Champion, please stay!

Chapter 176, Section 174: A Crazy Night at G6!
Moreover, Yi Shui really carried the team, averaging 26.4 field goal attempts and 33.2 points in 5 games!
Bibby doesn't think it's a problem that Yi Shui missed a lot of shots. He scored 10 points in a quarter and won the game, so what if he missed a few shots? A high shooting percentage doesn't necessarily guarantee a win.

Bibby had a special feeling about the Knicks, this "nouveau riche" team. The players on this team were not exactly very confident, but they were also not confident either. However, they were not confident in their individual abilities, but rather in the fact that they were confident in the ability to win.

Every player on the Knicks seemed to think they could win if they played like this!
In short, Bibby never expected the first round to go this far.

Their goal is the championship!
This team and coaching staff include an offensive coach familiar with Princeton offense and a top-tier defensive head coach who was mentored by Larry Brown.

The roster includes Josh Smith, nicknamed "Little James"; Joe Johnson, a top scorer who averages 25 points per game; Al Horford, who had a double-double in his rookie year and has outstanding playmaking talent; and Marvin Williams, who is excellent at defense and finishing at the three and four positions. The bench also has a top role player at each of the guard, forward, and center positions.

Everything was in place for Bibi to join.

Moreover, he was the only one of the Kings' starting five who was treated well when he left the team. The Kings asked for almost nothing in return from the Hawks, who only gave up negligible costs such as the washed-up Sheldon Williams, veteran Tyronn Lue, and the aging Anthony Johnson who was nearing retirement.

This means he directly joined the Hawks, a team brimming with talent at positions 2 through 5.

Over the past year or so, things have progressed smoothly, just as Bibi had anticipated.

Last season, shortly after joining the team, he led the Hawks, who had a record of 20 wins and 32 losses before the All-Star break, to a 17-13 record, and returned to the playoffs with a 37-45 record. They then battled the eventual champion Celtics to a Game 7 in the first round.

After a short period of adjustment, their performance has taken off this season. They easily defeat weak teams and win more games than they lose against strong teams, thus joining the top tier of the league.

Before the playoffs started, Bibby genuinely believed he had a chance to win the championship this season, as his strongest opponent, the Celtics, had collapsed... and ended up trailing 2-3!

He could only encourage himself and his teammates: good things come to those who wait, and last year's Celtics also went through two rounds of Game 7s before they found their rhythm.

...

At 8:30 p.m., Game 6 of the series between the Knicks and the Hawks will begin!
Bibi led the team into an aggressive attack mode!
The media believed that the Knicks' two losses were due to D'Antoni's poor coaching and being dragged down, but Bibby didn't think so. He felt that they were the ones who were dragged down by the opponent's offense.

Both of their wins came from early dominance, and even when they did, they were caught up like in Game 4. Fortunately, they were used to playing a lot of minutes and crushed the Knicks in overtime.

In close, drawn-out games, the Hawks often manage to hold on for a quarter or two before the opposing team suddenly builds a huge lead, which they can't catch up with no matter what they do.

The reason why they can't catch up is that Yi Shui averages 33.2 points per game! In the first 5 games, in the second half of each game, there was at least one quarter in which he scored in double figures!
They did their best on defense, holding the Knicks to an average of 106 points per game over five games. Without that overtime, the Knicks' total scoring would have been below 105 points per game, significantly reducing their offense from what it was during the regular season.

Since they couldn't do any better on the defensive end, Bibby and the offensive assistant coach discussed it and persuaded Woodson to maintain the basic defense and focus their energy on the offense!

Trailing 2-3 and on the verge of elimination, the Hawks started the game with an excellent offense, going on a 13-9 run in three and a half minutes and forcing the Knicks to call a timeout!

With the timeout in session, D'Antoni was unsure where to begin making adjustments.

His previous responses were all based on problems on the offensive end, adapting to the opponent's defense.

But tonight, in 3 minutes and 30 seconds, with 6 offensive possessions, David Lee made a layup, Swift scored on a fast break, Curry hit a three-pointer, and Yi Shui grabbed an offensive rebound and drew a foul, making both free throws. He made 3 of 5 shots and scored 9 points, playing a very good offense.

Cheeks and Mark Jackson couldn't offer any effective advice on the defensive end either. With so few players and no clear defensive system, even the most skilled cook can't make a meal without ingredients.

However, D'Antoni noticed the problem when he signaled for a timeout. During the timeout, he mainly encouraged his players, treating it as a way to interrupt the opponent's shooting touch, and could only rely on the players' performance.

After the timeout, D'Antoni's hopes that the opponent's shooting touch would cool down were dashed.

In the next few possessions, the Hawks went 3-for-5 from the field, including one three-pointer, and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line, for a total of 8 points!
On the Knicks' side, during this period, including the previous 9 points, they scored 14 points in 6 minutes, and this was done even when the opponent was shooting too accurately and Duhon couldn't push the fast break, so their performance was definitely not bad.

But the Knicks were down by 6 points, 14-20, against the Hawks!

When it was the Knicks' turn to attack, in a half-court offense, Curry had just run two pick-and-roll plays, and this time he passed the ball directly to Yi Shui.

When Yi Shui received the ball, he kept an eye on Josh Smith's distance, turned around, raised his hand, and jumped to shoot a three-pointer!
Josh Smith rushed to contest the shot, but was caught off guard. He turned to look at the basket... and the ball slammed into the hoop!
They wouldn't dare give them even the slightest chance!
Yi Shui's shooting percentage was criticized by some media. In the first 5 games, he averaged 3.2 three-pointers per game, the highest among all players in the first round. His average of 9.4 three-point attempts per game was also the highest and far higher than others. Lewis, who had the second highest number of attempts, averaged 7 three-point attempts per game, which was more than two fewer than Yi Shui. Curry and Lewis both averaged 6.6 three-point attempts per game.

Among players who attempt more than 5 three-pointers per game, Yi Shui has the lowest three-point shooting percentage at only 34%.

There really is a group of people who believe that Yi Shui was using high-level skills to boost his score... Public opinion is always very diverse. The same reporter can come up with several conflicting opinions, and each opinion has its own corresponding audience.

But Josh Smith, who was the primary defender, didn't think so at all!

He did a really good job defending Yi Shui's long-range shooting in Game 1, holding Yi Shui to 3 of 10 shots, but he was also frequently beaten. Yi Shui's drives to the basket made Marvin Williams' mentality almost explode.

So in Game 2, he stopped guarding the ball as closely, and Yi Shui's three-point shooting improved significantly. In the end, he only made 3 out of 9 shots, but he did make one shot at the buzzer in the backcourt before the end of the quarter. Normally, he would make 3 out of 8 shots, for a 37.5% success rate.

In the following games, Yi Shui's three-point shooting performance continued to improve, which Josh Smith, as the player directly matched up against, could feel directly. Especially in Game 4, Yi Shui once made 4 out of 8 three-point attempts, but missed all 3 three-point attempts in overtime, which brought down their shooting percentage.

The Knicks narrowed the gap to 3 points, 17-20!
Woodson hesitated for a moment, but after Bibby advanced past half-court, he still called a timeout.

After the timeout, the Hawks didn't make any substitutions, continuing with their "poor man's five" lineup. The Knicks also made only one substitution, with Anderson replacing Swift, while Duhon, Curry, Yi Shui, and David Lee continued to play.

The Hawks were on offense. Bibby drove to the basket after Horford's screen and took a long two-pointer... but it missed!
Birdman secured the defensive rebound, the game transitioned, and Curry continued to pass the ball to Yi Shui.

Yi Shui received the ball, and Josh Smith rushed up to defend. Yi Shui seized the opportunity of the rhythm difference and drove to the three-point line. Josh Smith bounced and jumped back, but Yi Shui just stepped into the three-point line, grabbed the ball, and took a long two-point shot... and it went in again!
It was Hawks' turn to attack again. Bibby continued to drive to the basket using a screen, and facing Birdman's defense, he stopped abruptly to shake off his opponent, then launched another mid-range jumper from just outside the free-throw line...

Woodson's timeout failed to stop Yi Shui's scoring streak; instead, it affected his own players.

Bibby, who scored 6 points on 3 of his first 4 shots, then missed both of his shots, and that feeling of always making shots was gone!

This time, David Lee grabbed the rebound and passed it to Duhon in time. Duhon dribbled the ball up the court, and the Knicks launched a fast-paced attack!
Birdman rushed to the frontcourt, received the ball, leaped high, and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands. After landing, he circled the court in celebration amidst a chorus of boos.

The Knicks went on a 7-0 run to take the lead, 21-20!
In the next 5 minutes, the Hawks' offense returned to normal. Woodson realized that the timing of the timeout was wrong. When you're in a good mood, you should continue to play and not be afraid. But it was too late to regret it. Fortunately, the opponent's overall offense did not go on a run and they only scored 5 points before and after the timeout.

With 11 minutes and 55 seconds left in the game, Joe Johnson hit a mid-range jumper, bringing the score to 32-33. In those five minutes, the Hawks and Knicks were tied at 12-12.

Woodson breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the ball go into the basket. Luckily, the score was close. As the head coach, he couldn't panic; he had to stay calm and try again in the next quarter.

But as soon as the ball fell from the rim, Woodson's heart, which had just settled, jumped again.

Du Hong picked up the ball and immediately made a long pass; Yi Shui had already rushed out!

Josh Smith was very astute, retreating to defense in time and rushing back to the backcourt earlier. When Yi Shui received the ball, he did not press forward, but retreated to close range to block the defense.

Yi Shui didn't drive in, but stayed at the top of the arc, adjusted himself, and jumped before Marvin Williams could rush back, releasing a three-pointer... The red light came on, the long whistle blew, and the ball went in! The first quarter ended.

7投5中，其中三分球2中2，加上2中2的罚球，易水拿到14分，带领尼克斯队以36比32领先老鹰队4分！
...

Back on the bench, some Hawks players were cursing and others were furious.

The opponent's playing style was basically the same as in the previous few games, with only one difference—Yi Shui played the entire quarter.

Yi Shui's shooting frequency was not much different from the previous few games, with seven or eight shots. The only difference was the number of shots made. Before, he would only make one or two shots, but this time, he made almost all of his catches and strong shots, scoring seven or eight more points in the first quarter than in the previous few games!

The Knicks' total score was exactly seven or eight points higher!

While frustrated, the Hawks players and coaches were relieved that Bibby had strongly urged them to go on offense.

If they score 26 or 27 points in the first quarter like before, wouldn't they be down by double digits by the end of the first quarter? Then, just like in Game 3, they'd be out of the game!

At this moment, it was Bibi who stepped forward to calm the team's emotions and boost morale.

Bibby was also helpless. He did come here with the goal of winning the championship, but not to lead the team to victory. Instead, he wanted to latch onto the coattails of Joe Johnson, a player who averaged 25+ points per game, and Josh Smith, a top talent known as "Little LeBron James".

As it turns out, these two not only don't look like the leader, nor do they play like the leader, but their personalities are also nothing like the leader's at all.

At that moment, he envied Randolph. They both entered the NBA around 00 and were considered players of the same era.

Playing alongside a player like Granger meant Randolph didn't have to worry about anything. He just had to attack, rebound, block driving players, and step in to defend Granger when he got into conflicts or was fouled hard, taking on the job of retaliatory fouls and facing off in conflicts that could get him ejected...

Just like in Game 2 between the Celtics and the Pacers, Perkins committed a flagrant foul, pulling Granger down on his layup attempt. In the next possession, Randolph used his full power to knock Pierce out of bounds and into the stands. Although he was ejected, causing the team to lose and miss the chance to take a 2-0 lead on the road, no one on the Celtics dared to use any force in the following three games.

I heard that Randolph's recent actions and his excellent performance have earned him a promise from Bird, and he may receive a lucrative contract with a total salary of nearly 100 million.

As for the White Devils, after making the playoffs last season, they took the initiative to take a pay cut and sign an early extension. Their salary for the 09-10 season will be reduced from $1490 million to $700 million, more than halved. This allowed the team to maintain salary flexibility for the next two summers after giving Josh Smith a 4-year, $4000 million extension. They were ready to be a supporting veteran... but this season they are still the leader and have to lead the team!
However, this wasn't the first time this had happened. When he joined the Kings, he thought he was there to assist Webber, but he ended up becoming the leader... So many years have passed, and he knows how to be a leader now. There's no other way than practice makes perfect.

After the break, the second quarter began.

The Hawks fielded a lineup of Ash Law, Joe Johnson, Maurice Evans, Josh Smith, and Marvin Williams.

The Knicks fielded a lineup of Duhon, Curry, Wilson Chandler, Swift, and Anderson.

The Hawks didn't bring in a center, maintaining their defensive speed and continuing to fight on offense!

During this phase, the Knicks were clearly at a disadvantage, and their lead was quickly erased by the opponent, but D'Antoni did not rush to make substitutions.

Fortunately, the two interior role players carried the offense. With Duhon and Curry missing long-range shots and Wilson Chandler's drives not being very effective, the former second overall pick and Birdman completed three putbacks and scored 6 points in half a quarter. In addition, Duhon hit a corner three-pointer, bringing the total to 9 points in half a quarter.

Although the opponent scored 15 points in half a quarter and took the lead 47-45, they successfully helped Yi Shui win a full half-quarter of continuous rest time!
At the official timeout, the Knicks brought in Chalmers, Q, Yi Shui, David Lee, and Harrington, while the Hawks brought in Bibby, Maurice Evans, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Horford.

After the timeout, the Knicks attacked first. Yi Shui received the ball and went one-on-one, driving in at a 45-degree angle on the right side. He stopped abruptly a step outside the free-throw line, dribbled behind his back to a step outside the free-throw line, and faced Horford who was rushing out, he took a mid-range shot... and it went in cleanly!
On the far west coast, in Beverly Hills, a viewer in front of a television set had just taken advantage of the official pause to shave off the excess hair outside his Mediterranean Sea, and when he returned, he saw this scene.

Old blacksmith: Cutting the handle! I've been taught this trick too!
With Yi Shui back on the court, the Knicks' offensive firepower suddenly increased!
In one-on-one situations, Yi Jianlian has a good touch and a high shooting percentage; when he's exhausted from short breaks, he can run pick-and-rolls with Harrington, drawing attention and allowing Harrington to orchestrate the offense; Chalmers is the most consistent player on the team for sideline catch-and-shoot; Big Q is constantly on the move, and nobody knows if he'll have a scoring spree; the Hawks can't afford to give David Lee any offensive rebounding opportunities...

With 11 minutes and 53 seconds left in the second quarter, Yi Shui got a chance to face Marvin Williams directly under the basket. He received the ball one-on-one, jumped over Marvin Williams, and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!
5投3中，加上2中2的罚球，易水半节拿到8分，率领尼克斯队半节飙出17分！
On the Hawks' side, they only scored 11 points in the second half of the quarter. Josh Smith and Marvin Williams, who had been attacking too aggressively in the first half of the quarter, both looked very weak. Joe Johnson, who had played for a quarter and a half, was substituted to rest. Only Bibby and Horford could not carry the offense.

With Josh Smith missing a three-pointer despite Yi Shui's interference, the first half ended.

The Knicks regained a 4-point lead, 62-58!
...

During halftime, commentators from various TV stations were making specific analyses and predictions... but not all of them.

On CCTV, the "Double Ping" duo (Zhang Weiping and Sun Zhengping) were performing a comedy routine. Having partnered for so long, Zhang Weiping and Sun Zhengping, the football commentators, knew their partner didn't understand much and stopped trying to be professional. They remarked, "The Hawks' performance this quarter was a complete waste of time!"

In the US, most commentators favor... the Hawks!
With the Hawks trailing by only 4 points, based on their performance in the previous games, they have a very high probability of turning the tide in the second half.

The only one to disagree was Barkley of TNT, who analyzed, "The Hawks are doomed in the second half."

Kenny Smith didn't argue this time, but chimed in, "If the Hawks don't have a breakout game in the second half, they could really be finished."

After halftime, the third quarter began.

Just as the Golden Partners analysis suggested, the Knicks continued their offensive firepower from the second half of the second quarter in the third quarter!
In fact, the Knicks' playing style was no different from the previous 5 games. In the third quarter, Yi Shui still had the ball and swung it around. When he got tired of swinging, he would stretch out and rest with his hands on his hips to draw attention, while his teammates executed tactics.

Yi Shui took 7 shots in the first quarter and 5 shots in the second half of the second quarter. He took 6 shots in the first half of the third quarter, which was no different from the previous games. His number of shots was basically equal to the number of shots taken by his teammates combined. His task was to 'consume the shot opportunities', but the key was that he was on fire tonight!
After shooting 5-for-7 in the first quarter and 3-for-5 in the second quarter, Yi Shui made 5 successful shots in the first half of the third quarter, hitting two of them, one of which was a three-pointer. Another three-point attempt was fouled, giving him 8 points and leading the team to 15 points in half a quarter!
However, the Hawks did not fall behind in this half quarter. Bibby and Joe Johnson put in a lot of effort to shoot, and the two of them scored 11 points, leading the team to tie the game at 15-15 with the Knicks!
However, with such a relentless swing, neither Bibby nor Joe Johnson could match Yi Shui...

In the second half of the quarter, Yi Shui made 2 of 4 field goals, including 1 of 1 three-pointers, and 2 of 3 free throws, scoring 7 points and leading the team to another 15 points. On the Hawks' side, Bibby and Joe Johnson's performance declined, scoring only 7 points combined, and the team only scored 11 points...

单节30比26，尼克斯队将比分打成92比84，领先优势扩大到8分！
This was completely unexpected by the commentators and the fans who believed them!
The fans at the stadium were also stunned. How come they couldn't even win the third quarter?

During halftime, the DJ kept saying that the second half belonged to them!
After the break, the fourth quarter began.

It's rare for the Knicks to gain an advantage in the third quarter, especially under the opponent's all-out attack. The entire team is energized and keeps charging forward! Charging forward relentlessly! Unstoppable!

In this quarter, the Hawks also went on a scoring run, not by Bibby, not by Joe Johnson, not by Horford, but by Josh Smith!
Josh Smith was very unwilling to accept that Yi Shui scored 37 points in three quarters, but he couldn't stop him! Not only are his physical conditions similar to James', but his defensive style is also similar, both focusing on help defense. He is just more committed and has better fundamentals, making him more effective at limiting Yi Shui's long-range shots. When Yi Shui can still make long two-pointers and three-pointers even under pressure, the future Hawks King will be completely helpless.

But he didn't want to give up. Other situations didn't matter, but tonight he didn't want to give up; he was going to attack!
Josh Smith went 5-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the quarter, driving to the basket on all 10 of his attacks, scoring 14 points in the quarter and leading the Hawks to a total of 28 points in the quarter, which was better than the second and third quarters when Bibby and Joe Johnson led the team!

As it turns out, the future Hawks star, in terms of talent, is definitely the strongest player on the Hawks team, and even among the best in the entire league.

For Yi Shui, he didn't score as much as Josh Smith in the final quarter, making 3 of 6 shots, including 2 of 5 three-pointers, plus 1 free throw, for a total of 9 points. He failed to score in double figures for two consecutive quarters, but he still had 3 assists!
Du Hong scored 4 points and 5 assists, connecting the team's offense together with Yi Shui!

库里进了两个底角接应三分，拿到6分；大卫-李4投2中拿到4分；鸟人吃饼+二次进攻，3投2中加上4中3的罚球拿到7分……5人打满整节，飙出30分！
Josh Smith led the team to regain high offensive firepower, but the Knicks responded at every turn, giving the Hawks no chance to turn the game around!

At 10:58 PM, Bibby threw the ball onto the floor, and as it rolled out of bounds, the final whistle blew...

The Knicks won a dominant victory in a high-scoring game, 122-112!
29投16中，其中三分球10中6，加上9中8的罚球……易水狂轰46分，率队以4比2晋级第二轮！
(End of this chapter)