465: 175: No Ga 7 this year!
(Requesting monthly passes!)_4 465: 175: No Ga 7 this year!
(Requesting monthly passes!)_4 Indeed, in the midst of a sports talk show, a dance sequence suddenly ca out of nowhere, strongly reminiscent of films brimming with curry flavor.
The cheerleaders on the Magic show were dressed more daringly than those of the Lakers, each a feast for the eyes.
But, no one knew what the purpose was of adding this dance segnt to the show.
Perhaps, it was a way to salvage the steadily declining viewership.
As the third and fourth gas moved to New York, the style of the series underwent a drastic transformation.
The first two gas were glamorous showcases for the two superstars, Roger and Jordan.
But the following two gas in New York saw the perforrs as if forced into shackles and heavy armor, discarding flair for teor hamrs and Wolf Fang Clubs, turning to ruthless combat.
In Ga 3, Roger and Shaq only scored 27 and 23 points respectively, but the Orlando Magic won the ga.
Because they held the Knicks to even fewer points.
Michael Jordan had 21 points with a 38% shooting success rate.
Patrick Ewing scored 17 points with a 46% shooting success rate.
The visuals of the ga shifted from sensational scoring to charges, falls, dragging, and fouling.
Brian Hill adjusted the team’s direction after the end of Ga 2.
He didn’t think that competing offensively with the Knicks was wise, so he tightened the defense.
He had everyone relentlessly pressure Jordan, double-teaming him as soon as he got the ball, giving him no extra steps.
For a Magic team that aside from its two stars was filled with older players, this defensive strategy was basically giving up on offense.
Because no role player could maintain their touch while exerting high intensity on defense.
The offense was thus entirely left to the two stars, naly Roger and Shaq, to handle.
Today, this move paid off.
The Magic’s robust periter defense pushed Jordan into crisis, lowering his shooting percentage.
Dominique Wilkins worked tirelessly, and Harper’s help defense was always on point.
But the standout was Roger.
His defensive plays determined the final outco of the ga.
In the final possession before the half, the Knicks had the ball.
At that point, the Knicks had just launched an 8-0 run, nearly evening the score.
During that offensive play, after Jordan received the ball, he first faked Wilkins with a move, then used a false shot to draw Harper, only to pass the ball mid-air to an unguarded Chris Childs.
If Chris Childs could have scored from mid-range in that open position, the Knicks could have tied the ga.
Most importantly, it would have given them a complete surge in montum.
But Roger rushed over from the weak side at lightning speed, just in ti to tip the ball away with his fingertips and complete the steal, breaking the Knicks’ scoring montum.
Then in the fourth quarter, in the last one minute and twenty seconds, Roger contributed two steals, each ti as Jordan was double-tead and forced to pass; Roger, as if he could read Jordan’s mind, was just there where the pass was ant to go.
Of course, Jordan knew it was not a matter of “just being there.”
It was Roger’s reading of the ga that allowed him to always be at the correct passing lane at the right ti.
Ultimately, Roger, who blocked Jordan’s passes the entire ga, secured 4 steals, laughing last in a defensive battle devoid of glamorous scoring figures.
“In the first two gas, he showed why he’s an MVP.
Today, he showed why he’s made the All-Defensive Team.
That’s Roger for you guys, every honor he receives is well deserved, leaving no room for doubt.
Right now, there’s much more to Roger than just scoring,” Steve Jones comnted after the ga.
But before the folks in Orlando could rejoice, the Knicks imdiately tied the score in Ga 4.
Michael Jordan didn’t score high, only 24 points, but he did many other things: 11 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks, 7 assists.
He also participated much more in defending Roger on the defensive end, which allowed the Knicks to limit Roger’s shooting percentage to below 40% for the first ti in this playoff series.
It seed like Jordan was intentionally responding to Roger: Competing with in versatility, huh?
You still have a long way to go.
While Roger was besieged, Shaq put up 32 points and 12 rebounds, but it was to no avail, as he was once again let down by his free throws at the most critical mont.
In the fourth quarter, with the Magic’s periter shooting turning cold and the team relying solely on Shaq, the Zen Master smartly employed the Hack-a-Shaq strategy at just the right mont.
In the final two minutes, the Zen Master allowed the other Magic players to shoot, but as soon as Shaq got the ball, they would imdiately foul him.
In the end, O’Neal made only 3 of 8 free throws, squandering the lead.
For the first ti, it was not Jordan or Roger who tilted the balance of victory.
Everything was left to O’Neal; if he could help the team secure the winning points in the last two minutes, he would undoubtedly tell the whole world that he was the team’s true star.
With Roger’s touch completely gone, on the brink of securing a key victory that would have given Orlando the series lead, all of Orlando’s hopes…
O’Neal got a near-perfect stage to prove himself.
In the end, during O’Neal’s first ti controlling the balance of victory, he ssed everything up.
It’s not hard to imagine how O’Neal felt.
He had always longed for a scene like tonight’s, he got the opportunity he’d been craving, only to bury it himself.
After the ga, O’Neal returned to the locker room in a fury.
He punched the television set stand; the TV fell and Shaq gave it an extra kick, reducing it to a pile of wreckage.
Reviews
All reviews (0)