Champion, please stay!

Chapter 164, Section 162: Elementary School Student: New York Isn't Just About the Emperor!
During the break, Kobe returned to the bench and complained to Phil Jackson, "I thought their defense was bad enough last time, but this time it's even worse."

He means he wants the coach to help him come up with a plan; he wants to score.

But the Zen master said, "Their choice was wise, and they fought with great focus."

Kobe frowned slightly, then relaxed and replied, "You're right, they haven't done anything unnecessary, and they've grown a lot."

The Zen Master said, "And they are special. They are clearly not young, but they feel more like a young team than the Grizzlies."

Kobe looked across at the other side. Those players weren't exactly young anymore. The starting lineup included Big Q and Swift, both from the 00 draft class, who had been playing for many years. David Lee, although still in the last year of his rookie contract, seemed to be 26 years old and entering his prime.

Among the key players on the bench, Harrington entered the NBA only two years after him, and Birdman also left college in the late 90s...

But looking back on the game that just ended, whether it was the players running around with Yi Shui and Curry on the court, or the substitutes standing in a row on the sidelines cheering for their teammates and waving towels, their actions and expressions all felt so 'young' to him!
Kobe laughed and said, "It's thanks to those two rookies. Embiid is always at the forefront, motivating everyone else. And that kid named Curry has the Mamba Mentality when he shoots. Every time he shoots, he inspires everyone else. This team has been marked by them. It's incredible."

Zen Master: "What child? That guy named Curry seems to be only 9 years younger than you."

Kobe: "Really? I thought he was a high school student."

“There are no high school players left, Andrew is the youngest one…”

Odom, standing nearby, asked, "Derrick, did you understand what they were saying?"

Fisher: "It seems like they were talking about the age of the opposing players..."

On the other hand, the atmosphere in the Knicks wasn't as relaxed as in the Lakers, but it wasn't as oppressive as when they played the Lakers at Staples Center more than three months ago. To be precise, it was focused and serious.

D'Antoni and Cheeks made offensive and defensive adjustments one after another, and the players listened attentively and understood them well, because both coaches were simplifying both offense and defense.

In their early-season encounter, the Knicks were on a seven-game winning streak, boasting a 15-3 record, tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with the Celtics. When they faced the Lakers, the league's best team, they were overthinking things... and then the Lakers dominated for two and a half quarters, turning the game into garbage time. Yi Shui, however, played aggressively and scored 32 points during that garbage time.

They were indeed a bit overconfident at the time. After getting the number one draft pick last season and starting with a 15-3 record, everyone who came to them seemed confused. Even D'Antoni thought he had created another '04 Suns' team.

Now, after a grueling January and a brutal March, the entire Knicks team, from top to bottom, has a clear understanding of their position. However, the harsh reality has not discouraged them; instead, it has made them even clearer about their strengths.

In this game against the Lakers, they didn't think too much and just did three things: double-team Kobe, protect the rim, and attack!

...

Back from the holiday break.

The Lakers brought in a lineup of Shannon Brown, Ariza, Odom, Josh Powell, and Gasol.

The Knicks brought in a lineup of Duhon, Curry, Wilson Chandler, David Lee, and Anderson.

Yi Shui sat on the sidelines, ready to go on the field at any time.

Although he played the entire first quarter, he wasn't actually as tired as he usually is.

Compared to the starting twin towers of Gasol and Bynum, the starting twin towers of Odom and Gasol were significantly weaker in the paint; the four-tower rotation with the addition of DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell was also far inferior to the three tall players playing in pairs.

With his teammates finding their shooting touch early in the first quarter, he had more opportunities to attack the basket, making his game much easier than usual.

后面11分钟5中2的投篮表现看似一般，但有1次出手是快24秒违例了接到球就扔，投了个三不沾……实际上他首节算投出了6中4的超高效率表现。

However, D'Antoni considered his continuity issues and decided to give him some rest time in the middle two quarters, which he accepted, and this was indeed very important.

Now that he was seated, Yi Shui was prepared to try and catch up when he went on the field.

Actually, looking at the role players, Duhon is definitely stronger than Shannon Brown, Birdman is no worse than Josh Powell, and Wilson Chandler's overall ability is not inferior to Ariza. The main problem is that the Lakers' role players are too bad.

However, in terms of the single function of fixed roles, the Lakers' main rotation players are far superior to them!

The scouting report shows that Josh Powell has a 52.3% field goal percentage on spot-up shooting; Shannon Brown has a 67.1% field goal percentage on easy baskets; Ariza is excellent in half-court sets and fast breaks, and has also shown his shooting talent, shooting 7 of 12 three-pointers when left wide open against the Cavaliers.

On their side, their abilities seem too 'mixed'. Duhon is alright, focusing on pushing the fast break and three-pointers in half-court situations; but Birdman's best skill, defense, is not being used. Wilson Chandler is actually a ball-handling scoring small forward, but D'Antoni won't give him opportunities to do one-on-one because he doesn't have the same success rate as David Lee or Curry in one-on-one situations, and he's only used as a low-level offensive player.

The two-core duo, David Lee and Curry at this stage, are clearly no match for Gasol and Odom.

but……

At the start of the second quarter, Gasol initiated the offense with a low-post isolation play, Ariza cut in from the wing to compress the defense, Odom facilitated the offense from the high post and passed the ball to Josh Powell, who received the ball in the mid-range and made a shot... The first offensive play was very impressive.

But the Knicks responded immediately!
In a half-court game, Curry and Birdman initiated the offense with a pick-and-roll, and Duhon received the ball and hit a three-pointer, tying the game at 37-37!
Then Shannon Brown made a cut and delivered a terrifying rim-hugging dunk, his hand was flat the moment the ball hit the ground!
Turning back, Curry seized the gap created by the opponent's defensive positioning as his teammates moved and positioned themselves. He changed direction with a quick burst of speed, got past Shannon Brown, and drove into the paint, hitting a high-arcing layup over Gasol at close range.

They'll give them a taste of their own medicine!

Yi Shui suddenly jumped up from the chair, snatched the towel from Chalmers' hand, and started waving it around.

Chalmers tried to reach for it back, but it was too high, so he had to grab another one...

On the court, Curry has only one thought—attack!

Today, everyone is only talking about Yi Shui and Kobe. Even the news reports about this game are not about Lakers vs. Knicks, but about Embiid vs. Black Mamba and New York vs. Los Angeles.

His teammates didn't seem to have any opinions about it, and the opposing Lakers players seemed to accept the situation completely, but Curry was unhappy!
He accepted the naming rights to the New York basketball scene by Yi Shui, but he didn't want it to be just Yi Shui's name. He wanted people to think of him when they mentioned New York + basketball!
With Yi Shui resting on the bench, Curry is completely letting loose, driving, shooting, passing, and going all out!
The Knicks continued their hot shooting from the first quarter, with teammates performing well in half-court sets and receiving shots. Curry also excelled in pick-and-roll drives and one-on-one plays.

With Kobe Bryant off the court, the Knicks' defense became much simpler. They could cover the perimeter if they could, and if not, they could just focus on protecting the rim and the boards. Duhon pushed the fast break forward, Curry pulled up for a layup, and Birdman and Wilson Chandler attacked the basket, and the fast break really took off!
The defense was definitely ineffective; the Lakers scored 16 points in just half a quarter.

But on offense, the Knicks, led by a breakout performance from the young star, racked up 21 points!
With 6 minutes and 16 seconds left in the second quarter, the Lakers called a timeout!

…This is the first time the Zen Master has called a timeout tonight. He had no intention of calling a timeout tonight, just like in their match in early December.

He originally planned to have Odom, the point forward, and Gasol, the supporting center, lead three role players to break down the opponent, widen the gap, and then bring in Kobe when the opponent was forced to call a timeout and bring in Yi Shui.

The result was that the other side almost crushed them!
They're down by 4 points, 51 to 55!

Two three-pointers, a layup, and a long two-pointer—4 of 6 shots made, Curry scored in double figures in just half a quarter!

While it's normal for shooters to go on a scoring spree in the Knicks' offensive system, Curry, as a rookie... Phil Jackson recalled Kobe saying during the break that Curry had that Mamba Mentality.

Now he's sure, it really exists!

Facing the Lakers, who are the league leaders, and whose previous encounter turned into garbage time in just two and a half quarters, Curry, as a rookie, actually withstood the pressure and delivered... no! an explosive performance!

Compared to Kobe at 21, he's definitely far behind. At 21, Kobe was already averaging 28+5+5 and was on the All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive Second Team, and that was in the era of the three-second rule without defense.

But that shooting talent, that ability to withstand pressure, that strong mentality really do have the shadow of the little blacksmith back then. Moreover, late bloomers are not uncommon in the sports world. Who can say what the future holds?

A scene appeared in the Zen master's mind—

With Kobe's playing style, as long as he stays healthy, maintaining his offensive prowess at 35 or 36 shouldn't be difficult; players like Gasol get better with age; Bynum's youth seems limitless...

Kobe's mid-range game, Bynum's low post play, Gasol's playmaking, and Curry's support?
Besides winning a championship, Phil Jackson has another goal right now—to become Jerry Buss' son-in-law and enter the Lakers' decision-making team.

He had to act as if he was considering the team's future, and of course, he genuinely was making plans for the team's future.

Curry's performance tonight made him think for a moment.

The main reason is that the Lakers are one of the few teams in the NBA with a 'legacy' philosophy, and Kobe seems to really admire Curry... They definitely can't get Embiid, but what about the other players?
Once this championship race is over, the team will have to be dismantled and rebuilt. Odom, or even Bynum, could be traded for a rim-protecting role player...

Seeing his players walk back to the bench, their faces filled with frustration at being hit by four three-pointers by three opposing shooters in half a quarter, the Zen Master put aside his distractions, made substitutions, and didn't adjust the tactics. It wasn't that they played poorly; it was that they weren't as aggressive as the opposing team.

Pause back.

The Lakers brought in a lineup of Fisher, Kobe, Luke Walton, Gasol, and DJ Mbenga.

The Knicks brought in a lineup of Chalmers, Q, Yi Shui, Harrington, and Anderson.

Yi Shui directed his teammates to set up a defensive formation. He was both excited and under pressure. He couldn't afford to waste the advantage that the elementary school students had fought so hard for!

The Lakers are on offense, inbounding the ball from the center line.

Fisher received the inbound pass and passed it to Luke Walton at the top of the arc, who then passed it to Kobe, who was leaning against Big Q at the high post.

Kobe took a step, turned to the right, braked suddenly, turned to the left, and with great effort, his big Q lunged to the right, colliding with Harrington who was rushing from the weak side!
Anderson under the basket and Chalmers in the right corner quickly moved towards the elbow area to block, but Kobe turned and took a big step but did not move forward. Instead, he slapped the ball back with his small hand.

After Kobe returned to his starting position, he grabbed the ball, took a step back, raised his hand, bent down to catch the ball again, a guy who claimed to be a shooting guard flew past him, he rose again, and made a mid-range shot!

Even the fans in the arena who had been booing Kobe all night gasped in surprise at this moment.

One against five!

Yi Shui watched Kobe shake his head, pout, and make a "tsk tsk" sound as he backed away... How annoying!

But that was a really flashy shot!

In the transition between offense and defense, the Knicks quickly pushed up the court, and Chalmers passed the ball to Harrington before spreading out.

Harrington didn't ask for a pick-and-roll, but instead waited at the top arc for Yi Shui to go to the right 45-degree angle and pass the card.

He knew Yi Shui would be provoked without Yi Shui even needing to ask for the ball.

This isn't a problem with Yi Shui. As a player from the 96 draft class, Harrington knows Kobe too well. This guy can easily provoke his opponents' desire for a one-on-one match, especially young players... After all, he was young once too.

Let's not dwell on the outcome of his one-on-one match with Kobe back then, but he believed Yi Shui could do it!
Yi Shui bent down to control the ball, and right in front of him was Kobe!

Kobe didn't reach out rashly, but was ready to stick close to the opponent and protect their lower body from a pull-up jumper.

Seeing that the defensive master was so steady, Yi Shui didn't delay any longer and went for a horizontal sweep!

Kobe immediately moved to the side, taking an extra step, blocking Yi Shui's space to step!
During the half-quarter break, Kobe didn't rest; he kept trying to score... and defend against Yi Jianlian's one-on-one plays!

When it comes to specific matchup details, Phil Jackson never offered any advice, and Kobe was used to it.

He actually analyzed the opponent's defensive 'loopholes' and came up with a way to defend against Yi Shui.

But Kobe, who had taken an extra step, saw Yi Shui's movement and quickly tried to block him back... After Yi Shui took a step to the right, he slapped the ball forward and to the left with his right hand, twisted his waist to the left, stepped out with his right foot, blocked Kobe, and made a breakthrough!

Kobe managed to push back with his explosive power, but he was knocked away!

The Lakers' interior and wings were in complete disarray, desperately trying to block the paint, but Luke Walton and Fisher on the wings were too slow to keep up.

Birdman, the Knicks' only player close to the basket, immediately pulled away!

Yi Shui advanced straight into the three-second zone with his left hand, grabbed the ball with his left hand and switched it to his right hand. He then stepped forward to the right, dodging Gasol's block, jumped, and slammed the ball into the basket over Mbenga under the basket!

(End of this chapter)