Chapter 478 Stockton's Pass
Even Scottie Pippen, a bystander, sensed this, and Michael Jordan certainly noticed it too. He was surprised. Stockton was still the same Stockton, how could his temperament change so drastically? Although Stockton was shrewd and competitive before, he had never possessed such a strong desire, a desire to dominate.
Why did this guy suddenly change his gender?
Michael Jordan muttered and quickly ran back to half court. To him, whether Stockton had improved tonight or not, it couldn't stop him from winning. He didn't want to play a Game 7. It would be best if he could resolve this Finals battle in Salt Lake City.
Yang Mo came to the frontcourt with the ball, and Ron Harbaugh was still defending him. Obviously, Yang Mo's words did not completely change Michael Jordan's thinking. He continued to operate in his established tactical position.
Since Michael Jordan didn't come for a one-on-one challenge, then... Yang Mo forced him into a one-on-one challenge.
Yang Mo took the ball one step outside the three-point line and quickly gestured to disperse. Seeing this, the Jazz players quickly spread out their half-court defense. Since Stockton wanted to play one-on-one, there was no reason for them to be dissatisfied. After all, he hadn't missed a shot since the start of the game. Furthermore, John was never an opportunist; he was only acting with a clear-eyed confidence of victory.
Yang Mo bent down, hitting the basketball vigorously and rapidly. The ball swiftly changed direction back and forth in front of him, and Ron Harbaugh watched intently. Suddenly, Yang Mo dropped his shoulders and accelerated, and the ball quickly hit from left to right. At the same time, Yang Mo had already taken off violently, and his ankles suddenly erupted with powerful force, quickly rolling past Ron Harbaugh's right side.
Ron Harbaugh tried to block it, but he couldn't withstand Yang Mo's impact and was instantly knocked back half a step, watching Yang Mo enter. This made him feel extremely incredible. Stockton had always been known for his mediocre physical fitness. When did his starting power become so terrifying? His speed was also so sharp that it was unbelievable. Did he really take banned drugs?
Although Ron Hubble was horrified, he still pursued Yang Mo relentlessly. As Yang Mo deliberately suppressed his speed, he kept a distance of about one step from him and allowed him to move forward closely.
The two of them advanced three steps almost chest to back. Yang Mo suddenly accelerated, and the loophole in the space instantly caused Ron Harbaugh, whose body was partially supported by Yang Mo, to lean forward. He staggered forward two or three steps, and at the same time, Yang Mo suddenly stopped and pulled back, retreating to the back with great control. At this time, Ron Harbaugh could not look back at all unless he wanted to fall to the ground.
In such a situation, Yang Mo could of course shoot with ease...Swish!
Yang Mo felt his touch incredibly soft. He was initially surprised, then realized he now possessed both Stockton's strengths. The combined strengths of both were truly terrifying. Yang Mo's driving and three-point shooting were exceptional, and his physical prowess was exceptional. Now, with Stockton's passing and mid-range shooting, how could this combination not be appalling?
Stockton alone is no match for Michael Jordan. Yang Mo alone can't even keep up with Jordan. But when these two are combined, even Michael Jordan would tremble.
" Michael, you really should have guarded me yourself." After scoring the goal, Yang Mo smiled and shrugged at Jordan. "Your point guard is too weak. He's my ATM. I can score as many points as I want on him."
"Come on, Stockton, no matter how sharp your mouth is, it can't help you win." Michael Jordan responded bluntly and called a timeout directly.
Stockton tonight exceeded their expectations, and they had to make some changes. Otherwise, they would definitely be dragged to death by this guy.
Jordan called a timeout and quickly returned to the bench to discuss countermeasures with Phil Jackson. Yang Mo also returned to the bench, surrounded by his teammates. As soon as he arrived, his teammates quickly gathered around and patted him on the head, praising his performance tonight. They also unanimously agreed that he was being too ungrateful for hiding it for so long.
Yang Mo could only smile faintly at this. Then, subconsciously, he took the tactical board from the assistant coach and, while drawing, said, "Guys, I think Phil Jackson will definitely use Scottie Pippen to defend me next. Scottie is the Bulls' best perimeter defender. They can't use Michael Jordan, their star player, to go one-on-one with me. So, we're going to run the classic V-pick and roll. Karl, you have to help me facilitate. Jeff, you have to move along the left three-point line. And Russell, you need to keep running back, I mean, running back from the baseline. Ostertag will provide the thickest human screen for you. Trust me, I'll pass the ball accurately to every open player."
Yang Mo's tactics were clearly laid out, and he assigned substantial tasks to everyone. But… everyone whose names he called out was dumbfounded . What was wrong with this guy? How dare he use Jerry's tactical board to plan his plays? Didn't he know Jerry hated it when players made their own plans?
All the players thought that Yang Mo was overstepping his authority. Even though they admired this tactic very much, they still believed that Jerry Sloan would definitely launch a violent attack.
However, Jerry Sloan obviously did not do so. He touched his chin and nodded, saying with great approval: "Not bad, although this tactic is a little different from mine, it is indeed wonderful. Very good, very good!"
Jerry Sloan agreed. This was a common tactic used by the Jazz a decade later, with just a few minor changes to the players. Korver became Hornacek, Ronnie Brewer became Russell, Okur became Ostertag, and Carlos Boozer became Karl Malone.
Seeing Jerry Sloan's approval, the players were even more surprised. What was wrong with Jerry? He actually approved of John's behavior as the acting head coach?
Despite their surprise, they still worked very hard to memorize the tactical positions, as it was crucial to the rhythm of the game. The most important factor in the Jazz's run to the Finals was their incredible tactical execution, a stark contrast to the Jazz team of a decade later. Back then, the Jazz often exhibited unbridled player freedom. After all, it was an era that valued individuality and personal heroism, which is why Sloan considered retiring.
Soon, beep! The whistle blew and the game continued.
When both teams took to the court, the Bulls continued their methodical offense. However, Michael Jordan was no longer the primary executor. After a pass, the ball was handed to Kukoc, who deftly drilled a mid-range shot over Ostertag's defense.
Marc Gasol's playing style ten years later is indeed a bit like his, but he is tougher than Gasol. This is why Phil Jackson gave him more key balls instead of Scottie Pippen in the two years after Jordan retired.
After Kukoc's shot, Karl Malone quickly passed the ball to Yang Mo. As expected, as soon as Yang Mo received it... Scott Criticism quickly followed, covering the entire court from the start. It must be said that Scott Criticism's physique truly made him a natural defensive monster. His arms were like spiders, even more terrifying than Garnett's. Under his control, Yang Mo couldn't escape his defensive range in one go, even if he drastically changed his stance.
At this moment, Yang Mo finally understood why Scott Pippen and Michael Jordan were the strongest duo in history. Both of them were all-around players who could attack, defend, break through and pass, but Pippen focused more on defense, while Michael Jordan was simply an ace offensive master with his own aura. The two of them matched perfectly together, and it was absolutely the effect of one plus one being greater than three. Add to that the highly mobile Dennis Rodman, and it would be hard for these three not to monopolize the 1990s.
Pippen's defense is very aggressive. If it weren't for his relatively thin body, Yang Mo would have mistaken him for LeBron James. The two have so many similarities!
After two or three unsuccessful attempts to break through and change direction, Yang Mo could only choose the most brutal way, which was a high-intensity physical collision... Yang Mo suddenly stopped abruptly, and then suddenly started up again, his body colliding back and forth with Scott Pippen.
Under the impact of his savage force, Pippen retreated repeatedly. He was originally on defense and was in a disadvantageous position. Now he was hit by Yang Mo's sprint, so of course he couldn't hold on any longer.
So, he gave up the full-court press and quickly retreated, stationed one step outside the three-point line, waiting for Yang Mo to arrive.
Yang Mo stepped outside the three-point line and called for a pick-and-roll. Karl Malone's mountainous form quickly pressed in. The moment he did, Yang Mo launched into action, while the other three players also swung into action. And just as Dennis Rodman quickly pressed in, Yang Mo slammed the ball into the ground. The basketball whizzed past Rodman's legs and hurtled toward the paint at a strange angle. Just as everyone was baffled by the pass, a figure suddenly sprinted out from the corner. Russell caught the ball before it could clear the line, then used Ostertag's bear-like body to easily score a layup. The entire move was swift, effective, and incredibly concise.
yes!
After scoring, Yang Mo couldn't help but wave his arms vigorously. He loved the feeling of being able to hit the ball wherever he pointed. In the past, although his passing awareness was excellent, his technique was terrible. Not to mention this kind of precise ground pass, even passing across half the field would make him feel overwhelmed and make many mistakes.
He is indeed worthy of being Stockton, and he is indeed worthy of being the assist king of history!
Yang Mo looked at his right hand, praising it from the bottom of his heart. He also looked forward to his future with Stockton's passing ability. Wouldn't he be able to defeat anyone who stood in his way? Haha! LeBron James, go to hell!
Yang Mo's heart was filled with joy, and he almost sang a song with excitement.
But at this moment, a neutral voice rang out from the side: "It's just a pass, there's no need to let that ugly smile drag down the corners of your mouth."
Yang Mo looked in the direction of the voice and saw Michael Jordan mocking him with contempt.
Upon hearing this, Yang Mo suddenly came to his senses. If he wanted to acquire this skill, he had to do one thing: defeat the Bulls. If he couldn't win, not only would he not be able to acquire Stockton's abilities, but his soul would also be left in this world forever.
In order not to stay in the terrible 1990s, we must work harder!
