Check out my new fanfics.
A cote x hikigaya crossover.
Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
Please give it a go š
***
After the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals began, more crushing victories emerged.
In the Western Conference, the earlier concluded Mavericks-Spurs battle saw the San Antonio Spurs dominate with a 94-78 victory!
Chinese fans finally caught a glimpse of Wang Zhizhi, who played 9 minutes in the 4th quarter's garbage time, scoring 3 points, 1 rebound, and 1 block on 1-of-5 shooting.
Such a performance naturally fell short of fans' expectations, especially since CCTV had also broadcast some of the Knicks' games during their limited coverage.
Young fans who surfed the internet had also seen some of Lee's highlight reels.
Beyond his flashy dribbling, everyone hoped that Wang Zhizhi could score as easily as Clay Lee.
After dominating in the CBA, only to play garbage time in the NBA, the media, within two days, once again laid the blame on Dirk Nowitzki:
"The German has stolen Wang Zhizhi's playing time, and Don Nelson is paying for his stubbornness again!"
Playing 28 minutes, shooting 3-of-13, and tallying 9 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block, and 2 turnovers, Nowitzki's performance was indeed subpar.
In contrast, David Robinson shot 2-of-12 for 11 points, while Tim Duncan was highly efficient with 31 points and 13 rebounds on 14-of-22 shooting.
The San Antonio Spurs' twin towers crushed the Dallas Mavericks' interior!
The media's viewpoint had some validity.
On both ends of the court, Nowitzki failed to perform at the level of a star player.
If Wang Zhizhi had been given enough time, these stats wouldn't have been difficult to achieve.
Similarly, in the semifinals on the evening of May 6th, the Knicks led by a large margin from the very first quarter, dominating the Toronto Raptors throughout the game.
With a score of 110-94, the game was effectively over after three quarters, leaving reporters somewhat bewildered by such an easy win.
The game lasted less than 2 hours.
Afterwards, at Madison Square Garden, fans were in no hurry to leave, continuing to celebrate the victory.
Clay Lee did not play in the 4th quarter.
After the game, he wore his practice uniform and greeted his friends who were present.
Ewing only played 20 minutes, so the post-game showboating was taken over by Gorilla.
Though he had become increasingly round, he was particularly confident during his interview:
"This victory is our gift to Lee and the fans!"
"The coaching staff was fully prepared. After a week of rest, everyone was ready. The game proceeded as planned. The Toronto Raptors' youngsters are great, but they still need more game experience."
The noisy atmosphere made Ewing instinctively raise his voice.
Jim Gray, standing nearby, watched Gorilla grin and boast, completely speechless.
He could only chime in with flattery:
"We witnessed the Knicks' dominance. Congratulations, Pat! We hope to see you in the Finals!"
Ewing, already inflated with pride, laughed and patted the shoulder of the veteran NBC reporter, then leaned down to the microphone and said:
"No one is our opponent. We are ready to contend for the championship!"
"..."
Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 1, rather than a game, felt more like an exhibition match for Clay Lee's MVP award ceremony.
Playing only 29 minutes, he shot 9-of-15 from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point range, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line, tallying 25 points, 5 rebounds, 15 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 2 turnovers.
Clay Lee filled the stat sheet, once again delivering an all-around performance!
At the post-game press conference, no one seemed to care about the Toronto Raptors' situation.
As Lee sat on the stage, a New York Post reporter loudly asked:
"Lee, in the semifinals, will you continue the efficiency you showed in the first round? We actually want to see your playing time increase."
Many reporters chuckled softly.
In the three first-round games, Clay Lee averaged 25.7 points in just 28.7 minutes per game, with an astounding 54.1% field goal percentageāhis efficiency was off the charts!
Many Canadian sports reporters felt uncomfortable.
This was blatant disregard.
Although New York and Canada are close, the mockery was merciless.
With an easy schedule, Lee was also relaxed.
Seeing everyone on stage looking at him, he simply chuckled and said:
"I don't focus on stats. In the playoffs, victory is what matters most. Everyone follows the coaching staff's arrangements, after all, we have the Coach of the Year (COY)."
Strictly based on statistics, Jeff Van Gundy was even more incredible.
Since taking over the Knicks, his winning percentage was far superior, and he had won championships with ease.
No one disagreed with Lee's statement.
The Bald Young Coach had risen to prominence by surpassing renowned coaches and was currently the best Head Coach in the league!
While the Knicks' players and the media could engage in mutual flattery, for Vince Carter, the loss was frustrating.
By the third quarter, the opponents had already started coasting, yet the Toronto Raptors struggled to catch up, and the deficit simply wouldn't shrink.
Playing 38 minutes, Carter scored a game-high 29 points on 11-of-25 shooting, 1-of-4 from three-point range, and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, while also dishing out 7 assists and committing 4 turnovers.
As the team leader, Carter didn't complain.
The aging Mark Jackson was indeed struggling, but in the semifinals, he had to persevere:
"I started too slowly. This isn't the Toronto Raptors' true level. Our goal is to get a road win, and we will learn from this in the next game."
Facing some of the media's sarcastic remarks, Carter didn't mind and took the blame voluntarily.
Mark Jackson played 31 minutes, shooting 2-of-9 for only 6 points.
Although he dished out 6 assists, it was to no avail.
Head Coach Wilkens's face was exceptionally grim after the game.
The feeling of powerlessness from when the Atlanta Hawks lost to the Knicks years ago resurfaced.
With the Toronto Raptors' current roster, it was impossible to limit Clay Lee based on individual ability alone.
On May 7th, most sports media, besides reporting on the Knicks' game, had more basketball analysts discussing Game 1 between the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings.
108-105. In the final moments, Jason Williams's turnover led to free throws, causing the Sacramento Kings' comeback attempt to fall short.
The conflict between Head Coach Adelman and Jason Williams was almost out in the open.
Everyone knew that the flashy point guard was likely not in the team's plans for next season.
The Sacramento Kings regrettably lost, while Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant dominated.
Shaquille O'Neal once again crushed his opponent, scoring 44 points and 21 rebounds (including 11 offensive rebounds), along with 4 assists, 7 blocks, and 2 turnovers, on 17-of-32 shooting.
Kobe's performance was also excellent, with 29 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 turnovers on 10-of-23 shooting.
Although there were rumors of conflict within the Lakers' "OK Combination," their chemistry on the court grew stronger.
Phil Jackson responded after the game, denying the "conflict" claims:
"Shaq and Kobe both crave victory. Many times, they just have different basketball philosophies."
"We haven't achieved success yet, so questions are normal. I like the current team atmosphere!"
Shaq refused to comment on Lee winning the MVP.
Affected by injuries this season, Shaq was naturally very dissatisfied with the team's performance.
Kobe, however, wanted to comment, but he wasn't the Lakers' leader, so no one cared about his opinion.
However, after defeating the Sacramento Kings, Kobe also expressed his attitude:
"I've always believed I will be the greatest player in history. Last year's failure was just a test for me."
"I'm ready. Everyone is already eager for the Finals!"
Kobe's performance this season was indeed good.
If he hadn't suffered injuries, his stats might have even increased slightly.
On that day's TNT show, Charles Barkley once again mocked Kobe's confident remarks:
"Greatest in history? Perhaps Kobe Bryant should look at the achievements of players from his own draft class."
"It would be better if he could surpass Lee before discussing these things."
Kenny Smith didn't pay attention to Kobe's remarks.
In fact, top players all have absolute confidence.
He was more concerned about the Lakers' status:
"Unlike the New York Knicks, the Lakers still rely on Shaq, and in last night's game, their three-point shooting was also mediocre."
"The Sacramento Kings were just a hair's breadth away from tying the score, and both teams had problems on the Defense end."
Ernie Johnson had reviewed the game last night.
Game 1 of the Semifinals indeed lacked intensity.
Noticing that Barkley still wanted to interject, he quickly changed the subject and said:
"Among the teams, the 76ers performed better. They used Defense to restrict the Milwaukee Bucks' offense."
Charles Barkley, who was about to continue commenting on Kobe, immediately perked up when he heard this:
"I don't think it was the Defense that worked. It was more that the Milwaukee Bucks players were in poor form."
"13-for-35, scoring 34 points, I don't think Allen Iverson performed well either. If they encountered the New York Knicks, they would face a lot of counterattacks."
"The Milwaukee Bucks failed to seize the opportunity. Glenn Robinson must adjust his status."
Ray Allen went 12-for-22, scoring 31 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 2 turnovers, which was also the Milwaukee Bucks' highest score.
Glenn Robinson went 7-for-22, scoring 15 points.
With such an inefficient performance, he naturally took the blame for the loss.
The three discussed last night's game in the studio again.
Finally, Kenny Smith looked at the data and suddenly began to sigh:
"If there aren't too many changes in the Eastern Conference in the future, perhaps the New York Knicks can maintain their dominance indefinitely."
"..."
On May 9th, after two days of rest, the Toronto Raptors were bombarded by news about Lee for two full days.
When the game started at 7 PM that night, Carter immediately shed his slow start from the previous game, driving to the basket and shooting from outside, leading his teammates in an offensive surge.
At the end of the first quarter, the Toronto Raptors led 31-23, an 8-point lead.
Although the home team was trailing, the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden remained undiminished.
For New York fans, any deficit within 15 points was within reach.
After the second quarter began, Lewis could only smile awkwardly on the New York Knicks' bench.
Compared to his 3-for-4 three-point shooting in a single quarter in the previous game, he went 0-for-3 tonight, and the opponent capitalized on counterattack opportunities.
Although they were trailing, Jeff Van Gundy still made substitutions as planned, but Chauncey Billups and Kukoc also suddenly lost their heroic form.
After 3 minutes and 12 seconds of play, the New York Knicks had no choice but to call a timeout again.
36-25, the Toronto Raptors missed a shot, but still extended their lead to double digits.
On the other side, Carter, walking towards the bench, shouted excitedly, constantly high-fiving his teammates, looking particularly thrilled.
The Bald Young Coach frowned slightly, breaking Lee's rotation time for the first time in the playoffs this season:
"Lee, we need to narrow the gap to within 5 points by halftime. The opponent is in good form tonight, everyone, perk up!"
Lee nodded, not showing too much emotion.
The New York Knicks players were also not flustered.
For them, this situation was common.
At the NBC commentary desk, noticing Lee entering the game early, Doug Collins immediately said with a chuckle:
"Coach Wilkens' change in defensive matchups has been effective. All the Toronto Raptors need to do is keep it up, play good Defense, and make their shots."
Bob Costas also nodded in agreement.
Mindless double-teaming was not advisable, and he also greatly appreciated the changes Coach Wilkens made tonight:
"Try to have wing players guard Clay Lee, reducing the defensive pressure on veteran Mark Jackson. So far, Carter and Alvin Williams have done well."
With victory in sight, Coach Wilkens brought back the starting lineup, not giving Dell Curry, who had a poor shooting touch after coming off the bench, many opportunities.
The fans in the Madison Square Garden also noticed Clay Lee and Allan Houston entering the game early.
After the inbound pass, the cheers grew louder:
"Let's go Knicks!"
After the inbound pass, Ron Artest quickly ran to the opponent's half.
Ben Wallace and Kurt Thomas remained near the left and right baselines.
Mark Jackson no longer led the Defense but followed Ron Artest, one step away, while also watching the movement on the top of the key.
Allan Houston, who moved to the left wing, noticed that his defender had become Alvin Williams.
He immediately shifted to the left corner.
After Lee crossed half-court, he quickly slipped along the baseline.
Kurt Thomas, who was near the left baseline, finished his off-ball screen and followed up, quickly moving to the left wing and settling in.
Compared to Mark Jackson's sticky leading Defense, Carter had a higher center of gravity.
When guarding Lee, he consciously created a small distance.
Spotting the movement behind him, Carter shuffled backward while also preparing to squeeze through the screen, signaling Marcus Camby to come out and delay.
Dribbling with his right hand, near the three-point line on the left wing, Clay Lee jump-dribbled, feinted to the right, then quickly changed direction in front of his body.
While scooping the ball with his left hand, Lee immediately lowered his shoulder and accelerated, driving to the left.
Carter failed to squeeze through the screen in time, and Marcus Camby immediately slid to the right.
Just as he stepped on the three-point line, Lee suddenly wrapped the ball between his legs with one hand.
Before Marcus Camby could react, the basketball had already passed through the gap.
Taking advantage of the opponent's incorrect defensive read, Lee immediately skillfully squeezed between the two, scooped the ball again with his right hand, and then cut from the 45-degree angle directly to the basket.
Marcus Camby, forced to adjust his defensive Center of Gravity, immediately strode towards the basket to chase.
At the same time, Carter noticed that Kurt Thomas had stopped at the free-throw line after the screen, and he hesitated for a moment.
Amidst the fans' exclamations, Lee, who had driven into the paint, suddenly executed a quick pivot spin on his left foot as Marcus Camby chased him to his side.
With a large-scale spin, Lee easily moved to the lower left of the basket.
After jumping, he collided in the air with Marcus Camby, who twisted to block.
Marcus Camby made a desperate block but could only watch helplessly as the basketball sailed over his fingertips, hit the backboard high, and then accurately dropped into the basket.
"Swish!" The shot went in with the whistle.
Clay Lee looked relaxed after landing.
Marcus Camby immediately turned to complain to the referee:
"I didn't make any foul. That was just normal contact!"
The referee shook his head, pointed to the free-throw line again, and indicated that Camby had pushed Lee in the air.
Receiving his second personal foul, Marcus Camby's face darkened.
Amidst the cheers, Lee's free throw also went in, and Camby quickly composed himself.
36-28, the difference was back to single digits.
"Defense! ..."
Scoring immediately upon entering the game also excited the New York fans, and their cheers grew louder.
On the Toronto Raptors' offense, it became simpler compared to the previous game.
On the right wing, the moment Carter received the ball, Antonio Davis immediately stepped up for a high screen.
Ron Artest failed to squeeze through the screen in time.
Carter quickly performed an in-and-out dribble on the three-point line, a slight fake, and then accelerated in a straight line with the ball in his right hand.
Ben Wallace's lateral movement speed was much faster than the "round" Ewing.
He barely lost position.
As Carter took off near the lower right of the basket, on the other side, Allan Houston also converged towards the basket.
Flashing and maneuvering in the air, Carter executed a large scoop layup from right to left, evading the block, and immediately passed the ball to the left corner.
Alvin Williams received the ball with no defender in front of him.
He took a quick look and immediately jumped up to shoot!
"Clank!" A hard miss.
Continuing their performance from the beginning of the second quarter, the Toronto Raptors seemed to have fallen into a scoring drought again.
Clay Lee, in the right block area, grabbed the long rebound.
At this time, the Toronto Raptors players had already begun to retreat quickly.
Coach Wilkens on the sidelines kept reminding his players loudly, appearing extremely focused.
Along the left sideline, Lee chose not to accelerate, but waited for all the Knicks players to cross half-court before unhurriedly dribbling past the mid-line.
Carter was still guarding Lee in front of him, and the Toronto Raptors' transition Defense was very fast tonight.
Before approaching the three-point line, Carter suddenly chose to stick to him.
Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, protected it with his side, and the two tangled their way to the left wing.
Kurt Thomas suddenly moved up the line, and Marcus Camby followed him out, only to find that the Knicks did not set a screen.
With his teammates fully positioned, near the three-point line, Lee suddenly swayed his shoulders, faked a move backward, then suddenly lowered his center of gravity, leaned forward, and accelerated.
Carter, who reacted quickly, slid backward and to the right after being faked, but Lee took the opportunity to quickly cross-step back.
Before Carter could react, Lee suddenly sped up his dribbling rhythm, and while swaying his body to the left, he performed two quick between-the-legs dribbles in place.
Taking advantage of the opponent's defensive center of gravity shifting slightly backward, Clay Lee seized the opportunity to exert force with his feet, took a large step back, gathered the ball outside the three-point line, and quickly jumped and shot over Carter's block!
Although he jumped high and quickly, Carter, after being faked, could not make an effective interference.
He missed the rhythm, and cheers erupted in his ears as he landed.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly!
36:31, the score difference became 5 points.
The Toronto Raptors players had lost their smiles, feeling a sudden surge of pressure.
It was Antonio Davis who broke the deadlock for the Toronto Raptors.
He received a pass from Carter's drive under the basket and made a layup from the lower left side of the rim.
"Carter should pay attention to his driving rhythm. The Knicks' help Defense is getting faster and faster!"
Completely relying on the burst of his first step to complete the breakthrough, Doug Collins secretly shook his head.
Bob Costas was about to express his opinion when he saw Lee suddenly pick up speed.
After crossing half-court, he raised the screen position, and Kurt Thomas successfully delayed the trailing Alvin Williams.
"Marcus Camby needs to be careful, oh! Lee's speed is too fast!"
Approaching the three-point line, as Lee looked up at the rim, he faked gathering the ball with his right hand.
Taking advantage of Marcus Camby reaching out to block, he suddenly pushed the ball quickly and changed direction.
"Wow!"
A huge cheer erupted in the Madison Square Garden.
Lee's beautiful fake completely shook off the Defense.
Inside the paint, facing the help Defense of Antonio Davis, he swayed his body to the right, then quickly took a quick left step forward and to the left.
A large-stride Eurostep while moving allowed Lee to once again evade the block.
After aerial contact, before the opponent could foul, he lightly scooped the ball with his left hand!
"Squeak! Bang, swish!"
The whistle blew, and the basketball hit the backboard and went in.
Clay Lee didn't even look at his opponent after landing, just smiled at the camera under the basket and stretched his shoulders, appearing relaxed.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
As he walked to the free-throw line, a huge roar of MVP echoed through the Madison Square Garden.
Lee calmly made the free throw, and the cheers became a crescendo.
38:34, Wilkens on the sideline couldn't hold back and immediately called a timeout.
In less than 3 minutes, Lee went on a 9:2 run, making Jeff Van Gundy beam with smiles, constantly patting Lee's shoulder.
"What terrifying ability to respond! As long as Lee wants to score, even perimeter Defense won't do much."
Doug Collins finally saw it clearly: when the Knicks exerted force, the Toronto Raptors would not be able to hold on.
Bob Costas seemed to recall the regular season scenes and could only offer platitudes at this moment:
"Perhaps the Toronto Raptors can test the shooting touch of their role players!"
After the timeout, the Toronto Raptors' offense became very patient.
After consuming 20 seconds on the shot clock, Mark Jackson's screen on the right elbow led to a bounce pass to Antonio Davis cutting down.
The latter, after receiving the ball, took three big strides and charged, wanting to complete a one-handed dunk with his left hand, but Ben Wallace, seemingly out of position, came from behind and delivered a solid block after jumping!
A block completed directly in front of the rim, and cheers erupted in the stadium.
Kurt Thomas controlled the ball and immediately passed it to the waiting Lee.
Still no delay, all the Toronto Raptors players quickly retreated on Defense, calling out to each other to remind teammates to get their defensive matchups.
With no one leading the Defense, Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, advanced at a very fast pace.
As he approached the three-point line, Carter finally stuck to him.
The moment their bodies made contact, Lee quickly dribbled behind his back and simultaneously completed a step-back.
Still half a step from the three-point line, Carter never expected Lee to shoot directly after gathering the ball.
He reacted half a beat too slow, and his block had no effect whatsoever.
A long-range three-pointer, the basketball arced high and finally landed precisely in the basket.
"God! Lee made a long-range three-pointer! His shooting touch is red-hot!"
Looking at Clay Lee with his right hand raised, Bob Costas instinctively raised his voice too.
Ben Wallace cheered loudly along with him, looking particularly happy.
On the other side, the Toronto Raptors players were already stunned.
Mark Jackson tried to control the game's rhythm while loudly calling out to his teammates.
As a result, Carter's drive-and-kick was stolen again by Ben Wallace.
The moment Antonio Davis received the ball, it was gone.
Seeing the waiting Lee charging again, the Toronto Raptors' defensive matchups completely fell into disarray for a moment.
Accelerating continuously along the right sideline, Mark Jackson initiated body contact, trying to slow Lee down.
However, after his hand action was swatted away by the ball-handling hand, Mark Jackson found Lee charging faster and faster.
The two arrived at the right wing, completely losing their defensive position.
Mark Jackson instinctively fouled, but Lee took the opportunity to hang onto his opponent's arm, gathered the ball directly at the three-point line, and quickly flung the ball towards the basket.
"Squeak!"
The referee's whistle blew.
Mark Jackson raised both hands, instinctively turned his head, and was completely stunned to see the basketball hit the backboard and go in.
"Wow!"
Madison Square Garden instantly erupted.
Lee smiled, raised both hands, and gestured for the roar to be even louder.
Stepping to the free-throw line, MVP chants echoed through the Madison Square Garden.
Clay Lee made the free throw again.
38:40, the Knicks completely took the lead.
Doug Collins was also stunned. Before his partner could speak, he instinctively blurted out:
"White-hot space! Clay Lee has entered the white-hot space! An incredible performance!"
Perhaps stunned by Lee's individual performance, the Toronto Raptors, after intentionally slowing down, kept clanking shots.
Head Coach Wilkens on the sideline kept shouting, but it didn't solve the problem.
As Kurt Thomas and Allan Houston also found their shooting touch, the Knicks began to score quickly through fast breaks.
With only 6 seconds left in the first half, Carter finally made his third field goal of the second quarter.
In the final moments, with a quick baseline inbound pass, Lee received the ball and, without even crossing half-court, casually tossed it.
Amidst the cheers of the fans, the basketball astonishingly fell directly into the basket.
"Wow!!"
The cheers wouldn't stop.
Clay Lee stood on the sideline, raising both hands again.
All the Knicks players gathered around him, cheering happily along with him.
A single quarter of 14:36.
At the end of the first half, the Knicks led 59:45, a 14-point lead.
Carter's eyes were wide, and he repeatedly looked at the score, seemingly still unable to believe it.
Mark Jackson patted his younger brother's shoulder, pulled him towards the player tunnel, and said in a low, dejected voice:
"That's Lee. Superstars can turn the game around with their individual ability."
....
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