The longest river

Chapter 101 A "handsome" person is bound to have good luck.

Phil Jackson called a timeout.

During the timeout, Jackson didn't even pick up the clipboard. After handing over the task of tactical arrangements to assistant coach Tex Winter, he pulled Pippen aside for a chat.

When the timeout ended, Pippen's expression had returned to normal.

Moreover, when Yang Shuai continued to trash talk, Pippen seemed completely immune to it.

The feeling was like being "dispelled of negative effects and given a magical shield" by a priest.

Yang Shuai couldn't help but look at Jackson sitting on the sidelines.

They forgot about the "Zen Master".

Jackson was not known for his tactical command; his most famous triangle offense came from Winter, who was by his side. What he was good at was controlling the players' psychology.

This seems simple, but it is actually the most difficult part of becoming an NBA coach.

After all, they are dealing with millionaires, even multi-millionaires or billionaires. Just getting them to listen to you is not an easy task.

But Jackson could not only do that, he could also make superstars with strong personalities like Jordan and Kobe bow down to him.

It was with this skill that he led the team to three consecutive championships and 11 world championships, making him a candidate for the greatest coach in history.

At halftime, the Bulls led the Pacers 53-51.

The two teams were evenly matched.

The score gave the fans in the stadium endless hope, but when the game entered the third quarter, that hope quickly turned into despair.

The Bulls began to "simmer and reduce the heat".

They started using a full-court press, with Harper, Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman—three All-Defensive First Team players this season, plus a top-tier defensive specialist—like a net hanging over the Pacers' heads.

Moreover, these Bulls players are not only strong defensively, but they also have incredibly high stamina, thanks to their controlled play in the first half and the halftime break.

The Pacers struggled to get past half-court and committed several turnovers.

Brown was jumping up and down in frustration on the sidelines, but to no avail.

The Bulls outscored the Bulls 26-13 in the third quarter, extending their lead to 15 points.

The fans at the stadium were filled with despair.

Although the Pacers had previously completed a 17-point comeback against the Knicks, it's hard to say that Yang Shuai could replicate his 6-for-6 performance from three-point range, especially considering they were facing the Bulls!
The Bulls' defensive intensity is far greater than that of the Knicks.

And most importantly, they also have Jordan.

You might be able to recall many games where Jordan led his team to a comeback victory in the final quarter, but you can't imagine a game where he was leading by so much and still got reversed.

Although they knew that the Bulls were incredibly strong this year, the Pacers really couldn't win a single game. Were they going to be swept so easily?
Brown, holding the tactical board, momentarily forgot what he was going to say.

Although the Pacers managed to eliminate the Knicks despite Miller's absence, everyone knows it was because of Yang Shuai, not because of him as head coach.

But if the Pacers are swept by the Bulls, then the head coach will be primarily responsible.

People only reflect on themselves when they are pushed to the brink. It was at this moment that Brown remembered Yang Shuai's request to play at the beginning of the second quarter.

He signaled to Yang Shuai to take the court at the start of the fourth quarter.

It wasn't because he felt he had done something wrong, but because he was afraid.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Pippen led the Bulls, while Yang Shuai led the Pacers.

"It seems you're going to lose."

Pippen's mentality was affected by Yang Shuai in the second quarter. Although Jackson helped him through it, his frustration didn't disappear.

Now he finally has a chance to vent his anger.

"Scottie, do you know what we call you where I'm from?"

However, Yang Shuai was not angered by him.

"Stop with your provocative tactics, they're no longer effective against me."

Pippen, however, was unconcerned; he would never fall for the same trick twice.

However, Yang Shuai seemed not to hear him and then muttered to himself, "Pippen's coin."

Pippen paused for a moment.

He had imagined Yang Shuai saying all sorts of things to provoke him, but he never expected it to be such a word, and he didn't even know what it meant.

Fortunately, Yang Shuai kindly explained to him: "For example, the contract I signed with Reebok is 4 Pippen dollars."

"Negative energy from Scottie Pippen +999".

Pippen was a little confused at first, but once he understood, his eyes instantly flashed with murderous intent.

For players, especially African American players, what they care about most is not their status on the team, nor external evaluations, and they even talk about racial discrimination all the time. What they care about most is nothing more than money.

Because of the hardships they had endured, they had an extreme desire for money.

Therefore, you will find that those players who made exorbitant demands that led to the league's shutdown were all, without exception, Black players.

The same goes for Pippen.

However, he has absolutely no vision and is also very insecure.

In 1991, many in the league had already foreseen the trend of salary increases.

When Jordan overcame the Pistons and defeated Magic Johnson, not only did Jordan reach the peak of his career, but the NBA's influence also increased significantly because they had Jordan as the biggest brand.

But Pippen didn't see that. Even though Jordan was trying to persuade him, he still insisted on signing a 7-year, $1800 million contract with the Bulls, which averaged out to about $250 million a year.

Looking back now, that signing of his really was a ridiculous 250.

Because Larry Johnson and Glenn Robinson, who later had multi-million dollar contracts, were far less skilled and influential in the league than him.

However, NBA contracts are different from endorsement contracts; once signed, they cannot be changed before the contract expires.

So this became Pippen's greatest pain.

Now, Yang Shuai has not only touched that wound, but has also rubbed salt into it.

Yes, Yang Shuai, a high school student, earns more money every year than him even before entering the league!
He even created a "Pippen coin," just like he previously coined the term "sissy" for Albert.

Pippen was completely enraged. He could no longer listen to anything anyone said. He was going to teach Yang Shuai, that bastard, a lesson!
Four minutes into the fourth quarter, Phil Jackson called a timeout.

Jackson wasn't a coach who liked to call timeouts; he preferred that players take matters into their own hands and solve problems on the court.

But tonight, this was the second time he had called a timeout for Pippen.

With Pippen's almost irrational individual offense, the Bulls were outscored 10-2 by the Pacers, and the 15-point deficit was reduced to just 7 points in the blink of an eye.

Pippen is undoubtedly stronger than Yang Shuai, by a significant margin, but his ball-handling offense is really difficult to gain any advantage against Yang Shuai.

His several strong attacks either missed or went wrong, and Yang Shuai seized the opportunity to launch a fast break.

And this time, Pippen wasn't really listening to Jackson. After the timeout, Jackson had to substitute Pippen to calm him down, but all four of the Bulls' starters were brought back on, with the only substitute still on the court being Kerr.

With this lineup, Jordan moved up to small forward.

Moreover, in the very first round, he sat down and attacked Yang Shuai in the low post, which was clearly to vent Pippen's anger, just like before.

Although Yang Shuai couldn't contain Jordan, he tried his best to give Jordan as much physical contact and wear him down.

And once the Pacers' starters returned, he told Schmitz to start playing spacing basketball.

The Pacers were able to eliminate the Knicks not only because of Yang Shuai's outstanding performance, but also because of their spacing basketball.

However, with Miller's return, Brown reset everything back to normal.

Because of Brown's stubbornness and desire for control, the Pacers' playing style was subsequently abandoned.

However, the moment Yang Shuai was substituted into the game in the fourth quarter, he knew that Brown had abandoned his principles out of fear, so this style of play could naturally continue to be used on the court.

This adjustment had an immediate effect.

Or rather, this kind of spatial fighting style feels like a pistol against a broadsword in this era.

Especially after Pippen, the defensive anchor on the wing, was substituted.

To limit the Pacers' offense, Jordan had to do more help defense.

That had some effect, but it also caused him to expend more physical energy.

With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Pacers had narrowed the gap to six points.

Jackson had to bring Pippen back into the game.

But Pippen was still in a negative state at this time. Although he could be seen trying to adjust, his influence on the court was obviously not as great as before.

Moreover, as his physical strength declined, Jordan's efficiency inevitably began to drop because he expended a lot of energy in the third and fourth quarters.

With Yang Shuai and Miller each hitting a three-pointer from two 45-degree angles, the Pacers finally tied the game with 40 seconds left!
A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd.

This time, Yang Shuai didn't have the miracle of going 6-for-6 from three-point range again, but thanks to successful defense against Pippen and tactical adjustments, the Pacers tied the score once more.

They now have only 40 seconds left to make a real comeback.

The Bulls did not call a timeout.

Pippen dribbled the ball up the court, and the Bulls continued their triangle offense.

Moreover, this time Jordan moved to the high post, and after Pippen passed the ball, he immediately cut inside and brought Yang Shuai from the strong side to the weak side.

Jordan held the ball with one hand, observing the defense. When he saw Davis trying to help, he turned and made a huge fadeaway jumper towards the free-throw line.

Prior to this, Jordan had failed to score on two consecutive drives due to declining physical condition.

But this time, he chose the shot he was most confident about this season.

The basketball flew from Jordan's hands, and the fans in the arena held their breath.

Jordan took the shot with only 16 seconds left in the game. If Jordan missed, the Pacers would have a chance to win the game.

The basketball spun through the air, tracing a perfect parabola.

Even when his energy was depleted, Jordan's shooting remained as steady as a machine.

"Shh!"

Amid the disappointed cheers of the fans in the stadium, Jordan's mid-range fadeaway shot swished through the net with pinpoint accuracy.

96-98, Jordan made the game-winning shot!

Jordan remained calm after scoring, but the aura he exuded was chilling.

This is the god of basketball. He may miss a few shots in a row, but he will always hit the most crucial one.

The Pacers called a timeout.

Although they are behind, they still have a chance to equalize or win the game.

The scene showed separate shots of Yang Shuai and Miller.

Miller's nickname is "Mr. Big Heart," which refers to his ability to deliver a game-winning shot in crucial moments.

Yang Shuai delivered two game-winning shots in the first-round series against the Knicks.

Both of them have the ability to hit game-winning shots; it just depends on who Brown will give that chance to.

After the timeout, Yang Shuai was placed in the weak-side corner.

This was completely unsurprising.

Brown is unlikely to pull any surprises; he'll just stick to his old ways.

Jackson, who was adept at understanding people's psychology, completely guessed Brown's tactical arrangements.

Miller was constantly harassed by Jordan, and he couldn't shake off his opponent to get any space to shoot.

Just then, a gasp of surprise rang out from the crowd.

Because they saw Yang Shuai moving towards the weak side at a 45-degree angle, and Pippen wasn't following!
Yang Shuai used the same tactic he used in the opening match, making a ">" movement.

He drove towards the basket, seemingly aiming for a game-tying shot without the ball, but then suddenly veered towards the three-point line using Davis's screen under the basket.

If it were Jordan, he certainly wouldn't be unable to keep up with Yang Shuai's old tricks, but now it's Pippen guarding Yang Shuai, and Pippen who's not in form at all.

Robertson's pass arrived just in time, and Yang Shuai received the ball, turned around, and shot in one smooth motion.

When he released the shot, the timer on the sidelines had two seconds left.

The fans in the stadium held their breath for a moment.

Can Yang Shuai still pull off a game-winning shot?
Although he has done it before against the Knicks, and more than once, can he do it again against the Bulls this time?
"Bang! Bang!"

The scene seemed quiet except for the sound of each fan's heartbeat.

"Shh!"

"beep!"

The sound of the basketball going through the net came almost simultaneously with the red light on the sidelines.

Yang Shuai has delivered the game-winning shot!

After his double game-winning shot against the Knicks in the first round, he once again delivered a game-winning shot against the Bulls in the second round!

He hit the game-winning shot in both series!

If it hadn't actually happened right before my eyes, it would be unbelievable!

(End of this chapter)