Chapter 221 Incoming Call (3rd Update)
The day after the Knicks game, the Spurs flew to Chicago.
This is the second time the two sides have played against each other this season. The last time they met was at the Spurs' home court.
Rose was absent at the time, and the Spurs eventually won the game.
The Bulls are now No. 1 in the Eastern Conference. Although the Spurs have suffered a wave of losing streaks, they still beat the Thunder to be No. 1 in the Western Conference due to the accumulation of previous victories.
In other words, this is a battle for the top of the East and West.
The Spurs want to end their losing streak, and the Bulls want to avenge their last game. This game is full of fun.
As soon as he arrived in Chicago, Tang Tian suddenly received a text message from Thompson.
"I also won the Rookie of the Month, and we tied again."
Thompson averaged 15.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in March, shooting 47% from the field and 45% from the three-point line.
"Good, keep going."
After answering the text message, Tang Tian put away his phone.
Thompson's performance is getting better and better. He has just experienced a suspension and has to work harder.
That night, the United Center arena was already packed.
The appearance of Rose made the Bulls once again become a powerful league after Jordan retired, and also revived the Chicago ball market.
As long as the Bulls are playing, the arena is almost full.
Fans flocked to the arena just to see Rose perform again and again.
Although the youngest MVP in history has been plagued by a series of injuries such as toes, groins, and ankles this season, he still cannot stop the enthusiasm of the fans.
As long as Rose is on the court, Chicago has no shortage of fans.
Players from both teams are doing their final warm-ups before the game.
At this moment, Tang Tian noticed an old acquaintance walking towards him.
Jimmy Butler.
When Butler was at Marquette University, Tang Tian's University of Connecticut was his tormentor. Not only did he win a double play in the regular season, but he also eliminated him in the league championship game.
But sometimes the opponent is not necessarily the enemy.
During the draft, Butler was the 30th pick and Tang Tian was the 31st pick. At that time, Butler came to comfort Tang Tian before taking the stage.
But after entering the NBA, the situation of the two is very different.
Tang Tian was doing well in the Spurs, but Butler was a bit miserable in the Bulls.
Because the Bulls' starting lineup and rotation are basically fixed, in addition to the starting Deng in front of him, there are Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver and others.
With his own short wingspan and poor offense, he averaged less than 10 minutes per game throughout the season.
This is also what happens to most rookies after being selected by a powerful player.
Not all head coaches have the courage to break the rotation like Popovich, and not all rookies have the strong immediate combat power like Tang Tian.
Butler came over to say hello to Tang Tian, which was a reminiscence between old opponents and a life exchange of rookies.
Although he is also a hardworking player, Butler is much more talkative than Leonard.
The short warm-up before the game ended, and the scene immediately entered the opening ceremony.
As the lights dimmed and the Spurs' starters were introduced, Popovich used a new starting lineup for the game.
On the outside are Parker and Tang Tian, on the front line are Leonard and Diaw, and center Duncan.
This starting lineup also surprised Thibodeau, the head coach of the opposite Bulls.
Such is Popovich's unpredictable character.
He can rest Duncan and Ginobili when he is playing against the Knicks, or he can play all the main players when he is playing against the Bulls.
After the introduction of the Spurs' starting lineup, the Bulls followed closely, and the background music "Sirius" sounded.
This is also the background music of 2K classics.
When Tang Tian heard this music, his blood boiled unconsciously.
As the person who single-handedly hit Walker in college, he is also a hardcore player of 2K.
The Bulls signed Richard Hamilton this season, who, like Rose, also suffered from injuries, but this game still started.
Rose and Hamilton outside, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer up front, Joakim Noah at center.
This is the Bulls' strongest lineup of the season. Popovich wants to win, and Thibodeau's desire to win is no less than him.
Duncan and Noah's jump ball, Duncan dialed the ball back to the Spurs' half, and the visiting team got the first chance to attack.
The Spurs came up and played an AI hammer tactic first. Tang Tian's bottom line was marked and had no chance, and the passing route between Parker and Tang Tian was also cut off.
This is where the game is difficult to play after the season deepens. The Spurs' new tactics have begun to be studied by opponents and targeted defenses.
This is why Popovich put Green on the bench after Tang Tian came back. He needs Tang Tian's defense and Tang Tian's creativity on the offensive end.
Tang Tian used Duncan's pick-and-roll to circle to a forty-five-degree angle, and Parker chose to give the ball to Diaw at the free throw line at this time.
Dior only caught the ball for a while, and then passed the ball to Tang Tian.
There is a high possibility of mistakes in straight-line passes, but with Dior as the pivot, the turnover rate is obviously greatly reduced.
Tang Tian made a three-pointer after catching the ball.
"Shua!"
With a crisp sound, his first shot hit.
When Dior first joined the Spurs, Tang Tian thought about the changes Dior could bring to the Spurs.
That is, there is one more support point and pivot on the field. He can fill in the organizational ability of the starting lineup after Ginobili entered the bench.
that's the truth.
Popovich also nodded in satisfaction.
His purpose in this lineup is similar to Tang Tian's idea, and now the effect has been shown in the first round.
Bulls offense, Rose dribbles upfield, Boozer mentions a high pick-and-roll.
Rose took the ball and rushed in. His first step was like a twin-turbo sports car.
The cheers on the scene exploded in an instant, this is the ornamental aspect of Rose's play.
Violent, but not lacking in aesthetics.
"Defend! Defend!"
With one ball, Rose completely ignited the atmosphere of the audience. Without the DJ belt, the shouts of the scene were already overwhelming.
The hot scene atmosphere is also a key factor for the Bulls to rank first in the Eastern Conference this season.
The Spurs' offense, Diaw's high-post support, Parker and Leonard cut to the basket from both sides, this is a typical high-post tactic.
Parker's cut was as lethal as a scalpel, and Leonard also restrained Deng's defensive attention, and the entire Bulls' defense line was shrinking inward.
At this moment, Tang Tian quietly moved from the bottom corner to the top of the arc.
Dior flicked the pass, and after Tang Tian caught the ball, he swayed Boozer, who was rushing towards him, and shot again.
"Shua!"
Tang Tian made consecutive three-pointers!
Not only did he get suspended for three games, but he seemed to get hotter!
At this time, even Popovich was happy.
The team has a brand new lineup tonight, and the overall effect of the lineup is still unclear.
But the continuous cooperation between Tang Tian and Dior is quite a call between them!
Thanks to Absurd Belief, Lin Yayidong, 99 Books, Vow Canghen, and The Left Hand of the Devil for their rewards.
I wrote it together on four and five, wait a minute~