Champion Creed
Chapter 643 - 643 226 Hey it's hard to win with such a burden isn't it

643: 226: Hey, it’s hard to win with such a burden, isn’t it?

(Vote for me with your monthly ticket!)_3 643: 226: Hey, it’s hard to win with such a burden, isn’t it?

(Vote for me with your monthly ticket!)_3 So this time on offense, Pierce took the ball and charged straight for the paint.

Rick Fox had no personal vendetta with Roger, and even less with Pierce.

But emotions can be contagious.

When your team almost comes to blows with the opposition before the game starts, and the first round of the game is filled with trash talk and body collisions, you’d get caught up in the anger too.

Rick Fox, in mid-air, grabbed Pierce’s arm and flipped him over.

Pierce immediately got up and grabbed the collar of Rick Fox’s jersey.

O’Neal saw this and pushed Pierce away, but then Roger bumped into O’Neal.

The referees had no choice but to intervene to maintain order once again.

The commentator Bob Costas couldn’t help but laugh: “This is like a Royal Rumble from WWF!”

The teams were separated again, but the referees were already under immense pressure.

Because of this, they immediately gave Rick Fox a flagrant one foul.

The referees attempted to cool things down by imposing heavy penalties.

The Hawks executed two free throws, followed by an inbound pass, and continued their offense.

Facing the defense of Glenn Rice, Roger easily bypassed him with a change of direction and a spin move.

Then, Roger once again challenged the Lakers’ paint area!

O’Neal aggressively lunged out; his defensive intensity had reached its peak at that moment.

Roger went up for the layup in mid-air, and just as the basketball left his fingertips, Roger was knocked down by Shaq.

Lying on the floor, Roger heard the whistle and the swish of the net.

And one!

Roger sat up, roaring and pumping his fist: “Shaq, you’ve never beaten me, never!

Not in the past, not now, not ever!”

Yes, this was the reason why Shaq was always at a disadvantage in front of Roger.

Since leaving Magic and becoming rivals, the record between the Lakers and Hawks was 0 wins and 2 losses.

If they lost today, it would be 0 wins and 3 losses.

Considering Roger had won the championship last season, O’Neal standing next to Roger would automatically seem inferior.

Shaq had nowhere to vent his anger and could only kick the padding of the basketball hoop.

Just as his temper had slightly abated, Pierce approached with a snide remark: “Roger, I heard some delusional deadweight pig wanted to beat you up?”

“Oh, that piece of trash can only beat up basketball hoops and dolls.”

In the realm of trash-talking, Roger and Pierce had always been in tune.

Roger’s subsequent free throw was dead-on, and the Hawks were now leading 6 to 2.

Immediately afterward, Glenn Rice, after a series of movements to shake off his defender, received a pass from Kobe.

But the moment he caught the ball, Pierce had closed in tight again.

He made good on his promise; his defensive stance today was excellent.

Glenn Rice tried to penetrate, but Pierce stopped him with his strong body.

With no other option, Glenn Rice passed the ball back to Kobe.

Kobe, facing Bowen beyond the three-point line, made a triple-threat move before pulling up for a shot!

O’Neal mentally cursed Kobe’s entire family, but the ball ultimately swished through the net.

Finally, Kobe broke the Lakers’ awkward deadlock.

This season, Kobe had improved a lot, averaging 19 points a game, and had become O’Neal’s best sidekick.

After making the basket, Kobe glanced at Pierce who had been irked from the start: “What else can you do besides running your mouth?”

“I don’t talk to the dogs of a spineless shark.”

“Oh, you seem pretty proud to be Roger’s dog, huh?”

Pierce deliberately walked up to Kobe and elbowed him, and Kobe, not to be outdone, retaliated.

Then Kobe simply pushed Glenn Rice away: “Move, I’ll guard him!”

Good, it was originally just Roger, Pierce, and O’Neal.

Now Kobe had joined the game.

With the four of them jostling each other, the referees felt the intensity of the situation just thinking about it.

The game was edging further and further away from control.

The referees felt like a safety officer on his first day of work who got a 42-year sentence for encountering a bunch of talents.

It was a national broadcast; one of the few blockbuster matchups in this dilapidated lockout-shortened season.

David Stern had repeatedly insisted before the game that nothing unexpected should happen.

But now, avoiding an incident seemed extremely difficult.

In the next possession, an overeager Pierce took on Kobe one-on-one.

But Kobe used quick, tight, and nimble footwork, circling 360 degrees around Pierce, denying him any chance to break through.

In 1999, Kobe was already an impressive perimeter defender.

In the 99-00 season, he made the All-Defensive Team, and although he didn’t this season, his defense was already excellent.

Maybe he couldn’t handle Roger yet, but more than enough for the rookie Pierce.

Pierce tried to use his stronger body to drive, but Kobe stole the ball just as he was dribbling!

Kobe quickly picked up the ball and scored with a fast-break dunk!

“Still barking?” Kobe continued to stand by Pierce, as he had picked a fight with him.

O’Neal smiled; although Kobe was annoying, he had indeed improved a lot this season, which was why O’Neal was confident in locking in the championship.

Pierce continued to move frantically, looking to return the favor to Kobe.

But Kobe stuck to him like a shadow, and Pierce couldn’t even get the ball.

Roger had no choice but to attack on his own, waving at Kurt Thomas to come out for a pick-and-roll.

The Lakers responded by sending Rick Fox to cover.

They weren’t going to naively expose O’Neal directly to Roger.

But Fox couldn’t defend against the pick-and-roll by Roger and Kurt Thomas.

After using the screen, before Fisher could get around, Roger swiftly drove past Fox, once again heading straight for the basket guarded by O’Neal!