Chapter 1251: Chapter 396: Transfers, Hype, Customization? Marching, Fighting, Conquering!
This is the only thing the New York Knicks can count on.
But when Roger took the court, it was as if nothing had happened to him, and he told the three stars of the Knicks, "Focus, this is the last lesson."
The three of them felt different degrees of shock in their hearts; they finally saw what a monster Roger in the finals could be.
The game did not present a one-sided situation; the psyche of the New York Knicks was far stronger than people imagined.
But Roger’s willpower was also stronger than people imagined.
He wasn’t afraid of confrontation, nor of taking shots. He was as smart as Tim Duncan, knowing when to involve his teammates and when to take control of the ball himself.
Toni Kukoc had never won a championship in his life, but as a teammate, he had played the finals with Roger. You could say the loss in the 1994 finals was due to Roger’s lack of personal maturity. But during that series, Roger never once bowed his head to Hakeem Olajuwon.
Trying to make Roger self-destruct is essentially an impossible task.
The teams exchanged the lead, and the competition grew fiercer. The No Hand Check rule had already become almost non-existent; the League’s punishment scale this season seemed to follow the natural order, loosening as the season progressed.
By the finals, hardly anyone would be called for a foul for using their hands to stop a breakthrough.
Firstly, because the League discovered that fully enforcing the No Hand Check rule would make Roger stronger, and secondly, because people of this era still believed that intense confrontation was what defined basketball.
As the game entered the fourth quarter, the camera focused on Erik Spoelstra, and Mike Breen, after seeing his expression, said, "Erik has maintained that expression all night; you can tell this life-and-death battle is putting pressure on everyone."
Mike Brown was only half right; Spo indeed felt great pressure, but it wasn’t about the win or loss. He was confident in Roger. As long as Roger could maintain this state, the Warriors would never lose.
But he worried about Roger getting re-injured.
If Roger’s cracked bone received a severe impact, it could evolve into a more serious fracture.
In the past few games, Roger had been lucky enough not to encounter such situations.
But every minute on the court carried the risk of Roger’s injury worsening.
The fierce confrontation in today’s game only intensified Spo’s worries.
Sure enough, an accident happened a minute later.
But it wasn’t Roger, it was Dwyane Wade.
He made another reckless breakthrough, throwing himself into the restricted area, using everything he had to create contact.
Marcus Camby didn’t hold back on number 3, viciously sending him flying in mid-air.
The referee blew the whistle, Wade clutched his right eye and struggled on the court.
The slow-motion replay on the big screen showed that Camby’s fingers accidentally poked Wade’s eye while defending his breakthrough.
After the alarming replay, Wade stood up; the white of his right eye had completely turned red. But he just stood at the free-throw line, motioning for the ref to start play.
After making both free throws, Wade, with one red eye, clapped his hands, "Let’s keep the championship in New York!"
"I’m behind you!" Yao Ming responded.
Kevin Garnett felt gratified; these young guys had grown up.
They no longer needed anyone to motivate them; they could inspire themselves.
After the free throws were made, the Knicks took the lead again, marking the 19th lead change. The Warriors called a timeout.
Lenny Wilkens summoned the team doctor and prepared to substitute Wade.
But Wade shook his hand, "Don’t joke around."
"You’re gonna go blind, Dwyane!"
"Shut up, Lenny, I see just fine!"
On the other side, Roger slumped on the bench, every deep breath revealing a painful expression.
Erik Spoelstra reminded, "Don’t force it, remember to protect your injured area. We’ve bandaged you and put on a compression vest, but it’s not a bulletproof vest."
"Yeah." Roger replied simply.
When the timeout ended, Roger and Wade returned to the court.
The teams truly demonstrated what it meant to fight in close quarters.
After the timeout, Roger assisted Stoudemire in a dunk to retake the lead, while Wade, with one red eye, hit a three-pointer.
If there were any "Naruto" fans in the audience, they would surely be thrilled by Dwyane Wade’s state.
The cycle of lead changes remained unbroken. With one minute and six seconds left, Wade crossed over Tayshaun Prince straight into the paint. Camby was blocked out by Yao Ming, and Stoudemire was drawn to mid-range, giving Wade a fleeting opportunity to attack the basket.
But as he leapt, Roger arrived from the baseline.
Wade thought of passing to Battier, whom Roger had temporarily left open, but with Battier’s poor shooting form today, just 1 of 4 from the field, Wade decided to handle it himself. He collided with Roger in the air, then tossed the ball towards the basket.
With strong upper body strength, Wade did not lose his footing or balance in the clash with Roger, and he firmly made the shot!
Roger fell to the ground, Wade pumped his fist in celebration as the New York Knicks took a one-point lead, Madison Square Garden erupted like a volcano!
"Damn it, damn it!" Erik Spoelstra cursed on the sidelines because Wade had just solidly collided with Roger’s left rib area in the air.
He had reminded Roger, yet Roger was unwavering in his help defense.
Roger lay on the floor, clutching his injured ribs, sweat streaming down his face.
"Are you okay!?" Stoudemire came up to ask.