After reading the news, Xu Yong put down his phone and was about to go to bed when he suddenly heard his phone vibrate again.

He looked up at the clock on the wall and found that it was already past midnight.

Who is this person who calls so late at night?

He frowned, but when he picked up the phone and saw the caller ID, his brows unconsciously relaxed.

What he said makes sense.

"Kevin, you're calling me so late, aren't you trying to tell me that you're getting married?" Xu Yong teased.

"No no, Xu, do you remember the question I asked you before?"

"I don't have the ability to read minds, and even if I did, we would have to meet face to face," Xu Yong continued to complain.

There was a hearty laugh from the other end of the line.

After a while, Durant's voice continued to be heard from the other side: "I asked you, you taught me skills, if I finally beat you, does it count as you beat yourself?"

This one?

Hearing this, Xu Yong couldn't help but smile. The matchup had just been confirmed and Durant was already so impatient.

"Good luck, Kevin."

He felt that he had some momentum recently, but it seemed that he was still lacking in front of Durant, the old general on the stage.

With Durant's words, he felt that the championship this year was secure.

After the Bulls and Thunder were confirmed to meet in the finals, officials and media began extensive publicity.

Back then, 23VS24 failed to materialize because 23 could not make it out of the Eastern Conference, but this year 6VS35 arrived as expected, and both were at the peak of their careers.

"This will be a peak showdown of the century, a Mars-Earth encounter."

Barkley used an exaggerated but realistic description in the latest episode of TNT.

There is no need to say much about Xu Yong, he is the best player in the league and has led his team to 72 wins. If he wins the championship, he will be able to see Jordan.

As last season's MVP, Durant led his team to first take revenge on the defending champion Mavericks and then surpass the 67-win Warriors. If there are three steps to becoming a god, then he has completed the second step and only the last step is left.

Therefore, fans are looking forward to this year's 6VS35 match much more than the 23VS24 match back then.

Moreover, both teams are already very mature teams, and there will not be a situation where one side is stronger than the other as in the past few years.

This was also reflected in the survey conducted by ESPN before the game.

In the survey on "Who do you think will win the 2015 NBA championship?", the Bulls received 58% of the votes and the Thunder received 42%, which is the closest time in nearly five years.

Even 2KTV started to do something interesting, using games to simulate the series matchups between the two teams. After ten rounds of simulation, it turned out that the Thunder had a higher winning rate.

All these factors made the finals extremely popular before the game.

With one day left before the start of the finals, the Thunder arrived in Chicago, ready to start the finals G1 competition.

The two teams staggered their open training sessions for the media at their home stadiums, with the Thunder in the morning and the Bulls in the afternoon.

During the afternoon training session, the sidelines were already crowded with reporters.

The entire Bulls team was in a very relaxed state. When the training was about to end, Hoyes even sneaked behind Adams with a basket on his back, and then Butler suddenly jumped out and completed a slam dunk over Adams' head.

After finishing the training, Xu Yong was also surrounded by many reporters and media for interviews.

At the beginning, there were some common questions, mainly about what preparations the Thunder had made, whether they were looking forward to facing Durant, etc.

However, when the interview was halfway through, Xu Yong was stunned by a question from a reporter.

"What do you think about KD saying you are more handsome than Jordan?"

Even though he has been through so many interviews, this is the first time he has heard such a strange question, comparable to a reporter asking Durant "Why are you called KD?"

Fortunately, another reporter spoke up and explained the whole story.

It turned out that during the Thunder interview in the morning, a reporter asked, "The Sonics failed to defend Michael in the 1996 playoffs. How do you plan to defend Xu, who is as strong as Michael?" Durant looked disturbed and gave this answer: "How can he be Michael? I think he is better than Michael in no way except being handsome."

After listening to the reporter's story, Xu Yong couldn't help but burst into laughter.

For a moment, he didn't know how to evaluate Durant's answer, because affirmation would mean admitting that he was not as good as Jordan, while denial would be tantamount to denying his own appearance.

That night, Xu Yong and Harden had a small meal in a cafe.

"After tonight, we're going to fight it out on the court." There were many emotions in Harden's words. They had fought side by side on the Devils team before, and then won the championship together, but now they have become rivals, and one of them is destined to return empty-handed this year.

"James, if you want to experience a Chicago nightclub, I can help you." Xu Yong said with a smile. He was putting into practice his previous idea.

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

"No matter what the result is, I think this will be an unforgettable final for both of us." Xu Yong said seriously, putting away his jokes.

Harden also nodded seriously. This year they will present an unforgettable showdown for the fans.

The next night, the United Center was packed with people, and major media broadcasts had already been set up in the arena. According to official league data, the ratings for this year's finals had already hit a season high before the game began.

At this rate, by the time the competition officially begins, this year's ratings will definitely break the historical record.

During the pre-match warm-up, shots of players from both teams were frequently given.

The cut shots of Xu Yong and Durant drew cheers from the audience.

Putting aside the honors and only talking about personal ability, Durant is undoubtedly the second best player in the league now.

In the Jordan era, this year's Finals would be the equivalent of the showdown between Jordan and Olajuwon that never happened.

This is probably why Barkley said this year's finals is the showdown of the century.

And as the camera swept across the audience, a familiar figure appeared on the big LED screen, former league commissioner David Stern.

There were bursts of cheers at the scene. Those who planted trees will enjoy the shade. The fact that the duel between Xu Yong and Durant has attracted so much attention today is inseparable from Stern's original operation. The topic of the "Ten-Year Showdown" has now reached its fifth year.

After the warm-up, the scene entered the opening ceremony. When Xu Yong finally came on stage, the familiar DJ introduction brought the mood of the scene to a climax.

6-time All-Star voting champion, 3 scoring champions, 3 MVPs, 2 FMVPs, 2 AMVPs, 2 championships. As a non-Nike player, he was compared to Jordan in the sixth year of his career. The only reason was that he had too many honors.

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

Thunder: Reggie Jackson, Harden, Durant, Ibaka, Gasol;

Bulls: Rose, Butler, Xu Yong, West, Adams.

Amid the cheers of Chicago fans, Adams passed the ball back to the Bulls' half, officially kicking off the game.

The ratings of the game also set a new historical record at this moment.

After arriving at the frontcourt and finding that it was Durant defending him, Xu Yong took a high position and directly asked for the ball for a one-on-one game.

Jackson came to assist in defense immediately. Xu Yong's choice was similar to the one when he played against the Pacers. He passed the ball to Rose at the top of the circle, forcing Jackson to stop, then he grabbed the ball with one hand and turned to attack.

The difference is that when he turned around, he first gave Durant a strong confrontation, and then jumped and shot backward.

Durant's talent is much higher than Anthony's, and his interference effect is very great when he really jumps forward, but after this hard confrontation, the effect of his interference when he jumps back is limited.

“Swish!”

Xu Yong scored with great speed and scored the first goal for the Bulls.

Looking back, Harden organized the game and passed the ball to Gasol. Gasol attracted the help defense and passed the ball to Jackson who cut in and scored a layup. The Thunder's offense played smoothly.

Xu Yong went to the frontcourt and continued to position himself.

The Thunder were originally formed according to the Bulls' team-building model, and their current playing style is very similar to the Bulls. The difference is that they did not focus on Durant at the beginning of tonight's game.

Combined with the fact that Durant was defending himself, it was easy to tell that Brooks was not really going to double-team him, but was using Durant to defend him alone.

The advantage of one-on-one defense is that it will not affect the team defense, and with Durant's physical condition, he has the potential for one-on-one defense.

Although this is a bit abnormal, after all, in general games Brooks always tries to hide Durant and reduce Durant's physical energy consumption.

But this is exactly what he wants, as it can allow Durant to consume his energy on the defensive end, which is equivalent to restricting Durant.

"Xu, I'm serious. You can't compare to Michael in any other way except your looks." It was at this time that Durant started to talk trash.

After Xu Yong backed up, he turned around and broke through, then turned back and made a fade away shot.

If it weren't for the pre-game interview, Durant's trash talk would really bother him, but now he is mentally prepared and has become immune to it.

After hitting the shot, he smiled and said to Durant: "Trash talking won't help you defend me."

Xu Yong was waiting for Durant to break through his defense. Durant was still far behind him in terms of trash talk ability, but what he didn't expect was that Durant just smiled.

It seems that the failures over the years have made this guy's psychological endurance much greater.

The game continued and the situation between the two sides was very tense.

Durant is not very effective in defending Xu Yong, because he has been responsible for more and more offensive tasks in recent years, and his defensive ability has deteriorated.

However, Harden organized the offense very well, and the Bulls were unable to defend against the Thunder's team offense.

Nine minutes into the quarter, both sides started rotating and the score was tied at 22.

Xu Yong scored 14 points in a single quarter and was also substituted off the court for rest.

Then with the remaining time of the first quarter almost over, the score on the field became 24 to 30, with the Thunder taking the lead.

Xu Yong felt that something was not right with the situation.

Just then, Ma Long sat down next to him and talked to him about the situation of the game.

The main reason why the Bulls' record this season is so much better than last season is not Rose's comeback, but Butler's independent performance, which allows Xu Yong to play a lot of easy balls and not have to play offensive balls like in the past two seasons. This greatly improves the team's offensive efficiency and gives people a feeling of being unstoppable.

But Brooks used Durant as bait to lure Xu Yong into a one-on-one game. Although Xu Yong's one-on-one efficiency was very high, the biggest problem was that his teammates only watched him play and did not participate in the offense, so his condition was greatly affected.

It was not obvious when Xu Yong was on the court, but it became apparent after he left the court.

This is also why those super giants who play singles with a stick seem to be very efficient and score a lot of points, but in the end they still cannot win the game.

Xu Yong reacted after listening to Ma Long's analysis.

So Brooks' uncharacteristic defensive tactics, Durant's response to his trash talk, and even the possibility of calling him late at night to mention past events, all explain away.

It's too dirty.

He thought Brooks was a chicken soup coach, but he didn't expect him to be so insidious.

It seems that after the Thunder's consecutive losses in recent years, it's not just the players who have changed.

"We don't need to adjust our game strategy." However, Ma Long's final summary surprised him a little.

"If we can hold the game in check going into the fourth quarter, we can make a decisive run at the last minute."

Brooks' trap was very clever, but the biggest problem was that Durant, as bait, came at a high cost. If Xu Yong continued to consume Durant's energy on the offensive end, it would be difficult for Durant to perform on the offensive end by the fourth quarter.

Or it can be understood that Brooks made this choice because he felt that he could not compete with the Bulls in offense, so he used Durant to exchange the status of other Bulls players, striving to gain an advantage in the third quarter and then win the game.

Therefore, in a four-quarter game, the key lies in the situation in the first three quarters.

Xu Yong nodded. Brooks' approach was actually a bit similar to the [Anti-Jordan Rule].

The best way to break the deadlock is for him to beat his opponent, Durant.

In other words, now that you have fallen into this trap, instead of wasting time climbing out of it all night, you might as well just dismantle the trap.

When Xu Yong returned to the game in the second quarter, the Bulls were trailing by 6 points.

The Bulls did not allow the Thunder to continue to expand the point difference because Butler and Rose held the situation in the second quarter through defense.

Xu Yong returned to the court, and Durant followed suit.

After Xu Yong came on the court, he continued to play one-on-one. After giving Durant a strong confrontation, he turned around, shook him off and rushed to the basket, causing Gasol to commit a defensive foul.

If you want to dismantle the trap, you have to use violence.

Xu Yong made both free throws. Compared with Durant, he has a huge physical advantage.

After the Thunder continued to score, he played more violently. This time he turned around and completed a slam dunk over Gasol's head.

After scoring the goal, he made a "listening" gesture, and the United Center fell into a boiling frenzy, and neat defensive shouts began to sound.

Accompanied by deafening shouts, the Bulls' defensive intensity increased. After successfully defending a wave of attack by the Thunder, Xu Yong continued to attack. This time he turned around and directly shook off Durant, and continued to score with a jump shot.

"I think what KD said is wrong. In addition to his looks, Xu's scoring ability is as strong as Michael's."

This wave of consecutive scoring made Barkley in the commentary booth exclaim in amazement.

At the end of the first half, the Bulls had already taken the lead with 58 to 52.

Xu Yong scored 20 points in the second quarter and 34 points in the first half.

"Scott (Brooks) has to realize that no one can defend Xu one-on-one," Barkley continued at the end of the half.

After the halftime break, because of what Barkley said before halftime, fans were paying attention to whether the Thunder would adjust their strategy in the second half.

However, it didn't happen. Brooks seemed to have become a stubborn bull and still insisted on using Durant to defend Xu Yong alone.

Xu Yong's touch declined in this quarter, but he still scored 13 points in the quarter, and his score reached 47 points at the end of the third quarter.

The Bulls still lead the Thunder by 6 points, 84 to 78.

"Tonight is Xu Xin's finals career night." Barkley continued to sigh in the commentary booth.

Xu Yong's highest score before the finals was 51 points, which was achieved in Game 6 of the 2012 Finals against the Lakers. This record will be broken tonight no matter what.

"Scott Brooks is possessed by Sam Mitchell. They have forgotten that they can adjust their defensive strategies during the game." O'Neal also echoed this. In the game when Kobe scored 81 points, the Raptors also defended him alone throughout the game.

In the fourth quarter, Reggie Jackson was in excellent form as a substitute, and the Thunder quickly caught up with the score.

Although the seven-game battle with the Warriors was very exhausting, they are in excellent shape.

The Bulls sent out Xu Yong in advance.

But at this moment, the Thunder made defensive adjustments.

They began to resolutely leave the Bulls' outside points open, and then double-teamed or even triple-teamed Xu Yong.

This sudden adjustment in defense caught many Bulls players off guard. Although Xu Yong passed the ball quickly, Rose, West, and even Butler missed their outside shots one after another.

When Xu Yong adjusted his playing style and started playing without the ball, the Thunder team also carried out crazy off-ball double-teaming on him to restrict him from catching the ball.

When his teammates couldn't make shots, Xu Yong was able to break through the basket and cause damage, but the Thunder's defense became smaller and smaller, and it became increasingly difficult for him to score.

The Thunder began to gradually take control of the situation on the court.

It is obvious that Brooks went to two extremes, first [Anti-Jordan Law], then [Jordan Law], and the Thunder executed it very well.

In the end, with Barkley and O'Neal covering their mouths on the commentary desk, the Thunder defeated the Bulls 103-98 and won Game 1.

After the game, the Thunder players were celebrating wildly, while most of the Bulls players seemed a little confused because they didn't even realize how they lost the game.

"Xu, don't go to the press conference today." After the handshake, Thibodeau came over to find Xu Yong.

"Tom, you know I have to go." Although losing was frustrating, Xu Yong knew he couldn't be absent at this time.

However, before going to the press conference, Xu Yong gave Butler a few instructions.

The press conference was crowded with reporters. The 72-win Bulls lost their first game, which was big news.

"You scored 58 points, breaking Jordan's personal Bulls single-game scoring record of 55 points in the Finals, and are only 3 points away from Elgin Baylor's 61 points. This is your new night in the Finals career. How do you feel now?" The question was asked by a FOX reporter.

"We lost the game. Everything you said is meaningless in the face of losing." Xu Yong answered calmly.

"You scored 58 points, but your teammates only scored 40 points in total. Do you think the loss of this game was caused by your teammates' poor performance?" the reporter continued to ask.

Thibodeau had his reasons for not letting Xu Yong come, as every issue was very acute for Xu Yong.

"Our opponents proved tonight why they were able to get to this stage. They are a mature and well-executed team."

Xu Yong did not choose to answer this question directly, because tonight's performance was more of a strategic contest and had nothing to do with performance, but he could not show weakness in front of the media.

"Do you think the Bulls have a chance in the next game?"

"Of course, the road to success is never easy, and we proved against the Pacers that we can solve problems, and the same is true here."

After finishing the press conference, Xu Yong returned to the locker room.

Before that, Butler had asked the players to stay in the locker room.

After Xu Yong came in, Butler closed the locker room door.

Most of the players were looking down with their heads down at this time. Their performance in the last quarter of tonight was really bad. They missed many open positions. Not to mention others, even they themselves found it hard to accept.

The scene of Xu Yong getting angry last time is still vivid in my mind, and it seems that it is inevitable today.

But after waiting for a while, the imagined anger did not come, and they looked up and found Xu Yong sitting in his seat.

"I have to apologize to everyone. I played too many singles tonight and that led to the team's loss. This will not happen again."

Different from his attitude in front of reporters at the press conference, Xu Yong took the initiative to take responsibility when he returned to the locker room for a small meeting.

In fact, the person who bears the greatest responsibility tonight is Malone, because after discovering Brooks' strategy, Malone decided that Xu Yong should stick to his style of play, and Xu Yong did manage to maintain a stalemate for three quarters, but Brooks' tactical adjustment in the fourth quarter exceeded Malone's expectations.

It is obviously inappropriate to tell teammates that it was Ma Long's fault and that they should not take it seriously.

He did this not to take the blame for Ma Long, because he did not object after Ma Long made the decision.

Essentially, Malone is just an assistant coach and he doesn't have to listen, so he also has responsibilities.

The team members were all surprised at this time.

"Xu, this is not your fault." Ross said.

"Boss, it's our fault." The other team members also echoed.

The team leader scored 58 points in the finals and still lost, and then you blame the team leader. This is really unfair.

However, it can be felt that after Xu Yong said this, the mentality of the team members relaxed. They were afraid that Xu Yong would scold them like last time, but now, they just felt ashamed and wanted to prove themselves again.

"There is not much meaning in discussing whose fault is now. The conclusion we can draw from tonight's game is that our opponent is a team as strong as ours. We can't win the game by relying on one person alone. We can only win by playing team basketball." Feeling the change in his teammates' mentality, Xu Yong continued.

The others nodded one after another.

Xu Yong's words were just right. The strategy needs to be adjusted, and so does the state. It doesn't mean that if Xu Yong doesn't play alone at the beginning, the Bulls will be able to easily crush the Thunder. Mentality and state are key factors that affect performance.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Anderson glanced at Xu Yong, and after seeing Xu Yong nod, he stood up and opened the door.

The one at the door is Malone.

Seeing that everyone was there, he was about to speak, but Xu Yong had already stood up, smiled, put his arm around his shoulder and walked out of the locker room.

"What are you doing?" Ma Long tried to break free because he was preparing to apologize to his teammates.

"Mike, I've taken care of the morale issue. Tonight's game is over, and we should discuss the next game." Xu Yong said with a smile.

Ma Long was stunned. Although Xu Yong didn't say anything, he knew that Xu Yong had already taken responsibility for him.

"Thank you." Ma Long stopped and thanked Xu Yong in a very sincere tone.

What happened tonight wasn't a big deal, but it wasn't a small one either. He exceeded his authority as an assistant coach, and if this gets out, he'll easily be fired.

The core of the Bulls coaching staff is Thibodeau. Although he is the first assistant coach, he is not irreplaceable yet.

Xu Yong waved his hand and took him directly to the office.

Zhuge Malone is just a joke. Although Malone is very good in tactics, he is only 43 years old now. He is a serious young coach and is far from the level of "the father of the Lakers".

But the combination of Malone and Thibodeau has been proven to be complementary. If Malone really leaves, it will be difficult to find someone to fill that gap.

Especially in recent years, Malone's fame has grown with the rise of the Bulls, and many teams have been trying to recruit him.

Of course, Xu Yong actually had a little selfish motive in doing this.

Jokic should be entering the NBA next season, and historically Jokic continued to grow under Malone's coaching.

Keeping Malone is good for Jokic, and it is naturally good for the Bulls as well.

"Brooks' strategy is actually not new." After sitting down in the office, Malone also began to analyze the Thunder's strategy.

Xu Yong was listening carefully. Ma Long just lacked experience, and his tactical level was beyond doubt.

"That's what the Pistons did to Michael."

"Hasn't the Pistons always been using the [Jordan Rule]?" Xu Yong raised the question. After all, he was just a player. Even if he had been a commentator, it was impossible for him to have such a deep understanding of the things of the last century, especially the tactics.

"No, they only used it in the fourth quarter. In the first three quarters, they let Dennis (Rodman) and Joe (Thomas) take turns to play, which not only consumed Michael, but also isolated the other Bulls players and made them lose their form. But in the fourth quarter, they would suddenly adjust their strategy.

You know Michael's character. He just wanted to break through the double team and lead the team to victory, but he fell to the Pistons again and again. It was not until 1991 that he finally realized that he could not rely on himself. He reached a reconciliation with himself and began to let his teammates take on more responsibilities.

In past games, he needed to score 37 or even 47 points to win the game, but later even if he only scored 27 points, the Bulls swept the Pistons.

Of course, he also developed low-post offensive capabilities. This unconventional triangle offense made the Pistons unable to adapt, because no one could limit Michael in the low post. After gaining weight, he could crush players in the same position and could also play against anyone in a mismatch. "

After listening to Ma Long's analysis, Xu Yong had a more accurate understanding of that period of history.

And after Malone said that, Brooks' strategy really wasn't that brilliant, it was more of a surprise attack.

It is somewhat unrealistic to expect him to have the low-post singles ability like Jordan all of a sudden, but it is also very easy to crack this tactic.

Just ignore Brooks' trap. The original Bulls defeated the Pistons by relying on a team, and the current Bulls did not win 72 games relying on him alone.

So now looking back at what he said in the locker room earlier seems very meaningful, because that is the best way to help other players adjust their mentality.

While Xu Yong and Ma Long were discussing tactics, the media had already begun to hype the game crazily.

"Durant will surpass Nowitzki. Once he defeats the 72-win Bulls, this championship will become the most valuable championship in history."

This is how Stephen A. Smith describes it in his latest podcast, Three Steps to Godhood, and the third and most solid step.

History will not repeat itself, the Thunder will usher in a turning point in team history

ESPN also used such a headline to report this game, and the content was analyzing the differences between this Thunder team and that Supersonics team, the biggest of which was the presence of Durant.

"KD understands the meaning of the individual and the team, which makes him make sacrifices and makes the Bulls struggle."

Even the NBA officials devoted the most attention to Durant when describing the game.

This is all normal, because since James will no longer renew his contract with Nike, those things that belong to James will naturally be transferred to Durant.

Especially after Durant unexpectedly led his team to defeat the Bulls, he has already designated a new Nike top brand.

Such reports did not stop during the two rest days of G1 and G2.

Of course, in addition to these, the outside world is also paying attention to the situation of the Bulls.

The Bulls did not conduct closed training like they did during the Eastern Conference Finals, but instead continued to train openly to the public.

Then the reporters were surprised to find that the Bulls seemed to be completely unaffected by G1 and instead looked full of energy.

To paraphrase an ESPN reporter: "The Bulls' full-court confrontation was like a formal game, with the collision of muscles and shouts resounding throughout the arena."

Training cannot reflect the strength of a team, but it can show the morale and mentality of a team.

There is no doubt that such reports and situations have given the Bulls fans a shot in the arm.

Two nights later, still at the United Center, still packed with people, the Bulls and Thunder were about to face off in Game 2.

After the entrance ceremony, during the break between rounds, Xu Yong raised his fist in front of him and said to everyone: "Defend our home court."

"Go Bulls!"

The players crossed their hands, shouted in unison, and then turned around to go on the court.

Tonight, fans could feel it without Barkley saying anything, they had been holding back for two days and wanted to tear their opponents apart at any time.

"Thunder team! Come on!"

At the same time, the Thunder team on the other side also shouted the team slogan under the leadership of Durant.

It can be seen from their faces that the overwhelming coverage in the past two days did not cause them to have too many ups and downs in their mentality. After four years of dormancy, they have made all preparations to win the championship.

Players from both teams came on the court one after another and met each other. With the whistle on the sidelines, Gasol passed the ball back to half court, and the curtain of G2 officially opened.

Harden continued to organize the game at the beginning, but the Thunder's opening offense was obviously not as smooth as in G1.

It wasn't that there was a problem with the Thunder's coordination or condition, but that the Bulls had clearly improved their defensive intensity.

Butler's tight defense on Harden, Rose's off-ball tracking of Jackson, and even Adams's blocking of Gasol...

On the basketball court, when in doubt, they need to defend. The Bulls have proven in their previous match against the Pacers that they can put up an ironclad defense.

The Thunder's attack ultimately failed to score, as Adams blocked Gasol and firmly protected the defensive rebound.

However, the Thunder retreated quickly. They fully learned from the experience of the Pacers' elimination and did not compete with the Bulls in defensive counterattacks.

After the Bulls advanced to the frontcourt and fell into position, Xu Yong did not continue to play singles in the high post, but played a no-ball tactic.

The Thunder's defensive strategy was the same as in the last game, but the result was that after Xu Yong received the pass from Butler, he faked a dribble to shake off Durant, then took one step and made a quick stop and pull-up jump shot.

It was still Xu Yong who scored the first goal for the Bulls at the start, but the difference was that his score was obviously easier.

"You can't defend me even if you don't talk trash."

Moreover, after scoring, Xu Yong took the initiative and started trash-talking Durant.

Durant was so angry that his teeth were itching, but he couldn't get angry when he thought of Brooks' request.

Then, the Thunder still failed to score. Harden broke into the basket and tried to create a foul, but Adams did not jump. Harden's side shot was directly nailed to the backboard by Xu Yong who was assisting in defense.

After two rounds, the adjustments made by the Bulls coaching staff on the defensive end became increasingly obvious.

Because the Bulls lost the last game not only because of their own offensive problems, but also because they failed to prevent the Thunder's offense when Durant did not perform well.

But now, the Bulls have shown a higher defensive intensity, telling the Thunder one thing clearly: If Durant doesn't attack, you can't score.

As long as the Thunder let Durant attack, Brooks' tactics will naturally fall apart.

And Butler continued to organize the game. Xu Yong received the ball, faked a shot, turned around and took up and down steps to get rid of Durant again. After attracting Gasol's help defense, he assisted Adams to score a two-handed dunk under the basket.

Xu Yong smiled and spread his hands to Durant.

He also continued to put pressure on the offensive end. Although the Bulls' playing style has changed, what has not changed is that Durant still cannot limit him one-on-one.

Brooks was a little restless, and his action of scratching his head showed that he was a little anxious at the moment.

From the start of the game until now, it is not as simple as saying that the Bulls will not fall into his trap again, but that the Bulls have already taken the initiative on both offense and defense.

At the critical moment, Durant stood up. After receiving the pass from Harden, he hit a jump shot against West, helping the Thunder break the scoring drought.

After returning to the defensive end, under his command, Jackson also began to really double-team.

Xu Yong passed the ball decisively, Rose received the ball and quickly cut into the basket, attracted Ibaka's help defense and then passed the ball to West who made a jump shot from 17 feet.

Instead of scratching his head, Brooks stood up and called a timeout.

Although he did not make a choice, the Bulls had forced the Thunder to make a choice on the court.

Moreover, after two consecutive rounds, Xu Yong also obviously adjusted his playing style. He no longer sought to consume Durant's physical energy, but used the advantage of the position to mobilize the defense, and then led his teammates to attack. He even used various methods to induce Durant to attack.

He could only readjust his tactics.

And there were less than five minutes left before the start of the game.

When Xu Yong came off the court, he high-fived his teammates one by one, and even went out of his way to find Ma Long to give him a high-five.

The game returned to their familiar rhythm.

After the timeout, Brooks made his adjustments. He replaced Jackson with Robertson, letting Robertson take the lead in defense, and then the others provided nearby assistance to limit Xu Yong.

There is nothing wrong with this adjustment, and it can even be said to be very high-level.

But when the live camera was given to Brooks, his frown did not relax.

Because it was a passive choice for him, and his choice actually meant returning to the stage where he didn't want to compete with the Bulls in offense.

The final result of the game also confirmed his judgment. After four fierce quarters, the Bulls defeated the Thunder 118-108.

Xu Yong didn't score much tonight, only 28 points, but he had a triple-double with 10 rebounds and 11 assists. The Bulls also had five players scoring in double digits, Butler 23 points, Rose 17 points, West 16 points, Foye 12 points, and Adams also had 8 points and 15 rebounds.

After the game, the media suddenly turned to the Bulls' side.

Although the two sides were tied at 1-1 in the overall score, the Bulls' playing style in this game made people deeply feel the pressure of their 72 wins.

It felt like the Thunder used a big move to win the first game in Game 1 and asked you how to respond.

Then in Game 2, the Bulls won the game with a steady attack.