Champion, please stay!

Chapter 148, Section 146: The Uncultured Big Jaws

The game ended with Joe Johnson receiving the ball and attempting a three-pointer despite Yi Shui's interference, but missing the shot.

The Knicks narrowly defeated the Hawks 109-105, securing their fifth consecutive victory!

15投7中，其中三分球3中1，加上8中7的罚球，易水拿到22分。

After he dunked over Marvin Williams at the start of the second quarter, the opposing defense focused on him.

The main reason is that he went on a scoring spree in the last few games of last month. He scored 42, 25, 34 and 44 points in the four games respectively. If it weren't for the fact that he broke the Warriors' turnover record and started committing flagrant fouls, he would definitely have scored 50+ points in the last game of the month.

This marks the third consecutive game since Yi Shui played the Warriors where their shot attempts were limited. After scoring 45 points in the opening game, they faced the same situation in their next game against the 76ers. After scoring 50 points in their last game of the first month against the Warriors, they encountered the same situation in their next game against the Kings.

Even though he didn't score 50+ points this time, he was still being targeted... Yi Shui felt that his scoring environment was becoming increasingly difficult, and he could only get assists.

除了22分，他还有11板14助攻1抢断1盖帽5失误3犯规，拿下赛季第3次三双！
After celebrating the victory with his teammates, Yi Shui looked at the opponent, Josh Smith, who was no less physically capable than him, James, Durant, and others, and was poised to become the next Hawks King.

He had heard that Josh Smith's regular defense was top-tier, but he was always a liability in close games and crucial moments.

I didn't have a chance to experience it before. Last time we played, they were crushed by more than 20 points. There were no tense moments throughout the game, let alone crucial plays.

He experienced it this time, so it's hard to judge.

In the regular half-court game, when he had the ball on the perimeter, Josh Smith would normally use his lower body to disrupt his jump, without recklessly reaching out to steal or block.

In the final possession, Josh Smith surprisingly opted for a high-pressure defense, giving him space to push past his opponent, lift the ball, and jump...

Both are high school freshmen, from the same year, from the same high school, and with similar physical abilities, compared to the potential Eagle King, Beast is simply too outstanding.

The following evening, at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, the Knicks visited the Hawks' home court for the second game of a back-to-back.

Woodson's forced imitation of Adelman's eight-man rotation sometimes had some advantages—the players were used to playing a lot of time.

In the first half, the back-to-back games had a significantly smaller impact on the Hawks, who scored 58 points, while the Knicks only managed 22 points in the first quarter and 24 points in the second.

At halftime, the Hawks led the Knicks by 12 points!
In the second half, the Knicks' offense improved, scoring 26 points in the third quarter and going on a run in the middle of the final quarter. However, the run was not as sustained as in the previous games and fizzled out at the end of the quarter, ultimately scoring only 29 points in the quarter.

The Hawks scored 26 points in the third quarter and 24 points in the final quarter. In the final quarter, the Knicks narrowed the gap to just two points, but they managed to hold on.

乔-约翰逊16投8中拿到18分、马文-威廉姆斯14投6中拿到17分、毕比10投4中拿到10分11助攻、约什-史密斯12投6中拿到16分7板5助攻3抢断2盖帽、霍福德7投5中拿到14分10板、莫里斯-埃文斯11投5中拿到11分、罗纳德-穆雷11投4中拿到10分、帕楚利亚吃饼吃出了6投5中拿到10分……

The Hawks had eight players on the court, and all eight scored in double figures. They lacked scoring bursts and weren't particularly resilient under pressure, but their performance remained relatively consistent regardless of the lineup on the court. In this respect, they were somewhat similar to the Sacramento Kings...

尼克斯队这边，易水22投10中，其中三分球10中3，加上4中4的罚球，拿到27分9板4助攻2抢断2盖帽；库里13分4助攻；替补上场的杜洪8分6助攻；大卫-李15分7板；哈灵顿15分；鸟人11分……其他人整体表现都不咋滴。

The Hawks narrowly defeated the Knicks 108-101, ending the Knicks' five-game winning streak!

After the final whistle blew, Yi Shui stood with his hands on his hips, looking at the big screen. They had suffered their 16th defeat, bringing their record to 34 wins and 16 losses, currently ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics are currently the top team in the Eastern Conference with a record of 40 wins and 10 losses, making them the only team with 40 wins so far.

The Cavaliers, with a record of 38 wins and 12 losses, are right behind the Celtics, trailing them by only two games and the top-seeded Lakers by only one game.

The Magic, with a record of 37 wins and 13 losses, are also closely following the top three in the league.

The Hawks, now ranked fifth, have a record of 32 wins and 18 losses.

Before the Christmas Day game, the Knicks and Magic had similar records, with the Knicks even ranking ahead of the Magic for a long time. However, as the intensity of the game increased in the middle of the season, the gap gradually became apparent.

Yi Shui's goal is to keep pushing forward, to go as far as they can, but with 50 regular season games already played, they also need to consider the issues from a realistic perspective.

It's practically impossible for them to catch up with the top two; the gap is widening.

At best, they can compete for third place, but they might also fall to fifth...

We've already played the Hawks three times this season, with a record of 1 win and 2 losses. If we finish with the same record as the Hawks, we'll be ranked lower. If we happen to finish fourth or fifth, we'll meet in the first round...

Having been in the NBA for so long, this is the first time Yi Shui has truly felt the pressure of achieving good results.

At times like this, he inevitably 'envies' Rose, Durant, and others. Those guys have no pressure at all, they can play however they want, and nobody cares about winning or losing, as long as their personal stats are good.

Then look at the elementary school student. I heard that because he played poorly in January, his efficiency was even lower than that of his substitute Chalmers, and he often dragged the team down, he was criticized by the local media several times. He was so anxious that he started losing his hair...

...

This three-game road trip was relatively quick, except for the back-to-back games in Atlanta where time was tight. The latter two games had plenty of time, as all three opponents were teams from the Southeast Division.

On the 8th, the Knicks rested all morning and left their hotel in Atlanta at 2 p.m. to go to the airport. When they arrived in Miami in the evening, they even had dinner on time.

After dinner, Yi Shui returned to the suite the team had arranged for him and enjoyed the evening sea view from the balcony...

When he was a junior in college, he saw a news report that Dolan had cut the team’s daily expenses again because he disliked the players on the team and didn’t get along with anyone… This was probably true. Of the players from the Thomas era, apart from David Lee and Nate Robinson, who were always very ambitious, and Big Q, who always played a very hard-working style, there were really not many that he could stand.

Jeffries, who is still with the team and no one wants him even if they offer him a second-round pick, is a prime example of the 'excellent' players of that era with the Knicks.

If Dolan could like those players, Yi Shui thinks even Jesus on the cross would have to move.

Moreover, Dolan only cut routine expenses; his promise of 'unlimited' salary for Thomas has remained unchanged.

When Yi Shui joined the Knicks, he was initially worried about the team's benefits after seeing news of Dorland cutting daily expenses, especially since he had received generous benefits with the Huskies. However, during training camp and preseason, he didn't feel any 'cuts' at all. When he talked to other rookies from the same draft class, he felt that everyone was treated the same.

He later learned that Dolan had simply reduced the team's daily expenses, which had been a level above other teams for many years, to the league standard level.

After the start of the regular season, as the team's performance improved, the team's benefits also continued to increase.

There have been changes recently, mainly concerning him personally. When he came to the South Coast to play an away game, he stayed in a sea-view suite with a living room, a private bathroom, a private bedroom, and a large balcony... Anyone who didn't know better would think he was here on vacation.

After a night's rest, on the 9th, the Knicks traveled to American Airlines Arena to challenge the Heat.

At 5:40 p.m., the players from both teams entered the field.

Before the game, when Wade and Yi Shui faced each other, Wade felt that the rookie in front of him had become even bigger!

He looked up at the big screen, which displayed the data and information of the two teams' star players. The rookie's data clearly stated 'six feet seven inches'.

He knew that many NBA players lied about their height, like himself... cough cough.

For example, his best friend LeBron James was indeed 6 feet 8 inches tall when he entered the NBA with shoes on, but now he is a little over 6 feet 8 inches barefoot, and a little taller than 6 feet 9 inches with shoes on.

But none of them are as outrageous as this guy! Oh, right, there's a guy in Oklahoma City who's almost as outrageous as this, who was assigned to the second-year team's backcourt in the rookie season.

Yi Shui spoke first, saying, "Dwayne, are you ready to teach me a lesson tonight?"

The expectant tone made Wade furious. He suppressed his anger and replied, "Let the game decide, rookie."

Emperor Yi was disappointed, thinking to himself: "He always says the same thing. I can tell he hasn't read much."

热火队目前也打了50场比赛，目前以23胜27负排在东部第九，与26胜25负排在东部第六的公牛队没有质的差距。

The Bulls, Pacers, 76ers, Heat, and Pistons have already begun their battle for sixth through eighth place even before the All-Star Weekend has started.

The Bobcats, after acquiring Raja Bell and Diaw, along with their existing core lineup of Felton, Gerald Wallace, and Okafor, also have the potential to climb the ranks.

The Pistons players want to make the playoffs, but the management seems reluctant. General Manager Joe Dumars has essentially made it public that he wants to break up the team, with Hamilton, Prince, and Rasheed Wallace all available for trade. The Bulls are in a similar situation.

Yi Shui estimates that the Heat, Pacers, 76ers, and Bobcats will likely be the four teams competing for the remaining three spots in the lower bracket.

The match started at 6 o'clock.

Heat starting lineup: Conley, Wade, James Jones, Haslem, Milicic.

Knicks starting lineup: Curry, Q, Yi Shui, David Lee, Swift.

Swift beat Milicic to win the jump ball, giving the Knicks the first possession!
Curry and Swift initiated the offense with a pick-and-roll at the top of the key.

After setting a screen for Da Q on the wing, Yi Shui shook off the heavy-footed Wade and cut into the paint. He received a lob pass from Curry, faced Haslem who was helping on defense, and used his position to hold off the defender. Before Milicic could get into position to help on defense, he made a high floater!

When Wade saw this, he glanced at Beasley, the sixth man on the sidelines.

He had heard that Yi Shui was learning from Beasley's style of play and enriching his own offensive methods, and he had also seen similar styles of play while watching live broadcasts, but he was still surprised to see it in person.

It's only been less than three months, right? And you're already so skilled!
This move is exactly what Beasley excels at: using his power forward's physique in the low post to bully the opposing small forward or shooting guard.

But unlike others, Yi Shui didn't bully the guards in that position. Instead, he used his physique as a powerhouse to hold his position and used his height and wingspan advantage to work over the power forwards...

Also, just like what Wade has been studying in Yi Shui's recent games, this rookie has recently started to improve his use of his body.

They make progress every now and then, and it seems like they have endless potential... Wade felt a little anxious. Their 03 Platinum Generation hadn't even dominated the league like the Pan-84 Generation or the Pan-96 Generation, and the new generation of players had already emerged!

First there was the pan-96 generation, then the pan-08 generation?
As the game switched between offense and defense, Wade came to the frontcourt, muttered to himself, "I hope the strategist can keep his promise," and then put aside his other thoughts.

He came to the top of the key and set a pick-and-roll with Conley, getting into the game.

Haslem and James Jones created space, Wade screened Curry for Conley, then cut past Curry and into the paint from the left.

Conley passed the ball from the right side of the free-throw line, and Wade, with Swift on his back, made a strong floater before Yi Shui could collapse and double-team him!

Yi Shui looked at Kang Li and thought of a comment—a deluxe version of Du Hong.

With the same ability to shoot, pass, and control the game, Du Hong is surrounded by all-around skills.

Conley and Wade both had opportunities just now, but Wade had a higher success rate when attacking the basket. Conley gave up his pull-up jump shot opportunity and decisively passed the ball.

The strategist failed to acquire Durant during the offseason, but now he's brought back someone with even greater talent.

As for Wade... give him a decent point guard position and let him return to the role of a pure scorer, and he will be the modern-day Jordan!

When it was the Knicks' turn to attack, the Heat had already set up their defensive positions.

Spoelstra's years of editing video footage were not in vain; he learned a great deal about the defensive system building abilities of the previous two head coaches. With Milicic, a proper center with sufficient size and good rim protection awareness, and Beasley, whose defense was terrible, placed on the bench, a defensive system quickly took shape.

The Heat's changes were attributed to Spoelstra, because the defensive system was too similar to that of Spoelstra and the Van Gundy brothers. Spoelstra's in-game command was also poor due to insufficient tactical reserves and lack of experience, making it hard to believe that he created the defensive system.

However, even with the rudiments of a defensive system, it was still just a rudiments. When pushed into half-court offense, the Knicks still managed to unleash a fast-paced whirlwind!

Curry and Swift initiated a pick-and-roll offense, disrupting the opponent's defense. Yi Shui cut in and compressed the opponent's defense, receiving the ball and passing it to... David Lee received the pass from Yi Shui and made a jump shot from the left side of the free throw line!
Wade saw that the opposing team had only taken 13 seconds to make a shot in a half-court offense... so he had to attack!
(End of this chapter)