On May 5, 1998, after the Knicks ended their Eastern Conference semifinals with the Hornets that night, fans received another piece of good news:
"Patrick Ewing will return from injury in the next game and officially return!"
This is definitely a surprise for New York fans!
This season, the Knicks have been struggling in terms of rebounding performance. Although Chris Dudley has height, there is a clear gap between him and Ewing.
Therefore, after the end of G1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, when Gorilla personally announced the news at the post-game press conference, the New York media in the audience also became excited.
Some people frowned secretly, but they couldn't talk nonsense at this time. Generally speaking, most people were optimistic about the gorilla's return from injury.
Ewing, who was wearing a black formal suit on the stage, felt quite comfortable after announcing the news. He didn't want to wait any longer. It was time to lead the team to the top!
72:102. Since the Knicks won too easily in G1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the New York media did not bother to ridicule the Hornets after the game. Most of them asked questions around Ewing:
"Pat, will the coaching staff limit your playing time? How is your body recovering?"
Ewing showed his right arm, moved his wrist, and answered confidently:
"There is no playing time limit, and my body has fully recovered!"
"The team needs me, and I will go all out when I get back to the game. After sitting on the bench for a few months, I can't wait to play!"
Li You, who was sitting aside, was a little surprised. According to the plan, Gorilla should not return to the team until the Eastern Conference finals.
However, superstars do have the power to decide their own playing time. The coaching staff’s plan is not important. Li You remained calm and smiled when answering questions:
"We have the advantage of the schedule, so the whole team will strive to end this series as soon as possible!"
"With Pat back, rebounding will become our advantage!"
Everyone was praising Ewing, and the gorilla was completely inflated. At this moment, he even forgot that it was his shooting hand that was injured, and he just thought proudly in his heart:
"The Knicks are still my team!"
On the morning of the 6th, the "King of New York" announced his return and dominated the front pages of the sports sections of major New York print media.
It's hard for Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff to say anything. After all, Ewing is a superstar. If he wants to come back early and find his form, he naturally has to meet the requirements.
However, after the video session in the morning, when he saw the confident Ewing, the bald young coach secretly shook his head. He was not optimistic about the gorilla's performance on the offensive end.
The right wrist was injured. Although the nerve was not damaged, shooting will definitely be affected.
Considering Ewing's offensive options, it may take some time to get used to the job of making jump shots.
"Buck has a physical problem and Pat comes back early, which is also a good thing for the team!"
Assistant coach Thibodeau didn't think so much. From a defensive perspective, Ewing is definitely better than Buck Williams and Dudley.
Don Chaney on the side didn't say anything, he just looked at Jeff Van Gundy. The bald young marshal knew that he couldn't continue to be friendly at this time, so he said seriously:
"We will not change our tactics until Pat recovers. Victory is the most important thing. Getting the match point in one go is the team's only goal."
"."
The coaching staff was still discussing how to integrate the gorilla into the team. During the afternoon training session, Li You took the initiative to greet his teammates and help the gorilla find his condition.
The familiar singles in the left block appeared again, but facing Dudley's defense, the Gorilla failed to finish at the basket for several consecutive rounds.
This is not the first time this phenomenon has happened. After Ewing participated in the joint training, problems arose in the ending.
Perhaps the old guys will comfort themselves and think that the Gorilla is still finding its form, but Li You and others have long seen that injuries have taken away part of Ewing's shooting touch.
In the more than a month since he participated in the training session, Ewing's condition has not recovered. Even his mid-range jumper is no longer stable.
The more times he caught the ball, the uglier Ewing's face became. It wasn't until Dudley started to defend symbolically that the Gorilla finally regained his face.
There were not many routines in the afternoon training session. After the training, everyone was still talking and laughing, but Ewing was not in a good mood.
When Li You and others changed their clothes and prepared to go home, they discovered that the gorilla man was missing.
"Pat went to practice shooting. I believe he will find his form!"
Charlie Ward didn't even change his clothes. He adopted the attitude of me and the boss moving forward and retreating together, preparing to practice more with the gorilla.
"Charlie, don't push yourself too hard, and let Pat pay attention to rest! Relax, we will keep winning!"
Li You smiled and said hello, and he and Larry Johnson left the locker room one after another.
Alan Houston patted Charlie Ward to express support, then turned away.
Chris Childs shrugged. Although he is a little transparent, his statistics have also increased this season. He glanced at Charlie Ward and quickly followed, ready to go home.
The "boss" practiced extra, but only a few people were with him. Charlie Ward expected the coaching staff to say something, but found that Jeff Van Gundy didn't say anything.
The atmosphere team also followed Li You back to their respective homes. In the end, only Oakley, Starks, Charlie Ward, and Ben Wallace were left to accompany the Gorilla for additional training.
Starks, who received a big contract this season, has not changed much in his regular season data, but his efficiency has dropped a lot.
The shooting rate was 39.7% and the three-point shooting rate was 31.7%. Starks was able to maintain beautiful data mainly due to the increase in the number of rounds of the team.
After receiving the team's bonus, Starks will not act like a doormat like Charlie Ward.
"Give yourself more time! Pat, I don't think the semifinals will cause too much trouble to the team."
"Gradually increase some playing time and slowly find the state."
Hearing Starks' words, Ewing, who was still shooting at fixed-points, said nothing, but the smile on his face disappeared and his good mood disappeared.
Oakley didn't care about the mess in the locker room at all. He was happy to win the championship. The old guy was more concerned about the big contract. When he saw Ben Wallace, who was acting transparent, he said hello:
"Ben, learn from Pat! Your shooting is terrible."
"Xiao Ben" smiled awkwardly. He was indeed not very good at technical work and could only act as an atmosphere team at this time.
Just thinking about the team's situation, "Xiao Ben" felt that it would be good to be a rebounding tool. At least Li You promised that if you can rebound, you can start:
"Starting center, will it be my turn?"
That night, in G2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, after trailing at halftime, the Bulls broke out in the third quarter and reversed the game again.
98:104, the Pacers had the advantage in rebounding, but made 19 turnovers in the game, and ultimately lost.
The old guys of the Bulls were not in a fast pace, but they only made 6 turnovers in the game. They relied on defense and opponents to deliver points, and they played a smooth game and established the victory.
In 42 minutes of playing time, Michael Jordan made 13 of 22 shots, 15 of 18 free throws, and scored 41 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals;
Pippen recovered, shooting 6 of 18, 2 of 6 from beyond the arc, and 7 of 10 free throws. He contributed 21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks, and 2 turnovers.
With 2:15 of steals, the Pacers were blown away by the Bulls.
The Bulls' dual-core performance was outstanding, but Reggie Miller continued to be sluggish, shooting 4 of 13 and scoring 19 points on free throws.
After this game, no one underestimated the Bulls anymore. With rich game experience and excellent execution, there are more and more calls for the championship!
The New York media will not promote the Bulls, everyone is still in a state of self-pleasure.
On May 7, after more than a day of rest, the Hornets and Knicks started their G2 game again.
Before the game, Ewing had attracted much attention, and the cameras were glaring at him throughout the game.
The New York media are all looking forward to the team blossoming inside and outside tonight and beating the Hornets again!
Gorilla's return to the starting lineup does not have much impact on Li You personally, because the ball is in his hands.
Therefore, in an interview in the locker room before the game, Li Youye kept encouraging Ewing:
"After Pat returns, he will completely improve our penalty area defense. Divac is very good, but tonight he can no longer play an efficient offense!"
"Rhythm of the game? We have absolute strength and can adjust at any time. We will still beat our opponents tonight."
Li You was surrounded by many New York media. Everyone noticed that Ewing's offense was not mentioned in several answers. At this time, everyone also realized something and did not ask too many questions.
During the pre-game appearance ceremony, when Ewing came on the stage, the New York fans at the scene also cheered loudly:
"Wow!"
Ewing, who has played hard in New York for many years, has a deep fan base. The new generation of young people may not like the gorilla who always fails, but the old fans will support Ewing.
Even though the Knicks have always lost to the Bulls in the past, that experience was the youthful time of old fans.
When the game started, Ewing successfully jumped to the ball, and Madison Square Garden also started to boil!
In the first round, Li You didn't steal the show. He came to the left wing and lobbed the ball to Ewing who was looking for the ball in the low post.
The Knicks opened up one after another, with Li You and Alan Houston preparing to respond on the left and right wings, Oakley opening up space at the free throw line, and Larry Johnson moving back and forth on the right baseline.
In the relatively excellent singles space, Ewing did not hesitate. After receiving the ball, he immediately released the ball with his right hand, leaned on the ball, approached the paint area, and immediately took a step up the line.
Divac was well prepared and immediately moved to block. In the paint area, right in front of the basket, Ewing leaned on his opponent and completed the throw with his right hand!
"state!"
The basketball hit the back edge of the basket and bounced high. Everyone on the Hornets team immediately got stuck. In the end, Glenn Rice successfully collected the rebound.
"oh!"
The New York fans at the scene sighed and almost scored.
Ewing clapped his hands in annoyance, and then quickly retreated with everyone.
It's also a defensive situation, but with the gorilla on the field, Oakley is much more relaxed.
Li You started to lead the defense after David Wesley passed half court, and the other four were almost near the paint area, giving the Hornets a mid-range opportunity.
Learning from the lessons of the previous game, David Wesley immediately gave the ball to Glenn Rice on the left wing of the free throw after halftime, and then opened up space outside the three-point line.
Divac came to the free throw line immediately. The future All-Star center had a clear mind. After catching the ball, he saw Ewing following him and immediately gave the ball to Ball Fiers on the right wing. .
Anthony Mason Jr. asked for the ball with his back in the right block. After receiving the ball, Phils also stopped passing the ball and sent a lob pass again.
All five players on the court from the Hornets passed the ball. After receiving the ball, Mason turned around, feinted, released the ball with his right hand, and broke through with a cross step.
With his muscles, Mason withstood Oakley's defense and rushed to the lower right side of the basket.
After combining the ball, he feinted and deceived Oakley's defense. Mason took a shot from the basket, but was interfered by Ewing who was assisting in defense. He put the basket close at hand and missed the frame.
Ewing grabbed the rebound and immediately threw the ball to Li You on the right wing.
No one on the Knicks team needed to say hello, they all accelerated towards the opponent's half.
Next to him, head coach Dave Cowens kept asking everyone for defensive confrontations. After a day of rest, his physical fitness also recovered a lot, and the Hornets retreated quickly.
David Wesley has been giving physical confrontation to Li You's side, trying to delay the advancement.
After crossing the half court, he came to the right wing and noticed that his teammates had completed their defensive positioning. David Wesley also breathed a sigh of relief.
Approaching the three-point line, Li You observed his position on the court and noticed that Ewing had just rushed to the top of the key and Divac was still near the service line. He immediately dribbled the ball behind his back with his right hand.
The moment he switched to his left hand, Li You lowered his center of gravity, faced David Wesley's defense, and accelerated to cut in at a 45-degree angle on the right side.
Without losing his defensive position, David Wesley kept moving back to the right. Divac noticed Li You's cut and subconsciously moved back.
Breaking through to the right side of the block and close to the paint area, Li You immediately relied on the defense to quickly turn with a gyro. As he approached the basket, he switched to his right hand and took advantage of the defense to pick the ball toward the backboard!
"Bang!"
Divas, who quickly retreated from defense, jumped to interfere but had no effect. After hitting the board high, the basketball fell into the basket accurately.
"Wow!"
The crisp transition attack made the New York fans cheer loudly.
Every time he encounters a small defender who lacks defensive aggressiveness, Li You will choose to finish closer to the paint area.
David Wesley cursed secretly and quickly raised his hands to indicate that it was his problem.
Ewing had just reached the free throw line and quickly retreated with his teammates.
After several rounds, the cheers in Madison Square Garden grew louder and louder.
Ewing's return has really changed the team's defense. The Knicks have easily scored points in transition offense in a few rounds.
After missing two baskets, the Hornets began to try more jump shots. Only Divac would attack in the low post.
In the low post on the right, Divac turned toward the baseline, and his shot after switching to his right hand was interfered by Ewing. Oakley got in front of Mason and grabbed the backboard.
Alan Houston rushed after receiving the ball. He just dribbled across half court and immediately gave the ball to Li You on the left wing.
After catching the ball, he released the ball with his left hand and dribbled quickly behind his back. When he switched to his right hand, Li You feinted to the left.
David Wesley, who had just gained a foothold, subconsciously slid to the right, and then noticed that he was staggering. Li You paused for a moment, and immediately took a big step forward. He suddenly stopped at the three-point line and converted. Quick three-point jump shot!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.
"Wonderful transition attack! The Hornets didn't feel well after the opening, but we successfully seized the opportunity!"
In the MSG commentary box, Mike Breen's tone became lighter when he saw the Knicks scoring consecutive points.
Walter Frazier also felt that the Knicks performed very well in these minutes:
"After Pat returned, his defense and rebounding have been improved, which is of great help to the team!"
At 2:11, with 8 minutes and 42 seconds left in the first quarter, Li You's three-pointer helped the team continue to expand the point difference.
Head coach Dave Cowens was forced to request a timeout. There was only one goal in the open game, and it was Divac's strong attack under the basket.
It seems that the poor touch of the previous game continued. The starting players were struggling, and David Wesley was completely invisible on the offensive end.
On the Knicks' side, the atmosphere team on the bench started shouting excitedly again. They took the lead at the beginning. This game is safe!
Oakley's tip-in, Larry Johnson's cut, and Alan Houston's free throw in transition.
In the starting lineup, everyone except Ewing scored. The Gorillas were not very adaptable to the rhythm of the game. The Knicks finished the scoring before halftime in several rounds.
"Very good! Keep the pace of the game like this, protect the rebounds, seize the opportunity to counterattack, and you will widen the point difference in one breath!"
Jeff Van Gundy didn't expect the game to go so smoothly, and he was so excited that he shouted to everyone.
Li You nodded slightly. As a point guard on the court, he is mainly responsible for controlling the rhythm of the game. When opportunities arise, he must attack decisively.
As for the Gorilla who wants to find his form and play in the low post, that's not up to him.
Ewing didn't speak, but his mood was a little unhappy. According to the past, the Knicks would pass him every time they attacked.
But now the gorilla feels like he's become a blue-collar tool man
After the timeout, the Hornets did not immediately find the touch, but took turns to strike.
Mason made a long two-pointer from the left baseline, and Li You collected the rebound. During the third-line fast break, he assisted Alan Houston for an easy layup;
Glenn Rice's long two-pointer from the left wing, Alan Houston collected the long rebound and passed it to Li You to continue the third-line fast break.
Li You, who broke through with the ball in the middle, finally attracted Glenn Rice who was returning to defense.
After taking three strides to rush into the paint, Li You swung the ball behind his head with his left hand in the air. David Wesley and Glenn Rice followed suit and jumped to block the shot. Larry Johnson followed up and easily laid the basket. succeed!
The game played very fast, and everyone on the Hornets didn't gradually find the feel until the second half of the first quarter.
But at this time, the Knicks had a big lead, and everyone became more and more relaxed as they played.
Oakley walked to the right side of the free throw line and passed the ball hand-to-hand, making a screen.
Li You, who received the ball, held the ball in his right hand and faced the switch of defense. Mason moved laterally. After attracting the chasing David Wesley, he immediately sent a ground pass.
The basketball passed between the two of them, but Oakley didn't move at all. At the right elbow of the free throw line, unguarded, he succeeded in a mid-range jumper!
At 8:21, with 2 minutes and 47 seconds left in the first quarter, the New York fans at the scene celebrated the victory in advance.
While playing excellent defense, the Knicks also played a smooth offense.
Oakley scored another 2 points and gave Li You a fist bump with a smile on his face when he retreated.
Jeff Van Gundy saw the situation on the court and took advantage of Divac's free throw to replace Ewing early and Dudley came on.
"Pat, you did very well! Take a rest first!"
The bald young coach took the initiative to pat the gorilla to express encouragement. Everyone on the coaching staff was very satisfied with Ewing's performance.
0 of 2, 0 points and 4 rebounds. Although Ewing did not score, his influence on the defensive end was visible to the naked eye.
Returning to the bench, Ewing took the towel handed by the atmosphere team, his face darkened, and he sat in his seat sulking secretly.
At the end of the first quarter, the atmosphere team on the Knicks bench cheered together with the fans, and the game was completely stable.
At 13:27, the Knicks already led by 14 points!
After playing the first quarter of the game, Li You made 2 of 3, 1 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 7 points, 1 rebound and 5 assists.
Walking to the bench, the atmosphere team stepped forward to high-five Li You in celebration.
"In the first quarter, we showed our dominance on both offense and defense!"
"Lee successfully activated his teammates. Compared to the Hornets, our offense played great."
In the commentary box, Walter Frazier made another strong boast, but Mike Breen didn't care. Instead, he added with a smile:
"Pat is focusing on defense after returning, which is a good thing! As the game time increases, I believe he will also find his touch."
In the first quarter of the game, the Hornets started 5 players and performed an embarrassing 1-for-5 performance.
When it came time to rotate the lineup, no one on the Knicks cared about the Hornets. Ewing took the initiative to apply for an early appearance, trying to travel at off-peak hours and find his touch.
Li You was sitting on the bench. He watched Ewing, who was on the stage again, attacking with his back near the baseline on the left side. He turned toward the baseline and missed the basket. He shook his head secretly:
"Too impatient, he can choose a simpler and more efficient way to score!"
Hearing Li You's whisper, Alan Houston raised his eyebrows, then covered his mouth with a towel and whispered:
"Pat wants to reaffirm his dominance at the basket, and he won't compromise easily."
Li You certainly knows this situation. It is difficult to expect the gorilla to be willing to become a forward or a defensive tool.
Thinking again that the ball is in his hands, Li You secretly complained:
“It’s quite decent to passively become a tool person.”
In the second quarter of the game, Chris Childs, Starks, and Chris Mills were in good condition. Veteran Buck Williams did not compete and tried his best to assist Ewing.
Scored and played, both inside and outside, under the guidance of Chris Childs, the Knicks continued to score points.
In individual rounds, Ewing would step up his singles play, but facing the Hornets' backup center Matt Geiger, he did not take advantage and continued to play hard.
Jeff Van Gundy naturally understood the gorilla's thoughts. Seeing that the Hornets still failed to find the touch, he gave the gorilla enough face and did not regain the main lineup until 4 minutes and 12 seconds left in the half.
The substitutes played with Big Brother for most of the quarter, and the score reached 24:40.
For most of the game, both sides scored in double figures in a single quarter, and the atmosphere was no longer as fiery as the opening scene.
Fortunately, after Li You came on the field, Ewing took a break, the Hornets continued to play, and the familiar game returned.
"Wow!"
In the first round after debuting, Li You switched offense and rushed into the paint area, relying on David Wesley's right hand to pick up the basket in the paint area, and the cheers were unanimous!
The small lineup came on the scene, and the Knicks suddenly stepped up their double-teaming of Divac. After the opponent made several mistakes, the half game ended quickly.
At 30:50, the Knicks took a 20-point lead at halftime, and the game was basically no longer suspense.
At the Madison Square Garden Arena, everyone began to celebrate the victory of the game. When they saw the Knicks walking towards the tunnel, fans on both sides cheered loudly.
Ewing's face darkened as he walked into the tunnel. He made 1 of 7 shots in the half and scored 4 points. He realized that there was something wrong with his finishing.
Seeing Li You and everyone in front talking and laughing about the next game, the gorilla felt even more depressed and could only encourage himself secretly:
"I'll find the feel!"
Thank you book friends for your subscription support (っ)
(End of chapter)
