11 minutes into the first quarter, Xu Yong was replaced by Thibodeau for rest.

When he sat on the bench, he was breathing heavily.

It turns out that he is still a long way from physical freedom.

In a game of this intensity, every chance to shoot requires a lot of running, physical confrontation all the time, and then as the core of the offense, playing almost a whole quarter, the physical energy consumption is very terrifying.

This is equivalent to doing anaerobic exercise continuously, and your muscles feel like they are burning.

I have to say, this is really not a game of the same level as the Eastern Conference Finals.

Of course, this also has a lot to do with the Mavericks' defensive strategy.

The Mavericks did not abandon their zone defense because of his scoring.

Carlisle's mind was very clear. The energy and difficulty required for Xu Yong to score each time were much greater than those required for Yao Ming in the penalty area.

Xu Yong calmed his breathing and looked up at the score.

25 to 23.

He scored 13 points in a single quarter in a game of this intensity, but the Bulls were still behind in the score.

At this moment, he felt like Zhao Yun was fighting his way up to Changbanpo, with Cao's army standing opposite him.

Yao Ming was restricted by the double team in the interior, and the performance of the other Bulls players in the first game of the finals was indeed as Thibodeau worried, with big problems.

We can’t beat the Mavericks this way.

You know, he tried his best in the first quarter, but Nowitzki of the Mavericks only took 4 shots in the first quarter and scored 6 points, and he didn't really put in much effort.

If he continues to play like this, even if he can score 40 points, he will only become the next Durant and the leader of the empty-cut group today.

The Bulls' form cannot be adjusted back all at once, but it would be a big loss for them to give up G1.

Because it will not be until the 2013-2014 season that the finals format will be changed to 2-2-1-1-1. Now it is still 2-3-2.

The 2-3-2 format has a reason. In the early days of the NBA, transportation costs were high, and in order to save money and also to save players from traveling fatigue (the finals are a match between Eastern and Western teams, and the cities are far apart), it has been used to this day.

However, the biggest problem with this competition system is that it is extremely disadvantageous to the team with home advantage.

If we lose one of the first two home games, the series will be extremely disadvantageous.

You have to know that when playing three away games in a row, unless you have overwhelming strength over your opponent, you might lose the match point if you are not careful, and you might not even be able to return to your home court.

Therefore, these two home games must not be lost easily.

But is there anything we can do now that can change the current situation?

Xu Yong turned and looked at Ross beside him.

Rose had been sitting on the sidelines for half of the quarter. Because of the double-team defense, Thibodeau did not substitute him back on the court.

His expression at this moment was extremely depressed.

This is completely understandable. As the leader of the team and the new MVP, sitting on the bench is something that most people cannot stand.

In fact, since the start of this year's playoffs, his average performance of about 23 points per game cannot be said to be bad, but it is not good enough for the core of the team.

With the outside world's doubts and his own performance, one can imagine the pressure he is under.

Xu Yong was organizing his words quickly in his mind.

The situation the Bulls are facing now is completely different from when they played against the Magic.

Playing against the Magic is like solving an equation with multiple solutions, and choosing Rose is just one of many solutions.

Instead of using Rose, use Yao Ming, even he can solve the problem.

The reason they chose Rose at that time was because they were a team and needed to help Rose respond to external doubts.

But it’s different now. Without Rose’s performance, it will be difficult for the Bulls to win the game tonight.

Moreover, the opening few minutes of the first quarter were not Rose's level. He could have played better.

He just needs to find an angle to bring out his best.

Soon, he had an idea.

"Derrick." Xu Yong called out to Ross and then lowered his head.

Generally, this kind of communication is best done off the court. It is not appropriate to do it on the sidelines when there are teammates on both sides.

However, the situation was urgent and he couldn't care less about so many things. He could only try to reduce the attention of others as much as possible.

Ross turned around when he heard the voice, and seeing Xu Yong's posture suggested that he wanted to say something to him, he also lowered his head and leaned over to Xu Yong.

"We all know what Dwyane Wade did in the 2006 Finals, but few people know that he was terrible in the first two games that the Heat lost, shooting only 38%."

Rose looked very surprised when he heard this, because he really hadn't known about this, and it really surprised him. In his memory, Wade's performance as FMVP was very outstanding.

"We need you, you are our leader, we can't win this game without you." Xu Yong continued.

Ross was deeply touched by what he heard.

Now that the playoffs are underway, Xu Yong is undoubtedly the better player in terms of both statistics and performance.

But in the series against the Magic, Xu Yong supported him with practical actions, and now he is encouraging him in the same way.

This is something more valuable than helping him respond to questions in front of the media.

You have to know that the NBA is ultimately a commercial league, where data and team status are directly linked to money. Too many people put the team's victory or defeat second for these things.

There is even a chance of him winning the FMVP in the finals.

But Xu Yong, it seems to be just the opposite.

"Beep~"

Just then a long whistle sounded from the sidelines, and the first quarter was over.

At this time the score had become 29 to 23.

In the last minute, Barea of ​​the Mavericks penetrated the Bulls' defense and scored 4 points in a row to widen the gap.

During the intermission, the coach prepared to arrange tactics, and Xu Yong and Ross also stood up one after another.

"Derrick, get ready to play." Before starting the tactical arrangements, Thibodeau called out Rose's name.

Because the situation was tense, both teams' rotations were very tight tonight, and Barea only came on when Xu Yong left the court.

However, Hinrich was completely unable to keep up with Barea, and Allen had to take care of Terry, so it was obviously a better choice to play Rose at this time.

Ross turned his head and looked at Xu Yong, who nodded to him.

After the second quarter, both sides made major personnel rotations.

Bulls: Rose, Allen, Battier, Gibson, O'Neal Jr.

Mavericks: Barea, Terry, Peja Stojakovic, Nowitzki, Haywood.

Carlisle's rotation method is very special. Nowitzki will go off the court early in the first quarter and then come on to play with Barea, Terry and others.

This lineup's offense is at full strength, which is a huge test for the opponent's defense.

The Bulls will also be under a lot of pressure in this period, because they not only have to withstand the impact of the Mavericks, but also have to narrow the point gap as much as possible.

In the second quarter, the Bulls attacked first. Rose had the ball and Battier set a screen for him.

The purpose of this pick-and-roll is to find a mismatch and take advantage of Peja, the weakest defender on the Mavericks.

Carlisle obviously had a response to this move. After the pick-and-roll, Barea and Peja directly double-teamed Rose.

Rose only played for a few minutes in the first quarter, but he made two passing errors, which could be exploited.

But Rose's choice was completely beyond Carlisle's expectations.

When facing a double team, his choice was not to pass the ball, but to seize the gap formed before the double team, and suddenly accelerated and passed through!

Yes, Rose does have this ability. When he was still in the NCAA, Rose made Xu Yong and others helpless.

Although the NBA is not the NCAA and the intensity of tonight's game is far beyond the regular season, Rose's sudden self-expression caught the Mavericks off guard.

Moreover, Rose was too fast, and Haywood's ability to assist defense was far inferior to Chandler's. He could only watch Rose rush into the inside like lightning, and then send the ball lightly into the basket.gif.

There were bursts of whistles from Chicago fans at the scene.

Rose's goal was a real morale booster.

Xu Yong then noticed that Thibodeau was also applauding Rose's performance.

Thibodeau has no bias against Rose, or any player for that matter.

For a football fanatic, everything he does is for the purpose of winning.

So he would bench Rose in the first quarter, and let O'Neal play center in the second quarter, deliberately creating a lineup with large space for Rose.

While retreating, Rose glanced in the direction of Xu Yong on the bench.

After seeing this, Xu Yong gave him a thumbs up.

Although it was just one round, it was obvious that Rose's confidence had returned a lot, which was far more important than the two points he got.

"Defend! Defend!"

In fact, it also made the United Center boil again, and the arena was filled with cheers.

In the Mavericks' position, Nowitzki is still playing a containment role.

Because Terry was closely guarded by Allen, the Mavericks' offensive focus at this time was Barea.

Barea was just as Xu Yong had described before, a basketball elf on the court, constantly moving around the court, and his speed in getting around pick-and-rolls was extremely fast.

But in this round, he was not able to score consecutively like he did in the last moments of the first quarter.

Because Ross followed him!

In history, when the Mavericks played against the Heat, the Heat couldn't defend Barea because no one could keep up with him. Even Wade, the only one who could barely keep up with him, couldn't do it.

If he follows, can the Heat really count on James to attack?

As for the Bulls, Rose is faster than Wade, so it is not difficult for him to keep up with Barea.

Moreover, Rose only played for a short time in the first quarter and had plenty of energy. He also knew that he would not be able to perform well under the Mavericks' double-team defense, so there was no need for him to hold back.

The result is that Barea is very passive.

In the end, he wanted to use his absolute speed to catch Rose's layup, but Rose seized the opportunity and chased him and sent the ball flying out of the baseline!

At this moment, the United Center was in an uproar.

This is their MVP!

At this time, Xu Yong directly applauded Ross's performance.

Although using Rose to match up against Barea is somewhat like traveling at off-peak times.

But in fact, this matchup is very important, because Barria is too special and the only one the Bulls can match is Rose, so this wave has a bit of a wrong in and out meaning.

But whether it is traveling during off-peak hours or entering and exiting at different times, the effect is quite good.

The Mavericks had little time left to attack, and Terry finally received the ball and shot, but was blocked by Allen. Although the ball did not fall, it was obviously off target after the shot.

O'Neal Jr. was protecting the defensive rebounds under the basket. Although he was at a disadvantage in terms of weight and height compared to Shanghai Wood as a center, his positioning awareness and experience were obviously better.

After grabbing the rebound, he turned around and passed it to Rose.

After Rose got the ball, his state was completely different from that in the first quarter. It was as if he was stepping on Hot Wheels. In the fast break, he changed direction to pass Terry who was about to foul, and then changed direction from behind to pass Nowitzki who was helping defend without slowing down. He blew through the United Center like the wind.

Xu Yong stood up at this time.

Rose rushed to the front court, looked back, slowed down rarely, and then did a performance-like two-handed dunk.gif.

And after completing the dunk and landing, he also bent his body and roared, which was a rare move.

It was obvious that his performance in the past had finally allowed him to vent his pent-up emotions.

It was at this moment that Carlisle reached out and called a timeout.

Rose used his consecutive performances to stop the Mavericks.

In the commentary booth, Barkley and Kenny Smith were also filled with emotion.

Because after returning in the second quarter, Rose was completely different from the first quarter.

"Maybe Thibodeau has some magic, he turned Derrick Rose into a different person," Barkley joked.

Just as he said this, Thibodeau sneezed violently.

The person who really has magic is Xu Yong, who is now preparing to come back as a substitute.

In Thibodeau's opinion, more than a minute of rest time was enough for Xu Yong.

After the timeout, the Bulls made a substitution, Xu Yong replaced Battier and played the small forward position.

However, Carlisle did not make any adjustments to the Mavericks lineup.

However, after coming back, the Mavericks made a mid-range shot after a Terry pick-and-roll in a positional battle.

The execution of this Mavericks team is terrifying.

31 to 27.

The Mavericks still hold the lead.

The Bulls' frontcourt position.

Although the Mavericks did not make any substitutions, they showed their adjustments and began to double-team Rose.

Rose was in good shape at this time and reacted quickly, and he passed the ball to Xu Yong in the high position on the right side in time.

Moreover, after passing the ball, he played very actively. He did not stay in place, but cut to the basket.

After seeing this, Xu Yong turned sideways and hit the ball accurately.

Rose received the ball, accelerated with one step, and then took off directly outside the penalty area.

He didn't use his signature belly-stretching dunk, nor did he use both hands. Instead, he used the tomahawk dunk with one hand.gif!

Moreover, his whole body was completely stretched out, and his movements were extremely graceful.

Haywood had no time to react. Nowitzki, who had time to react, wanted to jump up to block the shot, but Rose glided too fast for him to reach.

“Bang!”

Rose slammed the ball into the basket with his right tomahawk, and then landed on his signature one foot.

The fans at the United Center are going crazy.

Especially when the large LED screen on the scene immediately started to defend the ball, the cheers at the scene were deafening.

At this time, Barkley also put away his teasing smile in the commentary booth and said seriously and calmly: "There may be fake No. 1 picks, but there are no fake MVPs."