NBA: The Basketball Miracle

P/S: Hey everyone! I'm putting a lot of work into translating this book because, honestly, it's a hidden gem. The story is fantastic, but it's filled with racism that most people seem to overlook.

I'm trying to fix that, to make this story enjoyable for everyone, especially for basketball lovers. It's a huge task because original one has more than 4 million words, and your honest feedback, even a short review, would mean the world to me.

If you enjoyed it, please🙏🙏 consider leaving a review – it really does make a difference.

(7789 words)

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Ever since rookie Kobe was shown off by Lee in the Rookie Challenge, he has been practicing hard since returning to the team.

He is still a little bothered by the fact that he did not win the MVP of the Rookie Challenge.

Although he won the Slam Dunk title, Harris was still not convinced and did not give Kobe much playing time after the All-Star Weekend.

In contrast, after O'Neal was injured, Lee's good friend Travis Knight got some opportunities.

As the game against the Knicks entered the second half of the second quarter, Van Exel calmed down and regained his rhythm.

There is no need for pick-and-roll at the top of the arc. Holding the ball in his left hand, he suddenly lowers his body's center of gravity.

At the moment of shaking to the left, Van Exel completes the change of direction in front of his body.

Noticing that Lee was sliding along, he switched to his right hand and immediately pulled the ball back, pretended to turn around, and then suddenly twisted forward.

Van Exel lowered his center of gravity again, stopped and started quickly, accelerated with all his strength, and instantly broke through Lee's defense.

Charles Oakley and Patrick Ewing both began to retreat, and with the addition of Lee who slid into the paint area, they instantly became a three-man siege.

Van Exel jumped up and observed the position of his teammates in the air, and finally passed the ball through the gap between people.

Center Sean Rooks, who came on as a substitute, received the ball at the lower left side of the basket and was about to make a layup when he was pulled down by Oakley who turned back to defend.

"squeak!"

It was a hand-hitting foul, and the referee pointed to the free throw line, but Oakley didn't care. This was only his second foul.

"Shhh!!"

Van Exel's beautiful pass eventually turned into a free throw. The Lakers fans who liked to watch the show were very dissatisfied, and the Great Western Forum was filled with boos for a while.

"Nick's pass was great, but it was hard for the boys to finish at the rim!"

"This isn't our rhythm of play, I kind of miss the big guys!"

In the Lakers' live commentary booth, Chick Hearn's voice revealed a depressed mood. The Knicks' interior defense was too fierce, and the new twin towers were repeatedly defeated.

With 1 minute and 23 seconds left in the second quarter, the score was 46:37, and the Lakers' offense was still poor.

Standing outside the three-point line, Lee gave Oakley a thumbs up. It was difficult for him to limit Van Exel's breakthrough.

Even though the opponent shot 1 of 5 in the first quarter, which was very poor, he still had to guard against outside shots when defending.

Sean Rooks made both free throws, and the Lakers scored 39 points before the end of the first half.

Seeing that the first half of the game was about to end, Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines signaled for the team to calm down, and Lee made a tactical gesture, indicating that they should start with a low-post attack.

Travis Knight was responsible for guarding Ewing. Facing the newbie, the gorilla was too lazy to do a cross screen and directly blocked the ball in the low post on the left side.

Knight tried hard to defend, but was still stuck behind him. Lee, who came to the left wing outside the three-point line, did not make any unnecessary moves and quickly threw the ball to Ewing.

After catching the ball, he released it with his right hand, hit it once and immediately turned towards the baseline. Ewing trapped Knight behind him and was about to complete the layup when he found that Sean Rooks had also contracted his defense.

In the moment of hesitation, Ewing failed to pass the ball in time and was almost double-teamed by the opponent. Finally, he turned around and passed the ball back to Oakley who came to the free throw line.

This situation is not the first time it has occurred, and the Knicks were well prepared. Lee on the left wing made a quick 45-degree off-ball cut.

While Lee was attracting the defense's attention and running to the right corner, Alan Houston at the top of the arc quickly stepped forward and pretended to pass the ball.

Eddie Jones hurriedly defended and did not give Oakley a chance to catch the ball. Oakley raised the ball and finally threw it to the right wing outside the three-point line.

At the same time that Larry Johnson received the ball, Ewing also came to the low post on the right side to block the ball. "Grandmama" did not choose to pass the ball high, but returned the ball to Lee in the right corner.

After completing the pass, he immediately moved and Larry went over to cover Lee.

The Knicks' ball spun around and was still on the outside, and the fans at the scene booed.

After receiving the ball, Lee first raised the ball for a fake move, then released the ball with his left hand, using the cover of the "grandmama" to quickly move to the left wing.

Leaving the baseline position, Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly went in and out quickly on the left wing, swayed to the right and left, suddenly accelerated, and went straight into the inside.

Van Exel on the side did not lose his defensive position, but the Lakers' defense began to shrink again.

After Lee took three steps forward against the defense, he was also surrounded by three people in the paint area.

Observing the position of his teammates in the air, Lee grabbed the ball with his left hand, and passed it to Ewing at the bottom right of the basket through the gap between the players. The latter received the ball and directly dunked it with one arm!

"Bang!!" The dunk was successful under the basket!

"Shh!!"

It was almost the same offensive choice, but the difference was that Lee's pass turned into a dunk.

"Another attack like this. Our guys are always fooled! Lee made a great assist."

Seeing the score difference widen again, Chick Hearn in the commentary booth also lost his emotion. This scoring in nearly 24 seconds completely disrupted the rhythm of the Lakers.

48:39, the score difference returned to 9 points.

It was not Ewing's intention to get an easy rebound, after all, the player he was facing off against tonight was a rookie.

In Lee's opinion, the opponent's inside players will always over-help in defense, so there is no need to stick to the low post. As long as he can break through to the paint area, it is most simple and efficient to catch the ball inside.

However, both of them were trying to score.

The gorilla who completed the dunk also roared, and then high-fived Lee to celebrate.

In the last two rounds, Van Exel forced his way to the basket and went to the free throw line again.

Looking back, Lee's ground pass found the "grandmama" who was running back along the baseline, and Knight also sent Larry Johnson to the free throw line.

Both of them made one of two free throws, making the score in the first half fixed at 49:40.

The Lakers only scored 40 points in the first half, which was a complete waste of the Los Angeles fans.

Most of the people who bought tickets to watch the game like to watch the flashy offense. Nick Van Exel and Clay Lee have relatively flashy styles of play.

The fans did not expect that the two would end up fighting each other after the match.

One relies on his speed and goes straight forward, while the other uses the threat of shooting and moves around at a slow pace.

"Shhh!!"

As the Knicks players walked towards the player tunnel, the Los Angeles fans, who felt like they had eaten shit, booed again.

The Lakers players were in a bad mood as they walked towards the locker room. The rookie Kobe just wanted to know why he couldn't play.

Van Exel made 3 of 8 shots in the first half, 1 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, and 1 of 2 free throws, scoring 8 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 turnover.

The data is not pretty, and the visual effect on the court does not give him much of an advantage, giving people the illusion that "I can do it too."

Clay Lee is different from Kobe Bryant. He is already an All-Star player. After returning to the locker room, he showed his seriousness and put forward his own views:

"We have to play more easily, as there are back-to-back games on the road later."

"Think about the schedule in March, one day off and then back home and then two more games."

"We have to hold on to our lead. Two wins is really not much."

The Heat also lost a game, and according to this trend, the rivalry between the two sides will continue until April.

The Bulls will definitely not be able to catch up. These old guys are very stable, but if they lose the division title again, it will be embarrassing for everyone.

Everyone agreed with what Lee said. The atmosphere group naturally wanted more playing time. Jeff Van Gundy has been fighting hard against the main players recently, which has reduced the data of the players on the bench.

"Don't even think about letting me attack unless it's a wide-open shot. I still haven't recovered from the game against the SuperSonics."

"George Karl designed a piece of shit!"

Charles Oakley spoke first, saying that he didn't care about how to win. In his opinion, as long as Ewing continued to enjoy the privileges of the boss and his statistics did not shrink, it would be fine.

Ewing made 4 of 9 shots in the first half, 3 of 4 free throws, and scored 11 points. The gorilla drank from the water bottle in his seat, and finally compromised a little:

"You can try the mid-range first. I've almost found the feel for it!"

As a traditional center with comprehensive skills, Ewing can do pick-and-roll and assists. Many times it is just a matter of willingness.

The atmosphere team also gave some advice. In the past two games, the defense was difficult, and Gary Payton and Van Exel were difficult to limit:

"How about letting him shoot three-pointers? Just knock him down in the paint and make him fall a few times. I guarantee that he will lose all his touch!"

"When he goes for the layup, give him two shots, foul him early, and don't let him pass the ball!"

"."

Although these are all bad ideas, Lee is in a good mood. If he can compromise once, there will definitely be a second time!

Jeff Van Gundy always gave his players some time to communicate. After entering the locker room, he did not talk about how to adjust, but just repeatedly emphasized:

"Protect our backcourt rebounds. There are two 2.10-meter-tall guys on the other side. Don't give them a chance to attack again."

"."

At the start of the second half, the Lakers took the lead in attacking. Perhaps because they were defeated in the first half of the game, the cheers from the audience stopped.

In the first round, Van Exel passed the ball to center Campbell at the free throw line as soon as he crossed half court.

When the shooting touch is not good, head coach Harris will not let the point guard shoot randomly, and chooses to play from the inside.

Knight first pretended to be in the low post with his back to the basket, then suddenly turned around and cut into the basket without the ball. Campbell at the free throw line immediately passed the ball.

It was a great dunk opportunity, but the pass was not of high quality. Knight was forced to adjust after receiving the ball, and then tried to force a shot under the basket, but was directly pinned down by Ewing!

"Oh!!"

It was a block with great visual impact, and the fans exclaimed again. Taking control of the ball, Ewing immediately passed the ball to Lee.

Van Exel no longer chose to lead the defense, but instead quickly retreated with his teammates.

Unlike Van Gundy who often asks guards to lead the defense, most teams will not choose such a defensive strategy.

Lee, who was holding the ball in his left hand, did not accelerate to his full potential at this time. He slowed down his dribbling rhythm and crossed half court with his teammates.

According to the fixed routine, Ewing should have received the ball with his back to the basket in the low post on the left side at this time, and then the gorilla would have played a one-on-one with his back to the basket in his favorite position.

But in this attack, Lee stopped on the left wing outside the three-point line, and Ewing immediately stepped forward and made a high pick-and-roll.

The moment Ewing stood still, Van Exel was ready to step forward to defend him. Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, first hit the ball hard on the spot, and then moved the ball behind his back in a big way.

While Van Exel was about to squeeze through the screen, Lee quickly changed direction between his hips. At the same time, he lowered his center of gravity, cleared the way with his shoulder, and switched to his left hand to accelerate the breakthrough.

Under the high-quality screen, Van Exel made the wrong defensive choice and was delayed, and immediately fell half a body length behind Lee.

Knight noticed that Lee had lowered his center of gravity so low that he was almost flying close to the ground, so he quickly slid to the right and rear, trying to delay him.

Lee accelerated his breakthrough but did not force a layup despite the two defenders. He broke through to the left blocking area and immediately made a ground pass from behind.

After the basketball bounced, it accurately fell into Ewing's hands in the elbow area on the left side of the free throw line. There was no one guarding in front of him. He took a look and made an easy jump shot!

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

Ewing scored easily, and head coach Harris on the sidelines began calling Knight, signaling him to pay attention to defense.

Van Exel was also reminding the newbie that he was not out of position. Ewing and Lee, who completed a tough jump shot, high-fived to celebrate.

Everyone's goal was to expand the score difference to double digits 51:40 first. The Great Western Forum was a bit quiet and the game was not good to watch.

On the defensive end, Ler could clearly feel that Van Exel's aggressiveness was decreasing, and the Lakers shifted the offensive task to Eddie Jones.

The Pippen successor was also possessed by the blacksmith in the first half and was given a big step by Alan Houston.

Fortunately, this time Eddie Jones made a quick stop and two-point shot from the left wing, which finally made the Los Angeles fans at the scene cheer.

"We still have a chance, the boys seem to have found their shooting touch!"

In the live commentary booth, Chick Hearn rarely showed excitement. In tonight's game, the Lakers rarely even scored goals in open play.

The Knicks' offense completely abandoned Ewing's low post, and the gorilla began to set more screens.

Van Exel was always paying attention to the movements behind him at the top of the arc, but Lee did not make much movement and simply made a straight pass.

Alan Houston relied on Ewing's screen to quickly bounce out from the right baseline.

Just as he reached the right elbow area of the free throw line, he received the pass from Lee.

After receiving the ball, Alan Hughes made a steady mid-range jump shot without any adjustments!

As time passed, the Lakers fans at the scene found that the Knicks gradually blossomed.

The "Grandmama" even showed her low-post skills, easily scoring on Jeremy Kersey for two consecutive rounds.

Head coach Harris brought in George McLeod, hoping that he could help in the offense, but soon, Lakers commentator Chick Hearn gave the answer:

"OH! Take it back, we are still missing shots!"

Ewing, who was no longer stubborn, attacked in this quarter by either making jump shots in the elbow area on the left and right sides of the free throw line, or waiting for a layup near the left and right baselines.

Although the Knicks' offense was not fast, the score was rising rapidly!

At the end of the third quarter, the score was 76:61, and the Great Western Forum was completely silent.

The opportunity that rookie Kobe had been longing for finally came, but unfortunately, the game seemed to be entering garbage time.

"I can do it too!" After Kobe came on the court, he showed no mercy and missed two shots from the left and right elbows in two consecutive rounds.

Starks, who came on as a substitute, seized the opportunity and caused Kobe to commit a hand foul during the counterattack.

On the Knicks bench, seeing the rookie's performance, everyone smiled and waved towels to celebrate.

I thought the head coach would give me some more time, but less than 3 minutes after he came on the court, the rookie Kobe was replaced again.

The scene of "turning the tide" did not appear at all. Kobe, who returned to the bench, could only watch the Lakers' shots miss in frustration, secretly making a note of this, which had happened twice.

At this time, Ler, who was sitting on the bench, was communicating with the coaching staff:

"We don't need to change too many tactics, we just need to exert our strength in one quarter of the game."

"Like in this game, let Pat finish instead of always initiating the offense from him."

In Lee's opinion, it was outrageous to require that the ball must be passed through Ewing's hands before every attack.

The gorilla at the end of his peak is no longer the super center who can easily score by shooting from the top or turning around from the bottom after getting stuck in the low post on the left side.

The invasion of injuries slowed down his movements, which is why the Lakers were always able to assist Ewing in defense.

Assistant coach Thibodeau nodded after hearing Lee's two sentences. Many times, the Knicks' tactics were formulated by the assistant coaches.

Jeff Van Gundy is mainly responsible for chicken soup(motivational speech), occasionally participates in the construction of the defensive system, and spends most of the rest of his time taking care of his hair.

The big lead finally allowed the Knicks to recover from the crushing defeat, and the bench was filled with the joyful atmosphere it once again.

It was not easy to communicate too much during the game, so Lee simply expressed his views and said nothing more.

If it wasn't for the division championship, he wouldn't want to go against the gorilla so early.

But the Heat have too much stamina. If they lose this award at the end of the regular season, Lee may not get the [Talent] this season.

Alan Houston took advantage of the gorilla's inattention and patted Lee in gratitude. He made 4 of 7 shots in the quarter and 2 of 2 from beyond the three-point line. In the third quarter, he became the main attacking point of the Knicks.

"Lee, after you go on stage, do the finishing work!"

With 5 minutes and 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jeff Van Gundy called on Lee to continue playing. As long as they could keep the rhythm steady and respond well, they would win tonight.

When the audience saw Lee taking off his training suit and preparing to continue on the field, they became excited for a moment.

Van Exel has been on the court since the beginning of the fourth quarter, but perhaps because of adjustments at halftime, he no longer shot three-pointers as casually as he did in the first quarter.

"Man, a great point guard needs to take control of the game!"

Receiving the ball at the baseline, Lee took advantage of Van Exel's close defense to his side and whispered a teasing to Crazy Van who was like two different people in the first and second half.

"Shut up, rookie, and stop thinking you're really an All-Star player!"

Van Exel took two shots in the second half. He was already depressed, and when he heard Lee's words, he became even more angry.

After leading the defense past half court, Van Exel noticed Charles Oakley moving to the top of the arc and quickly adjusted his center of gravity, preparing to squeeze through the screen.

Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, saw Oakley's eyes, lowered his center of gravity quickly, and broke through to the right.

As Van Exel was squeezing through the screen, he was hit on the thigh by the old man and suddenly lost his defensive position.

Lee broke away from the defense, came to the right wing, stopped suddenly outside the three-point line and quickly made a jump shot.

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

91:73, the game is no longer suspenseful.

There were cheers at the scene, but the referee didn't say anything. Oakley smiled provocatively at Van Exel again. Crazy Van Exel was almost furious.

He glared with his big eyes, turned his head and complained loudly to the referee:

"Illegal screen! He definitely fouled!"

Oakley didn't care about these things. Tonight, Van Exel frequently broke into the inside, and he was already impatient. He had to fight back against his opponent without affecting the outcome.

The referee blew the final whistle and called a foul on Lee for pulling his hand.

"If we lose this game, our record will be 38 wins and 17 losses. We may lose the top spot in the Western Conference!"

There was regret in the voice of commentator Chick Hearn. It was not a good sign to be overtaken by the opponent when the regular season was about to end.

The game time passed quickly, and with the buzzer sounded at the end of the game, the Knicks defeated the Lakers 101:85 and avoided the embarrassing situation of being double-killed by their opponents.

Feeling humiliated, Van Exel threw down his towel after the game and went straight to the locker room.

The Lakers fans didn't care about all this and cheered as usual when the home team players left the field.

3 of 11, 1 of 7 from beyond the three-point line, 2 of 3 free throws, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 turnovers. Crazy Van didn't go crazy tonight and his shooting touch was poor.

Lee and his teammates walked towards the player tunnel talking and laughing. The best way to heal after a crushing defeat is to give the opponent a crushing defeat.

Jeff Van Gundy returned to the locker room first, and when all the players were seated, he immediately said loudly:

"A perfect victory! Forget about the last game, tonight we played the best offense in our consecutive away games!"

"Lee, you did an outstanding job. We have completely mastered the rhythm of the game since the second quarter. Facing an All-Star guard, you played like this. You are our MVP tonight!"

Playing for 39 minutes, Clay Lee once again achieved a double-double, making 5 of 12 shots, 2 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, 2 of 2 free throws, 14 points, 2 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers.

Patrick Ewing and Oakley applauded loudly, and the atmosphere group also cheered. Lee smiled and patted his chest, indicating that he received encouragement.

The gorilla made 4 of 9 shots in the first half, and after a sharp jump shot in the second half, he made 6 of 10 shots, 10 of 19 shots in the whole game, 25 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 turnovers.

The efficiency has been improved visibly, so Jeff Van Gundy naturally took this opportunity to encourage him to throw out more chicken soup for free, but Lee felt that this bald guy was good at smoothing things over!

If he hadn't taken the initiative to express his opinion in the midfield, Van Gundy would definitely not have said this:

"As a head coach, why don't you dare to fight a gorilla?"

Victory brings joy, and although they still have to fly to Salt Lake City, the Knicks have completely recovered from the crushing defeat.

The Utah Jazz are in better and better form this season. With two games fewer than the Lakers, they currently have a record of 38 wins and 15 losses.

Not only has Karl Malone not shown any decline this season, but the call for MVP is getting louder and louder!

The NBA league and the media who are stirring up trouble seem to want to make things difficult for Michael Jordan. The matter of the top 50 superstars is not so easy to let go.

It doesn't matter if the Bulls are far ahead in the standings, because the MVP is chosen by media voting!

This kind of award is too far away from the Knicks. Ewing plays in New York, but he is not well received by the media. In recent years, he has been labeled a wimp.

On the evening of the 25th, enthusiastic Salt Lake City fans entered the Delta Center early. Before the game started, shouts and curses were heard from the scene.

After losing in New York, they had to win back home!

In the locker room before the game, Charles Oakley was very disgusted with the media hype that Malone would win the MVP:

"We have a record of 44 wins and 11 losses, so why is no one saying that someone from the Knicks is going to win the MVP?"

"This bunch of shit media has double standards. If you look at the record, the MVP will definitely belong to the Bulls players."

Lee, who had changed his jersey, did not say anything. This topic could not be discussed.

The Knicks' "iron-blooded" style of play, where they knocked down their opponents if they couldn't beat them, was destined to be unpopular.

"I'm used to being looked down upon. How many times have Western Conference teams played against the Bulls? They don't know anything and only know how to look at the data."

Ewing also took advantage of the situation, making sour remarks with a sullen face.

They have a hope of getting 60+ wins this season!

The MVP was awarded to the better Bulls team, and he had no objection, but Karl Malone won the award? The gorilla was dissatisfied.

At the end of the season, the MVP award became the focus of attention. The reason why Ewing liked to play low-post singles was also related to the team's record.

With good results, there will naturally be more desire. Everyone wants to win the MVP, and Ewing also wants to get more impression points.

Larry Johnson was silent on the sidelines. He was almost the fourth shooting point on the team, but he would not get the award. The "grandmama" complained about the media, and everyone could only flatter her:

"The American sports media knows nothing about the NBA. They should let the players vote for the MVP!"

"."

After the game started, Karl Malone was very active, as if he regarded Ewing as his MVP competitor. Malone made many iron-blooded jump shots after the opening! Trying hard to show himself.

If we want to select the MVP, we naturally have to look at the two people's record in their matches.

The protagonists of this game were naturally Malone and Ewing, but there was no quarrel under the basket. Malone made a jump shot and Ewing also made a jump shot.

Soon the protagonists on the court became Stockton and Lee. The two were responsible for passing the ball. Whether they could score easily often depended on how the point guard handled the ball.

"Defense! Defense! Defense!"

The defensive cheers of the Jazz fans became louder and louder, trying to use the huge noise to disrupt the Knicks' offense.

Ostertag noticed that Ewing moved to the top of the arc to set up a pick-and-roll, so he had no choice but to defend him.

Stockton noticed the movement behind him and without any unnecessary moves, he immediately chose to move forward to defend, ready to squeeze through the screen at any time.

Ewing had just stood still, and while Stockton was coming forward to defend him, Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, circled the ball behind him.

The moment he scooped up the ball with his left hand, he took the ball forward.

The 2.18-meter-tall Ostertag failed to lower his center of gravity in time and could only watch the basketball pass by him.

Lee exerted force with his feet, leaped forward, and squeezed through the gap between the two big guys.

Lee picked up the ball with his right hand again, completely got rid of the defense, and drove straight to the basket with the ball!

The Jazz fans exclaimed, and before everyone could see what was happening, Stockton and Ostertag collided with each other.

Karl Malone, who was performing extremely aggressively, immediately let go of Oakley beside him and quickly provided assistance in defense.

Lee, who had just moved to the basket and broke through to the paint area, secretly passed the ball behind his back while moving!

The basketball fell accurately into the hands of Oakley near the left baseline. There was no one guarding in front of him. He aimed at the basket and took a mid-range jump shot!

"Swish!" The two-point shot hit the target steadily.

8:6, there were 7 minutes and 24 seconds left in the first quarter. The Knicks broke the deadlock first after a sharp jump shot at the start.

"Shh!"

Ignoring the boos and shouts from the audience, Oakley pointed at his feet and indicated that Malone could also do the jump shot.

The two were entangled after the opening. Malone wanted to show himself too much and failed to seize several easy scoring opportunities.

Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines kept clapping, indicating that Lee's pass was great.

This game is indeed crucial. If Ewing can defeat the Jazz twice, based on the current record, he may still be able to stop Malone.

Stockton began to speed up the Jazz's offensive tempo, trying to get Malone to take more shots.

Lee did not play blindly. As long as Ewing cooperated, he frequently played high pick-and-roll and pulled the opponent's center Ostart to the line.

One was going for speed, the other for stability. Perhaps due to frequent physical contact, both sides missed shots.

"Stockton passes the ball to Malone. Oh! This attack is too hasty!"

Rod Hunter, the home commentator of the Jazz, saw that Malone made two shots at the beginning of the game but kept missing, and he could only comment helplessly.

Obviously, the media hype affected Malone's mentality. If he was really killed by Ewing, coupled with the Knicks' record, he would most likely lose the MVP.

When Malone retreated, he couldn't help but wave his hands, but he couldn't make the shot!

The Jazz fans continued to make a huge noise. After receiving the pass, Lee was not affected at all.

He held the ball with his left hand, turned sideways to protect the ball and dribbled across half court.

On the left wing, Lee pointed to the left blocking area with his right hand, and Ewing understood and moved up from the low position.

After receiving Lee's high pass, Ewing was not in a hurry to attack.

At this time, Lee pretended to cut in without the ball, and when he came to the blocking area, he suddenly exerted force with his feet and quickly bounced to the left corner.

Ewing passed the ball, and Stockton was about to defend, but Lee didn't make any adjustments and just threw the ball!

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

"God! Lee's shot was so fast that Stockton didn't even have time to block it!"

"This is definitely not a good sign. The Knicks seem to have found their offensive rhythm!"

Commentator Rod Hunter was also anxious. The fans in Salt Lake City all wanted to help Malone win the award. This game could not be lost.

Lee raised his right arm expressionlessly and raised three fingers to the Jazz fans in the front row.

"Pat! Nice pass!"

This caused the fans to curse at him, and Lee quickly retreated and celebrated with Ewing by high-fiving.

The gorillas really wanted to win this game and started to cooperate with all their strength.

As the scores of both sides slowly rose, Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines became more and more excited. Malone missed shots, and the Knicks gradually suppressed the Jazz.

At the end of the first quarter, 24:21, the Knicks led by three points.

The shouting and cursing at the scene was getting louder and louder. If the Jazz lost this game, everyone on the Jazz would collectively collapse.

"Keep up this pace, John, and don't rush to attack once you get on the court!"

Jeff Van Gundy had no choice but to raise his voice, squatting in front of everyone, and loudly reminding the rotation lineup not to play blindly.

Starks also knew the importance of this game, so he naturally nodded in agreement.

Several veterans also breathed a sigh of relief. If Michael Jordan is not considered for the MVP, then it will be Ewing's turn.

After playing the entire first quarter, Lee changed into his training clothes, ignored the shouting and cursing at the scene, and sat on the bench with a calm expression.

Alan Houston also played well in the first quarter and made consecutive shots in the second half. At this time, he suddenly sighed:

"It would be great if we could play like this in the future. Tonight was the best game we played recently."

Lee beside him just smiled when he heard Alan Houston's words. He knew what was going on:

"If he keeps playing like this, Ewing's usage rate will drop, and he'll become a scrimmage forward, and he won't even have a chance of winning the MVP."

In the second quarter, Hornacek of the Jazz suddenly broke out, and Malone, who had regained his composure, stopped shooting recklessly, and the Jazz's offense became smoother and smoother.

After the main lineup returned to the court, Lee was not in a hurry. He still steadily controlled the offensive rhythm of the Knicks, and Ewing also fully cooperated.

"God! Lee is on fire tonight! He hit another three-pointer!"

In the right corner, Lee received a pass from Ewing, faked a dribble and then tipped past Stockton. He took advantage of the time difference and twisted his body to make a jump shot.

Commentator Rod Hunter was stunned. How could this go in?

Stockton still had a blank expression on his face, but he just looked at Lee for a while longer.

Compared with the first match, Lee played pick-and-roll more steadily tonight and no longer pursued speed. With the cooperation of the Knicks team, he was more threatening without the ball.

With 4 minutes and 58 seconds left in the first half, the score was 36:36 and the two sides were tied.

Jeff Van Gundy kept yelling on the sidelines to remind his players to retreat, and whenever the offense failed, Stockton would quickly advance the transition offense.

Malone actively participated in the fast break, but failed several times. Oakley was in a confrontation with his opponent.

There were more and more confrontations and small pulling movements, but in the last few minutes of the first half, both teams played efficient offense at the same time.

50:50, after halftime, the two sides were still tied.

In such a tense game, the Jazz fans at the scene were screaming excitedly, and more and more of them were swearing.

After returning to the locker room, Ewing also clapped his hands and loudly encouraged everyone:

"Hold on, leave the rebounds to me, we must win this game!"

No one can resist the temptation of MVP. The gorilla just wants to win the game at this time, and he is willing to be a forward.

At the end of the first half, Lee made 4 of 7 shots and 3 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, scoring a team-high 11 points.

Watching the gorilla's passionate speech in the locker room, Lee also followed the crowd to flatter him:

"Karl Malone does not deserve to win the MVP!"

After the start of the second half, the two sides were in a complete stalemate until the Jazz suddenly rained points.

With 4 minutes and 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Stockton broke through and made a layup, causing Lee to foul.

At the critical moment, Lee fouled out. The Jazz fans at the scene cheered loudly. Jeff Van Gundy did not accept this result:

"Look carefully, my player did not make any defensive moves at all. He even made way for him!"

"Such a penalty will ultimately affect the outcome of the game!"

After pointing and yelling at the referee, Jeff Van Gundy was finally pulled back to the bench by the coaching staff.

Lee shrugged helplessly. He also couldn't change the referee's decision.

Less than two minutes after returning to the bench, Larry Johnson also went off the court to accompany Lee.

This penalty completely angered the Knicks team. Jeff Van Gundy cried "Fuck" and was directly ejected from the game.

Neither Clay Lee nor Larry Johnson could hold the bald young coach back. They could only watch their head coach explode.

In the end, in this key battle involving the MVP, the Jazz had the last laugh.

101:106, the Jazz successfully pulled one back!

At the end of the game, Charles Oakley angrily criticized Karl Malone, and the two started a fierce war of words:

"Don't let me see you in New York!"

"I really won't see you guys in Salt Lake City this season!"

Malone made 12 of 27 shots, 9 of 12 free throws, and finally scored a double-double of 33 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in this crucial game.

Ewing also scored a big double-double in the crucial game with 11 of 22 shots, 6 of 8 free throws, 28 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 4 turnovers!

After returning to the locker room, Jeff Van Gundy, who blew himself up, felt a little regretful and was suspended for one game.

Charles Oakley and Ewing cursed the referee after returning to the locker room, and then cursed Stockton:

"Damn it! He took 11 free throws in the 4th quarter and it was a foul if he touched it!"

"."

Clay Lee made 7 of 11 shots, 4 of 6 from beyond the three-point line, and 3 of 3 free throws, quietly getting 21 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers.

Such performance also reduced Ewing's statistics.

Without much rest time, the Knicks flew to Portland overnight to challenge the Trail Blazers in a back-to-back game tomorrow night.

On the morning of the 26th, the New York media and the Salt Lake City media were already arguing with each other.

ESPN and TNT also joined in the fun. Everyone held their own opinions and discussed who would be the MVP.

But such an action is bound to anger Michael Jordan, killing three birds with one stone.

The morning sports programs will all be devoted to discussing the MVP.

In the back-to-back games, the coaching staff canceled the practice session. Ewing was sulking in the hotel. Oakley and Starks could only comfort him with kind words.

Larry Johnson went to Lee's room to chat and gossip:

"These media won't really give the MVP to someone else, right? With a record of 49 wins and 6 losses, the Bulls can't get the award?"

"Grandmama" doesn't believe that MVP will be transferred to other people and thinks that the gorilla is just fantasizing.

"Maybe everyone is tired of it, after all, Michael Jordan has won too many times!"

"Maybe everyone was happy to see that he didn't get the award."

Lee watched ESPN's commentators on TV and found that they didn't mention Jordan winning the MVP. He immediately found it funny. Everyone was a master at fanning the flames.

"Aesthetic fatigue? What is that? Are they still talking about this in basketball games? Lee, don't be fooled by those unscrupulous media. They will vote obediently when the time comes!"

Seeing that the "grandmama" didn't believe what he said at all, Lee didn't refute it. He also enjoyed watching the fun.

On the evening of the 26th, assistant coach Don Chaney replaced Van Gundy on the sidelines.

He sat quietly on the bench throughout the game, showing the style of a famous coach.

In back-to-back games, the angry gorilla attacked the Trail Blazers' inside line,

making 8 of 25 shots and 11 of 17 free throws.

Ewing scored 27 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 4 turnovers!

104:95, the Knicks suppressed the Trail Blazers throughout the game and won back-to-back victories.

After the game, Lee, who was slacking off, watched the gorilla angrily walk towards the player tunnel, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart:

"You're still not smart enough to not play away in Salt Lake City, just in an invincible position!"

...

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