No one wants to fail, because in this alliance, losers will never gain sympathy.
This is always a place where heroes are judged by success or failure.
The Bulls don't want to lose, and neither do the Pistons.
In fact, despite the fact that the Bulls are not playing well and not comfortable enough, the Pistons actually played very cautiously against the Bulls.
After all, the Bulls are no longer the Wu Xia Amon of last year. This season, with the addition of a group of newcomers such as Chen Jie, and the bold adoption of new tactics by head coach Scales, the Bulls' combat effectiveness is better than
Last year, it also improved a lot.
It can be said now that no team dares to say that it will win when facing the Bulls.
The Pistons are certainly one of them.
Since this game is a battle for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and is regarded as a preview of this year's Eastern Conference finals, the Pistons certainly take it very seriously.
Of course, they also want to win this game, build confidence for their players, and lay the groundwork for future duels.
But until now, the Pistons dare not say they will win.
They also played very poorly.
Although the main five of the Pistons are very strong, the fans at the United Center are even afraid of them playing.
But the Pistons are also afraid of Chen Jie.
Otherwise, would they send two of their team's top defensive players to take turns defending Chen Jie?
Except for Kobe Bryant in last year's Finals, no player has ever received such care from the Pistons.
Even though the fans at the United Center, as well as the Bulls' coaches and players all felt that the Pistons were strong and a little afraid of the Pistons, the Pistons obviously still couldn't open up the score.
If they could beat the Bulls really easily, they would also like to quickly open up the score and then take a shower and go home to sleep.
They are not kind people who want to give the Bulls a chance.
It can only be said that the Pistons do not yet have such strength or opportunities. They are also working hard.
The reason why the Bulls players give people a feeling of doomsday is mainly because they have been playing too smoothly recently. Even if they face strong teams, they can lead from the beginning until the game.
Finish.
And today's game is their first fierce battle in recent times.
This is also a test for them.
If they pass this hurdle, they will be a strong team; if they pass this hurdle, they will be a pseudo-strong team at best.
Coach Skiles off the field knew this, so he was very worried.
He is not afraid of failure. What he is afraid of is that after failure, these players who have been praised and touted by the media will not be able to overcome this hurdle and will have some psychological problems in the face of overwhelming criticism from the media.
But the Bulls' players on the court don't know this.
They just felt that they were playing very uncomfortable in this game. The smooth flow of the past was gone, and it was as uncomfortable as entering a quagmire.
However, they don't want to give up, they still want to win the game.
Both teams are working hard.
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Chen Jie's three-pointer and breakthrough layup helped the Bulls take the lead, but the Pistons' fast break, Prince's dunk, and then taking advantage of two Chandler mistakes quickly tied the score.
The two teams are still deadlocked.
Just like that, the first half ended with the Bulls leading the Pistons by one point 46 to 45 and entering the locker room.
Although they were the leading team, there was no excitement on the Bulls' faces when they came off the field.
They all walked back to the locker room dejectedly as if they had lost the game.
On the other side, the Pistons players also had solemn expressions.
This game is a tough battle for the Bulls, but why not for the Pistons?
How easy is it to defend your title?
It's easy to win the championship once, but it's difficult to win it twice.
The Pistons' goal this season is to defend their title. They are ready to accept all challenges.
But facing this powerful enemy that suddenly emerged in the east, they found that they really had no good way to deal with it.
He tried his best to defend Chen Jie, but his upper body still allowed him to score 23 points.
Chen Jie, who only scored 7 points in the first quarter, scored 16 points in the second quarter.
This is almost like a shame for the Pistons, who started out as defensive players.
However, they did their best to defend Chen Jie.
They have no better way.
At this moment, the Pistons also have a problem that they can't solve.
The atmosphere in the home team's locker room at the United Center was a bit dull.
Even Chris Duhon, who has always loved to be playful, was sitting quietly in his seat at the moment.
It's like, they lost the finals.
In the locker room, the atmosphere was depressing.
At this time, head coach Scales walked in.
"Boys, you did a good job in the first half. I'm very satisfied with your performance!"
As soon as he entered the door, Scales said something like this, trying to use his own encouragement to regain the confidence of these young people.
But his praise only received some casual responses from the Bulls players.
"Boys, tell me, what's going on? Did we lose the game? If I remember correctly, it's only the first half, and there's still a full 24 minutes. Why are you feeling sad here so early?
For what?"
Seeing the reaction of the Bulls players, Skiles pretended to be surprised and asked. He actually knew why, but he wanted his players to say it themselves.
"Coach, we played terribly. I feel bad!"
At this time, Chandler was the first to speak, complaining about his state.
As soon as he opened his mouth, the other Bulls players seemed to have found a chat box and started talking one by one.
"Yes, that Chauncey is a pervert. He doesn't look fat, but he is so powerful. I feel like my chest is still hurting. If he keeps hitting me, I will be beaten to death by him!"
"Rashid is difficult to defend, really, believe me. I can keep up with his steps, but he also has back-up skills, and his fake moves are very confusing!"
"That guy Richard can run, but I feel like I can't keep up with him at all. He should sign up for track and field events!"
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Watching the Bulls players complaining about their experience in the first half, Skiles said nothing and looked at Chen Jie.
Seeing that the coach noticed him, Chen Jie, who had been silent, finally spoke.
"The Pistons are really strong!"
Chen Jie's words made the Bulls players nod their heads.
They feel this now too.
"When I play with them, I feel like I'm stuck in a swamp. I can't move my feet and I don't feel comfortable anywhere. Coach, are we really not their opponents?"
Chen Jie looked at Scales and asked this question.
After all, he is still a young man. No matter how mature he is, he cannot be as stable as an old man.
Youth and passion are actually Chen Jie’s current character.
Hearing his team's top player, Chen Jie, who used to be fearless no matter what he faced, say this, Skiles realized the seriousness of the problem.
Maybe what I said before the game was a little too much?
In fact, the reason why I introduced the Pistons at that time and said that the Pistons were very strong was because I was afraid that these young people would be proud and underestimate the enemy.
Some people may say that the Pistons were the championship last year. Facing them, what qualifications does the Bulls have to underestimate their opponent?
This sentence is wrong. Don't forget, the Bulls have just completed a four-game winning streak on the road. They even double-killed the Spurs, the greatest team in the league since the 21st century, twice.
For a team that has achieved such good results, especially when the team is still full of young people, it is normal to feel proud and underestimating the enemy.
Let alone the championship, even if it is a historical figure, they may not take it seriously.
When Chen Jie was being interviewed, he dared to say such things. Of course, he did have such a plan, but wasn't it because the Bulls' record gave him confidence?
If he were on a team at the bottom of the league, would he dare to say such a thing? (To be continued...)
ps: Compensation update for Chapter 14, there are four more chapters.
