Not for anything else, just don’t want to let my teammates down.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Zhang Hao came up and continued to stay in the low post, taking a shot first.
This rookie actually went straight to the small forward position...
Pippen felt humiliated as if he was being chased and beaten.
This rookie obviously doesn't know much, but Pippen just can't defend him well.
He had little effect on interfering with Zhang Hao's back-to-the-basket turnaround jump shot. He could only consume Zhang Hao when he was catching the ball, and Zhang Hao also wanted to consume Pippen in return.
However, even though the interference was still not great this time, Zhang Hao missed the shot. After resting for most of the quarter, he made a wrong shot when he just came back.
But Jason Williams grabbed the offensive rebound!
Unable to tip in the ball directly, Jason Williams grabbed the rebound and found Zhang Hao who was closest to the basket and passed the ball to him.
Zhang Hao reacted quickly and rushed to the inside to receive the ball. Pippen started a beat late and couldn't keep up!
Watching Zhang Hao receive the ball and jump towards Bill Wennington under the basket, Pippen felt that this guy was simply a shameless person!
With such great strength, his speed is almost the same as his!
Bill Wennington didn't even react, and everything went dark before his eyes...
Zhang Hao smashed the ball into the basket through Bill Wennington in the second attack!
31 to 33! The difference narrowed to two points!
A beautiful dunk right at the start!
Amid the cheers from the fans at the scene, Zhang Hao received a system prompt.
"Slam Dunk Master (Bronze) is triggered. The morale of the team of special contract player Zhang Hao will rise sharply in the next three rounds..."
Dunk whenever you have the chance and make use of all available conditions. If Bill Wennington had reacted to the dunk just now, Zhang Hao would have most likely been pulled down given the Bulls' defensive toughness, but he chose to force a dunk under uncertain circumstances.
Fortunately, the opponent didn't react in time and completed the dunk!
A dunk is definitely a very morale-boosting way of scoring a goal. As soon as the teammates feel excited, this emotion is greatly reinforced.
When the Bulls attacked, Pippen saw the Nets' active defense as opportunities because the one defending him was PJ Brown!
Pippen passed the ball to Kukoc who was at the top of the arc, gestured to cut into the inside, and when he got rid of PJ Brown and rushed to the free throw line, Kukoc's return pass was just in time.
He could choose a jump shot or a breakaway, but this time, he just couldn't keep calm. Including 4 of 6 shots in the first quarter and 2 of 2 free throws, Zhang Hao already scored 12 points! Zhang Hao just dunked over his teammate. Facing Zhang Hao under the basket, Pippen jumped up directly, he wanted to dunk over him!
"Snapped"
Zhang Hao pushed forward in time, but Pippen rushed forward and could only hold on, without any energy left to jump! Just as Pippen was about to dunk the ball into the basket, PJ Brown, who was chasing after Pippen, quickly jumped up and slapped the ball away!
Steve Kerr fouled Charles while trying to steal the ball, and the Nets got the ball!
The defensive coordination this time was surprisingly effective...
It is not a good idea to let PJ Brown defend Pippen at mid-range and long distances, but if Zhang Hao goes out to defend, the effect will not be much better, since he cannot defend well anyway. Zhang Hao chose to squat under the basket. At least he is better at withstanding impact than PJ Brown, and he can also give PJ Brown the opportunity to assist in mid-range and short-range defense.
Look, he blocked the ball unexpectedly even though he didn't expect Pippen to play like that.
Moreover, Charles actively completed a steal when Steve Kerr grabbed the ball, which also caused Steve Kerr to foul in the counter-steal and gained the ball.
The only pity was that Steve Kerr committed a foul during the counter-attack, and Charles was unable to cooperate with Zhang Hao to launch a counterattack.
The game fell into positional warfare again. This time, Zhang Hao did not continue to play with his back to the ball. It might be because he had rested for a while and his touch had cooled down. Now he had to slow down and look for open shooting opportunities to re-cultivate his touch.
Charles and Jason Williams set a pick-and-roll, and the ball was passed to P.J. Brown at close range at the baseline, but the latter missed his jump shot.
But the aggressive Jason Williams grabbed the offensive rebound and made a tip-in next to Bill Wennington!
In this game, Jason Williams was not so much aggressive as shameless. It was different from his usual style. He even pressed Bill Wennington. Who made the ball land right where Bill Wennington was standing? He was just betting on whether the referee would blow the whistle. Fortunately, the referee did not blow the whistle, and the goal was valid!
The score was tied at 33. At the beginning of the second quarter, the Nets quickly tied the score!
Pippen was a little anxious. At this time, he heard a whistle, a whistle that came at a very timely moment.
Pippen immediately calmed down. This was the Zen Master's whistle! This was the Zen Master's signal of dissatisfaction!
After Pippen calmed down, his offensive threat and the Bulls' team coordination strength were once again demonstrated. Soon the Bulls went on a 7-4 run and led the Nets by three points.
37 to 40, Nets attack.
In this ball, the Nets players were under a lot of pressure. The Bulls scored three times in the past four rounds. Steve Kerr made a three-pointer, Kukoc made two free throws, and Pippen had a close-range jump shot.
If this ball doesn't go in, the Nets team might be trailed by the opponent to 5 points, and then the opponent might widen the gap even further!
However, the Bulls did a great job of defending this round! Zhang Hao had no chance to score, and the switch defense he encountered on his mid-range shot was also very quick. In addition, the Bulls' defensive position moved, so Zhang Hao had to face either Kukoc or Pippen, and the opponent had enough height to interfere with him.
There was no other way, Zhang Hao made up his mind, waved his hand and ran towards the top arc!
Charles didn't find a chance to pass the ball to his teammates after the pick-and-roll with Jason Williams, and he himself couldn't get rid of Pippen's switching defense because he didn't have the ability to average 20 points per game like Kenny Anderson.
The scoring in the previous rounds was purely based on enthusiasm.
At this time, Zhang Hao was seen running for the ball, not stopping at mid-range, as if he was going to run out of the three-point line... But there was no other way, Charles chose to pass the ball.
Zhang Hao received the ball one step inside the three-point line, and Kukoc, who was defending him, stopped one step inside the three-point line. According to known information, Zhang Hao does not have the ability to shoot three-pointers, and he played for so long tonight, and when he had a good touch in the first quarter, Zhang Hao did not shoot a three-pointer, so Kukoc chose to take two steps to defend to prevent Zhang Hao from receiving the ball and turning around to break through.
With Zhang Hao's speed, rushing into the basket like this, Kukoc felt that it would be impossible for Bill Wennington to stop him.
But Zhang Hao didn't receive the ball and turn around to break through. That was not his job. After receiving the ball, Zhang Hao stepped out of the three-point line with his left foot, grasped the ball with his right hand and placed it on his right chest, and then stepped out with his right foot. At the same time, he turned his body, bent his knees while turning with his left foot, and pushed his right foot off the ground, and jumped up with both legs at the same time...
Catch the ball, turn around and shoot a shot put-style three-pointer!
Kukoc, who was behind Zhang Hao, never expected that Zhang Hao would turn around and shoot. It was not only a problem of impression, but also that Zhang Hao did not have any preparatory movements for shooting... or in other words, he did not have normal preparatory movements for shooting!
Seeing Zhang Hao pushing the ball out from the right side of his head like a shot put, Kukoc was too late to rush over!
This shooting posture, combined with the turn, was so fast! He almost pushed the ball out with the movement of jumping up!
The ball slid through the air in a high arc and fell into the basket!
40 square meters!
The goal was a good one, and the fans at the scene cheered loudly again.
However, fans who saw Zhang Hao’s shooting action clearly felt that... this action was too weird.
This is still a nice word to describe it.
Chris Owen on the sidelines felt that a perfect work was dirty...
Zhang Hao has always been good at two-point shots, but his longest distance two-point shots close to the three-point line have always been inaccurate. Chris Irving always felt that the arc was not enough, and wanted Zhang Hao to make adjustments in this regard. However, the arc of Zhang Hao's shooting action is not very high. Because Zhang Hao is tall, a high arc is unnecessary. On the contrary, it will affect mid-range and short-range shooting. So Chris Irving wanted to adjust in other aspects, but the effect was not good.
Now, Zhang Hao has a shooting posture that can increase the arc. Since it is a new posture with a new shooting distance, it will most likely not affect the mid-range shooting action... However, Chris Irving feels that the perfect work he pursued has been tainted by this new three-point shooting action.
But it really suits! The arc of the shot put is perfect for Zhang Hao!
However, not only Chris Irving and the fans at the scene, but even his teammates couldn't help but look at Zhang Hao when they retreated.
This three-point shooting posture is totally incompatible with the temperament of their talented rookie.
They didn't have time to think about it, as the Bulls were already pressing forward quickly.
spell!
Keep fighting!
Now is not the time to worry about whether the moves are good-looking or not. It doesn't matter to them whether the game is good-looking or not. They want to win! They have to work hard for every ball! Even if it is defense that they are not good at, they have to work hard.
It is difficult for the Bulls to get impatient. So far this season, they have been extremely confident and in good shape. They can win against anyone. When playing against an opponent like the Nets, they feel they can easily win in just a few moves and can do whatever they want.
but no!
This made the Bulls players a little impatient, and they wanted to quickly deal with the Nets.
Of course, they have such ability, and for the next period of time, they will still have an absolute advantage on the field.
However, the score gap cannot be widened!
Charles's pass, Zhang Hao's shooting, Jason Williams's steals, PJ Brown's assist defense... The Nets always give the Bulls some unexpected situations when the Bulls are about to secure their lead!
The score was 49-47. Pippen was eager to widen the gap and shot from beyond the three-point line against PJ Brown's defense...
Didn’t get in!
Zhang Hao confidently left the back to Jason Williams and rushed to the frontcourt.
Pippen was prepared for Zhang Hao's counterattack and retreated immediately, but when Zhang Hao rushed out of the three-point line and passed PJ Brown, Pippen, who was chasing back, glanced back and found that Zhang Hao was already behind him!
When Pippen reacted, he had already been surpassed by Zhang Hao! Moreover, Pippen found that he could not catch up!
Zhang Hao received the ball when he rushed into the frontcourt three-point line, dribbled one step to grab the ball, jumped one step inside the free throw line, raised the ball above his head in the air, and when he fell, slammed the ball into the basket with both hands!
Slender figure, top-notch jumping ability, and beautiful dunk!
49 square meters!
The Bulls were stopped!
The Zen Master called a timeout!
Feel good.
The Zen Master summed up the unexpected events in this game in one word - the Nets players had a good touch.
Everything is built on this foundation.
It's not an easy thing to do, facing the Bulls, with a good touch, it's difficult.
With such a foundation, the Nets have a chance of an upset.
But the Zen Master is not in a hurry. For him, this is a small matter. They have encountered teams with explosive performances this season. Except for the time when Anfernee Hardaway was too fierce, the explosions of other stars were suppressed by their absolute strength.
Although the Zen Master called a timeout, his calm expression calmed some of the impatient players of the Bulls.
Also, at this time, Jordan stood up and took off his training clothes.
The best basketball player in the world is on the court!
The Zen Master's calmness + Jordan's strength = absolute confidence of the Bulls players!
On the other side, the Nets had a chance to gain momentum, but the Zen Master called a timeout at the right time and replaced Jordan. There was no game, just a simple timeout, and the Nets' momentum was suppressed.
It was just a pressure, because when the Nets saw Jordan on the court, their high morale was largely offset by the huge pressure brought by Jordan.
Zhang Hao clearly felt this. He saw Jason Williams staring at his idol's arrogant face, saw Almon Gilliam gritting his teeth as he watched the other person muster up courage for him, and saw Kenny Anderson taking a deep breath...
But at least, their fighting spirit was not destroyed by the pressure. On the one hand, it was the preseason match, and on the other hand, it was the morale boost brought about by the previous chasing points, tying the score, and keeping the score close.
Zhang Hao knows very well that the Bulls are not easy to deal with, so he is not surprised by the current situation.
Keep going, there is no other choice.
It was only 6 minutes and 11 seconds into the second quarter, and both teams had scored 49 points. It was not that the Bulls played badly, but that the Nets played too well on the offensive end tonight.
Zhang Hao scored 19 points in just over 13 minutes, tying his personal highest half-time score.
Randy Whitman hesitated for a long time when arranging the rotation. Seeing that the official timeout was about to end, Randy Whitman finally made a decision.
"Kenny, Chris, Axl, Almon, Jason, you go ahead!"
…
After the official timeout, the Bulls re-deployed their starting lineup, with Ron Harper, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Longley taking the court.
On the Nets side, the backcourt sent out double point guards Kenny Anderson and Charles, and the frontcourt sent out Zhang Hao, Almon Gilliam and Jason Williams.
This lineup is almost equivalent to completely giving up on defense!
However, Randy Whitman made the right decision after struggling with the rotation for half a day! The Bulls no longer played as a team like in the first quarter, but instead started the triangle offense, with Jordan holding the ball in the low post and Pippen receiving the ball in the high post and catching the ball at the third point!
If the triangle offense is implemented, what people see is that it is played very simply, because what this tactic displays is simple in itself - it shows the strength of a superstar in the simplest and crudest way.
Without two superstars who work well together, the Zen Master might not be able to lead the team to achieve results, but there may be no one better than the Zen Master at bringing out the best in superstars.
The Nets were completely unable to defend, even if they sent PJ Brown out. There was nothing they could do. With Pippen serving in the top arc and Jordan playing one-on-one in the low post, the Bulls' offense in bomb mode was something the Nets could not defend.
Offense is more important. At this time, the rotation made by Randy Whitman had a very good effect. Although it could not be defended, they continued on the offensive end!
Kenny Anderson, Charles, and Zhang Hao, the three of them dare to throw the ball as long as they think it is an opportunity, and providing protection for them are the rushing of Jason Williams and Almon Gilliam!
The two of them fought hard to grab the ball, providing strong support to their three teammates on the outside.
As the first half was about to end, the Bulls still failed to establish a clear lead. Even Jordan felt annoyed. After receiving the ball, he faced Zhang Hao who was directly double-teaming him. Jordan did not make any fake moves. It was as if the number on the back of his jersey was +1. He created difficulty even if it was not difficult, and turned around to make a strong shot!
Jordan didn't keep calm during this shot, and Zhang Hao's height and wingspan advantage, which was difficult to play against Jordan, was revealed! Jordan's shot missed!
When Jason Williams went to grab the rebound, Rodman put his face close to him again. This time Jason Williams did not dodge. Instead, he turned his face sideways and moved it closer. This time it was Rodman's turn to be startled, and he quickly turned his head away.
Just with this small difference, Jason Williams, who had already occupied the landing point of the rebound by grabbing the defensive rebound, successfully defended the rebound!
Rodman plays basketball shamelessly, and Jason Williams is learning to be just as shameless, and is even more shameless than Rodman!
Jason Williams stuck his butt out towards Rodman to protect the ball, gave up the fast break opportunity and did not give Rodman a chance to steal the ball.
The other players of the Bulls quickly retreated. Currently, they are still leading the Nets by two points, 60 to 58. The reason for not pressing the defense is that there are only 20 seconds left in the first half, so they just need to return to the positional battle and defend well.
Things like blacksmithing can make some people more impulsive and less calm, but for some people, it's time to calm down after doing it.
Kenny Anderson received the ball and quickly advanced to the frontcourt, and the Nets players also pressed forward quickly this time.
Instead of choosing to do it himself, Kenny Anderson signaled Zhang Hao to catch the ball.
The last attack of the half should of course be given to the safest person.
Although Zhang Hao has not scored a point in the second half of the second quarter, his role is very prominent and he has great restraining power!
When it comes to one-on-one play tonight, no one on the Nets is more reliable than Zhang Hao, who made 7 of 11 shots, including 1 of 1 three-pointers, and 4 of 5 free throws for 19 points.
However, when Zhang Hao came to the mid-range on the left baseline, it was not Pippen who came to defend him, but Jordan!
Jordan directly asked Pippen to move aside, and he wanted to defend Zhang Hao himself.
Unlike Pippen, Jordan waited until Zhang Hao received the ball before confronting him!
Can't hit it!
Pippen has excellent strength among outside players, but compared with Jordan... Jordan is a player who can play hard in the low post like a center.
Zhang Hao hit him again, but not only did he fail to move him, Jordan, who was experienced and had the advantage in strength, secretly pushed forward when Zhang Hao was exerting force. The referee did not see any movement of Jordan exerting force, and it looked like Zhang Hao hit Jordan and bounced back! This time, Zhang Hao did not get closer to the basket, but was half a step away!
Can't hit! His turning skills are not good enough, and his turnaround jump shot will definitely be interfered if he can't hit. Pass the ball? Zhang Hao glanced at the countdown on the basket on his own half of the court. There were only 6 seconds left. Zhang Hao did not deny this idea and made a quick decision to continue the back-to-back play!
So, everyone watched Zhang Hao crash several times in a row, but instead of making any progress, he kept crashing and was about to reach the bottom corner!
With two seconds left, Zhang Hao bent his knees and Jordan was ready. He thought Zhang Hao was going to force a shot, so he was ready to give Zhang Hao a chance to confront him and then press forward to interfere.
However, Zhang Hao bent his knees and did not rush forward. Instead, he grabbed the ball, stepped outside the three-point line in the corner, and turned over!
After Zhang Hao stepped out, turned over and jumped up, his body had already floated out of the sideline!
While turning around, Zhang Hao grabbed the ball with his right hand and pushed it from his right chest to his right shoulder. He protected the ball with his left hand and pushed the ball out when he jumped to the highest point...
Jordan was dumbfounded by this turnaround jump shot with his back to the ground. He pressed forward as soon as he was deceived, but he was still a beat too late. Zhang Hao's turnaround jump shot was too fast!
Jordan immediately turned his head to look towards the basket, and Zhang Hao, who landed outside the court, also stared at the ball.
This ball was shot very poorly...
While the ball was in the air, the whistle for the end of the first half sounded.
Under everyone's gaze, the ball went into the basket!
In!
Zhang Hao made a turnaround jump shot and three-pointer against Jordan!
61 to 60, the Nets ended the first half with a 1-point lead!
With 22 points in the first half, Zhang Hao broke his personal half-time scoring record!
Watching the Nets players rushing towards Zhang Hao and celebrating together, listening to the fans cheering for their visiting team from the beginning to cheering for their own players, looking at Zhang Hao's expressionless face...
Jordan has played for so many years and has played in too many games. He has encountered too many players who have exploded, including some very young players who are not top-notch. And he has lost many times in such games.
But it’s very different when the player who breaks out is a proven talent.
What does it mean for talent to shine into reality?
Jordan saw it!
However...Jordan has played against Michael Adams many times, and against Michael Adams in his prime, so he is very familiar with this shooting action.
Think of Barkley's post-up play, Michael Adams' shooting action and Jordan's post-up play combined together...
"It's dirty! My back fight is really tainted!"
…
Jordan is also a human being, and he also gets anxious sometimes, just like the Bulls' last attack in the first half.
The Nets were able to end the first half with a one-point lead, not only because of their good touch, not only because they seized the scoring opportunities, and not only because they made Rodman fail in the rebounding.
Also, they took advantage of every Bulls mistake!
However, Jordan was experienced and the Bulls were a strong team that could make adjustments quickly.
As for tonight's game, Jordan knew that it would be unlikely to quickly resolve his opponent.
Looking back more than a month ago and looking at it now, the Nets are indeed not a strong team, but they are no longer a salted fish that can be bullied at will.
In a certain round, Jordan and his teammates were still impatient and dissatisfied with the current situation, but after the start of the third quarter, the Bulls played more steadily.
Keep looking for opportunities to try and establish a leading advantage. If you fail, don't get anxious and just play slowly.
The Nets have no other choice but to fight! As long as the main players are on the court, they will fight!
At the beginning of the third quarter, Kenny Anderson, Edwards, Almon Gilliam, Zhang Hao and PJ Brown went to fight hard. They had already found the feeling of how to cooperate and how to find opportunities in this game in the first half.
Relying on their fighting spirit and their touch, they managed to make the score 88 to 86 at the end of the third quarter and entered the fourth quarter with a two-point lead!
In this quarter, the scoring efficiency of both teams declined, even the Bulls.
Zhang Hao made 3 of 7 shots in the third quarter, plus 3 of 3 free throws, scoring 9 points. After three quarters, his personal score increased to 31 points!
Zhang Hao did not take any three-pointers in this quarter, but the opponent was prepared for this, which was one of the reasons why the Nets were able to score 27 to 26 in the third quarter.
It was another intermission, and Jordan stared at Zhang Hao with gritted teeth. Tonight, he only scored 30 points, but Zhang Hao actually scored 31 points!
He and Zhang Hao played against each other for a very short time. Perhaps he was the most suitable person for the Bulls to defend Zhang Hao, but he couldn't defend the opponent's first scoring point for a long time. What would Pippen and Rodman do then?
When I think about what I said to Pippen and Rodman during the official timeout in the first quarter, "We might have won in the first quarter", it really feels like a slap in the face!
Jordan has only encountered this feeling of uncertainty in winning or losing once in the more than ten games since the start of the regular season. He did not expect to encounter this situation again, and the opponent would be the Nets.
At least at this moment, Jordan really regarded the Nets as his opponent!
However, even with the Nets in such a hot streak, the Bulls were still able to hold on to the score... Jordan knew that they still had a great chance of winning the game!
…
The intermission ended quickly, and the Nets' combination of Kenny Anderson, Edwards, Zhang Hao, Armon Gilliam, and Jason Williams came on the court.
Just as Jordan thought, although Zhang Hao was leading, he deeply felt how powerful the Bulls were!
If it were any other team, the Nets would have played so well and exploded so fiercely tonight, and they might have been ahead by many points, but the Bulls were only two points behind! Moreover, their shooting percentage was gradually declining! The Bulls really relied on defense to gradually suppress their hot hand!
They couldn't snowball even if they exploded so fiercely against the Bulls!
However, it had come to this moment, the last quarter, and when Zhang Hao stepped onto the court he felt his physical strength declining, but he was not discouraged and continued to fight!
The Bulls sent out a lineup of Steve Kerr, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Kukoc.
The Zen Master on the sidelines was as steady as a rock, but the Bulls were not in such a good situation tonight. Ron Harper and Longley played 25 minutes in the first three quarters, which exceeded their average playing time this season.
With the Nets shooting so hot tonight and all their players playing for their lives, it is true that the Nets consumed a lot of physical energy, but the Bulls also consumed a lot of physical energy.
The fourth quarter began with the Nets attacking first.
After Kenny Anderson advanced to the frontcourt, he first passed the ball to Zhang Hao who was close to Rodman in the middle distance at the left baseline.
At this moment, Zhang Hao felt as if he was back in the opening game - his teammates were pointing at him again!
At this time, he couldn't show what he was thinking in his heart, "My physical strength is declining and I need to take it easy first." He had to fight! He had to fight whether he could win or not!
In the previous 12 games, Zhang Hao rarely encountered top-level defensive inside players. Mourning was one of them, but most of the time it was not Mourning who was defending when Zhang Hao was attacking. When Zhang Hao met Malone, he was beaten badly. As for the other 10 opponents, the defense Zhang Hao encountered became increasingly tight. He encountered more double-teaming when receiving the ball and tighter switching when running. The opponents' single-player defensive ability was not that strong.
Rodman had only faced Malone, a direct opponent of Rodman's defensive level.
This is the first time I have encountered a player like Rodman in the regular season.
Fortunately, Rodman did not press forward with all his strength. He was very afraid of Zhang Hao's speed and flexibility, and swearing was useless. Pippen didn't know how many times he had cursed.
This gave Zhang Hao some opportunities, but they were not good.
Not caring whether it was good or not, Zhang Hao protected the ball with his left hand, leaned sideways against Rodman and dribbled the ball, completely ignoring the passage of offensive time.
As for the post-up play, shouldn't it start from receiving the ball until the 24-second shot clock ends?
Zhang Hao adjusted for a while, and at 11 minutes and 42 seconds in the fourth quarter, he took a step away from the basket, turned over, and took a long two-point shot!
This ball is so wild!
What a random fight!
It's just gambling on the feel, because you're not in the shooting rhythm.
Fortunately, the "King of Turnaround Jump Shot" was triggered!
The king of turnaround jump shots corrected the impact of Zhang Hao's out-of-rhythm turnaround jump shots on his shooting rhythm, and he continued his touch in the first three quarters and made a long two-point shot!
90 to 86, the Nets lead by 4 points!
This 4-point lead played a huge role in the next few rounds. The Zen Master chose to sacrifice the defense of the inside and point guard lines. Ron Harper, who was about to turn 32, and Longley, who was at his peak, were not the type with good physical strength, so he chose to strengthen the offense.
In the next few rounds, the Bulls attacked frantically, hitting a wave of 13 to 5, not only overtaking the score, but also taking a 4-point lead! Leading 99 to 95!
Of these 13 points, 11 were scored by Jordan, who scored in five consecutive rounds!
Zhang Hao scored 33 points, and Jordan scored 11 points in a row at the beginning of the fourth quarter to increase his personal score to 41 points!
Two mid-range shots, a pull-up layup, a low-post back-to-the-basket hook, and a three-pointer from the left side of the top arc!
So far this season, Jordan has averaged 1.2 three-pointers per game with a hit rate of 43%. All of them are three-pointers from the top arc area. He has not made any from other areas.
Perhaps, if the score difference was one point larger, the Nets' mentality would have collapsed under the Bulls' offensive climax.
But, isn’t this the case where the gap has not yet reached 5 points?
Two balls were enough to catch up. Kenny Anderson chose to do it himself this time. He broke into the inside and scored the ball, causing Kukoc to foul and also made the free throw!
When the Bulls attacked, Zhang Hao went straight up to double-team them. Regardless of everything, Jordan passed the ball in time. Kukoc received the ball at the free throw line but did not shoot. Instead, he passed the ball to Pippen who cut in from the high position, who made a layup and scored two points.
It was the Nets' turn to attack. This time Kenny Anderson was guarded very tightly. Zhang Hao was squeezed by Rodman to get to the basket. There was no better way. Pull-up shots were not suitable for Kenny Anderson, so he passed the ball to Zhang Hao!
After receiving the ball within the free throw line, Zhang Hao squeezed past Rodman and came one step inside the right side of the three-second zone, where he forced a jump while being stuck to by Rodman.
Zhang Hao's jump height was obviously not high enough this time, but he did not panic and make other choices. Instead, he imitated Jordan's previous move, holding the ball against his chest for a while, and pushed the ball towards the backboard...
The low-handed high throw hits the target!
The referee blew the whistle again, Rodman blocked the foul! Zhang Hao's goal was valid and he had to take a penalty!
Learn while competing!
Jordan recognized it, it was his pull-up layup! When he discovered this, another thought came to his mind - how is this rookie going to tarnish my skills?
But put it aside immediately, now is not the time to think about these messy things.
The more he fights, the easier it becomes, and the more direct it becomes. It's not that Zhang Hao is very confident, but that he is almost exhausted!
Fortunately, the free throw was made, Zhang Hao's personal score increased to 36 points, and the score was tied at 101!
The score continues to be tense!
Finally, the Bulls, who had been successful in attack for six consecutive rounds, were exhausted. Jason Williams guarded the defensive rebound. The Bulls were on guard against Zhang Hao's fierce counterattack. Although it was obvious that Zhang Hao's physical strength had seriously declined, they still retreated quickly.
When he reached the frontcourt, the battle began. Zhang Hao caught the ball while running, turned around and made a jump shot... and missed!
But he was not fighting alone! Almon Gilliam squeezed Longley to grab the offensive rebound when Jason Williams blocked Rodman! Restarted, causing Longley to foul, Longley 5 fouls!
The Bulls did not call a timeout. The Zen Master clearly understood that they could no longer suppress the opponent, so there was not much point in calling a timeout. It all depended on the performance of the players on the court!
Almon Gilliam made one of two free throws, and the Nets led the Bulls by one point 102-101.
The score remained tense, and the Bulls handled the situation very patiently and calmly. They did have a huge advantage in strength, but Rodman was exhausted in the fight with Jason Williams, and he also had to defend Zhang Hao, so his defensive rebounding was not that good.
And there is no way to solve this problem. Pippen defends Zhang Hao, and after Zhang Hao's physical strength declines, he can still sit and rely on static strength to attack. Moreover, when his teammates on the outside have a good touch, Zhang Hao's back-to-the-basket assists are very effective.
The most important point is the Nets' unyielding fighting spirit! In other words, the Nets don't care about the gap in strength at all, they just want to fight.
The Bulls players believe that if it were any other opponent, and they were unable to gain a clear lead even though they were playing so well and almost at their limit, they would have definitely become impatient. Even the Bulls themselves would have gone crazy if their opponent had caught up with them even though they were in top form and playing to their limit.
But the Nets, just like Jason Williams' performance tonight, didn't care about face at all and just fought hard.
Whenever the Bulls are on the rise, there's always someone on the Nets who can step up.
At 6 minutes and 39 seconds in the fourth quarter, Zhang Hao scored two points with a layup in a counterattack, and then Kenny Anderson hit a three-pointer, making a 5-0 run and overtaking the score from 4 points behind by 1 point.
At 8 minutes and 58 seconds, Almon Gilliam grabbed offensive rebounds in two rounds, one of which he tipped in and the other passed to Edwards, who passed the ball to Zhang Hao who cut in for a layup. The Nets overtook the opponent by one point from a three-point deficit.
Time and time again, the Nets never gave up!
Finally, the game reached the final moment!
At 11 minutes and 41 seconds in the fourth quarter, Jordan unexpectedly received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right side, one step to the left, and shot ...and it went in!
124 to 123, the Bulls were two points behind but overtook by one point thanks to Jordan's three-pointer!
There was no joy, no celebration! Under Jordan's curse, his teammates quickly retreated.
The Nets didn't call a timeout. Randy Whitman didn't know how long the players on the court could hold on. A timeout might even dissipate the energy they had been holding back.
They were completely unable to play. Even Kenny Anderson and Jason Williams, two Nets players with top physical strength, could hardly play anymore and were only supported by their thoughts.
To achieve such a good performance, not only was his good touch but he also fought hard and was already exhausted.
As Kenny Anderson pushed forward, he heard the fans at the scene shouting "X" wildly, and the person he was counting on was also called "X".
As for Zhang Hao, he has also reached his limit!
He even saw double, but the cheers from the fans at the scene cheered him up!
Isn't this the scene he dreamed of?
I started playing with a basketball when I was two or three years old, and I trained under my father’s guidance for more than ten years. What I was looking forward to and longing for was to step onto the NBA stage one day, compete with the strongest teams and the strongest players, and win the game with my teammates...
More than ten years of passion allowed Zhang Hao to squeeze out a bit of strength even when his physical strength was exhausted to the limit, and he got to the high position on the left side of the free throw line and leaned against his opponent to ask for the ball!
Theoretically, the last time he defended Zhang Hao, it was Jordan!
With 51 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, Jordan played to his full potential tonight! Similarly, he played for 42 minutes in such a fierce opponent, and he was at the end of his strength.
Looking at Zhang Hao, who also played for 42 minutes and scored 40 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks, Jordan felt that he had a great time tonight.
It has been a long time since I felt this way. Being in excellent form and competing with an ordinary strong team to this extent, it seems like going back to 10 years ago when he was 23 or 24 years old.
Although he liked this kind of game very much, Jordan still wanted to win, so he tried his best to squeeze towards Zhang Hao.
However, although Jordan is strong, a large part of his strength comes from explosive power. At this time, at his age, having played for such a long time and under high pressure for a long time, he was unable to interfere with Zhang Hao's catching the ball!
There was no next round. Zhang Hao, who received the ball from Jordan, was not in a hurry. He paid attention to the timer on the other half of the court and the movements of his teammates and opponents on the court.
No one came up to double-team Jordan, and his teammates were very confident in his defense. Even though Jordan will be 33 years old in a few months, he is still the best defensive player on the team. There is a high probability that he will be selected as a first-team defensive player and the best defensive shooting guard in the league.
Zhang Hao carefully protected the ball, relying on Jordan's dribbling to get a feel for it. This attack would determine the outcome of the game, so he was not in a hurry to shoot.
But given his current physical condition, he really couldn't control the feeling of his body.
Seeing that there were only 4 seconds left in the attack time, Zhang Hao smiled, gritted his teeth, and started to play with his back to the ball!
After a push, although Jordan couldn't push him, he couldn't push him either. There was no other way. Zhang Hao took a step forward with his left foot, turned around as he stepped out with his right foot, and bounced to the far end with all his strength... and made a turnaround jump shot!
Jordan also pressed forward hard to interfere with Zhang Hao.
Jordan is Jordan after all, and he also broke out at this time. Zhang Hao turned around and made a jump shot, but Jordan was still defending in place, jumping up and covering Zhang Hao's shooting point with his hands!
Zhang Hao was forced to lean back in the air, trying his best to keep his balance, aiming at the basket, and throwing the ball out with all his might...
After the shot, Zhang Hao and Jordan confronted each other and both fell to the ground.
The referee didn't blow the whistle. In the last few rounds, unless it was a serious foul, the whistle would not be blown, let alone the last shot that decided the outcome.
The moment the ball left Zhang Hao's hand, the scene was extremely quiet, so quiet that the countdown for the entire game was so harsh, and so quiet that the sound of the ball falling into the basket and rubbing against the basket could be heard clearly!
As the ball hit the net and fell into the basket, the fans at the scene cheered deafeningly as if an explosion!
Jordan, lying on the floor, punched the floor hard, but still lost...
As for Zhang Hao, after making the shot, he had no regrets about tonight's game which was fought to the limit. No matter whether the ball went in or not, there was no regret. They had tried their best, and it was a miracle that they could play to this point.
When he heard the cheers of the fans and saw his teammates surrounding him and being pulled up, he was actually very calm... and didn't even have the energy to celebrate.
After standing up, Zhang Hao felt the cheers of the fans were a little blurry. He was really too tired.
I took a look at the score, 125 to 124, the Nets won!
At this time, Zhang Hao wanted to find Jordan, but he saw that the Bulls players were so unwilling to lose that they had already walked into the player tunnel.
There were also players on the Bulls with good personalities, but with Jordan taking the lead in leaving, it was impossible for them to stay.
In that case, enjoy the cheering!
However, Zhang Hao's expression did not change at all after he made the buzzer-beater. His teammates did not want to see this young, handsome and cold face at that moment, which affected their mood for celebration.
But Zhang Hao has indeed become accustomed to such expressions. He was also very excited when facing Jordan's back-to-the-basket jump shot!
The teammates gathered together to celebrate, and Zhang Hao was "isolated". This was a good opportunity for him to show off, so he walked directly to the player tunnel.
At this time, he saw Chris Irving hurriedly running out of the player tunnel and ran towards Butch Baird who was celebrating with his teammates.
Before Zhang Hao had time to wonder, a group of people who were not dressed as reporters but were obviously reporters ignored the rules of the NBA and the Press Association and rushed to the player entrance and blocked him.
As for why he could tell they were reporters, it was because they all had recorders and notebooks...
It’s not a live broadcast, so there are usually no on-site interviews after the game. There is a press conference after the game, and these people are obviously doing impromptu interviews.
I was a little proud of myself, I defeated Jordan in a one-on-one match! The media was excited by the victory over Jordan!
Zhang Hao felt excited when he thought about the Nets' performance tonight.
Zhang Hao felt his confused head finally clear up at this moment. The moment when he was most clear-headed was when he was pretending to be cool!
After sobering up a little, Zhang Hao recalled what they did tonight - they gave Jordan, who scored 50+ points in a single game, a defeat!
It's crazy!
He himself felt it was too crazy!
"How should I pretend? Oh... let's just do this."
Thoughts flashed by in a flash. The reporters were in chaos. The person who held out the recorder at the front started asking questions. The others didn't talk at the same time. Anyway, they all asked the same questions and held out their recorders.
The first reporter asked, "Axel, you were traded after playing such a crazy game, don't you think it's crazy?"
Because Zhang Hao had no expression on his face after the buzzer beater, people who didn't know what happened would think he was cool, and people who hated him and didn't know what happened would think he was a show-off. But in the eyes of this group of reporters who had questions to ask, Zhang Hao's cold attitude meant they already knew what happened.
Zhang Hao , who was about to show off , was completely immersed in the joy of showing off. He didn't react at first. Just as he was about to show off, he suddenly understood.
"Eh? What did you say?!"
The Chinese language is all spoken!
Zhang Hao tilted his neck and looked at the group of reporters. The computer crashed...