The Bulls' next game is on December 1st, against the Thunder.
Because it was an away game, the Bulls flew to Oklahoma City the day before the game.
After arriving, Harden specially found a famous local Chinese restaurant to invite Xu Yong to dinner.
Thanks to Xu Yong's original advice and his own efforts, his performance this season has made a breakthrough compared to last season.
His current average of 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game has already put him in the top tier of shooting guards in the league.
As his performance improved, the Thunder dominated the Lakers and Mavericks at the beginning of this season and firmly occupied the top spot in the Western Conference.
And their two main competitors have encountered some troubles one after another.
On the Mavericks side, Nash and Nowitzki were absent due to injuries.
Although optimistically speaking, this gave Leonard more training opportunities, the Mavericks' record clearly fluctuated.
The Lakers, on the other hand, are digging their own grave.
Before the start of the season, because they could not trade Okafor no matter what, the Lakers finally chose to amnesty Okafor.
The "amnesty clause" is a way to terminate a contract that is different from buyout and layoff. It stipulates that each team has one opportunity to use this clause on a player on the team. After using this clause, the team still needs to pay the player's remaining salary in the contract, but the player's salary will not be included in the team's salary.
It actually already existed in the previous version of the labor-management agreement and was also known as the "Alan Houston Clause."
However, this clause has not been used frequently before, because amnesty requires full salary payment and does not bring any benefits, so as long as the player can play, the team will not choose this approach.
However, the new version of the labor agreement has revised this clause, stipulating that before the end of the 2015-2016 season, the clause will automatically become invalid even if the team does not use it.
In addition, there will be a super luxury tax from the 2013-2014 season, which is the next season, so the frequency of amnesty has increased significantly in these two seasons.
The Lakers also ultimately chose to use it to terminate Okafor's contract early.
This would not have been a big deal, as it would have been a waste if he hadn't been used, but as a result, Okafor left and Bynum was left without a reliable substitute, and he was injured just one month into the season.
Although he did not become a digital man as Xu Yong knew, and did not let himself go under Kobe's constraints, he has always had a glass attribute.
Last season was the season with the most appearances in all games since he started, and he also played in all the playoffs. This is definitely related to Okafor's presence.
And this time his condition was quite serious, and he had to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, which ruled him out for the entire regular season and he is not expected to return until mid-April.
Now that Okafor and Bynum are gone, the Lakers' inside strength has dropped by more than one level, and the decline in their record is completely expected.
So Harden has had a much more comfortable season than Xu Yong.
"Are you with 'Black Widow'?" After eating and drinking, Harden suddenly asked Xu Yong.
Xu Yong was stunned for a moment and looked at Harden in confusion.
He has not mentioned this in front of the media, and Scarlett should not take the initiative to show off on social media like Madonna did back then.
"TMZ has the news." Harden took out his cell phone and handed the news in the browser to Xu Yong.
Xu Yong took it and looked at it, then was stunned.
Wow, from the moment Scarlett entered his house to the moment he sent Scarlett to the airport, everything was secretly photographed!
It turns out that paparazzi are everywhere.
"Are you still following TMZ?" Xu Yong handed the phone back to Harden.
"I like watching them report on some shows, such as 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians', it's very interesting." Harden now does not hide anything from Xu Yong.
Xu Yong couldn't help but laugh.
On the NCAA championship night, Harden showed his love for big butts, so it is understandable that he follows Kardashian's show.
So, this is the beginning of his relationship with Kardashian?
"Wait, that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about you and Scarlett Johansson." Harden suddenly realized that Xu Yong was changing the subject and immediately got back to the point.
"We are friends." Xu Yong replied calmly.
"A friend staying overnight?"
"Can't we stay overnight at a friend's house?" Xu Yong said seriously.
"I believe it." Harden looked unconvinced.
Xu Yong shrugged. He and Scarlett were not in a relationship to begin with, so they definitely couldn't be considered lovers. If they were not lovers yet, they could be just friends.
"After Kevin saw the news, I haven't seen him smile for a day. You may not know that he is a very cheerful person in private," Harden continued.
Xu Yong coughed twice.
As we all know, if we were to select a social media goat among NBA players, James would only be ranked second to Durant.
Last year, Scarlett Johansson walked the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards and posted the photos on social media. Her figure was very much to Durant's liking, so Durant left a comment below that became famous: "I want to drink your bath water."
So if you say that Durant has no feelings for Scarlett, that's impossible.
But in fact, with Durant's status, if he didn't use this kind of fatal greeting method, given Scarlett's personality, she would have drunk not only the bath water but also the milk.
But now, Scarlett definitely looks down on him.
"I'm just worried that he's going to talk trash to you during the game," Harden continued.
"Do you think I need to worry about this given his level of trash talk?" Xu Yong laughed when he heard this. As a victim of the Green Formula in history, Durant's trash talk level is among the worst in the NBA.
"No, I'm worried that he will become autistic after being criticized by you," Harden corrected.
Not to mention how well he knows Xu Yong, just recently the media exposed Xu Yong's trash talk towards Howard, which directly caused the two core players of the Pacers to quarrel until now. He knows that Durant has a sensitive personality, and if Xu Yong really talks back, he will most likely become autistic.
"I..." Xu Yong was speechless for a moment.
"Don't worry, as long as he doesn't go too far, I will go easy on him when it comes to trash talk." Xu Yong nodded.
Who said it was Harden who spoke first?
Of course, there is another point. Harden had previously told him that Durant used many small accounts to speak for himself on social media.
Just consider it a little reward.
"I knew it." Harden looked happy. This season can be said to be the best chance for the Thunder. He doesn't want the team to have any trouble like the Lakers and Mavericks.
…
The next day, the Ford Center was packed with people.
With the Thunder's strong rise in the past two seasons, the basketball market in Oklahoma City has become extremely hot.
In fact, this game has received unprecedented attention not only on site, but also on television and online media.
The most important thing is the meeting between Xu Yong and Durant.
After Stern gave up on James, the focus of publicity naturally needed to be shifted.
Where to turn? Naturally, to Xu Yong and Durant.
From the World Championships two years ago, to the competition for the scoring title last season, to the Olympic finals that just ended this summer, every encounter between the two was full of sparks.
Even their nicknames are diametrically opposed.
"Satan" in Chicago and "Death" in Oklahoma, there can only be one person in charge in hell.
No one knows how to create buzz better than Stern.
In fact, it's not just the league. In yesterday's TNT program, Barkley, the king of traffic, directly brought up the TMZ report.
Even Scarlett herself makes an appearance.
Although Scarlett Johansson will not show off as actively as Madonna, have you ever seen a Hollywood actress who would refuse the free popularity?
“He’s awesome.”
Although it was just a short sentence and didn't even mention anyone, everyone knew what it meant.
This became a hot topic both on and off the court.
During the pre-game warm-up, the camera frequently cut to Xu Yong and Durant.
Xu Yong looked serious, while Durant looked solemn.
This looks like it will be a fierce match, and the fans' appetite is whetted.
After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of both sides were announced.
Chicago Bulls: Hinrich, Jimmy Butler, Xu Yong, Battier, Kwame Brown;
Thunder: Harden, Sefolosha, Durant, Ibaka, Gasol.
When the Bulls put out this lineup, Brooks was stunned for a moment and then he reacted.
There was a three-minute adjustment period between the end of the opening ceremony and the start of the official game. He re-drew the defensive tactics and even pulled Soflosa aside to give him a few more instructions before going on the court.
"beep!"
Brown passed the ball back to the Bulls' half, and the curtain of this key battle officially began.
Hinrich pushed the ball to the frontcourt, and after making a tactical gesture, he passed the ball to Xu Yong in the high position on the strong side.
The Bulls' tactics were very thorough. The strong side was completely cleared, with a shooter ambushed in the weak side corner, 45 degrees and top of the circle. Brown was at the weak side baseline, leaving Xu Yong with ample space for singles.
Xu Yong chose to play one-on-one facing the basket, and after starting with a drop step, he directly broke through Sefolosha.
Theoretically, this style of play would be best with one star and four shooters, but Murphy's defense is too poor now and he can't achieve the same effect as Yi Jianlian, so he can only settle for the second best of one star and three shooters, plus a dunker under the basket, and the effect is similar.
Of course, no matter which style of play you use, it means that Xu Yong's offense will be based mainly on breakthroughs, because if the players are scattered and you focus on shooting, not only will there be no rebounds, but other people will also be completely unable to participate.
Sefolosha was not dribbled past by Xu Yong in this game like he was last season. After he gradually gained a foothold as a starter for the Thunder, his defensive ability has also improved. Brooks just pulled him aside to give him some instructions, and his willingness to defend is also very high.
However, when Xu Yong broke into the three-second zone, the situation changed.
Because Xu Yong gave him a strong confrontation and then jumped up from the ground without any warning.
The terrifying instantaneous explosive force left Soflosa with no time to react.
“Bang!”
Amid the stunned expressions of the fans at the scene, Xu Yong opened the game with a brutal one-handed slam dunk.
Brooks was also stunned.
He predicted the Bulls' tactics, but he didn't expect Xu Yong to be so determined in his attack tonight.
Then, he had already decided to adjust his defense in the next round.
If it were any other player, he would definitely not jump to conclusion based on one round, but Xu Yong's 53 points in a single game last season to defeat the Thunder was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't afford to take that risk.
The Thunder's offense was organized by Harden from the outside.
The Bulls' opening style of play was completely different from before, but the Thunder still followed the routine, which is what Xu Yong had said to Harden before, that he would control the game in the first three quarters.
He did it, and after a pick-and-roll with Gasol, he scored the first point for the Thunder with a signature step-back mid-range jumper.
Both sides looked pretty good at the start.
The Bulls continued to play positional warfare, and Xu Yong continued to hold the ball.
But now he noticed Brooks' gestures and saw the changes in the Thunder's defensive positions on the field, which were obviously preparing to double-team him.
Brooks was straightforward.
However, Xu Yong was more straightforward.
He faked a breakthrough to the right, then quickly pulled back to the left and dribbled past Sefolosha with his left hand.
Balancing your left and right hands is like resetting your pivot foot, making it difficult for your opponent to determine which side you will attack from.
Then, Xu Yong jumped high before the Thunder's defense arrived and made another powerful two-handed dunk.
There was a commotion at the scene.
The game had just started when Xu Yong had violently penetrated the Thunder's penalty area twice.
This restricted area is too loose!
Brooks looked solemn.
Xu Yong has obviously evolved compared to last season. This guy is too terrifying.
Moreover, the Thunder did not continue to score on the offensive end, not because they played badly, but because Butler had a great performance on the defensive end.
The Thunder still used the pick-and-roll between Harden and Gasol, but this time Butler successfully got around it and interfered at the moment Harden shot.
Sharp-eyed fans have already noticed that he uses the same footwork as Xu Yong.
This is understandable. As Xu Yong's junior and someone who often trains with him, it is impossible for him not to learn the puppy gait.
The rebound was protected by Brown, and after the Bulls advanced to the frontcourt, the ball fell into Xu Yong's hands again.
Continuous singles are very physically demanding, but without having to invest on the defensive end, three serves are definitely not his limit.
Xu Yong held the ball with one hand and stared at Sefolosha.
Soflosa was concentrating, but the sweat on his forehead betrayed him.
The game had only gone on for two rounds, and it was obvious that his reaction was not due to physical exhaustion, but rather mental nervousness.
Although this is actually normal and he is trusted by the head coach, who can remain calm after being beaten for two consecutive rounds at the beginning of the game?
Xu Yong changed his posture, from carrying a face basket to carrying a back basket.
Although the breakthrough just now successfully passed Sofolosha, we still have to acknowledge the Swiss Army Knife's defensive capabilities.
Taking advantage of the confrontation in position can increase the success rate of offense.
"Bang!"
In the first physical confrontation between the two men, Soflosa was pushed back half a step and felt a dull pain in his chest.
Grover started to become Xu Yong's personal trainer in 2010, and the three-year plan set at the time has now entered its second year.
Xu Yong's current physique is the third piece of art he has created after Jordan.
You have to know that Hill, McGrady, and Wade, whom he had trained before, were unable to achieve the results he wanted due to injuries. Only Jordan and Kobe succeeded.
Moreover, Xu Yong is bigger than Kobe, so his ability to compete is much stronger.
After pushing Sofoloza away, Xu Yong turned towards the free throw line, and Sofoloza could only rush forward with all his might.
Because if he didn't go up, Xu Yong could easily get rid of his defense whether he used his left hand to break through as he had used before, or turned around and leaned back.
This is also why fans sometimes wonder why even when Kobe is clearly defended, opponents still fall for his fake moves and get shaken off, because if you don't jump, the fake move will become a real shot.
Xu Yong turned around and wiped Soflosa clean.
Moreover, after he turned around, he lowered his center of gravity very low in order to break through the speed, and his speed was very fast.
The fans looked at the familiar red Bulls jersey and felt as if two figures were overlapping.
Low center of gravity, turning and breaking through is one of Jordan's killer moves.
Xu Yong rushed to the basket, but someone was there to help defend.
Before he was blocked, Ibaka could jump, moved quickly, and was excellent at confrontation as a power forward, so his presence on the defensive end was very high.
Xu Yong jumped up, and it seemed that he wanted to test Ibaka's quality.
Ibaka jumped up immediately. As a Congolese leader, he was extremely tough.
However, Xu Yong caught the ball in the air, then glided past him and moved from one side of the basket to the other.
Obviously, Xu Yong has never been a reckless man. He knows Ibaka well enough and knows that men who like to jump are most likely to be fooled.
Of course, the most important thing is that his jumping and air-staying are his biggest advantages.
After completing the gliding in the air, Xu Yong pulled the ball out of his arms.
“Bang!”
A one-handed dunk slammed the ball into the basket.
After completing the dunk, Xu Yong even hung on the basket with one hand before landing.
The Bulls' bench exploded, with Anderson and his teammates throwing their towels high in the air.
Xu Yong's three dunks in the Thunder penalty area were explosive.
The scene was also very restless.
This is not something that has happened once or twice, it's simply getting whatever one wants!
Moreover, three consecutive shells fired at them, causing their heads to buzz.
At this time, the Thunder's only weakness, or their biggest weakness, was exposed.
In this era, without a hard C center to protect the rim, it is really difficult to cope with Xu Yong's violent style of play.
6 to 2.
Xu Yong scored 6 points in a row at the beginning of the game, and single-handedly took the initiative for the Bulls.
When he turned around, Durant couldn't sit still anymore.
He backed up to Battier in the high post and asked for the ball.
Then after Harden fed the ball in, he turned around and faced the basket, then shot directly towards Battier.
Battier's signature blindfold defense successfully blocked Durant's vision.
Although there is a height difference, he always seizes the opportunity to block the eyes.
“Swish!”
But that didn't work.
Durant put the ball into the basket steadily.
And after Hinrich's three-pointer missed, Durant turned around and continued to position himself. After a fake shot deceived Battier's defensive focus, he strode directly into the inside with his long arms raised high...
“Bang!”
Brown slammed the ball into the basket over the assisting defense.
A hot fact is that Durant's athletic ability is top-notch among players of the same height level. Coupled with his height and wingspan, he was a serious dunk master during his time with the Thunder, or more accurately, before he suffered a right foot injury.
The scene was instantly filled with cheers from the fans.
The camera turned to Durant. Durant ignored Brown and turned his head to stare at Xu Yong.
His eyes seemed to be drawn, and the Grim Reaper's scythe behind him was faintly visible.
In fact, it's hard to say how much interest Durant still has in Scarlett after more than a year.
Because he follows so many female Bodhisattvas on Twitter.
But this involves the issue of men's desire to win.
Xu Yong got what Durant couldn't get, and he also said that Xu Yong was awesome. That feeling was really painful, too painful.
He couldn't change Scarlett's mind, but he had to win it back on the court!
Facing Durant's eyes, Xu Yong just smiled slightly, and then continued to hold the ball with his back to the basket on the offensive end, and responded with a quick stop and jump shot after a turn and breakthrough.
Brooks was a little restless and called Reggie Jackson from the bench.
In the Bulls' five rounds, Xu Yong attacked for four rounds, made 4 of 4 shots and scored 8 points.
Moreover, in four rounds, Xu Yong used four different offensive techniques.
Sofolosha's defense cannot be said to be bad, but it is not effective at all.
This means that unless Durant is asked to defend, no one on the Thunder can limit Xu Yong in a one-on-one situation.
But Durant's physical condition does not support Brooks making that choice.
Of course, Brooks is not the only one making adjustments, as the Bulls are facing the same situation.
After two rounds, Battier proved that he was completely unable to defend against Durant.
It’s not that his defensive ability has declined much, but that his defensive style is ineffective against Durant.
At this time, the person who switched defense became Butler.
Although Butler was only a sophomore at this time, he could be said to be a master in terms of skills after learning from a group of defensive masters such as Xu Yong, Tony Allen, Battier and Artest.
The first thing he did was to limit Durant's access to the ball.
Because of his puppy gait, it made the environment for Durant to receive the ball obviously very bad.
In the end, Durant was forced to move to the three-point line to get the ball.
Butler saw Durant receive the ball, and then put pressure on the ball closely to prevent Durant from starting easily.
Durant obviously felt uncomfortable, just like the discomfort he felt when he was defended by Xu Yong before.
But soon, Butler paid the price for his youth.
Durant made a big loop and caused him to commit a defensive foul.gif.
This is a new move Durant developed last season in addition to holding the ball.
Because his center of gravity is too high, it is not easy for him to get off the ball when facing tight defense. This kind of foul can create offensive space for himself.
In fact, this is true. After Durant continued to hold the ball after the sideline ball was sent out, Butler did not dare to press further.
As a starting player, if he commits two fouls, he basically has to sit out.
Then Durant took a drop step and passed the ball, then shot directly towards Butler.
Butler rushed forward with all his might, but he had actually failed in defense. When Durant pulled up, the only thing that could affect him was his own touch.
“Swish!”
Durant waved the Grim Reaper's scythe to complete the harvest again. He had scored 6 points in a row at the beginning of the game.
Durant looked at Xu Yong with a scrutinizing look again, but he found that Xu Yong had already pulled Butler away to chat, which made him stamp his feet in anger.
"Pay attention to his shoulders. Before he grabs the ball, his shoulders will move inward. If you think he is going to pull up for a shot, just cut the ball." Xu Yongzai shared his experience with Butler.
Due to his physical condition, it is difficult for Butler to become a first-defense level player, but with his skills and fighting spirit, it is not difficult for him to become a regular in the second-defense as in history.
In fact, because he has more objects to learn from, he can join the ranks earlier, as long as he accumulates experience faster.
"Defend! Defend!"
Durant's consecutive scores ignited the emotions of Oklahoma City fans, and neat defensive cheers rang out at the scene.
After Xu Yong got the ball, he found that his defender had become Reggie Jackson.
Just when Durant committed a foul, Jackson came on to replace Sefolosha.
And Jackson also pressed closely to prevent him from passing the ball easily.
He vaguely sensed something and did not rush to attack. Instead, he turned sideways and held the ball with one hand, protecting the ball while observing the inside defense.
Sure enough, this was a defensive trap.
Jackson is a man with a super wingspan. He is 1.88 meters tall and has a wingspan of 2.13 meters. The difference in height and wingspan is an astonishing 25 cm, which is even more exaggerated than Rondo.
This static talent, coupled with his excellent physical fitness, enables him to fully possess the ability to defend against forwards, guards and swingmen in mismatches.
But if you let a 1.88-meter-tall man defend a 2.06-meter-tall man, and that man is Xu Yong, it seems a bit unrealistic no matter how you look at it.
After all, wingspan can only alleviate the lack of height in a matchup, but weight and confrontation cannot make up for it.
Therefore, the only possibility is to attack him from the front and back when he breaks through, and to form a pincer attack on him from the front and back as soon as possible.
That way, Jackson's speed and wingspan can be used to the greatest effect.
Brooks does have the ability, because this is basically a new way of playing defense.
After quickly analyzing the situation, Xu Yong immediately chose to play one-on-one with his back to the basket.
This time he was going for a head-on confrontation, forcing Jackson to lower his focus. With the gap in confrontation so obvious, Jackson had no choice.
After doing this, Xu Yong quickly turned to the three-point line to distance himself from Jackson, then took a fadeaway jump shot.
Even if Jackson had a longer wingspan at this time, he would only be a decoration.
“Swish!”
Xu Yong easily made the jump shot without any interference.
And after the shot, he didn't look at Jackson, or even Brooks, but turned towards Durant and gave a meaningful smile.
The shouting at the scene instantly turned into a commotion.
Tonight Xu Yong not only scored, but also showed off.
Strong attack facing the basket, left-handed breakthrough, reverse dunk, floater, turn around and fade away...
This is a forced display of the exhibits in the museum that he attacked.
Brooks looked helpless at this time.
In addition to technology, he also saw Xu Yong's ability to respond on the field.
You have to know that this was the first round after the defense was adjusted!
It's unreasonable that a 23-year-old player plays more maturely than other 32-year-old players.
And back on the defensive end, Durant was stimulated and rushed to attack, but Butler seized the opportunity to steal the ball.
The Bulls made a fast break, Xu Yong accelerated violently past Harden, and slammed the ball into the basket with a gliding tomahawk.
Brooks called a timeout.
Although the score on the field was only 12 to 8, the Thunder were now in trouble on both offense and defense.
"Incredible, Xu scored the Bulls' first 12 points!" During this timeout, Mike Breen in the commentary booth couldn't help but exclaim.
It's not only because of Xu Yong's scoring stability, but also because of Xu Yong's physical fitness.
In his memory, the only players who could score so violently and still look energetic after scoring are Jordan, peak Kobe, and James in certain specific time periods.
"Kevin, Xu is deliberately provoking you." After leaving the court, Harden immediately pulled Durant aside and said.
He knew Xu Yong too well. If Xu Yong's scoring at the beginning was just a tactical necessity, then that smile just now was clearly meant to stimulate Durant to compete with him for points.
You have to know that the Thunder's improvement in strength this season was due to Durant saving his energy for the fourth quarter.
The Bulls are weaker now, and if they want to win they can only break the Thunder's winning pattern.
Durant was panting.
He definitely still has the stamina, but it's just like pressing the sprint button too much in 2K. The continuous one-on-one play with the ball has caused his stamina to drop very quickly.
What? Xu Yongya is also holding the ball and playing one-on-one?
The length of the two people's stamina bars is different.
Brooks also realized this and made tactical adjustments.
After the timeout, the Thunder's tactical focus shifted. Harden and Gasol played a pick-and-roll. After the break, Harden passed the ball to Gasol with a beautiful shot. Gasol's attack on the basket successfully caused Brown to foul, and he went to the free throw line and made both free throws.
And looking back, the Thunder team surrounded Xu Yong more thoroughly with three people after his breakthrough.
Xu Yong double-teamed the ball and passed it to Butler at a 45-degree angle on the weak side.
But unfortunately Butler failed to seize the opportunity this time.
In fact, including the three-pointer that Hinrich missed before, the Bulls' outside shooting was not good tonight.
After Gasol protected the defensive rebound, the Thunder launched a fast break. Reggie Jackson played to his strengths and scored on the fast break by catching the ball in the first place.
After the timeout, the Thunder played effectively on both offense and defense and quickly tied the score.
As the No. 1 team in the Western Conference so far this season, with only one win less than the Heat, the Thunder's hard power is there.
Thibodeau scratched his head.
After discussing with Xu Yong, he formulated a strategy of space play, for which he didn't even let Allen play. But the problem now is that his outside shooting is not good, and this was discovered by the Thunder.
Then what will happen next is that the Thunder will be more determined to double-team Xu Yong.
Then he turned around and called Artest and West. All he could do was rotate and try out the others' touch.
Xu Yong held the ball in the frontcourt, but was still not in a hurry to attack.
He is naturally aware of the problems that Thibodeau is aware of.
Instead of continuing to play one-on-one with his back to the basket, he chose to attack facing the basket, breaking through to the elbow area and making an emergency stop and pull-up shot.
In this case, he can only answer multiple-choice questions.
The stability of scoring when shooting from a position far away from the basket will decline, and the rebounding and retreat problems mentioned at the beginning of the game will also appear, but it can avoid being double-teamed, after all, it takes time to be double-teamed.
The test at this time is whether his hands are strong enough.
Jackson's speed and long arms came into play at this time. Without losing his defensive position, he provided enough interference to Xu Yong.
The fans at the scene were looking expectant. Xu Yong's offensive choice at this time was forced. In the current situation, as long as Xu Yong's scoring was interrupted, the Bulls' offense would be interrupted, which meant that the Thunder could widen the score.
“Swish!”
But their expectations were ultimately dashed, as Xu Yong made the pull-up shot despite Jackson's defense!
Although this ball was difficult, it was obvious that the previous consecutive scores allowed Xu Yong to successfully develop his touch.
"Defense! Do your defense!" When the Bulls retreated to the defensive end, Thibodeau stood up and shouted on the sidelines.
When there was no way out of the situation, Xu Yong used his pure personal ability to achieve what he had said before, "handle the offense", and now others need to handle the defense.
Under Thibodeau's call, the Bulls' defensive enthusiasm is increasing.
Harden broke through Brown after the pick-and-roll, but Battier retreated to the basket in advance and successfully caused Harden to commit an offensive foul.
With this attack and defense, the Bulls stabilized the situation on the court.
The scene was filled with restlessness. The Thunder were obviously stronger, but they just couldn't stop the Bulls.
When Xu Yong got the ball in the frontcourt again, Brooks was shouting on the sidelines and he was a little anxious.
The Thunder team started double-teaming Xu Yong without waiting for him to make any moves.
Although Brooks was anxious, his idea was correct. Since Xu Yong was the only scorer on the Bulls, he just had to force the ball out of his hands.
Moreover, the Bulls are not in good shape for three-point shooting at the moment, so the risk of doing this is not that great.
But Xu Yong's choice surprised Brooks again.
Seeing Harden coming over in advance, Xu Yong did not choose to pass the ball, but took the initiative to move towards Harden, then changed direction towards the sideline without slowing down, and passed Harden's defense!
At this moment, what flashed through his mind was the decision he had made before, to become Kobe.
As a result, what was supposed to be a double-team scene ended up being Jackson and Harden chasing Xu Yong from behind!
Gasol under the basket and Durant on the weak side were both on their way to assist in defense.
Xu Yong was not panicked, nor was he in a hurry to pass the ball. Instead, he stepped down and stopped quickly, then made a steady shooting action.
Because he scored so many points, Jackson and Harden instinctively jumped for the ball.
This was what Xu Yong was waiting for. He quickly collected the ball, turned around, shook off everyone, and shot from behind.
From changing direction to break through the double-team, to the sudden stop and fake dribble, and then to the final fade away, the entire action was done in one go.
The fans at the scene were stunned. Xu Yong could remain so calm despite being surrounded by so many enemies!
“Swish!”
The sound of the basketball falling into the net was heard again, and there was an uproar at the scene.
Brooks also held his head in his hands in disbelief.
"God! Xu Lian scored 16 points! He was the only one who scored for the Bulls, but the Thunder had no way to deal with him!" Brin was no longer just surprised, but shocked.
The previous goals could be explained by the Thunder's lack of attention to Xu Yong's defense, but in the past two rounds, especially the last round, the Thunder almost rushed forward, but still failed to defend!
At this moment, Xu Yong was like Satan descending to the earth, making the Thunder team feel despair.
Moreover, after the offense and defense switched, the Bulls continued the defensive intensity of the previous round. Jackson's dribbling breakthrough was directly blocked by Brown and flew out of the baseline.
The game entered a dead ball period and both sides made substitutions. West and Artest came on to replace Hinrich and Battier.
Xu Yong took a few breaths at this time, then looked up at the scoreboard.
16 to 12.
Because his teammates missed shots from outside, the game deviated greatly from his plan.
If the Bulls' outside shooting is accurate, he will basically be in a one-on-one duel, or at most one-on-two when breaking through the three-second zone.
If he played like that, he was sure he could hold on until the end of the game by just focusing on offense.
But now, the Thunder's entire defense is basically pressing on him.
In order to break through this kind of defense, the physical energy he needs to consume is completely different.
In the previous round, still using the 2K analogy, he kept pressing the acceleration key until his single-round stamina bar was emptied to achieve that effect.
This is not only very energy-consuming, but also takes a while to recover from.
If he continues to play like this while being surrounded by so many people, it will be difficult for him to maintain his offensive efficiency and he will not be able to hold on for the entire game.
And he doesn't really want to become Kobe. Kobe's 35.4 points per season was questioned, not only because of the number of missed shots, but also because of his seventh-place record in the Western Conference.
He kept playing against multiple players, but his efficiency dropped as time went on, and he would go back to what he thought before, with his teammates running back and forth, and finally he couldn't play the basketball anymore.
After his breathing calmed down a little, he called Butler to his side and gave him a few words.
The Thunder failed to score in the final attack, and Brown protected the defensive rebound.
During the Bulls' offense, Xu Yong continued to be double-teamed while holding the ball, but there was a small detail on the court that almost no one noticed: Butler and West exchanged their defensive positions.
Originally Butler was at a 45° angle on the weak side, but this time he stood at the top of the arc.
It was this inconspicuous change that made Xu Yong make a different choice from the previous round.
After being double-teamed, he immediately passed the ball to Butler at the top of the arc.
Now not only Durant who came over to double-team him, but even Jackson who was originally defending Xu Yong was stunned.
Why did Xu Yong suddenly not play by the rules?
Then, they felt a "whoosh" and something flew past their faces.
When I looked carefully, Xu Yongren was gone!
Butler has organizational skills, and Butler in history is an outstanding organizing forward.
Of course, because he did not get any opportunities to practice, this ability of his was not developed at this time and remained more in the theoretical stage.
But, compared to Battier, he at least has.
So after receiving the ball, Butler did two things. He broke through to the free throw line with the ball and prepared to attack the basket, and then passed the ball to Xu Yong who was without the ball and passed through the double team.
This is what Xu Yong communicated with him in the very short time before.
Of course, the main reason why Xu Yong chose Butler instead of West was to catch him by surprise.
The Thunder had no idea that Butler, a late first-round rookie who had made some progress this season but only in 3D, would have this kind of ability.
And he succeeded.
Even though Butler was not so comfortable with the ball, he made some angle adjustments after receiving the ball, but when he went straight into the penalty area, the other Thunder players did not react at all.
With a light flying layup, Xu Yong scored his 18th point since the opening of the game, and scored 18 points in a row at the beginning!
And after scoring, he looked back and saw Durant chasing him, shrugged his shoulders, and made his signature hand-spreading celebration gesture.
Harden's judgment was certainly correct. While scoring, he was also looking for opportunities to stimulate Durant.
Otherwise, if he was exhausted in the final quarter and Durant was still at full health, the Bulls would not be able to win, and no matter how many points he scored, he would just be given the title of the leader of the empty-cut group.
Durant, breathing quickened.
He knew that what Harden said was right, but whether it was right or not was not important at this time.
The Thunder attacked the frontcourt, and Durant started to ask for the ball with his back to the basket again, with a tough attitude.
The man's damn desire to win has made him risk his life.