Chapter 376 Please, Give Me 1 Point of Defensive Pressure

On the same night, the Trail Blazers defeated the Suns and got the match point.

After a day off, the second team fought again on the 17th. In the end, the Bulls eliminated the Pacers 4-2 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Trail Blazers eliminated the Suns and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

The Eastern Conference Finals, between the Knicks and Bulls, will begin on May 19th.

The Western Conference Finals, between the Lakers and Trail Blazers, starts on the 20th.

"Damn it, how many times has this been the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bulls?"

Zhao Dong has forgotten the number of times. He has played too many games against the Bulls. He complained to himself: "Jordan has retired. Are the Bulls still there?"

At 9 a.m. on the 18th, the NBA officially announced a series of personal honors.

Zhao Dong won the regular season MVP for the third consecutive year, and this time he was elected unanimously.

At noon that day, the Bulls arrived in New York.

Zhao Dong was also at the airport, seeing Da Zhi and his family off the plane.

Da Zhi, like Da Yao and others, did not have time to stay and watch the Eastern Conference Finals and the Finals. This year was the Olympic year, so he had to return to China to seize the time to rest and then report to the national team.

At this time, Jordan also came to New York. The Mavericks were eliminated. He came to watch the Eastern Conference Finals and was surrounded by the media in the parking lot.

"Michael, between the Knicks and the Bulls, which team do you want to reach the Finals?"

"I just hope to see a series as exciting as the second round of the Eastern Conference." Jordan was not a fool and avoided the question.

"Do you think Wyvern is the best scorer in league history?"

Jordan hesitated for a moment, but immediately nodded: "In this second round series, Feilong performed incredibly well. His offensive firepower and super high efficiency gave him the most terrifying scoring ability in history."

"Oh, it's a flying dragon?"

At this time, a reporter discovered Zhao Dong, so Zhao Dong could not leave and accepted a media interview with Jordan.

"Feilong, what do you want to say most about facing the Bulls again in the Eastern Conference Finals?" a reporter asked.

"What the hell, why is it a bull again?" Zhao Dong blurted out.

"Pfft!"

Everyone present laughed,

Even Jordan was smiling bitterly.

"Feilong, I don't want to ask how confident you are in defeating the Bulls. It must be 100%. I just want to know, do you think the Bulls have a chance to hinder the Knicks?" a reporter asked.

"I can only answer you this way, it is easier to beat the Bulls than the numbers team." Zhao Dong thought for a while and said.

"Why?" the reporter asked doubtfully.

"Because facing the Bulls, we have no disadvantage inside." Zhao Dong said with a smile.

He then ended the interview and left with Jordan.

After the Bulls arrived at the hotel, a press conference was held at the request of the media.

Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf also came to New York with the team, along with general manager Jerry Krause.

Last offseason, after Jordan retired and Phil Jackson resigned, the Bulls general manager position became vacant, and Reinsdorf invited Jerry Krause back.

In fact, he understands Klaus' ability very well. From the Bulls during the Bulls dynasty to the new Bulls now, Klaus has laid the foundation.

But the only regret is that after Phil Jackson left and before Krause came back, he temporarily hired Tim Floyd as the head coach to make a transition, but he didn't expect the new Bulls to perform like this this season. Excellent, even reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.

Of course, Floyd's ability is reflected in this, but the interim head coach also showed a big weakness, that is, he has almost no control over the locker room.

If it weren't for the veteran Oakley in the locker room who acted as a leader, the Bulls would have been in internal strife.

"Mr. Krause, have the Bulls established a new core now?"

At the beginning of the press conference, a reporter from New York Sports asked a question that made everyone in the Bulls unhappy.

Krause is naturally an old fox, and said with a smile: "We don't have a new core, because our core has always been clear. The Bulls play a dual-core style, and McGrady and Rasheed Wallace are our core inside and outside. "

"So according to media reports, is it true that there is internal strife in the Bulls locker room?" the reporter asked.

"No, we have the best leader in the locker room. Charles Oakley is the most prestigious veteran in the league. Our locker room is very stable under his management." Krause said with a smile.

His words made Tracy McGrady and Rasheed Wallace look at Oakley at the same time, and cursed in their hearts, the authority of shit, if he hadn't threatened with fists, who would have listened to him?

"Charles, a colleague of mine interviewed Feilong at the airport just now. He said that the Knicks' inside line would not be at a disadvantage against the Bulls. What do you think of his statement?" a reporter asked.

Oakley shrugged and said: "That guy Feilong, unless he plays against me in person, I will teach his inside teammates a lesson."

"Charles, the Knicks lost their previous iron-blooded defense in the second round, and their offense outweighed their defense. What do you think of this change of the Knicks?" a reporter asked.

Oakley said with a regretful tone: "The old man is gone. It is inevitable that the team's style will change. I don't have any opinion."

"Oh, are they Feilong and Jordan?"

"Why are they here?"

At this time, there was a burst of exclamation from behind.

Oakley stood up and saw that Zhao Dong and Jordan were really here.

Zhao Dong came here to find the bus, while Jordan came here specifically to see Bulls owner Reinsdorf, so after leaving the airport, he went straight here and happened to catch the Bulls press conference.

"Is this guy here to cause trouble?"

Rasheed Wallace was very unhappy when he saw that reporters were interviewing Zhao Dong and Jordan.

McGrady didn't say anything. In front of the two big guys, Zhao Dong and Jordan, although he is now the Bulls' most popular player, he has no right to make irresponsible remarks.

He only glanced at Rasheed Wallace, and secretly complained in his heart, if you have an opinion, just speak louder. You can't even hear this, right?

"Charles, let's go."

Zhao Dong casually answered two reporters' questions and then called Oakley away.

"You guy, we haven't finished the press conference yet, you really ruined the show." Oakley said as he left, dumbfounded.

"You are losing anyway, do you still want to win?" Zhao Dong said with a smile.

"..."

Oakley was speechless.

At this time, the bus also came, taking Mobley with it, and the three of them followed Zhao Dong and left the press conference hall.

Mobley had not been following Zhao Dong for a long time, but when they met, he still called him boss.

"What, Cardinalo, no one in the Bulls can be your boss?" Zhao Dong joked.

Mobley scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "I think it will give me more face if you become my boss."

"Haha..." Zhao Dong laughed.

Oakley gave Mobley a thumbs up and said jokingly: "Boy, I can't tell, but you will be very rich."

Zhao Dong laughed again and said to Mobley: "Okay, Cardinalo, hang out with me from now on, and I will help you get rich."

"Really?" Mobley jumped up excitedly.

"Daba, you're doing pretty well with the Bulls." Zhao Dong said to Daba.

"It's okay." Daba smiled.

Oakley is old. He averaged 28 minutes per game this season and spent the rest of the time on the bus. He averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds per game. He is still qualified as a substitute.

Zhao Dong took the three of them to the beach in the afternoon and rented a small yacht. The four of them went out to sea for a few hours and came back in the evening.

"Feilong, can't you beat Danny Fordson?" Oakley asked before they separated.

"That guy is so unlucky. He can barely play now, but his condition has dropped by two levels. He can no longer jump or run fast. His ability to resist is also weak. He dare not use force on his knees."

Shaking his head, Zhao Dong sighed.

Oakley also shook his head. Beast-like monsters like Fordson will lose their strength if they lose their explosive athleticism.

He was indeed unlucky. He was seriously injured during the contract year. He was even more unlucky than Larry Johnson. The latter only got injured after signing a 100 million yuan contract. He was certain that Fordson would not get the Knicks contract.

On the 19th, the Eastern Conference Finals begins.

Bulls: Oakley, Rasheed Wallace, Tracy McGrady, Mobley, Kidd.

Knicks: Zhao Dong, Willis, Rodney Rogers, Stackhouse, Ginobili.

In the TNT live broadcast, Barkley analyzed with a smile: "Feilong told the media yesterday that the Knicks had no disadvantage in the paint against the Bulls. So comparing the two teams' starting inside combination, from a defensive point of view, the Bulls are stronger inside, and offensively, There is no doubt that the Knicks are stronger, and overall, as Feilong said, the Knicks have no disadvantage."

Smith smiled and said: "The two teams have one thing in common inside, they can both pull apart, so today there will be a lot of breakthroughs from the outside of the two teams, and breakout tactics will account for an important proportion."

Barkley added: "Overall, the Bulls' defensive strength can be said to be quite strong. From Oakley to Rasheed Wallace, from T-Mac to Kidd, the defensive skills are quite strong. Mobley The outside defense is also qualified.

As for the Knicks, Rodgers has loopholes in this point, his defense is average, and the other four points are also pretty good.

In addition, we should not be fooled by the second-round series between the Knicks and the digital team and think that the Knicks completely lost their defense.

No, their defense is still there, but without Fordson on the inside, the defensive system will be overloaded when encountering a strong team.

The inside combination of Oakley and Rasheed Wallace has limited offensive capabilities. I think the reason why Feilong said there is no disadvantage in the inside is also for this reason.

But what I want to remind Feilong is that whether it is T-mac or Mobley, they have a way to break through. In addition to guarding against the Bulls' interior offense, you also have to guard against outside breakthroughs. Your interior is still at a disadvantage on the defensive end. . "

"So Charles, who do you think will win the Eastern Conference Finals?" Kenny Smith asked.

Barkley looked at his partner in surprise and said: "Do you still have to ask? In the series, he averaged 50+ per game and is the leading scorer in history. Do you think Oakley and Rasheed Wallace can guard the Dragons? No, guard If they don’t stop, they will be blown to pieces.”

At this time, in the player tunnel, the starters are getting ready to play.

When Rasheed Wallace saw Zhao Dong, he felt very unhappy because the Bulls' press conference yesterday was disrupted by Zhao Dong.

His face couldn't hide his thoughts. Zhao Dong was unhappy in his heart and the same on his face.

Zhao Dong didn't know what Rasheed Wallace was thinking. He just went to pick up the bus yesterday. It was not his intention to disturb the press conference. At this time, he saw the unhappy expression of Roaring Heavenly Lord staring at him and asked in confusion: " What are you looking at?"

"What do you think?" Rasheed Wallace muttered.

"You seem dissatisfied with me?" Zhao Dong asked again.

"Why should I obey you?" Rasheed Wallace said without losing his position.

Zhao Dong laughed twice and said to Oakley: "With such a temper that causes trouble, he still wants to fight for the top spot?"

Oakley said helplessly: "Feilong, give me some face and don't cause trouble."

"With you here, I will definitely not mess around. I will just chop off 50+ on his head today." Zhao Dong chuckled.

"Don't even think about it!"

Rasheed Wallace said angrily.

Oakley was too lazy to care. He thought it would be a good idea to let Zhao Dong teach Rasheed Wallace a lesson.

"Flying dragon! Flying dragon..."

When Zhao Dong appeared on the stage, the audience cheered.

After Zhao Dong averaged 50+ per game in the second round of the series, his influence in New York has exploded, and his number of personal fans has skyrocketed. At least 80% of the fans in the Madison Square Garden auditorium are wearing his home jersey.

At eight o'clock sharp, the game started, Zhao Dong and Rasheed Wallace jumped the ball.

The ball was thrown high, and Rasheed Wallace gathered enough energy to jump up as the basketball fell.

But unfortunately, Zhao Dong's bounce speed and bounce height were faster than his, and he beat the ball away before him.

"The Knicks attack, Zhao Dong controls the ball himself?"

Seeing that Zhao Dong did not enter the low post, but instead asked for the ball from the outside, Zhang Lili immediately explained: "The Bulls' defense is man-to-man?"

Just as he finished speaking, Zhao Dong launched an attack.

All five Knicks players were positioned on the outside, including Willis. The Bulls were man-to-man defensive tactics, so Oakley also followed. Rasheed Wallace faced Zhao Dong, and there was no one under the basket. is empty.

As soon as Zhao Dong landed at the top of the arc, when Rasheed Wallace came up to defend him, he suddenly started, with a simple and quick test step, he surpassed the latter in one step and killed him from the top of the arc.

It was empty inside, and it was a man-to-man defensive tactic. As soon as he entered, everyone in the Bulls could only stare outside.

"boom!"

With a brutal flat-basket dunk, Zhao Dong blasted the Bulls' basket.

Zhang Lili immediately shouted: "The Bulls can't play man-to-man. No one in this league can defend Zhao Dong alone. They must defend through zone defense and double-teaming, especially when there are no tall and strong inside players."

Although Oakley and Rasheed Wallace are strong defensively, they are not tall enough and cannot guard Zhao Dong. "

In the TNT live broadcast booth, Barkley also smiled and said: "If the Bulls continue to play man-to-man coverage, the Feilong will probably score 70+80+ today."

Smith said with a smile: "The Bulls played man-to-man because they thought their five starters were all good defensively."

On the court, Zhao Dong turned back to Rasheed Wallace and said, "Were you guarding me just now? Why can't I see where your people are?"

Rasheed Wallace's face turned red with anger and he said angrily: "I will let you see me."

Looking back, the Knicks set up a two-one-two defense in the backcourt, with Zhao Dong standing in the middle, Willis and Rogers below, and Ginobili and Stackhouse above.

Kidd held the ball near the top of the arc and was immediately double-teamed by Ginobili and Stackhouse. He immediately gave the ball to Mobley on the right wing.

Mobley caught the ball, and Ginobili turned around and rushed over. He made a feint shot, shook Ginobili, and reached the three-point line with the ball. After taking a step forward, when facing Zhao Dong's defense, Immediately pull up and shoot.

"boom!"

After missing two points from far away, Willis went in and grabbed the rebound and handed it to Zhao Dong.

Zhao Dong did not initiate a fast break and steadily advanced to the top of the key.

Barkley shouted at this time: "The Bulls didn't play man-to-man this time. The last time was probably a test. This time they changed to the league. No, it was a mix defense. Rasheed Wallace was marking the dragon, and the other four were playing We played second and third zone defense and focused on defending the Knicks' low post offense."

Bang bang bang, Zhao Dong controlled the ball unhurriedly at the top of the arc. When the time came to 20 seconds, he suddenly started, took a step forward, and began to break through.

Rasheed Wallace reacted quickly and scooted back.

But at this moment, Zhao Dong took one step back, then jumped up at the top of the arc. When he jumped to the highest point, the ball flew towards the basket.

"Uh-huh!"

The water splashed and Zhao Dong hit a hollow ball.

"A soulless shot, I hate shots like this. Please, give me some defensive pressure, I still can't see you."

Zhao Dong said with a disappointed face.

"..."

Rasheed Wallace's face was blood red.

Looking back, Mobley was moving on the right wing. Kidd looked at the right wing and pushed his hands to the right. But just when the Knicks' defensive attention was directed to the right, he retracted his hands and the ball flew to the left wing.

McGrady was cutting inside quickly. He had already gotten rid of Stackhouse. The moment he caught the ball, he entered the paint area and flew up after one step.

His speed is too fast, and Willis and Rogers on the low wings can no longer defend the basket.

At this moment, Zhao Dong, who was under the free throw line, turned to take the next step, and then followed McGrady to fly up.

"What?"

McGrady was about to do a tomahawk dunk, but suddenly a big hand held down the basketball he was raising high and about to chop down.

"yeah!"

Seeing the basketball being pulled high into the sky, the whole audience cheered.

The ball was picked up by Rogers who was returning to defense, and the Knicks turned to attack.

"Can you let me see your defense this time?"

Zhao Dong held the ball at the top of the arc and asked in a consulting tone.

"Stop being arrogant!"

Rasheed Wallace said sadly.