Champions Creed

Chapter 143 Chapter 142: A loyal knight fighting for the king, FMVP is an important question (asking for monthly tickets!)
Roger scored 37 points, created a series of singles highlights with the ball, and led the team to a 19-point win.

Gary Payton directly lowered the value of the best defensive player award!
The next Defensive Player of the Year to suffer as much as he did in the playoffs will probably be Dikembe Mutombo in 2001.

To be honest, Payton's defense is still very good and he definitely deserves the title of DPOY.

Not everyone can limit Roger's hit rate to only 45% in one-on-one situations.

Just wanting to beat the Magic isn't enough.

Even for DPOY, it is difficult to lock down a top offensive player on your own.

Payton was able to defend Jordan like Kobe, thanks to the teammates behind him.

The Sonics were so desperate to double-team Jordan that all of their players rushed out, leaving the rebounds completely empty. In the most exaggerated game, the Bulls grabbed 24 offensive rebounds, twice as many as the Sonics.

They lowered Jordan's shooting percentage at this cost, and it was definitely not as simple as Payton's one-on-one defense as rumored.

When facing the Magic, with Shaq in the interior, the Supersonics simply didn't dare to defend like that.

So, Payton could only fight Roger one-on-one.

The one-to-one restriction means that tragedy is inevitable.

There were also no surprises in the battle of Game 2 of the finals. The only change for the Supersonics today was that they also started using the Hack-a-Shaq tactic.

They also began to use this ugly method to interrupt Roger's offensive rhythm.

But Roger was not greatly affected by this. The one who was most affected was the shark itself.

It was difficult for him to receive the ball under the Sonics' double-team defense, and after finally catching the ball a few times, he was forced to go to the free throw line.

O'Neal was going crazy.

Because of the constant free throws, his scoring efficiency was greatly reduced.

He felt that he was getting further and further away from the FMVP trophy.

The Supersonics successfully pinned down the Shark, but Roger still scored 34 points.

With 1 minute and 03 seconds left in the game, the Supersonics were only 4 points behind and they still had a chance.

But Payton, the best defensive player, was intercepted by Roger in this crucial offensive round, and Roger took advantage of the situation and slammed the ball to widen the score gap.

This sledgehammer-like dunk shattered the Sonics' confidence and took the opponent's last breath.

91 to 97, the Magic won the second game.

When the game ended, there was thunderous applause.

Because the fans at the scene all know that this may very well be the Magic's last home game this season.

Judging from the results of the first two games between the two sides, the game will most likely not return to Orlando.

So tonight is the farewell performance of this great team at home.

On the other hand, Seattle will return to the NBA Finals after 17 years.

It is worth mentioning that the Supersonics only lost three games at home in the regular season and only lost two games at home in the playoffs.

Over the course of a season, KeyArena fans have only experienced five losses on site.

So they are still confident that the team can bounce back at home.

It's not okay to be unconfident, after all, this is the Supersonics' last chance.

Whenever a team falls behind 0-2, the media will invariably come out to remind them that no team has ever been able to turn the tide after falling behind 0-3.

This is the most difficult thing to do in the NBA, and no one has ever succeeded. Some people have come close to completing such a reversal, but they are only close.

Winning G3 means at least there is a glimmer of hope.

But if we lose G3, the finals will really end early.

Should we surrender or continue fighting?

The Supersonics chose the latter without hesitation.

They finally made it to the finals. Even if they couldn't win, they couldn't be slaughtered like dogs.

Even if I have to bite it with my mouth, I have to bite off a piece of magic meat.

At least they want to prove that Roger is not invincible.

This is not an unrealistic delusion, because the Supersonics did not lose by 19 points in the last game.

Shaquille O'Neal became the breakthrough point for the Supersonics, and the Hack-a-Shaq strategy in G2 was a great success.

In G3, they decided to step it up.

On June 6th, we arrived at KeyArena in Seattle.

Saroo looked at everything around him and felt extremely dreamy.

A year ago, this place seemed like a Nazi concentration camp to him.

Gary Payton constantly attacked and belittled him, both privately and publicly.

What makes Salu even more desperate is that coach George Karl is even more brutal than Payton.

He was miserable and lost here, and he almost decided to end his NBA career here.

And now? He might be able to win the NBA championship trophy in this arena he hates!
Of course, Saru knew the style of the Supersonics.

George Karl, Kemp and Payton will not give up, they will use various ways to activate the team.

Considering that the Supersonics were close to winning in the previous game, Saru felt that this game still had some risks.

But no matter what, Saru has made up his mind to protect Roger.

No one can stop the king from ascending the throne. If someone does so, the most loyal knight around the king will definitely take action.

Before the start of Game 3, Cindy Crawford, a sexy supermodel who was extremely charming at her peak, appeared as a sideline reporter and interviewed Roger.

This woman loves the camera and people's discussions. She always appears in the most popular places and becomes the focus of people's attention.

During the interview, Cindy Crawford vividly demonstrated what it means to be a 30-year-old woman with seductive eyes.

That little look seemed to want to melt Roger directly on the court.

After the interview with Roger, the wavy supermodel slipped a small note into the pocket of Roger's training suit off camera.

It seemed that she also knew that Roger might need her on the night of celebrating his championship.

Considering that Roger and French model Laetitia have not appeared in public together for a long time, Cindy Crawford felt that she might be able to take her place.

What's a superstar without a supermodel? It's a perfect combination that never fades.

Roger is like Harden who attends Rondo's wedding in 2024. He deliberately hides in the last row, but the wedding bouquet still hits him on the head.

Before I even asked for it, the phone number went into my pocket.

Back on the bench, Shark grinned, "Stay away from that woman. After Dennis Rodman learned his lesson from Madonna, he only dared to sign autographs for Cindy and didn't dare to approach her at all! And she is 9 years older than you. A 30-year-old woman is not easy to deal with. Man, I don't want you to lose 30 pounds in the offseason! How about this, I'll take the loss, you give me her phone number, and I'll help you solve this problem for free!"

Roger knocked the shark on the head: "We haven't won the championship yet, Shaq, don't think about those messed up things. You should understand basketball first, and then consider other ball sports."

The shark ignored this and reached into Roger's pocket to look for the note.

But after searching for a long time, he found nothing: "Where's the number?"

"I've asked Old Joe to help me take it back to the locker room to prevent it from being snatched away by someone."

"You damn bastard, I'm never going to talk to you again, we're done!"

For a moment, Roger felt as if he were chatting with his elementary school desk mate.

Before the game started, the Sharks, who were leading 2-0, were laughing.

But once the game started, the sharks soon stopped laughing.

The Sonics performed a Bulls-level Hack-a-Shaq on him.

Players like Frank Brickkowski, Earvin Johnson, and Steve Scheffler, who only played in the single digits in the first two games, were all sent into the game by George Karl, and were immediately replaced after they fouled the Shark.

Their existence has only one purpose, to foul. In the original history, the Hack-a-Shaq tactic should not have become popular so early, but considering that the Magic are about to win two consecutive championships, it is normal for this tactic that disrupts the Magic's rhythm to become popular in advance.

This trick was particularly effective today, because with the rhythm being cut into pieces and Payton's still strong defense, Roger lost his touch in the second quarter and made only 5 of 1 shots.

The impatient O'Neal was irritated by the foul-mouthed Rain Man and received his fourth foul early in the third quarter.

Rain Man just wanted to catch the ball and shoot, but the angry O'Neal directly knocked him down with a rugby move.

This was a completely unnecessary foul.

Brian Hill had to replace Shark and scolded him.

At this point, the SuperSonics felt they had smelled a comeback.

In the third quarter, without the support of the Sharks, they were finally able to use the full strength of the team to strangle Roger!

As long as they can widen the score in the third quarter, the Supersonics will have a chance to make a comeback!
Brian Hill replaced O'Neal, who had four fouls, with Michael Cage, but there was another substitution. He replaced Harper with Sarou.

The most important thing against the Supersonics is that after the star player is forced to pass the ball, the rest of the team can convert the pass into points.

Now that O'Neill is away, Saroo is the perfect person to do the job.

Saroo walked onto the field, knowing full well his duty.

He would never let His Majesty down.

The game started again. As soon as Roger got the ball, as expected, three Sonics players including Payton immediately double-teamed him.

Roger jumped up calmly and decisively found Salu outside the three-point line in the air.

George Karl knew the fragile European too well. He immediately shouted: "We all know you are a coward. You will only ruin this opportunity!"

brush!
Saroo made a silent three-pointer and turned back to defend silently.

If it were in the past, he might not be able to stand George Karl's yelling.

But now, these things can't hurt him at all.

In the next round, because Harper was substituted out, Payton thought he could take advantage of Saroo, the weak target.

But after Payton crossed half court, he found that it was Roger who was defending Payton himself!

Roger played defense very seriously. Most people can only focus on one end, offense or defense, but Roger was 100% committed to both ends today.

He didn't want to waste time. He couldn't wait to win his second championship, and this quarter might be the Supersonics' only chance in the entire series.

So, grab this opportunity!
Payton called for a screen and performed a familiar pick-and-roll with Kemp.

After setting the screen, Payton rushed straight to the inside - he is not the kind of player who likes to shoot from mid-range and long range.

Anyway, Roger was out of position, so Payton was very confident about this attack.

He broke into the inside, Michael Cage was blocked, and Payton jumped high, ready to slam the ball into the basket with one hand.

But at the moment when his arm exerted force, Payton saw Roger stretch out his hand from the front side, and his palm just blocked the basket.

This is a "dunk or block" duel, and neither side has any way out in the air!
Unfortunately, Payton's height and impact force did not allow him to dunk directly. Roger also swung his arms when Payton dunked, and slammed the basketball into the air!

The first round that Roger took over from Payton, he successfully defended him!

This was the beginning of Payton's complete collapse.

After being blocked, Payton didn't say anything, but turned around and started to defend.

Rain Man swore that this series was Payton's quietest yet.

What does this mean?
Perhaps even this most courageous person began to feel fear.

But the Supersonics still have a chance. Now that Shark is not here, they can gain the advantage as long as they can defend Roger.

As soon as Roger got the ball, the Sonics once again pressed him. Roger looked at Schrempf's raised arms, turned his body, and passed the ball to the left corner: Sarunas Marciulionis, Roger's most loyal knight, was waiting there.

George Karl continued to interfere: "You idiot, your shooting will only hurt your team!"

brush.

Once again, Salu made a steady three-pointer.

After scoring the goal, this gentle, loving and kind man turned his head and looked at George Karl: "If you don't learn to shut up, I'm going to shoot until you shut up, you bastard!"

George Karl opened his mouth wide, unable to believe that Saroo would actually say those words.

It was Roger who gave him the courage to break through the psychological haze. In KeyArena, in front of George Karl, he no longer needed to swallow his anger.

He is here to destroy this place and help the king ascend the throne and win the championship!

Roger is right, nice is not the word to describe a successful athlete!

These two rounds basically set the rhythm for the third quarter.

On the defensive end, Roger bit Payton, making him embarrassed and unable to do anything.

In the last game, Roger destroyed Payton on offense.

Today, Roger embarrassed him again on defense.

From now on, people won't remember that Payton slaughtered Stockton in the Western Conference Finals.

People will only remember that he was slaughtered by Roger in the finals.

The food chain in competitive sports is like this; the final winner is always remembered.

Offensively, Roger dribbled to the free throw line, changed direction, attracted the attention of five pairs of eyes of the Supersonics, and then passed the ball.

Break into the penalty area, attract a double team, and then pass the ball.

He had been looking for Saroo in the open space, trusting him immensely.

Saroo kept repeating the open jump shot, open jump shot, and open jump shot.

Shoot all the balls Roger passes to him into the basket!

When O'Neal was not on the court and when Roger was forced to pass the ball, the Magic were still able to respond to the Supersonics in scoring!
With his shots again and again, he personally smashed the nightmare place that once existed. With his actions, he made George Karl shut up completely!

George Karl's chin fat was shaking and he was having difficulty breathing because of this guard whom he had completely despised in the past!
In the end, the Supersonics not only failed to take the lead in the third quarter, but instead fell behind by 3 points!
Saroo scored 15 points in a single quarter. He became the John Paxson beside Roger and successfully escorted Roger on his way to the throne!
At the end of the third quarter, Saroo and Roger high-fived each other and said, "I have had the apples from my hometown sent to me."

"We'll soon taste that sweetness, I promise," Roger replied.

In the following fourth quarter, Shark returned and the Supersonics did not get any more chances.

They failed to seize the third quarter and they underestimated Roger's influence.

Roger can not only score points to kill the game, but his leadership also energizes the entire team!
After holding back for a quarter, the Shark showed his prowess in the fourth quarter. Although he was still being cut, his free throw percentage was much higher.

In the end, O'Neal scored 32 points and 11 rebounds, and Roger scored 29 points and 10 assists, breaking his career high in assists in a single game and reaching double digits in assists in a single game for the first time in his career!

Even Magic fans could hardly believe that Roger's assists would reach double digits one day.

104 to 86, Seattle fans returned to the finals after 17 years, but witnessed an 18-point defeat.

The score was a despairing 3-0, an insurmountable gap.

At the end of the game, Roger raised his right index finger toward the sea of ​​Seattle fans: one game.

In one more game, Roger will win the second championship trophy of his career.

The countdown to reaching the summit has officially begun.

I don't want to say a word! I won't answer a single question! -- Payton, who was defended by Roger and shot 15 of 5, the talkative Payton refused all interviews from reporters.

Saroo is underestimated, always underestimated. He is actually very good at hitting those jump shots in the key moments. When I saw him unguarded, I knew it would go in. - Roger talked about his unconditional trust in Saroo in the third quarter.

I am too old and too slow. My knees are no longer suitable for playing basketball. To be honest, everything this year is difficult. But as long as Roger needs me, I will do my best. I fight for the championship and for him. -Saru smiled in the interview.

There is nothing much to say, this is the level of FMVP. ——O'Neal mentioned FMVP for the umpteenth time in the interview.

I hate to say this, but the suspense of the Finals is over. The only suspense now is, Shaq or Roger, who will be the Finals MVP? I believe this is a very important question, more important than people think. ——Bill Walton summed up after the game.

He is right, this will be an important issue.

(End of this chapter)