Chapter 781 - 244: This Is the Real Undefeated Bulls!

In the first half of the second quarter, the Lakers managed a score of 16 to 15, leading 47 to 41 by 6 points during the official timeout, maintaining dominance.

After the official timeout, in the second half of this quarter, both teams tacitly switched to their starting lineup.

Having played for a quarter and a half, the confrontations and physical drain were beginning to take their toll, weakening the offense.

It seemed the Bulls wanted to allow Jordan some respite, as he began playing a primarily positioning and countermeasure role, while defensively, the Bulls had Pippen defend Zhang Hao...

In the latter half of the second quarter, the Lakers widened the gap by 3 points with a score of 13 to 10, ending the half with a lead of 60 to 51 over the Bulls, entering halftime with a 9-point advantage!

The home crowd was very disappointed with the score.

Because their Bulls completely failed to limit the Lakers’ invincible frontcourt.

Zhang Hao scored 16 points with 1 assist, Barkley scored 17 points with 3 assists, and O’Neal scored 14 points with 3 assists, the three of them totaling 47 points!

Despite Jordan’s impressive performance with 18 points and 4 assists by halftime, he was the only one who could individually compare to any of the Lakers’ three frontcourt players.

Fortunately, the Bulls’ role players maintained steady performance today, capitalizing well on open shot opportunities.

The entire Lakers team was highly motivated, due to their truly formidable frontcourt!

Soon, the second half commenced, and both teams made adjustments during halftime before returning to the court.

The Lakers, regarded as a top-tier team in people’s minds, believed it themselves, often dominating opponents in the third quarter.

Facing the team with the highest average net margin in third quarters over the past two years, the Bulls, the Lakers aimed to defeat them at their strongest point tonight!

However... as the third quarter began, the situation shifted dramatically!

Initially, all was well, but by the middle of the third quarter, the Bulls contracted intensively, and the Lakers’ perimeter shooting was abysmal; a 13 to 2 run for the Bulls, from trailing by 10 points at the 3:11 mark in the third quarter, led to overtaking the Lakers by 1 point at the 6:41 official timeout mark!

to 72, the Lakers were overtaken, prompting a timeout call by Del Harris!

This wave of attacks left the Lakers bewildered.

However, Harris and his players realized, based on the sudden shift in defensive tactics from the opponent, that they had fallen into a trap!

On the other side, Pippen seemed emotional with tears after the official timeout.

Enduring humiliation for two and half quarters, they finally took the lead! Furthermore, they regained firm control in an instant!

...

Initially, when the Lakers’ formidable frontcourt collaborated seamlessly, even Jordan felt overwhelmed; during the first quarter’s opening four minutes, the Lakers’ offense was so overwhelming that it left Jordan feeling amazed, with the Bulls’ triple-team defense being rendered ineffective.

Thankfully, having endured for more than half the game, they finally persevered!

During the first-quarter timeout called by the Zen Master, Jordan noted that the Zen Master merely instructed Pippen to guard Zhang Hao without further directives, deciphering Zen Master’s strategy—endure!

Rodman and Luke Longley soon understood as well, refraining from aiding Zhang Hao but increasing disturbances for the charging Barkley and O’Neal.

Eventually, Pippen realized he was simply a pawn used to tire out Barkley and O’Neal...

No choice, both of the opponent’s forwards were capable of mid-range shots; using the more stocky Jason Caffey from the bench for low post defense against Barkley, while Rodman defended Zhang Hao was feasible.

Yet in doing so, mid-range defense couldn’t be assured; additionally, the Lakers would undoubtedly employ O’Neal for solo plays.

Allowing O’Neal solo plays during the match’s onset while his stamina is optimal is certainly not a wise defensive choice.

With Barkley’s eagerness to play tonight, the Zen Master opted for Piao the Second to defend Zhang Hao, granting Zhang Hao the best opportunities for solo plays.

This allowed Barkley and O’Neal to engage in repeated sprints and maintain charging stances, as the Lakers were likely to prioritize success by actively contesting, while the Bulls had Rodman, forcing Barkley and O’Neal to focus on charging...

This, too, was a method to exhaust the opposition.

Understanding his role as a pawn, Pippen accepted it; despite the torment from guarding Zhang Hao, defending Barkley was even more grueling.

Defense isn’t solely about brute force—only using brute force never cultivates the strongest defensive team.

The Bulls’ strategy targeted dissipating Barkley and O’Neal—both possessing considerable stamina, with yesterday’s news showing Barkley extravagantly spending in nightclubs yet performing energetically today, and O’Neal also being a player with top-tier stamina; however, neither could sustain maximum vigor throughout a game, for their sheer weight relative to themselves would be unsustainable.

Previously with the Magic, O’Neal preferred situating himself near the three-second zone offensively, feigning charges, consuming the majority of offensive time each game this way, explaining perhaps why last season the Magic’s net rebounding was negative despite having O’Neal?

Rather than pursuing noticeably exhaustive tactics, from subtle aspects, the twin giants’ playstyle was altered for effectiveness...

Meanwhile, the Bulls’ perimeter defenders continually delivered physical confrontations to the Lakers, attempting to limit their perimeter shot attempts...

Finally, mid-third quarter, the Bulls employed intensive contraction defense alongside the aggressive trio’s counterattacks, overtaking the score!