On November 6, 2013, the Pacers ushered in one of the most important and closely watched games since the season opener. The defending champions will be at home against their opponent in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, the Chicago Bulls.

The reason why this game has attracted much attention is not only because of the showdown between the two strongmen, but also because of Derek. Ross is back in the spotlight as he returns to the Bankers' Life Arena.

There is no doubt that even after three games of slump, everyone is still waiting for the day when Rose will suddenly come back to life.

And when encountering such a special opponent as the Pacers, fans are naturally looking forward to it.

Ahead of today's game, Henson was very serious. The players all knew that this was the leader's message to them: "Today, no one can take it lightly. If anyone is slacking off in the game, go to the cold bench. Anyway, the Pacers' bench depth is very generous. ”

Therefore, in the pre-match training, no player dared to slack off. Today, the Pacers' locker room was a little less giggling and more frowning.

Spike in the locker room. Lee thought it was incredible, how did Henson keep the players focused without saying a word?

If the Knicks also have a Henson. A coach like Joe, that's all there is to it......

Before the game began, Henson and his two assistants, Vogel and Becky. Harmon took another closer look at the footage of the Bulls' game. Spike. Lee even thinks that this is the most tense game Henson has made since the start of the regular season!

Of course, Henson's nervousness is not unreasonable.

"I know that in the summer of 2013, the Chicago Bulls, like us, didn't have any big operations. They lost the 2013 playoff team's 'Crazy Arsonist' Nate Anderson. Robinson, let go of Hamilton, drafted New Mexico's shooter Snell, and signed the model of 'I'm only responsible for shooting in open threes, shooting the ball, and counting on me too much for anything else', Mike, who used to play for the Pacers. Dunleavy. That's all the Bulls have changed this summer, but ......"

Henson paused in front of his two assistants, there is always a "but" in everything.

"But they still have a huge upgrade from the end of the regular season last season. The reason for this is that Derek. Ross is back. ”

"So, are you going to keep a tight guard against Rose?" Becky. Harmon proposed.

"No, Rose's return will help the Bulls not only in terms of scoring, but also in terms of morale! This season, the morale of the Bulls has been boosted! Although their 1-2 record is not very good now, it can be seen that the Bulls are still full of blood. I don't think we're going to have an easy time tonight. Henson waved his hand, he was not afraid of Rose, but he was afraid of the impact Rose would have on the Bulls.

No matter how traumatized they are, the Bulls are always the top three defensive teams in the East. They're very good at controlling the three-point line, protecting the restricted area, and attacking the frontcourt for rebounds. In fact, last year's Bulls were like a Pacer with less talent, but almost as much toughness!

Relying on the hand-to-hand combat in the forbidden area of Noah and Buze, relying on Nate. Robinson's relentless stalking, defensive struggle, and tempo, sprinkling thumbtacks and sand on the Pacers' smooth sliding offense.

After the disbandment of the Celtics, the Bulls are the most "whether they can win the Pacers tonight or not, let them peel their skins" temperament.

And after Rose's return, the Bulls' spirit will only get worse!

"You mean......" Becky. Harmon didn't experience last year's Eastern Conference semifinals, so she couldn't understand why Henson would be so jealous of the Bulls.

"I mean, our problem is not on the defensive end, it's on the offensive end. Today, the Bulls' defense is definitely very, very tough, tougher than the four teams we've won in the past combined! How to crack their defense, we need to be ready to be flexible in the game. I also want to say to you, we have to be ready for this game! ”

Becky. Harmon and Vogel both nodded, and after the resumption, Henson successfully conveyed the tension of the game to the coaching staff.

Everything is ready, only the east wind is owed. Where is the east wind? Henson couldn't help but glance through the floor-to-ceiling glass of his office at Antetokounmpo, who was still running on the road this morning.

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Looking at the fans around and looking at the two championship pennants hanging from the dome of the arena by the Pacers, Derrick. Rose didn't feel good about it.

In the 2011 Eastern Conference semifinals, Rose led the Bulls to seven games against the Pacers. At that time, the Bulls and Heat were the hegemons in the East. The Indiana Pacers can only play the role of a spoiler.

But what about now? Instead, the Bulls and Heat became challengers. And the Pacers don't just dominate the East, they have already dominated the league twice!

All of this happened to Derek. It's been a year and a half since Ross disappeared. A year and a half is not long, but it is not short. But it was enough to change the landscape of the alliance.

"Hey, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Rest assured, the defending champions are not invincible. In the playoffs last season, we also beat the Pacers. Just as Rose stood stunned, Joaquin, with hair like a bum. Noah walked up and patted him on the shoulder.

Noah is an optimist and always passionate. So no matter who the opponent is, he is full of confidence.

"I know, I know...... I just sighed, as if it had been a long, long time since I played here. Rose took a deep breath, Banker Life Arena, he must conquer this place today!

After the warm-up, the starters from both sides came on one after another. Although today's game was played on the home court of the Pacers, the footage of the photographer on the scene was given to Rose more than once.

This guard, who has been away from the game for a year and a half, is not only the protagonist of today's game, but also the X-factor of the Bulls! Rose's horror is still fresh in the memory of Pacers fans. The explosive breakthrough of the No. 1 guard did not cause problems for the Pacers' proud defense.

"The Bulls' starting lineup is the same as the previous three games, and as we all know, Tom. Coach Thibodeau doesn't like to change his starting line-up too often. With a full crew, Thibodeau can use a set of starters from Game 1 to Game 82. At this point, he and Henson. Joe is the polar opposite. ”

"That's true, Derek. Rose, Mike. Dunleavy, Lore. Deng, Boozer and Noah, the Bulls' starters are the same as before. Rose said before the game today that he would try to get back to his previous form. I wonder if his wish will become a reality today. ”

With the shouts of the commentators and the fans, the game officially kicked off. As he had done most of the time, Horford lost in the scrum. But Henson never cared about the outcome of the scrum, as long as the strength was strong enough, it didn't matter whether he attacked first or not.

Of course, Henson's inner thought was, "If you lose, will you be able to turn back time?" ”

On the first offense of the opening game, the Bulls put the ball in Rose's hands. Commentator of the game Reggie. Miller's eyes widened suddenly, what would Ross do? Will he still choose to break through bravely as before?

However, it didn't, and Rose didn't even try to break through and gave the ball to Dunleavy who was in the open space. But after Dunleavy received the ball, the space was immediately sealed by George.

Dunleavy, who is 2.06 meters tall, was once a very favorite turret for Henson. His height advantage makes it difficult for the white shooter to be disrupted from beyond the three-point line. Thibodeau put him at the No. 2 position, undoubtedly hoping to use his height advantage to complete the outside shooting.

It's just a pity that the starting No. 2 position of the Pacers is also a strange 2.06 meter tall. Dunleavy's height has no advantage in front of George.

In desperation, Dunleavy had no choice but to hoist the ball into the penalty area and let Carlos. Boozer processing. Boozer hasn't been as good as he was with the Jazz since he came to Chicago. It's not that it's falling, but the state comes and goes.

So the Bulls' first offense ended in Boozer's turnaround jumper. This time, Rose didn't try to score at all. Undoubtedly, this was a bit of a disappointment for the fans. But Henson, who had expected this, had long been expected.

Rose's "mental illness" is much more serious than his injuries.

But the Pacers' offense wasn't as smooth either. As Henson thought, everyone on the Bulls was armed to the teeth. On the defensive end, viciously biting anyone who might threaten the basket!

Lohr. Deng personally stepped up to defend George and threw Leonard to Dunleavy. Seeing this, Paul handed the ball to Leonard. He knows very well that the weakest point of the Bulls' defense on the court right now is Dunleavy's point.

Leonard did not hesitate after receiving the ball and broke through directly along the bottom line! Dunleavy tried to block, but Leonard forced Dunleavy on his shoulder and smashed into the box.

Just when everyone thought that Leonard was going to end the attack, Noah suddenly arrived and raised his arms in front of Leonard!

Henson pouted, Thibodeau's team, the defense will never have a problem!

Leonard and the strong Noah collided, and the reaction force nearly caused him to fall. At the same time, Dunleavy was able to wrap it up.

Noah is in the restricted area, which proves that Horford should be left unattended outside the three-point line! But just as Leonard was about to pass the ball, Dunleavy suddenly grabbed it with both hands, and then slammed it hard in the waist and abdomen!

Trying to pass the ball between the two longs is not easy for Leonard.

"Wow!" Mike. Dunleavy snatched the ball from Leonard, and on the first offense after the start of the game, the Bulls showed the world how tough they were!

The confrontation between the two teams in the first leg seems to be the epitome of this game.

The Bulls, lacking an effective point of attack, could only put up sporadic resistance. And the Pacers, with the Bulls' meat grinder-like defense, didn't score as smoothly as in the first four games.

Although the Pacers have maintained their advantage between 5 and 7 points, they have not been able to pull the gap away.

And just like that, after halftime, the Pacers led the Bulls by five points at 55-50. Despite taking the lead, Henson was not happy with the result.

In the first half, Rose scored just five points on 1-of-6 shooting. It stands to reason that this was a good opportunity for the Pacers to pull away from the score, but the team didn't take it.

In an interview with the midfield, Henson also admitted frankly, "The Bulls' defense has put us under a lot of pressure, and the Chicago Bulls seem to have gone through a survival training and grinded some edge in the midst of the troubles." And this edge is very likely to hurt us. ”

"So how are you going to deal with the next game in the second half?" Reporters strike while the iron is hot.

Henson's name flashed through Antetokounmpo's name, but he didn't answer the reporter, "I don't know yet, and you'll get the answer when the second half starts." ”

It seems that the Bulls' backbone has to be destroyed in some special way.