Champion Creed
Chapter 382 - 382 153 Undeniably he is a great player Votes for monthly ticket please!_2

382: 153: Undeniably, he is a great player (Votes for monthly ticket please!)_2 382: 153: Undeniably, he is a great player (Votes for monthly ticket please!)_2 Of course, the shooting percentage was a mere 28%.

However, it was clear that Tomjanovich was supportive of Flying Pig shooting three-pointers.

The Rockets had an advantage in that stringing together a few threes could instantly turn the tide.

Just when they were trailing by 9 points and seemingly on the brink of a double-digit deficit, two three-pointers miraculously brought them back into the game.

But then, O’Neal went to work in the paint, drew a foul from Olajuwon, and made a two-pointer, earning a 2+1 opportunity.

Additionally, Shaq sank the free throw, pushing the lead back up to six points.

The Rockets simply could not withstand Roger and O’Neal’s onslaught; they always managed to widen the gap at will.

The game proceeded at this pace, with Roger and O’Neal’s scores soaring, while the Rockets were always just a hair away from taking the lead or tying the game.

Charles Barkley was drenched in sweat.

He rushed to defend Roger and then double-teamed Shaq, running back and forth, only to watch Roger and Shaq score again and again.

The immense defensive effort also impacted Flying Pig’s performance on offense.

This was the first time Barkley felt being a role player was so challenging!

Drexler was like a cash machine to Roger on defense; with his opponent both stronger and faster, there was just no way to guard him.

Olajuwon also struggled defensively, as O’Neal’s low-post dominance was at a soul-crushing level.

Moreover, the Rockets’ transition game was even worse than the Magic’s, a common issue for star-studded teams.

In acquiring Barkley, the Rockets gave up too many quality role players.

Although Tomjanovich always ensured there were two star players on the floor at the same time, it was completely futile.

The Rockets could only cause trouble for the Magic when all three of their stars were on the floor.

Whenever they were one man short, they couldn’t control the game at all.

Roger and O’Neal were different; they could influence the game significantly even when leading the team on their own.

Despite all the superstars on the court, it must be admitted that Roger and O’Neal’s individual abilities had a far greater impact on the game than the aging trio of Drexler, Olajuwon, and Barkley.

By the end of the third quarter, the Rockets were down by 14 points.

In the fourth quarter, Tomjanovich could only increase the three stars’ playing time and use even more aggressive double-teaming against O’Neal and Roger.

This tactic initially worked because the Magic Team’s role players were not shooting well that day.

O’Neal and Roger passed the ball out a lot, but no one could convert these passes into scores.

The much-anticipated Dominique Wilkins was no exception; his shooting was notoriously unstable.

Although he was known as a scoring champion, many people didn’t realize he was also the turnover king in ’85, ’86, ’88, ’91, and ’94, ranking in the top ten for career missed shots.

With more focus on defense, Wilkins’ shooting became even more unreliable.

Brian Hill had no choice but to sub in Saru, managing to handle some of the shooting responsibility effectively.

But Saru’s defense was so poor that Mario Elie offset any points Saru scored.

Now you see why 3D players are so valuable, right?

A player that can effectively handle shots while balancing defense and not hogging the ball is as precious as a giant panda.

Helpless, Brian Hill had to bring Wilkins back in.

Upon his return, Wilkins seemed to regain some shooting touch and made a few baskets.

But the score was not stretched any further.

With 2 minutes left before the game ended, Barkley, in a fierce drive to the hoop, drew O’Neal’s fifth foul, and made the basket, earning a chance at a three-point play.

After making the free throw, the Rockets finally cut the lead down to 8 points, into the single digits.

Once again, the Rockets had narrowed the gap to a game-changing extent.

In their previous attempts, they hadn’t seized the opportunities because Roger and O’Neal’s ability to break defenses was too strong for the Rockets to handle.

What about this time?

This was the Rockets’ last hope for a comeback.

Olajuwon called for everyone to play serious defense.

They would continue to double-team Roger and Shaq, leaving the fate of the game in the hands of the Magic Team’s role players.

When Roger faced the double-team this time, he indeed passed the ball immediately to Wilkins.

According to Brian Hill’s strategy, Wilkins should have held on to the ball, wait for Mario Elie to get back to him, and after Roger had shaken off the double-team, pass the ball back to Roger.

But Wilkins, with his ugly shooting form, went ahead and took that key three-point shot!

He felt he had a chance, especially since he had just made two baskets.

Unlike his flashy and graceful dunks, Dominique Wilkins’ jump shot could only be described as ugly.

When he jumped, his legs would unconsciously bend, then he would stiffly push the ball out with one hand.

The entire shooting motion was quite unnatural and disjointed.

To put it in more straightforward terms, Dominique Wilkins’ jump shot had a certain “crab shooting” aesthetic to it.

Well, as I said before, being called a GOAT on the court is not a compliment.

Wilkins released the ball with his ungainly action, but because of the slow release, he was still slightly disrupted by Mario Elie.

As expected, Wilkins’ three-pointer bounced off the rim.

Olajuwon grabbed the rebound and immediately tossed the ball to Barkley.

Flying Pig advanced the ball quickly on a fast break, crossed the midcourt line, and with a beautiful long-distance behind-the-back pass found Drexler, who easily scored with a layup.