The Chicago Bulls inbounded from the backcourt, and the ball went to Derrick Rose. Rose dribbled it across half court.
The moment he crossed midcourt, Rose fired a sharp-eyed pass to Jimmy Butler on the wing, then sprinted toward the corner like a bolt of lightning.
His purpose was clear: to use his movement to tie up Goodwin and create more offensive space for his teammates.
This was the best Rose could do. After all, he had suffered badly at Goodwin's hands on the previous possession.
Goodwin had no objection to Rose's tactical arrangement.
Because he knew full well that his primary defensive assignment in this game was to do everything possible to contain Rose's outstanding performance.
After catching the ball, Jimmy Butler immediately called for a pick-and-roll inside.
The towering Joakim Noah instantly understood. He charged out of the crowded paint like a moving mountain and firmly screened off Gordon Hayward.
In stark contrast, Yao Ming, stationed in the paint, did not follow Noah out to the perimeter.
Given his current age and physical condition, his mobility was clearly no longer what it used to be. If he recklessly followed out, the opponent's agile perimeter players could easily screen him away.
And so, using Noah's rock-solid screen, Jimmy Butler shook off Gordon Hayward and gained precious room and timing for a shot.
Faced with such a perfect scoring opportunity, Jimmy Butler naturally did not hesitate in the slightest.
He sprang up like an arrow loosed from its bow, hung briefly in the air, and then released a precise mid-range shot with an exceptionally textbook and graceful form.
With a soft swish, the ball seemed enchanted as it slipped cleanly through the hoop, producing a crisp net snap.
With that excellent basket, the score was instantly rewritten to 4–2.
Jimmy