Champion Creed
Chapter 79 - 79 058 I will shove that damn failure down Pat Riley's dog's mouth!

79: 058: I will shove that damn failure down Pat Riley’s dog’s mouth!

79: 058: I will shove that damn failure down Pat Riley’s dog’s mouth!

Contrary to what Michael Jordan had anticipated, the arrival of the playoffs did not make Chicago fans miss him more, but rather made Roger seem more like a hero in Chicago.

At 18, scoring 31 points in his playoff debut, Roger turned in an unmatched answer sheet.

“What a bunch of fucking losers!” Michael Jordan cursed out loud when he came out from an all-night card game and saw the morning news about the game results.

No one knew whether he was cursing the Bulls players who had already begun to habitually rely on Roger.

Or the Nets players who could not defend against Roger.

Jordan’s veins bulged on his forehead, which is a normal physiological phenomenon for men early in the morning, but clearly, Jordan’s blood was boiling for the wrong reasons.

Grover grew increasingly worried about Jordan’s health, as staying up late and frequently getting angry must have an impact on his well-being.

The last time he had orbital bone repair surgery, the doctor said Michael’s blood pressure was high.

Because of this, the surgery had been postponed three times.

Jordan never had this problem before, and Grover was very clear that his high blood pressure was because of someone.

Grover had always felt that Michael Jordan was very likely to return to the basketball court, and he thought so from the day Jordan announced his retirement.

But now, it seemed that Michael might return sooner than he had expected.

Roger’s performance infuriated Jordan; he just couldn’t understand what was so difficult about an 18-year-old kid.

However, Chicago fans felt the exact opposite of Jordan; they were completely immersed in bliss.

If it were merely dry data like 31 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, it might not excite Chicago fans that much.

But compare it to Chris Webber’s playoff debut of 8 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 turnovers, doesn’t that instantly make Roger seem much more impressive?

If that’s not enough, how about comparing it to Penny’s playoff debut shooting percentage of 36% and scoring 12 points with 5 turnovers?

Shawn Bradley?

Forget about him; this poor second pick ended his season after playing just 49 games.

Roger’s playoff performance was undoubtedly the most outstanding among the rookies of the ’93 class.

Chuck Daly no longer hoped his team could win the game; after just one game, he could tell that the two sides were not on the same level at all.

In fact, Chuck Daly had decided to resign and retire after this round of the series.

He could no longer find the same passion for any other team as he had in Detroit.

Most crucially, when Michael Jordan chose to retire, when a rookie as frightening as Roger had already started to stand out in the league, Daly deeply felt that his era was gone for good.

The second game process was almost no different from the first.

Roger, with his powerful one-on-one ability, turned everyone who tried to stop him into a clown.

Kenny Anderson continued to be lost under Pippen’s close watch; he had never encountered such an impenetrable defense.

Compared to Roger, he seemed more like a rookie who didn’t know what to do.

Derrick Coleman, as usual, showcased his flashy skills in the low post, even when there were only 2 minutes left in the game and his team was behind by 20 points, Coleman was still tirelessly attacking.

But even three-year-olds know that flashy individual stats don’t necessarily help bring victory to the team.

The true value of such numbers is well understood by the fans.

In the end, Derrick Coleman put up the highest stats of the game with 31 points and 15 rebounds.

But the Nets lost by 18 points.

Roger scored only 23 points today since he had rested for half of the last quarter.

Pippen had 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, and he commented on Kenny Anderson, “Give the guy a pair of glasses, he can’t see the basket to save his life.”

Kukoc had 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, performing quite brilliantly.

The third game didn’t need to happen; Coleman went out clubbing the same night he returned to New Jersey.

Although he earned a lot of money, Coleman was from humble beginnings and understood the value of thrift.

The alcohol in the club, naturally, couldn’t be wasted.

Before G3, an NBC sideline reporter stated straight to the camera, “I could smell the strong stench of alcohol on Derrick when he walked into the arena!

Honestly, I don’t care at all about his performance tonight, I’m just wondering who can drink more between him and Vin Baker.”

The NBC sideline reporter had a point; there was nothing to expect from Coleman’s performance that day.

He shot 2 for 12 the entire game, barely breaking into double-digit points with free throws.

It wasn’t even about Coleman being off his game today; he wasn’t even clear-headed.

On several occasions, he had clear opportunities for mid-range shots, but he refused to take them, instead insisting on forcing layups through the crowded interior, only to fail.

Bill Walton joked, “Coleman played well today, showing the standard expected of a number one draft pick, it’s just that he wore the wrong jersey, he’s actually supposed to be on the Bulls.”

Just like that, before the game, the very arrogant Coleman and Anderson were swept out in a humorous manner reminiscent of the protagonist in “Pegasus” trying to get a driver’s license—furious movements that lead nowhere.

Before the series started, Derrick Coleman with a look that meant business told reporters, “I’ll let you know who I am.”

Now everyone knows who he is—he’s a big idiot!

After winning the first round, Roger, as usual, just showed three fingers, “Three more games closer to the Eastern Conference Finals.”

Their second-round opponent was the Atlanta Hawks.

Playing against the Hawks wasn’t much harder than facing the Nets, because the Hawks’ lineup was greatly countered by the Bulls.

The strongest player on the Hawks was undoubtedly the number one pick of ’88, once hailed as “a steady star that will shine over American basketball,” Danny Manning.

He was indeed a very powerful forward, with solid mid-range skills and mature low-post techniques.

But the Hawk’s best offensive player happened to be up against the Bulls’ best defender, Scottie Pippen.

Under Pippen’s defense, Danny Manning averaged only 16.3 points per game, and besides Manning, the Hawks had no other stable scoring points.

The 183-centimeter Mookie Blaylock, like most point guards of his height, found it difficult to directly take over the offense.

Not every 183-centimeter point guard can score 58 points in a single game.

The 213-centimeter rebounding giant, Kevin Willis, could average 19 points per game during the regular season, but his finishing was weak against aggressive playoffs defense from Cartwright and Wennington, which also resulted in a very low offensive efficiency.

The Hawks’ offense was nearly stagnant.

Roger, however, continued to do as he pleased and demonstrated the fruits of his efforts over a long period of time, averaging 26.6 points per game over the Hawks using off-ball plays.

Mookie Blaylock, a guard who was named to the All-Defensive Team six times in his career, had a strong ability to steal from ball-handlers.

In the first game against the Hawks, it was because of him that Roger racked up a career-high four turnovers in a single game.

And because he was wary of Blaylock’s stealing capabilities, Roger didn’t dare to drive to the basket often, which greatly disrupted his rhythm.

To solve this, starting from Game 2, Roger deliberately reduced his isolation plays and increased off-ball attacks.

Blaylock was helpless against this, when Roger ran a beautiful change of pace, cut precisely through multiple screens and caught the ball to shoot, the only thing the shorter Blaylock could do was pray.

Unfortunately for Blaylock, Roger’s shooting touch was so stable it was despairing, and he could score from any position.

Agent Zero mercilessly executed one hit after another until the opponent collapsed.

Danny Manning still tried hard, scoring 20+ points in Games 3 and 4, but his scoring ability was not a panacea—it only allowed the team a few extra breaths.

4-1, the Bulls easily crushed the third-seeded Hawks and advanced to the conference finals without Michael Jordan!

When interviewed by an NBC sideline reporter, for some reason, Roger’s mind was filled with the words Pat Riley had said during the regular season, all that scornful smile.

“Tell the kid, I’m really sorry.”

“If he actually faces us in the playoffs, he’ll understand what cruelty is.”

“Regular season records don’t mean anything, he’ll soon see the difference between him and MJ.”

Then, Roger’s mind was flooded with the sound of clanking iron—the sound of his failed game-winning shot against the Knicks last time.

With those noises echoing in his ears, Roger didn’t even hear the reporter’s question clearly and grabbed the microphone:

“Pat thinks he can easily take me down because as a player he was just an expendable role player; he doesn’t understand what a superstar can really do.

If he had devoted half the attention he pays to his appearance to basketball, maybe he could’ve achieved what I did in my rookie season at the peak of his career.

Right now, I don’t want to celebrate any victory; I just want to tell you one thing: without Michael, I will still shove that damn failure down Pat Riley’s throat!”

Finally, Roger awaited his moment to go on a rampage.

His gun, this time, would not jam!

—————–

Shaquille O’Neal was extremely disappointed with Chris Webber’s playoff performance, and the Magic Team’s chaotic season ended in the first round.

Clearly, this was not the goal Shaq had envisioned, nor what the Magic Team had hoped for.

The ’93 number one pick, would he really be put on the trading block by Orlando?

— Sports Time magazine.

Chuck Daly decided to end his 12 seasons coaching career, as the legend’s great journey came to a close.

Perhaps, it wasn’t Roger who drove the last nail into Chuck’s coaching coffin, but Derrick and Kenny’s lack of discipline and freewheeling, which deeply disappointed him.

— The Record (New Jersey).

Bulls fans are truly starting to accept life without Michael, because under Roger’s leadership, the team remains domineering, still standing atop the East!

And Pat Riley, that old man who always dresses up nicely on game nights, better watch out.

He thought Michael’s retirement would give him a glimpse of dawn, but a new nightmare is about to envelop New York!

— Chicago Tribune.

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