Although Michael Jordan, sitting on the bench in the arena, couldn't hear his old friend Charles Barkley's teasing, he watched as the team, without him on the court, went from being down by 1 point to leading by 2 points, with incredibly smooth ball movement.
This made Michael Jordan reflect... Indeed, I should consider what the media says about handing over some ball-handling duties to the younger players, and... my current stamina and competitive state make it impossible to be 'both offense and defense' in all games.
Magic Team head coach Doc Rivers, facing his team's deficit, still hadn't called a timeout, which made McGrady on the court look at Rivers in surprise.
"Tracy, we Washington Wizards have one hundred and eight thousand tactics... and your team probably only has chicken soup." Link, who was still defending McGrady, not only started trash-talking but also activated [Dominance Moment: Rebound Maniac].
McGrady once again forced a breakthrough with his first step. Although Link retreated with a slide step, he was still passed by half a body length. At this moment, McGrady... was finally no longer so willful. His drowsy eyes once again burned with fighting spirit. Mmm... even more burning than usual.
For Link, this could be considered a form of indirect recognition.
Connet Alexander came over to help defend, forcing McGrady to gather the ball early.
"Guys, get back on defense!"
"Get back on defense!"
Link shouted, but Alexander didn't immediately comply. It wasn't that he had an issue with Link, but rather that he wasn't used to it. By the time he went back to defend, McGrady, no longer acting willfully, had already passed the ball to the 'Shoeless Shooter' Mike Miller. Fortunately... the latter was shooting terribly tonight.
A missed Three-Point Shot, a long rebound. Link, who had activated Rebound Maniac Dominance, anticipated the landing spot and ran there immediately. His agile reaction surprised even McGrady behind him. As the most famous and highest-drafted high school number one draft pick in NBA history, McGrady naturally knew about Link. He previously thought Link's rebounds were just luck, after all, there weren't many samples, and they were all long rebounds with no contact. But now... McGrady suddenly realized that Link had a knack for 'picking up scraps'.
The rebound's force and angle were particularly strange this time, making it difficult for even rebounding experts to predict, but Link was incredibly accurate... After grabbing the long rebound, Link initiated a fast break. Facing Armstrong's random matchup, who tried to stick close to defend, Link changed direction while moving quickly, getting past the defender and drawing a foul from the helping Mike Miller.
After entering the NBA regular season, it was difficult for Link to score on fast breaks, primarily because of his slow Speed and poor Explosive Acceleration... But after activating Rebound Maniac Dominance, by getting long rebounds, he could get a head start on the opponent.
McGrady's breakthrough was indeed difficult to guard one-on-one, but with the Washington Wizards' team defense and McGrady's willful shot selection, it could be effectively limited. However, when McGrady started Passing the ball and looking for open teammates, the wide vision and guard-level Passing ability he displayed made Link genuinely marvel at how formidable he was.
"It's okay, it's okay..."
"That foul was very timely!"
McGrady's breakthrough and pass went to Armstrong on the perimeter. The retreating Alexander overcommitted, and Armstrong, with a low acceleration, drove straight in. Laettner at the elbow quickly committed an early foul, pulling him down.
Since the foul count for the fourth quarter hadn't been reached yet... there would be no Free Throw.
Link looked at the somewhat self-reproaching Alexander, first patting his head to comfort him, and then 'pua-ing' Laettner. As a veteran, Laettner naturally knew that Link's praise had an element of politeness, but he enjoyed it. Firstly, Link's expression and tone were very genuine, making it hard to find flaws; secondly, Link's team status was clear: King of the Washington Wizards.
A beggar complimenting you as a 'business genius' and a billionaire complimenting you as a 'business genius' are two different things.
The Wizards' rotational defense was poor. Firstly, there was no defensive chemistry among the players; secondly, they lacked a defensive core and a clear defensive system. However, the Washington Wizards' current defense wasn't entirely without merit; the players on the court were still very active defensively.
With 6 minutes left in the game, the Magic Team inbounded the ball, with 2 seconds remaining on the 24-second shot clock. McGrady forced a difficult shot. Although slightly inferior to Link in static talent, his Explosiveness allowed McGrady to shoot the ball one step faster.
In-your-face, McGrady shot directly over Link!
92 to 92!
The score was tied again.
"Beep!"
The Wizards' whistle also sounded. McGrady, who made the first field goal of the fourth quarter, and a buzzer-beater at that, punched the air to release his frustration.
The Washington Wizards called a short timeout and subbed Michael Jordan back in. At this moment, he... no longer kept asking for the ball like he did in the first half.
Jordan, no longer being a 'hand-out seeker,' could make the Wizards' offense smoother. Of course, if the tactics didn't work out, Link would pass the blame to Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan, as the strongest'scapegoat' in NBA history, successfully completed his task...
Out of 3 highly difficult 'scapegoat' shots, Michael Jordan made 2.
Meanwhile, the relatively simple Magic Team relied entirely on McGrady's dominant performance.
With 42 seconds left in the game, Link faked a shot and drove, attracting the help defense of the Magic's backup center, 'Old Gorilla' Patrick Ewing. He then suddenly stopped, performed a float, planted his right foot, and executed a fadeaway jump shot. Shooting over Ewing's long arms, the ball went in cleanly, 104 to 98!
This crucial shot extended the lead to 6 points, completely draining the Magic Team's motivation to catch up.