Teacher and Student Battle
For Anfernee Hardaway, scoring less than 40 points in the first half of two consecutive playoff games this year was like a nightmare.
In the Eastern Conference first round G2 match between the Magic and the Knicks, the score was 31:58 at the end of the first half and the Magic were already 27 points behind.
The overwhelming jeers in Madison Square Garden made Hardaway's eyes widen.
This was an experience he had never had before.
Such a huge score difference also meant that the game was over, and the Knicks would never waste such an opportunity.
Lee in the starting lineup and Chris Childs in the substitute lineup firmly controlled the rhythm of the game.
As long as they could keep up with the response of the ball, they could play in all three quarters tonight.
Returning to the locker room at halftime, Alan Houston was completely comfortable.
Last year, he and Grant Hill were swept out by Hardaway and O'Neal in the first round of the playoffs. This year, they were able to take revenge:
"13 points in a single quarter, it looks like we can sweep our opponents!"
When everyone heard Alan Houston's words, they all nodded. With the Magic team's poor performance, a 3:0 series lead should not be a problem.
Although the opponent lacked a main inside player, the result of the game was still beyond the expectations of "Grandmama".
It was really too easy.
"This year's first round of games will most likely end in a 3:0 result."
Larry Johnson also felt the game was easy, and he knew the Heat had already got the match point and the opponent did not give the Hornets any chance.
"Grandmama" felt a little upset when she saw the Hornets lose the game cleanly.
Glen Rice, who was in great form in the regular season, still had a good performance in the playoffs, but the entire team was powerless against the Heat's iron-blooded defense and lost by 12 points in Game 2.
"Winning the game earlier will also give us more time to rest."
Ewing simply reminded everyone that the Heat had a high probability of sweeping their opponents, and the gorilla did not want the Knicks to suffer a loss in rest time, after all, the veterans' recovery abilities were relatively poor.
Although Lee felt that Hardaway would definitely explode after returning to his home court, the other players on the Magic were really disappointing.
Averaging only 94.1 points per game in the regular season, the Magic's scoring ability ranked fifth from the bottom in the league, and this situation did not change in the playoffs.
The huge score difference meant that Jeff Van Gundy didn't give too many instructions after returning to the locker room. This game could not be lost at all.
After the second half of the game started, the New York fans were still excited and continued to cheer loudly for the home team, while also mocking "Mr. 50 Points".
The Magic's form improved, but they were running out of time. Hardaway kept scoring points, and all Lee needed to do was control the pace of the game and get the ball to the right position.
Occasionally, he would take advantage of Hardaway's inattention and sneak attack the basket to score points easily.
Both sides played lively throughout the second half. In the fourth quarter, Hardaway did not give up and played with the Knicks for 6 minutes.
After that, head coach Adubato replaced the atmosphere team.
84:108, at the end of the game, Hardaway, sitting on the bench, looked at the 24-point difference with dull eyes.
The big win made the New York fans at the scene mock the Magic team crazily.
At the MSG commentary booth, commentator Marv Albert said with emotion:
"At the age of 19 years and 117 days, Lee surpassed Magic Johnson and became the youngest player in NBA playoff history to score 15 points and 10 assists!"
"This record, which was set in 1980, has also been broken. These are incredible young people."
He played for 35 minutes, made 6 of 12 shots, 3 of 7 from beyond the three-point line, 2 of 2 free throws, 17 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal and 2 steals.
Just like the regular season, Lee's "mediocre" double-double data.
Breaking Magic Johnson's record also made commentator John Andariese a little excited:
"It's hard to imagine that Lee is only 19 years old. He has talents that are invisible to everyone. Only after watching the game can you understand how good he is."
"Controlling the tempo of the game is not an easy task. The Knicks have reduced their turnovers and increased their possessions this season. These are all the results of Lee starting the game!"
"."
Lee's mature mentality prevents him from being as impulsive as ordinary young players, and his excellent memory allows him to always predict the opponent's tactical routines in advance.
Making the offense clearer and more reasonable is Lee's current job in the team.
Breaking Magic Johnson's record in the playoffs gave the New York media a collective climax.
After the game, Lee and Ewing attended the press conference together, and the gorilla felt that he was left out.
"Lee, how do you feel about breaking Magic Johnson's record in the playoffs?"
Lee didn't think this record was anything special. He didn't immediately understand the mood of the New York media.
He smiled and held the microphone in front of him and responded:
"It was just a normal playoff game and I just did the basics, that's all."
"During the offensive round, if you pass the ball to a teammate who has successfully moved into position, you will get an assist!"
"."
After the game, not only the New York media was excited, but ESPN and TNT were also reporting extensively that Clay Lee broke Magic Johnson's record.
Unlike the regular season, most basketball critics still pay more attention to the playoffs, and Magic Johnson has a higher status in the history of the NBA playoffs.
Breaking the record of this legendary star made Lee's popularity soar again.
Except for fans in New York, most fans who want to learn about the stars still have to watch cable TV broadcasts and newspapers and magazines.
A record is released every now and then.
Even those who don't like watching the NBA will be curious and join in the fun.
On April 28, the Heat defeated the Hornets again on the road, and finally swept their opponents with a score of 3:0, easily advancing to the semifinals!
Although Pat Riley has a high probability of losing the award for the league's best coach, the Heat team he built has obviously been a success!
The award for the league's best manager will most likely be won by Pat Riley, who holds two positions.
The Jazz also advanced. Stockton, Hornacek and Karl Malone performed as steadily as ever, sweeping the Clippers with a score of 3:0.
4 of 10, 12 points, 3 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals, 4 turnovers, Stockton easily hit his signature data!
The Knicks team, who had already flown to Orlando, watched the game together in the evening.
Ewing was jealous again for a while.
According to the recent trend, Karl Malone is really going to win the MVP!
"Do these sports reporters and broadcasters only look at the data? Obviously, our performance is not inferior to the Jazz!"
Charles Oakley really feels that he is old this time.
The media are all promoting Karl Malone.
Faced with such outrageous selection results, the old guy is also confused.
Starks is still younger after all, and he added sarcastically:
"In terms of PER, it is said that Karl Malone ranks first, surpassing Michael Jordan."
(PER: Playing Efficiency Rating)
When the Knicks players heard this data, most of them were puzzled, and expressions of "what is that?" appeared on their faces.
"It's a measure of a player's efficiency, but it's not that objective. It can only be used as a reference."
Lee gave a brief explanation, but everyone still shook their heads and no one cared about it.
Most ordinary players just look at the number of shots and hit rate, and don't care about other data at all.
"It's hard to believe that Michael Jordan is rejected based on just this one statistic!"
The atmosphere group also complained, believing that sports reporters and broadcasters were deliberately trying to trip up Michael Jordan.
Lee shrugged his shoulders and said nothing.
As time approaches May, the MVP award for this season will be announced soon. The gorilla has been eating lemons every day recently:
"We're both on the 64-win team, so why didn't he get the award?"
The reason is very simple. Ewing's Excel is not good enough, and in the Knicks, Lee's data performance is better.
This situation is a bit embarrassing. Except for average points per game, average rebounds per game, shooting percentage and blocks, the gorilla lags behind Lee in all other aspects.
Excel is not the best in the Knicks, so how could most sports media vote for Ewing?
The boss was sulking again, and the atmosphere group had to go back to their rooms to rest, so tonight's card game was cancelled.
On the evening of the 29th, the Magic team returned to their home court and fed shit to the fans in the first quarter of the game.
30:13, the Knicks led by 17 points at the start.
Face-to-face attack, continuous back-to-back, Hardaway kept shooting in the first quarter, 4 of 10 in a single quarter, and scored 9 points!
But such performance was useless. Lee really couldn't defend on the defensive end, and on the offensive end, he didn't force himself to attack against the explosive Hardaway, but sent 5 assists in a single quarter.
Ewing made 5 of 7 shots and easily got 10 points and 8 rebounds. Alan Houston made 3 of 5 shots and 2 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, also scoring 8 points efficiently.
During the intermission, at the Orlando Arena, the home fans began booing. People buy tickets to watch the game, not to eat shit!
Hardaway obviously wanted to compete with Lee.
This fake successor of Jordan felt jealous when he saw Lee appearing frequently on TV.
He had a strong performance in the first quarter, but his teammates missed many shots, which completely discouraged Hardaway.
Lee, who was sitting on the bench, changed into training clothes, ignored the shouting behind him, and sat in his seat calmly. The moment the opponent chose to attack, the game was over.
"It feels really good to sweep the opponent. It seems that Hardaway doesn't plan to rest."
Alan Houston saw that Hardaway was still on the court in the second quarter and began to gloat, because a 17-point gap was not easy to make up.
"It was a useless attempt. The first quarter was all one-on-ones. They were doomed to lose."
Lee came to his senses and saw Hardaway start to score consecutively. He complained and continued to watch the situation on the court.
The Knicks really had no one who could match Hardaway at the No. 1 position, and Chris Childs was unable to defend against the fake Jordan successor, and was scored against continuously by the opponent.
But on the bench, Starks has been in better and better form recently and can also score response goals.
Although they were still far behind, the Magic fans at the scene began to cheer loudly for Hardaway's performance.
Hardaway scored 17 points with 8 of 11 shots in a single quarter, which was considered to be a blow to the Knicks' backcourt.
The first half ended with the score difference at 56:39, and there was no change.
For three consecutive games, the score at halftime did not exceed 40.
Hardaway almost became autistic on the spot and walked back to the locker room with a sullen face.
The persevering Hardaway continued to shoot crazily in the third quarter. Lee kept defending against his shots.
The Magic team lost their minds and started to shoot three-pointers continuously.
The Knicks had predicted that the opponent would have this offensive option.
They protected the rebounds and Lee launched a transition offense. After a few rounds, the game completely collapsed.
The score in a single quarter was 24:18, and after three quarters, it was 80:57.
Some Magic fans had already started to leave.
Hardaway did not play in the fourth quarter without a single minute of rest in the first three quarters.
Head coach Adubato brought in the atmosphere group and announced that the series was completely over.
On the bench, Ewing also changed into training clothes, made 8 of 12 shots, 17 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 2 turnovers.
He only played for 31 minutes and got a double-double. The gorilla was very satisfied with his performance:
"Lee, how is PER calculated?"
Ewing pretended to be indifferent and asked Lee beside him about the data question in a low voice.
"Simply put, it's the offensive stats minus the missed shots, minus the missed free throws, and then divided by the number of games played."
Lee gave a brief explanation, and when he saw Ewing shaking his head silently, he knew that he was still thinking about the MVP.
Everyone on the Knicks bench was chatting and laughing. Even though the boss didn't win the MVP, everyone really tried their best, and this matter can be said to have been completely turned over.
The game ended quickly, 104:88, and the Magic regained some face in the last quarter.
The series score came to 3:0, and the Knicks finally swept the Magic easily and advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Hardaway tried to maintain his demeanor and shook hands with the expressionless Knicks players.
Just looking at the smiling faces of Alan Houston and Clay Lee, Hardaway almost couldn't hold back. After shaking hands, he quickly left the court.
After the game, Hardaway's old injury recurred and he was unable to attend the press conference.
16 of 30, 42 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, the fake Jordan successor bid farewell to this season with a 40+ game, and the fans were satisfied, at least they had enough excuses:
"The Magic lost, but Penny didn't lose!"
In tonight's game, Lee only played for 27 minutes, made 5 of 9 shots, 2 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, 2 of 3 free throws, 14 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers.
The double-double data once again broke Magic Johnson's record!
The sweep of the opponent also gave the Knicks nearly a week of rest time, and major sports media also began to promote the "teacher-student battle" in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
On April 28, Starks, who had just returned to New York, also received the league's best sixth man award.
In the press conference room of Madison Square Garden, Starks accepted the trophy with a smile on his face.
Although his average of 13.6 points per game was not an advantage among all the candidates, Starks received 73% of the votes.
The Knicks' record brought a huge bonus, breaking the best record in team history, and someone should get an award.
Starks won the best sixth man award, and Ewing's MVP dream was completely shattered.
Taking this opportunity, the coaching staff also announced a one-day holiday, after which everyone will fully prepare for the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Winning an award is always a good thing, so Starks simply held a party in the apartment, as it is better to share happiness with others than to enjoy it alone.
In addition to the Knicks team, there were also a lot of people joining in the fun at the apartment.
Ewing also forced a smile. In a few days, Karl Malone will receive the award, and the gorilla can only eat lemons every day.
"I was quite surprised when Pat called me, but I still chose to accept the invitation. Although my personal data this season is average, it is always a good thing to play more playoffs."
Alan Houston looked at the noisy crowd, clinked glasses with Lee while holding a glass of juice, and recalled his original choice.
Lee thinks that this player is more interested in big markets like New York. Ewing's recruitment played a role, but the geographical location is the key:
"The data will also increase. With an appropriate increase in the number of possessions and the inability to digest the ball, the number of shots will definitely increase."
After thinking about it, Alan Houston seemed to feel that what Lee said made sense, and he no longer minded the decline in statistics.
After all, this was only the first year.
New York fans don't like Alan Houston's playing style, and the doubts have never stopped this season.
When Alan Houston was at the University of Tennessee, he played "father-son basketball".
The head coach at the time was his father. It can be said that doubts have been rising since college.
No matter how Alan Houston performs, he seems very calm when facing the media. His college experience has given him great help.
"We should have more chances in the semi-finals. A lot of times, the game is about talent, and our tactics are very flexible!"
Lee raised the juice and blinked. The Heat is not the Magic. Although Mourning is a younger brother, he will not be polite to Ewing.
If you can't open up the situation, you have to pass the ball to the outside!
Alan Houston understood this, the regular season data dropped, the playoff data increased, and by next season, perhaps the situation will change.
The two smiled and clinked their glasses again, while Larry Johnson on the side was drinking to drown his sorrows.
This year, without statistics and honors, "Grandmama" has become an ordinary role player.
On April 30, the Bulls defeated the Bullets by one point, 96:95, thanks to Pippen's last-minute dunk, and successfully advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Michael Jordan, who was in a declining state, played for 43 minutes, made 14 of 24 shots, scored 28 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block and 2 turnovers.
With a shooting rate of nearly 60%, the Bulls still remain unstoppable, leaving many commentators dumbfounded.
If nothing unexpected happens, the Bulls' opponent in the next round will be the Hawks.
Although the Hawks have this season's DPOY Dikembe Mutombo, most people firmly believe that Michael Jordan will reach the Eastern Conference Finals again.
The Knicks have also begun to prepare for the Eastern Conference semifinals, and Jeff Van Gundy attaches great importance to it.
After all, he was about to receive the league's best coach award, and Jeff Van Gundy didn't want to be slapped in the face at home.
The playoffs were still in progress, and the tenacious Pistons tied the score to 2:2, with one game deciding the outcome, which was well received by the spectators.
On May 3, the NBA officially announced that Karl Malone of the Jazz won the Most Valuable Player Award of this season.
As soon as the news was announced, a large number of media outlets rushed to Chicago to interview Michael Jordan, and a small number of them came to New York to interview Ewing.
However, to everyone's disappointment, neither of them responded and both declined the interview, saying that they were fully preparing for the semi-finals.
Karl Malone, who is about to turn 34, has reached the highlight of his career, and the Jazz fans are also excited.
On the evening of the 4th, Lee went to Starks's house for dinner.
After dinner, the two of them sat in front of the TV and saw David Stern present the bronze medal to Malone. Starks was still a little bit unbelievable:
"69 wins, the scoring champion this season, and Michael Jordan didn't win the award? These media are really crazy!"
Lee, however, felt happy. Like all the fans, he preferred to see Michael Jordan's defense break down:
"Sometimes the MVP has to consider other factors. Anyway, the news these days is dominated by this award."
"Does voting really have to be based on data sheets?"
People are in high spirits when things are going well. In the Western Conference semifinals that night, the Jazz defeated the Lakers 77:93!
Karl Malone made 9 of 21 shots and got a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds, while O'Neal made 6 of 16 shots and only got 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The Big Shark was beaten into a little Shaq, and Kobe Bryant, who just broke the record and became the youngest player in playoff history to score 20 points, made 1 of 7 shots and scored 3 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.
The experienced Jazz taught the Lakers another lesson, and Malone also proved that there is no fake MVP!
On May 5, the NBA announced the best coach of the season:
Jeff Van Gundy of the New York Knicks led the team to break the best record in team history, winning 64 games, and won the award without any suspense!
Wearing a neat black suit, white shirt and dark blue tie, Jeff Van Gundy tried hard to control his smile and held up the trophy in the press conference room of Madison Square Garden.
The Heat players who have arrived in New York are very low-key, and Pat Riley has not expressed much on the matter.
"Jeff is an excellent coach and I am sure he will continue to have more and more success. I am very happy to see him receive this award!"
That night, before the start of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Pat Riley, with a shiny slicked-back hair, spoke to the New York media and simply sent his blessings.
Coming to the familiar Madison Square Garden, Pat Riley still looked elegant, with a slicked-back hair and a calm expression, showing the appearance of a true famous coach.
When the New York fans at the scene saw the bald young coach holding the tactical board and loudly explaining the tactics, they immediately felt that his temperament was far inferior.
After the home team's entrance ceremony ended, the noise in Madison Square Garden became louder and louder.
"The Heat continued with the starting lineup from the first round, with Tim Hardaway and Voshon Lenard in the backcourt, Jamal Mashburn and Alonzo Mourning on the front line, and P.J. Brown at center."
"There are almost no secrets between the two sides. Each side knows each other's tactics very well, which is a challenge for the Knicks."
At the MSG commentary booth, commentator Marv Albert briefly introduced the Heat's starting lineup. Commentator John Andariese also joked:
"Having just won the best coach award, I believe that coach Van Gundy will make targeted arrangements. This game can be said to be a battle of proof."
The players from both teams were doing their final warm-up. Ewing had been a little silent since he knew Malone won the award, but he still reminded everyone before going on the court:
"Defend well, don't let the other side score easily, and protect our home court!"
The players from both teams came to the center circle. Mourning took the initiative to comfort Ewing, but Tim Hardaway kept staring at Clay Lee, the "No. 1 point guard", making the latter feel awkward.
"Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks!"
Huge cheers echoed throughout the arena.
Players from both teams exchanged greetings.
As Ewing jumped up and successfully gained possession of the ball, the Heat players quickly retreated to defense, and Tim Hardaway immediately rushed across half court to lead the defense.
Pat Riley's tactics are very unique.
Perhaps because he suffered a setback with the Pistons, this championship coach absorbed a lot of tactical play from Chuck Daly.
He likes to lead and expand defense, suppress the rhythm of the game, fight for space, likes frequent physical contact, and even when defending without the ball, he will let the teammates give a lot of physical confrontation.
Tim Hardaway did not spare his physical energy. He lowered his center of gravity and slid quickly, harassing Lee from the backcourt to the frontcourt, never allowing Lee to control the ball comfortably.
Lee moved sideways to protect the ball and came to the left wing. Soon, Ewing moved up from the inside.
The Knicks players moved out one by one.
This two-on-two situation on one side was a fixed routine after the opening.
On the left wing, close to the three-point line, Ewing set a screen. Unlike the Magic, by the time Tim Hardaway squeezed through the screen, P.J. Brown had already come up late.
Ewing did not notice the Heat's defensive changes immediately, so he was a beat slow in his move.
Fortunately, Lee passed the ball very quickly.
With a flick of his left wrist, he immediately sent out a ground pass with enough lead time.
Seeing the basketball flying towards him, Ewing quickened his pace, approached the paint area and successfully picked up the ball.
Facing Mourning who came to assist in defense, Ewing took a step with his right hand and then turned quickly by leaning on the opponent's body.
Coming to the lower left side of the basket, Ewing raised his left arm and released the ball, but the moment the basketball slipped out of his hand, it was immediately blocked by the jumping Mourning!
"Oh!!"
The seemingly smooth attack was completely predicted by the opponent.
The New York fans at the scene also exclaimed.
Tim Hardaway immediately went over to respond, then called on his teammates and rushed across half court.
The Heat did not initiate a transition offense, and Lee did not choose to lead the defense.
He watched Tim Hardaway slowly dribble across half court before stepping forward to interfere.
When the gorilla retreated to the defense, he felt that he had lost face. While calling on his teammates to complete the defensive position, he glared at Mourning.
Unfortunately, the younger brother ignored the older brother.
PJ Brown quickly moved to the right wing outside the three-point line and set a screen for Tim Hardaway.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Amid the defensive cheers of New York fans at the scene, Lee squeezed half of his body over and leaned forward to defend.
Tim Hardaway was unable to speed up in time and was soon entangled by Lee.
Different from the strong delay defense strategy of the Heat, Ewing still mainly squatted to protect the basket.
Tim Hardaway held the ball in his right hand, pretended to break through, and sent a ground pass from the right blocking zone.
In the elbow area on the right side of the free throw line, PJ Brown took the ball and took a mid-range jump shot without hesitation!
"Swish" the two-point ball went into the net!
"Shhh!!"
Unaware of the boos that erupted from Madison Square Garden, Pat Riley on the sidelines smiled and clapped, indicating that it was a good attack.
It was the same routine, but the difference was in the details on both offense and defense.
Obviously, Ewing was careless. He had a chance to score in the paint area right in front of the basket, but he showed off his footwork and missed the opportunity.
Without waiting for the serve from the baseline, Lee patted his head to remind his teammates to change tactics.
Tim Hardaway still chose to lead the defense with all his might, trying to cause Lee to make mistakes.
After Charles Oakley passed half court, he stood near the left baseline.
At the same time, after Lee came to the top of the arc, Alan Houston quickly slipped to the baseline and shot out with the help of Oakley's screen.
Tim Hardaway's interference did not have much effect.
Lee, who had been protecting the ball sideways, swung the ball with his left hand and immediately passed the ball to Alan Houston in the left blocking area.
The latter received the ball, with no one guarding in front of him, and quickly made a jump shot!
"Swish!" The two-point shot went into the net.
The fans at the scene cheered loudly, but then Hardaway assisted Lenard in the right blocking area and used the same tactics to easily hit a mid-range shot.
The two teams seemed to be looking in the mirror, you hit one and I hit one, and the score slowly rose.
Lee did not expect that the Heat would be delayed when encountering screens. Not only was Tim Hardaway chasing aggressively, but the two big guys in the interior actually intended to let Ewing score.
This time it was another pick-and-roll attack.
Ewing received the ball and Mourning quickly got in position to assist in defense.
Oakley failed to seize the fleeting opportunity, and Ewing did not pass the ball immediately. Instead, he played a back-to-the-basket single in the left low post, which is his best position.
As soon as the ball was released, PJ Brown quickly came to assist in defense. Ewing, who realized something was wrong, wanted to pass the ball back to Lee on the outside, but Mourning saw the opportunity and completed the cut.
The clean steal caused the fans to exclaim again.
This time the Heat quickly launched a transition offense, and the one who received the ball, Voshon Lenard, rushed very fast!
The Heat suddenly accelerated, making it impossible for the Knicks to complete the defensive matchup in time.
Coming to the left wing, Voshon Lenard did not choose to chase and shoot, but passed the ball to Alonzo who was running fast in the middle.
The latter received the ball, rushed up in three steps, and made a layup under the basket!
"Pay attention to retreating! Match up in time!"
Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines quickly reminded his players loudly that he really didn't want to lose tonight.
"Pat made a mistake. He should speed up his offensive tempo and score more efficiently."
"Several of Lee's passes penetrated the opponent's defense in the first place, and Charles also had chances, but unfortunately he failed to seize them in the end."
Commentator John Andariese casually commented on the game. 11:8, the Heat were leading again.
With 8 minutes and 2 seconds left in the first quarter, most of the Knicks' points came from Alan Houston.
Ewing made 1 of 3 shots and was almost locked under the basket. He was unable to finish with a face-to-face jump shot.
Pat Riley knows the gorilla's playing habits too well, and his defense is very targeted.
"Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks!"
Falling behind in the score, the New York fans at the scene cheered loudly again.
After the opening, Alonzo Mourning and P.J. Brown had a strong presence on both offense and defense.
They were completely excited at this time, loudly calling on their teammates to get into defensive positions.
This time Lee was faster than the Heat players had imagined. He came to the left wing without calling for a screen, approached the three-point line, and suddenly slowed down.
Then he dribbled the ball quickly behind his back with his left hand and switched to his right hand.
Lee lowered his center of gravity, cleared the way with his shoulder, and quickly cut in against Tim Hardaway.
He kept sliding to the left and rear while engaging in physical confrontation.
Hardaway noticed that Lee had slowed down and thought that his defense had worked.
The next second, he saw Lee protecting the ball with his back, using his left foot as the axis and pulling the ball backward with his right hand.
Subconsciously following suit, Tim Hardaway just slid to the right, but Lee quickly turned forward and then raised the ball for a fake shot.
Tim Hardaway was immediately shaken and jumped up, but Lee once again used his left foot as the axis, turned quickly backwards, and drifted to complete the shot!
The beautiful sway made the New York fans at the scene cheer loudly, and the basketball hit the backboard and went into the basket, and everyone immediately shouted happily!
"Oh! Beautiful footwork! Lee completely fooled Hardaway!"
The Knicks suddenly changed their offensive rhythm, and commentator Marv Albert subconsciously raised his volume.
At 11:10, the Knicks responded promptly.
It seemed that he did not expect Lee to perform a back-to-the-basket move.
Tim Hardaway turned his head in frustration, only to see Lee secretly raising his left hand, making a "you are too small" gesture with his index finger and thumb.
Tim Hardaway was instantly furious. When it was the Heat's turn to attack, he didn't pass the ball as required by the tactic.
He first set a pick-and-roll with PJ Brown at the top of the arc, broke through to the right side of the free throw line, and Tim Hardaway suddenly dribbled between his legs and then quickly changed direction.
The moment he scooped up the ball with his hands, Tim Hardaway immediately accelerated and shook off Lee, wanting to take advantage of Ewing's lack of help in defense, create a time difference, get close to the basket, and make a layup with his right hand.
Just at the moment of shooting, Tim Hardaway was interfered by Lee, who jumped up to defend him, and then Ewing also blocked the shot at the basket.
The basketball passed over his fingertips, hit the backboard and went awfully off target, falling right into Oakley's hands at the lower left side of the basket.
Alan Houston received the pass and the Knicks immediately accelerated and launched a transition offense.
After Larry Johnson rushed across half court, he received a pass on the right wing outside the three-point line.
After receiving the ball, he immediately released the ball with his right hand and broke through with a cross step.
Against the defense of Jamal Mashburn, he rolled into the paint and made a one-handed layup with his right hand.
Due to the interference, the basketball hit the rim and bounced out. Larry Johnson jumped up again and grabbed the rebound.
At this time, Mourning had returned to the penalty area, raised his hands high, and blocked the "grandmama" under the basket.
Seeing Lee running quickly towards the left corner, Larry Johnson quickly passed the ball.
Tim Hardaway was a beat slow to get up from the floor and defend. When he saw Lee fake the ball, he subconsciously followed suit.
Lee received the ball, and Tim Hardaway, who was defending, flew out in front of him.
There was no one defending him at all, so he took a jump shot calmly!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went into the net!
The fans at the scene cheered first, and then cried out in surprise.
Larry Johnson and Mourning tangled under the basket and finally fell to the ground.
Fortunately, the referee reacted quickly and separated the two in time.
Pat Riley on the sidelines was very dissatisfied with these two rounds and shouted to Tim Hardaway:
"Hey! Steady the rhythm, pass the ball! Pass the ball!"
At 11:13, the Knicks took the lead again.
"Man, I heard you're going to be on the All-NBA Team?"
While Tim Hardaway was catching the ball, Lee, who was leading the defense, began to tease his opponent in a low voice.
"Shut up, rookie! Put away your little tricks!"
As soon as Tim Hardaway saw Pat Riley with a sullen face, he immediately regained his composure, but when he looked at Lee's smiling face, his heart was still filled with anger.
Subconsciously speeding up the Heat's offensive tempo, Tim Hardaway passed the ball to Mourning as soon as he crossed half court instead of playing a pick-and-roll like in the previous rounds.
In the low post on the left side, Mourning made a turnaround jump shot but was interfered by Oakley and missed the shot.
The rebound was taken by Ewing. Lee received the ball and immediately signaled for another low post attack.
After crossing half court, Ewing received the ball in the walking zone on the right side of the free throw line, and then Lee quickly cut in from the right wing without the ball.
Tim Hardaway could only chase and defend, following Lee around a circle, and noticed that Ewing was about to complete a hand-to-hand pass at the free throw line, and subconsciously quickened his pace.
Lee, who was moving sideways, suddenly stopped and pretended to bounce out.
Hardaway, who had just accelerated, cursed inwardly and quickly adjusted his center of gravity.
Before Tim Hardaway had time to chase him, Lee ran back again, quickly reached the free throw line, and received the hand-to-hand pass.
Tim Hardaway could only desperately squeeze through the screen after a sudden stop, but this time Ewing's big body came in handy and Lee got rid of the defense in an instant.
PJ Brown saw Ewing moving down and subconsciously moved back. In the blink of an eye, Lee had already broken through to the basket.
He jumped up to block the shot, and PJ Brown tried to make up for the defense, but the basketball flew over his palm and flew to the upper left of the basket!
Ewing jumped high, grabbed the ball in the air, and dunked it with both hands!
"Boom!" The alley-oop dunk was successful!
"Ah!!"
After landing, Ewing roared and pounded his chest. His powerful aerial relay instantly ignited the atmosphere of Madison Square Garden.
At 11:15, the game rhythm returned to the Knicks.
Pat Riley on the sidelines looked thoughtfully at Lee who was retreating with a smile, then turned his head and glared at Tim Hardaway.
Loudly calling on his players to concentrate, Tim Hardaway also knew that he had made a mistake, and began to try to control his emotions and play the tactics in a strict manner.
Watching Mourning hit a mid-range jump shot near the left baseline, the atmosphere group on the Heat bench also cheered.
Tim Hardaway tried to slow down the pace and get the Knicks into positional offense, but Lee sped up from time to time and occasionally launched a sudden individual singles attack.
Both teams tried to pull the other into their preferred rhythm.
"The Heat were too familiar with our tactics, and we failed to succeed in several low-post attacks."
"Coach Van Gundy should make some adjustments!"
Commentator John Andariese saw that Ewing's low-post shot from the left side missed again, and couldn't help but comment on the opening tactics.
The Heat attacked, and Mourning turned to the lower left side of the basket from the left low post, but his shot didn't go in.
"Well, Coach Van Gundy also knows the Heat's offense very well. Charles did a very good job on defense several times, and Mourning was also inefficient in the first quarter."
Commentator Marv Albert watched as the Heat started to miss shots and jokingly joked about the situation on the court.
As centers for Georgetown, Ewing and Mourning both attacked from the left side at the beginning of the game, but their offensive efficiency was not very good.
At the end of the first quarter, Tim Hardaway and Lee followed the established tactical arrangements and tried to let the big men in the team receive the ball in a comfortable position.
Attacking the basket and fighting for rebounds became the tone of the game in the final stage.
At 19:21, in the final moments, Alan Houston's mid-range shot missed and the Knicks failed to widen the gap.
Tim Hardaway frowned and walked to the bench with a serious expression.
He played the entire first quarter, made 2 of 3 shots, scored only 4 points, but had 3 assists.
The game seemed to be somewhat different from the plan made by the coaching staff before the game. Lee was more stable than he thought.
Madison Square Garden, the noise was getting louder and louder.
The game failed to play as expected by the fans.
Everyone was a little dissatisfied with the shit-flavored chocolate that was eaten.
Lee also had a headache about the Heat's big delay. The opponent's defensive discipline was better than in the regular season.
Lee frowned as he walked towards the bench, but Jeff Van Gundy was very satisfied with the team's performance and gave him some chicken soup in time:
"If we defend well, the opponent will definitely make mistakes first. What we have to do is wait patiently, then seize the opportunity and win the game in one fell swoop!"
Lee, who had already returned to his seat, looked at the bald young coach who kept talking and emphasizing defense, and was speechless for a moment.
"The opponent strengthened the perimeter defense and tried to let Pat attack more."
Alan Houston, who had already changed into training clothes, complained in a low voice.
This was completely opposite to what the coaching staff had emphasized in the past few days. No one double-teamed Ewing.
Lee and Starks and several rotation players bumped fists in greeting, then turned their heads and responded in a low voice:
"This is also an opportunity. It shouldn't be a situation where we miss the entire game."
...
https://discord.gg/mjcCSyu7Yr
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)