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A cote x hikigaya crossover.

Ryuga from Beyblade in Pokemon World.

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***

On November 21, 2000, as Thanksgiving approached, the Knicks had another road back-to-back game.

The Magic welcomed Tracy McGrady in the new season.

After failing to recruit Tim Duncan, Head Coach Doug Rivers could only play single-core basketball.

With a 4-7 start, the Magic’s record was decent.

Although Head Coach Rivers didn’t have big-name stars, he successfully integrated the team’s combat power by relying on the principle of “black people should help black people.”

After the opening, the Knicks were clanking shots again, and with the slow pace of the first quarter, Ewing still had to perform a show, making the score 20-29 in the first quarter, and the Waterhouse Centre was boiling.

At halftime, Tracy McGrady was 5 of 10 from the field, 2 of 2 from three-point range, and scored 14 points with free throws.

His versatile performance, both driving and shooting, excited the Magic fans, who finally had a superstar again.

However, as the game progressed, Ron Artest figured out his opponent’s tactics, and under heavy physical contact, Tracy McGrady’s efficiency began to decline.

By the fourth quarter, the hidden danger of excessive usage began to appear.

Tracy McGrady couldn’t drive anymore, frequently missing jump shots from the left block.

With 1 minute and 19 seconds left in the game, the Magic still led 82-84.

From the left baseline, Tracy McGrady took another pass.

Facing Ron Artest’s tight defense, he lowered his center of gravity and continuously used his right foot for jab steps, combined with body fakes and ball sweeps, which was pleasing to the eye.

With only 6 seconds left on the shot clock, Tracy McGrady could only put the ball down with his left hand at the last moment, then took a big step with his right foot and drove with a crossover.

His huge stride combined with impressive explosiveness almost allowed Tracy McGrady to shake off the defense. With his arm hooked on his opponent, Ron Artest sensed the movement in advance and quickly slid backward to the right.

“Wow!”

The Magic fans cheered along. In everyone’s eyes, Tracy McGrady had already shaken off the defense, and his pull-up jumper from the block looked particularly stylish!

“Clank!”

He knew it was a miss as soon as he shot.

Tracy McGrady was about to rush to the basket to fight for the offensive rebound, but Ron Artest immediately boxed him out, preventing him from gaining speed.

The Magic’s center John Amaechi and Pat Garrity were both boxed out by Ben Wallace and Lewis.

The ball bounced off the rim and was immediately grabbed by the jumping Ben Wallace.

Head Coach Rivers on the sidelines was anxious and quickly shouted, “Retreat!Move! Move! Move!”

The shouting still worked.

The small guard Darrell Armstrong on the perimeter retreated immediately, positioning himself on the left wing in advance.

On the other side, Bo Outlaw also rushed to the right wing with Allan Houston.

At this moment, Clay Lee, who received the pass, charged forward with the ball in his left hand, accelerating while observing the situation on the court.

The Magic players retreated quickly.

When Lee approached the three-point line, Tracy McGrady and the big man Amaechi had already returned to half-court.

The game was about to enter its final minute, and Armstrong thought Lee would slow down to organize an offense.

However, to his surprise, after stopping abruptly on the left wing, Clay Lee only performed one between-the-legs dribble, and after a hop step, he slightly raised his body’s center of gravity and then directly pulled up!

“Swish!” The three-pointer went in cleanly!

85-84. With 1 minute and 8 seconds left in the game, the Knicks took the lead.

Seeing Armstrong make no defensive move, Rivers instinctively shook his head, obviously very dissatisfied with such defense.

Still a small step away from the three-point line, Armstrong had a hard time explaining.

He just shot it?

Jeff Van Gundy clapped on the sidelines, while also signaling everyone to retreat.

Having led the entire game, only to be overtaken at the last moment, the Magic fans present were furious, and the noise grew louder.

With the primary scorer unable to attack, Armstrong immediately called for a high screen from the big man Amaechi after dribbling past half-court.

He drove to the left with the ball in his left hand.

Ben Wallace flexibly provided a strong hedge.

The two collided, and Armstrong stumbled slightly, slowing down.

The big man Amaechi rolled too early, allowing Lee to easily recover on defense.

Taking advantage of the opponent’s slowdown, he poked the ball from behind again.

Suddenly losing control of the ball, Armstrong instinctively cried out, “Ah!”

The referee made no call.

Ben Wallace bent down to secure possession of the ball, then immediately made a powerful pass.

The ball flew directly over the half-court line.

Lee, who had accelerated immediately after the steal, easily scooped up the ball.

In a 1-on-0 fast break, Lee jumped with both feet in the paint, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and immediately threw down a powerful tomahawk dunk!

87-84. With 55 seconds left in the game, the Knicks extended their lead.

Rivers’ eyes widened in anger.

He slammed the clipboard and immediately called a timeout.

Clay Lee, who had just completed the dunk, smiled and high-fived his teammates to celebrate.

These comeback games were quickly becoming routine.

From a 2-point lead to a 3-point deficit, jeers began to erupt in the Waterhouse Centre.

On the bench, Head Coach Rivers, of course, knew that scoring was needed at this point.

After drawing up a catch-and-shoot play for Tracy McGrady, he immediately gave a pep talk.

Before going on the court, he didn’t forget to clap and roar at his players:

“Let’s go!”

The Magic fans present hadn’t even started chanting with the DJ when Bo Outlaw inbounded the ball.

Armstrong, who received the ball at the top of the arc, saw Tracy McGrady start to move, turned, switched to his left hand, and then immediately sent a cross-court pass.

Tracy McGrady was about to come up to receive the ball, but found that his teammate’s cross-court pass was directly stolen by Lee.

He no longer cared about offense and could only chase hard from behind, trying to retreat on defense.

Suddenly surging forward, Armstrong almost fell to the floor by Lee.

Losing his balance, he couldn’t defend at all.

Again, a 1-on-0 fast break.

Clay Lee was incredibly fast, completing a gliding dunk in the blink of an eye!

“Boo!”

After completing another dunk, Lee made a gliding pose upon landing and ran back to half-court along the sideline.

Boos echoed throughout the Waterhouse Centre.

Armstrong, who had stood up, could only smile bitterly at Rivers’ furious expression.

He was only 32 years old, but at this moment, he suddenly felt old.

89-84.

As Tracy McGrady’s forced three-pointer missed at the last moment, the Magic had no choice but to foul.

Jeff Van Gundy breathed a sigh of relief.

He clapped his hands on the sidelines and then smiled.

Avoiding a two-game losing streak was always a good thing!

Ultimately, 93-88, the Knicks completed their comeback and successfully defeated the Magic.

Having entered “workhorse” mode, Tracy McGrady played 46 minutes;

He shot 9 of 23 from the field, 2 of 3 from three-point range, and 5 of 7 from the free-throw line, tallying 25 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 4 turnovers.

Aside from clanking shots in the fourth quarter, Tracy McGrady performed very well throughout the game.

After the game, the Rookie was panting heavily, leaning on his knees.

Most players couldn’t withstand such high usage.

Playing 41 minutes, Clay Lee bounced back strongly tonight with 12 of 25 from the field, 3 of 8 from three-point range, and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line, for 35 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 2 turnovers.

Seemingly unable to accept losing in such a manner, the jeers in the stadium grew louder.

The failure to recruit Duncan in the offseason had already dissatisfied many fans.

Although they lost, Rivers was very gracious after the game, shaking hands with Jeff Van Gundy, then patting Clay Lee’s shoulder and encouraging him with a smile:

“Excellent game, Clay. Keep up this defense, and at the end of the regular season, I will definitely vote for you!”

Currently, the All-Defensive Teams are still selected by coaches.

Lee, taking Rivers’ colorful pie, also reciprocated with a commercial compliment:

“The Magic will succeed! Because they have the best coach in the league!”

“…”

Without much rest, the Knicks quickly flew to Atlanta to continue their road trip, challenging the Atlanta Hawks in a back-to-back game.

After the departure of the thousand-win coach Wilkens, the Atlanta Hawks essentially entered a rebuilding period.

They had a record of 1 win and 10 losses since the start of the season, which could be described as losing terribly.

The protagonists of this game became Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo.

As centers from Georgetown, both received more opportunities in the game.

101-80, the Knicks easily defeated their opponents.

This road “tour” was very successful.

After the game, Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo embraced in greeting, exchanged jerseys in front of the sports media present, and also took a group photo.

The two held up each other’s jerseys, smiling brightly.

This scene also became a topic of discussion for many fans before Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd, Manhattan became lively again. After Thanksgiving came “Black Friday.”

Every year at this time, it was a moment of revelry for businesses and ordinary consumers.

Macy’s still held its parade, and holiday-goers were no longer focused on the “litigation war.”

The White House still couldn’t compete with the allure of “Black Friday.”

It was 5 AM in Manhattan in November, and the temperature was around 6℃.

Lee, wearing a gray hoodie and black sweatpants, was jogging along the street with his husky, Happy.

Happy loved the cold weather and charged alongside Lee.

Compared to gaining weight at home, the dog preferred running around outside.

Not many people were exercising in the morning, and many would wave and greet Lee when they saw the sleek-furred husky.

They ran south along Third Avenue to 59th Street, then turned towards Central Park, ran a lap around the park’s loop, and finally returned.

The entire route was nearly 10 kilometers, and Lee could enjoy the park’s scenery while running.

When they returned home to 82nd Street, Happy seemed to have energy left, still circling Lee.

Melinda, who had just come downstairs, rolled her eyes at the dog.

No matter how much delicious food she fed him, Happy still preferred to go out with Lee.

“Are we preparing Thanksgiving dinner today? I remember we’re hosting a lot of people.”

Lee stepped forward and embraced the disheveled woman, letting her lean against him, then teasingly said,

“This isn’t ‘preparing,’ since we don’t have to cook. Just remember to help Kim entertain her colleagues.”

Just as she was starting to feel like a hostess, she was instantly brought back to reality—her cooking skills were still terrible.

Melinda hugged Lee and kissed him fiercely, then confidently promised,

“The morning is all mine! I’ll take good care of everyone!”

As his social circle expanded, Lee had completely integrated into New York life.

Thanksgiving was a good opportunity to gather with some friends from the South District Federal Prosecutor’s Office.

At 10 AM, the Knicks also had Thanksgiving activities.

This season, James Dolan had no demands for results, so every time they returned to their home court, it was more about catering to the New York fans.

New York has a strong basketball atmosphere.

On Thanksgiving Day, Lee and his teammates visited impoverished communities in Queens.

Putting on aprons, they distributed food to the attendees in a somewhat simple dining environment.

Although it was just some snacks and bread, many people still came to collect it.

Besides Clay Lee, Grant Hill was the most popular person there.

Even if many Black fans jokingly said, “Hill is severely whitewashed,” in reality, many people yearned for Hill’s life.

He had a happy family, his father graduated from Yale University and was a star football player, and his mother worked in a government department, interacting with people completely differently from Black mothers.

This situation was exactly the dream family environment for many children.

They might complain verbally, but deep down, they were incredibly envious.

“Grant, we’ll vote for you in the All-Star Game. Don’t worry, you’re still the Eastern Conference’s starting forward!”

A young Black boy looked up and, with his little followers behind him, loudly promised Grant Hill.

Facing enthusiastic New York fans, Grant Hill could only nod with a smile.

Ewing, standing nearby, looked on enviously.

In his last year of his career, he also wanted to make the All-Star Game.

Allan Houston wasn’t worried about future All-Star issues.

Even if he wasn’t selected for the starting backcourt, based on the Knicks’ current record, the coach would still select him for the reserve lineup.

“Some Western Conference teams seem to be rising this season, which is also a good thing for us!”

Clay Lee nodded in agreement, letting the other teams compete.

He only wanted to quietly enjoy the benefits in the Eastern Conference:

“In the Eastern Conference, about 40 wins should be enough to make the playoffs. Since the start of the season, most teams have been in poor form.”

“Perhaps this year’s playoffs will be easier than we imagined.”

Not long ago, they had shown mercy to the Golden State Warriors, and the Knicks had been winning inconsistently lately, leading picky critics to start criticizing the Rookie.

Clay Lee wanted to reassure everyone in advance, hoping they could play without restraint in the upcoming games, as he had no interest in playing more than 40 minutes per game.

Ron Artest was somewhat famous in Queens and very popular with young people.

Giving a head pat, he confidently promised after hearing Lee’s words,

“No one in the Eastern Conference is our opponent. We can still make the Finals this year!”

Hearing such words, the atmosphere group and some children started shouting loudly.

They didn’t care about “west strong, east weak?”

If they could easily reach the Finals, everyone wouldn’t mind.

When discussing the championship’s ownership, the atmosphere quickly became lively.

Most were die-hard Knicks fans, and everyone was eager for their home team to keep winning.

Jeff Van Gundy, hearing everyone’s discussion, could only sigh inwardly about the “west strong, east weak?” situation.

This environment was indeed more conducive to team cohesion.

Assistant coach Thibodeau did not participate in the players’ discussion but quietly reminded the Head Coach,

“Luc Longley’s physical condition is still not good lately. We need to discuss the roster issue with Grunfeld soon.”

Chauncey Billups failed to integrate into the team, and Luc Longley suffered a minor injury in practice after coming to New York and hasn’t played since.

The offseason acquisitions didn’t meet expectations.

Jeff Van Gundy sighed inwardly but said confidently on the surface,

“The regular season has just begun. We have enough time for the players to adjust their physical condition.”

“…”

After Thanksgiving, the Knicks had only three games left in November.

After Wilkens joined the Toronto Raptors, both teams were still in the process of integrating.

On the 25th, in an away game against the Knicks, the Toronto Raptors lost by 25 points, 81:106, which made the thousand-win Head Coach look a bit displeased.

After completely transforming into a jump shooting and three-point shooting team, the Knicks could either score 110 points or shoot poorly all game, only managing 85 points.

Vince Carter was stunned by the shooting.

Their offense went cold in the second quarter, losing that quarter 16:32, and the game was effectively over.

At the post-game press conference, Vince Carter didn’t make excuses but praised the Knicks’ tactical approach:

“Winning the game is the most important thing. Tonight, I just want to praise our opponents. They played a dominant game!”

“Lee showed us a direction, and I will continue to refine my three-point shot.”

The players weren’t foolish, and Lee’s playing style wasn’t unusual.

In the past, everyone imitated Michael Jordan and now, some have started imitating Clay Lee.

On the 27th, after the Knicks won by 38 points against the Grizzlies at home, the New York media completely swelled with pride:

“We have the strongest offense in the NBA. No one will be the Knicks’ opponent!”

In the last home game of November, Ewing continued his “tour.”

That night, everyone’s shooting touch was off, and they were blown out by the Heat’s counterattack.

Clay Lee’s streak of consecutive games with a made three-pointer was stopped at 67.

They lost at home 90:82.

Fortunately, the New York fans in attendance didn’t mind a single loss, as Clay Lee’s Excel sheet was still very impressive.

After losing this game, Ewing didn’t say much post-game but offered his blessings to his Georgetown junior:

“He won’t be defeated by injuries. He’s a true tough guy. I hope to see him return to the court in Miami!”

At 30 years old, in his eighth season, Mourning was still in his prime.

He won an Olympics gold medal in the offseason, and his wife gave birth to a daughter.

He suddenly announced he had kidney disease before the new season began, and Mourning hasn’t played since.

His condition seemed not very optimistic, so every time they played against the Heat, everyone sent their blessings, hoping this tough guy could overcome this crisis.

On December 1st, the NBA announced the first Player of the Month for the season, and Clay Lee of the Knicks successfully won the award.

In 15 games in November, the Knicks achieved a record of 12 wins and 3 losses.

Clay Lee averaged 35.5 minutes per game, putting up 30.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 2.4 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 2.7 turnovers.

He averaged 18.5 field goal attempts per game, with a 53.4% field goal percentage.

From beyond the arc, he averaged 5.9 attempts per game, with a 40.8% three-point percentage.

He averaged 8.7 free throws per game, with a 91.8% free throw percentage.

Delivering 180 Club statistics, Clay Lee once again sparked heated discussions among critics.

The Utah Jazz had a record of 11 wins and 3 losses in November.

Karl Malone also performed well, but his stats were completely overshadowed by Clay Lee’s, costing him the Player of the Month award.

On December 2nd, the Knicks hosted a back-to-back game at home.

In the offseason, Joe Smith’s under-the-table contract exploded, infuriating Commissioner David Stern.

The Timberwolves were stripped of their draft picks from 2001 to 2005.

Joe Smith immediately became a free agent, and the Timberwolves suffered a double loss.

After the new season began, relying on Kevin Garnett’s excellent performance, they achieved a record of 9 wins and 7 losses.

The hidden dangers of Kevin Garnett’s large contract had already emerged.

After losing their draft picks, it became increasingly difficult to strengthen the team through normal means.

Kevin Garnett, who was in a bad mood, suddenly felt like his teammates were playing in the CBA after the game started.

In the first quarter, 18:30, looking at the 12-point deficit, Kevin Garnett didn’t chatter as usual, but returned to the bench and sulked.

Allan Houston was in excellent form in this game, scoring 37 points on 16-of-20 shooting, an 80% field goal percentage!

Although the box score only showed a lonely 37 points and 2 turnovers, the spectacular shooting performance still excited the New York fans, who continued to chant Allan Houston’s name after the game.

90:105, the Knicks easily defeated the Timberwolves.

Jeff Van Gundy was quite satisfied with Chauncey Billups’ performance in the last two games, and he proactively increased Chauncey Billups’ playing time after embarking on their Western road trip.

On December 9th, 94:101, after losing to the Denver Nuggets, the Knicks suffered their third consecutive loss of the season.

Losing to the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs had already excited the critics, and after losing to the Denver Nuggets, everyone couldn’t hold back any longer and immediately struck hard!

On Sunday morning, the 10th, on the TNT program, the three began to discuss the Knicks’ situation heatedly.

The big-mouthed Charles Barkley was also impolite, directly blaming the team in front of the camera:

“This is the first time the Knicks have suffered three consecutive losses since Clay Lee joined the team!”

“He must change his style of play, give up some ball control, let more teammates participate in the offense, and pass the ball to the low post to make the big men feel more involved!”

Kenny Smith was originally smiling, but as soon as he heard this, he subconsciously asked:

“Pass the ball to the low post? No disrespect to the players, but I want to know which big man on the Knicks can efficiently convert possessions in the low post offense?”

“.”

Upon hearing this question, Barkley subconsciously opened his mouth, then couldn’t utter a word.

Ben Wallace? Rashard Lewis? Kurt Thomas? Kukoc?

These names ran through his mind, and Barkley smiled awkwardly, then simply continued to deflect the blame:

“Lee can add some low-post offense himself to create opportunities for his teammates!”

Kenny Smith shook his head, and the director quickly displayed the data, showing Lee’s true shooting percentage.

From November until now, Clay Lee’s true shooting percentage has reached 67.1%, which is an extremely outrageous statistic.

“Why compete with opponents in the low post when you can play a more efficient offense from beyond the arc?”

“Lee is completely different from traditional point guards of the past. His pick-and-roll threat is enormous, and he’s extremely effective at exploiting mismatches.”

“If Ewing were 10 years younger, the Knicks wouldn’t have any problems right now.”

“He can still create open shots for his teammates, and Lee can also play more off-ball offense to finish plays, but some nights, the shooters just can’t make their shots.”

“The Knicks now need to develop a more stable scoring method. Head Coach Van Gundy needs to design some reasonable tactics for the role players so that everyone can score efficiently.”

Even after losing three consecutive games, the Knicks were still first in the Eastern Conference.

Ernie Johnson was somewhat helpless about this and quickly offered his own opinion:

“Defense wins championships. Head Coach Van Gundy really needs to integrate the team, and considering there are still Rookie players on the team, we should also give the Knicks more time.”

“.”

More and more teams began to emphasize Defense.

In this week’s game, 122:125, the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors had a blast, with the Golden State Warriors ultimately winning.

The two teams played an overtime period.

Kobe shot 18-of-35 for 51 points, and Shaq shot 11-of-18 for 25 points.

Although both of them performed efficiently, they also allowed Antawn Jamison to score an extremely efficient 51 points on 21-of-29 shooting.

After losing this game, the Lakers and the Knicks had the same record, both having lost 6 games since the start of the season.

Not long ago, they were gloating and mocking the Knicks for losing to the Golden State Warriors, but the boomerang came back and hit them in the face again.

The San Antonio Spurs’ record also caught up.

They have also lost 6 games so far.

Injuries have not affected Duncan’s strength, and Gregg Popovich has continued his strongest tactics this season.

No matter how the outside critics evaluated the Knicks players’ performance, Clay Lee knew that everyone had done their best.

In the starting lineup, Lewis and Ron Artest naturally couldn’t guarantee efficient performance in every game.

Ewing would slack off after playing one quarter with full effort, and Chauncey Billups still hadn’t adapted to the whirlwind fast break.

From the TV, the voices of the three continued to emanate.

Back home in Manhattan, Lee sat on the sofa on the 5th floor, listening intently to the ‘crosstalk’.

On the other side of the sofa, Scarlett hugged her knees, occasionally punching her younger brother beside her, sulking and remaining silent.

Hunter grimaced from his sister’s punches, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, he complained:

“I told you a long time ago that this movie wouldn’t do well. The script is too boring. There are only pretty actresses, and the audience won’t buy it!”

“It’s a comedy movie, and the script is very good! Eva Mendes is also very beautiful, so the box office shouldn’t be like this.”

Wearing a black slim-fit sweater, Scarlett, who already looked like a young woman, stood up and gave her brother two more punches.

The movie, “My Brother the Pig” a comedy, was released at the end of November, and its current box office is struggling.

There are too many beautiful girls in America, and while Eva Mendes is good-looking, she’s not stunningly beautiful.

Seemingly feeling that the box office could still be saved, Scarlett moved next to Lee and proactively said:

“Lee, how about we go to the movies together tomorrow? Your fans might get the news and go to the cinema to buy tickets and watch!”

Hunter immediately thought this was a terrible idea and bluntly said:

“Some New York newspapers haven’t reviewed this movie yet. If they see Lee at the cinema, I guarantee most media outlets won’t be polite the next day.”

The Knicks happened to have a day off these two days.

Lee looked at the young woman who was holding onto him and wouldn’t let go, and naturally agreed:

“No problem, a comedy movie, just right for relaxing!”

“.”

On the evening of the 11th, New York media saw Scarlett, dressed in a khaki coat like a young woman, pulling Lee, dressed in a black trench coat, appear at the cinema.

Just as Hunter had expected, the next day, several New York print media followed up with complaints:

“A boring comedy movie. Instead of wasting time watching it, perhaps Lee could consider giving us some interview time.”

Before Christmas, the Knicks still had 6 games, and Jeff Van Gundy was relieved that 5 of them were easy wins against Eastern Conference teams.

After a big win against the Toronto Raptors, on the evening of the 15th, Starks returned to Madison Square Garden.

The New York fans who attended gave the veteran a round of applause, and on the big screen above the stadium, highlights of Starks’ time in New York were played.

Starks, who was in the twilight of his career, was naturally very emotional to see such a scene, and with red eyes, he waved to the fans.

The impact of the championship was that New York fans had completely forgiven Starks’ ‘undercover’ performance in the Finals that year.

Past curses, slanders, and criticisms all ultimately transformed into respect—this is the influence of a championship.

Karl Malone was in excellent form in this game, facing the Knicks’ interior Defense, he scored with both shots and free throws, completely dominating the Rookies.

98:92, the game once again became “the Knicks lost, but Lee didn’t.”

After the game, the fans didn’t care about the loss.

They happily witnessed Starks and Ewing exchanging jerseys, and the two faced the camera, embracing each other affectionately as a gesture of respect.

While the critics were still criticizing the Knicks, Lee led the team to another furious three-game winning streak, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, and Celtics by more than 15 points in all three consecutive games.

In this situation, most sports media could only remain speechless.

Even if the Knicks lost, they were still first in the Eastern Conference.

On December 22nd, in a back-to-back game before Christmas, the Knicks flew to Philadelphia to challenge the 76ers on the road.

The 76ers currently had a record of 18 wins and 7 losses, placing them right behind the Knicks and firmly securing the second spot in the Eastern Conference.

Due to Erik Snow’s injury, Allen Iverson returned to the point guard position for tonight’s game, partnering with Aaron McKie in the backcourt.

As Christmas approached, and it was a home game, the First Union Center was already packed before 7 PM.

With less than half an hour until official tip-off, on the NBC commentary desk, the two were also discussing Clay Lee’s playing style.

Bob Costas chuckled as he recalled Allen Iverson’s previous interview statement:

“I don’t care what others say about me. I just give my all for victory!”

“Allen Iverson walked the talk. As the team leader, with a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference, I think Philadelphia fans should be satisfied.”

“Just as Lee has done, even though not everyone agrees, his teammates’ efficiency has reached a new career high. Similarly, Allen Iverson also makes his teammates better!”

Doug Collins had a different view on the hot topic, commenting with a serious expression:

“Similar to the Kings’ Princeton offense, the Knicks currently lack an interior offensive core.”

“The closer to the basket, the higher the shooting percentage. In this regard, other players don’t do well enough. They rely more on jump shots.”

“I believe the players give their all in every game, but this is a team-building issue.”

“Both teams score high, but the Kings have more ball sharing, while the Knicks rely more on Lee’s ball dominance!”

“This absolute core style of play will face significant problems in the playoffs.”

“…”

The two continued to discuss at the commentary table until the tip-off, when they finally turned their attention back to the court.

The two teams were old rivals and held nothing back from the start.

After Ewing won the tip, he immediately crossed half-court and settled outside the three-point line.

Clay Lee, holding the ball in his left hand and crossing half-court, used a high pick-and-roll far from the three-point line.

Leaning on the leading defender, Allen Iverson, he faked an acceleration before quickly dribbling behind his back.

The moment he switched to his right hand, Lee quickly performed a stationary explosive dribble, simultaneously swaying his shoulder backward.

Then, he lowered his center of gravity, rapidly twisted his body, and accelerated with the ball in his right hand, leaning forward.

Iverson, passively faked out, instinctively adjusted his defensive Center of Gravity.

When he tried to chase, he couldn’t squeeze past Ewing’s screen.

Amidst the exclamations of the fans, Aaron McKie on the right wing quickly collapsed to help defend, moving towards Lee.

On the right wing, Houston suddenly found himself unguarded.

Lee didn’t dribble much but, taking advantage of the opponent’s movement, immediately passed the ball to his teammate.

The latter received the ball with no one in front of him and easily shot a jump shot from beyond the three-point line!

“Swish!” The three-pointer went in cleanly!

“Boo!”

The arena immediately erupted in loud boos, but Head Coach Larry Brown on the sideline didn’t react much.

Instead, he gave his team’s defense a thumbs up.

The 76ers seemed to be prepared, double-teaming Clay Lee on the very first possession.

The Knicks players didn’t react much.

Double-teaming would inevitably create open shots, and all they had to do was put the ball in the basket.

When it was the 76ers’ turn to attack, Allen Iverson brought the ball across half-court and was immediately met with Lee’s lead defense.

Suddenly stopping at the top of the arc, Allen Iverson began a series of crossover dribbles and in-and-out moves.

After continuous fakes, he switched back to his right hand, and Allen Iverson suddenly accelerated.

Clay Lee immediately slid quickly to his left rear.

Sensing that Lee hadn’t lost his position, Iverson didn’t force the breakthrough.

At the free-throw line, he dribbled between his legs again, switched to his left hand, and immediately gathered the ball, leaning back slightly, and took a mid-range pull-up jump shot!

“Clank!”

Although he created shooting space, he was ultimately interfered with by Lee and missed the shot.

Head Coach Larry Brown on the sideline seemed to think the game pace was too fast.

After one possession, he started yelling, reminding his players to slow down.

The Knicks ran the same play, and the 76ers just changed direction.

This time, after the pick-and-roll, Lee shook off Iverson’s entanglement.

With the ball in his left hand, facing a big hedge from the interior, he didn’t change his breakthrough path but immediately charged forward.

Theo Ratliff, who came up with a big hedge in the first instance, exerted lateral force, trying to slow Lee down.

The two collided on the three-point line.

The anticipated situation didn’t happen.

Clay Lee seemed completely unfazed by such physical contact, one body exerting lateral force, the other cutting in longitudinally.

Ultimately, Lee showed no signs of slowing down, forcing his way past the opponent by increasing his stride.

The chasing Iverson and Ratliff both cursed inwardly at the same time, then the former slid and the latter chased head-on.

The 76ers still chose to double-team.

On the right side, near the baseline, Troy Hill immediately moved to block Lee’s drive.

Just as a triple-team was about to form, Lee suddenly passed the ball to the right corner while in motion.

Lewis didn’t hesitate after receiving the ball, raised it and shot!

“Swish!” Another three-pointer went in!

Boos once again filled the stadium.

Lewis, who made the three-pointer, immediately high-fived Lee in celebration.

Head Coach Larry Brown on the sideline still gave a thumbs up, signaling his players to continue with this defensive strategy.

“It’s clear that the 76ers have given up on perimeter defense. Given Lee’s court vision, this defensive approach could quickly lead to a lot of three-pointers.”

The game had just begun, and Doug Collins had already completely understood the 76ers’ defensive strategy: “double-teaming.”

From the top, they started with a big hedge, and when Lee approached the paint, the 76ers continued to collapse.

Bob Costas, watching Iverson still unable to shake off Lee’s chase defense despite moving through off-ball screens, also joked:

“I think Head Coach Larry Brown might believe that being beaten by other players is acceptable.”

“The game has just begun, and we cannot yet determine whether this defensive strategy will work.”

The well-prepared 76ers continued to double-team.

Lee used the same play but changed direction again, still driving hard to the basket after a pick-and-roll.

With everyone’s attention on him, Lee, after breaking into the paint, executed a fake shot and a real pass.

Ewing, who was following in the middle, received the pass and immediately shot down a one-handed slam dunk!

After completing the dunk, Ewing angrily pounded his chest, looking extremely excited, and naturally received boos from the fans.

8:0. With three assists from Lee, the Knicks were scoring at a rapid pace.

The players seemed a bit shaken, but Larry Brown’s shouts quickly helped them regain confidence, and they continued to double-team on defense.

This stubborn defensive approach naturally came at a cost.

The Knicks, relying on Lee’s drive-and-kick plays and quick perimeter ball movement, were on fire!

With 6 minutes and 13 seconds left in the first quarter, the score reached 16:6.

Larry Brown, with a long face, finally called a timeout.

In this Eastern Conference rout, the Knicks once again displayed their dominance.

At the commentary table, Bob Costas was speechless, but Doug Collins suddenly quipped:

“We truly cannot know how this Knicks lineup will perform in the playoffs.”

“But based on their current offensive level, they truly present a different kind of basketball game.”

“No matter how we evaluate them, the Knicks’ record is right there. They are the Eastern Conference’s top team.”

Allen Iverson on the bench wasn’t in a good mood either.

His shooting was off, and scoring would be difficult tonight.

Jeff Van Gundy had expected the opponent to make adjustments, but after the timeout, he found that the 76ers’ defensive strategy hadn’t changed at all.

They continued to swarm Clay Lee.

Time and again, Lee completely tore apart the opponent’s defense with pick-and-roll drives, accurately delivering the ball to his teammates on the perimeter.

The anticipated fast break opportunities from long rebounds after missed shots didn’t materialize.

Instead, the Knicks’ role players collectively had a field day.

33:16.

Seeing the Knicks lead by 17 points in the first quarter, Bob Costas could only exclaim during the break:

“The two teams are not playing the same kind of basketball!”

“The 76ers are not weak. I think after this game, the doubts about Lee can stop.”

“We cannot ask him to do more.”

The two at the commentary table once again entered “Lee-gushing” mode.

On the Knicks’ bench, Clay Lee, who played the entire first quarter, didn’t pay attention to the score.

At this moment, he patted Chauncey Billups, who was about to enter the game, and encouraged him:

“Go boldly on offense. If Tony is in poor form and Kurt’s shot isn’t falling, you need to take charge of scoring. The coach won’t limit our play.”

“Instead of waiting for the opponent to make mistakes, it’s better to take the initiative!”

Chauncey Billups looked at Jeff Van Gundy, who was offering encouraging words, and instinctively nodded.

After nearly a month and a half of games, he finally confirmed that the Knicks’ offense was extremely free-flowing:

“I understand, Lee! I will complete my task!”

“…”

…..

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

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep