Champion Creed
Chapter 208 - 208 100 The Moment to Test the True Worth of a Superstar Vote for Monthly Pass!

208: 100: The Moment to Test the True Worth of a Superstar (Vote for Monthly Pass!) 208: 100: The Moment to Test the True Worth of a Superstar (Vote for Monthly Pass!) The Finals Game 1, until the last minute of the game, the Orlando Magic had everything going smoothly.

They were ahead of the Rockets by 3 points, with O’Neal stepping up to the free-throw line.

Regrettably, at the most crucial moment, Shaq missed both free throws.

Olajuwon steadily seized the rebound; Rockets’ rebounds were nothing like the Bulls’ easily collapsed defense.

The Rockets quickly counterattacked, with Mario Elie, who had sealed the previous series with his “Kiss of Death,” seizing the opportunity and sinking a steady three-pointer, evening the score.

Role players changed the fate of the Rockets once again.

Coincidentally, this game-tying three-pointer was also the first one Elie made today!

Magic attacked, with Roger using a pick-and-roll to draw out Horry to defend him, then passed the ball to Shaq, giving him a one-on-one opportunity against Dream.

O’Neal received the ball and bounced against Dream, then turned to make his shot.

But the moment O’Neal lifted the ball, Dream slapped it away.

Olajuwon seemed to set up a huge net in the air, impervious even to Shaq Daddy.

Without any help defense, Dream handled Shaq!

Last series, Olajuwon averaged 4.2 blocks per game; his block instincts were unparalleled.

Facing the not yet fully bulked-up Shaq, Olajuwon could still handle the one-on-one defense in the paint.

Horry immediately grabbed the blocked ball, giving the Houston Rockets the last offense opportunity.

O’Neal tried everything to wrestle with Dream, and Roger was clinging tightly to Drexler, just as he did during the regular season.

Yet, in the end, the ball never passed through Dream or Clyde the Glide’s hands.

It was Kenny Smith who came out of nowhere, sinking the dagger from beyond the three-point line.

This was his seventh three-pointer of the day — a record for NBA Finals single game three-pointers.

Many young fans might think of Kenny Smith as just a funny commentator on TNT, constantly messing around in the studio with Barkley and O’Neal.

But player-era Kenny Smith held the record for most three-pointers in a Finals game, which stood until Ray Allen finally broke it in 2010.

107-104, the Houston Rockets took the first game.

In the last moments of this game, Kenny Smith, Mario Elie, and Olajuwon all played a decisive role.

As Roger said, every member of the Rockets contributed to the victory.

That was their secret to succeeding on a path full of upsets.

In the post-game interview, Kenny Smith himself said, “We have so many guys to help Hakeem and Clyde, with highlights every game.

But Orlando?

They only have Shaq and the Truth.”

The Houston Rockets persevered to the end, snatching the opening game on the road when the whole world thought they were done for.

In truth, the Rockets won today not just because Kenny Smith was accurate.

After watching Olajuwon treat 40-point games like a walk in the park in the Western Conference Finals, Brian Hill’s instruction to his team was, “Direct double teams at Dream the moment he barely touches the ball!”

He wasn’t mistrustful of O’Neal, but even the Admiral, who had won DPOY, was toyed with by Dream in one-on-one situations in the previous round, like a plaything.

Hill also knew that the Admiral was exploited so terribly because Rodman, who was at odds with his team, refused to help him with the defense, leaving the Admiral alone against Olajuwon’s firepower.

So, Hill would not allow one-on-one defense against Dream to happen.

Leaving Olajuwon to play one-on-one was just too frightening.

As a result, under Magic’s double teams, the Rockets shot an entire team three-point percentage of 43% today.

Robert Horry launched a full 10 three-pointers, making 4, and scored 19 points in total.

Horace Grant paid a painful price for his decision to double-team Dream.

After trading away Otis Thorpe and moving Horry to the power forward spot, the Rockets fully adopted the One Star and Four Shooters approach, showcasing for the first time in history its terrifying potency.

As it turned out, double-teaming Dream didn’t solve the problem.

Magic had to come up with a different solution.

During the post-game press conference, Roger’s predictions were proven true once again.

Even though O’Neal racked up an explosive stat line of 26 points and 16 rebounds.

Even though Roger scored a team-high 33 points and held Drexler to a shooting percentage of only 36.8%.

Almost everyone placed the blame on those two.

“Roger, why did you choose to pass the ball in the final moments?

Don’t you have the courage to finish the game?

Are you afraid to face your destiny?

Do you still have a psychological shadow from Houston?”

“Shaq, why weren’t you able to hold Olajuwon’s scoring to below 25 points today?”

Roger was mentally prepared for this, so he wasn’t too angry.

You receive all the praise at the same time; you must accept all the criticism.

That’s the life of a superstar.

But O’Neal was furious; he had given all he had, fighting for every rebound, trying to limit Olajuwon.

Moreover, he only missed three free throws today; his free throw percentage was 66%, far above his average.

Yet all the fingers were pointed at him, as though he alone caused the team’s defeat.

After the press conference and back in the locker room, O’Neal angrily smashed the door of his locker with a punch.

Brian Hill had enough: “Are you crazy!?

What if you hurt yourself?

Damn it, where’s the doctor, the doctor!

Check his hand!

It’s tough to lose a game, remember this painful feeling, and now you know how stupid it was to skip practice before?”

O’Neal angrily confronted Hill, unable to believe this idiot was dredging up the past.

Because he had already listened to Roger, apologized to the coach.

Past issues should not be raised again once apologized for; you can’t keep going back to them, that’s the understanding between players and coaches.

Brian Hill had broken that understanding.

“Remember the pain?

Your strategy was wrong, all wrong!

We shouldn’t have double teamed; Rockets’ three-pointers destroyed us!

Robert Horry, Kenny Smith, Drexler…

God, their whole team can shoot threes!

We should have played one-on-one!

But even if you were wrong, I’m the one who ends up with all the blame, damn!”

Brian Hill would not allow anyone to talk back to him, not even O’Neal.

He was about to explode when Roger immediately stood between the two.

“Shaq, you’re being too impulsive,” Roger pulled O’Neal back to his own spot.

Brian Hill thought Roger was on his side, but Roger’s next words were, “Brian, we really should try one-on-one defense.”

“What!?”

“We have to try it, of course, the decision is yours.”

With those words, “the decision is yours,” Brian Hill said no more, trying to control his emotions.

He knew Roger was right; in fact, before the series began, Brian Hill had prepared for both possibilities.

If they couldn’t contain the Rockets’ perimeter, they would switch to man-to-man defense.

Let Olajuwon score alone, but prevent the Rockets from having an all-out team performance.

Of course, he knew what to do.

His anger wasn’t because O’Neal questioned his tactics.

If O’Neal had raised the concerns calmly and rationally, Brian Hill would have been receptive.

He was angry because Shaq had openly challenged his authority as the head coach.

Fortunately, Roger’s timely intervention cooled down both sides.

A few seconds later, Brian Hill tapped the strategy board: “Next game, man-to-man, lock down the Rockets’ perimeter; we absolutely can’t lose two home games in a row!”

In Game 2 of the series, the Magic’s strategy immediately paid off.

In this game, O’Neal was left alone in the paint to deal with Dream.

Olajuwon scored 35 points against the Magic’s interior with his exquisite footwork.

His various steps, jump shots, hook shots, and floaters left Shaq struggling to keep up.

O’Neal once admitted after retirement, “Hakeem was the first person to ever embarrass me on the court, and his footwork can withstand scrutiny.

Even watching the tapes, you rarely see him traveling.”

That was Dream’s unique offensive capability.

Even though he would later run camps and teach many players, the only one who could use those moves as his signature move was another Lakers outside legend.

Olajuwon scored plenty, but that day the Magic limited the Rockets to only five three-pointers, just a third of the previous game’s tally.

The Magic’s strategy was successful.

Without a three-point barrage, the Rockets’ offense was no longer unsolvable.

In the third quarter, Sam Cassell did burst out with 13 points in the quarter and 27 points for the game.

The Rockets’ style is like this; there’s always someone who can step up each game.

But Roger responded with 15 points in the quarter, holding back Cassell’s momentum.

In the end, Roger scored 36 points, O’Neal had 32 points but 6 turnovers, and the Magic took the second game 109 to 101.

With the series tied 1-1, the Magic had found a way to counter the Rockets.

At the end of the game, NBC Finals commentator Marv Albert had analyzed everything:

“Brian Hill adjusted his strategy in time.

He’s the first coach in this postseason to dare not to double Hakeem proactively.

What gives him the confidence to do that?

Confidence stems from the belief that coaches have in their players, believing that even if Hakeem scores at will, Roger and Shaq can definitely hit back in the next possession, never at a loss!

Ladies and gentlemen, just after two games, the Finals have reached the bloody moment of battling between stars!”

The show was right; the teams basically played their cards openly after that.

Now, the Magic defended one-on-one, not allowing the Rockets a chance to explode from the three-point line, but letting Olajuwon go one-on-one with O’Neal.

Just Dream’s scoring alone was enough; Roger and Shaq could respond.

In fact, the main one to respond to Olajuwon was Roger.

Because the Rockets’ strategy was to decisively double-team O’Neal, not allowing him to be too efficient.

As for Roger, Tomjanovich of course wouldn’t take him lightly, but he believed that as a guard, even with a one-on-one, Roger’s scoring efficiency would not match Dream’s.

He couldn’t exchange blows with Dream.

Last season’s Rockets victory was the proof!

Now, it was time for a showdown of the stars’ true strength.

Dream and Roger were the sharpest spears on their teams.

They were responsible for piercing each other’s chests.

In the post-game interview, a sweaty Olajuwon said, “Shaq is tough to handle, right now I just want to go home and sleep.”

An earnestly defending O’Neal, Olajuwon felt, was even tougher than the Admiral.

Although that guy’s defensive habits were a bit off, exactly because he wasn’t that sensitive, he was harder to shake.

Besides, his strength and bulk were there; grappling with him was no easy task.

“What about Roger?” the reporter asked.

Olajuwon pondered for a while before grudgingly admitting, “Maybe I was wrong.”

“What?”

“Maybe I was wrong.

During last season’s Finals, I said that at 18 years old, he might become the league’s unmatched player at 22.

Now, I think that time might come even sooner, but—” the man who had crafted an underdog miracle paused.

“But his scoring can only leave some scars on us.

We already have enough scars from this season, having fought tooth and nail to get here.

He can’t kill us, especially not in Houston.” Olajuwon’s expression was resolute; he had gone through so much that season, he was brimming with confidence no matter the opponent.

He didn’t believe Roger could match the Rockets with his firepower alone.

In the next game, as long as they limited Shaq better, any points Roger scored would be futile.

A contest of star power?

Roger couldn’t possibly win.