Champion, please stay!

Chapter 174, Section 172: No way back, forge ahead!

The Knicks vs. Hawks game report caused a sensation in the basketball world!

With the regular season over and the playoffs about to begin, countless topics have emerged, but one thing has been consistently the focus of attention, discussion, and prediction – how will Yi Shui perform in his playoff debut?

Will I get 30 points?
The last time a rookie scored over 30 points in his playoff debut was 11 years ago. That player was Tim Duncan, who scored 32 points in his rookie playoff debut in the 97-98 season.

Before that, in the 92-93 season, Mourning scored 30 points in his rookie season playoff debut.

Even earlier, all that people could recall was the historical record—Jabbar scored 36 points in his rookie season debut in the 1969-1970 season.

Epic scorers like Michael Jordan (28+ points per game), David Thompson (26+ points per game), and Julius Erving (27+ points per game) all scored less than 30 points in their rookie seasons after leading their teams to the playoffs.

Predicting that Yi Shui can score 30+ points is undoubtedly a high recognition of his scoring talent and ability.

Unexpectedly, Yi Shui broke the record for the highest single-game score in a rookie's playoff debut!
With 6 points in the first quarter, 10 points in the second quarter, 13 points in the third quarter, and 11 points in the final quarter, Yi Shui scored a whopping 40 points in his playoff debut, breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 39-year-old record and elevating the game to a new level: the 40+ level!

...

The next day at noon, Yi Shui slept until after lunchtime. The housekeeper had already cleaned the house. Fortunately, he had taken care of the bedroom, dressing room, and study himself, so it didn't disturb his sleep. As he always did, he gave her a $10 tip.

Last night's post-game atmosphere was lively, with reporters even more enthusiastic than during his regular season debut, and even more so than the night he scored 58 points.

Before going to sleep, he glanced at the New York night sky at four in the morning. The weather was clear, and the moon looked like a pumpkin seed.

Yi Shui called the restaurant to order lunch. After taking a shower, the meal arrived shortly afterward, and he ate while browsing the news.

Just like the reporters' fervor last night, he saw himself dominating the headlines on major media websites!

The other three games last night were all relegated to supporting roles!
Even major events like the Cavaliers' narrow 100-98 victory over the 76ers and LeBron James' step-back three-pointer that sealed the win for the 76ers didn't generate much buzz, only becoming a topic of discussion on Cavaliers fan forums.

The Spurs thrashed the Mavericks 105-84, and nobody cared whether Nowitzki was still as soft in this year's playoffs.

保罗拿到30+5+8、但黄蜂队以84比113惨遭掘金队吊打，热度也不高。

Even the pre-match hype for today's four games has been affected; it's already afternoon, and the match previews are still on the side panels.

Yi Shui was a little surprised. In fact, after he found out he had scored 40 points after the game last night, he didn't expect such a big reaction.

Because James' playoff debut was apparently a triple-double.

Seeing the news now, I realized that LeBron James didn't make the playoffs in his rookie year, so he's not eligible for the discussion of 'rookie season playoff debut performance'.

His answer during the post-match interview last night went viral: "I thought you guys were used to it."

Some praised his response as assertive; others thought he was pretentious.

Some people wanted to reason with him—Jabbar, in the late 70s when there were only a dozen or so NBA teams, scored more points in his rookie regular season than you, yet he only scored 36 points in his playoff debut; Chamberlain, in the late 50s when there were fewer than ten NBA teams, averaged nearly 40 points in his rookie regular season, yet he only scored 35 points in his playoff debut…

Some media outlets have also speculated that King was 21 years old when he made it to the playoffs in his third year, half a year younger than him, and that he had a triple-double in his debut and scored 40+ points twice.

As for the feedback, there are indeed many die-hard fans who enthusiastically support this claim and are sharing it everywhere.

But Yi Shui felt this wasn't a good idea. He saw that the comments sections of related news articles and posts were filled with mockery and attacks, and the IP addresses were spread all over the United States.

He saw a highly-rated comment from a fan: "You mean LeBron James' rookie contract meant he didn't play for the first two years and just got paid for nothing? He only made the playoffs in his third year!"

If the King hadn't made the playoffs in his first two years and only made them in his third year, he could have scored 50 points in his debut.

Yi: Dude, please don't brag like that.

He was very grateful to this fan for being so supportive of him, although it was probably not his fan, but rather a fan who felt that their own star couldn't compare to LeBron James. His fans still preferred to call him "Brother Bi," and new fans would also combine "Big" and "Emperor" when referring to him.

But using him as an offensive 'weapon' is a sign that you think highly of him.

However, this is a bit like 'one fan is worth ten haters'. What if people remember this incident, and he didn't score 50+ points in the playoffs during his third year?
That's not something you can just get whenever you want. Last night, with the help of Duhon, Curry, and Harrington, he scored a lot of points in the first three quarters, but he only got 29 points in those three quarters.

In the final quarter, he felt like he was constantly missing shots, and he only had one thought in his mind—to score two more points, stall for time, and drag the game out until the end would be a victory.

I never expected to score 11 points in a single quarter with a 33% field goal percentage and a 33% three-point percentage. In crucial moments, who cares about how many points you score or records?

...

In a quiet corner where few people were paying attention, Yi Shui saw an analysis of their match last night.

Contrary to his experience as a participant in the game, D'Antoni was criticized for only scoring 17 points and almost being overturned.

He felt that D'Antoni's established strategy and on-the-spot adjustments last night were very well executed, and he almost completely outmaneuvered Woodson, who had a poor on-the-spot response.

The team almost lost the game in the final quarter mainly because D'Antoni made two misjudgments.

One reason is that D'Antoni was certain that the Hawks' Princeton offense, which was merely imitating Princeton, would never be able to get going. However, the Hawks did get going and scored 30 points in the second quarter.
Another point is that D'Antoni was certain that the opposing team's Brown-style defensive system, which uses an 8-man rotation and has its rotation intensity reduced, always has a weak defense in the fourth quarter, and their offense cannot be contained... No sooner had he said this than they were held to just 17 points in the fourth quarter.

The problem lies with the center forward.

In the first three quarters, Birdman, Swift, and David Lee combined for 30 points, but none of them scored in the final quarter despite taking turns on the court!
In addition to his 11 points, there were 6 more points: 2 points from a long two-pointer by Big Q after receiving the ball from a distance, 2 points from Chalmers cutting to the baseline and scoring, and 2 points from Harrington drawing a foul on a screen and making both free throws.

David Lee's situation is understandable. He had to attack the basket and post up in the first three quarters, so it's normal that he couldn't keep up. After all, he's not a true All-Star player.

Birdman and Swift are purely a matter of ability; you can't blame them, since neither of them has the ability to be a starter, so you can't expect too much.

In terms of public opinion, with the win and a 40-point debut, Yi Shui is the big winner today.

And the actual impact it brings—an increase in business value!
He saw the news that at the official sneaker store, fans lined up in long queues once again to buy the "Emperor 1"!

The Nike team had actually made ample supply preparations, but they were still caught off guard by the fans' enthusiasm for buying. The stock shortage on the 21st hadn't even subsided before this happened again...

In the greater New York area, jerseys are also running out of stock.

Dolan launched a new jersey to help the team return to the playoffs after a four-year absence. Due to minor changes, it didn't attract many buyers initially, but today long lines formed at various sales points, and the number 13 sold out!

As for sneakers, even if you sell a lot, the endorsement fee will be fixed for the next few years and won't increase. However, if the sneakers sell well, you will have more control over future contract renewals or other options.

Jerseys are selling like hotcakes... Jersey sales are split 50/50 between suppliers, 10/20 between the league, 20/20 between teams and players. Previously, this money went directly to the players, but the 2005 collective bargaining agreement stipulated that it would be 'shared within the team'.

Yi Shui didn't feel bad about it. As the leader, he enjoyed so many preferential treatments, so it didn't matter if he shared some of the peripheral benefits. It would also give his teammates who were on a basic salary more hope.

After lunch and a short rest, Yi Shui arrived at Madison Square Garden at 2 p.m., just in time for the team's training session.

In this training session, D'Antoni only arranged running drills for counter-attack follow-up, running drills for a few positional warfare tactics, and adjusted a few positional warfare tactics before ending the session.

Despite a poor performance in the final quarter last night, D'Antoni has not changed his established strategy for this series.

D'Antoni learned from the mistakes he made in the regular season. With the roster as it is, if there's a winning strategy, then he'll keep playing it!

That evening, Yi Shui watched the live broadcast of Yao Ming's dominant performance against Oden.

两人交手，真就是字面意义上的吊打，姚明9投9中，加上12中12的罚球，百分百命中率拿到30分9板2助攻5盖帽。

并且把奥登打得全场只打了15分钟，吃到5次犯规！还把奥登防得6投2中只拿到4分4板！
Led by Yao Ming, the Rockets crushed the Trail Blazers 108-81.

Yi Shui felt that the little giant wasn't that magnanimous.

Due to Oden's health issues, the two only faced each other twice in the regular season. In one game, Yao Ming scored 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Oden had 5 points and 5 rebounds, completely dominating Yao Ming.

However, on another occasion, Yao Ming was not in good form and only scored 8 points and 8 rebounds, while Oden scored 15 points and 10 rebounds.

When the playoff matchups were first announced, the American media focused solely on that one game, raving that Oden was the only center this season to dominate Yao Ming and the next super center...

The media, being fickle, were still saying in the afternoon that Oden would dominate Yao Ming in the playoffs and lead his team to crush the Rockets like the Mavericks and Jazz did. After the game, Yao Ming became the 'most dominant center' again.

Yi Shui checked the latest physical examination report that the Rockets submitted to the league before the playoffs... Sure enough, Yao Ming weighed 138 kilograms! He had lost another 3 kilograms in just a few months.

From 145 kg at the Olympics to 138 kg, a full 7 kg reduction, Yao Ming's playing style is different from the last time they faced each other.

Back then, when Yao Ming received the ball, he would habitually push towards his opponent, using his waist and legs to push them aside for a layup, floater, or hook shot.

That move did resemble Shaq's, but it wasn't really necessary.

Given Yao Ming's height and wingspan... his wingspan is only not outstanding for his height, but it is already very outstanding compared to other centers. Considering his height, as long as he gets into position, if he doesn't intend to dunk, he can simply turn and hook or float the ball while using his weight to withstand the opponent's pressure defense. There is no need to strain his knees and feet.

In this game, Yao Ming's hook shot and high-post shot had that same feel as in 2003 and 2004. He certainly wasn't as 'nimble' as before, but he didn't look as clumsy as he did during the Olympics. The other three games today...

热火队打魔术队，韦德中投起飞，13中8，加上5中3的近距离、4中1的三分、11中8的罚球，狂轰33分7板5助攻；康利也有15分7助攻，但热火队还是以95比107输给了魔术队。

霍华德25分16板4盖帽、阿尔斯通18分5助攻、特科格鲁15分、刘易斯21分……整体实力差距太大，比赛过程没有太大悬念。

Another series in the East has seen a major upset!

格兰杰18分7板3助攻、福特8分7助攻、墨菲15分……在拿到16分22板的兰多夫的带领下，以95比90险胜凯尔特人队！
By pairing Randolph with two frontcourt shooters, he destroyed the Celtics' frontcourt without Garnett!

Yi Shui saw that people were criticizing their decision to let Randolph go again.

Before the All-Star Weekend, Randolph consistently averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds per game, playing very hard and even actively blocking defense. Walsh had already been criticized then, with the harshest criticism coming from local New York fans... Tonight, the criticism has returned!
When the team traded Randolph for draft picks during the draft, Yi Shui also felt regret, but he, Calhoun, Clark and others felt that the trade was fine.

To eradicate the remnants of nursing homes, we must completely eliminate them in order to truly achieve a complete transformation.

If Randolph really stays and hangs out with Jeffries, Jerome James, and Eddie Curry, it's questionable whether he'll be able to play well together.

Yi Shui remembers that in the original timeline, Randolph's "prodigal son returns" was because in the summer of 09, almost no teams were offering him a contract. It was Bill Duffy who used his connections, and Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace, being bold enough, gave him a 2+1 contract totaling 3 years and $5000 million as a trial. After experiencing the crisis of unemployment, Randolph became that black bear in the paint.

Granger... was indeed a born leader, he looked like the boss. Yi Shui remembered that even when this player was so badly injured that he could have retired on the spot, everyone on the Pacers team, who were strong contenders for the championship, still regarded him as the boss and the absolute leader.

And the draft pick they got in return was used to select Curry... a huge win.

The last game tonight, the series between the Lakers and the Jazz, is probably the least suspenseful matchup in this year's first round.

The Lakers crushed their rivals 119-88, a 31-point blowout, setting a new record for the largest margin of victory in this year's playoffs.

Yesterday's biggest point difference was 29 points, and the one who got hammered was... Pao Ge!
Pao Ge and Xiao Pang are truly brothers in misfortune; they even lost in such a neat and orderly fashion...

...

April 25th marks the second day of the Knicks' first-round series.

In the morning, Yi Shui received a trophy from the Alliance headquarters next door.

He received all 115 first-place votes from voters and was unanimously elected as the best rookie!

NBA official website headline – 08 draft class, Embiid and others.

Two more awards will be announced today.

Mavericks reserve Jason Terry, with an average of 19.6 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists per game, beat the Bulls' Eric Gordon, the Lakers' Lamar Odom and the Nuggets' JR Smith to be named Sixth Man of the Year.

Yi Shui felt sorry for Eric Gordon, whose first individual award was ruined by the Bulls' management. Before the All-Star Weekend, Eric Gordon was the top favorite for Sixth Man of the Year. Although his stats were not as good as Terry's, according to past practice, the media was happy to vote for the rookie in this award. The Bulls made the playoffs and averaged 16+4+4, so defeating the Mavericks players who had been neglected for the past two years should not be a problem.

Granger beat Durant to win the Most Improved Player award.

Both players achieved a career-first average of 25 points per game, marking a significant leap forward in their scoring careers. Durant improved from 20.6 points to 25.2 points, while Granger increased from 19.6 points to exactly 25 points, demonstrating greater improvement and better team records.

As evening approached, the Knicks hosted the Hawks for Game 2 of their series.

Before the game, Dolan held a Rookie of the Year award ceremony for Yishui. The last time a Knicks player won the Rookie of the Year award was 20 years ago. The award was given to Mark Jackson, who was not doing commentary work tonight and was sitting behind the Knicks' bench.

The match started at 6 p.m.

Just like the night before last, the Knicks are on offense! Charge!
But this time he didn't go on a scoring spree like he did in the last game...

易水24投9中，其中三分球9中3，加上7中6的罚球，拿到27分9板2助攻。

库里17投6中，拿到17分2板2助攻，大卫-李15中6，拿到13分8板……表现最好的是杜洪，11投5中拿到10分4板7助攻。

The Hawks finally figured it out tonight!
The main issue was that Bibby discovered the problem—it made no sense for them to create a mismatch against Princeton!
The Knicks can only defend players like Yi Shui, Duhon, and Birdman. Against such a defense, using complicated tactics is completely unnecessary. Teams with similar styles, like the Lakers, use the simplest drive-and-kick strategy with high-post playmaking.

Under Bibby's leadership, the Hawks will focus on isolation plays and drives to the basket tonight!
约什-史密斯18投7中，其中三分球3中0，加上7中5的罚球，拿到19分12板11助攻2抢断1盖帽。

毕比10投4中、其中三分球5中2、加上4中3的罚球拿到13分6助攻。

在两人带领下，乔-约翰逊18投9中、其中三分球10中6、加上6中6的罚球，高效砍下全场最高的30分。

老鹰队另一个内线强攻点霍福德，21投12中、加上2中2的罚球拿到26分9板。

The Hawks defeated the Knicks 106-95 on the road, seizing home-court advantage!

...

After G1, Yi Shui received countless praises, but after G2, he was heavily criticized.

The Big Apple amplifies everything, and when things go well, it gets even more attention.

After achieving 55 wins, people seem to have forgotten, thanks to the guidance of certain individuals, that before the season began, they were predicted to be a contender for Thabeet.

Forget about their biggest offseason acquisition, which was Birdman Anderson, whom the Hornets didn't want.

Forget about their 11 key players, most of whom were considered unwanted by other teams before the season started, but they have all become high-quality role players.

Yi Shui thought this was a good thing for them; to fight a hit-and-run tactic, they needed to have confidence!
At the start of the season, they won five straight games, which boosted their confidence. They even had some extra thoughts when playing the Lakers in early December... Although they lost badly in the end, it was a good thing overall. They were no longer afraid of anyone.

However, after losing the game, the negative comments naturally became even louder.

Yi Shui didn't focus on those things. After venting his frustrations on a secondary account, 'taking revenge on society and venting his emotions,' he concentrated on preparing for the competition.

And someone on the team got criticized even more harshly—D'Antoni.

His own media, his rival media, his own fans, and his rival fans are all criticizing him.

After a two-day rest, on the 28th, the Knicks arrived at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta for Game 3 of their series against the Hawks.

D'Antoni remained steadfast despite the loss and external opinions, sticking to his established strategy: attack!
Because they had no other choice!

Cheeks and Mark Jackson made significant adjustments on the defensive end; when the opponent drove and dished, they double-teamed!
Moreover, because the team's defense is so-so, they can act recklessly on the defensive end without considering any consequences, since they can't stop anyone anyway.

But to put it bluntly, Woodson didn't know what to do...

Before the game, under the guidance of some media, public opinion generally believed that the Knicks won the first game by scoring 40 points against Yi Shui. They believed that once Yi Shui stopped scoring, the Knicks would be finished and would be swept by the Hawks, with only Game 1 as their only victory in this year's playoffs.

But the Knicks delivered a resounding slap to the faces of their naysayers in the first quarter!

易水4投2中，加上2中2的罚球拿到6分、库里5分、大卫-李4分、斯威夫特4分、大Q进了一个三分球，替补上场的威尔森-钱德勒4分、鸟人3分、杜洪3分5助攻……尼克斯队首节狂轰32分！
Meanwhile, the Hawks' offense collapsed at the start of the game, scoring only 21 points in the first quarter!
Cheeks and Mark Jackson's defensive strategy was simple: block Joe Johnson from receiving the ball and shooting, Horford from receiving the ball and finishing at the rim, and let Bibby and Josh Smith shoot or not, it was up to them.

In fact, Bibby and Josh Smith's shooting percentages were not high in the last game. Josh Smith had a hard time against Yi Shui, and Bibby had stamina problems again in the final quarter, with his shooting percentage dropping from 2 of 4 at the start to 4 of 10.

They exploited the Knicks' weakness of being easily disrupted on defense, driving in to draw double teams and using their strong physiques to pass the ball to open teammates during contact.

Moreover, once the Knicks get going, they can always disrupt the Hawks' offensive consistency.

尼克斯队带着11分领先优势进入第二节，在杜洪+库里、易水+哈灵顿的两个核心组合的带领下，又冲出了27比21的比分，半场以59比42领先老鹰队17分！
In the second half, the Hawks took control of the game as soon as they returned to the court.

It wasn't that they made any effective adjustments to their offensive style; they were still playing a drive-and-kick game. It's just that the Knicks weren't intercepting passes as well as they were in the first half. Yi Shui was assigned to defend Marvin Williams, which improved Josh Smith's driving opportunities.

The Hawks' scoring rebounded, netting their usual 26 points.

For the Knicks, Yi Shui, who only played 15 minutes and took 7 shots in the first half, started to tough out the game!

Launch a barrage of attacks, unleash a furious barrage, and slow down the opponent's scoring pace!

Sometimes he'll shoot even when his teammates are open, because an open shot doesn't necessarily mean an opportunity. For example, if he's left open at a 30-degree angle to the baseline for a mid-range shot, he'll choose to drive in.

Of course, if you're caught in a pincer movement, and you have the opportunity to pass the ball to a teammate in a suitable and open position, then pass it. If it goes in, great; if it misses, keep trying next round!
With 4 of 10 field goals made in the third quarter, including 1 of 4 three-pointers, plus 4 of 4 free throws, Yi Shui scored 13 points in the third quarter, one more than in the first half combined, leading the team to 24 points in the quarter and keeping the score close!

直到末节，尼克斯队才迎来‘溃败’，易水8投3中拿到8分、库里5投2中拿到5分、其他人加起来只拿到6分，全队单节19分，还被老鹰队拿到了28分。

But it doesn't affect the overall situation!

25投10中，其中三分球9中3，加上10中10的罚球，易水拿到33分13板4助攻2盖帽，率领尼克斯队以102比96击败老鹰队，抢回主场优势！

(End of this chapter)