Champions Creed

Chapter 284 Chapter 283: The trouble seems to have disappeared (asking for a monthly ticket!)
The Zen master felt helpless when he returned to the hotel.

His double-team strategy tonight completely failed. He did restrict Roger and prevented him from scoring another terrifying 40 or 50 points.

But such restrictions are meaningless if you can't win.

The Zen Master certainly knows that role players are also the key to changing the game, because he himself is a coach who believes in role players very much at critical moments.

But he didn't expect that the role players of the Eagles could output such powerful firepower.

Especially that damn old white guy, he didn't score many points, but they were all key points.

He's just a role player, but a key one.

When Eric Snow decided to leave Atlanta and settle in Philadelphia last summer, all the championship contenders felt that the sky was falling for the Eagles' backcourt and that their chance had come.

In order to help Roger strengthen his body and not to disappoint Roger, Pete Babcock stayed up so late that he almost died.

But it was all worth it, his efforts were not in vain.

After returning to the hotel, O'Neal was extremely angry. He felt like he had failed because after tonight's game no one would say that the Lakers were the most dominant team in the playoffs.

Their previous record of 11 double-digit wins was indeed terrifying, but from the moment they lost to the Hawks, it was destined that the Lakers would no longer be able to win all playoff games like the Hawks did last season.

There is a huge difference in dominance between total victory and partial victory.

Even if the Lakers win the championship in the end, they can only be "the team with dominance second only to the 00 Hawks."

Shaquille O'Neal was getting angrier and angrier. His chance to create something great was fucking ruined because of Roger.

At this moment, Shark thought of a cruel fact - after leaving Roger, he has been embarrassing himself, and this has never changed!
O'Neal didn't think about it any further. He was very angry, so he decided to vent his emotions in the action game. He first hit Shani with a standing stick, and after accumulating the stick force, he poked the stick wildly and won the battle after the game.

Kobe's anger reached its peak as he watched the scene on TV where Roger stole his crucial offensive moves over and over again.

However, Kobe did not stick up for Vanessa. In fact, he did not bring Vanessa to the away game at all.

He would just take out his anger on the next game.

Grant Hill was the calmest. He talked to his parents on the phone and then went to bed early.

Grant Hill was the best performing player for the Lakers tonight. When Kobe was defended by Roger, he took on the responsibility of breaking through. When the Shark was bypassed, he continued the team's firepower.

He has a clear conscience.

And he also knows that the finals are not over yet.

We are just behind temporarily, there are plenty of opportunities to win.

In the second game, the Lakers really won the game.

At the beginning of today's game, the Zen Master continued with his strategy, testing the sustainability of the Hawks' role players.

But Pierce and others still did not disappoint Roger, so in the second half, the Lakers did not dare to attack recklessly, which gave Roger a chance.

However, the role players of the Lakers also played a role in this battle. Rick Fox and Robert Horry made one three-pointer after another, creating space for the Sharks to ravage the Hawks' poorly-height inside line.

The Hawks paid the price of Kurt Thomas's six fouls and Wallace's five fouls, but still failed to hold back the giant.

The two sides fought until the last moment of the fourth quarter and the game was tied. Roger missed a three-pointer, and Shaquille O'Neal pushed away Big Ben who had been harassing him with one hand, and then won the competition with Marion, the long-armed monster, in the air and protected the key backcourt rebound.

The Sharks wanted to find Kobe or Grant Hill to counterattack immediately, which is the Lakers' usual way to destroy their opponents.

But when he raised his head, he saw the Hawks in white jerseys retreating at full speed like the tide receding, and the Lakers were forced into another difficult round of positional warfare.

But the Hawks put up a tough and solid defense. Kobe tried several times but couldn't break through Roger. Grant Hill had missed four shots before, so Pierce used the strategy of letting him shoot but not breaking through to control him.

Finally, Ron Harper found the giant who had built a dynasty with him. The ball usually wouldn't find him at critical moments, but this time Harper had no choice.

Harper barely needed to use his eyes to lob the ball to the Shark who wasn't being circling around him. All the fans in Atlanta covered their mouths, wondering if the DPOY would be destroyed.

But the moment the shark caught the ball, the ugly and strange-looking gibbon appeared.

Shawn Marion and Big Ben almost immediately sandwiched Shark. Although Shark had a huge advantage in height and weight, Big Ben and Marion were both good at cutting the ball and blocking shots, so Shark's offense in the interior was limited.

There is a possibility that he will be cut off as soon as he passes the ball, or he will be blocked as soon as he lifts the basketball. Shark has experienced this countless times against the Hawks.

So, the Shark chose to pass the ball at this critical moment, targeting the guy in the left corner.

Robert Holly, who had been sleeping in a trench for a long time, suddenly shook off the dust on his body and raised his gun to shoot. Marion retreated too far and had no time to interfere. He could only watch the basketball pass over his head.

Marion still had hope. Robert Horry, who was already 31 years old, had already shot down four three-pointers and scored 4 points, but he still hadn't scored a single point in the fourth quarter.

He may not have the feel for it!
"brush!"

This sound destroyed Shawn Marion's fantasy. The guy who once followed Dream and defeated Roger in the finals delivered a fatal blow!
Robert Horry has always been good at finding his presence among a group of superstars, and this time he succeeded again.

In the end, the Lakers maintained the 3-point advantage until the end, and Robert Horry became the key to solving the game.

Because the Lakers did not double-team in the second half, Roger scored 42 points today.

But the Eagles lost the game instead.

You can't say that the stars have lost their dominance in this round of the series. Roger, Shark, Kobe, Hill and Pierce are still the best performing players.

But because the game is very, very tense, even a shot from a role player could change the outcome.

In any case, Bill Simmons' prediction has come true again.

No side can easily win this round of the finals.

For the Lakers, a score of 1 to 1 is not unacceptable.

After all, the next three games are in Los Angeles. In the post-match interview, the reporter also asked Roger: "The Los Angeles Lakers have won another victory. It is obvious that the Purple and Gold Army has no lack of strength and courage. This round will be a tough battle. Roger, do you have the confidence to survive the next three away games in Los Angeles?"

"An eagle will not be like a falcon that gets nothing. Strength and courage are just the basic requirements to see me."

Roger's casual remark offended some Georgia football fans because the Falcons really did not win anything again this year.

Even fans of the Atlanta Braves were offended because the name of their team is the same word as courage.

But few people care about this now, everyone's eyes are fixed on Roger.

In Game 3 in Los Angeles, Lakers fans gathered outside the Staples Center in large numbers, clamoring to win the championship at home.

But Roger thwarted the Lakers fans' fantasies with his second consecutive 40+ game.

After winning the previous game by not double-teaming Roger, the Zen Master completely changed his strategy in G3.

The result was that Roger went in and out three times at the Staples Center, defeating the Purple and Gold Army and scoring 47 points in total!
The Lakers' big three performed relatively evenly today, with Shaq scoring 3 points, Kobe scoring 28 points, and Grant Hill scoring 26 points.

Of course, you can also say that the big3 all put in a dazzling performance.

But Roger's 47 points still helped the Eagles win by 6 points.

2 to 1. After three games, neither the Lakers nor the Hawks have ever won by double digits.

The word "evenly matched" was used throughout the entire round.

After the game, the Sharks told everyone in a rare and majestic manner: "We will not celebrate Roger's championship in Los Angeles!"

Then in Game 4, O'Neal scored 43 points and kept his word.

Because Robert Horry maintained his excellent touch, the Hawks' double-teaming was limited, which resulted in Big Ben and Kurt Thomas both fouling out tonight.

Poor Horace Grant became a stuffed toy at the mercy of the Sharks in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter.

Looking at the miserable state of Horace Grant, the magician couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Shanny probably had never been played so badly before.

When Shanni faces O'Neal, O'Neal always shows weakness.

But Horace Grant will be tough against O'Neal until the end of the game.

109 to 104, the Los Angeles Lakers tied the series score to 2 to 2.

Roger scored a game-high 45 points today but still lost the game. He has scored 40+ points in three consecutive finals, tying his own record set in the 1995 Finals.

The game was dragged into a crucial decisive battle. Few teams could drag Roger into the decisive battle in the finals, and no finals opponent since 1995 could allow Roger to score 40+ in three consecutive games.

To some extent, the Lakers have proven their strength.

It also proved that they are indeed qualified to win.

It is still unclear who will have the last laugh in the series.

The decisive battle became the highest-rated game in the series. The Lakers were in trouble in the first half because Roger had an incredibly good touch today.

Seeing this, Lenny Wilkens increased Hornacek's playing time.

Hornacek's threat prevented the Lakers from double-teaming Roger, and they could only watch him destroy all the Lakers players who tried to defend him.

Magic had a hunch: "Roger might score more than 40 points tonight!"

The Zen master was so angry that he clenched his fists, and his fingernails almost dug into his flesh.

"If it weren't for this damn old white man, if it weren't for him! Damn it!"

In the third minute of the third quarter, the Lakers decided to let Hornacek go.

He also got the first chance to shoot. Grant Hill pounced on him like a mad beast and knocked Hornacek down in the air due to inertia.

The referee didn't call a foul. It's not easy to get 3+1 these days.

The Lakers fought back, Kobe made a long pass to Grant Hill, who vented his anger with a one-handed slam dunk.

The Lakers narrowed the gap to 3 points, and the bloody battle at the decisive mountain will continue.

However, after the Lakers completed their attack, Jeff Hornacek still did not stand up.

He curled up on the ground, sweating profusely.

Michael Reed stood up from the bench, feeling a chill down his spine.

It’s over.

This means two things on two levels. Reed was aware of Hornacek's health condition, so when he saw Hornacek was unable to stand up, he knew his teammate was finished.

His knees eventually gave out on him.

On the second level, his life was over. Reed looked at Stacey Hornacek, who was covering her mouth with her hands in the stands, and wondered whether he should buy a helmet.

There is no decent person who plays basketball without wearing a helmet.

Roger came to Hornacek's side. Fearing that he might cause him further harm, Roger did not pull him up roughly. He just asked, "How is it, Jeff?"

"Damn it!" Hornacek slapped the floor in pain, then stared at Roger. "Roger, give me two minutes! I'll be back soon, I promise!"

The Zen Master looked at Hornacek who was being helped off the court by the Hawks team doctor. Although this was cruel,
His troubles seemed to really disappear.

(End of this chapter)