464: 175: No Game 7 This Year!
(Request for monthly tickets!)_3 464: 175: No Game 7 This Year!
(Request for monthly tickets!)_3 This was like a dirge played for his career.
After the game, Roger smiled at the camera, “Tonight, the hoop was as wide as Lake Tohopekaliga.”
That is the largest freshwater lake in the city of Orlando, known as the City of a Thousand Lakes.
1 to 0, the Magic firmly took the lead in the series.
However, right after the game in the locker room, the Zen Master told everyone, “Disney’s Magic World may be magical, but we all know those wonderful things aren’t real.
They can bring you and your children happiness for a moment, but they can’t really make you worry-free.”
He meant, Roger’s magical performance today might win the Magic a game, but it’s unrealistic to think they could win the next round of the series like that.
In the second game, just as expected, the Knicks began to fight back.
The Knicks’ aggressive pressing defense started to affect Roger’s shooting touch.
Even Roger himself didn’t expect to deliver the same three-point performance as the last game, but today it wasn’t just his three-pointers, even his mid-range shots were off.
Inside the paint, Ewing’s efforts also made it tougher for Shaq to play smoothly.
Before every offense, O’Neal had to physically battle with Ewing for 10-12 seconds.
By the time Shaq got the ball, usually more than half the offensive time had already passed.
If O’Neal had a clear chance to finish directly, it was still okay.
But if Oakley’s double-team arrived in time, then Shaq had to spend time passing the ball again.
So many times, the Magic could only rush their shots due to not having enough time on the shot clock.
Certainly, Wilkins and Harper managed to score some points in the gaps opened up by the Knicks’ double-teams.
But those attacks could not penetrate the Knicks’ heavy armor.
However, today it wasn’t the Knicks’ defense that really killed the game.
It was Michael Jordan’s offense.
In the first quarter, Jordan went all out, making 6 of 10 shots to score 12 points.
His mid-range shots pierced through the heart like a sculptor born to carve the most perfect mid-range jumpers over decades.
Roger’s mid-range shots were accurate, but to speak of artistry, from action to precision, it still had to be Michael Jordan.
In the second quarter, Michael Jordan continued his god-like performance, only this time it was with his three-point shooting.
Making 4 out of 6 shots in the quarter, he responded to Roger with a shrug.
At halftime, Brian Hill faced the cameras red-faced with anger, “Fast breaks, jump shots, breaks…
damn, our whole team can’t stop him!”
In the second half, Jordan’s efficient offense continued.
He was still the same Jordan, although in the last three seasons his influence and stature had declined, he could still captivate countless eyes and hearts with each move.
In the end, Jordan erupted for 54 points in the game, answering Roger’s 50 points in Game 1.
Bill Walton shook his head, “This is God tormenting Orlando!”
Nobody expected Roger to deliver such a perfect performance in the first game of the Eastern Finals, nor did they expect Jordan to return another 50+ performance so quickly, as if paying back 100 US dollars.
Scoring 50+ in the playoffs is very difficult, even for great scorers like Durant, Curry, and Kobe, who each have only done it once in their career.
If you think those people are all wastes who can’t touch the highest echelons of history, that’s fine because the GOAT himself has only had one playoff 50+ as well, not even a few more than those “wastes,” let alone crushing them.
The difference is, under similar circumstances, he dares to call himself the GOAT.
Although Roger wasn’t as magical today, he still scored 32 points.
But in front of Jordan, his spotlight was completely stolen.
After the game, Jordan’s tit-for-tat against Roger continued.
When a reporter asked him, “How would you rate your performance today?” Jordan responded, “Today, the hoop was as wide as the ocean.”
G1, Roger described the hoop like Lake Tohopekaliga.
G2, Jordan immediately responded with the ocean.
This sets the tone for this year’s Eastern Finals, leaving the teams eliminated by the Magic and the Knicks speechless.
This is a war between great players, a clash at such a level where others simply can’t intervene.
After the first two games of the Eastern Finals, everyone knew, this was going to be an epic series.
This series would be forever recorded in history.
Roger and Jordan, they would bring another legendary rivalry to the world like the 80s’ Magic Bird.
The Magic himself on his show “Magic Moments” after the first two games of the series again supported Roger:
“Michael’s response was very strong.
This is what a playoff confrontation should be, both players delivered performances that could be described as great.
But, after all, the Orlando Magic are champions.
Over the past two years on their journey to back-to-back championships, the Magic team faced challenges.
Olajuwon in the 95 Finals, last season’s Chicago Bulls, they each had a chance to defeat the Magic, but in the end, the Magic proved they were the better team.
Because the Magic have a unique quality — the greater the pressure, the better they perform.
This quality comes from Roger, from his never-surrender attitude.
He spreads this atmosphere to every player on the team, making each of them extremely dangerous.
So, over a series of seven games, I favor Roger and his Magic.”
After the Magic spoke, the program transitioned into a nonsensical cheerleading dance segment.