So I am the god of basketball?

Chapter 79 “Dirty” Meng Lang and the impatient “gloves”

In just one round, Meng Lang let Reggie Miller know that the rookie on the opposite side was just as cunning as him.

Ok……

You can’t say you’re shameless, right?

He thought he was thick-skinned enough, but he thought he couldn't do it. In the last round, he said, "Reggie, do you think I'm as dirty as you?", and then in the next round, he said, "Yes, I am."

What is he!
This lady is shameless!

The kind of "shameless guy" who even Reggie Miller thinks is shameless.

He got serious.

This season is the peak of his career efficiency.

Even in the third season of his career, he once averaged 24.6 points per game, but so far this season, he has only 19.9 points.

But this season he averaged 51% field goal percentage, 41.5% three-point shooting percentage, and 90.8% free throw percentage. If this continues, he will become the third member of the "180 Club". Before that, the NBA Only two people have reached this level of efficiency, one is Larry Bird and the other is Mark Price.

Before the future jokes completely destroy the league's defense, the "180" club is basically equal to the peak of a player's efficiency value.

This can even be used as an honor when comparing players.

Chuck Daly probably also knew how troublesome Reggie Miller was, so he skipped Nick Anderson and asked Meng Lang to face him.

It's not that Meng Lang's defensive ability is better than Knicks Anderson.

But when dealing with such a player, Meng Lang must be the one who makes him feel more at ease.

As a result, he once again showed this satisfied smile.

Meng Lang once again quickly showed signs that he was about to complete this KPI.

It's just that Shaquille O'Neal wasted the offensive ball rights that Meng Lang obtained with his Hollywood acting skills.

Schmitz, who is 2 meters tall and weighs 24kg, stood in front of Shaq and completely enveloped the "Shark".

The power running rampant inside is gone.

Looking at this scene, Meng Lang thought of the Western Conference Finals in 00. Facing the "Roof of the World" who was lame on one leg, Shaquille O'Neal's shooting percentage was worse every game.

When he deals with players whose height, strength and tonnage are not suppressed by him, it is easy to expose his shortcomings on the offensive end.

Of course, the comparison object here is "Big Dream" Olajuwon.

He reluctantly took a shot and the rebound was grabbed by Dale Davis next to him.

That's almost all of his 10.9 rebounds per game this season.

Before Westbrook had a "card forward," he already had a "card forward."

Haywood carried the ball across half court, and then the entire team began to create opportunities for Reggie Miller.

Ok……

It's the same old Larry Brown thing again!
Whether it's with the Pacers now, the Philadelphia 76ers, or the Pistons in the future.

His defensive arrangements are comprehensive. As for the offensive end, he is the best scoring guy who serves the team well in all aspects.

Allen Iverson became the regular season MVP when Larry Brown was coaching, and now Reggie Miller is about to enter the "180 Club" in Larry Brown's first year as coach.

When Meng Lang chased Reggie Miller, he didn't just press closely, but used the inertia of a pitcher to think about every move of Reggie Miller.

He did a good job keeping up with Reggie Miller.

But Miller, who gritted his teeth and wanted to fight back, entered the "serious" mode.

One step forward from the free throw line, catch the ball and shoot.

There are some weird postures and the iconic "scissor kick".

Meng Lang reached out to interfere this time. ——This is the only way to do it.

The ball fell into the basket.

Reggie Miller was so awesome in his prime.

Also, if he didn't have this ability, how could he once become a monument that pitchers needed to look up to in the 90s when defense was so fierce?
"Come on, boy, where's your defense?"

Reggie Miller shouted arrogantly, and then stuck to Meng Lang's body like a piece of brown candy.

However, Meng Lang's strength is better than him. ——This should be the first time Meng Lang has had an advantage in strength since he entered the alliance. Under normal circumstances, his strength can only go so far as not to hold him back.

This allows him to get past Reggie Miller very well.

Outside the three-point line, he caught the ball, turned around, raised his hand and shot, and hit a three-pointer!
Soared!
Meng Lang's three-pointer caused excited cheers from the crowd.

It also caused dissatisfaction from Larry Brown.

In front of him, such an arrogant newcomer is not allowed!

And he’s a pitcher too!
"Reggie, if you haven't woken up yet, come down here right now!"

Of course, his words could not be so civilized. They were mixed with all kinds of old Indiana slang swear words, which was unpleasant to listen to.

It seems that Reggie Miller's status in this old guy's heart is still not as high as that of Allen Iverson!
Faced with the "answer", Larry Brown did not dare to speak like this.

This is the biggest reason Meng Lang hates Larry Brown, facing the "super giant". His severity and rigidity were instantly gone.

What the hell!

he tui!

Larry Brown's curses became more frequent next time because Meng Lang continued to score.

Reggie Miller felt bitter, and he wanted to turn around and say:
Coach, I'm really already on defense!
But I can’t help it!
Especially the cross-play between Meng Lang and Hardaway outside the three-point line. Even if he bypassed the "penny" delay and reached Meng Lang, it was already too late.

In his impatience, his trash talk towards Meng Lang became more and more fragmentary, mixed with various repeated words, and was extremely suggestive.

Defensive!
"beep!"

Meng Lang successfully caused a foul on him.

At this time, the game had just passed 5 minutes and 13 seconds.

There was no way, Larry Brown could only take Reggie Miller off the court to rest.

"Well, now, you should be able to watch me play ball quietly for a while, right?"

Meng Lang looked at Reggie Miller who was sitting on the bench with an expression that said, "The world is finally quiet." Then after every shot he made, and after Reggie Miller left, he just watched him silently.

"Horse's!"

Reggie Miller really couldn't think of a way to deal with it other than hiding his face.

He didn't expect that he would be made like this by a newbie.

The good news is, his teammates are great.

With Reggie Miller off the court, the Pacers lacked their most important firepower. This should have been the best time for the Magic to widen the point difference.

But in this game, it was not only Reggie Miller, who was disturbed by Meng Lang, who was complaining, but also Shaquille O'Neal at the basket.

Schmitz's top defense ability already made him uncomfortable. The key is that this guy also has a lot of little tricks. In addition, Dale Davis next to him is like a bug, jumping out from time to time to disgust him, which makes him a little bit A single tree cannot support itself.

Jeff Turner is the Magic's weak link, and that was evident at this moment.

The main reason why he can enter the starting lineup is that he has a certain long-range shooting ability, and his three-point shooting rate is 32.7%.

But many times, this is not enough reason for other opponents not to double-team Shaquille O'Neal.

Chuck Daly has never replaced the starting number four. Most importantly, the others are not as good as Turner.

During this period, except for Meng Lang who continued to score goals, the Magic's offense basically came to a standstill.

Hardaway also exposed his shortcomings:
He likes to use his back to push the defender into the three-point line like Johnson did, and then complete the shot or pass at the moment he turns around.

But he clearly has outstanding explosive power comparable to Tracy McGrady.

It can only be said that Johnson has set a monument for big point guards, causing all tall No. [-] positions to learn his style of play. Just like Kobe learning Michael Jordan's style of play.

The paint was too crowded tonight, so Hardaway's breakthrough and mid-range effects were not very obvious.

In fact, Meng Lang expected that the two of them did not perform well.

Because this original season, the Magic entered the playoffs for the first time in team history with the fourth record in the Eastern Conference. They met the Pacers, who were fifth in the Eastern Conference. In the end, the Magic, which had a better record, was defeated by the Pacers. "Bottom beats top", and was swept out with a big score of 0-3.

When Shaquille O'Neal was swept for the first time in his career, his field goal percentage per game was 10% lower than his regular season shooting rate!

"Don't take it too seriously. I dragged you down in the last game. It's my turn to do my best this time!"

Break time in the first quarter.

Meng Lang patted Hardaway, who was sitting next to him, and then turned to look at Shaquille O'Neal.

Hardaway nodded in response.

He had no particular resistance to Meng Lang stepping up to save the team at this time.

Shaquille O'Neal wasn't used to the "little brother" he thought he was sheltering from saying such things to him.

Although Meng Lang said the truth.

He has only taken 4 shots in the first quarter, although he hit 2 of them.

However, effective restriction does not necessarily mean reducing the efficiency of scoring goals and preventing the opponent from taking action. It is also one of the means of restriction.

The Pacers do both of these things well.

So he didn't know what to say and waited silently for the game to restart in the second quarter.

"It seems that the Pacers are the same with or without you. Whether you are present or not has no impact on this team, Reggie!" Meng Lang spoke in the most irritating tone possible.

"Shut up, you damn rookie, don't you know you wasted a good opportunity? Shut up!" Reggie Miller repeated the trash talk in his mouth distractedly.

He wondered why he was so affected.

There is no shortage of "trash talkers" in this league, including Michael Jordan, Gary Payton...

Reggie Miller has played against so many of them and heard their trash talk, but he always comes out with a stronger fighting spirit.

Facing Meng Lang, he always felt inexplicably upset and angry this night.

He is not "Sister Li"!
until……

After Meng Lang hit a three-pointer in the second quarter, he made a weird and funny provocation towards him, and he suddenly realized:
This guy is trying to imitate me!
Yes!

Reggie Miller realized belatedly that this noisy trash talk and these funny celebrations, aren't these his exclusive labels?

That's why he is so irritable.

Question: What kind of person would make a "pretender" feel uncomfortable or even disgusted when he encounters them?

Answer: A "pretender" like him!
For the same reason, Reggie Miller is not afraid of "trash talkers" like Michael Jordan. Before he came up with a classic "trash talk," he had already said dozens or hundreds of "trash talks." , which will make him feel like he is taking advantage, so that the more he fights, the more excited he will be.

But now, Meng Lang talks "trash" as often as he does. He even sat on the sidelines just now and watched depressedly as he provoked him for half a quarter, but couldn't do anything.

Being beaten passively is equivalent to compromising. For Reggie Miller, who is full of fighting spirit, this is even more uncomfortable than losing the game.

Because if he loses the game, there will still be a chance to meet again. As long as he doesn't retire, there is always a chance of success.

This is how all the "fighting warriors" deceive themselves.

Reggie Miller was so eager to get back on the field that he became more and more anxious as he played.

"Seriously, after the game, just give your teammates a kick. Without them, you wouldn't even be qualified to stand on the court and confront me."

Meng Lang's trash talk continued until the last five minutes of the fourth quarter.

Reggie Miller has completely stopped talking.

He has played his worst game since the new season, making only 13 of 3 shots so far.

No one scored from beyond the three-point line!
As long as he can score two more, the Pacers will not still be 4 points behind.

On the other hand, Meng Lang has made 20 of 11 shots so far, 6 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, and two rare free throws, and has scored 27 points!
The gap is so huge, no matter how shameless Reggie Miller is, at this moment his mouth feels like it is stained with 502 glue and he cannot say anything.

He is now thinking about using his performance on the court to redeem himself tonight.

This belief allowed him to focus more and more on his movement.

In the last 2 minutes and 35 seconds of the game, he received a pass from his teammate on the wing, took action without hesitation, and hit the first three-pointer of the night against Meng Lang's long arm.

This three-pointer allowed the Pacers to narrow the point difference to 1 point.

"Hooah!!"

Roaring to the sky, Reggie Miller expressed his inner frustration, then accelerated his arms and returned to the Pacers' defense.

This scene inspired the fighting spirit of the entire Pacers team.

They restricted the running Meng Lang very well. Hardaway wanted to take a mid-range jumper, but he hesitated and stuffed it inside.

Shaquille O'Neal turned around very quickly this time, but Schmitz didn't get into position and fouled decisively.

"fxxk!"

Shaquille O'Neal, who was pulled down, cursed in dissatisfaction.

Panting heavily, he fought very hard tonight.

The moment he caught the ball, he knew this was his chance to be the Magic's hero tonight, but Schmitz's foul ruined that chance.

Ok……

Even he didn't believe he could hit the free throw.

"Boom, boom!"

The final result was naturally not surprising, with both free throws missed.

The Pacers are completely on fire now.

Reggie Miller is the hottest one!

His thin body is the most conspicuous presence of the Pacers at this moment. Even Chuck Daly couldn't help shouting on the sidelines: "Stop that bitch, don't let him touch the ball!"

At this time, it was not just Meng Lang who was guarding Reggie Miller, but the entire Magic team was preventing Reggie Miller from catching the ball.

But this "unyielding fighting spirit" still caught the ball.

But Meng Lang resisted him very well, leaving him no room to strike immediately.

"Bah!"

Push Meng Lang away with an elbow!

Reggie Miller, who usually makes a lot of small moves, makes even more ruthless little moves at critical moments.

"Shh!"

Reggie Miller, who gained shooting space, hit a three-pointer again.

"Damn rookie, this is the difference between you and me, this is what you will get if you piss me off!"

The second three-pointer was made, and Reggie Miller strode forward and shook his ugly body.

Elbow?

nonexistent!

It was just that I accidentally touched it when I raised my hand!
The Pacers lead by 2 points!
There are only 35 seconds left.

Shaquille O'Neal actively wants the ball and fantasizes about becoming a "savior."

What Meng Lang said at the end of the first quarter had a huge impact on him.

In his heart, Meng Lang can hold him back, but he must not hold him back because he is the "leading brother" of this team.

It's just that Schmitz and Dale Davis have completely caught up with him tonight.

Each of them still has one chance to foul, so...

There was no hesitation at all!

"beep!"

The referee's whistle blew and Shaquille O'Neal walked to the free throw line again.

Magic fans in the audience began to pray.

Shaq's free throw shooting rate tonight was pretty good, 8 of 5, but he just missed both free throws.

"Boom, whoop!"

The first free throw was made by luck.

"Boom!"

The second free throw was missed as expected.

2 free throws.

Dale Davis protected the rebound.

The last 25 seconds of time 45.
Larry Brown kept shouting on the sidelines to suppress the rhythm.

Haywood wants to keep the ball in his hands.

Dale Davis' mind briefly paused.

He rarely experienced such important moments as a person involved. He chose to cross his arms and wait for the Magic players in front of him to leave beside him.

Shaquille O'Neal, and Jeff Turner...

OK, the all-clear, he gives the ball to Haywood.

But as soon as the ball flew out of his hand, it was still in the air, and a pair of big hands completed the steal in advance.

Meng Lang rushed out from nowhere and completed the steal.

With 2 inside defending 1, he did not choose to attack directly, but took the ball outside the three-point line and handed it to Hardaway who ran back from the backcourt.

calm down!

Larry Brown licked his lips irritably.

He hates this new guy!
Especially he hates that this newcomer is not in his hands...

The last chance to attack now belongs to the Magic.

Shaquille O'Neal actively takes position inside.

Meng Lang kept running without the ball on the outside.

Reggie Miller once again showed his terrifying personal entanglement.

"You can't catch the ball, you can't catch the ball!"

These words sounded like they were spoken to Meng Lang, and more like a psychological suggestion from Reggie Miller to himself.

He has to guard against Meng Lang!

He played badly tonight, he just showed some performance, and he refused to be the team's sinner again.

Time passed bit by bit, and there were only the last 5 seconds left.

Meng Lang found that he really couldn't get rid of this "dog skin plaster" with his current ability to move without the ball, but he knew some things that were about to happen in the future. Reggie Miller had just taught him what a rookie should do at this time. :
Since you can't get away, just commit a foul!

Meng Lang paid attention to the positions of the three referees. Shaquille O'Neal on the inside kept asking for the ball. Hardaway and Shaq, who were holding the ball, were also standing on the same side, so they attracted all the attention of the three referees.

this is a good chance!

Meng Lang didn't hesitate, pushed Reggie Miller away with the smallest amount of force, and at the top of the arc, shouted: "Ball!"

Hardaway had an almost subconscious reaction.

Jumping with the ball, Reggie Miller rushed over cursing, but it was too late. The ball had already flown out of Meng Lang's hands in an arc close to a semicircle. More than [-] fans in Orlando held their breath. In his eyes, he fell straight into the basket.

"Wowwwwww!"

The on-site commentator shook his fist fiercely, and the person couldn't help but stand up, using all his strength at the moment:

"threeeeeeeeeeee!"

"From Meng——lang——!!!"

His passionate shouts were quickly drowned out by the louder cheers from the audience.

The moment the ball fell into the basket, the red light on the backboard also turned on.

This is a complete kill!

Meng Lang didn't stay even 0.01 seconds.

"This is a fucking foul, this is a fucking foul, this fucking rookie pushed someone at the last moment!" Reggie Miller yelled at the referee unwillingly.

But in an era where there are no ultra-clear cameras and no challenges, the red light means the game is over. The referees will not even look back to see if Meng Lang's shot has timed out. ——Well, there is no need to look back at this. Everyone knows that when Meng Lang catches the ball, there is at least 2 seconds left.

The ball flew in the air for two seconds, and then with one final blow, it killed the Pacer!

"We need meng!"

……

The spread of culture relies on slogans.

Just like many fans later, they didn't know that "Beat LA" was not shouted at the Los Angeles Lakers at the beginning.

It was the 1980 Eastern Conference Finals. The Philadelphia 76ers were in sight of advancing. Seeing that the team was losing momentum and could not go to the finals to defeat the Lakers, Celtics fans shouted this to the Philadelphia 76ers when the game was about to end. A slogan.

This is why this slogan is famous.

The defeat of the Lakers was handed over to the opponent who defeated them. This shows how much Boston fans hate the Lakers.

And knowing this history, you will be even more shocked by someone's actions.

Now, Meng Lang has made "we need mneg" a popular slogan in Orlando.

But the critical moment of this game did prove this point.

When their core player Shaquille O'Neal was repeatedly sent to the free throw line and unable to score, they needed Meng Lang to step up and complete the task of giving the opponent a fatal blow.

31 points!
Career high.

Plus the first official kill in his career!

After Meng Lang had just played the worst performance of his career, his condition recovered strongly and he made the strongest sound in his career so far.

If he dragged down Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Hardaway in the last game, then in this game, as Meng Lang said, he completed his self-salvation.

Shaquille O'Neal made 15 of 8 shots and 10 of 6 free throws. His shooting percentage was acceptable, but he touched the ball too little. The Pacers did not give him many singles opportunities at all. Hardaway finished the game with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. He made 5 turnovers and shot only 40% from the field, which was 6% lower than his season average.

"You can always trust Meng Lang!" - Chuck Daly commented on Meng Lang in this game.

"Once again, please have higher demands on me. I just made the shot that I should have made as usual, but this shot happened at the last moment." - Meng Lang talked about his return a week later A decisive victory, oh, this time it is a real decisive victory.

"That bitch pushed me at the last moment, that's why he got the open shot!" - Reggie Miller once again criticized Meng Lang's dirtiness after the game, and then subconsciously ignored his own dirtiness.

……

This was definitely a night that belonged to Meng Lang.

The news headlines filled with his coverage the next morning made the point as well.

His words before the game, "I would rather go 30-for-0 than 9-for-0," became the biggest topic in the NBA media that day.

For the first time, media reporters and experts, including NBA fans, had such a profound and clear understanding of Meng Lang's determination when he took action.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

A certain high school student finished his training on his own private field, then walked to the nearby newsstand and bought a copy of today's newspaper.

"The state rebounded strongly, scoring 31 points and completing the victory! Meng Lang: I would rather make 30 for 0 shots than 9 for 0 shots! 》

When he skillfully turned to the sports page of the newspaper and looked at the big headline above, his snake-like eyes stopped at "I would rather make 30 for 0 than 9 for 0" and did not move away for a long time.

He felt like he had been struck by lightning, and his whole soul was shaking.

This sentence brought a huge touch to him.

His eyes suddenly became sharp!
rash……

He remembered this Chinese guy, the man who wore No. 23 and shouted, "Now Jordan has two accounts to settle with me."

Of course, he heard this name for the first time because he was "Duke's Dream" and Old K's favorite player.

Duke is the university he most wants to go to, and Old K is also his favorite head coach. Meng Lang has both of them.

Now because of Meng Lang's words, he was even more impressed by this man!

Before the Magic's daily training the next day, Shaquille O'Neal changed his shoes in the locker room and happened to see Meng Lang entering the door. He hurriedly said: "Man, the buzzer beater last night was so cool that I went home and dreamed about it. , they are all replaying the picture of this ball!"

Meng Lang nodded: "Then did you dream that you only made one of four free throws at the last moment?"

This made O'Neill laugh sheepishly.

But he was secretly relieved.

When reporters interviewed him yesterday and asked him what he thought of Meng Lang's performance, he was not very excited.

After returning home, Shaquille O'Neal reflected on his actions and felt he was a little too sensitive.

If the Magic wants to become stronger, it cannot rely on him alone. It needs a "big heart" like Meng Lang.

"You know, dream, the shark is so invincible, so it can only live in the sea. God can't let it destroy everything!" Shaquille O'Neal explained the reason for his inaccurate free throws very well.

I have to say, it’s very vivid!

If Shaq had made a free throw, Meng Lang couldn't imagine how terrifying this "shark" would be.

Just like Michael Jordan "doesn't" have three-pointers...

Let this be a small flaw in the "strongest basketball player", because it is not fatal!
Michael Jordan won two "three consecutive championships", and Shaq also had his own dynasty.

Meng Lang didn't know the little Jiujiu in Shaq's heart. He didn't have the habit of watching his teammates' post-game interviews.

Hardaway ran over during training: "Dream, can you tell me some tips on shooting three-pointers?"

Yesterday's game hit him hard.

When he faces a team like the Pacers that is crowded inside, his own offense will also be affected because of Shaquille O'Neal. Although he is not the kind of player who wants to score more than 30 points in every game.

But he deeply understands what the responsibilities of the No. [-] position are!
Use your offensive threat to help others on the team get scoring opportunities.

If he can improve his three-point shooting, then...

His sense of presence at that time last night would not be so low!
As the "Jordan successor", he naturally has his own feelings.

Meng Lang has played a new masterpiece in his career, so he has to play a decent game quickly.

Hardaway can practice three-pointers, and even next year his three-point shooting percentage will increase from 26.7% per game this year to 34.9%... Without taking a large number of three-pointers, his The three-point shooting percentage is guaranteed!
It's just that he originally didn't pay so much attention to three-pointers.

The reason for practicing three-pointers is because after being swept in three playoff games against the Pacers, I learned from the experience and made up for this shortcoming.

Now this idea is actually so far ahead of schedule.

Obviously, Meng Lang's outstanding performance from beyond the three-point line and the impact of his three-pointers on the game made Hardaway wake up early.

It's just that Meng Lang really can't help him. Hardaway's ball-holding habits and shooting habits are very different from Meng Lang.

Everyone has his own shooting pattern that he is more accustomed to, so Meng Lang asked him to consult a more professional shooting coach.

In the evening, the two of them went to the hotel where visiting team players often stayed and had a meal with Alan Houston, the "93 generation". The Magic's next opponent is his Detroit Pistons.

Houston vented his frustrations.

The new season is about to pass for a month, and the "lottery area" of the "93 generation" has basically secured its starting position.

Only Alan Houston and Lynch Hunter, the No. 10 pick in the first round selected by the Pistons, are still sitting on the bench, averaging only 19.6 minutes of playing time per game.

Seeing Meng Lang, Hardaway and Chris Webber making headlines again and again, he was really envious from the bottom of his heart.

I think back then, he was also a handsome young man from all over the country in Kentucky. The fans who came to his school to see him almost broke through the school's iron gate. What about him? Not a single one!
It's good now, there's no one left that I want to see.

Meng Lang expressed sympathy. The Pistons' backcourt combination is "Smiling Assassin" Thomas and Joe Dumars.

These two people are like totems in the Pistons. Even if Meng Lang leaves, I'm afraid he will have to rely more on the third position.

The Pistons are the place where Chuck Daly became famous, but before his first game against his old club after leaving Detroit in the summer, Chuck Daly didn't have any special emotions and even joked with Meng Lang:
"Try to invest as much as possible. This kind of team is bent on getting the No. [-] pick next year, just to make the statistics of you rookies look better!"

It’s a disguised form of encouragement to score points. Look at this head coach, he’s so lucky!

But before the game, he went out of his way to say hello to Thomas and Dumars.

The three people stood together, and the media reporters seemed to be reminded of that time in the late 80s.

The Pistons' "two consecutive championships" were very similar to Nowitzki and his Mavericks.

"King Nowitzki" prevented the Lakers from winning three consecutive championships, and also prevented the Heat from winning three consecutive championships.

As for the Pistons, they ended the topic of "Magic Birds" and at the same time allowed Michael Jordan to experience the ultimate test before winning his "three consecutive championships".

They are the historical nodes that connect the two eras.

"Dream, do you remember Erwin Robertson?"

A reporter came to talk to Meng Lang while he was warming up.

Meng Lang shook his head, he really didn't remember.

The reporter recalled this guy and what he said to him.

Then Meng Lang had an impression.

It's the "84 generation" who said he couldn't shoot against defenders in the NBA like he did in the NCAA.

"He was traded to the Pistons this summer!"

Meng Lang suddenly regained his motivation.

But the reporter's next words suddenly reduced his motivation by half: "It's just a pity that due to a back injury, he is out for the season and cannot play tonight."

There was no other way. Meng Lang could only cast a confused look at Robertson on the bench after completing a jump shot against the defender:

Doesn’t it mean that I can’t play like this in the NBA?

Why did I invest again?

The Pistons are an out-and-out bad team. So far, they have only won one game in the new season.

There are factors in this that they want to destroy, and there is another reason:
They really suck!

The "Smiling Assassin" is now almost dead. He suffers from hyperextension of the knee, fractured ribs, sprained arch of the foot, injury to the calf and a cut on his left hand... He is just waiting for the Achilles tendon tear to give him the most fatal blow, and then he announces his retirement. .

The only one left who can play is Joe Dumars.

But he couldn't turn the tide.

115 to 98, the Magic ushered in "two consecutive victories" at their home court.

Thomas wanted to say hello to Meng Lang. In this game, Meng Lang scored 25 points and made 5 three-pointers, which impressed him deeply. It's a pity that Meng Lang's attitude towards him was very cold, and he simply nodded and avoided it.

Thomas is an absolute villain.

One of the most tender moments in the NBA was when he hugged Magic Johnson, who was infected with AIDS. But turning around, he strongly criticized Johnson's comeback.

As for his relationship with Jordan, let alone that...

Meng Lang's sharp edges did not allow him to have too much contact with such people, even if it was just a symbolic social smile.

But when Joe Dumars hugged him, he didn't refuse.

This is a gentleman recognized by the league. At least in this league, he can bear the word "good guy".

Even Chuck Daly thought there was an anomaly in his team when he was coaching the "Bad Boys."

After Thomas retires next year, he will use his final peak period to fill the final duty for the Pistons. He is the last thought left by the "Bad Boy" army to Pistons fans. That loyalty earned him the job as Pistons general manager.

Surprised by Meng Lang's clear attitude, the "Smiling Assassin" turned to the reporter with dissatisfaction: "This newcomer is too arrogant. He will learn a damn lesson. He will never succeed!"

His hysteria made Meng Lang grateful for his attitude towards him.

This wave of "two consecutive victories" allowed the Magic to regain the feeling of winning, and they regained their youthful and energetic feeling. In the remaining games in November, the Magic won more and lost less, and finally ended up with 11 wins and 3 loss. record, ending their game in late November.

In the end, throughout November, the Magic's record was fixed at 11 wins and 10 losses.

Meng Lang scored another 1 points in these games.

整个11月份的比赛结束，他场均可以拿到19.5分3.75篮板2.5助攻1.25抢断，投篮命中率46.5%，三分球命中率41.3%，罚球命中率90%！

In 14 games, he had a total of 20 free throw opportunities, averaging 1.42 free throws per game.

This always made a "Devil Meng Lang" pop up in his mind:
Let’s hit porcelain!
Come on, Meng Lang!

Let this era experience what "the porcelain flow of the new era" is!
After the game against the Pacers, Meng Lang was convinced that there were "whistle blows" in this era, but considering the more intense playoffs, no one knew whether these whistles would still fall on him.

It's better to correct your attitude and think about how to continue your feel. This is the most important thing.

In fact, his biggest weapon is his 95-point touch!

安芬尼-哈达威11月份的场均数据为16.5分7.25篮板8.5助攻2.5抢断，投篮命中率46.5%！

On November 11, in the game between the Magic and the Washington Bullets, he played the masterpiece of his career. He scored a "triple-double" performance of 28 points, 34 rebounds and 35 assists in 18 minutes and 10 seconds, completely proving his ability. All-around skills.

只是“月最佳新秀”还是属于了克里斯-韦伯，他场均18.6分9篮板4助攻1.2抢断以及2.2盖帽。既贡献了孟浪的得分，又像哈达威那样展现了自己的全能身手。

"Golden State Times" sports section headline: "You can't find any reason not to give the 'Rookie of the Month' to Chris Webber!"

Oh, by the way, there is also the sixth ranking in the Western Conference. This is another evidence that Chris Webber won the "Rookie of the Year".

It looks like they are third in the Eastern Conference, not as good as the Magic.

But before the start of the new season, the Warriors were a strong contender for the lottery pick in the media's predicted rankings.

沙克-奥尼尔在11月份场均可以拿到28.5分13.75篮板3助攻3.25盖帽的数据，投篮命中率61%！

Among them, the scoring average ranks second in the league, second only to David Robinson's 28.6 points per game; the rebound average ranks second in the league, second only to Rodman's 17.3 rebounds per game; the blocks per game average ranks second in the league. Fourth in the league.

Such data performance and team record allowed Shaq to win another "Player of the Week Award", but in the end the "Player of the Month Award" in November was not his.

The first "Best of the Month" of the new season belongs to the Rockets' "Big Dream" Olajuwon!
场均25.4分13.5篮板3.3助攻4.1盖帽1.3抢断的数据对比沙克的数据，确实没有明显优势。

But who allowed the Rockets to start a 14-game winning streak with an "undefeated single month" record?

This opening winning streak not only refreshed the Rockets' team history record, but also the NBA's opening winning streak record!
The Rockets have therefore become the most popular team in the entire NBA.

This made the boss Thomas very happy.

He failed to grab Meng Lang in the summer, which also delayed the opportunity to sell the Rockets. Especially after Jordan announced his retirement, the value of the Rockets began to decline. He was unwilling to accept the price. As a result, the official of the NBA and the Chinese market came. Announcement.

This made him completely stop trying to sell the team.

Unexpectedly!

At the beginning of the new season, the team gave him another big gift. The 14-game winning streak at the beginning shocked the entire league, and at the same time, the home attendance rate increased steadily.

Shaquille O'Neal was very dissatisfied with this result. He had long wanted to challenge Olajuwon!

This is a start.

It just so happens that the Magic's first game in December is against the Rockets.

Will they be unstoppable and win their 15th consecutive victory, or will the Magic stop their madness?

This is the biggest highlight of this game.

The duel between Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal is secondary.

"Come on guys, let's stop their winning streak!"

Even O'Neal himself is more concerned about preventing the Rockets from continuing their winning streak.

He longs to do this!
Then he said at the post-match press conference: "If they had met us earlier, none of this would have happened!"

Including Olajuwon winning the "Player of the Month Award" in November.

Just how full the ideal is, how skinny the reality is.

The Rockets are full of momentum, and Olajuwon has also stepped into his "ultimate big" code. This team is in their strongest period. The Magic came to Houston with excitement and left with their heads down. Houston.

89:101.

The Magic only resisted for two quarters before being easily widened by the Rockets, and never got closer in the subsequent quarters.

The biggest gap in matchups is between Shaquille O'Neal and Olajuwon.

“大鲨鱼”拿到了27分13篮板，跟平常差不了多少。但在拿到了24分15篮板6助攻2抢断2盖帽的“大梦”面前，他显得只会得分。

This is indeed how "Baby Shark" meets "Big Dream".

In the report the next day, many experts also talked about this matter.

They think Shaq should become more versatile, like David Robinson, like "Big Dream" Olajuwon. Not like Gorilla Ewing.

When Ewing saw these reports, he was so angry that he made a sound similar to a gorilla's cry.

Normally when there is a game, he has to endure the "meetings" of the New York media day after day. There was no game yesterday, so how can he still take advantage of this?

Ok……

This is the daily life of "the most miserable center in the 90s" Ewing.

These reports stung Shaquille O'Neal.

On December 12, facing Sean Bradley and Tim Perry of the Philadelphia 3ers, he actually didn't want to use his powerful basket to kill. Instead, he wanted to pass the ball and assist like Olajuwon. teammate.

So much so that after he received the ball under the basket, he played extremely hesitantly.

At the end of the first half, rookie Bradley had two big blocks.

Although this does not prevent him from becoming the biggest parallel import in recent years.

But at least tonight he heard the biggest cheers since coming to Philadelphia.

Chuck Daly looked at Shaquille O'Neal, who was getting angry with him, and said helplessly: "Man, everyone has their own strengths. You will be the strongest scoring monster under the basket in history. You don't have to Be as versatile as Olajuwon!"

Meng Lang wanted to refute Chuck Daly. Chamberlain's scoring ability was a level that O'Neal could never reach. But thinking about it at this time, it's better not to hit Shaquille O'Neal.

After the intermission, on the way back to the scene, Meng Lang asked Shaquille O'Neal: "Can you imagine me dunking on top of your head?"

Shaquille O'Neal sneered and said nothing, but his appearance already answered Meng Lang:

Don't be ridiculous, man, you'll never do anything like this!
Meng Lang nodded with deep understanding:

"The same goes for you, Shaq, organization and support are something you will never learn. You were so stupid in the first half. I can't stand it any longer. Hurry and smash the 76ers inside. I want to rest." I still have a tough battle to fight when I come down!"

The next game for the Magic is an away game against the Seattle SuperSonics, currently second in the Western Conference.

"Glove" Gary Payton has been waiting for him for a long time. He said in the summer that he would personally defend Meng Lang. He recently repeated his words: "His recent performance is very good, but I will let him Let’s see what NBA-level defense is!”

After this conversation ended, Shaquille O'Neal returned to normal, and the 76ers' inside line was severely tested.

Bradley gave Shaq two big shots in the first half, and he obviously felt that he was good. In the second half, during the rough confrontation between the "Sharks", his eyes gradually lost their brightness.

105 to 94, with a score difference of 11 points, the Orlando Magic took away the victory from Philadelphia.

On the second day of this game, Sean Bradley's name as a "parallel importer" became louder and louder.

哈达威在这场比赛拿到了17分6篮板7助攻，孟浪在这场比赛拿到了21分，而布拉德利只有2分3篮板。

The Philadelphia 76ers tried out all three of them before the draft, but ended up selecting Bradley.

The "light of stupidity" of the 84 Trail Blazers shone on the ground of Philadelphia.

No, Philadelphia's front office is obviously stupider this time.

Sam Bowie seems so inferior because he is compared with Jordan.

But in fact, he averaged 16 points per game at the peak of his career. Even in his first year in the league, he averaged 10 points, 8.6 assists and 2.3 blocks. He has reached the level of a "second place" bottom. Bradley's current performance can't even reach the height of the soles of his feet.

Bradley is obviously not a player with particularly strong psychological quality, and his recent performance has been getting worse and worse.

"Do your own damn thing. This is a long war. It's not your time to relax. If you don't even know this, then don't fucking play!"

"I promise with your grandmother, George, I will win this damn game, but I have already said, I will guard that Chinese rookie! He is the second-leading scoring player on the Magic team! I did not relax, even more You’re not fucking playing!”

"You better be!"

"I definitely am!"

……

The Philadelphia media's ridicule of Bradley had no effect in Seattle.

The Seattle Arena has its own diatribes.

In the SuperSonics head coach's office, George Karl and Gary Payton were having a heated exchange of words.

The reason is that Gary Payton wants to defend Meng Lang in the next game against the Magic.

He has spoken about this matter several times in front of the media.

But it was the first time I told George Karl.

His reasons are powerful:

Meng Lang is the Magic's current second-leading scorer.

This is a fact.

But George Karl believed that his fundamental reason was just to teach this kid a lesson.

He couldn't agree to this reason.

After Jordan retires, Seattle has only one goal, and that is the championship.

As George Karl said, this is a long war, and he doesn't want Gary Payton to be distracted by this kind of thing and lose his focus on the court.

But he also knew that he couldn't convince Gary Payton. This matter was about the "glove's" face.

He has said so many times that he will defend Meng Lang in the game against the Magic. How could he suddenly regret it when this day comes?
If he really does this, will he still be able to hang out in this "big talk" circle in the future?
It is precisely because of this that George Karl gets so angry to achieve his goal: "This game is over, you have to practice 2 more shots today before you can leave!"

Gary Payton was not surprised either. He showed an expression like "Old guy, you are really waiting for me here." This was his agreement with Karl.

When Karl first took over the Sonics two years ago, he reached an agreement with Gary Payton:
As long as Gary Payton practices 1 shots with the shooting coach after every game, he will give Gary Payton more freedom on the court.

This allowed the Sonics to quickly rise to become a powerhouse in the Western Conference, and this year they are second only to the Houston Rockets.

Their record is already very good, 13 wins and 1 loss, but the Rockets are even more exaggerated, directly 14 wins and 0 losses!
This Nima...

Gary Payton agreed, but the "bang" sound from the slamming door expressed his dissatisfaction.

George Karl is not worried, because after Gary Payton vents, the matter will be over, and he will not take it to heart.

This is the key to why the two of them still trust each other to this day.

After getting rid of George Karl, Gary Payton once again challenged Meng Lang before the game: "Are you ready to face reality? Rookie, I will let you know what level you are in this league now!"

He was coming with force and couldn't wait to show Meng Lang some color.

Even Chuck Daly couldn't help but sweat for Meng Lang.

He knows what kind of trouble Gary Payton's defensive ability will cause Meng Lang.

Ok……

In fact, if Gary Payton locked up Meng Lang in this game, he would not be surprised.

This is "Glove" Gary Payton!

Meng Lang actually understands Payton's defense better than Chuck Daly.

Jordan's worst field goal percentage in the Finals was 41.3%, which he achieved when facing Gary Payton.

Even if the "God of Basketball" is like this, in his current state, Meng Lang feels that he has performed exceptionally well if he can score 10 points.

However, he felt that he could use himself to attract Gary Payton and do something for the team.

George Karl's Sonics play the NBA's least popular defensive system: SOS.

This defensive system was proposed by Bob Kloppenberg, the old Sonics assistant coach at the time.

It has only shined in college basketball before, and no NBA team has ever actually implemented it.

To put it simply, this system requires the team to put crazy pressure on the ball from position one to position five, and switch defenses in every pick-and-roll defense to maintain pressure on the ball. SOS is the core principle of this system - to put pressure on the ball holder and force the ball to the sideline until the opponent turns the ball from the strong side to the weak side, then the defender will do it all over again until the opponent makes a mistake or makes a hasty shot.

The Sonics have high-speed insiders like Derek McGee and Kemp, as well as tall guards like Nate McMillan and Payton. They also added a large number of tall and fast forwards this summer.

The team's personnel team and Karl's coaching style are perfectly consistent with this defensive system that emphasizes high pressure and switching defenses.

With so many games played, the Sonics have completed 12.8 steals per game and caused 19.4 turnovers per game.

In such a relatively slow-paced era, what is the concept of allowing your opponent to make 20 turnovers?
It can also be seen from this how fierce the Sonics' pressing is.

Payton and McMillan are the key core of this defensive system. Payton averages 2.3 steals per game, and McMillan averages 3 steals per game!
Together, the two of them can complete 5.3 steals per game!
There is only one feeling when playing with this team:
You must concentrate, otherwise no one knows when the ball will be in the hands of the opposite player.

In Meng Lang's view, Hardaway's pressure in this game is no less than his.

If Meng Lang can let Gary Payton focus more on him, Hardaway can play more easily.

　1. I won’t leave the tail alone, lest my brothers say I’m a broken dog.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)