When the final whistle sounded, the score on the field was fixed at 106 to 97, and the Bulls defeated the Raptors and won the decisive battle.

The large LED screen at the scene displayed Xu Yong's complete game statistics tonight: 25 of 45 shots, 4 of 8 three-pointers, 15 of 16 free throws, 69 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers and 3 fouls.

The photographer immediately gave the camera to Xu Yong, and the cheers at the scene were overwhelming.

"Satan! Satan!"

Xu Yong was sitting on the bench to rest at this time. There was no one sitting on either side of him. His teammates did not dare to sit next to him because of his aura.

Feeling the enthusiasm of the fans, Xu Yong extended his hand to greet the fans.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to stand up, but he is too tired to stand up and needs to slow down.

But this scene was captured by other reporters and became the best promotional poster for Xu Yong's 69 points in a single game tonight.

Then, after Xu Yong stood up, he immediately had to accept an interview from the reporters on the scene.

On this 69-point night, he was destined to be busy.

The interview on the sidelines was very brief. After answering the questions, Xu Yong walked towards the player tunnel amid the cheers of the fans.

When he felt the fans' unabated enthusiasm, he continued to wave.

When he entered the player tunnel, the fans there frantically handed him all kinds of autograph requests.

Xu Yong chose to stop and meet their needs as much as possible.

But after a while, Ma Long came over to remind him that he had to attend the post-match press conference.

Xu Yong nodded and prepared to leave.

"slowly!"

Just then, a man from the crowd popped his head out and shouted towards this side.

Xu Yong couldn't help but stop and look.

Xu Yong felt that he had some impression of the other person, but he couldn't remember who it was for a moment.

When seeing Xu Yong looking at the high school student, the others made some space for the boy to squeeze through.

"Xu! Xu! Can I have your sneakers?" This high school student was quite courageous. After finding that he had attracted Xu Yong's attention, he spoke directly.

Generally speaking, when encountering such a situation, most basketball stars will ignore it, after all, the other party is already a high school student, not a child.

However, the feeling of déjà vu made Xu Yong ask: "What's your name?"

"Edwards, Anthony Devonte Edwards, I just joined Serre High School in Atlanta this year." The other party spoke excitedly.

Edwards, when Xu Yong heard this name, he suddenly remembered that Edwards was the No. 1 pick in 2020 and had an impressive nickname: Ant-Man.

"I can't give you sneakers, but..." Xu Yong took off his jersey and asked the fan for an autograph pen. He signed his name on it and handed it to the fan, "I can give you this."

Edwards was so happy that he almost jumped up. He excitedly accepted the jersey and shouted "I love you".

"Senior, do you know him?" Butler couldn't help but ask curiously when he entered the player tunnel. This signed jersey, and the jersey he wore on the night of the 69-point game, is an absolute collectible, with full value and commemorative significance.

"Jimmy, do you think he looks a bit like anyone?" Xu Yong turned around and asked.

Butler looked puzzled, recalling Edwards' face, and then suddenly a word popped out of his mouth: "Me?"

This answer made Xu Yong stunned, and then he couldn't help laughing.

He originally wanted to talk about Jordan, because if Edwards' face was shaved, it would really look 80% like Jordan.

However, there is nothing wrong with Butler's answer. Both of them look like Jordan, so it is natural that they have some similarities with each other.

Seeing Xu Yong's reaction, Butler thought he was right. He was happy but also a little regretful, because that was what he wanted.

After returning to the locker room, Xu Yong took off his sneakers, took out a pen from the closet, and prepared to sign on them.

When he saw this, Butler, who was sitting opposite, his eyes lit up.

Could it be that his senior was planning to give him this pair of sneakers?

It must be like this. If the jersey is given to someone who looks like you, then the shoes must be his.

He rubbed his hands with a little excitement, and when he saw Xu Yong start writing, he finally couldn't help but stand up curiously and walked to Xu Yong's side.

Xu Yong turned to look at him in confusion, then continued writing his own work.

"To Michael..."

When Butler saw those words, he was stunned.

It turned out that Xu Yong was planning to give the sneakers to Jordan.

The reason why it was given to Edwards before was because he looked like Jordan.

It turns out that his senior's favorite was his former idol.

But just as he was thinking this, the words Xu Yong wrote next almost made him lose his temper.

"My son..."

He almost forgot that Xu Yong had a son named Michael Xu who was almost one year old.

So he was overthinking it.

Before, Xu Yong gave the jersey to Edwards, probably because he didn't want to disappoint him.

The most important thing is to take the initiative.

"Senior." After Xu Yong finished writing, he brought it to his mouth to blow dry the words, then he spoke.

"Huh?" Xu Yong turned around, his eyes becoming more and more confused. Butler had been standing next to him and he didn't know what he was doing.

"Can you give me your shorts?"

Xu Yong was stunned for a moment, but then he understood what Butler was thinking.

He probably also wanted to keep something commemorative.

He was about to take a shower, so he took off his shorts, signed them, and handed them to Butler.

Butler looked happy after getting the shorts.

Xu Yong put his sneakers into a shoe box, turned around and put it in the closet, then picked up a bath towel and prepared to take a shower.

"Boss." At this moment, Anderson on the side couldn't help but speak.

Xu Yong turned around and saw that the other party was eager to try.

"What's wrong?"

"Um... who are you going to give your ** to?"

…

After taking a shower, Xu Yong and Jokic attended the post-match press conference together.

Jokic's performance at the beginning of the fourth quarter was very eye-catching and he was the team's surprise player off the bench tonight.

Of course, letting him attend tonight is just to give him a chance to show his face. The protagonist of tonight's press conference is Xu Yong, and no one can steal the limelight from him.

"Xu, you showed a strong desire to attack at the beginning of tonight. Are you planning to make big news tonight (break the scoring record)?" A reporter from ESPN asked Xu Yong.

"My goal is to help the team win tonight's game." Xu Yong's answer was the same as when Yang Yi interviewed him before the game.

"You broke Michael's single-game playoff scoring record that he held 30 years ago. How do you feel now?" another reporter from ESPN asked.

The other reporters all looked at Xu Yong.

"Tell Michael my apologies for me." Then, Xu Yong gave them an unexpected but quite humorous answer.

"Of course it's great to set a new record, but what's even happier is that the team won." He paused when he said this because he realized that he seemed to have accidentally dissed Jordan.

"It means we can go to Toronto again with confidence, which will help us win the final victory," he added.

"With one minute left in the game, you did not stay on the court, which made you miss the 70+ chance in the end. Isn't this regrettable?" A reporter from TNT asked Xu Yong.

"The outcome was already decided at that time." Xu Yong's answer easily reminds people of Kobe who scored 62 points in three quarters. He also refused to continue playing in the garbage time of the last quarter.

"But you are only one ball away from 70+." The reporter seemed to really feel sorry for Xu Yong. After all, such opportunities are not always available.

"Then next time." Then Xu Yong gave him a reason that was completely irrefutable.

If someone else said this, you would think they were bragging, but does Xu Yong really have no chance to do it next time?

I'm afraid no one would think so.

The Night of 69, the Night of Conferred Gods

TNT used a rather impressive headline after the game.

"I watched the game, it was the strongest scoring performance. You know that's the intensity of the playoffs, different from when I was there, but if it was one-on-one, if I was still at my peak, either of us could have won." Kobe, who has retired and started performing for money, said with a smile when asked about this topic during an interview at an event.

"You may not know that Xu learned his pull-up jump shot technique from me. Seeing his performance on the court now, I feel like I am still playing on the court." McGrady, who has retired for a long time and has a big belly, revealed the inside story in a podcast program.

"It was a great scoring performance. When I got the call from my friend, I thought he was wrong, but when I opened my phone to confirm, it was really crazy. You have to know that it was 30 years ago, and it was Michael who did it. I'm very happy that I can still compete with such a great player." Wade shared his experience of the day on his personal social media.

More stars also expressed their admiration and congratulations on Xu Yong's score on social media.

Even some Hollywood stars have joined in the congratulations, as this has become the hottest news at the moment.

A record that had been untouched for 30 years was broken, and it was set by Jordan, which in itself is explosive news.

Even in China, with Yang Yi's article "It turns out that dreams can come true", the news has reached an unprecedented level of popularity.

Xu Yong has given the Chinese people too many surprises, but this time, it was a complete shock.

It was also after completing such a hardcore performance that many people began to realize that Xu Yong not only had the same opportunities as the former four great shooting guards, but was indeed on the road to surpassing Jordan.

It was after this night that Xu Yong got a new nickname, Mr. 69 Points.

After seeing this nickname, Xu Yong suddenly felt that he was too careless.

One point more or one point less wouldn't sound weird.

Of course, he didn't have the energy to think so much at this moment, because the Bulls would have to return to Toronto to play against the Raptors next.

You know, the Bulls have not been able to capture Toronto so far in the series. This time the Raptors are fighting a do-or-die battle, and it is bound to be another fierce battle.

Xu Yong thought so, and all the players of the Bulls showed much more concentration than the last time they came to Toronto.

But after the game started, the Bulls found that the Raptors seemed to be a different team compared to the previous few games. Not only was the offensive coordination not smooth, but there were also communication errors on the defensive end, resulting in missed players.

It was only after playing for a while that everyone realized that they had ignored the psychological pressure that Xu Yong's shocking performance had brought to the Raptors players.

It's hard to keep your mentality stable when you're facing a player who could score 60+ points on you at any time in the playoffs.

DeRozan's performance in this game plummeted compared to the past two games. The Raptors basically did not cause much trouble to the Bulls throughout the game.

4 to 2, the Bulls won two games in a row and successfully advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

This round of series made people realize two things. First, the Raptors have a promising future as their core lineup is still very young. Second, how terrifying Xu Yong’s current strength is.

The Bulls' opponent had already been determined before then: the Cavaliers.

This year's series between the Cavaliers and the Pacers ended faster than expected. The Cavaliers played with great strength and completed a gentleman's sweep of the Pacers 4-1, avenging last year's defeat.

Because the opponent had already been determined, after returning to Chicago, Xu Yong began watching the game videos of the Cavaliers and Pacers.

Then he soon discovered something unexpected: James had changed.

This change does not refer to his playing style. He still needs to hold the ball a lot to be effective, and he still doesn't like to position himself and is good at fast breaks.

But he suddenly didn't like to spread his hands anymore.

Although there are no accurate statistics, Xu Yong has the impression that every time he plays against the Cavaliers, James has to do it at least two or three times, as if only in this way can the referee realize that he should respect him.

But after watching these five videos, he seemed to have the impression that James only messed up twice, an average of 0.4 times per game, which is almost negligible.

It is impossible for James to change his gender. The only explanation is that his mentality is very stable now.

As evidence, when playing away against Indiana, facing the boos from the Pacers fans, James did not seem to be affected by either the emotions on his face or his performance on the court.

Although we don’t know why, it is certain that this is a strength enhancement for the Cavaliers.

After all, the Cavaliers' Big Four lineup is there, and as long as James plays normally, their strength will definitely be above that of the Raptors.

And there is a point that is easily overlooked. Last year, the Cavaliers injured Love in the first round. The so-called Big Four actually only had three people. But this year, no one was injured and the lineup is complete.

Taking all of this into consideration, this will be the strongest opponent the Bulls have encountered in recent years.

Xu Yong was rubbing his hands, eager to give it a try.

As for Rose, he had figured it out after playing against the Raptors.

Respect Ross's choice, but let him leave without regrets.

He now has one more reason to win this championship.

…

The day after the Eastern Conference matchup was confirmed, the Western Conference semifinals were also over. With Leonard's two consecutive 35+ stable performances, the Mavericks eliminated the Thunder with a big score of 4-2 to complete their revenge and entered the Western Conference Finals. Their opponent was the Warriors who swept the Trail Blazers.

Leonard, who has officially entered his peak, faces the rising Splash Brothers. Can Curry have his first trip to the finals? Can Leonard become the king of the West in one fell swoop? The Western Conference finals this year will be as exciting as the Eastern Conference finals.

However, before the start of these two most exciting series, the league announced the last batch of awards of the season, which were also the winners of the best lineups.

Best First Team: Westbrook, Curry, Xu Yong, Durant, Leonard

Second team: Paul, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, James, Draymond Green

Third team: Lillard, Klay Thompson, Aldridge, Griffin, Cousins

All-Defensive First Team: Paul, Xu Yong, Leonard, Draymond Green, Anthony Davis

Second team: Bradley, Tony Allen, Jimmy Butler, Ibaka, Adams

This time, Anderson announced the news in the locker room, amidst everyone's happy expressions.

He already looks a bit like an NBA breaking news announcer.

Then everyone picked up their water bottles and gave Adams a bath in advance.

Adams' performance this season has officially made him a member of the iron triangle.

The Bulls platform is definitely a plus for him, but he is just a hardworking old ox in the Bulls, and he deserves it.

And what is certain is that this summer, the Bulls will talk to him about an early contract extension.

Xu Yong was of course happy for Adams, but when he saw Jokic pouring water the most happily, he couldn't help but think of a problem. Jokic has always played the center position in history, and he and Adams overlap in position.

The Bulls' power forward position is relatively weak right now, so is it possible for Jokic to play at the power forward position?

This may be something the Bulls coaching staff needs to consider next season.

After the brief celebration, Stephenson began to twist his limbs and start a dance performance in the locker room, this time with rap.

Stephenson is truly full of black elements. He likes singing, dancing, rap, tattoos, hip-hop clothing, and the way he communicates with people.

But speaking of it, the black people in the NBA basically cannot erase these elements. Take rap for example, Lillard, Iverson, and O'Neal have all released albums.

Although Stephenson is not at their level, his celebration with air guitar is very telling.

Then looking at Stephenson, Xu Yong thought of the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals, and he suddenly felt that Stephenson might be the one who could disrupt James' mentality.

…

The Eastern Conference Finals will be held one day earlier than the Western Conference Finals, but long before that, the league and the media have already begun to vigorously promote this series.

James returns to the C position and confronts Xu Yong, and the Cavaliers' Big Four face off against the Bulls' iron triangle. Even if Rose can't play, this will be the most star-studded series since the start of the playoffs.

By the time the game day came, the traffic jams within a few kilometers of the United Center were as severe as those in last year's finals.

The United Center was already overcrowded.

In the Bulls' locker room, Xu Yong was chatting with Butler about the game.

"Jimmy, you play more at the beginning." The Raptors' strategy of defending him was very successful before. Based on his understanding of Lu in his previous life, the Cavaliers will most likely learn from it.

Butler nodded confidently. Although his performance declined against the Raptors, the self-confidence he built up in the first round is still there.

Half an hour before the game, players from both teams entered the field one after another.

Xu Yong was naturally the focus of the whole audience, and he caused cheers as soon as he appeared.

As the man who just dethroned Jordan, who had sat on the top spot for 30 years, he now has a strong ability to attract attention.

Xu Yong looked in pretty good shape during his pre-match warm-up. His several attempts at shots from the outside all went into the net, which made people think about something fishy.

Maybe Xu Yong can get 60+ tonight?

If that were really the case, Xu Yong would probably make Jordan sweat profusely.

Of course, James is also in the shot.

In fact, there is one thing that fans basically agree on even though it was not said, and that is that the Cavaliers can no longer afford to lose this year.

Last year we could say that it was because Love was injured, but if they continue to lose this year, then there will be no point for this team to continue to exist.

Because of some [unexpected] situations that occurred in the previous offseason, James stood up for his teammates and put pressure on management, allowing JR and Tristan Thompson to both receive high-priced contract extensions. He showed off his teammate friendship and consolidated the team's position, but the cost was that the Cavaliers' salary space exploded.

Not to mention what will happen in the summer, Davis will also start a maximum salary contract in the summer, and if he does not renew his contract in advance, his starting salary will be around 30 million.

If he has to pay over 100 million in luxury tax and can't even play in the finals, then Gilbert will be the biggest sucker in the NBA.

When the warm-up was almost over, the scene suddenly fell into a violent commotion because someone was late.

It's not Jordan, it's Kobe.

Kobe was present at the event with his wife Vanessa and his three daughters.

When Xu Yong saw Kobe appear, he took the initiative to walk over and greet him.

"You're here." Xu Yong opened his arms.

"Here I am." Kobe smiled and hugged him, fulfilling his promise made during his final game after retirement.

This scene was captured by the live camera. In the camera, Kobe was smiling and the scene was filled with cheers.

At this moment, fans realized that there are still big differences between Kobe and Jordan. Even after retiring, Jordan was always reserved and people were afraid to approach him, but Kobe seemed like a completely different person after retiring. He no longer needed to compete on the court, but he was always smiling and amiable wherever he went, as if he had become the happiest person in the world.

After the warm-up, the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.

Cavaliers: Irving, JR, James, Love, Davis;

Bulls: Dellavedova, Butler, Xu Yong, Kyle Anderson, Adams.

Adams passed the ball back to the Bulls' half, and this much-anticipated battle officially began.

Before the Bulls advanced to the frontcourt, Xu Yong discovered something that surprised him: James was guarding him!

He confirmed this when he reached the frontcourt and saw James still in front of him.

After confirming this, he directly reached out to Butler for the ball.

Change of plans, be prepared...