The rest is just noise

At 9 minutes and 20 seconds, Barkley shot Kemp and scored the Trail Blazers' 100th point.

86 to 100

Leading by 14 points with less than 10 minutes left in the game, it can be said that the Trail Blazers have the absolute initiative.

In Laimbeer's words: "The Trail Blazers are only 10 minutes away from winning the second championship in team history."

Even fans know that leading by 14 points at this time does not mean that the game is foolproof.

The Knicks want to stifle the Trail Blazers with the highest intensity of play, which is a bit naive.

Because the Trail Blazers are not what they used to be. They are a team as brutal and resilient as the Knicks.

It has only been five years since 1988, and a lot of things can have changed in these five years.

Jordan is no longer surprised by the intensity of the Knicks' game. He has fully adapted to such a game and has become the most critical point in Riley's football strategy.

Barkley escaped the quagmire of Chicago and got a chance to achieve greatness and make history.

Last year, they missed the championship, and now, the opportunity came to him again.

Jerome Causey, Xavier McDaniel, Anthony Mason, the Trail Blazers have both superstars and strong role players.

"Keep them safe!"

So Rodman's pick-and-roll was squeezed past.

Kemp got the ball but was double-teamed and almost made a mistake.

Rainman struggled to throw the ball to Wilson, who stood outside the three-point line at the top of the arc facing Jordan.

"You can only rely on yourself in the end!" Jordan said solemnly.

Wilson knew very well that the tactics could not be used now and there was not much time to attack, so he could only fight one on one.

This has nothing to do with selfishness, but the optimal solution after reviewing the situation.

Superstars like Wilson often stand at extremely high places, like gods, but Louis was close enough to him that he could see many characteristics of ordinary people in Wilson.

At first, he was a willful kid who thought he was invincible, and then he met Bird; then he became an optimized version of Bird, because Bird is the best, so becoming a player like Bird is his goal.

But he couldn't learn from Bird's shortcomings, so the world saw a saint who couldn't find any flaws on the court or off the court. If even a very personal hobby like being obsessed with LF can be considered a flaw, you should know Wilson

No matter how good his personal moral character is, in the end, this self that does not belong to Wilson was destroyed by Ewing because of the great results he achieved both personally and for the team.

He goes from one extreme to another, and then hits a wall again.

This is the path Wilson has traveled over the past seven years.

He understands everything, so he won't be distracted by Jordan's words.

Wilson broke through to Jordan's right hand, and almost everyone, including Louis, thought he was going to challenge him.

And Jordan also showed his best defense in this round.

He successfully locked Wilson's path and took the initiative to intercept Wilson's ball.

Even if Wilson did not break through Jordan's defense, just such a movement would have an impact on the Blazers' defense. It was this impact that allowed Rodman to find the opportunity to slip into the basket. He did not think Wilson would pass the ball.

He just wanted to get a seat in advance.

At this moment, Wilson's ball was thrown in front of Jordan. Rodman unexpectedly took the ball and made a layup based on instinct.

88 to 100

"Benj is back." Zhao Yuanzheng said.

This is the best news.

When the Trail Blazers dribbled the ball past halftime, the game time entered the final 9 minutes.

Wilson led his teammates to provide the best defense for the audience. They distributed the defensive pressure from outside the three-point line to inside the three-point line.

To accomplish this almost impossible thing, you first need to have multiple wings with strong defensive capabilities and excellent athletic ability.

The Knicks met this requirement, and Wilson took the lead again, blocking Jordan's offense.

The Blazers' buzzer-beating shot was forced under extremely uncomfortable circumstances, and it didn't even touch the basket.

"This is what I said, the Trail Blazers still need 10 minutes of good ball to win this game, but they played badly in the past two minutes."

However, when the offensive end is hindered, the Trail Blazers can also use defense to respond to the Knicks.

Apart from Barkley, the Trail Blazers have no obvious defensive holes on the field.

In order to make up for the problems caused by Barkley, the other four teammates on the Trail Blazers court need to make more efforts.

Jordan never complained about this, and his defense shut down Wilson, shutting down the Knicks' ball for seven seconds.

Wilson passed the ball to Miller running out from the wing.

But Miller had no chance to make a shot, and Jerome Cosey's defense followed him closely.

Moreover, facing the same strong defensive pressure, Miller did not have Wilson's excellent ball-handling ability. His pass made a mistake and was destroyed by the Trail Blazers.

With only a few seconds left on the Knicks' offense, Rodman chased the ball out of bounds like a desperado and passed it back to Miller inbounds.

Miller made a three-pointer at the buzzer, which was blocked by Cosey.

"OH"

There was a sound of regret in MSG.

The famous Spike Lee couldn't accept this kind of blameless irony: "Reggie, you are such a fucking waste, can you do something useful!"

Miller was furious: "Shut your fucking mouth!"

For Miller, the trend of this game is not good for him. Although Louis has pointed out that shooting three-pointers is the Knicks' hope for a comeback, the Knicks and Trail Blazers have chosen to go to the extreme on the defensive end.

From 8 minutes and 58 seconds to 6 minutes and 44 seconds, neither side scored any points.

Even though he is as strong as Jordan, he is still struggling under unbearable defensive intensity.

"It doesn't matter, we have plenty of time to play with them slowly!"

Pat Riley took the initiative to request a timeout and asked the players to calm down.

"With less than seven minutes to go, we're up 12 points, we're in better shape, we have the best players and the best team, and the Knicks are so distraught that they haven't lost in too long, and that mentality

Will erode them, remember, no matter what, the advantage is mine!"

After Riley said that there were no specific tactics, only psychological comfort, he made adjustments to the personnel.

Perhaps because he was afraid of the Knicks' strength on the defensive end, or perhaps because he was more confident in the team's offense, Riley did not choose to fight the Knicks on the defensive end to the end.

In Riley's opinion, this is a very wise choice.

The Knicks have many defensive players in their prime. If they really have to fight hard on defense, they will not be the Knicks' opponents in the end. The Trail Blazers' advantage lies in the offensive end. Only by giving full play to their advantages can they achieve the final victory.

This is a domino that Riley personally toppled.

The effect caused by this card will be something he himself can't even imagine.

The Trail Blazers replaced Mason, Kesey, and Xavier McDaniel with Thomas, Sabonis, and Clifford Robinson.

As for the Knicks, Louis doesn't know what Riley will plan.

There are a little more than six and a half minutes left in the game. It can be said that the lineup adjusted during this timeout is the decisive lineup.

What would Riley do?

If Riley chooses to keep the lineup unchanged, or even add weight on the defensive end, it is likely to stifle the Knicks' strategic intention to reverse the situation through three-pointers.

Louis remained stern and silent, which made the people around him uneasy.

"Old road?" Zhao Yuanzheng called him softly.

But Louis has fallen into his own mind. If Riley wants to build his own era, he won't go all the way on defense.

He must hope to use his coaching philosophy to win.

So, what will he do in these last six and a half minutes?

"Louis?" Tomjanovich pushed him.

Louis' thoughts finally returned to the venue. He exhaled softly and said, "What do you think?"

"If we want to liberate Reggie's offensive firepower, we need to replace General (Stockton)." Tomjanovich said soberly, "Otherwise, with the Blazers' defensive intensity, it will be difficult to catch the players on the field.

When it comes to the best time to pass the ball, Reggie not only needs to face high-intensity defense, but also has to shoot through uncomfortable passes, which will greatly reduce his shooting percentage."

Louis looked at Zhao Yuanzheng, Thibodeau and others.

Zhao Yuanzheng said: "I agree with Rudy."

"Judging from the content of the game in the past few minutes, I also agree with Rudy." Louis paused, "But, I believe in Coach Riley more than the game itself."

He definitely, definitely, definitely doesn’t want to become Little’s second best.

He just wants to be the one and only Pat Riley.

This is Riley's ambition, this is the Knicks' opportunity, and it is the essence of this intense and suffocating game.

Louis walked in front of the players, replaced Stevens, put Rodman back to the three position, Kemp played the four position, and then replaced Ewing who had received sufficient rest time.

"Guys, we have to believe in our game philosophy." Louis said loudly, "Defense! This is our advantage. We must amplify this advantage to the extreme and then radiate it to every area of ​​the court!"

Then, Louis said the most important arrangement of the game: "Reggie, from now on, as long as you stand on the court, I allow you to call tactics alone without the ball holder, you, and all players who may play later.

, whenever you see Reggie calling for tactics, you must cooperate with him unconditionally."

No one had any objections.

Miller's eyes trembled. He couldn't believe that Louis would bet on him.

"coach"

Louis put his hands on Miller's shoulders, "I heard what Spike Lee said to you. If you want him to shut up, just do it and show him. I hope that after the game, that bastard spontaneously

Kneel before you and beg for your forgiveness!”

Miller originally wanted to say that he was grateful, but now he just pursed his lips and gritted his teeth and said: "I will never forgive that bastard under any circumstances!"

The Knicks are still 12 points behind the Trail Blazers.

The substitutions of Louis and Riley are worthy of consideration by all professional basketball coaches.

This represents the two paths of professional basketball since ancient times, offense and defense.

Louis has the best defensive team in history, and Riley has the best offensive team in history.

"People usually think that superstars are paranoid, which is not wrong, but few people know that coaches are also paranoid." Laimbeer said.

Bob Costas asked: "Like Little Lou and Pat Riley?"

"Yes, they are the two most paranoid coaches in the league currently. They both believe that their ideas will win. At the last moment of this game, they still do."

"So, Bill, who do you think will win?"

"You know, Bob, I'm a die-hard Trail Blazers supporter."

Laimbeer stopped talking. He looked at the orange ghost on Madison Square Garden. Will they really lose? This question floated in Laimbeer's mind.

With 6 minutes and 44 seconds left in the game, the Blazers had the ball.

Wilson and Rodman chose to double-team Isiah Thomas in the midfield position.

Faced with the two best defensive wing players in the league, Thomas could only rely on his sense of position to judge the position of his teammates.

Moreover, he only has two seconds to judge and react.

If it times out, it will be called an eight-second violation. The timing of Wilson and Rodman's double-teaming was too good, and they were stuck half a meter before Thomas passed half court.

Thomas wasn't trapped and he passed the ball hard to Jordan.

This is the price the Knicks have to pay for double-teaming Thomas.

Miller rotates to Jordan, and Jordan only needs to pass the ball to Clifford Robinson.

Robinson, who was unguarded, took an open three-pointer.

Missed, Sabonis added the ball during the confrontation with Ewing.

102 to 88

"Don't be reckless!" Louis said to Wilson, "There is still a lot of time."

Wilson should be saying that he just wanted to see Thomas' return condition. Since the opponent can still accurately hit the ball under double-teaming, it means that his game condition is fine and double-teaming him is wrong.

It doesn't matter if you make a mistake, just correct it in time.

From being 12 points behind to 14 points behind, the Knicks were not affected psychologically.

Wilson dribbled the ball past half court without any obstruction. The Blazers' lineup does not rely on defense to gain momentum, so they will only defend their position firmly.

Wilson patted the ball and called Ewing for a pick-and-roll.

Jordan and his teammates mistakenly believed that the Knicks were going to attack them one by one using a tactic that targeted weaknesses in the defense.

As everyone knows, Miller called the strategy as early as Wilson passed halftime.

This is a selfish tactic.

Called "SOB ONE" (son of a bitch) by Louis, this tactic is selfish in that it requires the other four players on the field to help the shooter create offensive opportunities.

In the whole process, all the shooter has to do is to move his position from one place to another.

Because before the basketball is passed to his hands, he is not the focus of the court.

This tactic is usually used only when the Knicks' offensive ammunition is exhausted and only shooters can score. Calling this tactic in the regular stage is equivalent to letting the whole team act as a green leaf for themselves, so it is selfish.

Louis' heartbeat was racing on the sidelines. In Miller's first round of offensive autonomy, success or failure will affect his teammates' confidence in the game.

Wilson asked Ewing to pick and roll outside the three-point line, knowing that Jordan would squeeze through the wall like a vicious dog.

The Trail Blazers' pick-and-roll offense against the Knicks has always been based on stretching the position, encouraging the ball handler to shoot, and mainly blocking the breakthrough route and the pick-and-roll hand's downward route.

The person who followed Ewing was Clifford Robinson, which meant that Sabonis had to face off against Kemp. Of course, Kemp would not just stay at the basket and try to use small to gain more. He would open up the space, and Lithuania

Human athletic ability is not enough to keep up with him.

Suddenly, the Knicks had three offensive opportunities.

Wilson can pull up and shoot;

Ewing can catch the ball and roll it down;

Kemp failed in the short corner on the left wing;

This turned Barkley's attention away from Miller, and Miller took the opportunity to run to the left wing beyond the 45-degree three-point line.

When Wilson broke through to the free throw line, he braked suddenly, and Jordan, who was following him, bumped into him. Of course, he was not called for a foul.

Wilson also pretended to look at Ewing, as if he wanted to give him the ball.

However, his ball was thrown to the left.

"Reggie Miller takes a three-pointer!"

With the magnetic voice of Bob Costas “Whoosh!”

"This was a perfect opportunity and he took it!"

"No matter how many times I see his shot, it always looks ugly," Laimbeer added prophetically, "like Dale Ellis."

91 to 102

"That white bastard Ranbir can really talk nonsense!" Director Li looked at Miller with contempt, "Don't say he's like Dell. Even if he's only half as good as Dell, I'd be thankful to God!"

Miller's goal made Louis relax a little, which was a good start.

"Draw it up again!"

Miller is the kind of person who speaks arrogantly when he has an advantage, but Louis doesn't know whether he meant these words for Director Li or his opponent.

As one of the veterans of the Celtics dynasty, Thomas certainly knows how that Celtics team died.

Therefore, he is extremely wary of Miller.

In his eyes, Miller is not a killer of Ellis's level, but who can guarantee that he will not grow into a killer like Ellis in the finals?

Did Ellis have such a fearsome reputation before the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals?

So Thomas has been telling Jordan and the others to pay attention to Reggie Miller, keep an eye on him, don't leave him open, and don't relax on his defense no matter what.

Coming to the offensive end, the Trail Blazers showed great patience.

Thomas watched for a few seconds and handed the ball to Sabonis.

Sabonis passed the ball to Barkley as if by magic.

Barkley immediately attacked the basket, overcame Ewing's defense, and scored 2 points.

104 to 91

"Patrick, does this count as defense?"

Barkley mocked Ewing contemptuously.

On the defensive end, when Barkley wanted to guard Miller again, Thomas scolded: "Chuck, I'll guard him!"

It's not that Thomas' defense is any better than Barkley's. At least, he won't be distracted and out of position for no reason like Barkley.

Compared to a tyrant like Jordan, Thomas' command is more popular with his teammates. He will communicate with a stern attitude, but not like Jordan's cannibalistic tone. Thomas just uses his performance and tone to let people know that he is serious and serious.

of.

It's not difficult for Miller to get rid of him. What's difficult is how Thomas solves one layer of defense after calling his teammates to cover up.

"You don't want to go anywhere!"

After Thomas was thrown away, it was Jordan's turn to guard Miller.

Even if Miller ran a lot, he couldn't get rid of Jordan's defense.

Jordan's personal ability was fully reflected in this round.

It's not a big deal to attack one on five. Louis has seen this ability in many superstars. The scary thing is that Jordan has raised his on-ball defense and off-ball defense to the same level, and his defensive style is fierce.

, biting, full of physical contact, this is too unfriendly to shooters.

Louis didn't expect Miller to encounter this kind of defense so quickly.

Will Thomas' vigilance kill the Knicks' chances of victory?

Louie yelled, "Benj, stay focused!"

Wilson's heart is peaceful, Miller is seen dead by Jordan, and they have to find another way.

Moreover, who said that only Miller can shoot three-pointers?

Stay focused Wilson understood exactly what Louie meant.

The defender in front of Wilson is Clifford Robinson. This man's agility is good enough to switch to guard small forwards and shooting guards, but it is difficult to stop the conqueror.

What puzzled him was that Wilson, who was always full of aggression, started calling for a pick-and-roll.

Ewing picked and rolled, Kemp screened, and Rodman cut.

Of all the opportunities, Wilson chose the one that seemed to have the lowest chance of hitting.

Kemp from beyond the arc.

Kemp has developed his shooting range beyond the three-point line this season, but it is not stable enough. Wilson's move is to implement Louis' strategy to the end.

Kemp took a three-point shot and missed.

But rebounding is dominated by the Knicks!

Ewing roared, grabbed the offensive rebound, and threw it to Kemp again.

Kemp took the second shot and still missed.

Willis Reed was anxious: "If you can't make a shot, don't make it!"

"No, just vote like this!" Louis shouted paranoidly, "Just vote, if you don't vote it's up to me!"

The scary thing is that the Trail Blazers already had four people huddled in the paint, but Wilson pointed the rebound to Rodman's position. Then, Rodman hit the ball continuously in front of Jordan, Robinson and Barkley.

Four times, he grabbed rebounds close to the three-point line.

At this moment, Miller was empty!

Rodman passed the ball to him regardless, a little too anxious.

Thomas was nearby and swatted away Rodman's pass.

However, Miller, who has always seemed to be held in the palm of his hand, showed decisive courage. He stepped on the floor and flew to save the ball, igniting the passion of the audience with a blood- boiling moment.

Rodman received his save and, unguarded, he chose to shoot on the spot.

"Rodman's shot? They're crazy!"

The ball bounced on the basket a few times and slowly rolled into the net.

“!#%@￥#……%”

Rodman waved his hands while retreating, encouraging the crowd to cheer.

Wilson and Kemp helped Miller up and retreated at the same time.

The unity the Knicks showed was incredible.

"In the first half, they were playing like strangers."

"What's going on all of a sudden?"

No one knows what happened between them, but the Knicks are clearly different.

There are 5 minutes and 40 seconds left in the game, 93 to 104.

There is still an 11-point difference between the two sides.

Wilson chose to use a full-court press on Thomas.

There are two points for the Knicks' comeback, one is three-pointers, and the other is defense.

It is not easy to fully understand these two points, especially the first point.

Professional basketball has embraced three-pointers, but doesn't believe they can be a decisive factor in the Finals, even if Wilson left a Presidential Hill-level three-point rain last year.

For three-pointers to become a key factor in the game, defense is needed.

This is the difference between Louie and Riley.

Riley believed in his own coaching philosophy, while Louis was just loyal to the essence of things.

The Blazers' offense is indeed the strongest, but in this era dominated by defense, the strongest defense can limit the strongest offense. As long as the Knicks' defense has an impact on the Blazers' offense, they can score three-pointers.

Explosive power, the combination of the two is their hope for a comeback.

Wilson took Thomas seven seconds to get past halftime.

As soon as halftime passed, Thomas passed the ball to Jordan.

Jordan was facing off against Miller, the only Knicks player on the court who didn't have the defensive ability.

As before, Jordan chose to pass the ball.

After receiving the ball, Sabonis used his body as a wall, smashed the ball from the slope, and hit the ground to Jordan who was cutting in.

Jordan got the ball, but what was waiting for him was not an empty penalty area, but a no-fly zone formed by Kemp and Rodman.

In that moment, Jordan's choice reflected his true nature.

He is a person who firmly believes that "I am invincible".

He chose to challenge Rodman and Kemp's defense single-handedly.

No matter how strong his personal ability is, he can't score against this kind of defense.

Rodman asked him to change the path of the ball, and Kemp's defense caused him great interference.

The ball swung around the basket and fell out.

Ewing returned to the basket at the right time and picked up the ball.

This was the opportunity the Knicks had been waiting for for a long time. Miller almost jumped down the moment Jordan jumped up.

Regardless of whether Jordan scores a goal or not, his teammates will immediately launch a quick counterattack.

There's that guy Isiah Thomas again, he's really haunting!

Louis believes that the main members of the 1988 Celtics should all be suffering from Ellis' PTSD.

"Reggie, let that bastard know he can't guard you!" Louis' voice fell, and Ewing threw the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt.

Miller jumped up to catch the ball and boldly used his dribbling ability, which was no better than Klay Thompson's, to take a few steps in front of Thomas. He was on the left side of the three-point line at the top of the arc. Thomas was about to steal the ball.

Miller had already put away the ball and his body was rising straight into the air.

“QNMD’s Boston bastard!”

In Miller's eyes, Thomas seems to be still a member of the Boston Celtics.

Thomas tried to jump up to interfere, but he was not tall enough and his elasticity was much reduced compared to when he was young. When it reached the highest point, Miller's ball had already flown thousands of miles.

"Whoosh!"

Miller clenched his fist and swung it back: "F-F-F-F-FUCK!"

"There's a reason why Dell's fans don't like him." Louis couldn't help but say, "This guy is too noisy."

Tomjanovich said with emotion: "He is really a completely different shooter from Dell."

Miller is both a killer and the deputy leader of the atmosphere team. His reaction after every goal is like a pauper who has won the lottery jackpot, and the swear words he blurts out are comparable to Rauf's illness.

But such a reaction can easily anger your opponent.

As a shooter, especially a shooter like this without the ball, being eye-catching is not a good quality.

This is why Louis prefers Ellis, but he also admits that although Miller is flamboyant and domineering, he has a more lethal shooting ability as a shooter.

Just like now, he completely pissed off his opponent.

The Blazers want to give him competition on both ends of the floor.

However, he adopted the attitude of "who the hell cares about confrontation, just go ahead" and became more courageous as he fought.

The Blazers felt a sense of crisis because the point difference suddenly dropped to single digits.

It's still Jordan, this time he used Sabonis' pick-and-roll to make Miller's defense directly useless.

"Whoosh!"

He responded to Miller with a mid-range shot after a pick-and-roll.

106 to 96

The point difference returns to double digits. Only in this way can Jordan and his teammates breathe a sigh of relief.

From then on, without Thomas' reminder, the Blazers unified their thinking and their defense against Miller reached the level of Wilson and Ewing.

Judging from the level of carefulness, it may be more than that.

Because at most Wilson and Ewing can only be dealt with through simple and crude double-teaming, but to deal with Miller you need to focus on his running position and linkage with his teammates.

Jordan followed closely, Robinson helped defend, and even Barkley kept an eye on him.

For the next minute and a half, the Trail Blazers kept Miller unable to even touch the ball.

Miller couldn't catch the ball, but the Knicks' offense didn't stop.

Besides Miller, they have other players who can score.

Wilson ignored Jordan's defensive pull-up three-pointer and missed the target.

This kind of ball is very invigorating, but Jordan quickly responded with a ball in the same way.

Rodman's layup was blocked by Sabonis, and Ewing grabbed the rebound and scored.

Isiah Thomas drove to the basket and hit a high shot.

Kemp singled out Barkley and rushed to the right like a gust of wind. However, at the moment Sir Charles' center of gravity was taken away, he stopped, turned in the opposite direction, entered the basket, and dunked violently.

It can be said that this is the moment when the stars shine.

Jordan and Wilson were great, and the other players who played with them also shone.

There are 3 minutes and 33 seconds left in the game, 113 to 103.

In the past 90 seconds, the Knicks and Trail Blazers both played at a high level on the offensive end, and no one missed a shot.

The Knicks' offense is very strong, but the Trail Blazers' offense is just as powerful.

This is why Louis places his hope on three-pointers. It will be difficult to catch up if he only uses regular play.

MSG has never been so quiet.

The Knicks' performance has been very good, but the point difference has been unable to reach single digits.

There is not much time left for them, and the oppressive tranquility gives people a strong hint that an era is going to end tonight?

The Knicks have finally become the prey of their opponents. There is no longer any pride and honor to speak of. The Portlanders will eat them up and wipe them clean. From then on, the league will usher in another king.

Louis walked to the sidelines and applied for the Knicks' last timeout tonight with a gloomy face.

"Reggie, don't lose confidence!" Louis believed that Miller still had a high fighting spirit. He was just looked down upon by Jordan, which meant that they had to spend more effort to untie him.

But there is not much time left, and Louis can no longer let Wilson or Ewing use their personal abilities to create momentum, thereby reducing Miller's defensive pressure.

"Benj, from now on you return to position three."

What Louis was about to do was something Pat Riley couldn't even imagine.

"Rauf, I hope you have regained your composure."

Mohammad Raouf took a deep breath, he did not expect Louis to replace him at this time.

"I will never let you down!" Rauf said with trembling lips.

"Alex!" Louis replaced Stevens again and asked him to guest star in the fourth position.

The Knicks replaced Dennis Rodman, the Defensive Player of the Year, and Kemp, their only power forward who could stand up to Barkley.

"From now on, I will only accept two-way three-pointers, or shots in the paint that hit 100% of the time."

Finally, Louis looked at Ewing.

He didn't say a word, but Ewing seemed to understand what he meant and nodded heavily.

This mean Jamaican bastard held Rauf and Stevens close to him with both hands, "If you have the opportunity, take bold shots, don't worry about rebounds, I have everything!"

The Knicks dynasty, which is not yet dead, decided to cross the towering mountains. Although the shadow of failure flickers like a night light, they have not given up. From the coaching staff to the players, they all want to do their best to break free and go

Chasing an ending without regrets.

"Coach Lu, you gave up the foundation of the Knicks' success." Riley looked at the Knicks' lineup on the court and thought, his opponent is finished.

The game starts again.

Rauf was dribbling the ball from the backcourt, and his posture looked a little jumpy, which was a sign that his limbs were moving.

Thomas didn't think Rauf could change anything by returning to the court. Just when he thought so, Ewing's pick-and-roll prevented him from making any further moves on the defensive end.

Rauf borrowed Ewing's pick-and-roll, faced Clifford Robinson's defense, changed direction in front of his body, swung his opponent to the other side in one second, and quickly collected the ball from beyond the three-point line, as sharp as a Western cowboy.

.

"Whoosh!"

Rauf kissed his index finger.

106 to 113

Afterwards, Thomas passed Rauf like a wooden stub and passed the ball to Sabonis for a score.

115 to 106

It has become much easier for the Trail Blazers to score than before, but the point difference has dropped to single digits!

"Double-team that guy!"

Riley knew very well how scary Rauf was when he was suffering from convulsions, so as soon as Rauf passed half court, he asked his players to attack directly.

The double team between Robinson and Thomas looked scary, but it was not suffocating enough.

Because Thomas has never been a good double-teamer.

Rauf's ball was accurately passed to Wilson outside the left wing three-point line.

The moment Wilson jumped into the air and shot a three-pointer, Game 7 of last year's Finals flashed through the minds of the Trail Blazers players.

"Another hit! OMG! The Knicks hit two consecutive three-pointers after the timeout, narrowing the point difference to 6 points!"

The game time has come to less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Louis stood on the sidelines shouting defense at the top of his lungs.

Like a rabid wild dog, Stevens brutally knocked Barkley away and stepped forward to double-team Thomas who broke through.

Thomas passes the ball to Barkley.

But Barkley's shot was blocked by Ewing.

At this moment, Wilson and Rauf were chasing the basketball at the same time.

Rauf was faster, he flew out of bounds and recovered the ball.

"How could we lose?" Rauf quickly stood up with the help of the audience in the front row, "Kill them!"

Wilson advances from the middle. His look, his gait, his dribbling posture, and every move he makes reminds Jordan that I will throw a three-pointer directly when I get to the frontcourt, and the ball will definitely go in!

"Don't even think about it!"

Jordan chose to rush out and defend outside the three-point line.

The Knicks' offense was like lightning striking across the sky, and the Blazers, who were in a state of extreme anxiety, could no longer think correctly.

Seeing Jordan approaching, Wilson collected the ball with one hand and blocked the opponent with his back. Right next to him, Miller ran over as quickly as possible to catch the ball hand in hand. Wilson took advantage of the situation to help him create a wall to block Robinson's pursuit. Jordan

He decisively changed defense, but on his way to change defense, Stevens appeared out of nowhere and collided with him face to face.

Miller gets the open spot!

"Reggie Miller three-point shot"

"Go again!!!" Costas shouted, "The Knicks played with an invincible momentum! They chased the point difference to 3 points, with 2 minutes and 06 seconds left before the end of the game, the Blazers requested

There was a timeout, which was also their last timeout in this game!"

Riley didn't make any adjustments. He called this timeout to let the players calm down, especially Jordan. They must calm down. As long as they play normally, the Knicks will never catch up. Everyone thought so.

It is precisely because everyone thinks so that Louis and his players have a chance.

"Compared to us, Portland will be more nervous. They are only a stone's throw away from the championship, and we have nothing to lose." Louis took the tactical board and pointed to the bottom corner and said, "Alex,

Benj, I need you to stand in this position to open up space, Reggie, our offensive just now has put a lot of pressure on Portland's defense, I believe Mitch will not stare at you closely anymore!"

As the Knicks' most threatening shooter tonight, Miller naturally knows the meaning of Louis' words.

Miller responded crudely: "I'm going to fucking kill them all!"

112 to 115

When Thomas dribbled the ball upfield again, the game entered the final two minutes.

Every team needs a veteran like Thomas, who will stabilize the morale at critical moments.

The tempo of the game slowed down, and Thomas dribbled the ball by himself until there was only 10 seconds of attack time left, and then passed the ball to Jordan.

The Knicks had the best offense in history when Jordan gave up the ball.

However, in this case, they still have to hand the ball to Jordan and expect his magical performance.

Jordan called Sabonis for a pick-and-roll, but his breakthrough did not go in the direction of the pick-and-roll. Ewing actually guessed Jordan's move, prepared in advance, and directly blocked Jordan's path.

But Jordan's pace did not stop there.

He suddenly changed direction during the breakthrough, walked horizontally and shouldered Ewing's body. He got up at the last moment, heard the whistle, and then threw the ball to the highest point.

"Bang!"

"And One!"

"Will MJ kill this game?"

No complaints, no frustration, Ewing raised his hands and admitted the foul.

Jordan hit the extra penalty, 118 to 112.

There are 1 minute and 46 seconds left in the game.

Louis took a deep breath. No matter whether it was Jordan or Barkley who scored, he would not be surprised. From the moment he put on this lineup, it no longer mattered how the Blazers' offense performed. What mattered was their

What kind of attack is going on?

The players were not frustrated because of Jordan's 2+1, which is good.

Thomas chose to press Rauf all over the court, which not only put pressure on the defense but also slowed down the Knicks' offensive rhythm.

Rauf had to use seven seconds to get past halftime.

The Blazers' defensive intensity has also increased, and the closer they get to the critical moment, the more ferocious their actions become.

Ewing didn't think about competing with Jordan for a while, he set up a perfect pick-and-roll for Rauf.

Stevens and Wilson in the bottom corner opened up a wide offensive space for Rauf. His breakthrough penetrated deep into the Trail Blazers, but his real purpose was never a layup.

Just when the Blazers thought he was going to score 2 points with a layup, he passed the ball. If this pass did not result in a good result, Rauf's choice would have attracted a lot of criticism.

Wilson received the ball and then made a second breakthrough.

That was exactly the running game initiated by Miller.

Wilson's breakthrough completely disrupted the Blazers' defense, and Stevens' off-ball screen helped Miller get open on the outside.

When Miller fell into the open position, Wilson's pass arrived at the right time.

"It's Reggie Miller again!"

"He did it!!!" Kostas shouted, "This is the tenth three-pointer he hit tonight! The score difference is back to 3 points again!"

115 to 118

Louis' breathing became rapid. He saw the changes on the court, and he could also feel the inner changes in the Knicks.

This team, which almost collapsed in the first half, became the best version of itself.

Ewing and Wilson, the core players inside and outside, selflessly set the stage for Miller. Others have no distractions and use all their strength to do what they can do.

When Miller is guarded, teammates can step up.

Now, the situation is so urgent that the Knicks must use three-pointers to change their fate. They have many choices, and Miller is the safest one. But not every team can make the same choice, because people are complicated.

, who is willing to give up the opportunity to become a hero?

Jordan is here again!

This time he was double-teamed, so he passed the ball back to Thomas.

The Smiling Assassin is also a "spectator killer". Even in the face of the hostility of the entire audience, he never retreated. He started dribbling 25 feet away from the basket, broke through to the outside of the three-second zone, and made a throw.

Hit the board.

MSG, which was filled with boos, suddenly fell silent.

There are 1 minute and 02 seconds left in the game, 120 to 115.

After halftime, Rauf found that the Trail Blazers adopted an extreme defensive approach.

They chose to guard against three-pointers and give them a chance to break through.

This is the improvement of the opponent, because the Knicks' offensive mode in the last few minutes was an obsessive three-pointer. Even teams in the small ball era would not be as extreme as them. As a result, the Blazers were afraid and refused to let

Shooting three-pointers is what Riley meant.

This is tantamount to admitting that if the Knicks continue to invest like this, the Blazers may not be able to withstand it.

Louis calmly pointed to Wilson in the bottom corner and asked Rauf to pass the ball.

As opponents progress and adapt, they must also come up with newer plans.

Wilson taking over is the answer.

On the left, Wilson came to a 45-degree angle to get the ball. No matter what they did, the Blazers would choose to switch defenses and implement the man-to-man concept to the end. It was difficult to get three-point opportunities through movement.

In order to ensure the final victory, Jordan stayed close to Miller throughout the entire process.

Wilson raised his hands, and Stevens and Ewing moved at the same time to pick and roll.

"That's it!" Louis thought to himself.

Wilson has terrible rational thinking. He did not choose to duel with Robinson, but called a pick-and-roll and caught Barkley, the Blazers' defensive hole, in the crowd.

The moment he faced Barkley, Wilson's murderous intent burst out.

What Barkley didn't expect was that Wilson didn't care about his defense and jumped up decisively in front of him. He almost jumped one meter high and shot in front of Barkley with an unstoppable shooting height.

A three-pointer that sent the Madison Garden crowd roaring.

“Benjamin continues the momentum started by Reggie Miller!”

118 to 120

39 seconds

"Alex!" Louis pointed to the left wing.

Stevens nodded, this was Louis' last instruction tonight.

Louis made pocket formations a trend in the league in the 1980s, and in the 1990s, the Knicks' defensive trap led another trend. Louis' instructions to Stevens were a trap around Jordan or Thomas.

Wilson deliberately let Jordan's left hand go deep to the left.

Jordan, who had no difference between his left and right hands, rushed in confidently with the ball, but what he saw was not the basket, but Stevens' harmless face.

Stevens made perfect use of the right time and place.

At this point in the game, the referee has completely relaxed;

At the point where he and Jordan handed over, the referee could not clearly see what was happening here.

On the surface, Stevens just gave Jordan a slight collision. In fact, he hit Jordan's thigh from the side and knocked the opponent's ball away from his hand.

The ball is out of control!

For both parties, the world suddenly turned gray.

Stevens dived for the ball, and Jordan never wanted him to succeed.

The ball is pushed further!

Miller picked up the ball, but Thomas knocked it away from him with a Stevens-esque defense.

This is no longer a basketball game, but a football game that takes place on the basketball court.

When even Barkley fell to the ground to grab the ball, it was clear how far this game had progressed.

The fight for the ball lasted five seconds, and God seemed to be more favored by the Portlanders. When Wilson slapped the ball up from the ground, Clifford Robinson snatched it away.

Robinson rushed to the basket to give the Knicks a buzzer beater.

"#!%"

At the moment when he was satisfied, Patrick Ewing's terrifying and serious face gradually covered his sight. Half a second later, with a bang, he received a huge hit like a mountain.

Trail Blazers offensive violation in 24 seconds!

In the last 15 seconds, 118 to 120, the ball came to the Knicks.

Obviously Louis didn't do much strenuous exercise, but his breathing and heartbeat accelerated in vain at this time.

No pause!

Neither side paused!

This will be 15 seconds at the player's discretion.

Louis has no insecurities, he believes in his players.

His players also need these 15 seconds all to themselves.

They will forget their conflicts.

They will forget the fact that they were beaten to a pulp at the end of the first half.

They may even forget that they are imperfect and that everyone has flaws, but it is these imperfections that have brought them to this point.

What will they remember?

They will remember and firmly believe that they need each other so much at this moment, and their teammates are the only ones who can save themselves.

Rauf broke through, Wilson covered, Stevens opened the bottom corner, and Ewing acted as a wall to topple Jordan, who was chasing Miller.

Facing the best pick-and-roll player, Jordan ran wildly over and forced his way through the opponent's screen, leaving Miller still unable to break away from the defense.

Is the strategy going to fail? Is the Knicks dynasty going to be suffocated by the Portlanders in the way they are most familiar with?

Reggie Miller believes that miracles are created by himself.

Always has been and always will be.

At that moment, Miller knew that he had been prepared for this moment. Jordan never expected that Miller would suddenly stretch out his hands, in front of the eyes of three referees, under the gaze of the entire audience, and tens of millions of people across the country.

In front of the audience, push him away.!￥!@%@#%?

Jordan lost his defensive position and watched Miller reach the end point safely.

The ball flew over, and Miller took the ugliest shot in the eyes of the haters and hit the buzzer-beating three-pointer of the night.

The god of fate cruelly passed by Portlanders, but imprinted the most profound pain on their memories.

Then, everyone looked at the basketball in the air.

It flew towards the finish line accurately with incredible speed and unparalleled arc. At the same time, the buzzer sang the final sound.

"Whoosh!"

In an instant, the garden seemed like a torrent that swept through the world. No one could sit on the ark. Every living being was wrapped up in Reggie Miller and merged into the endless sea that swallowed everything.

If there was ever a moment when the world lost its voice, it was this moment.

Reggie Miller turned around and choked everyone.

Then he was overwhelmed by teammates who were so excited that they lost their minds.

And Louis took out the "Victory Coke" that Charles Barkley used provocatively before the start of the second half in an ice bucket.

He raised his Coke to greet the Trail Blazers players not far away.

Chee, Portland.

PS: Please give me your monthly vote. I will take time off for the next two days to code, and I have not saved the manuscript. I hope you can watch the seventh scene in one go like today.