The Bulls' Eastern Conference Finals journey was not as smooth as they thought.

After they took a big score of 2-0, they were soon counterattacked by the Celtics.

As Sun Hao said, this Celtics team is very mature and is as resilient as in previous seasons.

They returned to their home court and scored two consecutive games, tied the big score 2-2.

Both sides entered the G5 Tianwang Mountain.

The key Tianwang Mountain, the person who stood up... is still Paul!

He scored a divine data in the Battle of Tianwang Mountain, scoring a large double-double of 30 points and 16 assists, helping the Bulls win thrillingly.

But the price is that he injured his knee.

Although it is not as serious as it was in the same period in history, it is not light.

It is generally believed that Paul would miss the G6, and then wait until the G7 to return and fight the Celtics in a tiebreak.

After all, the G6 is playing in Boston, and this is a better choice whether it is from an injury or strategic perspective.

But what everyone unexpected was that Paul chose to play in G6!

His knees were wrapped in thick knee pads, which looked incredible.

Not to mention anything else, just the thickness of the knee pad is a visible burden for Paul, who mainly focuses on breakthroughs.

This is true. In this game, what fans saw was not the familiar Paul flying in the sky and earth flowing, but Paul who devoted more energy to the organization.

And it can be fully felt during the game that Paul's injury-wearing battle has a great increase in morale to the Bulls.

That's exactly like adding a buff in the game, with 120% per person playing per person.

Among these people, Yi Jianlian had no intention of being the one who performed the best.

He made 12 of 21 shots, scoring a luxurious data of 31 points and 10 rebounds, and gave Garnett a small blow to his template on the opposite side.

Correspondingly, Paul scored 12 points and 20 assists in the entire game.

It turns out that a good traditional point guard's bonus on players in the team is huge.

Paul, who is focused on organizing, has a historical level in this area.

And not only the team's dual core, but also the performance of role players is remarkable.

In the end, the Bulls also defeated the Celtics 103-96 away and advanced to the finals with a 4-2 score.

After this game, Paul limped to the bench after the game, stroking his knees, and burst into tears.

Because of the existence of teams such as Wizards, Celtics, Magic, etc., the Bulls have strength, but they have never been favored.

But this year, they also stood out among the Eastern Conference teams without being favored!

It turns out that it is worth it to play G6 despite everyone's opposition.

Because although the tiebreak is at the Bulls' home court, the Bulls who lost G6 have a completely different morale from the Bulls' current Bulls.

Moreover, the characteristics of the Celtics are that they are resilient and lasting. If they really hit the tiebreak, the Celtics' psychological advantages will be greater than those of the Bulls.

Just as he was crying, Yi Jianlian came over and patted his shoulder, and then used his body to block the camera's camera.

This is protecting him from unnecessary negative effects.

Although Paul is the leading star of the Bulls in terms of team status, if Yi Jianlian is in his seventh season with the Bulls.

After packing up his emotions, Paul was pulled up from the bench by Yi Jianlian, and then waved to the audience with red eyes.

At this moment, the United Center has heard the "MVP" shouts for the first time since Jordan retired.

Especially when the camera gives Paul the "3" behind him, this scene makes people feel familiar.

Nine years ago, another No. 3, did this.

At this moment, the two figures overlap.

And what's interesting is that both No. 3s have led the team in the fifth year of their career to do this.

History is surprisingly similar, and it has its own will.

Paul and Yi Jianlian attended the post-match press conference together.

"Chris, is your idol an AI?"

At the beginning of the press conference, a reporter raised such a question.

Because it is too similar, it is difficult to not make people associate.

"Yes, I grew up watching AI play basketball. I chose this number (number 3). My desire for victory has been influenced by AI."

Paul's answer made the reporters explode.

The feeling of the proof of the speculation makes people feel uncontrollably excited.

And this is so story-like, it’s really just following the footsteps of idols and doing what the idols have done.

Some reporters even unconsciously felt the idea of ​​"How great would it be if the Bulls could win the championship this year" after hearing Paul's answer.

Because if that is the case, it would be like the perfect ending in an American hero movie, which makes people feel so comfortable.

After winning the championship, another documentary will be made, and what Paul has done this season will be comparable to Kobe last season and James last season.

James's season, Kobe's season, Paul's season, have perfect scripts every year, and there is continuity.

This is really…perfect.

Moreover, compared to the winning and losing balance decided by injuries in the Western Conference Finals, the Bulls' advancement this year is more story-breaking.

After confirming the match against both sides, even with Sun Hao, the US side's support for the Bulls will be higher than that of the Warriors.

The most direct evidence is that in an ESPN survey called "Who do you hope to win this year's NBA championship", the Bulls' approval rating reached 52%, surpassing the Warriors' 44%.

"We were treated as villains."

Looking at the overwhelming media reports, after the preparation training that day, Durant flipped through social media and said to Sun Hao.

"If I were a fan, I also hope the Bulls will win the championship."

Sun Hao said with a smile.

His expression looked relaxed.

Durant looked puzzled. This kind of being regarded as a villain is actually a pressure from the outside world.

This kind of pressure is not a good thing for players.

He, a social media VIP user, couldn't stand the overwhelming coverage.

"Enjoy this feeling, one day you will love it."

Seeing Durant's reaction, Sun Hao stood up and reached out to touch Durant's head, and then went back to the locker room first.

He had already experienced this feeling when he was with the Lakers, especially in the last year of the dynasty. The whole world hoped to defeat them and become the terminator of the dynasty.

He was also as psychologically stressed as Durant at the beginning, but after experiencing more, he was enjoying it as he said.

Because in some ways, being regarded as a villain is not a kind of recognition of strength?

The finals will not start three days later, and the two teams have enough time to prepare.

It was at this time that the league announced the last batch of awards for the regular season: Best Defensive and Best Team.

Best defensive team: Paul, Kobe, Gerald Wallace, James, Howard;

The second team in the best defensive: Rondo, Wade, Josh Smith, Tyson Chandler, Greg Oden.

Oden, selected for the second team of the best defensive team!

He was second only to Howard in the previous selection of Best Defensive Player, which is a bit regrettable.

But being selected for the second team is the best affirmation for him.

Moreover, this thing was evaluated, and a very critical factor is the visual senses.

The Warriors' overall defense is average, and the highlighted Auden's defensive sense gives people a strong feeling.

So this result is not that surprising.

Best team: Sun Hao, Kobe, Durant, James, Yao Ming;

Best second team: Paul, Wade, Nowitzki, Stoudemire, Howard;

Best three needles: Nash, Arenas, Anthony, Duncan, Paul Gasol;

Two years later, Sun Hao and Kobe began to be selected for the same time.

And it is worth mentioning that Durant was selected as the Best Team for the first time in his career.

Facts have proved that Sun Hao's joining not only did not reduce Durant's data much, but instead made him even worse and into the ranks of super giants.

In the first year, he was allowed to enter the third formation, and in the second year, he jumped directly from the third formation to the first formation!

Three core players, two selected for one team and one selected for the defensive team, should have been a good thing for the Warriors.

But because the previous incident was ahead, this actually confirmed their identity as a "big villain".
To be continued...