He could only silently endure the cost of losing the game.
The devastated number 23 sat alone in the locker room, not getting up to leave until very late.
But in the player's tunnel, he encountered an uninvited guest, the last person he wanted to see now, the culprit who got him into this situation.
Opposite James, Roger's face was also full of surprise; he hadn't expected to meet the guy he slapped here.
Because what happened tonight was too explosive, the press conference went on longer than usual.
After taking a shower, Roger let the team's bus head back to the hotel first, then stayed to give an exclusive interview to "Sports Illustrated," which is why he came out a bit late.
No one could have anticipated that he and James would leave the locker room simultaneously and encounter each other on the way to the underground parking lot.
That was about as likely as an experienced professional race car driver accidentally scraping a wall when exiting a pit stop.
