Dominique Wilkins harbored a psychological shadow when it came to superstars.
How did Larry Bird kill the fourth quarter of Game 7 in '88?
Actually, there's no complicated story. To take the seventh game, Bird relied on one move—using an inside screen, circling to mid-range to catch the ball, and shooting despite however many fucking people were on him.
It was always this strategy, this set of moves. After countless slow-motion replays with both hands, the Celtics won.
Yes, the way Bird killed the game was so plainspoken and tedious.
In terms of scoring brilliance, Bird couldn't even match half of Wilkins.
But it was this plainness that made Wilkins experience the most horrifying despair of his professional career.
The kind of despair where your legs are bound with lead weights, and no matter how hard you try, you can't lift your head out of the water.
