NBA: Goat is actually me

Chapter 106: Having home advantage for the first time!
"You've been fooled."

"Whenever I'm flying through the air and dunking on my opponent."

"Do you really think I did that alone?"

"People always talk about, how did that guy do that?"

"I think this question shouldn't be asked to me, but asked."

In front of the camera, Meng Jin pointed at the MJ 1 on his foot and smiled evilly: "It's up to you to believe it or not."

After seeing this ad on TV, David Falk spread his hands and said, "Meng, did you really write this ad?"

"Sure. Not bad, huh? Took me 2 minutes."

Meng Jin put his feet up on the coffee table and squinted his eyes to admire himself on TV. He looked quite photogenic and a bit handsome, but his dialogue skills were a bit stiff and needed to be improved.

"No one has complained to you about false marketing?" Falk joked.

“If my fake marketing can sell 20 pairs of shoes, that’s a success.”

In March, Meng Jinshuang sold nearly 18 pairs of shoes. Combined with the sales in February, the sales volume easily exceeded 20 pairs.

What really drove the sales of this pair of shoes was not the advertising slogan or the appearance and color of the shoes, but Meng Jin's performance in the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest.

Now fans in North America call Meng Jin's shoes rocket shoes and magic shoes. The popularity of this pair of shoes once surpassed the AJ series. Both white and black children have fantasized about wearing this pair of shoes and soaring into the sky.

"David Zhu called me yesterday and wanted to renew the contract with you in advance. My suggestion is to whet their appetite first. Now they have seen my value. The initiative is in our hands. I want more share and more shares in the next contract renewal."

Meng Jin nodded, agreeing with Falk's idea: "Follow this idea, but postpone the contract renewal to the offseason, or even next year or the year after. My commercial value will definitely increase the later I wait. Now I want to focus on the court."

Now that we have reached the sprint stage of the regular season, Meng Jin does not want to be distracted. The Chicago Bulls are currently competing with the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks.

Playoff ranking is very important, which means whether you can get home-court advantage and whether you can face easier opponents in the first round.

The Bulls performed well in the final sprint. When most teams felt tired, they burst out with energy and fighting spirit that other teams did not have.

This is the advantage of a young team.

During the sprint stage of the game, Meng Jin's two personal coaches also developed a new training method based on Meng Jin's current playing style and condition.

Tim Grover developed a program called extreme running and jumping training, with the aim of increasing Meng Jin's starting explosiveness, straight-line acceleration ability and jumping ability after confrontation. In addition, based on Meng Jin's technical characteristics, he also conducted special training on Meng Jin's stride.

Grover hopes that after completing this training, Meng Jin's average stride distance can be increased by 30-50CM, so that his European step will be more lethal.

Meng Jin was very satisfied with the training content. He liked Grover, a partner who was innovative and pragmatic.

Meng Jin’s only concern was whether he would hurt his balls if he took such a big step.
Grover dispelled Meng Jin's concerns with a series of theoretical analyses.

Another trainer, Sam, added even more bizarre training content than Grover. His training program was to take Meng Jin to watch horror movies on the sidelines, and then practice shooting when Meng Jin's heart rate fluctuated the most. It was very outrageous.

His theory is that a good shooter is not one who will not have psychological fluctuations, but one who can still make the shot even when his psychology fluctuates.

It is really hard to evaluate Sam's training method, but under his training, Meng Jin's [Mid-range Shot] attribute is indeed steadily improving, and his current [Mid-range Shot] attribute has reached 80 (83).

Many people still think that Meng Jin can't shoot, which is a stereotype. Meng Jin's current mid-range shooting level is definitely above the level in the 80s.

In the end, the Chicago Bulls finished third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 54 wins and 28 losses.

Ranked first in the Eastern Conference are the Celtics, who have won 57 games this season. After securing first place in the Eastern Conference, they dropped the last two games of the regular season to accumulate strength for the playoffs.

Second in the Eastern Conference is the Detroit Pistons, who also have 54 wins. Because they have an advantage in direct confrontation with the Bulls, they are ranked second.

Ranked fourth to eighth are the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers.

The Chicago Bulls' first-round opponent is the Milwaukee Bucks, an opponent that Chicago local fans are no stranger to. Three seasons ago, the Bulls lost to the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.

On April 4, after defeating the Celtics, the last opponent of the season, Jordan took the microphone and gave a passionate speech in front of the home fans.

"This time I will step over the Bucks' corpse, this time I will not lose in the first round again, I will not disappoint the fans who support the Bulls again, I will let everyone present feel the joy of winning the playoffs!"

There was thunderous applause at the scene and Jordan's eyes were filled with tears. It was obvious that he was very excited. This was the first time Jordan had a home-court advantage since entering the NBA, and he had high expectations for this playoffs.

The same goes for Meng Jin. While he was being intimate with Cindy Crawford at night, he did not forget to stare at the Bucks game video on TV.

"Fuck! Meng, can you please be a little more involved? Can't I interest you anymore?" Cindy Crawford finally couldn't stand it anymore.

"No, no, no, Cindy, I'm just looking for some inspiration, I don't mean to offend you."

Cindy Crawford was speechless: "Looking for inspiration? Looking for inspiration to beat the Bucks? Just go in and hit them hard like you did to Fuck Me, and Fuck Them as Hard as You Can!"

Meng Jin suddenly had an idea. Cindy Crawford was right. Let’s do it!

Meng Jin immediately refocused his attention on Cindy Crawford.

"Yes, that's the intensity! No one on them can withstand it. Not even the rim can withstand it. The whole stadium will be blown up by you!"

April 4th is the day of Game 29 of the first round of the Chicago Bulls.

Seeing Cindy Crawford watching the game on the sidelines, Meng Jin remembered her words "Hit hard and Fuck the Bucks".

Meng Jin was a little nervous tonight. The reason for his nervousness was not because of his first playoff game, but because Madonna suddenly appeared at the Chicago Stadium.

Cindy Crawford is in the second position from the front row, and Madonna is in the middle.

“Meng, you’ve been sweating a lot, are you feeling uncomfortable?”

Jordan noticed Meng Jin's abnormality. He rarely cared about Meng Jin because he didn't want to mess up the first game of the playoffs.

Oakley came over and took a glance: "Sweating, I can tell at a glance that this woman has played too much."

Jordan ignored Oakley and put his hand on Meng Jin's back: "Do you need me to call the team doctor for you?"

Meng Jin waved his hand: "No, Michael, I'm fine, I'm just a little nervous."

After Meng Jin finished speaking, he glanced at the sidelines and saw Madonna and Cindy Crawford blowing him a kiss at the same time.

Meng Jin tried his best to stay focused and not look towards the sidelines.

Soon it was time for the players to appear on the field, and Meng Jin was scheduled to be the first to appear.

The honor of being the last to appear must be reserved for Jordan, but the first to appear is also very important, usually as the second-in-command of the team.

孟进虽然是个菜鸟，但他这个赛季出战80场，场均能拿到26.5分7.5篮板2.2助攻1.6盖帽的超级球星数据。

In the locker room, Meng Jin is still a junior, but on the court he is already the number two player of the Chicago Bulls.

At this moment, Meng Jin immediately entered the state before the battle.

The spotlight was on Meng Jin, the background music started playing, and he came on the court chewing gum amid the cheers of the fans.

At this moment, Meng Jin completely forgot about the two beauties on the sidelines, and his mind was full of the game.

The Bucks are gearing up and look very confident. They have a psychological advantage as they defeated the Bulls in the first round three seasons ago.

Before the game started, Del Harris gathered the players together: "Lock down Meng Jin! Limit Michael Jordan, and we can win!"

The Bucks players were shocked after hearing this, what a bunch of nonsense!

Although what Silver Fox Harris said sounded a bit like nonsense literature, he had made careful tactical deployment for the two before the game.

Harris's tactic was to let Jordan shoot as much as possible.

That's right, he wanted to cut off the connection between Jordan and his teammates, which is somewhat similar to the "Jordan Rule" of the Pistons in the previous life, but not exactly the same.

The "Jordan Rule" is to let Jordan play in the first three quarters, and then change the strategy in the fourth quarter to double-team Jordan. In this way, Jordan's teammates who didn't shoot much in the first three quarters and whose shooting was still cold had to shoot in the fourth quarter. Harris's strategy was to cut off Jordan's passing line and let him work alone. Harris studied the Bulls' performance in March. When Jordan was shooting crazily, the Bulls' winning rate was less than 3%. Even if Jordan scored 5+50+, the Bucks could still steal a victory at the Bulls' home court.

The Silver Fox was strategizing, standing on the sidelines with his arms folded, quietly observing what was going to happen next.

The big screen on the TV broadcast showed the comparison of the playoff win rates of the two coaches.

Del Harris made the playoffs three times during his four years as coach of the Rockets, winning 3 of 31 playoff games for a winning percentage of 15%.

Doug Collins' playoff win rate is an embarrassing 0%. Last season was his first season coaching the Bulls, and they were swept by the Celtics in the first round.

The starting lineups of both sides.

Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan, John Paxson, Meng Jin, Charles Oakley, Dave Korsin.

Milwaukee Bucks: Sidney Moncrief, Paul Pressey, Terry Cummings, Larry Kryskowiak, Jack Sikma.

Jump ball in the center circle, Jack Sikma won.

The Bucks attacked first, Moncrief dribbled across half court, and the person defending him was John Paxson.

Jordan went to defend Paul Pressey. On the surface, Moncrief was the point guard of the Bucks, but in fact, Paul Pressey was the brain of the Bucks.

Moncrief moved sideways to protect the ball as it crossed half court. John Paxson defended closely. Moncrief used his hand to protect the ball and directly pushed John Paxson down!
The referee didn't say anything and the home crowd booed.

Moncrieff is also an experienced veteran. As soon as he saw that the referee did not blow the whistle, he immediately passed the ball from the right and rushed to the inside.

The Bulls' inside was very crowded at this time, with three defensive players inside. Moncrief took a step and then made a hook pass, preparing to find Jack Sikma in the inside.

This was a good idea, but unfortunately Moncrief was not a "magician" and the ball was intercepted by Oakley in mid-air.

Oakley bent down and pushed the ball forward, and Jordan took the ball and advanced to the front court at the speed of light!

Meng Jin made a high-speed run along the right side, and four Bucks players returned to defend across half court.

When Jordan saw a good opportunity of 4 vs. 2, he immediately passed the ball to Meng Jin.

After receiving the ball, Meng Jin took a step into the paint area, taking advantage of the Bucks' unstable footing.

The Bucks didn't even have a chance to foul and could only watch Meng Jin stuff the basketball into their precious basket!

0:2.

"Three seconds, the whole process took only three seconds!" exclaimed the live commentator Johnny Cole.

Commentator Jim Durham laughed and said: "The Bucks have defended very well. They already have four players returning to the defensive half court at the first time, but they are facing the league's most efficient fast break duo. Four people may not be enough."

Johnny Cole laughed and said, "We need eight of them to fill up the restricted area. As long as there is a little space, Meng will find an opportunity to take off."

After landing, Meng Jin did not return to the defensive half court, and neither did Jordan. The two pressed hard in the Bucks' backcourt, increasing the intensity of the opponent.

This was Collins's tactic to get off to a quick start. The Bucks were not in a hurry and chose to break the pressure with continuous passes.

The ball was passed three times and then dribbled two times before it reached Pressey.

Pressey dribbled the ball to the left side of the three-point line. His arm span was exaggerated and his dribbling was a bit uncoordinated, but while dribbling he never forgot to observe his teammates for opportunities.

Pressey passed the ball to Moncrief at the top of the arc, who passed it to Cummings.

After falling into the position, the Bucks didn't have much better options and planned to use Cummings' personal ability to break the ice.

After a feint, Cummings started directly towards Meng Jin. He was very determined!

In the last contest, Cummings' talent was crushed by Meng Jin in all aspects. As a fellow genius, he was naturally unwilling to accept the result. This time, Cummings put all his effort into competing with Meng Jin.

However, his attention in this round was completely focused on Meng Jin, ignoring Oakley in the interior.

Oakley stood on his breakout route, holding his crotch and tensing his legs, his movements seeming to say, sir, welcome.

"boom!!"

Cummings knocked Oakley straight to the baseline.

The first thing Oakley did after falling was not to get up, but to look at the referee's gesture.

The referee made a penalty gesture and hit someone with the ball.

"YES!!" Oakley sat on the ground and pumped his fist excitedly, and the audience cheered again.

Meng Jin and Jordan hurried forward and pulled him up.

"Well done, Charles!"

"That guy must have just felt like he hit a piece of steel."

They both touched Oakley's head at the same time.

The game continued and Jordan dribbled across half court.

"You can't get past me. You can't score against me."

Moncrief looked Jordan in the eyes, trying to provoke him.

But Jordan said the trash talk was too blunt. Not only did Moncrief fail to anger Jordan, but he exposed the Bucks' intentions.

Jordan ignored him. He was very rational now and would not joke about the outcome of the playoffs.

Jordan called for a screen, and while the Bucks were switching defense, he accelerated and rushed to the free throw line!
Moncrief stepped back a step. Although his physical fitness declined after the serious injury, his defensive awareness was still there.

Jordan decisively took the ball and passed it to the outside!
John Paxson has an open shot.

Jordan rushed to the basket the moment he shot, and if he missed the shot he was ready to fight for the offensive rebound.

one second.

two seconds.

Jordan raised his head and kept looking above the basket, but what he was waiting for was not the ball, but a strong man.

John Paxson did not pass the ball after jumping, but passed it to Meng Jin with a ground pass.

Meng Jin was originally planning to rush for the rebound, but suddenly the ball was in his hands!

Fortunately, Meng Jin's palms were big enough and he did not lose the ball in a panic. Meng Jin took two steps forward and made an air attack!
"Bang!!"

Jordan felt a hard object hit him from behind. When he turned around, he saw Meng Jin hanging on the basket rim.

Johnny Kerr uttered the commentary that was later regarded as a classic: "Meng dunked over Jordan!"

After Meng Jin landed, he asked Jordan, "Why didn't you avoid it?"

Jordan felt like there were a thousand chariots in his heart. Damn, it’s coming directly from behind me, how can I avoid it?

Jordan's inner thoughts boiled down to one word: "Fuck!"

Meng Jin disrupted Del Harris' tactical deployment at the start. He had never expected that Meng Jin had such a strong desire to attack.

These two dunks also set the tone for the game, and the Chicago Bulls won the first game with great momentum, 110-91.

The Bulls players gathered after the game and shouted the slogan: "Get past the first round!"

Doug Collins was grinning from ear to ear, he just got his first playoff victory in his coaching career!

(End of this chapter)