On June 11, 2000, the finals G3 will officially start at 20:30 that night.
The time left for the two teams to adjust is very short. After this game, there will be two days of rest.
For the Lakers, if they can win an away game, they can regain the initiative. For three consecutive away games, the schedule is extremely unfriendly to them.
In the G2 game, the Lakers determined their rotation. Starting No. 4 AC Green only played 18 minutes in this game, and Horry on the bench played longer.
Rick Fox on the striker also got more opportunities, and Brian Shaw also got more playing time.
Phil Jackson has finally figured out the appropriate rotation through two games. The old man is not good at basketball, so he still needs players with fast lateral movement.
There are exceptions among the rotation players. The young Fisher's playing time is getting less and less, and he only played 12 minutes in G2.
"Little Fish"'s tendons didn't do much good, and he also suffered from his height.
Even though Brian Shaw is 34 years old, Phil Jackson still trusted the veteran more in the last game, and a lot of "little fish" time was eaten up.
However, for New York fans, these players are all country dogs. In the eyes of everyone, only O'Neal has won everyone's recognition:
"The Lakers can't even win a game without Sharks!"
While the Los Angeles media was hyping Kobe's performance, some sports columns in the New York newspaper analyzed the Lakers' strength in detail:
"Kobe Bryant, a poor imitator, a star-making product of the league!"
Although they only had one day of rest, everyone on the Lakers team who came to New York read the newspaper and were very angry.
Although personal attack articles are in the minority after all, New York fans are like this. No one can remember moderate comments. The more extreme they are, the more impressive they are!
NBC has released interviews with celebrities from the two teams in the past few days. Magic Johnson also behaved very modestly when faced with the topic of the best point guard in history.
In the interview clip, Magic Johnson showed his iconic smile and laughed before answering:
"There's no comparison. What I mean is that our technical characteristics are completely different. I can't hit a lot of three-pointers like Lee."
"For the same reason, Lee won't appear in the low post as often as I do. We have different sizes and different technical characteristics, but I like his "math problem."
"At 22 years old, Li will most likely surpass me in the future. The future belongs to young people. I like to see the duel between the two teams on the stage of the finals!"
Willis Reed, a staunch Knicks supporter, was less polite in his interview.
When asked about the player's strength, Willis Reed just praised O'Neal:
"In addition to free throws, O'Neal really showed the strength of an MVP-level player."
"But the Knicks are more talented. Pat may be older and can still contribute to the team."
"No one on the Lakers' perimeter can limit Lee. I even think he is underestimated. Although Kobe Bryant was selected to the All-Defensive Team, that does not mean that he is an excellent defender."
"Three consecutive championships. I believe the team will achieve everyone's long-cherished wish. This is the era of the Knicks!"
MVP-level celebrities stood up to support their players. Before the start of the G3 game, a new round of war of words also kicked off.
In the last game, Li You scored 30 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers. The Lakers' defensive strategy changed significantly, and O'Neal really delayed his comeback.
But this is just Li You’s feeling on the court, and intuition can sometimes be deceiving. The Knicks coaching staff quickly came to a conclusion through game videos and statistics:
"O'Neal's delays are all fake."
Letting Li You pass the ball and letting Kobe Bryant chase and defend is the purpose of the Shark's running. Although the opponent will also lower its focus and defend decently, judging from the results, most of them are bluffs.
The court is changing rapidly, and the key to winning lies in making the right choices. Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff are well prepared for the next home game.
At 19:30 that night, one hour before the game started, Li You wore a "Superman" T-shirt to warm up at the Madison Square Garden Arena.
The rest time is very short. In order to allow the inside players to fully rest, most of the time is spent watching videos and doing simple recovery training.
The blue customized Superman T-shirt was a small gift given to Li You by Spike Lee, specially used to put eye drops on the opposite "Superman".
Although it was just warm-up shooting and simple ball-handling training, the media did not want to miss these shots. The surrounding media reporters surrounded the half court again.
To catch up with the explosive popularity of the weekend finals, ticket prices have increased again.
James Dolan may not understand basketball skills and tactics, but this big boss knows the fans' preferences very well. Since Li You scored high scores, the enthusiasm of New York fans has increased visibly.
Unlike Jim Gray, who is responsible for the news about the Knicks, the one responsible for reporting on the Lakers is Ahmed Rashad, the former royal reporter of McQueen.
"Jordan's successor" attracted this one, but what Rashad regrets is that Kobe is still relatively immature and not attractive enough.
"The Lakers haven't relaxed since they came to New York. Head coach Phil Jackson will be strict with his players during training sessions!"
"As far as I know, the Lakers will continue to expand their rotation tonight. In less than two days of rest, most of the tactical drills will focus on pick-and-roll defense."
Wearing a black formal suit, Ahmed Rashad faced the camera and told the Lakers' preparations over the past two days. In the studio behind NBC, the three people nodded after hearing the news.
Host Hannah saw that Bill Walton seemed to have something to say and immediately waved his hand. The latter picked up the microphone and loudly said:
"The Lakers' defense has started to work. We all underestimated Shaq's physical ability. He is a real monster!"
"The inside line started to delay, and at the same time, after Horry got a lot of playing time, the Lakers' offensive space became even better."
"I believe the Lakers will regain the initiative!"
When the score reached 1:1, Isiah Thomas' prediction seemed to be more accurate. He did not rush to refute, but smiled and continued with the data:
"In the two games, Lee's three-point shooting percentage did not fluctuate, which shows that the Lakers' defense did not have much effect at all."
"The last game was more about offensive choices. Of course, it also has something to do with the scale of whistleblowing!"
"The test for O'Neal has just begun, and the Knicks will not waste this opportunity!"
"."
There was another wave of quarrels before the game. In order to increase the popularity of the finals, the sports commentators were also working hard to express themselves. Several mainstream media programs "quarreled" every day.
Players and the media have basically become a community of interests in this era. Both parties need popularity. Just like the selection of MVP has never been based on performance on the court, the aroma of wine is also afraid of the alley.
More than 18,000 fans filed in one after another. Li You, wearing a Superman T-shirt, began to greet some "superficial friends" in the front row.
Matthew McConaughey, who likes sports, sat in the front row tonight because of his bleeding. This handsome guy is not yet famous for his acting skills.
Dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt, Matthew McConaughey stood up and fist-bumped with Li Youhe to chat:
"Lee, how about winning it at home, right at Madison Square Garden!"
"I haven't been able to see the championship award ceremony live for the past two years. It's such a shame!"
More than one "superficial friend" has already mentioned this matter to Li You. After all, there are still only a few people like Spike Lee who follow him to watch away games:
"This is definitely a good suggestion. I can already feel everyone's energy. Remember to buy your tickets in advance."
Li You blinked, smiled and joked with the other party. The two exchanged business blows with relaxed expressions, which angered Kobe who had warmed up in advance.
After arriving in New York, everyone in the Lakers team was bombarded with advertisements. Although Li You's signature sneakers this year were "reskin products" and lacked sincerity, Hook took advantage of the three consecutive championships to continue to expand marketing:
The advertisement "Watch Clay-Lee become a legend together" has been launched for a long time. The sentence in the advertisement:
"Every step Li took was remembered by history" is even more heartbreaking to watch.
Without Li You, Kobe, who was selected to the All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA Team, would be the focus of this year's finals with the title of "Jordan's successor".
But the reality is that all the rookies in the same class were suppressed by Li You and did not get the attention they imagined. Kobe's mood was not beautiful after he came to New York.
After the early warm-up, Li You returned to the locker room, and the physical therapist was still relaxing Ewing's muscles.
The gorilla returned to the home court with full confidence. Seeing that his teammates were all here, he took the initiative and said:
"The situation in the last game will not happen again tonight. 30 free throws will not happen at our home court!"
Being defeated by Yifenyu aroused Ewing's fighting spirit again. Thinking of the situation in the last game, Oakley also cursed:
"Fuck! They called it like shit and the other team made 49 free throws! They can't have an easy time tonight!"
Everyone is gearing up. After three consecutive home games, everyone wants to end the series at home.
Li You fist bumped with Alan Houston, and he had to strengthen his defense against Kobe tonight. Larry Johnson was also encouraging his teammates:
"There's nothing to worry about, the opponent won't get too many free throws!"
The atmosphere team all responded loudly. After Jeff Van Gundy came to the locker room and watched the players cheer up, he clapped his hands with satisfaction and simply said:
"Win all the home games in one go. This year we will win the O'Brien Cup at home!"
"."
The home team's appearance ceremony ignited the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden, and everyone on the Lakers, who were the first to appear, was holding back their energy at this time.
After losing a home court, O'Neal also realized the seriousness of the matter and stopped talking loudly after coming to New York.
The boomerang hurts the face too much. If you say more, you may make more mistakes. It is a safer choice to win the game and take back the initiative before speaking.
When the lights came back on and the two sides began the final warm-up, O'Neal saw the Superman T-shirt on Li You and immediately cursed inwardly.
Head coach Phil Jackson was very nervous about tonight’s game. When the game was about to start, he did not forget to tell the players:
"Delay, mutual response, timely communication on the court, and our defensive aggression showed from the beginning!"
Although most of the break was spent explaining defense, the Lakers coaching staff was still a little worried. After all, they rarely encountered such opponents in the Western Conference.
The arena became more and more noisy. Before the game even started, the New York fans at the scene had already stood up and shouted loudly:
"Let's go Knicks!."
O'Neal and Ewing came to the center circle and both stared at the ball. As the referee threw the ball high, the Gorilla took the lead and successfully dialed the basketball.
Seeing Li You catch the ball, Kobe immediately stepped forward to lead the defense. At the same time, everyone on the Lakers quickly retreated to half court to defend the opponent.
Larry Johnson ran directly to the left corner, and Alan Houston stopped on the left wing.
In the paint area, Ewing and Oakley were still observing the situation on the court. When they saw Li You passing the ball to Alan Houston after halftime, the two immediately began to move.
Kobe was a little surprised when he saw Li You handing over the ball directly, but he didn't dare to relax and followed Li You quickly to the right corner.
O'Neal saw Ewing moving to the right wing and Li You was also moving, and quickly directed Kobe to pursue the defense.
Oakley gave Li You a no-ball screen near the right sideline, and then ran to the right side near the baseline. Kobe squeezed through the screen in time and chased behind Li You.
Soon he was near the top of the arc. Ewing's cover was of high quality. Li You briefly got rid of the pursuit. After receiving a cross pass from Alan Houston, Kobe Bryant came up to defend again.
After catching the ball, Li You immediately released the ball with his left hand. He relied on Kobe to turn around sharply. While grabbing the ball with his right hand, Ewing twisted around and moved again, making another off-ball screen.
Kobe failed to squeeze through in time this time. O'Neal saw Li You holding the ball in his right hand appearing on the right wing, lowered his center of gravity and quickly moved up, while beckoning Kobe to continue chasing.
At this time, Ewing suddenly followed down the ball very quickly, and O'Neal subconsciously moved back to prepare to shrink to the basket.
Kobe didn't expect the shark to retreat so cleanly. Before he could adjust his center of gravity to attack, Li You, who only made one jump dribble on the right wing, immediately combined the ball and threw it away!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.
"Wow!"
To the New York fans at the scene, Li You's offense looked extremely easy. He would throw the ball whenever there was an opening, and he would score as soon as he threw it. The cheers began to ring through the arena.
There was a communication error on the defensive end, but Kobe didn't complain. After receiving the baseline ball, he quickly rushed through the half court despite the boos.
Harper had already pulled Li Youshen to the left corner. Kobe, who came to the right wing, immediately passed the ball across to Glenn Rice at the top of the key.
O'Neal was desperately arching in front of the basket, while Ewing was behind him. AC Green moved to the right elbow area in order to make room for the Sharks to attack.
Oakley saw Ewing stuck behind him and immediately moved back quickly. Glenn Rice hesitated and failed to stuff the ball in, but transferred the ball to Ha who came to the left wing. amber.
In order to avoid being double-teamed, Olney once again pushed low to the left, and Ewing, who was well prepared, desperately pushed the opponent out.
Being pushed to the left blocking position, O'Neal didn't pay attention, but continued to ask for the ball with his back.
Harper, who received the ball, was interfered by Li You and failed to send a high throw at the first time. After a feint, he quickly sent a ground pass.
The quality of the pass was average. O'Neal had to bend down to catch the ball, so he subconsciously took another step forward.
O'Neal, who had just received the ball with his back, didn't have time to release the ball. Li You suddenly shrank, almost rushed into the opponent's arms, and cut the ball off.
The ball was gone in the blink of an eye. Before O'Neal had a chance, the referee complained about the thug. Li You, who had completed the steal, took the ball and rushed.
Harper cursed secretly and subconsciously moved forward to block the ball. Unexpectedly, Li You came and passed the ball. The basketball flew past Harper's left side, and Li You feinted and went around the sideline on the right side.
The beautiful pass happened in front of the fans in the front row. Many people subconsciously stood up and cheered. Li You returned to the court and grabbed the ball with his left hand. Harper still stood there stupidly without moving.
Before most of the Lakers could react, Li You had already passed half court.
On the other side, Kobe, who was actively defending, was accelerating along the left sideline, trying to block it.
It's just that Li You sprinted faster than he expected with the ball. Kobe had just caught up to the three-point line, and Li You had already rushed up in three strides, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and easily completed a gliding dunk!
"Wonderful goal! From stealing to passing the ball, Li is so fast!"
"His defense is definitely underrated!"
In the NBC commentary box, Bob Costas shouted excitedly, and Doug Collins also sighed when he saw the boiling scene:
"The Knicks entered the state faster. It can be seen that they are fully prepared and seem to be fully adapted to the Lakers' offense."
For the same defensive action, the referee might have blown the whistle in the previous game.
But after returning home, after a defensive round, everyone in the Knicks realized that the scale of the whistle had become wider again.
Attacking again, O'Neal tossed back and forth on the baseline, but several people on the line were pressed. In addition, the key position was not deep, and the Sharks failed to receive the pass for a while.
In the end, AC Green gave Glenn Rice a pick-and-roll, and the latter made a jumper from the right elbow of the free throw line.
The moment the basketball came out of the frame, the Knicks all shrank to the basket. Ewing was fighting with O'Neal, Alan Houston blocked Kobe who was about to rush, and Li You grabbed it in front of Harper, and the basket The lower left grabbed the rebound.
After a successful defense, cheers arose again. Li You did not speed up the offensive rhythm, but showed tactical gestures, protected the ball sideways, hung on Kobe's defense, and rushed through the half court in 8 seconds.
Everyone on the Lakers immediately realized that the Knicks had played the same tactic, but in a different direction.
After a quick handover, Li You ran to the left corner and once again used double screens to reach the top of the arc.
Alan Houston sent a cross pass. The moment Li You received the ball, he noticed that Kobe failed to squeeze through the screen. After receiving the ball, he immediately turned around, exerted force on his feet, and slightly drifted from the top of the arc to shoot a jumper!
O'Neal, who switched defense in front of him, didn't expect that Li You would catch the ball and throw it. He was still squatting on the spot and preparing to slide. He subconsciously turned his head and saw the basketball hollow into the net.
At 0:8, Madison Square Garden is boiling again.
"Your defense is as slow as a turtle!"
Li You's voice came to his ears. When O'Neal came back to his senses, what he saw was the back of his head. Li You had already begun to retreat.
The same tactic, but the difference is that Ewing stood firm this time and didn't even think about passing down, and firmly blocked Kobe.
"Squeeze through the screen! Don't lose your defender again!"
The depressed O'Neal immediately whispered to Kobe as he ran towards half court.
This is Shark's privilege in the Lakers. Everyone's defense has to serve him, and Kobe can only nod silently.
It was AC Green who broke the deadlock for the Lakers. After O'Neal was double-teamed in the low post on the left, the latter caught the ball in the right elbow and hit an open jump shot.
"Shh!"
When the Lakers scored in a sports game, huge boos resounded throughout the arena. Phil Jackson immediately clapped his hands on the sidelines and continued to loudly remind the players to focus.
But in the next few minutes, Phil Jackson's frown deepened. The Knicks frequently used double screens. Li You would also act as a decoy, running without the ball and cutting into the basket.
Watching Li You circle and cut into the basket from the top of the arc, Alan Houston did not choose to pass the ball but used Ewing's screen to get rid of the defense and succeeded in a mid-range jumper in the left block. The Lakers immediately requested a timeout.
At 6:14, the Knicks made every shot and showed excellent performance on both offense and defense after the opening game.
Glenn Rice and O'Neal scored one after another, but there was a big problem on the defensive end.
In the commentary box, Doug Collins did not expect that O'Neal could not catch the ball after the game started:
"Head coach Van Gundy and the coaching staff made targeted adjustments. Oakley made very good position selections several times, just enough to double-team in time."
Bob Costas felt the changes in the scale of whistleblowing in this game:
"The Lakers did not match the intensity of the game in time after the opening game. They seemed not ready to play in New York."
The strict whistleblowing in the last game seemed to make the Lakers relax their vigilance. They wanted to call for a whistle after the game started, but the referee gave no indication.
After the timeout, the Lakers' offense looked for O'Neal immediately.
After just 14 seconds of waiting, the score was scored, but there was no good opportunity. Kobe received the ball again on the right wing and immediately released the ball with his right hand to break through.
Alan Houston slid quickly, and Kobe, who was in the block, stopped suddenly, switched to his left hand and hit twice, then shook his shoulders and turned quickly toward the baseline.
Unable to get rid of the defense, Alan Houston's block made Kobe subconsciously lean back a little more. After adjusting the arc, the shot successfully passed the basketball over his fingertips.
After two knocks on the basket, the basketball finally fell into the basket.
"A difficult offense, Kobe made a beautiful fadeaway jumper!"
Bob Costas immediately praised Kobe Bryant loudly when he saw him falling on the floor. When he saw the Knicks' quick baseline kick, he exclaimed:
"OH! Li suddenly accelerated his advancement!"
Kobe, who had fallen on the floor, had just stood up when he saw the Knicks' quick baseline kick, and Li You accelerated against Harper.
Cursing secretly, Kobe hurriedly chased Alan Houston, but Li You just moved back along the three-point line following Harper's confrontation, and then changed the direction of his right crotch, shaking away from the defense and blocking his position.
On the right wing, Li You, who switched to his left hand, broke through with his shoulder and continued to accelerate straight to the basket. Harper completely lost his defensive position.
O'Neal, who had retreated to the basket, had just moved to meet him. Li You in the paint area threw the ball to the upper left side of the basket. Ewing, who was unguarded, jumped up to get the ball, and then dunked the basket with both hands!
"Boom!" Alley-oop dunk succeeded!
The gorilla who successfully ate the cake and completed the dunk also roared.
The beautiful response ball made the cheers in the stadium unable to stop. Phil Jackson's face was ugly. He didn't want to see such an easy score.
The first quarter was when the Knicks' defense was at its strongest. As the game progressed, Ewing and Oakley couldn't stand it anymore.
Although the score is behind, O'Neal is not in a hurry. He has figured out the old guy's strength. After one quarter, he can swim inside.
However, the development of the next game did not go as O'Neal imagined. Kobe took over the offensive ball for several rounds in a row, attacking from left to right, and the iron was bang bang.
This time the Lakers attacked, Kobe, who was constantly hitting the iron, no longer chose the difficult fadeaway jumper. Instead, he used the cover of Horry, who had just appeared, on the left elbow area of the free throw line, circled around, and went straight inside.
Kobe, who kept accelerating with the ball in his right hand, used his speed advantage to quickly break through to the basket.
Although he noticed that Li You had shrunk towards the basket, Kobe didn't hesitate at all. He took a step forward and immediately jumped into the air. He grabbed the ball with his right hand and was about to reach out and dunk!
Kobe's jump was a little further away, and his posture in the air was beautiful. However, Li You, who was helping to defend the basket, jumped up and hit the basketball with his right hand in the air!
Unexpectedly, Li You shot first. Although he just barely blocked the shot, Kobe failed to catch the basketball in the air. The two competed, and the basketball immediately came out of his hands.
"Wow!"
The beautiful block once again ignited the atmosphere of the scene. After landing, Li You immediately rushed forward. Larry Johnson controlled the ball and rushed through the half court with the ball immediately.
Glenn Rice didn't know who to guard for a moment, and Larry Johnson immediately got the ball. Li You, who received the ball in the middle, rushed forward with the ball.
After hesitation, Glenn Rice immediately lost his defensive position and could only watch Horry chase after Li You.
After landing, Kobe jumped directly into the street and stood up to chase after Li You. When he saw Li You slowing down in the paint, Horry bumped into him. When the referee blew the whistle, Kobe immediately stopped in frustration.
"squeak!"
At the same time as the referee blew the whistle, Li You leaned against Horry and took three slow steps to pick up the basket with his left hand and succeeded!
"Lee's transition attack scored again! The Lakers should probably ask for another timeout. During this time, they lost their offensive rhythm."
Doug Collins glanced at the scoreboard and immediately gave his opinion. Bob Costas was still thinking about the block just now:
"Lee's defense is really underrated. When he puts his energy into the defensive end, he always appears in the right position!"
"Kobe seems to have underestimated his opponent. He should choose to lay up safely. Standing on the free throw line may be a better offensive option."
Li Youxiao walked to the free throw line with a smile. It was very easy to switch offense and score points quickly. He could also achieve "fast break as fierce as a tiger".
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The Knicks fans at the scene shouted loudly. Kobe glanced at Li You, lowered his head and walked to the bench. Phil Jackson directly replaced him.
The extra penalty was a solid hit, and Li You successfully hit a three-pointer to help the team expand the score again.
At 12:23, there were only 3 minutes and 14 seconds left in the first quarter, and the score difference just reached double digits.
Brian Shaw and Rick Fox came on the court, replacing Harper and Kobe.
Phil Jackson expected the team to respond on the offensive end. As a result, in the last three minutes, the Lakers continued to strike, relying on O'Neal's strong attack on the basket and free throws to score some points.
At 16:29, after the first quarter, with a 13-point deficit, New York fans began to cheer and celebrate.
O'Neal returned to the bench with a face. He would no longer complain to the referee about defensive problems. This was the Knicks' home whistle.
3 of 5, 1 of 2 free throws, 7 points and 3 rebounds. Of course, O'Neal was not satisfied with his performance. He picked up the energy drink and drank it.
"Energy! We have to defend the opponent's offense, and at the same time, we have to hit the ball to the basket. Stop shooting inefficient jumpers, attack the basket, and shoot free throws!"
Phil Jackson loudly encouraged his players and tried to get everyone to play harder. In the first quarter of the game, the Lakers were obviously lost in the confrontation.
Kobe could sense the coach's gaze and nodded expressionlessly. He scored 2 points on 1-for-5. For a while, he really led the game.
In the rotation of the second quarter, O'Neal continued to play without rest, with Horry and Rick Fox partnering on the front line, and Brian Shaw and Kobe Bryant in the backcourt.
For the Knicks, Li You played the entire first quarter, 4 of 5, 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, 1 of 1 free throw, 11 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
Ewing, who also played the entire first quarter, controlled his fouls well, but at this time he began to breathe heavily again.
The Lakers' offensive rhythm was slow, and O'Neal was stirring things up inside. The gorilla's physical energy was consumed very quickly, and Oakley was also tired and kept replenishing water.
During the rotation phase, Alan Houston and Larry Johnson took the lead in leading the team. Kukic is in mediocre form and will not appear for the time being.
After the game started, he noticed that the Sharks were still not resting. Jeff Van Gundy cursed in his mind, then stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, secretly praying that the rotation lineup could hold up for 3 minutes.
O'Neal, who was like a perpetual motion machine, started to explode again when facing Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace. In less than two minutes, the Lakers went straight to a 6-0 run.
At 22:29, the point difference was reduced to 7 points.
O'Neal caught the ball in the low post and scored with two people under the basket. This scene also made the New York fans at the scene scream in surprise.
The Lakers' atmosphere team also began to roar loudly, which was a way to vent the dull emotions in the first quarter of the game.
As soon as he saw something was wrong, Jeff Van Gundy immediately requested a timeout.
In the commentary box, Doug Collins looked at it happily, and he did not hesitate to praise at this time:
"This is O'Neal's dominance at the basket. If he does not choose to foul, the Knicks cannot limit his performance during the rotation."
Bob Costas thought of the Trail Blazers' interior configuration and joked:
"Perhaps future championship teams will need to sign some tall insiders who can defend in the low post!"
Li You, Artest, and Kukic came on the stage, and "Little Ben" was beaten by O'Neal again in these 2 minutes.
O'Neal, who returned to the court, regained his confidence and shouted loudly to Li You:
"I'm going to start turning the game around, get ready to foul now!"
Glancing at the plausive shark, Li You raised his eyebrows and said nothing.
In the first offensive round after the timeout, Li You hit a three-pointer from the right wing. Feeling that he had made a successful defense, Kobe immediately pumped his fist in excitement.
O'Neal also smiled. When the Lakers attacked in the round, the Sharks who attacked the inside caused a foul on Ben Wallace's beater and stood on the free throw line.
"Shh!"
Amid the boos from the fans, O'Neal made two free throws beyond everyone's expectations.
At 24:29, the Lakers continued to chase points.
Seeing that the score difference was narrowed, the New York fans at the scene quickly followed the DJ and shouted loudly:
"Let's go Knicks!."
With Kobe Bryant leading the defense, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, quickly advanced to the left wing. Kurt Thomas immediately stepped forward to cover, hung up and immediately passed down.
Li You took the opportunity to dribble behind his back. After switching to his right hand, Ben Wallace also moved to the top of the arc and stood still.
This time the strong screen worked. Kobe failed to squeeze through immediately. Holding the ball in his right hand, Li You quickly turned around and got rid of the defense.
At this time, Ben Wallace suddenly accelerated and drove straight to the basket. Kobe saw that O'Neal had already defended in front of Li You, and hurriedly accelerated to follow Ben Wallace, cutting off the passing route.
Seeing O'Neal coming on defense, all the fans stood up and cheered loudly.
The shark looked serious and kept moving, lowering his center of gravity while not forgetting to interfere.
Holding the ball in his right hand, Li You slowly walked to the right sideline. Taking advantage of O'Neal's sliding step, he suddenly leaned forward and accelerated.
Taking advantage of O'Neal's step to the left and back, Li You immediately crossed and pulled back. While grabbing the ball with his left hand, he saw O'Neal approaching the defense again. He immediately shook his shoulders and pretended to turn towards the baseline.
The sudden shaking almost caused O'Neal to do a big split as he adjusted his center of gravity.
"oh!"
O'Neal, who was completely devoted to defense, did not notice the exclamations on the scene. He saw Li You holding the ball in his left hand and changing the direction of his hips. After grabbing the ball with his right hand, he suddenly cut along the baseline. O'Neal pounced again.
Breaking through close to the paint area, Li You pushed the ball again and changed direction. When he picked up the ball with his left hand, he just squeezed past O'Neal.
Directly in front of the basket in the paint area, Li You jumped greatly, completely got rid of the defense, faced O'Neal's block, and shot a fadeaway jumper!
"Whoa!" A steady hit from mid-range.
After hitting the shot, Li You had no expression on his face. He immediately raised his right index finger to his mouth and walked back to defend. At the same time, Madison Square Garden was completely blown away.
Seeing the "dancing" shark, everyone cheered and celebrated.
Unable to see Li You pretending to be X, O'Neal, who completely entered the violent mode, began to frantically ask for the ball, constantly attacking the basket.
Soon the game turned into a point battle between the two.
O'Neal reached the basket, and the two turned around and succeeded in a throw. Looking back, Li You made a 45-degree right-side shot of Kobe Bryant, approaching the paint area, and responded with a sudden stop and throw.
The Lakers attack, Ben Wallace fails to defend, and O'Neal catches the ball and dunks!
The Knicks attacked and received a handoff from Kukqi on the right elbow. Li You got rid of the defense, broke through to the basket and caused a foul on O'Neal's thug, and made two free throws!
The two of them played one ball for each other, showing extremely high efficiency. Occasionally, the two sides began to speed up frantically, striving to create a transition attack.
The cheers couldn't stop, the games were lively, and everyone loved the duel.
At 48:55, at the end of the half, the Knicks still led by 7 points.
The Lakers scored 32 points in a single quarter. O'Neal made 6 of 11 and 2 of 4 free throws. He scored another 14 points in this quarter.
Jeff Van Gundy and several members of the coaching staff seriously doubted that O'Neal had become a technology player. In the second quarter of the game, he was still able to follow a pass.
When the second half started, there were more and more exclamations in Madison Square Garden.
With Ewing's physical fitness declining, he seized the opportunity and the Sharks began to attack again.
According to the game plan formulated before the game, Oakley continued to foul hard, but in the second half of the game, O'Neal, who stood on the free throw line, frequently sent the ball into the basket.
Perhaps O'Neal found his touch after scoring 30 free throws in the last game. Jeff Van Gundy frowned on the sidelines, but there was nothing he could do.
Taking the initiative to slow down, the Lakers relied on O'Neal's outstanding performance in this quarter to close the point difference again.
75:79, after three quarters, the point difference was narrowed to 4 points.
For the Knicks, this situation is also very rare. The opponent's ability to respond to the ball is much better than that of their opponents in the Eastern Conference.
During the intermission, the scene also started to be noisy. Obviously, the New York fans also felt the pressure.
Li You was not affected by O'Neal. In the third quarter, he made 4 of 7, 1 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, and 3 of 3 free throws. He also scored 12 points in a single quarter.
On the contrary, Ewing and Oakley were in low spirits, and there was no positive feedback from the defense at all. O'Neal made 5 of 5 free throws, which made them feel dizzy.
Jeff Van Gundy sat in front of everyone, looked around and then shouted out chicken soup:
"Hang on! We only have the last 12 minutes left to win. Don't care about the opponent's performance and continue to implement the game plan we made!"
"Believe in each other, we are still ahead of our opponents!"
Alan Houston, who performed well in the third quarter, also high-fived and encouraged:
“Do our job and we will win the game!”
The atmosphere was great tonight. Fortunately, the lead was large enough in the first quarter. Li You didn't want to think too much, so he stood up and reminded loudly:
"We have controlled our fouls very well. We will continue to send free throws to the opponent when necessary, and leave the rest to me!"
When Larry Johnson heard Li You's words, he immediately stood up and gave high fives to encourage everyone to continue.
In the fourth quarter of the game, both sides unanimously chose to continue using the main lineup. The nervous New York fans began to shout loudly:
"Let's go Knicks!."
The Knicks took the lead in attacking. There were no complicated tactics. With his physical fitness declining, Ewing moved to the top of the arc and stood still, but the screen was directly squeezed by Kobe.
O'Neal came out to defend, saw Ewing passing down, and Kobe's defense was in place, and then he moved and shrank.
Holding the ball in his left hand, Li You slowly moved to the left wing. Kobe lowered his center of gravity and put his right forearm beside Li You, sensing the defensive movements while staring at the basketball in his hand.
Approaching the three-point line, Li You suddenly blasted the ball vigorously on the spot, then quickly turned around, lowered his center of gravity, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and leaned forward to accelerate.
After successfully sensing the offensive trend, Kobe immediately took a step to the left rear. After the two bodies collided, Kobe almost lost his center of gravity and quickly adjusted, but there was a loophole in the defense.
Stepping on the three-point line, Li You immediately stopped and quickly dribbled the ball behind his back. While switching to his left hand, he slightly raised his body weight and looked up to look at the frame.
Kobe hurried forward to defend, but Li You took the opportunity to change direction with his hips again, pretending to accelerate and break through.
Following his body's instinct, Kobe slid back to the left again, only to find that the moment Li You switched to his right hand, he completed the crotch pullback and returned to the three-point line.
Realizing that his defensive prediction was wrong, Kobe quickly jumped up to block the shot. He noticed that Li You took advantage of the situation to step back and complete the shot, and tried to control his body in the air.
The block shot had no effect. The basketball drew a beautiful arc and accurately fell into the basket!
75:82, the score difference is back to 7 points!
"Wow!"
Seeing Li You raise three fingers, cheers echoed throughout the arena again.
After landing, Kobe tried hard to control his expression, pretending not to care and went to the baseline to catch the ball.
The good mood of the New York fans did not last long. The ball was successful in the low post on the right side. O'Neal received the pass from Harper on the right wing. Without any extra movement, he turned directly towards the baseline to complete the hook shot.
Ewing was completely stuck and subconsciously jumped up to block the shot, but ended up hitting the opponent's arm. When the referee blew the whistle, the basketball also hit the net.
"Shhh!!"
The huge boo plus the interference of the rear fans of the basketball rack, O'Neal was not affected, and the penalty was added!
"God! O'Neal has scored six goals in a row, incredible performance!"
"If this state can be continued, no one can stop his attack."
Bob Costas was amazed, and O'Neal was excited after the punishment, and the Lakers were also jubilant on the bench.
The game quickly entered the stalemate again.
Li Youqiang suddenly made Kobe foul. Looking back, Kobe's back single, Alan Houston's foul also brought the opponent to the penalty line.
Looking at the difference, the score rose slowly. The New York fans on the scene became more and more tense, and the shout almost broke through the stadium.
There were 2 minutes and 43 seconds left in the game, and the score was 85:89. For more than 3 minutes, the two teams were not scored.
The law of conservation of character, O'Neal suddenly punished again, and Fil Jackson, who was anxious, walked around and kept shouting loudly.
Li You and Larry Johnson also followed the iron during this time. There were too few differences in 4 points, and Jeff Van Gandy couldn't collapse at all, and he also yelled unconsciously.
The Knicks team consumed another 16 seconds, and the Lakers fired the defending wheels. Whether it was online or scored, there was no good opportunity to score a break through the ball.
O'Neal, who was squatting under the basket, kept reminding his teammates to turn around, and he had seen the hope of equalizing the score!
At the last moment, Alan Houston again threw the ball to Li You near the right side of the line.
The offensive time is not much. After receiving the ball, Li You first guarded the ball on the left side of the body, and then tentatively tentatively tentatively tentatively tentatively tentatively.
Kobe puts his body's center of gravity very low, does not easily start the ball, but uses eye cover defense, always maintaining his own center of gravity.
Seeing that the offensive time is coming, after tentative steps, Li You played the ball with his right hand, accelerated his strength, and made a breakthrough.
Kobe quickly slipped towards the left and rear, and broke through the near bottom line on the right. Li You suddenly pulled back the crotch and then directly closed the ball.
Under the urgent stop, Kobe immediately lost the defense position and jumped up the cover for the first time. As a result, it was slow to shoot. The basketball crossed the fingertips and flew to the basket.
"Whoa!" The two-point ball hit the net!
Kobe, who worked hard to make defense, lost his focus in the air, and finally fell in front of the Lakers' bench.
The cheers from the fans in the ear, Kobe looked up helplessly, but the next second saw that Li You was expressionless across his leg.
At this moment, the atmosphere of the Lakers' bench also stared at this moment. Everyone watched Li Youmai retreat, and then there was a shout to break through the storage hall.
Kobe only felt that Qi and blood surged, and his head was two laps. When he stood up, he had to rush towards Li You. As a result, he was pushed away by Larry Johnson before.
Harper wanted to pull Kaobby, but he rushed into the crowd but had a black punch. When the referee had not responded, the players on both sides had pushed up on the Lakers' bench.
Kobe on the top found that Li You raised his hands high and signaled that the fans at the scene were hi, and they were almost bombed for a while.
It was just pushed by everyone, Kobe couldn't rush out for a while, and could only watch Li You installed X in the center of the venue X
85:91, when the referee brought the two sides back to the venue, Kobe widened his eyes.
Seeing that Li You was in front of himself, Kobe, regardless of his tactics and his elder brother, was shaking at the top of the arc.
O'Neal was still under the basket, and shouted his two throat but found that Kobe had the right hand with his right hand. He buried his head.
In the right block of the area, Kobe's breakthrough was blocked with his body with his body. He still did not choose to pass the ball.
However, the upper body movement is large, but the position under the feet is not moving. The Galen Rice, which does not respond to the side wing, turns around quickly in the bottom line. As a result, Li You was blocked.
It seemed that there was no room for shot. Kobe finally twisted his body. He leaned back in place after his feet, and threw the ball out!
O'Neal almost yelled, three non -stained, the basketball fell directly into Ewing's arms.
Phil Jackson didn't expect his instructions to not play any role. He watched Li You shook his head and spread his hands, and slowly squeezed halftime by Kobe, and scolded twice for a while.
On the top of the arc, Li You, who was holding the ball on his right hand, kept taking the ball sideways, and Kobe kept starting the ball at this time.
Faced with such defense, Li You suddenly twisted his body and shook to the right and front, and immediately changed his body to the front.
It was just a simple misleading direction, but Kobe was shook directly, holding the ball with his left hand, and Li You, who was stuck in his position, inserted his basket.
O'Neal rushed directly at this time, and as a result, he saw that Li You tossed the ball high to the top right of the basket!
The completely unmanned Ewing air in the air, and the hands are strong in both hands!
"Boom!" Alley-oop dunk succeeded!
"ah!"
Almost killed the dunk of the game, let Ewbang bare his chest and yell up.
The Madison Square Garden was completely boiled. The fans shouted excitedly in the stadium, and the atmosphere in the bench also jumped and cheered loudly.
85:93, there is still 1 minute and 24 seconds left in the game, and the time seems a bit insufficient.
Phil-Jackson's face was dark, and he asked for a suspension again. O'Neal pointed at Kobe angrily, but Harper was pushed to the other side of the bench.
"Wonderful offensive and defensive, Li once again controlled the game. A key score broke the deadlock, and the assists to assist teammates expanded the score!"
"This is MVP! The Knicks may be going to win!"
Bob Costas had a breath of excitement. Doug Collins just shook his head slightly and said regretful:
"It may be a one or two rounds to decide the game. It is a pity. In the last moment, Kobe seems to lose calmness. Perhaps this is the price of growth."
When the Lakers re -ball to O'Neal, Oakli laughed and sent the opponent to the free throw line.
The first penalty was beaten, and the sidelines cheered at the sidelines, raised their hands high, and signaled the rest of the scene.
"Beat La! Beat La! Beat La!"
In New York fans happily shouted, O'Neal had a glance for the second free throw for a long time again.
Ewed to protect the rebound, Li You responded, and slowly spent half a game again.
Kobe, who exploded, was constantly cutting the ball, and the referee quickly whistled, and Li You smiled and stepped onto the penalty line.
O'Neal was so angry that he didn't want to speak. He stood beside the paint area with his knees and looked at the free throw line subconsciously. As a result, he saw that Li You closed his eyes closed and punished the ball.
"Shak! This is a free throw!"
Li You said with a smile, and then took the basketball, and the second penalty still hit it steadily.
O'Neal couldn't hold it anymore, regardless of the referee, he directly harvested the ball, and hit the ball to Li You.
However, he did not expect that Li You seemed to have long eyes behind his head. As soon as he twisted his body, the basketball flew across his body and turned his head and spread his hands to O'Neal.
O'Neal, who has completely exploded, regards the barrier of the referee, and rush up. Soon the two sides pushed together again.
"Fuck! **"
At 85:95, the scoring and scolding can not change the score, and there is no suspense in the game.
Although Harper made a three -pointer in a cold arrow, the game time was not enough.
With the penalty shootout between the two sides, Alan Houston's last two free throws, the long one minute finally finished.
90:99, in the cheers of the fans, the Knicks team successfully protected the home!
Everyone's face with a smile on the bench, and came forward to celebrate with Li You as soon as possible.
Phil-Jackson saw Jeff Van Gandy's proud smile, his face was darker, and he walked towards the player channel quickly after shaking hands.
Kobe's towels were covered, Harper hugged the younger brother's shoulders, and seemed to be comforting. O'Neal still scolded and ran towards the locker room quickly.
At the NBC commentary, the two watched the Lakers who left the stadium away, and watched the Knicks substitute seats who were still celebrating. They could only sigh again:
"O'Neal's last game of free throws of 7, 1, very regrettable. Perhaps as long as you hit a few more free throws, the results of the game are completely different."
"Mrs. Li was calm. He knew how to win, 3 of 7 of the fourth quarter, 1 of 3 of 3 three points, 4 of 4 free throws, and scored 11 points. Each score was extremely important!"
As soon as Doug-Collins said, Bob Costas also added followed:
"As long as the two teams can lead the lead, the probability can win the game!"
"I believe that the G4 game, the Lakers will start the start. After more than two days of rest time, you can also take the opportunity to adjust your physical condition."
47 minutes and 42 seconds, O'Neal 28 of 17, 9 of 18 free throws, and scored 43 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist 2 blocks and 3 mistakes.
39 minutes, Kobe 15 of 15, 2 of 4 free throws, contributing 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steals and 3 mistakes.
Looking at the appearance time of the two, Bob Costas did not comment too much. Phil Jackson only made O'Neal breathe a breath
The Madison Square Garden Store is still very noisy. Many fans still have no departure after the game, and continue to celebrate happily.
Although the process is a bit bumpy, the big score is 2: 1, the Knicks team will have the opportunity to get the game in the next game!
As long as you think of this, some young fans can't stop.
45 minutes, 15 of 28, 5 of 12 of the three -point line, 12 of 12 of 12, 47 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists 2 steals and 1 block 3 mistakes.
Back in the locker room, Jeff Van Gandi hugged Li You again, and everyone applauded and shouted loudly:
"There are only two victories left before the champion!"
"Wow!"
Li You also shouted with his teammates. Tonight, the atmosphere was made of iron, and he could win the game. Everyone was very satisfied.
The Lakers who attended the press conference after the game were Phil-Jackson. The champion leader was still very ugly after sitting on the stage.
Coupled with the strength of the New York media, the question asked about the wound sprinkled with salt:
"Phil, how would you evaluate the performance of Kobe Bryant in the last two minutes?"
Without answering questions positively, Phil Jackson frowned and complained:
"That's not a basketball action! That's not in line with competitive sports spirit!"
"Perhaps Li's data is good, but I will not agree with him. The referee should make punishment instead of indifferent."
I heard the champion coach complaining that the New York media with arch fire was comfortable. Some old reporters did not forget that Fil Jackson looked like when the Bulls won in the Bulls.
As long as you can ridicule each other, everyone will output.
Alan Houston performed well tonight, 8 in 17, 1 of 3 out of the three-point line, 5 of 5 free throws, and no sound of 22 points, five rebounds, 4 assists and 2 mistakes.
When he attended the press conference with Li You after the game, the two just sat down and applauded.
TNT reporters saw that both of them were smiling, and asked the question that everyone cared about as soon as possible:
"Li, can you talk about the action in Section 4? I think many people want to hear the explanation of 伱."
Before Li You didn't speak, Alan Houston said the microphone positively:
"There is nothing to explain. Kobe lost his center of gravity and fell on the floor. In order to return to defense in time, Li passed from the opponent's leg. This is just a normal round!"
"The referee did not say that I didn't think there was anything wrong. At that time, everyone was in love with the competition, and I didn't have much time to think at all."
Li You's shrugged on the side, and followed the words:
"Allan is right, it's just an ordinary basketball round!"
Soon the New York media controlled the right to speak, everyone opened the business mutual blow model, and the Lakers team reporters stayed for two minutes and left after leaving
On June 12th, Li You's 47 points and the Nixe's victory swept the major paper media in New York again.
The New York Times and the New York Post headlines have the same title:
"Beat La!"
The picture is the photo that Li You has across Kobe's legs. The timing of the photographer's capture is very good.
Li You's expressionless look looked very domineering, Kobe on the floor was surprised, and the Lakers behind the lakes opened their mouths.
Of course, O'Neal's anger smashing the ball also angered the New York media, and many sports column articles began to change the MVP of tricks to dig mitigation sharks.
The Lakers in New York were bombed by these news early in the morning.
Although Phil Jackson asked the players not to read the boring newspapers, the hotel staff's whisper and various eyes still hurt the Lakers.
O'Neal did not deal with teammates one night, and Harper became the leader of the locker room.
After having breakfast, Kobe returned to the room, looked at the newspapers that secretly got it, and even watched a few paper media, but found that the photos that were crossed were headlines.
The more you look at it, Kobe's eyes are blushed, and the newspaper in his hand has been broken. From this moment, Li You has become his deadly enemy.
It seems that I still feel unpredictable, Kobe simply scolded repeatedly:
"F ***!"
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(End of chapter)
