Champion, please stay!

Chapter 153, Section 151: The Crazy Rookie Game!
During the timeout, the rookie team players high-fived and hugged Yi Shui. At that moment, they were even more excited than Yi Shui!
Normally, among the rookies in the same cohort, some disliked Yi Shui, some were hostile, and some even hated him.

But tonight's stage is different; they represent a whole!
When the media made comparisons before the competition, they compared their class of 08 as a whole with the class of 07 on the other side.

We all prosper together, and we all suffer together!
Although Oden and Gasol were both from the 07 draft class, they were also in their rookie season and were also influenced by this atmosphere.

They were all proud to see Yi Shui dominate Durant in a one-on-one match!

When Yi Shui was fighting one-on-one with the opponent, he didn't think about this aspect, but after receiving feedback from his teammates, he immediately understood why his teammates were 'tolerant' of his endless one-on-one battles. After celebrating with his teammates, he called them together to discuss how to play next.

On the other hand, Durant was not in a good mood. Feeling the looks from some of his teammates, he was both embarrassed and annoyed.

Sophomore head coach Paul Westphal patted Durant on the back and whispered a few words of comfort.

Westphal was part of PJ Carlesimo's coaching staff last season and early this season. After being fired along with Carlesimo, he returned to his former team, the Suns, as a coaching staff consultant. The Suns changed coaches but did not replace him. He is skilled in guiding players and communicating with them.

At the time, the SuperSonics and Thunder's primary focus was on developing Durant. On the court, Carlesimo was in charge, while off the court, Westphal was responsible for his development. The two had a close relationship.

With guidance from his veteran coach, Durant's anxiety and frustration were alleviated.

He re-examined the gap between himself and Yi Shui. He was inferior to Yi Shui in terms of physical strength and ability to fight. He had felt this when they played against each other during the regular season. In addition to these, he discovered another area where he was inferior to Yi Shui tonight - this guy's technical movements were more concise and efficient!
With his physical strength at a disadvantage, his physical strength at a disadvantage, and his technical moves being even more physically demanding... Durant couldn't help but feel a little lost. How was he supposed to fight this one-on-one?
Westphal glanced across at the other side, where the New York emperor was actively communicating with his teammates, while his former protégé... was hard to contain.

But after working together for more than a year, Westphal had long been used to Durant's ambition, dreams, and fighting spirit, but his lack of initiative, leadership, and even leadership awareness. If his former disciple didn't have this awareness, then he would be the one to do it.

...

After the timeout, both teams made personnel adjustments.

The rookie team substituted Rose and Oden for Westbrook and Gasol, while Curry, Yi Shui, and Love continued playing.

The second-year team substituted Jeff Green and Scola for Al Thornton and Thaddeus Young, while Stuckey, Durant, and Horford continued to play.

The second-year team has possession of the ball and serves from the frontcourt.

Instead of continuing to demand the ball for a one-on-one attack, Durant moved to the wing after Stuckey received the inbound pass and began making off-ball runs.

This was an adjustment made by Westphal, utilizing teamwork to help Durant get easier and more comfortable shooting opportunities.

Durant only realized what was going on when he heard the instructions. He had originally planned to play like this, but his teammate just passed him the ball. The environment of the Rising Stars Challenge was also suitable for him to play one-on-one, so he kept holding onto the ball.

The teammates didn't object to the arrangement. Just like the rookie team players, they treated each other as a team in this game. Durant scored high but lost to Yi Shui, and they didn't lose face either.

As for sending someone else to compete against Yi Shui... apart from Brooks, no one has that kind of confidence.

Stuckey and Horford initiated a pick-and-roll offense. Horford received a pass from Stuckey and passed it back to Durant.

Durant was immediately blocked by Love as soon as he received the ball, and Yi Shui also double-teamed him!

He quickly passed the ball to Thaddeus Young, stepped back to receive the ball in the mid-range and took a jump shot...miss!
Marc Gasol secured the defensive rebound, and the second-year team, which had substituted a forward, was noticeably faster than the rookie team. Thornton and Stuckey blocked Westbrook's fast break, leading to a half-court offense.

Durant was prepared for Yi Shui to break through his defense; the veteran coach had already set up help defense and double-teams for him. The game was no longer just about him.

However, Yi Shui did not ask for the ball at the top arc or the right 45-degree angle, but instead moved to the baseline!
Playing off-ball too? Durant immediately perked up; he wanted to double-team like his opponents!
However! Yi Shui didn't move up to use a screen to find an open shot opportunity. When Westbrook drove in, Yi Shui turned and pushed past Durant to cut into the three-second zone.

Westbrook drove to the elbow area, drawing Horford's footwork before passing to the left side of the basket.

Yi Shui received the ball, faced Horford who was turning around and lunging at him, and before Durant could catch up and form a double team, he made a high-arcing layup!

Durant seems to have his intelligence suppressed.

He had just realized that this kind of game environment was not suitable for a player as threatening as him to make off-the-ball runs with the participation of his teammates.

But it took them a round to react, even though they had already played a rookie game and had experience.

On the other side, it seems they only failed once at the start of the game without the ball, and they remembered it! They consciously avoided double teams from the very beginning!

Shame motivates courage, learning from mistakes and correcting errors. Durant, adhering to his good basketball habits, adopted a simpler approach to offense in his second year, much like Yi Shui.

However, Yi Shui's off-ball defense interfered with Durant much more than Durant's off-ball defense interfered with Yi Shui!

Durant consciously avoided contact and made back-and-forth runs, but when he received the ball at close range, Yi Shui immediately caught up and positioned himself between Durant and the basket!

Durant reacted very quickly, not stopping his movements despite being blocked, but jumping up and throwing the ball high to create a rhythm disadvantage!

There was nothing wrong with his choice, but then he encountered Yi Shui!

Yi Shui jumped a beat slower, but he jumped from the spot. He sprang up much faster than Durant, and arrived first after being behind, slapping Durant's shot down!
Westbrook, who had just come in, got the ball and started a counter-attack!

Watching Westbrook drive into the paint and miss his floater, and then Yi Shui, who was rushing after Westbrook, scoring a putback over Thornton and Stuckey... Durant was truly devastated.

We can't win with the ball, and we can't win without it!

16 to 25, he is already 9 points behind Yishui!

Durant gritted his teeth and engaged in several more off-ball battles with Yi Shui. In five possessions, he received the ball in four of them, but only made two of his four shots, scoring just four points!
The opposing team knew he was going to shoot, and they knew that he was being closely guarded by Yi Shui on the outside and couldn't shoot easily. They knew he could only cut to the basket or receive the ball on the outside and use the rhythm difference to get past Yi Shui, so they all rushed towards him.

In this offensive environment, his off-ball efficiency is not as high as his one-on-one efficiency!
That's not the key point. During this period, Yi Shui on the other side only scored 4 points, and the gap in his score was not widened.

However, what caused him to lose his composure was that Yi Shui only scored 4 points.

After these few rounds, he noticed that Yi Shui seemed to have stopped competing with him in scoring and was instead 'assisting' Westbrook in his drives and passes!

After Yi Shui scored 25 points, the rookie team had their next offensive possession. Yi Shui continued to drive along the baseline, and Horford ignored Westbrook's drive and went straight to block Yi Shui. Westbrook drove straight to the basket and scored.

In the next round, Yi Shui continued to cut in from the byline, continuing to draw Horford away from Westbrook, allowing Westbrook to pass the ball through to Gasol, who was making a run down the high post, for an assist!

In these few rounds, Yi Shui only received the ball in one off-ball movement and scored with a close-range jump shot. He also scored two points with a putback. In the four rounds where he didn't receive the ball, he was still diligently cooperating with his teammates in off-ball movement!
Durant realized he was still competing with Yi Shui to see who could score more points, while Yi Shui had already put the 'battle' aside and focused on teamwork, helping his teammates improve their scoring efficiency. Feelings of shame and inferiority began to surface.

Especially when you see the score!
Over these five rounds, he did manage to keep the score difference between him and Yi Shui close. He scored 20 points, while Yi Shui scored 29 points, still a difference of 9 points, and the gap was not widened.

But they scored his 4 points in 5 possessions. Al Thornton's three-pointer missed, while on the opposing rookie team, Yi Shui didn't receive the ball in 4 possessions. The rest of the rookie team made 2 of 4 shots. In addition to Yi Shui's close-range shot and the putback after his teammate missed a shot, they scored 8 points!
The team's score has improved from 18-23 before the timeout to 22-35, with the difference reaching double digits!
The first time Durant felt inferior to his opponent, he was annoyed, but he quickly adjusted and acknowledged the gap. The second time he felt inferior, he also chose to reflect on himself and actively learn from his opponent. But time and time again... feelings of shame and inferiority eventually turned into a "what's the use" attitude!

From then on, Durant ignored everything else and just focused on attacking! Catch and shoot!

On Yi Shui's side, you could say he was "actively leading the team's attack," but his real purpose in playing like this was to ensure the continuity of the attack.

Although his stamina has improved considerably compared to the beginning of the season, from 89 to 91, he is clearly not yet able to take on him one-on-one thirty or forty times like a certain unnamed player on the sidelines, number 24.

Furthermore, although the opposing team didn't double-team him in the early stages, it's hard to say what would happen later. In any case, during the timeout, he emphasized to his teammates the importance of double-teaming Durant. By getting the team's offense going, participating in the offense, and acting as a simple threat, he could avoid the risk of being double-teamed. Given the opponent's lack of coordination, he would still have scoring opportunities, and he would play even more easily!
With the first half drawing to a close, the rookie team is on offense.

Yi Shui lifted the ball from the right baseline, and Durant tried his best to defend, but this time he couldn't keep up.

Yi Shui arrived at the right 45-degree angle, received a direct pass from Curry, and launched a three-pointer over Wilson Chandler who came to help defend... and it went in!
The fans in the stadium erupted in cheers once again.

Two names appeared on the big screen: Yi Shui and Stoudemire.

Stoudemire's name is followed by the year 2004 and his score of 36.

Next to Yi Shui's name was only one number—38 points!
The entire stadium was erupting in cheers. This rookie game was a huge success, a record-breaking game! And a record-breaking game in just the first half!

With Durant's pull-up three-pointer missing, the first half ended after 20 minutes.

Yi Shui scored 38 points in the first half, with Durant also contributing 31 points.

但相比易水前7分钟13中9、后13分钟9投6中，合计22投15中、其中三分球6中4、外加罚球4中4的超高效率，杜兰特的数据统计表就没那么好看了。

杜兰特从一开始9投6中不比易水差的超高效率、到12投7中还算高效、到17投9中开始不稳了……再到半场结束前强投的这个三分打铁，他的投篮表现来到了25投12中，命中率跌到五成以下了！

His three-point shooting percentage dropped to 3 out of 8, less than 40%! Combined with a 5-for-5 free throw percentage, he only managed 31 points.

In the last eight or nine minutes of the first half, Durant was shooting irrationally, ignoring fatigue and being double-teamed, just wanting to shoot, completely venting his emotions.

Although he caught up with Yi Shui in scoring, he had a huge impact on the second-year team's offense!
The second-year team took a total of 41 shots, and he took 25 of them. His teammates only took 16 shots, and their shooting percentage was not high, making only 7 shots, two of which were three-pointers. In addition, they made 4 out of 6 free throws, and only scored 21 points. With his 31 points, the team had a total of 52 points.

On the rookie team's side, they took a total of 40 shots. Apart from Yi Shui, the others made 18 successful shots. The number of shots was not much more than that of the second-year team, but with Yi Shui's assistance, Rose and Westbrook led the team to play with extremely high offensive efficiency! They made 11 of 18 shots, including 6 of 9 three-pointers, plus 5 of 6 free throws, and scored 33 points!
With Yi Shui's 38 points, the rookie team leads the sophomore team 71-52 by 19 points!
After halftime, the two teams switched sides and resumed play.

Yi Shui and Durant continue their scoring spree!

On Yi Shui's side, he took the initiative to ask the head coach to continue starting in the second half.

Dan Maurice agreed without batting an eye.

Even if Yi Shui felt that '38 points was enough,' Dan Mali would still urge him to continue playing to... no, to continue playing to set a new record.

Who knows if I'll ever have the chance to work as an assistant coach in New York? That's New York! The coaching staff, including assistant coaches and consultants, has 3 out of 6 people earning over $200 million a year, which is more than the head coach of a tanking team!
This is the Knicks' rising star, and a truly gifted young talent during the Knicks' current period of stability and when he's on the right track! We must cultivate a good relationship with him.

The teammates had no objections; Yi Shui's performance tonight was phenomenal, both with and without the ball, he was the best in his class! Even Mayo kept quiet at this point.

Moreover, could this new single-game scoring record be considered a 'collective honor' for their 08 class? At least that's what they think now.

Durant, on the other hand... also actively requested to score high points.

However, the atmosphere in the sophomore team's locker room during halftime wasn't great. A lot happened, with most players complaining about Durant; Durant and Jeff Green got into an argument with their temporary teammates; Westphal struggled to mediate, and he, who was barely known by the younger generation of players, was also criticized...

In conclusion, the second-year team players reached a consensus—

We can't let Yi Shui, who has already broken the record, continue to surge ahead. We need to prepare to relentlessly double-team Yi Shui in the second half!

Despite their dissatisfaction, Durant at least kept pace with Yi Shui in individual scoring, so let Durant keep going. They may lose the game, but the record belongs to them!

The second-grade team had clear goals, but none of them went smoothly in execution...

On the Yi Shui side, during halftime, he discussed with his teammates the possible changes the opponent might make. He didn't try to predict what internal problems the opponent might have, but rather speculated on the possible scenarios.

One possibility is that the opposing team gives up on the game, allowing them to score easily and making the second half garbage time.

The second possibility is that the opposing side unites and attempts a counterattack.

His third speculation was precisely the second-year team's plan!
In the first possession of a half-court offense, Yi Shui was double-teamed off the ball. In the second possession, Horford grabbed the offensive rebound after Durant missed a long-range shot and scored on the putback. Westbrook then received the inbound pass and immediately launched a fast break!

On the other side, Yi Shui also made a fast break! Love and Gasol did not follow up, and were both responsible for blocking the second-year team players who wanted to stop Yi Shui. Only Curry ran to the frontcourt through the middle, dangling behind, ready to receive a long shot.

When Westbrook and Yi Shui rushed to the frontcourt, only Brooks retreated. Westbrook passed the ball over Brooks' head to Yi Shui, who received the ball, took a step, and jumped!
Brooks jumped onto Yi Shui and hugged him, and then... flew high into the air!
Yi Shui, with Brooks hanging on, slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!

The rookie team launched a "three-man endless counterattack," leaving the second-year team completely bewildered and unable to defend against it!
They lacked defensive formations and teamwork; their athleticism was also inferior to the opposing team!

The fastest player on the second-year team is Brooks; no one on the court, probably in the entire arena, is faster than him right now.

But after Brooks, the fastest player on the second-year team is... Durant.

I can't keep up at all!
This style of play is actually quite challenging for the rookie team, as it requires a player who can serve quickly and accurately. Fortunately, they have Marc Gasol.

It demands a lot of speed and stamina from the players who are pushing forward. Even someone as physically gifted as Westbrook would find it difficult to maintain that kind of sustained momentum. Fortunately, in addition to Westbrook, they also have Rose! The two of them can take turns!
Yi Shui, who was responsible for scoring, did not expend as much energy as a point guard who had to concentrate on passing and attacking with the ball. However, his headlong rushing was still quite taxing. The key was that he was alone, and after a few more possessions, his momentum was not as strong. When the opposing team moved Durant to power forward and brought in the trio of Brooks, Stuckey, and Al Thornton on the perimeter, they were able to keep him at bay beyond the three-point line.

But he's not only good at fast breaks and hitting the basket; he can also receive the ball on the perimeter and take long-range shots!
The shooting percentage was a bit low... but Durant on the other side was even worse at shooting!
The second-year team was hoping that Durant could at least break the rookie game single-game scoring record. In the first few possessions of the second half, Durant's one-on-one offense was decent, but after making one mid-range shot, one three-pointer, and drawing a foul and making both free throws in his first five attempts, his accuracy plummeted again! And it plummeted even more than in the first half!

接下来整整4分钟时间，杜兰特连续7次投篮打铁，投篮表现从29中14，崩盘式下滑到36投14中……

It wasn't until midway through the second half that Durant drew a foul on a drive and made both free throws, bringing his score to 40 points.

As Durant was shooting free throws, the second-year players, watching the stats on the big screen, felt all their pent-up energy dissipate.

With 11 minutes and 46 seconds left in the second half, Durant has made 2 of 11 field goals, including 1 of 5 three-pointers, and 4 of 4 free throws, for a total of 9 points. The rest of the second-year team, including second-chance opportunities and steals on fast breaks, have taken exactly 10 shots, making 5 of 10, including 1 of 1 three-pointers, and 5 of 5 free throws, for a total of 16 points.

On the other side, they had a total of 18 shots, which was less than their second-year team. But that's not important. What's important is that, apart from Yi Shui, the rest of the rookie team only had a total of 3 shots!
Looking back, the rookie team's fast break seemed to have only one purpose—to get the ball to Yi Shui no matter what, even if it resulted in a mistake!
Curry, who was hanging behind, and Eric Gordon, who came on as a substitute, seemed to be receiving the ball, but the two of them took turns playing for 11 and a half minutes and only took two shots in total. Their first goal after receiving the ball was to pass it to Yi Shui, who was blocked on the outside!

It's obvious they're padding their stats! But... they can still make the shots! Even with shots like that, they can make 1 out of 3 long two-pointers and 2 out of 6 three-pointers!
加上6中4的攻框，以及5中4的罚球，11分半钟时间15投拿到20分！
With his 38 points in the first half, the New York Embiid has raised the rookie game single-game scoring record to 58 points!

The key point is that they also gave Durant plenty of ball possession and shot attempts to score, but Durant only made 2 of 11 shots and scored 9 points!
To allow Durant to focus on offense, Wilson Chandler and Jeff Green were on defense against Yi Shui in the second half!

After Durant finished his free throws, it was the rookie team's turn to attack.

Yi Shui slowly moved to the right at a 45-degree angle, slowed down, and then made another charge in the next round, aiming to score at least one more goal!
But when he moved to the right 45-degree angle, Jeff Green, who was guarding him, was almost back to the free-throw line!
Rose, who had the ball, was puzzled, but immediately passed the ball to Yi Shui, who quickly reacted.

After receiving the ball, Yi Shui focused and adjusted his concentration, then launched a three-pointer over Jeff Green, who was casually making his way back...

The timing was perfect, Jeff Green was just at the 'judgment distance', and he was also lucky. His 'tower sniping' technique was on fire, and with the shooting space like an open shot and the shooting preparation time like a practice test... he made it!
Westphal called a pause, muttering "OMG!" repeatedly.

The more than 37,000 fans at the scene had already started cheering when Yi Shui received the ball and took an open shot.

The current superstars and retired legends who came to watch the game were also shocked. The first half was okay. Yi Shui's performance was good enough. If he played well, he could have been an All-Star. But the crazy energy in the second half... Every now and then, the superstars would turn their attention to Kobe and Iverson. Iverson is not good now. Maybe only Kobe can do it!
With endless counterattacks, and with Westbrook and Rose handling the ball, James can also do it, but when he's blocked inside and closely guarded on the outside, taking nine shots against the defense is something everyone knows James wouldn't dare to do.

38投23中，其中三分球13中7，加上9中8的罚球，易水出战32分钟，狂轰61分！
(End of this chapter)