Champion, please stay!

Chapter 129, Section 127: Defending the Holy Land of Basketball!

Thinking they were about to gain momentum and ready to fight back, the opponent responded with a 6-0 run, widening the gap to double digits... and both of their three-pointers were made right over their leader's defense!
The Cavaliers kept the score close thanks to their overall defense, maintaining their hopes of a comeback.

This completely shattered morale.

In the next seven minutes, the Knicks scored 15 points, which is certainly low for them, usually around 100 points per 48 minutes. But the Cavaliers only scored 12 points, which was enough!
With less than three minutes remaining in the game, Mike Brown called a timeout, substituting James, who had played for over 45 minutes without a break, effectively surrendering the game.

79 to 94, down by 15 points, there's no hope!

In the final stretch of garbage time, the Cavaliers' shooters swarmed around the Knicks and, without pressure, shot quite well, going on a 10-4 run in less than three minutes, but it had no impact on the outcome of the game.

The match ended at 10:24 PM.

The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 98-89 at home, improving their record to 15 wins and 5 losses!
After the Knicks secured a double-digit lead, the cheers from the fans in the arena never stopped, and when the final whistle blew, the cheers rose even higher!
The Knicks players also excitedly embraced and celebrated, they really did step onto the court with the idea of ​​'victory is certain'.

But that was just an attitude. When they actually won, they were even more surprised and excited than the fans!
They pulled the Cavaliers down from first place in the East! The 17-4 Cavaliers are now half a game behind the 18-4 Celtics, dropping to second place!
Although they didn't reach the top, that doesn't matter; beating the number one is the most important thing!

After celebrating with his teammates for a while, Yi Shui was surrounded by reporters who flooded the stadium.

"Brook, congratulations on leading your team to victory against the Cavaliers, ending your three-year losing streak against them..."

Three consecutive years without a win? Playing 3-4 times a year... that's at least a 10-game losing streak! What are Marbury and Thomas doing?!

Yi Shui muttered to himself, then suddenly remembered the mission for this match. He glanced at King, who was also being interviewed and kept shrugging his hands... He'd got it!
"We will definitely restore the glory of this basketball mecca! This is our horse!"

...

"A series of spectacular dunks as the New York Kings defend his home court!" — Los Angeles Times.

"Shooters collectively missed, the team went 6-for-20 from three-point range, ending the Cavaliers' 11-game winning streak against the Knicks." — ESPN

"Jordan refuses to replace defensive assistant coach to save $100 million, Dolan gets the bargain, Knicks' defense transforms..." - Cleveland Plain Dealer.

"Barkley: If the pitcher is off, you can't score? A superstar would never say that." — TNT

"The Emperor straddles the King, leaps over the Brazilian Best Actor..." - US cable video link.

"King retreats from the basketball mecca, Big Emperor: This is my territory!" — The New York Times.

"..."

"..."

The game against the Cavaliers was tiring, and the post-game home interviews were also tiring. When Yi Shui got home in the early hours of last night, all the excitement had been gone, and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

This morning, when I turned on my computer while brushing my teeth, the post-game buzz was off the charts! It's higher than any game he's played since entering the NBA! Even when he scored 50 points, the buzz wasn't as high as last night's game!
There was a cacophony of praise, flattery, condemnation, and even insults... It was incredibly lively.

Yi Shui finally learned about the Knicks' losing streak against the Cavaliers before he arrived: 11 consecutive losses... It was unbearable to look at.

No wonder it's called the 'Battle of Defense'.

Barkley seems to genuinely look down on James...

His two nicknames, "Big" and "Emperor," were combined by New York fans and even used by the New York media...

These news reports and discussions are not surprising. What surprised Yi Shui was that James' performance last night could actually be interpreted as "the Cavaliers lost, but King didn't?"
He was shocked when he saw the data comparison.

他22投9中，其中三分球6中2，加上7中6的罚球，拿到26分。

James didn't guard him closely at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and his defensive choices weren't really a big problem. He was 1-for-4 from three-point range at that point, and after making that three-pointer, he missed the next one.

这不重要，重要的是詹姆斯20投9中，其中三分球3中1，加上13中9的罚球拿到了全场最高的28分，外加7板5助攻3抢断2盖帽！

Yi Shui fell silent. He clearly remembered that he scored more goals than the opponent during the crucial stages... How did he manage that?
Unable to figure it out, and with his mouth almost smeared from brushing, he quickly went to the bathroom to rinse off the foam and then turned on the system.

"...Basic rewards for the competition..."

"...personal awards..."

"The Battle to Defend the Holy Land:"

数据：26分9板4助攻2抢断2盖帽3失误3犯规，三分命中数：2个。

The game was won.

Spectacular goals: 3.

System evaluation: Outstanding performance, winning against all odds.

Congratulations on receiving the highest reward: Stamina +1 (Note: Both stamina and maximum stamina are increased).

After Yi Shui's physical strength increased to 90, he was planning to start a weight gain program again. After discussing it with Bartelstein, he decided to find a professional to help him, because he couldn't skimp on the money.

This professional was his college coach, Clark.

However, Bartelstein did not have Yi Shui contact Clark directly. Instead, he went to Walsh and D'Antoni to discuss the matter first. When providing the reference list, he mentioned the relationship between Yi Shui and Clark... In the end, Dolan paid for the trainer fee.

Mark Jackson, at least, also held the position of 'advisor'.

This weight-gain trainer is truly someone special to him, someone with such a high-class image. He even managed to get the team to 'reimburse' him? Bartelstein has once again refreshed Yi Shui's understanding of him.

Bartelstein's original words were: "I love money and I love spending it, but I'm also very stingy. Of course, it's best not to spend my own money. You've brought so many sponsors to Dolan, and it's what they should pay for. I think he'd be happy to pay for it so that you won't have any thoughts of leaving."

Yi Shui thought it made a lot of sense, since it would save him money.

The rewards for the 'Holy Land Defense War' were like a timely pillow when you were about to fall asleep.

His stamina is not bad. As the primary scorer, the spearhead of the fast break, the axis of the positional attack, and the link in maintaining the team's terrible defense, he can still play an average of 33 minutes per game, and can also hold on for 40 minutes when needed.

Even among the rising stars of the 80s and 90s, his physical strength was outstanding, with only a very few people surpassing him.

But last night James played 45 minutes, and he was still charging forward before being substituted...

After washing up, Yi Shui went to the study to look at the three ornaments on the wall, then went back to the bedroom to pack her luggage.

After a great game, the fifth consecutive away game is here!

(End of this chapter)