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***

On the evening of May 9, 2001, after the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks game ended, most sports media outlets followed suit, reporting on Clay Lee’s incredible single-quarter performance:

“25 points in a single quarter, tonight God wore jersey number 1!”

“Chasing history, surpassing Michael Jordan, Clay Lee is unstoppable!”

“A crazy scoring performance, Clay Lee turned the game around with his individual ability!”

With 25 points in a single quarter, Clay Lee broke Michael Jordan’s playoff single-quarter scoring record of 24 points, set in 1997 and 1990.

At the same time, 25 points in a single quarter also tied Isiah Thomas’s single-quarter scoring record created in the 1987-88 Finals.

In the playoff single-quarter scoring record, Clay Lee ranks third, with Floyd’s 29 points and Charles Barkley’s 27 points ahead of him.

In the second quarter, Clay Lee was 8 for 8 from the field, 4 for 4 from beyond the arc, and 5 for 5 from the free-throw line.

Such a performance indeed laid the foundation for the team’s victory, and the Toronto Raptors failed to climb out of the hole in the second half.

94:109, the Knicks easily defeated their opponent, bringing the series score to 2:0.

In an earlier game, 104:90, after a big win in G2 against their opponent, the San Antonio Spurs once again won the game cleanly on the road.

With a big score of 3:0, there was no suspense left in the series, and the San Antonio Spurs had already secured their ticket to the Western Conference Finals.

In two consecutive games, Wang Zhizhi only played a total of 7 minutes, scoring zero points, while Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley continued their inefficient performances, which infuriated the Chinese media.

At the post-game press conference for the Knicks and Toronto Raptors, Su Qun from Titan Sports, a Chinese reporter who usually acts as a transparent figure, seemed to want to find some recognition.

As the press conference was about to end, a reporter from the Chinese media proactively asked:

“Clay, congratulations on your victory again. I wonder if you paid attention to the other game. Do you have any advice for Chinese player Wang Zhizhi?”

The question was asked in Mandarin, and many media reporters in the audience looked at Su Qun in surprise.

Due to the collision incident in April, CCTV had suspended broadcasts of many NBA games.

By May, being able to broadcast the Dallas Mavericks’ games was already considered an exception.

An interpreter quickly translated the question to him.

A brief, almost bored expression flashed across Lee’s face.

After all, he was a mixed-race American.

A question about a Chinese player meant nothing to him.

Past is past.

Even after knowing his mixed race ancestry and situation, china blocked his information, it’d be strange if he still feel good about past life homeland.

Lee picked up the microphone and gave a simple, straightforward reply, as if answering a question he had heard a hundred times before.

“For a rookie player, just landing in the NBA and being able to get some playing time in the playoffs is already a great success.”

“Statistics are not important. Every player will encounter a low point. Give him more time, more patience, and I believe Wang Zhizhi will succeed in the NBA.”

Su Qun and several staff members were somewhat disappointed by the answer.

(A/N: How do you feel? I deleted the original interaction in the above paragraphs and wrote my own. I want to completely separate Lee and his past life. Since he’s reborn in America and has a his own life, money, everything here, it’d be strange for him to lick his past life country.)

Here, Clay Lee scored 25 points in a single quarter, while Wang Zhizhi’s total playoff score didn’t even reach that number.

The sense of disparity made everyone feel very uncomfortable.

Thinking again about Lee’s statistics in this game, Su Qun sat back in his seat, sighing inwardly:

“The competition is even more intense than imagined.”

Playing 35 minutes, 14 for 21 from the field, 5 for 7 from beyond the arc, 8 for 9 from the free-throw line, with 41 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 1 turnover, Clay Lee’s extreme efficiency had already stunned many Chinese reporters.

Clay Lee stood up on the stage, smiled and nodded to everyone, then turned and left accompanied by the Knicks staff.

To get playing time and to become a Main rotation player, market hype and trash talk are useless.

Strength is the most important thing.

Not long ago, the NBA announced its All-Rookie Teams, which failed to spark discussion among critics and fans.

Whether it was the five players on the First Team or the five on the Second Team, their presence was very weak.

The five players on the All-Rookie First Team were: Marc Jackson, Kenyon Martin, Darius Miles, Mike Miller, and Morris Peterson.

The five players on the All-Rookie Second Team were: Courtney Alexander, Marcus Fizer, Desmond Mason, Chris Mihm, and Hedo Türkoğlu.

For New York fans, Morris Peterson of the Toronto Raptors was somewhat memorable, starting in G1 of the Semifinals, but his Defense against Clay Lee was ineffective.

Kenyon Martin next door played pretty well, and Mike Miller could shoot threes.

As for the other players, who were they?

The poor quality of the Rookies failed to attract much attention, and the NBA had no solution.

Fortunately, the star-making movement was still successful, and the new stars’ performances met expectations.

On May 10, the NBA announced its All-Defensive Teams for the season, and soon, the New York Media was abuzz again:

The five players on the First Team were: Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Clay Lee, Jason Kidd, and Dikembe Mutombo.

The five players on the Second Team were: Bruce Bowen, PJ Brown, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, and Shaquille O’Neal.

Empowered by being the steals leader, Clay Lee was selected to the All-Defensive Team for the first time in his career, directly making the First Team, which was also an endorsement from the Head Coaches of various NBA teams!

The New York Media, having already received the news, naturally reported it extensively.

Many columnists brought out the timeless title again:

“Point God”

In the past, this title was often attributed to Stockton and Magic Johnson, but in recent years, “Point God” has almost become Clay Lee’s exclusive term.

The Los Angeles Media was also very happy.

Both core players of the Los Angeles Lakers were selected to the All-Defensive Second Team, which also showed the NBA coaches’ affirmation of the Los Angeles Lakers.

For a time, “Lakers Championship” began to appear frequently in the mouths of basketball critics.

The New York Knicks team, who had already flown to Toronto and checked into their hotel, also congratulated Lee on his selection to the All-Defensive Team.

Grant Hill, who had been playing ‘health-preserving basketball’ during the playoffs, even prepared a small gift, giving Lee a custom-made wristwatch:

“Once you get the first one, there will be a second. Lee, congratulations on making the All-Defensive First Team!”

Grant Hill sincerely blessed him.

Lee smiled, accepted the gift, patted his shoulder, and then turned to the hype squad, saying:

“We’ll finish the series on Sunday and enter the Finals early, so we can adjust our physical condition!”

Everyone who was about to play cards responded confidently.

They didn’t really take the Toronto Raptors seriously, as they had already established a huge psychological advantage during the regular season.

Ewing, who had been slacking off the entire season, never expected the playoffs to go so smoothly.

He subconsciously made the sign of the cross on his chest, then muttered:

“Thank God for taking care of us. I want to win another championship.”

Allan Houston’s ‘preaching’ in the team was effective.

Except for Lee, the atheist, most players had developed the habit of thanking God after winning.

Watching the devout Gorilla, the infected crowd also joined in praying for blessings, but after muttering a couple of times, they turned their heads and started playing Texas Hold’em again.

On the evening of the 10th, 74:80, the Milwaukee Bucks successfully defended their home court, taking a 2:1 lead in the series!

The 76ers, with Allen Iverson injured, dug themselves a hole at the start.

They tried to reverse the game with an iron-blooded Defense but ultimately fell short.

This season, Allen Iverson was also plagued by injuries.

It’s never easy for a short player to play healthy in the NBA.

However, most players won’t expose their weaknesses, because once they step onto the court, opponents won’t show mercy because of injuries.

On the contrary, they will hit harder because of injuries!

It was a defensive battle, and the pace of the game was very slow, which displeased many fans watching, as no one likes to watch a game with frequent misses.

Although they lost, Allen Iverson got some rest.

When interviewed after the game, he confidently stated:

“My body is fine, and I’ll be back on the court for the next game!”

Soon, a TNT reporter asked about Clay Lee’s selection to the All-Defensive First Team, and Allen Iverson immediately became impatient:

“I’m not interested in what achievements Clay has made. Right now, I’m completely focused on the playoffs!”

Allen Iverson, wearing a baggy black casual suit, turned and left, his gold chain swaying on his chest, seemingly indicating the dissatisfaction in the heart of the short star guard.

In the locker room, Dikembe Mutombo and the hype squad were still being interviewed.

Head Coach Larry Brown frowned as he watched Allen Iverson’s departing back, feeling that his beloved disciple seemed to have become even more arrogant after winning the scoring title.

On the evening of the 11th, at 7:30 PM, the Air Canada Centre was packed with 20,000 spectators.

The Toronto Raptors fans were naturally enthusiastic about reaching the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Even with a 0:2 deficit in the series, if they could protect their home court, both teams would be back on equal footing.

Most fans were particularly invested after arriving at the venue, and the noise grew louder even before the game began.

In G2, Vince Carter participated too much in Defense, playing 39 minutes, shooting 10 for 25 from the field, 3 for 9 from beyond the arc, and scoring 27 points, with his efficiency dropping again.

In the locker room before the game, Head Coach Wilkens looked serious.

After more than a day of rest, he had once again changed the team’s tactics, deciding to reduce Carter’s burden:

“We must protect our home court. This is a must-win game. We can hear the fans cheering from the player tunnel.”

“I know none of you want to disappoint the fans who support us. Show your fighting spirit, believe in each other, and victory belongs to the Toronto Raptors!”

No longer burdened with excessive defensive tasks, Vince Carter also knew that he was the key to victory tonight.

He readjusted his headband and then stated:

“Trust me, Bro! We will win the game!”

The desire to win is immeasurable.

For Vince Carter, basketball is part of his life, but two consecutive big losses still made the “Dunk King” lose some face.

Hearing his younger brother’s words, Mark Jackson was the first to respond:

“Leave the Defense to us. I will control the pace of the game!”

Watching Mark Jackson start to take over and direct his teammates, Marcus Camby felt a pang of bitterness.

Two games into the series, he still hadn’t received any attention.

After the first two games, neither side had adjusted their lineups.

For the New York Knicks, Ewing was a fake starter, and for the Toronto Raptors, the Rookie Peterson was completely out of the rotation.

Old-school coaches trust veterans more, and Wilkens was no exception.

The more crucial the game, the more he would stick with the main players!

The game officially tipped off at 8 PM.

As Ewing won the jump ball, boos immediately erupted throughout the Air Canada Centre.

After the game began, the New York Knicks’ standard tactic was to first let Allan Houston find his shooting touch.

“Defense!”

Most of the Toronto Raptors fans in attendance stood up to watch, joining the DJ in cheering for the home team’s Defense.

With Mark Jackson leading the Defense, Clay Lee came to the top of the arc, noticing that Alvin Williams was guarding Allan Houston.

Carter moved with Grant Hill to the left wing, immediately understanding the Toronto Raptors’ intention.

Lee made a tactical gesture, and Lewis stopped in the left corner, not moving.

On the other side, Allan Houston first feigned a quick dash along the baseline, then suddenly accelerated upwards from near the right baseline.

At the right elbow of the free-throw line, Ewing stopped, and at the same time set an off-ball screen for Allan Houston.

With a simple “curl cut” run, Allan Houston was free from his defender when he received the ball at the free-throw line, and quickly jumped to shoot a mid-range shot over Antonio Davis’s block!

“Bang!” He missed his first shot of the game.

The rebound was secured by the retreating Camby, and cheers immediately erupted from the crowd.

After missing their first offensive possession, the New York Knicks players quickly retreated on Defense, leaving only Lee to lead the Defense at half-court.

Amidst the cheers, Mark Jackson didn’t rush to dribble past half-court, holding the ball for 10 seconds before crossing the mid-court line.

On the right wing, Antonio Davis set an off-ball screen for Carter.

Carter feigned a cut, then suddenly moved horizontally and quickly ran back.

Mark Jackson, protecting the ball with his side, sent a horizontal pass with his right hand.

Carter, free from his defender, caught the ball without any adjustment and immediately shot from beyond the three-point line!

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

After scoring, Carter let out a loud shout, pounded his chest twice, and then bounced back quickly on Defense.

The Toronto Raptors fans, who had stood up to watch, raised their hands high, releasing their excitement.

The defensive chants started again, and Head Coach Wilkens on the sideline also gestured, signaling his players to retreat quickly.

The New York Knicks ran almost the same play: Ewing set a down screen, allowing Allan Houston, who was near the left baseline, to get free from his defender.

Moving to the left elbow of the free-throw line, Allan Houston received a pass from Lee, and without any adjustment, immediately shot a mid-range jumper!

The basketball hit the back rim, and Antonio Davis leaped high to secure the defensive rebound immediately.

After receiving the ball, Carter, with Grant Hill guarding him, continuously accelerated along the left sideline.

All the Toronto Raptors players also sped up, rushing past half-court.

On the left wing, Carter stopped abruptly, quickly dribbled between his legs, and then immediately changed direction in front of his body as he switched to his right hand.

Facing Carter’s shoulder-drop drive, Grant Hill could only quickly slide to his right-rear.

Nearing the basket, Carter, with his defender on him, soared into the air, gliding from the lower left of the basket to the lower right, and was finally interfered with by the retreating Ewing under the basket, causing his layup to hit the rim and bounce out.

The rebound was snatched by Marcus Camby, who rushed into the paint.

The paint was crowded, and Camby didn’t hold the ball, immediately passing it back to Carter, who was near the right baseline.

Receiving the ball again, Carter leaned back slightly and quickly jumped to shoot over Grant Hill’s block!

“Swish!” The mid-range shot went in steadily.

Scoring 5 consecutive points to start the game, Carter’s performance made the atmosphere at the Air Canada Centre even more heated.

Jeff Van Gundy, who had been sitting, now stood up and clapped, shouting a few words.

Soon, the New York Knicks changed their tactics.

On the left wing, Grant Hill stood still.

Ewing stopped outside the three-point line after crossing half-court.

Mark Jackson was still leading the Defense on Clay Lee, and noticing the situation behind him, quickly stuck to him, but was easily squeezed off the screen.

Feeling surprised, Mark Jackson was sticking to Lee’s right side.

He then noticed that Ewing’s screen was a fake, and he had already rolled down early, taking the help defender Antonio Davis with him.

At the top of the arc, Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly stopped abruptly, quickly pulled back with a crossover step, and as he switched to his right hand, he slightly raised his body’s center of gravity and looked up at the rim.

The realistic fake made Mark Jackson instinctively move upwards.

Lee immediately lowered his center of gravity, feigning a drive.

Mark Jackson was faked out again, desperately sliding to his left-rear.

Watching Lee dribble behind his back and return to beyond the three-point line, he felt his legs give out and could only stand still.

At the top of the arc, Lee easily gathered the ball and quickly jumped to shoot from beyond the three-point line!

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

“Boo!”

Watching Clay Lee’s two simple stop-and-go fakes completely lose Mark Jackson, boos immediately echoed throughout the ACC.

The Toronto Raptors players looked at the calm Lee, and their excitement began to fade.

After crossing half-court, Mark Jackson was again defended by Lee.

Noticing Grant Hill’s tight Defense on Carter, he immediately completed a pick-and-roll with Marcus Camby at the right elbow.

Receiving the ball at the free-throw line, Camby didn’t hesitate, quickly jumping to shoot over Lewis’s block, but it was an air ball.

The rebound was snatched by Ewing, and Lee quickly received the ball, and the New York Knicks also started to speed up.

Lee continuously accelerated along the left sideline.

Lewis, who quickly rushed past half-court, also moved to the left wing.

It was still a fake screen.

Lewis hung for a moment, then immediately popped out towards the top of the arc.

Marcus Camby saw that his teammate wasn’t out of position, so he didn’t help on Defense immediately.

This allowed Lee to overpower Mark Jackson and drive him to the left restricted area.

Mark Jackson desperately tried to put up physical resistance.

He saw Lee slow down and thought his Defense was working, but then he saw Lee’s shoulder shake backward, and he instinctively adjusted his defensive center of gravity.

Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, quickly twisted his body at this moment, instantly shaking off Mark Jackson’s Defense, and in a blink of an eye, he had driven to the basket.

The retreating Antonio Davis immediately jumped up to block.

Below the left side of the basket, Lee curled his body in the air, holding the ball with his left hand, and while evading the block, he glided to the lower right of the basket.

Completely undefended, Clay Lee flicked his left wrist in the air, and the basketball spun and hit the backboard.

“Bang Swish!” The reverse layup went in.

The beautiful basket also brought cheers to the Air Canada Centre.

Many fans were present, and soon, boos once again echoed throughout the stadium.

5:5, both sides were back on even ground.

Head Coach Wilkens on the sideline signaled his players to stay calm, but Mark Jackson, after a pick-and-roll at the right elbow, drove straight to the basket.

Quickly turning into the paint, Mark Jackson’s running floater after switching to his left hand was directly blocked by Lee.

The fans gasped. Lee immediately controlled the ball, then instantly passed it to half-court.

Grant Hill quickly rushed past the mid-court line.

As he scooped up the ball, Carter also chased back on Defense.

The two entangled as they rushed into the paint.

Grant Hill attempted a hop-step layup, but was ultimately interfered with by the high-leaping Carter, and the basketball hit the rim and bounced out.

After landing, Carter tried to grab the rebound, but before he could jump, he saw Lee explode in the paint, grabbing the basketball with his right hand in the air and directly slamming it into the basket!

“Boom!”

He followed up with a put-back dunk.

Mark Jackson behind him could only raise his hands helplessly, signaling that it was his fault.

Watching Clay Lee pound his chest after the put-back dunk, Bob Costas on the NBC commentary desk instinctively praised him:

“Lee’s form is too good. Increasing his playing time seems to have activated his body!”

Doug Collins also agreed with this view, as Lee’s playing time had been too little from the first round until now:

“Perhaps this is Jeff Van Gundy’s game strategy: in crucial away games, unleash Clay Lee completely!”

Carter was also in excellent form.

From almost the same spot, near the top of the arc, he got open with a screen, caught the ball, and immediately shot, responding with a three-pointer!

7:8, the Toronto Raptors once again took the lead.

The game entered a stalemate, and the scores of both sides began to slowly rise.

Lee received a hand-off pass from Ewing at the right elbow, drawing a double-team from Antonio Davis.

He then made a bounce pass through the gap, assisting the rolling Ewing for an easy 2 points.

After a quick inbound pass and dribbling past half-court, Mark Jackson assisted Carter, who moved horizontally up the court, then cut in from the left wing to the basket, scoring with a reverse layup.

Clay Lee, who had dribbled past half-court, suddenly encountered a double-team.

Grant Hill received the ball on the right wing, took two big dribbles, and before Carter could help on Defense, he stopped abruptly at the elbow and made a jump shot.

The New York Knicks bench was still cheering.

Carter demanded the ball with his back to the basket in the left restricted area, quickly turned and released with his right hand, then moved horizontally.

At the free-throw line, Carter, battling his defender, drifted to the right and made a fadeaway jump shot!

After scoring, Carter punched the air and roared.

He had just retreated to half-court when Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, quickly advanced to the left wing.

Taking advantage of Mark Jackson moving to defend, Lee dribbled between his legs, then feigned a move to the right before smoothly stepping back in the opposite direction and gathering the ball.

Unable to make any defensive reaction, Mark Jackson watched as Clay Lee made a three-pointer in transition.

The two players, in excellent form, continuously made answering shots, scoring efficiently, causing cheers and gasps to alternate.

Jeff Van Gundy hadn’t expected Carter to be in such good form.

He brought in Ron Artest early, but he was called for a foul by the referee less than 1 minute after entering the game.

The whistle for squeezing through a screen off-ball made Jeff Van Gundy frown.

He didn’t complain to the referee but instead made a gesture and loudly reminded:

“Ron, watch your defensive actions!”

With the National Whistle in hand, Carter continued to shoot from outside until he missed his first shot from the right elbow area with 1 minute and 17 seconds left in the first quarter.

“Oh!”

The home fans sighed in regret, and Ben Wallace, who had just entered the game, grabbed the rebound.

Clay Lee, who was there to receive the ball, once again rushed to the right wing.

It was another pick-and-roll with Lewis, and Marcus Camby immediately abandoned his one-on-one Defense, working with Mark Jackson to double-team.

Lee released the ball extremely quickly.

The moment he split, he sent a bounce pass.

Close to the top of the arc, Lewis caught the ball the moment he popped out and shot it.

The basketball hit the front rim and bounced out again.

Lee quickly moved, and in the right block area, he just happened to pick up the offensive rebound.

After getting the ball, Lee immediately put it down with his right hand and drove straight to the basket.

Approaching the paint, he jumped with both feet.

Facing Antonio Davis, who jumped to block him under the basket, Clay Lee spun 360 degrees in the air, and after contact, came to the lower left of the basket, casually tossing the ball towards the rim with his left hand.

“Squeak! Swish!”

The whistle blew, and the ball went in.

The acrobatic shot suddenly made the Air Canada Centre quiet, followed by a wave of boos.

Antonio Davis, who had landed, subconsciously spread his hands and complained to the referee:

“Sir, I didn’t even touch him!”

Clay Lee walked to the free-throw line with a smile, ignoring the other party’s complaints.

He high-fived his teammates to celebrate, just waiting for the free throw.

Amidst the huge boos, Lee steadily made the extra free throw.

On the New York Knicks’ bench, the atmosphere group once again swung their towels.

26:23, the Toronto Raptors were once again overtaken.

Upon hearing Bob Costas’s sigh, Doug Collins immediately interjected:

“The Toronto Raptors should strengthen their Defense. They rely too much on Carter’s offense. If their scoring efficiency drops later, they will quickly fall into a difficult situation.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Dell Curry, who had just entered the game, received the ball on the right wing.

The moment he put the ball down with his right hand, Lee poked it away.

“Oh!”

The fans gasped.

At this moment, Lee scooped up the ball with his right hand, first swatting away Dell Curry’s pull, then quickly dribbling the ball with his right hand across half-court.

The steal happened too quickly.

Only Alvin Williams on the right wing followed back on Defense immediately.

Inside the paint, Alvin Williams chased Lee to his side.

He originally wanted to try to steal the ball, but he was bumped and stumbled.

Lee used the rebounding force, pushed off with his left foot, and took to the air.

Leaning his body in the air, he casually tossed the ball towards the basket with his left hand.

“Swish”

The moment the ball went in, Lee landed and fell, sliding a distance on the floor, and shouting loudly:

“My God!”

“Squeak!”

The referee hesitated but still blew the whistle.

On the other side, Alvin Williams, who almost fell, immediately cursed under his breath and excitedly complained loudly to the baseline referee:

“Shit! He ran into me! That’s a flop!”

The shouting led to another technical foul from the referee.

Clay Lee was pulled up by Grant Hill and Allan Houston.

Hearing the referee blow the whistle again, he grinned broadly, gloating.

The Toronto Raptors players held back the excited Alvin Williams.

Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines also found it amusing.

The Bald Young Coach crossed his arms, turned, and simply sat back on the bench, entering idle mode again.

Standing at the free-throw line, Lee saw Carter with his hands on his hips in resignation and immediately teased him:

“Perhaps you’ll get a good score tonight, but unfortunately, the victory belongs to me.”

“Hey! This is only the first quarter!”

Carter tilted his head and pointed to the scoreboard, indicating he still had plenty of time.

Lee shook his head, and amidst the huge boos, he made two free throws, successfully converting a four-point play.

30:23, the lead instantly stretched to 7 points.

In the final moments of the first quarter, Dell Curry missed a three-pointer from the left wing, and the New York Knicks launched another fast break.

Keon Clark, who had just come off the bench, retreated to the basket and sent Clay Lee to the free-throw line again.

The boos from the crowd grew even louder, as the one-point rain infuriated the Toronto Raptors fans.

Free throws were easy points. Head Coach Wilkens on the sidelines subconsciously shook his head, clearly very displeased with these few possessions.

32:23, the first quarter ended, and the New York Knicks ultimately secured a 9-point lead.

In just one minute, the score difference suddenly widened.

At the commentary table, Doug Collins didn’t hold back and immediately commented:

“Game details determine victory or defeat. Unwise fouls and wrong offensive choices show that the Toronto Raptors lack playoff experience.”

“Lee keenly seized the opportunity. This is the ability of an MVP.”

Playing the entire first quarter, 6-for-6 from the field, 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, 5 for-5 from the free-throw line, 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Clay Lee once again shot 100% and delivered an all-around performance!

Also playing the entire first quarter, Carter efficiently scored 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting, including 3-for-3 from three-point range.

Bob Costas looked at the statistics and felt that Carter was unlucky.

Despite his excellent performance, he was still overshadowed by Lee:

“The Toronto Raptors players need to step up and share the pressure on Carter. Antonio Davis played very well, but it’s still far from enough.”

“Once the New York Knicks regain their touch from beyond the arc, it will become especially difficult to tie the score.”

In the decisive game, the second quarter began, and the Toronto Raptors continued with Mark Jackson resting and Dell Curry remaining on the court.

The other four starters continued to play.

Head Coach Wilkens chose to stick with his main lineup.

On the New York Knicks’ side, to maintain Lee’s hot hand, Jeff Van Gundy didn’t bother with timed substitutions and simply put out a two-guard lineup.

Inside, he replaced Lewis, who had a poor shooting touch, with Kurt Thomas, who was a better defender.

In the first possession after the start of the second quarter, Dell Curry angrily missed a shot from the left elbow area at the free-throw line.

Like Allan Houston, the Toronto Raptors’ shooters were also struggling tonight.

Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound immediately.

In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, “Ben” had consecutive games with double-digit rebounds, which was also why he was eating up Ewing’s playing time.

“Defense!”

The Toronto Raptors fans once again shouted vigorously for Defense.

Lee jogged all the way and immediately squatted down in the right corner.

Chauncey Billups received the ball and quickly dribbled it across half-court.

Facing Dell Curry’s lead Defense, he protected the ball with his body sideways at the top of the arc.

As Kurt Thomas just moved to the left elbow area, Lee in the corner immediately started his move.

First, he accelerated in a straight line, then near the right baseline, Lee suddenly stopped, swatted away Alvin Williams’ arm, and suddenly popped out diagonally.

At the elbow area, Lee deftly dodged, going under the baseline and passing by Kurt Thomas, quickly popping out to the left wing.

Alvin Williams lost his defensive position and was about to remind Marcus Camby to chase back, but the next second, Chauncey Billups sent a cross-court pass.

Seeing Clay Lee twist and shoot the ball the moment he received it, Marcus Camby only then realized something was wrong and quickly jumped to contest the shot, but it was already too late.

He could only watch the basketball fly towards the rim.

“Swish!” The three-pointer swished through the net!

At the commentary table, Bob Costas was thrilled and couldn’t help but exclaim loudly:

“OH! Clay Lee continued his hot streak! The Toronto Raptors need to be careful!”

Holding up three fingers, Lee slowly walked back on Defense.

This performance infuriated the home fans, and boos continued.

Both the 76ers and the New York Knicks frequently used this kind of tactic.

The difference was that Iverson’s efficiency would be lower, while Lee had a higher probability of converting when he was open.

On the Toronto Raptors’ offense, Ron Artest’s defensive aggressiveness decreased.

He lost his defensive position on the off-ball screen above the arc, and could only watch Carter respond with a three-pointer from the top of the arc.

“Ah!”

After scoring, Carter roared, encouraging himself while also signaling his teammates to quickly retreat on Defense.

It was the same tactic again, just from a different direction.

When Lee received the ball on the right wing, Marcus Camby was already guarding him.

After a pump fake, he put the ball down with his right hand and drove forward.

Noticing that Alvin Williams also came to help on Defense, before reaching the right block area, Lee made a subtle behind-the-back bounce pass while on the move.

At the free-throw line, Kurt Thomas received the ball with no defender in front of him and made the mid-range jump shot!

37:26, the New York Knicks continued to score.

The ball was passed around the perimeter repeatedly, and finally, Carter again drove hard to the basket from the right wing, only to be surrounded by multiple defenders.

His reverse layup, gliding to the lower left of the basket, bounced off the rim.

Two interior players crashed the offensive glass, while everyone else quickly retreated on Defense.

Head Coach Wilkens also shouted loudly from the sidelines:

“Defensive matchups! Stop this possession!”

Chauncey Billups didn’t rush to dribble across half-court.

Only when both interior players were positioned at the elbow areas did he come to the top of the arc.

From right to left, with a double screen up top, Lee ran an “S” shape, receiving the ball again on the left wing.

Marcus Camby once again came up to delay, and Alvin Williams continued to chase on Defense.

Just as the two were about to converge, Lee first faked right and drove left, putting the ball down with his left hand and making a crossover step to break through.

Marcus Camby desperately slid backward to the right.

In the left block area, Lee made a big swing and gathered the ball, passing between the two, attracting three defenders in the paint.

Antonio Davis, who had helped on Defense under the basket, saw Clay Lee passed the ball behind his head, and turned to see Kurt Thomas wide open at the free-throw line, making the jump shot!

“Boo!”

Completely ignoring the boos from the crowd, Kurt Thomas excitedly chest-bumped Clay Lee to celebrate.

When Dell Curry missed another open three-pointer from the right wing in the next possession, utilizing an off-ball screen from Antonio Davis, the Toronto Raptors fans collectively groaned again.

Clay Lee, who picked up the long rebound, didn’t rush to attack.

Coming to the right wing, he was immediately double-teamed up top.

After a simple defensive stretch, Lee smoothly passed the ball to Chauncey Billups, who was left open at the top of the arc.

The latter didn’t hesitate after receiving the ball and immediately shot a three-pointer from beyond the arc!

“Swish!” The three-pointer swished through the net!

40:26, a 14-point difference, prompted Head Coach Wilkens to immediately call a timeout.

On the Knicks’ bench, everyone raised their hands, celebrating happily.

The starting lineup’s three-point shooting was off, relying solely on Lee, but tonight the bench seemed to be on fire again.

Doug Collins noticed the increasing noise in the ACC and sighed, “With no game pressure, the Knicks’ bench unit is showing signs of exploding.”

“But for the Toronto Raptors’ role players, tonight is a must-win game.”

Bob Costas felt that the game was already decided.

In his impression, the Knicks had never lost a playoff game after gaining a double-digit lead:

“The Toronto Raptors must respond, or the game will quickly lose its suspense.”

“I believe Carter will step up. It’s time for the star players to shine!”

Dell Curry, who had a poor shooting touch, was substituted out, and Mark Jackson entered the game early, as the Toronto Raptors continued to stick with their starting lineup.

To the delight of the New York fans, in the subsequent play, Carter indeed responded repeatedly, even hitting three consecutive three-pointers from the left corner!

The lead didn’t shrink.

Clay Lee first assisted Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace for easy layups under the basket, then assisted Ron Artest, who was left open, for a three-pointer from the right corner.

For a time, both sides went back and forth, hitting shots at a very high percentage, and the score continuously climbed.

Carter’s excellent performance even caused Ron Artest to pick up his third personal foul in less than half a quarter, making the game lively, but the Toronto Raptors’ fans gradually lost their enthusiasm.

With 2 minutes and 16 seconds left in the first half, Lee finally missed a shot from the right wing, but the long rebound was again picked up by Lee.

After grabbing his own rebound in the right restricted area, Lee again drove straight to the basket.

Antonio Davis rushed over to help defend, jumping to block, only to see the ball fly over his fingertips towards the upper left of the rim.

Ben Wallace, who had been waiting for a long time, exploded from a standstill, grabbing the ball in mid-air and slamming it down with both hands!

“Boom!” The alley-oop dunk was successful!

“Ah!!”

Mark Jackson, who had chased back to the basket, stood dejectedly under the rim, watching Ben Wallace roar loudly at the Toronto Raptors’ players.

61:47, the score difference remained unchanged.

Carter’s efficient performance failed to change the situation.

Antonio Davis desperately fought for a rebound, drawing a foul on Kurt Thomas, but only made one of two free throws, allowing the Knicks to rush back.

Accelerating along the left sideline, Lee had just crossed half-court when he immediately threw the ball into the paint.

The ball and player arrived simultaneously.

Grant Hill shook off Carter’s Defense, a step ahead, and easily scored a layup after receiving the ball!

The Air Canada Centre was completely silent at this point, with most Toronto Raptors’ fans sitting in their seats, silently watching the game.

In the final moments of the first half, both sides traded misses, and thanks to Carter’s two free throws at the very end, the Toronto Raptors slightly narrowed the gap.

63:50, a double-digit lead, brought smiles to the faces of the Knicks’ players.

Bob Costas noticed that Clay Lee had already accumulated 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists, and took advantage of halftime to continue praising him:

“It seems Lee has a chance to achieve a triple-double. Hs performance tonight is too outstanding!”

Carter shot 10 of 15 in the first half, 7 of 9 from beyond the arc, and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line, exploding for 29 points.

Doug Collins, looking at the technical statistics, could only say regretfully:

“If the Toronto Raptors cannot maintain this offensive efficiency in the second half, then the game might end very quickly.”

After the third quarter began, what Toronto Raptors’ fans feared finally happened: Carter, who played the entire first half, lost his touch.

With Carter missing shots and Marcus Camby committing a turnover, the Toronto Raptors failed to score a single point for a full 3 minutes.

Watching Lewis complete a steal and pass the ball, Lee sprinted across half-court, shaking off Mark Jackson.

Facing the chasing Marcus Camby, he smoothly passed the ball back to the trailing Lewis, who grabbed the ball with his right hand and slammed it down with a one-handed dunk!

Dunking forcefully to vent his frustration, Lewis also smiled and high-fived Lee in celebration.

A 6-0 run, Head Coach Wilkens sighed inwardly and reluctantly called a timeout.

69:50, with the huge lead, laughter filled the Knicks’ bench.

As soon as Lee sat down, Assistant Coach Don Chaney quietly reminded him, “Lee, you’re still 4 rebounds short!”

Lee smiled and nodded, he wanted both the stats and the victory!

Ben Wallace patted his chest and chuckled, indicating that he had it covered.

On the other side, after Head Coach Wilkens had just given a pep talk, Carter also loudly encouraged, “The game isn’t over yet! We have enough time to tie the score, guys, let’s get some stops!”

There were few responders.

In the eyes of many players, the series was already over.

After the timeout, the Toronto Raptors, whose offense showed no improvement, started to “assist” rebounds again.

As the Knicks’ players transformed into expert box-out artists, Clay Lee’s rebound count unknowingly rose to 9.

After Carter missed another three-pointer from beyond the arc, Lee grabbed the long rebound, and the Toronto Raptors’ fans couldn’t hold back:

“Boo!”

Powerless booing, foul language, the Raptors fans were enraged for a while, only the Knicks’ bench cheered and celebrated Clay Lee’s first career playoff triple-double.

Bob Costas’s expression was strange, not knowing how to comment, but Doug Collins didn’t care about that and loudly praised, “34 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists! Congratulations, Clay Lee! If they win this game, the Knicks will have match point, and perhaps the series will end very soon.”

No more timeouts were called, and the third quarter quickly ended.

A 24-17 quarter, and after three quarters, it was 87-67, meaning the fourth quarter had entered garbage time.

In the final quarter, Carter remained on the court, and after shooting 2 of 8, he regained his touch.

Clay Lee led the bench unit, coasting for half a quarter, and also accumulated some stats.

With 6 minutes and 16 seconds remaining in the game, as Head Coach Wilkens called a timeout, the Toronto Raptors’ fans in the Air Canada Centre stood up to salute Carter.

17 of 28 from the field, 8 of 13 from three-point range, 4 of 4 from the free-throw line, 46 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover.

Vince Carter set a new playoff scoring record for himself.

“The Toronto Raptors lost, but Carter didn’t!”

Many fans, with this sentiment, continuously applauded Carter as he left the court.

Scoring an efficient 40+ points, yet still losing by a large margin, Carter took off his headband, covered his head with a towel, and became withdrawn again.

Clay Lee, back on the bench, didn’t show much joy, only smiled as he fist-bumped the cheering section, then sat down to rehydrate.

The final half-quarter of the game flew by, and amidst the noise, the game quickly ended.

110:93, the Knicks decisively defeated the Toronto Raptors, bringing the series score to 3:0.

The Eastern Conference Finals were already beckoning them.

After the game, at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto Raptors’ fans did not quickly leave.

Besides continuing to applaud Carter, most of them were still booing Lee.

Having changed into his practice uniform, Clay Lee was about to accept an interview with an NBC reporter when he suddenly heard a heartbreaking shout from the sidelines:

“Lee! Here, here! So cool!”

Near the front row, in the player family section, a little guy wearing a Knicks’ No. 1 jersey excitedly shouted, looking particularly eye-catching.

Dell Curry, who had just shaken hands with Lee, had a dark expression.

He had scored a mere 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting tonight.

Seeing his son hugging Clay Lee and shouting, he immediately glared at him.

The two little guys, one wearing Lee’s jersey, and the other wearing his father Dell Curry’s jersey.

Clay Lee waved to a Knicks’ staff member, who brought two pairs of shoes with different color schemes for the two, and then he playfully teased Dell Curry:

“Believe me, your son will definitely become a big star!”

Stephen Curry snatched the shoe from his brother’s hand, while also excitedly shouting, “Lee, I want to join your training camp! All these shoes are mine!”

“.”

Seeing his son’s behavior, Dell Curry’s face grew even darker for a moment, and he could only smile helplessly at Lee.

“We have a traitor among us.”

Jim Gray commented with a laugh at the lively scene, then asked, “Lee, how does it feel to achieve your first playoff triple-double?”

Playing 42 minutes, shooting 14 of 23 from the field, 3 of 6 from three-point range, and 9 of 9 from the free-throw line, Clay Lee had 40 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 2 turnovers.

Despite another all-around performance, Clay Lee merely shrugged and replied cheerfully:

“A triple-double isn’t important. I just want to thank my teammates! And I also want to show respect to Carter.”

“For the Knicks, getting the match point is the most important thing. We’re going to end the series on Sunday!”

“…”

….

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

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep