On the night of November 1st, at 109:99, the Knicks successfully defeated the Raptors and ushered in a good start to the season.
Alan Houston scored 28 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 turnovers. Patrick Ewing remained stable with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block and 3 turnovers.
Everyone on the Knicks team was in a good mood after winning the game and everyone on the Knicks team was in a good mood. Charles Oakley, who had diarrhea, was also recovering well. Looking at the depressed Raptors team, everyone on the team grinned:
"Well done, I like such an easy game!"
The newbie Walter McCarty secretly cried out that it was a pity. He wished that the old guy would collapse...
After Li You satisfied the autograph demands of some fans, he quickly returned to the locker room. Post-game physiotherapy was also a hassle.
Starks played 24 minutes tonight, shooting 6 of 10, including 1 of 4 three-pointers, 4 of 4 free throws, and scored 17 points.
Although the veteran didn't care about Jeff Van Gundy's use of him, after returning to the locker room, he still teased starter Charlie Ward:
"Unlucky Charlie was almost beaten by the Raptors' rookie guard. Remember to please the coach more when you go back!"
Charlie Ward remained silent, shooting 1 of 3, scoring 4 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 turnovers. Jeff Van Gundy really favored him, but his performance tonight was really outstanding.
Li You and Starks fist-bumped in greeting, returned to their seats and began to apply ice, and also joked about Charlie Ward:
"Six games in nine days. This schedule is really unfriendly. I think my physical fitness will be affected. Oh! I almost forgot, the substitutes won't have much playing time."
Li You would not be polite to people competing for the same position. The Knicks' locker room is like this, and rookies who perform well have to accept the ridicule of the group.
Everyone who returned to the locker room happily watched a few people chatting.
There is no saying here that "humility makes people progress, and pride makes people fall behind." It is a common phenomenon for good people to be bullied.
Fortunately, Jeff Van Gundy quickly returned to the locker room, and Charlie Ward breathed a sigh of relief. His backer was back:
"Excellent performance, maintain such a competitive state, the schedule is very tight, after returning to New York, remember to have a good rest and don't eat randomly."
"I hope to win the next two home games!"
Charles Oakley didn't care when he heard Jeff Van Gundy's nagging and continued to tease the newbie Walter McCarty with a smile.
When Ewing and Van Gundy attended the press conference, Charles Oakley smiled again:
"My treat tonight is beef cheeseburgers. No one is allowed to help Walter. He didn't even play tonight. It's time to run some errands!"
The newbie Walter McCarty could only agree with an apologetic smile, cursing secretly in his heart:
"Eat you to death, old guy!"
"..."
There were 14 games on the day of the 1st, and many rookies from the 1996 generation made their debuts.
The most eye-catching one is Allen Iverson of the 76ers.
111:103, although the 76ers lost to the Bucks at home, Iverson's debut surprised everyone!
Iverson played 37 minutes and made 12 of 19 shots, including 2 of 4 three-pointers and 4 of 6 free throws. He efficiently scored 30 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 3 turnovers.
The Bucks' Ray Allen performed mediocrely, playing 28 minutes and shooting 3 of 10, including 2 of 3 three-pointers, 5 of 7 free throws, 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 turnover.
ESPN and TNT wildly praised Iverson's performance that night. The simple summary is:
"The 76ers lost, but I didn't lose!"
Among the new players, Li You was also praised for his double-double data. The highly anticipated Stephon Marbury was the unluckiest, being injured and leaving the game after 8 minutes of playing;
Rahim, who was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies, also performed very well, with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block and 2 turnovers. Marcus Camby of the Raptors left the game with 6 fouls and 5 points and 4 rebounds;
Steve Nash of the Suns played 5 minutes and scored zero points;
Fisher of the Lakers performed well, scoring 4 of 5, efficiently scoring 12 points, two rebounds and 5 assists.
As for Kobe Bryant, he didn't get a chance to play at all. Silver Fox Harris seemed to feel that the high school freshman was not ready yet...
The Knicks flew back to New York overnight, and everyone only had one day to rest.
On the night of the 3rd, in Madison Square Garden, the Knicks defeated the Hornets in the first quarter of the game.
At 11:37, Ewing once again showed his dominance against Divac, who had just joined the Hornets!
After playing for 12 minutes, Ewing made 4 of 7 in a single quarter, scoring 12 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
Such an all-around performance also made the New York media go crazy!
Charlie Ward also rebounded strongly. Relying on the opponent's mistakes, he made 3 of 5 in a single quarter and scored 7 points efficiently.
Larry Johnson was the most depressed. He originally wanted to show off himself in front of his old club, but no one gave him face, and he still didn't have the ball on the offensive end.
With a big lead, Li You and several new players also got more playing time.
The Hornets' starting point guard was originally Bugs Burgess, but he was injured and left the game near the end of the first quarter, giving rookie Tony Delk a chance.
His partner in the backcourt was Dell Curry. The Hornets, who were lagging behind by a big score, originally wanted to fight back, but in the second quarter, they were blown away by three-pointers from Li You and Starks.
At 22:33 of a single quarter, at the end of halftime, the score was fixed at 33:70, and the Madison Square Garden Arena had turned into a sea of joy.
In the downwind game, Li You, whose playing time increased, once again showed his ability to abuse food.
There are three-pointers in transition offense, fixed-point three-pointers after running tactics, and three-pointers with the ball after pick-and-roll.
Jeff Van Gundy limited everyone's playing time to about 25 minutes. In the end, the Knicks returned home and defeated the Hornets at 83:115!
Li You, who played 23 minutes, made 6 of 11 shots, 4 of 7 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 18 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 turnover.
18 points is also the highest score of the Knicks team. When Jeff Van Gundy was interviewed after the game, he did not hesitate to praise:
"Lee is definitely a talented player. Maybe you have all seen his scoring ability, but I want to praise his team awareness more."
"He can always give out assists at the right time. Lee's organizational ability is definitely underestimated!"
The hearty victory gave the New York media a surge of confidence. Since the next game was against the Los Angeles Lakers, they went crazy with the venom before the game even started:
"Ewing will teach the Sharks a lesson, the Lakers can't win at Madison Square Garden!"
The duel between super centers naturally attracted a lot of fans' attention, and it is considered a fixed program every year!
On the night of the 5th, New York fans who enthusiastically bought tickets to watch the game could only watch Shaquille O'Neal wreak havoc under the basket.
Neither Charles Oakley nor Patrick Ewing could limit the explosive Sharks in the low post.
This game is completely a duel between inside players. In addition to O'Neal's low post, the Lakers use their absolute strength to attract outside players to frequently hit the basket.
Cedric and Van Exel's cuts always lead to free throws...
Although the Knicks kept clinging to the score, O'Neal still had the last laugh in this duel of super centers.
98:92, the Lakers, who slowed down after the opening game, suppressed the Knicks throughout the game and successfully won three consecutive victories.
Patrick Ewing was particularly embarrassed tonight. It was difficult for the gorilla to hit the paint area, and he could only frequently make iron-blooded jump shots near the left and right baselines.
Played 41 minutes, made 8 of 22, 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 turnovers. Ewing's shooting percentage was even less than 40%.
After winning the game, O'Neal looked high-spirited. He played 41 minutes, made 12 of 23, 26 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals and 5 blocks. The Sharks showed their dominance in Madison Square Garden!
Li You only had 11 minutes of playing time, and had to give the ball to the inside when he came on. The Lakers' Kobe Bryant only played 3 minutes in the early part of the second quarter, made 1 of 2 free throws, and scored 1 point...
2 of 5, 1 of 3 from behind the three-point line, 5 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists. Li You, who returned to the locker room, looked at these pitiful statistics and was speechless:
"At 18 years old, I stand like a gangster..."
