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The Knicks' strategy is positional warfare. Ewing tries to get as close to the basket as possible and actively grabs offensive rebounds.

The opponents are different, and the style of play is different. A group of veteran Bulls can't rush at all, and the three can return to defense in time to limit their fast break.

The most important point is that Rodman is not here. Langley and Kukoc have no rebounding ability. They are not like insiders at all. The rebounding rate is not as good as Jordan and Pippen.

In order to protect the rebounds in the backcourt, the two Bulls stars must withdraw from the penalty area at any time, consuming more energy.

Not to mention the opponents, even Van Gundy, Thibodeau, and Salman on the coaching staff of the team felt terrible. Before the game, Yang Rui emphasized grabbing offensive rebounds, and with a small adjustment, he achieved "defense with offense".

"Zen Master" Jackson couldn't think of a solution. Even if Rodman is on the court, the Bulls still have weaknesses, but the rebound protection is better. The biggest loophole for the Bulls is Langley. As long as he is there, opponents will use this as a breakthrough.

Langley defended, Ewing made an air cut, and the ball was caught inside, and Langley retreated too slowly. Longley doesn't need to switch to the outside line, Houston and Johnson can shoot directly from the outside.

After 5 minutes of playing, Ewing, Houston, and Johnson scored consecutively, leading 19 to 8.

Jackson was forced to replace Langley. He dared not send Wennington, a big white man who was 213cm tall, but Scott Burrell, who was 201cm tall and weighed 100kg.

If Rodman is here, playing small ball tactics is feasible. Now let Kukoc play as a guest center, defending the pick-and-roll is good, but the protection of the basket is even worse.

The Knicks used the simplest tactics, lobbing Ewing to single out Kukoc to ensure the attacking firepower. The Bulls played against each other with a small lineup, and the point difference continued to widen.

In the first quarter, the Knicks led 37 to 21 by 16 points. Ewing scored 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in a single quarter.

In the second quarter, Ewing was off the court to rest, and the Knicks put on a big iron bucket. The Bulls' substitutes couldn't score at all, even if Pippen was still on the court.

Pippen played poorly today. He missed all 3 shots in the first quarter under Houston's defense and only scored 2 points with free throws. Facing Mills in the second quarter, he missed three consecutive shots.

The Knicks opened up the situation by relying on tactics such as off-ball screens, catch and shoot, and air cuts, and the point difference quickly widened to more than 20 points.

Oakley's playing time in the regular season was short, he was healthy, and entered the playoffs at his best. He was almost suffocated, and the defensive end completely stared at the backup power forward Dick Simpkins.

Ben Wallace is also full of energy, and it doesn't do much to put backup center Bill Wennington in the penalty area.

Pippen heads-up is the best chance to score, but he can't grasp it. This is not a qualified second-in-command.

A truth gradually surfaced. The Bulls win the game by relying on the overall defense, a defensive-oriented team. Without Rodman, the Bulls will not be able to do so.

This season, the Bulls averaged only 11.7 three-point shots per game in the regular season, 3.8 of which were hit, and the three-point shooting percentage was only 32.3%. The two-point shooting percentage is 45.1%, which is not high at all. The way they win is by reducing the opponent's shooting percentage.

Jordan returned to the court after a 4-minute break, leading the team to bite the score and trailing by 15 points into the second half.

In the third quarter, Starks and Oakley began to play again, and the point difference was widened again. Jordan couldn't play alone, and his teammates felt cold.

The Bulls couldn't stop the Knicks' offense. Even if they blocked the shot, they lost a lot of backcourt rebounds.

Albert commented: "Rodman is a well-known bastard on the court, and he often has disputes with players because of his excessive defensive actions, but it is undeniable that his defensive talent is indeed at the top level, and he has won the NBA's best defensive player twice. , Selected to the defensive first team 7 times, and was elected to the rebounding champion 7 times in a row. Without him, the Bulls' defense is much worse."

Rodman is not only good at grabbing rebounds, but his "candy candy" defense often makes the opposing players miserable.

His spirit of desperate Saburo interferes with his opponents while motivating his teammates. He is good at fighting and destroying the opponent's mood. He is a famous flop and trash talker. Many contribution statistics cannot be seen.

Glickman said: "The Knicks are playing very steadily now, with a clear division of labor and a reasonable lineup. Even if Rodman comes back, the Bulls will not be easy to play."

After the starting break in the final quarter, the Knicks sent Atkins, Starks, Mills, Stephen Jackson, and Ben Wallace to play a full-court press.

At this time, the press can have a psychological deterrent effect, showing the depth of the Knicks' lineup, and putting more pressure on the Bulls to start.

The three of them don't have much playing time, so they don't need to deliberately reserve their physical strength. Hubble is 196cm tall. He plays point guard as a cameo, and shooting guard is his old profession. The reason why he was put at the No. 1 position is that he is the strongest defensively.

He was forced to make two consecutive pass errors, and the Knicks counterattacked, further widening the point difference.

The Knicks are also sharp in their positional battles. Big Ben gives Atkins a pick-and-roll, and others pull away. Whether Atkins breaks through or attracts insiders to switch defenses and teammates shoot, they can threaten the basket. If they can’t make shots, Big Ben can still rush rebound.

Ironically, the best press player in the NBA in the past was the Bulls in 1996, who occasionally used their trump card in the third quarter. It was Rodman.

Now, Jordan not only needs to score, but also defends Alan Houston on the defensive end. When necessary, he retracts to protect the backcourt rebound.

Five minutes later, Johnson, Houston, and Ewing played again, and a wave of 11 to 2 widened the point difference to 30 points, entering garbage time.

In the end, the Knicks won 115 to 82 at home and got off to a good start.

Ewing made 11 of 18 shots, 3 of 5 free throws, 25 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks, dominating the penalty area.

Six Knicks scored in double figures, and Atkins, the marginal man, scored 11 points.

Jordan made only 11 of 28 shots, 9 of 10 free throws, 31 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals. The Knicks' defensive tactics cut off the connection between Jordan and his teammates.

Pippen sleepwalked throughout the game, 1 of 9 shots, 0 of 2 three-pointers, 2 of 4 free throws, only 4 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals.

Only three of the Bulls scored in double figures, and the offense was hopelessly poor. In the second half, "Zen Master" only called a timeout and gave up the game early.

In the first half, Zhang Lili also praised: "You see, Phil Jackson is really calm. He just doesn't call a timeout and let the players adjust themselves."

He was anxious for the Bulls in the second half. "Hey, it's not called yet... The Knicks have already gained momentum, and this momentum must be interrupted."

No matter how far behind, the "Zen Master" dozed off on the sidelines. Such a famous coach is really weird.

Knicks owner James Dolan watched the game on the spot, and he couldn't believe it was so easy to win.

Keeping this state, he feels that the Knicks will not only eliminate the Bulls, but may even sweep the Bulls out directly.