Capítulo 1294: Chapter 523.4: Game 7 Victory

However, this time, it was no longer the Chicago Bulls who created the opportunity to widen the gap… At 10:11 in the final quarter, Jordan drove into the lane, a one-on-three move with a floater that missed, failing to tie the score again!

Pippen rushed in vain, while Oakley secured the defensive rebound.

Transitioning from defense to offense, Mark Jackson was outside the three-point line when he passed the ball to Zhang Yang, who was calling for it.

The current score is 131 to 129, with the Knicks Team leading by two points.

This time, Zhang Yang did not use teamwork to create an opportunity. His teammates were already worn out, just like earlier when Jordan and Horace Grant were free, but still forced their way into the lane under the defense. It’s now the time for a real showdown!

After receiving the ball, Zhang Yang wasted no time and launched an attack directly!

Pippen immediately left McDaniel open and came to block Zhang Yang, while Jordan was ready to turn and assist.

But Zhang Yang used rhythm to pull sideways and attacked further, suddenly snapping the ball back to the three-point line. Jordan and Pippen, who were on the free-throw line, immediately jumped up… Zhang Yang had already successfully raised the ball and used a fade to avoid their defense!

The ball soared over the Joppi duo, flying towards the basket…

It’s in again!

A three-point shot, 7 out of 13, tying Chuck Person’s record for three-pointers in a playoff game!

With this three-pointer, Zhang Yang’s score in the final quarter reached 25 points, increasing his total score to 59 points!

Moreover, the score came to 134 to 129, with the Knicks Team regaining a five-point lead after two quarters!

At the critical moment, Jordan remained strong. With the Bulls’ turn to attack, facing Zhang Yang’s step-back defense, he chose to shoot directly, a three-point launch… and it’s in!

55 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists!

But in response, Mark Jackson held the ball at the top left of the arc, swung it to the 45-degree angle on the right, and Zhang Yang came out from the middle of the three-second area, turning quickly, caught the ball at the 45-degree angle, and, while gliding in the air, confronted the pursuing Jordan with another successful three-pointer!

In this moment, Elgin Baylor’s record for single-game scoring in the playoffs was broken!

Chuck Person’s record for single-game three-pointers was also broken!

With 22 out of 35 shots, including 8 out of 14 three-pointers, and 10 out of 11 free throws, Zhang Yang’s score for tonight increased to 62 points!

137 to 132, the Knicks Team once again leads by 5 points, leaving only 58 seconds for the Bulls!

Zhang Yang’s consecutive three-pointers sent Madison Square Garden into a frenzy!

This sudden widening of the score was unexpected—after maintaining a tight game for over 10 minutes, the fans’ hearts were already in their throats, and several fans even fainted from nerves, carried out by security personnel for medical assistance, but who would have thought that within just over 40 seconds, their Saint Jack widened the gap!

Even more shocking was the players on the court.

If Jordan hadn’t unexpectedly hit a three-pointer, turning a 3 out of 0 to a 4 out of 1, the game would have already ended!

Zen Master didn’t call a timeout; timeouts are for creating better shooting conditions, but now the only player who is sure to score is Jordan. Pippen’s performance tonight with 24 points and 5 assists has been outstanding, yet it’s solely due to Jordan’s significantly stronger impact than previous games.

Unable to use tactics to create better scoring opportunities, letting the players act directly is preferable, just like in the last round, where Jordan used a three-pointer to pull back the scores that were about to collapse.

Jordan received the ball from Pippen on the frontline, and as predicted by Zen Master, decisively turned and jumped to shoot a three-pointer… But Zhang Yang jumped faster!

58 seconds versus just over a minute is quite different, and after Jordan hit the three-pointer, Zhang Yang was sure this guy would shoot again! This time, he didn’t fall back as far in defense, and he charged directly as Jordan turned with the ball!

Timing was perfect; as Jordan jumped, lifting the ball, he suddenly realized his hand was about to be covered by Zhang Yang’s large hand. With the same barefoot height, Zhang Yang’s 4-centimeter wingspan advantage played a key role at this moment!

Jordan, relying on his strong core power, forcibly leaned back to avoid Zhang Yang’s block and successfully got the shot off… But the added force was too much!

The ball hit the neck of the basket with a “bang” and bounced back towards the top arc. Jordan, forced back by the lean, took a step to steady himself, quickly jumped towards the rebounding ball, but Zhang Yang turned and pressed up first, snatched the ball before John-Parkinson, and turned to initiate a counterattack!

Jordan chased desperately, still over 40 seconds, and he couldn’t give up. Though exhausted, having played every second tonight, at this moment his adrenaline surged, allowing him to run inside the three-point line faster than Zhang Yang, ready for a pincer move with Pippen, who caught up.

Stop it, and there’s still a chance!

However, Zhang Yang slowed down after passing mid-circle, grabbed the ball while a step from the three-point line, and stepped over, stopping half a step beyond the top arc.

Jordan stopping at the free-throw line realized the Boss’s intent, while Pippen crossing mid-circle to catch up, was puzzled by the scene—no, it can’t be?

The fans cheering for Zhang Yang’s counterattack suddenly paused—stopped here?

Big Bird stood at the sideline, startled—Zhang San, what are you doing? Why are you jumping? What the… father! Father, love me!

Zhang Yang confronted the flying Jordan, and a trailing three-pointer went in!

The gap reached 8 points!

Not the aged KFC head nor Zen Master as the mystic guru at the sideline could merely widen their eyes and gawk.

How could he dare? And such a shot went in!

15 out of 9 three-pointers, Zhang Yang again refreshed the single-game playoff three-point record! With 36 out of 23 shots, Zhang Yang’s single-game score rose to 65 points, continuing to break the single-game playoff scoring record!

Stunned momentarily, Zen Master’s legs went soft, sitting down onto the floor… It’s over!

The situation that Big Bird desperately avoided by the end of the third quarter now happened to the Bulls.

Zen Master’s completely humiliating scene stirred even more panic in the already impatient Bulls players, as Pippen rushed with the inbound to the frontline.

Jordan was circled out by Zhang Yang’s tussling defense and couldn’t receive the ball outside the three-point line nor cut inside, having only the option of throwing a three-pointer now.

As time ticked away, Pippen directly faced McDaniel’s defense for a three-point shot… It’s short!

With 41 seconds, if they make one quick move and foul the right player, the Bulls haven’t called many timeouts tonight, so there’s still a faint hope for a comeback, but now, not even that faint hope remains.

Ewing grabbed the defensive rebound; the Bulls’ inside players didn’t even have the energy to make a foul move, while Jordan clapped his hands yelling “foul,” but his teammates were confused, unable to react, leaving him to rush in and grab the worst free throw-shooter Charles Oakley… But this foul only demonstrated Jordan’s unwillingness to lose, serving no other purpose.

Oakley missed both free throws; with over 20 seconds left, Jordan took the inbound, rushed to the front, mimicking Zhang Yang’s trailing three-pointer but missed too, and Zhang Yang recovered for a defensive rebound, where even Jordan didn’t go for a foul.

At 10:22 PM, the final buzzer sounded.

Zhang Yang scored 65 points, outshining Jordan’s 55 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists to lead the Knicks Team over the Bulls 140 to 132, winning the deciding game seven, advancing to the finals!