The longest river

Chapter 152 The Battle to Defend the "God of Basketball"
Before the decisive Game 7, the Pacers received some good news.

Rodman's participation in Game 7 is doubtful due to a recurrence of his knee injury.

Rodman returned to the All-Defensive First Team in his first season with the Bulls, making people forget that he was already 35 years old at that time.

For an inside player, this is a watershed moment when injuries break out.

Rodman missed several key parts of the season due to a recurring left calf injury at the beginning of the season, and then missed the end of the season due to a knee injury without having time for proper treatment.

It's fair to say that Rodman's ability to hold on until now is a testament to his extraordinary physical condition.

However, the fact that Miller has been replaced by Rodman reflects the intense competition in this series.

This decisive Game 7 has attracted widespread attention, even beyond basketball fans, with many non-basketball enthusiasts also following the game.

Because this is no longer just a basketball game, but also a question of whether the legend of the "God of Basketball" will come to an end.

The nature of human beings is to eat melons.

Stern even went so far as to collaborate with CCTV in China to broadcast the Game 7 game live.

It is expected that this will attract a large number of fans, including many professional players from the CBA, to watch the game.

After all, many people had already voted for Yang Shuai in previous All-Star games, not to mention watching his matchup against Jordan.

It's important to understand that the reason the NBA was able to open the door to the Chinese market was because of Michael Jordan.

Whether a sport can expand its influence is never determined by statistics or honors, but by its entertainment value, or what is commonly known as "playing beautifully." Jordan is unmatched in this regard.

Upon arriving in Chicago, Bird repeated his previous tactic, once again leading his team into the United Center from the ground.

This time, however, he didn't give any personal speeches, or rather, he didn't need to.

Because every Pacer player's face was filled with high morale.

From the initial best-of-seven (BO7) matches to the later best-of-three (BO3) matches, and now to the best-of-one (BO1) matches.

All the efforts will yield results tonight.

Whether it's a regret or a happy ending, there will eventually be an answer.

Moreover, the Pacers received good news before the game: Miller's ankle swelling had noticeably subsided.

While this doesn't mean his ankle injury is healed, his performance certainly won't be as shaky as it was in Game 6.

On May 31, U.S. time, the decisive Game 5 between the Bulls and the Pacers officially began at the United Center.

The stadium was packed, with fans even sitting in the aisles.

The media area was also packed with reporters, and cameras were already pointed at the field.

During the pre-game warm-up, the camera focused on Jordan, whose expression looked exceptionally serious.

Just as the fans and onlookers have been watching closely, this game is not only about whether he can win another championship, but also about his reputation as the "God of Basketball".

If he is defeated at his peak, how can he continue to bear the title with only 4 championships?
League President David Stern was also present.

This has left many fans wondering about the bias in the officiating during the game, and whether Stern will try to protect Jordan's championship is something to watch closely.

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups for both sides were announced.

Pacers: Mark Jackson, Miller, Young, Jermaine O'Neal, Schmitz
Chicago Bulls: Harper, Jordan, Pippen, Kukoc, Longley

Rodman's absence was proven to be a smokescreen before the game, as he actually warmed up with the team during the warm-up session.

However, his absence from the starting lineup indicates that the injury has indeed had a significant impact on him.

The commentators for tonight's game are Ernie Johnson and Albert.

Before the match even started, the two inevitably had another heated exchange of opinions.

Johnson believes it was surprising that the Pacers held on for Game 6, and their morale has reached its peak.

In addition, the Bulls are getting older, and their stamina will be a problem if the game goes to a Game 7. I think the Pacers have a better chance of winning tonight than the Bulls.

Albert, however, maintained his previous view that the Bulls could not possibly lose Game 7.

Or rather, Jordan couldn't possibly lose the series.

After winning the championship in 1991, Jordan was already mythologized by fans, and there was even a label that "Jordan never plays a Game 7".

Although it was later corrected to mean that the Finals would not have a Game 7, it still became associated with the legend of Jordan's undefeated record.

Of course, the series in which the Bulls lost to the Magic doesn't count in Albert's eyes, since Jordan only returned at the end of the season, and half a season doesn't count.

Amidst the heated discussion between the two players, the starting players from both sides took to the field one after another.

With the referee's whistle, and amidst cheers from Chicago fans, the highly anticipated Game 7 officially began.

Unlike the previous games, Bird stood on the sidelines at the start of this game.

His move was quickly reflected in the Pacers' offensive tactics on the court.

The Pacers focused on attacking Kukoc from the very beginning.

Kukoc is a versatile offensive player, but his defense is a problem. Whether it's defending back-to-the-basket moves in the low post or his footwork in mismatch defense, these weaknesses can become openings for opponents to exploit.

Yang Shuai hit a three-pointer over Kukoc right at the start of the game, and Miller followed up by shaking off Kukoc and making a mid-range shot.

The best news for the Pacers is that their backcourt duo were both on fire tonight.

With five minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Pacers had taken the lead and were already up 12-4 against the Bulls!

This start was even more dreamlike than G1.

This also shows that at this stage of the series, both sides know each other inside and out. If you show even the slightest weakness, you will be chased down and attacked.

And the referees didn't steal the spotlight tonight.

Stern made his choice.

Or rather, his attitude was already clear from the fact that he gave CCTV the live broadcast rights for this match.

Openly messing around in a Game 7, especially in a game that's considered outside the mainstream, will have a huge negative impact on the NBA's reputation, even if it doesn't completely ruin it.

It's important to understand that at that time, the NBA was at the bottom of the four major leagues, and he couldn't afford that kind of loss.

Of course, with overseas market expansion imminent, it would be difficult for him to abandon all his previous efforts overnight.

In fact, Jordan was also somewhat unhappy after Game 5. The referee's whistle was just icing on the cake for him, and this kind of "helping in the snow" only made him feel insulted.

At least Yang Shuai's criticism of him for relying on the referee was confirmed, which only made him feel uncomfortable all over.

Phil Jackson had no choice but to bring Rodman back.

When Rodman came on, you could clearly feel that his speed wasn't fast, like the effect of having a ⊕ status in 2K, where you still felt strained even when you pressed the speed-up button.

But Rodman still played very hard, and even recreated his most classic parallel diving save on the floor in one defensive play.

His appearance ignited the Bulls' morale, and the Bulls' defensive intensity noticeably increased.

This is the hidden effect of Rodman beyond his statistics: he can energize the team and even the fans in the arena whenever he's on the court.

However, the Pacers were also in top form tonight, and even if the Bulls could defend them, it would be difficult for them to launch a counter-attack. Moreover, it would be very difficult for them to score in half-court sets.

Forced into a corner, Jordan had no choice but to enter "zone" mode to help the team break the deadlock.

Fans also witnessed the performance of the "God of Basketball" during this segment. Whether it was his beautiful fake-out shots or his shots while dodging in the air and landing, the fans found it incredibly exciting.

Seeing this, Bird substituted Yang Shuai early and then arranged for Yang Shuai to "travel out" during the transition period between substitutes.

Only Bird could pull off such a tactic of avoiding direct confrontation and make it effective.

At halftime, the Pacers led 52-46.

In the third quarter, it was back to the familiar and exciting back-and-forth between defense and counter-attack, a period that really tested the players' stamina.

Moreover, the Pacers actually withstood the Bulls' onslaught in this quarter, and they fought to a 50-50 split with the Bulls!

One noteworthy point on the court was that Jordan was substituted by Phil Jackson and rested for two minutes in the middle of this quarter!

With Yang Shuai's relentless exertion, Jordan's stamina began to falter when the game went to a Game 7.

Yang Shuai's defensive strategy of not focusing on one or a few rounds, but looking at the whole court and even the entire series, has worked!

However, this was the reward for the Pacers' hard-fought victory in Game 4. If they had lost that game, even though Jordan was exhausted, he would have eliminated them in Game 5.

What excites Pacers fans even more is that Miller and Young both had great shooting nights.

Miller scored 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the first three quarters, as if his ankle injury had suddenly disappeared.

Yang Shuai scored 16 points on 6 of 11 shots.

Tonight, the Indiana duo went all out, giving off a 90s "Splash Brothers" vibe.

This presents the Bulls with a huge problem: if they can't contain the two players in the final quarter, they might even be swept away in one fell swoop.

At the start of the fourth quarter, both teams fielded substitutes.

One detail is that Phil Jackson used Rodman more in the third quarter, while Kukoc was on the court for the Bulls during that period.

It was during this period that Kukoc achieved the effect of "off-peak travel".

This was somewhat expected, because he is essentially a "sixth man" in terms of ability; when the field is full of substitute players, he can make a strong presence.

With four minutes played in the quarter, the Bulls tied the game at 80 with a smooth drive and layup by Kukoc.

Bird called a timeout, and when the timeout ended, he immediately brought back his entire starting lineup.

In the third quarter, both teams' key players were exhausted and needed more rest, but Bird couldn't care less at that point.

Seeing this, Phil Jackson didn't dare to be careless and also substituted in his main players.

Both sides have entered the decisive stage ahead of schedule.

(End of this chapter)