Champion Creed

The No HandCheck rule is definitely a rule change with a profound impact on the NBA.

In the original timeline, before the rule change in '04, Shaq and the Stone Buddha dominated 5 out of the 6 FMVPs from '99 to '04.

The Mailman, Shaq, Duncan, and Garnett swept 5 out of the MVPs during that six-year span from '99 to '04!

After the rule change in '04, Manu Ginobili's ghostly breakthrough in the '05 Finals shattered the Pistons' iron defense, Dwyane Wade's breakthrough in the '06 Finals made Dirk Nowitzki synonymous with being soft. Tony Parker was unstoppable in the '07 Finals, and LeBron James, starting as a rookie with a 41% shooting rate, began his great career, with no season shooting below 45% afterward.

Such a major rule change would undoubtedly affect Roger as well.

The impact is that Roger finds it easier to score.

This isn't the first time Roger has scored over 20 in a single quarter, but it's definitely the easiest.

Even though Josh Howard was extremely careful, he still got two fouls in the first quarter. The moment he reached out, the referee would call a foul, and without reaching out, Roger easily found shooting space.

If anyone still thinks a rule change would dethrone Roger now, they're definitely avoiding reality.

Roger has been in the NBA since 1993, experiencing two major rule updates.

He succeeded initially in the illegal defense era.

Later, with zone defenses permitted, Shaq and other low-post centers quickly fell, teams like the Detroit Pistons rose up defensively, yet Roger still defeated them twice.

And now, as Roger effortlessly scored 21 points in the first quarter like it was practice, it's foreseeable that this rule doesn't bring others' offense closer to Roger's, but rather widens the gap.

Mike Breen commented: "As long as basketball is about getting the ball into the hoop, Roger's dominance won't be shaken."

On the bench, Avery Johnson watched Roger's 21-point quarter, unsure of what to plan next.

"Damn these new rules, why not just turn basketball into a shooting contest? What's this? Are we in a strip club where we can't touch the dancers?! Can you imagine? The NBA's intensity isn't even as high as an office altercation!"

Mavericks assistant coach Ronaldo Blackman laughed and replied: "I remember you supported the new rules pre-game, thinking it would unleash Dirk's full potential. Also, when did you ever have an altercation with office ladies?"

"Shut up!"

Avery Johnson didn't want to be embarrassed in front of all the players, as he did think the new rules would unleash Dirk's full potential, not realizing Dirk's full potential was feeble compared to Roger.

Every year, people were used to seeing Roger win the scoring title, so much so that it wasn't even news anymore.

But at this moment, people realized the significance of winning the scoring title nine consecutive years.

This means that under any era, any rules, Roger was the best scorer.

Now is no exception.

In just over two minutes after the first quarter, Roger didn't play again, and the Mavericks cut the lead to 8 points through several baskets by Jason Terry.

But everyone knew this was just the Dallas team holding on for dear life.

In the second quarter, Josh Howard committed his third foul just after coming on.

He attempted to interfere with Roger's stop-and-shoot by raising his hand, only to hit Roger's wrist, and the referee blew the whistle without hesitation.

Josh Howard was definitely a victim of this rule, as he was already inexperienced and struggled to adapt to the new rule, becoming completely disoriented on defense.

Since it was a shooting foul, Roger went straight to the line to shoot free throws.

23 points in a single game, and the second quarter had just begun!

Michael Jordan felt he retired too early, believing he could've still averaged 30 points a season if he were playing.

By now, more and more fans were tuning in to this game, curious to see how many points Roger could score under the new rules.

The Mavericks had not given up resistance, as Shaq drew Marcus Camby's third foul midway through the second quarter, forcing Camby to be substituted out.

With Mutombo nursing a minor leg injury and unable to play, the Warriors had to pair Boris Diaw and Stoudemire in the paint.

For Shaq, that combo was like eating cookies, easy to break with one bite.

Shaq wreaked havoc in the paint, and when double-teamed, he'd dish it out to Dirk on the perimeter, who would hit from mid-range or long distance.

Yet this situation excited Warriors fans.

This meant the game wouldn't easily turn into garbage time, meaning Roger could score freely and without restraint.

And Roger indeed did this; he wasn't intending to be polite to Shaq today, taking the scoring knife and carving the cake entirely onto his own plate.

As a leader, he could be occasionally selfish, which wasn't a big deal, as this is a right a leader should have.

Roger exercised that right tonight.

He wanted to eliminate any "we defeated you" misconceptions Shaq might have, giving Shaq a night he'd never forget.

In fact, other Warriors players were also proactively feeding Roger the ball.