Chapter 82: Three Lifetimes of Bad Luck, A Smile That Captivates

Yang Rui called the two aside and said coldly, "Your next task is very special. If you don't want to do it, you can refuse, because I want you to injure Rodman as severely as possible."

Ben Wallace had a hesitant look in his eyes. He was always very brave on the court, but he didn't play dirty. He had never intentionally hurt anyone.

In Yang Rui's previous life, Ben only had one incident where he got physical, pushing Artest during the Palace of Auburn Hills brawl. As one of the main causes of the incident, Ben was not directly involved in the fight, so he was not prosecuted or suspended.

"I have no problem with it. What should I do?" Bowen, though expressionless, had a gleam in his eyes, like a snake eyeing its prey.

Yang Rui had spent a season with Bowen and knew that this guy had been up to no good since college. He was the type who had an overwhelming desire to win and would stop at nothing to achieve it.

Yang Rui first looked at Ben. "Ben, what I want you to do is simple. Fight for the offensive rebound, and once you get it, swing your elbows hard, back and forth."

Having him swing his elbows while fighting for the offensive rebound was to avoid accidentally injuring teammates. The Knicks' strategy usually involved one person fighting for the offensive rebound while the other four ensured quick defense.

Ben couldn't help but shiver; this was too ruthless.

Even if his elbows weren't as powerful as Malone's, they were close. One elbow could mean stitches or a concussion. Bulls players were very aggressive in fighting for rebounds, and it was usually Rodman or Pippen who retreated to the basket. No matter whose head got hit, the Bulls would lose a key player.

Yang Rui then looked at Bowen and sneered, "Bruce, I want you to seize the opportunity to protect the defensive rebound. You don't need to jump. When Rodman jumps high for the offensive rebound, just make sure to extend your foot underneath him."

"Got it. I'll be his cushion," Bowen said, exchanging a look with Yang Rui, seeing something called "trust" in his eyes.

Three lifetimes of dirty play, a slight smile that could charm a city.

Bowen was a person who was both loved and hated. Teammates loved him because he was dedicated to defense and willing to do the dirty work; opponents hated him because he had too many dirty tricks.

The Knicks were known as the "New York Mafia." Toughness was one aspect, and dirty defense was another. Oakley, Starks, and Childs were all experts in dirty tricks and often discussed defense with Bowen.

In this environment, Yang Rui's previous life "Southern Fist, Northern Leg, Crotch-Guarding Uncle Bowen" was already taking shape.

In life, Bowen was a quiet good guy, but on the court, he turned into a big villain.

If Ewing hadn't been injured, Yang Rui wouldn't have arranged to use dirty tricks to hurt the opposing players. This approach was despicable and couldn't be considered a legitimate way to win, but it also depended on who the opponent was. If it was someone like Rodman or Barkley, even beating them to death wouldn't be too much; they were definitely not innocent.

As the timeout ended, Yang Rui asked Ben, "How about it, can you do it?"

"I can, because I'm a member of the Knicks. This is what I should do," Ben replied.

Ben wanted more playing time, but not at the cost of Ewing's injury. He wanted to win with the team and get the championship, so he also wanted to avenge Ewing.

"Great, go ahead."

Ben replaced Ewing on the court, and Yang Rui and Van Gundy sat back on the sidelines.

Van Gundy asked, "What did you say to them?"

"You'll know soon enough. Rodman won't get through the game unscathed. He likes to play dirty, so I'll give him a taste of his own medicine," Yang Rui said calmly.

Ben Wallace and Johnson teamed up in the paint. Although Ben was trying hard, his offensive performance couldn't compare to Ewing's, and the Knicks' offensive power weakened.

Every time the Bulls attacked, the Knicks' home fans booed in unison, especially when Rodman touched the ball.

Rodman looked half-asleep, but the boos only made him more smug.

So what if you boo me? Ewing is out, and I can still perform on the court. When the Bulls win the championship, people will remember me as a key contributor.

At this moment, Houston missed a jump shot, Rodman was a step slow in retreating, and Ben grabbed the offensive rebound. Rodman, being the closest, stepped up to defend, only to be elbowed hard in the shoulder, almost stumbling. The referee blew the whistle, and Ben was called for an offensive foul.

Rodman, a cunning player, already had a flagrant foul. If he retaliated, he would be ejected. He was angry but held back.

As a master of dirty play, he quickly realized the Knicks' plan was to intentionally injure him.

He decided to be cautious of Ben's actions. Because Ben was shorter, he had dodged a bullet this time. If Ben were taller, that elbow might have hit his head.

With Rodman on guard, it was harder for Ben to "make a contribution." He could only muscle up against Rodman, and normal collisions wouldn't injure him.

Bowen, who needed to guard Jordan, also didn't have a good opportunity to play dirty against Rodman.

The Bulls players withstood the pressure and quickly caught up in the score. In the second quarter, Longley also performed well, hitting two mid-range shots and scoring once with a strong move in the paint.

Without Ewing, the Knicks' offense was disorganized, and their inside passing was poor. Starks, Houston, and Johnson mainly relied on individual skills to score, lacking teamwork.

In the second half, the Bulls used the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy. Ben Wallace's last-minute "potty training" shooting was terrible, hitting only 3 out of 10.

The Bulls widened the gap, leading by 13 points going into the final quarter.

Jordan played all three quarters and finally took a breather, with Harper, Pippen, and Rodman leading the bench.

The Knicks' five players were Atkins, Starks, Bowen, Johnson, and Buck Williams.

The two big blue-collar players had played a lot of minutes and were now resting.

Seeing only veteran blue-collar players in the paint, Rodman's guard dropped significantly. Buck's physical condition had declined sharply, and at only 98 kilograms, Rodman considered him no threat.

Rodman grabbed two offensive rebounds at the start of the final quarter, bringing his total rebounds to 16. He was confident he could get 20+ rebounds in this game and fought even harder, thinking the Knicks' rebound experts were out.

He didn't know this was Yang Rui's plan, to make him lower his guard by showing a weakness.

At 9:48, Harper missed a jump shot, and Rodman cut in from the middle, jumping to grab the rebound. The lurking snake struck.

Bowen quietly ran to the basket, didn't jump, and used his peripheral vision to position himself, extending his foot where Rodman would land. Johnson and Rodman had body contact, making Rodman's balance unstable.

Rodman's right foot landed on Bowen's foot, causing him to twist and fall, dropping the ball. His ankle hurt so much he couldn't get up.

Bowen immediately walked away, looking innocent, and glanced towards Yang Rui on the sidelines.

Yang Rui sat on the bench, legs crossed, smiling and giving Bowen a thumbs-up.

Coincidentally, ESPN's cameraman captured the Knicks' bench, and Yang Rui's gesture was clearly filmed.

David Stern, watching the live broadcast at home, was stunned, and half a minute later, he spat out a curse—"Damn it!"