NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 212 1 on 1 Duel

But then, Jia Fei delivered a one-handed pass, assisting Korver to score a sniper shot!

Answerball!

The Hawks fans in the stands were screaming non-stop; such a series of responses was really inspiring and fully demonstrated the strength of the home team.

You have it, I have it too; you go in, I go in too.

After that, both teams' shooting percentages began to drop, and the game entered a stalemate.

Since winning the last game by double-teaming Jia Fei, the Bulls have stuck to this strategy in this game. Whenever there is a pick-and-roll delay, they will resolutely double-team to give Teague and Antić three-pointers.

By utilizing rotations, try to avoid giving you wide open spaces, instead making you handle these semi-open spaces, testing your role player's ball handling ability and ability to seize opportunities.

Judging from the course and result of the last game, the impact of Horford's absence is still evident. Without his second-chance points on offense, and without his scoring ability, the Hawks' offense appears monotonous and has a lower margin for error. Defensively, it goes without saying that Horford's all-around skills are exactly what this Hawks team desperately needs; no other center on the team can replace his defensive role.

Of course, there are no "what ifs" in this world. If Rose were still alive, it would probably be a different story.

With the Hawks' offense stalling, Jia Fei began to take one-on-one shots.

He pulled away and faced Jimmy in a one-on-one duel.

With this kind of spacing, it's not easy for the Bulls to double-team. If they do, Jia Fei will have a wide-open shot as soon as he passes the ball, and it's hard to keep up with the rotation, since the ball moves much faster than a person can run.

Jimmy is tough and fast, and at 201cm tall, he maintains a low center of gravity. He's also incredibly strong and has great stamina, making him an elite defender. One-on-one against him is naturally much more difficult than one-on-one against Dunleavy Jr.

But Jia Fei couldn't do anything about it. After the pick-and-roll, the opposing team would double-team him and pass the ball out, but the Hawks' offensive efficiency was still too low. And his current passing level wasn't up to the level of A Tan; he couldn't be precise and control the entire game.

The score was now 6-8, with the Hawks leading by 2 points.

Barkley chuckled and said, "Jia Fei finally remembered that he should fight Jimmy one-on-one. I told you long ago, if he can't win in a one-on-one against Jimmy, he won't earn a shred of my respect!"

Kenny Smith said, "Basketball is not just one-on-one!"

“I know!” Barkley emphasized, “But MJ wouldn’t run away, Kobe wouldn’t either, and even LeBron, who loves pick-and-rolls the most, will take down his opponent one-on-one in crucial moments. Simply avoiding him is pointless. Jia Fei does have some ability; for example, his passing is good, and his defense is decent. Now I want to see if he really has one-on-one ability. If he can only play against defenders of Mike Dunleavy’s caliber, then I can’t accept his one-on-one ability.”

Jia Fei dribbles the ball with a triple threat, then takes a probing step followed by two crossover dribbles, before crossing over to his right hand!

It's obvious that Jimmy isn't a mini-Dunley, and it's also clear that this guy has studied Jia Fei's offense and was prepared for his left-handed crossover. Jia Fei couldn't shake him off!

But Jia Fei also has a backup plan. You can never defeat a top-level defensive player with just one move, so you need to have a backup plan and a combo!

Jia Fei executed a behind-the-back dribble with his right hand to his left side, a move he copied from Jamal Crawford. Crawford's favorite move was the crossover followed by the behind-the-back dribble, which allowed him to create space to either drive or pull up for a jump shot, giving him two options that made defenders hesitate.

Jimmy was still slower than Jia Fei. By the time he pounced again, Jia Fei had already accelerated and broken through half a body length.

Noah was ready to help defend at any time. Jia Fei, near the free-throw line, suddenly stopped, gathered the ball, and jumped high to shoot.

Jimmy jumped with all his might to block, but there was a difference in body position, plus a clear difference in their jumping ability and wingspan.

The ball went in perfectly!

6:10, the score difference has reached 4 points!

The two are about the same height, both officially listed at 201cm, and Jimmy didn't exaggerate. However, their wingspans are vastly different: one is 220cm, and the other is around 2 meters.

Jimmy Butler was a late first-round pick, partly due to his physical limitations. His wingspan is comparable to Griffin's, and the importance of wingspan for a wing defender is self-evident. The fact that he became an elite defender despite not having a wingspan advantage shows how hard he worked.

When Jia Fei scored against Jimmy in a one-on-one situation, cheers erupted from the crowd. Even Wilkins, the "Human Highlight Film" who came to watch the game that night, smiled and applauded.

Kenny Smith reminded Barkley, "Jia Fei scored in a one-on-one situation, what do you think?"

Barkley didn't seem very satisfied: "It's just a coincidence, I don't think much of it!"

"You're just really stubborn!" Kenny Smith teased with a laugh.

Bulls are on offense, and Dunleavy Jr.'s three-point attempt misses!

Long rebound, Jia Fei gets it!

Jia Fei dribbled the ball and quickly advanced, overtaking everyone, and finally glided down the dunk to score!

6:12, the score difference is now 6 points! The Bulls call a timeout!

The Philips Arena erupted... Jia Fei's plays were phenomenal, a successful one-on-one jump shot followed by a fast break after grabbing a rebound, showcasing his speed and athleticism. He was the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest champion back in the day, have you all forgotten?

Thibodeau held the clipboard, a hint of helplessness on his face. If even Jimmy couldn't contain Jia Fei one-on-one, then obviously, double-teaming him was an option. But that was far too risky. The Hawks' players weren't incapable of shooting; they weren't all just Korver! Even center Antić and power forward Millsson were capable of three-pointers.

After the timeout, the Bulls made a personnel change. They replaced power forward Boozer with the faster and stronger Gibson.

The game continues.

For the Bulls, Noah missed a shot under the basket, Gibson grabbed the offensive rebound, scored on the second-chance opportunity, and also drew a foul from Antic.

The Bulls are starting to get back to basics and focus on attacking the paint.

Gibson missed the free throw, and Mills grabbed the rebound.

Jia Fei was double-teamed early this time, and when he passed the ball to Antić, Antić missed a three-pointer!

Gibson grabbed the rebound, and the Bulls continued to attack the basket, with Noah scoring with a hook shot!

10:12, the score difference has been narrowed to just 2 points.

This time it was the Hawks' turn to call a timeout.

After the Hawks' timeout, Antić came out and Art Mayork came in!

Art Mayork's entrance was met with thunderous applause... Hawks fans absolutely adore this tough, passionate big man.

It's clear that the Hawks made personnel changes for this game, with Art Mayork entering the rotation!