NBA: The Basketball Miracle

On February 18, 1997, the Knicks would play their last home game in February.

Patrick Ewing's return from injury received a lukewarm response from some New York media.

After all, the Knicks' record was not affected after the gorilla was injured, and they played a smooth offense, and the conditions of several main players were getting better and better.

During the pre-match locker room interview, a large group of reporters surrounded Lee.

Tonight's game is also the Knicks' last nationally broadcast game in February.

Although the pre-game promotion was for an All-Star point guard showdown, the questions asked by the instigators in front of Lee were completely off the mark:

"Lee, do you like listening to Toni Braxton's songs? Many players in the league are fascinated by her!"

After the New York Post reporter asked the question, everyone at the scene laughed and started teasing Jason Kidd.

Wearing the Knicks' white training uniform, Lee, who was in a good mood, also laughed along with everyone else:

"Toni is beautiful, and she will definitely be a big success at the Grammy Awards in a few days, but I still prefer listening to Mariah Carey's songs!"

Before Lee could finish his words, a New York Times reporter on the other side immediately followed up with gossip:

"Mariah Carey and Motula seem to have broken up. Lee, maybe you still have a chance!"

"Of course, remember to pay attention to your teammates around you, and be careful not to have your date snatched away from you!"

Everyone laughed again. After half a year of gossip, the matter finally came to an end.

The Dallas Mavericks' "3J" combination was jealous of each other for Toni Braxton. With this incident as the fuse, the young trio finally broke up completely before this year's All-Star Game.

Jason Kidd, Jimmy Jackson and Jamal Mashburn fought each other and had a quarrel in the locker room, which was a big taboo.

Kidd didn't want to repair the relationship at all, and even publicly shouted in the media:

"Either I leave or Jackson leaves!"

The Mavericks management did not act as bootlickers. After Kidd's call, they simply sent away three players and made a major change to the team!

After losing to the Timberwolves in the last game, the Suns' record is 19 wins and 33 losses. With such a record, it may only be a theoretical possibility for them to make the playoffs.

Ewing found that Lee was chatting with the media in front of him more and more excitedly, and everyone was laughing. He felt a little sad for a moment, because they were the ones who interviewed him in the past!

Half of the reporters in front of him were gone, and the questions they asked were all about how many points the team would win tonight. Ewing could only smile confidently:

"In this last home game in February, we will still win big against our opponents. The team has already been well-coordinated, and we will maintain this momentum!"

"."

Madison Square Garden, with less than half an hour left before the game started, was already packed.

New York fans naturally wanted to buy tickets to support the home team's last home game. As the DJ began to introduce the visiting team players, boos gradually rose. When Kidd came out, some fans were still shouting:

"Kidd! Toni abandoned you!"

This old joke immediately made Kidd angry.

Before the game even started, the New York media had already dug up all the bad things that happened before. The newspapers were full of exaggerations and ridicule, which made Kidd lose face in front of his new teammates!

Some players were in great form when they arrived at Madison Square Garden, and the New York fans who were inciting the fire definitely contributed to this.

When the home team players came on the court, the cheers became louder and louder. When Ewing came on the court, the New York fans at the scene also applauded.

"Tonight, head coach Danny Ainge ruled out the double point guard lineup. Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd will partner up in the backcourt. Perhaps the Suns will also have to make a transition from the old to the new."

"The forwards are Cedric Ceballos and Mark Bryant, and the center is Hot Rod Williams."

"We got Mark Bryant from the Rockets. The new player is in good shape after joining the Suns!"

At the MSG commentary booth, commentator Marv Albert briefly introduced the changes in the Suns' starting lineup after the trade.

"With the double point guard lineup, Kevin Johnson may have to make some sacrifices, and Jason Kidd also needs to have the ball in his hands."

Commentator John Andariese briefly evaluated the opponent's lineup. In his opinion, both point guards will be affected.

As the game was about to begin, Jeff Van Gundy simply gave a few instructions:

"Pay attention to the opponent's transition offense. Everyone must retreat quickly and position themselves in time!"

Jason Kidd can always find the right teammates in fast breaks. After coming to the Suns, he also had some eye-catching passes on the bench. Now that he has entered the starting lineup, he naturally has to pay extra attention.

Clay Lee and Alan Houston both nodded. If they could lock down the opponent's backcourt, the game would be much easier.

When players from both teams came to the center of the court, Jason Kidd even friendly fist-bumped with the Knicks players.

"Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks! Let's go Knicks!"

Amid the cheers of New York fans, Ewing made a successful jump ball. After Lee took control of the ball, he noticed that Kevin Johnson was still defending him, so he immediately lowered his center of gravity and quickly dribbled across half court.

When he reached the top of the arc and protected the ball sideways, Lee didn't even need to make a tactical gesture, as Ewing and Oakley immediately did a cross screen in the paint area.

Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, also came to the left wing and made an accurate high pass.

After Ewing received the ball with his back to the basket in the low post on the left side, all the Knicks players moved away and watched the gorilla play one-on-one against Mark Bryant in the low post.

After releasing the ball with his right hand, Ewing approached the paint area with two shots, quickly squeezed to the front of the basket, bounced off his opponent, and made a successful shot.

After returning from injury, the gorilla was full of energy and easily completed the Knicks' first attack.

The cheers from the fans at the scene made Ewing feel happy. He is still the core!

The Suns' offense also underwent significant changes. Kevin Johnson received the ball in the backcourt, and Lee kept a small distance, always paying attention to the opponent's movements.

After half court, the ball was immediately given to Jason Kidd at the top of the arc, and then Kevin Johnson stood on the left wing.

Lee followed the movement and continued to guard in front of Kevin Johnson.

When the ball was passed to him in the first round, Lee realized that this old-school point guard would play a supporting role tonight.

Kidd, who is 1.93 meters tall, is strong. Like most talented players, he displayed a mature style of play after entering the league and can be said to have reached his peak as soon as he debuted.

Alan Houston left a big step open, Kidd's shooting ability is not outstanding.

According to the game plan made before the game, tonight's game is to defend against breakthroughs and allow shots. With Ewing's return, the team's rebounding will not be a problem.

Although he had the opportunity to take a direct jump shot, Kidd still chose to call for a pick-and-roll. Center Hot moved to the top of the arc and Ewing was also called out of the basket.

At this time, Lee quickly turned around and loudly reminded the "grandmama":

"Larry, pay attention to defense!"

Hearing Lee's shout, Larry Johnson in the right corner subconsciously defended Cedric on his side. The next second, Cedric first pretended to move up the line, then suddenly ran back and quickly slipped to the baseline.

"Grandmama" was prepared, but he didn't expect Kidd's pass to be even bolder. After the pick-and-roll, Kidd, holding the ball in his right hand, came to the right elbow area of the free throw line, followed by a highly penetrating ground pass.

With enough lead time, Cedric, who was still struggling with Larry Johnson, came to the basket and barely caught the ball.

Finally, Cedric moved to the lower left side of the basket, turned around and made a layup, and the basketball crawled into the basket with a bumpy ride.

"Shh!"

Kidd's pass was beautiful, but the New York fans at the scene did not buy it. After booing, they continued to shout the same old jokes.

Kidd was visibly angry and his expression became more serious. As soon as the game started, he got a Focus Buff.

The defense failed, and the "grandmama" raised her hand to indicate that it was his problem.

The ball was kicked out of the baseline, and Lee made tactical gestures without waiting for the ball to cross half court.

Kevin Johnson led the defense, and when Lee approached the center line, he threw the ball to Oakley at the top of the arc. The latter received the ball and immediately passed it to Larry Johnson on the left wing.

Ewing was still positioning himself in the low post on the left side with his back to the basket. The center against him, Hot, was also pulling and tugging, making it difficult to pass the ball. The "grandmama" quickly passed the ball back to Alan Houston who bounced to the top of the arc.

Kidd chased and defended in place, and Alan Houston received the ball and passed it again to Lee on the right wing.

At this time, Ewing also moved to the low post on the right side and continued to position himself for the ball with his back to the basket, while Oakley sank to the left side near the baseline.

Kevin Johnson originally thought that this was another center singles tactic, but he didn't expect that after Lee received the ball, he swayed right and left, and immediately broke through with a cross step.

Lee took a big step forward with the ball in his left hand, then suddenly dribbled the ball with great force on the spot, paused slightly, and immediately changed the rhythm of his dribbling.

Kevin Johnson slid backwards and just came up to defend, but Lee accelerated again.

The breakthrough speed was not fast. Lee rushed into the paint area with the ball in his left hand and carried the defense. He noticed that the Suns' defense immediately shrank and dribbled quickly behind his back.

The defensive focus was shifted again and Kevin Johnson lost his defensive position.

Lee, who created some space, passed the ball to him and made a steady jump shot from the front of the free throw line!

"Swish!" A steady hit from mid-range.

Madison Square Garden cheered again, but Kevin Johnson noticed that Lee seemed to be more adapted to his defense and no longer blindly pursued speed and the first step like in their first match.

After the opening, the Knicks star player scored, and the New York fans at the scene thought it was a good sign.

But as the game progressed, everyone realized that this game was not good to watch!

When the energetic Ewing acts as the tactical core, like other traditional centers, he always starts by asking for the ball from the low post on the left or right sides.

The Suns were well prepared. Center Hot Rod and new player Mark Bryant kept fighting to prevent Ewing from catching the ball easily.

Even though there were no turnovers and the Knicks were well-organized on offense, scoring and running, the fans felt that the look of the game was different.

The Suns' inside players were all tools, and Cedric became the team's main attacker.

However, every time Kidd tried to lead him to score easily, Lee could always predict the opponent's actions in advance.

Although Larry Johnson is out of date, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. With reminders, he also made several good defensive plays.

"Defense! Defense! Defense!"

Amid the defensive cheers of New York fans, this time the Suns attacked, Kidd received the ball at the top of the arc, noticed that Alan Houston had left him a big step away, and threw the ball directly from outside the three-point line!

"The ball goes in! Maybe Alan Houston needs to change his defensive style."

Commentator Marv Albert was in a bad mood and played the game in a drowsy manner.

13:12, with 6 minutes and 38 seconds left in the first quarter, the Suns took the lead for the first time.

As the official timeout came, boos rang out again at Madison Square Garden.

There is also an advantage of having Ewing as the core. In some rounds, Lee can easily get assists.

"Very good! Stick to our defensive strategy. The opponent is not good at three-pointers. We just need to protect the backcourt rebounds."

The fans thought the game was boring, but Jeff Van Gundy enjoyed a long-lost sense of accomplishment. Tonight's game was under his control!

Ewing also felt that the game rhythm was very good and he had plenty of energy, so it was only a matter of time before he could blow up the Suns' inside line.

A comfortable expression appeared on the gorilla's face; this was the Knicks team he was familiar with.

There was certainly nothing wrong with Jeff Van Gundy's game plan. The Suns made their own mistakes, and Jason Kidd's penetrating passes were naturally accompanied by a high turnover rate.

This time, the "grandmama" stole the ball from Cedric who was cutting into the basket, and after completing the steal, he immediately passed the ball to Lee on the left wing.

After receiving the ball, Lee accelerated at full speed along the left sideline.

It is rare to see such a transition offense in such an ordinary game. The New York fans at the scene cheered loudly after they rushed across half court!

Jason Kidd has retreated to the three-point line, trying to block Lee's breakthrough route.

Noticing that the opponent wanted to move to defend, Lee who cut in quickly from the wing did not slow down. He changed direction slightly while moving with the ball in his right hand.

The moment he switched to his left hand, his body slid to the left, and then suddenly took a big step.

Lee passed the ball behind his back and quickly changed hands, then he made a layup and Jason Kidd could only jump up to block it!

After jumping up, Jason Kidd could only watch Lee glide to the lower right side of the basket, twist his right wrist, and easily make a layup!

"oh!!"

A beautiful counterattack layup and the loudest cheers since the start of the game broke out.

After being shown off, Jason Kidd didn't expect Lee to be able to perform fancy moves in the counterattack layup.

Lee quickly returned to defense and high fived Spike Lee who was cheering on the sidelines.

Today's show-off is complete!

Ewing is very efficient with plenty of energy. Most importantly, as the core of the tactics, he usually passes the ball every time he attacks.

He had a strong presence on both offense and defense. In comparison, Alan Houston, who performed well in the first two games, was a little invisible.

Apart from two mediocre jump shots after receiving the ball after setting a screen, there was not much action.

When Ewing received the ball in the left blocking area, Larry Johnson played more off-ball cuts, but his finishing efficiency at the basket was not high and he missed several opportunities.

The Suns also wanted to fight back, but Jason Kidd couldn't find his teammates. The two big men in the interior usually fell back, and Cedric and Kevin Johnson were tightly guarded.

The Suns made rotations in advance, but Jeff Van Gundy of the Knicks did not make any substitutions until Ewing went off the court with 20 seconds left in the first quarter.

Lee played the entire first quarter. During the intermission, Jeff Van Gundy quickly reminded him loudly:

"Keep defending like this. The opponent will make a mistake first. We must seize the opportunity."

"."

24:26, the first quarter was very tense, and the coaching staff did not expect the rookie Suns team to last so long.

In the second quarter, the rotation lineup came on the court, and Lee changed into training clothes and sat quietly on the bench.

Alan Houston next to him was a little unhappy. He was so efficient in the last game, but he fell back to his old form tonight:

"The tempo of the game was too slow, and the opponent's defensive discipline was not very good. We could have played faster."

Covering his mouth with a towel, Alan Houston whispered to Clay Lee.

"We will win the game. We will control our mistakes and wait for our opponents to make mistakes. This game strategy is fine."

Lee accepted the reality. He certainly would not run around with the big center. Veteran Buck Williams was a short inside player, while Ewing was a big man.

Alan Houston made 2 of 4 shots in the first quarter and scored 4 points, while Clay Lee made 2 of 3 shots, 4 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists.

Ewing was particularly efficient, making 3 of 4 shots and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 8 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. All five starters of the Knicks scored.

Charles Oakley doesn't care about the statistics. The old guy is just a little dissatisfied with the failure to widen the score gap.

The records of the two sides are very different, and the bullying game should end early.

On the bench, only Ewing was in the best mood. The gorilla found that being injured was not a bad thing. At least after resting for a short period of time, his physical fitness had recovered to its best condition.

In the first half of the game, the angry Kidd did not take many shots. As a point guard, he instinctively assisted his teammates and tried to drive the pace of the game.

This made the game more and more difficult to watch. The stars didn't score, and tonight's tickets were lost!

After the official timeout in the second quarter, the Knicks' main lineup returned.

Ewing broke out at this time, constantly rushing to the paint area and completing a lob right in front of the basket.

Ewing played efficiently, receiving the ball, jumping into the inside, breaking through the defense and scoring a goal. Lee's number of assists increased again.

At the end of the first half, the Knicks had a 3-point lead at 49:52.

"Pat was in very good shape. He shot 7 of 8 in the first half and scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. I think he has fully recovered!"

During the halftime break, commentator Marv Albert looked at the technical statistics and praised Ewing's performance.

Although commentator John Andariese felt that the offense was too conservative, victory was the most important thing, and he also praised:

"The Suns have no chance, we will end the game in the third quarter!"

Jason Kidd, who was in a bad mood, made 4 of 6 shots in the first half, 1 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and scored 9 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

He had a good touch, but most of the time he chose to pass the ball.

In the third quarter, as Jeff Van Gundy expected, Kidd started to miss shots, and then his role on the offensive end became less and less.

But in Lee's opinion, Bald Kidd was just acting as his teammate. Cedric's touch was obviously poor, but he kept passing the ball.

Even Grandmama" could see that Cedric, who was facing him, was no longer able to perform well, but the Suns insisted on taking advantage of this point.

Four minutes into the second half, Larry Johnson stole the ball from Cedric twice.

The Knicks attacked, Lee dribbled quickly across half court with the ball in his right hand, Kidd took the initiative to switch defense, but Charles Oakley set a pick-and-roll on the wing, and the man was gone.

Lee just dribbled sideways one step, but he didn't expect that there was no defense beside him, and finally made a quick stop jump shot from the left wing outside the three-point line!

"Swish!" The three-pointer went into the net!

Looking at Kidd in surprise, Lee found that he was fine and even raised his hand to his teammates apologetically.

In the third quarter, the Suns suddenly collapsed, with the score difference suddenly widened to 15:22 in a single quarter.

Jeff Van Gundy began to command passionately, he predicted the opponent's collapse!

During the intermission, Larry Johnson also noticed that the fans were in a bad mood and complained in a low voice:

"After the trade, the Suns' record has declined. I wonder if these guys will buy the ball!"

Cedric, who was on the opposite side, made 2 of 9 shots in the quarter and only scored 4 points. The "grandmama" was a little confused. The more he missed the shot, the worse it was?

Lee, who was slacking off, watched Suns head coach Danny Ainge communicating with Kidd, and was immediately in awe:

"Master of Struggle!"

After three quarters, the score was 64:74, a 10-point difference, still within the catchable range!

Starks was not very efficient when he came off the bench tonight, which meant that the main players had to play after the bench played for three minutes.

For New York fans, if the previous few games were Dove chocolate, then tonight's game became Dove with a shit-like taste.

The offense was still smooth and there were few mistakes, but they just couldn't defeat the opponent.

Ewing still maintained efficient scoring, and Lee was very comfortable feeding the ball.

All he had to do was to position himself, then receive the ball in the right position, and then shoot under the basket.

In some pick-and-roll rounds, Lee always stops and starts quickly, relying on Kevin Johnson, observing the defense before making offensive choices.

This is very different from his previous quick ball handling, but in the fourth quarter, Lee still only had one turnover.

In this attack, Ewing was still fighting for position with Suns center Hott under the basket. At the top of the arc, Lee used Oakley's screen and accelerated the breakthrough with the ball in his left hand.

Kevin Johnson did not lose his defensive position and remained close to Lee.

Lee slowly circled around the inside line and came to the right baseline. He suddenly turned quickly with his left foot as the axis, scooped the ball with his right hand, and instantly returned to the lower right side of the basket.

Ewing and Hot were still entangled in the paint, and Lee, who had escaped the defense, made a light dunk with his right hand!

"Excellent attack! Wonderful goal! Kevin Johnson was fooled by Lee!"

It was a rare and beautiful goal, and it finally made commentator Marv Albert raise his voice.

Madison Square Garden had already been silent, but Clay Lee's goal reignited the atmosphere.

Kevin Johnson was the most depressed tonight. He gave up the ball, which resulted in Kidd missing shots in the second half.

Although the pass was beautiful, Cedric's touch was poor and he couldn't finish the shot.

Seeing the score difference return to 8 points, Kevin Johnson was completely deflated. In the following games, only Kidd was still trying to pass the ball.

In the end, 90:98, the Knicks successfully defeated their opponents and successfully won 10 consecutive victories!

Ewing, who returned from injury, played for 40 minutes, made 13 of 17 shots, 5 of 7 free throws, scored 31 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 2 turnovers!

Although the New York fans at the scene were not in high spirits, they also cheered for the 10th consecutive victory.

After the game, Lee and Kidd hugged each other and said hello. The two of them slacked off in tacit understanding tonight.

7 of 11 shots, 2 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, 16 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists and 1 turnover. Lee's 6 assists were easily obtained from Ewing.

6 of 11, 1 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, 2 of 3 free throws, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 turnovers, Jason Kidd finally got his assists in double digits.

"It's a pity that the next time we play against each other will be next season. Lee, you are younger than I thought."

Jason Kidd didn't care about the gaze of Kevin Johnson behind him, and greeted Lee with a smile.

"I look forward to our next match. You are my role model and I have been learning how you handle the ball."

Lee also followed the business and praised each other. Kevin Johnson on the side did not give them a good look and turned away.

Jason Kidd didn't care about the boss's emotions. After he joined the Suns, he had been sitting on the bench. Treating the All-Star guard like this naturally made the old guy feel uncomfortable.

People of the same type can always chat with each other. The two even exchanged phone numbers. Kidd was the first superficial brother that Lee made in the league.

After returning from injury, he scored 30+10. At the post-game press conference, Ewing was praised by the New York media. Jeff Van Gundy was full of a sense of accomplishment.

However, the New York Post always sang the opposite tune:

"Jeff, facing the 19-win Suns, why did the team only win by 8 points?"

"?"

Jeff Van Gundy's face froze, and he almost broke down. He still had a problem with winning?

On February 19, the Knicks had to pack their bags. In the next 9 days, they had 6 consecutive away games to play.

The schedule is naturally unreasonable, but the players can only accept it passively.

On the plane to Sacramento, Ewing, in a good mood, organized a long-lost Texas Hold'em game.

Even if he lost money, the gorilla was happy, and the New York media praised his performance after returning from injury.

"I didn't expect the Heat to win consecutive games and surpass the Pistons!"

"This is not good news!"

Larry Johnson has recently started paying attention to his playoff matchups in advance. "Grandmama" is thinking about playing against the Hornets, but it seems that it will not be a matchup for now.

Charles Oakley didn't care who his opponent was. When he heard what the "grandmama" said, he joked:

"Are you afraid of running into your former teammates? Aren't you and Alonzo Mourning good brothers?"

"I'm not his good brother! I mean Pat Riley, he knows our tactics too well."

Larry Johnson turned around and revealed his thoughts. He didn't want to play positional offense anymore and wanted to change his tactics.

"Understanding each other won't help. We are stronger!"

42 wins and 10 losses, although only two wins ahead of the Heat, Ewing is full of confidence that he is sure to control his younger brother.

Lee, who was forbidden to participate in the card game, watched them chatting nonsense out of boredom. In the next few days, this kind of scene will appear frequently, and everyone will have to shuttle between the plane and the hotel.

"Lee, Toni Braxton has also invited you, come back to New York, don't forget to go on a date!"

"Although there's a big age gap between you two, your physical conditions are very compatible!"

Starks saw the entertainment news early in the morning. As the Grammy Awards approached, the attention on the nominated singers was off the charts.

"Forget it. I just exchanged numbers with Kidd, and he doesn't seem to have given up yet! We have to give him some chances."

Lee doesn't like older black girls, and more importantly, this type of black girl is not his type. If it's Beyonce, he'll consider it seriously.

"She's such a beauty, if you miss her you'll have no chance!"

"I love her ass!"

The atmosphere group immediately started discussing this "peerless beauty", and the newbie John Wallace was even more "hateful"!

"."

On the evening of the 20th, the Knicks welcomed their first away game in the Western Conference, where they would challenge the Kings with a record of 24 wins and 29 losses.

Jeff Van Gundy once again led the team in a typical "iron and blood" battle.

There were only 69 rounds in the whole game, and under Lee's control, there were only 13 mistakes.

In the third quarter, the Knicks scored 23:10, which directly defeated their opponent. In the end, the Knicks won 97:87.

Ewing performed exceptionally well, playing 36 minutes, making 8 of 13 shots, 8 of 11 free throws, and scoring a team-high 24 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and 3 turnovers.

Clay Lee and Alan Houston became tools again, one was responsible for passing the ball and controlling the rhythm, and the other was responsible for opening up space and responding to shots.

5 of 9 shots, 1 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, 4 of 5 free throws, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, Lee's double-double stats ended in this game.

The good news is that Lee has more and more playing time. He played for 40 minutes in this game and became a "coolie" like the "grandmama".

That night, everyone packed their bags and set off for Seattle to challenge the SuperSonics in an away game tomorrow night.

The coaching staff prepared for this game for a long time, and no one wanted to be beaten twice in the season.

Although Shawm Kemp's form has fluctuated this season, the Supersonics still achieved a record of 36 wins and 15 losses thanks to their excellent perimeter defense and flexible front line.

The highly anticipated game disappointed Jeff Van Gundy. Ewing was sluggish when facing a tough opponent.

This was Lee's second time facing Gary Payton, and he performed much better than the last time.

Playing for 40 minutes, Lee made 6 of 13 shots, 2 of 6 from beyond the three-point line, and 4 of 5 free throws, scoring a game-high 18 points.

Ewing made 1 of 8 shots and 5 of 10 free throws, and only scored 7 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 3 turnovers.

72:84, the Knicks suffered another crushing defeat to the Supersonics.

The SuperSonics under George Karl have a large number of forward players.

The inside defense built by Shawn Kemp, Detlef Schrempf and Jim McIlvaine made it difficult for Ewing to catch the ball.

Forward Terry Cummings also exploded on the bench. Although Sam Perkins, Nate McMillan and Craig Ehlo missed a lot of shots, they also played good defense with their physique advantage.

George Karl was so happy after winning the game that he added fuel to the fire at the post-game press conference:

"The game was ugly? Ugly? We don't care about that at all. The most important thing is that we won the game!"

"Gary played very well tonight. If I remember correctly, he shot 8 of 16 and scored 17 points. Don't forget that he was facing an All-Star guard!"

George Karl smiled and didn't mention Ewing's performance at all. Instead, he kept praising Lee's talent.

The New York media at the scene felt embarrassed. Ewing was in excellent form and they praised him a lot before the game, but this is the result?

After a day of rest, the Knicks set off again for Los Angeles to challenge the Lakers away.

Perhaps because the loss in the previous game was too bad, Jeff Van Gundy adjusted his tactics and no longer required Ewing to get through every round.

That night, the Great Western Forum was packed. O'Neal was sidelined due to injury, and Travis Knight got the chance to start tonight.

Van Exel and Eddie Jones partnered in the backcourt, and the front line was Jerome Kersey, Elden Campbell and Travis Knight forming a twin tower.

Del Harris wanted to win by relying on his height, but the rookie lacked experience in the interior and was frequently snatched away by Charles Oakley for offensive rebounds.

In the second half of the second quarter, both teams returned to their main lineups, 36:30, and the Knicks were still leading by 6 points.

Ewing, who came on early in the second quarter, shot 1 of 4 and still couldn't find his touch. After losing to the SuperSonics, the gorilla almost shut himself in.

"Defense! Defense! Defense!"

The Lakers fans at the scene cheered loudly for the home team's defense.

As soon as Van Exel came on the court, he took the lead in defending Lee. He entered the All-Star Game and a bunch of people were jealous of him. Crazy Van turned into a sourpuss tonight.

Starting from the backcourt, Van Exel pressed closely, trying to cause Lee to make a mistake. He lowered his body center of gravity very low, and was ruthless every time he suddenly rushed forward to steal the ball.

After Lee dribbled the ball from his crotch to his right hand, he accelerated with all his strength against the defense and approached the center line, where Van Exel cut the ball again.

Lee, who was well prepared, dribbled the ball behind his back, paused slightly after switching to his left hand, and took advantage of the opponent's defense again to lower his center of gravity and change direction drastically in front of his body.

Lee suddenly increased the pace of his dribbling, and Van Exel was caught off guard. He wanted to continue chasing, but he tripped and slipped to the center circle.

"OH——!"

The Lakers fans exclaimed, and then saw Lee accelerate to the right wing outside the three-point line and stop suddenly, and they couldn't help but exclaim again.

With no one in front of him defending, Lee made a quick stop outside the three-point line and then quickly made a jump shot!

"Swish!" The three-pointer went into the net!

Van Exel stood up to defend, his face dark.

He threw it away? And it went in?

Lee raised his left arm expressionlessly, raised three fingers, and walked away from Van Exel.

On the Knicks' bench, the atmosphere team was jumping and shouting. Every time Lee scored a wonderful goal, he could ignite everyone's emotions.

Charles Oakley, who was retreating, grinned, took a step forward and high-fived Lee to celebrate. The old guy also rebounded strongly tonight.

Kobe Bryant, the rookie on the Lakers' bench, could hear the faint cheers from the audience. He felt sour in his heart and kept looking at head coach Harris.

It's a pity that the Del had no intention of activating Kobe at all. Using a rookie player to defend an All-Star guard was not a reliable idea.

Van Exel just thought that the fans at the scene were just having fun. After he was knocked down and was ignored by Lee, he was completely furious.

In the Lakers' offensive round, they did not use pick-and-roll and passed the ball to the inside.

They came to the top of the arc facing Lee's defense. Van Exel quickly changed direction in front of his body, switched to his right hand, and immediately accelerated with all his strength.

Van Exel rushed half a body away from Lee's defense and went straight to the basket with the ball in his right hand!

Travis Knight had just got into position and had no time to block the position when he found that his teammates had already rushed into the paint area.

Relying on his speed, Van Exel gained half a body position, took three steps forward and immediately leaned forward to make a layup.

The basketball flew out of his hand and was blocked by Ewing under the basket!

"Oh!!"

Van Exel fell directly to the ground, and the fans screamed again, but the referee did not make any comment. Lee took control of the ball and then quickly rushed to the opponent's half.

The Lakers could only retreat desperately, Larry Johnson kept accelerating along the left sideline and was extremely aggressive in fast breaks!

Eddie Jones immediately chased back to Lee and tried to delay the attack.

Approaching the three-point line, Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, did not slow down. Instead, he suddenly shook his wrist while moving, and the basketball suddenly bounced forward.

Eddie Jones, who was retreating, turned his head subconsciously and looked back. He heard the shouts of fans, but found that the basketball was back in Lee's hands.

"Shit!!"

Seeing Lee accelerate again and rush towards the basket, Eddie Jones hurriedly turned around to adjust his center of gravity and rushed to defend again.

Lee did not force the attack at this time, but instead broke through with his shoulder and threw the ball to the upper left of the basket!

The "grandmama" who actively participated in the fast break immediately jumped into the air, scooped up the ball with both hands in the air, and then dunked it vigorously!

"Boom!!" The alley-oop dunk was successful!

The powerful alley-oop dunk caused another round of cheers in the Great Western Forum.

Just like Knight said, there are also many fans of Lee in Los Angeles.

"ah!!"

After landing, Larry Johnson roared passionately and pounded his chest. In the last game, he made 2 of 9 shots. The "grandmama" just wanted to vent his depressed emotions.

40:30, the score difference reached double digits.

On the Knicks bench, as soon as Jeff Van Gundy sat down, assistant coach Don Chaney whispered:

"Lee needs more opportunities. Look at his performance now. We made the right adjustments tonight."

Assistant coach Thibodeau on the other side also said:

"Jeff, the Heat are still winning. We only have one win left."

Jeff Van Gundy has heard this sentence many times. After the crushing defeat to the Supersonics, the coaching staff felt that changes had to be made. The loss was too devastating.

Facts have proved that in the field of hand-to-hand combat, the Knicks do not have that strong dominance.

Jeff Van Gundy did not say anything, but he felt a little conflicted when he saw Van Exel shake and miss the three-pointer, and everyone on the court ran like crazy.

After receiving the pass, Lee did not slow down, rushed through the opponent's half, changed direction at the three-point line, switched to his left hand and went straight to the basket.

The retreating Lakers instantly tightened their defense. Lee rushed forward with three steps and grabbed the ball with his left hand.

He made a fake pass and deceived Van Exel who was chasing him. He passed the ball through the gap between the three people.

Larry Johnson, who cut in 45 degrees from the right side, got the chance. He jumped after receiving the pass, used his body to push away Knight who was defending again in the air, pulled the lever briefly, and twisted his body to lift the ball towards the backboard!

"Bang!" The two-point ball went into the net!

The "grandmama" widened her eyes, stood under the basket, roared passionately again, then turned around and high-fived Lee to celebrate.

Jeff Van Gundy also stood up at this time, punched hard, and kept shouting:

"Well done, Lee, that's it!"

After failing to touch the ball for two consecutive rounds, Patrick Ewing was in a bad mood. His position as a core player seemed to be challenged:

"This is my team."

...

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