On December 9, 1997, after a small group of New York media redefined the "180 Club", the Knicks were finally poured out of poisonous milk.
In the away game against the Heat, Larry Johnson was injured and left the field after only 6 minutes of play. In the following game, Mourning and PJ Brown began to wreak havoc under the basket.
A score, a sweep of defense, blossoming inside and outside. In the end, 82:88, the Knicks fought hard for four quarters but still lost the game.
After winning the game, Pat Riley was in a good mood and chatted with his assistant for a long time. Jeff Van Gundy was a little aggrieved, having lost to the person he least wanted to lose.
The winning streak was fixed at 19 games, and New York fans and media were very satisfied with this.
With 19 wins and 1 loss, the Knicks lead the league!
Ranked second in the Eastern Conference is the Heat with 14 wins and 5 losses, followed closely by the Bulls with 12 wins and 7 losses.
The Knicks, who quickly got into shape after the start of the game, finally succeeded in widening the winning gap and could breathe a sigh of relief before the Christmas game.
After flying from the warm Miami back to the cold Big Apple overnight, everyone was a little unmotivated during the training session the next morning.
Every December, the climate in New York becomes unpleasant, with only five or six degrees Celsius during the day and close to freezing at night.
Compared with Miami, when living in New York, you need to wear warm and cold clothes at this time.
Perhaps because he wore too many clothes and was troubled by a back injury, Larry Johnson was in a particularly bad mood.
He has to miss a few games every season, and old injuries crop up from time to time, as if to remind him that he has expired.
“Damn the weather, we should have stayed in Miami one more day!”
After changing into training clothes and receiving a massage from a physical therapist, Larry Johnson complained loudly.
Oakley, who has lived in New York for many years, has long been accustomed to the weather in the Big Apple City, and joked with joy:
"We should be satisfied that at least New York is much better than Chicago!"
Larry Johnson, who was still talking about Miami, sighed helplessly.
Losing is also a way to relieve stress. The New York media in a state of self-reliance is very stressful. If this season ends in failure, a storm of ridicule awaits them in the offseason.
Starks stretched his hips in the Finals, and the famous scene where Gorilla missed an empty basket in the game against the Pacers is still mentioned repeatedly even after several years.
Li You likes the weather in New York very much. What worries him is that the birthday of his little follower is coming, and several girls want to join in the fun before Christmas:
"Titanic" premieres on December 19th.
The expectations for this movie have been completely raised, and the fact that it has repeatedly exceeded the budget also reminds movie fans that this is a big production!
Although romance movies are clichéd, they have a wide audience. At least young people will definitely spend money to buy tickets to watch them once.
After replying to the text message, Li You felt that he had to watch the movie again and again.
Jeff Van Gundy looked worried in the morning video session. He had been prepared for "Auntie"'s injury, but coupled with Ewing's injury, the bald young coach was a little overwhelmed.
"We need to help defend more and, when necessary, defend more forward."
"Don't let the opponent's big man squeeze into the paint easily. Once he loses his position, he can only watch the opponent rush for rebounds."
Assistant coach Thibodeau pointed to the round that was cut out. Mourning carried Oakley into the paint area and missed a shot. P.J. Brown made consecutive rebounds and stabbed the ball into the basket.
If Larry Johnson is here, "Big Mom" can also defend Mourning, so that Oakley and Buck Williams will work together to protect rebounds and there will be a high probability that these problems will not occur.
However, due to injuries, Larry Johnson will continue to miss the remaining two games this week, and new aid Chris Dudley was mentioned as the starting center position.
Veteran Buck Williams is still too short.
Seeing everyone nodding, Jeff Van Gundy simply added:
"Everyone must actively protect rebounds. This is a difficult period for the team and we cannot waste the lead!"
Ben Wallace listened carefully and just needed a pen to take notes in a notebook.
He has finally entered the rotation, and whether he can get more playing time depends on the next two games.
Alan Houston hit the ground running in the last game, but the coaching staff didn't make any adjustments. Currently, the offensive end can only rely on the outside, and he has to continue shooting even if he is tough!
At the end of the video class, Li You also reminded Alan Houston in a low voice:
"The three-point line has been restored this season. It will definitely be affected in the early stage. If you continue to shoot, you will be able to find your form before the All-Star Game."
"I've got some feeling! Thanks, Bro!"
Without the gorilla, Alan Houston's shooting rights will also increase. As long as Li You keeps passing the ball, he has the final say on how to throw it on the court.
Seeing the two communicating in low voices, Jeff Van Gundy felt helpless.
As a traditional coach, he doesn't like to see the team take too many three-pointers.
As a result, Li You, Alan Houston, and Starks now have to shoot 18+ in a game, plus Chris Childs, 20 shots, has become a basic operation.
Just thinking that the Heat would also shoot a lot of three-pointers in their games, Jeff Van Gundy acquiesced in these shots:
"Although it has become a jump shooting team, you can't go wrong if you follow Pat Riley."
On the night of December 11th, the Knicks faced the Timberwolves at home.
After the start of the new season, the Timberwolves also started slowly and currently have a record of 8 wins and 11 losses.
Although Kevin Garnett is not the boss of the team, he is unique among the team in terms of popularity!
After Shawn Kemp joins the Cavaliers, Garnett will most likely get a starting spot in the All-Star Game this year.
This also made Garnett a little inflated. Before the game, he didn't even look at the old guy from the Knicks and just greeted Li You.
In the last All-Star Game, Garnett got more playing time than Li You, but his performance of 1-for-7 after playing was a bit embarrassing.
"Hey, Bro, you will definitely get the All-Star starting spot this year. Hardaway is injured again. This time no one can limit the performance of young people!"
After the fist bump, Garnett shouted loudly from the sidelines, showing a look like "I am an All-Star starter"
In 1997, the top 50 superstars gathered together, and there were legends everywhere. Li You and Garnett were so transparent that no one cared about them even if they set the record of being the youngest All-Star player in NBA history.
At that time, the hot news was all about Michael and celebrities.
The atmosphere in Madison Square Garden was hot, which also intensified Garnett's self-entertainment. Li You looked at him funny, and finally responded simply:
"The starting lineup is not important, the important thing is that I want to score more points!"
Li You made a phone gesture, indicating that Garnett could contact him if he came to New York in advance.
Last year, the two of them were very transparent and could only chat awkwardly. This year, the old guy is missing most of them, so he is getting through it.
Marbury, who was warming up at halftime, felt sour in his heart. The forgetful New York fans had forgotten about the former "Son of New York."
The All-Stars have nothing to do with him. As the Lakers' record gets better and better, Kobe Bryant's popularity also rises, and Marbury suffered a big loss in Minnesota.
The Timberwolves' starting lineup has enough height. In the MSG commentary box, commentator Mike Breen briefly introduced:
"Stephen Marbury and Chris Kyle are paired in the backcourt, Tom Gugliotta and Kevin Garnett are on the forward line, and Stanley Roberts is at center."
“The Timberwolves’ starting lineup is very big!”
With two big men over 2.10 meters tall, Gugliotta can also be called a powerful striker. He was also selected for the All-Star bench last year.
The game strategy formulated by Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders is also very simple, start from the inside!
For the Knicks, Chris Mills and Chris Dudley, who got the chance to start tonight, also performed very actively after the start.
The scores of both sides increased alternately, and the Timberwolves, who constantly attacked the basket, played an efficient offense.
The turning point of the game came in the third quarter when the Knicks attacked and Oakley screened Li You at the right elbow of the free throw line.
Li You, who held the ball in his left hand, lowered his center of gravity and broke through on the left side. First, he briefly got rid of Marbury's pursuit and reached the free throw line.
Facing Garnett, who raised his right hand and quickly came up to help defend, Li You quickly in and out, shaking his body, and immediately made Garnett move back.
Taking advantage of Marbury's pursuit, Li You, who was parked at the free throw line, did not wait for the two to attack from behind, and swung the ball behind his back.
"Wow!"
The beautiful pass made the New York fans at the scene cheer. Oakley, who had already moved to the right block, received the ball and went straight to the basket.
It's just that the old guy underestimated Garnett's ability to help defend. He was near the free throw line just now, but in the blink of an eye he shrank to the basket again, and Oakley received a solid block.
"Yes!!"
Fanning the ball out of the baseline, the excited Garnett jumped up and down, beating his chest and roaring at Oakley!
The old guy was already in a bad mood, so he turned around and pushed him, pointed at Garnett and warned loudly:
"Shut your stinky mouth!"
Garnett was pushed to the Knicks bench and noticed Larry Johnson standing up. Ben Wallace also stood up and looked directly at him.
In addition, everyone in the atmosphere team was about to surround him. Garnett subconsciously moved back, waited until his teammate Roberts came forward, and then started to rush forward again.
Just such a move immediately angered everyone on the Knicks team. Before Roberts could react, the two sides got into a fight.
Two fists were hard to beat with four hands. When Garnett saw that something was wrong, he continued to dodge and move around, and just moved from the bench to the center line.
The linesman was hit and staggered. When he turned around, he heard Garnett still shouting:
"Come on! I'm right here!"
But such a provocation angered the referee. He made a "T" sign in front of the technical stage, and then kicked out Garnett, Oakley, and Larry Johnson.
"Shhh!!"
The New York fans at the scene were very dissatisfied with this call and booed wildly.
Jeff Van Gundy argued with the referee angrily on the surface, but he was secretly happy in his heart.
Oakley was out of touch tonight and in average condition, but Garnett of the Timberwolves had a strong presence on both offense and defense.
One for one, the Knicks won’t lose!
The subsequent games also demonstrated the importance of Garnett. Without a defensive barrier inside, the Knicks' Chris Mills became active.
Ben Wallace also got a chance to play at this time. He couldn't be counted on on the offensive end, but after coming on the court, he made a vigorous grab, which also reduced the Timberwolves' transition offense by half.
In the end, Marbury's 1-point rain failed to help the Timberwolves win.
98:107, relying on their outstanding performance in the second half of the game, the Knicks successfully defeated their opponents.
Coach Sanders shook his head helplessly. The advantageous game has become like this. The swollen Garnett is still too young.
Provocative on the court, politely giving in off the court, Garnett took the initiative to reconcile after the game. Li You looked at "Xiaojia" who came to the locker room and surrendered, and looked weird for a moment:
"Shouldn't it be that I vow to kill the old guy and avenge my shame?"
Smiling after winning the game, Jeff Van Gundy's good mood only lasted for one night. The next morning, the team doctor told the bald young coach that Chris Dudley was injured.
The injury was not serious, I sprained my ankle and had to rest for a week.
Jeff Van Gundy was worried for a moment when he thought about Oakley and Larry Johnson, who were suspended for one game.
The Knicks have six games left before Christmas, four of which are back-to-back away games.
In the two games in which Ben Wallace got more playing time, the Knicks' smaller lineup simply beat the 76ers and Pistons.
On the night of the 17th, in back-to-back games against the Pacers, the twin towers of Rick Smits and Dale Davis, who were 2.24 meters tall, showed their power and completely destroyed the Knicks' inside line.
Veterans Buck Williams and Ben Wallace each committed 5 fouls and the other left the field with 6 fouls. The loss of rebounds made it difficult for the Knicks to play transition offense.
80:87, the Knicks lost the game cleanly.
On the night of the 19th, the Knicks challenged the Cavaliers away.
In this game, Ilgauskas, who was drafted with the last pick in 1996 and just entered the NBA this year, performed well.
7 of 14, a double-double of 16 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 4 turnovers.
Sean Kemp was in poor condition. Without encountering strong defense, he made 2 of 9 and scored 10 points on free throws.
Larry Johnson returned from injury and solved some rebounding problems. In the end, the Knicks defeated their opponents 104:77.
He flew to Milwaukee overnight and challenged the Bucks back to back on the second day. As a result, Alan Houston was out of shape and was shot by Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen!
At 90:98, the Knicks lost another game cleanly.
On December 21, after returning to New York, the team also entered holiday mode. Before Christmas, there was another game against the Mavericks, and the schedule was very easy.
After the video session in the morning, the coaching staff immediately announced a holiday. The back-to-back away games consumed everyone's energy.
With 23 wins and 3 losses, the Knicks still lead the league!
"Lee, you can come to my place for Christmas!"
Starks knew that Li You had no activities this Christmas and took the initiative to send out an invitation.
Li You shook his phone, indicating that he still had somewhere to go, and blessed him with a smile:
"John, Merry Christmas! Remember to ask little John to pick up the gift from me!"
Everyone in the Knicks team wished each other well in the training hall and got ready to go home and enjoy the Christmas vacation.
No one cares about the game against the Mavericks. What everyone cares about more is the Christmas Day game against the Bulls.
With the support of the early season games, the talent with the slowest progress [Ray Allen's excellent explosive power] also turned silver.
Li You did not go home immediately, but stayed in the training ground to stretch his body.
Ben Wallace silently practiced free throws at the free throw line. In more than a week of games, his playing time has increased to 12 minutes.
The statistics haven't increased much, and the free throws are also a bit stretched, but playing more games is always a good thing.
"Ben, try changing your look! This look of yours doesn't suit you at all! Try a retro afro!"
Li You, who was moving his body, looked at Ben Wallace, who still had a crew cut, and gave suggestions with a smile.
Touching his hair, Ben Wallace felt a little guilty. His height was indeed wet, which was why Jeff Van Gundy didn't like to see him before:
"Thanks! Bro, I really should change my look. I have to make myself look more fierce!"
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Separately published ~ There is another chapter with a lot of words at 22:00 in the evening ~
(End of chapter)
