"Looks like it, doesn't it?" Jordan said with a smile, seeing Reggie Miller's dazed expression.
Reggie Miller subconsciously nodded, but then, seeing Jordan's smug smile, he immediately changed his tune: "Maybe it was just luck."
"Reggie, your catchphrase... hasn't changed after all these years," Jordan said.
As a master of trash talk, Reggie Miller naturally understood that Jordan was subtly mocking him for attributing things to luck, but to be fair, he hadn't actually brought up luck that many times.
O'Neal once again got the ball in the Mid-Low Post, but this time he didn't attack immediately. Instead, he observed Link's defensive positioning. Although he had only been stolen from once by Link in the previous playing time, there were at least 2-3 times when he was almost stolen from.
"Kid... scared now?" Although Laettner was old and slow now, his mouth was still as hard as a diamond.
Uh...
How should I put it?
Being stubborn was an old traditional skill of the Washington Wizards.
O'Neal, who had a good temper, just smiled it off and didn't dwell on it. After a Triple Threat probe, he shot directly. Laettner raised his hand to contest but was a step too slow.
Mid-range hit!
O'Neal had a decent mid-range shot, quite accurate, but not to the point of being deadly. Moreover, this was within the Wizards' acceptable range.
If O'Neal missed, Haywood could protect the Defensive Rebound well, and the Wizards could push for a fast break.
Michael Jordan, who was relentlessly hounded by Reggie Miller in the half-court offense and didn't get many shooting opportunities, used all his Stamina on fast breaks. The current Michael Jordan could still run and jump...
Additionally, giving him an initial Speed on offense was quite effective.
Jordan received a Passing from Link in the middle, first used his strength to overpower Jamal Tinsley's defense, drove into the paint, and then, facing Reggie Miller who ran over from the wing, Jordan executed a signature aerial scoop layup, sticking out his tongue... and scored.
22 to 20!
With this shot, the Wizards led the Indiana Pacers by 2 points.
"Reggie, I've gotten old, but I haven't gotten bad... Of course, your defense was good this time, but unfortunately, you ran into me," Jordan said, nose in the air, after scoring.
...
...
Link and Michael Jordan played 9 minutes in the first quarter. When they came off the court, it was 26 to 2, leading the Indiana Pacers by 6 points. However, by the end of the first quarter, the Indiana Pacers were tied by the opponent.
30 to 30!
Uh...
In 3 minutes, the Indiana Pacers' bench only scored 4 points.
It's worth mentioning...
This included a Three-Point Shot from Lue.
...
...
As the game entered the second quarter, O'Neal's face-up isolation, though powerful, could not be defended by Laettner. However, with Link's help defense, his shooting attempts were greatly reduced.
Throughout the second quarter, O'Neal only took 3 shots, 2 of which were mid-range, but unfortunately... neither of those shots scored.
However, O'Neal wasn't just about offense; his help defense was truly fierce...
Swooping in from the side, his elusive Blocks added +2 to O'Neal's Block stats in the second and third quarters against Link, who had broken through the defense.
In addition, there were 2 other times when, at the moment of shooting, he sensed a Block and made a "pass" – or rather, a "hot potato pass" – resulting in a turnover and the ball going out of bounds.
The first three quarters of the game ended.
60 to 60!
The two sides were tied again.
The game moved into the crucial final quarter.
Jamal Tinsley used a pick-and-roll to get past Hamilton's defense. Link on the wing shrunk back a step towards the basket to provide help defense. Tinsley immediately passed the ball to Jalen Rose, who caught it, faced up, and drove. Link didn't stick to him but retreated a step. Rose then pulled up for a sudden jump shot, but the next second, he saw two long arms blocking his path, forcing him to adjust the arc higher.
"Clang!"
The basketball clanked off the rim.
"Fuck!"
Jalen Rose, who was 4-for-4 on mid-range shots tonight, couldn't help but curse in American slang.
Link's long arms caused a defensive parallax that made him very uncomfortable... According to his height, it should have been a safe distance, but before shooting, he found himself still in the "danger zone."
Laettner grabbed the Defensive Rebound. Link moved down and found a "mismatch" against Tinsley. Uh... how should I put it, both were guards, but Link, at the guard position, almost always created a "huge mismatch" no matter who he faced.
After all, many interior players aren't even 2 meters tall with shoes on, so if a small guard is that tall, what else could it be but a huge mismatch?
Tinsley didn't want to be posted up by Link, so he immediately pressed him tightly. If he didn't get help defense from a teammate, he was willing to foul. But when Link, after upgrading [Contested Drive] to "Silver," secured the ball and exerted force...
Jamal Tinsley was directly knocked over by Link, who drove into the restricted area. Noticing O'Neal lurking, Link made a momentary rhythm change and continued driving to the basket. But O'Neal was really damn fast... he didn't lose his position. No choice... Link went for a Reverse Layup...
"Haha, Little Prince of Reverse Layups... he's here..."
"That's right... Link's layups are a quarter Reverse Layups..."
"Of course, there's no other way. After all, with slow Explosiveness, he'll be at a disadvantage against mobile big men. And the Reverse Layup perfectly avoids this problem..."
...
...
"Clang!" O'Neal's shot clanked off the rim. As his Stamina declined, O'Neal's already poor shooting touch tonight further deteriorated.
The Washington Wizards pushed for a fast break again. This time, Reggie Miller was guarding Link. Link dribbled to the top of the arc and then exploded with a sudden burst. Reggie Miller reacted quickly, blocking the driving lane, but was forcibly pushed aside by Link. This force reminded Reggie Miller of Michael Jordan again.
Michael Jordan in the 90s also drove with such power. Uh... to be precise, even more powerful. Michael Jordan's explosiveness was simply abnormal.
O'Neal moved over. Link didn't pass immediately. After one more dribble, he gathered the ball and jump-stepped. However, O'Neal's long arms were still looming over his head. With a "whoosh!" Link passed to the cutting Michael Jordan, who, facing Jalen Rose's defense, forced a 2+1.
89 to 88, the Washington Wizards led by 1 point.
And there were 1 minute and 48 seconds left in the game.