Barkley's words sum it up very well.

Because Rose was questioned before, and he is both the No. 1 pick and the MVP.

Of course, in the future, a digital genius emerged who broke this statement, but that is another story.

Back to the game, Rose's recovery this time is very important for the Bulls.

However, when the main players of both teams came back one after another, the Mavericks insisted on double-team defense, and Rose's poor outside shooting tonight forced Thibodeau to replace him again.

Therefore, in the first three quarters of the game, the Mavericks basically played a one-man show between Rose and Xu Yong, with Xu Yong facing off at a high intensity while Rose traveled at off-peak times.

The two sides were tied at 75 at the end of the third quarter, and the game was very close.

Then in the fourth quarter, there was a clear watershed in the game.

Nowitzki, who didn't perform well in the first three quarters of the Mavericks, exploded and scored 14 points in a single quarter.

Turning and fading away, three-point shot to the face, rocking chair breakthrough, standing on one leg... he is proficient in all kinds of weapons.

And the key is that he doesn't stick to the ball, he just plays without the ball. After the Bulls have consumed a lot of energy, they don't even have time to double-team him.

On the other hand, on the Bulls side, in order to maintain the situation, Xu Yong basically never rested. Excessive physical consumption caused his offensive efficiency to inevitably decline.

The final score on the field was fixed at 96 to 90. The Mavericks defeated the Bulls away and won their first victory in the finals.

According to post-match statistics, for the Mavericks, Nowitzki scored 31 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists, Marion scored 15 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, Terry scored 13 points and 5 assists, Kidd scored 11 points and 6 assists, Peja scored 9 points, and Chandler scored 8 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.

It is worth mentioning that the Mavericks team had as many as 23 assists, playing the ultimate team basketball.

On the Bulls side, Xu Yong played 44 minutes in his debut in the finals, scoring a game-high 36 points on 11 of 25 shots. Rose had 18 points and 5 assists, and Yao Ming had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists.

After the game, Xu Yong sat on the bench with his head down for a long time.

On the one hand, it was because the physical energy consumed tonight really exceeded his limit; on the other hand, although he had expected it, the feeling of losing was indeed not good.

All I can say is that basketball games are not simply a comparison of strength on paper, and the Mavericks were clearly the team in better shape tonight.

Just then, he felt someone sitting down next to him.

He looked up and turned to see it was Jordan.

"When I was in college, I believed I could handle everything. That's the truth. I made a buzzer beater against the 'Gorilla' in my freshman year." Jordan said with a smile to himself, his mouth full of the smell of the sea.

Xu Yong pricked up his ears and listened.

"But in the end, I stayed there for three years and didn't leave many brilliant statistics. Do you know why?" Jordan said, looking at Xu Yong.

"Because of Dean Smith?" Xu Yong asked tentatively.

He read the story of Jordan University at least dozens of times before he was reborn.

Jordan was a little surprised by Xu Yong's answer, but after thinking about Xu Yong's identity, he felt it was natural and continued, "Yes, he kept repeating this sentence in my ear every day: 'Basketball is a sport for five people. No matter how strong one person is, he can't handle everything.'"

When talking about this, Jordan couldn't help but smile, as it was the memory of the sweetest thing in his life.

"I didn't care at first. I could handle the game by myself, so my teammates just needed to defend. But eventually I gradually understood it, because there will always be opponents who are as strong as you, and there will be games that you can't handle by yourself."

When Xu Yong heard this, he knew that Jordan was here to enlighten him.

If it was before, he would feel surprised, after all, the relationship between him and Jordan was not very good.

But since the last time Jordan taught him to turn around and lean back, he found that Jordan was not exactly what he thought.

In other words, humans are complex creatures, and it is inaccurate to define a person with stereotyped labels.

Jordan has a nitpicking side, but he also has a teachable side.

"When I understood this, Dean told me that too many people were playing for stats rather than wins and losses, and he wanted me to be a true ruler rather than a stat emperor," Jordan continued.

Xu Yong listened and nodded. Most people understood this, but it was not easy to actually do it.

"So he not only taught me the importance of teamwork, but also taught me how to do it."

Hearing this, Xu Yong sat up straight.

"Let your teammates do what they are good at, and you cover the back." Jordan repeated what Smith said.

Xu Yong seemed to be thinking about something. He seemed to have understood something, but also seemed not to have fully understood it.

"Someone has to score, someone has to grab rebounds, and someone has to make those three-pointers, but in the end, the one who can decide the outcome of the game at the last moment is you." Jordan stood up, patted Xu Yong on the shoulder and left.

Xu Yong looked at Jordan's back for a long time, then nodded.

After declining Swift's invitation to play basketball, Xu Yong went to the training hall that night to practice more.

But he is destined not to be alone tonight, because Rose also comes to practice shooting.

There is no doubt about Rose's determination. He is more like in the first quarter tonight, and has not found how to play to his abilities in the finals.

After the two finished their training, Ross went back to rest, while Xu Yong went directly to the second floor.

I waited until I got to the head coach's office, knocked on the door, and when I heard a voice from inside, Thibodeau was indeed inside.

After a game like this, there was no way Thibodeau was going anywhere else.

Thibodeau looked a little tired. Even though he was full of energy and had experienced the finals, the feeling of being a head coach and going through all this was completely different.

At this time on social media, many fans are questioning his ability.

He was suppressed by Carlisle tactically, and Xu Yong was tortured by him, resulting in Xu Yong having no energy in the final quarter. Even his best defense was ineffective against Nowitzki in the last quarter.

There is even a classic saying that O'Neal's grandmother would be better as a coach than Thibodeau.

It's only Thibodeau who doesn't use social media, otherwise he would be really upset.

But even so, given the demands he places on himself, the pressure at this moment is no less than that of others.

"You haven't gone to rest yet?" After Xu Yong sat down, Thibodeau continued to busy himself and asked.

Xu Yong consumed a lot of physical energy in the first game, so he needs to recover in the next two days.

"Tom, I don't think the Mavericks have been pushed to their full potential by us." Xu Yong said.

Hearing this, Thibodeau stopped the work at hand and looked at him puzzledly. He knew that Xu Yong must have something to say to him.

Given their current relationship, he would listen carefully.

"Their current game strategy is to let Nowitzki play as a diversion in the first three quarters and then save his energy for the last quarter."

Thibodeau nodded. He could sense that, too.

"So we have to play to our advantage in the first three quarters and force Nowitzki to play in the first three quarters, so that we have a chance to win."

"What do you mean?" Thibodeau looked at Xu Yong in confusion. What Xu Yong said was not that he didn't want to, but that the Bulls couldn't do it.

"We need Derek to perform more, or we need to study how to make Derek perform better." Xu Yong said directly.

Thibodeau has a thorough understanding of basketball. Putting Xu Yong's words together, he naturally knew what Xu Yong wanted to express.

In the first three quarters, they used better performance to force Carlisle to use Nowitzki more, and in the fourth quarter, everyone was at least the same.

If this cannot be done, Rose will have to play more, so that Xu Yong and Nowitzki will have enough energy until the last quarter, and it will be the same for everyone.

"I understand. You should go to rest early. We still need you to win the next game." Thibodeau suddenly said in a gentle tone.

Xu Yong knew that Thibodeau understood what he said, nodded, and stood up to say goodbye.

After Xu Yong left, Thibodeau felt a sense of emotion.

However, he also has enough confidence that the Bulls can win the finals this time.

Because it was the same with Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen in Boston before.

Theoretically speaking, Garnett is the core of the Celtics' Big Three, and like the Heat, he also has the problem of outsiders and locals.

But they handled this aspect very well, always putting the team and winning first, without blindly pursuing statistics and team status, or who is the boss of the team.

It is even more commendable that Xu Yong can do this as a sophomore player.

But it's a winner indeed.

It was at this time that he felt that even though it was incredible for Rose to win the MVP in his junior year, he also felt that Xu Yong would achieve even greater success in the future.

When he thought of this, he couldn't help laughing again.

It is really a blessing to be able to coach two future superstars at the same time when they debuted.

After a while he put away his smile and went back to sorting out what he needed to do.

How to make Rose perform better, at least in the first three quarters, the pressure is on him.

…

There is still one day left until Game 2 of the Finals begins.

Thibodeau focused on the adjusted tactics in training, and the Bulls players were also full of fighting spirit.

Unlike what many people imagined, the loss in Game 1 did not demoralize the Bulls players, but instead woke them up.

They knew that if they continued in the state of G1, they might really lose the finals.

And if they come to the finals with a 12-0 record in the division and still lose in the end, they will actually be no different from the Heat who were swept by them.

So in order to avoid being nailed on the pillar of shame, they must go all out in G2.

And Thibodeau's adjustments also made Rose look eager to try for the first time.

He really wants to prove himself.

Xu Yong seemed the calmest in the team. He knew that even if he could retain his energy until the fourth quarter, it would not be easy to compete with Nowitzki at that time.

Historically, Nowitzki's overall performance against the Heat was different from his first three rounds.

If Nowitzki, who averaged 30+ points in the first three rounds, was a god, then he was at most a demigod in the finals.

The reason why he was not a human being was his performance in the final quarter.

He averaged 10.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in the fourth quarter, with a shooting percentage of 54.1%. He averaged 4 free throws in the entire fourth quarter, and made 24 free throws in 6 games without missing a single one.

In comparison, the combined statistics of Wade and James at that time were almost the same, not to mention their efficiency.

Whether it was because of Carlisle's game strategy as he and Thibodeau analyzed, or because Nowitzki had consumed a lot of physical energy after three rounds of fierce battles in the series.

But what is certain is that Nowitzki's condition has not actually deteriorated, and he still has a "God descending to earth" button in his hand at all times.

Because of the "Jordan will lose if he plays" theory among some extreme fans on social media, Jordan did not come to the game.

But in Charlotte, Jordan was still smoking a cigar and preparing to watch the game in his private mansion.

He was also curious whether Xu Yong really understood what he said.

Because a real team is what he said, but it doesn't mean that they can just sit back and do nothing in the first three quarters.

Swift came to the scene again, but the jersey he wore today was a little special. He was wearing the Mavericks' No. 41 white jersey!

It is not known whether she did this as a protest against Xu Yong's rejection of her after the last game.

Xu Yong didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he saw it, but tonight's game was too crucial and he didn't have the energy to pay attention to it for the time being.

You know, if the Bulls lose this game again, they will be behind 0-2 and have to play three consecutive away games, then it will be difficult for them to turn the tables.

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.

The starting lineups for both sides are the same as in the previous game.

Although Thibodeau used a small player to defend Nowitzki in the last game, the effect was not good.

To put it bluntly, to deal with a player like Nowitzki who plays at the 3rd position with the height of a power forward, as long as he is in good shape, there are only a handful of people in the league who can limit him.

Among those few people, none of them were on the Bulls.

You can't blame Foreman for this. This season, apart from Xu Yong, probably no one else thought that the Mavericks would make it to the finals in the Western Conference.

Except for the Mavericks, the Bulls have players who can match up against other strong teams in the Western Conference.

"Charles, who do you think has a better chance tonight?" The game was about to start, and Smith turned to Barkley and asked from the commentary booth.

"Mavericks." Barkley gave his answer without hesitation.

"I'm not trying to be shocking, but I think the Mavericks will win their first championship in team history in an epic way," Barkley said with certainty.

"Really?"

"Really, absolutely, they look like they could be champions." Barkley nodded continuously.

"How about... make a bet?" Kenny Smith said with a wicked smile.

Barkley was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

This time, he didn't answer it. It wasn't because he was afraid, but because the previous enthusiasm had not yet been digested, and there was little point in repeating it at this time.

"No matter what, believe me, I'm a big supporter of Dallas this year, and Nowitzki will change the reputation of his entire career," Barkley repeated.

"Beep~"

A long whistle sounded on the court, and G2 of the finals was about to begin.

At this time, thousands of miles away in Miami, James, who had just finished training, was sitting in front of the King's soft chair in his mansion.

After being humiliated by Riley, he turned down all major events this summer and focused on offseason training.

He also accepted the advice of personal trainer Mike Manshes and will lose weight appropriately to make himself more flexible.

He also plans to go to Houston to learn post-up techniques from Olajuwon, just like Kobe and Xu Yong did before him.

To sum it up in one sentence, he will slap Riley in the face next season.

Of course, that is a matter for later. For now, he should first see how the Bulls are defeated.

Looking at the Mavericks team, which was mainly composed of old men, the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

In other words, the Bulls' style of play restrained the Heat and kept them out of the finals. If the Heat made it to the finals, wouldn't they be able to crush the Mavericks with ease?