672: 234: Take Revenge for the GOAT!
(Asking for Monthly Votes!)_3 672: 234: Take Revenge for the GOAT!
(Asking for Monthly Votes!)_3 When Pippen, who brilliantly filled the defensive gaps, returned again.
When rebounds were no longer the Achilles’ heel of the Hawks.
When Roger could still effortlessly score those difficult points.
The defending champions seemed worthless in front of the Hawks!
Afterwards, the Spurs caught up a bit with their three-point shooting from the perimeter.
But the situation was firmly controlled by the Hawks.
Because the Hawks tightly controlled Duncan.
In the fourth quarter, Popovich had no choice but to let the Admiral take the lead again.
Since Big Ben dared not leave Duncan to help defend, relying merely on rookie Marion was impossible to stop the Admiral.
Therefore, the Admiral’s offense was highly effective, and he completely outplayed Marion head-to-head.
But everything was already too late.
You must accept a fact, during this period Popovich was just a rookie coach, and his on-the-spot commanding was very poor.
Theoretically speaking, he should have double-teamed Roger earlier.
Although theoretically, Spurs’ defensive strategy was correct, Roger was always shooting over the defense.
But practically, this defensive strategy was useless against Roger.
Last season he almost got fired by the Spurs’ management, but Duncan, Little General, and the Admiral saved him.
Because they thought this guy was a bit clueless but indeed had Spurs’ best interests at heart.
Their choice led to today’s outcome.
Popovich’s mistakes today were not only defensively, but offensively he should have focused the attacks on the Admiral earlier.
Before the ’04 season, Popovich’s favorite tactic was to overuse Duncan, maybe that’s something in the old white male genes.
In such an unfavorable situation, Little General Johnson started yelling again.
“Damn it, what are you doing?
We need to stop Roger, at least stop Paul!
A bunch of wimps, only I am genuinely trying, only I am genuinely fighting.
Do you all fucking expect me to win!?
Tim, you played like crap today, you are a disgrace to the defending champions!”
This was typical of how Little General spoke; it was also his way of leading the team.
Last season, this ruthlessness and assertiveness were very effective.
But this season, the Spurs players started to get annoyed by it.
What did the Spurs players think?
Everyone is a champion, and this championship wasn’t won by you alone.
Plus, you’re not even the Finals MVP, what right do you have to talk ?
Little General, however, believed that, as the locker room leader who led the team to a championship, his say should hold more weight, and everyone should listen to him.
This flaw in Little General’s character persisted throughout his life, and later when he became coach for the Mavericks, he presumptuously thought that he had the right to trade Nowitzki to promote Josh Howard.
The former locker room leader of the Spurs, now at odds with his teammates.
Duncan’s loyal supporter, Malik Rose, could not bear it any longer: “Shut up, you only scored 7 points this game.
What are you barking for?”
This is my team, are you saying I don’t have the right to speak!?”
Averaging 39 minutes in the Finals scoring only 9.2 points per game, you have the nerve to claim this is your team?
Replace our point guard; we’d be stronger!”
“You fucking, what are you trying to do!?” Little General stood up, throwing a towel directly in Malik Rose’s face.
Malik Rose pushed Avery Johnson away, and a conflict erupted in the defending champions’ first game.
Yes, before the formation of the GDP trio, the Spurs’ locker room wasn’t as harmonious as everyone imagined.
Duncan quickly separated the two, while David Robinson just silently watched everything.
Steve Kerr, who won the championship with the Spurs last season, was surprised: “David, aren’t you going to do something?”
If this were the Bulls, Jordan would never allow such a thing to happen.
But David did nothing, he just sat on the bench, silent.
Popovich looked at all the chaos, and sighed.
This is why repeating as champions is so hard.
The Spurs had just won one championship and had already become .
Popovich looked towards the other side at Roger, wondering how he managed to win four consecutive championships.
How did he manage to win the third one with Shaq, who he was completely at odds with?
At that moment, Popovich realized the Spurs and Duncan were still nowhere near challenging the emperor in every aspect.
There’s still a long way to go.
In the end, the score was fixed at 101-87.
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the defending champions Spurs by 14 points at home.
Duncan scored 16 points with 13 rebounds, shooting only 45%.
The Admiral indeed rose to the occasion, scoring 10 points in just the fourth quarter, 29 points and 8 rebounds for the entire game.
But the Hawks’ firepower was clearly more fierce.
Roger scored 38 points, Pierce 21 points.
At the end of the game, the Admiral was rather helpless.
He recalled those years he was brutally beaten by Roger and Shaq.
Thinking that with Duncan’s arrival, clear skies were ahead.
Yet when the Hawks returned with a full squad, it all came to nothing.
After the game, Roger and Duncan hugged amicably.
Although Duncan lost, he still felt somewhat defiant and deliberately said, “It doesn’t change the fact that tonight the ring is on my finger, and I plan to wear it again next year.”
But to Roger, that line was lethal, the Atlanta deity casually laughed: “I’m not trying to change that fact, but everyone knows the real deal about that ring.
Keep it up Tim, wait till you can beat me, wait till you can truly lead your team, wait till you can win a real ring, then come talk to me about championships.”