312: 132: Ice Blue (Request for Monthly Tickets!)_4 312: 132: Ice Blue (Request for Monthly Tickets!)_4 Pippen did just that, after he completed the steal, he desperately counterattacked, hoping to quickly narrow the gap.
But just as he was about to finish the slam, the ball was rejected by the relentlessly pursuing Roger!
This chase-down block left Pippen flustered; he and Roger nearly flew out of bounds at the same time, then both turned their heads to look back at the court, wanting to see who ended up with possession.
The basketball hit the backboard, rebounded past the following Harper, and instead fell into the hands of Michael Jordan, who was further behind.
Jordan caught the ball and shook off Harper with a shoulder feint followed by a crossover.
This slight delay cost him a little time, but it was not a big issue.
After getting past Harper, Jordan only had the basket in front of him.
He chose not to dunk, but instead went for a layup, tossing the ball upward.
Harper turned to watch the number 23 go up for the shot, giving up on the block, knowing he wasn’t the kind of player who could launch like a rocket to block shots on the spot.
But then, a gust of wind swept past Harper.
A huge shadow quickly flew by him, casting over Jordan.
Just as the basketball reached its peak and was about to fall, Shaquille O’Neal tipped the ball with his fingertips, altering the basketball’s trajectory and causing it to veer away from the basket!
Following Roger’s block on Pippen, the massive Shaq also made a herculean effort to swim through and chase down Jordan, who had been delayed by Harper!
“Roger blocks Scott, Shaq blocks Michael!
The Bulls’ duo, in this do-or-die moment, have been shut down by the Magic’s pair!”
Jordan and O’Neal also landed outside the baseline due to momentum.
At this moment, Roger and Shaq, wearing each other’s jerseys, stood shoulder to shoulder, both blocking Pippen and Jordan, roaring with rage.
Meanwhile, the once-dominant Jordan and Pippen stood there like two kids who had made a mistake, stunned!
It was a scene full of implications, with ferocious Shaq and Roger looking down upon a somewhat disheveled Pippen and Jordan.
It seemed like a reminder to everyone that the pulse of an era had quietly begun to beat.
Roger and Shaq were not content with merely stealing a championship; they wanted to take over the entire era from Pippen and Jordan!
This time, the ball blocked by Shaq finally landed in Harper’s hands.
Harper immediately counterattacked, assisting Derrick McKey, who forcefully made a layup against Dumars, extending the lead to eight points!
The game was settled!
In the end, the Orlando Magic came from 11 points behind at the start of the fourth quarter to defeat the Chicago Bulls 107 to 101 on their home court.
The undefeated United Center fell to the Orlando Magic!
The Magic also became the only team in the season to beat the Bulls twice!
All the fans in the United Center watched the court in disbelief; everything that happened today was unfamiliar to them.
They were unaccustomed to someone breaking Pippen’s defense, unaccustomed to someone outrebounding Rodman, and most importantly, unaccustomed to someone defying Michael Jordan’s will!
Last season’s Bulls squad was clearly flawed, so losing to the Magic had some excuses.
But this season, the Bulls, with their now seemingly perfect roster, could only manage a 2-2 tie with the Magic in the regular season.
So, how could Michael Jordan ensure a victory in the playoffs?
Jordan, as usual, left without shaking hands, while Roger and O’Neal embraced on the court.
Bill Walton’s passion gradually cooled, and as he calmed down, he began to make his final summary of the game:
“A thrilling comeback—not only were Roger and Shaq outstanding at the crucial moment, we saw Derrick McKey’s timely help defense, we saw Ron’s steal, we saw Saru’s shot over Michael Jordan’s head.
That’s the Roger Magic I talked about, he can make everyone follow his lead!
The defending champions are ready to flex their muscles in the playoffs!”
At this time, Shaq, having completed his interview, was carrying Roger back through the player’s tunnel.
In his words: “I was three quarters late for this game, I’ve got to burn off that unspent energy.”
In front of the reporters’ cameras, Shaq carried Roger as if he was carrying his bride back home, his smile radiantly beaming.
Roger was indeed tired, so he lay on Shaq’s back with closed eyes, extremely serene, as if he had peacefully fallen asleep.
Slam magazine intern reporter Ben Osborne, seeing this, penned the opening lines for his column the next day.
“The NBA world is filled with a variety of rich colors, from the Lakers’ lively purple and gold, to the Spurs’ simple black and white finesse.
From the Bulls’ blood red to the verdant canopy of the Celtics’ home court ceiling.
And Orlando Magic’s cool blue, seemingly calm, can become tumultuous under the stir of Roger Magic!
The fierce Shark has finally come home, and he should be grateful that after so much, the Roger Magic hasn’t let this home fall apart.
Now, they can create giant waves together.
And when the tidal wave rises, they can not only extinguish the blood-red flames, but perhaps they can also overturn a dynasty!
The ’96 Bulls may have had a glittering season, and Michael Jordan may still be the best basketball player in the world.
But this year’s protagonist might not be so clear-cut.”