NBA总决赛第6场,每一个在三角洲现场的人--犹他爵士队的教练和球员们--都知道最后一球会被他的手投出。芝加哥公牛队也一样,这是不需要思考就可以做出判断的事。不需要暂停布置战术,不需要掩护战术。显而易见:交给“23”。每当公牛队需要最后时刻的勇士迈克尔乔丹是没疑问的选择,这在篮球领域上压根不算秘密--每次都没什么不同。
在这个充满压力的时刻,乔丹依然是不可阻挡的,爵士无法摆脱乔丹带给他们的伤痛。
最后一分钟芝加哥仍落后三分,乔丹用一记跑投率先拿分。随后他在防守端从卡尔马龙手中断球。最终他在离比赛结束还有5.2秒时距框20英尺处跳投得手,球队87-86获胜进而在8年内6夺冠军。
乔丹战胜了疲劳并在最后一场以完美的45分让自己第6次加冕总决赛MVP,又一次证明了他是NBA当之无愧的最佳球员。
“让我们去面对,”公牛队后卫史蒂夫科尔赛后说。“我们都希望迈克尔能够回来。他带领我们前进。今晚是他的比赛,他的表现太神奇了,他优秀的令对手恐惧。”
乔丹该场比赛35投15中,罚球15投12中。在最后一节乔丹拿到了16分,包括比赛最后2分06秒内公牛队得到的全部8分,在皮蓬背伤严重的情况下乔丹独力扛起了进攻大旗--或者说是孤军奋战。
乔丹把马龙手中的球断下也给球队带来了反扑的机会。
“我们尝试着包夹马龙,”乔丹说。“ 我猜杰夫霍纳塞克会把球传给卡尔马龙的,他身陷我们的包围,这样给了我一个反败为胜的机会。卡尔没有发现我逼近了他,我很清楚我能抢走那个球。”
之后的时刻,乔丹用一个朴实无华的空心球终结了爵士队的努力。比赛只剩下不到10秒钟,爵士摇摆人巴伦拉塞尔来看守乔丹,紧逼一对一的防守。但是胜负瞬间揭晓,拉塞尔完全被骗了并滑倒在地板上,乔丹空位投篮得手并再一次成为了球场上的英雄。
“当拉塞尔逼近的一瞬间,我清晰地看到了我要行进的路。我开始了快速的突破,他紧盯住我,然后我急停,后撤步再用一个简单的跳投结束了一切,”乔丹说。“ 我有一个伟大的观察,然后我把它实现了。唯一的问题在于我给对手留的时间还是太长了,(乔丹5.8秒时的投篮)这是个可以决定胜负的投篮,但这需要我们坚强的防守。我们的防守在整个系列赛中都非常好,我们如果没有优秀的防守不会走到这个境界。我们每个人都在最后的5.8秒为防守竭尽全力,我知道我们能做到。”
爵士教练斯隆对此发表了自己的看法:“你不能给他们第二次机会,尤其是乔丹站在那里。他完成了这次进攻,他做到了而事实你也亲眼看到了。”
原文
With Game 6 of the NBA Finals on the line, everyone in the Delta Center -- Utah Jazz coaches and players included -- knew the ball would end up in his hands. For the Chicago Bulls, too, it was another no-brainer. There was no play to call, no screens to set. It was simple: Get it to '23'. That Michael Jordan is the go-to guy in the last seconds of any close Bulls game is the worst secret in basketball -- and still it makes no difference.
Further, the Jazz learned in heartbreaking fashion that the more there is at stake, the more pressure-packed the moment, the more unstoppable Jordan becomes.
With Chicago trailing by three points in the final minute, Jordan first scored on a drive. Then he stripped the ball from Karl Malone at the defensive end. Finally, he buried the game-winning shot, a 20-footer with 5.2 seconds left, that gave the Bulls an 87-86 victory and their sixth championship in eight years.
Jordan had overcome fatigue and finished with 45 points as he won his sixth Finals Most Valuable Player award, while reaffirming his status as the NBA's best player.
"Let's face it," said Bulls guard Steve Kerr. "We all hopped on Michael's back. He just carried us. It was his