Chapter 480 Returning with a Full Load
Soon, time passed quickly as Sloan explained the tactics, and soon the second half of the game began.
As the game began, Yang Mo immediately sought out Michael Jordan. He'd promised to defend Jordan, and he'd absolutely carried it out. Yang Mo had already considered the third quarter the deciding game; he didn't want to drag it into the fourth, let alone decide the outcome in the final moments. The Jazz had never beaten the Bulls in a clutch situation, having faced buzzer-beaters in both of their Finals appearances. Yang Mo didn't want that tragedy to repeat itself. He had come here tonight to avert that tragedy.
Michael Jordan had long since grown accustomed to Yang Mo's personal attentions. He actually preferred the Stockton of tonight. While Stockton wasn't as physically imposing as he was tonight, he was always prone to underhanded tactics mind, Stockton was the most treacherous basketball player, far more so than the Pistons. And tonight, while it was uncomfortable, at least he didn't have to be on guard against those shady tactics. He could play fair and square. That was good!
"Every time you defend so hard, and I score easily, what's going on in your mind?" Jordan spat trash-talking Yang Mo while tangling with her. "Don't you feel frustrated? Don't you feel like God is unfair to you?"
"Isn't it normal for you to score against me?" Yang Mo chuckled and replied naturally, "I was playing hard on defense because of the tactical arrangement. I know you were trying to get me mad by trash-talking me, so I could do something impulsive or something that would be detrimental to the team. Do you think my mental state is that immature?"
Yang Mo spoke so matter-of-factly that Michael Jordan was speechless. Since provoking him didn't work, why bother talking? Talking also takes energy.
As Ron Harbaugh came upcourt with the ball, Russell, as expected, executed a rigorous defense. Russell was a renowned defensive stalwart of the 1990s. Although he was often mocked for his buzzer-beater in the final seconds of Game 6 of the Finals (which was tonight), no one could deny that he was a good defender. At least Ron Harbaugh wouldn't deny it.
At this time, Ron Harbaugh found that no matter how he moved, he could not get rid of Russell's defense, and even the passing route was blocked. He had no choice but to lob the ball to Michael Jordan who was in a post-up position.
Michael Jordan caught the ball and moved up a bit, expecting Yang Mo to follow suit. However, he discovered that Yang Mo behind him didn't move at all. He was immediately surprised and turned around to face Yang Mo head-on. Yang Mo opened her arms and waved them back and forth.
Seeing this, Jordan immediately determined Yang Mo's defensive tendency, which was clearly to defend against passes rather than shots.
Michael Jordan instinctively glanced back, and just as he was scanning his teammates' positions, Yang Mo, who had been standing in front of him, waving his arms left and right, suddenly took action. With a sharp and swift slap of his right hand, he struck Jordan's basketball... BOOM! The immense force instantly knocked the ball out of Michael Jordan's hands. By the time Jordan hurried to retrieve it, Yang Mo had already charged in like a bull... BOOM, Yang Mo knocked Jordan aside.
The referee didn't even bother to blow the whistle for this intense physical contact.
At that moment, Yang Mo loved the referees of the 1990s. This was the right way to go. It was nothing like the hair-level collision fouls of ten years later. This way, it wouldn't affect the competitive and enjoyable nature of the game!
While grateful for the referee's wise and bravery, Yang Mo also swiftly stole the basketball and sprinted downcourt like the wind. Michael Jordan quickly turned to pursue him, but by the time he turned, Yang Mo had already left him four or five steps behind. There was no way around it. Although Michael Jordan was the God of Basketball, he had no advantage over Yang Mo in terms of speed. Moreover, in 1998, he was already nearly forty years old.
Yang Mo quickly dodged Jordan and arrived at the front court in the blink of an eye. In fact, just two steps after passing the center line, Yang Mo quickly stopped the brakes, and then attacked like a storm... and ruthlessly shot a large three-pointer.
This three-pointer terrified Jerry Sloan, who nearly cursed someone starting with the letter F. To a preppy coach, this three-pointer was clearly unreasonable. With no shouldn't a layup have been the right move? Even without a layup, he could have set the tempo and orchestrated a half-court offense. How could he be so careless...?
Before Jerry Sloan could even finish his complaint, the basketball had already started to fall in a parabola in the air and went into the net at lightning speed...Swish!
The moment the ball went through the hoop and flipped the net, the whole of Salt Lake City erupted in a frenzy of shouting and howling. Mormons don't have much else to say, except for their passion.
But for Yang Mo, all this seemed a bit unreal, like a dream. He actually stole the ball from the basketball god Michael Jordan? And even hit a three-pointer? Oh my god!
Yang Mo slowly raised his right hand to steal the ball, his face full of disbelief.
Just as Yang Mo was feeling unbelievable, Jordan's voice, pressuring the referee, reached her ears: "He just committed a foul. This is definitely a thug. You absolutely cannot make such a call next time. This is unfair. You must not change your fairness and justice just because this is Salt Lake City."
Holy crap, the God of Basketball is the God of Basketball. Even his protests against referees are so poised. I still need to learn!
Yang Mo nodded in agreement, understanding Jordan's complaining spirit.
This steal was obviously not a single problem. In the following game, Russell still firmly controlled Ron Harbaugh's passing route, forcing him to pass the ball to Jordan. It seemed that Russell was like a shepherd with a whip, constantly driving the flock into the tiger's den.
After Jordan received the ball, facing Yang Mo's alert and cunning defense, he had to execute more singles. And when he executed singles, Yang Mo would pester him relentlessly. In this situation, his hit rate dropped slightly, but overall it remained at a relatively high level.
Jordan's shooting percentage was relatively high, but unfortunately, if one were to describe the Jazz's shooting percentage in one word, it could only be called "perfect hits." With Yang Mo's precise passes, Hornacek, Russell, and Karl Malone were able to find open or mismatched positions almost every time, making the game easier and easier.
Phil Jackson also tried to curb Yang Mo's assist-generating ability at the source. But... unfortunately, Scottie Pippen simply couldn't defend him. Yang Mo's strength, speed, and explosiveness were simply too astonishing. He was now practically a bug. He might not be able to shoot under the towering Pippen, but his passing... was truly difficult to contain, and his passing was incredibly accurate. In terms of passing technique, Stockton is at least in the top three all-time.
Under such circumstances, the Jazz actually widened the point difference to 17 points in the third quarter, which was an amazing score and almost an irreversible score.
Michael Jordan seemed furious and unacceptable about this. In the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, he teamed up with Scottie Pippen to launch a brutal assault campaign. The two of them kept breaking into the Jazz's restricted area, trying to cause damage and drive Karl Malone and other inside players off the court.
After they successfully drew two fouls, Yang Mo saw through their plan. Since they were looking to break through from the inside, Yang Mo decisively decided to end their counterattack from the outside. So, he called Karl Malone and Ostertag aside and whispered a few words in their ears. At first, they were both surprised and thought it was not a good idea, but with Yang Mo's persistence, they finally agreed.
Just like that, the inhumane double pick-and-roll three-point shooting tactic made a comeback.
Two burly men, each as muscular as a mountain of flesh, guarded Yang Mo's left and right , separating him from his opponents. Then Yang Mo easily unleashed his shot... Swish! Swish! Swish! One three-pointer after another repaired the damage Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had worked so hard to inflict, and then took advantage of the situation to slash them a few more times.
This was undoubtedly a cheating offense. After Yang Mo hit three consecutive three-pointers, Phil Jackson began to complain on the sidelines, and Jordan continued to pressure the referee. But the referee remained unmoved, believing that since the rules didn't prohibit the use of a double pick-and-roll, it was permitted. Furthermore, the three-pointer was inherently a risky move; no one could guarantee a successful shot.
The referee ignored Yang Mo's three-pointers, raining down on the Bulls. Under these circumstances, the Bulls were forced to lose. With three minutes remaining, Phil Jackson, after several unsuccessful protests, pulled all of his starting players, expressing his strong dissatisfaction.
At that moment, Yang Mo's three-pointers began to go off target. Bang, bang, bang! He missed three or four in a row. Seeing this, Yang Mo quickly left the court to avoid completely lowering his shooting percentage. By then, the Jazz were already leading by 25 points, and the Bulls had no chance of recovery.
Soon, the game was over.
Before the game ended, Yang Mo had already come to the Bulls' bench. He had two things to say to Michael Jordan, but he was afraid that he would leave as soon as the game was over, so he went there early.
"Michael, you are the strongest basketball player I have ever seen. You are the well-deserved God of Basketball." Yang Mo praised him from the bottom of his heart.
But these words made Michael Jordan, who had just lost the game, feel very unhappy: Boy, did you come here on purpose to cause trouble?
Of course, Yang Mo didn't mean that. Seeing Yang Mo's grim expression, he quickly said, "I don't mean any harm. You're my idol, really. I've been watching you play since I was a kid..."
Jordan got even angrier when he heard this. "Damn it, John Stockton, you're even older than me in the league. You grew up watching me play basketball? Why don't you just go die?"
Little did Jordan know that the John Stockton in this incident was no longer John Stockton, but a guy from ten years later.
Seeing Jordan's face becoming increasingly grim, Yang Mo quickly added one last sentence: "Michael, no matter what, you are my idol, but I will definitely defeat you. I will replace you as the God of Basketball, and I will definitely do it."
After Yang Mo finished speaking, Jordan clenched his fists tightly. He thought, "Finally, your hostility is exposed, right? You still want to replace me? Do you think winning one game is so great? There's still a Game 7!"
At that moment, the final whistle blew, and Yang Mo felt his head go blank, his soul rapidly drained away. He no longer cared about what kind of attack Michael Jordan would inflict on Stockton. He was ready to go back ten years later and unleash his fury! After all, this time, he was bringing with him Stockton's passing ability and Michael Jordan's on-court experience!
Combined with these two, Yang Mo's strength wouldn't necessarily be any weaker than Stockton's tonight! While he still can't compare to Michael Jordan, having a good time with the Magic shouldn't be a problem. As for LeBron James's title as the best player in the league, he should be trembling with fear, right?
