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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
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***
On May 30, 2001, as the Finals were about to begin, NBC and the NBA started to warm up for the games.
As per tradition, everyone from both teams would be interviewed to make it easier for fans who only watched the Finals to follow the games.
The roster structures of the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks were somewhat similar.
Ron Harper was the Los Angeles Lakers' "mascot" this season, and Patrick Ewing also played this role for the New York Knicks.
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant had max contracts, and Clay Lee and Grant Hill also had max contracts.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, even if Ewing retired next season, as long as the New York Knicks used the Larry Bird exception to sign Allan Houston, their salary cap space would be completely blocked.
The Los Angeles Lakers' situation wasn't much better.
O'Neal's salary was high, and it wasn't easy to add another All-Star player.
The championship windows for both teams would theoretically get smaller and smaller, as Clay Lee and Kobe Bryant would continue to sign large contracts, and over-the-cap extensions also counted towards the salary cap.
Fortunately, the current rosters of both teams were very young, and as long as they stayed healthy, they could continue to dominate the NBA.
On the morning of the 30th, NBC reporter Rashad began to interview the Los Angeles Lakers one by one.
After more than two days of rest, Phil Jackson did not relax at all, and training was not discounted, striving to maintain the players' competitive state.
Before the afternoon training session began, Kobe Bryant warmed up early, and sweat was already visible on his head during the interview.
As an African American, Rashad was very fond of the Los Angeles Lakers' "OK" duo.
After greeting them, the two sat down, and he asked with a smile:
"Kobe, this is your second time on the Finals stage in your career. Can you talk about last year's loss?"
Hearing this question, Kobe Bryant's expression became serious, the smile on his face disappeared, and he answered solemnly:
"I learned from failure and gained experience for success. Last year's Finals made me realize my shortcomings."
"I need to become stronger, I need to unite the team, and I've also learned how to play like a leader."
"The regular season didn't show our true strength. We were bothered by some injuries, but I believe in the playoffs, we showed dominance!"
In the Western Conference playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers cruised through, and this experience naturally made Kobe Bryant full of confidence.
During the interview, he boasted fiercely, as if he had already established himself as the team's leader.
Fortunately, with Allen Iverson's precedent, Rashad didn't compare Kobe Bryant and Clay Lee.
It wasn't until he interviewed Shaquille O'Neal that he asked about the MVP award:
"Shaq, we all know you've been bothered by injuries this season. If you had stayed healthy, do you think you would have won MVP?"
All the Los Angeles Lakers players grew beards, and Shaquille O'Neal was no exception.
After being injured in the first half of the season, his weight increased compared to last season due to gradually reduced training volume.
A noticeable change was that his neck seemed a bit shorter.
O'Neal didn't care about his appearance.
Hearing the question about the MVP, he confidently replied again:
"Of course! Without a doubt, I would win MVP for two consecutive years! Clay wouldn't have any chance."
"I'm very clear about my influence. If I stay healthy, I even think the Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to break the Chicago Bulls' historical best record."
"."
Phil Jackson was very cautious in his interview.
The Champion Coach didn't boast, but simply smiled and stated:
"Basketball is round, no one can say they are guaranteed to win, but the Los Angeles Lakers are in great form, and I see everyone's desire!"
"I believe we can defeat the defending champions. The Los Angeles Lakers are a more balanced team."
While the Los Angeles Lakers players were busy boasting and showing confidence, Clay Lee was busy entertaining sponsors these past few days.
Under Armour planned to go public this year, and taking advantage of the Finals, they launched professional basketball compression wear and also placed a large number of advertisements.
In the football field, founder Kevin Plank personally opened up the market, achieving good sales in the past 5 years, and basketball compression wear has been accepted by more people thanks to Clay Lee's promotion.
"Gearheads" were very popular in New York.
Almost everyone at Rucker Park was fully equipped.
Nike was also very keen on the Finals.
With the huge advertising effect, changing the color scheme could still make a quick buck!
Just like the NBA, everyone wished the Finals would go to Game 7.
The longer it lasted, the higher the popularity, and the more beneficial it was for advertising.
Clay Lee's three-year contract with McDonald's was about to expire, and some other food sponsorship contracts also faced renewal issues.
Everyone agreed to continue cooperation, but the contract amount still needed to be discussed further.
Everyone was happy about the Finals.
Regardless of winning or losing, appearing on this stage with nationwide live broadcasts definitely made the money spent worthwhile.
Clay Lee and Shaquille O'Neal's commercials would again dominate specific time slots.
This greatly affected the viewing experience on TV, as a timeout would suddenly turn into Clay Lee eating a hamburger and Shaquille O'Neal selling dog food.
Too many timeouts would indeed wear out the audience's patience.
On the morning of the 31st, after the Los Angeles Lakers arrived in New York, they found the entire city celebrating the Finals.
On the way to the hotel, fans wearing New York Knicks jerseys or T-shirts were everywhere.
The influence of the three consecutive championships was still fermenting.
Most people liked winning, and the New York Knicks' "fair-weather fans" had surged in recent years.
In the evening, as NBC began broadcasting player interviews, continuing to warm up for the Finals, Kobe Bryant felt a bit disgusted after watching the program.
"More scientific training, more professional equipment. I will do my best to let everyone feel the joy that basketball brings!"
"I love the Finals stage. Here, I can show myself to fans all over the world. This is a wonderful thing."
"Victory has always been my unchanging pursuit. The New York Knicks are ready!"
"."
Unlike players who liked to grow beards to appear mature, Clay Lee was no different from when he was 19, just with a different hairstyle.
Lee's voice came from the TV, and Kobe watched carefully for a while, only to find that he wasn't mentioned at all, with only O'Neal being brought up in a few topics.
Jim Gray, who interviewed Lee, clearly regarded O'Neal as the sole opponent.
The MVP rematch in the Finals was a major selling point this year.
Phil Jackson knocked and entered, and seeing Kobe Bryant sulking, he suddenly said:
"Kobe, this is reality. If we keep losing, we'll still be mocked in the offseason."
"No one will remember you either. Look at Allen Iverson, does anyone still talk about him now?"
"If you want to achieve what Michael Jordan did, you can only keep winning. Only victory will make people remember."
Seemingly recalling his own experiences over the years, Kobe Bryant nodded forcefully.
Phil Jackson stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and reminded him again:
"Remember, basketball belongs to 5 people. We have to play for each other!"
"."
Having reached the Finals for consecutive years, Ben Wallace had finally shed his obscure status from previous years.
Despite not liking some of Jeff Van Gundy's choices, in the current situation, most sports media still gave Ben enough respect.
After all, the New York Knicks' interior Defense relied entirely on Ben Wallace and Kurt Thomas, and in the Finals, unless they were in foul trouble, these two would mostly guard Shaquille O'Neal.
Ben Wallace was somewhat displeased with the management and coaching staff's desire to draft a big man in the upcoming draft.
To him, such a choice lacked respect, and when the New York Media clamored for "the next Ewing," they never considered him.
Combining these two things, Ben Wallace's mood was naturally not good.
An undrafted player, undersized, prejudice still existed.
Jeff Van Gundy had never considered Ben Wallace as the core of the interior, and everyone knew the Bald Young Coach favored Tyson Chandler.
Making it to the Finals again, Ben Wallace didn't forget to make a statement for himself during an interview:
"I know how much effort I've put in to reach my current level. In this year's Finals, I hope everyone can get to know me again."
"I am confident I can become the best interior player in the NBA!"
This statement didn't attract much attention, as it was impossible to single-handedly limit Shaquille O'Neal.
Allan Houston, who played many games last year, was in a contract year.
He loafed during the regular season to rest his body, exerted a little effort in the playoffs, and by the Finals, he himself hadn't spoken, but his agent was very active:
"Without a doubt, Allan will sign a big contract. He is the best backcourt player in the NBA!"
Allan Houston had no shortage of market interest, and the New York Knicks would likely offer a large contract.
Although this would block their salary cap space, there were no better players available on the market.
Reaching the Finals was like achieving a goal, and players began to voice their demands.
Some desired higher tactical status, some hoped to earn more money, but for Jeff Van Gundy, his goal was only one:
"To become a coaching legend!"
The Bald Young Coach had no worries about work at the moment.
These few championships were enough for him to live comfortably for a lifetime.
Three consecutive championships, a high winning percentage, and being Caucasianâthese three factors combined meant all NBA teams would open their doors to him.
And by achieving four consecutive championships, Jeff Van Gundy would have the opportunity to surpass Phil Jackson, an accomplishment the latter had not achieved.
With one year left on his contract, Jeff Van Gundy didn't care.
No matter where he went, he would get a max salary.
Switching teams could even Grant him more authority!
During warm-ups on the afternoon of June 1st, Jeff Van Gundy showed his confident side during an interview:
"In my opinion, the New York Knicks have a chance to achieve what the Celtics did back then."
"Our core lineup is very young, we have enough talent, and I'm glad we're all healthy to reach the Finals stage."
"We put in tremendous effort this season for this day, and I believe the New York Knicks can create a miracle."
The New York Times reporter listened with a big smile, and reporters from several other sports media outlets followed suit with excessive praise:
"This is the confidence of the strongest Champion Coach in the league!"
Game 1 of the Finals was officially scheduled to begin at 9 PM.
Before the game, Clay Lee still had to greet sponsors and socialites who came to watch.
The tickets for the exclusive seats were given to Bloomberg.
The billionaire wasn't short on money.
He just wanted to save face.
This spot also came with exclusive soda and snack service.
The tens of thousands of dollars spent on tickets were exchanged for a small investment in Axe Capital and some personal connections.
All in all, it was a worthwhile deal.
Old Charles had also invited many people to his box.
After winning big, although his son took over the team, as a father, he naturally had to make good use of a big party like the Finals.
Less than half an hour before the game started, Madison Square Garden was already packed.
Many front-row tickets were bought by agencies, and some chanting singers even paid out of their own pockets, hoping to show their faces.
Ewing was chatting and laughing with familiar faces on the sidelines before the game.
On a bigger stage, he still had to keep up the act.
Many fans were already waving their handkerchiefs and yelling along to the music.
In the NBC commentary booth, Marv Albert, the live commentator, was also a bit excited:
"I love the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden. The fans have been looking forward to tonight's game for a long time!"
Doug Collins didn't make too many predictions about the series before the game.
At this point, he continued to introduce the advantages of both sides:
"There's no doubt that the Lakers have absolute dominance in the paint!"
"The New York Knicks, on the other hand, have the strongest backcourt in the NBA. The two teams have very different tactics, but on the Defense end, both will face huge challenges."
After their analysis, the lights in the arena quickly dimmed.
After the visiting team players entered, the cheers grew louder as the home team players entered one by one.
The broadcasters also began to announce the starting lineups for both teams.
Neither Head Coach made any changes.
The Lakers continued with their previous playoff starting lineup:
"The two guards are Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant, and the three frontcourt players are Rick Fox, Horace Grant, and Shaquille O'Neal."
Doug Collins briefly commented on this starting lineup:
"Grant won't play too many minutes. The Lakers need to provide better offensive spacing for Shaquille O'Neal."
"Robert Horry will also play a key role tonight!"
After Clay Lee, wearing a blue training uniform, entered, shouts began to echo through the Madison Square Garden.
Compared to the serious expressions of the Lakers players, Lee was full of smiles, high-fiving his teammates one by one.
Grant Hill was still trying to calm his emotions.
Playing in the Finals for the first time in his career, he was still a bit nervous.
Sitting on the bench, Jeff Van Gundy held a Pepsi and, instead of calling the players, happily drank his soda.
During the final warm-up phase, Phil Jackson was still instructing his players:
"Fisher, pay attention to Defense! We need to communicate, switch quickly, trust each other, OK?"
Hearing his Head Coach's words, Derek Fisher quickly nodded.
To reduce Kobe's burden, he would primarily guard Clay Lee tonight.
After watching game footage for many days, Derek Fisher could only secretly encourage himself, adjust his headband, and jump up and down on the spot, trying to warm up his body.
As the referee called both sides to the center of the court, Clay Lee, with a smile, simply bumped fists with the Lakers players.
Shaquille O'Neal, with a grim expression, stared intently at the basketball in the referee's hand.
As Ewing failed to win the jump ball, O'Neal easily tipped the ball to mid-court, and the shouts rose again:
"Defense!"
As soon as Derek Fisher controlled the ball, Lee stepped up to guard him.
After two dribbles, before crossing half-court, he immediately passed the ball to Horace Grant at the top of the arc.
This player, wearing glasses and seemingly full of swagger, had actually seen a significant decline in his scoring ability.
Lewis completely retreated into the three-point line, defending against opponent's shots.
After faking a shot with the ball, he quickly passed it to Kobe on the right wing.
Shaqu O'Neal then made a strong push, sealing Ewing behind him, demanding the ball with his back to the basket in the low post on the right side.
Kobe was tightly guarded by Allan Houston, but Ewing was firmly held, so he smoothly delivered a lob pass.
Then, Kobe, without the ball, immediately cut along the baseline, from right to left, running towards the left corner.
Horace Grant also began to move towards the left near the baseline, leaving the top of the arc for Derek Fisher.
With Rick Fox also standing on the left wing, the Lakers cleared one side at the start.
After Shaquille O'Neal turned and posted up, the others began to move towards the right wing, ready to receive a pass at any time.
After receiving the ball, he turned smoothly.
After releasing the ball with his left hand, Shaquille O'Neal used his shoulder to clear a path, crashing into Ewing while turning towards the baseline.
After pushing his opponent away, he switched to his right hand and easily completed a floater!
"Swish!" The two-point shot went straight through the net.
From his movement speed to his physical confrontation, Ewing, who had become a mascot this season, was at a complete disadvantage.
After scoring, O'Neal seemed to find the feeling of dominating weaker opponents from the Western Conference playoffs, and a happy smile appeared on his face, just as he had expected before the game!
"Let's go Knicks!"
New York fans were accustomed to seeing a super center dominate the Gorilla and continued to cheer loudly.
Quickly inbounding the ball from the baseline, Clay Lee received the pass, and Derek Fisher quickly stepped up to guard him.
Completely different from the Western Conference guards he had faced before, Lee accelerated sharply after receiving the ball.
As he approached the mid-court line, he quickly dribbled behind his back, stopped abruptly, and then switched to his left hand, continuing to lower his shoulder and accelerate.
Derek Fisher could only passively slide his feet, and in the blink of an eye, Lee had crossed half-court.
Ewing stopped outside the three-point line at this moment.
Derek Fisher glanced at the movement behind him and then saw Clay Lee suddenly push the ball and change direction, so he quickly slid backward to the left.
He quickly slid to the left and back, deceiving the defense's focus.
Switching to his right hand, Lee spun sharply, tucked the ball in his left hand, and sped away from the left.
Lee's effortless escape from the defense was met with cheers.
O'Neal was still squatting on the free-throw line, seemingly waiting for Derek Fisher to continue the Defense.
As Lee scooped the ball, he saw the opponent's defensive movement and immediately began to adjust his steps, stopping abruptly at the three-point line, then pulling up and shooting!
"Swish!" The three-point shot went straight through the net!
"Wow!"
Hearing the cheers of the fans, O'Neal realized he had made a defensive mistake.
Perhaps accustomed to dominating weaker opponents, Shaq still sagged in the paint on pick-and-roll Defense.
The position at the free-throw line indeed had a tiny bit of defensive effect, but for Clay Lee, such an opportunity was likely to result in points.
Phil Jackson, on the sidelines, frowned.
Compared to the San Antonio Spurs's perimeter players, they could wait for opponents to miss shots, but against the New York Knicks's backcourt, they had to close out aggressively:
"Fisher, fight through! Shaq, Defense!"
Among the Lakers, only Phil Jackson would yell at Shaquille O'Neal about Defense.
O'Neal glared at Lee in frustration.
He didn't like defending pick-and-rolls at all.
Soon, after crossing half-court, he changed direction and started demanding the ball with his back to the basket in the left low post again.
It was still a quick pass at the top of the key.
This time, Rick Fox, holding the ball with his left hand, came to the left wing.
Facing Grant Hill's aggressive hand-checking, he couldn't complete the pass immediately.
Although Ewing was pulling and tugging, it didn't have much effect.
When the opponent sent a lob pass, O'Neal easily caught the ball again.
O'Neal faked a move towards the top of the key.
The moment he received the ball, while releasing it with his left hand, he suddenly twisted his body quickly, faking out Ewing's defensive Center of Gravity, and dribbled two strong steps into the paint!
With a jump step, he pushed Ewing away.
O'Neal charged into the restricted area, exploded upwards, and powerfully slammed the ball with both hands!
"Exaggerated athleticism! Shaq actually drove to the basket and completed a dunk! What a spectacular offensive display!"
Marv Albert couldn't stop praising the incredible agility that defied his size.
Doug Collins noticed Ewing's physical condition and couldn't help but briefly remind him:
"Coach Jeff Van Gundy might consider starting rotations early!"
Watching O'Neal make strange noises, boos also began to appear in the Madison Square Garden.
The New York Knicks were unaffected and continued to quickly inbound the ball from the baseline.
After receiving the ball, Lee did not speed up.
He held the ball with his left hand and slowly advanced along the left sideline.
Derek Fisher also didn't press him unnecessarily, occasionally glancing back, afraid of losing his defensive position if he wasn't careful.
Lewis then quickly moved from the left corner, coming closer to the sideline.
After a fake screen, he continued to move horizontally, quickly popping out to the left wing.
Horace Grant also followed him out, intending to double-team Clay Lee with Derek Fisher.
However, before the two could form a trap, Lee, holding the ball with his left hand, suddenly lowered his center of gravity and quickly completed a wide behind-the-back dribble.
Suddenly speeding up his dribbling rhythm, the basketball passed between his legs and suddenly appeared in front of Lee's right side.
Derek Fisher and Grant hadn't even reacted when Lee suddenly darted forward, scooping the ball with his right hand, and directly passed between the two of them.
"Oh!"
Amidst gasps, Lee completely shook off the Defense and drove straight to the basket.
Facing O'Neal, who came up to help defend, he didn't stop, but instead took a jump step and charged forward.
O'Neal, full of muscle, couldn't jump fully.
Their bodies collided in the air, and O'Neal, realizing he couldn't separate, simply pulled him down.
Holding the ball with his left hand, Clay Lee exerted force in the air, twisted his body with the rebound's momentum, and smoothly tossed the ball towards the backboard, while also not forgetting to yell:
"And one!"
"Screech! Bang swish!"
As the referee blew his whistle, the basketball also hit the backboard and went into the basket, and Madison Square Garden immediately erupted.
"Lee's breakthrough was too fast. Shaq reacted as best he could. Of course, I also suggest that Coach Phil Jackson consider rotations early."
"Horace Grant isn't a very good option for defending the pick-and-roll either."
Marv Albert also quipped, and Doug Collins beside him let out a low chuckle, having also noticed that the two teams indeed had many similarities.
Derek Fisher's eyes were wide at the three-point line.
That speed was truly terrifying.
He didn't even see how the basketball passed through the Defense.
Clay Lee easily made the free throw, and the atmosphere crew on the sidelines cheered along.
The Lakers' perimeter Defense was nothing special.
4:6, in just two possessions, the New York Knicks were slightly ahead.
"Defense!"
Lee's spectacular basket made the New York fans' defensive chants even louder.
O'Neal, who was feeling good, wanted to continue demanding the ball in the low post, but this time Ewing suddenly fronted him in the left restricted area.
Kobe, who received the ball on the left wing, realized there wasn't a good passing opportunity and immediately signaled O'Neal to come up for a screen.
Abandoning the low-post offense, Shaquille O'Neal also moved to the elbow area.
After setting a screen, O'Neal immediately rolled down.
Kobe intended to pass the ball smoothly, but Ewing aggressively hedged, collaborating with Allan Houston, who was trailing, to double-team.
Kobe, holding the ball with his left hand, quickly lowered his center of gravity and accelerated his drive, attempting to shake off the Defense.
However, he suddenly tripped over Ewing's foot, stumbled, and lost control of the ball.
The basketball was immediately stolen by Allan Houston.
Derek Fisher felt Clay Lee at the top of the arc explode out with a "bang" and, fully realizing what happened, gritted his teeth and chased hard from behind.
The fast break was as fierce as a tiger, Allan Houston powerfully passed the ball, and Clay Lee rushed past half-court, scooped up the ball at the three-point line, dribbled twice, took three big steps, and charged straight up, grabbing the ball with his right hand and slamming it down with a single arm!
Both being heavy-set guards, Marv Albert watched Derek Fisher fail to keep up with Clay Lee off-ball and instinctively exclaimed:
"God! Clay Lee has once again shown his explosiveness. His speed is too fast!"
In less than 4 seconds, the ball went in.
Derek Fisher inbounded from the baseline, looking at Clay Lee in front of him, feeling increasingly incredulous.
For the rest of the time, the Lakers continued to pound the paint, while the New York Knicks shot whenever they had an opportunity.
Phil Jackson chose to slow the pace, while Jeff Van Gundy continued to let the New York Knicks focus on transition plays.
With 6:04 remaining in the first quarter, Ewing sent O'Neal to the free-throw line again, having committed two fouls, fulfilling his mission.
He clapped and smiled as he walked towards the bench.
The New York fans in the arena also applauded the Gorilla, and Ben Wallace came off the bench.
After aiming for a long time at the free-throw line, O'Neal stuck out his rear and missed the second free throw again.
Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound and immediately passed the ball to the waiting Grant Hill, then everyone rushed towards the opponent's half-court.
At the top of the arc, Lee shuffled sideways, feigning a handoff reception, then continued his off-ball movement, running towards the right wing.
Rick Fox was distracted.
Grant Hill, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly executed a quick in-and-out dribble, driving straight to the basket from the top of the arc!
O'Neal, who had just retreated to the paint, shuffled over to help defend.
Mindful of committing a foul, he couldn't interfere in time.
Seizing the opportunity, Grant Hill smoothly lobbed the ball towards the upper right of the rim.
Ben Wallace leaped to grab the ball and powerfully slammed it into the basket with both hands!
13:18, the New York Knicks scored easily again.
Phil Jackson frowned and immediately called a timeout.
Watching more replays was useless.
This kind of offense relied entirely on the players' individual abilities.
In a few possessions, the New York Knicks' quick misses also allowed the Lakers to seize some counter-attack opportunities, with Kobe and Fox also scoring.
But the game's pace was not to the Lakers' liking.
Noticing this, Doug Collins could only exclaim:
"Lee has controlled the game's tempo from the start. In contrast, the Lakers have fallen into a passive state. Perhaps they
should also proactively speed up."
Marv Albert enjoyed seeing such a game scenario.
Noticing Horry entering the game early, he began to quip:
"No one in the NBA can stop Clay Lee's offense. By expanding the offensive space, it seems Coach Phil Jackson intends to continue letting Shaquille O'Neal lead the attack."
In the first possession after the timeout, Ben's tight Defense on the left block still didn't have much effect.
After O'Neal posted up, he turned to the baseline for a fadeaway shot and missed.
"Wow!"
Finally, he missed a field goal, and the New York fans cheered along.
Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound.
After Lee received the ball, he noticed that his defender had become Kobe.
"Little Fish" couldn't hold on anymore.
Phil Jackson wasn't stubborn and had Derek Fisher guard Ron Artest, who had just entered the game.
Kobe glared, constantly initiating physical contact, but Lee's pace was very fast.
He moved to the left wing, quickly dribbled behind his back, stopped abruptly, and switched to his right hand.
Ben Wallace immediately stepped up for a screen.
O'Neal was forced to follow him out.
Kobe glanced behind him, but Lee suddenly faked right before executing a large in-and-out dribble.
Kobe instinctively slid backward to the right but still couldn't keep up with Lee's shoulder dip and acceleration.
And O'Neal, who had just stopped, blinked and watched Lee, with the ball in his left hand, fly low to the ground and once again drive straight to the basket.
Horry, who was guarding the right baseline, turned his head only to find Clay Lee already airborne in the paint.
After taking three big steps, he switched to his right hand, stretched his body in the air, grabbed the ball with one hand, and powerfully slammed it down!
"Ah!"
The lightning-fast breakthrough made Clay Lee roar in excitement after landing.
In return, a furious Shaquille O'Neal aggressively attacked Ben Wallace in the low post, scoring 2 points and drawing an extra free throw.
"Don't worry, he won't make it!"
O'Neal was in no mood to bother with Lee.
This season, he had specifically practiced free throws.
He stepped onto the free-throw line and began to take deep breaths.
Upon receiving the ball from the referee, he stuck out his rear and aimed at the rim.
The prolonged free throw didn't guarantee accuracy.
The basketball bounced off the rim twice, and finally, Ben Wallace successfully secured the defensive rebound.
Grinning at O'Neal, his free throws seemed no different from last season.
Transitioning into a half-court offense, Lee advanced past mid-court and waited for his teammates to get into position.
Ben Wallace once again quickly moved up. Derek Fisher followed Ron Artest to the vicinity of the free-throw line and immediately understood the tactical intention.
It was a high pick-and-roll.
Although he couldn't completely shake off Kobe's chase-down Defense, Lee, with the ball in his right hand, was extremely fast.
He first moved sideways to stretch the Defense, and noticing O'Neal delaying, he immediately accelerated his breakthrough.
Ron Artest then moved sideways to set a back screen, delaying Shaquille O'Neal while immediately popping out.
Kobe quickly switched, and Derek Fisher immediately cut off Lee's passing lane, while O'Neal continued to chase, but after being delayed, he completely lost his defensive position.
The defensive coordination between the three was extremely tacit, clearly having practiced corresponding defensive tactics.
However, Clay Lee, finding a gap, suddenly increased his stride, took two steps, jumped off his right foot, leaned far forward, and extended his body for a scoop layup!
The basketball sailed over O'Neal's outstretched fingertips, flying above the backboard, hitting the glass, and accurately dropping into the basket.
After completing the layup, Clay Lee gave a slight smile to the few players, circled the baseline, and then jogged back to half-court to play Defense.
Phil Jackson, watching from the sideline, shook his head at such an awkward layup.
Clay Lee's exaggerated body coordination made it difficult for defenders to predict his release timing.
15:22, the lead showed a tendency to widen, which excited the New York fans, and the defensive shouts grew louder and louder.
The Lakers' offensive pace was not fast.
Ben Wallace, who was desperately fronting the post, could only watch as O'Neal skillfully turned, received the ball under the basket, and slammed it down.
Kobe, who provided the assist, let out a long breath.
Such a pass was extremely risky, but thankfully, it led to a score under the basket.
The score between the two teams began to alternate again.
The New York Knicks' man-to-man Defense strategy was not effective.
Even if he couldn't receive the ball comfortably, O'Neal could still overpower his opponents to score due to his size advantage.
With 2:02 remaining in the first quarter, Lee missed his first field goal.
A three-pointer from the right wing clanked off the rim.
The long rebound was collected by Fox, who immediately passed the ball to half court.
Derek Fisher started early, rushing incredibly fast.
He scooped up the ball at the three-point line, not paying attention to what was behind him, and immediately charged towards the basket.
Kobe shouted a warning.
Derek Fisher turned his head and saw Clay Lee airborne.
He instinctively dodged in the air, and only after he began to descend did he toss the basketball towards the rim with his right hand.
"Slap!"
Lee, leaping high, was unaffected.
He delivered a volleyball-like block with his left hand, swatting the ball down.
Derek Fisher hadn't even regained his footing after landing when he was knocked to the ground by the basketball.
Lee quickly scooped up the ball and then passed it towards the frontcourt.
Allan Houston received the ball, came to the right wing, and immediately stopped abruptly, ignoring the rushing Fox, and took another jump shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Swish!" The three-pointer swished through the net.
After a series of misses, Allan Houston finally made a field goal and celebrated with a fist pump.
The New York fans had only been happy for a few seconds when, after a series of passes, Fox responded with a contested three-pointer from the left wing!
Clay Lee suddenly accelerated his offensive pace, shook off Kobe, and drove hard to the basket with the ball from the backcourt, drawing a foul from Kobe and heading to the free-throw line.
After making both free throws, Kobe was equally unreserved.
From the right block, facing Allan Houston's Defense, he posted up, turned towards the baseline, and missed another shot.
There was no time to vent his frustration.
Lee, who had retreated to the basket to secure the rebound, initiated another transition offense.
Fighting to get back on Defense, O'Neal saw Lee with the ball in the middle, charging faster and faster.
Just as he was about to cross the three-point line, Fox simply grabbed him, sending him to the free-throw line again.
"Wow!"
Clay Lee made both free throws, and the first quarter was about to end.
As Derek Fisher's last-second long three-pointer missed, the score was set at 24:31.
Playing the entire first quarter, Shaquille O'Neal scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Aside from relentlessly pounding the paint in half-court offense, O'Neal just ran around aimlessly with the New York Knicks.
Also playing the entire first quarter, Clay Lee scored 16 points, shooting 5-of-6 from the field, 1-of-2 from three-point range, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
In most possessions, the Lakers did not double-team, which resulted in Clay Lee having only 2 assists in the first quarter.
At Madison Square Garden, with the score in their favor, the New York fans were ecstatic, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heated, with many still waving their orange handkerchiefs.
Looking at the box score, Marv Albert noticed that Kobe and Allan Houston were both 1-for-4, while Horry and Lewis had become the secondary scoring options:
"It's clear that both sides were well prepared to limit the opponent's secondary scoring options!"
Doug Collins noticed that the Lakers seemed to have only substituted Derek Fisher in the second quarter, bringing in Brian Shaw, and knew that the Lakers were sticking with their starters.
Phil Jackson was not concerned about being behind on the scoreboard.
After several seasons of refinement, the Lakers were no longer a "nice guy team."
As the players walked onto the court, Phil Jackson made a gesture and continued to loudly remind them:
"Be tough! We need tough Defense!"
On the other side of the bench, Jeff Van Gundy was also loudly instructing Kurt Thomas and the others who were about to enter the game:
"Don't let them score easily again. We're ahead, so show them what we're made of!"
Clay Lee looked at the Bald Young Coach, who was excitedly pumping his fist, and patted Chauncey Billups on the shoulder:
"Bro, if you want a big contract, show what you can do in the Finals!"
Chauncey Billups, who had been a nobody all season, nodded vigorously.
It was time to give it his all:
"I'm ready!"
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