For many New York fans, a free-flowing offense was much more enjoyable to watch than slow-paced half-court sets.

Scoring 100 points in a game was no longer enough to satisfy the preferences of young fans.

It wasn’t just New York fans.

Most who bought tickets to watch games preferred to see beautiful fast breaks, powerful dunks, and dazzling dribbling moves.

Just as the Sacramento Kings were hugely popular this season, offense indeed had more appeal than Defense, especially when the core guard could deliver exquisite passes, a situation that was further amplified.

At Madison Square Garden, as the first half of the Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 was nearing its end, many ticket-holding fans were already too hyped to stop.

Sitting in the front row, LSP Woody Allen, despite his age, seemed possessed by Spike Lee, standing up and cheering for the New York Knicks’ offense.

This famous director usually wasn’t this emotional, but tonight the New York Knicks’ offense was too fierce.

Watching the score constantly rise, an excited feeling began to fill his heart.

Reggie Miller, who shot 5-for-6 in the first quarter and efficiently scored 11 points, gradually started to miss shots in the second quarter.

On several possessions, Reggie Miller would receive the ball, fake, and then drive to the paint, only to be bothered by Ben Wallace.

With 1 minute and 54 seconds left in the first half, Reggie Miller’s jump shot from the left elbow of the free-throw line missed.

Watching Ben Wallace almost instantly grab the rebound, the Pacers players quickly retreated on Defense.

Getting significant playing time tonight, the excited Ben Wallace was getting better and better.

After Clay Lee received the ball, he dribbled up the right sideline.

Mark Jackson, who had just replaced Travis Best, did not step up to interfere but quickly moved to the right wing, establishing a defensive position in advance.

It was another semi-transition offense.

The fans cheered loudly.

Clay Lee, dribbling with his left hand, approached the three-point line.

Noticing Mark Jackson slightly shifting backward, he immediately executed a quick in-and-out dribble.

While moving, he suddenly faked right and drove left, Lee quickly cut in on the left wing.

Mark Jackson made a successful read, quickly sliding backward and to the right.

When the two made body contact, the Pacers players had just completed their defensive positioning.

Driving to the right restricted area, Lee suddenly changed direction with a crossover, forcing the ball to his right hand.

He bumped into Mark Jackson, completed a hop step, and was just approaching the paint.

The two collided again, Lee leaned on his opponent, and tossed the ball towards the basket with his right hand!

“Bang! Swish!”

Dale Davis, who had just run back to the basket, helplessly watched the basketball go high off the backboard and drop into the basket.

His Defense wasn’t out of position at all, but the final spin and block were broken.

Mark Jackson looked at Clay Lee, who was posing under the basket, and cursed twice in frustration.

“Crazy offense! Lee is taking advantage of transition opportunities in this quarter, repeatedly putting the ball into the basket!”

“I don’t think Head Coach Larry Bird anticipated the game would turn out this way.”

The heated atmosphere on the court also made Doug Collins on the commentary desk exclaim loudly.

Bob Costas, noticing the widening score, also commented on the first half with a light tone:

“After taking 25 shots in the first quarter, the New York Knicks didn’t slow down in the second quarter, unleashing another furious offensive!”

“Perhaps the Pacers players are already feeling tired!”

“Keep in mind that two days ago they just played a tough game in Miami. At halftime, Head Coach Larry Bird will need to re adjust his game strategy.”

Larry Bird on the sideline saw Jalen Rose backing down Ron Artest in the left restricted area, getting pushed so much that he could only shoot a fadeaway towards the baseline, and he frowned again.

The basketball hit the front rim and was perfectly rebounded by Ron Artest, who had twisted to box out.

Seeing Clay Lee receive the ball, the Pacers players could only quickly retreat on Defense.

Croshere, who accounted for most of the scoring in the second quarter, dejectedly followed Lewis to the right corner.

Noticing that Ben Wallace’s high pick-and-roll on the left wing allowed Lee to slip through again, Croshere hesitated and did not choose to double-team into the paint.

Pushing the ball and changing direction, Lee came to the free-throw line, paused slightly, then suddenly accelerated with larger strides.

When he reached directly under the basket, he slowed down and leaned on the trailing Dale Davis.

Suddenly stopping short, Dale Davis directly crashed into Lee.

Before he could adjust his defensive Center of Gravity, he subconsciously moved towards the basket again.

With no help Defense, Lee leaned on his opponent, twisted his body to the lower right of the basket, and once again tossed the ball towards the backboard!

Although he pulled back his hand in time, Dale Davis couldn’t control his body.

He jumped to block, and eventually both fell to the ground.

“Squeak!”

The whistle blew, and the ball went in.

Dale Davis, sitting up, slammed the floor in frustration.

The guard toying with the big man, the wonderful basket fight made the fans in the MSG shout loudly again:

“MVP! MVP! MVP!”

Croshere, who made the wrong defensive choice, heard the cheers in the Madison Square Garden and subconsciously looked at Larry Bird on the sidelines.

The Head Coach showed no reaction, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

All the Pacers players had long faces, watching Lee make the free throw.

50:63, the score was further widened.

With only 16 seconds left in the first half, Reggie Miller finally found his touch again, hitting a jump shot from the left elbow over Allan Houston’s contest.

After making that shot, the Pacers’ scoring for the quarter had just reached 17 points.

In the final moments, Lee’s buzzer-beating floater in the paint missed, and a sigh of regret filled the stadium, which was then covered by cheers.

52:63, the first half ended, and the New York Knicks entered the second half with an 11-point lead.

Although the game was lively, both teams’ shooting percentages declined in the second quarter.

Jeff Van Gundy was very satisfied with his team’s performance, but Ewing was a bit frustrated.

He and Rik Smits on the other side went in and out together, only playing 3 minutes in the middle of the second quarter.

He thought he would get more opportunities against a big man, but he didn’t expect the opponent to play faster and faster.

The New York Knicks still rotated methodically in the second quarter, with Larry Johnson playing the first half of the quarter and Clay Lee playing the second half.

The two commentators saw that the New York Knicks had taken another 23 shots in the second quarter, bringing their total shots in the first half to 48, and both were startled.

Doug Collins noticed that the Pacers had also taken 45 shots and could only exclaim:

“Head Coach Larry Bird’s game strategy is correct, but in the second quarter, they seemed to run out of gas.”

“Plus Jalen Rose completely went cold, that’s why the score was pulled away.”

Setting screens and then shooting, post-up isolation after crossing half-court, and if there wasn’t a good opportunity, Mark Jackson could still drive and score in isolation.

With two shooters spacing the floor and the quicker-moving Croshere, the Pacers played extremely aggressively!

Rik Smits, after a feint at the start, no longer served as the primary scorer, which was completely different from their Eastern Conference Finals encounter last year.

Scoring 63 points in the first half, the high number of possessions leading to high scoring completely ignited the atmosphere.

Bob Costas also noticed this and added with a smile:

“Lee’s transition scoring is too easy. Even on semi-transition opportunities, he can use his physical advantage against his matchup to drive to the basket and score.”

“The Pacers have done a good job of limiting his shooting, but they seem a bit unprepared for his frequent drives to the basket.”

“What adjustments will Head Coach Larry Bird make in the second half?”

Seeing the New York fans already swaying to the music, Doug Collins was somewhat speechless.

After a moment of thought, he simply offered a platitude:

“By changing the defensive matchups and readjusting the assignments, the Pacers still have a chance to turn the game around!”

During halftime, under the basketball hoop, James Dolan felt the lively atmosphere and completely entered a state of grinning with victory.

The cheerleaders began to engage fans in some shooting games, and with money as a reward, the lively atmosphere continued unabated.

After the second half began, Jeff Van Gundy and Larry Bird both returned to the bench.

Both teams brought their starting lineups back onto the court, the big men returned, and the game returned to a normal rhythm.

The New York Knicks had the first possession.

When Clay Lee arrived at the top of the arc, he noticed that his defender had become Reggie Miller.

Clapping his hands, lowering his body, Reggie Miller stared at Clay Lee, then Ewing stood firm at the top of the arc with his large frame.

After Lee dribbled the ball behind his back, he switched to his left hand and faced Rik Smits, who suddenly came up with a hard hedge, executing a quick in-and-out dribble.

Lee did not choose to go between the two but instead accelerated directly, leaning on his opponent, and cleanly squeezed past Rik Smits’s right side.

“Overtaking on the outside,” Rik Smits hadn’t even reacted yet when Lee had already driven to a position near the paint.

Dale Davis immediately shifted to help Defense under the basket.

Clay Lee took three big steps, jumped up, curled his body to avoid the block, and then smoothly passed the ball to Oakley, who was cutting to the basket.

The latter received the ball, and from the lower right of the basket, easily made a bank shot.

52:65, the score continued to widen. Oakley’s simple layup didn’t affect the New York fans’ mood, and cheers once again filled the MSG.

A single screen was enough to lose him.

As Reggie Miller ran back to half-court, he approached Clay Lee and began to taunt:

“You’re just a screen-and-roll kid, you should play like a man!”

Clay Lee was a bit surprised.

Seeing the other party’s angry eyes, he immediately smiled and said:

“You should go look at my stats right now. Get the same score as me, and then talk trash to me!”

“If your memory is failing, let me remind you again, screen-and-rolls got me two championships!”

Bringing up the championships, Reggie Miller was immediately choked into silence, and at the same time, his heart surged with anger.

It had been a long time since anyone had trash-talked Clay Lee.

As the youngest MVP, FMVP, and Scoring Champion in history, his opponents had fewer accolades and couldn’t match his stats.

Under these circumstances, veterans who valued their reputation usually automatically ignored Clay Lee.

Reggie Miller suddenly applied a rage buff to himself, his expression becoming somewhat ferocious.

He actively demanded the ball for several consecutive possessions and attacked fiercely.

However, his offensive moves were truly limited.

Aside from desperate off-ball movement, most were simple straight-line drives.

Allan Houston was somewhat bewildered, scoring easily on two consecutive fast breaks.

He looked at the wildly shooting Reggie Miller with a puzzled gaze.

On this possession, after driving to the paint again, Oakley, who hadn’t committed a foul yet, delivered another harsh blow to Reggie Miller.

The old guy, whose reaction speed had declined, couldn’t catch agile small guards and was even toyed with by Allen Iverson.

But when facing the straightforward Reggie Miller, he felt comfortable after a powerful block, combining a low post-up with an overhead swat.

Seeing Reggie Miller knocked to the floor, the New York fans at the venue became even more excited, their cheers growing louder, infuriating Dale Davis, who immediately stepped forward to shove him.

Larry Johnson, who had been just going through the motions, suddenly became energized.

However, before he could rush over, the sideline referee, who had been watching him, hugged him tightly.

“Boo!”

Watching the lively scene being stopped by the referee, the fans booed and felt a bit disappointed.

The New York Knicks had been particularly targeted this season.

Larry Bird noticed the score difference widening again and began to frown.

He stood up and shouted a few times to remind everyone to calm down, but in the end, he didn’t make any substitutions.

Stepping onto the free-throw line, Reggie Miller seemed dazed from the fall, missing his second free throw.

Ewing grabbed the rebound, and the New York Knicks initiated another fast break.

Gorilla accelerated fiercely towards the frontcourt after passing the ball.

It was still a high pick-and-roll, but this time, Ewing just brushed past the defender and immediately accelerated on his roll.

Reggie Miller finally squeezed through the screen, desperately chasing to Lee’s side.

At the same time, Rik Smits raised both hands, moving sideways and stepping on the three-point line to delay.

Clay Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, first used his non-dribbling hand to push away Reggie Miller, who had rushed to his side.

As Rik Smits closed in to defend him, he suddenly leaned into the defender, jumped, and whipped the ball.

With his left hand, Lee powerfully whipped the ball from the defender’s right side towards the basket.

The ball hit the floor and bounced high, and Ewing, who was rolling down, received the ball right in front of him.

Right in front of the rim, after just one step, Ewing immediately took off, ignoring the help defense of Dale Davis, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and slammed it directly into the basket!

“Boom!” A successful roll-down dunk!

“Wow!”

The powerful dunk reignited the atmosphere in the arena.

Ewing also stood under the basket, roaring loudly, venting his frustration.

“Pick-and-rolls will continue to win me championships!”

“Man! Come to my training camp, I can share some of my championship experience!”

Clay Lee walked back on defense while smiling and engaging in friendly conversation with Reggie Miller.

Reggie Miller seemed completely broken.

In the end, he could only resort to the most basic greetings.

The cameras on site began to focus on the two conversing intimately.

Although the original audio couldn’t be heard, at the commentary table, Doug Collins had some guesses:

“Miller seems to have lost his cool in these past few minutes, which is very detrimental for a shooter.”

“He needs to play in a way he’s good at, not just stubbornly. Getting to the free-throw line is also a good option. Miller needs to calm down!”

Even with headphones on, Bob Costas could still hear the cursing from the fans.

The more Reggie Miller reacted, the more excited the fans got.

Spike Lee wished he could chase him onto the court and unleash on his old rival.

Mark Jackson began to distribute more of the ball to the calmer Jalen Rose, who lived up to expectations and started to help the Pacers score.

Noticing the New York Knicks steadily making their response shots, Lee continuously assisted Ewing in scoring, and Bob Costas once again exclaimed:

“Defense is the key to winning games. The Pacers’ inability to contain Lee makes it very difficult for them to turn the game around.”

With 4 minutes and 13 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Reggie Miller, completely calmed down, closed his big mouth again.

He found an open shot on the left wing and made his first field goal of the quarter.

67:78, the score difference returned to 11 points.

Becoming more focused, Reggie Miller, after Lee brought the ball across half-court, first glanced at the movement behind him, then maintained a small distance, occasionally reaching out to interfere.

“Let’s go Knicks!”

The two faced each other again, and Lee didn’t pass the ball this time.

On the left wing, he protected the ball with his side, and Miller immediately raised his forearm, stepping forward to defend closely.

The two first shoved each other with their hands, then Lee suddenly twisted his body quickly, lowered his center of gravity, and accelerated with the ball in his left hand, leaning forward.

Reggie Miller immediately slid backward to the right.

Clay Lee quickly completed a cross-step pull-back on the three-point line, switching to his right hand while simultaneously executing a step-back.

Catching the ball directly outside the three-point line, Lee shot quickly from the left wing, over Reggie Miller’s contest!

With a large-amplitude fake and an extremely quick step-back jumper, Lee leaned back slightly.

Reggie Miller, who was trying hard to defend, eventually hooked onto Lee’s leg again.

While still in the air, the referee had already blown the whistle.

“Swish!”

The whistle blew, and the ball went in.

The New York fans stood up and cheered, once again loudly greeting Reggie Miller.

Successfully drawing the foul, Clay Lee smiled and high-fived his teammates in celebration, then slowly walked to the free-throw line.

Reggie Miller fell completely silent.

He instinctively looked up at the scoreboard, cursed under his breath, then patted his chest, signaling it was his fault.

Jeff Van Gundy also stood up and applauded at this moment.

Seeing Lee make the free throw, he immediately felt the game was secure.

67:82, the score difference instantly reached 15 points.

Calling another timeout, Larry Bird began to rotate players, substituting out Rik Smits, who could only run back and forth, and bringing in Croshere again.

The New York Knicks also systematically substituted out their veterans and brought in their shorter interior players.

Croshere and Jalen Rose continued to help the Pacers score, but there was no change on the defensive end

They still couldn’t stop the New York Knicks’ response shots.

By the end of the third quarter, the Pacers’ bench was completely silent.

76:90, the game seemed to be losing its suspense.

Jeff Van Gundy was very cautious.

After 3 minutes of play in the 4th quarter, he brought Clay Lee back in.

It wasn’t until the score difference gradually widened again that, with 3 minutes and 46 seconds left in the entire game, Reggie Miller came off the court, and the New York Knicks began to bring in their atmosphere squad.

At the commentary table, Bob Costas noticed that the New York Knicks’ shooting percentage had dropped again since the start of the 4th quarter:

“In tonight’s game, the Pacers played very well for three quarters.”

“Considering they only had one day of rest, I believe the rest of the series will be very exciting!”

Doug Collins nodded along.

After enduring the first two games, the Pacers would get three days of rest:

“If they can’t win on the road, then the next two home games will be very important.”

“I believe Head Coach Larry Bird is prepared to face difficulties. The team is in great form this year, and they also have hopes of winning the championship!”

The two at the commentary table were spouting optimistic rhetoric, while Larry Bird, sitting on the bench, maintained a grim expression.

Rik Smits wasn’t used much, and the team actively sped up, but the ball-handling efficiency wasn’t ideal, and the two main offensive players lacked consistency.

Reggie Miller, having readjusted his mindset, sat in his seat, rehydrated, and then quietly said to his teammates:

“It’s my fault! We will get a road win.”

At 35 years old, he was already in the twilight of his career.

The Pacers’ young players, of course, wouldn’t blame their elder brother.

Everyone knew Reggie Miller had given his best.

Playing 40 minutes, he shot 8 for 19 from the field, 2 for 6 from three-point range, and 3 for 4 from the free-throw line, finishing with 21 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists.

After an efficient scoring performance in the 1st quarter, Reggie Miller basically shot bricks.

Jalen Rose patted his elder brother’s shoulder without speaking.

He shot 7 for 19 from the field, 1 for 2 from three-point range, and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line, finishing with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 turnover.

After an efficient performance in the 3rd quarter, Jalen Rose slumped again.

Their performances were equally mediocre, not even as good as Croshere, who contributed 20 points off the bench.

In the final few minutes, the game time quickly ran out.

The final score settled at 100:112, with the New York Knicks successfully protecting their home court.

“Wow!”

Although their shooting percentage declined in the second half, scoring 112 points in the Eastern Conference Finals still delighted the New York fans at the venue.

Jim Gray, a reporter for NBC, motioned to his staff and immediately approached Clay Lee after the game.

The fans in the arena were still cheering and celebrating.

Jim Gray also raised his voice and asked with a smile:

“Clay, congratulations on scoring 40 points again! Can you talk about what you discussed with Miller during the game?”

“Miller just asked me for advice on how to play the pick-and-roll!”

“Also, I briefly shared my championship insights with him. It’s that simple. We got along very well, and I enjoy playing against him!”

Clay Lee answered with a smile.

The surrounding staff didn’t believe any of it, and Jim Gray even joked with a laugh:

“Perhaps in the next game, we should consider putting microphones on you two. Fans would definitely want to hear the raw audio from the court!”

“Believe me, Mr. Stern definitely wouldn’t like that!”

Lee finished speaking and then joined the others in laughter.

This season, there had been a special effort to regulate polite language on the court, but the effect was not good.

It wasn’t until the end of the game that the shouts greeting Miller gradually died down.

16 for 26 from the field, 3 for 7 from three-point range, and 5 for 5 from the free-throw line, finishing with 40 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers.

With only 38 minutes of playing time, Clay Lee once again demonstrated extremely high efficiency.

James Dolan, who was courtside, had seen the box score early on, and although he wasn’t a professional, seeing Lee’s stats put him in a particularly good mood.

Many fans in the back rows were still reluctant to leave immediately, with some still shouting Lee’s name, trying to get his attention for an autograph or a photo opportunity.

“This is the best atmosphere of the season. Fans love to see such an offensive display!”

Grunfeld, the General Manager, who was beside him, could only continue to flatter the curly-haired owner, saying,

“In some games, we can definitely play even better than the Sacramento Kings!”

James Dolan nodded with a smile, handed the box score to Grunfeld, patted his shoulder, and turned to walk towards the team tunnel:

“Time to visit our warriors. Tonight’s game was a perfect victory!”

“…”

The New York Knicks scored 112 points in the Eastern Conference Finals, and their total possessions for the game were as high as 86.

These two statistics were particularly eye catching, and the buzz from the Los Angeles Lakers’ big win over the Trail Blazers began to fade as more basketball critics started discussing the New York Knicks’ offense.

Ben Wallace only scored 6 points, but he delivered 3 blocks and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Such a performance also attracted the attention of many teams.

On Monday, May 22nd, after having just commented on the New York Knicks’ performance last night, TNT’s morning show began to warm up for tonight’s game.

Mike Fratello was deeply impressed by Ben Wallace’s performance last night, and on the show, he compared him to the Trail Blazers’ interior players:

“Their starting lineup includes Sabonis and Rasheed Wallace, and on the bench, they have Brian Grant and Detlef Schrempf.”

“If they get into foul trouble, they can even use Jermaine O’Neal.”

“The Trail Blazers have accumulated enough interior players, but they still can’t stop Shaquille O’Neal from scoring.”

“Perhaps there’s a problem with their team-building philosophy!”

Kenny Smith immediately shook his head and retorted with a smile:

“I believe Head Coach Dunleavy will make adjustments, but the Trail Blazers’ perimeter players need to step up.”

“Just as Clay constantly uses pick-and-roll offense to stretch the Pacers’ defense, the Trail Blazers also need such a guard.”

“Shaq rarely delays, and he can get some easy scoring opportunities from beyond the three-point line and in the mid-range from the restricted area.”

Ernie Johnson saw that Mike Fratello was also shaking his head, immediately understood what he meant, and quipped:

“Mike means there’s only one Lee in the league, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ perimeter defense is excellent, especially their chase-down defense after screens, which they’ve always done very well.”

Thinking about the last game, Kenny Smith could only nod in agreement, finally saying helplessly:

“I hope tonight’s game will be more exciting. I don’t want to see another 110 point game in the Conference Finals!”

“…”

Since Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals was scheduled for tomorrow night, the New York Knicks naturally didn’t relax and continued to train systematically at the Tarrytown Training Center.

Ewing only got 21 minutes of playing time in last night’s game, while Rik Smits of the Pacers only played 19 minutes.

The two basically played and rested at the same time, which caused Ewing’s stats to drop significantly: 3-of-7 shooting, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover.

In the morning’s film session, Ewing was not in a good mood.

It wasn’t that he had an issue with last night’s game, but rather that he was thinking about the tour situation next season.

Jeff Van Gundy didn’t notice the Gorilla who had already zoned out.

After staying up all night watching the game film, he was busy summarizing for the players:

“Dale Davis grabbed 5 offensive rebounds. Don’t underestimate the opponent. This shows that their physical condition is excellent.”

“In tomorrow night’s game, if the Pacers are off from beyond the three-point line, they will constantly attack the basket, just like they attacked the Heat’s interior in the last round. We need to be prepared.”

Oakley just nodded, indicating that he wouldn’t be careless again, and Ewing, who had come back to his senses, immediately spoke up to assure him:

“I will protect all the defensive rebounds. This will not be a problem for the team.”

After the coaching staff finished summarizing the game, everyone started discussing in low voices.

Lee wasn’t worried about this point.

As long as there were timely rotations and adjustments, Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace could also hold their own:

“Kurt, pay attention to your position after the pick-and-roll. You just need to run to your preferred sweet spot as quickly as possible, and then all you have to do is catch and shoot.”

“Compared to missing jump shots, having no offensive threat is a bigger problem. Just trust your shot.”

Kurt Thomas gained some weight this season, and coupled with his daily weightlifting, his shooting form has fluctuated compared to last season.

In last night’s game, he went 1-of-6, mostly on open shots, but they just didn’t go in.

Hearing Lee’s advice, Kurt Thomas quickly expressed his commitment:

“Thanks, Bro! I’ll keep shooting.”

Ron Artest didn’t need any reminders.

This Rookie would shoot whenever he had a chance, and missing shots didn’t affect him at all.

“If all my shots went in, then I’d be the MVP!”

During daily training, when he was teased for missing shots, Ron Artest would counter with this line, leaving the veterans speechless.

Kukoc had completely gotten used to the New York Knicks’ tactics.

Although they seemed different from the Chicago Bulls, in reality, everyone was the same at critical moments.

Jeff Van Gundy was very satisfied with the current team atmosphere and had great confidence in the current roster.

While everyone was getting ready to eat, Jeff Van Gundy reminded Lewis, who hadn’t gotten much playing time in last night’s game:

“Be ready, Rashad. You’ll get more playing time in this series!”

Even if the Head Coach was just making promises, Lewis was willing to accept it at this moment, humbly assuring him:

“Coach, I’m ready!”

On the evening of the 22nd, Los Angeles fans were happily preparing to secure another victory at home, but they were hit hard instead.

106:77, the Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on the road, securing a valuable away victory.

Shaquille O’Neal was repeatedly double-teamed by the enforcers, with a lot of physical contact, causing him to lose all touch at the free-throw line.

What stunned Los Angeles fans was the third quarter, which saw the Los Angeles Lakers score a mere 8 points to the Trail Blazers’ 28.

Missed shots, turnovers, missed shots. Only Shaquille O’Neal and Brian Shaw had field goals.

Although Old Sabonis only played 17 minutes before fouling out with 6 fouls, and Brian Grant also fouled out in 22 minutes with 6 fouls, the Trail Blazers’ interior enforcers still played their part.

Playing 39 minutes, Shaq shot 9-of-16 from the field and 5-of-17 from the free-throw line, finishing with 23 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 turnovers.

He was limited by fouls.

Playing 42 minutes, Kobe shot 2-of-9 from the field, contributing the team’s second-highest 12 points.

After this game, the Los Angeles Media collectively fell silent.

The loss was too devastating to praise.

Rasheed Wallace became the Trail Blazers’ key player, shooting 8-of-18 from the field, 3-of-3 from three-point range, and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line, scoring a game-high 29 points.

Coupled with Steve Smith’s 24 points and Scottie Pippen’s 21 points, Portland fans were also ecstatic.

A championship seemed to be beckoning them!

After the big loss, most basketball critics no longer hyped the Los Angeles Lakers’ dominance.

Shaquille O’Neal had flaws, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ perimeter shooting of 6 of-23 was still unsatisfactory.

Seeing the Los Angeles Lakers’ misfortune, the New York Media were the happiest.

The New York Knicks had just showcased their offensive firepower, and the Los Angeles Lakers had faltered!

On the evening of the 23rd, at Madison Square Garden, the cheers didn’t stop after tip-off at 7:30 PM.

Adjusting their defensive strategy, Jalen Rose began to frequently guard Clay Lee.

Using a forward to defend him indeed cooled Lee’s shooting touch.

As the New York Knicks adjusted their offensive strategy, Lee passed the ball to Larry Johnson, who had many mismatch opportunities, and then the “Grandmama” finally exploded.

With a large number of shot attempts, Larry Johnson helped the team continuously score.

After leading by 2 points at halftime, the New York Knicks erupted again in the third quarter.

The score for the quarter was 19:29, and after three quarters, the score was 69:81.

At the NBC commentary table, Doug Collins noticed that Clay Lee had delivered 10 assists in three quarters and once again exclaimed in admiration:

“Even when his shot isn’t falling, he can still help the team. This is what differentiates Lee from other scorers.”

Bob Costas felt that tonight’s game was much better than the last one and also commented:

“The Pacers will definitely stick to their defensive strategy. They won’t relax their defense on Lee, and they certainly won’t leave the perimeter open.”

“After the rotation players came in, Larry Johnson got a huge amount of offensive space tonight.”

On the New York Knicks’ bench, Larry Johnson, who had a great game, felt his back no longer ached and his knees were no longer sore.

After chugging water from his bottle, he proactively bumped fists with Clay Lee, who wasn’t shooting well:

“Hey, Bro! Tonight, it’s my turn to be the MVP!”

“…”

….

By the way, don’t forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me 🙂

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep