539: 196: Sorry, I can’t learn to bow (asking for monthly votes!) 539: 196: Sorry, I can’t learn to bow (asking for monthly votes!) After Roger continuously scored at the start and still displayed his arrogant demeanor in the Rose Garden, the Trail Blazers’ movements on the defensive end became increasingly aggressive.
Roger might be a lone wolf, but wolves need to pack together to have fighting power.
A lone wolf, on the other hand, becomes a target for the hunt.
The prison bosses of Portland started their offensive against the lone wolf.
In the fourth minute of the first quarter, Roger broke past Isaiah Rider.
But just after getting past Rider, Rider directly grabbed Roger’s jersey and yanked him down to the ground.
The referee blew the whistle, but Rider didn’t care and even taunted Roger on the ground, “In the Rose Garden, you’ve got to learn to bow down, bastard.”
That wasn’t the end of it.
In the sixth minute of the first quarter, Roger was getting ready for a jump stop shot when out of nowhere, Brian Grant brutally knocked him down.
The referee called a foul on Grant, who just spread his hands, “I’m just clumsy, I just couldn’t stop in time.”
Kurt Thomas immediately pushed the pretentious Grant, “Fuck, do that one more time, and I guarantee you’ll pay in blood!”
But quickly, Rider, Yelling Maestro, and Kenny Anderson appeared behind Grant to back him up.
The men confronted Kurt Thomas, with Rider leading the charge and yelling at Thomas, “Stop fucking barking, how do you plan to make us pay in blood?
You could do it now, but you simply can’t.
So get lost, worthless bastard.”
As they had analyzed before, Kurt Thomas might be tough, but he was too small and alone.
To the prison bosses who wouldn’t go out without bringing three women at a time, one man was not enough to be a deterrent.
They didn’t take Thomas seriously at all.
Roger was knocked down, Kurt Thomas was being ganged up on, but the other three starters of the Hawks showed little reaction.
Alan Henderson did offer a hand, but only to help Roger up.
Seeing the fearsome look of the Portland prison bosses, Alan Henderson always felt intimidated; he was not the kind of player who liked to fight.
If it was Jordan, he would at least feign concern.
Ha, that asshole got what he deserved!
Pippen was willing to cooperate with Roger for surgery just for the sake of a big contract, but that didn’t mean he had reconciled with Roger, let alone became friends with him.
He would never let himself become the next Dominique Wilkins subdued by Roger; that was impossible.
Stevie Smith was also very indifferent, which had nothing to do with his personal grudge against Roger; it was just his nature.
In his view, most conflicts in the NBA were posturing, with real fights being few and far between.
Moreover, he just wanted to play the game and stay out of any trouble.
After being pulled up by Alan Henderson, Roger was about to go support Kurt Thomas, who was being surrounded, but Coach Lenny Wilkens called for a timeout at that moment.
Hearing the whistle, the Trail Blazers were very pleased, as it signified their tactical victory at that stage.
They successfully narrowed the gap to just 4 points and managed to make Roger suffer.
Looking at the unsupported Roger and Kurt Thomas, several prison bosses sneered, “See?
This is the Rose Garden!”
Roger ignored the timeout and continued towards the group of prison thugs.
But the referee promptly intervened between them, “Roger, the game is paused, go back to the bench.
Hey, I haven’t ignored anything they’ve done; I’ve called the fouls, haven’t I?
Back to the bench, Roger.”
As the Trail Blazers’ prison characters walked to the bench, they mocked Roger, “Trying to act tough to protect your own dignity?
Hahaha, roll back to the bench!”
Watching their triumphant backs, Roger clenched his teeth in anger, but under the referee’s persuasion, he reluctantly returned to the bench first.
It wasn’t until Roger got back to the bench that he realized Coach Lenny Wilkens was also fuming, “Dammit, Steve, how could you just watch your own teammate get maliciously fouled and remain indifferent?
Scott, what about you?
Do you guys want to be pushovers!?”
As an old-school coach, Lenny Wilkens certainly wouldn’t tell his players to “keep your cool” at a time .
Everyone has various strengths, and the old-school Wilkens combined solid tactical knowledge with a tough demeanor.
Just as Leonard’s selflessness is not solely shown by taking a pay cut but also by not coveting playing time or hogging the ball, allowing every teammate to be fully engaged in the game.
Just as LeBron’s vision is not only evident in paving the way for his son but also in having already planned his son’s retirement.
Wilkens’s old-school mentality was also a multiple strength; the tough-natured coach was not about to take things lying down in situations .
As a man under 190 centimeters, if he wasn’t tough, he never would have made a name for himself in the NBA, a world of giants.
Paul, Rondo, the assassin, Wilkens were all like that.
This toughness was deeply ingrained in Wilkens’s heart.
So he didn’t call a timeout to calm things down, he wanted to tell everyone to toughen up.