461: 174: The Last Dance of Fate (Request for Monthly Tickets!)_3 461: 174: The Last Dance of Fate (Request for Monthly Tickets!)_3 Jordan said his piece and turned to leave the Zen Master’s office.
Once outside, Jordan clenched his fist.
From now on, he would treat every game as if it were his last!
For the Magic, this was the final dance, but wasn’t it the same for himself?
In the office, Phil Jackson smiled.
Well, at least Michael Jordan hadn’t spoken in absolutes.
The East semifinal didn’t keep the Magic and Bulls waiting too long.
After four hard-fought battles, the Miami Heat narrowly took out the Cavaliers.
The Pistons, through a tough Game 5, got past the Hornets.
Pistons semifinal matchups were set.
There was no suspense in the outcomes; the Magic and Knicks both advanced with a 4-0 series sweep.
Right from the start, no one favored the Pistons against the Magic.
The series was torture for Chris Webber.
Because of O’Neal’s presence, he seemed as soft as a piece of candy.
Grant Hill maintained his usual standard, proving himself to be a player capable of tough battles.
But the key was, if even Michael Jordan couldn’t manage it, with Chris Webber being swept 8-0 by the Magic in a single season, how was Grant Hill supposed to achieve it?
In the playoffs, Chris Webber wasn’t someone just anyone could carry.
Other than Game 3, where the Pistons’ hot three-point shooting gave the Magic some trouble, the Magic won the other three games with no suspense.
4-0, the Pistons were eliminated by the Magic in the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
The highly anticipated Grant Hill couldn’t even be considered Roger’s match.
Like the previous season, the Magic strode into the East finals for the third consecutive year with a seven-game winning streak.
On the Knicks side, the expectations for this round were completely different from the Magic vs.
Most fans and media thought it would be a fierce battle.
“The Miami Daily News” claimed before the game: Our defense is strong enough to take down the Knicks!
Considering Ewing’s offense was not as good as Shaq’s, and Jordan was the only weak point of the Knicks’ offense, the confidence of the Miami media was understandable.
“Unreasonable” Jamal Mashburn also thought so: “Michael has to face 48 minutes of intense, all-around defense.
The moment he loses focus, our defense will taste blood!”
But the outcome was far too surprising.
Tim Hardaway, who managed to maintain his form in the regular season, shot a mere 35.1% across the whole series against the Knicks’ oppressive defense.
Alonzo Mourning, entangled by big brother Ewing and the Oak Tree, Oakley, saw his average drop to just 15 points per game.
Jamal Mashburn, with an average of 12 points per game, was neither here nor there.
Allan Houston, with an average of 19.3 points per game, was the Heat’s only hope.
But his shooting percentage of just 38.7% was not enough to kill the Knicks.
By Game 3, Steve Jones had already identified the reason the Heat couldn’t beat the Knicks in the playoffs during the commentary: “The problem with Miami is that they are all strong, but they lack a true star to carry the team.”
Meaning: All five starters are second in command, without a true leader!
Yes, the Heat’s defense was strong; they even managed to keep Jordan’s shooting below 40% in two games.
But they forgot, the Knicks’ defense was stronger.
Facing the Knicks’ defense, the Heat’s mediocre offensive talent was stretched thin.
They lacked a superstar to stand out, and the playoffs are precisely the stage for superstars.
At least, most of the time.
4-0, the Heat not only failed to win, but they also lost convincingly.
As expected, the two most frightening teams in the league, the two most fearsome men, met again in the East finals.
The Knicks and Magic’s rivalry.
Jordan and Roger’s personal feud.
All these moments intertwined, heading toward the ultimate reckoning.
After the game, reporters asked Phil Jackson: “Another year, another East final against the Orlando Magic.
For the past two years, your team has lost to Roger.
So, if you were to name this special series, what would you call it?”
Phil Jackson revealed an enigmatic smile, knowing that regardless of who won or lost, the outcome would fittingly match the theme.
Michael Jordan and Roger’s long, mutual animosity.
It was time to draw a bloody full stop to that destiny in the summer of 1997.