Zach Randolph's aggressive post play after receiving the ball made the Utah Jazz's Interior Defense a bit uncomfortable.
The two-man game between Christian Laettner and Link also made the Wizards' offense smoother, making Andrei Kirilenko's defense feel like using a cannon to hit a mosquito.
As for the defensive end, although Karl Malone still had an advantage matching up against Zach Randolph, it wasn't significant... this made Link's help defense much easier.
After the Wizards subbed in Zach Randolph, it had a positive impact on both ends of the floor.
The only problem was that Michael Jordan wasn't performing up to par tonight...
Who knows what he did last night, but Michael Jordan's legs were weak tonight; Andrei Kirilenko blocked him once and recorded a Steal against him.
The game reached the most intense final quarter, with the scores of both sides neck and neck.
74 to 78, the Washington Wizards only led by 4 points.
On the Utah Jazz's offense, it was the high-post pick-and-roll between the familiar "Stockton and Malone" duo. However, Stockton was truly getting old; despite having a positional advantage, he was caught by the Masked Man, Richard Hamilton, forced a shot, and missed.
In turn, it was the Wizards' counterattack, and once again, Andrei Kirilenko and Link were matched up randomly.
Link skillfully used stop-and-go movements to disrupt Andrei Kirilenko's defensive rhythm. Suddenly... Link made a behind-the-back fake pass, pulling the ball behind him, which completely drew Andrei Kirilenko's attention. In the next second, he executed a "Blade-Drawing" layup, easily scoring 2 points.
In the clutch for the Utah Jazz, Karl Malone's isolation play was met with help defense and double-teaming, and his pick-and-roll with Stockton struggled to create effective scoring opportunities.
Over the next 3 minutes and 11 seconds, the Wizards went on an 11-3 run.
77 to 89, the lead instantly widened to 12 points.
From then on, the Utah Jazz completely lost hope for a comeback and ultimately conceded defeat.
...
...
As the game ended, the live cameras focused on the Washington Wizards' bench.
On the giant screen in the center of the arena, the Washington Wizards' starters, led by Link, appeared.
"Link..."
"Link..."
"Link..."
The Washington Wizards' home fans suddenly began chanting in unison.
Having scored only 8 points tonight on 2-of-14 shooting, including 0-of-4 from Three-Point Shot range and 4-of-8 from the free-throw line, Michael Jordan chewed on his chocolate.
The moment his eyes inadvertently met Link's, Michael Jordan thought Link was showing off his high popularity in front of him...
In reality, Link truly didn't mean that.
However, Michael Jordan was the type of person who didn't care what you thought; he only cared about what he thought.
Soon, Link watched with a face full of dark lines as Michael Jordan started counting his championship rings: one finger, two, three... all the way to six.
...
...
"Zach..."
"Zach, you were amazing. You didn't back down at all against Karl Malone."
"Zach, that elbow you gave Karl was really powerful."
As Link and Zach Randolph walked down the player tunnel with their arms around each other's shoulders, a fanatical Washington Wizards home fan gave a thumbs-up to Zach Randolph, who had finished the night with 14 points and 6 rebounds.
This gave Zach Randolph a slight start.
You see, back with his old team, he never received this kind of treatment. Furthermore... the media had embellished stories to smear him, leading fans to believe he was a locker room cancer and a troublemaker. He never expected that he would actually be quite popular in Washington.
"Hehe, of course!" Zach Randolph also smiled and began interacting with the fans.
When Zach Randolph smiled, he actually looked somewhat harmless, completely different from the tough guy he was on the basketball court.
...
...
After returning to the locker room, Michael Jordan had ice packs wrapped around both his legs and his old lower back.
"Michael, you're..." Link asked.
Michael Jordan didn't answer Link's question but instead began praising his teammates' performances tonight.
"Those media outlets that didn't believe in us are probably racking their brains right now to find excuses for their poor judgment," Michael Jordan grinned.
His teammates also burst into laughter.
But just then, head coach Doug Collins and the team's medical staff appeared at the locker room door and walked straight toward Michael Jordan.
"Michael, you need to have a full-body injury examination!" Doug Collins said in a decisive tone.
Michael Jordan didn't say a word, merely looking up at Doug Collins with a blank expression.
With just that one look, he suppressed Doug Collins's momentum.
"No one knows my body better than I do," Jordan said in an unquestionable tone.
"But Michael... after all, you're 39 now..." Doug Collins sighed and said in a negotiating tone, "You should really take a rest for the next few games."
"No need!" Jordan waved his hand and said succinctly.
Through the dialogue between the two, the other players in the locker room instantly understood.
Michael Jordan had most likely played through injury tonight. This was very common in the 80s and 90s, and players took pride in it.
But whether it was right or wrong...
Even Link found it hard to judge.
From the perspective of sportsmanship, not leaving the front line for a minor injury is the mark of a real man.
However, from the perspective of a long-term career and the fact that the NBA is essentially a business league, players who play through illness or injury often struggle to have a "graceful end" to their careers.
The conversation between the head coach and the god of basketball left no room for others to interject.
But at this moment, Link stood up, patted Doug Collins on the shoulder, leaned into his ear, and said, "Coach Doug, let me have a good talk with Michael."
Doug Collins's eyes lit up. Yes, Link, who was both a student and a friend to Michael, was the most suitable person to be a lobbyist.
"Michael, let's talk privately," Link said.
"Mm." Although Michael Jordan was displeased with the team's suggestion for him to take a break, he didn't refuse Link.
The two of them soon arrived at a private, enclosed space.
"Michael, the regular season is more than halfway over. I know you really want to help the team reach the upper echelon so we can have home-court advantage in the playoffs. But you also don't want to see your career scoring average drop below 30, right...?" Link said.
Michael Jordan rolled his eyes and said, "rookie, you must have misunderstood me. I've only ever had one standard in my heart: the championship is greater than everything."
Link: "Hehe, I know. But think about it. If you had plenty of Stamina, guys like Kobe, McGrady, Vince Carter, and Iverson... would have a hard time getting the better of you, right?"
Michael Jordan: "Mm."
Link: "Michael, you said it yourself—you value the playoffs the most. But if you overexert yourself now and get injured, what are we supposed to do in the playoffs? Without a top-tier superstar like you holding down the fort, who's going to take the clutch shots?"
"Oh..."
"Link..."
"What you said makes a lot of sense. I really should take a good rest."
"After all, the playoffs are my stage!!!
Michael Jordan was like a performer in an opera face-changing act; in an instant, he was made to beam with joy by Link.
To this...
Link thought to himself, "Damn, it's not easy being the leader of this team. I even have to coax this old kid!!!"