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***
After the new season began, the sports media in San Antonio did not hype the team's performance as much as in previous years.
Despite the San Antonio Spurs starting with an excellent 5-1 record, newspapers like the San Antonio Express-News remained very cautious.
Gregg Popovich always said that statistics could not reflect Tim Duncan's impact, but this was nonsense to most basketball commentators.
Kevin Garnett had an explosive performance in the first week, while Tim Duncan's play was unremarkable.
In the eyes of commentators, Kevin Garnett overshadowed Tim Duncan because his stats were worth boasting about!
In this situation, local television and radio stations in San Antonio also began to complain about the team's tactics.
According to the current trend, it would be difficult for Tim Duncan to win the MVP.
Gregg Popovich, who rode on the coattails of his players, had delivered a good report card in recent years.
The San Antonio Spurs had won a conference championship and reached the Finals.
Compared to other teams, they had been very successful!
Although there were always trade rumors, with Manu Ginobili and Billy Packer re-signing, the team developed a wonderful chemistry, and even Tim Duncan felt that the San Antonio Spurs were on the right track.
During the regular season, while losing to the New York Knicks would not affect the MVP race, victory was still essential for a dignified award.
On tuesday, November 16, at 5:30 PM, at the SBC Center, the San Antonio Spurs immediately demonstrated their excellent tactical execution after the game began.
Two days prior, when the San Antonio Spurs played the Atlanta Hawks, the game was wide open, and Bruce Bowen even made all 5 of his three-point attempts, scoring 22 points, the team's second-highest.
Tonight, after the game began, the San Antonio Spurs were exceptionally cautious, maintaining their offensive rhythm regardless of whether they were leading or trailing.
The first half saw a stalemate between the two teams.
After the second half began, the New York Knicks actively changed their defensive strategy, intentionally leaving the perimeter open and collapsing their Defense.
3 minutes and 27 seconds into the fourth quarter, both sides brought their starters back onto the court.
Clay Lee made both free throws, and the San Antonio Spurs inbounded the ball.
Parker, who was not being guarded, still did not speed up.
He signaled the play early, and before even approaching the three-point line, Parker passed the ball to Tim Duncan at the left elbow.
Parker, who had passed the ball, accelerated and cut from Tim Duncan's side, unable to shake off Lee.
He quickly slipped along the baseline and ran towards the right corner.
Rasho NesteroviÄ remained rooted near the right baseline.
His task tonight was to grab rebounds and suppress the New York Knicks' transition offense.
Tim Duncan, who received the ball at the high post, did not immediately go for a one-on-one play against Kurt Thomas's Defense.
Instead, he turned his body and moved towards the free-throw line, making a hand-off pass to Manu Ginobili.
Bruce Bowen continued to shuffle towards the corner, making a cross-screen with Parker, and then quickly ran to his sweet spot.
When Manu Ginobili received the pass at the top of the arc, he put the ball down with his left hand, then suddenly dribbled it behind his back, using Tim Duncan's screen to drive to the middle with his right hand.
Noticing Lee collapsing towards the elbow, Manu Ginobili passed the ball early.
On the right wing, Parker received the ball again.
He immediately put the ball down with his right hand and drove straight to the basket.
After completing the pass, Manu Ginobili cut to the middle and ran to the left corner.
Tim Duncan stopped at the free-throw line to space the floor, while the big man, NesteroviÄ, changed direction and remained rooted under the basket.
"Go San Antonio Spurs go!"
Amidst the cheers of the San Antonio Spurs fans, Parker's drive was incredibly fast.
As he moved, he observed Ron Artest beginning to shift towards the basket and passed the ball early to the right corner.
Bruce Bowen, who received the ball, noticed he was wide open, adjusted slightly, and quickly jumped to shoot!
"Bang!"
The three-pointer clanked off the rim.
Kurt Thomas and Tim Duncan were tangled in the paint, and Pau Gasol under the basket had NesteroviÄ behind him.
Seizing the opportunity, Lee leaped high and completed an "axe-handle rebound."
This time, the San Antonio Spurs players couldn't delay Lee's advance in time.
Gregg Popovich shouted warnings from the sideline, and eventually, Parker caught up and decisively committed a tactical foul.
"Oh!"
The referee blew his whistle, and the SBC Center erupted in cheers.
The New York Knicks had rarely executed smooth fast breaks tonight.
Up to this point in the game, Bruce Bowen was 1-for-5 from beyond the arc and had not responded well to the New York Knicks' increasingly compact Defense.
Frustrated, Bruce Bowen waved his right arm, then shook his arms and patted his chest, indicating it was his fault.
A major reason for not being able to widen the lead was that the New York Knicks also couldn't make their shots, going 5-for-18 from beyond the arc, with Lee making 3 of them alone.
Gregg Popovich was a bit disappointed. Even when left open, his players didn't hesitate, but 4-for-14 from three-point range wasn't good either.
Neither team managed to punish their opponent from the perimeter.
The possession took about 14 seconds, and Gregg Popovich felt it was still a bit too fast.
As the San Antonio Spurs players retreated on Defense, he loudly reminded his team:
"Patience! Focus, and be patient!"
Assistant coaches on the bench were also reminding Gregg Popovich about foul counts.
They didn't want to enter bonus free throws early.
To defend against the New York Knicks' pick-and-roll, the San Antonio Spurs learned from past lessons.
At the top of the arc, seeing Lee change direction in front of his body to his right hand, NesteroviÄ quickly shuffled.
At the same time, Parker chose to go under the screen, following beside his teammate to defend Lee together.
After the strong hedge, the moment his teammate came up to defend, NesteroviÄ immediately collapsed towards the basket.
Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, ignored Parker who was chasing him.
He paused slightly at the three-point line, and as the Defense closed in, he immediately accelerated and drove.
For a moment, several San Antonio Spurs players collapsed towards the basket.
Observing the opponent's defensive movement, Lee naturally pulled the ball back between his legs from the right elbow area.
After switching to his left hand, and while Parker was adjusting his center of gravity, Lee suddenly performed an In and Out dribble, faking his body to the right front, feinting right, driving left, and accelerating again.
Parker instinctively shuffled to the left first, then Lee squeezed past him from his right side.
Parker, whose feet were a bit unsteady after adjusting his center of gravity, ultimately couldn't reach out to interfere, watching Lee grab the ball with his left hand in the paint and step-float!
"Swish!" The two-point shot went in without touching the rim.
Tim Duncan, back under the basket, began to frown and slapped the ball hard, his usually calm expression broken.
82:78. The San Antonio Spurs fans in the arena started booing again.
Manu Ginobili clapped his hands and began to signal his teammates to stay calm.
After Parker brought the ball across half-court with 8 seconds remaining, he noticed the New York Knicks were still collapsing their Defense, so he simply waved his hand, signaling his leader to go one-on-one.
After a simple baseline cross-screen, Tim Duncan came to the left block.
After Parker delivered the pass, he again cut diagonally, running to the right corner to create space.
Seeing Tim Duncan receive the ball and turn, facing the basket to attack, Kurt Thomas had to control his hand movements.
With continuous right-foot jab steps, Tim Duncan suddenly faked a shot, and Kurt Thomas instinctively raised his center of gravity.
Then he saw his opponent put the ball down with his right hand and take long strides to drive into the paint.
Shuffling quickly to his back-left, Kurt Thomas tried hard to interfere, but Tim Duncan, after taking three big steps and driving, leaned into the defender, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and made an accurate floater!
The San Antonio Spurs once again narrowed the score.
At the TNT commentary table, Kevin Harlan exclaimed:
"Tim Duncan always makes crucial response shots in key possessions. If the San Antonio Spurs could respond from beyond the arc, perhaps they would already be leading!"
Doug Collins, seeing Lee receive the ball on the baseline and start to speed up, added:
"Aside from their poor performance from beyond the arc tonight, both teams have had extremely high offensive success rates in most possessions."
"I favor the San Antonio Spurs. Manu Ginobili's excellent performance in the Olympics has earned him more trust!"
Bruce Bowen retreated early to half-court.
Seeing Lee speed up, he began to collapse from the left wing towards the elbow.
Lee immediately passed the ball to Ron Artest on the left wing.
The latter faked after receiving the ball, shifting Bruce Bowen's defensive Center of Gravity, then put the ball down with his left hand and accelerated his drive.
Bruce Bowen, shuffling quickly, did not lose his defensive position, but Ron Artest's drive wasn't solely reliant on explosiveness.
After gaining half a step, Ron Artest ignored Bruce Bowen's tight Defense and bulldozed his way near the paint.
Seeing Tim Duncan under the basket preparing to help, Ron Artest suddenly performed a spin move while in motion.
Before he could even complete his offensive move, Bruce Bowen fell to the floor, and the referee immediately blew his whistle.
"I didn't make any foul! Damn it, you've been calling fouls on me all game!"
Having just entered the game and already picking up his 5th personal foul, Ron Artest was furious and immediately rushed to the baseline referee to argue loudly.
The referee turned his head, ignoring the complaints.
He simply signaled Mike D'Antoni to make a substitution quickly.
Bruce Bowen, however, smiled and chased after Ron Artest, continuing to provoke him:
"This is the SBC Center. Keep attacking me! I promise I'll get you out of the game very soon!"
Tim Duncan also clapped his hands under the basket.
The actions of both players infuriated Ron Artest.
Kurt Thomas knew his teammate's weakness.
At this moment, he went up and hugged Ron Artest, while Raja Bell and Pau Gasol also quickly pulled their teammate away.
Once the game entered a tight situation, Ron Artest's emotions became unstable.
Such situations would occur during training games, but fortunately, the Knicks have rarely lost during the regular season these past few years, mostly winning by large margins, which has helped Ron Artest stabilize his emotions quite a bit.
Under the "escort" of several teammates, Ron Artest returned to the bench.
Hill immediately stood up, hugged his teammate, and pressed him into his seat:
"Calm down, don't argue with the referee!"
After the rule changes, Ron Artest found himself more prone to foul trouble, which made him somewhat unaccustomed.
Ewing watched Ron Artest take deep breaths, handed him a drink, and added:
"You're already a big star, don't always argue with bit players. Play smarter, don't let your emotions control your body."
San Antonio Spurs fans took this opportunity to loudly mock and jeer, but Tayshaun Prince, who had just entered the game, was not too affected.
Seeing Lee's tactical hand gesture, Tayshaun Prince tucked his jersey into his shorts and immediately nodded to show he understood.
The San Antonio Spurs attacked again.
In a crucial possession, Parker repeated the tactic, again passing the ball to Duncan in the left elbow.
After catching the ball, Duncan turned to face the basket.
Seeing all his teammates spread out, he faked and then put the ball down with his left hand, driving strong to the basket against Kurt Thomas's Defense.
Near the lower left of the basket, Duncan suddenly turned towards the baseline while in motion.
Seeing Pau Gasol come over to help, he smoothly passed the ball to NesteroviÄ, who was to the lower right of the basket.
The latter did not directly attack the rim after receiving the ball.
Seeing Pau Gasol twist his body to recover on Defense, he instinctively put the ball down, attempting to use dribbling for leverage.
When the basketball returned to his hands, NesteroviÄ intended to go strong to the basket, but he suddenly lost control of the ball.
Tayshaun Prince, who had anticipated the opportunity and helped on Defense under the basket, cleanly stripped the ball away.
After gaining possession, he immediately passed the ball to Clay Lee, who was in the middle to receive it.
Noticing Lee picking up speed after receiving the ball, Bruce Bowen in the right corner could only curse softly.
The noisy crowd prevented his teammates from hearing the warning.
Although Parker's retreat speed was extremely fast, Lee didn't care about his Defense at all.
As he approached the three-point line, he used his left hand to push the ball and change direction.
Ignoring Parker's quick close-out, Lee, with the ball in his right hand, lowered his shoulder and accelerated.
While in motion, he used a large crossover to evade the Defense and quickly gathered the ball.
Under the inertia, Parker charged directly out of bounds.
Clay Lee arrived directly in front of the basket and scored with a left-handed layup!
84:80. Seeing the lead widen again, Gregg Popovich called an early timeout.
"Boo!"
The SBC Center erupted in loud boos again.
At the baseline, a panting Parker seethed, angrily pounding his thigh.
He had intended to draw a foul, but he didn't even touch Lee.
Gregg Popovich waved to Brent Barry on the bench, signaling for the new acquisition to prepare to enter the game.
Lee patted Tayshaun Prince in encouragement, guessing that Duncan would pass when double-teamed:
"Maybe they'll make a substitution. For the rest of the game, we'll switch back to man-to-man Defense!"
After a brief instruction to his teammates, Mike D'Antoni had no objections to Lee's words.
There was no need for too many adjustments.
He simply continued to encourage them:
"Shoot decisively when you get an open look. We're the leading team. Keep applying pressure on them!"
After the timeout, the San Antonio Spurs continued their offense.
Brent Barry, who had just entered the game, took Bruce Bowen's spot.
At the top of the arc, Manu Ginobili again received a handoff from Duncan.
He faked a drive, then passed the ball back to Duncan, who was cutting down.
Facing the Knicks' man-to-man Defense, Duncan ultimately forced his way to the basket, drawing a foul on Kurt Thomas.
84:82. Duncan made both free throws, helping the San Antonio Spurs close the gap.
"Defense!"
San Antonio Spurs fans had just started to cheer when the Knicks suddenly initiated a high pick-and-roll.
Kurt Thomas, trailing and crossing half-court, set a screen in front of the logo.
Clay Lee, with the ball in his right hand, executed a large behind-the-back dribble, briefly shaking off Parker.
Duncan, standing on the three-point line, immediately stepped up to delay.
Lee, with the ball in his left hand while in motion, quickly spun around.
The moment he switched to his right hand, Lee lowered his shoulder and decelerated, squeezing directly past Duncan.
"Oh!"
Amidst the exclamations of the San Antonio Spurs fans, Lee, who had burst into the paint, shook off the trailing Duncan and Parker, then collided with Manu Ginobili, who had helped on Defense in the paint.
Leaping into the air directly in front of the basket, facing the block attempt from the big man NesteroviÄ, Lee suddenly curled his body in mid-air, gliding to the lower right of the basket.
As his opponent made contact with his shoulder, Lee used his core strength to completely evade the Defense, holding the ball with one hand and twisting his wrist to toss the ball off the backboard.
"And one!"
The basketball hit high off the backboard and dropped precisely into the rim.
Clay Lee's loud call prompted the referee to immediately blow the whistle.
"Oh my goodness!"
Kevin Harlan instinctively exclaimed, and Doug Collins immediately praised:
"Unbelievable! Clay Lee broke free from a four-man trap and still put the ball in the basket!"
"God! How did he do that?"
Manu Ginobili stood open-mouthed beside the paint.
No one from the San Antonio Spurs complained.
They silently watched Lee walk to the free-throw line.
After making the free throw, the Knicks' bench erupted in cheers.
It was rare to see Lee take over games in the fourth quarter during the regular season.
87:82. The lead was still within reach.
Gregg Popovich loudly reminded his players to drive to the basket.
After a series of handoffs on the perimeter, Parker eventually drove to the basket, and Lee intentionally drew a foul.
Parker made both free throws.
On the return possession, Lee used a simple pick-and-roll on the left wing to assist Pau Gasol for a layup under the basket.
Manu Ginobili stepped to the free-throw line and also made both free throws.
As they retreated to half-court, Kurt Thomas again set a high pick-and-roll.
Lee repeated his strong drive past Duncan, scoring another two points under the basket.
The San Antonio Spurs slowly but surely kept getting free throws, while the Knicks, relying on individual skill, completed each offensive possession within 12 seconds.
When both teams started to double-team the opposing star players, the Knicks' three-point shooting went cold, while the San Antonio Spurs missed several strong drives to the basket.
With 2 minutes and 8 seconds left in the game, Robert Horry replaced NesteroviÄ.
In the first offensive possession after entering the game, the San Antonio Spurs' offense suddenly sped up.
Parker, after a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc, assisted his teammate.
On the left wing, Horry shot and made a three-pointer!
97:93. Seeing the lead narrow again, San Antonio Spurs fans became animated.
Duncan called for his teammates to retreat quickly on Defense, but Lee's speed pushing the ball up the left sideline was very fast this time.
Parker shuffled sideways while observing the movements behind him.
As he approached the three-point line, he noticed Lee decelerate and raise his center of gravity, so he quickly closed out on Defense.
With a large in-and-out dribble while in motion, Lee, with the ball in his left hand, faked right and drove left, leaning forward and accelerating.
As Parker shuffled backward, Lee suddenly stopped short, quickly dribbled behind his back, and the moment he switched to his right hand, he faked an acceleration and drive.
Parker, who had just shifted his feet to the left, saw the basketball disappear from in front of him.
Clay Lee changed direction between his legs, shaking off the Defense.
On the three-point line, sensing Parker leap to close out on his side, Lee pushed off with his feet, instantly completing a step-back.
As his opponent was already descending, Lee drifted to his left-rear, releasing a jump shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Swish!" The three-pointer swished through the net.
The clean and decisive shot suddenly silenced the SBC Center, followed by another round of intense boos.
"Good Defense!"
Lee, retreating on Defense, praised Parker's Defense.
His opponent had clearly studied his technical characteristics, and his block was very timely.
100:93. With 1 minute and 42 seconds left in the game, Lee's three-pointer pushed the lead back to 7 points.
Parker tried to control his emotions.
Tonight, apart from having an advantage in free throws, he was completely outplayed in the matchup.
"Give me the ball!"
Duncan reminded his teammates and then patted Parker's head.
When inbounding the ball from the baseline, he held the ball a bit longer, trying to get a feel for it.
In a crucial possession, the San Antonio Spurs first passed the ball around the perimeter.
Duncan's initial request for the ball in the left low post was met with fronting Defense.
When he was squeezed to the restricted area, Parker, who had come to the left wing, passed the ball to Duncan.
The moment Duncan caught the ball, before he could even turn, Lee suddenly collapsed, double-teaming with Kurt Thomas.
This time, Parker, who had passed the ball, did not cut to the basket as the play called for, but instead waited for the ball outside the three-point line.
Duncan, not daring to put the ball on the floor, immediately passed it back to Parker.
With no one guarding him closely, Parker chose to drive with a step-through.
Parker drove straight down the middle to the basket, leaning on the closing-out Lee in the paint, taking an early step, and tossing the ball towards the rim while off-balance.
The moment Lee sensed his opponent trying to draw a foul, he simply leaped high, swung his left arm, and directly knocked Parker and the ball to the ground.
"Boo!"
Seeing Parker fall directly in the paint, San Antonio Spurs fans continued to boo loudly, and the referee immediately pointed to the free-throw line.
Having picked up his 5th personal foul, Lee shook his head, returned to the three-point line, and, leaning on his knees, loudly warned:
"If you miss, I'll end the game with a three-pointer!"
Parker rubbed his backside, glared fiercely at Lee, adjusted his breathing, and repeatedly mimicked his shooting form, but his first free throw bricked.
On the Knicks' bench, Derek Fisher and the others were delighted.
Including these two free throws, the San Antonio Spurs had shot 12 free throws in the 4th quarter, but missed at a crucial moment.
Under the expectant gaze of the San Antonio Spurs fans, Parker missed his second free throw as well.
The fans let out a low sigh, while Duncan managed to tip the rebound before the Knicks' big man.
Separated by two defenders, Duncan picked the ball from behind his head and then went up strong under the basket.
Pau Gasol couldn't jump a second time.
He just symbolically raised his hands.
As the ball was about to leave Duncan's hands, Lee, who had accelerated from beyond the three-point line and rushed to the lower right side of the basket, leaped high and delivered a powerful block.
The ball flew towards the sideline, and Raja Bell and Manu Ginobili quickly dove for it.
The moment they tumbled out of bounds, Raja Bell was a step quicker, throwing the ball back onto the court.
"Oh!"
Amidst the San Antonio Spurs fans' exclamations, Lee, after landing, didn't stand still showing off.
He started early, got ahead of Parker to control the ball, and then accelerated at full speed across half-court.
Gregg Popovich saw Parker make two consecutive mistakes and was so angry he jumped up and down on the sidelines, his face flushed, roaring loudly for his players to retreat on Defense.
Fortunately, Bruce Bowen, who had just re-entered the game, helped on Defense in time, disrupting Lee's fast break.
Tayshaun Prince, on the right wing, received the pass and didn't rush to attack, instead starting to move towards the top of the arc.
When Lee arrived at the right wing, he reminded his teammates not to set a screen.
Raja Bell and Manu Ginobili had just pulled and dragged each other to the left wing.
After receiving the reminder, Raja Bell voluntarily moved to the top of the arc to receive the ball.
Parker kept his eyes on Lee, guarding him closely while subtly pulling at him.
After observing the defensive movements and noticing that Tayshaun Prince started running to the left baseline, Lee then accelerated.
Away from the three-point line, at the top of the arc, Lee received the pass from Raja Bell.
Manu Ginobili noticed that Raja Bell ran to the right wing after passing the ball and hesitated for a moment but still chose to chase him on Defense.
"Defense!"
As game time elapsed, San Antonio Spurs fans shouted loudly.
Parker did not choose to stick close and interfere, constantly paying attention to the movement behind him.
From the top of the arc, more than 27 feet away, Lee stood still after receiving the ball, observed the Defense again, and then, in Parker's astonished gaze, suddenly pulled up and shot!
The defensive cheers stopped abruptly.
Clay Lee, having released the shot, didn't even look at the rim.
He turned and raised his hands, celebrating prematurely.
The moment the ball swished through the net, Kevin Harlan couldn't help but exclaim:
"Clay Lee! Again! He got it!"
"OMG!"
103:93, Gregg Popovich called another timeout, and incidentally, he fiercely scolded Parker as he walked towards the bench.
With only 1 minute and 4 seconds left in the game and a 10-point difference, considering the San Antonio Spurs' performance from beyond the three-point line tonight, Doug Collins tactfully said:
"Pray for a New York Knicks turnover. Perhaps there's still a chance then."
"Clay Lee's perfect performance in the final moments has virtually ended the game. A three-pointer from 27 feet out, this seems to have become Clay Lee's regular offensive move."
The two began discussing Lee's shooting range at the commentary table, while Duncan, who had returned to the bench, stared intently at the floor.
Despite having excellent rim protection ability, Duncan always struggled against Lee.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and he unconsciously ignored Gregg Popovich's tactical arrangements.
After the timeout, the San Antonio Spurs failed to create a three-point opportunity, and Manu Ginobili eventually made a quick two-point layup.
On the return possession, with an early double-team, Lee released the ball quickly, and Raja Bell seized the opportunity, hitting an open three-pointer from the left wing.
106:95, the difference was still 11 points.
Watching Lee and his teammates chest bump in celebration, the noise at the SBC Center gradually subsided.
San Antonio Spurs fans knew they were going to lose again.
As Bruce Bowen missed a three-pointer and Duncan sent Pau Gasol to the free-throw line, the game completely lost its suspense.
Parker made a tough two-point shot, and Lee stopped attacking.
Ultimately, the final score was set at 108:97, with the New York Knicks avoiding a losing streak.
"Boo!"
San Antonio Spurs fans did not leave the SBC Center, continuously booing.
With a home loss, Duncan would surely fall behind Lee in the MVP rankings.
Clay Lee's 17-point quarter left Gregg Popovich feeling helpless.
Every time they lost, the local sports media would criticize him.
Noticing Duncan's low spirits, Gregg Popovich quickly went to comfort him, then came to the scorer's table, forcing a smile:
"A wonderful performance. It seems we still have many areas that need adjustment."
Scoring 97 points in a game, the San Antonio Spurs played very well throughout the game, except for their poor performance from beyond the three-point line.
Mike D'Antoni naturally sensed the other team's emotions, but he didn't like the constant provocations and petty fouls against Ron Artest from the opposing team tonight:
"We were just lucky. Lee was in excellent form tonight, and he put up another good stat line!"
When the topic of stats came up, Gregg Popovich could only curse under his breath.
Even if he let Duncan shoot freely, he couldn't catch up to Lee.
Playing 40 minutes, Tim Duncan had 10-of-19 shooting, 6-of-8 free throws, 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and 2 turnovers.
His consistent performance was the main reason the San Antonio Spurs could hold on until the fourth quarter.
Playing 38 minutes, Clay Lee efficiently scored 42 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 1 turnover, shooting 15-of-24 from the field, 5-of-10 from three-point range, and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
At the TNT commentary table, the two praised Lee's performance tonight, with Doug Collins even flatly stating:
"I would cast my vote for Clay Lee in the MVP selection. While his usage rate has increased, his efficiency is still improving!"
"Given Lee's current form, no other player can come close to him!"
Two teams with 5 wins and 1 loss met, and ultimately, the New York Knicks had the last laugh, temporarily securing the top spot in the NBA.
On Thursday, November 18th, ESPN was still discussing win shares, while on TNT's show, the trio joked about Ron Artest.
As everyone knows, New York never has secrets!
In the game against the San Antonio Spurs, Ron Artest did not play in the latter half of the fourth quarter.
To vent his frustration, Ron Artest almost smashed a courtside camera after the game.
In the end, it was Hill and Ewing who took him back to the locker room.
This situation was partly due to the San Antonio Spurs fans' taunts, but more so related to the referees' officiating.
The strict enforcement of hand-checking at the start of the new season made it difficult for Ron Artest, who was accustomed to aggressive Defense.
More than one player has publicly complained to the media.
Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers was forced to play at power forward, and facing the big men of the Western Conference, he naturally had to increase his physicality on Defense.
As a result, he received 5 fouls early in several consecutive games.
The Los Angeles Daily News defended Lamar Odom, believing the NBA was targeting the Los Angeles Lakers.
The trio in the studio, however, did not discuss the officiating.
Charles Barkley was all smiles, looking at the camera and saying:
"The New York Knicks are planning to get Ron Artest a psychologist."
"A millionaire having psychological problems? That's the best joke I've heard before Thanksgiving!"
The news was broken by the New York Post.
Although it was their home team, for the sake of traffic, media reporters wouldn't care too much.
Kenny Smith shook his head helplessly.
He didn't want to dwell on this topic too much.
After the new season began, Ron Artest first elbowed Pierce, and this time he almost smashed a camera.
His emotional fluctuations were indeed a bit large.
Considering the scout evaluations before the draft and the New York Media's revelations about Ron Artest's upbringing and family medical history, this matter is not difficult to understand.
Even now, Ron Artest's father and aunt are still on medication, and calling it hereditary always carries a hint of discrimination.
"Chuck, that's not funny! Sometimes I go to see a psychologist too."
"We all know how much pressure there is playing in the NBA!"
Kenny Smith tried to change the subject.
Charles Barkley reined himself in a bit and then continued to tease Lee:
"Perhaps Clay Lee should also see a psychologist. Rachel McAdams cried to the media about her experience. She believes she was subjected to emotional abuse."
"It's said that Scarlett Johansson also had a conflict with her in Los Angeles. Lee should let a doctor treat his philandering!"
Thinking of the recent news, Charles Barkley laughed again.
Ernie Johnson looked at his schadenfreude-filled partner and changed the subject again:
"Halfway through the November schedule, the New York Knicks are back in the top spot in the NBA."
"Will Clay Lee win MVP this year? He's in such excellent form. It seems he didn't relax his demands on himself during the offseason."
Kenny Smith, who was looking through the stats, gave a positive answer:
"If he can maintain his current form, I believe Lee will win this award."
"Not every player's efficiency improves after their usage rate increases."
Charles Barkley also stopped talking about gossip and took the opportunity to discuss tonight's New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets game:
"Kenny Smith is right, Tracy McGrady has indeed had good performances, but he shouldn't always bring it up."
"In fact, he has never come close to Clay Lee's level. I don't like his form since he came to the Houston Rockets."
"With this injury, I hope he can calm down on the bench and think about how to lead the team to win!"
"..."
The Houston Rockets currently have a record of 4 wins and 5 losses.
The schedule is somewhat dense, but losing to the Atlanta Hawks, a weak team, in their last game, broke many fans' hearts.
Tracy McGrady was indeed trying to help the team.
In the game against the Atlanta Hawks, he played 40 minutes, shooting 7 of 20 from the field, 1 of 6 from beyond the arc, and 6 of 8 from the free-throw line, scoring an inefficient 21 points.
Yao Ming was extremely efficient, scoring 28 points on 13 of 15 shooting, but the Houston Rockets still lost.
The poor record, besides Tracy McGrady's own slump, also had some issues with the backcourt, particularly Tyronn Lue.
Facing the New York Knicks, Tracy McGrady experienced leg tightness and ultimately missed that night's game.
Coach Mike Brown could only start Ryan Bowen.
In the game at 7 PM that night, the starting backcourt of Tyronn Lue and Jim Jackson was completely overwhelmed.
The interior combination of Maurice Taylor and Yao Ming was also a disaster at defending pick-and-rolls.
By the end of the third quarter, most of the Houston Rockets fans at the Toyota Center had already left.
At 88-60, Lee checked out after three quarters and returned to the bench early.
Raja Bell, gradually adapting to his starting role, set a new career high:
6 of 12 from the field, 4 of 7 from three-point range, 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 turnover.
Although his stats seemed somewhat one-dimensional, the undrafted player couldn't stop smiling on the bench.
In contrast, on the Houston Rockets' bench, Tracy McGrady, dressed in a suit, remained expressionless, not even comforting his teammates despite the large deficit.
Mike Brown was still communicating in a low voice with Yao Ming.
The current difficulty the Houston Rockets faced was how to get the big man comfortable receiving the ball.
The fourth quarter turned into garbage time, and in the end, the New York Knicks defeated the Houston Rockets 114-84.
At the Toyota Center, most of the remaining fans were Lee fans.
As soon as the game ended, enthusiastic fans began to loudly shout Lee's name.
Tracy McGrady left early after a brief greeting in the losing team's tunnel.
Yao Ming knew his teammate was upset, so when interviewed by Chinese media after the game, he could only offer platitudes:
"The loss was mainly due to game rhythm issues. We are slowly getting better!"
"Many new teammates joined the team this season, and we also need to adapt to each other."
"..."
On Saturday, October 20th, after flying to Dallas for a back-to-back game, Lee had to accept an interview during the afternoon warm-up to dispel rumors:
"Ron has no problems at all. In the New York Knicks, many times everyone will chat with a psychologist for a while."
"Not only competing with other teams, but within the team, to get a starting position, you also have to work hard to show yourself."
"As for the officiating standards, Ron will adapt. He's a smart guy, and I never worry about his Defense."
Yahoo Sports was more concerned with other gossip, asking questions unrelated to that night's game:
"Clay, Rachel said you abandoned her..."
Lee immediately shook his head, smiling as he interrupted the reporter, then simply stated:
"She shouldn't have said that. Rachel is a good girl, our relationship is very close, she is my good friend. Those messages are all fake."
There are plenty of minor Hollywood actresses, and this method of attracting attention by management companies has long been commonplace.
However, Lee's previous "good friends" didn't need this method to show themselves, and most reporters hoped to see Lee "fall from grace."
After a big win against the Houston Rockets, Ron Artest returned to his usual calm and gentle demeanor, and there were no more emotional fluctuations during practice.
In that night's game against the Dallas Mavericks, Ron Artest attacked both inside and out, even showing off his somewhat stiff individual offensive skills.
The Dallas Mavericks only held on for three quarters, suddenly collapsing in the fourth quarter.
Rookie Devin Harris repeatedly missed shots and turned the ball over, ultimately allowing the New York Knicks to go on a 12-0 run.
At the American Airlines Center, behind the basket, Mark Cuban saw Lee steal the ball from Harris twice face-to-face and couldn't help but angrily clench his fist.
At the beginning of the season, Cuban mocked David Stern on his personal blog for scheduling the start of the season on Election Day.
This action quickly drew a fine, but Cuban didn't care. Not long ago, he talked about NBA betting on his personal blog again.
Speaking freely on the internet, Cuban believed that short-term returns from NBA teams' stocks were difficult to achieve, and introducing betting or hedge funds would be a better option.
In response to such personal remarks, the NBA issued another fine early in the morning, and with the loss that night, Cuban was a bit on edge.
In this back-and-forth battle, neither side played much Defense.
At the end of the game, the score was 114-106.
Devin Harris shot 3 of 14 from the field, 2 of 4 from the free-throw line, scoring 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 turnovers.
Although Don Nelson took good care of this Rookie, the difference in game experience and physicality was evident.
All of his field goal points came against Derek Fisher.
Old Fish still struggled against speedy guards.
Dirk Nowitzki had some bad luck tonight, spraining his ankle near the end of the game and limping off the court.
No longer bothered by foul trouble, Ron Artest shot 8 of 14 from the field, 2 of 5 from three-point range, and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line, scoring 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 2 turnovers.
After scoring the team's second-highest points, Ron Artest, whose mood was stable, smiled happily in the locker room.
When interviewed by the team reporter, he self-deprecatingly said:
"I have no problems at all. I like to play under pressure!"
"Psychologist? No, I prefer to go back to the Tarrytown Training Center and hit the punching bag."
Ron Artest, making a boxing gesture, joked and laughed with the reporters.
Hill frowned slightly at this situation, but Lee comforted him carelessly:
"Don't worry, as long as we can win easily, Ron's mood is very stable!"
Unable to empathize, Hill could only raise an eyebrow and whisper:
"When we go back to Manhattan for the re-examination, I'll take Ron with me to the medical team."
In the noisy locker room, everyone on the New York Knicks had put Ron Artest's previous situation behind them.
It's not strange for a big star to lose his temper.
On Saturday, October 20th, the Cavaliers departed for Manhattan.
After boarding the plane, Thibodeau remained silent.
With a 6-3 record, the Cavaliers had shown excellent Defense since the start of the new season, ranking third after the Heat.
"Tom, no need to worry, our choice was correct."
Van Gundy leaned back in his seat, a relaxed smile on his face.
The excellent record filled him with a sense of accomplishment.
Thibodeau had been with the New York Knicks for many years.
After getting used to players like Clay Lee and Patrick Ewing, he still wasn't too optimistic about LeBron James and Dwight Howard, as their offensive shortcomings were too obvious.
"It's hard to win a Championship relying only on Defense. Dwight hasn't met our expectations."
Van Gundy didn't care about Thibodeau's words.
He had his own basketball philosophy:
"It's hard to see another player like Lee in the future, so we don't have to worry about offense at all."
"Excellent Defense can guarantee our record. In the Eastern Conference, we won't miss the playoffs. After our Rookie season, we'll have a chance to win the Championship."
Van Gundy was very confident.
He knew very well how the New York Knicks won the Championship.
Good Defense was the foundation of a Championship.
The coaching staff all trusted the Champion Coach.
Although Dwight Howard's skills were rough, his rim protection was undeniable.
With a little more coaching on his positioning, he was definitely a DPOY candidate!
The Cavaliers were singing and dancing on the plane at this time.
Under the influence of LeBron James and Dwight Howard, happy basketball had swept through the team.
LeBron James looked at the news in the newspaper.
The Lakers had lost to the Phoenix Suns.
The offensive-minded teams in the new season attracted more attention.
LeBron James was somewhat envious of this.
Van Gundy and Thibodeau had extremely strict requirements for Defense, and the offensive system relied entirely on individual play.
Although Dwight Howard was in charge of carrying bags, he was very popular in the Cavaliers.
Seeing LeBron James reading the newspaper without speaking, he immediately walked over and loudly teased him:
"LeBron, cheer up, we're almost in New York!"
"Last time you told me Carmelo Anthony took his girlfriend to a nightclub and got into a conflict with someone. This time we'll go to that nightclub and see for ourselves."
"Let's go there after the game. I don't want to lose again!"
Hearing LeBron James's words, Dwight Howard laughed again and loudly said:
"Anyway, we're still Rookies, and losing to the defending champion isn't something to be ashamed of!"
"Don't be so serious, LeBron, smile, that's New York!"
"..."
...
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)