Champion Creed
Chapter 467 - 467 175 No Game 7 this year!

467: 175: No Game 7 this year!

(Requesting monthly passes!)_6 467: 175: No Game 7 this year!

(Requesting monthly passes!)_6 Magic Team on the offense, watching O’Neal at the free-throw line with all kinds of awkward postures, clanking the ball.

Knicks on the offense, watching Ewing pick and roll, then shoot a mid-range jumper – and clanking it too.

People don’t know, the G1 and G2 games were so flashy, how did it come to G5 turning out like this.

This feels just like when you watch an online novel author live coding, only to have him start slacking off after half an hour, then suddenly switch to streaming games.

The drastic change caught people off guard.

From a future perspective, G1 and G2 resemble games from the 21st century, with high scoring, fast pacing, and lots of exciting plays.

Starting with G3, it was classic 90s style.

The change really was a bit drastic.

With 1:04 left in the game, Michael Jordan simply couldn’t stand it any longer and decided to take matters into his own hands.

At this point, the movie’s essence of stamina was almost at rock bottom, so it couldn’t stop Jordan’s initial breakthrough.

After slipping past Wilkins, Jordan opted for a very simple, quick-stop jump shot to end the offense.

Thankfully, Roger got there in time to disturb the shot, preventing Jordan from scoring.

The Knicks were still trailing by three points, and both sides were struggling to score in the final moments.

Brian Hill called a timeout; he had to change strategies.

In the final moments, Brian Hill didn’t want to pass the ball to Shaq again.

Watching Shaq at the free throw line was torture, both for him and the team.

So he decided to substitute the exhausted Wilkins with Saru, hoping to create some plays from the perimeter.

This magical Lithuanian had always been crucial in last season’s playoffs, with his 15 points in one quarter during last year’s Finals Game 3 being one of the classical performances of his career.

But the Knicks surely wouldn’t be foolish enough to leave him wide open, so the key was how to make the Knicks leave him unguarded and safely get the ball to him.

Brian Hill set up a bold tactic, with Roger as the main initiator.

O’Neal felt a bit down, as the scales of victory were once again unrelated to him.

The game continued, with Magic as today’s live commentator, reflecting on the low shooting percentages being experienced by both teams:

“In the ’82 Western Conference Finals against the Spurs, I remember Pat said he wanted to overturn the fallacy that ‘playoff basketball is all about half-court offense and defense.’ So he led us to play a fast-paced defensive counterattack, which was the beautiful Showtime.

But it turns out, this theory is still not overturned.

Most teams in the playoffs still play a bloody half-court offense and defense, even Riley himself is doing just that.”

Marv Albert, sitting beside him, responded, “Yes, Magic, as the playoffs get more critical, the defense tightens up.

Both sides are like two conservative boxers, not throwing punches lightly, but fully defending and waiting for the other to make a mistake.”

Marv Albert really nailed the point.

Waiting for the other side to make a mistake.

Whose defense will slip up first?

Magic Team inbounded the ball from the baseline, Saru controlling it outside the three-point line, O’Neal posturing, Roger running to pull defenders.

It looked like Magic Team still wanted to focus on those two to play this critical offense.

With 16 seconds left in the offense, Saru passed the ball to Roger, who had moved beyond the three-point line on the right.

Roger started immediately, stepping past the equally exhausted and thus slow-moving Larry Johnson.

Of course, that did not mean Roger’s breakthrough succeeded.

Soon, Jordan, Chris Childs, and Oakley, from the front, left, and right respectively, closed in on Roger.

Limiting his space to attack and cutting off his passing lanes.

Roger turned his head towards Harper, lurking in the corner, hands coming together in a pass towards him.

Jordan immediately went to intercept, but for Roger, it was just a fake.

After shaking off Jordan, Roger leapt towards Oakley and maneuvered the ball around the waist of the upcoming defender.

This move looked like he wanted to feed the ball to Shaq, who was behind the defense.

Ewing immediately shoved O’Neal brutally aside and lunged for the passing lane.

Two years prior, due to the century’s alley-oop, because of the partnership between Roger and O’Neal, the Knicks were utterly crushed.

Roger passed the ball, but Shaq wasn’t the target.

Twisting his wrist around Oakley’s waist, Roger miraculously passed the ball back to Saru, who was left open outside the three-point line.

Through a series of deceptions and misdirections, when Saru caught the ball, there wasn’t a single person in front of him.

In this heavyweight boxing match, the Knicks’ defense was the first to err.

And as everyone knows, the King’s most loyal knight, no matter when, will heed the call and never betray.

Swish.

“Sarunas hits the three-pointer, giving the Magic a six-point lead with just 44 seconds left on the clock!

A beautiful basket, but Roger’s assist was also spectacular.

I’ve always said, Roger will spread his spirit of defiance to everyone!

That shot was a deciding factor, a game point almost within grasp!”

Magician was right, that three-pointer ultimately helped the Magic secure the victory.

It wasn’t a buzzer-beater, but just like Kyrie Irving’s three-pointer in the last 53 seconds of the 2016 Finals Game 7, Sarunas’s shot was also one that killed the game.

And Roger delivered the deadliest pass of his professional career.

After the game ended, Roger ran up to Sarunas and lifted him up around the waist.

After being put down, Sarunas patted Roger on the face, “Having a king like you, I really worry about going back to Lithuania, hahaha.”

Once again, Sarunas saved the game.

As long as Knight is by King’s side, he will fulfill his duties.

However, the joy of victory didn’t last very long.

Even though the Magic had reached match point, the series was far from over.

Roger definitely didn’t want to go to a game seven like last year, as in today’s fourth quarter, it was visibly clear that Harper and Wilkins were nearly out of gas.

If they went to a game seven and then to the finals, the team would be at a disadvantage.

This game was one where both Roger and Jordan were subdued.

Jordan scored 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, Roger 26 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds.

Jordan shot 39% from the field, Roger 40%.

Neither was good.

In the next game, no matter what, they can’t play like this again.

Jordan thought the same.

The next game, can’t go like this.

The showdown between the two superstar giants was about to reach its ultimate climax.

The victory would ultimately have to be seized by Roger and Jordan.

Marv Albert proposed a question, “So far in the series, Roger and Michael both have had dominant performances in different games.

Next game, for Roger it’s about advancing, for Michael it’s a do-or-die.

So, is it possible for them to both deliver a dominant performance in the same game, for a real summit showdown?”

After saying this, Marv Albert glanced at Wilkins.

Maybe, like the ’88 showdown between Bird and ‘The Movie.'”

When Marv Albert was watching Wilkins, Wilkins was looking at Roger.

For Wilkins, this was the furthest he had gone in his professional career.

The intensity of the Eastern Finals was far beyond his expectations.

This was a battle he had never experienced in his career, and he now understood what a showdown between superstars meant.

At the moment, all he could do was trust Roger.

Then, Magic, acting as a courtside reporter, walked over to Roger.

Roger put his arm around Magic, showing great closeness.

With Magic constantly speaking highly of Roger, Roger had developed a bit of a fondness for him.

“Congratulations, Roger, that final pass was very creative, the kind I would’ve made back in the day.

It was a tough game; what kept you going till the end?”

“The desire for victory, and of course, your encouragement, Magic.”

“What are your expectations for the next game?”

“No game seven this year!

If we win, Magic, I’ll come on your show and take my time talking about this round of the playoffs.”

“Thanks for the offer, Roger, but my show was canceled a week ago.

Before you eliminated the Knicks, I was already knocked out.”

Magic gave a wry smile and shook his head.

(There’s only one update today because it’s a double chapter.)