Champion Creed
Chapter 415 - 415 162 I Am the Mayor of New York!

415: 162: I Am the Mayor of New York!

(Vote for the monthly ticket!)_2 415: 162: I Am the Mayor of New York!

(Vote for the monthly ticket!)_2 This doesn’t conform to the “Champion’s Curse” at all!

Madison Square Garden, New York fans were enveloped by a strong sense of oppression.

The source of this oppression were Magic players number 14 and 32.

Although both still very young, this duo, since its official inception in the summer of 1994, had swept through every team in the league.

Even Michael Jordan couldn’t snatch a series win from their hands.

But this year, the whole world thought they were about done.

They had gone through two long seasons, with key players aging, Horace Grant leaving.

Most critically, the relationship between Roger and Shaq was no longer solid.

No one really believed that Roger and Shaq could take away a victory from Madison Square Garden.

To be honest, with O’Neal’s desire to take control, if he deliberately scored only 8 points in the game, no one would have been surprised.

But now?

This duo knew no despair and always managed to make the team see the glimmer of the championship.

New York fans treated tonight like a celebration, believing they would sacrifice the Orlando Magic by the third quarter and take the revelry to a climax.

But the continuous offensive and defensive coordination between Roger and Shaq had given the Knicks some trouble.

Magic called them “the strongest duo in history.” This was both praise and a prophecy.

The big screen was replaying the moment when Roger had just delivered an off-the-board alley-oop to Shaq, not looking back as he spread his arms wide to celebrate.

Without a doubt, this was the most spectacular moment of the day so far and would be a moment eternally remembered by the duo.

Roger with his arms spread wide, Shaq soaring through the air, and Jordan with his panicked expression upon realizing something was wrong – this could very well be nominated as one of the most classic moments in NBA history.

The whole world knew Roger and O’Neal had fallen out, but this did not stop them from making such a brilliant play.

Shaq could put aside his prejudices for the unique achievement of a three-peat.

Roger cared about nothing but victory.

And so they showed the whole world that they still had the ability to handle the league’s strongest interior defense!

Under the enormous pressure, the Knicks attacked again.

This time they didn’t use the pick and roll but formed a triangle instead.

Ewing was positioned high for the playmaking, Jordan made a backdoor cut to the key, but Roger was sticking to the ball-less Jordan and Grandmama stood no chance to pass.

Finding that the other players also had no good opportunities, Grandmama decided to go one-on-one with O’Neal.

Ewing pushed back laboriously by two steps, now in the whole league there was hardly any center who could gain the upper hand when posting up against O’Neal.

The disadvantaged Ewing ultimately went for a jump shot, but O’Neal’s resistance and interference were very strong, causing Ewing’s shot to brush the rim and out.

Ewing was blocked, Jordan was cut-off, Ewing was forced to shoot…

in several consecutive plays, neither Jordan nor Ewing could score.

Ever since Roger and Shaq started defending together, Knicks fans discovered for the first time that there was a team capable of dominating Ewing and Jordan simultaneously in the same game!

The game continued, and the Magic Team was now just 3 points away from evening the score.

O’Neal sank into the post, pinning Ewing firmly behind him.

Roger lobbed the ball steadily in, and at the moment of passing, he cut to the key.

Larry Johnson pursued with all his strength, but Roger abruptly stopped and ran back, circling around to the three-point line!

Grantmama, who was less agile and slower than Roger, was thrown off, and Shaq immediately passed the ball out.

Roger fired from beyond the arc, the three-pointer hitting the mark.

The shooting touch of other players had been worn down, but Roger, who had been conserving his play earlier, had not lost his shooting touch.

The Magic effortlessly tied the game, easier than anyone had imagined, but what truly excited the Magic fans wasn’t Roger’s deadly accurate shooting, but that O’Neal was also still willing to pass the ball to Roger.

After tying the score, Shaq and Roger didn’t speak to each other, but it didn’t mean they weren’t talking to others.

Roger turned his head to Jordan, “See that, Michael?

That’s what you call consistency!”

O’Neal did likewise, “Patrick, you’ll always be the second-best center in the East, the day I entered the league it was destined!”

After speaking, Shaq watched as Roger taunted, “Hah, even you dare claim to be the first?”

But it didn’t sound like he was talking to Jordan.

Shaq immediately started on Ewing, “Patrick, what are you without Michael?

Don’t act all high and mighty, you need teammates, you can’t do without others’ support!”

Jordan and Ewing: ???

Isn’t it…

you two are arguing through others!

Picking on us to vent your frustrations, assholes!

The score tied, the Knicks called a timeout.

The situation and plans for the Knicks were drastically different from expected, Jordan and Ewing initially planned to widen the gap while the Magic’s perimeter shooting was off in the third quarter.

Instead, they now had no lead at all.

New York fans had hoped to witness their team lay the foundation of a dynasty with a big win on Christmas Eve.

Instead, they became even more acutely aware of the terror that was Roger and Shaq.

For the first time this season, New York fans saw Jordan and Ewing be suppressed at the same time!

Now, nobody in the world was fantasizing about the Magic falling apart anymore.

Magic joked, “Looks like Coach George Karl’s wine was opened too early.”