Randy Brown quickly chased up from the middle, wanting to block Hesi Meng from behind as He Ximeng charged the basket.
As a result, He Ximeng had no intention of driving into the paint. He stopped directly outside the three-point line and shot a trailing three-pointer...
"This choice? Didn't you say his playstyle was steady..."
In Jordan's opinion, for a young player with such an open opportunity, he should have driven straight to the basket and dunked the ball with lightning speed and thunderous impact to showcase his personal abilities and minimize the chance of an unexpected outcome...
Although a dunk could still be rejected by the rim, the probability was not even close to a missed three-pointer.
However, before Jordan could finish his disdainful remark, He Ximeng's three-pointer was calmly made.
Jordan could only make a 180-degree sharp turn: "Damn! This three-pointer is really steady..."
Harper remained silent, daring not to say anything. Anyway, everything you say is right.
Turning around, Pippen singled out Eddie Jones and finally made a mid-range jump shot.
The first quarter was about to end, leaving about 8 seconds for the Lakers.
Hesi Meng caught the ball at the baseline and, facing a double-team from Randy Brown and Kerr, calmly controlled the ball, using rhythm changes and fakes to successfully bring the ball past half-court.
The Bulls, seeing that intercepting the ball on the half-court was hopeless, quickly guarded the paint to prevent any leaks under the basket. Hesi Meng sent a long pass directly to the paint.
Randy Brown stepped back, creating a slight distance from He Ximeng, wary of He Ximeng suddenly accelerating into the paint. He didn't believe that after already hitting two three-pointers, He Ximeng would still choose a three-pointer for this final offense...
But the fact was, after crossing the logo line beyond half-court, He Ximeng began to slow down. His eyes were fixed on Eddie Jones and Scott on both sides of the corner, seemingly looking for a passing opportunity, but then he suddenly rose up and shot from two steps beyond the three-point line...
Poor Randy Brown was standing outside the three-point line waiting for He Ximeng to approach, only to guess He Ximeng's choice wrong again.
Amidst the stunned faces of tens of thousands of Bulls fans, He Ximeng made this super-long three-pointer!
This was He Ximeng's third three-pointer in two minutes!
"Damn! That distance? Over 30 feet, right?" Jordan stared at the court with an exaggerated expression, "Are you sure he's not just chucking it randomly?"
"I'm afraid not!" Harper shook his head and said, "In the NCAA, the furthest three-pointer this kid has made can reach 40 feet!"
"40 feet? Meaning the entire half-court is within his shooting range?"
"I'm afraid so!"
"His shooting percentage?"
"For super long distances, he hasn't taken many shots, but from what I recall, his shooting percentage doesn't seem much different from regular three-pointers..."
It seemed Harper was a loyal NCAA viewer and truly understood He Ximeng, not just from that one finals game.
"A truly interesting young fellow..." Jordan rubbed his chin, a fierce glint in his eyes.
Harper knew that Jordan had become interested in someone. This season, the only rookie who had piqued Jordan's interest was Iverson, the top pick from Philadelphia. Now, He Ximeng should be added to that list...
However, being on Jordan's radar was not a good thing. Harper could only wish He Ximeng the best of luck.
Why did you have to be so flashy this quarter?
He Ximeng's three consecutive three-pointers helped the Lakers go on a 9:2 run against the Bulls in the first quarter. This not only dispelled the Lakers' frustration of being dominated by the Bulls' starting lineup but also erased the deficit, giving the Lakers a 5-point lead.
When the first quarter ended, He Ximeng received a warm welcome from his teammates, led by O'Neal, as he returned to the bench!
O'Neal exaggeratedly twisted his body and waved his white towel, striking a cheerleader pose, very proficiently...
Kobe gave He Ximeng a subtle fist bump: "Well done! Too bad Michael isn't on the court..."
After a short break, the second quarter began.
Harris took out Scott and brought in Kobe.
On the Bulls' side, Jordan volunteered to replace Pippen, who had played the entire first quarter.
As soon as Jordan stepped onto the court, he immediately called for Randy Brown to set a screen, draw Kobe away, and create a mismatch against He Ximeng!
"Damn! Old Joe, you wouldn't, would you? Back in the day, we were so close we shared the same cigar, and now you're going to back me down in the paint..."
Before Hesi Meng could finish his monologue in the paint, Jordan had already initiated his post-up mode, pushing Hesi Meng towards the basket.
"I..."
Although He Ximeng's core strength had improved significantly, he was no match for Jordan in terms of height, weight, or core strength.
He Ximeng couldn't even break through Kobe's novice post-up mode.
He certainly couldn't withstand Jordan's ultimate post-up mode.
Kobe knew He Ximeng's predicament and rushed over to help. He bet that Jordan wouldn't pass to Randy Brown.
Kobe won the bet! Jordan indeed had no intention of passing.
However, even with Kobe's double-team, Jordan used his veteran offensive skills, spun to the low post, then turned around, drove into the paint, and completed the offense with a one-handed dunk!
The key was that after making the shot, Jordan's mouth was still running: "Two little rookies, didn't you drink your mom's milk this morning? You're so soft, no strength at all..."
This was Hesi Meng's first taste of Jordan's trash talk on the court.
Although he was mentally prepared, Hesi Meng couldn't help but ask Kobe: "Is he always this foul-mouthed on the court?"
Kobe rolled his eyes and replied: "How should I know? It's my first time facing him directly..."
"Uh... sorry, I forgot about that. So, should we talk back?"
"Do it! Of course, we should do it... Give me the ball!"
"Uh... don't rush! We can't just force it! Your chance of success if you go one-on-one against him now is not high!"
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
"We need to play together!"
...
Turning around, He Ximeng held the ball outside the three-point line and called for Kobe's high pick-and-roll.
Jordan saw through their little trick and stepped up early, trying to disrupt the screen. Unexpectedly, the screen wasn't their objective!
Kobe spun sharply and cut inside.
He Ximeng set a back screen, transitioning from ball-handler to screener.
The basketball was passed hand-to-hand the moment He Ximeng and Kobe crossed paths.
Jordan was delayed by He Ximeng's back screen, and before Randy Brown could react, Kobe had already driven past him!
After entering the paint, Kobe faced Kukoc's help defense and returned the favor to the Bulls with a powerful one-handed dunk, exuding immense dominance!
On the way back on defense, Kobe enthusiastically high-fived He Ximeng.
"Your play is really effective, brother!"
"No, no, it's mainly that your dunk was beautiful!"
...