The longest river

Chapter 148 Heaven Will Bestow a Great Responsibility on This Person
"Incredible!"

Mike Brin only sighed after the match was completely over.

The Pacers' early lead, the incredible duel between Jordan and Miller in the decisive moments, and Yang Shuai's game-winning block on Jordan at the end.

This competition can only be described as "magical".

But miracles aren't luck; the Pacers' victory in this game had virtually nothing to do with luck.

Their spatial tactics, defensive capabilities, execution, and fighting spirit were all perfectly demonstrated in this match.

They proved themselves to be a team on the same level as the Bulls!

The Pacers' bench erupted in celebration, with players rushing onto the court to begin their festivities.

They actually beat the Bulls, and at the United Center!
The ideas Bird instilled in them were proven true at this moment: as long as they maintained their confidence and desire, they really could beat the Bulls!

Moreover, this victory was different from last season's, which relied on some luck; they truly defeated the Bulls head-on.

"Played well."

During the post-game handshake, Jordan once again uttered that familiar phrase.

However, Yang Shuai did not hear the notification sound in his mind this time.

In the locker room after the game, the Pacers players were celebrating wildly.

Yang Shuai accompanied Bird to the post-game press conference.

"On media day, you said you were here to teach this team to beat Michael, and now you've done it."

The reporter's initial words to Bird drew laughter from the audience, and Bird smiled along with them.

This show of bravado, which spanned an entire season, was truly an overreaction.

However, Bird quickly stopped smiling.

"We have only awakened a sleeping lion."

This understated statement is unlike Bird's usual style, but it's very realistic.

To think that winning one game means you've defeated Jordan and the Bulls is true underestimation.

"But we will kill it."

However, what was bound to happen still happened, and Bird's last words drew another round of whistles from the audience.

"We need to be prepared to play them a full seven games."

When the same question was posed to Yang Shuai, he also appeared very pragmatic.

This game changed his understanding; it would be very difficult to defeat the Bulls by simply guarding Jordan.

Just like his defensive strategy in the final moments, wearing down the opponent throughout the series is the way to win the final victory.

To put it bluntly, it's the "enduring the old man tactic".

Although the Bulls are strong, their average age is what it is, and the longer the series goes on, the more advantageous it will be for them.

"But we will win in the end."

Yang Shuai is increasingly resembling Bird in terms of his cool and collected demeanor.

As Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals concluded, the final Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals also came to an end.

The Jazz defeated the SuperSonics 83-80 in Game 7, setting up a Western Conference Finals matchup against the Rockets.

As Mike Breen had predicted in his "NBA Insider" report, the SuperSonics inflicted significant damage on the Jazz, while the Rockets were well-rested.

The question of who will ultimately make it to the NBA Finals remains unanswered.

Two days later, Game 2 between the Bulls and the Pacers continued at the United Center.

With Jordan leading the way, the Bulls unleashed their highest level of defense from the very start of the game.

After a defensive battle, the Bulls defeated the Pacers 75-68 to pull one back in the series.

As it turns out, when it comes to defense, no team in the league can beat this Bulls team.

If the Pacers want to win, they need to find a way to perform better on offense.

However, this result is acceptable to the Pacers. Winning on the road means taking away home-court advantage, and although the Bulls won Game 2, they were exhausted.

After the first two games of the series concluded in Chicago, the two teams moved to Indianapolis to continue their two-game series.

Back at home, the Pacers were in high spirits.

Especially amidst the fervent cheers of the Indiana fans, the Pacers once again got off to a perfect start.

At halftime, they still led the Bulls 46-40.

However, in the third quarter, the Bulls once again unleashed their high-intensity defense.

Unlike Game 1, Phil Jackson had Rodman play center and Kukoc play power forward in this segment, frequently pushing the defense and counter-attacking with help defense and double teams.

During this stretch, the Bulls maximized their help defense, and by the end of the third quarter, they had tied and then taken the lead.

To make matters worse, Miller twisted his ankle during a scramble and had to return to the locker room for treatment.

The match was so intense that even Miller was not spared.

In the fourth quarter, with Miller's return, the Pacers began a furious comeback against the cheers of their home fans.

At a crucial moment, Pippen, who had performed poorly in the first two games, finally stepped up, scoring 13 points in this quarter with a combination of drives and outside shots.

Neither Miller nor Mark Jackson could contain his performance on the Pacers.

Jordan and defense were the two strongest aspects of this Bulls team, but Rodman in Game 1, Pippen in Game 3, and the other players on the Bulls team always managed to perform in crucial moments.

This is the foundation of the Bulls.

The Bulls defeated the Pacers 93-86, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

The Bulls have regained home-court advantage, putting pressure on the Pacers. If they fail to hold onto their second home game, heading back to Chicago with a 1-3 deficit will likely result in the same fate as last season.

Game 4 will be a do-or-die situation for the Pacers.

The day before the game, the Pacers held a closed-door daily practice.

Before training began, Bird called Yang Shuai to his office.

"Reggie's ankle injury is more serious than expected."

Due to the limitations of current technology, there is no medicine that can quickly reduce swelling and restore activity.

The injury to the team's star player is undoubtedly a devastating blow to the Pacers.

"I originally wanted him to be a substitute, but he insisted on starting."

Bird's next words didn't surprise Yang Shuai; Miller was the kind of player with that kind of ambition.

“But it’s definitely not okay to let him play like he did before, so I’m going to make you the team’s first choice for offense in the later games.”

After explaining the team's current predicament, Bird finally revealed the main reason he called Yang Shuai over.

With Miller injured, the responsibility of the team's offense falls on Yang Shuai's shoulders.

"no problem."

Yang Shuai nodded almost without hesitation.

Last year when they played the Knicks, Miller was injured and missed an entire series, but he still managed to shoulder the offensive burden.

Not to mention he's even stronger this year than last year.

"What about Michael?"

However, Yang Shuai then expressed his concerns.

Under his restrictions, Jordan's performance in the first three games was significantly lower than his average playoff performance, including a great deal of physical exertion.

But if he were to take the lead in offense, he obviously wouldn't be able to defend Jordan the same way he used to.

His physical strength is, after all, limited.

"You don't need to worry about Michael's defense, just take care of Scottie."

Since Bird had already said that, Yang Shuai didn't say anything more.

Moreover, being the primary scorer when playing against the Bulls presented a challenge no less significant than defending Jordan.

It's important to understand that the Bulls' defensive capabilities are far superior to those of the Knicks and Heat, especially when they are playing with full force on defense, as demonstrated in the previous three games.

After the team's daily training session, Yang Shuai went to the video room to study the videos of the previous three games.

There's a difference between replacing Miller as the team's main offensive option and having him play like Miller, because the two have different abilities.

If he wants to achieve the same effect as Miller with his current abilities, he must maximize his strengths.

Two days later, Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals continued at City Plaza Garden.

For the Pacers' do-or-die game, not only did General Manager Walsh come to the arena, but even owner Simon came.

Before the game, Simon even went down onto the field to check on Miller's injury.

Yang Shuai could sense that this boss truly valued Miller.

After the pre-match warm-up, the opening ceremony began.

The starting lineups for both sides are the same as in previous matches.

The only difference was that when Miller came on stage, the cheers from the fans were deafening.

Just like when Miller returned to the court in the fourth quarter of the last game, this kind of return from injury and playing like a champion can greatly boost the morale of the team and fans.

After the final warm-up, the competition was about to begin. Yang Shuai took a deep breath and walked to the technical table. He rubbed his hands with magnesium powder and then threw the excess powder directly into the air.

This throw was also a way of releasing all the pressure in my heart.

Rodman tipped the ball back to half-court, giving the Bulls the first offensive opportunity.

When Jordan arrived at the frontcourt, he was somewhat surprised to see that the person guarding him was Mark Jackson instead of Yang Shuai. However, the seasoned player immediately guessed Bird's intention.

Without any hesitation, he turned his back to Jackson in the low post and began to assert his position.

That's the instinct of a superstar.

The Bulls launched their triangle offense. Harper fed the ball to Jordan, who leaned on Jackson and then turned and faded off to the baseline.

"Shh!"

The basketball goes hollow into the net.

Jackson's strength was barely enough to hold off Jordan, as seen in his previous performance against the Knicks when he held off Larry Johnson.

But Jordan is not Johnson, and the height difference makes it somewhat difficult for Jackson to truly defend Jordan.

"With Michael playing like this, the Pacers' playoff run will end here."

The commentary team for tonight's match was Ernie Johnson and Albert, and after watching just one round, Albert had already drawn his own conclusion.

In Game 1, the Pacers struggled even with an early lead when Jordan wasn't shooting well. Now that Jordan is on fire, it will be even harder for the Pacers to win.

Not to mention Miller was also injured.

Bird also looked at Yang Shuai at this moment, his expression solemn.

When Heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon someone, they must first undergo a period of hardship.

Yang Shuai faced unimaginable difficulties in taking on this critical mission.

(End of this chapter)