On Christmas Day in 2007, the NBA presented three games to fans.
ABC covered two matchups between Eastern Conference teams, while ESPN broadcasted the Rookie's game.
The most anticipated game was the New York Knicks versus the Celtics, with both teams' core players being over 30, making it a "veteran basketball" matchup.
The Cavaliers and the Heat featured a showdown between the 2003 draft class, with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both reaching the Conference Finals at a young age, establishing themselves as leaders of the "middle generation."
The Seattle SuperSonics and the Portland Trail Blazers participating in the Christmas War was seen as encouragement from the NBA for the Rookies.
Kevin Durant and Greg Oden had been rivals since before the draft, making this a dialogue between young players.
The three games, representing the old, middle, and young generations, were a microcosm of the current NBA.
To accommodate the veterans, the New York Knicks and Celtics game officially began at 2:30 PM, allowing players from both teams to return home for dinner and enjoy a perfect holiday.
New York is always bustling on Christmas, and despite apparent issues on Wall Street this year, businesses were still promoting vigorously.
Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Saks Fifth Avenue, among other stores, meticulously decorated their holiday windows, infusing visitors and consumers with Christmas spirit.
Winter activities in Central Park proceeded as usual, with many families and couples appearing on the ice rink, and winter carriage rides allowing visitors to enjoy the scenery in the cold weather.
Union Square and Bryant Park hosted various holiday markets, where beautiful handcrafted items were excellent choices for Christmas gifts, and after tiring from shopping, one could enjoy hot cocoa and other delicacies.
Marbury, who had returned to New York early, had been greedily enjoying the festive atmosphere of his hometown since he got back home last night.
This was the happiest Christmas he had experienced in years!
His good son had made a name for himself, and the entire Marbury family felt a sense of pride and vindication, as if even God was looking out for him.
His father had a sudden heart attack but was rescued, and the family reunited for Christmas.
Encouraged by his many siblings, Marbury almost shed tears.
This was almost the life he had always dreamed of.
Marbury had not been happy during his years in Atlanta.
Although there were many black brothers there, TNT headquarters was also located there, and commentators always mocked him.
After coming to Boston, although he earned less, Marbury gained respect.
He was no longer the team's first option or core player, but fans and media cheered for him.
The long-lost respect ignited his motivation to play.
No matter how much Kevin Garnett pushed himself, Marbury always led the charge.
When he arrived at Madison Square Garden for warm-ups that morning, entering this familiar yet strange venue, and seeing the somewhat low, cluttered corridors, Marbury felt as if everything had returned.
Even after several renovations, this old Madison Square Garden still couldn't compare to newly built stadiums in some aspects.
As he stepped onto the court, he looked up at the arena's ceiling, where championship banners hung, bringing Marbury back to reality.
New York had changed long ago.
Someone had altered his childhood dream.
A large number of sports reporters also gathered during warm-ups.
This nationally televised game was almost Finals-level, and they even deliberately added interview segments with both Head Coaches during breaks.
"Good, everyone get moving!"
"Let's go!"
Head Coach Rivers, wearing a training uniform, clapped and shouted continuously.
The cameras didn't affect his mood.
Instead, they made him want to perform more.
This feeling of being in the spotlight harked back to his Orlando Magic days.
Ray Allen, in a green training jersey, meticulously shot baskets from beyond the three-point line, unaffected by the coach, maintaining his shooting rhythm.
Pierce seemed overly excited, even showing off a few low-altitude dunks in front of reporters.
Hearing his teammates' teasing, he giggled with them.
Marbury and Kevin Garnett practiced together, passing the ball to each other and setting screens.
The basketball swished through the net repeatedly, demonstrating their excellent competitive form.
The Celtics' head athletic trainer, Ed Lacerte, looked the same as always, wearing glasses and diligently observing the players.
He had been working for this team since 1987.
He had deep feelings for the team.
When warm-ups ended at noon, Ed Lacerte proactively approached Rivers and offered his advice:
"Doc, for the afternoon game, let everyone calm down. We must control the pace of the game."
"Just as we saw in the video, all the teams that suffered crushing defeats had over 85 possessions. Slow down and let the excitement translate into momentum."
These words also made Rivers' heart tighten.
If they suffered a crushing defeat in the Christmas War, he couldn't imagine what he would face after the game.
He put his hands on his hips, nodded vigorously, and then whispered:
"I know, we still have some time now..."
The New York Knicks only began their official warm-up in the afternoon, which was an advantage for the home team.
Warming up just before the game allowed them to get into rhythm earlier.
Since 1997, New York had not missed a Christmas War, and every year it had a 100% attendance rate, proving the popularity of the Big Apple City's basketball market.
For this year's game, some legendary players also came to support.
An hour before the game, ABC interviewed Bernard King, who was wearing a black suit and smiling, almost losing his neck:
"Now, one of my favorite things to do every morning is to buy a Boston newspaper."
"They are deceiving themselves. I understand that emotion. The Celtics haven't won in too long, but they won't succeed."
"When a scorer's field goal percentage exceeds 50%, he becomes unstoppable, and Lee is not just a scorer. They haven't experienced the Eastern Conference Finals or the Finals, so they can't understand that sense of despair."
"..."
Although the ABC reporter thought Bernard King's words might be self-aggrandizing, he ultimately smiled and nodded, showing respect to the former "New York King."
Mike Breen and Mark Jackson were in the center of the court, surrounded by New York Knicks players who were warming up early.
Facing the camera, they earnestly introduced to the fans:
"For 10 years, the New York Knicks have been undefeated in the Christmas War! They have beaten all their opponents!"
"Perhaps this afternoon they will face their biggest challenge. Both teams have only lost 2 games this season, a performance rarely seen in recent years."
Hearing his partner's words, Mark Jackson also showed anticipation on his face.
He really wanted to see a different kind of game.
The Four Giants were the team closest in strength to New York in recent years:
"Clay Lee missed two games before this, but his form doesn't seem to have been affected."
"Recently, we've rarely talked about his statistics, but in the scoring rankings, Clay Lee still leads most players."
"I think everyone, like me, is very much looking forward to how Head Coach Rivers will try to limit Clay Lee..."
Lee didn't arrive late, but he encountered a group of old friends in the arena's corridor.
Coupled with the family members everyone brought, just greeting, taking photos, and signing autographs took up a long time.
Fans who entered early eventually found that Lee's warm-up time was compressed.
Too many people came to tonight's game.
Everyone was there to join the fun.
At 2 PM, half an hour before the game, the sponsor's activities had already begun, and the on-site DJ once again announced to the packed Madison Square Garden that there would be basketball acrobatics at halftime.
The fans in the back rows shouting along to the music made the Madison Square Garden feel like a chaotic dance.
When the two teams began to enter, the atmosphere gradually reached its climax.
Most NBA players rarely have such an experience.
New York fans, who love to see excitement, only truly cheer when they encounter a strong opponent.
The shouts caused various expressions on the faces of several people on the Celtics' bench.
Marbury automatically ignored "Lee's title".
He just felt his blood boiling.
He liked this atmosphere.
It gave him a sense of fulfilling a dream.
He clapped continuously, and when the lights came on, Marbury bounced around, warming up his body.
He looked at Kevin Garnett, bumped fists again, and said loudly:
"Bro, let's start with this game!"
Kevin Garnett, who had already ripped off his training uniform, bumped fists with his old partner and then gave himself two loud punches.
He was very satisfied with Marbury's training attitude, and their relationship had "returned to good terms":
"Yee, this is the game!"
The increasingly noisy Madison square garden made Pierce's face light up with excitement, and his smile couldn't be held back.
Winning against weak teams didn't feel like much.
This was the kind of game he had imagined.
Compared to the opponent's excited mood, the New York Knicks didn't have much of a reaction.
The recent internal competition had made the locker room a bit tense.
The broadcast also focused the camera on Ron Artest, who had recently recovered from injury and was coming off the bench.
He no longer had his usual flamboyant smile.
The kid from Queens was still a substitute tonight.
When the players from both sides arrived at the center of the court, Lee, wearing the New York Knicks' white jersey, smiled and hugged Ray Allen, who was dressed in green, in greeting.
"It's great to see you here!"
Hearing Lee's words, Ray Allen also smiled happily, no longer covering his mouth as he spoke, and openly joked in front of the camera:
"Maybe I can still win the game!"
Their brief exchange made Kevin Garnett, who was standing nearby, frown.
He didn't like to socialize with opponents on the court, but he couldn't say anything at this moment.
Noticing Pau Gasol's relaxed demeanor, Kevin Garnett, who was preparing for the jump ball, immediately glared at him, displaying his tough attitude, which left the Spanish big man with a puzzled expression.
Pierce also mimicked him quite well, but Tayshaun Prince showed no reaction, continuing to stretch his legs and keeping his eyes fixed on the basketball in the referee's hand.
Marbury felt ignored and immediately clapped his hands and shouted a few times, but Raja Bell's attention was all on Ray Allen.
Tonight was also a test for him.
The afternoon game didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the New York fans.
At 2:30 PM, the game started on time.
Chandler reacted quickly, jumping up to tip the ball at the first moment.
The basketball flew directly to his own half-court.
The big man, upon landing, subtly clenched his fist, simply cheering himself on.
If he won tonight's game, he would have a greater chance of making it to the All-Star Game.
"Let's go Knicks!"
Amidst the cheers echoing through the Madison Square Garden, Marbury quickly moved to defend.
When he was with the Atlanta Hawks, he rarely played Defense because the team was tanking, but since coming to Boston, he spared no effort, giving his all every night.
Years of tanking games had given Marbury some bad defensive habits.
As the two rushed past half-court, Chandler's well-timed high screen immediately drew a whistle from the referee.
"Squeak!"
As the whistle blew, the referee pointed to Marbury's hand action.
The cheers in the Madison Square Garden made the outdated "New Yorks Son" frown and shrug, while Rivers on the sidelines also stopped idling and stood up, yelling.
Lee, with a smile on his face, tossed the ball to the referee, not looking at his opponent, and stood outside the sideline, looking at his teammates and signaling a tactical play.
Always aware of movements behind him, Marbury controlled his defensive distance while raising his hand to interfere.
But this time, the New York Knicks' sideline out-of-bounds play was simple and direct: Pau Gasol quickly ran out to the three-point line.
Although Kevin Garnett stuck to him like glue, once he moved away from the three-point line, the defensive intensity still dropped significantly.
At the same time, he loudly reminded his partner:
"Move!"
He casually tossed the ball to his teammate.
The moment Pau Gasol received the ball, Lee entered the court and suddenly accelerated, faking a handoff, then instantly accelerating and cutting back.
Marbury quickly adjusted his center of gravity.
Pau Gasol's pass, anticipating his opponent's movement, allowed Lee to receive the ball directly on the left wing.
Lee put the ball down and accelerated, and cheers erupted again.
Marbury, who was diligently chasing, gritted his teeth in the first possession, but despite his desperate slides, he was still shaken off by more than half a body length.
Perkins, under the basket, felt Lee had rushed in in the blink of an eye.
He instinctively moved his feet to help defend.
Before he could make a defensive move, Lee, in motion, tossed the ball into the air with his left hand.
Watching the basketball fly towards the upper right of the basket, Marbury and Perkins, who had stopped, both turned their heads, watching Chandler leap high, catch the ball in the air, and dunk it forcefully with both hands!
"Ah!"
Pulling hard to release the force, Chandler, who had completed the dunk, roared at his opponent.
He had feasted on this pass again.
Seeing such an easy score, some New York fans became even more excited.
This was different from what they had expected.
Their opponent didn't seem that strong?
Head Coach Rivers on the sidelines noticed Lee stopping at the baseline waiting to inbound the ball and immediately shouted a reminder to his players.
Perkins simply passed the ball to Ray Allen, who quickly faced Defense upon receiving the ball.
Unlike previous games, the New York Knicks had extended their defensive line significantly.
Mike D'Antoni, uncharacteristically, wasn't idling and was also giving simple instructions from the sidelines.
When Ray Allen approached the right wing, to be safe, he had to turn his back to protect the ball.
Pierce originally wanted to call for the ball directly in the right restricted area, but Tayshaun Prince was sticking very close, disrupting the reception.
Perkins actively moved up to set a screen for his teammate near the extended line.
Facing Chandler's deep drop Defense, Ray Allen ultimately passed the ball back to his wide-open teammate, then cut off-ball to the basket.
With Chandler's recovery, Perkins, near the right elbow, couldn't complete the pass.
Out of helplessness, he quickly passed the ball to Kevin Garnett, who had popped out to the left elbow.
When the latter received the ball, Marbury was on the left wing.
The usually easy handoff play failed due to Lee's interference.
He couldn't find an opportunity with a cutback either, so Marbury could only choose to create space, leading Lee towards the right corner.
"Defense!"
Seeing their opponent's first offensive possession somewhat stagnant, the fans cheered even louder.
Kevin Garnett, who had turned around, faced Pau Gasol's Defense and didn't pass the ball again.
After a jab step, he immediately put the ball down with his right hand.
Ray Allen, who had already run to the left corner, originally wanted another play with Kevin Garnett.
Just as he moved his feet to go up, his teammate had already dribbled once and pulled up for a free-throw line jumper.
Sending the ball into the basket over the Defense, Kevin Garnett, who had completed the tough jumper, seemed to be overcome with emotion and also let out a yell.
As he retreated on Defense, he pounded his chest twice.
"A resolute response! The Celtics seem to have found their offensive rhythm. Kevin Garnett's offense is more decisive than usual!"
Mark Jackson immediately commented on this possession.
Although the play didn't seem to work out, a made shot was always a good thing.
"It seems Clay Lee has no intention of speeding up after the opening. Perhaps both sides are probing… "
Mike Breen, standing nearby, chuckled and left his sentence unfinished.
Clay Lee, who had dribbled past half-court, suddenly executed a series of between-the-legs dribbles.
As his left hand touched the ball again, he burst past his defender by more than half a body length and immediately accelerated forcefully.
Seeing Marbury about to be beaten, the fans erupted in cheers.
The Celtics, who had just returned to half-court and stopped, didn't have time to help defend on the perimeter, and Lee had already broken through to the elbow.
Marbury, who had already picked up a whistle at the start, dared not make any hand movements now.
He desperately slid backward to his right.
The moment he reached the left elbow, as Lee executed a crossover pull-back, he completely lost control of his body.
Under inertia, Marbury still tried to continue his close-out Defense, but ultimately stumbled, almost doing the splits on the spot, and watched as Lee gathered the ball and calmly pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The basketball went cleanly through the net.
Perkins, who was still diligently boxing out, was stunned.
Another inbound pass?
"Oh!"
Joyful shouts filled the air.
Lee had sent a positive signal after the opening, which made the veteran fans cheer even louder.
It was highly likely they would witness an offensive spectacle tonight.
"Am I too slow?"
A thought flashed through Marbury's mind as he prepared to receive the ball, then he felt it was wrong.
He had also been beaten badly before, but he never had this feeling.
Raja Bell this time stuck to Ray Allen early.
The New York Knicks again applied tight Defense.
Marbury, upon receiving the ball, ultimately couldn't pick up speed.
Amidst the fans' jeers, he chose to dribble past half-court with his backside sticking out.
Facing Lee's earnest Defense, Marbury felt as if his opponent wanted to initiate a steal at any moment.
The defensive distance after the contact made it very difficult for him to accelerate.
A screen set by Kevin Garnett on the left wing, stepping on the three-point line, was quite effective.
As Marbury briefly shook off the Defense, he immediately lengthened his stride and drove into the arms of Pau Gasol, who had switched onto him.
Attempting to use his speed to drive strongly to the basket, as Marbury rushed near the left block, Chandler also began to move his feet.
The moment he attracted two defenders, he found Perkins under the basket on the right side through the seam.
The pass was too low, forcing the latter to adjust upon receiving the ball.
By the time Perkins exerted force to raise the ball, attempting to back down his opponent and lay it off the glass, Clay Lee, who had tangled with Kevin Garnett in the paint, seized the opportunity and suddenly exploded!
Perkins, who had barely managed to back down Chandler, had the ball slip from his hands the moment Lee swung his right arm and pinned it against the backboard.
"OH—! Blocked by Clay Lee!"
Mike Breen, from the commentary booth, almost cheered along.
Seeing Lee land and then jump a second time to snatch the ball from Garnett and poke it to a teammate, he instinctively shouted again:
"The New York Knicks have launched a fast break!"
Pau Gasol, who had controlled the ball, immediately passed it to Tayshaun Prince.
The latter received the ball and accelerated along the right sideline, instantly shaking off Pierce, who had just been preparing to grab the rebound.
On the other side, Ray Allen's retreat speed was incredibly fast.
He finally stopped his opponent, who was driving straight to the basket, near the paint.
But Tayshaun Prince attacked decisively, ignoring Pierce behind him, and forced a layup while being guarded by two players.
By the time the three players flew out of bounds, the referee blew his whistle again. Ray Allen committed a foul, sending Tayshaun Prince to the free-throw line.
Mike D'Antoni clapped with a chuckle from the sidelines.
Lee, who had stopped at half-court, didn't bother to run over, giving his teammate a thumbs-up before stopping at the free-throw line to wait for his opponent.
Although Ron Artest, sitting on the bench, cheered with the atmosphere group, he wasn't in a good mood.
Tayshaun Prince was visibly improving, and it seemed he was on the verge of replacing him.
2:6. After Tayshaun Prince calmly made both free throws, the cheers in the Madison Square Garden grew louder.
Watching replays makes it difficult to truly feel the New York Knicks' offensive rhythm.
Even struggling teams in the regular season can't experience "Playoff Lee."
Marbury, who was being tightly guarded as soon as he crossed half-court, tried to push the ball and change direction to shake off the Defense, but his strong-side shoulder drop and acceleration didn't have much effect.
In the end, he helplessly dribbled the ball behind his back with his right hand again, passing the ball again at the three-point line.
Relying on his strong body, Pierce muscled his way up from the left low post, eventually receiving the ball with his back to the basket near the restricted area.
Kevin Garnett at the right elbow wanted to go up for a screen, but his former boss pretended to be cool, shaking his head, indicating he wanted to go one-on-one.
"Defense!"
Amidst the defensive cheers, Pierce faked right, drove left, put the ball down with his left hand, and used a crossover step to try and get Tayshaun Prince behind him, then accelerated forcefully, trying to shake off the Defense.
Before he could reach the baseline, Chandler came up to block and help defend.
Seeing that he was about to be double-teamed, Pierce finally chose a bounce pass.
The basketball came to Perkins, who attempted a dunk under the basket, but was met squarely by Pau Gasol, who had returned to the interior, with a solid block.
"Oh!"
The moment the ball was dropped, Perkins yelled.
Kevin Garnett reacted quickly, grabbed the loose ball, and tried to lay it up in the crowd, but was again interfered with by Chandler.
The basketball bounced off the rim, and several players scrambled for it.
In the end, Chandler secured the ball, and Kevin Garnett cursed under his breath as he diligently retreated on Defense.
When Lee, who had been "watching the show" in the right corner, received the ball again, the Celtics had already completed their defensive matchups.
Head Coach Rivers on the sidelines was yelling at the top of his lungs, signaling Perkins to focus.
After the pass, Chandler trailed behind.
After crossing half-court, it was another high pick-and-roll.
As his teammates settled, Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, took advantage of Marbury adjusting his defensive position.
He suddenly lowered his center of gravity, pushed the ball outwards, feigned acceleration, and then suddenly brought the ball around his back with a large motion.
Marbury, who had just navigated the screen, watched helplessly as the basketball disappeared.
Amidst the low murmurs of the New York fans, the seemingly out-of-control basketball instantly returned to Lee's hand.
Perkins instinctively extended his left arm, and in the blink of an eye, he saw Lee, now holding the ball in his right hand, already beginning to accelerate horizontally.
The coach's reminder had some effect.
Dragging his somewhat clumsy body, Perkins diligently slid his feet, retreating to the right wing of the three-point line.
As he moved, Lee, without waiting for physical contact between them, suddenly stopped short and exploded with the ball.
Clearly seeing Lee push off with his left foot, then his entire body floated towards the right sideline, Perkins instinctively opened his mouth and shouted along, trying to interfere in this way:
"Ah!"
With a slight fadeaway, a drifting jump shot, Lee landed and revealed a teasing smile, looking at Perkins' comical Defense.
The big man hadn't stopped his feet yet and couldn't control his body, almost running out of bounds.
At this moment, the basketball had already flown into the basket, and Madison Square Garden erupted again.
2:9, the score rose again, and the New York fans in the arena became even more excited.
People near the front row started booing and shouting at the stunned Perkins:
"You better sit down!"
Being told to return to the bench just two minutes into the game, Perkins' face turned even darker when he came to his senses.
People had long said he was holding back the "Four Giants," and this comment hurt his pride.
Ray Allen had no choice but to loudly remind his teammates, signaling both big men to set screens for him on offense, then accelerating from near the right baseline.
After two screens, he accelerated and popped out to the left wing.
Raja Bell's chase-down Defense was delayed, but Marbury's pass was also a beat late.
Without stopping, realizing his teammate didn't want to risk a pass, Ray Allen simply cut towards the free-throw line, accelerating again to shake off the Defense, while Marbury finally threw the ball in.
After receiving the ball and adjusting his step, as Ray Allen drove to the basket in three strides, Raja Bell, who had been chasing him, once again stuck close.
Dashing towards the lower right side of the basket, seeing that the big man was about to help defend again, Ray Allen finally changed his rhythm, actively leaned into the Defense, and after contact, he leaned back in the air, twisting his body to throw the ball off the backboard.
The basketball hit the backboard and went in, and the Celtics' bench also cheered in response!
The game was still going on, but at the ABC commentary booth, Mark Jackson felt that something was not quite right.
The Celtics' fluid teamwork from the past month seemed to have disappeared.
Now it was a series of isolation plays.
Before he could voice his doubts, at the top of the arc, as Lee passed the ball, Pau Gasol received possession at the right elbow, and then there was another quick back-cut up the line.
Moving horizontally, faking a cut, Lee's fake at the right wing made Marbury shrink completely inside the three-point line.
He then popped out again to easily receive the ball, and Lee faked a shot, almost making his opponent jump immediately.
Some veteran New York fans had already stood up.
When Lee put the ball down with his right hand, dribbled one step, and took a horizontal step back to near the right sideline, everyone raised their arms, celebrating in advance.
The rhythmic shot did not disappoint the New York fans.
Marbury's symbolic interference had no effect, and the basketball arced through the net again, swishing.
"God! We're about to witness Clay Lee's showtime! Perfect sudden rhythm, this is simply art!"
Mike Breen was emotional, revealing his fan identity.
Looking at Rivers, who was already shouting near the scorer's table, Mark Jackson tactfully expressed his opinion:
"The Celtics seem to have lost themselves in their opponent's rhythm since the start of the game. They need to find a solution quickly."
Pierce called for the ball early at this point.
As he received the ball beyond the three-point line on the right wing, Marbury again ran to the opposite side to create offensive space.
Ray Allen, who was running along the baseline to the right corner, didn't get a good opportunity.
Finally, Pierce called Kevin Garnett for a screen, and with the ball in his left hand, he executed an In and Out move, using the screen to trap Tayshaun Prince.
Stopping and starting quickly, Pierce, leaning into the Defense, accelerated a second time, forcing a drive against Pau Gasol, who had helped defend at the basket.
He no longer chose to pass.
In the triple-team, Pierce finally fell to the floor.
The referee blew his whistle, and Tayshaun Prince raised his hand, receiving a foul.
5:12. After making one of two free throws, the arrogant expression Pierce had before the game was gone from his face.
He couldn't help but recall these experiences of being thoroughly beaten.
The New York Knicks' offensive rhythm was incredibly fast.
When Chandler again moved up and immediately cut down after a fake screen at the top of the arc, Perkins, who had followed him out, was stunned.
Still trying to delay, Lee's sudden pocket pass after a horizontal acceleration instantly cut through the Defense.
Receiving the bounce pass in the paint, Chandler wanted to dunk directly, but was immediately embraced by Kevin Garnett, and boos erupted in unison.
"Boo!"
Amidst the loud boos, on the Celtics' bench, Eddie House frowned, and taking advantage of the free throw, immediately stood up to remind Rivers:
"He already has 3 fouls! We can sub Perkins out, he's not ready."
The assistant coach's reminder calmed down Rivers, who had been yelling "Hey, hey."
However, after looking at Scott on the bench, he ultimately refused the substitution:
"We need rebounds."
Shouting at the top of his lungs, Head Coach Rivers signaled for a double screen for Marbury, and Perkins immediately nodded.
Chandler, who made both free throws, was in high spirits, punching himself twice, which made the New York fans cheer loudly.
They also had a tough guy on the court.
After the game began, for the first time, a high-quality play was executed.
Perkins and Kevin Garnett's screen at the arc helped Marbury shake off Lee.
Holding the ball in his left hand, he immediately stopped short at the arc.
Facing Chandler, who chose to sag back on Defense after the switch, Marbury decisively shot an air ball.
Watching Tayshaun Prince pick up the long rebound, Mike D'Antoni on the sidelines smiled again, settling back into his seat contentedly.
Leaning back, he loudly told his coaching staff beside him:
"They have no chance of winning. Later, they can only stop Lee by fouling him!"
Mike Malone, who had been engrossed in watching the game, came back to his senses, smiled, and nodded along, but internally he was powerlessly complaining.
He knew Mike D'Antoni wasn't this confident before the game:
"The strongest tactic is really effective."
In a half-transition offense, Tayshaun Prince stopped on the left wing and passed the ball to Lee.
It was again at the arc, and before Marbury could set up his defensive stance, the Celtics' Defense was broken again.
The moment he released the ball, Lee's body swayed to the front left, then he performed a large in-and-out dribble.
Marbury lost a step, barely chased back, but ended up in a helpless collision.
Slowing down at the free-throw line, Lee leaned into the Defense, bumping Marbury backward, then calmly stepped back horizontally.
From the right elbow, with no interference, his fadeaway jump shot went in again!
After making the shot, Lee no longer full-court pressed, but instead moved back on Defense, while smiling and shrugging at the fans.
"Oh!!"
Completely suppressed in speed and strength, Marbury seemed to hear Lee say to him, "Is this all you've got?"
He angrily slapped the ball when he received it.
After the pick-and-roll in the offensive possession, Marbury again crashed into Pau Gasol.
Holding the ball in his left hand, Marbury drove straight to the basket.
After being interfered with, he folded in the air, trying to find Kevin Garnett trailing behind him.
The basketball was passed through the crowd again, but Lee cleanly stole it.
Garnett could only delay immediately, forcing the Celtics to retreat on Defense again.
"Let's go Knicks!"
The cheers echoing through the Madison Square Garden made Marbury at the arc calm down again.
Looking at his approaching opponent, he nervously tugged at his shorts.
After a hop dribble, the basketball briefly hovered on Lee's left hand.
As his opponent moved, he instantly completed a crossover.
Marbury successfully anticipated it and immediately shifted his center of gravity.
Hurriedly sliding backward to the left, Marbury, trying to block Lee, helplessly found himself more than half a step behind again.
He couldn't keep up with this offensive rhythm.
The jeering shouts grew louder and louder.
Lee, who was about to completely break through the Defense, then smoothly pulled the ball back between his legs at the free-throw line.
Marbury immediately slid past him.
By the time Lee faked with the ball, he couldn't control his defensive movement.
Marbury, who instinctively lunged forward, tried hard to rein in his body, but the referee quickly blew the whistle again.
"Squeak!"
Clay Lee, with the Defense hanging on him, shot a steady jump shot.
Watching the basketball swish through the net again, Kevin Garnett under the basket also stared wide-eyed.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
When the joyous shouts appeared in the Madison Square Garden, Head Coach Rivers, standing dumbfounded nearby, didn't come back to his senses for a moment.
Only after being reminded by his assistant coach did he call a timeout.
5:17, less than half a quarter played, the starting guard had 2 fouls, and the team was down by 12 points.
When Eddie House received the call from the coaching staff, he felt his scalp tingle.
In a losing situation, he really didn't want to guard Lee.
The "Little Guy Killer" wasn't just a made-up title.
"Be tougher! OK? Move the ball around! We need to get our game rhythm back!"
"Let's go! We have enough time."
Rivers waved his hands repeatedly in front of his players.
The noise in the arena forced him to shout at the top of his lungs.
At this point, he had no time to care about the dejected Marbury.
After the timeout, Ray Allen's three-pointer saved the team.
There was still no discernible play.
Eddie House stalled after distributing the ball at the arc.
On the left wing, using Perkins' fake screen, Ray Allen instantly completed an in-and-out dribble after releasing the ball with his right hand, then immediately gathered the ball and shot a very quick three-pointer from beyond the arc.
8:17, the deficit returned to single digits, and Ray Allen, retreating on Defense, clapped his hands repeatedly.
Marbury, sitting on the bench, grew increasingly frustrated, watching Eddie House being steamrolled and driven past by Lee at the arc.
Kevin Garnett was forced to help defend, and Pau Gasol, receiving the ball below the right side of the basket, threw down a one-handed dunk.
Pierce, facing a double team, passed the ball again, and ultimately, it was Kevin Garnett who scored with a fake jump shot from the free-throw line.
The game picked up pace, and Eddie House, repeatedly being blown by, was on the verge of collapsing.
The opponent's offense was too aggressive, nothing like the pre-game talk of more pick-and-rolls.
It was all face-to-face drives.
When Kevin Garnett missed a jump shot and Pierce finally made a field goal, the New York Knicks also called a timeout.
Tayshaun Prince was substituted out, and Ron Artest came in as a substitute.
With 4 minutes and 46 seconds left in the first quarter, the New York Knicks, with their changed lineup, once again limited the opponent's offense.
Aside from free throws, the Celtics' field goals seemed to disappear for a while.
As time passed in the game, Kevin Garnett couldn't hold on either.
Lee performed a spin move at the arc, and with the ball in his right hand, he again drove into the paint, shouldering Eddie House.
Intending to show his toughness, Kevin Garnett prepared to play rough, moving his feet, but then saw Lee stop short, bump off his defender, and then step back horizontally for another fadeaway jump shot.
In the close-to-the-rim area of the paint, scoring consecutively in almost the same manner, the New York fans watched Clay Lee make a 'C' sign with his thumb and forefinger as he retreated on Defense, and the cheers grew even louder.
The wave of sound swept through the entire Madison Square Garden.
The Celtics players on the court were almost stunned.
Pierce, after a pick-and-roll on the right wing, drove with a slow three-step move, but Ron Artest seized the opportunity and grabbed the basketball.
In the scramble, both players fell directly into the paint.
With the fans' shouts ringing in his ears, Pierce, seeing the referee signal a jump ball, angrily stood up and butted heads.
After Ron Artest successfully won the jump ball at the free-throw line, watching his old rival celebrate with a fist pump in front of him, Pierce almost lost his cool on the spot.
Ray Allen helped defend early, and for a moment, the Celtics' Defense couldn't rotate in time.
Raja Bell received the ball on the right wing, and his quick three-pointer went in again!
The New York Knicks' bench erupted in cheers.
On the other side, Marbury began to cover his face.
Tony Allen and Glen Davis both looked bewildered.
This was completely different from what they had imagined.
With frequent free throws in the last minute, when Lee's super-long three-pointer missed, Head Coach Rivers on the sidelines subconsciously let out a long breath, then cursed under his breath:
"Damn it!"
22:38, as Eddie House walked towards the bench, his mind felt blank—a nightmarish half-quarter.
Playing the entire first quarter, 8 of 9 from the field, 2 of 3 from three-point range, 5 of 5 from the free-throw line, 23 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block.
Clay Lee regrettably narrowly defeated the Celtics.
Head Coach Mike D'Antoni had already been high-fiving his players on the sidelines.
Seeing Lee slowly walk over, he immediately stepped forward and gave him a big hug, his face beaming.
The director also aimed the camera here.
The tactical master gave his opponent a surprise at the start, a situation that almost stunned the sports reporters present.
When Michelle Tafoya appeared beside Head Coach Rivers, her expression was strange.
What happened to the promised 100 tactical sets?
"With a 16-point deficit, how will the Celtics adjust in the upcoming game?"
"..."
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