For Anfernee Hardaway, having less than 40 points in half-time for two consecutive games in this year's playoffs was a nightmare.
In the first round G2 of the Eastern Conference, during the game between the Magic and the Knicks, at 31:58, at halftime, the Magic already trailed by 27 points.
The overwhelming sarcasm in Madison Square Garden made Hardaway's eyes wide open. This was an experience he had never experienced before.
Such a huge point difference also means that the game is over, and the Knicks will not waste such an opportunity at all.
Li You in the starting lineup and Chris Childs on the bench firmly control the rhythm of the game. As long as they can keep up with the response to the ball, it will be another 3 quarters tonight.
Back in the locker room at midfield, Alan Houston felt completely comfortable. Last year, he and Grant Hill were swept out of the playoffs by Hardaway and O'Neal in the first round. This year, they have successfully avenged:
"With 13 points in a single quarter, it seems we can sweep our opponents!"
Everyone nodded when they heard Alan Houston's words. The Magic's disappointing performance, 3:0 in the series, shouldn't be a problem.
Although the opponent lacked a main insider, the game ended like this, which was far beyond "aunt's" expectations. It was really easy.
"In the first round of this year, the probability is 3:0."
Larry Johnson also felt that the game was easy, and he also knew that the Heat had already got the match point, and the opponent did not give the Hornets any chance.
"Auntie" felt a little uncomfortable when she saw the Hornets losing cleanly.
Glenn Rice, who dominated the regular season, still performed well in the playoffs, but the entire team was unable to do anything against the Heat's iron-blooded defense, and G2 lost another 12 points.
"Winning the game early will also give you more rest time."
Ewing simply reminded everyone that the Heat have a high probability of sweeping their opponents. The Gorillas don't want the Knicks to suffer during the rest time. After all, the veteran's recovery ability is poor.
Although Li You feels that Hardaway will definitely break out after returning to the home court, other players on the Magic team are really a little stretched.
Averaged only 94.1 points per game in the regular season, and the Magic's scoring ability ranked fifth in the league. This situation did not change in the playoffs.
With such a huge point difference, Jeff Van Gundy didn't give too many instructions after returning to the locker room. This game could not be lost at all.
After the start of the second half of the game, the New York fans' emotions remained unabated and they still cheered loudly for the home team and mocked "Mr. 50 Points" by the way.
The Magic recovered, but time ran out. Hardaway kept scoring points, and all Li You needed to do was control the rhythm of the game and put the ball in the right position.
Occasionally, when Hardaway is not paying attention, he sneaks into the basket and easily scores points.
Throughout the second half, the two sides played lively. In the fourth quarter, Hardaway did not give up. The Knicks played with him for 6 minutes, and then coach Adubatu changed to the atmosphere team.
At 84:108, at the end of the game, Hardaway, who was sitting on the bench, looked at the 24-point difference with his eyes blank.
Winning the game by a big score made the New York fans at the scene wildly mock the Magic.
In the MSG commentary box, commentator Marv Albert said with emotion:
"At 19 years and 117 days old, Lee surpassed Magic Johnson and became the youngest player in NBA playoff history to score 15 points and 10 assists!"
"This record set in 1980 has also been broken. What an incredible young man."
Playing 35 minutes, he made 6 of 12 shots, 3 of 7 from beyond the arc, 2 of 2 free throws, 17 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, and 2 steals. Just like the regular season, Li You posted an "extraordinary" double-double.
Breaking Magic Johnson's record also made commentator John Andaris a little excited:
"It's hard to imagine that Li is only 19 years old. He has talents that no one can see. Only by watching the game will you understand how good he is."
"Controlling the rhythm of the game is not an easy task. The Knicks have made fewer mistakes this season and increased the number of rounds. This is all the result of Lee's starting lineup!"
"."
His mature mentality prevents Li You from being as impulsive as ordinary young players, and his excellent memory allows him to always predict the opponent's tactical routines in advance.
Making the offense more clear and reasonable is Li You's current job on the team.
Breaking Magic Johnson's record in the playoffs brought the New York media to a collective climax.
After the game, Li You and Ewing attended the press conference together, and the Gorilla felt left out.
"Lee, how do you feel about breaking Magic Johnson's record in the playoffs?"
Li You didn't think there was anything special about this record. He couldn't get the mood of the New York media in the audience right away. He responded with a smile and held the microphone in front of him:
"It was just a regular playoff game and I just did the basics, it's that simple."
"In the offensive round, if you give the ball to a teammate who successfully moves, you can get an assist!"
"."
After the game, not only the media in New York were in a climax, but ESPN and TNT were also reporting on Li You breaking Magic Johnson's record.
Unlike the regular season, most sports commentators still value the playoffs more, and Magic Johnson has a higher status in the history of the NBA playoffs.
Breaking the record of this legendary star suddenly made Li You's popularity skyrocket.
Except for New York fans, most fans still have to go through cable TV broadcasts and newspapers and magazines if they want to know about the stars.
A record comes up every now and then, and even those who don't like watching the NBA will be curious and follow suit.
On April 28, the Heat defeated the Hornets again in an away game, sweeping their opponents with a final score of 3:0 and easily advancing to the semifinals!
Although Pat Riley has a high probability of losing the league's best coach award, the Heat team he built has clearly succeeded!
The league's best manager award will most likely go to Pat Riley, who plays two roles.
Also advanced was the Jazz. Stockton, Hornacek, and Karl Malone were as stable as ever, sweeping the Clippers with a score of 3:0.
4 of 10, 12 points, 3 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals and 4 turnovers, Stockton easily produced his signature statistics!
Everyone from the Knicks team who had flown to Orlando watched the game together in the evening. Ewing was sore for a while. According to the recent trend, Karl Malone is really going to win the MVP!
"Do these sports reporters and broadcasters only look at statistics? Our performance is obviously not inferior to that of the Jazz!"
Charles Oakley really feels that he is old this time. The media are all building momentum for Karl Malone. Faced with this outrageous selection result, the old guy is also confused.
Starks was still younger after all, so he said sourly:
"In terms of PER, it is said that Karl Malone ranks first, surpassing Michael Jordan."
When everyone in the Knicks heard this data, most of them had question marks on their faces, and expressions of "What is that?" appeared on their faces.
"It can be regarded as a value to measure a player's efficiency, but this thing is not that objective and can only be used as a reference."
Li You explained briefly, but everyone still shook their heads, no one cared about it.
Most ordinary players just look at the number of shots and shooting percentage, and don't care about other data at all.
"This data alone denies McNugget. Such selection results are hard to believe!"
The atmosphere team also complained, believing that sports reporters and broadcasters were deliberately trying to trip up Michael Jordan.
Li You shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. As the time approaches May, the MVP award for this season will be announced soon. Gorilla has been having lemons every day recently:
"We are on a 64-win team, why can't he win the award?"
The reason is also very simple. Ewing's Excel is not beautiful enough, but within the Knicks, Li You's data performance is better.
This situation is a bit embarrassing. In addition to ranking better than Li You in terms of points per game, rebounds per game, shooting percentage, and blocks, Gorilla lags behind in all other aspects.
Excel is not the best in the Knicks, so how can most sports media vote for Ewing?
The boss was sulking again, so the atmosphere team had no choice but to go back to the room to rest. Tonight's card game was cancelled.
On the night of the 29th, the Magic team returned to their home court and fed the fans in the first quarter.
At 30:13, the Knicks led by 17 points at the start.
Attacking in front of the frame and playing continuously from behind, Hardaway kept taking shots in the first quarter, hitting 4 of 10 in a single quarter and scoring 9 points!
It's just that this performance was of no use. Li You couldn't guard him on the defensive end. On the offensive end, he didn't force the attack against the explosive Hardaway, but sent out 5 assists in a single quarter.
Ewing made 5 of 7 shots and easily scored 10 points and 8 rebounds. Alan Houston made 3 of 5 shots and 2 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, and also scored 8 points efficiently.
During the break, at the Orlando Arena, the home fans began to boo. They bought tickets to watch the game, but they didn’t come here to eat!
Hardaway obviously wanted to compete with Li You. This fake Jordan successor felt sad watching Li You who was frequently on TV.
The first quarter of the game was strong, but Hardaway was completely discouraged by his teammates.
Li You, who was sitting on the bench, changed into his training clothes, ignored the shouts and curses behind him, and sat calmly in his seat. The moment the opponent chose to attack, the game was over.
"It feels really good to sweep the opponent. It seems that Hardaway is not going to rest."
Alan Houston saw Hardaway still on the court in the second quarter and began to gloat. The 17-point difference was not easy to catch up with.
"It was a useless attempt. The first quarter was all about singles. They will definitely lose."
Li You, who came back to his senses, also saw Hardaway starting to score consecutively, complained and continued to watch the situation on the court.
The Knicks really had no one who could match Hardaway at the No. 1 position, and Chris Childs couldn't hold on to the fake Jordan successor and was scored consecutively by the opponent.
But on the bench, Starks has been getting better and better recently and can also score responses.
Although still lagging behind by a big score, Xiangwei Chocolate was able to eat, and the Magic fans at the scene began to cheer loudly for Hardaway's performance.
Hitting 8 of 11 in a single quarter, Hardaway scored 17 points, which was enough to destroy the Knicks' backcourt.
Halftime ended at 56:39, with no change in the point difference.
In three consecutive games, the half-time score did not exceed 40. Hardaway almost shut down on the spot and walked quickly back to the locker room with a grimace.
The perseverant Hardaway continued to take crazy shots in the third quarter. Li You always defended and shot. The Magic team's mentality exploded and began to take three-pointers continuously.
It had been predicted that the opponent would have this kind of offensive option. The Knicks protected the rebounds, and Li You launched a transition attack. After a few rounds, the game completely collapsed.
24:18 in a single quarter, 80:57 after three quarters, some Magic fans have already begun to leave.
There was not a minute off in the first three quarters, and Hardaway stopped playing in the fourth quarter. Coach Adubatu took over the atmosphere group, declaring that the series was completely over.
On the bench, Ewing also changed into his training uniform. He made 8 of 12 shots, scored 17 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 2 turnovers. He only played 31 minutes and got a double-double. The gorilla was very satisfied with his performance:
"Li, how is PER calculated?"
Ewing pretended not to care and asked Li You in a low voice about the data.
"To put it simply, it is the offensive data minus the number of field goals, then subtract the number of free throws, and finally divided by the number of games played."
Li You explained briefly, and when Ewing shook his head silently, he knew that he was still thinking about MVP.
Everyone on the Knicks bench was chatting and laughing. Even though the boss didn't win the MVP, everyone really tried their best. This was a complete turn of events.
The game ended quickly, 104:88, and the Magic regained some face in the last quarter.
The series score reached 3:0, and the Knicks finally easily swept the Magic and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Hardaway struggled to maintain his demeanor as the expressionless Knicks shook hands.
Just looking at the smiling faces of Alan Houston and Li You, Hardaway almost didn't hold back. After shaking hands and greetings, he quickly left the field.
After the game, Hardaway suffered a recurrence of an old injury and was unable to attend the press conference.
16 of 30, 42 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. The fake Jordan successor bid farewell to this season with a 40+ game. The fans are satisfied, at least they have enough excuses:
"The Magic lost, but Penny didn't!"
Li You only played 27 minutes in tonight's game, shooting 5 of 9, 2 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, 2 of 3 free throws, 14 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers.
The double-double data once again refreshed Magic Johnson's record!
Sweeping their opponents also gave the Knicks nearly a week of rest, and major sports media also began to promote the "battle of masters and apprentices" in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
On April 28, Starks, who had just returned to New York, also won the best sixth man award from the league.
In the press conference room at Madison Square Garden, Starks accepted the trophy with a smile on his face.
Although his average of 13.6 points per game was not dominant among the candidates, Starks received 73% of the votes.
The Knicks' record has brought huge bonuses, breaking the best record in team history, and someone should win the award.
Starks won the Sixth Man of the Year award, and Ewing's MVP dream was completely shattered.
Taking this opportunity, the coaching staff also announced a day off, and then everyone will prepare for the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Winning an award is always a good thing, so Starks simply held a party here in the apartment. It was better to have fun alone than to have fun with everyone.
In addition to the Knicks, there were also a lot of people joining in the fun at the apartment.
Ewing also smiled. In a few days, Karl Malone will receive the award, and the gorilla can only drink lemons every day.
"I was quite surprised when Pat called me, but I still chose to accept the invitation. Although my personal data this season is average, it is always a good thing to play in the playoffs more."
Alan Houston looked at the noisy crowd, clinked glasses with Li You while holding juices, and recalled his original choice.
Li You feels that this guy prefers big ball markets like New York. Ewing's recruitment plays a certain role, but geographical location is the key:
"The data will also increase. If the number of rounds is appropriately increased, coupled with the undigested ball rights, the number of shots will definitely increase."
After thinking about it, I seemed to think that what Li You said made sense. Alan Houston didn't mind the drop in data anymore. After all, this was only the first year.
New York fans don't like Alan Houston's style of play, and their doubts have not stopped this season.
Alan Houston played "father-son basketball" during his time at the University of Tennessee. The head coach at the time was his father. It can be said that doubts have been raised since college.
No matter how he performs, Alan Houston appears to be very calm when facing the media. His college experience has helped him tremendously.
"We should have more opportunities in the semifinals. Many times, the game is about talent, and our tactics are very flexible!"
Li You raised the juice and blinked. The Heat are not the Magic team. Although Mourning is the younger brother, he will not be polite to Ewing.
If you can't open up the situation, you have to give the ball to the outside!
Alan Houston understands this. The regular season data has dropped, but the playoff data has increased. By next season, maybe the situation will change.
The two smiled and clinked glasses again, while Larry Johnson on the side was drinking to drown his sorrows. This year, with no data and no honors, "Auntie" has been reduced to an ordinary role player.
On April 30, the Bulls relied on Pippen's last-minute dunk to narrowly defeat the Bullets by one point, 96:95, and successfully advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Michael Joe, who was in declining form, played 43 minutes, made 14 of 24, and scored 28 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block and 2 turnovers.
With a shooting percentage of close to 60% and making many commentators dumbfounded, the Bulls are still unstoppable.
If nothing else happens, the Bulls' opponent will be the Hawks in the next round.
Although the Hawks have DPOY Dikembe Mutombo this season, most people firmly believe that Michael Jordan will reach the Eastern Conference Finals again.
The Knicks have also begun to prepare for the Eastern Conference semifinals, and Jeff Van Gundy attaches great importance to it.
After all, he is about to receive the league's best coach award, and Jeff Van Gundy doesn't want to be slapped in the face at home.
The playoffs are still in progress, and the tenacious Pistons have tied the score to 2:2. One game will determine the outcome, and the melon-eating public is happy to see this.
On May 3, the NBA officially announced that Karl Malone of the Jazz won this season's Most Valuable Player Award.
As soon as this news was announced, a large number of media for fun went to Chicago to interview Michael Jordan, and a small number came to New York to interview Ewing.
However, to everyone's disappointment, neither of them responded, and both declined interviews, citing the reason that they were fully preparing for the semi-finals.
Karl Malone, who is about to turn 34, has ushered in the highlight moment of his career, and Jazz fans are also excited.
On the night of the 4th, Li You went to Starks' house for dinner. After dinner, the two of them sat in front of the TV and saw David Stern awarding the bronze medal to Malone. Starks was still a little embarrassed. Confidence:
"With 69 wins, this season's scoring champion, Michael Jordan didn't win the award? These media are really crazy!"
Li You felt in a good mood. Like Lezi fans, he preferred to see Michael Jordan break the defense:
"Sometimes the MVP also has to consider other factors. Anyway, the recent news must have been contracted by this award."
“Does voting really have to look at data sheets?”
People are in high spirits when happy events happen. In the Western Conference semifinals that night, the Jazz defeated the Lakers 77:93!
Karl Malone made 9 of 21 shots and had a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds. Opposite O'Neal, he shot 6 of 16 and only had 17 points and 12 rebounds.
The Sharks were beaten into little Shaq, and Kobe Bryant, who just broke the record and became the youngest player to score 20 points in the history of the playoffs, made 1 of 7, scoring 3 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.
The veteran Jazz taught the Lakers another lesson, and Malone also proved that MVP is not a parallel import!
On May 5, the NBA announced the best coach of the season:
Jeff Van Gundy of the Knicks led the team to break the best record in team history, winning 64 games, and won this award without any suspense!
Wearing a crisp black suit, white shirt and dark blue tie, Jeff Van Gundy struggled to control his smile as he held the trophy in the press conference room of Madison Square Garden.
Everyone on the Heat team who has come to New York is very low-key, and Pat Riley didn't express much opinion on this matter.
"Jeff is an excellent coach and I believe he will become more and more successful. I am very happy to see him receive this award!"
That night, before the start of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Pat Riley, with his sleek slicked back hair, spoke to the New York media and simply sent his blessings.
Arriving at the familiar Madison Square Garden, Pat Riley still looked graceful, with a slicked back hair and a calm look, showing off the true look of a famous coach.
When the New York fans at the scene saw the bald young coach holding a tactical board and loudly explaining tactics, they suddenly felt that his temperament was a lot different.
After the home team's introduction, the noise in Madison Square Garden grew louder.
“The Heat continued the starting lineup from the first round, with Tim Hardaway and Voshon Leonard partnering in the backcourt, Jamal Mashburn and Alonzo Mourning on the front line, and P.J. Brown.”
"There are almost no secrets on both sides, and each side knows the other's tactics very well, which is a challenge for the Knicks."
In the on-site MSG commentary box, commentator Marv Albert briefly introduced the Heat's starting lineup. Commentator John Andaris also joked at this time:
"I just won the best coach. I believe that coach Van Gundy will make targeted arrangements. This game can also be said to be a battle of proof."
Players from both sides were in the final warm-up. Ewing had been a bit silent since learning that Malone had won the award. Fortunately, he still warned everyone before going on the court:
"Defend well, don't let the opponent score easily, and protect our home court!"
Players from both sides came to the center circle, and Mourning took the initiative to comfort Ewing, but Tim Hardaway kept staring at Li You, the "number one point guard", which made him feel like a lemon.
"Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks!"
A huge cheering sound resounded throughout the arena, and players from both sides exchanged pleasantries. As Ewing jumped up and successfully jumped to the ball, the Heat retreated quickly, and Tim Hardaway immediately rushed across the half court to lead the defense. .
Pat Riley's tactics are very unique. Perhaps because of his failure with the Pistons that year, the championship coach absorbed a lot of tactics from Chuck Daly.
He likes to lead and expand defense, suppress the rhythm of the game, get stuck and compete for space, and likes frequent physical contact. Even when defending without the ball, he will cause players to give a lot of physical confrontation.
Tim Hardaway didn't skimp on his physical fitness either. He lowered his center of gravity, slid quickly, and entangled himself from the backcourt to the frontcourt, never allowing Li You to control the ball comfortably.
Protecting the ball sideways, Li You came to the left wing. Soon, Ewing moved up from the inside.
Everyone in the Knicks pulled away one after another. This kind of two-on-two on one side was regarded as a fixed routine after the opening.
On the left wing, close to the three-point line, Ewing stood on the screen. Unlike the Magic, when Tim Hardaway squeezed through the screen, PJ Brown had already come up with a big delay.
Ewing didn't notice the Heat's defensive changes immediately, so he was a little slower.
Fortunately, Li You played the ball very quickly. With a flick of his left wrist, he immediately sent a ground-breaking pass that gave him advance time.
Seeing the basketball flying in front of him, Ewing quickened his pace, approached the paint area and successfully grabbed the ball. Facing Mourning who came up to help defend, Ewing took a step with his right hand and quickly turned around against the opponent's body.
Arriving at the bottom left of the basket, Ewing raised his left arm high and released the ball. However, the moment the basketball came out of his hand, the shot was immediately blocked by Mourning who jumped up!
"oh!!"
The seemingly silky attack was completely anticipated by the opponent. The New York fans at the scene also exclaimed. Tim Hardaway immediately went over to respond, then greeted his teammates and rushed across the half court.
The Heat did not launch a transition attack, and Li You did not choose to lead the defense. He watched Tim Hardaway slowly move through half the court before stepping forward to interfere.
After retreating to the gorilla, he felt that he had lost face. While calling his teammates to complete the defensive matchup, he glared at Mourning.
It's a pity that the younger brother ignored his big brother. PJ Brown quickly moved to the right wing outside the three-point line and set up a pick-and-roll for Tim Hardaway.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Amid the defensive cheers of the New York fans at the scene, Li You squeezed through half of his body and leaned forward to defend. Tim Hardaway failed to speed up in time and was quickly entangled by Li You.
Different from the Heat's strong delay defensive strategy, Ewing still mainly squats to protect the basket. Tim Hardaway holds the ball in his right hand, pretends to break through, and sends a ground pass from the right block position.
At the right elbow of the free throw line, PJ Brown took the ball and made a mid-range jumper without hesitation!
"Shua" the two-point ball hit the net!
"Shhh!!"
Not caring about the boos that erupted from Madison Square Garden, Pat Riley smiled and clapped on the sidelines, indicating that this was a good offense.
The same routine, but the difference is in the details on both ends of the offense and defense. Obviously, Ewing was careless. He had the opportunity to eat in the paint area directly in front of the basket, but he showed off his steps and missed the opportunity.
Without waiting for the baseline serve, Li You patted his head and reminded his teammates to change tactics.
Tim Hardaway still spared no effort to lead the defense, trying to cause Li You's mistakes.
After halftime, Charles Oakley stood on the left side near the baseline. At the same time, after Li You reached the top of the arc, Alan Houston quickly slipped to the baseline and took advantage of Oakley's cover.
Tim Hardaway's interference did not have much effect. Li You, who had been protecting the ball sideways, flicked the ball with his left hand and immediately gave the ball to Alan Houston in the left block.
The latter caught the ball, no one was guarding him, and quickly made a jump shot!
"Whoa!" The two-point ball hit the net.
The fans at the scene hurriedly cheered loudly, but then Hardaway also assisted Woshan Leonard in the right block. Using the same tactic, he easily hit the ball from the mid-range.
The two teams seemed to be looking at each other in the mirror. You were playing one and I was playing the other, and the score was slowly rising.
Li You also didn't expect that the Heat encountered a huge delay in covering the ball. Not only was Tim Hardaway chasing fiercely, but the two big men in the paint even intended to let Ewing score.
This time it was another pick-and-roll attack. Ewing caught the ball and Mourning quickly helped defend.
Oakley failed to seize the fleeting opportunity. Ewing did not pass the ball immediately, but played a post-up in the left low post, his best position.
Just after the ball was released, PJ Brown also quickly assisted in defense. At this time, Ewing, who sensed something was wrong, wanted to return the ball to Li You on the outside, but Mourning saw who had the opportunity and completed the cut.
The crisp steal caused another scream from the fans at the scene. This time the Heat quickly launched a transition attack, and Voshan Leonard who received the ball rushed very fast!
The Heat suddenly increased their speed, causing the Knicks to fail to complete the defensive matchup in time.
When he came to the left wing, Woshan Leonard did not choose to chase and shoot. Instead, he gave the ball to Mourning in the middle. The latter received the ball, rushed up in three strides, came to the basket and put it down successfully. !
"Pay attention to retreating! Countermeasures in time!"
Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines quickly reminded his players loudly that he really didn't want to lose tonight.
"Pat made a mistake. He should speed up his offensive rhythm and score more efficiently."
"Lee's several passes penetrated the opponent's defense immediately. Charles also had a chance, but unfortunately he failed to grasp it in the end."
Commentator John Andaris commented on the game casually. At 11:8, the Heat took the lead again.
There were 8 minutes and 02 seconds left in the first quarter. Most of the Knicks' scores came from Alan Houston. Ewing was 1 of 3. The basket was almost locked, and his face-to-face jumper failed to end.
Pat Riley knows the Gorillas' playing habits very well, and his defense is very targeted.
"Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks!"
The score fell behind, and the New York fans at the scene shouted loudly again. After the start, Mourning and PJ Brown had a strong presence on both ends of the offense and defense. By this time, they were completely energetic, shouting for their teammates to get in position defensively.
This time Li You was faster than everyone on the Heat expected. He came to the left wing without calling a screen, approached the three-point line, and suddenly slowed down.
Then he quickly dribbled the ball behind his back with his left hand, then switched to his right hand. Li You lowered his center of gravity, opened the way with his shoulders, and quickly cut in against Tim Hardaway.
Continuously sliding to the left and back while giving physical confrontation, Hardaway noticed that Li You was slowing down and thought that the defense was working. The next second he saw Li You backing up to protect the ball, using his left foot as the axis and swinging his right hand backwards. Pull the ball wide.
Subconsciously following the move, Tim Hardaway just slid to the right, but Li You quickly twisted forward, then raised the ball and feinted.
Tim Hardaway was immediately shaken and jumped up. As a result, Li You once again used his left foot as the axis, quickly turned back, and completed the shot with a drift!
The beautiful shaking made the New York fans at the scene cheer loudly. The basketball hit the board and everyone immediately shouted with joy!
"Oh! Nice steps! Lee completely fooled Hardaway!"
The Knicks suddenly changed their offensive rhythm, and commentator Marv Albert subconsciously raised his volume.
At 11:10, the Knicks responded promptly.
As if he didn't expect Li You to back up, Tim Hardaway turned his head in frustration, only to see Li You raise his left hand covertly, with his index finger and thumb making a "豼豼小" gesture.
Tim Hardaway was immediately furious. It was the Heat's turn to attack and he didn't pass the ball as required by the tactics.
At the top of the arc, he first started a pick-and-roll with PJ Brown, broke through to the right side of the free throw line and walked into the area. Tim Hardaway suddenly dribbled the ball under his hips, and then quickly changed direction.
The moment he picked up the ball with his hand, Tim Hardaway immediately accelerated in a straight line, threw away Li You, and wanted to take advantage of Ewing's lack of defense to use a time difference, get close to the basket, and pick the basket with his right hand.
But at the moment of taking the shot, Tim Hardaway was disturbed by Li You who was chasing him and jumped up. Immediately afterwards, Ewing also blocked the shot under the basket.
The basketball passed over the fingertips, hit the board and missed wildly, falling just into the hands of Oakley at the bottom left of the basket.
Alan Houston received the pass, and the Knicks immediately accelerated and launched a transition attack.
Larry Johnson rushed across half court and received a pass from the right wing outside the three-point line. After receiving the ball, he immediately released the ball with his right hand and crossed over to break through.
Against Jamal Mashburn's defense, he rolled to the paint area and put the basket with one hand with his right hand.
Under the interference, the basketball knocked out of the frame. Larry Johnson took off twice and grabbed the rebound. At this time, Mourning had returned to the penalty area, raised his hands, and blocked "Auntie" to the basket.
Seeing Li You quickly running towards the left corner, Larry Johnson hurriedly dumped the ball.
Tim Hardaway got up from the floor and was slow to catch up. When he saw Li You receiving the ball and feinting, he subconsciously followed suit.
Li You collected the ball, and Tim Hardaway, who was defending him, flew directly in front of him, completely unguarded, and then he calmly made a jump shot!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!
The fans at the scene cheered first, and then let out a burst of exclamations. Larry Johnson and Mourning struggled under the basket, and finally both fell to the ground.
Fortunately, the referee reacted quickly enough and stepped forward to separate the two in time. Pat Riley on the sidelines was very dissatisfied with these two rounds and shouted to Tim Hardaway:
"Hey! Keep the rhythm and pass the ball! Pass the ball!"
At 11:13, the Knicks took the lead again.
"Man, I heard you're going to be on the All-NBA team?"
While Tim Hardaway was catching the ball, Li You, who was leading the defense, began to tease his opponent in a low voice.
"Shut up, rookie! Put away those little tricks of yours!"
As soon as Tim Hardaway saw the angry Pat Riley, he immediately regained his composure. But just looking at Li You's smiling face, his heart was still filled with anger.
Subconsciously speeding up the Heat's offensive rhythm, Tim Hardaway lobbed the ball to Mourning after halftime instead of starting a pick-and-roll like in the previous rounds.
In the low post on the left, Mourning turned over and shot a jumper but was interfered by Oakley. He hit an iron and the rebound was collected by Ewing. Li You caught the ball and immediately signaled for another low post attack.
After halftime, Ewing caught the ball on the right side of the free throw line, and then Li You quickly cut in from the right wing without the ball.
Tim Hardaway could only pursue the defense and followed Li You in a circle. He noticed that Ewing was preparing to complete a hand-to-hand pass at the free throw line and subconsciously quickened his pace.
Li You, who was moving laterally, suddenly stopped suddenly and pretended to be a bomb. Hardaway, who had just accelerated, cursed secretly and hurriedly adjusted his body's center of gravity.
Before Tim Hardaway had time to catch up, Li You ran back again, quickly came to the free throw line, and took the pass from hand to hand.
In a sudden stop and start, Tim Hardaway could only squeeze through the screen, but this time Ewing's big body worked, and Li You got rid of the defense in an instant.
When PJ Brown saw Ewing passing down, he subconsciously moved back. In the blink of an eye, Li You had already broken through to the basket.
Jumping hard to block the shot, PJ Brown worked hard to cover up the defense, but the basketball flew over the palm of his hand and flew to the upper left side of the basket!
Ewing jumped high, grabbed the ball in the air, and slammed the basket with both hands!
"Boom!" Alley-oop dunk succeeded!
"ah!!"
After landing, Ewing roared and beat his chest. His powerful alley-oop also instantly ignited the atmosphere of Madison Square Garden.
At 11:15, the rhythm of the game returned to the Knicks' side.
Pat Riley on the sidelines looked thoughtfully at Li You who was retreating with a smile, then turned and glared at Tim Hardaway again.
Loudly calling the players to focus, Tim Hardaway also knew that he had made a mistake, and began to work hard to control his emotions and play tactics strictly.
Watching Mourning hit a mid-range jumper near the baseline on the left, the atmosphere team on the Heat bench also cheered.
Tim Hardaway worked hard to keep the pace, trying to get the Knicks into position to attack, while Li You speeded up from time to time, and occasionally made a sudden personal singles attack.
Both teams try to pull the other into their preferred rhythm.
"The Heat are too familiar with our tactics and failed to succeed in several low-post attacks."
"Coach Van Gundy should make adjustments!"
Commentator John Andaris saw Ewing's low throw from the left and hit the iron again, and couldn't help but comment on the opening tactics.
The Heat attacked, and Mourning's low post attack from the left turned to the lower left side of the basket, but the layup failed to score.
"Well, coach Van Gundy also knows the Heat's offense very well. Charles did a very good job on defense several times. Mourning was also ineffective in the first quarter."
Commentator Marv Albert watched the Heat also start to strike, and happily joked about the situation on the court.
As Georgetown's centers, Ewing and Mourning both started attacking from the left side. As a result, their offensive efficiency was not very good.
At the end of the first quarter, Tim Hardaway, like Li You, followed the established tactical arrangement and tried to let the team's big man catch the ball in a comfortable position.
Attacking the basket and grabbing rebounds became the tone of the game at the end of the game.
At 19:21, at the last moment, Alan Houston's mid-range strike prevented the Knicks from widening the point difference.
Tim Hardaway frowned and walked to the bench with a serious expression. He played the entire first quarter and scored 2 of 3, only scoring 4 points, but sent 3 assists.
The game seemed to be somewhat different from the plan made by the coaching staff before the game. Li You was more stable than he thought.
In Madison Square Garden, the noise was getting louder and louder. The game could not be played as the fans expected. Everyone was a little dissatisfied with the Xiang-flavored chocolate they ate.
Also playing the first quarter, Li You was also a little troubled by the Heat's big delay. The opponent's defensive discipline was better than in the regular season.
Li You frowned and walked to the bench, but Jeff Van Gundy was very satisfied with the team's performance and promptly gave him chicken soup:
"If you defend well, the opponent will definitely make a mistake first. All we have to do is wait patiently, and then seize the opportunity to win in one fell swoop!"
Li You, who had returned to his seat, looked at the bald young marshal who kept talking and emphasized defense, and was speechless for a moment.
"The opponent stepped up their perimeter defense and tried to allow Pat to attack more."
Alan Houston, who had already changed into training clothes, complained in a low voice. This was completely contrary to what the coaching staff had emphasized in the past few days. No one was double-teaming Ewing.
Several rotating players in Li You and Starks touched their fists, and then turned their heads to respond:
"This is also an opportunity. There should be no situation of Tiechi."
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(End of chapter)
