Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 280: Unprecedented, but Certain to Come

The starting players of both teams came on the court one after another, and Garnett and Noah had a jump ball in the center circle.

Noah's eyes turned red when he saw Garnett. Malone's psychological warfare worked from the beginning.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Noah pushed the ball back to half court and the Bulls took the lead in attacking.

The Bulls started the game with Noah assisting from the high position, passing the ball to Rose who made a layup after a breakthrough.

Noah was not very good at assists at the beginning. His assists in the first two years of his career mostly came from long passes after grabbing rebounds in defense.

But at that time he had already demonstrated his passing ability.

So during the years when Rose was absent due to injury, the Bulls' organizational focus shifted to Noah, and he did not disappoint head coach Thibodeau's expectations.

Irving then took the ball and attacked, but his first attack was a bit funny.

He changed direction continuously to pass Rose, but when facing Covington's help defense, he dribbled the ball to his feet and it went out of bounds.

Compared to offense, defense is the foundation of the Bulls under Thibodeau.

Their offensive level has declined after Boozer left the team, but with Gibson and Covington, their defensive strength is as good as it was in their peak period.

Of course, in addition to the Bulls' excellent defense, this goal also has something to do with Irving himself.

You have to know that with his ability to combine man and ball, it is quite rare for him to be able to dribble the ball to his feet.

Rose came back with the ball, Gibson and Noah set double screens at the top of the arc, and Rose broke through again with the help of the screen.

After forcing the Cavaliers' defense to shrink, he passed the ball back to Gibson, who made a two-point jump shot from the high post.

The Bulls scored in both of their opening two offensive plays. They were in pretty good offensive form tonight.

Han Sen reached the frontcourt and started holding the ball.

There were already signs of this during yesterday's team training, and they came true at the start of the game. It's clear that the Cavaliers' rookies still need some time to adapt.

The best approach in this situation is for him to help the team open up the situation first.

Hansen broke through with the ball, but as soon as he reached the free throw line, the Bulls surrounded him.

Thibodeau was being frank. The tactical manual had already included the "Jordan Rule" for Hansen.

Han Sen knocked the ball through the gap between people and passed it to TT under the basket. After TT received the ball and adjusted himself, he jumped up and was ready to perform a two-handed dunk.

But just as he pulled the ball to the highest point, Noah returned to the basket to defend.

Amid the exclamations from the audience, Noah responded by blocking TT!
Although the selection of DPOY last season was influenced by external factors, Noah's ability is not weak as he was able to snatch the DPOY from Hansen and was selected into the double first team.

After completing the block, Noah also grabbed the defensive rebound, and then his most familiar center dribbled the ball down the court.

Irving's defense was a little behind, and Rose quickly received a pass from Noah and made a layup.

6:0.

A start that no one expected.

Ma Long was also decisive. When he saw that things were not going well at the start, he called a timeout.

Noah was excited at this time. He clenched his fist and roared towards the Cavaliers' bench.

Malone's psychological warfare did work, but it seemed to be going in another direction.

"TT, shoot directly after receiving the ball, don't adjust. Their defense rotates very quickly and the chance only lasts for a moment." Garnett was talking to TT during the timeout.

After the timeout, Malone picked up the tactical board and looked at his players.

After being hit by the opponent in the early stage, you can see visible panic on the faces of the Cavaliers players.

"Guys, take a deep breath and relax, you just need to do what you usually do. With Han here, everything will be OK." Lu said at this time.

Lu's words made the rest of the people look at Han Sen.

Han Sen nodded.

Only then did Ma Long pick up the tactical board.

After the timeout, Hansen continued to hold the ball in the Cavaliers' position.

What’s different from before is that Garnett played pick-and-roll for him.

The Bulls chose to double-team Hansen.

The so-called Jordan Rule is to never let Han Sen take any shot.

However, the Bulls' defensive strategy did not work this time, because Hansen changed direction and broke through with the ball before Garnett's pick-and-roll wall was set up.

This time he started too suddenly and too quickly, forcing the Bulls to switch defense.

Moreover, his second dribble was also very fast, which did not give the Bulls' wing defense time to assist.

Hansen's determination in this attack was unexpected, but Thibodeau was not in a hurry because Noah's ability to defend against smaller players in the penalty area was top-notch.

But soon his expression changed because Han Sen directly used the Phantom Step.

Noah is a big guy after all, and he couldn't keep up with this ultimate test of his turning ability.

Without giving him any time to react, Han Sen jumped past him, half turned in the air, and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand through him.

This is totally unreasonable!
Noah turned around and tried to reach out, but it was too late.

"Oh!"

Amid the exclamations of the fans at the scene, Hansen smashed the ball into the basket over Noah who had just turned around!

Noah was directly blocked from the baseline.

Han Sen's tense muscles in the camera showed how powerful this dunk was.

The Quicken Loans Arena, which had been silent due to a bad start, was ignited at that moment.

Damn, we have Han Sen!

This is the only thought in everyone's mind at the moment.

Although there were problems with the performance of others, as long as Hansen was there, the Cavaliers would have no problem!

"Noah's pre-game behavior was stupid. He angered the person who shouldn't be angered." Barkley sighed in the commentary booth.

He has said this countless times, but there are always people who don't believe it.

"This requires a process, and they will slowly understand it." O'Neal seemed very calm.

Byron Scott didn't use exaggerated defense against Jordan at the beginning. He did so only after Jordan defeated everyone of that era.

This is what every true overlord of the era must do.

"Defend! Defend!"

Hansen's dunk ignited the arena, and the defensive shouts of the Cavaliers fans began to ring out.

The shouting was overwhelming.

They waited for four years to hear this roar again.

The Cavaliers' defensive enthusiasm on the court is clearly improving.

The reason why Lu can get along well with everyone is that he essentially understands human nature.

With a backbone, the tension among the other members of the Cavaliers was obviously relieved.

The Bulls' position was defended this time.

Looking back, Hansen continued to hold the ball and Garnett continued to set up pick-and-roll.

This time Hansen did not break through early, but passed the ball to Garnett who bounced out to the free throw line after breaking the ball.

Garnett's choice at this time seemed very experienced. He did not rush to shoot, but first observed Hansen's choice after passing the ball.

When he saw Hansen get rid of Butler without the ball, he decisively chose to hit the ground to return the ball.

The ball passed by Noah with some advance notice. After receiving the ball, Hansen dodged Gibson's assisting defense and made a gliding layup to score.

In terms of inside coordination ability, Noah is just a younger brother in front of Garnett.

Pick-and-roll, iron-blooded jump shot and assists are the three things that Garnett can still help the team with on the offensive end.

Looking back, the Cavaliers' defensive intensity on the court was also maintained.

Rose's shot after the breakthrough was blocked by TT.

Noah tried to tip in the ball, but Garnett blocked him and his arm failed to hook the ball, and the rebound was finally grabbed by TT.

It can be clearly felt that with Hansen's consecutive scores, the tension of the Cavaliers has basically disappeared.

"Come on! Cavaliers!"

The fans at the scene also changed from shouting for defense to cheering.

The ball was still in Hansen's hands, and Garnett continued to set the screen.

It is hard to say what the other three players on the Cavaliers are doing, but Garnett and Hansen, two playoff veterans, performed stably.

Garnett continued to roll after the pick and roll, and this time the Bulls did not choose to double-team Hansen at the first time.

Han Sen took a step forward and chose to make a quick stop jump shot.

This choice was simple, but it was also the right one, because although the Bulls did not continue to double-team, Covington on the wing and Gibson at the baseline were already moving towards his breakthrough route.

Breaking in to attract a double team pass was an option, but the current situation required him to score.

However, Noah showed his excellent ability to defend against smaller players. He saw the right moment and used his long arms to interfere with Hansen.

The timing of this shot was perfect and his face was full of confidence.

"Shh!"

But Han Sen made the shot despite his interference!
Pure personal ability to ignore defense.

This time the fans' shouts turned directly into cheers.

After the Bulls started the game with a 6-0 lead, Hansen scored 6 points in a row to tie the score!

After landing, Hansen spread his hands in the direction of Noah.

As he said on the radio, he did not trash-talk Noah like Garnett did.

But his action is more lethal than trash talk.

This scene was projected onto the large LED screen by the photographer, and there was a burst of booing at the scene.

Before the game, Noah specifically mentioned that he wanted to defeat Hansen, but he couldn't stop Hansen at all.

When the offense and defense changed, the defensive shouts were overwhelming. Now was the Cavaliers' chance to widen the score in one go.

The Bulls' ball finally landed in Butler's hands in the corner.

Butler, like Hansen, also debuted as a 3D player. His three-point shooting percentage this season reached 37.8%.

However, his biggest problem is his lack of talent. After Han Sen returned to defense, his shot was strongly interfered and was obviously short.

The ball hit the edge of the basket and bounced out, hitting the floor before flying out of bounds.

Tucker and Noah were chasing the basketball, one from the basket and the other from the free throw line.

It's just that the ball bounced too fast, and Tucker couldn't reach it even if he caught up with it.

But his choice was also very smart. He stood directly on the sidelines to block Noah's route to save the ball.

But what happened next was beyond everyone's expectations.

Noah actually dodged Tucker by turning sideways and rushed out, completely ignoring his own body and trying hard to pull the ball back with his hands.

This move was very dangerous, but Noah also did something that seemed impossible.

He dove into the crowd of spectators on the sidelines, but his long arms successfully retrieved the ball from outside the court.

Butler appeared beside Tucker like a ghost at this time. After getting the ball, he glided sideways and made a layup.

There was a commotion in the place.

Because it was the Bulls, Noah's save just now easily reminded people of Rodman's save parallel to the ground.

Hansen then looked at Noah who stood up from the crowd and ran onto the court, and his opinion of him changed a little.

Although Noah's words before the game were a bit loud, his attitude towards the game is worthy of respect.

Before Rose's athletic condition declined due to injury and Butler had not fully grown up, Noah looked more like the leader of the Bulls.

Looking back at what he said now, it is understandable if we put ourselves in his shoes.

They were once full of vigor and ambition and were known for their revival, but were ruthlessly destroyed by injuries. Now is their chance to make a comeback.

As soon as Hansen got the ball in the frontcourt, he was double-teamed by the Bulls.

Thibodeau's defense became increasingly extreme, but it worked.

Hansen waited until the double-team came and then passed the ball steadily to Irving, who had an open three-point opportunity and he received the ball and shot quickly.

There was nothing wrong with the shooting rhythm and trajectory of the ball, but it just didn't go in.

My body and stuff aren't as tight anymore, but my hands and stuff are still cold.

The Cavaliers' performance in this game easily reminds people of the Bulls' first appearance in the Finals in 91. In the first game of the Finals, only Jordan and Pippen scored in double digits for the Bulls.

Lu’s chicken soup is of high quality, but it is not easy to perform at a normal level on a stage that you have never been on before.

Noah protected the defensive rebound and turned around to launch another defensive counterattack.

The ball was passed to Butler, who made a layup.

But just before he jumped, a figure caught up with him.

The ball passed through Butler's hands, but it did not fall into the basket because Hansen pressed the ball directly onto the backboard after jumping!

The scene boiled instantly.

Noah's selfless save just now was shocking and a huge boost to the Bulls' morale.

If Butler had scored on this fast break just now, the Bulls would have regained their momentum.

But Han Sen's chase block prevented this.

Han Sen grabbed the rebound and after landing, he turned around and launched a fast break.

Butler wanted to foul on the spot, but Hansen dribbled the ball from behind and dodged it.

The fans only saw a figure running from the backcourt to the frontcourt, and no one could stop it.

Noah was still in the midfield after passing the ball just now, and was the player farthest back in the Bulls' fast break, but now he has become the Bulls' last line of defense.

The two men reached the free throw line in the Bulls' backcourt one after the other.

Because Hansen had just scored a goal against him, Noah was defending closely at this time.

Han Sen seized the opportunity and changed direction to pass by him.

However, Noah dared to press forward because he was confident in his ability. Although he was surpassed by Han Sen, he relied on his excellent turning ability as well as his height and long arms to block Han Sen.

What he didn't expect was that after Han Sen noticed his action, he jumped up and pulled up in the air to make a layup with his left hand.

His block hit the air, but Hansen had already easily sent the ball into the basket.

The cheers at the scene couldn't stop.

Han Sen was really a one-man show, he moved from the backcourt to the frontcourt and scored the goal!
Noah's expression finally changed at this moment, because he suddenly realized that Hansen in the playoff mode was much stronger than he thought.

The Bulls' positional attack was once again defended by the Cavaliers.

In "history", Gasol joined the Bulls this season and was a major fulcrum of the Bulls' positional warfare.

Now without him, the Bulls' positional offense can only rely on Rose to break through or Noah to assist, but Rose's breakthrough threat has declined and Noah himself does not have an offensive threat, so the Bulls' positional offense is actually not that strong.

In fact, the Bulls under Thibodeau were able to rise to prominence thanks to their defensive counterattack system.

When they are unable to limit their opponent's offense, their strength will be greatly reduced.

This is another important reason why this Bulls team failed, besides injuries.

Han Sen continued to be double-teamed while holding the ball in the frontcourt, but this time Han Sen did not choose to pass the ball. He went to the other side and accelerated to break through before the double-team came.

This time his breakthrough was very determined and he quickly reached the free throw line.

However, the Bulls' defensive support ability was indeed strong, and they surrounded him directly. Noah even raised his hands high and rushed towards Hansen who had already jumped up.

Even if it was a foul, he wasn't going to let Hansen continue to attack the Bulls' restricted area.

This time the two men collided violently, Noah was knocked to the ground by Hansen, and Hansen was blocked from making a normal layup.

But what was unexpected was that Hansen's strong body balance ability allowed him to directly change the layup into a pull-up shot in the air.

"Shh!"

This ball is difficult, but Han Sen still scored it!
The referee blew the whistle, indicating that Noah on the ground had committed a blocking foul.

The fans at the scene could no longer control their emotions. A large number of them stood up, pumped their fists and cheered, and the decibel level at the scene went off the charts.

At this time, Noah, who was still lying on the ground, looked up at the gesture given by the referee, and then lay back down.

He couldn't help but think of the Jordan sculpture that he saw every day at the entrance of the United Center, as well as the words below the sculpture:

The best there ever was, the best there ever will be.

Really, there will be no one to come after him?

(End of this chapter)