Chapter 1112: Chapter 354: Not This Time, Craig—We Can’t Do That to Roger
The one who had “never been dominated by Roger” had a melancholic expression, while Roger, with a wide smile, uttered a chilling statement.
“I’m about to start, Tim.”
The point difference had already extended into double digits, although Duncan followed up with a 45-degree turnaround bank shot to recover a point for the Spurs. However, the Spurs fans didn’t have time to cheer for this as Roger promptly extended the lead back to double digits.
This time, he didn’t even need Amar’e Stoudemire’s screen, breaking through Bowen directly.
Stoudemire moved to mid-range, forcing the Admiral to guard him closely. Duncan decided to step up, leaving the basket entirely open.
Roger couldn’t pass through Duncan with a conventional pass, so he casually tossed the ball into the air, and Camby, with his back to the basket, leaped up, securely catching the ball with both hands, and completed a reverse dunk.
Roger recorded his 9th assist of the game, and at this point, the second quarter hadn’t even finished!
The Spurs’ defense was completely disordered, with Stoudemire dismantling their system, leaving them exposed to Roger’s threat.
In the following possessions, Duncan didn’t dare to step up again, so Roger punished the Spurs’ defense with mid-range shots.
They barely managed to curb Stoudemire’s mid-range, only to be battered by Roger’s mid-range shots.
The great Tim Duncan appeared helpless against Roger, and Mike Breen’s words pierced the hearts of all San Antonio fans: “Roger is dominating Tim!”
Yes, the man who claimed never to be dominated by Roger ultimately couldn’t escape Roger’s brutal assault.
Fortunately, Manu Ginobili, who replaced Payton, made some miraculous shots in the second quarter, but this couldn’t solve the Spurs’ problem.
By halftime, the Spurs were trailing by 16 points!
Roger had 18 points and 10 assists at the half, while Stoudemire had 20 points and 7 rebounds.
Under Popovich’s targeted strategy, the Spurs couldn’t guard either of the Warriors’ two main offensive points!
As the half concluded, Stoudemire and Roger walked side by side into the player’s tunnel, exchanging fist bumps.
The scene was reminiscent of a popular internet image, with Sun Wukong and Vegeta fist-bumping and then walking toward a group of Western comic heroes.
Roger and Stoudemire seemed like two warriors powerful enough to annihilate everything, leaving nothing but slaughter for the Spurs.
In the third quarter, Popovich still couldn’t find a way to restrain the Warriors’ offense.
He urged Bowen to be more aggressive in confrontation, attempting to kill Roger’s shooting touch through physical play.
He even emphasized, “It’s okay even if it’s a flagrant foul!”
This had some effect, as Bowen’s defensive capability had matured beyond his time with the Hawks, making him more vexing.
An easily overlooked fact — this season, Bruce Bowen ranked fifth in the DPOY voting, maintaining such a ranking until 2008!
However, this constraint only reduced Roger’s shooting percentage but couldn’t entirely disrupt his offense.
Combined with the Spurs’ lower offensive efficiency, the point gap continued to widen.
In the third quarter, Roger forcefully broke through Bowen, but Bowen quickly moved to stay in front of Roger.
Roger attempted to stop abruptly, but this didn’t shake Bowen off, locking Roger down for the second time in a row.
Roger then turned right, appearing to go for a turnaround jump shot, but instead spun again in the opposite direction using Bowen as the pivot, successfully getting past him, and then finished with a layup against Duncan guarding the basket!
Roger had already scored 32 points, and since the Spurs altered their defensive strategy, Roger had completely dominated the game.
He punched the air, glanced at the big screen.
The point difference had reached 25 points, with the San Antonio Spurs almost stepping into garbage time!
Gary Payton complained on the court, “Damn it, I told you we can’t just let him score, I fucking said it earlier!”
Popovich, flushed with anger, responded, “Stop whining or sit down!”
The Spurs quickly inbounded from the baseline, hoping to narrow the point gap in the last 13 seconds of the third quarter.
Parker dribbled upcourt and attempted to break through, but Camby and Stoudemire quickly clogged the lane, giving Parker no chance to attack the basket.
During this period, Tony Parker wasn’t lethal because he lacked a jump shot, and just preventing him from attacking the basket was enough to keep this sports car in check.
Parker, stuck in a crowd, passed the ball to Duncan at the 45-degree angle on the left side, but just as Duncan received the ball, Amar’e Stoudemire was already in his defensive position.
He raised an arm, blocking Duncan’s view and affecting his ability to shoot.
Duncan took two steps forward but ultimately opted for a pull-up jump shot.
It was a signature 45-degree bank shot, but due to the immense defensive effort and Stoudemire’s timely interference, Duncan felt completely off balance upon release.
In the end, the ball indeed hit the board, but it struck the edge of the backboard!
After the basketball bounced away, the red light on the backboard lit up.
On-site, Warriors fans were already cheering.
Roger gave a thumbs up to Duncan: “I told you, you’re the most interesting of all the losers.”
On the sidelines, Popovich stared blankly at the court, at a loss.
When even Tim Duncan throws such an outrageous shot, it proves that the Spurs have started to crumble.
Duncan has been defeated by Roger, he has been defeated by Stoudemire.
Is this how you accept fate? Are you going to lose the first game so easily?
Are you going to be ruled by Roger like everyone else?
No!
Popovich does not intend to give up just like that!
During the break, he looked at Bruce Bowen: “I said, malicious fouls don’t matter! Damn it, we have to stop him! Take him down!”
This statement made the fans behind the bench feel horrified, they couldn’t believe their ears.
They didn’t expect Popovich to be so outspoken about such things.
Bowen understood what Popovich meant, since joining the Spurs, Bowen increasingly felt like a mob killer, a specialist in “assassinations” that can’t be seen in the light.
He took out Carter, took out Ray Allen. As long as Popovich orders it, this emotionless person will execute without hesitation.
During the Eagle Period, Bruce Bowen rarely did such things. But with the Spurs, Bowen’s level of dirtiness depended on Popovich’s level of dirtiness.
And now, Gregg Popovich decided to bring the dirtiness into the Western Conference Finals.
The other players of the Spurs didn’t say a word, as if they tacitly agreed with Popovich’s strategy.
However, after Popovich met Payton, he encountered the second player tonight to refute him.
“No Craig,” Bruce Bowen shook his head, “I won’t do it, absolutely not.”
“What…what did you say!?”
“Not this time Craig, we can’t do that to Roger.”
“Damn it, you’re now a member of the San Antonio Spurs, you can’t because you used to team up with Roger…”
“It’s not because of that, not because I used to fight alongside Roger so I’ll go easy. The reason I can’t do it is, if I try to take out Roger, they will definitely go after Tim. I know his style, he’s not a pushover, he retaliates viciously.”
Bowen said, seriously staring at Popovich: “Believe me, we better not provoke that tyrant. In this regard, he’s even scarier and more ruthless than when he plays basketball.”
After hearing this, Gregg Popovich began to roar in impotent rage.
“Damn it, then do we just watch that bastard dominate the game!?”
The entire bench was silent, even assistant coach Mike Budenholzer just hung his head.
Because it seems this is the only fate for the Spurs.
They can only accept such a fate.
The fourth quarter didn’t last long before the game completely entered garbage time.
Roger finally exploded with 42 points, 14 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block in a comprehensive performance, utterly defeating Tim Duncan, who only managed 25 points and 12 rebounds, leading the team to a 33-point crushing victory.
He ruthlessly, coldly, and decisively dealt with the Spurs.
At the end of the game, Roger was interviewed by the on-site reporter.
“This was a resounding victory, we all saw what you did to the Spurs. Can this be interpreted as your era is still ongoing? That Tim only occasionally defeats you, but cannot be the one to end your era?”
“This is certainly still my era,” Roger turned his head, glancing at number 21 who walked back to the player’s tunnel dejectedly.
For many years, that number 21 was always considered Roger’s Terminator, Roger’s obstacle.
Like damn sand blown into Roger’s eyes, just because Roger had never defeated him in the playoffs.
But now, that statement can end.
“This must be my era.”
Roger emphasized again.