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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.

The return of Itachi

I am Sasuke. Why should I defect from Konoha.

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***

On the evening of May 18, 2003, Kidd, who attended the post-game press conference, was somewhat embarrassed.

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the suspense was gone by halftime, but Kidd still played 41 minutes.

This never-give-up spirit led to the Nets being completely crushed.

Jason Kidd, possessed by the Iron Smith, made 4 of 16 shots, 1 of 4 from beyond the arc, and 2 of 2 free throws, finishing with a near triple-double of 11 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers!

As the team leader, Kidd was two rebounds shy of a triple-double.

He ultimately chose to save face and didn’t let his teammates turn into “Card Forwards.”

At 88:112, the Nets lost Game 1 by 24 points.

Kenyon Martin appeared with his leader.

Due to the Nets’ terrible outside shooting, the Knicks almost squatted in the paint in the second half.

The beastly power forward made 10 of 23 shots and 2 of 4 free throws, scoring a team-high 22 points.

However, when attending the press conference, Kidd and Kenyon Martin were almost speechless when they heard the New Jersey sports reporter’s question:

“Can we successfully protect our home court later?”

Upon hearing this question, Kenyon Martin remained silent, but Kidd confidently replied:

“Of course, we will protect our home court. My shooting touch won’t stay cold forever!”

“The series has just begun. When we return home, we need the support of our fans.”

Kidd’s expression was serious as he said this, and he had emphasized multiple times during the press conference that he would regain his touch.

The New York Media didn’t care about Kidd’s words.

Instead, they started to tease him again:

“Kidd, how would you evaluate Lee’s performance tonight?”

Forced to play 36 minutes, Clay Lee made 11 of 19 shots, 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, and 6 of 6 free throws, finishing with 31 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 1 turnover.

He tried his best to slack off in the second half, but with the added playing time, Lee still managed a double-double.

This question was difficult for Kidd to answer.

He had impulsively boasted not long ago, and a week later, the boomerang hit him in the face:

“Lee delivered an MVP-level performance, but the series has just begun. We will carefully watch the tape, and it will take a team effort to limit him.”

Kenyon Martin looked at his leader, who was speaking diplomatically, and felt that the future was bleak.

Everyone could see that Kidd would be suppressed whenever he faced Lee.

Noticing that a New York reporter still wanted to ask a question, Kidd cursed under his breath.

Seeing his junior’s frustrated expression, he suddenly had an “IF” moment:

“If there were no Knicks, perhaps I would have already reached the Finals.”

On Monday, May 19, the Nets had more than a day to rest.

Due to the New York Fans’ crazy antics during ABC’s national broadcast, the “missing person” went viral.

The chain reaction was Shaquille O’Neal completely breaking down.

The Shark felt everyone was laughing at him.

He thought that by not accepting interviews and acting like an ostrich in the offseason, the matter would pass.

However, after Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, O’Neal found himself on NBC and ABC news channels.

Before the game, a large number of New York Fans were shouting loudly outside the Madison Square Garden.

After the game, many fans were still going wild on the New York subway, with posters plastered inside the train cars.

NBC’s morning news report reviewed the scene after the game last night.

As Lee entered the player tunnel, New York Fans on both sides cheered loudly, many shouting:

“Lee, when can we win another championship?”

Lee waved to the fans, and after fulfilling the photo requests of the front-row fans, he smiled and replied:

“This June!”

The fans cheered again.

As Lee walked towards the player tunnel, many fans spotted the camera lens and then held up posters, shouting wildly:

“Shark! Where did you go?”

NBC’s news didn’t tease O’Neal.

Instead, it gave New York onlookers good news:

“Mayor Bloomberg promised that the championship parade would change its usual route to allow more people to participate in the event.”

“…”

In the morning, O’Neal, who was still having a heart-to-heart with Phil Jackson in Los Angeles, finally accepted an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

O’Neal, who had just climbed out of the pool, was still dripping wet.

He didn’t like inviting reporters to his home, but this time he had to respond.

When asked about the reason for the Lakers’ loss, O’Neal still seemed particularly angry, using a deep voice to make a comparison:

“When you have an extremely lethal weapon, you also need to equip it with enough ammunition.”

“I am the most efficient player on the team, but my shot attempts are less than 20. I didn’t get enough ammunition!”

“I like to share the ball. I can dominate the paint. When opponents double-team me, what outside players need to do is receive my pass and make open shots.”

“This shouldn’t be difficult, but unfortunately, I didn’t get support. Someone is sabotaging the team!”

“Phil and I talked. He fully supports me, and this kind of thing won’t happen again next season.”

Whenever the Knicks won by a large margin, basketball commentators wouldn’t discuss the game too much.

73 wins. Fans had been hearing about how strong the Knicks were for over half a month.

Praising the opponent for being too weak also had no meaning, because everyone knew that teams that could reach the Conference Finals didn’t get there by luck.

In this situation, TNT, as the broadcaster of the Western Conference Finals, spent most of its time warming up for tonight’s “Mavs-Spurs” battle.

Unlike the guard showdown in the Eastern Conference, the Western Conference Finals was a battle between power forwards!

The Knicks didn’t pay attention to the situation in the Western Conference.

In the afternoon practice, everyone proceeded as usual.

On the 22nd, the draft lottery will be held at the Continental Airlines Arena, and the Knicks also have an away game that night.

When practice ended, all the players went home to rest.

Grant Hill had an excellent performance in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, so he still had to accept interviews from the New York Media.

Pau Gasol also had to deal with reporters from his hometown.

As the Finals approached, Spanish fans paid more attention to their talented big man.

Clay Lee was currently in General Manager Grunfeld’s office, discussing this year’s draft.

The overweight Grunfeld has also been troubled recently.

The curly-haired owner promised fans to keep the roster.

The starting five were fine, but the bench might not be retained.

Lee, drinking iced coffee, was listening to his complaints:

“We can indeed offer players big contracts, but everyone knows what happens after they get a large sum of money.”

“That’s why the contracts we offer follow market trends!”

“Look at the Trail Blazers’ fate. The league’s highest payroll yet they lost in the first round. Most players’ self-discipline can’t withstand the test.”

“Lee, you should understand this. As long as the other team promises a starting spot and a slightly higher contract amount than ours, they can take away our free agents from the bench.”

Hearing the other party bring up this topic, Lee knew that Grunfeld was talking about Stephen Jackson.

His stats weren’t impressive, mainly due to the number of shot attempts.

Coach D’Antoni favored Amar’e Stoudemire more, which naturally affected other bench players.

Jackson’s salary this season was only $700,000.

Having overcome injuries and played a full season, his next contract wouldn’t be so meager!

“Everyone can understand this situation. If you have the ability, no one is interested in being a bench player.”

Lee could guess Jackson’s choice.

As long as the salary was high enough and a starting position was promised, he would likely choose to leave and give his all for a better contract in the future.

Then, seeing the document handed to him, Lee glanced at it and put it aside.

The draft lottery had no meaning for the Knicks.

This year, they again had the 29th pick in the first round and a late pick in the second round.

Players selected at these positions would likely be eliminated within two seasons.

The Knicks had already eliminated many such late-round Rookies, and this situation would likely continue in the future.

Grunfeld also knew that draft picks were out of the question for the next few years.

Fortunately, the team had re-accumulated enough talent:

“I really didn’t expect the Pistons’ trade back then to yield such a pick. The Grizzlies definitely won’t get the first overall pick.”

“Jeff Van Gundy will soon go to Cleveland to coach. Lee, perhaps in the future, the Cavaliers will become our opponent.”

Every team and player has their time to fade.

It will be difficult for Lee to win another MVP.

This award will be left for other superstars.

Grunfeld then handed Lee a newspaper, published in Cleveland.

The sports section was all about Jeff Van Gundy and LeBron James.

The NBA was also fanning the flames, building hype for the draft with an article that praised LeBron James’s technical maturity, emblazoned with the title “Born a Magician.”

James’s agent, Goodwin, had also been particularly active recently, and the article quoted the well-known agent:

“Being drafted by a small market isn’t a problem. LeBron James will lead his team to create his own big market. After his Rookie season, he’ll lead his team to a championship!”

Lee chuckled as he read the newspaper, continuing to sip his iced coffee, then shook his head and quipped:

“It seems this famous agent doesn’t quite understand the landscape of the Eastern Conference yet. Achieving success here isn’t a simple matter!”

Thinking of the Cleveland market, Grunfeld also smiled.

He liked seeing the Bald Young Coach hit a wall:

“They first need to find suitable players for Jeff in the free market.”

“I don’t think they’ll succeed in Cleveland. No one can reverse the market. It’s determined by the city’s inherent characteristics.”

“…”

That night, in Western Conference Finals Game 1, the two teams engaged in an offensive showdown.

113:110. Thanks to Michael Finley’s layup with 14.2 seconds left and Dirk Nowitzki’s two free throws at the last moment, the Dallas Mavericks narrowly defeated the Spurs!

The Spurs had a chance to tie or take the lead at the last moment, but Tim Duncan’s response shot, which had been accurate all game, failed to connect at the end.

In the clash of the two All-Star power forwards, Dirk Nowitzki played 44 minutes, shooting 10-of-19 from the field, 1-of-4 from three-point range, and 17-of-17 from the free-throw line, tallying a huge double-double of 38 points and 15 rebounds.

Tim Duncan played 45 minutes, shooting 14-of-20 from the field, 12-of-19 from the free-throw line, and recording 40 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 2 turnovers.

Losing a home game, the Spurs also lost the initiative, but the losing Head Coach Gregg Popovich promised the San Antonio fans after the game:

“We will regain home-court advantage. Tonight, we just lacked a bit of luck.”

“Now we desperately need the support of San Antonio fans. We must protect our remaining home games!”

Head Coach Don Nelson scoffed at Gregg Popovich’s remarks, confidently stating after winning the game:

“This season, we are the best team in the Western Conference. We will make it to the Finals!”

On May 20th, the Los Angeles Times reported news about Shaquille O’Neal, which quickly sparked heated discussion among the public.

Clearly, the conflict between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant seemed to be becoming irreconcilable.

Kobe himself did not respond, perhaps still unable to accept the loss, and consistently refused interviews with the Los Angeles Media.

However, for New York Fans, O’Neal’s excuses were not important.

What mattered was that the Lakers lost in the Western Conference Semifinals!

The tide of public opinion completely turned.

Recalling that the Lakers and the New York Knicks had gone to Game 6 last season, with some controversy in the process, a New York Post column article gained much support from those seeking entertainment:

“The Los Angeles Lakers, the weakest championship team of the 21st century!”

With the added condition, this conclusion seemed to become reasonable, as the 21st century had just begun, and the champions, besides the New York Knicks, were the Lakers.

At 7:30 PM that evening, at Madison Square Garden, on the ESPN broadcast desk, commentator Nessler still maintained his slicked-back hairstyle, dressed in a dark gray suit:

“In Game 1, Jason Kidd’s shooting touch was terrible. Against the 73-win New York Knicks, he has to make those response shots.”

“What adjustments will the Nets make on offense tonight?”

Bill Walton had already been confirmed to join the Finals commentary team.

Although his hair was white, the Hall of Famer, dressed in a dark gray suit, still answered very professionally after hearing the question:

“Everyone needs to make their shots. Perhaps in the game against the Detroit Pistons, they could solve problems with Defense, but the New York Knicks are different.”

“Superstars cannot be limited. Clay Lee will continuously score, and he will also create easy scoring opportunities for his teammates!”

“The Nets don’t have absolute strong points, which means they need to play smarter.”

“When the New York Knicks’ Defense cuts off Jason Kidd’s connection with his teammates, as a leader, he needs to step up in time!”

When Bill Walton played, he wore jersey number 32.

He was also inducted into the 50 Greatest Players list, and some critics who prefer older eras believe that among jersey number 32, the greatest center has always been this “Big Red.”

The petty Shaquille O’Neal had some complaints about this, having discussed the matter in interviews, not speaking kindly of the veteran.

Appearing on the commentary desk tonight, as the two discussed the game, Bill Walton suddenly changed the subject:

“I like Clay Lee’s performance, not just because of his stats, but mainly because of the way he leads the team.”

“We rarely hear of major conflicts erupting in the New York Knicks locker room. In contrast, Shaquille O’Neal is not a qualified leader.”

“He’s complaining about taking too few shots. An MVP player can’t get the ball on the court? He’s acting too soft!”

Nessler didn’t want to cause trouble.

Watching his partner pour out his thoughts, he helplessly took over:

“Head Coach Scott has kept the same starting lineup for one game. I’m really looking forward to Jason Kidd’s response tonight!”

“…”

Before the game, Jason Kidd was frustrated to find that ever since the Los Angeles Times broke the news of Shaquille O’Neal’s interview that morning, no one was discussing the Nets anymore.

In the Conference Finals, most critics were actually discussing “Clay Lee and Shaquille O’Neal’s leadership styles.”

The last game was a crushing defeat, and Jason Kidd’s “economic triple-double” ruined his reputation.

No one believed he could win the series.

The Nets were very happy and proud to have made it to the Conference Finals, but being completely ignored also angered them.

Although the Nets were united and eager to prove themselves, once the game started, Richard Jefferson and Kittles were the first to falter.

In the first quarter, Kittles scored zero points, and Richard Jefferson went 1-for-4, scoring a paltry 2 points.

Even with Jason Kidd’s efficient play and Kenyon Martin’s continuous success in the paint, the Nets still dug themselves an early hole.

20:30, the first quarter ended, and cheers echoed throughout Madison Square Garden.

In the second quarter, as Jason Kidd continued to miss shots, Head Coach Scott’s voice was hoarse from shouting, but the Nets’ bench erupted, helping their leader successfully close the gap.

At halftime, the score was 42:54, with the New York Knicks playing average but holding a 12-point lead.

Suddenly losing his shooting touch, Jason Kidd went 1-for-6 in the second quarter.

Clay Lee still insisted on going under screens to chase him on Defense, which was very effective.

In the first half, Jason Kidd went 4-for-9, 1-for-2 from three-point range, and recorded 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 turnovers.

Such a performance made Nessler’s boomerang hit him in the face at the commentary desk.

In the first quarter, he loudly proclaimed Jason Kidd had found himself, but in the second quarter, it became Lucious Harris saving Jason Kidd.

Back in the locker room, the Nets players were a bit dispirited.

Head Coach Scott realized his players’ emotions were off, so he tapped the whiteboard and encouraged them loudly:

“Chasing a championship always brings difficulties. We’ve done very well this season. We are better than most teams in the NBA.”

“That’s why we’ve made it to the Conference Finals stage. Now, all we need to do is trust each other and elevate our game to the next level!”

“We can do this. Believe in your potential, let loose, and showcase yourselves like Lucious Harris!”

Lucious Harris erupted in the second quarter, going 4-for-6 and scoring 8 points, with every shot being a high-difficulty pull-up jumper contested by the Defense.

Hearing his Head Coach’s praise, Lucious Harris also clapped, joining his coach in cheering on his teammates.

Jason Kidd said nothing, just clapped his hands hard, encouraging himself.

As the second half began, the atmosphere in the Madison Square Garden remained high, and the noise quickly turned into a huge defensive chant:

“Defense!”

The Nets had the first possession. Lee chose not to lead the Defense, noticing the opponent’s positioning behind him, he knew Kidd would most likely attack himself again.

Two big men stood at the left and right elbow areas, while the wings stood at the left and right baseline corners.

This season, the Nets’ offensive sets were often very similar to the New York Knicks’.

Kenyon Martin didn’t gain an advantage in the low post offense.

He needed some distance to attack the basket, which would allow him to utilize his beastly athleticism.

Although there were turnovers in their pick-and-roll in the first half, it was still effective.

Kenyon Martin went 4-for-8 and contributed 10 points to the team.

Seeing Jason Kidd come to the top of the arc, Kenyon Martin moved up early for a high pick-and-roll.

Clay Lee and Kurt Thomas, one went around the baseline to delay the Defense, and the other retreated early, splitting up to complete the double-team on Kenyon Martin who was rolling off the pick-and-roll.

The pick-and-roll occurred at the three-point line, giving Kidd, who had the ball in his left hand, another opportunity for a long two-point jump shot.

Without any hesitation, close to the left wing, after taking a big dribble, Kidd immediately stopped short and quickly shot a brick.

As their leader decisively shot, the two Nets wings retreated early, leaving only the big men Collins and Kenyon Martin to crash the boards.

This time, the basketball bounced off the back rim and was directly picked up by Lee, who twisted his body in the paint.

“Wow!”

The cheers in the Madison Square Garden made Kidd, who had bricked, look displeased.

He glared and immediately chased Lee.

With the lead, Lee was defended tightly and didn’t rush to advance, instead slowly dribbling past half-court while enduring the Defense.

At the top of the arc, before the opponent could double-team him, Lee passed the ball to Pau Gasol in the left block.

The latter received the ball and leaned against Collins behind him.

Pau Gasol didn’t rush to turn and face the basket to attack, but rather observed the players’ positions on the court with his back to the basket.

After making the pass, Clay Lee squeezed past Pau Gasol’s side, accelerating into the lane from the middle.

Kidd chased him from behind, but without an opportunity, the two ran towards the right corner.

At the same time, Grant Hill started from the right corner, came to the right wing, Kurt Thomas moved up to set an off-ball screen, and then Grant Hill also cut into the lane from the middle.

Although Kenyon Martin switched in time, Grant Hill, who received the pass from Pau Gasol, still attacked the basket decisively, driving into the lane and quickly laying up while enduring the opponent’s block.

Kenyon Martin’s interference, made with great effort, worked as the ball hit the backboard, bounced once on the rim, and then fell out of the basket.

Kurt Thomas had also rushed to the basket early, and Kittles behind him had no way to stop him, watching Kurt Thomas leap high in front of him and grab the offensive rebound.

Kidd, who should have retreated to the basket to protect the rebound, was still guarding Lee.

Having lost the defensive rebound, he quickly shouted instructions to his teammates to re-match.

Clay Lee accelerated to the top of the arc beyond the three-point line and quickly received the throw from Kurt Thomas, giving the New York Knicks a fresh 24 seconds.

“Let’s go Knicks!”

The cheers once again echoed throughout the Madison Square Garden.

As the Nets players re-matched, Kidd quickly realized that he was the only one at the top of the arc, with everyone else staying near the baseline.

He quickly created some distance.

The huge space behind him made Kidd dare not get too close, so while maintaining his center of gravity, he extended his right arm, trying to create some interference.

Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, kept an eye on the defensive movements of both wings.

Sensing that the opponent had no intention of double-teaming, he quickly dribbled between his legs, switched to his right hand, then sharply lowered his center of gravity, feigning a breakthrough.

Kidd involuntarily shifted one step to his left-rear.

Just as he made his defensive reaction, Lee quickly stepped back with a cross-step, simultaneously pushing off his foot to complete a step-back, gathering the ball directly beyond the three-point line, and quickly jumping up to shoot!

He jumped up to block with all his might, but Lee’s maximum range of motion on his step-back jump shot rendered Kidd’s Defense useless.

Upon landing, he heard the cheers of the fans.

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

42:57, the point difference was widened.

Head Coach Scott on the sidelines, fearing his players’ mentality would collapse, began shouting again for them to stay steady.

From the commentary booth, Bill Walton watched Kidd, who was being guarded by Lee, protect the ball with his side and rush past half-court, and immediately commented:

“The New York Knicks have too many offensive options. When a play fails, they can give the ball to Clay Lee.”

“Relying on a star’s individual ability to complete an offense is also an excellent strategy in the playoffs, and it’s even simpler and more practical.”

“The Nets also need such a response. They need to score those response shots quickly!”

On offense, the Nets ran the same play.

Lee noticed Kidd’s lowered shoulder and knew that he would definitely drive decisively.

He went under and around Kenyon Martin’s screen, adjusted his steps, and timely chased Kidd to his side and below, then followed him to the basket.

Below and to the left of the basket, Kidd, who had charged up with three steps, leaned against Lee.

Although the space under the basket was extremely small at this point, Kidd, twisting his body, still completed the pass in mid-air.

Kenyon Martin, who had rolled down the middle, immediately took off forcefully directly in front of the basket after receiving the ball, attempting to dunk over Kurt Thomas.

His offensive intention was too obvious, allowing Kurt Thomas to prepare his Defense early.

He raised both arms while also stepping up to provide body contact.

Unable to fully take off and complete the dunk, Kenyon Martin ultimately chose to evade in mid-air, throwing the ball towards the basket with his right hand.

Realizing the shot would miss, Kenyon Martin, who had just landed, immediately jumped a second time, attempting to crash the offensive glass, but Pau Gasol, who had come to the right-lower side of the basket, tipped the ball with his long arm, and it flew to the other side.

Kidd was boxed out by Lee after landing.

Seeing the rebound come his way, he wanted to jump and grab it, but Lee reacted even faster, and after his teammate secured position, he leaped high and grabbed the rebound with an tomahawk-like motion.

After securing the rebound, Lee immediately hugged the ball.

Kidd rushed forward to contest, and the baseline referee quickly blew his whistle.

“Oh!”

The New York Fans in the Madison Square Garden started to jeer loudly again.

Clay Lee, who was preparing to receive the ball on the baseline, at this point pointed his left index finger to his head:

“I know what you’re thinking!”

“Shit!”

Kidd couldn’t hold back, cursed lowly, and immediately pushed forward.

Lee, however, laughed and raised both hands, indicating he was “innocent,” completely unfazed by Kidd’s bald head.

The referee quickly blew his whistle repeatedly, separating the two and issuing a verbal warning, without calling another foul on Kidd.

Although only two possessions had passed, Kidd felt his anger boiling.

He strongly disliked Lee’s attitude, but after crossing half-court, he had no choice but to call for his teammates to double-team early.

On the left wing, Richard Jefferson left his defensive assignment and double-teamed with his leader, forcing Lee to pass the ball early.

When Ron Artest received the pass on the left wing, he didn’t recklessly jump up to shoot, but immediately put the ball down with his left hand and drove in a straight line.

The big man Collins quickly retreated to the basket, but just as he shifted his feet, Ron Artest immediately passed the ball to Pau Gasol, who was cutting down the middle.

Richard Jefferson, who had timely chased back, could only watch as Pau Gasol easily laid the ball into the basket with his right hand directly in front of the rim.

Head Coach D’Antoni on the sidelines kept clapping and cheering.

The fans in the Madison Square Garden, seeing the point difference reach 17, couldn’t stop cheering.

Trying to speed up the offensive tempo, the Nets attacked.

Kidd changed direction, this time a pick-and-roll on the right wing, driving straight to the basket with the ball in his right hand.

Lee still blocked his breakthrough route.

After jumping, Kidd twisted his body in the air and found Kenyon Martin, who was following up.

Kenyon Martin received the ball, went up strong, drew a foul from Kurt Thomas, and earned two free throws.

Kidd looked serious.

During the free throws, he loudly reminded his teammates from beyond the three-point line to pay attention to retreating on Defense.

“You should shoot more three-pointers, otherwise time will run out. You were 4 for 11 from beyond the three-point line last game, and if you maintain that production, you’ll lose by a large margin again tonight.”

Lee didn’t want to continue loafing around with Kidd on the court in the 4th quarter, so he reminded the other party, which made the “surface brother” furious again:

“It’s only 15 points! Don’t act like that and point fingers at me!”

The referee noticed the two starting to argue again, stepped forward to warn them, and separated them.

44:59, two free throws made, Kenyon Martin helped the team narrow the point difference.

In the next few minutes, the game completely fell into the New York Knicks’ rhythm.

Clay Lee passed the ball as soon as he crossed half-court, letting Grant Hill post up Kittles in both blocks, and allowing Pau Gasol to receive the ball and organize plays near the block.

After completing the pass, Lee took Kidd to squat in the corner and exchange game insights.

As the 3rd quarter entered its latter half, the Nets consistently failed to execute effective transition offense.

Although Kittles performed well during this period, scoring consecutively by using screens to catch and shoot, the point difference simply did not shrink.

With 3 minutes and 17 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, on the New York Knicks’ offense, Pau Gasol’s left low-post back-down, turning towards the baseline, and left-handed floater missed.

Kidd couldn’t resist, rushing to the basket immediately to try and grab the rebound, but the rebound was tipped by Kurt Thomas, and then snatched by Ron Artest, who rushed into the paint.

Richard Jefferson still wanted to contend for the ball, but Ron Artest, who had secured the rebound, swung his elbows to protect the ball, and then immediately tossed it to the right corner.

Lee, who received the ball, had no defender in front of him, and calmly shot a jump shot from beyond the three-point line!

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

60:78, the point difference returned to 18 points.

After bothering them for most of the quarter, with free throws, contested rebounds, and jump shots, the point difference was still heading towards 20 points.

After Clay Lee hit the three-pointer, Head Coach Scott called another timeout.

Back on the bench, the Nets players all stared blankly, looking intently at their coach.

Kidd performed well in this quarter.

His wide-open pull-up jumpers stopped clanking off the rim, and he also scored by driving to the basket.

He made 3 of 6 shots, scoring 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Kidd didn’t care about his own stats, but when he sensed his teammates’ emotions, he didn’t know what to say.

On the other side, on the New York Knicks bench, the cheerleading squad was hoping the Nets would make substitutions soon.

Grant Hill naturally sensed Stephen Jackson’s desire to play, and after rehydrating, he also spoke to comfort him:

“It won’t be like the last game. The opponent will at most try some outside shots in the fourth quarter.”

Facing Kiddles’ Defense, Grant Hill was 7 for 13 tonight, already scoring 18 points.

Just like in G1, Grant Hill’s jump shots from close to the basket were extremely accurate.

Lee also hoped the game would end soon.

Playing 6 minutes in the 4th quarter with his ‘surface brother’ in the last game was meaningless except for collecting some stats.

“Hold on a little longer, Lee! We need to seal the victory in this quarter.”

“Stay focused! Pay attention to rebounds!”

Coach D’Antoni didn’t discuss tactical arrangements.

He just clapped his hands repeatedly, reminding everyone to stay focused.

The Nets made a substitution, with Rodney Rogers replacing the underperforming Richard Jefferson.

In the final few minutes, Kidd finally listened to Lee’s advice and started to increase his three-point attempts.

As Kiddles and Rogers clanked their three-pointers off the rim, Lee seized the opportunity on the fast break and stepped to the free-throw line.

Kidd, who picked up his 4th personal foul, glared at Lee as he shot the free throws.

His eye Defense had no effect, and the free throws still went in steadily.

As Kidd’s long-range three-pointer clanked off the rim on the last possession of the 3rd quarter, Madison Square Garden erupted once again, and New York Fans began celebrating the victory.

63:83, the difference was again 20 points.

On the bench, the Nets players felt like they had fallen into a time loop.

Kidd scored no points in the final moments of the 3rd quarter, and returning to the bench, he angrily threw his towel again.

Although Kenyon Martin performed poorly in this quarter, making 1 of 5 shots and scoring 6 points, he and Kidd still accounted for half of the team’s points.

Seeing his boss with a towel over his head, Kenyon Martin looked around and found that his teammates had lost their spirit.

Head Coach Scott waved to the bench lineup, no longer asking Kidd to play.

At this point, he could only offer some encouragement again:

“The series has just begun.”

At the ESPN commentary desk, seeing both teams’ bench lineups enter the game, Nessler noticed that Clay Lee had already changed into his warm-up jacket and couldn’t help but exclaim again:

“Clay Lee’s performance is too outstanding! Statistics simply cannot reflect his impact!”

“In the next few years, no one will be able to challenge him. At 25, when he reaches his physical prime, Clay Lee might even give us a surprise!”

He played 31 minutes, making 9 of 16 shots, 4 of 8 from three-point range, and 8 of 8 free throws, for 30 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers.

Seeing the box score and then thinking about how in the 3rd quarter, besides three-pointers, it was all free throws, Bill Walton also knew that Lee hadn’t exerted his full effort:

“Clay Lee should be the most dominant player in the No. 1 jersey!”

“I hope he encounters more challenges in the upcoming games.”

Nessler always felt his partner was being sarcastic, but he didn’t like to cause trouble, and the two quickly began discussing the trend of the subsequent away games.

In the 4th quarter, as the score difference widened a little more, Kidd did not re-enter the game.

Staring intently at the situation on the court, Kidd felt a bit of an existential crisis, his thoughts racing.

More than once, he secretly thought:

“If there were no Clay Lee, perhaps I would have achieved greater accomplishments.”

Amidst the cheers of New York Fans, both sides padded their stats to their heart’s content.

90:109, the New York Knicks took another game, bringing the series to 2:0.

As soon as the game ended, Kidd immediately headed for the player tunnel, quickly leaving without looking back.

Not seeing his ‘surface brother’ after two consecutive games, Lee knew he had gained another ‘nemesis’.

On the sidelines, reporter Michelle Tafoya approached Lee with a smile, accompanied by staff.

Winning by a large margin, she naturally wouldn’t ask about tonight’s game:

“Lee, for the next two away games, what are your expectations for the games?”

Waving to the fans loudly shouting his name, Lee raised an eyebrow after hearing the question and said in a lighthearted tone:

“Thank you for the fans’ support. I love playing at Continental Airlines Arena. It feels like returning home when I’m there!”

“The New York Knicks will end the series as soon as possible. We need more rest time!”

Michelle Tafoya also chuckled softly.

The Nets’ home court truly felt like an away game.

Kidd, who attended the post-game press conference, still felt his anger surging.

He didn’t like to complain about referees, but when asked about his two home games, he suddenly said seriously:

“We should have gotten more free throws. I don’t want to discuss these two games anymore.”

The New York Media below the stage naturally didn’t care about Kidd’s complaint.

Instead, they continued to fan the flames, asking:

“Kidd, how would you evaluate Lee’s performance in these two games?”

Watching Kidd remain silent for a long time, some people began to chuckle.

Being the “First Point Guard” was indeed difficult.

As the draft lottery approached, sports media recently began frequently reporting on LeBron James.

LeBron James’s mother, Gloria, recently said with pride in an interview with sports media:

“God has a plan for where my son goes. I believe LeBron will shine wherever he goes!”

Agent Goodwin also frequently spoke out for LeBron James, showing an open attitude:

“We must admit, playing in his hometown is the perfect outcome.”

“But if God chooses LeBron to be drafted by another team, we are also confident in achieving success!”

The media extensively publicized him. Before even entering the NBA, LeBron James’s popularity exploded.

ESPN seemed to have nothing going on recently, so they simply made a prediction for the “The Chosen One”:

“In the near future, LeBron James will break the Cleveland sports curse!”

On the morning of the 21st, after the New York Knicks’ film session, Clay Lee, who was interviewed by sports media, once again became “darling.”

The 1996 Rookie class was hailed as the Golden Generation because of the emergence of a superstar like Clay Lee.

The 2003 Rookies haven’t entered the NBA yet, but many explosively talented players have already appeared, and the NBA has begun to build momentum for both classes of players.

During the interview, no one asked Lee about the Conference Finals anymore.

An ESPN reporter eagerly jumped on the hot topic:

“Clay, have you been following this year’s top Rookie, LeBron James? Many people believe he will catch up to your pace.”

The sports reporters around him all looked at Lee, seemingly wanting to get some unknown gossip from him.

“Of course, I follow LeBron James. Whenever I have time, I attend the McDonald’s All-Star High School League.”

“Like Amar’e Stoudemire, LeBron James also has outstanding talent. The future, of course, belongs to the young people. I believe he will achieve good success in Cleveland.”

Lee, wearing a New York Knicks blue practice uniform, answered the questions with particular sincerity.

Although he only saw the specific news yesterday, it didn’t affect the commercial mutual praise.

The TNT reporter seemed to think this answer wasn’t exciting enough and quickly asked again:

“Lee, Head Coach Van Gundy plans to return, and he will coach the Cavaliers next season. Do you think LeBron James has a chance to replicate your experience under the coaching of a championship Head Coach?”

This question made some of the surrounding sports reporters laugh.

This was simply impossible, because the Cavaliers were too far behind the New York Knicks of that time.

“Perhaps only God knows! Coach Van Gundy has excellent tactical ideas, and I believe that under his coaching, LeBron James will be able to fulfill his talent.”

“Of course, I love challenges. Every opponent has made me who I am today!”

Lee, in a state of commercial mutual praise, praised everything he heard, and his joy was indeed from the bottom of his heart:

“New leeks have appeared. It’s time to harvest another batch of talent!”

…..

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

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep