101: 066: There is no possibility of coexistence between them_2 101: 066: There is no possibility of coexistence between them_2 And the Rockets’ role players each had their moment with the basket.
Roger scored 31 points tonight, but the entire team’s score was just 79 points.
91 to 79, the Rockets led the series 2 to 0.
The Rockets’ lineup was too restraining for the Bulls; against the Knicks, because they themselves were not offensive, you only needed one breaking point to have a chance at victory.
But on the Rockets’ side, they achieved a truly balanced offense and defense.
Back in Chicago, Roger had only one thought, “I really want to improve!”
This season, he had already created many unbelievable moments, but he still needed to improve.
His offense was strong, but the playoffs require a higher level of targeting.
As the difficulty of scoring increased, Roger always needed some other means to solve the problem.
His defense still couldn’t impact the game; at best, he could only ensure he wasn’t blown out.
His passing ability under double-teams still needed to be enhanced; he had to be able to drive the whole team.
But these shortcomings couldn’t be blamed on Roger; his training was already hard enough, and improvement took time.
You can’t expect everyone to start off like a novel protagonist, easily getting triple-doubles as if they were drinking water.
At 18 years old, Roger’s journey was still very long.
However, the Rockets, even with a 2 to 0 lead, did not lose their sense of crisis; Pat Riley’s lessons were enough to keep them alert.
The “Houston Chronicle” even warned the Rockets, “Roger never succumbs to any opponent; his trophy gallery is already full of superstar specimens, and Hakeem should be wary not to become the next one.”
Indeed, in Game 3 back in Chicago, Roger said in front of the cameras before the game, “Now, I’m going to leave some marks on Hakeem too.”
In this battle, Roger attacked the basket like mad.
This sudden change caught Olajuwon off guard, causing him to fall into foul trouble.
By the start of the fourth quarter, he had already racked up his fifth foul.
This led to Tomjanovich not daring to put Olajuwon back on the court until the last four minutes of the fourth quarter.
Once Dream came back, he frantically chased points, narrowing the gap to just three points in the final 27 seconds of the game.
Now it was the Bulls’ ball.
If the Rockets could successfully defend this offense, they had a chance to tie the game.
Roger, controlling the ball at the top of the three-point arc, faced Kenny Smith’s defense and called for a screen with 5 seconds left on the shot clock.
The young Bull showed his sharp, blood-stained horns, moving to the left off the screen and, as his defender got caught, went up for a three-pointer.
But Olajuwon sprung out like a shadow.
The super spider-man stretched his tentacles beyond the three-point line.
He had already figured out Roger’s habits, his heart devoid of pride, only caution because he didn’t want to become another one of Roger’s trophies.
Facing the block from Olajuwon, Roger tried to keep his composure, adjusting his shooting arc before releasing the ball.
Olajuwon could feel the breeze as the ball brushed past his fingertips, indicating he missed the block by a hair’s breadth.
As Olajuwon landed, he was just about to turn around when he heard the death knell played by the sound of the ball rolling through the net.
A direct hit at the throat, Roger extended the lead to 6 points over Olajuwon’s head with 3 seconds left in the game, sealing the fate of the match.
1 to 2, Olajuwon indeed couldn’t avoid being wounded by the horns.
At the post-game press conference, the Rockets’ center shook his head non-stop when that shot was brought up: “That was a truly injurious blow, but that’s Roger, the most dangerous scoring guard in the league.”
Roger successfully left a scar on Olajuwon and remained calm in the interview, “I will never let go of any opportunity to win.”
It’s worth mentioning that that evening, after the game ended, Scottie Pippen and Larsa Younan met for the first time in their lives.
But the encounter was quite embarrassing.
Larsa was at the players’ tunnel beside the stand, shouting at Pippen, “Hey Scott, can you get the Bulls’ superstar to sign something for me?
Seeing Larsa’s attractive figure and looks, Pippen wanted to play the good guy right away and help this fragile young girl with her drain unclogging.
Err, no, fulfill her wish for free.
As the most helpful superstar on the Bulls, how could he bear to refuse such a little girl?
So Pippen smiled and took the pen, ready to sign on the jersey Larsa had handed him.
But when he took the jersey, he saw that it was Roger’s number 14.
Larsa also smiled and said, “Scottie, you’re so nice, I hadn’t expected you’d really help me get Roger’s autograph.”
Well, the main star she referred to wasn’t him at all.
This heartbreaking signature made Pippen feel utterly dejected.
And this heart-rending three-pointer continued to boost Roger’s fame and reputation.
But a gap in strength between the teams couldn’t be bridged by just one three-pointer.
At the start of Game 4, Tomjanovich adjusted his strategy promptly.
He reduced Olajuwon’s usage rate in the first three quarters, allowing him to perform at full power in the fourth.
It also kept Olajuwon from getting into too much foul trouble.
The tactic was effective; in Game 4 Olajuwon finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks, and though Roger scored 34 points, the Bulls were defeated.
Finally, in Game 5, Pippen toughened up on offense, teaming up with Roger to smother the Rockets.
But back in Houston for Game 6, nothing could stop the Rockets, who were set on claiming the championship.
Well, there was still one thing that could stop them.