Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 221 One move to live, and the whole game is alive

Losing to the defending champion is nothing to be ashamed of.

Moreover, the Knicks narrowed the gap midway through the game, putting up a close battle with the Magic.

This performance inevitably sparked endless speculation among New York fans.

They only lost by 6 points. If Houston had a better shooting night, or if one of their role players had stepped up, they might have won.

For New York fans, they can leave Madison today with satisfaction.

For the Knicks' young players, being able to play a thrilling game against the defending champions, the Magic, and not just suffer a one-sided defeat, is enough to invigorate them.

On the bus back to the apartment, Chandler gestured excitedly, saying that he almost hated Ewing.

That's Patrick Ewing.

Even though he is already 40 years old.

“Stromeyer, you need to be careful. Did you hear what the reporters said after the game? They said Jonathan is very, very close to Kevin Garnett, and your starting position may be in jeopardy.”

Fred Jones also talked about starting the power forward position.

In a crucial moment today, Thibodeau opted for Bender instead of Swift.

This choice proved to be correct, as Bender contributed 19 points.

So in the next game, Thibodeau might continue with this choice.

Bender, sitting in the back row, felt a jolt in his heart and immediately looked at Swift.

Despite the competition, he felt that his young teammates got along well.

Especially Swift, the two are direct competitors, often playing against each other during training, and have a good relationship.

Swift, unfazed, shrugged and said, "It's okay, once I've trained well, I'll still be the starter."

As he spoke, he yelled at Bender in the back row, "Jonathan, you'd better train hard, or I'll catch up with you."

He said it cheerfully, not minding at all.

Bender breathed a slight sigh of relief and raised his hand to say no problem.

At this time, the mobile phone rang.

From his brother Tony Bender.

Tony came to congratulate him.

He knew that after Bender came to the Knicks, he didn't have a starting position and his performance was getting worse and worse, even worse than last season.

In a game that was broadcast live across the United States, he actually scored 19 points.

“Jonathan, you know what? Barkley even complimented you, saying you really look like Kevin Garnett,” Tony said excitedly.

Bender smiled.

When the locker room was open after the game, a reporter spoke to him about it.

Previously, Bender resisted being told he was like Garnett, feeling like a joke and that people were mocking him.

But right now, Bender doesn't see any problem.

Just like Tang Sen said, Garnett succeeded, so there's no problem for me to learn from him and emulate him.

At the end of the call, Tony reminded Bender to do his best.

Bender is now in New York, not some small city like Indiana. He can't even imagine how much money he could make if he made a name for himself in New York.

"I know, I will try my best."

Anyone who plays in the NBA knows the advantages of playing in a big market.

Bender then inquired about his family, including his parents, sister, and grandmother Cora.

"By the way, how is Uncle Billy? Last month when we went back to New Orleans for an away game, I wanted to go see him, but he wasn't there and wouldn't let me go."

When Bender was 12 years old, his father, Donald Bender, died.

Then, while playing for an AAU team in New Orleans, he met Billy Hobley.

He once played briefly for the world-renowned Harlem Globetrotters.

The two, one old and one young, had a very close relationship. Many of Bender's basketball skills were actually learned from Hobley.

Later, after Bender entered the NBA, he specifically bought a house in New Orleans so that he could be closer to Hobley.

In Bender's mind, Hobley was a father figure.

“He’s doing great. I even went to see him last week,” Tony said quickly, then called out that his wife was calling him before hanging up the phone.

Bender didn't think much of it.

Back at his apartment, he watched the video twice more before resting.

Then, compare your performance on the field today, summarize where you fell short, and where you can improve.

That's what he did for a period of time.

Even when lying in bed, he would think about the details of the game before going to sleep.

I try to dream about Garnett every night.

The next day, he got up early and went downstairs to buy several newspapers.

He's human too; he can be vain.

I performed so well yesterday, the media should at least give me some praise.

Unfortunately, from the Times to the Daily News, to the Wall Street Journal, to the Post, the sports section all reported on yesterday's game.

The Times headline read, "This game has instilled confidence in every New York fan."

The Times' report even had a touch of the mysterious.

This is what they said: "The Knicks are in the East, and our biggest rival is the Magic."

"Yao scored 24 points, while Brown only managed 21 points under his defense."

"According to Kwame Brown, Don was his mentor, a master. And Yao, like Brown, came from the same school."

"And Tracy, and Chauncey, Houston, everyone on the court trained with Townsend."

"This is a competition among disciples, and it is clear that Yao, the newcomer, has the upper hand."

"Tang left Orlando and came to New York. With his help, Yao will only become stronger. Yesterday, he used his new weapon."

"He's practicing his fadeaway jump shot. We simply can't imagine how terrifying Yao, at 7'5", would be with his fadeaway jump shot."

"What's even more terrifying is that Yao also has the Skyhook."

"In this competition among his disciples, Yao will become stronger and stronger. He will become the strongest center in the East and help us win the championship."

Like the Times, other newspapers also devoted a great deal of space to introducing Yao Ming's performance.

In New York today, Yao Ming is everyone's favorite.

And I am merely a small footnote in the report.

Bender chuckled to himself and tossed the newspaper aside.

He quickly adjusted his mindset.

I'm working hard and making progress. I've only been training with Tang Sen for two months, and as time goes on, my performance will only get better and better.

Success stories are right before our eyes.

Most importantly, after the last game, the opportunity is now in front of them.

Sure enough, Bender started in the away game against the Celtics the next day.

"Use your speed to keep up with Antoine and defend his three-pointers."

Thibodeau gave him a special instruction, then pulled everyone aside to explain the tactics for the match.

Defense, and more defense.

The Knicks, starting with Riley, have been instilled with a tough, defensive mentality.

With Cheney gone, the remaining assistant coaches only care about one thing: defense.

The team's usual tactical drills mostly focus on defense.

Several assistant coaches took turns teaching everyone how to defend, step by step.

The strategy for this game was clear: extend the defensive line outwards to prevent three-pointers.

Don't be afraid to charge in, Yao Ming is there.

As for the offensive end.

That would be much more sloppy; Thibodeau only has one rule: improvise.

Sometimes, Thibodeau relied more on Billups, who would then lead and organize the attack.

The game started at 8 p.m. at North Shore Garden.

Antoine Walker, who has been an All-Star, is undoubtedly an All-Star caliber player.

However, his soft playing style has been criticized by the media quite a bit.

Boston media have repeatedly raised the fundamental question: when Walker first entered the league, he was proficient in various low-post offensive skills, capable of both physical strength and scoring, and was exceptionally tough.

Why are the stats improving, but the game is getting weaker and weaker, and the player seems obsessed with shooting three-pointers?

Walker was not ashamed of these criticisms; on the contrary, he was proud of them.

He even complained to the media about why the league doesn't have a four-point line.

This guy is truly in his shooting range once he crosses the halfway line.

But he's strong enough and has good ball control to create scoring opportunities.

He immediately gave Bender a hard time.

He started with a crossover step, accelerated sharply, and then suddenly stopped and pulled back, almost causing Bender to trip and fall to the ground.

Although he had just entered the game, Walker was on fire, hitting shots with ease.

After making the shot, he shook his head and ran away arrogantly.

Walker came back in the next round.

When he's in form, all he sees is the basketball hoop; he can't see anything else.

It's a complete black hole in the stadium.

But he can actually make the shots and score.

The Celtics today, like the Knicks, don't really have many tactics; they just let Walker and Pierce take turns shooting one-on-one.

Head coach Jim O'Brien is no match for his father-in-law; he's a rookie himself. But if those two get into a shooting streak, they can really dominate.

After just one encounter, Walker had already labeled Bender, the so-called next Garnett, as a counterfeit in his mind.

After catching the ball, it's a suspended ball; I lift it up and then throw it again.

They didn't take Bender seriously at all.

There was a snap.

It wasn't a block, it was a foul!

After leaping up, Bender, who was left-handed, slapped Walker's right wrist.

Upon landing, Bender immediately raised his hand to acknowledge his mistake.

"Fuck, you did this on purpose."

Walker stepped up.

Bender still raised his hand, indicating to the referee that he had not made a move.

Walker was immediately pulled away by Pierce, then walked to the free-throw line grumbling and made 2 of 3 free throws.

Tang Sen clapped his hands on the sidelines.

Now that the first phase of weight adjustment is complete, Tang Sen not only lets the players watch videos, but also arranges defensive skills training.

Practice defense first, and take your time with the techniques.

This was also what Thibodeau and his team were thinking.

During yesterday afternoon's training session, Tang Sen discussed some issues related to fouls in defense.

A clean defense is fine; that's what should be done.

However, it must be acknowledged that dirty tricks, intentional fouls, and trash talk are also part of defense.

For example, this foul.

Tang Sen specifically mentioned this yesterday.

How to commit a foul and when to commit a foul are both important considerations.

Regarding Bender's foul, Townsend actually mentioned it yesterday.

When you realize that your opponent, especially a shooter, is on fire and you're not confident you can defend against them completely, you can intentionally foul to disrupt their rhythm.

Many shooters are on a whim; when they feel like it, they can shoot every time. If you ignore them and let them get into a shooting rhythm, it will be very troublesome.

I never expected that a casual remark I made yesterday would be put into practice by Bender today.

This guy is definitely using his brain when he plays.

Tang Sen likes players like that.

Playing without thinking is like the one on the left.

Tang Sen glanced at Swift, who was chatting and laughing with Gazurich, and felt a headache coming on.

On the field.

This foul did indeed disrupt Walker's shooting touch, and his next shot bounced off the rim.

By this time, Bender had gradually adapted to Walker's offense.

He has excellent athletic ability and can keep up.

After gaining weight and muscle, even with a significant weight difference between the two, Bender was still able to hold his own.

Bender kept in mind to defend against shots, not drives, and stayed close to Walker in close combat.

Walker was furious at being defended.

As soon as I receive the ball, this jerk appears in front of me and harasses me in every way.

It can also jump, and its jumping speed is very fast.

In the first quarter, Walker scored 8 points, but his efficiency was very low, making only 1 of 4 three-point attempts.
21:18.

At the end of the first quarter, the Knicks were surprisingly in the lead.

Auburn Lane frowned.

He doesn't think the team's deficit is due to Yao Ming.

In the game at the beginning of the season, Tony Battie couldn't stop Yao Ming. After a month, does that mean he can stop him now?

That's not the problem.

On the front line.

In the last game, Pierce and Walker both scored over 30 points and combined to sink a total of 10 three-pointers, effectively killing the Knicks.

But in this match, the two of them fell silent.

Or rather, they were constrained by Bender and Wallace.

The two players were able to keep up and were very strong, making it difficult for Walker and his team to defend against them.

But it's only been a month!
O'Brien suddenly remembered what Rivers had said after the game the day before yesterday.

Be wary of the Knicks.

O'Brien glanced at it and didn't pay much attention.

But today, O'Brien felt a chill.

In just one month, the same two people have made such great progress!
Given a few more months, he will undoubtedly become the next Sasser.

Last year in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Celtics lost because no one in the paint could contain Brown, and also because of the Magic's sharp defense.

The match in front of us is exactly the same.

At home, O'Brien clearly didn't want to deliver a defeat to his fans.

When the starters returned to the field, he made some adjustments, keeping Vin Baker on the field.

Then they started double-teaming Yao Ming in the paint.

Walker, obsessed with three-pointers, neglects his defense.

It will definitely have an effect.

Yao Ming's low-post isolation plays immediately decreased. Although he still had the ability to score, he was forced to leave the paint.

This is victory.

However, at this moment, Bender seized the opportunity.

Yao Ming had just received the ball near the baseline when Vin Baker pounced on him.

He remained calm, standing steadily, and with a flick of his wrist, tossed the object over the man's head to Bender.

Without hesitation, Bender pulled up the paddle and threw it, hitting the target squarely.

Thibodeau applauded and cheered from the sidelines.

That's why he was willing to start Bender.

Swift certainly has his own strengths: he's better at driving to the basket, has amazing jumping ability, and is good at blocking shots.

But Bender has a shot.

Yao Ming has the ability to pass the ball, even when he is double-teamed.

The problem is, getting him to pass it on from within to outside is a bit of a stretch.

Therefore, a top center like him should ideally have a power forward who can receive his passes, shoot, and convert open looks into points.

This is where Bender's value lies.

Moreover, if Bender shoots accurately and makes more shots, will the opponents still be able to double-team Yao Ming with impunity?

That would free Yao Ming up.

The saying "one move can make the whole game live" illustrates this principle.

This is a capability that Swift cannot provide.

O'Brien immediately realized that double-teaming Yao Ming had limited effectiveness.

When Bender received passes from Yao Ming and made consecutive shots, he suddenly remembered the semifinals of last season.

In one game, PJ Brown shot the Celtics to death using this method.

O'Brien crossed his arms, his eyebrows furrowed deeply.

His only option was to stop double-teaming Yao Ming.

If you let Tony Battie and Yao Ming go one-on-one, what's the difference between that and giving away points?

Gritting his teeth, O'Brien made no adjustments.

At least they managed to limit Yao Ming.

Compared to Bender, O'Brien still felt that Yao Ming posed a greater threat.

As for Bender, I accept being voted out!
With this in mind, O'Brien stubbornly continued his strategy of double-teaming Yao Ming until the end of the game.

And then they lost.

The Knicks secured a valuable victory at TD Garden with a 7-point lead, 88-81.

Yao Ming had 18 points and 13 rebounds, but his performance was off.

But he still managed to provide a total of 7 assists.

This is clearly a move to become an all-around player, a playmaking center.

The points Yao Ming scored less of when he was double-teamed were almost entirely transferred to Bender.

This game wasn't just about Yao Ming passing the ball to Bender after being double-teamed.

Billups also created opportunities for Bender to shoot from the outside through tactical adjustments.

Throughout the game, Bender went 9-for-14 from the field and made free throws, achieving a season-high 21 points and 7 rebounds.

He was just one point away from breaking his personal scoring record.

After the game, a depressed O'Brien, for some inexplicable reason, had the same thought as Rivers.

This is the Knicks, a direct competitor in the Atlantic Division.

Given the Knicks' potential, if they aren't properly nurtured and suppressed, they might be the ones who suffer in the playoffs.

(End of this chapter)