Champions Creed

Chapter 121 120: The Light King and His Knights! (Seeking monthly tickets!)

Roger had done everything to Jordan that should and shouldn't be done.

He had completely stripped Michael Jordan, except for the dunk.

Today, he filled in the missing link and completely devoured Jordan.

This was undoubtedly Jordan's most humiliating moment after Roger stepped over him last season.

Jordan had been dunked on before, but this was the first time he was knocked to the ground by a head-on dunk.

Nike was powerless to do anything about this. This was a game that was broadcast live across the United States, and the footage was being replayed in front of millions of people. They had no remedial measures.

We can't send men in black to go door to door to erase memories, can we?

Countless fans are impressed by Roger's improvement on the defensive end, as if he became so strong overnight.

But Steve Jones has long said that Roger has made great progress in defense this season.

It's just that defense is different from offense. It's easy to see improvement in offense. Whether your shooting is more accurate, whether you score more, whether your efficiency is higher, can all be intuitively reflected through simple data.

Moreover, progress on the offensive end is usually very concrete. When talking about a player's progress on the offensive end, you can say that he developed three-pointers in a certain season, developed off-ball skills in a certain season, and developed dream dance steps in a certain season.

But the improvement on the defensive end is not so easy to detect, just like it is difficult to explain how Kevin Garnett became a defensive master step by step. His improvement on the defensive end does not seem to be very obvious in a certain year of his career.

Just looking at the statistics, he was able to contribute 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks in his rookie season, an all-around defensive performance, which seems to be not much different from the data he won DPOY that year.

Therefore, it is not easy to intuitively feel a player's improvement on the defensive end.

The same goes for Roger's defense. Although he seems to have not changed much, he has actually begun to influence the game through defense.

Of course, another reason is that in most of the previous games, Roger, like before, focused almost all his energy on the offensive end.

The defensive end was only taken care of occasionally and not invested too much.

But in this game, Brian Hill placed great emphasis on defense.

He asked Roger to actively assist Jordan in the opening stages.

This gave Roger the opportunity to show his strength.

Brian Hill is well aware that last season the team essentially relied on offense to sweep the Bulls 8-0 in a single season.

O'Neal's containment in the interior and Roger's explosion at the power forward position were the reasons why the Bulls lost the game.

Their defense could never contain Roger and the Shark, so they couldn't win a single game.

But this season, because O'Neal is temporarily absent and the Bulls' defense has become much stronger, they will definitely not win the game by relying on offense alone.

The team must compete with the Bulls on defense to have a chance of winning!

As the game continued, Jordan discovered why he had such a hard time today.

Ron Harper, that bastard, started fighting with me during the off-ball phase!

In this round, Harper spared no effort in playing rough defense next to Jordan.

He always had one hand on Jordan's waist and followed him wherever he went.

Jordan was upset. It's not like he had never experienced this kind of defense before, but he had never seen anyone defend like this in the first quarter!
The Magic are simply digging their own grave.

After spending a lot of effort to finally get rid of Harper, Jordan finally caught the basketball and was ready to shoot, but Roger clamped up in time the moment Jordan shot!
Facing the interference of two people, Jordan could only jump up and pass the ball to Pippen. Pippen made a long-range 2-point shot and the basketball went into the net.

But it doesn't matter, in Brian Hill's opinion this defense was successful.

Forcing Jordan to pass the ball, this is Brian Hill's goal.

Scott Pippen? He can't kill the game with offense!

Pippen was still smug after scoring the goal, and he yelled at Roger: "Only stupid people would choose to leave me alone."

"Shut up, Scott. I don't talk to perverts who like to take punches with their faces. By the way, where did you get the tooth filling? Not bad, I'll get one for my Rottweiler. It always challenges wild beasts beyond its own capabilities, and its tooth was knocked out last week." Roger responded calmly.

Jordan sighed. He even wondered if Pippen had some masochistic qualities.

You just have to keep looking for whippings to feel comfortable, right?
The game continued, and Roger cut out as usual and shot the ball. Pippen's interference was a little slow, but this allowed Roger to score successfully.

The Bulls still only used conventional defense in the first two quarters, so it was relatively easy for Roger to score.

4 to 2, the Magic continue to lead.

It can be seen that the Magic are indeed very powerful today.

O'Neal's absence again did not affect their determination to win.

But Phil Jackson was not in a hurry. Unless you can completely turn the game into garbage time in just two quarters, everything will be in vain.

In the subsequent games, the Magic used extremely strict defense against Jordan throughout the game.

This does consume a lot of energy, and Brian Hill's solution is to play in rotation. Harper will be entangled for a while, and then Mackay will be replaced. After Mackay is entangled, Anthony Bowie will be replaced. When Bowie is tired, Donald Royall will be replaced.

Of course, the defensive strength and level of the four people are different, and the effects are also very different.

But one thing is certain - there was not a single round in which Jordan could catch the ball easily, and there was not a single round in which he could score easily.

Each of these four people will start to entangle Jordan from the off-ball stage.

Even if Jordan really broke free of the entanglement and caught the basketball, a double team would appear immediately.

Maybe it was Roger, maybe it was Horace Grant, in any case, it was almost impossible for Jordan to get a one-on-one opportunity.

Jordan was constantly being consumed and double-teamed.

With this rhythm, the Magic successfully limited the Bulls' score to 41 points in the first half.

41 to 48, the defending champions entered halftime with a 7-point advantage.

Jordan only scored 10 points in the first half and only 3 goals in open play.

Pippen scored 17 points in the first half and was very proud of himself. People were saying that he played well today.

Roger also scored 17 points in the first half, but to the fans this was just a normal performance from Roger.

Pippen was still having fun, but he didn't know that in the hearts of the fans, he and Roger had been separated.

The team was trailing by 7 points entering the second half, but the Zen Master remained extremely calm.

This disadvantage is simply insignificant.

Inside the Magic locker room, most of the players were panting.

Brian Hill's extreme defensive strategy against Jordan today is a challenge for all players who defend Jordan.

Although Brian Hill used four people to defend Jordan in turns, the consumption of each person was still very high.

But this also proves that Jordan consumes more energy!
On the other side, Michael Jordan was sweating profusely, like a boiled egg thrown into a steamer.

He rarely feels so tired after just halftime.

The Magic's defense was simply crazy. Jordan certainly knew the purpose of their doing so, which was to consume his energy as much as possible.

But by doing this, aren’t they afraid of being exhausted to death first?
Jordan wiped the sweat off his face and raised his head: "Everyone cheer up, our time is up!"

In the third quarter, he will let the Magic know what it means to strike directly into the soul!
The third quarter began quickly, and the Bulls found that the Magic's starting lineup in the second half had changed, with Marciulionis replacing Derek McKay as the starting player.

In the first half of the game, Marciulionis did not get much playing time, playing only 6 minutes and scoring two goals.

The Zen Master didn't care too much about the substitution. He knew what Brian Hill was planning. With Marciulionis as a shooting point, he could punish the Bulls' pressure and double-team.

But in the Zen Master's opinion, Brian Hill took it for granted.

Saroo alone would not be able to withstand the storm that the Bulls brought in the third quarter.

In fact, you may not be able to safely get the ball to Sarrou.

In this quarter, the Bulls will let the Magic know how powerless their resistance is.

The Magic attacked first, and Harper controlled the ball across half court.

As soon as he approached the three-point line, Dumas blocked his left hand, forcing him to rush to the right corner.

Harper didn't walk into the trap and immediately passed the ball to Roger on the right side.

The moment Roger got the ball, Pippen and Dumars pressed and double-teamed him, not giving Roger any chance to breathe!
Under the fierce double team attack, Roger quickly passed the ball back to Harper. Harper touched the ball with one hand and quickly transferred it to the weak side. There, Sarunas Marciulionis had already gone out of the three-point line!
After receiving the ball, Salu gently lifted the basketball facing Jordan who broke free from the screen and rushed towards him.

Jordan jumped up with all his might, confident that he could block the shot.

But after jumping up, Jordan saw Saroo retrieve the ball and dribble past him.

"Sly European bastard!" Jordan complained in his heart, and immediately caught up with the breaking Saru after landing. At the same time, Rodman had already waved his arms to help defend the Lithuanian who broke into the penalty area.

The Bulls' defense will double-team and pressure any ball handler, without any discrimination.

Under the double pressure of Jordan and Rodman, Salu passed the ball to his side in time and gave the ball to Roger who had just got rid of Pippen.

Roger received the ball and shot from mid-range, the basketball went steadily into the net, and the Magic widened the gap to 9 points!
"Michael, did you think in the locker room just now that you could widen the score in the third quarter? Then all the troubles would be gone? If I am unfortunately right, you'd better give up this idea as soon as possible!" After scoring the goal, Roger shrugged at Jordan.

A hint of uneasiness finally flashed across Phil Jackson's always smug face.

No, what I just thought was wrong! Marciulionis's appearance might have another purpose!

One round later, Rodman made a tip-in to reduce the score to 7 points again.

But the Magic scored again soon. This time, Roger passed the ball to Sarou who was outside the three-point line before the Bulls' double-team was formed.

But Jordan followed closely behind and did not give him a chance to shoot. If a shooter cannot shoot, then he will not be able to play a role no matter how accurate he is.

However, Saroo didn't seem to even think about taking the shot.

The moment he received the ball, he passed it to Roger who was cutting in.

After Roger took the ball, he took two steps into the paint and scored a layup under the double protection of Rodman and Longley. They could only watch the basketball fly past their fingertips and fall into the net, and they could do nothing else.

The score difference comes to 9 points!
The Bulls' proud defense in the third quarter did not work on Roger!
After Roger scored the goal, he spread his hands towards Rodman in the same posture as Jordan.

Phil Jackson is now sure that Marciulionis is not just a shooting point in the third quarter.

He is also a very threatening passing point!

The Bulls' pressure defense in the third quarter was intended to force the opponent to pass the ball more and make more mistakes, and then use these mistakes to counterattack.

Therefore, after Brian Hill replaced Salu, the three outside players of the Magic team all had the ability to pass the ball quickly under pressure!

As long as you can pass the ball quickly to the right person in a pressure defense, you can completely tear such a defense apart!

Bulls fans couldn't believe that the Magic were leading by 9 points. No, Michael Jordan would definitely be able to fight back in time!

"boom!"

Unfortunately, their basketball god completely lost his aim today due to the Magic's invasive defense.

In the third quarter, in addition to dealing with the Bulls' death pressure, the Magic still maintained their defensive intensity.

Harper just continued to pester Jordan. Jordan finally caught the ball and made a jump shot, but he missed the shot due to the double interception of Roger and Harper.

"Damn, is this the shot of the God of Basketball? Really? No wonder people say Jerry Stackhouse looks like you." Roger's trash talk was more punctual than the trains in the subway station.

Jordan was a little annoyed. In the next defense, he successfully intercepted Roger's pass to Salu and successfully launched a counterattack to narrow the score.

There was no way. No matter how strong the Magic's passing ability was, it was impossible for them to not make any mistakes under the Bulls' deadly pressure.

Roger knew very well that the Bulls had three players who could be selected into the All-Defensive First Team this season!
It is almost impossible to pass the ball without making mistakes when three defensive players are watching closely.

But the problem is, all the Magic needed to do was to survive the third quarter.

As long as the Magic can ensure that they don't get overtaken or pulled away by the Bulls in the third quarter, the fourth quarter will be a killing time for the Magic!
Because by then, the bull must have been exhausted!
If the Bulls fail to beat the Magic in the third quarter, the Magic will have to fight back in the fourth quarter.

This is a game where if you can't kill me, you will die!

Therefore, being intercepted occasionally does not affect the overall situation.

As long as you can make it through, that's all!
As the game went on, the Bulls began to gradually eat away at the Magic's lead as the rotation lineup came on the court.

Harper's defense couldn't last a whole quarter, he needed to go off the court to rest.

Saroo does not have the physical strength to play a full quarter, he needs to go off the court to rest.

The same goes for Roger. He needs to save more energy for the fourth quarter, so he also needs rest.

Taking advantage of this period of time, the Bulls changed the score to a 2-point lead in one fell swoop.

But Phil Jackson was not happy at all. The Bulls only won the Magic by 2 points in the third quarter, which meant that the Bulls' stranglehold in the third quarter was not successful!

In the tenth minute of the third quarter, when Roger, Harper and Saroo all came back, they continued to skillfully use fast conduction to butcher the beef.

Roger first assisted Salu to make a mid-range shot.

One round later, Harper assisted Saroo who cut in and scored with a layup.

Not only did the Bulls fail to widen the score, but they were overtaken by the Magic again!

Fortunately, in the next round, Pippen received a pass from Jordan who was double-teamed and hit an open three-pointer, which helped the Bulls take the lead again.

However, the lead was only 1 point.

Roger smiled at Jordan who chose to pass the ball again and said, "Good pass, Michael. Come on! You are already leading us by 1 point in the third quarter. That's great!"

"Shut up, asshole!" an upset Jordan was in no mood.

"What? Black Jesus doesn't like to hear the truth?"

Roger and Jordan ran across half court, hurling insults at each other.

The Magic attacked, and this time the Bulls' rotation and pressure were like the infamous Banzai Charge in the Pacific battlefield, almost insane.

Michael Jordan's feet never stopped from the moment he started defending.

He pressed Saroo, then double-teamed Roger immediately after Saroo passed the ball. When Roger passed the ball to Harper, he immediately joined in the double-team on Harper.

Harper finally passed it back to Saroo, and Jordan returned to his position without leaving any gap.

Not only Jordan, but all the Bulls players tried their best in this defensive round, constantly moving and sprinting on the defensive end.

They all knew that even a 1-point advantage had to be maintained. Otherwise, the third quarter would really be a waste of effort!

The Bulls succeeded. Under their relentless double-teaming and pressure, the ball passed around the hands of all the Magic players but there was still no chance to pass the ball.

In the end, Roger could only shoot under the double interference of Jordan and Dumars.

The basketball bounced off the rim. The last shot was too difficult. Roger was already doing justice to the home fans by not missing all three shots.

But at least the Magic did not make any mistakes and did not give the Bulls any chance to counterattack.

After this round, Roger saw all the main players of the Bulls, including Jordan, gasping for breath.

After the intense pressure in the third quarter, the Bulls' old men had already begun to lose strength. And the last round had completely drained them.

Brian Hill on the sidelines nodded with satisfaction. The Bulls are now digging their own grave!

Jordan directly controlled the ball and took control of the offense. There were still 28 seconds left in the third quarter. If the Bulls could score this goal, they would be able to expand their lead a little bit.

They had already failed in the third quarter, but now they have an extra point advantage and can also gain an extra point chance in the fourth quarter.

Chicago's basketball god delayed the time after crossing half court, not intending to give the Magic a chance to counterattack.

When there were 8 seconds left in the offensive time, Jordan started from near the midfield line and approached the three-point line.

Harper immediately followed up and was almost exhausted, but he still did not back off and continued to fight with Jordan.

Jordan first held off the aggressive Harper with his back to the basket, then turned to the right and broke through.

As a result, the moment he turned around, he saw Roger had already attacked him!

Jordan thought that after Pippen hit that three-pointer, Roger wouldn't dare to let him go easily.

But it turns out that Roger is a very dedicated person. Tonight, Jordan is the only one in his heart!
Well, there was also Leticia, whose shirt buttons were nearly torn.

Jordan immediately passed the ball to Pippen again. Roger reached out to block it, but he was still a step too slow and the ball flew past Roger's hand.

Pippen was also ready to shoot. Since you bastards have left me open again and again, I will make you pay a heavy price!
But just as Pippen was about to catch the basketball, the young Kings' most loyal and brave knight rushed out!
Saroo rotated to Pippen and reached out to knock away Jordan's pass!

The basketball was out of control, and Saru and Jordan, who missed the pass, chased after the ball at the same time.

Jordan knocked Saru down in the confrontation, and the Lithuanian was so weak in front of him. But Saru took advantage of the situation and rushed down to hug the ball.

He lay on the ground, facing Jordan who was about to grab the ball, without even looking at him, and threw the ball in front of him.

Everyone's eyes follow the basketball. Whoever gets the ball will determine the outcome of this quarter.

A big hand picked up the ball. It was Ron Harper who had been defending with all his might throughout the game!

The Magic successfully grabbed the ball at the last moment!
Harper ran forward with the ball, and Pippen chased him closely and gradually got closer.

In order to prevent Harper from suddenly passing the ball to his teammates behind him like he did in the first quarter, Pippen was always watching Harper's every move. Whenever he showed any tendency to pass the ball, Pippen would immediately reach out and steal the ball!
Harper didn't pass the ball. He ran into the penalty area and jumped up directly, throwing the ball into the air with one hand.

Scott Pippen jumped with all his strength, and there was no way the basketball could escape from his palm.

But as the basketball soared upward, Pippen felt more and more that something was wrong.

This ball didn't seem to be thrown towards the basket!

The basketball flew back over Pippen's palm and behind him.

Pippen looked back in surprise in mid-air, only to see Roger just caught the basketball. That's right, Harper used a layup to throw an alley-oop to Roger!
Pippen was totally caught off guard because Harper didn't even give Roger any look, as if he knew Roger would definitely follow up!
Indeed, Harper didn't even look back. He just caught a glimpse of Roger running forward with his peripheral vision the moment he picked up the basketball. That was enough.

Saroo didn't look at anyone when he passed the ball on the ground, but he passed it to Harper. Harper didn't look at anyone when he threw the ball just now, but he passed it to Roger. Roger caught the basketball with both hands and pressed it into the basket!

The whole audience cheered, and NBC commentator Steve Jones jumped up: "If that fast break was slowed down, it would be as beautiful as a work of art! This shot is simply the epitome of this quarter! Roger and his backcourt partners, with the power of a team, successfully rushed out of the death spot of the Chicago Bulls!"

At the end of the third quarter, the Orlando Magic led the Bulls by 1 point entering the fourth quarter decisive battle!

They successfully survived the bull's brutal stranglehold!

Although the Bulls successfully narrowed the gap from 9 points to only 1 point, it was still a complete failure for them!
Roger put his arms around Harper and Salu's shoulders, then looked at Jordan who was gritting his teeth and Pippen who was feeling frustrated: "The God of Basketball and his helpers can't handle the young king and his knights!"

Jordan and Pippen did not respond, they were speechless.

Amid the loud cheers, Bob Costa swallowed.

To be honest, he didn't expect that the Magic without the Sharks could fight the Bulls to this extent, and he didn't expect that they could maintain the lead in the Bulls' death zone.

"You're right, Steve," Bob shook his head, "This will be the toughest game for the Bulls!"

(End of this chapter)