Drexler lost face, being defended so awkwardly by Roger, who's notoriously weak at defense.
In fact, Roger's defense wasn't as bad as everyone thought; he had improved a lot since the last season.
Conversely, Drexler was no longer as good as everyone remembered.
Since the '92 season, Drexler's output and efficiency had both seen a noticeable decline.
His speed wasn't as fast, his explosive power not as strong.
This made it harder for him to shake off defenses.
And his scoring technique wasn't on Jordan's level.
So, he could hardly be considered one of the league's top scorers anymore.
The league's top scorers wouldn't score only 19 points for two consecutive seasons with a shooting percentage below 43%.
So, as long as Roger gave his all in defense, Drexler was not going to have an easy time.
The game continued. This time, O'Neal faced a double team in the paint, but he still managed to force up a layup and score despite the tight pressure.
