Champion Creed
Chapter 851 - 851 283 Trouble Seems to Disappear Requesting Monthly Tickets!

851: 283: Trouble Seems to Disappear (Requesting Monthly Tickets!) 851: 283: Trouble Seems to Disappear (Requesting Monthly Tickets!) The Zen Master felt helpless when he returned to the hotel.

His double team strategy tonight completely fell apart, although he did manage to limit Roger from scoring another terrifying forty or fifty points.

But if they can’t win, such limitations are meaningless.

The Zen Master surely knows that role players are also key to changing the game because he is a coach who very much believes in role players in critical moments.

However, he didn’t expect the Hawks’ role players to be able to output such a strong firepower.

Especially that damned old white guy, he didn’t score much but all his points were crucial.

He’s just a role player but a key role player nonetheless.

Last summer, when Eric Snow decided to leave Atlanta to settle in Philadelphia, every championship-contending team thought the Hawks’ backcourt had collapsed and their opportunity had come.

Pete Babcock stayed up late almost to the point of exhaustion to strengthen the team for Roger, not to disappoint him.

But it was all worth it; his efforts paid off.

O’Neal was extremely angry when he returned to the hotel, feeling like he was on the brink of success only to fail because after tonight’s game, no one would say the Lakers were the most dominant team in the playoffs.

Their previous record of 11 double-digit wins was indeed terrifying, but losing to the Hawks meant they could no longer achieve a perfect playoff record like the Hawks did last season.

The difference in dominance between perfect and non-perfect is significant.

Even if the Lakers win the championship in the end, they can only be said to be “the second most dominant team after the 2000 Hawks.”

Shaquille O’Neal became angrier the more he thought about it, feeling that his opportunity for greatness was damn well ruined by Roger.

The Shaq thought of a harsh reality—ever since leaving Roger, he had been losing face, something that had never changed!

O’Neal didn’t continue pondering, his anger was overwhelming, so he decided to vent his emotions through an action game.

He first played a standing rod against Shaunie, building up momentum before furiously stabbing away to win the post-game battle.

Kobe watched on TV as they replayed, over and over, the scenes of his key attacks being intercepted by Roger, reaching a peak of fury.

But Kobe didn’t go about standing rods and stabbing on Vanessa; in fact, he didn’t even bring Vanessa to the away game.

He only planned on venting his anger in the next game.

Grant Hill was the calmest, talking with his parents on the phone before going to bed early.

Tonight, Grant Hill was the Lakers’ best performer.

When Kobe was guarded by Roger, he shouldered the burden of hard answers, and when Shaq was fronted, he sustained the team’s firepower.

He had a clear conscience.

And he knew, the finals were far from over.

It was just a temporary setback, and there were plenty of opportunities to win.

In the second match, the Lakers won the game as expected.

The Zen Master continued his strategy from the start of the game, testing the Hawks’ role players’ durability.

But Pierce and the others still didn’t disappoint Roger, so in the second half, the Lakers didn’t dare recklessly double team, giving Roger opportunities.

However, in this battle, the Lakers’ role players also played a part, with Rick Fox and Robert Horry reliably sinking three-pointer after three-pointer, spacing the floor for Shaq to dominate the Hawks’ interior, which was sorely lacking in height.

The Hawks paid the price of Kurt Thomas fouling out and Big Ben having five fouls and still couldn’t stop the behemoth.

Both sides battled into the final moments of the fourth quarter tied, Roger missed a three-pointer, Shaquille O’Neal pushed away Big Ben, who had been pestering him, and won the aerial battle against the long-armed monster Marion, securing a crucial defensive rebound.

Shaq wanted to find Kobe or Grant Hill for an immediate counterattack, a classic method for the Lakers to crush opponents.

But when he lifted his head, he saw the Hawks in white jerseys retreating in full force like the tide going out, forcing the Lakers into another round of difficult half-court play.

The Hawks put up strong and steady defense; Kobe tried several times but couldn’t break through Roger, and Grant Hill had missed four times, so Pierce held him at bay with defense-focused tactics.

Finally, Ron Harper found the giant he once established a dynasty with.

Generally, the ball wouldn’t go to him in crucial moments, but this time Harper had no choice.

Harper could almost pass the ball to Shaq without looking since he wasn’t fronted, and all the fans in Atlanta held their breath, unsure if the Defensive Player of the Year would be crushed.

But as soon as Shaq got the ball, that strange-looking, awkwardly shaped long-armed ape appeared.

Shawn Marion, almost immediately with Big Ben, double-teamed Shaq.

Although Shaq had height and weight advantages, both Big Ben and Marion were adept at stripping the ball and blocking shots, so Shaq’s offensive action in the paint was limited.

It was possible the ball would be stripped just as he gathered it, or blocked just as he raised it.

Shaq had experienced this numerous times with the Hawks.

Thus, Shaq chose to pass the ball at this critical moment, targeting the guy at the left corner.

Robert Horry, seemingly hiding in a trench for a long time, suddenly shook off the dust and shot.

Marion, who had sagged too deep, had no time to disrupt, watching helplessly as the basketball sailed over his head.

Marion hoped for the best, thinking Robert Horry, already 31, had previously made four threes and scored 12 points, but hadn’t scored in the fourth quarter.

He might not be feeling it!

“Swish!”

This sound shattered Shawn Marion’s fantasy; that guy who once followed the Dream to beat Roger in the Finals delivered a deadly shot!

Robert Horry has always been good at finding his presence among a bunch of superstars, and this time he did it again.

In the end, the Lakers maintained this 3-point lead to the end, with Robert Horry being key to resolving the game.

Because the Lakers didn’t continue recklessly double-teaming in the second half, Roger scored 42 points today.

But the Hawks still lost.

You can’t say the stars lost their dominance in this series, Roger, Shaq, Kobe, Hill, and Pierce were still the best-performing players.

But because the games were very, very intense, even a role player’s single shot could change destiny.

Anyway, Bill Simmons’ prediction came true once again.

No side can easily win this Finals series.

For the Lakers, a score of 1 to 1 is not unacceptable.

After all, the next three games are consecutively at home in Los Angeles.

In the post-game interview, a reporter also asked Roger: “The Los Angeles Lakers have won another game.

Clearly, the Purple Gold Army doesn’t lack strength and courage.

This round will definitely be a fierce battle.

Roger, are you confident you can endure the next three away games in Los Angeles?”

“The Hawks won’t end up empty-handed like the Falcons, strength and courage are just the basic conditions when facing me.”

Roger’s off-the-cuff remark offended some football fans from Georgia, because the Falcons really ended up empty-handed again this year.

Even the fans of the Atlanta Warriors felt offended because the name of the Warriors team in Atlanta is the same word as courage.

But not many people cared about this now, everyone’s eyes were on Roger.

G3 in Los Angeles, Lakers fans gathered in large numbers outside the Staples Center, clamoring for a home victory.

But Roger crushed the Lakers fans’ dreams with a consecutive 40+ performance.

After winning the last game despite not aggressively double-teaming Roger, Zen Master completely changed strategy in G3.

The result was Roger wreaking havoc at the Staples Center, scoring at will, leaving the Purple Gold Army in disarray, scoring 47 points for the game!

The Lakers’ big three performed relatively evenly today, Shaq scored 28, Kobe 26, and Grant Hill 21.

Of course, you could also say, the big three delivered brilliant performances.

But Roger’s 47 points still led the Hawks to win by 6 points.

2 to 1, after three games, neither the Lakers nor the Hawks have ever beaten each other by double digits.

The term evenly matched pervaded the entire series.

Shaq rarely boasted powerfully after the game: “We won’t celebrate Roger winning the championship in Los Angeles!”

Then in G4, O’Neal exploded with 43 points, proving his words true.

Because Robert Horry maintained his excellent touch, the Hawks’ double team was limited, leading Big Ben and Kurt Thomas to both foul out tonight.

Poor Horace Grant became a pushover for Shaq in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter.

Watching Horace Grant’s plight, Magic couldn’t help but remark to himself that Shaunie probably wasn’t played as badly.

With Shaunie, there were always soft moments for O’Neal.

But facing O’Neal, Horace Grant faced a challenge that lasted until the end of the game.

109 to 104, the Los Angeles Lakers tied the series score at 2 to 2.

Roger today scored a game-high 45 points but still lost the game.

He has scored 40+ in three consecutive finals, tying his record from the 1995 finals.

The match was dragged into a critical decisive battle, and it’s rare for a team to push Roger into a decisive game in the finals, especially since 1995 no finals opponent has made Roger score 40+ in three consecutive games.

In a way, the Lakers have already proven their strength.

They have also proven they indeed deserve to win.

Who will laugh last in the series remains uncertain.

The decisive battle became the most-watched game of the series.

In the first half, the Lakers were in trouble, because Roger’s shooting was unbelievably good today.

Seeing this, Lenny Wilkens increased Hornacek’s playing time.

The threat of Hornacek kept the Lakers from double-teaming Roger, leaving them to watch as he dismantled every defender they threw at him.

Magic had a hunch: “Tonight, Roger might not just score 40!”

Zen Master clenched his fist in frustration, fingernails almost digging into his flesh.

“If it weren’t for this damned old white guy, if it weren’t for him!

Damn it!”

In the third minute of the third quarter, the Lakers decided to leave Hornacek open.

He got his first shot opportunity, and Grant Hill, like a beast gone mad, pounced on him, colliding with Hornacek due to inertia.

The referee didn’t call a foul; these days, getting a 3+1 isn’t that easy.

The Lakers countered, Kobe’s long pass found Grant Hill, who released his frustration with a one-handed slam dunk.

The Lakers closed the gap to 3 points, and the bloody battle of the decisive game continued.

However, after the Lakers completed their attack, Jeff Hornacek still didn’t get up.

He lay curled on the ground, sweating profusely.

Michael Reed stood up from the bench, feeling a chill down his spine.

It’s over.

This had two meanings: Reed knew Hornacek’s health status, so seeing him unable to stand, he realized his teammate was done.

His knee finally gave out on him.

The second meaning, his fate was sealed.

Reed glanced at Stacy Hornacek in the stands, hands over her mouth, considering whether to buy a helmet.

Where do you find serious ballplayers without helmets?

Roger leaned down beside Hornacek, worried about causing secondary injury, so he didn’t rudely pull him up, just asked, “How are you Jeff?”

“Damn, damn it!” Hornacek slapped the floor in pain and then stared intently at Roger, “Roger, give me two minutes!

I’ll be back soon, I promise!”

Zen Master watched as Hornacek was helped off the court by the Hawks’ medical team, and although it was cruel,…

his trouble seemingly disappeared for real.