Champion Creed
Chapter 308 - 308 131 The tone of this combination is just like this asking for monthly tickets!

308: 131: The tone of this combination is just like this (asking for monthly tickets!) 308: 131: The tone of this combination is just like this (asking for monthly tickets!) (There’s no commentary for this chapter in the past few days)

Roger and O’Neal stepped onto the court at the same time, causing the temperature at the United Center to drop abruptly.

However, it excited Orlando fans and the commentators at the scene.

Bill Walton hadn’t felt this fired up in a long time.

People of his age have seen and been through so much that it takes increasingly less to move them.

But today, seeing everything Roger had done for O’Neal when he was under heavy criticism, and seeing O’Neal rush back from the airport to enter the game immediately, determined to help Roger win the match.

He admitted, his passion was reignited.

He was eager to see how this young combo would work miracles.

As the Chicago Bulls swept through the league, the Orlando Magic were the last hurdle to Jordan’s reign.

Could they succeed?

Michael Jordan’s eyes reddened with intensity, “Alright, alright, back just in time for the fourth quarter for a funeral, huh?

I’ll satisfy you!

A family should go down together!”

The fourth quarter started, and the Bulls had the first possession.

Jordan had barely reached outside the three-point line when Harper and Roger double-teamed him.

But he quickly passed the ball to Pippen, who had cut inside, keeping the offense flowing.

Pippen caught the ball and drove straight into the paint towards O’Neal.

His eyes fixed on the hoop, yet he slipped the ball to Longley at the zero-degree angle from mid-range.

Longley got an open shot from mid-range, a range he was comfortable with.

And as the whole world knew, once you stepped out of the paint, Shaq wouldn’t bother you, so he took the shot in stride.

But O’Neal immediately turned around, like a rabid hound, burst out of the paint towards Longley and slammed his jump shot away with force!

And under the effect of inertia, O’Neal also knocked Longley flying out of bounds!

This defensive play instantly maxed out its intimidation factor!

“A tremendously powerful block!

Luke shouldn’t have ventured into Shaq’s territory, that’s asking for trouble!”

On the sidelines, Brian Hill unusually punched the air and roared.

He swore it was O’Neal’s most serious defensive play of the season, bar none.

Every coach who had ever coached Shaq had tried every conceivable way to get him to take defense seriously.

But almost every coach’s efforts had been in vain.

Dell Brown from Louisiana State University and Shaq’s first NBA head coach Mike August felt the same.

So did Brian Hill; he simply couldn’t make O’Neal focus on defense.

Even if he smashed 10 clipboards in anger, even if he hurled the dirtiest of insults, O’Neal would still slack off on defense.

But Roger had accomplished what these top coaches couldn’t.

This was the second time he had made Shaq go all out on defense!

The last time was in the playoffs of the previous season.

Roger let the world see for the first time what a serious defensive player Shaq looked like.

The second time was just now.

It’s hard to imagine Shaq actually lunging out to cover Pippen and then swiftly turning to confront a rival who was outside the paint.

Only someone fully committed to defense would be so active.

The Bulls still had possession, but that defensive play had significantly boosted the Magic’s morale.

Roger clapped his hands together, “That’s how we defend, guys.

See those championship banners hanging at the United Center?

Let’s tear those banners down!”

The game continued, and Harper intercepted the sideline ball of the Bulls, a problem as global as climate change that had been a worldwide issue since the ’90s.

After Harper brought the ball past half court, he waited for Shaq to position himself before tossing it in.

The moment O’Neal caught the ball, Rodman and Dumars immediately double-teamed him.

Rodman, as usual, used words to provoke O’Neal, “The Magic won’t renew your contract, you waste, we both know it.

The Magic is Rogers’s team.

Seen the recent news?

Even your own fans and the media have abandoned you, hahaha, pathetic.”

This demon continued to tempt Shaq, guiding him toward the abyss of destruction.

Rodman knew Shaq’s temper.

He thought Shaq would charge at him, signaling an offensive foul, or take a wild shot resulting in a miss.

But O’Neal’s reaction surprised Rodman.

Facing Rodman’s trash talk and the approaching Dumars, Shaq not only kept his cool but calmly made a pass, sending the ball to Roger at the top of the arc, just beyond the three-point line.

At that moment, Roger had just used Grant’s screen to shake off Pippen by a step.

And because Shaq drew Dumars’s attention, Dumars couldn’t immediately double-team Roger.

Roger received the ball and took the shot confidently, seizing the fleeting chance to shoot.

Pippen made a valiant effort to disrupt, but was too late.

“Swish!”

“An easy connection, Roger and Shaq are clawing points back, now the Chicago Bulls only lead by 8!”

Roger and O’Neal didn’t celebrate, didn’t even high-five or say a word.

They no longer needed to communicate that way; their experiences throughout the season had already tightly linked their hearts.

One play later, Jordan went into a solo effort against Roger in the post.

He pivoted and raised the basketball before the double-team could arrive; Roger jumped desperately, knowing the power of Jordan’s fadeaway jump shot.

The ’96 season was the year Michael Jordan’s fadeaway jump shot reached a “god level.”

His athletic prowess had dwindled, so he began studying more direct offensive techniques.

Consequently, the fadeaway jump shot became an art form Jordan mastered to unparalleled levels.

In this arena, Roger believed no one could surpass Jordan.

Thus to defend against his fadeaway, one had to give their all.

But when Roger leapt up, he realized he had been deceived.

Jordan, after turning around, hadn’t actually jumped but instead paused, waiting for Roger to float past him before taking a step in, ready to make a layup.

That was the difference between Jordan’s low post offense and Roger’s low post offense.

Roger’s low post moves were just that spin, shoot if you shoot, very straightforward.

But Jordan’s low post offense wasn’t just about spinning; he could also use various sophisticated footwork to shake off the defense.

Jordan, having shaken off Roger and taken a step forward to go for a layup, thought he could score easily, but then O’Neal ran back under the basket and with a swipe of his hand, sent Jordan’s layup flying!

Roger and Shaq had teamed up to stifle Michael Jordan!

Roger immediately grabbed the blocked ball, then mounted a counterattack, shook Dumars, and scored a layup despite Pippen’s blockade.

The gap was down to just 6 points!

Roger still didn’t celebrate, and O’Neal remained expressionless.

They had entered a certain state, all they wanted now was to kill the game!

Numbers 14 and 33 were like two vast shadows engulfing the light of the United Center.

This round, the Bulls’ attempt at a three-pointer by Dumars missed, and O’Neal, elbowing out Rodman, secured the rebound.

Rodman tried to press, but Shaq swung his elbow straight at Rodman’s face with such force that even the audacious Worm instinctively dodged backward.

Rodman liked to provoke contact, but he didn’t actually want to provoke his way out of this world.

“Get the hell out of the way, idiot!

Or I’ll kill you!” O’Neal bellowed deeply, then passed the ball to Harper.

Roger continued to move without the ball, seeking opportunities, and once again used a screen to come out for the ball, and once again shot directly upon receiving it.

But Pippen was tight on defense this round, nearly disrupting Roger’s face, making it difficult for Roger to score.

The Bulls were ready to rebound, but Rodman sensed something wasn’t right.

This wasn’t a shot at all!

O’Neal soared, and Rodman instantly reached out to grab his jersey, but it was too late.

Shaq caught the ball in midair with one hand and with formidable force slammed it into the basket, scoring with a slam dunk!

Roger and O’Neal had pulled off a very beautiful alley-oop!

Roger’s pass had indeed looked much like a shot, but he and O’Neal didn’t even need to communicate with eye contact for O’Neal to know it was an alley-oop.

Their understanding of each other had reached a point of doing whatever they desired!

That’s right, they had won the championship last season.

But in Bill Walton’s opinion, this was the peak of their combination!

In the following game, Roger and Shaq quickly ate away at the Bulls’ lead.

With three minutes left in the game, a dunk by O’Neal tied up the score completely.

The Bulls were in peril, and the Chicago fans at the venue hurled swear-laden insults at Shaq and Roger, straining their nerves.

Rodman became increasingly physical, hoping to agitate Shaq, ideally getting Shaq to throw a punch.

But O’Neal ignored it completely, continuing to focus on defense with only victory in his sights.

This round, Roger forced Jordan into the paint while O’Neal quickly moved to cover under the basket, the two worked together inside and out, once again denying Jordan’s layup!

O’Neal had said he wouldn’t let Roger fight alone anymore.

So tonight, he was always there behind Roger, offering protection!

The Bulls had lost another opportunity to take the lead, while the Magic saw a hope of taking over.

But that hope was soon interrupted by a whistle.

The Bulls fouled Shaq, beginning to execute the Hack-a-Shaq strategy!

O’Neal stood at the free throw line, while Rodman whispered non-stop, “Come on, it’s time for you to drag the team down again.”

“Swish.”

Shaq’s heart was as calm as water, and he made the first free throw with ease.

“Come on, you’ve got another shot, you waste of space, you definitely won’t make it.”

“Swish.”

He made both shots, the score was turned around!

“Successful turnaround!

Shaq and Roger have erased an 11-point lead; they are about to defeat the Bulls for the second time this season!

Do you see that?

That’s the power of the strongest duo in the league!

They always create surprises, and that’s just the tune of this combo!” Bill Walton roared with excitement.

“Shut up, bitch!” O’Neal shoved his hand inside his jersey and flipped off Rodman from the inside.

This way, he could temporarily fool the referees and still humiliate Rodman.

Then, he kept that posture as he walked over to Roger.

“That’s enough, Shaq, keep that up, and the ref is going to give you a technical,” Roger quickly reminded O’Neal who was still flipping the bird.

O’Neal, however, lowered his voice and quietly told Roger, “Buddy, help me out.

Your jersey is so tight, I can’t get my hand out!”

Roger: ???

Yeah, that’s the tune of this combination.