Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 63 The Utah Duo, who take pride in black!

In this game, Jackson changed his starting lineup again!

Rodman, Kukoc, Pippen, Jordan, and Harper all started together!

"Look, the Bulls have brought out their ninth starting lineup of the season! Against a strong opponent like the Jazz, at this crucial moment when they're aiming for a 10-game winning streak, Phil Jackson has actually fielded this completely new lineup! This is truly unexpected!"

In the CBS studio, Marcus said with some surprise, "Should we say Jackson is just incredibly skilled and daring, or has he become another 'mad scientist' in the league? By the way, speaking of 'mad scientist' Coach Don Nelson, he was fired just a few hours ago!"

"No one expected that the third-ranked Knicks in the East would suddenly experience such a change at this time, but perhaps this outcome was already destined when Don Nelson arrived in New York! After all, his first priority upon arriving in New York was to trade his team leader, Patrick Ewing, for Shaquille O'Neal!"

"From the moment the management refused to trade Ewing, and Don Nelson offended the entire New York mob, it was only a matter of time before he was fired. However, no one expected it to come so quickly and so soon! The Bulls have one less rival in the East this year!"

Marcus's partner, Smith, laughed and said, "So, back to tonight's game, the Jazz's starting lineup has been announced. Their starting five is still their most reliable five! Center Felton Cebbins, team leader Karl Malone, and John Stockton."

"Add to that the team's second-leading scorer, former All-Star Jeff Hornacek, and David Bennault, and the Jazz have used this starting lineup for 72 consecutive games since last season! The chemistry and energy between these five players should not be underestimated!"

With the introductions from the two commentators, all the players from both sides have entered the field, waiting for the match to officially begin!

The referee glanced at his watch, then walked to midfield and tossed the ball up into the air!

The Bulls have switched to a small lineup, and even if Rodman is good at rebounding, he is powerless against the 213cm tall Felton Cebins in the jump ball.

Therefore, Rodman didn't even jump, or even assume a jump ball stance. As soon as the referee tossed the ball, he turned around and walked towards his own basket.

Rodman's personality was on full display at this moment!

The Jazz's offense always starts with a pick-and-roll between Stockton and Malone. The two set a cross screen at the high post. Harper originally wanted to squeeze through the screen, but as soon as he turned around, he saw Malone's huge elbow already in front of him!

If Hubble hadn't reacted quickly enough and braked backward in time, he probably would have suffered a concussion and had to leave the game in the first round!

Stockton created space with a pick-and-roll, took two steps toward the paint, and immediately passed the ball to Malone on the other side. Malone caught the ball and pulled up for his signature catch-and-shoot jumper!

"Whoosh!"

With a crisp snap, Malone opened the scoring for the Jazz!

In just one possession, you can see Malone's aggressive playing style! He uses his elbows to clear the way during pick-and-rolls, but his offensive methods have nothing to do with his muscular physique! If you haven't watched Malone's games and only look at his physique, you would definitely think he is a Barkley or Shaq-type aggressive big man.

But only after watching Malone's games will you realize that this guy is a handsome mid-range player!

If we're only talking about mid-range shooting skills, he was the most accurate and capable shooter among all interior players before Nowitzki!

Extending this even throughout the 90s, apart from Jordan and "Mid-Range King" Allan Houston, no one else dared to say that their mid-range shooting was more accurate than Malone's!

The next rounds surprised many, as neither team chose to focus on defense and instead concentrated their energy on offense!

The Jazz's offensive system features endless pick-and-roll plays and off-ball screens. Everyone is constantly screening, setting screens, setting walls, and running with their teammates. Their offensive system is rigorous and monotonous, almost entirely based on tactics, and rarely features those exciting moments that get the audience's blood pumping!

Dull, but powerful!

For the Bulls, with Kukoc moving into the starting lineup, the team's offensive space became incredibly vast! No coach dared to leave Kukoc open beyond the three-point line! Seppins had no choice but to come to the perimeter to match up against Kukoc.

In this situation, Jordan's individual offensive threat was fully revealed!

The Jazz's interior defense had become his backyard. At only 191 cm tall, with mediocre physical attributes that were almost unbearable to look at, Hornacek was no match for Jordan. His presence in front of Jordan was less intimidating than even his grandmother's!

After all, Jordan was worried about accidentally bumping into Hornacek's grandmother and hurting her, so he didn't dare to go all out and had to hold back.

But against Hornacek? Jordan showed absolutely no mercy, beating him with complete ease and grace!

Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan had no answer to how easily Jordan dominated Hornacek.

What can he do? Send the 185cm Stockton to his death? Or send David Bennott, who is also not good at defense, to get beaten up?

Not only will Jordan definitely continue to explode, but even Pippen will be delighted to accept this gift when he sees Hornacek, who is only 191 cm tall and looks like a little chick, and start a wave of crazy one-on-one practice matches!

The inherent disadvantage in terms of roster strength is something that even the best head coach cannot overcome.

Sloan had no choice but to gamble. He opted to have the Jazz player closest to Jordan double-team him when Jordan was on one-on-one, leaving either Harper or Kukoc out.

The Jazz's initial two sudden double-teams were effective.

The Bulls, somewhat flustered, missed two shots.

Then, Jackson quickly adjusted his strategy, bringing Kukoc, the most accurate three-point shooter, to the same side as Jordan, allowing Kukoc to use his shooting range and passing ability to break through the Jazz's double-team defense.

When Jordan and Kukoc are on the same side, the Jazz's double-team defense is immediately broken!

Jordan's top-notch passing and anticipation defense, combined with Kukoc's court vision and shooting range, completely broke through the Jazz's entire defense!

Kukoc seized an open opportunity and hit two consecutive three-pointers!

Then he and Jordan executed a backdoor cut and drove to the basket for a layup!

After the Jazz's defensive focus shifted to Kukoc, he continued to pass the ball around, completely revitalizing the Bulls' offense!