Champion, please stay!

Chapter 141, 139. Dunking over the Wolf King, avenging the Celtics!

During halftime, both American Cable and Time Warner Cable, which were broadcasting the game, were analyzing why the Knicks had a double-digit lead at halftime.

Time Warner, Bill Walton: "The Celtics were shooting terribly, going 1-for-13 from three-point range in the first half, with only Paul hitting a step-back shot over Wilson's defense."

Hubie Brown: "Isn't that how the game is? If a weaker team wants to beat a stronger team, they have to exploit the opponent's weaknesses. Tonight, the Knicks exploited the Celtics' poor shooting, actively collapsing the backboard and launching counterattacks... This kind of scenario didn't exist before Cheeks came. Back then, they could only rely on the individual abilities of Embiid, Anderson, and Lee to protect the backboard; they didn't have a team awareness of protecting the backboard."

Bill Walton: "You're right, but the Celtics aren't that easy to beat. Ray is the best three-point shooter in history, and he'll definitely get back into form. Once he gets hot, the Celtics will become a completely different team."

However, the Knicks have made significant progress last month. Their rebounding is better than the Suns' back then. Cheeks joining the Knicks has shown us another possibility for the development of run-and-gun offense, without needing to suppress the pace like the Nuggets…”

There weren't many points to analyze in the first half of the game, so the two commentators shifted the topic to the 'run-and-gun' style of play that fans would find very interesting.

The article mentions the failure of Kerr's modified run-and-gun offense with the addition of a center, Don Nelson's classic run-and-gun style, George Karl's shift to a track-and-track style run-and-gun primarily focused on defense and fast breaks, and D'Antoni's insistence on speed-first fast-paced offense...

After halftime, the two teams switched halves and resumed play.

As the commentators from both TV stations analyzed, the Celtics could not give up just because they were down by 14 points at halftime, nor did they abandon shooting and blindly attack the paint because of their poor shooting in the first half. Instead, they persisted with a combination of drives and shots.

However, the one who fired the first shot was not Ray Allen, whom fans in front of their TVs were most looking forward to, but rather—Rondo!
Duhon moved his defense almost to the free-throw line, not to stop Rondo's drive, but to be able to help defend Ray Allen on the right sideline more quickly.

As a result, Rondo pulled up and hit a three-pointer!
This shot was like a spark, igniting the Celtics' pent-up energy from the first half of the game and setting the whole team on fire.

The Celtics also played with even more intensity on the defensive end.

Even though the Knicks were mentally prepared during halftime that they might not be able to defend them when they returned, the Celtics' powerful performance after suppressing their offense for halftime still caught them off guard.

前6分多钟，凯尔特人队打出15比10的比分，官方暂停回来后的5分钟，凯尔特人队又打出了13比10的比分。

打到11分26秒，凯尔特人队将比分追至63比69，分差缩小到6分！
When it was the Knicks' turn to attack, Wilson Chandler, who was open on the wing, received the ball but missed a three-pointer.

Garnett circled around to the rebound's landing point, having already observed everyone's positioning, ready to grab the ball and immediately pass it to Rondo, whose team was also ready to launch a counterattack.

Just then, a figure circled around to Garnett's front, slammed his back against Garnett's, knocking him back half a step, then leaped high and slammed the rebounded ball back into the basket!
Yi Shui's "Longzhi-style" slalom maneuver resulted in a direct penalty, earning him two points!

After landing, Yi Shui turned around and roared at Garnett, igniting the emotions that had been building up in the crowd, and the whole stadium cheered!
However, Yi Shui was almost touching Garnett's face. Even if Yi Shui's body was a little crooked or he was a little shorter... he was spitting all over Garnett's face! The referee could only give Yi Shui a technical foul.

Although Yi Shui lost a point because of that angry shout, the technical foul was well worth it!
When it was the Celtics' turn to attack, the Knicks players, fueled by the emotions stirred up by the Yi River, played with all their might on defense. Using their speed advantage, they got into position and Rondo's layup after receiving a pass was disrupted by Wilson Chandler, and David Lee secured the defensive rebound.

In the transition between offense and defense, facing the combination of Rondo, Ray Allen, Pierce, Garnett, and Glen Davis, the Knicks' fast break failed. However, Yi Shui cut into the right side of the top arc after a screen and received a pass from Curry, attracting a double team from Rondo and Pierce, before passing back to the top arc.

Curry received the ball, adjusted his position, and launched a three-pointer over Ray Allen who was coming to help... The whistle blew as the ball was in the air, and the ball fell into the basket as the whistle blew.

The referee confirmed the basket was valid; Curry's jump point was outside the three-point line!
Just when it seemed the Celtics were about to narrow the gap to within 5 points, Yi Shui and Curry scored two consecutive baskets in the final moments... After three quarters, the score was 74-64, and the Knicks regained their lead to double digits!

The Celtics players were incredibly tenacious. Even three years later in the 2012 playoffs, when the Big Three were all getting old, they still managed to fight the "new Big Three," whose oldest player was only 30, all the way to a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals. They fought until the 35-year-old Pierce, the 37-year-old Ray Allen, and the 36-year-old Garnett collapsed from exhaustion before finally losing in Game 7.

In just 34 seconds, the Celtics players conceded two goals in quick succession, and their feeling wasn't one of frustration, but of anger!
At the start of the final quarter, the Celtics launched another comeback.

However, the Knicks, who were almost driven to despair by the Celtics in the third quarter, had their morale reignited by Yi Shui's roar and Curry's three-pointer over the all-time three-point king. After returning to the court, they gritted their teeth and fought back fiercely against their opponents!
The Celtics found their shooting touch in the third quarter, and with less time to find their rhythm in the final quarter, their offense became even more ferocious. Despite the Knicks' hard work, the Celtics displayed even greater firepower than in the third quarter, scoring 30 points in the first 11 minutes!
Fortunately for the Knicks, they managed to extend their lead to double digits in the final moments of the third quarter, allowing them to maintain a 96-94 lead over the Celtics... scoring only 22 points in 11 minutes.

The Knicks' offensive firepower, the best in the league, was reduced to a bottom-ten level by the Celtics. It was the Knicks' turn to attack.

The Celtics' starting lineup is currently on the court.

The Knicks' starting lineup: Duhon, Curry, Yi Shui, Harrington, David Lee.

Harrington received the ball at the top of the key and initiated an attack with a pick-and-roll with Yi Shui.

Yi Shui attempted a series of screens, a close-range play that he, Harrington, and Curry executed best and most skillfully, but it failed!
The Celtics' strong physical play and incredibly fast switching defense gave the three defenders no chance to create space!
After Yi Shui broke apart, he took advantage of the off-ball movement of the "Iron Wall" to rush to close range. The Celtics' switching defense was still excellent. Garnett blocked him on the right side of the basket, and Harrington, who was blocked at the free-throw line by Perkins, stopped the ball and quickly passed it to Yi Shui, who was guarding Garnett in the low post.

Yi Shui received the ball near Garnett, saw no one under the basket, hesitated for only a moment, and then decisively moved towards Garnett.

In a physical confrontation, Yi Shui had a certain advantage over Garnett, who was over 30 and had lost some weight to maintain his mobility. However, in a static confrontation, Garnett was 10 kilograms heavier than him, which put him at a disadvantage.

However, he didn't try to force his way in. Instead, he leaned back and turned around, preparing to use Beasley's "small against big" layup with his waist close to his body.

Garnett anticipated Yi Shui's intentions and stepped back half a step after the confrontation, not giving the opponent a chance to close in, preparing to use his height and wingspan advantage to interfere with the opponent's shot.

But when Yi Shui turned around and saw Garnett move away, his lower body was not blocked. He was overjoyed and jumped with all his might to meet Garnett without dribbling!
Garnett rushed forward, but it was too late!

When 'Inside Dominator' is triggered, you receive the ball at close range and jump together with your opponent. A standing jump is equivalent to a running jump. If there is no one else under the basket, it greatly reduces physical interference!
Yi Shui held off Garnett's renewed attack in mid-air and slammed the ball into the basket over Garnett!
Amidst the deafening cheers of the fans and the groaning of the basketball hoop, the referee blew his whistle.

Garnett committed a blocking foul, Yi Shui's goal stands, and an additional penalty is due!
Garnett was completely stunned by that dunk.

He clearly got into position immediately, knowing he would most likely be called for a foul, but his only thought was to stop the opponent from dunking, even if it meant a foul. As a result, he rushed forward but didn't even have time to pull the opponent back. The opponent charged forward, fast and fierce!

After celebrating with his ecstatic teammates, Yi Shui made the extra free throw amidst cheers from the entire stadium.

With 99 to 94 and 40 seconds left, the Knicks have regained a 5-point lead!
After the Celtics called a timeout, their three-point play failed, forcing them to commit a tactical foul.

David Lee secured the rebound and made both free throws to seal the victory. Although the Celtics made their final three-point attempt, it was too late.

At 9:23 p.m., the final whistle blew.

凯尔特人队下半场打得确实是猛，雷-阿伦9投5中、其中三分球5中3，加上2中2的罚球拿到15分；皮尔斯10投5中拿到13分；隆多7分5助攻；加内特6分4板3助攻2抢断2盖帽，四巨头半场拿到41分，率队半场拿到56分，半场三分球13投6中，准得吓人。

Fortunately, the Knicks held on!
Yi Shui didn't take many shots tonight, playing 37 minutes and only taking 17 shots, making 7 of 17, including 1 of 3 three-pointers, plus 5 of 6 free throws, and finally scoring a 2+1 to get 20 points. Half of those points came when the whole team went on a scoring spree in the second quarter, but several of his baskets were very crucial!

The initial surge that widened the gap, the resilience against comebacks, and finally, the 2+1 play that sealed the victory...

而且除了20分，还有11板6助攻1抢断3盖帽！

Yi Shui was responsible for harassing Garnett on the defensive end, slowing down the opponent's process of getting the whole team into form, and making one-on-one plays in crucial moments.

My teammates were responsible for scoring in regulation time, and the whole team played like their lives depended on it on defense. Although we didn't stop many possessions in the second half, we did our best.

With the whole team working together, the score was set at 101-97, and the Knicks narrowly defeated the Celtics by 4 points, preventing a comeback!

(End of this chapter)