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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 December 27, 2002, after Christmas, the sports media was still discussing the New York Knicks' record.
Although the New York Knicks also experienced some fluctuations in form in December, their winning streak continued as if blessed by God.
The 27th happened to be a Friday, and as the New York Knicks embarked on their Western road trip, ESPN began to promote the game early.
In contrast, the Lakers lost again in the Christmas War.
After two months of the season, critics lost patience.
Even if the defending champions made a strong comeback later, everyone was no longer interested in discussing the team's gossip.
Houston, as the largest city in Texas, has excellent weather most of the time, except for the occasional hurricane.
At the end of December, people in New York usually had to wear coats for daily outings, but in Houston, the perceived temperature was around 15 degrees Celsius.
In a barbecue restaurant in downtown Houston, the white-bearded owner diligently served his specialty barbecue and tortilla chips to the table.
He looked at Lee, who was wearing a New York Knicks blue hoodie, and then smilingly took out his camera, calling out to a nearby waiter:
"Come on, let's take a picture! I've told you all before, Clay always loves our barbecue. This time, I have to hang the photo on the wall!"
Lee put his arm around the owner, smiled, and gave a thumbs-up, while the owner, holding the barbecue, grinned widely.
After their photo, the white-bearded man pulled Yao Ming over for two more photos, then left satisfied.
This restaurant gained some fame in Houston after its establishment in 1992, but Lee rarely came here after his Rookie season, when he came with his Good Brothers.
This kind of unique and down-to-earth restaurant is not actually favored by NBA players.
Big stars need to have a certain prestige.
Another high-end Italian restaurant in Houston is where the New York Knicks players frequent the most.
However, for a Rookie like Yao Ming, the most important thing right now is to close the distance with ordinary fans.
Yao Ming, dressed in casual formal wear, sat next to his good friend Colin Pine.
The two seemed not to have expected the white restaurant owner to be so enthusiastic.
Lee looked at the three large plates of beef ribs barbecue and tortilla chips on the table and nodded contentedly.
Noticing their surprised looks, he explained:
"Pepsi has a partnership with them. My endorsement contract is about to expire. Taking care of this restaurant when filming future commercials can save a lot of money."
"Nothing else matters. When he knows that my goodwill might bring more revenue to this restaurant, he will naturally treat me warmly."
"If they develop well and open a branch in New York, taking care of their business casually can earn a lot of money."
"This is reality, Yao Ming. You need to recognize your own value. It's not that you need the Houston Rockets, but that the Houston Rockets need you."
As a first overall pick, he earned a salary of $3.86 million in his Rookie season, but 22-year-old Yao Ming didn't seem to understand Lee's values yet.
He glanced at his friend beside him and said shyly:
"Clay is right, I might still need to adapt to the culture here."
Colin Pine, however, strongly agreed with Lee's point of view and took this opportunity to advise his good friend:
"Many times you have to tell the team what you need. You don't need to worry about the internal competition."
"Glen Rice is not the future of the team. Perhaps in less than two seasons, he will retire, and Kevin Cato is the same!"
Rookies do get bullied, and carrying bags is a small matter.
Yao Ming's situation is actually quite good, at least much better than the punching bags of the New York Knicks back then.
Yao Ming didn't talk much, but Colin Pine turned into a fanboy, listing Lee's achievements like a treasure.
The atmosphere among the three quickly became harmonious.
The game officially started at 6:30 PM that evening, and for China, this game happened to be on a Saturday.
Since Wang Zhizhi was banned this season, most of the broadcast resources were naturally taken by the Houston Rockets.
Although NBA games were broadcast in the past, Yao Ming's entry into the NBA brought another surge.
However, most chinese fans' understanding of NBA news is still somewhat one-sided.
There is no Excel here, nor the advanced data commentary concepts that ESPN has heavily promoted in recent years.
For ordinary fans, watching games is still at the stage of "beautiful posture".
Big data, efficiency, tactics, etc., are far from ordinary fans.
In the CCTV Sports studio before the game, Yu Jia, a grassroots host who joined CCTV Sports a few years ago, had completely established himself and could now partner with veteran broadcasters in the past two years.
The invited guest, Xu Jicheng, began to reminisce about the past, popularizing NBA knowledge for chinese fans:
"In the 1997-98 season, Michael Jordan had the opportunity to complete his second three-peat, but he ultimately lost to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals."
"What impressed me the most at that time was Clay Lee's anti-buzzer-beater!"
"American sports media believes that was the shot that changed the series and a symbol of Clay Lee becoming a superstar."
"We didn't broadcast many New York Knicks games, but they were the team that dominated the league these past years. Last year, when they entered a rebuilding phase, the Lakers won the championship."
Yu Jia witnessed the 1996 All-Star game live, but at that time, Clay Lee had just entered the league.
Later, he didn't have the opportunity to learn more about Lee's detailed information.
Hearing the veteran reminisce about the past, Yu Jia followed up by saying:
"Currently, chinese fans have a deep impression of the Lakers. They won the championship last season, and in their recent game against the Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant scored 45 points."
Xu Jicheng laughed heartily, seemingly finding this comparison very interesting, and interrupted proactively:
"Averaging 40+ points in the Finals for two consecutive years, the gap in their abilities is huge. Like Michael Jordan, Clay Lee is currently the best player in the NBA."
"Fans who don't know can take a look at the individual honors Clay Lee has received so far that we have compiled."
The broadcast screen then showed Lee's photo, and on the other side, his current major and minor honors:
"1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 NBA champion, Finals MVP."
"1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02 season MVP."
Four championships, four Finals MVPs, and three MVPs were the most prominent.
As for the scoring champion, assists champion, steals champion, All-Star Game MVP, Player of the Month, Player of the Week, Rookie of the Month, and Rookie of the Year, they all became minor honors.
Even if they didn't understand the NBA, viewers in front of the TV knew Clay Lee's star level when they saw the entire screen filled with awards.
The most striking contrast was when the honors Kobe Bryant had received were listed during the previous broadcast of the Houston Rockets vs. Lakers game.
The most prominent honor for this Champion Guard was the "All-Star Game MVP".
The Clay Lee Recognition Award was not included in the statistics.
With such exaggerated honors, Xu Jicheng, a die-hard Chicago Bulls fan, would repeatedly mention Lee in daily broadcasts.
Yu Jia watched the veteran beside him enter Lee-praising mode again and was speechless for a moment:
"Besides these honors, Clay Lee is also currently the youngest player in the NBA to reach 10,000 points."
"After entering the league, he broke a series of scoring records, and most of the youngest achievements bear his name."
"..."
The Houston Rockets' home court this season was still at the Compaq Center.
Compared to Madison Square Garden, the facilities were very old.
The venue could accommodate about 17,000 spectators, and since it was a Friday, Houston fans arrived early.
The New York Knicks players didn't like the Houston Rockets' away locker room at all.
The lockers felt very old, and the space was very small.
The Houston Rockets' current record was 15 wins and 12 losses.
Although their record was good, Mike D'Antoni and the coaching staff were very confident about tonight's game.
The New York Knicks' favorite opponents were teams centered around backcourt players.
With their wing forwards and Clay Lee, Allen Iverson was the most typical victim.
The Houston Rockets had not beaten the New York Knicks since entering their rebuilding phase.
The backcourt duo of Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley struggled to support the team's offense.
In the away locker room before the game, Mike D'Antoni didn't even use a whiteboard.
He clapped his hands cheerfully and said to everyone:
"Tonight, everyone create more opportunities for Lee. Let's try to end the game's suspense as early as possible."
"Tomorrow, we also have a game against the Dallas Mavericks, and then we have to fly to San Antonio."
"Play smart. We have to deliver on our promise!"
Everyone responded loudly to the Head Coach's words.
With three consecutive away games, the Houston Rockets were the soft target, so they naturally had to strike hard tonight!
Clay Lee only briefly bumped fists with his teammates.
The upcoming Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs games were key to their winning streak.
As the game was about to begin, after the home team completed their entrance ceremony,
Nessler, who had just finished commentating on the Christmas War, looked at his partner at the ESPN commentary table and briefly introduced the starting lineup:
"Tonight, Yao will still start, with Cuttino Mobley and Steve Francis as the backcourt, and Glen Rice and Eddie Griffin on the forward line."
"Recently, we've also received some news that the management seems to have some conflict with Glen Rice."
"But Coach Tomjanovich has denied this, and tonight we can pay attention to Glen Rice's performance."
Jeff Van Gundy, who was invited, saw the Houston Rockets' lineup and sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he remained calm, instead praising with a smile:
"Francis, returning from injury this season, has shown excellent form, and Yao has recently secured his starting position. He has fully adapted to NBA games."
"However, the key tonight is Defense. If the Houston Rockets want to win, they must be fully prepared on the defensive end."
"Lee likes to play against big men, which reminds me of the New York Knicks' and Pacers' game!"
The Bald Young Coach reminisced in the commentary box.
The Compaq Center was completely full at this time, with many chinese fans holding white boards supporting Yao Ming as always.
But more Asians fans were wearing Lee's away No. 1 jersey.
This situation has continued for many years, as Lee can only be seen once a season in Houston.
The referee signaled both teams to come to the center of the court, and the cheers in the Compaq Center grew louder.
Steve Francis tried to put on a star pose, but the New York Knicks players didn't bother to give him face, and everyone reacted indifferently.
Grant Hill's popularity was much more explosive than Steve Francis's.
He just smiled at the opponent before the game.
Glen Rice's face was grim.
No one paid attention to his posturing.
As an outdated star and a defeated opponent, Ewing only exchanged a few pleasantries before the game.
Lee simply greeted a few people on the opposite side and then stopped in his own half.
As the referee tossed the ball, a somewhat nervous Yao Ming jumped too early.
Pau Gasol seized the opportunity and tipped the ball to his half, then the New York Knicks players accelerated past the centerline.
"Defense!"
As the defensive cheer just sounded, Pau Gasol stopped at the top of the arc.
Lee, dribbling the ball with his right hand past half court, suddenly accelerated against Mobley's lead Defense, feigning a drive to the right.
Seeing Lee lower his center of gravity and noticing Pau Gasol's position behind him, Mobley instinctively chose to stick close, preparing to quickly squeeze through the screen.
At the top of the arc, the three bodies collided.
Lee immediately stopped short, quickly dribbled behind his back, and the moment he switched to his left hand, Yao Ming, who had been warned before the game, also quickly moved up.
Pau Gasol did not accelerate down as usual, which caused Mobley, who was preparing to squeeze through the screen, to be caught in the middle.
He quickly adjusted his body's center of gravity, and the next second, he saw Lee suddenly rely on him for a fancy spin.
The basketball was flung to the front right of his body.
The seemingly flashy move instantly shook off the Defense.
Yao Ming only reacted when Lee re-scooped the ball with his right hand.
He still wanted to move horizontally but saw that Lee had already gathered the ball, still some distance from the three-point line at the top of the arc, and shot a pull-up jumper!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
The Compaq Center suddenly erupted in considerable cheers.
In recent years, Clay Lee has not had many opportunities to show off his individual fancy moves.
There is still a gap between video lessons and actual combat.
Even if the coaching staff repeatedly reminded him, the Rookie Yao Ming was still a bit confused:
"He shot already?"
When the Houston Rockets attacked, after Mobley dribbled past half court, Eddie Griffin proactively stepped up to set a screen.
Specific arrangements were made before the game: the Houston Rockets played with one inside and four outside.
Steve Francis stopped on the right wing, Glen Rice accelerated to the right corner, and Yao Ming drove straight to the basket.
The New York Knicks simply played man-to-man Defense.
Near the screen on the left wing, Clay Lee easily squeezed through, and Kurt Thomas also moved with him, continuing to collapse inside the three-point line.
Mobley seized the opportunity and quickly passed the ball back to the open Eddie Griffin, who caught the ball and immediately shot a jumper from the left wing!
"Bang!"
The long rebound bounced out.
Grant Hill retreated to the vicinity of the paint, successfully secured the defensive rebound, and then charged with the ball.
Steve Francis proactively stepped up to delay.
After Grant Hill pushed the ball and changed direction, he quickly passed the ball to Lee.
Near the centerline, Mobley originally intended to delay on the spot, actively exerting force and colliding with Lee as he received the ball.
However, after their bodies collided, Lee held the ball with his left hand, leaned into his opponent, and continued to accelerate.
Mobley tried to slap the ball away but was swatted away by Lee's ball-protecting hand.
Fans couldn't see the details.
They only saw Lee get the ball, twist his body, accelerate, and instantly shake off Mobley's tight Defense.
Cheers erupted in the arena for a moment.
Eddie Griffin behind him chased furiously but found Lee charging faster and faster.
Just as he chased back to the three-point line, Lee had already taken three big steps into the paint, leaped high, swung the ball around in the air, then grabbed the ball with his right hand and slammed it down!
"Boom!" A windmill dunk was successful!
Yao Ming had just retreated to near the centerline and quickly realized that the other New York Knicks players hadn't moved at all.
They were all stopped in their half-court.
In the commentary box, Jeff Van Gundy showed a nostalgic expression and couldn't help but praise loudly:
"Transition offense, the New York Knicks' favorite way to score!"
"When an opponent has a core player like Clay Lee, the Houston Rockets should try their best to get the ball inside. Trying to find their touch from the outside is definitely the wrong choice."
5:0. Seeing the New York Knicks score easily, Tomjanovich on the sidelines quickly shouted loudly, reminding Mobley to control the game's tempo.
Lee, having completed the dunk, continued to lead the Defense on Mobley.
This second-round pick, as usual, was so pressured he couldn't lift his head.
After continuous body contact, he finally managed to get past half court by backing into him.
Mobley quickly passed the ball to Steve Francis, who popped out to receive it on the right wing.
The moment the latter received the ball, Yao Ming accelerated towards the three-point line, and Pau Gasol also followed him out.
Yao Ming's screen quality was very good this time.
Grant Hill couldn't squeeze through the screen immediately, while Pau Gasol collapsed behind, strictly guarding against the roll.
The opportunity flashed by.
Steve Francis dribbled two big steps, then immediately stopped short, hitting a long two-point jumper from the left wing!
"Wow!"
Houston fans immediately cheered for their star.
The Houston Rockets players were still retreating on Defense.
The New York Knicks inbounded the ball, and Lee immediately accelerated.
Against Mobley's Defense, Lee, with the ball in his right hand, accelerated past half court.
As Pau Gasol settled outside the three-point line, he quickly pushed the ball and changed direction.
Unable to squeeze through the screen, Mobley hadn't had time to warn Yao Ming when Clay Lee, scooping the ball with his left hand, charged to the vicinity of the three-point line.
While retreating on Defense, Yao Ming twisted around and saw Lee's figure.
He instinctively quickened his steps, sliding backward and to the right, attempting to block the driving lane.
However, Lee, with his right foot forward in motion, suddenly exerted force, took a large step back, instantly returning outside the three-point line, drifting backward and to the left, and quickly shot a pull-up jumper!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly!
Mobley's eyes widened.
Lee's New York Knicks-colored shoes had just severely deformed.
Such sudden stops put immense strain on the body.
Yao Ming, still sliding towards the basket, helplessly raised his hands, indicating that Lee's speed was too fast.
He couldn't even make any defensive reaction, which was quite embarrassing.
8:2. After the game started, a one-sided situation subtly emerged.
Yao Ming soon got an opportunity.
After the Houston Rockets passed the ball around the perimeter, Steve Francis lobbed the ball to Yao Ming from the left wing.
Receiving the ball in the left low post, Yao Ming turned towards the baseline, and with a soft touch, hit a turnaround jumper over Pau Gasol's block.
In the commentary box, Nessler saw Yao Ming score and quickly asked his partner beside him:
"Jeff, if you were to coach Yao Ming, what kind of tactics would you develop?"
Jeff Van Gundy looked at Yao Ming's efforts in retreating on Defense and confidently replied:
"If the Houston Rockets want to win the Finals, Yao Ming needs to gain weight and take on more low-post finishing duties."
"In last year's Finals, we already witnessed Shaquille O'Neal's performance against the New York Knicks' interior Defense."
"Increasing physical confrontation is the best choice. Big men have a natural disadvantage in defending pick-and-rolls, but as long as they respond on the offensive end, Yao Ming can establish himself in the league."
With experience, Yao Ming proactively made a big delay and double-teamed against the pick-and-roll.
As a result, Lee, who was pulling the Defense horizontally, suddenly made a subtle hip turn, lowered his center of gravity, and squeezed directly past Yao Ming.
On the left wing, Lee cut to the basket, immediately attracting the Houston Rockets' three-man Defense, and Glen Rice also collapsed towards the basket.
Before the three could form a trap, Lee, accelerating and driving with the ball in his left hand, suddenly leaned in and threw the ball.
Yao Ming instinctively jumped to block, but found the basketball bounced high off the backboard and then backward.
Pau Gasol, following up, used his height advantage to scoop the ball in the air and put it into the basket over Mobley.
"Wow!"
The highly entertaining pass once again caused the home fans to switch allegiances, and the cheers grew louder.
On the next possession, the Houston Rockets once again passed the ball to Yao Ming on the right low block.
His left-hand hook shot missed, and Pau Gasol poked the ball away.
Ron Artest, with quick eyes and hands, successfully secured possession.
He immediately tossed the ball to Lee in the middle.
Mobley had retreated early, attempting to establish a defensive position in advance.
After catching the ball, Lee dribbled with his left hand, constantly accelerating.
He noticed Steve Francis accelerating from the right wing to the basket.
Breaking into the paint, he suddenly made a one-handed behind-the-back pass while on the move.
By the time Mobley and Steve Francis, who had retreated to the basket, reacted, Grant Hill, who had followed up, received the ball in the middle.
After jumping with both feet, he directly threw down a one-handed thunderous dunk!
12:4. On the New York Knicks' bench, the atmosphere group cheered.
Coach D'Antoni glanced at the Champion Coach on the opposite side and chuckled again.
The game quickly fell into the New York Knicks' rhythm.
The Houston Rockets occasionally responded with uncontested long two-pointers, but every missed shot led to a fast break.
Even if Ron Artest's transition three-pointer missed, the situation was still very unsightly.
His teammate Eddie Griffin clanked several shots in a row, making it increasingly difficult for Yao Ming, who was constantly running back and forth.
Yao Ming finally made a turnaround jump shot from the right low block.
Just as he was about to pump his fist in celebration, Lee accelerated again.
Gasping for air and running back to half-court with all his might, Yao Ming saw Pau Gasol standing at the three-point line and Kurt Thomas receiving the ball near the arc.
He could only stop his steps.
Lee, who had quickly passed the ball, first accelerated and cut past Kurt Thomas.
Mobley initially thought this was a UCLA cut, but quickly realized Lee had stopped near the free-throw line.
Pau Gasol started cutting towards the basket, leaning on Yao Ming.
Clay Lee took the opportunity to set an off-ball down screen.
Yao Ming was delayed for a moment and quickly tried to squeeze past Lee, continuing to chase Pau Gasol.
Lee, however, took advantage of this opportunity, using their large bodies, and suddenly accelerated outwards.
Mobley and Yao Ming collided.
At the top of the arc, Lee received a hand-off pass from Kurt Thomas, made no adjustments, and immediately shot the ball!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in again!
Seeing Eddie Griffin make no defensive reaction, Head Coach Tomjanovich on the sidelines couldn't hold back anymore and immediately called a timeout.
23:10. With 4 minutes and 7 seconds left in the first quarter, the Houston Rockets were on the verge of collapsing.
Jeff Van Gundy saw such a scene and showed a nostalgic expression:
"A double-digit deficit. Lee will continue to speed up the offensive pace. Let me think, he should increase transition three-pointers later."
"No one on the Houston Rockets can stop him. Glen Rice's physical condition is too poor."
Nessler, next to him, looked at his partner and quickly took over, asking:
"How can the Houston Rockets narrow the gap? It seems their offense is having problems!"
The Bald Young Coach shook his head slightly, appearing as if the game was already over:
"Patience is very important, but the Houston Rockets have been controlling the pace and trying to slow down since the beginning of the game. However, being down by double digits, perhaps Mobley and Steve Francis will choose to speed up the offensive pace."
"But that will only make them lose faster. Lee will easily win the game with transition offense."
Jeff Van Gundy's prediction was very accurate.
Steve Francis tried to save the team with his individual ability, and patient passing gradually turned into reckless shots.
In the first possession after the timeout, Steve Francis no longer called for a pick-and-roll.
Facing Grant Hill's Defense, he continuously dribbled behind his back and made a front-of-the-body crossover, faking a drive before quickly pulling back.
After all that maneuvering, Grant Hill did not lose his defensive position.
Finally, Steve Francis made another front-of-the-body crossover, dribbled with his right hand, accelerated, and broke into the right restricted area, pulling up for a fadeaway jumper over the Defense!
One person holding the ball and dribbling for a long timeâthis kind of offense is actually very common in most NBA teams.
If they can't open up the game, they give it to the team's core.
Lee noticed that Steve Francis was defending him.
After receiving the ball in the backcourt, he immediately passed it to Grant Hill, then accelerated towards half-court.
Grant Hill, leaning on Glen Rice's Defense, dribbled past half-court and then signaled a play.
Running from the right wing to the right baseline, then quickly moving from right to left along the baseline, Lee accelerated outwards, using Pau Gasol's screen.
Steve Francis stared with wide eyes, chasing relentlessly.
On the left wing, the moment Clay Lee received the ball, he immediately stuck to him again.
Facing such tight Defense, Lee quickly swept the ball after receiving it, protecting it on his left side.
Noticing no help Defense, he leaned on his opponent's right foot and quickly made a jab step.
As soon as Steve Francis shuffled backward, Lee immediately dropped the ball with his left hand, dribbled it hard on the spot, took a large step back, drifted slightly to the left, and quickly shot a jump shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly!
On the Knicks' bench, Stephen Jackson swung his towel and laughed loudly, taunting Steve Francis, who was receiving the ball on the baseline:
"Stop showing off your terrible dribbling!"
Yao Ming, who was still running back and forth, was still posting up in the low block.
Steve Francis, who received the ball in the backcourt, saw Lee leading the Defense against him and immediately became energized.
On the left wing, Lee did not choose to play tight Defense.
His defensive position was just right.
Whenever Steve Francis quickly changed direction and accelerated to drive, he immediately slid to block the driving lane.
When his opponent circled back to near the three-point line, Lee would step up to interfere, forcing his opponent to continue driving.
Repeated dribbling failed to shake off the Defense.
Steve Francis, dribbling with his left hand, quickly made a front-of-the-body crossover after a behind-the-back dribble.
Catching the ball with his left hand, Steve Francis leaned on Lee, charged forward, broke into the left restricted area, and immediately exerted force, bumping into Lee, and stepping back to gather the ball.
The moment he wanted to shoot a jump shot, Lee, completely unaffected, quickly closed in on his opponent and forcefully swatted the ball with his right hand.
"Ah!"
The moment the ball was lost, Steve Francis, who had jumped into the air, waved his arms and shouted loudly, but the referee made no call.
Everyone on the New York Knicks' bench behind him laughed.
Clay Lee, who had completed the steal, didn't accelerate but waited for Steve Francis to retreat before slowly dribbling past half-court.
Houston fans also booed at such a scene.
Steve Francis, with his explosive athleticism, indeed had the ability to lock down an opponent's core player.
He established his defensive position early on the right wing, clapped his hands hard, and lowered his center of gravity.
Francis stared intently at Lee, who was dribbling past half-court with his right hand.
Yao Ming had just returned to the basket.
Lee, approaching the three-point line, swayed his body to the left front, simultaneously made a quick behind-the-back dribble, and the moment he caught the ball with his left hand, he immediately accelerated into a front-of-the-body crossover.
Steve Francis merely followed his body's defensive instincts, first sliding to the right front, and then watched the basketball disappear in front of him.
In the commentary box, Nessler reacted quickly this time, exclaiming:
"Killer Crossover!"
Steve Francis, who still wanted to slide, stumbled, completely losing his defensive position, and watched as Clay Lee, dribbling with his right hand, accelerated straight to the basket.
Yao Ming in the paint didn't expect his "Good Brother" to fall so quickly.
Facing Lee, who jumped with both feet, he instinctively jumped to block.
Their bodies collided.
Yao Ming quickly realized that Lee was spinning in the air.
In a blink of an eye, he completely lost his defensive position and could only pull him.
Turning 180 degrees, successfully evading the Defense, amidst the fans' exclamations, Lee used his core strength, grabbed the ball with his left hand, and smoothly threw it off the backboard.
"Squeak!"
The referee blew his whistle, the ball went off the backboard and into the hoop, and the Compaq Center Arena erupted.
For a moment, most of the fans stood up and cheered.
Coach D'Antoni on the sidelines also stood up, raising both hands, laughing and celebrating.
The atmosphere group was jumping and dancing, almost rushing directly onto the court.
Yao Ming's eyes were also wide this time.
He looked at Lee with some disbelief and subconsciously muttered:
"Holy crap, that went in too?"
Hearing the familiar colloquialism, Lee just shook his head and smiled, walked to the free-throw line, waited for the referee to hand him the ball, and casually teased Steve Francis next to him:
"Buddy, this is how you play basketball!"
"..."
Steve Francis, whose face grew increasingly grim, said nothing.
Looking at the New York Knicks' atmosphere group still celebrating wildly, he finally cursed under his breath:
"Damn game!"
When Steve Francis entered the league, Tim Hardaway had already become an "old man," and such outdated moves were rarely seen in the league anymore.
However, Lee's movements were more exaggerated, and his explosiveness was stronger, so the visual effect was naturally explosive.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
When Lee shot free throws, the MVP chants grew louder and louder, and most of the home fans had switched sides.
In the last few minutes of the first quarter, Steve Francis received another foul, sending Lee to the free-throw line.
The Houston Rockets' star player seemed to have broken down.
34:18. At the end of the first quarter, the New York Knicks led by 16 points.
During the break, Jeff Van Gundy glanced at the statistics and smiled as he simply commented:
"It seems Lee has a chance to break his scoring record. His shooting touch is excellent tonight."
8 for 8 from the field, 4 for 4 from three-point range, 5 for 5 from the free-throw line, 25 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals.
Noticing Clay Lee's stats, Nessler instinctively blinked, then raised his voice and praised loudly:
"Lee is too outstanding! I believe Houston fans won't mind witnessing a new scoring record!"
With a large lead, Lee re-entered the game with 7 minutes and 16 seconds left in the second quarter.
He didn't engage in too many pick-and-rolls from the five spot, just casually shot a few three-pointers in a few minutes.
Mobley and Steve Francis's faces grew darker.
Although Lee started missing shots, this attitude still irritated them.
At halftime, the New York Knicks' bench was in a joyous uproar.
Stephen Jackson walked towards the player tunnel, shouting behind Clay Lee:
"60 points! Lee, keep shooting! You'll definitely get 60+ tonight!"
11-for-14 from the field, 5-for-7 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Although the atmosphere group was used to Lee's efficient performance, seeing such efficiency, they couldn't help but shower him with praise.
Yao Ming, who had been in a state of constant running back and forth, was 3-for-8 in the first half, only scoring 7 points and 1 rebound.
Looking at his broken teammates, Yao Ming sighed helplessly when he returned to the locker room.
He didn't like this kind of game rhythm at all.
62:40 at halftime, the game was practically without suspense.
After the second half began, Lee originally intended to coast through the third quarter, but Mobley and Steve Francis on the opposing team defended with increasing intensity.
Under such circumstances, Lee struck back with full force.
Steve Francis had just scored two points from free throws after driving to the basket.
Taking advantage of Lee receiving the ball, he immediately took the lead in Defense.
Constantly engaging in physical confrontation, Lee, however, pushed through the Defense, accelerating like a bulldozer across half-court.
Lee stopped abruptly, creating a sliver of space.
After signaling a play, the New York Knicks players spread out one by one.
Dribbling with his left hand, he slowly approached the three-point line.
Steve Francis didn't dare to stick close, trying to control the defensive distance.
Without complex fakes, Lee, dribbling with his left hand, suddenly lowered his center of gravity and quickly executed an in-and-out dribble.
While feinting to the right, he pushed off his feet, taking a large step back to create shooting space.
Clay Lee ignored the Defense and quickly jumped up to shoot!
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
"Wow!"
Cheers once again echoed through the Compaq Center.
Unable to keep up with Lee's offensive rhythm, Steve Francis's blocking motion had no effect.
As the Houston Rockets sped up their offense, the New York Knicks started feeding the ball to Clay Lee.
Mobley made a long two-point jump shot after a pick-and-roll.
In a semi-transition offense, on the left wing, Lee faked, accelerated, and ran back, receiving a hand-off pass from Pau Gasol, and shot immediately!
"Swish!" Another long-range three-pointer went in.
Yao Ming was already numb at this point, instinctively following his teammates to the frontcourt, then quickly retreating on Defense after a missed shot.
Having just reached the half-court line, Yao Ming saw Clay Lee again in transition offense, quickly dribbling behind his back with his left hand, feinting in the opposite direction, and then Steve Francis lost his defensive position again.
Stopping in his tracks, Yao Ming watched Lee dribble once with his right hand, approach the left wing, stop abruptly, and another long-range three-pointer went in.
Scratching his head subconsciously, Yao Ming looked at his teammates, then at the coaching staff on the sidelines.
Noticing that everyone's eyes were glazed over, he could only continue running with his teammates for a while.
The Houston Rockets' two backcourt players constantly competed with Lee, choosing not to double-team but to take turns defending.
Under such circumstances, Houston fans quickly saw Lee constantly receiving the ball on both wings, simple dribble-and-step-back moves, and continuous three-pointers going in.
The cheers grew louder and louder until Lee finally missed a three-pointer, and the Compaq Center was filled with sighs of regret.
After the timeout didn't solve the problem, Tomjanovich went into AFK mode, sitting calmly on the bench.
On the ESPN commentary desk, Nessler was shouting, looking like he had never seen such a spectacle, excitedly exclaiming:
"7-for-8! Clay Lee's performance from beyond the arc is insane!"
"Lee has already broken the regular season three-point record! What an incredible performance!"
Jeff Van Gundy secretly thought "ridiculous," but on the surface, he put on a look as if he had seen such scenes before:
"This is Clay Lee! When he completely finds his touch from beyond the arc, he will become unstoppable!"
In the latter half of the third quarter, Steve Francis was easily faked out, Mobley was bulldozed on drives, and after collectively breaking down defensively, they reluctantly sent Lee to the free-throw line.
During one drive, Yao Ming simply hugged Lee, but unexpectedly, the basketball he casually tossed out still bounced and stumbled into the basket.
Yao Ming reluctantly twitched the corner of his mouth.
At this moment, he only wanted to rest, panting heavily while leaning on his knees, watching Lee make the additional free throw.
Enduring until the last moment, the New York Knicks had the final possession of the third quarter.
Yao Ming silently ran to half-court, then saw the basketball fly towards the basket again.
"Oh!!"
Amidst the exclamations of the live audience, the basketball, drawing a huge arc, finally went in cleanly.
Yao Ming was dumbfounded at this moment, turning his head to see Clay Lee raising both hands near mid-court, celebrating in a showy manner.
When he returned to the bench, the sweating Yao Ming saw that all his teammates were silent, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Both Steve Francis and Mobley covered their faces with their hands, and after sitting upright, their eyes were glazed over, seemingly unable to believe the game had turned out this way.
9-for-11 from the field, 8-for-9 from beyond the arc, 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, Clay Lee scored 31 points in a single quarter.
After three quarters, 100:62, the game had completely entered garbage time.
The Compaq Center was completely boiling at this point.
Clay Lee returned to the bench, and the fans behind him excitedly kept shouting his name.
Stephen Jackson, holding a water bottle with both hands, leaned over, staring at Lee as if he were an alien:
"Motherfucker! This is the craziest game I've ever witnessed!"
"God-possessed! Unbelievable!"
Pau Gasol, who had just looked at the box score, found the numbers even more explosive than he had imagined:
31 minutes played, 20-for-25 from the field, 13-for-16 from beyond the arc, 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, 63 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, no turnovers.
"If every team defended like the Houston Rockets, all we'd have to do is give the ball to Lee and we'd win!"
Pau Gasol spoke a bit slowly.
After saying this, the atmosphere group started chattering again, discussing Lee's performance.
Mike D'Antoni smiled, his eyes squinting, and he handed over the rotation duties to his assistant coach, patting Lee on the shoulder vigorously, appearing very happy.
After hydrating, Lee saw his teammates still discussing the stats.
He put on his practice uniform and joked:
"Seriously, I want to play 82 Houston Rockets games!"
"..."
(A/N: Unlike other mc who loves to lick and kneel under chinese and yao, here mc is different from them. I'll make sure to edit and delete those things.)
As the fourth quarter entered garbage time, in the CCTV Sports studio across the ocean, Xu Jicheng ignored Yu Jia next to him, his face flushed, and he couldn't stop praising:
"He scored 63 points in three quarters. Perhaps Clay Lee will soon completely surpass Michael Jordan!"
"This is a true superstar. Clay Lee will be as great as Michael Jordan in the future!"
"This season, the New York Knicks will win the Finals!"
Yu Jia had seen many games decided by one player, but this was the first time he witnessed a game where Lee's step-back jump shots and drives completely overwhelmed the opponent.
The veteran was still speaking, not even commentating on the game at this point, but the director didn't mind.
Yu Jia couldn't interject and could only silently lament in his heart:
"Basketball can be played like this?!"
Finally, 124:84, the New York Knicks won a big away game against the Houston Rockets, effortlessly securing their 26th consecutive victory!
After the game, many fans were still shouting Lee's name.
Yao Ming, draped in a towel, was in low spirits.
32 minutes played, 5-for-12 from the field, 5-for-7 from the free-throw line, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 turnovers.
Yao Ming was not satisfied with his performance.
Sports media surrounded Lee.
Scoring 63 points in three quarters was the hot news of the year-end, and cameras clicked non-stop.
Clay Lee and Yao Ming embraced.
Noticing the other's low spirits, he immediately encouraged him, though superficially:
"This is only your first season. You will succeed in the NBA!"
"But if you want to keep up with this game rhythm, remember to gain weight carefully."
Yao Ming didn't think too much, a smile appeared on his face, and he said seriously:
"I will always remember this game. Next time we meet, I will win it back!"
"..."
.....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)