met free Chapter 145 The Early Start of the Battle for Lin Tian! Jordan VS Crowne
Chapter 145 The Early Start of the Battle for Lin Tian! Jordan VS Crowne
Chapter 145 The Battle for Lin Tian Begins Ahead of Schedule! Jordan vs. Krause!
Back in Chicago, the days were monotonous and repetitive. The Bulls and Jackson began preparing for the playoffs, giving those who needed rest a break and letting those who had played less play more time to see if they could find their form and contribute in the later games. Finally, they would make minor adjustments to the playoff rotation based on this.
It was precisely because of Jackson's usual unpredictable moves and disruptive rotations that Chicago had both wins and losses during this period, but they still firmly held the top spot in the league, with any team still more than 5 games behind them!
Therefore, the entire Bulls team had a very relaxed attitude towards the regular season.
With the All-Star break over, another important milestone in the NBA regular season has arrived.
Trading deadline!
The trade deadline varies each year, but it usually falls about two weeks after the All-Star Game, which is between February 5th and February 20th each year!
The so-called trade deadline is the last time each team can make major adjustments each season. After this date, no team can make any trades until the end of the Finals!
Of course, signing free agents and buying out players within a team are not within this stipulated time frame, but this can only be considered a minor adjustment.
The real reinforcements and deals will have to wait until that day!
In NBA history, there have been many crazy deadline day arms races, the most famous of which is undoubtedly the 2008 season deadline day. In that season, starting with the Lakers acquiring Gasol, several huge trades that were enough to shake up the league were triggered!
For example, Phoenix acquired Shaquille O'Neal, the Cavaliers acquired Ben Wallace, the Mavericks brought back Jason Kidd, and the Spurs traded for Richard Jefferson...
All of these major transactions were completed before the deadline that year!
On this day, some teams want to strengthen their roster in order to advance further in the playoffs, while others want to "weaken" their roster by trading away positive assets to lose more games and thus achieve a better draft ranking.
At the same time, this day is also the most anticipated day for reporters and fans. Countless people are glued to their TVs and newspapers, waiting for the latest news and the completion of the deal, and then they will study who made the profit and who was the sucker!
For fans and media, the trade deadline is definitely a day of celebration!
But for the players, this day may not be so wonderful. Apart from a few team's absolute core players and cornerstones of rebuilding who don't have to worry about being traded, most of the other players will be trembling with fear before the trade deadline. They don't know if they will be traded, or where they will be traded to.
Players with certain skills who can play and earn a salary no matter where they go are fine. At most, they just need to change their location to develop. Although finding a new house, moving, and adapting to a new environment is also a troublesome thing, at least they don't have to worry about making a living.
As for those players with mediocre skills who have just found opportunities on the team or are even benchwarmers, they really don't know what tomorrow will bring. They can only pray that they won't be traded or that they can be traded to a decent place.
The Dallas Mavericks were the first to make a move this year!
Their core trio, known as the "3J" trio of Jimmy Jackson, Jason Kidd, and Jamal Mashburn, were once highly regarded by Dallas fans, who believed that the combination of these three could help the team out of its predicament and usher in glory.
As early as the 95-96 season, Mashburn and Jackson had a falling out, accusing each other of playing too selfishly. Fortunately, head coach Motta intervened and persuaded them to put their differences aside for the time being.
But it was only a temporary setback. What no one in Dallas could have imagined was that this season, not only did the conflict between Mashburn and Jackson escalate again, but even the team's most promising point guard, Kidd, got involved in the infighting!
The incident began with a sexy singer named Donnie Braxton, but it's impossible to know exactly which of the three Js she got together with first.
However, what is known is that during Dallas' away game in Atlanta this season, Kidd and Braxton arranged to meet, but the person who got into Braxton's limousine at the hotel entrance inexplicably became Jackson.
Then, after learning about this, the first one to get angry wasn't Kidd, but Mashburn, who had long harbored a crush on Braxton...
In short, the love quadrangle involving three people and one woman completely ruined this originally promising and exceptionally talented team!
So, on December 26, 1996, the day after Christmas, Kidd was sent to the Suns in a big trade involving six people.
Then, on February 14, after the All-Star Game, which was Valentine's Day, Mashburn was traded from the Mavericks to the Heat.
Just three days later, the last remaining J, Jimmy Jackson, was sent to the Nets in a mega-trade involving nine players. The era of the Dallas 3J combination came to an end, and Dallas once again entered a rebuilding phase!
Of course, their rebuilding proved to be absolutely correct in the end. The Dallas team only waited two years before they got the pillar and iconic figure who made the team glorious for 20 years.
Then there's the Indiana Pacers, who have had a terrible season. Through a trade, they brought back their starting point guard from last season, Mark Jackson, in hopes of salvaging their poor record this season.
It's also worth mentioning that Mark Jackson's $300 million annual salary contract actually only has six months left; it's an expiring contract!
Coupled with the recent rumors surrounding the Pacers and Larry Bird, everyone believes that the Pacers' real purpose in making the trade is definitely to free up more cap space during the offseason!
With the trade deadline fast approaching and rumors swirling around, several trade rumors involving the Bulls suddenly surfaced during what is typically a time of great anxiety for everyone.
The key figure in the deal is Lin Tian!
Some say the Timberwolves offered Stephon Marbury and a future first-round draft pick to Lin Tian.
Some say the Milwaukee Bucks are also interested in trading Glenn Robinson, Ray Allen, or Vin Baker, plus several future draft picks, for the Chicago Bulls' Lin Tian.
Even the Miami Heat, currently second in the Eastern Conference and having just acquired Mashburn from the Mavericks, have joined the race to sign Lin Tian. They have offered to trade their All-Star guard Tim Hardaway for Lin Tian!
It can be said that before this trade deadline, Lin Tian suddenly became the most sought-after guy in the entire league!
The battle for Lin Tian arrived six months earlier than expected!
It's not the offseason, it's the trade deadline!
In fact, this is the most correct logic. Given that it is almost impossible for the Bulls to keep Lin Tian this summer, trading Lin Tian in advance to cut their losses is the most correct choice!
However, too many people were caught up in the mindset that the Bulls would do everything they could to defend their title and didn't get out of it. They all thought that the Bulls would keep Lin Tian until the end of the season in order to win their second consecutive championship.
Players, fans, and media might be slow to react due to habitual thinking, but the league's general managers, those cunning old foxes whose minds spin faster than a top, won't fall into that trap. They will definitely try to make an offer!
The only problem is when to quote a price and what price to quote!
They need the right opportunity!
Many trade rumors were actually spread by the general managers of various teams themselves. Their goal was to muddy the waters, create a rift between Lin Tian and the Bulls, and ideally, for Lin Tian to request a trade, indicating that he no longer wanted to play for the Bulls.
In that case, these teams would really have a chance to sign Lin Tian midway through the season!
Even if they ultimately fail to acquire Lin Tian, causing problems and rifts within the Bulls and affecting their fighting power, it would still be a beneficial thing for all teams!
Bulls, who wouldn't want to see them make a fool of themselves?
It's fair to say that if this Lin Tian trade goes wrong, the Bulls could end up losing everything, turning from a dynasty team into a laughingstock in the league.
Therefore, when rumors of Lin Tian's trade began to circulate, and when Krause did not hang up on all the calls inquiring about Lin Tian, but actually started to contact some teams, everyone who wanted to acquire Lin Tian understood.
Their chance has come!
In this battle for Lin Tian that involved almost half of the league's teams, the two most sincere offers came from Boston and Los Angeles!
The Celtics were willing to offer their newly acquired prodigy forward Antoine Walker, along with their two first-round draft picks from 1997.
However, the Celtics added a number one pick protection to this draft pick.
It's worth noting that the Celtics had two first-round draft picks in 1997, one of their own and one from the rebuilding Dallas Mavericks.
And what are the records of these two teams now? One is last in the league, and the other is fifth from the bottom!
In other words, these two draft picks essentially lock in two top-five picks for next year! Although there is protection from the number one pick, and although the 1997 draft class is not highly regarded by the public and is considered a weak draft year, even in a weak draft year, these are still two top-five draft picks!
Not to mention, the Celtics also added Antoine Walker, last year's 6th overall pick, a top rookie who can contribute 17 points and 9 rebounds per game in the trade!
The Celtics' offer has shocked many industry insiders! Because it's ridiculously high!
At this price, it's likely that only players of Jordan's and the four great centers' caliber could be traded for him. Any other top-ten player in the league, whether it's Hardaway or Grant Hill, would definitely be worth negotiating with!
Lin Tian is indeed very outstanding, but in the end, he only led the team on his own for less than a month. Although his data and the team's record during that month were perfect, it was still only one month, and the sample size was not large enough.
Many people believe that since the Celtics are going all in, why not go all in on a star like Grant Hill, who is already famous, proven, and has years of experience leading a team on his own?
This also shows that the Celtics' sincerity is absolutely top-notch! But this is the boldness and courage of the Celtics' soul, "Cardinal" Auerbach! It's also his consistent style of negotiating trades!
If you have the chance, go all in!
Rather than waiting until the offseason to compete with other teams on price, city livability, and team attractiveness, Auerbach clearly believes in acting first and prefers to get Lin Tian in advance, then spend six months cultivating a relationship and understanding with him.
As for whether Lin Tian will simply run away in the summer?
Auerbach stated: "With my personal charisma and league standing, and if I pay the right amount, no one will be willing to leave me!" This is the confidence of the league's top general manager and administrator!
As if by fate, in the NBA, wherever there is green, there is always yellow!
The Los Angeles Lakers, a top powerhouse in the league that had battled the Celtics since the 60s and continued into the 80s, also made a move at this time, and Jerry West's offer was even more direct.
"Apart from Shaq and Kobe, everyone else is free! Future draft picks are free!"
This offer is no less than the Celtics' offer. Keep in mind that the Lakers currently have Eddie Jones, who was just selected as an All-Star, Nick Van Exel, a guard with near-All-Star caliber, and Elden Campbell, a practical power forward who averages 15+8 per game.
The Lakers' attitude is: if they like someone, they'll take them!
West also demonstrated the decisiveness and aggression expected of a top general manager in the league: either don't make a move, or if you do, you have to make it!
In particular, when West learned that his current number one rivals were the Celtics and Auerbach, who had caused him endless pain, West even considered bringing Kobe, a young man he had high hopes for, into the negotiations!
He doesn't care who he loses to, but West would rather die than lose to the Celtics or Auerbach even once more!
West played in the NBA Finals for 14 years, losing 8 out of 9 of them. Of those 8 losses, 5 were against the Celtics, and 4 of them were Game 7 losses!
The painful memories West had of the Celtics and Auerbach were far greater than those of his high school math teacher!
Therefore, West will absolutely risk everything and use every means to target Auerbach and the Celtics!
Just three days before the trading deadline, Las Vegas updated the odds for "Where is Lin Tian going?"
In these latest odds, staying with the Bulls has dropped to third!
The Los Angeles Lakers are ranked first. Although they don't have as many lottery draft picks, their biggest advantage is that they are in the Western Conference! In these top-tier star trades, there is an unwritten rule in the league: unless there are no other options, try not to trade stars to teams in the same division, so as not to have to do it four times in one season, which would be too embarrassing.
Second on the list is the Boston Celtics. Their offer was very aggressive, and even some Chicago fans were tempted. Someone said: "If I were Krause, I would personally tie up Lin Tian and put him on a plane to Boston!"
After all, those were three genuine top-five rookies!
As for the Bulls, the reason they are still ranked third is mainly because they don't really want to win their second consecutive championship!
After all, no matter how good the players they acquire are, or how enviable the rookies' talents are, it's difficult for them to seamlessly integrate into the team. The Bulls will inevitably have to make a large-scale tactical adjustment and readjustment. With less than two months left in the regular season, the Bulls' time is obviously too tight.
Even if they don't lose money after the trade, they may still lose the championship this season.
Therefore, the choice Klaus is now facing is not actually about where to send Lin Tian.
His real dilemma is: this season or the future!
He has to keep Lin Tian this season and help the team make a full-fledged push for the championship!
To secure the future, he would have to trade Lin Tian, and then, based on how well the team gelled after the trade, decide whether to strategically abandon the current season.
But no matter what, the last few days before the trade deadline are destined to be turbulent for the entire league!
Two days before the deadline, Klaus sat alone in his office, with many neatly organized documents in front of him.
The document contains the specific offers from each team, data and analysis of the players on each team's roster, whether they fit the Bulls' current lineup, and what benefits Krause can gain from their offers in addition to what they have already provided!
In short, although Klaus had not made a final decision, he had already made up his mind that he would not let Lin Tian run away for nothing in the summer. He wanted to take advantage of this last opportunity to make a fortune from Lin Tian!
As for whether the team can win the championship this year? Krause certainly cares, but compared to winning the championship this year, Krause is more concerned about the team's virtuous cycle in the next 3-5 years and how to keep the team competitive.
Klaus considers this trade involving Lin Tian the biggest challenge of his career! Because while the trade looks easy, it's actually very difficult to manage.
Although Lin Tian is currently a hot commodity in the league, he also has a major drawback: his contract only has half a season left. No matter which team wants to acquire Lin Tian, they always have to take the risk that Lin Tian might leave during the offseason.
This also makes Lin Tian's trading value much lower than expected.
Therefore, while Krause wants to gain more benefits, he also has to be careful not to ask for too much. Otherwise, if the other party yells that he is waiting to sign a new player in the offseason and then they part ways, that is definitely the last thing Krause wants to see!
Nowadays, at least some of the most lucrative offers circulating in the public eye, such as Walker and two lottery picks for the Celtics, or the Lakers' pick of anyone except Kobe and Shaq, were actually leaked by Krause himself.
Klaus's goal was simple: he wanted to take control of the deal!
He also wants to maximize his own and the team's interests as much as possible!
Just as Klaus was about to make a few more calls to squeeze more money out of his trading partners and see if he could get more of their money, his office door was suddenly kicked open!
Yes, it was kicked away!
Krause raised his head and looked at the menacing Jordan, immediately understanding why this guy, with whom he had never had a good relationship, was here.
"You want to trade Lin?" Jordan asked bluntly, his eyes fixed on Krause.
"Michael, you have to understand, this is a difficult decision. We're all on a very difficult path. We have to face reality and make a rational choice. You know, we..."
"Shut up, you fatso, answer my question." Jordan rudely interrupted Krause, slamming his hands heavily on Krause's desk as he questioned him, word by word.
"Yes, I want to trade him." Facing the aggressive Jordan, Krause no longer backed down, glaring back at Jordan: "Unless you promise me now that you're willing to sign a minimum salary contract of $1-200 million in the offseason, so I have enough salary cap space to re-sign Lin!"
"Otherwise, as the general manager, I must make the right choice. My job is to maximize the team's interests! Trading Lin now is better for you, for me, and for the team! Otherwise, we can only watch Lin leave the team!"
"We're number one in the league right now, we're on the right track to defending our title, you can't make this kind of trade! It will destroy the team's chemistry and make it much harder for us to win the championship this year!" Jordan, of course, didn't care about Krause's talk about the team's future or its interests; his only goal was always the championship!
"Michael, how do you know that we won't have a championship without Lin?" Klaus spread his hands, maintaining his rationality and composure.
"I don't know if we can win the championship without Lin, but I know that as long as Lin is there, we can defend our title 100% this year! I am confident that we can sweep and defeat all our opponents!" Jordan stopped standing and sat down opposite Krause.
"What about next year? What about Michael next year?" Klaus's tone remained calm. "Lin will definitely be gone next year, and we won't get any reward. Our roster will be missing Lin out of nowhere. How can we win the championship then?"
"That's next year's problem! What I care about right now is this year's!" Now that Jordan was here, he wasn't going to back down in the slightest: "You want me to give up this year's championship to compete for the next few years? Krause, do you even want to listen to what you're saying?"
"Win this year's title first, then worry about the rest! If you trade Lin now, you're just giving up a chance to win a championship! Only an idiot and a moron would make that choice! Krause, I've always known you're stupid, but I never imagined you'd be this stupid! Giving up a championship you already have to go for the long haul?"
Do you know how many teams would sacrifice everything for a championship?
"So, Michael, the great Michael Jordan, you think you couldn't win a championship without Lin, right? You think he's indispensable, you think you would fail without Lin, is that right? If that's the case, then give me a promise, give me a man's promise."
"Like I said, you want me not to trade Lin? Then you need to sign him to a minimum salary contract this summer, giving me enough cap space to keep him on the team! Otherwise, I will definitely trade him!"
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, Jordan slammed his hands on the table again. He stood up, leaning forward noticeably, looking down into Klaus's eyes, and said with a smile, "You want my promise, huh? Very well, then I can give you a promise!"
Jordan looked at Krause and sneered, "If you dare to trade Lin, I'll go to the Knicks this summer! I will absolutely not re-sign with the Bulls! That's my promise! If you're afraid of losing everything this summer? Simple, you can trade me at the trade deadline, that's it."
"Are you threatening me?" Klaus's smile finally vanished completely. Jordan had really gone too far!
"Yes, I'm threatening you! Whether you want to continue fighting me to the end or wisely choose to stop causing trouble and happily watch us win this year's championship is up to you." Jordan straightened up, knowing that he had gained a decisive advantage.
"Krause, if I were you, I would completely cut off all trades involving Lin, and then quietly wait to witness the most dominant championship moment in NBA history!"
After saying that, Jordan turned and walked towards the door. He had said what he needed to say and had no intention of arguing with Krause any further. But just as he reached the door, Jordan suddenly turned back to look at Krause and said:
"Klaus, I always keep my word. You can take a gamble and see if I go to New York this summer."
Krause was panting heavily, clearly furious. He watched Jordan leave the office and drive away quickly, and then he suddenly started trembling, clearly enraged.
Then, Klaus suddenly stood up, strode to the office door, grabbed the doorknob, and slammed the door shut behind him. A loud thud echoed as a hard object crashed to the floor inside his office.
And this sound was clearly just the beginning!
For the next 20 minutes, his office was filled with all sorts of clanging and banging noises! Then, everything finally returned to calm, and not long after, Klaus's office door opened again. He was still furious and left the office without looking back.
He's going to find Bulls owner Reinsdorf!
At this time, the boss's support is the most important thing!
Behind Klaus, the general manager's office looked as if it had been hit by a tornado, a magnitude 10 earthquake, a magnitude 12 tsunami, and 20 rocket launchers! There wasn't a single intact spot in the entire office; Klaus had just spent 20 minutes completely destroying it.
But clearly, Klaus's troubles were far from over.
Because he didn't get the support he expected!
After listening to Klaus's tearful account, Reinsdorf could only say helplessly, "Jerry, there's nothing we can do! To be honest, I hate Michael even more than you do! Ever since he started negotiating with us last summer, ever since he demanded that $3000 million annual salary, I've hated him."
"I know I'll definitely regret spending those $3000 million, and I've been waiting for a chance to get my revenge on Michael! Let me put it this way, I want Michael out of here even more than you do! I want him to leave Chicago forever."
"But we all know that's impossible, right Jerry? He's a hero of Chicago, he's the face of the entire NBA. As long as he's there, we can make money! As long as he's there, we can stay competitive! As long as he's there, our tickets and all kinds of merchandise will be in high demand!"
"So, even if I hate him more than you do and want him to get lost, even if I wish I could shoot him in the head, making Michael happy is still our most important job right now, Jerry, do you understand what I mean?"
…………
On the practice court, Jackson casually chewed gum and said to Jordan beside him, "Kraus just smashed up his office. How much of that was because of you?"
"I think it's all of them," Jordan shrugged. "But Lin shouldn't be leaving. At least this season, we can focus on competing for a championship!"
"What about summer?" Jackson asked Jordan curiously. "Would you take a pay cut to keep Lin?"
"It's not about whether I take a pay cut or not," Jordan said. "Phil, can't you really see what Lin is thinking? Even if we offered him a $3000 million annual salary, he wouldn't stay with the Bulls! What he wants is the status of being the primary star!"
"That's not necessarily true." Jackson chuckled, then suddenly shouted at Lin Tian, "Lin, if I offered you $3000 million a year, would you stay in Chicago?"
"3000 million?" Lin Tian replied without hesitation, "If I hesitate for even a second, it would be disrespectful to this 3000 million! Tell me, which team in Chicago? Whether it's the Cubs, Blackhawks, Bears, or any other team, if you give me 3000 million a year, I'll go anywhere!"
"Fuck!" Jordan cursed under his breath. He suddenly regretted sticking up for that bastard Lin Tian!
Wouldn't it be better to just get rid of him sooner?
If I have to put up with him for another four months, my blood pressure will rise by an incredible amount during those four months!
Time flies by so quickly.
Suddenly, the rumors that were spreading like wildfire just a moment ago, as if Lin Tian could be sent to any team in the league at any moment, have suddenly vanished.
Then, the deal involving Lin Tian seemed to have never existed, disappearing without a trace. The deal ultimately didn't even amount to much ado about nothing; it simply vanished without a trace, never to be heard from again.
After consulting with more than two-thirds of the general managers in the league, Krause suddenly declared: Lin is not for sale, we will not sell him!
Klaus's behavior, which was almost no different from playing tricks on people, made many general managers who were determined to get Lin Tianzhi furious and cursing in their offices. At the same time, they also put Klaus on their blacklist.
While most people wouldn't target the Bulls and Krause for this, if given the chance to retaliate without harming their own interests, this group would definitely not hesitate to trip up Krause and the Bulls.
The trade deadline passed by with much fanfare but little substance. In the end, the only trade that could be considered to have shocked the league was the breakup of the Dallas 3J, while the rest were all insignificant.
But with the trade deadline over, all teams in the league will have to start fighting hard for their season goals!
Whether the goal is to win or lose, whether it's the playoffs or the draft, these last two months of competition are destined to be fierce and bloody!
Of course, some teams are exceptions; they are strong enough to avoid getting involved in these bloody battles.
For example, the Celtics have only won 8 games so far, leading the second-to-last team, the Vancouver Grizzlies, who have won 12 games, by a full 4 games. At this stage of the season, the Boston Celtics have basically secured last place this season, and even if they win a few more games in the remaining games, it will be no problem for them!
Similar to the Celtics is the Nuggets, who have only won 16 games so far this season. It will obviously be difficult for them to catch up with the Grizzlies and Celtics. However, it will be extremely difficult for the Spurs, who have won 20 games, and the 76ers, who have won 21 games, to catch up with the Nuggets!
The battle between the Spurs and 76ers for the fourth-worst pick in the league will be the most anticipated and closely watched matchup in the final month and a half of the lottery! Who will lose by a larger margin, and who will get a higher draft pick? Who will be able to select the true cornerstone of their team in next year's relatively small draft year?
Aside from the lottery, the Bulls are now firmly in control, boasting an impressive record of 46 wins and 8 losses. Not only are they ranked first in the league, but they are also a full 8 games ahead of the second-place Heat in the Eastern Conference and a full 5 games ahead of the second-place Jazz!
With such a huge lead, it's practically a pipe dream for the Jazz and Heat to catch up with the Bulls at this point in the season! Not to mention, the Bulls still have a fully fit Jordan, who was rested for almost a whole month due to his ankle injury, and is now at his peak physical condition, ready to dominate!
Led by a fully healthy Jordan, the Bulls only lost one game in the remainder of February and all of March, achieving a terrifying record of 18 wins and 1 loss!
Instead of being caught up by the Jazz and Heat, they have continued to extend their lead at this stage of the season!
Jordan, thanks to his phenomenal performance, won the Player of the Month award for two consecutive months in February and March! Adding to that Lin Tian's win in January, the Bulls player has now won the league's Player of the Month award for three consecutive months!
It's important to know that the current NBA Player of the Month isn't one player from each conference; it's the entire league that selects only one player!
In other words, for three consecutive months, the league's best-performing player was the Bulls!
This alone shows just how good the Bulls are right now!
Aside from having lost nine games and being unable to break their new league regular season win record set last season, they remain the most powerful and terrifying team in the league this season!
During those two months, Jordan once again demonstrated his terrifying scoring ability, averaging over 33 points per game for two consecutive months. By the end of March, his season average had reached 29.5 points per game! He widened the gap between himself and Malone, who was second on the scoring list, to more than 3 points!
In other words, if Malone wants to challenge for this year's scoring title, assuming Jordan maintains his current average of 29 points per game in the last 9 games of April, then Malone would need to average at least 59 points per game in April to have any hope of overtaking Jordan and becoming this season's scoring champion.
So, congratulations to Jordan in advance for securing his 9th scoring title!
His dominance in scoring is truly phenomenal, even in the entire history of the NBA!
Or rather, the most explosive event in history!
By April, the positions of each team and their specific situation for the season were pretty much set. Apart from a few teams that still needed to fight for their positions, most of the other teams could start to relax and take it easy.
For example, with the Bulls, Jackson once again implemented a large-scale rest policy for the team during the April games!
Jordan, Pippen, Lin Tian, and others missed several games, resulting in a mediocre record for the Bulls in their last nine games, with only six wins and three losses.
Even so, when the regular season officially ended, the Bulls still firmly held the top spot in the league!
They will have home-court advantage in all playoff series!
They also became the second team in NBA history to reach 70 wins!
70 wins and 12 losses!
Hmm... the team ranked first is last season's Bulls.
Achieving 70 wins while having a record that is four games worse than last season seems absurd, but the Bulls did it. They not only achieved 70+ wins for two consecutive seasons, but also did so by resting players and playing completely relaxed for two consecutive years.
If they really play like their lives depend on it, how many wins they can achieve has become a topic of conversation and discussion throughout the league.
75 wins? 78 wins?
That's still an exaggeration...
80 wins?
This is a question that probably only Phil Jackson could answer.
But right now, the answer to that question isn't important at all. What's important is that the regular season is over, and now it's time for the real battle!
Playoffs!
(End of this chapter)