Chapter 1132: Chapter 360: The Return
Therefore, Roger will directly match up with Billups, stopping this player who has already scored 34 points and 11 assists this season’s former Finals MVP.
Billups passed the ball to Artest, and Roger shook his head deliberately: "I didn’t expect you to trust that idiot who acts up now and then."
Billups ignored him and cleared the way for Artest instead.
Roger didn’t give an inch. Billups is essentially a combo guard, and his catch-and-shoot three-point ability is also extremely strong, so he mustn’t be given space.
Artest held the ball, ready to go one-on-one against Allan Houston. Physically, Artest had the absolute advantage: "Get out of the way. You know what LeBron went through with me, right?"
After saying this, he accelerated, collided, and squeezed Allan Houston aside.
Artest intended to go straight for the basket, but Stoudemeyer’s defense made him hesitate.
In the end, he chose to stop abruptly for a mid-range jumper.
Artest’s shooting motion was as stiff as always, and Allan Houston, enduring severe pain, rushed forward to interfere immediately.
He couldn’t let this city down anymore. He didn’t want to seem like a fraudster who couldn’t do anything after getting a big contract!
Allan Houston reached Artest’s fingertips with his block, and with Artest’s depleted touch, the shot completely missed the rim and fell right into Stoudemeyer’s hands!
"Damn it!" Rick Carlisle slammed the tactical board, with the Warriors fans erupting in cheers behind him.
It proved that Artest was indeed no longer suitable for holding the ball to attack.
Today he limited Roger to a 41% shooting rate and 30 points; all his energy had been dedicated to defense.
The Pistons missed the chance to tie the game, but the Warriors also couldn’t extend their lead.
This possession, Roger continued to distribute the ball, giving it to Stoudemeyer at mid-range.
But Big Ben, with small forward-like mobility, interfered with Stoudemeyer in the first instant, causing Stoudemeyer to miss the three-pointer.
The most insane thing about Big Ben is that after rushing out to interfere, he can immediately retreat to the paint and secure the rebound, something most defensive big men can’t do.
In terms of defense alone, Ben Wallace is almost a perfect individual.
Both sides continued to play poorly, and in the final moments of the game, scoring any basket seemed like a luxury.
The game continued, with the Pistons on offense.
The utterly exhausted Rasheed Wallace lost his advantage in the low post. Stephen Jackson’s proactive fronting made it hard for Rasheed Wallace to secure a stable position.
Richard Hamilton couldn’t find space, and Tayshaun Prince had two steal passes already today, so Billups didn’t dare take risks.
Artest? Everyone saw what just happened.
So, Billups waved his hand.
He decided to run a pick-and-roll against Roger!
He had already scored 34 points today and decided to bear the team on his shoulders in the final moments!
However, Billups’s pick-and-roll mid-range shot hit the front of the rim under Roger’s defense, nearly becoming another airball.
Roger exerted so much pressure on him, the space was too tight, and he couldn’t find his mark, shooting the ball towards the basket purely by feel.
Ultimately, Billups couldn’t break through his offensive ceiling; he’s a player whose offensive efficiency decreases as the playoff rounds deepen.
Put bluntly, against top-tier defense, Billups’s offensive ability seems inadequate.
And Roger, as this season’s DPOY, has more than enough defensive capability to handle Billups.
Once again, the basketball clattered against the rim, and the Pistons missed another chance to climb out of a dire situation.
By this point, the players on the Warriors’ bench couldn’t remain seated.
They stood up, waving towels, waiting for the last minute to run out.
But then, in the next possession, the Warriors’ offense also failed.
Roger was just about to pass the ball when Artest intercepted it.
Offensively, he might not be able to contribute, but his defense remained excellent.
Artest quickly pushed forward, with Roger immediately pressing him to slow down. Other Warriors players quickly retreated, preventing the Pistons from completing a fast break.
Finally, Artest passed the ball to the low-post Rasheed Wallace, but his turnaround jump shot still didn’t find the mark! On the one hand, his conditioning severely affected his touch. On the other hand, Stephen Jackson’s defense never spared any effort. Even against bigger opponents, he fought with everything he had.
"A tooth-and-nail match! Both teams’ defenses couldn’t be better, will this 2-point difference hold till the end!?"
Warriors took a timeout, with Erik Spoelstra laying out the strategy for the next play. He hoped Roger could find an open teammate. One more basket, and victory would be secure.
Meanwhile, Rick Carlisle continued emphasizing defense, instructing not to let the Warriors score—a victory still possible with defense.
After the timeout, on their first offense, Roger wanted to take it himself, but he was triple-teamed again.
"Damn it!"
Inwardly cursing, Roger passed the ball to an open Allan Houston, but Big Ben rushed out to the three-point line, slapping the ball away!
"Ben Wallace defending from under the basket to beyond the three-point line, the leader of the team, the cornerstone of the blue-collar legend! He has not given up, still fighting for that last chance to win!"
Amidst Mike Breen’s exclamations, Chauncey Billups picked up the ball and immediately launched a fast break.
There was no one in front of him, and no one close behind.
After all, it was a sudden blocked shot that led to a fast-break opportunity, no one could react and chase Billups that quickly.