On the night of January 18th, all the Phoenix fans who bought tickets to watch the game missed Charles Barkley.
The Suns had a record of 41 wins last season. Although they were easily won by the Spurs 3:1 in the first round of the playoffs, as long as Barkley and Kevin Johnson are there, everyone feels that they can make a comeback in the future.
At 58:45 of the half, the Suns were already 13 points behind.
Kevin Johnson didn't feel good in the first half, shooting 1 of 4. He scored 8 points on free throws, sent out 5 assists, and made 2 turnovers.
The opponent Li You made 5 of 11, 3 of 6 three-pointers, 3 of 4 free throws, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 turnover.
The noisy arena seems to indicate that Phoenix fans have begun to lose confidence. Kevin Johnson failed to suppress the rookie Li You, which was unimaginable in the past...
Injuries will not be an excuse. In the third quarter, Kevin Johnson began to attack the basket desperately, constantly challenging Ewing's ability to protect the frame.
This situation made the Suns fans at the scene feel extremely sad. If Barkley was still there, Kevin Johnson would not be playing so tired.
After making one of two free throws, Charles Oakley protected the backboard, Li You received the ball, and the Knicks launched another transition attack.
At this time, Ewing was more active than in the first half. Li You was delayed and slowed down, and the gorilla had already rushed into the paint area.
While blocking sideways, Ewing didn't need to open his hands. The moment he approached the basket, Li You sent a semi-lob pass.
Ewing, who caught the ball, used his body to push away the retreating Holt, turned around and grabbed the ball with his left hand, got to the basket and easily put it up!
"Shhh!!"
The huge boos that erupted in the arena did not affect Ewing's good mood.
In less than half a quarter, Ewing easily scored 8 points by relying on fast breaks, low throws after receiving the ball, and mid-range jumpers after receiving the ball near the baseline on the right side.
The gorilla ran along for a few rounds and wanted to shout:
"Quick attack tastes great!"
After the starting lineup reappeared in the third quarter, Li You did not throw three-pointers blindly. He defended honestly, pushed transition attacks, and gave more balls to the basket.
The Suns, whose defensive discipline declined, could not withstand this wave of offensive. After a wave of 12:6, the point difference was widened again.
Cedric of the Suns didn't want to admit defeat. After speeding up the offensive rhythm, he also started to attack the basket. In this regard, Larry Johnson, like Li You, could only pay for a foul.
"Auntie" received his fourth foul early and had to be replaced in frustration. It was rare for the game to run and play, and Larry Johnson also wanted to take the opportunity to score more points.
Li You also received his fourth foul at the end of the third quarter. Kevin Johnson continued to attack the basket, and the Suns once again narrowed the point difference.
84:74, after three quarters, the Knicks still lead by 10 points.
Li You was also a little helpless about his own foul trouble. He lacked defensive experience and was a common problem among rookie players. This matter could only accumulate slowly.
"Well done, Lee! Don't worry about fouls. Rookies will all experience foul crises. All you have to do is learn from the game. In many cases, you can rely more on your teammates to help defend."
Assistant coach Thibodeau pointed out what Li You should pay attention to on the defensive end.
Li You rarely makes gambling steals, but when faced with a small defender's breakthrough layup, he always subconsciously jumps up to block the shot.
This was caught by Kevin Johnson. With his rich game experience, most of the free throws tonight were sent by Li You.
"I understand, I will control the number of fouls!"
Hearing Li You's words, assistant coach Thibodeau nodded. Coaches like smart players, and Li You can explain many things at a glance.
Kevin Johnson didn't rest in the fourth quarter and continued to play. The Knicks' Li You also followed suit. Both sides replaced the center for a last-ditch effort.
The Knicks took the lead in attacking. Using the same tactic, Li You passed the ball quickly after passing halftime, and Starks, who came on rotation, received the ball at the top of the arc.
Moving laterally from left to right, Li You used the double cover of McCarty and veteran Buck to get rid of Kevin Johnson's pursuit again.
The Suns took the rotation and Danny Manning switched defense in time. Li You feinted the ball from the right wing outside the three-point line. Taking advantage of the opponent's slip, he immediately lowered his center of gravity and released the ball with his right hand to break through.
Danny Manning subconsciously slid to the left and back, but Li You just took one step and immediately crossed back.
A simple shake allowed Li You to easily get enough space to shoot. He combined the ball with the ball and immediately shot a jump shot from outside the three-point line before the opponent could jump to defend him!
"Shhh!!"
The ball hit the net hollowly, and boos immediately broke out in the crowd. Li You's clean three-pointer also stimulated the Suns fans at the scene.
Kevin Johnson didn't care. While speeding up the offensive rhythm, he continued to drive to the basket. The Clay Man also had three-pointers. Li You was frequently penetrated. It didn't take three rounds and he was charged with another foul...
The Suns, who have not recovered their touch, continue to play. For the Knicks, Li You continues to push the transition attack and give cakes to his teammates.
With the last 6 minutes and 02 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Li You had just completed a free throw and returned to half court. When he went on defense, the referee whistled another hand-holding foul.
Sighing helplessly, Li You shrugged his shoulders and could only walk to the bench. He graduated with 6 fouls for the first time in his career.
The Suns fans at the scene were not happy either. They became the backdrop tonight...
The on-site commentator Al McCoy heard the director's prompt and helplessly praised Li You:
"At 19 years and 18 days old, congratulations to Lee for becoming the youngest player in NBA history to get 15 assists in a single game."
"I don't think Phoenix fans want to see this. 19 years old? It's unbelievable. It's really an amazing record."
Played 35 minutes, 8 of 17, 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, 5 of 6 free throws, 25 points, 3 rebounds, 15 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers and 6 fouls.
On the Knicks bench, the atmosphere team stood up and high-fived Li You to celebrate. At this time, the Suns still did not give up. Lauren Meyer broke out at the last moment and stood on the free throw line continuously.
Fortunately, both sides entered the extra penalty state, and Ewing also followed up with a free throw. This situation suffered for the Suns fans at the scene and the game time was lengthened.
Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines was a little nervous at this time, and he also started to stand up and give instructions, signaling everyone to hold on.
In the end, at 110:103, the Knicks successfully withstood the Suns' explosive penalty and won the tug-of-war.
There were constant boos in the arena. Kevin Johnson, who played 44 minutes, put his hands on his hips and looked a little lonely looking at the scoreboard.
4 of 14, 13 of 14 free throws, 21 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers.
After scoring 20+10, Kevin Johnson felt that he had done his best.
Everyone in the Knicks quickly walked to the tunnel. The Suns made 41 free throws tonight, and anyone would feel a little unhappy.
Li Youhe didn't pay attention to the shouts and curses from the fans. After walking into the player tunnel, he saw the Suns staff looking over, smiled and shook his head and said loudly:
"Free throws? It doesn't matter. I will always win in Phoenix. This city will never win a championship!"
Assistant coach Thibodeau quickly stepped forward, hugged Li You's shoulders and walked quickly to the locker room. This is not New York, and the coaching staff does not want to cause trouble.
After returning to the locker room, Ewing looked at the technical statistics and discovered that Li You had broken the record again, and he felt like a lemon.
Charles Oakley doesn't care about this. The old guy is very satisfied with Li You's performance. Ewing still ranks first in the team in shots.
Jeff Van Gundy also showed a smile after entering the locker room, clapped his hands and summed up loudly:
"Wonderful game! We showed the results of our training, this is logging tired, we have to play for each other!"
"Next week, we will have a schedule of five games in seven days. Therefore, when we return to New York, the training sessions are canceled and have a good rest. I don't want to see the news about you appearing in the nightclub in the newspaper!"
"Finally, congratulations to Lee, the youngest 20+15 player in NBA history. I think no one can break this record!"
Everyone in the Knicks team started cheering loudly. Finally, equipment manager Mike handed the game ball to Li You and said with a smile:
"Li, take the match ball. This record will be difficult to break in a short time. Don't be polite this time!"
The previous scoring record was broken by the Trail Blazers' high school rookie Jermaine O'Neal a few days ago. Considering that 15 assists is quite difficult, Li You finally took over the game ball:
"Records belong to everyone! It's dangerous and logging is tiring!"
The atmosphere team and several newbies started shouting again. Li You was in a good mood and smiled. He would definitely be on TV again:
"If you can limit the number of shots, can you also limit the number of assists?"
...
In less than a day, after Li You returned to New York with the team, a new record swept the NBA league, and sports media followed suit.
The media in New York praised Li You like a flower, and the new record made the front page headlines in the sports sections of several print media.
For fans in New York, this year is a double blessing!
Without O'Neal in the Eastern Conference, there is no doubt that Ewing, who was selected as one of the top 50 superstars, will be elected as the starting center of the Eastern Conference All-Stars.
Li You, who was selected by the team with the 18th overall pick, sets a record every now and then. Coupled with the frequent changes to his playing style, the supply of home tickets exceeds the demand...
On the morning of the 19th, a rare day off, agent Mark Bartelstein came to visit Li You again.
On the TV, on the TNT program, hosts Ernie Johnson and McHale were also talking about records, and by the way, they also analyzed Li You's technical characteristics.
"What a pity. If you could be selected as an All-Star in your rookie year, it would definitely make your popularity even further!"
"Jeff Van Gundy's qualifications are too poor, otherwise he could have selected you based on the Knicks' record."
"The Heat's Tim Hardaway doesn't have as many fan votes as you!"
Mark Bartelstein watched the TV show with a regretful expression. He really hoped that Li You would be selected as an All-Star in his rookie year. Then, with the cooperation of the New York media, he would be famous!
Li You was also watching the TNT program. McHale did a good job in analyzing it and introduced his lack of confrontation and unsatisfactory finishing at the basket:
"This year's All-Star Game, the top 50 superstars are the highlight!"
"The Rookie Challenge has also been exposed. The sneaker contract is our phased goal. I think there will be new offers."
It has never been an easy thing for players to get a large sneaker contract, and Mark Bartelstein also knows that the most important thing is that it is a lot of money.
"Michael Jordan is ranked 46th. There are indeed some problems with the ranking, but it also makes sense..."
The voice coming from the TV made Mark Bartelstein shake his head helplessly:
"Li, this is the media. For ratings and sales, they can always lower their lower limit."
"If you don't perform well and the New York media starts to question you, remember to throw those newspapers and magazines in the trash."
Li You nodded indifferently. He really liked reading outrageous news:
"Jordan ranked 46th? Maybe this year's Cleveland All-Stars can witness history again..."
