The longest river

Chapter 155 Enemies are extremely jealous when they meet

At the Bulls' post-game press conference, Jordan and Pippen attended alongside Phil Jackson.

Jordan was asked questions almost the entire time.

"They are the better team in this series."

Jordan gave full recognition to the Pacers' performance.

"But this is not the end of the world, we just lost a series."

Moreover, Jordan also demonstrated his strong mental fortitude.

It's important to understand that countless fans were experiencing a collapse of faith at this time, including the Bulls players, but Jordan had already adjusted his mindset in a short period of time.

“We noticed the post-match handshake, and you still insisted on shaking hands with everyone.”

A reporter brought up a detail after the match.

"Yes, I shook hands with each of them because they no longer have a chance to beat us."

When Jordan said those words, it caused a burst of flashbulbs to go off in the arena, and instantly rekindled the faith of those fans who had lost it.

Jordan did lose, but he is not retiring today.

Some teams fall apart or even collapse after a loss, but others become fearsome after a defeat, and the Bulls clearly belong to the latter.

Yang Shuai was getting ready to attend a press conference when he discovered that Miller was missing. He asked Bird and learned that Miller was currently in the medical room getting ice applied, and that Miller's ankle was swollen like a ball.

It was from Bird that Yang Shuai learned that Miller had received a pain-relieving injection before the game.

No wonder Miller seemed unaffected during the game; painkillers are a type of medication that can suppress pain.

But that's something Miller would do. He's waited so many years to finally get a chance to beat Jordan, and he'll definitely give it his all.

However, Bird had a faint look of sorrow on his face when he finished speaking.

If this were the finals, tonight would be the best ending, but unfortunately they still have the finals to play.

Miller's worsening injury has undoubtedly cast a shadow over the Pacers' journey to the Finals.

"Coach, I'm here for you." Yang Shuai noticed Bird's change in mood and said with a smile.

Bird paused for a moment after hearing this, then laughed.

What's wrong with him? He actually needs Yang Shuai to tell him to relax.

Now that they've even defeated the Bulls, who can stop them?
"If Michael had played me in the Finals, his record would have been 0-4."

When the press conference arrived, Bird reverted to his cool and collected demeanor.

As a player, he swept Jordan in two rounds, and in his first year as a coach, he defeated Jordan. Their playoff head-to-head record was 0-3. Bird's words are irrefutable.

“I am proud of this team. They have never lost confidence in themselves, just as we believed in them in the first place.”

Bird's "we" referred to that Celtics team back then, and at that moment everyone realized that he was indeed teaching people how to beat Jordan.

“I just did what I was supposed to do. Reggie led us and he is our driving force.”

When the microphone was handed to Yang Shuai, he also took the initiative to mention Miller, who was unable to attend the press conference.

Miller didn't score in the final quarter tonight, and only took one shot, which was an airball. But without his outstanding performance in the first three quarters, the Pacers and Bulls wouldn't have had a chance to play in the decisive moments.

Fighting despite injuries and receiving injections to numb the pain—all of this greatly inspired Yang Shuai.

Who would you like to face in the finals?

The two teams in the Western Conference, the Jazz and the Rockets, have now reached a decisive Game 7, which will be played tomorrow.

"The Jazz".

Yang Shuai gave his answer without much hesitation.

It's not that the Jazz are easier to beat, but rather that he's a very vengeful person.

The day after the Eastern Conference Finals ended, media coverage was overwhelming.

There were reports about Jordan's powerful declaration at the press conference, and Miller's touching story of playing with pain-relieving injections, but the most numerous reports were about Yang Shuai.

His textbook defense against Jordan in the first three games, his role in the fourth game when he was called upon in a crisis, and his steal against Jordan in the final play of Game 7 and his declaration of killing the god as he jumped onto the scorer's table.

This is a second-year player!

"Without Hansen, the Pacers could not have beaten the Bulls."

This statement from the media was endorsed by all the fans.

Teams like the Heat and Kings, who missed out on Yang Shuai, were also dragged out and criticized again.

Especially the kings who have already plummeted to the lottery zone, just as the media predicted, they are about to be nailed to the pillar of shame.

Media outlets also reported on the viewership of the Game 7 match in China, with statistics showing that over 100 million people watched the game online.

At this moment, the Chinese market gave Americans a little shock.

This also proves how forward-thinking Stern's overseas plans were.

I can't believe what it will be like when a Chinese player officially enters the NBA and makes a name for himself.

That would definitely be a golden age for the NBA.

On the same day, the Jazz and Rockets played their decisive Game 7 in Salt Lake City.

Yang Shuai also watched the live broadcast of the game with Ray Johnson and DiFrancisco.

At the start of the game, Barkley gained the upper hand in his matchup against Malone in the paint, frequently scoring with low-post isolation plays.

Technically speaking, Barkley is still much better than Malone.

Barkley scored 10 points in the first quarter alone, helping the Rockets take the lead against the Jazz. When Barkley first joined the Rockets, fans mocked him, saying he was just there to ride their coattails; now he's the one carrying the team.

After the Jazz fell behind, they increased their defensive intensity.

In the second quarter, during the main phase of the game, Malone elbowed Drexler on defense, causing the latter to bleed from his eyebrow.

This time, Olajuwon restrained Barkley, preventing a conflict from breaking out. However, while Drexler was off the court treating his injury, the Jazz took the lead.

In the second half, Barkley's stamina began to wane, and the Rockets relied on Olajuwon to hold on in the paint.

Drexler failed to step up when the team needed him, and of the Big Three, the one who has declined the most this season is "The Old Glide".

In the fourth quarter, thanks to their superior physical condition, the Jazz suppressed the Rockets' final comeback attempt and defeated them 85-81, successfully advancing to the NBA Finals.

Confetti rained down as Salt Lake City fans celebrated wildly as they reached the NBA Finals for the first time.

On the other half of the court, Barkley refused the handshake and went back to the locker room.

It's foreseeable that the Jazz will be bombarded by fans after the game, as their victory over the Rockets was hardly honorable.

Yang Shuai's opponent in the finals was the Jazz, and he got his wish.

However, after watching the game, he dragged Di Francesco to do extra training.

Moreover, the extra training content was also quite special because it wasn't about basketball skills.

Ultimately, the two teams facing off in this year's NBA Finals are the Pacers and the Jazz.

This is the complete opposite of what fans were expecting: a Bulls vs. Rockets matchup.

Not only will Jordan and Olajuwon miss the most anticipated matchup, but both of them will also miss the Finals.

This was an outcome that no one could have predicted before the playoffs began.

However, this matchup still attracted a lot of attention from the outside world.

The biggest reason for this was, of course, the conflict that occurred when the two teams played against each other during the regular season.

The first time Ma Long was hospitalized after being beaten up was due to an "accident," and he was even suspended from competition. Just thinking about it is enough to make him mentally explode.

According to Salt Lake City media reports at the time, Malone was so angry after learning that Yang Shuai had said he intentionally fell to the ground to draw a foul that he was so enraged that he broke the railing of his hospital bed.

If he hadn't been so tough, they probably would have had to take a break from the game for several more rounds.

It is foreseeable that when the two teams meet, it will be like enemies meeting, with intense hatred between them.

With the finals about to begin, the media and the league have started a major publicity campaign.

This was a Finals without Jordan, but for both teams that had never won a championship, it would be history no matter who won.

The Pacers arrived in Salt Lake City the day before the NBA Finals began.

Salt Lake City, being a Mormon stronghold, has very little nightlife; you can't even find a single nightclub. This makes it the city that players least like to visit.

However, this is actually a good thing for the Pacers.

When you're playing in the Finals, you don't want to go to a place like Los Angeles, where the women are enough to wear you down before the game.

Yang Shuai chose to train at the gym. "Thanks to" the game against the Bulls, he had more time to improve his ball handling and dribbling skills. His attributes such as driving to the basket and making layups have now been raised to around 84.

This will be a greater help to him in the finals.

Right after training ended, Yang Shuai received a text message from Barkley.

"Help me beat them up."

Yang Shuai could easily imagine Barkley's teeth-gritting expression when he sent the message.

Losing isn't unacceptable for Barkley, after all, he's lost so many times before, but he must be resentful of losing in that way.

"It's covered."

Yang Shuai will definitely not hold back against the Jazz; he will use all his strength if he can.

On the day of Game 1, the Jazz held an open practice in the morning.

Ma Long gave an interview to reporters after training.

"Did you feel regretful that you didn't get to play against Michael in your first time reaching the Finals?"

"Yes, we've been preparing to beat Michael and the Bulls all season, but they're out."

Malone also harbored resentment towards Jordan, because during this year's MVP selection, he was a strong contender for the award due to leading his team to the best record in franchise history.

According to some media outlets, people are getting tired of Jordan, so it's Malone's turn.

But in the end, the league still gave the MVP to Jordan, and he was very unhappy about being treated like a monkey.

"Are you confident you can beat the Pacers? They beat the Bulls."

"Basketball is not a math game, I am absolutely confident that I can beat them."

When Ma Long said this, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

The media reports about Miller's injection look very encouraging, but it's actually great news for the Jazz.

The Bulls and Pacers fought to a draw, which ultimately benefited the Jazz.

Facing a depleted Pacers team, the Jazz have no reason to lose.

Surely no one really thinks that high school student alone can defeat them?
Just thinking about that high school student made Ma Long feel an uncontrollable, dull pain in the back of his head and chest.

"I'll teach them a lesson they won't forget!"

Malone added through gritted teeth.

(End of this chapter)