The longest river

Chapter 122 "You Can't Win Without Pippen"

After the timeout, the Bulls substituted Kerr for Harper, then moved Kukoc to the top of the arc to facilitate the offense, and started letting Jordan play off-ball.

The Bulls' 72 wins last season highlight the serious underestimation of Kukoc's importance. He can do everything Pippen can do on offense, and even do many things better.

Rodman set a screen for Jordan, and his screen was solid and included some subtle moves, but Yang Shuai still managed to get around it with his agile puppy-dog footwork.

But just as he rounded the goal, Jordan caught the ball, jumped up quickly, and pulled up for a jump shot that went in.

In the next possession, Yang Shuai made a preemptive move around the defense, but Jordan used Rodman's screen to run in the opposite direction, received a pass from Kukoc, and made another mid-range shot.

These two rounds perfectly illustrated what it means for "defense to always be passive in the face of offense" and "basketball is not just about one-on-one games".

Moreover, Jordan also demonstrated his excellent off-ball scoring ability in these two possessions.

Other players need a period of adjustment after receiving the ball, but Jordan could jump up and adjust in mid-air.

Yang Shuai really has no way to handle this kind of ball.

Because no matter how fast he goes around the screen, there is still a process of "going around".

As the game switched between offense and defense, Yang Shuai continued smoking in the corner.

Looking at Jordan, who was still staring intently at him, Yang Shuai couldn't help but say, "You know what? I know someone who became the GOAT by using pick-and-rolls."

"Negative energy from Michael Jordan +999".

Heaven and earth bear witness, Yang Shuai wasn't really talking about Jordan this time; he was just expressing his feelings.

My deskmate, a LeBron James fan, once said that Jerry Sloan was the greatest coach in his opinion because Sloan invented the greatest pick-and-roll offense, and James, as the GOAT, was the best at using that offense.

Yang Shuai amassed a number of points while lying down, but when he turned around, Jordan didn't dribble past him one-on-one.

Jordan isn't like Pippen, the kind of player who can't be swayed by anything. With just a little reminder from Phil Jackson, he knows what the best option is.

Seven minutes into the first quarter, Yang Shuai was substituted off the court to rest.

Overall, he has basically achieved his goals during this period.

He realized the extent to which his current defense could withstand Jordan's attacks, and how he had successfully worn down Jordan's stamina.

With 10 minutes remaining in the game, the score was 25-23, with the Bulls maintaining a slight lead.

Jordan and Miller were substituted off the court, and Yang Shuai was brought back onto the court as a substitute at this time.

This is the "off-peak travel" time that Bird tailored for him.

Of course, the playing styles will also be different.

Yang Shuai began to become the Pacers' main offensive weapon on the court.

After using a solid screen from Jermaine O'Neal, Yang Shuai accelerated into the paint and slammed the ball into the basket past Robert Parish, the former "Chief" who had joined the Bulls this season.

The ball instantly ignited the City Square stadium.

Yang Shuai's switching between offensive and defensive modes was like experiencing both ice and fire, bringing wave after wave of excitement to the fans in the stadium.

But the most exciting part is yet to come.

After completing the dunk, Yang Shuai turned to face the Bulls' bench, mainly Jordan shrugging and spreading his hands.

Jordan was so angry at this scene that he laughed.

Yang Shuai isn't even going to give him a moment to catch his breath!
Jordan thought Yang was just returning the ball he had celebrated with the Pacers' bench earlier, but he never expected that Yang would do that with every ball.

When Yang Shuai received a pass from Scott and hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the first quarter, he immediately gave the Bulls' bench a "6" sign.

"Negative energy from Michael Jordan +1122".

What seemed like an ordinary action to others was anything but ordinary to Jordan.

He is number one on all lists, including the lowest scorer in the three-point contest.

Jordan returned to the court at the start of the second quarter.

Moreover, Jordan followed Yang Shuai closely after coming up, his eyes blazing with intensity; he was there to lock Yang Shuai down.

In the first quarter, he followed Yang Shuai and squatted in the bottom corner for more than half a quarter, and now he finally got his chance.

Then, in the first possession against Jordan, Yang Shuai used Davis's screen to run a catch-and-receive play after an off-ball screen.

In the very next possession, he called for a screen from Jermaine O'Neal after receiving the ball, and used the screen to drive into the paint for a layup.

Jordan's face was full of displeasure, as if something was stuck in his chest and making him feel uncomfortable.

He wanted to defend Yang Shuai one-on-one, but Yang Shuai deliberately avoided attacking him one-on-one.

Moreover, having been verbally abused by Yang Shuai all night, he couldn't bring himself to verbally attack Yang Shuai right now.

After all, he was the one who used the screen first.

He could only channel that emotion onto the offensive end, engaging in one-on-one confrontations with Yang Shuai.

This is the real reason why Yang Shuai was shrugging and making a "6" gesture.

Last season's playoffs proved that to beat the Bulls, you had to wear Jordan down, and wear him down continuously.

Jordan, that old monster, also has an extremely fast physical recovery speed.

Phil Jackson looked somewhat helpless at this moment.

How could he not see through Yang Shuai's intentions? Even Jordan understood after being reminded of it.

Yang Shuai was just too over the top. For Jordan, some things were more important than the outcome of a regular season game.

However, the fans thoroughly enjoyed this segment. They had forgotten how long it had been since they had seen Jordan engage in such intense offense and defense.

Few teams would allow someone to go toe-to-toe with Jordan one-on-one for the entire game, or after Jordan reached his peak, no team would do that.

Because nine times out of ten, the players sent out would be beaten so badly by Jordan that they would question their existence.

But Bird let Yang do that tonight.

It's not that Yang Shuai could really stop every one of Jordan's attacks, but Jordan's attacks no longer had that effortless, unrestrained feel.

Moreover, Yang Shuai's resilience was perfectly demonstrated in this segment. He may fail in defense, but he will only be more committed to defense next time.

Gradually, Jordan's offensive began to slow down.

Even if he is Jordan, he is really going to be 34 years old soon.

More importantly, although he can freely switch into "zone" state, each time he enters it, the physical exertion is multiplied, and once he leaves that state, it is impossible to recover quickly.

Even because of Yang Shuai's provocation, he didn't get as much rest time as he would normally get when playing.

Finally, during one of Jordan's strong attacks on Yang Shuai, Yang Shuai seized an opportunity and blocked the ball.

The entire stadium erupted in cheers.

You rarely see Jordan get the ball stolen one-on-one, but it's even rarer to see him get blocked.

You have to understand that Jordan was the kind of player who, even after being blocked in mid-air, could still pull off a layup and make the shot before falling back down – a truly freakish ability.

But tonight, Yang Shuai collected these "rare items" one by one on the defensive end, just like collecting puzzle pieces.

"He should get the DPOY!"

Yang Shuai's performance also thrilled Ernie Johnson in the commentary booth.

It's worth noting that even last season's DPOY, Gary Payton, couldn't achieve this level of defensive effectiveness.

"Michael, go rest on the sidelines if you're tired!"

Seeing the beads of sweat constantly appearing on Jordan's forehead, Yang Shuai thoughtfully reminded him.

Miller was amused by what he saw on the bench. He immediately recalled the scene last night when Yang Shuai handed him water and twisted the cap off the bottle.

Jordan, who had originally intended to go down and rest for a while, immediately perked up again after hearing this.

After receiving the ball from the baseline, he held his breath and, facing Yang Shuai's defense, made a sudden stop and a super backward lean to score the ball off the backboard.

"I could shoot like this all night long," Jordan said, shrugging to Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai laughed.

No matter how much he criticized Jordan before, Jordan only responded with body language.

The feeling was the same as during the practice matches, a "whatever" attitude.

Perhaps that's the arrogance of the basketball god.

But now, the God of Basketball has finally been forced to set foot on earth.

"Really? I don't believe it." Yang Shuai shook his head.
"Unless you prove it to me."

Jordan's lips twitched.

He, who could spout trash talk like it was nothing, suddenly realized that he was actually no match for a high school student.

As he retreated, he frowned and turned to look at Bird.

Bird, who overheard their conversation, gave him a "don't look at me" expression. Yang Shuai was self-taught and had nothing to do with him.

Jordan played the entire quarter, and although he didn't show any signs of being out of breath, the beads of sweat pouring down his bald head said it all.

Of course, when Yang Shuai left the court, his shirt was practically sticking to his skin. Fighting to the death with Jordan isn't something you can just talk about; his physical exertion was no less than Jordan's.

But such an investment is definitely worthwhile.

At halftime, the Pacers led the Bulls 51-42.

This was their best first half since the start of last season's many encounters.

Although Jordan scored 23 points in the first half, he took 18 shots, and his 8-for-18 shooting percentage was only average for him.

Moreover, the Pacers' biggest gain was his excessive physical exertion.

This became very apparent after halftime, as the Bulls truly turned to Kukoc as their primary offensive weapon at the start of the second half.

But you know what, Kukoc's offensive talent was really buried with the Bulls. At 28 years old and in his prime, his impact on the game was far greater than the statistics suggest.

He is fully capable of playing the role of the main scorer for a playoff team.

However, the Bulls also failed to contain the Pacers.

Miller continued his excellent form from the start, and with Pippen out and Jordan too exhausted, the Bulls' signature third-quarter dominance in defense failed to materialize, and the point difference actually reached double digits by the end of the quarter.

In the decisive fourth quarter, Jordan tried his best to tie the score, but his offensive efficiency was not high due to excessive physical exertion.

With three minutes remaining in the game and the Bulls still trailing by double digits, Phil Jackson prepared to substitute Jordan out of the game.

The Pacers emerged victorious in this Christmas Day game.

Just then, seeing Jordan about to leave the court, Yang Shuai began his final scoring spree of the night:
"Give up, Michael! You can't win without Scottie!"

(End of this chapter)