Coming to Philadelphia on the 15th, Zhou Quan received a good news, the second week of All-Star voting, 190,000 votes this week, the decline is not very large, he has won 400,000 votes in half a month, 170,000 votes beyond the third Jeff Hornacek, basically locked the position of the starting point guard of the Eastern All-Stars.

On the 16th, the Pistons challenged the Philadelphia Numbers away.

This is the third regular-season game between the Pistons and the Numbers, and the Pistons have won the first two games without a hitch.

The Numbers completed a big trade with the Suns, and the Suns rose to the top of the league with a winning record and a growing call to win the championship, while the Numbers team rebuilt and now has a 12-20 record and a win rate of only 37.5%, ranking 12th in the East.

Of course, the number team has no regrets, because Barkley failed to lead the team to the playoffs last season, so without him, he will not make the playoffs anyway.

The game was broadcast live from Team Numbers in the United States, and on the TNT commentary box, Robert Giddah said: "The numbers are not bad on paper, and Jeff Hornacek and Jose Hawkins are one of the most attacking combinations in the league's backline.

Hawkins is the team's leading scorer, averaging 20 points per game, and Hornacek is the second-leading scorer, averaging 19 points per game.

Both of them shot 47% from the field, they were efficient, and both of them had three-pointers, so it's a shame that their records are so poor. ”

Ringer Wilson said: "Jeff Hornacek is also very strong defensively, averaging 1.7 steals per game.

Hawkins also averaged 1.7 steals per game, and I remember his game against the Green in '91, with an impressive 9 steals in a single game.

Today the two of them are playing against Tekken and Jo Dumas, and I think it's going to be a fight. ”

Robert Giddah shook his head and said, "The first two games of Iron Fist and Joe Dumas had an advantage, and the Pistons also won well, and I don't think there will be an exception today."

Philadelphia's main problem is offensive efficiency, as they are shooting three percentage points lower than their opponents on the field and conceding the second-lowest points per game in the East.

Andrew Lang, the main center from the Suns, is not strong, averaging only 5 points and 6 rebounds per game, and the blue-collar centers are all poor and can't support the basket. ”

The game starts at eight o'clock.

Jump ball, Pistons offense.

Zhou Quan held the ball across the halfway line and ushered in Jose Hawkins' ferocious pressing.

Hawkins is only one centimeter taller than him, weighs 86 kilograms, and his fighting ability is not weak, but he still can't compare with him.

He carried his opponent to the top of the arc, but Hawkins was still dead, not giving him any space.

But at this moment, he suddenly dribbled back and took a step, his right hand instantly pulled the ball up, and his left hand was closed.

Habitually, Hawkins rushed forward a small step, he saw Zhou Quan's Buddha worship action, and without waiting for a judgment in his mind, his body had already reacted and jumped up.

In the next moment, Zhou Quan changed hands to control the ball, changed direction and rushed from the left side, and hit the top of the arc in one step, stopping and going straight to the basket.

Philadelphia center Andrew Lang returned to the basket from the low post on the left wing, and the speed was clearly not up to scratch.

"Bang!"

After Zhou Quan took a big step from the free throw line, he took off directly and hit a one-handed tomahawk slam dunk that blew up Philadelphia's basket.

Ringer Wilson laughed: "This is the biggest problem with Hawkins' defense, his reaction is really fast, he has a strong tackling ability, but because he reacts too quickly, he is also easy to feint. ”

Robert Giddah laughed: "It just so happens that Iron Fist's feints are very realistic, his hands are big, even bigger than many centers, and it's very easy to feint. ”

Looking back, Philadelphia attacked, Hawkins' offense was not weak, no worse than Zhou Quan, he was in a hurry to return one, and immediately after receiving the ball, he had to bypass Zhou Quan in front of him and advance quickly.

But the action was too obvious, Zhou Quan retreated in time, he hit his head on him, and the ball was lost.

"Oh, that mistake!" Robert Giddah exclaimed.

Zhou Quan squeezed away from the opponent to grab the ball, immediately controlled the ball with his left hand, and elbowed his right hand against the entangled Hawkins, launching a backcourt counterattack.

He held the ball to the basket, made an emergency stop, put his hands on the ball and raised it upwards, then Hawkins flew up, and the next moment, he jumped on the spot for the second time, holding the ball in his left hand and dunking it.

"Bang!"

The basket trembled instantly.

"Ate a feint again."

Robert Giddah shook his head and said: "If Hawkins doesn't get rid of this problem, he can't become a real star, because he can't fight against those real stars at critical moments, and he will be blown up." ”

Ringer Wilson nodded: "He has been selected as an All-Star once in the 90/91 season, and now he is also in his prime, if he does not improve in these two seasons, once the peak period is over, it will be difficult to step into the ranks of stars in the future." ”

Robert Giddah said: "This game, I think the Pistons should be able to win very easily. ”

"I think so too." Ringer Wilson laughed.

But the truth is, the game changed when Philadelphia replaced their main center, Andrew Lang, in the sixth minute of the first quarter, with backup center Manute Pol.

Bol is 231 cm tall, skinny, 30 years old, two-world block king, one best defensive second team, and one of the people with the least playing time in Philadelphia, averaging 14 minutes per game, 2.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.

But as soon as he got on the court, he sent two big hats one after another, one to Sekari and one to Zhou Quan, who burst into the basket, to stop the Pistons.

Fortunately, Chuck Daly has a lot of experience, and immediately adjusted his offensive tactics, strengthened his mid-range shot, and at the same time asked Sekari to pull out the bamboo pole to create a breakthrough space for Zhou Quan.

Daley also advised: "Zhou, pay attention to the timing between individual offense and passing, when Bol has returned to the basket, pass the ball to Secali, I believe in your passing ability, but if not, you can do it yourself." ”

With this adjustment, Bol's height advantage under the basket has been greatly reduced, and he is tired between the basket and the wing, and if he leaves Secali alone, Zhou Quan's pass will let him know that he is powerful, and he can no longer sit in the basket.

In the end, the Pistons won the game relatively smoothly.

25-10, three straight wins followed by three straight wins, still at the head of the Bulls, second in the East.

There are a total of five games on the road in this wave, and after playing the number team, the Pistons did not immediately go to the next road, the next game is the 19th against the Dallas Mavericks, which is not a desirable city, and the management decided to stay in Philadelphia for one more day, and then fly to Dallas on the 18th.

On the morning of the 17th, Magic Johnson was interviewed by TV in New York and talked about the current situation in the regular season, and he first praised the Suns.

"Charles did a really good job and I think he has a good chance to lead the team out of the West this year and threaten Michael's third title. Michael, here I want to warn you, cheer up, your dynasty is in danger, haha! ”

"The Trail Blazers are not bad either, and they will be the Suns' strongest competitors in the West."

"Mosaics, too, Hakim is in his prime, his versatility allows him to become the most dominant super center, his versatility allows him to match any style of player and playstyle, he's attacking the Suns and the Trail Blazers in the West, and if the opponent gets distracted, he will give him a chance."

"As for the East, Coach Pat Riley is the head coach I respect the most and I still miss playing under him.

Yes, he's managed to build a tough team in New York, and the Knicks have become a tough team at their core, and they've played a stronger record than the Bulls, currently No. 1 in the East, and they're threatening the Bulls. ”

"The Bulls, currently third in the East, Michael Jordan is still very strong, and even more terrifying. He's played a more formidable offense this season than he did last season, averaging nearly 33 points per game, and even his defense is stronger than last season. ”

"He's got a better shot, he's still sharper on his breaks, and his athleticism makes him look like a superman. I think the Bulls' chances of a third crown are the best because they have a superhuman-like leader. ”

"Michael Jordan is full of the desire to win, full of the desire for a championship, which makes the Bulls the least lacking in morale, they are always competitive."

"Also, the Pistons are a team that surprised me, I seemed to say in the playoffs last season that the Pistons are likely to decline because of the aging players, but no, they are even better than the Bulls."

"yes, I have to say Iron Fist, his performance is very surprising, without his performance, the Pistons would just have degenerated into a bad team."

'He's been a lot better offensively this season, and the main change is the consistency that allows him to help the team with his offense instead of throwing away to score.

"Also, I am still amazed by his playmaking and assisting ability. To be honest, I even think he's better than me because every one of his assists is golden. ”

"I studied the Pistons this season, and there was only one weakness, when they lost Rodman, the team's strength dropped badly, because when they lost Rodman, it means losing the biggest source of rebounds, and they also lost their strongest interior defense, which is why the Pistons are prone to losing streaks."

"I mean, the Pistons' weaknesses are obvious, and if you control Rodman, you can have an advantage over the Pistons."

……

"Publicly exposing our weaknesses, does he want us to lose, on purpose?"

In the hotel in Philadelphia, there was some discomfort, Joe Dumas said, staring at the magician on the TV.

"It's possible that he turned his face with the Assassin and kept standing with Jordan and Barkley, and he had a bad relationship with us." Zhou Quan said with a smile.

The assassin was on the side, and snorted coldly: "Dennis is just not angry, he has been injured twice in less than half a season, I think he spent too much energy on Madonna." ”

"It's normal for men to need women, and he and Madonna don't see each other very often, he has a bit of an eccentric personality, and ...... It's romantic, we have to be more tolerant of him, after all, injuries are hard to control. Zhou Quan said with a smile.

"Romantic?"

Jo Dumas looked strange and didn't understand why Zhou Quan used the word.

The assassin stopped talking, he couldn't ask Zhou Quan to beat up Rodman, right? In that case, Zhou Quan might beat him up first.

……

On the 19th, the Pistons challenged the Mavericks away and ushered in a cold game, including Zhou Quan, Joe Dumas and Secali and other main forces collectively mismatched, and the bench lineup played better, the assassins exploded, cutting 21 points, but it was difficult to fill the pit of the main force, and finally lost the game, and the winning streak was suspended.

Next, the Pistons will take on the teams of the two super centers on the road, and it will be back-to-back games on the road. Meanwhile, Rodman will be back in the next game.

The next morning, many media outlets predicted that even if Rodman returned, according to the practice of the Pistons this season, he would usher in a wave of consecutive losses.

Zhou Quan didn't want to lose in a row, but sometimes things really didn't go as expected, and the Pistons really ushered in three consecutive defeats, first losing to David Robinson's Spurs, and then losing to Big Dream's Mosaic, all of which were taken advantage of by the outside and blown up by the inside.

With a 25-13 record, the winning percentage dropped to 65.7%, and the three-game losing streak not only allowed the Bulls to overtake, but also fell behind the Cavaliers, ranking fourth in the East.

All of a sudden, news about Zhou Quan sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.

Many media still accuse him of his ability to lead the team, his ability to stand up at critical moments is not enough, his dependence on Rodman is too great, and they think that his cross-border dispersion of energy is irresponsible.

Zhou Quan himself scoffed at the rhetoric of these media, is he a qualified boss if the Pistons want to win all 82 games?

As for Rodman's importance, he has never denied that Rodman's importance to the Pistons is self-evident, just like Jordan can't do without Pippen, without Pippen, Jordan is only afraid that he will be in a round every year.

And crossover, specially, has he crossed over so far throughout the season? Aren't you just going to play two days of golf during All-Star Weekend, and how much energy does that consume?

He is already very tired of these media accusing him, and sometimes his temper comes up, and he can't wait to sweep the AK over.

But he doesn't have the most news, Jordan has the most negative news, and he always stays on the front page.

Not to mention Jordan, Zhou Quan smelled a smell, do these media plan to ruin the NBA's signboard? Fun and fun!

In fact, he didn't know that this was still part of the firepower he attracted for Jordan, and without him, the media would have hyped Jordan's negative news even more frantically to attract attention.

On the 23rd, the Pistons returned to Detroit, and on the 25th, they will face the Suns, who are the No. 1 in the league.

The media's prediction for this game is that the Pistons will have a four-game losing streak, and the reason is simple, Zhou Quan will be restrained by the lightning Kevin Johnson.

Although there is no competition with the Suns, the Pistons are still eager to beat the Suns up and down to avoid a four-game losing streak.

At 3 p.m. on the 24th, the Suns arrived in Detroit and held a press conference at the hotel at 5 p.m., which was broadcast live on Detroit television.

"Charles, what do you think are the chances that the Suns will beat the Pistons?" A reporter from the New York Times asked.

A grinning Barkley said, "This question doesn't make much sense, because we won, so I suggest you change the question." ”

"Well, do you think lightning will be able to burst the Iron Fist tomorrow night?" The reporter said happily.

Barkley glanced at Kevin Johnson next to him and smiled, "I don't understand why you're asking me this question?" But I can answer that I think the Lightning is capable of restraining Tekken, as the Pistons have proven in their two regular-season games against the Suns last season, and he has the absolute advantage against Tekken. ”

"Lightning, what do you think of yourself?" The reporter asked, turning his gun.

Kevin Johnson said with pride: "This question doesn't make much sense because we won, so I suggest you change the question." ”

"Haha......"

Just like Barkley's words just now, many media reporters below laughed.

"Humph!"

A group of local journalists was indignant.

The next reporter was a reporter from the Detroit Worker, who asked: "Now the Suns are 27-8, with a 77.1% win rate, which is firmly in the league, Mr. Barkley, how high do you think the Suns have a chance of winning the championship this season?" ”

When it comes to winning the championship, Barkley perked up, like a shot in the arm, and said excitedly: "We are currently 6 wins ahead of the second place in the West, which is an advantage in strength, and we have the greatest possibility of killing out of the West."

As for the overall winner......"

Speaking of this, his expression became gloomy, because the Suns and the Bulls had already played a regular season game, 128:111, the Suns lost by 17 points at home, and Jordan blasted 40 points, 7 assists, 3 steals and 4 blocks on the Suns.

He entered the league with Jordan, Jordan has won two consecutive championships, and all kinds of hard honors have crushed him, and he has a shadow on Jordan.

Under this mentality, he said with some morale: "If we have a chance to reach the finals, we will try to beat them." ”

"I don't even have the confidence to win, so I want to win Jordan?"

Zhou Quan was a little disdainful, although Barkley was strong, although he had also entered his peak, he was still a short distance from Jordan, and the gap in the will to fight alone was enough for Barkley to catch up behind.

The will to fight is a virtual thing, but it is precisely this kind of mental and psychological factor that can determine the performance of a star at the most critical moment, and thus determine the final result.

Without strong willpower, the pressure of a crucial match is enough to crush and destroy one's will to fight to play a crotch-pulling match.

From Barkley's words, he couldn't feel Barkley's belief that he wanted to compete with Jordan, so he still wanted to win that paranoia? Even if you are given a chance to make it to the finals, you will not be used.

(End of chapter)