Champions Creed

Chapter 172 Chapter 171: 10 more points is not too much, right? (Monthly vote requested!)
In this game, Dominique Wilkins seemed to be full of electricity and started to run at full power, scoring 22 points in the Georgia Dome.

The Hawks players certainly did not let the game go on purpose. If they had, it would have been disrespectful to the Atlanta legend.

But when the Eagles had to focus all their energy on limiting Roger, Wilkins got too many good opportunities.

Wilkins had a great touch today, with good shooting percentages on both mid-range and three-point shots.

In the fourth quarter, the 37-year-old Wilkins also performed a signature windmill dunk.

In the end, the Magic defeated the Hawks 105-93 on the road.

Steve Smith had another torturous night, but no one cared about him tonight.

Although they lost the game, the Eagles fans cheered collectively at the end of the game, dedicating the last performance of the movie in Atlanta.

Wilkins knelt down and kissed the Eagles logo amid the fans' blessings.

A perfect farewell night ended here.

After the game, Hawks owner Ted Turner had dinner with Dominique Wilkins.

The two talked about reminiscing about the past and wishing for the future. But in the end, although Wilkins already had the answer in his mind, he still couldn't help asking: "Sir, how do you know that I plan to retire after this season?"

Ted Turner's answer did not surprise Wilkins: "Roger told me. He called me last night and told me the news and asked me to prepare all this for you. I'm sorry, time is tight and this should be more grand. But I promise that when your jersey retirement ceremony comes, it will be ten times more grand than this."

"I am quite satisfied, sir."

"This is what we should do."

Ted Turner did respect Wilkins. Although he failed to lead the team to win a championship, he was still an iconic figure that could not be ignored in the Hawks in the last era.

But to be honest, Ted Turner didn't do all this entirely for Wilkins.

In the business world, many things are just a part of the profit chain. You don't think the Lakers chose Bronny just because of his pure potential, right?
Ted Turner did this today not only for Wilkins but also for Roger.

He believes that what happened tonight has proved that Atlanta is also a basketball city.

The fans here love their stars, and the stars here will never become appendages of other sports.

Moreover, tonight Ted Turner also told Roger that he is really a boss who stands on the same side as the players and is a boss who will respond to any request.

Turner certainly knew that Roger's contract would not expire until 00, and even if he exercised the player option, it would have to wait until the summer of 98.

But for a star of this level, Ted Turner is willing to try even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance of getting him.

If Michael Jordan could leave Chicago, why couldn't Roger go to Orlando?

Ted's Turner Broadcasting System had just completed a financial merger with Time Warner a few years ago, making him the largest individual shareholder of Time Warner, and his wealth accumulation was at the peak of his life.

Therefore, he not only has the passion, but also the capital to play this game.

He doesn't care about the luxury tax or anything else.

His baseball team's championship in 95 made him fall in love with this feeling, and he hoped that his basketball team would also be glorious once.

Unlike the owners who are eager to make money from the team, Ted Turner is pursuing an emotional value here.

In any case, he felt that he and Roger were friends now.

If there is such an opportunity to compete for Roger one day, Ted Turner believes that the Eagles can rank relatively high.

Wilkins spent an unforgettable night in Atlanta. The next day, the whole team returned to Orlando and took a day off to relieve the fatigue of the back-to-back away game schedule.

Then next, the team will face the Miami Heat!

Pat Riley was very honest before the game this time. Last season's "battle of hypocrisy" caused tons of damage to his psychology.

The slap in the face that made him lose all his dignity and the terrifying 54 points in a single game often wake him up in the middle of the night until now.

It is no exaggeration to say that Roger has become Pat Riley's inner demon.

Michael Jordan just beat Riley's team, but what about Roger? That bastard was destroying Pat Riley's heart since his rookie season.

But Riley's silence doesn't mean his players will be silent.

Alonzo Mourning was asked about the "hypocritical war" before the game.

"You know, it was a gut-wrenching night. But it's different now, because I didn't have Tim, I didn't have Dennis, I didn't have Jamal, I didn't have Alan when Roger scored 54. I mean, we're a completely different team now. I think we're ready."

Jamal Mashburn, who was called a bootlicker by Roger in the last game, gave a more direct answer: "Don't mention the past. Now we are going to steal his victory, his undefeated home record and his MVP! He can score 40 points on top of all the MVP candidates? He can try! I won't let him succeed. Maybe it will be Tim who gets 40 points!"

Jamal Mashburn's confidence comes from the game against the Bullets three days ago. That night, Tim Hardaway made 25 of 13 shots, 12 of 6 three-pointers, and 14 of 13 free throws, scoring a career-high 45 points.

Mashburn believes that as long as he, who is the main defender of Roger, works hard and is assisted by Tim Hardaway's firepower, defeating the Magic will not be a problem.

He really feels that the Heat are now incredibly strong.

Roger mercilessly mocked Mashburn: "There's nothing to say. Let alone 40 points, even if I scored 50 points on Jamal Mashburn's head, what would that do? The media will forget about him completely within a week because he is not an opponent worth bragging about. That's the fact. How can a moron who broke up with his teammates because of a woman be qualified to evaluate an MVP-level player?"

Jamal Mashburn was furious and launched a lot of attacks from a distance.

But Roger didn't even bother to talk nonsense with him. He just wanted to prepare seriously, then keep another home court and kill another MVP candidate.

Roger didn't want to waste any more words talking to someone of Jamal Mashburn's level.

On March 3, during training the day before the game, the old guys regained some energy.

However, Michael Cage's condition was very bad. He would become limp and short of breath after training for a while.

Originally, given his physical condition, he shouldn't have played as the starting center, but there was no other way. The Shaq was not there and the other young center was a waste, so he had to take over.

But the harder you push this thing, the easier it is to become soft.

In the next game, Michael Cage's playing time will definitely be further reduced, and Travis Knight, the well-known waste, will get more playing opportunities.

What does this mean?

This means that Mourning is about to have a big meal.

When playing against other teams, the Magic can still protect the rim by shrinking.

But how do you shrink when you're hot?

Is Alan Houston's 38.5% three-point shooting percentage too low, or is Tim Hardaway's 20 points per game not enough?

With a high probability of being blown to pieces in the interior, the team needs better perimeter defense.

Mourning can explode at that point, and as long as the other points are suppressed, Mourning's scoring will not kill the game.

This places extremely high demands on the Magic's perimeter defense.

There is no problem with Derek Harper. With his ability, he can definitely limit Hardaway, or at least lower his shooting percentage.

Roger is also very experienced in defending off-ball guards like Alan Houston. Hornacek's 0 points in a single game is still ridiculed by his daughter.

As for Wilkins, this guy was as silent as usual during training today. He kept to himself and didn't talk much to others.

But after the training, Wilkins rarely took the initiative to find Roger and said, "Thank you for what happened in Atlanta that day."

"You don't need to thank anyone, you deserve it."

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about Jamal for tomorrow's game."

"I never worried about him, Dom. He was just a rubbish player. A legend can't lose to a rubbish player."

"I'll show you."

When the eagle and the lion work together, their prey will be doomed.

On March 3, the Orlando Arena had become a sea of ​​blue.

Although it was just the regular season, the Magic still placed Magic T-shirts on every seat to create an undefeated home atmosphere.

Ever since the topic of "undefeated home court" became popular, every game of the Magic has attracted much attention. Even with the increase in ticket prices, the games are still sold out, making the team huge profits.

After all, everyone wants to know whether the Magic will lose at home today.

Before the game started, Jamal Mashburn showed off several of his dunks, seemingly as a demonstration.

Tim Hardaway and Alan Houston made consecutive three-pointers during warm-ups.

Alonzo Mourning is extremely skilled in jump hook training on both sides of the interior.

As usual, Dennis Rodman was looking for female fans on the sidelines, hoping to have a quick meal in Orlando tonight.

The Heat were coming on strong, but only Pat Riley looked serious.

To be honest, the Heat's lineup on paper this season is already strong enough. Although there are no superstars, each position is well balanced.

Just as Mourning said, this Heat team is completely different from the Heat team that played the "hypocrisy war" last season.

On the other hand, the Magic's lineup is incredibly old and their weaknesses in the interior are very obvious.

But Riley was still very nervous, he didn't know what would happen in this game.

It's all because of the Magic and Roger!

Even Riley admitted that it was ridiculous to compete with Roger for the MVP with a player like Tim Hardaway.

If the Heat had an MVP, it would definitely be awarded to the entire team.

But if we take individual players, no one can reach Roger's level.

Just like the NBA's historical father-son scoring rankings, the total score of Joe Bryant and Kobe Bryant combined is 38895 points, which can only rank second in history.

First place: LeBron James and Bronny James: 40474 points.

A superstar can raise the fighting power of an entire group.

Riley only had one chance to win, and that was if everyone went all out, so that he could barely compete with Roger! At the start of the game, Jamal Mashburn wanted to challenge Wilkins in the elbow area on the first ball.

Although Mashburn is only a role player now, he performed very well in the first three seasons with the Mavericks. Especially in his sophomore year, he averaged 24 points per game, scored 50+ points once and 40+ points twice in a single season. It seems that he will become an All-Star player in no time.

But in the third season of his career, he suffered a back injury and his condition has declined significantly since then.

However, he is still very confident when facing an old man like Dominic Wilkins.

He wanted to set the tone in the opening minutes of this game.

He thinks too much.

Jamal Mashburn simply couldn't get rid of Wilkins, who had rediscovered his passion for being a blue-collar worker.

Countless nights, he wondered what would have happened if he had won in 1988. In that Game 2, the Hawks only lost by points.

Yes, even if he surpasses the Celtics, what awaits him are the Bad Boys team that is just beginning to take shape, and the Showtime Lakers who are at the tail end of their peak.

Atlanta's chances of winning are still slim.

But at least he has a chance.

He could at least try.

So, Roger's words that day really touched him: "What happened in 1988 will never happen again."

As the starting small forward of the Magic, I am definitely not here to just eat and wait for death.

He must do his job to the best of his ability to make up for the regrets of 1988!

So, no matter how Jamal Mashburn dribbled or changed direction, he couldn't get rid of the persistent Wilkins.

Mashburn was affected by injuries, and his singles ability declined a lot. When he met Wilkins's strenuous defense, it was difficult for him to find any opportunities.

Finally, Mashburn decided to post up Wilkins, which is exactly what Wilkins likes.

Wilkins' speed and agility may have declined, but his ability to fight is still strong.

Mashburn's advancement was fruitless and he ultimately missed his turnaround jump shot.

If Pat Riley had a gun, he would have pulled the trigger at Mashburn without hesitation.

No one on his team could play solo like this, but Mashburn messed up at the start!
The basketball bounced off the rim, and Jamal Mashburn wanted to find his former self. But the cruel reality was that his peak would always remain in his sophomore season.

"It's incredible. For a while now, people have been discussing how long Dom can keep doing this. But at the age of 37, he is showing no signs of fatigue.

He won't be lazy during fast breaks, nor will he put his hands on his hips when retreating. As a veteran, he plays more and more actively, which always makes you wonder, is he really 37 years old?
For most of his career, Dom was a player whose defense was criticized. What changed him? Only he knows. ”

Bill Walton felt that Wilkins' change was almost a miracle because this was the only year in his entire career where his defense was considered outstanding.

Mourning was trapped by Michael Cage from behind, and Dominique Wilkins defended Mashburn and then actively retreated to the inside to grab the rebound.

Wilkins played the power forward position in college, so he has always had top rebounding sense at the power forward position, which will not change even when he gets older.

The Magic counterattacked. After Roger received the basketball, he faced Mashburn who was retreating quickly and made a three-pointer!
Mashburn had not expected Roger's move to be so bold, so he had no time to react, and Roger was hardly disturbed.

The basketball went into the net. Roger's attack was easy, which formed a sharp contrast with the embarrassing situation of Mashburn who had been busy for a long time but couldn't score a goal.

Looking at Mashburn, Roger pointed to the Heat bench and said, "This is an MVP battle. Anyone who is not qualified to be on this stage should get off!"

"Jamal, calm down! Don't listen to him!" Riley yelled for the first time today.

He didn't expect that the game had just begun and he had to remind the players to control their emotions.

Next, Tim Hardaway and Mourning played pick-and-roll. Hardaway used the screen to create a little space for a three-pointer, but was quickly blocked by Harper.

Although this man has made it into the MVP rankings, his personal peak has long passed.

He has missed 120 games in the past four years. His gorgeous change of direction put a strain on his knees.

Last summer, he set himself a strict recovery plan, successfully lost weight and reduced the burden on his knees, which allowed him to play a long-awaited healthy season.

But knee damage is irreversible. The moment Derrick Rose fell down due to a knee injury was not the end of his career. But at that moment, all the fantasies he had when he lifted the MVP trophy in 2011 were shattered.

The same problem occurred to Hardaway, who could only approach his peak this season but could not really catch up.

If it was the "speedy beetle" in his prime who had passed the screen, a tall guard like Harper would have no chance of catching up with him. But now, Harper could completely cover him. He just needed to barely hold onto Hardaway and then use his long arms to interfere with him.

If you knew that in the original 97 playoffs, Harper held Hardaway to 31% shooting in five games, you would understand why Roger didn't think highly of the Heat.

Hardaway took a jump shot under the interference of Harper, and as expected, it bounced out of the rim.

McKay grabbed the rebound and Roger quickly counterattacked. I don't know if it was to show off, he used a signature Hardaway killer crossover, passed Mashburn, and hit the fingertips shot that Rodman had blocked.

5-0, Roger never has any foreplay against the Heat, and always goes straight to the point.

In the third round, the Heat finally chose the correct offensive method and passed the ball into the paint to Mourning.

Mourning easily defeated Michael Cage, got to the basket and turned around to score a hook shot before the double-team came.

But even if you dare to let Mourning score, his production ceiling is not high.

In the first quarter, Roger and Wilkins almost broke Jamal Mashburn.

One locked him down with passion and confrontation on defense, and the other humiliated him with goals and trash talk on offense.

For a moment, Jamal Mashburn felt like he was not playing basketball, but was in hell!
The eagle and the lion teamed up to tear their prey apart!

After the first quarter, Roger scored 14 points and Mashburn scored 1 point.

The Magic led by 9 points entering the second quarter.

In the second quarter, Pat Riley, the die-hard fucker, increased the playing time of the main players, allowing the team to recover some points in the Magic's transition period.

When Roger came on the court again, they also used double-teaming.

But Dominique Wilkins' mid-range jump shot punished the Heat's defense like a knife cutting flesh.

The Heat's pace of chasing points suddenly stopped, and with Wilkins' performance, Roger regained his shooting space and scored 11 points in a single quarter.

With 25 points in the first half, Roger's performance was impeccable.

In the third quarter, Hardaway finally broke out and made three consecutive three-pointers to reduce the score difference to only 1 point.

But Roger did the opposite, using breakthroughs to frequently create damage and it started raining points.

It worked, as Roger made 8 of 8 free throws in the quarter and ultimately scored 13 points in the quarter.

38 points in three quarters, Pat Riley swallowed his saliva, this is what he is most worried about!
He was worried that the combined firepower of the entire team would not be as strong as Roger alone!

But what is even more desperate is that the Heat are still only 8 points behind thanks to their unremitting efforts.

This means that Roger's score will continue to rise. As long as it is not garbage time, Roger is always full of energy.

In the fourth quarter, something happened that Pat Riley didn't expect.

Alonzo Mourning began to lose his advantage in the Heat's basic situation.

In order to limit Alonso, Brian Hill made a crazy adjustment, which was to let the Magic's inside players entangle with Alonso before he crossed the half court, consuming him and preventing him from easily entering his favorite scoring area.

This move is mainly because the Heat's outside penetration ability is weak. Hardaway is no longer the elf of breakthrough. Alan Houston has the ability to hold the ball, but he is far from being able to deal with Roger. Jamal Mashburn? He collapsed in the third quarter.

In this rough era where shooting is allowed, Roger, Harper and Wilkins can limit the Heat's outside breakthroughs with single-handed defense, and there is no need for help from the inside to protect the rim.

As a result, Mourning had a very difficult time playing. He had to use up a lot of energy before he even started attacking, and he didn't have the size and body size of a shark to force his position. When he finally caught the ball in the low post, his touch had already been used up.

What about the outside line?
The combination of Roger + Harper + Wilkins directly drove the Heat's outside line crazy.

They work together to cut off angles, knock down long passes, and then lock you down in one-on-ones.

These three outside players who had never been selected to the best defensive team before formed a gate that made Riley desperate.

Later in the game, every Heat outside player was at a loss as to what to do after getting the ball and only wanted to make hasty shots.

The Magic's defense was enough to give the Heat a hard time, and then coupled with Roger's never-ending offense.

The result was that the Magic defeated the Heat 97-77.

In fact, the score difference between the two sides was not big in the first three quarters, but after Brian Hill changed his defensive strategy in the fourth quarter, the Heat was completely extinguished.

罗杰全场51分6次助攻5个篮板2次抢断1次盖帽，是的，他真的拿了50分。又一次，他的得分超过全队一半。

But Roger, who put up these explosive numbers, had a calm expression on his face.

Facing an MVP candidate with 40 points, and the Heat being a mortal enemy in the same state, 10 more points wouldn't be excessive, right?
At the end of the game, Bill Walton verbally presented Roger with the MVP trophy:

"If anyone thinks Roger doesn't deserve the MVP, just show him these games. Whether the MVP standard is based on the impact the player has on his team or on personal data, Roger is definitely qualified. In fact, no one is more qualified than him this season!"

After the game, Hannah interviewed Roger as usual and asked him what he thought of Jamal Mashburn's performance today.

Roger looked up and saw 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 turnovers. Not bad, at least it was going well.

"This is an awkward question, Hannah. I thought that with our long-term relationship, you would not embarrass me in the post-match interview. I don't know how to evaluate him, but if I am the truth, then he is a distortion."

"Is that your nickname for Jamal?"

"You could say I usually give players nicknames based on their performances. That's just my naming technique."

"Finally, how far do you think you are from winning the championship so far this season?"

"Given that the Heat were only 20 points away from punishing us, we're not at our best yet, but we're almost there." Roger looked at the camera sincerely and shrugged.

He was definitely not at Versailles.

(End of this chapter)