NBA: Goat is actually me

Chapter 146 Singing and Advancing
The 76ers served the ball from the baseline, and Barkley pretended to go outside to receive the ball, but suddenly braked and turned back.

Grant was shocked. This little fat boy was so agile!

Grant tried to catch up, but Barkley had already successfully caught the ball under the basket and jumped up for a two-handed dunk.

In this round, neither Meng Jin nor Jordan retreated to the inside. They cannot teleport, so it is impossible for them to defend to such a deep position in every round.

Grant was out of position repeatedly, but Collins on the sidelines did not blame him. He did not expect Grant to be able to defend Barkley. Barkley was efficient in the first two games, but the Bulls still won.

Halfway through the first quarter, the score was 15 to 18, with the Philadelphia 76ers leading by 3 points.

The 76ers seem to have some hope tonight, but Barkley cannot be happy because Meng Jin and Jordan have not yet started to show their strength. The Bulls' main attacking point at the beginning is Cartwright, who is only the fourth scorer in the team.

76ers head coach Jim Linum also saw this. If the Bulls' rhythm picked up, the 3-point lead would be gone in minutes.

The more you worry about something, the more it will happen. In the second half of the first quarter, the Bulls suddenly accelerated, and Meng Jin made a series of signature dunks in counterattacks.

When Meng Jin used this step, the person who was most unhappy was not the 76ers players or the 76ers coaching staff, but the 76ers' live commentator Ramsey.

Coach Ramsey turned to commentary after leaving the Pacers. He is a very traditional coach and his blood pressure soars every time he sees Meng Jin play.

"This kind of footwork has poisoned the majority of young people. I passed by the community stadium last week, and guess what? I saw a child using this footwork. Our children have been led astray! What do these children know? They just follow what they see on TV. It was Meng Jin who corrupted them. He let this footwork spread like a virus. The league should not indulge him like this! This is not a normal phenomenon!"

Ramsey described Meng Jin as a cult leader, a dark wizard, and the source of all evil. However, the more he said this, the more interested the children in front of the TV became. Children have a rebellious mentality, and they like to do the opposite of what the adults say.

After the first quarter, the Chicago Bulls led by 32 points, 27 to 5.

In the second quarter, Barkley continued to play. On the Bulls bench, Jordan pointed at Barkley who was working hard on offense and defense and said, "Charles must want to play the whole game again."

Meng Jin smiled and said, "He can only play for three quarters because the fourth quarter will become garbage time."

Then, Meng Jin and Jordan smiled at each other. They both looked relaxed. The victories in the first two games made them not take the 76ers as their opponent too seriously.

But they were obviously too relaxed tonight. They ignored the 76ers' home-court advantage and the 76ers' determination to make a comeback.

After three quarters, the Philadelphia 76ers actually overtook the score, with the score on the field reaching 73 to 78.

Barkley's current stats are 28 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. His playing style has not changed since the first quarter. He has been attacking the basket at all costs. Even if he can't score, Barkley will try his best to foul his opponents. He wants to score the most points with the most efficient means.

Ramsey on the sidelines expressed his appreciation for this style of play, but he was also worried about Barkley's physical fitness. In the most intense final quarter, can Barkley still maintain such impact?

Barkley's idea is to release all his energy in this game without reservation, and play basketball to death. Barkley's style of play does not care about winning the entire series. He can't care about so many things. He just wants to win the next game first.

Maurice Cheeks played the role of Barkley's deputy very well tonight. He performed well on both offense and defense, especially on defense. He completed two steals from Jordan, which was very morale-boosting. Cheeks is a steal master. Since entering the league, he has averaged more than 10 steals per game for 2 consecutive seasons. However, even so, it is not easy to complete steals from Jordan. He played very hard tonight. As the last hero of the 76ers' championship in the 82-83 season, Cheeks retained the spirit of a championship member and he did not want to be swept no matter what.

In the fourth quarter, Cheeks used a screen to make a strong breakthrough, and the audience cheered. Not only did Cheeks make a layup, he also caused a free throw!

After the free throw, the score was 73 to 81.

Jordan controlled the ball across half court, and there was noise and booing at the scene. The fans were trying their best to disrupt the Bulls' offense in their own way.

Meng Jin took the ball and played one-on-one. After he broke into the inside, the 76ers' defense line contracted. Jordan went around behind Meng Jin. Meng Jin turned around and passed the ball to Jordan, who made a steady two-point shot.

75:81.

It's not that Meng Jin has eyes on the back of his head. His vision on the court is average. It was Jordan who yelled three times behind Meng Jin that caught his attention. Sometimes communication is very important on the basketball court.

Meng Jin and Jordan were not in a hurry on the offensive end, and the 2-0 lead in the total score was their confidence.

As soon as Barkley got the ball in the paint and was about to start, the Bulls' defense immediately retreated. The Bulls' defensive strategy was adjusted in the final quarter. Most of Barkley's points in the first three quarters were scored in the restricted area. In the fourth quarter, the Bulls did not intend to give him an opportunity to easily score under the basket.

Barkley passed the ball, and Cheeks was in a wide-open position outside the three-point line. He took a look at the frame and shot.

Meng Jin rushed out from the inside and jumped two meters away from Cheeks.

The basketball was shot successfully, but suddenly fell when it reached mid-air.

It’s covered!
This is not the first time Meng Jin has completed such an outrageous block.

The course of the game changed after this block. In the following three rounds, Meng Jin succeeded in singles and successfully reversed the score at 7 minutes and 46 seconds in the fourth quarter.

The lead was fleeting, and everyone on the 76ers became impatient. The head coach also lost his composure. After calling a timeout, he actually set up more than one iron bucket formation, concentrating all the defensive players on the edge of the paint area. As a result, Meng Jin took the ball and went straight for 1-for-5, taking off and dunking over the defensive players.

76人表面是5人收缩防守，实际上对孟进有影响的防守球员就2-3人，因为不可能5个人都集中在一侧。

In the commentary booth, Ramsey saw the problem at a glance. He said that to defend such a player, one cannot just shrink into the penalty area. A strong player should be sent to lead the defense and not give him space to speed up. It would be best to use 2-3 strong forwards to take turns to increase intensity on him and consume his body, and then have a big man squatting in the inside, and if conditions permit, use twin towers.

The 76ers said Ramsey said it well and asked them not to say it again next time.

Everyone knows that to play against Meng Jin, they need to send out the forwards to consume the opponent's energy. The key is that the 76ers don't have that. Only Barkley meets the requirements. The 76ers don't even have a big man. Their center Gominski is only 211CM tall, 2CM shorter than Meng Jin.

As for the twin towers, it is even more unrealistic. If they dare to send the Bulls, they will use quick counterattacks to teach them a lesson. Ramsey's basketball thinking is still stuck in ten years ago. His knowledge reserves are the best among all coaches, but he just can't keep up with the times.

Meng Jin took over the Bulls' offense in the fourth quarter. He didn't play much in the first three quarters, so he had plenty of energy. Barkley played all three quarters, and every round was a physical battle. His efficiency began to decline in the fourth quarter. Meng Jin scored 22 points in this quarter, and he almost never missed a single shot. The 76ers tried their best, but they just couldn't defend him.

The noise in the Spectrum Arena became smaller and smaller. Meng Jin shattered their fantasy of victory with one goal after another. The 76ers fans just watched Meng Jin's personal offensive performance numbly.

Barkley fulfilled his pre-game promise. He played all 48 minutes, scored 40 points, 18 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 blocks and 3 steals. He did everything he could to the extreme, but could not change the team's fate of being swept.

Starting from the fourth quarter, Meng Jin had a firm grasp on the fate of the 76ers. The 76ers struggled throughout the fourth quarter and eventually lost Game 117 123 to 3.

The difference of 6 points may not seem much, but it is an insurmountable gap. Barkley doesn't want to do anything now. He wants to talk to the 76ers management as soon as possible. If the team cannot attract good helpers, the 76ers will never be able to beat the Bulls in their lifetime.

After the game, Barkley took the initiative to give Meng Jin a hug. The two were opponents on the court and friends off the court.

"Charles, Horace (Grant) just whispered to me that he never wants to play against you again in his life."

Grant was stunned by Barkley in this series. Barkley was different from other players. His scoring was almost all crushing, not only crushing Grant's body, but also crushing Grant's self-esteem.

Barkley was amused by this, but his expression soon returned to seriousness. There were so many cameras filming him at the scene, and he didn't want his frivolous photo to be on the front page. The Philadelphia fans would kill him.

“Are you still training together this offseason?”

Meng Jin admires Barkley very much. He was thinking about offseason training right after losing the playoffs.

Meng Jin said: "Of course, but you may have to wait until June."

Barkley was very regretful and acted in a way that offended Meng Jin again. Meng Jin almost said directly that you have to wait until I get the O'Brien Cup. Barkley felt that he should not have asked this question, which was like rubbing salt into the wound.

"Bring the championship trophy back to the East."

Although he was unhappy, Barkley still sent his blessings. After all, losing to a championship team always sounds better.

After Barkley returned home, his girlfriend Maureen Blumhart lay on the sofa holding his big round head, which was Maureen's unique way of comforting him.

"OH! My sweetheart, little baby, it's okay, everything will be fine." Maureen stroked Buckley's head.

Barkley's head is very sensitive, and he felt it as he touched it.

"All I want right now is a big fight, Honey," Barkley said, looking at Maureen.

Maureen took off her clothes, revealing Jordan's jersey, and said, "Come on, dunk on me as much as you want!"

Barkley quickly shook his head: "No, no, no, it's not Michael's jersey, it's Meng's jersey."

Maureen quickly asked, "Isn't it Michael? Didn't you always let me wear Michael's jersey before?"

"That was before, and things have changed now," Barkley said.

Maureen: "Okay, but do we have Meng's jersey at home?"

Barkley: "Of course, it's right next door, and it's signed jerseys."

Maureen: "Signed jersey? Don't get the signature dirty."

Barkley: "All I want to smudge is my signature."

Meng Jin averaged 40.6 points in the three-game series, which seems to be a terrifying statistic to outsiders, but Meng Jin feels that he still has room for improvement. Jordan averaged 86 points in the series against the Celtics in 43.6.

After the game, Ramsey severely criticized Meng Jin. He felt that Meng Jin was destroying the essence of basketball. The essence of basketball is a team sport. Meng Jin's performance in the fourth quarter turned basketball into a one-man show.

Meng Jin saw the news the next day. He didn't know how he had offended the famous coach. He had the impression that this was not the first time Ramsey had criticized him. However, in the basketball world, not everyone supported Ramsey.

Bob Green, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune, said: I never thought that a player who led his team to a 3-0 win and averaged 40 points per game would one day be criticized.

Mike Lupica, a columnist for the New York Daily News, said: That is the essence of Ramsey's basketball, not what everyone thinks is the essence of basketball. I think basketball is a game where you give the ball to the best player and then he puts it in the basket. "

After winning the series, the Bulls are quietly waiting for their second-round opponent. Their next opponent will be between the Knicks and the Bucks. The Knicks currently lead the Bucks 2-1.

Meng Jin hopes that the two sides can play a few more games, preferably a full game of 5, so that the Bulls can have more time to rest. Although the Bulls did not spend too much effort to beat the 76ers in the first round, Meng Jin is considering the Eastern Conference Finals and the Finals, so it is always good to reserve more physical strength.

The Bucks did fight hard and won Game 5, dragging the game into Game 8. Ewing was invisible in this game, scoring only 12 points and 24 rebounds. However, Mark Jackson and Gerald Wilkins stood out, scoring 9 points and 22 assists respectively, and 11 points, 8 rebounds and 17 assists respectively. Charles Oakley also scored a staggering 17 points and rebounds. With the efforts of everyone, the Knicks almost defeated the Bucks at home, which prevented Ewing from becoming the sinner in Madison Garden.

The Knicks will face the Chicago Bulls in the second round.

The outside world is unanimously optimistic that the Bulls will win the series. ESPN predicts the series score to be 4 to 2, NBC also predicts that the Bulls will win 4 to 2, and CBS predicts that the two sides will play to a game seven. In general, the outside world feels that this is a nearly evenly matched game. The Bulls have two superstars, and the Knicks have an advantage in the interior.

The first game was played at the Chicago Stadium. The Bulls' biggest advantages were their home court and physical fitness. Although the Knicks had just finished the fifth game and all the players were tired, they were in good shape. New York coach Pitino did not change the lineup. As expected by the outside world, he attacked the inside line right from the start. Ewing had a slump in the last game, and he was holding back his energy in this game, but only one energy. After scoring 11 points in the first quarter, Ewing became weak and only scored 20 points in the whole game.

The Knicks' performance was just like their core player Ewing. They only played well for one quarter, and the Bulls won the first game 116-100 without any difficulty.

(End of this chapter)