714: 246: You are always my favorite second in command (asking for monthly passes!)_2 714: 246: You are always my favorite second in command (asking for monthly passes!)_2 Roger didn’t continue to fight with Kidd physically, but instead came to a sudden stop, subtly pushed Kidd with his left hand, and then took a jump shot.
Kidd offered some interference, but it was far from sufficient.
The basketball swished through the net, and right at the start of the fourth quarter, the fans witnessed a serious head-to-head confrontation between stars.
Ultimately, Atlanta’s god triumphed!
“Damn it, why was there no help defense!?” Kidd yelled at everyone.
This was another scene that shouldn’t have appeared in an All-Star game.
Who would care so much about defense in an All-Star game?
Who would shout at their teammates because of All-Star game defense?
But today, it all became reality.
As a commanding presence, Kidd was well aware of the importance of teamwork.
He never thought needing help defense was something to be ashamed of, because defense is a team’s job, not just one person’s.
When faced with Kidd’s complaint, Kobe spread his hands, “Except for Alonzo, everyone from the East was beyond the three-point line; our defensive formation was stretched out!”
Apart from Mourning, AI, Carter, and Grant Hill had all been outside the three-point line, interspersing occasionally.
As a result, Roger got unprecedented space for a one-on-one.
Taking into account that everyone was part of a temporary team and couldn’t run any complex tactics, Riley simply opted for the simplest and most brutal strategy in the fourth quarter.
After all, the most direct way to boost offensive efficiency was to let Roger take on individuals comfortably, hence the need to maximize the space.
The first round was a strategic success for the Eastern Conference All-Stars.
Even Jason Kidd, an expert perimeter defender, would be decimated one-on-one by Roger.
However, O’Neal also took on the big brother role: “It’s alright, I’ll get the points back, give me the ball!”
The Western Conference All-Stars gave the ball to O’Neal, but as he received the ball, Vince Carter swiftly entered the paint to double-team him.
O’Neal found the harassment annoying, but he was confident he could score under such defense—after all, Carter was just a small forward.
So Shaq didn’t pass to the unguarded Duncan but instead backed down a step, then got ready to post up and forcefully attack the basket against Mourning and Carter.
But just as Shaq lifted the ball to chest height, it was smacked away with force.
O’Neal was full of surprise the moment he lost the ball.
He hadn’t noticed Roger closing in on him.
He moved like a ghost, silent and then delivering a lethal blow!
“Roger timely returned to the paint to double-team and created a turnover from Shaq, that is the defensive intensity tonight, this is the tightest double team you’ll see in an All-Star game!” Doug Collins wagered that, although the first three quarters could be considered the most earnestly played in All-Star history, it was still just a warm-up.
O’Neal’s big brother act failed.
He tried to imitate Roger and yelled at his team, but he couldn’t stand out immediately like Roger did.
The basketball went out of control, rolling towards the three-point line.
Roger and Kobe both dived to the floor to fight for possession; every round since the start of the fourth quarter was this intense.
Roger secured the ball and immediately passed to AI.
After getting up, Kobe simply stuck to Roger: “I got him, I got him!”
“Enough already, the whole world knows you’re about to embarrass yourself,” Roger responded with a laugh.
AI could tell, Roger was truly excited.
This monster, everyone else was desperately fighting to win, but for Roger?
It was as if he was riding a roller coaster.
No matter how thrilling the roller coaster was, at the end of the day, it was still just an amusement.
AI didn’t wait for Roger; he directly broke through Kidd, charging into the paint for a forceful layup, hoping to finish before Shaq got back to the paint.
But with Duncan and KG providing strong rim protection, AI missed the layup.
The ball clanged off the rim, and Roger cursed, “Damn it, what’s the rush!?”
The defiant AI didn’t respond, just silently retreated to defend.
Even AI, the hardest to discipline, in that moment, resembled Paul Pierce.
When the Western Conference All-Stars attacked, KG’s iron-blooded jump shot found its mark.
Grant Hill had done everything he could to defend Garnett, but the height difference was just too much.
Also, Grant Hill’s defensive pressure wasn’t very strong.
You need to have either size or strength.
Grant Hill had neither, making it difficult for him to affect KG’s shots.
The gap returned to eight points, the Western Conference All-Stars still firmly in control.
Fortunately, Roger scored over Kidd again on his own.
This time, Roger had Mourning come out for a pick and roll, got past the screen and hit a drifting shot.
Roger once again proved that no matter how many stars were on the team, having the ball in his hands was the most reliable option.
The gap was narrowed again, but the Eastern Conference All-Stars still faced severe problems.
The next round, the ball was fed to Duncan, who was guarded by Carter, and that was the problem.
Whether it was Carter guarding Duncan or Hill guarding Garnett, the Eastern Conference All-Stars were mismatched at the forward positions.
The Western Conference All-Stars were too tall, while the Eastern Conference All-Stars were too short.
Luckily, Duncan’s jump shot over Carter’s head didn’t go in this time, but you couldn’t count on Duncan missing all the time.
In the following offense, Roger encountered Garnett’s help defense, and Kidd finally got the support he needed.
Garnett intentionally left Grant Hill open, knowing his three-point shooting wasn’t reliable.