One Year Left to Play-Chapter 296 - 100: This Night Is Especially Wild
Brooklyn Nets on the offensive now, Kenny Anderson is tightly guarded, Zhang Hao is being pushed towards the basket by Rodman, no better option, a pull-up jumper isn't Kenny Anderson's thing, he passes the ball to Zhang Hao!
Receiving the ball within free-throw distance, Zhang Hao pushes hard against Rodman to the right side of the paint, and amidst Rodman's pressure, forces a jump.
Zhang Hao's jump height isn't quite enough this time, but he doesn't panic and opts for another action, instead mimicking Jordan's move from a previous play, holding the ball at his chest for a moment before pushing it towards the backboard…
A high arching shot banked in, and it's good!
The referee blows the whistle, Rodman called for a blocking foul! Zhang Hao's basket counts, and he'll get a free throw!
Learning while playing!
Jordan recognized it, that was his switch-hand layup! When he noticed this, another thought crept into his mind—how will this rookie tarnish my skills this time?
But he quickly brushes it aside, this isn't the time for such nonsense.
The simpler the play, the more straightforward, not because Zhang Hao is brimming with confidence, but because he's barely able to keep going!
Fortunately, the free throw is in, Zhang Hao's personal score climbs to 36 points, tying the game at 101!
The score remains tight!
Finally, the Bulls, who managed to score in six consecutive possessions, hit a wall, while Jason Williams holds down the defensive rebounds. The Bulls are wary of Zhang Hao's fierce counterattack, and although it's clear Zhang Hao's energy is dwindling, they still retreat swiftly on defense.
At the frontcourt, in a set play, Zhang Hao receives the ball in motion and takes a turnaround fadeaway shot… it's off!
But he's not fighting alone! Almon Gilliam charges for the offensive rebound, pushing past Langley with Jason Williams blocking Rodman! He goes up again and draws a foul on Langley, who now has five fouls!
The Bulls don't call for a timeout, as Zen Master understands that they've reached a point where they can't suppress the opposing team anymore, so a timeout wouldn't make much difference. It's all about the players' performance on the court now!
Almon Gilliam makes one of two free throws, pushing the Brooklyn Nets ahead 102 to 101, leading the Bulls by 1 point.
The score remains as tight as ever, with the Bulls handling the situation in front of them patiently and composedly, though they have an undeniable edge in strength. But with Rodman grappling against Jason Williams for rebounds and still having to guard Zhang Hao, securing defensive boards isn't as easy.
And there's no solution for this; Pippen defends Zhang Hao, but even though Zhang Hao's energy is fading, he can still use his static strength to overpower in post-ups, and with sharp shooting teammates on the outside, Zhang Hao's post plays set the stage for great assists.
Most importantly, it's the indomitable fighting spirit of the Brooklyn Nets! Or rather, they simply don't care about the disparity in strength, purely focusing on battling it out.
The Bulls believe that if they were playing another team, playing to the extreme and still unable to gain a clear advantage, impatience would have set in long ago, even for themselves. If they were caught in a tight score despite playing at their peak, they would go mad.
But the Brooklyn Nets, much like Jason Williams' performance tonight, simply don't care about face; they just keep pushing forward.
Whenever the Bulls seemed poised to surge, someone on the Brooklyn Nets would always step up.
With 6:39 left in the fourth quarter, Zhang Hao's fast break layup brings it home for two points, followed quickly by Kenny Anderson's three-pointer, leading to a 5-0 run and overturning a 4-point deficit to lead by 1.
At 8:58, Almon Gilliam snags offensive rebounds in two consecutive plays, one leading to a putback shot, and another passed to Edwards, who then dishes it to a cutting Zhang Hao for a layup, flipping a 3-point deficit to a 1-point lead for the Brooklyn Nets…
Again and again, over and over, the Brooklyn Nets never gave up!
Finally, the game reaches its final moments!
At 11:41 in the fourth quarter, Jordan with an unexpected three-pointer from the right 45-degree angle… and it's good!
124 to 123, the Bulls, trailing by two, manage to pull ahead by one thanks to Jordan's three-pointer!
No joy, no celebration! At Jordan's curse, the teammates quickly fall back on defense.
No timeout from the Brooklyn Nets. Randy Whitman isn't sure how long his players can hold on, fearing even a timeout might dissipate their current momentum.
They're completely exhausted now, even top endurance players like Kenny Anderson and Jason Williams are barely hanging on, relying purely on sheer will.
Performing like this, beyond mere good form, it's about determination, long since expending every last drop of energy.
As Kenny Anderson pushes forward, he hears the crowd fervently chanting "X," and the person he's relying on is also called "X."
On Zhang Hao's end, he's also at his limit!
He even sees double, but the crowd's roar invigorates his spirit!
This is exactly the scene he's been dreaming of!
From the age of two or three playing with a basketball, to over ten years of training under his father's guidance, what he has been hoping for, yearning for, is to one day stand on the NBA stage, face off against the strongest teams and players, and win games with his teammates…
It's that love ingrained over more than a decade that enables Zhang Hao, drained to the maximum, to summon a little more strength, to reach the high post on the left side of the free-throw line, calling for the ball against the opponent!
In what could theoretically be the final possession, guarding Zhang Hao is none other than Jordan!
