The No. 1 Point Guard? 8093 words
As the 1996-1997 season drew to a close, the league was extremely polarized.
The top teams can win 60+ games, and the Celtics, who are in a slump, are about to make history!
As time enters April, the Knicks can adjust calmly with their own winning advantage.
There is no hope of first place, but as long as second place is guaranteed, timely adjustments can be made based on the Heat's record.
At this point, the coaching staff's job is to ensure that all players are healthy and enter the playoffs.
Jeff Van Gundy is in high spirits this season.
At the end of the season, he not only changed into several neat suits, but also paid attention to the shirt and tie he wore for every game.
The only thing that makes the young marshal a little regretful is that his hair is really not good and he is still bald.
The bald head of the league's best coach has a bit of an impact on his image.
The Knicks may be the team with the best dress code in the league.
Before each game starts, everyone from the coaching staff to the players are dressed in formal attire, looking extremely gentlemanly.
But when they were on the court, their playing style was contrary to that of the league.
They would resort to violence if they couldn't win. After Clay Lee joined the team, the situation did not change at all and even got worse.
On April 19, at the United Center, Chicago fans stood up and cheered.
103:101, with 13 seconds left in the game, the Knicks were still leading by 2 points.
Jeff Van Gundy clenched his fists nervously on the sidelines.
After scoring 33 points in the third quarter, Alan Houston fouled out and the team's physical strength declined, and the offense completely collapsed in the fourth quarter.
Entering into the positional offense, the Bulls began to score points continuously, and Pippen, who had missed shots, also scored.
In the previous round, Lee waited until 24 seconds before missing a layup under the basket.
In the final moments, neither side was able to score, and the Bulls still had a chance to win the game.
In the last timeout, Phil Jackson replaced Ron Harper, who was in poor shooting form, with Steve Kerr.
It went without saying that the Knicks would need more people to defend Jordan, so they had to bring in a shooter.
"oh!!"
The noise in the United Center was getting louder and louder. Pippen of the Bulls threw a sideline ball, and Starks lowered his center of gravity and guarded in front of Jordan who received the ball.
On the left wing outside the three-point line, Michael Jordan was not in a hurry to attack.
He slowly approached the three-point line, then suddenly changed direction in front of his body, holding the ball with his left hand and accelerated the breakthrough.
Lee at the top of the arc immediately let go of Steve Kerr and chased after him. At the same time, Larry Johnson also let go of Pippen who was circling, quickened his pace, and chased after Jordan.
Michael Jordan was forced to slow down in the left blocking area, and was then surrounded by three people. With arms all around him, Jordan managed to throw the ball steadily to Steve Kerr at the top of the arc.
Lee reacted quickly, sliding quickly, and facing Steve Kerr's fake ball, he simply accelerated his feet, stretched out his left arm, and defended closely.
Steve Kerr released the ball with his right hand and broke through to compress the defense again.
When the offensive time was about to run out, he passed the ball to Pippen on the right wing.
Pippen had enough time to shoot, so he took a look outside the three-point line before he took a steady jump shot!
The basketball drew a beautiful arc in the air, and the Chicago fans at the scene had already started cheering, but in the end it hit the back edge of the basket.
Lee, who was near the free throw line, was quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbing the long rebound before Steve Kerr.
Steve Kerr tried to foul again, but the buzzer sounded.
"Wow!!"
On the Knicks' bench, the atmosphere group cheered and rushed into the court. Ewing roared under the basket, and Oakley hugged Lee and punched the air in celebration.
Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines raised his arms and shouted continuously to vent his excitement.
"Shhh!!"
At the United Center, the Chicago fans started to curse and boo one after another.
"It's a pity that the Bulls failed to win their last home game. They failed to tie the Celtics' 40-1 home record in the 1985-86 season."
"But 39 wins and 2 losses is also an amazing home record."
"Congratulations to the Knicks, they broke the 60-win record from the 1969-70 season, with 64 wins and 18 losses, a new team record was born!"
Hubie Brown also smiled in the TNT commentary booth. He also once coached in New York. Seeing the Knicks achieve such results, he was filled with emotion.
In this nationally televised game, Bulls fans were all looking forward to setting a new record in their home stadium, but instead, the show was ruined.
After missing the last shot, Pippen could only put his hands on his hips and look up at the sky.
He made 4 of 10 shots, scored 12 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 steals and 2 turnovers. Except for 0 of 5 three-pointers, the Knicks' best 6th man Pippen performed well.
In the last game of the regular season, Michael Jordan was in a good mood, having won a game at Madison Square Garden a few days ago.
He never expected that he would be blocked when he returned to his home court.
It would be a lie to say that he doesn't care about the records. Tonight, Michael Jordan specifically followed the coaching staff's arrangements, shared the ball more, and played more efficiently, but after losing the game, the data has no meaning.
14 of 22, including 1 of 1 three-pointers, 4 of 8 free throws, 33 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 4 turnovers.
With so many points with a 60% shooting rate, the fans at the scene couldn't ask for Michael Jordan to do any better.
Seeing that Michael Jordan had a sullen face after the game, Oakley was in a good mood and immediately stepped forward and joked:
"If I didn't get 70 wins, I'll admit defeat. You'll pay for the next party!"
The final record of this season was 69 wins and 13 losses. Michael Jordan was not satisfied with this. He shook his head and whispered:
"Lucky guy, there is still a chance in the playoffs. You must know the consequences of angering me!"
Oakley didn't care about Mike's ugly face. Instead, he smiled and turned around to tease his friend.
Dick Stockton, who was in the commentary booth, watched Lee hugging his teammates one after another, and added for his partner:
"After the All-Star Game, Lee came into the starting lineup and changed the Knicks' offensive model. In my opinion, he played a perfect season."
"He deserves to be selected as an All-Star. Don't forget that he is only 19 years old. I am already looking forward to Lee's performance in the playoffs!"
Last season he was Pat Riley's follower, but this season Jeff Van Gundy has surpassed him. With such a record, there is no pressure for him to win the best coach award.
After returning to the locker room, an excited Jeff Van Gundy said loudly:
"We did it, the best record in team history, this is a perfect season. Now, the regular season is over and we are about to face new challenges."
"Forget the past, our only goal is to win the championship!"
Ewing stood up and applauded. The Knicks ended the regular season and successfully won the Atlantic Division championship. The gorilla also seemed very happy:
"We have fulfilled our promise!"
Lee was also very happy. The division champion also had a flag. When the regular season officially ended, he would be able to obtain [Talent] again!
"Cheer up, Larry! We'll have home-court advantage until the Eastern Conference Finals, and that's important!"
Although Larry Johnson was also smiling, he was not in a good mood. Lee knew that the main reason was the reduction in his statistics, and the same was true for Alan Houston.
Different players have different demands.
After observing the situation in the locker room, Lee personally experienced the "cake" theory at this moment.
The Knicks do not have a game tomorrow, so everyone will fly back to New York overnight.
After four days of rest, they will face the first playoff game of the season.
On April 20, there were a total of 8 games.
The Bullets and the Cavaliers were competing for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Jazz could not lose the last game for Karl Malone's MVP.
In the end, the Cavaliers, who were playing at home, failed to perform well and were defeated by the Washington Bullets 85:81.
The Bullets successfully got a spot, and this will be their last playoff appearance in the history of their team.
Next season, they will be renamed the Washington Wizards, and a new team history will begin at that time.
The cautious Jazz did not give the gorilla any chance. After defeating the Kings, their record also reached 64 wins and 18 losses.
The two teams have the same record, and the MVP points allocation once again becomes a competition of Excellence.
After all the games were over in the evening, Lee finally saw the extraction disc appear on his simple panel again.
Looking at the rapidly spinning disc, Lee received a prompt before he could call for a stop:
[Allen Iverson's excellent physical fitness]
Seeing that the new talent was already bronze, Lee was stunned for a moment, and then realized that it would take a long time and a painful process to fully realize this talent:
"Physical reserve? Physical limit?"
On April 21, the 1996-1997 regular season ended and the playoff matchups were officially announced:
Eastern Conference record rankings:
The Bulls with 69 wins, the Knicks with 64 wins, the Heat with 61 wins, the Hawks with 56 wins;
the Pistons with 54 wins, the Hornets with 54 wins; the Magic with 45 wins, the Bullets with 44 wins.
Western Conference standings:
The Jazz with 64 wins, the Rockets with 57 wins, the SuperSonics with 57 wins, the Lakers with 56 wins;
the Trail Blazers with 49 wins, the Timberwolves with 40 wins, the Suns with 40 wins, the Clippers with 36 wins.
The pattern of the East being strong and the West being weak has not changed, and the tanking teams have also set several records:
For the first time in NBA history, two teams have a winning percentage below 20%;
The Celtics created the worst winning percentage and lowest win record in team history, and became the only NBA team that only won once against other teams in the division.
The 15-win Celtics are the second-to-last team in the league, and the last team is the 14-win Vancouver Grizzlies.
What's outrageous is that after the regular season ended and the team lost the last game, Boston fans even cheered for the team's loss:
"Tim Duncan, get in the bowl!"
(A/N: Stern & Spurs: 👍😂😂)
NBA Commissioner David Stern is very dissatisfied with this. These teams that tanked performed so poorly that fans simply would not like a game without suspense.
Therefore, the president decided to give the old guy some eye drops.
The regular season is over and various awards are about to be announced, and the first to be announced are the leaders of various data this season.
After John Hollinger joined ESPN in 1995, the player value assessment system he proposed has been accepted by the league after two years of development.
The advanced data PER was officially launched in 1998.
For the majority of football fans, in the past, the only quarrel they had was over who won the championship. But as the data became more and more complete, the number of Excel fans gradually increased.
Using detailed data to measure player performance is also the basis for many commentators to vote for players:
"Voting by looking at the table, doesn't it show that you understand the game?"
On April 21, while the regular season was still hot, ESPN quickly announced the rankings of various data on a TV program, and then, New York fans were excited!
In the scoring list, Patrick Ewing ranks sixth in the league with an average of 23.8 points per game, surpassing Olajuwon;
Although there is still some gap between him and Michael Jordan who averages 29.6 points per game and Karl Malone who averages 27.4 points per game, New York fans are satisfied that the gorilla has not declined!
In the assist list, Clay Lee has 666 assists this season, averaging 8.1 assists per game, ranking eighth in the league;
The assist king this season is Mark Jackson of the Pacers, averaging 11.4 assists per game, surpassing Stockton's 10.5. The two are also the only two players with double-digit assists.
On the three-point shooting list, Clay Lee has made a total of 193 three-pointers this season, averaging 2.4 three-pointers per game, which ranks 7th in the league;
And Lee's 40.9% three-point shooting percentage ranks just 10th in the league.
The first place is the Hornets' Glen Rice, with a 47% three-point shooting percentage, which leads all players.
On the free throw shooting percentage list, Clay Lee ranks 10th in the league again with an 85.4% free throw shooting percentage.
On the true shooting percentage list, Clay Lee ranked 7th in the league with a true shooting percentage of 61.9%, while Steve Kerr of the Bulls led all players with a true shooting percentage of 66.7%.
In terms of the most fashionable efficiency value, Lee ranked 12th in the league with a value of 20.5, just surpassing the false Jordan successor - Anfernee Hardaway.
Ewing ranked 16th in the league with a PER of 20.3. Two Knicks players appeared in the top 20, and the New York media was also very happy!
Lee played in 80 games, averaging 30.8 minutes per game, averaging 16.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.0 turnovers per game;
He averaged 11.3 shots per game, with a shooting percentage of 46.6%, 5.5 shots per game from beyond the three-point line, with a three-point shooting percentage of 40.9%, and 3.6 free throws per game, with a free throw shooting percentage of 85.4%.
With this data and the performance of various lists, New York fans and media were collectively ecstatic.
On the second day after the regular season ended, major print media gave Lee a title:
"The best point guard in the league!"
When refuted, the New York media also argued:
If you can't compare the points, then compare the assists;
If the number of assists is not good enough, then compare the three-pointers;
If the three-pointers are not good enough, then compare the true shooting percentage;
If it still is not good enough, then look at PER!
On the morning of April 22, Lee was eating breakfast while reading the newspaper. The Orlando media had recently been in conflict with the New York media.
The Knicks' first-round opponent happened to be the Magic. Clay Lee surpassed Anfernee Hardaway in many statistics, which made the Orlando media in a bad mood.
Due to injuries, Anfernee Hardaway only played in 59 games this season.
His statistics did not decline, but his efficiency dropped a lot.
Averaging 20.5 points per game, ranking 17th in the league, the fake Jordan successor is still the league's top scorer!
Mark Bartelstein just went to comfort Ray Allen who was fishing two days ago. He has been staying in New York recently:
"This is the New York media. If they could control their mouths, they wouldn't always encounter outbursts from visiting players!"
"Think about Reggie Miller's performance at Madison Square Garden. New York fans and the media have contributed. It is not a wise choice to anger some star players!"
Lee thought the article was lively and interesting, which gave him a sense of familiarity. He liked to read the comments of keyboard warriors:
"The article is quite interesting and well-reasoned. I almost believed that I had become the best point guard in the league!"
"I have to cut out the news, it's worth keeping!"
Mark Bartelstein is worried that Lee will perform poorly against Anfernee Hardaway, as it involves the US dollar, so he has been sending him chicken soup to relieve the pressure these two days.
As long as he maintains his regular season performance in the playoffs, he will definitely get a good sneaker contract during the offseason!
Lee, in a good mood, raised the milk in his glass and drank it. He was indeed not affected because the Magic were the weak team:
"Don't worry, Mark. The Knicks' 64 wins already show the strength of the team. The Magic only won one game in the regular season."
"I know my opponent's strength very well. The first round will be very easy!"
"."
The Knicks took two days off after the regular season ended, and Jeff Van Gundy was not worried about the first round of games.
Compared with the Hornets, the Magic are easier to limit.
In the training session on the afternoon of the 23rd, everyone followed the tactics and offensive routines step by step.
Although the regular season record is leading, Jeff Van Gundy still hopes that the players can be nervous:
"Do a good job of helping defense. Once the opponent enters the paint area, our inside defense must rotate into place."
Jeff Van Gundy, wearing training clothes, watched the players run tactics and talked loudly, but most of the Knicks players ignored him.
After the regular season, the team's tactics were simple. In the first two quarters, Ewing played more pick-and-rolls, shot more, and rushed for offensive rebounds. In the third quarter, they tried to "knock down" the opponent and let Ewing attack from the low post.
If the opponent can hold on, the fourth quarter is up to fate.
After the training session, Larry Johnson, who was jealous, returned to the locker room and complained again:
"Lee, why are your statistics so good? It's unbelievable!"
Lee has become accustomed to these sour people criticizing the league's guards for being so bad and being surpassed by rookies. He nodded his head with his left hand:
"I play with my brain. I don't shoot long two-pointers. Even if my finishing efficiency at the basket is average, it's still a better offensive choice to be close to the basket!"
"And a lot of times it's just math, and if you want to improve your PER, you can make more gambles and steals."
"But don't think about changing yourself. This playing habit is developed from childhood. Statistics are not the only thing. In many cases, putting the ball into the basket is the most important thing."
Alan Houston is the most depressed. Compared with last season, he has declined again.
In his second year as a rookie, his statistics were almost the same as Lee's, but now, he is getting worse every year:
"I really should reduce the number of long two-point shots, which has lowered my efficiency!"
After seeing Lee and Alan Houston catching lemons on the statistics list, I have been reflecting on myself these days.
The coaching staff's advice doesn't matter. Alan Houston feels he has to return to his rookie season playing style. He also wants to be on TV!
Everyone likes to be praised. The reason why ESPN's statistics are so popular is that it mainly takes advantage of the players' vanity and gives fans an opportunity to understand basketball.
Jeff Van Gundy, who was about to win the best coach award, found that his status in the Knicks had not changed much, and only Ewing liked to listen to him.
Except for Lee, who was a playoff rookie, the other main players had at least played in the first round, and several veterans had played in the finals.
The Magic? No one cared.
On April 24, 1997, the playoffs officially started. There were four games that night, and the Knicks would also face the challenge of the Magic at home.
The team won 64 games, and tickets for this year's playoffs are in short supply.
That night at Madison Square Garden, New York fans arrived early. With the best record in team history, everyone believed that the home team had a chance to break out of the East this year.
Before the game, the New York media kept fanning the flames. Anfernee Hardaway seemed very arrogant and said:
"Lee's numbers are good, but he's still a rookie and his strength isn't at the level of an All-Star player."
"And the playoffs are different from the regular season. Some encounters don't explain much."
Many statistics were suppressed, and Anfernee Hardaway, as a veteran star, was unhappy and could only mock Lee as a "star-making product".
Patrick Ewing seemed particularly confident in the interview and did not say too much nonsense:
"The team's condition is getting better and better. Tonight's game will be a big win. We are ready!"
The leaders of the two teams showed different attitudes. Hardaway seemed to be out of defense. For this, the New York media prepared to ridicule him again after the game.
The noise at the scene was getting louder and louder. When the visiting team came out, Anfernee Hardaway was booed.
The home team players came on the court one by one, and the huge cheers almost blew off the roof of the stadium.
"I haven't felt this kind of atmosphere for a long time. It seems that the best record in team history has reignited the enthusiasm of the fans!"
"There are not many changes from the regular season matchup, with Anfernee Hardaway and Nick Anderson in the backcourt, Denis Scott and Derrick Brown on the front line, and Ronnie Seikaly at center."
"Coach Adubato seems to want to use his size advantage to solve the problem."
At the MSG live commentary booth, commentator Marv Albert briefly commented on the Magic's lineup after getting the starting lineup.
"In terms of height, the Knicks are not at a disadvantage. Just like in the regular season, we need to pay attention to the inside defense."
"The Magic's shooting ability isn't great."
Commentator John Andariese looked relaxed.
The Knicks had an absolute advantage in the regular season, and he believed that this matchup would not cause too much trouble for the Knicks.
The two sides conducted final warm-ups, and Jeff Van Gundy entered the escrow state early.
Jeff Van Gundy, wearing a neat black suit, white shirt and red tie, sat on the bench with a smile on his face tonight.
"Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks!"
Huge cheers echoed throughout Madison Square Garden.
The two sides had no communication before the game, and Anfernee Hardaway continued to ignore Lee.
For the veteran stars, it would be a demotion to bother with rookies.
As Ewing successfully jumped the ball, cheers broke out and the Knicks, wearing white home jerseys, took the lead in attacking.
Behind him was also No. 1. After Lee controlled the ball, he slowly dribbled across half court.
Hardaway did not choose to defend closely, but defended along the three-point line and directed his teammates to get into position.
In the first attack, the Knicks played simply and roughly. When Lee came to the left wing outside the three-point line, Ewing quickly moved up and performed a high pick-and-roll.
However, this offense was slightly different from the regular season.
Lee, holding the ball with his left hand, first moved sideways to protect the ball, then lowered his center of gravity, turned around and pretended to break through on the left side.
After two regular season encounters, Hardaway also had some understanding of Lee. He did not cut the ball, but instead defended him closely and slid quickly.
Covering Lee with his body, Hardaway no longer tried to press, but instead focused on delaying.
Lee just took a big step forward, then suddenly exploded the ball, then turned quickly, scooped up the ball with his right hand, pushed Hardaway's arm away with his ball protector, stuck to Ewing's side, and accelerated with all his strength.
Seeing Lee break away from the defense, the New York fans at the scene cheered immediately.
Noticing that Ewing had been standing still, Magic center Ronnie Seikaly hurriedly delayed the switch and quickly slid to the left and back.
The tall and long-armed Hardaway quickly chased up and saw that Lee attracted two defenders, so Ewing quickly moved down.
Coming to the left side near the baseline, Ewing had just stood still when Lee's ground pass arrived. Without much adjustment, the gorilla made an easy jump shot from mid-range!
"Swish!" The two-point shot hit the target steadily.
"Wonderful cooperation. Lee's escape and pass were both very beautiful. Pat had a good start!"
Hearing the cheers from the audience, commentator Marv Albert was in a good mood. Just like in the regular season, simple pick-and-rolls still worked.
Slightly different from the regular season, Ewing has improved the quality of his screens and is no longer in a hurry to go down. The mid-range shot near the baseline is also his sweet spot.
Hardaway had a difficult time defending against Lee, as his sudden stop and start was difficult to defend, especially when he reached the free throw line, where it was even harder to judge how he would handle the ball.
After watching a lot of game videos before the game, there was no better solution.
In the end, the coaching staff could only formulate a simple and rough physical strategy.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
The fans at the scene also began to cheer for the home team's defense. When it was the Magic's turn to attack, Lee quickly discovered that the opponent did not use any new tactics.
Hardaway passed the ball immediately after crossing half court, Denis Scott received the ball on the left wing, and then passed it to Hardaway who was in the blocking position.
After the opening, the Magic chose to let Hardaway back-up against Lee, a tactic that the Magic often used in the regular season.
In response, Lee just used his forearm to hold the opponent back, and at the same time, strictly guarded the bottom line to prevent the opponent from turning towards the baseline.
Hardaway released the ball with his right hand and hit it hard, occasionally pulling the ball back to make a fake move, but Lee still defended the baseline.
All the players on the Magic team moved away one by one, watching Hardaway start to approach the basket.
There was no chance at the baseline, so Hardaway suddenly turned forward quickly, then leaned against Lee's defense and headed for the paint area!
Suddenly speeding up, Hardaway got half a body distance away, right in front of the basket, and dribbled the ball with his right hand.
Without waiting for the basketball to slip out of his hand, Ewing, who had been keeping an eye on the movement here, moved to assist in defense and quickly jumped up to interfere!
Hardaway did not choose to pass the ball, but raised the arc and threw the ball to the backboard.
"Bang!" The basketball hit the back edge of the basket.
Hardaway wanted to rush for the rebound, but was blocked by Lee behind him. The two were entangled together and he couldn't jump at all.
After the second jump, Ewing grabbed the backcourt rebound and then quickly passed the ball to Alan Houston who was speeding up, and the Knicks immediately launched a transition offense.
Cheers rang out again. At this time, the Magic team could only retreat desperately.
Alan Houston received the ball and quickly dribbled across half court, then slowed down at the top of the arc.
Hardaway, who was retreating, clapped his hands in frustration, as if he felt that this attack should have been an easy score.
Head coach Adubato on the sidelines kept reminding the players on the field loudly:
"Face the defender and hold on for a round!"
Lee came to the right wing and first pretended to receive the ball on the upper line, then suddenly ran back and cut in, from right to left, quickly slipping to the baseline.
Hardaway could only try his best to chase and defend.
Near the left baseline, Lee suddenly stopped and pretended to run back behind Oakley.
Hardaway cursed inwardly, quickly adjusted his center of gravity and followed him.
The next second, Lee suddenly accelerated and ran quickly to the left wing outside the three-point line.
This run took very little time. When Lee came to the left wing, Alan Houston immediately made a cross pass.
After catching the ball and faking it, Lee noticed that Hardaway, who came to defend, did not lose his defensive position, so he immediately let go of the ball with his left hand and broke through with a cross step.
Adjusting the defensive focus again, Hardaway quickly slid to the right rear, but Lee suddenly exerted force with his feet, took a big step and then quickly stepped back, not giving Hardaway time to react, and drifted to the left for a jump shot!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went into the net!
The entire attack took less than 10 seconds. Hardaway cursed inwardly. He didn't like chasing the defender around at all.
After scoring the goal, Lee retreated and made a tactical gesture, indicating that the same tactics would be continued in the next round.
Amid the cheers of the fans, the Magic continued to let Hardaway receive the ball in the low post, but this time he changed direction, blocking the right side and playing with his back to the basket again.
Lee still blocked the baseline, and Hardaway suddenly turned quickly when approaching the paint area.
He scooped up the ball with his right hand, carried Lee and pushed hard towards the basket.
Using his physical advantage, Hardaway quickly reached the lower right side of the basket.
Noticing that Ewing blocked him again, Hardaway was under the basket, almost stepping on the baseline to complete the pass!
At the bottom left of the basket, center Ronnie Seikaly received the pass and quickly shot the ball in the face of Ewing who turned back to defend.
Under the interference, the basketball hit the rim again. Hardaway, who had been squeezed out of the baseline by Lee, had no time to grab the rebound.
He could only watch Lee grab the rebound and rush!
The switch of offense made the New York fans at the scene scream again. The Magic team retreated quickly.
Hardaway also chased to the side of Lee after crossing the midline.
On the left wing, Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, felt the defensive pressure on his side.
He slowed down and stopped suddenly near the three-point line, dribbled the ball quickly between his legs, and took advantage of Hardaway's close defense to complete a behind-the-back dribble.
After noticing that Lee switched to his left hand, he began to protect the ball sideways, stopped at the three-point line, turned his head to look at the top of the arc, and Hardaway subconsciously looked behind him.
Hearing the fans' exclamations, Hardaway turned his head and saw the basketball flying straight to the basket.
As soon as she landed, the "Grandmama" slipped to the bottom left of the basket, received the pass, and made a layup!
0:7, a smooth attack at the beginning, exciting New York fans cheered.
The game started very smoothly. Lee began to shake his head and retreat, making tactical gestures, and at the same time secretly shook his finger at Hardaway in front of him.
The fleeting provocative move made Hardaway angry, and this false successor to Jordan no longer played one-on-one with his back to the basket.
After reaching the top of the arc, Hardaway quickly changed direction with the ball in his right hand, and the moment he switched to his left hand, he immediately pulled the ball back and shook it, then stepped back in the opposite direction, instantly shaking off Lee, and took a long two-point jump shot!
"Swish!" The two-point shot went into the net.
"It's really hard for Lee to defend his signature step-back jump shot. It seems like Hardaway is getting into form!"
Charles Oakley waved at Lee, indicating him not to worry about this kind of goal.
It was not only Lee who had no way to deal with this kind of attack. It would be the same no matter who played on the Knicks side.
By helping the Magic break the deadlock, Hardaway regained some face, but soon, the veteran star player smiled less and less.
The Knicks' offense was also very simple. They set a screen for Alan Houston, caught the ball in the elbow and made a jump shot, which was an easy hit.
Looking back, the Magic played a pick-and-roll breakthrough, and Nick Anderson's jump shot in the paint was blocked by Alan Houston.
After another transition attack, a simple right wing pick-and-roll, Lee broke through the right blocking area and attracted the defense of Dennis Scott.
After a ground pass from behind, Oakley made a mid-range jump shot from the right elbow of the free throw line.
2:11, 8 minutes and 2 seconds left in the first quarter, Madison Square Garden was completely boiling.
Head coach Adubatu quickly requested a timeout as problems arose on both offense and defense.
"Man, you're an All-Star!"
Lee walked towards the bench, smiled and whispered a teasing to Anfernee Hardaway who had been pretending to be cool since he came on the court.
Continuing his pretentious attitude, Hardaway gave Lee a backward look and turned to walk towards the bench.
Lee shrugged his shoulders. He was talking trash and scoring points.
Obviously, the fake Jordan successor was disdainful of communicating with newbies.
Jeff Van Gundy didn't expect the game to go so smoothly. The intensity was the same as the regular season. He defeated the opponent right from the start:
"Very good, keep up this offensive rhythm, we need to establish a leading advantage as soon as possible!"
The bald young commander who was AFK simply added a few words and stopped giving orders.
Before going on the court, Lee patted Ewing on the shoulder and gave him a simple reminder:
"Pat, give Alan a few screen passes and let him find his touch!"
The Magic's defenders are all forwards with strong screen abilities. If Alan Houston wants to get another easy shot, he'll have to change his tactics.
Ewing nodded, pulled Alan Houston over and whispered a few words to him, and the Knicks discussed it again before slowly returning to the court.
On the bench, Jeff Van Gundy's mouth twitched slightly. This was not the first time this had happened.
After the timeout, the Magic did not make too many adjustments and still started with Hardaway.
His movements were graceful, and he was able to pass the ball in time after breaking through to the inside.
Facing the Knicks' switching defense, Hardaway was still able to get to the paint area.
However, for several consecutive rounds, the Magic failed to get the ball into the basket. Their cool breakthroughs and passes were ultimately unsuccessful.
Instead, the Knicks' game became simpler and simpler, and they did not have low-post attacks.
Alan Houston made several breakthroughs and assisted Ewing in making a jump shot near the paint area.
With piecemeal attacks on one side and a series of shots on the other, the score gap was quickly widened.
The New York fans just cheered at first, but as the Magic missed shots, the fans in the front row couldn't hold back and started to taunt:
"Where is O'Neal? You need him."
"."
Hearing the insults and taunts and his teammates constantly missing shots, Hardaway was almost furious and could no longer maintain his calm and cool demeanor.
When Clay Lee and Alan Houston simply cut across the line, got rid of the defense, and threw in three-pointers, head coach Adubato requested a timeout again.
8:21, 5 minutes and 26 seconds left in the first quarter, the game is about to collapse.
Walking to the bench again, Lee and Alan Houston simply bumped fists. As for defensive discipline, the Magic team is lacking.
"Incredible game, we dominated on both offense and defense!"
"Coach Van Gundy made the right adjustments. Hardaway's low-post offense was completely restricted!"
Commentator Marv Albert became even happier and praised the coaching staff again.
Commentator Marv Albert seemed to recall the previous matches between the Knicks and the Magic:
"Lee is smarter on the defensive end. Of course, O'Neal's departure did have a huge impact on the Magic."
"Maybe the series will end soon!"
The Magic, who were trailing by a large margin, strengthened their defense after the timeout, but the Knicks were not affected at all.
Charles Oakley kept fighting for offensive rebounds, and the Magic failed to make a transition attack.
Anfernee Hardaway was unable to maintain his composure and kept shouting at his teammates to move, but no matter whether it was his low-post assists or his breakthrough passes, his teammates were unable to finish.
His signature jump shot missed, and in his anxious state of mind, he forced his way into the paint but was blocked by Ewing.
The Magic team was in a scoring drought for a while. At Madison Square Garden, as the Knicks continued to score, the New York fans at the scene even began to celebrate the victory in advance.
No more requests for timeouts, allowing the players to miss shots. When the first quarter ended, there was deathly silence on the Magic bench.
At 12:36, the Knicks were already leading by 24 points.
"Man, you're an all-star?"
Lee passed by Hardaway and teased the Jordan successor in a questioning tone.
Leaving the opponent with the back of his head, Lee walked directly to the bench without even looking at Hardaway's reaction.
"Shit!"
Hardaway wanted to say something back, but was ignored. He cursed and walked to the sidelines in frustration.
The fans at the scene noticed that the two seemed to have an argument and started to laugh loudly.
"The game is over, the Magic didn't stand a chance. It's unbelievable that we played such a smooth offense!"
Commentator Marv Albert was a little excited when he looked at the technical statistics. Commentator John Andariese praised the bald young coach again:
"He is worthy of being the best coach in the league! Coach Van Gundy has grown with the team. The "Showtime" era for the Knicks has arrived!"
...
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