Champion Creed
Chapter 425 - 425 164 This is your champion's curse!

425: 164: This is your champion’s curse!

The distance to MVP?

(Asking for monthly votes!)_2 425: 164: This is your champion’s curse!

The distance to MVP?

(Asking for monthly votes!)_2 On the offensive end, apart from being a link-up player, Wilkins also got used to playing off the ball, reaching his career-high in assists.

Moreover, he gave up his obsession with slam dunks, opting for more mid-range shots and three-pointers.

So far this season, the highlight reel has averaged 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, perfectly playing the role Magic assigned to him by cleaning up the offensive leftovers from Shaq and Roger.

He can certainly be described as an outstanding role player now.

When he’s feeling it, leaving him open is a very dangerous choice.

In the second quarter, Wilkins taught the SuperSonics a lesson.

Corresponding to Wilkins’ 10 points in the quarter was Roger’s four assists.

Of Wilkins’ five baskets, four came off assists from Roger.

Roger’s ball distribution this season has been smoother and more accurate.

Loads of game tape and experience have transformed him from the scorer who once never fed Pippen an assist in a single season.

Now in his fourth NBA season, his ability to read the game had not stagnated.

With Spoelstra’s help, Roger had a video viewing room in his house, equipped with three massive bookcases filled with tapes.

As Saru put it, “It’s practically a library in there!”

All these efforts allowed Roger to locate his teammates on the offensive end more quickly and accurately.

By halftime, Roger had racked up 20 points and six assists, while Wilkins had 14 points.

The SuperSonics were already trailing by 12 points.

The impressive highlight-reel Wilkins became the target of reporters during halftime, “As long as we run the right offense around Roger, we can handle any defense.”

The reporters were taken aback, hardly believing such a statement could come from the proud Wilkins, especially one whose collar was grabbed by Roger at the preseason training camp.

Because it amounted to Wilkins praising Roger.

The so-called “bloody vote” incident hadn’t only negative consequences, at least now, everyone except Shaq was willing to follow Roger.

In the third quarter, Roger continued to control the offense.

He was truly in control of it.

Because he wasn’t just scoring himself, he was also setting up his teammates to score.

Before, fans might not have had a tangible sense of Roger’s improvement.

But when they saw him play against the SuperSonics, last season’s Finals opponent, everyone could clearly feel that Roger was playing smarter.

He wouldn’t miss out on his own scoring opportunities, nor those of his teammates.

Last season he had issues with a narrow passing vision, but this season, he was both a commander and a soldier leading the charge.

He wasn’t just a lethal scorer but was also exhibiting the traits of a deadly passer.

Of course, Roger couldn’t yet truly be an organizing core, his ability in that area still wasn’t on par with pure point guards like Kidd and Stockton.

But the theory that “Roger can’t pass” had completely gone bankrupt.

In the final 32 seconds of the third quarter, Roger broke through Payton’s defense, charging straight toward the basket.

The SuperSonics immediately converged.

Sam Perkins smartly positioned himself in front of O’Neal, knowing that Roger liked to connect with O’Neal in tight spaces inside.

Beyond that, the other SuperSonics players also tried to cut off passing lanes as much as possible, forcing Roger into a one-on-many situation.

The only player left completely open was Dominique Wilkins, who was lurking in the right corner.

Schrempf, guarding Wilkins, thought that Roger couldn’t possibly spot a teammate standing so far away.

After jumping, Roger indeed didn’t pass but instead rotated mid-air, looking to slip past Payton for a layup.

But it was futile, Kemp was waiting behind Payton.

Roger might have been able to get past Payton, but he surely couldn’t beat two men in mid-air, could he?

The SuperSonics were confident in their defense!

Roger had already spun 180° in the air, and Kemp was braced for the moment Roger turned to slam into him.

But just then, Roger forcefully twisted his waist in the air, overcoming inertia to stop the spin and twist his body in the opposite direction, effectively performing a high-difficulty half-spin fake in mid-air!

While doing all this, he flung the ball through the crowd to the distant Dominique Wilkins!

Schrempf hurriedly closed in, not having expected Roger could still find Wilkins in such a situation.

Last season, Roger certainly wouldn’t have been able to find Wilkins with that pass!

The current Roger, it seemed, could see every scoring gap!

Wilkins caught the ball, shot, and the three-pointer swooshed through the net!

The gap widened to 21 points!

After the ball went in, the SuperSonics players already looked dejected.

Last postseason, the SuperSonics fought hard until the fourth game.

But this season, a poor locker room atmosphere had drained their resolve to face difficulties head-on.

George Karl was still yelling, “Your defense is a pile of dog shit, no, worse than fucking dog shit!”

He had no idea what had happened, unaware that the SuperSonics’ situation was even worse than the Magic’s.

By now, just three quarters in, Roger had scored 29 points with ten assists, marking his fifth double-double of the season in points and assists.