NBA: Goat is actually me

Chapter 79 The rebound is a bit fragile. Do you think I am an omnipotent genius?

"WOW! The Bulls staged a textbook fast break. Charles Oakley passed the ball, Michael Jordan passed the ball, and then Meng finished it. The whole process took three seconds and he only dribbled the ball twice." CBS live commentator Dick Stockton is reporting in real time.

Another commentator, Skip Karai, nodded: "This reminds me of Germany's blitzkrieg, but if Germany had it back then."

Kip Karai's words came to an abrupt halt because he saw Dick Stockton clench his fists. This was a secret code between the two of them. Kip Karai often talked nonsense, which sometimes had a bad influence. Dick Stockton and he agreed that he would shut up if he saw him clench his fists.

The Rockets started quickly, and point guard Allen Revere dribbled to the top of the arc in less than four seconds.

Although they have a twin-tower lineup, both towers are the type that can move quickly. Although Sampson's speed has been affected after the serious injury, he is much faster than traditional centers like Gilmore.

In fact, the pace of most NBA teams in this era is so fast, and the speed of ordinary positional warfare is not much slower than that of the Suns in 2005. So if you want to run and gun in this era, the 7-second offense of the Suns in the parallel universe is too slow. The battle must be resolved within at least 5 seconds. If it is slower, it will not be much different from the ordinary positional warfare offense.

Allen Revere stopped the ball at the top of the arc and passed it to Rodney McCree, who quickly passed it to Olajuwon.

Olajuwon pushed Gilmore, then used his elbow to clear the way and shot a hook shot from the side.

Olajuwon's signature move is his dreamy footwork, but it is impossible for him to be dreamy in every round. In this era, the stars who can really make it can only be separated from two words: tough.

Just by looking at his physique, you can tell that Olajuwon is not a heavy inside player. When he stood next to those big centers, he looked relatively thin, but he was not at a disadvantage in the confrontation.

"Bang!"

This ball is short.

However, the referee's whistle also sounded at the same time, calling a foul on "Locomotive" Gilmore.

"Artis, be tougher and block him using the method you taught me!" Meng Jin walked to Gilmore and patted his butt.

"Fuck! You don't have to tell me that. If I hadn't been unable to keep up, I would have knocked this guy over!"

After that round, Gilmore really felt that he was old. Olajuwon was almost done turning around when his legs reacted.

Olajuwon made one of two free throws, but the second one was a little too powerful and hit the rim and bounced out.

Gilmore jumped high, grabbed the rebound and passed it to Paxson, who quickly dribbled forward.

Paxson's advancement speed was not slow, but the Bulls' offense suddenly stagnated because of his limited ability to pass the ball.

Head coach Collins almost vomited blood when he saw this scene. Meng Jin on the left and Jordan on the right, you pass the ball to him at will. I guess I can pass the ball more clearly than Paxson if I play now.

"Give it! Pass it! Fuck!" Doug Collins was going crazy on the sidelines. He was notoriously emotionally unstable. It was common for him to yell one second and hug a player the next.

Paxson slowed down at the top of the arc, looked around, then moved to the wing to stop the ball and passed it to Oakley who was making a run.

Oakley got the ball and bumped into Sampson hard, then turned around.

He hesitated before making the move.

Because standing in front of him was Ralph Sampson.

Although Sampson's jumping ability has dropped significantly, his height is still there. With a height of 224cm and a wingspan, just standing there is a strong deterrent to most players.

Oakley faked a shot before shooting.

"Clang."

The rhythm was broken, so it's not surprising that the ball didn't go in.

Sampson grabbed the rebound and the Bulls quickly retreated.

By the time Sampson landed, all eight players had crossed half court.

Only he and Gilmore were still in the Rockets' defensive half.

Sampson was there to grab rebounds, and Gilmore simply couldn't run.

Gilmore's style seriously conflicts with the Bulls' current overall style. These days, Krause is planning to send this old friend away. Collins has no objection to this. He feels uncomfortable seeing Gilmore struggling every day.

Ralph Sampson dribbled across half court without pressure. His ball-handling ability was still good, and he could occasionally stage a one-man fast break, but that was before he was seriously injured.

Sampson staggered across half court and passed the ball to point guard Allen Revere.

Aaron Revere hit the ground ball to Olajuwon in the paint, and Olajuwon immediately passed the ball back because he realized that he had not positioned himself well.

After regaining his position, Allen Revere passed the ball into the paint again.

Allen Revere is the Rockets' John Paxson, whose function is to dribble the ball across half court and pass it to the best player.

The moment Olajuwon received the ball, he turned quickly and walked to the baseline.

Gilmore was passed by by one step, and by the time he reacted, Olajuwon had already made a reverse layup.

The basketball bounced twice on the rim and went in.

4:3.

Just as the two commentators were praising Olajuwon's footsteps, the Bulls' fast break began again.

This time Jordan personally controlled the ball across half court, used the screen and moved sideways, and Olajuwon blocked him.

Olajuwon has a wide defensive range and he is absolutely confident in his movements. Even if he is outside the three-point line, he can rush back to the restricted area in the first time.

Jordan jumped from outside the three-point line at the top of the arc, swung his hands, and passed the ball to Meng Jin in the bottom corner.

Meng Jin took a step to the right, shook his body quickly, and then passed the ball with his left hand, passing Purvis Short in one step!

As soon as Purvis Short turned around, Meng Jin blocked him from behind.

Meng Jin's steps are really big, which is much more terrifying than his speed. As long as he is allowed to create a little space, enough for him to take the first step, the defensive players can basically give up.

When Meng Jin took the first step after receiving the ball, Olajuwon quickly retreated from the top of the arc. Usually he could catch up in this situation because his speed and pace always allowed him to be one step ahead.

But today, he miscalculated.
As soon as Olajuwon left the free throw line and stepped into the penalty area, Meng Jin had already ignited and took off.

Olajuwon's heart was in turmoil. What kind of person is this?
Is this a human?

The one who was even more upset was Ralph Sampson, as he was almost dunked by Meng Jin when he was making up for the defense.

If Sampson hadn't consciously reached out and pushed Meng Jin, Meng Jin would definitely not have missed the dunk.

"Oh~~~"

Some fans in the stadium expressed regret, and after a while the audience realized that this was Houston and they were Rockets fans.

Commentator Dick Stockton couldn't help but sigh: "Why does this rookie ride on everyone he meets?"

"Bang!"

Meng Jin missed the first free throw.

While Jordan was high-fiving, he kept muttering to put pressure on Meng Jin: "Free throw, free throw, free throw."

Meng Jin's overall free throw shooting has improved compared to the training camp, but Jordan is still not satisfied. He wants Meng Jin to do better, and he also thinks Meng Jin can do better.

Meng Jin was a little unhappy with Jordan's way of putting pressure on his teammates on the court.

Damn it, this is not the way to force growth!
This is only his 11th regular season game, but he has already held himself to the All-Star standard, the kind of all-around All-Star with no blind spots. Is this reasonable?

"Bang!"

The fluctuation of his mentality made Meng Jin unable to control his strength.

The basketball hit the front line and bounced out. Meng Jin felt it was short when he shot, so he moved in advance, grabbed the frontcourt rebound and quickly shot the ball to score two points.

6:3.

"It's still the same, both get two points."

After saying this, Meng Jin ran towards the defensive half without looking back.

Jordan: “.”

Sometimes Meng Jin’s actions are indeed outrageous, but it is also difficult for people to find reasons to refute them.

In the next round, the Rockets handed the offensive power to Purvis Short.

Purvis Short opened up and wanted to play singles against Meng Jin. After continuous rhythm shaking, Purvis Short suddenly stopped and took a long two-point shot from a high position.

Meng Jin raised his hand to block the shot, and Purvis Short was so scared that he almost became impotent. He threw an outrageous cannon that didn't even hit the rim.

Purvis Short's mistake was that he used the conventional small-on-big method to deal with Meng Jin. Meng Jin was indeed bigger than him, but he was also faster than him!

However, the Rockets had the twin towers to cover him, and Ralph Sampson picked up the ball under the basket and made a layup.

6:5.

In the next two offensive rounds, the Rockets' twin towers continued to wreak havoc in the Bulls' interior. Thanks to the performance of the duo, the Rockets led the Bulls 28-24 in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Olajuwon exploded and scored 11 points in less than half a quarter.

Olajuwon was in full swing, and Ralph Sampson was also released. The Bulls' inside line was completely exploded tonight. After Collins called a timeout, he had no choice but to let Meng Jin try.

Meng Jin defended Olajuwon for half a quarter, but the effect was not good. At this time, Olajuwon was completely open, both his body and his touch were very hot. Meng Jin felt that he was just suffering.

During this half of the quarter, Meng Jin received two fouls, was blocked on two mid-range shots, and was shown a dream move.

In the last 1 minute and 30 seconds of the second quarter, Meng Jin finally seized the opportunity and gave Olajuwon a super spicy hot pot from the front, which saved some face.

During the halftime break, even the commentator couldn't stand it anymore. Not only could the Bulls not defend against the Rockets, but their fast break threats were also reduced.

Collins' ability to respond on the spot has always been an area where he has been criticized by the outside world.

Jordan was also complaining during the halftime break. After Meng Jin defended Olajuwon, the Bulls' fast break was obviously half a beat slower. In the first quarter, whenever Jordan had a chance to fast break, Meng Jin was definitely in his field of vision. It depended on the specific situation whether he shot or passed the ball. But in the second half of the second quarter, after Meng Jin defended the inside, Jordan often had to deliberately slow down and wait for Meng Jin when he fast-breaked.

After all, there is a fundamental difference between a fast break from the inside and a fast break from outside the three-point line. The difference in a fast break if it is 1 or 2 seconds slower is huge.

Collins knew this problem without Jordan telling him. There was a problem with his lineup. Ever since putting Meng Jin at the third position achieved great results, Collins always liked to think of some unconventional tactics. In the second half, he quietly moved Meng Jin back to the small forward position.

In the second half, after the change of sides, the Rockets continued to suppress the Bulls. At 8 minutes and 17 seconds into the third quarter, the Rockets were already leading the Bulls by 13 points, and the situation was very good.

The Bulls' inside problems will definitely not be solved in a short time. If they want to win, they must find a breakthrough in fast breaks!
Jordan played very anxiously in the second half. He wanted to catch the Rockets off guard by speeding up, but the result was that he caught his teammates off guard instead of his opponents.

The sudden acceleration made it difficult for his teammates to keep up with his rhythm. As a result, Jordan made continuous mistakes in cooperation with his teammates. After the mistakes, Jordan put a lot of pressure on his teammates. As a result, the entire Bulls team was frightened during this period, and many normal technical movements were deformed.

Jordan's mind was still very immature at that time. He was like a parent who received Chinese-style education. He always thought that beating and scolding his children could solve problems. He did not know how to teach students in accordance with their aptitude, and did not know how to adopt different communication methods according to the different personalities of his teammates. Only after Meng Jin became Danzi's teammate did he deeply realize that the reason why Jordan was successful in his previous life was not only because of his own strong strength, but also because of the strong psychological qualities of his teammates. If he was given an Embiid, he would see if he could win 90 championships in the 6s.

"Shh!"

At 7 minutes and 54 seconds, Olajuwon hit another hook shot over Dav Korsin's head.

63 to 48, the difference is 15 points.

"Give me the ball!"

Jordan roared and took the ball across half court.

Olajuwon glanced at his teammates.

He knew that this guy was going to go it alone, so he decided to double-team him in this round!
Sure enough, after Jordan got the ball, he made a signature small step change to pass Rodney McCree, and then drove straight into the game.

One, two, three!
The Rockets immediately started the three-man siege mode. Jordan wanted to force his way in, but at this time a voice came from the side: "Michael! Over here!"

The remaining trace of rationality made Jordan pass the ball, because he recognized that it was Meng Jin's voice. If it was any other teammate, Jordan would probably do it himself, because they wouldn't be able to score anyway if he passed the ball to them.

After receiving the ball, Meng Jin took a step directly into the paint area.

This is the advantage of having long legs. If you can avoid dribbling, then don't dribble. Even a player with great ball control will inevitably make mistakes, but if you don't dribble, you won't make mistakes. It's still the classic saying that if you don't shoot, there will be no flaws.

Meng Jin bent his legs slightly, and after sinking the ball, he exerted full force to jump up!

Ralph Sampson, who had just been defending Jordan, turned around and jumped, trying to block Meng Jin, but Meng Jin only had eyes for the basket at this time!
"boom!"

Meng Jin completed a two-handed dunk despite Sampson's defense!

Thunder!

The impact is full!
If Sampson had had a chance to block this ball before he was seriously injured, but now he can only serve as a background for Meng Jin.

After Meng Jin slammed the ball in, he also pulled the basket hard!
Button!

Cool!
It’s even more fun to dunk over a big guy like this who is over 220cm tall!
After landing, Meng Jin had not taken two steps when the referee's whistle sounded.

Meng Jin looked back and saw Olajuwon pulling the referee and pointing fingers at the fight.

It turned out that the tempered glass had cracks and the glass was broken, but not completely shattered.
The faces of the fans at the scene were all filled with excitement. Although Meng Jin was an opponent, it was indeed shocking to see such a scene on the spot. After all, the audience always wanted to see something different that they couldn't see normally.

The referee immediately stopped the game and the staff came up to carry out emergency repairs.

"Wow, wow, Meng broke the tempered glass. I finally understand why Bill Laimbeer is still in the hospital. His strength is incredible."

"I was commentating on the Celtics last game, and I saw Larry Bird still had a clear bloody handprint on his neck."

During the break, the two commentators had nothing to do and started chatting awkwardly.

"Meng, see you on the front page tomorrow." Jack Harry walked to Meng Jin with a smile.

"We'll talk about tomorrow's affairs tomorrow. I hope they won't ask me to pay compensation today."

After Meng Jin finished speaking, the two of them burst into laughter, and then Jack Harry handed Meng Jin a towel, very attentively.

Jack Harry is definitely a talent, and his story is legendary. In the previous parallel world, Jack Harry played in the NBA for 10 years. This is not surprising. What is surprising is that this guy is not very good at playing basketball. He averaged 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in his career. As an inside player, his shooting percentage was only 42%. He was able to survive in the NBA, a league with an extremely high elimination rate, for ten years. It was not a miracle, but a result of human connections.

He has strong insight and can read the emotions of people around him in an instant and give the correct response.

After the backboard repair work was completed, the game resumed.

Although it sounds mysterious, this dunk changed the direction of the game. The Rockets' fiery offensive momentum came to an abrupt halt, and Jordan's impetuous mentality was also eased. Within five minutes, the Bulls relied on their fast break to make up for the 15-point difference.

Since then, the Rockets players' mentality changed drastically, and they only scored a pitiful 17 points in the fourth quarter.

In the end, the Chicago Bulls successfully reversed the game with a score of 110 to 96!

Jordan scored a game-high 34 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

孟进21分8篮板3助攻1盖帽1抢断。

Olajuwon scored 32 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals. He was the most depressed person in the game. His rhythm was good, but it was ruined by a dunk by Meng Jin...

In good mood, Meng Jin, Jordan and head coach Collins attended the post-match press conference together.

A local reporter from Houston asked sharply, "Coach Collins, in the second quarter of the game, you asked Meng to defend Olajuwon, but in the third quarter you asked him to play as a small forward. Is this a tactical failure?"

Collins shook his head: "No, this can only be regarded as a tactical attempt. You know, Meng has great potential and infinite possibilities. It always makes people want to try, develop and explore."

Collins spoke seriously, but the reporter felt something was wrong the more he listened. Development? Exploration? The best thing you can say is basketball.

"Meng, what does it feel like to slam dunk and break the backboard?"

Meng Jin: "The rebounds are a bit fragile."

"Meng, tell me about your dunk. Ralph Sampson is one of the tallest players in the league."

Meng stretched out his right hand, palm up, and waved it forward: "How do you feel?"

The reporters present nodded.

"Shocking."

"Incredible."

“It’s very impactful.”

“I want to see it again.”

Meng Jin nodded: "I feel the same as you do."

The reporters all laughed after hearing this.

The reporter asked Jordan: "I often see you whispering to Meng on the court. What are you talking to him about?"

Jordan pointed to the side: "You'd better ask him."

Meng Jin complained directly: "This guy told me to make all the free throws, to make accurate long passes, to fight for offensive rebounds, and to make every shot he passed to me. Fuck! This guy must have forgotten that I am just a rookie who just entered the league. He treats me as an omnipotent genius!"

Jordan laughed after hearing this and touched Meng Jin's belly: "Aren't you?"

The entire press conference was filled with cheerful laughter again. Meng Jin enjoyed such moments and the joy after winning.

(End of this chapter)