295: 126: It’s over, there will be no more Miami Heat (asking for monthly votes!)_3 295: 126: It’s over, there will be no more Miami Heat (asking for monthly votes!)_3 “But Pat, if Roger’s touch is still off in the second half…”
Get your outfit sorted out, Stan, and stop acting like a deserter!”
Riley was adamant about sticking to his defensive strategy.
Pat Riley had always been extreme in terms of tactics, able to play the fastest and most fluid extreme offense with the Lakers.
Or switch to the slowest and most intense extreme defense in New York.
Tonight, he extremly relied on Roger to score alone.
He was convinced that this extreme strategy would eventually wear down the person he hated the most.
For Roger, tonight would definitely be a slow death!
After the third quarter started, Roger’s output and efficiency indeed declined.
He scored only 10 points this quarter, and the Heat narrowed the gap to just 1 point.
A faint smile finally appeared on Riley’s face, the first time he showed his emotions on camera today.
Micky Arison couldn’t help but smile too, finally, the game had entered his favorite part—the part where a genius player falls clumsily at the American Airlines Arena!
Roger’s 38 points in three quarters were certainly not few, but without a victory, it all was in vain!
Both were convinced that the already worn-down Roger would be strangled in the fourth quarter.
Roger sat on the bench, guzzling Gatorade.
Brian Hill continued to squat down: “Rest for four minutes.”
“Have you forgotten your previous defeat to us, Michael?
I don’t want to see you miss every shot at the final moment.”
“That won’t happen, Michael was drained because his defender was Ron Harper.
The Magic Team garbage isn’t nearly enough to exhaust me physically, I am still in good shape, just had some issues with my touch in the third quarter, two minutes of rest is enough.”
As the fourth quarter began, seeing Roger sweating profusely on the bench, Bill Walton frowned deeply: “I can responsibly say, tonight’s Roger is unstoppable, this young man is just too strong, the Heat simply can’t guard him.
The question is, can he keep performing under Pat Riley’s continuous high-pressure strategy until the end?”
During Roger’s absence, the Miami Heat took the lead with a 5-point difference.
Actually, the Heat’s offensive efficiency was also mediocre, but without Roger, the Magic’s offensive efficiency was even worse.
Fortunately, Roger didn’t rest for too long.
Two minutes later, he showed up on time.
The next 10 minutes were his and Riley’s time for reckoning!
As expected, Roger took over the ball as soon as he was back.
Now, Kurt Thomas was assigned to lead the defense against Roger.
The current Kurt Thomas was still someone who could swing to the small forward position, standing 206 cm tall, with a lanky physique and a tough style.
But one thing, even though this was a yet unweight-increased Kurt Thomas, his speed was not as good as Roger’s.
Therefore, as long as Roger found a gap to accelerate, his defense would fail.
This round was just the case; with a sequence of double crossovers, Roger breezed past the unable-to-block Thomas and then abruptly stopped for a mid-range jump shot, his touch still softly sending the ball through the net.
40 points, his fourth time this season.
The Magic narrowed the gap to 3 points.
If there was one word to describe the Heat’s defense against Roger tonight, it would be futile.
One-on-one simply couldn’t restrain Roger, and Pat Riley proved it to the entire league once again.
But what about the score?
The Magic never managed to pull away on the score today and were sometimes overtaken.
Roger kept scoring over and over, but it was like working on an assembly line in a job with no future, unable to see any results.
Riley was convinced that if it continued , not only Roger’s physical but also his mental state would break down.
This was what he called a slow death!
“Pat, ready to embrace death?” Roger typically roared at Riley after scoring.
This time, Riley unexpectedly responded to Roger: “It’s your death, hypocritical bastard.”
Soon, Mourning scored another tough point for the Heat under the basket, his back muscles starting to ache faintly, painkillers wouldn’t help him much longer.
But he showed no discomfort, he was determined to bury Roger here!
For Roger, Mourning’s basket made his recent effort worthless.
He had barely scored 2 points, only to turn around and see his opponent easily reply.
Riley speculated about Roger’s feelings at that moment, thinking he should be feeling desperate.
This despair stimulated Riley’s taste buds like gourmet food, making him crave more.
“Keep going, don’t slack on defense, no one go soft on me!” Riley shouted from his seat.
Soon, Roger’s breakdown was coming!
But what awaited Riley next?
It was Roger’s continuous scoring!
A quick stop pull-back retreat jump shot, breaking through Kurt Thomas, 42 points.
“Pat, is 42 points enough?
If not, I’ll continue!”
After the prayer, his drive for a layup got knocked down by Mourning, but sinking both free throws, 44 points.
“Shut up, idiot, just shut up, you and your team will never win against me!”
A minute later, Roger once again broke into the paint.
He had just been viciously knocked down by Mourning, but still, he fearlessly drove toward the basket, then performed a layup, getting hit by Mourning.
The ball went in, the whistle blew.
He earned a 2+1 opportunity!