McGrady was slightly stunned, watching Link, who was holding the ball with one hand, looking incredibly elegant.
With a "thump!" Link dribbled and initiated a drive. McGrady quickly followed. It was indeed difficult to get past the defense with just Speed, but Link also possessed Power comparable to a Power Forward. He drove the live ball to the basket, even though he was still in McGrady's defensive zone.
However, at this moment, Link started playing a move he learned when playing against Steve Nash. The Magic Team's two interior players immediately became wary and tense. This time, Link didn't choose to Pass, but twisted his body for a reverse layup, scoring.
"Buddy, I've already scored 20 points, and you only have 17..." After scoring, Link didn't forget to provoke McGrady.
50-57, the Washington Wizards' lead extended to 7 points.
Provoked, McGrady definitely wanted to respond, but this time his drive was Steal by Gerald Wallace's help defense.
McGrady bit his lip, somewhat annoyed.
As a rookie, Gerald Wallace lacked some defensive experience, but McGrady lacked "small techniques." To put it plainly, he relied on his first step to drive. After becoming familiar with the offensive routine, Wallace could effectively help Link with help defense.
In the third quarter of the game, McGrady's efficiency in strong attacks further declined, forcing him to pass the ball to his teammates.
At this point, the Wizards' defensive rotation became evident. Excellent defensive positioning made it difficult for the Magic Team to get open shots. The Wizards also seized the opportunity to launch fast breaks, with Gerald Wallace repeatedly dunking with power, perfectly showcasing his explosive athleticism.
Link, whose Stamina was declining, passed the ball to Randolph in the low post.
Facing Grant, Randolph wiggled his big butt, constantly battling him. The moment an offensive opportunity arose, "Swish!" the basketball seemed to have a navigation system as it went to Randolph. After receiving the ball, he didn't need to adjust at all, directly going up strong to attack the rim.
The second half of the third quarter almost became Randolph's personal show. He scored 12 points, shooting 5-for-7 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, almost crushing the Magic Team's interior defense by himself.
As an interior player who makes a living in the paint, he loves guards like Link, who can deliver a Passing when he most wants the ball, saving him a lot of effort.
The Passing to Randolph was a "half-feed," very different from the straightforward passes to Haywood. After receiving the ball, Randolph could use low-post footwork and offensive threats to get better shooting opportunities.
Additionally, if he encountered a double-team, he could effectively handle the ball.
However, if Haywood encountered a double-team, he would either force a shot or have his offense disrupted, rarely making a good pass.
Acquiring Randolph strengthened the Washington Wizards' interior offense and also allowed Link to enter "power-saving mode" on the court.
In contrast, Tracy McGrady was outnumbered, watching helplessly as the Washington Wizards further extended their lead.
"Damn it..."
"This kid's luck is too good!"
"Michael Jordan is recovering from an injury, and now two more rookies have emerged in Washington..."
Mike Miller missed a Three-Point Shot. After the Washington Wizards secured the Defensive Rebound, they quickly launched a counterattack. McGrady, wearing jersey number 1, quickly chased Link…
Link received the ball, dribbled once, and pulled up for a sudden stop. Reading that McGrady had no intention of taking another step forward, he shot a pull-up Three-Point Shot.
McGrady reacted incredibly fast, almost immediately rushing forward, but Link's shot was also quick. "Swish!" Link's Three-Point Shot went in cleanly, causing the Nets to ripple.
The score between the two teams was stretched to 70-92!
The Washington Wizards led by a full 22 points.
And this shot prompted the Magic Team's motivational coach, Doc Rivers, to call a timeout.
"Beep!"
The moment the referee's whistle sounded…
Link's graceful Moonwalk also began.
"Wow!"
"Wow!"
"Wow!"
The fans in the arena erupted in applause, screams, and cheers; Michael Jackson, on the bench, also started dancing along.
…
…
After this timeout, neither team's starting players re-entered the game, which meant the Magic Team had surrendered early.
The camera focused on McGrady on the Magic Team's bench.
McGrady's face was gloomy.
McGrady's competitiveness was actually not bad, and he played hard on the court, but compared to Kobe and Iverson of the same era, he was still a bit lacking. Additionally, there was a gap in emotional intelligence and technique.
Although McGrady seemed more refined and approachable than Kobe, his relationship with his teammates was actually quite average, and he struggled to unleash their potential. Conversely, Kobe, like a tyrant, demanding and stubborn, could make his teammates better versions of themselves.
In terms of technical gap, if McGrady were replaced by Kobe, the Rockets would have 100% passed the Jazz. After all, the Jazz, who repeatedly eliminated the Rockets, were always crushed by the Los Angeles Lakers in the next round.
The game ended!
80-108!
The Wizards defeated the Orlando Magic by a 28-point margin.
However, this seemingly ordinary regular season game tonight was widely reported by American media after the game.
[Wow, Michael Jackson personally came to watch Link's game and even personally taught him the Moonwalk.]
[Michael Jackson publicly stated that his favorite NBA players are Michael Jordan and Link, and he is a loyal fan of Link; similarly, Link also stated after the game that he is a loyal music fan of Michael Jackson, and no matter what happens in the future, he believes in Michael Jackson's musical taste and character.]
[After Tracy McGrady lost to Link again, he publicly expressed his lack of help.]
…
…
In the 5 games Michael Jordan recently rested, the Washington Wizards won 4 of them.
However, the Washington Wizards' problems of a weak bench and insufficient depth still existed.
Also…
The team's starting interior player, Christian Laettner, suffered a back strain after the game against the Magic Team.
Of course, in the latter half of the regular season, it wasn't just the Washington Wizards experiencing an injury wave; many teams were in the same situation.
The absence of Laettner, Haywood, and Michael Jordan, the team's three main players, made the already thin rotation even more depleted.
The Washington Wizards also suffered a 3-game losing streak.
On March 24, 2002, the Washington Wizards played their 70th regular season game of the season.
Washington Wizards vs. Rockets, Michael Jordan made his comeback.
A well-rested Michael Jordan was indeed fierce, with numerous drives and a combination of drives and shots, scoring 44 points in the game.
His spectacular performance overshadowed Link's 18 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds, despite Link only playing 28 minutes…
After the game, Michael Jordan, facing reporters, was beaming, as if he had just had triplets.
Of course…
What made Michael Jordan happy wasn't the 44 points in a single game, as that was nothing to Michael Jordan. What truly made Michael Jordan happy was the feeling of being a savior.