73: 054: Roger is the best teammate in history, Roger is the worst teammate in history.
73: 054: Roger is the best teammate in history, Roger is the worst teammate in history.
The Indiana Pacers were doing well.
When people thought Roger couldn’t maintain his touch in the face of tough opposition, his touch remained steady through the second half.
The 6’2″ Workman struggled to take on the task of guarding Roger and continued to get blown past in the third quarter.
With no other choice, the Pacers had to assign Derrick McKey to guard Roger.
Then, Pippen finally got his chance.
Facing Workman, Pippen’s cuts to the basket were unstoppable, and even his turnaround jump shots carried a confidence reminiscent of Jordan’s.
Roger, of course, wasn’t idle.
Though Derrick McKey was excellent on defense, almost like a Pacers version of Prince, Roger wasn’t completely shut down by him.
In fact, all three of Roger’s three-pointers today were made over McKey’s head.
McKey might have been tall with a long reach, but since he’s a forward, he had to give Roger a step; otherwise, Roger’s drives would be too easy.
Larry Brown’s defensive strategy didn’t mind the opponent driving, but it was no good if the opponent could neatly get past you with a single step.
Roger took advantage of the space McKey gave him to sink three three-pointers in the second half.
The ’90s didn’t favor the three-pointer, but that didn’t mean it was entirely useless.
Those three three-pointers put the Pacers at a significant disadvantage.
On the other hand, the Pacers’ own offense was somewhat weak.
The constant issue with a Larry Brown team was that the offense wasn’t good enough; it was too rigid, too slow, and too dogmatic.
The Pacers managed to perform miracles in the playoffs mainly because of a very peculiar point about Reggie Miller: his playoff offense often exceeded his regular-season performance.
In the regular season, Reggie Miller was just a second-tier star, averaging 22 points or more in only two seasons.
But the guy turned it on in the playoffs like he had unlocked his meridian channels.
In NBA playoff history for win shares, Miller ranks 28th, with Barkley at 29th.
In NBA playoff history for true shooting percentage, Miller ranks 15th, with Durant, known as the ‘Grim Reaper’, at 18th.
In NBA playoff history for offensive rating, Miller ranks 16th.
Kobe is 17th, and Harden is 18th.
You can see what kind of names are in these lists ahead of Miller’s.
In the regular season, Miller was just a second-rate star, but once the playoffs came around, he would transform like Frieza facing a Super Saiyan, turning into his 100% power final form and his fighting power would multiply several times over.
Therefore, the Pacers often relied on Reggie Miller’s miraculous performance to go far in the playoffs.
It’s just a pity that Miller’s transformation was exclusive to the playoffs.
So today, Miller couldn’t help the team through their difficulties.
In the end, Roger scored 34 points for the game, with Scottie Pippen contributing 18 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
The Bulls beat the Pacers 97 to 88.
The Zen Master finally found the best way to utilize Roger and Pippen together.
Roger also proved that without Michael Jordan, the Bulls could still penetrate a strong defense!
After the game, Roger wiped the sweat from his forehead, “Coach Larry Brown’s system makes the Pacers’ defense tough, and it took me two full quarters to break it down.
Larry was right; if I had played college basketball for two more years, perhaps I would only need one quarter to break his defense.
Alas, I was too hasty.
However, the scenery in the Eastern garden is beautiful, and I don’t regret my decision.”
Although Roger talked about Larry Brown, everyone knew that defeating Brown’s Pacers was just a side note for Roger.
The real significance of this game was that Roger made people believe that without Michael Jordan, the Bulls still had a chance to win against the Knicks in the playoffs!
Moreover, Roger was deepening that impression.
In the following January, the Bulls lost only three games throughout the month, going 11-3.
Since the Zen Master established Roger as the offensive spearhead, the Bulls’ performance has been improving steadily.
Roger and Pippen still had nothing to say to each other; their communication was limited to at press conferences.
When reporters asked Pippen about his relationship with Roger, Pippen would reply nonchalantly, “We are very good colleagues.”
Faced with the same question, Roger would often tell the reporters with a smile, “We’re good, what deep hatred could you have with your colleague?”
The fact that they both emphasized the word ‘colleagues’ just highlighted how strained their relationship was.
Regardless, at least they hadn’t let it affect the game.
Pippen was well aware that although this mode reduced his shooting rights, it indeed let him win games.
And besides, he was still the team leader, at least overtly.
As for Roger, he felt that as long as Pippen didn’t trouble him, he could maintain the status quo.
The firm rise in the team’s performance made Chicago fans increasingly confident about defeating the Knicks.
Before that came to pass, though, Chicago fans first received another piece of good news.
In February, the league announced the starting lineup for the All-Star game.
Roger would step onto the All-Star stage for the first time, as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Stars shooting guard.
At the same time, Roger also became the youngest All-Star player in NBA history.
After Roger was selected, Pat Riley expressed his bewilderment just like Shaq did last year, “I don’t understand how Roger could surpass John Starks to become an All-Star starter.
It’s even more shocking than Shaquille edging out Patrick for the second year in a row.
The current All-Star voting is ludicrous.
How can there not be a single All-Star starter from the team leading the East?
Riley’s words angered both young players, Roger and Shaq.
O’Neal directly called out, “Hey, the Truth and I are All-Star starters chosen by the fans, what right does Pat have to nitpick?
If we don’t play as starters, should we let the Knicks players demonstrate a hundred ways to commit fouls in the All-Star game?”
Roger didn’t call out Riley directly, he just phoned Shaq, “Shaquille, my brother, I think we really should do something big in the All-Star game.”
Given O’Neal’s playful and mischievous nature, he naturally agreed right away.
Then, the poor Admiral somehow became the victim.
On February 13th, the day of the All-Star Game in Minneapolis.
The two young players, Roger and Shaq, were extremely active, taking turns scoring like mad in the first quarter.
By the second quarter, Shaq and Roger even started to collaborate.
In the fifth minute of the second quarter, O’Neal and Roger ran a pick-and-roll, and the Admiral retreated to the basket preparing to compete for the rebound.
Knowing Roger, he thought Roger would definitely go for the shot himself.
Instead, Roger made a bounce pass to Shaq, who had rolled off the pick, and Shaq rose up to face the Admiral head-on.
The Admiral let out a bewildered cry, and in the next second, he became the plaything between Shaq’s legs.
This attack was peculiar for two reasons.
First, Shaq actually came out to screen-and-roll in earnest.
Second, Roger actually passed the ball.
Having the Admiral becoming a poster was actually the most normal thing about it, as the tradition of Spurs stars is just like that.
Two minutes later, O’Neal, in the low post, backed down the Admiral.
Just when the Admiral thought he was going to power up, Shaq sneakily slipped the ball to the cutting Roger.
Before the Admiral could react, he was struck down by an overhead blow as Roger dunked over him.
These two plays opened the performance of Roger and Shaq.
In the rest of the game, these two young players, selected as All-Star starters at a young age, showed a remarkable chemistry that outshone the traditional stars.
On NBC’s commentator’s booth, the guest Magic shook his head in amazement, “Can you imagine what it would be like if the Magic hadn’t missed out on the Truth?”
Steve Jones jokingly said, “Would it become the next Magic and Skyhook?”
“Hahaha, strictly speaking, Roger and I are not the same type of player.
look at everything happening on the court, these two young men like each other, and they are even willing to do things for each other that they don’t usually like to do.
I believe that if they join forces, they will directly change the league’s dynamics.
I can’t imagine who could stop them!”
After the All-Star game, with 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks, Shaq was named the All-Star MVP.
If Roger remembered correctly, this ’94 All-Star MVP originally belonged to Pippen.
But Roger’s emergence didn’t even cause the slightest wobble in Pippen’s position.
During the award speech, Shaq pulled Roger out of the crowd and handed him the trophy, “I think this All-Star MVP trophy should belong to both of us, Roger is the best teammate ever.”
“Roger is the worst teammate ever!”
An hour later, Pippen and the long-unseen Jordan met secretly in a nightclub in Minneapolis.
After having a few drinks, Pippen clenched his fists tightly and blurted out the very words.
“He dished out five assists to that damn fathead fish this game, what about me?
You might not know yet, Michael, but this season so far, Roger hasn’t given me a single assist, not once!”
Afterward, Pippen looked at Jordan who was holding a glass of wine in one hand and practicing dribbling with a girl in the other, “Michael, are you coming back?”
Jordan’s usually hazy titanium dog eyes suddenly cleared up a lot at that moment, “I don’t know, Scottie.”
After pausing for a few seconds, Jordan became serious, “But if I do come back, the first thing I’m going to do is…”
Jordan brought his mouth close to Pippen’s ear.
No one knows what he said, but they both laughed happily afterward, making a “hehehe” sound.
The next day, no matter how much Roger liked Shaq, or how much Pippen missed Jordan, they both had to return to each other’s side.
That’s how men are; no matter how much last night’s princess made you linger, you eventually have to return to reality.
On the plane back to Chicago, Roger and Pippen, as usual, didn’t say a word to each other.
Their relationship was just as they stated themselves, limited to colleagues.
But for now, maintaining the status quo was enough; they didn’t have the energy to think about anything else because the playoffs were coming, and they had to be prepared.
Regardless of their chilly relationship, they had a common goal—to prove that even without MJ, the Bulls could still go far in the playoffs.
To achieve that goal, the New York Knicks were the biggest obstacle.
Pat Riley and his New York Gang were enough to keep the fragile relationship between Roger and Pippen intact.