Chapter 244 Chicago

The day after the game against the Knicks, the Spurs flew to Chicago.

This was the second time the two teams had played this season, the previous one being at the Spurs' home court.

Rose was absent then, and the Spurs eventually won the game.

The Bulls were currently first in the Eastern Conference. Although the Spurs had suffered a losing streak, they were still ahead of the Thunder and ranked first in the Western Conference due to their previous wins.

In other words, this was a clash between the top teams in the East and West.

The Spurs wanted to end their losing streak, while the Bulls wanted to avenge their loss in the previous game, making this game full of highlights.

As soon as they arrived in Chicago, Tang Tian suddenly received a text message from Thompson.

"I also got the Rookie of the Month award, we're tied again."

Thompson averaged 15.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 47% shooting, and 45% three-point shooting in March, edging out Tang Tian and Rubio to win the Rookie of the Month award.

"Not bad, keep it up."

After replying to the text message, Tang Tian put away his phone.

Thompson was performing better and better, and he had just been suspended, so he needed to step up his game as well.

That night, the United Center was already packed to the rafters.

Rose's emergence had made the Bulls a powerhouse in the league again after Jordan's retirement, and it had also revitalized the Chicago basketball market.

Whenever the Bulls had a game, the arena was almost always sold out.

Fans flocked to the arena just to see Rose's insane performances time and time again.

Although the youngest MVP in history had been plagued by a series of injuries this season, including toe, groin, and ankle problems, it still couldn't stop the fans' enthusiasm.

As long as Rose was on the court, Chicago would never lack his fans.

Both teams were on the court doing their final warm-ups before the game.

Just then, Tang Tian noticed an old acquaintance walking towards him.

Jimmy Butler.

When Butler was at Marquette University, Tang Tian's UConn was his nemesis, defeating him twice in the regular season and eliminating him in the conference championship.

But sometimes opponents aren't necessarily enemies.

At the draft, Butler was the 30th pick, and Tang Tian was the 31st. Butler had come over to comfort Tang Tian a few words before going on stage.

But after entering the NBA, their situations were worlds apart.

Tang Tian was thriving with the Spurs, while Butler was having a rough time with the Bulls.

Because the Bulls' starting lineup and rotation were basically fixed, he had Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver ahead of him in addition to Deng, who was the starter.

His short wingspan and poor offense meant that he was averaging less than 10 minutes of playing time per game for the entire season.

This was the fate of most rookies who were drafted by powerhouses.

Not all coaches had the courage to break the rotation like Popovich, and not all rookies had the immediate impact like Tang Tian.

Butler came over to greet Tang Tian, an exchange between old rivals, and also a sharing of rookie life experiences.

Although he was also a hard-working player, Butler was much more talkative than Leonard.

After a short warm-up before the game, the opening ceremony began.

As the lights dimmed, the Spurs' starting lineup was introduced first. Popovich used a completely new starting lineup for this game.

The backcourt was Parker and Tang Tian, the forwards were Leonard and Diaw, and the center was Duncan.

This starting lineup surprised Bulls head coach Thibodeau.

This was Popovich's unpredictable personality.

He could rest Duncan and Ginobili when playing the Knicks, and he could also field a full-strength lineup when playing the Bulls.

After the Spurs' starting lineup was introduced, the Bulls' lineup followed, and the background music "Sirius" began to play.

This was also a classic 2K background music.

Tang Tian felt a surge of excitement when he heard this music.

As someone who had single-handedly dominated Walker in college, he was also a hardcore 2K player.

The Bulls signed Richard Hamilton this season, who, like Rose, had also been plagued by injuries, but still started this game.

The backcourt was Rose and Hamilton, the forwards were Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer, and the center was Joakim Noah.

This was the Bulls' strongest lineup of the season. Popovich wanted to win, and Thibodeau's desire to win was no less than his.

Duncan and Noah jumped for the ball, and Duncan tipped the ball back to the Spurs' half, giving the visiting team the first offensive opportunity.

The Spurs started with a hammer set, but Tang Tian was defended at the baseline and had no chance, and the passing route between Parker and Tang Tian was also cut off.

This was the difficulty of playing games later in the season. The Spurs' new tactics had already been studied by their opponents and were being defended against.

This was also the reason why Popovich put Green on the bench after Tang Tian's return. He needed Tang Tian's defense, but also Tang Tian's creativity on offense.

Tang Tian used Duncan's screen to move to the forty-five degree angle, and Parker chose to pass the ball to Diaw at the free throw line at this time.

Diaw only transitioned the ball briefly before passing it to Tang Tian.

A straight pass had a high probability of being intercepted, but with Diaw as the transition point, the interception rate was significantly reduced.

Tang Tian received the ball and shot a three-pointer.

"Swish!"

With a crisp sound, his first shot went in.

When Diaw first joined the Spurs, Tang Tian had thought about the changes Diaw could bring to the Spurs.

That was to have an extra facilitator and transition point on the court. He could fill the organizational gap in the starting lineup after Ginobili went to the bench.

And that was indeed the case.

Popovich nodded in satisfaction.

His purpose in using this lineup was similar to Tang Tian's, and the effect was achieved in the first possession.

For the Bulls' offense, Rose dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, and Boozer set a high screen.

Rose drove to the basket with the ball, his first step like a turbocharged sports car, passing through Diaw and rushing into the paint before Parker could double-team, directly scoring with a quick layup.

The crowd erupted in cheers. This was the appeal of Rose's game.

Violent, but not lacking in aesthetics.

"Defense! Defense!"

With one basket, Rose completely ignited the atmosphere of the arena. Without the DJ's lead, the shouts from the audience were already deafening.

The lively atmosphere was also a key factor in the Bulls' high ranking in the Eastern Conference this season.

For the Spurs' offense, Diaw facilitated the offense from the high post, with Parker and Leonard cutting to the basket from both sides. This was a typical high post play.

Parker's cut was as sharp as a scalpel, and Leonard also drew Deng's defensive attention, causing the entire Bulls' defense to collapse.

At this moment, Tang Tian quietly moved from the baseline to the arc.

Diaw made a甩手(shuai shou - a throwing motion) pass, and Tang Tian caught the ball, shook off Boozer who was lunging at him, and shot again.

"Swish!"

Tang Tian made consecutive three-pointers!

His three-game suspension hadn't made him lose his touch, and he seemed to be even hotter!

Even Popovich was smiling at this point.

The team had a brand new lineup tonight, and it was still too early to tell how good the overall effect of the lineup would be.

But the continuous cooperation between Tang Tian and Diaw showed that they were definitely on the same wavelength!