Chapter 207 Why did you poop again?
During this game, Meng Jin and Pippen interacted online many times, and the two also crushed the rumors of discord through their performance on the court.

But the outside world is still not optimistic about the Bulls. Most media predict that the Celtics will win the series 3-1. It’s not that they look down on the Bulls, but the Bulls’ strength on paper is there. The New York Times said mercilessly: If the Bulls take away Meng Jin, they will be the bottom team in the league, and the number of wins in a season will never exceed 25 games.

The outside world’s underestimation has always been Meng Jin’s motivation to move forward. In the first quarter of the fourth game, he made 7 of 7 shots and scored 14 points.

In the second quarter, the Celtics started to double-team Meng Jin. This decision was correct because Meng Jin’s hands were too hot tonight, but the Celtics could never have imagined that a double-team would be like an open spot in front of Meng Jin.

Meng Jin continued his efficient performance in the second quarter, scoring 8 points with 6 of 14 shots and free throws.

半场过去孟进的数据已经来到28分5篮板3助攻2盖帽1抢断。

Meng Jin’s playing style tonight was very simple, without any unnecessary movements. Most of his finishes were jump shots. He would dribble the ball for one step and then make a quick stop jump shot. He would turn around and make a jump shot after receiving the ball. If the two defensive players pressed him very closely, he would add some fade aways.

Meng Jin managed to make a very intense playoff game sound relaxed and free.

The progress of this game was beyond everyone’s expectations. Led by Meng Jin, the Bulls defeated the Celtics in three quarters. When the score difference widened to 20+, Celtics coach Chris Ford withdrew all the main players without hesitation and announced the abandonment of the game.

Chris Ford knows very well that compared with the Bulls, the Celtics’ weakness is physical fitness. The three core players Larry Bird, McHale and Robert Parish are all old. Instead of making a last-ditch effort on the road, it is better to conserve their energy to fight the last game at home.

At the end of the game, Meng Jin walked into the player tunnel with his right hand raised. He once again became a hero of the city of Chicago. With his personal ability, he tied the total score from 0-2 to 2-2!
After these two games, the outside world’s opinion reversed.

Many media and fans believed that the Bulls would win this series. No one on the Celtics could defend Meng Jin, or even limit him. Neither Larry Bird nor Reggie Lewis were good at defense. The Celtics also used the double-team tactic, but the effect was not ideal.

Meng Jin averaged 39.2 points per game in the regular season and was the scoring leader this season. In the first four playoff games, Meng Jin’s scoring data reached an exaggerated 51 points. The Celtics also accepted the result that they could not defend Meng Jin. Before the start of the fourth game, “Red Cardinal” Auerbach came to the Celtics’ home locker room.

The Celtics players trembled when they saw “Red Auerbach”. Everyone knew that “Red Auerbach” had a bad temper. Although he had not been a head coach for many years, whenever he saw the Celtics playing badly, the Green Army legend could not help but rush to the locker room to scold the players.

But this time, “Red Cardinal” Auerbach did not yell at the top of his lungs.

Red Auerbach was very calm this time. He stood in the middle of the locker room and said in a low voice, “Advance or go home? If you lose this game, you will be nailed to the pillar of shame for the rest of your life. The Celtics have never been eliminated in the first round as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference.”

After saying this, Auerbach turned and left the locker room. Before walking out of the door, he slowly turned back and said, “You were too gentle to the Bulls in the first four games. Think about how we beat the Lakers that year.”

These words from “Red Auerbach” activated the DNA of all Celtics players.

In the battle between the yellow and green teams, the Lakers took the upper hand in several series, and then the Celtics fought back to win the series. The reason for this was that the Celtics were dirtier. When they were at a disadvantage, they were good at using various actions to irritate the Lakers and disrupt their tactical deployment.

Auerbach was right. The Celtics were indeed too gentle in these games. But we can’t blame them. They won the first two games easily. In the third and fourth games, the Celtics’ mentality was that they had the advantage and there was no need to use some extreme actions.

But they can’t afford to lose tonight’s game.

From the first minute of the game, the Celtics played extremely fiercely. Pippen was directly pulled out of the air by Reggie Lewis during an open layup.

Pippen lay on the ground for half a minute before he stood up. As soon as he stood up, he felt dizzy. The reason for the dizziness was not only the heavy fall, but also the suffocating atmosphere at the Celtics’ home court.

Pippen looked around and saw all the fans were laughing, booing and cursing.

“Scottie! Scottie! Are you okay?” Meng Jin shook Pippen and then said, “Wake up and ignore these bastards around you!”

Meng Jin felt that Pippen’s old problem had come back again, and he was frightened by the Celtics’ opening posture.

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

Pippen missed both free throws, which further confirmed Meng Jin’s feeling. Pippen felt suffocated now. He was different from most Bulls players. He had never played a hard game. This was the first time in his career that he faced this life-and-death moment.

Coach Bach noticed the change in Pippen’s mentality and did not replace him immediately. Pippen was a key part of the Bulls’ defensive tactics.

Bach encouraged Pippen as he ran toward the defensive half, but Pippen’s situation did not improve. He inexplicably missed Larry Bird during the defensive round.

Larry Bird hit a ruthless three-pointer into the Bulls’ net.

After scoring the goal, Larry Bird mercilessly walked up to Pippen and taunted him, “Hey, kid, you’re the only player in the league who dares to leave me open.”

Larry Bird’s trash talk made Pippen dizzy, and in the next offensive round, Pippen held the ball on the left three-point line.

“Scottie, pass the ball! Here!”

Meng Jin called Pippen at the top of the arc, but Pippen just didn’t pass the ball.

At this moment, Pippen felt his head buzzing and he didn’t know what he was doing.

Meng Jin and Grant played a tactical game and used Grant’s off-ball screen to cut into the middle.

Pippen still didn’t pass the ball, and when he came to his senses, there were only 10 seconds left in the offensive round.

Pippen’s heart sank and he decided to rush inside. He switched the ball to his right hand and prepared to accelerate the breakthrough.

At the moment of exerting force, Pippen suddenly staggered. It turned out that his left shoe suddenly fell off!
Pippen quickly passed the ball sideways to Grant who was in a high position, then lowered his head to pick up his shoes.

Grant didn’t notice that Pippen’s shoe fell off, and after getting the ball, he immediately passed it back to Pippen because this position was not within Grant’s shooting range.

As soon as Pippen picked up his sneakers, he saw the ball coming towards him. He was startled, but he still caught the basketball.

“Here!” Meng Jin shouted near the paint area.

Pippen quickly threw the ball over.

The next second, Meng Jin was stunned.

Because what Pippen threw over was not a ball, but his shoes.

This time Meng Jin couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t just hold a shoe and do a fadeaway jump shot, right?

Pippen reacted immediately the next second, but there were only 2 seconds left in the offensive round, so Pippen made a hasty throw one step outside the three-point line.

The basketball was extremely off-center and flew straight out of the baseline.

The booing suddenly broke out in the TD Garden, and Pippen felt his head hurt even more.

After a defensive round, Pippen raised his right hand and asked the coach to leave the court.

Coach Bach quickly called a timeout to ask about Pippen’s situation.

Pippen held his head and shook his head and said, “Coach, I can’t play anymore. My head hurts so bad.”

(End of this chapter)