Check out my new fanfics.
Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
The return of Itachi
I am Sasuke. Why should I defect from Konoha.
Please give it a go 😊
***
On the evening of April 17, 2004, at Madison Square Garden, from the commentary booth, Kevin Harlan listened to Rivers' armchair analysis and nodded continuously.
Since the outcome of the game had long been decided, the two entered gossip mode in the latter half of the 3rd quarter.
Perhaps wanting to follow the Jeff Van Gundy route, Rivers was very diligently analyzing the game tonight, having done thorough preparation, speaking eloquently:
"Every team that plays against the Knicks sees their pace increase to around 80 possessions."
"This isn't their subjective will, but rather they involuntarily follow the opponent's rhythm."
"Compared to last season, the Knicks' pace has actually decreased slightly, but this doesn't mean their game tempo has slowed down!"
"Using excellent Defense to force turnovers from opponents, then launching quick counterattacks, this team's discipline is underestimated, and their rotation players perform just as well."
Rivers was speaking from the heart.
When he coached the Magic last season, although he was swept 4-0, he truly put effort into studying the Knicks.
It's just that this kind of team cannot be replicated.
Basketball IQ exists, and many players don't see some fleeting opportunities.
Just like the Nets led by Kidd, an excellent point guard not only knows what tactics he wants to play but also understands what plays the opponent will run.
After trying it out in the new season, the Magic suffered injuries and a losing streak, and Rivers was fired by management before he could show his full capabilities.
Kevin Harlan didn't notice the sourness in his partner's words, but instead felt that the former Coach of the Year (COY) made a lot of sense:
"Terrible dribbling! Atkins made the wrong offensive choice!"
At the top of the arc, after a behind-the-back dribble to his right hand, Atkins quickly changed direction with a crossover, only to be stolen face-to-face by Lee.
When Lee controlled the ball, another cheer erupted in the Madison Square Garden.
At this point, there were still 2 minutes and 03 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, and the Knicks were already preparing to rotate players, waiting for the opponent to call a timeout and concede.
In the 3rd quarter, Pierce no longer directed his teammates or paid attention to Ron Artest.
He looked dejected, and his enthusiasm dropped significantly as his mentality shattered.
No one on the Celtics' side was double-teaming or helping out anymore.
Everyone was waiting for Coach John Carroll to call a timeout.
They had had enough of this game.
On the left wing, Atkins couldn't help but turn to look at his teammates, but no one paid him any mind.
Helpless, he could only vociferously step forward to defend closely, constantly reaching in to interfere, trying to disrupt Lee's dribbling rhythm.
Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, immediately accelerated the moment the opponent pressed him, leaning into the defender and quickly approaching the three-point line.
The two tangled as they reached the three-point line.
Lee, who had been leaning in to accelerate, suddenly stopped short, quickly dribbled behind his back, and simultaneously completed a step-back.
Gathering the ball outside the three-point line, Lee created a huge shooting space, ignoring the smaller defender's jumping block in front of him, leaning back slightly, and quickly shooting!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in without touching the rim.
"Wow!"
Cheers instantly echoed through the Madison Square Garden, and New York fans cheered happily.
At this moment, Lee had set a new playoff record.
61:88, Coach John Carroll on the sidelines helplessly called a timeout.
Tonight's game was painful to watch.
"14 of 14 from the field, 3 of 3 from three-point range, 4 of 4 from the free-throw line, 35 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals, and no turnovers. Clay Lee broke the playoff perfect shooting record set by Larry McNiel in 1975."
"Clay Lee is also the first player in NBA history to maintain perfect shooting on at least 13 attempts in a single playoff game. This is truly an incredible performance."
Kevin Harlan read out the information he had prepared at halftime in a light tone, and noticing his partner hadn't spoken, he couldn't help but add:
"This is Lee, the best player in the NBA. In my heart, he is still the MVP this season!"
No one cared about this biased commentary anymore.
Since the regular season statistics rankings were announced, everyone knew that Lee not getting the award was not a problem with him or the Knicks.
The Celtics played well in the 2nd quarter, scoring 29 points in a single quarter, but the score difference still widened.
This caused everyone to lose their composure after the second half began, and they were all just waiting to be substituted out.
Pierce, back on the bench, looked down at the floor without saying a word.
He had 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 turnovers, shooting 5 of 17 from the field, 2 of 6 from three-point range, and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line.
As team leaders, he and Atkins combined for 9 turnovers, which alone allowed the Knicks to maintain the score difference through transition offense.
Feeling the lively atmosphere on the court, Walter McCarty showed an envious expression.
If possible, he would also like to return here to be a part of the atmosphere and win a championship.
On the Knicks' bench, the assistant coach continued to instruct the players entering the game, while Mike D'Antoni was AFK the whole time.
When the starters came off the court, he just smiled and clapped, saying:
"Perfect game! We put on a perfect performance tonight!"
Lee, who had already changed into his practice uniform, waved to the fans behind him and then sat down quietly to watch the game.
He only played 33 minutes in this game and faced no challenges.
The opponent had already conceded in the second half, so he didn't go all out again.
Pau Gasol had also gotten used to the easy playoff schedule.
Since he joined the Knicks, the team hadn't faced too many challenges in the Eastern Conference.
The few of them were chatting in low voices, and Ron Artest was smiling so much he couldn't close his mouth.
Getting the DPOY and handing the opponent a big defeat, this was indeed a perfect script!
In the commentary booth, Rivers seemed to recall his playoff experience from last year, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke:
"I don't think any Eastern Conference team can trouble the Knicks!"
"They've performed even better this season, more mature than last year. There might be some injury concerns in the bench rotation, but that won't affect the team's offense."
"The Knicks' rotation is too good, and in the playoffs, that's especially important!"
Kevin Harlan nodded in agreement as he saw Amar'e Stoudemire active on the court, then routinely asked:
"The series has just begun, how should the Celtics adjust?"
Rivers said a lot of platitudes and couldn't offer a specific solution.
Thinking that the Celtics would likely change their Head Coach after the loss, he suddenly had an idea:
"Perhaps, this is also my opportunity!"
The 4th quarter completely turned into an exhibition, with Amar'e Stoudemire frequently throwing down dunks, completely igniting the atmosphere in the Madison Square Garden.
Amidst the cheers of the fans, the final score was set at 86:116, with the Knicks winning decisively and easily taking Game 1.
The Celtics players left for the player tunnel early.
Losing a game by 30 points naturally put them in a bad mood, and they had lost all face.
Even if they were only a 36-win team, entering the playoffs, they still wanted to save face!
Coach John Carroll, however, maintained his composure.
After shaking hands with Mike D'Antoni, he even sighed in admiration:
"The Knicks under your coaching are outstanding! Winning 70+ games for two consecutive seasons, no one will be able to break this record in the future!"
Winning a championship with 73 wins, and if they win another championship with 72 wins this season, Mike D'Antoni will undoubtedly join the ranks of super-coaches.
Once is luck, twice is true skill.
Hearing the opponent's praise, Mike D'Antoni laughed heartily, patted his opponent, and said with considerable self-satisfaction:
"Success in the NBA is simple. Coaching a superstar is enough!"
"But Lee is unique. I just did some minor work."
Carroll thought that Mike D'Antoni would most likely also receive the Coach of the Year (COY) award, and couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Leaning on a superstar is indeed the most effective coaching method.
Lee, attending the press conference, hadn't even sat down before the New York Media below started cheering and making noise.
Although tonight was just a small record, the New York Media loved this kind of thing.
In the coming days, they would just praise him endlessly!
After a round of mutual compliments, a TNT reporter unseasonably asked a question:
"Clay, since entering the NBA, you've already set many records!"
"As your professional career has progressed, it seems there are no more challenges. Will too many victories cause you trouble?"
Lee felt a sudden sense of bewilderment after hearing this question.
How could winning be a problem?
"No, I have always enjoyed victory. I like the feeling of winning, and I hate losing!"
"I am a professional player. In other words, playing basketball is my job."
"The content of this job is to make the fans who support me happy, to satisfy the team that pays high salaries, and thus achieve a win-win situation."
"Unless New York fans tell me they want to see the team lose, victory is our only pursuit."
"Don't ask me anymore if I will retire. My career still has a long way to go! Victory will never be a problem for me."
After seriously answering the question, Lee burst into laughter, then joked to the crowd below:
"No one really likes to lose, right? Perhaps you should go interview the New York Knicks' opponents; maybe they will have a different answer."
"Ha!"
Some New York sports reporters immediately burst out laughing.
Everyone knows that no one likes to fail.
For professional players, basketball is a job.
Lee would not talk about things like sportsmanship in front of the media, because that is a basic requirement for professional players.
Players need to take care of their bodies, train on time to maintain their condition, manage fan emotions, and be responsible to the team that pays high salaries.
Lee is about to get a super max contract, and the entire New York sports league supports it!
Although he likes young blondes and is good friends with many women, and there are rumors he even hosted a wild party, none of that matters because competitive sports are judged by results.
On the morning of the 18th, china sports media focused heavily on Yao Ming's playoff debut.
86:96, the San Antonio Spurs suppressed their opponents throughout the game, narrowly defeating the Houston Rockets!
Duncan performed exceptionally well, playing 40 minutes, shooting 12 of 19 from the field, 4 of 6 from the free-throw line, and putting up an all-around stat line of 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and 1 turnover.
Yao Ming played 37 minutes, shooting 6 of 14 from the field, 2 of 2 from the free-throw line, and tallying 14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 1 turnover.
Before this game started, china sports media naturally hyped it up, even using the San Antonio Spurs' poor performance in the Finals as an argument.
(A/N: Seriously? China written as heavenly kingdom and America as lighthouse, japan as Sakura country, etc. Chinese authors are Delusional, though their works are very good, unfortunately almost all of them are ruined by extreme nationalism and racism.)
Many chinese fans had huge expectations before the game, ignoring the San Antonio Spurs' record and firmly believing that Steve Francis and Yao Ming, one inside and one outside, would blow out their opponents!
The result was completely different from what the fans expected: Steve Francis shot 6 of 15, getting 17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 6 turnovers.
Mobley shot 5 of 14, scoring 10 points.
The Houston Rockets did not blow out their opponents.
Instead, they were suppressed throughout the game.
"Yao Ming is isolated and helpless, the Houston Rockets suffer their first playoff loss!"
Sina Sports published an article immediately after the game, highly praising Yao Ming's performance and criticizing Steve Francis and Mobley!
As for Coach Mike Brown, he went from a renowned coach to "clown" again.
Nike announced early this year that Clay Lee's Asia tour would include Beijing and Shanghai in China.
(A/N: I'll try my best to edit those nationalism during china tour.)
No matter how much the media hyped it up, the experiences of Wang Zhizhi, Bateer, and Yao Ming in recent years have all told fans that making it in the NBA is a difficult task.
"Winning fans" were already boiling with excitement.
After reading too many articles, everyone wanted to see Clay Lee in person.
In another Western Conference playoff game, the "old man basketball" taught the Rookies another lesson!
84:99, the Los Angeles Lakers easily defeated the Denver Nuggets!
Facing the inside combination of Marcus Camby and Nene, Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal completely dominated their opponents.
Carmelo Anthony shot 5 of 17, 6 of 8 from the free-throw line, scoring 16 points, and was suppressed by the Los Angeles Lakers' perimeter Defense throughout the game.
Although Kobe and Payton were a bit slow to start and performed mediocrely, relying on the excellent play of their interior, the Los Angeles Lakers finished the game in three quarters.
After the game, Phil Jackson also confidently stated in an interview:
"The playoffs are a completely different realm. Our opponents may be very talented, but we have more game experience!"
"The veterans will not disappoint the fans, and the lack of home-court advantage will not bother us!"
The Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man's words had a hidden meaning.
He clearly did not take his opponents seriously!
After achieving 72 wins, the New York Media repeatedly emphasized the New York Knicks' dominance and their home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Phil Jackson, singing a different tune, clearly had his sights set on the Finals.
The game between the Eastern Conference Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks was also one-sided:
80:104, the Pacers defeated their opponents by a large margin, and Reggie Miller's championship dream continued!
On the evening of April 19th, Lee hosted his agent, Mark Bartelstein, at his home in Manhattan.
Mark Bartelstein successfully signed Emeka Okafor, the championship center from the University of Connecticut.
At the same time, Ben Gordon was also brought under Mark Bartelstein's wing.
Although Kwame Brown failed to realize his talent, a big man like Emeka Okafor, who has been tempered by college games, is highly likely to succeed.
Mark Bartelstein was in high spirits due to the good news.
While enjoying a delicious steak, he chatted about recent gossip:
"Michael Jordan plans to go to China in his personal capacity. Your schedules just happen to be staggered, after all, you have the Finals to play!"
"Nike plans to hold more events to preheat your personal brand, which is also a good thing for you."
"Perhaps some people don't like that you disrupted Michael Jordan's career. If the two of you travel together, no one knows what kind of scene might occur."
Fanatics are everywhere.
Some Wall Street traders are staunch Michael Jordan fans, and they are not fond of Clay Lee.
These people are not even interested in the New York Knicks.
They only like the Chicago Bulls. These are the pure "winning fans" from back in the day.
However, most of those older fans are also past their prime.
Currently, Lee's fanatics are young, and over the past few years, he has accumulated a large number of "winning fans."
The two sides have argued on some forums, but Michael Jordan's fans were at a disadvantage.
Rookie Clay Lee stepped on Michael Jordan to win a championship, and then achieved four consecutive championships!
With such achievements, Michael Jordan's die-hard fans can only say "IF."
In terms of championships alone, Clay Lee has already surpassed Michael Jordan.
Lee knew Michael Jordan's general itinerary.
After going to China in May, he would be busy with the Bobcats' matters.
He was quite satisfied with Nike's arrangements.
Thinking about the events, Lee simply instructed:
"Let the organizers pay attention to ticket prices. We are not just going there to make money and leave."
Mark Bartelstein nodded.
Lee's professionalism is excellent, which is also why many brands like to work with him.
Some NBA stars can be arrogant, and many show up to events with a long face.
In contrast, Lee has never put on airs over the years, and he puts his heart and soul into both events and advertisements.
For this, Mark Bartelstein only felt fortunate, as cleaning up messes falls to the agent.
Thinking about his player Kwame Brown informing him that he no longer planned to play for the Washington Wizards, Mark Bartelstein suddenly sighed:
"Professional players really shouldn't be emotional, Lee. Have the New York Knicks considered Kwame Brown?"
Lee shrugged his shoulders.
They had indeed discussed a trade with the Washington Wizards, but the other party did not accept the proposal involving big man Wright and draft picks:
"I can't do anything about this, but don't worry, perhaps other teams will bring in this promising Rookie. Tell him to adjust his mentality. Opportunities are always for those who are prepared!"
"."
On the morning of April 20th, as the Houston Rockets lost again last night, China sports media became increasingly disappointed, and Sina Sports' news content basically turned into "teammates are CBA-level."
After losing two consecutive games, Yao Ming performed mediocrely in Game 2, shooting 8 of 18 from the field, 6 of 7 from the free-throw line, and tallying 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 turnovers.
Perhaps to appease the fans, Yao Ming took the blame during an interview:
"This is my first time experiencing the playoffs. The San Antonio Spurs are very strong, and I still have a lot to learn."
Physical fitness issues and insufficient physicality are the problems Yao Ming urgently needs to solve.
The San Antonio Spurs have rich experience in dealing with big men, and after so many years of often being abused by perimeter players, Gregg Popovich has also summarized ways to deal with such situations.
Coach Mike Brown's tactic of giving the ball to Steve Francis has completely failed.
Most of the first-round games were one-sided, with the Pistons and Nets in the Eastern Conference also easily defeating their opponents.
Dwyane Wade also suffered a terrible beating when he met Travis Best.
The Nets have reached the Conference Finals for two consecutive seasons, so their strength is undeniable.
As long as they don't encounter the New York Knicks, it's very easy for the two teams to handle a Rookie.
On the evening of April 20th, the New York Knicks also welcomed their G2 game.
During the two-day rest period, the coaching staff didn't make any special arrangements.
The strength gap between the two sides was too large.
Double-teaming Pierce when necessary was enough.
The Celtics also didn't make any pre-game boasts.
The other side seemed to be just going through the motions, and they lacked energy during the game.
The New York fans on site were especially happy.
They didn't care who the opponent was.
In a blowout game, they preferred to see the opponent's helpless expression.
After the game started, every time Pierce missed a shot, a huge cheer would erupt in the Madison Square Garden.
In G1, Pierce would still direct his teammates, but in tonight's game, the five players on the opposing team were completely silent, with no communication between them.
With 3 minutes and 21 seconds left in the first quarter, Atkins initiated another pick-and-roll from the top of the arc.
With little time left on the shot clock, the short guard had just shaken off Lee and was still some distance from the three-point line when he immediately pulled up for a jump shot.
"Bang!"
The basketball hit the backboard and eventually rebounded into Kurt Thomas's hands.
The shot was wildly off, which made Coach John Carroll at the sideline helplessly twitch the corner of his mouth.
"Let's go Knicks!"
Lee stepped forward to receive the ball, and the cheering once again resounded throughout the Madison Square Garden.
Atkins had already returned to the half-court to establish a defensive position.
His teammates had long lost their morale, and he no longer called for double-teams.
Soon, Kurt Thomas came to the top of the arc and stood still.
Lee, who had crossed half-court, quickly dribbled the ball behind his back with his left hand.
Noticing Atkins squeezing through the screen and switching to his right hand, Lee immediately used his left foot as an axis to quickly turn, easily shaking off the Defense.
He then scooped the ball back with his left hand and accelerated past his teammate.
Walter McCarty's Defense was merely for show. Lee lowered his shoulder and accelerated, breaking into the paint in the blink of an eye.
Facing Mark Blount, who came over to help defend, he smoothly lobbed the ball towards the upper right of the rim.
Undefended, Pau Gasol jumped up, scooped the ball with both hands, and slammed it directly into the basket!
"Boom!" The alley-oop dunk was successful.
12:23, the score difference once again reached double digits, and Madison Square Garden erupted in cheers.
At the commentary table, Kevin Harlan glanced at the stat sheet, noticing that this was Lee's 5th assist, and couldn't help but exclaim again:
"It seems Clay Lee has switched his game mode tonight, delivering brilliant passes continuously since the start!"
"There seems to be an issue in the Celtics' locker room. Their energy on the court is noticeably lacking."
Rivers watched as Pierce finally made a step-back jump shot from the right block and commented:
"Coach John Carroll should call a timeout now."
"He doesn't need to explain tactics. He needs to ignite the players' desire!"
At this moment, the Head Coach should indeed say "let's go," but unfortunately, in the next few possessions, the Celtics remained the same.
Travis Best and Pierce continued to miss shots, and the score remained stuck at 14.
On the contrary, the New York Knicks suddenly erupted.
This offense continued from the previous possession, with Lee once again easily breaking past Atkins from the top of the arc.
Seeing Lee with the ball in his right hand approaching the right block, Pierce couldn't help but quickly slide from the right baseline, stepping forward to delay.
Before the opponent's Defense could reach him, Lee immediately passed the ball to Ron Artest in the right corner.
The latter received the ball, noticed Pierce collapsing towards the basket, and simply adjusted before calmly pulling up for a jump shot!
"Swish!" The three-pointer swished through the net.
14:29, after hitting two consecutive three-pointers, Ron Artest excitedly pounded his chest repeatedly, shouting at Pierce.
A defensive communication error, Atkins helplessly looked at Pierce, who remained silent, and the Celtics continued to miss shots as usual.
It wasn't until the final few possessions of the first quarter that Ricky Davis came on and helped the team score again.
Davis had just hit a long two-point jump shot from the right wing using a pick-and-roll.
Turning around, Grant Hill then posted up Davis in the left block, turned towards the baseline with the ball, and scored with a bank shot off the glass from the lower left of the rim.
Once again displaying excellent Defense, Pierce and Davis failed to complete their attacks at the rim.
In the final moments, Atkins received the ball, and Walter McCarty, who was left open on the left wing, took a contested shot and missed.
The wildly off three-pointer allowed Grant Hill to grab a long rebound, accelerating along the left sideline, moving horizontally after crossing half-court, and quickly reaching the top of the arc.
The New York Knicks' fast break was quick.
Two big men had already run to the baseline, and at the same time, on the right wing, Lee first moved towards the top of the arc and then accelerated with a back cut.
Atkins made an excellent Defense, following with a quick slide, but when Lee stopped short and then cut back again to receive the ball, the short guard still lost his defensive position.
The moment he received the pass from Grant on the right wing, Lee first faked a shot, then took a horizontal jab step with his right foot.
Atkins subconsciously stepped back, and then could only watch as Lee pulled up for a jump shot!
"Swish!" The three-pointer swished through the net.
18:36, with Atkins's half-court shot missing with 2.1 seconds left, the Celtics trailed by 18 points at the end of the first quarter.
Pierce, walking towards the bench, felt some regret.
This kind of utterly helpless game made him lose all motivation.
What made him even more speechless was that the New York Knicks really would double-team him, not giving him any opportunity.
As the team leader, Pierce should have given his teammates a pep talk when he returned to the bench, but due to his shattered mentality, he remained silent after returning to his seat.
Playing the entire first quarter, 5-for-5 shooting, including 1-for-1 from beyond the arc, with 11 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal, Clay Lee filled the stat sheet.
Kurt Thomas also performed exceptionally well, scoring 8 points easily on 4-of-6 shooting from jump shots after pick-and-rolls.
The Madison Square Garden was still noisy, with most fans already enjoying the game, swaying to the music, and occasionally jumping and waving, trying to attract the attention of the broadcast director.
Amar'e Stoudemire was sitting on the bench in a suit tonight.
His knee had become uncomfortable again during training over the past two days, and for precautionary reasons, the coaching staff had placed him back on the injured list.
"There's nothing wrong with my body. I felt great when I woke up this morning!"
Due to the competitive relationship, whenever Kurt Thomas performed well, Amar'e Stoudemire would feel pressure.
He also wanted to be in the starting lineup.
Ewing heard the Rookie's low complaint and immediately said sternly:
"Mr. Scott's diagnosis is correct. You don't want to undergo minimally invasive surgery during the playoffs, and the coaching staff will also use you cautiously."
"Remember, your career has just begun. All you need to do is be patient!"
Pau Gasol and Amar'e Stoudemire were both coached by Ewing.
The Gorilla was actually very satisfied with these two big men, believing they had a promising future.
Lee had also noticed Amar'e Stoudemire's complaints recently.
Kurt Thomas had remained healthy all season, completely suppressing the other side.
Regarding this, Lee also believed that the current rotation was fine:
"Pat is right, we have no pressure in the first round, and health is the most important thing, Amar'e, be patient!"
Hearing these words, Amar'e Stoudemire looked at Lee, who had returned to his seat, and nodded helplessly, but in his heart, he could only grumble:
"How long do I have to be a substitute..."
.....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)