adjusted his breathing and made two free throws steadily.

At 0:9, Phil Jackson immediately requested a timeout, holding the tactical board, and his face became ugly. This was very different from the game plan made before the game.

Li You scored 7 points after the start. Such an excellent state also restored the vitality of the atmosphere team. Everyone stepped forward to fist bump with Li You who was walking to the bench.

Gorilla returned to the bench with mixed emotions. Except for scoring 2 points after the opening game, in these few minutes, most of the game was defensive and running back.

The team sped up and gained a considerable lead. This reminded him of the New York Post article.

It's just that he can't lose anymore at home, and Ewing can only passively accept such a game.

Naturally, Jeff Van Gundy would not make adjustments, but after the Bulls timed out, they played Longley's low-post tactics, and Pippen cut in without the ball to help the team score points.

"Shhh!!"

Seeing the opponent score a goal in a open game, Madison Square Garden burst into boos.

A goal in a sports game did not change the shooting feel of everyone on the Bulls. In the following minutes, jump shots continued to hit, and Li You continued to speed up the pace of the game.

Li You converted a three-pointer and hit the iron, and the New York fans at the scene also cheered. Everyone was still having fun when he missed a fast-break jump shot.

As long as the Bulls continue to be strong, the fans will be happy!

In the second half of the first quarter, Li You also began to slow down the offensive rhythm and repeatedly used tactics. Ewing also followed up and scored points, while on the other side, Maidun was still solid.

Phil Jackson on the sidelines was very helpless about this. The core players could not send the ball into the basket. There was almost no solution to the problem.

Every time the iron hits, Spike Lee raises his hands and cheers on the sidelines. Coupled with the sweet-smelling fans in the front row, the more intense the iron is, the more fierce the iron is. Spike Lee's anger BUFF has increased by two levels.

With 1 minute and 28 seconds left in the first quarter, the score was 16:24.

Harper missed a three-pointer, allowing Li You to seize the opportunity and quickly rush through the half.

Michael Jordan, who only relied on free throws to score 2 points, desperately pursued the defense. He immediately caught up with Li You and flanked him on the left. Li You was forced to slow down.

Looking at Michael Jordan in front of him with a long face, lowered his center of gravity, and staring at the ball, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, stopped outside the three-point line.
To be continued...