One Year Left to Play-Chapter 358 - 111: True Double Kill Against the Bulls!
"Reliable Key Player:
Objective: Under the host’s guidance, Zhang Hao must help the Lakers win this crucial match.
Reward: Unknown."
"Unknown, my foot!"
When Zhang Hao first saw the words "Take responsibility," he was filled with infinite pride.
Seeing the word "unknown," his mood instantly deflated.
But he felt a bit itchy... Not knowing what reward was lost if they lost was too torturous!
As he approached the technical table to wipe the magnesium powder, Zhang Hao saw Jordan coming.
"Kid, you’re doing pretty well..."
Jordan didn’t say anything malicious, but Zhang Hao was so spooked, he nearly jumped.
"No, no, no, I’m not playing well, don’t praise me!"
"..."
Watching the famously calm and cool rookie freak out, Jordan was dumbfounded.
Why don’t the young talents these days like his compliments?
Back when he was a young talent, he hoped to hear praises from superstars like Magician and Big Bird.
"Sure, definitely, I’m sure! Very sure! It must be that these youngsters are still thinking about Magician and Big Bird! I have to surpass them!"
First, Jordan planned to start from this match! 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
Trailing by 9 points in the third quarter, not a problem...
The Lakers had to make a decision—to create an advantage in the third quarter, either a group of starters would be exhausted, or Magician would be too tired to play the fourth quarter. They anticipated this.
Moreover, the opponent had to make this choice, or they would drag the game into a stalemate to the fourth quarter.
As for relying on a wave of aggressive offense in the third quarter... neither side would risk such a strategy, it’s unnecessary.
...
The Bulls sent out Steve Kerr, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, and Kukoc.
The Lakers sent out Van Exel, Anthony Peeler, Sibaros, Zhang Hao, and Jason Williams.
Luke Longley isn’t formidable, but he’s crucial for the Bulls’ defense. However, he played for a long time in the first three quarters and couldn’t start the fourth quarter unless needed for defense in critical moments.
The TV commentators said the Bulls would go all out on offense, and it’s true.
The last quarter was about to begin. Before it started, the TV broadcast showed Jordan and Zhang Hao, each occupying half of the screen, highlighting their stats. Both had 30 points in the first half, neither played in the third quarter, and both had played a bit over 20 minutes in the first half, with similar shooting percentages.
If Zhang Hao was previously known for his talent and the speed of realizing his talent, this match truly brought him into the fans’ view!
An unsurpassed talent, even compared to the best rookies of recent years! Perhaps, considering his age, Zhang Hao might be more talented.
From his appearance, he looked even more talented. Magician called Zhang Hao a "cool-guy" to be courteous, while the TV commentators called him a "cool-boy"...
His youthful face always gave the impression of limitless potential, and his calm demeanor suggested a strong mindset.
The referee blew the whistle to start the fourth quarter, and the broadcast switched to Van Exel catching the ball and advancing. The Lakers, who won the jump ball, attacked first.
After resting an entire quarter, Pippen and Jordan’s mere presence exerted tremendous pressure on the Lakers’ players.
In usual circumstances, some players would be affected by the pressure these two brought, but tonight, the legends beside the bench filled them with boundless courage!
Against the opponent’s inside setup, Sibaros chose to squeeze into the inside, compressing Rodman’s defensive space. Van Exel, after advancing past the half-court, saw Jason Williams bringing Kukoc out for a pick and roll, and Zhang Hao started positioning himself.
Luckily, they didn’t assume they could easily score due to the Bulls’ weak defense at the center and point guard positions. The Bulls were adept at rotation defense, interrupting passes, and quick pursuit!
Zhang Hao circled to the right sideline, only to receive the ball after Van Exel was trapped, with no angle to pass to the strong side. Zhang Hao had to come here to get the ball.
After Van Exel’s pass, Kukoc was guarding Zhang Hao, retreating a step. Although the Bulls didn’t have much practice time, their tactical preparation was thorough, aware that Zhang Hao had only attempted five three-pointers from the sidelines, with only one success being a forced shot.
Zhang Hao didn’t shoot but seeing Kukoc on defense, steadied himself after catching the ball and immediately decided to break through from the baseline!
His dribbling wasn’t great, but it was Kukoc defending!
Choosing a breakthrough without hesitation caught the Bulls’ perimeter defense off-guard, Zhang Hao pushed past Kukoc in motion, luckily not stumbling or losing the ball, jumped as Rodman approached...
He couldn’t overpower Rodman, given the weight disadvantage. Rodman grabbed Zhang Hao, who had just jumped, and brought him down!
The referee blew the whistle immediately! And swiftly moved towards the action, as Jason Williams was sprinting towards Rodman. Seeing this, players from both the Lakers and the Bulls quickly gathered around.
Jason Williams wasn’t going to let admiration stop him; he wanted to take down Rodman first... but was stopped by Zhang Hao, who quickly stood up.
The conflict hadn’t yet started, but Zhang Hao’s quick rise defused it.
After stopping Jason Williams, Zhang Hao walked towards the free throw line, gritting his teeth in pain. It hurt, but the pain calmed him. Before most teammates reacted, he managed to restrain the impulsive Jason Williams, preventing the conflict from escalating immediately.
