On January 19, 1998, at the Chicago Union Center Arena, the Chicago Bulls welcomed the Houston Rockets who fought them in the finals last season for seven rounds to finally decide the winner.

The Chicagoans took the championship on their home turf with a last-minute stunner.

The Houstonians haven't forgotten all this, and neither have the Chicagoans.

This pair can be said to be the closest opponents in recent years, and they will once again stage a peak showdown.

This game is the first game of the Dream after the injury in the bloody battle with the Jazz, and the Bulls also have an injured player who has just returned, that is Scott Pippen, the most trusted assistant by the side of the 'Flyers'.

In this game, Tiger who had nothing to do also came to Chicago with the team.

After declining Klaus' invitation to watch the game in the box, Tiger remained at the back of the Rockets' bench.

Olajuwon made the final moves to his teammates before the game, and today Horry was not in the 12-man squad due to injury. He was replaced by Mark Jackson, who had just returned from Europe.

Looking at his familiar and somewhat unfamiliar faces, Olajuwon calmed down and said, "Guys, let's think back to last year's finals. With that, he closed his eyes.

The Rockets also closed their eyes, including the new arrivals.

After about 30 seconds, Olajuwon opened his eyes and said, "Everyone, open your eyes." ”

Everyone in the Rockets opened their eyes and looked at Olajuwon.

Olajuwon said in a deep voice: "Guys, what did you think. ”

None of the Rockets spoke, and Olajuwon said to the silent crowd: "I don't know what you guys came up with, I just know that we lost to the Chicagoans last year, and all I want to do is beat them here today, beat them here once, beat them twice, beat them countless times until we reclaim the championship in their hands, this is my dream, is your dream the same as mine, brothers." Olajuwon's voice grew louder and louder, until it turned into a roar.

"Same, same, same." The Rockets shouted in unison.

"Alright, let's play, let's go beat them." Olajuwon's somewhat kind face was full of hideousness.

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the rocket was shocked.

The main players followed the big dream on the field.

On the bull's side, looking at the imposing rocket, he couldn't help but be a little hesitant.

Jordan saw that his teammates had already shown a somewhat timid look before they played, and secretly shook his head in his heart.

But, as the leader of the team, Jordan just said a word to his teammates.

"They are our defeated men, what are you afraid of?"

It's a simple sentence, but it inspires the fighting spirit of the Bulls players, yes, what are we afraid of, they didn't lose to us last year.

Before the double serve was played, the leaders of the two teams had already made a move in the psychological adjustment of the players.

The tournament has officially begun.

As the jump ball began, Longley could only watch as Garnett easily gave the ball to Mark Jackson.

Mark Jackson looked at his old rival Harbour, smiled and said, "Man, aren't you doing well this year, it's really not a good result." ”

Harbour glanced at Mark Jackson and said, "Mark can't you shut up, what are you saying, you were also defeated by the Bulls last year." ”

Harbour suffocated Mark Jackson with a word, and there was no way that the Rockets did lose to the Bulls.

Looking at the silent Mark Jackson, Haber's black face rarely showed a smile.

Mark Jackson silently organized the Rockets' offense, and the Rockets in this game once again returned to that unhurried half-court offensive tactic.

Mark Jackson raised his hand and made a gesture, and the Rockets players understood.

Olajuwon suddenly turned inward and shook off Longley's defense, because the game had just begun, Longley's attention was not so concentrated, and he was pressed behind him by Olajuwon at once.

Rodman, who was defending Garnett on the side, saw that things were not good, and hurriedly stepped forward to flank Olajuwon.

Garnett, who was freed, blocked Pippen, who was following Saullius with a lateral movement, and looking at the unguarded Saurius, Mark Jackson's ball found Saurius accurately.

Saulus made an easy layup and put the ball in the basket, and the Rockets scored first.

Looking at the more skilled Rockets, the Bulls just silently served on their baseline and launched their own offense.

Pippen controlled the ball steadily, and Saulius could only step back little by little, watching Pippen direct the Bulls to pull away and run the 'triangle offense'.

Pippen looked at the Rockets' sturdy defense and took a deep breath in his heart.

I thought to myself: It will be difficult to win the championship again this year.

Thinking about it, doing it, Pippen's hands didn't stop.

After a cross-step disguise, pulling away half of the body with Saulius, Pippen handed the ball to Jordan.

Jordan took the ball with his back and looked coldly at Drexler, who was holding himself behind his back.

With a sudden feint to the right, Drexler's center of gravity shifted, and a turnaround step-back jumper landed the ball firmly in the basket.

Then he looked at Drexler coldly, and went backwards to his own half to start defending.

During the whole process, no one from the Bulls said a word, and that cold and depressing feeling filled the hearts of the Rockets players.

Looking at the situation on the court, Lao Tang, who was commanding the game off the court, shook his head indifferently, and said to Tiger behind him: "Boss, the Bull is a Bull after all, as soon as this triangle offense is opened, then the split is really nothing difficult for them, Jordan's strong singles ability is undoubtedly an unsolvable bug." ”

"Yes, Jordan's success is not accidental, he has a strong heart, a group of teammates who can be trusted, and an excellent head coach, and the team's decision-maker can be said to be an excellent manager except for some greed for money, so many factors come together, the Bulls can't succeed." Tiger watched the game on the court and talked about his thoughts on the Bulls.

"Yes, I can say that in the entire 90s, the most successful club in the NBA was the Bulls, but after Jordan retired, I don't know how many years the Bulls will have to be silent before they can rise again." Old soup pointed out how bleak the future of the bull is.

"Hehe, Rudy, we're in Chicago, if the die-hard Bulls fans heard your words, they would probably throw their fists at you." Tiger smiled and teased the old soup.

"Hehe, okay, I don't think the Bulls fans would do anything like that. By the way, boss, I wonder how you got Daniels to discourage him from going to the Spurs. Old Tang lowered his voice and asked Tiger the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.

"Actually, it's very simple, I just asked him a question." Tiger replied with a smile.

"What's the problem." Lao Tang asked reluctantly.

"I'm just asking him, when your grandson asks how you got your championship ring, the answer is the glory that my last friend and I got under the leadership of the great Tim Duncan, or the honor that your grandfather got by his own efforts and a group of guys with the same dreams to beat your great Tim Duncan. I gave him 10 minutes to think about it, and then he came up with his own answers, and it was as simple as that. Tiger shrugged indifferently.

Hearing this, Lao Tang smiled dumbly and said, "Unexpectedly, the boss is still an excellent master of psychology." ”

Tiger smiled silently and set his eyes on the basketball court.

By this time, the game was nearing the end of the first quarter, and it was now the Rockets who led by two points at 19:17.

It's not easy, under the strong pressure of the Bulls, I don't know how long I can maintain such a lead.

With the last three minutes remaining, the Bulls began to make substitutions, Jordan and Longley were replaced to rest, and Kukoc and Kerr were substituted to continue to strengthen the offense.

Seeing Jordan being substituted, the Rockets also replaced their main team.

Olajuwon, Drexler and Mark Jackson were all substituted on the field.

Bodi Roga, Ray Allen and Big Ben were replaced.

The Rockets' style suddenly began to shift, from the original play-to-play tactics to the fast-changing small-ball tactics.

For a while, the situation on the court changed abruptly, the Rockets' offense became fast and flexible, and Bodi Roga's passing was elusive, making it impossible to defend.

In the final three minutes, the Rockets became an exhibition team.

The Rockets used their speed to teach the Bull a good lesson.

Saulius' snatch shot and hit a three-pointer.

Garnett's mid-range shot hit two points.

Bodi Roga hit another three-pointer from the open spot.

Ben Wallace and Bodi Roga's aerial relay

In the final three minutes of the first quarter, the Rockets scored 14 points.

But the Bulls only scored six points.

And so it was when the whistle blew for the Rockets in the first quarter of the game.

33:23 leads by 10 points.

The pressure was on the Bulls' side this time.

Watch how the Bulls coped with this game, and the fight continued.

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