Chapter 1204: Chapter 381: Until Roger Kills You Completely
"The Chinese and French are putting on a magnificent show in the NBA!" Mike Breen shouted.
In the next play, Yao Ming received the ball in the low post, with Stoudemire and Camby immediately closing in on him, so Yao chose to turn around and attempt a fadeaway jump shot.
With his height and touch, he was confident he could handle this 1v2.
But the moment he took the shot, Yao Ming realized he wasn’t facing a 1v2; he was in a 1v3.
The big brother, who led the team to the top of the world in Athens, suddenly appeared, stealing the ball as Yao raised it.
The Knicks’ offense failed again!
Though the Warriors didn’t score on the following attack either, as the game time decreased, the Warriors’ 7-point lead became increasingly lethal.
After Wade and Yao Ming missed their critical shots, this play saw the ball end up in Kevin Garnett’s hands.
Facing Amar’e Stoudemire, Garnett finally chose to drive, instead of a jump shot.
Yao Ming had already blocked Marcus Camby, so Garnett had the chance to narrow the score gap by forcefully attacking the basket.
But as expected, Roger appeared.
Lenny Wilkens originally thought Old Eagle Roger was at his peak, but Warriors’ Roger was even stronger on defense than during his time in Atlanta.
His defensive IQ, his situational judgment, had reached a masterful level.
Garnett did not choose to attack the basket himself; he had already been blocked by Roger once in this game, and he knew Roger had that ability.
So, he threw the ball to Michael Sweetney, who was cutting in.
But Michael Sweetney clearly didn’t expect Garnett to pass him the ball; he wasn’t fully prepared to receive it, so his reaction was half a beat slow.
The basketball flew past his fingertips, out of bounds.
In the critical play, Kevin Garnett made a passing mistake under Roger’s defensive threat!
In three consecutive plays, Roger, who had the freedom to act, simultaneously defended against Wade, Yao Ming, and KG’s attacks. The Knicks, known for their despair-inducing defense, were instead rendered utterly despairing by Roger’s defense in the final moments.
Madison Square Garden was filled with sighs, Kevin Garnett held his head in his hands. It was the second time today he was left dejected by Roger.
He remembered Roger’s words: "This is your last fantasy of victory tonight."
Yes, now, the fantasy has shattered.
In the next attack, Roger hit a step-back three-pointer after a screen, extending the lead to 10 points, sealing the game.
Roger pointed at his chest and shouted at Kevin Garnett: "Hey KG, when are you gonna make that stab?"
Kevin Garnett was silent, his passion thoroughly extinguished.
Being Roger’s enemy was indeed the worst thing in the world.
In the end, 104 to 96, the Golden State Warriors secured the Christmas showdown victory over the New York Knicks, demonstrating the reigning champions’ dominance over the league.
No matter how good your record is, no matter how brilliant your lineup is, Roger is always the one closer to the championship.
As the game ended, Kevin Garnett, who didn’t greet Roger before the match, wanted to go to the center circle to congratulate him.
But Roger was already surrounded by Warriors players, KG couldn’t get close at all.
At that moment, KG realized that when he declared himself an enemy of Roger, this state of separation would continue.
Until Roger completely defeated him!
Kevin Garnett silently turned and left; this place no longer belonged to him.
The victor conquered New York once again.