Champion Creed-Chapter 893 - 295: Impossible to catch up with Roger in this life (Requesting monthly tickets!)_5
Chapter 893: 295: Impossible to catch up with Roger in this life (Requesting monthly tickets!)_5
Originally, Marion’s foul troubles in the third quarter meant he barely played, and right at the start of the fourth quarter, he picked up another foul.
Marion yelled at the referee, but it couldn’t change anything.
Webber made both free throws, extending the lead to 3 points, and the Hawks called a timeout!
Rick Adelman successfully found the Hawks’ weakness, becoming the first coach this season to push the Hawks to this extent.
Substituted Olajuwon in for Marion, and moved Kurt Thomas to the power forward position.
But the slowed-down Dream was pulled away from the basket by Divac, greatly reducing his defensive effectiveness, allowing the Kings to recklessly cut and attack the rim.
Kurt Thomas, lacking Marion’s mobility, struggled to contain the athletic Webber.
Though the defensive combination of Kurt Thomas and Olajuwon worked most of the time, against the back-door-savvy Kings, they were completely turned into the opponents’ playground.
Rick Adelman wasn’t bluffing; he truly made Atlanta fans deeply miss Big Ben.
The Hawks’ dazzling offense and easy wins in previous games had masked this issue.
But today, the impact of losing the DPOY began to show.
Shawn Marion’s return in the middle of the fourth quarter somewhat improved the team’s defense, but he had already fouled five times, and the Kings were looking for a chance to send him back to the bench.
minutes and 56 seconds before the end, Mike Bibby used Webber’s screen to prepare for a mid-range shot.
This move had already earned Bibby 23 points, so Marion didn’t dare let him shoot freely, stepping forward to close Bibby’s shooting space as much as possible.
As Marion lunged forward, Bibby handed the ball single-handedly to Webber, who had popped out to mid-range after the pick.
Webber glanced at the quickly adjusted Big Ben rushing towards him, lifted the basketball, but did not shoot.
Instead, he leaned into Marion as he approached.
The whistle blew, and Shawn Marion picked up his sixth foul of the game!
Matt Lauer straightforwardly remarked: "This might be the call that drags the Hawks to their grave!"
After Webber hit both free throws, the Kings led by 5 points, and the Hawks paused the game again.
Chris Webber deliberately asked Mike Bibby: "Didn’t you warn these guys last night that they would lose? Why do they still seem unable to accept the facts?"
Mike Bibby laughed triumphantly: "Maybe they are too confident."
The conversation happened right by Roger, who knew exactly what these two meant.
But for the moment, he didn’t argue, just quickly returned to the bench.
Now, he had more important matters to address.
The Hawks were facing a real challenge; Marion’s six fouls forced Lenny Wilkens to change his defense strategy.
To keep Olajuwon and Kurt Thomas guarding the interior?
No, that would make the Kings’ Princeton offense run even smoother.
Utilize Pippen at the power forward? The current Pippen couldn’t withstand Webber’s impact.
As Lenny Wilkens was in a dilemma, Roger suggested: "Put Stephen in."
Stephen Jackson, at the far end of the bench, was a bit surprised, but quickly became excited: "I won’t let you down!"
Lenny Wilkens glanced at Stephen Jackson, realizing that defending Webber required both mobility and physicality, and Stephen seemed the only option.
"Do you think he’s ready?" Lenny asked Roger.
"No, that bastard can’t even guard me for one game," Roger shrugged, "but defending Chris is much easier than defending me."
Lenny Wilkens contemplated for a few seconds, then waved at Stephen Jackson: "You better grasp this opportunity, or who knows when you’ll be on next."
Stephen Jackson didn’t waste words, swiftly took off his training gear.
When the timeout ended, Mike Bibby was surprised to see his good friend stepping on the court.
No team would send in a player who hadn’t played at all during crucial moments.
Does this signify the Hawks’ desperation with no viable options?
No, based on past experiences, this means the person being substituted in is about to make a name for themselves.
Chris Webber looked at Stephen Jackson, who was a head shorter than him, with disdain: "Hey Mike, why not tell your friend he’s in the wrong place?"
"Shut up Chris, your referee daddy can’t always bail you out." Stephen Jackson was no timid rookie; he dared to confront any opponent."
Chris Webber was furious, as not even a role player had ever expressed respect for him.
What angered Webber more was Bibby’s following words: "Chris, watch out for his steals!"
Chris Webber couldn’t believe what he just heard.
Mike Bibby warned him to be wary of that no-name’s steals?
Could you imagine Paul Pierce cautioning Roger to be cautious of Doug Christie’s steals?
This scenario is simply impossible because Pierce knows full well that Doug Christie is no match for Roger.
And Bibby said so because he considered the previously unknown Stephen Jackson a threat to him?
Chris Webber felt deeply disrespected, disrespected by his teammates!
This was akin to your friend mocking you, "Be careful not to be drained by that girl," implying that you’re not capable!
However, he knew that respect is earned through performance.
