Champion Creed
Chapter 618 - 618 219 This is a Unique Background Board Requesting Monthly Tickets!_5

618: 219: This is a Unique Background Board (Requesting Monthly Tickets!)_5 618: 219: This is a Unique Background Board (Requesting Monthly Tickets!)_5 Lenny Wilkens certainly knew this, but he had no choice.

If Roger were benched, the Hawks would lose their only stable scoring point.

Meanwhile, Pippen’s defense started to slow, and he clutched his waist wearing a mask of pain more and more frequently.

It was evident that the Hawks and Roger were teetering on the brink.

As long as the Jazz could take the lead once to disrupt the balance, the confidence of the Hawks might completely collapse, potentially transforming the game completely.

Finally, with 1 minute and 33 seconds left in the game, the Jazz got their chance.

At that moment, trailing by three points, Karl Malone faced Big Ben, who had just been substituted back in, making it hard for him to break through easily.

As Pippen came up to double team, he passed the ball to Bryon Russell.

Pippen, gritting his teeth, struggled to recover and offered Bryon Russell no opportunities.

Just when it seemed the Jazz would miss another offensive opportunity, the lethal 3-point shooter curled off a screen beyond the arc and got an open look!

Roger, already flashing red in terms of energy, couldn’t stick with Hornacek right away and by the time he shook off the screen and raised his hand to interfere, Hornacek had already released the ball.

In the previous game, it was nearly the same scenario, and Hornacek himself had lost the best opportunity.

But tonight, the lethal 3-point shooter would not miss!

“Bang!

This is an absolutely ruthless three-pointer, tying the game for the 16th time for the Utah Jazz!

Jeff Hornacek, how cold-blooded!

This physically unremarkable white shooter, with his signature move, made even the gods bleed!”

Marv Albert was thrilled, and the Hawks fans at the venue were extremely nervous.

This time, could the Hawks continue to hold the lead?

Roger, gasping heavily, initiated the next offense, but this time his lay-up attempt after breaking through was rejected by Mutombo’s big hand.

Generally, lay-ups, due to their high arc, are difficult to block.

But Mutombo, the best defensive player, had predicted Roger’s intentions early; he immediately came up to defend Roger, not even giving him a chance for the lay-up.

Roger failed to put the Hawks ahead again, now, it was down to whether the Jazz could seize the opportunity to take the lead!

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity saw Malone and Stockton opt for their most reliable tactic, a 1-4 pick-and-roll!

Big Ben calmly handled this offensive play; he first momentarily helped on Stockton during the pick-and-roll, then prepared to return mid-range to block Malone’s jump shot.

However, this time, Malone didn’t wait for a mid-range jump shot after the pick-and-roll, but quickly cut inside!

The synergy between Stockton and Malone came into play, almost the instant Malone made his move, Stockton bounced the ball right into his path.

Big Ben, misreading the play, immediately pursued, but still was a beat slow.

When Malone, shouldering Kurt Thomas, went up for the lay-up, Big Ben also jumped from behind along with Thomas, both reaching out to stop the lay-up.

Karl Malone was harshly bumped in mid-air, but the basketball still found its way into the net off the board.

Simultaneously, the referee blew his whistle.

2500 kilometers away, Salt Lake City went wild!

In countless living rooms, men released all their suppressed passion accumulated in this dull town.

“Karl Malone has given the Jazz the lead for the first time in this game, and he’s also earned a chance for a three-point play!

Can the Mailman seal the game?”

The foul was called on Big Ben, meaning that Big Ben had fouled out.

Big Ben was still too young, his erroneous defensive decision had cost him dearly.

He ripped off his headband, burying his head as he walked off the court, apologizing like a child who had erred: “Sorry, sorry, it’s all my fault, damn it!”

Lenny Wilkens waited for Big Ben at the sidelines, what would the old-school coach do?

If he were a domestic coach, no question about it, he would slap Big Ben nine times, teaching him a lesson about authority.

But Lenny Wilkens, this usually irascible old man, simply wrapped his arm around Big Ben’s neck, allowing him to lean on him: “Good job, boy.”

Clifford Robinson continued to play in place of Big Ben, and now, Karl Malone took his position at the free-throw line for the additional point.

With only 44 seconds left in the game, if Malone could make this shot, he would put the Jazz up by three points in the final 44 seconds.

This would significantly increase the Jazz’s chances of winning.

But Karl Malone’s free throws were notoriously lethal.

Lethal to his own team.

Magic also mentioned this.

“In crucial games at crucial moments, Karl behaves like a rat under the light of a flashlight, scrambling in panic.

There are a lot of great players, but naturally, some lack ‘that thing.’ I don’t know how to describe it, call it killer instinct or a big heart, but some players just lack ‘that thing.’

David Robinson lacks it, Charles Barkley lacks it.

Although they lack it for different reasons, David is too timid, always wanting to play team basketball in the crucial moments, while Charles is often too confident in his crucial moments, launching absurd three-pointers.

Anyway, a lot of great players lack it.

Karl Malone is one of them.”

Malone stood at the free-throw line, took a deep breath.

He had failed numerous times at crucial moments at the free-throw line, in fact, he had embarrassed himself at the free-throw line in last season’s finals.

Roger and Pippen also knew Malone’s weakness, so they both began to speak.