Champion, please stay!

Chapter 175, Section 173: When trouble comes, the Great Emperor will take the blame!
Having regained home advantage, the three rookies from the Class of 08, who gathered in their suite at Yishui after the game to celebrate, saw even more doubts and criticisms in the news.

Yi Shui looked at his phone and said with a pained expression, "My hit rate is almost down to 40%, and everyone's criticizing me."

In the three games, he took 29, 24, and 25 shots respectively, for a total of 78 attempts, making 32 of them for a 41% success rate. Among them, he made 9 of 28 three-pointers for a 32.1% success rate.

The lowest hit rate was for G2, at 37.5%.

Curry chuckled, showed his phone to Yi Shui and Chalmers, and replied, "Before your shooting percentage dropped below 40%, mine was already below 40%, and everyone's saying I'm dragging you down."

库里3场比赛，分别打了24分钟、27分钟、26分钟，场均出手次数合计出手48次命中18球，场均16中6，命中率37.5%……

Yi Shui glanced at it and replied, "It is indeed very inaccurate."

Curry: "..."

No, as the leader, shouldn't you at least offer some comfort?
Curry looked at Chalmers beside him and said, "Why are we being criticized, but you're being praised?"

Chalmers averaged 14 minutes per game, taking a total of 9 shots in 3 games and making 5, making him the only Knicks player with a field goal percentage over 50%.

Sensing the resentment of the eldest brother and the future second brother, Chalmers knew how to play the game: "Stephen, your three-point shooting is very accurate. You've made 8 of 19 three-pointers in 3 games, the highest in both teams."

Big, your shooting percentage dropped because you were forced to take a lot of shots when trying to stop the opponent from catching up. Look, this TV station is saying they feel sorry for you; your shooting percentage was dragged down by Mike's poor coaching... But I feel Mike has done a particularly good job coaching these past few games!"

Yi Shui glanced at Chalmers' phone; it was news from the boss's TV station.

He opened the website of his boss's TV station and read the report.

His thoughts were the same as Chalmers' – D'Antoni's coaching in this series was absolutely outstanding!

With sharp tactical insight and excellent defensive reading ability, they chose a strategy that best suited them.
With proper rotation, he played two consecutive quarters in each of the three games without rest, but he didn't have any stamina issues. As for the younger players, he played about 25 minutes per game and did a good job. His mid-range shooting was a bit too bad, but his three-point performance was better than his regular season average of 2 three-pointers per game with a 39% shooting percentage, which was 2.8 three-pointers per game with a 42% shooting percentage.
The offensive tactical adjustments before each game were highly targeted and most of them were very effective. Even in the lost Game 2, it was only because they missed too many mid-range and long-range shots. Without long-range shooting support, it was difficult for their fast-paced offense to get going.
In terms of on-the-spot adjustments, the mustachioed coach completely outclassed Woodson. Every time their offense was blocked, the head coach could come up with a solution. This was the case in every game, including the adjustments in Game 2, which were fine, except that the shots just didn't fall into place.

Hawks head coach Woodson has virtually no control over the offense. Hawks players have to find their own ways to change things up every game, and from Game 1 to Game 3, they didn't even have a clear offensive direction.

But according to the boss's TV station—

But according to the media, D'Antoni was unchanging and stubborn in this series, only knowing how to run and play. When he couldn't run anymore, he would use Embiid to death. They felt sorry for Embiid.

Woodson is described as unpredictable on offense...

Yi Shui looked at other media reviews of D'Antoni's coaching. He hadn't noticed before that two articles from the same media outlet and the same reporter were published. One article criticized his low shooting percentage, while the other attacked D'Antoni's poor coaching, which affected his performance.

Curry noticed this too and wondered, "These reporters are really strange. One minute they're criticizing us for missing too many shots, and the next they're saying Mike is a bad coach. I admit we miss a lot of shots, but Mike is such a good coach, can't they see that?"

Yi Shui replied, "They know that there are many reporters who have more basketball knowledge and better insight than us, but this kind of reporting can cause more controversy and get more traffic."

Curry understood, but some things didn't: "Isn't the American cable television system our boss's business? They're also criticizing Mike?"

Yi Shui: "Others can profit from this traffic, but the boss can't?"

Curry: "Oh, damn it, poor Mike."

Yi Shui: "Mike should have expected this. Didn't he tell us to call his secretary or his brother if we needed anything? I guess he doesn't even look at or listen to those things. It's a good way to handle things."

...

Playing basketball in the world's most bustling city, the outside world's comments are really unfriendly; even if you win, you'll still be criticized for a lot.

But a win is a win. On April 30th, the Knicks players, filled with high spirits, stepped onto the court at Philips Arena again to face the Hawks in Game 4 of the series!
After entering the arena and before the game started, Jeffries, who was sitting behind the bench scrolling through his phone, told Yi Shui that one team had already advanced—the Cavaliers.

I saw the game reports for the Cavaliers' first three games on my news feed.

G1詹姆斯绝杀，之后骑士队高歌猛进，G2以96比87获胜、G3以96比84获胜。

He glanced at Jeffries' phone. In Philadelphia, the game had just ended at 8:23 PM. Iguodala's buzzer-beating three-pointer missed, and the Cavaliers narrowly defeated the 76ers 84-81, sweeping them 4-0 to advance to the second round.

The comments section of the game report was quickly flooded with Cavaliers fans, all saying that the Knicks definitely couldn't beat the Hawks...

Yi Shui felt that the Cavaliers fans seemed to really not want their team to advance.

In the first round this year, the situation was very different from what he had expected.

In the west, the progress is ridiculously fast!
The Lakers lead the Jazz 3-0, winning by an average of 24 points per game. After Kobe's outburst in Games 5 and 6 of last year's playoffs, where he made 10 or so mid-range shots every game, people knew that he had overcome the hurdle of the Sloan system, and that he was truly being compared to Jordan.

The Spurs lead the Mavericks 3-0. Dirk Nowitzki didn't get much criticism after Game 1, as people's attention wasn't on him. But as the first round progresses, the inevitable criticism has finally arrived.

The Rockets lead the Trail Blazers 2-1, a significant advantage.

This time, the Rockets are giving people a completely different feeling in the playoffs. They had previously led the Mavericks and Jazz 2-0, but without exception, they were all overturned. But this time they are really stable. They have maintained their strong performance in the playoffs in previous years on the road and have also maintained their strong momentum at home.

Whenever the opponent was about to gain momentum, the defensive combination of Artest, Yao Ming, and Battier was able to forcefully suppress them.

The Rockets lost Game 2 on the road because their offense didn't go well and they were ultimately defeated by Roy's buzzer-beater. Yi Shui watched the game live and saw that the Rockets hadn't scored in the last 30 seconds. His thought was, "If only McGrady could play 35 seconds in the playoffs."

On the other hand, things in the east will probably drag on for a long time.

Mainly, it's the Knicks and Hawks...

Although the Hawks lack the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, Woodson, along with a coach from Princeton, acquired Bibby and has been coaching for four years. Their offensive and defensive systems are well-developed. Although they are all "downgraded versions," the eight starters are truly strong, and even the worst are top-tier role players.

All Yi Shui can do now is lead his teammates to charge!

The Cavaliers swept to advance, and the Magic also led the Heat 3-0. These two series were indeed not much of a suspense, as the gap in strength was too large.

But for the Celtics and Pacers... the frontcourt duo of Granger and Randolph shone brightly!
格兰杰在自己场均20分的同时、与菜鸟希伯特一同把皮尔斯防得场均18分且命中率不到四成；兰多夫更夸张，场均20分15板，两人携手带队2比1领先凯尔特人队！
When Yi Shui saw the news, Bird said in an interview: "The Celtics are nothing without Kevin. They have let down the other Kevin."

After the All-Star Weekend, McHale was kicked out of the Timberwolves by the team's owner, losing his positions as vice president and head coach. He wanted to return to his former team to work as an advisor, but Danny Ainge refused.

In this year's playoffs, the Pacers were actually coached by Larry Bird and assistant coach Frank Vogel, who were always on the bench, while Pacers head coach Jim O'Brien was responsible for handing them the whiteboard.

Big Bird really wants to mess with his former team...

At 8:30 p.m., Game 4 of the Knicks-Hawks series began.

The importance of having an experienced and strong leadership player is evident in the Hawks' roster.

In Game 2, Bibby considered making more use of isolation plays and passing. Tonight, he led his team to flexibly utilize isolation plays and passing, as well as tactical coordination in their offense. He seized opportunities to adjust the team's playing style, and in the first half, they were evenly matched with the Knicks' fierce attack!
The Knicks, built around their two core duos of Curry and Duhon, and Yi Shuichi and Harrington, supplemented by David Lee's isolation plays, their two role big men's easy baskets, and Wilson Chandler's shooting and drives, scored 29 points in the first quarter and 30 in the second. The Hawks unleashed their series-high 33 points in the first quarter and 27 in the second, leading the Knicks 60-59 at halftime!
In the third quarter, the Hawks' consistent defense proved effective; their own score dropped to 24 points, but they held the Knicks to just 20.

After three quarters, the Hawks had a 5-point lead, 84-79!
Based on the performance in the first three games, the commentators concluded that the Knicks were going to collapse... However, Yi Shui started the fourth quarter by first hitting a three-pointer over Josh Smith, and then driving into the paint to score a 2+1 against Pachulia, giving the Knicks a 6-0 lead and leading them to an 85-84 lead!

The two teams engaged in a fierce but inefficient offensive battle in the final quarter. In the last 10 minutes, the Hawks scored 22 points, limiting the Knicks to only 18 points. With 11 minutes and 49 seconds left, Bibby made a mid-range pull-up jumper for two points, giving the Hawks a 106-103 lead over the Knicks!
In the final attack, Yi Shui set screens for Harrington and Curry at the top of the arc. After receiving the ball at the right 45-degree angle, he was surrounded by Bibby, Horford, and Joe Johnson. He used his height and wingspan advantage to throw the ball towards the top of the arc.

Curry received the ball at the top of the arc and launched a three-pointer... It went in!
Yi-Ku connection, 106-106, the Knicks dragged the game into overtime!
The Knicks' highlight of the night... ends here.

加时赛只有易水5投1中加上2中2的罚球拿到4分、鸟人补篮拿到2分，没有其他人得分了。

The Hawks, who have always used an eight-man rotation, added a backup point guard this playoff time, making it a nine-man rotation. Having become accustomed to a style of play where fatigue sets in, Josh Smith scored 4 points in overtime, Al Horford 7, and Joe Johnson 3…

加时赛14比6，老鹰队以120比112险胜尼克斯队，拒绝1比3，将大比分追至2比2平！
今晚被易水限制得很惨、常规时间只有10投3中只拿到9分、外加8板8助攻的约什-史密斯，加时赛得分、助攻双双起飞，最终拿到13分10板11助攻的三双表现。

乔-约翰逊29分、霍福德26分、毕比25分、马文-威廉姆斯10分……全队120分，五大首发拿了103分，再一次展现了他们首发阵容个人能力方面的强悍。

For the Knicks, Yi Shui made 12 of 25 shots in regulation time, a very good shooting percentage. But after overtime, he made 13 of 30 shots... including 4 of 11 three-pointers and 5 of 6 free throws, scoring 35 points.

队友们，大卫-李16分9板、库里16分5助攻、杜洪11分8助攻、安德森10分10板、大Q12分……

...

After two rest days, on May 3rd, the Knicks returned to their home court at Madison Square Garden in New York to face the Hawks in Game 5.

The loss in Game 4 was a huge blow to the Knicks players. Six players scored in double figures, the team's offense was very good, and the individual scoring phases were also very good. Unfortunately, they lost in the end because of their lack of consistency... or you could say they lost because of the number of star players.

In regulation time, Bibby and Joe Johnson combined for 51 points, and in overtime, Horford and Josh Smith stepped up again.

On their side, it's always Yi Shui, Yi Shui, Yi Shui, and more Yi Shui. The team's offense relies on Yi Shui to charge and compress the opponent's defense, and they rely on Yi Shui to score points when they try to withstand the opponent's counterattack. Even in overtime, they can only rely on Yi Shui... It's a terrible feeling to drag the team down and make the leader's efforts go to waste.

but!

At 5:40 p.m., when the Knicks players entered the arena and heard the wild cheers of the fans, all their negative emotions vanished.

The Knicks players just wanted to go out there and fight to the bitter end!

The leader shoulders the pressure of losing games and takes the blame for each defeat; the head coach is criticized and even insulted every day, but still perseveres under pressure and executes the strategy that is most likely to win for them.

They just need to do what suits them on the field... Since they're already holding the team back, they have to play even harder!

After the start of the pivotal Game 5, the Knicks players launched a relentless offensive attack and aggressive defensive play, catching the Hawks off guard.

Normally, if a team fights hard to tie the score, but then gets crushed in overtime, their morale and confidence will be affected to some extent, right?

But the Knicks were not discouraged; on the contrary, their morale soared!
And the atmosphere at this stadium... has New York really become Salt Lake City?

With 22 points in the first quarter and 22 points in the second quarter, the Hawks started poorly on offense. As the pressure increased, their performance deteriorated further, and they only managed 44 points by halftime.

On the other side, 10 players were on the court, and 9 of them scored!

易水7投3中、其中三分球3中1，加上3中3的罚球拿到10分；库里进了两个三分和一个中投拿到8分；大卫-李9分5板；大Q7分……首节29分、第二节31分！
At halftime, the Knicks led 60-44 by 16 points!
In the third quarter, the Hawks, relying on their superior number of star players and the strong mental fortitude of Bibby, Joe Johnson, and Horford, managed to surge ahead and score 28 points.

But this time the Knicks only had a minor collapse, scoring 23 points in the quarter! They managed to maintain a double-digit lead going into the final quarter!
In the final quarter, the Hawks' offensive firepower remained undiminished, mainly relying on their three star players: Josh Smith scored 8 points after being switched on by Harrington, Bibby scored 6 points, Joe Johnson scored 9 points, and Horford and Marvin Williams each scored 2 points. The Hawks' five starters, who played the entire quarter, combined for 27 points.

For the Knicks, their scoring actually increased in the final quarter!
Yi Shui, Curry, and David Lee also got on fire!

易水9投4中，其中三分球2中1，加上1次加罚命中，单节10分；库里单节命中两个长两分和1个三分，拿到7分；大卫-李低位进攻拿到5分；加上鸟人两次补篮的4分……单节26分！
24投11中，其中三分球8中3，加上6中6的罚球，易水出战40分钟，拿到31分8板6助攻3抢断3盖帽，助攻数刷新季后赛新高！
库里15投7中，其中三分球9中5，加上2中1的罚球，季后赛首次单场20分！
大卫-李14投9中，加上4中4的罚球拿到22分。

尼克斯队三大年轻球星合砍73分，力压33分的乔-约翰逊、18分的霍福德、16分的毕比、15分的约什-史密斯。

The Knicks defeated the Hawks 109-99 to win Game 5, taking a 3-2 lead in the series!

...

In the first two home games, Yi Shui didn't have a specific feeling about the effect of the "Holy Land Monarch" on the team. The atmosphere of the game was better than before, which was of course very good. He liked playing in the enthusiastic cheers of the fans.

But this time, he truly felt the effect of the 'devil's home field'!

Before the game, he could sense that his teammates were having emotional issues, but the moment he entered the court, that feeling disappeared. Not only did his teammates not hold him back emotionally, but they also played with all their might, which made him play even more excitedly.

Of the 3 steals and 3 blocks, 2 of them were in the first half!
He made 11 of 24 shots, marking his first time shooting over 45% in the playoffs.

Yi Shui saw that he had 'broken a record' after the game. This time it was ESPN who pointed it out. He took 132 shots in 5 games, surpassing LeBron James' 128 shots in the first round of the 05-06 playoffs. He became the player with the most shot attempts in the first round of the playoffs since detailed statistics began.

This was definitely not a good intention. ESPN directly compared his performance with James' first playoff appearance, and James was much more efficient.

However, he is also putting in some effort. He saw that there were online trolls posting comments like, "Beasley can score 35 points per game against Butler and Jamison without traveling. It's a copy-paste job, and thankfully there are no comments about 'what time it's posted or how much it costs'."

During the regular season, Beasley scored 30+ points twice in his rookie season, both times against the Wizards, with his highest score being 35 points.

James' first playoff opponent was also the Wizards, whom he narrowly defeated 4-2. The Cavaliers then narrowly won the next two games 121-120 and 114-113. Both games were highly controversial. In the final moments of Game 5, James slapped Butler in the face but no foul was called. In Game 6, James' game-winning layup earned him the nickname "Eight Steps of the Heavenly Dragon".

Normal Cavaliers fans and LeBron James fans wouldn't be happy to see this; they'd be angry, but they'd take their hands off the keyboard.

But a small group of people lost their temper, their fingers flying across the keyboard, unleashing a torrent of curses and insults... and ironically, this group was the loudest online...

After G2 and G4, the home and away games alternated, with two days of rest. Starting with G5, there is only one day of rest.

It was 8:10 p.m. on May 5th at Philips Arena, and the Knicks were the first to enter the arena.

Bibby looked at the five starters on the other side who entered the court amidst boos. He knew before the playoffs that this series would be tough, but he didn't expect it to be this tough!

Their lineup has an absolute advantage; any one of their five starters is a treasure to the opposing team.

But now that it's Game 6, they're down 2-3!

His initial impression of the opposing Knicks was that they were nouveau riche teams who had acquired a superstar rookie.

That feeling still lingers; indeed, everything on the other side depends on Yishui.

But the great emperor, who is known as the 'strongest rookie in history,' really can handle things!
After his teammates' performance declined, Yi Shui stepped up and took the lead. In the five games, he had 24 shots in the two games with the fewest shots!
(End of this chapter)