Chapter 924: 305: They can only pray to God (ask for monthly votes!)
The Hawks didn’t have any slip-ups in the first round of this year’s playoffs like they did last season.
A clean 3-0 sweep, for the third ti in Roger’s career, sending Ray Allen’s Bucks ho.
Sotis, Roger feels certain things are truly destined.
If everything had developed according to the original tiline, the Bucks wouldn’t even have made it to the playoffs this year.
As a result, because Ron Artest was traded to the Pistons instead of the Pacers, the Pacers’ strength plumted, freeing up a playoff spot.
This vacant spot was just so happen taken by the Bucks, and then the Bucks coincidentally t the Hawks again.
Roger also happens to be one of Ray Allen’s least favorite players.
Ray Allen doesn’t understand why fate insists on arranging such suffering and humiliation for him. He’s hated Roger for a long ti, hated Roger’s tendency to always be superior.
Yet every ti he faces off against Roger, he can only watch helplessly as Roger continues to be arrogant in front of him.
That wasn’t the end of it; every ti he lost to Roger, Ray Allen inevitably suffered insults to his dignity from that old bastard George Karl.
Of course, Ray Allen’s misfortunes had nothing to do with Roger.
He was only responsible for destroying opponents in his path and wouldn’t look back at the places destroyed.
The journey to the championship always requires shedding blood, and the Milwaukee Bucks were simply unlucky to block the Hawks’ path this ti.
The second round brought Reebok’s favorite drama: Roger VS Allen Iverson.
Honestly, seeing AI in the second round surprised Roger.
What exactly did Tracy McGrady do to be unable to beat even the declining Philadelphia 76ers? This was pretty much his best chance to break the first-round curse.
The Philadelphia 76ers are indeed not faring well; after last season’s battle with the Hawks in the East finals, AI’s personal fa reached its peak, and Philadelphia fans believed the team was not far from the finals.
Then, last sumr, AI finally married the girlfriend he’d known since high school.
Having achieved success and married the woman he loved, it was the happiest ti in AI’s chaotic life.
But sotis, lows unexpectedly follow peaks.
In the sumr of 2001, the Philadelphia 76ers gained nothing in the free-agent market, only signing the 34-year-old Derrick Coleman. Although AI was still young, the Philadelphia 76ers were actually a very old team. Signing Coleman made the team even older, a fatal move.
During the regular season, these old guys were extrely lazy, their desire seemingly aging with their bodies. The fans pleaded for victory like a desperate wife but received no response from the aging n.
The young AI was full of desire, but his body wasn’t made of iron.
All his injuries continued to worsen, AI’s willpower could suppress these pains, but couldn’t make them disappear. Injuries plagued AI throughout the season.
And the opening of zone defense was the final straw that broke AI.
Perhaps David Stern’s initial purpose of opening zone defense was to limit Shaq or Roger, but under the wheels of the era, the big shots could often remain safe; getting crushed rcilessly were “ordinary people” like AI.
In the man-to-man era, once AI received the ball, the defense could only leave it to fate.
But in the zone defense era, all teams could pre-position three or four n guarding the paint, blocking AI’s penetration routes.
This season, whenever Iverson got the ball, he could only face two choices—one versus three or one versus four.
Of course, with AI’s break-through ability, he could completely exploit the defense by passing the ball.
But on the Philadelphia 76ers, could you find a reliable shooter? AI could pass the ball out, but his teammates couldn’t make the shot.
Larry Brown’s one-star-four-protect distorted lineup could still work in the man-to-man era, but after the opening of zone defense, this 76ers team has simply beco the remnants of the era, their basketball appearing extrely outdated.
An aging roster, outdated strategies… the whole 76ers beca lifeless after last season’s peak.
So this year, the 76ers didn’t perform well in the regular season and went to a Ga 5 against the Magic in the first round.
But T-Mac was ultimately T-Mac, he could always find various unexpected ways to stay in the first round.
In a favorable situation, T-Mac sohow managed to support AI into the semifinals with a performance of making one out of nine shots in the final quarter of Ga 5.
Roger had more respect for T-Mac, not everyone could consistently have themselves in the first round using strength.
To lose to this already fallen Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs, it’s not easy!
76ers’ advancent provided so comfort to Philadelphia fans, but the Hawks completely ended Philadelphia fans’ fantasy, as Roger led the team to sweep the 76ers out 4-0 cleanly.
And in the four gas, not a single ga saw the 76ers shrink the point difference to single digits.
The 76ers’ defense was indeed strong, but their offense was really weak.
Iverson could score 30 points on average, but under zone defense rules, his shooting percentage was only 38%, such efficiency was far from enough for victory in the ga.
In seven gas, the Atlanta Hawks left East with only endless darkness.
After the fourth ga, AI didn’t know what to say.
Roger was still in his pri, but his team had already started to decline.
This guy, who entered the finals starting from 1993, was still ruling the East in 2002, and his dominance was so unbreakable.
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