642: 226: Hey, it’s hard to win with such a burden, isn’t it?
(Vote for me with your monthly ticket!)_2 642: 226: Hey, it’s hard to win with such a burden, isn’t it?
(Vote for me with your monthly ticket!)_2 They were chatting when suddenly, the booing the crowd transformed into cheers.
The Lakers players began their warm-up on the court.
As soon as Shaquille O’Neal stepped onto the court, he stared straight at Roger, exuding a heavy murderous intent.
Kobe was also eyeing Pierce with those viper-like eyes, chilling to the bone.
Pierce and Roger were like two longhorn deer lost on the African savannah, already targeted by the hungry hunters.
It goes without saying that Roger and Shaq had their differences.
Kobe also had strong opinions about Pierce.
In the eyes of the media, Kobe was O’Neal’s little brother, and Pierce was Roger’s little brother.
They were inevitably compared with each other.
Kobe wouldn’t allow the media to compare someone like Pierce with himself.
He was going to show the whole world today that his true rival was Roger.
Andrae Patterson immediately stood by Roger’s side, constantly vigilant of the surroundings, afraid that Shaq or some other Lakers player would suddenly rush over to choke Roger.
Halfway through the season, Patterson had gotten used to the role of a bodyguard.
His nickname within the team was even “The Bodyguard.”
However, the Lakers weren’t that impulsive.
Kobe and O’Neal didn’t come close to the midcourt line, nor did they trash-talk Roger; they were simply warming up on their half of the court.
Apart from Roger’s old pal, Ron Harper, who came over to the Hawks’ side to hug Roger, no other Lakers players approached.
Harper patted Roger’s back, “Listen, I’ll try to keep their emotions in check.”
Roger joked with his old friend, “Sure, but if we really start fighting later, which side will you be on?”
“Damn, my wife just asked me yesterday which of them I’d save if she and my mother fell into the water at the same time.
Now you’re throwing this at me?
Give me a break, Roger!”
After the brief reunion, the referee signaled the players to come together.
Then, only a tense atmosphere remained inside the Staples Center.
Apart from the booing, the players could no longer hear any other sounds.
Roger was now the public enemy of the entire Los Angeles.
The fans of the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t like him, and most of the Lakers players, led by Shaq, didn’t like him either.
The Lakers’ starting lineup for this season was Fisher, Kobe, Glenn Rice, Rick Fox, and Shaq.
The Hawks, on the other hand, set up with Roger, Bowen, Pierce, Big Ben, and Kurt Thomas.
O’Neal was already huffing and puffing; just seeing Roger’s face made him want to punch it hard.
Yet before the big game started, both sides were surprisingly silent, making the atmosphere even heavier, like the calm before a desperate charge.
If some unwise person let out a trash talk now, it would be like setting off firecrackers on cow dung, absolutely spectacular.
As it happens, on the Hawks’ team, there was such an unwise and loose-lipped guy.
“Roger, did you know that sharks have cartilaginous skeletons?
That’s why he’s so soft, groveling on his knees before the bosses.
Good thing this cartilaginous fish is fast, swimming to the West, or we’d have to beat him up four times a season.”
Paul Pierce loved playing with firecrackers in cow dung, and he liked to use the biggest ones to set it off.
Roger, control your dog, or I’ll do it!” The one who looked most like cow dung sure lost his temper.
Of course, Roger wasn’t going to bend his elbow outwards; since it was already blown up, let’s blow up another pile: “Shaq, all I hear from you is your impotent barking.”
“You two idiots are dead meat!”
“Hahaha, your bark is even tougher than your bite; no wonder Kobe doesn’t respect you.”
Get out of my way, dammit, I’m going to teach him a lesson!”
The ball hadn’t been tossed yet, and both sides almost broke out into a full-blown fight.
The referees trying to break it up were very helpless.
Can you guys jump ball properly?
At least bring a ball to start with!
Although O’Neal and Roger didn’t end up fighting in the end, the rage that had filled the arena couldn’t be retracted.
All the referees on duty today had to be extra vigilant because this game could turn into a brawl at any moment.
The game began, and O’Neal secured the ball for the Lakers.
On the first offense, Shaq asked for the ball in the paint.
Big Ben quickly circled to the front, while Kurt Thomas also readied to double-team.
In the confrontation, Shaq shook off Big Ben, pinning him firmly behind and raising his hand for the ball.
Fisher lofted the ball steadily, and as Shaq caught it, he forcefully backed in.
Even Big Ben couldn’t keep the immensely strong Shaq out of the three-second area.
Before Kurt Thomas could come help, Shaq just turned and muscled his way to the basket, jumping from a standstill and dunking over Big Ben with both hands!
After completing the dunk, O’Neal also violently pushed Big Ben, who was clinging to him, off the court.
“Get out of the way, trash, with your height and that hairdo, you look like my X.”
No sooner had Shaq spoken than he realized something was off.
It sounded like he was cursing Big Ben to his face, but it felt like he was inadvertently insulting his own X for being short?
Big Ben picked up the basketball and threw it at O’Neal, but somehow, he missed that big, close target.
You can always trust Ben Wallace’s accuracy.
With the first offense, O’Neal set the tone for the game with a brutal finish.
Before the anger from that incident could subside, Rick Fox committed an extremely brutal foul, taking down Pierce.
Many people think that Pierce and Anthony are similar players, but that’s not the case.
Although both are strong and like one-on-one plays, Pierce is a very unorthodox wing player who either shoots threes or lives in the crowd; mid-range isolation jump shots are not Pierce’s preferred offensive method.