Chapter 787 - 246: Then Let’s Run the Pick and Roll! (Part 2)

However, the all-around three-point skill rated at 97 is entirely different from the mere 80+ three-point skill in the top arc area!

It’s not just a matter of accuracy!

A high technical skill rating doesn’t simply mean strength. For example, with shooting, a shooter rated at 95 for three-point shooting might not necessarily be better in training or open shot accuracy than a shooter rated at 90. Mental resilience and the ability to maintain shooting stability under pressure are also key factors to determine a shooter’s strength.

Where is Nash’s biggest strength?

Perhaps it’s not his offensive organization awareness, but his shooting stability!

Though seemingly frail, he was selected for the All-NBA Team and All-Star substitutes before handcheck was eliminated. Indeed, Nash performed better after handchecks were removed, but before that, he was already one of the league’s top six guards, relying on isolation play!

to 106, the gap narrowed to 8 points!

At the Bulls’ offense, originally the Bulls planned to grind around the 10-point gap slowly and then look for chances to extend it further and secure the victory. But unexpectedly, Zhang Hao hit a three-point shot, disrupting the Bulls’ rhythm.

Pippen made a flashy close-range fake pass and shot move but missed!

Zhang Hao grabbed the defensive rebound and pushed forward himself!

Jordan immediately rushed to defend, sticking closely, but upon attempting to steal the ball, he found Zhang Hao’s dribbling very stable! With Zhang Hao’s height, it’s terrifying!

Zhang Hao reached the three-point line. Pippen was already guarding by the three-point line ahead for a switch, and Jordan immediately returned to defend Kenny Anderson on penetration.

Continuing to signal for a pick and roll!

O’Neal continued to set poor screens against Pippen, and Zhang Hao didn’t care for anything else. Whether he could shake off the defense didn’t matter; he just wanted the chance to raise the ball!

Earlier, Zhang Hao’s three-pointer took the Bulls by surprise but when Rodman extended, he still didn’t press directly, so when Zhang Hao raised the ball, Rodman couldn’t interfere!

Facing Rodman’s rushed defense and Pippen’s immediate double-team after O’Neal rolled down, Zhang Hao nailed another three-pointer!

The first one was fine, but this one really caught the Bulls off guard!

Just two possessions ago, Zhang Hao’s score was only 34 points, and suddenly, Zhang Hao had 40 points, overtaking Jordan’s 38 points!

Moreover, it’s now 101 to 106. The Bulls had laboriously grinded slowly, finding chances to widen the gap further, hoping to secure the victory with a gap over 10 points, but Zhang Hao’s two three-pointers negated it!

A sense of crisis is here!

The opponent hit two three-pointers, narrowing the gap to 5 points, which wouldn’t necessarily cause a sense of crisis for the Bulls. The key is Zhang Hao’s two shots were essentially divine.

This is by no means conventional playstyle... No one in NBA history has played like Zhang Hao!

Very decisive, very swift, the Bulls immediately entered the crunch time.

Jordan demanded the ball beyond the three-point line, to isolate against Doug Christie!

Jordan’s most famous move now is back-to-the-basket isolation and fadeaway shots, but when it really comes down to him solving problems, he tends to face the basket.

Back play is merely to reduce fatigue; Jordan’s sharp breakthrough is unstoppable for Doug Christie.

Rushing inside, Jordan made a hanging layup facing O’Neal’s defense and scored!

to 101, the Bulls regained some points.

In the offense-defense transition, the Bulls didn’t continue pressing defense, Kenny Anderson ran to the baseline to pick up the ball and passed to Zhang Hao.

Zhang Hao once again drove the ball to the frontcourt under Jordan’s defense. Jordan’s interference was ineffective, and as he crossed the midcourt, he quickly ran back but still guarded by the three-point line, finally matching up with Jordan again, which made playing facing the basket more difficult...

Thus, Zhang Hao halted at a meter outside the top arc, looking for a pick and roll again!

O’Neal seemed convinced; this little leader got whatever he needed! Now requiring threes, Zhang Hao truly had it!

This time, O’Neal just blocked Jordan’s left side. Rodman came out from the screen pressuring Zhang Hao, not caring whether Zhang Hao would directly break through with speed; Jordan prepared to move laterally immediately, ready to block Zhang Hao’s breakthrough once O’Neal left...

However, Zhang Hao’s feet didn’t move! During that moment when O’Neal blocked on Jordan’s side and Rodman and Jordan made defensive adjustments, Zhang Hao directly rose up and shot!

O’Neal was startled, quickly rushed towards the paint, and then saw the ball fall into the basket...

Zhang Hao hit three consecutive three-pointers!

to 108, the gap reduced to 4 points!

Previously, the Lakers had painstakingly chased for half a quarter, narrowing the gap slightly, but then the Bulls reextended it.

In terms of team play, the Lakers couldn’t compare with the Bulls at that moment.

When the gap widened to 11 points, the Lakers players’ mentality was close to collapse. At that moment, the shadow of being beaten by a 19-point gap in the third quarter loomed over the Lakers players’ hearts again.

But suddenly, within a minute, the gap suddenly became 4 points!

The Bulls didn’t call a timeout, Zen Master still muttered mystically, in his view—is such a playstyle reliable?

Of course not reliable, but he had Jordan...

Indeed, looking back, Jordan cut to mid-range with Doug Christie’s defense sticking to him, Zhang Hao and George Lynch both rushed up, George Lynch blocked the mid-range, Zhang Hao approached closer to block Jordan’s cut.