Champion, please stay!

Chapter 219, Section 217: MVP Calls!

In the final seconds, Nash received the ball and lobbed it to Barbosa, who made a fast break, attempting a sneak attack.

Hughes anticipated this and blocked Barbosa at the midfield, making a steal... but unfortunately, there wasn't enough time.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 38-38, and the two teams tied again at 19-19 in the second half of the quarter!

The performance of both teams did not disappoint the 20,000 fans in the arena and the more than 20 million pay-TV viewers. They both played a crazy offensive game, even more aggressively than the first quarter of the Knicks vs. Nuggets game!
Knicks fans are under more pressure than Suns fans.

Even someone who doesn't know much about basketball can see that the Suns clearly have the upper hand in the run-and-gun phase.

Nash was too strong. With better roster depth, he led the Suns to play a fast-paced whirlwind that was as beautiful as art. Without a giant center in the paint, Stoudemire's job became simpler. Most of the time, he could receive shots, compress the defense, and even execute pick-and-rolls at the top of the arc without him having to do much. When Nash needed a break, he would step up and take the lead.

纳什首节4投3中、其中三分球2中2，拿到8分4助攻；斯塔德迈尔6投4中，加上2中1的罚球拿到9分，两人杀疯了。

But the pressure on Suns fans was only slightly less than that on Knicks fans. Despite the Suns' excellent performance, they still couldn't take the lead!

All because of one person—Yi Shui!
Yi Shui didn't score many points in the first quarter, only 13. Nash and Stoudemire also had 8 and 9 points respectively. However, 9 of Yi Shui's 13 points came when the Suns were trying to widen the gap. After only one quarter, they completed two comebacks to tie the score!
After gaining an advantage through a fierce attack, they caught up with Yi Shui as soon as they had a moment to catch their breath... This feeling not only drove the Suns fans crazy, but also gave Nash a headache when he returned to the bench.

After the break, the Suns brought in a lineup of Dragic, Richardson, Big Q, Stoudemire, and Lopez.

Nash was substituted out to rest, while Hill and DeAndre Jordan continued to rest.

Seeing the opposing team bring on a lineup of Duhon, Webster, Barnes, David Lee, and Birdman, Nash breathed a sigh of relief. With him out, Yi Shui could continue their relentless attack, and his side might not be able to withstand it.

After the start of the second quarter, the Knicks began to gain a slight advantage!
Yi Shui's performance gave his opponents a headache, while his teammates were extremely excited.

Just fight! If you can win, great! If not, they have Brother Bi!

David Lee had an exceptionally good performance tonight. He struggled against Kenyon Martin and Nene in singles, and also had a tough time against Okafor, but he had Stoudemire in the bag!

In the first quarter, Yi Shui had fewer one-on-one opportunities. In regular one-on-one situations, David Lee played against the three towers rotation of Stoudemire, Jordan, and Frye, and his performance was even better than Curry's against Nash.

第二节打了3分多钟，靠着大卫-李背打斯塔德迈尔转身勾手命中、韦伯斯特快攻跟进接应三分命中，尼克斯队以49比45取得4分领先优势，第二节开局打出11比7的比分。

Unfortunately, Dragic stepped up at this moment, ignoring Stoudemire's call for the ball and his one-on-one attack, and drove straight to the basket for two consecutive layups, helping the Suns tie the score.

If Dragic had missed those two shots, Stoudemire would have been furious enough to smash a fire hydrant, but since he did, Stoudemire was happier than anyone else, hugging Dragic and calling him "brother."

The two teams were tied 15-15 in the first half of the second quarter, with neither team gaining an advantage. However, both head coaches felt relieved, as it at least gave their star players a full half-quarter of rest.

After the official timeout, Gentry substituted Nash, Hill, Frye, and Jordan back in, while Big Q, who had a good shooting performance in the previous half quarter, scoring 5 points on 2-of-4 shooting, continued to play.

D'Antoni substituted Curry, Hughes, Yi Shui, and Harrington into the game, while Birdman continued to play.

Curry and Hughes continued to lead their teams, battling against Nash's Suns.

Nash is facing that headache again!

At 10:23 and 10:58 in the second quarter, Frye and Big Q hit two consecutive three-pointers; but at 10:46, Yi Shui backed down Frye in the low post, switched to defense, turned and made a floater, drawing a foul on DeAndre Jordan, and made both free throws. At 11:08, Yi Shui established position in the low post, suddenly ran to the high post, used Birdman's screen to shake off Hill, stopped abruptly to receive the ball, turned and faced Big Q who was helping to defend, and made a mid-range shot, also drawing a foul on Big Q, and made the free throw, scoring 5 points in a row.

Two three-pointers from Frye and Big Q were basically offset by Yi Shui's five consecutive points!

Nash thought he could use this momentum to his advantage, but it was once again disrupted by Yi Shui's consecutive goals, and he did nothing to demoralize the opponent!
In the second half, the two teams tied the score at 17-17!
In that half-quarter, Yi Shui only scored 5 points, while Curry, who scored 6 points in the same half-quarter, was the main offensive force.

The Knicks were able to stay close to the score tonight despite most of the Suns' shooters being on fire, thanks in large part to Nash and Stoudemire.

Nash, in particular, was a major liability in one-on-one defense, even worse than Stoudemire!
At least Little Tyrant has a certain size to back it up, while Nash, and only in the last two years, have all faded out of the league from the early 2000s generation of combo guards with outstanding scoring ability. Otherwise, they would definitely get a good beating every now and then.

Some media outlets predict that in two years, Nash will once again be in a situation where he gets repeatedly destroyed, even if he can maintain his form. This is because scoring combo guards have started to emerge in the last two years, including Rose, Westbrook, Mayo, Evans, and Curry is one of them!

The score was tied 32-32 in the first quarter, and at halftime, the two teams were tied at 70!
After halftime, the two teams switched halves and resumed play.

Although the Suns failed to gain momentum, they had a significant psychological advantage and genuinely felt that they controlled the game.

We had three chances to widen the gap in the first half, but Yi Shui thwarted them. So let's try again!
If three times doesn't work, try four! If four times doesn't work, try five!
The Phoenix Suns also have that unwavering spirit of a run-and-gun team!

On the other side, the Knicks were also full of momentum. They knew there was a gap in their roster, and the big Q that was traded for O'Neal was probably better than anyone else on their side except Curry and Yi Shui in terms of long-range shooting.

But they can always trust Brother Li!

Moreover, if we win, we share the glory; if we lose, the Emperor will take the blame!
Hughes, in particular, really enjoys playing with Yi Shui; it's so comfortable, he's never been so happy before.

After the start of the second half, the Suns were once again tormented.

Having the upper hand on the field is useless!

They cannot defend against the Yi River!

The Hornets have Posey, who can provide some limitation, while the Nuggets have Anthony, who is at his most aggressive defensively at the moment, and can also play a role in physical battles.

And their fast Q has long lost its basic defense, it can fly away with a single fake.
Hill has the defensive ability and the drive, but at his age and with years of injury-plagued seasons, his speed can't keep up.
James Jones possesses both qualities and is capable of serving as a team's perimeter defensive specialist, but he is mediocre and not as good as Big Q or Hill, who at least have outstanding strengths.

The key was the regular one-on-one play. Nash and Stoudemire failed to gain an advantage, and while they scored, Curry and David Lee also managed to score!
Moreover, compared to the first half, where Nash could create a mini-run every few minutes as long as he was on the court, the Suns only managed a clear lead in the third quarter after an official timeout, extending their lead to 7 points before being countered by Yi Shui and David Lee, who came off the bench, with a 13-7 run.

第三节两队打出了30比29的比分，太阳队以100比99领先尼克斯队1分，算是面子上占了一点上风。

After the break, Yi Shui brought Curry and David Lee, along with role players Hughes and Ben Wallace, onto the court.

Curry played the entire first quarter, 6 minutes in the second quarter, and 8 minutes in the third quarter, totaling 26 minutes. This is more playing time than in the first three quarters of the previous two games, but given the intensity of the competition tonight, it is within a reasonable range.

David Lee played 18 minutes straight at the start, then rested for almost a quarter, for a total of 24 minutes, managing his playing time very well.

Yi Shui played the most minutes on the team, only resting for half a quarter in the second quarter, playing for 30 minutes. But judging from his mental state, he was the one with the best physical condition on the team and even on the whole game.

Actually, it is!
Aside from necessary one-on-one plays and quickly running to take the blame when teammates have no opportunity, he mostly just "coasts" and creates space for his teammates on offense.

For this moment!
On the other side, the starting lineup of Nash, Richardson, Hill, Stoudemire, and Jordan returned to the court.

The fourth quarter began with the Suns taking the lead.

Stoudemire received the ball close to the basket, drove hard to the basket, took a step to the side, and made a jump shot from close range on the left side of the three-second zone!

Turning around, Yi Shui received the ball in the low post, leaning against Hill. He turned and received the ball again, then pulled back half a step, pulled up and threw it... and it went in! He even drew a foul from Hill who was trying to block the shot!

Yi Shui made the free throw, tying the game at 102-102. Both teams' top scorers started strong with their individual efforts, reigniting the fast-paced, high-scoring duel!
However, the Suns failed to establish an early advantage in this quarter as they had in the first and third quarters.

It's not that the Suns' team offense has declined. Nash's passing is so effective that one assist is equivalent to two. He doesn't pass the ball with the intention of getting an assist; instead, he guides the entire team's offense. Every teammate has a chance to handle the ball. Even DeAndre Jordan averages 1.4 assists in 27 minutes per game, and Frye averages 1.1 assists in 17 minutes per game.

Nash simply made too many good passes, which is why he had so many assists.

The Suns failed to establish an early advantage because Yi Shui played more aggressively!
In the first three quarters, Curry, David Lee, and substitutes Chalmers and Hughes were responsible for the regular one-on-one plays, while Yi Shui only played key shots.

Once the final quarter begins, whenever it comes to a point where one-on-one play is needed, such as after two fast breaks when the receiving pitcher or the player who finishes the dunk needs to stand still for a while, Yi Shui takes over the ball and plays one-on-one!
Led by Yi Shui, the Knicks scored 18 points in half a quarter, surpassing their scoring efficiency in the second and third quarters and approaching the team's best performance in the first quarter!
The Suns played well in the final quarter, but they didn't have a 'breakout star' like Yi Shui, scoring 15 points in half a quarter.

At the official timeout, the Knicks led the Suns 117-115 by two points!
Winning by 3 points in half a quarter is actually a very small advantage, but it has a huge impact on the Suns players.

They maintained a lead for three quarters, but when one opposing player unleashed his full offensive potential, the lead vanished. That feeling was incredibly frustrating for the Suns players!
The official pause has been lifted.

The Suns brought in a lineup of Nash, Q, Hill, Frye, and Stoudemire.

The Knicks brought in a lineup of Curry, Hughes, Yi Shui, David Lee, and Birdman.

The Suns are on offense. Stoudemire gets into position close to Birdman and calls for the ball.

Birdman positioned himself slightly better than Gibson, but he still couldn't hold his own against Stoudemire, much to the frustration of the Knicks' three key coaches.

Although the ability to box out in the low post is not used most of the time, there are fewer and fewer interior players who can attack with the ball at close range now. Therefore, Brook Lopez's performance of 18 points per game in his second year can be called a 'cornerstone', which would have been unimaginable before.

Stoudemire received a lob pass from Nash, straightened his body, and used a crossover step to create space to break through and score at close range!

Birdman has great physical attributes, but Stoudemire is the most offensively potent face-up big man in the league today, bar none!

Stoudemire took two steps through the resistance to the restricted area and slammed the ball up for a dunk... but the crowd cheered instead of screaming!

"Snapped"

Yi Shui sprinted along the baseline, leaped into the air from the left side of the three-second zone, and slapped the ball that Stoudemire was about to dunk!
As Stoudemire turned to face the basket, Yi Shui rushed in. At that moment, he judged that the ball was definitely unstoppable. Stoudemire would shoot or lay up against the contact, and Yi Shui would not be able to get into position in time.

But during the official timeout, Stoudemire heard Nash and Hill say that the team's morale was declining and he wanted to do something drastic to boost the team's confidence, so he bent his knees and slammed the ball down with a powerful dunk.

The difference between the floater and the powerful dunk was less than a second, but that tiny bit of time gave Yi Shui the opportunity to dive in!
Hughes, with his excellent defensive habits, reacted immediately when the ball was swatted at him by Yi Shui, blocking Da Q and then going for the ball. After getting the ball, he dribbled and dodged Da Q's steal, launching a counterattack!

Curry and David Lee spread out on the wings as Curry drove into the paint... and passed back!
Yi Shui followed up in the middle of the road, received the ball and drove straight to the basket. He grabbed the ball at the free-throw line, took two steps, and jumped!

Frye, who had retreated to the basket,... stepped aside.

Yi Shui scores two points with a powerful dunk!

The Knicks extended their lead to 4 points, 119-115.

Yang Jian, the commentator for the imperial broadcasting station, shouted out Emperor Wu's famous quote: "At this moment, offense and defense have become much easier!"

Stoudemire stepped up to take on the challenge despite the team's morale being low, showing great responsibility, and his teammates have high expectations for him.

But he didn't score! And Yi Shui blocked his shot so badly!

Losing two points on the counterattack is a minor issue; the blow to morale and the opponent's increased momentum are far more fatal for the Suns!
When the Suns were on offense, Nash used Frye's screen, faked a drive, stepped back and moved to Frye's left side, creating an open shot opportunity with his superb skills, and then hit a three-pointer.

In crucial moments, the Suns still have to rely on the Wind Child!
However, Curry dribbled for a while, then pulled up and shot, hitting a three-pointer despite Nash's interference!

When it was the Suns' turn to attack, Stoudemire set a screen for Nash and then cut in. This time, he didn't think too much about it. Taking advantage of the absence of that annoying positioning master Ben Wallace, he drove straight into the paint, received the ball, and made a layup.

Just as he had guessed, Yi Shui completely ignored Hill and focused on his shot. Luckily, he didn't think too much about the shot.

The Suns are keeping the score close at 120-122!

The two teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle, with both sides maintaining strong offensive firepower. However, the Knicks players became more and more energetic, while the Suns players struggled more and more.

When the Suns were leading by four or five points, or even six or seven points, the Knicks caught up in just two or three minutes. But when they were down by three or four points, they just couldn't catch up!

With 11 minutes and 33 seconds left in the final quarter, Nash made a close-range floater, bringing his score to 30 points. This is his second-highest score this season, with his highest being 35 points against the Nuggets.

The ball went in, bringing the score to 135-137, and the Suns narrowed the gap to two points!

The Knicks called a timeout, and D'Antoni substituted Chalmers, Curry, Yi Shui, Harrington, and David Lee into a lineup of one star and four shooters.

Gentry brought in a lineup of Dragic, James Jones, Hill, DeAndre Jordan, and Brook Lopez, bringing in the best defenders at every position.

After the timeout, the Knicks had possession in the frontcourt.

After Harrington passed the ball to Yi Shui, he came to the top arc to block Hill for Yi Shui.

Yi Shui swerved to the right... changing direction, breaking through on the left!
DeAndre Jordan was very aggressive on defense, but his fundamentals and experience were too poor. When Yi Shui made a sideways move, he was blocked on the right side of the arc, which made him afraid that Yi Shui would use the screen to shoot a three-pointer.

Yi Shui surged forward down the left flank, leaving the high post wide open, and charged straight for the basket!

James Jones on the left had no time to block him and could only watch helplessly as Yi Shui charged into the paint.

Lopez didn't have time to block him out. He only noticed Yi Shui rushing in when he saw David Lee pull away. Seeing Yi Shui take a step forward and leap high, he could only jump with all his might and slap the ball away from Yi Shui's hand...

"Snapped"

This wasn't a block, but rather Lopez slapping Yi Shui's arm, but it still couldn't stop Yi Shui from charging forward.

Yi Shui slammed the ball into the basket over Lopez!

The referee blew his whistle, the goal stands, Lopez committed a foul by hitting the hand, and Yi Shui was awarded an additional penalty!
The cheers from the fans at the stadium reached a fever pitch!
After exchanging high-fives with his teammates, Yi Shui walked to the free-throw line. It was unclear where it started, but it spread quickly, and a chaotic but enthusiastic chant of "MVP" rang out in the arena!

After the cheers spread throughout the venue, they quickly rallied under the DJ's guidance and chanted "MVP" in unison!
Yi Shui was shocked. He had occasionally heard fans shouting before, but these days, the MVP chants weren't so common, and even his own fans didn't react so strongly.

Tonight, I shouted it out!
The reason... is probably because the opposing team has a real MVP! And they're going to win!
Yi Shui took a deep breath... If her heart couldn't calm down, then she'd just throw it away!

Great touch, swish the free throw!
The point difference reached 5 points, and Gentry called a timeout, even though the chances were slim with only 17 seconds left.

The fans' chants of "MVP" didn't stop; they chanted even louder!
As Nash walked to the sidelines, he turned back to look at Yi Shui, who was standing on the court with his arms outstretched and head tilted back, and licked the sweat from his palms... He had wasted two years, and the time left for him might really be running out!
(End of this chapter)