Chapter 202 It Feels So Good to Win After Going All Out

After Rodman was ejected, the 76ers pressed their advantage, leading the Bulls 56-41 at the end of the first half.

The "Ai-Feng" duo created world-famous scenes tonight, with one shaking off Jordan and the other "slam-dunking" Rodman.

In the third quarter, Jordan's touch gradually returned, but the Bulls' deficit was never reduced.

In Su Feng's previous life, when Rodman was absent this season due to his brainless behavior, the Bulls did not play badly, relying on their tenacious spirit.

At that time, the Bulls players even felt that they could win without Rodman.

But in fact, without Rodman, it would be really difficult for this Bulls team to reach the final step.

The "Zen Master" had no choice but to let Kukoc fill the five spot in the third quarter, and put Kerr in to gamble.

However, no matter how good the defense of the Jordan-Pippen frontcourt combination was, it could not save Kukoc and Kerr.

Even Rodman couldn't stop Iverson, let alone Kukoc?

There is a golden saying in the NBA, that is, when the pressure is released, no black, strong, and tough player is innocent.

In the second half of the third quarter, Jordan and Pippen, who were forced into a hurry, each took one. Jordan was responsible for dealing with Su Feng, and Pippen went to deal with Iverson.

As for why Pippen defended Iverson...

Because you might not believe it...

Rather than having his ankle twisted, Pippen never wanted to defend Su Feng again.

Wake up, even ruthless guys like Kobe in the future didn't want to defend Hamilton. It's conceivable how much psychological trauma Su Feng left on Pippen tonight, who was superior to Hamilton in both speed and stamina.

Of course, Su Feng, who was only eighteen years old, was certainly not as good at running positions as Hamilton at his peak in the future, but as the "Akina Mountain Speed King," Su Feng was best at endurance battles in both his previous and current lives.

So, between his waist and ankle, Pippen chose his waist.

After all, if your ankle is broken, you can have someone else move you, but if your waist is gone, then everything is over.

And when Su Feng saw Jordan taking the initiative to defend him, he suddenly felt that his tired legs were instantly full of strength again!

Having just taken so many notes, how could Su Feng forget Jordan's patient guidance to him?

In Los Angeles, Kobe couldn't continue taking notes.

Because watching Su Feng fighting with the "Old Rogue" in every corner, Kobe was extremely envious...

Clang, clang, swish, clang, swish.

With the team leading by a large margin, Su Feng hated that he hadn't fully mastered the four misses before three makes. (a self-deprecating term for Jordan's shooting style)

How could he make it when he was drifting so far backward?

When Jordan, who started missing three out of four again in the second half of the third quarter, saw Su Feng's depressed expression when he made a shot, he almost pulled out a Chicago Typewriter from the bench and blasted Su Feng into pieces.

Jordan was really depressed tonight.

Because he couldn't make shots when he had opportunities, and his teammates couldn't make them either when he passed to them...

The collectively lost Bulls were all depressed on this night.

In the fourth quarter, the Bulls fans at the United Center left early.

When NBC's cameras showed the benches of the two teams, the 76ers players, who were as excited as if they had won the championship, formed a sharp contrast with the Bulls players, who looked as if they had lost the finals.

For the Bulls players, this was an unacceptable defeat.

Rodman's kick in the first half would inevitably lead to a heavy fine from the league after the game.

The future of this Bulls team... was already not optimistic.

And Jordan couldn't figure it out no matter what...

Covering his head with a towel, he was still mocking Payton a few days ago, but how many days had passed?

Pippen was in the worst mood. He scored 24 points in this game and was impeccable on both offense and defense. He was originally free from blame...

But when he thought that even a brain-dead like Rodman could get 9 million dollars, Pippen was very angry!

So angry that he was shaking!

The "Zen Master" was probably the calmest one on the Bulls' bench at the moment, because for him, who liked to control the overall situation, losing now was much better than losing in the playoffs.

This Bulls team needed such a defeat right now.

Wake up, you are no longer invincible, because your challengers have appeared.

109 to 89. When the game ended, Su Feng couldn't hide his excitement on the 76ers' bench.

Heaven knows how much Su Feng had paid for this game.

He had experienced failure in Houston before, but it was precisely because of that failure that Su Feng felt that the feeling of winning after going all out was simply amazing.

Being pulled to slay a dragon just after leaving the novice village, and succeeding, could anyone dare to write or draw like this in novels or comics?

Iverson was also extremely happy, because defeating his idol, in his opinion, was the best tribute to his idol.

In the whole game, Su Feng made 9 of 22 shots, including 4 of 8 three-pointers and 6 of 8 free throws, scoring a personal career-high 28 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists.

His missed shots were mainly concentrated in the third quarter after the team took a big lead. At that time, in order to prove that he was the most outstanding student in the "Class of '96 Missed Shots," Su Feng madly paid tribute to Jordan.

And at that time, Iverson was also recovering his stamina while playing, so the 76ers coaching staff tacitly allowed this duet between Su Feng and Jordan.

Iverson's efficiency was amazing. He made 12 of 18 shots, including 3 of 5 three-pointers and 5 of 7 free throws, scoring 32 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.

The "Ai-Feng" duo combined for 60 points, leading the team to conquer Chicago.

As for the Bulls, perhaps he was too tired from class, Teacher Jordan went straight back to the locker room after the game, only accepting interviews from a few local media outlets, and refused to answer any questions about Rodman.

Teacher Qiao, the head teacher of the missed shots class, made 11 of 30 shots in this game, including 1 of 3 three-pointers and 8 of 8 free throws, scoring 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.

After seeing the technical statistics after the game, Su Feng was a little dazed, because if he remembered correctly, Iverson scored 32 points in this game in his previous life, surpassing the old rogue's 31 points.

Of course, unlike in his previous life, Iverson was more efficient in this game, while Jordan missed two more shots...

As for Ratliff and Da Ben, they were now submissive when they met O'Neal, but they struck hard when they bumped into Rodman.

In this game, they combined for 16 points, 30 rebounds, 5 blocks, 4 steals, and 4 assists. After Rodman was ejected, Kukoc was miserable...

One elbow to the left, one elbow to the right, the thickness of the two elbows was different, but hitting Kukoc's chest, Kukoc felt there was no difference at all...

The chest muscles of this Balkan magician visibly grew bigger after the game.

Before the arrival of the Christmas holiday, the name of the 'robbing the rich and helping the poor 76ers' had completely become famous throughout North America.

Van Gundy's grievances were finally cleared by someone standing up for him.

Look, the Bulls have now been defeated by the 76ers, you can't say that the SuperSonics and the Bulls are also fake powerhouses, right?

After the game, "Ai-Feng" became the darling of the media.

It is worth mentioning that, because the situation was completely different, in this life, when Iverson said the classic line "I am not afraid of anyone on the court," the reporters present gave him applause.

Because in the eyes of the reporters, if even the team leader is afraid, then how do you explain how the 76ers defeated the Bulls?

Of course, there were also nitpicking reporters at the scene.

A Chicago local reporter felt that Iverson's words had a deeper meaning, so he asked: "Allen, do you mean that after winning a game against the Bulls, you can even ignore Michael Jordan, is that right?"

In Su Feng's previous life, there were too many interviews with NBA stars that were misinterpreted by reporters after the game. After all, if they didn't stir up trouble, where would the reporters get their wages?

But compared to those marketing accounts that Su Feng had seen in his previous life, could the thorns picked by this Chicago reporter even be called thorns?

Su Feng grabbed the microphone from Iverson and said: "This reporter, if your English is not good, then I can teach you.

Please repeat after me, what Allen just said was 'I am not afraid of anyone on the court.'"

The Chicago reporter was stunned for a moment, "Anyone, doesn't that include Michael Jordan?"

Su Feng nodded, "So in your opinion, everyone must be afraid of Michael Jordan?"

The reporter was momentarily speechless, and Su Feng took the opportunity to add: "If everyone must be afraid of Michael Jordan, then why not just let the league award the championship trophy directly to the Chicago Bulls?

Or, this reporter, do you know some inside information that we don't all know, and in your opinion, the Bulls have already locked in this season's championship?"

After Su Feng said these words, there was an uproar at the scene, and many colleagues cast hostile glances at the Chicago reporter.

Su Feng knew that praising Jordan was politically correct at this time, but you can't say that the Bulls have already been decided to win the championship.

The Chicago reporter originally wanted to pick on Iverson, but he didn't expect to be picked on by Su Feng instead.

After signaling the scene to be quiet, Su Feng continued: "Allen and I are both fans of Michael, and we came to Chicago with awe.

We are not afraid of any opponents, we are young, but we will not give up any game, and we will treat every game as our last.

We are young, but we also have the right to speak.

I don't know if this reporter wants to deprive Allen and me of our freedom of speech, or if in his opinion, no one in this league except the Bulls players deserves to have freedom of speech?"

Tsk, freedom of speech, how ridiculous.

With one click, I can fight you in fifty states, why should Su Feng be afraid of a small reporter from the US?

Su Feng's words completely ignited the scene, because freedom is a slogan that every American has on their lips every day.

After the reporters at the scene were led astray by Su Feng, most of them expressed sympathy for "Ai-Feng," and believed that the Chicago reporter had just gone too far.

And Iverson on the side gave Su Feng a thumbs up: Cool!

"I like freedom, so you can see that my style of play is sometimes a bit 'selfish'.

But I enjoy every game with these teammates, just like the slogan we shout:

We never bow our heads, the Philadelphia 76ers will fight for freedom!" Iverson, inspired by Su Feng, said with emotion.

Clap clap clap, after Iverson finished speaking, there was a burst of applause at the scene, which lasted for a long time.

Seriously, it's just that there is no social network now, otherwise Su Feng feels that this Chicago reporter would be sprayed to death by a group of blind followers afterwards.

The two great orators of Philadelphia, after occupying the high ground of 'freedom', completely bombarded this nitpicking Chicago reporter into minced meat.

…

New York, Fifth Avenue, Olympic Tower. After learning about the course and outcome of the game between the Bulls and the 76ers, Stern's mood at this time was a little difficult to describe.

The young 76ers had once again given him a surprise. In Stern's opinion, he was determined to support this "Ai-Feng" CP.

If some people questioned the strength of this rookie duo before, then what about now?

Stern read the post-match reports, and he especially liked Su Feng and Iverson's 'speeches'.

Although Stern had always been an "anti-freedom of speech" advocate, in his opinion, "Ai-Feng's" remarks did not mean to offend the Bulls in any way, and the theme of freedom mainly revolved around the game.

That's right, if everyone is afraid of the Bulls, then what's the point of playing in the NBA!

In Su Feng's previous life, while supporting this Bulls team, Stern also gave Jordan some trouble, because the regular season MVP of the 96/97 season was eventually awarded to Karl Malone.

As strong as Jordan was, he never achieved the regular season three-peat MVP under Stern's leadership.

Stern knew that he couldn't put all his eggs in one basket, so in Su Feng's previous life, as early as the 97/98 season, Stern began to lay out the groundwork after Jordan's retirement.

In this life, because of Su Feng's appearance, Stern was just starting to lay out the groundwork earlier.

Teams like the 76ers had to be supported in Stern's opinion, because right now, there were too many teams in the league that were afraid of the Bulls.

This season, because they felt they had no hope of winning the championship, so many shameless teams didn't even want their faces for a Duncan, causing NBA games to be often one-sided.

Therefore, in Stern's opinion, the appearance of the 76ers was a good opportunity to show the world that the NBA was a land of miracles.

However, while "Ai-Feng" was constantly creating surprises for him, Rodman's kick didn't just break that photographer's eggs...

Stern felt that his own eggs were also hurting.

Because a good game was completely ruined by Rodman's kick.

In the NBA, you can fight reporters and you can fight the media, but Stern explicitly prohibits such malicious injury behavior.

In Su Feng's previous life, Stern didn't know how much effort he had put in to reverse the image of the NBA.

Plus, this game was broadcasted nationwide, the negative effects brought about by Rodman were self-evident.

Stern decided to take this opportunity to remind the Bulls.

If you have enough strength to create a second dynasty, Stern will not interfere, but if such negative news appears again, then Stern also has a temper.

"Ah, right, Mark, who is the 76ers' opponent for this year's Christmas game?"

Stern, who had decided to support "Ai-Feng," was determined that as long as "Ai-Feng" could continue to perform well, then he would let this duo appear together on the All-Star stage this season.

In Stern's opinion, the 50 greatest players ceremony also needed young people like "Ai-Feng" to witness it.

"David, are you pissed off by Dennis?

You forgot, we didn't arrange a 76ers game for this year's Christmas game." Mark said with a wry smile, looking at Stern, who was in an unpredictable mood.

"Who was responsible for arranging the schedule for this year's Christmas game?" Stern was stunned, he was so busy this season that he often needed his think tank to help him share the responsibility.

So, Stern forgot that not arranging the 76ers to play in the Christmas game was something he had agreed to.

But could Stern, as the president, take the blame?

Of course not, so Stern, who couldn't remember some things, decided to find the scapegoat.

"It was Adam (Silver), he arranged the Christmas game based on last season's ratings at the time," Mark reminded.

Bang——!

Stern looked at Mark somewhat angrily and said: "You are also my assistant, why didn't you persuade me to arrange for the 76ers to play in it at that time?"

Mark was stunned for a moment, but knowing Stern's personality, he knew that Stern's anger at him at this time actually meant that he would be reused next...

"David, I will definitely pay attention next time," Mark took the initiative to take responsibility.

Looking at the well-behaved and sensible Mark, Stern's mood suddenly improved a lot, "By the way, Allen Iverson has so many breakthroughs in every game, why does he have so few free throws?"

Mark thought for a while and said: "He is just a rookie..."

Stern shook his head, "So what if he is a rookie? Isn't a rookie an NBA player?

How many times have I said that we must be fair in the judgment criteria."

Mark knew that Stern's words had a deeper meaning, so he wrote it down in his notebook, preparing to say hello to the referees later.

"If based on the current All-Star voting situation, do you think Su and Allen have a chance to be selected for this season's All-Star game?" Stern asked.

Mark spread his hands, "Definitely no chance, there are too many star players in the East, David."

Stern nodded, "What if they are selected as reserves?"

Mark hesitated, "I think, based on their performance this year, if we look at it from a completely fair, open, and impartial point of view, there is absolutely no problem."

Stern patted Mark on the shoulder with satisfaction, as expected, among the league's senior executives, only Mark understood his heart.

"The All-Star game can't always let the fans watch some old guys, Mark, remember, we are a fair, open, and impartial league," Stern added.

"Also, I don't object to players' freedom of speech, but on the matter of Dennis Rodman, I don't want to hear any discussions, the league will punish this matter."

After thinking about what else he hadn't told Mark, Stern added: "I know that at present, some players in the league are discriminatory towards Su.

Mark, now is the key node for us to further cooperate with China, remember what I said, shut those damn mouths, if you don't understand, don't make any random remarks about current affairs!"

Looking at Stern's serious attitude, Mark knew that this matter was no small matter and that he must handle it with care.

"After all, we are a sports league, don't let those with ulterior motives seize the opportunity." Stern looked at the serious Mark, very gratified.

It's difficult!

How could the NBA president be so easy to be?

Stern felt that there were too many things he had to deal with next...