Champion Creed
Chapter 328 - 328 138 Perfect lineup

328: 138: Perfect lineup?

No, you need me too much!

(Two in one!) 328: 138: Perfect lineup?

No, you need me too much!

(Two in one!) “Shaq, cool it down!” Roger didn’t know what Jordan had said to Shaq, but ever since they had talked, O’Neal had been acting strangely.

He was distracted on defense and very impatient at the free throw line.

O’Neal ignored Roger, his mind full of Jordan’s words.

Earlier, Anderson from “SportsCenter” had said, “Now Shaq can win games without being the best player on the team.”

Just now, Jordan had said something similar.

This made O’Neal wonder, “Does the outside world really think so?”

Bullshit, all bullshit!

Roger and I are equals, we are both the bosses!

Bullshit lieutenant!

I can’t be a supporting role!

I’m not just the guy pushing Roger from behind, he and I are comrades in the same trench, equals!

A play later, O’Neal continued to receive the ball in the low post.

Rodman’s fierce double team arrived immediately, the offensive pressure O’Neal faced with and without him was a completely different story.

It wasn’t just Rodman, Dumars also ran in to strangle O’Neal.

The Bulls’ defense was more aggressive than in the last game, sparing no effort for this critical Game 7.

The Bulls aimed to force Shaq to pass, trying to increase his chance of making mistakes.

But Shaq didn’t pass the ball this time, he turned around and took a jump shot despite the double team!

Even though Shaq’s post skills were good, the difficulty of this shot was still too great.

The basketball bounced off the rim, Rodman grabbed the rebound, and the Bulls got another chance to close the gap!

“What the hell is he doing!?” Brian Hill said, spreading his arms on the bench, not knowing what got into O’Neal and why he didn’t choose to pass just now.

Unlike Magic’s simple, hasty offense, the Bulls played very patiently.

They ran a triangle offense, and eventually, Dumars calmly received the ball and made a mid-range shot to finish it.

8 to 13.

The lead was down to just five points, hope sparkled again in the eyes of the United Center fans.

A few seconds later, the United Center erupted.

O’Neal got stripped by Rodman in the double team, Worm immediately launched a fast break.

Michael Jordan executed a heavy slam dunk, making the score 10 to 13!

This dunk led Brian Hill to call a timeout, and the previously somber atmosphere in the United Center was finally shattered.

In the stands, Jerry Krause took a deep breath.

Although it was he who proposed the plan to rebuild if they didn’t win the championship, deep down, he still hoped the team would have the last laugh.

No matter how much he disliked Jordan, as long as they won the championship, there would still be benefits to reap from him.

Perhaps the last dance would be delayed for a few more years?

Brian Hill was furious, “Shaq, this is Game 7, not some damn backyard basketball, you can’t mess around!

When I get the ball inside, I want you to attack the Bulls’ defense, not see you making mistakes over and over again!”

Shaq was very frustrated, Jordan’s words had him all jumbled up, making him desperate to prove himself.

But the coach had simply thrown cold water on him.

Yet it was Roger who knew the crux of the issue, “Forget whatever Michael said to you, forget that crap!”

O’Neal nodded, but he wasn’t really listening.

When the timeout ended, all Orlando fans thought the Magic would regroup.

However, right after returning, O’Neal missed two free throws again!

This time, when O’Neal pushed past Longley preparing to slam dunk, Longley immediately grabbed Shaq with both hands.

O’Neal’s resentment grew, and as he walked to the free throw line, he cursed, “You all don’t dare let me play one-on-one, a bunch of cowards!”

His cursing was nonsensical, as basketball was never a one-on-one sport.

The real strong ones always say, “You’d better send someone to double team me.”

The first free throw, predictably, bounced off the rim.

During the high-five, Roger patted Shaq’s back, hoping he would rally.

But Shaq missed the second free throw as well.

O’Neal missed both free throws for the second time, giving the Bulls another chance to even the score.

Throughout the game that followed, O’Neal’s performance satisfied all of Jordan’s fantasies about him.

Because he was too impatient, Shaq played irrationally today, forcing too many shots in the double teams.

And his free throw accuracy never recovered.

When O’Neal first joined the league, Reebok had invited Jabbar, Chamberlain, Mr.

11 Rings, and Walton, four legendary centers, to shoot a commercial with Shaq.

Undoubtedly, this advertisement was meant to signify a legacy, at that time everyone thought Shaq could carry the mantle of these great centers.

But now, sitting at the commentator’s desk, Bill Walton really didn’t expect the highly anticipated Shaq to play like this in a playoff series decider.

His performance was nowhere near greatness.

The second quarter was almost over, O’Neal had scored 9 points with 6 rebounds, making only 3 of 9 free throws.

Because Shaq was shooting so poorly today, Zen Master confidently and frequently employed the Hack-a-Shaq strategy, heavily disrupting the Magic’s offensive rhythm.

With 19 seconds left in the second quarter, Magic was down by 7 points.

Roger was ready to take over this offensive play, but in the last 5 seconds, just when Roger was ready to initiate the offense, Bulls’ backup center Bill Wennington deliberately fouled Shaq, sending him to the free throw line again.

Once again, the Magic’s offensive play was interrupted by the Bulls using this nasty tactic.