The longest river

Chapter 153 The Unhelpful Second Master
One detail from the decisive stage: in order to ensure Jordan's offensive performance in the first three quarters, the Bulls used Harper to guard Miller, while Jordan guarded Mark Jackson.

However, after the main players returned this time, Jordan switched back to Miller.

Miller's performance tonight was beyond expectations, or rather, the Pacers' ability to perform so well on the road was largely due to Miller's "extraordinary play".

After all, he was playing with an ankle injury.

This defensive switch was immediately effective; Jordan forced Miller to airball in the very first defensive possession.

This play still shows the impact of Miller's ankle injury. He didn't have a high jumping ability to begin with, and now he's practically a "matchbox." To avoid Jordan, he had to raise his release point, but the arc was too high and he missed the ball.

After the transition, Jordan had the ball on the strong side, while Pippen slid along the baseline on the weak side.

However, because Jordan's isolation plays failed to draw double teams, and Miller seemed completely unaffected by his ankle injury and was not shaken off tonight, this tactic did not work.

In the end, Jordan could only take on Yang Shuai one-on-one.

He opted for a back-to-the-basket turnaround layup.

Yang Shuai's shot blocked his shooting angle, and he didn't jump to avoid being faked out.

Jordan then forced a difficult turnaround fadeaway.

His core strength and explosiveness, including his waist and abdominal strength, were fully demonstrated in this play.

"when!"

The basketball bounced off the rim and went out of bounds.

Yang Shuai turned around and grabbed the defensive rebound.

Jordan's stamina issues became increasingly apparent. Although this shot was difficult, he used to be almost certain of making this close-range fadeaway when his shooting angle wasn't completely blocked.

Turning back, Miller was still tightly guarded by Jordan, and this time he couldn't even catch the ball.

Mark Jackson switched from the strong side to the weak side, and Yang Shuai received the ball but was also caught by Pippen.

Yang Shuai gestured for Jermaine O'Neal to set a screen, but when O'Neal came up to set the screen, he suddenly made a fast drive to the other side.

This was a trick he had used in that practice game back then, and Pippen still fell for it.

Yang Shuai drove past Rodman, who was helping to defend, and into the paint.

Rodman couldn't keep up, so he grabbed Yang Shuai and pulled him down hard.

The movement was so large that it almost knocked Yang Shuai to the ground.

Seeing this, O'Neal turned around and was about to cause trouble for Rodman.

But at that moment, Yang Shuai pulled him away.

"Remember what Larry said."

Yang Shuai calmed O'Neal down with just one sentence.

The referee did not call a malicious foul on Rodman.

Although they won't be as blatant as they were in Game 5, they will inevitably favor the Bulls in some possessions where a call is not crucial.

Yang Shuai swung his arm and went to the free throw line.

The noise from the scene was so loud it hurt my eardrums; the United Center was more chaotic tonight than ever before.

After catching his breath, Yang Shuai made both free throws with ease.

Jordan is currently focusing all his efforts on guarding Miller, and he has to step up.

Jordan went up the court and started playing off-ball tactics with Rodman.

However, Yang Shuai managed to get into position this time and wasn't blocked by Rodman. He made a strong lunge and successfully disrupted Jordan.

"when!"

Jordan missed several shots in a row.

There was a commotion in the place.

Even they could sense that Jordan's physical condition was failing this time.

The situation has become very dangerous for the Bulls.

Yang Shuai continued to use Jermaine O'Neal's screens to receive the ball on offense, and this time he drove even more decisively than before, choosing to force his way into the paint even when facing Rodman's collapsing defense.

Yang Shuai's shot, taken under pressure, missed the basket.

The referee did not blow the whistle.

Fortunately, Schmitz followed up with a putback and scored!

Rodman's knee injury affected his jumping speed, preventing him from jumping in time.

The scene was in an uproar.

With Miller being shut down by Jordan, Yang Shuai and Schmitz stepped up one after another!
After seeing Schmitz score, Yang Shuai wanted to give him an excited chest bump, but found that he didn't have the strength to jump up, so he could only give him a high five instead.

He had to defend Jordan on the defensive end and also be the main scorer on the offensive end, so his physical exertion during this period was enormous.

Of course, the same applies to Jordan. The reason why his performance was so obvious was because he also had to defend Miller.

Although Miller didn't score, his off-ball movement took a heavy toll on Jordan's stamina.

Since both sides came up early for the final battle, their physical strength was almost depleted. Now it was not only a contest of strength, but also a battle of wills.

It all comes down to who can grit their teeth and persevere until the very end.

However, just as the two sides entered a transition from offense to defense, something terrifying happened to Yang Shuai.

Jordan faked him out with a crossover and drove straight to the basket for a layup.

Jordan actually forced his way into the "zone"!
The ball instantly ignited the United Center.

If the Bulls don't score at this point, there might not be a decisive moment left.

Yang Shuai's next breakthrough was met with a double-team from Pippen and Rodman. After being forced to stop the ball, he passed it to Jermaine O'Neal.

The Pacers' starting lineup has a lot of spacing, and Jermaine O'Neal has a great mid-range shooting opportunity after receiving the ball.

Unfortunately, Jermaine O'Neal failed to capitalize on this opportunity.

Rodman grabbed the rebound.

The Bulls suddenly launched a fast break, with Jordan taking the lead, receiving a pass from Pippen, and scoring a layup.

The score is tied at 84!
Bird called a timeout. The tension of the game had left all the fans watching feeling parched.

After the timeout, Yang Shuai and Miller switched positions, and Yang Shuai used Schmitz's screen to cut to the basket and make a layup with a Euro step.

Rodman pulled him down hard once again.

Rodman would never give Yang Shuai a chance for a 2+1 play.

After pulling down, Rodman deliberately bumped into Yang Shuai.

However, Yang Shuai did not respond and simply walked to the free throw line on his own.

"What turned you from a tough guy into a coward?" Rodman asked Yang Shuai with a mocking look.

"So what made you break up with Madonna? Was it because you couldn't perform in that area?" Yang Shuai asked with a smile.

Rodman smiled.

This guy is a master at manipulating people's mentality; he's an emotional miser, and it's harder to earn points from him than from Jordan.

However, Rodman didn't say anything more. He realized that it was probably impossible to change Yang Shuai's mentality now.

Yang Shuai made the free throw, helping the Pacers regain a 3-point lead.

Once back on defense, at Bird's signal, Yang Shuai stopped guarding Jordan, and the Pacers began to double-team him.

However, Jordan did not choose to pass the ball at this moment. Instead, he drove to the baseline and then stopped and took a fadeaway shot.

It's clear that Jordan can't guarantee how long he can stay in "zone" mode, so he can only go all out on offense.

With one and a half minutes left in the game, the score was 91-88, with the Bulls holding a 3-point lead.

Although Bird had tried to prevent Young from wearing down on the defensive end, the Bulls also tightened their defense against Young, and the rest of the Pacers failed to step up, giving the Bulls the advantage.

Go Bulls!

This situation prompted the fans at the stadium to start chanting in unison.

If Jordan scores just one more basket, the Bulls will basically win this game!

Jordan continued to back down Mark Jackson, then turned and pulled up for a shot before the double team arrived at the free-throw line.

"when!"

This time, however, Jordan missed his shot!

Even Jordan stumbled when he landed.

He has broken free from the "zone" state!
Because of the continuous exhaustion throughout the series, and because he had already entered the "zone" in the first half, even though he forced himself to enter it again, he still couldn't hold on until the end.

Before the fans' sighs of regret had even subsided, another uproar erupted.

Because Yang Shuai is launching a fast attack!
Jordan's shot was a long rebound, which was grabbed by Mark Jackson.

Mark Jackson's long passes from the backcourt still feel so good.

Yang Shuai caught the easy basket and launched a fast break to the frontcourt, scoring with a flying layup.

At this point, his physical strength was also completely depleted.

The Bulls immediately called a timeout.

The fans in the stadium didn't dare to breathe at this moment, as the suspense of a 1-point difference was suddenly brought back.

After the timeout, Phil Jackson substituted Kerr in, and the Bulls executed a very beautiful "pseudo-Starburst" play in the frontcourt.

Jordan held the ball on the strong side, drawing double teams. Kerr used Rodman's screen to run a play on the weak side, and Pippen took the opportunity to slip along the baseline.

Jordan passed the ball to Pippen.

However, Yang Shuai then chased Pippen from behind, interfering with his shot, and Pippen's subsequent layup attempt failed to find the net.

But just then, the referee's belated whistle blew, and Pippen got two free throws!

This call sent Bird rushing from the sidelines to the referee, his emotions running high.

This was a hair-tip whistle, and a hair-tip whistle that completely dictated the outcome of the game!
However, the referee ultimately did not change the decision.

Clearly, just like how they treated Rodman before, they went from blowing biased calls throughout the game to making calls in a few crucial rounds.

Stern didn't want the Bulls to lose, and most fans didn't want the Bulls to lose either.

Bird clenched his fist in the end, but Carlisle pulled him back.

When Bird sat back down on the bench, his eyes were still full of anger.

Sometimes it's easy to teach others to control their emotions, but controlling them yourself is the hardest thing.

Pippen has two free throw opportunities.

The fans at the scene didn't dare to make a sound at this moment.

The air was filled with tension.

"Scottie, I'm going to sign a contract worth hundreds of millions this summer."

After standing on one side of the free throw line, Yang Shuai spoke to Pippen.

Although it's still uncertain whether the Pacers can ultimately overcome the Bulls, Yang Shuai has undoubtedly demonstrated his value in this series.

A contract worth hundreds of millions of yuan is not out of reach for him.

Pippen didn't retaliate verbally, but his body gave the most direct response.

"when!"

Pippen's first free throw went wide.

There was a commotion in the place.

Pippen had two crucial free throws at the end of Game 4, but he missed them today.

"Don't get agitated, it's not like you signed it," Yang Shuai said, trying to comfort him.

This time, Pippen glared at Yang Shuai, then let out a long sigh.

"when!"

Pippen's second free throw also missed!
Schmitz grabbed the defensive rebound and held it overhead, prompting the Pacers to call a timeout.

With 35 seconds left in the game, the Pacers have a chance to win!
(End of this chapter)