Champion, please stay!

Chapter 200, Chapter 198: Jinzhou is the Emperor's blessed land for rapid advancement!

Ellis gave it his all in the first quarter, playing the entire quarter and scoring 14 points and 4 assists, leading a group of shooters to score 31 points... After the whistle blew to end the first quarter, he looked at the score and saw it was 31-31.

On the other side, in positional play, Yi Shui created threats in the low post in the first few possessions, and then took turns with David Lee to pass the ball in isolation plays. With the sideline shooters catching and shooting, the center cutting to the weak side for easy baskets, and fast break scoring, the score easily exceeded 30!

Ellis felt incredibly frustrated; he could clearly sense that the opposing team was different from last season!

In his opinion, last season's Knicks team wasn't very strong and might not be as good as the Warriors team from the season before last.

07-08赛季，他们常规赛打得比完成黑八的06-07赛季要好得多，在强队云集的西部拿到48胜……但没进季后赛。

Actually, they had more wins than losses in the top eight teams in the West that year, but the rise of the Lakers and Hornets and the Nuggets' improved record after acquiring Iverson raised the Western Conference playoff threshold to 50 wins.

Last season, the Knicks, no matter what the situation, always had one word in mind – charge.

The Knicks team in front of us is so much more mature! They can adjust their offensive focus according to the opponent's actual situation, launch highly targeted and powerful attacks, and maintain a stable output... No!

Ellis believes the Knicks are in a position to play like this – compared to the same time last season, Yi Shui's strength has improved significantly!
In his rookie year, he practiced relentlessly; in his sophomore year, a visionary coach arrived, and he was promoted to the starting lineup, averaging 16+3+4, soaring to new heights, completing a second-round draft pick and securing a lucrative 5-year, $5500 million contract extension, while also helping the team reach the playoffs and pull off an upset; in his junior year, he continued his meteoric rise, averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists with a field goal percentage exceeding 5%...

In his fourth year, just as his big contract was taking effect, the star player demanded to return to his hometown to play, and he himself suffered a major injury; in his fifth year, he returned at full strength, with his skills greatly improved, but then his core inside player was ruined, his best wing teammate was traded away, and the team was openly tanking...

If it were any other player, even Wade, faced a similar situation, encountering Yi Shui, the most 'smooth' rookie in the last 11 years, they would also have all sorts of worries.

But after Ellis went crazy for a while, he only had one thought in his mind—get him!
...

On the other side, Yi Shui did not become careless or relaxed just because she had withstood the opponent's fierce offensive firepower relatively easily.

Ellis gave him the feeling that there was a snake coiled around his head... It was too dangerous!
He remembered that Ellis had a season where he averaged 25+ points per game! And that was even when Don Nelson was developing Curry and taking away a lot of his shot attempts!
D'Antoni made his usual lineup rotation, replacing Yi Shui, who played the entire first quarter, with Curry, who had rested for half a quarter.

After the timeout ended, before his teammates went back on the court, Yi Shui said to Curry, "Be decisive when shooting, and don't expect the opponent's firepower to drop."

Hughes, standing nearby, had a question mark on his head: Shouldn't he have reminded his teammates to be careful? What's with the "decisive shot"?

如易水所料，第二节开始后，首节9投5中、其中三分球1中0、外加4中4的罚球拿到14分4助攻的埃利斯，第二节继续狂飙！半节5投3中，加上1中1的罚球拿到7分2助攻，率队半节轰出15分！
不过，库里这边，有了老大授意，也开启了无限开火模式，半节扔了7次！三分球3中1、长两分2中1、反击上篮1中1、阵地战突破攻框没进，7投3中也拿到了7分！
With David Lee scoring 4 points with a layup and a putback, and Webster hitting a three-pointer, the Knicks scored 15 points in half a quarter!
On the home team's bench, Don Nelson looked at Curry, his heart bleeding.

Curry played a great supporting role for Yi Shui, both in passing and shooting, showing a significant improvement in consistency compared to last season. When Yi Shui went to rest, Curry stepped up and played exceptionally well!
After the official timeout, D'Antoni substituted Curry, who had been on fire for half the quarter, with a lineup of Chalmers, Hughes, Yi Shui, Harrington, and Anderson.

As soon as Yi Shui entered the game, amidst cheers from the fans, he pulled up for a three-pointer over Reggie Williams and hit it!

On the Knicks' next offensive possession, Yi Shui received the ball, faked a shot, took a big stride into the paint, jumped outside the restricted area, and faced a triple-team from Tolliver, Turiaf, and Reggie Williams, finishing with a layup!
No longer seeking stability, Yi Shui is going all out!

During timeouts, D'Antoni's offensive adjustment strategy was simple: "Emperor, go up and swing!"
The opposing team consisted of a group of young pitchers and athletic forwards, who, led by Ellis who had entered a high-octane mode, were incredibly aggressive.

Playing it safe and steady might lead to an upset like the Spurs did the day before yesterday, getting crushed by Ellis.

But the way to deal with such an opponent is simple: just send a player who can outrun Ellis.

Ellis saw Yi Shui coming up and shot even harder, but his efficiency was not as good as in the first half of the quarter. Chalmers was the main defender, Hughes helped on the wing, and Birdman protected the rim, all of whom were guarding him. The defense was not very good, but it could limit him to some extent.

In Yi Shui's eyes, the Warriors' defense, whether inside or outside, was nothing more than a cannonball!
后半节埃利斯7投3中，其中三分球2中1，加上2中1的罚球，半节拿到8分，率队拿到13分。

易水这边……7投5中，其中三分球1中1，加上2中2的罚球，半节狂轰13分，率队半节拿到19分！
At halftime, the score was 65-59, with the Knicks holding a 6-point lead!
...

After Biedrins was sidelined and Stephen Jackson was traded, the Warriors' morale was low. The players aren't blind; even if many of them aren't very intelligent, the media and fans can still see that they're talking about tanking.

The team's ability to upset the Spurs the day before yesterday and to keep pace with the Knicks for most of the first half tonight was all thanks to Ellis's aggressive play, outpacing any of the opposing players.

When Ellis's scoring was outpaced, the Warriors' confidence plummeted—how could they compete with an opponent they couldn't even beat the 'second-best shooting guard in the West'? Actually, Ellis's current scoring is still higher than Yi Shui's, with 14 points in the first quarter, 13 points in the second quarter, and 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting in the first half.

易水首节低位4投3中、中距离2投1中、罚球1中1拿到9分，第二节13分，比埃利斯低5分。

But what the players felt most deeply at that moment was that they had just finished this half-quarter, and although Yi Shui 'only' scored 22 points, his shooting performance was 9 out of 13!

In the second half, although Ellis continued his scoring spree and led the team hard, the Warriors' scoring continued to decline, scoring 26 points in the third quarter and 24 points in the final quarter.

On the other side, the Knicks scored 28 points in the third quarter and then unleashed a barrage of 32 points in the final quarter!
As the point difference continued to widen, Yi Shui's score also surpassed Ellis's!
埃利斯第三节8投4中拿到11分、末节9投3中拿到8分，全场38投18中，其中三分球7中2，加上10中8的罚球，飙出了46分。

易水首节9分、第二节13分、第三节14分、末节20分，31投21中，其中三分球5中3，加上12中11的罚球，狂轰56分！
Adding to Curry's 20 points and 11 assists, and David Lee's 16 points and 11 rebounds...

The Knicks defeated the Warriors 125-109, securing their fourth consecutive win to start the season!

After the final whistle blew, Ellis, who had endured the pressure throughout the entire match and played the full 48 minutes, broke down mentally.

At the end of this month last year, he set a new career high with 43 points, while the opposing team, Yi Shui, scored 50 points.

This time he set a new career high with 46 points, while the opposing Yi Shui team scored 56 points!
Despite giving it her all and performing exceptionally well, Ellis was still being relentlessly suppressed by the opponent, and she felt like she was going crazy!

Hearing the fans chanting "Emperor" wildly and seeing Yi Shui wave to the fans during his post-match interview, Ellis wrapped a towel around his head and ran towards the players' tunnel...

...

After the game, the Knicks players followed Harrington, who had played for the Warriors for several years, to a nightclub to celebrate their victory.

Tonight, they not only felt like they were playing at home, like they were in a nightclub, but also like they were in New York, with passersby being incredibly enthusiastic towards them.

After finishing the match, while drinking and chatting, the topic naturally turned to tonight's opponent.

Players like Yi Shui, Curry, Harrington, and David Lee all felt that it was difficult to be Ellis's teammate.

Harrington, who was Ellis's teammate, has a lot to say about this; that player was too self-centered.

Curry and Yi Shui also have their moments of individual brilliance that are outrageous, but when it comes to teamwork, they will resolutely consider themselves part of the tactics, drawing defenders and setting up passes for their teammates.

Ellis, on the other hand, was alone from beginning to end.

However, it feels different when playing against an opponent. Every player on the Knicks feels incredibly excited to face a player like Ellis who has strong scoring ability, excellent defensive skills, and an explosive competitive spirit!

Yi Shui, recalling Don Nelson's attempt to tank, said, "The Warriors probably won't get a high draft pick this year."

Chalmers replied, "I think so too. Unless they throw away their pitchers and athletic forwards, these guys, with Ellis leading them, are at least playoff level in the East. If Biedrins hadn't had problems and Jackson hadn't been traded, they would have been very strong."

The next day at noon, the Knicks flew to Sacramento, rested for a night, and then played the Kings away on the 7th.

Tonight, the Knicks played very simply. Yi Shui started strong with a few possessions, then passed the ball around... Just as D'Antoni predicted, Yi Shui took on several possessions of shots in a row at the start, and even though his shots were mediocre, the opposing team started to double-team him relentlessly.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Yi Shui grabbed his 10th rebound and was then substituted by D'Antoni.

15投6中，其中三分球4中1，加上3中3的罚球，易水今晚被夹击得很狠，但传球起飞！31分钟出场时间拿到16分10板14助攻！

The Knicks easily defeated the Kings 113-101, extending their winning streak to five games!

(End of this chapter)