```
Both parties had made their positions clear and established their respective bottom lines.
As long as that line wasn't crossed, Roger, Shaq, and the management could coexist peacefully for the time being.
In Roger's view, this was the basic condition for the team to make a run at back-to-back championships.
Now, everyone could focus on basketball.
The first loss after Roger and Shaq joined forces came sooner than expected.
On January 5th, after entering 1996, Shaq's fourth game after his return, the Orlando Magic were defeated on the road by the Seattle SuperSonics.
The SuperSonics didn't win with their prideful defense, but with three-pointers.
Sam Perkins went 4 for 4 from downtown, Hersey Hawkins 5 for 7, Nate McMillan 2 for 3, Vincent Askew 3 for 4.
In their home court, the SuperSonics inherited Seattle's perennially dreary weather and rained down threes.