Champion Creed
Chapter 611 - 611 217 I will lead you forward asking for monthly tickets!_3

611: 217: I will lead you forward (asking for monthly tickets!)_3 611: 217: I will lead you forward (asking for monthly tickets!)_3 This open letter was personally written by Jerry Sloan, who then printed a copy for everyone.

This silver-haired old man, a lifelong tough bone, a fighter, poured all his emotions into this small envelope.

It indeed worked, as the Jazz team was rejuvenated and united once again.

They didn’t want to lose to the same opponent twice.

Nor did they want to waste this once-in-a-decade championship opportunity.

So in Game 3 of the finals, the intensity and difficulty were greater than anyone had anticipated.

In Game 3, the Jazz’s defense was better than in the first two games.

Roger only had 1 assist in the entire first half, almost as if it were a flashback to 1993.

Had Roger again turned off his passing game?

Not really, Roger passed a lot of good balls, but none resulted in assists because whenever outside shots were fired, the Jazz’s interference was immediately in place.

By halftime, the Hawks’ shooting percentage was quite dismal.

Pippen 1 for 7, Stevie Smith 0 for 4.

If it weren’t for Clifford Robinson scoring three three-pointers in the first half, the score difference might have already widened.

In an interview, Jeff Hornacek told reporters, “Us old arms and legs threw ourselves out to defend the three-pointer a bit faster, that’s the only reason.”

In the second half, the injured Pippen continued to be lost on the offensive end, making only 1 of 9 shots.

Stevie Smith simply reduced his shooting, 1 of 2.

The performance of these two tonight, 3 for 22 combined, was simply traitorous.

When a team’s star players put out numbers like these, it generally indicates that the team is not far from demise.

But the Hawks changed everything with their defense.

If Pippen couldn’t score, then he plagued the other Jazz players even more madly.

Once Karl Malone got the ball, he dared not hesitate; the moment the ball lingered even a second longer, Pippen’s history’s greatest sniping hands in the NBA would attack Malone.

Stevie Smith also fought desperately to help out, becoming an excellent “filler,” making it equally difficult for the Jazz to score three-pointers.

Coupled with Roger’s steady output, Big Ben’s aggressive rebound battles, and the excellent touch of Bowen and Robinson off the bench, the Hawks ultimately won Game 3 by a narrow margin of 87 to 83.

2 to 1!

This game was won by the Hawks, but the Jazz were still not crushed.

The power of Jerry Sloan’s letter was still working, and the Jazz proved that the gap between them and the Hawks was far smaller than the 21 points in Game 2.

The Hawks realized too that the finals would not end so easily.

In this game, the Jazz were just a few rounds short of completely reversing the situation.

Pippen and Stevie Smith’s poor shooting, aside from injury factors, also involved their physical condition.

Many people forget that the Jazz had a full week’s more rest than the Hawks, possessing a better energy reserve.

The difference in energy reserves didn’t show in the first few games, but it became increasingly evident the further into the series it went.

Both a fully fueled car and a half-fueled car can race at top speed for the first 400 kilometers.

But running another 400 kilometers after that, the difference would become clear.

The further the Hawks played, the harder it would get.

The Jazz’s goal now was simple: find a way to win a game in Atlanta.

Getting ahead directly in Atlanta would not be easy, but as long as they could bring the game back to the thin air of Salt Lake City, the Hawks would struggle to soar!

Game 4, as expected, was even tougher than before.

Even Roger started to lose his accuracy today.

Roger’s stamina is good, but not inexhaustible.

Under severe confrontation, Roger was completely off tonight, shooting only 40% and scoring just 27 points.

In the past three years, Roger had O’Neal to share the scoring burden.

Regardless of how many points Shaq scored, as long as he stood on the court, he could attract the opponent’s defensive resources.

But this year was entirely different, especially after Game 3 when Pippen and Stevie Smith warped the rim, almost the entire Jazz team targeted Roger in Game 4.

Roger felt immense offensive pressure and his energy depleted faster.

Both sides were missing shots, keeping the score very low.

In the final 45 seconds of the game, the Hawks had the ball with a score of 78 to 77, trailing the Jazz by just 1 point.

Pippen dribbled past Hornacek and drove straight to the basket for a layup.

But in mid-air, Karl Malone trying to block from behind accidentally hit Pippen’s back.

Although Malone didn’t block the shot, the severe pain in his back prevented Pippen from completing this crucial finish.

The basketball bounced off the rim, and Roger personally grabbed the rebound near the free-throw line.

Because time was almost up, Roger had to make a hurried mid-range jump shot.

This time, Roger’s critical jump shot also bounced off the rim!

Malone immediately elbowed off Big Ben and securely retained the rebound.

In the starting games, Big Ben, although good at protecting his team’s rebounds, had almost no chance at offensive rebounds.

Mutombo and Karl Malone’s protection of the rebounds was impenetrable.

And so, the Utah Jazz had the opportunity to kill the game!

They could possibly tie the series at 2 all!

The whole world knew, the further the games went, the tougher it would be for the Hawks to hold up.

If the Jazz tied the series, it could very well mark the beginning of the Hawks’ decline.

This was the best opportunity for the Jazz to change the series dynamics, and Jerry Sloan arranged several tactics during the timeout.

Eventually, the Jazz’s sideline play was passed to Karl Malone at mid-range, who was holding the ball with his back to the basket.

He then quickly spun around, aiming to powerfully drive to the basket.