306: 130: I won’t let you fight alone anymore (asking for monthly pass)_4 306: 130: I won’t let you fight alone anymore (asking for monthly pass)_4 Of all the guys in basketball shoes, he’s the most unreliable one.
The general public was very unfriendly about O’Neal’s mysterious absence; one can imagine how the grieving Shaq, upon seeing these reports, must have been filled with anger.
What’s worse, April 7th would be the last regular-season matchup between the Magic and the Bulls.
And it was highly likely that O’Neal would continue to be absent.
Before the game, Brian Hill told the reporters, “Shaq is still dealing with his personal matters; even if he comes back tonight, he might not play on the court,”
He was telling the truth, though O’Neal had informed the team he was 100% coming back that night, his flight was destined to arrive when the game was nearly over.
At that point, what was the necessity of playing?
The Orlando fans were greatly disappointed; out of the three games against the Bulls this season, O’Neal had played only one, and they fucking lost it.
And he was going to be absent again?
The Magic could have likely been the first team this season to defeat the Bulls twice, but Shaq’s absence cast a shadow over this prospect.
During the pre-game interview, Hannah asked about Shaq: “Roger, are you disappointed in Shaquille O’Neal?”
Roger knew that O’Neal’s reputation edged on collapse.
If things kept going , Shaq would definitely break down.
It had been difficult enough to settle his contract extension; they couldn’t afford to fall short on this matter.
Saru approached Roger at this moment: “I brought Shaq’s black-and-white photo frame, should we place it on the bench, and each say a word to it?
That way, it represents him being with us.”
Roger’s mouth twitched; who taught you this otherworldly trick?
Roger waved and called the equipment manager Jacob over: “Did you bring Shaq’s jersey?”
“For me, I’ll wear his jersey for tonight’s game.”
On the bench, everyone turned their heads toward Roger.
Everyone knew that Roger wanted to support Shaq in this way.
If the whole team supported Shaq, then what others said wouldn’t have any impact.
The gesture had a bigger impact than Roger expected, as his actions this season fit people’s fantasies of a “team leader.”
He led the team to victory time after time when they were plagued with injuries.
He spoke up for his teammates in public, taking responsibility when they lost games.
He drove everyone toward the goal of the championship.
Now it wasn’t just Shaq; everyone wanted to fight alongside Roger!
This was the moment a young leader shined!
Brian Hill wanted to remind Roger that wearing the wrong jersey would result in a fine from the league.
But he quickly held back the words.
Don’t be silly; would Roger care?
So there was Roger, entering the court wearing Shaq’s 33 jersey.
Everyone, including the commentator Bill Walton, was very surprised.
It seemed like such an event had never occurred in NBA history.
Jordan looked at the number 33 on Roger but didn’t say much.
He just knew that this season’s Orlando Magic would still be very difficult to deal with.
After the game started, Roger in the 33 jersey activated his scoring mode, racking up 14 points in the first quarter alone.
Bill Walton reminded Bulls fans: “In Chicago, Roger is accustomed to enacting bloody massacres!”
However, after the first quarter, the Magic were still trailing by 2 points.
The Bulls at end-season were more in sync and more skilled defensively than at the beginning.
Therefore, another commentator, Tiff Jones, quickly reminded Bill Walton, “But this season, no team has been able to beat the Chicago Bulls twice.”
As the second quarter started, the Bulls’ offensive efficiency rose to another level.
With Jordan being double-teamed, Dumars and Pippen kept making shots.
The Bulls did not wait until the third quarter to ramp up their defense as usual but started to double-team Roger earlier on.
Saru scored three three-pointers in a single quarter, but by halftime, the Magic were still down by 5 points.
In the third quarter, the Bulls started to clamp down as usual.
Because their baseline double-teams were more in sync and faster in rotation, Roger made several errors, giving the Bulls plenty of opportunities for fast-breaks.
The gap widened gradually, Michael Jordan kept trash-talking Roger: “No one can beat me twice this season, no one!
By the end of the third quarter, the Magic were behind by 11 points.
The United Center erupted with cheer, even the reigning champions couldn’t stop the Bulls’ rampage across the league this season!
Brian Hill started thinking of giving up on this game.
With half a month until the playoffs, he didn’t want Roger pushing too hard, nor did he want to risk Roger getting injured.
Considering the Bulls’ intensity in contact, he felt it necessary to protect Roger.
Moreover, the current record for the Bulls was 65 wins and 8 losses.
Even if Roger defeated the Bulls today, they could still likely achieve 70+ wins.
But seeing Roger’s clenched teeth and determined expression, Brian Hill ultimately couldn’t bring himself to utter the word “give up.”
Roger indeed didn’t want to give up easily; regular-season games were not completely meaningless.
Sometimes, as a professional player, you can’t just be slaughtered!
Against certain opponents, you have to compete!