basketball never sleeps

Chapter 322 I hope you can make me remember you in a different way next time.

It's December again, and Americans are starting to prepare for Christmas.

In the streets and alleys, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is also beginning to thaw.

On the first day of December, the NBA announced the Player of the Month for November, and Morten won the award without any surprise.

Before the start of the new season, many media outlets believed that the SuperSonics' performance would inevitably decline significantly after losing their inside pillar. Mo Wen's first time not having a star inside partner would also be greatly affected.

After a month of competition, all the naysayers were proven wrong. The SuperSonics couldn't replicate the inside-outside attacking style of last season, but they had simply adopted a different dominant approach.

Moreover, you can no longer use his teammates as an example. Apart from the regular draft, the SuperSonics only recruited Grant Hill and the relatively unknown Scola in the summer, and the rest of the team was the same.

"In essence, no one can limit Mo Wen. His historic influence can easily turn the game into an easy mode. Basketball is a team game, but it is also a game of heroes."

After Jordan, I thought no one would ever be able to use his legendary hero power to make people who don't understand basketball fall in love with the game. Fortunately, Mo Wen appeared, and even more fortunately, Mo Wen is still young. Before he loses interest in basketball, we can all enjoy witnessing the joy of a hero.

Bill Walton lavishly praised Mo Wen on the show.

Online, die-hard fans across the country are still stubbornly insisting that Walton is senile and that Mo Wen relies on his teammates, but major betting websites have quietly lowered the SuperSonics' odds of winning the championship by another level, and Mo Wen's odds of winning the MVP have once again reached the lowest in the entire league.

On the 2nd, after a two-day break, the SuperSonics were joined by the Bulls, who have been in the spotlight recently.

The Bulls are one of the teams most affected by the unseen butterfly effect. The young team, which started with a 5-3 record, has only lost one of its last 10 games and has risen to third place in the Eastern Conference. With an eight-game winning streak, they are determined to challenge the bulls.

Historically, the Lakers and Kobe were locked in a tug-of-war this summer, and the Bulls' management saw this as an opportunity to acquire the Michael Jordan best impersonator. So, after a brief period of feigned reluctance, they decisively went all in with the Lakers – as long as they could get him, they'd do whatever they wanted.
The anxiety of discovering that they were not untouchable and that everyone could be traded as bargaining chips, coupled with the sense of betrayal stemming from the Bulls fans' expectations of Kobe, made the young Bulls team realize the true face of the so-called city honor and team mission that had been packaged up—a lie.

Thus, the team cohesion that Jordan had painstakingly built up ten years after his departure was easily dismantled in just two months by Jordan's successor in a bloodless manner.

The promising Bulls youth team 1.0 has come to an end.

In this timeline, because the Lakers ultimately chose to trade for Jermaine O'Neal, Kobe's attempt to force a trade did not escalate to the point of formal negotiations as in history.

Knowing they couldn't trade for Kobe, the Bulls' management instead acted like "wise men," claiming the Bulls didn't need to trade for star players to control their future, and even spouting nonsense like every player was untouchable.

The young team, unaware of the betrayal, is still immersed in a fairytale narrative built on lies. In addition, with the Bulls reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, the current Bulls have not become a disorganized mess, but instead have an extraordinary sense of cohesion.

This is reflected in their defense returning to the top two in the league.

If it weren't for the chaos of the offseason that created several Big Three teams, the Bulls would also be a favorite to win the championship this year.

Chicago Bulls legend and current Bulls home commentator Stacey King previewed the upcoming games on his blog.

"Walton's previous remarks have caused quite a bit of controversy. I don't agree with those who belittle Morey online, because he does play a similar role to Michael Jordan back then. They have a gap in strength in the league, and many times they can change the game and make history on their own. Anyone who watched Morey's 88-point game will admit that."

I understand everyone's anxiety about Morey's dominance and age, but there's no need to worry too much. This world isn't just about heroes winning. The Celtics, Pistons, and Magic have all beaten Morey. The current Bulls are no longer a team dominated by heroes, but they are stronger than any Bulls team in history. They are selfless, resilient, united, and in their prime. They don't have heroes in the traditional sense, but every one of them is a hero!
Wow, look what I wrote! It's so damn cultured!
Okay, let's get realistic. The Bulls definitely have a roster disadvantage. I still can't figure out how to contain a guy with top-notch three-point passing and penetration skills. If he has a weakness, it's that he has to play with four teammates.

The Bulls have the fastest switching speed in the league, so we don't need to cut off Mo's connection with his teammates. We need him to pass the ball to his teammates, and then through the tireless rotations of the guys, we can limit the scoring of the rest of the SuperSonics to their normal level.

I know that pushing the players this far will definitely tire them out, and they might not even be able to hold on until the fourth quarter, but we have no other choice. To beat players of the same caliber as Michael Jordan, you have to fight tooth and nail, there's no other option but to fight tooth and nail!

At the hotel, Bulls head coach Skiles showed the players Stoudemire's comments.

"I think we need to get the boss to fire Jin. What kind of commentator reveals the home team's tactics before the game? It's so annoying!"

The Bulls players burst into laughter, then Skiles stopped laughing, clapped his hands, and continued:

"So, you all know our next tactic, right? We have to fight tooth and nail! Mo's age means that unless he gets seriously injured, he will be a strong contender for the championship for a long time to come. Most of you are the same age as him. If you don't want to end up like Gary Payton and Richmond, just to highlight why God is God, then all you can do is fight tooth and nail, understand?"

"understand!"

The Bulls players were all very energetic, and even 30-year-old Ben Wallace was fired up in this atmosphere.

The morale of the troops is high!
Skiles is very satisfied with the players' performance.

Ben Gordon weakly raised his hand in the crowd.

"What's up, Beeg (Ben Gordon's nickname)?"

"I just wanted to ask, who's going to guard Mo in the next game?"

Just like when a family with an all-female household is asked who does the housework, the previously lively atmosphere suddenly becomes quiet and subdued.

Skiles suddenly felt as if his gaze had been imbued with some kind of magic, and wherever his gaze fell, the players' heads were hit by 5 centimeters.

There's no way around it; everyone knows this is a humiliating and thankless task. The Bulls' strong defense relies on their quick switching and high collective motivation. This approach works well against ordinary stars, but against superstars who don't need pick-and-rolls, it means pure sacrifice.

The only ones who were truly inspiring were those few inside players.

Skiles couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache. No matter how loudly the slogans were shouted, they couldn't escape reality. Hinrich and Ben Gordon couldn't defend Mo Wen well. This wasn't a stereotype, but an objective fact that had been proven many times since Mo Wen's second season.

Nocioni and Soflosa are a good match in terms of physique, but considering the talent that Mo Wen has recently shown, even if they were to improve their athleticism, they would still be easy prey.

Luol Deng had his head down, but when he saw the tough-looking Ben Affleck next to him, he suddenly realized, "Oh, I'm an inside player, what's there to be afraid of!"

As Luol Deng slowly raised his head, Skiles inexplicably pictured Marion defending Mo Wen in his mind, thinking that he might try using a big man to defend a small man.

Showing its head?

Just seconds after showing up!

"Deng, you're up here. You'll play the three next game. Kirk (Hinrich) will help you on defense. Everyone else, just give it your all. Rotate and switch defense as fast as you can. Don't give up on any ball, understand?"

"understand!"

The momentum that had just dissipated suddenly returned to the group in an instant, leaving only Rolden somewhat bewildered.

Click, click, click.

Ben turned his stiff neck a couple of times and gave Rolden a thumbs up.

Young man, you're really energetic, well done, you didn't embarrass yourself!
Ralden's cheekbones lifted, squeezing his eye sockets to give him a very miserable smile.

"Why do you all look so nervous? I watched the SuperSonics play, and all they're good at is their outside shooting, nothing else," Noah whispered to his teammates after the coach walked away.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Ben Gordon, standing nearby, swiftly covered Noah's enormous gap between his teeth.

Not only did he cover his mouth, but he also glanced around furtively, only breathing a sigh of relief when he didn't see any reporters accompanying the team.

"Rookie, I'm going to teach you a new rule for surviving in the NBA: don't make any rash judgments about someone who is much better than you, or the consequences will be disastrous."

"Hey, I didn't even mention anyone in particular. You don't need to be that afraid of him. It's just basketball. If you didn't know better, you'd think Voldemort stepped out of a movie." Having won the NCAA championship for two consecutive years and joined the Bulls, who had won 50 games last season, and having recently adapted to the intensity of the NBA, Noah's mentality was at its most inflated. He couldn't even find the word "afraid" in his input method.

"It's not fear, it's respect, respect, you understand?" Ben Gordon blushed slightly. He also wanted to be like Iverson, "I don't need to respect anyone on the court." But this is Chicago, where there is no shortage of legends of Jordan and his rivalry, and Iverson has become the background figure of the 88.

He wasn't afraid; he just really wanted to win.

"I'm just giving you a piece of advice, whether you listen or not is up to you, but I have to remind you that we are a team, and we will not abandon anyone, but the premise is that you don't cause trouble for everyone."

Noah nodded as if he were being taught, but Ben Gordon's eyes still betrayed his disdain when he turned away.

So cowardly, yet you're still thinking about competing for the top spot?
But considering that the Bulls couldn't even beat Mo Wen's RBQ Cavaliers in last season's playoffs, it's normal for them to be afraid of Mo Wen.

He also recalled the scene of Mo Wenfei dunking on Bodog a while ago, which was indeed quite terrifying.

But couldn't he have just dodged it in time?

Anyway, he's not afraid, and that's all there is to it.

As night fell, KeyArena was packed with people. The Bulls players who entered the arena felt the pressure, but the confidence brought by their previous eight-game winning streak gave them a lot of confidence.

With a whistle, the game begins.

With the "playing against his former team" buff, Tyson easily secured possession for the SuperSonics.

When Mo Wen received the ball and found that his opponent was Luol Deng, he wasn't too surprised. Millsap's scoring now mostly comes from off-the-ball cuts and corner three-pointers, so it would be a waste to have Luol Deng defend him.

Sensing Luol Deng's nervousness, Mo Wen broke through from the right wing with the ball, accelerated for two steps, then suddenly stopped and rotated his hips, pulling his body weight backwards at the same time.

Upon recognizing Mo Wen's change of direction, Luo Erdeng instinctively spread his arms and retreated, shifting his center of gravity and the foot on which he was leaning.

Mo Wen seized the opportunity, pushed off the ground and retreated, pulling himself out beyond the three-point line, drawing his bow and shooting an arrow, taking the initiative.

Sitting on the bench, Noel finally got a direct feel for Mo Wen's speed.

During team training, Luol Deng's movements already seemed very fast and fluid to him, but upon closer inspection, Luol Deng's defense and Mo Wen's offense were completely out of sync.

Hinrich, seeing no opportunity, handed the ball to Ben Gordon.

Logically, Ben Gordon should be able to maximize his value against relatively weaker substitutes, but Skiles was afraid that the starting lineup's offense wouldn't be able to keep up and they would be overwhelmed, so he had no choice but to start Ben Gordon as well.

Ben Gordon drove past Ray Allen twice but couldn't get past him. He set a screen and almost got forced to stop against Millsap, so he had to pass the ball to Luol Deng.

Ray Allen quickly switched to defend, and Tyson also went around the base to cover it.

Unable to find an angle to pass to Ben, Luol Deng had to pass back. Ben Gordon received the ball and attempted a strong shot, but missed. The SuperSonics grabbed the rebound and quickly pushed back.

However, the Bulls' defensive speed is very fast. They are the best team in defending fast breaks this season. The Nets' offensive and defensive logic in those two years when they were runners-up was similar. They focused on high-pressure zone defense and high-intensity switching defense, and then used the opponent's mistakes and missed shots to launch counterattacks.

Turning to the other side, Mo Wen didn't keep pressing Luol Deng, a strong defensive player, but instead asked Gay for screens and to attack Ben Gordon. When he drew a double team, he would pass the ball to Gay, who would cut in after the double team was broken up.

The Bulls switched defense quickly, and Tyus Thomas decisively rushed in from the side. Gay was a little slow and missed his shot due to interference. Luol Deng grabbed the rebound and immediately launched a counterattack, but because the SuperSonics also returned to defense quickly, they were unable to launch a fast break. After Hinrich reorganized, he ran a low-post play around Luol Deng and finally passed the ball to Ben Wallace, who was left half-open.

Tyson wanted to foul Ben Wallace immediately, but remembering his brother's skills, he restrained himself and proudly puffed out his chest.

As expected, Ben missed a close-range shot, and then the SuperSonics sounded the horn of counterattack.

Both teams had a relatively poor shooting night, and the first quarter was a back-and-forth affair with counterattacks from both sides. However, Mo Wen's isolation plays and passing kept the SuperSonics at a comfortable level, and the SuperSonics had a 7-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Bulls' defense was a step above the SuperSonics', but their offense was too stagnant, lacking a consistent playmaker in half-court situations.

Ben Gordon, the team's top scorer, becomes much less efficient against elite defenders. Luol Deng, on the other hand, is a true middle-ball player. When he's in good form, he can completely dominate Wade, but when he's not, he can only manage 20 points before he's done.

If they can't execute counter-attacks, even LeBron James would shake his head at their inefficiency in positional warfare.

In the second quarter, Ben Gordon narrowed the gap against the SuperSonics' bench with three-pointers and two pull-up jumpers, but Hill did not disappoint the home fans. With his mature and rich experience, he quickly turned the tide with a mid-range shot and drew a foul.

Seeing that the score difference couldn't be closed and Mo Wen was still comfortably resting on the sidelines, Skiles began to make various substitutions.

But Noah was not brought in. The future DPOY and two All-NBA First Team players are still very immature on the offensive end. Just how immature are they?

Noah's first goal from open play came in his 59th career minute.

To put it in high EQ—he created an unprecedented lottery show record in just one hour.

However, Skiles' substitutions did not have much effect. The SuperSonics' lineup could always ensure that there were at least two isolation scorers and a three-point spacing point on the court, making it difficult for the Bulls to set up their defense.

The Bulls players gave it their all, but they couldn't maintain that level of intensity forever.

In the second half of the second quarter, Mo Wen returned to the court to lead the team. Ben Gordon, who was exhausted, couldn't hold on any longer. After he left the court, the Bulls went on a four-and-a-half-minute scoring drought because they couldn't capitalize on transition offense opportunities.

Noah saw this and was anxious, but the more Skiles struggled to score, the less he dared to bring on Noah, who had little ability to score independently.

Led by Mo Wen, the SuperSonics extended their lead to 18 points.

During halftime, Skiles was still encouraging the players, but the Bulls players had lost the passion they had shown during their previous winning streak.

Seeing his predecessors looking lifeless, Noah felt it was time to share his championship experience from the NCAA: "We can't just give up like this! We're about to have a ten-game winning streak, our first ten-game winning streak since the Madison Square Garden!"

This is the Bulls, not his University of Florida; his qualifications, abilities, and data are insufficient to support his statements.

Seeing that his teammates weren't giving him any face, he could only turn his gaze to Skiles.

"Coach, let me play in the second half. I feel like I can test their inside game!"

Skiles was speechless. Tyson may be a bit skinny and rough, but he has played in the league for 6 years. He won a championship with Mo Wen last season and can still get 10+10 stats fed by Mo Wen this season. In the Eastern Conference, that would be All-Star level. How dare you, a rookie who has nothing but fouls, do that?

But since everyone else was in a daze, he didn't want to dampen Noah's enthusiasm.

What if Noah finds his college form again, like he did when he played against the Nuggets a week ago, and explodes onto the scene?

When the second half started, both sides still fielded their starting lineups.

The Bulls were unwilling to be outmaneuvered in the third quarter; as long as they could drag the game into the fourth quarter, they still had hope.

In several previous games, the Bulls dragged the game into the final quarter and ultimately won thanks to the stamina of their younger players.

But Mo Wen didn't give them a chance. The SuperSonics have a back-to-back game against the Nuggets tomorrow. Although he has a lot of experience playing against Melo, he still has to take it seriously. After all, there's an 88-point grudge there. If Melo really makes a comeback, he will definitely go crazy and try to save face.

Having barely rested in the first half, Luol Deng felt his steps growing heavier and heavier. He tried to concentrate, but his sensitive nerves had the opposite effect.

His anticipation and gradually slowed movements made his defense a fixed, formulaic problem.

Mo Wen scored 9 points in half a quarter, and the gap between the two teams officially widened to 25 points, thus ending any suspense in the game.

Skiles was finally able to put Noah on with peace of mind.

Having already scored 29 points, Mo Wen planned to add another three or four points to reach 30+, then come back in the final quarter to make two good passes, give the fans a laugh, and then go home.

Noah, who had been holding back for so long, showed no sign of letting him go.

In the first possession after the timeout, Noah seized a mismatch opportunity and successfully overpowered Millsap in the paint. Excited, Noah didn't go after Millsap to hurl insults but instead went after Morey.

"They're afraid of you, but I'm not. I've won two NCAA championships, do you even have one? Remember me, I'll be the one who dominates your interior defense now and in the future!"

Ben, who was standing next to him, was stunned. He had only thought this newbie was a bit slow-witted, but he hadn't expected him to be such a complete idiot.

No, it should be called pure madness.

The other SuperSonics players also looked amazed. Reggie Miller, Walter Williams, Derrick Martin, and Nick Anderson used to mock Danny, saying that he only played when he had won or contained Danny within a certain timeframe.

Are all young people today so brave?

Mo Wen laughed.

He was genuinely happy. As the NBA develops, future players are becoming less and less individualistic, and he even worried that he might lose his sense of anger.

Fortunately, talent emerges from the land, and he knows that the spirit of rebellion will never die.

Then what followed was quite enjoyable—

"ball!"

Mo Wen waved.

"Mo, that's enough. Don't take it too seriously. He's just a newbie." Ben, being kind-hearted, couldn't bear to see the tragedy happen and acted as a peacemaker.

"Are you going to help him switch on defense? Haven't we talked much today?"

Mo Wen's grin widened even further. Oh, and it even comes with a buy-one-get-one-free offer!

"Go to hell! If you're so capable, come inside and I'll block you!" Ben Wallace's tone was tough, but his meaning was clear—I'm not going outside!

Mo Wen called a high pick and roll with substitute Francisco, and then wanted to find Noah for a one-on-one practice.

Noah, reacting a beat too slow, couldn't even defend it, and stared blankly as Mo Wen hesitated for a moment beyond the three-point line before shooting the three-pointer.

Nocioni, who was chasing Mo Wen, was helpless. He was not as fast or agile as Mo Wen, and he was thinking that Mo Wen would be able to play a couple of points and then leave the court easily. What was going on now?

"Don't just stand there. Either get out or go down yourself. It's that simple!"

Noah wasn't one to deny things, and raised his hand to indicate that it was his fault for being too slow.

Chris Duhon missed a three-pointer, Millsap grabbed the rebound and passed it to Mo Wen, but didn't launch another fast break.

Everyone knows what Mo Wen is capable of.

Noah swallowed hard, watching Mo Wen leisurely move forward, and felt a surge of anger at being looked down upon.

Do you really think you've got me figured out?

Instead of passively waiting for judgment, Noah, who had been overused, took the initiative to stand inside the three-point line.

"You've got guts, not bad. Are you ready?"

Mo Wen's voice was calm, and upon closer listening, it even sounded somewhat benevolent.

"Fuck, stop pretending! If you've got the guts, come at me!"

By slightly lowering his body, Mo Wen did not use a long dribbling time to increase the psychological pressure on his opponent. He simply and skillfully broke through Noah's defense with a crossover dribble and a back dribble.

After a round, Mo Wen adopted the same starting stance, but this time he was pulled back from the brink of defeat, and the two figures were separated like a torn package.

Realizing this wasn't a fair fight, Noah returned and signaled to his teammates to come up and double-team him.

But it didn't mean much. Mo Wen simply turned around and shook off the double team on the side, once again breaking through his weak defense.

Sensing things weren't going well, Noah abandoned his initiative and, like Ben Wallace, returned to the paint.

But Mo Wen did not let him off the hook.

The pick-and-roll created space, and Mo Wen had a chance to shoot directly, but instead, he grabbed the ball and charged towards the basket where Noah was guarding.

Not wanting to be dunked on, Noah had no choice but to take the initiative. Luckily, he timed it right and wasn't fooled by the fake move of the sudden stop and pull back, but he still made the same crossover and back dribble move.

Having been tricked once before, Noah learned his lesson and was no longer caught off guard. He immediately regained his balance when he saw Mo Wen's backhand smash.

I saw through your trick!

However, Mo Wen did not make any further moves, but instead held onto the ball and remained still.

Noah's corrective consciousness stopped him from extending his weight-bearing foot to maintain balance.

So the 230-pound giant fell straight to the ground as if he had been shot in the cerebellum.

"I hope you can make me remember this in a different way next time."

Mo Wen casually tossed the ball into the net.

(End of this chapter)