654: 228: He might need someone to have his back more (Vote for monthly ticket!)_4 654: 228: He might need someone to have his back more (Vote for monthly ticket!)_4 At this moment, the Hawks had just finished a timeout.
Roger’s old friend, now the assistant coach for the Heat, Spoelstra, could clearly see Riley’s hands shaking while holding the clipboard.
Riley took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.
But the moment he spoke, his quivering voice gave him away: “Stick to Roger, stick to him like glue!”
The final 2 minutes, leading by 3 points, facing Roger.
Pat Riley had encountered this scene many times before.
But the outcome had always been him being stabbed bloody by Roger.
Ever since Roger’s rookie season, Riley had repeatedly been reversed by Roger despite having the upper hand.
So, in crucial moments, he would rather leave Pierce open, leave everyone open, just to lock down that number 14.
As the game resumed, Sprewell and Jamal Mashburn paid no attention to anyone else, double-teaming Roger the moment he got the ball.
Roger sidestepped to shake them off, then suddenly made a sharp turn, slipping right between them!
But just as Roger made his move, Allan Houston, who was originally guarding Pierce, also stepped up to block his path.
Roger was completely trapped by three people and could only jump up to pass the ball to Pierce.
With a wide-open space in front of him, Pierce just had to score to tie the game.
The Eastern Conference Finals, a clutch moment to even the score, a magnificent performance…
it could have been a moment enshrined in history for the young man, possibly something he could brag about to his children as “Dad’s proudest moment of his career.”
Even making this shot would have been enough to make up for his earlier shortcomings of 1 for 8 — who would remember Wang Shipeng’s buzzer-beater against Slovenia after playing 24 minutes and going 0 for 3?
Allan Houston was in a panic; he had not expected Roger to find his teammate so quickly.
He dashed towards Pierce like a vagrant who spotted a 100 US dollar bill on the ground, mouth agape.
Pierce hesitated for a moment but decided to take the shot anyway.
Allan Houston disrupted the shot slightly, but not severely.
The basketball spun through the air, only to end with a loud “bang.”
“Paul Pierce has missed this golden opportunity, 1 for 9!” the commentators lamented, Magic’s voice filled with utter disappointment.
In a frenzy, Pierce tried to recover the ball immediately.
Facing Sprewell, who had turned over a new leaf in Miami, Pierce clumsily attempted a steal like a fool.
Since losing to Kobe in April, Pierce had been paying close attention to not gambling for steals or blocks on the defensive end.
But at this moment, he lost his cool thinking.
Pierce might have forgotten, the guy in front of him used to be an All-Star level guard when he played seriously.
Sprewell dribbled through his legs to get past Pierce, then confidently rose for a mid-range jump shot.
Pat Riley can relax now; he is about to return to the Finals after a decade!”
After scoring, Sprewell fiercely pounded his chest, then looked at Pierce with a smile: “You know what?
If Scott were here, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten my chance.
So I should thank you for your brilliant show, Air Paul!”
Spree didn’t use a single curse word, but that statement was enough to make Pierce’s heart bleed.
He twisted Air Jordan into Air Paul to mock Pierce, ridiculing him for not being Jordan and also for his presence today being as inconsequential as the air.
The camera focused on Pierce, his face filled with dejection, feeling as if his career was coming to an end.
In the most critical game, going 1 for 9, letting Allan Houston score 33 points, and being toyed with by Sprewell in the pivotal play.
Paul Pierce went from a proud rookie, indignant about his draft spot, to a complete disgrace.
The game continued, with Roger scoring 2 points afterwards, but time was no longer on the Hawks’ side.
In the end, the Miami Heat won G7 with a score of 91 to 86, making it to the Finals for the first time in the team’s history!
For the first time, Roger stood with his hands on his waist amidst falling confetti, sighing.
Pierce hung his head low, staying put as confetti fell on his head.
He had let down all of Atlanta, let down the entire team.
All Hawks fans had seen him as a replacement for Stevie Smith, but last season, Stevie never choked in critical moments.
Pierce looked like a lost child in a crowd, clueless and frightened.
Roger approached, raising his arm high.
Pierce closed his eyes; he remembered what Roger had once told him: If you ever put on a performance this disastrous again, I’ll slap you.
All season long, Roger had been tough on Pierce.
That’s who Roger was; he’d mock teammates who performed poorly, putting extreme pressure on everyone to be their best, and that’s why Steve Smith left Atlanta.
After such an atrocious game, Pierce braced himself for the blow.
As Roger’s arm descended, Pierce shut his eyes.
But instead of a searing pain on his face, Roger just patted Pierce’s head: “Lift your head, look at those opponents mocking you, and remember this moment of humiliation.
One day, you’ll become a feared assassin, making them all shut their foul mouths.
Go back and practice on your own, I’ll have my trainer watch you.
For now, you just need to do one thing.”
Pierce looked up, waiting for Roger’s command.
“Go shake hands with those damn bastards from Miami, be arrogant in victory and gracious in defeat.
Go on, Air Paul, don’t stand around like an idiot.
Hmm, I quite like that nickname.”