It has insisted on "iron-blooded" defense for many years, and the number of rounds has been counting down almost every year. New York fans have been tired of watching it for so many years.
Therefore, when Li You was wearing a white long arm guard and playing basketball that did not belong to the Knicks style, the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden was completely ignited.
Every time Li You shakes, the fans will exclaim. Even if he is shooting and hitting the iron, everyone does not care at all. The intention expressed by the fans is obvious:
"I love watching it! Throw it away!"
The first quarter of the game is coming to an end. Except for the starter Larry Johnson, the Knicks have all substitutes, and the same is true for the opposite Bulls team.
Toni Kukoc and Bill Wennington formed a twin tower. This combination that rarely appears in the regular season has shown that Phil Jackson does not care about this preseason game at all.
In this connecting lineup, Larry Johnson played more proactively than the starter. When Kukoc was defending, he went around to complete the steal.
After successfully stealing the ball, he immediately threw the ball to Li You who had already started.
After catching the ball, Li You first turned his head to observe the situation behind him, and noticed that Larry Johnson was rushing forward, holding the ball in his right hand, and constantly accelerating.
Steve Kerr, who came off the bench, could only quickly pursue Li You, and soon the two crossed the three-point line.
Li You had no intention of slowing down at all. He rushed up in three strides before approaching the paint area, grabbed the ball with his right hand, faked a real pass, and casually threw the ball back against Stephen Cole's block.
Larry Johnson, who followed up, jumped up hard, grabbed the ball with both hands in the air, and took advantage of the situation to slam into the frame!
"Boom!" Alley-oop dunk succeeded!
Li You, who landed on the ground, did not look at the situation behind him, opened his hands, smiled, and circled around the baseline to quickly return to defense.
"oh!!"
The Madison Square Garden Arena was in complete excitement, and all the fans were shouting with joy.
Larry Johnson, who completed the dunk, stood under the basket and roared, but found that most of the fans were looking at Li You who was returning to defense.
He was the one who stole the ball and he was the one who dunked, but it was Li You who stole the show. Larry Johnson suddenly lost his mood and muttered in a low voice:
"A pushy rookie!"
Steve Kerr stood helplessly at the baseline with his hands on his hips. He felt like he was being targeted.
Since he came on as a substitute, Li You has completely let himself go. This was not the case when he faced Harper before.
On the Knicks bench, Starks waved a towel and shouted and celebrated together. Patrick Ewing could also sense the joyful mood of the fans, and for a moment it happened to be a lemon...
Larry Johnson usually plays the fourth position for the Hornets. As a short power forward, before his back injury, his playing style was very similar to Barkley's, and he liked to hit the basket.
But after the injury, his athletic ability declined and he was forced to increase his jump shots. His defensive end was not as good as in his heyday.
A simple high-low cooperation by the Bulls, Bill Wennington received a pass from Kukoc, raised the ball high, and easily scored 2 points under the basket.
With 11 seconds left, veteran Buck Williams quickly served a baseline ball. In the last attack of the first quarter, Li You, who received the ball, quickly dribbled across the half court and approached the three-point line at the top of the arc and began to slow down.
Steve Kerr, who was retreating from defense, had just taken a defensive position. Li You held the ball in his right hand and paused slightly at the three-point line. While leaning forward, he twisted his right foot to exert force, then turned his hip to accelerate.
The fans at the scene could not see these details. What everyone saw was that Li You accelerated his breakthrough and grabbed half of his body, while Steve Kerr slid awkwardly.
For a moment, the stadium cheered again. When Li You, who had grabbed half of his body, broke through below the free throw line, he suddenly dribbled the ball behind his back quickly. When he picked up the ball with his left hand, he turned sharply toward the baseline.
Steve Kerr had just slid to the left, and due to a defensive misjudgment, he was completely shaken away. He could only watch as Li You made a cool fadeaway jumper!
"Whoa!" A steady hit from mid-range.
Such a silky smooth goal once again made the fans shout excitedly. Steve Kerr made a face, feeling that he was exposed...
The first quarter ended at 25:25. Although both sides were in average condition, the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden became increasingly lively.
"I like Lee's performance. After watching the Big East Conference finals, I know he is suitable for the Knicks. This is the offense everyone is looking forward to seeing!"
In the commentary box, John Kenneth was also a little excited, feeling that what he had been looking forward to for many years was really about to come true.
At this time, groom Albert also happily praised Li You’s performance:
"It's hard to imagine that Lee is not yet 19 years old. Maybe that's why he chose to participate in the draft as a sophomore. He is definitely an underrated talent!"
Anyone can see the Knicks' offensive changes after Li You came on the court.
Larry Johnson is more active in offense and defense. When Chris Childs, who comes on the bench, holds the ball, Li You can also run tactics and play without the ball.
Although rookie John Wallace made two cuts without the ball, Li You's assists after the breakthrough were very good.
Veteran Buck Williams moved down the pick-and-roll. Although he missed the layup, the whole process was smooth and smooth.
On the bench, Jeff Van Gundy was in a mixed mood. He didn't have any sense of accomplishment at this time. Li You could handle the offense well without any instructions...
In the second quarter, the rotation of both sides continued, with Phil Jackson taking the position at the end of the bench and seemingly not caring about the outcome of the game.
Li You took the initiative to give the ball to Chris Childs and tried his best to let everyone touch the ball.
Steve Kerr had an illusion when he was guarding Li You without the ball. He felt that he was chasing Reggie Miller...
The simplest tactical cooperation, Li You quickly slid the baseline from right to left, and Buck Williams made a ball-free screen near the baseline on the left.
Steve Kerr, who was delayed, was half a beat late in pursuit and didn't call out his teammates. He watched Li You easily catch the ball from the left wing outside the three-point line, then turned around and threw it!
Before the ball was scored, the Knicks fans at the scene started cheering and celebrating.
Seeing the ball go hollow into the net, Harper stood up slowly on the Bulls bench. Without any signal from the coach, he knew it was time for him to appear.
Li You knows his weaknesses. These old guys may have slowed down their lateral movement, but with their physical advantages and rich defensive experience, they can always slow him down.
Seeing that Li You became more cautious in dribbling and the ball protector kept moving, the commentator Marv Albert commented with a smile:
"Interesting matchup, if Lee can be stronger, I believe he can deal with Harper's defense more easily."
John Kenneth still thinks Li You performed very well:
"Smart guy, I'm sure Coach Van Gundy will like Lee's performance."
Larry Johnson has become more and more comfortable playing during this period. He has fallen into a positional battle. In the stage of responding to the ball, Li You's ball speed is very fast. After completing the position, the ball is in hand.
It's a pity that in less than half a quarter, the main lineup returned and Larry Johnson became the second choice again...
Li You, who was substituted, watched the Knicks' offense return to its original routine and shook his head secretly:
"In the age of poutyness, it seems difficult for Jeff Van Gundy to make changes."
