261: 116: Say something!
(Asking for monthly votes!) 261: 116: Say something!
(Asking for monthly votes!) Roger dunked over two Cavaliers players in one go, finally igniting the Orlando Arena and adding some color to the dull game.
It also finally showed the Cavaliers players just how formidable the defending champions were.
During the timeout on the Cavaliers’ bench, Chris Mills was visibly shaking.
He felt he was doomed.
Looking at Terrell Brandon sitting beside him, he muttered to himself uneasily, “Why, why was I so impulsive?
Why couldn’t I hold back?
Why did I have to do something so disgraceful just now!”
Terrell Brandon looked baffled, thinking, buddy, it’s just a game, why are you having a sage moment all of a sudden?
Of course, Chris Mills wasn’t referring to a sage moment; he regretted provoking Roger!
Why can’t I just keep my mouth shut!
I had to mention the 40 points!
Roger just said he was going to teach me a lesson, it couldn’t be true, right?
Although there was less than a half and a half left in the game, though Roger had only scored 20 points so far.
But Chris Mills was still very anxious.
His anxiety stemmed from the coach’s change in defensive strategy.
Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello had just changed the tactic; he didn’t want role players like Marciulionis and McKey to shoot successfully.
Since Roger wasn’t feeling it from the perimeter today, they decided just to guard him one-on-one at the perimeter.
If Roger broke through, then Tyrone Hill and Danny Ferry would provide help defense inside.
The previous strategy was to not give Roger any chance to penetrate, but that left Marciulionis and McKey open.
Now, they were letting Roger enter the paint and would surround him there.
So, up next, it would be Chris Mills guarding Roger alone.
Even though he had help in the paint, Mills still felt unsure.
Honestly, his two teammates in the paint were like watchdogs on the street staring at you, offering no sense of security.
Don’t ask why watchdogs would make you feel insecure, it’s just local culture.
“No,” Mills reassured himself, “No, how could Roger remember what I said?
It was just trash talk, Roger gets thousands of those every day, why couldn’t he forget mine?
It’s fine, it’s fine.
Just before the timeout, he probably just asked casually.”
Roger stood beside Mills, and sure enough, nothing special in his reaction.
Just as Mills breathed a sigh of relief, Roger suddenly turned towards him, asking again, “Was it you who said I wouldn’t reach 40 points?”
Mills was on the verge of tears.
Roger remembered everything!
It was over, done for.
In the Cavaliers’ first play back from the timeout, Terrell Brandon, relying on his rapid breakthrough, successfully drove to the basket for a layup.
The deficit was back to 2 points; the Cavaliers were not completely out of it yet.
On the change of possession, Saru passed the ball to Roger just past midcourt.
Roger, with the ball, noticed that for once, the Cavaliers weren’t double-teaming him.
Saru had successfully occupied the defenders!
Thus, unable to help himself, Roger flashed Chris Mills a friendly smile and elegantly told him, “Don’t fucking challenge the truth!”
Roger stepped back to create some space for a sprint, then accelerated past Mills.
Mills tried to reach out to stop him, but before he could grab Roger’s jersey, Roger had easily spun around him.
Driving into the paint, Tyrone Hill immediately stepped up to help.
But Roger outright ignored him, leaping up and executing a 360° spin in mid-air past Hill to score a layup!
Hill only added to his loneliness.
Roger’s personal 22nd point, Magic leading by 4 points.
“Damn it!” Mills knew, he just knew the help defense in the paint was virtually useless!
He regretted it, vowing never to trash talk in his life again!
After Roger scored, the camera continued to stick with Shaq, and Bob Costas, complementing the feed, commented, “Why do I feel he looks even happier?
Wait, who put a burger in front of the camera again?”
On the sidelines, Spoelstra excitedly punched the air.
The Cavaliers players simply didn’t have the ability to handle one-on-one with Roger, these idiots, and now they stood no chance!
As long as they let Roger drive into the paint, those two big men under 210cm would hardly defend anything!
However, Terrell Brandon quickly scored another 2 points for the Cavaliers; Saru had done his best in defense, but their speeds weren’t in the same dimension.
There was no helping it, that’s the trade-off with using Saru: his defense wasn’t nearly as good as his offense.
But Terrell’s basket was a cost the Magic could afford.
Brian Hill wasn’t worried about it, could Terrell’s scoring efficiency really outmatch Roger’s?
As long as it helped to create some space for Roger, even if they lost some on the defensive end, it didn’t matter.
Sure enough, Roger scored again right away.
In this offensive play, Roger breezed past Mills with just a stutter step and change of direction, then scored a layup at the edge of the paint with his signature finger roll.
His personal 24th point.
“Did you see my move?
If not, we can go over it again.
No, however many times you want to watch it tonight, I’ll oblige!” Roger taunted Mills with a smile.
With Roger continuously scoring, the atmosphere in the Orlando Arena grew increasingly lively.