The longest river

Chapter 121 "Zone" Even Jordan is nothing special.
Scott, standing on the sidelines, was stunned.

How dare Yang Shuai!
While Jordan did have some privileges, they had absolutely nothing to do with relying on referees.

This wasn't just provocation, it was an insult.

Seeing Jordan already in possession of the ball and gesturing with his eyes to spread out, Yang Shuai couldn't hide his excitement.

Allowing Jordan to play one-on-one was not only necessary due to the situation on the court, but also a strategic necessity to wear down Jordan in order to defeat the Bulls.

Of course, the most important thing, and the goal Yang Shuai set at the beginning of the night, was to know how well he could defend Jordan now.

The fans at the scene got excited when they saw this.

Although they didn't know what was happening on the court, in this day and age, besides wanting to see the home team win, wasn't the only reason people bought tickets to go to the game Jordan?
Especially now that the guy Jordan is matched up against is Indiana's darling.

Once his teammates had spread out and formed the triangle offense formation, Jordan began his attack.

He opted to drive to the basket from the sidelines.

Jordan's speed on the breakout wasn't as fast as Iverson's, but his first step was quick, a direct manifestation of his core strength and explosiveness.

Moreover, compared to his first step, his strength lies in the technical transitions and rhythm changes after the burst of power. It feels as if he has a string tied to his opponent and is controlling him.

Yang Shuai felt the same way when facing Jordan in last season's playoffs; even when he did his best, he always felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

But this time, Yang Shuai kept up!
Jordan's strength was built on his extraordinary physical attributes.

Just like Hakeem Olajuwon's Dream Shake, its strength lies not in how amazing the footwork is, but in the fact that only Olajuwon could execute it at that speed.

The same goes for Jordan. If he's faster than you at the same movement, then in his eyes you're moving in slow motion.

Yang Shuai's lateral movement speed is now at its maximum, and he can keep up with Jordan.

A cheer erupted from the crowd.

Although this round of competition is far from over, the fact that Yang Shuai was not beaten by Jordan is enough to excite them.

Miller, who was watching from the side, was also excited; his previous judgment was correct!

A hint of surprise flashed in Jordan's eyes.

He never expected that in just six months, the high school student he used to cross the street like a morning street would actually cause him trouble.

Jordan ultimately opted for a pull-up mid-range fadeaway.

His movements were incredibly smooth, and the degree of his backward lean was perfect.

However, Yang Shuai interfered with him!
Yang Shuai has grown 2 centimeters taller this season, and his wingspan has also increased by 2 centimeters.

These subtle changes are not easily noticeable to the naked eye, but they become apparent when it comes to matchups in a game.

With a height of 2.03 meters (with shoes on), a wingspan of 2.16 meters, and impressive jumping ability, Jordan was a defender who was a size larger than him.

"when!"

Jordan's shot missed!
Rodman poked the rebound out of bounds during the scramble, giving the Pacers possession.

Yang Shuai's defense was successful!
Yang Shuai felt a surge of excitement.

Although it was just one round, and it's far from enough to prove that he can defend Jordan, at least he no longer felt the helplessness he had last season.

Seeing Jordan's furrowed brows, Yang Shuai couldn't resist adding insult to injury.

"Michael, it seems you really are getting old!"

If it were Jordan in the past, and he was insulted like that by his opponent, he would have crushed his opponent in every single round.

But now, he has failed in front of Yang Shuai!

Yang Shuai is right. No matter how great Jordan is, he will be 34 years old in two months. He can perfect his skills, but he can't fight against time.

"Negative energy from Michael Jordan +1008".

After Yang Shuai's previous trash talk proved effective, the difficulty of breaking through his defenses became much lower.

During the transition between offense and defense, Jordan kept a close eye on Yang Shuai.

However, Yang Shuai stood on the weak side and didn't move.

Miller then made a tactical cut to the basket and scored two points.

As a competent weak-side shooter in the starting lineup, Yang Shuai successfully drew Jordan's full defensive attention and accomplished his mission perfectly.

Especially with Pippen out, his ability to keep Jordan in front of him was crucial.

Of course, Jordan also got a taste of Richmond last season with this move.

Turning back, without Yang Shuai needing to say anything, Jordan simply backed down against Yang Shuai at the high post and reached out for the ball.

The Bulls continued their triangle offense, giving Jordan ample space for one-on-one plays.

With that previous play as a foundation, the Pacers felt comfortable letting Yang Shuai guard Jordan one-on-one.

This time, Jordan chose to post up after receiving the ball.

This is his most reliable way to score right now.

However, once Jordan actually started posting up, he once again felt the difference in Yang Shuai.

Previously, Yang Shuai had to shift his focus early on due to his significant disadvantage in competition, but now that his disadvantage is much smaller, he no longer needs to do so.

Not having to lower his center of gravity means he doesn't have to raise it again, which means he can keep up with Jordan's turn.

When Jordan turned around and shot towards the free-throw line, Yang Shuai jumped up and interfered with Jordan, just like before.

At that moment, the fans in the stadium all felt that Jordan had really gotten old.

But at that very moment, Jordan executed a lateral layup in mid-air, dodging Yang Shuai's block and releasing the shot before falling to the ground. "Swish!"

The basketball swished through the net.

Everyone says Kobe's core strength was top-notch, but Jordan's core strength was even more monstrous.

Father Time may have taken away his speed, but he could not take away his core strength.

Jordan felt a surge of satisfaction after scoring, and he turned to the Pacers' bench on the sidelines and made his signature shrug and spread-hands celebration.

Especially when he met Byrd's eyes, he had an expression that said, "Your disciple still needs more practice."

But as soon as he finished showing off and turned around, Yang Shuai started trash-talking again.

"Michael, have you gotten this low? You've only scored one goal and you're already acting like this?"

"Negative energy from Michael Jordan +1748".

At this moment, not only Scott, but even Bird was worried for Yang.

Even back then, he wouldn't have trash-talked Jordan like that.

Sure enough, when he returned for the next possession, Jordan not only had the ball, but he also stuck out his tongue.

Yang Shuai also dropped his relaxed demeanor and became extremely focused.

He never thought Scott's exaggerated defense was useful, because beating the Bulls wasn't something you could do just by limiting Jordan's points.

To win, you have to limit Jordan, because only then will you be on the same level as the Bulls.

Yang Shuai set his sights on this goal, and naturally, he was mentally prepared.

Jordan once again opted for a driving offense, changing direction after his first step and driving along the right baseline.

Yang Shuai successfully predicted Jordan's choice, but in the end, Jordan still managed to get past him.

It wasn't that his speed slowed down, but rather that Jordan's speed suddenly increased.

He chased after him with all his might, but Jordan drove to the basket, leaped up, and slammed the ball into the hoop in mid-air despite his contact with Jordan.

After landing, Jordan glared fiercely at Yang Shuai, exuding the killing intent of a basketball god.

“That’s more like it, Michael.”

However, Yang Shuai did not show any fear as he had imagined; on the contrary, he became even more excited.

In his previous life, Yang Shuai watched an anime called "Kuroko's Basketball," which mentioned a concept called "zone."

It is said that when players enter this state, they will feel time slow down, their opponents' weaknesses become clearly visible, and they can freely choose their offensive methods.

At first, he didn't take it too seriously, after all, you lose if you take anime too seriously.

However, he later discovered by chance that the concept actually originated from the NBA, and the person who proposed it was Jordan, who brought it up when he was sharing it with Kobe.

Moreover, this viewpoint was later recognized by some superstar players, but they were only able to enter it occasionally, while Jordan seemed to be able to switch at will.

Because of his relationship with a fellow LeBron fan, Yang Shuai used to scoff at these things in his past life, believing they were part of the media's "deification" of Jordan.

But based on what I just saw, and recalling my experience in those practice games, Jordan does seem to have that ability.

Miller continued to make shots; he was on fire tonight.

Whether the Pacers can beat the Bulls now depends on whether Yang Shuai can contain Jordan.

Jordan didn't make any extra moves; he stuck out his tongue and immediately took possession of the ball for a three-pointer from the frontcourt.

He's too lazy to wait for any triangle tactics now.

He wanted to give the high school student in front of him an unforgettable experience, just like he had given Miller.

Three threats sweep away, burst into action, change direction, and pull-up jump shot.

Seemingly aware that he had entered that mode, Jordan chose the simplest and most effective way to score.

"Snapped!"

However, to his surprise and that of everyone present, Yang Shuai, after being beaten by Jordan's crossover, managed to swat the ball away from behind Jordan!

Jordan tried to retrieve the ball in mid-air but couldn't. By the time he landed, Yang Shuai had already taken control of the ball and was sprinting forward.

The Bulls' Harper reacted and rushed to help defend, but Yang Shuai dodged him with a behind-the-back dribble.

Then when he tried to chase after him again, he found that he could no longer catch up with Yang Shuai, who was running wildly with the ball.

"Oh!"

Amid cheers from the fans, Yang Shuai launched a fast break and delivered his signature tomahawk dunk.

The Pacers' bench erupted in cheers, and even Bird excitedly pumped his fist.

At this moment, the big screen at the scene played a replay of the previous round.

When Yang Shuai was defending, he consciously took a small slide backward. This small step seemed to give Jordan space to break through and stop suddenly, but it was actually a trap.

The moment Jordan stepped in, he seized the opportunity and precisely swatted the ball away.

This play perfectly illustrates what bold yet meticulous defense truly means.

Moreover, it's always been Jordan who steals the ball one-on-one during fast breaks, but now Jordan has been stolen from by Yang Shuai one-on-one, which is simply unbelievable.

Phil Jackson called a timeout.

When Yang Shuai left the field, he was greeted with a standing ovation and wild cheers from the fans.

If the previous one-on-one battles only made Miller feel that way, then Yang Shuai's performance in the past period has shown all Indiana fans the possibility of defeating Jordan and the Bulls!
(End of this chapter)