On May 9, 1997, Jeff Van Gundy returned to the hotel feeling sour.
Although he appeared very confident in front of the players, the bald young coach was unsure when he saw that the game was going as Pat Riley predicted.
Pat Riley missed out on the Manager of the Year award. Jeff Van Gundy was secretly happy, but when he thought about how to adjust next, he was worried.
The coaching staff watched the game video before, but in the end they didn't think of many solutions.
There are no double teams, a lot of 1-on-1, and the basketball game returns to its most essential competition, defense-putting the ball into the basket-to end the game.
Unlike the Rockets with the aging Big Three, Ewing's low post attack did not cause the Heat to change their formation and double-team for this reason. The situation of scoring and hitting has not appeared since the beginning of the series.
The coaching staff discussed it for a while, and finally everyone decided to take a rest early. There was really nothing to adjust.
On the morning of May 10, the NBA announced the All-Defensive Team for the 1996-97 season:
The five members of the first team are:
Gary Payton, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, Dikembe Mutombo.
The five members of the second team are:
John Stockton, Mookie Blaylock, Anthony Mason Jr., PJ Brown, Hakeem Olajuwon.
Olajuwon is considered a double blessing. He won a valuable away victory last night and the Rockets regained the initiative.
At 97:93, relying on the outstanding performance of Olajuwon and Drexler, the elderly Big Three won G3!
Barkley made 2 of 11 shots last night, scoring 11 points, 17 rebounds and 3 assists. Although his shooting touch was not good, he still contributed his strength with his fierce rebounding.
When Ewing saw the news early in the morning, he felt like lemon. After 1992, he began to miss the defense.
Fortunately, there is a high probability that he will be selected for the best team this year, which can barely make up for the regret.
"If we win an away game, we have a chance to end the series. It's time for a breakout. There's no reason to keep fighting."
Starks was doing shooting drills while complaining about his poor performance.
Players will of course pay attention to their own statistics. The veteran has been 1-for-6 and 1-for-7 in the series, and it was still the same last night, with his hips stretched again.
Alan Houston was also secretly sulking. He didn't like the way the Heat defended and the pace of the game was uncomfortable.
Without a hearty transition attack, the Heat still maintained their slow pace after taking the lead. The Knicks had nothing to do about this, unless Mourning made a lot of mistakes like G2.
Frequent confrontations made everyone in the Knicks agitated. Li You could sense the emotions surging in the hearts of his teammates. The grueling games made everyone's anger build up little by little.
Everyone chatted and didn't do too much training. They mainly moved their bodies, recovered their physical fitness, and prepared for G4 tomorrow night.
Jeff Van Gundy, with two dark circles under his eyes, watched the players resume training from the sidelines.
Last night, he watched the game video repeatedly, but he still didn't think of a good adjustment method.
"How does Pat's knee feel?"
Upon hearing Van Gundy's inquiry, assistant coach Thibodeau responded in a low voice:
"It's not a big problem. The 40 minutes of playing time will not be overloaded. We must ensure the height of the court. Rebounding is too important."
The two thought of it together. Unlike Don Chaney who emphasized offense and space, they still believed more in defense.
After hearing the good news, Jeff Van Gundy was finally relieved:
"Now we only need an away victory. I believe we will reach the Eastern Conference finals this year!"
"."
That night, all the fun-loving fans were disappointed, and the Bulls showed their dominance again:
100:80, defeated the Eagles away from home and regained the initiative in the series!
Although the Hawks have two players selected to the All-Defensive Team, there is no good way to face the Bulls who are blooming at many points.
Michael Jordan and Pippen took fewer shots, hitting 8 of 20. They scored 21 points and 17 points respectively;
Kukoc and Bison Dele from the bench contributed 16 points and 14 points. The team sent out a total of 25 assists and only made 13 turnovers. It was considered a typical team basketball.
The Hawks' accuracy in the last game was no longer as accurate as everyone else's. The Bulls made 5 of 19 from three-point range and the Hawks made 6 of 22.
With a three-point shooting percentage of less than 30%, coupled with a field goal percentage of 24 of 66 and a 36.4% shooting rate, it is indeed difficult for the Eagles to win.
In another game, at 110:95, the Jazz easily got the match point!
Karl Malone rebounded strongly, shooting 12 of 27, 18 of 18 free throws, 42 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 turnovers. The MVP is back.
At the same time, he made 18 of 18 free throws, setting a new free throw record in the NBA playoffs.
O'Neal of the Lakers performed very well, making 12 of 19 shots and 10 of 15 free throws. He scored 34 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 6 blocks and 2 turnovers.
The Lakers, who just like positional offense, were suppressed throughout the game against the fast-paced Jazz.
Stockton controlled the rhythm of the game very well. The Jazz only committed 11 turnovers but had 82 possessions. The Lakers were completely controlled.
Li You, who specially watched this game, felt a little envious when he saw the Jazz's crisp attack.
Unlike the Knicks who rely on three-pointers to increase the number of possessions, the Jazz use more transition attacks.
"Fast break scoring is more efficient!"
Larry Johnson really wants to imitate Karl Malone, taking the lead in the fast break and scoring easily after catching the ball.
Seeing the technical statistics after the game, the Lakers made 41 free throws and the Jazz also made 34 free throws. Oakley rarely complained:
"After so many free throws, we don't get such treatment. The referees are like blind men and won't call fouls at all."
Li You didn't have much opinion on this. As long as the referee didn't call double standards, it would be acceptable.
After watching the game, the atmosphere team also began to discuss who would reach the finals in the Western Conference this year. In the end, everyone agreed that the three elderly giants would stand out!
The benefits of superstar basketball have begun to be highlighted. As long as two of the three maintain normal standards, the Rockets will be unstoppable. There are too many stars!
On May 11, Heat fans arrived early at the Miami Arena.
Tonight's game is very crucial. If we can win at home, the series score will return to 2:2.
Like the previous three games, after the game started, both teams fed the Heat fans a Xiang-flavored chocolate.
It was still a constipated offense and a lot of physical confrontation, which made Tim Hardaway completely lose his touch.
Voshan Leonard, who had been strong for three games, broke out tonight, and on the Knicks' side, Ewing, who had played inefficiently in three consecutive games, also broke out, and the two sides were evenly matched again.
The score in the first quarter was zero, and Tim Hardaway finally regained his touch in the second quarter, but the Heat's offense lost power and Voshan Leonard was inaccurate again.
The score was 40:40 between the two sides at half-time, and each side played a good game.
The turning point of the game was still in the 3rd quarter. Tim Hardaway made consecutive mistakes. Li You seized the opportunity and made three transition attacks. The score difference was widened.
With 5 minutes and 37 seconds left in the third quarter, Li You completed a steal at the top of the arc and converted for a layup. The score instantly reached 52:46, giving the Knicks a 6-point lead.
The atmosphere team on the sidelines screamed with excitement. In this slow-paced game, the 6-point difference would take at least two rounds to catch up!
The calm expression on Pat Riley's face was gone. The champion coach also didn't expect that in key games, the core point guard would be overwhelmed and make frequent mistakes.
"Lee is so outstanding, his ability to control mistakes is definitely underestimated!"
"Compared to some young players, Li is more patient, which is very important in the playoffs. Being able to wait until the opponent makes a mistake first is not an easy thing!"
In the TNT commentary box, Hubie Brown looked at Li You walking to the bench and kept praising him.
Dick Stockton next to him also agreed with his partner's point of view and said with emotion:
"In such a crucial game, most rookies usually don't perform well. G3 encountered some foul trouble, and Li made adjustments tonight."
"This is really not like a 19-year-old young man. Geniuses are always not understood. If there is another draft, I will rank Li in the top 10."
After the timeout, I saw everyone on the Heat team still banging the iron, and the noise on the scene became smaller and smaller. The game was about to get colder!
18:24 in a single quarter, and after three quarters, 64:58, the Knicks still led by 6 points.
Ewing performed very well in the third quarter, shooting 5 of 7 and scoring 10 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block in a single quarter, two of which were offensive rebounds.
Back on the bench, the gorilla pumped his fist and roared, looking particularly excited!
In the key game, Ewing got rid of his sluggish state, and Li You breathed a sigh of relief.
Many times, the game becomes particularly difficult when the gorilla that takes up a lot of the ball is stretched across.
"Very good! Don't relax, there is still one game left and we can get the match point!"
"Hold on! The opponent's shooting percentage is still declining, we only need to hold on for another 12 minutes!"
Jeff Van Gundy, who was squatting on the floor, screamed with excitement. Just thinking about the team being able to reach the Eastern Conference finals made the bald young coach's blood boil.
Chris Childs was in foul trouble tonight and was out of shape. Continuing the substitution strategy of G3, Jeff Van Gundy brought on his favorite Charlie Ward, hoping to withstand 3 minutes.
Li You, Alan Houston and Ewing, who played the entire third quarter, were replaced;
On the other side, the Heat only replaced Jamal Mashburn, with veteran Dan Marley coming off the bench.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the two sides were still very slow, and the Heat fans naturally would not give up and kept cheering loudly for the home team.
The game lasted 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Larry Johnson drove to the basket, causing P.J. Brown's hitter to foul and got two free throw opportunities.
At this time, the two sides had not scored a point, but the anger was getting stronger and stronger. Everyone on the Heat team could no longer hold back.
"Aunt" made the first free throw steadily. When he was about to take the second free throw, Charlie Ward on the right side of the paint area took the initiative to lean towards PJ Brown and made a blocking gesture.
Small players were crowding around him, and P.J. Brown, who was filled with anger, turned sideways and grabbed Charlie Ward, throwing him directly into the crowd under the basketball stand.
"oh!!"
Throwing people out of the stadium, this situation stunned the Heat fans at the scene, and then there was a burst of crazy yelling.
Charlie Ward, who was stunned by the fall, quickly got up and stood on the sidelines. He just yelled and cursed, and was directly locked in the neck by P.J. Brown who rushed up. With a plop, he was thrown to the floor again.
Seeing Charlie Ward being suppressed, he rolled his eyes. Everyone on the Knicks team swarmed around PJ Brown, preparing to pull Charlie Ward out.
The angry Heat team members also rushed forward, and the two sides struggled with each other. Oakley pushed Tim Hardaway down, not giving the opponent a chance to cause trouble.
In the blink of an eye, the situation became out of control. On the Knicks' bench, assistant coach Don Chaney only had time to stop Li You and the atmosphere team, and Alan Houston and Ewing on the other side rushed out.
The gorilla didn't want to see his little brother being bullied, so he went straight to PJ Brown, knocking the linesman to the ground along the way, rushed into the crowd, locked PJ Brown, and after he fell to the ground, he pulled the opponent away.
Charlie Ward climbed out and wanted to take the opportunity to punch P.J. Brown twice, but was pulled to the bench by security personnel.
Larry Johnson seemed to be fighting on the side, but he hugged Woshan Leonard, and Alan Houston went up and dealt a blow.
On the other side, Ewing pressed P.J. Brown, and both sides rushed to this side like stacks of arhats. He pressed P.J. Brown straight to the floor. With five or six strong men on his body, no one could hold him back.
The fans were yelling, the referee was yelling, and the players were yelling at each other. Pat Riley just held Mourning back and complained to the referee from time to time. He always looked very calm.
"God! Why did it suddenly become like this!"
In the commentary box, Hubie Brown looked at the people who were being pulled apart. He was a little dazed for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, the two sides twisted into a ball.
"PJ Brown, Patrick Ewing and Alan Houston were ejected! After the game, there may be additional suspensions!"
"This is not good news for the Knicks. After all, the Heat are only missing one player, but they are missing two main players."
Dick Stockton was almost speechless when he saw the three people walking towards the tunnel. He was about to win the game, but something unexpected happened.
Oakley, who returned to the bench, was furious. After playing for so many years, the old guy knew when to take action and when to be a "good boy":
"Shet! We are about to win, with a big score of 3:1, and the next game is at home. Why didn't we stop them?"
Jeff Van Gundy shouted until his voice became hoarse, and he was even more depressed. The Heat succeeded again, taking away two main players at once.
"Calm down, we have to win this game, and the team is responsible for communicating after the game!"
Pulling his tie, Jeff Van Gundy loudly warned everyone. It was too late to regret at this time. This game could not be lost again.
The sudden conflict made the atmosphere more heated. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Heat quickly replaced Isaac Austin and continued to play the twin towers!
Pat Riley calculated well and reversed the game. In the next game, he returned to New York. The opponent's lineup was uneven and he won Tianwang Mountain;
G6 returns to Miami to finish the game at home!
The championship coach didn't seem to care about the previous conflict at all. He calmly arranged his tactics and loudly warned the players who were about to play:
“Keep focused and hit the ball to our advantage!”
Tim Hardaway nodded, and he also knew that the Heat now regained the inside advantage.
Jeff Van Gundy also repeatedly told Li You at this time:
"Li, control the rhythm of the game, don't make mistakes, don't give the opponent a chance to score easily!"
"If we persist for another 10 minutes, we will get the match point, and victory is right in front of us!"
Li You looked serious and just patted Van Gundy on the shoulder. He was also good at killing time:
"Don't worry, coach! You only need to think about the next game. We will win the game tonight!"
Starks replaced Alan Houston. At critical moments, the coaching staff still trusted the veteran more.
Larry Johnson, Charles Oakley, and Buck Williams formed a short inside line. At this time, if you can't stand it, you have to stand it!
Tim Hardaway made two free throws for technical fouls, and Li You also made an additional free throw for a flagrant foul.
67:60, the Knicks still lead by 7 points.
The Heat fans at the scene thought that the home team could reverse the game, and Pat Riley also believed that with the huge inside advantage, the Heat could take advantage.
But what is unexpected is that Mourning performed well in the face of double-teaming assists, and Isaac Austin also made mistakes at critical moments.
After dawdling for most of the quarter, the score between the two sides was 75:70, and the Heat narrowed the point difference.
Seeing that there were only the last 4 minutes and 06 seconds left in the game, Pat Riley on the sidelines was no longer calm and shouted continuously to remind the players to stay focused.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Heat fans shouted loudly, and Tim Hardaway continued to fight physically, trying to cause Li You to make mistakes.
But the basketball always stayed by Li You's side. After halftime, when he reached the right wing beyond the three-point line, Li You started to protect the ball.
After being beaten for several rounds in a row, Tim Hardaway couldn't stand it any longer and cut the ball continuously from his side.
When Li You's shoulders shook slightly, Tim Hardaway hurriedly opened a small distance.
After being tossed around repeatedly for 12 seconds, Oakley came to the top of the arc to cover.
Li You, who had been protecting the ball sideways, quickly turned around. After grabbing the ball with his left hand, he leaned on Tim Hardaway and prepared to break through on the left side.
The quality of the cover was not high, and Mourning immediately cooperated with his teammates to double-team with a big delay.
Seeing the opponent's sliding delay, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, speeded up slightly. Instead of cutting in, he simply dribbled the ball outwards.
After being pulled far away from the three-point line, Mourning quickly returned to defense. Seeing that the offensive time was running out, Tim Hardaway stepped up his defensive aggression.
At this time, everyone in the Knicks stretched out, everyone sank to the baseline position, and the two veterans were ready to fight for rebounds.
Tim Hardaway used his elbows together. Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, lowered his center of gravity. The ball protector blocked the opponent's pull. Taking advantage of the opponent's sudden grab, he suddenly leaned forward and accelerated.
Tim Hardaway hurriedly slid to the right back, but Li You quickly changed direction with his hips. After switching to his right hand, he shouldered the opponent's defense, accelerated with all his strength, and drove straight into the paint area.
Approaching the right elbow of the free throw line, Tim Hardaway felt Li You begin to slow down.
Thinking that his defense played a role, Tim Hardaway couldn't help but increase the intensity of the confrontation.
When the attack time was about to run out, when he came to the right elbow area, Li You slowed down and stopped suddenly, then suddenly raised his center of gravity and pretended to accelerate.
The moment he deceived Tim Hardaway, Li You suddenly turned around quickly and then shot a fadeaway jumper!
"Whoa!" A solid hit from mid-range!
77:70, the score difference returned to 7 points.
After completing the attack, Li You quickly stepped back to defend. He first raised his left index finger to the audience in the front row, and then pressed down with both hands to signal his teammates to continue to hold on.
"Shhh!!"
Huge boos resounded throughout the arena, the yelling and yelling became louder and louder, and everyone fell behind with a big score of 1:3. Everyone knew what this meant.
As the brains on the court for the Heat, Tim Hardaway was also a little confused at this time. There were only 3 minutes and 40 seconds left in the game.
Should we speed up or continue to give the ball to the inside? Break through the pick-and-roll and shoot a three-pointer?
Quickly dribbling across the half court, Tim Hardaway came to the left wing. Seeing that Mourning was already asking for the ball with his back, he immediately lobbed the ball to the opponent.
At the critical moment, the Heat chose the safest offensive method. Oakley hit the opponent hard, while Mourning worked hard to drive to the basket.
After releasing the ball with his right hand, Mourning went to the line and quickly rushed into the paint area, using his height advantage to carry Oakley to complete the throw!
The basketball circled around the basket and finally fell out.
"oh!!"
The Heat fans at the scene sighed with regret, and the rebound was protected by veteran Buck Williams.
Tim Hardaway saw that Li You was taking time to catch the ball again, and his pressing actions became more and more intense. He was called for a foul before the half was over.
After hearing the reminder from the assistant coach, Pat Riley also knew that the team was about to enter a state of extra penalties, and shouted again:
"calm down!"
Li You didn't care about the opponent's movements at all. When receiving the ball from the sideline, he took the initiative to lean on the opponent's body, receive the pass, and dribble across the half court again.
Tim Hardaway had no choice at all, and he didn't even dare to make too many cutting moves. He was extremely anxious, but Li You started to waste time at the top of the arc again.
For a moment, the Heat fans at the scene were yelling and yelling, incompetent and furious, and in the end they could only watch the time being consumed.
It took nearly 24 seconds again. Li You was greatly delayed and quickly broke through to score the ball. Oakley made a mid-range jumper.
The moment the basketball bounced out of the frame, Oakley rushed to the paint area and grabbed the offensive rebound before returning to guard Mourning. The Knicks regained 24 seconds, and the Heat fans at the scene started yelling again.
Tim Hardaway didn't care about the foul at this time, and pressed hard, almost hanging on Li You, but this kind of defense was of no use.
After another breakthrough of 24 seconds, Li You carried the defense to the paint area, stepped back and made a jump shot, and the basket was instantly scrambled.
Larry Johnson almost grabbed another rebound, but Isaac Austin struggled to protect the rebound in the end.
With 2 minutes and 38 seconds left in the game, Tim Hardaway still did not choose a three-pointer, but continued to give the ball to the inside.
In the left block, after receiving the ball, Mourning deliberately accelerated the offensive rhythm. He was assisted by defense when he broke through the line. He wanted to pass inside and find Isaac Austin at the basket.
As a result, his teammate successfully caught the ball, and before he could force himself to release the basket, veteran Buck Williams cut the basketball away.
The clean cut made the Heat fans sigh. Soon, the Knicks began to grind out 24 seconds again.
"Lee is very smart. The Heat can no longer foul. At this time, they only need to wait for their opponents to make mistakes, and they will win!"
In the commentary box, Hubie Brown smiled and watched Li You sticking his butt out to protect the ball and wasting time.
Dick Stockton shook his head helplessly:
"It will be difficult for the Heat to come back. Time is not on their side unless they hit consecutive three-pointers, but neither side's shooting was very good tonight."
"Once they fail to make a shot and lose a long rebound, it is likely that the Knicks will seize the opportunity to counterattack."
Li You pressed for 24 seconds again. Everyone under the basket fought for it. Mourning struggled to collect the rebound. After Tim Hardaway received the ball, he quickly dribbled across the half court.
This time he no longer chose to pass the ball, but called Isaac Austin for a pick-and-roll, and then broke through from the right with the ball in his right hand.
After briefly getting rid of Li You, Tim Hardaway immediately stopped at the top of the arc and made a jump shot from outside the three-point line!
"state!"
The long rebound popped up and just fell into the hands of Larry Johnson. After receiving the ball, Li You chased the Heat's butt and launched a transition attack.
Tim Hardaway thought Li You would slow down and continue to waste time, but he didn't expect that after just a slight pause at the top of the arc, Li You accelerated and rushed into the paint area.
After losing his defensive position, Tim Hardaway hurriedly reminded his teammates who were returning to defense. Isaac Austin, who had just gained a foothold, saw Li You jump into the air and subconsciously blocked the shot.
The two were fighting in the air. Li You grabbed the ball with his right hand and threw the ball onto the backboard without losing his center of gravity!
"My bowl!"
After falling to the floor, Li You yelled. After landing, Isaac Austin turned his head and saw the basketball stumbling and falling into the basket after hitting the board.
"Shhh!!"
The Heat fans at the scene really couldn't hold back this time and booed wildly. Watching the Knicks pull up Li You, the fans in the front row kept spitting sweet fragrance.
Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines excitedly pumped his fist in celebration. There was no time left, the Knicks were about to get the match point!
Tim Hardaway is no longer complaining that the Knicks celebrated for too long. He knows in his heart that tonight’s game is gone.
After adjusting his breathing, Li You hit the extra penalty steadily. The atmosphere team on the sidelines had already begun to throw towels wildly to celebrate the victory of the game.
Within the last two minutes of the game, Voshon Leonard threw a three-pointer, but it was too late.
In tonight's game, Tim Hardaway only rested for 2 minutes again. He integrated offense and defense. It was too difficult for a small point guard.
In the last 15 seconds, Li You came to the Heat's half, controlled the ball steadily, and let time run out.
The final buzzer sounded, 80:73, and the Knicks successfully got the match point, bringing the series to 3:1.
Everyone in the atmosphere group shouted happily. Li You smiled and handed the ball to the referee, bumping fists with his teammates in celebration!
It seems that the series is over, and the Heat fans at the scene are venting their dissatisfaction and constantly spitting out fragrance.
Everyone in the Knicks quickly returned to the tunnel. The victory was in hand, and the series was basically over!
Back in the locker room, Ewing also pumped his fist in celebration, patted Li You on the shoulder, and said with a laugh:
"Li, great job! If we get the match point, we'll reach the Eastern Conference finals!"
Gorilla doesn't care about being suspended. In his opinion, it's okay to be suspended for one game, lose the game, and then win back. It's not a big deal at all.
Alan Houston felt a little guilty. He stood up and bumped fists with Li You in greeting:
"It was my problem. Fortunately, I won the game in the end. Sitting in the locker room, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose."
"Relax, Bro! We won, and we will advance at home. This series is over!"
Sitting back in his seat, Li You comforted Alan Houston. The process was not important. There was no need to dwell on the process when winning.
Oakley was also grinning. The old guy was in a good mood. At the end of his career, he was very satisfied to be able to enter the Eastern Conference finals again.
Starks, who has been struggling throughout the series, no longer dwells on his performance. As Li You said, the series is over and they are going to the conference finals!
When Jeff Van Gundy returned to the locker room, he was all smiles. The bald young coach no longer struggled with the sense of accomplishment. Being able to hold Pat Riley under him was a testament to the strength of the "best coach in the league"!
"We performed very well! This is a team victory, but the series is not over yet and we still can't relax!"
"When you get back to New York, have a good rest and read less newspapers!"
Jeff Van Gundy warned everyone again, and then celebrated with everyone.
With a big score of 3:1, no one thought about being overturned by the Heat.
History has already given the answer. With match point in hand, it is extremely unlikely to be defeated three times in a row.
In the post-game press conference, Pat Riley still emphasized the Heat's advantages:
"Our lineup is more complete. We will win the next game. The game will last 7 games. I said, this will be a long series!"
Looking at the calm expression of the championship coach, the media in the audience remained silent. No one believed this kind of comforting words for the team.
Maybe the Heat will win one more game, but the Knicks will advance in the end!
As of 1997, in the long history of the NBA, there had only been five successful comebacks in the playoffs after falling behind 1:3.
The most recent time was the 1995 Western Conference semifinals. The Rockets fell behind 1:3. Relying on Olajuwon's strong performance, they finally reversed the game and successfully overturned the Suns!
Going back further, it would be the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals. No one in the media believed in such a small probability thing.
Tim Hardaway looked depressed when attending the press conference. In tonight's game, he made 6 of 22, 3 of 9 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 3 free throws. He scored 17 points, three rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and six turnovers.
He dug too big a hole in the first three quarters, which resulted in the team being unable to chase points in the fourth quarter.
The New York media in the audience did not let this person go, and joked in a teasing tone:
"Tim, congratulations in advance for your selection to the best team this season. How would you evaluate Lee's performance in this series?"
Li You played 38 minutes tonight, shooting 7 of 18, 2 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, and 4 of 6 free throws. He scored 20 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers.
The shooting percentages of both players were not high. After Li You encountered foul trouble in G3, he only scored 14 points. However, in tonight's key game, he once again sent 20+10, which was considered a response.
Not in the mood to praise the rookie, Tim Hardaway could only say clichés in frustration:
"Lee is a very good young man. I am very happy to see him perform like this. This is also an encouragement to young players in the league."
"."
On the morning of May 12, the NBA announced the All-Pro lineup for the 1996-97 season:
The five members of the first team are:
Tim Hardaway, Michael Jordan, Grant Hill, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon;
The five members of the second team are:
Gary Payton, Mitch Richmond, Glenn Rice, Sticko Pippen, Patrick Ewing;
The five members of the third team are:
John Stockton, Anfernee Hardaway, Anthony Mason Jr., Vin Baker, Shaquille O'Neal.
Everyone in the Knicks team who has returned to New York also congratulates Ewing for entering the best second team. He is at the tail end of his peak and can be selected for the best team. The gorilla is also in a good mood.
Although he is a little dissatisfied with being beaten by Olajuwon again, the best second team is already his biggest gain in recent years!
The New York media was somewhat dissatisfied with this selection result.
In their view, Ewing, who averages more points per game, should be selected for the All-NBA Team, and Tim Hardaway is even more worthy of his name!
So far in the playoffs, Li You has averaged 18.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.9 turnovers per game;
Ranked 19th in scoring, just the same as Tim Hardaway, and ranked third in assists.
Ignoring Kidd, who is already ranked first, in the playoffs, he is the second-best backcourt player after Stockton.
Such a performance deserves to be selected for the best team!
The title of "No. 1 point guard" was once again thrown to Li You. As for the New York media comparing playoff data with regular season data, the fans didn't care. They just blew it!
No one cares about the outcome of the next game. In everyone's opinion, two main players have been suspended. It is normal to lose, and it will be fine to win back later.
Just before noon, the NBA announced the penalty results, which really made the Knicks coaching staff curse that there was something shady!
Alan Houston and Patrick Ewing left the bench and stormed onto the field, deserving of one-game suspensions.
But the gorilla knocked down the referee and was given an additional game. He was treated the same as P.J. Brown and was suspended for two games!
At the end of the video session in the morning, Jeff Van Gundy looked gloomy. The bald young coach was afraid of an accident. Once he was forced to grab a 7, the outcome would be difficult to predict!
If the team becomes defeated 1:3 for the sixth time in NBA playoff history, then the best coach in the league will become the biggest joke of the season.
At lunch time, Gorilla was not in a good mood and left early. If there was an accident in the series, the New York media would have to spray him to death during the offseason!
Larry Johnson also felt that being suspended for two games had changed too much, and complained to Li You next to him:
"The NBA must have done it on purpose. Seeing that the Bulls also got the match point, they wanted to save the ratings. Now, the suspense is back!"
Li You didn't care about this. The Knicks are not the future Warriors. There are mostly veterans in the team, so it is impossible to be overturned:
"There are indeed some variables, and the Bulls' G1, Pat is not here, may be affected!"
"Auntie" was stunned when she heard this, and was speechless for a moment. Li You on the side said with a smile at this time:
"Bro, give me the ball next game and we can end the series!"
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(End of chapter)
