CHAPTER 1292: CHAPTER 523.2: GAME 7 SHOWDOWN

Game 7, final quarter, both Big Bird and the Zen Master chose a conservative lineup, meaning they relied on their star players.

After the break, the fourth quarter began, with the Knicks Team attacking first!

Mark Jackson caught the ball and advanced to the top arc. Facing John-Parkinson’s tight defense, the other Knicks players stood in positions similar to the beginning of the game. Ewing located on the right side, Zhang Yang cut in from the left side of the free throw line, Mike-Daniel circled to the right high post clearing the left path, and Oakley was in the left long two-point area.

Jordan closely kept up with Zhang Yang, actively engaging in confrontation. Although not very effective, this guy is a strength monster like him, only inferior in explosiveness. But without sufficient confrontation, it would be even harder to defend. Zhang Yang’s shooting percentage reached 53.1% in the first two rounds of the playoffs, higher than the regular season. However, under his defense, it dropped to 48% in the first 6 games, lower than the regular season, having some effect regardless.

Jordan followed Zhang Yang from the left into the three-second zone, preparing to join Carterright and Pippen in double-teaming, compressing the offensive space for Zhang Yang and Ewing, and cutting off the high post passing options. This was the defense arranged by the Zen Master during the break. He predicted that the Knicks would rely on Ewing, their absolute advantage, to initiate the attack in the final quarter. The Knicks’ positioning in this attack confirmed the Zen Master’s guess.

However, when Zhang Yang ran past the three-second zone along the baseline, Jordan still didn’t see Ewing catching the ball!

Just as Jordan followed Zhang Yang out of the three-second zone, Ewing turned and shielded him!

Zhang Yang came to a sudden stop, turned, and charged out perpendicular to the baseline!

Jordan, Pippen, and Carterright reacted rapidly, synchronizing their defensive switch. Jordan immediately engaged in front-defense against Ewing, Carterright strided to the left boundary of the three-second zone, blocking in front of Mike-Daniel, while Pippen rushed from the left elbow area towards Zhang Yang, completing the switch in no time while avoiding early trap violation!

When Zhang Yang was still two to three steps away from the three-point line, Mark Jackson lobbed the ball to the right side of the top arc.

John-Parkinson tried to intercept but failed! He immediately dashed towards the direction the ball flew.

Zhang Yang caught the ball at the three-point line, stepped back to withdraw from the line, facing the advancing John-Parkinson and Pippen, jumped, and took the three-point shot...

Less than 27-year-old Pippen had truly excellent physical fitness, reaching the spot where he could block the three-point shot. But just a little distance short, Zhang Yang, well-versed in ’Snake’s Way’, leaned back as he jumped!

Pippen was just a hand’s distance away from blocking Zhang Yang’s shot, but that small gap meant he couldn’t!

The ball sailed over Pippen’s hand, flying towards the basket... and scored!

to 101, the Knicks Team tied the score right at the start of the final quarter!

Engaged in a physical battle for position with Ewing, Jordan saw the ball fall into the basket, helplessly placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head with a wry smile. As he picked up the ball to pass to Pippen, he mumbled: "Jack’s shooting is indeed the best in the world."

Pippen, who felt slightly agitated from Zhang Yang’s tight defense, calmed down after hearing this. After all, to be bested by an opponent even Jordan, who had immense pride, admired was no disgrace.

It was known that Jordan didn’t regard even the Magician and the Assassin highly, considering the Magician just a pass-around player without the Sky Hook, and the Assassin a clown hiding behind Laimbeer. The only one Jordan previously admired yet was competitive with was Big Bird, and now there was another, ’Saint Jack’.

Pippen retreated to the frontcourt, passing the ball to Jordan, then prepared to cut in response.

Jordan held the ball with one hand at the high post, leaning against Zhang Yang.

The first three quarters saw Zhang Yang cursing under Jordan’s relentless attacks, and during the quarter breaks, he cursed too. In three quarters he had hit four three-pointers... now it’s five, leading the team to score 98 points in three quarters. If he hadn’t gone wild with a 39+8 performance over three quarters, the game might have been a blowout!

But this only made him even more eager to defeat Zhang Yang, and unlike Zhang Yang, he was running out of chances to lose... Though having no safety net and only a cliff behind could drive a player to a fearless effort!

Once Pippen reached the left baseline, Jordan turned to face the basket, assumed a triple-threat stance, lifted his elbow to raise Zhang Yang’s center of gravity, and made a breakthrough!

Jordan reached the elbow area, with Oakley ready for a double-team, and Zhang Yang, bypassed, immediately stuck back. Jordan stopped short before double-team contact could occur and pulled up for a contested close-range jump shot... and scored!

to 101, the Bulls took the lead by two again, Jordan’s points reaching 41, the first 40+ in this Eastern Final series!

In the offensive transition, Zhang Yang continued off-ball movement.

Jordan’s one-on-two success didn’t dampen his spirit; rather, it earned a mental acknowledgment, ’As expected from the best pull-up jumper in history.’ He now just wanted to pay back the favor!

Not allowing early traps was a very friendly rule for him; just before receiving a pass, he didn’t need to worry about a premature trap and could make full use of off-ball screens.

Jordan pursued harder this time, preemptively predicting Oakley and Ewing’s double screen, deftly evaded them like an eel, sprinting back towards Zhang Yang, not letting him get a clean mismatch shot opportunity.

But Zhang Yang still utilized a small timing difference to prepare for a shot before Jordan could reapply the pressure, turning as he received the ball, going into shooting motion, jumping, taking a fadeaway as Jordan rushed to defend... and scored again!

Regaining possession, Jordan drove directly to the basket, fighting off Ewing to make a layup.

In the next offensive turn, Zhang Yang caught the ball beyond the top arc, feigned and drove in, Euro-stepped to evade Pippen’s block defense, jumped on the third step, and slammed the ball into the basket, also bringing his single-game score to 40+!