The harassment from local Detroit fans affected the players' performance in Game 2 to some extent, especially the three rookies: Gerald Wallace, Zach Randolph, and Brendan Haywood.
As for Link... he naturally remained unaffected.
After all, with his sparring partner card, his Stamina would fully recover to 100% after emerging from the virtual space.
"Oh dear..."
"What's going on with the Washington Wizards tonight? The players are constantly losing focus."
"Yeah... not only are they frequently losing their marks, but they can't even catch the ball cleanly."
Insufficient Stamina doesn't just affect jumping ability and physical confrontation; it also affects concentration. In the NBA, the world's premier basketball stage, making low-level mistakes is no different from giving away points.
At the end of the first quarter, the Detroit Pistons capitalized on the Washington Wizards' unforced errors to run beautiful fast breaks, leading 30 to 23, a 7-point lead over the Washington Wizards. In the second quarter, the issue of exhaustion became even more severe, and the Detroit Pistons further widened the gap to 55-42, bringing the lead to 13 points.
As the game entered the second half, Michael Jordan, who seemed to have been up to something last night, started with a 0-for-3 shooting slump and then got stripped by Jerry Stackhouse. Just as it looked like the Washington Wizards were heading into garbage time in the third quarter, Link stepped up.
Link pulled out his entire arsenal tonight...
Pull-up jumpers after the pick-and-roll!
Catch-and-shoot jumpers after Off-Ball Movement!
One- or two-dribble pull-up jumpers after the catch!
Isolation at the elbow facing the basket; after a Triple Threat jab step, he drove to the rim, finishing with Euro Steps, spin moves, or hop steps, or even strong drives for reverse layups.
Throughout the third quarter and the first half of the fourth, Link single-handedly kept the Detroit Pistons at bay. In a quarter and a half, he scored 24 points and added 5 assists. It's worth mentioning that the Detroit Pistons weren't just playing single coverage; they also utilized Double teams during this period.
However, Link used his near-master level passing ability to break the Double teams and create wide-open looks for his teammates. While his teammates' form was indeed poor, rhythm is built through opportunities.
When Hamilton and Michael Jordan hit consecutive open shots, the Detroit Pistons clearly panicked.
For the Detroit Pistons, they would rather let Link beat them alone than allow the entire team to catch fire.
However, Link suddenly collapsed during a rebound scramble.
Uh...
This wasn't because someone stepped under him, but because his calf cramped from exhaustion.
Although Link's Stamina attribute was as high as 94 (94), which is elite across the entire league, he was not only the team's primary ball-handler but also had to anchor the defensive end. To secure the win, Link had only rested for one minute through the first three quarters.
One must remember that this was still an era where the paint was king and physical play was intense.
...
...
His teammates wanted to help Link off to rest, but Link, determined to maintain his tough-guy persona, flatly refused. Are you kidding? This game was being broadcast nationally across America. Although Link's Injury Resistance was quite average at only 75 (88)...
...this particular cramp wasn't serious. After some care from the Wizards' professional massage therapist, Link was eager to get back on the court.
"Link... no rush... rest for a bit longer," Doug Collins said with a smile.
Just then, the arena's PA announcer suddenly shouted with a long drawl: "Michael... Jordan... and-one!"
Michael Jordan, who had been shooting like a brick in the first half and even the early third quarter, found his rhythm in the fourth.
Uh...
A 39-year-old Michael Jordan is still Michael Jordan!
Michael Jordan blew past Stackhouse, slipped by the defense to reach the rim, and performed a mid-air double-clutch. He drew a shooting foul from Ben Wallace while banking the shot in.
After Michael Jordan hit the Free Throw, the lead was cut to 6 points with 4 minutes remaining.
Although the game had reached crunch time and Doug Collins knew perfectly well that putting Link in would provide a massive boost, Link was the future of the team. A calf that had cramped was prone to strains.
Even if it was the playoffs and every game was crucial, it paled in comparison to Link's health.
An anxious Link was kept on the bench.
But Michael Jordan, who seemed to have channeled his peak self, gave Link a "live demonstration."
Well, it makes sense...
Michael Jordan could go on a rampage while suffering from food poisoning and a high fever, let alone just not sleeping well last night.
Michael Jordan began to take over the game. On defense, he covered for Tyronn Lue's missed assignment and swatted away a shot from the Detroit Pistons' small guard, Atkins.
Not only that, but on offense, facing Jerry Stackhouse who was intentionally leaving him open for Three-Point Shots, Michael Jordan buried two consecutive triples.
After the shots, Michael Jordan looked smug, shrugging his shoulders toward Link on the bench... as if to say, "Kid, just rest up. Big brother's touch is unstoppable right now..."
...
...
"Oh, Sir Charles... this scene should look very familiar to you," Kenny Smith said in the TNT Broadcast Booth.
Staring at the screen, Charles Barkley couldn't help but daze off for a moment.
At this moment, it was as if he was seeing the strongest Jordan again, the one who averaged a staggering 41 points against him in the Finals.
"Michael, even though he's almost 40, he's still Michael Jordan!" Barkley remarked emotionally after watching Michael Jordan hit a clutch shot.
"Even though Michael still has gas in the tank, it also has a lot to do with Washington being careful with him during the regular season. In the latter half of the season, the team forced Michael to rest while also having him give up some ball-handling duties... all for this moment!" Kenny Smith said.
92 to 90!
The Washington Wizards finally relied on Michael Jordan's late-game explosion to turn the tide, winning the game and taking a 2-0 lead in the series.
Regarding individual player stats, Michael Jordan shot 11-of-26, 3-of-5 from three, and 8-of-10 from the line, finishing with 31 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 Steals. Notably, in the final 6 minutes of the game without Link on the floor, Michael Jordan scored 19 points alone.
"Link... winning isn't scary; what's awkward is winning without you..." Jordan chuckled.
The boomerang Link had thrown in the past had now struck him right between the eyes.